Mark A. Mittler, MD, FAANS, FACS, FAAP
Dr. Mark Mittler joined LINA in 1999. He grew up on Long Island, attended public school in Nassau County, and subsequently went the University of Rochester where he graduated with a degree in Neuroscience. He continued his studies at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. Upon completion of medical school, Dr. Mittler began his Neurosurgery Residency at Brown University. At the time, there was much focus on Pediatric Neurosurgery given the construction and completion of Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Rhode Island. His experience at Brown was transformative—cementing Dr. Mittler’s desire to focus his attention on Pediatric Neurosurgery. He was invited to the esteemed Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to be the first formal Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellow in that program.
After a 16 year absence from Long Island, Dr. Mittler was recruited to the practice—essentially bringing him back to the same hospital in which he was born. By 1999, the practice had already developed a strong interest in Pediatric Neurosurgery with Dr. Alan Rosenthal and Dr. Steven Schneider. Dr. Mittler’s arrival allowed the practice to streamline the Pediatric Division, and support the growth of that service at Schneider Children’s Hospital (now Cohen Children’s Medical Center) on the Long Island Jewish Medical Center campus, as well as at North Shore University Hospital.
As the reputation of the Children’s Hospital grew, Dr. Mittler took a leading role in the consolidation of Pediatric Neurosurgical services on Long Island. The practice's successful, co-founded, service-line growth with the North Shore-LIJ Health System (now Northwell Health) resulted in the appointment of Drs. Mittler and Schneider as Co-Chiefs of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Schneider Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Mittler’s professional growth has resulted in leadership roles both within the practice—serving as the corporation’s President/CEO—as well as within the Northwell Health system. In addition to his directorship of Pediatric Neurosurgery, he served for 15 years as the Director of Quality Assurance for the Northwell Department of Neurosurgery. At Cohen Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) he serves on numerous Performance Improvement Committees, is the Pediatric Neurosurgery Liaison for the Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Program verified by the American College of Surgeons, and supervises team of Neurosurgery Physician Assistants who help provide 24/7 coverage for the service. He is an integral part of CCMC strategic planning in terms of clinical growth as well as facility expansion. His commitment to CCMC's mission is clearly recognized and is often asked to assist in recruitment of faculty in a variety of specialties.
Dr. Mittler is a Clinical Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He is a founding member of the Core Medical School Admission Committee and served in that capacity for 10 years. He currently serves on the Faculty Council – bridging the gap between medical education and clinical caregiving. He is the Site Director for Hofstra/Northwell Neurosurgical Residency Program—providing educational structure, mentorship, and guidance as the neurosurgeons-in-training rotate at CCMC. Dr. Mittler is a welcomed lecturer on wide spectrum of pediatric neurosurgical topics. His is frequently an invited speaker at regional and national educational conferences—speaking to students, residents, pediatricians, nurses, advanced care providers, and neurosurgical colleagues. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He is also a recognized source of expertise and inspiration by regional pediatric fundraising organizations.
From a clinical standpoint, Dr. Mittler focuses much of his attention on craniosynostosis and disorders of skull growth, Chiari malformation, brain tumors, hydrocephalus, and cerebrovascular malformations. He is a recognized expert in these areas and his opinion is often sought by patients and their physicians. It is well-known that Dr. Mittler is completely transparent about expectations. Often, his opinion to avoid surgery is a welcomed perspective that provides reassurance--with thoughtful, continued observation when needed.
Dr. Mittler is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations. He has been consistently recognized by Castle Connolly as a “Top Doctor in New York Metro Region” yearly for over a decade. Similar yearly recognition as a “Long Island Top Doctor” has been awarded by Newsday. He has been profiled in New York Magazine, interviewed by numerous news outlets, and honored by regional and national charitable organizations.
Dr. Mittler clearly recognizes that the above accomplishments and accolades are not awarded in a vacuum. He is very proud of his partnership with Dr. Schneider and Dr. Rodgers in the Pediatric Division, and with Dr. Lefkowitz for spinal neurosurgery. “Each of my partners are incredibly talented surgeons and wonderful doctors. It is not infrequent that I feel a particular patient would be best served with one of my partner’s expertise. Fortunately, there are no obstacles in making that happen. We are all there for each other’s patients, and we all recognize each other’s particular strengths and interests.” This cohesive approach, along with a strong institutional infrastructure, has resulted in consistently high ranking of the Pediatric Neurology & Neurosurgery in the US News and World Report Children's Hospital Survey.
From a personal standpoint, Dr. Mittler lives minutes from CCMC along with his wife of over 30 years. The couple has three young adult children who all pursuing their own passions to be impactful in their careers and lives.