Author Archives: Natifia Mullings

Jamaica Hospital Hosts Annual Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Symposium

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The Department of Psychiatry recently held its fifth annual child and adolescent psychiatry symposium, which focused on “The Impact of Computer Addiction and Online Social Media on Youth Mental Health.”

The purpose of the seminar was to educate the healthcare community about internet and video addiction among youth and how the prevalence of online social networks affects their mental health. Specifically, participants learned how to identify the symptoms of behavioral addiction to video games and the internet and how to screen for problematic video game play or internet use.

The uses of social media, as well of the risks and benefits of online social media on youth and their families were also discussed. 

“This year’s conference was extremely important to the mental health community,” explained Anthony Maffia, Vice President, Department of Psychiatry, MediSys Health Network. “The prevalence of internet use and social media has not only raised concerns for our youth but for mental health care professionals as well.”

He added, “our hope is that everyone who attended this conference now has a better understanding of computer addiction and received practical clinical tips for promoting safety and healthy development in online spaces.”

Speakers for the event included Dr. Paul Weigle, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Natchaug Hospital and Dr. Nicholas Carson, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School.

Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals Launch New Advertising Campaigns

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Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals have recently launched new advertising campaigns to inform the communities they serve about their exceptional services and their unyielding commitment to their health.

Jamaica Hospital’s “All Roads Lead to Jamaica Hospital’ is a concept that focuses on the locality of the hospital and its strong presence in the community. It also reminds its neighbors of some of its outstanding services, including Emergency Medicine, Cardiology, OB/GYN, Radiology, and Pulmonary Medicine.  Flushing Hospital’s “You’re Welcome” concept is centered on the warm and welcoming atmosphere the hospital has created and maintained throughout the years. It also highlights the compassionate care and diverse services it offers.

“Our goal is to ensure these communities that we have a comprehensive range of services that meet the needs of everyone—from infants to adults to seniors—and that we offer these services in a friendly and caring environment ,” said Michael Hinck, Director of Public Affairs at Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals.

The brightly-colored and eye-catching ads can be seen in several local community newspapers, including The Queens Courier, The Queens Tribune, and The Queens Chronicle. The advertising campaigns will run through the end of the year.

To see each ad individually, please click on the following links:

JHMC-All Roads Ad

FHMC-You are Welcome Ad

MediSys Health Network Hosts Annual Golf and Tennis Outing

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On Monday, May 20th, Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals held their 15th Annual MediSys Golf Classic at the Old Westbury Country Club. The event was attended by 123 golfers and five tennis players.

After a day of golfing and tennis, participants attended a cocktail/dinner reception, where remarks were made by  Bruce J. Flanz, President and CEO of the MediSys Health Network and the event’s honorary chairman, Dr. Cono Grasso, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology. Prizes were awarded to the highest scoring players/foursomes and a wide variety of raffles prizes were given away.

The highly anticipated raffle drawings included prizes donated by several departments at Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals. Some of these prizes included a spa gift basket, AMEX gift cards, Hickey Freeman neckties, a “Casino Night” basket, a Lenox giftware basket, Beats by Dre, and much more. The top three prizes included tickets to a Mets vs. Yankees game, an iPad mini, and a Broadway Theater package for two. The grand prize was two Jet Blue tickets and a Sony camera. In total, over $13,300 worth of prizes were donated by employees.

The event raised slightly over $180,000 and will be used to benefit Jamaica Hospital’s Trauma Program and to help finance the renovation of Flushing Hospital’s Cardiac Care Unit.

Jamaica Hospital Celebrates National Trauma Awareness Month

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“If You’re Distracted, We’re Impacted” was this year’s theme for National Trauma Awareness Month and to help spread the message about the seriousness of distractions, Jamaica Hospital’s Trauma Division recently set up a distracted driving community education display in the hospital lobby.

