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FOCUS A publication for Christiana Care Health System physicians and employees
Delaware Health Sciences Alliance advances research, education and health
April 9, 2009 VO L U M E 2 0 , N U M B E R 6
Published every two weeks by Christiana Care Health System External Affairs P.O. Box 1668 Wilmington, DE 19899-1668 www.christianacare.org
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utting-edge medical research, educating the next generation of physicians and other health care professionals, and improved health care for the people of Delaware are key elements of a new partnership of Christiana Care and three other leading hospitals and educational institutions. The Delaware Health Sciences Alliance brings together the strengths of Christiana Care, Thomas Jefferson University, the University of Delaware and Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in an historic effort to partner on joint research projects in areas including cancer treatment and prevention, cardiovascular disease and rehabilitative medicine.
IN THIS ISSUE
Strengthens existing ties The alliance, under discussion for more than a year, was unveiled
Clinical News Colon stem cell research
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Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health
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Special MRI apparatus for breast imaging
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Eagles rooting for young cancer patient
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More nurses pursue advanced certification
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March 24 at the University of Delaware. The Delaware Health Sciences Alliance is truly transformative,” says Bob Laskowski, M.D., Christiana Care president and CEO. “It strengthens already existing ties among the four institutions and helps make Delaware a leader in meeting regional and national health care challenges.” Medical campus in Delaware A key component of the initiative is Thomas Jefferson University’s establishment of a physical presence near UD. The campus will house classrooms, study halls and a new residential facility for up to 150 medical, pharmacy, nursing, occupational and physical therapy students. The new clinical campus will expand offerings in family and community continued on next page
General News Spring PTO cashout
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Survival kit for families
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P LEA S E R E CY CL E F OC U S
Discussing the Delaware Health Sciences Alliance, from left, Tom Ferry of Nemours, UD President Patrick Harker, Christiana Care President and CEO Robert Laskowski, M.D., and Robert Barchi of Thomas Jefferson University.
C O V E R S T O R Y, C O N T I N U E D medicine, surgery and its subspecialties, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine and pediatrics. Many students from Jefferson’s medical school spend part of their third and fourth years doing rotations at Christiana Care.
need to be admitted to the hospital,” says Timothy J. Gardner, M.D., medical director of Christiana Care’s Center for Heart & Vascular Health. “Improved health status and outcomes, reduced mortality and fewer complications are the goals.”
Research through DVICTS The four institutions in the Alliance will pursue joint research grants through the Delaware Valley Institute for Clinical and Translational Science. Its efforts focus on advancements to improve patient care, bringing science from the researcher’s lab to the patient’s bedside.
Delaware Center for Cancer Biology A new Delaware Center for Cancer Biology expands existing cooperative research efforts and clinical programs between Christiana Care's Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center. Researchers are already working together to seek new treatments for prostate and colon cancer, including potential cancer vaccines.
DVICTS is seeking a $20 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to create a Clinical Translational Science Award to support interdisciplinary research among the four institutions. The four institutions in the Delaware Health Sciences Alliance will work together on translational research, from translating basic research to clinical application and application to population health. This effort will include further development of electronic methods for data capture and management. The collaborative program in translational research will seek federal and private funding to develop better ways of treating cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in Delaware and the U.S. It will also develop educational programs and research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. “Among the first cardiovascular projects, developed by Mitchell Saltzberg, M.D., is an electronic clinical tracking program to monitor patients with chronic heart failure to alert physicians to problems before those patients
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The new facility complements the existing Center for Translational Cancer Research to be housed in the new wing of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center in May. “This enhanced collaboration between researchers and clinicians includes research on discovering biomarkers to help detect cancers, and on proteomics and genomics—the study of proteins and genes in cancer—so we can find solutions to the problems cancer patients face today,” says Nicholas J. Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America endowed medical director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center. Delaware Cardiovascular Research Center Cardiovascular research will focus on clinical and population-based research led by the medical director of Christiana Care’s Center for Heart & Vascular Health and the Christiana Care Center for Outcomes Research, under the direction of William Weintraub, M.D. A Center for Cardiovascular Biology,
led by Dr. Ulas P. Naik, and located at the University of Delaware, will focus on basic research in diseases of the heart, blood and blood vessels. Delaware Rehabilitation Institute In addition, a new Delaware Rehabilitation Institute brings together the strengths of the four partner institutions to become one of the premium centers in the nation for physical rehabilitation research, training and clinical care. “The timing of this project is perfect,” says Dr. Petrelli, “in view of the expansive cancer rehabilitation services at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center under the direction of Theresa Gillis, M.D. and Kerry Tobias, M.D.” Other centers are under consideration in ageing, women’s and children’s health, neuroscience and health policy. The Alliance expects to bring hundreds of high-wage, high-demand jobs to Delaware.
