Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured
The executive leadership team of Mount Sinai’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion, from left, Pamela Y. Abner, MPA; Gary C. Butts, MD; and Ann-Gel Palermo, DrPH, MPH.
For the second consecutive year, the Mount Sinai Health System has ranked No.1 on the “Top 12 Hospitals and Health Systems” list of DiversityInc, the nation’s leading publication in advancing diversity management.
Among the best practices that led to Mount Sinai’s honor on the 2018 list were advancing the care of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender patients; creating a women’s advocacy employee resource group; and increasing the focus on people with disabilities. In ranking the top hospitals and health systems, DiversityInc used a 300-question survey of criteria, including talent pipeline, talent development, leadership commitment, and supplier diversity.
Mount Sinai works to meet those criteria and then exceed them, a strategy that helped the Health System rise to No. 3 on the 2016 list, and to No. 1 for the last two years. “We should celebrate that, acknowledge all the hard work that went into getting to this point, and then look forward,” says Gary C. Butts, MD, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, and Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy and Community Affairs, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The overarching goal is to make diversity and inclusion an integral part of the Health System’s “organizational fabric,” says Pamela Y. Abner, MPA, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI). She and Dr. Butts are the executive leadership team of ODI, along with Chief Program Officer Ann-Gel Palermo, DrPH, MPH, Associate Dean for Diversity in Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine. “Diversity works when it becomes part of an organization’s thinking and vision and planning,” Ms. Abner says. “If you are addressing a patient, choosing a vendor, or mentoring staff, you should ask, ‘Am I being inclusive?’”
ODI is continuing to expand education and training about unconscious bias, in close coordination with the Health System’s efforts to improve the patient experience, since biases can affect care. “Race can be part of it, but it can be age, it can be where you come from, or how you speak,” Ms. Abner says. The office also focuses on community engagement, for example, helping minority- and women-owned businesses get certified and signed on as vendors with Mount Sinai. Its three other domains of focus are diversity in hiring and promotion; employee engagement; and disparity in the quality and outcomes of health care.
“Of all the lifting, addressing health care disparities is the heaviest lift,” Dr. Butts says. With guidance from the New York State Department of Health, Mount Sinai is now piloting a standardized system for capturing data on patients’ race, ethnicity, and gender. “We expect that once the processes are right, and the data are accurate, then we can demonstrate whether there are variations in care and the outcomes of care,” he says. “And then we can make the case for more targeted, culturally tailored interventions.”
Other challenges remain, such as improving recruitment and retention, and increasing racial and ethnic diversity in upper management. But Dr. Butts took a pause to reflect on his office’s progress. “I am proud of the strength and integrity of our team and our partners across the system,” he says. “And I am inspired by the persistence and promise of our young people,” referring to programs, including the Center for Excellence in Youth Education, in which ODI mentors and supports students in underserved groups from middle school to medical school. Finally, Dr. Butts says, “I am proud that our community at Mount Sinai—the senior leadership particularly—is embracing diversity and inclusion. That gives me hope that we can advance and sustain the work we are doing and have an even greater impact.”
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured
Gary C. Butts, MD, left, and Dennis S. Charney, MD, at the Champions of Health Awards event, where the Mount Sinai Health System was honored.
The Mount Sinai Health System has received the National Medical Fellowships (NMF) Leadership in Diversity Award, which honors companies and individuals that take the lead in fostering diversity and inclusion. 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, accepted the award on Wednesday, May 9, at NMF’s Champions of Health Awards event in Manhattan.
“It is important that we continue to support NMF and continue to build on its mission to change the face of medicine,” Dr. Charney said. NMF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing scholarships and support to students in minority groups underrepresented in health care. Gary C. Butts, MD, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, has a distinguished history with the group. He received a fellowship as a young medical student and accepted a lifetime achievement award in 2016.
May 22, 2018 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Inside
Shaquana Mackey, second from left, accepted donations from members of the HOLA Employee Resource Group at the Corporate Services Center, including the chapter’sleaders, Shawn Lee, left, and Francis Pabon, fourth from left.
