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. Sonam Tso, RN- Flushing Hospital
2. Teresita Quijano, RN -Flushing Hospital
3. Shue Leung, RN -Flushing Hospital
4. Yong Pak, RN -Flushing Hospital
5. Dave Mangao, CNM- Flushing Hospital
6. Ellen Davis, LCSW- Flushing Hospital
7. ICU team- Flushing Hospital
8. Sofya Kilshtok, MD- Jamaica Hospital
9. Nicole-Marie Tuzinkiewicz, MD- Jamaica Hospital
10. Florencia S. Cruz, MD- Jamaica Hospital
11. Irina Khayumova, RN- Jamaica Hospital
12. Evans Crevecoeur, MD- Jamaica Hospital
13. Ahmed Elsheryie, MD- Jamaica Hospital
14. Aisling Walsh, RN- Jamaica Hospital
15. Alla Yakubova, RN- Jamaica Hospital
16. Tomeeka Bethelmie, RN- Jamaica Hospital
17. Reda Gadliauskiene, Patient Care Associate- Jamaica Hospital
18. 4 South-Jamaica Hospital

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

The MediSys Health Network deployed a team of six healthcare professionals to Florida on Sunday, October 16th, to provide medical assistance to communities impacted by Hurricane Ian —which caused catastrophic damage to the southwest coast of the state.

To support relief and recovery efforts, the MediSys Health Network will serve as part of a hurricane emergency response team coordinated by the International Medical Corps (IMC).

International Medical Corps (IMC) is an organization dedicated to delivering emergency medical and related services to those affected by conflict, disaster, and disease, no matter where they are, no matter what the conditions.

In the Spring of 2020, IMC sent a team of 33 healthcare workers to Jamaica Hospital and Flushing Hospital to provide much-needed assistance, as both Queens-based hospitals were inundated with critically ill patients during the height of the COVID pandemic.  According to MediSys Health Network, President and CEO Bruce J. Flanz “Our hospitals were at the epicenter of the pandemic and our brave healthcare heroes needed help. IMC provided that relief and we remain extremely grateful to them for it. Now is our time to give back and help those in need.”

The MediSys Health Network has a long history of providing disaster relief to those in need. Some past efforts include:

• Hurricane Andrew – Homestead, Florida, 1992
• Northern Country Ice Storms – Watertown, NY, 1998
• World Trade Center Attacks (9/11) – New York, NY, 2001
• Hurricane Katrina –Louisiana & Mississippi, 2005
• Hurricane Sandy – Far Rockaway, New York, 2012
• Hurricane Maria- Puerto Rico, 2017
• Earthquake Response to Puerto Rico- Guanica, Guayanilla, and Ponce, 2020

“The MediSys Health Network’s goal is to provide quality, patient-centered healthcare to all communities we serve, even to those that exist beyond our borders.  We hope that by sending our team of highly skilled and compassionate healthcare professionals, we can help the people of Florida recover from the devastating effects of Ian.”

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. Dan Sindo, Chief Dialysis Technician -Flushing Hospital Medical Center
2. Althea Powell, RN, ASU-Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

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:

• Alex Duplessy, NA, Flushing Hospital Medical Center
• Annmarie Morris, NA, Flushing Hospital Medical Center
• Yashina Chhantyal, RN,  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.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has opened a new Women’s Imaging Suite that will feature digital breast tomosynthesis (3D mammography) along with state-of-the-art ultrasound and stereotactic breast biopsy, bringing all services into a convenient, private location.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States.  Furthermore, the New York City Department of Health reports that “Each year in New York City, about 970 women die from breast cancer and about 6,300 women are newly diagnosed.”

These statistics are alarming and Jamaica Hospital is responding by creating initiatives to lower breast cancer mortality rates. The hospital aims to provide women with the technology, services, and care needed to detect breast cancer early and fight the disease in its newly renovated Women’s Imaging Suite.

The Women’s Imaging Suite features the latest advancement in breast imaging technology: breast tomosynthesis, better known as 3D mammography. The advantages of 3D mammography are many. Unlike 2D imaging where a single image is taken in each projection, 3D mammography units rotate in an arc and take images of the breast at different angles.

In addition to 3D mammography units, the suite is equipped with new ultrasound machines. The machines are mobile and can be used in any setting to accommodate individuals with disabilities. The ultrasound machines also utilize shear wave technology that allows radiologists to perform advanced imaging procedures.

One of the most important features of the new Women’s Imaging Suite is a private waiting room. Here, patients can maintain privacy while waiting to undergo mammography or ultrasound imaging. The suite also contains a private and spacious changing room as well as a handicap-accessible bathroom.

Completion of Jamaica Hospital’s Women’s Imaging Suite was made possible in part to a $591,000 discretionary capital allocation by the office of the Queens Borough President.

