Centerstage with Healthcare Heroes

LaChanze is an award-winning actress who brings an exhilarating and electrifying presence to any stage she touches. Blessed with a powerful mezzo-soprano singing voice and a commanding presence, she consistently receives high praises from fans, peers and the industry at-large. Armed with the gift for dramatic storytelling, a sultry vocal dexterity, and bringing complex female heroines to life, audiences sit up and take notice of LaChanze - whether in a hit Broadway production, television show, film or on concert stages.

LaChanze is currently shooting a recurring role on NBC’s The Blacklist. Additional TV credts include a recurring role in AMAZON's The Underground Railroad that aired in fall 2020. She recurred in the CBS All Access hit show The Good Fight and appeared in the award-winning HBO special The Night Of, Person Of Interest, Law & Order: SVU, One Life To Live, Lucy, Sex And The City, The Cosby Show, The Cosby Mysteries and New York Undercover.

On the film side, she stars in writer/director Marishka Phillips' suspense-filled film Melinda. She appeared in the award-winning movie The Help sharing the screen with legendary actress Cicely Tyson (SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture). Other films include former President Obama film picks for 2019 Diane, A Bitter Pill, Side Effects, For Love Or Money, Leap Of Faith, My New Gun, and the Disney animated feature film Hercules.

LaChanze stepped onto stage 28 Broadway seasons ago, giving the original production of Once On This Island its beating and unforgettable heart, creating the role of lovelorn peasant girl Ti Moune. She won her first Tony Award for giving a voice to Celie, the unlikely heroine of Alice Walker's The Color Purple, the musical's original staging. Shortly after, she captured an Emmy Award for her riveting performance in the award-winning PBS special Handel's Messiah Rocks: A Joyful Noise.

She starred in playwright Jack Thorne A Christmas Carol as the Ghost of Christmas Present/Mrs. Fezziwig. Prior, she originated Augusta's role in two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage's A Secret Life of Bees, for which she landed an AUDELCO Award for Leading Actress in a Musical. She gave a spellbinding performance in the high voltage Broadway's Summer The Donna Summer Musical. In creating Donna Summers' nostalgia, she landed nominations for the 2018 Tony Award nomination for Leading Actress in a Musical, 2018 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical and 2018 Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance Award.

Other Broadway credits include If/Then, Ragtime, Company, and Uptown It's Hot. Some of her Off-Broadway credits include The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin (Drama Desk nomination), Dessa Rose (Obie Award), Inked Baby, Spunk and From The Mississippi Delta.

LaChanze brings her original, one-of-a-kind, one-woman show, Feeling Good, to popular venues touching the hearts of audiences worldwide. This electric and highly praised tour mixes the perfect blend of emotional intensity with sultry vocals. Fans willing to take the ride and feel every pain, joy, and excitement LaChanze feels all through her life's autobiographical journey with music and words. Read more

Dr. Nivee Amin, M.D., M.H.S. is Associate Director for Consultative Cardiology and Director of Women's Heart Program & Preventive Cardiology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She practices general cardiology, preventive cardiology, and echocardiography. She has clinical interests in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in high risk individuals, women’s cardiovascular health, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, and chronic stable angina. Dr. Amin also provides inpatient care on the cardiac telemetry unit and the consultative cardiology service.

Dr. Amin was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and earned her undergraduate degrees in International Studies and Business from the University of Pennsylvania. She then attended medical school at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where she earned her Doctor of Medicine Degree. She completed her Internal Medicine internship and residency training at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. She then returned to Baltimore to complete her fellowship training and board certification in Cardiovascular Diseases at Johns Hopkins Hospital and earned a Masters of Health Sciences in Clinical Investigation at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Dr. Amin is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, Nuclear Cardiology and Echocardiography. She is a member of the American College of Cardiology, American Society for Preventive Cardiology, and the American Heart Association.

Dr. Loeb-Zeitlin treats women of all ages, from adolescence through menopause. Her goal is to provide complete, personalized women’s health care that encompasses all the special health issues women face, including family planning, balancing work and personal life and the challenges of aging. She is always ready to discuss issues such as wellness, contraception, prevention and treatment of STDs, treatment of abnormal pap smears and HPV, and strategies for addressing symptoms and discomforts of menopause.

While Dr. Loeb-Zeitlin concentrates on outpatient gynecological services, her practice colleagues provide the full range of gynecological and obstetrical services. The practice takes great pride in its outstanding patient satisfaction ratings, which mean a great deal in such a personal field as Obstetrics and Gynecology.

