Mount Sinai Doctors Long Island Celebrates New Location

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured

From left: Kenneth L. Davis, MD; patient Elly Arabadjief with her mother, Tracy; father, Justin; and sister, Abigail; and Alicia Gresham, Vice President of Operations, Mount Sinai Health Network.

Mount Sinai Doctors Long Island is expanding its reach with the opening of a new health complex in Greenlawn to better serve the northwestern communities of Suffolk County. The modern and spacious 80,000-square-foot location, at 5 Cuba Hill Road, offers primary care, 20 medical and surgical specialties, a comprehensive Women’s Center, and an infusion center, as well as onsite radiology and laboratory services. The facility consolidates the Mount Sinai Doctors Long Island practices from three separate locations in Huntington.

A ribbon-cutting for the $22 million facility, developed in conjunction with Simone Healthcare Development Group, was held on Thursday, October 18, and was attended by about 100 guests, among them Mount Sinai executives and Long Island elected officials, including Hempstead Town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci, as well as physicians and managers from several Mount Sinai Doctors Long Island locations.

Patient Elly Arabadjief, with pediatric hepatologist Jaime Chu, MD.

“Residents of Long Island deserve high-quality, convenient care close to home, and Mount Sinai is meeting that need,” said Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. “With an expanded primary and specialty care network and a Long Island footprint that includes 200 physicians and other experts at 11 multidisciplinary practice locations, Mount Sinai is transforming care in this area. Our goal is to keep patients and communities healthy by providing health care excellence close to home and work.”

At the new Cuba Hill Road facility, 70 board certified physicians working with nurses and other medical staff are providing primary care, as well as specialty care in allergy, asthma, and immunology; cardiology; dermatology; endocrinology; gastroenterology; hematology/oncology; nephrology; neurology; obstetrics and gynecology; ophthalmology; orthopedics; pain management; general pediatrics; pediatric gastroenterology; podiatry; pulmonology; rheumatology; surgery; and urology. For patients’ convenience, the office offers extended hours, ample parking, and comfortable waiting areas.

“Mount Sinai Doctors Long Island is expanding access to specialty care with a local state-of-the-art facility that will serve as a medical hub for this community,” said Arthur A. Klein, MD, President of the Mount Sinai Health Network. “Our physician partners will work collaboratively and tirelessly to provide personalized care for each patient. We are proud to bring the renowned services of Mount Sinai to serve the residents of Suffolk County and beyond.”

Guests gathered in the main waiting area of the new Mount Sinai Doctors Long Island location at 5 Cuba Hill Road in Greenlawn for the ribbon-cutting celebration.

A very special guest at the event was 8-year-old patient Elly Arabadjief. She and her family were honored for their efforts to raise awareness for Wilson disease, a rare inherited disorder that was diagnosed in Elly in August 2017 by her Mount Sinai Doctors Long Island pediatrician, Steven J. Brunner, MD. Elly’s father, Justin Arabadjief, gave an emotional speech as he expressed the family’s profound gratitude for Dr. Brunner’s astute diagnosis and credited him with saving his daughter’s life. Individuals with Wilson disease lack an enzyme, which causes copper to accumulate in the liver and other vital organs. The disease can be fatal if not discovered early.

Recalling the Wilson Disease Association conference he attended in 2018, Mr. Arabadjief said he met patients of all ages, at varying stages of their illness. “We heard horror stories of missed diagnoses, but we only met a small handful like Elly, who were lucky enough to have had this disease discovered early enough to have every chance at a long, happy, healthy life.”

Dr. Brunner said, “I always say pediatrics is not just about colds, coughs, and sore throats. There’s always that needle in the haystack that you have to be on the lookout for, and this case was definitely a needle in the haystack.”

It was Dr. Brunner who immediately referred Elly to Joanne Lai, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Pediatric Gastroenterology), who is based in Manhattan and practices at Mount Sinai Doctors Long Island on a sessional basis, and to Jaime Chu, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Pediatric Hepatology), who practices at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in Manhattan.

“We were fast-tracked with several specialists to review Elly’s symptoms and help with the diagnosis,” said Mr. Arabadjief. “We are thankful for all of the kind, compassionate people at various Mount Sinai locations we have met along the way to help get us through one of the scariest things that can happen to a family.”

 

From left: Jeffrey Vacirca, MD, Chief Executive Officer, New York Cancer & Blood Specialists; Kenneth L. Davis, MD; Arthur A. Klein, MD; Luis Isola, MD, Medical Director, Mount Sinai Cancer Network; and Benjamin Kornitzer, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President, Mount Sinai Health Network.

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Honoring Excellence in Patient Communication

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community

Honorees who attended the reception were joined by Vicki LoPachin, MD, second row, left; Edgar M. Cullman, Jr., second row, second from right; and Burton P. Drayer, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice, third row, fourth from left.

Recipients of the 2018 Cullman Family Award for Excellence in Physician Communication were honored at a reception held Tuesday, October 30, at the Corporate Services Center. For the past three years, this annual award has honored Mount Sinai Health System physicians and advanced practice providers who demonstrate exceptional communication in clinical practice.

