Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion
Angela Diaz, MD, PhD, MPH, Director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center
Treat every obstacle as an opportunity to learn. Lean on each other. If you have a chance to make someone’s life better, do it.
These sound like lofty goals, but they are put into action every day by Angela Diaz, MD, PhD, MPH, Director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, who was featured on Tuesday, June 11, in a “Conversation With Leaders” event at the Corporate Services Center. Dr. Diaz, an international leader in adolescent medicine, talked about her professional journey at the event organized by Women in Information Technology at Mount Sinai and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion. The discussion was moderated by Mary Lowenwirth, Director of Reporting and Logistics, Information Technology.
Dr. Diaz is the Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor in Adolescent Health, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine, and a member of the governing Council of the National Academy of Medicine. And she leads one of the nation’s largest adolescent health centers, known for outstanding research and training, and for serving more than 12,000 vulnerable youths each year with confidential health care at no cost to them. She is also a profoundly grateful former patient of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center.
Her journey to being a doctor began long ago, when she was a small child in the Dominican Republic. She fell and severely cut herself and was taken to the hospital. “The doctors and nurses there seemed like wonderful people,” she said. “And from then on, to everyone who asked me, I said, ‘I want to be a doctor.’” The road was not an easy one. Her mother was a hard-working factory worker without a formal education. And when Angela Diaz came to the United States permanently around age 15, she was placed in a crowded classroom of non-English speakers. Her teacher noticed that she was very good at math and science and nurtured her abilities. But she became depressed around age 17 and dropped out of school. That is when the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center helped change her life. A social worker there noticed that she was despondent, and encouraged her to go back to school. “I always say they glued me back together,” Dr. Diaz said.
Dr. Diaz graduated from high school, then attended City College of New York while working at the factory with her mother. Still dreaming of becoming a doctor, she marched into Columbia University one day—mainly because it was in her neighborhood—and amazed an admissions worker by filling out her application to medical school on the spot. She was accepted at Columbia, where she earned her medical degree and later a PhD in epidemiology. She also earned a Master of Public Health from Harvard University, and served her internship and residency in pediatrics at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Diaz told the attendees that in working toward such goals, it is important to be prepared and to be positive. “I’m very optimistic by nature,” she said. “I not only see the glass half full, I see it spilling over. Everything is possible.”
In 1981, Dr. Diaz’s path took her back to Mount Sinai to do a pediatric residency and adolescent medicine fellowship, and she subsequently became director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center. Services there include medical, sexual and reproductive health, dental, optical, and mental-health care; health education; substance abuse prevention and treatment; help with eating disorders; HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment; violence prevention and treatment; and services for LGBT teens and those who have been abused.
Dr. Diaz said she feels “really blessed” to work at the Center. “We work with some young people who are dealing with incest and sex trafficking. We help them build strategies to heal, and to stay in school,” she said. “To see these young people evolve is very rewarding. They give us so much back, I can’t tell you how meaningful that is.”
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion
From left: Karen Rivera, Sherrine Gonzalez, and Katari Lebron.
A donation drive led by the Heritage of Latino Alliance (HOLA) employee resource group at Mount Sinai’s Corporate Services Center helped make prom dreams come true for about 50 girls from Esperanza Preparatory Academy in East Harlem.
The group collected more than 150 dresses and a large selection of accessories from staff throughout the Mount Sinai Health System and delivered them to the school in April.
The event was coordinated by three HOLA members who are supervisors in Mount Sinai’s Central Billing Office, Karen Rivera, Sherrine Gonzalez, and Katari Lebron.
The parent coordinator of the school, Nahelis Polanco, said in a thank-you note that the donations brought smiles to the girls’ faces, adding, “You truly did a wonderful thing.”
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion
Mount Sinai staff and faculty members gathered for a festive and informative evening on Wednesday, June 12, at the Diversity Council and Employee Resource Group (ERG) Networking Spring Social. The event, held at the Solomon and Kuff restaurant in Harlem, was sponsored by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion. ERGs are groups of employees aligned with Mount Sinai Health System site, corporate, and school diversity councils and united by a common goal, interest, or characteristic. These commonalities include race or ethnicity, gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and military/veteran status—the newest group is focused on the needs and concerns of caregivers. Members of most groups were represented at the event on June 12. “This event is all about staying connected,” said Pamela Y. Abner, MPA, CPXP, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Office for Diversity and Inclusion. “We want our teams to get to know one another and talk about how we can all do better work together.”
All employees are invited and encouraged to join a group or participate in ERG events. In addition, any staff member who is interested in starting a group can e-mail ODI at diversity@mountsinai.org.
Members of Mount Sinai’s Diversity Councils and employee research groups at the Spring Social.
