Recognizing Mount Sinai’s Administrative Fellows

Updated on Jul 26, 2024 | Diversity and Inclusion, Featured

Five accomplished and motivated young professionals recently graduated from the Mount Sinai Health System’s Administrative Fellowship Program.

Tyler Nichols, MPH

The Administrative Fellowship program is an innovative two-year program managed by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, with strong support and guidance from Human Resources and executive and senior leadership. It is designed to provide hands-on and experiential learning opportunities to advance masters-prepared individuals of historically underrepresented groups in health care leadership into managerial and leadership roles within the Health System.

Ashley Pierre, MHA

The five Fellows who completed the program this year are Hina Akmal, MHA; Aria Kumar; MHA; Estefania Lanza Rodriguez, MPH; Cordell Downes, MHSA; and Ashley Sealy, MHA. “The program is a testament to how we are creating unique talent pathways for young professionals in health care,” says Shana Dacon-Pereira, MPH, MBA, CPXP, Assistant Vice President, Office for Diversity and Inclusion. “The experience Fellows obtain throughout the program provides a foundation for their careers in health care administration.”

Michelle Yue, MPA

In July 2024, one new Fellow, Tyler Nichols, MPH, started the program with a rotation in Budget and Patient Transport. Three current Fellows moved into their second year of the program: Gabrielle De La Rosa, MHA; Ashley Pierre, MHA; and Michelle Yue, MPA. “I am looking forward to utilizing the leadership and communication skills that I obtained over the last year into my new rotations and projects,” says Ms. Yue, who worked at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and is now engaged in a rotation with ambulatory care leadership at Mount Sinai-Union Square. “I am excited that I will have the opportunity to continue to foster old and new connections with both clinical and administrative employees.”

Gabrielle De La Rosa, MHA

Ms. De La Rosa, who is completing her fellowship at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West, remarked, “I am excited to leverage the leadership, operational, and strategic skills I developed during my first year to take on more complex projects and roles and to begin my post-fellowship career planning.” Ms. Pierre, who, like Ms. De La Rosa, moved to New York and joined the fellowship at The Mount Sinai Hospital, shared, “I plan to make more connections throughout the health care industry and learn more about new trends and technologies within the delivery of health care.”

To learn more about the Administrative Fellowship Program, contact the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at diversity@mountsinai.org. Additionally, follow the Office for Diversity and Inclusion’s social media channels on Instagram and LinkedIn to explore other programs and initiatives.

Mount Sinai Administrative Fellowship Graduates Share Their Next Steps

The graduating Fellows reminisced about their fellowship experiences and shared the roles they have moved into after the program.

Hina Akmal, MHA, Data Analytics Literacy and Change Management Specialist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Hina Akmal, MHA

Ms. Akmal completed her fellowship at Mount Sinai Morningside and was instrumental in managing crucial projects and initiatives, including working closely with the Ambulatory team to open the new Mount Sinai-Harlem Health Center. Her interest in data analytics and project management influenced her final fellowship rotation, working with Mount Sinai’s  Social Determinants of Health team. Ms. Akmal’s professional interests and endeavors have led her to accept a position as the Data Analytics Literacy and Change Management Specialist at Chidren’s Hospital Los Angeles, where she will be responsible for developing and implementing programs to enhance data literacy across the organization and manage change effectively.

Aria Kumar, MHA, Administrative Manager for Mount Sinai International

Aria Kumar, MHA

Under the tutelage of senior and executive leadership at Mount Sinai West, Ms. Kumar managed a variety of projects, including the hospital’s Short Term Capital Expense Reduction Program, aiding and improving the Operating Room Turnover process, and leading Workforce Management Implementation. She also served as the Interim Associate Director of Outpatient Departments at Mount Sinai West. During her final fellowship rotation, Ms. Kumar worked with the Mount Sinai International team to consult the Georgetown Public Hospital in Guyana, where she supported the team’s Ambulatory Operations work. Having completed her fellowship, Ms. Kumar will continue working in Mount Sinai International as an Administrative Manager, where she will continue to advance international strategic partnerships and business development efforts on behalf of the Health System.

