On an average day, New York has an air quality index of 30, considered “good.” Because of current wild fires in Canada, the score has risen to 160 and above, in the “unhealthy” range.
You have probably noticed the hazy skies throughout the New York City area. Health experts say everyone should pay close attention. That poor-quality air is unhealthy, especially for vulnerable people, including those with asthma or heart conditions, as well as younger kids and older adults.
The poor air quality, the result of wildfires in Canada, is expected to persist for several days, and it’s something you can actually feel. Experts say you should consider limiting your time outside, especially if you are exercising or doing strenuous tasks; keeping your windows closed at home; and wearing a high-quality N95 or KN95 mask if you need to go out. Those most at risk should stay indoors.
“Many people may have noticed the hazy conditions, but not realized they should be concerned—especially younger people and the elderly, who are at greater risk,” says Linda Rogers, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “I think we all should be looking out for the most vulnerable; they are the ones that are at most risk right now. But this has crossed a threshold where the public will feel this.”
Click here for more specific information for parents about kids and air quality.
In this Q&A, Dr. Rogers, who is also Director of the Adult Asthma Program, offers a number of other tips, including what type of mask to consider wearing, whether to turn on your air conditioner, and who is most at risk.
How bad has the air quality been in New York City because of these wildfires?
Our air quality has been in a zone that’s considered dangerous to health, and not just dangerous to sensitive populations. We crossed the threshold where there may be some health effects noticed in otherwise healthy individuals, and it’s something that’s probably hazardous to people who are either elderly, very young, or have underlying heart or lung disease, or other sort of significant health conditions. It’s not something people are normally aware of, though most people going outside will realize that something is up.
Linda Rogers, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine)
How can I tell what the air quality is like in my neighborhood right now?
A good way to see what the air quality is like right now, where you live, is the website AirNow.gov. This site offers a composite score for what we call the big five pollutants—ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. A good score is less than 50. On an average day in New York, we are around 30; we have pretty good air quality. Once it starts getting up over 50, there may be risks for sensitive people. During August, this score can reach 100, due to a combination of heat, humidity, and pollution. Recently the score has risen to 160 due to the wildfires. Any of the common weather apps people have on their phones are also a good source of this information.
What does it mean when the air quality reaches the unhealthy levels we have seen lately?
That’s the red zone. That’s where even healthy members of the general public are going to feel it. The effects on the general public may be mild; it may just be a matter of feeling irritation in your nose or throat. But for really sensitive groups, this is a level that could trigger asthma attacks or flare-ups of other lung diseases, and pose a risk for those already at risk for heart attacks and strokes.
What safety precautions should I take when air quality is at an unhealthy level?
The best thing to do is stay inside with the windows closed. If you have to go outside, make it as short as possible. I don’t think anybody should exercise outdoors while the air quality is at these levels. When you’re exercising, you are taking in more of these contaminants. It depends on your personal circumstances, but when levels are between 100 and 150, you may want to consider limiting outdoor exercise, especially kids.
Should I wear a mask?
You should consider wearing a high-quality mask, such as an N95 or KN95 mask. Surgical-style masks will not be helpful. Those masks offer at least partial protection from viruses transmitted by droplets, but they do not protect you from the extremely small particles that are being produced by these wildfires. And even the N95 and KN95 masks cannot protect you from the gases, such as carbon monoxide, that are being produced by the fires.
What about working outside?
I think it depends on your underlying health, your age, your circumstances, what the work involves, and what the air quality is in the area that you’re working. If you have to work outside, a high-quality N95 mask will be a great idea if it’s possible for you.
Does it help to use my air conditioner?
Air conditioners vary tremendously in terms of how old they are, how they’re built, and what kind of filters they have in their use. Closing your windows and using an air conditioner is better than having the windows open. Ideally, your air conditioning system has a high-efficiency filter. Air purifiers can also help.
Who is most at risk?
Young kids are more at risk because they tend to breathe at faster rates with higher volumes. When there’s an elevated pollutant like this, they’re generally getting more exposure. The elderly are at higher risk for heart and lung disease and have other underlying health conditions. Those with lung diseases, notably asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD), are often sensitive to environmental triggers like this, or changes in weather, temperatures, and humidity. Many of those with asthma, for example, often reach out to their doctors in advance to make sure they have emergency medication on hand. But it can be different for those with heart conditions.
What should people with heart disease know about this?
People with heart disease may not be aware that they are at increased risk, but these high levels of pollutants have been linked to visits to emergency rooms with cardiovascular conditions. People who are at risk may want to consider staying indoors to the extent possible. It’s also important to note that there may be a lag in the onset of symptoms. It may take a while for the contaminants you are breathing in to have an effect on your blood vessels. That is why we may sometimes see a lag in visits to the emergency department. The health effects can persist and escalate from 24 to 48 hours after the air quality levels are at their worst.
What are the signs that the air quality is affecting a typical, healthy person?
When the air quality index gets above 100, and then over 150, as it has recently done, you’re going to feel throat irritation, nasal irritation, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat—almost cold-like symptoms except without a fever. Some people may feel chest discomfort and headaches. These aren’t particularly dangerous. But for those with underlying conditions, such as lung disease and allergies, they can cause more severe debilitating symptoms. The air is unhealthy for everyone, but some groups are at risk of significant health effects.
Details of the air quality index from the federal government’s AirNow.gov site.
It’s not uncommon for people to put off seeking medical care. The process can be stressful, especially if you feel your health care provider doesn’t really understand you and your special concerns. That can be even more true for some patients, such as those in the LGBTQ+ community.
In this Q&A, Barbara Warren, PsyD, Senior Director for LGBT Programs and Policies in Mount Sinai’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion, explains how to find a provider with specific experience in LGBTQ+ health issues, how that can help alleviate stress and improve health outcomes, and details Mount Sinai’s approach to offering compassionate care. Dr. Warren, who leads Mount Sinai’s implementation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender diverse (LGB/TGD) culturally and clinically competent health care, is also an Assistant Professor of Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
What are some of the biggest health challenges for the LGBTQ community?
One of the biggest challenges for LGB/TGD consumers is finding a provider and finding a health system that is both LGB/TGD clinically and culturally competent, and being able to go anywhere in that system, to any provider, to any setting, and feel safe, to feel that you are being treated both effectively and with compassion. This is something that we have taken lots of strides to make possible throughout the Mount Sinai Health System.
Why is it important to find a provider who has experience with LGB/TGD health issues? What can they offer?
One of the things that LGB and TGD patients should look for is a provider who understands their needs. Being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender diverse isn’t a health problem in itself. But many LGB/TGD people have health issues that are related to something we call “minority stress.” Minority stress is any kind of stress that people can undergo that affects us both psychologically and physiologically—when we either have experienced or anticipate experiencing discrimination, bullying, or even violence. This is something that many people in the LGB/TGD community live with. Even if they themselves have had not had personal experiences, they know that there is a possibility of discrimination, and of misunderstanding by health care providers. This can create anxiety. When sustained over time, this anxiety can create health problems, not just psychological or health behavior issues.
“It is more important than ever that for those looking for an LGB/TGD affirming and knowledgeable health care provider, the provider understands that these stressors can affect an LGB/TGD patient’s experience of illness and recovery and work with that patient to understand and mitigate those effects,” says Barbara Warren, PsyD.
Can You Give an Example?
Sometimes if we are experiencing many stressors, we may overeat, or drink more alcoholic beverages, or not get enough rest or sleep. Increased and sustained anxiety in response to stressors can interfere with decision-making, memory, and effective functioning. Sustained stressors create a physiological response that leads to increased levels of cortisol in our bodies. Cortisol is known as the body’s stress hormone. It governs key body functions but too much cortisol can lead to a number of health problems, for example increased cardiovascular risk. It is important to note that stressors may be personal or interpersonal in our lives in terms of our current life circumstances like the loss of a loved one, or loss of a job or housing.
Recent threats to LGB/TGD safety and equity across many states in the form of legislation to deny gender-affirming care, banning books and public education inclusive of both racial and LGB/TGD history and representation, banning drag or any other behaviors that don’t conform to rigid and outdated binary gender stereotypes, have all been recent sources of what we are calling “minority stressors.” They have had the effect of increasing rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality, especially among LGB/TGD young people. So it is more important than ever that for those looking for an LGB/TGD affirming and knowledgeable health care provider, the provider understands that these stressors can affect an LGB/TGD patient’s experience of illness and recovery and work with that patient to understand and mitigate those effects.
How do you find a provider who has this experience?
At the Mount Sinai Health System, we have a number of ways. First we have web pages that give you information and resources, including our LGBT web page. There are a number of other organizations that can help, including the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. You can email us at LGBTinfo@mountsinai.org, and we will answer your email and make a direct referral to providers around the Mount Sinai Health System that have special expertise.
