Alana Elise Sigmund, MD, FHM
Internal Medicine and Perioperative Medicine Physician
About Dr. Sigmund
Dr. Alana Sigmund was born and raised in Flushing, Queens. She received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Spanish and Biological Basis of Behavior, graduating magna cum laude in 2001 from the University of Pennsylvania (UPENN). She received her MD degree, graduating in 2005, also from UPENN in Philadelphia, PA. Her internship year and two residency years in internal medicine were completed at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. She then joined New York University Medical Center serving as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and at the Hospital for Joint Diseases as an Attending Physician in internal medicine.
Dr. Sigmund has had a long-standing academic and clinical interest in perioperative medicine and high-quality care. Her research into preoperative stress testing and postoperative management of arthroplasty patients has appeared in JAMA Internal Medicine, The Journal of Arthroplasty and most recently in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
In 2016, Dr. Sigmund was named the Medical Director for Arthroplasty at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). In her role as the Medical Director, she oversees the medical care of postoperative arthroplasty patients by attending daily medical rounds. Rounds provide physician assistants, nurses, care managers and physical therapists the opportunity to collaborate in order to provide excellent care for arthroplasty patients. In addition, Dr. Sigmund is actively involved in HSS committees and work groups shaping policies around medical care and management of arthroplasty patients to ensure the best possible outcome for patients.
Dr. Sigmund was appointed to the Society of Hospital Medicine Research committee in 2016 and is an active member.
Profile Video
Special Expertise
Perioperative MedicineInsurance
If your insurance is not listed, please call our office if you have questions regarding your insurance coverage. If you have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance may reimburse you for a portion of your office visit. We will work with you and your insurance to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. Financial assistance may be available for patients in need.
Credentials
Appointments
Medical Director, Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Division, Hospital for Special Surgery
Attending Physician, Hospital for Special Surgery
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College
Affiliations
Research Committee Member, Society of Hospital Medicine
Fellow, Society of Hospital Medicine
Member, Society of Hospital Medicine
Certifications
American Board of Internal Medicine Diplomate
Education
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, PA
Internship:Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, NY
Residency: Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, NY
State Licensure
New York
Languages
EnglishFor My Patients
Publications by Dr. Sigmund
Patient Education
Editorial Appointments
Reviewer, Journal of Hospital Medicine
Selected Journal Articles
Sigmund AE, Fang Y, Chin M, Reynolds HR, Horwitz LI, Dweck E, Iturrate E. Postoperative Tachycardia: Clinically Meaningful or Benign Consequence of Orthopedic Surgery? Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Volume 92, Issue 1, January 2017, Pages 98–105.
Sigmund AE, Stevens E, Blitz J, Ladapo J 'Use of Pre-Operative Testing and Physician Response to Professional Society Guidance' JAMA Internal Medicine Vol. 175 Issue 8, August 2015.
Ramme AJ, Iturrate E, Dweck E, Steiger DJ, Hutzler LH, Fang Y, Wang B, Bosco JA, Sigmund AE. End Tidal Carbon Dioxideas a Screening Tool for Computing Tomography Angiogram in Postoperative Orthopaedic Patients Suspected of Pulmonary Embolism. J Arthroplasty. 2016 Mar 25.
Jacobs, Ramon E A; McNeill, Katharine; Volpicelli, Frank M; Warltier, Karin; Iturrate, Eduardo, Okamura, Charles; Adler,Nicole; Sigmund, Alana; Mednick, Aron; Wertheimer, Benjamin; Hochman, Katherine 'Treatment of Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis in a Patient with Metastatic Cholangiocarcinoma' Vol. 2 Issue 1 July 2015.
Cohen AE, Lautenbauch E, Morales K, Linkin D. 'Risk Factors for Flouroquinolone-Resistant E. Coli Infections Among VANursing Home Patients.' American Journal of Medicine Vol. 119, Issue 11, November 2006.
Selected Books/Chapters
Cohen AE 'Obstetrics and Gynecology' First Aid Q&A for the USMLE Step to CK and USMLE Rx Step 2 CK Qmax Test Bank.Le, Shivaram, Klein ed: McGraw Hill Medical 2008
Cohen AE 'Pleural Effusions' Clinical Decision Support, Hospital Medicinehttp://www.decisionsupportinmedicine.com/ Weise, Glasheen ed: DecisionSupport in Medicine 2013
Selected Presentations
Venous Thrombosis Symposium Update 2016 May 6th, 2016
Hospital Medicine: Update in Hospital Medicine December 3rd, 2016
Research
As Director of the Arthroplasty Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery, Dr. Sigmund is continually presented with clinical scenarios that serve as the basis for her published research. Whether it's understanding if a patient really needs a certain test before a procedure, or a patient has an elevated heart rate after a procedure, the daily dilemmas of perioperative care naturally point towards avenues of research that are of a high clinical importance in orthopedic surgery.
In her role as a medical director for an orthopedic surgical service, she can collaborate effectively with surgical colleagues to address clinical issues relevant to the orthopedic patient. For example, through collaboration with colleagues in her own department as well as the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, she published a project to the Journal of Arthroplasty examining the role of End Tidal CO2 in assessing patients for pulmonary embolism in the postoperative period.
Dr. Sigmund also recently collaborated with colleagues in the Department of Population Health and the Department of Anesthesia to complete 'Use of Preoperative Testing and Physician Response to Professional Society Guidance,' examining national trends in the use of preoperative testing, which was then published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
She is now collaborating with colleagues in orthopedic surgery and rheumatology to address the best way to identify who may have a pulmonary embolus after surgery.
Clinical Trials / Research Studies
Industry Relationships
HSS has a long history of supporting appropriate relationships with industry because they advance HSS's mission to provide the highest quality patient care, improve patient mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all, and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and their related disciplines through research and education.
Below are the healthcare industry relationships reported by Dr. Sigmund as of February 16, 2024.
- Bristol Myers Squibb - Ownership Interest
- CVS Health - Ownership Interest
- Doximity - Ownership Interest
- Pfizer, Inc. - Ownership Interest
- Walgreens - Ownership Interest
HSS and its physicians make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy prohibits physicians from collecting royalties on products they develop that are used on patients at HSS. Patients should feel free to ask their HSS physicians questions about these relationships.