Network
St. Luke’s strives to be the region’s health care employer of choice.
A publication of st. Luke’s
2010 PCRAFT Award Winners.............. Page 5
St. Luke’s Dominates 2010 HAP Achievement Awards . t. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network won four 2010 S Achievement Awards announced in May by the Hospital . & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. It was quite an achievement given that only 17 awards were given statewide. St. Luke’s four award-winning programs were chosen from 134 nominations, and there are about 260 hospitals in the Commonwealth.
A Day in the Life of Donald Botbyl........................................ Page 6
HAP
Achievement Awards P R O G R A M
. onna Sabol, vice president of quality/chief quality officer, says the applications that St. Luke’s D staff members submitted connected the projects to SLHHN’s core mission, which includes “providing compassionate, innovative, cost-effective and exceptional quality care.” She also noted that only one other hospital in the Lehigh Valley region (Grand View, Sellersville) won . a 2010 Achievement Award. Here are some details about SLHHN’s honored programs: T. he “Developing Insightful Leaders” project was an initiative of the Organizational Development (OD) Department in Human Resources, with Robert Weigand and Tanya Markovich playing . key roles. Bob explains the goal is to have all leaders, staff and volunteers feel valued. . A main focus of this strategy is to use organization-wide employee satisfaction surveys. . continued on page 2
St. Luke’s Winning Programs St. Luke’s Leads the Revolution in Cancer Diagnosis.............................. Page 8
“Developing Insightful Leaders: A Customized Leadership . Support/Development Program” (Bethlehem Campus) “Nurse Practitioner-Led Rapid Response Team Reduces . Unanticipated Transfers to the ICU” (Allentown Campus) “Championing Core Measures” (Quakertown Campus) “Bariatric Patient Access Improvement Project” (Allentown Campus)
Getting to Know... Gloria Cuadrado.................................. Page 10
JULY 2010
In This Issue: St. Luke’s Dominates 2010 HAP Achievement Awards..... .................. 1 Breast-surgery and Cancer Specialist Wins National Recognition as Her Practice Here Grows.. ............................ 3 Summer’s Here — Water Safety Tips from an Expert.. .............................. 4 2010 PCRAFT Award Winners.. ................ 5 A Day in the Life.. .................................. 6 Top 10 Facts to Know............................. 6 Practice Makes Perfect Choice for its Patients...................................... 7 St. Luke’s Leads the Revolution in Cancer Diagnosis.. ............................. 8 1,000 Attend St. Luke’s Survivors Day.. ... 9 Getting To Know... Gloria Cuadrado.......10 Preparing for the Accreditation Process.. ........................11
Terry Koller (right), president-elect of the Eastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Executives Network (EPAHEN) presents Andrew Starr, assistant vice president, St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network, with the 2009 Lee-Haney Founder’s Award, presented by EPAHEN. The award recognizes individuals for their contributions to their respective health care institution, their contributions to EPAHEN, and their contributions to the community.
You Make A Difference A major focus of this month’s Network Pulse is on awards received by several people and programs in the St. Luke’s family. Four Network programs were recognized by the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) — among only 17 statewide. We are also proud to present our 2010 PCRAFT Award winners, who embody our guiding principles of Pride, Caring, Respect, Accountability, Flexibility and Teamwork. These employees perform their jobs in an exemplary manner, but judging from the following comments, we’re all doing a great job in the eyes of our patients and their families: From patients, commenting on nurses at the Miners Campus: “Awesome nurses... very understanding.” “The nurses are a credit to their profession.” “Your nurses and aides were wonderful.” “Over the years, I’ve been in seven different hospitals; the care in Miner’s Memorial is as good as any.” From a patient at the Allentown Campus: “The Admissions staff made me feel comfortable and informed me what was happening. Someone stayed with me until my surgery.” From patients, commenting on the Quakertown Campus: “Very clean everywhere!” “They made sure we were comfortable.” “For the big family that I have, there were no complaints at any time they came to visit.” From a patient of VNA Home Health Care: “The weekend nurse and my weekly nurses where so professional. They are hard working professionals. I will always use your services, because of the caring knowledgeable treatment.” From patients of North Whitehall Family Practice: “The office staff is awesome!” “Usually I can be seen same day in an absolute emergency, the next day if it isn’t urgent.” “Always accommodating.”
