Road Map for Action Bulletins

Mount Sinai is committed to becoming an anti-racist institution, but for real change to take place, the entire community must be involved and engaged in this work. Every Thursday, the Road Map for Action Bulletin—authored by Angela Diaz, MD, PhD, MPH, the Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor of Adolescent Health, and Director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, and Shawn Lee, Associate Director of Operations for the Central Billing Office—brings updates on this work and information on how to get involved. Archived editions of the Bulletin are linked below.

The Road Map for Action Conversations Toolkit has additional resources to stimulate dialogue around this work throughout our health system.

April 11, 2024
Mount Sinai's Commitment to Eliminating Bias in Medical Records
Mount Sinai has initiated the FAIR Documentation initiative, a collaboration between the Office of the Chief Medical Officer and the Institute for Health Equity Research, aiming to ensure documentation is Factual, Affirming, Informative, and Respectful. This initiative is set to to launch at the first demonstration site in early fall, closely monitoring its impact on specific clinical units and refining the approach accordingly. Learn more.
March 14, 2024
A Look Inside Mount Sinai's Digital Equity and Accessibility Committee
At Mount Sinai, our Digital Equity and Accessibility Committee is dedicated to ensuring that digital initiatives prioritize fairness and accessibility across diverse patient demographics. This committee collaborates with community leaders, advocates for patients, and offers input to enhance equity and accessibility in digital services, recognizing the iterative nature of this work. Read more...
February 1, 2024
A Short History of Health Equity Advancements
This week, we want to take a larger look at the latest health equity advancements in the United States over the last 40 years and examine how this progress has paved the way for Mount Sinai's work today. Take a look at the advancements we have made and the work still left to do. Read more...
January 25, 2024
Mount Sinai's Commitment to Diverse Clinical Trials
This week, we're looking at the importance of diversity in clinical trials. This is an issue that many advocates have been demanding change on in the past few months, and one that has always been a top priority at Mount Sinai. We sat down with Carol R. Horowitz, MD, MPH, the founding Director of Mount Sinai's Institute for Health Equity Research (IHER) to learn more about the impact these clinical trials have had and the changes resulting from them. Learn more...
January 19, 2024
Addressing Environmental Injustice-Lead Pipes in NYC's Hispanic Communities
A recent study found New Yorkers in predominantly Hispanic or Latino neighborhoods are more likely to have lead pipes carrying water to their homes. Although New York City treats its water to prevent lead contamination, replacing the pipes is deemed the only surefire solution. The Lead Pipe Right to Know Act, pending approval, may enhance transparency by requiring utility companies to inventory and share information about service lines. Learn more...
January 11, 2024
Behavioral Flags-Are They Equitable?
A recent study found that some hospitals commonly used safety measures which may introduce bias into the delivery of health care. This week, we take a look at study from The Journal of the American Medical Association which revealed that while behavioral flags are not widely used, Black patients were found to have flags in their records more often than white patients, and as a result received less clinical testing and treatment, faced longer wait times, and were more likely to leave prior to full evaluation in an emergency department compared to white patients with a flag. Read more...
January 4, 2024
Reflecting on Our Journey-Year in Review and Moving Forward
To start the new year, we reflect back on a few of the important topics we covered in last year's weekly Bulletins, and we heard from our very own Shawn Lee about the importance of the Bulletins and what we hope to accomplish in the new year. In 2024, we aim to sustain and enhance this form of "connectedness" through meaningful content and thought-provoking conversations. As we embark on a new year, we invite you to share your thoughts and suggestions for topics you would like us to explore in our future Bulletins. Read more...
December 14, 2023
Examining Structural Racism in Health Care: Redlining and Stroke Prevalence
This week, to close out the year, we want to bring our focus back to structural racism, taking a look at both how it's embedded throughout our world in subtle but pervasive ways, and how our awareness can combat its effects. To discuss the implications of this study, we spoke with Carolyn D. Brockington, MD, Director of the Stroke Center at Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai Morningside. Learn more...
December 7, 2023
Bridging Science and Spirituality to Improve Community Health
This week, we connected with Deborah Marin, MD, Director of the Center for Stress, Resilience and Personal Growth at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Rev. Zorina Costello, DMin, MDiv, MS, Director of Community Engagement for both the Center for Spirituality and Health (CSH) and the Center for Stress, Resilience and Personal Growth to learn more about Mount Sinai's work with faith-based organizations to address the needs of marginalized communities. Learn more.
November 30, 2023
Breaking Barriers: Our Commitment to Equitable Healthcare
This week, we discussed a recent Urban Institute study which found that 22 percent of Black parents said they were judged unfairly or mistreated when seeking medical care-a rate that is 10 percent higher than other racial groups. We sat down with Jessica Reid-Adam, MD, MSCR, FAAP, to learn about Mount Sinai's efforts to eliminate bias in the treatment and care of young patients and their families. Learn more.
November 16, 2023
Unveiling Environmental Injustices: Children at Risk from Toxic Exposures
This week, we’re looking at environmental racism and the results of a recent study that found children from communities of color and low-income backgrounds are being disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals. The study revealed that that low-income and Black children face heightened exposure to lead, lower income populations face elevated air pollution, and Black and Hispanic children encounter increased levels of specific pesticides. We sat down with Sarah Evans, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, to gain a better understanding of this research.