C H R I S T I A NA CA R E ’ S C O M P L I A N C E H OT L I N E Christiana Care’s Compliance Hotline can be used to report a violation of any regulation, law or legal requirement as it relates to billing or documentation. The hotline will be answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All reports go directly to Compliance Officer Ronald B. Sherman. Callers may remain anonymous. The toll-free number is 877-REPORT-0 (877-737-6780). To learn more about corporate compliance, review the Corporate Compliance Policy online or contact Sherman at 302-428-4503.
CLINICAL NEWS Discovery of marker for colon stem cells could shed light on what drives tumor growth Cancer researchers led by Bruce Boman, M.D., Ph.D., MSPH and FACP, the director of Cancer Genetics and Stem Cell Biology at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, have discovered a substance common to both normal and malignant colon stem cells that will assist scientists searching for a cure for colon cancer. Knowledge that enables doctors to identify, locate and isolate normal and malignant colon stem cells has been elusive. But the discovery that aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) is a marker for identifying and isolating the cells is a breakthrough in the search for a key to what drives colon cancer tumor growth. “This is a very important tool for future research,” says Dr. Boman, who is also a professor of Medical Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University. "Stem cells drive tumor growth. Finding a better way to identify, isolate and track colon cancer stem cells moves us one step closer to developing new treatments for advanced colon cancer.”
Helen F. Graham Cancer Center Director of Cancer Genetics and Stem Cell Biology Bruce Boman, M.D., Ph.D., MSPH and FACP.
The study will appear in the April 15 issue of the journal Cancer Research, published by the American Association of Cancer Research.
Delaware Academy of Medicine honors Dr. Frelick Robert Frelick, M.D., received the Lewis B. Flinn President’s Commendation Award at the Delaware Academy of Medicine March 20 meeting. In the 1960s, Dr. Frelick, a medical oncologist, was influential in the merger of three independent Wilmington hospitals that became Christiana Care.
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CLINICAL NEWS
Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health grant helps reduce childbirth mortalities OB/GYN researchers partner with hospital in India Research at Christiana Care’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is saving the lives of women and infants globally, nationally, and here in our own communities. Because the department is committed to evidence-based practice in providing quality care, research is a core mission of the Department of OB/GYN, according to Richard Derman, M.D., department chair.
and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, Dr. Derman works with researchers across the United States and at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in southern India to improve maternal health and birth outcomes in developing countries. Dr. Derman was the principal investigator on one study seeking to reduce postpartum hemorrhage, which kills 150,000 women each year. In some countries, especially those where many women are anemic, up to 60 percent of maternal deaths result from postpartum hemorrhage.
Global research Under a $5 million grant from the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research, funded by Working in rural India, researchers the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that misoprostol, originally
developed as an anti-ulcer drug, reduces bleeding after birth by 50 percent. As a result of the study, the World Health Organization has established misoprostol as the standard of care for women in rural areas around the world. The findings of the study were reported in the The Lancet, the prestigious British medical journal. Two other studies focus on preventing birth asphyxia, in which infants don’t receive enough oxygen before, during or just after birth. Dr. Derman notes that birth asphyxia is a matter of concern both around the world and here at home in Christiana Care’s 72-crib neonatal intensive care unit. “Research directed at preventing preterm labor and delivery of premature infants is critically important, both in terms of quality of life and in reducing the accelerating costs of health care,” says Dr. Derman National research “Dr. Derman’s research provides a global perspective,” says OB/GYN specialist Matthew Hoffman, M.D. But, he adds, “Christiana Care is also well represented in NIH research on the national level.”
From left, Richard Derman, M.D., Christiana Care, Stacie E. Geller, Ph.D., MPA, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Illinois at Chicago Center for Research on Women and Gender, Bhalchandra S. Kodkany, M.D., principal investigator, JNMC-UMKC Women’s & Children’s Health Research Unit; Fran Jaeger, DrPH, program director, Women's Health-Center of Excellence, Truman Medical Centers, Kansas City, Mo.; Shivaprasad S. Goudar, M.D., MHPE, Professor of Physiology, director of Medical Education, KLE Society JN Medical College, Karnataka, India.
