At African American Day Parade, Mount Sinai Shares a Message of Health and Equity

Updated on Oct 7, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured

Mount Sinai staff, family, and friends marched in the African American Day Parade in Harlem, in a procession that included a festive float, messages of health equity and antiracism, and the Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening van.

The Mount Sinai Health System sponsored the 53rd Annual African American Day Parade on Sunday, September 18, with a festive group of close to 80 employees and their family and friends in attendance. Held in Harlem on the third Sunday in September, the event is the nation’s largest parade in celebration of African American culture, heritage, and unity.

The theme of this year’s parade was “Good Health Is Essential,” and two members of Mount Sinai’s leadership were among the Grand Marshals: Gary C. Butts, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System, and Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy, and Community Affairs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Pamela Abner, MPA, Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer for Mount Sinai Health System.

The Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening van followed the Mount Sinai float as it proceeded up Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, from 111th to 136th Street, making certain that spectators were aware of this critical resource.

Mount Sinai participants in the parade later expressed what it meant to them: “As a participant in the BLACC employee resource group and staff member at Mount Sinai, I felt a call to action as an African American to give thanks to my community,” says Celeste Valentine, Facilities Coordinator for the Facilities Management/Engineering Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “Both my parents died of cancer. Their respective passing moved me into the field of health care, and I am also an advocate of preventive health, dealing with my own health issues. I try my best to make sure that those around me get regular checkups and live a healthier lifestyle.”

Jacobie Ricard, Senior Director of Planning Design and Construction at Mount Sinai Morningside, wanted to acknowledge his colleagues for their role in the success of the parade, including Leroy Francis, Administrative Director of Cardiovascular Services, Mount Sinai Queens, and Kimberley Ennis, DNP, APRN-BC, Senior Director of Nursing, Mount Sinai Queens.

“As we proceeded, you repeatedly heard the same thing from the crowd: ‘There goes Mount Sinai!’ I now know that the Health System touched the lives of this community. The people of Harlem wanted us there, and they let it be known, from 111th to 136th Street. I was lost for words, as I didn’t expect this type of reception from the crowd,” says Mr. Ricard, who also joined the procession as a representative of the Mount Sinai Health System’s GOALS initiative, which works to encourage and empower Black male employees through connections and networking. “My role is not patient-facing, so this was an amazing feeling. To my colleagues in the Health System, this is a testament to what you do.”

Ms. Valentine had a similar reaction: “During the parade and seeing the faces of all the people smiling and waving at our float, I felt my ancestors’ spirit, especially my parents, applauding and hearing their words, saying, ‘Job well done,’  and ‘Good health is essential.’”

 

Mount Sinai honorees 
Advisory Board Member Theresa Mack, MD, and Grand Marshals Pamela Abner; MPA, and Gary C. Butts, MD

Leaders of Four Mount Sinai Hospitals
From left: Cameron Hernandez, MD; Evan L. Flatow, MD; Scott Lorin, MD, MBA; and James Tsai, MD

Mount Sinai’s Anthony Smalls, MBA, right, and his DJ team provided a soundtrack

The Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening van

We Find a Way: A Photo Exhibit on the Mount Sinai Spirit

Sep 22, 2022 | Community, Featured

We Find a Way: A Photo Exhibit on the Mount Sinai Spirit

We Find a Way is a photo installation that offers a glimpse inside the Mount Sinai Health System community in various moments of employees caring for patients through compassion, skill and often times going above and beyond. Australian photojournalist and writer Ashley Gilbertson, who typically covers war zones and social unrest, was able to capture powerful moments between a patient and health care worker.

“At Mount Sinai, I had the opportunity to see another side of health care,” Mr. Gilbertson said. “Yes, there was urgency, stress, and life-threatening situations. However, in these photos, I was also able to capture moments of powerful connections and a deep sense of humanity.”

This photo installation is part of Mount Sinai’s overarching branding and advertising campaign that launched in June 2021 and presents an emotional and raw view of what it takes to overcome challenging and complex health and scientific problems.

