Laura Pierce, MD, a second-year internal medicine resident at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, was warming up for a high-intensity aerobics class last spring when she saw a fellow gym-goer, Phil Pursino, in obvious distress.

She ran over to him and noted that he was pale and not breathing. Laura initiated CPR, then attached an automated external defibrillator, which delivered a shock to his chest, then she did more CPR, and Phil regained his pulse. He was brought to the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at The Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a severe blockage of his left anterior descending artery and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention by Annapoorna S. Kini, MD, Director of the laboratory and a leader in her field.

Laura visited Phil in the Coronary Care Unit the next day, which happened to be her 28th birthday. She was greeted by Phil’s family and friends with hugs and a birthday cake. One year later, Laura has developed a deep friendship with Phil and his wife, Katie, sharing dinners and holiday celebrations.

“Laura was my guardian angel that day,” Phil says. “She, Dr. Kini, and the incredible professionals at Mount Sinai helped save my life.”

Laura responds, “I am grateful to have been in the right place at the right time that day and glad I was able to give Phil and Katie the opportunity to celebrate more milestones together.”

Laura Pierce, MD, center, with Phil and Katie Pursino

Valerie Hamilton, RN, left, and Laraine Brown

Last summer, Laraine Brown, 86, had a serious fall and sustained injuries to her head, legs, and back. She emailed Audrey Chun, MD, Director of the Phyllis and Lee Coffey Geriatrics Practice at the Martha Stewart Center for Living at The Mount Sinai Hospital, who saw her promptly the next day.

She was also treated by Valerie Hamilton, RN, who, Laraine says, “cared and worried about my condition, and counseled me.”

Laraine had extensive bruising, which she found difficult to manage, so Valerie had Laraine come in every three days for three weeks to check on her progress.

“The care I received from Ms. Hamilton made my healing a lot easier; Valerie’s concern for the elderly is refreshing—at the end of the day it’s people who make the difference.”

Valerie is grateful for Laraine’s positive comments. “When patients take the time to acknowledge and appreciate your skills,” she says, “it helps you to renew and strengthen your sense of purpose, especially in these changing and sometimes challenging times in health care.”

Cesar Sevilla

Cesar Sevilla is an information technology analyst in the Mount Sinai Health System’s Population Health Department. Although he does not have direct patient contact, Cesar is recognized by his colleagues for always putting patients first and was recently honored with IT’s “Be Patient Centric” award.

A priority project for Cesar is overseeing Cureatr, a secure text-messaging application, now used by more than 3,600 staff across the Health System to share details about patient care and coordinate treatment, all while remaining HIPAA compliant.

Cesar says, “This platform makes everyone’s jobs easier and clearer, so that the focus can be caring for patients.”

Technologists can work in any industry, but Cesar chose health care because of a desire to have a positive impact on patients’ lives.

“By supporting the needs of care teams and staff, IT provides a strong foundation for patient care,” Cesar says. “It is gratifying to hear patient success stories that track back to my efforts and those of my team.”

Nigel Longsworth

Mario Martorana noticed a sign reading “Better Together” when he was a patient at Mount Sinai Brooklyn last summer. He says he soon realized this was not just a “typical hospital slogan” due to the warmth and kindness he experienced from a multitude of providers at the hospital.

Upon his return home, the 91-year-old wrote a long letter of thanks, listing nurses, patient care associates, and other staff members.

He was a bit apologetic for not catching everyone’s name, but said all were “compassionate and articulate, sensitive to my bad hearing” and “made me feel like I was part of the world again.”

Mario especially wanted to thank Nigel Longsworth of Patient Transport, who took him to and from tests and stopped by afterward “merely to see how I was doing and ask if I needed anything.”

Nigel said he tried to calm Mario about his procedure by engaging him in conversations about his life and treating him “as if he was a member of the family.”