Winter issue

THE LEAF Digital Edition Winter 2017

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Inside This Issue HOTF Update Winter Recipe Starfish Awards

contributors

Chas Smithe Renee Pieroth Hugh McDermott and more!

Editor: Olivia Marcinka Copy Editor: Sarah Cohn Layout & Design: Jared McNeil

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Note from Nancy Our President and CEO introduces this new winter edition of The Leaf

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Introducing Clinical Research After several changes to this star team, the Clinical Research department fills us in on their dayto-day

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Compliance and Clinical Trials Hear from Hugh McDermott on our key compliance standards while catching up on new innovations in Speech Pathology

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Thanks for Giving to AIH There is no limit to our ability to give. Take a look at how many have contributed to AIH

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Hospital of the Future Update Review all of the initiatives Eastern has undergone for HOTF so far

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A Clip of Creativity Take a moment to breathe, relax and read this creative piece from our very own Imaging Nurse Chas Smithe

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2017 Resolution Reset Our veteran columnist and Dietitian Renee Pieroth helps us with healthy goal setting as we settle into the new year.

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Cancer Fighters Community Learn more about the new Cancer Fighters online community

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Dear Readers,

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he winter chill has set in as we continue into the New Year here at Eastern. Even though cold weather often incites a desire in us to steal away from outdoor exploration and stay inside where it is warm and comfortable, I’m proud to say that the winter chill hasn’t kept us from exploring new possibilities for Eastern and our patients.

Ruth Rides On Driver Ruth Zielinski takes us on a ride through her daily duties, memories and hobbies

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Over the last few months, Hospital of the Future has had many of us stretched thin with developing and implementing new initiatives – which I know can be draining. But that is why I admire and respect you for sticking with it, and bringing that warm-weather energy with you. Thank you! I will continue to remind you that, even through change, the Mother Standard® is owned by each and every one of us. Let’s not forget to live in the meaning of it each day!

Culture Column: Celebrating Our Starfish Winners If you didn’t get to the Holiday Party 2016, have an inside look at our famed Starfish Award winners!

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Winter Root Roasted, Yum! The Nutrition team contributes a tasty, and toasty, recipe for the winter months

This issue of The Leaf is an exciting one with a recap of generous contributions made to Assistance in Healthcare® in the last few months, and a review of our inspirational Starfish Award winners!

Make sure to check those sections out. We also get to hear from our Cancer Fighters® community in this issue while brushing up on the roles and responsibilities of the Clinical Research department in our Department Spotlight.

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Mummers at CTCA We express our gratitude to one individual who embraced the CTCA spririt and made this holiday season special for our patients

I hope that you enjoy this new issue of The Leaf, and I thank you for your continued dedication to our patients all year, every season and every day.

With gratitude,

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CEO Column

Hospital of the Future T

he Hospital of the Future (HOTF) strategic initiative strives to transform the quality and value we offer that clearly sets us apart in the health care market. With a number of Stakeholders supporting this effort, we have taken another look at our hospital process in a range of areas.

These initiatives will help us be more competitive and position us for accelerated growth while ensuring that we keep delivering the patient care to which we are committed.

• Cardiopulmonary

o New echo hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on-call during weekends • Outpatient Medicine Clinic

o OICC and Pain Management teams have moved down to the 1st floor area with Integrative Services, Intake, Internal Medicine, Transitional Care and Survivorship to follow

Nancy will continue to update Stakeholders regularly on the HOTF effort and what it means for you and your Here is a look at some of the process/ department through: structure changes we have seen in the last • Face-to-face discussions two to three months: • Daily Connection • Public emails • Culinary

o Pricing changes and new meal • Team meetings and huddles options • Weekly “In the Know” meetings • Accounts Payable (AP)

o Moving to one AP specialist;

Throughout all changes, CTCA continues corporate finance will support the its unparalleled commitment to patientPO/expense report duties centered care and to all Stakeholders. Our • Observation Unit and Ambulatory Vision remains clear: To be recognized Surgery and trusted by people living with cancer

o All appropriate outpatient surgical as the premier center for healing and procedures are recovering in the hope, all leading to our ultimate goal of becoming the leading national provider PACU of cancer care. You, our Stakeholders, are • Retail Pharmacy ultimately the key to our success and we

o No weekend hours, weekend prescriptions have transitioned to value your many contributions that make the difference in the lives of our patients. the inpatient pharmacist

o Chairside delivery program to fill prescriptions direct to patients in Please reach out to your supervisor with any questions or send ideas and comments Infusion and OICC to NotetoNancy@ctca-hope.com.

