Insider
Together we make a difference. July/August 2015
SEMC Becomes MVHS Center for Cardiac Care
MVHS centralizes all cardiac services at SEMC. | Page 3
Longtime SEMC Trauma Medical Director Steps Down
VNA of Utica and Oneida County Celebrates 100 Years
MVHS First in Robotic Knee Treatment
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Table of Contents
3 | SEMC Becomes MVHS Center for Cardiac Care All cardiac catheterizations and angioplasty procedures at SEMC.
4 | SEMC Trauma Service Medical Director Steps Down
5 | Patient Portals Offer Convenient Access to Healthcare Information
6 | VNA of Utica and Oneida County Celebrates 100 Years of Caring for Our Community Since 1915, the organization has been caring for our community’s healthcare needs.
8 | MVHS First in Area with Robotic Knee Treatment The minimally invasive procedure offers patients options.
News in Brief Prayerful Pauses
The Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) invites patients, residents, families and staff members of all faith traditions to join together in prayerful meditation. Prayerful Pauses will be held each Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in the following rotation: • First Wednesday | St. Marianne Cope Chapel at St. Elizabeth Medical Center (SEMC) • Second Wednesday | St. Luke’s Campus Chapel • Third Wednesday | Faxton Campus Chapel • Fourth Wednesday | St. Luke’s Home Chapel You are welcome to pray or meditate on your own if there is a fifth Wednesday in the month. Prayer request forms are now available at the St. Marianne Cope Chapel at SEMC, the St. Luke’s Campus Chapel, the Faxton Campus Chapel and the St. Luke’s Home Chapel. Anyone is welcome to fill out a form to request prayer for healing or any other need. These requests will be prayed for by the Spiritual Care team and during our Prayerful Pauses on Wednesday afternoons.
Save the Date for the 2015 Campaign For Quality Thursday, October 15 - 5 p.m. Radisson Hotel, Utica, NY
Dinner and a humorous look at healthcare with Bobbie Staten, RN.
Friday, October 16 - 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hamilton College, Clinton, NY An educational program featuring national and local experts presenting on current trends in healthcare.
9 | Starfish Stories
2015 Campaign For Quality Friday Keynote Speaker Ronda Christopher, M.Ed., OTR/L, PCMH-CCE Population Health
Dr. Christopher is the executive director for Healthcare Transformation at HealthSpan Solutions and chief network integration officer for the MercyHealth Springfield market. Additional topics include patient safety, immunizations, pediatric emergencies, diabetes, palliative care, the patient experience, culture and effective leadership and more! Check www.campaignforquality.com in mid-August for updates and to register.
10 | New Patient Safety Initiative at MVHS Program empowers all employees to make a difference.
CAMPAIGN FOR QUALITY 2015 Healthcare Conference
11 | Difference Maker Award Winners 11 | Skin Care Champion Education Program Begins The Skin Care Champion Education Program aims to improve quality outcomes.
On the Intranet
Please visit the MVHS intranet for more information about:
12 | HR New Location 12 | Staff Announcements
• Applause Program
• Staff Announcements
12 | Upcoming Events
• Difference Maker Awards
• Stationery Order Forms
• Calendar of Events
• Photo Galleries and More
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St. Elizabeth Becomes MVHS Center for
Cardiac Care By Caitlin McCann
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VHS is centralizing cardiac services to one hospital which supports greater efficiency in the delivery of care and further develops the centers of excellence for the system. All cardiac catheterizations and angioplasty procedures will be at SEMC. These procedures will no longer be available at FSLH beginning in August. “We are pleased to be able to offer all cardiac catheterizations and angioplasty procedures at one centralized location,” said Hugh MacIsaac, MD, FACC, Cardiac Cath Lab and Interventional Cardiology medical director. “This move will help us further develop SEMC as the MVHS Center for Cardiac Care as well as provide a convenience to patients as they will now come to one location for invasive cardiac treatments.” This change affects patients, medical staff and members of the community, so MVHS is working to effectively communicate that SEMC is where people should go if they think they are having a heart attack. This includes working with emergency medical service (EMS) providers in the area to ensure potential heart attack patients present at SEMC. EMS is a partner of MVHS and
Cardiac Services staff members perform a procedure in the Cardiac Cath Lab at SEMC.
