Sarah Koppel, LCSW

Hot and humid weather is unpleasant for most people. But for those with lung disease and no way to keep cool, these conditions can be life-threatening.

Sarah Koppel, LCSW, a social worker at Mount Sinai’s Visiting Doctors Program, learned that Brenda Lescombe—a homebound patient who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and relies on supplemental oxygen—did not have air conditioning. Brenda was told she would receive an air conditioning unit from the city but had been waiting for months, and a heat wave was in full force.

Sarah tried to determine the cause of the delay, but without success.

Sarah “always goes beyond the call of duty for her patients,” says Silvia Chavez, ANP-BC, Associate Director of Nursing for Visiting Doctors.

True to form, Sarah found a solution: Working closely with colleague Elaine Williams, LMSW, she secured special emergency funds to buy an air conditioner, got a taxi driver to help transport it, and reached out to building management at the patient’s complex to ensure it would be installed in a timely manner.

Brenda “can’t say enough” about Sarah’s efforts. “She just about saved my life.”

Patient Victor Lopez with, from left, Margarett Wolosz, DPT; Valerie Merrell, RN; Elizabeth Tangney, DPT, MS; and Steven Rudolph, MD.

Victor Lopez is a contractor who runs his own business. He describes himself as “totally hands on” and someone who gives 100 percent to every customer and every job. He says he received the same level of commitment from the team of physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel who treated him at Mount Sinai Brooklyn for a stroke in March.

Victor had lost sensation in his extremities and was experiencing weakness, so he and his wife came straight away to the Emergency Department. Valerie Merrell, RN, immediately recognized the signs of stroke and activated the ED stroke protocol. Within 30 minutes, after a CT scan to rule out a hemorrhage, and consultation by Steven Rudolph, MD, Chief of Neurology, and Anthony Maniscalco, MD, Victor received tPA, a drug that can alter the course of a stroke when administered quickly.

Victor made a speedy recovery after a short stay in the intensive care unit. Elizabeth Tangney, DPT, Director of Physical Therapy, and Margarett Wolosz, DPT, did an in-depth assessment of his condition—calling his turnaround a “miracle”—and he was discharged less than 48 hours after he had arrived. Victor credits “a greater power” and the “extraordinary” care team for his recovery.

“They showed me and my wife love, care, and urgency,” he says. “My experience was something out of a television drama. I imagine this is the type of team that would be called in to attend to the President.”

Victor returned to thank everyone two weeks later, thrilled to report he was back at work and symptom-free. “Had it not been for the efforts of the people on call that day—‘my peeps’—and God looking down on us all, the outcome would have been much different.”

From left, Camilia Fuentes, Hakima Aouchiche, MD, and Sonia Giannattasio.

Hakima Aouchiche, MD, is beloved by patients and their families at Mount Sinai Queens, even though she sometimes attends to them at a difficult time—the end of life. Dr. Aouchiche is a critical care intensivist, a physician certified to care for critically ill patients. Caryn A. Schwab, Executive Director of Mount Sinai Queens, frequently gets letters of appreciation from patients and families, but she was impressed by receiving three heartfelt letters about Dr. Aouchiche in the span of three months. “That is remarkable,” she says.

Carly Grant, whose father passed away in April, wrote that Dr. Aouchiche changed her life. “Her encouragement helped me be brave,” says Carly, who called Dr. Aouchiche “a gift, an angel, and a friend for life.”

Camilia Fuentes wrote, “From the very beginning, when my mother was in the Emergency Room, Dr. Aouchiche addressed our family with love and understanding while delivering top-notch medical care. She provided a ray of light to keep us grounded, and her generosity will never be forgotten.”

Dr. Aouchiche attended to Sonia Giannattasio’s grandfather, and made a great impact on his family. “Never have we established a rapport with a doctor like Dr. Aouchiche. Her compassion was evident from the first encounter with our family. She was genuine, selfless, and humble. She was our security blanket and our saint.”

Dr. Aouchiche says these warm words from patients keep her motivated. “We learn from each other, support each other, and care for each other. We are like family, and forever friends.

Patient Magdy Emam with Elizabeth Davis, AuD.

