Student-Run Community Clinic Celebrates 15 Years

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured

Students celebrated the 15th anniversary of EHHOP. From left: Rebecca Choi, Saloni Agrawal, Rachel Levantovsky, Derek Kao, Michelle Tran, Mimi Chung, and Anna Stacy.

For 15 years, students at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have been providing free, confidential medical services to uninsured residents of East Harlem at a campus-based clinic at 102nd Street. Supported entirely by donors and volunteers, and supervised by physicians, the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, or EHHOP, serves more than 300 patients annually in more than 1,000 clinic visits.

On Wednesday, April 10, 150 Mount Sinai students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and friends gathered to celebrate EHHOP’s long-standing success and commitment to providing health services to the East Harlem community at a fundraising gala held at the Museum of the City of New York. The event helped move EHHOP closer to its goal of raising $100,000, which will enable it to continue supporting underserved patients.

Over the years, EHHOP has expanded beyond its primary care clinic and now operates ancillary clinics that provide care in mental health, women’s health, and ophthalmology, as well as in-house podiatry and cardiology care. EHHOP’s eye clinic distributes free prescription glasses to patients, and all prescription medications are free. The clinic recently began offering free legal services to its patients, as well.

“Beyond its dual mission of service and education, EHHOP brings together a community of students, staff, and faculty who believe that health is a human right,” said medical student and EHHOP gala co-chair James Blum.

Mitchell Katz, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest municipal health system in the United States, was the event’s keynote speaker. Dr. Katz commended EHHOP on its emphasis on primary care and mission to deliver high-quality care to all New Yorkers. EHHOP Program Director Yasmin S. Meah, MD, Associate Professor, Medicine (General Internal Medicine), Medical Education, and Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, said the show of support at the event was “energizing and moving.” Dr. Meah oversees the clinic with Medical Director David C. Thomas, MD, Professor, Medicine (General Internal Medicine), Medical Education, and Rehabilitation Medicine.

Medical student and gala co-chair Denisse Rojas-Marquez told the crowd, “What may not have been so obvious is the outpouring of support for EHHOP from Mount Sinai alumni who live in different parts of the country.” For example, she added, “An alumnus from the class of ’73 who lives in California donated the wine at tonight’s event. Everything was given with so much love to contribute to our successful event.”

Ari Bar-Mashiah, a medical student who serves as EHHOP co-chair with fellow student Pepe Muniz Rodriguez, said, “It is an honor to be able to serve patients in our own backyard, and know that we can truly make a difference in the health care landscape of our local community and New York City at large.”

 

2 New Leaders in Group Advancing Integrative Care and Health Equity

Updated on Nov 14, 2025 | Community, Engagement

Arya Nielsen, PhD, and Raymond Teets, MD, were named to leadership positions in the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health.

Two Mount Sinai educators, researchers, and clinicians who are dedicated to advancing evidence-based integrative medicine and addressing health care disparities were named in May to leadership roles in a national organization, the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health. Raymond Teets, MD, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, was named Secretary of the 10-member board of the Consortium, and Arya Nielsen, PhD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, is Member at Large.

“Connecting the mind and the body is an important part of health care, with practices like yoga, mindfulness, and healthy nutrition,” says Dr. Teets.  “It is vital to spread this message, especially in groups that have historically been underserved.” The Integrative Medicine Program at the Icahn School of Medicine focuses on education, health services, and research initiatives that support their core mission of providing access to safe, cost-effective and integrative primary care. They utilize and educate clinicians on a range of therapeutic approaches, including acupuncture, relaxation therapies, nutrition and dietary supplements, and medicine to treat illness, manage symptoms, improve health outcomes, and promote healthy behaviors and wellness. The program is closely affiliated with the Institute for Family Health, a clinical and research group that has a core mission of providing access to high-quality primary care, especially to underserved groups. It also participates in national research that addresses disparities in access to integrative care.

The Academic Consortium is an organization of 77 North American academic medical centers focusing on the advancement of evidence-based integrative medicine in research, education, and clinical care. Because the Icahn School of Medicine is an institutional member of the Consortium, all faculty, staff, and students are eligible for individual membership which provides a community of support and mentoring as well as information on developments in research, education, and integrative clinical care. 

Learn more about Integrative Medicine clinical services at Mount Sinai for both patients and employees

Mount Sinai Researchers Show That Early Intervention in Preschool Is a Unique Opportunity for Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle

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

Natalia Leal and her son Gabriel are participants in FAMILIA, which instructs preschoolers and their families on cardiovascular health.

