Author Archives: Michael Hinck

Jamaica Hospital Recognizes National Donate Life Month

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April was National Donate Life Month and once again Jamaica Hospital displayed its commitment to this very worthy effort by participating in a series of events.

As is tradition, the hospital raised a flag to increase organ donation awareness and on Friday, April 12th, employees across Jamaica Hospital celebrated Blue and Green Day by proudly wearing the official colors of Donate Life Month. Many photos were taken and shared on Jamaica Hospital’s and LiveOnNY’s social media accounts for thousands to see.

On April 30th, Jamaica Hospital invited members from LiveOnNY to visit and speak with hospital employees. The LiveOnNY team was accompanied by kidney recipient Kenneth Teasley. Mr. Teasley shared his personal experience with employees on many of the hospital’s nursing units and urged them to enroll to become organ donors.

The month-long observance culminated with a moment of gratitude which was held at 3:00 pm on April 30th.  At this time, a LiveOnNY representative read a brief statement to pay tribute to those individuals who saved lives through organ donation.

Increasing awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation remains an important cause to Jamaica Hospital and we are proud of the collaborative efforts on LiveOnNY and our employees.

The MediSys Health Network Announces Collaboration With Planetree International

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Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center are proud to be two of only 12 hospitals chosen to participate in a 24-month collaborative program that will help the MediSys Health Network reach its goal of delivering the highest level of patient-centered care.

The program, which is being funded by the NYS Health Foundation, will allow both hospitals the opportunity to work with Planetree, an international, non-profit organization that facilitates patient-centered care in a healing environment.

According to the program, over the next two years, Planetree will partner with Jamaica and Flushing Hospital by offering a full spectrum of services to help them develop a path to providing person-centered care. Planetree will be assisting the MediSys hospitals by providing assessments to better understand our organization’s culture from all perspectives and offering coaching and training to help us develop, implement and maintain a range of person-centered care strategies. At the end of the 24-month collaborative, both hospitals hope to achieve Planetree Bronze Designation.

It has been proven that hospitals that are dedicated to patient-centered care have experienced many benefits, including:

  • Higher Quality of Care
  • Improved Patient Outcomes
  • Lower Readmission Rates
  • Shorter Lengths of Stay
  • Higher Patient Experience Scores
  • Increased Employee Satisfaction & Retention
  • Improved Reputation

Planetree’s mission to “inspire caregivers to make patients true partners in their care, meeting their human needs and improving outcomes” is in perfect alignment with the goals of the MediSys Health Network as it has been our main focus over the last several years to improve the patient experience.  “We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with Planetree. We hope that this collaboration will inspire a network-wide culture change to patient-centered care excellence” states Emilia Escamilla-Rebaza, RN, Director of Person-Centered Services.

Please stay tuned for more information about the Planetree collaborative.

The MediSys Health Network Welcomed Dr. Cara James to Recent Grand Rounds

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On March 21, The MediSys Health Network had the honor of welcoming a very special guest conduct a grand rounds presentation for staff at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital.

Dr. Cara James, Director of Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health as well as the co-chair of the CMS Rural Health Council shared a very valuable presentation entitled “Achieving Health Equity through Increased Understanding, Sustainable Solutions, and Collective Action.” The purpose of the presentation was to educate the audience that healthcare disparities can occur due to many different factors including race, ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or disability.

Understanding and addressing these disparities is very important for the MediSys Health Network, as Jamaica and Flushing Hospital serve a very diverse patient population. According to Dr. Sabiha Raoof, Chief Medical Officer of the MediSys Health Network, “Dr. James’ presentation helped our staff understand what healthcare disparities are, what their causes are, and what kind of education and training we can provide for our staff to begin our health equity and disparity reduction journey.”

There were over 100 attendees for the grand rounds presentation at Jamaica Hospital and an additional crowd who viewed it from Flushing Hospital via a live webcast. The audience was genuinely interested in the topic and asked many questions. Dr. James was even gracious enough to stay after her presentation to participate in a “brain storming” session with hospital leadership.

Everyone involved greatly appreciated Dr. James’ presentation and we look forward to her coming back in the future.

The MediSys Health Network Celebrates National Nutrition Month.

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March was National Nutrition Month and Registered Dieticians across the MedISys Health Network participated in various educational activities for patients, employees and members of the community.

Patients and residents at Jamaica Hospital and Trump Pavilion received nutrition tips on their food trays every Tuesday and word searches to keep the mind healthy on Fridays. On March 13th the Nutrition Services Department celebrated Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day by hosting a health fair in the main lobby.

During the day, dietitians were on hand to distribute delicious snacks while providing nutrition education to hospital employees and visitors. Throughout the month there were cafeteria lunch specials and cooking demonstrations to promote healthy eating habits. Jamaica Hospital celebrated the conclusion of National Nutrition Month with an annual fitness event led by a certified personal trainer. The staff had the opportunity to get active and receive tips on their spring fitness routine while sampling healthy snacks.

