Meet Our New Beginnings Team Member Isabel Ortiz, RNC

Posted on July 25, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

This month, we would like to introduce you to our Assistant Head Nurse in the NICU, Isabel Ortiz, RNC. Isabel began her career in the Flushing Hospital Medical Center NICU 36 years ago.

Isabel’s nursing career began in Puerto Rico where she received her bachelor’s degree in nursing and worked there for the first three years of her nursing career. Her entire career at Flushing Hospital has been spent working in the NICU which she finds to be very fulfilling on many levels. Taking care of NICU patients can have many challenges but is very rewarding when she sees her patients thrive and go on to live happy lives.

In addition to caring for her patients, she also spends a lot of time with assisting their parents. Isabel feels a strong connection to the community. Being bilingual (English and Spanish) helps her to communicate well with many patients and families.

Isabel enjoys working with the NICU team. They have become like family to her. They teach one another and are always learning new techniques that benefit patients. Isabel’s passion for taking care of the NICU patients and their families is well known and we are very happy to have her as a member of the New Beginnings Team.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Employee Spotlight Shines on Estela Divino, LCSW-R

Posted on July 17, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

This month, we are very proud to shine our Employee Spotlight on Estela Divino, LCSW-R in the Palliative Care Department at Flushing Hospital Medical Center.

Estela began her career at Flushing Hospital three years ago. She was born in the Philippines and moved with her family to New York at the age of six. She saw all that her parents went through as immigrants and how hard they worked to give her family opportunities in the United States. Because of this, she has a deep appreciation for the immigrant experience and all that it takes to build a life here.

Estela grew up in Queens where she attended elementary school at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, and high school at Saint Francis Prep. Estela received her BS degree from Albany State University and her MSW from Adelphi University School of Social Work.

Estela currently lives with her family on Long Island. She is very proud of her two daughters. One daughter will be graduating from college in 2025 and the other daughter will be graduating from medical school the same year. The family also has a Havanese dog that lives in their home. Estela enjoys spending her free time with her family and her friends. She likes to travel. Most recently she went to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a family reunion. Her favorite places to vacation are places that have warm weather and beautiful beaches. She also likes to go to concerts, go thrifting, work on crossword puzzles, go to Broadway musicals and practice yoga.

She enjoys many different types of food, especially Filipino, Korean, Italian, Chinese and Greek. Estela listens to all types of music but R&B, classical, jazz and pop are her favorite genres. One of the most fulfilling experiences in Estela’s life was being a Peace Corps volunteer in the area of community health and served from 1988-1990 in Guinea Bissau, West Africa. During her time there she learned Portuguese and Portuguese Creole.

The most important things in Estela’s life besides her relationship with her family and loved ones, are keeping a work/life balance, and finding meaning and purpose in both. She appreciates the sense of community among the different disciplines at the hospital and how everyone works well together to care for the patients and their families during difficult times in their lives. We are very fortunate to have Estela as part of our team at Flushing Hospital and we look forward to her continuing work with us for many more years.

Employee Spotlight Shines on Rekha Lall

Posted on June 25, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

This month, our employee spotlight shines on Rekha Lall, Head of Ultrasound in our Radiology Department. Rekha has been working at Flushing Hospital Medical Center for the past 36 years. She was born in Delhi, India where she attended elementary school through college. She moved to New York at the age of 18, where she completed her graduate studies and remains today.

Rekha has two children and two grandchildren. She also has a dog whose name is Whiskey. In her free time she enjoys painting, cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Her favorite food is pizza. Rekha enjoys music, especially Bollywood and Bhangra. One of the things that is most important to Rekha is her family at home. Her family gives her the encouragement that fuels her determination and enriches every aspect of her life.

Equally important to her is her work family. They are extremely compassionate and very dedicated to taking care of their patients. Rekha’s patients occupy a profound place in her heart and priorities. Her patients entrust her with their health and well-being and this is a responsibility she holds with great reverence.

Rekha has always wanted to work in healthcare. It is a passion that has guided her through the journey of life since she was a child. She feels incredibly fortunate to wake up each day and pursue what she loves most. Rekha feels truly blessed to have a career that fulfills her professionally and personally. It allows her to contribute meaningfully to the well-being of others. We are fortunate to have Rekha working with us at Flushing Hospital for 36 years and we look forward to her continuing for many more years in the future.

The Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Gardening

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

It has been known for a long time that gardening offers many benefits both to a person’s physical and mental health. It has been used by hospitals as a form of therapy and by senior centers to help keep people engaged in physical and social activities. Schools have also used gardening as a way to involve students with nature.

Physical activities associated with gardening often includes: digging, bending, raking, mowing, and carrying items to be planted. Some of the benefits of these activities are strengthening muscles, keeping joints functioning properly, improving manual dexterity, burning of calories and increasing lung function. When a person works outdoors they tend to absorb more vitamin D from sunlight which is also beneficial to bone strength and to lowering blood pressure.

Gardening is also beneficial from a mental health perspective. Gardening has been shown to:

Improve relaxation
Improve self esteem
Reduce stress and anxiety
Improve socialization
Decrease depression
Diminish PTSD
Improve thought processes

Gardening clearly offers many benefits to a person’s all around well-being. It doesn’t take much to get started and the results will provide endless opportunities to enjoy the effort that goes into it.

What is Chronic Inflammation ?

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

Inflammation is one of the body’s ways of healing itself. It is the immune system’s response to an internal or external irritant.