has protocols aimed at getting a patient’s blocked artery open within 90 minutes of arrival at the hospital. The Cath Lab at the St. Luke’s Campus will continue to see patients through the end of July. Non-invasive cardiac testing will continue at the St. Luke’s Campus and Cardiac Rehabilitation will remain at the Faxton Campus. “While we have had exceptional and talented cardiac teams at each hospital, new medications that support the early
intervention of heart disease are making a difference for patients and have caused both FSLH and SEMC to see a decline in the number of procedures at both labs,” said Thomas L. Norton, MSHCA, director of Cardiology Services and the Mohawk Valley Heart Institute. “Whenever possible, we want to strengthen our clinical expertise, make the best use of our limited resources and ensure cost savings. This change will help us to support high quality care for our patients and their families.” v
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Longtime Trauma Service Medical Director Steps Down By Sandra Fentiman
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ohn J. DeTraglia, MD, who was instrumental in developing the Trauma Service at SEMC and has served as its medical director for 25 years, stepped down from the part-time position April 1. He will continue with his other activities, including private practice. A native Utican and board-certified surgeon, Dr. DeTraglia helped establish the Trauma Service in March 1987 and develop a computerized trauma registry and professional education and public information programs, including an annual symposium for providers that is now in its 29th year. Committed to saving the lives of patients who find themselves in crisis, the SEMC Trauma staff treats an average of 700 patients per year, which translates into more than 19,600 people during the past 28 years. “Under Dr. DeTraglia’s leadership, the program achieved and maintained accreditation by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) as a Level II Trauma Center and is an invaluable community resource,” said Albert D’Accurzio, MD, senior vice president and chief quality officer for MVHS and chief medical officer for SEMC. Leo Sullivan, MD, has assumed the position of interim medical director. Dr. Sullivan has been a major contributor to, and supporter of, the Trauma Service for many years. “The service would not work without the cooperation of St. Elizabeth’s surgical and sub-specialty clinical services staff members, who are committed to a team approach,” said Tracey Barone, RN, BSN, Trauma coordinator at SEMC. “They work together to manage patient resuscitation, operative intervention, post-operative, intensive care and rehabilitation of patients with multiple injuries.” A hospital cannot simply declare itself a Trauma Center — such centers must be
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designated by the NYSDOH. Trauma standards are developed by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and the NYS Trauma Advisory Committee. Each organization establishes standards for trauma response times, staff training, equipment, quality improvement and educational programs and those standards must be met to maintain designation. In 1986, David R. Boyd, MDCM, FACS, a nationally known trauma specialist, helped prepare SEMC for review
by the American College of Surgeons. The Trauma Service team, under the overall direction of a general trauma surgeon, who is ultimately and continuously responsible for all multiple-injury patient management, is the key factor in a successful and dedicated trauma service. “We thank John DeTraglia for his contributions over the years and to Leo Sullivan for stepping into this leadership role,” said Dr. D’Accurzio. v
Dr. John DeTraglia pictured with members of the Trauma Services staff in 2010.
Patient Portals Offer Convenient Access to Healthcare Information By Erin Gigliotti
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n April 2015, Adirondack Community Physicians (ACP) and St. Elizabeth Medical Group (SEMG) joined together under the MVHS Medical Group. The new primary and specialty care network encompasses 28 locations and more than 90 providers. Last year, the two groups combined had more than 272,600 patient visits. “Although the name MVHS Medical Group replaces the names of ACP and SEMG, patients and their families will see few, if any, changes,” said Michael Attilio, MD, medical director for the MVHS Medical Group. “They will still see their same physicians and providers at the same locations. Patients may also continue to use their online patient portals.” The patient portals are secure websites where patients can conveniently access their personal health information. The portals assist patients in managing their health by allowing them to connect with their care providers, manage appointments, refill medications, check test results as they become available, update their personal information and more. To sign up for a patient portal, patients should contact their primary care provider’s
Home page of the patient portal.
