The new Pediatric Ophthalmology Center at Jamaica Hospital is officially open. Construction of the state-of-the-art facility and the purchase of equipment was made possible thanks to a generous donation of $1 million from Maspeth Federal Savings.

Jamaica Hospital provides quality healthcare to an underserved community, this includes much-needed
vision services to children who have limited access to comprehensive ophthalmologic care. By creating
a dedicated ophthalmology center for children, the hospital aims to address the lack of access to care
and other healthcare disparities that impact its community.

The need for a comprehensive pediatric ophthalmology service is reflected in current statistics. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 4 preschool-aged children and
approximately 6.8% of children younger than 18 years old in the United States has undiagnosed or
untreated vision problems. These numbers are amplified in communities that encounter disparities in
receiving optimal healthcare. Children who reside in underserved communities are found to be nearly
twice at risk for developing eye disorders when compared to those who live in neighborhoods that are
supplied with sufficient health services.

“We are thrilled to have a center of excellence in pediatric ophthalmology in Queens County. This center
will allow us to provide cutting-edge technology and treatment to our youngest patients,” shared Dr.
Julia Shulman, Chairperson of Ophthalmology at Jamaica Hospital. The newly constructed 2900 sq ft
center consists of a modernly designed area waiting area, four spacious examination rooms, two testing
rooms, three consultation offices, and two charting workstations. Each room is equipped with amenities
to provide a comfortable environment for children.

Watch a recent news story about the pediatric eye center below:

The Good Catch award program recognizes MediSys Health Network employees who go above and beyond to ensure the safety of our patients.

Good Catch awardees receive recognition and a certificate of excellence based on their actions in preventing accidents from occurring. These actions may include keeping our facilities safe, correcting a medication order, preventing a patient from falling, or reporting a significant change in a patient’s status.

Please join us in congratulating the following employees on their Good Catch:

1. Thelma Facey, Environmental Services- Jamaica Hospital
2. Dr. Han Zhang, Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy- Flushing Hospital
3. Nadine Persaud, Respiratory Therapist, Respiratory Care -Flushing Hospital

By identifying a problem before it became a patient safety issue, our awardees have helped our hospitals provide patients with excellent care. We thank them for being exemplary members of our team and contributing to our goal of being a high-reliability network.

The MediSys Health Network is proud to announce the partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center has recently been formalized. This collaboration officially enables the network to provide much-needed, local oncology services to the people of Queens at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

Memorial Sloan Kettering was founded in 1884, and today is a world leader in patient care, research, and educational programs. They deliver personalized treatment and are led by a team of renowned doctors, specialists, and scientists. “We are thrilled to be able to partner with MSK to deliver the highest quality cancer care to our community. Their reputation as a leader in oncology services is well-deserved, and as a result of this collaboration our patients will no longer need to leave the borough to receive world-class care,” stated Bruce Flanz, President and CEO of the MediSys Health Network.

Queens is the most culturally diverse county in the United States and many of the over one million people we serve in this area face many significant healthcare barriers. One of which is the lack of cancer care services. Currently, there are no comprehensive cancer care centers in the borough. Through the development of this partnership, the MediSys Health Network and Memorial Sloan Kettering hope to address this need and improve the health and well-being of those who need it most.

The foundation of the MediSys cancer care program has already been established. Dr. Rosa Nouvini, oncologist at MSK has been named Site Director for Cancer Services at Jamaica Hospital and is currently seeing patients weekly at a specially designated clinic on campus. In addition, Dr. David G. Pfister, Chief, Head and Neck Oncology Service and Associate Deputy Physician-in-Chief, Strategic Partnerships will be serving as the Chief of Oncology at Jamaica Hospital. Dr. Pfister and Dr. Nouvini will be joined by a team of oncology physicians who will be receiving training in all MSK protocols and have access to their clinical trials.

