The Lown Institute Has Recognized Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital Medical Centers For Excellence in Health Equity

The Lown Institute has recognized Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital Medical Centers for excellence in health equity, receiving an “A” grade on the 2024-25 Lown Institute Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility.

Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital Medical Centers achieved this honor through strong performance across metrics of community benefit, pay equity, and inclusivity out of more than 3,500 hospitals nationwide.

“Great care is only great if everyone can access it,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “We need hospitals to be strong community partners—and Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals are at the top of our list showing the way.”

The Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is the only ranking to combine health equity metrics and value of care alongside patient outcomes, for more than 2,700 acute care and 800 critical access hospitals nationwide—offering a holistic view of hospitals as total community partners. In the fifth annual rankings, the 2024-25 Lown Index evaluates hospitals on over 50 measures including novel metrics such as community benefit, racial inclusivity, and avoidance of overuse. Data sources include Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage claims, CMS patient safety data and hospital cost reports, and IRS 990 forms. The full can be found on the Lown Index website.

The Lown Institute is an independent think tank advocating bold ideas for a just and caring system for health. Learn more at www.LownHospitalsIndex.org.

JHMC Nurses in Singapore

Recently, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center nurses attended the Sigma Theta Tau International Research Congress Sharing Insights, Advancing Care: Disseminating Nursing Research and Evidence for the Future in Singapore, Indonesia. Representing Jamaica Hospital was Sharon Wexler, PhD, RN, Nurse Scientist, Vik Singh, MS, RN, Director of Nursing, Annessa Madraymootoo-Ramdial, MSN, RN, Rohan Sumrah, MS, RN, Clinical Nurse Leaders, and Shiv Kumari Santram, MS, RN, Nurse Manager.

Sigma Theta Tau International Nurses Honor Society was founded in 1922 by six nursing students. It became the first US organization to fund nursing research. With membership being by invitation only, Sigma has more than 100,000 active members who reside in more than 100 countries. Throughout the world, there are roughly 600 chapters at more than 700 institutions of higher education. Jamaica Medical Center affiliates with Pace University Omega Delta Chapter of Sigma. Sigma has always recognized the value of scholarship and excellence in nursing practice.

The Research Congress was attended by 1,026 attendees representing 47 countries and 185 Honor Society Chapters. 65% of the attendees have a doctoral degree. There were 1,039 educational sessions.

At the Research Congress, the representatives from Jamaica Hospital presented the poster “Clinical Nurse Leader: An Innovative Solution to Facilitating Excellence at the Bedside”. The premise of the poster and presentation was to discuss the role of the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. The role was introduced by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in 2003, the first new nursing role in over 35 years. The CNL assumes accountability for patient-care outcomes through the assimilation and application of evidence-based information to design, implement, and evaluate patient-care processes and models of care delivery. The CNL is a provider and manager of care, at the point of care, to individuals and cohorts of patients anywhere healthcare is delivered. The poster was curated by Sharon Wexler, PhD, RN, Nurse Scientist, Kathleen Karsten, PhD, RN, and Susan Iovino, DNP, RN.

In addition to the poster and presentation, this initiative was accepted for publication in the November 2024 issue of Nursing Management, titled, Transforming Care at the Bedside: The Role of the Clinical Nurse Leader.

Congratulations to the nursing team for this amazing achievement.

Congratulations to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for Earning the ACR Lung Cancer Screening Designation

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has been designated a Lung Cancer Screening Center by the American College of Radiology.

The ACR Lung Cancer Screening Center designation is a voluntary program recognizing facilities committed to providing safe, effective diagnostic care for individuals at the highest risk for lung cancer.

To receive this elite distinction, facilities must be accredited by the ACR in computed tomography in the chest module and undergo a rigorous assessment of their lung cancer screening protocol and infrastructure. Procedures in place for follow-up patient care, such as counseling and smoking cessation programs, are also required.

Lung cancer is the nation’s leading cancer killer – taking the lives of more people each year than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. That’s why the Jamaica Hospital Lung Cancer Screening Program is committed to improving the morbidity and mortality associated with lung cancer. Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography scans, and appropriate follow-up care, significantly reduces lung cancer deaths. Jamaica Hospital’s Lung Cancer Screening Program offers screening with an LDCT chest scan for high-risk individuals who are aged 50-80 years old, are current smokers or those who have quit within the past 15 years, have a tobacco smoking history of at least 20 pack years, and are asymptomatic with no signs or symptoms suggestive of lung cancer.

Congratulations to the Jamaica Hospital Lung Cancer Screening Program on receiving this outstanding recognition from the ACR, the gold standard in imaging.

