The annual Dubin Breast Center Fact vs. Fiction symposium provides a forum for Mount Sinai’s nationally recognized physician-researchers to share the latest breakthroughs in breast cancer care and to answer questions related to cutting-edge topics in adolescent and women’s health.
More than 160 guests attended the event on Monday, May 22, raising more than $180,000 in support of the Center. Held at the Harmonie Club in New York, the event was the most attended ever and sold out for the first time.
Leading the event were Mount Sinai Health System Trustee Eva Andersson-Dubin, MD, who founded the Center, which is part of The Tisch Cancer Institute, and Elisa Port, MD, FACS, Chief of Breast Surgery and Director of the Center.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Port emphasized the Center’s continued commitment to providing the most advanced treatment options to all patients.
“The Dubin Breast Center has become a destination in breast cancer care, not only in the city, but in the country and the world. We’re getting patients coming from all over, knowing that the care we deliver is exceptional,” she said. “It’s important to note that what really distinguishes our Center is that we don’t treat patients with breast cancer. We treat people, and we treat people regardless of the ability to pay—that’s always been part of our mission.”
Panelists from left: Amy Tiersten, MD; Christina Weltz, MD; Gylynthia E. Trotman, MD, MPH; Laurie Margolies, MD, FSBI, FACR; and Jeffrey Mechanick, MD.
Dr. Port served as moderator for the discussion with a panel of Mount Sinai experts, which included Amy Tiersten, MD; Christina Weltz, MD; Gylynthia E. Trotman, MD, MPH; Laurie Margolies, MD, FSBI, FACR; and Jeffrey Mechanick, MD. Watch the recording of the event here.
Dr. Tiersten, a renowned medical oncologist, addressed the challenges faced by women of child-bearing years with breast cancer. She pointed to exciting results of a recent clinical trial that studied 500 women aged 42 and under with Stage 1-3 breast cancer, who had been taking certain cancer-fighting medications for 18 to 30 months; these women paused their drug regimen for two years while they attempted to conceive, carry a pregnancy, and breastfeed. About 75 percent of the women in the trial had at least one pregnancy during that time, with no negative effects on their babies. Importantly, the study also found that none of the women appeared to have a higher risk of breast cancer recurrence.
That information was life-changing for Suzanne Foote, a Dubin Breast Center patient who shared her inspirational story at the event. She began regular screenings in her 20s, after learning that she has an inherited PALB2 gene mutation that carries an increased risk for developing the disease. Her mother died from breast cancer when she was only 43. Suzanne Foote was diagnosed in 2019, less than a year after marrying her husband, Mark.
“It was a tremendous shock,” she said, “which reverberated further when we realized cancer would be a hurdle in our quest to start a family.”
Thankfully, her cancer was caught early. Even so, she had a bilateral mastectomy to reduce the chance of the disease returning. Drs. Port and Tiersten also recommended that she undergo in vitro fertilization since some treatments for breast cancer, such as certain types of chemotherapy, can cause infertility. Later on, after consulting with Dr. Tiersten, she decided to take a break from therapy to get pregnant. Her twins, Peter and Josephine, were born at Mount Sinai in September of 2022.
“I was lucky to spend time with the amazing doctors at the Dubin Center. As a result of the time that they spent, here I am, enjoying the best time of my life,” she said. “JoJo and Pete are turning eight months, and I’m still healthy and cancer free.”
The Dubin Breast Center was created in 2011 to provide comprehensive, personalized care for every aspect of breast health, from prevention of disease through survivorship. It offers a full range of services—including the most advanced diagnostics and leading-edge treatments—in one convenient, state-of-the-art location. The Center is also unique for its emphasis on holistic therapies, such as massage, yoga, and meditation, which can promote healing and improve one’s overall well-being.
Some of the plenary presenters at the 25th Annual Child Health Research Day along with members of the 2023 Steering Committee. They are shown with the 2023 Honoree, Kathryn M. Edwards, MD, front and center, Professor of Pediatrics, Sarah H. Sell and Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair, and Scientific Director, Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program, Vanderbilt University, who is standing beside Lisa M Satlin, MD, in the white coat, Chair, Department of Pediatrics.
Eighteen Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai researchers gave oral presentations on a range of topics, including child psychiatry, environmental medicine, and maternal health, at the 25th Annual Child Health Research Day, held on Thursday, April 13, in Hatch Auditorium.
