Hospital for Special Surgery Orthopedic Trauma Team On the Ground in Haiti
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A team of anesthesiologists, nurses and orthopedic trauma surgeons from Hospital for Special Surgery headed for Haiti on Friday, Jan. 15, and had been performing surgery and tending to those impacted by the earthquake through Jan 19. Led by David L. Helfet, M.D., and Dean G. Lorich, M.D., and including physicians from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the team worked round the clock at Hôpital de la Communauté Haïtienne in Port-au-Prince suburb of Petion-Ville and performed more than 100 surgical procedures. “This is an important humanitarian effort that requires our team to perform hands-on medicine on people who have been suffering since the earthquake last week,” said Dr. Helfet. “We had to quickly adjust from the high tech Hospital for Special Surgery environment with the most state-of-the-art radiologic and surgical equipment, to a makeshift hospital where we are trying to save lives and limbs.”
February 2010
According to Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO of Hospital for Special Surgery, “It’s in times like these that we need to act with skill and compassion. We are extremely proud of our team and the contributions they are making to help the people of Haiti. We will continue to contribute to these efforts as best we can in the coming days and weeks.”
VOL. 12 ISSUE 2
Read the president’s message on page 3 for more details.
Mary K. Crow, M.D., Named Physician-In-Chief and Chair of Rheumatology Mary K. Crow, M.D. has been appointed physician-in-chief and chair of the Division of Rheumatology. This appointment is effective as of April 1. Dr. Crow, who is an internationally recognized research scientist and a leader in the field of rheumatology and autoimmunity research and clinical practice, will bring her expertise to her new role at Special Surgery. Dr. Crow, who has been associate chief, Division of Rheumatology and Director of Rheumatology Research at Hospital for Special Surgery since 2001, succeeds Stephen Paget, M.D. Dr. Paget, who will become physician-in-chief emeritus, will assume a new leadership role with responsibility for a wide range of educational and training endeavors as well as the further development of external support for the institution. In announcing this appointment, HSS President and CEO Louis A. Shapiro said, “Dr. Crow’s prolific and profound scientific contributions to autoimmunity and rheumatology research and its translation to patients, coupled with her extraordinary leadership skills make her uniquely qualified for this key position.” Thomas P. Sculco, M.D., surgeon-in-chief and chief medical officer at HSS added, “We are fortunate to have someone of the caliber of Dr. Crow on our staff who can step into this important role. She is a distinguished and respected scientist whose work provides a model for bench to bedside research which will lead to great improvements in patient care.” Over the coming months, Dr. Crow will work closely with HSS executives and colleagues to ensure a smooth transition into her new role. Dr. Crow has a long relationship with HSS and its academic affiliates. She received her M.D. degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1978. She subsequently completed her internship and residency at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in 1979 and 1981 respectively, and her fellowship at Hospital for Special Surgery in Rheumatology and at Rockefeller University in Immunology Research in 1984. She is a tenured professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. In addition to her research and clinical responsibilities at HSS, Dr. Crow has been a mentor and role model to many medical students and young scientists at the institution. “Dr. Paget has been an exceptional leader, and I am honored to be given this opportunity at this extraordinary academic institution that has been such a central part of my life,” said Dr. Crow. “I look forward to working closely with my colleagues and am committed to continuing the work that carries the potential for major breakthroughs that can dramatically improve the lives of patients with autoimmune diseases.” 2
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Message from the CEO Stepping up in a time of need As I am writing this message, our team has been in Haiti for several days. As I’m sure many of you know, shortly after the earthquake Dr. David Helfet went into quick planning mode, and within 24 hours assembled a team of anesthesiologists, nurses and orthopedic trauma surgeons. With air transport donated by medical device company Synthes, and surgical supplies donated by Synthes, HSS and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, they were on their way to the ravaged country. Once on the ground, the team, including physicians from NYPH worked round-the-clock performing surgeries in rudimentary conditions to save lives and limbs.