For more information about the Lung Cancer Screening Center designation, visit: acr.org/Quality-Safety/Lung-Cancer-Screening-Center.

U.S. News & World Report Names Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Among Best Hospitals 2024-2025 as High Performing

The annual Procedures & Conditions ratings are designed to assist patients and their healthcare providers in making informed decisions about where to receive care for challenging health conditions or elective procedures.

U.S. News evaluated nearly 5,000 hospitals across 15 specialties and 20 procedures and conditions. Hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, level of nursing care, and patient experience.

“For 35 years, U.S. News has been a leading resource for patients navigating their health care decisions,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “The ‘High Performing’ designation acknowledges hospitals that consistently deliver high-quality care for specific medical procedures and conditions. This recognition highlights their expertise and commitment to patient well-being.”

To calculate the Best Hospitals rankings, U.S. News evaluated each hospital’s performance on objective measures such as risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications, and level of nursing care. The Best Hospitals Specialty rankings methodology and Procedures & Conditions ratings methodology measure patient outcomes using data from millions of records provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This year, among other methodology refinements, U.S. News incorporated new data on care provided to patients with Medicare Advantage insurance and on care provided to outpatients, nearly doubling the number of patients included in its annual data analysis. The Procedures & Conditions ratings are based entirely on objective quality measures.

Congratulations to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center on this remarkable recognition from U.S. News & World Report.

Schwartz Rounds at JHMC

On July 26th, 2024, Jamaica Hospital held Schwartz Rounds on campus with 179 attendees. The Schwartz Rounds program offers healthcare providers a regularly scheduled time during their fast-paced work lives to openly and honestly discuss the social and emotional issues they face in caring for patients and families. In contrast to traditional medical rounds, the focus is on the human dimension of medicine. “As a first-time attendee, this experience has improved my insight into how patient care looks outside of the actual clinical care. I also have a better understanding as to how each staff member contributes to the care team”, said one attendee.

During the event, caregivers can share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings on thought-provoking topics drawn from actual patient cases. The premise is that caregivers can better make personal connections with patients and colleagues when they have greater insight into their responses and feelings. “It is great to see how our organization cares for our patients and our staff”, an attendee said. Panelists from diverse disciplines participate in the sessions, including physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, allied health professionals, and support staff. After listening to a panel’s brief presentation on an identified case or topic, caregivers in the audience are invited to share their perspectives and broader related issues. One attendee described the experience as a “Fantastic concept of a round. I felt empathetic with the speakers and it will impact the patient care that I provide. Thank you for organizing this, and I am looking forward to the next one.”

The JHMC Schwartz Rounds® committee members and organizers include Dr. Sharon Narducci, CQO- Senior Leader Champion, Oksana Galibova, Director PCS- Program Coordinator, Dr. Gina Basello, Network Medical Director, GME&DIO- Physician Facilitator, Dr. Susan Iovino, CNO- Nursing Facilitator, Vivekanand Singh, DON- -Planning Committee Member, Robert Pryce, DON- Planning Committee Member, Frances Perez, SW- Planning Committee Member, Karen Codd, Senior Wellness Coordinator- Planning Committee Member, and Person Centered Services Department: Logistics.

Our Schwartz Rounds® Committee Members thank everyone for their participation and invite all employees to attend future rounds, with the next event scheduled at noon in the JHMC Auditorium on 10/25/2024.

For questions, please contact Oksana Galibova, MSN, RN, Network Director Person-Centered Services Email: ogalibov@jhmc.org

 

 

MediSys Health Network Research Day

The MediSys Health Network of Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital Medical Centers recently held its Third Annual Research Conference and Poster Competition. Sponsored by the Department of Research Education and Innovation and the Department of Clinical Research, the event allows the entire MediSys hospital community to present any scholarly activity they had done over the past academic year of 2023-2024.

Director of the Department of Research Education and Innovation, Dr. R. Jonathan Robitsek explained, “The competition is a great showcase of the intellectual curiosity of all that participate”. He also highlighted the importance of the competition noting, “It’s high-quality research some of which has been presented at national and international medical conferences”.

There were 131 posters submitted between Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital. Those posters were broken into three categories, Case Reports, Empirical Research, and Quality Improvements. Each poster was then graded on a rubric of five areas: format, visual, content 1, content 2, and impact.

The first-place winning posters in the Case Reports category were, “A Cycle of Complications: Trastuzumab-induced Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Causing LV Thrombosis Complicated by Thromboembolic Stroke” by V. Patel, J. Patel, J.L Lee, and T. Okan (JHMC) and “Making the Distinction between Cardiac and Vasovagal Syncope in a Patient with an Intracardiac Mass” by D. Desta, P. Kiarie, and R.P Gupta (FHMC).

