2016 was a big year for the Perinatal Care Department at Flushing Hospital Medical Center.

That’s because last year the hospital topped 3,000 deliveries – a major milestone for the department as it is the first time in over 25 years that Flushing Hospital has surpassed that mark. In fact, a total of 3,126 babies were born last year at Flushing Hospital!

Historically, Flushing Hospital has always been a destination for women in Queens to give birth. At its peak in the mid-1980’s Flushing Hospital delivered over 4,200 babies annually. That number had slowly declined to a low of only 1,500 deliveries approximately a decade ago. However, in recent years the hospital has seen a steady increase, culminating with it reaching this major milestone.

There are many reasons for the baby boom at Flushing Hospital according to Maria DeMarinis Smilios, Director of Nursing for Maternal and Child Services, “We have done many things to improve the services we provide to expectant mothers. We have made ourselves more accessible to the community by expanding our evening hours twice per week. We have also added an on-site WIC program and expanded our family planning services.  In addition, we have brought in many doctors and support staff that speak multiple languages and are reflective of the community we serve.”

Maria added, “Our staff has also worked very hard to meet the needs of each of our patients and address every request and concern they have during their perinatal experience. Their dedication to improving our patient’s satisfaction is evident as more and more women are once again choosing Flushing.”

Flushing Hospital Perinatal Care Department plans to continue the momentum and looks forward to welcoming even more babies into the community in 2017. Plans for the future include expanding the number of private post-partum rooms on the Mother-Baby Unit from two to 11, which will further enhance the patient experience.

Last month, Joseph Ferrara, member of the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Board of Trustees, officially kicked off the construction of the new Ferrara Family Center for Hospice Care.

Ferrara ceremoniously demolished a wall with the sledgehammer that was previously presented to him at the hospice center’s unveiling event.

Mr. Ferrara started the process of building what will be the premiere hospice unit in the region, an effort that he has championed since day one.

The campaign to build a new hospice unit was one that took a great deal of time, effort and money.  Thankfully, through the support and generous donations made by Mr. Ferrara as well as others, the Ferrara Family Center for Hospice Care is now taking shape and is scheduled to open this spring.

The new, ten-bed Ferrara Family Center for Hospice Care will replace the existing hospice unit on the fourth floor of the hospital’s ‘C” building and will enable Jamaica Hospital to offer patients facing end-of- life and their families every comfort and convenience during a very difficult time in their lives. The unit will feature oversized private rooms and a family lounge. Once complete, Jamaica Hospital will have a unit to match the high level of compassionate care that the hospice staff has always provided to their patients.

On Monday, January 9^th, members of the New York City Fire Department’s (FDNY), Fire Safety Education Program attended the Community Advisory Board (CAB) meeting at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center to share a presentation on winter home safety.

The goal of the Fire Safety Education Program is to reduce the number of fatalities caused by residential fires by teaching lifesaving, fire prevention tips to the community.  FDNY Lieutenant Steve Vano and colleagues discussed several safety tips with CAB members including; making certain batteries in smoke detectors are operational and identifying escape routes in the case of a fire.

The presentation was highly engaging and was well-received by the attending CAB members, who expressed appreciation for the materials received from Lt. Vano.

Jamaica Hospital’s Community Advisory Board thanks the great men and women of the FDNY for all that they do and looks forward to participating and collaborating in future fire safety education events within the community.

Flushing Hospital saw hundreds in attendance at the annual Three Kings event.

The holiday season was filled with joy and generosity at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center. Many organizations and community leaders stopped by both hospitals to spread goodwill.

Flushing Hospital staff collaborated with community leader Martha Flores- Vasquez to host the annual Three Kings event in the Main Auditorium. Over 500 children and their parents were in attendance. They were entertained by dancers and singers and given toys which were collected and donated by Healthfirst and the New York City Police Department’s 109th Precinct. Community leaders including Peter Tu, Councilman Peter Koo and Congresswoman Grace Meng also attended the event and showed their support by participating in the festivities.

Jamaica Hospital’s Pediatrics Unit received a visit from NYC DOC Commissioner Joseph Ponte and officers.

At Jamaica Hospital, community organizations and leaders including the Knights of Columbus, Senator Joe Addabbo, the Greater Ridgewood Youth Council and the New York City Department of Corrections as well as staff from the hospital brought a bounty of toys for the children on the Pediatric Unit and those visiting the Pediatric Emergency Room. Additionally, staff from Southwest Airlines treated our little ones to a story time event where they read holiday books to an eager group.

All of these acts of kindness were greatly appreciated. We thank everyone for their contribution in making the holiday season very special and unforgettable.

Baby boy Peralta; first baby born in NYC, 2017.

The first baby of the New Year is always a special event at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical center.  This year, Flushing Hospital had the honor of having the first baby born in New York City. Baby boy Nathan Peralta was delivered at 12:08 am on New Year’s Day.  Flushing Hospital staff reported, baby Peralta weighed 7lbs 11.5oz.

Click here to read the NY Post article on baby boy Peralta:

http://nypost.com/2017/01/01/nyc-welcomes-first-baby-of-2017/

Baby Boy Lopez-Romero

Approximately twenty minutes later, Jamaica Hospital welcomed baby boy Edwin Daniel Lopez-Romero to the world. He weighed 8lbs 1.7oz.

