Celebrating Commencement in the 50th Year of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured

New physicians recited the Modern Hippocratic Oath during the ceremony on Friday, May 11.

From left: Kenneth L. Davis, MD; Commencement speaker Timothy P. Shriver, PhD, Chairman of the Board, Special Olympics, and Dennis S. Charney. MD.

A pioneer in the study of addiction, a leader in biomedical engineering, a champion of reproductive rights, and a physician-scientist whose work has revolutionized the fight against some cancers were honored as the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai celebrated its 49th Commencement— and the 50th Anniversary of its founding.

The Icahn School of Medicine granted 145 MDs, 64 PhDs, and 24 dual degrees in the ceremony held on Friday, May 11, at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center. “I know that you have the hearts, minds, and passion” to change the future of medicine, the graduates were told by 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. Fifty years ago, Dr. Charney said, “The School of Medicine was founded with a focus on the clinical and biologic problems facing the physician, with a dedication to the personal problems of the patient and family. It fostered the ‘healer’ mentality that still exists today.”

Huen Suk (Crystal) Kim, PhD, received her hood from Christoph Schaniel, PhD, Assistant Professor of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology.

Dr. Charney saluted “Giants of Mount Sinai”—many of them on the Commencement stage—who were early graduates and faculty who have made transformative contributions to science and medicine. He also listed some accomplishments of the Class of 2018. One graduate cofounded a national patients’ advocacy organization; another wrote a comprehensive overview of palliative care in Africa. Other graduates fought bias in patient care and made advances in the study of immunotherapy, bipolar disorder, and drug addiction. “I am confident you will carry on the tradition of our great institution,” Dr. Charney said.

Aryeh Stock, MD—holding his son, Alex—received his hood from his father, Jeffrey A. Stock, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Urology, and Pediatrics, and Class of 1988.

Timothy P. Shriver, PhD, Chairman of the Board, Special Olympics, delivered the commencement address to nearly 3,000 faculty, staff, graduates, and their families and friends who filled the hall. Dr. Shriver said people with intellectual disabilities faced “extraordinary social, cultural, and physical pain” in addition to discrimination in housing and health care. But even in adversity, he said, “for the most part they do not choose hate or anger, they choose healing.” He asked the graduates to also choose to be healers, “not just in the way we use medicine and research, but in the way we live as citizens and the way we live as human beings.”

Dr. Shriver received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his work promoting inclusion, friendship, and physical fitness among 5.3 million Special Olympics athletes and their families worldwide. Honorary degrees also were awarded to:

Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, and Professor of Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, and Biomedical Engineering, the University of Connecticut, who received an honorary Doctor of Science degree for groundbreaking work in biomaterials, stem cell science, nanotechnology, drug-delivery systems, and a field he has pioneered, regenerative engineering.

Douglas R. Lowy, MD, Deputy Director, National Cancer Institute, who received an honorary Doctor of Science degree for biomedical research that led to three vaccines that counteract human papillomavirus, which is responsible for 5 percent of cancers. This clinical intervention has had a major impact on human health around the world.

Cecile Richards, former President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, who received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for advancing women’s health and reproductive rights, and helping to create healthier lives for young people and marginalized communities across the nation.

Nora D. Volkow, MD, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, who received an honorary Doctor of Science degree for work that has demonstrated that drug addiction is a disease of the brain, helping to shift the national understanding of addiction and create a movement to combat the epidemic of opioid addiction.

Peter W. May, Chairman, Boards of Trustees, Mount Sinai Health System, gave the graduates a history lesson, pointing out that in 1968 the School of Medicine opened in a former bus garage on 102nd Street. “That building contained all the labs, one classroom, and all the administrative offices. And look at us now,” Mr. May said. “In 50 years, the Icahn School of Medicine has evolved into one of the country’s best medical schools, backed by a broad system of what will soon be eight hospitals that care for millions of patients with the same excellence.” He added, “I hope that the momentum we’ve established continues and that Mount Sinai will remain at the forefront of academic excellence and wonderful patient care for anybody who needs it. And I hope that you, our graduates, continue to be the leaders who welcome and address the inevitable changes in health care that are ahead of all of us.”

Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, also called on the graduates to be leaders in clinics, in laboratories, and in their communities, especially in confronting gun violence, which he called an epidemic far more pressing than the Ebola or Zika viruses. “We need to treat gun violence like the public health problem that it is,” Dr. Davis said, adding that it kills 96 Americans every day.

