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THE EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER OF THE BROOKLYN HOSPITAL CENTER
DECEMBER 2023
President’s Message:
CONTINUED FOCUS ON QUALITY
At a hospital, nothing better creates a quality perception than staff behavior. To that end, I have been very pleased to see improvements in our patient satisfaction scores, especially in the Emergency Department and on the inpatient side. We have more work Gary G. Terrinoni to do in providing the best customer service possible, but the momentum is going in the right direction. Another important factor in creating a good perception of quality is the physical environment. Of course being squeaky clean—no dust, spotless surfaces—is critical, but there is also the more elusive factor of “appearance.” The research shows that even if the walls are absolutely spotless, if they are in disrepair, people will perceive it negatively, even perhaps as unclean. We have begun to pick off some “appearance” projects that while “small,” are making a big difference in improving the perception of the hospital. These efforts are not just for our patients and their families, but also for our staff. Having a place that looks great will be a point of pride for us all. Kudos to COO John Ferrara and his team on some of these early wins (I say early, because, stay tuned for more impactful “facelifts”). Take a peek here at some of their progress:
1 BEFORE
1) The driveway was pitted and dangerous with drains that didn’t function well and caused icing in the winter from the pooled water. Now, freshly repaved it looks and operates so much better!
See more improvements on next page!
1 AFTER
Improvements (cont.) 2) In our rooms, we tackled those dinged walls we talked about. We learned that attractive wall panels held up well in the ED renovation, so we are installing them slowly but surely throughout the house. We are almost done with 8B and 8W. Next, we are targeting 3M (Labor & Delivery is one of the few examples where patients “shop” for a hospital). 3) Little touches include attractive fences that keeps our planted areas free from pets and litter, and sanding and painting the circular bench at the top of the horseshoe driveway, opposite the entrance.
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4) The fences also protect lighting, which we have either restored or added.
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2 BEFORE
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2 AFTER
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Volunteer at TBHC! After a pandemic hiatus, TBHC is delighted to announce that not only is the Volunteer Program back and up and running, it’s thriving! Take a peek to the right at our current crop of volunteers. If you know someone in the community looking to give back, this is the perfect opportunity, no matter your age. Volunteers gain new skills, as well as further develop current skillsets. For young people or career changers, volunteering gives a unique opportunity to learn about the healthcare industry from professionals themselves. And for more seasoned folks, volunteering provides a wonderful way to share their experiences to benefit an essential community hospital. Some of the volunteer positions available include: • Administrative aide • Meeting, greeting and directing patients • Patient visitor • Spiritual Care visitor
TBHC Baby Shower TBHC hosted a lovely community baby shower for about 30 patients, family and friends at Fort Greene Park on September 22. New moms and parents-to-be got a chance to meet our obstetricians and connect with each other. Among TBHC staff were Dr. Natasha Fievre, Nuring’s Mary Godineaux (shown below with NYPD), TBHC’s lactation consultant, Labor & Delivery nurses, pediatricians and the full staff of the Women’s Health Center. Special thanks go to the Fort Greene Park Conservancy, NYPD 88th Precinct, NYC Mammas Give Back, and the TBHC staff from the Loading Dock and Support Services for ferrying tables, chairs and other supplies to the park.
Or, volunteers can tell us what their interest are and we will do our best to find positions that best match their preferences and skills! To learn more or to apply, please visit tbh.org/ volunteers.
2023 Service Awards
50-Year Honoree!
