The CARE Award program recognizes employees who receive positive written remarks from patients or their families for providing high-quality and compassionate care.

The criteria for the award are:

C: Compassion- Through listening, identifying patient vulnerabilities, and conveying empathy.

A: Advocacy- Ensuring quality care is given and the safety of the patients and environment is maintained.

R: Respect-Greeting or speaking to others in a kind and respectful way.

E: Engagement- Making individuals feel valued, important, and recognized.

Please join us in congratulating:

1. Glenda Lee – Jamaica Hospital

2. Dorothy Zak – Jamaica Hospital

3 . Benjamin Hartley, MD-  Jamaica Hospital

4. Maria Ramirez – Flushing  Hospital

5. Jimena Grimaldi – Flushing Hospital

6. Angela Correa – Flushing Hospital

7. Ingrid Defreitas – Flushing Hospital

8. Gabrielle Medina – Flushing Hospital

9. Maria Smilios – Flushing Hospital

10. Estefan Andino – Flushing Hospital

We thank our employees for their contributions to making our hospitals high-reliability facilities that focus on patient-centered care.

The MediSys Health Network, which includes Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center, has been recognized as an Age-Friendly Health System—Committed to Care Excellence by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). This recognition acknowledges the network’s commitment to providing high-quality health care for older adults.

IHI convened 30 US health systems over 18 months from 2024 to 2025 in the Age-Friendly System-wide Spread Collaborative to embed the 4Ms system-wide. The MediSys Health Network is among the 14 participating systems nationwide recognized for Excellence in System-wide Spread for demonstrating the delivery of care across all 4Ms (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility) across multiple care settings.

The network also proudly joins the ranks of organizations globally that are achieving success in excellence in care for older adults.

All older adults deserve safe, high-quality health care that is based on what matters most to them as individuals and delivered reliably in every setting. The MediSys Health Network is leading the way in making sure that every day, every older adult receives age-friendly health care by implementing best practices across emergency departments, intensive care units, medical-surgical units, general wards, and primary and specialty care settings.

“I applaud the team at MediSys for continuing its journey to advance age-friendly care. Age-Friendly Health Systems and IHI celebrate your recognition as an Age-Friendly Health System — Committed to Care Excellence. “We know that older adults and staff alike want equitable, evidence-based quality care centered on what matters most to each individual. Together, we can move toward a future in which every older adult, during every care interaction, receives age-friendly care. Thank you for all that you do to improve care for our neighbors, colleagues, and friends.” –Camille Burnett, PhD, MPA, APHN-BC, BScN, RN, DSW, FAAN, Vice President for Health Equity, Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Congratulations to the MediSys Health Network’s Safety Excellence in Infection Prevention (SEIP) award winners.

The SEIP award recognizes employees who contribute to the success of infection control initiatives.

The criteria for the award are:

S: Surpasses above and beyond expected job responsibilities related to infection control.

E: Enforce actions that support best practices in infection prevention.

I: I do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

P: Performs awesome acts of safety related to infection prevention.

We thank the following team members for leading by example and doing their part to reduce the risk of infection transmission:

1. Anita Liliah-Sukhoo, PIR – Jamaica Hospital

2. Rachel Irish, Systems Analyst – Flushing Hospital

The MediSys Health Network cultivates a culture of safety by prioritizing infection control and prevention. All employees play a crucial role in preventing the spread of infections, and their contributions to safety are highly valued.

The CARE Award program recognizes employees who receive positive written remarks from patients or their families for providing high-quality and compassionate care.

The criteria for the award are:

C: Compassion- Through listening, identifying patient vulnerabilities, and conveying empathy.

A: Advocacy- Ensuring quality care is given and the safety of the patients and environment is maintained.

R: Respect-Greeting or speaking to others in a kind and respectful way.

E: Engagement- Making individuals feel valued, important, and recognized.

Please join us in congratulating:

1. Mary Rose Galvez, PT – Jamaica Hospital

2. Glenda Lee, OT – Jamaica Hospital

3 . Kendell Paul, PCA-  Jamaica Hospital

4. Corazon De La Rama, RN – Jamaica  Hospital

5. Nadine Alexandre Viltus, PCA – Jamaica Hospital

6. Shieka Smith, EMT – Jamaica Hospital

7. Violet Rodriguez, EMT – Jamaica Hospital

8. Minzie Yi, RN – Flushing Hospital

We thank our employees for their contributions to making our hospitals high-reliability facilities that focus on patient-centered care.  

