The Alfred and Gail Engelberg Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
A collaboration between the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Institute for Family Health, the Department opened on July 1, 2012.
We are dedicated to developing an array of educational, research, and clinical care programs aimed at teaching, studying, and providing high-quality, patient-centered primary and mental health care.
Our Mission
Educational Mission
We strive to ensure outstanding primary care educational experiences for students, residents, and fellows in both outpatient and inpatient settings, using an integrated family practice model.
Research Mission
Our goal is to develop evidence through clinical and health services research that advances primary care knowledge and practice, addresses barriers to health equity, enhances patient engagement, and informs health policy. We focus on several key research areas:
- Racial and ethnic health disparities
- Patient-centered care
- Health information technology
- Integration of behavioral health care and primary care
- Women’s health in the primary care setting
Clinical Mission
We endeavor to deliver high quality, patient-centered primary health care targeted to medically underserved communities. To support this clinical mission, we:
- Work to refine models for delivering primary health care, behavioral health care, and social services for patients of all ages and backgrounds
- Use health information technology to enhance the quality and efficiency of care, coordinate care with other providers within ISMMS, offer patients access to their health records, and interact with the public health care system
- Maintain the highest levels of privacy and security of personal health information
- Implement community-based health promotion and outreach programs
As a part of our overall mission, we are committed to:
- Promoting work force diversity
- Providing a supportive work environment that encourages personal and professional development of our faculty and staff
- Caring for those who experience difficulty accessing health care due to socioeconomic factors, disability, or other issues
About Family Medicine
Family medicine is a division of primary care that provides health care across the lifespan. It has a long history and was officially recognized as a medical specialty in 1969. The American Board of Family Medicine gives the following definition:
“Family medicine is the medical specialty which provides continuing, comprehensive health care for the individual and family. It is a specialty in breadth that integrates the biological, clinical and behavioral sciences.”
Within our department, we see family medicine as comprehensive, coordinated, and culturally competent. The family practice model of care is based on a holistic approach to health that integrates psychological, social, economic, and environmental determinants of health with biomedical factors. We view comprehensive women’s health care, including a full scope of reproductive care, as an integral part of family medicine. Many of our doctors have additional specializations in fields such as HIV and geriatrics.