On May 23, members of Jamaica Hospital’s trauma team distributed literature to hospital
employees and visitors to help educate them on the dangers of distracted driving and how
 to stay safe.“There are many dangers while driving,” said Mark Dekki, MPA, Community Educator, Trauma Services at Jamaica Hospital. “Not only does a distracted driver jeopardize their own life, but the lives of those in the car with them, as well as the lives of other drivers who are sharing the road and the lives of pedestrians.”

Distracted driving is characterized as any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. These actions can include eating, applying make-up, playing loud music, talking to passengers, and texting while driving, which over the last few years has become a cause of major concern.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 16% of fatal crashes and 20% of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. In general, distracted driving contributes to up to 8,000 crashes every single day.  Additionally, at any given moment during the daylight hours, over 800,000 vehicles are being driven by someone using a handheld cell phone. Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.

“Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of death in Queens,” explained Dekki. “It is our greatest hope that this informational event gave people a better understanding of the dangers of being a distracted driver and provided enough of an impact to encourage a change in their behavior.”

As a Level 1 Trauma Center, Jamaica Hospital treated 717 trauma patients in its emergency department in 2012, of which 82 were pedestrians struck and 108 were motor vehicle traumas.

The National Trauma Institute reports that each year, trauma accounts for 42 million emergency department visits and two million hospital admissions across the nation. Furthermore, trauma injury accounts for 30% of all life years lost in U.S., more than cancer, heart disease, and HIV. In fact, the impact on life years lost is equal to the life years lost from cancer, heart disease and HIV combined.

To avoid becoming a trauma statistic, Dekki offers the following to drivers: “staying safe on the road is simple: turn off all electronic devices, apply all make-up before you get in the car, and eat meals and snacks before you get behind the wheel.”

 

Local Girl Scout Supports Flushing Hospital’s NICU

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Project Preemie, an effort by a local girl scout to deliver handmade items such as tiny crocheted hats and socks to premature babies, has provided relief and comfort to the parents of premature babies in Flushing Hospital’s NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).

Jasmine Wu, of Troop 4570, with the help of her troop, youth group, and friends, crocheted and hand-delivered over 150 articles of clothing to premature babies at Flushing Hospital and several other Queens’ hospitals.

“Jasmine’s project is great”, said Monique Hamlett, whose son has been in Flushing Hospital’s NICU since February. “I really appreciate the hats and booties she’s made for my son. Finding something to fit his head and feet is one less things I have to worry about.”

Having a child in the NIC U is a difficult experience for most parents, an experience that Jasmine has witnessed.

“I began this project after my cousin delivered her daughter prematurely and had a hard time finding hats and socks for her,” said Jasmine. “I began wondering how many other parents were out there going through what my cousin went through and was just in need of a small gift that could lift their entire day.”

The crocheted hats and socks are delivered in a brightly colored gift bag, along with an inspirational and comforting quote for parents.

Jasmine Wu was recently named Queens Person of the Week and her delivery to Flushing Hospital’s NICU was featured on NY 1 News.

Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals Become Smoke-Free Campuses

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In an effort to establish an organizational culture that promotes good health practices, both Flushing and Jamaica Hospitals have joined the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Tobacco-Free Hospitals Campaign.

As tobacco-free hospitals, employees, as well as patients and visitors, cannot smoke anywhere on the hospitals’ campuses. A network-wide hospital policy, which is in development, will prohibit hospital employees from engaging in tobacco use on public sidewalks or private property in the vicinity of the hospital while wearing their uniforms, ID badges, or other forms of identification that might be associated with employment at either hospital.

“As healthcare workers, we are ambassadors for our communities,” said Bruce J. Flanz, President and CEO of Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals. “We need to send the right message: that smoking is a danger to the public’s health. It is therefore our responsibility to set an example for the organization and for the communities we serve.”

If you would like to quit smoking and need assistance, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, in partnership with the New York State Smokers’ Quitline, can help. For more information, call 311 or visit New York Smokers’ Quitline at https://www.nysmokefree.com/register/default.aspx?no=nycdoh.