Two Mount Sinai Brooklyn Nurses Are Grateful for Their Start as Patient Care Associates

Updated on Aug 20, 2025 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence, Uncategorized

From left: Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN; Melissa James, BSN; Claudia Garcenot, MSN, MHA, RN; and Nicole Jones, BSN

Melissa James, RN, began her career in health care as a patient care associate (PCA) at Mount Sinai Brooklyn in 2015, but nursing school was always in her plan.  It was also in the family, as Melissa’s mother began her own health care career as a certified nursing assistant, eventually becoming a licensed practical nurse.

In fact, Melissa’s mother encouraged her to become a PCA in order for her to test the waters and make sure nursing was the right path.  Melissa quickly decided it was, and began saving for her nursing education. She attended Long Island University part-time during the day for five years, while continuing to work at Mount Sinai Brooklyn, at times covering both evening and morning shifts, in addition to scribing for a local medical office.

”It was challenging,“ she says, “but doable. My family and work colleagues were tremendously supportive.  And after 16-hour days while I was a student, my current 12-hour shift is a breeze.”

Melissa says her experience as a PCA was invaluable training for a career in nursing.

“It was like having clinical rotations before even starting nursing school. As a PCA, I spent a lot of time at the bedside, which really helped me develop strong patient communication skills, something that might have taken longer had I gone straight into nursing,” she says. “While I’m still very much involved with patients as an RN, the nature of my role has changed. There are certain hands-on tasks I no longer perform as often, but I now have the opportunity to apply critical thinking and collaborate with fellow nurses and the medical team to develop treatment plans.”

Melissa is on the same unit, 2 East, as she was as a PCA. “My unit is special. If you stick your head out the door asking for assistance, people come running,” she says. “We are all committed to helping one another. 2 East works as a team! And, we are a fun, friendly group.”

Nicole Jones, BSN, began her health care journey as a patient care associate at Mount Sinai Brooklyn in 2020. Like Melissa, she always knew she wanted to become a nurse. And she previously majored in Science as an undergraduate. In 2023, she took the next step by enrolling in the accelerated BSN program at the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing.

“Balancing part-time work with the intensity of a 15-month program was challenging, but the support at PSON made all the difference,” she says. “The faculty truly wanted us to succeed—tutoring was accessible, and the close-knit environment made it easy to build strong relationships with both faculty and classmates.”

After graduating in 2024, Nicole started her nursing career in February 2025 at Mount Sinai Brooklyn’s Stepdown Progressive Care Unit, where she cares for patients transitioning from surgery or the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“I absolutely love being a nurse and having the autonomy to make decisions in patient care,” she says. “Working as a PCA really shaped me—it not only taught me to prioritize safety and strengthened my appreciation for bedside care, but also prepared me for the demands of nursing school by enhancing my clinical awareness and time-management skills.”

Nicole, like Melissa, is focused on the present but remains open to what the future holds. “I’m considering the ICU as a potential next step to grow clinically, but I’m also interested in pursuing wound care—both areas really speak to different parts of my nursing passion,” she says. “It feels good to be in a place where there are so many meaningful directions to explore.”

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Alert to Signs of a Stroke, Mount Sinai Queens Nurse Helps Save a Colleague

Updated on Apr 30, 2025 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence, Uncategorized

From left: Vanessa Rose Jayme, MS, RN; Daniella Stephen, MPH, MSN, RN; Anne Pisciotta, RN; Asha Cox, RN; Connie Vargas, Director of Nursing Systems; Riskarlyn Figuereo; and Sharon Kurian, MSN, RN, CMSRN, Assistant nurse manager, 3 East

Asha Cox, RN, Nurse Manager on 4 East at Mount Sinai Queens, started her day recently by checking on a nurse in her unit who had experienced an injury earlier in the week. Calling the nurse at home, Asha immediately detected that something was wrong. She said to her colleague, “Your voice has changed, are you okay?”  Within moments, Asha knew this nurse was not well.  “It was also clear she was alone in her home.  I told her to call 911, but she could not.  I asked for her address, but it was hard to understand her, so the next step was to look through the Mount Sinai database to find where she lived and how to reach her emergency contact.  I also told her to unlock the door for emergency services, if she could do so safely. And to lie on the floor to avoid falling.“

Thankfully, colleagues were in the office, and it became a team effort. Daniella Stephen, MPH, MSN, RN, Senior Director, was by Asha’s side, offering guidance. Riskarlyn Figuereo, Administrative Office Coordinator, searched through the database for the emergency contact information and home address. Anne Pisciotta, Clinical Nurse Manager, 3 West, was a calming presence with her frequent nods of support.  And Vanessa Rose Jayme, MS, RN, Assistant Nurse Manager, came just in time to offer her telephone for multitasking while Asha spoke to her colleague and the 911 operator simultaneously. “I was feeling in control, but when 911 called back to say they could not find the entrance to her building, admittedly I had to work a little harder to calm my nerves,” Asha says.

