Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured
Peter W. May, left, and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, discussed Mr. May’s 30 years of service to Mount Sinai at the Noble Deeds Society Dinner.
At the Noble Deeds Society Dinner last fall, leaders at the Mount Sinai Health System expressed their heartfelt appreciation to Peter W. May for his remarkable 17-year tenure as Chairman of the Boards of Trustees, during which he transformed a nearly bankrupt hospital and medical school into one of the world’s premier academic medical centers. Mr. May officially stepped down as Chairman in spring 2019 and now serves as Chairman Emeritus, Boards of Trustees. The Noble Deeds Society of the Mount Sinai Health System honors those who have been significant supporters and preserve the tradition of philanthropy.
“There could not be a more appropriate place to recognize Peter than at this dinner for noble deeds, because no one has done a more noble deed for Mount Sinai than Peter during his tenure,” said Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System, in a video that was presented at the event held at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center.
Approximately 200 generous supporters—including the Mount Sinai Health System’s current Co-Chairmen, Boards of Trustees, Richard A. Friedman and James S. Tisch—attended the dinner. Mr. Friedman and Mr. Tisch credited Mr. May for his deep knowledge, confidence, commitment, and inspirational leadership. They said trustees urged Mr. May to serve additional terms while he was Chairman and that he successfully convinced other philanthropists to join him in supporting Mount Sinai’s mission. Mr. May joined the Mount Sinai Boards of Trustees in 1989. Evan L. Flatow, MD, President of Mount Sinai West and Bernard J. Lasker Professor of Orthopedics, said in the video, “Peter understood what was in the DNA of Mount Sinai. He was deeply committed to our mission. The history books will say that Peter saved our institution.”
Indeed, a short time after assuming Mount Sinai’s Chairmanship in 2002, Mr. May tapped Dr. Davis to serve as Dean and then as Chief Executive Officer. Within three years, Mount Sinai was operating profitably. Reflecting upon their combined leadership, Dr. Davis said, “We had a shared vision and shared common values. We believed in what this institution had stood for during its 150-year history.”
Peter W. May and wife Leni May, center, with, from left, son Jon May, daughter-in-law Juliana May, daughter Leslie May Blauner, and son-in-law Andrew Blauner.
Under Mr. May’s tenure as Chairman, Mount Sinai raised $3 billion. In 2013, he presided over the formation of the Mount Sinai Health System, when The Mount Sinai Medical Center combined with Continuum Health Partners to become one of New York City’s largest health systems. “To take us from the brink of bankruptcy to the system we are today, with eight hospitals and over 400 ambulatory centers, to 42,000 employees—who would have thought it?” said Dr. Davis. “And it happened under Peter’s direction, guidance, and leadership.”
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, said that Mr. May’s support was vital in helping the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai achieve its world-class status. “When I came to him and said, ‘this is what we need to do to make our medical school great’ and to ensure that we recruited the best and brightest students and faculty who were innovative and whose goal was to improve the lives of our patients, Peter provided the necessary resources and trusted me in working to accomplish that.”
Mr. May said that Mount Sinai will always occupy a very special place for him, his wife, Leni, their two children, and grandchildren. “I am not giving up my care, my love, my interest, and my years of dedication to Mount Sinai,” he said. “It will be part of my life as long as I live.”
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Featured, Research
Catherine Sinclair, MD, performed radiofrequency ablation at Mount Sinai West.
Mount Sinai has become one of the few health systems in the nation to offer a new minimally invasive procedure to treat noncancerous thyroid nodules. The procedure, called radiofrequency ablation (RFA), offers eligible patients a quicker recovery and minimal scarring, with preservation of surrounding healthy thyroid tissue.
Catherine Sinclair, MD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Director of Head and Neck Surgery at Mount Sinai West, performed Mount Sinai’s first RFA procedures in August 2019. “I truly believe this procedure will change management and improve outcomes for a subset of patients with symptomatic, noncancerous thyroid nodules,” says Dr. Sinclair. Mount Sinai is also a leader in offering ethanol ablation, a similarly noninvasive procedure.
Thyroid nodules are masses composed of tissue or fluid, or both, that form in the thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland near the front of the lower neck. Nodules are very common, estimated to be present in 50 percent of those aged 50 and older. More than 95 percent are noncancerous, and most require no intervention. “For noncancerous thyroid nodules, we intervene surgically or with RFA only if the nodules are very large or symptomatic,” Dr. Sinclair explains. “Symptoms may include neck discomfort, neck swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or changes in the voice from pressure on the nerve to the larynx.”
