The Cellular Therapy Laboratory team was saluted for its dedication. Standing, from left: quality assurance manager Sharon Tindle; medical technologists Yesmin Choudhury, Simon Ng, and Elvira Maliarova; and lab manager Yelena Sinitsyn. Seated: medical technologist Yijun Ou, left, and lead technologist Svitlana Shpontak. Not shown, administrative assistant Johanny Polonia.
Camelia Iancu-Rubin, PhD, Professor, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, sings the praises of the “extraordinary” laboratory team in the Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital.
“The Cellular Therapy Laboratory might be little known,” she says, “but the team’s dedication goes above and beyond to ensure safe and efficient delivery of cellular therapies to our patients.” Dr. Iancu-Rubin explains that cellular therapy is a treatment in which healthy live cells are infused into patients to replace or eliminate diseased cells, but many procedures are required before such cells become “living drugs”.
“This amazing team works tirelessly every day to make sure the cells are processed and stored on time, even when collections occur outside the routine working hours,” she says. “Under the expert leadership of their manager, our medical technologists prepare cells for infusion at times best suited for the patients, many times volunteering after hours and on weekends.”
Dr. Iancu-Rubin is grateful for the team’s “conscientiousness, flexibility, and commitment to patient safety.”
Rany “Ronnie” Williams, an Environmental Services staff member at Mount Sinai Brooklyn, was recently recognized for his outstanding efforts as part of the 2 East team. This unit treats patients with highly complex and resistant infectious diseases, and Ronnie is committed to meeting the unique cleaning requirements of the space.
Ronnie shows the same exceptional care for his colleagues and patients. One of the patients on the unit had end-stage respiratory disease, but when not on an assistive breathing device would try to sing old Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett songs. When Ronnie was in the room, he would join in singing with her and sway with his mop while she would dance in her chair. Ronnie’s colleagues wanted to honor him for his compassion and going above and beyond his everyday work to show care for a patient at end of life.
Ronnie is clearly dedicated to enhancing the patient experience. “When I was hired as a housekeeper, my goal was to be able to be the best housekeeper and hopefully help patients recover,” he says. “Some of the ways I do so is by talking to patients, sharing a magic trick, or simply cleaning their room to the best of my ability.”
AnnMarie DiFrancesca, Director of Child Life at Mount Sinai South Nassau
AnnMarie DiFrancesca, Director of Child Life at Mount Sinai South Nassau, is called an unsung hero by Lynn Bert, Pediatrics Nurse Manager.
“AnnMarie is instrumental at turning fear and frustration in children to laughter and play. She makes children happy and puts parents at ease. Her energy is limitless, and her resourcefulness is tremendous. She keeps the patients on the Pediatric Unit stocked with toys and diversional activities. She has tools to prepare them for their procedures and surgical cases. She stays with children through IV starts, MRIs, and any test or procedure that might be frightening to them.”
But there is more, Lynn says. “AnnMarie helped lead a pain-reduction program using anesthetic cream prior to blood work, IV insertion, and lumbar punctures for all children on the Pediatric Unit. This program has now expanded to include the pediatric patients in the Emergency Department and Family Practice Clinic. She created a program for autistic children and is now expanding the program to ease the hospital stays of adults with autism or other special needs, and has attended Grand Rounds to educate staff about this patient population.”
Ann Marie exemplifies the Mount Sinai value of creativity. She brought tablets into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) so siblings could virtually meet their new brothers and sisters. She organized graduation ceremonies for NICU babies for when they are finally big enough and well enough to go home, complete with diplomas and tiny graduation caps. And last year she designed a NICU reunion for children of 18 months.
AnnMarie’s contributions are not limited to pediatric units. When a young man was in a motor vehicle accident, she spoke with his children to prepare them for what to expect when they visited him in Critical Care. When a cancer patient passed away, she spent time with the family discussing how to explain things to their children.
AnnMarie is passionate about her work. “I love my job. I feel my role as a Certified Child Life Specialist is to meet each patient and family where they are and support their social, emotional, and developmental needs; to be their advocate for when they are most vulnerable and scared. I am also so happy and proud to be a valued resource for so many of the staff who want guidance when facing a challenging situation involving our pediatric patients. I am so appreciative to be part of a team that is welcoming of me, and the child life services I am able to provide.”
Faces of Care is a unique series of eight moving, short videos featuring employees who work for the Mount Sinai Health System. These employees are professionals, deeply dedicated to their crafts. The videos show that every employee plays an integral role in delivering safe, high- quality, seamless care, and they underscore the importance of the essential services these employees provide.
“I’m going to prep the instruments as best I can, as fast as I can, because that’s the way I would want to be treated. I’m playing a part in that. I’m helping people. We’re saving lives.” -Leahcim Francis, Central Sterile Technician
The first set of videos focus on employees at Mount Sinai Morningside, including those responsible for everything from sterilizing instruments to operating a PET CT scan to waste removal, and they show how all Mount Sinai employees, no matter their task, keep the patient at the center of their work.
