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

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Michael Hinck

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 25^th. 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.

MediSys Team Participates In CMS Webinar

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Andrew Rubin

On Wednesday, April 28^th the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health hosted a webinar entitled “The Road to Equity: Examining Structural Racism Virtual Forum”. A team from the MediSys Health Network participated in the event presenting on the topic “Integrating Equity Solutions Across Health Programs and Health Systems”.

This portion of the webinar focused on increasing understanding of the impact CMS programs and policies have on health and health care disparities in minority and underserved communities. The session also reviewed innovative ways health care systems and organizations can reduce disparities among those they serve.

The Speakers from MediSys were:

Sabiha Raoof, MD Chief Medical Officer and Patient Safety Officer, Chair of Radiology. MediSys Health Network

Trina Cornet, Esq. MPA, Vice President of Human Resources, Chief Labor and Employment Counsel, MediSys Health Network

Eugene Clark, MHA, Administrator Patient Navigation Department, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

Stephanie Smith, RN, BSN, Director of Care Management, MediSys Health Network

Click the “Play” button to see the webinar or click Here to view on YouTube:

(The MediSys Team portion begins at 2hours and 58 minutes into the session).

Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Receive Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence Designation

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Xavia Malcolm

Flushing and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center are proud to receive Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence (DICOE) designation from the American College of Radiology (ACR).

To receive this elite distinction, facilities must be accredited by the ACR in all modalities they provide, and in which the ACR offers an accreditation program. Another requirement is participation in the Dose Index Registry® and General Radiology Improvement Database, as well as Image Wisely® and Image Gently® pledges. All of which are initiatives promoted by the ACR to ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality, and effective imaging care to patients.

Furthermore, facilities must demonstrate excellence at multiple levels. Performance is measured by the successful completion of comprehensive assessments in the following areas:

Governance and personnel
Facility organization and management
Physical environment
Equipment and IT infrastructure
Radiation and general safety
Quality management
Policies and procedures
Patient rights and medical records

Jamaica and Flushing Hospital have exceeded the standard requirements of accreditation to achieve DICOE designation. Patients of both hospitals can be assured they are receiving the highest levels of imaging quality, safety, and care.

Congratulations To Jamaica Hospital’s Good Catch Recipient

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Medisys Health Network

Jamaica Hospital 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 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 Leon Williams, PCA Operating Room, on his Good Catch.

By identifying a problem before it became a patient safety issue, our nominee has helped Jamaica Hospital provide patients with excellent care.

We thank him for being an exemplary member of our team and contributing to our goal of being a High-Reliability Hospital.

Flushing Hospital Receives NYSPQC Award

Posted on May 8, 2021 by Joann Ariola

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Flushing Hospital Medical Center was a recent recipient of “The New York State Perinatal Collaborative (NYSPQC) Enteral Nutrition Improvement Project Improvement Award”

This award recognizes Flushing Hospital’s participation in the NYSPQC quality improvement initiative which goals are to maximize early enteric nutrition, minimize post-natal growth failure in preterm babies (less than 31 weeks gestational age) and improve the outcomes in this vulnerable population of newborns.

As part of this initiative, Flushing Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Unit Care team has worked to develop and implement policies and procedures to optimize the nutrition of preterm newborns by utilizing human milk as the only mode of enteric nutrition-initiating early nutrition, improve family-center care, decrease inequities, and foster a culture of safety and improvement. “This exemplary work was a collaborative effort of the entire NICU team, and we continue to keep our commitment to this goal to ensure ongoing success,” stated Dr. Lourdes Cohen, Pediatrics Director.

Marilyn A. Kacicia, MD, MPH, Executive Director, New York State Perinatal Quality Collaborative, Medical Director. Division of Family Health, New York State Department of Health stated, “We congratulate and recognize the work the Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s birthing team has done to reach the goal of optimizing early enteral nutrition and postnatal growth among very preterm newborns. We thank you for your dedication to improving the health outcomes for these vulnerable newborns.”

In The News: Jamaica Hospital’s CenteringPregnancy Program Continues To Thrive During The Pandemic

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Xavia Malcolm

The success of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s virtual CenteringPregnancy program has gained the attention of many in our community, including NY1 News.

Members of the hospital’s Women’s Health Department were interviewed by reporter Clodagh McGowan to learn more about the benefits offered by the program. Viewers were allowed access to a virtual group session that included eight expecting mothers, and program facilitators demonstrated the efficacy of an online prenatal model of care.

The CenteringPregnancy program at Jamaica Hospital was introduced in 2014 as a unique way to help pregnant women become more actively involved in their prenatal care and share their experiences with other moms in a group setting. Sessions were held onsite at the Women’s Health clinic.

