Roshi Joan Halifax, right, with Deborah Marin, MD, Director, Center for Spirituality and Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and the Reverend David Fleenor, STM, BCC, Director of Education, Center for Spirituality and Health.

Show compassion for patients, for co-workers, and most important, for yourself. That was the central message of the recent Spiritual Health Symposium, sponsored by the Mount Sinai Center for Spirituality and Health and the Department of Nursing. About 125 faculty, staff, and students attended the event in Goldwurm Auditorium, receiving a detailed road map to cultivating compassion in the practice of health care.

A keynote speaker of the event was Roshi Joan Halifax, PhD, founder of the Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Roshi Halifax— whose title means she is the spiritual leader of a community of Buddhist monks—consults with health systems around the world on compassionate care, but she began her life as a “good Christian girl” in Savannah, Georgia. Her grandmother was a trusted figure in the community who cared for sick neighbors and helped prepare the dead for burial. Roshi Halifax said that listening to her grandmother’s stories taught her three things: that death is normal, that death is a mystery, and that caring for people who are profoundly ill “is sacred work.”

Compassion is essential in health care, Roshi Halifax said, and instead of leading to “compassion fatigue,” it generally gives providers a sense of well-being and purpose. But still, they are at risk of falling into the “shadow” side of altruism and empathy—neglecting to take care of themselves, or empathizing so strongly that they become distressed and ineffective. To help strike a balance in compassion, Roshi Halifax has developed a process called GRACE to use in challenging situations, or in day-to-day patient care. She explained: The “G” of grace is gathering your attention, pausing for a moment. The “R” is recalling your intention, generally to alleviate suffering. The “A” of grace is attuning to yourself, assessing your physical and emotional state and how it may be affecting your interaction with the patient. The “C” is considering what will serve the patient best, and trying to do it. And the “E” is ending the process, perhaps with a thank you or an expression of appreciation.

The other keynote speaker was Shane Sinclair, PhD, Director of the Compassion Research Lab, University of Calgary in Canada, who is a  leader in the study of compassion in health care. “Compassion is like empathy on steroids,” Dr. Sinclair said. “It not only requires action but it extends beyond individuals we can relate to, or we feel are worthy of our care. It targets those we may not easily relate to: the disenfranchised, the homeless, the vulnerable, our enemies, and even to the proverbial ‘difficult patient.’”

Panelists included members of the departments of Nursing, Psychiatry, and Spiritual Care and Education, and leaders of initiatives to improve well-being, such as the Employee Assistance Program, Mount Sinai Fit, and Mount Sinai Calm. “The single most important thing that we can do is listen to the people in our lives and in our work space,” said panelist Jane Maksoud, RN, MPA, Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations, Mount Sinai Health System. “If you are ready to listen, without ego, to what the other person has to say, you will make tremendous strides in personal and professional growth and interpersonal connection.”

From left: Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System; David L. Reich, MD, President and Chief Operating Officer, The Mount Sinai Hospital; and Vicki LoPachin, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Mount Sinai Health System.

The Mount Sinai Hospital has again been named by U.S. News & World Report to its 2019-2020 “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll. This distinction was awarded to the nation’s top 21 hospitals for their “exceptional care” in treating complex cases across 16 specialties, as well as for their performance in nine common procedures and conditions.

This year, The Mount Sinai Hospital has been ranked No. 14 out of approximately 5,000 hospitals across the nation, moving up four places from last year’s ranking, and building on its excellence in providing the highest quality of care across many different areas. Helping to drive this excellence were the Hospital’s eight specialty areas that each received a Top 20 national ranking, up from five specialties last year.

“These rankings reflect our ongoing commitment to innovative medicine and excellence in patient-centered care, and are a testament to the talented and compassionate team of physicians, nurses, and support staff who work tirelessly to improve the health and lives of our patients and their families,” says Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. “We are honored to be part of the elite group of hospitals and academic health systems demonstrating expertise in treating complex conditions, advancing medicine, and designing new, efficient models of care delivery.”

Adds 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: “Mount Sinai is a recognized leader in groundbreaking scientific discoveries that are transforming the way human diseases are diagnosed and treated. Our world-renowned physicians and scientists are driving innovation in biomedical science and clinical excellence.”

In addition, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai was nationally ranked No. 12 in Ophthalmology, and South Nassau Communities Hospital, Mount Sinai’s flagship hospital on Long Island, was nationally ranked No. 35 in Urology. Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospitals, and South Nassau Communities Hospital were all ranked regionally.

The Mount Sinai Hospital specialty areas that achieved a national ranking this year are:

• Geriatrics, ranked No. 3
• Cardiology & Heart Surgery, ranked No. 6
• Diabetes & Endocrinology, ranked No. 7
• Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, ranked No. 9
• Nephrology, ranked No. 11
• Neurology & Neurosurgery, ranked No. 14
• Gynecology, ranked No. 18
• Orthopedics, ranked No. 18
• Ear, Nose & Throat, ranked No. 28

Cardiology & Heart Surgery; Diabetes & Endocrinology; Ear, Nose & Throat; Gynecology; Nephrology; Neurology & Neurosurgery; and Orthopedics all improved their rankings from last year. Four other specialties—Cancer, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, Rehabilitation, and Urology—were rated as “High Performing.”

U.S. News used criteria such as patient survival and safety data, adequacy of nurse staffing levels, and other objective measures to largely determine the rankings in most specialties.

U.S. News also determined that The Mount Sinai Hospital performed significantly better than the national average in seven common surgical procedures and chronic conditions, an additional component in Honor Roll calculations. Those procedures and conditions are: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, heart bypass surgery, colon cancer surgery, and lung cancer surgery, and treatment of heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“This recognition exemplifies our unwavering commitment to delivering quality, safety, and superior service in caring for patients and their families,” says David L. Reich, MD, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Mount Sinai Hospital. “It is a privilege to lead this community of outstanding clinicians and health care professionals who are deserving of this recognition.”

To learn more about the “Best Hospitals” rankings, which were created to assist patients and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to seek care, go to https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings.