On April 22, in celebration of National Earth Day, “ecoMediSys,” a committee dedicated to identifying and implementing ecological programs throughout the hospital network, held its second annual earth expo. Several tables were set up in Jamaica Hospital’s hospital lobby, where departments exhibited their ecofriendly efforts. Some of these efforts included recycling, using environmentally friendly products, and conserving energy. There was also an exhibit that highlighted the benefits of using mass transit and participating in ride share programs.

“As we continue to make strides to better the environment, to better our community, and to better our hospital, we realize that education is a crucial part of the process,” said Fred Beekman, Vice President of Ambulatory Care. “Our expo is a great way to educate our employees and the community about our ecological initiatives and we hope that they begin to make similar efforts to reduce waste, increase recycling, and conserve energy.”

The event also served to recognize Ray Fredericks, Jr., Assistant Director at Jamaica Hospital’s Print Shop. Several years ago, Ray spearheaded a paper shredding campaign to properly discard confidential documents. As a result, the hospital saved money and tons of paper was recycled. The success of the program was tremendous and the program was expanded to include all waste paper not just confidential documents.

Under Ray’s leadership, the program recycles over 150 tons of paper annually. This saves over 2,500 trees each year and greatly reduces the hospital’s carbon footprint. Given the number of years the program has been in operation, Ray and his team has essentially saved a small forest.

“Being recognized is very flattering,” said Ray. “What started as a way to be HIPPA compliant (the shredding of confidential information) has grown into an incredible eco-friendly and cost saving effort for the hospital.”

He added: “All of the staff from our Melville site, the Print Shop and the Mail Room who are involved in the coordination of scheduling, making the actual pick ups, processing the paper through the shredding process, should be acknowledged for their efforts as well. The success of this project is made possible through the teamwork of our staff and management team.”

Congratulations to Trump Pavilion for being identified by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s top nursing homes. The facility earned the highest rating—five stars—from the federal government for the quality of care it provides its residents and patients, its nursing staff, and its continual ability to excel during health inspections.

“It’s quite an honor to be acknowledged as a top nursing facility in the U.S.,” said Greg Bradley, Executive Vice President of Trump Pavilion for Nursing and Rehabilitation. “We strive to provide our residents with high quality and efficient service in  a warm and home-like environment. This national recognition is an indication that we are fulfilling this vision.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which sets and enforces standards for nursing homes, ranked all nursing homes across the nation based upon annual health inspections, nursing staffing and quality measures.  Health inspections carry the most weight in this determination and Trump Pavilion has had no health deficiencies for two consecutive years.

The facility is extremely proud of its recent accolade and will continue to aim for the highest ranking overall and the highest ranking in all categories.

On Wednesday July 24th, the Emergency Management Department at Jamaica Hospital staged a full-scale, mass casualty incident, or Code Yellow drill.  The intent of this drill was to test the hospital’s preparedness during an actual event by assessing our ability to treat a major surge of patients without affecting the care being provided to our current patients.

During the mock event, which was coordinated with the Port Authority of NY / NJ, Jamaica Hospital was to receive between 20-30 victims from an airline incident at JFK Airport. The hospital’s Emergency Response Plan (ERP) was immediately put into place to react to this mass casualty incident that required staff to identify and triage patients, assess the severity of their injuries, and provide appropriate and immediate care.

The goals and objectives of this exercise were to evaluate our preparedness in a mass casualty incident and to check the performance of many key areas. Part of the assessment involved making sure that the hospital’s internal communication procedures for the activation of a Code Yellow event worked. Also evaluated was our capability to perform a mass casualty patient triage and track patients using our electronic medical record system, manage our ED space and ED supplies efficiently, and make sure that we are able to manage our Operating Rooms effectively during a surge of patients. Other facets of the drill tested our ability to utilize space on our Transitional Care Unit and at the Trump Pavilion. 

This exercise took months of planning and coordination by the Emergency Management Department, who evaluated the entire event with other clinical and administrative leaders. By carefully planning and testing our capabilities, the hospital can address areas where improvements can be made and remain prepared in the event a real disaster occurs.

A new initiative to recognize employees who “Go the Extra Mile” was recently introduced at Jamaica Hospital, its network of Ambulatory Care Centers, and Trump Pavilion.