St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital Celebrates 100th Anniversary in Summit Hill’s Annual Memorial Day Parade The town of Summit Hill celebrates Memorial Day with a three-day Stay-at-Home Festival. On Monday morning, the community honored veterans with a memorial service in Ludlow Park followed by a five division parade that wound throughout the town paying tribute to the men and women who have so bravely served our country.
HAP Awards cont. After SLHHN’s second survey in 2008, a significant amount of improvement in results was realized. However, about 25 percent of managers did not achieve their management goals. So, a formal leadership support and development program was created by the OD department. An abbreviated form of the survey six months later found that 85 percent of those leaders in the development process had improved their employee survey scores. . To sustain these leadership development gains, continued support is being offered. The “Rapid Response Team” (RRT) project was innovative in that it was designed to . be led by nurse practitioners. In addition, . the RRT created at the Allentown Campus covers all inpatient areas, including neonatal, and is staffed 24/7. U.S. hospitals have used RRTs since about 2004. The basic idea is to react to changes in a patient’s condition before a critical event occurs and requires unanticipated transfer to the Intensive Care Unit. To measure the effectiveness of the RRT program, all RRT calls were logged and the first-year data (May 2007-April 2008) and year-two data (May 2008-May 2009) were compared. As a result, unanticipated transfers to the ICU went down by 7.5 percent. 2
To accomplish this, the number of full-time nurse practitioners was increased from two to five, new services were added to the RRT’s duties and new off-hours hospitalist support was added. The Allentown RRT also tracked three quality indicators for 160 calls in its second year. Of that number, there were only six cases that needed a second RRT call; seven cases progressed to codes and there was only one death during RRT management; and only 13 calls came within 24 hours of patient admission. Beverly Snyder, RN, MHA, vice president for patient care services in Allentown led the RRT project. “Championing Core Measures” was an effort at the Quakertown Campus to improve the hospital’s scores on the core measures required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In 2005, the hospital was rated in the “average” range for four clinical areas; acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infection prevention. By 2009, the Quakertown campus’s scores had climbed to the “exemplary” range. The program was designed to have four “champions” who focused on identifying, tracking and monitoring the care of patients whose diagnoses fell under the core measures categories. The successful champions were
Rosanne Neiman, pneumonia; Joe Lynch, congestive heart failure; Ann Trump, acute myocardial infarction; and Laura Bader, surgical care improvement. The “Bariatric Patient Project” in Allentown was inspired in part by an observation made by staff. Patients coming for consultation . or bariatric surgery were seen standing in waiting rooms or lobbies because they . were unable to sit in the available chairs. . A multidisciplinary team led by Maureen Miletics, RN, director of bariatric services, conducted an inventory at the end of 2009 . of all furniture and equipment in the facility. Basically, there was a lack of chairs, recliners and bariatric transfer equipment known as HoverMatts. While there was some bariatricrated furniture, weight limits were not clearly labeled. To cope, the staff had to rent recliners when patients needed them and wasted time trying to verify which furniture could be used by bariatric patients. . s a result of the project, by December 2009, A all waiting rooms, lobby areas and conference rooms had bariatric furniture. The purchase of new HoverMatts has eliminated the need to rent them. Additional equipment, such as commodes, exam tables and rehab equipment, have been added. In addition, 400 staff members received training in being sensitive to bariatric patients’ needs. July 2010
Breast-surgery and cancer specialist Wins national recognition as her practice here grows Surgeon Marian P. McDonald, MD, FACS, is one of only two women surgeons in the Lehigh Valley who specialize in breast surgery and the treatment of cancer. And, she emphasizes minimally invasive treatments of cancer. As a result, her practice, Keystone Surgical Associates, which is part of St. Luke’s Physician Group, has been attracting more and more women patients. “The decisions that women must make regarding breast cancer are more complicated than those regarding other forms of cancer,” she says. Dr. McDonald also recently earned two professional recognitions. First, she has completed her Mastery of Breast Surgery Program through the American Society of Breast Surgeons. This is a program of modern standards and quality assurance for breast surgeons. It includes having surgeons like Dr. McDonald submit all of their cases for review and inclusion in a data bank. She says, “We are asked, ‘How did you handle this case?’ or ‘Why did you do it in this way?’ ” The program requires surgeons to enter their open cases into the data base on an on-going basis in order to maintain their standing in the Mastery of Breast Surgery Program. That allows them to compare their data with that of other surgeons. According to the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the goal of the program is to document quality outcomes in patient care via a continuous quality improvement initiative. Dr. McDonald notes that these days, simply counting the number of surgeries performed isn’t a good measure. “The trend is to emphasize minimally invasive procedures, and I do that in my practice,” she says. “For a good surgeon, the number of surgeries may be going down.” Dr. McDonald’s other recognition was her acceptance to the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO), as an active member. The SSO requires members to be certified by the American Board of Surgery, and they must have demonstrated an interest in oncology through teaching, writing or holding leadership positions in the community or hospital. She is a member
July 2010
of the St. Luke’s Physician Group executive board. She also serves as associate director of oncology services, is a member of the Tumor Board Activities Committee and is a member of the Cancer Advisory Committee, all at the Allentown campus. She says one of the things she strives to bring to her practice is empathy with patients. “I think that empathy, an ability to identify with the patient’s experience, has been lacking in surgery in general and in breast surgery in particular,” she says. “Breast cancer cases are more complex than other kinds of cancer. In the others, your choices may be surgery or chemotherapy. With breast cancer, you consider other things, such as needle biopsy, lumpectomy, mastectomy or even just watching. That ‘watching’ can be very stressful. I am unique among surgeons here because, as a woman, I can empathize with their anxiety and fears.” One of the things that fostered Dr. McDonald’s empathy with patients was her experience in a medical mission in Ghana when she
was a fourth-year medical student at the Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine. She essentially served as a physician with a mission group. The mission hospitals had been there for more than 40 years and they emphasized empowerment of the local community. That included involving tribal shamans in providing care, leading patients to “believe in a cure.” Dr. McDonald’s devotion to breast health extends beyond her professional duties. She runs every year in the Women’s 5K Classic, the women-only event in Allentown that attracts thousands of runners and walkers. Last year’s event was held on a rainy cool morning and she was proud that despite the weather, her 15-year-old daughter showed up to run dressed in pink from head to toe. (She also has a daughter, 13, and a son, 11.) As for Dr. McDonald herself, she wears a shirt that has been signed by her patients. “I tell them I’m taking them with me when I run,” she says.
3
SUMMER’S HERE — WATER SAFETY TIPS FROM AN EXPERT
By the
numbers
Kristen Kramer, DPT, a physical therapist at the Acute Rehabilitation Center (ARC) at the Bethlehem Campus, has always wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. Two experiences in her life — her mother working as a PT assistant and her grandmother rehabbing from a stroke — led her along the path of sports medicine and physical therapy.
• Over the last 150 years the average height of people in industrialized nations increased by 10 cm (4 in).
“I’ve been interested in sports medicine for a long time,” says Kristen, who completed an internship in that field while pursuing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Misericordia University. “Watching my grandmother undergo physical therapy and occupational therapy, I decided to specialize in neural inpatient rehab.”
• In the 19th century, American . men were the tallest in the world, averaging 1.71 m (5’6”). Today, the average height for American men is 1.75 m (5’7”), compared to 1.77 m (5’8”) for Swedes and 1.78 m (5’8.5”) for the Dutch.
As part of her doctoral program in physical therapy, also at Misericordia, Kristen was required to develop a community service proposal. She chose an educational program . on water safety, focusing on preventing drowning, brain injury and spine injury. That specialty area brought Kristen’s efforts to our attention... and now to yours. “My mother was an American Red Cross water safety instructor [WSI],” recalls Kristen, . “so naturally, I also became a WSI. Part of teaching kids to swim is training them to avoid drowning. Even in near-drowning situations, if the brain is deprived of oxygen long enough, . it can sustain an injury. In my work at the ARC, I see patients with that type of injury and . I know many of these tragedies are preventable.” Kristen tells us most deaths by drowning occur in bathtubs, and many spinal injuries result from diving into shallow water in lakes, quarries and, of course, private pools. She says, “Since most of these victims are young, the emotional toll on their families is enormous, . as is the amount of money spent on a lifetime of care.” With summer finally here, below are a few water safety tips that Kristen recommends. . As you can see, most of her advice is common sense, so a little thinking and planning can . go a long way toward preventing drowning, brain injury and spinal injury — possibly for someone in your family. 1. Never leave a child unattended in a bathtub, even in one inch of water. Keep the phone with you.
