Robert Levine, Executive Vice President and COO. accepting a check on behalf of Flushing Hospital

On Friday evening October 13^th, Angels on the Bay held their 23rd annual Anniversary Ball at Russo’s on the Bay in Howard Beach.

Angels on the Bay is a non-profit corporation, founded by the Russo family and members of the community to raise funds for children’s programs and health care services.  The organization’s primary goal is to help make a difference in the lives of children who are challenged by physical limitations, developmental disadvantages and life-threatening diseases. To date, they have raised over $3.8 million dollars to help these causes.

This year, the MediSys Health Network and others hospitals within our region were awarded checks to support initiatives that provide care to pediatric patients.

Over the years Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center have received a total of approximately $700,000 in donations from Angels on the Bay.

We thank Angels on the Bay for their generosity and support.   MediSys looks forward to continuing our mission to improve the lives of our pediatric patients.

Jamaica Hospital was recently awarded the Stony Wold-Herbert Community Grant which will be used to train one of the hospital’s Respiratory Therapist (RT) to become a Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C).

An asthma educator is a health professional who, in addition to their clinical licensure training, has earned a certification from the National Asthma Educator Certification Board. Becoming an asthma educator requires passing the National Asthma Certification Exam.

Queens has one of the highest asthma-related emergency department visit rates in New York City; and while there is a downward trend in hospital admission rates, Queens is still among the highest. Research has shown that patient education and disease self-management can help reduce emergency department visits and hospitalizations due to asthma.

Our Respiratory Therapist / Certified Asthma Educator will work with Discharge Planning over a five-month period, approximately ten hours per week, seeing patients who are being discharged to educate them on their disease as well as the use of medications and self- management.

While Jamaica Hospital’s overall goal is to decrease emergency room visits and hospitalizations, we also hope to improve the quality of life for our patients who suffer from asthma, as well as their families through this effort.

On Wednesday, September 12, 2018, Flushing Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) hosted its annual Celebration 2018 Dinner Gala, at Russo’s on the Bay in Howard Beach.

Each year, our Celebration event receives overwhelming support from the hospital’s administration and staff, as well as members of the community.

President and CEO, Bruce J. Flanz welcomed over 400 guests to the venue and offered his heartfelt gratitude to this year’s honorees, each chosen for their devotion and contributions to Flushing Hospital, its patients, and the surrounding community.

Celebration 2018 honorees included Neil Mandava; MD, Chairman, Department of Surgery, Ruben Silvestre; RN, Chief Nursing Officer and Emilio Villegas; MD, President & CEO, Excelsior Medical IPA.

Each honoree addressed the crowd of supporters, thanking them and relaying why they were honored to have been chosen to receive their award.

Mr. Flanz concluded the program by thanking all the honorees for their outstanding work, and those who were in attendance for their continued support.

The guests spent the rest of the night enjoying a wonderful dinner and fun-filled dance floor. As in years past, a great night was had by all.

Every month, employees at Jamaica Hospital who go above and beyond to help coworkers, patients and visitors are nominated for the G.E.M award.

G.E.M stands for Going the Extra Mile and recipients are recognized for their hard work, team spirit, kindness, and professionalism.

This month’s G.E.M recipients are Louisa Massengill RN and Rafael Ortiz.

Congratulations to you both. Keep up the excellent work in helping us to serve our community.

Join us in congratulating Kasandra Cardona; Social Worker, Radica Rampersaud; Respiratory Therapist, Kavita Soni; Respiratory Therapist, Jessy Rivas; RN, Dr. Kamica Lewis; Family  Medicine Attending Physician and Regal Khan; Manager Environmental Services, for 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, fill out the Good Catch Form and send by interoffice mail to Letha Walters, PI Department, Axel Building 4th floor or call ext. 8409 to leave a message.

Flushing Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) employees hit another grand slam on Saturday, September 8, 2018, at their Second Annual Softball Tournament and Family Day.

Employees from  Flushing Hospital participated in playing ball, volunteering, cheerleading or just being a spectator. Teams of players from Jamaica Hospital and Healthfirst also participated in the day’s festivities.

The event took place at Cunningham Park where employees and their families were treated to a delicious BBQ,  home-cooked specialties, face painting, and healthy snacks.

