H NEWSPAPER HOSPITAL
The New York Edition
Now Serving
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS in New York
Seepage page2323for fordetails details See
HOSPITAL Highlights of 2017
HOME SUBSCRIPTION - $18/YEAR
WWW.HOSPITALNEWSPAPER.COM
Hospital of the Year!
NOV/DEC 2017
MidHudson Regional Hospital undergoes See p7 major inpatient care overhaul
Burke Rehabilitation Hospital
Orange Regional Medical Center receives Accreditation by the CoC
See p9
See p12
Northwell Health expands in Lower Manhattan
See p11
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Hospital Newspaper 1 Ardmore Street New Windsor NY 12553
PRESORT STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT 7246 PHILADELPHIA, PA 191
PAGE 2
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
SPECIALIZING IN CARDIOLOGY, INTERNAL MEDICINE AND GASTROENTEROLOGY
HONORED ON
‘Best Doctors’ LISTS YEAR AFTER YEAR
ROBERT BELKIN, MD GABRIELLE BOLTON, MD MARK BORKIN, MD SUSAN CAMPANILE, MD LEO CARDILLO, MD MAXWELL CHAIT, MD ALBERT DELUCA, MD JEFFREY DONIS, MD JOYDEEP GHOSH, MD LAWRENCE GLASSBERG, MD EDUARDO GRANATO, MD CRAIG HJEMDAHL-MONSEN, MD KUMAR KALAPATAPU, MD
SRIRAMA KALAPATAPU, MD RICHARD KAY, MD ANDREW CARL KONTAK, MD ANDREW KUPERSMITH, MD STEVEN LANDAU, MD YAT WA (BETTY) LI, MD SANJAY NAIK, MD DIMPLE PATEL, MD RONALD PRESTON, MD ANTHONY PUCILLO, MD TODD C. PULERWITZ, MD MONICA REYNOLDS, MD JAE RO, MD
WARREN ROSENBLUM, MD ABDOLLAH SEDIGHI, MD INDERPAL SINGH, MD SUSAN SOEIRO, MD DAVID E. SOLARZ, MD CARMINE SORBERA, MD ELENA L. TSAI, MD STEVEN L. VALENSTEIN, MD MELVIN WEISS, MD RONALD WEISSMAN, MD PRESTON WINTERS, MD
Visit us at one of our locations: 19 Bradhurst Avenue Suite 700 Hawthorne, NY 10532 (914)593-7800
15 North Broadway 2nd Floor White Plains, NY 10601 (914)428-6000
5 Coates Drive Suite 2 Goshen, NY 10924 (845)294-1234
30 Greenridge Avenue Suite 207 White Plains, NY 10605 (914)328-8555
180 East Hartsdale Avenue Suite 1E Hartsdale, NY 10530 (914)725-2010
3 Michael Frey Drive Eastchester, NY 10709 (914)337-3500
688 White Plains Road Suite 210 Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914)723-3322
334 Route 202 Bailey Court Somers, NY 10589 (914)277-4367
154 Pike Street Port Jervis, NY 12771 (845) 858-4444
105 Stevens Avenue Suite 101 Mount Vernon, NY 10550 (914)667-8777
Hospital Newspaper - NY Nov/Dec 2017
PAGE 3
PAGE 4
H
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
HOSPITAL Highlights of 2017
Westchester Medical Center celebrates 100th anniversary By William H. Frishman, MD Director of Medicine, Westchester Medical Center, the flagship of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth)
As Westchester Medical Center celebrates its 100th anniversary, it is about to embark on a new era of health care with the construction of a state-of-the-art Ambulatory Care Pavilion, the largest project of its kind in the Hudson Valley. On September 27, WMCHealth celebrated the height of construction on the new facility in a “topping off” ceremony attended by representatives of WMCHealth, Westchester County and the Hudson Valley community. The 280,000-square-foot facility will include an Advanced Imaging Center, an Ambulatory Surgery Center and a Heart and Vascular Institute, and a 20,000square-foot private-room expansion for Westchester Medical Center, plus an additional 75,000 square feet for physician offices. Westchester Medical Center has surely come a long way from its humble beginnings, first as a county almshouse and later a U.S. Base Hospital caring for more than 1,000 sick and wounded soldiers returning from World War I. The hospital’s rich and storied history is truly a microcosm of the tremendous medical developments achieved over the past 100 years. The hospital’s early years of growth after its founding in 1917 can be traced to the 1920s and 1930s when new facilities were built to treat tuberculosis and polio, which had become rampant. During World War II, the hospital suffered a shortage of physicians and nurses as a large number of staff went overseas to serve in Army and Navy hospitals. Thanks to a dedicated group of volunteer physicians from the community, the hospital kept providing care to patients here at home. After the war, the hospital began to evolve into a major medical institution, serving not only Westchester, but also counties as far north and west as Albany. Programs were started in emergency medicine, surgery, cancer and cardiology, and a cardiac catheterization laboratory was constructed. In the 1960s, the hospital launched the region’s first open heart surgery program and its first dialysis center. In the late 1960s, planning began for a new, hightechnology hospital facility that would be known as Westchester County Medical Center. And in the mid1970s, the hospital entered into an affiliation with New York Medical College, a relationship that still lasts today. Major faculty recruitment took place in the 1970s and 1980s that would transform Westchester County Medical Center into a quaternary care facility for the entire lower Hudson Valley region. One of the county’s first round-the-clock emergency angioplasty-stent programs was established in the 1990s and the first liver transplant was performed in 1996. Two years later, the hospital became a public
provided
benefit corporation, dropping the word “County” from its name and becoming Westchester Medical Center. With the switch to public benefit status, the hospital no longer receives extraordinary support from the County. As an academic medical center, major advances were taking place in cardiovascular diagnosis, treatment and research. The faculty has received national recognition for their innovative research in cardiac regeneration and stem cell therapy, hypertension and vascular biology. The hospital continued to grow with the opening of the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in 2004. A new emergency room and trauma center also opened, and in the early 2000s, the hospital underwent a remarkable financial turnaround. In another milestone achievement, Westchester Medical Center became the second largest heart transplant program in the state, and the largest site for employing left ventricular assistive devices. It also opened one of the first cardiovascular hybrid operating rooms in the nation. In addition to the heart transplant program, Westchester Medical Center also offers state-of-the art evaluation and treatment for patients who require kidney, liver, corneal and bone marrow transplants.
Westchester Medical Center also is home to a highly robust kidney transplant program, the fifth largest pediatric corneal transplant program in the nation and New York State's second busiest bone marrow transplant program. Westchester Medical Center entered a new phase of growth over the past five years, with the affiliation in 2014 of St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, now known as MidHudson Regional Hospital. In 2016, the hospital system expanded again, now including six new health care facilities north of the Valhalla campus – Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley in Kingston, Margaretville Hospital in Margaretville and St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick. Together with Westchester Medical Center and Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, they form the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla serving three million people in eight counties in the Hudson Valley region with a medical staff of 3,000 physicians. In 2016, the hospital broke new ground with the launch of its telemedicine-driven eHealth program, an initiative to enhance patient care throughout the Hudson Valley. In 2017, more than 50 medical professionals from Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital successfully separated 11-month-old twin girls, who were conjoined at the lower back, during a rare and complex 21-hour procedure January 17-18. Westchester Medical Center has grown from an alms house to a nationally recognized academic medical center, while still maintaining its primary care responsibilities. It is the medical center of choice for community hospitals that refer their advanced care patients. Physicians join Westchester Medical Center to be part of a remarkable patient care experience, attracting clinical staff from the most prestigious clinical institutions in the nation. And with the opening soon of the new Ambulatory Care Pavilion, Westchester Medical Center is positioned to be a leader in the great advances in medicine that are yet to come. Congratulations to Westchester Medical Center on its 100th Birthday! It is truly a national and regional treasure, and I am proud to be part of it. For more information about Westchester Medical Center, please visit www.wcmc.com.