Children may have a better chance of avoiding unhealthy habits linked to obesity and cardiovascular disease later in life if they are taught properly about healthy behaviors in preschool, Mount Sinai researchers have shown in a first-of-its-kind study.

The researchers focused on children living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged community, a situation that is commonly linked to higher rates of obesity, heart disease, and other health issues. Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital, created and led the trial, called the FAMILIA Project at Mount Sinai Heart. The results were published in the April 22 online issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Read the press release

Read more about the study in an article in Inside Mount Sinai

Patient Safety Highlighted at Events

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community

From left: Alwyn Minns, Housekeeping Aide, Environmental Services; Vivian Leonard, RPh, Director, Pharmacy; Billy Sin, PharmD, Assistant Director, Pharmacy; and Rianne Bonitto, PharmD, Clinical Coordinator, Pharmacy.

The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens kicked off Patient Safety Week on their campuses in mid-March with the screening of a documentary film, followed by two-day patient safety fairs. Organized by the Department of Risk Management and Patient Safety, the week’s events began in Hatch Auditorium with a screening of To Err Is Human, an in-depth film on patient safety, followed by a panel discussion.

Later in the week, employees at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens attended informative and fun filled Patient Safety Fairs. They participated in raffle drawings and trivia games related to best practices in patient safety. Stations highlighting pharmacy procedures, infection prevention, and quality assurance were set up for employees to receive information and ask questions.

Additionally, patient safety experts Robert Freeman, MSN, RN, Senior Director of Clinical Operations, The Mount Sinai Hospital; and Patty Skolnik, Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Citizens for Patient Safety, presented lectures on leveraging artificial intelligence to improve the quality and safety of care and how empathy and understanding positively impact the quality of care, respectively.  

Read more about Mount Sinai and the Community

New Outpatient Practice Opens At Mount Sinai West

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community

From left: Kathryn Stella, Vice President, Ambulatory Operations, Mount Sinai West; Brian T. Smith, MHA, Chief Operating Officer, Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice; Evan Flatow, MD, President, Mount Sinai West; Andrew Alexis, MD, MPH, Chair, Department of Dermatology, Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s; Barbara Murphy, MD, Chair, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System; Samuel Seward, Jr., MD, Chair, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s; Burton Drayer, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice; and Mark G. Lebwohl, MD, Chair, Department of Dermatology, Mount Sinai Health System.

Faculty and staff gathered for a recent ribbon-cutting event at Mount Sinai West to celebrate the opening of a new outpatient practice located on the second floor of the historic Ansonia Building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The 11,000-square-foot practice, Mount Sinai Doctors Ansonia, will offer comprehensive services in primary care, endocrinology, and medical and cosmetic dermatology.  

Read more Featured stories at Mount Sinai

The Jacobi Medallion: A Celebration of Excellence

Updated on Aug 6, 2025 | Alumni, Community, Featured, Research

Seated, from left: Steven J. Burakoff, MD; Ming-Ming Zhou, PhD; Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS; Daniel Maklansky, MD; Nina A. Bickell, MD, MPH; and David C. Thomas, MD, MHPE; standing, from left: Kenneth L. Davis, MD; Annapoorna S. Kini, MD, MRCP, FACC; Zahi A. Fayad, PhD; Reginald W. Miller, DVM, DACLAM; Burton A. Cohen, MD; Sandra K. Masur, PhD; and Dennis S. Charney, MD.

Nine accomplished physicians and researchers were honored with the 2019 Jacobi Medallion—one of Mount Sinai’s highest awards—at a special event held at The Plaza on Thursday, March 14.

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, addressed nearly 400 alumni, donors, faculty, and staff gathered for the awards ceremony, including Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System. The Jacobi Medallion honors Mount Sinai alumni and faculty who have distinguished themselves in education, clinical and patient care, and biomedical science, or in extraordinary service to The Mount Sinai Hospital, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, or The Mount Sinai Alumni Association.

“Our honorees have excelled as educators, administrators, researchers, and clinicians—they truly show the range of excellence that Mount Sinai is known for,” Dr. Charney said.

Dr. Charney noted the many significant accomplishments at the Icahn School of Medicine during the last year. These include initiatives to improve faculty, trainee, and student wellness, and to reduce racism and bias in medicine and medical education. He also spotlighted major genetic discoveries in the areas of cancer, inflammatory diseases, autism, and Alzheimer’s disease, and important research that is leading to new treatments for cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and depression—all as Mount Sinai embarks on new plans to expand, rebuild, and modernize its research labs, hospitals, and ambulatory care centers.