Other short-term network goals are to establish separate lung and prostate cancer screening programs with a long-term goal of building a comprehensive cancer center on the Jamaica Hospital campus where the majority of the treatment can be provided locally, with the ability to transfer some cases to our partners at MSK.

Dr. Sabiha Raoof, Chief Medical Officer and Chair of Radiology for the MediSys Health Network added, “We at MediSys are very excited about our collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering. Cancer care is a significant unmet need in our community. MSK will help bring world-class oncology expertise to our patients. In combination with our long-standing experience in addressing socioeconomic determinants of health, I believe our partnership will be highly synergistic and will reduce the heavy burden of cancer in Queens.”

The CARE Award Program recognizes employees who receive positive written remarks from patients or their loved ones after receiving high-quality and compassionate care.

The criteria for the award are:

C: Compassion- Through listening, identifying patient vulnerabilities, and conveying empathy.

A: Advocacy-Ensure quality care is given and the safety of the patients and environment is maintained.

R: Respect-Greeting or speaking to others in a kind and respectful way.

E: Engagement-Make individuals feel that they are valued, important, and recognized.

Please join us in congratulating:

1. Ebony Freeman, Ambulatory Care Representative- Jamaica Hospital
2. Roger Escarda, RN- Flushing Hospital
3. Portia Morris, Ward Clerk -Flushing Hospital
4. Melissa Georges, Ward Clerk-Flushing Hospital
5. Tommie McEwen, Transporter-Flushing Hospital
6. Develynh Greene, Dietary Technician- Flushing Hospital

We thank our employees for their contributions to making our hospitals high-reliability facilities that focus on Patient-Centered Care.

The first baby of the New Year is always a special event at each of our two hospitals. The first MediSys Health Network babies posed beautifully for our photographer. Special thanks to the staff who assisted with these deliveries.

These are our first babies of 2023

Baby Girl:  Antonella

weight 7 lb 2.6 oz

length 18.5 inches

time 3:33 AM. on 1/1/2023

Mother: Wendy Gutierrez

Baby Boy:  Noah

weight 6 lbs 14.6 oz

length 18.75 inches

time: 1:58 AM on 1/1/2023

Mother: Itai Ojeda Martinez

Congratulations to the MediSys Health Network’s Safety Excellence in Infection Prevention (SEIP) award winners.

The SEIP award recognizes employees who contribute to the success of infection control initiatives.

The criteria for the award are:

S: Surpasses above and beyond expected job role responsibilities as it relates to infection control.

E: Enforce actions that support infection prevention best practices.

I: I do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

P: Performs awesome acts of safety related to infection prevention.

We thank the following team members for leading by example and doing their part to reduce the risk of infection transmissions:

1. Environmental Services (EVS) Team- Jamaica Hospital
2. Dave Brian Mangao, Clinical Nurse Manager, 2 North – Flushing Hospital

The MediSys Health Network cultivates a culture of safety by making infection control and prevention a priority.  All employees have an important part to play in preventing the spread of infections, and everyone’s contribution to safety is highly valued.

The Good Catch award program recognizes MediSys Health Network employees who go above and beyond to ensure the safety of our patients.

Good Catch awardees receive recognition and a certificate of excellence based on their actions in preventing accidents from occurring. These actions may include keeping our facilities safe, correcting a medication order, preventing a patient from falling, or reporting a significant change in a patient’s status.

Please join us in congratulating the following employees on their Good Catch:

• Sgt. Jafra Wilson, Security Department -Jamaica Hospital Medical Center
• June Pollard, Security Department – Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

By identifying a problem before it became a patient safety issue, our awardees have helped our hospitals provide patients with excellent care. We thank them for being exemplary members of our team and contributing to our goal of being a high-reliability network.

The CARE Award Program recognizes employees who receive positive written remarks from patients or their loved ones after receiving high-quality and compassionate care.

The criteria for the award are:

C: Compassion- Through listening, identifying patient vulnerabilities, and conveying empathy.

A: Advocacy-Ensure quality care is given and the safety of the patients and environment is maintained.