Louis A. Shapiro, FACHE
By the time this edition of Echo is printed it’s been weeks after President and CEO the earthquake hit Haiti, and, some members of the team may be back at HSS, continuing to do what they do best…helping those who need our expertise. But it’s still hard for us to be at home with our families and imagine the scope of pain and suffering that is ever present in Haiti. The relief efforts will be long lasting and I am sure HSS will continue to contribute to these efforts as best we can. Whether it be each and every day, or in very sad situations like we are seeing in Haiti, our staff steps up and gives everything they have in terms of skill, passion and compassion to help those in need. Our deepest thanks to all involved in our Haiti relief efforts. Joining Dr. Helfet included (in alphabetical order): Daniel Chan, M.D. – Orthopedic Trauma Fellow Patricia Donohue, N.P. – Trauma Service Douglas Green, M.D. – Anesthesiologist Devon Jeffcoat, M.D. – Orthopedic Trauma Fellow Kethy Marie Jules-Elysee, M.D. – Anesthesiologist Dean Lorich, M.D. – Orthopedic Trauma Attending Neil MacIntyre, M.D. – Orthopedic Trauma Fellow Anna Miller, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgery Resident Andrew Nevaiser, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgery Resident Ronald Perez, R.N. – Perioperative Services Louise Strickland, R.N. – Scrub Nurse With great appreciation, Lou Shapiro
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Royal Recognition for HSS Research Technician and Mask Maker Following a recent performance in Montreal of the Cirque du Soleil, honored guests, His Royal Highness Prince Charles and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall, formerly Camilla Parker-Bowles, were offered their choice of masks from the Cirque du Soleil’s boutique. The Duchess chose a mask created by HSS senior research technician Erik Attia. Following Her Royal Highness’ choice of Erik’s mask, Christine Deschampes, the assistant buyer for the Cirque du Soleil’s boutique, telephoned Erik immediately with the exciting news. “I just turned 41 years old,” said Erik. “This was the best birthday present I ever had.” Erik works in the HSS Soft Tissue Research Laboratory. His research focuses on the construction of a biologically engineered ligament. “I think some of my colleagues were even more impressed by this than I was,” said Erik. Erik Attia in his art studio displays his collection. “Jo Hannafin, M.D., Ph.D., [orthopedic director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at HSS] was especially pleased for me. She is the biggest supporter I have, in or out of the laboratory,” continued Erik. By a strange twist of fate, the mask chosen by the Duchess was the first mask that Erik ever created for the Cirque du Soleil’s boutique. “I took a shot in the dark about a year ago and sent an e-mail to Cirque du Soleil,” said Erik. “Their director of merchandizing, Eric Choquette, was on his way to Manhattan on a buying trip,” Erik continued. “We met and Cirque du Soleil started buying my masks immediately.” Three of Erik’s designs are available in their boutique. Eric’s masks are all handmade on papier-mâché and airbrushed. He uses gold leaf or powdered metals. The paints are acrylic-based. Erik has been making masks for four years. His work is best known on the Gulf Coast of the United States. Mardi Gras and Halloween are his two busiest holidays. His masks range in price from $100 to $600 dollars. “Sales for masks for Christmas and New Year’s were brisk,” continued Erik. He also makes ornaments. Floret’s Unique Gifts and Accessories in Lambertville, N.J., sells Erik’s creations. The shop is close to New Hope, Pa. (Continued on next page)
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Royal Recognition for HSS Research Technician and Mask Maker (Continued) Erik’s masks have been displayed in several boutiques and galleries including Cirque du Soleil internationally, HPGRP Galleries in New York and Maskarade in New Orleans. When asked which of his talents presented itself first, art or medicine, Erik said that both talents came to the surface at around the same time. Erik graduated from Rutgers University in 1993 with a bachelor of arts degree in biology. He Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall wearing one minored in anthropology and took of Erik Attia’s mask designs. several courses in fine arts including drawing, painting and art history.
