JUNE 2011

Dear Colleagues:

As an anchor and major employer in our community, it is important that we contribute to its well being. By the same token, we need our community to support our programs and growth plans.

We urge our employees, medical staff and community members to become more involved with our hospital. Community leaders can work directly with us through the NYHQ Community Advisory Council. Physicians can join our Speaker’s Bureau to become more visible in the community. Employees can reach back into their own community organizations and help develop blood drives, request physician speakers at their social or religious gatherings and tell friends and family about volunteer opportunities at the hospital.

We have opportunities for our community physicians to work with us in several areas: employment, specialist placement, laboratory and radiology services and the development of electronic medical records.

There are a number of ways that we are involved with the community. Our health professionals participate in health fairs and support groups for the public. Our physicians speak at community events or give seminars to other health care professionals.  We work with our lawmakers to educate them on the business of health care and offer solutions with health care reform. We write letters, send news releases and work with community leaders.

However, we can accomplish more when we have more individuals who can serve as ambassadors to help us spread the word about the higher level of medical care that is available right here.

Our A Spring Night Gala last month was a good example of how our employees and staff give back. More than 2,500 employees, medical staff and community friends attended our signature fundraising event honoring Eugene M. Lang for his innovations around the globe and for his commitment and dedication, right here, to this hospital. The ceremony featured a private performance by Grammy Award winner, Patti LaBelle. The 15th annual gala raised $860,000 to support hospital programs.

In conclusion, we will continue to do the many things that help us remain a strong community partner, and we ask that you work with us to support New York Hospital Queens in whatever way you can. To start, tell others about our programs and encourage participation. This month, there are more than 50 programs and events being offered. Click here for a full calendar of community events.

Sincerely,

Stephen S. Mills, F.A.C.H.E.

PEOPLE & PROGRAMS

People News

We welcome Eleni Salakidou, M.D., as the second physician to visit as a result of the NYHQ Hellenic American Emergency Medicine Exchange Program funded by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Dr. Salakidou graduated from the Aristoteleion University School of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2001. She has worked in the Emergency Medicine Department at two large academic hospitals in Rethymno and Chania, Crete. Dr. Salakidou has volunteered with Doctors Without Borders in Serbia, and is conversant in Greek, English, French, Italian and Serbian.

Shea Lerner, director, Development, comes to NYHQ from Five Towns Community Chest, where he was executive director, and prior to that, director, Development, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of the New York Institute of Technology. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Politics and Government from University of Hartford, CT, and a master’s degree in Social Work from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University, NY.

Our physicians and clinical staff frequently present their work at national medical conferences and in peer-reviewed publications:

Dattatreyudu Nori, M.D., F.A.C.R., chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology, director, The Cancer Center, chaired a session on “Low Dose Rate Brachytherapy” at the New York Academy of Medicine’s Inaugural International Prostate Cancer Symposium. This multidisciplinary meeting brought together over 70 experts from across the globe whose aim it is to initiate advances in prostate cancer care.

Kenneth Ong, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Informatics Officer, will join a national panel of experts to moderate and discuss meaningful use reimbursement and the alignment of health information technology with quality of care at the Health IT Summit in September and hosted by the Institute for Health Technology Transformation.

The Ultrasound Division of the Department of Emergency Medicine presented three research projects at the St. Luke's Roosevelt Annual Regional Ultrasound Symposium Research Forum:

• “Assessment of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination to Evaluate Resident Ultrasound Competency” co-authored by Anita Datta, M.D., R.D.M.S., director, Emergency Medicine Resident Ultrasound Education; Devjani Das, M.D., fellow; James G. Ryan M.D., director, Emergency Medicine Residency Program; Poonam Desai, D.O., resident; and Penelope Chun Lema, M.D., R.D.M.S., director, Emergency Medicine Ultrasound.
• “Bedside Carotid Ultrasonography to Risk Stratify Patients with Chest Pain in the Emergency Department” was co-authored by Dr. Datta; Anjali Bharati, D.O., attending physician; Michelle Pearl-Davis, D.O., R.D.M.S., former fellow; Kenneth Perry, M.D., fellow; Sanjey Gupta, M.D., attending physician; Nidhi Garg, M.D., resident; and Dr. Chun Lema.
• Drs. Das, Chun Lema, Gupta, Datta, and Meena Pai, M.D., resident, presented an “Assessment of Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Tanzania.”

It is an honor for us when our hospital team members are recognized by other organizations and when they attain professional achievements:

Edward Choi, M.D., attending physician, Emergency Medicine, has been appointed International Ambassador to South Korea by the American College of Emergency Physicians. In this position, Dr. Choi will be providing the organization with advice, information, and expertise on issues pertaining to the specialty of Emergency Medicine in South Korea.

Congratulations to Maria Burns, director, Volunteer Services, who received the President’s Award for Professional Excellence from the New York State Association of Directors of Volunteer Services.

Alvin Safran, director, Risk and Claims Management, was elected as the president-elect of the Association for Healthcare Risk Management of New York. As of July 1, he will serve one year as president-elect before assuming the office of the president next year. The New York chapter of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management is made up of nearly 30 attorneys, insurance brokers, hospital and long term care administrators, risk managers and others.

The Healthcare Association of New York State recognized our Women’s Auxiliary with the 2010 Auxiliary Advocacy Recognition Award. To qualify, an auxiliary had to meet specific criteria, such as participation in HANYS’ legislative letter-writing campaigns and community outreach activities. HANYS established the Auxiliary Advocacy Recognition to recognize all the ways auxiliaries help strengthen New York State’s health care system by advocating on behalf of health care in their communities.