In addition, we have a number of programs and a number of practitioners specializing in certain aspects of LGBT health. For example, our Institute for Advanced Medicine, which started as our HIV/AIDS program to serve the large gay and bisexual population, specializes in some of the health care issues that are facing LGB/TGD people. There are five locations throughout the city. Our Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery is a national model for services to support undergoing a gender transition and TGD affirmative primary care. We take LGB/TGD health very seriously at Mount Sinai and offer ongoing training for all of our providers, our front-line workers—everybody from our security guards to our surgeons to create a safe and welcoming environment for our LGB/TGD patients, families, visitors, and employees.
At the 54th Commencement of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, held at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center on Thursday, May 11, Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, President of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital, had the honor of bestowing wisdom upon a new cohort of physicians and researchers.
“I have the awesome responsibility of providing you with wise and inspiring words, but with the comfort that you might not retain them for more than 24 hours,” began Dr. Fuster with a chuckle. But beyond the humor, Dr. Fuster called on graduates and all present in the hall to reflect on the concept of progress, especially in medicine.
What Does It Mean to Progress?
Society has moved through time, but we can’t take progress for granted, said Dr. Fuster.
At present, and sadly not new in the history of humanity, the concept of progress appears to be challenged, he said. One, by an ongoing abandonment of traditional ethical and moral values, and two, by radical groups threatening one of the most basic principles of human dignity, which is the right to live.
New perspectives of progress can only be advanced by youth with innovative training, and the graduating class at Icahn Mount Sinai represents a group key to that goal, Dr. Fuster noted.
Challenges to Progress
Scientific innovations have forged ahead at a rapid pace, and have created gaps—between digital and cognitive creativity, and between treating disease and preventing it.
In the first category, Dr. Fuster spoke of acceptable uses of recent technologies, such as the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, for preparing research manuscripts. However, the definition of acceptable uses should be questioned by the younger generation, he said. “Young people—you—are generally those with the highest exposure to digital technologies, and as such you are uniquely equipped for positive decision-making.”
Furthermore, while advanced technologies have become part of daily lives, clinicians need to realize that the digitization of body data can only be useful to the well-being of the patient when integrated thoroughly with a complete clinical and social history and physical examination—a reality that is being diluted in medical educational systems that are mainly focused on digital technology, Dr. Fuster said.
In the latter category, there remains a gap in thinking about where the line between treatment and prevention should lie. Experts have agreed on the importance of prevention, not just treatment, but there remain questions about when medical practitioners should intervene, Dr. Fuster said, exhorting the young graduates to continue contributing toward prevention efforts.
Contributing to Progress
Being an active participant toward progress can be fulfilling, but the journey will be fraught, said Dr. Fuster. There are three principles that can help during dark moments, he noted.
Resilience is key, as the road to personal fulfillment is long and often marked by frustration. Mentorship is next, as people often spend excessive energy pursuing ambitions before they are ready and tutors can help discover talent. The last is to give back to society, as generosity and empathy are always the basis of happiness.
Finally, Dr. Fuster called on the graduates to live in the moment. “In this special and unique day, please stop your clock and celebrate your achievement,” he said. “And turn the clock back to give thanks to all of those who helped you on this journey, in a sense, to make you ready to engage in progress.”
The honor of delivering the Commencement address is reserved for individuals who have made a big impact in the health and sciences field. Dr. Fuster has a long and illustrious career as a physician and researcher, and in recognition of his achievements, he was conferred an honorary Doctor of Science degree at the 54th Commencement. Here’s a look at his storied career over the decades:
1974-1982
Professorships, including in Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases, and Pediatrics, at Mayo Medical School, Rochester, Minnesota
1982-1991
Arthur M. and Hilda A. Master Professor of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
1991-1994
Mallinckrodt Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston
1994
Dean for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
1994-1997
Arthur M. and Hilda A. Master Professor of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
1997-present
Richard Gorlin, MD/Heart Research Foundation Professor of Cardiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine/Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
2002-present
Director, the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Cardiovascular Health, The Mount Sinai Hospital
2006-2022
Founding Director, Mount Sinai Heart
2007-2009
Scientific Director, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
2009-present
General Director, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
2011-present
Physician-in-Chief, The Mount Sinai Hospital
2023-present
President, Mount Sinai Heart
Through work with Mount Sinai Heart, Dr. Fuster has also led initiatives and programs that have had a global impact.
