Creating the Future of Healthcare in the Mohawk Valley
By Carrie Bryne Putelo
In every community, there are physicians who treat patients exceptionally well. Then there are those who quietly change the entire system around them. Dr. Nicholas Qandah, known throughout the Mohawk Valley as Dr. Q, belongs firmly in the second category.
As founder and lead neurosurgeon of CNY Brain & Spine Neurosurgery, Dr. Q has built one of the region’s most respected neuromusculoskeletal practices, bringing together orthopedics, neurosurgery, neurology, and interventional pain under a shared philosophy rooted in precision, restraint, and humanity. But what makes his work especially impactful is not limited to what happens in the operating room. It is what happens behind the scenes, in exam rooms, hallways, and training spaces, where the next generation of healthcare professionals is being shaped in real time.
Dr. Q’s leadership extends far beyond his own practice. He has served as Former Neurosurgery Board Chair for AOBS, Former Neurosurgery Residency Program Director, and is a Professor of Surgery at LECOM Elmira, where he was awarded Top Educator in 2025. These roles reflect not only clinical excellence, but a deep commitment to teaching, mentorship, and advancing the standards of neurosurgical education.
A Practice Built on Thoughtful Care
Dr. Q’s reputation is built on both expertise and approach. Board certified and fellowship trained, he specializes in advanced and minimally invasive spine surgery, brain conditions, and complex neurological disorders. Yet fewer than four percent of his patients ultimately require surgery. That statistic alone speaks volumes about how care is delivered at CNY Brain & Spine.
Patients are evaluated carefully, treated conservatively whenever possible, and guided through options with clarity and respect. The focus is always on outcomes, education, and long-term quality of life. That mindset filters through the entire practice, setting the tone for how patients are treated and how staff are trained.
When patients stop Dr. Q in public to share how their lives have changed, those moments say everything. Helping people get back to living, moving, and making memories is what truly matters, and it is the measure by which care is delivered every day at CNY Brain & Spine.
Training the Future, Not Just Staffing the Present
At a time when healthcare systems across the country are facing staffing shortages, CNY Brain & Spine has taken a different and more intentional approach. Their Medical Assistant Program is not designed simply to fill roles. It is designed to create professionals.
This hands-on program provides aspiring healthcare workers with direct clinical exposure in a fast-paced, high-level specialty practice. Medical Assistants are involved in patient intake, vital signs, medical histories, electronic documentation, and assisting with in-office procedures under physician supervision. They are part of the care team from day one, learning not only technical skills but also communication, empathy, and clinical judgment.
Many participants in the program are students preparing for careers as physician assistants, nurses, or physicians. What they gain here is experience that cannot be replicated in a classroom alone. They learn how a real practice functions. They see how complex cases are managed. They witness patient relationships built on trust. And they receive mentorship from providers who take teaching seriously. Past participants have gone on to medical school, Physician Assistant school, and advanced training in residency and fellowship programs, with many now practicing clinicians, carrying the lessons learned at CNY Brain & Spine into their own careers.
An important voice in this educational approach is Dr. Juleen Qandah, partner at CNY Brain & Spine, an emergency medicine physician and MVL Health Editor, whose perspective bridges acute care and long-term patient outcomes. Through her advisory role in the Medical Assistant Program, Dr. Juleen brings a frontline understanding of how early clinical decisions, communication, and teamwork directly impact patient safety and continuity of care. Her involvement reinforces the program’s emphasis on preparedness, professionalism, and accountability, ensuring that trainees understand medicine not as isolated moments, but as a coordinated system that follows patients from emergency presentation through recovery and beyond.
Mentorship That Makes a Difference
What stands out most when speaking with current and former Medical Assistants is the culture of mentorship. Dr. Q is deeply involved in teaching during procedures, office visits, and clinical decision making. Questions are encouraged. Learning is expected. Growth is supported.
This is workforce development at its most meaningful. It is local, intentional, and deeply invested in the future of healthcare in the Mohawk Valley.
A Team Approach That Elevates Care
CNY Brain & Spine operates across multiple locations in Central New York, allowing patients access to specialized neuromusculoskeletal care close to home. The practice’s multidisciplinary team works collaboratively, ensuring that every patient benefits from collective expertise rather than isolated decision making.
