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A publication of st. Luke’s
Community Service Reporting Goes High Tech..................................... Page 2
OUR NETWORK’S EXEMPLARY QUALITY BEGINS WITH OUR EMPLOYEES It’s no idle boast when St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network CEO Rick Anderson states that the Network stands in no one’s shadow locally and nationally when it comes to quality of care. Just ask Donna Sabol, vice president and chief quality officer. Donna, who works with physicians, nurses, and clinical and non-clinical staff on quality initiatives, can point to many examples confirming quality of care at St. Luke’s. They include: • Overall mortality rates are very low, ranking in the top 10 percent nationally. Mortality rates are exceptionally low for open heart surgery and bariatric surgery.
A Day in the Life of Charlie Sonday...................................... Page 4
• The hard work of process improvement teams has decreased the rate of central line infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia by 56 percent from 2006 to 2009. • .St. Luke’s is among the top performers in the area in Pennsylvania PHC4 rankings. In its annual Hospital Performance Report, PHC4 provides mortality ratings of “Better than Expected,” “As Expected,” or “Worse than Expected” ratings for 49 hospital inpatient conditions and procedures. In the most recently published report (2008), all four St. Luke’s hospitals performed extremely well, receiving no “Worse that Expected” mortality ratings. In fact the Allentown and Bethlehem campuses received more “Better than Expected” mortality ratings than any other hospital in our region. continued on page 3
“Walk in My Shoes” Builds Teamwork................................. Page 10
Caring for Kids — From the Office to the Wilderness...... Page 11
(L-R): Donna Sabol, vice president and chief quality officer, and Rick Anderson, President and CEO, present a First Place Quality Award to Dr. Andrew Kimmel; Carol Scott, RN, ROP coordinator, and Gayle Thear, NICU manager.
January/February 2009
In This Issue: Our Network’s Exemplary Quality Begins with Our Employees..... ............... 1 Community Service Reporting Goes High Tech.. .................................... 2 A Day in the Life.. .................................. 4 St. Luke’s “Family” Steps Up to Boost Female Cancer Services......................... 5 2009 PCRAFT Winners............................ 6 Central Transport Achieves Ambitious Goal..... ................................. 8 St. Luke’s Nurses Write a Cinderella Story.. ....................... 9 “Walk in My Shoes” Builds Teamwork.................................10 Caring for Kids – From the Office to the Wilderness.. .......11
The St. Luke’s School of Nursing Student Government Association (SGA) sponsored a gift donation for clients of the Visiting Nurse Association’s Nurse Family Partnership (NFP). In the photo, SGA officers gather gifts for transport to the NFP office for distribution to needy families (L-R): Tracey Kuhn; treasurer, Rachelle Doran, activities representative; Daniel Domin, vice president (with son Logan); Rachel Herman, president; and Kim Davies, secretary.
You Make A Difference A commitment to quality is a strong part of our Network’s culture. “Every employee is committed to do the right thing for every patient — and each other,” according to Donna Sabol, vice president and chief quality officer. The following comments from our patients validate Donna’s statement. From a patient at the Miners Campus: “I was treated with seriousness and professionalism. I am from New York City and couldn’t have received any better treatment!” From patients, commenting on nurses at the Quakertown Campus: “Awesome nurses and aides!” “I loved them all!” “My nurses were top notch.” “ Very nice and friendly nurses, helpers. Very nice people.” From an Outpatient Infusion patient at the Allentown Campus: “The scheduling system was very convenient to meet my needs.” From a patient at the Emergency Department at the Bethlehem Campus: “I was transported from another hospital and immediately felt confident I was in good hands. They all could not have been more attentive to my needs.” From patients at Coopersburg Center Valley Family Practice: “I have found it to be very easy to schedule even with short notice.” “No one could be more courteous or helpful.” From a patient at South Mountain Family Practice: “Dr. Nguyen is so good. She knows me and I trust her as if I was her daughter.”
