Community | Mount Sinai Today

The Mount Sinai SAVI Program Observes Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | BFWHRI, Blavatnik, Community, Public Health

As our communities navigate the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we must not forget the importance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month this April. Sexual assault occurs when unwanted, unwelcome sexual behaviors are forced upon someone without their consent. According to the most recent Department of Justice National Crime Victimization Survey, every 98 seconds, a person in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.

The Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program (SAVI) was founded in 1984 to respond to this public health crisis in Manhattan and Queens by advocating for the rights of sexual violence survivors to be believed, supported, and centralized through free trauma-informed services and advocacy. Since SAVI’s doors opened, survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence and those closest to them have accessed SAVI’s free counseling by calling SAVI’s main intake line at 212-423-2140.

Each fall, SAVI has provided a 40-hour classroom-based training to prepare volunteer advocates to provide onsite emotional support and advocacy for survivors in the Emergency Department. The SAVI Advocate training is one of the many free prevention and trauma-informed response educational opportunities that SAVI provides. SAVI also has specialized capacities to address specific community needs, such as the Takanot Program, which serves Orthodox Jewish survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, and anti-Commercial Sexual Exploitation interventions and services.

To continue raising awareness of the prevalence and prevention of sexual violence, SAVI observes Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) this April. SAAM is centrally coordinated by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, who produce free awareness print and media resources on their website.

Denim Day: Last Wednesday of April (4/28)

Per organizers Peace Over Violence, who started this campaign 21 years ago:

“The campaign began after a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped the person who raped her remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim.”

More information can be found at denimdayinfo.org.

The Mount Sinai community was invited to participate in Denim Day by –

WEARING denim (with supervisor permission)
Taking a SELFIE in denim
POSTING this image on social media (Instagram, Facebook or Twitter) with the HASHTAG #denimdaysavi
TAGGING @mountsinaisavi

JOIN one of our Denim Day webinars to learn more about ways to interrupt sexual violence, and victim blaming culture! Register here.

SAVI hopes that someday, SAAM and even their program will no longer be necessary but until then, you can be part of the movement by joining their mailing list (email SAVIPresents@mssm.edu) and following @mountsinaisavi on social media to learn about campaigns, actions, and other opportunities to take a stand against sexual violence.

Amanda Burden (she/her/hers) brings more than 15 years’ experience as an educator, program manager, and public health professional to SAVI as the Training and Education Outreach Supervisor. Since joining the program in 2016, Burden has facilitated the delivery of trauma-informed education, public health campaigns, and subject matter expertise to thousands of volunteers, trainees, staff, clinicians, and faculty across the Mount Sinai Health System. To inquire about the program’s free sexual or intimate partner violence prevention or response resources and education available for your communities, please visit the SAVI website or call the main line at 212-423-2140.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or healing from, sexual or intimate partner violence, please let them know that they are not alone, and to call 212-423-2140 when they are ready to speak to a free counselor at SAVI.

Mount Sinai Recognizes Lab Team for their Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Research

COVID-19 brought numerous challenges for the hundreds of employees working in and with our medical laboratories across Mount Sinai Health System. They continued to show agility and dedication in meeting the changing needs of our community as the pandemic progressed. Mount Sinai wishes to recognize the contributions of these teams during Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, observed the last full week in April each year.

Mount Sinai lab colleagues have been involved with major breakthroughs over the past year because testing was central to learning about the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the start of the pandemic, our lab teams rapidly transformed their operations to expand and modify testing for COVID-19 as the number of patients affected grew and the standards for testing morphed. They quickly became a national leader in providing antibody testing and treatment, receiving Emergency Use Authorization for a very early version of the test which identified candidates for antibody plasma donation in early treatments.

Many studies about COVID-19 antibody responses in our patients were possible because of the coordination and hard work of the lab teams across Mount Sinai. They were also integral to establishing the Mount Sinai COVID-19 PCR Saliva Testing program as a part of the New York State Excelsior Pass program.

The Mount Sinai lab team is made up of many different people working in coordination across the Health System, including histologists, lab technologists, quality experts, lab information technology experts, physicians, autopsy and morgue teams, managers, and many more. Their continued dedication and collaboration is vital to keeping our community safe and well.

