2012 Community Service Plan - Third Year Update

Leading Queens in the Prevention Agenda for the Healthiest State

Phone: 718-670-1065
Department of Public Affairs & Marketing

The Hospital

The New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens [NYHQ] is a 535-bed voluntary, not-for-profit community teaching hospital. The medical center provides a broad spectrum of preventive, diagnostic, ambulatory, tertiary and secondary acute care, and rehabilitative health services at its main campus, and in 20 community-based programs throughout Queens County.  Each year the medical center manages approximately 36,000 inpatients, more than 121,000 emergency and trauma visits, and more than 141,000 outpatient visits.  

Commitment to Those in Need

The New York Hospital Queens provides quality care to all who need it, without regard to financial condition or mode of payment. In 2011, NYHQ provided $24 million dollars in charity care.  New York Hospital Queens conducts its financial policy and procedures in full compliance with the Financial Aid Law 2087.  The Hospital’s Financial Services Department also works with patients to obtain insurance when possible, and/or to arrange a manageable payment plan.  Additional information regarding the hospital’s charity care policy can be obtained by calling 718-670-1329 for inpatient assistance and 718-670-2824 for information or applications for Ambulatory Care assistance.

Three Year Plan for A Healthier Queens Community

Prevention Agenda for the Healthiest State

In April of 2008, New York State Department of Health Commissioner Daines established 10 public health priorities and asked that hospitals, local health departments, and health care and community partners work together to bring about measurable progress toward mutually established goals.  

New York Hospital Queens is fully invested in the Commissioner’s goals and has established a supportive priority agenda to assist in achieving better health for the Queens community.

Public Participation and Notice

NYHQ invites comment/input from the community with regard to public health priorities by placing ads in local newspapers, posting information in the lobby and on the NYHQ website. The annual Community Service Plan update is available to anyone on the website at www.nyhq.org/community_service_plan.

In addition, the Hospital collaborates, and establishes partnerships, with many organizations and community groups in ongoing discussion and analysis of public health need and resource availability to establish service and program priorities

Two major criteria drive the Hospital’s determination of prevention agenda priorities for continued and future focus – demonstration of need and the ability to positively impact outcomes.

Information and opinion elicited from key participants is combined with established indicators of Queens County’s health status including New York State Department of Health County Health Indicator Profiles, and Queens Health Profile, and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Community Health Profiles  and other relevant health databases to further define priorities.

Three-Year Plan of Action

The needs assessment conducted in 2008 revealed the most significant public health opportunity in the Access to Quality Health Care and Chronic Disease prevention priorities.

The Hospital, in collaboration with its community partners, chose three strategies in these two prevention priorities to focus on for three years:  The percentage of adults with a regular health provider, early stage diagnosis of colorectal cancer, and prevention of complications of diabetes. Specific initiatives included efforts to increase availability of primary care physicians, the implementation of a screening colonoscopy patient navigator program and the expansion of the Hospital’s diabetes education program.

In addition to the three major strategies, the Hospital carried out initiatives in many other agenda priorities, including breast cancer awareness, regional electronic health record development, smoking cessation, immunization, prenatal health, childhood obesity, asthma, coronary heart disease and congestive heart failure, Health Outreach® and emergency preparedness.

For details on selected Prevention Agenda Priorities and other initiatives go to our on-line Community Service Plan.

Primary and prevention services and specialty care are available throughout the Queens community in NYHQ