Community | Mount Sinai Today

Leaders and Staff Salute Mount Sinai’s Volunteers

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

Leaders and staff at Mount Sinai Brooklyn honored their long-serving volunteers. From left: Rose Huczko, 1,957 volunteer hours; Roman Khait, Patient Representative; Ruth Mermelstein, 1,339 volunteer hours; Frank Rotelli, 3,263 volunteer hours; Philip Fagin, 2,607 volunteer hours; Scott Lorin, MD; Linda Valentino, RN, Chief Nursing O cer and Vice President of Patient Care Services; Jean Chin, 3,972 volunteer hours; Deborah Dean, MD, Chief of Emergency Medicine; Morris Jacobs, 1,397 volunteer hours; Rabbi Jacob Hoenig; and Maia Makharadze.

During National Volunteer Recognition Week, the more than 1,000 volunteers at The Mount Sinai Hospital and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai who provide support, assistance, kindness, and compassion to countless individuals every day were honored at a breakfast held Wednesday, April 25, in Annenberg West Lobby.

At The Mount Sinai Hospital and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Volunteer Recognition Breakfast, from left: Dennis S. Charney, MD; Shari Kaplan, LCSW; Kenneth L. Davis, MD; and David L. Reich, MD.

“Our volunteers are such an integral part of the Mount Sinai community, and they have a unique and valuable perspective on caring and compassion,” Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, told the guests. “Your humanity shines through. We are at our best, thanks to you.”

According to the Department of Volunteer Services, which hosted the breakfast, volunteers serve in every area of patient care, research, and administration throughout the hospital and School of Medicine, representing a broad expanse of backgrounds—doctors, teachers, lawyers, retirees, and high school, medical, and graduate students, among them.

“When visitors walk into one of our buildings and are greeted by a volunteer, they get a sense of what Mount Sinai is all about—they feel that they are part of our family,” said 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.

“You are incredibly special—just taking a moment to be kind to someone sets a tone that brings a better experience for everyone,” David L. Reich, MD, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Mount Sinai Hospital, reminded the volunteers.

The recently named Director of the Department of Volunteer Services, Shari Kaplan, LCSW, opened the festivities, telling the guests: “Today is about you—our kind, generous, priceless, and committed volunteers who share your time and passion with us every day.”

Ramona Gross, center, with Mount Sinai West volunteers Fahmida Uddin, left, and Missi Gibbs.

Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s recognized their volunteers at an awards ceremony and reception held at the Symphony Space Performing Arts Center on the Upper West Side on Wednesday, April 18. Arthur A. Gianelli, MPH, President of Mount Sinai St. Luke’s; Tim Day, Chief Operating Officer, Mount Sinai West; and Meredith Lisagor, MDiv, Director of Spiritual Care, joined the Volunteer Services team, led by Director Amy Bush and Assistant Director Ramona Gross, in honoring the more than 80 volunteers in attendance. One outstanding volunteer, Naomi Goldberg, was recognized for 10 years of service at Mount Sinai West in the Emergency Department and the Division of Hematology/Oncology.

Jeremy Boal, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, and President, Mount Sinai Downtown, led staff in saluting 53 volunteers who attended a reception in the Bernstein Building on Tuesday, April 17. When Dinah Jacobson, who oversees Volunteer Services at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, asked staff and volunteers to share stories about their experiences, retired nurse Jackie Slawsky, a volunteer for Surgical Admitting, spoke up. “I’ve been volunteering at Mount Sinai Beth Israel for several years,” she said, “and there isn’t another place that welcomes you like family. I really feel like I matter to the staff and patients.”

At Mount Sinai Brooklyn, an afternoon of activities on Thursday, April 19, included a recognition ceremony, as well as a Musician Volunteer Concert and Spring Volunteer Workshop.

Scott Lorin, MD, newly named President of Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Maia Makharadze, who manages the Department of Volunteer Services; and Rabbi Jacob Hoenig, Director of Pastoral Care and Education, presented a “Best in Brooklyn Volunteer Award” to eight volunteers who have devoted more than 1,000 hours in service to patients—with one volunteer reaching nearly 4,000 hours. Said Ms. Makharadze: “We have very dedicated and multi-talented volunteers who give so much of their time to Mount Sinai Brooklyn.”

Stefan Balan, MD, Director of Cancer Network Development, Brooklyn; and Chief of Hematology and Oncology, Mount Sinai Brooklyn, expressed the gratitude of all when he addressed the volunteers. “We are a hospital, a place where nobody chooses to be—except you who come here and want to make a difference in someone’s life, to make them feel better, to embrace them, and listen to them. For all this, we thank you.”