Magdy Emam appreciates excellent customer service, perhaps more than many people. As chief executive officer of his own firm—which helps hotels and airlines recruit the most qualified candidates—he has exacting standards for professionalism, skill, and integrity.

When it comes to his health care providers, the same criteria apply. That is why his high marks for Elizabeth Davis, AuD, his audiologist at the Ear Institute at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, mean a lot.

Mr. Emam’s hearing loss originated 20 years ago. Training for a triathlon in Central Park, he was hit by a car and suffered back and head injuries, the latter affecting his hearing. He was treated by physicians at NYEE and eventually met Ms. Davis.

For more than a decade, she has been his trusted partner in finding the best hearing aids to meet his needs, and his standards.

“Due to the nature of Mr. Emam’s hearing loss, it was a challenge to find the right device, and he wanted the best technology I could offer,” she explains. “He continues to count on me to advise him on the newest devices so he can be on the cutting edge. Currently, his aid allows him to be wirelessly connected to his mobile phone.”

Mr. Emam says, “Ms. Davis is a star. She is honest, loyal, and sincere, and always looking out for my best interests.”

The newlyweds, Shantel and Jamison Espaillat.

Most brides would agree that it takes time and a crew of friends or family to pull off a flawless wedding. But the wedding of Shantel and Jamison Espaillat, in a hallway at The Mount Sinai Hospital, was planned and executed in a matter of hours.

The couple had planned their wedding for Monday, June 24, at City Hall, well in advance of a September due date for their first child. However, a uterine infection landed Shantel at Mount Sinai the weekend before, and physicians found that the baby needed to be delivered quickly, at 29 weeks.

Shantel and Jamison were determined to be wed before having a child, so early Monday morning, Shantel asked Shaelyn O’Hara, MD, a maternal fetal medicine fellow and someone with whom she had bonded, if getting married at the hospital was a possibility.

Shaelyn immediately contacted Carrie Gerber, MSN, RN, Labor and Delivery Nurse Manager, who in turn called the Rev. Amy Strano, MDiv, BCC, Director of Spiritual Care at The Mount Sinai Hospital. All agreed that as a team, they could marry the couple and ensure them a memorable wedding.

The Rev. Amy Strano leads the couple in their vows.

Jamison went home to get the wedding license and rings, and in the meantime, the team worked together to buy a bouquet and boutonniere and fashioned a headpiece from surgical masks and flowers from the unit. By lunchtime, every item was in place.

With “Here Comes the Bride” playing in the background, Dr. O’Hara serving as a bridesmaid, and a cadre of physicians, nurses, and staff standing in as guests, the ceremony went off without a hitch, and Rev. Strano pronounced the couple husband and wife. There were just a few moments to celebrate before Shantel was wheeled into the operating room and Luciana Vieira, MD, along with Marc Engelbert, MD, took over for what Dr. Vieira called a “happily uncomplicated” delivery of a baby boy.

Even the hospital’s Dietary Department was able to contribute. They delivered a wedding cake the next day, when Shantel felt well enough to eat again.

The newlyweds were ecstatic. “It was like a movie,” Jamison said. Shantel added, “This is 100 percent better than City Hall.”

The Rev. Strano was as moved as the newlyweds, but for a slightly different reason. “This was a true display of teamwork and creativity as I have ever seen. It was beautiful.”

Gloria Pozo and Jacob Deutschh

A patient wanted to watch the 2019 Super Bowl at Mount Sinai Queens, but his television was not working.

The Admitting staff found him a new room, but the bed was unmade, and it was time for the housekeepers to go home. Jacob Deutsch, a mechanic, and Gloria Pozo, a housekeeping aide, stayed behind to clean the room and make the bed together, so that the patient could begin watching the big game from the start.

Olga Tsagaris

Olga Tsagaris is a patient encounter associate at The Blavatnik Family – Chelsea Medical Center who has worked at Mount Sinai Beth Israel for 21 years. Her patients are undergoing mammograms, sonograms, and other imaging studies, and they often have extended waits due to the nature of their tests.

Olga says they sometimes become hungry and thirsty, but are hesitant to mention it. When she senses this, she gets refreshments from the nearby Infusion Center, which has sandwiches and drinks available and is happy to share with her patients.