Artwork Beautification of the MediSys Health Network

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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.

Jamaica Hospital Receives Patient Safety Award

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Jamaica Hospital Medical Center recently received the Patient Safety Award at the opening of the 2020 Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) Learning Collaborative Spring National meeting, held in Chicago on May 3rd and 4th, 2019.

Stephanie Smith, Director of Care Management, was invited to be a keynote speaker at the meeting on “Steps to Take to Prepare for Bundled Payment Programs” on May 4th. This semi-annual meeting is attended by representatives from leading organizations from across the United States that are “true champions in healthcare redesign, spearheading efforts to improve quality, increase patient and provider satisfaction and decrease costs.”  Attendees benefit by learning from each other how to achieve the PSH quadruple aim, which is to increase quality of care, reduce care costs, engage patients in their care and improve patient and clinician experience.

Stephanie accepted the Patient Safety award on behalf of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. The PSH Learning Collaborative (a joint initiative of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and Premier Inc.) recognized Jamaica Hospital with this award for their improved patient safety as part of their PSH efforts.

According to a PSH Collaborative representative, “The PSH Learning Collaborative was looking for members excelling in using the techniques of the perioperative home model to expand the patient care outcomes of their organization from the launch of their pilot. Jamaica Hospital has developed a model perioperative surgical home. Their work encompasses the breadth and aspirations of a surgical home: they work with their patients starting from the surgeon’s and patient’s decision for surgery and includes a home visit well before they enter the OR. They are truly a patient-centered coordinated care model, working beyond the silos we still see at many health systems.  The care of their patients is primary and they have used the model of the perioperative surgical home to achieve reduced readmissions and length of stay.”

Jamaica Hospital was the only hospital to receive this honor.

Jamaica Hospital implemented its Perioperative Surgical Home model in 2016 as a patient-centered, interdisciplinary, team-based system of delivering coordinated care to our patients.

According to Dr. Antoinetta Morisco, Chairperson of Anesthesia, “This award is an honor and represents the truly coordinated efforts of virtually all departments to keep an ongoing commitment to serve our patients and community, as well as to transform care delivery with the goal of service that is second to none.”

 

Flushing Hospital Medical Center Advocates for Healthy Mothers and Newborns

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breastfeeding program flushing queens

The Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS)  highlights the many ways its member hospitals and health systems are transforming healthcare with their “Innovation Spotlight” campaign. Flushing Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) is proud to have been highlighted as an “Innovator” in advocating for healthy mothers and newborns.

In 2015, the hospital began a community-based program, Breastfeeding and Beyond: Breastfeeding Education and Nutrition in the Community.  According to HANYS, “FHMC works with partners in the community — including the New York City Public Library and Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — to improve health and promote the well-being of women, newborns, infants, toddlers and children.”

“Over the past three years,  Flushing Hospital’s exclusive breastfeeding rates increased from 6%  to 30%. More than 375 women with their children and families have been educated both prenatally and after birth. The intent to breastfeed upon admission to the hospital increased from 50% in 2015 to 96% in 2018 and upon discharge from the hospital it rose from 29% in 2015 to 88% in 2018.” stated Maria D. Smilios, Director, Nursing-Maternal and Child Services.

Congratulations to Jamaica Hospital’s Good Catch Recipients

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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.

The 2019 MediSys Golf Classic A Success

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Beautiful sunny skies, warm weather and the smell of freshly cut grass greeted guests as they arrived at the 2019 MediSys Golf Classic.  All signs pointing to the perfect day that lay ahead.

Friends and supporters of Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center gathered on the morning of May 21st at the Old Westbury Country Club to enjoy a full day of activities.  Participants played hours of golf or tennis, while others took advantage of the luxurious amenities provided by the club’s full-service spa.

After hours of play and relaxation, guests transformed into dinner attire and convened in the main dining area for the cocktail hour and dinner.  Diners were served an array of delectable dishes and desserts.

During dinner, Bruce Flanz, President and CEO of the MediSys Health Network warmly welcomed everyone and thanked them for supporting the network.  He also introduced the event’s honorary chairman; Dr. Cono Grasso, who announced the highlights and wins of the golfers and tennis players.

The winners’ streak for the evening did not end there; raffle prizes were later presented to lucky guests. This year’s prizes included a trip to the Berkshires, sports tickets, Amazon Alexa electronics and the grand prize of $2,000 in gift cards to be used for a travel adventure.

Overall the 2019, MediSys Golf Classic was a great success. One hundred and thirty-seven golfers played the course and a record number of dinner guests were in attendance.  We thank everyone for their support.

Dr. Luigi Tullo Receives Award from the United Hospital Fund

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On Monday, May 6th, Dr. Luigi Tullo received a United Hospital Fund “Tribute to Excellence in Health Care” award.  This award is presented to healthcare professionals recognized as Quality Improvement Champions across the New York Metropolitan area.

