Updated on Apr 15, 2025 | Community, Featured
Vivian Leonard, RPh, Director of Pharmacy for Mount Sinai Queens, stands beside a drug collection kiosk.
Have you ever noticed old bottles of prescription medications in your medicine cabinet and wondered how you can properly dispose of them?
Experts say you shouldn’t flush unwanted pharmaceuticals down the toilet or throw them in the trash. Studies over the last decade reveal potential environmental and public health hazards associated with this practice.
To provide the community with a safer, more sustainable method of discarding over-the-counter and prescription drugs, Mount Sinai offers free, 24/7 drug collection kiosks at six locations—Mount Sinai Pharmacy on Madison, The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai Queens, Mount Sinai West, and Mount Sinai South Nassau. The service is the result of a collaboration with an organization called MED-Project, which offers a drug take back program. Med-Project is a nonprofit formed by the pharmaceutical industry.
Gina Caliendo, PharmD, BCPS,
“This program gets unwanted drugs out of homes and into a secure location, so that they don’t end up with children and teens, or pets, or on the street for illicit use,” says Gina Caliendo, PharmD, BCPS, Senior Director of Pharmacy at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “It is an effort to get drugs out of circulation as much as possible.” The service is available at no charge for employees and members of the public. Since it began in 2022, the program has helped to dispose of more than 1,300 pounds of unwanted medications.
The medication can be in the original container or sealed in a plastic bag. The program does not accept medical devices, batteries, or “sharps,” like needles or injectors. Mount Sinai will send everything deposited in the kiosks directly to a waste management company that incinerates the boxes and their contents.
The program is one of many prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts funded by the settlements reached with drug manufacturers for their role in the opioid crisis. It is one of many collaborative interventions between environmental and health care scientists to establish more sustainable practices at all stages of the pharmaceutical lifecycle.
“It’s a public safety measure,” says Dr. Caliendo. “We are inviting the community to do this as an effort to protect children and the environment, and to decrease access to drugs on the street.”
Keeping unused medications around the house or disposing of them through less secure means can be hazardous, especially for children and adolescents. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, teenagers often obtain drugs via leftover prescriptions they find at home. If not disposed of safely, opioids, stimulants, and other drugs with potential recreational uses may also be diverted into illegal markets, contributing to harmful cycles of drug misuse, addiction, and even overdose.
Also, virtually all medications can pose a threat if consumed by the wrong person, at the incorrect dosage, or past its expiration date.
While flushing drugs down the toilet may seem like a safe alternative, this can contaminate the water and expose others to potentially harmful chemicals.
“While water purification eliminates a lot of things, it does not necessarily eliminate all of these soluble chemicals,” says Dr. Caliendo.
In addition, research shows that pharmaceuticals released to the environment through flushing or other means can hurt the environment, including fish and other animal populations. Consuming active pharmaceutical ingredients can harm a diverse range of wildlife, leading to death or interfering with their ability to reproduce.
Pharmaceuticals discarded in the environment can also increasingly contribute to the problem of antimicrobial resistance—in both animal and human populations—which occurs when germs develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them.
Since opening its first kiosk in 2022, Mount Sinai has collected more than 700 pounds of discarded medication, making it a leader of this effort among New York City hospitals, according to Dr. Caliendo.
If Mount Sinai’s three collection kiosk locations are not convenient for you, you can find additional kiosks near you by searching the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Drug Drop Sites map, or find a collector authorized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in your community.
In addition to permanent collection sites at participating pharmacies and hospitals, you can also find community take-back sites sponsored by the DEA during the twice-annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which are held in April and October.
If you are unable to bring your unwanted or expired medications to a free disposal site or event, you can request mail-in packages from the New York State Department of Health.
Apr 9, 2025 | Community, Featured
Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street, a new pharmacy dedicated to providing patients with seamless access to medications and expert pharmaceutical care, is now open to the public.
The pharmacy is located on the first floor of Mount Sinai Queens-Crescent Street, a specialty care practice, next to Mount Sinai Express Care-Queens and Mount Sinai Doctors-Astoria, and across the street from Mount Sinai Queens. The pharmacy is designed to help patients by providing a coordinated, high-quality service. The pharmacy accepts most insurance plans and delivers to patients’ homes.
Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street is convenient and makes it easy to pick up a prescription after an appointment, get a quick refill, and get needed medication after patients leave the hospital and return home. Staff at the pharmacy are ready to help by answering questions and providing key information while ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and privacy.
“The opening of Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street is another significant step forward to better serving our community,” said Cameron R. Hernandez, MD, FACHE, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mount Sinai Queens. “The pharmacy expands our continuum of care, ensuring that our neighbors in Astoria and beyond have quick and easy access to their medications—right where they receive care.”
Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street offers comprehensive specialty medication support so patients receiving treatment for complex conditions, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, or inflammatory bowel disease, can benefit from financial assistance programs, medication adherence services, refill reminders, and on-call pharmacist consultation.
With advanced language assistance and accessibility, the pharmacy team provides clear communication and understanding for all patients, offering complimentary services for those whose primary language is not English or who require visual, hearing, or other accessibility support.