Sanford Lapsley, a high-pressure boiler operating engineer who is one of the featured employees, is part of a team that operates on the hospital’s roof 24 hours a day.
“We’re responders. We feel what we do is important to the whole operation of Mount Sinai,” he says. “We give you heat, we give you steam, and we help cure patients.”
As Mount Sinai Morningside’s Chief Transformation Office, Lucy Xenophon, MD, often goes to see staff in the place where their work is done. She says she is impressed and humbled by their determination, skill, and kindheartedness. She realizes that some roles are almost invisible to the public.
“When I found out that there is someone who stays on the roof of the hospital 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to ensure steam is available for essential operations, I was determined to find a way to tell this story and stories like these,” said Dr. Xenophon.
Dr. Xenophon continued, “We must appreciate the value of our people—their fascinating work and their inspiring accomplishments. There is so much value in shining a spotlight on those who work behind the scenes in critical roles that keep our hospital and health system running.”
Director/Filmmaker Sean O’Neill created the videos in conjunction with the Mount Sinai Video Production Department led by Nicole “Nicci” Cheatham, Video Studio Manager.
“We chose Sean because of his commitment to creating authentic videos,” said Ms. Cheatham. “The choice to film the staff in their workplace and utilize the natural sounds of their environment provides a true look into the subjects’ day-to-day work life.”
“What struck me in watching the videos is the direct connection all of these staff have to healing patients and improving health,” said Arthur A. Gianelli, President, Mount Sinai Morningside. “The sense of duty and passion of people throughout the hospital has always awed me—and it is clearly evident in these videos.” The series is being expanded across the Mount Sinai Health System.
In addition to Mr. Lapsley, the video series features:
Stephanie Zile and her husband were at The Mount Sinai Hospital in the Labor and Delivery Unit and were anxious. Their first child was born by a caesarean section, and it was a difficult experience. But this time around, two nurses, and other staff, made the journey a smooth one. “Beila Edelman, my OR nurse, is a rock star,” she says. “In the hours before I was ready to deliver, she immediately perceived that we were tense, Beila wanted to understand what we were going through; how we felt emotionally, and even encouraged us to cry. As soon as I gave birth and my daughter was deemed to be OK, Beila brought her close to me and then took a photo of my husband, me, and my daughter. It was wonderful how she made a sterile operating room feel warm and comfortable. And she did her best to expedite the recovery so I could be transferred to a postpartum room, also coming with me to make sure I was settled.”
Stephanie has equal praise for her daytime nurse, Shanaaz Begum, RN. “Shanaaz really listened to me and sometimes could just read my body language and know what to say or do. She was totally attuned to my needs. One night, my husband and I were tired, so Shanaaz took my daughter to the nursery so we could get some rest. Importantly, she made me feel totally comfortable with having some respite time while also trying to nurse. Although this was my second birth, she made suggestions to reorient me to new motherhood—for example about breastfeeding—that were so helpful.
Shanaaz is fully engaged with her role. “Being a perinatal nurse is truly an empowering experience. Educating and comforting new mothers during this transformative time gives me great pleasure. I do my best to listen to my patients and help them achieve what they envisioned for their delivery experience.”
Beila says she feels blessed to care for her patients. “From coaching women through their labor experience with encouragement and positive affirmations, and supporting them through their cesarean section experience, to bringing their newborns to them for their first kiss, I do my best to create a joyful and positive experience,” she explains. “Meeting each patient where they are and finding out what they might require allows me as the nurse, together with the Labor and Delivery team, to create the best experience possible. Being in service to moms and their families in their sacred birthing experiences is an honor and privilege, and I am blessed to be able to serve this community with love and joy.”
Urszula Olech, affectionately called “Oolah,” has been a New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai staff member since 1983. According to Adam Pobliner, Assistant Director of Environmental Services, she is one of the pillars of the department.
“Oolah single-handedly runs our linen department while covering schedules as needed,“ he says. “Her cleaning is impeccable, her attendance flawless, and her commitment to the facility’s success is unmatched. She is humble and modest but takes great pride in her work. Daily, Oolah is the leader of our team. She monitors the linen usage and looks for a way to save the facility money, but more importantly makes sure her patients have everything they need for their stay with us.”
He adds that Oolah is an exemplar of teamwork. “She is always first in line to help her colleagues, and will often volunteer to take on extra work to ensure that the facility is clean and that her coworkers are not overloaded. Oolah means the world to everyone who knows her. She is family to our entire team and can always make us laugh. We appreciate Oolah for her dedication, commitment, and loyalty.”
Urszula is dedicated to her patients. “We always think about the patient first,” she says. “Our priority is to make sure the patient feels that they are cared for and comfortable. Sometimes an extra blanket goes a long way.” And she gives a lot of credit to her team. “Our team at NYEE looks out for each other and supports each other any way we can. We all have the common goal to take care of our patients, and we could not do it without teamwork.”