Second-place winning posters of the category included, “Subcapsular Liver Bleed Secondary to Mal-Placement of a Lucas Device” by I. Agha, S. Montaquila, M. Guerges, A. Mangla, and R. Lakowski (JHMC) and “When the Lungs Become the Battlefield: Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome in GVHD Post Stem Cell Transplant for AML.” by J. Bawa, A. Inghirami, S. Desai, J. Silverman (FHMC).

And finally, the third place posters were, “Impact of Social Media in Acute Onset of Psychosis in Young Child” by H. Ruparel, G. Zelin, S. Peteru (JHMC) and “Skin Deep: Exploring Erythema Nodosum Induced by Dupilumab Therapy” by J. Bawa, E. Malana, N. Tasnim, S. Farhan, A. Khan (FHMC).

In the Empirical Research category, the posters that won first place were, “Demographic Analysis of Patients Seen by a Palliative Care Service Found to be Unbefriended/Unrepresented” by P. Gordon, I.J Wang, R.J Robitsek, A. Tewari, E. Divino, K. Forbes (JHMC) and “Attitudes and Barriers to Utilization of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Clinical Practice Among Residents and Medical Students: A Survey Study” by C. Bodden, M. Alla, P. Kiarie, M.A Louis (FHMC).

Second-place winning posters were, “Does Marijuana Legalization Result in Increased Psychiatric Emergency Visits for Cannabis Induced Psychosis?” by G. Zelin, N. Siddiqui, A. Miele, R. Kamal (JHMC) and “Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Emergent Non-Cardiac Surgery: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes” by D. Giannis, R. Zhao, L. Fernandez, N. Nikolov, C. Sneed, P. Kiarie, A. Miele, M.A Louis, N.R Mandava (FHMC).

Lastly, the third-place winning posters of the category were, “Systematic Review of Hematologic Values Among Transgender Patients: Establishing Standardized Reference Ranges to Improve Clinical Care” by L. Yap-Separovich, M. McDonald, L. Alhakim, J. Langaman, T. Millingen, A. Mir, L. Gance, C. Nienaber, A. Roth, G. Basello, E. Brondolo (JHMC) and “The Effect of Circadian Rhythm on the Glucose Challenge Test in Pregnancy” by A. Makol, M. Sun, L. Keating, I. Ngai (FHMC).

In the final category of Quality Improvements, the first-place winning posters were, “Advance Care Conversations in Primary Care Settings: Prevalence and Sociodemographic Factors” by I.J Wang, D. Patel, A. Spinelli, M. McDonald, A. Miele, R.J Robitsek, F. Falcone, K. Forbes, E. Brondolo, A. Roth, S. Mathew-Geevarughese (JHMC) and “Evaluating the Long Term Impact of Standardizing Written Sign Outs” by T. Lildar, W. Thu, S. Falak, M. Syed, S. Desai, A. Miele, K.L Cervellione, T. Toronjadze (FHMC).

Congratulations to those who placed, the honorable mentions, and everyone who participated in this year’s Research Day Conference and Poster Competition.

Jamaica Hospital Hosts Town Hall on MediSys and MSK Clinical Collaboration

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center hosted a town hall to provide more information about the new clinical collaboration between the MediSys Health Network and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). The town hall was held both in-person in Jamaica Hospital’s “D” Building and virtually for attendees at Flushing Hospital Medical Center.

Several presenters spoke about how this collaboration would help bring world-class cancer care to patients in Queens and discussed plans for the future of the partnership in detail. The first phase of the relationship is expected to bring a robust new oncology program to the network, as well as opportunities for patient participation in clinical trials.

David Pfister, MD, Chief of the Head and Neck Oncology Service at MSK and Associate Deputy Physician-in-Chief of Strategic Partnerships, spoke at the event about his enthusiasm regarding the future of MSK’s collaboration with MediSys and the objectives it is being designed to achieve. “The goal of the collaboration is to provide the highest quality cancer care locally,” said Dr. Pfister. “Central to our strategy is for MediSys to improve and grow its own cancer program with MSK’s assistance.”

Dr. Sabiha Raoof, Chief Medical Officer and Chairperson of Radiology at MediSys, also spoke at the town hall, outlining the importance of resources for patient navigation and how her own experiences as a breast cancer patient at MSK showed her how essential this aspect of care is for the program.

“My experience receiving cancer treatment taught me how complex it really is to navigate health care. It took a whole team to ensure I received the best care possible,” said Dr. Raoof.