office for login information. All portal messages are encrypted to ensure security and only the care team and people the patient has authorized can view his or her information. “The patient portals are an important step toward improving patients’ healthcare experiences,” said Attilio. “The portals reflect the Mohawk Valley Health System’s ongoing commitment to advancing technology and providing all of our patients with enhanced
access to, and ownership of, their personal healthcare information.” MVHS Medical Group office locations include Barneveld, Boonville, Clinton, Herkimer, Little Falls, Mohawk, New Hartford, Utica, Sauquoit, Old Forge, Washington Mills, Waterville and Whitesboro. A list of MVHS Medical Group providers and their locations is available on the intranet and on both hospital websites. v
29th annual
ADDRESSING TRAUMA THROUGHOUT THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Presented by the St. Elizabeth Trauma Center and Midstate EMS
Thursday, October 1, and Friday, October 2, 2015 Vernon Downs Casino & Hotel in Vernon, New York For more information about this year’s event, call 315-801-8127.
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VNA of Utica and Oneida County Celebrates
100 Years of Caring for Our Community By Jacquie Klotzbach
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ince 1915, the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Utica and Oneida County has been caring for our community’s healthcare needs in the comfort of patients’ homes. “A patient’s healthcare journey may take him or her many places — the hospital, a doctor’s office, a rehabilitation facility — but
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oftentimes, it’s the home environment that allows for the greatest recuperation and recovery,” said Patricia A. Roach, MS, RN, NEABC, senior vice president/chief nursing officer for MVHS. “The VNA of Utica and Oneida County provides patients and their loved ones with the resources, education and support necessary to make this possible. This is a
tremendous benefit to those they care for, our community and the success of our healthcare system in providing truly comprehensive care.”
A Proud Past Temperatures neared 100 degrees on the July day in 1912 when a small group of women Continued on page 7
Past and present employees of the Visiting Nurse Association of Utica and Oneida County at the 100th Anniversary Celebration on Tuesday, June 30, 2015.
Welfare Committee and therefore decided Continued from page 6 to consolidate efforts to become the Utica met in the home of Sophia Crouse, a Visiting Nurse and Child Welfare Association, prominent member of Utica society, to Inc. in 1928. The new organization was discuss what they could do about the focused on coordinating nursing activities alarmingly high infant death rate in Utica. In the first six months of 1912, nearly 250 babies for Utica, more efficiently providing nursing care in the home and increasing the health out of every 1,000 born had died. These and vitality of Utica’s dedicated women children through formed the Baby health education. Welfare Committee of Utica and went to In 1947, the city of work to reduce the Utica’s Public Health number of infant Department assumed deaths by opening responsibility for fresh milk and maternal and child health stations. health services, which led to the creation of On June 15, 1915, Patricia A. Roach, MS, RN, the VNA of Utica, Inc., the Baby Welfare NEA-BC, senior vice president/ an organization that Committee of Utica chief nursing officer for MVHS exclusively provided incorporated and bedside nursing. the earliest roots Many programs and services were added of the present-day VNA of Utica and Oneida to the VNA of Utica’s offerings during the County were planted. 1960s and 1970s to supplement nursing Home visits by nurses were an important care, including Meals on Wheels, physical, part of the outreach provided to young occupational and speech therapy, and home mothers. Thousands of home visits were made health aide services. the first year, including visits to every baby born in Utica soon after their birth. As the When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed years went by, the Baby Welfare Committee legislation creating Medicaid and Medicare identified other medical concerns it could programs in July 1965, the VNA of Utica address, including infantile paralysis, typhoid experienced a rejuvenation due to increased fever and small pox, and it began working as reimbursement for services. The agency an affiliate of the Utica Dispensary. became a Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA) approved through NYS, qualified to To bring all bedside nursing services in the provide services to this new patient population. community together, the Utica Dispensary created a group known as the VNA in 1925, In June 1977, the present-day VNA of Utica which worked hand-in-hand with the Baby and Oneida County was created when NYS
“Oftentimes, it’s the home environment that allows for the greatest recuperation and recovery.”
approved the organization to serve all of Oneida County. At the turn of the last century, the VNA of Utica and Oneida County affiliated with Mohawk Valley Network — the parent organization of newly combined FSLH. As an affiliate of the system, the VNA of Utica and Oneida County enjoyed much success, including the launch of TeleHealth remotepatient monitoring services in 2002 and accreditation through the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) in 2005 — a designation held to this day. Now an affiliate of MVHS, the VNA of Utica and Oneida County continues to provide Oneida County residents with much needed services that allow them to maintain their independence and live safely in the comfort of their home environment.