“We are thrilled to bring Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street to our patients in Queens. This pharmacy is all about making health care more convenient, faster, and personalized to your needs,” said Donald Mashni, PharmD, Executive Director of Specialty Pharmacy for Mount Sinai Health System. “From offering fast prescription fills to specialty medication services and delivery options, our central location and accessible services will make managing medications easier for all of our patients.”
For more information on MyMountSinai® or to manage prescriptions easily as a current Mount Sinai patient, download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Nov 20, 2024 | AIGH, Community
Rt. Honorable Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, during his visit to New York for the 79th United Nations General Assembly, made a notable stop at The Mount Sinai Hospital to acknowledge the critical work being done through AMPATH Nepal.
In his address, Prime Minister Oli emphasized the challenge of health inequity that exists across the globe. He pointed out how, despite advancements in science and technology, many resource-limited countries like Nepal struggle to provide equitable healthcare services. Due to financial constraints and limited infrastructure, millions of people in poorer countries are denied access to essential and quality health care. The Prime Minister called for greater international cooperation and partnerships to bridge this gap, noting that access to quality health services should not be a privilege limited to wealthy nations.
“Despite gradual improvement in Nepal’s health sector with the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, the partnership of the international community is necessary for modern and infrastructure-equipped health services,” he said. “I would like to thank Mount Sinai Hospital for its collaboration with Kathmandu University and Dhulikhel Hospital in training, research, and resource mobilization to support Nepal’s health sector.”
AMPATH (Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare) Nepal plays a pivotal role in addressing these challenges. With partners such as Mount Sinai, Dhulikhel Hospital, and Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, AMPATH Nepal is leading the way to improve care and strengthen health care systems, advance research, and enhance training for healthcare professionals.
Biraj Karmacharya, PhD, Administrative Director of Dhulikhel Hospital (DH) and Co-Director of AMPATH Nepal, expressed enthusiasm for the Prime Minister’s recognition. “The government of Nepal has always been one of the strongest allies of Dhulikhel Hospital. The visit of PM Oli is a testament to the fact that the government support to the endeavors of DH and this partnership is unwavering. We will continue to harness this unique support to enhance our impact at a larger national level.”
Rajeev Shrestha, Chief of Research and Development Division at Dhulikhel Hospital, also echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiments, noting that AMPATH’s efforts are bolstering Nepal’s ability to manage and treat chronic illnesses. By expanding specialist services and bringing international expertise to local health care settings in Nepal, AMPATH is helping to address significant unmet needs in the population. AMPATH’s work in Nepal includes specialized treatment programs focused on non-communicable diseases like heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer—critical areas of need given that more than 70 percent of deaths in Nepal are attributed to these conditions.
This visit by Prime Minister Oli highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts in health care. Nepal’s commitment to universal health care, combined with the support of international partners like Mount Sinai, is paving the way for sustainable improvements in the country’s health system.
The partnership reflects a model for global cooperation, where academic health centers and governments work together to deliver high-quality health care, train the next generation of health professionals, and ensure that no one is left behind in the pursuit of health and well-being. Prime Minister Oli’s recognition of these efforts serves as a reminder of the power of global partnerships in building a more equitable health care system for all.
Rose House, MD, MS
AMPATH Nepal Partnership Director
Associate Professor, Arnhold Institute for Global Health
Department of Global Health and Health System Design
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Updated on Nov 19, 2024 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured
Alexander Charney, MD, PhD
An essential part of achieving health equity is the fair collection of genomic data, ensuring that informed health care decisions can reflect the unique, diverse genomes of all cultures. Currently, there is a lack of diversity in genomic research data. This limits what we can uncover about health and potential treatments for our global population.
Expanding diversity among participants in genomic research can bridge these gaps, advancing our understanding of human genetics for all communities. One ambitious initiative that strives to diversify this data is the Mount Sinai Million Health Discoveries Program.
Mount Sinai Health System’s Health Equity Data Assessment (HEDA) team met with leaders of the program who expressed their challenge with identifying the ethnic identities of Mount Sinai patients participating in the program. HEDA was quickly able to assist in rectifying the data issue, which resulted in increasing the ethnic identities from 0.5 percent to 66 percent.
This assistance will have a significant impact on the program objectives. A hypothesis was formulated in the Measures and Outcomes section of the HEDA Hub. The HEDA team will track progress towards the program’s goal of reaching a million patients.
The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai leads this project and aims to sequence the genomes of one million Mount Sinai patients over the next five years. It seeks to integrate health and research data to drive discoveries that directly benefit a diverse patient population.
Lea K. Davis, PhD
Mount Sinai Million is poised to serve as a model for embedding genetics into routine clinical care. By leveraging data from one of the world’s most diverse patient populations within a massive New York City health system, this program seeks to deepen our understanding of the connections between genetics and disease.
In a recent conversation with Alexander Charney, MD, PhD, Director, The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, and Associate Professor, Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Neurosurgery, and Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, Icahn Mount Sinai; and Lea K. Davis, PhD, Scientific Director of the Mount Sinai Million Health Discoveries Program, The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, and Associate Professor of Medicine (Data-Driven and Digital Medicine), Icahn Mount Sinai, we gained further insight into this initiative.
