The Lown Institute Has Recognized Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital Medical Centers For Excellence in Health Equity

The Lown Institute has recognized Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital Medical Centers for excellence in health equity, receiving an “A” grade on the 2024-25 Lown Institute Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility.

Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital Medical Centers achieved this honor through strong performance across metrics of community benefit, pay equity, and inclusivity out of more than 3,500 hospitals nationwide.

“Great care is only great if everyone can access it,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “We need hospitals to be strong community partners—and Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals are at the top of our list showing the way.”

The Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is the only ranking to combine health equity metrics and value of care alongside patient outcomes, for more than 2,700 acute care and 800 critical access hospitals nationwide—offering a holistic view of hospitals as total community partners. In the fifth annual rankings, the 2024-25 Lown Index evaluates hospitals on over 50 measures including novel metrics such as community benefit, racial inclusivity, and avoidance of overuse. Data sources include Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage claims, CMS patient safety data and hospital cost reports, and IRS 990 forms. The full can be found on the Lown Index website.

The Lown Institute is an independent think tank advocating bold ideas for a just and caring system for health. Learn more at www.LownHospitalsIndex.org.

JHMC Nurses in Singapore

Recently, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center nurses attended the Sigma Theta Tau International Research Congress Sharing Insights, Advancing Care: Disseminating Nursing Research and Evidence for the Future in Singapore, Indonesia. Representing Jamaica Hospital was Sharon Wexler, PhD, RN, Nurse Scientist, Vik Singh, MS, RN, Director of Nursing, Annessa Madraymootoo-Ramdial, MSN, RN, Rohan Sumrah, MS, RN, Clinical Nurse Leaders, and Shiv Kumari Santram, MS, RN, Nurse Manager.

Sigma Theta Tau International Nurses Honor Society was founded in 1922 by six nursing students. It became the first US organization to fund nursing research. With membership being by invitation only, Sigma has more than 100,000 active members who reside in more than 100 countries. Throughout the world, there are roughly 600 chapters at more than 700 institutions of higher education. Jamaica Medical Center affiliates with Pace University Omega Delta Chapter of Sigma. Sigma has always recognized the value of scholarship and excellence in nursing practice.

The Research Congress was attended by 1,026 attendees representing 47 countries and 185 Honor Society Chapters. 65% of the attendees have a doctoral degree. There were 1,039 educational sessions.

At the Research Congress, the representatives from Jamaica Hospital presented the poster “Clinical Nurse Leader: An Innovative Solution to Facilitating Excellence at the Bedside”. The premise of the poster and presentation was to discuss the role of the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. The role was introduced by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in 2003, the first new nursing role in over 35 years. The CNL assumes accountability for patient-care outcomes through the assimilation and application of evidence-based information to design, implement, and evaluate patient-care processes and models of care delivery. The CNL is a provider and manager of care, at the point of care, to individuals and cohorts of patients anywhere healthcare is delivered. The poster was curated by Sharon Wexler, PhD, RN, Nurse Scientist, Kathleen Karsten, PhD, RN, and Susan Iovino, DNP, RN.

In addition to the poster and presentation, this initiative was accepted for publication in the November 2024 issue of Nursing Management, titled, Transforming Care at the Bedside: The Role of the Clinical Nurse Leader.

Congratulations to the nursing team for this amazing achievement.

Congratulations to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for Earning the ACR Lung Cancer Screening Designation

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has been designated a Lung Cancer Screening Center by the American College of Radiology.

The ACR Lung Cancer Screening Center designation is a voluntary program recognizing facilities committed to providing safe, effective diagnostic care for individuals at the highest risk for lung cancer.

To receive this elite distinction, facilities must be accredited by the ACR in computed tomography in the chest module and undergo a rigorous assessment of their lung cancer screening protocol and infrastructure. Procedures in place for follow-up patient care, such as counseling and smoking cessation programs, are also required.

Lung cancer is the nation’s leading cancer killer – taking the lives of more people each year than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. That’s why the Jamaica Hospital Lung Cancer Screening Program is committed to improving the morbidity and mortality associated with lung cancer. Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography scans, and appropriate follow-up care, significantly reduces lung cancer deaths. Jamaica Hospital’s Lung Cancer Screening Program offers screening with an LDCT chest scan for high-risk individuals who are aged 50-80 years old, are current smokers or those who have quit within the past 15 years, have a tobacco smoking history of at least 20 pack years, and are asymptomatic with no signs or symptoms suggestive of lung cancer.

