In an effort to reach our goal of becoming a patient-centered, high reliability healthcare system, the MediSys Health Network has implemented several initiatives to help us as we continue to transition into a patient-centered care delivery model. One such initiative is inviting influential health care leaders to be keynote speakers at our network grand rounds.

On Friday August 2^nd MediSys welcomed a very special guest to present at  Grand Rounds,  Dennis Wagner, MPA – Director of Quality Improvement and Innovation Group Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (CMS), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The title of this program was: Choosing to Lead – Leadership Mindsets to Generate Results for Yourself and Others.

During his discussion, Mr. Wagner identified various key CMS objectives and ways that leadership can utilize each one to create a highly successful patient-centered model of care. These objectives included:

• Empowering patients
• Focusing on results
• Unleashing innovation

Mr. Wagner also spoke about having effective questions that will help all of us to invent our own pathways to change. We should be asking questions like:

• What is working?
• What is causing it to work?
• What are our objectives?
• What should we do more of, better or differently?
• We should not be asking “Why did you do that?”

Mr. Wagner ended his Grand Rounds presentation by thanking MediSys Health Network’s leadership for their commitment to building and strengthening relationships with patients, providers, quality improvement organizations and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He also thanked other attendees for doing their part to improve and transform our nation’s health care system.

The Grand Rounds presentation was given to a packed auditorium of Jamaica Hospital doctors, nurses, and administrators. The Flushing Hospital staff was able to participate via video conference as well. Everyone in attendance greatly appreciated and benefitted from Mr. Wagner’s presentation.

Every month, Flushing Hospital Medical Center recognizes employees for their contributions to patient safety.

Employees who go above and beyond to ensure the safety of our patients are recognized and awarded a Certificate of Excellence for their Good Catch.

Join us in congratulating:

Janet Reiss- Psychiatry

Mary Halder- Blood Bank

Good Catch nominees receive recognition based on their actions in preventing the potential harm of patients. These actions may include correcting a medication order, preventing a patient from falling or reporting a significant change in a patient’s status.

By identifying a problem before it became a patient safety issue, our nominees have helped Flushing Hospital to improve our quality in patient care.

To our Good Catch recipients, thank you for being exemplary members of our team and contributing to our goal of being a High-Reliability Hospital.

Every month, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center recognizes employees for their contributions to patient safety.

Employees who go above and beyond to ensure the safety of our patients are recognized and awarded a Certificate of Excellence for their Good Catch.

Join us in congratulating:

Melissa Florival, Social Worker

Dropattie Ramsammy, RN

Gustave Smith, Environmental Services

Jelva Smith, SCA

Divis Desintonio, Staff Associate

Dr. Hemanth Chitneni, Resident Psychiatry

Eduard Kandov, RN

Kretika Johnson, RN

Ruth Dunaboyina, LPN

Denise Dicks, Staffing Associate

Abu-Sabe Mohammad, Lead Echo Tech

Edward Agusto, Environmental Services

Mindy Ruiz, Administrative Assistant

Good Catch nominees receive recognition based on their actions in preventing the potential harm of patients. These actions may include correcting a medication order, preventing a patient fall or reporting a significant change in patient status.

By identifying a problem before it could have become a patient safety issue, our nominees have helped Jamaica Hospital to improve our quality in patient care.

To our Good Catch recipients, thank you for being exemplary members of our team and contributing to our goal of being a High-Reliability Hospital.

Every month, employees at Flushing 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:

Janet Reiss- Mental Health
Abbey Jacobs- Wound Care 

Congratulations to you both. Keep up the excellent work in helping us to serve our community.

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:

Jafra Wilson-Security
Jung-Sik Kim- Respiratory

Congratulations to you both. Keep up the excellent work in helping us to serve our community.

Improving overall patient experience is a top priority for the Person-Centered Services Department at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.  The department has implemented several quality assurance initiatives and is constantly exploring new ways to bolster patient satisfaction.

One of their newest initiatives involves providing patients with an escape from clinical environments by way of reading.  “We want patients to feel relaxed and take their minds away from what may be a stressful situation.  Books will help them to transcend to any place their imaginations will take them,” explains Emilia Escamilla-Rebaza, Director of  Person-Centered Services. “We are collecting new and gently used books and magazines. All will benefit the patients and family members of our hospital.”

Donations can be dropped off at the Jamaica Hospital A/B Building room 535 or in the drop box located in the hospital’s admitting office.

