People With Disabilities
The Office for Health Data, Outcomes, and Engagement Strategy (HDOES) is committed to fostering an inclusive environment for people with disabilities throughout Mount Sinai. To this end, we seek to broaden our staff, faculty, trainees, and students’ understanding of people with disabilities and to create an equitable environment for all by:
- Creating opportunities for people with disabilities throughout the organization
- Fostering an environment that supports and empowers people with disabilities and their loved ones
- Raising awareness about the unique needs and talents of individuals with disabilities
- Building partnerships and leveraging existing resources
Key Initiatives
HDOES takes a multifaceted approach to foster inclusive environments for people with disabilities through education, resources, opportunities, and awareness initiatives.
Education
We are currently offering virtual and in-person education by request. These educational sessions focus on understanding disability concepts, identifying how bias and unconscious bias impact how we interact with people with disabilities, and best practices to promote behaviors which allow everyone to thrive. Contact HealthDOES@mountsinai.org for more information or to schedule a session for your department.
An on-demand module, “Unconscious Bias: Understanding People with Disabilities,” is also available on PEAK On-Demand Modules (network log-in required).
Engagement
The ADAPT (All Differing Abilities Partnering Together) Employee Resource Group (ERG), primarily serves as a platform to promote awareness about people with disabilities. The group also serves as a resource for employees who have disabilities and/or care for patients or loved ones who have a disability–providing an educational forum for sharing ideas and information to improve care throughout the System.
In addition, the Caregiver ERG serves as a resource to employees, supporting a healthy balance between work-life and home-life for all. HDOES is also collaborating with Mount Sinai Calm to bring self-care resources to staff. For more information email 4calm@mountsinai.org or visit the Mount Sinai Calm intranet (network log-in required).
Recruitment and Retention
HDOES is partnering with Talent Acquisition through a special workgroup to increase recruitment efforts around people with varying abilities. Additionally, we offer customized unconscious bias educational sessions to support the recruitment process and offer strategies to mitigate bias in the interview and selection processes. For information on employment opportunities within the Mount Sinai Health System, please visit our careers website. Talent Acquisition and Retention Employment partnerships include such organizations as FedCap Rehabilitation Services, Inc. and Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center to hire veterans and people with disabilities. The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan Adaptation Job Program directly targets people with disabilities to internship to employment opportunities.
Enhancing Patient Experience
HDOES is committed to improving the patient experience. To achieve this aim, HDOES is an active leader on the Mount Sinai Health System’s ADA/Accessibility Steering Committee and has ongoing initiatives with Patient Experience to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for our patients. As part of our collaborative efforts, we have teamed with the Beryl Institute to publish an important case study on the patient experience.
Collaboration with Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
HDOES works closely with Student Disability Services Office (SDS) to advance health equity of staff and students with disabilities. For information on student accommodations please contact SDS.