CONNECTIONS January 2020
An award-winning newsletter for Orange Regional Medical Center employees, physicians and volunteers
From the President & CEO Congratulations to Yorline Elien, Orange Regional’s 2019 Employee of the Year! Yorline works in the Food and Nutrition Department and is a wonderful example of how providing an exceptional patient experience means a great deal to our patients and visitors. Yorline provides service with a smile at the Orange Eatery located in our Outpatient Building. She’s no stranger to the Eatery’s “regulars” and often has their coffee or specialty drink waiting for them, prepared exactly as they like it. Aside from Yorline’s over and above performance on a daily basis, her hospitality, sincerity and compassion moved a patient to tears one day. The patient had just received a serious diagnosis, unbeknownst to Yorline, and was touched by Yorline’s kindness. “I’m crying because you have been so kind to me today. I just needed that. I needed someone to be kind to me,” wrote this grateful patient in a letter to us about Yorline. Thank you, Yorline, for providing an exceptional patient experience!
In the coming year, we will continue to focus on our mission of providing exceptional healthcare to our community. We will expand our valet parking services to patients visiting our Outpatient Building and will begin construction on our 600-space employee parking garage this spring. Plans for the Emergency Department expansion are close to being finalized. Construction will begin after the parking garage is finished. We expect to have all legal and financial documentation verified shortly so we can begin executing the Garnet Health rebranding launch. I also look forward to our successful DNV and Magnet re-designation surveys this year. Thank you to everyone who participated in our recent employee engagement survey! We had great participation and your feedback is valuable in helping us create a work environment that fosters exceptional patient care. Sincerely, Scott Batulis, President & CEO Greater Hudson Valley Health System
Auxiliary Donates $10,000 to Spagnoli Family Cancer Center The Orange Regional Medical Center Auxiliary donated $10,000 to the Spagnoli Family Cancer Center. The Auxiliary hosted its 2019 Annual Tricky Tray at the Church of St. Joseph in Middletown, where it raised the funds. The mission of the Orange Regional Medical Center Auxiliary is to render services to the Medical Center and its patients, as well as assist in promoting the health and welfare of the community.
Pictured from left to right: Foundation President William Dauster; Tricky Tray Chairperson and Auxiliary member Theresa Taylor; Auxiliary President Janet Formisano and Senior Administrator of Oncology Regina Toomey Bueno.
If you are interested in becoming a member or to make a donation, call the Foundation at 333-2223 or visit www.ormc.org/foundation.
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Greater Hudson Valley Health System Medical Group Update Welcome New Providers
Christine Carter, DNP, FNP-C Gastroenterology
Rhonda D'Agostino, ACNP-BC Critical Care
Frantz Duffoo, MD, FACP Designated Institutional Official, GME Programs and Nephrologist
Marian Seliquini, LM, CM Women's Health
We Now Offer Bariatric Surgery Orange Regional Medical Group now offers Bariatric Surgery. Nitin Sharma, MD, FACS is performing both Bariatric and General Surgery. He is highly-trained in robotic techniques and offers Gastric Bypass Surgery, Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery and Gastric Banding Surgery. Please let patients know they can make an appointment with him at 333-7575.
Flu Prevention is Everyone’s Responsibility Flu season is here and we are taking additional steps to prevent the spread of the flu in our hospital. While an annual flu vaccine remains the single best method for preventing the flu, a surgical facemask, worn by employees, provides added protection to patients, employees and visitors. Orange Regional offers the flu vaccine to all employees and also provides employees with surgical facemasks, as required by the New York State Department of Health. Vaccinated employees must have a purple dot on their ID badges. All unvaccinated healthcare employees MUST wear a surgical mask inside of the Hospital. Masks are available in clinical unit clean supply rooms and in the Occupational Health Department. As always, our Hospital enforces universally-recognized precautions to prevent the flu. These include hand washing, the use of hand sanitizers, placed conveniently throughout the Hospital, as well as goggles and gowns. In addition, we adhere to rigorous infection control guidelines and policies every day to ensure a clean environment for patients, staff and visitors. These practices are especially important during flu season. Antiseptic wipes are located in patient rooms, work stations, hallways and other treatment areas and are easily accessible to Hospital employees responsible for sanitizing medical equipment and surface areas. Yet, despite all these precautions and proactive steps, the flu virus still manages to infect individuals. Employees suffering from the flu are instructed to stay home while sick and return to work 24 hours after their flu symptoms end. Visitors who suspect they may have the flu are advised to not visit the hospital. The signs and symptoms of the flu include: • Fever or chills • Runny nose • Fatigue (very tired) • Cough • Body aches • Vomiting/diarrhea • Sore throat • Headaches For more information about when and where to get your flu shot, please call the Occupation Health Department at 333-2060. 2
JANUARY 2020
Welcome New Employees Amina Beyruti Congratulations to our October 2019 BEE Award Winner, Kim Jablonski, Nurse Director! Excerpts from her nomination include but are not limited to: “Kim is a role model for not only her staff, but for us in leadership...”, “Kim is always the first one to volunteer for picking up a shift or covering for another colleague or supervisor often at the last minute...” and “Kim exemplifies an “owner” mentality here at ORMC. She has high standards and is continuously seeking opportunities to improve processes and employee engagement.” Congratulations, Kim. Thanks for all you do for our patients.
