Employee Spotlight Shines on Lauren Banner, RN

Posted on June 25, 2019 by Andrew Rubin

This month we are proud to shine our Employee Spotlight on Lauren Banner, RN. Lauren started her career at Jamaica Hospital nine years ago as a registrar in the Emergency Department and upon completion of her nursing degree she joined the Nursing Department, where she is currently assigned to the surgical and orthopedic unit on 3 North.

Lauren grew up in Franklin Square and graduated from Carey High School. She obtained her RN from Nassau Community College and then her BS in Nursing from the Chamberlin School of Nursing. She currently lives in Queens with her 15 month old daughter Ariella, her fiancé, and her two year old Shitzu Yorkie mix named Harley.

Lauren has a special connection to Jamaica Hospital. Her mother Donna has worked at the hospital for many years and several of her mother’s colleagues have known her since she was a little girl. There is also another connection to nursing in her family. Her brother recently graduated from nursing school.

In her free time Lauren enjoys going out to eat, especially to Mexican and Italian restaurants, and she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Lauren maintains a very close relationship with many of her high school friends and enjoys getting together with them as often as possible. She enjoys all kinds of music, especially oldies, hip-hop, and country.

Lauren really enjoys working at Jamaica Hospital and especially on her unit. She says that they all work together really well and that it feels like they area family. Lauren intends to stay at Jamaica Hospital for a long time and we hope she does.

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.

Jamaica Hospital Offers Sleep Study Testing In the Comfort Of Your Home

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

It is estimated that 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, with 80 percent of the cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea undiagnosed.

One of the reasons for this is the diagnosis process. Sleep studies are typically performed in a sleep lab, which requires an overnight stay. Spending a night outside the comforts of your own home and being observed by others while you sleep is enough reason for many individuals to skip having this potentially very dangerous condition diagnosed and treated.

To alleviate this concern, Jamaica Hospital now offers accurate home sleep studies to diagnose sleep apnea. To conduct a home sleep study, patients simply come to Jamaica Hospital’s Sleep Center and receive a portable, easy to use take-home sleep kit, which includes a monitor, leads, bands, pulse oximeter, and nasal cannula. Before taking the kit home, the staff at Jamaica Hospital’s Sleep Center provides a detailed orientation on how to use the device.

After conducting your sleep apnea diagnosis test in the comfort of your own home, you return the kit the next day. The information gathered from the home kit is downloadable and the results are available within days, as opposed to the long waiting time typically associated with sleep lab studies, which is a major benefit to those who need immediate results.

Another benefit of conducting a home sleep apnea test is appointment availability. While most lab-based sleep tests involve a long waiting period to get an appointment, take home sleep kits are usually readily available. According to Ruth Mompoint, Director of Jamaica Hospital’s Sleep Lab, “The demand for home sleep studies has been so strong, we recently had to order additional kits to meet the growing demand.”

If obstructive sleep apnea is diagnosed, further lab-based studies may be required to determine the correct course of treatment.

For more information about Jamaica Hospital’s home sleep studies, please call 718-206-5916.

Heart Murmurs

Posted on June 19, 2019 by Joann Ariola

heartmurmur, heartdisease, calcification, heartcondition, lubdub, swishingwhooshing

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Heart murmurs are sounds during your heartbeat cycle made by turbulent blood in or near your heart.”

While using a stethoscope to listen to your heart, your doctor may hear a ‘swishing’ or ‘whooshing’ sound instead of the ‘lub-dub’ sound that a normal heart makes. This slight change in the sound of your heart may mean you have a heart murmur.

Often times, murmurs can be identified at the time of birth or they may develop later in life. Although they are harmless and do not need treatment, they may be an indication of an underlying issue with the heart such as endocarditis (an infection of the inner lining of the heart) or valve calcification (a hardening or thickening of the valves in the heart).

If you have what is referred to as a “harmless” heart murmur, you won’t experience any symptoms at all. If it is an abnormal heart murmur caused an underlying medical condition, the symptoms are:

Skin that appears blue, especially on your fingertips and lips
Swelling or sudden weight gain
Shortness of breath
Chronic cough
Enlarged liver
Enlarged neck veins
Poor appetite and failure to grow normally (in infants)
Heavy sweating with minimal or no exertion
Chest pain
Dizziness
Fainting

Heart murmurs can be genetic. Having blood relatives with a heart defect, puts you at greater risk of a murmur. Additionally, medical conditions such as hypertension, hyperthyroidism, and pulmonary hypertension can increase your risk of a heart murmur.

