Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Your Voice Counts
Rhonda Wilkins with Priya Krishnasamy, MD, left, and Morgan Ryan, RN, CHPN.
Rhonda Wilkins lost her brother, Grady, on January 8 due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other illnesses, but she warmly recalls his waning days in the Intensive Care Unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital.
“He was treated with dignity, care, patience and the utmost respect,” she says. She commends Robert Hiensch, MD; Priya Krishnasamy, MD; and Morgan Ryan, RN, CHPN, for their support and compassion.
“Dr. Hiensch sat down with me every day. His explanations and advice were always honest and straightforward—I knew he had my brother’s best interests at heart. Dr. Krishnasamy and Morgan answered all my questions with reassurance and compassion and let me know what I might expect on any given day. When we made the final decisions for Grady, they stayed by my side until they felt I was OK. Grady was transferred to the Palliative Care Unit, where he died peacefully. I was able to get through this difficult time because they were there for me.”
Rhonda was touched by the empathy of the entire team. “Everyone spoke so kindly to my brother. Despite his being unable to respond, they treated him as if he could. This was the most amazing experience I have had at a hospital, anywhere.”
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Your Voice Counts
Jennifer Wiafe, PharmD
Jennifer Wiafe, PharmD, received a Special Recognition Certificate at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s in December and has glowing letters of recommendation to support the honor.
“Jennifer is the best thing to happen to our Emergency Department,” says Lauren Collins, MSN, RN, Nurse Education Manager. “She is compassionate, caring, brilliant, and empathic. She is also kind and generous and always goes above and beyond for the welfare of her patients and her colleagues. She works side by side with nurses, physicians, and physician assistants, who appreciate her diligence and passion.”
Kaedrea Jackson, MD, MPH, Medical Director of the ED, agrees. “I cannot overstate the expertise, peace of mind, and confidence that Dr. Wiafe brings to the most critical times in the Emergency Department,” she says. “When we prepare for notifications, it is standard practice to check the airway equipment, set up the monitor, and ‘get Jenn.’ ”
Jennifer is committed to educating both her colleagues and her patients. She created “Pearls of the Month,” a one-page roundup of developments and trends in emergency medicine and pharmacology.
In addition, she is highly sensitive to the vulnerability of patients who visit the Emergency Department.
“I want patients to know they are receiving safe and efficacious medications, so their fears are eased when a new medication is prescribed. It makes me happy to make my patients feel cared for, whether they are here for a cold or a much more serious condition.”
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | MSBI, Your Voice Counts
Patient Capri Djatiasmoro with Mary Lakaszawski, RN, MSN, and Sanghyun Kim, MD.
Capri Djatiasmoro, 68, is an elite swimmer who has completed the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and swims year round with the Coney Island Polar Bear and Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers.
She is known for being mentally and physically tough, but nothing prepared her for the challenges of a gastrointestinal emergency that landed her in the Emergency Department at Mount Sinai Beth Israel (MSBI) and led to six surgeries over the last year.
“The team at Mount Sinai saved my life,” says Capri. She praised the “incredible” care provided by her surgeon, Sanghyun Kim, MD, and ostomy nurse, Mary Lakaszawski, RN, MSN, who practices at Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice on East 98th Street but was called upon by Dr. Kim to treat Capri.
“Dr. Kim always gave me his full attention, answered all my questions, and kept me thoroughly informed,” Capri says. “Mary is simply golden. I needed to have an ostomy bag, and she was determined to fit me correctly and comfortably, no matter how long it took. She was so caring and made me feel like a full partner in the process. The entire team on 10 Silver made me feel like family.”
According to these providers, partnerships with patients are key to recovery. Ms. Lakaszawski told Capri, “We will get through this together, you are stuck with me. It’s a bit of a joke, but true.”
Dr. Kim, Chief of Colorectal Surgery at MSBI and Mount Sinai Union Square, credits Capri. “Her strength of character allowed her to fight through her surgeries and win.” And Capri is aiming to do just that—she is now training for two competitions.
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Your Voice Counts
Hassan Aghazzaf
Nelson Francisco, who lives in Stafford, Virginia, was not able to come to Mount Sinai Queens during his mother’s recent hospitalization there. But based on feedback from family who live in New York, and several phone conversations with staff on 3E, he came to appreciate the immense care, professionalism, and attention provided to his mother, Aurora Del Carmen Francisco.
In a letter thanking the entire team, Nelson singled out social worker Hassan Aghazzaf.
Nelson wrote, “You worked in the best interest of my mother, as if it was for your own mother. I know that most people in your profession would say, ‘I was just doing my job,’ but you did it with passion and unwavering commitment. You definitely surpassed our family’s expectations and earned a special place in our hearts.”
Hassan, who has been at Mount Sinai Queens for 10 years, is modest.
“It is important to listen carefully to patients and their families. In the case of Ms. Francisco, there were numerous family members to support. It was key that I understood their collective and individual needs, as well as those of their mother to determine the best outcome.”
Hassan’s intervention resulted in a new and improved living arrangement for Ms. Francisco. Hassan was recently thanked in person by another son, who lives in New York.
