Cynthia Tejeda

Project coordinator Cynthia Tejeda is a true leader at Mount Sinai Morningside (MSM). No matter the issue, she is ready to give 110 percent of herself to the cause.  It is hard to even know where at MSM Cynthia works, as she supports so many different departments and is always ready to jump in and help others.

From Sunday, January 31, to Tuesday, February 2, almost twenty inches of snow fell in Manhattan, at times faster than the city workers and hospital vendor could shovel and clean the roads and sidewalks.  Both the City and State declared a state of emergency; much of the transit system shut down, and people were asked to stay off the roads. For MSM, this meant that many staff wanted to come to work over Sunday night, ahead of their Monday shifts. Staff ending a night shift Monday morning were unable to leave the city, and Monday’s day staff were having difficulty getting into the hospital.

Throughout the snowstorm emergency, Cynthia was on the list of Mount Sinai Morningside staff required to support the IMT Command Center, an initiative that provides assistance to the hospital leadership in emergencies.  The Command Center was assigned to take over the calls for staff accommodations for the snowstorm, in addition to the COVID-19-related escalation requests the call center was already receiving.

Even before her assigned shifts were to start on Sunday, Cynthia knew a colleague wasn’t feeling well and jumped right in to help, showing her dedication to true teamwork.   Over two days, Cynthia supported redeployed call center staff and even answered the phones herself to help ensure that staff had accommodations before, between, and after shifts. The call center answered more than 200 calls from staff between Saturday evening and Monday morning through one phone line.

Along with Kathleen Scanlin, Data Base Manager, and Janet Goldberg, Director of the AIDS Center at The Mount Sinai Hospital—two redeployed staff helping MSM with the COVID-19 response—Cynthia calmly and quickly answered questions about accommodations, parking, food services, shuttle services, and other issues  from staff across MSM.

Cynthia worked professionally throughout the response and constantly worked to help calm staff and provide continual information. Her empathy and focus on staff safety were evident throughout all of her interactions with staff, managers, and senior leaders. Cynthia worked tirelessly to ensure that everyone had a safe place to sleep and that everyone knew where the rest areas were.  She checked in on staff and answered questions about accommodations. Her concern for the well-being of staff remained strong, despite the sheer number of calls received.

In this emergency, and indeed throughout COVID-19, Cynthia’s dedication to MSM has been truly inspirational. Cynthia is a true leader, and I’m so grateful that she is here and dedicated to supporting our team.

Submitted by: Shannan Saunders, Assistant Director Emergency Management, Mount Sinai Morningside

Charleen Jacobs, MS, ANP-BC, a nurse practitioner in the Mount Sinai Health System Adult Sickle Cell program, Co-Chair of Sinai Nurses Against Pain, and winner of the MSHS Nurse Practitioner Week’s Resilience in Action award, is modest. “Nurses don’t like to take credit,” she says. “Caring for patients is our job.”

But Charleen has shown she goes far beyond the call of duty. Her award nomination letter from the directors of the Sickle Cell Program team—Jena Simon, DNP, FNP-BC; Jeffrey Glassberg, MD, MA; and Brittany McCrary, MS, AGNP-BC—includes the following praises:

“During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Jacobs remained a committed team member. She contributed to the rapid deployment of telemedicine and offered patients innovative strategies to manage acute complications of their disease. She responded to patients during non-working hours, and she kept many patients out of the Emergency Department, safely, at home.”

“Ms. Jacobs plays a vital role in developing the sickle cell disease workforce. In the United States, there is a shortage of providers with expertise in sickle cell. Charleen has precepted several nurse practitioner students and inspired some to enter the field.”

“Ms. Jacobs is appreciated and loved by her patients. They value her empathy and warmth and rely on her to deliver evidenced-based care that she tailors to each individual. She also works with community-based organizations to mobilize needed resources and support for her patients.”

Charleen, a PhD candidate, is always thinking about how best to serve her patients. She is excited that telemedicine will continue to offer patients who have difficulty traveling to Mount Sinai the means to get the care they need. And she hopes that someday home-based services will also be available to those patients who need them.

“Working with patients living with sickle cell disease is a passion,” Charleen says. “While the work to support our patients can be challenging, my inspiration to continue providing high-quality care comes from understanding the needs of patients affected by sickle cell disease. My advanced practice nursing skills have enabled me to connect with and serve patients so that they can live full and healthy lives. This work takes a village, and I could not do without my amazing team. I am honored and humbled to receive the Resilience in Action Award and thankful for the recognition.”

