Author Archives: Michael Hinck

Flushing Hospital’s Radiology Department Unveils New Imaging Equipment

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Earlier this month, the Radiology Department at Flushing Hospital held an open house to introduce its two newest pieces of advanced imaging technology – the Magnetom Verio 3T MRI and the Somatom Flash CT Scanner, both manufactured by Siemens. 

The 3T MRI system offers exceptional image quality, but perhaps its greatest feature is its open–bore design, which alleviates any fears about feeling confined. The openness of the MRI not only helps reduce anxiety for claustrophobic patients, but it also accommodates other patients who do not fit comfortably into a conventional MRI. The new system also has a larger field of view, which cuts lengthy scan times in half.

The second piece of equipment, the Flash CT Scanner, uses dual source technology, providing accurate, high definition scans in an instant. In fact, the technology is so precise that it does not require the patient to remain still or even hold their breath, eliminating the need for sedation. The other major feature of the new CT system is that it sets the benchmark for dose efficiency. Due to its dual source technology and the speed of the scan, CT patients are now exposed to the lowest dosage of radiation that is achievable.

The purpose of the open house was to invite members of the hospital’s medical staff as well as community physicians to learn about the many applications and features of these new, state-of-the-art pieces of equipment. In total, close to 2,000 physicians were mailed information in an effort to have them refer their patients to Flushing Hospital for their imaging needs.

In addition to inviting physicians to witness the advanced technology, members of the media were also invited. Both the Queens Tribune and Queens Chronicle attended the open house and wrote articles about the new equipment in recent editions.

Click here to read the articles.
http://www.qchron.com/editions/north/no-more-fears-with-mris-or-ct-scans/article_5d6bdeb7-7dee-5c71-a50f-039601fd38be.html

http://queenstribune.com/flushing-hospital-gets-new-equipment/

Seminar on Plastic Surgery Held at Jamaica Hospital

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On May 29, Jamaica Hospital’s plastic surgery team, from Plastic Surgery of New York, held an informational session for employees. The seminar educated attendees on various types of cosmetic surgery options including breast augmentation, surgical and nonsurgical rejuvenation, such as botox, tummy tuck, and so much more.

The goal of the seminar was to inform everyone about the wonderful plastic surgery services available to them and the community. From teenagers wanting to model their favorite celebrity to new moms trying to get their post-baby back to men wanting very conservative work done, plastic surgery has become very popular and remains a growing trend.

Consultations and surgical procedures are conducted at Jamaica Hospital. If you are interested in learning more about these procedures and their associated cost, please call 718-206-7110 to schedule an appointment.

 

 

MediSys Health Network Hosts Annual Golf and Tennis Outing

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On Monday, May 19th, Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals held their 16th Annual MediSys Golf Classic at the Old Westbury Country Club. The event was attended by 118 golfers and nine tennis players.

After a day of golfing and tennis, participants attended a cocktail/dinner reception, where remarks were made by Mr. Bruce J. Flanz, President and CEO of the MediSys Health Network and the event’s honorary chairman, Dr. Cono Grasso, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology. Prizes were awarded to the highest scoring players/foursomes and a wide variety of raffles prizes were given away.

The highly anticipated raffle drawings included about $13,000 worth of prizes donated by various benefactors, as well as several departments at Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals. Some of these prizes included a waterproof digital camera, AMEX gift cards, an Apple TV gift package, Mets tickets, an iPad mini, a Geek/Techie basket of gadgets, which included a BestBuy and iTunes gift card and iPhone accessories, and much more. The grand prize was two Jet Blue tickets, a TUMI luggage gift card, and a Visa gift card.

Over $170,000 was raised, which will be used to benefit Jamaica Hospital’s Gastroenterology Department and Flushing Hospital’s Cardiac Care Unit.

Flushing Hospital’s Dr. Santandreu Featured on NY1 News

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On May 20, 2014, Dr. Orlando Santandreu, his father, and his son were featured on New York 1 News for Cuban Independence Day. He and his family were interviewed at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, on the fifth floor in the Women’s Health Center.

During the interview with reporter Rolman Vergara, Santandreu stated, “It is a beautiful profession because I get to see women become mothers and assist in the birth of their children. I am grateful to Flushing Hospital for giving me the opportunity to help the diverse, multicultural Flushing community.”

