Advancing Heath Equity With Data: Collaborating With Stakeholders at Mount Sinai Queens

Apr 5, 2024 | Diversity and Inclusion, Featured, Research

Jill Goldstein, MA, MS, RN

At Mount Sinai, a key pillar in advancing health equity focuses on the collection and use of self-reported patient demographic data to identify gaps in care. The Health Equity Data Assessment (HEDA) team is engaging key stakeholders across the Health System and collaborating to address variances.

A highlight of these efforts is the Mount Sinai Queens Nurses Against Racism (NAR) system council, which endeavored to evaluate incidences of hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) using an equity lens.

A pressure injury is a localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue, resulting from compression between a bony prominence and an external surface for a prolonged time. Monitoring HAPI specifically focuses on the occurrence of these injuries during an inpatient hospital stay.

According to Jill Goldstein, MA, MS, RN, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, Vice President of Nursing at Mount Sinai Queens, and NAR sponsor, their collaboration with HEDA began in January 2023, combining subject matter expertise and data modeling to evaluate differences in HAPI rates across patient populations. She  noted that the interdisciplinary team explored the impact of race, gender, age, language, payor, length of stay, clinical service, and other factors on the incidences of hospital-acquired pressure injuries.

Further, the data showed that in terms of race, there were no meaningful differences observed between white, Black, or Hispanic patients in any model.

Notably, the most actionable finding was the elevated risk for patients who prefer to speak a language other than English or Spanish. In these patients, 40 percent were more likely to have documented HAPI when compared to English-speaking patients.

With the data the HEDA team helped to collect and interpret, the system-wide nursing team will seek interventions to eliminate this disparity. This interdisciplinary approach serves as a model to incorporate an equity lens into other quality work, according to Ms. Goldstein.

Access the Health Equity Data Assessment (HEDA) Portal

Mount Sinai Queens-Crescent Street Officially Opens, Signifying a New Era of Care in Queens

Updated on Apr 5, 2024 | Community, Featured

From left: Anna Kril,Eartha Washington, Rabbi Jonathan Pearl, Tiffany Echevarria, Jill Goldstein, Ken Long (behind), Donovan Richards, Cameron R. Hernandez, MD, Michael Gianaris, Lynn Schulman, Florence Koulouris, Amrita Gupte, David L. Reich, MD, Ricardo Bonitto, and Nancy Papaioannou

The opening of Mount Sinai Queens-Crescent Street, a new multispecialty care outpatient practice in Queens, underscores Mount Sinai’s commitment to improving health and its commitment to the community.

“Mount Sinai Queens-Crescent Street marks a transformative milestone in the delivery of care in Astoria and beyond,” says David Reich, MD, President of The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens. “We are focused on enhancing the patient experience at Mount Sinai, and are committed to opening new facilities and increasing the range of advanced health care services we provide; and that is what we have done in our neighborhood.”

On Thursday, March 7, Mount Sinai Queens hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new outpatient practice.

Designed to enhance multispecialty care in a convenient state-of-the-art facility, Mount Sinai Queens-Crescent Street offers the latest diagnostic and treatment options and specialized care.

Services include heart care from the world-renowned Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital on the Second Floor and centers for hematology/oncology, gastroenterology, endocrinology/diabetes care, rheumatology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation (physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology) on the Third Floor.

The new practice features new accommodations, including spacious exam rooms, comfortable waiting areas, bathrooms, and beautiful modern fixtures in an accessible, easy-to-navigate building. In addition, the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department has a large gym that features new equipment, more privacy, and a bigger area, making it more accessible to patients.

“Our goal is to make this facility the destination for care in Queens,” says Cameron R. Hernandez, MD, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Mount Sinai Queens. “Mount Sinai Queens-Crescent Street will play a pivotal role not only in ensuring that community members—our neighbors—receive the care they deserve but also in creating an immersive and comprehensive health care experience for patients and clinical experts.”

Within the next year, a Mount Sinai retail pharmacy and Mount Sinai Express Care—an urgent care clinic associated with the hospital’s emergency room—will also open on the First Floor of the building.

Mount Sinai Queens is committed to providing the community of western Queens and beyond with the best outpatient, emergency, and inpatient medical care. Patients have access to a highly trained team of nearly 500 physicians representing almost 40 medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties. The team of physicians, nurses, and support staff uphold the Mount Sinai tradition of excellence by providing high-quality, patient-centered care, delivered with compassion.