The GEM program acknowledges that there are many employees who bring positive attributes to their job, are committed to going above what is required of them, and are therefore making a difference in the reputation of the facility. Hospital leadership feels that it is time to start recognizing these employees.  Managers can now nominate an employee from either within or outside  their department for that employee’s outstanding service to our patients, visitors, or their fellow colleagues. Any employee observed taking steps to address and resolve problems, performs random acts of kindness and compassion, or exhibit the highest level of team spirit can be nominated.  Specifically, the GEM initiative will:

• Recognize employees who step up and Go the Extra Mile
• Acknowledge when an employee takes action to instill a sense of well-being to our patients
• Let employees know that management and their peers notice when they go out of their way for others
• Reinforce how respect, honesty, integrity and commitment impact patient care and our work environment in a positive way

The first first five employees were selected in July. They are:

Kenneth Bacchi, Print Shop/Mailroom Associate
Annoleah Carson, Admitting Department Representative
Maria Crisano, Lead Financial Investigator
Ana Morton, Telephone Operator, Trump Pavilion
Ashley Ramirez, Environmental Services
Robert Smith, Security Officer

All employees recognized will receive a $50 gift card and a GEM pin. In addition, all nominated employees will receive a thank you card from Mr. Bruce Flanz, President and CEO of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

Mr. Flanz stated: “we are an institution not just a building. We want to make it personal so that people will feel like they belong to a winning team. We expect this GEM initiative to have a positive impact on our patients in the long run. We have to accentuate the positive and let everyone know that they are important.”

There are plans to expand the GEM program to Flushing Hospital in the near future.

Jamaica Hospital physicians, Dr. Richard Pinsker, Program Director of Internal Medical Residency Program, and Dr. Hineshkumar Upadhyay, Chief Resident, recently attended the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist 22^nd Scientific and Clinical Congress, where their case study about the association between marijuana use and endocrine problems was highlighted.

The study involved a 37-year-old male who smoked marijuana daily for 15 years. He was initially treated in the hospital’s Emergency Room, displaying signs of extreme fatigue, loss of libido, and shortness of breath. Further evaluation showed that the patient demonstrated low testosterone and pituitary hormone levels. In addition, the patient had no previous exposure to radiation or a history of head trauma. This led Dr. Pinsker and Dr. Upadhyay to conclude that chronic marijuana use negatively affects the endocrine system.

“We really feel that the evidence to date shows this is a much more serious health problem than we’ve given credit to,” Dr. Pinsker said during a press conference. “Marijuana has always been laughed off. It’s a kid’s drug; they’ll outgrow it. In certain communities, it’s so common that people look at it as if they’re having a glass of beer. I think it’s time that physicians start having their antenna up for all the difficulties that come with this drug.”

He added, “of course this is one case report, but I think it suggests that further research needs to be done… something prospectively should be done to map this out more scientifically.”

To read more about Dr.Pinsker and Dr. Upadhyays case study, please click here.

The employees who work Jamaica Hospital’s Labor, Delivery and Recovery Unit are used to delivering babies. Arranging weddings though? Now that was something new to them, but it didn’t prevent them from making one couple’s wish come true.

Samala Armogan and her fiancé Steven Bhaagaloo Goseine were expecting their first child on June 18th, but when they learned that Samala would have to be induced on May, 28th they were upset that their plan to be married before they baby was born would not be possible. The couple had received their marriage license and attempted twice before to get married, but according to Samala, “other medical emergencies got in the way of our plans.”

Upon hearing about their desire to be wed, the LDR staff was able to contact a member of the Hospital’s Volunteer Clergy Program, who just happened to be on-campus. Pastor Doulas Palms was happy to preside over the services, stating, “I never expected to be marrying anyone today. I consider it divine intervention that I was here to answer this prayer.”

While the pastor prepared for the service, the nurses scurried to freshen-up the room, take photos of the happy couple, and even provide flowers for the bride. “This is a first for me. I’ve been working as a nurse for a number of years and never experienced anything like this before. I am very excited for them”, said Myrna Escario, RN, who also served as witness to the nuptials. Approximately one dozen employees attended the very emotional service.