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Your Voice Counts
Kious Jordan Kelly, RN
For almost four years, Camille Fuoco weathered treatments for metastatic breast cancer. Her sons, Joseph and Peter, and sister, Carol, were awed by her resilience and encouraged by her ability to bounce back as the disease progressed.
Last summer, Camille was admitted to Mount Sinai West after an Emergency Department consultation. The family had been down this road before, and they expected that Camille would be released quickly.
Sadly, that was not to be, and a few days later they were advised to prepare for her death, unleashing a flood of emotions.
But as the family recounted in a letter to Evan Flatow, MD, President of Mount Sinai West, they had an “angel” by their side.
Joseph Fuoco wrote, “Assistant Nurse Manager Kious Jordan Kelly, RN, showed my mom and us empathy and compassion that helped us get through the weekend and what was to come. He went above and beyond and is an asset to the hospital.”
Kious was determined to make a difference.
“Unfortunately, in many cases, my team and I cannot change an outcome, but especially in these challenging moments, we can alter the experience. I wanted Camille and her family to feel safe and go through this journey with dignity and privacy. I did everything I could to anticipate and accommodate their needs.”
Nov 27, 2019 | RecognizingOurColleagues, Your Voice Counts
Recipients of the 2019 Cullman Family Award for Excellence in Physician Communication celebrated at a reception on Tuesday, October 15. Nineteen of the 51 awardees have received this honor more than once. Some of the multiple winners explain why they believe their patients recognize them as excellent communicators.
Judith Hoffman, MD, Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Doctors
“I am a naturally social and curious person and generally want to know about the backgrounds of the families of my patients. As you get to know more about each family, you have a deeper understanding of who they are and how they may respond to challenges with their children or other family members. When I get to know them better, I think they feel more cared for. I try to make eye contact with everyone in the room throughout the visit—not just focusing on the primary caretaker—to make everyone feel they are part of the care of the child we are discussing. I also make a huge effort to speak in nontechnical language.”
Marla Stern, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, The Mount Sinai Hospital
“Making my patients and their families feel special is important to me. I listen very carefully, and I never rush. I don’t underestimate a parent’s concerns. If they are serious to the parent, I treat them as such. I always summarize key takeaways of a visit and verbalize and write down prescribed medications, with dosing instructions and potential side effects. I encourage questions and underscore that I am always available if questions arise—as they inevitably do—after the visit.”
Sidney S. Braman, MD, Professor of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
“Each year at the international meeting of CHEST, the American College of Chest Physicians, I recite and recommit myself to a pledge of patient-focused care: “Patient-focused care is compassionate, sensitive to the everyday and special needs of patients and their families, and based upon the best available evidence.” This commitment of physicians has been present for centuries. The 12th-century Sephardic Jewish physician and philosopher Maimonides pronounced, ‘The physician should not treat the disease but the patient who is suffering from it.’ He also famously said, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ Offering patients advice gives them satisfaction for that day. Teaching them about their condition—what is going wrong with their body, how to cope with the condition now and into the future—can offer them comfort for a lifetime.”
Kelly Cassano, DO, Chief, Ambulatory Care, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs
“I am fortunate to have long-standing relationships with many of my patients. The ability to connect with them has been built over time, which allows for a trusting rapport and ease to our communication.”
Koji Park, MD, Assistant Professor, Surgery, Mount Sinai West, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s
“While surgeons are sometimes stereotyped as being paternalistic and lacking empathy, we have a unique culture in our department that is perhaps unusually humanistic. It takes a little extra time to make sure patients feel they are heard, supported, informed, and empowered. Surgery is such a serious business, it’s the least we can do.”
David Dunkin, MD, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute
“I pride myself on sitting with the patient and their family members, speaking in clear language, and providing both written and spoken instructions that I review twice. Above all, I believe that my patients and their parents know that I care and that we will help their child feel better together.”
Marsha Gordon, MD, Professor and Vice Chair, Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology, The Mount Sinai Hospital
“I try to follow the Golden Rule. It sounds clichéd, but it’s true. Do to others as you would like done to you. That means anticipating their concerns, alleviating their anxieties, seeing them as a whole person and not just a patient, and being available for their questions. I am honest with them. I let them know when I am unsure and when I think we need to bring in another expert. I listen. I care about them; I worry about them—and they feel it.”
Alfin Vicencio, MD, Chief, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs and Strategy, Department of Pediatrics
“I feel that I may have an unfair advantage as a pediatric pulmonologist. I get to ‘play’ with my patients in the context of a visit. Simply asking about a recent birthday party or allowing a child to demonstrate a new fist bump can go a long way in developing a connection. I try to make an appointment seem less like an appointment, even turning routine breathing tests into a game. I do not trivialize concerns expressed by a parent. If a symptom is worrisome to a parent, but is not overly so to me and my team, we do our best to explain why, rather than saying, ‘Don’t worry about that.’”
Lori Garjian, MD, Assistant Professor, Rehabilitation and Human Performance, The Mount Sinai Hospital
“I try to allocate enough time with my patients, not only to obtain a detailed medical history but also to find out a bit about their personal lives and work demands. It is important to get to know each patient as a unique individual in order to formulate the best treatment plan together.”
