What an amazing, exhausting, and exhilarating week!
I’m pleased to report that, after four days of intense scrutiny, you’ve earned high marks from The Joint Commission. We’ve had a very successful survey!
All of you worked very hard to get ready for this week, and it showed. The surveyors stressed over and over again that they were amazed by your technical expertise and compassionate care. The surveyors were also impressed by your eagerness to tell them about your work and your efforts to improve care. Many of your programs were identified as “best practices” that should be shared with other hospitals.
The surveyors also identified many ways that we can make patients safer–and we’re committed to making all of the necessary changes. In the weeks and months ahead, I’ll talk in more detail about the survey findings. I look forward to partnering with you as we search for ways to improve our care based on the survey recommendations.
For now, I’d like to share some pictures of your friends knocking themselves out to get through the survey.
From upper left, then clockwise: Chelsea housekeeping and administrative staff did amazing work; Union Square dermatology team; 9 Silver huddling in preparation for The Joint Commission; Mount Sinai Doctors Senior Health Staff hosted surveyors early this morning!
From left, the clockwise: Chelsea PET/CT tech; Chelsea’s ambulatory surgery unit is always on call; Union Square housekeeper, Isabel Rodriguez; MSBI clinical leaders celebrate after the results in Petrie.
From upper left, then clockwise: All high fives and thumbs ups from Union Square pediatrics; Alexis Kowalski, Senior Director of OB/GYN in Union Square, has earned a nap and so have you; full house in Podell auditorium for the results.
From upper left, then clockwise: Union Square Department of Medicine; Union Square administration, finance counseling, and facilities staff celebrate a great week of teamwork; Cardiology at Union Square; all smiles and ice cream after the survey at Petrie.
I’ve never been prouder to be a part of MSBI. I am humbled by your compassion and dedication to each other, and to our patients.
In May, I had the pleasure of introducing one of our MICU nurses, Althea Elliot, RN, when she spoke at a recognition ceremony hosted by the 1199-SEIU Training and Education Fund. Althea was chosen to tell her story and how 1199-SEIU has supported her through her many career accomplishments, including very recently becoming an American citizen. It was such an honor to be there and to connect with her.
Althea has become one of my own role models, and when you meet her through this video I think you will understand why. Check out the first in our series where I will be interviewing employees and learning what being part of the BI community means to them.
If you know someone in need, Althea would like you to know about the food pantry she is leading at Bethel Temple of Praise, 191 North Broadway, Yonkers, N.Y., 10701 on the third Tuesday of every month.
I can’t wait for you to meet more of our outstanding employees.
From left to right: Fran Silverman, LCSW-R Director of Social Work; Wendy Egan, LSCW, Senior Social Worker; Barbara Barnett, MD, Chief Medical Officer.
We provide exceptional medical care, but often patients need more than that if they have a chronic, severe, or complicated illness. Dealing with long-term pain, side effects of medications, emotional stress, family situations, and a very complex healthcare system or care plan can be challenging. Our palliative care and social work teams provide an extra layer of support when patients need it. They do outstanding work in understanding and communicating the patient’s needs to the entire care team so that our patients and their families receive a comprehensive and holistic approach to meeting all their needs.
The sister of a patient who died under our care wrote to express her gratitude for these teams who made the end of her brother’s life less painful and more peaceful. See a section of her letter below:
“I want to thank your staff for the excellent, compassionate care my brother received while he was a patient at Beth Israel (before his death in July 2017). From the Palliative Care Team, I am especially grateful to Dr. Matthew Schaikewitz, Dr. Noelle Marie Javier, Dr. Coleman, Dr. Anup Bharani, and Dr.JosephKristan. Their highly skilled training showed. They were outstanding diagnosticians, always gentle and patient. He was a sometimes very difficult patient. They kept him comfortable and helped him meet his goals before he passed. From social work, Wendy Egan was outstanding in educating my brother about his non-medical affairs. She was especially gracious in communicating those discussions with me. Even after his passing, she explained the necessary steps for cremation. As an out-of-stater and novice handling these affairs, I so appreciated her wisdom, experience, and guidance. On prior admissions, my brother was also very faithfully assisted by Erica Stewart, Janiss Chen, and Taylor Wayne. Their follow-up went above and beyond the call of duty, very impressive and deserving of mention. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you and this stellar staff who transcended their job descriptions. They are special in their calling.”