Emily Brewer Laura Brown-Rivera Juan Caba Dorothy Carlton Graff Edgar Carrero Crystal Diaz Garcia Samantha Earl Shyasia Evans
Congratulations to our November 2019 BEE Award Winner, Yorline Elien, of Food and Nutrition Services. Yorline provides service with a smile at the Orange Eatery located in our Outpatient Building. She’s no stranger to the Eatery’s “regulars”, and often has their coffee or specialty drink waiting for them and prepared exactly as they like it. Yorline was preparing a sweet, but different specialty drink and making small talk when she noticed her customer was crying. The customer looked up and said, “I’m crying because you have been so kind to me today. I just needed that. I needed someone to be kind to me.” The customer then shared how she had just received a serious diagnosis. Congratulations, Yorline. Your sincerity and compassion are certainly admired.
Amanda Garcia Enny Gomez Colleen Gonzalez Gzim Hakanjin Aunsley Hall Michelle Hannigan David Hernandez Lauren Hibler Guadalupe Jimenez Briones Ariel Keener Ginamarie Kirk Cassandra Lamboy
Congratulations to our December 2019 BEE Award Winner, Jovanie DelRio, of Nutrition and Food Service Department. During a recent snowstorm, Jovanie, who was NOT scheduled to work, connected with several coworkers in his department, drove to pick them up in the storm and brought them to work so our hospital could be well-staffed for our patients and visitors. Jovanie even picked them up when their shifts were over and got them home safely. Jovanie’s kindness was insurmountable, and for this we are extremely grateful.
Debbie-Ann Linton Nicholas Masker Angela Maurer Isaura Mendoza Victoria Mirenda Jake Muller Kierra Ojulo Ana Olivo
Our Employees of the Month are also known as BEEs – for Being Exceptional Everyday.
Chris O'Neal Adrian Rivera Liju Varghese
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Good Catch Awards President and CEO Scott Batulis, Kervin Constant, Michelle Harfield, Jean Lombardi, Tiffany Marrero and Dawn Woody received Good Catch Awards for their proactive patient care measures. Scott likes to personally thank those who take an active role in ensuring the quality of care at Orange Regional, unless he is a Good Catch Award
recipient himself, and then he is thanked by members of the Executive Team. A good catch occurs when corrective action and/or timely intervention prevents an incident or medical error from happening. Nominations are judged by the Patient Safety Sub-committee.
Scott Batulis
Kervin Constant
Michele Harfield
Jean Lombardi
Tiffany Marrero
Dawn Woody
For more information about the Good Catch Award, contact QA Data Coordinator, Katie Haun, at 333-1294 or khaun@ormc.org.
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JANUARY 2020
Coming Up Daisies
Katie Hanrahan, RN
Jennifer Hazekamp, RN
Nora Higgins, RN
Congratulations to Orange Regional’s recipients of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, Katie Hanrahan, Jennifer Hazekamp and Nora Higgins. Thank you to these wonderful, compassionate caregivers! DAISY Award honorees personify Orange Regional’s remarkable patient experience. Nurses who demonstrate nursing excellence by providing exceptional patient care in a progressive, dynamic and healing environment can be nominated, and winners will be recognized as outstanding role models within our nursing community. To nominate a nurse for the DAISY Award, visit www.ormc.org/daisyaward.
Security Update Recently, the Security Department has received reports of missing personal property from the workplace. All employees should please remember to:
• Always lock your office or work area when you leave for
• Keep your purse, wallet, keys and other valuables with
any period of time • Never prop card access doors open • When entering "CARD ACCESS ONLY" areas, do not allow non-ID employees or visitors in behind you unless you are escorting the individual • If you are using a laptop computer, do not leave it unattended at any time • Do not leave any personal items in staff break rooms or locker rooms
you at all times or locked in your assigned locker, desk drawer or cabinet • Carry a minimal amount of cash and credit/ATM cards while in the workplace • Immediately report suspicious activity and all missing property to ORMC security at x1633 or CRMC security at x3711.