3. Quarries are dangerous under any circumstances, with unseen rocks and currents. Always jump feet first into quarries, lakes and ponds — even one with which you are familiar. Who knows... a tree might have fallen just a few feet from the surface.
• Your thumb is the same length . as your nose. • The length from your wrist to your elbow is the same as the length of your foot. • A full bladder is roughly the size . of a softball. • If all your DNA is stretched . out, it would reach to the . moon 6,000 times. *Source: www.didyouknow.cd; http://gconnect.in/gc/lifestyle/health/ human-body-some-interesting-facts.html
✓
T C A
F
2. If you have a private swimming pool, install a fence, regardless of where you live. And never dive into shallow water.
• Side by side, 2,000 cells from the human body could cover about . one square inch.
4. Alcohol, drugs and water safety simply don’t mix — whether driving a boat or even just swimming. 5. At a private pool, always have an adult on hand or swim with a buddy. And make sure a cordless or cell phone is handy to call for help in an emergency. 6. If someone is in trouble, with arms flailing, don’t try a rescue; he or she might panic and push you under, putting two people at risk. Instead, extend a pool skimmer, a foam “noodle” or a buoy with a rope and pull the victim to the side. In a boat, use an oar or paddle.
4
In 1920, committees of the Ladies’ Aid Society were formed to come to the hospital weekly to help make bandages and surgical dressings, and to sew and mend clothing and linens. July 2010
2010 PCRAFT Award Winners
St. Luke’s Hospital – Bethlehem Campus. Front row (L-R): Michelle Golden, Marie Schultheis, Audrey Fedor, Eileen Wan, Gina Grekula, Lisa Kozlowski, Edie Sacks Award Winner Carol Harryn, and Barbara Lasko. Back row (L-R): Louise Gonta, Matthew Stauffer, Mark Lovell and David Henn. Missing from photo: Paul Morales.
Photo courtesy of Times News.
St. Luke’s Hospital – Allentown Campus. Front row (L-R): Jodi Coffin, Donna Bydlon, Andrea Hart and Nelly Moina. Back row (L-R): Sherri Heffelfinger, Susan Meckley, Tasneem Hussain, Barbara Reynolds, Russell Kuder, Alicia Afif, John Kurtz and Brian Baum.
St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital. (L-R): Judith Owens, Anastasia Gibas and Marianne Ponting.
St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital. Front row (L-R): Diane Dixon, Debbie Huebner, Sherry Hartman, Maryann Angelo and Renée Ede. Back row (L-R): Lorri Fosbenner, Jan Wieand, Dolores Fudge and John Lester. Missing from photo: Barbara Hartman.
St. Luke’s Visiting Nurse Association. (L-R): Stacie Bartholomew, Jaine Connor, Mary O’Donnell-Miller, Beverly Phelan, Debra Breckon and Marietta Scott.
Kimberly Wood (center) from Bub & Associates Family Medical Center was presented her PCRAFT award with a visit from John Haney, COO, SLPG and Dean Evans, President, SLPG.
