White Plains Hospital Junior Leadership Council Event Helps Students Explore Careers in Healthcare

On April 15, White Plains Hospital’s Junior Leadership Council (JLC) brought local high school students, parents and medical professionals together at Scarsdale High School for its first “Careers in Healthcare: From Nursing to Neurosurgery & Beyond” event.

The free event drew nearly 200 attendees – including 137 high school students and dozens of parents and caregivers—from more than 35 schools across Westchester County.

Designed and led by JLC members, the evening gave students a firsthand look at the wide range of career opportunities within healthcare—and the many paths to get there.

Pictured Above: Members of the White Plains Hospital medical team and Junior Leadership Council

The program kicked off with a panel moderated by White Plains Hospital Board Member and Foundation Vice Chair Dara Gruenberg and featured White Plains Hospital physicians and medical professionals across disciplines, including emergency medicine, neurosurgery, colorectal surgery, nutrition, nursing, and healthcare administration.

Panelists answered questions from JLC students, sharing personal stories, career insights, and perspectives on the present and future of medicine. Panelists included Frances Bordoni, EVP, Ambulatory & Physician Services and Business Development; Registered Dietitian Liz DeRobertis; Family Nurse Practitioner Martha Ferrara; Neurosurgeon Dr. Alexandra Kammen; Cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. James Peacock; Ertha Small-Nicolas, AVP, Patient Care Services; Dr. Kimberly Yee, Colorectal surgeon; and Dr. JK Rasamny, Chief of Otolaryngology and President of the Hospital’s Medical Staff.

Pictured Above: White Plains Hospital physicians and medical professionals leading “Careers in Healthcare’ Panel From left to right: Dara Gruenberg, White Plains Hospital Board Member and Foundation Vice Chair; James Peacock, MD, MS, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Arrhythmia; Ertha Small-Nicolas, AVP, Patient Care Services; Frances Bordoni, EVP, Ambulatory & Physician Services and Business Development; Kimberly Yee, MD, Colan and Rectal Surgery; Liz DeRobertis, MS, RD, CDE, CDE, Nutrition & Weight Management; Alexandra Kammen, MD, Neurosurgery; Martha Ferrara, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Family Nurse Practitioner; and Dr. Jk Rasamny, Chief of Otolaryngology and President of the Hospital’s Medical Staff

Following the panel, students broke into smaller sessions for more in-depth conversations with additional clinicians and healthcare professionals from White Plains
Hospital to explore specialties from endocrinology and gastroenterology to emergency medicine and practice management. These interactive discussions gave students a chance to ask candid questions about the interdisciplinary team’s career journeys and their personal perspectives and practices, including how they manage the pressure in a hospital environment and what advice they would give their younger selves.

Pictured Above: Ertha Small-Nicolas, AVP, Patient Care Services and Dr. Dean Straff talk with students about the rewards and pressures of working in the White Plains Hospital Emergency Room

“We are deeply grateful to our healthcare team for sharing their time and expertise, and to our Junior Leadership Council members and student participants for bringing such energy and enthusiasm to the evening,” said Laura Romeo Sobel, Director of Ancillary Programs & Volunteer Services at White Plains Hospital. “By opening doors for students to engage directly with our clinicians and leaders, we are both investing in the next generation of healthcare professionals and helping them see the many paths available to make their own impact. This program is one way we are working to strengthen connections across Westchester County and
beyond and support the health, education, and well-being of the communities we serve.”

Participating students and parents appreciated this forum to explore real-world careers and the approachability and insight of the Hospital specialists on hand. “My biggest takeaway was that medicine is not just about science; it is also about patients and how medical professionals make them feel,” said Guy Golan, a Junior at Blind Brook High School who attended the event.

Pictured Above: Dr. Kimberly Yee talks with students about life in the White Plains Hospital Operating Room

White Plains Hospital launched The Junior Leadership Council in September 2025 with 19 students representing 13 local high schools. Guided by Gruenberg, Dr. Peacock and Laura Romeo Sobel, Director Ancillary Programs & Volunteer Services, the Council provides hands-on exposure to healthcare through experiences such as CPR training, clinical tours, and physician interviews, while also empowering students to serve as health ambassadors in their communities.

For more information about how high school students can get involved in healthcare, please visit Volunteer Opportunities | White Plains Hospital or contact volunteers@wphospital.org