Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Downtown
The laying of the cornerstone for the Dazian building in 1922. Herbert Hoover is to the left of the man with the top hat. Isaac Phillips (of Phillips Ambulatory Care Center and the Phillips School of Nursing at MSBI) is bending down with the shovel.
This week we held a lunch and learn, “128 Years in Lower Manhattan” presented by Mount Sinai Health System archivist and MSBI specialist, Nicholas Webb. We had a very full auditorium, and it was so wonderful to celebrate our history, especially MSBI’s dedication to medical innovation and increasing access to care. These are still some of our most important core values.
The presentation reminded me that Beth Israel has been through so much change in the past 100+ years. It is rewarding to know that we will be the ones to continue the journey.
Beth Israel was founded in 1889. Did you know BI has changed locations three times to adapt to the needs of our community?
We are in this same process of adapting to community needs and also to new technologies. We are currently doing construction to improve our Union Square and Chelsea Center locations. The new hospital may seem far off, but I am excited to report that the scaffolding is now up for the external demolition of the current building at our new site. We will see this building come down to make way for our very own cornerstone. I’m grateful that we are the ones to continue this legacy.
Beginning demolition: scaffolding on the former NYEE residents building.
Construction is only a small part of our transformation. We will continue to adjust our clinical practices to better care for our patients’ evolving needs while ensuring that we are fiscally sustainable over the long haul. This challenge gives us the opportunity to lead and innovate like so many BI pioneers before us. It will take an extraordinary amount of teamwork and dedication, and I can’t thank you enough for your patience and persistence during this time.
If you missed the presentation, you can see it here.
Jeremy
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Downtown
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. Joseph Kristan. 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.
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Downtown
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.
Have a great weekend.
Jeremy
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Downtown
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.
Have a great weekend.
Jeremy
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Downtown
Pictured from left to right: Manuel Sanchez Casalongue, MD; Benjamin Abbadessa, MD; Joseph Martz, MD; Patricia A. Sylla, MD; Natalya Chornaya, RN; Jin Ye (Vincent), CST; Carmen Fong, MD.
I am continuously impressed with the exceptional care we provide here at MSBI.
There have been so many changes to our perioperative program, as we continue to march our way toward our new hospital and expanded ambulatory platform. Yet, our teams manage to deliver best-in-class outcomes and an incredibly caring environment day in and day out.
Here is a note we received from Dr. Joseph Martz, one of the region’s very best surgeons, about some exceptional colleagues and teammates:
“I wanted to express my tremendous gratitude to the operating staff and their continued commitment to excellence in patient care. Yesterday, Dr. Benjamin Abbadessa, Dr. Patricia A. Sylla, and I performed a uniquely complicated rectal cancer operation. It was the first time this type of procedure was performed anywhere in the world on a patient with a BMI of 47. Despite the challenging aspect of the operation, the staff of Jin Ye (Vincent), CST, Jin Choi, RN, Natalya Chornaya, RN, and Mini Shebeen, MSN, CNOR, went above and beyond to ensure that the patient had a successful operation.”
I couldn’t possibly have said it any better.
Have a great weekend,
Jeremy
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Downtown
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.
Have a great weekend.
Jeremy
