Northwell MDs, Staff Sweat For A Cause at SoulCycle

Physicians from Northwell Health saddled up on indoor cycling bikes April 13 for the inaugural Ride for Blue event, which benefits colon cancer research and digestive disorders. The intense, 45-minute class, was held at SoulCycle in Roslyn. Colleagues from surgery, medicine and non-clinical staff geared up and got on spin shoes to raise money. When the pedals had finally stopped, nearly $3,000 had been raised. The money will go toward a research grant at the Feinstein Institute For Medical Research.

“Colon cancer research is something that we’ve always put on our front burner – along with our patients,” said Gene Coppa, MD, senior vice president and executive director for surgical surgeries at Northwell Health. “It’s also good for our employee engagement. They do a lot of work for us, and with me, so I think it’s important to represent my docs.”

For a number of participants, the grueling cycling class in the dark was their first.

“I have never taken a class like this before, but I want to be a role model and show everybody that I’m here and I’m supportive,” said Thomas McGinn, MD, MPH, senior vice president and executive director of medicine at Northwell; chair of medicine at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. “And it promotes health and well-being.”

“I’m afraid of being hooked into the pedal, and I’m also afraid that I won’t be able to keep up!” said Edie Marden, senior administrator, director surgery service line at Northwell Health. “But I think it’s good to do something different and motivate people. A lot of our colorectal staff is here to ride, and we’re getting out to raise money for an important cause.”

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the United States and the second leading cause in men, according to the American Cancer Society. Thanks to screenings and early detection, there are now more than one million survivors of colorectal cancer in the US.