I agree. Thank you for your constantly going beyond the call of duty for our patients.
Some of the Palliative Care team, left to right: Noelle Marie Javier, MD; Anup Bharani, MD; Nathan Goldstein, MD.
Social Workers Taylor Wayne, LMSW, and Erica Stewart.
First row, left to right: Sherida Richards; Ellen Paskin; Tatyana Dubov. Back row, left to right: Christina Cellante; Chere Mapson; Sandra Garcia; Lucille Toner; Barbara Barnett, MD; Joann Coffin; Sandra Mingo.
You’ve probably heard that The Joint Commission will be coming to MSBI, including our Downtown ambulatory locations, very soon. This is because we are in the window for our triennial survey. The vast majority of the Joint Commission regulations really matter in terms of patient and staff safety and I am grateful for all the work that we are doing to create the safest possible environment. I’ve been especially grateful for the quality improvement team during our Joint Commission preparation.
Even though the quality team does not have as much direct contact with patients, their work clearly influences patient outcomes. They contribute to many patient care initiatives and work with departments throughout the entire hospital to review and update our quality practices and then educate our staff. They must also track the performance data related to our public ratings and our value-based reimbursement. They are the behind-the-scenes champions of complex and important work. We are lucky to have a seasoned team. Their teamwork and collaboration have been invaluable as we get ready for our survey.
Left to right: Sherida Richards; Tatyana Dubov; Michael Berman, MD; Ellen Paskin.
As a hospital, our patient safety performance is better than ever. Our hospital infection rates are at an all-time low and we recently completed an entire month without a single infection – that is a very rare event in healthcare. This is incredible and a genuine reflection of extraordinary teamwork.
Ok now for some news you can use! On Tuesday, August 15th, there will be a Joint Commission Fair in the 2 Dazian Rotunda in Petrie to help prepare staff for the survey. Please come by between 8 am and 4 pm to learn about our remarkable quality and patient care programs and performance. You’ll be able to grab some free candy and be entered to win raffle prizes. And, keep an eye out for information on a Joint Commission Fair coming to Union Square in the next few weeks.
Working in healthcare can be stressful, especially during change. I’m always thankful when I hear the relaxing music in our lobbies provided by our wonderful and world-class music therapy department.
Aside from filling our halls with music, the music therapy team has been hard at work researching and innovating in music and medicine. They work with many different kinds of patients, including those with dementia, respiratory diseases, cancer, palliative needs, and those post-surgery.
Some members of the Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy” Marie Grippo; Andrew Rossetti, MMT, MT-BC; Alex Entner; Tamara Sastow; Joanne Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC; Jasmine Edwards; Berry Ni; John Mondanaro, MA, MT-BC, LCAT; Rieko Eguchi.
In July, the World Congress of Music Therapy recognized Joanne Loewy, director of the Louis Armstrong Music Therapy Department, for finding new methods in music therapy and medicine. Her team also presented at the conference “First Sounds: Rhythm, Breath, and Lullaby NICU Music Therapy Training.” Joanne said, “I share this award with my team.” See the team that presented in Japan below.
Aimee Telsey, MD; Ann-Marie Dassler, NP; Joanne Loewy; Andrew Rossetti in Japan.
Andrew Rossetti and John Mondanaro also recently published articles about their research in music therapy helping radiation oncology patients and spine surgery patients.
They are certainly busy in the academic world and in caring for patients, but they still make time to contribute to the community. On Monday nights from 5pm-6pm, team members host a choir for stroke victims and their caregivers at Mount Sinai Downtown-Union Square. It’s free for anyone to join.
Thanks to this crew for making our hospital more welcoming and humane for patients and staff alike and for being national leaders in innovation.
