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.

MediSys Celebrates Earth Day

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Earth Day began 49 years ago on April 22, 1970. To recognize this important observation, each year Jamaica Hospital Medical Center hosts an exhibit in its main lobby to showcase Earth-friendly projects from various departments.  The Earth Day event provides an opportunity to promote environmental conservation awareness among employees and our community.  Departments that displayed projects at this year’s event included Pre-Hospital Care, Dietary, Planning, Print Shop, Environmental, HR, and Safety.

As a health care institution, Jamaica Hospital realizes its responsibility in preserving the environment and has developed a green committee known as ecoMediSys to monitor and encourage environmentally responsible initiatives.  The hospital proudly recognizes departments and staff who are involved in initiatives to make the hospital more environmentally friendly.

One of the traditions Jamaica Hospital started six years ago was presenting the ecoMediSys award to individuals or departments demonstrating a strong commitment to preserving the environment. This year, Nick Caputo the Assistant Director of Pre-Hospital Care was recognized for his efforts in keeping the MediSys Network in compliance with environmental goals.

The Jamaica Hospital Volunteer Awards Ceremony and Dinner

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In April, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center celebrated National Volunteer Week by hosting its annual Volunteer Awards Ceremony and Dinner.

The theme for this year’s celebration was “Volunteers – Every Moment Making a Difference,” chosen to highlight the many hours of service dedicated by the hospital’s volunteers.

Volunteers have provided 43,600 hours of service over the last year to departments throughout Jamaica Hospital. Their high level of commitment is greatly appreciated by patients and staff alike. This sentiment was expressed by the hospital’s Executive Vice President and COO William Lynch in a powerful message of thanks. He was later joined by Arlette Cunningham, Assistant Director of the Volunteer Department, to present awards.

Over ten volunteers were selected to receive awards of distinction, including Frances Hicks, who received Jamaica Hospital’s first ever Honoring Our Patients’ Expectations (HOPE) award- specially created to recognize volunteers who exhibit a profound commitment to the hospital. Frances was lauded for devoting nine years as an Ambulatory Surgery Patient Navigator Volunteer and helping to provide a supportive environment to chemotherapy patients.

Jamaica Hospital’s 6-South nursing unit also received special recognition and was presented with this year’s Team award for providing support to the Breastfeeding Volunteer Counselor Program. This program recruits, educates and trains volunteers aspiring to become lactation consultants.

Overall, Jamaica Hospital’s Volunteer Awards Ceremony and Dinner was a success. Many deserving individuals and teams were highlighted for their devotion to the hospital and the community.

Jamaica Hospital thanks all volunteers for their continued dedication and service to our patients and community.

Jamaica Hospital Recognizes National Donate Life Month

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April was National Donate Life Month and once again Jamaica Hospital displayed its commitment to this very worthy effort by participating in a series of events.

As is tradition, the hospital raised a flag to increase organ donation awareness and on Friday, April 12th, employees across Jamaica Hospital celebrated Blue and Green Day by proudly wearing the official colors of Donate Life Month. Many photos were taken and shared on Jamaica Hospital’s and LiveOnNY’s social media accounts for thousands to see.

On April 30th, Jamaica Hospital invited members from LiveOnNY to visit and speak with hospital employees. The LiveOnNY team was accompanied by kidney recipient Kenneth Teasley. Mr. Teasley shared his personal experience with employees on many of the hospital’s nursing units and urged them to enroll to become organ donors.

The month-long observance culminated with a moment of gratitude which was held at 3:00 pm on April 30th.  At this time, a LiveOnNY representative read a brief statement to pay tribute to those individuals who saved lives through organ donation.

Increasing awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation remains an important cause to Jamaica Hospital and we are proud of the collaborative efforts on LiveOnNY and our employees.

The MediSys Health Network Announces Collaboration With Planetree International

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Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center are proud to be two of only 12 hospitals chosen to participate in a 24-month collaborative program that will help the MediSys Health Network reach its goal of delivering the highest level of patient-centered care.

The program, which is being funded by the NYS Health Foundation, will allow both hospitals the opportunity to work with Planetree, an international, non-profit organization that facilitates patient-centered care in a healing environment.

According to the program, over the next two years, Planetree will partner with Jamaica and Flushing Hospital by offering a full spectrum of services to help them develop a path to providing person-centered care. Planetree will be assisting the MediSys hospitals by providing assessments to better understand our organization’s culture from all perspectives and offering coaching and training to help us develop, implement and maintain a range of person-centered care strategies. At the end of the 24-month collaborative, both hospitals hope to achieve Planetree Bronze Designation.

It has been proven that hospitals that are dedicated to patient-centered care have experienced many benefits, including:

  • Higher Quality of Care
  • Improved Patient Outcomes
  • Lower Readmission Rates
  • Shorter Lengths of Stay
  • Higher Patient Experience Scores
  • Increased Employee Satisfaction & Retention
  • Improved Reputation

Planetree’s mission to “inspire caregivers to make patients true partners in their care, meeting their human needs and improving outcomes” is in perfect alignment with the goals of the MediSys Health Network as it has been our main focus over the last several years to improve the patient experience.  “We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with Planetree. We hope that this collaboration will inspire a network-wide culture change to patient-centered care excellence” states Emilia Escamilla-Rebaza, RN, Director of Person-Centered Services.

Please stay tuned for more information about the Planetree collaborative.