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Disparities in Rehabilitation Medicine Are Focus of Inaugural Disability Awareness Talk

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

Miguel Escalon, MD

“Disparities in Health Care for Black Patients in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the United States,” was the subject of a wide-ranging talk on Disability Awareness by Miguel Escalon, MD, Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The virtual talk can be viewed here.

Black Americans aged 30 to 64 have a higher stroke mortality compared with all other groups, and also the highest incidence of hypertension, diabetes, and peripheral artery disease, all strong risk factors for stroke, Dr. Escalon said. There also are disparities in rehabilitation care of such patients after a stroke, he said, citing a survey of research from 2009 to 2019, which he and a team published in October 2020 in PM&R: the Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation.

The talk in October inaugurated the new Raising Disability Awareness Virtual Talk Series, featuring speakers from around the Mount Sinai Health System as well as the community, in honor of Disability Awareness Month. During this time, the Mount Sinai Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) hosted events to educate, raise awareness and promote an inclusive and equitable health care environment for people with disabilities.

Speakers also came from Mount Sinai’s Seaver Center for Autism Research and Treatment, and Language Assistance Program, and from external partners, including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, MTA NYC Transit Access-A-Ride, the Lighthouse Guild, the Hearing Loss Association of America, the Adaptations Job Program, and the LBGTQ+ community. The talks were curated to bring awareness to the intersectionality of disability and race, ethnicity, and LBGTQ+ and educate on health disparities and the barriers to access to care.

Health disparities have been found for Black people with stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, hip/knee osteoarthritis, and fractures, as well as cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, Dr. Escalon said. Some contributing factors included socio-economic issues, low access to rehabilitation care, fewer referrals, lower utilization rates, perceived bias, and more self‐reliance.

Some sources also found that disparities are evident in the crucial months just after a stroke. “Most recovery happens in the first few months. You are never going to get more rehab than you get in acute inpatient rehab.” Dr. Escalon said, adding the more study is needed to identify and address health disparities.

“It is important for health care professionals to understand the health risks within Black communities,” he said. “More research is needed to elucidate the outcomes—by race/ethnicity, gender, and gender within race/ethnicity—especially around what happens after the patient leaves the hospital.”

Flowers Help Lift Spirits and Raise Money for a Heartfelt Cause

Nov 20, 2020 | Community, Featured, Stories of Excellence

Elyse Meltzer, CPNP

Elyse Meltzer, CPNP, works in one of the Mount Sinai Health System’s Pediatrics School Based Health Centers. The clinic is located in a New York City public school in East Harlem, where she provides primary care for the students. She has also been involved for many years with the Mount Sinai Perinatal and Pediatric Bereavement Program, which offers bereavement services to families experiencing losses during pregnancy, infancy, or childhood. The following is an excerpt of a letter that Elyse sent to colleagues about her plan to support the program in a brand new way during these unprecedented times.

“In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were all on ‘lockdown,’ and things were looking grimmer and grimmer, I found my salvation by taking walks, and running in Central Park. As the typical New Yorker, I was forced to slow down, and something unexpected happened. I began to notice my surroundings and the little things I had been oblivious to for more than two decades as a resident of the Upper West Side.

Spring was rolling in, and along with it, an abundance of beautiful flowers were blooming just outside my front door, often in the most unexpected places. I didn’t seek them out, but there seemed to be a magnetic force drawing me toward every flower in my path. I started taking pictures with my iPhone, and before I knew it, I had amassed a huge spring floral collection.

I wanted to share these amazing photos with others, but how? One day while running, I sprouted the idea of showcasing them in a calendar that I would design from the heart. Then I thought, how great would it be if I could share this with others while raising money for a cause that I’ve been dedicated to for the past fifteen years as a facilitator of the Mount Sinai Perinatal Bereavement Support Group.

I hope that in 2021, you will find the peace, beauty, and happiness I saw during these trying times with each month of the calendar.”

Learn more about the Perinatal Pediatric Bereavement Program here, and learn more about the fund-raiser here.

The Mount Sinai Hospital Included in New Ranking of Best Specialized Hospitals from Newsweek

Nov 20, 2020 | Community, Featured

The Mount Sinai Hospital is included in a new ranking from Newsweek of the best specialized hospitals in the world.

