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Mount Sinai Queens Receives Trophy for Outstanding Commitment to the Patient Experience

Mar 19, 2018 | Featured

Vicki LoPachin, MD, fourth from left, presented the Patient Experience trophy to leaders from Mount Sinai Queens. From left, Brijen Shah, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President for Medical Affairs; Caryn A. Schwab; Jill Goldstein, RN, MS, MA, Vice President, Nursing; and Judy Trilivas, RN, MA, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Ask physicians and staff at Mount Sinai Queens (MSQ), what is meant by the “Mount Sinai Queens Way,” a core set of values and behaviors that was created by the staff, and you are likely to hear the words “kind-hearted,” “courteous,” and “teamwork.” These values guide the way employees treat each other and engage with their patients, says Caryn A. Schwab, Executive Director of Mount Sinai Queens, a hospital with approximately 1,450 employees, which is located in Astoria. “We place a very high value on coming to work each day wanting to do a great job,” Ms. Schwab adds. “We have a shared commitment to making our hospital a better place.”

On Tuesday, February 27, physicians and staff at MSQ took a few minutes out of their busy schedules to celebrate their strong culture, when Vicki LoPachin, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Mount Sinai Health System, presented Ms. Schwab and Mount Sinai Queens with a trophy for their “Outstanding Commitment to Patient Experience.”

The trophy was given to MSQ for its 100 percent response rate to the Patient Experience Survey, which was launched throughout the Health System in December, under the leadership of Dr. LoPachin. The survey—rolled out at the Health System’s seven hospitals, Mount Sinai Union Square and Chelsea, Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice, off-site practices, corporate services, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai—gathered valuable insight into how Mount Sinai can ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality, and compassionate care to its patients at all times. The survey was the beginning of a patient experience improvement process that will enable the Mount Sinai Health System to create the best environment for patients to receive care.

Eighteen thousand Mount Sinai employees took the survey. Employees at MSQ—the location with the most stellar response rate—showed a strong understanding of how their roles contribute to the patient experience, can improve the patient experience, and foster the teamwork needed to help patients even when it is not part of their job.

Staff at Mount Sinai Queens gathered around their trophy.

“Everybody who works at Mount Sinai Queens has an impact on the patient experience,” says Ms. Schwab. “If you work in billing, for example, it means sending the right bill. If you’re in the pharmacy, it means getting the correct medications to the hospital floor in a timely manner. Improvement is a continuous process. Many of us have relatives who have been cared for at Mount Sinai and can speak in a personal way about their experiences. We, as leaders, want to see those positive experiences extended to every patient, every day, every time.”

Communicating the values of safety and quality in patient care, and treating patients the way employees themselves would like to be treated, is an ongoing process at MSQ. When senior leaders conduct hospital rounds, they ask about the procedures that are running smoothly and discuss how to fix the barriers to success. Town Hall meetings—held every three months—are among the methods used for communicating the hospital’s shared values. MSQ employees open each Town Hall with a patient story or a scenario that encourages empathy and compassion by putting themselves in the place of a patient.

“Every employee is important and connected to caregiving,” says Judy Trilivas, RN, MA, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Mount Sinai Queens. If an employee notices a patient in need, he or she is encouraged to respond—even if it is simply to help summon the patient’s nurse. “It may be something as simple as bringing a patient a box of tissues or moving a patient’s tray closer to his or her bed,” she adds. “When employees are engaged, it drives patient safety and quality.”

Ms. Schwab says, “We were thrilled with the results of the survey.” Yet, she acknowledges, “We’re on this journey, and we still have a long way to go. We work hard to be consistent in what we say and do. We strive to model behaviors and provide structure. Communication is key.”

Hoda Farghaly: My Colleagues in Queens Inspire Me

Mar 19, 2018 | Featured, Patient Stories

Hoda Farghaly, Patient Ambassador, Mount Sinai Queens, is pursuing a nursing degree.

When I was eight years old, I witnessed my mom involved in a tragic accident. Time was of the essence, and she was rushed to Mount Sinai Queens, the nearest hospital. My sister—who was seven at the time—and I were terrified that we could lose our mother. As our family was preparing for the worst, this “little emergency room that could” saved my mother’s life.

After emergency surgery, she was transferred to an inpatient unit and hospitalized for about three weeks. My sister and I visited her whenever we were able to.

During those times, I encountered so many heroes. I can still remember their names, faces, warm smiles, and kind, soft-spoken words. At a time of uncertainty and distress, these special people—housekeepers, nursing assistants, nurses, and doctors—helped my family feel at ease, and I felt that everything was truly going to be OK.

The day my mother was discharged to rehabilitation, I told myself that I wanted to dedicate my life to helping others with the same compassion and care that my mother received at Mount Sinai Queens.

I learned so much about humanity, empathy, and selflessness during my mother’s hospital stay 17 years ago. I continue to learn and see this today, being surrounded by so many great people who work here.

