Dear Colleagues:
At the close of last month, I spoke with a group of employees and members of our medical staff at a “President’s Forum,” hosted by our NYHQ College. It always strikes me to hear the many expressions of the trust and pride our team has for their colleagues and institution. These forums are an opportunity to share the great things that are happening right here. At this session, we also talked about how difficult it is to work in health care delivery when we have to keep doing more with less, while ever increasing levels of quality, satisfaction and safety.
One of the forum participants asked me what individuals can do to support our hospital during these difficult economic times. I’m sharing my response here…
The bottom line is that when each individual can help to communicate to our community and area physicians that they will have a great experience when they choose NYHQ, and then we deliver on that promise … we can and we will overcome the toughest of environments.
Sincerely,
Stephen S. Mills, F.A.C.H.E.
PROGRAM NEWS
We will present a series of symposia in October and November for medical professionals in our Lang Center for Research and Education Auditorium:
October 8: 1st NYHQ Wound Care Symposium: 2010 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Guidelines for Evidence-Based Practice is a program developed by our surgical and wound/ostomy teams to unite and educate medical professionals on evidence-based research, diagnosis and treatments for wound and skin care.
October 12: At the 5th Annual NYHQ Surgical Symposium: Vascular Disease in Primary Care, the heart, vascular and surgical experts from New York Hospital Queens as well as visiting vascular specialists will discuss “Carotid Endarterectomy: 50 Years and Going Strong,” “Venous Disease and Varicose Veins: Minimally Invasive Treatment Options,” “Screening for Aortic Aneurysms and Developing a Management Algorithm,” and “Endovascular Management of Peripheral Artery Disease in 2010."
October 14: 4th Annual Pediatric Emergency Medicine Symposium will provide updates in diagnosis and treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis, pediatric head trauma, rashes and dermatological issues, respiratory disease and environmental emergencies. The program concludes with a demonstration in the NYHQ simulation Center on one of the computerized simulation mannequins.
November 4: 1st NYHQ Speech Pathology Symposium: Objective Assessment and Differential Diagnosis of Dysphagia in Pediatrics is a course intended for pediatricians, speech language pathologists, pediatrics gastroenterologists, dieticians and other related medical professions who focus on the interpretation of medical findings in children with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), GERD (acid reflux), failure to thrive, oral hypersensitivity, oral motor weakness, behavioral feeding aversion, food allergies - and providing effective treatment.
November 9: 7th Annual NYHQ Thoracic Symposium: Advances in Treatment of Lung Cancer and Benign Thoracic Disorders is a program that will review current trends and advances in the diagnosis and treatment of chest wall disorders, both malignant and benign. Recent therapeutic advances have considerably improved the outlook for individuals with chest disease. The new staging system for lung cancer will be presented as well as newer bronchoscopic diagnostic and staging methods. Viewpoints regarding the management of stage IIIA lung cancer will be discussed.
To kickoff the fall symposia schedule, we hosted the 3rd Annual Pain Symposium: Casting a New Light on Pain, on September 14: The multidisciplinary symposium featured nurses, physicians and mental health professionals presenting and moderating topics ranging from “The recognition of pain in patients with dementia or inability to talk” to “Identifying cultural issues in pain assessment and management.”
PEOPLE NEWS
We are pleased to announce the following appointments:
Kenneth Ong, M.D., M.P.H., has
been appointed chief medical information officer.
He will lead the hospital's efforts to achieve meaningful
use of the electronic health record (EHR) by developing
and managing clinical documentation, order sets, and other
clinical decision support in the EHR.
He will serve as the
intermediary between clinicians and Information Services.
Dr. Ong most recently served as the vice president of Medical Informatics at Catholic Health Services of Long Island. He is a former deputy commissioner in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Dr. Ong is residency-trained and board certified in family practice, internal medicine, and infectious diseases. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, the Infectious Disease Society of America, HIMSS, and the New York Academy of Medicine. He earned his M.P.H. at Columbia University, his M.D. at Wayne State University, and B.S. at University of Michigan.
Anesthesiologist Isaac Lowenwirt, M.D., has been
appointed medical director of the new Ambulatory Surgery
Unit (ASU) in the West Wing and associate chairman of the
Department of Anesthesiology. He joined our anesthesiology
staff in
1989 and served as director of Obstetrical Anesthesia
since 1992. Dr. Lowenwirt earned his medical
degree from
Downstate Medical School and completed his anesthesiology
residency at New York University/Bellevue.
He is well
published in the subject area of OB Anesthesia and patient
safety with a focus on the highrisk obstetrical patient. As
part of a multidisciplinary team,
he was instrumental in
developing and implementing “Team Blue,” our obstetrical
rapid response team.