“Today, as you get your degree in medicine, let it also double as a degree in changing the world,” Dr. Davis said. “Your community needs you, your country needs you, your classmates and colleagues need you. From this moment forward, you are our hope. Thank you for what I know you will do in the years to come.”

A Festive 33rd Crystal Party Held in Central Park

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured

From left: Kenneth L. Davis, MD, and Bonnie Davis, MD, with Vanessa Cornell and Henry Cornell

The Mount Sinai Health System’s 33rd annual Crystal Party, held Thursday, May 3, in the Central Park Conservatory Garden, was a festive event a­ ended by more than 1,200 leaders, faculty, supporters, and friends of the Health System. Dancing, dining, and celebrating a year of accomplishments at the Mount Sinai Health System and the 50th anniversary of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, were on the evening’s agenda. The party—Mount Sinai’s major social event of the season—raised nearly $4 million that will be used to support key educational, clinical, and research programs.

From left: Peter W. May and Leni May, with Senator Charles E. Schumer

This year’s celebration was chaired by Mount Sinai Trustee Henry Cornell and his wife, Vanessa Cornell. Other members of the event leadership included the Mount Sinai Health System Hospital Presidents Committee: Rebecca Sandler and Jeremy Boal, MD; Karen and Evan L. Flatow, MD; Sharon and Arthur Gianelli, MPH; Joan F. and Lin H. Mo, MPH; Keith L. Marran Jr., and David L. Reich, MD; and Tracey and James C. Tsai, MD. Rachel Crane, and Holly and Michael Schechter were Friends of Mount Sinai Chairs.

Peter W. May, Chairman, Boards of Trustees, welcomed the guests. He said, “We are grateful and proud that support for this event has reached this level and ensures that the Mount Sinai Health System will continue to provide unparalleled care to patients throughout the New York metropolitan area.”

Guest speakers, from left, Jim Gaffigan and Jeannie Gaffigan, with Joshua B. Bederson, MD

Comedian Jim Gaffigan and his wife, actress Jeannie Gaffigan, a cowriter on their entertainment projects, were the evening’s special guest speakers. In April 2017, Mrs. Gaffigan underwent a successful nine-hour surgery to remove a rare and large, benign brain tumor. The surgery was performed by Joshua B. Bederson, MD, Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Mount Sinai Health System. During the procedure, Dr. Bederson used pioneering augmented reality technology that helps surgeons operate more safely and precisely.

Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System, thanked all the Benefit Chairs for their dedication and support, and noted Mount Sinai’s progress in advancing care.

“The Mount Sinai Health System has made significant advances in patient care and research, as demonstrated by Jeannie Gaffigan’s remarkable story,” Dr. Davis said. Also in attendance was U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who reiterated his support for Mount Sinai and recognized its commitment to ensuring quality health care for all New Yorkers.

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Leaders and Staff Salute Mount Sinai’s Volunteers

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured, Volunteering

Leaders and staff at Mount Sinai Brooklyn honored their long-serving volunteers. From left: Rose Huczko, 1,957 volunteer hours; Roman Khait, Patient Representative; Ruth Mermelstein, 1,339 volunteer hours; Frank Rotelli, 3,263 volunteer hours; Philip Fagin, 2,607 volunteer hours; Scott Lorin, MD; Linda Valentino, RN, Chief Nursing OΠcer and Vice President of Patient Care Services; Jean Chin, 3,972 volunteer hours; Deborah Dean, MD, Chief of Emergency Medicine; Morris Jacobs, 1,397 volunteer hours; Rabbi Jacob Hoenig; and Maia Makharadze.

During National Volunteer Recognition Week, the more than 1,000 volunteers at The Mount Sinai Hospital and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai who provide support, assistance, kindness, and compassion to countless individuals every day were honored at a breakfast held Wednesday, April 25, in Annenberg West Lobby.

At The Mount Sinai Hospital and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Volunteer Recognition Breakfast, from left: Dennis S. Charney, MD; Shari Kaplan, LCSW; Kenneth L. Davis, MD; and David L. Reich, MD.

“Our volunteers are such an integral part of the Mount Sinai community, and they have a unique and valuable perspective on caring and compassion,” Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, told the guests. “Your humanity shines through. We are at our best, thanks to you.”