Alexander Barash, MD, left, and Vincent Sun, MD, NYEE

Greg Conti, a retired Army officer and cybersecurity expert, remembers exactly when he first noticed seeing a “constellation of little black dots” floating in his right eye. It was in December 2019, when he was having dinner with his wife and her mother. He quickly made an appointment with his ophthalmologist, who sent him to a retinologist, who referred him to the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary at Mount Sinai (NYEE). He also recalls the exact date (December 27) and time (7:29 pm) he walked into the lobby of NYEE.

Greg was seen by a number of doctors, including the attending ophthalmologist and a retinology fellow, Vincent Sun, MD. “The thought of losing my sight was the most stressful experience of my life. And that is significant, because I served in the U.S. Army for 27 years, including two overseas tours of duty.” He adds, “I had no reason to think I could go blind. Yet here I was, contemplating that future.” Thankfully, after speaking with Dr. Sun, Greg was reassured and hopeful. “Dr. Sun told me I had a large tear in my retina, and it was detached. But he explained in detail how it would be repaired. I thought to myself, ‘I am in good hands, he’s got this.’” On Sunday, December 29, Dr. Sun and retina specialist Alexander Barash, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, performed emergency surgery on Greg’s right eye.

Greg returned home for follow-ups near his upstate home, but in late February 2020, he experienced similar floaters in his left eye. Once again, Dr. Sun and Dr. Barash performed emergency sight-saving surgery on Greg.

Drs. Sun and Barash say Greg’s case is rare. “The likelihood of a retinal detachment is approximately 1 in 10,000 in the general population, and less than 2 in 1,000,000 will have a detachment in their second eye as well,” Dr. Barash says. “Greg did the right thing: he went to an eye doctor as soon as he noticed changes in his vision. This allowed him to have sight-saving surgery early in the disease process and gave him the best possible visual outcome. He can still read the 20/20 line on the chart today!”

Mr. Conti developed retinal tears and retinal separation spontaneously, not due to any known injury”, Dr. Sun says. “Anyone can have a retinal detachment, but some people are at higher risk if a family member experienced the same injury, as was the case for Mr. Conti. A dilated eye exam can help your eye doctor find a small retinal tear or detachment early, before it starts to affect your vision.”

Greg has nothing but praise for Dr. Sun and Dr. Barash. “I felt so reassured in their care. They saved me from complete blindness. I am forever in their debt.”

Ron Trotta,  a three-time world champion ragtime piano player and a meteorologist who produced weather for ABC’s World News Tonight and Good Morning America, was beset by a series of medical problems, starting with an abscessed tooth in April 2020, which led to a serious infection that spread throughout his bloodstream.  Ron then suffered a stroke with a brain bleed, and his doctors at a another hospital advised his partner, Elly McGuire, in mid-June to prepare for the worst. Ron’s aortic valve was leaking badly because of the infection, and the doctors felt that Ron was too weak to survive surgery.

Two months later, with the help of a friend, Gina LaRocca, MD, Elly was able to get Ron transferred to The Mount Sinai Hospital. There Elly and Ron met with Paul Stelzer, MD, who brought 40 years of experience with more than 3,000 aortic valve operations to Ron’s bedside. Ron and Dr. Stelzer hit it off immediately since both sing and play piano. More important, Dr. Stelzer was struck by Ron’s attitude. “His willpower convinced me to go ahead—his spunk, and his sense of humor,” Dr. Stelzer said. And Elly knew immediately that they had found the right doctor. “I let out this sigh of relief. This is the nicest man in the world,” she said.

One week later, Ron had his surgery. Ron made amazing progress over the next month, and was soon playing the piano and trying to get back into singing as part of his rehab.

Elly and Ron are highly grateful to everyone who assisted in Ron’s recovery, but Elly wrote to single out a few of the staff at The Mount Sinai Hospital for special recognition:

Madison Fisher, LMSW. Why Madison? Every time she came in to Ron’s room she was not only helpful, but so upbeat and such a ray of light. Madison was available by phone at any hour of the day and stopped by to check in on Ron (and me!) whenever she was working at the hospital. Madison added to Ron’s super positive experience at Mount Sinai. Yay Madison!

