NURSE H O U S T O N
M E T H O D I S T
WINTER 2017
FOCUS ON WELLNESS Nurses create stress-free areas to relax
BRINGING HOME THE GOLD I CARE Award winners wear badge with pride
KIDNEY SWAP Q&A Nurse’s decision initiates six-way kidney swap
Liisa Ortegon Senior vice president and chief nursing executive Houston Methodist Hospital
Becky Chalupa Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital
Janet Leatherwood Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital
Nancy Keenan Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital
Vicki Brownewell Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist West Hospital
NURSE H O U S T O N
M E T H O D I S T
WINTER 2017
As you can see, Houston Methodist Nurse magazine has been redesigned and streamlined in order to best represent Leading Medicine. This issue’s feature story focuses on the I CARE values and a few nurses who have won I CARE Awards. These nurses set a high bar for all employees to strive for a higher level of excellence. The I CARE values are ingrained in our culture, and it’s important to remember why Houston Methodist holds them so dear. In this issue you also will read about the influence Florence Nightingale had on hand washing and infection prevention, a group of nurses who helped take care of former President George H.W. Bush and the ways hospitals in the system are tackling stress among nurses. Email Kelli Gifford at kagifford@houstonmethodist.org if you have any comments about the magazine or potential story ideas.
MAGAZINE EDITOR Kelli Gifford EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Katherine Walsh Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist St. John Hospital
Kerrie Guerrero Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital
Rosario Alvarado
Jackie Gendrich
Jessica Bright
Beverley LaMoth
Simone DeMarco
Carlette Patterson
Rod Evans
Jessica Saavedra Serrano
Sarah Fleming
Joy Shiller
Shuntá Fletcher
Robyn Washington
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Jacquie Frazier Deidre Tomkins Cover photo: Penny Manapul, RN, Houston Methodist Hospital
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CONTENTS Importance of 04 Hand Hygiene
06
06 Nurse Wellness Q&A: Patient 08 Satisfaction Fondren 12 Nurses 09 treat the Bushes
10
10
Cover Story: Bringing Home the Gold
Career Coach’s 14 Corner
17
Q&A: Nurse Donates Kidney
Care Navigator 19 Program
17
Awards & 22 Accolades LEADERS IN NURSING | WINTER 2017 3
HAND HYGIENE
Technology use to help track hand hygiene By Sheshe Giddens
Patients who came to the hospital were dying. Surrounded by filth and sickness, more soldiers died from the infections running rampant throughout the 19th century British military hospital than from their injuries. One of the main culprits: doctors and nurses were carrying death from patient to patient.
Today, nurses aren’t usually tackling hospitalwide outbreaks of highly contagious diseases like those of Nightingale’s time, but HAIs such as MRSA and c. diff. Although statistically, patients are not likely to contract an HAI during their hospital stay, one patient acquiring an infection is one too many.
Florence Nightingale is known for revolutionizing patient care and nursing through her work during the Crimean War, but what is less well-known is her work as a statistician. Through her efforts to institute more sanitary conditions, coupled with the data collected from better recordkeeping, she was able to save lives.
HAND HYGIENE BY THE NUMBERS
At the time, germs and sanitization were not part of the medical lexicon. In fact, many 19th-century health care practitioners didn’t believe in germs and took offense at the idea that they were responsible for spreading diseases to their patients; and, as a result, they were resistant to change. Today, handwashing and infection control are no longer novel concepts. Modern medicine accepts that patients can and will become ill or die from hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) when the people who care for them are not vigilant.
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In 2006, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital began reporting hand hygiene data using secret shoppers and determined that the hospital needed improvement. Through hospital and system’s persistent efforts, including training and incentives, such as the hand hygiene bonus, Houston Methodist Sugar Land was able to get staff to adopt better hand hygiene practices. “It took four years to get the numbers up to 100 percent. That shows how hard it is to change the culture,” said Dr. Jeffrey A. Jackson, the chief quality officer at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital who is also leading the systemwide hand hygiene initiative. “Cultural change is the big thing. That change has to be multimodal and consistent as well as have leadership buy-in with a focus on
“It took four years to get the numbers up to 100 percent. That shows how hard it is to change the culture.” the reward as opposed to punishment. We want patients, employees and visitors to be safe.” At Houston Methodist Hospital, the compliance rate dipped below 90 percent three years ago, and then the numbers dipped again in 2016. To address the issue systemwide, Houston Methodist formed its first system-level committee to address hand hygiene.
BRINGING HAND HYGIENE INTO THE MODERN AGE One of the main issues that the Houston Methodist Hand Hygiene No Harm Subcommittee addressed was the subjectivity of the monitoring process, so in 2016 Houston Methodist instituted the GOJO®
HAND HYGIENE
SMARTLINK pilot took place at West, St. John and Sugar Land hospitals. The committee learned a lot from the GOJO pilot, but determined there had to be a better way to track compliance. In April, a new pilot will roll out on two units at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. The Hygiene+
to tag equipment, and to provide information to the database about dispensers that need servicing. The system can also track hourly rounding. During the pilot, everyone on those two units will be credentialed, including doctors, nurses, patient care assistants, physical therapists, housekeeping and
A new pilot will roll out on two units at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital in April. The Hygiene+ pilot uses Bluetooth low-energy technology that detects employee badge clips when gel or soap dispensers are activated inside or outside patient rooms. pilot uses Bluetooth low-energy technology that detects employee badge clips when gel or soap dispensers are activated inside or outside patient rooms. There are also sensors that detect the badge clips when staff enters and exits patient rooms. The technology will allow the units to receive more accurate data on the hand hygiene stats and to focus on re-education for missed opportunities. In the future, Houston Methodist may expand the use of the technology, since it can act as a wayfinding system to help visitors find patient rooms,
others who access patients on those floors. The pilot will last for three months, after which the committee will start to report out its findings to system leadership in September, with the goal of moving toward adopting a more technological and objective approach across the system to making patients and staff safer. Unlike in Nightingale’s time, health care providers know that clean hands save lives. And although this new approach will require cultural and technological changes, it should help make HAIs a thing of the past.
The Rush Factor Gel in; gel out. It seems pretty simple, but when a busy nurse enters a patient room — all sorts of things can happen. When coaching staff in real time about missed opportunities to practice good hand hygiene, Rhonda Taylor, project manager at Houston Methodist Hospital, has gained some useful insights into what provides the biggest obstacles — one of which is nurses are busy. “Nurses will tell me that ‘I just needed to run in to get something quickly,’ or ‘I needed to talk to the patient for a moment; so I just popped in.’ “What they aren’t realizing is that once you’ve crossed the threshold of the room, you are in the patient’s environment,” said Taylor. “So you need to sanitize before walking into the patient’s room and once you walk out.” “Frontline care personnel — our nurses and PCAs — for example, are very customer oriented. They are there to make sure that we provide a service to the patient. They tend to look at that as paramount and then think about their personal care and safety after that. Sometimes what that translates as, in the real world environment, is that they fail to put in place good hand hygiene practices before providing care to the patient,” said Mario Soares, director of environmental health and safety and infection prevention and control at Houston Methodist Hospital.
KUDOS TO YOU Patients, family and visitors can recognize staff for great hand hygiene with the kudos card program. When patients want to recognize staff, they fill out the cards left in their rooms and give them to staff who deserve kudos. The cards are then collected and entered into a weekly drawing for prizes.