“Once again, we came together as a team and played hard.  It was great to see people that we work with every day, participate in this event.  I really believe that the comradery that was built on Saturday will carry over to the workplace and help lift the morale of our employees” stated Rob Arbitello, the event organizer.

FHMC leaders Bruce Flanz; President and CEO, Robert Levine; VP and COO, and Catherine Ferrari; Administrator, were on hand to watch the game and encourage the teams, They joined employees’ family members in cheering for every run scored.

“I want to thank our hospital’s Administration for their support. Knowing they were on the sidelines really meant a lot.  The event takes time to prepare, but it is a labor of love.” stated Rob Arbitello. “Healthfirst is a true partner in this event and they are this year’s Champs!”

The Second Annual Softball Tournament and Family Day was an even bigger success than last year’s tournament.  The hospital is looking forward to the 2019 gathering and games.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has served as a leader in educating the public about the importance of organ donor registration for many years.  The hospital has implemented countless community outreach initiatives for which it has earned recognition.

This year, Jamaica Hospital received the Health Resources Services Administration’s (HRSA), Platinum Level Award. This is the highest level of recognition awarded to hospitals that participated in the HRSA Hospital Organ Donation Campaign.

The criteria for achieving this award includes holding donor registry enrollment events both on the hospital campus and at community events.  Jamaica Hospital achieved Platinum Level status by hosting our annual Organ Donor Flag Raising Ceremony, a  large-scale media event which was attended by the Borough President of Queens, other elected officials and organ donor families. The hospital also earned recognition for launching social media campaigns across several platforms, promoting organ donor awareness messages using signage in public spaces and electronically, partnering with local organizations and conducting presentations at professional development programs.

Through all of these activities, Jamaica Hospital has successfully contributed to statewide efforts to increase organ donor registration and raise awareness. We have made great strides in this campaign and will continue our efforts into the future.

Last month, Flushing Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) cut the ribbon to its newest radiology suite which will house one of the most clinically advanced and fully automated, digital X-ray systems in health care.

The recently acquired Samsung GC85 system is equipped with features that provide several benefits to patients and radiologists. This new system improves patient experience by reducing examination time and minimizing excessive radiation exposure while obtaining enhanced imaging. Radiologists and technicians are capable of diagnosing patients with greater accuracy by utilizing applications that will streamline workflow through automation.

The GC85 system is also outfitted with a unit that is portable and dedicated to pediatric imaging.  It can operate in smaller imaging spaces such as a pediatric hospital bed or bassinet when caring for the hospital’s youngest of patients.

Gregory Donaldson, Associate Director of Radiology at FHMC stated, “The new advanced system will give us the opportunity to take enhanced images of our patients, both adult and pediatric. It is less imposing on the patient and allows for a better experience.”

Flushing Hospital Medical Center strives to provide quality health care to the community it serves. With a focus on safety, the hospital utilizes the latest and most innovative tools in healthcare to diagnose and treat patients.

Join us in congratulating Luis Oropeza and Gloria Flaherty; Transportation Services and Alicia Dawson; 4 South PCA, for 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, Luis, Gloria and Alicia 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, fill out the Good Catch Form and send by interoffice mail to Letha Walters, PI Department, Axel Building 4th floor or call ext. 8409 to leave a message.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s CenteringPregnancy® program was recently featured on the Health segment of NY1 News’ “Mornings on 1.”

Implemented at Jamaica Hospital in 2014 in conjunction with the March of Dimes, CenteringPregnancy® provides all the same patient-centered elements of traditional prenatal care but incorporates them into an interactive experience for pregnant women in a group setting.

CenteringPregnancy® is one of the most robust services offered by the hospital to women in the community. It has grown in popularity over the years because of its uniqueness and many benefits, which include a reduction in preterm birth rates, a reduction in maternal mortality rates and increased breastfeeding rates. The Centering approach to prenatal care has helped the hospital to address several health disparities faced by the population it serves, and provide vital resources to families.

NY1 News’ health reporter Erin Billups participated in a CenteringPregnancy® group session to obtain an in-depth view of the program, its advantages and how it helps to reduce health disparities.  She interviewed Dr. Tamara Magloire Director of Ambulatory Care, OBGYN, who explained the intricacies of the program and how Jamaica Hospital is doing its part to provide healthcare solutions on a local and national level.

The news segment can be seen here: