From left: David A. Feinberg, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Mount Sinai Health System; and Mount Sinai Morningside leaders Berthe Erisnor, MBA, Vice President, Ambulatory Services; Arthur A. Gianelli, MBA, MPH, President; Brian Radbill, MD, Chief Medical Officer; Audrey Madison, PhD; Director, Marketing and Communications; and Lucy Xenophon, MD, MPH, Chief Transformation Officer.

Mount Sinai St. Luke’s will now operate under the name Mount Sinai Morningside, reaffirming its commitment as the primary provider of health care in West Harlem, including Morningside Heights, and its integral role in the Mount Sinai Health System. The change was approved by the Mount Sinai Boards of Trustees and the appropriate regulatory agencies. It becomes effective immediately.

“This new name not only reaffirms our 124-year legacy of serving the local community, but also our commitment to delivering technologically advanced Mount Sinai-level care to our patients, who are increasingly coming to us from all five boroughs, Westchester, New Jersey, and even internationally,” said Arthur A. Gianelli, MBA, MPH, President of Mount Sinai Morningside and Chief Transformation Officer, Mount Sinai Health System. “We have undergone a transformation that positions Mount Sinai Morningside as an integral part of the Mount Sinai Health System. Our patients now have convenient access to a vast network of world-renowned physicians and cutting-edge medical care.” Mr. Gianelli announced the change on Thursday, February 6, in two Town Hall meetings for hospital staff—one at 2 pm for the day shift, and one at 11 pm for the night shift.

Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, said, “Mount Sinai Morningside has grown into a top-tier health care facility that serves as this region’s gateway to the Mount Sinai Health System, expanding access for Upper Manhattan, New Jersey, Yonkers, Westchester, and surrounding areas. The hospital’s rebranding and transformation efforts reaffirm our commitment to setting standards for excellence and innovation in health care.”

The renaming was announced to Mount Sinai Morningside faculty and staff at Town Hall meetings.

The transformation of Mount Sinai Morningside is the result of hundreds of millions of dollars in investments in clinical services, facilities, equipment, and information technology. Centers of excellence have been established in cardiology and cardiac surgery; diabetes/endocrinology and bariatric surgery; geriatrics; and trauma services. The hospital has also introduced a state-of-the-art electronic medical record (EMR) system and acquired advanced surgical robotic technology.

Mount Sinai Morningside has earned a number of important designations. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently awarded the hospital a 4-star out of 5-star rating for safety, quality, and patient experience. Two of the hospital’s clinical services—diabetes/endocrinology and nephrology—are ranked among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report. It has secured accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians as a Geriatric Emergency Department and by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an Age Friendly Health System. Mount Sinai Morningside operates one of just two Trauma Centers certified by the American College of Surgeons located north of 60th Street in Manhattan. And the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society granted Mount Sinai Morningside the highest rating (Stage 7) for the adoption and utilization of its EMR, a designation received by only 7 percent of hospitals across the country.

The hospital was founded by the Reverend William Augustus Muhlenberg in 1846 and opened its doors in 1858.

The hospital in 2018 opened the James P. Jones Daily Management and Incident Command Center, an innovative facility that uses the EMR system and data science to provide descriptive and predictive information to decision-makers so that they can respond quickly and effectively to emergencies. In addition, Mount Sinai Morningside has opened a new Ambulatory Care Center at 114th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, which includes outpatient exam space for a variety of clinical specialties, an imaging center, an infusion suite, and numerous diagnostic and procedural centers. Primary care services are now available in a new space at 91st Street and Columbus Avenue, as well as at 147th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in the Sugar Hill community.

Since the mid-19th century, the hospital has been a vital part of health care in New York City. It was founded as St. Luke’s Hospital in 1846 by the Reverend William Augustus Muhlenberg, and in 1858 opened its doors to patients at Fifth Avenue and 54th Street. It relocated to 113th and Amsterdam in 1896, and merged with the Woman’s Hospital in 1953, with Roosevelt Hospital in 1979, and with Mount Sinai in 2013.

In every iteration, the hospital has been dedicated to the care of all patients—especially women and underserved populations—and to innovation in health care. Among many milestones, in 1897, St. Luke’s pioneered the diagnostic and therapeutic use of X-rays; in 1935, it performed one of the earliest removals of a cancerous lung; in 1975, it opened the first hospital-based hospice program; and in the 2000s, it has set national benchmarks in cardiac surgery and HIV clinical care.

At the afternoon Town Hall meeting, a capacity crowd greeted the name change with surprise and applause. During the question-and-answer session, there was a candid and spirited discussion about how best to recognize the historic legacy of the St. Luke’s name. Lisa Renaud, Practice Manager, said to Mr. Gianelli, “This is an emotional roller coaster, but I just want to thank you for taking a few minutes to share with us the importance of change.” Keith Guerra, Associate Director of Security, was enthusiastic: “I’m psyched about this. This is reality; this is where we are. And the people who are here are the people who are going to make this work. So let’s go, Morningside!”

From left: Barbara Berger Opotowsky; Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System; Cyrus Vance Jr.; Beth Essig; and William Fogg, son of the late Blaine V. “Fin” Fogg.

The Mount Sinai Medical-Legal Partnership (MSMLP), a nonprofit organization that provides free legal assistance to the neediest patients, recently celebrated two pediatric initiatives and honored the late Mount Sinai Trustee Blaine V. “Fin” Fogg.

Cyrus Vance Jr., District Attorney of New York County, was keynote speaker of the event held in November at Mount Sinai’s Corporate Services Center. He applauded the success of an initiative at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s—funded by a $1.3 million grant from his office—that helps patients and their families navigate the special education system. Lawyers from MSMLP and The Legal Aid Society in New York City have aided about 200 students since the initiative began in 2018.

“The role of law enforcement in the twenty-first century is not merely to arrest and prosecute,” said Mr. Vance. “We can deliver greater public safety and healthier communities if we prevent young people from coming into contact with the justice system in the first place. This is why, through our Criminal Justice Investment Initiative, we have partnered with Mount Sinai, The Legal Aid Society, and other leading organizations to provide the services and support necessary to help disadvantaged children and families succeed. I applaud the Mount Sinai Medical-Legal Partnership’s commitment to assisting New York’s most vulnerable through its new education law and advocacy services.”

In addition, a new program based at The Mount Sinai Hospital was announced at the event. It is helping young patients and their families address legal issues with housing, immigration, and access to health care. MSMLP also serves patients across the Health System, including legal clinics at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center and the Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. “We look at the needs of patients in a holistic manner,” said Barbara Berger Opotowsky, President of MSMLP, “and we believe that demolishing legal barriers can help materially improve the health of our patients and the community we serve.”

Speakers at the event expressed gratitude to Mr. Fogg, a Mount Sinai Trustee for three decades and President of The Legal Aid Society until his death in July 2019. “Mr. Fogg’s commitment to service inspired the formation of the MSMLP,” said Beth Essig, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Mount Sinai Health System. “I have no doubt that the legacy of that commitment will continue to inspire the lawyers and others who work with the MSMLP for many years to come.” 

Peter W. May, left, and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, discussed Mr. May’s 30 years of service to Mount Sinai at the Noble Deeds Society Dinner.

At the Noble Deeds Society Dinner last fall, leaders at the Mount Sinai Health System expressed their heartfelt appreciation to Peter W. May for his remarkable 17-year tenure as Chairman of the Boards of Trustees, during which he transformed a nearly bankrupt hospital and medical school into one of the world’s premier academic medical centers. Mr. May officially stepped down as Chairman in spring 2019 and now serves as Chairman Emeritus, Boards of Trustees. The Noble Deeds Society of the Mount Sinai Health System honors those who have been significant supporters and preserve the tradition of philanthropy.

