In a Q&A with Cardiovascular Business, Donna Mendes, MD, a vascular surgeon at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West, talks about diversity at Mount Sinai, how the industry has become more diverse over the years, and why all providers should make it a priority.
Thousands of visitors and staff attended health fairs held across the Mount Sinai Health System on Friday, February 3—Go Red for Women Day®—which spotlights cardiovascular disease.
“Typically, women overestimate their risk for cancer and underestimate the risk for heart disease,” the leading cause of death for American women, says Mary Ann McLaughlin, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “A shared commitment to the cardiovascular health and well-being of the community has allowed us to offer this event for 14 years in a row,” says Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, Senior Vice President, Cardiac Services, Mount Sinai Health System. Watch the video.
The fairs featured free screening for blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride level, and body mass index. Spearheaded by Mount Sinai Heart nurses, the event was a multidisciplinary effort, with the support of the Patricia S. Levinson Center for Community and Multicultural Affairs, the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Alliance, Clinical Nutrition Services, and more.
Mount Sinai Fit’s Wellness Lunch and Learn series, “Mount Sinai Cooks Around the World,” featured advice about mindful, heart-healthy eating, with demonstrations by Mount Sinai Health System officials, from left, Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, Senior Vice President, Cardiac Services; Annapoorna Kini, MD, Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory; Jane Maksoud, RN, MPA, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer; and Archimedes Bibiano, Adaptive Yoga and Mindfulness Instructor. During the Wednesday, February 8, event at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Kini prepared Indian dishes such as gobi masala and yellow dahl, made with lentils and flavored with turmeric and ginger, and Dr. Oliver shared a Mediterranean dish of salmon with broccoli and roasted cherry tomatoes over quinoa. Ms. Maksoud said the event showcased the “rich cultural aspects” of Mount Sinai: “We all came from someplace else at one point. We brought many traditions with us and should celebrate those traditions every day.”
Dozens of pe
diatric heart patients were treated to an early Valentine’s Day party at The Mount Sinai Hospital on Wednesday, February 8. The children played games, crafted heart-shaped picture frames, and took photos at a selfie station. The event also reunited patients with the staff who cared for them both as inpatients and as outpatients, including Khanh H. Nguyen, MD, left, Associate Professor and Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, shown with a young patient and her mother.
Award winners, from left, Fernando Rivera, MSN, RN; Denise Knox; and Mark Collazo
Three Mount Sinai Health System employees recently received 2016 Wholeness of Life Awards from the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network™ for their commitment to providing compassionate and respectful care to patients in crisis. The employees, all nominated by their colleagues, received their awards in November at the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network’s annual gala at the Mandarin Oriental, New York. Fernando Rivera, MSN, RN, Clinical Nurse Manager, Medical Intensive Care Unit, The Mount Sinai Hospital, was honored for recognizing that patients may require not only critical medical care but also emotional and spiritual support. Mark Collazo, Technical Director, Respiratory Therapy, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West, was recognized for his competence in managing his team and for his compassionate ear in responding to patients. Denise Knox, Food and Nutrition Services, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, was honored for delivering meals with kindness and empathy. The HealthCare Chaplaincy Network is a global, nonprofit organization that offers spiritual care-related information and resources to hospitals and health care institutions.
Scott L. Friedman, MD
Scott L. Friedman, MD, Dean for Therapeutic Discovery and Chief of the Division of Liver Diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in November became the first individual to receive three honors at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting. Dr. Friedman received the Distinguished Achievement Award of AASLD and the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award of the American Liver Foundation. He also delivered the Hans Popper Basic Science State-of-the-Art Lecture in Research. “It was a tremendous honor and an unforgettable day,” he says. Under Dr. Friedman’s leadership, Mount Sinai’s Division of Liver Diseases has grown into the largest liver medicine program in the United States, hosting the nation’s largest liver clinical fellowship training program and supporting groundbreaking basic and clinical studies in hepatic fibrosis and chronic liver disease. The Division, in partnership with The Tisch Cancer Institute and other key departments, also leads the only National Cancer Institute-designated liver cancer program in the country.