“Tonight, we celebrate Mount Sinai’s ability to provide the highest-quality health care, educate the next generation of great clinicians and researchers, and generate scientific breakthroughs that advance the capabilities of modern medicine,” Dennis S. Charney, MD, said in his opening remarks.
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mount Sinai Health System Crystal Party tent was up and abuzz in Central Park’s Conservatory Garden. Beneath its rainbow big top, nearly 800 physicians, faculty, staff, trustees, supporters, and friends of the Mount Sinai Health System collected to celebrate the past year’s research and health care advances, achieved under extraordinary conditions. The event, held Thursday, May 4, raised $3 million in support of the Health System.
The 38th annual celebration kicked off with remarks from Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Tonight, we celebrate Mount Sinai’s ability to provide the highest-quality health care, educate the next generation of great clinicians and researchers, and generate scientific breakthroughs that advance the capabilities of modern medicine,” he said.
Dr. Charney made a special effort to highlight some of Mount Sinai’s proudest, current research achievements.
“Our scientists have begun human clinical trials of a diabetes drug they discovered that has the potential to be transformative,” he said. “A drug that can regenerate the pancreatic cells that produce insulin. This could be nothing less than a cure for type 2 diabetes. In recent months, Mount Sinai researchers have also identified an immune cell that helps kill bladder cancer tumors, identified genes strongly linked to autism, and conducted an unprecedented analysis of immune cells in the brain that appear to play a key role in the genetic risk and development of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Turning his attention to the leading patient care enabled by the generosity of Mount Sinai’s donors, Dr. Charney said, “Today, Mount Sinai is serving more patients, with more advanced services than ever before, as we’ve significantly expanded our ambulatory footprint across the five boroughs and Long Island. After performing the world’s first human tracheal transplant, Mount Sinai established the Institute for Airway Sciences to advance new therapies for patients with diseases of the trachea, lung, and sinuses.”
Looking to the future, he shared news of a number of capital improvement projects under consideration, to further enhance patient care.
“The next phase of the expansion and modernization of the Saul Family Emergency Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital will be finished in July. It will include a new acute care zone, an observation unit, and a separate Geriatrics Emergency Department to complement our new Children’s Emergency Department,” he said. “Early next year, we will open new offices at Mount Sinai West for the Bonnie and Tom Strauss Movement Disorders Center and the Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics. And our next great project—the Tisch Cancer Hospital—will begin construction next month.”
Dr. Charney thanked the donors in the audience for their partnership and closed by saying, “It is no exaggeration to say that the return on your investment can be measured in diseases cured and lives saved.”
As these moving stories of patient successes came to a close, Richard A. Friedman, Co-Chair of Mount Sinai Health System Boards of Trustees, came to the podium.
“Mount Sinai’s work over the past three years in our hospitals, clinics, classrooms, and labs has burnished their reputation as one of the truly great academic medical centers, not only in this country but in the world,” Richard A. Friedman, Co-Chair of Mount Sinai Health System Boards of Trustees, said in his concluding remarks.
“Three years ago,” he observed, “you would not have found a single soul in this beautiful garden in this area. New York City was in lockdown and the only tents in Central Park were those of Samaritans First, where our doctors were caring for COVID-19 patients for whom there were no hospital beds. That was a moment of crisis when Mount Sinai was busy saving thousands of lives. Tonight, years later, it’s finally time to toast all that the Mount Sinai Health System does for our community and for humanity through the advancement of biomedicine.”
As he concluded, reminding everyone in attendance of the importance of their philanthropy to saving lives, Mr. Friedman stated, “Mount Sinai’s work over the past three years in our hospitals, clinics, classrooms, and labs has burnished their reputation as one of the truly great academic medical centers, not only in this country but in the world. So, my tribute is to all the doctors, the faculty, the researchers, and everyone at Mount Sinai.”
A workshop held by the simulation lab at the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health demonstrates best practices for moving and handling patients.
Providers at Mount Sinai’s Emergency Medical Service (EMS) treat, transfer, and move patients—some in extreme situations. They work through small spaces, up and down stairs, and even extricate patients from under subway trains while providing medical care throughout a call. It can be hazardous.