LEADERS IN NURSING | WINTER 2017 5
WELLNESSS
Code Red. Code Blue. Code Lavender? The staffs at Houston Methodist Willowbrook and Houston Methodist St. John Hospitals have found a new and creative way to address the effects of high-stress work days in their nursing units. Code Lavender was born in the Critical Care unit at Willowbrook and the 3Medical unit at St. John — both groups that deal with high-stress, high-emotion situations. Designed to conform to the needs of each unit, the group at Willowbrook chose to create a portable Code Lavender cart, while the unit at St. John outfitted a specific room. At its core, Code Lavender is a program designed to provide a calm space and stress relief items for nurses — when and where it’s needed. The room — or cart — designated is outfitted with items chosen to help provide some relief in the moment, and ultimately reduce burnout in the long run. “We’ve stocked the room with a number of items designed to destress, like coloring books, stress balls, a diffuser, a recliner and snacks for everyone to enjoy,” said Stephanie Rives, nurse manager on 3Medical at St. John. “But just as important, designing the program as a team has opened up the lines of communication and highlighted the very real benefits of acknowledging and addressing self-care.” In the Critical Care unit at Willowbrook, surveys sent preand postimplementation of Code Lavender showed extremely encouraging results. Work stress levels dropped from 7 out of 10 to just over 3 out of 10. And, coworker compassion ratings rose from 3.4 to just over 7. 6 HOUSTON METHODIST NURSE | WINTER 2017
Stress Relief Techniques that Won’t Stress You Out By Nikki Wynn You’re strong, reliable, resilient and compassionate — traits not just learned or crafted over time, but part of who you are; who you have always been. It’s why you were drawn to the profession of nursing, or more accurately, it’s why nursing was drawn to you. On the job, you’re often faced with high-stress, emotional situations. The patients you’re supporting, and the families who care for them, are navigating through some of the most trying moments of their lives. Your presence and your expertise help them to better cope. You carry their burdens, ease their pain and calm their fears. And as a result, you are taking on a whole lot of stress.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, nursing has long been considered one of the most stressful professions. You’re probably thinking: I don’t need a study to reveal the obvious. You’re right. You live it every day. Acknowledging this fact doesn’t mean you don’t love what you do. It just means that what you do takes a lot out of you — emotionally and physically. And that’s why recharging and managing stress is that much more significant in your world.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO MONITOR AND REDUCE STRESS You’ve heard it before, and you’ve seen the resulting health issues in your patients. Stress is dangerous. In its mildest form, it can give you headaches, stomach issues, anxiety and restless sleep. At its most dangerous levels, you risk severe emotional or physical issues, or even death. To be your best self — at home and at work — it is imperative that you take care of yourself.
THE FIRST STEP TOWARD STRESS RELIEF IS TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP It’s that simple. Don’t think 20 steps ahead. You’ll only add pressure to your already overwhelming stress pile. Just take the first step. Instead of joining a gym, take a walk on your break. Or sign up for one of Houston Methodist’s many Healthy Directions classes. You’ll get your body moving and save money on your health insurance.
DEDICATE SOME TIME TO YOURSELF If you love to read, close the door and let the kids know you’re off limits for 30, even 15 minutes. And if the kids are too young or the day is too crazy, try the easiest stress relief technique of all — breathing. The key is to be aware of how you do it. According to helpguide.org, you should focus on deep, cleansing breaths. Deep breathing activates the body’s natural relaxation response — leaving your body relaxed, calm and focused.
WELLNESS
HOUSTON METHODIST THE WOODLANDS HOSPITAL
Sponsoring Texas 10 Series
Mary Harris, MSN, RN, CCRN, Magnet Program director at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital
HOUSTON METHODIST SUGAR LAND HOSPITAL
Nursing Students Help Implement Zen Den to Tackle Stress Each year, nursing students from the University of Houston-Victoria rotate at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and are assigned a unit and expected to complete one improvement project during the semester. Last fall, nurse manager on Main 4 West Ann Maguire, BSN, RN, CVRN, decided to change the prompt she typically gives the students. Instead of asking “How can we better care our patients?” she asked “How can we better care for our staff?” Maguire recognized that retention on her unit had been low and that some nurseshad left due to increased stress levels. In order to deliver consistently high-quality, safe patient care, nurses needed a way to lower their stress levels while at work. The students, in collaboration with Maguire, decided to create a private space for mental and physical relaxation. Though finding space was a challenge, the group discovered the unit’s storage room would be the perfect size. Maguire and the team developed a plan and design for the room. Maguire found alternative locations for the equipment and began purchasing items for the room, such as a chair, massagers, tranquil artwork and lighting, aromatherapy items, and more. The new relaxation room was
named the “Zen Den” and opened to all Main 4 West staff on Nov. 16, 2016. All staff were welcomed to take advantage of the room for a few minutes at a time, any time during their shift. The room does not have time limits, but Maguire uses a sign-in sheet to keep track of usage and justify the Zen Den’s presence. Over time, more amenities have been added, including water features, snacks, coloring books, magazines, and an extra chair for staff who want to share the room. There is a rule that no work phones can enter the room, creating a true experience of relaxation and tranquility. The nursing students studied the effectiveness of the Zen Den over the course of one shift in November. The use of the Zen Den resulted in a 51 percent drop in staff stating they always felt stressed at work. The stress level at the beginning of the shift declined by a mean of 34 percent and the study showed a 30.8 percent reduction in stress by the end of the shift. One week after opening the Zen Den, 78 percent of the staff used the room. PCA Tina Williams said, “This job can be stressful. … I can use the Zen Den for just five minutes and it changes my entire mood. I’m truly transformed.”
Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital is a proud sponsor of the Texas 10 Series, a series of 10-mile races hosted in seven Texas cities, including Huntsville, Conroe, Katy and Cypress. Elizabeth Barnett, RN, director of the Childbirth Center, is a frequent runner in this series.
Wellness Center Opens in MOB 1
Taylor Thompson, RN, director of Cath Lab; Kerrie Guerrero, DNP, MBA, RN, NE — BC, CNO and VP; Paula Karonika, director, Supply Chain
Members of the Houston Methodist The Woodlands leadership team are busy building their staff as they prepare for the July 1 opening of Houston Methodist’s eighth hospital. While they are focused on goals and deadlines that are quickly approaching, they make sure to find time to work out and earn Pick Up Your Pace points. The Wellness Center recently opened in Medical Office Building 1 (MOB 1) on the Houston Methodist The Woodlands campus, providing the perfect place to exercise before work or during the lunch hour.
LEADERS IN NURSING | WINTER 2017 7
QA &
Focus on Patient Satisfaction with Chris Siebenaler
In an effort to continually improve the patient experience, Houston Methodist’s patient satisfaction surveys are now being administered by NRC. The system switched from former vendor Press Ganey, effective Jan. 1. NRC has been in business for more than 35 years and has worked with thousands of hospitals and health care systems helping each improve patient satisfaction. Chris Siebenaler We sat down with Chris Siebenaler, CEO of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and Regional Senior Vice President, who also leads the Houston Methodist Experience, to find out more about this exciting change.
True to Houston Methodist form, the vendor selection committee was incredibly engaged throughout the entire process.
Why did Houston Methodist make the switch from Press Ganey to NRC?