November 9, 2023
Identifying Racial Disparities in Memory Care
In a study that sought to build on a known racial gap in the use of dementia medicine among patients who live in nursing homes or receive care in hospitals, researchers looked at how often dementia patients living at home received one or more dementia medications. After analyzing the medication records of nearly 26,000 men and women seen at Mount Sinai, 3,700 of whom were Black, the study found that Black patients were less likely to receive any of the five most common dementia medications given to
patients. Learn more.
November 2, 2023
How We're Using Education Programming to Foster Inclusivity
This week we spoke with program manager, Elone Winston, MPH, CPhT, DHS(c), for a brief Q&A to learn more about the Pharmacy Technician Education Program. This pathway program trains qualified applicants to become certified and registered pharmacy technicians and actively promotes equity and anti-racism by recruiting students from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds. Learn more.
October 27, 2023
Moving Forward Together - DEI Summit Recap
Mount Sinai held its first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Summit: Taking Action for Equity and Justice. This summit was a celebration of our commitment to DEI and a recognition of efforts to address racism at all levels, advocate for marginalized peoples, and treat all people with humanity and respect. Check out the recap of photos, highlights and reflections on the week's events.
October 19, 2023
Ahead of the DEI Summit-How We're Doing and What's Next
Today, we're taking a close look at the results of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion category, which had the strongest results across all Your Voice Counts sections, and what we've heard from folks who are feeling the change. Check out the results and don't forget to join us at tabling and other events throughout the week, happening across all Mount Sinai hospitals.
October 12, 2023
Tackling Melanoma Disparities Head On
Recent research shows there are racial disparities in melanoma cancer in Black men who are more likely to receive diagnoses of advanced-stage melanoma, leading to lower survival rates. Read more as Angela J. Lamb, MD, highlights the importance promoting early diagnosis and treatment for melanoma in all patient populations.
October 5, 2023
How Mount Sinai's Hepatitis Outreach Network (HONE) is Addressing Disparities in Hepatitis Screenings and Treatment
This week, we're taking a look at health disparities associated with hepatitis and its impact on communities of color. HONE, a collaborative effort between the Mount Sinai Health System Division of Liver Diseases, the Tisch Cancer Institute, and community-based organizations, provides comprehensive screening, education, and linkage to care in communities with high prevalence of chronic viral hepatitis.
September 28, 2023
How Structural Racism Connects to the Opioid Overdose Crisis
A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more Black Americans died from fentanyl overdoses than from any other drug in 2021, and at far higher rates than white or Hispanic Americans. Read this week's Bulletin to better understand this critical issue and to learn more about the ways we are working to innovate and advance addiction treatment and intervention.
September 21, 2023
How Diverse Care Teams Improve Health Outcomes
This week we discussed new research that underscores the positive impact of diverse primary care teams on patient health and Mount Sinai’s commitment to representation. Learn why patients served by diverse health care teams report higher satisfaction, better communication, and greater adherence to treatment plans.
Thursday, September 14, 2023
Exploring the Link Between Menopausal Health and Race
Beyond the difficulties of maintaining successful careers and accelerating growth, Black women often experience serious and pervasive health disparities that impact the longevity of their careers. This week, Anna Barbieri, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Gynecology and Reproductive Science, shares her insights on why that is and how researchers are working to address this and related issues.
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Our Work Has Been in the News a lot Lately
This week, the Bulletin highlighted how Mount Sinai’s work to promote health equity has gained recognition in national healthcare news outlets. These articles remind us that the work we do matters and can make a real difference that others are noticing.
Friday, August 25, 2023
Addressing the Digital Divide with Equitable Remote Patient Monitoring
Today, we're focusing on digital divides and the ways in which Mount Sinai is working to address these health inequities. Mount Sinai's Condition Management remote patient monitoring program (RPM) exemplifies the use of technology, engagement, and accessibility to bridge health care gaps and address the digital divide. Hear from Mount Sinai's Cathleen Mathew, Darryl Hollar, and Nicole Tang, who have been integral in ensuring this program leads the way in meeting the needs of Mount Sinai patients by leveraging technology, fostering engagement, and prioritizing accessibility for all.
Thursday, August 17, 2023
Addressing Racial Inequities to Reduce Excess Mortalities
In this week's Bulletin, we're highlighting several programs and interventions in place across our Health System to identify, understand, and address racial inequity in health care. These serve as reminders of our colleagues' efforts and our commitment to creating better health outcomes and reversing this trend.
Thursday, August 10, 2023
How Mount Sinai is Illustrating Change in Medical Education
Medical imagery is one area where there has been a startling lack of representation of people of color. Learn more from Jill Gregory, MFA, CMI, Associate Director of the Instructional Technology Group and Former President of the Association of Medical Illustrators, who is deeply involved in the effort to improve the tools and resources used by health care professionals.
Thursday, August 3, 2023
A Follow Up on Accountability and Quality Management With LeWanza Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MS
Dr. LeWanza Harris, Vice President, Quality and Regulatory Affairs for Mount Sinai Health System leads the anti-racist quality improvement strategy at Mount Sinai and talks to us about implementing equity-focused change on a large scale, specific anti-racist efforts at Mount Sinai, and why collaboration is crucial to success in quality improvement. Read this week’s Bulletin to learn more.
