Dr. Robert Favelukes

As Chairman, Emergency Medicine, Dr. Robert Favelukes is taking on the broad-ranging responsibilities and challenges of BronxCare’s ER, one of the busiest in New York, with 127,000 patient visits annually. Dr. Favelukes sees his leadership role as “being dependent on and directly related to effectively controlling and successfully managing the chaos often associated with ERs in general.” His continuing goal of consistently maintaining, reinforcing, and enhancing the level of care provided is also being achieved. “Our highly skilled and experienced ER team is effectively responding to critically ill patients with life-threatening conditions that often require immediate and extensive medical intervention, and that is a source of pride for us,” stated Dr. Favelukes.

Severe trauma-related injuries, drug overdoses, and mental health emergencies, as well as patients experiencing possible stroke symptoms or suffering from complications of heart disease, hypertension, asthma, and diabetes, are among the serious conditions that Dr. Favelukes and the ER team respond to on a daily basis, 24/7. BronxCare’s designation as a 911 Stroke Center, as well as its designation as a New York State Heart Attack Treatment Center and recent American College of Emergency Physicians accreditation in recognition of excellence in geriatric care, are representative of Dr. Favelukes’ continuing efforts and success in reinforcing BronxCare’s position as “among the best ERs in New York.”

The ER team’s performance throughout the COVID pandemic was another important accomplishment for Dr. Favelukes. “Our staff banded together even stronger than ever to overcome the many challenges COVID presented, including the large volume of patients that had to be screened, observed, treated, and in many cases admitted to the hospital,” stated Dr. Favelukes.

It was in 2009 when Dr. Favelukes first came to BronxCare. Many of his colleagues and friends worked there and had recommended he apply for an attending ER position. At BronxCare, Dr. Favelukes developed a real-life understanding of the many health problems faced by the Bronx community, including significantly higher disease incidence rates and the serious health consequences related to poor socioeconomic status. Dr. Favelukes’ performance as an ER Attending and subsequently as Director of its Observation Program were recognized by the ER leadership and led to his career advancement to Assistant Director, then Vice Chairman, and in 2022 to his current position as Chairman.

In terms of his educational background, Dr. Favelukes graduated from Cornell University and subsequently attended St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, where he received his M.D. degree. Following graduation, he served as an attending ER physician at Maimonides Medical Center and Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn. He then completed a three-year residency in Emergency Medicine at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital before joining BronxCare.

Family remains most important to Dr. Favelukes. His mother, originally from the Netherlands, and father, a businessman from England, immigrated to the United States. “She became a psychiatrist at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital and was clearly a motivating force for me in pursuing my own medical career,” stated Dr. Favelukes.

During his time away from BronxCare and regardless of almost always being on call, Dr. Favelukes enjoys spending time with his wife, Courtney, and three children in their Larchmont, Westchester, home. Family trips, skiing, lacrosse, rock climbing, and other recreational activities are among his interests.

In looking to the future, Dr. Favelukes strongly believes that “individuals in leadership positions must consistently strive to do better and not rest on their accomplishments.” As a result, he is moving forward with an ambitious plan to reduce ER waiting times as well as expedite the admission and discharge process. “We can and will be successful for our patients, staff, and the community,” stated Dr. Favelukes.