Craig Zalvan, MD, of Phelps Memorial Hospital Center Named One of Westchester Magazine's 2015 Healthcare Heroes

Craig Zalvan, MD, a laryngologist and Medical Director of the Institute for Voice and Swallowing Disorders at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, was selected as one of 10 individuals worthy of Westchester Magazine’s 2015 “Healthcare Heroes” award who were honored at a luncheon held recently at the Royal Regency Hotel in Yonkers. This honor is bestowed upon health professionals who have demonstrated leadership in the local healthcare field, commitment to community service and excellence in patient care.

Dr. Zalvan is known throughout the region as the go-to person for chronic cough, as well as voice and swallowing disorders, giving hope to patients who have been frustrated by the lack of progress or treatment for their medical conditions. He was instrumental in creating the Institute for Voice and Swallowing Disorders at Phelps, which has helped thousands of singers, public speakers, teachers and others regain and improve their voices. His team has also restored and improved swallowing function to many patients, preventing pneumonia and restoring their ability to eat.

Dr. Zalvan has led the region in educational outreach concerning these disorders by sponsoring a yearly World Voice Day event to increase public awareness of voice disorders; leading quarterly meetings with local voice professionals to elevate the quality of care and knowledge of voice problems; and lecturing locally, nationally and internationally on the topics of voice, swallowing and chronic cough. Dr. Zalvan is an associate professor at New York Medical College, a faculty member of the NYMC Phelps Family Medicine Residency Program, and an adjunct professor at Mercy College, where he teaches graduate-level speech pathology students.

Dr. Zalvan has also donated his time and expertise internationally, performing medical outreach in South America. Through Healing the Children, Northeast, he has travelled to Peru and Ecuador, providing surgery for cleft lips and palates and vocal disorders. In April, he returned from Lima, Peru, where he led a voluntary team on a surgical mission and a conference focused on teaching laryngology techniques used in the United States to local ENT doctors so that they may provide care to their local populations.

To learn more about the Institute for Voice and Swallowing Disorders, call 914-366-3636 or go to http://phelpshospital.org/clinical-services/voice-disorders/.

Pictured in the photo with Dr. Zalvan is Judith Christopher, PhD. who nominated Dr. Zalvan for the award.

Photo credit: Provided by Westchester Magazine

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