Mount Sinai's Stakeholder Advisory Board Meeting: Collaboration in Action

This February, I had the remarkable opportunity of sitting in on an advisory board meeting of Mt. Sinai’s Community Outreach and Engagement Core (COEC) led by Luz Guell, the COEC’s Project Coordinator, and Maida Galvez, Co-Director of COEC. It’s difficult to capture the palpable energy that was present there, with just a bunch of people sitting around a table in a windowless conference room. It was a meeting of people and minds that gave truth to the phrase that two heads are better than one—and in this case, the many minds made it exponentially better. The room was alive with the passion of like-minded, driven individuals ready to come together to make change, and it was a privilege to see that collaboration in action.

Actively engaged in clinical outreach, educational initiatives, and policy-making, the mission of the Community Outreach and Engagement Core is to “foster communication and collaboration among environmental health scientists and stakeholders (community based organizations, clinicians, advocacy groups, policymakers) on the role of environmental exposures in children’s health, and strategies to build healthier environments, particularly in East Harlem and the South Bronx.” Mt. Sinai, Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design, CUNY Law’s Center for Urban Environmental Reform, WE ACT and Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation are just a few of the impactful organizations that are part of the core. Their outreach can be as straight-forward and fundamental as providing opportunities for individuals to learn about the various health concerns they and their family face, but more often—as was readily apparent in February’s board meeting—the board members push the envelope. They aim high, and together, their aims are absolutely within reach.

Project Coordinator Luz Guel expressed a similarly zealous appreciation of the teamwork: “We are continuously amazed by this board. The ideas that come from [this board] are incredible…we can’t even capture all of the work…and projects that are developed by just sitting at the table together. You all act as our accelerator—you move things forward.”

True to form, the members dug in and began bouncing off ideas from the start.

They discussed everything from the broad concepts of potential projects to the nitty-gritty details of pursuing grants effectively; from ongoing projects like an innovative e-screener, to accessible and affordable course curriculums about environmental health. Each person came ready to immediately share their strengths and those of their organization:

“We have a range of assets that could be useful to you and that we can share with you, right away.” — Alison Mears, Healthy Materials Lab

With an attitude like that in every member of the Community Outreach and Engagement Core, it’s no surprise that they create such change.

A team full of experts in different areas, sometimes sharing strengths simply meant keeping each other informed. At this latest meeting, for example, the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation educated the group about their program, Continuing Teaching and Leading Education (CTLE), and the details of every teacher’s professional development. This directly led into a discussion of how possible educational initiatives the group could pursue, with that new insight in mind.

Other times, the strengths they shared were more actionable—like monetary backing or access to the right ears or the right venues. Whatever would make the initiatives a reality. Whatever would make progress a reality.

Decisions are made by the people who show up, and these remarkable individuals—researchers, professors, doctors, architects, and so on—always show up. Take a look at their work at George Washington Carver Houses right now, and keep an eye out for more.