Attending the groundbreaking were the Mount Sinai Queens leadership team that includes Amrita Gupte, MD, MPH, MBA, Jill Goldstein, MA, MS, RN, Ellina Babar, Ricardo Bonitto, MBA, and Zachary Kee. They were joined by Dr. Reich; Donovan Richards Jr, Queens Borough President; Michael Gianaris, State Senator; Lynn Schulman, Council Member; and Tiffany Echevarria, Community Liaison for Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez.

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Learn more about Mount Sinai Queens-Crescent Street or make an appointment

Alumni Kiran Nagdeo, BDS, MPH, Shares How Mount Sinai Enabled Her to Integrate Her Oral Health Experience Into a Public Health Career

Mar 29, 2024 | Community, Featured, School

Kiran Nagdeo, BDS, MPH

Kiran Nagdeo earned her BDS degree at D.Y. Patil University School of Dentistry in India and has eight years of clinical experience. She recently graduated from the Master of Public Health program, specializing in Global Health (Epidemiology and Biostatistics) from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Why did you decide to study at Icahn Mount Sinai?

The main reason I chose Mount Sinai is because it’s one of largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area. That gives you hope that it will open multiple opportunities, which it did. Another big reason was that the location really mattered to me. Mount Sinai is located very close to Central Park, and close to the subway, which made commuting easier.

What attracted you to study Public Health? What about it inspires you?

I was a completely clinically oriented dentist, practicing in India, and I was happy—until COVID-19 hit. It was during the pandemic that I realized the importance of broader level or upscale interventions. I had been working on an individual level—patient-doctor one to one relationship—but if I was equipped back then, I could have helped and contributed on a bigger scale to support many more people. Around this time, I decided to pursue public health.

My love and passion for dentistry and oral health is strong, and I have embraced avenues for my continued interest in this area. I have learned that there isn’t a heavy focus on oral health in the public health sector. There are very few select professionals, who usually tend to have a dental background, who have contributed to dental public health.

My goal going forward is the integration of oral health in public health and to advance maternal and child health. Women are key change agents, and children are the future we are bringing this change about for.

What were some of your achievements as a master’s student?

During my time in the Graduate Program in Public Health, I am proud to have accomplished so much. This includes: Two full text publications with multiple under review and work in progress publications; attending four conferences with about ten presentations; participating in the global health summer research program, which included visiting Rikers Island for shadowing the dental team and the medical complex care services team; participating in a Community-based Participatory Research Program in Queens; honored with winning four awards; and being inducted into the Delta Omega honorary society.

What activities outside the classroom have contributed to your success?

I’ve been the most active with the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), and I owe all my success to Hyewon Lee, DMD, MPH, DrPH, the Chair of the Oral Health Workgroup (OHWG). She has elevated me and invested in my growth on a professional as well a personal level. I would not have been as successful or learned as much without her mentorship. I am currently the Vice Chair of the workgroup, directly under Dr. Lee’s leadership. I had my first ever publication with her, and first ever presentation at the largest public health conference, the American Public Health Association.

I’ve also participated in many research activities. I worked as a research assistant in Mount Sinai’s Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, which helped in my professional growth and development. I learned the basics of research thanks to my professor Maayan Yitshak-Sade, PhD, and Vishal Midya, PhD. They laid the foundation for my understanding in research.

I’ve been involved in several student organizations within Icahn Mount Sinai. This kind of exposure led me to gain more perspective as a graduate student in a medical school. I’ve held two positions in the student council in my time at Icahn Mount Sinai, most recently being the second year class representative for MPH. Along with that I’ve led five other organizations, while participating in many more. Even as a student, my strongest skill has been collaborations; I’ve collaborated with postdocs, medical students, MD/PhD students, different groups that I’m leading, and other student body structures, while leading the planning of multiple events. I’ve noticed how collaborations help us all bring our resources and friends together to have a much bigger event that is mutually beneficial.

I’ve also written for The Scoop, which is the MPH newsletter, on racism in public health. And written in the Helen journal about my unforgettable experience at the AADMD One Voice conference.I completed a student leadership in global oral health course with the Alliance for Oral Health Across Borders (AOHAB). That led to working closely with the president of AOHAB, Deborah Weisfuse, DMD, MSc, and I now hold a leadership position of Program Director in the organization.