Although invasive surgery is the most common management option, RFA is an important consideration for patients with noncancerous nodules, Dr. Sinclair says. With RFA, surgeons use guided ultrasound to deliver radiofrequency current to heat the thyroid nodule, which shrinks significantly over the next several months. Patients who undergo RFA can return to normal activity the next day and exercise normally within several days, compared with several weeks for patients who undergo standard thyroid surgery. In addition, RFA targets only the nodule, compared with traditional surgery, which usually removes one side of the thyroid and makes lifelong hormone supplements necessary for 20 to 30 percent of patients.
Catherine Sinclair, MD, left, and Maria Brito, MD.
“Radiofrequency ablation for thyroid nodules has been performed in Korea for over a decade and throughout Europe, and their outcomes are excellent. The published data show nodule shrinkage rates of more than 80 percent with RFA that is maintained over years of follow-up,” says Dr. Sinclair, who learned RFA from a pioneer in the field, Jung Hwan Baek, MD, PhD, at the Asan Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea.
Dr. Sinclair also has developed a continuous laryngeal reflex monitoring system that is used during RFA to prevent vocal cord damage and hoarseness, which are potential risks during both RFA and standard surgery. In the system, nerve fibers within the neck are continuously stimulated to check their function, allowing surgeons to quickly take preventive measures against injury. This innovative method does not require a neck incision and is the only monitoring technique available for noninvasive procedures such as RFA.
Mount Sinai is one of the few health systems in the region to offer ethanol ablation. In that procedure, an alcohol solution is injected into thyroid nodules, killing cells and causing the masses to slowly shrink. The procedure leaves only a small scar and is performed in the office with local anesthesia. Dr. Sinclair says ethanol ablation may be more effective than RFA for fluid-filled thyroid cysts, and RFA is a better noninvasive choice for large, solid nodules. A combination of both procedures can be used for cystic/solid lesions. Ethanol ablation is performed at the Mount Sinai Thyroid Center at Union Square by its Director, Maria Brito, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease), Icahn School of Medicine; and Michael Via, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease), Icahn School of Medicine; and by Dr. Sinclair at Mount Sinai West.
“The procedures will not necessarily eliminate the nodule completely, and patients will still need to have ultrasound follow-ups to monitor the nodule,” Dr. Brito says. “But in appropriate cases, they are a terrific option. They make it very easy for
the patient.”
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured
Mount Sinai Queens staff members, from left, Vivian Leonard, Rianne Bonitto, Hoda Farghala, RN, Hassan Aghazzaf, Norma Calame, Shalawn Leak, and Carla Moscoso.
Each morning, senior leaders throughout the Mount Sinai Health System report in on operational and safety matters in a conference call known as the “Daily Huddle.” A bright spot of the calls is a segment in which a leader shares the story of a faculty or staff member who has gone above and beyond in demonstrating the values of Mount Sinai: safety, creativity, empathy, agility, and teamwork.
Stories of honorees’ excellent service were posted on an Appreciation Wall.
More than 120 of these standout staff members were honored in person on Thursday, November 7, in an event hosted by Mount Sinai Health System leaders Vicki LoPachin, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President; and Margaret Pastuszko, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer. The celebration at the Corporate Services Center was sponsored by Sinai Spotlight, a Health System employee recognition and appreciation program led by the Division of Talent Development & Learning. The honorees networked with Health System leaders, enjoyed healthy snacks, and viewed stories about their excellent service that were posted on an Appreciation Wall. In a presentation, Sinai Spotlight committee members from each site shared summaries of the stories and called staff members to the front of the room for applause and cheers.
“During the Daily Huddle, when we hear stories of your going out of your way for your patients and co-workers, we always take a moment to smile and remember why we are here,” Ms. Pastuszko said. “You are the fabric of this institution, and we are so grateful to all of you.”
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Featured, Infectious Diseases, Research
Mount Sinai scientists, from left, Peter Palese, PhD; Florian Krammer, PhD, with a 3D model of the influenza virus hemagglutinin; and Adolfo García-Sastre, PhD.
The quest to develop a universal influenza vaccine that would be administered only once or twice in an individual’s lifetime and cover every strain of the virus moved closer to becoming a reality in October, when researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai showed that a novel method of protection against the influenza virus was safe and induced strong immune responses in humans.