Program News

Residents & Fellows Day 2011
The 2011 Residents and Fellows Day Symposium featured 60 research projects conducted by residents and fellows in our graduate medical education program. The keynote address, “Bad Bugs and Me,” covered antibiotic resistant bacteria and was given by Robert A. Weinstein, M.D., the widely known and respected epidemiologist. He was the inaugural Norton M. Luger, M.D., Lecturer. This lectureship was established in 2011 to honor Dr. Luger, the first chairman of Medicine at our hospital.

During the symposium, the NYHQ Scientific Advisory Board recognized five of the presentations with “Awards in Excellence” based upon the soundness of research methodology, potential impact on patients and the quality of  the presentation itself.  Award winning oral, poster and case report presentations included:

• Alarming Antimicrobial Resistance in Gram Negative Isolates from Long Term Care Facilities  Celestine Tchikounzi, D.O., fellow, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease
• Identification of CTX-M-B-Lactamases in Escherichia coli from the Community  Hemavarna Tiruvury, M.D., fellow, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease
• Clinician Documentation of Significant Electrocardiographic Findings in Adults Presenting to the Emergency Department with Dysrhythmias and/or Conduction Disorders  Nidhi Garg, M.D., resident, Department of Emergency Medicine
• Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) Reduces Toxicity Compared to Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and Achieves Dose Escalation Safely with ADCT Simulation in Clinical Thoracic Radiation  Weisi Yan, M.D., resident, Department of Radiation Oncology
• A Case Report of Neuromyelitis Optica in a Pediatric Patient:  Distinguishing Neuromyelitis Optica from Multiple Sclerosis  J. Cooperman, M.D., resident Department of Pediatrics

Palliative Care Symposium
NYHQ hosted a Palliative Care Symposium for health care professionals to dispel myths and misconceptions and provide medical education about the role of palliative care.  Special guest speakers included Diane Meier, M.D., F.A.C.P., director, Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, on “Palliative Care 2011: Role in Health Care Reform” and Judith Nelson, M.D., J.D., faculty, Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, on “You Can’t Go Home Again. The Problem of Chronic Critical Illness.” An interdisciplinary panel discussion was led by moderators Cynthia Pan, M.D., director, Palliative Care, NYHQ; and Jane Morris, M.S., R.N., clinical care coordinator, Palliative Care, NYHQ.

Orthopaedics Department Joins Collaboration for Surgical Site Infection Prevention
In collaboration with Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation joined a six-month collaborative project to implement new surgical site infection prevention elements for orthopaedic surgery patients. The project, known as IHI JOINTS (Joining Organizations In Tackling Surgical Site Infections) will focus on hip and knee orthopedic surgery.

High Marks for NYHQ in Emergency Preparedness Drill
Fifteen members of the hospital’s Emergency Management Committee participated in a mock scenario of a flu-type pandemic. The NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) hosted the drill. Nine NYC hospitals participated in the program and were evaluated for their command, coordination, business continuity and public information skills. Of the hospitals, we were among the top scorers in this grant-funded program. The committee is making plans to participate in future drills with OCME.

Jackson Heights Family Health Center Receives Recognition for Diabetes Care
Our Jackson Heights Family Health Center was established as a Patient-Centered Medical Home recently. The HANYS Diabetes Campaign Collaborative awarded an honorarium to NYHQ for our success in establishing the medical home with a focus on diabetes care and our participation in the National Committee on Quality Assurance Diabetes Recognition Program.

OUR SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY

Stroke Risk Assessment for the Community

Stroke is the #3 killer in the U.S., behind heart disease and cancer, and it is one of the main causes of disabilities. In May for National Stroke Awareness Month we invited the community to our hospital for free stroke risk assessments. Approximately 80 community members received an assessment and were educated on how to reduce the risk of having a stroke.

NYHQ Participates in NYC Arthritis Walk
Jeffrey Rosen, M.D., chairman, Orthopaedics, served as co-chair and cut the ribbon marking the start of the NYC Arthritis Walk in Battery Park. Special thanks to NYHQ team co-captains, Marcia Levine, R.N., M.S.N., director, Perioperative Services, and Jordana Bailey, administrative director, Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, for raising money to help prevent and treat arthritis.

Silvercrest Golf Classic Celebrates 20th Anniversary
The Silvercrest Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation celebrated its 20th Anniversary at the annual Silvercrest Golf Classic. The event honored the community service of Anthony Iuliano, Department of Buildings Queens Liaison, for his assistance with the establishment of the Senior Housing Program. The event raised $120,000.

State Senator Toby Stavisky Honors NYHQ Nurses
In honor of our nurses during National Nurse’s Week, NYS Senator Toby Ann Stavisky delivered the keynote address thanking our nurses for their dedication and service. The following awards were presented: The Nurse of the Year Award-Scott Kaye, B.S.N., R.N., Rapid Response Team; The Nurse Leader of the Year Award-Teodoro Café Jr., B.S.N., R.N., nurse manager, Peri-op Services; The Jack Fanning Nurse of Compassion Award-Zora Vidovic M.S.N., R.N., 5 North; The Jack Fanning Assistant of Compassion Award-Edward Snow, OR Tech, ASU; The Felicia Grant Scholarship Award-Christina Larrea S.N., Molloy College; The Medical Staff Society Award for Nursing-Mary Ilkew, R.N.-C, 3 North.

Senator Toby Stavisky Honors NYHQ Nurses.