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Largely because of Dr. Hoffman’s research, Christiana Care is a leading site in the U.S. Maternal-Fetal Research Network, established by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development under the NIH. Dr. Hoffman’s research includes the largest study of obstetrical patient safety in the U.S.
Global, continued
Community research Because Christiana has such a strong community-based research program, the Office of Women’s Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has designated Christiana Care a National Community Center of Excellence in Women’s Health. In her research, Christiana Care’s Deborah Ehrenthal, M.D., identifies prevention and intervention practices starting before conception that will result in the best possible outcomes for mothers and babies. “An indicator of the health of a community is its infant mortality rate,” she says. “Although Delaware’s rate is relatively high, we’re working to find ways to improve it.” The issues of maternal and infant health are “critical to our institution, as well as in the community, in the nation, and in the world,” says Dr. Derman.
Register online at the Education Center today to attend the Power To End Stroke lunchtime seminar April 14 at the Ammon Medical Education Center.
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CLINICAL NEWS
For women diagnosed with breast cancer, MRI can show tumor size, shape and extent Christiana Care is rolling out the first designated breast MRI imaging in Delaware, an exciting advance in patient care at the Breast Center. “This has brought breast imaging into the high-tech realm,” says Director of Breast Imaging Jacqueline Napoletano, M.D. “If a patient has breast cancer, MRI will pick it up more than 95 percent of the time.” The test is not a substitute for screening or diagnostic mammography. Rather, breast MRI—that is, Magnetic Resonance Imaging—supplements these standard imaging tools.
Enhances patient comfort Christiana Care has offered breast MRI since 2002. But the new machine will provide better imaging as well as enhance patient comfort because it is designed specifically for breast testing. The American Cancer Society recommends MRI for women who test positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene or who have a 20-25 percent or greater risk of developing breast cancer due to a strong family history of the disease. Women treated with chest radiation for Hodgkin’s disease between the ages of 10 and 30 also should have MRI.
The imaging system arrived in March, followed by a week-long installation. Christiana Care has hired two additional MRI technologists who will start training in breast imaging in June, says Renie Mullaney, MS, Director, Breast Center. Two breast imaging technologists also are being trained to perform breast MRI. Testing will be offered to patients on a regular basis starting in mid-June. For breast imaging appointments at Christiana Care, call 302-623-4200 or toll-free 800-561-5183.
For women diagnosed with breast cancer, MRI can help to discern the size, shape and extent of the tumor, as well as enhance detection in the opposite, breast. “MRI can see through the density of the breast,” Dr. Napoletano says. “Unlike mammogram, there’s very little compression involved, just enough to keep the breast steady.” Here’s how it works. The patient receives an IV to allow introduction of gadolinium, a contrast agent. She lies face down on a special table with an opening for the breasts and a coil that transmits radiofrequency signals. The table slides into a cylinder where a powerful magnetic field helps to produce images. “Because breast cancers have a rich blood supply, tumors light up on MRI,” Dr. Napoletano says.
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New, specialized MRI arriving A new MRI designed especially for breast imaging is delivered to the future site of Christiana Care Breast Center at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center. The added technology provides better imaging and enhances patient comfort, but it is not a substitute for screening or diagnostic mammography.
