An India-born doctor, Dr. Joy Saini, and her family tragically died in a plane crash in upstate New York over the weekend while en route to the Catskills Mountains to celebrate a birthday and the upcoming Passover holiday.
The crash claimed the lives of Dr. Saini, a highly regarded urogynecologist; her husband, Dr. Michael Groff, a prominent neuroscientist; their daughter, Karenna Groff, a former MIT soccer player and the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year; and their son, Jared Groff, a paralegal.
Also among the victims were Jared’s partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte, who was preparing to attend Harvard Law School later this year, and Karenna’s boyfriend, James Santoro, an MIT graduate.
The family had boarded a private twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 aircraft, owned and piloted by Dr. Groff, at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York. The aircraft went down near Craryville, New York, around 12:06 p.m. on April 12.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the plane was destroyed in the accident. Preliminary reports indicated that shortly before the crash, the pilot had radioed Columbia County Airport’s air traffic control to report that he had missed the initial approach and was requesting a new landing plan.
Investigators from the NTSB are currently collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses to determine the cause of the crash.
Dr. Joy Saini was a trailblazer in the field of urogynecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery. She founded the Boston Pelvic Health & Wellness center, where she was recognized for her clinical expertise and leadership.
She earned her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at The New York Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medical Center, and underwent fellowship training in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS) at New York University Medical Center.
Double board-certified in obstetrics/gynecology and FPMRS by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dr. Saini was among the first women in the United States to receive fellowship training in this specialty and one of the first to be certified when it became an official subspecialty in 2013. She was also a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Throughout her career, Dr. Saini held several academic and clinical leadership positions. She served as an attending physician and assistant professor at institutions such as New York University Medical Center and Indiana University Medical Center, and later became an associate fellowship program director at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center.
There, she led the fellowship didactics program and Grand Rounds, and was actively involved in clinical research, publishing several peer-reviewed articles in her field. Beyond her medical accomplishments, she was deeply engaged in her local community in Weston, Massachusetts, where she lived with her husband and children and served on the boards of several local organisations.
Dr. Michael Groff, her husband, was also an accomplished physician and leader in his field. He served as the Executive Medical Director of Neurosciences at Rochester Regional Health. In a statement, the institution expressed deep sorrow over his passing, describing him as a highly respected neurosurgeon known for his clinical excellence, compassion, and dedication to advancing neuroscience.
Rochester Regional Health noted that they were in contact with Dr. Groff’s family and requested privacy for them during this difficult time.
The loss of the Saini-Groff family and their companions has sent shockwaves through the communities and institutions they were part of, with many mourning not only the personal tragedy but also the loss of remarkable professionals and future leaders.
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