Congratulations to the Jamaica Hospital Lung Cancer Screening Program on receiving this outstanding recognition from the ACR, the gold standard in imaging.

For more information about the Lung Cancer Screening Center designation, visit: acr.org/Quality-Safety/Lung-Cancer-Screening-Center.

U.S. News & World Report Names Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Among Best Hospitals 2024-2025 as High Performing

The annual Procedures & Conditions ratings are designed to assist patients and their healthcare providers in making informed decisions about where to receive care for challenging health conditions or elective procedures.

U.S. News evaluated nearly 5,000 hospitals across 15 specialties and 20 procedures and conditions. Hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, level of nursing care, and patient experience.

“For 35 years, U.S. News has been a leading resource for patients navigating their health care decisions,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “The ‘High Performing’ designation acknowledges hospitals that consistently deliver high-quality care for specific medical procedures and conditions. This recognition highlights their expertise and commitment to patient well-being.”

To calculate the Best Hospitals rankings, U.S. News evaluated each hospital’s performance on objective measures such as risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications, and level of nursing care. The Best Hospitals Specialty rankings methodology and Procedures & Conditions ratings methodology measure patient outcomes using data from millions of records provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This year, among other methodology refinements, U.S. News incorporated new data on care provided to patients with Medicare Advantage insurance and on care provided to outpatients, nearly doubling the number of patients included in its annual data analysis. The Procedures & Conditions ratings are based entirely on objective quality measures.

Congratulations to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center on this remarkable recognition from U.S. News & World Report.

MediSys Health Network Earns Gold

The MediSys Health Network received national recognition and multiple gold awards from the American Heart Association (AHA) for providing outstanding heart health and stroke care.

Get With The Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline put the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines programs, MediSys qualified for the awards by demonstrating its commitment to improving quality care.

This year, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center earned the American Heart Association’s:

  • Get With The Guidelines®-Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes, for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing a specific type of heart attack known as a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).
  • Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus, Advanced Therapy and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award, for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
  • Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold achievement award, for its commitment to offering rapid and research-based care to people experiencing the most severe form of heart attacks and strokes.

Flushing Hospital Medical Center also earned the AHA’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold achievement award for providing optimal and life-saving care for heart attack and stroke patients. The hospital earned the award by adhering to the latest research-based clinical practices to support better outcomes for patients.

Both hospitals are proud to receive the highest-level awards from the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® and Mission: Lifeline® EMS programs.

“These awards show the MediSys Health Network’s commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee and chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern Medicine. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, MediSys can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

Schwartz Rounds at JHMC

On July 26th, 2024, Jamaica Hospital held Schwartz Rounds on campus with 179 attendees. The Schwartz Rounds program offers healthcare providers a regularly scheduled time during their fast-paced work lives to openly and honestly discuss the social and emotional issues they face in caring for patients and families. In contrast to traditional medical rounds, the focus is on the human dimension of medicine. “As a first-time attendee, this experience has improved my insight into how patient care looks outside of the actual clinical care. I also have a better understanding as to how each staff member contributes to the care team”, said one attendee.

During the event, caregivers can share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings on thought-provoking topics drawn from actual patient cases. The premise is that caregivers can better make personal connections with patients and colleagues when they have greater insight into their responses and feelings. “It is great to see how our organization cares for our patients and our staff”, an attendee said. Panelists from diverse disciplines participate in the sessions, including physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, allied health professionals, and support staff. After listening to a panel’s brief presentation on an identified case or topic, caregivers in the audience are invited to share their perspectives and broader related issues. One attendee described the experience as a “Fantastic concept of a round. I felt empathetic with the speakers and it will impact the patient care that I provide. Thank you for organizing this, and I am looking forward to the next one.”

The JHMC Schwartz Rounds® committee members and organizers include Dr. Sharon Narducci, CQO- Senior Leader Champion, Oksana Galibova, Director PCS- Program Coordinator, Dr. Gina Basello, Network Medical Director, GME&DIO- Physician Facilitator, Dr. Susan Iovino, CNO- Nursing Facilitator, Vivekanand Singh, DON- -Planning Committee Member, Robert Pryce, DON- Planning Committee Member, Frances Perez, SW- Planning Committee Member, Karen Codd, Senior Wellness Coordinator- Planning Committee Member, and Person Centered Services Department: Logistics.