H HOSPITAL Highlights of 2017 Hospital Newspaper - NY Nov/Dec 2017
PAGE 5
South Nassau opens two new modernized surgical suites $7 million investment accommodates larger surgical teams, improves patient safety
(L to R): Jonathan E. Singer, MD, chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology; Rajiv Datta, MD, chairman of the Department of Surgery and medical director of Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center
Two new, larger operating rooms designed to accommodate leading-edge medical technology recently opened at South Nassau Communities Hospital, representing another phase in the hospital’s ongoing expansion project. The $7 million project converted storage space into two new, state-of-the-art operating rooms that can accommodate larger surgical teams, frees up floor space and lines of sight that will enhance communication among surgeons, nurses and support staff. Each new operating room features new equipment for oxygen, anesthesia and other services that are now suspended from the ceiling and walls. State-of-the-art white and green lighting provides enhanced visibility during invasive procedures, and a special unit monitors temperature, pressure and humidity for the operating room suite. Other features include video imaging and ample space for equipment and maneuvering of the surgical team. “The new facilities provide an environment where we can expand the surgical capabilities of the hospital and improve patient safety,” said Rajiv Datta, MD, chairman of the Department of Surgery and medical director of Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center. “With vital equipment suspended from the ceilings and walls instead of on the floor, we have additional space to accommodate larger surgical teams, optimizing the physicians’ performance and ease of patient care.”
“This is another step in our overall effort to provide the best possible care to residents of the South Shore,” said South Nassau’s President & CEO, Richard J. Murphy. “Modern operating suites are generally much larger than those that were built 40 years ago in order to accommodate diagnostic and robotic equipment that now is routinely used during surgery. We are recognizing that fact with this investment.” The new operating rooms are another part of South Nassau’s overall expansion plans. In late September, South Nassau completed the first phase of a multi-year construction effort to expand its emergency department with the opening of a $4.5 million, 10-bed emergency department annex. Nearly $300 million in expansion plans are in the design stage for the Oceanside and Long Beach medical campuses. Some 12,000 surgeries are performed each year at South Nassau that range from cataract removal and a hernia repair to hip replacement and neurosurgery. These new operating suites will enhance the capability of South Nassau’s surgeons to perform an array of procedures, including laparoscopic surgeries and those that require two surgical teams, such as cancer procedures that are followed by reconstruction surgery. Designated a Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for outstanding nursing care,
provided
South Nassau® Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 455 beds, more than 900 physicians and 3,500 employees. Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services. In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau provides emergency and elective angioplasty, and offers Novalis Tx™ and Gamma Knife® radiosurgery technologies. South Nassau operates the only Trauma Center on the South Shore of Nassau County verified by the American College of Surgeons as well as Long Island’s only freestanding, 9-1-1 receiving Emergency Department in Long Beach. South Nassau also is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons, and is an accredited center of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Association and Quality Improvement Program. In addition, the hospital has been awarded the Joint Commission’s gold seal of approval for disease-specific care for hip and knee replacement, heart failure, bariatric surgery, wound care and end-stage renal disease. For more information, visit www.southnassau.org.
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
ADVERTISER INDEX
2
Heroes Insurance Program
23
Heroes Mortgage Program
23
Methodist Home for Nursing
19
The NY State Society of Anesthesiologists 24
Simone Development Companies Thomas Edison State University
HOSPITAL
3 15
H
NEWSPAPER
845-534-7500 • (fax) 845-534-0055 Info@HospitalNewspaper.com
PUBLISHER
Joseph P. Belsito Joe@belsito.com
••• GENERAL MANAGER
H NEWSPITA AL
HOSPITAL
The New Yor
k Edition WWW.H OSPITAL NEWSPA PER.CO M
Hospital of the Ye ar !
Nancy@hospitalnewspaper.com
•••
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Now Serving
MEDICAL PROFESSIO NALS in New York
Seepage page 23 for See 23 for details details
/DEC 2017 HOSPITAL Highlight s of 2017
NEWSPAPER
NOV
MidHudson major inpa Regional Hospita l undergo tient care es overhaul See p7
Burke Reha bilitation Hospital See p12
Go to www.hospitalnewspaper.com click on Online Newspaper Subscription Form
Nancy Sorbella
PE R
HOME SUB SCRIPTI ON - $18/ YEAR
PRESORT STANDARD U.S. POST AGE PAID PERMIT PHILADELP 7246 HIA, PA 191
ColumbiaDoctors
As 2017 comes to a close, we celebrate all of the hospitals that earned the distinction of Hospital of the Month as well as those who have graced the pages of Hospital Newspaper with their news, awards, initiatives, and staff developments. We applaud and thank you all for being part of our publication and helping us grow and move forward this year. In this issue we are highlighting and attending the 2017 PGA Assembly in Anesthesiology from December 8-12th at the Marriott Marquis in NYC. We are very excited about 2018; more original content, physician and allied medical profiles, green/sustainable hospital and professional designations, recruitment, medical and professional education, career opportunities and much more. It is our hope that you continue to join us on our journey as we bring you the most relevant information, thought leaders, trade show coverage, and all that is meaningful and valuable in the hospital field today. Send your stories and photos to news@hospitalnewspaper.com HOSP
12553
13
Windsor NY
Burke Rehabilitation Center
Street New
22
1 Ardmore
Arthritis Foudation Jingle Bell Run
H
By Nancy Sorbella GENERAL MANAGER
Page
Hospital Newsp aper
Company
OUR VIEW
Orange Reg receives Acc ional Medical Cen ter reditation by the CoC
See p9
CHANGE SERVIC E REQUESTED
PAGE 6
Northwell in Lower Health expands Manhattan
See p11
Gregory W. Buff Greg@belsito.com
•••
MANAGING EDITOR
Cathryn Burak
Cathy@hospitalnewspaper.com
•••
SENIOR SALES CONSULTANT
Maureen Rafferty Linell MRLinell@charter.net
•••
MARKETING CONSULTANT
Anthony Mairo
(Anthony@hospitalnewspaper.com)
•••
CIRCULATION
Michelle Belsito (845-534-7500 x220)
Subscription Form Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone: (
) _________________ - ______________________
Fax: (
) _________________ - ______________________
Telephone: (
) ______________- __________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A City: ___________________________________________________ State:___________________________
Zip:_______________________
State:________________________ Zip:_____________________________
___ NJ ___ NY ___ NE ___ $18 for one year of Hospital Newspaper delivered to your HOME OR OFFICE! ___ $25 for_ a two year subscription. Save over 17% off regular price!
CORPORATE INFORMATION
Hospital Newspaper - New York edition - Vol. 15 No. 6 is published 6 times a year for $18 per year by Belsito Communications, Inc., 1 Ardmore Street, New Windsor, No. 1Postage - is published 12 times yearaddifor NY 12553. Paid atmonthly, New Windsor, NYaand $tional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to
Hospital Newspaper, 1 Ardmore Street, New Windsor, NY 12553. No financial responsibility is assumed by this newspaper to publish a display, classified, or legal ad or for typographical errors except of reprinting that part of the ad which was omitted or in error. Omissions or errors must be brought to the attention of the newspaper during the same month of publication.
845-534-7500 • (fax) 845-534-0055 Info@Belsito.com A division of:
__ Check
_
PAYMENT METHOD
__ Money Order
__ Charge my Visa
__ Charge my Discover Card
__ Charge my Mastercard _ __ Charge my American Express _
Card #: ________________________________________________________________________________________ C Exp.: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Signature: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Send payment to:
1 Ardmore Street New Windsor, NY 12553
Hospital Newspaper
Amount enclosed: ________________
For Credit Card Orders: fax this form to 845-534-0055 or call Michelle at 845-534-7500 ext 220
H HOSPITAL Highlights of 2017
PAGE 7
Hospital Newspaper - NY Nov/Dec 2017
MidHudson Regional Hospital’s 8 Million Overhaul of Inpatient Care Floors Integrates Private Rooms, Latest Technologies Project is Part of WMCHealth’s Three-Year, $750 Million Investment in Hudson Valley Healthcare
The transformation of MidHudson Regional Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), continues with a full-scale, major renovation to the inpatient care floors of its six-story Cooke Building. The $8 million project fuses emerging technologies and conveniences with a reimagined experience for patients, visitors and caregivers alike, ensuring MidHudson Regional Hospital remains the area’s leader in world-class, advanced, patient-centered care. The first of the four floors under renovation, the medical-surgical inpatient unit on the sixth floor, is expected to be fully operational in late 2017. Work on the orthopedics and trauma stepdown rooms on the fifth floor will follow, with updates to the fourth floor (inpatient acute care rehabilitation) and third floor (critical care) next. All facets of this facilities investment will greatly enhance patient comfort, safety, security and environmental protocols. “Our new inpatient care floors will seamlessly incorporate advanced medical technology in a serene and contemporary space that is conducive to healing and well-being,” said Paul Hochenberg, Executive Director of MidHudson Regional Hospital. “We are certain that this project will create a meaningful difference in the lives of the patients who trust and rely on MidHudson Regional Hospital to provide the region’s most advanced care.” Once complete, all floors will offer singlebed inpatient rooms that create a more efficient workflow for staff and a more comfortable environment for patients and their families.