SAVE THE DATE Education Day 2010 Friday, March 12 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Construction Update During the month of January, the materiel and personnel hoist was installed on 70th Street; miscellaneous structural steel items were completed; high roof drains and storm water piping were positioned and spray-on fireproofing was completed on the 9th floor. The project continues on schedule and on budget. Read Echo each month for more details and construction updates. 5
Mary K. Crow, M.D., Named Physician-In-Chief and Chair of Rheumatology (Continued) “We are extremely excited to have Dr. Crow in this leadership role,” said Steven Goldring, M.D., chief scientific officer. “I have been very fortunate to work with her for many years during my time at Harvard and more closely since I joined HSS, and her strengths and abilities in the fields of academic medicine, education, patient care and research are exceptional.” Dr. Crow will remain co-director of the Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research and director of the Autoimmunity and Inflammation Research Program at Hospital for Special Surgery. Among the numerous honors and awards she has received, the most recent include Paul J. Bilka Endowed Lecturer, Mayo Foundation; Kare Berglund Lecture, Lund University in Sweden; and Katherine Swan Ginsburg Visiting Professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The selection process involved an international search conducted by representatives from the scientific and clinical community at Hospital for Special Surgery and NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital. This search committee reviewed and examined some of the most outstanding leaders in academic rheumatology before selecting Dr. Crow.
JOINT COMMISSION REPORTING Hospital for Special Surgery is committed to providing safe, quality care to all of its patients. In the event you have a concern regarding the safety or quality of care provided by the Hospital or the Laboratory, you may report these concerns to the Joint Commission. Please be assured that no retaliatory disciplinary action will be taken if an employee makes such a report. In addition, the Joint Commission has stated that your name will be treated as confidential information, and will not be shared with any other party. You may file your report in the following ways: 1. By e-mail: complaint@jointcommission.org 2. By fax: Office of Quality Monitoring, 630-792-5636 3. By mail: Office of Quality Monitoring The Joint Commission One Renaissance Boulevard Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 For fax and mail reports, submissions must be on a Quality Incident Report Form available on the Joint Commission website www.jointcommission.org. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Executive Offices at x1236. 6
Town Hall Forums to Begin February 2 HSS President and CEO Louis A. Shapiro invites all HSS employees to attend one of nine Town Hall Forums scheduled to begin Feb. 2. This year’s Town Hall will feature a special video, “2009: A Look Back,” highlighting some of our many accomplishments over the past year. Mr. Shapiro will also discuss elements of our Strategic Plan moving forward and answer questions. Please don’t miss this opportunity to learn about our future direction and the important role that you play in our continued success. Sessions will be held on the following dates and times: Date
Time
Feb. 2
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 8
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Feb. 9
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Feb. 10
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Feb. 12
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Feb. 19
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Feb. 23
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Feb. 26
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 26
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
All sessions will be held in the Richard L. Menschel Education Center. Pre-registration is required through the E-Learning intranet site. Sessions for night staff, OR staff and Rehabilitation staff are TBD.
Welcome December 2009 Dharshini Anderson, Diana Bermejo, Carolyn Bringas, Dina Delopoulos, Stanislav Dymik, Alaina Fortenberry, George Gene, Alice Gittler, Guerson Heriveaux, Marelin Lopez, Shirley Magabo, Christopher Nickel, Jennifer Nuccio, Albeiro Ocampo, Olusegun Olatunbosun, Amy Reinharz, Danielle Rocco, Jacqueline Sandoval, Jorvin Torres and Carina Tuohy. 7
Decorating Contest Sparks Holiday Spirit at HSS When is a door just a door and an area just an area? Not in December at Hospital for Special Surgery! The fifth annual holiday decorating contest ran true to form with everyone surpassing their past efforts. Sometimes the toughest act to follow is the one your own department produced last year. Sponsored by the Employee Activities Committee, the 2009 best door and best area decorating competition’s entrance deadline was December 11. Judging took place December 21. Christopher James, staff secretary, Education Department, coordinated the judging of the entries. Last year’s coordinator, Jalak Patel, assistant director, Public and Patient Education, was on vacation.