A Bright Future Sophia Crouse and the early supporters of the Baby Welfare Committee could never have imagined how home care nursing would change over the next century. Using computers to record patient information or monitoring a patient remotely with TeleHealth technology would have been unimaginable to them. Although much has changed, the agency's mission to provide high-quality, compassionate care to patients in need has remained steadfast. Today, the VNA of Utica and Oneida County serves nearly 2,200 patients annually and made more than 63,000 home visits in 2014, with more than 21,000 TeleHealth patient transmissions and assessments. v
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MVHS First in Area with
Robotic Knee Treatment By Sandra Fentiman
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he St. Elizabeth Campus of MVHS is now offering robotic partial knee resurfacing, a minimally invasive treatment option for adults living with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee. Andrew Wickline, MD, FAAOS, and John Sullivan, MD, FAAOS, are the orthopedic surgeons who perform partial knee resurfacing. MAKOplasty allows for a less invasive surgery than traditional, total knee surgery and is performed using RIO®, a highly advanced, surgeon-controlled robotic arm system. MVHS is the first to acquire this technology in our area. “Because it is less invasive and preserves more of the patient’s natural knee, the goal is for patients to have relief from pain, gain back their knee motion and return to their daily activities,” said Charles Williams, MHA, director of Operations for Perioperative Services at MVHS. MAKOplasty potentially offers the following benefits, compared to total knee surgery: • Reduced pain • Less implant wear and loosening • Minimal hospitalization • Smaller scar • More rapid recovery • Better motion • A more natural-feeling knee The opportunity for early intervention is important as osteoarthritis is the most
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common form of arthritis and a leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The RIO® system enables our surgeons to complete a patient-specific, pre-surgical plan that details the technique for bone
preparation and customized implant positioning using a CT scan of the patient’s own knee. During the procedure, the system creates a three-dimensional, virtual view of the patient’s bone and correlates the image to the pre-programmed surgical plan. v
Andrew Wickline, MD, FAAOS (left) and John Sullivan, MD, FAAOS (right) are surgeons at SEMC who perform partial knee resurfacing.
Starf ish Stories Starfish Stories are about caregivers, protectors, companions and champions. They acknowledge special, and sometimes life-changing, moments that make a difference for our patients, residents, their families and our coworkers. The following stories are about those individuals and teams who inspire us to always do our best. Gordon (Jeff) Sprague Medical Imaging - SEMC Nominated by a grateful patient and Karen Burton, Administration A recent letter, which appeared in the March 27, 2015, edition of the ObserverDispatch, was sent in by a patient who describes a recent visit to the Emergency Department at SEMC. It states: “Recently I was in the Emergency Department at SEMC. I expected a long wait because, after all, I wasn’t the only sick person there that day. All I can say about how I was treated was summed up in the words of the compassionate X-ray technician Jeff who treated me. He says he treats all his patients like they were part of his family. It’s amazing to see what a warm blanket and a friendly bedside manner did to make the pain I came in with more bearable. Thank you Jeff and St. Elizabeth Medical Center for caring.” Tamara Casella Speech Therapy - FSLH Nominated by Nicole Nicolette-Walz, Speech Therapy I would like to begin by saying that I have many years of experience in my field, with almost six years at FSLH. I am a speech-language pathologist who has
the fortunate experience to work with a department of wonderful coworkers and mentors. Each and every day, I learn new things from my coworkers. Tamara Casella is our lead speech pathologist. Among her responsibilities, she is the primary speech pathologist in the acute care setting at the St. Luke’s Campus. This setting requires a high level of expertise, which Tamara provides effortlessly. Recently, one case in particular exemplifies not only her expertise, but also her commitment to her patients and the significant impact that we can have on their overall outcome. An elderly gentleman was admitted to the hospital with a long list of medical diagnoses that resulted in him not being able to swallow foods or drinks safely. As one can imagine, being unable to eat is hard enough, let alone when one is sick and needs medication and nutrition to heal. This patient required a nasogastric (NG) tube to receive nutrition and medicine, which he pulled out himself numerous times. Decisions had to be made to determine goals of care. This patient had a very strong advocate who, as his healthcare proxy, explained that his wishes would be to “give him a chance to fight.” Deciding how to give this gentleman a chance was difficult as the physicians had different opinions on how to proceed. Tamara, however, had only one solution — get this man eating. She worked with this patient every day, sometimes twice, regardless of schedules to help him achieve his wish. Even when it seemed inevitable that surgery and PEG tube placement were the answer, Tamara remained positive and did not give up.