Living a Full Life With Hearing Loss

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

Jonathan Taylor, PhD, President of the New York City Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America.

People with hearing loss have widely varying needs and challenges, and accommodations such as captioning, clear face masks, and general awareness can greatly improve quality of life. This was the message of Jonathan Taylor, PhD, President of the New York City Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), during a virtual talk hosted by the Mount Sinai Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI). The talk can be viewed here. Click the “cc” button for closed captions.

“People are always eager to help, but may not always understand the needs of those with hearing loss,” Mr. Taylor said in the session, “Living a Full Life With Hearing Loss,” which was part of the Raising Disability Awareness Virtual Talk Series. The series, launched by ODI in 2020 for Disability Awareness Month, featured speakers from around the Mount Sinai Health System as well as the community to raise awareness and promote an inclusive and equitable work place and health care environment for people with disabilities.

Mr. Taylor’s hearing loss stemmed in part from his career as a freelance classical trombonist. The loud sounds from the trombone progressively affected Mr. Taylor’s hearing abilities. Eventually, Mr. Taylor had to stop performing, but he continues his passion for music by doing administrative work with orchestras. He also earned a doctorate in developmental psychology and has built a career in educational research.

Clear masks may be used for effective communication with people who are hard of hearing. Above, Maura Cosetti, MD, Director of the Ear Institute at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, consults with a patient.

As a strong advocate for people living with hearing loss, Mr. Taylor discussed the social and medical effects of hearing loss. Aside from social isolation, which could lead to depression and dementia, hearing loss may have other health implications, he said. For example, older adults with hearing impairment are twice as likely to fall due to balance issues related to the inner-ear.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also presented new challenges for the hearing loss community. Many people who experience hearing loss depend on reading lips. Wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, however, has made it impossible to read lips. Mr. Taylor stressed the value in using clear masks during this time to address this issue.

The Patient Experience team at Mount Sinai did an initial distribution of Clear Masks™—approved by the FDA and Mount Sinai Infection Prevention and Control—to raise awareness at all eight hospitals, and notified nursing leaders of the availability of these masks. Materials Management made sure to keep an adequate inventory to supply units that request additional clear masks. The use of clear masks for effective communication with patients who are hard of hearing was also included in training sessions related to Patient Safety, ADA Awareness, and mandatory Annual Core Education.

Resources and Information

Establishing and fortifying partnerships with public and private programs, as well as providing closed captioning, hearing loops (a sound system that transmits to hearing aids and cochlear implants), and educating clinical staff on the importance of using transcription apps during medical visits are all ways to enhance access for people with hearing loss. The HLAA’s mission, according to Mr. Taylor, is “to serve as an extension of the national organization by promoting the philosophy of self-help while specifically addressing access advocacy, awareness, and education.” More information about the Hearing Loss Association of America can be found on its site.

The Ear Institute at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is a close partner with the community and HLAA, says Maura Cosetti, MD, Director of the Institute, adding that staff from the Institute were recently invited to address Mr. Taylor’s chapter on the relationship between hearing and balance. More information about hearing loss support is available here.

Additional disabilities-related resources are available on the Mount Sinai Office for Diversity and Inclusion site.

Mount Sinai Makes Studying the Brain Exciting and Fun for Schoolchildren

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured, Research

Michael B. Fernando, a MiNDS volunteer and PhD neuroscience graduate student, leads a sheep brain dissection and a comparative anatomy lesson for high school students during Brain Awareness Week.

Neuroscience graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and volunteers from The Friedman Brain Institute at Mount Sinai recently hosted a series of special activities during Brain Awareness Week, part of an annual global campaign each March by the Dana Foundation to increase public awareness on the progress and benefits of brain research.

Mount Sinai’s effort, which included fun classroom activities for elementary school children, lessons on comparative brain anatomy for high schoolers, podcasts, and a public lecture—all virtual—was driven by MiNDS, Mentoring in Neuroscience Discovery at Sinai. MiNDS is an educational initiative led by graduate students that makes neuroscience engaging and accessible for East Harlem, New York, schoolchildren. The Art of the Brain exhibit, typically held in an East Harlem, New York, art gallery, became a virtual sensation and remains open to the public until Friday, May 28.

