Marty Viegas is a highly accomplished healthcare leader with more than 22 years of nursing experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and national certifications in critical care (CCRN), pediatric emergency nursing (CPEN), and infusion nursing (CRNI).
Marty began his nursing career as a staff nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian in New York City. Over the course of his career, he has served in progressive leadership roles including Head Nurse, Clinical Coordinator, Nurse Educator, and Director, with a consistent focus on pediatrics, pediatric critical care, and emergency medicine. He currently serves as Director of Medical Affairs for the U.S. Medication Delivery Solutions business at BD.
Prior to nursing, Marty served 14 years as a New York City Police Officer. In September 2001, while beginning his final semester of nursing school, he was on duty in Brooklyn during the World Trade Center attacks. He mobilized his team and responded to the site, arriving as the second tower collapsed. In the weeks that followed, he worked as part of the search and rescue effort at Ground Zero.
As a result of his service, Marty is among the thousands impacted by post-9/11-related illness. He has faced two cancer diagnoses—prostate cancer in 2020, treated with a radical prostatectomy, and subcutaneous B-cell lymphoma diagnosed in 2025 and again in 2026, treated with radiation.
In addition to his professional leadership, Marty has demonstrated an enduring commitment to service. He has served as Medical Program Director for The Valerie Fund’s Camp Happy Times for over two decades, providing a life-changing camp experience for children living with or recovering from cancer. This summer marks his 21st year in that role.
Marty has also supported the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5K since its inception in 2002 and currently serves as team captain for Team BD. Since its formation in 2017, the team has raised more than $155,000 in support of the organization.
Marty views his experiences not as hardship, but as perspective—a belief that shapes both his leadership and his life. As he reflects, “What happened, happened and couldn’t have happened in any other way… because it didn’t.” —Peter Crone
Dr. Menell is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Director of the Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Pediatric Cancers and Blood Disorders at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ. She received her medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and completed her pediatric residency at Kings County Hospital and University Hospital of Brooklyn. Following her residency, she completed fellowship training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and NY Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Campus.
Dr. Menell has proudly worked at St. Joseph’s for over 27 years, caring for patients with all forms of pediatric cancers and blood disorders. She gratefully works alongside an amazing team of doctors, nurses, social workers, child life specialists, integrative therapists and support staff to help her fulfill the mission of St. Joseph’s, providing exceptional quality care with a special concern for those who are poor, vulnerable and underserved. One of her greatest rewards is to support the patients through the worst of times of their lives and then watch them come off treatment, grow and develop into amazing adults. Her team and supportive family help keep her going day to day. In her free time, Dr. Menell enjoys hiking, watching her favorite sports teams and spending time with her family. If she had it to do it all again, she would!
