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 the following employees on their Good Catch:
Paola Pava- RN
Sharleen Storey- Director of Admission Rehab Services
Dorothy Zak-Psychologist
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.
The MediSys Health Network has recently been named as the official and exclusive Founding Medical Partner for Queensboro FC (QBFC), New York City’s newest soccer team, which is premiering in the United Soccer League this season. According to the partnership, our orthopedic surgical team, led by Dr. Sanjit Konda, will serve as the medical services provider for the team.
To announce themselves, Queensboro FC held a virtual event to reveal the new team jersey. Unlike most soccer teams who reserve the front of their jerseys for sponsorship opportunities, Queensboro FC instead donated the front of their jerseys to honor the healthcare heroes of Queens.
The logo features the hybrid of the Queensboro bridge and an EKG across the top with the words “healthcare heroes” encased in a protective shield. Written around the perimeter of the shield are the Flushing and Jamaica Hospital names, along with the names of the other Queens hospitals that were at the epicenter of the pandemic. Members of the MediSys Health Network took part in the development of the logo.
The official launch of the jersey took place on March 23rd and was accompanied by a “hype video” featuring many Jamaica and Flushing healthcare heroes unveiling the jersey. To see the full video, click here:
Queensboro FC has also generously agreed to donate 100% of the net proceeds from jersey sales that will benefit the healthcare community which has been essential to the care and well-being of NYC residents throughout the pandemic and beyond. To purchase a jersey, please visit the QBFC Shop
“It is incredibly inspiring to see QBFC, a brand-new player in NYC’s pro sports scene, already working closely with the local community,” says Dr. Sanjit Konda, Chairman of Orthopedic Surgery at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital, “Sports can have a wide variety of healing powers and we are excited to bring this partnership to life with programs that will benefit Queens residents, now and for generations to come.”
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center neurosurgeons were the first ever in Queens to perform a life-saving cerebrovascular operation. The surgical team led by Dr. Mohsen Nouri and Dr. Amrit Chiluwal successfully completed what is known as a cerebral artery bypass, an extremely delicate and complex procedure used to treat patients experiencing a narrowing or blockage of an artery that supplies blood to the brain.
The goal of the operation is to restore adequate blood supply by using a small artery from another part of the body (usually the scalp, neck or a vein in the leg) and connecting it to a vessel inside the brain to reroute blood flow around the blocked or damaged cerebral artery. This procedure is very similar to a cardiac bypass surgery where blocked heart arteries are bypassed.
Patients who typically undergo a cerebral artery bypass are those who have suffered from a stroke, a brain aneurysm or brain tumor. To determine if a patient is a candidate for this procedure, neurosurgeons at Jamaica Hospital rely on advanced nuclear medicine testing such as CT perfusion to show which areas of the brain are adequately supplied with blood and brain SPECT to evaluate blood flow, as well as other diagnostic imaging techniques. These tests are conducted in the hospital’s radiology department and cardiovascular interventional suite which are equipped with innovative radiological imaging technologies. Once it is determined that a patient is a candidate, the cerebral artery bypass procedure is performed in one of the hospital’s operating rooms.
In addition to possessing the latest diagnostic and surgical technologies, Jamaica Hospital is also one of only a few hospitals in the region (and the only hospital in Queens) to have endovascular and cerebrovascular trained neurosurgeons capable of performing this advanced surgical intervention. “A cerebral artery bypass is one of the most technically challenging procedures a neurosurgeon can perform. This type of surgery requires great precision. It is only used to treat a very select group of patients, ideally those who are at a high risk for having a recurrent stroke or other complications that may result from the blockage of a cranial artery,” explained Dr. Mohsen Nouri.
“Thanks to the exceptional neurosurgical team that Jamaica Hospital has assembled, our department can offer patients in our community a highly valuable service. Very few hospitals in our borough can provide this level of care to stroke patients, and others who may qualify for a cerebral artery bypass,” stated Dr. Amrit Chiluwal. “Our team consists of physicians who are highly trained and experienced. We have also successfully treated patients diagnosed with arteriovenous malformations, traumatic brain injuries and other similar conditions.”
Jamaica Hospital is a designated Primary Stroke Care Center as well as a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center and has received numerous awards in recognition of its achievements in stroke and neurosurgical care. Jamaica hospital is the recipient of the 2021 Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Stroke Care award, Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence award and the Neurosciences Excellence award.
Congratulations to Jamaica Hospital’s C.A.R.E (Compassion Advocacy Respect and Engagement) award recipients.
The C.A.R.E award program was created by the hospital’s Person-Centered Care Department 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:
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is the proud recipient of the Healthgrades 2021 America’s 250 Best Hospitals award. This premier distinction is only given to hospitals that rank in the top 5% in the nation for overall clinical excellence.
Healthgrades is the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Each year, the organization analyzes nearly 4,500 hospitals in the United States and evaluates their performance in providing quality care for multiple conditions and procedures. Based on their overall performance, the top 5% of all facilities are identified and selected as one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals.