According to the Department of Volunteer Services, which hosted the breakfast, volunteers serve in every area of patient care, research, and administration throughout the hospital and School of Medicine, representing a broad expanse of backgrounds—doctors, teachers, lawyers, retirees, and high school, medical, and graduate students, among them.

“When visitors walk into one of our buildings and are greeted by a volunteer, they get a sense of what Mount Sinai is all about—they feel that they are part of our family,” said 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.

“You are incredibly special—just taking a moment to be kind to someone sets a tone that brings a better experience for everyone,” David L. Reich, MD, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Mount Sinai Hospital, reminded the volunteers.

The recently named Director of the Department of Volunteer Services, Shari Kaplan, LCSW, opened the festivities, telling the guests: “Today is about you—our kind, generous, priceless, and committed volunteers who share your time and passion with us every day.”

Ramona Gross, center, with Mount Sinai West volunteers Fahmida Uddin, left, and Missi Gibbs.

Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s recognized their volunteers at an awards ceremony and reception held at the Symphony Space Performing Arts Center on the Upper West Side on Wednesday, April 18. Arthur A. Gianelli, MPH, President of Mount Sinai St. Luke’s; Tim Day, Chief Operating Officer, Mount Sinai West; and Meredith Lisagor, MDiv, Director of Spiritual Care, joined the Volunteer Services team, led by Director Amy Bush and Assistant Director Ramona Gross, in honoring the more than 80 volunteers in attendance. One outstanding volunteer, Naomi Goldberg, was recognized for 10 years of service at Mount Sinai West in the Emergency Department and the Division of Hematology/Oncology.

Jeremy Boal, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, and President, Mount Sinai Downtown, led staff in saluting 53 volunteers who attended a reception in the Bernstein Building on Tuesday, April 17. When Dinah Jacobson, who oversees Volunteer Services at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, asked staff and volunteers to share stories about their experiences, retired nurse Jackie Slawsky, a volunteer for Surgical Admitting, spoke up. “I’ve been volunteering at Mount Sinai Beth Israel for several years,” she said, “and there isn’t another place that welcomes you like family. I really feel like I matter to the staff and patients.”

At Mount Sinai Brooklyn, an afternoon of activities on Thursday, April 19, included a recognition ceremony, as well as a Musician Volunteer Concert and Spring Volunteer Workshop.

Scott Lorin, MD, newly named President of Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Maia Makharadze, who manages the Department of Volunteer Services; and Rabbi Jacob Hoenig, Director of Pastoral Care and Education, presented a “Best in Brooklyn Volunteer Award” to eight volunteers who have devoted more than 1,000 hours in service to patients—with one volunteer reaching nearly 4,000 hours. Said Ms. Makharadze: “We have very dedicated and multi-talented volunteers who give so much of their time to Mount Sinai Brooklyn.”

Stefan Balan, MD, Director of Cancer Network Development, Brooklyn; and Chief of Hematology and Oncology, Mount Sinai Brooklyn, expressed the gratitude of all when he addressed the volunteers. “We are a hospital, a place where nobody chooses to be—except you who come here and want to make a difference in someone’s life, to make them feel better, to embrace them, and listen to them. For all this, we thank you.”

Read more about Mount Sinai and the Community

Second Episode of Mount Sinai Future You

Jun 5, 2018 | Featured, Future You, Research


The second episode of Mount Sinai Future You features a patient who suffered an intracerebral hemorrhage, one of the most devastating forms of stroke, and who shares his miraculous recovery after neurosurgeons saved his life using a new surgical technique called “SCUBA.” J Mocco, MD, MS, Director of the Cerebrovascular Center, and Christopher Kellner, MD, Director of the Intracerebral Hemorrhage Program, discuss the procedure.

Mount Sinai Future You, which highlights innovation at Mount Sinai, is being broadcast on CUNY TV, the non-commercial educational-access cable channel run by The City University of New York.

Mount Sinai Future You takes viewers behind the scenes as doctors at Mount Sinai Health System leverage innovative science to change patients’ lives every day. The series  highlights preventative care and treatment models that will lead to better health and longer lives.