UPCOMING EVENTS The VNA Caregiver Education Series is for anyone serving as a caregiver for an adult or who anticipates becoming one in the future. It features registered nurses, physical therapists, licensed clinical social workers and other professionals of Christiana Care’s Visiting Nurse Association. A light supper is included. Three upcoming programs focus on community resources, managing day-to-day tasks and reducing stress.All programs take place 5:30-7:30 p.m. Here are the dates and locations: • New Castle County - John H. Ammon Medical Education Center at Christiana Hospital, Thursdays, April 14, 21 and 28. • Kent County - VNA office, 2116 S. DuPont Highway, Suite 2, Camden, Wednesdays, May 6, 13 and 20. • Sussex County - CHEER Community Center, 20520 Sand Hill Road, Georgetown, Wednesdays, April 15, 22 and 29. Register online in the Events and Classes area of www.christianacare.org. Get With the Guidelines, Pursuing Clinical Excellence in Stroke and Cardiovascular Care workshop, Friday, April 24, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at the John H. Ammon Medical Education Center main auditorium. Free admision. Register onsite. “Emerging on the Wings of Hope,” an afternoon tea celebrating the unique journeys of those affected by breast cancer, will be Sunday, April 26, 2-4 p.m. at the University of Delaware Goodstay Center, 2600 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington. Admission is free to breast cancer survivors and one guest. To RSVP or for more information, call the American Cancer Society at 302-324-4227. Hosted by the Christiana Care Breast Center, the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, the American Cancer Society and the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition. The 13th Annual Diabetes Update at the John H. Ammon Medical Education Center is Saturday May 2, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Advance registration is $70 ($35 for students; residents registered in advance attend free). Make checks payable to Christiana Care and mail to Cheryl Klecko, Physician Relations, Christiana Hospital, Suite 2177, 4755 Ogletown-Stanton Road, Newark, DE 19718. For information, call 302-733-1961 or e-mail cklecko@christianacare.org. The annual George A. Zurkow Lecture, titled “Microsurgical Repair of Trigeminal Nerve Injuries,” will be presented by Vincent B. Ziccardi, D.D.S., M.D., associate professor, residency director and chair of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, from May 20, 6-8 p.m. at Wilmington Hospital Conference Center. Is It Flu or Is It HIV? This May 22 program provides information on four key issues in HIV care today. Individual event registration information is available in the Education Center. Call Christiana Care Physician Relations at 302-733-1961. Running, walking The Ninth Annual Think First 5K-Run/Walk to support Christiana Care Trauma Program injury prevention efforts will be April 16 at 6:30 p.m. The race starts and finishes near the Emergency Department on Christiana Hospital campus. Register online in advance at www.races2run.com or race day starting at 5:40 p.m. Christiana Care's Students Taking Charge program at Concord High School, 5-K Walk/Run April 30 at the Wilmington Riverfront begins at 6:30 p.m., with registration at 5:30 p.m. The $16 fee increases to $20 after April 27. The student rate is $12, $15 after April 27. Register online http://www.races2run.com or contact LaToya Pittman, Coordinator, Teen Hope & Students Taking Charge Concord High School Wellness Center, 302-477-3962. The 6th Annual Christiana Care Health System Delaware Marathon™ Running Festival is Sunday, May 17, at Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park, Wilmington. Events include a marathon, half-marathon and four-person team relay. Cash awards will be given to the top three overall male and female marathon winners, the top two overall male and female marathon masters winners. Register online at http://www.delawaremarathon.org.
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CLINICAL SNAPSHOT
When you’re sick, it’s nice to know people care CAREGIVERS TEAM WITH PHILADELPHIA EAGLES TO
“When Daniel Ogram first arrived to
start a six-week course of radiation treatment at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center in January, he was very shy and giggly while we tried to learn about his favorite things,” according to Radiation Oncology Clerk VI Claudia Acero. Daniel, a patient of Jon Strasser, M.D., eventually shared more information about himself and what he likes, such as his family dogs and pet rabbits, favorite Christian rock group, The Newsboys, cherry candy (strictly cherry—no chocolate) and the Philadelphia Eagles football team. He is especially a fan of just-traded defensive player Brian Dawkins, now a Denver Bronco. Daniel completed his treatments with minimal side effects and felt good at a celebration to honor his last day of treatment
From left, Herb Ogram, Daniel Ogram, Erin Sweeney RT (T))(R) Kywanna Bost, RT (T), Karen Sammons, RT (T)(R), and Kathy Aufiero, RT(T).
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URGE ON YOUNG PATIENT
at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center. But he didn’t know that two weeks before his celebration, Acero contacted the Eagles about making a gesture to a big fan. She was able to get them to send Daniel a letter signed by head coach Andy Reid and a poster-size photo of all the players, coaches and head coach. Donovan McNabb threw in an autographed football, too. After he was finished with his final treatment, Daniel’s dad, Herb Ogram, read Reid’s letter aloud while everyone shared a special soccer field cake ordered by the Radiation Oncology team. In the letter, Reid told Daniel: “The Eagles believe that it is very important to follow your dreams. Even when times are tough, remember to remain positive and give 110 percent in everything that you want to accomplish.”
Health systems benefit when more nurses earn certifications At Christiana Care, nearly 700 nurses have advanced credentials Health systems with high concentrations of certified nurses give nurses more opportunities to grow professionally, save on recruiting and liability costs and enhance nursing job satisfaction. Many of Christiana Care’s nearly 700 certified nurses gathered March 18 at Christiana and Wilmington campuses to celebrate the benefits of certification and learn more about the past and future of their profession. ‘Badge of honor’ Officially, Certified Nurses Day is March 19, the birthday of Margretta “Gretta” Madden Styles (1930-2005), known as the Mother of Nurse Credentialing and the architect of the first comprehensive study of nurse credentialing in the 1970s. “It’s a badge of honor to wear that certification pin,” says Critical Care Education Coordinator and event organizer Tamekia L. Thomas, MSN, RN, PCCN.