Prid e
July 2010
C aring
O ur G uiding P rincipl e s Re sp e ct A ccou ntabilit y Flexibilit y
Teamwo rk
5
A Day in the Life of... DONALD BOTBYL Security Officer • Bethlehem Campus Security Department Donald Botbyl, who worked for 25 years as a police officer in Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey, understands the value of teamwork. An officer in the Security Department at the Bethlehem Campus for more than six years, he is part of a team that helps to provide a safe and secure environment for our staff, visitors and patients. John Talijan (CHPA), manager of Security Operations at the Bethlehem Campus, portrays Donald as a “humble, flexible professional who never complains — a pleasure to work with and a great value to the hospital and the Network.” As you read Donald’s description of his responsibilities, you’ll notice that a day in the life of a security officer is never boring. “Our duties include enforcing parking regulations; taking incident reports for accidents, thefts or other situations; and helping visitors find their destinations in the hospital or locate their vehicle in the parking areas,” he says. “As needed, we also respond to medical emergencies and, as part of a Control Team, help our nursing staff control agitated patients.” Donald elaborates on how a Control Team contributes to the smooth operation of the hospital. “When a patient or visitor becomes agitated and poses a potential physical threat — to himself or herself, other patients, visitors, or staff — the nursing staff calls the Security Department to send a Control Team, which is comprised of security officers, as well as volunteers from other departments,” he explains. “We take direction from the nurses to ensure that no one gets hurt. Sometimes our response involves physical restraint, but usually our presence is enough to defuse the situation.” A resident of Bethlehem for the past 10 years, Donald enjoys watching football. He attended high school games when his kids were growing up and has a passion for the Philadelphia Eagles. After years of cheering the Eagles live and watching them work out at their training camp in Saucon Valley, not far from the Bethlehem Campus, he prefers to follow them on television. Donald and his wife Diane often visit their relatives in Tampa and Clearwater, Florida, and they especially enjoy taking cruises in the Caribbean. Cancun is one of their favorite destinations.
Temple/St. Luke’s Medical School
Top 10 Facts to Know 1 The region’s first and only medical school. 2 Inaugural class beginning August 2011. 3 “Early Assurance” program – special consideration to premed students from Lehigh University, Moravian College and Muhlenberg College who have achieved academic excellence. 4 Fifty percent of students who train at Temple University School of Medicine (TUSM) stay in Pennsylvania to practice. 5 The school is expected to add 150 or more qualified, well-trained practicing physicians to our community in 10 years. 6 Students study at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia . in their first year; in years two, three and four, students study at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem. 7 St. Luke’s physician faculty will teach the first year Doctoring Course in Philadelphia to the Temple/St. Luke’s students. 8 Our school’s courses are identical to the requirements for students training the full four years at the Temple Campus in Philadelphia. 9 Student applicants are interviewed by St. Luke’s physician faculty members of the admissions committee. 10 Students training in Bethlehem will learn from the best and gain valuable experience and insight into a wide range of medical specialties. TUSM . is ranked #2 in Philadelphia and #3 . in Pennsylvania by U.S. News & World Report.
An officer in the Security Department at the Bethlehem Campus for more than six years, Donald is part of a team that helps to provide a safe and secure environment for our staff, visitors and patients. 6
July 2010
Practice Makes perfect choice for its patients On a busy day, they see 140 patients at the St. Luke’s Family Medicine Center in northeast Bethlehem. The patients range from newborns to folks who need specialized geriatric care. Day in and day out, the numbers add up. In the last fiscal year, the attending physicians, residents and allied staff saw almost 21,000 patients. That represents significant growth, because in the previous five years, the annual average had been closer to 19,000. The center is at 2830 Easton Ave. in Bethlehem. According to Anna Gonzalez, who is the practice manager, patients come from a wide area; not just Bethlehem, but the surrounding townships, too. The center is not a “walk-in” facility; patients must have appointments. Health care is provided by a staff of nine attending physicians and 18 residents. The staff also includes four RNs and LPNs, five CNAs and five clerical employees. Among the attending, two specialize in sports medicine, two in geriatrics and one in palliative care. There also is a psychotherapist at the center. Anna says one of the things patients appreciate is that the doctors at the center “follow” them. For instance, mothers come there for obstetrical care and then bring their babies for their well-baby and other visits. Hanging on the wall in one of the
Front row (L-R): Linda Hassick, CSA; and Lilibeth Pizarro, CSA. Back row (L-R): Judith Blasco, CSA; Joselyn Askerneese, CSA; and Ann Freeman, CSA.