Each improved patient room will feature a modern headwall system and a smart, stateof-the art bed. Antimicrobial and antiseptic finish materials, artwork and custom-built cabinetry will join with soothing colors, textures and materials to create a healing environment that is both functional and comfortable. Private bathrooms will be outfitted with environmentally friendly toilets and Corianbrand solid surface fixtures that are considered the gold standard for safety and hygiene.
All floors will offer single-bed inpatient rooms that create more efficient workflow for staff and a more comfortable environment for patients and families.
On each floor, physicians, nurses and clinical personnel will benefit from a technologically advanced centralized nursing station linked directly to a specialized work zone within each patient room to promote realtime reporting, communication and collaboration. All rooms will be outfitted with a full suite of leading-edge medical and support equipment. The renovated patient care floors will be serviced by a whisper-quiet high-efficiency particulate arresting HEPA-filtered climatecontrol ventilation system, a new emergency backup generator and sprinkler system in case of emergency, better soundproofing technology between patient rooms, and brand new microprocessor-controlled, regenerative elevator cars. The new elevators will generate their own renewable power while descending, making them highly reliable and significantly more energy efficient than older elevators. Each car will be retrofitted with LED lighted ceilings, stainless steel hoistway doors and an audible announcement system to signal to passengers with disabilities the location of the car and the direction in which it is traveling.
Investing in Local Communities MidHudson Regional Hospital’s renovations are among a number of improvements in progress at hospitals across WMCHealth. A recent renovation and expansion of the main concourse at WMCHealth’s flagship Westchester Medical
photos provided
Center is being followed by the adjacent construction of a 280,000-square-foot Ambulatory Care Pavilion. The Ambulatory Care Pavilion, expected to open in 2018, is the largest healthcare construction project in Westchester County in decades. Plans to develop medical villages at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis and at HealthAlliance Hospital: Broadway Campus in Kingston are also under way, as is a multimillion-dollar construction of a new, expanded single campus HealthAlliance Hospital on Mary’s Avenue in Kingston. These and other improvement projects are components of a WMCHealth’s three-year, $750 million investment in its facilities and the Hudson Valley communities they serve. MidHudson Regional Hospital is proud to partner with locally based vendors, including Key Construction Services of Poughkeepsie for general contracting services, J&J Sass Electric of Kingston for electrical work and DP Wolff of Katonah for mechanical and plumbing systems. The Fletcher Thompson architectural and engineering firm of Somerset, New Jersey, designed the renovated patient care wing and created all renderings. For more information on MidHudson Regional Hospital, please visit MidHudsonRegional.org or follow the hospital at Facebook.com/MidHudsonRegional and Twitter.com/MidHudsonRH. For more information about WMCHealth, visit WMCHealth.org.
PAGE 8
H HOSPITAL Highlights of 2017
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
Mather Auxiliary named Auxiliary of the Year – Large Hospital Category by Hospital Association of New York State
Photo credits: Mather Hospital photo
At the Auxiliary of the Year award ceremony were (l to right) VP for Public Affairs Nancy Uzo; Dale Kulak, Mather Thrift Shop; Auxilians Ann Bayard, Nancy Hutchinson, Zinna, and Janice Krass; Director of Volunteer Services Keri Dunne; and Auxilian Louise Grinere.
John T. Mather Memorial Hospital’s Auxiliary received the Hospital of the Year Award, Large Hospital Category, from the Hospital Association of New York State (HANYS) for demonstrating “outstanding achievement and service within its healthcare facility and community.” The award was presented on Oct. 26 in Albany at HANYS’ 51st Annual 2017 Institute for Healthcare Auxiliaries and Volunteer Leaders. HANYS established the Auxiliary of the Year Award to Aux Award 2017: Mather Auxiliary recognize numerous ways that auxilPresident Barbara Zinna holds the iaries help strengthen New York State’s Auxiliary of the Year Award healthcare system. Since its founding in 1949, the Mather Auxiliary was has raised more than $6 million through its fundraising activities, including the Thrift Shop, Gift Shop, lobby sales and events such as the annual Thrift Shop Fashion Show. The award noted the Auxiliary’s $210,000 donation to support the needs of the hospital’s Environmental, Engineering, and Nutritional Services departments, and its participation in the hospital’s Paint Port Pink breast cancer awareness community outreach, which this year had more than 100 community partners including local businesses, schools, library and theater. The Auxiliary distributes literature about
breast health and pink lights to the local businesses along the main streets in Port Jefferson to display in October. This year, the Auxiliary also staffed an advocacy table encouraging employees, volunteers, and visitors to email their legislators about the harm that proposals to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act would cause for their community, including losing healthcare coverage. The Auxiliary is a self-governing membership organization that is directly accountable to the hospital administration. Auxiliary members may or not be service volunteers at Mather. The primary purpose of the Auxiliary is fundraising. The Auxiliary’s fundraising has supported many projects and equipment purchases at Mather over the years, most recently the renovation of the 2 South patient unit. The Auxiliary also contributed funds toward the construction of the Arthur & Linda Calace Foundation Pavilion and the purchase of a 320-slice CT scanner. John T. Mather Memorial Hospital is an accredited 248-bed, non-profit community teaching hospital dedicated to providing a wide spectrum of high quality healthcare services to Suffolk County residents, showing compassion and respect and treating each patient in the manner we would wish for our loved ones. Mather has earned the prestigious Magnet® recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), which recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Mather is the only Long Island hospital to earn four stars from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for patient experience, safety, and timely and effective care measures since July, 2016. Mather also was ranked 21st out of almost 250 hospitals in New York State in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Hospitals rankings. For further information about Mather Hospital, visit www.matherhospital.org or “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/matherhospital.
H HOSPITAL Highlights of 2017 Hospital Newspaper - NY Nov/Dec 2017
PAGE 9
Orange Regional Medical Center receives National Accreditation by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons Orange Regional Medical Center’s Spagnoli Family Cancer Center has again received accreditation from the Commission on Cancer, a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet or exceed the CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care. “At Orange Regional Medical Center, we’re committed to providing high-quality cancer care, utilizing the latest technology and treatments, right here in the Hudson Valley,” said Scott Batulis, President & CEO of Orange Regional Medical Center. “Earning this designation from the Commission on Cancer reiterates our mission of improving the health of our community by providing exceptional healthcare.” The CoC accreditation program provides the framework for Orange Regional Medical Center to further enhance its excellent reputation for patient care through various cancerrelated programs that focus on the full spectrum of cancer care, including prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow-up for recurrent disease and end-of-life care. Patients who receive care at Orange Regional Medical Center may also access information on clinical trials and new treatments, counseling, and services that include our individually focused patient navigators.
Like all CoC-accredited facilities, Orange Regional Medical Center maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program of the CoC and American Cancer Society. This nationwide oncology outcomes database is the largest clinical disease registry in the world. Data on all types of cancer are tracked and analyzed through the NCDB and used to explore trends in cancer care. CoC-accredited cancer centers, in turn, have access to information derived from this type of data analysis, which is used to create national, regional, and state benchmark reports. These reports help CoC facilities with their quality improvement efforts. Orange Regional Medical Center’s Spagnoli Family Cancer Center is a comprehensive cancer treatment center, located on Orange Regional’s main campus. The cancer program includes a team of experienced physicians and certified oncology nurses who specialize in treating lung, breast, and head and neck cancers, as well as many other types of cancer. The Spagnoli Family Cancer Center offers infusion therapy; clinical trials; Varian Rapid Arc and TrueBeam linear accelerators for stereotactic body radio therapy and stereotactic radio surgery; experienced oncology patient navigators, caring arts modalities (complementary therapies); convenient access to the Ray W. Moody, M.D. Breast Center with 3D mammography; viewing garden and healing boutique. To learn more, visit www.ormc.org/cancer.