Inflammation can be acute, meaning short-lived or it can be chronic (long lasting).

Chronic inflammation can last for weeks, months, or even years, leading to damage to healthy cells, tissues, and organs. Eventually, in some cases, this can result in internal connective tissue scarring, DNA damage, and even tissue death. Chronic inflammation is linked to the development of asthma, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms of chronic inflammation include body pain, anxiety, weight loss or gain, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems (diarrhea or constipation), and general fatigue.

Factors that can contribute to chronic inflammation include:

Long-term stress
Alcohol abuse
Obesity
Smoking
Lack of sleep
Exposure to chemical irritants
Autoinflammatory disease
Acute inflammation that worsens

One way to diagnose chronic inflammation is through a blood test for C-reactive protein (CRP) which shows up when there is inflammation in the body or high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) which shows inflammation of the heart.

Treatment of chronic Inflammation can be achieved with:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Steroids
Dietary supplements (fish oil and lipoic acid)
Weight loss
Exercise
Stress reduction

Some foods can affect chronic inflammation. Tomatoes, salmon, sardines, olive oil, and nuts can help reduce chronic inflammation while fried foods, hot dogs, sausages, and highly processed foods like white bread and pastries can make it worse.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of chronic inflammation, consult with your physician to see what treatment options may be helpful to you. If you would like to schedule an appointment with a physician at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-670-5486.

A Tasty Spring Evening Recipe for Linguini and Shrimp Scampi

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

Warm springtime evenings call for an easy to prepare, delicious linguini and shrimp scampi recipe. This is a recipe from the Food Network that we recommend.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/shrimp-scampi-with-linguini-recipe-1942429

Meet Our New Beginnings Team Member Christine Parasram, RN

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

This month, we would like to introduce you to our Assistant Head Nurse in our NICU, Christine Parasram, RN. Christine began her nursing career in the NICU in August of 2018, and became an Assistant Head Nurse in July of 2023.

Although Christine’s career at Flushing Hospital Medical Center began six years ago, her history with our hospital began much earlier. She started the first few weeks of her life as a preemie in Flushing Hospital’s NICU.

In addition to being a NICU graduate, what further inspired Christine to become a NICU nurse was experiencing the early arrival of her daughter who spent the first few months of her life in the NICU. Christine still remembers how intimidating the NICU was as a parent. She deeply admired the nurses who cared for her fragile newborn daughter. Christine’s firsthand experience gave her the passion for taking care of her patients and the empathy for caring for the patients’ families.

Childhood Asthma

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

Did you know that asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease? It is more commonly found in children who live in the inner city and more prevalent in African Americans than Caucasians, and in males more often than females.

Asthma often runs in families. Children who have brothers or sisters or parents with asthma often will have asthma themselves. Asthma can also be caused by certain types of allergens.

Risk factors for childhood asthma include:

. Allergies – environmental or food
• Family history
• Frequent respiratory infections
• Being in an environment with second hand smoke
• Living in an inner city versus in a suburban area
• African American
• Low birth weight baby.

Signs and symptoms of childhood asthma include:

• Rapid breathing
• Dark circles under the eyes
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Feeling tired or weak
• Chest pain on exertion

If you would like to have your child evaluated for asthma, please contact the ambulatory care center at Flushing Hospital Medical Center at 718-670-5486 for an appointment.

Employee Spotlight Shines on Samantha Gibson

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

This month, we are proud to shine our Employee Spotlight on Samantha Gibson, Office Manager for the Case Management & Social Work (CM / SW) Department.

In an era where dedication and commitment are often undervalued, Samantha began her career at Flushing Hospital Medical Center 17 years ago this month. Celebrating 17 years of service at a hospital is a testament to unwavering dedication and passion. Samantha, a valued member of our hospital family, has reached this incredible milestone, marking a journey filled with compassion, and excellence. Starting out as an administrative assistant, she has since grown into the role of office manager – part of the CM/SW leadership team at Flushing Hospital.

Outside of work, Samantha is a native of Brooklyn, New York and attended Fort Hamilton High School as well as Long Island University-Brooklyn Campus. She enjoys all genres of music, especially R&B and Reggae. Samantha is a proud mom of one son – Seth, and enjoys spending quality time with family, watching movies and sports as well as cooking and going out to eat; her favorite foods are Caribbean and Italian dishes. Traveling is also one of her favorite pastimes, she enjoys going on cruises, traveling often to California and abroad to different countries – especially Barbados. She finds joy in the arts, with a passion for writing and photography; her creative spirit shines through her poster designs that you may have seen hanging in the main lobby celebrating her department during National Case Management and Social Work months.

As she celebrates 17 years of service, she reflects on the impact she has made and the lives she has touched. One of the main reasons she enjoys working at Flushing Hospital is being able to interact with people from all walks of life – this has proven to be very rewarding and enriching to her. The things that are most important to her are family and good health. She strives for personal growth, peace of mind and well-being. Looking ahead, as Samantha continues her journey with us, we look forward to many more years of collaboration, growth and success. Her unwavering dedication and passion for excellence continue to inspire us all, shaping the future of healthcare and our hospital community. We are proud to have her on our team.

Enjoy A Healthy Springtime Recipe

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Andrew Rubin

Spring has arrived and what better way to celebrate than with a tasty, easy to prepare meal made with creamy mushrooms, peas and chicken. Here is a delicious recipe from the Food Network for chicken, mushrooms and peas. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/chicken-with-creamy-mushrooms-and-snap-peas-recipe-1972982.