Category Archives: Medisys Health Network

Schwartz Rounds at JHMC

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On July 26th, 2024, Jamaica Hospital held Schwartz Rounds on campus with 179 attendees. The Schwartz Rounds program offers healthcare providers a regularly scheduled time during their fast-paced work lives to openly and honestly discuss the social and emotional issues they face in caring for patients and families. In contrast to traditional medical rounds, the focus is on the human dimension of medicine. “As a first-time attendee, this experience has improved my insight into how patient care looks outside of the actual clinical care. I also have a better understanding as to how each staff member contributes to the care team”, said one attendee.

During the event, caregivers can share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings on thought-provoking topics drawn from actual patient cases. The premise is that caregivers can better make personal connections with patients and colleagues when they have greater insight into their responses and feelings. “It is great to see how our organization cares for our patients and our staff”, an attendee said. Panelists from diverse disciplines participate in the sessions, including physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, allied health professionals, and support staff. After listening to a panel’s brief presentation on an identified case or topic, caregivers in the audience are invited to share their perspectives and broader related issues. One attendee described the experience as a “Fantastic concept of a round. I felt empathetic with the speakers and it will impact the patient care that I provide. Thank you for organizing this, and I am looking forward to the next one.”

The JHMC Schwartz Rounds® committee members and organizers include Dr. Sharon Narducci, CQO- Senior Leader Champion, Oksana Galibova, Director PCS- Program Coordinator, Dr. Gina Basello, Network Medical Director, GME&DIO- Physician Facilitator, Dr. Susan Iovino, CNO- Nursing Facilitator, Vivekanand Singh, DON- -Planning Committee Member, Robert Pryce, DON- Planning Committee Member, Frances Perez, SW- Planning Committee Member, Karen Codd, Senior Wellness Coordinator- Planning Committee Member, and Person Centered Services Department: Logistics.

Our Schwartz Rounds® Committee Members thank everyone for their participation and invite all employees to attend future rounds, with the next event scheduled at noon in the JHMC Auditorium on 10/25/2024.

For questions, please contact Oksana Galibova, MSN, RN, Network Director Person-Centered Services Email: [email protected]

 

 

MediSys Health Network Research Day

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The MediSys Health Network of Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital Medical Centers recently held its Third Annual Research Conference and Poster Competition. Sponsored by the Department of Research Education and Innovation and the Department of Clinical Research, the event allows the entire MediSys hospital community to present any scholarly activity they had done over the past academic year of 2023-2024.

Director of the Department of Research Education and Innovation, Dr. R. Jonathan Robitsek explained, “The competition is a great showcase of the intellectual curiosity of all that participate”. He also highlighted the importance of the competition noting, “It’s high-quality research some of which has been presented at national and international medical conferences”.

There were 131 posters submitted between Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital. Those posters were broken into three categories, Case Reports, Empirical Research, and Quality Improvements. Each poster was then graded on a rubric of five areas: format, visual, content 1, content 2, and impact.

The first-place winning posters in the Case Reports category were, “A Cycle of Complications: Trastuzumab-induced Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Causing LV Thrombosis Complicated by Thromboembolic Stroke” by V. Patel, J. Patel, J.L Lee, and T. Okan (JHMC) and “Making the Distinction between Cardiac and Vasovagal Syncope in a Patient with an Intracardiac Mass” by D. Desta, P. Kiarie, and R.P Gupta (FHMC).

Second-place winning posters of the category included, “Subcapsular Liver Bleed Secondary to Mal-Placement of a Lucas Device” by I. Agha, S. Montaquila, M. Guerges, A. Mangla, and R. Lakowski (JHMC) and “When the Lungs Become the Battlefield: Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome in GVHD Post Stem Cell Transplant for AML.” by J. Bawa, A. Inghirami, S. Desai, J. Silverman (FHMC).

And finally, the third place posters were, “Impact of Social Media in Acute Onset of Psychosis in Young Child” by H. Ruparel, G. Zelin, S. Peteru (JHMC) and “Skin Deep: Exploring Erythema Nodosum Induced by Dupilumab Therapy” by J. Bawa, E. Malana, N. Tasnim, S. Farhan, A. Khan (FHMC).

In the Empirical Research category, the posters that won first place were, “Demographic Analysis of Patients Seen by a Palliative Care Service Found to be Unbefriended/Unrepresented” by P. Gordon, I.J Wang, R.J Robitsek, A. Tewari, E. Divino, K. Forbes (JHMC) and “Attitudes and Barriers to Utilization of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Clinical Practice Among Residents and Medical Students: A Survey Study” by C. Bodden, M. Alla, P. Kiarie, M.A Louis (FHMC).

