On Thursday, August 4^th, the MediSys Health Network hosted award ceremonies at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center to celebrate being the recipient of numerous Healthgrades awards.

Both events commenced with opening remarks from MediSys Health Network President and CEO Bruce J. Flanz followed by Dr. Sabiha Raoof CMO and Chairperson of Radiology. In their speeches, Mr. Flanz and Dr. Raoof reflected on navigating the COVID -19 pandemic and thanked hospital employees for their steadfast commitment to providing patients with quality health care in unprecedented times.

Jennie Mandelbaum, Healthgrades’ Associate Director of Quality Solutions, was later introduced to guests. She enthusiastically congratulated each hospital on earning multiple nationally recognized awards and explained the significance of obtaining notable recognitions from Healthgrades.

Healthgrades is the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. The platform assists patients in finding the best doctors and hospitals for their needs.  Each year, Healthgrades analyzes nearly 4,500 hospitals in the United States and evaluates their performance in providing quality care for multiple conditions and procedures.

Based on its overall performance, Jamaica Hospital ranked among the top 5% of facilities in the nation for overall clinical excellence and was selected as a 2021 America’s 250 Best Hospitals award recipient. This is the second consecutive year that Jamaica Hospital has received this award.

The hospital was also presented with America’s 100 Best Coronary Intervention and America’s 100 Best Stroke Care awards, as well as 2021 Excellence awards for cranial neurosurgery, neurosciences, gynecologic surgery, and pulmonary care.

Watch the Jamaica Hospital award ceremony highlights here

Flushing Hospital received recognition as a top performer in delivering outstanding patient care for several specialties and procedures.  The hospital was awarded the Healthgrades 2021 America’s 100 Best General Surgery, the 2021 Pulmonary Care Excellence Award, and the 2020 Excellence awards for Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as Labor and Delivery.

Watch the Flushing Hospital award ceremony highlights here

“We applaud the recipients of the Healthgrades America’s 50, 100 and 250 Best Hospitals for their long-standing commitment to quality and superior clinical outcomes. As hospitals across the country continue to fearlessly treat patients during the time of COVID-19, it has never been more important to recognize those organizations that are delivering the highest quality care,” stated Dr. Brad Bowman Chief Medical Officer at Healthgrades.

In its most recent effort to alleviate stress among employees and promote a healing environment, the MediSys Health Network has collaborated with Studio Elsewhere, a bio-experiential technology company, and the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) to bring custom-designed Recharge Rooms to Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center.

The Recharge Rooms sponsored by GNYHA provide stress-reducing, multisensory and immersive experiences that utilize synchronized lighting, scent, and psychoacoustic sounds to simulate nature’s restorative landscapes. Here, employees can transcend to any one of 10 relaxing escapes such as watching the waves crash on a beach or enjoying a campfire by a lake, simply by voice activating each simulation.

In addition to viewing tranquil nature projections, employees can enjoy the ambiance of flickering faux candles, aromatic oil diffusers, beautiful silk-leaf plants, and comfortable lounge chairs. Each item was purposely selected to aid with relaxation and lowering elevated stress levels.

Information on ways to contact a mental health counselor if needed and resources that promote mental wellness are also available in each room.

The Recharge Room will officially open at Jamaica Hospital on Monday, July 26^th.  All MediSys employees are encouraged to visit, take a break and de-stress.

The room is located on the 2^nd floor of the A/B building, just outside the elevators.  The space can comfortably accommodate two people at a time. It is accessible 24/7 and no appointments are necessary. The suggested use time for each visit is approximately 10-15 minutes so that others can have access.

Please enjoy a sneak peek of the Recharge Room here:

The opening of the Recharge Room at Flushing Hospital has been postponed. Updates will be provided to employees as soon as they become available.

In November of 2020, Flushing Hospital Medical Center announced plans to expand and modernize the entire fifth floor of the hospital which includes the Labor, Delivery and Recovery (LDR) suites, Mother/Baby Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Newborn Nursery.

The renovation project, named New Beginnings,  aims to provide modern amenities in beautifully designed spaces, offering the ultimate mother/baby birthing experience and accommodations for families.

Today, the hospital is delighted to share that an important phase of the project is now completed; three mother/baby rooms have been fully renovated and are currently in use.

The Mother/Baby Unit at Flushing Hospital offers modernistic, private rooms to patients. Each room is designed to provide a relaxing environment for mothers and babies to bond while receiving advanced postpartum care. New design enhancements and amenities include private ADA compliant bathrooms with showers, sleeper beds to accommodate a designated support person’s overnight stay as well as an electronic information board and bedside tablet for mothers.

We invite you to take a virtual tour here: https://virte.ch/tours/1056flu/draft2/

Other renovations for the New Beginnings project are underway. Plans include completing the remodel for the remaining mother/ baby rooms, expanding the current LDR suites from eight to eleven and converting the existing triage space from one large, semi-private area to four private rooms.   Flushing Hospital is also increasing the number of recovery rooms on the unit from three to four and adding one more delivery room.