The digestive diseases-gastroenterology service line at The Mount Sinai Hospital was ranked No. 2 in the world, behind Mayo Clinic, and Mount Sinai Heart was ranked No. 5 in cardiology, behind Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital. The Mount Sinai Hospital was ranked No. 19 in neurology, No. 26 in oncology, and No. 44 in endocrinology. The full list of best specialized hospitals is available on the Newsweek website.

“The World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2021” list identifies and honors the best hospitals around the world that specialize in cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, neurology, and oncology.

The rankings include the top 200 hospitals in cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, and oncology, and the top 100 hospitals in endocrinology. The ranking is based solely on peer recommendations for specific areas of expertise from a global survey of medical professionals.

This is the first of what will be an annual listing. To create the list, Newsweek partnered with Statista Inc., a global market research and consumer data firm. They conducted an online survey of about 40,000 medical experts in more than 20 countries between May and July 2020.

Two Mount Sinai Diversity Groups Honored by National Association

Nov 10, 2020 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion

For projects that informed, engaged, and uplifted the community, the Mount Sinai Beth Israel (MSBI) Diversity Council and the Corporate Services Center Heritage of Latino Alliance (HOLA) Employee Resource Group were recently honored by The Association of ERGs and Councils during its annual conference. The association—which provides resources to increase the impact, effectiveness, and recognition of employee resource groups (ERGs) and diversity councils nationally—ranked the MSBI Diversity Council No. 1 in the “Top 10 Diversity Action” awards. The Corporate Services Center HOLA Employee Resource Group ranked No. 7 in the “Top 25 ERG” awards at the virtual conference, which was held October 19-24.

HOLA members at the prom dress drive, from left, Karen Rivera, Sherrine Gonzalez, and Katari Lebron.

The MSBI Diversity Council was recognized for its annual “Go Red” event in February, during which it partners with Mount Sinai Heart to offer blood pressure screenings for patients and staff. In recognition of Black History Month, the council members focused on providing health and wellness information to the Black patient population due to the prevalence of heart disease in this community. The HOLA Employee Resource Group was recognized for its Prom Dress Drive for female students at the Esperanza Preparatory School in East Harlem. HOLA members collected and delivered more than 150 dresses to the school and assisted 50 young women in finding a dress for their prom. “We congratulate the MSBI Diversity Council and the Corporate Services Center HOLA Employee Resource Group, especially the leads of these groups—Donnette Truss and Lena Chang at MSBI and Frank Pabon and Shawn Lee of HOLA—who led the efforts to achieve these recognitions,” says Pamela Y. Abner, MPA, CPXP, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

The Go Red event at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in February 2019.

To receive the awards, diversity councils and ERGs across the country were required to submit a video to the association describing an event or initiative they organized during 2019. The association selected and evaluated honorees using the “Impact Model,” a data-driven model that shows how the initiative improved talent management, culture, and organizational vitality for the individuals, organization, and external stakeholders involved. The MSBI and HOLA groups were among 45 councils and ERGs nationally honored by the association for demonstrating the standards of excellence for organizations working to enhance their diversity, equity, and inclusion work. In addition, ERGs across the Health System are doing impactful work year round, says Shana L. Dacon, MPH, MBA, Director, Corporate Health System Affairs, Office for Diversity and Inclusion. “We want to thank all diversity council and employee resource group members for their ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and promoting a culture of belonging for all faculty, staff, students, trainees, patients, and the Mount Sinai Health System community,” she says. To learn more about diversity council and employee resource groups, contact the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at diversity@mountsinai.org. Visit the United in Solidarity website to learn about how the Mount Sinai community is promoting efforts to instill an anti-racist culture and promote anti-racist behaviors.

Rock Garden of Hope at Mount Sinai Queens Grew From Nurse’s Inspiration

Oct 29, 2020 | Community, Featured

The Rock Garden of Hope is a homegrown memorial at Mount Sinai Queens for those lost to COVID-19. At the ribbon-cutting, from left, Chaplain Rachelle Zazzu; Fionnuala Quigley, RN, who originated the project; and another organizer, Diane Lydon.

