MediSys Wins EMS Agency Of The Year Award

The MediSys Health Network’s Department of Prehospital Care has received the EMS Agency of the Year award for its dedication to high-quality patient care, education, and community outreach initiatives. The Department received this award from the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council of New York City, which works to coordinate and improve emergency medical services through education and policy.

The Regional EMS Council cited several factors that contributed to MediSys winning this award, such as:

  • Participating in the state-wide BLS iGel pilot project
  • Health equity in analgesia
  • Integrated collaborative feedback in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) and stroke care
  • Providing dedicated operating room time for paramedics
  • Providing regular opportunities for continuing medical education

MediSys was specifically credited for its efforts to respond to the mental health needs of EMS personnel through a peer support team for paramedics and emergency medical technicians. This is not the first instance where these efforts have been recognized; MediSys also recently received a CARES UP-NY statewide grant to support initiatives to increase awareness of work-related suicide risks, improve emotional support for members of the EMS team, and create more accessible mental health and wellness resources.

MediSys’ award win was also based on its EMS-related community outreach initiatives, ensuring that members of the public have more information and skills to prevent medical emergencies and improve patient outcomes. Some of these initiatives include:

  • Stop the Bleed, focused on stopping uncontrolled bleeding when no medical personnel are available
  • Education on naloxone administration
  • Hands-only CPR
  • Our Emergency Medical Services Education Program, which makes EMS courses available to the public

We are proud of everyone at MediSys’ Department of Prehospital Care for this achievement. Thank you for all of the important work that you do.

 

Congratulations To The MediSys Health Network’s CARE Award Recipients

The CARE Award Program recognizes employees who receive positive written remarks from patients or their loved ones after receiving high-quality and compassionate care.

The criteria for the award are:

C: Compassion- Through listening, identifying patient vulnerabilities, and conveying empathy.

A: Advocacy-Ensure quality care is given and the safety of the patients and environment is maintained.

R: Respect-Greeting or speaking to others in a kind and respectful way.

E: Engagement-Make individuals feel valued, important, and recognized.

Please join us in congratulating:

1. Marisa Mohr – Jamaica Hospital

2. Liliane Napaul- Jamaica Hospital

3. Janet Lynch- McKay- Jamaica Hospital

4. Floyd Federbush – Flushing Hospital

5. Janine Mc Larty – Flushing Hospital

6. Margaret Hoffman- Flushing Hospital

7. John Bigger- Flushing Hospital

8. Alex Khaimov- Flushing Hospital

9. Isaac Lopez- Flushing Hospital

10. Ashley Valerio- Flushing Hospital

11. Vejay Sanichar- Flushing Hospital

We thank our employees for their contributions to making our hospitals high-reliability facilities that focus on patient-centered care.

Jamaica Hospital Women’s Health Center Supports Food Bank for NYC’s “Woman to Woman” Initiative

The Jamaica Hospital Medical Center team standing with a donation collection box for Food Bank NYC's Woman to Woman initiative.Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is lending its support to Food Bank for New York City’s “Woman to Woman” initiative, which aims to provide menstrual and childcare products to women who live in poverty and struggle to afford these resources. The initiative also raises awareness about how poverty affects women’s ability to obtain these products.

Despite being one of the wealthiest cities in the world, over one million women and girls live in poverty in New York City; additionally, half of all single mothers in NYC earn less than $35,935 per year. Under these circumstances, it can be difficult to obtain a wide variety of needed items, such as diapers, baby formula, and menstrual products. Through the “Woman to Woman” initiative, Food Bank for New York City provides donations of these items to women and families in need.

To support this initiative, the Jamaica Hospital has placed collection locations for menstrual products in the Women’s Health Center and the hospital’s main lobby, where you can drop off wrapped items that you would like to donate. You can also make a financial contribution by following this link. Thank you for any donation you are able to make to help women in need. 

Congratulations To The MediSys Health Network’s SEIP Award Winners

Congratulations to the MediSys Health Network’s Safety Excellence in Infection Prevention (SEIP) award winners.

The SEIP award recognizes employees who contribute to the success of infection control initiatives.

The criteria for the award are:

S: Surpasses above and beyond expected job role responsibilities as it relates to infection control.

E: Enforce actions that support infection prevention best practices.

I: I do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

P: Performs awesome acts of safety related to infection prevention.

We thank the following team members for leading by example and doing their part to reduce the risk of infection transmissions:

1. Enzo Lopez, Systems Analyst- Jamaica Hospital

2. Rashmi Shah, Certified Child Life Specialist -Flushing Hospital

The MediSys Health Network cultivates a culture of safety by prioritizing infection control and prevention. All employees have an important part to play in preventing the spread of infections, and everyone’s contribution to safety is highly valued.

Highlights of The MediSys Health Network Cancer Center’s Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

On Monday, April 8th, The MediSys Health Network held a very special ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of the network’s cancer center, located on the concourse level of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s C building.

MediSys President and CEO, Bruce J. Flanz began the ceremony by remarking that the opening of the cancer center was a long time in the making, and how excited he was that the day had finally come.  He also thanked everyone involved in making the completion of the project a reality.

Congressman Gregory Meeks and Queensborough President Donovan Richards also joined Mr. Flanz and a room full of hospital employees. They spoke about the importance of having a comprehensive cancer center in Queens, where residents could receive high-quality care without needing to leave the borough.  The Congressman and the Borough President also praised MediSys’ leadership for continuing to understand and meet the needs of our community, both vowed to lend their support to the organization in achieving those objectives.

Also present were multiple members of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s (MSK) leadership, including Hospital President Shelly Anderson. During her remarks, Anderson shared how excited everyone at MSK is about the two organizations entering the next phase of an agreement to work together to provide equitable cancer care to the people of Queens.