The interim results of this phase 1 clinical trial—led by Mount Sinai scientists Florian Krammer, PhD; Peter Palese, PhD; and Adolfo García-Sastre, PhD—were published online in the October 17, 2019, issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Two types of proteins, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, cover the surface of the influenza virus. Current influenza vaccines target the head of the hemagglutinin—a structure that changes often. Mount Sinai’s strategy, known as chimeric hemagglutinin (cHA), targets the stalk of the hemagglutinin, which is less variable.
In the Lancet Infectious Diseases study, the research team tested several cHA vaccine regimens in combination with an adjuvant, an ingredient that boosts the immune response to vaccines. All of the regimens induced antibody responses. But, “one vaccine regimen induced a broad antibody response after the first dose, and this response was not only cross-reactive for the currently circulating influenza virus but also to avian (bird) and bat influenza subtypes,” according to Dr. Krammer, Mount Sinai Professor of Vaccinology and Professor of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
This, he says, showed that one vaccination might be enough to induce protection against changing seasonal influenza viruses and pandemic influenza viruses yet to arise. “The results indicate that we are moving toward a universal influenza vaccine, but these are still interim results.”
Dr. Palese, Horace W. Goldsmith Professor of Medicine, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, says the “ideal vaccine, given only once in a lifetime and protective against all influenza virus strains,” would go a long way in improving the health of millions of people in the United States and around the world.
A universal vaccine would overcome “antigenic drift,” the small changes in the genes of influenza viruses that render viruses different from one another and allow them to escape human immunity. This is the primary reason why influenza vaccines vary in effectiveness from one season to another and must be updated every year.
Still, influenza vaccines do offer protection from severe disease and physicians strongly recommend that patients get them annually. Despite their widespread availability, however, more than half of Americans were unvaccinated as of the beginning of December 2019, according to NORC at the University of Chicago, which conducts the National Immunization Survey for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Influenza remains deadly for some. The World Health Organization estimates that influenza-related respiratory illnesses account for between 290,000 and 650,000 deaths per year. Dr. Krammer says, “Developing new vaccines takes a lot of time and it’s hard to estimate how long it will take, but I firmly believe we will have a universal flu vaccine in our lifetime and probably sooner.”
In addition to Dr. García-Sastre, a co-senior researcher on the Lancet Infectious Diseases study, and the Irene and Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Professor of Medicine, and Director of the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, contributors included Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; Duke University School of Medicine; the University of Chicago; and the nonprofit international health organization PATH. Funding was provided by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured
FDNY EMT Lieutenant Raymond Wang, center, returned to The Mount Sinai Hospital on Wednesday, November 27, when his colleague FDNY EMT Liam Glinane, second from right, was discharged.
In a press conference held on Thursday, October 17, New York City Fire Department (FDNY) Commissioner Daniel Nigro stood with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and shared the details of what he called “an extremely tragic coincidence.” Two emergency medical technicians (EMT), he said, had just suffered unrelated life-threatening medical emergencies at the same location, within minutes of each other.
On that fateful day, Liam Glinane, a 28-year FDNY veteran, was driving an ambulance to the Fire Academy on Randall’s Island when he had a stroke on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and veered off the road, hitting another car. Lieutenant Raymond Wang was dispatched to the scene of the accident, but before he could tend to his colleague, Lt. Wang had an aortic dissection. “This is a tough day for our city and for the FDNY,” said Mayor de Blasio. Lt. Wang was described to be in critical condition; Mr. Glinane was in critical but stable condition.
It was fortunate that when Lt. Wang, a 19-year veteran of the FDNY, took ill, he was on a ride-along with a physician from Elmhurst Hospital. That physician was able to immediately treat the two unconscious paramedics while waiting for backup help. Soon after, Mr. Glinane was rushed to Mount Sinai Queens, which recently had opened its world-class Cerebrovascular Stroke Center featuring specially designed equipment that allows for improved speed and efficiency in stroke diagnosis and treatment. Lt. Wang, who was first taken to Elmhurst Hospital, was transferred to The Mount Sinai Hospital.
Stephen D. Waterford, MD, MS, left, led a team that included Percy Boateng, MD, Assistant Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in performing life-saving surgery on FDNY EMT Lieutenant Raymond Wang.
After life-saving procedures, Lt. Wang would be released from Mount Sinai 13 days later, surrounded by a cheering crowd of FDNY officials and paramedics, family, friends, and staff who treated him. However, it was not until Wednesday, November 27, that Mr. Glinane would be discharged. Again, the FDNY family, including Lt. Wang, would turn out in force. “I am very happy to come to the hospital and be able to walk with Liam out of the hospital,” said a smiling Lt. Wang—who, himself, also had much reason to rejoice.