Staying Fit With Mount Sinai Heart

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Cardiology, Community

On a beautiful Saturday morning in April, more than 100 Mount Sinai Heart employees, including faculty, fellows, nurses, and staff , along with their families, participated in the 5th Annual 5k Run for Fun & Yoga in Central Park. Organized by Annapoorna S. Kini, MD, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at The Mount Sinai Hospital, and the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Professor of Medicine, the run took place around the Central Park Reservoir and was followed by a 30-minute yoga session on the East Meadow Lawn led by Dr. Kini, pictured above. “As cardiovascular specialists, we encourage our patients to exercise in order to live the longest and healthiest lives possible,” says Dr. Kini. “As health care providers, we need to ensure that we remain active and lead heart-healthy lives ourselves. We have made it a priority to lead by example, and we look forward to keeping this tradition going on an annual basis.”

Winning Presentations for Child Health Research Day

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Pediatrics, School

Nine Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai researchers gave oral presentations on a range of topics, including child psychiatry, environmental medicine, and maternal health, at the 20th Annual Child Health Research Day, held on Thursday, April 26, in Hatch Auditorium. Sponsored by the Jack and Lucy Clark Department of Pediatrics, The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, and the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, the two-day event highlighted outstanding research in child health by medical students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and staff . The event also allowed young investigators to share their research with colleagues and network with potential collaborators. Six poster presenters were additionally selected for special recognition. A total of 94 research projects were submitted this year.

The nine oral presenters included, front row, from left: Devora Issero, MD Candidate, Class of 2020, and Maya Deyssenroth, DrPH; middle row, from left: Lianna Lipton, MD, MS; Mikaela Rowe, Clinical Research Coordinator; and Erik de Water, PhD; and back row, from left: Elizabeth Spencer, MD; and Julie Flom, MD, MPH. Oral presenters not pictured: Conor Gruber, MD/PhD Candidate, Class of 2023; and Amy R. Kontorovich, MD, PhD.

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony For Ambulatory Pavilion

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community

Community leaders, elected officials, physicians, neighbors, and staff joined executives from The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in May to celebrate the official opening of the hospital’s six-story, 140,000-square-foot Ambulatory Pavilion in Astoria. The facility features an expanded Emergency Department, six new operating rooms, state-of-the-art imaging, and outpatient services staffed with primary care physicians, surgeons, and other specialists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The entrance to the Pavilion was dedicated as the Kaufman Astoria Studios Entrance. The Studios, a neighborhood mainstay since 1920, provided support to the Hospital’s building project.

From left: Jimmy Van Bramer, New York City Council; Aravella Simotas, New York State Assembly; Costa Constantinides, New York City Council; David L. Reich, MD, President, The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens; Caryn A. Schwab, Executive Director, Mount Sinai Queens; Michael Minikes, Trustee, Mount Sinai Health System; Hal G. Rosenbluth, President and Chief Executive Officer, Kaufman Astoria Studios, Inc.; Michael Gianaris, New York State Senate; and Thomas J. Grech, President and Chief Executive Officer, Queens Chamber of Commerce.

BioBank Program Celebrates National DNA Day

May 22, 2018 | Community

Amanda B. Merkelson, MPH, spoke with potential participants at DNA Day. Photographed by Bruna Purtell.

While enjoying cake pops arranged in the shape of a double helix, visitors engaged with staff from the BioMe™ BioBank Program at the National DNA Day fair held on Wednesday, April 25, in Guggenheim Pavilion. More than 200 attended the fair, which commemorates the discovery of the molecular structure of DNA in 1953 and the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. The annual fair also aims to educate the public about the event’s organizer, the BioMe BioBank Program of The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, which collects de-identified DNA and plasma for research purposes. During the five-hour fair, 127 participants had DNA and plasma extracted onsite by BioMe, which to date has enrolled more than 42,000 people.

“This DNA Day celebrated BioMe’s achievements and advances in the personalized medicine revolution started at Mount Sinai 11 years ago,” said Amanda B. Merkelson, MPH, BioMe Biobank Managing Director. “I cannot think of a more fun way to bring everyone associated with BioMe together and an easier way to participate in making treatments and diagnoses safer and better for the patients who need them the most.”

Respiratory Institute Opens Second Location

May 22, 2018 | Community, MSBI

The Mount Sinai – National Jewish Health Respiratory Institute opened its second Manhattan location on Monday, April 16, in Union Square, where specialists now treat asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension, lung cancer, interstitial lung disease, and chronic lung disorders. After entering into a collaborative agreement in 2015, the Mount Sinai Health System and National Jewish Health, a leading respiratory hospital based in Denver, opened its first Institute on The Mount Sinai Hospital campus. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Mount Sinai Union Square, leaders from both health systems noted the Institute’s high patient volume and commitment to personalized care.

From left: Richard J. Martin, MD, Chair, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health; Barbara Murphy, MD, Chair, Samuel Bronfman Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System; Charles A. Powell, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai – National Jewish Health Respiratory Institute; David J. Steiger, MD, Chief, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Mount Sinai West; 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; and Michael Salem, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Jewish Health.