Additional expansion plans include installing an enhanced air circulation system which will give all rooms the capability to provide negative pressure. This feature is extremely important for patient safety, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flushing and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center are proud to receive Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence (DICOE) designation from the American College of Radiology (ACR).

To receive this elite distinction, facilities must be accredited by the ACR in all modalities they provide, and in which the ACR offers an accreditation program. Another requirement is participation in the Dose Index Registry® and General Radiology Improvement Database, as well as Image Wisely® and Image Gently® pledges. All of which are initiatives promoted by the ACR to ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality, and effective imaging care to patients.

Furthermore, facilities must demonstrate excellence at multiple levels.  Performance is measured by the successful completion of comprehensive assessments in the following areas:

• Governance and personnel
• Facility organization and management
• Physical environment
• Equipment and IT infrastructure
• Radiation and general safety
• Quality management
• Policies and procedures
• Patient rights and medical records

Jamaica and Flushing Hospital have exceeded the standard requirements of accreditation to achieve DICOE designation.  Patients of both hospitals can be assured they are receiving the highest levels of imaging quality, safety, and care.

The success of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s virtual CenteringPregnancy program has gained the attention of many in our community, including NY1 News.

Members of the hospital’s Women’s Health Department were interviewed by reporter Clodagh McGowan to learn more about the benefits offered by the program.  Viewers were allowed access to a virtual group session that included eight expecting mothers, and program facilitators demonstrated the efficacy of an online prenatal model of care.

The CenteringPregnancy program at Jamaica Hospital was introduced in 2014 as a unique way to help pregnant women become more actively involved in their prenatal care and share their experiences with other moms in a group setting.  Sessions were held onsite at the Women’s Health clinic.

The program continued to thrive since its inception; however, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 presented a new challenge.  Group participants were no longer able to meet in person due to social distancing and safety regulations.

The absence of community and physical interactions began to affect pregnant women in several ways.  Studies show that over 50% of expecting mothers admitted to feeling extremely lonely and isolated due to spending more time at home, and away from others.  These factors are believed to be contributors to a rise in prenatal depression.

Jamaica Hospital’s Women’s Health Department provided a solution to this problem by offering pregnant women a safe place where they could gather in the age of COVID and feel supported.   The department moved its CenteringPregnancy program to a virtual space on Zoom.   Here, patients of the hospital could continue to receive prenatal care and actively engage with a community of healthcare providers and fellow moms.

Jamaica Hospital’s virtual CenteringPregnancy program has been highly successful. The program has earned recognition from leading institutions and is used to demonstrate the benefits of virtual prenatal care to other medical facilities.   The NY1 story has been shared on social media by several notable leaders in healthcare including the University of North Carolina’s Gilling School of Global Public Health and Centering Healthcare Institute CEO Angie Truesdale, both commending the work of the program.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the pregnancy experience for a lot of women, and we are constantly thinking of ways to make it as positive as we can,” said Patricia Fox, Certified Midwife.  “Our team has established this unique, virtual platform so that we can provide our patients with a healthcare service that is convenient, safe, and supportive. We understand how important these things are during these unprecedented times,” shared Thalita Viruet, Practice Manager for the Women’s Health Center.

You can watch the news story here:

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is the proud recipient of the Healthgrades 2021 America’s 250 Best Hospitals award. This premier distinction is only given to hospitals that rank in the top 5% in the nation for overall clinical excellence.

Healthgrades is the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.  Each year, the organization analyzes nearly 4,500 hospitals in the United States and evaluates their performance in providing quality care for multiple conditions and procedures. Based on their overall performance, the top 5% of all facilities are identified and selected as one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals.

According to Healthgrades, “These elite hospitals not only demonstrate clinical excellence across multiple conditions and procedures but also consistently deliver superior outcomes year over year.”  This is the second consecutive year that Jamaica Hospital has received the prestigious award, the hospital was recognized as one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for 2020.

Being named as a Healthgrades America’s 250 Best Hospital is a tremendous honor.  It is not only a testament to Jamaica Hospital’s patient-centered initiatives and focus on providing quality healthcare, but also speaks to the dedication and hard work of the hospital’s staff.

In addition to receiving the 2021 America’s 250 Best Hospitals award for its overall performance, Jamaica Hospital has been recognized as a top performer in delivering outstanding patient care in specific specialties and procedures.  The hospital also received the 2021 America’s 100 Best Coronary Intervention and America’s 100 Best Stroke Care awards, as well as 2021 Excellence awards for cranial neurosurgery, neurosciences and pulmonary care.

“We applaud the recipients of the Healthgrades America’s 50, 100 and 250 Best Hospitals for their long-standing commitment to quality and superior clinical outcomes. As hospitals across the country continue to fearlessly treat patients during the time of COVID-19, it has never been more important to recognize those organizations that are delivering the highest quality care,”  stated Dr. Brad Bowman Chief Medical Offi­cer at Healthgrades.

Healthgrades, a leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems, recently recognized Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center as top-performing hospitals.

Both facilities were presented with Healthgrades 2021 Specialty Excellence Awards™ and received recognition as one of America’s Best 100 Hospitals™ within their nominated categories. These honors are reserved for hospitals that consistently deliver superior patient outcomes in one or more of 16 key service areas.