I’m currently a part of the American Institute of Dental Public Health (AIDPH) Dental Public Health Leadership Academy (DHPLA) as a student leader. I also hold leadership positions at APHA, as External Relations Co-Chair in the APHA Student Assembly, Student Fellow in the Maternal and Child Health Sections, and a member of the Scientific Planning Committee in the Oral Health Section. I’ve also had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for Maya Korin, PhD, MS, and Laura MacIsaac, MD, MPH, for MPH students, and for Georgina Osorio, MD, MPH, and Gallane Abraham, MD, for Clinical Research Students.

What are your plans now that you have completed your degree?

I will be continuing my work as a research assistant in the Microbial Exposomics lab under the leadership of Dr. Midya and Shoshannah Eggers, PhD, in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science at Icahn Mount Sinai, in collaboration with the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Iowa. I will be continuing my commitments at WFPHA, APHA, and AOHAB. I have been accepted and will be pursuing my PhD of Public Health in Epidemiology at New York University School of Global Public Health.

Learn more about the Master of Public Health Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Purple Day: Raising Awareness, Ending Stigma of Epilepsy

Mar 28, 2024 | Featured, Research, Your Health

Every year on March 26, people and organizations around the world band together in solidarity for Purple Day. They wear purple and host events to raise awareness about epilepsy, with the goal of ending its stigma. For Purple Day this year, we got together experts from the Mount Sinai Health System to explain what epilepsy is and answer other top questions people might have.

Is epilepsy contagious?
“You cannot spread epilepsy from one person to the other,” says pediatric neurologist Natasha Acosta Diaz, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Epilepsy is not an infection. It is a neurological condition characterized by seizures caused by abnormal brain electrical activity, says Dr. Acosta Diaz.

Is epilepsy electroencephalogram (EEG) testing painful?
In a standard EEG test, electrodes—small metal discs—are attached to the scalp with the help of a glue. The EEG test is not painful, says Anuradha Singh, MD, Director of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, and Professor of Neurology at Icahn Mount Sinai.

EEG tests study brain rhythms to look for any sign of irritability.  A standard EEG test records these brain rhythms for 20 minutes to an hour, says Dr. Singh. “Sometimes you get a little glue left on your scalp but it’s not painful at all,” she adds.

Is epilepsy surgery dangerous?
“The myths about the danger of epilepsy surgery come from the past, from about the last 100 years or so,” says neurosurgeon Fedor Panov, MD, Director of the Adult Epilepsy Surgery Program and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at Icahn Mount Sinai. “What you currently find on the internet (about the dangers) unfortunately is not appropriate and it just perpetuates this myth that epilepsy surgery is dangerous,” he notes.

Epilepsy surgery has its risks and benefits. “Most certainly, the benefits outweigh the risks,” says Dr. Panov. As the epilepsy care team might phrase it to patients, the risk of going through a year with epileptic seizures far outweighs the risk of a surgical intervention to cure the epilepsy, he says.

Can epilepsy seizures be triggered by flashing lights?
There is a type of epilepsy that can be triggered by flashing lights, called photosensitive epilepsy. “However, this is very rare,” says Dr. Acosta Diaz.

When testing a patient for epilepsy, flashing lights are used to see if they provoke a seizure, and if so, appropriate recommendations for care can be given, she adds.

Can people with epilepsy drive a car?
“You can drive a car if you’re seizure-free,” says Dr. Singh. However, different states can have different rules and regulations. People with epilepsy will have to check with their state’s Department of Motor Vehicles, she notes.

What are some epilepsy surgical options?

Vagal nerve stimulator
Involves placing a small wire around a nerve in the neck to decrease seizure activity. The wire is attached to a small battery inserted under the skin of the chest.

Stereotactic laser ablation
Uses lasers to remove a part of the temporal lobe of the brain to help control seizures. The procedure is guided by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), allowing for very precise cuts and removal.

Staged craniotomy
A two-stage surgery that involves removal of part of the skull to expose the brain, followed by removal of the brain tissue that is causing the seizures. Removing the damaged part of the brain does not cause deficits, as other parts of the brain adapt and pick up function. The procedure improves the overall brain network because it allows the healthy areas to work without constant electrical interference from the seizure “hot spot.”

Responsive neurostimulation
A device is implanted that automatically records and detects electrographic seizures, then rapidly delivers electrical stimulation to suppress seizure activity. It is the first device that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved for use in the brain to listen, learn, and respond to seizures.

Can people with epilepsy have a job?
“Absolutely,” says Dr. Panov. “It’s a myth to say you cannot work if you have seizures.” Epilepsy care teams are available to help patients be a part of their community, including having and holding jobs. The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment.