Radiation Oncology Team from Left to Right: Catherine Cadore, RN, Nurse Manager; Judy Garcia, Senior Billing Liaison; Zuny Melendez, Medical Secretary; Celine Robertson Parris, NP; Elise Watson, Administrative Assistant; Manjeet Chadha, MD, Director; Jerry Liu, MD, Attending Physician; Starleigh Caldwell, Administrative Assistant; Dionne Gordon, Senior Billing Liaison; Cecilia Dos Santos Perez, Medical Secretary; Shunging Zhang, Medical Student.
Growing our ambulatory network is a major focus of our transformation. At Mount Sinai Downtown-Union Square (AKA PACC) we are nearing completion of the new Urgent Care Center and we will soon open a new practice in on 20th street between Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village.
The Radiation Oncology team at Union Square and Chelsea Center has helped to create an exceptional patient experience for those that they serve. Cancer diagnoses are very challenging for patients, and every small step to help them through their treatment goes a long way. Dr. Manjeet Chadha, Professor of Radiation Oncology, and the other members of the team have done an exceptional job of personalizing care.
In March, they began their work on patient experience with the IHOPE initiative: Improving Handoff On Patient Experience. A major change is the addition of a daily huddle where the leaders of the department can discuss any issues from the day and plan ahead for the next day. This communication is so important in understanding and improving the patient experience. They are able to close the loop on many issues that would otherwise fall through the cracks. They have also taken steps to improve the physical environment for their patients. For instance, they have added fresh plants and soothing music to the waiting room and greet patients with a welcome letter and visual chart of the processes of care. I’m so proud of this team for taking the time to make the experiences of their patients the center of the care model. And, their efforts have paid off. They’ve received very positive feedback in recent patient surveys.
Radiation Oncology Team with a painting given to them by a patient. Back row, left to right: Robert Stewart, MD, Attending Physician; Oxana Romanov, RN; Athar Ajaz-System, Analyst; Giselle Aponte, Medical Secretary; Andrew Rossetti, Music Therapist; Patrick Navolanic, MD, Resident; Middle Row, left to right: Lydia Pope-Nursing, Tech; Jennifer Williams, RN; Yanira Rivera, Senior Radiation Therapist; Tara Hayes-Supervisor, Radiation Therapist; Denise Kraemer, Administrator, Radiation Therapy; Celine Robertson Parris, NP; Andre Hart, Senior Radiation Therapist; Nadia Vassell, Physicist; June Moore, Medical Secretary; Front row, left to right: Catherine Cadore, RN, Nurse Manager; Katherine Gelpi-, Senior Radiation Therapist; Elmas Karagos, Senior Radiation Therapist; Rania Mohamed, Senior Radiation Therapist; Tuan Tran, Lead Radiation Therapist; Antonietta De Los Reyes, NP; Susan DelaCuadra, Senior Radiation Therapist; Astrid Lenis, Administrator.
From left to right: Jerry Liu, MD, Attending Physician; Manjeet Chadha, MD, Director; Robert Stewart, MD, Attending Physician.
A cover of the book published from patients in the Cancer Support Services programs.
Our cancer patients require some of the most comprehensive and expert care. Cancer Supportive Services offers robust programs at Mount Sinai Downtown-Union Square, Mount Sinai Downtown-Chelsea Center, and Mount Sinai West. The team offers free programs that support the mind, body, and spirit.
These include counseling, education, nutritional counseling, massage, acupuncture, art therapy, music therapy, and other special workshops and wellness programs. Emily Rubin, a writing workshop facilitator and cancer survivor, compiled a book of writings by cancer patients that was recently published.
Thank you for giving these patients something to look forward to each day.
Cancer Support Services at Union Square, from left to right: Sandy Lansinger; Alison Snow, PhD, LCSW-R, OSW-C; Darren Arthur, LCSW, OSW-C; Shannon Morton, LMSW.
MSBI has a history of making patients feel like family. We will build on this during the transformation and I look forward to partnering with you on this vital mission.