Thursday, July 27, 2023
Inside Mount Sinai's Health Equity Data Assessment
Mount Sinai has had a long-standing commitment to understanding the importance of examining patient data. In 2015, through the efforts of Office of Diversity and Inclusion, we formed the Health Disparities Working Group to advance equity, quality, and safety through the collection of patient demographic data. Learn more about this effort which culminated in the creation of the Health Equity Data Assessment (HEDA) Committee, which serves as our system wide hub for all equity-related data, analytics, research, and interventions.
Thursday, July 20, 2023
Just What Are "Social Determinants of Health" Exactly?
If you're a regular Bulletin reader, you have likely seen us use the phrase "social determinants of health". To get a better idea of what this means, we sat down with Ashley Fitch, MS, MA, Senior Director, Social Determinants of Health and Community Partnerships. She told us about the ways in which Mount Sinai Health System is committed to addressing these conditions that drive health outcomes and why it is important to better understand them.
Thursday, July 13, 2023
Guest Bulletin from Ann-Gel S. Palermo, DrPH, MPH, and Gary C. Butts, MD, on the Supreme Court's Affirmative Action Ruling
Our guests this week wanted to take the opportunity to address the Mount Sinai community and discuss the implications of this ruling for the future of equity in America, especially when it comes to health equity. We are thoroughly examining this ruling to determine any potential effects it may have on admitting students to our institution.
Thursday, July 6, 2023
Clearing the Air on the Connection Between Race and Poor Air Quality
In this week’s Bulletin, Perry Sheffield, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Environmental Medicine, Public Health, and Pediatrics and member of the Mount Sinai Institute for Exposomic Research and the Center on Health and Environment Across the LifeSpan (HEALS), spoke about the need for tighter and more equitable air pollution regulations. Learn how Mount Sinai’s HEALS is leading research and strategic efforts to address racial disparities in air quality.
Thursday, June 29, 2023
Driving Accountability and Quality Management: An Interview with Jill M. Goldstein
This week we sat down with Jill M. Goldstein, RN, MA, MS, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Nursing at Mount Sinai Queens, to discuss the role quality management plays in accountability and how working together, we can maximize our impact and create lasting improvements in health outcomes for marginalized and underserved populations. Read more in Mount Sinai Daily.
Thursday, June 22, 2023
ICYMI: Reporting our Road Map Progress
This week, Mount Sinai released its inaugural Road Map for Action to Address Racism Annual Report, a deep dive into our journey toward anti-racism. Take a look at all of this great work and the journey ahead as we continue these efforts.
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Inside Mount Sinai’s Voices in Partnership Program
The Voices in Partnership (VIP) located at the Mount Sinai Institute for Advanced Medicine, specializes in providing medical and support services to alleviate psychosocial barriers for transgender, intersex, gender non-conforming non-binary people with HIV in New York City. Gabriel Campoverde, Program Coordinator of VIP and Care Coordinator of Mount Sinai Comprehensive Health Program and the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery shares more.
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Mount Sinai’s Growth in Operations, Administrations, and Leadership Society (GOALS) Program
Bulletin co-author Shawn Lee shares a Q&A about the recently launched Growth in Operations, Administrations, and Leadership Society (GOALS) program. GOALS is an initiative to create a network of Black male executives that foster mentorship, career advancement, and overall well-being for Black males within Mount Sinai. Learn more about GOALS by viewing the Bulletin or visiting their website.
Thursday, June 1, 2023
Inside Mount Sinai’s Adolescent Health Center
The Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center (MSAHC) was established in 1968 and has grown into a nationally and internationally recognized model for adolescent and young adult health care. There is no one better to answer questions about this work than our very own Bulletin co-author and Director of the MSAHC, Angela Diaz, MD, PhD. Learn about her role, the center's history, and how this center helps improve the learning, behavior, social interactions, and health of our youth so they are seen for who they are and are given the opportunities they need in an equitable way.
Thursday, May 25, 2023
How Income and Socioeconomics Affect Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes
Today, Thursday, May 25 marks the somber anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. For the third and final installment of our Black Maternal Health Bulletin series, we’re looking at some of the risks of childbirth that vary by both race and income and how Black families, regardless of their socioeconomic status, are disproportionately affected and gain a better understanding of why.
Thursday, May 18, 2023
Exploring Asthma Disparities in Maternal Health
Nationwide, the burden of asthma falls disproportionately on people of color, who face higher rates of asthma diagnosis, hospitalization, and death. This week, we dig into Black maternal health disparities with a focus on asthma, which is the most common chronic disease that affects pregnancy. Learn more about the effects of everyday environmental exposures and pollutants, and how they are a leading cause of asthma morbidity in pregnant patients.
Thursday, May 4, 2023
Inside Mount Sinai’s Center for Asian Equity and Professional Development
Mount Sinai’s new Center for Asian Equity and Professional Development (CAEPD) is the first center in the nation at an academic medical institution dedicated to understanding how implicit bias and racism impact AAPI medical professionals and addressing equity in their professional development. This is an important first step in supporting Mount Sinai’s anti-racism efforts and commitment to address this issue.
Friday, April 28
Connecting Underserved Communities with Care through the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health
The Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health provide no-cost, confidential evaluation, and support services to anyone who may have suffered a work-related injury or illness. In addition to health care, they offer education about legal rights and benefits to those who are not being reached, in an effort to build trust in the most vulnerable communities.