Estefania Lanza Rodriguez, MPH

 

Estefania Lanza Rodriguez, MPH, Project Manager, Cardiac Services at Mount Sinai Morningside

Ms. Rodriguez has assumed the role of Project Manager at Cardiac Services at Mount Sinai Morningside, where she also completed her fellowship. Throughout her fellowship, she worked with leadership to improve throughput via interdepartmental collaboration projects, from discharge to home and space optimization management. Prior to the fellowship program, Ms. Rodriguez worked as a medical scribe, certified nurse, and epidemiologist.

Cordell Downes, MHSA, Administrative Manager, Ambulatory Operations at The Mount Sinai Hospital

Cordell Downes, MHSA

Throughout his fellowship at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mr. Downes played a notable role in the creation and oversight of the hospital’s Discharge Lounge and the development of the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital Babies and Children’s Ambulance. His experience in rotations across various divisions, including Inpatient and Ambulatory Operations, Oncology, Strategic Planning, Admitting and Throughput, Human Resources, and Support Services, have prepared him for his current role as an Administrative Manager in Ambulatory Care Services. Beyond the fellowship, he remains an active member of The Mount Sinai Hospital Diversity Council and the New York chapters of both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the National Association of Health Services Executives.

 

Ashley Sealy, MHA


Ashley Sealy, MHA, Senior Manager, Ambulatory Operations at Mount Sinai Doctors Medical Group

Ms. Sealy began her professional journey at Mount Sinai back in 2019 as a Supply Chain intern as part of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion’s Administrative Internship Program. Since returning to the Health System as a Fellow in 2022, Ms. Sealy served as Project Manager for Workplace Violence at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, developed revenue cycle dashboards via Tableau for the Mount Sinai Doctors Medical Group, coordinated Mount Sinai-Union Square’s Waste Reduction Strategy, and managed the standardization of Q-Reviews benchmarks for more than 70 ambulatory practices throughout the Health System. Her journey now continues as a Senior Manager at Mount Sinai Doctors Medical Group. Having found her niche in health care analytics, strategy, and project management, she is also pursuing a Master of Science in Business Analytics degree at SUNY University at Buffalo

 

Read more About Diversity at Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai Health System Profiles in Pride 2024

Updated on Jun 28, 2024 | Diversity and Inclusion

In the annual Profiles in Pride, the Mount Sinai Health System recognizes employees for their leadership and dedication to LGBTQ+ health equity. This year, we salute the following employees.

Richard Silvera, MD, MPH, CPH (he, him)

Interim Program Director, Infectious Diseases Fellowship

Champion for Access to HIV- and LGBT-Inclusive Research and Care

Dr. Silvera’s research in HIV prevention and care, including HIV vaccine research and studies of acute HIV infections, helped him establish sexual health clinics in commercial sex venues in New York City. After completing his medical training with specific focus on people with HIV and the LGBTQ+ community, he is now an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He also conducts diagnostic research into anal cancers and precancers among LGBTQ+ people and those with HIV.

 

Josiane Hickson, EdD, RN, NE-BC, NPD-BC (she, her)

Senior System Nursing Education Manager, Orientation and Onboarding

Ally in Educating the Next Generation of Nurses and Assistive Staff

As a systemwide nurse educator for onboarding and orienting new nurses and assistive nursing staff, Dr. Hickson provides guidance and resources to ensure that newly hired nurses understand the health care needs and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals. Among them are providing inclusive education, facilitating open dialogue, providing evidence-based practice resources, and emphasizing the importance of treating all patients with dignity, whatever their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Alex Escaja-Heiss (he/they/el/elle)

Health Education Associate, Institute for Advanced Medicine

Leading Access to LGBTQ+ Patient Health Education

As the Health Education Associate at Mount Sinai’s Institute for Advanced Medicine,

Alex conducts outreach and health education, providing accessible and inclusive STI testing and care coordination at schools, community organizations, and nightlife venues. Alex is a newer member of the Mount Sinai team, but has been working in health education and advocacy since age 14. His work as a young LGBTQ+ peer educator, organizer, and filmmaker landed him a feature in Teen Vogue as one of GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 Rising Stars.