Dr. Rosa Nouvini, an Assistant Attending and Junior Faculty Council Vice Chair at MSK as well as a key figure in building the MediSys oncology program, also spoke briefly about her experiences treating patients as part of the collaboration so far.

“Personal connections that help to better understand patients’ life experiences and barriers to health care are an important part of how we offer the best cancer treatment possible,” said Dr. Nouvini. “It’s been amazing to bring that approach and the quality of MSK’s cancer care to MediSys.”

The partnership between MediSys and MSK is ultimately expected to significantly reduce socioeconomic, language, and education-related obstacles to quality cancer care for the diverse population of over 2.4 million Queens residents. “This is a terrific partnership,” said Bruce J. Flanz, President and CEO of the MediSys Health Network. “Our culturally and ethnically diverse patient population will gain access to world-class cancer care not only now, but for generations to come.”

The MediSys Health Network Announces Collaboration With Planetree International

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center are proud to be two of only 12 hospitals chosen to participate in a 24-month collaborative program that will help the MediSys Health Network reach its goal of delivering the highest level of patient-centered care.

The program, which is being funded by the NYS Health Foundation, will allow both hospitals the opportunity to work with Planetree, an international, non-profit organization that facilitates patient-centered care in a healing environment.

According to the program, over the next two years, Planetree will partner with Jamaica and Flushing Hospital by offering a full spectrum of services to help them develop a path to providing person-centered care. Planetree will be assisting the MediSys hospitals by providing assessments to better understand our organization’s culture from all perspectives and offering coaching and training to help us develop, implement and maintain a range of person-centered care strategies. At the end of the 24-month collaborative, both hospitals hope to achieve Planetree Bronze Designation.

It has been proven that hospitals that are dedicated to patient-centered care have experienced many benefits, including:

  • Higher Quality of Care
  • Improved Patient Outcomes
  • Lower Readmission Rates
  • Shorter Lengths of Stay
  • Higher Patient Experience Scores
  • Increased Employee Satisfaction & Retention
  • Improved Reputation

Planetree’s mission to “inspire caregivers to make patients true partners in their care, meeting their human needs and improving outcomes” is in perfect alignment with the goals of the MediSys Health Network as it has been our main focus over the last several years to improve the patient experience.  “We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with Planetree. We hope that this collaboration will inspire a network-wide culture change to patient-centered care excellence” states Emilia Escamilla-Rebaza, RN, Director of Person-Centered Services.

Please stay tuned for more information about the Planetree collaborative.

MediSys Celebrates National Doctors’ Day

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush signed a proclamation that recognized physicians for the work that they do. This day, now known as National Doctors’ Day, is celebrated on March 30th and was created to thank physicians for their tireless contributions to our well-being as a society.

This year, the MediSys Health Network celebrated this national observance by hosting a special breakfast to honor our doctors. On Wednesday, March 27th, doctors at Jamaica Hospital were treated to a feast and the following day, Flushing Hospital doctors received a morning meal in their honor. Both events were hosted by Bruce Flanz; President and CEO, Dr. Sabiha Raoof; Chief Medical Officer, and many other hospital administrators who all showed their appreciation to our physicians. In addition to being treated to a delicious breakfast, every doctor at both hospitals received a gift for their hard work and dedication.

The MediSys Health Network is grateful to the hundreds of physicians who work in many different areas and contribute to the wellness of the men, women, and children in our communities.

Veterans Honored at Flag Raising Ceremony at MediSys Clocktower

On Friday, March 22nd, a special flag raising ceremony was held at MediSys Clocktower in honor of the men and women who served bravely in the Vietnam War.

Senator Joseph Addabbo, who generously donated the flag, conducted the ceremony outside the Clocktower Building. The event was attended by Assemblyman Mike Miller, Councilmember Robert Holden, Deputy Inspector Courtney B. Nilan of the 102 Precinct, Police Officers from the 102 Precinct, Frank Gulliscio, District Manager of Community Board 6, as well as many local veterans who were grateful to be honored.

At the top of the Clocktower Building, which has been designated as a historical landmark, is a flagpole that sits at one of the highest points in the area. Since the medical center moved into the building over 20 years ago, Jamaica Hospital has been proud to have the American flag fly high above it.

The responsibility to raise the flag each time has been that of the center’s manager, Patrick Rudden. As he has done for many years, Mr. Rudden once again climbed to the top of the MediSys Clocktower Building to raise the flag to a delighted crowd’s applause.

Thanks to everyone who made this flag raising event such a special occasion.