Last month, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Trauma Division collaborated with the NYPD 113^th Precinct and other community organizations for Prom Impact 2016. The purpose of the event was to give back to high school seniors who otherwise were unable to afford prom attire.Jamaica Hospital’s employees donated over 100 gorgeous prom dresses and additional prom wear.

Many teenagers and their parents lined up at the Edward Byrne Athletic League in Queens, NY to get their pick of gowns, suits, shoes and accessories.

Although the teens received their attire free of charge, there was a catch, each had to meet with Sheila Antwi; Jamaica Hospital’s Trauma Injury Prevention Coordinator, to receive education on prom safety and distracted driving. Each teen also signed a pledge to their parents that they will not be a distracted driver, consume alcohol or use drugs.

Thanks to the combined efforts of all who donated or participated, these young adults in our community will be fashionable on their prom night and equipped with tips for staying safe.

On May 16^th , the MediSys Health Network celebrated the 18^th anniversary of its annual Golf Classic fundraiser. Many look forward to the golf, tennis and wellness outing, which is a designated day of fun and relaxation- all for a good cause.  An impressive number of supporters which included 135 golfers blanketed the grounds of the Old Westbury Country Club.

Although the weather was a bit on the chillier side in the morning, it did not stop the excitement that radiated from our staff and guests.   Eager participants arrived equipped for the activity they chose.  Our yogis had their mats, tennis players had racquets in tow and the golfers had their clubs.  Everyone proceeded to an all-star continental breakfast which fueled them for the day ahead.

After several hours of play, rest and relaxation, the event shifted to a more formal note.  Guests retreated to the cocktail and dinner reception in the banquet room.  They were served from elegant food stations filled with delicious dishes.  MediSys Health Network President and CEO Mr. Bruce J. Flanz took a moment to extend a warm welcome to everyone and introduce the event’s honorary chairman; Dr. Cono Grasso, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Jamaica Hospital.

The highly anticipated raffle drawing began soon after.  Many entered and kept their fingers tightly crossed for coveted prizes that included: Paul Simon and Billy Joel concert tickets, a $1000 shopping spree at Simon Malls, Apple electronics, zip line and go cart excursions as well as MLB (Major League Baseball) game tickets.

Overall the event was a great success. Proceeds will benefit several programs and initiatives at Flushing and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. We thank all staff who volunteered and all friends of MediSys Health Network who supported our fundraiser. We hope to see you again next year.

Sharon Scott RN nominated for Jamaica Hospital’s 2016 Novice Nurse of The Year.

Earlier this month Flushing and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center celebrated National Nurses Week 2016.  The observance begins May 6^th and ends on the 12th, on Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Nurses Week was established by the American Nurses Association as a time to recognize the important roles nurses play in healthcare.

Jamaica Hospital hosted a week-long series of events to honor nurses, which included: an ice cream social, grand rounds, lunch and formal dinner, as well as a staff appreciation day and awards ceremony.

Flushing Hospital participated in various activities that shed light on the many ways nurses work to save lives and improve the health of millions. Events included a luncheon attended by Council Member Peter Koo, who presented a Citation of Appreciation from the New York City Council.

On behalf of Flushing Hospital nurses Maria Smilios, Dir. of Nursing accepted a Citation of Appreciation from Council Member Peter Koo

Recognition of our nurses’ work was not limited to Flushing and Jamaica Hospital. The Queens Courier published an article featuring nurses Maria Smilios and Beth Palmas.  In the article ‘A Labor of Love for Queens Nurses’ Smilios from Flushing Hospital spoke about her passion for helping others and positively contributing to the lives of patients. Palmas a nurse at Jamaica Hospital also shared that she sees her job as an opportunity to be a role model and to maintain wellness. She declared, “Nursing is a labor of love” and she has never thought twice about being a nurse.

READ the article here:
Nurse Article

As medical professionals, we often operate in environments that are fast-paced and bustling. Amidst the frenzy, we sometimes forget that something as simple as communication can prevent and solve many of the issues we encounter. On Thursday, May 5^th, leadership and staff from Flushing and Jamaica Medical Center had the opportunity to learn from the patient’s perspective how crucial communication is to patient safety.