Leila Jeanpierre, MPH (they/them)

LGBTQ+ Program Intern, Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI)

Forging Health Career Pathways for LGBTQ+ Young People

Leila has worked with ODI for the past two years, specifically with the LGBTQ+ team on developing and implementing the health careers pathway outreach activities and summer internships. They started as an intern, working on LGBTQ+-inclusive materials for nursing orientations and compiling data on existing LGBTQ+ community organizations in New York City. They are passionate about health equity and conducted a research project, for their Master of Public Health program, on LGBTQ+ mental health services.

 

Derek Chen (he/they)

Medical Student, Class of 2027, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Mentoring the Next Generation of LGBTQ+ Clinicians

Derek is committed to improving health outcomes among LGBTQ+ patients. He conducts research with the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery (CTMS) and was a section leader for the 2023 United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH) Scientific Symposium. He is co-leading a “Trans Buddy” volunteer initiative that pairs CTMS patients with health advocates. He is a Stonewall Alliance co-chair and has worked on initiatives such as Saturday at Sinai, a pathway program for LGBTQ+ youth interested in medicine.

Closing the Disparity in Patients’ Use of the Health App MyMountSinai

Updated on Jun 18, 2024 | Diversity and Inclusion

Mount Sinai’s Digital and Technology Partners (DTP)-Digital Experience Team, with guidance from the Digital Equity and Accessibility (DEA) Committee, seeks to improve underrepresented patient cohorts’ access to Mount Sinai digital products. The team is taking a data-driven approach to address equity gaps by identifying patient cohorts with proportionally low digital engagement.

The usage of MyMountSinai is the current priority, as patients will benefit greatly from accessing a digital entry and patient portal. MyMountSinai is offered in seven languages, allowing patients to receive in-person and virtual care and to message providers.

Building relationships with our communities is a key health equity priority. DTP and Mount Sinai’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) stakeholders partnered to prioritize Central Harlem as a starting point based on the strength of our existing Community-Based Organization (CBO) partnerships. They plan to collaborate with other CBOs to better reach and engage patients in Central Harlem and other marginalized communities. The Digital Experience Team seeks to understand the unique needs of these communities and build awareness of MyMountSinai’s usefulness in accessing care.

In the first quarter of 2024, they identified gaps in MyMountSinai usage. In the second quarter, they created an engagement plan and identified potential CBOs with which to partner. In the third quarter, they plan to connect with CBOs to discuss how to best build awareness and engagement around MyMountSinai. The goal is to increase Central Harlem Mount Sinai patients’ usage of MyMountSinai from 54 percent to 70 percent. Heading into 2025, as they make progress on this metric, they seek to increase adoption of MyMountSinai in other underrepresented neighborhoods.

This effort is led by Jordan Randall in partnership with Gary Gravesandy, Arianna Goldman, Huma Sohrwardy, Eric Kim, and other members of the Digital Equity and Accessibility committee. For more information, please contact Jordan Randall (jordan.randall@mountsinai.org) about this project, and Eric Kim (eric.kim@mountsinai.org) about the DEA Committee.

Advancing Health Equity With Data: Improving Patient Care in the Emergency Department

Updated on Jun 17, 2024 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured

At Mount Sinai, active collaboration with department stakeholders drives the efforts of the Health Equity Data Assessment (HEDA) team to advance health equity through data-driven initiatives.

Yvette Calderon, MD

Yvette Calderon, MD, Vice President and Dean for Equity in Clinical Care at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, recently discussed how the Emergency Department (ED) partnered with the HEDA team to apply an equity lens to evaluate Left Without Being Seen (LWBS) patients.

Together, they are reviewing data integrity in emergency medical records and applying an equity lens to effect meaningful change.

“This commitment underscores Mount Sinai’s ongoing dedication to fostering health equity through collaborative, data-informed strategies,” said Pamela Y. Abner, MPA, CPXP, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer in the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, and Health Equity Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System.

LWBS is defined as a patient leaving the ED before completing a medical screening exam. When this metric is not met, it can represent quality and safety concerns, according to Lyndia Hayden, Senior Director, Data Integrity and Equity Analytics.

LWBS patients may also have an undiagnosed medical condition and may experience undesirable health outcomes outside of the hospital. Hospitals can also face penalties if they fail to meet certain quality metrics, like LWBS. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services can reduce reimbursement rates for hospitals that do not meet these standards, having a direct impact on the hospital revenue stream.

On average, non-white patients tend to have a disproportionally higher rate of LWBS than white patients. As such, LWBS must be examined through an equity lens to ensure optimal patient outcomes for all patients.

Dr. Calderon emphasized the critical role of data integrity as a foundational step before delving into metrics analysis. With invaluable support from the HEAD Hub, the Department of Emergency Medicine at Icahn Mount Sinai implemented a comprehensive dashboard system, empowering ED service lines across the Mount Sinai Health System to closely monitor performance indicators, identify key drivers, and establish clear accountability measures.

For example, guided by these insights, each ED tailored interventions to their unique context, with initiatives such as Provider-in-Triage (PIT) protocols, mandatory unconscious bias training, and enhanced education for registration staff on demographic data collection emerging as effective strategies at Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

This work was presented to the Joint Commission during the Mount Sinai Downtown survey. It impressed the surveyors to see that Mount Sinai had already started integrating the new standard from the Joint Commission.

“The data integrity piece had to happen first before we could look at any of the metrics,” said Dr. Calderon. “Through diligent implementation, these interventions have proven instrumental in addressing pertinent issues within the emergency departments that identified a need.”

Mount Sinai Participates in Puerto Rican Day Parade, Demonstrating a Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Jun 13, 2024 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion

Mount Sinai’s Heritage of Latinx Alliance (HOLA) employee resource group participated in the 67th Puerto Rican Day parade down Fifth Avenue in New York in a joyous display of dancing and interacting with the crowd. The event was held Sunday, June 9.

“Events like these hold great significance as they bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds, reflecting the strong foundation of diversity within the Mount Sinai Health System. Coming together for a shared purpose truly embodies our motto, We Find a Way,” said Shawn Lee, Director of Operations for the Central Billing Office and Co-Lead of the Heritage of Latinx Alliance. “During the parade, we found our way down Fifth Avenue, proudly representing Mount Sinai.”

“Marching in the parade demonstrates Mount Sinai’s diversity and inclusion efforts to our thousands of hard working employees, to the tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans in New York City, and to millions more New Yorkers,” said Frank Pabon, Director of Operations at the Central Billing Office and Co-Lead of Heritage of Latinx Alliance. “Our participation makes a statement to all who march in the parade and watch on television that Mount Sinai values the culture and history of Puerto Ricans.”

Participation in the parade was made possible by the Mount Sinai Health System Office for Diversity and Inclusion, Carlos A. Maceda, MBA, Chief Supply Officer, Sylvia Anavitate, Billing Coordinator, and the HOLA employee resource group.

“Thank you to everyone who joined us,” said Mr. Pabon. “We had an amazing time and look forward to having an even bigger presence at the parade next year.”

Mount Sinai Hosts PREP Regional Symposium, Bringing Together Scholars to Share Research and Celebrate Accomplishments

Updated on May 16, 2024 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured

Mount Sinai’s Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) helps prepare scholars who are interested in biomedical careers to apply successfully for doctoral programs. PREP scholars take graduate level courses, participate in career development activities, and receive personalized research mentorship. They spend one or two years in the program, with most of the experience taking place in laboratories conducting biomedical research.

Mount Sinai has a long, rich history with PREP, beginning 23 years ago when Terry Krulwich, PhD, received the first National Institute of General Medical Sciences funding for the program and directed it for 18 years, before leadership was transitioned to Eric Sobie, PhD.

