Congratulations to Flushing Hospital’s C.A.R.E Award Winners

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Congratulations to Flushing 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 (for 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, and ensuring that their feelings are validated.

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

  1. Robert Benya
  2. Gonzalo Bravo
  3. Alfonzo Siu
  4. Mufang Yu, RN
  5. Catherine Huang, RN
  6. Deborah Davis, CNA
  7. Robert Campbell, CNA
  8. Jeanne Barthelemy
  9. Alisa Gonzalez, CNA
  10. Loretta Johnson, CNA
  11. John Sanchez, CNA
  12. Diola Agpalo, CNA
  13. Mohanchand Singh, RN
  14. Regina Holmes, RN
  15. Jennifer Contreras, RN
  16. Fabienne Daquin, RN
  17. Linda Perez
  18. Alex Khaimov, RN
  19. Labor & Delivery Department
  20. Emergency Department
  21. Medical Intensive Care Unit

Congratulations to Jamaica Hospital’s C.A.R.E Award Winners

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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 (for 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, and ensuring 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. Gilene Achil
  2. Stephanie Kearney
  3. Rosa Rosario
  4. Rory Robinson, PCA
  5. Orayne Hibbert, PCA
  6. Noely Diaz
  7. Monique Licerio RN
  8. Mariusz Baczewski
  9. Margie Rodriguez
  10. Dr. Luigi Tullo
  11. Kamini Ramgoon, RN
  12. Dr. Jeffrey Chan
  13. Dr. Robert Laskowski
  14. Dr. Philip Cruz
  15. Dr. David Dovnarsky
  16. Aziza Sharipova, RN
  17. ASU Team
  18. Emergency Department

HANYS Highlights MediSys for Innovation

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The Hospital Association of New York State (HANYS) recognizes member hospitals and health systems across New York that invest in forward-looking initiatives that strive to improve health outcomes and care quality outcomes. The HANYS member spotlight categorizes these initiatives into three categories, Innovation, Community Health, and Commitment to Excellence.

The MediSys Health Network was highlighted recently for Innovation for placing a priority on employee well-being. In the spring of 2022, the network creatively adapted and provided much-needed care for its healthcare team. This initiative was created in response to the extraordinary impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the mental health and well-being of healthcare workers which could have potentially threatened the quality of care to our patients.

MediSys implemented a multi-faceted approach to provide increased support for its team’s mental and emotional well-being. This program continues to grow as the pandemic persists.  The programming includes:

  • Staff wellness stations – physical spaces set up to facilitate relaxation and access to verbal and non-verbal therapeutic modalities
  • Wellness Rounds – therapists walk through medical units to briefly check in with staff and other support.
  • Aromatherapy and handmade affirmation cards
  • Wellness groups – therapeutic art groups facilitated by licensed creative arts therapists
  • Wellness sign-outs that focus on guided meditations and discussions
  • Individual phone calls to offer wellness resources to all frontline team members
  • Individual wellness sessions – therapists provide short-term, confidential emotional support to staff experiencing difficult life circumstances

Congratulations to all involved, specifically Karen Codd and Deb Brass for their hard work and dedication to the overall wellness of the MediSys Health Network team.

For more information, contact Karen Codd, MPS, LCAT, ATR-BC, DAT-c, Jamaica Hospital senior wellness coordinator, at kcodd@jhmc.org, or Deb Brass, MS, LCAT, ATR-BC, Flushing Hospital senior wellness coordinator, at dbrass@jhmc.org. 

Jamaica Hospital Signs Formal Agreements With Local Cure Violence Groups To Help End Gun Violence In Our Community

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On Monday, June 13th, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center held an important event to address the gun violence epidemic in our community.

On that date, the hospital signed official partnerships with three members of The NYC Crisis Management System – King of Kings, Life Camp, and Rock Safe Streets as part of its commitment to end gun violence in our community. The objective of the landmark agreement is for all involved to work together to prevent violence and assist in protecting the health of patients and community members.

According to the formal collaboration, Jamaica Hospital will designate employees who will support the provision of anti-violence and violence interruption services by responding to referrals of traumas associated with gun violence. These designated employees will also assist in coordinating the visitation of Responders (individuals appointed by Cure Violence groups) with patients and loved ones, with their consent and as authorized by the law.

