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Officers At MCSC, our leadership team has a wealth of experience and expertise in the field of medicine. They are committed to ensuring our organization remains at the forefront of the industry and upholds the highest standards of patient care. Louis J Auguste MD, MPH, FACS, FSSO Dr. Auguste is a general surgeon with a sub-specialty in Surgical oncology and Head and Neck Surgery. He holds the academic appointment of Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine @ Hofstra/Northwell. He has contributed to the formation of many generations of physicians, surgical residents, and medical students. He has also mentored many high school and college students considering a career in Medicine. Dr. Auguste is very committed to the health needs of the communities, both in the US and in his native Haiti, participating over the years in numerous educational programs and in medical missions, both in times of disasters and of peace. He believes in the noble character of the medical profession and has worked in leadership positions locally, at the state and the national levels, to promote its values. President Carmen J. Rodriguez MD, FACOG Dr. Carmen Rodriguez is an obstetrician-gynecologist who practices at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJMC). She obtained her medical degree in 1992 from Stony Brook Medical School after completing the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education Program. She is the faculty advisor of the Gold Humanism Honor Society Chapter at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. She is a preceptor for the Zucker School of Medicine students through the Initial Clinical Experience (ICE) Program and a mentor at the URM (Under-represented Minority) Mentorship Program. She has mentored college students, medical students, and OBGYN residents throughout her career. Dr Rodriguez has chaired the Long Island Jewish Medical Center Credentials committee, Performance Improvement Coordinating Group, and the Patient Experience Operating Room subcommittee. Dr. Rodriguez is a past president of the LIJMC Medical Staff Society and was the first female to serve in this role in the institution's history. She is the chair of the LIJMC Women in Medicine (WIM) program and developed a mentoring program for female physicians. Dr. Rodriguez received the Northwell Health President's Physician of the Year Award in 2019. She serves as treasurer to the Nassau County Medical Society. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Medical, Educational, and Scientific Foundation of New York, Inc. (MESF). Vice-President Francine Hippolyte MD Dr. Francine Hippolyte is currently the Vice Chairperson for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwell’s Long Island Jewish Medical Center Katz Women Hospital. Dr. Hippolyte is at the forefront of clinical administrative initiatives, frequently collaborating with cross-departmental Northwell Health leadership on a variety of endeavors. She is currently one of the Birth Equity Project Physician Leader at Katz Women‘s Hospital and a Katz Institute for Women’s Health Member, in addition to serving as a Member of several other Katz Women’s Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center Committees. Dr Hippolyte was born in Brooklyn, New York. She is the second daughter of parents from St. Lucia WI. She grew up in Crown Heights and Brownsville, Brooklyn. She attended the medical science program at Midwood High School and subsequently attended Binghamton University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor degree in African American Studies. Dr. Hippolyte earned her Doctor of Medicine, Magna Cum Laude, from the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She completed her medical residency at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Before returning to Long Island Jewish Medical Center in 2009, Dr. Hippolyte was an attending physician and Co-Director of Medical Education and Clerkship in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to these positions, she was a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Hippolyte has been recognized for her resounding commitment to community service. She was honored with the 2021 Northwell Health Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Arnold N. Fenton, MD Award and the 2021 Truly Awards for Caring Touch. Dr. Hippolyte also received the “Straight From the Heart” Employee Compliment Award from the Katz Women’s Hospital. Dr. Hippolyte also completed the Northwell Health Physician Leadership Development Program in 2016 and the Relationship Centered Communication Course as an instructor in 2018. Secretary James Satterfield MD, MS. MBA, FACS Vice-President Vice-President of the Medical Society of the State of New York and MSSNY Delegate to the American Medical Association. Monique Defour-Jones MD, MS, MBA President President of the Region I of the National Medical Association. Aime Lufulwabo MD, MPH Treasurer Dr. Aime Lufulwabo is a dedicated medical professional with a strong focus on healthcare technology and quality improvement. Currently affiliated with NYC Health + Hospitals, he is also the founder of EldoHealth+, a health information technology startup. Dr. Lufulwabo earned his medical degree from the University of Lubumbashi and subsequently moved to the United States to enhance his education. He completed a Master of Public Health (MPH) at Yale University, concentrating on health informatics and epidemiology, and furthered his expertise with postgraduate medical education at Harvard University in Clinical Informatics, Quality Improvement, Patient Safety, and Leadership. Dr. Lufulwabo is deeply committed to addressing healthcare disparities, particularly within Black communities and among minority physicians. Dr. Ketly Michel MD, FACOG Assistant-Treasurer Dr. Ketly Michel is an obstetrician-gynecologist in New York, New York and is affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital at Northwell Health. She received her medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University and has been in practice for more than 20 years. Dr. Ketly Michel is highly recommended by patients. Marie-Paule Dupiton M.D., F.A.A.P CEO Assistant-Secretary Dr. Marie-Paule Dupiton was born in Haiti and graduated from The State University of Haiti, School of Medicine in 1992. She immigrated to the U.S. shortly after, where she completed her training in General Pediatrics at Harlem Hospital Center and Winthrop University Hospital. In 1999, she founded Camkids Pediatrics P.C., a private practice in Cambria Heights, Queens, to serve the needs of her community. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a member of the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad (A.M.H.E) and a member of the Nassau County Medical Reserve Corps. Dr. Dupiton is a strong advocate for her patients and their families, addressing their physical and emotional well-being. Through her affiliation with the Northwell Health System and New-York Presbyterian, Dr. Dupiton oversees the inpatient care management of her patients. In 2016, her medical practice was awarded the highest level of recognition by the National Committee of Quality Assurance (NCQA) for providing quality care to her community. Dr. Dupiton is also a mentor tocountless numbers of medical professionals, consistently sharing her knowledge in the field. Dr. Dupiton's passion is deeply rooted in serving vulnerable populations. She's redoubled her efforts in assuring that Camkids Pediatrics is a true medical home for displaced Haitian families. Furthermore, she co-founded Quisqueya Concerned Citizens Inc in 2017 to bring immediate help to disadvantaged children here and abroad. Her philanthropic work has made a difference in the lives of many and serves as an inspiration for generations to come.

Publications

Community Engagement: Engage in meaningful community service activities and initiatives that address healthcare disparities and uplift underserved populations. Community Engagement Opportunities for advancement EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS Community Engagement: Engage in meaningful community service activities and initiatives that address healthcare disparities and uplift underserved populations. Make a difference in the medical field and the black community. JOIN NOW McCune Smith Cordice Medical Society at the Memorial Presbyterian Church In collaboration with the MPC’s Men’s League, the Uso Felix Health Foundation and NY Blood and Cancer. Serving our community On July 11, 2026, the Uzo Felix Health Foundation (UFHF0 organized a “Bruncheon” at the Memorial Presbyterian Church of Roosevelt, NY. to raise awareness of the magnitude of problem of Prostate cancer, among men, particularly men of African ancestry. The Foundation was created by Chioma Okoro, in the name of her father, Uso Felix, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer, when it had already metastasized and died prematurely from it. Although she could not prevent the death of her beloved father, in a gesture of filial love, she pledged that she will work tirelessly to help save as many men as possible. The keynote speaker was Dr. Joshua Harris, medical oncologist from NY Blood and Cancer. The panel discussion that followed was moderated by Dr. Joy Williams, associate director at Hofstra and featured Dr. Carlton Barnswell, urologist of the McCune Smith Cordice Medical Society, Dr. Leroy Monroe, psychologist and prostate cancer survivor, Dr. Beatrice Goodman, DNP, nutritionist and myself, as I seized the opportunity to substitute for Dr. Allen Toles, who had a conflicting engagement. The keynote presentation was clear and touched on all the points that needed to me made. The foundation provided extensive brochures, pamphlets and literature to the audience of more than 50 attendants of both sexes. The exchange that ensued between the panelists and the audience may have been the most important moment of the session, as so many points were debated and many misconceptions debunked. Chief among them was that if I have sex frequently, I cannot have prostate cancer. Some also believed that if they have no symptoms or there is no cancer in their family, therefore, they cannot have cancer. It was also important to dissect the emotion and the reluctance to undergo a digital rectal examination, to explain the importance of such exam and the fact that in no way does it define one’s sexual preference. We also discuss that nutrition, and spirituality can certainly be adjuncts but in no way should they ever replace standard therapy. The panel had to face that lone individual who derived his knowledge from the barbershop and felt that Doctors are always prompt to recommend surgery for their own gain and quoted a second or third hand story of someone who was advised to have surgery and sought a second opinion, only to be told that there was no cancer, showing once more that barbershops can be a venue for both information and misinformation. However, that question opened the door for a discussion on the value of second opinion, and the danger of ignoring any changes in one’s health. The seminar started and ended with a thoughtful and appropriate invocation and blessing by the church pastor, the Reverend Scott William, as each of the attendants was urged to share the information with at least five relatives or friends. I left the church happy and feeling that there was no better way to spend a Saturday morning, promoting health in our community. I was also grateful for the Uso Felix Health Foundation, the Memorial Presbyterian of Rosevelt, NY and Dr Allen Toles, for giving me that opportunity to serve.