Dr. Charney explains: “Our goal is to develop personalized treatments tailored not only to the disease but to the individual’s genetic makeup, which we know varies significantly across populations.”
“Equity is a core value of the scientific vision for the Mount Sinai Million,” says Dr. Davis. “We are thrilled to connect the program with HEDA and are looking forward to supporting equity-focused research through the development of this incredible resource.”
Reflecting on the broader impact, Dr. Charney says the initiative “isn’t just about collecting data; it’s about improving lives.” He envisions a health care system where genetic insights enable clinicians to make more informed, individualized decisions.
“With this kind of data,” he says, “we’re not just diagnosing based on symptoms—we’re diagnosing based on a person’s unique genetic and biological profile, which could mean a huge leap in effectiveness.”
With this forward-thinking approach, Dr. Charney and the Mount Sinai team are working toward a future where each person’s treatment is precise, effective, and, above all, personalized.
To enroll as a participant or to learn more about the Mount Sinai Million Health Discoveries Program, visit mountsinaimillion.org.
Updated on Nov 19, 2024 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured
The Mount Sinai Health System’s Health Equity Data Assessment (HEDA) team made significant strides at the International Society for Quality in Health Care Conference in Istanbul,Turkey.
Those attending included HEDA members Pamela Abner, MPA, CPXP, Senior Vice President and Health Equity Officer, the Mount Sinai Health System, and Chief Diversity Operations Officer, Office for Diversity and Inclusion; Lyndia Hayden, MS, PMP, Senior Director of Data Integrity and Equity Analytics, Corporate Health System Affairs, Office for Diversity and Inclusion; and Doran Ricks, MS, RN, MBA, Vice President of Data Quality and Stewardship.
The conference theme was “Health for People and Planet: Building Bridges to a Sustainable Future,” focusing on enhancing health care quality and safety worldwide.
“Attending the ISQua conference was a wonderful opportunity to hear about experiences from experts and colleagues around the world and share strategies for improving health access and outcomes,” said Mr. Ricks. “Many of the challenges we face in health care are common, even across international borders. It is key that we take the time to learn from the experiences of others.”
The HEDA team showcased their work, titled “Unleashing the Power of Data for Health Equity: A Blueprint for Elevating Quality and Patient Safety,” and presented a poster titled “Providing an Equity Lens on Quality Metrics: Evaluation of ‘Left Without Being Seen’ in the Emergency Department,” which emphasized the critical need to evaluate patients who leave the emergency department without being seen.
Throughout the conference, the team collaborated with fellow health care professionals, sharing insights on advancing health equity and committing to bring valuable findings back to the community.
“I was surprised to learn how much we have in common with other nations who struggle to address health equity. It was a most rewarding experience and exchange of ideas, and an opportunity for future collaboration,” said Ms. Abner.
As the HEDA team wrapped up their participation in the conference, they expressed gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the global discourse on health equity and quality improvement.
“The conference served as an invaluable platform for the HEDA team to share insights, foster collaboration, and advocate for advancing health equity on a global scale,” said Ms. Abner.
Updated on Oct 16, 2024 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured
Mount Sinai proudly participated in the 55th Annual African American Day Parade, showcasing a vibrant display of support and unity. Held in Harlem, the event—celebrated on the third Sunday of September—is renowned as the nation’s largest parade dedicated to honoring African American culture, heritage, and community spirit.
This year’s parade, held Sunday, September 15, highlighted the critical connection between effective leadership and civic participation. The parade theme was “Good Leaders = Good Government…Vote.” In support of this theme, Mount Sinai Health System showcased its commitment to community engagement and health.
The Mount Sinai Emergency Department joined the procession with an ambulance, symbolizing the integration of health and community support. The parade route extended up Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, from 111th to 136th Street, drawing cheers and enthusiasm from the thousands in attendance.
Reflecting on the experience, Mount Sinai participants shared their thoughts about the parade.
“It was great coming together with other colleagues of the Mount Sinai Health System to celebrate our culture and contributions. As a Mount Sinai employee, I was so proud to represent this amazing health care system as we marched in the community we serve,” said Ayrelynn Williams, Laboratory Client Services Representative at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “It showed the hospital is fully invested and engaged with the patients they serve. Together, we serve; we are stronger together!”
“Being a part of this celebration, honoring the rich contributions of the African American community, was truly special,” said Jazmin Rodriguez, MBA, Communications Manager. “It was amazing to see so many people come together to uplift our voices and champion positive change.”
Tiffany Keith, Program Manager, Office for Diversity and Inclusion, said she grew up in Harlem and always wanted to participate in the African American Day Parade.
“It brings me such joy to see how Mount Sinai Health System connects with the community we serve,” she said. “Sharing a day with colleagues is not just good for morale and culture; during these challenging times, it allows us to see beyond titles and connect with our shared humanity.”
The parade provided a festive atmosphere for employees, their families, and friends, all of whom enjoyed the lively celebration while advocating for positive change and community involvement.
