Senior Management Staff

Keith F. Safian, FACHE, President & CEO

Keith F. Safian, FACHE, has served as the President and CEO of Phelps Memorial Hospital Center since 1989. His career started as an Assistant Director at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, then Assistant, Associate, and Senior Associate Administrator at NYU Medical Center. He served as the Administrator of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in the Rockaways for four years prior to joining Phelps.

During Mr. Safian’s tenure, the hospital experienced extraordinary growth: from a $40 million operating budget to $200 million, from an 11% operating loss in 1988 to surpluses in all but one year since he became President and CEO,  from 189 medical staff to 460, from 800 employees to more than 1,600, and from the 50th largest employer in Westchester to the 7th.

He has received awards for his work in healthcare from the Dominican Sisters Family Health Service, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and the Hudson Valley Branch of the Arthritis Foundation. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Mr. Safian holds an MBA from the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and undergraduate degrees in industrial engineering and electrical engineering from the University at Buffalo.

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Lawrence L. Faltz, MD, Senior VP for Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer

Lawrence L. Faltz, MD, MACP, is Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, where he oversees patient care activities, quality programs, medical staff credentialing, Joint Commission accreditation and other clinical and operational programs. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

A native New Yorker, Dr. Faltz graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, received his BA from Columbia University and his MD from the NYU School of Medicine in 1972, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. He did his residency and fellowship training at the University of North Carolina, NYU and the National Institutes of Health, where he also spent 3 years as a Research Investigator studying cartilage biochemistry. He is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology.

Prior to coming to Phelps in 1994 he was Chairman of the Department of Medicine, Internal Medicine Residency program director and Director of Rheumatology at New York Hospital Queens. He served as a Governor of the American College of Physicians from 1998-2004. He was President of the New York State Society of Internal Medicine from 1999-2000 and the New York ACP chapter from 2002-2003. In 2004 he was elected to fellowship in the New York Academy of Medicine and in 2008 was awarded Mastership in the ACP. In 2009 he completed a 6-year term as the ACP representative to the Joint Commission Hospital Professional Technical Advisory Committee. He is a member of the ACP Services PAC Board of Directors. Dr. Faltz also chairs the Board of Directors of the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Patient Safety Institute.

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Daniel Blum, Senior VP

As Senior Vice President of Phelps, Daniel Blum is responsible for Phelps’ employed multi-specialty medical group, implementation of the hospital’s strategic plans, and oversight of clinical and ancillary services such as Radiology, Hospitalists, Respiratory and Pulmonary Services, Laboratory Medicine, Cardiovascular Services, Hyperbaric Medicine, Sleep Center, Neurology, Inpatient and Outpatient Physical Medicine, and the Speech & Hearing and Voice & Swallowing Centers. Mr. Blum also serves as collaborating administrative executive on the Graduate Medical Education Committee and Chairman of Phelps’ affiliated child care center.

Prior to joining Phelps, Mr. Blum served as Senior Vice President of White Plains Hospital Center, Vice President of Operations of Stellaris Health Network, and Administrator of St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center in New York City. Mr. Blum began his healthcare career as a paramedic and paramedic instructor in New York City and worked at several New York City hospitals in a clinical and administrative capacity.

Mr. Blum holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in healthcare administration, both from New York University. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Medical Group Management Association. Mr. Blum is also Vice Chairman of the NYS Department of Health Emergency Medical Advisory Council.

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Vincent DeSantis, VP Finance and CFO

Vincent DeSantis is Vice President of Finance & CFO for Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, where he is responsible for accounting operations and financial reporting for the hospital, four separate companies and two operating units. He also manages Phelps’ financial models in support of its strategic plan and decision support tools used to help direct operations. Mr. DeSantis oversees all matters pertaining to outside auditors and external financial reporting and disclosure as well as patient satisfaction measurement reporting.

When he joined Phelps in 2001, Mr. DeSantis brought more than 25 years of experience in accounting and auditing and senior level experience in the healthcare industry. Prior to coming to Phelps, he served as the Associate Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer of Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York City, an academic teaching hospital and part of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, the largest healthcare delivery network on Long Island. Mr. DeSantis began his career with the international accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, LLP, where he served as Senior Manager of audit services in the firm’s health and governmental entities sector. He has been an associate adjunct professor at Iona College, New Rochelle, New York in the Graduate School of Arts and Science – Health Care Service Program.

A Certified Public Accountant, Mr. DeSantis also holds a Master’s Degree in financial management and a Bachelor of business administration in accounting. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (Advanced Member).

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Lucy Cioffiro Engelhardt, VP Nursing Services

Lucy Cioffiro Engelhardt, R.N., B.S., M.S., is Vice President, Nursing Services at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, where she oversees all inpatient and outpatient care services that employ nursing staff. She is accountable for more than 500 employees and has administrative oversight for the hospital’s operational and service excellence mandates.

Ms. Engelhardt began her career at Phelps in 1977 as Coordinator of Nursing Inservice Education and subsequently served as Consultant/CNS Critical Care; Director, Nursing Operations. She has been Vice President, Nursing Services since 1987.

Prior to joining Phelps, Ms. Engelhardt spent seven years at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York, progressing from the position of staff nurse to head nurse, Clinical Nursing Supervisor and, ultimately, to Coordinator, Division of Pulmonary Medicine.

