Loving, caring physician Dr. Peter Sultan dies at 54

Dr. Peter Sultan, a Westhampton resident, died after participating in the Jamesport triathlon on Sunday, July 13. Born in 1971 in Mineola, he was 54 years old. He is survived by his two children.

In his 20 years as an orthopedic surgeon, physician Peter Sultan touched thousands of lives, giving people back their mobility and helping them live free from pain. His connection with his community was about more than healing their bodies, however. Whether they shared a devotion to family or a love of music, his commitment to those around him left a lasting mark.

Lisa Hubbard and Dr. Sultan began working as colleagues in the orthopedics department at PMBC at the same time. They formed a bond to the point that Dr. Sultan often attended her family’s major life events. She described him growing from a shy doctor to the one who could remember the details of a patient’s life outside of the office. 

“When Peter started, he was very, very shy. So, a lot of maturing happened through the years, and he went from being the shy, quiet doctor to the doctor who would go into the patient’s room and know all their family. He remembered everything. And the patients loved that about him. He had just such a way of engaging them, and he had longstanding patients,” Ms. Hubbard said.

Jerome Foster Lewis, a patient experience specialist at Peconic Bay Medical Center, bonded with Dr. Sultan through their mutual love of music. They performed together in the lobby of the hospital for the last six years.

“He approached me once he heard me sing at one of the events and said, ‘I play the piano as well.’ And so we started to form this relationship where we would get together and play music in the main lobby,” said Mr. Foster Lewis. “Our patients, caregivers and staff members started to gather around and enjoy when we collaborated.”

According to Mr. Foster Lewis, this time creating music together was as beneficial for the performers as it was to the listeners. Dr. Sultan believed in the importance of the music and how essential it is to the healing process.

“Although we were grateful that a lot of people enjoyed it, it also brought us so much joy. It filled us up to create music and then it exceeded that joy when we saw how others received it,” said Mr. Foster Lewis. “We said, ‘Medicine cures the body, but it’s music that heals the soul.’”

It was a relationship that Mr. Foster Lewis treasured. “So for him to be such a prestigious surgeon in our community, and for him to value the time that we had together, It was an honor,” he said.

Dr. Amy Loeb, president of Peconic Bay Medical Center, praised Dr. Sultan’s award-winning surgical prowess, stating that he did thousands of joint replacements over the course of his career with the hospital, allowing people to return to their lives.

“What’s amazing about what he’s done for patients, with his skilled hands and expertise, is really provided them with pain-free mobility. That’s life-changing stuff, you know — this really impacts patients’ ability to enjoy their lives, enjoy their families,” said Dr. Loeb.

Dr. Sultan’s manner meant a great deal to his patients. Helen Ruskowski came to him for a knee replacement with one stipulation: she needed to be well for a major life event that was taking place three months post-op.

“My grandson was getting married three months after the date of my surgery, and he said, ‘Don’t worry. You’ll dance at your grandson’s wedding,’” said Ms. Ruskowski. “And I did dance at my grandson’s wedding three months later. He never said what you wanted to hear. He told you the truth, and that made me very, very comfortable.”

Lavern Terry, another of Dr. Sultan’s patients, also formed a bond of trust with him. After her joint replacement, she experienced some issues and reached out to the doctor for assistance. He reassured her that the problem was not unusual and would pass.

“It was really funny when I think about it, because of the way I was acting and he kind of calmed my nerves down. I was nervous when I went in, and he came and he talked to me,” said Ms. Terry.

Ms. Ruskowski noted the doctor’s transformation as he became comfortable in his practice. “He loved what he did. He was good at it, and he loved life, and people, and his children,”said Ms. Ruskowski. “He was respected by everyone. When I read of his passing, I had an arrow go through my heart because I thought, ‘Why did God take such a beautiful, talented, loving man at such an early age?’ I’m heartsick over it.”

Ms. Terry also took the news to heart, having just visited the office for a follow up. “When I saw that he had passed, it did something to me inside because I had just seen him,” she said. “He took good care of my knee, and he meant a lot to me. I had no worries when I went to see him,”

Beyond his work, Dr. Sultan also had a personal impact on those around him, making them feel valued. “He is somebody that we’re never going be able to replace,” said Ms. Hubbard. “You don’t replace people like that. I’ve lost someone that I trusted dearly and a very close friend.”

For Mr. Foster Lewis, it is the feeling generated by their collaboration he believes will carry on. “He shared so vulnerably, and if you go back and listen to his videos with a different ear, you can hear it that’s a human being just sharing the love of what they do, and it will forever be his legacy,” Mr. Foster Lewis said.