Women at a shelter in Brooklyn received spirit-lifting donations thanks to a collaboration of the nonprofit Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC) and HOLA, the Heritage of Latino Alliance Employee Resource Group at the Mount Sinai Health System. In the effort, called the “Purse Project,” HOLA members collected gently used purses and tote bags and filled them with toiletries. The donations were accepted in April at the Mount Sinai Corporate Services Center by Shaquana Mackey, Clinical Supervisor of BRC’s Lexington Avenue Women’s Residence, which houses 103 women. Ms. Mackey also gave a brief talk on what it means to be homeless in New York City. “A lot of people you wouldn’t think live in a shelter, do live in a shelter, because life happens,” Ms. Mackey said. “You could lose your job today; you could lose your spouse; your house could burn down.” Donations of funds, supplies, or volunteers’ time are always welcome, she said, adding, “Whatever you can give, our ladies are grateful.”
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured
Diversity leaders Gary C. Butts, MD, and Pamela Y. Abner, MPA
DiversityInc, the nation’s leading publication in advancing excellence in diversity management, has ranked the Mount Sinai Health System No. 1 in the United States in its 2017 “Top 12 Hospitals and Health Systems” list. Mount Sinai improved its national ranking from last year when it was No. 3. In 2016, Mount Sinai also was the publication’s highest-ranked health system for diversity initiatives in the New York City metropolitan area.
Among the best practices that led to Mount Sinai’s special honor this year were its employee resource group participation, manager participation in cross-cultural mentoring, use of an executive diversity leadership board to set goals tied to executive compensation, and a commitment to expanding the supplier diversity initiative. In its top hospitals and health systems rankings, DiversityInc used a 300-question self-assessment survey of multiple diversity criteria, including talent pipeline, talent development, leadership commitment, and supplier diversity.
Situated in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, Mount Sinai is dedicated to ensuring its staff represents the population it serves. An inclusive vision and robust diversity initiatives are spearheaded by Gary C. Butts, MD, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, and Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy and Community Affairs, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) includes Pamela Y. Abner, MPA, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer; Chief Program Officer Ann-Gel Palermo, Dr.PH, MPH, Associate Dean for Diversity in Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Barbara Warren, PsyD, Director for LGBT Programs; and Edward Poliandro, EdD, who supports training and education initiatives.
“The more diversity we achieve in our system of care, the better the climate for both patients and staff,” says Dr. Butts. ODI codified 14 areas to tackle in this pursuit, including focusing on patient-centric education and training of staff, engaging and advancing underrepresented groups by expanding the talent pipelines through hospital administrative residencies, and the recruiting, developing, and mentoring of faculty and staff.
“The challenge is how to translate our substantial workforce diversity into something tangible, palpable, and impactful,” Dr. Butts adds. “If we did not allow diverse teams to engage more effectively or if we did not allow for the diversity of our student body to impact learning in the medical school, then we would miss the mark.”
To create and foster an inclusive environment and support the development of a culturally competent workforce, ODI provides education and training to staff, faculty, and students on topics such as unconscious bias; racism and bias in medicine; best practices in LGBT-competent care; and enhancing the transgender patient experience and patient care. The Health System also fosters student-led advocacy groups to develop social consciousness. Members of the
ODI team regularly engage with employees—from department heads to front-line staff—to ensure they include a variety of perspectives.
“We have the focus, intention, and goodwill of people at Mount Sinai,” says Ms. Abner. This is supported by hospital presidents, deans, and other senior leadership who participate in and chair diversity councils. “Leadership has endorsed our work and that is essential.”
The ODI team continues to incorporate more inclusive initiatives into the Health System, including increased accessibility for disabled employees and a commitment to maintaining supplier diversity, particularly local businesses run by women and minorities.
“Organizations that are committed to diversity and inclusion have to work with suppliers who support those populations,” says Ms. Abner. Through the relationship, Mount Sinai will educate vendors on the particularities of working with larger corporations, providing a level of education that may further enhance the company’s future and potentially build community wealth.
“We are not perfect, but we are ahead of the field,” says Ms. Abner, who acknowledges that Mount Sinai still has areas for improvement. She would like to see more diverse representation among senior leadership and within board membership.
“We need to continue to do the good work, articulate that well, and maintain our vision,” says Dr. Butts. “There is more work to be done, without a doubt. We need to look at the gaps that need to be filled and close them. We are in a great position to do that.”
