PEP, April 2008: Queens Hospital Center: Outstanding care.

"It just goes to show what management and staff can accomplish when we work together, and it’s the sick and injured people of the city and their families who benefit."
—Carmen Charles,
President of Municipal Hospital Employees Local 420.

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

The accolades for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. — the largest public health system in the nation, serving 1.3 million New Yorkers annually — continue to roll in.

Last year the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations awarded Sea View Hospital in Staten Island the prestigious Ernest Amory Codman Award for their outstanding service in long-term care.

And now Queens Hospital Center, which serves the surrounding neighborhoods of Jamaica, Hollis and Flushing, has scored top honors in a patient service survey conducted by Health Stream Research.

The survey highlighted the hospital staff, particularly the Nurses Aides, who are members of Municipal Hospital Employees Local 420, for the respect and courtesy they show the patients and for the cleanliness of the rooms and bathrooms.

“The survey results reflected that one of our hospitals — Queens Hospital Center — achieved outstanding results on each of its trial surveys, a reflection on its innovative work around customer service training,” said HHC President Alan D. Aviles. “We will be looking at harvesting the best practices from Queens Hospital Center for possible implementation at other HHC hospitals.”

Ruth de La Rosa, a Service Aide and member of Local 420, is one of the workers responsible for that high score. The four-year veteran keeps the delivery room, the floors and the bathrooms spotless. “Everybody here works together to make sure that things are done right,” she said as she carefully washed her hands.

Team work is the key
A hand-washing campaign is part of the ongoing high-priority patient safety initiative that aims to establish HHC’s facilities as the safest in the country by 2010. Hospital-acquired infections, which have become the a scourge of health care institutions nationwide, have already decreased throughout HHC by as much as 30 percent. Studies estimate that over one-third of hospital-acquired infections are preventable.

Patient Care Associate Yvonne Thomas can be counted on to provide some of that top-rated patient care at the Queens hospital — just talk to one of her patients. “I couldn’t ask for anyone better, she’s the best,” said Queens inpatient Imran Ali of the Local 420 member.

Mary Richardson, a Social Worker IV, is responsible for helping patients during the discharge process. “We have to make sure that once they leave, they have a place to stay and all the services they need,” said the Local 768 member.

Albert Willingham, 2nd vice president of Local 768, is responsible for the orientation of new employees at Queens Hospital Center. During his sessions with new staffers he emphasizes quality care.

“Providing and maintaining quality patient care is extremely important nowadays because HHC has to compete for patients,” said Willingham. “So obviously it’s important that the patients have a positive experience here.”

With the top-rated quality care provided at QHC, which inaugurated a state-of-the-art comprehensive cancer treatment center in 2002, attracting patients should not be an issue.

“I’m very proud of all of our staff, especially the union members,” said hospital Executive Director Antonio D. Martin, who is known for roaming the halls of the massive complex and talking to the staff and patients.

“It just goes to show you what management and staff can accomplish when we work together,” said Local 420 President Carmen Charles, “and of course, it’s the sick and injured people of New York City and their families who benefit.”