On November 9, TBHC gathered at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge for speeches, dinner and dancing to thank the most longstanding employees among us. Among them was Jilma Saddler, now a Patient Registration Associate at the Ambulatory Call Center. In 1973, Ms. Saddler (shown, left) began work at TBHC. She was pregnant at the time. At the service awards, Ms. Saddler’s 50-yearold daughter joined the celebration to honor her mom’s long and steady tenure. In addition to Ms. Saddler, other loyal employees recognized that night included:
30-Year Honorees 40-Year Honorees Marva Baker Linda Chin-Leung
Anne Jarvis Carol Dumlao
NOT SHOWN: Allan Hamilton Donald Tighe
Pauline Richardson Angela Allen Shirleen Lawrence Andrew Taylor
Marcia Ellis Roselyn Baptiste Evette Ford
NOT SHOWN: Rony Fabien Jacqueline Hill Lamont Joseph Troy Parris Mary Wong
25-Year Honorees 35-Year Honorees Grace Lin Roland Cole Wayne Jarvis Olaseni Waheed Pauline Nieuenkirk-Noel
NOT SHOWN: Isaint Alexander Joaquin Brito Ann Cupid Maria Erdogan Isiah Johnson Shelonda Mcelrath
Josette Merolus Kesner Morency Frances Noel Brian Peets Reinaldo Ramos
Cai Lei Elizabeth Mathew Mavel Collazos Claudette Dyer Sook Chung NOT SHOWN: Edeline Almonacy Robert Angelicola Howard Angus Claudette Bain-Deshong
Lea Baricuatro Galina Burlak Sophia Campbell Vania Elie Ryan Henry Marie Jean Jennifer John Lude Jules Debbie Ledgister Bridget Loetterle Ann-Marie Mitchell
Marisela Olivera Louisdon Pierre Gloria Rapoport Cynthia Sneed Sylvia Sosa Terry Spears Christine Stahl Chandroutie Sukhdeo La’shun Sutton Valerie Warde
20-Year Honorees Trenice Walston-Harris Robert DiGregorio Deborah Maharaj Frances Bentley Debbie Lyte
10-Year Honorees
NOT SHOWN: Bettina Bloncourt-Coq Issa Carter Natasha Fievre
Tony Jackson Marlon King Sharon Thomas Paul Wong
15-Year Honorees Noel Evelyn Stacy Friedman Santia Rivera Gina Tee Patrick Melissa Bailey Marissa King Janet Davis NOT SHOWN: Joseph Abboud Adebayo Adeyinka George Anuku Anani Assogba Alfred Bennett Yllka Boshnjaku Karine Camacho Jenelle Chan Jose Cortez Sean Dennis Angela Feng Aziza Ghaly William Gustavson William Hightower
Ileana Irizarry Stacey Jones Yevgeniya Keyserman-Muniz Amena A. Khan Marcia Landais Lina Medoro Karen Milano Liduvino Millares Robert Mitchell Yesenia Morales Karina Muzykovsky Jefferson Noel Shitalben Patel Alicia Resabala Orville Robinson Keith Scotland Jonathan Smith Liubov Stahneva-Sonmez Clifford Sutherland Minh-Trang Tran Aida Velichko Wilhelmina Williams
Sharon Laborde Howard Forbes Eva Hoffman Wendy Thomas Gaetano Mennonna Nelson Corredor Michelle Ahing Leolinda Mangaoang Sonia Rudder Jennifer Piure Rodney Alexander Icahma Dawkins Myrtle Neckles Ricardo Lopez Naranjo NOT SHOWN: Asuncion Alcantara Cedeno Nada Al-Hashimi Jennifer Alleyne James Archer Liza Marie Astorga Lisa Bellow Stefanie Belmer Sherri Bostic Raquel Caceres Andres Ceballos Lataunsha Clarke Reena Clarkson-Leschinsky Remington Coleman Damaris Colon Marie Desvarieux
Marlene Duncan Donald French Edmeris Garcia Louis Gerolemou Menogh Glen Valentine Jonathan Gomez-Munoz Pamela Gutzmore Grace Hughes Neiha Khan Keishelle La Barrie Audrey Lasenburg Zishi Lee Kenrick Lowe Jasmine Lyons Ryan Manoo Jeanne Mccabe Cindy Mcmillan Tytajharie Mcmillian Netesia Miller Mohammad Mir Karl Moore Carolyn Ortiz Patricia Pierre Louis Nirupa Prashad Lorenza Schvartz Kera Scotland Kathy Sepulveda Tejal Shah Erika Smythe Doreen Spencer Carlene Vesprey
Rounds TBHC went pink on October 20 to show support for loved ones battling breast cancer! The pink ribbon has become the universal symbol of breast cancer, not only illustrating the cause, but raising awareness of breast cancer prevention, and bringing everyone together in solidarity.
If you come by the hospital, you’ll see new banners inside and out, letting the community know about our new recognition from U.S. News World & Report: We’ve been named a Best Regional Hospital with high-performing recognitions in 7 programs: heart failure, heart attack, COPD, diabetes, hip fracture, kidney failure and stroke.
On Halloween, staffers dressed up everywhere, including those doing Reverse Trick or Treat with the Child Life and Pediatrics team. It’s a TBHC tradition when staff dress up and give candy to our littlest patients. Shown here, Nursing’s Chanel LaFleur, Samantha Collins and Rosemary Fiore.
We were also recognized as a Surgical Quality Partner for our excellent bariatric program by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This designation means that TBHC is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards in bariatric surgical care. Bariatric surgery improves quality of care, is done at TBHC with a very low rate of complications, saves lives
and reduces costs.
TBHC
times 121 DeKalb Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11201 718.250.8000
A publication of The Brooklyn Hospital Center Marketing and Communications Department. If you have an idea for an article or feedback on this newsletter, please contact Kim Flodin at x8271 or kflodin@tbh.org.
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