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is proud to announce that it has been reverified as a Level 1 Trauma Center with zero deficiencies by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement marks the second consecutive survey in which the hospital has earned this prestigious status. Dr. Kenneth Fretwell, the hospital’s Chairman of the Department of Surgery and Interim Trauma Medical Director, stated, “This milestone is not just a recognition; it reflects a culture built on quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.”

The ACS sets the national gold standard for trauma quality. There are three levels of ACS trauma center verification, each defined by specific standards that reflect the center’s important role in serving its community. Level 1 verification is the highest achievable level. Hospitals that qualify have met rigorous standards for trauma care and performed well in on-site inspections, reviews of patient outcomes, research, and evaluations of staff and protocols.

Furthermore, institutions such as Jamaica Hospital that have achieved zero deficiencies have far exceeded the required standard (with no corrections needed) and are operating at an exemplary level as leaders in trauma care. “This achievement is a testament to the dedication, expertise, and collaboration of our entire team — from physicians and nurses to support staff and leadership, who work tirelessly to provide lifesaving care,” said Lourdes Goldenberg, Assistant Vice President of Jamaica Hospital’s Department of Surgery and Trauma. An ACS surveyor also commented on the trauma team’s performance, saying, “Your efforts did not go unnoticed by the survey team. I can go on and on for an entire day about the many strengths of your program.”

As an ACS-verified trauma center, Jamaica Hospital is also recognized as an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. This designation reflects the hospital’s commitment to continuously improving procedures and standards while maintaining a critical eye on processes at every stage.

Jamaica Hospital has a longstanding history as a high-performing Level 1 Trauma Center in its community. “For a long time, Jamaica Hospital has had the distinction of being the busiest trauma center in New York City. As a result of our second consecutive deficiency-free survey, we are also recognized among the best,” explained Mr. Bruce J. Flanz, President and CEO of Jamaica Hospital.

For decades, the hospital has served as one of the busiest trauma centers in the country, caring for numerous patients from the local community and travelers from across the globe, due to its proximity to John F. Kennedy International Airport and major highways. Jamaica Hospital is also a preferred Level 1 Trauma Center in Southeast Queens for New York City’s uniformed services. The center also operates one of the largest voluntary ambulance services in New York City’s 911 system.

Jamaica Hospital’s reverification as an ACS Level 1 Trauma Center underscores its commitment to providing optimal care for severely injured patients in critical situations and highlights the hospital’s high-performance standards. Goldenberg concluded, “Reverification affirms our adherence to the most rigorous clinical standards and our focus on continuous quality improvement, reflecting our mission to serve our community with excellence, compassion, and readiness.”

Congratulations to the MediSys Health Network’s Safety Excellence in Infection Prevention (SEIP) award winners.

The SEIP award recognizes employees who contribute to the success of infection control initiatives.

The criteria for the award are:

S: Surpasses above and beyond expected job responsibilities related to infection control.

E: Enforce actions that support best practices in infection prevention.

I: I do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

P: Performs awesome acts of safety related to infection prevention.

We thank the following team members for leading by example and doing their part to reduce the risk of infection transmission:

1. Dr. Faria A. Nitol, MD – Jamaica Hospital

2. Adrienne Diaz, RN- Flushing Hospital

The MediSys Health Network cultivates a culture of safety by prioritizing infection control and prevention. All employees play a crucial role in preventing the spread of infections, and their contributions to safety are highly valued.

Good Catch awardees receive recognition and a certificate of excellence for their efforts in preventing accidents. These actions may include keeping our facilities safe, correcting a medication order, preventing a patient from falling, or reporting a significant change in a patient’s status.

Please join us in congratulating the following employees on their Good Catch:

1. Melanie Demchuck, Radiology Tech – Jamaica Hospital
2. Celene Preisner, SICU RN- Jamaica Hospital
3. Sergio Velasco, MH2 RN- Jamaica Hospital
4. Jean Roland, Respiratory Therapist – Jamaica Hospital
5. Arlene Bianco, RN – Flushing Hospital
6. Jeanhee Kim, RN – Flushing Hospital

By identifying problems before they became patient-safety issues, our awardees have helped our hospitals provide excellent patient care. We thank them for being exemplary team members and contributing to our goal of being a high-reliability network.