Lt. Wang, 47, it turned out, had survived a particularly severe form of aortic dissection—a tear in the aorta next to his heart that had caused a life-threatening decrease in his blood pressure, necessitating emergency heart surgery. Stephen D. Waterford, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery, and Director of the Surgical Arrhythmia Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, led the team that performed surgery on Lt. Wang. “His lungs and heart were not working, and he had no blood flow to his right leg,” said Dr. Waterford.
Meanwhile, Reade De Leacy, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, and Radiology, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Director of Cerebrovascular Services at Mount Sinai Queens, removed the blood clot blocking an artery in Mr. Glinane’s brain. “He presented with paralysis of the left side of his body, inability to speak properly, and poor awareness of where he was in space and his location. It was an incredibly serious illness,” Dr. De Leacy recalled.
Mr. Glinane, 63, was later transported to The Mount Sinai Hospital, where he continued his recovery and rehabilitation at the Brain Injury Unit at the Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Center. Under the care of Richard Frieden, MD, Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, and a team of therapists—Kristen Eggers, PT; Aura Weltman, OT; and Carly Traiman, SLP—Mr. Glinane recovered physically and cognitively. Finally, on the day before Thanksgiving—41 days after his stroke—Mr. Glinane, serenaded by bagpipes and cheers, and with Lt. Wang at his side, was discharged from Mount Sinai.
As the two FDNY veterans walked out together, Lillian Bonsignore, Chief of FDNY Emergency Medical Services, said, “I would consider this our new FDNY Thanksgiving. We certainly have so much to be thankful for. We almost lost two of our heroes, people who have dedicated their lives to saving other people. Today, we can see that that was given back to them.”
“You’re looking at two of the luckiest New Yorkers in the city right now,” Mr. Glinane told the large crowd of well-wishers standing outside The Mount Sinai Hospital. “This is a total success story, thanks to the staff of the building behind me. They’ve literally made a total difference in my outcome—to the hospital, to how I came in here, to how I’m leaving on my own power with 100 percent functionality.”
Today, Mr. Glinane is close to being fully recovered and, despite a long road of outpatient stroke rehabilitation ahead of him, he says he has every intention of going back to work. “I’ve got the greatest job in the world,” he said. “I’m self-sufficient, I’m not a burden, I’m back in the game. I’ve got another shot at life.”
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured
The Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center honored six individuals for their commitment to New York City’s young people at its 16th Annual Breakfast of Legends benefit at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Thursday, November 14. The Center provides free, comprehensive, and confidential health and wellness services to more than 12,000 young people annually and is a national leader in adolescent health research and training.
“Today, in its 51st year, the Center remains true to its original vision and mission—the care of New York City’s adolescents and young adults,” James S. Tisch, Co-Chairman, Boards of Trustees, Mount Sinai Health System, said in a warm welcome to guests.
Angela Diaz, MD, PhD, MPH, Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor in Adolescent Health, Professor of Pediatrics, and Environmental Medicine and Public Health, and Director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, recognized the volunteers, benefactors, leadership, and staff who made the event—and the Center’s work—possible: “Thank you for helping us give young people a place of healing, and a place of hope.”
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, emphasized the importance of innovation in the care of adolescents, who face constantly evolving challenges. “At the Center, innovations are ongoing—including its groundbreaking work with HIV-infected youth and transgender adolescents,” Dr. Charney said.
Three patients—Moza, Richard, and Anisa—recounted how the Center had transformed their lives. “It is not just a health center, but a chance for a fulfilled life,” Moza said.
The honorees were:
Jerry Bruno, Strategic Project Manager, City of New York Department of Homeless Services
Rachel L. Colon, LCSW, Primary Care Social Work Coordinator, Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, who received the Center’s Staff Award
Yasmeen Mock, Head of Client Relations and Chief Operating Officer, Kimelman & Baird, LLC
Lisa M. Satlin, MD, Herbert H. Lehman Professor and Chair, Jack and Lucy Clark Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Patricia Wang, President and Chief Executive Officer, Healthfirst
Raja M. Flores, MD, Steven and Ann Ames Professor and Chair of the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who was presented with the Dr. Joan E. Morgenthau Lifetime Advocate for Youth Award by Dr. Morgenthau’s daughters Ellie Hirschhorn and Joan Bright for his kindness, warmth, and clinical skill in treating adolescent patients.
