MediSys Network News

St Joseph's College Classes To Be Offered At Brookdale Campus

St. Joseph's College School of Professional & Graduate Studies will be hosting a satellite campus at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in the Spring Semester of 2008.

If you are considering taking a course in Health Care Delivery or a Bachelor's Degree in Health Care, click on the attached link for more information. You can sign up right on campus at Brookdale during informational sessions on December 4th from 10 am to 3 pm in the main lobby. Click Here

International Conference Features Three of our Finest

MediSys’ very own, Dr. Robert S. Crupi, Chairman of Emergency Medicine, Mr. Anthony J. Maffia, Vice President of the Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, and Mr. Paul F. Maguire, Administrator, Emergency Management were chosen from over 300 international submissions to present at the preeminent international conference on emergency management. The 2nd International Conference on Urban Disaster Reduction, to be held from November 27-29 in Taipei, Taiwan, focuses on Large Scale Disaster Management.

“We are excited about the opportunity to present on a topic relevant to the experience we have,” said Mr. Maffia. “Urban disaster reduction has become a major concern for the international community and we hope that our presentations provide insight to policies and strategies that should be implemented.” 

Dr. Crupi, Mr. Maffia, and Mr. Maguire will present on the topic Lessons Learned and New Directions for Disaster Management. Mr. Maguire and Dr. Crupi’s research proves that most hospitals are not fully prepared for catastrophic events. As a result, their presentation will focus on the significance of developing a hazards disaster plan that specifically includes infectious disease outbreak preparedness; in addition to creating a Hospital Emergency Incident Command Structure that will effectively manage internal and external communications during emergencies.

Fall Air Brings Wishes to Bloom at Flushing Hospital

The planting of 400 daffodil bulbs on November 2 marked the start of new beginnings for Flushing Hospital and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

The hospital was one of 12 locations selected by Make-A-Wish to participate in the foundation’s Wishes in Bloom program. The program, funded by the Ronald McDonald House of Charities, is an outreach campaign aimed to raise community awareness about Make-A-Wish and reach eligible children with grantable wishes.

“We look forward to building a positive relationship with Make-A-Wish,” said Maria Smilios, Assistant Director of Nursing for Maternal Child Services, “We have already referred one child to their program and hope to send more in the near future.”

The 400 daffodil bulbs were planted by six Flushing Hospital volunteers in the front and along the side of the hospital and they signify the number of wishes granted last year by Make-A-Wish.

The daffodils are expected to bloom by Spring.

“It’s going to look great,” said Nancy DiTaranto, Director of Volunteer Services. “I can’t wait to see it.”

Present at the “heart-warming and joyful” planting was Ms. Smilios, Dr. Susan Rapaport, Chairperson, Department of Pediatrics, along with Milvi Velnik, Manager of Community Outreach and Development at Make-A-Wish, Jay Patrick, Director, Marketing and Communications, and Margaret Berger, Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities for the New York Tri-State Area.

Common Sense: Childhood Etiquette Means Even More Now

What your mom told you as child: Wash your hands!
What MediSys tells us as employees: Wash your hands! Get your flu shot! Keep a clean work environment! 

In an effort to decrease the spread of infection, Brookdale, Jamaica and Flushing hospitals have taken part in the Infection Prevention Quality Coach Program, a new collaborative organized by the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) and 1199 SEUI. This new program is aimed at helping hospitals improve infection prevention practices related to hand hygiene, health care worker immunization and environmental cleanliness.

As a part of this initiative, each participating hospital will send 16 employees from four selected units to participate in a two-day training session that encourages the understanding of concepts related to infection control.

According to Terri Straub, Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety at GNYHA, participants will learn about various aspects of infections—what is an infection, how is it spread, and what are possible methods of prevention—and be taught how to translate what they learned into practice and help their peers increase compliance with infection prevention.

“We want our employees to become mentors and help fight the battle of health care related infections,” said Linda Jendresky, Director of Infection Control at Brookdale Hospital.

“Everyone has to be a champion for infection control,” added Judy Fine Director of Infection Control for Jamaica and Flushing Hospital. “We want to make sure that we have a safe environment with no adverse outcomes for patients, visitors, and even our own employees.”

The decision to take part in this program will greatly improve infection prevention practices and help eliminate hospital-associated infections.

There are a total of 28 participating hospitals in the greater New York region. Brookdale Hospital is scheduled to attend their session on November 5-6; Flushing Hospital on November 19-20; and Jamaica Hospital on November 26-27.

What MediSys' now wants to know: How often are you washing your hands? Have you had your flu shot?

MediSys Network Has A "Boo-tacular" Time on Halloween

Halloween this year brought many treats and tricks to patients throughout the MediSys Health Network.

Children in the Pediatric Unit at Brookdale Hospital took part in a Halloween party that featured a six-foot inflatable pumpkin, music and many delightful snacks. Many of the children partied in their Halloween costumes, while some enjoyed the music from their rooms. At the end of the festivities, every child left with something in hand—a small pumpkin.

The Pediatric Departments at Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals had Halloween celebrations that included their own style of treat-or-treating. At both facilities, employees, some dressed in costumes, went from room to room distributing candy and other goodies to excited children, many who wore costumes as well. They were provided with additional snacks from the Dietary Department.

But Halloween fun wasn’t just for the young.

MediSys Takes On Family Preparedness Month In A Big Way

The MediSys Emergency Management team took part in National Preparedness Month activities at all of our main campus locations.

National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort held each September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. The goal of the month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action.  MediSys Emergency Management recognizes that during an emergency our employee’s priorities are their families. Therefore, as an institution, we need to ensure that our families are well prepared at home, in order for us to continue to provide the highest quality care to our patients and the community.  During the month of September, the Emergency Management Department toured Jamaica, Flushing and Brookdale Hospitals offering free informational packets which provided step by step instructions of emergency planning for families, pets, seniors and people with disabilities; helpful tips to improve on preparing their home  and how to set up ICE (In Case of Emergency) in your cell phone. Brochures with vital information produced by various agencies were also provided. In addition, a sample Go-Bag that contains emergency supply items was displayed for hospital staff, patients and visitors to view. For a more detailed list and other valuable information you can visit www.ready.gov.

The following are recommended Go-Bag items:

• First-aid kit
• Radio
• Flashlight
• Multi-purpose knife
• Drinking water & food
• Change of clothes/ shoes
• Emergency blanket
• Emergency poncho
• Body warmer
• N95 mask
• Light sticks
• Paper & pen
• Whistle
• Copy of house & car keys
• Red Cross CPR guide
• Important documentation (such as photo ID’s, insurance cards, birth certificates)
• Personal Hygiene Items (such as facial tissues, hand cleanser, lip balm etc.)