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2009 Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
As an extension of the department of Community and Preventive Medicine
at Mount Sinai Hospital (founded in 1852), Mount Sinai School of
Medicine (MSSM) draws from its longstanding commitment to New York's
most vulnerable populations to forge a new chapter in its rich history.
By weaving educational opportunities into its numerous outreach
and community initiatives, MSSM is not only eliminating disparities
in care, but creating what Dean Dennis S. Charney, M.D., calls the
"new American physician"—a doctor who is aware and also part
of his or her community. Today, MSSM focuses on underserved groups,
with special attention to adolescents, home-bound, mostly elderly,
patients, and minorities.
For example, Mount Sinai established the Adolescent Health Center
(AHC), the first adolescent-specific health service in New York
state and the largest freestanding provider of outpatient adolescent
health services in the world. Treating 10,000 adolescents each year,
the AHC offers age-appropriate, free, comprehensive care. The success
of AHC providers in demonstrating sensitivity to teenage health
concerns has served a critical role in establishing patient trust
and rapport, resulting in an 88 percent return rate for a second
visit, with some patients traveling from as far away as Pennsylvania
to seek care. Further, the ability of the AHC staff to connect with
teenagers and influence their behavior has resulted in lower pregnancy
rates for AHC patients when compared to the national, state, and
city averages. Recognizing a changing community, the center recently
expanded its services to a greater age range, now treating patients
as young as 10. "What we get out of the program," said AHC director
and former patient Angela Diaz, M.D., M.P.H, "is the knowledge that
we can help another teen like ourselves."
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"We are very serious about excellence and leadership
in the service to our communities."
- Dennis S. Charney, M.D., Anne
and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of Mount Sinai School of Medicine
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To reach an older demographic, Dean for Medical Education David
Muller, M.D., and a group of medical residents created Mount Sinai
Visiting Doctors (MSVD) 15 years ago. As the nation's largest academic
home-care program, MSVD provides medical care and psychosocial support
to homebound patients and their families, with 5,000 home visits
to Manhattan patients annually. Though the MSVD program treats all
age groups, the average patient is 81 years old and has more chronic
diseases than the national average, with 90 percent of those treated
qualifying for Medicare. The program trains approximately 200 medical
students, residents, and fellows annually in the provision of home
care.
Because a population as diverse as New York City requires an exceptionally
high level of cultural competence, MSSM established the Center for
Multicultural and Community Affairs (CMCA), which works to eliminate
health care disparities. One of only 13 federally funded Centers
for Excellence for Minority Health in the nation, the center receives
funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration through
Title VII. CMCA is known for its innovative, coordinated approach
to education, patient care, research, and policy, and for its goal
of improving the health of populations by working to provide a diverse
health care workforce. The center's numerous activities include
educational pipeline programs, minority affairs, diversity initiatives,
support for medical students and trainees, and cultural programs
within MSSM.
MSSM leadership reinforces its quest to create the "new American
physician" by practicing what it preaches. The school has vowed
not to let any existing programs fail, and fills in funding gaps
when philanthropic support wanes—no small feat for an institution
that provides more than $75 million in uncompensated care each year.
The school also passes along its excellence in service by helping
other academic medical centers start similar programs. As a result,
"Our community-oriented programs have thrived, establishing themselves
as leaders in the field," said Dean Charney. "We take great pride
in carrying on Mount Sinai's tradition of service."
About the Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service
The Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service honors
member institutions with a longstanding, major institutional commitment
to addressing community needs. The award recognizes exceptional
programs that go well beyond the traditional role of academic medicine
and reach communities whose needs are not being met through the
traditional health delivery system. The award was renamed in 2007
to honor Spencer "Spike" Foreman, M.D., who established the award
in 1993 while serving as chair of the AAMC.
Find out more about the Spencer Foreman Award
for Outstanding Community Service, to nominate a deserving individual,
and to view a list of previous recipients.
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