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Mount Sinai Doctors Medicine Multispecialty Offers Collaborative Care in a New Space at Mount Sinai Morningside

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured, Mount Sinai Morningside

Left to right: Javier Zulueta, MD, Rahul Agarwal, MD, and Fernando Carnavali, MD

A new practice specifically addressing the needs of ambulatory patients has opened in the Ambulatory Care Center at Mount Sinai Morningside.

Mount Sinai Doctors Medicine Multispecialty offers a wide range of specialty care that allows an integrative team approach for chronic disease management and several new programs where specialists collaborate on patient care. Many patients benefit from having all of their sub-specialists in one office where physicians work together to improve patients’ health. The practice is located at 440 W. 114 Street, Sixth Floor.

“What’s different here from the way we provided care to our patients in the past is we have experts across many specialties caring for patients all in the same place,” says Arthur A. Gianelli, FACHE, President, Mount Sinai Morningside. “We think this is a wonderful opportunity to provide collaborative care to our patients because we know nothing is simple about getting multiple physicians to coordinate your care.”

He adds, “We can provide care for any stage of life, compassionate care for you and your family, your loved ones, right here in the community.”

There are seven subspecialties in the new practice: Allergy and Immunology, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Diseases/Weight Management, Infectious Diseases, Gastroenterology, Pulmonology, Nephrology, and Rheumatology.

In addition, there are four new programs:

Travel Medicine works with patients on the prevention and management of health problems associated with travel. The physicians at Mount Sinai Morningside are board certified in infectious diseases and experts in destination-specific health risks and preventative measures. These specialists address travelers’ vaccination requirements, and answer questions and make recommendations regarding disease exposure.

Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to manage VTE by working closely and cross referring to colleagues in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery. The team provides follow-up care to patients who were discharged from the hospital or Emergency Department to determine the cause of VTE, evaluates the duration, risks, and benefits of anticoagulation therapy, and works to avoid the development of Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension as a complication of acute pulmonary embolism.

Lung Nodule(s) is an extension of the Lung Cancer Screening program at Mount Sinai Morningside. It will serve as a referral clinic for all patients who have a lung nodule(s) detected on computed tomography (CT) scans either incidentally or as part of a screening program. Following specific protocols for follow-up and diagnosis of nodules avoids unnecessary invasive procedures while maximizing the diagnosis of lung cancer in its earliest stage when it is most treatable.

Fracture Reduction is a joint effort of Endocrinology and Rheumatology to screen for osteoporosis in individuals over the age of 50 to reduce non-traumatic fractures. A large number of patients hospitalized with hip and other non-traumatic fractures will benefit from biochemical and bone density scan (DXA) evaluation to screen for and treat osteoporosis and reduce the risk of a subsequent fracture and other medical conditions that are caused by or made worse by fractures.

To make an appointment with the Medicine Multispecialty practice, call 212-523-8672.

Watch a video that shows the new space and hear from Mount Sinai Morningside leaders about how the physicians and care team work together to provide excellent patient care and service

Medical Student Michelle Tran, Whose Non-Profit Combats Anti-Asian Hate, Is Featured on NBC Special

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured, School

Michelle Tran and her friend Howard Chen donate a personal safety alarm to a senior in Manhattan’s Chinatown in April 2021.

When Michelle Tran is not pursing her MD/PhD degree with a specialization in cancer immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, she is busy helping Asian Americans protect themselves against hate crimes through Soar Over Hate, the non-profit she created last March.

Soar Over Hate has since raised more than $100,000 and distributed more than 24,000 protective noise-making devices primarily to elderly and vulnerable Asian Americans in New York City and San Francisco—as well as to the Mount Sinai Health System’s essential health care workers who commute to work. Her organization has established a need-based college scholarship fund for local high school students, arranged community health fairs in Manhattan’s Chinatown, and offers free, culturally competent mental-health therapy—either remote or in-person—in several languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean, to victims of anti-Asian hate crimes.

Mount Sinai medical students volunteered with Soar Over Hate to distribute 1,000 personal safety devices, whistles, and booklets about reporting hate incidents to elderly in Manhattan’s Chinatown in April 2021. In addition to Michelle Tran, student volunteers included: Alyce Kuo, Serena Zheng, Axel Epié, Fred Kwon, Rachel Levantovsky, and Matthew Lin.