COMMUNITY SERVICE Reporting GOES HIGH TECH Employees soon will be able to help St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network report and tell the important story of all of the free services and charitable care we provide to the community. Using new computer software (CBISA) that gathers and sorts the information, we are striving to improve our Network’s accounting for what’s known as “community benefits.” This initiative is important for two reasons, according to Bob Beckowski, budget director for our Network. The first is to improve the scope and accuracy of program information that our Network issues to the communities it serves. The other, which is vital to St. Luke’s continued status as a tax-exempt health institution, is to provide detailed documentation of its community benefit programs to the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS already requires not-for-profit hospitals to report on the charitable prevention, healing and education services they provide; the information must include the number of people served, the cost to the hospital and any offsetting revenue. Separate reports must be developed not only for each of our hospitals, but also for St. Luke’s Physician Group (SLPG) and the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of St. Luke’s Starting this year, Bob explains, the new CBISA software will enable employees to report directly about community benefit activities they coordinate or take part in. “In addition to our Community Health Department, headed by Dr. Bonnie Coyle, we are doing hundreds of things to benefit the community. We want to make people
At the dental clinic at the new Broughal Middle School, Dr. Thomas Madera and dental assistant Patricia Gonzalez provide services to a student.
aware of all of them, and we want to report them to the IRS, too,” he says. Only activities done on behalf of St. Luke’s are counted. “If you do volunteer work on your own, such as coaching a youth volleyball team, it is something we would always encourage. However, that doesn’t count in the eyes of the IRS as a community benefit,” he adds. The IRS has other, detailed regulations for qualified community benefit activities. Bob says employees don’t need to worry about whether a particular service qualifies. “We are asking, at this point, that all activities get entered. The activity will be reviewed to determine if it meets the IRS requirement for reporting. If not, we still want to include it in our internal and external community benefit reporting.”
St. Luke’s facility coordinators
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Allentown Campus
Jim Owens.....................610-954-3185 • 610-628-8117
Bethlehem Campus
Katie Siegrist........................................... 610-954-4131
Rolland Paulus........................................ 610-954-3387
Bob Beckowski....................................... 610-954-3137
Miners Campus
Andrea Visnosky.................................... 570-645-8392
Quakertown Campus
Theresa Corrado.................................... 215-538-4514
VNA
Michele Giletto....................................... 610-954-2824
Bob is planning to meet with managers to explain the CBISA software. Each facility has an on-site facility coordinator who will be able to assist staff and answer questions. The coordinators will set up training sessions, as well. The information itself will be entered via MyNet into the CBISA software. Among the advantages of the new system, Bob explains, is that CBISA allows crossdepartment endeavors to be reported in a complete and non-duplicative way. Anyone who has coordinated an event since July 1, 2009, is being asked to contact his or her facility coordinator as soon as possible to begin tracking this information. The IRS created the community benefit standard in 1969, and it has been the yardstick by which nonprofits are judged on their tax-exempt status. With the ongoing debate this year on broader health care reforms in Washington, regulations regarding the standard are being tightened. The standard takes into consideration emergency room availability and non-discrimination against Medicaid or Medicare patients. But the community benefit also is important. Whatever changes the IRS or Congress might impose, having the very best data on the community benefits provided across the Network will enable St. Luke’s to be well prepared to meet the changes successfully.
January/February 2010
Quality cont. • Quality care has allowed the Network to provide limited guarantees for successful patient outcomes for robotic prostatectomy procedures and minimally invasive reconstructive surgery for pelvic prolapse. Donna says a number of factors have helped to drive quality efforts in the past few years. We’ve completely redesigned our quality infrastructure. We developed our Five Points of the Star Model and use it to organize and guide our Strategic Planning Process for the Network, the various entities within in the Network and each service line. We utilize Performance Scorecards from the Network level down to the department level, including the VNA and SLPG, to measure progress in achieving identified performance goals in each of the Five Points of the Star. Each service line has a multidisciplinary PI Committee chaired by the medical staff chief. There are 12 Network PI Teams working to improve our performance in Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Falls, Central Line Infections and other areas. St. Luke’s has also played a prominent role in health care industry efforts to link reimbursement to quality outcomes. Donna explains, “St. Luke’s has been a leader in its quality improvement and patient safety efforts since early 2000. We have been involved with the national Hospital Quality Improvement Demonstration (HQID) project sponsored by Medicare and Premier.” The purpose of the HQID project is to identify whether financial incentives improve quality of care. Four years of HQID data demonstrate that the 250 hospitals participating in the HQID are performing much better than
hospitals nationally in the 30 evidencebased clinical quality measures. Hospitals scoring in the top 10 percent for a given set of quality measures received a two-percent bonus payment on top of the standard diagnosis-related group (DRG) payment. Those scoring in the next highest 10 percent received a one-percent bonus. In the third year of the demonstration, hospitals that do not meet a predetermined threshold score on quality measures were subject to reductions in payment. Participation in the demonstration project was voluntary and had advantages. Donna says it put St. Luke’s ahead of many other hospitals in assessing and improving the quality of its patient care. It also is an opportunity to compare the Network’s quality data against that of other hospitals. Based on our performance we have received incentive payments totaling nearly $150,000.