C: First of all, the behavior-based questions used by NRC will give us a better idea of the key behaviors that are important to our patients and their families. We will be able to more easily link patients’ comments with their survey scores to get a better picture of their entire patient experience.
Chris: We started the process by evaluating all of the surveys we send out and determined that it was time to make a change. We worked with Supply Chain to create a request for proposal (RFP) and invited Press Ganey and NRC to bid on survey administration services. It was important for us to include key stakeholders from across Houston Methodist in the RFP process, so we created a vendor selection committee comprised of representatives from every hospital, our physician organization, and various corporate departments such as Service Quality and Human Resources. 8 HOUSTON METHODIST NURSE | WINTER 2017
Ultimately, the vendor selection committee chose to change our patient satisfaction survey vendor from Press Ganey to NRC. We believe that NRC provides tools that give us the best opportunity to improve our communication with our patients and, ultimately, improve patient satisfaction. We’ll also be better aligned with industry benchmarks, and better able to share best practices across the organization. How will this technology improve the Houston Methodist Experience?
We also recently went live with an NRC product called Connect Transitions that allows us to conduct postdischarge phone calls within 48 hours. By July, we will have implemented a consistent approach to postdischarge phone calls for all inpatients across Houston Methodist. The purpose of calling patients within 48 hours of discharge is to make sure that they have a successful transition
from the hospital setting to their next setting. These phone calls have already helped us work with patients to improve their care after they leave our facility. What are you most excited about in terms of this new technology? C: The reports that we’ll receive from NRC will not only give us more information, but it will clearly provide key drivers for improvement of our patient-centered care. The information is organized in a way that will be easy for our doctors, nurses and staff to review and quickly determine specific areas of improvement. How would you characterize the importance of patient satisfaction at Houston Methodist? C: The Houston Methodist Experience is about how we care for our patients, families, and each other as co-workers. Our goal is to ensure patient safety, consistently anticipate patients’ needs, and find opportunities to personalize care. Every patient is unique and it’s up to us to find out what’s important to them and their family members. Our focus the past year was really “back to basics.” We spent a lot of time as an organization making sure that we consistently provide the same level of care across all of hospitals. We want to consistently engage with our patients and families in a manner that reflects our I CARE values, and find opportunities to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve.
like everyone else in the sense of when they’re sick, you respect that distance, that privacy.” Nurse Morgan Wilburn agrees. “At the end of the day, they are two sick adults who need a caring nurse to help make them feel better.” Larry Lubos, RN II, feels honored to be able to treat the first couple, which he says brings prestige to the hospital.
Former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush
Fondren 12 Nurses Put Anxiety Aside When Caring for VIPs In January, all eyes were on Houston Methodist Hospital as former President George H.W. Bush was admitted, and then former first lady Barbara Bush was admitted a few days later. During this time,thousands of media outlets quoted the Bushes saying how much they loved their nurses and were thankful for their care. Because the Bushes have been coming to Houston Methodist Hospital for years to receive their care, they have built a rapport with many of the nurses and feel at ease with them. But that doesn’t mean there’s not some anxiety that comes along with this assignment, said Christine Llewellyn, RN, charge nurse on Fondren 12. “But when you walk into a room and you look into the eyes of someone who’s held the nation in their hands or has been in a movie that you’ve seen, or you look up to as an actor, the feeling usually goes away pretty quickly — they tend to be very real people, just like you and me,” she said. Becky Escobedo, RN II, has worked at Houston Methodist Hospital for 12 years and has cared for the Bushes several times. “I think the first
time I took care of them I had a little bit of anxiety because you don’t know what their expectations are or their personalities.”
“They choose to be at our hospital. I’m very grateful for that. We, as nurses here, are given this great opportunity, and I always welcome it.” The Bushes feel at ease at Houston Methodist Hospital and sometimes provide entertainment for the staff. For instance, one day when there were several caregivers in President Bush’s room, the couple broke into song, singing an old-time favorite, “Amy.” “He would start it and she would sing along with him,” Llewellyn said. In caring for VIPs, the nurses on Fondren 12 have to have the competency and ability to care for whatever ailment the VIP has.
Morgan Wilburn, Christine Llewellyn and Becky Escobedo
Now that she’s taken care of them on multiple occasions, they welcome her visits. But she — and the other nurses — respect the privacy of the Bushes.
“Their specialties are so unique because you have to be ready for whatever the VIP has,” said Nursing Director Alicia Hernandez. “It’s not one specialty, it’s all specialties, and they’re burdened with having to have that competency.” While he was in the hospital, the former president frequently watched football or talked about the game.
“They are ordinary people; they share “They love football,” said Lubos of the the same emotions we feel,” Escobedo first couple. “He was often watching in said. “They’re mothers, fathers, sons, his room” and was hopeful to be out in daughters … they’re head of their time for the Super Bowl. families, they have puppies that they love. They’re still people. They just had And he was. Just six days after his release, he was on the field at NRG this extraordinary privilege of leading Stadium doing the ceremonial coin our country. So for me, even though toss to start Super Bowl LI. they carry that with them, they’re still LEADERS IN NURSING | WINTER 2017 9
BRINGING HOME I CARE Award winners are the epitome of Houston Methodist’s culture
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“Patients may not know our five values by heart, but they know them when they experience them. I CARE is the engine that runs Leading Medicine. Patients come to our hospitals for our clinical expertise and innovative treatments, but they come back because of the extraordinary patient experience that results from these values.” – Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist
By Kelli Gifford One evening, a woman with Alzheimer’s disease was admitted to the Houston Methodist Hospital Jones 8 Observation Unit confused and combative. Her husband, whom she had been with since they were 15 years old, accompanied her after making a three-hour drive to Houston. He refused a sitter or restraints for his wife and also refused to let medical staff enter the room to take vital signs. The primary RN was stressed. Penny Manapul, the charge nurse on duty, noticed the nurse’s anxiety and pulled her aside to calmly talk to her and listen. Manapul then spent more than an hour talking with the husband.
she was his first love and he didn’t want other people to see her like that. He explained that it was difficult for someone who doesn’t understand who she is to see her like that. We ended up reaching a compromise.” Because the husband never left the room, Manapul understood how tired he must be and noticed that he hadn’t eaten anything other than whatever was left on his wife’s tray after she finished. Manapul bought him lunch and the next day brought him coffee and breakfast. “I didn’t think anyone noticed,” she said.
THE GOLD “I explained to him that it’s really important for patient safety if we could compromise on how we can take care of his wife,” Manapul said. “He told me that she was getting worse. He said
But they did. This particular incident was among a myriad of reasons Manapul was awarded a Houston Methodist I CARE Award.
One of the nurses who nominated Manapul stated, “Because of Penny’s commitment to quality patient care, she was able to recognize not only the needs of the patient, but also the needs of her colleague and the patient’s husband.”
“EVERY DAY I THINK ABOUT HOW I CAN EXEMPLIFY THIS BADGE.” I CARE Award winners receive a cash prize and a gold badge, an outward symbol of going above and beyond to carry out the I CARE values. The award was established in 2001 after Tropical Storm Allison flooded the Texas Medical Center and caused tremendous damage to Houston Methodist Hospital. During this difficult time, talks began to happen about improving the culture at Houston Methodist and employees ultimately chose our values ― I CARE ― standing for integrity, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence.