Dr. Santandreu has been a practicing OB/GYN at Flushing Hospital for approximately 15 years and is a highly valued member of the hospital’s community. He feels close to his Cuban roots because he and his family maintain Cuban traditions, enjoy Cuban cuisine, and large, extended family parties. Although it is inevitable to become Americanized once in the United States for a substantial period of time, keeping cultural traditions allows one to maintain his or her individual identity and heritage as an American. Dr. Santandreu, along with his father and son, are an inspiration to not only the Cuban community, but also to the entire Flushing Hospital family.

To see Dr. Santandreu’s article and clip from New York 1 News, click the link below:

http://www.ny1noticias.com/content/noticias/fiestas_patrias/208988/cuba–tres-generaciones-de-m%c3%a9dicos-honran-su-herencia-cubana

Children’s Art Exhibit Held at Advanced Center for Psychotherapy

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Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day was May 8th, and to celebrate, Jamaica Hospital’s Advanced Center for Psychotherapy hosted its annual children’s art exhibit. This year’s theme was, “If you could change something in your life, what would it look like?”

With original pieces created by children and adolescents, the art exhibit was created as a way to initiate conversations between adults and children about how they can make positive changes in their lives.

“This year the focus is on positive mental health as it is essential to a child’s early development,” said June Wasserman, PhD  and coordinator of Child and Adolescent Services at the Advanced Center for Psychotherapy.

The art work will be displayed in the lobby of the Advanced Center for Psychotherapy for the month of May, National Mental Health.

Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals Celebrate Nursing Week

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In celebration of National Nurses Week, held from May 6th to May 12th, Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals organized a wide variety of events to show their appreciation to their dedicated nursing staff.

At Jamaica Hospital, the week began with an award ceremony to recognize nurses of distinction and continued with a wellness fair and cake and ice cream party. Nurses Beth Palmas , CNM (St. Albans), Darshani Singh, RN, (ER), Ruth Pido (Pediatric ER), and Anna Nicdao (4 North) were awarded. Team awards were also distributed to 6 South (Royal Award), PACU (TeamSTEPPS Award), 3 North and ED (Skin Care Team Award), Maternal Child Services (Quality Improvement Award) and the Stroke Unit (Gold Achievement Award).

There was also a staff appreciation day and a movie night.  The week ended with a cultural diversity luncheon and fashion show, filled with delicious food, music and dancing, and an award ceremony organized by the American Nurses Association.

“Nurses are an integral part of patient care and we are always excited about the opportunity to acknowledge and show our nurses just how much they mean to the health community,” said Salve Torres, Director of Nursing at Jamaica Hospital.

Flushing Hospital held a cultural diversity luncheon as well, where an assortment of delectable dishes was on display.

“Flushing represents one of the most diverse towns in the borough of Queens, and we are very pleased that our nursing staff reflects this diversity,” said Ruben Silvestre, Director of Nursing and Patient Services at Flushing Hospital.  “It was important to organize an event that honored their commitment to our institution, as well as celebrate their diversities.”

To all of our nurses, your work is appreciated and we thank you!!

Flushing Hospital Promotes “Good Catches” to Improve Patient Safety

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Identifying critical events and improving the level of patient safety provided has always been a priority at Flushing Hospital Medical Center. The implementation of the Good Catch program highlights the hospital’s dedication to this effort.

The Good Catch program was created to provide employees with an opportunity to share their corrective actions or interventions, in hopes to reduce adverse patient outcomes.

According to Robert Levine, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, “the goals of the Good Catch program are threefold: to encourage identification of potential errors, to recognize our staff for identifying issues, and to share our findings across the organization.”

Rehana Jamali, Medication Safety Officer added, “Flushing Hospital is committed to developing new safety strategies by listening to the efforts our staff has taken to prevent any incidents that could potentially cause adverse outcomes to those we care for.”

Employees who wish to report a Good Catch are encouraged to complete a Good Catch Reporting Form. All submissions will be sent to the Patient Safety Officer and shared with the Good Catch Committee for implementation. Everyone who submits a report will be recognized with a personalized thank you card and those who submit a noteworthy entry will receive an Excellence in Patient Safety award from Administration for their efforts.

The Good Catch program is currently being piloted on the hospital’s pediatric and surgical units. The plan is to eventually expand the program throughout the hospital in the near future. “Patient Safety is a priority for the institution and our hospital staff play an integral role in designing safe systems for the delivery of patient care,” stated Rehana.