At Flushing Hospital, outpatient dietitian, Laura Wang presented the importance of reading nutrition labels at two senior centers. She also hosted a healthy snack workshop at a local elementary school.

The inpatient dietitians all held nutrition-related events on their individual floors such as a “Dress Up Your Salad” presentation and a “MyPlate” presentation for the pediatric floor.  On National Registered Dietitian Day members of the Flushing Hospital team enjoyed a lunch and presentation on a multidisciplinary approach to treating patients with diabetes. Lastly, every week throughout the month employees were treated to Nutrition Tip Tuesdays.

The MediSys Health Network appreciates the very important service provided our Registered Dieticians and our entire Food Service Departments. Their efforts not only during the month of March but throughout the year, help improve the health of our employees, patients and community.

MediSys Team Deployed to Puerto Rico to Provide Relief

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The MediSys Health Network has deployed a team of medical personnel to Puerto Rico to help provide much-needed healthcare services to the areas devastated by Hurricane Maria. We are the first two Queens-based hospitals to send staff to the island.

The 20-member volunteer team of largely bi-lingual employees, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and administrators were deployed on the morning of Tuesday, October 24th.

Before departing, the entire team met at Jamaica Hospital, where MediSys Health Network President and CEO, Bruce J. Flanz  offered his support and appreciation to the group. The team was then escorted to JFK International Airport via a Port Authority bus, before boarding an 11:00 a.m. flight to Puerto Rico.  We are happy to announce that all 20 members arrived safely in Puerto Rico by mid afternoon.

The MediSys Health network has a long history of providing disaster relief to those in need. Some of our past relief efforts include:

  • Hurricane Andrew – Homestead, Florida, 1992
  • Northern Country Ice Storms – Watertown, NY, 1998
  • World Trade Center Attacks (9/11) – New York, NY, 2011
  • Hurricane Katrina –Louisiana & Mississippi, 2005
  • Hurricane Sandy – Far Rockaway, New York, 2012

To fund this effort, the Network’s Board of Trustees, medical staff and employees set a fundraising goal of $100,000. To date, roughly half of that goal has been achieved.  Staff can still make a donation to support our efforts one of two ways. You can make a secure online donation by going to either hospital’s website and clicking on the “Hurricane Relief Efforts” banner. You can also go to the Public Affairs Department and make a donation in person. Payments are accepted by check, cash, or credit card. All checks should be made out to “The MediSys Health Network.”

We will continue to monitor the team’s activities and report back to our employees. Please look out for future updates.

Jamaica Hospital Completes Joint Commission Survey

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The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) conducted its triennial survey of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center during the week of September 11, 2017.

JCAHO is a nationally recognized, independent, not-for-profit organization that is responsible for accrediting and certifying nearly 21,000 health care organizations in the United States. During their visit to Jamaica Hospital, which lasted from Monday, September 11th, to Thursday, September 14th, a team of six professional surveyors were tasked with inspecting every aspect of our operation to ensure that we are meeting all performance standards. Their findings were very positive and truly noteworthy.

During their closing remarks to the Jamaica Hospital leadership group, the survey team recognized Jamaica Hospital as a “top notch facility.” The lead surveyor expressed how much respect she has for the “hard, hard, hard work we do” and how she witnessed many “leading edge practices” in our organization. The nurse surveyor thanked Jamaica Hospital for “giving the survey team the gift of experiencing our culture” and added “it is not often that I witness an organization with such a commitment to service.”  Perhaps the most impressive observation though was made by the physician surveyor, who, when remarking on how mission driven the hospital is, stated “this reaffirms my decision to go into medicine.”

While the results of the survey were overwhelmingly positive, as is the case with most recent surveys, JCAHO will return to conduct an additional one-day survey within the next 45 days.

Jamaica Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Bruce J. Flanz was extremely happy with the survey results citing that “this survey validates how far we have come over the past three years to reach our goal of becoming a high reliability organization.” Mr. Flanz also wanted to thank the staff for all their hard work and added, “I am exceedingly proud of every member of our 3,500 person team on the main hospital campus and throughout our ambulatory care network who contributed to this outcome.”

Congratulations to all on a job well done.

Jamaica Hospital Promotes a Healthy 2015

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NEWYEARHEALTHY.157539672If your resolution for 2015 is to improve your health, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center offers a wide variety of services to help you.

To assist members of our community living with hypertension or diabetes, the hospital offers support groups, led by qualified clinical facilitators. During these group meetings, participants have an opportunity to share experiences, learn from one another and build a supportive network to help them better manage their condition. To sign up for either Jamaica Hospital’s Hypertension or Diabetes support groups, please call 718-206-7088.