If You See Something, Say Something If you see something you know shouldn't be there – or someone's behavior doesn't seem quite right – say something. Informed, alert communities play a critical role in keeping our nation safe. How to Report Suspicious Activity Public safety is everyone's responsibility. If you see suspicious activity, report it to Security ASAP by calling x1633. Describe specifically what you observed, including: • Who or what you saw • When you saw it • Where it occurred • Why it's suspicious 5
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Chief Clinical Officer, Rose Baczewski, RN, MA, LSSMBB, recently wrote a guest article entitled “Improving Patient Safety Though an Effective Harm Index” for healthcarebusinesstech.com, a business and technology website. In her article, Rose explained how the Greater Hudson Valley Health System is working toward its goal of having zero harms. GHVHS maintains a harm index that collects data on every patient harm and near miss. Using this data, Rose said we can better track trends and determine care efforts to reduce harm and, one day, hopefully eliminate it. Since 2014, the System has seen an 80 percent decrease in patient harm. The Quality Department, including Quality Process Improvement Manager, Jamie M. Ackerly, MSHSA, LBBH, presented final data and pilot project completion results of Project RARE to the other projects teams at the Westchester Medical Center Health Network’s Performing Provider System (PPS) for the New York State Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program. The WMC Health PPS was established to participate in the DSRIP program. DSRIP is a statewide program launched in response to a federal government initiative that aims to restructure the state’s healthcare delivery system by reinvesting in the Medicaid program and reducing avoidable hospitalizations over five years.
Season of Giving Staff and volunteers who participated in Beyond the Walls of 707 Initiative helped complete a holiday gift list for the local community including children in the Middletown School District, children living at HONOR's Family Shelter and A Friend’s House, Fearless (Formerly Safe Homes of Orange County), Catholic Charities Community Services of Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster, as well as children of former patients and employees in need. In total, Orange Regional was able to provide holiday gifts to 149 individuals.
The City of Middletown Police Department completed “No Shave November” followed closely by “Double-Down December,” during which officers were allowed to grow full beards as a way to draw attention to men’s health issues. Proceeds totaled $4,625 and were donated to the Spagnoli Family Cancer Center.
The PCU Cares Committee adopted six families from the area: 20 kids, six moms and three dads. The committee purchased food for the holidays and presents to help keep them warm and enjoy. 6
Thank you to the Middletown Elks Lodge for its annual teddy bear donation. This donation brought smiles to our young patients this past holiday.
JANUARY 2020
Heartburn Treatment Center
Foundation Partners With Amazon Smile
Orange Regional offers heartburn treatment services in its Outpatient Building. “The Heartburn Treatment Center provides access, convenience, information and support to patients in the diagnostics and treatment of severe and persistent cases of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), heartburn and acid reflux,” said Heartburn Treatment Center Clinical Coordinator, Alicia Natalizio.
The Orange Regional Medical Center Foundation is a registered charity at AmazonSmile, and a percentage of your purchases can be earmarked for the Foundation when you choose it as your charity. Here’s how AmazonSmile works:
• You shop. Amazon gives. • Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your
For more information, contact the Heartburn Treatment Center at 333-2635 or visit www.ormc.org/heartburn.
eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
• AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know:
same products, same prices and same service.
• Support Orange Regional by shopping at smile.amazon.com.
HR Swing Office Relocates Please note that the HR Swing Office has moved to the Simulation Lab’s former space, located behind the Vendor area on the Ground Floor (door on the right-hand side).
Auxiliary Vendor Sales Program Sales take place on the ground floor of the Main Campus in the Conference Center Lobby. February 12 - Moji Life
February 19 - Kitty’s Silver Exchange
February 13 - Teddi’s Jewelry
February 20 - Scrubs Nyack
February 14 - LA Designs
February 21 - Scrubs Nyack
February 17 - Trade Connections of NY
February 27 - Eleanor Jewelers, Inc.
February 18 - Trade Connections of NY 7
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Blood Drive
First Wednesday of the month 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Foundation
Annual Golf and Tennis Classic Monday, June 22, 2020 More details to come
The donor bus will be outside of ORMC's Main Lobby entrance.
Annual Pavilion Holiday Decorating Contest
And the 2019 winner was‌ the Accounts Payable Department for its Great Gatsby/Clue-themed space. The department also acted out an entire game of Clue to find out that Ms. Peacock killed Rudolf in the Billiard Room with the Candlestick. A good time was had by all.
Connections Newsletter For more information about Connections or to make a submission for consideration, contact Senior Marketing and PR Specialist, Lauren Kropf-Zuckerman, at 333-2363 or lzuckerman@ghvhs.org. 8