Health System Policies

To support staff in all settings, Mount Sinai instituted a policy to guide employees in responding to racist behaviors. The policy was created by a coalition of leaders, including, from left, Tamiesha Frempong, MD, MPH; Erica Rubinstein, Vice President of Service Excellence and Patient Experience; and Pamela Abner, Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer.

The policy is available to all staff as a pocket guide.

Conversations with a Patient,

Responding to Racist and Discriminatory Patient Behaviors

Mount Sinai instituted a new policy to guide employees in responding to racist patient behaviors, with a focus on disrupting the harmful behaviors while supporting staff in both clinical and nonclinical settings. This policy was created by a coalition of administrators, physicians, and senior leadership, including Pamela Abner, Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer for Mount Sinai Hospitals Group; Tamiesha Frempong, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology; and Erica Rubinstein, Vice President of Service Excellence and Patient Experience for the Mount Sinai Health System.

Pocket Guide

Responding to Racist and Discriminatory Behavior

Patient, family member, or visitor makes a discriminatory comment or uses profanity or abusive language toward a staff member or learner/trainee.

A. “Please do not use that type of language as it is offensive to others and not acceptable at Mount Sinai Health System.”

B. “At Mount Sinai, we have a no tolerance policy for inappropriate or offensive behavior or comments. Please refrain from making such remarks.”

C. “We are committed to providing the very best care to all. Your behavior is preventing us from providing this care. We ask that you please stop (describe the behavior) so that we may help you to the best of our ability.”

D. “Your comments have no place in this hospital. Our staff are well-trained and very capable of providing high-quality care; all are professionals and we expect that you will treat them with respect.”

E. “You will be cared for by another clinician. Your current clinician is no longer comfortable treating you based on your offensive behavior/comments.”

Mount Sinai does not tolerate learners or trainees. You are report the behavior to your

Patient or family member asks to change on the perceived identity of the provider. be honored, except in rare cases determined Nurse Administration.

A. “Our policy is to staff our hospitals with or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, orientation, gender identity or gender any other bias. Our staff/learners/trainees extremely competent.”

B. “We will not make staff changes based perceive as discriminatory. We treat learners/trainees with respect, and our patients.”

C. “Your request has been denied. You (provider’s name). All of our staff highest quality of care.”

D. “Based on your behavior and/or discriminatory specifically denied your staff change. you a new clinician because your comfortable providing you treatment.” and harmed by these behaviors.

Hiring and Retention

Patient, Family Member, or Visitor

tolerate racist, biased, or discriminatory behavior toward staff members, are not alone. First evaluate and meet any urgent medical needs. Then your supervisor. Suggested messaging to patients is below.

change staff assignments based provider. Such requests will not determined by the care team or with care providers without bias ethnicity, religion, age, sexual gender expression, disability or staff/learners/trainees are well-trained and based on your request, which we treat all of our patients, staff, and and we expect the same from You will continue to be cared for by are well-trained in providing the discriminatory comments, we change. However, we will assign your current clinician is no longer treatment.”

Mount Sinai has restructured and diversified the search committees for leadership positions. The Road Map Strategy 8 (Organizational and Institutional) Team has been working with a team of human resources professionals to review all Health System job descriptions to ensure that they include specific, deliberate anti-racist language. Vice presidents from Human Resources and Labor Relations are reviewing the Health System’s HR policies through an equity lens to cement antiracist behaviors and practices.

Patient or family member asks to change rooms based on the perceived identity of the roommate or visitors. Such requests will not be honored, except in rare cases determined by the care team or Nurse Administration.

A. “Our policy is to provide safe and appropriate room assignments to all patients regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability or any other bias.

Increasing Supplier Diversity

B. “We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or disability when making room assignments. Your request has been denied.”

C. “We do not make room assignments that discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation, but we will have to change your room if your behavior toward your roommate concerning one of these personal characteristics makes them uncomfortable.”

Through a formalized partnership with a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) consulting group, Mount Sinai’s supplier diversity program increases business and partnerships with underrepresented vendors, encourages non-diverse vendors to subcontract to underrepresented businesses, and develops mentorship programs for empowerment. As small businesses and underrepresented minority-owned businesses have historically been excluded from contracting opportunities, Mount Sinai is intentionally partnering with businesses that are at least 51 percent owned, operated, and controlled by individuals from underrepresented groups. Between 2021 and 2022, there was a $7.6 million increase in spending with MBEs, totaling $46.2 million over the last year. In total, $83.5 million was spent with underrepresented vendors in 2022 across the following categories: MBE, WomenOwned Business Enterprise, Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise, Disability-Owned Business Enterprise, and LGBT-Owned Business Enterprise.