Veterans Honored at Flag Raising Ceremony at MediSys Clocktower

Posted on April 17, 2019 by Andrew Rubin

On Friday, March 22^nd,a special flag raising ceremony was held at MediSys Clocktower in honor of the men and women who served bravely in the Vietnam War.

Senator Joseph Addabbo, who generously donated the flag, conducted the ceremony outside the Clocktower Building. The event was attended by Assemblyman Mike Miller, Councilmember Robert Holden, Deputy Inspector Courtney B. Nilan of the 102 Precinct, Police Officers from the 102 Precinct, Frank Gulliscio, District Manager of Community Board 6, as well as many local veterans who were grateful to be honored.

At the top of the Clocktower Building, which has been designated as a historical landmark, is a flagpole that sits at one of the highest points in the area. Since the medical center moved into the building over 20 years ago, Jamaica Hospital has been proud to have the American flag fly high above it.

The responsibility to raise the flag each time has been that of the center’s manager, Patrick Rudden. As he has done for many years, Mr. Rudden once again climbed to the top of the MediSys Clocktower Building to raise the flag to a delighted crowd’s applause.

Thanks to everyone who made this flag raising event such a special occasion.

The MediSys Health Network Welcomed Dr. Cara James to Recent Grand Rounds

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Michael Hinck

On March 21, The MediSys Health Network had the honor of welcoming a very special guest conduct a grand rounds presentation for staff at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital.

Dr. Cara James, Director of Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health as well as the co-chair of the CMS Rural Health Council shared a very valuable presentation entitled “Achieving Health Equity through Increased Understanding, Sustainable Solutions, and Collective Action.” The purpose of the presentation was to educate the audience that healthcare disparities can occur due to many different factors including race, ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or disability.

Understanding and addressing these disparities is very important for the MediSys Health Network, as Jamaica and Flushing Hospital serve a very diverse patient population. According to Dr. Sabiha Raoof, Chief Medical Officer of the MediSys Health Network, “Dr. James’ presentation helped our staff understand what healthcare disparities are, what their causes are, and what kind of education and training we can provide for our staff to begin our health equity and disparity reduction journey.”

There were over 100 attendees for the grand rounds presentation at Jamaica Hospital and an additional crowd who viewed it from Flushing Hospital via a live webcast. The audience was genuinely interested in the topic and asked many questions. Dr. James was even gracious enough to stay after her presentation to participate in a “brain storming” session with hospital leadership.

Everyone involved greatly appreciated Dr. James’ presentation and we look forward to her coming back in the future.

The MediSys Health Network Celebrates National Nutrition Month.

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Michael Hinck

March was National Nutrition Month and Registered Dieticians across the MedISys Health Network participated in various educational activities for patients, employees and members of the community.

Patients and residents at Jamaica Hospital and Trump Pavilion received nutrition tips on their food trays every Tuesday and word searches to keep the mind healthy on Fridays. On March 13^th the Nutrition Services Department celebrated Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day by hosting a health fair in the main lobby.

During the day, dietitians were on hand to distribute delicious snacks while providing nutrition education to hospital employees and visitors. Throughout the month there were cafeteria lunch specials and cooking demonstrations to promote healthy eating habits. Jamaica Hospital celebrated the conclusion of National Nutrition Month with an annual fitness event led by a certified personal trainer. The staff had the opportunity to get active and receive tips on their spring fitness routine while sampling healthy snacks.

At Flushing Hospital, outpatient dietitian, Laura Wang presented the importance of reading nutrition labels at two senior centers. She also hosted a healthy snack workshop at a local elementary school.

The inpatient dietitians all held nutrition-related events on their individual floors such as a “Dress Up Your Salad” presentation and a “MyPlate” presentation for the pediatric floor. On National Registered Dietitian Day members of the Flushing Hospital team enjoyed a lunch and presentation on a multidisciplinary approach to treating patients with diabetes. Lastly, every week throughout the month employees were treated to Nutrition Tip Tuesdays.

The MediSys Health Network appreciates the very important service provided our Registered Dieticians and our entire Food Service Departments. Their efforts not only during the month of March but throughout the year, help improve the health of our employees, patients and community.

Hurricane Maria Relief Team Update

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Andrew Rubin

Since arriving in Puerto Rico last week, the MediSys Health Network twenty-person team has been divided into two smaller groups, each with different assignments.
Team 1 is a 12 person team and is being led by Nick Caputo. This team had been stationed through the weekend at Manati Field Medical Station where they have treated hundreds of patients each day.