The We Find a Way campaign and exhibit drew inspiration from the entire Mount Sinai community who went above and beyond to save countless lives during the pandemic, and how it seeks to do so for all health conditions. Their work has led to the development of new COVID-19 protocols, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

The photo installation was displayed at The Mount Sinai Hospital and is moving to Mount Sinai West.

Listen to and see what Mr. Gilbertson experienced as he visited several Mount Sinai hospitals over the course of a few days during the spring of 2021.

Ashley Gilbertson, photographer, recounts his journey through the Mount Sinai Health System

COVID-19 Unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Emily Okioma, Clinical Nurse

A surgeon rushes to the operating room
Ismail El-Hamamsy, MD, PhD

Emergency Room at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Ami D. Shah, MD; Adam Czulak, RN; and Lauren Reyes, RN

Children’s Emergency Room at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Lauren Keyes, Certified Child Life Specialist and Hazel Encarnacion, RN

Stroke Center at Mount Sinai Queens
Kayla Epstein, PA-C, and Maggie Yu, NP

Heart surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Ismail El-Hamamsy, MD, PhD; Percy Boateng, MD; Alison McCarry, RN; and Javier Mejia, MD

Research lab at The Tisch Cancer Center
Ieisha Scott, Clinical Research Coordinator

Neurosurgery Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Jeffrey Gilligan, MD; Arjun Patel, MD; Tony Feliz, Operating Room Technician; and Ben Toure, MD

Emergency Room at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Danielle Green, RN

Rehabilitation and Human Performance Department at Mount Sinai West
Raegan McCraney, Occupational Therapist Clinician, and Stephanie Smith, Occupational Therapist

A cancer vaccine patient at home with her daughter

Brain imaging MRI at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Ricardo Berrios, Pharmacy Technician

Research at The Tisch Cancer Center
Jose Javier Bravo-Cordero, PhD, and Shilpa Dilipkumar, PhD

Anesthesiologists prep for heart surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Muoi Trinh, MD, and Stamatis Baronos, MD

Specialty pharmacy for cancer treatments at The Tisch Cancer Center
Amy Aye Aye Fu, Pharmacist; Christine Negron-Hayes, Pharmacy Technician; and Cattie Best, Pharmacy Technician

A physician assistant braids a patient’s hair
Leslie Schlachter, PA, Clinical Director and Chief Physician Assistant, Department of Neurosurgery; and Marvin Ramos, Surgical Neurophysiologist

Before neurosurgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Joshua Bederson, MD

Emergency Room at Mount Sinai Morningside
Matthew Carpiniello, MD, and Mizza Compas, RN

Husband and wife before neurosurgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital

Neurosurgery Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Agniescka (Agnes) Pabich, NP

Immunology research at The Tisch Cancer Center
Matthew Brown, Graduate Student; and Ashley Reid, PhD Candidate, Cancer Immunotherapy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Intensive Care Unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Ruth Levy, NP

A quiet moment before heart surgery
Stamatis Baronos, MD, and Muoi Trinh, MD

Immunology research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Nicolas Vabret, PhD; Jenna Newman, PhD; and Ashley Reid, PhD Candidate

OB/GYN nurses huddle at Mount Sinai West
Michael Trinidad, Florecilla Rodriquez, Miriam Rivera, Moses Fallah, Kimberly McCarthy, Ibtheesam Zaman, Bevin Watters, Catherine Genovese, Annette Bert, Cecilia Blake, and Joann Garcia

Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Cappi C. Lay, MD, and Ruth Levy, NP

A toddler who had a life-saving liver transplant at The Mount Sinai Hospital is back at home

Ashley Gilbertson is an Australian photographer and writer living in New York City, recognized for his critical eye and unique approach to social issues globally. His prints and books are included in permanent collections of museums and art galleries around the world—and have been shown at institutions such as the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

Today, Mr. Gilbertson documents global migration in Africa and Europe, and works on climate, social and health issues in the United States and Asia. He writes regular opinion and news stories for outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, ProPublica, and UNICEF.