To be a networking platform for social interaction among minority physicians to enhance personal, educational and professional growth. The Society aims to guide and support its members, as they address the unique challenges faced by minority physicians and patients. To advocate for the underserved and underrepresented communities and educate the public regarding important health care issues affecting the African American community. MISSION & VISION MCSC’s Mission & Vision To be a networking platformfor social interaction among minority physicianstoenhance personal, educational and professional growth. The Society aims toguide and support its members, as they address the unique challenges faced byminority physicians and patients. To advocate for the underserved and underrepresented communities and educate the public regarding important healthcare issues affecting the African American community. To mitigatehealth inequities that impact the minority communities and be a strong and unifiedpolitical voice to influence policy decisions that affect all aspects of healthservices in the underserved communities, including access and quality. To expand educational opportunities for underrepresented African Americans in the HealthCare Professions and increase minority representation in all aspects of healthcare, through the mentoring of minority, students, medical students, residents,and foreign graduates, looking to enter and navigate the system. To create position statements on issues that impact minority physicians and their patientsandbe subject matter experts for the press on issues dealing with minority health, decision makers and other advocacy groups with congruent agendas.

Welcome to the McCune Smith Cordice Medical Society (MCSC), where excellence meets community. Founded on the principles of empowerment, advocacy, and service, MCSC is a beacon of support and opportunity for Black healthcare professionals. Our society provides a dynamic platform for networking, professional development, and collective advocacy, aimed at advancing equitable healthcare access and uplifting minority physicians. ​ ​ ​ ​ Resource Access Detail access to databases EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS “Unlock a world of exclusive benefits and offers as a member of MCSC. Enjoy special discounts on events, access member-only resources, and take advantage of unique opportunities tailored just for you. Our commitment to our members goes beyond healthcare; it’s about enhancing your overall experience and ensuring you get the most out of your membership. Join us today and start enjoying the perks of being a valued member of MCSC!” Join MCSC and become part of a dynamic community dedicated to advancing healthcare equity, supporting minority physicians, and fostering professional development. JOIN NOW

At MCSC, we are dedicated to empowering minority healthcare by ensuring equitable access to high-quality care. We recognize the disparities faced by minority communities in healthcare and are committed to addressing them head-on. Through advocacy, education, and community outreach, we strive to uplift minority voices, promote cultural competence among healthcare providers, and advocate for policies that advance health equity. DELIVERING CARE Addressing Healthcare Disparities: MCSC’s Policy Priorities MCSC recognizes the importance of medical education and training in addressing healthcare disparities and advancing health equity. We support policies to increase diversity in the healthcare workforce, expand funding for medical education programs serving underrepresented communities, and promote cultural competency training for healthcare professionals. LEARN MORE Advancing Health Equity: MCSC’s Stance on Policy Reform MCSC advocates for evidence-based public health policies that promote disease prevention, community wellness, and population health. This includes supporting initiatives to address social determinants of health, improve access to preventive services, and combat public health threats such as infectious diseases and substance abuse. LEARN MORE Equitable Access to Healthcare: MCSC’s Advocacy Efforts MCSC supports comprehensive healthcare reform efforts aimed at improving the efficiency, quality, and accessibility of healthcare in the United States. This includes advocating for initiatives to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, implement universal healthcare coverage, and transition to value-based care models. LEARN MORE

Comprehensive Construction Services We develop innovative, sustainable solutions to answer our client's most complicated challenges. Use this space to promote the business, its products or its services. Help people become familiar with the business and its offerings, creating a sense of connection and trust. Focus on what makes the business unique and how users can benefit from choosing it. What We Do 01 Project Design This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service. 02 Construction Management This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service. 03 Site Evaluation This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service. 04 Engineering Consulting This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service. 05 Cost Modeling This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service. 06 Construction This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service.