In adults, a heart murmur may improve once the underlying medical condition is addressed. In children, murmurs may go away on their own as the child matures.

If you have or are at risk of getting a heart murmur and would like to speak with a cardiologist at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, call 718-206-6742 to schedule an appointment.

Safety Tips for Driving at Night

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Andrew Rubin

The National Safety Council estimates that even though we do only a quarter of our driving at night, approximately 50% of all traffic accidents occur after dark. This leaves many wondering why so many accidents take place at night.

One of the main reasons is that at night, our depth perception is reduced, as is peripheral vision and the ability to see colors. We are also more likely to be more tired at night which can affect our reflexes. People who don’t get enough sleep or who have been working long hours are more prone to having an accident.

Another factor that can affect our ability to drive and see well at night is age. According to the National Safety Council, a person who is older than fifty years of age may need twice as much light to see well as a person who is only 30. Older drivers may also have compromised vision as a result of degenerative eye diseases or cataracts.

There are a few precautions drivers can take to prevent accidents while driving at night. Jamaica Hospital’s Trauma service and the National Safety Council recommends the following:

Keeping the windshield clean
Making sure headlights are aimed properly
Reducing your speed
Turning your headlights on as soon as it starts to get dark so others can see you
Increasing the distance between your car and the car ahead
Pulling over if you feel too tired to drive
Getting at least seven hours of sleep

Older drivers are encouraged to get annual eye exams to make sure that their eyes are healthy. These annual exams can also see if there are cataracts forming which can impair vision, and can check to see if eyeglass prescriptions are needed.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with an eye doctor at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-206-5900.

Over The Counter Readers vs. RX Glasses

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Joann Ariola

If your vision is blurred or you are having issues with your sight, an eye doctor will conduct a regular exam, assessing your overall eye health. At the end of the exam, it may be suggested that you are in need of glasses. If you do not have a serious eye condition, the doctor may suggest magnifiers or over the counter (OTC) “readers.”

When making the decision to get glasses, many people wonder if there is difference between prescription lenses and OTC glasses. The answer is, yes.

Some differences between OTC and prescription glasses are:

Over the counter (OTC) readers are best used for age-related presbyopia. Presbyopia is an age-related issue where your eyes become less flexible, making it harder to focus on close objects.
OTC readers have the same prescription in each lens. Having the same eyesight in both eyes is extremely rare. Therefore, your vision will not be properly corrected and you may still experience difficulty focusing even when wearing OTC readers.
Prescriptions glasses offer more options and benefits, such as quality in materials, accurate vision correction, lens clarity, as well as scratch and glare resistance. Additionally, unlike OTC readers, prescription glasses can help with astigmatism, myopia or glaucoma.

If you are having difficulty with your vision, you should schedule an appointment to have your eyes examined. To schedule an appointment with the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s Ophthalmology Center call 718-206-5900.

Is It Heat Stroke Or Exhaustion?

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Joann Ariola

With the mercury rising, you have to think about what you can do to keep cool. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are common maladies during the summer months. The main symptoms of both heat stroke and heat exhaustion are an altered mental state or behavior, nausea, vomiting, flushed skin, rapid breathing, and a racing heart rate. The main difference is, when you are experiencing heat exhaustion you will experience profuse sweating. Conversely, when you are experiencing heat stroke, there will be a lack of sweat.

The best way to combat heat stroke and heat exhaustion is by hydrating with cool water when it is hot and humid; this will help you stay clear of dehydration. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 16 – 20 ounces of water before moderate intensity summer exercise (8 – 12 ounces of water 10 – 15 minutes before going out into the heat and 3 – 8 ounces every 15 – 20 minutes during activity when active for less than one hour).

Some the most common signs of dehydration are:

General fatigue
Dizziness
Nausea
Increased body temperature
Weakness
Muscle cramps

Other means of keeping cool during the summer months is to wear lighter, breathable fabrics, slow down your pace, exercise indoors, and by using common sense when planning your day outdoors.

Please speak with your physician to determine your specific needs to avoid dehydration since it can vary from person to person.