• OICC

o New OICC hours have transitioned from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

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keholder ght der

Stakeholder Spotlight Stakeholder Ruth Zielinski

Job title: Transportation Ambassador

Daily responsibilities: 1) Transport our guests 2) Keep the logs for all of our vehicles 3) Manage ordering of any products needed in Transportation department What is your favorite memory from CTCA? My MOST memorable moment at CTCA would be our first Celebrate LifeÂŽ. It was a day of mixed emotions. What a blessing to be able to see all the five-year survivors celebrate their lives!

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Stak Spotl Stakeh What are your hobbies?

My hobbies range from sewing Christmas stockings and making crafts, to baking.

Probably most enjoyable would be doing anything with my family.

Fun fact: Family is EVERYTHING! I enjoy spending time with my husband (Jack), two daughters (Denice and Jacqueline), and my beautiful grandchildren (Mellisa, Jerry, Aaron, Shelby, Stephanie and Jarrett).

I enjoyed driving children to and from school for 34 years before joining the CTCA family 11 years ago.

Describe yourself in three words: Caring, Giving, Dedicated

ment tlight artment

Department Spotlight Department

Clinical Research

Describe the responsibilities of your department: One of our main responsibilities is to execute research-specific care activities with our patients. These vary from study to study, but generally include patient recruitment and selection, physical assessments, data collection and continuing evaluations of our patients’ overall well-being.

The Clinical Research team at Eastern is also focused on supporting successful execution of oncology clinical research trials that allow us to offer additional options for treatment to our patients. We support physician and non-physician researchers in many different ways, such as: regulatory, administrative and ethical committee approvals (Institutional Review Board); serving as liaison between Eastern and pharmaceutical companies who sponsor the trials; as well as education and training of investigators and other Stakeholders who perform research activities.

What is a common misconception about your department?

Public perceptions regarding research, both in the past and currently, have included the following:

1. Patients participating in research studies are viewed as “guinea pigs” 2. Research always involves a placebo (fake drug or intervention) 3. Clinical trials are always a last line of hope for treatment

These are not always the case. In fact, there are a myriad of reasons behind how a clinical trial is designed and which drugs or cancer type is being investigated.

While treatment in a clinical trial is not for all patients, for some, participation may mean that a study best matches the needs of the patient and their family.

cutting edge treatments, or standard therapies delivered in new ways based on genetic alterations. It is important to us that patients understand that we not only value their contribution to medical research but that we respect their autonomy, dignity and viewpoint.

A common misconception among our fellow Stakeholders is that we act independently of them. In reality, we are part of the same team all partnering to provide treatment choices to our patients.

Within our roles we educate both patients and Stakeholders about how clinical research interventions go hand-in-hand with delivery of compassionate cancer care.

Do you have a special story you would like to share of a time when you/your department greatly impacted a patient or Stakeholder?

We have found that patients and families appreciate the opportunity to participate in clinical research no matter the outcome, however we also find that not all patients that we care for will qualify for treatment in a clinical trial.

Recently, a patient sought out Eastern for their care because they wanted to be a participant in one of our research studies.

Unfortunately the patient was not eligible for enrollment in the trial, but as a result of their exposure to our model of care the patient decided to stay with Eastern for their standard cancer care.

How does the work of your department impact patients?