The demonstration project is a precursor to Medicare pay-for-performance measures that begin in 2010 – 2011. Pay for performance began to be phased in beginning in 2004, when hospitals were required to submit data for 10 clinical measures or face a payment penalty. In 2010, the number of measures to be evaluated has grown to a total of 73 and includes measures for heart surgery, 30-day readmission rates and hospital-acquired infections. “It is the biggest change in Medicare reimbursement since the advent of DRGs in the mid 1980s,” Donna states. Donna says the success of quality efforts is the direct result of the commitment shown by St. Luke’s clinical staff. “Every employee is committed to do the right thing for every patient — and for each other. The esprit de corps and the desire to be the top performer shown by employees is the key to our success.”
(L-R): Donna Sabol, vice president and chief quality officer, and Rick Anderson, President and CEO, presented the 2009 President’s Award for Quality to Jennifer Grell, BSN, RN, Amy Hilliard, RN, Gail Wainwright, MSN, RN, and William Hoff, MD, for their poster titled “Optimizing Resource Utilization in Traumatic Brain Injury, The High Observation Trauma (HOT) Unit.”
Network Quality Awards St. Luke’s observed National Health Care Quality Week in late October 2009 by celebrating the contributions staff make every day to provide quality health care to our patients and community. The winning submissions for the annual Quality Awards are listed below. The 2009 posters are available on the Quality Resources page of MyNet.
This team successfully developed a program that allowed low severity head injury patients to be cared for on a medical surgical unit, PPHP9, rather than the higher acuity ICU. As a result, overall ICU length of stay dropped from 6.8 days to 3.2 days which equates to a cost savings of over $248,000 for the 18 month timeframe of the project.
St. Luke’s second annual President’s Award for Quality was presented by Rick Anderson, President and CEO, to the Trauma Department and PPHP9 for their project titled “Optimizing Resource Utilization in Traumatic Brain Injury: The High Observation Trauma (HOT) Unit.”
Winning Submissions
January/February 2010
First Place: ZAP the VAP-Prevention of Ventilator Acquired Pneumonia by SLA/SLB Infection Control & Critical Care; Watchful Eye by SLA/SLB NICU and Dr. Andrew Kimmel;
Determination of Pediatric Patient to Staff Ratio by Sleep Disorders Center; Optimizing Resource Utilization in Traumatic Brain Injury: The High Observation Trauma (HOT) Unit by SLB Trauma Unit & PPHP9. Second Place: Championing Core Measures by SLQ Patient Care Services; Early Extubation of Postoperative Open-Heart Patients by SLB CSICU, MedSage™ Patient Management System: Successful Compliance in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment by HomeStar; Decreasing CLABSI: A Network Approach by Network Central Line PI Team.
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A Day in the Life of... CHARLIE SONDAY, RN, CRNP Coordinator, Rapid Response Team • Allentown Campus Before we follow Charlie Sonday through a “normal” day, we need to understand the role and makeup of the Rapid Response (RR) team, which, he emphasizes, are unique to the Allentown Campus. “Our model, which is driven by nurse practitioners (NP), provides critical care decision support to non-critical care areas — enhancing the care of our patients,” Charlie says. “Our role is proactive, rather than reactive, with the goal of decreasing unanticipated transfers to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).” Let’s walk with Charlie as he makes his rounds, which begin with receiving a report from the offgoing NP in the RR office. “The report tells us what’s going on in the ICU,” he explains. “Then, along with a critical care physician, we observe patients in two areas where there is a potential for a rapid response intervention: the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Medical/Surgical Unit.” The following real-life scenario illustrates what the RR team does. “During our rounds, a patient in the Medical/Surgical Unit went into respiratory distress,” Charlie recalls. “We intubated him, put him on a ventilator and, while calling for an attending Pulmonary/ Critical Care physician, took him to the ICU. If our team wasn’t already there (proactive), we would have been called to respond to a true emergency (reactive).” After making its rounds, the RR team typically moves to the ICU to handle procedures such as performing intubations, inserting central lines and chest tubes, and treating arrythmia and respiratory distress cases. At any time during its shift, the team is “on call” to respond to patient emergencies anywhere in the hospital. Charlie introduces the Rapid Response team: Ed Grecsek, ACNP-BC; Paul Del Casino, ACNP-BC; Donna Martonik, ANP-BC; and Kennie Koelsch ACNP-BC. “I’m just the glue that holds the team together.” As two administrators at the Allentown Campus attest, Charlie, who is a founding member of the team, deserves much more credit.