While it is not mandatory that people with epilepsy disclose their condition to employers or coworkers, it is recommended that someone at the workplace is aware, says Dr. Acosta Diaz. “Just in case you have a seizure, somebody can be with you or help you,” she says.

Can people with epilepsy have children?
People with epilepsy can have happy, healthy children, says Dr. Singh. Women with epilepsy should work with their OB/GYN and epileptologist to ensure they’re on the safest drugs for the pregnancy, says Dr. Singh.

Can people with epilepsy stop taking medications when seizures stop?
The goal of any Comprehensive Epilepsy Center is to get patients seizure-free, and ultimately off the medications, says Dr. Panov: “The idea is that you will come off your meds once the seizures stop.”

It is important, however, that patients do not stop taking medications without discussing with their specialists, says Dr. Singh. A lot of factors go into the consideration of stopping medications, including EEG results and MRI scans, so that process should be done in consultation with an epileptologist.

Can people with epilepsy swallow their tongue?
“No way, there’s no way that you’re going to swallow your tongue,” says Dr. Acosta Diaz. During a seizure, the tongue can go to the side of the mouth and people can accidentally bite their tongue. To assist someone with a seizure, be calm and lay the person on the side, and definitely do not put anything in the mouth, such as a spoon, she says.

Does a ketogenic diet help people with epilepsy?
It does, in certain cases, says Dr. Singh. A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet. It is more often used in pediatric epilepsy, especially for children in whom medications do not work well, says Dr. Acosta Diaz.

Ketosis, a state where the body derives its sources of energy from fat rather than glucose, is known to have anticonvulsant properties. However, it’s not easy for a person to enter into ketosis. That is why an epilepsy care team involves overseeing a patient’s metabolism and nutrition as well, notes Dr. Acosta Diaz. “It’s not something you can try by yourself at home. It’s not just doing a keto diet to lose weight,” she says.

Caring for people with epilepsy is a team effort. At the Mount Sinai Epilepsy Center, staff members across all levels of care work together to provide exceptional care. Here’s the Center at a glance:

100+ team members

• Adult epileptologists  • Pediatric epileptologists  • Neurosurgeons  • Neuropsychiatrists  • Neuroradiologists  • Nurse practitioners  • Neurosurgery  • NPs and PAs  • Researchers  • Registered nurses  • Social workers  • Dietitians  • Recreational therapists  • EEG technicians  • Administrative staff

 

 

Designated as a Level 4 medical facility by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC), which is the highest recognition of care and expertise for people with epilepsy

Three inpatient Level 4 epilepsy centers at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital, and Mount Sinai West, and six outpatient locations in New York City and Long Island.

ABRET-certified labs

Five Mount Sinai sites have received American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET) Lab accreditation for achieving highest levels of quality and competence performing neurodiagnostic tests.

In 2023

The Mount Sinai Health System performed more than 13,000 electroencephalograms and completed 100 surgeries to reduce or eliminate seizures for adult and pediatric patients.

To call the Mount Sinai Epilepsy Center

212-241-2627

In addition to treating patients with epilepsy, the Mount Sinai Health System and Icahn Mount Sinai conduct research to push the frontiers of understanding the neurological conditions and what is possible with treatment. Here are some examples of what Mount Sinai is doing to further science in epilepsy.

Clinical trial: Epilepsy associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a severe form of epilepsy, with seizures beginning in early childhood. To treat seizures that have not been well controlled through conventional medication, researchers are using novel responsive neurostimulation (RNS) strategies. This is the first clinical trial using RNS for LGS.

The trial is supported by a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health, and conducted in collaboration with five other centers in the United States.

Click here for more info.

Clinical trial: Efficacy of subanesthetic doses of IV ketamine for treatment-resistant epilepsy

Ketamine is an anesthetic that provides pain relief, and came into clinical use in the 1960s. In a hospital setting, ketamine is used intravenously at anesthetic doses to treat unrelenting seizures known as status epilepticus in comatose patients. Mount Sinai researchers are exploring using ketamine at subanesthetic doses in an outpatient setting for patients who have treatment-resistant epilepsy. With subanesthestic dose-ketamine recently approved by the FDA for treatment-resistant depression, researchers are optimistic about its safety, and are hopeful that this will provide relief for patients with hard-to-treat epilepsy as well.

Click here for more info.

