This week, our Downtown quality team along with our leaders at Union Square hosted an interactive Quality Town Hall that included lively discussions and process improvement games. There was a fantastic turnout and we learned so much from everyone there.

We are on a journey together to improve our outcomes and to ultimately reach zero harm for our patients. The only way we can get there is if everyone makes small improvements every day, and if everyone continues to use their voice to raise concerns and bring ideas forward. You are our partner in this, and that is why I admire everyone who helped create this new forum for us to hear from you. And it is why I admire everyone who spoke up.

Here’s what you said:

• We have a lot of work to do in providing the best and safest care possible.
• You appreciate the importance of our quality initiatives like hand hygiene and time out processes.
• You let us know that safety and quality are everyone’s responsibilities.
• We still have a lot of work to do in removing the barriers that hold you back and in creating systems that support you so that you can do your best work.
• You want to have more conversations about quality and improving our care.

I can’t thank you enough for this feedback. Only through honest dialogue will we be able to get this right. IWe will do everything we can to create an environment where you feel safe to speak up.

Today I want to share a few of the honors I recently heard about our employees receiving.

Two of our nurses won Caribbean American Healthcare Awards for going above and beyond. They recently attended a ceremony hosted by Caribbean Life, a community that celebrates Caribbean culture in New York City. Congratulations to Audry Radcliffe, RN, in our Petrie Recovery Room and Tracey Ledeatte, RN, at one of our OTP Clinics on 2^nd Ave.

Audry admits that she was shocked when she found out that she had won the award, but it is obvious to all of us why she was chosen.  She demonstrates extraordinary compassion and always ensures her patients get home safely. She routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty.

“I put my patients first and myself last,” says Audrey Radcliffe.

Likewise, Tracey is an exceptional member of our MSBI family. She has a passion for nursing and is continually learning and striving to provide the best care possible.

“We have to continue to uphold the standards of nursing through education and preparation,” says Tracey.

Tracey Ledeatte, RN

Audry Radcliffe, RN with her husband

Also, we were proud to honor MSBI Chief Operations Officer Elizabeth Sellman last month as she was named the Healthcare Leaders of New York’s 2019 Healthcare Executive of the Year. HLNY gives this award to leaders who demonstrate a commitment to advancing healthcare as a profession and mentoring the people around them. I watch her coach and mentor our colleagues daily, and she is a vital part of the glue that keeps us all together and moving forward throughout this challenging transformation. I couldn’t be more honored to know and work alongside her.

Elizabeth Sellman, MPA, right with me and Alison Roditi, HLNY President, at the Healthcare Leaders of New York’s annual gala

This was a significant week for us. On Monday, we submitted the application to build the new MSBI hospital to New York City and State. This also included an application for our new Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center. These two projects together with the investments we are making in our downtown ambulatory network add up to about 1 billion dollars. What an incredible investment in our downtown communities.

It’s been a long road from 2016 when we announced our plan to transform Downtown and build the new hospital next to New York Eye and Ear. Trying to plan how healthcare will change so far ahead of us is challenging, and we must get it right. We are growing our ambulatory platform and leveraging the expertise and depth of the entire system to serve our community better. It’s not an easy task. I’m incredibly thankful to our team for their hard work and to all of you for your patience and agility while we figure out what is best for our patients.

See our new renderings below. More renderings and more information can be seen here.

Entrance on 14th Street and 2nd Avenue

Northeast View on Second Ave

Mount Sinai Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center

Pending approvals, we anticipate breaking ground in 2020 and opening the new behavioral health center in 2022 and the new hospital in 2023.

We have a lot of work to do before then. For example, in 2020 we will go live on EPIC at the current MSBI. Likewise, we will continue to work together to improve our processes of care, to better understand and meet the needs of our patients, and to continue to learn how to better care for each other each and every day. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together.

By now, over 3000 members of our MSBI community have attended the Mount Sinai Health System Experience. We are thankful to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to connect with each other and reflect on our roles in creating an exceptional place to receive care and to work.

The richness of each session is in the conversations we’ve had and the feedback you’ve shared. My team reviews this valuable feedback every single week, and we have been so inspired by what you have taught us. We are so clearly better together.

Click the video below to hear what your colleagues thought about the experience.

Community outreach comes in different forms; however, the basic intent is founded in the desire to make a difference in someone else’s life. Here at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, we have a shining example of what this looks like in our community. Did you know we have a robust volunteer program for students interested in careers in health care?

Four years ago, Dinah Jacobson, Manager of our Volunteer Office, brought the concept of a student volunteer program to the neighboring High School for Health Professions and Human Services. After an enthusiastic reception and with the help of Amanda Anderson, RN, who was a member of the MSBI nursing team, MSBI initiated the program. By linking the traditional school curriculum with a health care related work experience, the program allows students to discover and explore a variety of career paths. It empowers students to visualize college and career pathways that they may not have previously been aware of.

Working closely with Assistant Principal Donna LoPiccolo and Medical Instructor Bruce Levinson, MD, Dinah thoughtfully places students with mentors based on their interests and career aspirations. A thorough process orients the students to the hospital as well as to their assigned departments and tasks, which can encompass experiences ranging from administration to education and direct patient contact. Most students remain with their mentors for two years, and in some cases, the experience has continued after the completion of their formal internship. Students love the program because it gives them an opportunity to network as well as build long term meaningful relationships with their mentors and others with whom they have worked.

Click below to see more photos of our volunteers.

Dinah says, “This program opens the eyes of our younger community to opportunities which may have otherwise have remained unknown or seemed unattainable. It is incredibly gratifying to observe these bright, highly-motivated young people as they continue to refine their professional goals.”

Dinah passionately states that conducting this program has been one of her most deeply fulfilling professional experiences. She takes great pride in the approximately 100 students with whom she has worked. I have had the privilege of meeting with each cohort of the students, and I too have found it to be a highlight of my work here. I know that is the case for many of our colleagues who serve as their mentors.

We at MSBI have been given the privilege of helping students discover their spark and unique talents, potentially leading to enhanced opportunities for personal, academic, and professional success. We don’t take that responsibility lightly and have learned at least as much from them as they have learned from us.