The Island of Puerto Rico continues to deal with constant tremors and aftershocks from the recent earthquakes that devastated the area. These recent events continue to have a profound effect on local residents.

The six MediSys Mental Health providers, who are part of the team of 26 professionals assembled by the Greater New York Health Association are now deployed and have begun to do their part to assist. The team has remained in contact with our hospital leadership and the Department of Emergency Management to provide daily updates on their efforts.

Their initial reports indicate that the mission is very well organized. The team shares that they depart from their hotel early each morning and head to their relief effort assignments on the Island.

One team, led by Dr. Martha Edelman has been assigned to camp settings in various locations. This team has also lent their support at a park that is currently being used as an informal school for the children.

The other team, led by Dr. Attilio Rizzo, has been deployed to different neighborhoods, especially in the mountainous areas, where they conduct door to door canvassing and provide home visits to those in need.

Both teams describe a great deal of destruction to homes and properties but feel that those they have encountered are very appreciative of their efforts. They report that morale is high and everyone is working well together.

We commend the MediSys team for the work that they are doing and the support that they are giving to the people of Puerto Rico.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced the deployment of 26 bilingual health professionals to Puerto Rico.

The Island was hit by a series of earthquakes that occurred nearly every day for several weeks.  The quakes have left thousands of people displaced and many are fearful of returning to their homes.

Natural disasters of this magnitude can greatly affect a survivor’s mental health.   It is common for mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder to develop after such events.

In response to the great need for mental health support in Puerto Rico, the MediSys Health Network delegated six employees from Jamaica Hospital’s Mental Health Department to serve on a team deployed by the Greater New York Hospital Association(GNYHA).  Dedicating their time and expertise to this mission are Attilio Rizzo, Jr., Director, Psychiatric Social Work (Administrative Team Lead); Martha Edelman, M.D., Psychiatrist (Clinical Team Lead); Frank Lopes, Social Worker; Denise Osorto, Psychotherapist; Alberto Palomino, Clinical Manager and Jennifer Santos, Psychologist.

The MediSys Health Network team members were invited to attend a special press conference coordinated by the office of Governor Cuomo during which he shared the objectives of the GNYHA deployment to Puerto Rico. According to the Governor,  “Mental health professionals will be integrated into the work of the Puerto Rican Mental Health Agency- the Mental Services Administration Health and Addiction- and deploy to shelters in Guanica, Guayanilla and Ponce.”  The collective goal is to address the long-term mental health issues that can affect residents, especially children.

Jamaica Hospital’s mental health team departed for Puerto Rico on Monday, February 3^rd and is scheduled to return on Monday, February 10^th.  “Our team is proud to serve on this mission and hope that by supporting the victims, we can help them to recover from these traumatic events and rebuild their lives” shared Anthony Maffia, Jamaica Hospital’s Vice President of Psychiatry.

The MediSys Health Network is currently monitoring the emergence of the Coronavirus. It is important that our employees are informed about the details of the virus, and are aware of our level of preparedness and safety guidelines.

The Coronavirus is a new and potentially serious virus that originated in Wu Han City, in the Hubei province of China and is closely being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other global health authorities.  The symptoms of the virus most closely resemble Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and include shortness of breath, cough, sputum production, fatigue, body aches and in many (but not all) cases fevers.  Many international airports are currently screening passengers from this region of the world for symptoms. However, because the incubation period for the Coronavirus can be up to 14 days, there is a possibility that infected travelers can pass through without being detected.

Both hospitals in the network are presented with unique challenges. Jamaica Hospital is the closest hospital to JFK International Airport and Flushing Hospital serves one of the most culturally diverse populations in the country, with many of its residents having close ties with the epicenter of the Coronavirus. These challenges place our hospitals in a constant state of readiness.

The safeguards we have put into place to protect everyone include closely monitoring updates and recommendations from the CDC and NYS Department of Health (DOH). We also created a new travel screening tool in Epic specific to 2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS. It asks all patients if they are experiencing symptoms consistent with this virus AND have been to Wu Han City within the last 14 days OR have come in contact with a person under investigation (PUI).

The MediSys Health Network’s Emergency Management and Prehospital Care Departments have also been working closely with authorities at JFK and the CDC to identify any potential patients that are brought to Jamaica Hospital from the airport.  In such a scenario, a fever travel notification will be triggered and a plan to safely guide patients into an isolation room will be activated.

