On April 27, 2016, Flushing Hospital Medical Center was the sole hospital provider at the first of many health and wellness seminars in partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens. The event was hosted at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston.

After months of planning, a full day of screenings and workshops were offered to educate the over 150 Priests who attended.

The workshops focused on behavioral health, hypertension, stroke prevention, nutrition and managing diabetes.  Blood pressure, vision, medication counseling, hearing, skin and foot wound care as well as oral cancer checks were some of the health screenings provided at the event.

Dr. Alexander Kintzoglou, Chairman of Flushing Hospital’s Department of Medicine participated in the mid-day panel discussion entitled Health and Wellness among Faith Leaders. During the discussion, Father Bryan Carney, from Pastoral Care at FHMC, applauded the hospital for reaching out to his colleagues. Robert Levine, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer responded, “The hospital and our wonderful team of employees are always looking for opportunities to further improve the health of our community!”

Overall, the event was a success.  Those in attendance thanked Flushing Hospital’s leadership and staff for their work, dedication and demonstration of compassion.

The percentage of residents registered as organ donors in New York is at an all-time low.  In fact, our great state ranks 50^th out of 50 states with regard to the percentage of residents registered as organ donors. Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, LiveOnNY and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz are determined to change that and move New York up in the rankings.

LiveOnNY and Jamaica Hospital collaborated to promote National Donate Life Month and the Long Live New York campaign.  Both organizations petitioned residents in neighboring communities to the hospital to be the catalyst for change by enrolling in the New York State Donor Registry.

On April 20th, as a part of their community outreach campaign Jamaica Hospital and LiveOnNY hosted a flag-raising ceremony with special guest Queens Borough President Melinda Katz.  The event commemorated National Donate Life Month and recognized the selflessness of organ donors.  Margaret Valsechi, a volunteer for LiveOnNY shared the remarkable story about her son Stephen Valsechi who passed away a few years ago. Stephen was registered as an organ donor and after his death gave the gift of life to four organ donor recipients.

Margaret was followed by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz who applauded Stephen’s family for their advocacy and passion for informing others about the importance of organ donation.   The Borough President reminded the crowd of medical professionals, hospital staff and community members that it is crucial that they register, as they will be saving the lives of many.

Borough President Katz presented Jamaica Hospital with a proclamation in recognition of the hospital’s commitment to raising awareness. She also declared April 20^th as Organ Donor Day in Queens.  Those in attendance were jubilant about the announcement.

There are over 10,000 New Yorkers on waiting lists for a life-saving organ.  Every 15 hours someone in this state dies while waiting for an organ transplant.  There are many benefits to becoming an organ donor but the most important is, you can save the lives of up to eight people with your generosity. For more information about becoming an organ donor or to register to the New York State Donor  Registry, please visit www.LiveOnNY.org.

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 simple acts of courtesy, team spirit, kindness and professionalism.

This month’s G.E.M recipients are:

Dr. Michelle Espinoza – Palliative Care

We congratulate the honorees on a job well done and thank you for your dedication!

Flushing Hospital Medical Center is excited to announce that it has been officially recognized as a National Bronze Certified Safe Sleep Hospital by Cribs for Kids.  The certification program recognizes hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to reducing infant sleep-related deaths through the education and promotion of safe sleep practices.

In order to earn the bronze certification, hospitals need to:

1. Develop and maintain a Safe Sleep Policy
2. Provide staff working on the units serving infants and children under the age of one year with training on infant safe sleep
3. Provide infant safe sleep education to the parents of infants prior to discharge

Judith A. Bannon, Executive Director and Founder of Cribs for Kids wrote, “Flushing Hospital has demonstrated a commitment to community leadership for best practices and education on infant safe sleep.”

“It is important that new parents are educated on how a baby should be placed in the crib and what items should be removed from babies’ sleep space.  Being recognized as a Bronze Safe Sleep Hospital reinforces that our hard work has not gone unnoticed,” stated Maria Smilios, Director of Nursing for Perinatal Services.

