Health Fair at Jamaica Hospital

The Jamaica Community Partnership Initiative (CPI) held a Health Fair for teens on Saturday, May 31, 2008, between the hours of 12:00pm to 7:00pm at the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, located at 8900 Van Wyck Expressway.

 

The goal of the Health Fair was to introduce, educate and encourage youth in foster care from Southeast Queens to explore the field of health care while also learning about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and good cooking habits through healthy food preparation and demonstrations. The youth invited to attend the Health Fair reside in the neighboring Queens communities in Community Boards 12 & 13. The agencies leading the effort include Forestdale, Inc.; Harlem Dowling – West Side Center for Children and Family Services; Little Flower Children and Family Services and St. Vincent’s Services. The hospital’s auditorium was packed with youth attending the event, which featured workstations staffed by physicians who administered hands-on health care exhibits and distributed valuable educational information that reflect common problems preteens and teens may encounter in their lives. Youth participating during the event were eligible to win one of the five electronic prizes while attending the workshops. Three teens won prizes from Forestdale, one teen won from Harlem Dowling and one from St. Vincent’s.

 

Jamaica Hospital was established in 1891 in Jamaica, New York. To date, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s growth has been remarkable. Through commitment to their mission and collaboration with community residents, businesses and other groups they have strengthened and expanded the hospital’s services. Today, Jamaica Hospital is a 387-bed, fully accredited community teaching hospital with a large network of community-based ambulatory care centers. JHMC offers a full array of acute inpatient, rehabilitation and mental health services, and has the largest voluntary hospital ambulance fleet serving the City’s 911 system and a Level I trauma center. The hospital provides general medical, pediatric, and psychiatric emergency services, ambulatory care on and off campus, ambulatory surgery, and a broad spectrum of diagnostic and treatment services including home health services. The affiliated 204-bed Jamaica Hospital Nursing Home (Trump Pavilion) provides long-term care on campus. MediSys Health Network (MediSys) is the not-for-profit parent organization of JHMC.

 

The Health and Wellness Initiative is one of six goals the Jamaica Community Partnership Initiative has embraced and the project is funded by the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. The Health and Wellness Sub-Committee Co-Chairs are Luigi “Gino” Tullo, MD, who heads the Family Medical Division at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, and Rita Sanchez, Director of Clinical Services at Harlem Dowling West-Side Center for Children and Family Services.

 

The Jamaica CPI works diligently with youth and families in Southeast Queens promoting the importance of good health, making quality health care accessible. It also seeks to expose young people to career opportunities in health care.