Jamaica Hospital is proud to offer its community the very best imaging technologies available in the newly renovated Women’s Imaging Suite.  With the addition of 3D mammography and advanced ultrasound machines, our radiologists have the advantage of detecting breast cancer and other diseases earlier while delivering better diagnostic experiences and outcomes for patients.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is proud to introduce the innovative Mako SmartRobotics surgical platform to our Department of Orthopedic Surgery. This state-of-the-art advancement in joint replacement surgery transforms the way total knee, partial knee, and total hip replacements are performed, resulting in better outcomes for our patients.

Mako SmartRobotics uses 3D CT-based planning. To get a detailed three-dimensional model of the surgical area prior to surgery. This allows the surgeon to receive the most accurate images of the joint and surrounding area.  “Through the use of 3D-CT-based planning, we know more about my patients prior to surgery than ever before. This increased knowledge allows our surgeons to make fewer and smaller incisions, resulting in less soft tissue damage for some patients or greater bone preservation for others.” stated Dr. Sanjit Konda, Chairman of Orthopedic Surgery at Jamaica Hospital “Mako’s 3D CT provides me the opportunity to create a personalized plan based on each patient’s unique anatomy before entering the operating room. During surgery, we can validate that plan and make any necessary adjustments while guiding the robotic arm to execute that plan. It’s exciting to be able to offer this transformative technology across the joint replacement service line.”

According to the American Joint Replacement Registry, over 2.2 million hip and knee replacement surgeries are performed in the United States every year and those numbers are projected to increase. The most common reasons someone receives either hip or knee replacement surgery include joint destruction due to arthritis, wear and tear, or a fracture due to injury.  Unfortunately, the increase in joint replacement procedures coincides with a growing number of patients dissatisfied with the results of conventional hip and knee replacement surgery. Some of the most common complaints shared by patients are high levels of pain, increased hospital length of stay, a long rehabilitation process, and restricted flexibility. The Mako SmartRobotics surgical system addresses these issues as patients have reported experiencing less pain, less need for inpatient physical rehabilitation, shorter hospital stays, greater flexibility, and greater soft tissue protection.

The addition of the Mako system is the latest advancement for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Jamaica Hospital. “We are proud to offer this highly advanced SmartRobotics technology in our area,” said Dr Konda. “This addition to our orthopedic service line further demonstrates our commitment to provide our community with the highest quality care.”

U.S. News & World Report, a global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has named Jamaica Hospital Medical Center as a 2022-2023 High Performing Hospital in recognition of its excellence in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, heart failure, and stroke. This is the highest award a hospital can earn for U.S. News’ Best Hospitals Procedures & Conditions ratings.

In arriving at these ratings, U.S. News evaluated over 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 20 procedures and conditions. Fewer than half received High Performing ratings.

Qualifying hospitals were selected based on their level of performance in treating various medical conditions and according to U.S. News, providing “care that was significantly better than the national average, as measured by factors such as patient outcomes.” Other metrics used by U.S. News to evaluate hospitals included patient experience and success in transitioning patients to life at home after discharge.

“When patients are considering their options for care, the Best Hospitals ratings are designed to help them identify hospitals that excel in the kind of care they may need,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “A hospital that’s earned a High Performing rating in a service may be a good option for patients in need of that service and their medical professionals to consider.”

Jamaica Hospital is proud to be recognized as a U.S. News & World Report High Performing Hospital. The hospital has earned this prestigious recognition and others due to its core value of providing high-quality, patient-centered healthcare.

From August 1^st to 7^th each year, Jamaica Hospital highlights its support for pregnant and nursing mothers in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week.

World Breastfeeding Week began 30 years ago as an initiative by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) to shed light on the many benefits of breastfeeding for newborn children and their families, including food security, nutritional benefits, and poverty reduction.

According to the WABA, this year’s main goal for World Breastfeeding Week is to strengthen the capacity of health systems, governments, communities, and other groups “to provide and sustain breastfeeding-friendly environments for families in the post-pandemic world.”

When it comes to supporting pregnant and nursing mothers with a healthy environment for breastfeeding, this year is also an important one for Jamaica Hospital in particular.

Jamaica Hospital currently in the Re-Designation Phase for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), a UNICEF program that recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal environment and meet high standards of care for breastfeeding. The Baby-Friendly USA designation is provided to care centers that recognize and promote breast milk as the standard for infant feeding.

The process runs from January 2021 through December 2022. To demonstrate compliance with the BFHI’s standards, Jamaica Hospital is assisting staff in developing their expertise and caregiving capacity for mothers and infants.

In addition to equipping care providers with the information they need to maintain a high level of care for breastfeeding mothers and infants, Jamaica Hospital offers a variety of programs to support both patients and staff. These include:

• Breastfeeding classes
• A lactation room for patients, visitors, and staff
• A milk depot for infants who are born prematurely or whose mothers cannot produce milk on their own
• Frenectomies for babies who face breastfeeding difficulties due to tongue tie