About Orange Regional Medical Center Orange Regional Medical Center (ORMC), is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. Formed by the merger of Arden Hill Hospital and Horton Medical Center, Orange Regional moved the two campuses into a single-site, new, state-of-the-art facility on August 5, 2011. At that time, it was the first new hospital built in New York State in over 20 years. Orange Regional features seven floors of state-of-the-art technology and provides 383 beds and employs over 2,400 healthcare professionals. Orange Regional opened a new cancer center and a new five-story Outpatient Services building on the main campus, featuring Orange Regional Medical Group with primary care and specialty physicians, urgent care, outpatient surgical and diagnostic services and more. Recently, it was named the Most Beautiful Hospital in the US and was recognized by US News & World Report as a Best Regional Hospital. Orange Regional is a designated Magnet hospital recognizing excellence in Nursing. Only 6 percent of hospitals nation-wide are designated by the Magnet Recognition Program. Also, Orange Regional’s Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system has achieved Stage 7; the highest level on HIMSS Analytics’ EMR adoption model which is used to track EMR progress at hospitals and health systems. Only 4.2 percent of the more than 5,400 U.S. hospitals received the Stage 7 Award. Orange Regional is also among the 100 best hospitals nationally for cardiac intervention For more information about Orange Regional, visit www.ormc.org.
provided
PAGE 10
H HOSPITAL Highlights of 2017
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
St. Catherine and St. Charles Center for Health and Wellness officially open for business in Commack
(Center L-R): St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center’s Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Office Paul J. Rowland, St. Charles Hospital Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer James O’Connor, New Yrok State Senator John J. Flannagan, Catholic Health Services Executive Vice President and System Chief Medical Officer Patrick M. O’Shaughnessy, DO (cutting the ribbon), with Suffolk County Comptroller John M. Kennedy—at the St. Catherine and St. Charles Center for Health and Wellness Ribbon Cutting.
On Thursday, October, 26, 2017, two entities of Catholic Health Services of Long Island (CHS)—St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown and St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, gathered in Commack to celebrate the opening of a joint collaboration—The St. Catherine and St. Charles Center for Health and Wellness. The new, 40,000, square-foot facility, located at 500 Commack Road, offers multispecialty physicians and services, all under one roof, in Commack. The facility is fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and is the perfect setting for primary care, vascular services, colorectal services, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation and orthopedic needs. Staffed by the most experienced board-certified doctors and practitioners, the center combines St. Catherine's excellence in imaging with the top orthopedic practice on Long Island: St. Charles Orthopedics. St. Catherine and St. Charles received a tremendous amount of support at the ribbon cutting, including New York State Senator John J. Flanagan, Smithtown Town Clerk Vincent Puleo, Smithtown Councilman Edward Wehrheim, Suffolk County Comptroller John J. Kennedy, Smithtown Chamber Executive Director Barbara Franco, Kings Park Chamber Executive Director Diane Motherway, along with dozens of physicians, health professionals and community leaders. Father Corneille Boyeye
provided
performed the official blessing and Suffolk County Comptroller John J. Kennedy presented an official proclamation to St. Catherine’s Executive Vice President Paul J. Rowland and Catholic Health Services Executive Vice President and System Chief Medical Officer Patrick M. O’Shaughnessy, DO. During the ribbon cutting special recognition was given to the Lostritto Family for supporting the purchase of diagnostic imaging equipment. “The family offered to pay for the very unique MRI Care Suite, which reduces anxiety for patients—in memory of their mother Angela Lucy Lostritto—on behalf of St. Catherine I would like to thank you for the very generous donation,” said Mr. Rowland. St. Catherine of Siena is a New York Designated Stroke Center and has received The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and accreditation for disease-specific care for Stroke since 2012. Additionally, the hospital is recognized as a 2017 Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus & Target Stroke Elite Honor Roll Award by The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. For more information about St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, please visit www.stcatherines.chsli.org
H HOSPITAL Highlights of 2017 Hospital Newspaper - NY Nov/Dec 2017
PAGE 11
Northwell Health expands in Lower Manhattan
Northwell adds ambulatory surgery center, medical pavilion and community center at Lenox Health Greenwich Village; As part of its continuing expansion in Manhattan, Northwell Health recently announced the opening of the third phase of Lenox Health Greenwich Village, located across 7th Avenue from the former St. Vincent’s Hospital, and the addition of five new physician practices in Chelsea, Union Square, Chinatown and Gramercy. “When St. Vincent’s Hospital closed in 2010, we promised to restore health care services for residents of the West Village and other neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan. Our ongoing expansion of medical care in Greenwich Village and other neighboring communities reaffirms our commitment to filling the health care void in Lower Manhattan and providing easy access to a range of different services,” said Michael Dowling, president and chief executive officer of Northwell Health, which has 20 hospitals across the metropolitan area, including Lenox Hill Hospital and Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, as well as more than 50 physician practices and outpatient facilities throughout Manhattan. At a dedication ceremony today at Lenox Health Greenwich Village’s Phyllis and William Mack Pavilion, which has been home to Manhattan’s first and only freestanding, 24hour emergency center since 2014 and an imaging center since 2016, Mr. Dowling joined with other Northwell Health leaders and local elected officials to unveil: • A new $25-million, 30,000-square-foot Ambulatory Surgery Center containing six operating rooms, two procedure rooms, eight prep areas and 23 recovery beds spanning the entire fourth floor of the 160,000-square-foot building. • An $8 million, 14,750-square-foot medical pavilion and conference center on the building’s sixth floor that can accommodate up to 74 people and host community events like workshops and support groups. The medical pavilion includes 13 exam spaces that house the Northwell Health Physician Partners Orthopaedic Institute, a spine care program, and physical medicine and rehabilitation, pain management and urology practices.
Alex Hellinger and Michael Dowling
Opens five other nearby physician practices
Lenox Health Greenwich Village
In addition, the following Northwell Health Physician Partners’ locations have opened in Lower Manhattan: • Chelsea North with cardiology, primary care, neurology, occupational medicine and weight management practices at 121A W. 20th Street. • Chelsea South with internal medicine, family medicine, endocrinology, neurology and dermatology practices at 22 W. 15th Street.
• A Vein Surgery Center at Union Square, 95 University Place.
Doctors at Northwell Health Physician Partners also care for patients at Health Care Associates in Medicine (neurosurgery), 139 Centre Street, and Advanced Urology Centers of New York, 201 E. 19th Street. In 2018, Northwell Health Physician Partners will also be opening a new multispecialty practice in the West Village (7 7th Avenue and 155 W. 11th Street) that will house gastroenterology, rheumatology, otolaryngology, audiology, cardiology, thoracic, pediatric cardiology, pediatric pulmonology and surgical services. “While our hospitals continue to meet the acute-care needs of our patients, the key to keeping our communities healthy is providing a range of primary and multispecialty care in the neighborhoods in which our patients live and work,” said Thomas McGinn, MD, deputy physician-in-chief and senior vice president of physician network operations for Northwell Health. “With the addition of these new physician practices, Northwell now has more than 50 outpatient locations throughout Manhattan, including Northwell Health GoHealth urgent care locations in Chelsea and Greenwich Village.” Lenox Health Greenwich Village has been Northwell Health’s anchor facility in downtown Manhattan, serving as a new model of community-based care that integrates health and wellness services with seamless access to 24-hour emergency care and a full range of medical specialists. The 28,000-square-foot emergency center, located on the first floor of the six-story building, treated more than 36,000 patients in 2016, with a staff of more than 150 medical professionals.
photos provided
“Our goal at Lenox Health Greenwich Village (LHGV) has always been to fill the gap of health care services needed in our community and ease the hardships our neighbors have had to endure in accessing care,” said Alex Hellinger, executive director of LHGV, which is protected by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission because of the architectural significance of the 53-year-old, ship-like building. “We are part of the fabric of this community, which will benefit from a new 5,000-square-foot conference center that we will make available to our neighbors to host events, workshops and support groups.” Another highlight of the expansion at LHGV is a state-of-the-art medical pavilion, home to Northwell Health Physician Partners’ Orthopaedic Institute and numerous other physician offices, including neurosurgeons and urologists. The 5,500-square-foot Orthopaedic Institute is a center of excellence that offers comprehensive care in joint replacement, sports medicine, and a full range of surgical and rehabilitation services for illnesses and injuries affecting the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, foot and ankle. “As part of our emphasis on convenience and patient-centered care, we will offer weekday appointments before and after traditional work hours, as well as same-day appointments for urgent conditions,” said Peter McCann, MD, director of orthopaedic surgery at LHGV. Among the elected officials attending the dedication were: State Assembly Member Deborah Glick and State Senator Brad Hoylman. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu.
