Heather Isola, MPAS, PA-C, Director of Physician Assistant Services
Mount Sinai’s physician assistants were the first team redeployed to support the front lines when COVID-19 hit. Our PAs were quick to say “yes,” leaving their home departments to help staff surge tents and emergency departments around the Health System.
We identified PA Captains who were responsible for taking a highly systematic approach to on-the-ground, internal deployments of our teams. These individuals went beyond their usual work responsibilities, taking on administrative roles overnight, and never backed down. With their help, we mobilized more than 600 PAs to redeployments in response to COVID-19. Thank you to:
The Mount Sinai Hospital: Leslie Schlachter – ICU; Robert Sellman -ED; Jonathan McLaughlin -Inpatient
Mount Sinai Queens: Zumrate Khaimova and Min Huang
Mount Sinai West: Danielle Kaufman and Ezequiel Rodriguez
Mount Sinai Morningside: Joseph Ciavarro
Mount Sinai Beth Israel: Marco Tardio
Mount Sinai South Nassau: Jeena Kokura
This particular challenge to the Health System has demonstrated the strengths of the PA profession. The general knowledge base, versatility of skill, and ready-to-learn attitudes were particularly right for this time. It is no surprise that our team has earned deserved praise from PA Chiefs around the Health System. Here are two examples.
Courtney Ciesla, PA, at Mount Sinai South Nassau, says: “I could not be more proud of my Emergency Department PAs and their resilience, empathy, courage, and flexibility. Our patients lined hallways, were doubling and tripling up in rooms, and in tents. The PAs handled these critical patients and large volumes with ease. They kept up with daily treatment changes and developments and treated patients appropriately. The ED PA staff had to overcome staffing issues due to several of our own contracting the virus. Everyone was willing to work overtime in order to fill all gaps. At the Mount Sinai South Nassau ED, we are a family, which is the reason we get up every morning and come to work. You know you are never alone, and this is how we are able to make it through these trying times. I could not be more honored to work with such a great group of PAs during this battle.”
Joseph Ciavarro, PA-C, MBA
Allison Chang, PA, at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West says: “I am proud of the Emergency Department PAs for being flexible and proactive. Even within the ED, there have been staffing modifications and unprecedented expectations, and I am proud of our PAs for stepping up. I am also extremely proud of the off-service PAs. There were Orthopedic PAs that were redeployed to the ED, and not only served in the tent, but also helped nurses draw labs and put in IVs. This week, there were Neurosurgery PAs who had been redeployed to the ED and took it upon themselves to see patients even with non-COVID-related symptoms. I am sure that an Orthopedics PA putting in IVs and a Neurosurgery PA seeing ED patients are not within their scopes of practice, and I applaud them for stepping up to the task and doing a fantastic job. Makes me proud to be a PA.”
As the medical school comes back to life, the PAs and NPs will continue to fill gaps of service for the fellows and residents returning to their academics. And, without doubt, our PAs will likely be the last ones leaving COVID-19 units. As a PA myself, I can speak for my team when I say that this experience has affirmed our belief that being a Physician Assistant is an awesome profession and solidified our feeling we made the right choice.
Submitted by
Heather Isola, MPAS, PA-C, Director of Physician Assistant Services, Mount Sinai Health System