These amazing people recently inspired my own kind gesture to a patient at Mount Sinai Queens.

This patient had a bucket list. He passionately wanted to travel the world like his brother did, but his health was preventing him from doing that. One of the places on his list was Egypt, and we spoke about its culture and history. Fortunately, I am half Egyptian, and my parents travel often. After work that day, I ran home and grabbed a souvenir I had gotten from Egypt, from the Pyramids of Giza, and brought it to him. I knew I couldn’t help him travel, but I could bring a small piece of another part of the world to his bedside.

He was so surprised and happy, and must have thanked me a million times. Something as small as a souvenir that we might take for granted every day really made such a difference to him.

A Generous Gift to Advance Care for Children with Cancer and Blood Disease

Mar 18, 2018 | Community, Featured, Pediatrics

From left: Alan Feldman, Chairman, and Mark Zeller, Co-President and Treasurer, The Jack Martin Fund; Kenneth L. Davis, MD; Chris Mongeluzo, Co-President, The Jack Martin Fund; Lisa M. Satlin, MD; David L. Reich, MD, President and Chief Operating Officer, The Mount Sinai Hospital; and Birte Wistinghausen, MD, Medical Director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology.

The Jack Martin Fund, a nonprofit organization that has partnered with Mount Sinai Health System for 68 years, has provided a gift to open a new pediatric cancer inpatient unit at Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mount Sinai. The benefactors, along with Mount Sinai Health System leaders, celebrated the launch of The Jack Martin Fund Inpatient Unit for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disease at a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The 5,300-square-foot unit features eight private beds, including two isolation rooms with negative air pressure to protect immune-compromised children from infection, as well as a family lounge, a kitchen, and a playroom for younger children.

“This extraordinarily generous gift represents a critical step toward Mount Sinai’s goal of transforming children’s health care,” said Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. “Through our alliance with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the co-managed Children’s Cancer Program, we have expanded our pool of nationally recognized experts and are increasing the scope of clinical services to provide the most advanced care for children with cancer and blood disease.”

In 1988, the Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology was named for Jack Martin, a business executive who died of polio in 1950 after being cared for at Mount Sinai. The Jack Martin Fund was established by his family to honor his memory.

“The Jack Martin Fund Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, led by new Chief Steven J. Burakoff, MD, provides exceptional care to children with cancer and blood disease, while conducting innovative research to advance our understanding and treatment of these disorders,” said Lisa Satlin, MD, Chair of Pediatrics for the Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Burakoff also continues as Dean for Cancer Innovation at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Lillian and Henry M. Stratton Professor of Cancer Medicine as he takes on this new role. Added Dr. Satlin: “This new inpatient unit reflects our commitment to caring for children and families in a warm, nurturing environment.”

A Vision of the Future with Dennis S. Charney, MD, Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Mar 15, 2018 | Featured, School

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. From a start-up with a first-year class of 36 students, the School is now a 1,200-student research, education, and innovation powerhouse that is ranked 13th among medical schools in the United States for National Institutes of Health funding and second among U.S. medical schools in funding per principal investigator by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

To commemorate this achievement, 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, was interviewed about the School’s commitment to innovation and discovery. Groundbreaking science and a firm commitment to patient care have been the School’s primary objectives for the past 50 years. Dr. Charney aims to continue this perspective into the future.

Says Dr. Charney, “It is our responsibility—the current leadership, faculty, and students—to build on that foundation so that in the next 50 years we accomplish what they did and change the lives of our patients.”

Click here to watch Dr. Charney’s full video

Chair of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Builds On Success in Improving Patients’ Quality of Life

Mar 6, 2018 | Featured, Your Health

R. Sean Morrison, MD, at the Wiener Family Palliative Care Unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital, which recently earned recertification by The Joint Commission.

R. Sean Morrison, MD, has been appointed Ellen and Howard C. Katz Chair of the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Morrison, who joined Mount Sinai in 1995, has focused on one goal throughout his career: Improving quality of life for patients and families.

“Our mission is to ensure that persons living with serious illness, multiple chronic conditions, physical disability, or cognitive impairment live as well and as long as possible,” Dr. Morrison says. “We try to establish what goals are important to our patients and help them to achieve them.”

Dr. Morrison will continue as Director of the Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute and the National Palliative Care Research Center. He succeeds Albert L. Siu, MD, who was chair of the department for 15 years. “My No. 1 objective is to build on the success of my predecessors—Drs. Robert Butler, Christine Cassel, and Albert Siu. They created the first Department of Geriatrics, and then the first integrated Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine in the country, and built it into the nation’s leading academic program focused on the needs of older adults and those with serious illness.”