PAGE 12
H HOSPITAL of theYear!
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
Burke Rehabilitation Hospital
For over 100 years, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains has been the cornerstone of rehabilitative care in Westchester County. As the only freestanding rehabilitation hospital in the county, Burke has helped countless patients get back to the lives they love after experiencing a life changing illness or injury, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, orthopedic surgery and other neurological conditions. What began in 1915 as a convalescence home for patients dealing with conditions such as pneumonia, ulcers and fatigue has grown into a worldclass acute rehabilitation hospital. This year, Burke has continued to make strides across all of its programs, offering expanded services and treatments for patients. In April, Burke welcomed its newest President and CEO, Jeffrey Menkes. He brings with him over 30 years of experience in healthcare administration, including serving as a senior vice president at Montefiore Health System, of which Burke is a member. Under Menkes’ leadership, Burke has continued to expand its outpatient division. There are now seven outpatient clinics throughout Westchester and the Bronx—including their newest location in Armonk— offering a variety of services, such as physical, occupational and speech therapy. In November, Burke launched a new outpatient physician practice on its White Plains campus, where boardcertified Burke/Montefiore doctors
treat and manage complications related to stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, cardiac disease, pulmonary disease, orthopedic surgery, musculoskeletal disorders, arthritis and other debilitating conditions that do not need to be treated in a hospital. Along with these services, Burke has partnered with hospitals throughout the Montefiore Health System to offer expanded services, including the newest with St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital.
In addition to providing cuttingedge rehabilitative care, Burke is committed to teaching the next generation of rehabilitation professionals. In 2016, Burke became a teaching hospital and home to an ACGME-accredited Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residency program. This year, Burke welcomed its second class of residents, with plans to expand the program in the future. This nationally-recognized program envisions
Jeffrey Menkes was named President & CEO at Burke in 2017
For over 100 years, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains has been helping patients get back to the lives they love.
Burke welcomed the second class of residents in its Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residency program this year, with plans to expand the program in the future.
In 2017, Burke’s nurses were recognized with a national quality award from Press Ganey
being the future benchmark for all Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency programs in the country. Burke also trains future rehabilitation professionals through its two-year neurorehabilitation fellowship program and the HELP program, a program for college students who are interested in careers in the medical field. As a nonprofit, Burke relies on the generosity of donors, volunteers, foundations and corporations. This year marked the most successful Burke Award—Burke’s largest fundraiser—to date. The Burke Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Board of Trustees and is given to individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions to the field of rehabilitation. Burke also recognizes the importance of giving back to the surrounding community. There are a number of free support groups, lectures and events offered throughout the year. In addition, Burke’s signature events include the annual Heels & Wheels 5K in May, which brings together able bodied and adaptive athletes, as well as the Wheelchair Games in September, which is now in its 38th year and offers adaptive athletes a chance to compete in fun and friendly track and field events. And now, 2017 is concluding on a high note: Burke’s nurses have received a national quality award from Press Ganey, the second such recognition they’ve been given in the last five years.
Hospital Newspaper - NY Nov/Dec 2017
PAGE 13
PAGE 14
education & careers
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
Burke Rehabilitation Hospital receives 2017 Press Ganey National Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality Prestigious award recognizes Burke as the top-performing rehabilitation hospital
Burke Rehabilitation Hospital’s Marie Spencer, RN, PhD, CRRN, Vice President, Nursing/Chief Nursing Officer and Stephanie Campbell, BSN, RN, CRRN, Assistant Director of Nursing, reviewing nursing quality indicators.
Burke Rehabilitation Hospital is pleased to announce it has been awarded the 2017 National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality by Press Ganey. The award recognizes the top-performing rehabilitation hospital to have achieved excellence in overall performance in nursing quality indicators. “Our nursing staff works tirelessly to provide our patients with the excellent level of service they have come to expect from Burke,” said Jeffrey Menkes, Burke’s President & CEO. “Being awarded the 2017 NDNQI Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality is a testament to their dedication and the example they set in the field. It is a well-deserved honor, and we are grateful to our nurses for earning us this prestigious distinction.” Burke Rehabilitation Hospital’s highly trained, compassionate nurses are an integral part of the rehabilitation process. Specializing in rehabilitation and post-acute care, Burke’s nurses understand the unique needs of rehabilitation patients. Burke employs all registered nurses, and many have additional advanced training and certifications such as the CRRN designation, a specialty certification for rehabilitation nurses that ensures they have ongoing education and provide the highest level of care to rehabilitation patients.
provided
Marie Spencer, PhD, RN, CRRN, Vice President, Nursing/Chief Nursing Officer, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, said, “This award is a testament to the dedication, commitment and compassion of our Nursing staff. As an award winner in 2011 and 2017, Burke nurses have demonstrated their ongoing commitment to patient safety and outcomes.” The NDNQI Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality honors hospitals that have made impressive and measurable improvements in nursing performance and patient outcomes. The award is given annually to the top performing organization across 17 quality measures in each of seven categories: academic medical center, teaching hospital, community hospital, pediatric hospital, rehabilitation hospital, psychiatric hospital and international. The highest-ranking hospital in each category receives the award. According to Patrick T. Ryan, CEO of Press Ganey, “Achieving and sustaining excellence in nursing-sensitive quality measures reflects Burke’s deep commitment to delivering high quality compassionate and patient-centered care in Westchester County and the surrounding area.” For additional information, please visit burke.org.
education & careers Hospital Newspaper - NY Nov/Dec 2017
PAGE 15
AFC Yorktown honors its Radiologic Technicians Providing patients with safe medical imaging examinations and radiation therapy treatments is the prime goal for the nation’s radiologic technologists. To recognize the vital work of its R.T.s, AFC Urgent Care Yorktown is celebrating National Radiologic Technology Week®, Nov. 5-11, 2017 specifically their RT’s Nichole Jelenek, Joanne Denti, Elizabeth Parish, Stephanie Santana and Christopher Snyder. “We are so proud of our RT’s,” stated Kellie Slater, Marketing and Outreach Director for AFC Yorktown, “they not only do their jobs with precision and professionalism but they make each and every patient that comes through our doors feel comfortable, like family.” NRTW was created by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists in 1979. The event is celebrated each year during the week of Nov. 8, the day that German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered the x-ray in 1895. Medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals work with some of the most innovative equipment in the medical field
Nichole Jelenek prepares to take an x-ray on a patient
to help identify pathologies, plan and administer treatment and restore patient health. R.T.s specialize in breast imaging, computed tomography, cardiac-interventional procedures, magnetic resonance
photos provided
Stephanie Santana reviews radiology reports
imaging, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, radiation therapy and general diagnostic radiology. For more information, visit www.americanfamilycare.com.