According to Janet Cunningham, MHA, RN, NEA-CENP, vice president, Professional Excellence and associate chief nursing officer, Christiana Care is about midway through the rigorous, two-year program—considered the gold standard of nursing excellence— offered by the ANCC. ‘The only thing that worked’ Barbra Mann Wall, PhD, RN, gave the keynote address, “Unsung Heroes… Nurses in Disaster and War.” Dr. Wall, a nurse, historian and associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, traced the history of trained nurses in America, starting with the yellow fever epidemic of 1888 in Jacksonville, Fla., where nurses saved lives by keeping patients hydrated and sick wards clean and free of germs.
In the worldwide influenza epidemic of 1918-19, which killed 10 million people, nurses promoted respiratory hygiene, hand washing, household disinfection and the use of gauze masks. “Nursing was the only thing that worked,” Wall says. “They didn’t have antibiotics back then.” She urged nurses to reach out to their colleagues and to encourage them to pursue advanced certification.
Nursing historian Barbara Mann, RN, PhD (below, inset), lectured to Christiana Care nurses about their invaluable role in health care, especially in times of war and disaster.
Christiana Care’s count of certified nurses is up 40 percent since its first application for membership in the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program in 2004, says Diane Talarek, MA, RN, NEBC, senior vice president, Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer.
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Formulary update FORMULARY ADDITIONS Medication – Generic/Brand Name
Strength/Size
Use/Indication
Methylnaltrexone injection (Relistor®)
12mg/0.6 mL
Single use vial
Pentafluoropropane/Tetrafluoroethane spray Topical skin anesthetic (PainEase®)
Comments Treatment of opioid-induced constipation in patients with advanced illnesses receiving palliative care, when response to laxative therapy has not been sufficient. Replaces fluro-ethyl spray.
REVISED MEDICATION POLICY Propofol
FORMULARY DELETION Fluro-ethyl spray
Propofol was added to the list of high-alert continuously infusing medications for which an independent double check is done prior to and during administration.
Deleted because it is no longer available from wholesaler.
THERAPEUTIC NOTES: Providers can help keep prescription costs low For Americans looking for ways to reduce expenses in this tight economy, necessary medical care may be the first item on their list. Affording medication continues to be a difficult task for both uninsured and insured patients alike. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll in October 2008 found that one in three families had problems with paying medical bills in the past year. Alarmingly, 47 percent reported someone in their family skipping pills or postponing medical treatments due to cost. Many patients who have had health benefits in the past now find themselves in situations where they no longer have coverage due to job loss or inability to afford their insurance plan. Health care providers may feel they have little to offer patients who need help paying for medical care. But keeping prescription costs low is an
excellent way for the health care community to help patients get through difficult times. • Familiarize yourself with local pharmacy discount plans. Many programs sponsored by stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, Kmart and grocery stores offer hundreds of generic medications at discounted prices. Mikelle Phillips, M.D., and Victoria Paoletti, PharmD, offer these helpful reminders of what clinicians can do when prescribing for their patients: • Think “generic” when possible. • Remember to prescribe the preferred agents for selected insurances, such as Medicaid. Information concerning the current formulary for Delaware State Medicaid is available on the Christiana Care Health System I-Net Physician Portal. • Non-preferred agents often require a prior authorization and/or a letter of medical necessity. Since many
patients will not fill an expensive prescription or one not covered by insurance, ask them to bring copies of their formularies with them to their visits. • Each Medicare Part D plan has its own formulary with medications categorized into tiers. Try to prescribe tier 1 (generic) or tier 2 (preferred brand) agents to keep costs down and reduce or eliminate the time a patient spends in the coverage gap, or “doughnut hole.” • Eliminate unnecessary prescriptions. • When admitting and discharging patients from the hospital, remember to reconcile all medications. Work with your pharmacist or case manager to ensure patients leave with prescriptions they can afford. Try prescribing less expensive alternatives or using prescription assistance drug programs. For help with the Patient Assistance Program, contact Patricia Martin, B.S., at 302-428-4641.