“Listen to your patients,” were the opening remarks from guest speaker Sorrel King, the mother of 18-month-old Josie King, whose death was attributed to a breakdown in communication and medical errors during her hospitalization at Johns Hopkins University.   Mrs. King has spoken all over the country educating medical providers about the importance of better communication.

In her speech, Sorrel King recanted the series of events that lead to the tragic day. Josie was admitted to Johns Hopkins after suffering severe burns resulting from a bathtub accident.   During her stay, it appeared that she was on the road to a quick recovery; however, what was planned to be her release from the hospital turned into her tragically passing away. The cause of death was severe dehydration and wrongful administration of a narcotic.

Each year 98,000 patients die from medical errors; it is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.  Sorrel King believes that these numbers can be reduced by changing the culture of the healthcare industry.  Incorporating initiatives such as a Good Catch program, CUSP (Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program) and Rapid Response Teams can help healthcare providers to develop an environment where patients, their loved ones and medical teams work together to ensure proper communication and reduce the risk of medical errors.

Jamaica and Flushing hospital have created and implemented several initiatives that support the collective goal of keeping patients and staff safe.  However, hospital staff and leaders continue to seek and develop additional programs to support the goal of becoming a high-reliability medical provider.

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 simple acts of courtesy, team spirit, kindness and professionalism.  This month’s G.E.M recipients are:

Last month, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Trauma Division and NYPD officials collaborated on a well-received community outreach event – warning the public about the dangers of distracted driving.

The event was centered on Distracted Driving Awareness Month, an observance created by the National Safety Council to draw attention to the large number of accidents and fatalities that occur as a result of not paying attention to the road while driving.

Each year the hospital’s trauma division receives over 1,500 patients and a substantial number of their injuries or fatalities are caused by distracted driving.  In fact, national statistics report that on average, one in four vehicle crashes involves the use of a cell phone while driving.

However, the act of driving while distracted does not only involve cell phone use, as told by Dr. Geoffrey Doughlin; Jamaica Hospital’s Chairperson of Emergency Services during media interviews. “There are three types of distracted driving: visual- taking your eyes off the road, manual-taking your hands off the wheel and cognitive- taking your mind off driving.” Doughlin further explained to reporters, “Distracted driving activities also include eating, applying makeup or talking to passengers.”

WATCH NY1 Media Interview here:

Jamaica Hospital’s Trauma Division actively conducts research on motor vehicle and pedestrian safety. The research is utilized in industry publications, as a resource for the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and in other hospital community outreach efforts.  The division was awarded funding by the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee in 2015 and 2016 for their Safer Street Queens project.

The objectives of New York City’s Vision Zero initiative coincide with those of our Trauma Division, which is essentially making streets safer for all who use them. Vision Zero, Street Team Officers are often seen in neighborhoods engaging residents while handing out safe driving and pedestrian safety reading materials. Officers did the same the day of the event by standing in front of the hospital and handing out Vision Zero materials to all who walked by.

The efforts of programs such as Vision Zero and Safer Streets Queens have yielded positive results. NYPD Chief of Transportation, Thomas Chan shared that the areas in South East Queens have seen a 45% decrease in fatalities and education as well as enforcement has played a large part in that achievement. Chief Chan informed Queens Ledger reporters, “We’re seeing a difference.”  “Two years in a row we’ve had decreases since the inception of Vision Zero. There’s always room for improvement and we’re going to continue to work on these particular issues.”

Overall, the event was successful; we would like to thank the staff of Jamaica Hospital’s Trauma Division and the NYPD for their commitment to educating our community on road rules and safety.

From L-R Arlette Cunningham; Volunteer Manager JHMC, Mohan Dyal and WABC TV news anchor Ken Rosato

Earlier this spring, Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center volunteers Dylan Gettings and Mohan Dyal were honored at the United Hospital Fund’s 23rd annual Hospital Auxillian and Volunteer Achievement Awards ceremony.

Eighty-seven volunteers from 61 hospitals throughout New York were honored for providing exceptional service to the hospitals where they volunteer.  Gettings from Flushing Hospital and Dyal from Jamaica Hospital were selected from thousands of nominees who dedicated millions of hours of their time to volunteering.