Thursday, April 20
Reciprocal Learning and Innovation in Global Health Partnerships
The Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai is committed to promoting health equity and improving health outcomes for underserved communities around the world-and finding lessons we can apply here in New York. The Institute's long-term partnerships and global health initiatives in Nepal, Ghana, and Kenya promote reciprocal learning and innovation, with ideas and solutions to treat patients in hard-to-reach communities.
Friday, April 14, 2023
Why is Uterine Cancer Becoming More Prevalent and Deadly for Women of Color?
According to a new study, uterine cancer is becoming more deadly among women of color, especially Black women. In the coming years, uterine cancer is expected to displace colorectal cancer as the third most common cancer among women and the fourth-leading cause of women’s cancer deaths. A recent study found Black patients are 71 percent more likely to have a delayed diagnosis of uterine cancer. To address this, researchers are trying to figure out the underlying cause to ensure every patient receives the diagnosis and care they need.
Thursday, April 6, 2023
Q&A with Jesus Robles – Examining Transitional Care for Formerly Incarcerated New Yorkers
Racial and ethnic disparities contribute to the growing rate of incarceration across the country and show that they are 12 times more likely to die than the general population during their first two weeks after release from prison. Jesus Robles explains how The Coming Home Program addresses these issues and offers re-entry services to help individuals successfully transition from incarceration back to their communities.
Thursday, March 30, 2023
How Health Care Providers Can Help Bridge the Patient Portal Health Equity Gap
Online patient portals have expanded access to health care but a new HHS study found that only one-third of Black and Hispanic patients access online portals, as compared to half of white patients who use these platforms. This inequity can be bridged in part by ensuring health care providers inform patients about the digital health care tools that are available. We are proud that Mount Sinai is leading the way, having implemented a system that sends an activation code for online portals to all patients discharged from any of our facilities.
Thursday, March 23, 2023
Road Map Progress: 2022 Highlights
Exciting progress has been made as a system in 2022, so we'd like to take a moment to give you an update. The Road Map work has been personally, culturally, and operationally transformative, integrating anti-racism into every aspect of our day-to-day work and breaking down silos to create bridges across the entire Health System.
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Q&A with Valerie Orellana - Exploring Equitable Hiring Practices for Marginalized Communities
A diverse workforce improves our work environment and ensures patients and residents feel empowered and comfortable while receiving care. Valerie Orellana, RN, MS, Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Operations Officer at the Mount Sinai Health System, shares her thoughts about the importance of having a diverse workforce and the steps we are taking toward being an anti-racist health system.
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Inside Mount Sinai's Racism and Bias Initiative
This week, we address the connection between kidney health and a patient's race using a mathematical formula to estimate how well someone's kidney functions. Sometimes, the equation's results were so skewed that it delayed necessary treatment. Kirk Campbell, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology and the Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department of Medicine, teaches us more about this problem and how Mount Sinai addressed it.
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Inside Mount Sinai's Racism and Bias Initiative
In 2015, Mount Sinai launched the Racism and Bias Initiative (RBI) aimed at raising awareness of racism and bias in medicine and in our medical training. RBI continuously examines how systems, people, and the culture of an institution can function as barriers to, or levers for, effective change toward a collective vision. At Mount Sinai, we continue to take steps that move us closer to becoming a Health System and health professions school that is free of racism and bias.
Thursday, February 23
Road Map Bulletin: Black History Month in Review
This month we'd like to take time to reflect on the Black history and heritage events we celebrated, to thank those who helped make these events a reality, and highlight reflections from those who attended.
Thursday, February 16, 2023
Road Map Bulletin: When Health Care Alone Can't Fix Health Outcomes
As health care providers, we all know how much our patients' health outcomes rely on factors well out of our control. This week, we're taking a deep dive into environmental racism and the disparate health outcomes it causes.
Thursday, February 9, 2023
The Links Between Race and the Health Risks of Poor Sleep
According to a study on the racial and ethnic differences in sleep disturbances, more Black and Hispanic people routinely get less sleep, wake up more, and take longer to fall asleep compared to their white counterparts. Read more about the risk factors for poor sleep.
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Showcasing Mount Sinai's Diversity Councils and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Long-term success in making Mount Sinai an anti-racist learning and health care institution requires that everyone must be involved in moving forward. Today, we wanted to make sure you know about one of the best ways to get involved in this work: by joining Mount Sinai's Diversity Councils and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).
Thursday, January 26
The Hidden Link Between Diet Culture and Racism
Diet culture is the social construct and belief system that combines morality with nutrition, equating being thin to being good. It has racist, colonial roots.
Thursday, January 19
How Lack of Access Contributes to Vision Health Disparities
Examining the ways in which the health of individuals and groups is impacted by factors like race, environment, genetics, and socioeconomic status.
Thursday, January 5
Our 2023 “Road Map Resolutions”
We enter the new year with an energized sense of purpose to continue the journey we started substantiating Mount Sinai as an anti-racist hospital and medical education system. Let our leaders inspire you as they share their commitments and resolutions to combat racism and move us closer to our objective.
Thursday, December 15
A Year in Review
We reflect on this past year as we’ve continued our efforts to promote and establish an antiracist culture within Mount Sinai Health System, recognizing there is still work that remains to achieve our goals and thanking our readers for sharing in this journey.