The MediSys Health Network Cancer Center will feature 24 multi-purpose treatment rooms. Each of the private rooms was designed for a relaxing patient experience and features comfortable chairs, flat-screen televisions, and soothing murals on the walls. When configuring the layout, an emphasis was placed on ensuring optimal patient/provider interaction.

While receiving treatment in the center, patients will also have access to various support services, including on-site mental health and integrative health professionals as well as nutritional counselors. In addition, patient navigators are available to guide our patients through every step of their journey. This has all been made available to ensure our patients receive everything they need for a positive outcome.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was covered by multiple media outlets, including WPIX Channel 11 News. To watch the segment, click here:

Congratulations To The MediSys Health Network’s Good Catch Award Winners

Good Catch awardees receive recognition and a certificate of excellence 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 the following employees on their Good Catch:

1. Sonia Hernandez Torres, Admitting – Flushing Hospital
2. Tong Wei Zhang, PTA – Flushing Hospital

By identifying a problem before it became a patient safety issue, our awardees have helped our hospitals provide patients with excellent care. We thank them for being exemplary team members and contributing to our goal of being a high-reliability network.

MediSys Health Network Named a Top Hospital for Fair Share Spending by the Lown Institute

A female doctor smiling.The MediSys Health Network has been named as one of the top 10 hospital systems in the United States for fair share spending by the Lown Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes equity and transparency throughout the American healthcare system. MediSys was one of many hospital systems across the country included in the Lown Institute’s 2024-25 fair share analysis, which compared hospitals’ tax exemptions to their community spending.

Only 20% of the 2,425 nonprofit hospitals included in the analysis (including MediSys) had a fair share surplus, meaning that their spending on community-focused initiatives surpassed the total value of their tax exemptions. Both Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center were also listed individually as hospitals with a fair share surplus.

We’re proud of the work performed each day by our teams at both Jamaica and Flushing Hospital to provide high-quality care to the Queens community, as well as the various community initiatives and programs created to ensure that this care is as comprehensive and accessible as possible. Thank you for all that you do, and congratulations for achieving this national recognition.

Congratulations To The MediSys Health Network’s CARE Award Recipients

The CARE Award Program recognizes employees who receive positive written remarks from patients or their loved ones after receiving high-quality and compassionate care.

The criteria for the award are:

C: Compassion- Through listening, identifying patient vulnerabilities, and conveying empathy.

A: Advocacy-Ensure quality care is given and the safety of the patients and environment is maintained.

R: Respect-Greeting or speaking to others in a kind and respectful way.

E: Engagement-Make individuals feel valued, important, and recognized.

Please join us in congratulating:

1. Dr. Nancy Marin- Rojas – Jamaica Hospital

2. Dorie Lynn – Jamaica Hospital

3. Sonia Lam – Jamaica Hospital

4. Faviola Ramales – Flushing Hospital

5. Dr. Memoona Khan – Flushing Hospital

We thank our employees for their contributions to making our hospitals high-reliability facilities that focus on patient-centered care.

Congratulations To The MediSys Health Network’s SEIP Award Winners

Congratulations to the MediSys Health Network’s Safety Excellence in Infection Prevention (SEIP) award winners.

The SEIP award recognizes employees who contribute to the success of infection control initiatives.

The criteria for the award are:

S: Surpasses above and beyond expected job role responsibilities as it relates to infection control.

E: Enforce actions that support infection prevention best practices.

I: I do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

P: Performs awesome acts of safety related to infection prevention.

We thank the following team members for leading by example and doing their part to reduce the risk of infection transmissions:

1. Kirk Comrie, RN- Assistant Head Nurse 5 North- Jamaica Hospital

2. Esmeralda Wills, RN- 4 North 1 -Flushing Hospital

The MediSys Health Network cultivates a culture of safety by prioritizing infection control and prevention. All employees have an important part to play in preventing the spread of infections, and everyone’s contribution to safety is highly valued.

Jamaica Hospital Hosts 2024 Annual Art Exhibit

Members of the Creative Arts Therapy staff at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center's 2024 Annual Art Exhibit.Jamaica Hospital recently hosted its 2024 Annual Art Exhibit from March 4th to March 8th, showcasing a variety of creations from art therapy patients and faculty. Each year, the art exhibit displays a collection patient artwork from throughout the previous year. Some of the artwork featured this year included drawings, paintings, mixed media, and sculptures. The title for this year’s art exhibit was “A Space for Hope.”

“We decided on this theme because we wanted to bring the idea that having hope is still possible during difficult times,” said Michelle Anne Hololob, Director of the Creative Art Therapy Internship and Externship Training Program at Jamaica Hospital. “The last several years have been filled with such unrest, illness, fear and anger; more than ever, the world feels unbalanced. This theme allowed for patients to create a space in their minds where things could be better and don’t have to stay the same; we can still hope for change.”

Most of the pieces featured at the Art Exhibit were created by patients at Jamaica Hospital during the course of their treatment. In one particular case, a patient who had heard about the show after their discharge asked for their post-discharge artwork to be displayed as a showcase of the emotional regulation they found through art-making.

One particular piece noted by Hololob was a collection of 1,000 folded paper cranes; in Japanese culture, these are referred to as “senbazuru,” which are believed to grant a wish or bring hope to a person. “We collectively folded 1,000 paper cranes as a statement of hope for the hospital,” said Hololob. “These cranes fly as a symbol to our patients and staff that, as long as we have a little hope, things in life can get better.”

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s art exhibit. We look forward to seeing what our patients and staff create next year!