National Doctors’ Day is a special day devoted to honoring the dedication, skill, and unwavering commitment of physicians who tirelessly strive to provide exceptional health care to individuals and communities worldwide. Through both triumphs and challenges, doctors stand as pillars of hope and healing, and their impact resonates deeply within our hearts and minds. This year, more than 2,000 patients shared heartwarming messages of gratitude for their Mount Sinai doctors and their teams. Here is a selection of notes that reflect their deep appreciation for the care and compassion provided.

We surprised a few doctors with notes from their grateful patients—see their surprised reactions!

In early 2024, Clinique Laboratories made a donation of $5M to the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine to study and better understand healthy skin. The philanthropic partnership established the Mount Sinai-Clinique Healthy Skin Center, a virtual research enterprise with Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, Chair of the Waldman Department of Dermatology, as the inaugural director. One year later, we take a look at the unique story behind this special philanthropic partnership and what it has enabled in the Center’s first year of existence.

The story behind this donation is about two entities—a leading global prestige beauty brand and an academic medical research center—recognizing a kindred spirit in each other, despite some core differences. Since its origin in 1968, safety for sensitive skin has been the heart of Clinique’s mission. Dr. Norman Orentreich, the first President of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and Clinique’s Founding Dermatologist was highly invested in allergy science. He pioneered Clinique’s allergy testing program; to date, Clinique has conducted over 6 million allergy-testing applications.

Norman’s son, David S. Orentreich, MD is an Assistant Clinical Professor, Voluntary Attending for the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Together with his sister Catherine Orentreich, MD, he is also continuing his father’s legacy as Guiding Dermatologists for Clinique. Having a deep understanding of Clinique’s brand mission to support healthy skin research, Dr David Orentreich introduced Clinique’s head of Product Development to Dr. Emma Guttman, knowing she is a world-renowned expert in allergic and inflammatory skin diseases and was working on new and meaningful research at Mount Sinai. From the first conversation with Dr. Guttman, Clinique realized that a gift to establish a healthy skin center at Mount Sinai that would support this scientific research was a natural continuation of the Clinique brand mission to create great skin for all.

The Mount Sinai-Clinique Healthy Skin Center was announced in February 2024 with the ambitious aim of learning more about the aging process and how to best tackle it in different stages of life by examining healthy patients alongside those with inflammatory skin conditions like atopic dermatitis. Studying the impact of factors like diet, exercise, and stress on the skin of healthy people provided Mount Sinai’s scientists with key insights on how to turn back the clock on aging and the effects of inflammation on skin. The Department of Dermatology at Mount Sinai serves the world’s most diverse patient population, so this Center was well-positioned from the start to enroll participants from a broad range of backgrounds in research studies and clinical trials. With the launch of the Center, Mount Sinai moved into the next game-changing phase of research.

In its next years, the work of the Center will continue as it leverages its connections with other esteemed institutes throughout our health system, including the Precision Immunology Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine (PrIISM) and the Icahn Genomics Institute, to bring their innovative ideas to life. The team also works closely with Mount Sinai’s Skin of Color Center, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and specializes in diagnosing and treating skin conditions more common in people of color to understand how diseases manifest differently and ensure that treatments are both culturally sensitive and appropriate for differently pigmented skin.

These Year One accomplishments are possible thanks to the vital support and generosity of Clinique, which is grounded in a shared commitment to dermatological research that tangibly improves people’ lives. With a focus on actionable scientific discovery and leading-edge innovation, the Center is well on its way to transform allergy science and pioneer new solutions for skin conditions. Its first year reflects the shared vision between Clinique and Mount Sinai to deliver breakthrough advancements in dermatology that promote healthier skin for all.

March marks Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month, and the Mount Sinai Health System stands as a beacon of hope for patients and families, leading the charge against this formidable disease. More than 30,000 people in the US are diagnosed with multiple myeloma each year, making it the second most common blood cancer—albeit a rare and complex one that has a great ability to survive and elude therapeutic interventions. It is twice as common in the Black community as in other ethnicities, and genetics and immune changes contributing to high-risk disease have not been explained.

As one of the country’s largest multiple myeloma programs, the Center for Excellence in Multiple Myeloma at the Tisch Cancer Center at Mount Sinai is poised to change this by bringing together physicians, scientists, patients, families, and donors to realize one collective goal: improving the lives of everyone with myeloma.

Philanthropy has been crucial in advancing immunotherapy and genomics research, leading to new therapies and innovative approaches to overcome treatment resistance. Samir Parekh, MD, Director of the Center, notes, “Donor support is vital to our efforts, and we are tremendously grateful for the direct role of philanthropy in helping patients at Mount Sinai and throughout the world.”

Private gifts expand promising investigations and enable applications for significant grants. For example, philanthropy led to a $7 million grant from the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation for a three-year project to improve outcomes for high-risk myeloma patients. Success in securing this funding is entirely due to the incredible generosity of our donors.

“Ultimately, our research network stands to greatly improve our comprehensive understanding of high-risk myeloma and rapidly translate this knowledge into next-generation clinical trials for patients who desperately need novel therapeutic strategies,” said Sundar Jagannath, MD, Mount Sinai Professor in Multiple Myeloma and Network Director of the Center.