Photo left: Lisa Frankart, RN, Houston Methodist St. John Hospital LEADERS IN NURSING | WINTER 2017 11
“When the CEO was presenting me with this award, he said ‘Lisa loves her staff and the staff loves her.’ And that is 100 percent true.”
Lisa Mauricio, RN, Houston Methodist West Hospital
Lisa Mauricio, a nurse for 29 years who has worked at Houston Methodist West Hospital since it opened in 2010 and is currently the nurse manager of the observation unit on 5 West, said she always admired the gold badge and made it an aspiration to win one. “I modeled that after the secretary in the ICU who was a gold badge winner and truly exemplified what it means to be an I CARE winner,” she said. “Every day I think about how I can exemplify this badge and inspire others to make that their goal. We’re supposed to use (the I CARE values) every day, which we do, but we can also go above and beyond and reach for that pillar of excellence.” Mauricio received the Leadership I CARE Award, which is limited to a supervisor, manager or director.
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“When the CEO was presenting me with this award, he said ‘Lisa loves her staff and the staff loves her.’ And that is 100 percent true.”
‘UNCOMMON DEDICATION’ Carolyn Waddington has been a nurse at Houston Methodist Hospital for more than 40 years, starting as a student nurse and is currently a nurse practitioner in the OPC 18 OR. Though Waddington describes herself as modest and one who does not look to be recognized, several of the surgeons she has worked with over the years decided she needed to be honored for the incredible care she provides and her “uncommon dedication.” “I can honestly say Carolyn was living the I CARE values long before they were formally introduced into the Houston Methodist culture,” said Donald T. Donovan, MD, the Olga Keith Wiess Professor and Chairman
of The Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery. “When the Neurosensory Center first opened, we treated a number of children with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis who required periodic laser procedures to maintain patient airways. Carolyn took a personal interest in the well-being of these patients, such that the families specifically requested her during their visits and inquired about her long after they didn’t require surgery for their condition. “Suffice it to say, in my 35 years at Houston Methodist Hospital, Carolyn Waddington is among the top three or four nurses I have had the privilege to work with,” he said. “I was touched by the remarks (the surgeons) submitted,” Waddington said. “I am very honored that the surgeons I have worked with over the years believe in me and my work ethic.”
THE LITTLE THINGS The I CARE Award doesn’t just go to seasoned nurses, and Lisa Frankart is a perfect example. She has been at Houston Methodist St. John Hospital since 2009 — before it was acquired by Houston Methodist — and received her BSN in May 2016. She is currently a charge nurse on 3 Surgical, and her manger, Aaron Arias, describes her as “an extremely valuable member of the team.” “Lisa embodies the I CARE values. She always has a smile on her face, and if asked to help out with something, the answer is emphatically ‘Yes!’” Frankart was also nominated by a PCA who mentioned times when Frankart went above and beyond to make her patients happy.
“For one of our elderly patients, she made brownies to cheer her up. It meant everything to the patient,” said Cathy Mahlstedt. “Another time, she bought a sippy cup for one of our pediatric patients and also a stuffed bear to help ease the child’s hospital stay. This meant a lot to the mom who left his cup at home and to the child who was able to cuddle with the stuff bear.” Frankart says she doesn’t really know why she won, but feels it was all the little things she does.
SYMBOL OF EXCELLENCE Those who wear gold badges are widely noticed by patients, who often ask what the badges mean. Each gold-badge holder has a responsibility to explain the Houston Methodist I CARE values and why they’re important. When Manapul is asked about her badge, she tells patients. “When you provide excellent patient care and you’re passionate about it, you get a gold badge!”
Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of “When I was at the (I CARE Award Houston Methodist, emphasizes the ceremony) and was hearing the other importance of the I CARE values often. winners’ stories, I turned to my dad and asked ‘Why am I here?’ But while “Patients may not know our five values I do think the big things are wonderful, by heart, but they know them when I think it’s the little things that make they experience them,” he said. a big difference. That’s what people “I CARE is the engine that runs remember — the little details.” Leading Medicine. Patients come to our hospitals for our clinical expertise and innovative treatments, but they come back because of the extraordinary patient experience that results from these values.” To those who proudly wear the gold badge, the values have an even greater meaning to them. According to Mauricio, “The gold badge is truly a badge of honor and people wear it with pride. When you see it on someone, you know they did something extraordinary.”
Carolyn Waddington, RN, Houston Methodist Hospital
“I can honestly say Carolyn was living the I CARE values long before they were formally introduced into the Houston Methodist culture.” LEADERS IN NURSING | WINTER 2017 13
Career Coach’s
CORNER
NURSE TAKES LEAP INTO FUTURE CAREER By Shunta Fletcher Nurse Andrea Hill has always had a strong passion for helping others and a desire to continually further her education and clinical knowledge. Thanks to the advice of a career coach, Hill is now part of Houston Methodist Hospital’s Leading Education and Advancing Professionals (LEAP) program. The LEAP program offers employment and education opportunities to advanced practice (NP) nursing students. Hill enrolled in a NP program in August 2015, and during her
orientation, educator Charlean Mason told the new nurses about the career coaching program. Since Hill was attending NP school and knew she needed guidance, she spoke with Mason after the orientation session and asked how she could contact a career coach. Hill made an appointment with Career Coach Shunta Fletcher who spoke with her about the LEAP program, any challenges she might need to overcome, and how the two of them could work together to create a
Andrea Hill
healthy school, work and life balance. Hill was excited to hear about the about the LEAP program and the opportunities it offered, particularly about beginning a career path while completing her degree. She transferred to the LEAP program in January while attending school at UTHealth School of Nursing. Hill is scheduled to graduate from NP school in December 2017.
If you want greater career success or need help in solidifying your vision for the future coaching appointments are flexible and are conducted by face-face interview or telephone. For more information, please contact the Center for Professional Excellence at 713.441.4546 or email at cpecareercoaching@houstonmethodist.org.
HOUSTON METHODIST WEST
Heart Failure Clinic Opens By Sarah Fleming With the opening of the Heart Failure Clinic in December, Houston Methodist West Hospital became the most complete cardiology service line in West Houston and Katy in December. The Heart Failure Clinic, which is located in Houston Methodist St. Catherine’s Wound Care Center, also welcomed its first patient with excellent results. The patient was recently discharged from Houston Methodist West and was referred by Dr. Pai.
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During the hour long visit, the patient and family received education on medication and lifestyle compliance, symptom monitoring, and disease management, in addition to a physical exam and evaluation of vital signs. The patient and family were appreciative for this service and grateful to have this appointment. Houston Methodist West is the first to open a Heart Failure Clinic in the West Houston community that is designed to help patients stay out of the hospital and at home with their families. Today, patients are referred to the clinic by either a heart failure clinic nurse practitioner (NP), CV
coordinator or a cardiologist. More than 300 charts have been reviewed by the NP and CV coordinator to evaluate appropriate patients admitted for heart failure who meet a criteria to follow up in the heart failure clinic post-discharge. Of those patients screened, 55 met criteria for a heart failure clinic consult. The patients are educated on heart failure disease and symptom management at the bedside using the heart failure Stoplight Education Tool. Then, an appointment for the heart failure clinic is made before they are discharged from the hospital. Of the 55 patients seen and educated in the hospital, 32 agreed to be seen at the heart failure clinic. Of those, 18 attended consultations, with five still waiting to be scheduled.