Celebrating Summer Interns: Learning and Growing, Across the Health System

Updated on Sep 27, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured

In summer 2022, dozens of college students took part in rewarding internships across the Mount Sinai Health System—in clinical sites, administrative offices, and laboratories—gaining valuable exposure to careers in health care and medicine with the support of valued mentors.

The interns’ experiences were varied. Among many projects, they studied genetics and genomics, wrote physician profiles, created social media strategies, analyzed patient insurance statistics, recruited and educated participants in a sexual health study, and gathered data in support of health equity.

Jiaying (Jocelyn) Zhu, a finance major at Baruch College, summed up her lessons learned in Mount Sinai’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion.  “I have taken initiative, and I am always eager to learn and ask questions,” she says. “Just ask, and you will learn.”

 At the end of their experience, interns reflected on their most interesting projects at Mount Sinai and looked ahead to their career goals. Their insights are below.

 

Bailey Moore

Deborah Dede-E Effon

Isabel Koral

Jiaying (Jocelyn) Zhu

Kathryn Lynn

Myles Eldridge

Nusrat Khan

Reem Ibrahim

Samihah Tahsin

Zoe Long

Calvin Tan

Ridhi Gera

Eman Rashid

Celebrating Summer Interns: Rich Experience in Labs of Genetics and Genomic Sciences

Sep 15, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured

From left, Michael Katz, MD, PhD, with interns Samantha Whipple and Sofia Kim in the laboratory of Efrat Eliyahu, PhD.

About a dozen undergraduate college students conducted research this summer with faculty members of the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The interns received interdisciplinary research experience in experiment-based and computation-based research, in addition to mentoring and professional development opportunities.

They each worked full-time on a research project under the mentorship of a Mount Sinai researcher and attended weekly events, such as scientific seminars and workshops.

Starting this year, the department offered the Mount Sinai Genetics and Genomics Summer Scholars Program, an internship for students in underrepresented minority groups, in addition to its individual lab appointments. Research topics include functional genomics and multiomics, gene editing and cellular engineering, computational and data sciences, neuropsychiatric genomics, cancer genomics, gene and cell therapy, statistical genetics, genetics of human disease, and drug discovery. The Scholars Program is directed by Efrat Eliyahu, PhD, Assistant Professor of Genetic and Genomic Sciences and member of the department’s Diversity Committee.

“This summer I learned that you don’t need to be perfect, or know how to do everything correctly the first time,” says Samantha Whipple, a New York University student who was an intern in Dr. Eliyahu’s laboratory. “Learning is a part of the scientific process, and learning from your mistakes makes you better.”

 

Berk Turhan

Jennifer Granda

John Soto

Oghenetefike Okotete

Sarah Zipkowitz

Sofia Kim

Aryan Jain

Alissa Ward

Samantha Whipple

Celebrating Summer Interns: Student Nurses Launched on Their Medical Journey

Updated on Sep 16, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured, Nursing

From left: Maria Vezina, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Vice President and Chief of Nursing Practice and Education, nurse intern Daeja Clarke, and Kathleen Parisien Dory, MA, RN, Director of Nursing Education and Professional Development at Mount Sinai Morningside. Each intern received a certificate and heartfelt congratulations.

Nursing Education and Professional Development at Mount Sinai recently honored 63 young people who completed the first system-wide summer program for student nurse interns. The students gained hands-on experience in a hospital setting alongside mentors in a program following the Magnet model of nursing excellence.

“We are so proud of all that our students have accomplished, wish them the best in their professional journey, and look forward to their return here as clinical nurses,” said Maria Vezina, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Vice President and Chief of Nursing Practice and Education, Mount Sinai Health System, who hosted the ceremony at Davis Auditorium on Wednesday, August 10.

