John Liang, MD, left, with staff at Mount Sinai West

John Liang, MD, is one of our Neuroscience ICU Intensivists. He has been on call for the last two weeks. As if one week of call in a busy ICU isn’t enough, he has been rounding for the last two weeks during one of the most critical times, both within this hospital and globally due to the coronavirus pandemic. Throughout this time, he has been instrumental in disseminating process-related information as well as clinical education so that the entire staff of nurses and advanced care providers can acclimate themselves to taking care of a population that we normally do not encounter on a daily basis. Dr. Liang has stayed alongside his staff during the exhausting 12-14 hour shifts every single day.

Above all, the efforts he and his wife have been going through to ensure donated proper protective equipment reached the hands of the nurses, will never be forgotten. He has selflessly helped limit the exposure of staff who have babies and children at home so that we can all stay healthy for ourselves, our families, and our patients.

Thank you so very much, Dr. Liang, for sharing your knowledge, providing us with protective equipment and food/snacks to get through the day, and for being a leader during this challenging time for all of us.

Regina Won, NP, Neurosurgery, Mount Sinai West

Luccy Mercedes

On Saturday, March 21, Luccy Mercedes from Mount Sinai’s Supply Chain/Purchasing Department went from being a colleague to family!

Luccy moved from New Jersey to Georgia a few months ago, but continues to work for Mount Sinai remotely. We have worked closely for many years, as I work for Marketing/Digital and Luccy assists us with approving our contracts and purchase orders.

My 83-year-old widowed mother-in-law, Zoila, lives alone in Athens, Georgia. Zoila was instructed by us to stay at home, because she is a senior and can easily be exposed or get sick. She doesn’t have much family in Georgia, except two cousins who are also seniors. Andres, my husband, is her only son, and we live in Westchester, NY.

Zoila called us to let us know she was low on food and could not go to the store. She was alone, scared, and worried. My husband and I tried online food shopping for her via Publix, Kroger, and Target. Nothing was available for weeks, and most essential items, like milk, bread, and eggs, were all gone or not available online. We shared our predicament with Luccy, and she came to the rescue without hesitation. She offered to drive to Athens, Georgia, from her home about 45 minutes away and to take Zoila groceries that Saturday afternoon.

Luccy told me, “There’s a reason I moved to Georgia, so I am here to help!” This is a true testament that there are angels out there. That Saturday, Luccy showed up at Zoila’s home with several bags of groceries and water and left it on her doorstep. She rang the bell and waited in the car for Zoila to open the door—cautious not to get near her due to her age.

This was an act of true kindness and one I can never thank her enough for. We asked Luccy to text us a copy of the receipt, and we sent the money right away to repay her. I wish I could have sent her a million dollars for being such a Good Samaritan and hero. We are truly blessed to have amazing co-workers who go above and beyond their daily jobs.

Shirley Alban, Administrative Manager, Marketing

Marco Bustamante, MD

My 94-year-old mom contracted COVID-19 and bilateral pneumonia in a local nursing home. She entered the Emergency Department at Mount Sinai Queens alone, and we were eager to get information on her status.

At 2 am, we got a thorough report from a clearly exhausted Marco Bustamante, MD, in a kind and gentle manner. He gave us the ability to cope, despite what he told us was a poor prognosis. The next day, Physician Assistant Sow Kadiatou gave us an update, even calling us at 3 am to advise of my mom’s decline, and keeping her word, she would call back when she went off duty at 7 am. She asked if we wanted palliative care for my mom, which we did. My mother died without family by her side, but she was not alone. The staff of Mount Sinai Queens cradled her as she left this life and entered a new one, and we are forever grateful. These professionals are true heroes and angels. Thank you, Mount Sinai.

Family member in South Carolina

(Shared by Kathy Rubenstein, Senior Director, Marketing, Mount Sinai Queens)

Judy Suarez is a medical assistant at Mount Sinai Doctors – 780 Eighth Avenue. On her own initiative, she has been reaching out to many of our older patients to ask how they are feeling, if they need any prescription refills, and whether we can set them up for home delivery to avoid being exposed to the virus by traveling to a local pharmacy.

Judy is reminding these patients that it is important to stay inside during this pandemic and that they are at higher risk of catching the virus. Many of our patients in this population are not comfortable with smart phones and telemedicine visits, and she is reinforcing the best way to communicate if they need to reach out to our office with medical concerns.

Judy has gone above and beyond to help our most vulnerable population and make them feel tended to and less isolated during this crisis.

 Rachel Cohen, MD, Mount Sinai Doctors – 780 Eighth Avenue

Devell Perdue and Chloe Crawford manage “backline” IT for Neurosurgery and Neurology system-wide. In a matter of weeks, they set up MyChart and Zoom video visits for all neurosurgery physicians and many neurologists; enabled remote VPN access for staff to continue to work at home; implemented Microsoft Teams to streamline communications; and launched Zoom accounts for teleconferencing for small meetings and large-scale grand rounds (having over 400 registrants).

Additionally, both Devell and Chloe are on-site several days a week and available 24/7 to troubleshoot any tech issues that come up for our teams. Neurosurgery and Neurology are still up and running, and doing so much more, thanks to them.

Jillian Beroza, Associate Director, Communications and Marketing, Neurosurgery