Best Door – Pediatrics 5 West
As in past years, one winning team and one runner-up in each of the two categories, Best Door and Best Area, won a complimentary lunch party for all team members. All the participants agreed that the competition brought close-knit HSS employees even closer together. The Pediatrics Department – (Pediatrics 5 West) won the Best Door competition. “We all came up with pieces of the winning idea Best Door Runner Up – Centers for Education and Research together,” said Tonnie Warfield, R.N., team captain. Tonnie is a clinical nurse I, Ambulatory Clinic and Private, and is still a relative newcomer to HSS after 14 months. The members of the Best Door team were: Eileen Vance, R.N.; Colleen Kirkpatrick, R.N.; and Jane Fiero, R.N. 8
“We wanted to create a door that encouraged recycling and creativity and to express the heartfelt beauty of handmade gifts,” continued Tonnie. “These gifts can be made by the whole family. You can make amazing gifts frugally, which is great in a tight economy,” Tonnie said. “Our prizewinner door is actually a crafts table turned upright,” said Eileen. “There are sections for paper crafts, beading and woodworking,” Eileen continued. Best Area – Patient Accounting Customer Service “We used old wrapping paper, tongue depressors, game cards, Monopoly money, McDonald’s “Happy Meals” toys – Everything we could think of,” noted Colleen Kirkpatrick.
No possible opportunity for creativity was overlooked. The department clock was turned into Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. There is a red dot in the center of the clock’s face for Rudolph’s nose and there are “reindeer horns” on top. “We are thrilled by the recognition we got because of the contest,” said Jane Fiero. “Actually, we decorate our doors for all the Best Area Runner Up – MRI Department holidays, probably because we are a Pediatric Department. The kids love it!” The Best Door Runner-Up was awarded to Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (Belaire 9H.) “Phuong-Nam Giang was our team captain and she came up 9
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Decorating Contest Sparks Holiday Spirit at HSS (Continued) with the concept for our door,” said Tamara Hagoel, research assistant and a member of the team. “She took photographs, cut out all of our faces and put them on a sled. The one man in our department was pulling the sled down the hill. On the top of the hill is a little house and our supervisor, Gina Aharonoff, is looking out the window,” continued Tamara. “There is a lot of detail: snowflakes, glitter, and something special is depicted about everyone in the department. The contest was a lot of fun. Decorating the door together just reinforced our closeness,” she said. The members of the team were: Phuong Name Giang, team captain, Nadia Camille, Daniel Fischer, Tamara Hagoel, Kaitlyn Lillemoe, Krystal Sarcone, Justine Shum, and Gina Aharonoff, supervisor. Patient Accounting’s Customer Service Area won the Best Area competition. “The creativity was wonderful,” said Elisa Levi, supervisor, Patient Accounting. “Everyone took the HSS mobility motif and found inventive ways to use it in their cubicles. Janet Maguire, assistant vice president, Patient Financial Services, crocheted her mobility man. We used the mobility icon on Chanukah candles and Chanukah candy, too.” continued Elisa. The members of the Patient Accounting Customer Service team were: Kyle Kinsey, team captain, Michael Bolin, Rochelle Butler, Jackie Charles, Delia Cruz, Arlene Hinds, Mitzy Landero, Elisa Levi, Simone Taylor and Debra Vonhelms. “The contest was a lot of fun,” said Elisa. “Everyone got excited about it. This was a big team effort. It was amazing how happy everyone was. What a great morale booster.” Elisa said. The MRI Department was the Runner-Up for Best Area. It will come as no surprise that MRI won the Best Area competition in 2008 and was runner-up two years prior to that! Josie Romero, MRI registrar, Radiology and Imaging, was the team captain. Team members included Josie Romero, Arelis Ruberte, Sade Clarke, Rick Schubel, Manuela Anton, Cindy Console and Li Foo, M.D. “Tiffany’s was the theme for our area,” said Josie Romero. “We used blue boxes with white fabric ribbons. Instead of Tiffany & Co. on the blue boxes, we had HSS & Co. all over our area,” said Josie. “We had three large displays of blue boxes and we made Tiffany-like snowflakes by hand. We made our own Christmas tree out of white copy paper and pushed it into a corner to give it a 3-D effect,” Josie continued. “There were blue and white balls on the tree and it was trimmed with pearls and other expensive-looking jewelry. We had jewelry draped all over the area and all of our desks had little Tiffany boxes on them. The effect was rich and elegant,” said Josie. Every HSS employee who enters the annual holiday doors and areas decorating competition is already a winner—but—just wait until next December. You ain’t seen nothing yet! 10
Interdisciplinary Team Award Congratulations to the Ambulatory Surgery Overnight Stay Improvement Team for earning a 2009 Interdisciplinary Team Award. The Selection Committee presented the second half of 2009 honors to the team in the Richard L. Menschel Education Center on Jan. 12. The Ambulatory Surgery Overnight Stay Improvement Team along with other outstanding interdisciplinary teams who submitted award applications were all recognized for their continued commitment in the pursuit of service excellence at HSS.