The 11-week summer program included nurses who had completed their third year at 23 universities from New York to Nebraska and Oklahoma. Clinical nurse mentors in Mount Sinai Heart, Women and Children’s, Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Critical Care, Surgery, and Medicine guided and supported the students’ learning experiences in units on six campuses. The students have since returned for their last year of college, and the intention is to welcome many back to Mount Sinai after graduation.

Annette Jasko, who was a student nurse intern on 7 West in the cardiothoracic post-surgical unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital, summed up her experience: “Mount Sinai has provided me with an invaluable experience as a student nurse intern that has allowed me to build my skill set, improve my critical thinking abilities, and establish my personal values as a nurse,” she said. “Most important, Mount Sinai has modeled the importance of teamwork and honest values in a way that no other hospital has shown me.”

The ceremony included an inspirational poem on student nurses written by Charlotte Isler, an alumna of the former Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing, and heartfelt reflections by mentors, who welcomed students to the profession and encouraged them to remain lifelong learners.

“I hope through your experience with us this summer that you have gained clinical confidence and competence to give you a head start in your nursing career,” Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, Chief Nurse Executive, and Senior Vice President, Cardiac Services, Mount Sinai Health System, said in a message of congratulations. “And I hope you will continue your journey with us at the Mount Sinai Health System.”

A ceremony on Wednesday, August 10, honored the summer interns in nursing.

 

White Coat Ceremony at the Phillips School of Nursing Welcomes a New Generation of Nurses

Updated on Aug 5, 2022 | Community, Featured, School

The Phillips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai Beth Israel recently held its annual White Coat Ceremony for nursing students. Held on Monday, July 11, at the Hatch Auditorium at The Mount Sinai Hospital, the ceremony’s speakers included nursing administrators from throughout Mount Sinai Health System who shared their wisdom with the next generation.

“As you leave the stage today, you are now a part of an extraordinary interdisciplinary team, who provide and lead care to our patients,” Beth Oliver, DNP, MSN, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at Mount Sinai Health System, said in an address.

Ms. Oliver added that she hoped the 128 students from the December Class of 2022, who donned traditional white coats for the ceremony, would continue their journey at Mount Sinai Health System after they graduated. “I look forward to following your progress as the next generation of nurse leaders and innovators,” she said.

Zeauriya Tabassum, left, and Mirza Tamanna

Originally established by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation in 1993 to welcome students into the medical profession and set expectations for their roles as future physicians, the White Coat Ceremony expanded to all future health care workers, including future nurses, in 2014. For all health care workers, the ceremony symbolizes a commitment to compassionate, humanistic, patient-centered care rooted in scientific proficiency.

The keynote address was given by Maria Vezina, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Vice President and Chief of Nursing Practice, Education, Advanced Practice Nursing Credentialing, and Nursing Labor Relations Partnerships for Mount Sinai Health System. She quoted the late Virginia Henderson, a nurse theorist and educator known as the “first lady of nursing,” who said nurses are “temporarily the consciousness of the unconscious” and “a voice for those too weak to speak.”

From left: Tam Ha, RaeAnne Haggard, and Valmira Helshani

The ceremony concluded with a standing ovation for Lorraine McGrath, MA, RN-BC, Senior Director of Clinical Affairs and Associate Professor of the Phillips School of Nursing, who was recognized for 40 years of exceptional teaching and strong commitment to excellence at the school. Ms. McGrath called the name of each student, while they were cloaked and received their pins from faculty. The pin with a gold Mobius loop from the Gold Foundation, symbolizes the continuous bond of trust, respect, and communication that connects nurses with their patients. Todd F. Ambrosia, DNP, MSN, MBA, APRN, FNP-BC, FNAP, Dean of the Phillips School of Nursing and Vice President of Nursing Affairs at Mount Sinai Health System, closed the ceremony by advising students to “remember always to care for yourselves and for each other.”

Learn more about the Phillips School of Nursing

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