Hypertension management in rural Kenya: Using a multidisciplinary approach to address the challenge of linking and retaining hypertensive individuals to a hypertension-management program, community health workers use a behavioral communication strategy and smartphone-based tools to reduce blood pressure and manage their health.
Sesame Street education project: In 2006, Dr. Fuster joined as an advisor for Sesame Workshop’s Healthy Habits for Life initiative, launched in 2005 to promote healthy lifestyles and diet among young children. In 2012, he collaborated on Sesame Workshop’s Global Health Initiative, and helped create a mini-series Barrio Sésamo:Monstruos Supersanos, or Super Healthy Monsters, which aired on Spain’s co-production of Sesame Street. Segments have since been incorporated into local versions of Sesame Street in Colombia, Germany, Netherlands, United States, and other countries.
Did you know: Dr. Fuster has a Muppet, named Dr. Valentin Ruster, modeled after him? The Muppet doctor is featured in Super Healthy Monsters, and he teaches fellow Muppets about the heart, and even hosts a game show about balanced diets with Cookie Monster as a contestant.
Polypill initiative: Mount Sinai Heart launched a program to combine aspirin, a statin, and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor into one pill to prevent heart disease. The program was not only launched in the United States, but made available to developing nations, with accompanying studies to determine whether the polypill is effective in reducing cardiovascular disease and improves adherence and accessibility to health care.
Cardiovascular disease prevention in children worldwide project: Dr. Fuster is pursuing a project that helps children acquire a healthy lifestyle and sustain it long-term through early education and intervention, preventing cardiovascular and other diseases later on in life. This project, presently reaching about 50,000 children worldwide, is rooted in the understanding that given greater brain plasticity in early years of life, what is learned and experienced in those ages will be enduring.
“Tonight, we celebrate Mount Sinai’s ability to provide the highest-quality health care, educate the next generation of great clinicians and researchers, and generate scientific breakthroughs that advance the capabilities of modern medicine,” Dennis S. Charney, MD, said in his opening remarks.
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mount Sinai Health System Crystal Party tent was up and abuzz in Central Park’s Conservatory Garden. Beneath its rainbow big top, nearly 800 physicians, faculty, staff, trustees, supporters, and friends of the Mount Sinai Health System collected to celebrate the past year’s research and health care advances, achieved under extraordinary conditions. The event, held Thursday, May 4, raised $3 million in support of the Health System.
The 38th annual celebration kicked off with remarks from Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Tonight, we celebrate Mount Sinai’s ability to provide the highest-quality health care, educate the next generation of great clinicians and researchers, and generate scientific breakthroughs that advance the capabilities of modern medicine,” he said.
Dr. Charney made a special effort to highlight some of Mount Sinai’s proudest, current research achievements.
“Our scientists have begun human clinical trials of a diabetes drug they discovered that has the potential to be transformative,” he said. “A drug that can regenerate the pancreatic cells that produce insulin. This could be nothing less than a cure for type 2 diabetes. In recent months, Mount Sinai researchers have also identified an immune cell that helps kill bladder cancer tumors, identified genes strongly linked to autism, and conducted an unprecedented analysis of immune cells in the brain that appear to play a key role in the genetic risk and development of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Turning his attention to the leading patient care enabled by the generosity of Mount Sinai’s donors, Dr. Charney said, “Today, Mount Sinai is serving more patients, with more advanced services than ever before, as we’ve significantly expanded our ambulatory footprint across the five boroughs and Long Island. After performing the world’s first human tracheal transplant, Mount Sinai established the Institute for Airway Sciences to advance new therapies for patients with diseases of the trachea, lung, and sinuses.”
Looking to the future, he shared news of a number of capital improvement projects under consideration, to further enhance patient care.
“The next phase of the expansion and modernization of the Saul Family Emergency Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital will be finished in July. It will include a new acute care zone, an observation unit, and a separate Geriatrics Emergency Department to complement our new Children’s Emergency Department,” he said. “Early next year, we will open new offices at Mount Sinai West for the Bonnie and Tom Strauss Movement Disorders Center and the Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics. And our next great project—the Tisch Cancer Hospital—will begin construction next month.”
Dr. Charney thanked the donors in the audience for their partnership and closed by saying, “It is no exaggeration to say that the return on your investment can be measured in diseases cured and lives saved.”
As these moving stories of patient successes came to a close, Richard A. Friedman, Co-Chair of Mount Sinai Health System Boards of Trustees, came to the podium.
