First-Time Mom Found Warm and Supportive Care at Mount Sinai West

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Stories of Excellence

Alexandra had reason to be a little concerned about delivering her first child last fall. She had carried her son through surges of COVID-19, and despite being healthy and fit, was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, requiring her to come into New York City for weekly exams.  But her experience at Mount Sinai West and the practice of Zhanna Rutstein-Shulina, MD, and Anna Rhee, MD, was the personalized approach and supportive environment she needed.

Alexandra was in labor less than eight hours, “Thanks to Dr. Rutstein-Shulina’s expertise and Caleb’s eagerness to meet us,” she says. She was admitted on the evening of October 3 and delivered early the next morning.

Alexandra was one of the first patients to stay in the new post-delivery unit at Mount Sinai West.

“It was modern, immaculate, and well thought out,” she says. “The small details, like the lights that could be dimmed, were relaxing, and felt more like my home than a hospital. The entire Obstetrics staff anticipated my needs, which especially as a first-time mom, was invaluable. I am truly grateful to everyone. The nurses were knowledgeable, responsive, and patient as were housekeeping and food services staff. They were all so kind. The nurse who taught me how to swaddle Caleb was a magician. And most importantly, I felt Caleb was safe.”

Alexandra currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and says,  “The experience was so incredible that despite the distance, I would absolutely return to Mount Sinai West if we add to our family in the future.”

 

A Cancer Patient Thanks a Team for Their Compassionate Care. So Does Their Leader

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Stories of Excellence

Marvin Milord,left, and Nicole Silverio,

Natosha Houston is Assistant Chief of Radiation Oncology at Mount Sinai West and is very proud of her “amazing” team. Recently she received a letter from a patient who clearly feels the same. The letter follows:

Dear Natosha:

As tomorrow is my last day of radiation treatments, let me please offer my thanks and compliments to your staff. I know you are as proud of them as I am thankful to them. I was certainly anxious as I started my treatments. Given the limited time they have between patients, your team was still able to help me feel secure. Nicole Silverio, Marvin Milord, Andrea Cepeda, and Shafira Subedi were so sensitive to me. I asked many questions, and I was anxious. Yet they provided answers and support that made me feel confident. There even came a time where I actually looked forward to my treatments, as I could then interact with them. Nicole, Marvin, Andrea, and Shafira were incredibly helpful. They are wonderful at their job and so kind. I felt fortunate to be their patient. I also got to know Antonella Leon for my last few sessions, and she was kind and helpful as well. I will always be thankful to have received the benefits of their skills. I am happy for you that they work with you.

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An Operations Supervisor Brings a ‘Can-Do Attitude’ and Smile to Work

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Stories of Excellence

Vanessa Castillo

Vanessa Castillo began working at the Mount Sinai Health System in November 2017. Since then, she has taken on multiple roles and currently works as the supervisor of Faculty Practice Associates (FPA) Operations. In her role, she supervises the Float Pool, a program that focuses on recruiting and training entry-level support staff, including medical assistants and patient coordinators, to handle the high demands of busy practices.

Kimberly Fields, manager of FPA Operations, considers Vanessa a team player. “Vanessa is warm and friendly and loves to serve our patients with a smile. We learned of her compassion first-hand after receiving a letter from an 82-year-old patient who had arrived at the wrong building for a procedure.”  The patient wrote that Vanessa held his hand and walked him to the correct building and said she was “a very kind young lady, who did her job with a smile.”

Kimberly adds that Vanessa is always willing to help in any capacity. “I wasn’t shocked to hear about her willingness to escort the patient over to the next building,” she says. “That is what makes her special. She comes in every day with a positive, can-do attitude and has a commitment to caring for our employees, colleagues, and our patients.

 

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Expressing Gratitude for a Team of Doctors for Saving Their Daughter’s Sight

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Stories of Excellence

Left to right: Jeanette Du, MD, Shravan Savant, MD, and Jorge Andrade Romo, MD

Augie and JoAnne Corvino sent the following letter thanking four doctors, all specialists in ophthalmology.