The Mount Sinai Hospital’s geriatrics program ranked third in the nation in the 2017–2018 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” Guide. And in February, the palliative care programs at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Beth Israel earned recertification by The Joint Commission. “Mount Sinai was one of the first five hospitals to receive Advanced Certification in Palliative Care in 2011,” Dr. Morrison says. “Since that time, our teams, sites, and number of patients have multiplied considerably. Yet our services continue to offer an unwavering quality of care to seriously ill patients and their families.” He thanked the Mount Sinai Health System’s leadership for their support and thanked every team member for their dedication “to removing unnecessary suffering from the world.”

Dr. Morrison earned his MD at the University of Chicago Pritzker. He completed his residency at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center and his fellowship training in geriatric medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In 1995, he helped found Mount Sinai’s palliative care program which started with a team of four: Dr. Morrison, Jane Morris, MS, RN, ACHPN; Judith Ahronheim, MD; and another national leader in palliative care, Diane E. Meier, MD, who is a MacArthur Fellow and the Catherine Gaisman Professor of Medical Ethics, and Professor of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Meier now serves as the Director of Mount Sinai’s Center to Advance Palliative Care, an organization that Dr. Morrison collaborates closely with in disseminating innovative models of palliative care education and practice throughout the United States.

At the time that palliative care started at Mount Sinai, it was a novel team-based specialty focused on providing specialized medical care to relieve the symptoms and stress caused by the serious illness for patients and their families. It is still appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and unlike hospice, it can be provided alongside curative and all other appropriate medical treatments. “As a result of the research, educational outreach, and clinical-care models developed at Mount Sinai, palliative care is now available in all major hospitals across the country making it one of the fastest growing specialties in American medicine,” Dr. Morrison says.

This is a crucial time for geriatrics and palliative care. “Those over age 80 are the fastest growing segment of the American population, and older adults living with serious and complex medical illness account for more than 60 percent of all health care spending,” Dr. Morrison says. “As baby boomers continue to age, all health care professionals will need to have the core knowledge and skills of geriatrics and palliative care in order to deliver high value health care.”

His goals for the Department are: to develop new models of high value clinical care to match the needs of an aging population; to create the science and evidence base that supports the care; and to train a work force that is well-prepared to care for older adults and those with serious illness. “This is the Department that created the fields of geriatrics and palliative care,” Dr. Morrison says. “My hope is that we become the Department that is responsible for completely infusing these specialties into the genome of American medicine.”

A Large-Scale Study Finds Genes Linked to Obesity

Mar 6, 2018 | Featured, Research

Ruth Loos, PhD

Diet and physical activity are not the only factors that determine how easily a person gains or loses weight. A recent study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and other institutions of the Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits (GIANT) consortium has found that 13 genes may play an important role, as well.

According to the study, published in the January 2018 issue of Nature Genetics, these 13 genes carry variations associated with body mass index (BMI).

“Our study has identified genes that play a crucial role in the neuronal control of body weight,” says lead researcher Ruth Loos, PhD, Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Director of the Genetics of Obesity and Related Metabolic Traits Program at The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine. “They act in the brain in pathways that may affect people’s food intake, hunger, and satiety. Individuals who inherit these genetic variations may find it harder to eat less or stop eating, compared to those who did not inherit these variations.”

The study, led by Dr. Loos and Joel Hirschhorn, MD, PhD, Concordia Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Genetics at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Co-director of the Broad Institute Metabolism Program, also involved the collaboration of more than 250 international research institutions that comprise the GIANT consortium.

In the past decade, researchers in the GIANT consortium have performed genome-wide screens in hundreds of thousands of individuals to identify genetic variations associated with obesity and BMI. In this new study, the consortium focused on a specific set of genetic variations that are likely to affect the function of genes and their proteins—an approach that expedited the discovery of the causal genes that affect body weight.

Genetic data from more than 700,000 individuals and 125 different studies were combined to form the largest genetic association study to date. The researchers identified a total of 14 genetic variations in 13 genes, including a “stop” variation in a gene called MC4R that causes carriers to weigh 15 pounds more, on average, than individuals who do not carry the “stop” variation.

Genes contain the information needed to make proteins. In the case of a “stop” variation, the translation from gene to protein is halted, and the protein is shorter than normal. About 1 in 5,000 individuals carries the “stop” variant in MC4R, which causes the gene not to produce the protein needed to inform the brain to stop eating. While this variant was identified two decades ago in individuals with extreme and early onset obesity, the new study shows that it also affects body weight in the general population.

Eight of the 13 genes identified were newly implicated in obesity and will require further follow-up to understand the mechanisms through which they affect body weight. By knowing the genes and the biological pathways through which they work, researchers believe they are a few steps closer to understanding why some people gain weight more easily than others, which is critical for developing effective treatments.

Genes are not the only factor in determining body weight, and it is important to be physically active and maintain a healthy diet, Dr. Loos says. However, she says, “Our study has provided new potential targets for therapeutic interventions, and may even help personalize treatment for carriers of the genetic variations.”