Each year, Healthgrades evaluates the performance of nearly 4,500 hospitals; however, only the top 5% or 10% within each specialty area are recognized as Healthgrades Specialty Excellence Award™ recipients or identified as an America’s Best 100 Hospitals™ nominee.

The MediSys Health Network received a total of seven awards. Jamaica hospital was presented with five awards in the following categories:

• America’s 100 Best Hospitals -Stroke Care Excellence
• Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence
• Neurosciences Excellence
• America’s 100 Best Hospitals -Coronary Intervention Excellence
• Pulmonary Care Excellence

Flushing Hospital received two awards for:

• America’s 100 Best Hospitals -General Surgery Excellence
• Pulmonary Care Excellence

According to Healthgrades, patients are paying attention more than ever to the clinical performance of hospitals, and are constantly seeking information as to where they can get the best care. “The Healthgrades analysis shows that not all hospitals perform equally, so it is important that consumers do their homework when selecting a hospital,” said Healthgrades’ chief strategy officer Evan Marks. “Those hospitals that have achieved the Healthgrades distinction have demonstrated a commitment to exceptional clinical quality care over an extended period of time.”

Jamaica and Flushing Hospital have demonstrated that they are healthcare institutions patients can rely on for delivering the highest quality care. Both hospitals have received numerous awards and recognitions based on clinical excellence as well as their commitment to safety and a positive patient experience.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has received top honors from the American Heart Association (AHA) / American Stroke Association (ASA) “Get with the Guidelines” and “Mission: Lifeline” programs.

According to the AHA/ASA, “Get With The Guidelines®/ Mission: Lifeline® puts the unparalleled expertise of the American Heart Association® to work for hospitals nationwide. We help ensure patients receive care that’s aligned with the latest research-based guidelines supported by the latest scientific evidence.”

By complying with the strict requirements established by the AHA/ ASA, Jamaica Hospital has earned the:

• Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke Gold Plus with Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Achievement Award- To qualify for this recognition, Jamaica Hospital met quality measures developed with more than 90 % of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”
• Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award- Qualifications for this award included meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies.
• Mission: Lifeline^® Bronze Receiving Quality Achievement Award- This award was earned by implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks.

Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get with the Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.

Jamaica Hospital is proud that heart health initiatives it has implemented to care for the community have earned the recognition of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. The hospital upholds a high standard of excellence and makes providing patient-centered healthcare a top priority.

Displayed on a wall in Flushing Hospital’s ER and Jamaica Hospital’s main lobby are murals that pay tribute to healthcare workers.

The large, 4’x8’ paintings were sponsored by Maspeth Federal Savings and created by several artists from the non-profit organization Splashes of Hope to thank our hospital frontline workers for their sacrifice in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Painted in vibrant colors, each piece beckons visitors to stop and admire artistic portrayals of frontliners as superheroes.

The murals which took two months to complete also features the words “Thank You” in 13 different languages, a rainbow to symbolize unity, and a cardinal to honor the lives lost to the pandemic.  In the background stands the Queens Unisphere, one of the most iconic and beloved structures in our borough.

The MediSys Health Network is incredibly grateful to have received these beautiful murals. We thank Maspeth Federal Savings and Splashes of Hope for honoring our staff and celebrating their courage.

As our community moves forward, the murals will serve as a reminder of one of the most challenging times in history. However, they will also remind us how Jamaica and Flushing Hospital’s superheroes bravely confronted those challenges to care for many lives affected by the outbreak.

In response to the consistent decline in COVID-19 cases and admissions, New York City has begun to strategically reopen businesses and facilities.

As our City moves forward, The MediSys Health Network has reopened several healthcare services to meet the needs of patients. This includes among others, the Wound Care Center at Flushing Hospital and the Ophthalmology Department at Jamaica Hospital; as well as the Psychiatry Departments, Radiology, Women’s Health, Outpatient Rehabilitation and Ambulatory Care Centers at both hospitals.  The Network will also resume elective surgeries, as the order to halt these types of procedures was recently lifted in all five boroughs by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

In preparation for the reopening of services, MediSys has implemented strict safety measures in accordance with CDC guidelines to protect the health of patients, visitors and employees. Safeguards include offering patients the option of pre-registering remotely to avoid spending unnecessary time in waiting areas, limiting appointment schedules to avoid overcrowding, screening all patients upon arrival for COVID-19  symptoms, frequently sanitizing areas and requiring patients and hospital staff to wear appropriate PPE.

In addition to implementing the preceding initiatives, the MediSys Health Network is aiming to address many of the fears patients may have about seeking non-emergent care. This is being achieved by encouraging employees to inform patients about policies put in place to protect their health, and emphasizing “safety” in messaging shared across each hospital’s websites, newsletters and social media platforms.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the hospital industry delivers healthcare services, the MediSys Health Network embraces what can potentially be the ‘new normal’ with great confidence.  As the Network progresses, our focus on providing the highest quality patient care will always remain constant. It is this philosophy that has helped our hospitals to successfully overcome challenges and continue to be trusted healthcare institutions in their communities.