“Our activities during Brain Awareness Week looked a little different this year without our onsite, interactive Brain Fair that would attract 500 visitors,” says Denise Croote, co-leader of MiNDS and a fifth-year PhD neuroscience graduate student, “but we were very excited that we were able to extend our enthusiasm about the brain into the virtual space.”

MiNDS partners with the Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE) within the Office for Diversity and Inclusion —all part of a long and far-reaching effort of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. CEYE has been providing real-world classroom activities and interactions with faculty and staff since its founding in 1975, introducing summer and academic year internships and courses to thousands of underrepresented students interested in exploring careers in medicine, science, technology, and engineering.

Elementary school students learn brain basics during a Morning MiNDS program offered by PhD neuroscience graduate students Denise Croote and Brittany Hemmer.

They streamed four “Morning MiNDS” lessons at 9 am for elementary school students, covering the lobes and cells of the brain, and the sensory systems. “We also led students through several fun experiments using supplies we distributed in experiment bags,” Ms. Croote said. A cadre of MiNDS volunteers had assembled 500 bags, distributing 300 to students at its partner school, Patrick Henry Preparatory PS/IS 171, and the others to the Mount Sinai community, so they could participate in a hands-on activity remotely.

The other programs included:

Streaming a sheep brain dissection and a comparative anatomy lesson for high school students, and looking at the brains of mice, rats, dogs, bears, and humans.
Hosting a public lecture (with Spanish subtitles), “The Social Brain: Adapting During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” It included presentations on the neuroscience of social behavior and the impact of social distancing on mental health, and featured MiNDS co-leader Joseph Simon, IV, a fourth-year neuroscience PhD graduate student, and Anastasia Shuster, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry.

Anastasia Shuster, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry, co-hosted a public lecture that included Spanish subtitles on “The Social Brain: Adapting During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

And, special this year: the launch of a podcast series, “Journey Through the MiND: Exploring the Life of a Neuroscientist.” The podcast series was sponsored by the Dana Foundation and featured revealing conversations with Friedman Brain Institute faculty. Topics included pivotal experiments that helped shape their careers, and the overall twists and turns of the research world. Ms. Croote talked to Daniela Schiller, PhD; and Mr. Simon chatted with Uraina Clark, PhD.

While Brain Awareness Week has concluded, the commitment to the community is ongoing in new and imaginative ways. Says Kenya Townsend, CEYE’s Program Director: “For months, we have been planning new programs, and this summer we will be offering two engaging programs for current New York City high school students: Introduction to Bioinformatics, and Medical and Scientific Exploration. We are excited about these programs and these new students who are eager to learn about science.”

Supporting People With Developmental Disabilities in the Workplace

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

Ben Adler is an intern in Talent Acquisition and Retention, Human Resources, at the Mount Sinai Health System.

Providing people with developmental disabilities job and internship opportunities benefits all concerned—by allowing the employees to maximize their independence while also enhancing disability inclusiveness and diversity of thought in the workplace.

This was the message of a virtual talk by leaders of the Adaptations Job Program, a job-services program made possible with support from public and private donations and a Mount Sinai partner since 2018, to create a holistic approach to job development for adults with disabilities while allowing the participants to embrace their individuality and learn job skills. The virtual talk can be viewed here.

The session, “Best Practices for Supporting People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Developmental Disabilities in the Workplace,” was hosted by the Mount Sinai Office for Diversity and Inclusion. It was part of a special series featuring speakers from around the Mount Sinai Health System as well as the community to raise awareness and promote an inclusive and equitable work place and health care environment for people with disabilities.

“In order to be independent, you need the financial means to live a full and happy life, and we believe that employment is a crucial component of that life,” said Andrea Goodman, MA, M.Ed, LCSW, Director of the Adaptations Job Program, who led the event with Ilana Shachat, MSc.OT, Employment Specialist with the Program.

Neurodiversity in the workplace also leads to an overall organizational culture where all individuals are respected and feel they belong. According to Ms. Goodman, through interactions with participants, there are changes in people’s attitudes in regard to people with disabilities, to a more positive one as people learn and understand different learning styles and appreciate their differences.