Team 2 is an eight-person team and is being led by James Villavicencio. The team has been working with Americares and sent initially to a school on the outskirts of Aguada. On Saturday they were moved to a clinic in Arenas Utuado which is about 1.5 hours from San Juan. The team saw 62 extremely grateful patients in a four hour period.
Both teams have been reporting that their members are in good spirits and are all doing well. They feel happy to be able to contribute to the relief effort. We congratulate our employees who volunteered to take part in this deployment and we will continue to provide updates in the days to come.

MediSys Team Deployed to Puerto Rico to Provide Relief

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Michael Hinck

The MediSys Health Network has deployed a team of medical personnel to Puerto Rico to help provide much-needed healthcare services to the areas devastated by Hurricane Maria. We are the first two Queens-based hospitals to send staff to the island.

The 20-member volunteer team of largely bi-lingual employees, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and administrators were deployed on the morning of Tuesday, October 24^th.

Before departing, the entire team met at Jamaica Hospital, where MediSys Health Network President and CEO, Bruce J. Flanz offered his support and appreciation to the group. The team was then escorted to JFK International Airport via a Port Authority bus, before boarding an 11:00 a.m. flight to Puerto Rico. We are happy to announce that all 20 members arrived safely in Puerto Rico by mid afternoon.

The MediSys Health network has a long history of providing disaster relief to those in need. Some of our past relief efforts include:

Hurricane Andrew – Homestead, Florida, 1992
Northern Country Ice Storms – Watertown, NY, 1998
World Trade Center Attacks (9/11) – New York, NY, 2011
Hurricane Katrina –Louisiana & Mississippi, 2005
Hurricane Sandy – Far Rockaway, New York, 2012

To fund this effort, the Network’s Board of Trustees, medical staff and employees set a fundraising goal of $100,000. To date, roughly half of that goal has been achieved. Staff can still make a donation to support our efforts one of two ways. You can make a secure online donation by going to either hospital’s website and clicking on the “Hurricane Relief Efforts” banner. You can also go to the Public Affairs Department and make a donation in person. Payments are accepted by check, cash, or credit card. All checks should be made out to “The MediSys Health Network.”

We will continue to monitor the team’s activities and report back to our employees. Please look out for future updates.

There Is Still Time To Get Your Flu Vaccine

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Xavia Malcolm

The Occupational Health department is offering the flu vaccination free of charge to employees, volunteers, students, contract personnel and independent licensed practitioners who are affiliated with the MediSys Health Network.

Flu vaccination protocols for health care workers have become a widely discussed topic over the past few years. Several state and federal agencies have issued guidelines and will be closely monitoring their implementation. There is now mandatory reporting for New York State Department of health and CDC/CMS. The Joint Commission expects that 90% of hospital personnel will receive the flu vaccine every year.

Employees from all hospital departments, both at the main campus as well as the off-campus locations, are expected to participate in the organization-wide Flu Vaccination campaign. Any staff member who decides against the vaccination must sign a refusal form. If the vaccine is given by an outside agency or by a private physician, written proof must be submitted to the Office of Occupational Health. Any person who has an allergy to egg protein will be given a vaccine that is egg-protein free.

For those who have opted not to receive the flu vaccine, we remind them that un-vaccinated personnel will be required to wear surgical masks while in areas where patients are present from November 10th throughout the period when influenza remains prevalent in our region. Employees who decide not to receive the vaccine and who have not signed the opt-out form will be locked out of Kronos after December 1st. For further information regarding the flu vaccination program at Jamaica Hospital please contact the Occupational Health Department at 718-206-6812.

Flushing Hospital’s da Vinci Robot Welcomed by Flashing Lights and Tech Fanfare

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Xavia Malcolm

Flushing Hospital’s da Vinci robot made a public appearance on October 30^thin the Flushing Hospital Medical Center lobby. The reception of the robot was overwhelmingly positive. There was a surge of excitement and curiosity as members of the community, physicians, reporters and elected officials became instantly intrigued at the sight of the da Vinci.

The main lobby of the hospital became abuzz with questions of “What does it do?” “How does it work?” The event provided a platform for doctors Roberto Cantu Jr., Neil Mandava, Alejandro Alcaide, Sanjeev Rajpal and Georges Sylvestre to answer these questions and educate guests on the types of surgeries that can be performed robotically and the benefits. Prostate, gynecological and urological surgeries are some of the procedures the da Vinci surgical platform is capable of performing. The benefits include increased dexterity during surgery and shorter hospital stays for patients.

Flushing Councilman Peter Koo demonstrated the dexterity of the robot by operating it firsthand. From left: Councilman Peter Koo, Flushing Hospital’s Dr. Alexander Kintzoglou, Dr. Robert Crupi and COO Robert Levine.