For more information about the Good Catch program, please contact Rehana Jamali at 718-670-8793.

Jamaica Hospital Recognizes National Healthcare Decisions Day

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In an effort to highlight the importance of advance healthcare decision making, Jamaica Hospital joined other state, local and community organizations from across the country to recognize National Healthcare Decision Day, on Wednesday, April 16th.

During the event, members of Jamaica Hospital’s Palliative Care Department were available in the hospital’s cafeteria to help employees and members of the community better understand advance directives, which includes the creation of a living will and designating a healthcare power of attorney. The Palliative Care team also provided information and tools to help individuals discuss their wishes aboout this very important and sometimes difficult topic with family, friends, and healthcare providers.

“As a result of National Healthcare Decision Day, many employees and people in our community can now have thoughtful conversations about their healthcare decisions. They are also now prepared to effectively complete reliable advance directives to make their wishes known,” stated Dr. Aamira Tahir, Pallitive Care Department.

For more information about advance directives and other healthcare decisions, please call the Palliative Care Department at 718-206-6914.

Jamaica Hospital Increases Efforts to Connect with the Community

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First impressions can be lasting, which is why Jamaica Hospital recently redesigned their website. In this day in age, everyone knows that the internet is used to research everything—including hospitals. When people visit www.jamaicahospital.org, they are now welcomed to a nicely colored and easy-to-navigate website.

The clean layout allows visitors to easily search patient and clinical services, employment opportunities, health information, general hospital information, and much more. They can also benefit from several new sections on the website, including the “employee section” and “find a doctor” feature.  An interactive campus map and a mobile version of the site will be available in the very near future.

“The internet is a valuable tool for hospitals,” said Michael Hinck, Director of Public Affairs. “There is a lot of web traffic to our site and having an updated and modern looking webpage is necessary. It has become very important for the hospital to improve its presence on the internet.”

In addition to redesigning their website, Jamaica Hospital just launched a social media campaign as well. The facility now boasts active Facebook and Twitter accounts, and will use the two platforms to better connect with the community. On these sites, information will be provided on a wide variety of health topics, such as asthma, obesity, diabetes, smoking, prenatal care, and hypertension. There will also be poll and trivia questions, lifestlye and parenting tips, and healthy recipes.

“Through these efforts, we really hope to engage more with the community and to become a valuable resource for them,” Michael added. “We want to strengthen ties with our community, as we look to replicate these efforts at  Flushing Hospital as well”

The redesign of Flushing Hospital’s website is now underway and their social media campaign is slated to kickoff later this year.

 

Jamaica Hospital Hosts Second Annual Earth Day Expo

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On April 22, in celebration of National Earth Day, “ecoMediSys,” a committee dedicated to identifying and implementing ecological programs throughout the hospital network, held its second annual earth expo. Several tables were set up in Jamaica Hospital’s hospital lobby, where departments exhibited their ecofriendly efforts. Some of these efforts included recycling, using environmentally friendly products, and conserving energy. There was also an exhibit that highlighted the benefits of using mass transit and participating in ride share programs.

“As we continue to make strides to better the environment, to better our community, and to better our hospital, we realize that education is a crucial part of the process,” said Fred Beekman, Vice President of Ambulatory Care. “Our expo is a great way to educate our employees and the community about our ecological initiatives and we hope that they begin to make similar efforts to reduce waste, increase recycling, and conserve energy.”

The event also served to recognize Ray Fredericks, Jr., Assistant Director at Jamaica Hospital’s Print Shop. Several years ago, Ray spearheaded a paper shredding campaign to properly discard confidential documents. As a result, the hospital saved money and tons of paper was recycled. The success of the program was tremendous and the program was expanded to include all waste paper not just confidential documents.

Under Ray’s leadership, the program recycles over 150 tons of paper annually. This saves over 2,500 trees each year and greatly reduces the hospital’s carbon footprint. Given the number of years the program has been in operation, Ray and his team has essentially saved a small forest.

“Being recognized is very flattering,” said Ray. “What started as a way to be HIPPA compliant (the shredding of confidential information) has grown into an incredible eco-friendly and cost saving effort for the hospital.”

He added: “All of the staff from our Melville site, the Print Shop and the Mail Room who are involved in the coordination of scheduling, making the actual pick ups, processing the paper through the shredding process, should be acknowledged for their efforts as well. The success of this project is made possible through the teamwork of our staff and management team.”