For more hospital events, highlights, health and  fitness tips, visit us on 

Facebook.com/JamaicaHospital  or Facebook.com/Flushing Hospital 

and follow us on Twitter @JamaicaHospital or @FHMC_NYC

The practice of acupuncture originated in China and can be traced as far back as 2,500 years ago. According to traditional Chinese medicine, disease and illness occur when the energy (Chi) which flows throughout the body along pathways (meridians) is blocked or interrupted.  Inserting very thin needles into the skin at strategic points on the body will unblock that energy, allowing it to flow freely and restore balance.

Acupuncture is often used as a complementary treatment with traditional western medicine. It is commonly known to help relieve pain and nausea; however, the World Health Organization (WHO) has found that acupuncture is effective in providing therapeutic treatment for an estimated 28 health conditions.

Some of the conditions that can benefit from acupuncture treatments are:

• Depression
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Peptic ulcers
• Acute and chronic gastritis
• Adverse reactions to chemotherapy
• Stroke
• Renal colic

As with any form of medical treatment there are risks associated with acupuncture.  This treatment can be dangerous for patients who are taking blood thinners or have bleeding disorders. If needles are unsterilized you may run the risk of contracting an infection.  It is possible, although very rare for needles to break and cause damage to internal organs or  needles to be inserted too deeply into the upper back or chest causing lungs to collapse. It is advised that you seek treatment from a licensed acupuncturist as this will ensure that required guidelines are being followed.

Generally speaking acupuncture is safe and can be combined as a method of treatment with traditional medicine. Speak with your physician to further discuss the safety of acupuncture and how it can potentially benefit your health.

The Ambulatory Surgery Unit (ASU) at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has always provided patients with excellent care but in an effort to improve overall patient experience we have recently redesigned the unit and have included new amenities to increase comfort.

Visual enhancements such as rainbow walls and light diffusers decorated with hot air balloons flying through the clouds and other serene images have been added to the ASU. The visual effects were selected with the goal of easing patient anxiety while waiting. Additionally, the unit features relaxation therapy music to promote a calm setting.

What was once the primary waiting area is now reserved as a quiet zone for pre-operation patients to fill out paperwork as they wait for procedures.  This area was designed to ensure patient privacy and eliminate noise pollution within the unit. The lobby has been transformed into a designated area where family and loved ones can sit while waiting for patients.

Once admitted into the pre-operation area, patients will now have adjustable recliners in place of stretchers for comfort. Heated blankets are also available.

A separate pediatric area was created with amenities such as a television featuring child-friendly movies and coloring books. All children are offered a tricycle to ride into the operating room instead of walking. Prior to discharge they are also offered a take-home toy from the treasure chest.

Endoscopy patients coming to ASU for endoscopic procedures will now be transported in stretcher chairs. These chairs offer more comfort before, during and after procedures. They offer patients the option of remaining seated on the way to the operating room then transitioning into a stretcher during the procedure.

To ensure the ASU is meeting the language needs of our Spanish-speaking patients, Spanish-speaking volunteers are available to ensure comprehension of treatment options.

While there have been many improved physical and structural upgrades, the core of the new ASU lies in complete patient satisfaction. “We want you to feel like Jamaica ASU is a part of your family, ‘Jamaica Cares’ said nurse manager, Cheryl Gallotta. All nurses are trained with full holistic, relaxation and massage techniques to provide our guests with a positive experience.

The redesign of the Ambulatory Surgery Unit is one of several projects Jamaica Hospital has initiated to improve patient experience. We thank the staff of the ASU who have contributed to the development of the unit and are grateful for their hard work and dedication to providing our patients with quality care.