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“Charlie consistently demonstrates not only his commitment to implementing our vision for a Rapid Response team, but also his dedication to our patients and their well-being.” — Beverly Snyder, RN, MSHA, vice president of Patient Care Services John P. Bruno, DO, MBA, FAAP, vice president of Medical Affairs, says, “Charlie is the epitome of a dedicated professional.” Beverly Snyder, RN, MSHA, vice president of Patient Care Services, adds, “Charlie consistently demonstrates not only his commitment to implementing our vision for a Rapid Response team, but also his dedication to our patients and their well-being.” Charlie, who has several certifications, came to St. Luke’s as an emergency nurse and then transitioned to PennSTAR aeromedical helicopter when the Bethlehem Campus became a Trauma Center over a decade ago. In addition to his Rapid Response team duties, he also conducts simulation training for the Obstetric and Neonatal Units at the Allentown and Bethlehem campuses — with Pat Bates, CRNP, and Toni Prelovsky, CRNP. In addition,
he has partnered with Drexel University to have the Allentown Campus serve as a clinical site for Drexel’s Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program. Charlie has been extremely impressed by the commitment of senior management to the Rapid Response team, and by the cooperation among departments and staff. He shares, “The physicians are great people, who truly care about their patients and the staff who care for them.” At home in Hamburg, Charlie and his wife Christine, a nurse, care for their two sons, Zach (11) and Cole (5). Charlie enjoys running, playing soccer and coaching his boys’ soccer teams.
January/February 2010
ST. LUKE’S “FAMILY” STEPS UP TO BOOST FEMALE CANCER SERVICES Despite some challenging weather, about 150 women who work at St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network or are family or friends of employees “voted with their feet” during a fall weekend in support of better education and treatment of female cancers. That is, they ran or walked in the 17th annual Women’s 5K Classic held in Allentown’s Lehigh Parkway. This level of participation made St. Luke’s team the biggest at the event, and represents an increase of about 30 percent over last year. The 5K Classic is the Lehigh Valley’s largest running event, with about 5,600 participants. And, because only women may enter, it is one of the largest allwomen’s races anywhere.
• St. Luke’s is one of the hospitals that benefits from the funds that the 5K Classic raises. Each year, we receive $20,000 – $25,000 in grants, which are used to buy equipment and make other improvements in programs for female cancers. Helene says, “We touch so many women with our services — mothers, daughters, grandmothers. When you see the Survivors’ Parade (part of pre-race pageantry each year) it makes you see how important the event is and how important the work we do at St. Luke’s is. For instance, digital mammography, which is an improvement over traditional mammograms on film, is now available throughout our Network. Participating gives such a message of hope.”
Linda says one of the ways she and Helene encouraged participation is to provide team shirts for everyone. Women of all skill levels, from competitive five-mile runners to those who walk at a leisurely pace, join in. Both women took inspiration from Dr. Lee B. Riley, medical director of St. Luke’s Cancer Center and a long-time board member for the 5K Classic, and from Jane George, assistant vice president for Government Relations, who has been a member of the 5K Classic committee since the mid 1990s. Jane says, “I’m proud that the 5K is run by all volunteers. That means the money we raise goes directly to providing services and programs for female cancers.”
Credit for St. Luke’s outstanding participation this year goes to Linda Lefevers, director of Cancer Support Services, and Helene Oplinger, Radiology Services administrator. They encouraged employees and their families to participate in the classic for three reasons: • The goals of the all-volunteer 5K Classic align with the work that so many Network people do in the course of their workday: education, diagnosis, treatment and support of female cancers. • It’s a good opportunity to give back to the Lehigh Valley community. St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network Women’s 5K Classic family.
By the numbers
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• After a certain period of growth, hair becomes dormant. That means that it is attached to the hair follicle until replaced by new hair. • Hair on the head grows for between two and six years before being replaced. In the case of baldness, the dormant hair was not replaced with new hair. • Men loose about 40 hairs a day. Women loose about 70 hairs a day. *Source: www.didyouknow.cd
January/February 2010
Dr. William L. Estes came to St. Luke’s Hospital from New York City on November 21, 1881. He wanted to start a school of nursing based on Bellevue Hospital’s training school, which was started in 1873 on the Nightingale Plan. 5
PCRAFT 2009 Winners 2010 PCRAFT Awards Coming Soon!
Allentown PCRAFT winners (L-R): Antonia Bernhard, Nuclear Medicine; Kevin Overfield, Radiology; Mary Wood, East 2; Tara Wargo, Radiology; Lillian Amador, OB; John Watson, Environmental Services; Nanette Keller, Pharmacy; Robert Toth, Hyperbaric Medicine; Marian LeCoultre, OR; Doreen Kleca, Nursing Administration, Barbara Wilson Gibula Award winner; Debbie Kahler, OR; Angie Trask, Same-Day Surgery; and Kathy Kilcup, South 2.
