MediSys Network News

Flushing Hospital Receives Grant to Benefit Asian Breast Cancer Patients

Flushing Hospital was recently awarded a one-year, $49,790 grant, from the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the world's largest and most progressive grassroots network of survivors and activists, fighting to cure breast cancer. The grant, called the “Asian Breast Health Outreach, Screening Coordination and Navigation Initiative” will provide Chinese and Korean breast cancer patients with effective care and management.

“I am very happy about receiving the grant and the benefits it will bring to our patients,” said Dr. Sabiha Raoof, Chairperson, Radiology Department and Project Director for the grant. “Too often cultural differences hinder treatment and make our patients less receptive to proper care.”

The initiative will hire a Patient Navigator to assist with removing cultural barriers faced by many Asian breast cancer patients. The Navigator will address this issue by supporting patients from the beginning of their diagnosis through the treatment phase, ensuring that patients receive the most appropriate care. The Navigator will bridge the gaps in women’s access to care and help facilitate interaction and communication with health care staff and providers. Patients will be able to utilize appropriate social services and confront the psychological and emotional aspects of diagnosis, treatment, and care.

The grant period is from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009.

Brookdale’s Pediatric Obesity Program – Live Light-Live Right Receives Grant from the Robin Hood Foundation

The Robin Hood Foundation targets poverty in NYC by finding and funding the best and most effective programs and partnering with them to maximize results.  Their board has awarded a grant in the amount of $260,000 for 12 months to the Live Light Live Right Program, Brookdale Hospital’s community based pediatric obesity program.  Live Light - Live Right http://www.livelightobesity.org 

The grant is allowing for the expansion of the program by hiring a senior care coordinator to facilitate community screenings, awareness and educational programs and working with the individual families. Funds are also being used to hire a part time pediatrician, and expand the community exercise programs to further the quest to combat the epidemic of pediatric obesity that is progressing at an alarming rate. 

More than 1000 children have been evaluated and followed through this program. Fifty percent of the children attending the program for an average period of 1.5 years, show a decline in their body mass index (BMI) measures and a decrease in their blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin measures. They and their families have made significant changes in their choices in food and are leading a more active lifestyle.  We hope they will continue to follow these lifestyle changes as they grow into adults and teach the same to their children.

“The Live Light – Live Right affiliation with the Robin Hood Foundation is generating a myriad of exciting events for the kids and the program,” says Dr. Sarita Dhuper, Director of the Program and Brookdale’s Pediatric Cardiology Department.  With their help, we are going to win the battle against pediatric obesity,” she reiterated.

March is National Kidney Month… Are you at Risk??

On World Kidney Day, March 13, the Department of Nephrology offered free blood pressure screenings and provided educational material to members of the community, and hospital employees, with hopes to raise awareness about kidney disease and help individuals determine if they’re at risk.

Chronic kidney disease is a major problem in the United States. More than 26 million American adults have kidney disease, millions more are at risk for developing kidney disease, and most of them don’t know it.

“The prevalence of kidney disease is a health issue we should all be aware of, mainly because symptoms do not show until the disease is well advanced and life-saving dialysis is needed,” said Dr. Emmanuel B. Masih, Director of Nephrology at Jamaica Hospital. 

Primary risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes and high blood pressure, the leading and second leading cause of kidney failure. Other risk factors include cardiovascular disease, family history of kidney disease, and age - with adults 60 and over being most at risk. Minorities— African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and American Indians—are at greater risk for developing kidney disease.

Technology Upgrades Continue at Brookdale

The new General Electric Infinia Nuclear Medicine Camera has arrived at the Division of Nuclear Medicine of the Department of Radiology at Brookdale.   Similar in to a CT Scanner, this new machine facilitates studies that were previously unavailable, enhances the performance of all the previously performed studies at Brookdale, and facilitates scans performed on critically ill patients who could not previously undergo a transfer to the Radiology Department because they could not be moved from their bed.

Some of the specialized and detailed uses of the Infinia are: to scan the heart for function much faster than the older nuclear scan, to scan the lung for blood clots and oxygen flow, to scan  the brain and the skeletal system for infections, and the gall bladder, kidneys and liver for function.  Tumor scanning can also be performed to stage or follow up a malignancy .  A patient can be brought to the Radiology Department in their ICU bed and scanned directly from the bed with no need to transfer to a stretcher or scanning table, as was required in the past.  For patients who are mobile, the new camera system can accommodate a higher weight capacity and can hold up to 450 pounds on its available, built in table.            