For more hospital events, highlights, health and  fitness tips, visit us on 

Facebook.com/JamaicaHospital  or Facebook.com/Flushing Hospital 

and follow us on Twitter @JamaicaHospital or @FHMC_NYC

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 simple acts of courtesy, team spirit, kindness and professionalism

This month’s G.E.M recipients are members of the Engineering Department who worked tirelessly during the blizzard of 2016 and Avion Blaize – Mammography Tech.

We congratulate the honorees on a job well done and thank you for your dedication!

For more hospital events, highlights, health and  fitness tips, visit us on 

Facebook.com/JamaicaHospital  or Facebook.com/Flushing Hospital 

and follow us on Twitter @JamaicaHospital or @FHMC_NYC

On Wednesday, March 2^nd a group of over 20 employees representing MediSys Health Network attended the 2016 Hospital Association of New York State (HANYS) Advocacy Day in Albany.

This annual event gives MediSys’ leadership and staff the opportunity to meet with our New York State legislators to discuss healthcare issues.

Some of the key issues that were discussed at this year’s meeting were:

• The urgent need for additional capital funding
• Funding for potential increases in minimum wage
• Assistance in covering  unpaid bills resulting from the failure of Health Republic health plan
• Support for safety net providers

The President of HANYS; Dennis Whelan, commended our efforts in effectively raising awareness of these issues among State legislators. Mr. Whelan also thanked Mr. Bruce J. Flanz; President and CEO of MediSys, for the network’s continued strong show of support and for a wonderful turnout this year.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has taken another stride in providing state-of-the-art technology and services for deaf and hard of hearing patients.  Earlier this month, the hospital’s Language Assistance department proudly announced the successful installation of a public Videophone booth.

The device is the latest addition to multiple language assistance tools offered by the hospital to ensure that guests who are deaf or hard of hearing have access to multiple lines of communication. These individuals will be able to use the Videophone to make and receive telephone calls via American Sign Language interpretation.  There is no cost to the caller or the person receiving the call.

The Videophone booth is located in the main lobby of the hospital, next to the information desk. Employees are encouraged to direct deaf or hard of hearing guests to this area should they need to make a phone call through an interpreter.

It is important for employees to note that individuals who are not deaf or hard of hearing will not be able to use the device; because in order to start a call, the caller must click that he/she is deaf and communicates by using American Sign Language.

Members of Jamaica Hospital’s Language Assistance Program worked collaboratively with the IT, Patient Access and Engineering departments to complete this project.  Together, they are exploring the implementation of Videophones in inpatient units.  The team will also be installing the device at Flushing Hospital Medical Center in the near future.

For any questions or technical issues involving the Videophone, please contact the Language Assistance Program 718- 206- 8742 or 718- 206- 8671.

Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s dedication to serving residents in its community extends beyond medical care.  The hospital’s leadership and staff are exceedingly passionate about participating in important cultural events that are reflective of the diverse borough of Queens.

This month the hospital joined members of the Asian community to ring in Lunar New Year 2016, which is the Year of the Monkey. It is said that if you are born of this year, you are witty, intelligent and have a magnetic personality. Each year is represented by one of the twelve animals of the lunar calendar. The animals include a rat, rooster, dog, pig, ox, monkey, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, goat and rabbit.

Joann Ariola; Director of Intergovernmental Relations for MediSys Health Network, represented the hospital at a Lunar New Year event organized by Peter Tu, Executive Director; Flushing Chinese Business Association and CenterLight Health to bring well wishes for a Happy Lunar New Year to the seniors at the CenterLight Senior Center on 38^th Avenue in downtown Flushing. The seniors were entertained by a team of dancers performing the traditional Dragon Dance.

Additionally, Flushing Hospital’s Pre-Hospital Care Department participated in the Flushing Community annual Lunar New Year Parade before an estimated 100,000 onlookers.

In the spirit of the Lunar New Year,  Flushing  Hospital would like to wish everyone 恭贺新禧, Gōng hè xīn xǐ – good luck in the year ahead!