“Thank you, alumni community, for your commitment to Mount Sinai as we continue to excel as a world-class medical school and health system,” Dr. Charney said.

Burton A. Cohen, MD, President of The Mount Sinai Alumni Association and Associate Clinical Professor of Radiology, delivered opening remarks, and Sandra K. Masur, PhD, Chair of the Jacobi Medallion Award Selection Committee and Professor of Ophthalmology, introduced the recipients.

The honorees are:

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Nina A. Bickell, MD, MPH
Associate Director, Community Engaged and Equity Research, The Tisch Cancer Institute
Co-Director, Center for Health Equity and Community Engaged Research
Co-Director, Cancer Prevention and Control, The Tisch Cancer Institute
Professor, Department of Population Health Science and Policy
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Nina Andrea Bickell, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Population Health Science and Policy, a Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine), Co-Director of the Center for Health Equity and Community Engaged Research, Associate Director for Community Engaged and Equity Research at The Tisch Cancer Institute and Co-Lead of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program. At Mount Sinai since 1995, Dr. Bickell has been working with the Harlem community and safety net hospitals throughout the NYC metropolitan area to reduce disparities in cancer care. Her work assessing the role of race, obesity, insulin resistance and aggressive breast cancer have expanded collaborations nationally. Dr. Bickell has extensive experience in large-scale, multi-center trials with regional, national, and international collaborations designed to understand causes of racial disparities, promote health equity and improve the quality of cancer care. Clinically, Dr. Bickell sees patients at Mount Sinai’s Internal Medicine Associates as a primary care physician serving East and Central Harlem.

 

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Steven J. Burakoff, MD
Dean for Cancer Innovation
Chief, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Lillian and Henry M. Stratton Professor of Cancer Medicine
Professor, Department of Medicine
Professor, Department of Oncological Sciences
Professor, Jack and Lucy Clark Department of Pediatrics, Jack Martin Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Steven J. Burakoff, MD is currently the Dean for Cancer Innovation and Chief, Pediatric Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Burakoff was previously the Director of The Tisch Cancer Institute from 2007-2017 at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Prior to coming to New York, Dr. Burakoff was the Margaret M. Dyson Professor at Harvard Medical School, the first recipient of the Harvard Medical School Excellence in Mentoring Award and was a member of the Board of Trustees at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Burakoff’s contributions to the field of Immunology are demonstrated by his authorship of more than 300 publications in peer-reviewed journals and his receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Immunologists. Dr. Burakoff is a member of the Board of Directors of the Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation and the Joint Scientific Advisory Board for Stand Up to Cancer. He also serves as a member of the External Advisory Committee of several Cancer Centers.

 

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Zahi A. Fayad, PhD
Director, Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute
Lucy G. Moses Professorship in Medical Imaging and Bioengineering
Vice Chair for Research and Professor, Department of Radiology
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Zahi A. Fayad, PhD currently serves as a Professor of Radiology and Medicine (Cardiology) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where he is the founding Director of the Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Radiology. Dr. Fayad’s interdisciplinary research is dedicated to the detection and prevention of cardiovascular disease with seminal contributions in the field of multimodality biomedical imaging and nanomedicine. A faculty member of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai since 1997, his work has recently expanded to understanding the effect of stress on the immune system and cardiovascular disease. The author of more than 500 peer-reviewed publications, 50 book chapters, and 500 meeting presentations, Dr. Fayad is currently the principal investigator of numerous NIH grants, sub-contracts, and pharmaceutically-funded clinical trials. He is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards and has trained over 100 postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows, and students.

 

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Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS, MSSM ‘87
The George S. Peters, MD and Louise C. Peters Chair in Surgery
Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Surgeon-in-Chief, Temple University Health System

Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS is a 1987 graduate of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Surgeon-in-Chief of Temple University Health System, Medical Director of Perioperative Services at Temple University Hospital, and is a newly elected Director of the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Goldberg is well recognized as a superb educator – winning several teaching awards including Temple University’s highest teaching honor, The Great Teacher Award in 2018, the Lindback Award, and multiple Golden Apple Awards. Her contributions to academic medicine have earned numerous accolades throughout her career. Dr. Goldberg is widely recognized as an expert in violence prevention and improved outcomes for victims of trauma. She is also a nationally celebrated clinician scholar with a robust portfolio of highly regarded publications and presentations.