The patient is routinely injected with a diagnostic dose of tagged radiation that is specific to the organ to be scanned.  The Gamma Camera, as it is referred to, detects the tagged dosage and displays anatomic images in detail of the targeted organ on the detectors, sometimes organ function, and sometimes variance to the anatomic appearance.  Calculations and graphs are generated, along with images from a high resolution powerful workstation. The study is then interpreted by specially trained and certified Nuclear Physicians, and a diagnosis is made.

Dedicated to the One We Love and Always Will

On February 28th, Brookdale Hospital paid homage to an exemplary man during a plaque dedication ceremony in the hospital’s Pediatric Playroom.  Honored was the late Harold F. Baldauf, father of  Dr. Mary Baldauf, Director of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in whose memory the Harold F. Baldauf Memorial Children’s Fund was established to continue his legacy of love, compassion and generosity. 

Almost on a daily basis, Dr Baldauf witnesses the devastation that illness, trauma and loss bring to the patients and families in the PICU.  In an effort to lend a helping hand to them during their time of need and to ensure that her father’s spirit lived on, she and her family established the Fund after her dad passed away on October 24, 2006.  Over $18,000 has been raised to date and funds have been used to provide assistance to a multitude of families in a variety of ways.

Dr. Baldauf was joined by many other members of her family as well as members of hospital Administration, including President and CEO, David Rosen who thanked the Baldauf family on behalf of Brookdale’s pediatric patients and their families for all their hard work.  Plaque unveiling honors were given to Margaret, the matriarch of the Baldauf family and eldest son Harold at this very touching ceremony.

Harold was the epitome of "an honest day's work for an honest day's pay."  He did not believe in excesses in life but in only what he and his family needed to get by comfortably.  Mr. Baldauf also believed that it was better to share with those who were less fortunate and so he instilled these values in his children, who, are in turn, doing the same with his 20 grandchildren.

   

Flushing Hospital Parties with a Purpose

In an effort to bridge the gap between health and literacy, Flushing Hospital recently hosted a fun-filled, yet educational, pajama party for families within its surrounding communities.

Children’s author and former Flushing Hospital physician assistant, Tolya Thompson, delighted approximately 60 children, dressed in pajamas, with an engaging reading of her recently published book “Busy Body Bonita,” a story about a young girl with ADHD. She used the reading to bring listeners, including Assemblywoman Ellen Young and Councilman John Liu, into Miss Bonita’s busy, chaotic, and troublesome world.

Afterwards, Dr. Kanchana Roychoudhury, a Flushing Hospital pediatrician, spoke to parents on the topic of ADHD, a medical condition often diagnosed in children that affects how well they can sit still, focus, and pay attention.

“ADHD is one of the topics I’ve chosen to incorporate into my books because there’s still a need to address the condition,” stated Thompson. “In addition to that, there’s a strong relationship between health and literacy, one worth addressing as well.”

Studies have shown that most individuals with poor health conditions also have poor literacy skills. Thompson writes medically-themed picture books to address various child-related health topics and uses her "Smarties Book Series" to educate children and parents on the featured illness. She’s previously written children's books on laryngitis, influenza, and stress.

Every child at the pajama party received an autographed copy of “Busy Body Bonita.” The NYC Fire Department was there to distribute information on fire safety and members of the Queens Masonic Child Identification Program helped children make identification kits. Also, NHP, who cosponsored the event, provided parents with information on free and affordable health insurance.

Increase in Flu Patients at MediSys Network Hospitals

Flushing and Jamaica Hospitals have seen a spike in emergency room visits from patients displaying signs and symptoms of influenza. Flu-like illnesses have steadily increased from under 2% of all Flushing Hospital ER visits in October to over 8% this month, and have accounted for nearly half of Jamaica Hospital’s daily ER visits last month.

There has not been a significant increase reported at Brookdale as of now.

According to the CDC, numerous states have reported widespread influenza this week, suggesting that flu season is at its peak. The duration of the flu season cannot be predicted and officials are not sure when flu-related ER visits will drop. MediSys employees, however, are reminded to continue practicing infection prevention methods.