Good Health Is in Your Hands Leon Root, M.D., demonstrates that proper hand washing is a simple habit that can help keep you healthy.
COMPLIANCE HELPLINE REMINDER The Compliance Helpline is a service for employees who wish to anonymously or confidentially report suspected violations of the Hospital for Special Surgery’s Code of Conduct, officially stated policies or relevant public laws and regulations. The Helpline does not replace other resources available to you, including supervisors, managers and Human Resources staff, but it is an alternative channel available to you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is operated on our behalf by National Helpline Services, Inc., an independent firm. The Compliance Helpline number is 888-651-6234. All information will be kept confidential unless the law requires it to be shared with law enforcement authorities. Hospital for Special Surgery policy forbids any retribution or retaliation against an employee who reports a compliance issue in good faith. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Corporate Compliance office directly, at x2398. 11
Rehab News ■ Kudos Academic Achievements: • Congratulations to Lisa Cannegieter, MPT, DPT, who recently obtained her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa. Professional Education: • Howard J. Hillstrom, Ph.D.; Melanie Buckland, PT; Corinne McCarthy, DPT; Sherry Backus, PT, DPT, MA; Jinsup Song, DPM; Paul Scherer, DPM; Cherie Choate, DPM; K. Whitney; David Scher, M.D.; and Leon Root, M.D., presented a poster on “Torsional Shoe Flexibility Effects on Functional Performance of Children Learning to Walk” at the Footwear Biomechanics Symposium, ISB, Cape Town, South Africa. • Robert H. Brophy, M.D.; Sherry Backus, PT, DPT, MA; Andrew P. Kraszewski, MS; Barbara Schreck; Yan Ma, Ph.D.; Daniel Osei, M.D.; and Riley J. Williams, M.D.; presented a platform on “Gender Differences During the Soccer Kick” at the AOSSM Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colo. • Mickey Levinson, PT, CSCS, presented “Posterior Instability: Is it all about the Supraspinatus?” at Sports CORE. • Sherry Backus, PT, DPT, MA, lectured on “Total Knee Arthroplasty: MIS vs. Standard TKA and Gait” for the Medical and Rehabilitation Rounds at Amsterdam Nursing Home. Patient and Public Education: • Nicole Levane, PT, DPT, and Karen Yanelli, PT, DPT, presented a lecture titled “How’s my posture?” at a program organized by the HSS Patient and Public Education Department. Rehab in the News: • John T. Cavanaugh, PT, MEd, ATC, and Brittany King appeared in a segment about exercises for gastroc tears that aired on WABC-TV. • Diana Zotos, PT, CSCS, was quoted in an article regarding the incorporation of eastern medicine into western medicine ideals in Fight magazine.
