Congratulations to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for receiving a certificate of excellence from the Quality Improvement Network for Contraceptive Access (QINCA) for providing our patients with access to contraception options in a post-partum setting.

Currently, 60% of all pregnancies in New York City are unintended. In response to these numbers, the QINCA program was implemented by the New York City Department of Health (DOH) with the purpose of increasing patient access to contraceptive counseling and reducing the number of unintended pregnancies across the city by working with hospitals to provide contraceptive, family planning and primary care services to communities.

This is the second time Jamaica Hospital has received the Certificate of Excellence in recognition of our efforts in this area. In 2016, the hospital participated in phase 1 of the QINCA initiative, which aimed to provide similar contraceptive education, information and support in an outpatient setting. Jamaica was selected as one of only ten hospitals throughout New York City to participate in the initiative with services being provided at the hospital’s Women’s Health Center and Family Medicine Center.

Based on our success in phase 1 of the QINCA program, Jamaica was one of nine hospitals invited to participate in phase 2, where the same efforts were applied in an inpatient environment. According to phase 2, which began in early 2017, Jamaica Hospital physicians and nurses would educate expectant mothers during the prenatal process about their contraception options and offer them a choice of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs).

These birth control methods are highly effective in preventing pregnancy, last for an extended period of time, and once inserted, work without user action. LARCs include intrauterine devices (IUDs) and contraceptive implants like Nexplanon. Women interested in receiving these forms of contraception were provided them immediately after giving birth.

To receive the certificate of excellence for phase 2 of the QINCA program, the multidisciplinary Jamaica Hospital team had to display a commitment to providing optimal conditions for contraceptive access. They also had to participate in regular webinar-based and in person training with the DOH.  In addition, the hospital was required to share data with the group and was subject to multiple site visits by the DOH.

Jamaica Hospital received its official certificate of excellence at a ceremony held on Friday, March 2, at the NYC DOH offices.   According to Dr. Tamara Magloire, Director of Ambulatory for Ob/Gyn, “We are very proud to have achieved this goal. We feel it is our responsibility to educate and support women in our community about the various forms of contraception available to them. By working with QINCA, we are able to offer women a method of contraception that is best suited for them.”

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 their hard work, team spirit, kindness, and professionalism.

This month’s G.E.M recipient is Georgia Martin, Social Worker, Social Work Department.

Congratulations and keep up the excellent work in helping us to serve our community.

In an effort to encourage employees to improve their health, the MediSys Health Network has partnered with the Fitbit Corporation to offer staff the opportunity to purchase fitness trackers at a discounted price.

As part of their Corporate Wellness Program and partnership with MediSys, Fitbit will offer Network employees a 20% discount on a variety of trackers. To further incentivize staff to join the program, MediSys has agreed to pay an additional $20 towards the purchase price.

Those who are interested in taking advantage of this offer, which began on March 15^th, should visit the specially created MediSys Fitbit storefront at www.fitbit.com/welcome/medisys and enter a special promo code, (three zeros plus your Kronos identification number). Each employee is permitted to purchase up to two trackers.

After your tracker arrives in the mail, simply download the Fitbit app, follow the enrollment instructions, and join the MediSys Wellness Program.  Employees who already own a Fitbit tracker can still participate. All they have to do is contact the Program Administrator, who will invite them to join.

Once employees are enrolled, they can track their individual exercise statistics or share their activity with the rest of the group. Members will have the ability to participate in challenges and games that include: determining who has taken the most steps, who has climbed the most stairs, or who has burned the most calories. The purpose of these friendly challenges is to motivate employees to live a healthier lifestyle through exercise.

This offer is only available for the first 250 devices. For more information about joining the MediSys and Fitbit Corporate Wellness Program, please contact Program Administrator, Josh, Sclair at [email protected] or 718-206-8918.

The MediSys Health Network recently launched a website dedicated to the research efforts conducted at both Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center.

The new site, www.MedisysResearch.org offers a comprehensive database of the network’s clinical academic achievements, including a listing of poster presentations, performance improvement projects, clinical studies, as well as links to published articles. The website offers visitors the opportunity to search for a specific project by article type, author, or keyword.

Creating this site was the idea of Mr. Tony Maffia, Vice President of Psychiatry, who believed that such a site would provide a forum to showcase the many contributions Jamaica and Flushing Hospital are making in various fields of research to both an internal and external audience.

Construction of the site began in late 2017 and completion required the collaborative efforts of the Information Technology, Graduate Medical Education, Public Affairs, Medical Library, and Research Departments. The site was launched last month and it has received a great deal of positive feedback from many providers and members of our clinical leadership.

If you are interested in learning more about the site or would like to submit a project for inclusion, please contact Kelly Cervillione, Director of Research at 718-206-5800 or email her at [email protected]

Being admitted to a hospital or having to undergo a procedure can be a very stressful and even scary experience for many patients and their families, and that is especially true when that patient is a child.

In an effort to reduce the stress of our pediatric patients and offer a calming distraction for them, Flushing Hospital Medical Center is now offering children an escape from the hospital environment with the help of the Samsung Applied Virtual Reality headset. This state-of-the-art, interactive tool was purchased by Flushing Hospital thanks to a grant from the Child’s Play Foundation.

