From left: Christine A. Soghomonian, MA; Felice F. Axelrod; Angela Diaz, MD, PhD, MPH; Dennis S. Charney, MD; and Adam Jacobs, MD.
The Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center (MSAHC) saluted the contributions of four individuals who have dedicated themselves to helping New York City’s young people at its 14th Annual Breakfast of Legends benefit at The Plaza on Wednesday, November 1. The Center provides free, comprehensive, confidential health and wellness services to more than 10,000 young people annually and is renowned as a national leader in adolescent health research and training.
Angela Diaz, MD, PhD, MPH
Peter W. May, Chairman, Boards of Trustees, Mount Sinai Health System, warmly welcomed the more than 450 guests, saying: “I amproud to say that I have attended every Breakfast for the past 14 years. I haven’t missed one because the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center is a shining example of everything that we do right at the Mount Sinai Health System.” Angela Diaz, MD, PhD, MPH, Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor in Adolescent Health and Director of the MSAHC, thanked everyone who made the event possible, saying, “If our service can be likened to a strong tree, you—all of our volunteers—are the roots.”
From left: Selena, youth speaker; Anthony, youth host; Matt, youth speaker; and Lola, youth host.
Two patients, Matt and Selena, shared how the MSAHC has changed their lives. Matt, who is nonbinary and transmasculine, said, “The clinic provided a safe and affirming environment for me to accept who I am and become my authentic self.” Selena said, “To me, the Center is not just a clinic—it is a community, a safe haven, and a home.”
Honorees at the 14th Annual Breakfast of Legends
Felice F. Axelrod, consultant to Bloomberg and a member of the MSAHC Advisory Board;
Adam Jacobs, MD, Medical Director of Family Planning for the Mount Sinai Health System and Associate Professor in the departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai;
Christine A. Soghomonian, MA, Director of Information Systems and Operations at the MSAHC, who received the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center staff award;
Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and President for Academic Affairs, the Mount Sinai Health System, who was presented with the Dr. Joan E. Morgenthau Lifetime Advocate for Youth Award.