Safiya Alozie, RN, Nurse Manager, 3 East, was in the office as well. “As we listened, the voice over the phone gradually became more slurred and disoriented,” Safiya says. “Asha remained calm, soothing her colleague and reassuring her that help was on the way. We heard the cries and the fear through the phone, and the anxiety among us all was palpable. The 15-minute phone call seemed liked an hour. But Asha never showed any fear, reminding this nurse that she would not hang up until the ambulance arrived. When we all heard the medical team burst through the door, there was a sense of relief for everyone. We could finally exhale!”

Asha, who has worked as a nurse at the Mount Sinai Health System for 18 years, says her experience was key in helping her navigate this “somewhat surreal” situation. “As nurses, we learn how to pay attention to seemingly little things, the details, an unusual symptom,” Asha explains. “In this case, I picked up on her voice, and the longer she was on the phone, I recognized the signs of stroke.”  She adds, “You cannot be sure how you will respond in times like these, but I am a person of faith. I am also am so thankful that my colleagues were close by. I felt supported.”

Jill Goldstein, MA, MS, RN, Vice President, Patient Services, and Deputy Chief Nurse Officer, Mount Sinai Queens, says: “Asha exceeded the definition of hero this day. She followed her intuition and her heart, which led to the successful 911 intervention. This is emblematic of Asha’s leadership style, authentic, transformational and dedicated to her staff and colleagues. We are blessed to work with Asha.”

Read more Stories of Nursing Excellence

The 23rd Annual MS Center Celebration to Be Held March 6

Jan 17, 2025 | Uncategorized

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of magic, purpose, and impact. The 23rd Annual MS Center Celebration is set to once again dazzle guests on Thursday, March 6, at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan. Providing key support for The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Mount Sinai, the gala promises a night of joy, inspiration, and entertainment.

This year’s co-chairs are Ilana Katz Sand, MD, Associate Director of the Center; Stephen Krieger, MD, Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and Anthony Rosa, Founder and CEO of Runway 7 Fashion, Advisory Board Member of the Center, and designer of the MS-themed lab coats worn by members of the Center at New York Fashion Week.

The evening will feature a special performance by David Gerard, a popular mentalist and magician, who in past years has left the audience, including the Center’s seasoned scientists, in awe.

But the true magic lies in the vital funds raised to advance the Center’s mission: transforming lives of those affected by multiple sclerosis through comprehensive and innovative patient care, groundbreaking research, and renowned education and training.

With more than 6,000 patients relying on the Center, the need for resources has never been greater. Thanks to the generosity of patients, families, and friends of the Center, proceeds from past galas have helped launch such life-changing programs as the C. Olsten Wellness Program, founded in 2020 by event co-chair Dr. Katz Sand, who also serves as the program’s co-director. This program provides a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to help participants optimize quality of life and improve their long-term prognosis. Funds raised are also critical to enabling innovative research and training for the next generation of MS care leaders.

Join us in strengthening our Center’s mission to create a brighter future for those we serve living with MS.

 Learn more about the 23rd Annual MS Center Celebration and reserve your spot.

Two Physicians at The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis Recognized for Helping Patients

Jan 17, 2025 | Uncategorized

Two physicians at The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Fred Lublin, MD, Director of the MS Center and Saunders Family Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Stephen Krieger, MD, Professor of Neurology, are among the physicians whom the Mount Sinai Office of Patient Experience recognized with the 2024 Cullman Family Award for Excellence in Physician Communication.

“The Cullman Family Award has special meaning to me as a recognition of the dedication and efforts that all of us at the Center strive to provide for the patients we care for,” said Dr. Lublin. “Receiving this award is a tribute to our co-founder and guiding spirit, the late Clifford Goldsmith, who when we started the Center directed that we were to provide outstanding, state-of-the-art, comprehensive care for patients with MS, giving them as much time and attention as needed to meet their needs.”

For Dr. Krieger, the award is a clear affirmation of the patient experience.

“What moves me the most about the Cullman Family Award is that it comes directly from how my patients have felt about their care. This award is not decided by a committee or any one person, but rather by our patients themselves. I think that effective communication, education, and compassion are the most important aspects of the role that I hope I play in the lives of the people I take care of. So, to know that I have been able to be a small force of good for them as they navigate their neurological condition means a great deal to me.”