Clinical trial: Phase 3 trial for a once-daily, oral treatment for those living with focal seizures (XTOLE2)

Focal seizures are when brain cells on one side of the brain malfunction, causing symptoms, and are considered the most common type—making up more than half of all seizures. Symptoms could include one or more of the following: motor, sensory, autonomic, or cognitive. While treatment can stop or reduce the frequency of the seizures, for some patients, current treatment options may be insufficient. Mount Sinai is participating in a Phase 3 study with Xenon Pharmaceuticals to explore the use of XEN1101, a potassium channel opener, along with the patient’s existing medication, for focal seizures. Clinical data from previous trials have shown up to around 50 percent reduction in focal seizures among participants who have received the drug.

Click here for more info.

Clinical trial: Phase 3 trial for Staccato® Alprazolam in participants 12 years and older with stereotypical prolonged seizures

Benzodiazepines are more commonly known for treating anxiety or panic disorders, but they can also be used to terminate most seizures in an inpatient setting. Approved therapies include a rectally-administered gel and intranasal formulations. However, there are no approved treatments for rapidly terminating an ongoing seizure in an outpatient setting. Mount Sinai is participating in a Phase 3 trial with pharmaceutical company UCB to study the effectiveness and safety of Staccato® Alprazolam, a breath-triggered device that delivers the benzodiazepine deep into the lung for rapid absorption and systemic exposure, with the goal of achieving rapid epileptic seizure termination (REST). In a previous clinical trial, in an inpatient setting, nearly 66 percent of participants who received the drug responded to the treatment, compared to 43 percent of participants who received a placebo. For participants who responded to the intervention, the Staccato® Alprazolam group saw seizure cessation in a median time of 30 seconds, compared to 60 seconds for those who had received a placebo. The Phase 3 trial tests the treatment in an outpatient setting.

Click here for more info.

Clinical trial: Electrographic seizure pattern modulation biomarkers in responsive neurostimulation for epilepsy

Although the therapeutic benefit of RNS is well established, predicting how well and when a patient might respond to the device is difficult. It may take several months for a patient to report a reliable change in seizure status, during which time the programming clinician has no objective guidance regarding whether or not to adjust settings. RNS devices can provide EEG recordings, offering an insight to seizure patterns, but there is little knowledge about how to use these recordings in individual patients. Thus, a critical need exists to develop methods for using a patient’s own data to predict when seizure reduction should be expected or to confirm objectively the presence and maintenance of a clinical response.

Icahn Mount Sinai researchers are working with Massachusetts General Hospital to apply machine learning, neurostatistics, and data science to improve the effectiveness of RNS, especially for children and adults who are not considered suitable surgical candidates.

Click here for more info.

Laboratory for Human Neurophysiology

The Laboratory for Human Neurophysiology seeks to understand how human cognition arises from the interaction of multiple brain areas and neurotransmitter systems, particularly in decision-making behavior. These research efforts involve studying prefrontal cortical and subcortical areas directly in the human brain by conducting intracranial electrophysiology recordings in patients undergoing neurosurgical treatment.

Ongoing research projects in the laboratory include investigating the neural basis of human decision-making under uncertainty using distributed intracranial EEG recordings in epilepsy patients, decoding overt subject behavior from preceding, distributed brain activity in reward-related brain regions, and studying reward and mood processing across multiple brain areas in epilepsy patients with and without comorbid depression. The lab is led by Ignacio Saez, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience, Neurosurgery, and Neurology at Icahn Mount Sinai.

Click here to read more about the lab.

Match Day 2024: Entering Specialties With Great Need

Updated on Mar 29, 2024 | Community, Featured, School

Fourth-year MD Icahn School of Medicine students receiving their placements on Match Day, Friday, March 15, from left to right: Amina Avril, Claire Ufongene, Candida Damian, Yhan Colón Ibán, and Charlotte Pierce.

Match Day represents a milestone for fourth-year medical students across the country—it’s when they receive their placements for the residency programs they’ve applied to. On Friday, March 15, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai’s Class of 2024 congregated at the Guggenheim Pavilion for Match Day, and 133 students matched to 26 different specialties across the nation.

Michael Leitman, MD, Professor of Surgery, and Medical Education, at Icahn Mount Sinai, and Dean for Graduate Medical Education, observes Match Day closely because it reflects the physician pipeline. In several critical areas, he says, most notably the primary care specialties (internal medicine, general pediatrics, family medicine, and geriatrics) and psychiatry, the supply of new doctors entering these specialties is barely sufficient to meet demand.