Mount Sinai Future You, Episode II, also features:

  • An interview with Roger Hajjar, MD, Arthur and Janet C. Ross Professor of Medicine, and Director of the Cardiovascular Research Center, about how gene therapy could one day treat heart disease.
  • Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart, and Samin Sharma, MD, Director of Clinical and Interventional Cardiology, give an elderly patient a second chance at life with a minimally invasive heart procedure.
  • Researchers from the Departments of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation Medicine discuss the most updated science and the importance of raising awareness of and knowledge about traumatic brain injuries and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in women.
  • Rachel Yehuda, PhD, Director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division, shares the latest research and clinical trials to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Janine Flory, PhD, Director of the PTSD Clinic at the Bronx VA Medical Center, provides insight on the link between traumatic brain injury and PTSD.
  • Hyunsuk Suh, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, is offering patients a scarless robotic surgery for thyroidectomies.
  • The parents of a toddler share their emotional journey after their son’s challenging start in life due to a heart defect.

New episodes of Mount Sinai Future You will run monthly, in the first week of each month, on Wednesdays at 9:30 pm, Thursdays at 6:30 am and 5 pm, and Saturdays at 11 am. They will cover newsworthy topics in medicine, as well as highlight new treatments, innovations, and preventive care for patients. The series is produced by Mount Sinai.

Here is where you can find this series:

Cable System CUNY TV Channel
Spectrum 75
Cablevision 75
Optimum Brooklyn 75
RCN Cable 77
Verizon FiOS 30

 *Some RCN digital cable and MMDS systems carry CUNY TV and/or NYC TV on different channel numbers. For example, some RCN systems in Manhattan and Queens carry CUNY TV on channel 24, 106 or 108. Please consult your cable provider directly to be sure.

Watch Episode 1 of Mount Sinai Future You

Cardiac Surgeon-in-Chief at Mount Sinai to Lead the American Association for Thoracic Surgery

May 22, 2018 | Featured, Research

David H. Adams, MD, after being named AATS President and receiving the Association’s Presidential chain.

David H. Adams, MD, the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Professor and Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Cardiac Surgeon-in-Chief of the Mount Sinai Health System, was named President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) at its 98th annual meeting on Monday, April 30, in San Diego.

The AATS is an international organization of more than 1,300 of the world’s foremost cardiothoracic surgeons representing 41 countries, and publishes four official journals that advance its commitment to science, education, and research.

“Dr. Adams is an internationally recognized leader in the field of heart valve surgery and mitral valve reconstruction,” says Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. “That his achievements have been acknowledged by the most prominent organization in the field is a reflection on Dr. Adams and Mount Sinai’s commitment to advancing the treatment and study of heart disease.”

Additionally, Dr. Adams is President of the Mitral Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that promotes best practice standards in mitral valve disease, has co-authored the internationally acclaimed valve textbook, Carpentier’s Reconstructive Valve Surgery, and co-invented or invented several repair rings for mitral and tricuspid valve reconstruction that are used throughout the world. As the Program Director of The Mount Sinai Hospital’s Mitral Valve Repair Center—now one of the largest programs in the world caring for patients with mitral valve disease—Dr. Adams leads a team that has established national benchmarks for repair rates and excellent clinical outcomes.

The mitral valve controls blood flow between the collection chamber from the lungs (left atrium) and the pumping chamber (left ventricle), which is responsible for delivering the now-oxygenated blood to the body. Diseased mitral valve leaflets lead to either regurgitation or stenosis, altering normal blood flow patterns, and requiring repair or replacement. Dr. Adams and his team have pioneered reconstructive techniques that allow patients to keep their own living valve rather than undergo a valve replacement with a mechanical or animal valve.

According to the most recent New York State Department of Health Adult Cardiac Surgery 2013 – 2015 report, Dr. Adams is one of only four surgeons out of more than 230 to be recognized with a two-star safety rating, indicating superior clinical results in all index open heart cases. During this three-year period, Dr. Adams achieved a significantly higher safety level (0.52 percent) than the statewide average (2.25 percent).

“Becoming President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and receiving a two-star rating from New York State are really not my individual honors, but rather recognition of the extraordinary team of dedicated health care professionals whom I have the honor of working with every day in taking care of cardiovascular surgical patients at Mount Sinai,” says Dr. Adams.