#WellnessWednesday

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Joann Ariola

There is no time like the present to make healthy changes in your life. A healthy lifestyle would include eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are 12 habits that are practiced by people who are living a healthy lifestyle.

They include:

Physical activity
Forgiveness
Portion size
Preventive healthcare screening
Adequate sleep
Trying something new
Strength and flexibility
Laughter
Family and friends
Addressing addictive behaviors
Quieting your mind
Gratitude

Every day, take a few minutes to make a small change that will have a positive effect on your body. It’s never too late to start taking care of your body. After all, it’s the only one you’ve got.

BBQ Leftover Chicken Receipe

Posted on May 22, 2019 by Joann Ariola

When you barbeque, you always seem to prepare more food than you need. Of course, this will leave you with leftovers more often than not. So what do you do with all that extra chicken?

If you are planning on finishing off your leftover chicken within a few days, wrap it tightly and keep it in the refrigerator. If you want to keep it for more than a few days, wrap the chicken in foil and seal it in a zip lock bag. Try to get as much air as possible out of the bag to preserve the leftovers for several months.

Take precaution when you are reheating your leftovers. You do not have to reheat it on as low a temperature and slowly as you did the first time. An oven temperature of around 325 degrees will work great. Do not overcook your chicken. Overcooking can cause the chicken to become dry.

Properly reheated, your barbecued chicken should be just about as good as it was the day you first cooked it.

Now that we have discussed how to preserve your BBQ chicken, here’s a great way to reheat that chicken. Click the link below and follow the simple recipe that will take your leftover chicken and make it appear like an entirely different meal!

A Can Stroke Affect Young People Too

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Andrew Rubin

Stroke is usually thought of as something that happens to older people but an estimated 10% of stroke victims are under 45.

One study revealed that when a stroke occurs in younger individuals, the mortality rate is seven times higher than the general population. If a younger person has more than one stroke, their mortality rate increases to 17 times higher than the general population.

Risk factors include:

Obesity
Diabetes
Elevated cholesterol
Intravenous drug addiction
High blood pressure

Unfortunately, because strokes are less common in younger people, diagnosis and treatment is delayed. Diagnosing a stroke is usually done with the aid of an MRI. Younger people who are diagnosed quickly tend to do well when treated early with medication that can break up a blood clot. It is important that this medication be administered within the first 4 ½ hours.

To identify a stroke it is important to remember the FAST acronym which stands for the signs and symptoms of a stroke

Facial drooping

Ability to raise arms is limited or absent

Slurred speech

Time – how much time it takes to summon help

There are a few factors that can help prevent a stroke. These include maintaining a proper weight, smoking cessation, getting regular exercise, having a diet low in saturated fats and high in fruits and vegetables, and avoiding alcoholic beverages.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with a physician at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center to discuss your medical concerns, please call 718-206-6742.

Employee Spotlight Shines on Jo-Ann Campudoni

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Andrew Rubin

This month, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is proud to shine its Employee Spotlight on Jo-Ann Campudoni, Manager at TJH Medical Services, P.C.

Jo-Ann is a native of Queens, New York and grew up in Rockaway Beach, where she still resides to this day.

Jo-Ann graduated from Beach Channel High School in Rockaway and attended Andrews University in Michigan where she majored in Psychology. She has three amazing children of which she is very proud. She has a son who is currently serving in the Coast Guard, a daughter who is a Corporal in the Marines and a younger daughter who works as a customer service supervisor for FedEx. Jo-Ann comes from a very large family; she is the youngest of eight children. Her siblings live in various parts of the country and she wishes that they could see each other more frequently than they do.

Her philosophy on life is to get the most out of it as you can. She believes, “Life may not be perfect but you have to make it an adventure and go ever upward.” In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts, movies, reading books and meeting new people and learning about their experiences. Jo-Ann loves to dance and listen to music. She studied classical ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance. When she was in her teens she danced in the Alvin Ailey Dance Cadre. Her interest in music has brought her to hosting her own Internet radio show which can be found on social media outlets and gives her the opportunity to meet people in the musical world.

Jo-Ann believes in treating each patient with great respect and compassion. She feels that her experiences in life have taught her how much people appreciate being treated well. She enjoys working with her team at TJH because they work together so well. It is very much like a family in her department. Everyone works together to make the patient experience a good one. Jo-Ann looks forward to working with the team for a long time which is a goal we hope she achieves.