In Roads - January 17, 2014

In Roads

January 17, 2014

Inside information for the employees of Mercy Medical Center

Look for new Hello Humankindness Advertising Beginning this week (week of Jan. 13), you will see the next series of our Hello humankindness television spots, which focus on the heart of what we do as an organization – healing with humanity. These ads include a new 30-second television commercial entitled Crowd Surfer, which builds upon the notion of humankindness as what we stand for.

In addition, there are four 15-second television spots – based on stories submitted by Dignity Health employees. These spots directly link the message of humankindness to the health care delivery that takes place every day at our care centers.

These 15-second spots are something new. As you’ll recall, our goal for Hello humankindness is to stand out from the clutter of health-care advertising by avoiding “white coats” and clinical scenes. That’s why spots like Crowd Surfer will continue to be the core of our message. But we also felt the need to more directly tie Hello humankindness to the delivery of

care at Dignity Health facilities. And that’s what we hope to achieve in the 15-second spots.

You can see all of the new spots at: www.dignityhealth.org/ humankindness. Click on “Our Message” at the top of the page and then “Campaign.” The new spots are at the top of those featured on the page.

“I hope you are as excited as I am about this new work, which aims to further increase awareness and consideration of Dignity Health, as well as to build preference in the eyes of those seeking care,” said President/ CEO Lloyd Dean. “I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and encourage you to keep sharing your ideas on how we can strengthen this work.”

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

- Mark Twain

Gift Shop News

by Bridget Martinelli, Gift Shop Manager

The Christmas items are now 75% off for today only (January 17). They will be removed from the floor after today!

Living Spirituality

by Sister Lucille Carreau, DHS Asst. Director of Spiritual Services

Thought:

Where there is no love, put love and you will find love.

Practice:

Love is the most powerful healing medicine. This hospital can grow daily in spiritual strength if each of us approaches all our relationships with love. Share your love.

Hello humankindness A crowd works together to show some kindness to a disabled concertgoer.

This message features the song “Keep Together” by Hunter Hunted.

Click on the image to see the “Crowd Surfer” video.

It's Time to Become a Quitter Quitting smoking is a very popular New Year's resolution – with good reason. Smoking exposes the body to more than 4,000 chemicals, including cyanide, benzene, and ammonia – and at least 40 of those chemicals can cause cancer. Perhaps the best known is nicotine, an addictive compound that can make it ferociously hard to stop smoking.

Your body benefits as soon as you stop smoking. According to the American Lung Association, within 20 minutes of your last cigarette your elevated blood pressure and pulse rate drop to normal. After a couple of days, your abilities to smell and taste improve and your damaged nerve endings start to repair themselves.

Within a few months, walking and other physical activities will become easier and your lung function will increase by up to 30 percent. After five years, you'll have nearly halved your odds of getting lung cancer.

How can I quit successfully?

Make a plan. Preparing to quit is an important first step. There's no one right way to stop smoking, but smokers who lay the groundwork are much more likely to succeed.

Make a list of the people, places, and pastimes associated with your smoking – anything that "triggers" your behavior.

Set a quit date. Pick a date that's realistic and allows you to develop your plan. Tell your friends and family about your plan.

Take it day-by-day, or even trigger-by-trigger. Keep busy.

Develop new interests. Get support and encouragement.

What if I fail the first time?

If you slip up and have a cigarette or two, it doesn't need to bring

your program to a crashing halt.

Treat it as a bump in a road you're still traveling down. Remind yourself why you want to quit, and get back on track. For more information on smoking cessation, visit anthem.com/ ca.

These links may also be helpful: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco http://www.smokefree.gov

Preventing Infections in the Healthcare Setting

types of germs. Along with gowns, which should be tied both behind the neck and back to be effective, and gloves, some isolation rooms may require a mask to be worn.

Audits are performed to let us know how we are doing with wearing PPE correctly in isolation rooms. Our goal is to have 100% compliance, which is scored on healthcare workers (MDs, Residents, RNs, RTs, Dietary, etc.) at the bedside with the gown tied behind neck and back, and gloves on. To date, our PPE compliance rate is 73%.

We are halfway through this month.

Let’s all work at improving our habits, doing the right thing and increasing our PPE compliance rates!

by Vanessa Collins, RN Infection Control

Every year, lives are lost through the spread of infections in hospitals.

