Bernadette Riley

Bernadette Riley

Title
Professor & Director, Ehlers Danlos Center
Department
Family Medicine
Campus
Long Island
Area of Expertise
Academic Medicine
Education Credentials
D.O., M.S.
Industry Credentials
FACOFP, FILM
Joined New York Tech
2017

Bernadette Riley is currently the director of New York Institute of Technology's Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)/Hypermobility Treatment Center and a professor of family medicine at the New York Tech College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is a graduate of Fordham University (2001) and New York College of Osteopathic Medicine (2005). Riley has a special interest in treating the hypermobile patient; in her current role she directs a multidisciplinary center and is involved in a variety of research projects, presentations, teaching, publications, and grants at the center. She wrote the curriculum, started and is the director of the EDS 4th year elective (MTFP 890) at the College of Osteopathic Medicine. She lectures locally and nationally on the topic of hypermobility. Riley is interested in nutrition as a treatment option for hypermobile patients and graduated with her Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition with Distinction, was inducted into the Alpha Eta National Honor Society, and received the John J. Theobald Graduate Achievement Award in Clinical Nutrition in 2023.

Prior to joining the College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2017, Riley served as program director of the Osteopathic Traditional Rotating Internship at Mt. Sinai/South Nassau Communities Hospital, core faculty of its Family Medicine Residency and Coordinator of Simulation Medicine. Prior to that, she served as medical director of the Long Beach Group Practice. Riley's postgraduate training started as an ENT/facial plastic surgery intern at the former Union Hospital in New Jersey (2005–2006). She completed two years of residency at the Union Hospital/Newark Beth Israel/St. Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey (2006–2008) before switching specialties. She finished her family medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment residency at Long Beach Medical Center in New York (2010), where she served as chief resident (2009–2010) and was named Family Medicine Resident of the Year (2010). Riley is board certified in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Riley has held the academic title of clinical assistant professor at many medical schools, including the Zucker School of Medicine-Hofstra University. She has served as national faculty for the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) since 2012 and is a member of its COMAT Family Medicine subcommittee, Blueprint Committee, and chair of DEI.

In 2017, Riley achieved an academic qualification in international medicine and public health from the Institute for International Medicine. In 2016, she became a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (FACOFP). In 2013, she was inducted as a fellow of the Institute of Leadership in Medicine (FILM) and ACOFP's Physician Leadership Institute and became a certified physician leader.

Riley has an interest in health policy and has been active in health advocacy for many years. She teaches advocacy to medical students and wrote the curriculum for and is director of the fourth-year Congressional Health Policy Elective (MTPU850). Dr. Riley is the director of the two-year Congressional Health Policy Fellowship (OW) certificate program. She served two years as president of the New York State Osteopathic Medical Society (NYSOMS) 2022- 2024. She is an alumni of the American Osteopathic Association's (AOA) Training in Policy Studies Fellowship (TIPS Class of 2010). Riley graduated from American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship (OHPF Class of 2020). She is secretary of the Nassau County Medical Society (NCMS), member at large for the Nassau Academy of Medicine (NAM), and chair of NAM's Education Committee. She is a member and speaker for the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) Women Physicians Committee and Women’s Physician Leadership Academy (WPLA). She is in her second year as assistant secretary of MSSNY. She has been chair of the Regional Osteopathic Conference (ROC-NY) since 2016. She has served as a delegate for both the AOA's House of Delegates (HOD) since 2010, and MSSNY's HOD since 2019. Riley is involved in National Committees, including the ACOFP Annual Convention Work Group, has been chair of its National Convention (2020, 2024, 2025).

Selected Publications

Honors and Awards

  • John J. Theobald Graduate Achievement Award in Clinical Nutrition (2023)
    Conferred upon a deserving student in the master's program, based on scholarship and outstanding contribution to the college and/or the outside community.
  • 2023 Nassau County's Woman of Distinction
  • Alpha Eta Honor Society (2023)
  • Irish America, The Healthcare and Life Sciences Top 50 (2022)
  • NYSOMS Presidential Award- Dedication to the Profession (2022)
  • NYSOMS ROC 2022 Chair Award
  • NYITCOM In-House Grant 2020–2021 Winner
  • NBOME's 2020 COMAT Clinical Item Writer of the Year
  • Medical expert on The Mighty's "What Is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?" and "Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Support Resources," articles.
  • NYSOMS 2019 President's Award – Roc NY Chair Award – April 2019
  • The Medical Society of the County of Kings and Richmond County and the Academy of Medicine of Brooklyn Award of Excellence, March 2019
  • INMED Academic Qualification in International Medicine and Public Health, Institute for International Medicine, May 28, 2017
  • Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (FACOFP), inducted April 7, 2016
  • Certificate of Appreciation, Committee Co-Chair of Regional Osteopathic Conference NY, 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Fellow Award, ACOFP, April 2016
  • "Guardian of the Profession," AOA 2013
  • Certified Physician Leader of the ACOFP, 2013
  • Recognized as the ACOFP's "Future Young Leader in the Osteopathic Medical Field," 2012, and Mentor, 2014
  • Long Beach Medical Center Resident of the Year, 2009–2010
  • Certified Physician Leader, October 1, 2013

Courses Taught at New York Tech

  • LDB Doctor Patient Relationship (DPR 1 and II)
  • Congressional Health Policy Fellowship, Old Westbury
  • EDS/Hypermobility 4th year elective- MTFP 890
  • Congressional Health Policy 4th year elective- MTPU850

Contact Info