Her perseverance and consistent presence not only brightened this patient’s day as evidenced by his big smile whenever he saw her, but also resulted in success. He is now able to eat and drink safely. He did not receive a PEG tube and was discharged to rehabilitation with a possible home discharge after that. Too often in healthcare — and I am sure many other professions — we get caught up in work and life and sometimes forget why we do this job. Tamara reminded me. We do it not only because of the knowledge we have, but also to make significant, quality changes in our patients’ lives. I am proud to have been even a small part of this case because Tamara not only reminded me of why I do my job, but her outstanding care truly depicts our health system’s core values. With this quality level of care, a patient’s health, and ultimately his life, were significantly improved. Stories are selected each month to be shared with the MVHS family and two will be featured in each publication. To recognize someone for going above and beyond, visit the Applause website.
Search the MVHS Intranet Did you know that you can easily find the content you’re looking for on the intranet by using the search bar in the top right corner of the screen? It’s in the same place on almost every page.
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New Patient Safety Initiative at MVHS By Caitlin McCann
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f you or someone you know has been a hospital patient, you can appreciate how important it is to ensure a quick response to a call light. It is our priority to provide patients with the best care possible which means answering every call light, every time. It helps to improve the patient experience and strengthen patient safety. In April 2015, MVHS rolled out the No Pass Zone which originated as a patient experience initiative to provide quick and effective responses to patients’ needs. Any employee, regardless of his or her position within the organization, is expected to answer a patient’s call light if walking by and seeing it on. They will assist the patient, if possible, or find another staff member if the patient requires care beyond the capacity of their position. “The No Pass Zone is simply a way for all members of the MVHS family to feel empowered to respond to the needs of our patients,” said Jerry Plows, Service Excellence and Employee Engagement coordinator. “The patient’s perception is that if you work here,
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you provide care, and the No Pass Zone is a great way to literally show them that is the truth and that each of us are here for them.” While this began as a patient experience initiative, there are many patient safety issues that can be addressed by creating a culture in which everyone is responsible for addressing our patients’ needs. For example, patients often use their call light to ask for assistance in walking to the restroom. If they are concerned that the wait for help is too long, they may get out of bed unassisted and risk falling. In just the few months since the program has launched, we have received positive feedback from patients as well as some nonclinical employees who answered call lights. “During rounds for Safety First Fridays, I noticed a patient’s call light was on and knew that since the No Pass Zone was in place, I was empowered to answer the call light,” said Marcia Phalen, director of Medical Staff Services at FSLH. “As I approached the door I noticed that the patient was on contact precautions and, since I am not trained to enter that type of room, I simply addressed
the patient from the door asking if they needed help. The patient told me what was needed and from there I located a care attendant who was able to assist the patient with the request. It makes you feel good to help patients, so it’s a win-win for both the employee and the patient.” Volunteers are also getting in on the action and seeing the benefit of the No Pass Zone. “Every day that I volunteer I make rounds on the inpatient floors,” said Nancy Randall, a volunteer at FSLH. “Now that the No Pass Zone is in place, I feel like I’m able to make a greater contribution during my rounds. Just by answering call lights, I was able to get assistance for a patient who was in need of pain relief, prevent a patient from getting out of bed unassisted (and potentially hurting himself ) and get a patient a drink of water (after making sure it was allowed). The nursing staff has been a great support and are always willing to help when I come to them with a patient’s need that I cannot take care of myself. I think this is a great program that greatly enhances the patient’s experience.” v
