Flushing Hospital: Raising Congenital CMV Awareness

Flushing Hospital: Raising Congenital CMV Awareness

The team at Flushing Hospital Medical Center is led by Dr. Shirley Pinero-Bernardo, Vice-Chair of Pediatrics, Dr. Lourdes Cohen, Director of Neonatology, and Maria Smilios, Director of Nursing-Maternal and Child Services. 

Flushing Hospital Medical Center is currently performing congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) testing on all newborns suspected of hearing impairment as measured by newborn hearing screening, consistent with new legislation which went into effect on January 30, 2019 in New York State, as well as cCMV testing for any newborn with clinical signs suspicious for cCMV infection.  

Their goals are to empower patients, strengthen patient-provider relationships and build communities. Their plan is to deliver patient education longitudinally to pregnant women, as early as the first prenatal visit, and to postpartum women and families of those potentially affected by congenital CMV. By providing trimester specific education throughout the pregnancy, they will educate parents and families on all aspects of perinatal and postpartum care. Display boards in the Prenatal and Pediatric clinic waiting room areas and in the Postpartum unit will address the mode of transmission of CMV, strategies to decrease the infection rate, and clinical signs to look for in newborns.

In addition to the education provided in the hospital, there will be community outreach programs to expand information even further. At community outreach programs in public libraries and health fairs, we will provide educational booklets in multiple languages. Multiple formats of medically accurate material will meet the diverse learning styles of their community. Other proposed formats to deliver patient education include customized audiovisual presentations.