Responders’ duties include conducting follow-up visits during the inpatient stay with identified hospital patients, upon a determination by Jamaica Hospital that the patient is stable. Responders will provide supportive services such as mediation, conflict resolution, and service referrals to assist in the prevention of re-injury to these patients or to prevent retaliation connected to gun violence incidents.

Participating in the event were many local elected officials including Congressman Gregory Meeks, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Senator Leroy Comrie, and Chief Kevin Williams, NYPD Patrol Borough Queens South. Each official praised both Jamaica Hospital and the three members of The NYC Crisis Management System for working together to help end the gun violence crisis.

In addition, Dr. Katherine McKenzie addressed the audience to share information about Jamaica Hospital’s existing Violence Elimination and Trauma Outreach (VETO) program, which aimed to provide support for victims of gun violence as well as the hospital’s plans to create a dedicated center where gun violence victims can have all their clinical and social needs met as part of our Trauma Healing & Recovery Integrative Violence Elimination (THRIVE) Survivor Center.

After the presentation, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center President & CEO, Bruce Flanz signed formal Memos of Understanding to officially mark the occasion.

The event received significant media attention. To see the press clips, please click on the links below:

Flushing Hospital Receives NYS Obstetric Hemorrhage Project Award

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Flushing Hospital Medical Center is the proud recipient of the New York State Obstetric Hemorrhage Project 2021 Quality Improvement Award.

The award recognizes Flushing Hospital’s participation and dedicated work in the New York State Obstetric Hemorrhage Project which was created by the New York State Perinatal Quality Collaborative (NYSPQC) to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality associated with obstetric hemorrhage.

Maternal morbidity is defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as, “any short- or long-term health problems that result from being pregnant and giving birth.”  While maternal mortality, “refers to the death of a woman from complications of pregnancy or childbirth that occur during the pregnancy or within 6 weeks after the pregnancy ends.”

Both issues have been causes for concern nationally as data shows that maternal morbidity and mortality rates in the U.S. have been inclining steadily.

In November of 2017, the NYSPQC initiated the NYS Obstetric Hemorrhage Project in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Healthcare Association of New York State, and the Greater New York Hospital Association with the support of the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality to address this problem.

Flushing Hospital joined the project as part of its ongoing efforts to provide patients and their families with the best, safest, and most equitable care.

As a participant, Flushing Hospital has met or exceeded the project’s goal of assessing at least 85% of patients for risk of obstetric hemorrhage upon admission and during the postpartum period. The hospital also implemented measures to improve readiness to respond to obstetric hemorrhage.

“This project involved a multidisciplinary approach with monthly webinars and in-person meetings in Albany. Together, we worked on updating our policies, acquired a hemorrhage cart, and updated our hemorrhage kit.  We also performed simulation drills and devised a hemorrhage assessment for patients antepartum, upon admission to Labor and Delivery, and postpartum. Our team has been educated and trained on all changes to ensure the delivery of quality care,” explained Maria Smilios, Director of Nursing Maternal and Child Services at Flushing Hospital.

Flushing Hospital was commended for its dedication and “exemplary work” by the New York State Perinatal Quality Collaborative. The hospital will continue to focus on improving maternal morbidity and maternal rates in its community to ensure a healthier future for all.

Flushing Hospital Shares Information About BRAAVR Program

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Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in the number of verbal and physical acts of violence against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. According to a recent NYPD report, there were 131 hate crimes targeting Asians in New York in 2021 as compared to only 28 in 2020 and only one in 2019.

This dramatic rise in racist attacks prompted the wellness team at Flushing Hospital Medical Center to create the BRAAVR (Building Resilience Against Anti-Asian Violence & Racism) program.  This community wellness program was designed to help people who have been impacted, either directly or indirectly, by anti-Asian racism, receive counseling and support from culturally competent, multi-lingual mental health professionals. The program is available to all, regardless of their ability to pay. Services are provided in-person, through the mobile crisis intervention program, or virtually through the telehealth program.

On Monday, May 23rd, in recognition of Asian American Heritage Month, Flushing Hospital held a press conference to officially launch the BRAAVR program and invited Congresswoman Grace Meng to join them for the announcement. The Congresswoman has been a strong advocate for addressing anti-Asian hate and mental health awareness in the Asian community. Among Congresswoman Meng’s many accomplishments to combat anti-Asian hate was the enactment of her COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. The bill was overwhelmingly passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives and signed into law by President Biden in May of 2021.