With two active, healthy children, Dr. Loeb-Zeitlin faces a lot of the same life-balance issues as her patients. Dr. Loeb-Zeitlin did her internship and residency here at Weill Cornell Medical Center, and delivered both of her children here. She has chosen Weill Cornell because, as one of the world’s foremost academic medical centers, the people and technology in virtually every branch of medicine here are among the best anywhere.

A cum laude graduate of Brandeis University, Dr. Loeb-Zeitlin received her M.D. from the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, where she was in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She completed her residency at Cornell University Medical College and accepted a faculty appointment at Weill Cornell Medical College in 1998.

Abby is currently starring as Jane Seymour in Six: The Musical on Broadway. Prior to that, she starred as Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway and the First National Tour. Other New York credits include Kinky Boots on Broadway and the pre-Broadway workshop production of School of Rock. Abby began her career in her hometown of Chicago, where some favorite credits include The Three Musketeers (Constance) at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Milly) at Drury Lane Theatre; Brigadoon (Fiona), Into the Woods (Cinderella), and The Full Monty (Georgie) at Marriott Theatre. She has also worked extensively regionally, including The Last 5 Years (Cathy), Les Misérables (Fantine), Miss Saigon (Ellen), Joseph… (Narrator), and 1776 (Abigail Adams). TV: “America’s Got Talent,” NBC; “The Today Show,” ABC. Follow Abby on social @abcmuell!

Dr. McWilliams is originally from upstate New York. He went to college at Harvard University, where he graduated cum laude in Biology with a minor in Spanish. He earned his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed his residency training in Internal Medicine with a focus in Primary Care at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. McWilliams has a particular interest in LGBT medicine. He lives in New York City with his partner Scott and his rescue dog Mango. He enjoys traveling, skiing, and playing the piano.

Before joining Weill Cornell Medicine Primary Care, Dr. Scallon enjoyed serving as a primary care provider in Central Pennsylvania. He earned his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, where he studied Biology and Spanish. He attended medical school in Iowa City, IA at The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, where he also completed his residency in Internal Medicine. Dr. Scallon has personal interests using interdisciplinary and patient-centered approaches to managing complex medical issues, as well as preventative care and health coaching.

Rory O’Malley was Tony nominated for his performance as Elder McKinley in the hit Broadway musical The Book of Mormon. He also reigned as King George III in Hamilton on Broadway and in the show’s national tour. Other credits include series regular roles on Jenji Kohan’s dramedy series American Princess and the comedy Partners alongside Martin Lawrence and Kelsey Grammer. Rory has also been featured in episodes of Modern Family, Grace and Frankie and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. A talented voiceover artist and singer, he has lent his voice to multiple animated series including Central Park (Apple+), American Dad!, Family Guy & Bob’s Burgers. Rory is an outspoken activist for LGBTQ rights, having co-founded the group Broadway Impact.

Dr. Karen Acker is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and Assistant Attending at Phyllis and David Komansky Children's Hospital at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

She received her B.S. in biology at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, and then returned to her home state of New York for her medical training. She received her medical degree (M.D.) at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, and completed her residency in pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College, followed by her fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. During her fellowship, she developed clinical and research interests in Staphylococcal infections and infections in immunosuppressed patients.

Dr. Acker is board-certified in pediatrics and board-eligible for pediatric infectious diseases.

Dr. Sherry Huang graduated Summa Cum Laude from the City College of New York and received her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric internship and residency at NYU Langone Medical Center. Dr. Huang is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

Before joining Weill Cornell, Dr. Huang worked at the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center in New York City for 13 years as a Senior Pediatrician and Co-Director of the Pediatric Special Needs Program. In addition to a busy clinical practice, Dr. Huang was instrumental in the creation and leadership of a support program for parents of children with special health care needs, and was successful in improving the systems of care for such children and their families.

Dr. Huang joined Weill Cornell in 2020 as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and the Site Medical Director of the 156 William Street location.

Dr. Ben King grew up in Florida. He attended the University of Florida and graduated cum laude with a degree in Exercise Physiology. After completing medical school at the University of Florida in 2017, he moved to New York City for residency. Dr. King completed his pediatrics residency at Columbia University Medical Center in 2020.

Upon completing his general pediatrics training with Columbia, Dr. King joined Weill Cornell Medicine to continue to serve New York’s children and families.