Houston Methodist
DIGEST
HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL Neuro ICU receives Beacon Award- Gold
HOUSTON METHODIST SAN JACINTO HOSPITAL Dual Excellence in Nursing Recognition
HOUSTON METHODIST WILLOWBROOK HOSPITAL AHA Stroke Care Quality
The Neuro ICU at Houston Methodist Hospital has been awarded the Beacon Award for Excellence-Gold by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Gold-level Beacon winners demonstrate staff-driven excellence in sustained unit performance and improved patient outcomes that exceed national benchmarks. This is the NICU’s second Gold recognition since 2012.
Earning Magnet® recognition last year helped Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital join an exclusive club, but the hospital’s Pathway to Excellence designation places the Baytown hospital in even more rarefied air.
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get with the GuidelinesStroke Gold plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite. This is an advanced level of recognition acknowledging hospitals for consistent compliance with quality measures embedded within the patient management tool.
HOUSTON METHODIST SUGAR LAND HOSPITAL New Texting Platform Receives Positive Feedback Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital recently launched PerfectServe Synchrony Advanced, which allows the entire clinical care team to securely text physicians via the web portal or have calls routed directly to physicians via a generic PerfectServe phone number. Physicians may respond directly to messages from the clinical care team, which can be retrieved via the desktop. This routing ensures the right message gets to the right physician, in the right way, and at the right time. The new technology allows the clinical care team to focus on direct patient care instead of calling multiple numbers for a physician or remaining on hold. The platform is HIPAA compliant and creates transparency for all communication processes and events between the care team.
The hospital is one of just two in the nation that was awarded both of these prestigious recognitions from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) that signify nursing excellence. Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Becky Chalupa said the Pathway to Excellence served to lay the foundation for the Magnet® journey. “Having this dual recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our nurses and staff,” Chalupa said. “During our DNV survey in December, one of the surveyors mentioned that she could feel that we have a Magnet® culture, and I agree that it is evident in every way.”
Nurses Help the Homeless In January, nurses and staff with the Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital periop team collected more than 50 “blessing bags” to donate to the Bay Area Homeless Shelter in Baytown. The bags provide the homeless staying at the shelter with toiletries and other basic items, including toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, water and light snacks, in addition to words of encouragement.
AACN Beacon Award for Excellence Silver Level The Cardiovascular Care Unit (CVCU) was awarded the Silver Beacon Award for Excellence in Critical Care. The team was recognized for leadership training and skill maintenance and for supporting staff engagement in a culture of inquiry to initiate and lead multiple patient care improvement processes.
Texas Ten Step Designation The Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Willowbrook Hospital has earned the Texas Ten Step Program facility designation from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The designation means the center has demonstrated excellence as a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite and in evaluating breastfeeding policies, maternity care practices and in educating all health care staff routinely with evidence-based courses.
LEADERS IN NURSING | WINTER 2017 15
Hospitals collaborate in patient’s care By Kelli Gifford Teamwork plays a pivotal role in the success of Houston Methodist, and a recent case of a patient with breast cancer at Houston Methodist West Hospital showed how collaboration between hospitals can benefit patients. Warren Ellsworth IV, MD, the medical director of plastic and reconstructive surgery, had been caring for 44-yearold breast cancer patient Michelle Contreras, who had hoped to have breast reconstruction at Houston Methodist West. He said she also suffers from serious congenital cardiac anomalies, and has had eight cardiac surgeries in her lifetime to achieve the level of function she enjoys today. After Ellsworth’s preoperative consideration with Elizabeth Herrera, MD, and the cardiac anesthesia staff, it was determined last minute that the Contreras’s case needed to be moved to the Fondren OR at Houston Methodist Hospital, mostly due to congenital cardiologists there to assist with pre-, intra- and postoperative care. The patient was desperate to keep her surgical date. While there was an OR reserved in Fondren, there were no available surgical scrub tech staff members from Houston Methodist Hospital to help Ellsworth with the complex surgery — made more complex by congenital anomaly and previous chest surgery. Melita Benning, surgical nurse manager from West, stepped up and recruited two scrub techs from the Houston Methodist West team to travel to Houston Methodist Hospital’s Fondren OR to help Ellsworth with the surgery. “I asked myself, ‘What can I do to be instrumental to make this successful?” Benning said. “I orchestrated her care between the West campus and Houston 16 HOUSTON METHODIST NURSE | WINTER 2017
Methodist Hospital. I only know West campus and never met any of the other people. But while we don’t know each other, we’re here to help each other out.” Ellsworth praised Benning for her hard work. “Melita truly moved mountains to make this work with the schedule at West and to jump through the required hoops to achieve the needs of the downtown OR,” he said. Benning selected two scrub techs — Deanne Medrano and Selene Oviedo — to accompany Ellsworth. Medrano, who works full time at Houston Methodist West, also works part time in the Fondren OR, and Oviedo recently joined West from the Dunn OR at HMH. The two were chosen mostly because of their familiarity with HMH but also because of their work with Ellsworth. “Without the experienced help of
Selene and Deanne agreeing to travel downtown and assisting me and my team in the cardiac OR, I could not have safely completed such a challenging reconstructive surgery in an efficient fashion — which was especially important for this patient,” Ellsworth said. Oviedo was pleased at how well the team — comprised of staff from both hospitals — worked together. “There were several people in there, and we all worked together,” she said. “It was an honor. I didn’t think they’d approach me since I was new at West.” Ellsworth says Contreras is doing well. “She remains especially grateful as she knew I would have to cancel and postpone her surgery if it were not for Melita’s organization and Selene and Deanne’s experienced hands helping in surgery,” he said.
Selene Oviedo, Melita Benning and Deanne Medrano
QA &
Mark Ridgway and Dana Edson
In the summer of 2016, physicians at Houston Methodist Hospital accomplished a rare, six-way kidney swap, the largest in the hospital’s history. It started with Dana Edson, a nurse at Peterson Regional Medical Center in Kerrville, who originally sought to donate one of her kidneys to the son of a friend in her church. Edson instead agreed to enter a swap that would eventually save the lives of six people (including her friend’s son, Mark Ridgway). We talked with Dana to learn about her background, what led up to her decision, and how being a nurse helped her decide to donate her kidney to a total stranger. Can you tell us a little about your nursing career? Dana: I originally went to college for veterinary medicine. But I switched and went into emergency nursing. I worked at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, I worked in telemetry and ICU nursing.
Nurse Dana Edson’s life-saving decision initiates six-way kidney swap
I worked as a representative for a private company, I’ve been a school nurse and a wellness coordinator. I came to Kerrville with a renewed desire to take care of patients; now I work in the anesthesia clinic, doing preadmission testing. In all, I’ve been in nursing 30 years.
I did not know this at the time, but if I were ever to need one due to illness, I would go to the top of the transplant list since I’ve donated one. If more people understood that, I think they’d be more willing to give. I completed the testing, and learned that I was most compatible with a woman named Rudyne Walker.
How did you decide to donate a kidney? Did your nursing background play a role in that decision?
(Edson’s consent meant that her kidney would go to someone who was most compatible. Walker, 71 years old, was in stage five renal failure when she received Edson’s donated kidney.)