During her remarks, Congresswoman Meng pledged her continued support for Flushing Hospital and thanked the wellness team, led by Dr. Daniel Chen, Chairman of Psychiatry. After the program, Congresswoman Meng was given a tour of Flushing Hospital and was very impressed with all the modernization projects taking place, including the New Beginnings Mother-Baby Unit.

The event was well covered by multiple Asian media outlets including The Korean Channel, Sino Vision, and NTDTV.  In addition, New York 1 News covered the BRAAVR program in their “Around the Boroughs” segment. To see the clip, click the following:

Congratulations to the wellness team on their efforts to provide this important service to our community.

Jamaica Hospital Shares Information With The Public During Baby Formula Shortage

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The national baby formula shortage has forced mothers and families of infants to inquire about other ways to feed their babies. One such option is receiving breast milk from local trusted milk banks.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, which operates the only milk depot in Queens, was asked to discuss this topic with the media in an effort to provide important information about how women can donate (and potentially receive donor breast milk) and provide safety tips on substitute feeding methods. Ivis Penalver, a certified lactation consultant and Assistant Director of WIC conducted two separate interviews, one with Spanish broadcast television station Univision and the other with WPIX 11 news.

The first and most important point Ivis wanted to convey was the difference between a milk bank and a milk depot.  Milk banks can collect, process, and redistribute breast milk to hospitals and individuals, while milk depots, like the one at Jamaica Hospital, work with milk banks as a location where breast milk can be collected and stored, but cannot process and distribute.

In addition, Ivis advised mothers not to dilute baby formula, avoid substituting it with other types of formula without checking with their doctor, and refrain from accepting donor breast milk from anywhere but a milk bank as these practices can be dangerous for babies.

Lastly, Ivis shared information about the increase in milk donations from women in the community. One such woman explained in her interview with WPIX how her desire to help those in need inspired her to become a donor.

To see the full WPIX interview, click below:

Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital “MedTalk” Podcasts Now Available For All

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Podcasts have become an increasingly popular medium to distribute information about a variety of topics. Millions of people listen to them to learn about many things including politics, entertainment, sports, and health. For this reason, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center recently began producing and distributing podcasts to help our community learn how to better manage their health as well as how our hospitals can provide valuable services to assist them.

The first podcasts, which are named Jamaica Hospital MedTalk and Flushing Hospital MedTalk began production earlier this year. Each episode is approximately 15-minutes-long and features providers from various medical specialties discussing a wide range of topics. 

The podcasts can be found on multiple podcast platforms including Apple, Google, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and Stitcher and others.  In addition, those interested can listen to or download the podcasts on each of the hospitals’ websites. Episodes are also being shared on our social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

The MediSys Health Network is dedicated to providing important information about health and wellness to our community. We are excited to utilize our podcasts as a new way to engage everyone.

To listen to any of the Jamaica Hospital podcasts, please click the link below:

https://jamaicahospital.org/podcast/

To listen to any of the Flushing Hospital podcasts, please click the link below:

https://flushinghospital.org/podcast/

Community Health Needs Assessment Survey

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In collaboration with hospitals across the state, the MediSys Health Network is conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment survey to determine the most important health concerns of the community, and we would greatly appreciate your input.

The Community Health Needs Assessment survey will assist in the development of a plan that involves many community partners to improve the health of our community. The results of this survey are very important as they can also impact funding, spending, and other wide-reaching decisions about healthcare delivery systems.

The survey is open to all community members residing in New York. To access it, please click here, and share what issues matter to you most. The MediSys Health Network encourages all employees to complete the survey and to share it with family, friends, and others so that their input can be heard. All responses are confidential.

Thank you for your time and for helping us gain valuable insights into the needs of the community. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Andrew Rubin at 718-206-8949.

Congratulations to Flushing Hospital’s C.A.R.E Award Winners

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Congratulations to Flushing 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 (for 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, and ensuring that their feelings are validated.

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

  1. Arnaldo Marasigan, Housekeeper
  2. Joy Chisolm, Phlebotomist 
  3. Muzzamil Khan, CAN
  4. Adelaida Ramos, Phlebotomist 
  5. Hanngfen Lin, CAN
  6. Narchelle Philitas, RN
  7. Jeanese Barriteau, CNM