The newlyweds were so appreciative for all the efforts made by the staff. “It was very important to us to be married before our baby was born,” explained Steven. “Everyone really went out of their way to accommodate this very unusual request. We are so happy and thankful to them for making this happen.”

After the wedding, mom and dad spent their honeymoon welcoming their new son, Steven Jr. into the world. Both mother and baby are healthy and happy.

Anyone who has ever been a patient in a hospital will tell you that the experience can be unsettling, especially for children. In an effort to make the experience for children a little more pleasant, Jamaica Hospital recently opened a state-of-the-art pediatric treatment room.

The new treatment room has a tropical beach motif, with palm trees, dolphins playing in the surf and parrots flying high in the sky. The bright colors and wonderful artwork will not only make a remarkable difference for children but the physicians and nurses will have an easier time locating supplies. The treatment room also features strategically designed organization, better lighting, and an upgraded exam table.

A wide variety of procedures will be performed in the treatment room, including IV starts, blood collection, cauterizations, IV flushes, injections, hearing and sight testing, OB exams, and consultations.

Jamaica Hospital’s Pediatric Department is thrilled about the new feature of it’s Pediatric Unit. Staff members are excited about the room’s ability to serve as a distraction for children while they undergo medical care. Above all, they are thankful for the generous donations provided by the Starlight Children’s Foundation and the Larry and Jane Scheinfelf Foundation, whose funding helped build the new room.

There has been a great deal of attention recently given to the relationship between brain injuries and sports. Most of the focus has been on the cumulative effects of concussions and violent, contact sports such as football, but surprisingly many non-contact sports and recreational activities have a higher incidence of brain injuries, with cycling having the highest numbers.

With summer practically upon us, the brain injury experts at Jamaica Hospital’s Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Unit are determined to warn the community about the potential dangers associated with cycling, as well as identify the signs and symptoms of concussive injuries.

In two separate interviews, with the Queens Chronicle and the Times Ledger newspapers, Dr. Gonzalo Vasquez-Casals, Neuro-Psychologist pointed out that of the 446,000 sports-related brain injuries treated at hospital in 2009, 85,000 or roughly 20% were due to cycling.

In the Times Ledger article, which appeared on May 3rd, Dr. Vasquez-Casals informed readers that headaches, confusion, disorientation, dizziness, slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue are potential signs of a concussion.

In the article, which ran in the Queens Chronicle on April 29th, Dr. Vasquez-Casals warned riders that helmets are the best way to safeguard against cycling injuries.  According to Dr. Vasquez-Casals, “97% of all fatal accidents involving bicycles are due to brain injuries when a rider wasn’t wearing a helmet.”

Dr. Vasquez-Casals was very hopeful that the message was well received and that cyclists in the community will enjoy a fun and safe summer on the bike paths.

In an attempt to create a more visitor friendly environment, Jamaica Hospital’s leadership recently decided to extend the hospital’s visiting hours.

The old visiting policy was not only limiting but also confusing because many of the units had different visitation schedules.  As a result, leaders from Administration, the Nursing Department, Building Services, Security and Admitting/Information Desk met and agreed to extend visiting hours on all floors.

Effectively immediately, visiting hours will now begin at 9:00 a.m. on all medical/surgical, intensive care, OB/GYN and pediatrics units. Visiting hours on all floors will end at 8:00 p.m.

The only unit that has not extended visitation is 5 North (Rehab, TCU, and TBI). This decision was made so that the patients on this unit can continue to receive uninterrupted daytime rehabilitation services.

Other enhancements of the new visiting policy include new age permissions on all units. Previously, Jamaica Hospital did not allow any children 16 years of age or under on the medical surgical floors.  Now, all children 12 and older can visit family members on any unit and siblings of any age can visit patients on 2 North and 2 South.

The Nursing Supervisors will continue to help those visitors who need special accommodations, such as rooming-in needs and comfort care passes.  They will also work on a case-by-case basis with visitors who require other special arrangements.

The hospital hopes that the changes will communicate to our patients and visitors our dedication to improving the quality of their stay.  We understand the difficulties some people have making it to the hospital when there are restrictions and we hope these measures are helpful.

New passes have been printed and the revised policy will be updated on all signs and other materials.