Protecting Yourself From Wildfire Smoke and Poor Air Quality

Posted on June 8, 2023 by Jacob Lobosco

Ongoing wildfires in Canada have brought significant amounts of smoke to New York City, resulting in record levels of air pollution. This smoke presents a variety of health hazards, particularly for certain at-risk groups. However, it is important to note that high levels of smoke can affect anyone, even people who are otherwise healthy.

Wildfire smoke in particular includes a mixture of gases and fine particles that can cause coughing, sneezing, eye and sinus irritation, and shortness of breath. In people with certain medical conditions, exposure to smoke may cause symptoms of those conditions to worsen. People who are at the highest risk include:

People with lung diseases such as COPD or asthma
People with cardiovascular disease
Older adults and children
Expectant mothers

Anyone who may be exposed to smoke should take effective measures to protect themselves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that you:

Reduce smoke exposure as much as possible: You should minimize the amount of time you spend outdoors for as long as poor air quality alerts due to the smoke remain in effect. While inside, keep all doors and windows closed; if possible, use an air purifier or make sure your air conditioner has high efficiency filters that can prevent fine particles from entering your home.

Wear a mask: If you must go outside while air quality alerts remain in effect, make sure to wear a mask. N95 respirators are ideal, as these offer the highest level of protection against airborne particles.

Consult your doctor: If you are at heightened risk of adverse health effects due to smoke, talk to your doctor about what you should do if your symptoms worsen and about any medication you should have on hand to manage them.

If you experience smoke-related medical problems, contact your doctor as soon as possible. If a medical emergency occurs, please dial 911 immediately.

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.

Meet Our Doctors: Dr. Amir Barkhodari

Posted on June 6, 2023 by Xavia Malcolm

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is pleased to introduce you to board-certified rheumatologist, Dr. Amir Barkhodari.

Rheumatologists specialize in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal, autoimmune, and inflammatory (rheumatic) conditions. Some of the most common diseases and conditions treated by rheumatologists are:

Rheumatoid arthritis
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Gout

Dr. Barkhodari is highly trained in his field. He attended medical school at the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and completed a prestigious research fellowship at Stanford University. His extensive medical training is further defined by a residency at Jamaica Hospital and a fellowship at Stony Brook University Hospital.

Dr. Barkhodari is known among his peers for his sense of community. His desire to help others began at an early age and led him to medicine. He recalls, “As a kid growing up in Iran, I saw many people living with chronic and debilitating diseases, and I wanted to help them. I decided pursuing a career in medicine would help me to achieve this goal.”

As a rheumatologist, Dr. Barkhodari takes immense pride in providing high-quality care to his patients. He also believes it is equally as important to educate patients and communities about the need for early detection of rheumatic diseases such as lupus.

Early detection and treatment can minimize the risk of complications and improve the quality of life for those diagnosed with autoimmune conditions. “It is important to diagnose these conditions early and create a personalized treatment plan, unique to each patient’s needs. This approach can help greatly with reducing chronic pain and avoiding complications such as organ failure,” he explained.

Jamaica Hospital serves a patient population in which autoimmune and rheumatic conditions are prevalent. Dr. Barkhodari hopes that his knowledge and experience as a rheumatologist will greatly benefit his patients and our community.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Barkhodari, please call 718-206-7001.

A Memorial Day Weekend Recipe – Crunchy Lemonade Drumsticks

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Andrew Rubin

Memorial Day Weekend calls for an easy to prepare, crunchy lemonade drumstick for all to enjoy. Here is a recipe from the Food Network that we recommend.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/crunchy-lemonade-drumsticks-recipe-1973148

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Andrew Rubin

The month of May has been designated as National Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Celiac Disease affects one in 133 people in the United States. It is estimated that only 5% percent of the people who are affected are aware that they have it.