The volunteers came from all walks of life, a wide range of professions and have served in various hospital settings.  Mohan Dyal, a retired farmer from Guyana, was recognized for starting a foster grandparent program at Jamaica Hospital.  He volunteers thirty hours every week, engaging children in a variety of activities while they wait to see their doctor. Dylan Gettings volunteers in the General Stores Department at Flushing Hospital where he helps the staff take care of the hospital’s massive inventory, as well as delivering supplies to various departments.  The members of the store room have fallen under Dylan’s spell and treat him as “family”.

The MediSys Health Network honorees were acknowledged in front of a crowd of 700 attendees at the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria.

At the event, Jim Tallon the President of the United Hospital Fund stated, “If there is one event a year that reaffirms the goodness of people, it’s easy to make a case that it’s this one.”  We are proud to say that two of those good people are volunteers from Jamaica and Flushing Hospital.

Congratulations Dylan Gettings and Mohan Dyal on this great achievement and we are grateful for your dedication to our hospitals.

On April 27, 2016, Flushing Hospital Medical Center was the sole hospital provider at the first of many health and wellness seminars in partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens. The event was hosted at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston.

After months of planning, a full day of screenings and workshops were offered to educate the over 150 Priests who attended.

The workshops focused on behavioral health, hypertension, stroke prevention, nutrition and managing diabetes.  Blood pressure, vision, medication counseling, hearing, skin and foot wound care as well as oral cancer checks were some of the health screenings provided at the event.

Dr. Alexander Kintzoglou, Chairman of Flushing Hospital’s Department of Medicine participated in the mid-day panel discussion entitled Health and Wellness among Faith Leaders. During the discussion, Father Bryan Carney, from Pastoral Care at FHMC, applauded the hospital for reaching out to his colleagues. Robert Levine, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer responded, “The hospital and our wonderful team of employees are always looking for opportunities to further improve the health of our community!”

Overall, the event was a success.  Those in attendance thanked Flushing Hospital’s leadership and staff for their work, dedication and demonstration of compassion.

The percentage of residents registered as organ donors in New York is at an all-time low.  In fact, our great state ranks 50^th out of 50 states with regard to the percentage of residents registered as organ donors. Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, LiveOnNY and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz are determined to change that and move New York up in the rankings.

LiveOnNY and Jamaica Hospital collaborated to promote National Donate Life Month and the Long Live New York campaign.  Both organizations petitioned residents in neighboring communities to the hospital to be the catalyst for change by enrolling in the New York State Donor Registry.

On April 20th, as a part of their community outreach campaign Jamaica Hospital and LiveOnNY hosted a flag-raising ceremony with special guest Queens Borough President Melinda Katz.  The event commemorated National Donate Life Month and recognized the selflessness of organ donors.  Margaret Valsechi, a volunteer for LiveOnNY shared the remarkable story about her son Stephen Valsechi who passed away a few years ago. Stephen was registered as an organ donor and after his death gave the gift of life to four organ donor recipients.

Margaret was followed by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz who applauded Stephen’s family for their advocacy and passion for informing others about the importance of organ donation.   The Borough President reminded the crowd of medical professionals, hospital staff and community members that it is crucial that they register, as they will be saving the lives of many.

Borough President Katz presented Jamaica Hospital with a proclamation in recognition of the hospital’s commitment to raising awareness. She also declared April 20^th as Organ Donor Day in Queens.  Those in attendance were jubilant about the announcement.

There are over 10,000 New Yorkers on waiting lists for a life-saving organ.  Every 15 hours someone in this state dies while waiting for an organ transplant.  There are many benefits to becoming an organ donor but the most important is, you can save the lives of up to eight people with your generosity. For more information about becoming an organ donor or to register to the New York State Donor  Registry, please visit www.LiveOnNY.org.

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 simple acts of courtesy, team spirit, kindness and professionalism.

This month’s G.E.M recipients are:

Dr. Michelle Espinoza – Palliative Care

We congratulate the honorees on a job well done and thank you for your dedication!