hallways at the center is a large bulletin board that holds dozens of photos of “our babies,” as she calls them. Also, the physicians at the center will visit patients if they have been hospitalized. . e center has a lab as well as examination and Th procedure rooms, including one for osteopathic manipulation therapy. The center’s family medicine services include minor surgery,
immunizations, EKGs and treatment of chronic problems. Robert Langan, MD, is the medical director. The attending physicians include Paula Bordelon, DO; Nguyet Cam-Lam, MD; Maria Ghetu, MD; Patricia Gotsch, MD; Michael Krafczyk, MD; David Skillinge, DO; and Kevin Waninger, MD. As Dr. Lam observed, some of the attending, including herself, came to the center as medical students, served their residency and decided to stay. The Family Medicine Center’s attending physicians connect to patients and the community through various volunteer services. Dr. Lam visits Bethlehem’s Liberty and Freedom High Schools to promote smoking-cessation education and provides one-on-one counseling. Dr. Gotsch collects donated children’s books for disadvantaged children, which includes giving books to children who come to the center. Dr. Skillinge has been involved with the Via “Relay for Life” run for several years. And Drs. Bordelon and Ghetu, geriatricians, visit residents of nursing homes.
(L-R): Wanda Delgado, RMA; Gina Hertzog, RN; Bao-Huyen Nguyen, CMA; Jennifer Dandrades, CMA; Helena Wolfe, LPN; Shirley Johnson, NCMA; and Kimberly Tauber, LPN.
July 2010
Readership Survey Suggestion
7
ST. LUKE’S LEADS THE REVOLUTION IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS Recent advancements in the fight against cancer are giving patients more time and better quality of life. While treatment technology and techniques garner most of the headlines, the behind-the-scenes work of pathologists continues to pave the way for much of that progress. It is a great source of pride for us to learn that St. Luke’s pathologists are employing processes used by only a minority of health care systems. But then, not many organizations have the caliber of staff that our Network boasts. One of our stars is David M. Steinberg, MD, associate pathologist for the Network and medical director of the Department of Pathology at the Allentown Campus. After graduating from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Dr. Steinberg completed an internship, residency and two fellowships at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and came to St. Luke’s in 2001. With many professional affiliations, including the College of American Pathologists, he has worked on several Network committees, won numerous honors and awards, been published in leading medical journals, presented at national professional meetings and created multimedia instructional projects. In addition to these impressive credentials, Dr. Steinberg has a knack for explaining what
a pathologist does in terms that a lay person can understand — starting with the bottom line in his specialty: “making sure that the diagnosis is correct”. He also emphasizes the importance of timely communication and reporting, as well as the pathologist’s role in directing and guiding lab personnel. As he will explain, accomplishing these objectives takes a combination of training, experience and collaboration. “Every tissue sample is trying to tell us a story,” Dr. Steinberg begins. “The job of a pathologist is to interpret that story. I might know the tissue under review is a tumor, even a malignant one, but initial analysis might not reveal the specific type of tumor with a high degree of certainty. The implications of that uncertainty are critical in the treatment of a cancer patient. “For example, depending on whether the cancer is localized, is in the lymph nodes or has spread to another part of the body — as well as detailing what the overall tumor stage is— a pathologist’s conclusions help the clinician recommend surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a combination of those treatments. In fact, even during surgery, we can analyze tissue samples and have an answer that may alter the course of that particular procedure.”
After cutting the frozen section, Dr. Steinberg places the slice on a slide for staining.
8
Dr. Steinberg continues, “By striving to eliminate false positive and false negative diagnoses, we try to avoid unnecessary, and potentially harmful, procedures, thus ensuring that our patients only get the surgery they need. To guarantee the highest degree of accuracy, the protocol at St. Luke’s is to get a second opinion within my department on all malignant cases — whether in person or by telepathology — before a diagnosis of cancer is released to the clinician, whose input also contributes to that diagnosis.” Dr. Steinberg points out that not every hospital or health care system conducts second reviews on all cancers. Additionally, our pathologists will occasionally seek out national experts on cases that are difficult or rare, especially when there is not complete interpretive agreement within the group. St. Luke’s also provides rapid second pathology reviews for patients diagnosed at other institutions who choose to have surgery or other cancer treatments here. “Everything we do in our Network is for the patient,” concludes Dr. Steinberg. “From the pathology perspective, that means using best practices to get the right diagnosis as quickly as possible. With our recent entry into the molecular diagnostic testing arena, we are on the cutting edge of our field in trying to provide each patient with personalized cancer care.”
Dr. Steinberg reads a slide through the microscope at his desk. The image appears on his computer screen at his left.