D: I went to test for kidney compatibility on behalf of my friend’s son, Mark. His mother had donated a kidney to him 16 years ago and it was failing. I had never met Mark, and as I started testing, Dr. Osama Gaber (director of J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center) asked if I was willing to go into a kidney pool. I had to talk to my husband about it — that decision could certainly affect him and our 14-year-old daughter — and I prayed about it. As a nurse, I knew I was physically able to donate, but I never had the opportunity to do it before. I know that nurses frequently donate organs to patients but I don’t think it’s as common for nurses to go out and donate to someone they don’t know. I was also familiar with the physical limitations of having one kidney. Could I live with this lifestyle? So when I talked with my husband, we went through all of the “what if” scenarios… But if you wait for “what if,” nobody could save a life. Then I came to a realization: God’s got this! So I said yes to the swap.
How was the donation procedure? D: I’d rate it at an 8 or 9 (out of 10), pretty high up there. Every donor is made to feel like they are king or queen of the world. Houston Methodist Hospital gave me great care. On the day after surgery, I was able to walk so I went to see how Rudyne was doing. We call ourselves the ‘kidney soul sisters.’ Anesthesia was awesome, preop was amazing. Everyone was great and very supportive. I’m healing very nicely. Are there any lessons you can pass along to patients, families, etc. about organ donation or transplantation? D: I have the opportunity to ask the question “are you an organ donor?” I wear my living donor pin and I have gotten people to sign up to donate. My message is, you don’t have to die to donate. I believe I am very blessed, that I was able to share and give life to someone, and now I can share this story. I am most happy that God chose me to do this; maybe I was chosen because I’m a nurse. LEADERS IN NURSING | WINTER 2017 17
Amritha Raveendran, Amy Schmitt, Elaine Campbell, Becky Yarbrough, Josie Deckelman, Elizabeth Gigliotti
Houston Methodist West Hospital
Read, Deed & Run
Last spring, Elizabeth Gigliotti’s fourth-grade daughter participated in a Katy ISD program called Read, Deed & Run (RDR). The program lasted 25 weeks and consisted of participants reading 26 books or 2,600 pages, completing 26 good deeds benefiting the community and running 26.2 miles, a mile at a time. Hundreds of participants from many schools across the district convened at Rhodes Stadium to complete the last 1.2 miles and celebrate their “marathon” accomplishment together. “I cried tears of happiness and my heart swelled with pride for my daughter and the rest of the kids for seeing this commitment through — it’s not easy!” said Gigliotti, nurse practitioner program manager at Houston Methodist West Hospital.
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For weeks after the event, Gigliotti wished she could do something like that. “And then it dawned on me, why couldn’t I? I thought with a few modifications here and there, it would make a great professional development project for employees at Houston Methodist West Hospital.” After tailoring the project to fit the needs at Houston Methodist West, Gigliotti vetted the idea through Shared Governance’s Professional Development Council. The council fully supported the project. The RDR professional development project started on July 21, 2016. The team had its final run and celebration of marathon achievement on Jan. 21, 2017.
There were 11 people who were able to complete the project: Elaine Campbell, Mirna Chang, Josie Deckelman, Elizabeth Gigliotti, Shelby Husband, Christilynn Osbourne, Amritha Raveendran, Amy Schmitt, Joseliza Tan, Diana Williams and Becky Yarbrough. Together the team read 216 professional journal articles, did 264 good deeds for the community, and ran 608 miles, and exercised for 7,497 minutes. Campbell, who works at Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital as an admission coordinator, said, “I didn’t think that I would actually complete the entire 26-week program. After I put everything on paper, I was amazed at what I accomplished...I am excited to encourage others to complete this program next year!”
A New Role for Nursing
Houston Methodist Care Navigator Program Extends Quality Care Beyond Hospital Walls Six years ago, Houston Methodist launched the Care Navigator Program, as part of an integrated care management plan to improve patient outcomes. Today, the once-modest program has grown exponentially, improved quality care postdischarge and is estimated to have saved an average of 340 readmissions annually. The Care Navigator role is a new and exciting career for nurses, care coaches and care navigator coordinators. According to Janice Finder, RN, MSN, who oversees the Care Navigator Program, it’s about much more than reducing readmissions. “Our mission is coordinating patient care across the continuum and ensuring that our patients have the smoothest transition possible after they leave the hospital.” Currently, there are three focus areas for care navigation: Transitions in Care (TIC), Population Health (PHI) and Houston Methodist Coordinated Care (HMCC). TIC has five nurses, two coordinators, one care coach, a Certified Diabetic Educator and a pharmacist. The PHI team has eight nurses, two coordinators, a care coach, pharmacist, and a mental health specialist. The newest HMCC team has six nurses engaging patients for
coordinated care, advanced care, and transitions in care. HMCC is Houston Methodist’s first Accountable Care Organization (ACO). There are many things the team touches on while managing a patient transition. Beginning with, “How are you?” the team ensures the patient is following discharge instructions, understands the medications and can afford them, and is aware of other care options besides hospitalization. They are asked about appropriate help in the home, if indicated, and arrange physician referrals. Care Navigators help provide a safe environment for patients and caregivers who may be confused and overwhelmed after a hospitalization. For those newly diagnosed with serious conditions such as CHF, diabetes, COPD or pneumonia, the team offers a variety of education programs including web-based tutorials and have specific care plans for each disease/ condition. For example, they discuss with CHF patients the importance of taking their beta blocker, following a heart-healthy diet, monitoring daily weight and contacting their doctor if they gain two or more pounds.
Focusing on the transition fills a quality gap for patients and physicians. Patient feedback is remarkable and they appreciate the human connection. The Care Navigation team has twice been awarded a Houston Methodist “Great Catch Award” (for preventing a potentially fatal error) and has won Case In Point Platinum Awards for Integrated Care Management and Disease Management/Population Health. The team’s next strategy is to provide care managers for the primary care network’s high-risk, chronically ill patients to help manage their care. From a quality perspective, the program provides an important safety net. The primary focus is to provide a bridge between patient and primary care physician to assure the best outcomes possible.
Any patient or physician’s office can request this service. Call 713.441.0001, email carenavigator@houstonmethodist.org, or order through HM’s electronic medical record. They are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
HMPAQ I CARE in Action Participants at the Houston Food Bank
LEADERS IN NURSING | WINTER 2017 19
Worksite Wellness Webinar Reveals What’s at Stake for Health of Nurses By David Yarbrough Before Karen Edwards became a nurse at Houston Methodist in 1990, she ran track at Michigan State and was well aware of the value of rest and exercise in preparation for races. Having worked nights her first three years as a nurse, Edwards recognizes the inevitable challenges that nurses face in taking on 12-hour shifts that can interrupt sleep patterns and finding the time — and energy — to participate in a fitness routine. “If you don’t get enough sleep, your body mimics being a diabetic. It’s almost like you’re intoxicated,” she said, recalling her experience in a sleep deprivation study years earlier. “It is important to get your sleep, and it does contribute to weight loss,” she said. So does fitness. Currently an education specialist at the Houston Methodist Center for Professional Excellence (CPE), Edwards is known as a regular in Houston Methodist’s wellness programs. Over the last year, she has seen her hard work pay off. “I have lost 6 pounds. But I’m not where I want to be. I want more to go away,” Edwards said. Research conducted by CPE revealed that in 2015, the average body mass index for the Houston Methodist nursing staff increased with advancement. Case in point: the average BMI of an RN III was 1.8 units higher than that of an RN II and 2.9 units higher than that of a graduate nurse. This trend raised eyebrows at CPE, said La Donna Christy, CPE’s nursing program leader for critical care. 20 HOUSTON METHODIST NURSE | WINTER 2017
And the findings proved timely for the Silver Spring, Md.-based American Nurses Association (ANA), which selected CPE as its January 2017 presenter for ANA’s national webinar series on worksite wellness. ANA, a professional organization representing registered nurses since 1896, wanted to work with CPE because of the center’s reputation for its award-winning programs. Seven nurses gathered at the Mary Gibbs Jones Building to hear “The Benefits of Worksite Wellness for Nurses: The Cost of Health to the Healthcare Worker,” a webinar led by Christy and LaSandra Brown, program director for the Department of Nursing Education at CPE. The nurses listened intently to the messages that addressed not only the health challenges nurses in general face, but the various wellness programs offered by Houston Methodist that are available to all employees. The wellness programs’ goals are twofold: achieve a healthier workforce and cost savings for the employer. “A healthy workforce is cheaper to insure,” Brown said.