Our Schwartz Rounds® Committee Members thank everyone for their participation and invite all employees to attend future rounds, with the next event scheduled at noon in the JHMC Auditorium on 10/25/2024.

For questions, please contact Oksana Galibova, MSN, RN, Network Director Person-Centered Services Email: ogalibov@jhmc.org

 

 

MediSys Health Network Research Day

The MediSys Health Network of Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital Medical Centers recently held its Third Annual Research Conference and Poster Competition. Sponsored by the Department of Research Education and Innovation and the Department of Clinical Research, the event allows the entire MediSys hospital community to present any scholarly activity they had done over the past academic year of 2023-2024.

Director of the Department of Research Education and Innovation, Dr. R. Jonathan Robitsek explained, “The competition is a great showcase of the intellectual curiosity of all that participate”. He also highlighted the importance of the competition noting, “It’s high-quality research some of which has been presented at national and international medical conferences”.

There were 131 posters submitted between Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital. Those posters were broken into three categories, Case Reports, Empirical Research, and Quality Improvements. Each poster was then graded on a rubric of five areas: format, visual, content 1, content 2, and impact.

The first-place winning posters in the Case Reports category were, “A Cycle of Complications: Trastuzumab-induced Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Causing LV Thrombosis Complicated by Thromboembolic Stroke” by V. Patel, J. Patel, J.L Lee, and T. Okan (JHMC) and “Making the Distinction between Cardiac and Vasovagal Syncope in a Patient with an Intracardiac Mass” by D. Desta, P. Kiarie, and R.P Gupta (FHMC).

Second-place winning posters of the category included, “Subcapsular Liver Bleed Secondary to Mal-Placement of a Lucas Device” by I. Agha, S. Montaquila, M. Guerges, A. Mangla, and R. Lakowski (JHMC) and “When the Lungs Become the Battlefield: Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome in GVHD Post Stem Cell Transplant for AML.” by J. Bawa, A. Inghirami, S. Desai, J. Silverman (FHMC).

And finally, the third place posters were, “Impact of Social Media in Acute Onset of Psychosis in Young Child” by H. Ruparel, G. Zelin, S. Peteru (JHMC) and “Skin Deep: Exploring Erythema Nodosum Induced by Dupilumab Therapy” by J. Bawa, E. Malana, N. Tasnim, S. Farhan, A. Khan (FHMC).

In the Empirical Research category, the posters that won first place were, “Demographic Analysis of Patients Seen by a Palliative Care Service Found to be Unbefriended/Unrepresented” by P. Gordon, I.J Wang, R.J Robitsek, A. Tewari, E. Divino, K. Forbes (JHMC) and “Attitudes and Barriers to Utilization of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Clinical Practice Among Residents and Medical Students: A Survey Study” by C. Bodden, M. Alla, P. Kiarie, M.A Louis (FHMC).

Second-place winning posters were, “Does Marijuana Legalization Result in Increased Psychiatric Emergency Visits for Cannabis Induced Psychosis?” by G. Zelin, N. Siddiqui, A. Miele, R. Kamal (JHMC) and “Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Emergent Non-Cardiac Surgery: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes” by D. Giannis, R. Zhao, L. Fernandez, N. Nikolov, C. Sneed, P. Kiarie, A. Miele, M.A Louis, N.R Mandava (FHMC).

Lastly, the third-place winning posters of the category were, “Systematic Review of Hematologic Values Among Transgender Patients: Establishing Standardized Reference Ranges to Improve Clinical Care” by L. Yap-Separovich, M. McDonald, L. Alhakim, J. Langaman, T. Millingen, A. Mir, L. Gance, C. Nienaber, A. Roth, G. Basello, E. Brondolo (JHMC) and “The Effect of Circadian Rhythm on the Glucose Challenge Test in Pregnancy” by A. Makol, M. Sun, L. Keating, I. Ngai (FHMC).

In the final category of Quality Improvements, the first-place winning posters were, “Advance Care Conversations in Primary Care Settings: Prevalence and Sociodemographic Factors” by I.J Wang, D. Patel, A. Spinelli, M. McDonald, A. Miele, R.J Robitsek, F. Falcone, K. Forbes, E. Brondolo, A. Roth, S. Mathew-Geevarughese (JHMC) and “Evaluating the Long Term Impact of Standardizing Written Sign Outs” by T. Lildar, W. Thu, S. Falak, M. Syed, S. Desai, A. Miele, K.L Cervellione, T. Toronjadze (FHMC).

