Therapeutic Areas

Devices
Nephrology
Urology

Center Overview

The Arthur Smith Institute for Urology is an 18,500 square foot academic, clinical urology outpatient facility located in New Hyde Park, New York. The Institute is part of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System; the largest healthcare provider in the region servicing approximately five million socioeconomically diverse patients in the Long Island and New York City metro area.

The Institute prides itself on a cache of world-renowned physicians specializing in every aspect of urological care.

Industry sponsored research (Phase II-IV studies) is routinely conducted within the Institute. Patient recruitment is facilitated through healthcare system referrals and our extensive patient database. A clinical staff of three Nurse Practitioners, five Registered Nurses, six medical assistants, a phlebotomist, physical therapist, urodynamic and ultrasound technician, a nutritionist, and a dedicated research coordinator are available for research activities.

Clinical Research Experience

The Arthur Smith Institute for Urology has over twenty-five years experience in clinical research. We have worked with pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies, health associations, and conducted our own investigator initiated studies. Our areas of research interest include:

Our investigators have worked with the following sponsors /CRO’s:

• Alza Pharmaceuticals
• Auxilium
• Bayer
• Bioniche Pharmaceuticals
• Cougar Biotechnology
• Eli Lilly and Company
• Glaxo SmithKline
• Icos Corporation
• Johnson & Johnson
• Medicis
• Mentor
• Nodality
• Plethora Pharmaceuticals
• Pfizer
• Quintiles
• Spectrum
• Warner Chilcott

Grant Support we have received:

• NIH
• NIDDK
• Interstitial Cystitis Association
• National Vulvodynia Association
• New York State Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program

Facility Description

The Arthur Smith Institute for Urology is a modern out-patient facility located within the Center for Advanced Medicine of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center. The Center for Advanced Medicine also houses LIJ’s outpatient radiological facilities, an ambulatory surgical center, and The Monter Cancer Treatment Center. Our Institute is located in New Hyde Park, New York on the border of Long Island and Queens. We are centrally located and easily accessible to three major airports, highways, and public transportation. The Pelvic Pain Center is located within the Smith Institute for Urology and is dedicated to the treatment of urological pain including diagnoses of interstitial cystitis/ painful bladder syndrome, chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, vulvodynia, chronic orchalgia/ epididymitis, pelvic floor dysfunction, and neuropathic pain syndromes. The Center treats patients worldwide; however, the majority of patients live in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut region. The Smith Institute for Urology’s physical quarters is equipped with modern urological instrumentation including a state-of-the-art videourodynamics laboratory, four uroflowmeters, two cystoscopy suites , a recovery room, an ultrasound room, a specimen collection suite, a clinical laboratory, and 15 examination rooms.

The Arthur Smith Institute for Urology is equipped to perform:

• Prostate Biopsy
• Bladder Biopsy
• Intravesical Instillations
• Urodynamics
• Uroflow Testing
• Cystoscopy
• Ultrasound
• Intravenous Therapies
• Intra-prostatic Injections
• Post-void residual volume assessment
• Physical therapy
• Trigger point injections

Twelve academic urologists function through this office along with urology residents (2 per year), fellows, and medical students. Key clinical personnel include, eight nurses (five RNs and three nurse practitioners), a clinical research coordinator, medical assistants, a full-time ultrasound technician, an urodynamics technician, a phlebotomist, a nutritionist, and a physical therapist. The Smith Institute for Urology houses a specimen collection suite for urine and blood that is staffed by a full time phlebotomist. Two clinical centrifuges, a refrigerator, -40 degree C freezer, light microscope (for urinalysis and wet prep analysis) and dry ice are available.

Research Department Description:

• Reception/Waiting Room equipped with television
• Fully equipped exam rooms with analog connections
• Emergency cart, supplemental oxygen, suction, portable ECG and AED
• Secure Drug Storage
• Copier and Fax
• Large Conference Room
• Pharmacy on location
• Workspace for monitoring equipped with phone, wireless access
• Access to fax machine and photocopy machine
• Within walking distance of hospital and all subspecialties
• Adjacent to major Medical Center for out-patient and inpatient procedures and stays
• Full service CLIA and CAP approved clinical laboratories
• Handicapped accessible
• Daily FedEx, UPS, and USPS pick-up

Investigator Experience

Our investigators are board certified urologists with over 50 years of collective research experience. They are available full-time and located in one site. They have an extensive patient network recruiting patients from the hospital network, private practice and clinical database.