Best Practices in the Office

Best practices for employers include a clear communication strategy—explaining the goal of the project, giving one instruction at a time, giving instructions in writing, and using straightforward language, Ms. Goodman said. It is also important to explain priorities, discuss how much time a project or task would take to complete, and if possible, provide examples of what a finished project looks like.

The Adaptations Job Program is an integrated social, recreational, and vocational program, Ms. Goodman said. It works with participants and employers in maximizing the participants’ strengths in the workplace so that they could be productive employees. The program has both a person-centered and business-driven approach, so that the needs of the businesses are met through the intern placements and by offering a pipeline of talent. For more information, visit the program’s site.

Additional disabilities-related resources are available on the Mount Sinai Office for Diversity and Inclusion site.

A Vaccine Pod Dedicated to Mental Health Patients

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured, Psychiatry, Vaccines

From left: Raymond Rene, Office of Mental Health (OMH); Ruth Llanos, OMH Psychiatric Nurse; Paul Michael Avellaneda, OMH Psychiatric Nurse; Michelle Izmirly, DO; Gariy Livshits, OMH Treatment Team Leader

Earlier this year, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) launched a program to bring vaccine doses to mental health patients, as many have trouble navigating the internet or don’t have smartphones and need help facilitating appointments. The OMH program was designed for patients to come to state psychiatric centers, but they were also eager to expand their reach and offered to set up vaccine pods at all OMH licensed clinics across the state. Michelle Izmirly, DO, Medical Director of Ambulatory Psychiatry at The Mount Sinai Hospital, reached out to OMH so that The Mount Sinai Hospital’s clinic could be included as a site.

“We see a very vulnerable patient population, and I knew a lot of our patients weren’t comfortable going to places like the Javits Center,” said Dr. Izmirly. “Some were even crying because they were so scared and so frustrated; often, they lacked internet access or cellular service to navigate the New York State vaccine eligibility website. We’re the ones they know. They know our setting and our staff, and they’re more comfortable getting the vaccine with us. They were so grateful that they had this option.”

It was a true team effort to pull it off. OMH scheduled a site visit to make sure the clinic had the appropriate setup: strong Wi-Fi, a comfortable area for injections, and supportive staff. Rajvee Vora, MD, Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for the Department of Psychiatry, collaborated with Ania Wajnberg, MD, Medical Director of Ambulatory Care at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Site Lead for Vaccine Operations. They engaged the pharmacy and engineering departments to ensure the clinic had the appropriate equipment to safely store the vaccine.

Due to special efforts by Patricia Lamb, Chief of Ancillary and Support Services, Sue Mashni, PharmD, Chief Pharmacy Officer, and Michael Roche, PE, Senior Director of Engineering, the clinic space was converted to a safe and effective vaccine pod in one week. Eva Bayon, Administrative Manager, and Joan Bell, LCSW, Clinical Director of Ambulatory Psychiatry Services, handled the logistics of confirming and scheduling patients. Alicia Hurtado, MD, Associate Dean for Medical Student Wellness and Student Affairs, arranged for medical students to volunteer to monitor the patients for 15 minutes after they received the vaccination.

On April 8, the team vaccinated 72 patients—10 every 30 minutes starting at 9:30 am. And this might only be the beginning. The vaccine pod was such a success that OMH will return May 6 to reach the patients who were unable to attend their appointment that day. If OMH continues to provide the doses, the clinic could continue to offer it to their patients moving forward.

Cassidy Leverett, a care coordinator at the clinic, believes that the stability for these patients is key. “A lot of people find it really difficult to schedule the vaccine because it can be far from where they live or work, so it’s really great that people can go to a place they’re familiar with and see faces that they know. It’s been a very crazy time so it’s nice to have one stable place where you can go get your vaccine.”

Dr. Izmirly hopes this spreads beyond her clinic to other mental health clinics and practices. “You see so many news stories and research studies about people with mental illness contracting and dying from COVID-19 at higher rates than those who don’t suffer from mental illness,” she said. “We’ve even lost some of our own patients, which was completely devastating. This is an opportunity to help our own patients in our own settings, where we know they’ll feel comfortable.”