Jamaica Hospital is now offering a promising free treatment option for those living with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a rare, but serious lung disease that worsens over time.

Individuals with IPF develop scarring in the lungs, which leads to shortness of breath and an irreversible loss of lung function. The rate of deterioration is variable with many patients worsening over months to a few years. Currently, there is no FDA approved therapy for this disease, but recently published trials suggest that new treatments may be on the horizon.

Pirfenidone is an anti-fibrotic medication that is taken orally and has been shown to slow the loss of lung function and may improve mortality in IPF. Pirfenidone has already been approved for treatment of this disease in Japan, Canada, and most European countries.

Although Pirfenidone is not currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are indications that it will be in the near future. Recently, the FDA announced that Pirfenidone has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation. This designation is reserved for drugs that are intended to treat serious or life threatening disease where preliminary evidence indicates that the drug demonstrates substantial improvement over existing treatments.

Jamaica Hospital is one of only a handful of hospitals in the region, and the only one in Queens, offering this free treatment as part of an early expanded access program.  Patients are monitored for safety in this program. It is open to most patients with mild to moderate IPF.  This program is being coordinated by the Division of Pulmonary Medicine and the Department of Clinical Research at Jamaica Hospital.

The hospital’s IPF treatment program was recently highlighted by the Queens Chronicle. http://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/jamaica-hospital-testing-lung-drug/article_2fe133c0-caef-59c9-8da3-acf621ca01e8.html

For more information about the Pirfenidone expanded access program at Jamaica Hospital, please call 718-206-5844 or 718-206-5800.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center now offers a free, innovative approach to treat patients at risk of developing diabetes. The Hospital’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was developed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and is aimed at managing the health of individuals with prediabetes, or borderline diabetes.

There are over 79 million people with prediabetes in the United States, a condition where a person has glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough yet to indicate diabetes. When individuals with prediabetes do not manage their condition, they are at a high risk of developing type two diabetes, a condition that is largely preventable.

By adopting this nationally recognized prevention program, Jamaica Hospital plans to reduce the diabetic population in South East Queens. The goal of the DPP is to help individuals reduce their risk of diabetes by moderately reducing weight and increasing physical activity.

Participants meet in a group setting on a weekly basis for 16 weeks. The weekly meetings are facilitated by “Lifestyle Coaches”, theses coaches are specially trained and certified Jamaica Hospital Patient Navigators with strong interpersonal and group facilitation skills. The Lifestyle Coaches review and provide feedback to each participant on a weekly basis.  Each member of the group is expected to maintain weekly diet and exercise logs and get weighed at each session. The sessions are completely customizable to the individual needs of the group and are run in English and Spanish.

After the 16 week program is completed, participants continue to be monitored by a monthly maintenance program to provide on-going support and motivation to continue a healthy lifestyle.

The results of the Diabetes Prevention Program have been overwhelmingly positive. Half of the over 3,000 participants in the original NIH program met the weight loss goal of 7%. Participants who met the weight loss goal  reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 58%; adults over the age of 60 reduced their risk by 71%.  One of the reasons that the program is so successful is the group dynamic. Through engaging and sharing experiences with others with the same condition, participants in the DPP learn to support each other and provide the necessary encouragement for success.

The program is open to all who meet the basic medical criteria including Medisys employees. For more information about eligibility or to sign up for the Diabetes Prevention Program, please call 718-206-7088.

Earlier this month, the Radiology Department at Flushing Hospital held an open house to introduce its two newest pieces of advanced imaging technology – the Magnetom Verio 3T MRI and the Somatom Flash CT Scanner, both manufactured by Siemens. 

The 3T MRI system offers exceptional image quality, but perhaps its greatest feature is its open–bore design, which alleviates any fears about feeling confined. The openness of the MRI not only helps reduce anxiety for claustrophobic patients, but it also accommodates other patients who do not fit comfortably into a conventional MRI. The new system also has a larger field of view, which cuts lengthy scan times in half.

The second piece of equipment, the Flash CT Scanner, uses dual source technology, providing accurate, high definition scans in an instant. In fact, the technology is so precise that it does not require the patient to remain still or even hold their breath, eliminating the need for sedation. The other major feature of the new CT system is that it sets the benchmark for dose efficiency. Due to its dual source technology and the speed of the scan, CT patients are now exposed to the lowest dosage of radiation that is achievable.

