Provider Profile: Expanding ENT Care at Maimonides with Two New Physicians

The otolaryngology team at Maimonides is expanding with the addition of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists Jana Ghulmiyyah, MD, and Prayag Patel, MD. Having joined the medical center in early October, Drs. Ghulmiyyah and Patel bring with them an expanded suite of innovative ENT, head, and neck surgery options for Maimonides patients, rounding out the team of incredible ENT and surgical specialists here at Maimonides

Dr. Jana Ghulmiyyah

Dr. Ghulmiyyah brings with her to Maimonides a unique background, beginning with medical training at American University in Beirut, where she focused on general surgery before pivoting to head and neck surgery. After moving to the United States, Dr. Ghulmiyyah continued training in her pediatric ENT specialty.

Now, she is beginning to care for some of Maimonides’ youngest patients. According to her, practicing this subspecialty in a pediatric setting comes with rewards and challenges all its own.

“Pediatric ENT is an all-inclusive subspecialty that deals with different pathologies of the ear, nose and throat, as well as a multitude of congenital anomalies,” Dr. Ghulmiyyah said.

She is passionate about the way otolaryngological medicine can help children with communication and quality of life by focusing on key structures.

“The ability to help children connect with their surrounding environment through hearing and speech was a big motivation to pursue this career,” Dr. Ghulmiyyah said. “This is in addition to improving their quality of life through improved sleep and communication.”

Dr. Ghulmiyyah is a welcome addition to the Maimonides otolaryngology and pediatric specialty teams, helping to round out each team’s robust experience and ensuring all Maimonides patients and families receive the most high-quality, individualized care possible.

Dr. Prayag Patel

Dr. Patel is no ordinary ENT. Aside from his unique specialization in sinus and endoscopic skull-base surgery, he is now also the only fellowship-trained ENT sinus surgeon at Maimonides. He looks forward to utilizing his wealth of experience and extensive practice of surgical interventions to help patients and improve their quality of life.

“I pursued sinus and skull-base surgery because of the intricate anatomy of this highly subspecialized area,” Dr. Patel explained. “With the advances of the endoscope, we can now perform so many surgeries that we couldn’t before.”

Patients with nasal obstruction, polyps, tumors, and many other concerns can benefit from his highly specialized skill set — especially those with chronic symptoms. “It gives me immense pleasure to follow these patients over long periods of time to help manage and treat these diseases and build strong, lasting patient-provider relationships.”

In addition to his surgical accomplishments, Dr. Patel has contributed to specialized research through 13 peer-reviewed articles and more than 60 presentations and posters.

Dr. Patel is already beginning to build a legacy at Maimonides through the development of a comprehensive nasal care center, together with plastic surgeon Lee Klapowitz, MD. This new addition to Maimonides will put into practice the latest techniques to provide care and symptom relief for patients with nose and sinus issues, focusing on patient-centered innovation.