For those looking to quit smoking, Jamaica Hospital also offers the American Lung Association’s Freedom from Smoking program. This 10-class program has been proven to be effective and is considered the premier smoking cessation model. To learn more about our smoking cessation program, please call 718-206-8494.
If eating healthy is your goal for 2015, Jamaica Hospital’s Nutrition Department offers outpatient counseling for those who qualify. Our outpatient Registered Dietitians assist patients to grow their knowledge about nutrition, wellness and healthy eating. To make an appointment, please call 718-206-7056.
Jamaica Hospital wishes everyone a happy and healthy new year.

da Vinci Robot Now at Flushing Hospital

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The newest member of Flushing Hospital’s surgical team has been described as world renowned and a revolutionary in the field of minimally invasive surgery. This prestigious new member of the team also needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet.

000800_si_patient_cart_oblique.davinciThe da Vinci Robotic Surgical platform is now at Flushing Hospital, offering our patients the most technologically advanced surgical system in the entire region.

 Robotic surgery has been available for a number of years and offers patients many benefits, including minimal pain, faster recovery time, less blood loss, and shorter hospital stays. What makes Flushing Hospital’s robotic platform so exciting, however, is the new single-site robotic technology it offers.

 The single-site robotic platform provides Flushing Hospital’s surgeons the same increased dexterity, control and high definition 3-D vision found in traditional robotic surgery, as well as the added benefit of performing some operations through a single, nearly invisible scar hidden in the patient’s naval. Previous surgeries might require multiple incisions or one larger incision. “This technology offers a tremendous cosmetic benefit to our patients and underscores Flushing Hospital’s commitment to providing the highest level of surgical care, using the most advanced minimally invasive surgical options,” stated Dr . Neil Mandava, Chairman of Surgery at Flushing Hospital.

 In addition, da Vinci is equipped with Fluorescence Imaging Vision, also known as Firefly. This feature combines fluorescent dye with a specialized camera, endoscope, and laser based illuminator, allowing surgeons to identify blood flowing through vessels and tissue in 3-D during minimally invasive surgeries.

 During a robotic procedure, the surgeon sits comfortably at a console, viewing a 3-D, high definition image of the patient’s anatomy. The surgeon uses controls below the viewer to move the instruments arms and camera. In real-time, the system translates the surgeon’s hands, wrist, and finger movements into more precise of the miniaturized instruments inside the patient.

 Flushing Hospital is planning its first single-site robotic procedure later this month. While many of the hospital’s surgeons are already trained and certified, many more are completing their training on the da Vinci Skills Simulator and plan to fully take advantage of the many surgical applications the da Vinci system has to offer.

 Flushing Hospital is also planning a “Robot Week” where employees and community members will have an opportunity to meet and name da Vinci in the near future.

Jamaica Hospital Staff Advocates for Suicide Prevention

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484619757.TeenSuicideSuicide is the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24 in the United States. It is estimated that 4,600 lives are lost each year. These numbers are cause for great concern but with awareness and prevention can be decreased.

With the reported average in occurrences and recent high-profile suicides, the question of what is suicide and can it be prevented have become popular topics in conversation. It is of the utmost importance that trained mental health professionals address concerns through public education and advocating for the awareness of suicide and suicide prevention.

In support of Suicide Prevention week a team of doctors, residents and administrators under the leadership of Jamaica Hospital’s Dr. Seeth Vivek, Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry, raised awareness by displaying posters, making and distributing yellow ribbons; which represent the dedication to preventing youth suicide through education and public awareness campaigns. Proceeds from the group’s efforts will benefit future community outreach campaigns.

The psychiatric staff at Jamaica Hospital is available 24/7 for consultations, depression screenings, assessments and immediate care. The staff consists of a team of caring professionals which include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, creative arts therapists and nurses

Jamaica Hospital Team Made a Difference in the Gift of Sight

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Our talented staff at Jamaica Hospital has been recognized by The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration for their outstanding work and contributions toward giving the gift of sight.
The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration is the world’s first eye bank that processes, collects, and distributes donor eye tissue for corneal transplants, medical research and education.

Each year 1,300 people have their sight restored due to the organization’s efforts.
Jamaica Hospital staff played an integral role in the Eye- Bank’s sight-restoring mission by ensuring that potential eye donations will be referred with accuracy, information collected will be completed and assisted in the facilitation of the recovery process.

A special thanks to: Bill Lynch, Executive Vice President/ Chief Operating Officer; Jacqueline Holley, Director of Nursing; Flor Canezal, Clinical Nurse Manager; Karen Davis, RN/ Assistant Director of Nursing; Bernabe Rico, RN. Robert “Smitty” Smith, Security; Roslyn Lachana (supervisor), Toni Tello, Kim Shelley (manager), and Annaleah Carson; Giselle Roach, RN; Bernard Pattugalan, RN; Cristina Bacareza, RN; Jose Carlos Acefe, MD; Asit Metha, MD; Radic Murdachayev, PA; Francois Tellus, MD; Reynaldo Punsal, MD; Lijo Mathai, student.)