Anesthesiologist David Brady, M.D., has been appointed director of Obstetrical Anesthesia. He will be responsible for coordinating and integrating anesthesia services, quality of care, and patient safety among the obstetrical patients on the Labor and Delivery unit. Dr. Brady received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey and completed his anesthesiology residency at New York University/Bellevue. He joined our anesthesiology staff in 1994.
Attending Anesthesiologist Matthew Korsen, M.D., has been appointed associate director of the Ambulatory Surgery Unit (ASU). Dr. Korsen earned his medical degree from Albany Medical College and completed his anesthesiology residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center & Schneider Children’s Hospital. He joined our anesthesiology staff in 1990.
The Department of Medicine welcomes three new specialized
physicians in digestive disease, epilepsy and geriatrics/palliative
medicine:
Cynthia Pan, M.D., A.G.S.F, F.A.C.P., board certified clinician
and educator in internal medicine, geriatrics, palliative care and
hospice,
comes to us from the Hospice Care Network, where she
served as medical
director for the Queens region. At NYHQ, she
will serve as director, Palliative Care,
and an attending geriatrician. She achieved her undergraduate degree in biology from
Harvard University and completed her medical degree at Stony
Brook School of Medicine. She completed her fellowship in
geriatric medicine at Harvard Medical School and an internal
medicine residency at University of Rochester Medical Center.
Contact Dr. Pan at (718) 670-2413.
Syed Hussain, M.D., attending gastroenterologist, has joined the
fulltime faculty. He adds further depth and expertise to our
growing, full service gastroenterology team. He initially served as
a medical resident from 2003 to 2006 and subsequently was
appointed chief medical resident in 2006. Dr. Hussain completed
a threeyear gastroenterology fellowship in 2010 at New York
Hospital Queens. His expertise is focused on consultative gastroenterology, routine upper endoscopy and colonoscopy, ERCP,
capsule endoscopy, manometry, pH studies and balloon assisted
enteroscopy. Contact Dr. Hussain at (718)
670-2138.
Hind Kettani, M.D., board
certified neurologist, comes to us
following fellowship training in epilepsy at Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, Tenn. Dr. Kettani achieved a medical degree at
Universite Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco, completed an internal
medicine residency at Nassau University Medical Center
North Shore LIJ Medical Center
and neurology residency training at St.
Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan.
She has completed more than a
dozen research studies concentrating
on effective and safe treatments for seizures
in patients with epilepsy. Dr. Kettani is
fluent in French and Arabic and can be reached at (718) 670-2900.
The Emergency Department announces new staff and
appointments:
Joseph Habboushe, M.D., M.B.A., has joined the Department
of Emergency Medicine.
Dr. Habboushe completed his residency training in
Emergency Medicine
at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in
Manhattan and achieved his medical
degree from Weill Medical College of Cornell
University. He also earned an
M.B.A. from Columbia University. His interests include resident
education, ultrasound and temperature management.
Gregg Rusczyk, M.D., director, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, was elected to a 3
year term as a member of the General
Faculty Council at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
Edward Bennett, M.D., attending physician, has been appointed medical director of the NYHQ Emergency Medicine Training Center. The Emergency Medicine Training Center provides certification and recertification to EMTs and paramedics. Courses are conducted throughout the year at our training facility located at our NYHQ Ambulance Base in Flushing.
Our physicians and clinical staff frequently present their work at national medical conferences and in peer-reviewed publications:
Our Cancer Center conducted research on the “Analysis of acute
rectal toxicity, interfraction prostate and SV shifts during
kVCBCT image guided IMRT for prostate cancer.” The research
will be presented at the American Society for Therapeutic
Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting on October
31 in San Diego, CA. Researchers included Nandanuri M. S.
Reddy, Ph.D., senior physicist, Akkamma Ravi, M.D., clinical
director, radiation oncology; Shana Coplowitz, M.D., resident,
radiation oncology; Weisi Yan, M.D., Ph.D., resident, radiation
oncology, Srinivas Bolugoddu, M.B.B.S., volunteer research
associate, radiation oncology, Daniel Sicurello, R.T.T., Radiation therapy technologist, Catherine Lagos, R.T.T., Radiation
therapy technologist; Hyesook Chang, M.D., attending radiation
oncologist, and Dattatreyudu Nori, M.D., chairman, radiation
oncology, director.
Steven S. Wright, M.D., director of medical and PA student
education, Penelope Chun Lema, M.D., R.D.M.S., ultrasound
fellowship director, Alison Suarez, MD, assistant residency
director, and attending emergency medicine physicians Sanjey
Gupta, M.D., Jose D. Torres, Jr., M.D., Amit Chandra, M.D.,
and Dr. Habboushe authored chapters in the textbook titled
Essential Emergency Trauma.
