Jamaica Hospital Medical Center had the pleasure of welcoming back Dr. Wayne Jonas to its campus for Grand Rounds and a series of meetings to discuss advancements made by the hospital’s Integrative Health program.

Dr. Jonas is a board-certified practicing family physician, an expert in integrative health, and a widely published scientific investigator. He has held several leadership positions in numerous organizations, including serving as Director of the Medical Research Fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; Director of the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health; Director of the World Health Organization Center for Traditional Medicine; and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Samueli Institute.

In addition to these accomplishments, he is also a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Medical Corps of the United States Army.

Dr. Jonas currently serves as the Executive Director of the Samueli Foundation’s Integrative Health Programs, an effort supported by Henry and Susan Samueli to empower patients and doctors by providing solutions that enhance health, prevent disease, and relieve chronic pain. Their continued support has helped to establish and sustain many integrative health initiatives at Jamaica Hospital.

During his visit, Dr. Jonas hosted a series of engaging presentations for providers, staff, and a host of virtual participants. In his first presentation, entitled Healing in the Time of COVID, Dr. Jonas discussed where health comes from and how medical care can access it; how the COVID pandemic has impacted health and health care; new models of whole-person care emerging for transforming medicine after COVID; and new tools that providers can use now to enhance healing and transform their practice.

Dr. Jonas’ succeeding presentation entitled Placebo Research in Practice, explored three core mechanisms of the placebo response and how they manifest in practice; seven clinical practices behaviors that utilize placebo mechanisms; implications for person-centered vs. evidence-based decision making; and tools for incorporating enhanced placebo healing in routine practice.

Throughout the course of his visit, Dr. Jonas imparted a great wealth of knowledge that will help Jamaica Hospital provide quality integrative healthcare to the communities we serve. We thank Dr. Jonas and the Samueli Foundation for their continued support of our Integrative Health program and look forward to working together in future endeavors.

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.

Congratulations to Jamaica Hospital’s C.A.R.E (Compassion Advocacy Respect and Engagement) award recipients.

The hospital’s Person-Centered Care Department created the C.A.R.E award program to recognize employees who received positive remarks (written and verbal) from patients or their loved ones after receiving high-quality and compassionate care.

Criteria for the award require that recipients exemplify G.R.A.C.E:

G- Gracious: Having a courteous and kind demeanor.

R- Respect: Treating others the way they want to be treated.

A- Assisting: Anticipating needs and concerns (example wayfinding).

C- Communication: Talking to patients and family members according to their health literacy.

E- Empathy: Using the patient’s perspective, making the patient feel understood, ensuring that their feelings are validated.

We congratulate the following employees, and thank them for their contributions to making Jamaica Hospital a high-reliability hospital that focuses on patient-centered care:

1. Richard Hernandez CNM
2. Anita Sookoo RN
3. Elizabeth Philip RN
4. Maria Labra RN
5. Tiara Lagrasta RN
6. Diane Aitcheson
7. Merle Pike, RN
8. Karla Johnson RN
9. Yangdon Tenzin RN
10. Danny Agpalo PCA
11. Elizabeth Dufort RN
12. Laurence Benn RN
13. Kim Gazze RN
14. Yuping Guo RN
15. Irina Khayumova RN
16. Ronnie Ramah CNM
17. Brenda Williams RN
18. Ma Ruth Rosalyn Jose, RN
19. Roxanne McQueen RN,
20. Nadine Sorrell RN
21. Jingky Benedicto, RN

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.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is one of the busiest trauma centers in New York City and the five boroughs, and the only trauma center providing care for a large community in South Queens.  We are proud to be designated as a Level 1 Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons, the highest designation level.  This means that our trauma center is prepared to provide emergent life-saving care to the most seriously injured patients 24 hours a day.

In the spring of 2020, while our community began to recover from the first surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, we noticed a disturbing trend, more and more patients were coming to Jamaica Hospital for firearm-related injuries.