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Kudos ■ CHArmCenter • Michelle Carlson, M.D., along with her colleagues Krystle Hearns, Timothy Wright, Ph.D., and Kate Meyers received a one-year Zimmer research grant from the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society for “The Anatomy of the Collateral Ligaments of the Thumb MP Joint and Strength Testing of a New Reconstruct.” ■ Research Division Honors and Awards: • Yan Ma, M.D., was elected to Fellowship in the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and will be inducted at the ACCP annual meeting to be held in Vancouver in October. • Andrew Pearle, M.D., and colleagues Volker Musahl, M.D.; Asheesh Bedi, M.D.; Musa Citak, M.D.; Padhraig O’Loughlin, M.D., and Daniel Choi will receive the 2010 Cabaud Memorial Award from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) for a research paper “Comparison of Single and Double Bundle ACL Reconstructions in Pivot Shift Kinematics in ACL and Meniscus Deficient Knees.” The award is given to the best paper submitted concerning hard or soft tissue biology, in-vitro research, laboratory or "bench-type" research, or in-vivo animal research and will be presented at the AOSSM Annual Meeting to be held in Providence, R.I., in July. Study Sections, Editorial Boards, Professional Organization Roles: • Richard Bockman, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed to the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Drugs of the US-FDA. • Theresa Lu, M.D., Ph.D., has been invited to serve on an NIH Special Emphasis Panel Study Section. Lectures and Symposia: • Doruk Erkan, M.D., was a Grand Rounds Speaker on “Antiphospholipid Syndrome” at the North Shore - Long Island Jewish Healthcare System, Feinstein Institute, The Autoimmunity Center, Seminars in Experimental Rheumatology. ■ Department of Laboratory Medicine • Michael J. Klein, M.D., delivered the 127th slide seminar of the California Tumor Tissue Registry. “The Diagnosis of Bone Disease Using an Imaging-Based Approach – A Way to Diminish Apprehension” in San Francisco in December, 2009. The seven hour seminar was only the Fourth orthopedic seminar since the inception of the registry in 1947. Also, Dr. Klein was the visiting professor at the University of Nebraska.
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Holiday Wrap Up ■ Toys for Tots Hospital for Special Surgery received a Commander’s Award from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve “for outstanding achievement in support of the 2009 Toys for Tots program.” The Toys for Tots collection is now in its tenth year at HSS. So many toys were donated that the Marines had to come back on two consecutive days to pick up all of the boxes. Left, members of the U.S. Marine Corps with Mary “Thanks to the kindness of HSS employees, volunteers and visitors the holidays were brighter Hargett, Lillian Diaz-Arroyo and Dennis Palacio. for many local children,” said Mary Hargett, co-chair, Employee Activities Committee (EAC).
The EAC would like to particularly thank the Development Department, the Health Information Management Department, the Pain Management Center and the Research Animal Lab for their participation and generosity. “This event would not have been successful without the support received from Housekeeping, the Material Management staff on the first floor, Security and the staff at the Information Desk,” continued Ms. Hargett. The Employee Activities Committee appreciates the support received in 2009 and looks forward to your participation in 2010 activities. ■ HSS Serves Up Fun at the Annual Children’s Holiday Party Making lists and checking them twice proved to be a fun-filled Children’s Holiday Party which is annually underwritten by the Florence and Harvey McCoy Fund. All of the children, pediatric patients and their families, had a spirited celebration having their faces painted, being mesmerized by Magician Tim Podell, serenaded by Cheriff Marone, dazzled by featured dancers from the Time2Dance Academy, and awaiting the guest of the hour…Santa Claus. This annual event, which is coordinated by Lorraine Montuori, LCSW and Saleana Negron, MS, Child Life Program, Social Work Programs, was supported by members of the Volunteer Department; Erin Carter of The Kathryn O. and Alan C. Greenberg Center for Skeletal Dysplasias; Mark McCormack of Admitting; and especially Juan Mendez of Security, for donning the Santa suit and making a lot of children very happy. 14
