Anne Nucci-Sack

It is with great sorrow that we inform you of the passing of Anne Nucci-Sack, MD, a master clinician, accomplished researcher, and leader in the field of adolescent health.

Dr. Nucci-Sack, who passed away on Sunday, November 19, was an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and served as Medical Director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center from 2002 to 2022. She was known for her fierce dedication to her patients and tireless work in support of the Center and New York City’s young people.

Dr. Nucci-Sack always demonstrated deep care, commitment, respect, and love for her patients, who in turn were deeply loyal and dedicated to her. Frequently, when her patients aged out of the Center, they did not want to leave specifically because of Dr. Nucci-Sack. During her 20 years as medical director, she worked tirelessly on behalf of patients and the Center, including through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when she made the decision to keep the Center open for in-person care. When many patients were unable to visit the clinic in person, Dr. Nucci-Sack personally drove to their homes to deliver their birth control prescriptions so they did not miss a dose.

Many of Dr. Nucci-Sack’s patients came from marginalized communities and had complex medical, psychological, and psychosocial needs. She regularly provided care for refugees, immigrants, youth without insurance, and survivors of human trafficking, sexual assault, and childhood abuse using a trauma-informed and healing-centered approach. Dr. Nucci-Sack treated each patient holistically, getting to know their strengths, hopes, and vulnerabilities so she could care for the whole person.

Her peers had tremendous respect for her skill and expertise in patient care and she was an invaluable resource for her colleagues, who frequently consulted with her on complex cases. Many clinicians, including providers from other states, sent patients with particularly complex needs to her because of her reputation for providing high-quality, compassionate care.

Beyond care for her own patients, Dr. Nucci-Sack previously served as the Adolescent Medicine Fellowship Program Director and was instrumental in training the next generation of adolescent medicine specialists, as well as all trainees at the Center, who learned from her incredible professionalism. Her communication skills and ability to connect with others were also evident in her famous tours of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, during which she was uniquely able to convey the spirit of the Center to visitors.

Dr. Nucci-Sack worked to advance adolescent health as a field through innovative research, including as a key investigator on a groundbreaking 16-year human papillomavirus study funded by the National Institutes of Health. She seamlessly integrated research into the clinic to ensure it did not disrupt patient care.

Before joining the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, Dr. Nucci-Sack served as Medical Director for adolescent school-based health centers in the South Bronx, serving youth of color from disinvested neighborhoods. Dr. Nucci-Sack earned her MD from New York Medical College. She was an avid traveler and cultural enthusiast who loved opera, theater, and the symphony. Dr. Nucci-Sack is survived by her husband Peter G. Sack, MD, and her family in New York and Maryland.

We express our deepest condolences to Dr. Nucci-Sack’s family. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.