Mount Sinai South Nassau Soirée To Support New Open-Heart Surgery Program

EAST MEADOW, NY — Mount Sinai South Nassau’s 2026 “Soirée Under the Stars” will raise money for the Oceanside hospital’s planned expansion of cardiovascular services, including the launch of an open-heart surgery program later this year.

The fundraiser is scheduled for Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at The Lannin in Eisenhower Park. Proceeds will benefit the hospital’s “Bringing Heart Home” campaign, which supports expanded cardiac services for South Shore residents.

Hewlett Harbor resident Steven Gold, a longtime hospital Advisory Board member and benefactor, will serve as the gala honoree. The hospital will also present its Mary Pearson Award to Dr. Aaron E. Glatt, chair of the Department of Medicine, chief of infectious diseases and hospital epidemiologist, and its Cupola Award to Nydia White, director of nursing.

“Mr. Gold, Dr. Glatt, and Ms. White are truly ‘hearts of the hospital,’ with, combined, almost 100 years of dedicated service to our mission and vision,” Interim President Dr. Joshua Kugler said. “We are truly grateful for their commitment to Mount Sinai South Nassau’s tradition of excellence in the delivery of high-quality patient- and community-centered health care.”

Gold is known for his leadership of Gold Pure Food Products, commonly known as Gold’s Horseradish, which his grandparents founded in Brooklyn in 1932. He led the company’s factory move to Hempstead in 1994 and served as company president until its sale in 2015. Gold has served on Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Advisory Board since 2011 and previously served as Development Committee chair and co-chair of the Soirée.

Glatt, an internationally recognized infectious disease specialist, has served as chair of medicine and chief of infectious diseases at the hospital since 2015. He was also the hospital’s lead infectious disease expert during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped oversee initiatives involving monoclonal antibody treatments, vaccination efforts and the hospital’s Vaxmobile.

White has spent her entire 22-year nursing career at Mount Sinai South Nassau, primarily in critical care. As director of nursing for the Surgical and Intensive Care Units, she oversees patient care and nursing operations in high-acuity settings and has led quality improvement and interdisciplinary initiatives.

Funds raised at the Soirée will support the hospital’s expansion of cardiovascular services, including adult open-heart surgery, an additional Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Lab and a new CT-angiography lab.

The advanced cardiac and open-heart surgery program is expected to launch later this year and will be overseen by surgeons and clinical leaders from Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital in Manhattan. Surgeons from Manhattan will travel to Oceanside to perform advanced cardiac procedures, according to the hospital.

News 12 personalities Erin Colton and Joe Arena will serve as co-masters of ceremonies for the Soirée, which will feature an extended cocktail hour instead of a formal sit-down dinner, along with a live DJ, dancing and a mentalist.

For information about tickets or sponsorships, contact Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Development Office at 516-377-5360.