Jackie Craig, MPS, LCAT, with Moby

Jackie Craig, MPS, LCAT, a licensed creative arts therapist in the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department, doesn’t have to say a word to bring comfort to patients and staff.  That is because Jackie is the handler for Moby, a facility dog who has been an employee at the Mount Sinai Health System for two years. Not only does Moby help to normalize hospital life for patients and their families, he also is a source of support and renewal for hospital staff.

During the height of the COVID pandemic, there were no work-from-home days for Moby and Jackie. They were in the hospitals every day, even if it meant visits were virtual from the hallways, bringing smiles to weary staff on some of their most heart-wrenching shifts.

“A five-minute interaction with Moby can change someone’s day,” Jackie says. “I saw first-hand that when staff had an opportunity to pet and hug Moby, the atmosphere lifted. They were able to breathe.” Jackie is unequivocal when speaking about how important her role is to her. “My job means the world to me,” she says.  “To be able to give back and meet the needs of staff is an invaluable position.”

Business Associate Nekeisha Lynn, left, and Operations Manager Monica Keith

Patient John de Clef Piñeiro sent the following letter thanking Business associate Nekeisha Lynn at Mount Sinai Morningside:

On April 23, I suffered a fractured humerus of my nondominant arm that left me temporarily disabled, weak, and in excruciating pain. EMT delivered me to your Emergency Department’s trauma unit, where I was attended to by Joshua McHugh, MD, and Rishi Malik, MD, at Mount Sinai Morningside. When I was discharged later that same day, in a weakened state, in pain, and with my arm in a sling, I needed to reserve a car service to take me home, so I went to your ED dispatcher’s office to solicit assistance in contacting a car service.

Business associate Nekeisha Lynn tried several times to reserve a car for me. Because I only had cash, she was not able to make the reservation with a credit card. Although she received a food delivery while I waited, she offered, without any prompting, to accompany me to the corner to see if we could hail a livery car or taxi. She hailed a couple of vehicles that for one reason or another would not take me. We crossed the avenue together, and she tried catching a vehicle in the opposite direction. We again crossed the avenue to try to catch another vehicle. All of this took some time and several stoplight changes.

Without a word of complaint or exasperation and with an upbeat spirit, she continued hailing vehicles, like someone on a mission, until she succeeded in helping me catch a ride.

Heartened by her efforts and spirit, and despite my impaired painful state, I asked for her name and told her that I would write a letter of commendation about her selfless, outstanding efforts on my behalf.

As the former (now retired) First Deputy General Counsel of the New York City Housing Authority for many years, I was in the position of hiring, training, supervising, and evaluating numerous professional and support staff members over the years. So, in my professional experience, I must report that Ms. Lynn manifested such an outstanding mindset of compassion and professional service, putting aside her own convenience, to provide someone in need with effective support and assistance in being able to get home safely. Such a mindset is unusual and speaks to the individual and her personal standard for what constitutes doing one’s job and going above and beyond.

Yours sincerely,

John de Clef Piñeiro, Esq.

Dave “Elvis” Reynolds, center, with Richard Rosen, MD, left, the Belinda Bingham Pierce and Gerald G. Pierce, MD, Distinguished Chair of Ophthalmology, and Vincent Sun, MD

Patient Dave “Elvis” Reynolds sent the following letter thanking the team at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary at Mount Sinai for restoring his vision:

Let me begin by saying I am not a medically oriented person. At 65 years of age, I do not know my blood type. Even as a two-pack-a-day smoker since the age of 15, by the grace of God, I’ve been medically fortunate. However, earlier this year I had my day of reckoning. Suddenly I had difficulty seeing out of my right eye. Like everything else in my medical life, I thought it would clear up on its own. I wasn’t so lucky. I lost 95 percent of my sight in that eye. I contacted my “goddess” of Emblem Health representatives, Vivian Martinez, who guided me to Eye Specialists of Westchester, where I met Aaron Cohen, MD, “Bones”, who convinced me that I immediately go to his alma matter, the “Enterprise” of all eye facilities, the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary at Mount Sinai.

This is where I met the incredibly cool Vincent Sun, MD (“Spock”). It’s an understatement to say it was a life-changing experience for me. A 33-year-old with the technique, expertise, and bedside manner of a 63-year-old! If it wasn’t for Dr. Cohen “Bones” and Dr. Sun “Spock”, I would have never met Richard Rosen, MD, “Captain Kirk”, one of this country’s “gurus” of retinal surgeons. I am beyond grateful to three wise men, along with so many other medical professionals, examiners, nurses, and general staff too many to name specifically.

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the talented and personable Julia Fallon, MD, who I’ll dub “Uhura”. She tested, guided, and supported me, and gained my confidence upon introducing me to the amazing Dr. Sun. All of these incredible people, as well as my wife, Rena, and cousin John, accompanied me through every minute of all eight of our visits. One and all got me through my first medical crisis—a 45-minute eye surgery, appropriately on St. Patrick’s Day, as I’m Irish. Within one week of my ordeal, Dr. Rosen’s magic hands worked yet another miracle to his long and astounding resume: I can see! I now have 20/30 vision.

Two months later, I’m very happy to report to the “Bridge,” and all systems are a go! Thank God for “Captain Kirk”, “Spock” and “Bones”—Dr. Rosen, Dr. Sun, and Dr. Cohen—for whom I’m forever in debt. May you all live long and prosper! I would like to conclude with a special mention to my doctor and friend, Dr. Vincent “Spock” Sun. Dr. Sun graduates this June, and his residency will come to an end. The institution will unfortunately lose one of their best, as he’ll be returning to his family in Canada to further work his magic and continue to do great things for O Canada. Congrats, Doc! You’ve earned and deserve it. It’s been a humbling experience and my pleasure in meeting you in my lifetime. I wish you and yours all the very best!

Sincerely and gratefully to you all,

Dave “Elvis” Reynolds

In the early summer of 2020, Shirley Farca was told by a New Jersey hospital where her 104-year-old mother had been admitted for heart failure that there was nothing more they could do.

Shirley’s brother was not convinced. He told his mother he was going to call a physician and some trusted rabbis and would get back to her. That same day, the family arranged for an ambulance to take their mother to The Mount Sinai Hospital.

At Mount Sinai, Samin K. Sharma, MD, Director of Clinical and Interventional Cardiology, and President of Mount Sinai Heart Network, performed a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure to replace a narrowed aortic valve that fails to open properly. She did so well, she was discharged two days later.

“This technique of TAVR is a real game changer,” says Dr. Sharma.  ”It provides hope to many patients suffering from aortic stenosis who cannot undergo open heart surgery due to frailty, old age, and associated medical conditions.”

Shirley credits the physicians at Mount Sinai for her mom’s return to health, as well as Rabbi Menachem Horowitz, who does volunteer work in spiritual care at Mount Sinai and is a consultant to numerous Manhattan hospitals through Chayim Aruchim, a project of Agudas Yisroel of America. Indeed, after turning 105 years old, her mom attended her granddaughter’s wedding.