Bethlehem PCRAFT winners (L-R): Anne Kemp, Media Production Services; Glenn Leh, Storeroom; Cindy Huth, Retina Center; Lee Boytim, OR; Maria Vargas, Laboratory; Pat Gubich, Nursing-NW8; Cathy Breithoff, Nutrition Services; Mike Conway, St. Luke’s Health and Fitness Center; Fran Remaly, Pharmacy; Will Westwood, Engineering; Annette Schweder, School of Nursing; Herm Sharrer, RN, Cardiac Services, Eddie Sacks Award winner; and Gordon Stewart, former Patient Representative, ED.
Our Guiding Principles Pride • Caring • Respect • Accountability • Flexibility • Teamwork 6
January/February 2010
2009 SLPG PCRAFT award winners Betsy Laub, Connelly Family Practice Manager of the Year Shari Gibson, Pennsburg Family Practice Janice Harris, North Whitehall Family Practice Deborah Hewitt, Palisades Family Practice Donna Horn, St. Luke’s Family Practice – Walnutport Julie Kotulka, SLOGA Bethlehem Liz Velez, Medical Associates of Bethlehem Gene Miller, DO, OB/GYN Care Associates, Physician of the Year Ginnie Miller, Keystone Surgical Associates PCRAFT Winner: Donna Horn St. Luke’s Family Practice – Walnutport (L-R): Danielle Brennan, RN, office nurse; Michele Hosier, office supervisor; Lisa Doherty, DO; and Donna Horn, medical assistant.
Merrilyn Pysher, Cardiology (Bethlehem MOB) David Renner, Orthopaedic Surgical Group Maria Schwindenhammer, Dr. Bub and Associates Colleen Stevens, William Penn Family Practice Kim Wood, Dr. Bub and Associates
PCRAFT Winner: Maria Schwindenhammer Dr. Bub and Associates (L-R): Rob Parker, regional manager; John Haney, SLPG COO; Maria Schwindenhammer, medical assistant; and Dean Evans, SLPG president.
PCRAFT Winner: Liz Velez Medical Associates of Bethlehem (L-R): Dean Evans, SLPG president; Liz Velez, front office coordinator; Joan Holtman, regional manager; and John Haney, SLPG COO.
January/February 2010
PCRAFT Winner: Colleen Stevens William Penn Family Practice (L-R): Dean Evans, SLPG president; Colleen Stevens, medical receptionist; Ana Cruz, practice administrator; Rob Parker, regional manager; Elisa Diaz, medical assistant; and John Haney, SLPG COO.
PCRAFT Winner: Dr. Gene Miller OB/GYN Care Associates (L-R): Ben Negley, regional manager; Janet Williams, practice administrator; Gene Miller, DO; John Stevens, DO; and John Haney, SLPG COO.
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CENTRAL TRANSPORT ACHIEVES Ambitious GOAL Watch out NASCAR and Indy, St. Luke’s is setting some speed records of its own! The Central Transport Department at the Bethlehem Campus in April first reached its goal of responding to calls in an average of less than 20 minutes. That’s the first time since 2003, when the department began tracking its average response time. The actual time was 19 minutes, 38 seconds, which covers the period of time from when a job is put in and the patient is picked up and delivered to his or her destination. Michael Amory, MS, OTR/L, Network director of Rehabilitation Services, puts the achievement in perspective. “In an era when most hospitals are satisfied with an average of 25 minutes, this achievement is nothing short of amazing,” he says. “We’re very proud of Central Transport; even more noteworthy, they got it done with fewer employees. That’s a tribute to the dedication of the staff and its teamwork with other departments — for example, having patients ready for transport and getting them on and off stretchers and wheelchairs.” Looking at this milestone in other terms, Central Transport achieved another first: recording an average productivity of 3.1 jobs per hour, which followed the March figure of 3.0, compared to the national benchmark of 2.5 jobs per hour. A celebration within the department was attended by department staff; Michael Amory, Network director of Rehabilitation Services; Lisa Dutterer, associate vice president; and Carol Kuplen, chief nursing officer. Ryan Jandrisovits, supervisor of Patient Transport and Ergonomics, attributes these accomplishments to advancements in technology and a commitment by staff to improve processes within the department. “Computer software (TeleTracking), which we implemented in 2002, automated our dispatching, created transparency and forever changed the way Central Transport functions,” says Ryan. “This software enabled us to establish realistic transport goals — which we finally met in April. “We began by creating a Department Performance Improvement Plan, which,
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The Central Transport team, back row (L-R): Bill Shafer, Josh Meenan, Ryan Jandrisovits (supervisor), Ted Graham and Jorge Rivera. Front row (L-R): Rich Castillo, Trudy Raymis and Ryan Wismer.