According to Healthgrades, “These elite hospitals not only demonstrate clinical excellence across multiple conditions and procedures but also consistently deliver superior outcomes year over year.” This is the second consecutive year that Jamaica Hospital has received the prestigious award, the hospital was recognized as one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for 2020.
Being named as a Healthgrades America’s 250 Best Hospital is a tremendous honor. It is not only a testament to Jamaica Hospital’s patient-centered initiatives and focus on providing quality healthcare, but also speaks to the dedication and hard work of the hospital’s staff.
In addition to receiving the 2021 America’s 250 Best Hospitals award for its overall performance, Jamaica Hospital has been recognized as a top performer in delivering outstanding patient care in specific specialties and procedures. The hospital also received the 2021 America’s 100 Best Coronary Intervention and America’s 100 Best Stroke Care awards, as well as 2021 Excellence awards for cranial neurosurgery, neurosciences and pulmonary care.
“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.
In 1975, Jamaica Hospital opened the Trump Pavilion Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. That name has remained on the facility for the last 46 years; however, recently, the hospital’s Board of Trustees voted to remove the Trump name and use the name on the nursing home’s original operating certificate, The Jamaica Hospital Nursing Home.
Along with the name change is the development of a new logo, which highlights the distinct entrance to the nursing home and the iconic Jamaica Hospital blue glass. In addition, the center has migrated to a new web address, www.jamaicahospitalnursinghome.org
The MediSys Health Network is in the process of removing all references to the old name or likeness. If you use the nursing home name or logo for any official network business and require assistance during this transition period, please contact Tom Younghans, Vice President of the Jamaica Hospital Nursing Home, at 718-206-5100.
It is hard to believe that almost exactly one year ago the MediSys Health Network admitted our first of thousands of COVID-19 patients. Since then, our team at Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals have accomplished so much to treat a community at the epicenter of a global pandemic.
MediSys President and CEO, Bruce Flanz, was recently asked by NY1 News Anchor Dean Meminger to publicly reflect on the events over the past 12 months, the obstacles that we had to overcome, and what we learned from the experience.
During the interview, Mr. Flanz discussed the dramatic rise in patient volume and our keys to meeting the many challenges we faced, which he attributed to the hard work and dedication of our employees.
The Healthcare Association of New York (HANYS) board of trustees recently announced its 2021 officers and executive committee members and MediSys President and CEO, Bruce Flanz was named chairman. In his new role, Mr. Flanz will work with HANYS leadership to ensure every New Yorker has access to affordable, high-quality care.
Mr. Flanz joined the HANYS board in 2014 and has been a member of its executive committee since 2017, holding many board officer roles including treasurer and secretary. In addition, he was also selected to chair the HANYS Chief Operating Officer forum as well as their Emergency Preparedness Task Force. In 2006, HANYS presented Mr. Flanz with its Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to improving healthcare.
In their press release announcing his appointment, HANYS stated, “During his 46-year career, Bruce Flanz has demonstrated leadership, commitment to community, and dedication to providing healthcare to all who need it. He has been instrumental in establishing MediSys as a leader in its market — and beyond. HANYS went on to state, “Flanz is perhaps best known for his contributions in the area of emergency preparedness. He was instrumental in relief efforts during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the ice storm of 1998 in Northern New York, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in Manhattan, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in Puerto Rico for Hurricane Maria in 2017.”
Upon learning of his selection, Mr. Flanz stated, “It is an honor to have been chosen to chair the board of trustees for the Healthcare Association of New York. They share the same values as we do at the MediSys Health Network and I will do my best to support their efforts to advance the health of individuals and communities by providing leadership, representation and service to healthcare providers.”
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 the following employees on their Good Catch:
Lisette Solomon- RN, Labor & Delivery
Ji Ho Jung- Radiologic Technologist
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.
The MediSys Health Network is pleased to announce that it has launched its Staff Wellness Station program at Flushing and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. The initiative was created by the Department of Psychiatry to support the mental health and overall well-being of all employees.
The goal of the Wellness Station program is to offer a personal and sensory-based experience to help team members relax and feel comfortable enough to express their thoughts and feelings about their experiences during these difficult times.
Each wellness station is staffed by community wellness coordinators, who are also creative arts therapists. These individuals utilize several stress-reducing modalities and offer a variety of relaxation tools and inspirational materials to help employees unwind. Some of the tools and materials used include: Tibetan singing bowls, essential oils, coloring sheets and affirmative cards with words of encouragement printed on them. There are also printed informational handouts and referral resources for those who want more assistance.
The wellness stations are open five days a week and employees are encouraged to visit them routinely so that they can achieve the best results.
Jamaica Hospital – Private Dining RoomMonday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM and Tuesday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Community Wellness Coordinator Karen Codd
Flushing Hospital – 3 North 1
Hours 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM – Monday – Friday
Community Wellness Coordinator Deb Brass
The Staff Wellness Stations are based at these locations and will be open during the following times of the day. Everyone is welcome to stop by for any length of time that they wish, within the hours of operation.