‘It’s the Work of a Lifetime’

Watching things grow is one of Albert Cano’s favorite things to do. Cano, the security operations manager at the Mount Sinai-Harlem Health Center, has worked at the center since it opened in September 2023.

The nearly $80 million center, 12 stories tall and spanning 85,000 square feet, is a multispecialty health care facility. Cano calls it a “one-stop shop for everything.” He said seeing the center blossom in Harlem – where he was born – and seeing how it’s helping people, is the best part of his job.

“We’re impacting lives,” Cano said. “This is an opportunity for me to actually do something here, to impact the neighborhood and do something beyond just the scope of just being a security operations manager, but to be an ambassador for change and hope in this neighborhood.”

Cano initially wanted to be a teacher, but realized he didn’t have the patience for children and lesson plans like he thought he did. He began working in health care security, where he could lead and make a difference.

Leading and seeing his team succeed is one of Cano’s favorite parts of his job. Because security is often an invisible job – Cano said no one sees them unless they’re needed – he finds joy in treating his team how he wants to be treated.

“To be the boss that I never really got a chance to have and to be able to see the beauty in other people, or witnessing their growth from their humble beginnings, to see where they are now, it’s the work of a lifetime,” Cano said.

Calmness and patience are big parts of Cano’s job. When a patient is unstable or agitated, he needs to remain calm and collected. He said serving God is what motivates him, even when times are tough. He’s thankful that he can see God use him to help others and change lives.

When Cano isn’t working, he enjoys watching Marvel movies and the Knicks and listening to hip-hop, jazz, rhythm and blues and soul music.

He added that he thinks security should be recognized more. He tells people to thank security officers and law enforcement officers when they see them at work.

“We take security and we take law enforcement for granted, because it’s always there, but what about when it’s not there?” Cano said. “ The people that you see, that’re trying to keep you safe, they have their own lives as well, too, that they’re walking away from every day just to put their life on the line for you.”