GENERAL NEWS Customers save time, find convenience using a Christiana Care retail pharmacy Employees and non-employees alike are saving time and finding the services more convenient at the retail pharmacy stores now available on-site at Wilmington campus and at the Health Center With new available retail services, customers may have prescriptions filled on site. Previously, prescriptions for employees were sent from Wilmington to Christiana Hospital and were returned a day or so later for employee pick-up. Now, employees and others can have prescriptions filled while they wait. 90-day supply available The pharmacy accepts most commercial insurance plans and Medicare/Medicaid. If covered, employees may obtain a 90-day supply of their prescribed medications. All employees and family members enrolled in any drug prescription program can have prescriptions filled. This includes employees enrolled in Express Scripts prescription program, which enables them to take advantage of the 90-day supply benefit for maintenance medications. Pay for your prescriptions with either payroll deduction, personal check, cash or credit card. If opting for the payroll deduction feature, please be sure to provide your ID badge for verification. Pharmacists are available at all locations to answer questions about prescriptions with respect to prior authorizations, preferred formulary selection and co-pay information. Pharmacy hours of operation are: HealthCare Center at Christiana: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-noon. Phone: 302-623-0184. Wilmington campus: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Phone: 302-428-6844. Christiana Hospital: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Phone: 302-733-2188.
Celebrate our Great Place to Work May 11-15 The 2nd annual Great Place to Work celebration during National Hospital week May 11-15 draws near. The week-long celebration is a way to recognize and celebrate our colleagues contributions to making Christiana Care a Great Place to Work. Systemwide events Team posters – Showcase your unit or Department with a poster to visually display how we live our Core Values and work together to make Christiana Care a Great Place to Work. A $200 gift card will be awarded for top poster(s). Essays – Show off your writing talent by describing the impact our Core Values have on creating a Great Place to Work. A $50 gift card will be awarded for top essay(s). All employees who vote online for their favorite poster or essay will be entered in a drawing for prizes. Posters and essays will be judged on: • How well they correlate Core Values and making Christiana Care a Great Place to Work. • Emotional connection to the reader. • Impact on patients and customers. • Creativity and uniqueness. Get details on poster size and essay length on the employee portal. They are due to Employee Relations by April 20. Special menu Our cafeterias will feature a special Key West/Caribbean menu at Christiana Hospital on May 12 and at the Wilmington campus on May 13. Water ice will be served by management to staff at a variety of locations.
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GENERAL NEWS
Spring PTO cashout scheduled May 8 Christiana Care’s paid time off (PTO) cashout program allows employees with a paid-leave balance of 200 or more hours in Christiana Care Health Services and Health Initiatives to cash out 40 hours of paid leave at their base rate. This option, offered twice a year, in the spring and fall, gives employees additional flexibility in balancing personal needs. Because the cashout program is considered supplemental pay, shift differentials do not apply. Cashout letters for this spring will be mailed April 10 and are based on PTO balances as of the pay period ending April 4, 2009, after the time used and accruals are applied. If you choose to decline the PTO cashout option, please go to HR Online available from any portal, select My Personal Information, then click on Myself, PTO Cash Out, or return your letter to Payroll by April 24. If you do wish to participate in the cashout, you do not need to reply. Your PTO cashout will be provided to you in a separate check or direct deposit on May 8. Accrued paid leave time that exceeds the maximum allowable balance in a pay period will automatically roll over to the employee’s disability leave account. Disability leave time may be accessed for medical leaves of absence, thus serving as a short-term disability bank. Disability leave is not available for cashout.
Portable electronic device users must be vigilant to ensure data security Individuals can make a difference in keeping Christiana Care’s confidential information secure. With the increasing use of portable media such as flash drives and PDAs, we need to be more aware of the security of the media we use to store information. By using encryption information can be read by the user, but if the media is lost or stolen, the information cannot be read by someone else. Flash drives A number of new standards are now in place to ensure the security of confidential information. The first is the use of the fully encrypted flash drive called Ironkey, available in 2GB and 4GB. All of the data on the flash drive is encrypted. The user sets a number to access the information on
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the drive. Choose a PIN you can remember: after 10 unsuccessful attempts to enter the PIN, the Ironkey drive deletes the data and becomes unusable. These are the only flash drives that should be used for Christiana Care data. PDAs and IPAQ Certain employees use personal data assistants (PDAs) and pocket PCs (IPAQs) to maintain calendars and receive e-mail for business purposes. Howeverthe utility of IPAQs is limited because data is only as current as the last time the IPAQ was synched with an e-mail account. We recommend that IPAQs not be synched with e-mail information. If you must have any Christiana Care information on your PDA or IPAQ, then encryption must be turned on.