Thursday, December 8
Increasing Diversity in the Physician Workforce: A Q&A with David Muller, MD
David Muller, MD, answers questions about the importance of physician diversity and ways in which we are tackling the many obstacles and making headway to diversify our education programs and our workforce.
Thursday, December 1
Uncovering the Disparities in Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression
While depression affects all communities, research shows people of color in the United States are often hit the hardest. Today, we explore disparities in mental health.
Thursday, November 17
Exploring Inequities in Flu Vaccine Uptake
Flu season is here, and this week, we want to discuss some lesser-known disparities surrounding influenza hospitalization rates, why they exist, and what can be done to keep all communities healthy.
Thursday, November 10
Spotlight on Patrice Gordon-Poyser, Supplier Diversity Manager, Mount Sinai Health System
Recently, our very own Patrice Gordon-Poyser, Supplier Diversity Manager, Mount Sinai Health System was featured in Modern Healthcare, discussing Mount Sinai's supplier diversity program. In honor of the article, we met up with Patrice to get an in-depth look at her work.
Thursday, November 3
The Link Between Medical Records and Discrimination
This week, we're highlighting the not-so-obvious link between medical records and racial discrimination. As you know, medical records are intended to document objective observations. However, when biased language-such as using quotation marks to communicate sarcasm or question a patient's sincerity-is included, it may impact care by sending an incorrect signal to future clinicians about a patient.
Thursday, October 27
Addressing Disparities in Cancer Care-Q&A with Dr. Cardinale Smith
This week, we're taking to Cardinale Smith, MD, PhD, about the latest report from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), which found that as cancer continues to claim more than 600,000 lives in the United States each year, disparities in who gets cancer-and who gets access to the best care-remain "a pervasive public health problem."
Thursday, October 20
How the U.S., New York State, and Mount Sinai Are Tackling Long COVID
Today, we're highlighting disparities in long COVID, sharing research that's currently underway and how New York State and Mount Sinai are taking action. Black Americans disproportionately suffer from long COVID-chronic symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, insomnia, brain fog, and more. This is likely linked to communities of color experiencing heightened exposure to COVID-19 and higher rates of pre-existing conditions.
Thursday, October 13
A New Resource to Responding to Racist Patient and Visitor Behavior
Mount Sinai's policy for how employees should interact with patients and visitors who exhibit racist behavior has been made into a pocket guide and digital flyer for easy access.
Thursday, October 6
Reflections on the 53rd Annual African American Day Parade
This week, we share reflections and photos from colleagues who participated in the 53rd Annual African American Day Parade.
Thursday, September 29
NIH Backs the Institute for Health Equity Research to Study Structural Racism in Health Care
Mount Sinai's Institute for Health Equity Research (IHER) has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to embark on a five-year research project to identify, measure, and analyze structural racism in health care settings. The DISRUPT study stands for: "Dismantling Structural Racism Underlying the organization of ambulatory PracTices: an observational study of clinical desegregation."
Thursday, September 22
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and Mental Health Equity
Just like with physical health, people of color and members of other marginalized communities face worse mental health outcomes due to a myriad of factors, from lack of access to high-quality or culturally-competent care, to cultural stigma around mental health care, to racism and discrimination.
Thursday, September 15
Improving Maternal Health Through Research and Education
Findings from a new study from the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that states with the highest levels of nurses from underrepresented minority groups reported fewer health complications during childbirth. Notably, there were better outcomes for mothers of all racial and ethnic backgrounds when the nursing workforce was more diverse. at Mount Sinai, we care deeply about addressing maternal health disparities and the high rates of maternal mortality among Black patients.
Thursday, September 8
Mount Sinai Sponsors the 53rd Annual African American Parade
Today, we're writing with some exciting news: the Mount Sinai Health System is sponsoring the 53rd Annual African American Day Parade on Sunday, September 18. Our very own Pamela Abner, MPA, Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer for Mount Sinai Health System, and Gary C. Butts, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System and Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy, and Community Affairs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, will serve as the parade's Grand Marshals!
Thursday, August 25
Advancing Health Equity Through Glaucoma Research at Mount Sinai
Researchers at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary found that compared to white patients, Black patients had twice the risk of early vision loss and were six times more likely to experience advanced vision loss from Glaucoma.
Thursday, August 18
Celebrating One Year of the Road Map Bulletin
Mount Sinai's Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Diversity Councils received four 2022 Diversity Impact Awards(tm). And today is the Road Map Bulletin's first birthday!
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Advancing Anti-Racism Education and Training
Recently, many people across the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai worked to bolster the anti-racism and bias curriculum across all four years of MD education. The focus is to not only provide a better education and understanding of how to improve care, but also to establish a new equity-minded lens through which all medical professionals must adhere to throughout their careers.
Thursday, August 4, 2022
Tracking Our Work
Road Map Strategy 1 includes creating an "equity scorecard" that will measure our successes and our remaining work in closing health disparities. To do that, we first need to identify and measure existing differences, which requires reliable data about patients. We spoke with an interdisciplinary team about collecting this data. They have already created a Race/Ethnicity/Language Capture Dashboard to track Mount Sinai's progress in collecting patients' race, ethnicity, and language preference data and are exceeding their goal of collecting this information 90 percent of the time.
