Sara Mathew, associate director of research and operations administration in the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been selected as one of Crain’s Notable Leaders in Health Care.
The annual honor recognizes individuals, 84 in total this year, across a range of health care settings working to address urgent needs within the city’s health care system and innovating the health care landscape in New York City.
Mathew directs the portfolio of research, clinical trials and grants for the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. She also leads all operational, regulatory and strategic components for the Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center and the American Burn Association-verified William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
“It’s an honor to be selected,” she said. “It feels good to get this kind of recognition and encouragement.”
Mathew obtained her undergraduate degree in engineering at the University of Mumbai, India, then moved to the United States in 2008, later earning her master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota.
“People ask me, ‘What do you do in a health care environment that has doctors, nurses and other specialists?’” she noted. “I tell them I apply my engineering background to try to improve health care by making it more efficient for everyone.”
Mathew also serves as board director at Bridging Access to Care in Brooklyn, a multi-service, community-based health care organization. There, she has helped create strategic partnerships with the city’s health systems, schools and veterans’ organizations.
“Medical care should be available to everyone, because it’s a basic right, like food, clothing and shelter,” she said.
Mathew was recently named to the National Minority Quality Forum’s “40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health,” for her transformational leadership style. A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, she’s also been previously honored by that organization.
“New York City is home for me now, and I want to help make it better,” she said. “I want every borough and community to have access to the same outstanding health care.”