The program continued to thrive since its inception; however, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 presented a new challenge. Group participants were no longer able to meet in person due to social distancing and safety regulations.

The absence of community and physical interactions began to affect pregnant women in several ways. Studies show that over 50% of expecting mothers admitted to feeling extremely lonely and isolated due to spending more time at home, and away from others. These factors are believed to be contributors to a rise in prenatal depression.

Jamaica Hospital’s Women’s Health Department provided a solution to this problem by offering pregnant women a safe place where they could gather in the age of COVID and feel supported. The department moved its CenteringPregnancy program to a virtual space on Zoom. Here, patients of the hospital could continue to receive prenatal care and actively engage with a community of healthcare providers and fellow moms.

Jamaica Hospital’s virtual CenteringPregnancy program has been highly successful. The program has earned recognition from leading institutions and is used to demonstrate the benefits of virtual prenatal care to other medical facilities. The NY1 story has been shared on social media by several notable leaders in healthcare including the University of North Carolina’s Gilling School of Global Public Health and Centering Healthcare Institute CEO Angie Truesdale, both commending the work of the program.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the pregnancy experience for a lot of women, and we are constantly thinking of ways to make it as positive as we can,” said Patricia Fox, Certified Midwife. “Our team has established this unique, virtual platform so that we can provide our patients with a healthcare service that is convenient, safe, and supportive. We understand how important these things are during these unprecedented times,” shared Thalita Viruet, Practice Manager for the Women’s Health Center.

You can watch the news story here:

Highlighting the Achievements of the Division of Cardiology

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Michael Hinck

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.

Congratulations To Jamaica Hospital’s Good Catch Recipients

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Medisys Health Network

Jamaica Hospital 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.

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

Paola Pava- RN

Sharleen Storey- Director of Admission Rehab Services

Dorothy Zak-Psychologist

By identifying a problem before it became a patient safety issue, our nominees have helped Jamaica Hospital to provide patients with excellent 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.

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

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Michael Hinck

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 23^rd 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 Hospital Neurosurgeons Perform First Ever Cerebral Bypass Operation in Queens

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Medisys Health Network

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center neurosurgeons were the first ever in Queens to perform a life-saving cerebrovascular operation. The surgical team led by Dr. Mohsen Nouri and Dr. Amrit Chiluwal successfully completed what is known as a cerebral artery bypass, an extremely delicate and complex procedure used to treat patients experiencing a narrowing or blockage of an artery that supplies blood to the brain.

The goal of the operation is to restore adequate blood supply by using a small artery from another part of the body (usually the scalp, neck or a vein in the leg) and connecting it to a vessel inside the brain to reroute blood flow around the blocked or damaged cerebral artery. This procedure is very similar to a cardiac bypass surgery where blocked heart arteries are bypassed.

Patients who typically undergo a cerebral artery bypass are those who have suffered from a stroke, a brain aneurysm or brain tumor. To determine if a patient is a candidate for this procedure, neurosurgeons at Jamaica Hospital rely on advanced nuclear medicine testing such as CT perfusion to show which areas of the brain are adequately supplied with blood and brain SPECT to evaluate blood flow, as well as other diagnostic imaging techniques. These tests are conducted in the hospital’s radiology department and cardiovascular interventional suite which are equipped with innovative radiological imaging technologies. Once it is determined that a patient is a candidate, the cerebral artery bypass procedure is performed in one of the hospital’s operating rooms.

In addition to possessing the latest diagnostic and surgical technologies, Jamaica Hospital is also one of only a few hospitals in the region (and the only hospital in Queens) to have endovascular and cerebrovascular trained neurosurgeons capable of performing this advanced surgical intervention. “A cerebral artery bypass is one of the most technically challenging procedures a neurosurgeon can perform. This type of surgery requires great precision. It is only used to treat a very select group of patients, ideally those who are at a high risk for having a recurrent stroke or other complications that may result from the blockage of a cranial artery,” explained Dr. Mohsen Nouri.

“Thanks to the exceptional neurosurgical team that Jamaica Hospital has assembled, our department can offer patients in our community a highly valuable service. Very few hospitals in our borough can provide this level of care to stroke patients, and others who may qualify for a cerebral artery bypass,” stated Dr. Amrit Chiluwal. “Our team consists of physicians who are highly trained and experienced. We have also successfully treated patients diagnosed with arteriovenous malformations, traumatic brain injuries and other similar conditions.”

Jamaica Hospital is a designated Primary Stroke Care Center as well as a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center and has received numerous awards in recognition of its achievements in stroke and neurosurgical care. Jamaica hospital is the recipient of the 2021 Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Stroke Care award, Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence award and the Neurosciences Excellence award.