Today, the program is led by Kirk Campbell, MD, Irene and Dr. Arthur Fishberg Professor of Medicine and Professor of Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Inaugural Director of the Mount Sinai Center for Kidney Disease Innovation, and Jamilia Sly, PhD, Assistant Professor, Population Health Science and Policy, who recently renewed Mount Sinai’s grant. The PREP program focuses on growing a diverse research community and provides a launching pad for students pursuing their PhD or MD-PhD degrees.

More than a decade ago, Principal Investigators from Mount Sinai, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and the University of Pennsylvania began an annual research symposium in May, with the programs rotating hosting duties. This year the schools participating expanded to include Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Weill Cornell Medical College.

Organizers say programs like PREP, which focus on developing a diverse pool of well-trained postbaccalaureates ready to engage in rigorous biomedical research-focused doctoral degree programs, have never been more important in today’s research landscape.

Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences hosted the PREP Northeast Regional Symposium for 2024 on Monday and Tuesday, May 6-7.

The event began with a welcome reception during which students and faculty from all five institutions shared their experiences with their PREP programs. At one point, the room filled with excitement when Kaya Adelzadeh, a PREP scholar at Mount Sinai, found out she had been accepted to the MD-PhD program at the University of California, Davis. Since August 2022, Ms. Adelzadeh, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering at Boston University College of Engineering, has been a post-baccalaureate research assistant in the orthopedic research laboratories of James Iatridis, PhD, and Woojin Jan, PhD. She was cheered on by her colleagues and by PREP leaders, a reminder of what the PREP scholars are working to accomplish.

Dr. Campbell and Dr. Sly, along with Marta Filizola, PhD, Dean for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and Talia Swartz, MD, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for MD-PhD Education, delivered opening remarks. They discussed the history of the symposium, welcomed new participants, and encouraged the PREP scholars to apply for the participating institution’s PhD and MD-PhD programs.

Scholars from the  five institutions shared their oral presentations. The two scholars from Mount Sinai were Taelor Matos, who shared research she is conducting with Jessica Ables, MD, PhD; in her presentation “Axonal Plasticity in Learning”, and Tony Valencia, who shared research he is conducting under the mentorship of Benjamin Chen, MD, PhDs, in a presentation “Investigating Asymmetry of HIV-1 Envelope Protein and its Impact on Packaging.”

In her keynote address, Yasmin Hurd, PhD, Director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai, discussed the neuroscience of addiction. She highlighted the role of the endocannabinoid system in neuronal development, differential psychological effects of cannabinoid components and provided insights into therapeutic utility of cannabidiol in opiate use disorder.

Dr. Hurd discussed her own career journey, noting data regarding the lack of diversity in the scientific workforce. She encouraged students not to let data about who is or isn’t a scientist determine the path for their academic training and career goals. She reminded students during the question and answer session that being a good scientist doesn’t mean knowing all the answers to scientific questions, rather that a good scientist asks a lot of questions about the things they do not know.

A PREP alumni panel featured former scholars from Mount Sinai and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The panel was moderated by Tia Robinson, a current Mount Sinai PREP scholar, and included alumni Yoselin Paucar, Stephen Ruiz, Bryan Ticoche, and Jeury Veloz. Scholars from each institution had the chance to ask questions and inquire about the experiences of PREP alumni both during and after their programs.

Two rounds of poster presentations gave PREP scholars opportunities to share their research with peers from other schools and to practice their presentation skills. Mount Sinai had eight scholars participate in the poster sessions. This was followed by an awards ceremony recognizing the PREP scholars with the top oral and poster presentations. Alexandra Ramirez, University of Pennsylvania PREP, received an award for the Best Oral Presentation. She has been accepted to Icahn Mount Sinai’s PhD in Neuroscience program as a student starting this fall. Kendall Moore, Icahn School of Medicine PREP, won for Best Poster Presentation.

In closing remarks, Dr. Campbell and Dr. Sly reiterated why collaboration is so important between PREP programs, and they encouraged scholars to continue their great work and to look forward to next year’s symposium.

Learn more about our PREP program to see how it can guide your journey to joining a doctoral program in biomedical sciences.

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