The sixth annual Child and Adolescent Psychiatry symposium was held on September 18^th at the old Trump Pavilion. Guest speakers included, Leah Barrett from New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, Dr. Ulrich Vieux, Medical Director of Children’s Community Mental Health Services at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, Dr. Linda A. Reddy member of the American Psychological Association and the Task Force on Violence Against Teachers. The event was a success, over 140 physicians, healthcare professionals and community advocates were in attendance.

The general topic of discussion was violence in the school system: what do we know? Each speaker spoke passionately about their findings and kept the audience absorbed in the conversation.  Dr. Vieux spoke on cultural sensitivity in relation to behavioral problems in youth.  Ms. Leah Barrett reported that there has been an increasing trend in the students’ belief that owning a gun does not make them safer. Dr. Reddy presented the alarming fact that teachers are more likely to be victims of injuries than are students.

The speakers requested of everyone to keep in mind that all communities are affected by youth violence. Violence can come in the form of physical abuse from peers, cyber-bullying and verbal abuse. Steps a community can take to decrease violence in schools include serving as mentors at schools or youth organizations, promoting youth violence prevention strategies and promoting the strengths of young people.

The symposium was overall a great accomplishment. The department of psychiatry at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center seamlessly coordinated an impressive and educational event .We look forward to next year.

Emergencies often occur when we least expect them. However, preparation for disasters can reduce the impact and essentially avoid danger. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Medisys Health Network Emergency Management departments encourages everyone to prepare their homes and work places for potential disasters.

As members of a healthcare network, we are expected to be ready to respond to emergency situations, as we are responsible for the safety and wellness of the patients and communities we serve. Our level of personal preparedness directly affects overall safety and rescue efforts.

In order to sustain normal medical operation and continued patient care in extreme conditions, it is advantageous to know the emergency guidelines of your facility.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when preparing for an emergency:

At Home:

• Document and gather lifesaving supplies and health related information.
• Agree upon a meeting place in case you are unable to reach loved ones.
• Purchase battery operated flashlights and radios.
• Collect one gallon of drinking water per person per day for at least three days.
• Store ready-to-eat canned foods and a manual can opener.

At your place of work:

• Check in with your supervisors to see if you can provide staffing coverage, visit www. medisys prepares.org or email medisysem1@jhmc.org to find out how you can help with disaster recovery efforts.
• Follow websites that provide information and resources such as: www.medisysprepares.org, www.ready.gov, www.nyredcross.org and www.bti.cdc.gov.
• Locate Emergency Response Guides or “ Yellow Books”, which are quick reference guides providing information about facility disaster plans, color codes and key phone numbers. These books are located in areas such as nursing stations.

In times of disaster, Medisys Health Care Network plays a vital role in providing the emergency medical services which fortify public health and safety. We rely on our employees to help in fulfilling our commitment to consistently deliver high quality medical services under extreme conditions. For more information on Medisys Health Network’s Emergency Management, visit www.medisysprepares.org.

September has been a month full of awards, industry recognition and achievements for the Trauma Division of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Join us in congratulating the following team members, “that make up the best trauma group in all of New York State,” as proudly declared by Director Dr. Sebastian Schubl.

Taylor Klein and colleagues won a research grant from New York State’s Highway Safety Program in the amount of $50,890 to support our ongoing Pedestrian Struck Safer Streets Queens study. Injury Prevention and Community Outreach Coordinator Mark Dekki secured a grant for the second year in a row from the American Trauma Society to support our bicycle safety efforts.

Additionally, Doctors Richard Tom, Simon Tiu and Vanessa Ho brilliantly presented their study on Risky Behavior in Motorcycle Riders at the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma meeting in Philadelphia. Dr. Tiu also had his work on Risk Factors in PEG Placement accepted for the medical student section of the prestigious American College of Surgeons annual meeting. Dr. Ho had two medical manuscripts accepted for publication.

While the trauma division is often recognized for its notable lifesaving efforts, these accomplishments highlight the goal of the department to become a reliable and sought after resource for research, community outreach and education. As best said by Dr. Schubl, “There are many more projects and publications in the works. Thank you to everyone in the trauma division for their hard work”

First impressions can be lasting, which is why Jamaica Hospital recently redesigned their website. In this day in age, everyone knows that the internet is used to research everything—including hospitals. When people visit www.jamaicahospital.org, they are now welcomed to a nicely colored and easy-to-navigate website.