July 2010
1,000 Attend St. Luke’s Survivors Day The Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville, PA, was open exclusively for registered cancer survivors and their family members to celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day. More than 900 registrants attended together with nearly 100 members of the St. Luke’s hospital family, including cancer specialists, oncology nurses and cancer support staff, who volunteer at the event. Guests came from throughout the region, including Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Schuylkill and Warren counties. Registered guests received a meal deal from the zoo’s café and the chance to ride the paddle boats. Guests also enjoyed animal presentations, a guided zoo tour, strolling magicians, a magic and illusion show, and face painting and goat feeding for the kids. . St. Luke’s HealthStar mobile health unit was also on site offering first aid and blood pressure checks.
(L-R): Robyn Plesniarski, Natasha Deb, Leena Deb and Dr. Nimisha Deb.
Orlando and Sue Gonzalez.
Dr. Darius Desai (front) with his wife Anita and sons Cyrus and Sam.
July 2010
9
GETTING TO KNOW... GLORIA CUADRADO Assistant Vice President, Compensation and Benefits As Gloria Cuadrado has risen through the ranks and assumed more responsibility in . St. Luke’s Human Resources Department, one thing hasn’t changed. She remains accessible to the employees she serves. Gloria began working in Human Resources at the Bethlehem Campus in 1974. After a few years, she left to raise her two children, Cory and Venesa. In 1985, she returned to Human Resources and has been there ever since. Most of that time has been in the area of Benefits, with Compensation added about eight years ago. “I have seen incredible growth and changes at St. Luke’s,” shares Gloria. . “If someone had told me that we would have four hospitals, I wouldn’t have believed it.” When we asked Gloria why she came to . St. Luke’s, she replied, “The better question to ask is why I stay at St. Luke’s. I feel I make a difference and I’m appreciated. In my role, . I interact with and often help employees from all different backgrounds. I love working with the Human Resources team — a cohesive, devoted and hard-working group. “Employees have a good understanding of the compensation they receive every two weeks and their eligibility for an increase. With benefits, employees generally pay attention only to what affects them at the time. Often, we receive urgent calls from employees regarding disability benefits, . life insurance, pension, etc., due to some life-changing event.” In her role as a Network administrator, Gloria regularly visits the Miners, Quakertown and Allentown campuses, and often interacts with each president and Human Resources director. “Communicating with employees . in our growing Network is challenging, but we are always looking for ways to reach everyone,” she explains. “For example, . we now have an online enrollment system, . a Network-wide employee handbook on MyNet and a retirement plan vendor with online capabilities.” Addressing the changes in the area of Compensation and Benefits, she says, . “Just like today’s households, our Network 10
closely monitors its expenses and looks for ways to save money. However, in an era of increasing health care costs, I am pleased . to report as long as our employees use . St. Luke’s providers, there are no out-ofpocket expenses other than a minimum co-pay.” In addition, many employees have told her that they are very pleased about a recent change to their prescription plan: a 90-day supply of generic drugs for only $2. Gloria proudly portrays St. Luke’s as a very caring and nurturing organization that’s . also well managed and fiscally responsible. She explains, “While at times some difficult decisions must be made, a tremendous amount of thought, fact-finding and discussion takes place to assure that the right decision is being
made. I truly feel that the best is yet to come for our organization, and I feel privileged to work here.” Gloria and her husband Felix live in Bethlehem Township. Coming from a family of 10, she has many relatives in the Lehigh Valley and says there is always something to celebrate with them. She enjoys going to New York City to shop and attend plays, and loves visiting her son Cory (serving in the U.S. Air Force), daughter-in-law Kimitria and grandchildren Brycen (8) and Deron (18 months) in Tampa, Florida. “Brycen and I are both ‘Disney freaks,’ so going to Florida is extra special for me.”
Readership Survey Suggestion
July 2010
Kids Collaborate for a cause Dr. Leo Heitlinger, chief of pediatrics, and Charlotte Becker, RN, pediatric patient care manager, visited Nitschmann Middle School in Bethlehem recently. Students in the eighth grade Sequoia program collected more than 300 new stuffed animals which will be given to pediatric patients as they recover from surgery.