through feedback from our staff and the departments we service, identified areas that would significantly improve our functioning. We also empowered our patient attendants to problem solve on the spot to keep the flow of patients moving throughout the hospital.” Ryan credits the department’s achievements to the consistent effort of each patient attendant, as well as the hospital’s diagnostic and nursing staff. “Central Transport cannot function independently,” he says. “We rely on teamwork to transfer almost every patient out of a bed to a stretcher or wheelchair and then back. Sharon Kemmerer, director of Imaging Services and Quality Management, comments on what this productivity means to the Radiology Department. “The Central Transport team logs
thousands of trips per month, at all hours of the day and night, to bring patients to and from the Radiology Department. We congratulate them on their turnaround time achievements and thank them every day for all they do for us and our patients.” Herm Sharrer, RN, manager, adds, “Their timeliness can have a major impact on the testing areas, the nursing floor, the physicians and most importantly the patient. They continue to “be some of the behind-the-scenes unsung heroes of the patient’s hospital stay.” Ryan concludes, “I am proud of the accomplishments of the Central Transport team, but vow to continue improving our service so wait times are low and satisfaction is high for every patient, every time!”
“In an era when most hospitals are satisfied with an average of 25 minutes, this achievement is nothing short of amazing... That’s a tribute to the dedication of the staff and its teamwork with other departments.” — Michael Amory, MS, OTR/L, Network director of Rehabilitation Services January/February 2010
ST. LUKE’S NURSES WRITE A CINDERELLA STORY When Stephanie Kunkle, RN, BSN, came across four bridesmaid dresses in her closet, she knew the time had come to do something good with them. A unit-based educator on the fifth floor of the Priscilla Payne Hurd Pavilion at the Bethlehem Campus, Stephanie went online and found Becca’s Closet, an organization that collects formal dresses and gives them to underprivileged teens for their proms. “I was touched by the story of a Philadelphia girl living in a car during her senior year,” says Stephanie. “Someone handed her a flyer, she contacted Becca’s Closet, which also collects shoes, purses, jewelry and makeup and offers dry cleaning services. She said she felt like Cinderella. Recalling my high school days, with all the normal teenage struggles, at least I had the support of my parents. How wonderful that this unfortunate girl could have an experience that every girl dreams about!” Stephanie continues, “People hold onto their dresses so long. When I discovered Becca’s Closet had a branch in Philadelphia, I finally had a good reason to give up mine. In February, I decided to spread the word among my fellow employees, who contacted their friends and relatives. Pretty soon, we had a collection of 40 dresses, which my colleague, Mary Kate Murphy, RN, BSN, transported to Philadelphia in April, in time for prom season.” The donation was made in the name of PPH5’s Practice Council as a community service initiative. Becca’s Closet began in 2001 by Rebecca Kirtman, a high school freshman in Florida. After her tragic death in 2003, her friends and family expanded the service into a global charity organization, with 25 active closets worldwide, including Germany, England and Singapore. The Philadelphia branch was initiated by Chelsea Pasahow, a relative of Rebecca. Chelsea says, “Becca’s Closet is about little things making a big difference. No matter the circumstances, rich or poor, every girl deserves to feel like a princess. It was Becca’s original vision and now it’s up to me to make it happen.” Stephanie and Mary Kate will collect gently used prom and bridesmaid dresses again in February. Please contact Stephanie at kunkles@slhn.org if you are interested in donating yours.
St. Luke’s Cardiology Associates welcomes new physicians Donald Ferrari, DO Dr. Ferrari comes to St. Luke’s from Brandywine Valley Cardiovascular Associates in Thorndale, Pa., where he served as chairman of the Department of Medicine at Brandywine Hospital and most recently as chairman of the hospital’s advisory board. Dr. Ferrari has 20 years’ experience providing comprehensive cardiac care to patients. His practice is focused on helping patients prevent and manage heart disease. Prasanna Sugathan, MD Dr. Sugathan comes to St. Luke’s from Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J. where she served as co-director of the hospital’s heart failure management program and was an active lecturer and assistant professor of medicine in cardiology. Dr. Sugathan has been named director of Heart Failure for St. Luke’s. In addition to heart failure management, her special interests include heart disease in women and diabetes and heart disease. Darren Traub, DO Dr. Traub comes to St. Luke’s from the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y. where he recently completed specialized fellowship training in cardiac electrophysiology. A native of the Lehigh Valley, Dr. Traub provide state-of-the-art treatment for cardiac arrhythmias including catheter ablatation of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, implantation of pacemakers and ICDs, and treatment of supraventricular and ventricular tachycardia.