Our Principal investigators:

Robert M. Moldwin’s, MD urological practice and research is almost exclusively centered upon the treatment of pelvic pain patients. As the Director of the Pelvic Pain Center, he uses an interdisciplinary approach to patient care, evaluating patients throughout the country and worldwide. Dr. Moldwin is a pioneer in intravesical therapies directed at alleviating interstitial cystitis. He has served as principal investigator for many studies relating to pelvic pain and prostatitis. Dr. Moldwin has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals in this field and published the first physician-written book exclusively related to interstitial cystitis, designed to reach an audience comprised of both physicians and patients. He is actively involved in medical student and resident teaching and runs the urology program’s highly attended Journal Club. His commitment to patient and physician education is evidenced by over 300 presentations. He has participated as an NIH grant reviewer, an NIH external consultant, and as co-investigator in an NIH sponsored study. Dr. Moldwin currently serves on multiple medical advisory boards and he is affiliated with numerous medical societies. Dr. Moldwin often serves as an advocate and expert consultant, lecturing to audiences of colleagues, patients and members of the media on issues related to pelvic pain and urological health. Media hits include CNN, CBS News, Woman’s Day, Newsday, Oxygen, Men’s Health, Self Magazine and Ladies Home Journal.

Manish Vira, MD joined the faculty from the National Cancer Institute as a urologic oncologist specializing in the surgical management of prostate, bladder, kidney, adrenal, and testis cancer. While at the NCI, Dr. Vira conducted laboratory research studying the molecular and genetic mechanisms of prostate and kidney cancer. He also served as an investigator on several clinical trials of new medications in the treatment of localized and metastatic kidney and prostate cancer. His current research interests are in the development of diagnostic and surgical methods and in studying novel therapeutics in the treatment of urological cancers. His research has been published in leading national and international medical journals. He has expertise in a wide array of surgical techniques including laparoscopic and robotic surgery.

Additional Investigators include:

Joph Steckel, MD, Vice Chairman of Urology at North Shore University Hospital,
Dr. Steckel’s primary urologic oncology interests include the diagnosis and treatment of malignancies of the prostate, bladder, kidney, ureter, testis, adrenal, and penis.

Gary H. Weiss, MD, PhD completed research in immunotherapy of bladder cancer, and instructional techniques for microsurgery. He also was a Medical Staff Fellow In the Urologic Oncology Section, Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute where he worked on novel drugs for prostate cancer therapy and he participated in the search for the Kidney Cancer Gene.

Zeph Okeke, MD interests are in the minimally invasive management of complex kidney and ureteral stone disease

Lee Richstone, MD is the Director of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery at the Smith Institute for Urology. Specifically, Dr. Richstone specializes in prostate, kidney, bladder, adrenal, and testicular cancers.

Farzeen Firoozi, MD is the Co-Director of the Center for Pelvic Health and Reconstructive Surgery at the Smith Institute for Urology. His clinical interests include urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, complex reconstruction of the lower urinary tract, and management of complications of vaginal and lower urinary tract surgery.

Michael Schwartz, MD specializes in both laparoscopic and robotic surgery and his main areas of interest include urologic cancers, benign kidney and prostate disease, and renal stones. His current research interests mainly focus on urologic malignancy and he has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer.

Bruce Gilbert, MD is the Director of Reproductive and Sexual Medicine at the Smith Institute for Urology. Dr. Gilbert has authored over 100 publications and is recognized as an expert in Male Fertility and Urologic Ultrasound.

Chad Baxter, MD, is the Co-Director of the Center for Pelvic Health and Reconstructive Surgery for the Smith Institute for Urology. Dr. Baxter is an expert in the management of complex lower urinary tract dysfunction and reconstructive laparoscopic, transvaginal, and robotic surgery.

Staff Expertise

Monica Johnson, MA, BSN, RN has worked in healthcare for over 15 years as a staff and research nurse at Columbia University and the North Shore-LIJ Health System. She has worked with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and government agencies coordinating all facets of clinical trials. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from New York University and her Master of Arts degree from Teachers College Columbia University.

We also have a physician research fellow on staff and clerical staff. The Study Team has received SAF-T-PAK/IATA Compliance Training and is proficient with electronic data capture. The staff is also GCP, HIPPA and CITI trained.

Patient Demographics

Our location, on the border of Nassau and Queens County provides a patient population from both suburban and urban settings. The population the health care system services is socioeconomically diverse with the following ethnic distribution: Asian 11%; African-American 12.5%; Hispanic 18%; Multiracial 3%; Native American 0.2%; Other non-Hispanic 0.6%; Pacific Islander 0.1%; and Caucasian 54.6.

Contact Center

If you are interested in contacting this center to discuss placing a clinical trial there, please complete and send the email form below. A representative from the research center will then follow up with you.