MSBI | Mount Sinai Today

Seamless Pediatric Emergency Care Impresses a Mount Sinai Mom

May 30, 2019 | MSBI, Your Voice Counts

Jenna Seecharran and C. Anthoney Lim, MD

Jenna Seecharran, a program coordinator for the Thoracic Surgery Department at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, did not hesitate when her 6-year-old son, Andrew, complained of pain in his finger and she noticed redness spreading up his arm; she took him to Mount Sinai Express Care.

He was sent next door to The Mount Sinai Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department, where the team determined he would need to be hospitalized overnight. They quickly arranged for Andrew to be admitted to the Pediatric Short Stay Unit at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, the only observation unit of its type in the region. Andrew was treated for a skin reaction resulting from an insect bite and released the next day.

Jenna was impressed by the professionalism of the teams at every site. “Our care was outstanding from registration to discharge, including the EMTs who transported us between sites and the unit staff who ensured my family was comfortable during our overnight stay.”

C. Anthoney Lim, MD, is Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System, and of the Pediatric Short Stay Unit, Mount Sinai Beth Israel. “Our goal is to deliver a seamless experience for the child and family,” he says. “Excellent communication among a child’s providers in the Emergency Departments and Kravis Children’s Hospital is an example of our teamwork.”

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MSBI Pediatric Emergency Physician Weighs in on Opioid Treatments for Teens

May 29, 2019 | MSBI, Uncategorized

Czer Anthoney Lim, MD, is the director of pediatric emergency medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and associate professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He recently spoke about the importance of considering alternative approaches to pain medicine for teens in response to the opioid epidemic.

Read the Article Here

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What Can You Do Today? by Dr. Jeremy Boal

May 25, 2019 | MSBI

What can you do today to make MSBI a better place to work and to receive care?

By now, more than 1000 employees in the MSBI/Downtown network have attended a four-hour session called the Mount Sinai Health System Experience where we discuss this very topic. I have attended it three times, and each time I learned more about our organization and about you.

Here are some thoughts from your colleagues who have already attended:

“We brainstormed the little steps we can take every day to make sure every patient and staff member leaves Mount Sinai happier than when they walked in—whether or not we regularly touch the patients.”

“The training helps pull down the barriers to our working silos and supports that we are in this journey together.”

“It’s every behavior you do at work. I get busy and walk by a piece of trash and get mad for EVS not seeing it and picking it up. But you know what? I also get upset when someone leaves something for us because ‘it’s not their job.’ Next time I am going to pick-up that piece of trash and put it where it belongs. We all have to do our part to show our patients that we care, but also to show we’re team players.”

“What made this particular training stand out was that it was so focused on Mount Sinai as a whole, and brought different types of people together.”

Click below to see photos of the sessions so far.

I want to thank our team who has been managing the sessions (there will be more than 80 sessions in total!). And I’m grateful for many of you who volunteered your time to help facilitate these important conversations as Zone Facilitators. This experience is richer because of your presence.

The photos below feature a few of our zone facilitators and coordinators.

I want to thank our team who has been managing the sessions (there will be more than 80 sessions in total!). And I’m grateful for many of you who volunteered your time to help facilitate these important conversations as Zone Facilitators. This experience is richer because of your presence.

To sign up, speak with your supervisor. I am thankful that you will take the time to be with your colleagues and reflect on what makes us Better Together.

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Saving Lives with FDNY by Dr. Jeremy Boal

May 14, 2019 | MSBI

In April, MSBI made NYC stroke history with our colleagues at FDNY. Earlier this year, the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council partnered with New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and the American Heart Association to create a new system of care for stroke patients in NYC. FDNY EMS and other EMS teams began a new protocol of pre-notifying thrombectomy-capable hospitals of potential severe stroke patients before their arrival to the Emergency Department. EMTs look at clinical signs of stroke like facial droop, arm weakness, hand grip, and speech, and call ahead to the Emergency Department so that the ED and stroke teams can organize in advance. On April 4, FDNY enacted this process for the very first time, alerting the MSBI ED team that we had a stroke patient on the way. Our teams took action immediately – clearing an ED bed, alerting neurology and stroke teams, and getting the catheterization lab ready. By inserting a small catheter into the patient’s brain and removing the clot in only 11 minutes, normal blood flow was fully restored. Timing is critical in strokes; the more time it takes to restore blood flow, the more the more brain tissue damage there is. This patient was back to normal function within minutes of the procedure. Our stroke team has always done an incredible job of caring for our patients, and this new collaboration with FDNY and other partners in NYC will allow us to save even more lives and to preserve more fuction. Since 2009, we have been performing thrombectomies to restore blood flow to the brain and improve patients’ recovery. We are now applying to become a Joint Commission Certified Thrombectomy Center. You can click below to see a few members of this team. I am incredibly proud of them.

Urology Department Renovates Union Square Location

May 13, 2019 | Community, MSBI, Your Health

Faculty and staff of the Mount Sinai Health System’s Department of Urology recently celebrated the completion of a more than $3 million renovation project at Mount Sinai-Union Square. Upgrades to the 6,500-square-foot practice are being done in several phases, allowing the Sol & Margaret Berger Urology Department at Union Square to continually serve patients.

The project has doubled the Department’s capacity to perform in-office procedures and features new medical equipment. Wall outlets in the waiting room allow patients to charge their phones, and soon, patients will be able to check in for their appointments while seated on a couch rather than waiting at the front desk. Modern art, furniture with warm natural tones and finishes, special lighting, and a tank with 12 species of saltwater fish are designed to provide patients with a welcoming environment.

“All aspects of the renovation maximize the patient’s experience by reducing stress and making check-in and services more convenient and efficient,” says Ash Tewari, MBBC, MCh, Chair of the Department of Urology, Mount Sinai Health System. Plans also call for the Urology Department to launch a prostate cancer and men’s health program downtown and install a real-time location system that will enhance patient safety and improve clinical quality.

“We are excited to have this large, modern space in which to treat our patients and accommodate the more than 24,000 patient visits we receive each year,” says Michael A. Palese, MD, Chair of Mount Sinai-Union Square Urology. “World-class medicine with access to academic professionals and clinical trials in the setting of a brand new office space enhance the overall patient experience.”

Faculty and staff at the Department of Urology joined Michael Palese, MD, left, center, and Ash Tewari, MBBC, MCh, right, center, to celebrate the newly renovated facility at Mount Sinai-Union Square.

Nurses Matter by Dr. Jeremy Boal

May 10, 2019 | MSBI

We spent this whole week celebrating our dedicated, highly skilled, and profoundly compassionate nurses that serve our entire Mount Sinai Beth Israel community.

As a part of this celebration, we attended the Beatrice Renfield Circle of Excellence Nursing Awards Ceremony on Wednesday to honor our many outstanding nurses, and where our Chief Nursing Officer, Christine Mahoney put it best:

“At some point in our lives each of us will encounter a nurse, whether it be as a patient, or as a family member of a loved one. And that one encounter can mean the difference between suffering and peace; between chaos and order. Nurses matter.”

It is true that our more than 1000 nurses are the backbone of MSBI, and they change lives daily through their excellence, empathy, professionalism, and comradery. Thank you!

Aside from being awe-inspiring caregivers and colleagues, our nurses are talented and love to have fun. This week we celebrated with ceremony, educational events, food, music, dancing, and dogs. Click the album below to see photos of the festivities.