Thursday, July 28, 2022
Mount Sinai Receives Prestigious Health Care Diversity Award
Today, we’re writing with some encouraging news: earlier this month, the American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity awarded Mount Sinai the 2022 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award, one of the highest honors in the health care diversity field.
Thursday, July 21, 2022
The Racial Disparities of Abortion Bans
Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, more and more states are moving to restrict people’s right to abortion access. This week, we’re digging into studies that show abortion bans have specific, disproportionate impacts on under-resourced, marginalized groups—and what that means for the Black maternal mortality and morbidity crisis.
Thursday, July 14, 2022
The Intersection of Heat and Race
As temperatures across the country continue to break records and heat waves increase in both frequency and severity, we wanted to explore how extreme heat threatens the health of communities across the New York metropolitan region. Like many similar issues, there is an increased risk in neighborhoods that face climate inequality, which are often lower-income communities of color—a physical reflection of structural racism in our city.
Thursday, July 7, 2022
Closing the Gap for Black Residents
A few weeks ago, STAT News published a series of articles exploring why Black residents leave medical training programs at disproportionately higher rates than white residents. The STAT investigation found that while only 5 percent of all residents in 2015 were Black, they accounted for almost 20 percent of residents dismissed that year. This week’s bulletin focuses on what Mount Sinai is doing to support underrepresented residents and students.
Thursday, June 23, 2022
Checking In: Self Care and Anti-Racist Work
Anti-racist change is not easy-and this hard but important work can take a toll on all of us, especially when combined with our professional and personal responsibilities and current events like the pandemic, increased racist attacks, and political upheaval that threatens fundamental rights. We spoke with Scarlett S. Ho, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Training at the Center for Stress, Resilience and Personal Growth, to discuss what self care is, how we can incorporate it into our daily lives, and what Mount Sinai resources are available to support it.
Friday, June 17, 2022
Celebrating Juneteenth at Mount Sinai
As many of you know, this Sunday, June 19, is the official Juneteenth holiday that commemorates the emancipation of the last enslaved persons following the Civil War.
Thursday, June 9, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Anti-Racist Summer Reading List
The weather is getting warmer and summer is only a few weeks away. In that spirit, this week we’re excited to share a curated “summer reading list” that touches on the themes we discuss each week: the history of race in America, the lived experience of people of color, and what it means to be anti-racist.
Thursday, June 2, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Congratulations to Mount Sinai 2022 Administrative Fellowship Graduates!
Today, we are introducing four recent graduates of the Mount Sinai Administrative Fellowship Program. This two-year initiative offers an innovative development opportunity uniquely designed for individuals from underrepresented groups who have also recently received a master’s degree.
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Supporting Veterans This Memorial Day
Monday is Memorial Day, and we want to use this week’s Bulletin as a reminder of why we celebrate and how we are working to support all veterans inside and outside the Mount Sinai Health System.
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Meet the President and CEO of The Winters Group
We would like to introduce you to Mary-Frances Winters, the President and CEO of The Winters Group, Inc., the diversity, inclusion, and equity consulting group that is working with our eleven Road Map Strategy Leads, Mount Sinai’s executive leadership, and all of us to make the goals of the Road Map for Action a reality.
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month
As we applaud the vast and vital contributions of the AAPI community, it is equally important to understand the deep challenges currently impacting this group. In recent months, AAPI communities have continued to experience an increase in stigma, hate, and assaults both here in New York and across the country. Additionally, as recently as 2020, nearly one in four Asian adults in New York City was reported to be living in poverty.
Thursday, May 5, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Spotlight on Lorisa Richards, Vice President of Nursing Operations, The Mount Sinai Hospital
The Mount Sinai Health System earned the fifth slot on Diversity Inc’s 2022 Top Hospitals and Health Systems list. This is an important acknowledgement of our mission to become an equitable and inclusive organization. Congratulations to all who made it possible and continue to work on diversity—our inclusion on this highly selective list was no easy feat.
Thursday, April 28, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Supporting Prostate Health in the Black Community
In the United States, prostate cancer is the second-most-common form of cancer in men, behind only skin cancer. About one in eight U.S. men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives, and one in 40 will die of prostate cancer.
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Revisiting Racial Disparities in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic
April marks National Minority Health Month, when we spotlight racial and ethnic health disparities and recommit to championing health equity. Back in January during the height of the Omicron surge, we discussed COVID-19's disproportionate impact on communities of color. This week, we are revisiting that topic with a focus on recent research that confirms and reminds us that these disparities remain long after COVID-19 infection is gone.
Friday, April 15, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Black Maternal Health Week
This week, we are recognizing Black Maternal Health Week, which is observed every year from April 11-17. This observance was officially proclaimed by the White House on April 13, 2021, acknowledging the need to address the Black maternal mortality and morbidity crisis and to raise awareness about the state of Black maternal health across the nation.
Thursday, April 7, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Road Map Progress
Now that spring has arrived, soon to bring a slightly warmer breeze, brighter sun, and renewed hope that we are past the worst of the pandemic, we want to continue the good vibe and give an update on a critical part of our journey toward becoming an anti-racist institution: progress to date.
Thursday, March 31, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Diversity Councils and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
As you know, Mount Sinai’s Road Map for Action was developed to help our Health System become an anti racist institution, united in solidarity and working toward equity as a shared goal.