Preparing for the Accreditation Process Editor’s Note: At press time (June 21), the Joint Commission arrived at our Allentown/ Bethlehem campuses. Sometime before the end of this September, an important online posting will arrive on MyNet. Experience tells Susan York, director of accreditation and standards for the Network, that it will happen early on a Monday morning. She just does not know which one. The much-anticipated notice will be from the Joint Commission, a private, independent, not-for-profit body that inspects and rates hospitals regarding safety, patient care and other standards. And, it will tell St. Luke’s that a team of six surveyors will arrive within the next 30 minutes. For the next five days, the team will go throughout Allentown and Bethlehem hospitals and ambulatory sites examining patient records and talking to staff. The goal of this voluntary accreditation is to earn the Joint Commission’s “Gold Seal of Approval,” a rating that gives the hospital many benefits. They include deemed status with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and private insurance plans, and education on good practices to enhance residency programs, nursing schools and staff development. And, a “Gold Seal” provides advantages in marketing and staff recruitment. (The commission publicly identifies organizations that have the Gold Seal, but details about inspections are not released to the public.) Susan explains that when the surveyors arrive, St. Luke’s must be prepared to provide a list of patients in the hospital, as well as patients in the emergency department and July 2010
those scheduled for surgery, catheterization lab procedures, endoscopy, C-section deliveries and other procedures requiring moderate sedation or anesthesia. From that list, the surveyors choose about 70 “tracers,” the individual cases it will review. In that process, the Joint Commission uses a series of yardsticks that cover patient safety, patient rights, medication safety and infection control, among others. It also checks for compliance with regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Fire Protection Association and the Centers for Disease Control. Usually, a hospital will get “Requirements for Improvement” regarding any issues that are found. The hospital responds with a plan of action and has 45-60 days to “fix” the problem. (There also is a process for responding to surveyor findings when the hospital is not in agreement with the findings.) Whenever the surveyors visit, St. Luke’s will be prepared. That is the goal of Susan’s office. She spends a considerable amount of time reading and interpreting regulations because the Joint Commission’s standards always are being revised. When the Commission was founded in the 1950s, it had only 20 pages or so of standards. Today, they fill more than 500 pages. Susan and Lisa Fenstermaker, a member of her staff, work with every department in the Network, an aspect of the position that she
enjoys. Under her leadership, St. Luke’s does mock surveys to prepare staff members for “the real thing.” She also helps to develop management grids to lay out procedures and processes for addressing potential problems. Susan has been in the accreditation and standards position since 2002, when it was created. At that time, the first list of eight National Patient Safety Goals also was created to address important issues such as patient identification utilizing the patient’s name and date of birth, patient and surgical site identification, removing concentrated electrolytes from patient units, forbidding use of dangerous abbreviations linked to medication, patient harm events and more. Susan, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in health administration, has been with St. Luke’s since 1986. Among her previous assignments were managing a dialysis unit and managing a surgical floor. As for her current work, she says it is “interesting and exhilarating.” The Joint Commission, based in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., was created in 1951 by the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Physicians, the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association and the Canadian Medical Association. It began offering accreditation to hospitals in January 1953.
11
Network Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit #275 Bethlehem, PA
801 Ostrum St. • Bethlehem, PA 18015 Our Mission:
The mission of St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network is to provide compassionate, excellent quality and cost-effective health care to residents of the communities we serve regardless of their ability to pay. Our Strategic Focus: People and Relationships • Physicians, Employees and Volunteers — our most important assets. • We will be the region’s health care employer of choice. Simplicity • Continue to simplify management structure. • Promote efficiency and effectiveness. Integrity • Transparent, accountable management. • Ongoing adherence to our Management Philosophy. Quality • Focus on clinical process improvements using national benchmarks and appropriately share the outcomes of our ongoing focus on quality. • Perform in the top decile in national pay-for-performance programs. Cost • Perform in the top decile in Thomson criteria for cost-effective management. • Continue to be the region’s low-cost tertiary hospital. 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
A group of employees from St. Luke’s Hospice House formed a team that recently participated in Relay For Life of Saucon Valley. The team raised nearly $7,000 for the American Cancer Society. They remained at Dimmick Park in Hellertown for 24 hours, having one member of their team walking at all times — a symbolic gesture to remind everyone “cancer never sleeps.”
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.
This issue features a number of cancer-related Network activities.