Diana Verdejo Flores was one of the first medical assistants to be deployed to a different site to help with the COVID crisis. She accepted one of the “unpopular” shifts (weekends and overnights) without complaint and put on a courageous face and attitude as she enters the battlefield. She had to adjust her sleep schedule in less than a day and put her all her concerns and worries aside before she started her shift. She is a kind and hard-working individual. I sincerely thank her for all her hard work and sacrifice.
Xiu Huang, Billing Coordinator
Otolaryngology
5 East 98th Street
Tatjana Trajkova, RN, is an exemplary employee. When she is in charge, she makes sure her team is taken care of—demonstrating empathy, teamwork, and professionalism She is very approachable with any issue one may have, and she is sensitive to other staff members and visitors. I have never seen TJ get upset. She is proactive, honest, and demonstrates transparency. If TJ is wrong or views other people’s views differently, she will admit it. I enjoy working with her. From the beginning days of the pandemic until now, she has been the same TJ—but even better.
Elisa Scarselli, RN
Emergency Department
Mount Sinai West
Jeofrey Gacad, a unit clerk in the Emergency Department, showed great teamwork in preparing coronavirus grab kits. Though it’s not part of his official duties, he did this work selflessly for the safety of his co-workers and of his community. In addition, he did this work on his day off—an example of going above and beyond for the people he works with.
Fionnuala Quigley, RN
Emergency Department
Mount Sinai Queens
It’s very rare to have a co-worker who displays all of the Mount Sinai values at the same time, but Alyjah Luna, Central Supply Tech, Materials Management, has gone above and beyond what is expected from anyone in his capacity. Throughout the last few weeks, Alyjah has continuously provided leadership and has assisted the Emergency Department in every way possible: Finding us supplies on a moment’s notice; stocking all supplies appropriately, not just for his shift but every shift; communicating directly with managers, charge nurses, and all staff to see if they need anything. He has shown excellent judgment by not providing too much supplies to any single person, but instead communicates to them what is appropriate for them to have. Alyjah’s presence has been comforting, and the ED has been lucky to have him, especially during these trying times.
Jeofrey Gacad, Unit Clerk
Emergency Department
Mount Sinai Queens
From left, Andres Moreira with team members Abbe Frank and Yolanda Ramos.
Andres Moreira, Senior Director of Patient Experience and Patient Relations, and all the Patient Service Center team members at Mount Sinai West have done an incredible job connecting patients with their family and loved ones. By leveraging new technology to set up Zoom meetings, we have been able to facilitate meaningful connection when our patients need it most.
Patrick Healy
Associate Director
Clinical Innovation
I would like to recognize the Emergency Department housekeeper Simon Mejias. Simon is always pleasant to the patients and staff. He never hesitates to assist his co-workers and does a great job keeping the ED clean.
Lyzette Borrero, BSN
Emergency Department
Mount Sinai West
Throughout the pandemic, I continued to support our cochlear implant (CI) patients to ensure their equipment was in good working order as well as connect patients with the CI manufacturers or any other resources needed to troubleshoot issues so that patients could stay engaged with current events, friends, and family members while in quarantine. We were able to remotely make program adjustments so that children could access computers for online learning, and continually contact many of our senior clients to check-in and let them know we were there for them.
Lorie Singer
Technical Services Coordinator
Cochlear Implants
This moment in our lives has been emotional and sometimes alarming. One day that I had to work in the 4 East Department is where it hit me the most—having to see all of the sick patients lying on their beds, waiting for a nurse to take care of them. My job was to help answer the phones as family members called to speak to their loved ones. I will never forget those calls. One family member was crying when she called to check on her Mom’s status. The daughter said, ”Please check on my Mom, I was on the phone with her not too long ago, and she stopped responding. I would like to know if she’s OK.” I gave my all and went to check if the Mom was OK. It turned out that she had fallen asleep, but I also checked with the nurse to get more information on how she was doing. The nurse told me the Mom had no more fever, and she was doing better. I would take my time and do the same thing with every patient. Every call I got, I was friendly and loving. This whole experience made me very emotional, because we don’t know when we will lose our love ones. Every morning I would walk through the lobby and say to myself, “This job is for me, I am a fighter, ‘I got this.”
Nicaury Peralta
Patient Coordinator
Mount Sinai Queens
Thomas Wolkowski, a dietary aide, has done an amazing job of always keeping a friendly smile on his face. During this stressful time, he has been having wonderful conversations with patients to distract them from being in the hospital.
Muslima Munim, RN
Mount Sinai Queens
During the pandemic, the Ear Institute’s Speech Language Pathologists continued to work with patients and their families virtually. The pathologists were so excited to see how quickly children adapted to this change in service-delivery. One benefit of providing services virtually is that speech language pathologists were able to coach parents to employ the relevant strategies in the home during family specific routines while using their child’s favorite toys. We are very appreciative of all of the parents and caregivers who partnered with us by providing the necessary support, which is so important to the development of their child’s listening and spoken-language skills.
Nicole Klein, MS
Speech Language Pathologist
Ear Institute at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai
Raisa Dzhurayeva is an exemplary Clinical Assistant to Mark Courey, MD. Although she is working from home, she is still making the best out of the current situation. She remains diligent and is on top of the provider’s schedule. She makes sure every patient is getting the appropriate care and shows excellent communication skills with the team. She is a hard worker and does not let any situation stop her from doing the work that needs to be done.
Xiu Huang, Billing Coordinator
Otolaryngology
5 East 98th Street
David Powell, a mechanic in Environmental Services, was phenomenal in helping us prepare space for ED surge. He has also been proactive about the designated isolation rooms so he knows where they are.
Carla Moscoso, Director
Mount Sinai Doctors Astoria
I was deployed to Mount Sinai Brooklyn and worked three 12-hour shifts on three of their COVID units. They use the EPIC charting system, which is different from the system used at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. My role was to help the RNs do finger sticks, EKGs and other tasks as required. I was glad to be able to play a small role in helping COVID-19 patients. The biggest challenge I faced there was seeing so many scared and very sick patients not being able to have family with them. I tried to make sure patients could charge their cellphones so they could stay in contact with family members. While this was a very challenging situation, I am grateful I got to help ease the burden for the nurses and staff at Mount Sinai Brooklyn.
Erin Campbell, RN
New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai