It is estimated that 40% of New Yorkers living with mental illnesses do not seek treatment because of the stigma attached.  Creative arts therapists at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center brought light to this issue by hosting the “Drawing Bridges to Wellness” exhibit in March, in honor of Creative Arts Therapy Week.

The exhibit was held in each hospital’s main lobby and showcased over 70 pieces of art that illustrated the musings of patients and therapists participating in Jamaica and Flushing Hospital’s mental health programs.  The artists utilized a variety of mediums such as clay, oil paints, pastels and model magic to express their thoughts and chronicle their journeys to wellness.

Drawing Bridges to Wellness provided the community with a beautiful gallery to explore and served as a platform to raise awareness of mental health issues and destigmatize mental illness.   Many of the art pieces presented echoed the message that people should not feel ashamed about seeking help for mental health disorders.

The Department of Psychiatry further bolstered their efforts to raise awareness by showcasing the exhibit at the Queens Museum, after completing its run at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital. The artwork was displayed in the museum’s New York City building for thousands of guests to see.

Jamaica and Flushing Hospital have provided creative arts therapy to patients for close to 20 years.  This form of therapy encourages self- exploration and has a profoundly positive effect on mental and emotional well-being. Patients often begin therapy feeling unhappy, conflicted or isolated but by creating art they are able to engage with therapists and begin their journeys to wellness. Both hospitals are encouraging communities to take advantage of creative arts and other programs designed to treat mental health disorders.

In an effort to improve the overall wellness of our surrounding community and employees, Flushing Hospital Medical Center has partnered with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation’s, Shape Up NYC, to offer free core strengthening and circulation classes to everyone.

Jordan, a trained specialist in fitness who knows how to make exercise enjoyable for everyone leads the class.

According to Shape Up NYC, “this class includes core strengthening and circulation techniques to improve balance and improve intestinal health, dynamic and static stretching, calisthenics and plyometric bodyweight strengthening, Cardiovascular exercises, core-focused breathing postures to slow the mind and for a stronger body, and meditation.”

Class began on March 5th and will take place every Tuesday at 5:00 pm at the 5^th Fl. Auditorium/Conference Room A, corner of 45^th Avenue and Burling Street. Employees are encouraged to attend.

You can sign up at the time of attendance and please bring your own mat.

March 10^th through the 16^th has been designated as National Patient Safety Awareness Week. In recognition of this observance, both Jamaica and Flushing Hospital had a full week of fun and educational activities planned. There was even a contest to see which department could decorate their doorways best with colorful hand cutouts.

To kick off the week both hospitals held an event in their lobbies on the first day. The event included interactive activities to test everyone’s safety knowledge by playing various games where participants had the opportunity to answer questions and to win prizes.

Throughout the week, employees were asked to take the “Hand Hygiene Pledge” and to demonstrate proper donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE) which can eliminate the transmission of infectious disease.

The week culminated with a Hand Hygiene display contest. Departments were asked to decorate their area to demonstrate their commitment to hand hygiene. Many departments participated and winners were named. At Jamaica Hospital Medical Center the Human Resources department was selected as the winner and the OB/GYN department at Flushing Hospital Medical Center.

The theme of this year’s Patient Safety Awareness week was “See, Say, Do & Thank You”, which asked patients to not only notice and identify good safety practices but also do something by thanking those individuals when these practices are witnessed.

One of the most important factors in improving patient safety is practicing proper hand hygiene and both hospitals’ hand hygiene compliance rates are above national averages. Flushing Hospital had a 95% compliance rate and Jamaica Hospital boasted a 100% compliance rate.

Congratulations to all involved in making the hospitals a safe environment for our patients.

Join us in congratulating Dr. Roseline Jerome, Attending Anesthesiologist; Angel Riu, Pharmacist and  Dr. Alan Roth, Chairman Family Medicine 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.

A recent article published in the New York Times reported that one of the most frequent causes of death among older adults is complications from a fall.  The article revealed that “Every 19 minutes in this country an older person dies from a fall.”

On a local level, data collected by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Emergency Department supported these findings.  It was found that of the hospital’s 770 fall-related trauma cases recorded between January and November 2018; senior citizens accounted for 68% of incidents.

In an effort to address this critical issue, Jamaica Hospital’s Trauma Division launched a series of Fall Prevention Workshops in surrounding communities with the highest concentration of falls.

The workshops were held at senior centers and covered a wide range of topics from identifying fall risk factors to home safety strategies.   By utilizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries falls risk self-assessment survey, Jamaica Hospital was able to identify seniors that were at a moderate to high risk of falling and make recommendations.  Program participants were also encouraged to speak with their physicians about better managing their risk of falling.

Jamaica Hospital’s Fall Prevention Workshops were well received by the community.  In total,  over 20 senior centers and 700 older adults participated in the program.  The Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) highlighted the program as part of its Community Benefit Spotlight.   The hospital was recognized for facilitating this much-needed initiative and fostering a relationship with the community that will greatly benefit its senior population.

Click here to read more about HANYS’ Community Benefit Spotlight.https://www.hanys.org/community_benefit/?a=vs&s=Jamaica_Hospital_Medical_Center_prevents_falls

On Tuesday, March 5^th, two dozen members of the MediSys Health Network leadership traveled to Albany to participate in The Healthcare Association of New York State’s (HANYS) Advocacy Day to urge state lawmakers to reject this year’s proposed budget cuts to health care.

Members of the MediSys group were joined by over 1,000 other healthcare workers from across the state for a rally at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center and marched through Albany’s streets to have their voices heard in opposition to the potential cuts that could include:

• Cuts directed toward hospitals totaling $657 million for the upcoming state fiscal year and $1.3 billion dollars over the next two years.
• Cuts to nursing homes that would total over $400 million during the 2019-2020 fiscal year and more than $800 million in the next two years.

In addition, Bruce J. Flanz, President and CEO of MediSys as well as a handful of hospital delegates met with local elected officials to discuss the devastating effects the proposed cuts would have on Jamaica and Flushing Hospital.

The MediSys Health Network and HANYS are encouraging employees to join the fight.  Please contact your local state legislators to tell them why they have to oppose these cuts.