For questions, please contact Person-Centered Services at 718-206-8798 or email [email protected]

Dr. Richard Pinsker, Internal Medicine Residency Program Director and the Associate Chairman for Medical Education in the Department of Medicine, was recently recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as the Veteran of the Day in the Army National Guard.

Following the events of 9/11, Dr. Pinsker decided he wanted to do his part to support the national efforts to defend our country. In March of 2005 he was sworn in as a Lieutenant Colonel in the New York Army Reserve National Guard. He was deployed in 2007 and again in 2010 to Iraq, each time for four months in duration. Dr. Pinsker describes each tour as a very surreal and rewarding experience. He was particularly impressed by the high caliber of men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, keeping in mind that everyone who serves is a motivated volunteer. His role on both tours of duty was Senior Physician Provider charged with overseeing the care of the soldiers, local nationals, and civilian contractors on forward operating bases.

Dr. Pinsker received numerous awards for his service to our country. These include:

The Army Commendation Medal given to him twice for tours in Iraq

The Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star

Army Service Ribbon

Dr. Pinsker was promoted to the rank of Colonel in 2012 and retired from the National Guard in February of 2014.  We are very proud of Dr. Pinsker and thank him for his service to our country.

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:

Margaret Novoa- Executive Secretary,  MediSys East New York

Georgeretta Williams-Patient Access Representative, MediSys East New York

Congratulations to you both. Keep up the excellent work in helping us to serve our community.

Providing the community with resources to improve health and wellness has always been a priority at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.  “Our commitment to the health of the community isn’t limited just to treating people when they get sick, but it also includes offering prevention and wellness initiatives to keep them healthy,” shared  Ann Corrigan, Director of Planning in a Patch News interview. https://patch.com/new-york/jamaica/queens-farm-launches-produce-market-jamaica-hospital.

This commitment to improving community health prompted the hospital to partner with the Queens County Farm Museum to bring a farmers’ market to the area.  “Our focus was to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to our neighborhood because research indicates there are a limited supply and access to these healthy foods,” said Corrigan.

A recent report released by New York City’s Public Health Solutions revealed, “there is a major gap in access to healthy food across three Queens neighborhoods.”  These areas include Jackson Heights, Corona and Jamaica. “We have a lot of fast foods. We have a lot of bodegas that don’t have fresh produce but very few supermarkets with fresh produce so it’s critical for the health of this community,” Corrigan shared in a statement to NY1 News. https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2019/06/21/farmer-s-market-hosted-at-jamaica-hospital-medical-center#

Bringing a farmers’ market to the community allows Jamaica Hospital to help bridge that gap.  To further increase accessibility, the hospital ensured that the locally- grown produce was affordable for all.  The market accepts several nutrition assistance programs including WIC, SNAP/EBT, and Fresh Connect Checks.

In addition to providing fresh produce,  Jamaica Hospital’s Farmers’ Market offers live cooking demonstrations to show shoppers how they can prepare healthy meals using fruits and vegetables. The demonstrations are facilitated by the Cornell University Cooperative Extension.

To further promote overall wellness, shoppers are also provided smoking cessation education, blood pressure and dental screenings from the hospital’s Dental, Patient Navigation and EMS departments.

“We will be operating the market now through November 14^th and we encourage everyone to attend,” said Corrigan. Jamaica Hospital’s Farmers’ Market is open to the community every Thursday, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at 134-20 Jamaica Avenue.

A new and growing trend in hospitals is sponsoring a “patient experience” book club where hospital staff gets together to discuss medical-themed books.

The Flushing Hospital Medical Library has been hosting such a book club for over a year now.  The Library Book Club members are a diverse group of individuals representing various backgrounds.  They meet bi-monthly to discuss a book selected by Robin Dornbaum the hospital’s librarian.

The book can be fiction or nonfiction but it is always about a main character living through a health challenge.  Library Book Club members have discussed books such as the Mountains Beyond Mountains and The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer.

“Our book club has taken very important lessons from our discussions. We have learned that we are all citizens of the world and must help, even in small ways, to fight public health epidemics around the world,” stated Robin Dornbaum.

The Library Book Club at Flushing Hospital has been growing in popularity, as it provides a place for staff and members of the community to share personal and professional experiences related to the subject of the book. “Our discussions are thought-provoking, and help members to empathize with characters in the books as well as those we may know experiencing similar challenges with their health,” shared member Anne Marie Denicola of Flushing Hospital’s Gift Shop.

If you are interested in joining the Flushing Hospital Library Book club or are interested in learning about or reading past book selections, please contact Mrs. Robin Dornbaum at [email protected] or call 718 670 5653.