Healthcare workers can take steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. These steps are part of infection control.

Steps healthcare workers can take include: • • •

Proper hand washing.

Following isolation precautions posted outside patient rooms Using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), gloves, gowns and masks

Hand hygiene is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infections in hospitals. By reducing the number of microorganisms on our hands we can prevent the transfer from one person to another.

The isolation “STOP” sign informs us of the need to create barriers between people and germs. These precautions help keep staff and visitors from spreading germs after touching a patient or an object the patient has touched.

Everyone who enters an isolation room and may touch the patient, patient’s environment or objects in the room must wear a gown and gloves. Different types of isolation precautions protect against different

Musicians Wanted Mercy’s Music Therapy Program is seeking compassionate, community oriented volunteer musicans to play for our inpatients.

If you are interested in joining our Music Therapy Program, contact Leslie Hendricks by phone at 209.761.4133 or email at mercymusicprogram@ yahoo.com. You may also contact Kim Heyer at 209.769.5193.

Please provide your name, e-mail, phone number and what instrument(s) you play.

Also include how many hours per week or month you are available to play.

Tip of the Week: CMS is catching up!

by Edith Reyna, RN Quality Facilitator

As of January 1, 2014, changes to Quality Core Measures have taken place. Total Hip and Knee replacement procedures are among the most successful surgical procedures to alleviate pain and restore function and mobility. It has been suggested they are the best example of how medical science can return quality of life and re-establish independence to individuals. They are also among the most cost-effective interventions in the medical world despite their significant use of health care resources.

Aspirin has NOW been approved

by CMS, for use for Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis on Total Knee and Total Hip Replacements cases ONLY. Prophylaxis guidelines for VTE issued by The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) have been at odds regarding weather aspirin should qualify as an acceptable prophylactic option. Recent changes to these documentations have brought them into agreement as to the inclusion of aspirin as an appropriate option for VTE prophylaxis. These changes have had an impact on the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) measures. Effective Jan. 1, 2014, aspirin has joined the list of acceptable VTE prophylactic agents for total joint arthroplasty procedures.

In the past, to comply with Core SCIP measures, orthopedic surgeons who chose to use aspirin along with mechanical compression devices for use of VTE prophylaxis on total hip or total knee procedures needed to document a contraindication such as “risk for bleeding”. This notion will no longer be required. YAY!

Please remember Total Hip and Total Knee arthroplasty procedures are considered at HIGH-RISK for pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), so both pharmacological and mechanical interventions are needed.

JUST FOR NURSES Reward:

The first day and night shift nurse to email lindsey. gallagher@ dignityhealth.org with the correct answer to the question regarding the previous EBP article will receive a Mercy Medal from Greg Rouleau, VP CNO.

This Week’s Question:

When administrating heparin drip how many therapeutic range aPPT’s in a row have to be drawn before it is reduced to daily?

Last Week’s Winner Sujung Price, RN ICU

Last Week’s Q & A Q: Initially how many ml/kg of

crystalloid fluids is used to treat hypotension in sepsis?

A: 30 ml/kg

Emergency Communication System is now Available (x)Matters, a new emergency communication system, is now available for all Dignity Health Facilities. During an emergency or disaster, the system will push out critical information to employees through the contact information they have provided Dignity Health. You will be contacted by phone, text message and email.

And you can even download an app for your smart phone.

Here are some things you can do now to make sure that you receive important information about emergencies and disasters.

1. Make sure your contact information is correct in the GAL address book in Outlook and in My Profile on the employee portal. Visit http://employee. dignityhealth.org and click on “My Profile” in small blue print near the upper right hand corner of the employee homepage.

2. Check that our HR department has your current home phone number to be used in emergencies.

3. Pre-program (x)Matters calling numbers/identifiers into your caller ID and inbox settings: Phone: 925-226-0300; Text: 279-28; email: xmatters@na1. xmatters.com 4. Download the xMatters App on your smart phone: Username: [Your Network Username] | Host: na1.xmatters.com | Company: Dignity Health Password: [Your (x)Matters User ID] Go to your (x) Matters profile online to obtain your password 5. Access your profile on the (x) Matters system and add any desired personal contact devices within the “Manage Devices” section of the site. Visit http:// dignityhealth.org/xmatters to access the system.

This system is for emergency communication only.