 

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Annapoorna S. Kini, MD, MRCP, FACC
Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
Director, Structural Heart Disease Program
The Mount Sinai Hospital
Director, Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program
Zena and Michael A. Wiener Professor of Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Annapoorna S. Kini, MD, MRCP, FACC, is the endowed Zena and Michael A. Wiener Professor of Medicine at the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. An internationally acclaimed leader in the field of percutaneous coronary intervention and heart valve therapy, she is the Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Director of the Structural Heart Intervention at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Kini is known for her expertise in performing complex coronary interventions and has contributed substantially in making The Mount Sinai Hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory one of the busiest and best in the world. She is highly regarded in giving quality services to adults with coronary artery disease and various forms of structural heart disease which includes Transcatheter aortic valve replacement and Transcatheter mitral valve therapies. Dr. Kini is also an excellent teacher dedicated to the teaching of both cardiology and interventional fellows.

 

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Daniel Maklansky, MD
Radiologist, New York Medical Imaging Associates
Attending Radiologist, The Mount Sinai Hospital
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Radiology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Daniel Maklansky, MD is a partner at New York Medical Imaging Associates, an Attending Radiologist at The Mount Sinai Hospital and an Associate Clinical Professor of Radiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Maklansky, a graduate of the State University of New York Downstate Medical School, has been associated with Mount Sinai, its patients, residents and fellows, and attending physicians since beginning his radiology residency here in 1959. Dr. Maklansky has authored or co-authored at least 24 peer-reviewed publications as well as multiple chapters in the gastrointestinal radiology literature. He has also trained countless medical students, radiology residents and gastroenterology fellows, both in weekly conferences that he co-chaired over many years, as well as in rotations through his office. Dr. Maklansky has been very involved with the Association of the Attending Staff of Mount Sinai, and served as the Scientific Course Director of its annual symposium over many years.

 

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Reginald W. Miller, DVM, DACLAM
Dean for Research Operations and Infrastructure
Associate Professor, Center for Comparative Medicine and Surgery
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Reginald W. Miller, DVM, DACLAM serves as the Dean for Research Operations and Infrastructure and is responsible for the oversight of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Biosafety, Environmental Health and Safety, Laboratory Safety including the Select Agents and Toxins Program (Operations), Core Facilities and Shared Resources as well as Basic Science Laboratory Infrastructure (Infrastructure). Dr. Miller is also the Senior Research Integrity Officer (RIO) for the Mount Sinai Health System. In this role, he is responsible for conducting reviews of allegations of research misconduct and ensuring that a program on the Responsible Conduct of Research is in place.

 

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David C. Thomas, MD, MHPE
System Vice Chair for Education, Department of Medicine
Associate Dean for Continuing Medical Education
Professor, Department of Medicine
Professor, Department of Medical Education
Professor, Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

David C. Thomas, MD, MHPE serves as the System Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Medicine and is the Associate Dean for Continuing Medical Education (CME) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Thomas is a Professor of Medicine, Medical Education and Rehabilitation and Human Performance. As a valued and dedicated Clinician-Educator at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Thomas has developed programs and taught at all levels of the continuum of education – from Undergraduate Medical Education to Graduate Medical Education and Continuing Medical Education. Dr. Thomas has been affiliated with Mount Sinai for over 20 years and has dedicated his entire career to the care of underserved and vulnerable patients. In 2004, he Co-Founded the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP), a student run, attending-directed clinic for uninsured members of the East Harlem community with the goal of providing equitable access to high quality, comprehensive healthcare to all.

 

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Ming-Ming Zhou, PhD
Co-Director, Drug Discovery Institute
Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Professorship in Physiology and Biophysics
Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacological Sciences
Professor, Department of Oncological Sciences
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Ming-Ming Zhou, PhD is the Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Professorship in Physiology and Biophysics and Chairman of the Department of Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also Co-Director of the Drug Discovery Institute, and Professor of Oncological Sciences. His research interest is directed at better understanding of the basic principles that governs epigenetic regulation of gene transcription in human biology of health and diseases. The Zhou Lab was the first to discover the bromodomain as the lysine-acetylated histone binding domain (‘chromatin reader’) in gene transcription (Nature 1999), and demonstrate druggability and therapeutic potential of modulating bromodomain/acetyl-lysine binding in gene expression to treat a wide array of human diseases including cancer and inflammation. This concept has had a transformative impact in epigenetic drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Zhou was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2012.

Read more about the Jacobi Medallion and Mount Sinai Alumni