Unlock a world of exclusive benefits and offers as a member of MCSC. Enjoy special discounts on events, access member-only resources, and take advantage of unique opportunities tailored just for you. Our commitment to our members goes beyond healthcare; it’s about enhancing your overall experience and ensuring you get the most out of your membership. Join us today and start enjoying the perks of being a valued member of MCSC!” EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS - EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS Exclusive Benefits: Enjoy member-exclusive perks, discounts on events, access to research publications, and more. “Unlock a world of exclusive benefits and offers as a member of MCSC. Enjoy special discounts on events, access member-only resources, and take advantage of unique opportunities tailored just for you. Our commitment to our members goes beyond healthcare; it’s about enhancing your overall experience and ensuring you get the most out of your membership. Join us today and start enjoying the perks of being a valued member of MCSC!” Join MCSC and become part of a dynamic community dedicated to advancing healthcare equity, supporting minority physicians, and fostering professional development. JOIN NOW

ABOUT MCSC “Welcome to the McCune Smith Cordice Medical Society (MCSC), where excellence meets community. Founded on the principles of empowerment, advocacy, and service, MCSC is a beacon of support and opportunity for Black healthcare professionals. Our society provides a dynamic platform for networking, professional development, and collective advocacy, aimed at advancing equitable healthcare access and uplifting minority physicians. At MCSC, we believe in the power of unity and collaboration. Through our diverse range of events, workshops, and initiatives, members have the chance to connect with like-minded peers, access valuable resources, and stay abreast of the latest advancements in medicine. Whether you’re seeking mentorship, career guidance, or opportunities to give back to the community, MCSC is here to support your journey every step of the way. Join us in shaping a brighter future for healthcare, where diversity is celebrated, voices are heard, and every physician has the opportunity to thrive. Together, we’re not just building a society – we’re building a legacy of excellence and inclusivity in medicine. Come be a part of something extraordinary at MCSC.” The McCune Smith – Cordice Medical Society WHAT’S IN A NAME? What is in a name? Everything. A name defines who you are or what your organization represents. A name conjures images or characters that a person or a society would like to emulate or select as role models for what they achieved and what they stood for while they were still alive. Our society, after careful consideration, has chosen for eponyms, two individuals, James Mc Cune Smith and John Walter Vincent Cordice. These two proud physicians, dared to be different, and incarnated honor and excellence in the face of an adverse society. Their memories we would like to perpetuate as inspirations for generations to come James McCune Smith, MD James McCune Smith was born a slave on April 18th, 1813. He was the son of Samuel Smith, who was a white merchant slave owner, and Lavina Smith who was a slave woman from South Carolina. Smith would often say he is the “son of a self-emancipated bondswoman” and was freed at the age of 14 following the passage of the Emancipation Act in New York on July 14, 1827. Despite emancipation, he remained fearful that slave hunters would recapture him and return him into slavery. He graduated with honors from the African Free School located on Mulberry Street in New York City. The school was founded in 1785 as a philanthropic organization by white abolitionists to show that blacks can compete intellectually as well as whites. He worked as a blacksmith while studying Latin and Greek at night in preparation for college. McCune did well in school but was denied admission to Columbia University simply because of his race. He was accepted at the University of Glasgow where he obtained a BA in 1835, a Masters in 1836 and an MD degree, graduating in 1837 at the top of his class. He submitted his thesis to the faculty and earned both honors and praise. After graduating from medical school, he traveled to Paris to gain additional clinical experience alongside some of the renowned professionals in Europe. He returned to New York City in 1839 and established the first black medical practice along with a pharmacy to serve all people. Unlike his white peers and the prevailing norms of the time, McCune chose the path of moral integrity by providing care for all individuals in need, without segregating healthcare based on race. He also established an evening school dedicated to educating individuals of all racial backgrounds. It was not until 1847, ten years after Smith, that James Peck graduated from Rush Medical College and became the first black man to receive an American medical degree and 1864 when Rebecca Lee Crumpler became the first black female physician, with a medical degree from New England Female Medical College which subsequently merged with Boston University. Smith’s general and surgical practice was not limited to black patients but to all in need. Medical practice in those days consisted of “bleeding, cupping, leeching” and use of herbs for medicinal purposes. He practiced the accepted standards of his time. Despite his achievements, he was not accepted for membership in the New York medical associations or the American Medical Association. James McCune Smith never hesitated to rise to the defense of black people and their rights as human beings and closely collaborated with Frederick Douglas. He established the National Council for Colored People in 1853. Frederick Douglas called Smith “the single most important influence on his