PAGE 16
education & careers
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
Major healthcare providers team up with LaGuardia Community College, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Harvard B-School alumni to train New Yorkers for in-demand medical jobs Program grads hired at Weill Cornell Medicine, CityMD, Columbia University Medical Center, Elmhurst Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai, Northwell Health, and other NYC health institutions
Latest Class of Graduates Complete Intense 5-Month Program
A unique program run by LaGuardia Community College and Weill Cornell Medicine, designed to expand the number of well-qualified candidates for open medical billing positions, has graduated its fourth cohort of 23 students. Funded by the New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (within the New York City Department of Small Business Services), the Medical Billing Training Program is offered tuition-free and attracts more than 1,000 applicants for limited class spots. At last week’s graduation ceremony, CityMD, which operates urgent care walk-in clinics throughout NYC, was welcomed as one of the program’s newest employer-partner. Brian Graybow, vice president of revenue cycle for CityMD, said, “LaGuardia's medical billing curriculum is comprehensive and their students come with an appreciation and excitement for the role they are pursuing.” Nearly 80% of program grads from previous classes are now working in New York as medical billers, customer service reps, and other non-clinical entry level positions with starting salaries of $35,000-$45,000. As awareness of the medical billing program has grown throughout NYC, the number of employers engaged in the program and recruiting graduates for hire as medical billers has grown. More than 50% of graduates have started at Weill Cornell Medicine, the program’s lead employer-partner. Additional graduates have been hired by CityMD, Columbia University Medical Center, Elmhurst Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai, Northwell Health, and additional NY metro health care facilities. “The eagerness of NYC’s leading health institutions to join our partnership reflects their seeing that turnover is near zero, that some grads have already been promoted, and that all hires are detail-oriented, astute professionals eager to work every
single day. By working together with business and academia, our team has created an intense, demanding training course whose graduates are much better equipped for immediate employment than the typical entry level job seeker who has worked in the field or had some post-secondary education. Plus, thru our course, taught by industry pros and regularly updated, they’ve obtained a deep understanding of the intricacies of the US health insurance system and have a genuine compassion for the patients whose treatment coverage they help facilitate,” said Barry Puritz, co-chair of the Harvard Business School Club of New York Skills Gap Project, which helped initiate the program in 2015 [click here to read more]. “Patients are always top of mind; as healthcare expands, we must innovate and adapt our billing practices. Posting payments and adjusting claims in a timely manner is important to our physician practices in providing quality services to our patients.” said Mohammed Kabir, 30, who has been working at Weill Cornell Medicine since graduating from LaGuardia last year. “This program has changed my life in every way. Before, I made ends meet driving taxis and doing odd jobs. Now I have a career that I’m proud of and that fascinates me every day. The US medical billing system is so complex. It’s also ignited my interest in education; I’m planning to pursue a degree in computer science at LaGuardia this spring.” “Programs like this one that enable our college to utilize our pedagogical skills for the benefit of the medical institutions that take care of us and our neighbors, while getting highly-motivated New Yorkers on the path to an economically and professionally rewarding career, is the pinnacle of what we do in continuing education,” said LaGuardia Community College President Gail O. Mellow. “And it’s especially gratifying when the program inspires graduates to take their higher education further.”
provided
“It’s clear that there is a high demand for our Medical Billing Training Program—from both employers and New Yorkers eager for a challenging career with growth opportunities, and where they can make a real difference to fellow New Yorkers; ensuring that their bills from doctors’ appointments and hospitalizations are processed smoothly and accurately,” said Kim Kendall, Director of the Medical Billing Training Program at LaGuardia. “As well, because our college attracts many non-traditional students, program graduates bring a wide diversity of age, experience, language, and country of origin, to the healthcare institutions that employ them.” Of students in the fourth cohort, the average age was 34 (range: 21-51); 82% (19 out of 23) were born outside the United States, from Bangladesh, Brazil, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Myanmar, and Nepal. According to New York Health Careers, the medical billing occupation is expected to see continued growth as state and federal reforms have made health care available to many more people. Additionally, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that between 2014 and 2024, the number of jobs for Billing and Posting Clerks will increase by 13% nationwide. The New York State Department of Labor projects that the number of jobs will increase by 20% in New York during the same period. Based on word of mouth and media coverage of the first three graduations, more than 1,100 people applied for the 24 openings in the fourth cohort, which had a 96% retention rate; 23 of the 24 students who started the program in May 2017 completed the program and graduated. “The concept has the potential to be replicated for larger impact,” said Mr. Puritz. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more.
education & careers Hospital Newspaper - NY Nov/Dec 2017
Outstanding Nurses honored at North Shore Medical Center
provided
Top row (left to right): Jeffrey McCowan, R.N., Danielle Palen, R.N., Jonelle O'Connor, R.N., Catherine Gallant, R.N. Bottom row (left to right): Chantelle Porter, C.N.A., Suzanne Nevins, R.N., Kathleen Canizaro, R.N., Kenia Soto, C.N.A.
North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) recently honored eight of its registered nurses and caregivers for outstanding service and clinical excellence. The Broadhead Clinical Excellence Award (BCEA) • Kathleen Canizaro, R.N. – NSMC Union Hospital Emergency Department, resides in Lynn. • Suzanne Nevins, R.N. – NSMC Salem Hospital Special Care Nursery, resides in Peabody.
The Broadhead Clinical Excellence Award is given in honor of Eleanor Broadhead, who endowed the Broadhead Program for Excellence in Nursing in 1995 in memory of her sister, Elizabeth, who volunteered as a nurse during World War II. Recipients are recognized for achievements in clinical nurse practice, professional development and promotion of NSMC’s patient care mission. The BCEA was presented to two nurses this year, one from NSMC Salem Hospital, and one from NSMC Union Hospital. NSMC Nursing Leadership Award (NLA) • Catherine Gallant, R.N. – NSMC Union Hospital Intensive Care Unit and West 1, resides in Beverly. • Jonelle O’Connor, R.N. – NSMC Salem Hospital Davenport 9, resides in Georgetown. • Danielle Palen, R.N. – NSMC Salem Hospital Wound Clinic, resides in Haverhill.
NSMC Nursing Leadership Award honors NSMC nurse mangers who exemplify professionalism in nursing and advance the organizational values of patient care quality and employee satisfaction through their managerial and leadership skills. Donald W. Blodgett Exemplary Service Award (DBESA) • Jeffrey McCowan, R.N. – NSMC Salem Hospital Davenport 8, resides in Danvers. • Chantelle Porter, C.N.A. – NSMC Salem Hospital Phippen 6, resides in Lynn. • Kenia Soto, C.N.A. – NSMC Salem Hospital Davenport 8, resides in Swampscott.
Nominated by their peers, the recipients of the 12th annual Donald W. Blodgett Exemplary Service Award demonstrate extraordinary service to their patients, families and nursing colleagues. This award honors the late Donald W. Blodgett, who served as an NSMC trustee for 30 years. For more information, visit nsmc.partners.org
PAGE 17
Local Colleges collaborate to implement training on substance use disorders
$850,000 grant supports Albany Medical College’s work with The Sage Colleges and Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Albany Medical College’s Department of Psychiatry is collaborating with The Sage Colleges and the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to implement training in identification and intervention strategies for substance use disorders (SUD) and “risky” use of substances. The training is supported by a three-year, $850,000 grant to Albany Medical College from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Health Professions Student Training. The training is being offered to students and trainees studying to be physician assistants, psychologists, physicians, family medicine practitioners, and psychiatrists at Albany Med, as well as The Sage College’s nurse practitioner program, and the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ pharmacy program. “While medical professionals are trained to ask patients about their substance use habits, they are not routinely trained to discuss the medical and social risks associated with those habits and perform an intervention to help the patient take steps to decrease those risks. We will educate providers to use motivational interviewing techniques to encourage patients to think about the effects of their substance use and work to identify methods for risk/harm reduction,” explained Victoria Balkoski, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Albany Medical College. “We are excited to begin this unique collaboration with The Sage Colleges and Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and appreciate their assistance in developing these programs.” According to Dr. Balkoski, the latest guidelines indicate that women (and men over 65) should have no more than one drink per day, three drinks at any one time, and seven drinks in a week. Men 65 and under should have no more than two drinks per day, four drinks at any one time, and 14 drinks per week. Anything more than these numbers places individuals at risk for harm, either through damage to their bodies, accidents or other effects on their personal and work or school lives. The greater the amount used, the greater the risk and the more hazardous or harmful the effects. Dr. Balkoski explains that providers are trained to ask patients about the “pros and cons” of their use, including how their drinking or substance use impacts their health, relationships and their work/school. They also explain the negative health consequences of their use. “Once the patient recognizes the cons of their actions, along with the potential dangers, they might be more likely to come up with a specific goal to decrease their use and attempt strategies for cutting down, such as avoiding triggers, planning ahead, or alternating nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages at social functions,” said Balkoski. The curriculum includes an online interactive module with information on screening for alcohol, drug, and prescription medication misuse and abuse, as well as motivational interviewing techniques. Goals for all students include increasing knowledge and competence in understanding SUD and associated health risks, screening for SUD and educating patients about risks, and motivating patients to change their behavior to reduce their risks. Each profession is committed to continuing SBIRT training for their students after the completion of the grant. The three institutions hope to develop inter-professional educational programs to increase skills in interdisciplinary communication and collaboration, and increased understanding of the roles each professional group can play in treating and preventing SUD and associated health problems. Training began this year and includes faculty and community preceptors from all professional disciplines. Up to 750 students and more than 40 faculty are expected to be trained over the course of the grant. In 2008, Albany Med received a five-year SBIRT grant to train medical residents. For more information: www.amc.edu or www.facebook.com/ albanymedicalcenter.