“These are areas where we are seeing low match rates among students, and we suspect that students are gravitating towards careers in more lucrative specialties in part because they’re concerned about debt,” says Dr. Leitman.

According to the National Resident Matching Program, the organization conducting the Main Residency Match, for the Class of 2024 MD seniors, 87.8 percent of family medicine residency positions were filled, compared to most other programs, which were filled 100 percent—or close to. Pediatrics and psychiatry programs had unfilled positions in this year’s match too.

A 2021 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) forecasts a primary care physician shortage of 18,000 to 48,000 in 2034. The big problem this shortage creates is that primary care is where important screenings are done, such as hypertension.

Positions filled in specialties with high need: 2024 vs 2023

Specialty 2024 2023
Family Medicine 87.8% 88.7%
Pediatrics 91.8% 97.1%
Psychiatry 99.5% 99.0%

“In the areas that we serve at The Mount Sinai Hospital, which includes East Harlem, we have to think about the loss of family medicine doctors who will not be available to care for this population, which will only further reinforce the health care disparities we are working so hard to correct,” says Dr. Leitman.

“Although historically, students from Icahn Mount Sinai have matched to primary care fields at lower rates than other specialties, this year’s Match represented the highest number of students matching into primary care specialties,” says Tara K Cunningham, EdD, MS, Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Professor of Medical Education, who leads the team responsible for career and residency advising at Icahn Mount Sinai. Last year, Dr. Cunningham says, two students entered pediatrics. “This year, a record-breaking 11 students are going into pediatrics.”

Icahn Mount Sinai’s Class of 2024 has more students placing into primary care and neurology than any other graduating class in school history. The most popular specialties for the class are internal medicine (28), pediatrics (11), anesthesiology (10), obstetrics (8), gynecology (8), neurology (7), ophthalmology (7), and psychiatry (7).

Two MD seniors entering residency programs in specialties with high need share their thoughts on their matches and what they hope to achieve in their respective fields.

Stephanie Ureña, Family Medicine program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center

What are your thoughts on your match, and tell me about the programs you applied for?

I am very happy with my result because this was my top choice. I wanted to stay in New York City and work with an underserved, majority-Hispanic population. I mostly applied to programs in New York City and Philadelphia because these are both places where I had a community. I was born and raised in the Bronx and this is where most of my immediate family is. I went to school at the University of Pennsylvania so I also had some friends there and some family that had also moved there.

What do you know about the challenges of the specialty you’re entering, and how do you think you might be able to overcome them?

I am going into family medicine and given the current medical system, there is never enough time for visits. Additionally, patients’ health is connected to social determinants of health and there are often not enough resources to keep patients healthy.

I plan on learning to prioritize pressing health issues for quick visits given the time crunch. I also plan on immersing myself into the community that I practice in so that I can learn about community resources that address some of their social determinants of health.

What inspired you to go into medicine in the first place?

I had a really awesome pediatrician growing up who was my constant cheerleader. I remember looking forward to his visits because he just wanted to catch up on life and would always teach me ways to stay healthy. Then as I grew up, I realized how much I liked science and was fascinated by the human body so I decided to continue to pursue a path in medicine.

What impact do you hope to achieve in your specialty?

For family medicine, I hope to continue to provide patient-centered health care and expand on my knowledge of community resources. I would ideally like to have a system in which I refer my patients to community resources that address their social determinants of health. I would also like to create more pipeline programs that bring students from the local community into medical schools that are in their community. I envision myself joining a community board and advocating for the community needs.

Candida Damian, Pediatrics/Psychiatry/Child Psychiatry Triple Board program at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital

What are your thoughts on your match, and tell me about the programs you applied for?

I am very excited. There are only 11 Triple Board programs in the country, so I am super grateful to have matched. Since there are limited triple board positions, I applied for categorical psychiatry positions as well. I wanted to match into a Triple Board program because I am deeply passionate about the intersection of pediatrics and psychiatry, and am drawn to the diversity of experiences and the unique skill set that Triple Board training offers.

What do you know about the challenges of the specialty you’re entering, and how do you think you might be able to overcome them?

Entering a Triple Board program presents the challenge of navigating multiple specialties and wearing different hats, requiring adaptability and flexibility. I plan to overcome this by really leaning into my training and always asking for help.

There is a huge need, especially, for child psychiatrists. Mental health in children is a public health crisis. Entering a field with a high, under-met need is both daunting and inspiring. It underscores the urgency and importance of my chosen path. I see it as an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on individuals and communities who are underserved and often marginalized. By entering these fields, I aim to contribute to closing the gap in access to quality health care and improving outcomes for those in need.