Nationwide, injury rates among EMS responders are increasing as they dedicate themselves to helping patients with urgent medical needs. In 2020, for example, 24 percent of EMS practitioner work-related emergency room visits were for strains and sprains, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. EMS providers have reported injuries related to the physical nature of their jobs, which can leave them with permanent disabilities, forcing them to leave the field.
In response to the increase in injuries throughout the United States, and with concern for the EMS providers, a partnership program between the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health and Mount Sinai Health Systems Emergency Medical Services was launched to help reduce the incidence of work-related strains and sprains.
“When the EMS department asked us to develop an injury prevention training program, we were clear that this was an integral part of our mission at the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health,” said Arlette Loeser, MA, Program Director of the Ergonomics and Injury Prevention Program at the Selikoff Centers. “We worked closely with them to provide education and support to our EMS responders. We aimed to fill the void of injury prevention programs, leading to the development of an effective program of interactive training and teaching tools for our responders who are risking injury on a daily basis.”
Ms. Loeser, an ergonomist and educator for more than 25 years, said she was pleased to learn that workers had expressed gratitude for the new program and for Mount Sinai’s commitment to supporting a safe work environment.
Khalid Kazi, Senior Manager of EMS Training and Safety, said EMS sought the advice of the occupational medicine experts at the Selikoff Centers when confronted with a rising numbers of staff injuries. The Selikoff team consisted of experts in ergonomics, nursing, medicine, and a volunteer firefighter emergency medical technician.
“They developed a unique model for an injury prevention workshop with a simulation segment and downloadable safety posters to help our department’s responders develop best practices in understanding how to effectively move patients safely,” he said. “We hope to create an environment where any EMS provider may be able to safely operate while providing the high standard of care expected by Mount Sinai.”
At the Awards Ceremony Dinner, from left: Back Row: Dennis Charney, MD; Leo Keegan, MD; Christopher Bellaire, MD; Hashem Emad Zikry, MD; Daniel J. Weiss, MD, PhD; Basil Hanss, PhD; David R. Friedland, MD, PhD; Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi, MD, PhD; Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH; Cardinale Smith, MD, PhD; Alexis Colvin, MD. Seated: Silvia Chavez, MSN; Leif Holgersen, MD; Meg A. Rosenblatt, MD; Bret P. Nelson, MD; James C. Tsai, MD, MBA; Carl W. Braun, MD; Katherine A. Hawkins, MD, JD; and Vesna Najfeld, PhD
More than 225 alumni, faculty, and honored guests gathered for the 2023 Alumni Reunion Awards Ceremony Dinner held at the New York Academy of Medicine. This was the first time in four years that the event was held in person to celebrate the recipients of the Mount Sinai Alumni Awards and the St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Alumni Awards, as well as milestone graduation years: the classes of 1978, 1983, and 1998.
This year’s event, held Wednesday, May 10, was particularly special for another reason: It was the first reunion to honor the first four graduating classes from the original Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The classes of 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973 jointly celebrated their 50th anniversaries, which is a signifier of the extraordinary trajectory taken since the School of Medicine’s founding.
Guests were welcomed with opening remarks from Alexis Colvin, MD, Associate Dean for Alumni Affairs, Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Chief Executive Office of the Mount Sinai Health System, who is also an alumnus of the class of 1973. Leo Keegan, MD, Vice President of the Mount Sinai Alumni Association, and Carl Braun, MD, President of the St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Alumni Association, presented the awards. A special welcome video with Talia Swartz, MD, PhD, President of the Mount Sinai Alumni Association, was also shown.
