NYU Langone Health’s 2026 Sala-bration Celebrates the Power of Partnership in Children’s Care

NYU Langone Health hosted its annual Sala-bration on October 27, raising over $1 million for Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care and honoring the clinicians, staff, patients, and family members who advance child- and family-centered care at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone.

Held at Apella, a venue near Midtown Manhattan, the event brought together 161 attendees. The funds raised support Sala Institute’s mission and programs, which address children’s and families’ medical, emotional, developmental, and social needs throughout hospitalization.

Named in honor of Sala Bierman Elbaum, the mother of Trudy Elbaum Gottesman, who founded the institute with her husband, Robert Gottesman, Sala Institute is guided by the values she embodied: kindness, compassion, respect, gentleness, and empathy.

“Trudy and Bob’s commitment to children and families has helped shape both the care we provide at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital and how we provide it,” said Alec C. Kimmelman, MD, PhD, dean and CEO of NYU Langone. “Sala Institute reflects our promise to partner with families and make care more compassionate, less overwhelming, and centered on the needs of every child.”

Honoring a Partnership That Made a Difference

This year’s celebration recognized seven Sala Champions for the partnership they built while caring for 2-year-old Wyatt Lopez during his 351-day stay in the Congenital Cardiovascular Care Unit at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital. The honorees included six members of Wyatt’s multidisciplinary care team and his grandmother, Andrea Muster, highlighting the essential role families play in a child’s care. This is the first time the recognition has been shared across an entire care team.

Born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect, Wyatt received a heart transplant in September 2025 after waiting nearly half his young life for a donor heart. Throughout his hospitalization, his care team coordinated complex cardiac treatment with services designed to support his development, emotional well-being, and everyday experiences in the hospital.

Wyatt plays with occupational therapist Marisa Brickman at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital.

Laura Olsson / NYU Langone Health

“Wyatt and I consider his care team family, forever,” said Muster. “I have a list of so many people who were part of his team, and every single one of them deserves recognition. Wyatt knows and loves all of them too. That shows you the care they gave him.”

The 2026 Sala Champions are:

T.K. Susheel Kumar, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and surgical director of the Pediatric Heart Failure and Transplant Program
Rakesh Singh, MD, pediatric cardiologist and medical director of the Pediatric Heart Failure and Transplant Program
Sujata B. Chakravarti, MD, medical director of inpatient pediatric cardiology and the Congenital Cardiovascular Care Unit
Colsie Myrie, MSN, PNP, RN, nurse manager of the Congenital Cardiovascular Care Unit
Elizabeth Ingram, MS, licensed creative arts therapist
Erin Villani, LCSW, pediatric heart and lung transplant social worker
Andrea Muster, Wyatt’s grandmother

“As Wyatt’s transplant cardiologist, I was part of a team focused on helping him receive a new heart and achieve the best possible long-term outcome,” said Dr. Singh. “But caring for Wyatt meant much more than managing his heart condition. For all children in the hospital, their medical plan and the support they receive to live through it and then thrive must work together.”

Muster played an integral part throughout Wyatt’s hospitalization, sharing insights into his routines, comforts, and needs and helping the team understand him beyond his medical condition.

Advancing Child- and Family-Centered Care

Founded in 2013, Sala Institute partners with clinical teams, patients, and families to continually improve the care experience at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital. Its work spans three key areas: child and family support services and resilience programs, which include child life services, creative arts therapies, the KiDS of NYU Foundation Integrated Behavioral Health Program, clinical nutrition, acute pain management, palliative care, social work, and spiritual support; family partnership programs, informed by the Sala Family Advisory Council, Sala Youth Advisory Council, and Sala Patient and Family Faculty Program; and safety and quality programs, which support continuous improvement in care.

Trudy Elbaum Gottesman and Bob Gottesman at the 2026 Sala-bration.
Sam Hollenshead / NYU Langone Health

“We knew exceptional medical expertise was essential. But truly excellent care also means understanding each child’s needs, listening to families, and ensuring they feel supported throughout treatment,” said Trudy Elbaum Gottesman. “That is the promise of Sala: bringing extraordinary medicine together with deeply human care.”