50 East 42nd Street: a landmark building for Mount Sinai’s new Corporate Services Center
A landmark building at 150 East 42nd Street—a 45-story architectural jewel built in the mid-1950s—now serves as the official Corporate Services Center for the Mount Sinai Health System and the offices for 1,800 staff from nearly two dozen departments. Mount Sinai has leased six floors and is one of the building’s largest occupants. The Health System logo is prominently displayed at the building’s entrances.
“Isn’t this amazing?” said Peter W. May, Chairman, Boards of Trustees, Mount Sinai Health System, as he showed trustees, Health System leaders, and guests the new space—specifically, the new corporate boardroom, which he inaugurated with Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, during a reception on Wednesday, September 30. Mr. May also took guests onto an outdoor terrace that overlooks 42nd Street. “This really is a milestone that has been fulfilled,” said Dr. Davis, and he thanked Leni and Peter May for providing a contribution to create the space.
Peter W. May, left, and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, second from left, welcome the Boards of Trustees, Mount Sinai Health System leadership, and guests at a reception at the new Corporate Services Center.
“Having 1,800 people together on six floors provides huge opportunities for collaboration, especially with the open-space design and breakout rooms that allow staff to congregate,” said Mr. May, noting that the center, dedicated two years after the creation of the Health System, unifies many departments that previously had staff located at multiple sites.
Departments were moved to the new building in phases, beginning in February, a relocation effort that is now complete. “Extensive planning went into scheduling the moves to minimize disruption to our staff,” says Kenneth Holden, Chief Facilities Officer. “We knew that successful and stress-free moves would color everyone’s first impression of the new headquarters.”
A weekly yoga class is among the activities now taking place at 150 East 42nd Street.
Also playing key roles in the effort were Thomas C. Ahn, Vice President, Real Estate Division; and Loida Ramos, Vice President, Planning, Design and Construction, who note that the Health System received Leadership in Energy & Efficient Design (LEED) silver certification, a green-building program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices and showcases Mount Sinai’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
Among the departments that have transitioned to the new 448,000-square-foot center are Billing, Communications, Development, Finance, the Grants and Contracts Office, Human Resources, IT, Legal, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners, Mount Sinai Network, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, Real Estate Services, and Supply Chain.
The Mount Sinai Health System Department of Human Resources team includes, front row, from left: Valerie Orellana, Vice President, Talent Acquisition and Human Resources Operations; Caryn Tiger, MSILR, Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Relations; and Diane Adams, Chief Learning Officer; back row, from left: Vilma Cuevas, Director of Talent Acquisition; Jane Maksoud, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer; and Rosemarie Liguigli, Senior Director, Special Projects.
Commanding space on the fourth floor—the location of the boardroom, terrace, and the just-opened “Avenue C” self-service café—is the Department of Human Resources, the hub for sourcing, onboarding, and educating every new hire throughout the Health System. Employee Health Services (EHS), a Division of Human Resources, now oversees the pre-placement exams of about 150 new hires weekly, says Madelynn Azar-Cavanagh, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Employee Health, Safety and Wellness, Mount Sinai Health System. EHS is also offering a popular yoga class and a diabetes prevention program to staff located at 150 East 42nd Street, and will roll out additional wellness initiatives in the coming months.
Madelynn Azar-Cavanagh, MD, MPH, left, and Tanielle Sterling, NP, Director of Clinical Operations, Employee Health Services, Mount Sinai Health System
Jane Maksoud, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, says, “The new centralized space offers more opportunities for employee engagement and in-person collaboration within and across departments, but it will also have a significant role in articulating and fostering a common culture within the Health System.”
According to Ms. Maksoud, Mount Sinai’s mandatory “New Beginnings” orientation program for new staff will soon be conducted in the center’s state-of-the-art training facility. “We are pleased to welcome new staff to the Mount Sinai Health System and introduce every new employee to the impact our culture has on our language, behavior, standards and expectations, approaches to problem-solving, and advances in health care for our global community.”