Ms. Engelhardt was named Westchester Woman of the Year in 1989. She received Long Island University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award for Community Health in 1991 and the New York Organization of Nurse Executives (NYONE) Leadership Award in 2002. She serves on the advisory board for Mercy College Graduate Health Sciences and the Graduate Advisory Board for Pace University and is known for her active community service.

Ms. Engelhardt earned a Master of Science degree in community health and in health administration from Long Island University; a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Johns Hopkins University, and a diploma in nursing from Presbyterian University Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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Leonard B. Fogel, VP Business Development

Leonard B. Fogel is Vice President for Business Development at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center. His primary responsibility is the analysis and development of revenue-generating clinical services. He is also responsible for non-hospital based physician recruiting, pharmacy services, marketing, and overseeing the Phelps Professional Building Co., L.P. (777 medical office building).

Before Phelps joined the Stellaris Health Network, Mr. Fogel negotiated contracts for the hospital with commercial payers for hospital services, and he assisted with payer negotiations for the four-hospital Stellaris Network for several years after Phelps joined Stellaris.

Mr. Fogel previously served as the COO of the Community Hospital at Dobbs Ferry when that facility was managed by Phelps.

Prior to joining Phelps, Mr. Fogel had operating responsibility for a broad variety of clinical and ancillary services at the Long Island Jewish-Hillside Medical Center, St. John’s Episcopal Hospital and the Long Island College Hospital.

Mr. Fogel earned an MBA from Columbia University and completed a residency in healthcare administration at the Brookdale Hospital Medical Center. He is a diplomat of the American College of HealthCare Executives and a past member of the Executive Committee of the Metropolitan Health Administrators Association.

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Robert Lane, VP Development

Robert Lane is Vice President for Development at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center. As the hospital’s chief fundraising strategist, he leads and manages comprehensive development programs, including capital campaigns and associations with top philanthropic prospects.  He advises the President & CEO on fundraising, strategy and governance.

Mr. Lane has over 20 years of experience in fundraising, strategic planning, marketing and management. Before coming to Phelps he was president of Saint Francis Health Care Foundation in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he completed a $15 million capital campaign. Prior to that Mr. Lane served as Executive Vice President for External Relations at EcoHealth Alliance, an international organization focused on the field of conservation medicine, based in New York City. He worked for 16 years at the world-renowned Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, ultimately as Vice President for Development, where he successfully completed a $40 million capital campaign.

Mr. Lane has been Chairman of the Board of the Astor Home for Children Foundation and served on several boards including Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY.

A graduate of Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY, Mr. Lane earned his Bachelor of Science Degree (with honors) in Business Administration.

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Kerry L. Pisano, VP Support Services

Kerry L. Pisano is Vice President, Support Services at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, where he is administratively responsible for eleven hospital departments including: Environmental Services; Engineering; Construction and Plant Operations; Emergency Life Support Training; Materials Management; Food, Nutrition, & Hospitality Services; Bio-Medical Engineering; Security; Communications; Information Technology Services; the Medical Services Building and the Phelps Professional Building. Mr. Pisano is also the hospital’s safety officer and HIPAA privacy officer.

Before coming to Phelps in 1994, Mr. Pisano was director of operations at Open Door Family Health Center in Ossining, New York, for seven years. Prior to that, he served as director of unit management at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center.

Mr. Pisano earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with honors at Pennsylvania State University, with a major in health planning and administration. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Temple University, where he was recipient of a public health service fellowship.

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William Reifer, Vice President of Quality and Case Management

William Reifer, LCSW, is Vice President of Quality and Case Management. His primary responsibility is to ensure optimal patient care and safety.

Mr. Reifer joined Phelps in 1993 as Director of Social Work and subsequently held positions of progressive responsibility, including Director of Social Work and Discharge Planning, Director of Case Management, and Administrative Director of Geriatrics. In 2005, he became Assistant VP of Quality and Case Management.

Mr. Reifer served as chair of the Stellaris Health Network committee focused on pay-for-performance quality monitoring. The network earned a quality award from the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association (NorMet) for their joint efforts in 2011.

Mr. Reifer began his professional career at Montefiore Medical Center, where he worked as a clinical social worker and developed an interest in the effect of illness and disability on families. His took this family perspective to a small school for disabled pre-school children, where he worked as a family support services supervisor.

In the early 1990s, Mr. Reifer moved to Sound Shore Medical Center, where he was Assistant Director of Social Work.

Mr. Reifer received his bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Lehman College of the City University of New York and his master’s degree in social work from Hunter College School of Social Work.

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Janet Goldberg, Assistant Vice President for Behavioral Health and Nursing

Janet Goldberg is Assistant Vice President for Behavioral Health and Nursing. Her primary responsibility is the oversight of all inpatient and outpatient substance abuse and mental health services. She also manages the 24-hour nursing supervisors and is responsible for Central Supply, Transport, and General Service. Ms. Goldberg is co-chair of the hospital’s IT Steering Committee and a member of the Stellaris Health Network committee focused on pay-for-performance quality monitoring.

Ms. Goldberg joined Phelps in 1983 as manager of the Orthopedic Unit. Subsequently, she was director of Nursing Operations.

Prior to coming to Phelps, Ms. Goldberg was a head nurse at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Goldberg earned her bachelor of science degree in Nursing from George Mason University in Virginia and a Masters of Public Administration at Long Island University.

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