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: Reyna Chong
Congratulations Reyna. Keep up the excellent work in helping us to serve our community.
As part of our commitment to providing compassionate care, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center (JHMC) is proud to introduce Schwartz Rounds®. This forum gives caregivers a supportive environment to discuss the human side of healthcare and the challenging emotional and psychosocial issue they face in caring for patients and families.
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare was created more than 20 years ago by Ken Schwartz, a healthcare attorney who died of lung cancer at age 40. Writing about his experience, he explained that what made “the unbearable bearable” was the compassion shown by his doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. The Center’s vision is that “all patients receive compassionate care and all health professionals are supported in providing it”.
Schwartz Rounds is part of this vision which is now being realized in more than 500 health care organizations in the US, UK and Canada—helping more than 200,000 health professionals provide compassionate care to millions of patients. Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has joined this initiative through a generous grant from the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) which has provided funding for our participation in the program.
At JHMC, Schwartz Rounds are coordinated by Planning Committee members: Gina Basello MD, Susan Iovino, RN, DNP, Sharon Narducci RN, DNP, Janis Sharkey RN, Vivekanand Sing RN, Frances Perez, SW. Rounds are offered quarterly where participants from multiple clinical and administrative disciplines attend a one-hour, case-based, interactive discussion. Each session begins with a brief introductory presentation of a case by a panel of health care team members who cared for the patient. This presentation focuses on the psychosocial themes in caring for this patient and family. Audience members and the panel participate in a facilitated group discussion. Those who have had interactions with the patient or have had similar experiences contribute to the discussion.
Those who participate in the Schwartz rounds often have their perceptions transformed. They come to see how blurred the line between patient and provider is when we notice how profoundly human we are. Not perfect, not complete, but complex and multifaceted even as we strive for perfection.
The first Schwartz Rounds at JHMC took place in March and the second one was held in June. At each session, an audience of over 200 individuals attended from all areas of the hospital. The results were overwhelmingly positive with the majority of participants stating that after the Rounds they had a better sense of belonging to a team, a new appreciation for their colleagues of other disciplines, more compassion for patients and families, as well as, new ideas and strategies for dealing with challenging situations.
As a health care organization, the MediSys Health Network has a significant impact on the environment and has developed a committee known as ecoMediSys to encourage and monitor green initiatives for Flushing and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Since the implementation of the committee, both hospitals have adopted ecologically friendly practices such as recycling and using auto-off light switches in offices.
This year as part of the Network’s green initiative Jamaica Hospital Medical Center observed Earth Day by hosting an educational event in its main lobby.
This event provided an opportunity to promote environmental conservation awareness among employees and the community. Each participating department showcased unique projects that help the hospital remain environmentally friendly.
For the past five years, on each Earth Day, the ecoMediSys committee has recognized an individual or department demonstrating a strong commitment to preserving the environment. This year the department of Environmental Services at Jamaica Hospital was recognized for its contributions that help protect our environment, such as using environmentally safe cleaning supplies. Leading this effort were Kary Shamlian and Oomen Chacko.
Congratulations to Environmental Services on this achievement and thank you to everyone who plays a part in keeping Jamaica and Flushing Hospital green.
On Wednesday, April 26th, fourth, fifth and sixth graders from local elementary school P.S.99 presented Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with six paintings they created as part of an art project.
The theme of their artwork included mermaids, as well as scenes and landmarks that can be found around New York City.
Each student was awarded a certificate of appreciation from the hospital during an event in their honor. In attendance were the school’s principal, parent coordinator, art teacher and student chaperones. Representing Jamaica Hospital were Bruce Flanz; President and CEO, William Lynch; EVP and COO, Dr. Geoffrey Doughlin; Chairperson Emergency Medicine and other leadership from the Emergency Department.
The children’s creations are currently on display outside the Pediatric Emergency Room and will definitely make this area a much brighter place.
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 recipients are:
Congratulations to you both. Keep up the excellent work in helping us to serve our community.
Recently the Medisys Health Network launched a website called “MedisysCares”. This site highlights eight medical conditions that are commonly found in our community and include:
The objective of this website is to reduce the incidence of these diseases in our community by promoting healthy lifestyle choices and to encourage people with these health conditions to manage their healthcare through routine follow-up and compliance.
The website can be found at www.medisyscares.org
The Laundry and Linen Department at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center recognized Linen Awareness Day. Both hospitals hosted the event in collaboration with 
Unitex, the laundry services company utilized by the MediSys Health Network.
The purpose of the event was to educate hospital staff about how the Laundry and Linen Department operates. Displays were presented in the lobbies at each hospital to demonstrate the importance of linen conservation and the costs associated with it.
The Laundry and Linen Department is responsible for the distribution and cleaning of all towels, patient gowns, bed sheets, wash cloths, underpads, blankets and employee uniforms. Each month Jamaica Hospital processes approximately 154,000 pounds of laundry per month at an annual cost of over $1,090,000 and Flushing Hospital processes over 63,000 pounds of laundry per month at an annual cost of $530,000, inclusive of linens and a combined total of 2,500 uniforms.
Proper linen utilization management can reduce these costs significantly. Jamaica Hospital, Flushing Hospital and our laundry services provider are working together to develop solutions to increase efficiency.
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is excited to introduce Frankie, our newest employee.
Frankie (a Golden Retriever) is a therapy dog. Together, with her mom/owner Julia, Frankie provides pet therapy to hospital patients.
Through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Jamaica Hospital’s Nursing Department was able to connect with Julia and Frankie, who generously volunteer their services to hospital patients and nursing home residents in the area.
The benefits of pet therapy are numerous. Most experts agree that pets excel as therapeutic agents and that dogs are an antidote to depression. Studies have also shown a decrease in both blood pressure and stress levels during therapy dog visits. Most importantly, therapy pets bring joy to patients and help distract them from their concerns.
Frankie’s first visit was to Jamaica Hospital’s Pediatric Unit where she was greeted warmly by both patients and staff. She plans to return monthly to spend time with patients throughout the hospital.
Jamaica Hospital looks forward to offering our patients with the many benefits associated with pet therapy.
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 recipients are:
*Cheryl Gallotta-DiMassi, RN – Clinical Manager Nursing
*Marguerite Luizzo, RN – Volunteer
Congratulations to you both. Keep up the excellent work in helping us to serve our community.
The week of March 12– 18 was National Patient Safety Awareness Week. In recognition of this event, staff at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center set up displays in the main lobbies to highlight each hospital’s safety initiatives.
The purpose of the event was to increase awareness about patient safety amongst health care professionals and the public.
Departments that participated in National Patient Safety Awareness Week included the blood bank, radiology, nursing, OR, performance improvement, pharmacy and infection control. Each department demonstrated ways they are striving to increase patient safety. Techniques which reduce patient falls, errors in prescription distribution and provide low dose CT scans were showcased to the community. Additionally, passersby learned how practicing good hand hygiene can help to control the spread of harmful germs and viruses
National Patient Safety Awareness Week was coordinated by Dr. Sabiha Raoof, Chairperson of Radiology, Chief Medical Officer and Patient Safety Officer and the Performance Improvement Department along with leaders from participating departments.
The top priority at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital is to provide high-quality care in a safe environment.