In the event that one of our hospitals identifies a patient through the screening process, the following steps should be taken:

• “Mask first, ask questions later” (Provide a patient with a surgical mask)
• Have the patient perform hand hygiene with soap and warm water
• After performing hand hygiene employees should immediately don the following PPE: N95 mask, gloves, isolation gown, face shield or goggles
• “Don’t wait, isolate” – (Escort patient into an Airborne Isolation room. If one is not available, use a private room and obtain a HEPA filter from Engineering and keep the door closed).
• Use standard/contact/airborne precautions
• EVS will maintain the use of routine disinfectant and routine procedures

During this time, visiting may be restricted and all visitors will be required to wear a surgical mask along with isolation gown and be instructed regarding correct donning and doffing and hand hygiene. A visitor and staff log must also be maintained.

The MediSys Health Network has a great deal of experience providing care to potentially contagious patients.  The infection control and safety measures that we have put in place are a reflection of our dedication to providing a safe environment for our patients, visitors, and employees.

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 correcting a medication order, preventing a patient from falling or reporting a significant change in a patient’s status.

Please join us in congratulating the following  employees on their  Good Catch:

Lavona Cassimy LCSW

Esther Desir LPN

Agatha Williams RN

Sita Khemraj  PAR

Jangchup Dolma RN

Dr. Mona Pourramazan

Leydiana Santana RN

Kevin  Gurdial Transporter

Jennifer Walker LCSW

Noel Hamilton  Transporter

Stephanie  Tandrian RN

Cynthia Bodh RT

Dr. Rahul Dadhwal

Prasad Dabbiru RT

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

To our Good Catch recipients, thank you for being exemplary members of our team and contributing to our goal of being a High-Reliability Hospital.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is proud to announce that it will be joining some of the nation’s leading medical institutions in adopting an integrative approach to healthcare.  The hospital officially launched its Urban Integrative Healthcare Plan which will be implemented in several phases.

The Urban Integrative Healthcare Plan aims to provide a patient-centered and holistic healthcare experience by making patients active partners in their care and empowering them with the tools needed to make informed decisions about their physical, mental and emotional health.  Each patient will work with a dedicated integrative healthcare team to identify goals and challenges; for which an individualized wellness plan will be created that combines evidence-based approaches in conventional, complementary and alternative medicine.  Comprehensive wellness plans can include medication, mental health counseling, nutrition counseling, acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, meditation or reiki.

“Our main objective is to treat the whole person; mind, body, and spirit. This is achieved by exploring all aspects that may affect a person’s health.  This includes mental, social, spiritual, lifestyle and environmental factors. We want to go beyond just treating symptoms and offer patients therapies and resources that will improve their quality of life, prevent diseases and promote wellness long term,” shared Dr. Alan Roth, Jamaica Hospital’s Chair of Family Medicine and Ambulatory Care.

To achieve the goals established under the Urban Integrative Healthcare Plan, Jamaica Hospital has developed a series of programs that focus on educating healthcare practitioners and patient navigators on the concept of integrative health.   Education consists of Whole Person Health, HOPE Note and Personal Health Inventory training as well as Grand Rounds led by integrative health pioneers such as Dr. Wayne Jonas.

Jamaica Hospital will also develop a program that offers whole-person, patient-centered healthcare throughout its entire network.  Integrative healthcare philosophies and approaches will be practiced in the hospital’s ambulatory care centers and clinical departments.

“In the near future, we hope to offer our community a Neighborhood Health Station, a central space where patients can take advantage of all the integrative health services we will provide. We foresee having designated areas for nutrition counseling and healthy cooking classes, legal health services, mental health counseling, social services, a gym facility as well as an urgent care center.  Ultimately, we want to provide a place for our community to come together and focus on healing,” said Dr. Roth.

Dr. Roth speaks more on integrative healthcare at Jamaica Hospital in this video:

Every month, employees at Jamaica Hospital who go above and beyond to help coworkers, patients and visitors are nominated for the G.E.M award.

G.E.M stands for Going the Extra Mile and recipients are recognized for their hard work, team spirit, kindness, and professionalism.

This month’s very special G.E.M recipient is:

Geraldine Maffia- Human Resources Manager

Congratulations Mrs. Maffia and we wish you the best in your retirement.

The first baby of the New Year is always a special event at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center.

The first MediSys Health Network babies posed beautifully for our photographer.

These are our first babies of the New Year:
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center
Baby Boy:  Jaevon Nasir Hamilton
weight 8 lbs 1 oz
length 19 inches
time 6:04  A.M. on 1/1/20
Mother: Sierra Sellers

Flushing Hospital Medical Center   
Baby Boy:  Alexis Anthony
weight 7 lbs 9.3 oz
length 19 3/4 “
time: 2:32 AM on 1/1/20
Mother: Maria Lluguilema Roland

Special thanks to the staff who assisted with these deliveries and congratulations to the families, we wish them a lifetime of happiness.