Go to http://inet/Mobile/IpaqWeb/Credant. htmfor instructions. BlackBerry devices Starting May 1, IT is supporting the use of BlackBerry devices to enable employees and staff to receive Christiana Care e-mails and calendar information. The addition of the BlackBerry devices to our system is a response to employees who want more mobile phone devices and carrier flexibility, improved communications and security. The new BlackBerry phones offer a high level of security through enhanced encryption tools and flexibility for more device options. Go to http://inet/mobile/blackberry/blackberryfaqs.htm for FAQs regarding BlackBerry devices.
Update: Wilmington Campus Transformation Project This spring is a busy time for the Wilmington Campus five-year construction project. External Affairs is working closely with Associate Chief Medical Officer Janice Nevin, M.D., to ensure that our employees, neighbors, patients and their loved ones can continue to use the services offered on the campus. Here’s a short list of next steps: • April 20 - 30 - Fencing the handicapped lot, the Park and parts of the 3-11 p.m. lot. - Ground clearing around the 3-11 lot and adjacent park begins. New landscaping will be part of the project. - 3-11 parking lot closes for utilities installation and widening Chamberlain Street. Employees using the 3-11 p.m. lot will begin to use the multilevel employee parking garage. • Early May - Relocation of the Washington Street DART bus stops at 14th Street to the 13th Street intersection. • End of May - Second-floor Wilmington Hospital Health Center entrance readied for future use as a temporary entrance for Wilmington Hospital. • June to August - Work begins on underground piping for major utilities. • Early September - Roadwork begins on Jefferson Street to create a separate lane for truck deliveries to the loading dock. • Late September - Roadwork on Chamberlain Street completed for twoway traffic. Stay tuned to FOCUS and the portal for additional updates.
The Wilmington Hospital Health Center (WHHC) will be ready to serve as temporary main entrance to the hospital by the end of May. Patients will continue to enter WHHC through this entrance.
Observe telephone etiquette Although some departments have guidelines providing more detail to support departmental functions, all Christiana Care employees should follow policy A-23, Standards for Telephone Etiquette: • Greet incoming calls in a pleasant tone of voice, identifying yourself, your department and location.
• Actively listen to give the caller your undivided attention. • When dealing with an angry caller, apply the H-E-A-T process (Hear Them Out, Empathize, Apologize, Take Ownership). • Avoid eating, drinking and chewing while on the phone.
• Avoid typing while engaging • Always ask permission before placphone conversations. If there is a need ing a caller on hold. to type, inform the caller. • When transferring a call, ensure the • Maintiain confidentiality at all transfer is to the appropriate recipient times. Ensure callers do not overhear and relay information provided. background conversations. • When placing an internal call, • Close all calls courteously, confirmidentify yourself and your departing the resolution or time frames for ment. When making external calls, follow-up. also identify Christiana Care.
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NCI Sel Helen F. Graham ected Com Cancer Center munity Cancer Center
CLINICAL NEWS
Co-Author
New booklet helps kids cope with a parent’s illness
The child may exhibit behavior problems, schoolwork may suffer, or the child may stop attending school all together, Feuer says.
Cancer and other serious illnesses affect not only the patient, but the family as well.
The child may also become withdrawn, shying away from playing with friends. “Kids stop doing what kids are supposed to do,” says Feuer.
With that in mind, Christiana Care Health System and Supporting Kidds, a Hockessin-based group that helps grieving children, have collaborated on a new guide for helping children and adolescents cope when a parent is experiencing a serious illness. According to Tricia Strusowski, director of Cancer Care Management at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center the 17-page booklet, titled “Survival Kit for Families”: • Alerts parents to the psychological and emotional changes children and teens typically experience when faced with a parent’s illness. • Offers tips on how to help children through this stressful time, including recognizing when a child’s behavior might signal the need for psychological help. The booklet started as a way of helping children cope when a parent has been diagnosed with cancer, according to Strusowski. But the authors later broadened it to include other lifethreatening illnesses. About 1,000 copies were printed and made available to parents, caregivers and health care providers. The guide will also be posted soon on Christiana Care’s Web site, www.christianacare.org. Children in stressful situations often act in predictable ways, says Edward Feuer, a family therapist at the Herman Rosenblum, M.D. Child & Adolescent Center at Wilmington Hospital.