“There could not be a more appropriate place to recognize Peter than at this dinner for noble deeds, because no one has done a more noble deed for Mount Sinai than Peter during his tenure,” said Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System, in a video that was presented at the event held at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center.

Approximately 200 generous supporters—including the Mount Sinai Health System’s current Co-Chairmen, Boards of Trustees, Richard A. Friedman and James S. Tisch—attended the dinner. Mr. Friedman and Mr. Tisch credited Mr. May for his deep knowledge, confidence, commitment, and inspirational leadership. They said trustees urged Mr. May to serve additional terms while he was Chairman and that he successfully convinced other philanthropists to join him in supporting Mount Sinai’s mission. Mr. May joined the Mount Sinai Boards of Trustees in 1989. Evan L. Flatow, MD, President of Mount Sinai West and Bernard J. Lasker Professor of Orthopedics, said in the video, “Peter understood what was in the DNA of Mount Sinai. He was deeply committed to our mission. The history books will say that Peter saved our institution.”

Indeed, a short time after assuming Mount Sinai’s Chairmanship in 2002, Mr. May tapped Dr. Davis to serve as Dean and then as Chief Executive Officer. Within three years, Mount Sinai was operating profitably. Reflecting upon their combined leadership, Dr. Davis said, “We had a shared vision and shared common values. We believed in what this institution had stood for during its 150-year history.”

Peter W. May and wife Leni May, center, with, from left, son Jon May, daughter-in-law Juliana May, daughter Leslie May Blauner, and son-in-law Andrew Blauner.

Under Mr. May’s tenure as Chairman, Mount Sinai raised $3 billion. In 2013, he presided over the formation of the Mount Sinai Health System, when The Mount Sinai Medical Center combined with Continuum Health Partners to become one of New York City’s largest health systems. “To take us from the brink of bankruptcy to the system we are today, with eight hospitals and over 400 ambulatory centers, to 42,000 employees—who would have thought it?” said Dr. Davis. “And it happened under Peter’s direction, guidance, and leadership.”

Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System, said that Mr. May’s support was vital in helping the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai achieve its world-class status. “When I came to him and said, ‘this is what we need to do to make our medical school great’ and to ensure that we recruited the best and brightest students and faculty who were innovative and whose goal was to improve the lives of our patients, Peter provided the necessary resources and trusted me in working to accomplish that.”

Mr. May said that Mount Sinai will always occupy a very special place for him, his wife, Leni, their two children, and grandchildren. “I am not giving up my care, my love, my interest, and my years of dedication to Mount Sinai,” he said. “It will be part of my life as long as I live.”

Mount Sinai Queens staff members, from left, Vivian Leonard, Rianne Bonitto, Hoda Farghala, RN, Hassan Aghazzaf, Norma Calame, Shalawn Leak, and Carla Moscoso.

Each morning, senior leaders throughout the Mount Sinai Health System report in on operational and safety matters in a conference call known as the “Daily Huddle.” A bright spot of the calls is a segment in which a leader shares the story of a faculty or staff member who has gone above and beyond in demonstrating the values of Mount Sinai: safety, creativity, empathy, agility, and teamwork.

Stories of honorees’ excellent service were posted on an Appreciation Wall.

More than 120 of these standout staff members were honored in person on Thursday, November 7, in an event hosted by Mount Sinai Health System leaders Vicki LoPachin, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President; and Margaret Pastuszko, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer. The celebration at the Corporate Services Center was sponsored by Sinai Spotlight, a Health System employee recognition and appreciation program led by the Division of Talent Development & Learning. The honorees networked with Health System leaders, enjoyed healthy snacks, and viewed stories about their excellent service that were posted on an Appreciation Wall. In a presentation, Sinai Spotlight committee members from each site shared summaries of the stories and called staff members to the front of the room for applause and cheers.

“During the Daily Huddle, when we hear stories of your going out of your way for your patients and co-workers, we always take a moment to smile and remember why we are here,” Ms. Pastuszko said. “You are the fabric of this institution, and we are so grateful to all of you.”