“Mount Sinai’s work over the past three years in our hospitals, clinics, classrooms, and labs has burnished their reputation as one of the truly great academic medical centers, not only in this country but in the world,” Richard A. Friedman, Co-Chair of Mount Sinai Health System Boards of Trustees, said in his concluding remarks.
“Three years ago,” he observed, “you would not have found a single soul in this beautiful garden in this area. New York City was in lockdown and the only tents in Central Park were those of Samaritans First, where our doctors were caring for COVID-19 patients for whom there were no hospital beds. That was a moment of crisis when Mount Sinai was busy saving thousands of lives. Tonight, years later, it’s finally time to toast all that the Mount Sinai Health System does for our community and for humanity through the advancement of biomedicine.”
As he concluded, reminding everyone in attendance of the importance of their philanthropy to saving lives, Mr. Friedman stated, “Mount Sinai’s work over the past three years in our hospitals, clinics, classrooms, and labs has burnished their reputation as one of the truly great academic medical centers, not only in this country but in the world. So, my tribute is to all the doctors, the faculty, the researchers, and everyone at Mount Sinai.”
A 13-year-old living with a painful autoimmune disorder. A father who required constant oxygen to breathe due to lung scarring that occurred when he worked as a volunteer at Ground Zero after the September 11 attacks. A teenager who fled Ukraine with her family hoping to find treatment for a rare heart condition.
All three received life-changing care at Mount Sinai.
The stories of these three patients, which highlighted a year of accomplishments at Mount Sinai, were spotlighted during the annual Crystal Party fundraising event. The event, held Thursday, May 4, raised $3 million in support of the Health System. Their stories were presented in a video shown during the event.
The emotional story of 13-year-old eighth-grader Lauren Calvo, brought to the fore the particular demand for creativity when caring for pediatric patients who must endure frequent doctor visits under trying conditions. In 2020, Lauren was diagnosed with chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis, an autoimmune disease that causes pain in the bones.
“Her case is quite complex and has required [the involvement of] different medical teams,” said Cemre Robinson, MD, an Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “I thought it would be great if all of us at Mount Sinai—the medical team, nurses, Child Life—could come together to create an experience for her that removed the fear from her visits. She should look forward to these visits, which requires building a personal connection.”
The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department was engaged to help Loren in her journey. “What lies at the heart of Child Life is transforming the child’s experience at the hospital,” says Bethany Pincus, MA, MT-BC, LCAT-LP, Creative Arts Therapy Coordinator at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “There are so many different things that music can bring to the table. I love to song-write with patients to help them just process their emotions and allow for distraction. It allows for pain management, a feeling of freedom, and autonomy.”
Lauren’s case also benefitted from Mount Sinai’s interdisciplinary methodologies. “One of our jobs as a physician,” said David Dunkin, MD, Associate Professor, Pediatrics, “is to instill hope. Loren was fortuitous in ending up at Mount Sinai because we have experts in bone metabolism, pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatology. We bring all those disciplines together to come up with the best care for Loren, to get her to thrive.”
“I’m eternally grateful for giving Loren her life back,” said her mother, Kim Calvo.
Next, those present heard the dramatic story of Chef James Kelly and his family, who recounted receiving the 1 am call from his Mount Sinai team, alerting him that lifesaving transplant organs had been found. After volunteering to prepare meals for first responders on 9/11, James developed fibrosis, or scarring of the lungs, thought to have resulted from his time at Ground Zero. Over time, breathing became difficult and then severe, requiring the use of oxygen 24 hours a day.
James’s son, James Patrick Jr., described his father’s predicament. “I watched him deteriorate to the point where he could barely get out of bed. It was so hard.”
“The pulmonologist told me, ‘You have the lungs of an 85-year-old man who smoked six packs of cigarettes a day,’ James recalled.”
“It’s hard to understand that the patient can’t breathe,” said Scott Scheinin, MD, Professor, Thoracic Surgery. “They’re slowly suffocating. It’s a horrible existence.” He would need a double lung transplant.
After the early morning call, the family arrived at Mount Sinai. After a seven-hour lung transplant surgery, Mount Sinai’s first, the procedure was pronounced a success.
“Twelve hours later, they were getting me out of bed,” James said. “When I took that first breath, it felt like such a clean, new breath of life. I walked and I couldn’t believe it. In certain ways, it was my first breath of life. When you’re on your second chance and you’ve gotten a second chance, it puts a new light on everything that you do.”