life” . Smith practiced social justice and wrote against the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dred Scott case denying black individuals’ citizenship and their rights to be free. When Thomas Jefferson wrote in “Notes on the State of Virginia” that “blacks, whether originally a distinct race or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind”, Smith proved him wrong. Jefferson would solidify his views on race when , in speaking to the black inventor Benjamin Banneker, he indicated that “ Nobody wishes more than I do to see such proofs as you exhibit, that nature has given to our black brethren, talents equal to those of the other colors of men, and that the appearance of a want of them is owing merely to the degraded condition of their existence, both in Africa and America”. James McCune Smith would debunk Jefferson’s ideas on race and mental differences and made his arguments to counter the predominant belief that “free blacks might languish without filial protection from white slave owners”. Smith argued that unfavorable social circumstances were to blame for existing differences in racial achievements and not intellectual capacity. Smith was fluent in French, Spanish, German, Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Italian. Smith was the first black to publish case series and case reports and used statistics in his medical publications to disprove accepted dogma. He was not allowed to present his medical findings to the New York Medical and Surgical Society and as such had another white physician present his findings. His case series was published in the New York Journal of Medicine and consisted of five patients who experienced cessation of menses with the use of opium. He published his findings because they were contrary to what had been written and accepted in the textbooks. He advocated for controlled comparison in medical research. Using statistical methods, Smith proved that the 1840 census was racially biased. He authored more than 100 articles in ethnology, geography, and medicine. In 1854, he was elected to membership in the American Geographical Society in New York and gave an address on how to improve census taking methods. At the time of his election to that society, an article in the newspaper, Provincial Freeman, called him “A colored savant”. James McCune Smith was married in 1842 to Malvina Barnett (1825-1891) and had six children but only four of his children survived. He loved caring for children and considered it a “holy trust” having his own children look up to him for “support, discipline and guidance”. He had confidence in the importance of the family unit and the significance of providing guidance and support to the youth. Smith was appointed physician to the Colored Orphan Asylum on Fifth Avenue and 44th street in New York City. The asylum was founded in 1836 to help black children in need only to be destroyed on July 13, 1863, by a white mob during the Draft Riots in New York City. He overcame adversity well and remained undeterred in what he had to do in life. When the streetcar company denied him access to public transportation because of his race, he decided to walk 6-7 miles to continue his work at the Colored Orphan Asylum. James McCune Smith suffered from congestive heart failure and as such could not practice much after 1863. On November 17, 1865, Dr Smith died at his home in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn where he lived with his family. He was buried at the Cypress Hill Cemetery. James McCune Smith was a pioneering figure who cared for the sick regardless of their racial or religious background. He fought for basic human dignity and his life story demonstrates the detrimental effects of racism on black lives. The ripples of that practice are still being felt today. He was a trailblazer who held the belief that race was not a biological phenomenon but, instead, a social fabrication. While he is primarily recognized among black historians for his abolitionist work, those in the field of medicine have largely overlooked and almost erased his legacy. One can only aspire that this collective forgetfulness regarding race will eventually be corrected, and history will recognize James McCune Smith in the manner he deserves- as the first Black American doctor in the United States, a highly productive author, a passionate abolitionist dedicated to the cause of social justice, and a devout servant of God who played a pivotal role in making the abolition of slavery a reality. The accomplishments of contemporary black physicians can largely be attributed to the persistence and sacrifices first set in motion by James McCune Smith. He not only made significant contributions to the medical field in the presence of insurmountable odds but also tirelessly fought for social justice, a legacy that certainly warrants recognition and commemoration. John Walter Vincent Cordice, Jr, MD John Walter Vincent Cordice, Jr was born in Aurora, North Carolina. His father emigrated from St Vincent and the Grenadines in the West Indies, where he had studied pharmacy. Once in the US, he entered Howard University and obtained his medical degree in 1911. He started a family practice in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1918, the US Public Health Service dispatched him to Aurora to help with the eradication of post war influenza, which was affecting the young soldiers back from the battlefield. This is when he met and married Pearl Mae Hollingsworth. Soon afterwards from the couple, was born John Walter Vincent Jr, who grew up in Durham and eventually moved to New York City to study Medicine at New York University. He graduated in 1943. He immediately started a residency in Surgery at Harlem Hospital, under Lewis Tompkins Wright, MD. Those were difficult years since residents only earned a meager salary. He found support and comfort in the love