The Alumni Award recipients are:
The Mount Sinai Alumni Leadership Award: Christopher Bellaire, MD Candidate ’23, Hashem Emad Zikry, MD, ISMMS ’18
St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Distinguished Young Physician of the Year: Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi, MD, PhD, SLR ’11
The Jeffrey T. Laitman, PhD Award for Achievement in Medical Education: Bret P. Nelson, MD
The Mount Sinai Graduate School Alumni Award: Basil Hanss, PhD, Cardinale Smith, MD, PhD, MSSM ’15, MSH ’10
The Mount Sinai Master Clinician Award: Meg A. Rosenblatt, MD, MSH ’89
The Mount Sinai Alumni Special Recognition Award: Silvia Chavez, MSN, ANP-BC, Vesna Najfeld, PhD
The Terry Ann Krulwich Physician-Scientist Alumni Award: Daniel J. Weiss, MD, PhD, MSSM ’88
The Dr. Sidney Grossman Distinguished Humanitarian Award: James C. Tsai, MD, MBA
The J. Lester Gabrilove Award: Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH
St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Distinguished Alumni Award: Katherine A. Hawkins, MD, JD, SLR ’77, Leif Holgersen, MD, FACS, SLR ’70
The Saul Horowitz, Jr. Memorial Award: David R. Friedland, MD, PhD, MSSM ’95, MSH ’00
The Alumni Association also held a series of events from Wednesday, May 10, to Friday, May 12. The event series included a symposium with two panel conversations and a discussion with Dr. Charney, and an Open House for the new Alumni Office and Wisch Physician Lounge. Members of the 50th anniversary classes participated in the 2023 Commencement Ceremony.
To view the digital Reunion Dinner Program Book, see event photos, watch the welcome video, and listen to the Alumni Podcast from the graduating class of 1972, click here.
At the 2023 Commencement Ceremony, from left: Ernst Schaefer, MD; Jacob Rispler, MD; Steven C. Port, MD; Naomi LC Luban, MD; Katherine Teets Grimm, MD; Arthur L. Frank, MD; Kenneth L. Edelson, MD; and Michael S. Balkin, MD.
Mount Sinai Doctors-787 Eleventh Avenue is a new outpatient center designed to provide comprehensive, convenient care for breast and spine patients, and imaging services.
The Center welcomes new and existing patients to a relaxing, beautifully designed facility. Home to Mount Sinai’s outstanding multidisciplinary team of surgeons, specialists, and medical support staff, the new facility allows patients to experience Mount Sinai expertise in a convenient, state-of-the art facility.
“This space was designed to emphasize collaboration across disciplines in caring for our patients,” said Lisa Mazie, Chief Administrative Officer, Mount Sinai West. “Breast Surgeons and staff work in partnership with radiologists and technical imaging specialists to coordinate cohesive care. Orthopedic and neurosurgical spine surgeons and interventional physiatrists work together in one practice with their own EOS low-dose X-ray, plain film standing X-ray, and fluoroscopy within their space. We want to provide patients one location with varying modalities of care and expertise to meet their health care needs.”
Samuel K. Cho, MD, right, and a patient
At the same time, the facility’s design, from the artwork on the walls to the lighting and furniture, seeks to create a soothing environment for patients.
“The new location will be home to an expanding array of breast imaging services including the most advanced mammography, ultrasound, and MRI available,” said Laurie Margolies, MD, FACR, FSBI, Vice Chair for Breast Imaging, Mount Sinai Health System, and Professor, Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
“Patient-centered care is at the heart of everything we do,” said Stephanie Bernik, MD, FACS, Chief of Breast Service at Mount Sinai West and Associate Professor, Surgery at Icahn Mount Sinai. “This state-of-the-art facility is thoughtfully designed with patients’ needs in mind, is easy to access, and will allow more people to benefit from Mount Sinai’s world-class surgeons, radiologists, and support staff.”
Stephanie Bernik, MD, FACS, right, speaks with a patient.
Mount Sinai Spine at Mount Sinai Doctors offers a fully integrated collaboration among providers in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and physiatry/pain management to provide the highest quality, comprehensive spine care.
“We have created a seamless structure that is able to provide whatever treatment and care a patient needs, regardless of spinal condition,” Jeremy M. Steinberger, MD, Director, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Mount Sinai Health System, and Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery, and Orthopedics, at the Icahn Mount Sinai.
“Our doctors at the new Mount Sinai West Spine Center offer a full complement of comprehensive spine services that meet your needs using the latest minimally invasive techniques in our state-of-art facility,” said Samuel K. Cho, MD, Chief of Spine Surgery, Mount Sinai West, and Professor, Orthopedics, and Neurosurgery at the Icahn Mount Sinai. “Whether you are a teenager with scoliosis or an adult suffering with disc herniation, we are here to help you.”
For spine patients, EOS, a low-dose alternative to X-rays and CT scans, is available. EOS provides 3D, weight-bearing images that enable physicians to get the most accurate view of the spine and lower limbs in a natural standing position.
