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.

Last month staff from TJH Medical, Flushing and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center participated in a health and wellness event to benefit members of Local 731, a labor union located in Astoria, Queens.

Over three hundred members of the union participated in this event and over 100 screenings were performed.

The screenings that were offered included blood pressure, dental, ophthalmology, podiatry, pulmonary function and pulse oximetry. Hospital staff also staff provided health and wellness information on hypertension, cholesterol, asthma, bariatric surgery, sleep apnea, wound care, women’s health, nutrition, drug interactions, and diabetes.

Members of Local 731 greatly appreciated all of the screenings and educational materials that MediSys Health Network provided them. According to Dr. Andrew Rubin, Director of Community Affairs for MediSys “We look forward to continuing our relationship with Local 731 and provide them with many beneficial services”.

During the month of May, mental health organizations across the country promoted Mental Health Awareness Month by reaching millions of people through the media, local events and screenings.

As in past years, Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center hosted informational tables in their respective lobbies to show support and educate the community about the importance of maintaining good mental health.

Literature regarding mental health programs and screening questionnaires for anxiety, depression and addiction services were distributed to over 100 employees and visitors on both campuses.

It is estimated that one in four adults in the United States has a diagnosable mental illness. Mental illness is a disabling health condition that has greatly impacted the communities served by Jamaica and Flushing Hospital.

In an effort to meet the growing need for mental health services in our communities, the Department of Psychiatry at both hospitals offer several mental health programs to treat patients and provide support to their families and loved ones. This includes outpatient and inpatient psychiatry services, as well as sober support groups.

On May 1st Jamaica Hospital became a designated Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, advancement in stroke care brought on by the evolving stroke system of care in New York City. This designation was from the Department of Health, in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) Mission: Lifeline Project Stroke initiative. This designation signifies that Jamaica Hospital has met the rigorous standards for performing mechanical endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), a specialized surgical procedure used to remove a blood clot from the brain during an ischemic stroke.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States but remains to be the number one cause of disability. More than 87 percent of cases are ischemic strokes caused by a clot that cuts off blood flow to a part of the brain. These types of strokes are largely treatable if a patient gets to a hospital that can provide the right treatment in time.

Having this designation demonstrates that Jamaica Hospital is qualified to perform an EVT for all patients who experience a large vessel occlusion (LVO), which is an ischemic stroke that results from a blockage in one of the major arteries of the brain. Prior to having this certification, patients in the 911 system would have to bypass Jamaica and be brought to a thrombectomy-capable hospital, which could delay care and affect outcomes.
Now these procedures can be performed in Jamaica Hospital’s interventional lab. Jamaica Hospital is one of only three hospitals in Queens to have this designation, meaning the hospital will be responsible to provide stroke care to patients throughout the borough and possibly beyond.
Receiving this designation was a major accomplishment that required a great deal of hard work by many. Jamaica Hospital needed to meet strict guidelines, to receive this designation, including committing to neuro-interventional coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to securing around-the-clock coverage, the hospital had to train a number of our medical, emergency department, anesthesia, and nursing staff on new treatment protocols. Abigail Hasan, Stroke Coordinator added, “The acquisition of the biplane unit in our new interventional suite was key in earning this designation. This technology allows our staff to see cleaner and more accurate images of the neurological anatomy, which results in better outcomes.”
Since earning this designation, the hospital team has already responded to many cases with positive results. Abigail recalls a particular case where a patient arrived partially paralyzed due to a stroke and thanks to the efforts of our team regained functionality and was able to eventually walk out of the hospital on their own. “It was truly a great save. The ability to reverse the disability and regain the quality of life inspires our efforts to get stroke patients where they need to be as quickly as possible.”
According to Bruce J. Flanz, President and CEO of Jamaica Hospital, “We are very proud to have earned the Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center designation. This is yet one more example of Jamaica Hospital’s commitment to providing high quality, person-centered care to our patients.”

We are very pleased to announce that the MediSys Health Network is planning to add some artwork to our facilities and we are counting on the many talented employees who work within our network to supply it.

Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center are each holding an inaugural employee art project open to all staff, their families, and volunteers. Artwork can be submitted in any of the following formats:

• Paintings
• Works on paper
• Photography

The guidelines and specifications of this art project are as follows:

• Artwork depicting any religious, political, violent, sexual or obscene content is not permitted
• Submissions must be a minimum of 8” X10” and a maximum of 24” X36”
• It is preferred that artwork is framed, (assistance will be provided if necessary)
• A maximum of three entries per person

All artwork must be submitted to the Public Affairs Department at the respective hospitals by August 5th. Please make sure that each submission is identified with a title of the artwork as well as the artist’s name, department, extension, and category.

Each submission will be judged by an independent committee of art experts. Artwork selected for display will be based on overall quality and each artist will be notified of this decision.

For more information, please call the Department of Public Affairs at 718-206-8949.

Join us in congratulating Nicole Paz and Julio Velasquez, from the Radiology Department on their Good Catch!

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.

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.

To report a Good Catch, email Letha Walters, PI Director at [email protected],  or call her at ext. 8409 and leave a message.