of his life, Marguerite whom he married while he was still a resident. The residency was interrupted when he did a tour of duty in the US Air Force. He was assigned to the squadron of the Tuskegee Air Men. Upon completing his surgical training, Dr. Cordice travelled to Paris, France, where he completed a sub-specialty in Thoracic and Cardio-Vascular Surgery at Hopital Broussais-La Charite, under the direction of the famed Dr. Charles Dubost. This was quite rare in those days particularly for an African American. Upon his return, he obtained further training at Kings County Hospital of the State University of New York. He was then one of the first African Americans to receive formal training in Cardio-thoracic Surgery. He became board certified in both General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery. He was appointed to the staff of Harlem Hospital as Chief of Thoracic Surgery, shortly thereafter. This appointment placed him on a collision course with destiny. Indeed, on September 20, 1958, while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was attending a book signing in Harlem, he was stabbed with a letter opener and was brought to Harlem Hospital with the blade still planted in his chest. Dr. Cordice was called and performed the thoracotomy, although credit was given to Dr. Aubrey De Lambert Maynard, then Chief of Surgery at Harlem hospital. The tip of the blade was just a few millimeters away from the aorta, but no serious injury resulted and Dr. King, Jr left the hospital 14 days later. Thus, the entire nation owes Dr. Cordice a debt of gratitude for having preserved the life of the young Baptist minister who went on to change the course of history by shepherding the Civil Rights movement. Dr. Cordice always remained close to family and his community, but always felt a need to get involved in the leadership of his profession. Thus, in 1970 we find him chairing a New York Academy of Medicine Conference entitled: Community Participation for Equity and Excellence in Health Care. He gave a well-received presentation on the “Role of the Community in developing Improved Health Care.” He was bringing Health Care Disparity to the forefront, before it became fashionable. Around that time, he became affiliated with Queens Hospital Center and with Julius W. Garvey, MD constituted the Thoracic Surgery Team at that Hospital. That is when he met Dr. Leslie Wise, then Chairman of Surgery at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, who invited him to join his staff with dual appointment in General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery. He always remained grateful to Dr. Wise for having supported his entry into the New York Surgical Society, membership that had been denied to him until then for unclear reasons. He maintained his leadership in the medical societies and in 1983-1984, he served as President of the Medical Society of the County of Queens. Dr. Cordice had a lifelong enthusiasm for music, particularly American Jazz. He still found time to remain active academically and at the age of 73, he was still publishing scholarly papers. One of them entitled “the Anatomic Distribution of Colonic Carcinomas in Middle Class Black Americans” appeared in the Journal of the National Medical Association in 1991. He left Long Island Jewish Medical Center in 1993, but his medical career was far from over. He ran the Thoracic clinic at Queens Hospital Center, well into his 80s and occasionally still performed surgeries. Prostate cancer could not stop him as he battled the disease successfully and continued to be active. As late as 2007, nearly 90 years old, he had kept also an employment with the Board of Health of the City and State of New York and was a member of the NY State Education Department and the Office of Professional Responsibility State Board for Medicine. He kept his membership in the Medical Society of the County of Queens, long enough to see me become President of the same society in 1999-2000, as well as another one of his protégés, Dr. James Satterfield in 2008-2009. For all his accomplishments, he was given in 2009 a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Medical Society and the Academy of Medicine of Queens County. He was not done with Medicine yet. Last year, however, he became increasingly aware that his health was failing. His loving wife, Marguerite, shared her concerns with me, because he was having more and more frequent episodes of dizziness. However, Dr. Cordice’s mind had remained sharp, and he was only frustrated that his physical health could not keep up with his will to continue to serve his community and remain relevant in this society of which he had been and was still such a prominent figure. Earlier in April 2013, he participated in an Alumni Celebration at NYU for the Survivors of the Class of 43. The same month, he participated in the House of Delegates of the Medical Society of Queens County and in May 2013, he attended the Annual Assembly of the Medical Society of Queens County. He was still driving his old beloved and faithful VW Beetle. In November 2013, upon learning that his long-time friend and co-worker, Dr. Gerald Deas was going to receive a Lifetime Community Service Award at the Annual Gala of the Medical Society of Queens County, he wrote a personal congratulatory note that was published in the Souvenir-Journal and is a testament to his bright and lucid mind. Unfortunately, as the years continued their ineluctable undermining of this giant and his health failing, Marguerite felt that it was best to move to Iowa to be closer to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. It is thus surrounded by the loving affection and embrace of his beloved family that his flame flickered and went out, quietly and blissfully. They had sung for him Christmas carols that morning.

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