Leadership within the practice reflects the same commitment to excellence. Neurosurgeon Dr. Satish Krishnamurthy, who formerly served as Interim Chair of Neurosurgery at Upstate Medical University, brings extensive experience in complex neurosurgical care and clinical leadership to the team. Dr. Remotti, a Harvard-trained pain management specialist, adds world-class academic expertise and advanced interventional experience, strengthening multidisciplinary care for patients with complex spine and neurological conditions. Dr. Khalid, board certified, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon serving NJ Devils and Utica Comets.
Medical Assistants, nurses, administrators, and physicians all play a role in this ecosystem. Training future clinicians within this environment strengthens the entire system. Patients receive attentive care. Young professionals gain invaluable experience. And the region benefits from a pipeline of well-prepared healthcare providers who understand the needs of the community they serve.
Why This Matters Here
The Mohawk Valley has long faced challenges in recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals. Dr. Q understands firsthand how difficult it is to recruit physicians to serve in Central and Upstate New York, a region that remains medically underserved. Programs like the one at CNY Brain & Spine do more than address staffing needs. They invest in people who already have roots here or who will build them here.
Dr. Q’s commitment to education, mentorship, and responsible medicine is shaping more than careers. It is shaping the future of healthcare delivery in our region.
CNY Brain & Spine is not just where patients go for expert neuromusculoskeletal care. It is where tomorrow’s providers are learning how to practice medicine with skill, integrity, and compassion. That is why Dr. Q and CNY Brain & Spine are MV’s Best, not only for the care they provide today, but for the future of healthcare they are building in the Mohawk Valley.
Educating the Future of Medicine in the Mohawk Valley with Dr. Richard Terry, Vice President of Program Development and Management and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at LECOM Elmira
How does LECOM Elmira’s mission to educate future physicians become stronger through partnerships with clinical practices like CNY Brain & Spine?
It fits perfectly into our early acceptance program and our mission to recruit local students to come to medical school, return to the Mohawk Valley for rotations, and then come back to practice. The fact that this is happening is outstanding. It orients students to the practice of medicine and gives them exposure to osteopathic medicine at a very impressionable time in their academic career, often as high school or college students. They come here, they come to Utica, and they return to the area. Our mission perfectly aligns with what Dr. Qandah is doing. We love this program. The students we have had from Dr. Qandah have done very well with medical terminology and procedures, and they are very comfortable when they enter the clinical arena.
From your perspective, what is the educational value of Dr. Nicholas Qandah’s Medical Assistant Program for LECOM students?
CNY Brain & Spine’s program is different because it is a mentor program. Rather than a shadow experience, Dr. Q engages with each and every student and the career they want to pursue. They get to see a real life example of Dr. Q and have clinical exposure to what life is like as a physician. I think the difference is the didactic component and the specific mentoring in this medical assistant program. It is a wonderful exposure for someone contemplating a career in osteopathic medicine. Many of these local students go to Elmira and potentially come back for rotations in the Mohawk Valley.
Why is this collaboration especially meaningful for preparing future physicians to serve medically underserved communities in Central New York?
This is absolutely part of our mission, exploring the continuum of educational training from undergraduate through graduate education. We have looked at all components, and our investment in the Mohawk Valley health system and residency programs speaks to that. Dr. Q has taken this on as a positive role model. He is one of perhaps a small number of neurosurgeons in the country who practices, mentors students, and gives back at this level. That is amazing.
Looking ahead, how does the relationship between LECOM Elmira and CNY Brain & Spine reflect optimism for the future of medical education and healthcare delivery in our region?
Dr. Q has taken the weight of this recruitment effort on himself to bring talent back to the region. He is saying I am going to mentor young students, offer them exposure early, and provide a pathway to medical school. They will come back and practice. That is tremendous optimism for the future.
I would like to see this apprenticeship model grow. Why cannot that happen in another area of the hospital or health system for motivated students. Expanding this program is a meaningful step toward strengthening healthcare access and building a pipeline of future providers in medically underserved communities like the Mohawk Valley. In that same spirit, Dr. Q and Dr. Juleen Qandah have committed to sponsoring a Mohawk Valley medical student to attend LECOM, further investing in the next generation of local physicians.
Dr. Richard Terry is Vice President of Program Development and Management and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at LECOM Elmira. As the founding Dean of the campus, he has played a key role in developing innovative clinical education programs and expanding medical training opportunities throughout New York State.
