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.

To see the full interview, watch below:

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.

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:

Edny Florissant- Director of Engineering & Plant Operations

Charles Phoenix- Plumber

Timothy Kelly -Plant Supervisor

Joanne Durrant-  PCA

William Mitchell- R.T.(R)(CT)(ARRT)

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 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:

Irina Khayumova RN  – 2 North-Mother Baby

Shiv Kumarie Santram- 4 South Clinical Nurse Manager

Fernando Salud- Environmental Services

Nicoleth Bullen- Ambulatory Surgery

Atia Batla, RN- 4 South Telemetry

Esmeralda Vidad RN -CNM for Operations

Giovana Gavilano-  Manager, Person-Centered Services

Zoraida Ruiz- Ophthalmology Department

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.

Congratulations to Flushing Hospital’s C.A.R.E (Compassion Advocacy Respect and Engagement) award recipient Barbara Hill-Boyd.

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.

Barbara was also nominated based on her 31 years of dedication, compassion, and advocacy for patients and their loved ones.

We thank Barbara for her contributions to making Flushing Hospital a high-reliability hospital that focuses on patient-centered care:

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:

Dr. Firas Alawawdeh

Dr. Edward Epstein

Dr. Michael Goldman

Dr. Samir Sarkar

Dr. Aditya Mangla

Dr. William Frumkin

Ms. Mechelle Webb

Ms. Jorel Zulaikh

Ms. Caryn Sieunarine

Ms. Theresa Molinaro

Mr. Bernabe Rico

Ms. Gloria Gutierrez-Ortiz

Mr. Gavin Adams

Mr. Kener Ismael

Ms. Francess Macauley

Mr. Deochan Singh

Mr. Frank Block

On September 24th, the MediSys Health Network opened its Post-COVID Care Center at our Hollis Tudors location.

The Post-COVID center was established to provide care to the thousands of patients who are still experiencing lingering symptoms associated with  COVID-19.

These patients are now being referred to as “Long Haulers.”

For long haulers, symptoms of the virus can drag on for multiple months. In interviews aired on news outlets including WPIX11 and  NY1, Dr. Alan Roth, Chairman of Ambulatory Care and Family Medicine, shared common symptoms long haulers may experience.

These symptoms can include fatigue, muscle and body pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and headaches. In addition to these physical symptoms, many long haulers are also reporting a variety of cognitive deficits, such as difficulty concentrating or focusing (commonly referred to as mental fog). Other patients may also experience mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

At the Post- COVID  Care Center, long haulers, as well as others experiencing post-COVID symptoms can receive specialized care from a multi-disciplinary group of qualified physicians. “We were compelled to help those in our community who are still dealing with the effects of the virus” stated Dr. Roth, who added “Queens was considered the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in March and April. During that time we treated thousands of patients. While the situation in our community has greatly improved recently, we know that there is still work to be done, including continuing to treat patients living with long-term symptoms.”

The MediSys Health Network’s Post-COVID Care Center provides patients with personalized, comprehensive care, coordinated by a primary care physician, who will work with other on-site specialists, including pulmonologists  and psychiatrists, all dedicated to helping our patients better manage their condition.

The network is encouraging everyone who is experiencing the long-term effects of COVID to seek mental health support or utilize the medical services that are being offered to treat symptoms.

For more information about services provided, or to make an appointment at our Post-COVID Care center, please call  718-736-8204.

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:

Pryia Wells- PI Administrative Assistant

Ralph Andal- PI Systems Admin

Arlette Cunningham- Assistant Director, Volunteer Services

Seydou Ndiaye- Captain, Security Department

Gerry McSloy- Chief Engineer, Engineering Department

Gloria Flatherty- Transporter

Alecia Dawson Primus- PCA

Trudy-Anne Curate -RN, Psychiatry

Amarita Bhoge -MS, R.Ph.Department of Pharmacy

Mendy Tan-  RN 3 North

Karen Knight- PCA 3 North

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.

Martin Ehrlich, M.D.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is proud to announce that our Integrative Health Program has made tremendous strides in recommencing its operations. In order to reintroduce the importance of this field to our community, the upcoming Integrative Health Grand Rounds will focus on the philosophy of integrative health and its scientific basis.

This presentation will be led by Martin Ehrlich, M.D. who recently joined the hospital staff. Dr. Ehrlich is a general internist who practices within the fields of primary care, palliative medicine, and pain management. In addition to his extensive training in these fields, Dr. Ehrlich also possesses profound expertise in the subject of integrative medicine; and this knowledge will help the hospital advance the implementation of its Integrative Health Program.

Integrative Health is a progressive approach to healthcare in which Western scientific medicine is combined with a comprehensive understanding of the nature of illness, healing, and wellness. Rather than relying solely on conventional medicine to manage chronic health conditions, alternative therapies such as acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga, and other complementary treatment options are employed in conjunction with it to address existing chronic conditions, prevent the onset of new illnesses, and promote overall wellness.

The communities Jamaica Hospital serves are incredibly diverse, and each patient treated at our hospital is accompanied by their own unique values, beliefs, and needs. The Integrative Health Program seeks to equip our physicians with ample integrative care strategies to determine what truly matters to our patients, align care plans with each individual’s goals for life and healing; and help our patients derive the most value from the treatment we offer.  Dr. Ehrlich will help providers best apply these strategies in their own practices.

Jamaica Hospital plans include the development of a state-of-the-art Integrative Medicine Center. Dr. Ehrlich’s experience in the field will help the hospital reach this goal, which will ultimately benefit our community.

To learn more about the integrative care approach, please attend Dr. Ehrlich’s hybrid grand rounds presentation, Integrative Health, and Wellness: A New Paradigm on Thursday, July 30 at 8:00 a.m.