Adam Sassila, PharmD, is a first-year pharmacy resident at Mount Sinai Brooklyn. He came to us from Chicago and when applying to and matching into his position here in early March, he was looking for all the fun and excitement that most 27 year olds might expect to find in New York City. He did not have any friends or family here, but he thought it would be an adventure. Of course, arriving here in July 2020 wasn’t exactly the New York City he might have expected.
Adam jumped into our COVID-19 response and his education. He rounded in the ICU, joining our approval process for Remdisivir; pharmacy planning for our highly successful Joint Commission visit; and being a part of the COVID-19 vaccine preparation and distribution process.
Though this might be fine for a job evaluation, we chose him for recognition because we heard from Yasmin Meah, MD, that Adam had been volunteering on weekends with her East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership. She says, “Adam has been a ready fixture at EHHOP. He has been critical in teaching our patients about diabetes self-care and goes far beyond a pharmacotherapy lens to get our patients to goal. He is extremely mindful and sensitive to the social determinants of health and takes great care with each patient to delve deep into the individual struggles they face in dealing with their chronic medical conditions.”
From Brittany Glassberg, a fourth-year medical student, we heard that Adam “brings so much knowledge to our group, teaches with amazing patience and kindness, and is a pleasure to be around!” Finally, a Phillips School of Nursing student told us that she watched Adam personally fill one patient’s medication/pill box for an entire month’s supply.
Adam may not have found a city of clubs and restaurants full of 20-somethings, but he has found a new group of friends and family in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Peter Shearer, MD, Chief Medical Officer,Mount Sinai Brooklyn