May 30, 2019 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion
Kathryn Stella, MBA, Vice President of Ambulatory Operations, Mount Sinai West
Discover who you are. Be authentic. Plan your work, and work your plan. Dare to dream big.
These were some of the takeaway messages from Kathryn Stella, MBA, Vice President of Ambulatory Operations at Mount Sinai West, who recently was featured in a “Conversations With Leaders” event at the Corporate Services Center. The talk, held in honor of Women’s History Month, was organized by the Heritage of Latino Alliance (HOLA) Employee Resource Group and sponsored by Mount Sinai’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion.
Ms. Stella said her journey began when she was a high school student in the Bronx with good grades but few role models for professional success. She graduated from high school and spent years as an administrative worker in medical practices. Finally, when Ms. Stella was working in the Department of Dermatology at New York University, a supportive boss steered her toward an employees’ tuition remission program and challenged her to earn a bachelor’s degree.
She felt some self-doubt at the prospect of starting college at age 29. But she was inspired by accomplished women of the past, including Eleanor Roosevelt, who said, “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” She earned a bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration quickly— in just two years—by attending classes all year, even during summer and winter breaks. In 2001, she earned an MBA in Accounting from Seton Hall University, and in 2012 she joined the Mount Sinai Health System.
Ms. Stella encouraged the attendees to reach out to her for any needed information or career advice. And she recommended a helpful exercise: “Make a list of what you hate to do, and what you love to do,” she said. Personally, she loves accounting, confronting challenging situations, helping people, and working in the health care industry. “If you look at my list of things that I love, my job encompasses so much of that list.”
Ms. Stella with attendees of the “Conversations With Leaders” event at Mount Sinai’s Corporate Services Center.
May 24, 2019 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion
Ana M. Rodriguez, left, and Elizabeth Diaz accepted the ERG & Council Honors Awards.
The Association of Employee Resource Groups and Councils ranked two Mount Sinai Health System diversity councils among their Top 25, honoring them on Friday, May 3, with the ERG & Council Honors Award™. The Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Diversity Council (ranked No.16) and the Mount Queens Diversity Council (ranked No. 20) were recognized for the impact of their diversity and inclusion efforts, having excelled in four categories—Demonstrated Results, Demonstrated Management Commitment, Measurement and Accountability, and Communication and Education. Significantly, the groups were recognized in the first year they applied.
The awards were accepted at the 2019 ERG & Council Conference in Orlando, Florida, by Elizabeth Diaz, Senior Project Coordinator, Office for Diversity and Inclusion, Mount Sinai Health System, and Ana M. Rodriguez, LMSW, Director of Patient Experience, Volunteer Services and Community Affairs, Mount Sinai Queens.
The diversity council at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s is chaired by Rubiela Guzman, Senior Director of Patient Transport, and Pascal Kolak, PharmD, MS, MPA, Pharmacy Manager, and it is sponsored by hospital President Arthur A. Gianelli, MPH, MBA. The council was recognized for its dedication to creating an inclusive environment for staff and patients in alignment with the hospital’s values—teamwork, empathy, transparency, creativity and optimism—and for its support from senior leaders, who have encouraged innovation in thoughts and ideas. With this support, the council outlined education and training, supplier diversity, leadership and staff development, and employee engagement as strategic priorities for the past year. The resulting events included “Taste of Harlem” to introduce local minority- and women-owned businesses to managers as new vendors; “Leaders of Color” panel discussions; and professional development expos to help staff advance their careers. The events have since been replicated by other diversity councils within the Mount Sinai Health System.
At Mount Sinai Queens, the diversity council is chaired by Ana M. Rodriguez, LMSW, Director of Patient Experience, Volunteer Services and Community Affairs, and sponsored by the Executive Director Caryn A. Schwab and Chief Operating Officer Judy Trilivas, RN, MA. The council was recognized for aligning hospital-based ERGs to function as one successful unit. It also was recognized for its strong support from senior leadership and middle management, many of whom are council members and ERG leaders who integrate council activities and events into their departments. The council organizes activities and training that enhance the patient experience, increase staff participation and engagement, promote an inclusive culture, provide leadership development opportunities for staff, and increase the hospital’s visibility in the community.
“Congratulations to all of the diversity council members for their hard work, which led to this well-deserved honor,” says Pamela Y. Abner, MPA, CPXP, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Office for Diversity and Inclusion, Mount Sinai Health System.
May 3, 2019 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion
Staff of the Central Billing Office at Mount Sinai’s Corporate Services Center.
The Central Billing Office staff at Mount Sinai’s Corporate Services Center wore blue in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day on Tuesday, April 2. “Autism affects so many people, and it’s important that we recognize those who have been diagnosed or know someone who has,” says an organizer, Shawn Lee. “We support autism awareness to recognize that for those with disabilities, equity is still a challenge in our society and needs to be addressed.”