Recently, Ms. Tran was among 10 “fearless change makers” who were named 2021 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth by the popular beauty brand. L’Oréal Paris USA donated $20,000 to Soar Over Hate and, in November, flew Ms. Tran and the nine other Women of Worth award recipients to Paris for a special ceremony. On Thursday, December 16, at 8 pm, the women and their non-profit work will be featured on an NBC special hosted by L’Oréal Paris and including guest appearances by Helen Mirren, Camila Cabello, Gemma Chan, and Eva Longoria. One of this year’s awardees will receive an additional $25,000 for their philanthropy.

“Asian hate, unfortunately, does exist,” says Ms. Tran. “I felt very disheartened by what was going on in my backyard and with the people around me who were being harassed, and attacked, and physically hurt, and I wanted to do something. A colleague of mine was attacked on his way to work and he still avoids the subway. The long-term impact of these incidents leaves a mental scar. So we’re helping to address the healing of the community, and we’re empowering youth with scholarships.”

In the fall, Soar Over Hate provided six low-income high-school seniors in New York City with scholarships of between $500 and $1,000, based on their essays about addressing anti-Asian hate.

Initially, Ms. Tran started her charity as a GoFundMe page with the help of teenager Tiffany Yuen. Ms. Tran is Ms. Yuen’s mentor through the organization, Apex for Youth, which partners Asian American professionals with low-income youth. The money they raised was used to purchase personal safety alarms and whistles for the elderly and supported several community events that featured self-defense classes and health screenings.

Michelle Tran in Chinatown

But Ms. Tran soon realized she could continue to pursue her two “passions” of growing her charity and focusing on her MD/PhD studies by combining efforts with her friend Kenji Jones, who ran a similar Asian American grassroots effort. That is when they developed the current line-up of services for Soar Over Hate. This fall, she was thrilled to learn that she had received a L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth award.

Ms. Tran also credits her mentors at Mount Sinai with providing support for her advocacy work. She works in the lab of Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD, Director of Immunotherapy and Co-Director of Cancer Immunology, who serves as her Principal Investigator. Ms. Tran is a co-President of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association at Mount Sinai, supervised by Nolan Kagetsu, MD, Clinical Professor of Radiology, and Ann-Gel Palermo, DrPH, MPH, Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She is also a student representative on Mount Sinai’s Committee on Anti-Asian Bias and Racism, which is led by Amanda J. Rhee, MD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, and James C. Tsai, MD, MBA, President of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, and Chair of Ophthalmology at the Mount Sinai Health System.

Parking Services Manager Bravely Helps Save a Man From a Burning Car

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Stories of Excellence

John Cruz, left, and Dennis Charney, MD

John Cruz, Senior Manager, Parking Services at The Mount Sinai Hospital, had stopped by the cashier’s booth at the parking garage behind the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai when the attendant received a call that someone was unconscious on the roof. John told the attendant to call Security, and immediately ran up to the roof, where he saw smoke and fire and realized it was coming from a car.

Thankfully, two men were nearby and told John that an unconscious man was in the car, which was locked and filled with smoke. Working together, they broke the car windows and were able to drag the man along a concrete ramp to safety, just before the vehicle was engulfed in flames. John felt for the man’s pulse, and was relieved that there was one. At that point, EMS arrived and began triage.

In November, John was commended by senior leadership at Mount Sinai for his quick thinking and bravery.

“John put himself at risk in order to help a stranger,” said Dennis Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs for the Mount Sinai Health System. “He was afraid, as anyone would have been, but he conquered that fear to perform a heroic feat. We are so fortunate to have him as a member of the Mount Sinai family.”

But John is modest and wants to make sure Andre Rodrigues Silva, an employee of a Mount Sinai vendor, Efficiency Experts, is acknowledged for his efforts (John believes the other man who helped out was a patient, who was headed to or leaving the hospital.)

“I was very scared when I arrived,” John says, “but my instincts kicked in, and I was able to pull the patient out. My heartfelt thanks go to the two gentlemen that were there helping me.”

Mount Sinai Hosts Visit by Senior Health Official From Greece

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured

Zoe Rapti, right, Deputy Minister of Health of Greece, and George Dangas, MD, PhD

A senior health official of the Greek government visited Mount Sinai on December 7 to learn more about how Mount Sinai responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York and about Mount Sinai’s cardiovascular programs in Queens, where there is a large Greek-American population.

Greek Deputy Minister of Health Zoe Rapti visited The Mount Sinai Hospital and met with David Reich, MD, President, and others, including George Dangas, MD, PhD, an interventional cardiologist who is Director of Cardiovascular Innovation at The Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute and Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

“It was a great honor to meet the health minister and to share ideas and learn from one another. Mount Sinai has a long history serving the Greek community, and we look forward to further discussions and collaboration,” said Dr. Reich, who also serves as president of Mount Sinai Queens.