Since 2016, this prestigious award has honored Mount Sinai providers who demonstrate exceptional communication in clinical practice. Recipients of the award were ranked in the top five percent, out of more than 117,000 providers nationwide, as measured by two communication metric questions on the Press Ganey ambulatory patient experience survey during the previous calendar year.

A total of 89 outstanding Mount Sinai providers were honored, more than ever before. Erica Rubinstein, MS, LCSW, CPXP, Vice President of Service Excellence and Patient Experience, hosted a ceremony featuring remarks by Brendan Carr, MD, MA, MS, CEO, Mount Sinai Health System, alongside other hospital leaders. Carolyn Sicher, MD, and Georgina Cullman, PhD, board members of Mount Sinai Health System and members of the Cullman family, which founded the award, also spoke at the special ceremony on Wednesday, October 30, in the Mount Sinai Hospital Stern Auditorium.

Fifty of this year’s honorees were prior-year recipients; nine providers have received the award five or more times, including Dr. Krieger. Dr. Lublin, Ilana Katz Sand, MD, and Michelle Fabian, MD, are also multiple-time awardees. Sam Horng, MD, and former Center provider Aliza Ben-Zacharia, DNP, have been honored as well.

The Public Health and Racial Justice Program Hosts 28 Young People in Its Biggest Cohort Yet

Oct 4, 2024 | Uncategorized

Visesha Ainapudi, MPH, CHES, left, Program Facilitator, and Lesly Sanchez, Program Participant

The Mount Sinai Department of Health Education hosted its second in-person cohort of the Public Health and Racial Justice Program for youth ages 15-18 years in July and August. During the six-week program, 28 participants—selected from nearly 300 applicants—learned about a variety of public health topics through a racial justice lens.

The Department of Health Education created the Public Health and Racial Justice Program in the spring of 2020 in direct response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 pandemic. Emphasizing the power and importance of civic engagement, community advocacy, youth activism, and the cultivation of a diverse public health workforce, the program builds skills, fosters pride, and nurtures community connection so that all participants see themselves as powerful agents of change.

With generous support from the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation, the program provided participant stipends, MetroCards, and lunch vouchers to offset financial barriers to participation.

The program’s hospital-community partnerships highlighted how clinical medicine and health care access are complemented by the advocacy and activism of community-based movements, often spearheaded by leaders of color. Participants heard from more than 45 guest presenters, including community experts from community-based health care collectives, city government, and non-profits.

Mount Sinai Health System leaders offered their educational, personal, and professional wisdom to participants, with representation from a variety of departments including Emergency Medicine, the Institute for Health Equity Research, Graduate Medical Education, the Raquel and Jaime Gilinski Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, and more. Through a partnership with the Mount Sinai Simulation Teaching and Research Center, participants gained concrete skills through hands-on trainings in adult and infant CPR, naloxone administration, tourniquet application, and birthing simulation.

One program participant said, “I learned a lot from people from the hospital who would come talk to us and tell us about their career and how they got where they were… Sometimes they fell down and got back up. Their stories were rocky but they ended up in a good position they enjoyed, and that gives me hope.”

This year’s cohort was the largest in the program’s history. The facilitators took great care to prioritize group cohesion, building in time for engaging and fun activities, individual check-ins, and small group activities to develop relationships between the youth.

One participant shared, “My favorite thing from the summer were the icebreakers and games. It wasn’t like school where you go straight to working or watching or listening. You get to learn different things about the people around you. It starts a conversation.”

As the program progressed, some of the participants even felt encouraged to step into peer leadership roles with group activities. “I felt like I really belonged, and I don’t feel that way often,” said one participant. Another added, “It felt empowering being surrounded by a group of girls my age who were so intelligent, kind, and dependable.”

The 2024 Public Health and Racial Justice Program youth cohort and facilitators

Participants completed a final “Photovoice” project, applying what they learned throughout the program to a community health issue that mattered to them. Each young person had the platform to voice their perspective, educate Mount Sinai staff and representatives from New York City government and community-based organizations, and facilitate critical dialogue to encourage action as youth leaders. Participants shared their Photovoice project at a culminating event, attended by Mount Sinai staff, community partners, family, and friends.

One participant said the most meaningful aspect of the program was “being able to present everything we’d been working on and learning about for 6 weeks. I loved hearing the things people found to be impactful in their communities during the Photovoice presentations.”

Another young person, reflecting on their experience, said, “This program has helped me to speak up about the way that I feel about certain issues and to become more educated about issues that I didn’t know too much about. With the knowledge I’ve gained from this program I can go out into the world and be an activist.”

To learn more about the 2024 session, read the full program report.

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