It is an honor for us when our hospital team members are
recognized by other organizations:
Burton Wasserman, D.D.S., chairman, Dental and Oral
Medicine, is being honored at the 25th Annual General Practice
Residency Fair, which is a joint venture of the American
Association of Hospital Dentists, the Greater New York Dental
Meeting and the dental schools throughout New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Dr. Wasserman is being
honored for establishing the General Practice Residency Fair
and for his 25 years of service.
NYS Senate Committee Introduces Legislation to Repeal
FMAP Plan
The Senate Rules Committee has introduced legislation to repeal
the FMAP (Federal Medical Assistance Percentage)
contingency plan law. In September,
New York State began reducing Medicaid
payments to health care providers as
authorized by legislation
passed in July as part of the 20102011 State budget plan.
We have sent a letter to all Queens
members of the Assembly and
Senate as well as the health chairmen for the Assembly and Senate
to urge them to pass the legislation to
repeal the FMAP contin
gency plan. Passage of legislation repealing the contingency plan
is crucial to the continued
delivery of quality health care in New
York. Health care providers
have endured funding cuts in seven
budget actions over the last two years.
West Wing Update
September was a major milestone for our hospital, our physicians,
patients and residents of our community. We
began to care for our
first patients in the new units on 4 West and 5 West in the new
building. The new hospital entry
point is a lightfilled atrium on
Main Street that welcomes all to a place where they will find
remarkable medicine and
remarkable results. We can take great
pride in knowing that our new building represents the quality of
our people and our progress.
In
late September, the NYS Department of Health granted
approval for the opening of our 10-operating room
Ambulatory
Surgery Center. We expect to open the Ambulatory Surgery
Center later this month.
Also, our Department of Surgery and the CRT Surgical Practice will move into the lower level of the new wing. We invite you to see for yourself how spectacular the West Wing looks. Check out our feature “pull out” section on the new West Wing. Or, for a personal tour, contact Debra Pagano Cohen, director, Community & Government Affairs, at (718) 670-1586. Physicians can arrange tours with Pamela Williams, director, Medical Staff Society, at (718) 670-2301.
Extending Our Reach into the Queens Community
Coming Soon: Neuroscience Lecture Series for the Community On Tuesday, October 19, at 9:30 a.m. in the Lang Audito rium, the NYHQ Neuroscience Institute will present a symposium for the community that will include the follow ing topics: Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, Stroke, Vestibular and Balance Treatment and Low Back pain; Evaluation, Treatment Options and Neurosurgical Intervention. To reserve a seat at the symposium, call (800) 282-6684.
NYHQ Health and Safety Fair Served 300 Community Residents On September 25th, more than 300 people attended the Health & Safety Fair developed by NYHQ in collaboration with Assemblywoman Grace Meng and the Queensboro Hill Neighborhood Association. St. Ann’s Church in Flushing, a few blocks from the hospital, hosted the event. Several city and state agencies such as the FDNY, NYPD, NYS Depart ment of Health and NYC Poison Control participated. Health screenings for pediatric asthma, glaucoma and diabetes were provided. Event sponsors included TD Bank, AARP, United Healthcare and Iver Printing.
Poison Control and the 109th Police Precinct were among the groups
who provided health and safety information to more than 300
community residents at the NYHQ Health and Safety Fair.
Building Relationships with Queens Medical Society &
Chamber of Commerce
NYHQ will sponsor the monthly physician leaders’ meeting for
the Queens Medical Society on Tuesday,
October 5. Physician
leaders from Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Neurosurgery,
Bariatrics, The Cancer Center, Ambulatory
Surgery and
Obstetrics and Gynecology will
provide an update on services.
Also, the hospital will host the Flushing Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday, October 28. Stephen S. Mills, President and Chief Executive Officer, and physician leaders will provide an update about NYHQ. A tour of the West Wing will be included.
NYHQ Receives $450,000 for Obstetrics and Gynecology
A grant of $450,000, secured
by state Senator Toby Ann
Stavisky, has been delivered to New York Hospital Queens by
the
Dormitory Authority of the State of New York for the
purchase of new ultrasound equipment for the Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology. The equipment is used to monitor
fetal growth and development during pregnancies, and
detect
various types of gynecological conditions including endome
triosis, ovarian cysts and lesions, adnexal
masses, and cancer.
Raising Funds for Pediatrics
Proceeds from the 5th Annual Pediatric Miniature Golf Classic
will be used to strengthen our medical
services provided to
children and their families and to assist our doctors and nurses
who are available 24 hours a day to make
a difference in the
lives of the children we serve. The event will be held on
Sunday, October 17, 2010,
at the Spring Rock Golf Center in New
Hyde Park. For more information call
Julie Varghese,
director, Special Events, (718)
670-1564.