Such advances in translating research from the laboratory to the bedside have been nothing short of life-saving for patients like Jon Gluck:

“I donate to the Mount Sinai multiple myeloma program for the simplest of reasons: the doctors and nurses there saved my life. In 2023, twenty years and many treatments after I was initially diagnosed with myeloma, my disease was advancing at a concerning rate. Dr. Sundar Jagannath recommended a cutting-edge treatment being offered at Sinai called CAR-T therapy, and Dr. Shambavi Richard, Dr. Tarek Mouhieddine, nurse practitioner Danny Verina, and dozens of others on the Sinai team led me through that complex and difficult protocol. The result was a complete remission—my first in many years. Although no amount of money can sufficiently express my gratitude to the Sinai team, I try to do what I can to help.” Mr. Gluck is a longtime donor and the author of “An Exercise in Uncertainty,” a memoir about his myeloma journey to be published by Harmony/Random House in 2025.

With donor support, the dedicated team at Mount Sinai, and the inspiration of resilient patients, together we can advance multiple myeloma research and treatment, bringing hope to those who need it most.

About the expansion of the Center for Excellence in Multiple Myeloma:

In addition to locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Mount Sinai specialists currently treat multiple myeloma at Mount Sinai South Nassau sites on Long Island, and through a new partnership with Valley Health System in New Jersey. The Center also recently began an outreach program to bridge the gap between Mount Sinai and community doctors across the New York City metropolitan region to optimize care for all myeloma patients, especially the underserved.

In March 2020, as the world grappled with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Abilities Research Center (ARC) at Mount Sinai took a proactive step to support health care workers across the Mount Sinai Health System. Anticipating the immense toll the pandemic would take on these front-line heroes, the ARC established recharge rooms­­—innovative spaces designed to provide a sanctuary for health care workers, offering them a much-needed respite from the relentless pressures of their work.

The founding principle of recharge rooms is rooted in the science showing that exposure to nature can profoundly benefit a person’s physical and mental health. To this end, the rooms offer voice-activated, immersive experiences that simulate natural environments such as oceans and rainforests. These settings are designed to address anxiety, stress, and trauma while improving cognitive performance.

The impact of recharge rooms has been nothing short of remarkable. During the initial surge of the pandemic, a survey of 495 front-line health care workers at The Mount Sinai Hospital revealed a 60 percent reduction in stress levels after using the rooms. This significant reduction in stress enabled the workers to continue their shifts with renewed hope and purpose, ultimately translating into better care for patients.

Since their inception, thousands of health care workers have benefited from the recharge rooms. The spaces were designed in collaboration with Studio Elsewhere, a company known for its creative and inclusive design framework. Studio Elsewhere’s team leads employee workshops to co-design experiences that consider cultural competency, ensuring that the rooms are inclusive and safe spaces for all users.

The efficacy of the recharge rooms extends beyond anecdotal evidence. Under the leadership of David Putrino, PhD, Professor of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at the Icahn School of Medicine, and Director of Rehabilitation Innovation for the Mount Sinai Health System, a multidisciplinary team has been studying the effects of these environments on health care workers. Their research has shown that the rooms reduce perceived stress and lower physiological markers such as cortisol levels and galvanic skin response, a common indicator of stress and anxiety.

Five years on, recharge rooms continue to demonstrate their value with ongoing studies showing no decrease in effectiveness over time or across variable scenarios. The success of recharge rooms has led to their expansion to 18 hospitals across the United States, where preliminary analysis of the results indicate that large reductions in perceived stress are still being experienced by users, validating the initial findings gathered during the height of the COVID pandemic and demonstrating their efficacy across different communities and scenarios.

The recharge rooms were established by a philanthropic gift from the Cullman family—long-standing, visionary supporters who have been an integral part of The Mount Sinai Hospital since its establishment as The Jews Hospital in 1852. A member of the Cullman family has served on the Board ever since. Currently, two Cullman siblings—Susan and Edgar, Jr.—serve on the Mount Sinai Health System Boards of Trustees and oversee the activities of the Cullman Institute.

The Cullman’s sustained commitment to Mount Sinai has been instrumental in recognizing the unique contributions of each individual—spanning doctors, nurses, coordinators, family caregivers, and more—to the patient experience. The recharge rooms embody that commitment to caring for our caregivers.

Recharge rooms provide a sanctuary for health care workers and highlight the importance of creating environments that support mental health and well-being. As Dr. Putrino aptly puts it, “Environments are not neutral. They can harm or they can help. There is no limit to what we could be doing to create smart environments that aid in healing, enhance the patient experience, and improve the well-being of the people caring for our patients, as well”.

Looking ahead, the next step is to extend the benefits of recharge rooms to patients. Plans are underway to introduce these therapeutic environments to neurological ICUs at Mount Sinai, to enhance the patient experience and aid in healing.

The story of the recharge rooms at Mount Sinai is a testament to the power of innovative thinking and compassionate care, setting a new standard for holistic well-being in the health care landscape. 

Health Care Workers Reflect on the Recharge Rooms

Ramona Gross, Assistant Director of Volunteer Services and Co-Lead of the Black Leaders Advocating for Change & Community Employee Resource Group at Mount Sinai West, shares her experience: “It’s such a wonderful space. The time that I spent there leaves me so relaxed and recharged and ready to finish my day. Everything from the aromatherapy, sounds, lighting, and visuals made it a moment for me to get away from it all and just really enjoy this quiet time. This is really truly amazing. There are no words”.

Shannon O’Neill, PhD, a psychologist at the Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics and Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine, reflects on the personal impact of the recharge rooms: “The recharge rooms were a way for me to escape. Separated from my family during the pandemic while I worked at the hospital, in the room I could pretend I was with them in my happy place, on the beach at our family home. Each feature of the room was incredibly thoughtful and intentionally customized, from the originally orchestrated music to the soothing scents and colorful hues. Experiencing the room offered me personal solitude, finding meaning and purpose in my work”.