According to the United Hospital Fund, nominations were awarded to individuals who exemplified “extraordinary personal leadership to improve quality care, patient safety, and patient experience of care”.

Through Dr. Tullo’s leadership, the Outpatient Antibiotics Stewardship Initiative (OASI) at Jamaica Hospital has developed measures to improve how antibiotics are prescribed by doctors and how patients are using them. As part of this initiative, the hospital has implemented tools to assist physicians in their electronic medical records and has used teaching aids from the CDC’s “Get Smart” public education campaign to inform patients.

The Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship Initiative has significantly improved provider prescribing practices and patient understanding of antibiotics misuse. Through this initiative, the OASI program achieved a total decrease in antibiotic prescriptions by 35.4% and a decrease in inappropriate prescriptions being given by 67.4%. Jamaica Hospital is closer to achieving its goal of reducing future antibiotic resistance in our community

It is with great pride that we recognize Dr. Luigi Tullo for his outstanding personal leadership to improve the quality of care provided to our community.

Flushing Hospital Medical Center Receives New 3T MRI Scanner

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The Radiology Department at Flushing Hospital offers a wide variety of advanced, state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging services to its patients. One of the ways they are able to do this is by offering the latest and most advanced imaging technology.

Through the acquisition of the Siemens MAGNETOM Skyra 3T MRI scanner, Flushing Hospital now provides one of the most sophisticated and technologically advanced machines in healthcare.

Like Flushing’s previous MRI machine, the new model features an open-bore design, with an extra wide patient tube to accommodate larger patients. The larger size also increases comfort levels and decrease feelings of claustrophobia for all patients. The open-bore feature results in fewer patients requiring sedation and provides overall higher patient satisfaction.

Another benefit of the new MAGNETOM Skyra is its advanced imaging capabilities. Equipped with a 3T magnet, it provides the most accurate, high-resolution images and delivers them in less time. The Zero Helium boil-off feature and the Green Cooling package also make the new MRI machine more environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

This new technology compliments Flushing Hospital’s team of Board Certified and fellowship-trained radiologists and highly-trained, experienced technologists. The department is fully accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR), which signifies a higher quality examination and care.

 

 

Congratulations to Jamaica Hospital’s Good Catch Recipients

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Join us in congratulating Marina Ramlogan, Clin Doc team member and Billy Diep, Pharmacist 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 problems before they became patient safety issues, 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.

MediSys East NY Employees Organize Donation to Help Local Women

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Many women enjoy purchasing and owning a variety of pocketbooks, so it’s not uncommon that after a few years, these accessories begin to accumulate in their closets. When this happens, some are faced with the decision of what to do with their unwanted bags.

Now, thanks to the thoughtfulness and hard work of some generous Jamaica Hospital employees, women now have a charity to donate their pocketbooks and support a good cause.

After seeing a similar program on TV, Margaret Novoa, Executive Secretary at MediSys East New York,  recently came up with the idea of taking her gently used pocketbooks and filling them with various toiletries to create a “hygiene kit” to donate to local women in need. She shared her idea with her co-workers at MediSys East New York and the “Pocketbooks Full of Love and Encouragement” was born.

With the permission of Vanessa Lavienas, Manager at MediSys East New York, Margaret and her co-workers set out to collect pocketbooks and financial contributions to buy hygiene products to fill them. Georgeretta Williams, Patient Access Representative, was the organizer of the effort. She collected all the donations and made contact with a local women’s shelter where the pocketbooks could be given to displaced residents. Dozens of employees at MediSys East New York contributed and through their efforts, the group was able to secure enough resources to collect and fill 93 pocketbooks.

On Saturday, May 11, Georgeretta went to the Women’s Help Center in Brooklyn to distribute the pocketbooks. The women at the center were very appreciative of the gesture. Many personally thanked Ms. Williams and expressed how this donation would help them achieve their goals.

Thank you to the team at MediSys East New York for thinking of those less fortunate in our community.

Tom Younghans Receives 2019 ACHA Award

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The American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) recently awarded Tom Younghans, VP of the Trump Pavilion, its 2019 Eli Pick Facility Leadership Award.

The prestigious award is presented annually in memory of Eli Pick who served as an administrator for over 30 years at the Ballard Rehabilitation Center.  Mr. Pick was known to show extraordinary care to the residents of the center and its surrounding community.

The qualifications for receiving the  Eli Pick Facility Leadership Award is based on three years of skilled nursing facility survey data, including health, fire safety, and complaint surveys, as well as top quartile performance on designated quality measures. Fewer than 11% percent of facilities nationwide qualified and only 351 administrators in 45 states received the award.  The award is given to administrators who show the highest level of dedication, professionalism, and leadership in long term care.

“Receiving this award is an honor. This recognition belongs to the entire Trump Pavilion team. Thank you all for your ongoing commitment to serve our residents and the community in a way that is second to none,” stated Mr. Younghans.