This fully mobile, virtual reality technology allows Flushing Hospital’s smallest patients to leave the confinement of their treatment area by taking them on a variety of exciting journeys. Pediatric patients can now relax on a sandy beach or tranquil ocean or they can visit any number of scenic destinations across the country and around the globe, including Los Angeles, Yellowstone National Park, London, Tibet, Iceland or Machu Picchu. The VR software is constantly being updated, offering patients an ever-expanding assortment of places to go to.

The headset is easy to operate and is being used to further assist Flushing Hospital’s Child Life Specialist while they care for patients. This technology offers an entertaining distraction to children when they are receiving important, yet typically anxiety-inducing treatments, such as blood draws, IV insertions, spinal taps, dressing changes and blood transfusions.

The virtual reality headset is utilized by most patients as it requires very little movement by the patient and it has proven to be very effective in helping children cope with stress associated with a clinical environment.

Patients as young as three years old have used the Samsung headsets and thus far, it has received an overwhelmingly positive response from both our patients and their parents. Both providers and family members have expressed that this technology has resulted in increased cooperation and enhanced comfort for our pediatric patients.

Flushing Hospital’s Pediatric Department is very grateful for this generous gift made possible by the Child’s Play Foundation and the staff is equally thrilled to have another tool to help them provide a positive atmosphere for our pediatric patients.

Flushing Hospital Medical Center in conjunction with the New York Surgical Specialists (NYSS) group are proud to announce that they now offer a safe and effective, non-surgical alternative for individuals who struggle with obesity and have unsuccessfully tried to lose weight through conventional diet and exercise.

Weight loss specialists, Sanjeev Rajpal MD, Darshak Shah MD and Noman Khan MD are all excited that Flushing is one of the only hospitals in the area to offer our patients the revolutionary, Obalon weight loss system. Obalon is the first and only non-surgical, and completely non-invasive weight loss treatment option approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Patients who participate in the Obalon treatment swallow a small, coated capsule connected to a thin tube. Once the capsule is digested, it naturally dissolves and a small, lightweight gastric balloon unfolds. This balloon is then filled with medical gases via the tube before it is removed. This process is repeated two more times over a six month period. Each procedure only takes 10 minutes, requires no sedation and can be performed in the doctor’s office.

Once expanded, each to the size of a small orange, the three balloons work to facilitate weight loss by taking up space within the stomach, enabling patients to become fuller while eating less.

After six months the balloons are removed endoscopically while the patient is under light, conscious sedation.

Throughout the entire three-stage, six month process, patients will receive nutritional and exercise support from Flushing Hospital’s weight loss team.

The Obalon Weight Loss System offers many benefits to those patients, who do not qualify for, or are seeking an alternative to bariatric surgery, including:

• Obalon is clinically proven to be twice as effective as diet and exercise alone
• There are minimal risks or side effects
• No sedation is required and the entire procedure only takes 10 minutes
• Obalon is affordable as compared to other surgical weight loss options, but it is not currently covered by most insurance providers
• Patients can resume their normal daily lifestyle immediately
• The procedure is completely reversible

Not everyone is a candidate for the Obalon weight loss system. To qualify, patients must be:

• At least 22 years old
• Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30-40
• Have not had any form of weight loss surgery
• Are actively attempting to lose weight through diet and exercise
• Are committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle during and after treatment

To learn more information about the Obalon weight loss system, or to make an appointment with one of our highly qualified physicians, please call 718-670-8908 to schedule an appointment at Flushing Hospital or 718-408-6977 to schedule an appointment at New York Surgical Specialists.

In an effort to improve the overall wellness of our community and employees, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has partnered with the New York City Department of Parks and  Recreation’s; Shape Up NYC, to offer free Stretch and Release classes to everyone.

The class will be taught by the hospital’s own Janis Sharkey, Clinical Nurse Manager, who specializes in holistic care.  It will focus on applying principles of the Alexander Technique and Cantienica to stretch and strengthen muscles, as well as improve balance. Postures and movements are similar to Yoga.

Stretch and Release will begin on February 1st and will take place every Thursday at 5:15 pm at the MediFit Gym at Jamaica Hospital. Employees are encouraged to attend.

Submitted by: Laura Wang, RD, CDN, CLC Women’s Health Dietitian, Flushing Hospital

Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Food & Nutrition Department was a recipient of the first Green Your Cuisine grant from The Fund for Public Health in New York City.

The grant was created to encourage healthy eating through nutrition education and cooking demonstrations.

The hospital earned the grant as a result of its hard work in implementing many community outreach initiatives which include a series of seminars and workshops.

These events were held at local libraries, schools and various community centers throughout Flushing and Corona. Flushing Hospital Registered Dietitians Marsha Sommervil and Laura Wang educated the community about ways to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into their daily diet.  Cooking demonstrations were also conducted where participants learned how to prepare healthy and delicious meals.

During each event, guests received Health Bucks which are $2 vouchers that can be used at New York City Green Markets to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. The vouchers are a provision of the Green Your Cuisine grant.

The Food and Nutrition Department’s workshops have been widely successful. Participants have shown great appreciation for what they learned and have verbalized that they now have the knowledge needed to make healthy eating a part of their daily routines.

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 their hard work, team spirit, kindness, and professionalism.

This month’s G.E.M award goes to the MediSys Disaster Relief team which includes staff from Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center. Each team member was recognized for their volunteer efforts in providing medical and humanitarian aid to people living in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Maria.