"How The Actors Fund Keeps Broadway On Its Feet"-Shoshy Ciment
The Actors Fund, a supportive organization for anyone involved in the performing arts, partnered with Mount Sinai Doctors to establish the Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts in March 2017. Unique work hours, industry-specific injuries, and ever-fluctuating insurance coverage make the entertainment community particularly vulnerable when it comes to health care. And the Friedman Health Center knows this. In addition to primary and specialty care, the center offers extended hours and expedited referrals within the Mount Sinai Health System for anyone involved in the arts, on and off the stage. “We hate the expression, ‘the show must go on,’ but we get it,” remarks Jason Kindt, DO, a family medicine doctor at the Friedman Health Center. “We understand the business. They have to work and get paid. But it’s hard on their bodies.” In addition to personal care, the Friedman Health Center offers various wellness seminars for the Broadway community. Previous topics have included eating healthy on a budget, a dancer’s guide to preventing repetitive stress injuries, and mindfulness meditation tools for surviving the industry.
- Jason H. Kindt, DO, Assistant Professor, Family Medicine & Community Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Family Medicine Doctor, The Samuel J. Friedman Health Center, Mount Sinai Health System
- Ramon J. Pesigan, MD, Assistant Professor, Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Sports Medicine Doctor, The Samuel J. Friedman Health Center, Mount Sinai Health System