“It’s a huge endeavor to open up a transplant program from scratch,” explained Pamela Phillipsborn, NP-C. “James was our very first. The hospital will never forget. It’s an honor to have taken care of him.”
Of particular resonance was the story of 17-year-old Sofiia Baturina, who had never heard of Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital thousands of miles away, when Russian forces invaded her hometown in Ukraine. Born with a rare heart condition that requires life-long care and repeat surgeries, she was scheduled for her fourth in Kiev when the war broke out. The stress of the war and being a refugee put additional stress on her. She was having chest pains and shortness of breath, and time was running out.
“We were sitting in the basement, seven hours, 11 hours a day, without enough food,” Sofiia recalled. “We needed to make a plan.” The family endured a harrowing escape from Ukraine to Germany as Sofiia’s older sister in New York, Anna, made contact with the Staten Island-based Global Medical Relief Fund, seeking help. The nonprofit foundation arranged for flights out of Germany, and with one email quickly connected the family to doctors at Mount Sinai, who immediately offered to help.
Based on Sophia’s history, Barry A. Love, MD, Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Medicine (Cardiology), determined she could be treated with a minimally invasive catheterization procedure rather than full open-heart surgery, which comes with a much longer and harder recovery. This would have been unobtainable for her in Ukraine, but Dr. Love performed a two-hour procedure from a small incision in the groin.
Today, her right heart pressure is nearly normal. Sofiia was discharged from the hospital the next day. A week later, she was walking without symptoms. Before the team at Mount Sinai intervened, Sofiia’s right heart pressure was dangerously high.
“In a week, she was her old self again,” said her sister. “It is truly life-changing what she had to go through here at Mount Sinai.”
“I’m so happy that we were able to do our little part in the middle of what is a very sad moment in world history,” said Robert H. Pass, MD, Chief of the Division of Cardiology at Icahn Mount Sinai and Co-Director of the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Heart Center.
“Sophia’s condition is rare, but rare is one of the things that Mount Sinai specializes in,” said Dr. Love, bringing it home. “We specialize in rare. We are able to look after patients that have the most complex and most difficult problems and do so in large part because of the generosity of our donors.”
A workshop held by the simulation lab at the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health demonstrates best practices for moving and handling patients.
Providers at Mount Sinai’s Emergency Medical Service (EMS) treat, transfer, and move patients—some in extreme situations. They work through small spaces, up and down stairs, and even extricate patients from under subway trains while providing medical care throughout a call. It can be hazardous.
Nationwide, injury rates among EMS responders are increasing as they dedicate themselves to helping patients with urgent medical needs. In 2020, for example, 24 percent of EMS practitioner work-related emergency room visits were for strains and sprains, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. EMS providers have reported injuries related to the physical nature of their jobs, which can leave them with permanent disabilities, forcing them to leave the field.
In response to the increase in injuries throughout the United States, and with concern for the EMS providers, a partnership program between the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health and Mount Sinai Health Systems Emergency Medical Services was launched to help reduce the incidence of work-related strains and sprains.
“When the EMS department asked us to develop an injury prevention training program, we were clear that this was an integral part of our mission at the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health,” said Arlette Loeser, MA, Program Director of the Ergonomics and Injury Prevention Program at the Selikoff Centers. “We worked closely with them to provide education and support to our EMS responders. We aimed to fill the void of injury prevention programs, leading to the development of an effective program of interactive training and teaching tools for our responders who are risking injury on a daily basis.”
Ms. Loeser, an ergonomist and educator for more than 25 years, said she was pleased to learn that workers had expressed gratitude for the new program and for Mount Sinai’s commitment to supporting a safe work environment.
Khalid Kazi, Senior Manager of EMS Training and Safety, said EMS sought the advice of the occupational medicine experts at the Selikoff Centers when confronted with a rising numbers of staff injuries. The Selikoff team consisted of experts in ergonomics, nursing, medicine, and a volunteer firefighter emergency medical technician.
“They developed a unique model for an injury prevention workshop with a simulation segment and downloadable safety posters to help our department’s responders develop best practices in understanding how to effectively move patients safely,” he said. “We hope to create an environment where any EMS provider may be able to safely operate while providing the high standard of care expected by Mount Sinai.”
It’s not uncommon for people to put off seeking medical care. The process can be stressful, especially if you feel your health care provider doesn’t really understand you and your special concerns. That can be even more true for some patients, such as those in the LGBTQ+ community.