Thursday, March 24, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Key Anti-Racism Learning Resources
As we’ve mentioned in previous Bulletins, Mount Sinai’s work to become an antiracist institution may be unfamiliar, if not outright uncomfortable, for many of us. One of our core objectives is to introduce topics, programs, and events that you may have not heard of before, because institutional change is built on personal growth and individual participation. That is why today we are bringing you a comprehensive—but in no way exhaustive—list of key anti-racism resources to explore in your spare time.
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Supplier Diversity at Mount Sinai
In February 2021, Mount Sinai’s leadership shared a commitment to further invest in and partner with community suppliers as part of our effort to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our community. This week, we are excited to share more information about this commitment to supplier diversity— an especially important initiative, enhanced in the wake of the 2020 outpouring of support for Black Lives Matter, that epitomizes the importance of taking intentional, smaller steps to make a larger difference in supporting and elevating underrepresented populations.
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Teaching Anti-Racism Across Mount Sinai – Strategy 11
First, we would like to take the time today to remember the life of Breonna Taylor and to remind ourselves of the deep-rooted, systemic racism and anti-Blackness that led to her killing on March 13, 2020. Two years later, the fact that only one officer has been charged in connection to the no-knock raid where Breonna was killed, that he was charged for endangering residents of another apartment and not for her death, and that the officer was recently acquitted remind us that the fight to eradicate racism is far from over.
Thursday, March 4, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Transitioning Women’s History Month at Mount Sinai
This week, we transition from Black History Month (February) to Women’s History Month (March). In observation of this changeover, we’re looking at how the Road Map's anti-racist work lines up with and complements ongoing gender equity efforts at Mount Sinai—including for Black women and women from other under-represented minority (URM) groups.
Thursday, February 24, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Enhancing Leadership Learning, Capacity, Knowledge, Engagement, and Accountability
Today we are covering Strategy 10:Enhancing leadership learning, capacity,knowledge, engagement, and accountability so that all leaders can participatefully in anti-racist and equity efforts across the Mount Sinai Health System
Thursday, February 17, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Addressing Microaggressions in the Workplace
Last year, we wrote about Mount Sinai’s policy on racist patient or guest behavior, and it was one of our most-read newsletters to date. So this week we’re expandingon the topic by examining how we can best address microaggressions at MountSinai.
Friday, February 11, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Ensuring Equity in Mentorship-Strategy 9
Today, we're diving into Strategy 9: Promoting equity in mentorship. We caught up with Strategy Lead and Chief Learning Officer Diane Adams to learn more about the world of mentorship at Mount Sinai, why equity in mentorship matters, and what she and her team are doing to promote equity.
Thursday, February 3, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Recognizing Holocaust Remembrance Day and Celebrating the Lunar New Year and Black History Month
This week, we’re highlighting three important observances: Holocaust Remembrance Day (Thursday, January 27) and Lunar New Year and Black History Month (both of which started on Tuesday, February 1).
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Increasing Diversity in Mount Sinai’s Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention Efforts—Strategy 8
This week we’re discussing Strategy 8 with strategy lead and Chief Human Resources Officer Jane Maksoud: Increasing recruitment efforts, hiring, and retention of Black and other underrepresented minority (URM) faculty and staff and ensuring diversity in all levels of Health System leadership, including roles with high impact.
Thursday, January 20, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Examining Racial Disparities in the COVID-19 Pandemic
The recent surge in COVID-19 cases is once again challenging our nation's health care system—and here at Mount Sinai, our colleagues are stepping up to treat and care for New Yorkers every day. This latest wave is also a reminder of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, which were hit worst and first by the pandemic. By transforming Mount Sinai into an anti-racist institution, the Road Map will help ensure that our Health System consciously acknowledges and addresses this inequity, providing our communities with the care they need and deserve.
Thursday, January 13, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Designing Mount Sinai's Equitable Business Structures-Strategy 7
Today we're taking a deep dive into how our Health System operates and is led with Road Map Strategy 7: examining and redesigning business structures with an anti-racist and equity lens, led by Jeff Silverstein. Big picture: examining and redesigning business structures is about gaining deep insight into, and addressing, the frequently unintended consequences of our various policies and practices that hold in place or lead to inequity.
Thursday, January 6, 2022
Road Map Bulletin: Our Strategy Leads' 2022 "Road Map Resolutions"
We asked the 11 Road Map strategy leads to share New Year's resolutions for advancing anti-racism within the Mount Sinai community and beyond.
Thursday, December 15, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: How Mount Sinai is Investing in Equity—Strategy 6
Like any culture shift, all of our anti-racism and equity work has to be paid for—and that’s our topic this week: Strategy 6, developing a sustained financial investment in racial equity and anti-racism.
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: Juneteenth Update
As we are winding down the year, we wanted to share some exciting news. In 2022, Mount Sinai Health System will begin to phase in Juneteenth as an official paid holiday.
Friday, December 3, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: A Recap on Road Map Strategies
For the past three and a half months, we’ve been updating you on our progress to implement the Road Map for Action to Address Racism and Bias—and today we want to mark a milestone: we are now nearly halfway through our deep dives into the eleven Road Map strategies. We wanted to take a moment to recap these strategies, reflect on progress so far, and talk more about next steps.
