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Frequently Asked Questions about Metropolitan Jewish
Health System
We want to make sure you or a loved one feels completely informed about
our services and the quality care you can expect. Your confidence in
our skilled specialists should begin early, when you want answers to your
questions.
Hopefully, this section will help you with your research. If you do not
see your question below or are confused by an answer, please call us at (718) 921-7601
to speak with one of our helpful counselors.
Who benefits from the health care services of Metropolitan Jewish Health System?
Just about anyone with an illness or disability in Greater Metropolitan
New York. Metropolitan is known for its exceptional short- and long-term rehabilitation
programs and skilled nursing facilities. In fact, most people don’t
realize that Metropolitan has the only two Rusk Institute-affiliated short-term
rehabilitation facilities in Brooklyn: Metropolitan Jewish
Geriatric Center and Shorefront Jewish Geriatric
Center.
Metropolitan is also highly respected for its many other health services, including hospice, palliative care, home care and Elderplan®,
a Medicare health plan that provides generous prescription drug coverage
and medical benefits. But there’s even more. For a complete list
of services in Metropolitan’ integrated health system, visit About
Metropolitan.
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Who provides care?
We provide dedicated care specialists for each of our health services. So,
depending on your medical condition, we assign an appropriate care
team. Our specialists often live in the same neighborhoods as their
patients, which helps with cultural and religious understanding, respect
for traditions and shared language skills. A typical care team might
include some of the following:
- Physicians
- Nurses
- Physical and occupational therapists
- Speech pathologists
- Home health aides
- Social workers
- Dietitians
- Care managers
Our list of specialists is too long to list here. You can find more information
about each integrated health service and our specialized caregivers
by visiting About Metropolitan.
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When can services be received?
Many of our health care services are scheduled around our patients’ and their
families’ schedules. We believe that making our services convenient
helps the recovery of our patients and quietly lends support in times
of need. Our flexible scheduling is often appreciated by family caregivers
who need to pursue careers, catch up on errands or simply rest.
The best way to learn about how one of our convenient services can fit into
your schedule is to call Metropolitan at (718) 921-7601. One of our knowledgeable
counselors or a nurse will discuss your medical or scheduling needs
and find an appropriate service and time. For some services, such as
Hospice, we can even send a nurse to your home for further
consultation.
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What about cultural needs?
Metropolitan was founded so that patients and their families could find affordable, quality
care that also respected cultural and religious beliefs and traditions.
In fact, our specialists come from diverse cultures and often live in the
same neighborhoods as their patients. That means cultural respect and shared
traditions are a natural part of our care. However, occasionally we do have
our specialists attend diversity training to better prepare them for the
specific cultural needs of their patients.
One of our programs, HomeFirstSM, a Medicaid
health coverage plan, even offers
oral interpretations in 150 languages and written information in
three.
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What if the patient’s health care needs change?
Every patient’s health care needs change over time. Sometimes, what
originally looked like an illness that was going to need long-term
home care can shift to needing short-term rehabilitation in a skilled nursing
facility. Other times, palliative care leads to hospice care. Because Metropolitan
is an integrated health care system with a full range of comprehensive services,
transfer between health services and programs is easy—and
that’s comforting to our patients.
When one of our patient’s needs change, it means less distress and
upheaval when they can simply change a plan of care without changing
an entire organization. That’s because our patients become familiar
with our skilled specialists and secure with the quality care they have
received in the past.
From patient admission to recovery, Metropolitan is proud to offer a family of
interlocking health services that act as a team, supporting our common goal
of promoting physical, emotional and spiritual health.
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How are services paid for?
Usually, services are covered by most health insurance plans, including
our own Medicare health plan, Elderplan®.
We are aligned with a growing number of managed care companies, and
we accept many forms of traditional insurance. The patient’s personal physician
prescribes the services, which are then paid for in part or in full by:
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Managed care providers (including HMOs)
- Private insurance
- Social workers
- Other third-party payers
- Private payment
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What do you mean by “integrated health system”?
Metropolitan offers a full range of health care services, programs and facilities
for people of all abilities and conditions. We’ve been very careful
over the years to grow our organization so that each health service
supports the others within our system.
Our integrated system allows our patients to conveniently switch from
one health service or program to another. It means less stress for
our patients and less hassle for their family.
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Is Metropolitan only for people who are Jewish?
No. We provide quality health services to any eligible person regardless
of religion, ethnicity or culture. In fact, we make every attempt to
cater to each patient’s spiritual needs and beliefs.
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How can I get more information about Metropolitan?
It’s as easy as calling (718) 921-7601. We are always happy to
speak with our patients and people who would like to learn more about
our exceptional organization. If you would like more information about a specific facility or program, visit our Agency Directory. We look forward to hearing from you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