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, celiac disease is defined as “a genetic autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine.” If left untreated, celiac disease can cause long-term health conditions such as gall bladder malfunction, infertility or miscarriage, pancreatic insufficiency, early onset osteoporosis or osteopenia as well as vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Symptoms of celiac disease include:

Diarrhea
Fatigue
Headaches
Dermatitis
Bloating
Anxiety
Constipation
Depression
Delayed growth in children

Diagnosing celiac disease is performed through a blood test. If the results of the blood test come back positive, an endoscopy will be performed to give a definitive diagnosis.

In addition to having a better understanding of celiac disease, educating yourself about the changes to expect in your lifestyle will prove helpful. Some of the changes include:

Discarding any food that contains gluten. This means sticking to a strict diet that excludes barley, farina, oats, rye, and other known to have gluten.
Excluding certain items from your diet may deprive you of some nutrients. Therefore, it is recommended that you speak to your doctor about which vitamins and dietary supplements you should take.
Evaluating the ingredients in medications, some may have small amounts of gluten.
Taking care of your body by exercising and implementing more fruits and vegetables into your diet.
Following up with your physician or dietician as recommended. This is important as it will help to monitor your nutritional intake and check for deficiencies.

If you are experiencing symptoms of celiac disease and would like to schedule an appointment with a physician at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-206-7001.

Employee Spotlight Shines on Karen Clemente, PA

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Andrew Rubin

This month, we are proud to shine our Employee Spotlight on Karen Clemente, Physician Assistant in the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Emergency Department. She has been a member of our team for 12 years.

Karen was born in the Philippines and moved to Queens, New York at a very early age. She attended PS 115 and is a graduate of St. John’s University. She is still residing in Queens. In her free time, she enjoys taking road trips and one of her favorite places to visit is Maine. Karen also enjoys going on Fall hikes in national parks.

Karen likes different types of food, the spicier the better. She loves music of all types and feels that there is always a genre that fits every mood. Karen enjoys spending her free time with family and friends.

Working at Jamaica Hospital has been a wonderful experience for Karen. The staff works well together and there are many positive aspects to working in the Emergency Department. We look forward to having Karen continuing to work with us for many more years.

Employee Spotlight Shines on Ida Ogrenaj, RMA

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Andrew Rubin

This month, we are proud to shine our employee spotlight on Ida Ogrenaj, Registered Medical Assistant in the TJH Medical suite at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. She has been working at our hospital for the past seven years.

Ida grew up in Albania where she attended elementary school, high school and college where she graduated with a degree as a teacher. She moved to the United States in 2010, settling in Middle Village where she still lives. She followed her passion for helping people by obtaining her Medical Assistant degree from the Bramson ORT school in Forest Hills.

Ida has an eight year old daughter, Alessia who she is very proud of. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. One of her favorite sports is volleyball. She enjoys travelling and some of the countries she has visited are Greece, Italy, and Turkey. Most recently, she had the opportunity to visit a few states within the United States.

Ida enjoys many different types of cuisine, Mediterranean, Italian, and Spanish are her favorites. She likes various types of music and her favorite singer is Celine Dion. In her free time Ida enjoys photography, cooking and decorating. The things that are most important to her are family, friendships, peace, health and love.

Ida feels that working at Jamaica Hospital in the TJH Medical suite is a wonderful experience. She likes it because it is a great working, teaching, and learning environment. The staff is very friendly and she enjoys the diversity of the people she works with. Ida values the interactions with patients every day. She has a passion for helping people to stay healthy and looks forward to working at TJH Medical for many years in the future.

A Springtime Recipe for Fettuccine Alfreddo and Vegetables

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Andrew Rubin

A beautiful, spring evening calls for a light, easy to prepare, fettuccine alfredo and spring vegetable dish to enjoy. Here is a recipe from the Food Network that we recommend.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/spring-vegetable-fettuccine-alfredo-3577686

Losing Winter Weight

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Andrew Rubin

During the winter months we tend to gain weight because we are usually less active and also because of excess holiday eating. Now that spring has arrived we can go outdoors and increase physical activity.

In addition to exercising, there are a few adjustments that can be made to our diets and lifestyle that can help us lose winter weight.

Some tips for losing weight include:

Eating high fiber foods
Sleeping at least 6 hours every night
Taking probiotics
Avoiding drinking alcoholic beverages
Avoiding sugary drinks
Eating more fish
Practicing portion control
Avoiding late night snacking
Taking walks during daylight hours to increase Vitamin D production
Drinking water instead of snacks
Practicing portion control

Before starting any type of diet, it is best to consult your physician first to discuss what they recommend is best for you. If you would like to schedule an appointment with a physician at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-206-7001.

Employee Spotlight Shines On Eulanda Corales, DNP, RN, CCRN

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Andrew Rubin

This month, we are proud to shine our Employee Spotlight on Eulanda Corales, DNP, RN, CCRN, Clinical Nurse Manager for the NICU and Pediatric unit.

Eulanda has been at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for 36 years. She grew up in the Philippines where she attended elementary school, high school and obtained her RN degree. She moved to Queens in 1986 and has since obtained her Master’s degree in Nursing Administration at Adelphi University and her Doctorate degree from Chamberlain University. Eulanda now resides on Long Island.

Eulanda has two daughters who are both nurses and that she is very proud of. Her older daughter is a NICU nurse and her younger daughter is a Pediatric Cardiothoracic ICU nurse. She also has a granddaughter who is one year and nine months old. Her granddaughter brings her much joy and she loves spending time with her. Her granddaughter’s favorite thing to do is to dance and sing, especially to Michael Buble’s version of the song “Sway” and “Save the Last Dance for Me”.

In her free time, Eulanda enjoys reading and online window shopping. She likes many types of sports, especially archery, volleyball, rock climbing, jet skiing, parasailing, standup paddling, and body paddling. Eulanda enjoys travelling and has been to many places of interest that include all of the Hawaiian Islands, California, many cities in Mexico, the Bahamas, Virginia Beach, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. She likes to go “Glamping” which is glamorous camping whenever she can. Eulanda also practices Neurobics which is aerobics for the brain.

Eulanda likes all types of food, especially, Indian, Mexican and Italian. While she enjoys many types of music, at the moment her favorite musician is the Croatian cellist Hauser. Her hobbies include photography, collecting stamps and coins from all over the world, and she also collects pens and beautiful rocks that she gives as gifts to her daughters at Christmas.

Eulanda enjoys working at Jamaica Hospital because everyone works well together as a team. She enjoys the diversity of the patients as well as the staff. She has learned many life lessons from the diversity of the people she has had the pleasure to meet over the years. We are very happy to have Eulanda as a member of our team and look forward to her continuing to work at the hospital for many more years.

Allergic Rhinitis

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

A seasonal allergy, often called allergic rhinitis or hay fever, is an allergy that occurs during a specific time of the year. Seasonal allergies are most often caused by three types of pollen: grass, tree, and weed.

Seasonal allergies can have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life and are a significant burden on the healthcare system. Approximately 600 million people are thought to be affected by rhinitis, and there is evidence showing that those numbers are on the rise.

Rhinitis is generally divided into two groups: allergic and non-allergic. Differentiating between allergic and non-allergic rhinitis is critical, as half of patients prescribed antihistamines for their reported allergic rhinitis have symptoms that are not due to allergy. Symptoms such as sleep disturbance and daily fatigue, along with inappropriate use of antihistamines, can result in impaired performance at school and work.

It is important to use testing for allergen sensitization to help you decipher allergic from non-allergic rhinitis. These results, along with a physical exam and medical history, can ensure that patients receive appropriate treatment sooner, as well as helping to reduce avoidable antihistamine use.

To get tested, schedule an appointment with our Family Medicine Center by calling (718) 206-6942.