We have the opportunity to provide options for our patients which they might not otherwise have. Patients who qualify for participation in clinical research studies are offered access to

Walk us through the process of submitting research for approval: New applications for clinical trials are now managed through a recently developed process called “RAP,” or Research Approval Process. The new process was developed through the

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Depar Spotlight De

cooperative efforts of our department of Medicine and Science along with each of the Regional Medical Center’s local clinical research Stakeholders. The RAP process has been specifically designed to address research projects that are either investigator-initiated, or a clinical trial with a sponsor external to CTCA. The new application forms and instructions can be found on EmpowerNet.

Currently, the Clinical Research programs at each of the Regional Medical Centers are undergoing a thoughtful revision to our processes. This will centralize how we manage relationships with pharmaceutical companies as well as unify necessary infrastructure support enterprise-wide.

Anything else you’d like to share with fellow Stakeholders?

Clinical Research Stakeholders are here to support our patients and Stakeholders alike. Let us know if you have questions as we work together to provide our patients with potentially outstanding therapies delivered in new, innovative ways. Redesigning our research program at Eastern will align us with other regional and national cancer centers offering patients clinical trials as an additional treatment option.

The Essence of Life is Growth Submitted by Chas Smithe MSN, RN CCRN, CNRN, Imaging

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sk yourself this question: How high does a tree grow? Answer: As tall as it can. You never hear of a tree only growing halfway.

Trees grow their roots down as deep as they can and extend their limbs as tall and wide as they can. Now ask yourself another question: Why don’t people do the same? It’s because we are given the opportunity of personal choice. This is what makes us different from spiders, birds, alligators and squirrels. We can choose to do the right thing to become better human beings, or choose to just exist the way we are. Never striving for more than life offers us. Every winter a goose flies south. The goose doesn’t ask itself, should I go east or west this year instead of flying south? Humans can make choices. So why not choose all that is available to us? To learn more, to see more, to do more, to earn more, and to give more away. I say live life to the max.

Go for it! Do all that you can, be all that you can, help as many people as you can.

There is no life like it. Let us all continue to grow.

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Culture Column EMPOWERING The word Empowering comes up a lot at CTCA. We empower ourselves to encourage our patients, ultimately empowering each other.

The nominees for 2016 were Terra Garmon in Utilization Management, Crystal Johnson in EVS and Donald Schleifer in Pain Management.

Winner: Crystal Johnson AKA “Crystal Love” “Crystal is a great person to be around, and someone who everyone loves.”

- Nominator

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ach year at our Holiday Party we have the pleasure of recognizing Stakeholders in categories that make up Eastern’s unique culture. The categories – Compassionate, Empowering, Innovative, Responsive and Team-Spirited – are exemplified by this amazing group of Eastern Stakeholders that exhibit our core values every day with our patients, and fellow Stakeholders.

RESPONSIVE Being Responsive means not only being available when called upon, it’s about being present and being helpful.

The nominees for 2016 were the OICC Team, Security Team and Hospitalisth, Dr. Farhan Tahir.

Winner: Farhan Tahir “Dr. Tahir is always willing and ready to start the day at CTCA! He never says no when asked to do something for a patient.”

– Nominator

COMPASSIONATE Being Compassionate means showing our patients the care they deserve, while upholding that most important standard— the Mother Standard® of care.

The nominees for 2016 were Donna Selya in Care Management, Susie Springer in Culinary and Donna Wallace in Finance.

Winner: Susie Springer “When I look for compassion, empathy and courage within myself, I look for Susie.” – Nominator

INNOVATIVE Innovation is happening everywhere at Eastern. From implementing a major clinical initiative to streamlining a daily process, innovation is the heartbeat of this hospital.

TEAM-SPIRITED To be Team-Spirited means to build a strong relationship with your fellow teammates. Team-Spirited epitomizes the ability to lean on your colleagues, no matter what.

The nominees for 2016 were Eneida Collazo in Nursing, Eileen Eisenhower in Nursing and Mary Tarczewski in Nursing.

The nominees for 2016 were Environmental Services, Transportation and Perioperative Services.

Winner: Eneida Collazo

Winner: Perioperative Services

“Eneida’s most popular attribute is her ability to be forward-thinking and accountable for everything she does.”