R: Respect-Greeting or speaking to others in a kind and respectful way.

E: Engagement-Make individuals feel that they are valued, important, and recognized.

Please join us in congratulating:

1. Krishna Sindhura Ravipati, MD (Palliative Care)- Jamaica Hospital
2. Suja John , RN (Hospice)- Jamaica Hospital
3. Suzanne Fehr, RN (Hospice)- Jamaica Hospital
4. Robert Taylor, PCA (Hospice)- Jamaica Hospital
5. Audrey Maynard, PCA (Hospice)- Jamaica Hospital
6.1. Svetlana Bychko, RN- Flushing Hospital
7. Keisha Kristina Pilos, RN- Flushing Hospital
8. Evelyn De Robles, RN- Flushing Hospital
9. Claudia Dunkley, RN- Flushing Hospital
10. Marilyn Fabro, RN- Flushing Hospital
11. Junyu Lai, RN- Flushing Hospital
12. Ga Yoo Gwen, RN- Flushing Hospital
13. Carmen Desuza Tobitt, Case Manager- Flushing Hospital
14. Nicole Headley, LMSW- Flushing Hospital
15. Estela Divino, LCSW (Palliative)- Flushing Hospital
16. Summer Jaffery, Fellow (Palliative)- Flushing Hospital
17. Benny L P Chung, PA (Surgery)- Flushing Hospital
18. Golnoush Akhlaghipour, MD (Medicine)- Flushing Hospital

We thank our employees for their contributions to making our hospitals high-reliability facilities that focus on Patient-Centered Care.

On Saturday, November 5^th, the MediSys Health Network celebrated its first annual gala, the first fundraising dinner dance held since the beginning of the pandemic.

The evening was a huge success. Approximately 1,400 guests filled the Midtown Hilton and enjoyed an evening that featured the honoring of two very special men, President and CEO Bruce J. Flanz and Executive Vice President and CFO, Mounir F. Doss for an astounding 100 years of combined service to the network.

During the program, the honorees were surprised with a thank you video featuring many leaders in the healthcare industry and local elected officials, as well as members of the MediSys Board of Trustees and Administration. All those on the video congratulated both men on their many years of service and their efforts in leading the Network to its status as a network that delivers the highest quality care to its patients. 

You can view the video here:

Mr. Flanz and Mr. Doss were also surprised with custom oil paintings entitled “Not all Family Lives Under the Same Roof.” The paintings centered around the Liden Tree, also known as the Tree of Love.  On the left side of the tree, the names of each men’s family members names were inscribed on the heart-shaped leaves. On the right side, the leaves were adorned with the logos of each of the various MediSys Health Network entities. The depiction tied together both men’s love of family and career.

The other exciting element of the evening was our beneficiary. This year, all the proceeds from the gala will go towards the development of a comprehensive cancer program on the MediSys campus to benefit the people of Queens. This program, created in partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, will provide members of our community the opportunity to receive world-class cancer care without having to leave the borough.

Overall, the evening exceeded all expectations for this very worthy cause. Thank you to all who participated.

Congratulations to the MediSys Health Network’s Safety Excellence in Infection Prevention (SEIP) award winners.

The SEIP award recognizes employees who contribute to the success of infection control initiatives.

The criteria for the award are:

S: Surpasses above and beyond expected job role responsibilities as it relates to infection control.

E: Enforce actions that support infection prevention best practices.

I: I do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

P: Performs awesome acts of safety related to infection prevention.

We thank the following team members for leading by example and doing their part to reduce the risk of infection transmissions:

1. Travis Humes, Coordinator, Performance Improvement- Flushing Hospital
2. Rafael Escamilla, Manager, Person-Centered Services- Flushing Hospital
3. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Team-Jamaica Hospital

The MediSys Health Network cultivates a culture of safety by making infection control and prevention a priority.  All employees have an important part to play in preventing the spread of infections, and everyone’s contribution to safety is highly valued.