Press Highlights (Continued) Joshua Dines, M.D., and Rock Positano, DPM, MSc, MPH, talked about the diagnosis and treatment of Lisfranc injuries, reported in their weekly column in the New York Daily News. Geoffrey Westrich, M.D., was featured in a news article about minimally invasive joint replacement such as hip resurfacing and partial knee replacement, reported in the Queens Courier. John Blanco, M.D., offered parent’s a guide to recognizing the signs of the development of scoliosis and with proper treatment, children with the condition can lead normal active lives, reported the Queens Courier. Robert Spiera, M.D., was featured in the American Journal of Hematology/Oncology commenting researchers finding that Rituxan can treat sever antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis as effectively as cyclophosphamide. Jonathan Deland, M.D., was interviewed about a new line of fitness shoes that claim to give consumers a workout while they go about their daily activities, reported Fox 5’s Good Day New York, and more than 35 Fox affiliates nationwide. Riley Williams, M.D., and Hospital for Special Surgery, the official hospital for the New York Red Bulls, were referenced in an article about soccer player Jorge Rojas undergoing successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, reported USA Today and the Associated Press. Helene Pavlov, M.D., FACR, who authors a weekly column online in The Huffington Post, offered insight about the importance of recognizing the valuable work of Radiologic Technologists. Brian Halpern, M.D., was interviewed about diagnosis and treatment of calf muscle tears, reported WABC-TV Ch. 7. To view these stories and all other HSS’ news coverage, go to www.hss.edu/hss-news
PATIENT SAFETY REPORTING HOTLINE... To maintain the high quality patient care for which HSS is reputed, it is a responsibility of all employees to prevent problems before they occur. Please use the Patient Safety Hotline, established by the HSS Patient Safety Steering Committee, to inform the Committee about barriers to patient safety, near misses or actual events, recommendations for improvement, and unsafe practices. The Hotline is confidential and may be used for anonymous reporting. Please call (212) 774-SAFE and be sure to provide enough information to facilitate investigation. The Hotline does NOT replace existing mechanisms for reporting these issues. 15
the back page Passages It is with deepest sympathy that we note the passing of Iris Marti, mother of Norma Legarreta, Health Information Management, and Eileen Rios, Dr. Eduardo Salvati’s office.
Press Highlights In December HSS was featured in 111 news stories that ran in major markets’ newspapers and magazines as well as on television news programs. This does not include media coverage in smaller markets. Below are some highlights of that coverage.
Louis A. Shapiro, FACHE, was interviewed for a feature article about his role as president and CEO of Hospital for Special Surgery and his insights on health care as part of a series focusing on New York’s medical elite institutions, reported in Avenue Magazine. Dr. Stephen Paget, M.D., M.D., FACP, FACR, was featured in national news stories about dance helping a young performer living with cerebral palsy, reported The New York Times and CBS Sunday Morning. Geoffrey Westrich, M.D., and Eileen Finerty, MS, R.N., CIC, were featured in a television news story about infection prevention and what people can learn from Hospital for Special Surgery, reported WCBS-TV Ch. 2. Scott Rodeo, M.D., was interviewed for a feature article about human growth hormone and the controversy regarding long term use in athletes as a performance booster, reported The New York Times. Thomas Sculco, M.D., and Eileen Finerty, MS, R.N., CIC, were featured in a television news story about infection prevention and what people can learn from Hospital for Special Surgery, reported WCBS-TV Ch. 2. Stephen Fealy, M.D., was quoted in an article about Phiten titanium necklaces and whether they enhance athletic ability, reported the New York Daily News. Dr. Michael Lockshin, M.D., commented on the importance of patients living with arthritis to feel empowered to take charge of their health, reported in AARP The Magazine. (Continued on page 15)
Managing EDITOR: Tracy Hickenbottom x1197, echo@hss.edu Executive EDITOR: Phyllis Fisher EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: Lisa Goldstein, Deborah Sale, Bruce Slawitsky
NEXT ISSUE: March 2010 Contributions Deadline: February 1, 2010 16