What inspired you to go into medicine in the first place?

It has been my childhood dream to become a doctor. However, due to many external factors, I had believed a profession in medicine was just too far out of my reach. The idea of attending college was daunting enough, not to speak of attending medical school. I was committed to providing compassionate care for patients, so I channeled my energy into going to nursing school.

I will never forget the day as a third-year nursing student that I met a 16-year-old patient who confided in me about the events that led up to her being admitted into the psychiatric hospital. She had dreams of going to college and becoming a marine biologist. However, the external hardships she faced made her doubtful that she could accomplish her goals. She told me, “You know more about me than the doctors here do. I feel like I can tell you anything.”

We could relate to each other, we had similar upbringings, and I learned that just my presence alone was able to give patients that feeling of safety they often lacked. I recognized that all of the reasons that led me to believe I could not become a physician were actually the reasons why I needed to become a physician.

That patient’s story and trust in me during my nursing rotation helped me believe, for the first time, that becoming a physician was attainable. My determination to make a difference outweighed the fear. That day, I Googled “How to get into medical school” and the rest was history.

What impact do you hope to achieve in your specialty?

In my specialty, I hope to provide compassionate and comprehensive care to vulnerable populations, especially children and families who have endured significant abuse and neglect. My aim is to intervene promptly and treat both their physical and mental health needs at each developmental milestone, while fostering trust, empowerment, and providing a safe environment for healing and growth. I am dedicated to raising awareness about the impact of trauma and I am on a mission to help break down the many barriers faced so that future generations have the opportunity to pursue their dreams despite external challenges.

Nursing Research Day Highlights the Integral Role Nursing Plays in Advancing Knowledge and Practice

Updated on Mar 28, 2024 | Featured, Nursing, Research

Nurses play an integral role in ensuring successful transitions across settings of care, stages of health, and seasons of life. Their essential contributions extend far beyond direct patient care, with nurse researchers and policy experts leading critical advances in knowledge and practice.

Recently, this research has helped ensure the inclusion of a family caregiver’s name in the medical record of every hospital inpatient upon admission, highlighted the contributors of burnout associated with working in a stressful environment, and produced many other findings and innovations that have translated into better care for patients.

These important contributions to research were highlighted during the Mount Sinai Health System’s Nursing Research Day, organized by the Center for Nursing Research and Innovation (CNRI) at Mount Sinai. Hundreds of nurses participated in the program, which featured nationally renowned experts in research and policy, and 30 poster presentations representing the work of 127 Mount Sinai nurses and colleagues across the greater New York region.

The full-day symposium was held at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and streamed throughout the Health System on Friday, November 10, 2023. The theme was “Crossing the Divide: The Role of Nursing in Navigating Transitions of Care.”

“Thanks to our wonderful planning committee made up of colleagues from across the Health System, Nursing Research Day highlighted research that is shaping nursing practice and policy across the United States at the intersection of community resources and support,” says Bevin Cohen, PhD, MPH, MS, RN, Associate Professor of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine at Icahn Mount Sinai and Director of the CNRI. “It was especially inspiring to see research conducted by our own nursing staff colleagues, who are dedicated to advancing patient care and making a difference in the lives of patients and their families.”

Attendees were welcomed by leaders from across the Health System, including Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN, Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive, every Chief Nursing Officer, and David Reich, MD, President, Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens. Dr. Reich shared that one of the highlights of his career has been working with an academic Department of Nursing committed to research that immediately translates into better care for patients. Linda Valentino, DNP, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Mount Sinai Hospital, and Jill Goldstein, MA, MS, RN, Vice President Patient Services and Deputy Chief Nurse Officer, Mount Sinai Queens, were on site for much of the day to welcome nurses and thank them for their dedication to taking on challenging projects that advance practice.

Kicking off the formal agenda, keynote speaker Susan Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN, Senior Vice President and Director, AARP Public Policy Institute and Chief Strategist, Center to Champion Nursing in America and Family Caregiving Initiatives, presented “Health Care Transitions: Translating Research into Policy and Practice.” Dr. Reinhard’s extensive work focuses on advocating for the more than 50 million family caregivers in the United States. Her research contributed to the enactment of the Caregiver Advised Record and Enable (CARE) Act in 46 U.S. states and territories, ensuring the inclusion of a family caregiver’s name in the medical record of every hospital inpatient upon admission. Beyond data collection, Dr. Reinhard emphasized what it takes to be successful in research, including humanizing the data, engaging stakeholders, garnering media attention, and delving deeper into findings. Her research produced an evidence-based video series available online and for free to caregivers.

