Carr Talk: Our Partnership With NYC Health + Hospitals—Elmhurst and Queens Hospital Centers

Hi, friends and colleagues,

Recently, I highlighted our incredibly important partnership with the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx. Today, I’m excited to talk about another crucial relationship that has been a cornerstone of our Health System for nearly 60 years: our affiliation with NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H). 

This partnership between Mount Sinai and H+H’s Elmhurst and Queens Hospital Centers has not only allowed us to care for the communities of central Queens, but has also strengthened our mission of education, research, and patient-centered care. I had the privilege of visiting with some of the leadership from Elmhurst earlier this month at the annual meeting of the medical staff, and I left feeling re-energized about our ongoing partnership.

Since 1964, our affiliation, a partnership between two New York City municipal hospitals and a private health care system, has served as an example of how we can work together to care for our community. Much of the clinical workforce at these hospitals is composed of Mount Sinai employees. About 1,600 full-time faculty, staff, and trainees are as connected to Mount Sinai as they are to H+H. These dedicated teams are delivering world-leading care and also training the next generation of health care professionals, including hundreds of residents annually. Many of our departments are deeply integrated with the training and care delivery that happens at Elmhurst and Queens.

My strong personal connection to H+H started early in my days as Chair of Emergency Medicine, since one of our two emergency medicine residencies is shared between The Mount Sinai Hospital and Elmhurst. The residents benefit from having access to both clinical environments, and the experience is optimized only if the faculty speak with one voice. Many of our residency graduates are now faculty members who practice at Elmhurst and Queens, and the sharing of information is always helpful—but was really critical during COVID-19. The experiences and feelings I shared with our faculty there when COVID-19 was at its peak made a permanent impression on me.

As with all things, these complex partnerships are dependent upon the extraordinary people and relationships that underlie them. I’d like to highlight a few key leaders that make this special partnership possible. First among them is Jasmin Moshirpur, MD. Dr. Moshirpur (center, above) is now Dean Emeritus at Mount Sinai, and we had the privilege of celebrating her retirement after nearly four decades leading the Mount Sinai/H+H affiliation while serving as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Elmhurst and Queens. Dr. Moshirpur completed medical school in Iran, emigrated to the United States, and completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai. She was appointed Director of the Department of OB/GYN at Elmhurst in 1975, and has had an immeasurable impact on women’s health and the education of a generation of caregivers and administrators. 

A new generation of leaders is currently at the helm at Elmhurst and Queens. Helen Arteaga Landaverde , PhD, MPH (right), is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Elmhurst and Laura Iavicoli , MD (left), is the CMO/Senior Associate Dean at Elmhurst. Neil J. Moore, FACHE , MBA, MPA, is the CEO of Queens, and Dave Holson , MD, is the CMO/Senior Associate Dean. The substantial graduate medical education partnership between the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and our two H+H affiliates is led by I. Michael Leitman , MD.

From my perspective, our collaboration with H+H has been a bidirectional win for Mount Sinai and for H+H, advancing our clinical, education, and research missions. Most importantly, it also extends the umbrella of exceptional care to large communities in Queens that feel very connected to their community hospitals. I feel very fortunate to have inherited a partnership with an organization with aligned values of service and compassion and am proud of the work that we do together. 

Thank you to all of you who make this partnership possible.

With gratitude,

Brendan