Recipients of this year’s award were ranked in the top one percent nationally in provider communication for 2017, as measured by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems patient experience survey. Of the 35 recipients, 12 have received the honor multiple times.

Making the presentations were Vicki LoPachin, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of the Mount Sinai Health System, along with Mount Sinai Trustees Edgar M. Cullman, Jr., and Susan R. Cullman. Dr. LoPachin said patients had used words such as “awesome,” “best,” “thoughtful,” and “excellent” when describing the honorees, adding: “As the Health System reinforces its goal of putting patients at the center of all that we do, we are proud that
you have been leading the way .”

The recipients of the 2018 Cullman Family Award for Excellence in Physician Communication

Aliza Ben-Zacharia, DrNP                  Tonia Kim, MD
Carolyn Brockington, MD                   Jason Kindt, DO
Rachel Brozinsky, MD                        Jason Kovacic, MD, PhD
Michael Buckstein, MD, PhD             Stephen Krieger, MD
Jillian Capodice, MS, LAC                  Alefiyah Malbari, MD
Kelly Cassano, DO                            Stuart Morduchowitz, MD
Lori Croft, MD                                   Thomas Nicosia, MD
Sandra Delapenha, Audiologist        Lauren Peccoralo, MD, MPH
Christopher DiMaio, MD                   Kalmon Post, MD
David Dunkin, MD                             Elliott Rosch, MD
Lori Garjian, MD                               Kenneth Rosenzweig, MD
Sunil George, MD                             Prantik Saha, MD, MPH
Paul Ginelli, MD                                Vicki Shanker, MD
Thomas Goldman, DPM                    Rajesh Shenoy, MD
Marsha Gordon, MD                         Shubhika Srivastava, MBBS
Jessica Grant, MD                             Marla Stern, MD
Vishal Gupta, MD                              Paul Thodiyil, MD
Carolyn Iocolano, FNP-BC, PhD

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Center to Enhance Clinical and Operational Outcomes

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured

Attending the ribbon-cutting were, from left: Larry Attia, MD, Associate Medical Director for Clinical Informatics, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West; family members Ela Navarro, Clara Jones, and Cody Jones; Arthur Gianelli, MBA, MPH; Timothy Day, Chief Operating Officer, Mount Sinai West; Peter and Bridget Jones, the parents of the late James P. Jones, MD; and Lucy Xenophon, MD, MPH.

Mount Sinai St. Luke’s celebrated the opening of The James P. Jones Daily Management and Incident Command Center on Wednesday, December 5, with a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony. James P. Jones, MD, who passed away unexpectedly in December 2016, served as Vice President of Administration for Mount Sinai West and Senior Medical Director of Clinical Documentation Quality Improvement for the Mount Sinai Health System.

With astounding energy and passion, he led collaborative efforts across the Health System to enhance clinical and operational outcomes at all levels of care.

“Dr. Jones’s commitment to enhancing patient care, experience, and outcomes was apparent throughout his 16-year career,” said Arthur A. Gianelli, MBA, MPH, President of Mount Sinai St. Luke’s. “We are honored to dedicate this Center to a wonderful friend, teacher, and colleague who touched the lives of so many of us.” At the ceremony were 140 Mount Sinai colleagues, friends, and family members, including Dr. Jones’s widow, Clara, and their son, Cody.

The late James P. Jones, MD

The Daily Management and Incident Command Center is the first of its kind in the Health System and was created in partnership with the Epic Clinical Transformation Group, the IT Program Management Office, and the Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Lean Team, an effort that also involved a number of other multidisciplinary groups. It was established to serve as a real-time operational monitoring hub for Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, with the goal of improving patient flow and daily hospital operations. It also is outfitted to act as an incident command center in times of hospital emergencies.

“The opening of this Center reflects the commitment and passion of many people throughout the Health System over the last 18 months to harness real-time hospital data to improve, on a daily basis, the way in which we deliver health care,” said Lucy Xenophon, MD, MPH, Chief Transformation Officer at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and co-founder of the Center. “I can think of no other tribute to James that is more fitting to honor his legacy of intelligence, humor, respect, and courage to fight for continuous improvement.”

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Growing Up with the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Adolescent Health, Community, Featured

“The Adolescent Health Center enabled me to take advantage of opportunities that might have otherwise been out of reach,” says Mary Medina.

In 1949, Mary Medina’s mom came to New York from her native Puerto Rico at nine years old. By the age of 20, she was a single mother of four and was determined to give her children a different life than the one she had had.

So when she heard about the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, she took her kids there for primary care and reproductive health services to make sure they had the care and information that would enable them to get an education and start a career without the challenges of teen pregnancy.

Ms. Medina, who grew up with her mom and three brothers in East Harlem and the Bronx, was 13 at her first visit. It was easy to talk to the health care providers there and ask them questions about sex and contraception.