Shifting from a focus on caregiving to caring for caregivers, clinical psychologist Jonathan DePierro, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn Mount Sinai, and Associate Director, Center for Stress, Resilience, and Personal Growth, presented “Research-Driven Insights into Nursing Resilience, Mental Health, and Retention.” Dr. DePierro shared his team’s research on the individual and systematic contributors of burnout associated with working in a very high-stress, high-demand environment. He also outlined innovative programming offered through the Center and the Office of Well-Being and Resilience, which has the most comprehensive services to support clinician wellbeing in the nation.

The morning’s program also included presentations by the Evidenced-Based Practice Fellows at the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing, which featured ABSN student Caroline Quinn’s findings on screening and intervening for postpartum depression and ABSN student Batsheva Weinberger’s findings on pediatric preoperative anxiety. This was followed by a robust poster session highlighting findings from nurses across the Health System, which can be found here. Select abstracts presented during the poster sessions will be published in a special issue of Practical Implementation of Nursing Science (PINS). Published by Mount Sinai’s Levy Library Press, PINS is an open access, peer-reviewed journal designed specifically for clinical nurses and nurse leaders to disseminate findings from the practice setting.

Dora Clayton-Jones, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, FAAN

The afternoon programming began with a keynote address titled “Utilizing Community Assets to Support Self-Management in Health Care Transitions,” given by Dora Clayton-Jones, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, FAAN, Associate Professor, Marquette University College of Nursing, and Immediate Past President, International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Professional Associates.

An accomplished clinician and nurse researcher, Dr. Clayton-Jones shared lessons learned from growing up on the West Side of Chicago, where she was influenced by a grandmother who involved her in community service activities to address food insecurity. “One thing that I learned was how to make it easy for people to ask for assistance,” said Dr. Clayton-Jones. “How easy are we making it for individuals to reach out for help when they need help?”

She encouraged participants to translate any lessons or approaches they could learn from her work in sickle cell disease—which effects millions worldwide—into their own practices and specialties. Following a general overview of sickle cell disease and the importance of a gradual and uninterrupted transition from pediatric to adult care, Dr. Clayton-Jones addressed her deep passion for community engagement, with a focus on leveraging community assets, translating community engagement activities into interventions, and the impact of community driven self-management interventions.

A panel discussion followed between Dr. Clayton-Jones and the Mount Sinai Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program leadership, including Director Jeffrey Glassberg, MD, MA, and nurse practitioners Charleen Jacobs, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, and Brittany McCrary, MS, AGPCNP-BC, RN-BC. This conversation touched upon Dr. Clayton-Jones’ career path and approaches to surmounting challenges, community involvement, lifelong learning, research, and funding.

Shifting the focus to innovations at Mount Sinai’s own Transitions of Care Center, Carl Jin, MSN, MPA, RN-BC, CCM, Director of Clinical Services, and Arzellra Walters, MA, CPNP, RN, Nurse Manager, presented “A Comprehensive Approach to Transitions of Care: The Expansion of the Transitions of Care Center’s Intervention.”

The Transitions of Care Center is a centralized discharge program staffed by Mount Sinai nurses trained in hospital discharge protocols to promote smooth transitions across levels of care. The ultimate goal is to prevent avoidable readmissions, with a focus on key diagnoses including acute myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, pneumonia, coronary artery bypass grafting, and major joint replacement surgery. Transitioning between levels of care can be stressful, burdensome, and expensive for patients, caregivers, insurers, and hospitals. Mount Sinai’s Transitions of Care Center is testing the effects of a new model that eases the transition from hospital to home and reduces the risk of readmission.

The day concluded with a presentation about Mount Sinai’s exciting new national research training program for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students, Translational Research and Implementation Science for Nurses (TRAIN). Kimberly Souffront, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAAN, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Icahn Mount Sinai and Associate Director of the CNRI, who is Principal Investigator of TRAIN along with Dr. Cohen, provided an overview of this first-of-its-kind program.

TRAIN supports DNP students from underrepresented minority communities and disadvantaged backgrounds to become experts in translating research into clinical practice. The program is funded by a five-year grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, and its first annual cohort will begin this summer.

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Learn more about the Translational Research and Implementation Science for Nurses (TRAIN) program

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