Mary Kate Murphy, RN, BSN, (left), and Stephanie Kunkle, RN, BSN, of PPHP 5, organized a collection of gently used formal dresses and donated them to Becca’s Closet, an organization that gives these dresses to underprivileged teens for their proms.
January/February 2010
Drs. Ferrari, Sugathan and Traub welcome new patients and consultations. To schedule an appointment, call 610-861-0377. 9
“Walk in my SHOES” Builds teamwork No employee in our Network displays a commitment to customer service, employee relations and management leadership better than Linda Young, vice president of Patient Services at St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital, who has devoted 35 years of service to St. Luke’s in a variety of patient care, supervisory and management positions.
in quality medical people and state-of-the art technology in all specialties. But there’s more to the picture. We constantly promote the idea of continuous improvement in all facilities and departments. And through a variety of team-building activities, we actively solicit the input of all personnel in every initiative we undertake.”
Transport run and worked a few hours at night in the Housekeeping Department.” So, how is WIMS going so far, Linda? “People have enjoyed the exchange, and it has been a real ‘eye opener’ to have employees see how one department impacts another. Part of the process is recognizing employees who excel at customer service and analyzing how they do it. Managers of the host departments have received feedback from the visitors and have truly welcomed their suggestions for improvement. I’m pleased to report that our 2009 Employee Opinion Survey, which had an unusually high response rate, showed a dramatic improvement in cooperation among departments. “I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish with WIMS, and the long-term goal is to expand the program to other campuses. The bottom line is: we all work together and everyone is important. I feel extremely fortunate to be part of St. Luke’s.”
Laura Hillen, RPh, Quakertown Pharmacy (left), and Adam Florkowski, RN, BSN, Quakertown ICU, participate in the “Walk in My Shoes” program in Quakertown.
Most of this story will be devoted to describing a program known as the “Walk in My Shoes” initiative, which Linda developed with other members of the Leadership Development Steering Committee at the Quakertown Campus. But to understand the rationale for and value of this initiative, we need to consider the evolution of our Network’s management philosophy. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the President’s Council, led by Rick Anderson, St. Luke’s President and CEO, formulated the PCRAFT values, which clearly express the way we wanted to treat our patients and each other. Linda explains, “If we have a positive working environment, we have happy employees; if we have happy employees, we have satisfied patients. Said another way, patients can choose from lots of other hospitals and health care organizations; you really have to do something special to set yourself apart. “We have worked very diligently on several fronts to ensure an exceptional patient experience everywhere in our Network. Part of that success is the result of bringing 10
The “Walk in My Shoes” (WIMS) initiative is a perfect example of not only building teamwork, but also welcoming it. The 2008 Employee Opinion Survey at the Quakertown Campus identified an issue of cooperation among departments. Linda and the rest of the Leadership Development Steering Committee — Laura Bader, OR manager; Debbie Cooper, Food Service dietician; Mary Dugan, Behavioral Health Unit manager; Shelley Maley, HR manager; and Jan Wieand, Radiology and NCV manager — took action. “Managers began visiting other departments and working with those managers,” recalls Linda. “The next logical steps were: (1) targeting specific departments, (2) encouraging employees from one department to spend several hours in another department and (3) having them communicate their findings with members of their own department. No employee is above walking in someone else’s shoes,” says Linda. “Our President, Ed Nawrocki, went on an Emergency
Questions/Prompts from: THE WIMS ASSESSMENT •L ist three things you learned about this department. • I dentify some of the daily challenges this department faces that you were unaware of. • I dentify those individuals who excelled in customer service behaviors. • I s there anything you learned that would help you to improve processes in your department? • I s there anything you can suggest to improve the processes in the department you visited? •D escribe how you feel about participating in this experience.
January/February 2010
WELCOME TO THE CARDIOLOGY DEPARTMENT! The staff of the Cardiology Department at the Bethlehem Campus takes great pride in creating a warm and friendly atmosphere for its patients and their families. One of their favorite ways is to decorate the entrance to the department with seasonal themes. In the photo of the autumn display at left, a scarecrow welcomes visitors with open arms — symbolic of the caring they receive on the other side of the door.