Mount Sinai Queens (MSQ) recently dedicated the Rock Garden of Hope near its Emergency Department to remember those lost to COVID-19. It is a small tribute—a bed of painted rocks surrounded by a low iron fence—but it is heartfelt.

Staff members for months have been painting river rocks with flowers, hearts, smiles, and messages such as “Here Comes the Sun” and “You Are Loved.” But it all started in June with one nurse, Fionnuala Quigley, RN. She grew up in the neighborhood and worked in the Emergency Department at MSQ throughout the pandemic, and she has vivid memories of those days and of the trailers that held many who had passed away. Every day, she walked past the spot where the trailers had stood, and finally, she says, “I just wanted to change the perspective of what was once there into something happy.”

Ms. Quigley picked out a bare plot and cleared it of debris. Then she started decorating rocks with acrylic markers and placing them on the ground in a makeshift memorial. At that point, she asked the hospital chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Rachelle Zazzu, MA, DDS, to seek official permission for the project and help reach out to volunteers. The idea quickly took hold. Ms. Quigley says Donna Smith Jordan, Assistant Director of Emergency Medicine, and Jeofrey Gacad, unit clerk in the ED, were instrumental in spreading the word. Most of the rocks are supplied by Diane Lydon, unit clerk in the ED, who brings them back from the Neversink River in the Catskills.

“Donna, Fionnuala, and Jeofrey also hosted a few painting sessions in the ED during break hours,” says Jonathan Nover, RN, MBA, Senior Director of Nursing for the Emergency Department. “This has been very therapeutic for all.” Fully embracing the project, the hospital installed a fence, lights, and a small plaque at the garden plot, and held a ribbon-cutting on Friday, Oct. 2.

“All are welcome to bring a rock to the garden to remember someone who has passed or leave a message of optimism for the future,” Caryn A. Schwab, Executive Director of Mount Sinai Queens, and Jill Goldstein, MA, MS, RN, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, said in a message announcing the event.

The Rock Garden of Hope is growing bit by bit as staff and neighbors continue to paint and place rocks. (View some of them on an Instagram page, Emergency Rocks.) Ms. Quigley says that at first some were worried that people might take rocks from the garden, but none have disappeared since the commemorative sign went up. And she is philosophical on this point: “I think if someone takes a rock, they needed it.

Infection Prevention Is Singled Out for a Thank-You

Oct 22, 2020 | Community, Stories of Excellence

Across the Health System, Infection Protection works closely with Environmental Services and front-line staff to keep staff members and patients safe.

A team that is usually behind the scenes received a special thank-you from Mount Sinai leadership in honor of International Infection Prevention Week—Monday, October 19, through Friday, October 23. “This year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Mount Sinai Health System’s Infection Prevention team members,” says Vicki LoPachin, MD, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Mount Sinai Health System. “We are proud to recognize our infection preventionists and hospital epidemiologists, who work tirelessly to minimize the risk of infection to our staff, our patients, our families, and the communities we serve every day.”

The team includes nurses, physicians, and public health professionals across Mount Sinai, says Bernard Camins, MD, Director of Infection Prevention for the Health System, united by the goal of preventing health care-associated infections. In normal times they keep busy creating and monitoring safety protocols and policies, and working directly with front-line staff. And then came the COVID-19 pandemic. “The surge brought unique challenges we had never faced before, and working behind the scenes, our teams put protocols and procedures in place to reduce the risk of transmission,” Dr. Camins says. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the disease was not on the EPIC system. So the team used the designation “special droplet,” and created isolation protocols for a virus that had never been described before.

Leaders of Infection Prevention at a workgroup meeting in April 2019.

The team helped oversee Environmental Services staff who were keeping rooms and equipment safe, and went to COVID units to help ensure that staff members put on PPE correctly. They created zones within hospitals to indicate levels of contamination—the rooms of COVID-19 patients were taped off in red, hallways in yellow, and break rooms in green. And they, in conjunction with Employee Health Services, conducted contact tracing to keep track of patients and staff members who had been exposed to COVID-19.

“In spite of unprecedented circumstances, the Infection Prevention team maintained their professionalism and were always available to educate or collaborate with front-line colleagues,” Dr. LoPachin says. “We thank members of the team for their leadership, perseverance, patience, and dedication to their work.”