Second-place winning posters were, “Does Marijuana Legalization Result in Increased Psychiatric Emergency Visits for Cannabis Induced Psychosis?” by G. Zelin, N. Siddiqui, A. Miele, R. Kamal (JHMC) and “Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Emergent Non-Cardiac Surgery: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes” by D. Giannis, R. Zhao, L. Fernandez, N. Nikolov, C. Sneed, P. Kiarie, A. Miele, M.A Louis, N.R Mandava (FHMC).

Lastly, the third-place winning posters of the category were, “Systematic Review of Hematologic Values Among Transgender Patients: Establishing Standardized Reference Ranges to Improve Clinical Care” by L. Yap-Separovich, M. McDonald, L. Alhakim, J. Langaman, T. Millingen, A. Mir, L. Gance, C. Nienaber, A. Roth, G. Basello, E. Brondolo (JHMC) and “The Effect of Circadian Rhythm on the Glucose Challenge Test in Pregnancy” by A. Makol, M. Sun, L. Keating, I. Ngai (FHMC).

In the final category of Quality Improvements, the first-place winning posters were, “Advance Care Conversations in Primary Care Settings: Prevalence and Sociodemographic Factors” by I.J Wang, D. Patel, A. Spinelli, M. McDonald, A. Miele, R.J Robitsek, F. Falcone, K. Forbes, E. Brondolo, A. Roth, S. Mathew-Geevarughese (JHMC) and “Evaluating the Long Term Impact of Standardizing Written Sign Outs” by T. Lildar, W. Thu, S. Falak, M. Syed, S. Desai, A. Miele, K.L Cervellione, T. Toronjadze (FHMC).

Congratulations to those who placed, the honorable mentions, and everyone who participated in this year’s Research Day Conference and Poster Competition.

MediSys Health Network Named a Top Hospital for Fair Share Spending by the Lown Institute

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A female doctor smiling.The MediSys Health Network has been named as one of the top 10 hospital systems in the United States for fair share spending by the Lown Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes equity and transparency throughout the American healthcare system. MediSys was one of many hospital systems across the country included in the Lown Institute’s 2024-25 fair share analysis, which compared hospitals’ tax exemptions to their community spending.

Only 20% of the 2,425 nonprofit hospitals included in the analysis (including MediSys) had a fair share surplus, meaning that their spending on community-focused initiatives surpassed the total value of their tax exemptions. Both Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center were also listed individually as hospitals with a fair share surplus.

We’re proud of the work performed each day by our teams at both Jamaica and Flushing Hospital to provide high-quality care to the Queens community, as well as the various community initiatives and programs created to ensure that this care is as comprehensive and accessible as possible. Thank you for all that you do, and congratulations for achieving this national recognition.

Schwartz Rounds Return at Flushing Hospital Medical Center and Jamaica Hospital

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Healthcare professionals and leadership at FHMC attending a Schwartz Rounds panel discussion.On November 23, 2023, 152 staff members at Flushing Hospital Medical Center attended the first Schwartz Rounds event held since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel discussion included attending physicians, residents, nurses, and social workers, all of whom shared challenges they experienced with building trust and meeting family expectations in cases with unexpected outcomes.

The Schwartz Rounds program offers our healthcare providers a regularly-scheduled time during their fast-paced work lives to openly and honestly discuss social and emotional issues they face while caring for patients and their families. Unlike traditional medical rounds, these discussions focus on shared experiences, thoughts, and feelings centered around thought-provoking topics drawn from actual patient cases. The goal of the program is to provide caregivers with a greater ability to make personal connections with patients and colleagues by offering greater insight into one another’s responses and feelings.

Panelists from diverse disciplines participate in the sessions. After listening to a brief presentation on a particular case or topic, caregivers in the audience are invited to share their own perspectives and discuss broader related issues. Participants in Schwartz Rounds report that the honesty and vulnerability involved in these discussions help them to feel less isolated in their own experiences.

Our Schwartz Rounds committee members thank everyone for their participation in this first panel discussion and invite all employees to attend future rounds throughout 2024. These rounds will take place on 3/14, 6/27, 9/26 and 12/19. Additional rounds will also take place at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center on 1/19, 4/19, 7/26, and 10/25.

If you have any questions about Schwartz Rounds, please contact Oksana Galibova, the Program Coordinator for Schwartz Rounds and Network Director of Person-Centered Services, by sending an email to [email protected].

Exploring the MediSys Health Network’s Tea Time Program

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Patient satisfaction is always a priority across the MediSys Health Network. One new initiative designed to improve our patients’ experience is the Tea Time program, where hospital volunteers offer friendly interaction along with hot beverages and healthy snacks.

The program was first introduced at Flushing Hospital Medical Center last month, where it has been well-received by patients. Now, after working to expand the initiative’s reach, Network Director of Person-Centered Services Oksana Galibova has brought Tea Time to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

“So far, the feedback has been amazing,” said Oksana. “The feeling of making somebody happy is very motivating for our volunteers.”

According to the program, Tea Time volunteers visit each patient unit with a decorated cart carrying the items they serve. Volunteers also take time to interact with patients and assist with small tasks like cleaning up garbage in their rooms and moving items so that they’re easier to reach. All of these tasks are important parts of making sure patients are receiving a high level of care.

The Tea Time program has been a rewarding experience for the volunteers. What they enjoy most is interacting and conversing with those patients that are lonely is especially important for making sure their experience at the hospital is as positive as possible.

Given how new the program is at both hospitals, there’s also plenty of room for it to change and grow over time as Oksana continues to receive feedback, whether that comes in the form of new snack options like Jell-O or revising the program’s schedule.

“There are enhancements we’re considering for the future of the program,” said Oksana. “As Tea Time continues, we’ll look at our progress and the feedback we’re getting to see what kinds of changes we can make.”

MediSys Health Network Employees Organize Relief Efforts to Help Those in India

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Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital Medical Center were located at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic last March and April. During that time, our hospitals were fortunate enough to receive support from multiple individuals and organizations.

Thankfully, positivity rates are declining in our area, but in other parts of the world people are still contracting the virus at alarming rates. One such country is India where hundreds of thousands of people are becoming infected and thousands are dying daily. Many are in desperate need of assistance.

Through two separate initiatives, employees within the MediSys Health Network answered the call to help by coordinating the delivery of much needed equipment to help those most in need.

One such effort was coordinated by Dr. Abhujeet Kaur, who works in Jamaica Hospital’s Emergency Department. Dr. Kaur also volunteers for Khalsa Aid, a global humanitarian organization that generously provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and meals to our employees while they bravely treating an extremely high volume of COVID patients last year. With the global focus now on India, Dr. Kaur, with the assistance of Ray Fredericks Jr. and his staff were able to coordinate the purchase and shipment of 500 oxygen concentrators, along with the transformers needed to operate them. These vital pieces of equipment were stored in the Network’s warehouse and delivered to JFK International Airport by our employees before safely reaching India earlier this month.

In a separate relief effort, Dr. Dakshayani Guttal, a pediatrician for the MediSys Health Network and a volunteer with the non-profit organization Kannada Koota (KKNY) collaborated with respiratory care leadership at both hospitals to secure five manual ventilators. The life-saving devices arrived in India on May 25th.  Like Khalsa Aid, KKNY also supported the MediSyS Health Network by raising $5,000 to assist our efforts and donated meals to our employees.

We thank all those individuals who give so selflessly of themselves to help those most in need.

Highlighting the Achievements of the Division of Cardiology

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Dr. Aditya Mangla

The MediSys Health Network is focused on providing the highest quality, cost-effective care to our patients. We continually assess the needs of our community and offer new services.  Over the last few years, we have added a group of talented, sub-specialty trained physicians who have made significant advancements in their respective departments.

We would like to introduce some of our new team members and the services they have added to our network. Today we are highlighting the achievements of our Division of Cardiology.

Under the leadership of Dr. Aditya Mangla and Dr. Zoran Lasic, the Network’s cardiology service has maintained a robust, high-quality coronary intervention program throughout the COVID pandemic and is now back to pre-pandemic volume. They have created a comprehensive cardiogenic shock program to diagnose and treat patients who suffered a catastrophic heart attack. This treatment is achieved by quickly reestablishing blood flow to the heart, and, if necessary, inserting support devices to patients who experienced severe shock.

Additionally, the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) has been working with the national registry for pulmonary embolisms and over the past two years has further developed their ability to perform pulmonary embolism catheter-based therapy. This is important because pulmonary embolisms have been recognized as significant causes for patient mortality and our ability to quickly and effectively provide this service will save countless lives.

Lastly, the cardiology division is collaborating with the Division of Vascular Surgery to begin an endovascular deep venous thrombosis program as an extension of their existing pulmonary embolism program.

The Cardiology Division has also received many accolades for its high-quality care, including being ranked as one of the “Top 100 Hospitals in the U.S. for Coronary Intervention” by Healthgrades. They also received the Gold Plus award for Heart Failure management and the Bronze award for NSTEMI management from the American Heart Association.

