By banding together as one FORCE, we will defeat lung disease, improve the lung health of millions and ultimately, save lives.
If you are interested in becoming a Leadership Committee Member, please contact your Event Manager!
Samantha D’Annunzio, MD
Samantha D’Annunzio is a lifelong New Yorker who has been a practicing Pulmonary Critical Care physician for the past five years. She completed all of her medical training at New York University and fell in love with the field of pulmonary medicine. After completing fellowship, she joined the Westmed Medical Group as an outpatient Pulmonologist, as well as a Critical Care physician at Greenwich Hospital. She finds joy in meeting patients in the outpatient setting and navigating various diagnoses and diseases from asthma to lung cancer. Most importantly, she takes great privilege in her role as a bronchoscopist, when she often must secure a diagnosis for those patients at a very stressful and anxious time of their lives. In all these various roles, Samantha continues to be her patient’s strongest advocate and a friendly face in difficult and scary times. Outside of Westmed, Samantha volunteers her efforts with the American Association of Chest Physicians, where she is involved in various patient education endeavors. Samantha lives in West Harrison, New York with her husband Mike and three children.
Susan DiFabio, BS, RRT, CPFT
Susan became a Respiratory Therapist after seeing her grandfather succumb to COPD, and years later, her father die from lung cancer. Currently, Susan is the Director of Respiratory Care, Pulmonary Lab and Sleep Center at Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health in Sleepy Hollow where she has been employed as a Registered Respiratory Therapist for 40 years.
She developed and initiated a comprehensive Pulmonary Rehab program that has supported over 1200 people suffering from chronic progressing lung diseases. While working in the Pulmonary Lab, Sue saw a how important a support group would be for those with lung disease and their caregivers. She became an American Lung Association Better Breathers Support Group Coordinator in 2014.
Susan joined the Lung Force Committee in 2018 to increase her advocacy for lung disease education. The sooner people are diagnosed with lung disease, the better the results of their treatment. She feels the vital resources that the American Lung Association provides is invaluable to the patients and she treats.
David Katz, MD
My name is David Katz. I spent 10 years in the Bronx getting my medical degree at Einstein College of Medicine and completing a medical residency as well as a pulmonary and critical care fellowship in the Montefiore medical system. Over the last 30 years, I have focused my practice on caring for patients with pulmonary disease in the hospital setting. I am just finishing my first year at White Plains Hospital where I continue to strive to improve the lives of patients with advanced lung diseases including COPD/emphysema, lung cancer and interstitial lung disease. I have joined the Lung Force this year in hopes of raising funds for research to better treat patients with severe lung disease. I am especially focused on raising awareness about early detection of lung disease such as CT scan screening for lung cancer and prevention of lung disease including smoking cessation.
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