Recognitions on the MVHS Intranet
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t’s always exciting to be acknowledged for a job well done or to see a coworker recognized for going above and beyond to care for our patients, residents and their families. Entire departments join in when one of their own receives a Difference Maker Award or is recognized in a Starfish Story, and now the whole MVHS family can celebrate
Skin Care Champion Education Program Begins
together by visiting the new Recognitions page on the MVHS intranet. The page currently features all of the Difference Maker Awards and several Starfish Stories, and will include Caring Heart awards, departmental recognitions, Make Ideas Happen winners and more. Visit the Recognitions page to view photos of the winners, read nominations
Making a Difference
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he Skin Care Champion Education Program was created as an offshoot of the Skin Care Task Force that was developed to improve quality outcomes for our patients. The participants are registered nurses and care attendants/nurse technicians who represent every inpatient unit, the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit and Emergency Department from both SEMC and FSLH. They will assist the certified wound and ostomy nurses (CWON), as well as other members of the healthcare team, in providing quality care for our patients. Following the completion of the educational sessions that have been planned, their coworkers will be able to look to these Champions to assist in troubleshooting certain skin-related questions or assist in obtaining appropriate products or equipment that can be incorporated into the patient’s plan of care. The Champions have received education on the newly developed MVHS Skin Care Policy, pressure ulcer staging, moisturerelated skin issues and the appropriate usage of the Braden Scoring Tool. They have also participated in individual practical sessions putting into practice what they learned. These Champions will assist in skinrelated prevalence studies and will be active members of the Skin Care Task Force, where they can share what they have been observing out on the units. Check out the Skin Care Task Force on the MVHS intranet for more information. v
and stories and celebrate each other for the exceptional service we strive to provide to each person who walks through our doors. Visit the “Employee: Culture, Clinical & Staff Resources” page from the top of the MVHS intranet homepage to find our new Recognitions section and congratulate those who are making a difference. v
Difference Maker Award Winners | April 2015
Jane Gwise
Lisa Lounsbury
Kate Zielinski
Volunteer
Department Secretary
Staff RN
FSLH
Cardiac Cath Lab
Emergency Department
FSLH
SEMC
Difference Maker Award Winners | May 2015
Deborah Cardinal, PA-C
Lindsay Guido
AJ Wiswell
Social Worker
Hospitalist
Case Management
SEMC
MVHS
Graphic Designer & Communications Specialist Marketing & Communications MVHS
Visit the MVHS intranet to read about how these individuals make a difference and to nominate a coworker, volunteer or physician for recognition.
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MVHS Human Resources is Moving to a
New Location
PO Box 479 | Utica, NY 13503-0479
The Human Resources (HR) Departments at FSLH and SEMC are consolidating and moving to a new single location for all HR services. The new location is 1724 Burrstone Road in New Hartford (Dr. Graber’s former office). The main number for HR at MVHS will be 315-624-6094. The new office opens to all MVHS employees on Wednesday, July 22, 2015. Please visit the intranet for more information.
Staff Announcements May-June 2015 Directors Christine Goldman, BS, CLS - Director of St. Elizabeth Lab Cathy Miller - Director of Clinical Applications in Information Technology Audrey Snow - Director of Financial and Ambulatory Applications in Information Technology
Managers Garth Sanford, RN - ICU Nurse Manager
Upcoming Event Highlights July 21
Employee Picnic at SEMC
July 22
Human Resource Department Open at New Location
July 28
Employee Picnic at St. Luke’s (night shift) and Faxton Campuses
July 29
Employee Picnic at St. Luke’s Campus
Navigators & Coordinators Korinn Chaffee, RN - Navigator for the Breast Care Program Sara Truax, MHA, RN - Orthopedic Program Coordinator
Visit the MVHS intranet for more details.
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Please visit the intranet for a complete list of upcoming events at MVHS.