PAGE 18
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
Nurse’s Viewpoint By Alison Lazzaro, RN, MSN
Lates
nursteinfo for stude s and nts Hospital Newspaper Correspondent
An Unforgettable Illness: Illuminating Alzheimer’s Disease The struggle to recognize a loved one and the loss of independence become a terrifying reality for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This progressive disorder has no cure- and thus creates a global health challenge. The disease was first named by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, noting that his patient had memory loss and physiologic changes. A brain autopsy later revealed shrinkage of the brain and abnormal deposits surrounding nerve cells. In 1983, Congress designated November as the first National Alzheimer’s Disease month.
Current Evidence Clinical trials continue to investigate the pathophysiology underlying Alzheimer’s disease. Beta-amyloid plaques, which are microscopic protein fragments, and neurofibrillary tangles, composed of twisted strands of tau protein, are characteristic in patients’ brains with the disease. There is also atrophy of the cerebral cortex causing the death of brain cells. Changes in the brain may occur 20 years before diagnosis.
Treatment Options There are 2 FDA-approved drug classes used to slow symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors like donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Excelon), and galantamine (Razadyne) work by preventing enzymes from breaking down acetycholine too quickly. This allows for higher concentrations of acetylcholine, which helps nerve cells communicate. The second class of drug is N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists such as memantine (Namenda). This drug works on the neurotransmitter glutamate. Memantine can be used in addition to the cholinesterase inhibitor class to slow disease development.
Caring for Those Affected Memory Center care is emerging to allow patients affected by Alzheimer’s disease to receive appropriate care. This specialized long term care facility is designed for patients suffering from dementia. Albeit high costs, memory centers include enclosed outdoor spaces to keep residents from wandering and adequate staff ratios to ensure safety. Sleep dysrhythmias also pose a challenge for patients’ families and these centers alleviate that difficulty through respite care.
Preserving Brain Health Over 80 percent of patients with Alzheimer’s disease also demonstrate cardiovascular disease. This statistic shows how high blood pressure and high cholesterol can increase the risk of dementia. Paying close attention to treatment of vascular health can translate into better brain health down the road.
Hospital Newspaper - NY Nov/Dec 2017
PAGE 19
Calvary Hosts 11th Annual Spiritual Care Day
Calvary Hospital hosted its 11th Annual Spiritual Care Day on October 18, 2017. More than 140 people attended this year’s event, “Sacred Encounters: Bringing Light to the Darkness,” which took place for the second consecutive year at Fordham’s Lincoln Center Campus. Keynote speaker was Father Edward L. Beck, C.P., CNN Faith & Religion Commentator. He gave a thought provoking presentation on the need for healing among caregivers. He discussed that one should not to run from one’s weaknesses, recognizing that God “speaks” through various messengers, expect that others may hamper your own healing – and ability -- to care for patients, and what the source of healing really is. Father Beck’s stated that pride is often the source of suffering and that humility is the solution. Break out sessions were offered on topics such as: Sacred Space and Prayer; Issues at the End of Life; The Importance of Empathetic Listening at the End of Life; Delirium, Depression and Spiritual Suffering. Workshops speakers included experts from throughout the hospital. Since 1899, Calvary has been the nation’s only fully accredited acute care specialty hospital devoted exclusively to providing palliative care to adult patients with advanced cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. Each more, thousands of patients receive CalvaryCareSM throughout the greater New York area. To learn how Calvary can help you and your family, please visit: www.calvaryhospital.org.
Dr. Michael J. Brescia, Executive Medical Director, leading a break out session on “Issues in End-of-Life Care.”
Father Beck (2nd from right) pictured with Calvary staff (left to right), Michael Troncone, Vice President of Human Resources, Father Chux Okochi, Director of Pastoral Care, and Frank Calamari, CEO.
Kim Cavalitto, one of the speakers who covered “Spiritual Pain – Supporting the Care Givers/Caring for Ourselves.”
photos provided
4499 Manhattan College Pkwy, Riverdale, NY 10471 · (718) 548-5100 www.Methodisthome.org We are a historic, non-sectarian facility in Riverdale NY, offering short and long-term care. We cover a broad range of services including Stroke Rehabilitation, Orthopedic, Pulmonary, Cardiac, Trach Care, Wound Care, Bladder Training, and outpatient rehabilitation. Our reputable home is highly rated by CMS and staffed by well trained, professional clinicians. All of our rooms are private and our physicians are affiliated with New York- Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and Montefiore Medical Center.
• • • • • • •
120 Private Rooms and Baths
Admissions Accepted Seven Days a Week; Office Open on Saturdays Quality Assurance Programs to Prevent Rehospitalizations Complimentary Television, Telephone, and Newspapers
Multimedia Library, Formal Garden, Koi Pond, and Aviary Decentralized Dining
24 Hour Visitation and Free Parking On Premises
PAGE 20
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
Local Preemie Mom shares personal story during National Prematurity Awareness Month
By Jennifer Degl
Author of FROM HOPE TO JOY: A MOTHER'S DETERMINATION AND HER MICRO PREEMIE'S STRUGGLE TO BEAT THE ODDS
November 17th is World Prematurity Day and the entire month of November is also National Prematurity Awareness Month. This is a topic I take very seriously since my daughter’s premature birth in 2012. Worldwide, 1 in 10 babies are born premature. Every year, about 15 million children are born too early. Preterm babies represent the largest child patient group and their number continues to increase, despite the total number of births decreasing. A premature baby is not just smaller. Preterm babies have immature body systems. Their organs are underdeveloped and not able to do the necessary work to sustain life outside of the womb. As these infants grow, they do so with a higher risk of learning and behavioral disabilities, cerebral palsy, sensory and motor deficits, infections, intestinal problems and chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases or diabetes, when compared to their full term counterparts. Despite this high number and the risks involved, the general public is only hardly aware of the risk factors for preterm birth and the ensuing consequences a premature birth can have on a baby. World Prematurity Day is a chance to raise awareness about the topic of prematurity on local, national and international levels. It was started by the European Foundation of Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI) back in 2011 and has been instrumental in educating the public on ways to prevent a premature birth and what happens to a baby following a premature birth. I’m sharing my story with you this month so that I can do my part and educate our area on the dangers and reality of a high-risk pregnancy and subsequent premature birth, but also to show you that there is hope for premature babies. Back in December of 2012, I was diagnosed with placenta previa, shortly after learning I was pregnant with my fourth child. Placenta previa is when the placenta covers part of the cervix, or the entire cervix, during pregnancy. This condition can cause severe bleeding before and/or during labor. It can also resolve over time as the baby grows and the placenta shifts.