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Children need help with feelings One important message parents should send is that it’s natural for a child to feel guilty about enjoying themselves while a parent is ill, says Valarie Molaison, a psychologist and clinical director for Supporting Kidds. However, children need help recognizing these feelings and addressing them with their parents. “They need help to prevent the guilt from becoming toxic or corrosive,” Molaison says. The booklet was produced by a team that includes representatives from the Cancer Care Management and Health Psychology programs at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and the
Leadership recognized Edwin L. Granite, D.M.D., chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry, received the Henrietta Johnson Medical Center 2009 Community Award “for outstanding work in Dental Care issues for Delaware.”
SURVIV AL KIT F OR A to
FAMILIE S
ol kit to help patie support nts/careg child ivers they love ren when som eone has a se rious ill ness
Special thanks to : Su
• • • • •
pporting Rosenblu Kidds m Cente The We llness Co r mmunity Health Psycholog Cancer y Care Ma – HFGCC nageme nt - HFGC C
To get a copy of “Survival Kit for Families,” call the Cancer Care Management team at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center at 302623-4700.
Herman Rosenblum, M.D., Child & Adolescent Center. Representatives from Supporting Kidds co-authored the booklet with input from the Wellness Community.
Welcome New Medical-Dental Staff Emergency Medicine Kathryn Parker, M.D. Department of Emergency Medicine Room 1071, Christiana Hospital Phone: 302-733-1840
Obstetrics/Gynecology Richard J. Derman, M.D., MPH Dept. of OB/GYN, Room 1903 Christiana Hospital Phone: 302-733-3350
Medicine/Cardiology Ruchira Glaser, M.D. 252 Chapman Road, Suite 150 Newark, DE 19711 Phone: 302-366-1929
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery & Hospital Dentistry/General Dentistry Michael T. Bojarski, D.M.D. 210 West Park Place Newark, DE 19711 Phone: 302-455-0333
Medicine/Internal Medicine Nkiruka S. Nnebe, M.D. 131 Continental Drive, Suite 200 Newark, DE 19713 Phone: 302-366-1868 My Padmalingam, M.D. 131 Continental Dr., Suite 200 Newark, DE 19713 Phone: 302-366-1868 Neelima Vudarla, M.D. 111 Continental Drive, Suite 406 Newark, DE 19713 Phone: 302-984-2577 Medicine/Nuclear Medicine Jacqueline D. Howard-Sachs, M.D. Department of Nuclear Medicine Christiana Hospital Phone: 302-733-1530 Keesha D. Vaughn, M.D. 7th & Clayton Streets, Suite 400 Wilmington, DE 19805 Phone: (302) 421-9700
Pediatrics/General Pediatrics Brian S. Naylor, M.D. CCHS Pediatric Hospitalist Rm. 4A30, Christiana Hospital Phone: 302-733-4200 Pediatrics/Pediatric Endocrinology Steven A. Dowshen, M.D. Department of Endocrinology 1600 Rockland Road Wilmington, DE 19803 Phone: 302-651-5965 Radiology Danielle M. Bentsen, M.D. Department of Radiology 1600 Rockland Road Wilmington, DE 19803 Phone: 302-651-4792 Surgery/Ophthalmology Surgery Michael J. Pro, M.D. 40 Monument Road, Suite 104 Bala Cynwood, PA 19004 Phone: 484-434-2717
Medicine/Pain Management/Palliative Care Ginger Y. Chiang, M.D. 2600 Glasgow Avenue, Suite 210 Newark, DE 19702 Phone: 302-832-8894
April 9, 2009 FOCUS
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P R I N T E D
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PA P E R
An Evening in Monte Carlo marks its fifth year Fundraising goal is a high-tech cell sorter for cancer research An Evening in Monte Carlo, sponsored by the Friends of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, is an ever-popular fundraiser for the cancer center. This year, the event takes place on Friday, May 15, 7 p.m.-midnight at Longwood Gardens near Kennett Square, Pa. The fundraising goal this year is to support the acquisition of a florescence activated cell sorter (FACS).
The cell sorter, for use in the new Center for Translational Cancer Research lab, enables doctors to isolate and study malignant cells from colon, breast, lungs, prostate and other cancers. For information about An Evening in Monte Carlo, please call 302-327-3309 or e-mail jgoldston@christianacare.org.
This year, An Evening in Monte Carlo, presented by the Friends of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, supports the purchase of an FACS—a key piece of cancer research equipment.
External Affiars P.O. Box 1668 Wilmington, DE 198991668 www.christianacare.org
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WILMINGTON DE PERMIT NO. 357