Nehal Patel, PT. Nehal was amazing. She was so inspirational and highly motivating. Nehal was instrumental in getting Ron to walk again. Nehal even helped in the design of a special wheelchair to accommodate Ron’s bedsores from before he came to Mount Sinai. The wheelchair was motorized, and Ron could independently tilt his chair back and forth to shift his weight every 20 minutes, to aid in the healing of the bedsores and prevent them from getting worse. Nehal was truly dedicated to Ron’s recovery.

Roderick Huger, Patient Care Associate, Rehabilitation. He was always ready with a smile and eager to help. And always had a kind, encouraging word. A gentle giant who made Ron’s stay and recovery journey just that much more special.

Caroline Conte, OT. Caroline was kind, caring, and so helpful in getting Ron ready to tackle everyday tasks. From learning how to get dressed and take a shower to regaining his balance, Ron was helped every step of the way by Caroline—just another Mount Sinai angel helping Ron get home and become independent. Caroline would give Ron hand exercises, especially for his paralyzed left hand, even accompanying Ron to one of the well-hidden pianos in the rehab area so he could exercise his hands and start to try and play piano again.

Patient Services. When I needed to make sure that Ron was going to have weekend physical therapy to not lose a day in the momentum of his gaining strength and mobility, I could always count on them to not only take my call, but with a cheery dispositions. I felt like I was part of the Mount Sinai family.  As a family member and caregiver, that certainly meant a lot.

Elly sums it up this way, “After 148 days in the hospital, these folks made such a difference in Ron’s life—we think they deserve a Story of Excellence!”

Elly McGuire, Ron Trotta, Paul Stelzer, MD

Amelia Dass moved to New York City from Perth, Australia, in 2015 at age 26 and was enjoying a promising career as an architect when she developed unrelenting seizures. She was  referred to The Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was put under the care of a skilled team of epilepsy specialists, including Madeline Fields, MD; Lara Marcuse, MD; Ji Yeoun Yoo, MD; and Nathalie Jette, MD. Diagnosed with new onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE), Amy spent three months in the Mount Sinai Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit, two of those in a coma.

According to Dr. Yoo, NORSE is a life-threatening condition in which a healthy person with no history of seizures begins having them, and within days the activity progresses to status epilepticus (SE). SE is a state in which a person has one prolonged seizure or a cluster of seizures without recovery time in between.

Amy was given numerous anti-seizure medications, steroids and other immune therapies, as well as placed on the ketogenic diet  to control the seizures. However, this did not result in a total cessation of her seizures. She then underwent a procedure called vagus nerve stimulation, which prevents seizures by sending regular, mild pulses of electrical energy to the brain. Amelia’s seizures finally stopped, and she was on the road to recovery.  Altogether she spent almost six months at Mount Sinai. Her parents traveled to New York from Australia and were by Amelia’s side the entire time. She returned home with them in November 2018 to undergo rehabilitation.

“Every day the team of doctors took time to explain her status to me as I sat there and waited anxiously for any little bit of information. When Amelia was in the ICU, I did not know whether she was ever going to wake up again,” says mom, Rozi.  “The nurses in every ward that she was in, went over and above their duties, and took time to get to know us, showed care and concern beyond our expectations. We are forever indebted to all of you at Mount Sinai.”

Amy designed a personal thank you card with heartfelt words of appreciation for the care she received. “A thank you doesn’t cut it,” she wrote, naming all the staff who took care of her, including Dr. Fields, Dr. Marcuse, and  Dr. Yoo; epilepsy fellows Bonnie Wong, MD, and  Nisali Gunawardane, MD;  EEG Technician Tsana Yu; and Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit attendings.

“Tsana would sit by my bedside through the night and whenever she was not on duty, and talk and sing to me while I was in the coma,” Amelia recalled her mom telling her. Calling the Mount Sinai team “rock stars,” Amelia also recognized ‘‘all the nurses who took time to know me,” adding, “I was so grateful to be surrounded by kindness and strong women.” She expressed special thanks to the staff for “crying and laughing” with her parents and partner and giving them “strength, support and safety.”

Amelia remains in Australia, making good progress, according to her mom. “We have her back, almost as good as new, and we are forever grateful to you all.  I personally could not have gotten through that difficult time without the kind words and support from the doctors and nurses. Your patient care really does not stop at the patient only, you made the family feel included and that is so important in Amelia’s recovery.”