The Department of Cardiovascular Surgery is currently participating in more than 20 clinical trials, several with a focus on exploring novel strategies that can treat mitral valve disease without opening the chest and placing the patient on a heart-lung machine. Dr. Adams was appointed the national co-Principal Investigator of the Medtronic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pivotal APOLLO Trial, the first study in the United States to explore closed-chest, beating heart mitral valve replacement in patients who are at increased risk for conventional biological valve replacement.

The trial began in 2017 and will involve more than 40 clinical sites, including The Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Adams is also the co-Principal Investigator of the FDA Pivotal ReChord Trial that is exploring beating heart echo-guided valve repair for patients with mitral valve prolapse.

“This is the beginning of an important journey to establish truly less invasive approaches to treat patients with various types of mitral valve disease,” says Dr. Adams. “Investigators at The Mount Sinai Hospital are at the forefront of this research that we believe will revolutionize the treatment of patients in years to come.”

Dr. Adams is the co-inventor of the Edwards Lifesciences’ Carpentier-McCarthy-Adams IMR ETlogix Annuloplasty Ring, the Carpentier-Edwards Physio II ring, and the Medtronic Tri-Ad Adams Tricuspid Annuloplasty Ring. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai receives royalties from Edwards Lifesciences and Medtronic in connection with the sale of these products. Dr. Adams and Mount Sinai do not receive any royalties when the devices are implanted in patients at Mount Sinai.

 

 

New Chief Wellness Officer Named

May 22, 2018 | Featured, Patient Stories

Jonathan Ripp, MD, MPH

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has named Jonathan Ripp, MD, MPH, as Senior Associate Dean for Well-Being and Resilience, and Chief Wellness Officer. Dr. Ripp assumes the new post amid mounting challenges for medical professionals that include exhaustive clerical demands, increasingly burdensome documentation procedures, and numerous metric-driven requirements. Stressors such as these distract providers from the meaningful aspects of their jobs and make it harder for physicians to provide patients with the best possible care.

According to a December 2016 article in the Annals of Internal Medicine, physicians spent 27 percent of their total time on direct clinical face time with patients and 49.2 percent of their time filling out electronic health records and doing other administrative work. The study found they spent another 1 to 2 hours each night—after office hours—doing additional computer or clerical work.

“Our physicians and clinicians care for patients and families in need in an evolving health care system,” says Dr. Ripp. “They are driven in this pursuit to put the patient first, but often their own well-being suffers. We need to support their mission by improving the system-level factors that facilitate their purpose and provide them with the resources to promote well-being.”

Dr. Ripp has assumed a national leadership role in this endeavor. In April, he and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic and University of California San Francisco School of Medicine published a widely circulated “Charter on Physician Wellbeing” that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

David O. Barbe, MD, MHA, President of the American Medical Association (AMA), wrote, “Achieving national health goals depends on an energized, engaged, and resilient physician workforce. The AMA strongly supports the Charter and its declaration that the nation is best served by a health system that promotes professional fulfillment by allowing physicians to meet their patients’ needs for high-quality care.”

In his new role at Mount Sinai, Dr. Ripp will identify areas of excessive administrative and clinical burden that can be targets for intervention and workplace redesign efforts. He will also lead new initiatives that optimize physical and mental health.

“My role is to understand the local drivers of job burnout and to solve difficult problems,” he says. Initial initiatives will engage focus groups of faculty, students, and trainees and include gathering survey data on the drivers that erode well-being. He plans to identify a cohort of department-level faculty wellness champions who are eager to partner in implementing change.

Dr. Ripp—a faculty member in the Department of Medicine since 2004—has overseen the development of numerous wellness initiatives in Graduate Medical Education (GME) for the past two years. These include the expansion of mindfulness and reflection programs, codification of a policy that meets accreditation for well-being requirements, and the establishment of a GME-funded well-being grant program to decrease trainee work intensity and administrative burden. In addition to this work, he provides primary care to homebound New Yorkers through the Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors Program.

As Dr. Ripp pursues new programs within the Icahn School of Medicine and the Mount Sinai Health System, he also will continue his work on a national level. Over the course of their careers, physicians can expect to encounter patients who are dealing with extreme pain and suffering. Incorporating resilience-building strategies into medical training and education can provide physicians with the emotional awareness and support they need during these stressful encounters.

The development of clinician well-being initiatives will take a large effort, says Dr. Ripp, but the rewards for the nation’s doctors and patients are potentially huge.