Congratulations to the families on their newest additions. We wish them a lifetime of happiness. Special thanks to the staff who assisted with these deliveries.

Infection control is a top priority at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center. Both hospitals exercise measures that are as simple as enforcing good hand hygiene among staff or as complex as implementing high-level disinfectant and sterilization processes.

One of the most efficient means of reminding everyone of the importance of infectious disease control is through education. During International Infection Prevention Week Jamaica and Flushing Hospital hosted events in their main lobbies to educate employees and the community about the many different germs and infections that could be found in a healthcare setting and ways to prevent them from spreading.

Jamaica Hospital’s Infection Control Department invited guests to play trivia games, participate in raffles and most importantly learn about viruses such as Zika and bacteria such as MRSA and C-Diff. The group displayed boards that taught passersby about ways to reduce transmission.

At Flushing Hospital, Director of Infection Prevention; Dr. Javeria Shakil and her team hosted an informational table to raise awareness of the importance of proper hand hygiene. They informed guests that while there is no single way to eliminate healthcare-associated infections, practicing good hygiene can have a strong impact. In fact, eighty percent of infections are spread by dirty hands and washing them is often the best defense at preventing the spread of germs and bacteria.

Jamaica and Flushing Hospital will continue to make strides in infection prevention solutions and strive to sustain hand hygiene initiatives. Both organizations are committed to motivating staff to comply with proper infection disease practices.

Special thanks to the Infection Control Departments of both hospitals for their continued efforts.

October 6 2016, was Organ Donor Enrollment Day.  The observance was created to inform New Yorkers that the need for organ donors has never been greater and encourage them to take action by enrolling into the New York State Donate Life Registry.   This call to action is very important because there are currently 10,000 New York residents waiting for an organ donation and each year many die while waiting.

Several health organizations including Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center support this initiative by participating in a statewide campaign to register as many organ donors as possible at their locations.

In previous years both hospitals have conducted outreach efforts on their respective campuses. However this year, in addition to operating hospital-based enrollment stations, Flushing and Jamaica Hospital collaborated with York College and Queens College by hosting donor registration events in their student lobbies.

Organizers from LiveOnNY and hospital staff led teams of volunteers at all locations to speak with potential donors about the importance of becoming an organ donor and that for every one person who registers, up to eight lives can be saved.

Mary Fischer, a CNA at Flushing Hospital knows all too well the importance of organ donation, her daughter Lauren was the recipient of a bi-lateral lung transplant just a few months ago. Lauren accompanied her mother at Queens College as living proof that organ donation is vital to those who need it to live a healthy life.

Overall Organ Donor Enrollment Day was a success as Jamaica and Flushing Hospital accomplished the goal of making a difference and giving the gift of life to many New Yorkers.

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 simple acts of courtesy, team spirit, kindness and professionalism.  This month’s G.E.M recipients are:

Adrian St. Hillaire, Volunteer – Volunteer Department

Michael Rios, File Clerk – Medical Records

Sookdei Nandkishore, Front Desk Coordinator – TJH 

Jamaica Hospital Hospice Renovation Fundraising Bake Sale

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has announced plans to completely renovate and expand its hospice care unit.

The hospital has provided inpatient hospice care services since 2010 and in that time has provided compassionate, comfort care to countless patients facing end of life. “As a community-based hospital we have made a commitment to provide the highest quality hospice care services to all those who need it,” stated Jamaica Hospital President and CEO; Bruce J. Flanz.

The organization’s commitment to the community was the inspiration to conceptualize what will be the newly developed Ferrara Family Center for Hospice Care.  The unit’s redesign will provide patients and loved ones with a home-like environment that promotes privacy and serenity. The new unit will offer many upgrades and amenities including family meeting rooms as well as a relaxing lounge that offers families a space to gather, decompress or reflect.

“Every detail from the lighting to the tranquil artwork will be carefully considered to offer our patients and families a sense of peace” said Chairman of Family Medicine and Palliative Care, Dr. Alan Roth.  He continued, “As hospice professionals, we understand how important a comfortable environment is during what can be a difficult time.”

https://youtu.be/nNkcW6-qyFg

To achieve the goal of completing the new Ferrara Family Center for Hospice Care, Jamaica Hospital has embarked on a $1,000,000 capital fundraising campaign.  Numerous supporters of the hospital have already made generous contributions through naming opportunities and by purchasing memorial plaques.

Last week, the hospital hosted a bake sale to raise funds as well as awareness for the hospice renovation.  The event was highly supported and a great success.  Many employees and visitors were in attendance to buy the baked treats and show their support.

The plans for renovating the hospice unit at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center have been enthusiastically received. Hospital leadership, staff and supporters are excited about the future of The Ferrara Family Center for Hospice Care, which is set to begin construction this fall.

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 simple acts of courtesy, team spirit, kindness and professionalism.  This month’s G.E.M recipients are:

*Joel Cupid- Guard, Security
*Joe Green- Administrative Assistant,Nursing Home and
Rehabilitation
*Abel Rosario- Maintenance Worker, Engineering
*Oscar Bermudez- EMT, Pre-Hospital
*William Miller- EMT NYFD
*Francis Block- Guard, Security

We congratulate the honorees on a job well done and thank you for your dedication.