Mount Sinai’s 41st Annual Crystal Party Honors Richard A. Friedman and James S. Tisch

Honorees Richard A. Friedman and James S. Tisch, Chairmen Emeritus of the Boards of Trustees of the Mount Sinai Health System
 

“The dedication and commitment that Jim and Rich have shown over the years has positioned our storied institution for a very bright future,” said John B. Hess, who succeeded Mr. Friedman and Mr. Tisch as Chairman. “Their love of Mount Sinai is an inspiration to us all.”

Mr. Friedman and Mr. Tisch’s time as Co-Chairmen coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, and their collaborative leadership ensured that Mount Sinai’s frontline health care workers had the resources and support they needed to serve patients during the worst of the pandemic’s uncertainties. They also repositioned the Health System to put the institution on better financial footing. And they were instrumental in the selection of Brendan G. Carr, MD, MA, MS, as Chief Executive Officer, a role Dr. Carr assumed in January 2024.

“When the history books are written for Mount Sinai—this chapter for Mount Sinai—people will be in awe of the fact that Rich and Jim’s leadership allowed us to grow into the future and become the next great version of ourselves,” said Dr. Carr, who is also Professor and the Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Distinguished Chair.

Mr. Friedman and Mr. Tisch are visionary philanthropists whose generosity has secured their families’ legacies through transformational gifts to Mount Sinai totaling $158 million, in addition to leveraging their personal and professional relationships to steer significant donor support toward the institution. They each chaired the two most impactful fundraising campaigns in Mount Sinai’s history, which combined raised $4 billion.

Mr. Friedman, Chairman of Asset Management at Goldman Sachs and a Mount Sinai Trustee since 2001, donated $20 million in 2010, along with his wife, Susan, to establish The Friedman Brain Institute, which has grown to become one of the world’s premier neuroscience research centers. He then worked tirelessly to help FBI reach its $100 million fundraising goal.

“As I reflect on my seven years as Co-Chair alongside Jim, I think my biggest takeaway is the new appreciation I have for the remarkable work that is done each and every day by the people who serve our Health System,” Mr. Friedman said. “I’ve always known this, of course, but it’s one thing to be on the Board and to look at numbers and hear about the issues. It’s another to be so deeply involved—to see the way the doctors, researchers, and leaders interact with each other—and how sincerely committed they are to providing our patients with the best, most compassionate care imaginable.”

Mr. Tisch is Chair of the Loews Corporation and a Mount Sinai Trustee since 1988. In 2008, he and his wife, Dr. Merryl H. Tisch, made a gift of $40 million to establish The Tisch Cancer Institute, which is now a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. This recognition places Mount Sinai among the top one percent of cancer centers nationwide and affirms the breadth and depth of its cancer research, clinical excellence, and commitment to health equity. In 2021, Mr. and Dr. Tisch pledged an additional $60 million to establish the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Hospital.

“Thank you to the leadership team, to the clinicians, researchers, educators, and staff who make Mount Sinai what it is,” Mr. Tisch said. “And thank you for entrusting Richard and me with the leadership of this extraordinary institution. It has been a privilege to serve, and I could not be more confident in the path ahead."

Proceeds raised at the Crystal Party fund numerous programs and departments across the Icahn School of Medicine and the Mount Sinai Health System. Thank you for your support.

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