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: The Committee to Address Anti-Asian Bias and Racism (CAABR)
Asian and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have experienced the worsening of another epidemic:
a rise in anti-Asian sentiment and violence. Stories of our friends, family, and community members enduring verbal and physical assaults have become more common over the past two years, including an offensive document targeting members of our Mount Sinai community that was recently posted on a Mount Sinai campus. The Mount Sinai community stands united against these incidents in keeping with our zero-tolerance policy against racism and bias. In response, Asian and AAPI Mount Sinai community members and their allies have come together to form the Committee to Address Anti-Asian Bias and Racism (CAABR).
Thursday, November 11, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: Black Executive Acceleration Program
Today, we want to update everyone on the Black Executive Acceleration Program (BEAP), which we introduced back in August in our first-ever Bulletin. As some of you may remember, the BEAP is a small pilot program co-sponsored by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion and Talent Development and Learning (TDL), aimed at supporting Black directors and senior directors at Mount Sinai who are interested in advancing their careers. This pilot program will guide us as we continue to expand our leadership development and other TDL programs throughout the organization.
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: A Deep Dive into Strategy 5
This week we caught up with Gary C. Butts, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System and Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy, and Community Affairs at the Icahn School of Medicine, to discuss Strategy #5: Forge new, and leverage existing, strategic partnerships and networks within the MSHS to accelerate and spread anti-racism and equity efforts.
Thursday, October 28, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: Racism is a Public Health Crisis
On Monday, October 18, the New York City Board of Health declared racism a public health crisis, joining other organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Medical Association that have declared racism serious threats to public health over the last year. This resolution both aligns with Mount Sinai’s Road Map for Action to Address Racism and has a direct connection to our Health System: our very own Lynne D. Richardson, MD, Professor of Emergency Medicine, and Population Health Science and Policy, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is a member of the NYC Board of Health and had a direct hand in drafting and adopting this resolution. We caught up with Lynne to discuss the significance of the Board’s declaration and what it all means.
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: A Deep Dive into Strategy #4
You may have noticed that our last couple of bulletins were anchored on one overarching theme: community. Today, we are excited to introduce the next Road Map for Action strategy-Strategy Four-which also shares this focus: Build connection and community within the Mount Sinai Health System to adopt a racial equity culture.
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: Latinx Heritage Month
As many of you know, tomorrow marks the end of Latinx Heritage Month, so today we are dedicating the Bulletin to reflecting on Latinx identity and the community overall at Mount Sinai. We are both proudly Afro-Latinx, and co-author Shawn Lee is also co-lead for the Heritage of Latinx Alliance (HOLA) Employee Resource Group.
Thursday, October 7, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: Bulletin Flyers and a Deep Dive into Strategy #3
The focus—of these Bulletins and our anti-racist efforts overall—is building a community that actively opposes structural and individual racism and works to eliminate inequity in all its forms. Community engagement is also the explicit focus of the next Road Map strategy that we want to highlight, Strategy Three: Enhance community partnerships and accountability.
Thursday, September 30, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: Mount Sinai’s Policy on Dealing With Racist Behavior from Patients and Guests
This week, we discuss individual racism and how Mount Sinai handles interactions with patients and guests exhibiting racist behavior. For team members of color, these types of interactions are—sadly—nothing new. To help address it, Mount Sinai recently instituted a new policy to guide employees during these interactions, with a focus on stopping the harmful behavior and supporting our colleagues in both clinical and nonclinical settings.
Thursday, September 23, 2021
Road Map Bulletin: Recognizing Our Colleagues’ Great Work and Exploring the History of Slavery in New York
This weekend, Modern Healthcare announced that our colleague Ann-Gel Palermo, DrPH, MPH, Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education and Research for the Mount Sinai Health System, has been named to the 2021 class of Top Diversity Leaders. This great news comes on the heels of two of our diversity councils receiving national recognition from the Global ERG Network.
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Road Map for Action Bulletin: A Deep Dive Into Strategy Two
Today, we are excited to spotlight the second Road Map for Action strategy: Unify and integrate clinical practices. Advocate for payment and regulatory mechanisms that would allow for the full integration and unification of clinical practices regardless of insurance status.
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Road Map for Action Bulletin: Learning about the Racist History of New York’s State Parkways
We want to look at some seemingly benign, everyday structures to provide some context and a better understanding for how structural racism is embedded throughout our world in subtle, but pervasive, ways. For example, the roads to, from, and through our city and region.
Thursday, September 2, 2021
Road Map for Action Bulletin: A Deep Dive Into Strategy One
This week, we’re highlighting the first strategy in the Road Map for Action: Developing an equity scorecard to measure performance in order to identify where we are meeting with success and where more, or different, efforts are needed. First and foremost, equity has been elevated to a core value of Mount Sinai.
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Road Map for Action Bulletin: What We’re Doing and How We Got Here
Each week, we will provide information on the work being done, share updates and insights on the 11 Road Map Strategies, and highlight upcoming events, initiatives, and ways for everyone to get involved. Our goals with this newsletter are to provide updates on the progress and context for why Mount Sinai is working to become an anti-racist institution, and to help create a space for honest and constructive dialogue.
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Road Map for Action Bulletin and 11 Strategy Leads
We are launching a new newsletter on our efforts to become an anti-racist institution. Transparency, accountability, and community involvement are critical to this necessary and important work—and we hope this newsletter will keep everyone informed and involved as we continue putting the 11 Road Map strategies into action.