The clean layout allows visitors to easily search patient and clinical services, employment opportunities, health information, general hospital information, and much more. They can also benefit from several new sections on the website, including the “employee section” and “find a doctor” feature.  An interactive campus map and a mobile version of the site will be available in the very near future.

“The internet is a valuable tool for hospitals,” said Michael Hinck, Director of Public Affairs. “There is a lot of web traffic to our site and having an updated and modern looking webpage is necessary. It has become very important for the hospital to improve its presence on the internet.”

In addition to redesigning their website, Jamaica Hospital just launched a social media campaign as well. The facility now boasts active Facebook and Twitter accounts, and will use the two platforms to better connect with the community. On these sites, information will be provided on a wide variety of health topics, such as asthma, obesity, diabetes, smoking, prenatal care, and hypertension. There will also be poll and trivia questions, lifestlye and parenting tips, and healthy recipes.

“Through these efforts, we really hope to engage more with the community and to become a valuable resource for them,” Michael added. “We want to strengthen ties with our community, as we look to replicate these efforts at  Flushing Hospital as well”

The redesign of Flushing Hospital’s website is now underway and their social media campaign is slated to kickoff later this year.

On April 22, in celebration of National Earth Day, “ecoMediSys,” a committee dedicated to identifying and implementing ecological programs throughout the hospital network, held its second annual earth expo. Several tables were set up in Jamaica Hospital’s hospital lobby, where departments exhibited their ecofriendly efforts. Some of these efforts included recycling, using environmentally friendly products, and conserving energy. There was also an exhibit that highlighted the benefits of using mass transit and participating in ride share programs.

“As we continue to make strides to better the environment, to better our community, and to better our hospital, we realize that education is a crucial part of the process,” said Fred Beekman, Vice President of Ambulatory Care. “Our expo is a great way to educate our employees and the community about our ecological initiatives and we hope that they begin to make similar efforts to reduce waste, increase recycling, and conserve energy.”

The event also served to recognize Ray Fredericks, Jr., Assistant Director at Jamaica Hospital’s Print Shop. Several years ago, Ray spearheaded a paper shredding campaign to properly discard confidential documents. As a result, the hospital saved money and tons of paper was recycled. The success of the program was tremendous and the program was expanded to include all waste paper not just confidential documents.

Under Ray’s leadership, the program recycles over 150 tons of paper annually. This saves over 2,500 trees each year and greatly reduces the hospital’s carbon footprint. Given the number of years the program has been in operation, Ray and his team has essentially saved a small forest.

“Being recognized is very flattering,” said Ray. “What started as a way to be HIPPA compliant (the shredding of confidential information) has grown into an incredible eco-friendly and cost saving effort for the hospital.”

He added: “All of the staff from our Melville site, the Print Shop and the Mail Room who are involved in the coordination of scheduling, making the actual pick ups, processing the paper through the shredding process, should be acknowledged for their efforts as well. The success of this project is made possible through the teamwork of our staff and management team.”

Congratulations to Trump Pavilion for being identified by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s top nursing homes. The facility earned the highest rating—five stars—from the federal government for the quality of care it provides its residents and patients, its nursing staff, and its continual ability to excel during health inspections.

“It’s quite an honor to be acknowledged as a top nursing facility in the U.S.,” said Greg Bradley, Executive Vice President of Trump Pavilion for Nursing and Rehabilitation. “We strive to provide our residents with high quality and efficient service in  a warm and home-like environment. This national recognition is an indication that we are fulfilling this vision.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which sets and enforces standards for nursing homes, ranked all nursing homes across the nation based upon annual health inspections, nursing staffing and quality measures.  Health inspections carry the most weight in this determination and Trump Pavilion has had no health deficiencies for two consecutive years.

The facility is extremely proud of its recent accolade and will continue to aim for the highest ranking overall and the highest ranking in all categories.

On Wednesday July 24th, the Emergency Management Department at Jamaica Hospital staged a full-scale, mass casualty incident, or Code Yellow drill.  The intent of this drill was to test the hospital’s preparedness during an actual event by assessing our ability to treat a major surge of patients without affecting the care being provided to our current patients.