Karen Edwards
to meet the needs and goals of employees. Such programs include the popular Fitbit, Fit Company Challenge, Nutrition Bootcamp, Personal Fitness Assessment, Wellness®Work®and Weight Watchers®. The range of programs came as a surprise to nurse Ayumi Fielden. “I didn’t know there were so many programs offered, like yoga and kickboxing. I want to know how I’d get into them,” said Fielden, who is no stranger to 12-hour shifts on weekend nights during her nine years at Houston Methodist. Another webinar attendee who admittedly lacked motivation to exercise in the past is now so much a believer in Houston Methodist’s wellness initiatives, she’s hooked on one of them. “I abhor exercise,” said Resa LabbeMorris, program director of nursing science. “However, Zumba to me is not exercise. I just started going to those classes, maybe, a month ago (in December).”
Some of the factors that negatively affect nurses, Christy said, include working in a high-stress environment; And now? an inability to maintain a recommended schedule of eating every “I am obsessed with them,” LabbeMorris said. three hours; frequent consumption of foods high in fat, sugar and sodium; and physical and emotional fatigue. At Houston Methodist, employees are encouraged to take biometric screenings and participate in workplace wellness programs designed
Please visit healthydirectionshotspot.com for more information on Houston Methodist’s award-winning wellness programs.
EPIC
Go-Live Wave Makes Way to Community Hospitals Houston Methodist Achieves Eight-Star Designation Houston Methodist’s system wide Epic implementation continues through July with three waves of community hospitals set to Go-Live in 2017. Hundreds of pay-it-forward, pay-it-back nurse super-users will join their colleagues at our community hospitals to provide assistance during Go-Live. The 2016 Epic implementations were highly successful. In fact, Houston Methodist moved into an elite club of top performers (one of the quickest after Go-Live) to achieve an eightstar designation, on a scale of 1 to 10, from Epic. The rating is based on overall adoption level, and Houston Methodist achieved top scores in physician and nursing productivity, operating margin success, patient engagement, time with patients and quality and safety.
EPIC BY THE NUMBERS • More than 120,000 Houston Methodist MyChart Accounts activated • Close to 13,000 physicians and staff trained
EPIC NURSE BENEFITS • A checklist to track all patient care duties
• State-of-the-art 23-inch monitors in exam rooms and/or workstations
• Conveniently charts on one patient record • Patient information available on clinical trials, demographics and allergies • Provides better communication between patient care team members • New and improved workstations on wheels
• Access to all inpatient and outpatient encounters • BestPractice advisories to assist with decision-making and patient safety • SmartTools pulls in related documentation • Additional layer of patient safety with bar-code scanning for medication, implants and blood administration
EPIC JOURNEY: 2017 COMMUNITY HOSPITAL GO-LIVES Community Hospital Wave 1:
Houston Methodist St. Catherine
FEB. 19, 2017
Houston Methodist St. John Houston Methodist West
Community Hospital Wave 2:
Houston Methodist San Jacinto
MAY 14, 2017
Houston Methodist Sugar Land Houston Methodist Willowbrook
• 1,200 super users from across the system engaged
• 800 subject matter experts involved
Community Hospital Wave 3:
Houston Methodist The Woodlands
TARGETED JULY 1, 2017
• 17,235 employees and spouses
biometrics in Epic during benefits enrollment
• 1,600 reports generated
LEADERS IN NURSING | WINTER 2017 21
NURSING NEWS
ACCOLADES
Houston Methodist is proud to have nurses who are dedicated to the nursing profession, driven to achieve growth in their professional development, and creative and always compassionate in their care for patients. Degrees
HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL Promotions Michelle Abaya, RN in the Fondren CCU, was promoted to RN III Brenda Clark and Sashchelle Johnson of Dunn 6W were promoted to RN II Kanwal Siddiqui ,of Main 4 was promoted to RN II Three PCAs from Main 6SW were promoted to PCA III: Joy Frerking, Santina Rutherford and Liza (Ma Eliza) Tagaban. The Clinical Career Path Committee promoted 13 nurses to RN III during the winter promotion session: Michelle Abaya (CCU) Clay Barton (DOR) Alexander Constantine (DOR) Fatmata Conteh (D9 CVIMU) Tiffany Dao (DOR) Margaret Hoballah (Rad Onc) Miguel Lumaqme (CVICU) Latarvia Moore (M8SW) Henrietta Nwaobi (D9 CVIMU) Shezmine Noorani (M4NW) Laura Roger (OPC 19) Lena Soo (CVICU) Marguerite Vaught (Cath Lab)
New Certifications MICU nurses Vanessa Andrade and Kiana Tatum passed the CCRN certification Jennifer Cerda, RN on M8NW, passed the Oncology Nurse Certification Anna Duhon passed her nursing certification for Maternal Newborn Nursing Erving Edwards, RN in the Fondren CCU, passed his CCRN exam Nicole Kearns, RN in the FBOR, passed her CNOR exam Jean Konicke, nurse manager on M8NW, passed the NE-BC examination Blake Krakue, BSN, RN, from SLICU, passed his CCRN certification Michael Nobleza, RN-BC, received his certification in Psychiatry Gillydale Villaroman, RN in the Emergency Department, passed her CEN
Moona Ladha, RN III on M7SW, completed her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Western Governor’s University in Leadership and Management
Awards
HOUSTON METHODIST SAN JANCINTO HOSPITAL New Certifications Yvonne Alexander, RN, earned her FNP certification
Regina Hunter, RN on Jones 10, was named the DAISY Award winner for January 2017
Sherri Bard, RN, earned her CEN certification
Everett Stafford, RN in the MICU, was named the DAISY Award winner for December 2016
Kevin Harris, RN-manager, earned Nurse Executive-Board Certification (NE-BC)
Presentations/Posters Kimberley DuBose and Johnie Leonard had a poster presentation accepted to the 2017 American College of Healthcare Executives Congress titled “Improving ED LOS by Reducing CT Throughout Time.”
Elyssa Courtney, RN, passed her CCRN
Jacqueline James, RN, received her certification in Inpatient OB Richard Repique, RN, obtained his CEN certification Amber Thornton, RN, obtained her BSN and IBCLC certification in lactation
Kimberly Goode, director of Service Quality, and Susan Teer, nursing director, had their abstract “Timing is Everything” accepted for the Patient Experience Conference 2017 hosted by The Beryl Institute. They will be presenting their poster in March.
