This is a collection of oral history interviews conducted primarily by Albert Lyons, MD, who was the founder of the Mount Sinai, now the Arthur H. Aufses, Jr. MD, Archives. The bulk of the interviews take place between the 1960s and the 1990s. Some of the later interviews were conducted by Archives Director Barbara Niss, and a hand full are conducted by various other persons. Early interviews focus on various physicians and researchers of note, and later interviews add other employees of the Hospital.

This collection consists of 26 audio or video interviews with medical, administrative and research staff from across the Hospital System, describing their personal experiences during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This catalog record includes a video recording made by Dr. Anagnostopoulos, a digital copy of the transcript of that talk and a digital copy of his curriculum vitae and a digital collection of documents regarding the start of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Service. Dr. Constantine Anagnostopoulos dictates reminiscences from his career, focusing on the start of the full-time academic cardiothoracic surgery program at the former St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center of Columbia University in 1992, (AKA Mount Sinai Morningside). Materials include the recording, a transcript of the recording, a copy of Dr. Anagnostopoulos' curriculum vitae and a PDF scrapbook of documents, put together by Dr. Anagnostopoulos, relating to the start of the cardiothoracic program and its continued success.

During this interview Dr. Prigollini talks about his educational background in Argentina and his reasons for coming the US; he relates stories about his work in a diabetes study at Columbia and how he found his way to St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center and his work there.

Kark discusses his life and training (originally from South Africa); his work in South African hospitals and the University of Natal medical school; his arrival at Mount Sinai as Director of the Dept. of Surgery; his impressions of the program; affiliations with Greenpoint Hospital and the City Hospital Center at Elmhurst and the reasons for them; his contributions; planning of space in Annenberg; why he resigned; his opinion of Drs. George James, Solomon Berson, Kermit Osserman, John Garlock, Ralph Colp, Leon Ginzburg and Samuel Klein; his opinion of the residency training program. (Interview starts on August 16, 1973 and is continued on August 21, 1973.)

In this interview, Dr. Allan Geliebter discusses his research in obesity and eating disorders, and the development of the obesity center programs at Mount Sinai Morningside (formerly St. Luke’s Hospital). He also mentions his family background (he was born in Frankfurt, Germany. His parents were Nazi concentration camp survivors and they met in the displaced persons camps. The family immigrated to New York City when he was age 2). He also touches on his teaching experience at Lehman College in the Bronx, Columbia, and Touro College.

Alpana Pate discusses her experiences working in Mount Sinai sexual assault balance intervention SAVI team during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in spring 2020.

In this interview Amy Rabbit relates stories of her experiences at the St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing in the early 1970s and then working as a floating nurse in various wards at St. Luke's Hospital. She shares particular stories of patient interactions on the Geriatric Psych unit, caring for AIDS patients, working with various staff, and changes over time in the way nursing is carried out. She also shares stories about her parents, her husband and son, and her hobbies in retirement.

In this interview, Dr. Palazzo relates stories of her internship, residency and fellowship experiences, the mentors she had and how she became interested in cardiology and into clinical research. She and Dr. Braun also talk about women in medicine and her family and outside interests.

In this interview, Barbara Dennis describes what life was like as a student nurse at The St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in the late 1950s, working on the Hospital floors, the demands of the schedule, what kind of a social life they had within the Hospital and outside of it. She talks about the School of Nursing pin, the caps and uniforms they wore and some of the traditions in which they participated. She also mentions the Nursing Visitor Exchange Program, how she met her husband at the hospital, and then how her career at St. Luke’s and afterwards developed.

Dr. Bryan Brooks is a British surgeon who apparently was a patient in Mount Sinai Hospital and was well enough to speak with Dr. Lyons about his life and career. They discuss the British medical system, why some British doctors are referred to as "Mr." while others are called "Dr." and particularly the way ileostomy surgeries are done in England. He describes the British school system starting in early grades up through medical schooling, the salaries of medical professionals in England, how ostomy clubs began in England, and how he came to be in Mount Sinai Hospital. Lastly, he mentions his hobbies.

Dr. Barrett relates details of his early years, educational choices and his career as former Chief of the Pulmonary Division at at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center.

Cathrine Solomon discusses her personal experiences contracting Covid-19 during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in spring 2020.

Ms. Myers-Davis shares her experiences working with laboring mothers and their babies in the early days of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Belgium-born Daniel M. Thys, MD relates stories including his high school studies and what drew him to medicine and away from engineering, his time in the Belgium Navy, how he was introduced to anesthesiologists, and why he came to the U.S. and restated his training at Mount Sinai in 1976, how he went to Columbia Presbyterian for a cardiac fellowship then moved to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt, eventually becoming Director of the Cardiac Anesthesia program at Mount Sinai. He makes some observations about the merger of St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals, the disposition of the School of Nurse Anesthesia, what he does in his downtime and professional associations he belongs to, and his experiences writing a text book.