Congratulations to those who placed, the honorable mentions, and everyone who participated in this year’s Research Day Conference and Poster Competition.

MediSys Health Network Named a Top Hospital for Fair Share Spending by the Lown Institute

A female doctor smiling.The MediSys Health Network has been named as one of the top 10 hospital systems in the United States for fair share spending by the Lown Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes equity and transparency throughout the American healthcare system. MediSys was one of many hospital systems across the country included in the Lown Institute’s 2024-25 fair share analysis, which compared hospitals’ tax exemptions to their community spending.

Only 20% of the 2,425 nonprofit hospitals included in the analysis (including MediSys) had a fair share surplus, meaning that their spending on community-focused initiatives surpassed the total value of their tax exemptions. Both Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center were also listed individually as hospitals with a fair share surplus.

We’re proud of the work performed each day by our teams at both Jamaica and Flushing Hospital to provide high-quality care to the Queens community, as well as the various community initiatives and programs created to ensure that this care is as comprehensive and accessible as possible. Thank you for all that you do, and congratulations for achieving this national recognition.

Schwartz Rounds Return at Flushing Hospital Medical Center and Jamaica Hospital

Healthcare professionals and leadership at FHMC attending a Schwartz Rounds panel discussion.On November 23, 2023, 152 staff members at Flushing Hospital Medical Center attended the first Schwartz Rounds event held since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel discussion included attending physicians, residents, nurses, and social workers, all of whom shared challenges they experienced with building trust and meeting family expectations in cases with unexpected outcomes.

The Schwartz Rounds program offers our healthcare providers a regularly-scheduled time during their fast-paced work lives to openly and honestly discuss social and emotional issues they face while caring for patients and their families. Unlike traditional medical rounds, these discussions focus on shared experiences, thoughts, and feelings centered around thought-provoking topics drawn from actual patient cases. The goal of the program is to provide caregivers with a greater ability to make personal connections with patients and colleagues by offering greater insight into one another’s responses and feelings.

Panelists from diverse disciplines participate in the sessions. After listening to a brief presentation on a particular case or topic, caregivers in the audience are invited to share their own perspectives and discuss broader related issues. Participants in Schwartz Rounds report that the honesty and vulnerability involved in these discussions help them to feel less isolated in their own experiences.

Our Schwartz Rounds committee members thank everyone for their participation in this first panel discussion and invite all employees to attend future rounds throughout 2024. These rounds will take place on 3/14, 6/27, 9/26 and 12/19. Additional rounds will also take place at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center on 1/19, 4/19, 7/26, and 10/25.

If you have any questions about Schwartz Rounds, please contact Oksana Galibova, the Program Coordinator for Schwartz Rounds and Network Director of Person-Centered Services, by sending an email to ogalibov@jhmc.org.

Exploring the MediSys Health Network’s Tea Time Program

Patient satisfaction is always a priority across the MediSys Health Network. One new initiative designed to improve our patients’ experience is the Tea Time program, where hospital volunteers offer friendly interaction along with hot beverages and healthy snacks.

The program was first introduced at Flushing Hospital Medical Center last month, where it has been well-received by patients. Now, after working to expand the initiative’s reach, Network Director of Person-Centered Services Oksana Galibova has brought Tea Time to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

“So far, the feedback has been amazing,” said Oksana. “The feeling of making somebody happy is very motivating for our volunteers.”

According to the program, Tea Time volunteers visit each patient unit with a decorated cart carrying the items they serve. Volunteers also take time to interact with patients and assist with small tasks like cleaning up garbage in their rooms and moving items so that they’re easier to reach. All of these tasks are important parts of making sure patients are receiving a high level of care.

The Tea Time program has been a rewarding experience for the volunteers. What they enjoy most is interacting and conversing with those patients that are lonely is especially important for making sure their experience at the hospital is as positive as possible.

Given how new the program is at both hospitals, there’s also plenty of room for it to change and grow over time as Oksana continues to receive feedback, whether that comes in the form of new snack options like Jell-O or revising the program’s schedule.

“There are enhancements we’re considering for the future of the program,” said Oksana. “As Tea Time continues, we’ll look at our progress and the feedback we’re getting to see what kinds of changes we can make.”