Mine did not resolve and only advanced. Unfortunately my placenta previa was very serious and would actually turn into placenta percreta. Placenta percreta is a condition where the placenta grows through the uterine wall and attaches to some of the surrounding organs, such as the bladder and bowels. My case is a bit more rare than the average case, but not really when you look at my risk factors. I had three previous C-sections, two miscarriages and a DNC (Dilation and curettage) before this pregnancy, which is what caused my placenta previa, but at the time I was not aware of such a condition so I went into this pregnancy very uneducated on what could transpire. I had only been told that my uterus was a bit thin and that I could have some complications in a fourth pregnancy. None of those complications were described and when I asked what they were- I was just told that they were unlikely and not to worry about them. My placenta problems caused bleeding within weeks of my diagnosis. I was bleeding from the start and it only got worse. I had my first life-threatening hemorrhage at 17 weeks gestation and then three more of those hemorrhages, each worse than the previous and each requiring more units of blood from transfusions, until my final hemorrhage at 23 weeks gestation, that led to the birth of my daughter. My daughter (Joy) was born 17 weeks premature and weighed just 1pound and 4 ounces at birth. She was not even as long as a ruler at just 11 ¾ inches in length. Her skin was transparent and she looked more like a tiny alien than a newborn baby. That is because she shouldn’t have been born for several more months, yet here she was. Joy is what is called a micro preemie- a baby born before 26 weeks gestation. A baby born between 26 and 37 weeks is considered premature, but babies born before 26 weeks gestation are at a much higher risk of severe complications and loss of life. continued on next page
Local Preemie Mom continued from previous page
Because of my own health complications and surgeries stemming from my placenta percreta, I was not able to see my daughter for a few days. I sat being transfused in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) and waited to be well enough for transport. This would be excruciating for any mother who just gave birth, but for me it was devastating, as my daughter was not expected to live. It was likely that my daughter would gain her angel wings before I ever got to see her alive or hold her. While I sat in the SICU fighting for my life, she laid in an incubator in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) doing the same. Words cannot express the pain I felt during these few days, and I’m not referring to the physical pain from my surgery. My daughter was supposed to remain in my protected womb for several more months- yet she was out in the world, in an environment she was not ready for- putting her at risk for death during each and every moment that passed. I felt like I failed her. While I know that I had no control over my condition, and I adhered to the orders of bed rest both in my brief time at home and the weeks I spent in the hospital bed prior to her delivery, I still felt like I failed her. Our first meeting, which only lasted five minutes due to my medical condition, was when I decided to name her Joy. It was the first time I smiled in over a week (before I began to cry like a baby myself). My husband agreed. Joy had intravenous lines (IVs) all over her. She had a feeding tube and breathing tube down her throat. She had countless blood draws, blood transfusions, X-rays, medications and the like- and she was in pain for months. My daughter spent 121 days in the NICU at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, NY. The first 8 weeks were filled with more steps backwards than steps forward. We had a lot of close calls. Joy had a hole near her heart (called a PDA), a massive blood infection (sepsis), and was on a ventilator for almost three months. I was not able to hold my daughter for 1 month! The first time she was stable enough to come out of her incubator, I was ready for this special moment, as I had been waiting over a month for it! Unfortunately, by the time the nurse got my daughter safely out of her warm and cozy home and placed her on my bare chest (a practice known as kangaroo care) - her alarms began to beep and lights began to flashindicating that her vital signs were unstable and they had to put her back. This happened almost every time I tried to kangaroo her for another month. During the time my daughter was in the NICU, I was also taking care of my three young boys at home, who at the time were ages 7, 5, and 3 years old. Joy was born in mid-May (her due date was actually mid-September) so school was soon out and I had to be creative with their care and ways to give them the love and attention they needed from me.
Hospital Newspaper - NY Nov/Dec 2017
I enrolled them in a day camp on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so that I could spend those whole days by Joy’s side. I would leave the NICU around 2:30 pm (after arriving around 7 am) and pick the boys up to get them home, give them dinner and a bath and put them to bed, so that I could get back to the NICU by 8 pm and stay until around midnight. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I would spend the day with the boys and leave by around 4 pm for the NICU. This lasted all summer. I recognize that I am very lucky to be a teacher and have the summers off. Not all NICU parents have that luxury. That is a different issue that needs to be addressed, so that preemie parents can take extended time off of work so that their babies don’t have to be alone in the hospital and miss out on the type of bonding and healing that only a parent’s touch can provide. After around 3 months in the NICU, the steps forward started become more frequent than the steps backwards and we were more confident that Joy would survive. We now had new worries ahead of us. Would Joy ever be off of oxygen? Would Joy ever be able to take a bottle or would she come home with a feeding tube? Would she be blind? Would Joy ever walk? And would my precious baby have so many developmental delays that she would always struggle in school? These were just some of the fears that we were so happy to get to the point that we needed to worry about, but nonetheless they were daunting. Joy came home after 121 days. While we were ecstatic that she was finally coming home to join our family, we were also very nervous. Parents of preemies are used to having the safely net of monitors and nurses to alert them when their baby is in medical distress. Those nets are gone once your baby comes home; although a great many of premature babies are sent home with monitors and some have around the clock care. We were lucky that Joy came home only requiring oxygen and various medications. We had a visiting nurse come to or house three times a week to listen to her lungs and check her weight so that we didn’t have to bring her to a pediatrician’s office on a daily bases and expose her to other children’s germs. The first two years of Joy’s life at home was very challenging for our family. She had occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and other therapies every day, often several times a day, in our home. This was amazing but it made it difficult to schedule activities for our other children, and it takes some getting used to- to have so many other adults in and out of your home every day. Joy also had pneumonia more times than I can count because her premature birth left her with Bronchial Pulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)- a lung disease caused by the very breathing tube that kept her alive for several months. She was often readmitted to the hospital, but this time to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for weeks at a time, and put back on oxygen until she had regained her strength. Joy also had Retinopathy of Prematurity
PAGE 21
(ROP)- an eye disease common to premature babies that requires special ophthalmologist appointments (in some cases surgery) and her to wear glasses. Our family could not have parties or allow play dates at our house because we always had to be on the lookout for viruses that could hurt Joy. This affected the boys the most. We also had to skip several events (or abruptly leave them) because other guests at those parties were ill. This made some people angry. Joy has some fine and gross motor deficiencies that caused us to delay her entrance into Kindergarten and she still has speech and occupational therapy twice a week. All of these things are worth it and each of us would sacrifice and go without our “regular life activities” all over againfor our daughter- as most parents would. This is the reality of a premature birth. It’s not about waiting a few weeks for a baby to gain enough weight to come home. It’s emotional, devastating, and sucks every breath your of your body. Many parents never move past it and develop a form of PTSD, after watching their child struggle for so long. No one gets pregnant and plans on delivering prematurely and having a baby in the NICU. My daughter spent 4 months in the NICU and many other babies are there for much longer. One night in the NICU is too many. Yes, there are degrees prematurity, but all premature babies are at risk for developing complications- many lasting a lifetime. I’m sharing my story with you today so that you can be educated. Please share my story with others with hopes that we can help prevent future premature births and come up with better ways to help our world’s premature babies and their families. Today- Joy is a happy 5-year old little girl who loves to sing and dance. She has dreams of being a doctor who saves babies (and a chef who cooks for the parents, Lol!) and because of modern medicine, advancing technology, and the excellent care she received at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, she will be able to follow her dreams. We were lucky, but many preemie parents are not. 1 million preterm babies will not survive, while many others are left disabled. In honor of National Prematurity Awareness Month and World Prematurity Day- let’s all help spread awareness with hopes that we can make a difference in the life of a preemie. My journey down the road of prematurity inspired me to write a book about our story, called From Hope to Joy:A Memoir of a Mother’s Determination and Her Micro Preemie’s Struggle to Beat the Odds. How will you be inspired? For more information on high-risk pregnancies and the reality of a premature birth, please see my website at www.micropreemie.net. You can learn more about both local and national events commemorating World Prematurity Day by visiting the EFCNI website at http://www.efcni.org and by visiting the March of Dimes website at http://www.marchofdimes.org. photos provided
PAGE 22
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
5K and 1K • Run or W alk • Kids Fun Run
Jolly for a Reason Westchester December 9, 2017 On-Site On Site Registrration at 8:0 8:00 00 a.m. am Run begins at 10:00 a a.m. SUNY Purchase Colllege 735 Anderson Road Purchase, NY 10577
is t i r h t art
t s i g Re
.
t s e W / g or
r e t s che
a y a d o t r e
100% of you ur registration fee and fundraising efforts go to a great cause.
Hospital Newspaper - NY Nov/Dec 2017
PAGE 23
PAGE 24
Nov/Dec 2017
Hospital Newspaper - NY
PGA G 71 7
PostGraduate Assembly in Anesthesiology Fri. - Tues. Dec. 8-12 Marriott Marquis NYC/ USA
5,000+ 375 190 180 150+ 72 60+ 41 32 21 1
More than
2017
Attendees World Class Presenters Poster Presentations Medically Challenging Case Reports Exhibitors, Showcasing the Latest Anesthesia Products and Services Problem Based Learning Discussions Panels and Focus Session o s To opic Areas Mini Workshops Hands-On Workshops City That Never Sleeps
6,10 00
reasons to attend.
Neew Yoor New ork rk C Ciity ty To register, or for more information please visit www.pga.nyc The New York State Society of Anesthesiologists, Inc., is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Up to 54.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM
Sponsored by:
The New York State Society of Anesthesiologists, Inc.