Guests were invited to operate the robot to complete a series of challenges using both a robot simulator as well as the actual da Vinci system. Flushing Councilman Peter Koo was marveled by the mobility of the da Vinci and stated “It’s like operating a video game.” The collective opinion of the event was as best stated by Senator Toby Stavisky” It’s exciting that Flushing Hospital is literally on the cutting edge.”

Watch NY1 reporters operate the da Vinci here:

Flushing Hospital is fully invested in providing a superior standard of patient care and the acquisition of the da Vinci robot “is very important for our community, which wants to know their local hospital has the state-of-the-art technology,” Flushing Hospital COO Robert Levine.

We would like to thank everyone who participated in making this event successful. To view some of the great reviews and coverage from the event; please click the following links.

http://queenstribune.com/flushing-hospital-unveils-new-surgical-robot/

http://www.qchron.com/editions/north/da-vinci-robotics-offers-new-choices/article_ab52be5a-939d-5a3b-9eda-4ceda4b00669.html

Extended Hours and Expanded Services For Jamaica Rx

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Xavia Malcolm

Jamaica Rx, the retail pharmacy located in the hospital’s main lobby, is extending its hours as well as expanding the services it offers to patients at Jamaica Hospital.

Recently, the retail pharmacy added Sunday hours. The added convenience helps patients discharged from the Emergency Department or in-patient units by offering the convenience of filling their prescriptions without leaving the hospital. The new Sunday hours are 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

In addition to the newly expanded hours of operation, the pharmacy is now also offering a Pharmacy Concierge service. As a part of this service, the staff of Jamaica Rx will dispense medications and offer bedside counseling to our patients upon discharge. By offering this service, patients will have an opportunity to have all their questions answered, which will lead to improved medication adherence and increased satisfaction.

The concierge service is currently being piloted on 6 South, Monday through Friday, with plans to expand throughout the facility in the near future. Patients are being encouraged to ask a member of their health care team for more information about the program.

Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Recognized by Angels On the Bay

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Xavia Malcolm

Last month, both Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center were recognized by Angels on the Bay for tirelessly providing much-needed care to children residing in the communities we serve.

Angels on the Bay is a non-for-profit organization that was founded in 1994 by Frank Russo with the goal of raising funds to benefit children and pediatric services in the area. On Tuesday, October 15, the organization held their annual benefit ball at Russo’s on the Bay where they presented checks to many worthy pediatric causes. Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital were both recipients of Angels’ generosity.

Flushing Hospital received over $28,000 this year . The hospital has received over $160,000 over the last five years. This year’s contribution will be used to purchase special cribs used to treat infants in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Over $17,000 was given to Jamaica Hospital this year to purchase equipment for the hospital’s Pediatric Emergency Department. Since 1995, Jamaica Hospital has received approximately $430,000 in contributions from Angels on the Bay.

Hospital Chief Operating Officers William Lynch and Robert Levine were present to accept the checks and offer their appreciation on behalf of Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital.

A New Care Model For Patients With Hypertension at Jamaica Hospital

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Xavia Malcolm

To help individuals manage their high blood pressure, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has recently implemented group visits for hypertension at our MediSys Family Care Center in Jamaica, Queens.

The group model has become increasingly popular and provides many benefits for both patients and providers. Group visits offer participants a unique and supportive setting. Participants have the opportunity to learn from each other and gain the necessary self-management skills to improve their health. Group visits have shown to improve adherence to care, increase trust in their providers, lower hospitalization rates, and improved quality of life.

The hospital’s hypertension group visits consist of approximately four to six patients. The groups meet regularly for an extended visit that is led by a physician. Patients have the opportunity to learn about disease management from their physician and from each other.

Patients discuss a range of topics, including nutrition, exercise, and medications. Members are encouraged to engage in a free-flowing dialogue that is facilitated by the doctor. The doctor offers support, education, and counseling.

Although it is a group model, each patient receives individualized care. Each patient has their vital signs monitored, blood work reviewed and medications are altered as needed.

Group medical visits have been incorporated as one of our Patient Centered Medical Home PCMH initiatives. PCMH is a new model of care that focuses on delivering high-quality, well-coordinated primary care. It also emphasizes the importance of self-care in the management of chronic disease. Jamaica Hospital has achieved PCMH designation at several off-site care centers.

Jamaica Hospital is proud to be a pioneer in the evolution of healthcare and invites members of the community to experience the many benefits of group care. For more information on Jamaica Hospital’s hypertension group model, please call 718-206-7088.