Volunteering | Mount Sinai Today

Leaders and Staff Salute Mount Sinai’s Volunteers

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured, Volunteering

Leaders and staff at Mount Sinai Brooklyn honored their long-serving volunteers. From left: Rose Huczko, 1,957 volunteer hours; Roman Khait, Patient Representative; Ruth Mermelstein, 1,339 volunteer hours; Frank Rotelli, 3,263 volunteer hours; Philip Fagin, 2,607 volunteer hours; Scott Lorin, MD; Linda Valentino, RN, Chief Nursing O cer and Vice President of Patient Care Services; Jean Chin, 3,972 volunteer hours; Deborah Dean, MD, Chief of Emergency Medicine; Morris Jacobs, 1,397 volunteer hours; Rabbi Jacob Hoenig; and Maia Makharadze.

During National Volunteer Recognition Week, the more than 1,000 volunteers at The Mount Sinai Hospital and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai who provide support, assistance, kindness, and compassion to countless individuals every day were honored at a breakfast held Wednesday, April 25, in Annenberg West Lobby.

At The Mount Sinai Hospital and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Volunteer Recognition Breakfast, from left: Dennis S. Charney, MD; Shari Kaplan, LCSW; Kenneth L. Davis, MD; and David L. Reich, MD.

“Our volunteers are such an integral part of the Mount Sinai community, and they have a unique and valuable perspective on caring and compassion,” Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, told the guests. “Your humanity shines through. We are at our best, thanks to you.”

According to the Department of Volunteer Services, which hosted the breakfast, volunteers serve in every area of patient care, research, and administration throughout the hospital and School of Medicine, representing a broad expanse of backgrounds—doctors, teachers, lawyers, retirees, and high school, medical, and graduate students, among them.

“When visitors walk into one of our buildings and are greeted by a volunteer, they get a sense of what Mount Sinai is all about—they feel that they are part of our family,” said Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System.

“You are incredibly special—just taking a moment to be kind to someone sets a tone that brings a better experience for everyone,” David L. Reich, MD, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Mount Sinai Hospital, reminded the volunteers.

The recently named Director of the Department of Volunteer Services, Shari Kaplan, LCSW, opened the festivities, telling the guests: “Today is about you—our kind, generous, priceless, and committed volunteers who share your time and passion with us every day.”

Ramona Gross, center, with Mount Sinai West volunteers Fahmida Uddin, left, and Missi Gibbs.

Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s recognized their volunteers at an awards ceremony and reception held at the Symphony Space Performing Arts Center on the Upper West Side on Wednesday, April 18. Arthur A. Gianelli, MPH, President of Mount Sinai St. Luke’s; Tim Day, Chief Operating Officer, Mount Sinai West; and Meredith Lisagor, MDiv, Director of Spiritual Care, joined the Volunteer Services team, led by Director Amy Bush and Assistant Director Ramona Gross, in honoring the more than 80 volunteers in attendance. One outstanding volunteer, Naomi Goldberg, was recognized for 10 years of service at Mount Sinai West in the Emergency Department and the Division of Hematology/Oncology.

Jeremy Boal, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, and President, Mount Sinai Downtown, led staff in saluting 53 volunteers who attended a reception in the Bernstein Building on Tuesday, April 17. When Dinah Jacobson, who oversees Volunteer Services at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, asked staff and volunteers to share stories about their experiences, retired nurse Jackie Slawsky, a volunteer for Surgical Admitting, spoke up. “I’ve been volunteering at Mount Sinai Beth Israel for several years,” she said, “and there isn’t another place that welcomes you like family. I really feel like I matter to the staff and patients.”

At Mount Sinai Brooklyn, an afternoon of activities on Thursday, April 19, included a recognition ceremony, as well as a Musician Volunteer Concert and Spring Volunteer Workshop.

Scott Lorin, MD, newly named President of Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Maia Makharadze, who manages the Department of Volunteer Services; and Rabbi Jacob Hoenig, Director of Pastoral Care and Education, presented a “Best in Brooklyn Volunteer Award” to eight volunteers who have devoted more than 1,000 hours in service to patients—with one volunteer reaching nearly 4,000 hours. Said Ms. Makharadze: “We have very dedicated and multi-talented volunteers who give so much of their time to Mount Sinai Brooklyn.”

Stefan Balan, MD, Director of Cancer Network Development, Brooklyn; and Chief of Hematology and Oncology, Mount Sinai Brooklyn, expressed the gratitude of all when he addressed the volunteers. “We are a hospital, a place where nobody chooses to be—except you who come here and want to make a difference in someone’s life, to make them feel better, to embrace them, and listen to them. For all this, we thank you.”

Animal Assisted Therapy: What It Is and How It Helps

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Family Medicine, Pediatric Care, Pediatrics, Volunteering

What is Animal Assisted Therapy?

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a relatively well-known practice throughout the United States. Volunteers “team up” with their pet(s), typically dogs, to support those in need. Individuals and their pets visit medical and mental health facilities: outpatient clinics, psychiatric inpatient units, medical inpatient units, nursing homes and schools.

These volunteers and their pets are certified by nonprofit agencies, such as The Delta Society and the Good Dog Foundation. These organizations generally accept adult volunteers (ages 18-plus) who would like to devote their time to this therapeutic cause. The volunteers need not be mental health professionals. In fact, many individuals and families who are motivated to engage in AAT work in a variety of industries full-time.

What is Animal Assisted Psychotherapy?

Animal Assisted Psychotherapy (AAP) consists of a mental health professional’s using his or her pet as a therapeutic tool to enhance the work with the client.

How does the animal enhance the therapeutic process?

• The animal is safe to bond with. Clients often feel more comfortable expressing a range of feelings in the therapy room when they are able to pet my dog, Barney, during session.

• The animal is used to help children develop the capacity to empathize with others. For example, if a child scares my therapy dog by chasing him, or withdraws a treat after Barney thinks he will receive it, I will comment, “How might Barney be feeling right now?”

• The animal often enacts what the client has difficulty expressing. For example, if the client is anxious, my therapy dog will start pacing around the room. Noticing how Barney’s enactments mimic their own distress helps clients become more aware and tolerant of their own feelings.

• For children and teenagers, practicing tricks with the therapy dog helps improve their self-esteem and self-efficacy.

Who is ‘Barney the Therapy Dog,’ and how is he incorporated into your work at The Child and Family Institute?

Barney (my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) has been working with me at the Child and Family Institute since 2012. After becoming certified by the Good Dog Foundation, Barney was enrolled as a volunteer pet therapist. At the Child and Family Institute, Barney co-leads animal assisted psychotherapy groups for children with trauma history, and participates in child and adult individual psychotherapy sessions with me.