Health Corps is excited to be working with such an accomplished and inspirational Board. Working together, Health Corps’ message can be brought to students, schools, and communities across the nation.

Alan Gass, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Alan L. Gass, M.D., FACC, is Director of Advanced Cardiac Failure and Transplantation at Westchester Medical Center treating patients with end-stage heart failure, which he has done for most of his career. Previously, Dr. Gass served for 14 years as Medical Director of New York Mount Sinai's Heart Transplant Program from its inception in 1991. He personally followed hundreds of patients in various stages of heart failure, achieving survival rates among the top in the country.

After completing a residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and a Cardiology fellowship at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Dr Gass completed a fellowship in Cardiac Transplantation at Stanford University. He has written numerous articles in medical journals, and is an investigator in studies on transplantation and cardiac assist devices. His work in tailored, minimal immunosuppresion after transplant has gained international recognition. Dr. Gass' research in this area has allowed post-transplant patients to be treated with a minimal amount of drugs - avoiding long-term side effects and improving their quality of life while maintaining excellent survival. He lectures at national meetings and academic centers, and is known to be a passionate teacher.

Dr. Gass has appeared in Life Magazine, The New York Times, and on CNN, NBC, CNBC, and local New York news affiliates as a medical expert. He also was featured in a one-hour documentary special of Dateline NBC called "A Change of Heart", which chronicled the emotionally moving story of several patients waiting for an acceptable donor heart.

Dr, Gass sees fitness and nutrition as a way of life. After playing ice hockey in college, he continued a routine of daily exercise, which has included running, rollerblading, skiing, weight training, spinning, and road biking. Throughout his career, he has been inspired by patients who have experienced dramatic recoveries through lifestyle changes. Achieving wellness is a team effort between patients and health professionals, incorporating diet, exercise, relaxation techniques, self-awareness and motivation into the healing process. He believes that ultimately the way to prevent disease and minimize the need for medical or surgical intervention is through exploring the connection between mind, body and spirit.