We recognized the importance of expanding our efforts beyond patients’ medical needs to potentially impact other determinants of gun violence in our community.  By taking a true public health approach to gun violence, we can make a meaningful change in not only our patients’ lives but for all of Queens, as we work as a community to end gun violence.

With that, we are proud to announce Jamaica Hospital’s V.E.T.O program, for Violence Elimination and Trauma Outreach.

As our clinical group of trauma physicians and nurses focus on healing injuries, our team of social workers and case managers will focus on addressing non-medical determinants of health for gun violence survivors by providing violence intervention services and guidance to hospital and community resources.  We are fostering relationships with community organizations to provide additional support for gun violence survivors and their families and working to raise awareness on the epidemic of gun violence.

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.

Congratulations to Jamaica Hospital’s C.A.R.E (Compassion Advocacy Respect and Engagement) award recipients.

The hospital’s Person-Centered Care Department created the C.A.R.E award program to recognize employees who received positive remarks (written and verbal) from patients or their loved ones after being provided with excellent and compassionate care.

Criteria for the award require that recipients exemplify G.R.A.C.E:

G- Gracious: Having a courteous and kind demeanor.

R- Respect: Treating others the way they want to be treated.

A- Assisting: Anticipating needs and concerns (example wayfinding).

C- Communication: Talking to patients and family members according to their health literacy.

E- Empathy: Using the patient’s perspective, making the patient feel understood, ensuring that their feelings are validated.

We congratulate the following employees, and thank them for their contributions to making Jamaica Hospital a high-reliability hospital that focuses on patient-centered care:

Andrea Azarcon

Katrina Bencio RN

Marva Gibbs-Joe

Travis Homes

Dr. Maria Del Carmen Valdes Bracamontes

Oksana Galibova CNM

Leyya Pootoolal RN

Michele Popowytsch RN

Hibbert Orayne

Roman Yagudayev RN

Yolanda Zhanay RN

Julie Mariano RN

Jerome Montano RN

Paola Guevara RN

Dr. Zoran Lasic

Laylo Rashidova RN

Tanisha Placide RN

Ping Ren RN

Merle Pike RN

Dr. James Kolodny

On Wednesday, April 28^th the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health hosted a webinar entitled “The Road to Equity: Examining Structural Racism Virtual Forum”. A  team from the MediSys Health Network participated in the event presenting on the topic “Integrating Equity Solutions Across Health Programs and Health Systems”.

This portion of the webinar focused on increasing understanding of the impact CMS programs and policies have on health and health care disparities in minority and underserved communities. The session also reviewed innovative ways health care systems and organizations can reduce disparities among those they serve.

The Speakers from MediSys were:

Sabiha Raoof, MD Chief Medical Officer and Patient Safety Officer, Chair of Radiology. MediSys Health Network

Trina Cornet, Esq. MPA, Vice President of Human Resources, Chief Labor and Employment Counsel, MediSys Health Network

Eugene Clark, MHA, Administrator Patient Navigation Department, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

Stephanie Smith, RN, BSN, Director of Care Management, MediSys Health Network

Click the “Play” button to see the webinar or click Here to view on YouTube:

(The MediSys Team portion begins at 2hours and 58 minutes into the session).

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.

Jamaica Hospital employees who go above and beyond to ensure the safety of our patients are recognized and awarded a certificate of excellence for their Good Catch.

Good Catch nominees receive recognition based on their actions in preventing accidents from occurring. These actions may include keeping our facilities safe, correcting a medication order, preventing a patient from falling or reporting a significant change in a patient’s status.

Please join us in congratulating Leon Williams, PCA Operating Room, on his Good Catch.

By identifying a problem before it became a patient safety issue, our nominee has helped Jamaica Hospital provide patients with excellent care.

We thank him for being an exemplary member of our team and contributing to our goal of being a High-Reliability Hospital.