Dr. Dangas, who completed medical and postgraduate studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, said they discussed a number of issues, including the ways Mount Sinai Queens serves the Greek-American population and the tremendous response mounted against the pandemic. Ms. Rapti also had a chance to meet a patient from Chios Island—the fifth largest of the Greek islands—leaving the hospital and hear about the hospital’s highly specialized care.

They were joined by Stamatios Lerakis, MD, PhD, Director of Noninvasive Cardiology for Mount Sinai Heart, Director of Imaging for Structural and Valve Interventions for the Mount Sinai Health System, and Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), and Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology. He also received his MD degree from the Medical School of Athens.

“We were very pleased to walk through the exact pathways of outpatient and inpatient care at Mount Sinai Heart with the minister and discuss how things have evolved over the past extraordinary years,” Dr. Dangas said.

Zoe Rapti, center, Deputy Minister of Health of Greece, with Stamatios Lerakis, MD, PhD, left, and George Dangas, MD, PhD

Celebrating Important Anniversaries at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community

Mount Sinai celebrated two significant milestones recently as Mount Sinai Morningside marked the 175th anniversary of its founding by the Reverend William A. Muhlenberg, DD, in 1846, and Mount Sinai West observed the 150th anniversary of its formation by James Henry Roosevelt in 1871.

“It has been a real joy to reflect on the rich history of advancements and accomplishments that we have achieved, and to share stories that demonstrate our bond to the community,” said Timothy Day, Chief Operating Officer of Mount Sinai West, in one of the virtual programs marking the anniversaries.

An anniversary committee, chaired by Norma Braun, MD, sponsored a rich slate of events. Specially decorated cookies and anniversary-themed gifts were handed out to staff at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West. Themed lunches were served in the cafeterias, and leadership hosted two virtual programs that detailed each site’s rich history.

The committee sponsored an Anniversary Art Show that featured creative works, including sculpture, photography, paintings, and more from staff, faculty, students, and volunteers.

Dr. Braun emceed the virtual program at Mount Sinai Morningside, which included Arthur Gianelli, MBA, MPH, FACHE, President; Meredith Lisagor, MDiv, BCC, Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Care, and Carl Braun, MD, Associate Chief Medical Officer. George Green, MD, Gerard Turino, MD, and Janet Mackin, RN, EdD, retired dean of the Phillips School of Nursing, and Mary Fretz, RN, a judge for the art show, also spoke. Gail Brewer, President of the Borough of Manhattan, proclaimed Monday, October 18, as “Mount Sinai Morningside Day.”

“We are the proud custodians of Reverend Muhlenberg’s vision. Though the name ‘St. Luke’s Hospital’ has passed into history, the soul of this great institution has not,” Mr. Gianelli said. “For at the core of its being, Mount Sinai Morningside remains to this day a home for clinical innovation as well as a safe harbor for all who continue to come through its doors, especially those at society’s margin.”

Mr. Day hosted the Mount Sinai West program, which featured speakers from Mount Sinai West including Evan Flatow, MD, President; Larry Attia, MD; Albert Attia, MD; Phillip Bauman, MD; and Malcolm Reid, MD, MPP. Andrew Roosevelt, a member of the founding family, Ms. Mackin, Reverend Lisagor, and Ms. Fretz also shared their perspectives. Ms. Brewer proclaimed Tuesday, November 2, as “Mount Sinai West Day.” Mr. Day said, “The event was equal parts enjoyable and inspirational.”

‘Socktober’ Campaign Gives Back to the Community

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community

Mount Sinai’s Health Care Support Services team spearheaded a community campaign in October that collected and donated socks—one of the personal items that homeless people need most—as part of a nationwide campaign called “Socktober.”

When employees at the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute (RMTI) learned about the initiative, they decided to participate as a department. A collection box was placed in their area, and they set a goal of collecting 1,000 socks. As they approached their initial goal, they continued to set higher and higher goals.

In the end, the RMTI team collected 1,623 of the 2,377 socks collected. The team even got the apparel company Bombas to donate 100 pairs of socks.

The socks were distributed to homeless shelters in the area, including Prospect Family Residence in the Bronx. In addition, a team at Mount Sinai Brooklyn partnered with the site’s Diversity Council to donate their sock collection to the nonprofit Spanish Coalition for Housing for distribution to shelters.

“We found a way to make a difference in our community,” says Pat Ortlieb, who led the effort across support services departments, including Food, Environmental Services, Engineering, and Transport.

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