Congratulations to The MediSys Health Network’s Cardiology Division for these many achievements.

 

 

 

MediSys Partners With Queensboro FC, N.Y.C.’s Newest Soccer Club

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The MediSys Health Network has recently been named as the official and exclusive Founding Medical Partner for Queensboro FC (QBFC), New York City’s newest soccer team, which is premiering in the United Soccer League this season. According to the partnership, our orthopedic surgical team, led by Dr. Sanjit Konda, will serve as the medical services provider for the team.

To announce themselves, Queensboro FC held a virtual event to reveal the new team jersey.  Unlike most soccer teams who reserve the front of their jerseys for sponsorship opportunities, Queensboro FC instead donated the front of their jerseys to honor the healthcare heroes of Queens.

The logo features the hybrid of the Queensboro bridge and an EKG across the top with the words “healthcare heroes” encased in a protective shield.  Written around the perimeter of the shield are the Flushing and Jamaica Hospital names, along with the names of the other Queens hospitals that were at the epicenter of the pandemic. Members of the MediSys Health Network took part in the development of the logo.

The official launch of the jersey took place on March 23rd and was accompanied by a “hype video” featuring many Jamaica and Flushing healthcare heroes unveiling the jersey.  To see the full video, click here:

Queensboro FC has also generously agreed to donate 100% of the net proceeds from jersey sales that will benefit the healthcare community which has been essential to the care and well-being of NYC residents throughout the pandemic and beyond. To purchase a jersey, please visit the QBFC Shop

“It is incredibly inspiring to see QBFC, a brand-new player in NYC’s pro sports scene, already working closely with the local community,” says Dr. Sanjit Konda, Chairman of Orthopedic Surgery at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital, “Sports can have a wide variety of healing powers and we are excited to bring this partnership to life with programs that will benefit Queens residents, now and for generations to come.”

 

 

Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Receive 2020 Women’s Care Awards

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Healthgrades, a leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems, recently announced their 2020 list of Women’s Care Awards recipients and this year Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center were among the hospitals honored for the superior care offered to women during labor and delivery and gynecological procedures.

Healthgrades reviews data from thousands of hospitals across the country to determine which hospitals receive awards. The awards are separated into three distinct categories:

  • The Labor and Delivery Excellence Award recognizes hospitals for superior care of women during and after childbirth.
  • The Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award recognizes hospitals for superior outcomes in surgeries that treat diseases and conditions of the female reproductive system and correct certain conditions of the urinary tract and rectum.
  • The Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award recognizes hospitals for superior outcomes during and after childbirth and in surgeries that treat diseases and conditions of the female reproductive system.

This year, Jamaica Hospital received the Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award and Flushing Hospital received the Labor and Delivery Excellence Award and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award.

Only 162 hospitals from across the country received an award, and Flushing Hospital was one of only 74 hospitals to receive two or more awards. Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital were the only two Queens-based hospitals to receive this honor from Healthgrades.

Congratulations to everyone involved in achieving this distinction.

 

 

Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Launch Their Patient And Family Advisory Councils

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Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center each held their inaugural Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) meetings on October 14th and 15th respectively. The PFAC meetings are a product of our collaboration with the Planetree initiative and mark a significant step in the MediSys Health Network’s path to becoming a person-centered organization.

PFAC was established to provide our hospitals with a fresh perspective, from the eyes of our patients, and use that knowledge to potentially transform how we deliver care. At these meetings, patients and their family members are asked to share their experiences while at our hospitals and provide feedback about what we are doing well as well as how we can continue to make improvements.

These dedicated individuals, known as PFAC advisors, will meet monthly with an interdisciplinary group of hospital team members. These advisors were specially selected based on the meaningful interactions they had with our team while either they or their loved ones were rendered care at our hospitals. The advisors’ insights serve as valuable information, as we look to continue to improve our patients’ experiences.

We would like to acknowledge these valuable members not only for volunteering their time but also for their passion for improving caring interactions within the walls of our institutions, which many of us call our second home.  The first two advisors to join Jamaica Hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Council are Caridad Diaz and Lydia Guzman.  Runa Khan and Andrew Sheppard have both graciously agreed to serve as Flushing Hospital’s PFAC advisors.

The advisors meet on the second Monday of every month at Jamaica Hospital and third Tuesday at Flushing Hospital. Each of them has made a two-year commitment to the Patient and Family Advisory Council.

For more information about the PFAC program at Jamaica Hospital, please contact Emilia Escamilla-Rebaza at 718-206-8983 or email her at [email protected].

For more information about the PFAC program at Flushing Hospital, please contact Daryl Arcinas at 718-670-8930 or e-mail him at [email protected].