The purpose of the open house was to invite members of the hospital’s medical staff as well as community physicians to learn about the many applications and features of these new, state-of-the-art pieces of equipment. In total, close to 2,000 physicians were mailed information in an effort to have them refer their patients to Flushing Hospital for their imaging needs.

In addition to inviting physicians to witness the advanced technology, members of the media were also invited. Both the Queens Tribune and Queens Chronicle attended the open house and wrote articles about the new equipment in recent editions.

Click here to read the articles.
http://www.qchron.com/editions/north/no-more-fears-with-mris-or-ct-scans/article_5d6bdeb7-7dee-5c71-a50f-039601fd38be.html

http://queenstribune.com/flushing-hospital-gets-new-equipment/

On Friday February 21,  Bruce J. Flanz, President and CEO of the MediSys Health Network was an invited guest participant in a panel discussion on the state of healthcare in Queens.

The discussion was part of a larger Black History Month celebration, sponsored by local newspaper, The Press of Southeast Queens, and was held at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in downtown Jamaica. Over 200 individuals were in attendance, including Borough President Melinda Katz and other local elected officials. Many of the other attendees were influential, community-minded officials from various faith-based organizations, community boards and civic associations.

Mr. Flanz addressed the healthcare issues facing Jamaica Hospital as well as the community as we transition to a new healthcare delivery system.  He spoke about the industry movement to better manage the health of the community through education and preventative care, rather than only treating patients when they are sick and at our doors – a term known as Population Health Management.

During his presentation, Mr. Flanz explained that only 10% of an individual’s overall health can be attributed to the health care they receive. The remaining 90% is based on genetics and lifestyle. Through improved diet and exercise habits, a reduction in “bad behaviors” such as alcohol consumption and smoking, and an increased effort to maintain regular health check-ups, together, we can build a healthier community.

The crowd was very appreciative and enlightened by Mr. Flanz’s comments and many in attendance are now looking to work with Jamaica Hospital to improve the health of the community.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center recently received the Path to Excellence Award from the National Research Corporation for most improved facility.

Path to Excellence recipients were selected by The National Research Corporation (NRC) based on high marks that they received in quality of care by their patients. Jamaica Hospital was selected as a “Most Improved Organization” from an extensive database of NRC hospitals with 300 or more patient beds. The award was a result of the hospital’s dramatic rise on patient satisfaction surveys over a one year period, between the third quarter of 2012 and the second quarter of 2013.  Jamaica was one of two hospitals that displayed the largest increase in the percentage of patients rating the organization a nine or a ten. Over that time period, Jamaica Hospital’s scores rose over 11 points.

“The Path to Excellence Award recognizes the hard work by so many people within our organization,” stated Bruce J. Flanz, President and CEO of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. “Over the past year, we have dedicated ourselves as an organization to improving our quality of care. We have implemented many programs and initiatives in an effort to provide the best healthcare possible for our patients and families.”

“National Research congratulates Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for their outstanding achievements,” said Susan Hendricks President and Chief Operating Officer of National Research. “We understand that driving improvement changes across an organization takes an incredible amount of resources and dedication – and Jamaica Hospital has done exactly that.”

Flushing Hospital celebrated the completion of its brand new state-of-the-art Ambulatory Care Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 26^th, 2013.

The soon-to-open Ambulatory Care Center is conveniently located on the corner of 45^th Avenue and Burling Street, on the ground floor of the hospital’s Medical Science Building.  Fulfilling its mission to provide superior service to our patients and our community in a caring environment, the Ambulatory Care Center offers a variety of services including: medicine, pediatrics, surgery and many other sub-specialties. 

The new 8,900 square foot improved layout boasts 32 modern examination rooms and  separate adult and pediatric registration areas that allows for a more comfortable environment.  With the implementation of the new Electronic Health Record system and the on-site retail pharmacy, patients will be able to access their records and fill their prescriptions with ease.

Supporting and celebrating with Flushing Hospital President & CEO, Bruce J, Flanz, were members of the hospital’s administrative team, medical staff, and Board of Trustees. Also on hand to cut the ceremonial ribbon was Senator Toby-Ann Stavisky and Councilmember Peter Koo.  Members of the local media present to capture the festivities as Flushing Hospital looks toward the future.