Last month, In honor of Antibiotic Awareness Week, the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee (ASC) at Jamaica Hospital exhibited educational displays in the hospital’s main lobby.

The committee shared information about the rising threat of antibiotic resistance as well as the importance of appropriate prescribing.  Patients and staff were invited to play a game of “Antibiotic Jeopardy” to test their knowledge.

Antibiotic Awareness Week is an annual worldwide observance to increase awareness of global antibiotic resistance, improve the way healthcare professionals prescribe antibiotics and educate the public about the proper use of these medications.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019 Antibiotic Resistance Threats report, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result. Using antibiotics for the inappropriate treatment of viral infections, like the flu or common cold, will not cure those infections and can lead to unnecessary side effects and can contribute to the risk of developing antibiotic resistance.

A strategy to improve antibiotic prescribing and decrease resistance is to practice antimicrobial stewardship, which is defined as coordinated interventions designed to improve and measure the appropriate use of antimicrobials by promoting the selection of optimal antimicrobial drug regimen, dose, duration of therapy and route of administration.

The Antibiotic Stewardship Committee (ASC) was established at Jamaica Hospital in August 2015. This is an interdisciplinary committee comprised of the departments of pharmacy, medicine, pathology/microbiology, infection control, environmental services, surgery, and the division of infectious diseases. The ASC reviews antibiotic orders daily for potential de-escalation/escalation, therapy changes, discontinuation and assists in the management of patients with multidrug resistant infections.

Thank you to the staff who coordinated this event. Our patients, visitors and other staff members who stopped by the table will benefit from the information that was given out.

The MediSys Health Network is proud to announce that we have earned “Age-Friendly Health System” status; a designation that less than 20 percent of the health care facilities across the country have yet to receive.

Receiving an Age-Friendly status demonstrates that Flushing Hospital, Jamaica Hospital, and the Jamaica Hospital Nursing Home are committed to this rapidly growing movement to improve the health care for older adults.

This initiative was a collaborative effort founded in 2017 by the John A. Hartford Foundation, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the American Hospital Association (AHA), and the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) with the intention of helping hospitals and other care settings implement a set of evidence-based interventions specifically designed to improve care for older adults.

The initiative is guided by a framework of essential elements known as the “4Ms”, which include:

• What Matters – Communicating with our patients to better understand their personal and healthcare goals. This is achieved by asking a series of questions to the patient as well as family members or caregivers. Factors in what matters most to our patients could include end-of-life care, placement issues, or financial concerns.
• Medication – Prescribing age-friendly medications that do not interfere with the goals of our older patients. This includes not prescribing certain medications that can affect a patient’s mobility and using our electronic medical record system to identify potentially inappropriate medications.
• Mentation – Preventing, identifying, treating and managing mental health issues such as depression and dementia in our older patients. This involves conducting a mental health status examination.
• Mobility – Ensuring that our older adult patients move safely and maintain function. This is done by getting our patients to ambulate more while in our care and by conducting a Fall Risk Assessment and providing mobility devices if necessary.

Receiving this designation was a collaborative effort led by Dr. Angelo Canedo and Dr. Alan Roth and included a leadership committee comprised of physicians, nurses, and hospital administrators. After a rigorous nine-month process that included educating all of our providers and submitting data that demonstrated the 4Ms have been incorporated into our practices, the MediSys Health Network was recognized as an Age-Friendly Health System in November.

The 4M initiative for treating older adults is currently being practiced throughout our network, by providers in our Emergency Departments, Ambulatory Care Centers, Inpatient Units, and in our long-term care facility

“Older adults deserve safe, high-quality healthcare. The Age-Friendly Health System initiative is an important part of our vision to provide it to them,” stated Dr. Alan Roth. “We worked very hard to achieve this goal and are extremely appreciative of those who contributed to helping us attain it.”

Every month, employees at Jamaica Hospital who go above and beyond to help coworkers, patients and visitors are nominated for the G.E.M award.

G.E.M stands for Going the Extra Mile and recipients are recognized for their hard work, team spirit, kindness, and professionalism.

This month’s G.E.M recipients are:

Ian McLean – Plant Operations
Conrad Daley – Security
AnnaMarie Gonzales – Accounting

Congratulations to you all. Keep up the excellent work in helping us to serve our community.