To her mother’s relief, she succeeded in grammar and high school, and she went to college. That was followed by more achievements: She continued on to graduate school, where she received a Master of Social Work and also a law degree.

Today, Mary Medina, JD, MSW, remembers her introduction to Mount Sinai. “When I was a child, my mom first took us to the pediatric clinic, and then to the Adolescent Health Center. I grew up there,” Ms. Medina says.

Years later, after she completed her training, she learned about a position at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, as it was then known. “It was a no brainer for me to apply,” she says. “It was where I felt I belonged. I’ve always considered Mount Sinai my home.”

Ms. Medina spent more than 16 years working at Mount Sinai, eventually attaining the position of Director of Government Relations. It was a significant step in launching Ms. Medina’s successful 35-year career in health care, which included positions as Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, and Executive Director of the Greater New York Hospital Association. Today, she is a part-time attorney in private practice, serves on the Board of Directors of the Health Care Chaplaincy Network, and is a volunteer end-of-life doula.

Ms. Medina says, “The Adolescent Health Center enabled me to take advantage of opportunities that might have otherwise been out of reach.”

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South Nassau Communities Hospital Becomes Mount Sinai’s Flagship Hospital on Long Island

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured

From left: Kenneth L. Davis, MD; Joseph J. Fennessy; and Richard J. Murphy announce the partnership at a news conference on Long Island.

South Nassau Communities Hospital and the Mount Sinai Health System have finalized a partnership that will make South Nassau Mount Sinai’s flagship hospital on Long Island and bring advanced-level health care to the South Shore of Nassau County and to Long Island.

The comprehensive agreement has received enthusiastic support of the boards of directors of both institutions and positions Mount Sinai and South Nassau to expand access to innovative approaches in patient care, treatment, and research to the communities of Long Island.

“Our collective goal is to provide the highest quality of care to patients on Long Island,” says Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. Adds Richard J. Murphy, South Nassau’s President and Chief Executive Officer, “Mount Sinai is a world-class institution with a leading medical school, and this affiliation will allow our patients to have access to some of the top physicians and most advanced treatments available.  It also will help South Nassau reach the next level in our role as a growing regional medical center.”

As part of the relationship, Mount Sinai will help expand South Nassau’s campus and services, including plans for a new four-story addition in Oceanside with an expanded Emergency Department and new intensive care beds and surgical suites.

“Our affiliation with Mount Sinai provides a once-in-a-lifetime  opportunity to combine their comprehensive network of coordinated primary, acute, and specialized health care services, along with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, with the health care needs of the communities we serve,” says Joseph J. Fennessy, Chairman of South Nassau’s Board of Directors. “Mount Sinai is about advancing the science of medicine while improving patient outcomes, which is why this is a good fit with South Nassau’s culture. Patients on Long Island should not have to travel to Manhattan for world-class care.”

“Over the past 10 months, we have been working diligently to prepare to combine Mount Sinai’s academic, clinical, and research expertise with South Nassau’s community-based care,” says Arthur Klein, MD, President of the Mount Sinai Health Network. “Already, Mount Sinai specialists are collaborating with physicians at South Nassau to provide more specialized, advanced care. We are also working together to secure important new recruitments. Mount Sinai and South Nassau have received approval for a new allopathic internal medicine residency program to advance the academic mission of South Nassau Communities Hospital and to ensure a dedicated physician workforce. Our vision is to provide seamless, high-quality integrated care to patients.”

South Nassau’s Board of Directors announced its plans with Mount Sinai in January 2018 after having signed a nonbinding letter of intent in May of 2017. Its Board of Directors will be retained and direct the day-to-day operations of the Oceanside campus. The South Nassau and Mount Sinai boards will share representation on each other’s boards, with South Nassau’s Chairman, Mr. Fennessy, serving on the Mount Sinai Executive Committee.

The plan has been approved by the New York State Department of Health, the New York State Attorney General, the New York State Department of Education, and the New York State Office of Mental Health. It has also won the support of local community leaders and elected officials who welcome Mount Sinai to Long Island.

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Athletes Lift the Spirits of Patients At Kravis Children’s Hospital

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Pediatrics

Two Ultimate Fighting Championship athletes, Gian Villante and Aljamain Sterling, made an exciting visit to the Child Life Zone at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital on Thursday, November 1, where they appeared on a live KidZone TV show that was broadcast throughout the hospital.

The two mixed martial arts fighters answered questions from the pediatric viewing audience and later visited children at their bedsides, where they chatted, handed out action figures, and posed for keepsake photos.

“They brought such joy and truly lifted the spirits of our pediatric patients and families through their in-person and on-air interactions,” says Diane Rode, Director, Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy, Mount Sinai Kravis Children’ s Hospital.

Mr. Sterling said he was happy to visit the hospital and serve briefly as a role model. “For the kids, I related it all to life: You lose sometimes. There are ups and down; there are obstacles, but you always have to get back up and keep pushing forward.”

From left: Aljamain Sterling, patient Andres Mendoza, and Gian Villante.

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