CARING FOR KIDS – FROM THE OFFICE TO THE WILDERNESS Dr. Sally Haggerty, a private practice pediatrician, has strong ties to St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network. In addition to looking in on her patients every day at the Bethlehem Campus, she has chaired the hospital’s Credentialing Committee for nine years and been a member for 15 years. “Long ago, I hitched my wagon to St. Luke’s star,” she says. But this story is not about Dr. Haggerty’s relationship with St. Luke’s or her pediatric practice in Bethlehem. For more than 20 years, she has taken a leadership role in scouting, helping her sons Dan (32) and Tom (29) advance from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts to Eagle Scouts. And in 2008, of the 40 boys in her troop, 10 earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout — a truly remarkable achievement, made even more meaningful because Dan is an assistant scoutmaster of the troop. Dr. Haggerty recalls, “When Dan was a Cub Scout, I was recruited to be part of the adult leadership and have been doing so ever since. I attended meetings and would go on outings with the boys. My husband Raymond, a dentist in Bethlehem, was also a Cub Scout and Boy Scout. Scouting has been a perfect way for our family to spend quality time together.
January/February 2010
“I never liked camping until we went with our boys. Time goes so fast, and I tell parents there is no better way to be involved in the lives of their children. Long after my boys turned 18 and left the troop, I have continued to enjoy interacting with the troop and participating in its activities. When our scouts go camping, I accompany them, not as a physician, but as a scout person.” However, she does advise the medical officers and write medical protocols. You might wonder what it takes to climb to the rank of Eagle Scout. Without detailing every step, an Eagle Scout needs to, in this order, earn 21 merit badges for a variety of skills; assume leadership responsibilities within the troop; and plan and lead a service project that benefits the community, a school or a church. Dr. Haggerty highlights several examples of service projects that her Eagle Scouts have accomplished — all of which involved leading other people and required a commitment of 100 to 200 hours. One boy remodeled the kitchen at his church. Another collected hundreds of videos and video games for the Pediatric Unit; his friends checked each one to make sure they worked properly. More recently, a boy worked with the principal at Liberty High School to build and landscape a garden outside the school library; he recruited other youth from his troop and school to do the work and arranged for materials to be donated.
Dr. Haggerty proudly displays her scouting badges.
“Scouting has been a perfect way for our family to spend quality time together.” “Speaking of community outreach, I appreciate St. Luke’s for allowing us to hold monthly scouting meetings for leaders of the South Mountain District at the Education Center at the Bethlehem Campus,” says Dr. Haggerty. Asked what she does in her spare time, Dr. Haggerty, who also serves on the Bethlehem Board of Health, replies, “What spare time?”
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Network Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit #275 Bethlehem, PA
801 Ostrum St. • Bethlehem, PA 18015 Our Vision: St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network will forever change the perception that health care is difficult to access by making it EASY for patients, physicians and staff to use our services. St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network will perform in the top decile for each diagnosis in national pay-for-performance programs. Our Values: • Pride We take pride in our accomplishments and our organization. • Caring We show consideration for others and their feelings, and treat others as we want to be treated. • Respect We recognize the value, diversity and importance of each other, those we serve and the organization. • Accountability We are responsible to make decisions and solve problems in a timely and effective manner. • Flexibility We adapt to changing needs and the expectations of those we serve. • Teamwork We work together to improve quality. Network Pulse is a periodic publication for the employees of St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network published by the Corporate Communications Department. 801 Ostrum St. • Bethlehem, PA 18015 Executive Editor: Susan M. Schantz Vice President, Corporate Communications Contributing Writers: Glenn Kranzley • Vicki Mayk • Robert Schobel Design Supervision: Lori Diehl Director, Network Graphic Design Photography: Joseph Klepeiss Director, Media Production Services Betsy Toole Anne Kemp
St. Luke’s strives to be the region’s health care employer of choice.
Miners campus receives funding for improving energy efficiency Congressman Tim Holden (PA-D-17), center, recently presented officials at St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital with a $525,000 check to support the hospital’s Energy Efficiency Improvement Project. Joining Congressman Holden are, (L-R): State Representative Jerry Knowles; Susan Solt, president, Coaldale Borough Council; Bill Crossin, president, St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital; Congressman Holden; Ralph Richards, administrator, St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital; and John Tracy, vice chairman, Board of Trustees, St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital. The Energy Efficiency Improvement Project focuses on the installation of technologies throughout the hospital that reduce fossil fuel consumption and emissions while saving money and energy. The funds secured by Congressman Holden will support this initiative through the purchase of more than 225 new energy efficient windows. The new windows are insulated glass units that are hermetically sealed and provide the highest level of insulation and daylight to enter the room.