On November 3, 2020, our daughter, Chloe, contracted a rare eye infection—Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. As we reflect on this past year, we want to recognize and express our utmost gratitude to the doctors who guided us and cared for her as if she was their own child. We like to think of Dr. Gaurav Chandra, Dr. Jeanette Du, Dr. Jorge Andrade Romo, and Dr. Shravan Savant as Chloe’s guardian angels. Chloe’s infection intensified rather quickly, and we didn’t know how to help her. Dr. Chandra saw Chloe after three days and instructed us to take her to the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai for further evaluation.

Dr. Du was kind, patient, and thorough while examining our frightened 11-year-old. Dr. Romo and Dr. Savant were both extremely determined to help her. They made Chloe feel comfortable, they were informative, and were committed to her well-being. We had no doubt that we brought Chloe to the best facility. Each one of these doctors had an immense impact on Chloe’s health today. She is not out of the woods just yet. She currently wears a hard contact lens, and her vision has improved to 25/20.

She still may need a cornea transplant, but the doctors are still following her closely. We truly believe that without Chloe’s guardian angels that she would have lost her vision. Chloe has returned to playing lacrosse, field hockey, and even swimming (with goggles of course). She would not be where she is today without all of the doctors who cared for her. We can’t thank them enough.

Augie and JoAnne Corvino

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Parking Services Manager Bravely Helps Save a Man From a Burning Car

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Stories of Excellence

John Cruz, left, and Dennis Charney, MD

John Cruz, Senior Manager, Parking Services at The Mount Sinai Hospital, had stopped by the cashier’s booth at the parking garage behind the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai when the attendant received a call that someone was unconscious on the roof. John told the attendant to call Security, and immediately ran up to the roof, where he saw smoke and fire and realized it was coming from a car.

Thankfully, two men were nearby and told John that an unconscious man was in the car, which was locked and filled with smoke. Working together, they broke the car windows and were able to drag the man along a concrete ramp to safety, just before the vehicle was engulfed in flames. John felt for the man’s pulse, and was relieved that there was one. At that point, EMS arrived and began triage.

In November, John was commended by senior leadership at Mount Sinai for his quick thinking and bravery.

“John put himself at risk in order to help a stranger,” said Dennis Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs for the Mount Sinai Health System. “He was afraid, as anyone would have been, but he conquered that fear to perform a heroic feat. We are so fortunate to have him as a member of the Mount Sinai family.”

But John is modest and wants to make sure Andre Rodrigues Silva, an employee of a Mount Sinai vendor, Efficiency Experts, is acknowledged for his efforts (John believes the other man who helped out was a patient, who was headed to or leaving the hospital.)

“I was very scared when I arrived,” John says, “but my instincts kicked in, and I was able to pull the patient out. My heartfelt thanks go to the two gentlemen that were there helping me.”

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A Genetics Counselor Is Praised for Making Patients Feel Heard

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Stories of Excellence

Mount Sinai patients have singled out Kaitlin Kerr, MS, CGC, for praise on her performance, professionalism, and kindness, according to Raquel Grobe, Administrative Manager, Division of Medical Genetics. The patient comments were made in the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Clinician and Group Survey, which asks patients to report on their experiences with providers and staff in primary care and specialty care settings.

 “Kaitlin, a genetics counselor, is simply extraordinary in her delivery of patient services,” Ms. Grobe says. “Her compassion, which is consistently front and center with her patients, is never ending.  She has this incredible ability to make patients feel heard and listened to, while providing critical life-impacting information.”

Here are some to the comments from the patient experience survey:

  • “Kaitlin was incredibly thorough and helpful. It was one of the best clinical visits I ever had. She gave me so much information and ensured I understood what she was discussing.
  • “I’ve had a very frustrating experience at my practice (not Mount Sinai) and Kaitlin Kerr made the whole situation 1,000 times better. She really took the time to make sure my husband and I fully understood everything she was explaining and was just wonderful.”
  • “Kaitlin was so wonderful and made sure all of our questions were answered.”
  • “Thanks for all the hospitality; I really need that…and understanding in a time where I really needed it.”
  • “Kaitlin was incredibly thorough and helpful. It was one of the best clinical visits I ever had. She gave me so much information and ensured I understood what she was discussing.”

Ms. Grobe says the division is proud of Ms. Kerr for her contributions to the Health System and its patients.

 

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