JonAnn Watson, director of nursing, earned her Nurse Executive Advanced Board Certification (NEA-BC)
Frederick Macapagal, RN, CCRN and Emma McClellan, MSN,C CRN, gave a podium presentation titles “Mobilizing Pre-Heart Transplant Patients with Percutaneously Placed Axillary-Subclavian Intraaortic Balloon Pump” at the International Transplant Nurses Society 25th Annual Conference on Oct. 14-16, 2016, in Pittsburgh.
BSN Degrees
Katherine Walsh, CNO of Houston Methodist St. John Hospital, and Meredith Cowan, MS, RNBC, RNC-OB, Center for Professional Excellence Nursing Program Lead, were accepted for a podium presentation at the AONE Convention in March. Their abstract is titled “Reducing Mortality with an Early Warning System.”
Robert McCray, RN
Janet Ramundo, CWOCN, and Jocelyn Goffney, CWOCN, had their abstract titled “Improving Practice and Reducing Costs with Establishment of an Outpatient Ostomy Service” accepted for a poster presentation at the 49th Annual Conference in Salt Lake City.
Ameasha Watt, RN, obtained her certification in low-risk neonatal care
Dawn White, RN Nicole Wyman, RN
MedSurg Certifications Julie Lamb, RN, Hillary Silcox, RN
HOUSTON METHODIST ST. JOHN HOSPITAL SERENITY GLAZER, ED manager, and SUSAN DISANTO, clinical education specialist, completed their MSN-Nursing Education. BROOKLYN WILSON, ED, and ELIZABETH PATERNOSTRO, Childbirth Center, graduated with their BSN.
Nursing Specialty Certifications David Carter, RN-BC (3 Surgical) Brandee Lovercheck, RN, NE-BC (Education) Stephanie Mott, RN-BC (4 Medical) Funso Olufemi, RN, CMSRN (4 Medical) Michelle Vice, RN-BC (3 Surgical Nurse Manager) Karen Wondra, RN, CVRN, (Cath Lab Nurse Manager)
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HOUSTON METHODIST SUGARLAND HOSPITAL Promotions CHILDBRITH CENTER Cristina Martin, MSN, RN, RNC-OB was promoted to Director of the Childbirth Center after serving as Manager and Interim Director.
Evidence-Based Practice Projects and Poster Presentations The Back In Action Program Chris Rappel, MSN, RN, ONC; Jennifer Pazderny, MSN, RN; Teresa Gonzales, BSN, RN; Sadé Kelly, BSN, RN, RN-BC; Shery Skariah, BSN, RN
Won 2nd Place by the judges at the Houston Methodist Research and Evidence-Based Practice Symposium 2016.
MAIN 4 WEST
Reducing the Incidence of Clostridium Difficil Lee Cantos, BSN, RN; Elizabeth Emmanuel, BSN, RN; Chanda Knight, BSN, RN
Beena Varghese, BSN, RN, RN-BC was promoted to charge nurse
Mathea Volesky, ADN, RN, CVRN was promoted to charge nurse
Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral IV Placement Danielle Hardin, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, CCRN; Ziem Dinh, BSN, RN, CCRN; Vanessa Shepherd, BSN, RN; Breanna Smith, BSN, RN
Award Winners I CARE AWARD Penny Parish, BSN, RN, CNOR (Operating Room) DAISY AWARD Ranjeetha Reddy, ADN, RN (Main 4 East)
New Certifications EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT Nikki Bodiongan, BSN, RN is now a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Kristin Marcum, ADN, RN is now a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) OPERATING ROOM Kimberly Matula, BSN, RN earned her CNOR CRITICAL CARE Sumair Sachwani, BSN, RN earned his CCRN Sarah Tobin, BSN, RN earned her CCRN
New Degrees EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT Karen Cothran earned a BSN Sean Hollingsworth earned a BSN
Presented at the Houston Methodist Research and Evidence Based Practice Symposium 2016
Won the People’s Choice Award at the Houston Methodist Research and Evidence Based Practice Symposium 2016.
Promotion of Effective Sleep in Medical-Surgical Patients S. June Lute, MSN, RN-BC
Presented at the Houston Methodist Research and Evidence Based Practice Symposium 2016.
Gum Chewing for Prevention of Post-Operative Ileus Andrea Dalcour-Cotton, BSN, RN, OCN; Amalia Gonzales, BSN, RN, OCN; Kassie Bubela, BSN, RN; Chung-Win “Joy” Fey, BSN, RN, OCN; Larina Ortega, BSN, RN
Presented at the Houston Methodist Research and Evidence-Based Practice Symposium 2016.
Impact of Multifocal Assessments and Interventions of Reduction of Inpatient Falls on a Medical-Surgical Unit Doreen Singh, BSN, RN; Philomena Valson, MSN, RN, CMSRN; Anna Baby, BSN, RN, CMSRN; Kathryn Dano, BSN, RN-BC; John Bernardo, BSN, RN; Nimisha Rajnish, BSN, RN, RN-BC; Sibichan Devasia, BSN, RN
Presented at the Houston Methodist Research and Evidence-Based Practice Symposium 2016.
BRAZOS 6 Emilyn Rodriguez, RN, CVRN, Nurse Manager earned her MSN/MHA MAIN 5 EAST
HOUSTON METHODIST WEST HOSPITAL
Doreen Singh, RN, Nurse Manager earned her MSN
Congratulations to Houston Methodist West on Pathway to Excellence redesignation.
Presentations/Posters Congratulations to Bailee Brown for her abstract being selected for a poster session at AORN Global Surgical Conference and AACN/Vizient Nurse Residency Annual National Conference Congratulation to Erin Kibbey, Leticia Riley and Tonia Shelton for poster presentation selection at the International Stroke Conference
HOUSTON METHODIST WILLOWBROOK HOSPITAL Congratulations to Houston Methodist West on Pathway to Excellence redesignation.
CCRN Certifications
Francisca Aguilar Taylor Clark
Promotions Claudia Ewers, RN, BSN, RNC-MNN, IBCLC, was promoted to Mother/Baby Nurse Manager Joseph Hutchins has accepted the permanent Director of Nursing position for Emergency Services Sarah Shaunfield, RN, BSN, RNC-OB, was promoted to Labor and Delivery Nurse Manager
Presentations/Posters Redesign, Reduce and Rejoice: A Comprehensive Transition Program to Impact Readmission Rates 2017 ACMA National Case Management Conference in Washington, D.C. Gwen Baum Loahna Bush Talon Dunn Nicolette McKenna Yolanda Lara-Chavez
Award Winners TULIP AWARD Cheryl Mitchell, PCA III on 7 West, was named the Fall 2016 Tulip Award recipient DAISY AWARD Dimitri Gauthier, RN on 5 West, and Lani Macusi, RN in the Cath Lab, named the Fall 2016 DAISY Award recipients
MedSurg Certifications Gabriela Lonzo, 5 West
Award Winners DAISY AWARD Tamela Mayer, PAT LEADERS IN NURSING | WINTER 2017 23
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage
PAID
Houston, TX Permit No. 6311
Houston Methodist 6565 Fannin St. Houston, TX 77030
Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital staff, board of directors and members of the community celebrated the hospital’s Magnet recognition last summer.
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