Community | Mount Sinai Today

Smiles and Encouragement from 2017 Heisman Trophy Winner

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Pediatrics

Baker Mayfield autographed a football for Darrell Clarke.

The 2017 Heisman Memorial Trophy winner Baker Mayfield delighted patients at Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mount Sinai during a visit on Sunday, December 10, a day after receiving college football’s most prestigious award. Mr. Mayfield’s visit was arranged by Companions in Courage, a nonprofit foundation founded by hockey star Pat LaFontaine, and coordinated by the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department. The senior quarterback from the University of Oklahoma autographed footballs for patients and participated in a question-and-answer session before patients and families with 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. Recorded in the KidZone TV studio, the session was broadcast live throughout the hospital for those who were unable to attend. “Kids who have had struggles, they put a smile on their faces,” Mr. Mayfield said. “They are fighting for happiness.” He told patients, “Never give up. Just keep fighting.”

Dubin Breast Center Honors Three Individuals at Sixth Annual Benefit

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Breast Cancer, Community

From left, honorees Steven J. Burakoff, MD; Brooke Morrow; and Kara DioGuardi.

The Dubin Breast Center of The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Mount Sinai Health System recently held its sixth annual benefit at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan. The celebratory event attracted 520 guests and raised a record $3.4 million to support the Center’s breast health and treatment programs.

From left, Eva Andersson-Dubin, MD; Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System; and Elisa Port, MD, FACS.

The evening honored Kara DioGuardi, Brooke Morrow, and Steven J. Burakoff, MD, Dean for Cancer Innovation at The Tisch Cancer Institute. Eva Andersson-Dubin, MD, founder of the Center and a Mount Sinai Trustee, and Elisa Port, MD, FACS, the Center’s Director, presented the awards.

Ms. DioGuardi and Ms. Morrow, close friends who helped each other through two different breast cancer journeys at the Center, were recognized for their inspirational stories of survivorship and their ongoing support of the Center. Dr. Burakoff was honored for his overall commitment to cancer research and clinical care and for his role in leading The Tisch Cancer Institute to be recognized as a National Cancer Institute designated cancer program. Dr. Burakoff, the Founding Director of The Tisch Cancer Institute, is also Lillian and Henry M. Stratton Professor of Cancer Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

A Celebration of Achievement and Alumni Bonds at the VF Society Anniversary Dinner

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured

Former trainees gathered around Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, front row, center, at the 16th Year Anniversary Dinner of the VF Society.

More than 140 members of the VF Society, a nonprofit alumni association for the training graduates of Mount Sinai’s Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, recently gathered for its 16th Year Anniversary Dinner.

The Society is named for Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, the Institute’s Director, who is also Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital, and the Director of Mount Sinai Heart and the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Cardiovascular Health.

The VF Society was created by former trainees to honor Dr. Fuster’s strong commitment to them, and to strengthen their alumni bonds with The Mount Sinai Hospital.

Learning How to Save a Life

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Cardiology, Community

Members of the Mount Sinai Heart team at the CPR Fair.

Matilda Mullen, RN, provided life-saving demonstrations at The Mount Sinai Hospital community health fair.

More than 250 attendees—including 66 public school students—recently received hands-on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) instruction at community health fairs organized by the Mount Sinai Health System.

Held at four Health System campuses, the events aimed to increase awareness of sudden cardiac arrest, a condition that can only be treated by immediate, correct use of CPR or AED. According to the American Heart Association, each year more than 350,000 adults and children will experience the often fatal condition.

“If CPR and/or AED are used within minutes to resuscitate a person who experiences sudden cardiac arrest, it may help to save a life,” says Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, Senior Vice President, Cardiac Services, Mount Sinai Health System. “With proper knowledge and skills, anyone can save a life during an emergency.”

Recognition for Excellence in Neuroscience Research

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, School

Lakshmi A. Devi, PhD, left, Dean for Academic Development and Enrichment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, began the year as a designated 2018 WCBR (Winter Conference on Brain Research) Pioneer for her neuroscience research on opioid and cannabinoid signaling in analgesia and addiction.

Along with her team, Dr. Devi, Professor of Pharmacology, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine, has demonstrated that G protein-coupled receptors can function as heterodimers, with unique pharmacology and selective upregulation associated with various disease states. Dr. Devi also serves as an engaged mentor in the field of neuroscience.

The WCBR provides an annual forum for the sharing and dissemination of the latest advances in neuroscience and supports continuing education, mentorship, diversity, outreach, and financial support for junior investigators. Dr. Devi serves on the WCBR Board of Directors.

Easier Access to Care at Mount Sinai Doctors Forest Hills

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Primary Care

Above, from left: Steven Shayani, MD, Medical Director, Mount Sinai Doctors- Long Island Heart; Herbert S. Lempel, MD, Medical Director, Mount Sinai Doctors Forest Hills; Michael J. Robbins, MD, Mount Sinai Doctors Forest Hills, Cardiology; Benjamin S. Kornitzer, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President, Mount Sinai Business Development; Brad Blumenfeld, Vice President, Blumenfeld Development Group; and Alicia Gresham, Vice President, Network Operations, Mount Sinai Health System.

Medical Assistant Marissa Reyes welcomed Marie D. Soffer to the practice.

Those who live and work in the Rego Park/ Forest Hills communities of Queens now have easier access to care with the recent opening of Mount Sinai Doctors Forest Hills. The nearly 16,500-square-foot facility brings together, under one roof, four existing Mount Sinai specialty practices from the area.

A ribbon-cutting and an open house last fall were celebratory events that attracted Mount Sinai leadership and physicians, city and local government officials, and the public. The facility offers specialists in primary care, cardiology, endocrinology, general and vascular surgery, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, and urology. Radiology and lab services are also available onsite. Located at 99-01 Queens Boulevard between 66th Road and 67th Avenue, it is easily reached by city buses, and the M and R trains. For an appointment, call 718-520-6100.