During the mock event, which was coordinated with the Port Authority of NY / NJ, Jamaica Hospital was to receive between 20-30 victims from an airline incident at JFK Airport. The hospital’s Emergency Response Plan (ERP) was immediately put into place to react to this mass casualty incident that required staff to identify and triage patients, assess the severity of their injuries, and provide appropriate and immediate care.

The goals and objectives of this exercise were to evaluate our preparedness in a mass casualty incident and to check the performance of many key areas. Part of the assessment involved making sure that the hospital’s internal communication procedures for the activation of a Code Yellow event worked. Also evaluated was our capability to perform a mass casualty patient triage and track patients using our electronic medical record system, manage our ED space and ED supplies efficiently, and make sure that we are able to manage our Operating Rooms effectively during a surge of patients. Other facets of the drill tested our ability to utilize space on our Transitional Care Unit and at the Trump Pavilion. 

This exercise took months of planning and coordination by the Emergency Management Department, who evaluated the entire event with other clinical and administrative leaders. By carefully planning and testing our capabilities, the hospital can address areas where improvements can be made and remain prepared in the event a real disaster occurs.

A new initiative to recognize employees who “Go the Extra Mile” was recently introduced at Jamaica Hospital, its network of Ambulatory Care Centers, and Trump Pavilion.

The GEM program acknowledges that there are many employees who bring positive attributes to their job, are committed to going above what is required of them, and are therefore making a difference in the reputation of the facility. Hospital leadership feels that it is time to start recognizing these employees.  Managers can now nominate an employee from either within or outside  their department for that employee’s outstanding service to our patients, visitors, or their fellow colleagues. Any employee observed taking steps to address and resolve problems, performs random acts of kindness and compassion, or exhibit the highest level of team spirit can be nominated.  Specifically, the GEM initiative will:

• Recognize employees who step up and Go the Extra Mile
• Acknowledge when an employee takes action to instill a sense of well-being to our patients
• Let employees know that management and their peers notice when they go out of their way for others
• Reinforce how respect, honesty, integrity and commitment impact patient care and our work environment in a positive way

The first first five employees were selected in July. They are:

Kenneth Bacchi, Print Shop/Mailroom Associate
Annoleah Carson, Admitting Department Representative
Maria Crisano, Lead Financial Investigator
Ana Morton, Telephone Operator, Trump Pavilion
Ashley Ramirez, Environmental Services
Robert Smith, Security Officer

All employees recognized will receive a $50 gift card and a GEM pin. In addition, all nominated employees will receive a thank you card from Mr. Bruce Flanz, President and CEO of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

Mr. Flanz stated: “we are an institution not just a building. We want to make it personal so that people will feel like they belong to a winning team. We expect this GEM initiative to have a positive impact on our patients in the long run. We have to accentuate the positive and let everyone know that they are important.”

There are plans to expand the GEM program to Flushing Hospital in the near future.

Jamaica Hospital physicians, Dr. Richard Pinsker, Program Director of Internal Medical Residency Program, and Dr. Hineshkumar Upadhyay, Chief Resident, recently attended the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist 22^nd Scientific and Clinical Congress, where their case study about the association between marijuana use and endocrine problems was highlighted.

The study involved a 37-year-old male who smoked marijuana daily for 15 years. He was initially treated in the hospital’s Emergency Room, displaying signs of extreme fatigue, loss of libido, and shortness of breath. Further evaluation showed that the patient demonstrated low testosterone and pituitary hormone levels. In addition, the patient had no previous exposure to radiation or a history of head trauma. This led Dr. Pinsker and Dr. Upadhyay to conclude that chronic marijuana use negatively affects the endocrine system.

“We really feel that the evidence to date shows this is a much more serious health problem than we’ve given credit to,” Dr. Pinsker said during a press conference. “Marijuana has always been laughed off. It’s a kid’s drug; they’ll outgrow it. In certain communities, it’s so common that people look at it as if they’re having a glass of beer. I think it’s time that physicians start having their antenna up for all the difficulties that come with this drug.”

He added, “of course this is one case report, but I think it suggests that further research needs to be done… something prospectively should be done to map this out more scientifically.”

To read more about Dr.Pinsker and Dr. Upadhyays case study, please click here.