- Nominator

“The Surgery team holds our patients’ hands while they drift off to sleep, wipes their tears and helps calm their fears.”

– Nominator “The contagious attitude of my team actually spills over as I hear from our patients how much they love to come here, in spite of needing surgery.

– Perioperative Team Member

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Compliance Moment

Speech Pathology Clinical Trials Begin

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t CTCA, Compliance covers a lot of different subjects and issues.

One simple and effective way to add a compliance focus in your daily routine is to make a note and execute in the spirit of Our Values.

astern’s Speech Pathology team enrolled their first eligible patient in a phase II, randomized clinical trial on Head and Neck research protocol in January! The name of the study is “Impact of Two Different Preventative Exercise Programs on Feeding Tube Dependence at Three Months Following Treatment of Oropharyngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancer” and compares two different exercise routines to determine the most effective routine that improves long term swallowing outcomes. This will ultimately reduce feeding dependence at three months, posttreatment.

We are: Hopeful, Compassionate, Empowering, Ethical, Responsive, Innovative, and Team-Spirited. CTCA Compliance is based on these values as well as the ones listed below: COMPLIANCE Commit to do the right thing Obey the regulations and policies that apply to your job Put the Standards of Conduct in an accessible spot Lead by example If in doubt, check it out Attend training sessions Notify your supervisor of possiple wrongdoings Communicate openly and honestly Ethics is part of all activities

Research, Radiation, Rehabilitation, Finance and the Speech Pathologists from Eastern and Southeastern would like to acknowledge all the Stakeholders that provide the support required to have a strong Head and Neck Research Swallow Exercise Program!

Submitted by Erika Carachilo, MA/CCC-SLP, CLT, Rehabilitation

Submitted by Hugh McDermott, Compliance

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Nutrition Notes

Be specific.

Submitted by Renee Pieroth, MS, RD, CSO, LDN, Nutrition

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Be realistic.

Goals could be unachievable because the goal itself is vague.

For example, set a duration or frequency for the number of days you will exercise per week or the serving size of vegetables you will eat daily.

You can set small changes to help you achieve a long-term goal.

t may be difficult to stay motivated towards healthy lifestyle goals during the winter; the weather is cold and it is usually dark before you leave work.

Despite these gloomy facts, try to focus on making progress toward your healthy habits by simply staying focused on one or two goals this year.

Recognize the challenges.

Try not to use obstacles as an excuse to not achieve your goal.

Acknowledge challenges and create a plan to get on track.

Recognize that circumstances can change throughout the year and adjust your plans accordingly to achieve your goals.

Be patient.

Here are some tips for goal setting:

Recognize that your current habits likely did not develop overnight, so it may take time to adapt to a new habit.

Find support in your community to make a positive impact. Recruit family, friends and coworkers to keep healthy goals this year and have fun!

Track your progress.

Keep a positive mindset.

Writing down your goals helps keep you accountable and monitor your successes as well as your challenges.

Set goals that are important to you to help stay motivated. Surround yourself with support to help keep you on track.

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Roasted Vegetable Soup For the roasted vegetables: • 6 cups peeled and chopped root vegetables (parsnips, turnip, sweet potato, carrots and rutabagas) • 3 tablespoons olive oil • Leaves from 4 sprigs of fresh thyme • Salt and pepper For the base: • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 cup diced yellow onion (1 small or 1/2 large) • 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock • 1/4 cup coconut milk • 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice • Salt and pepper to taste For serving: • 1 tablespoon coconut milk per serving • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil per serving • Thyme sprigs (optional) To make the roasted vegetables, preheat the oven to 400 and line a sheet pan with foil. Place the chopped root vegetables on the pan, drizzle with three tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Toss to coat the vegetables with the seasonings, and make sure they are spread out in a single layer.

Roast for about 45 minutes, tossing once, until tender.

Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat to start making the base. Add the onion and sautée until browned. Add the chicken or vegetable stock, bring to a boil, and boil for five minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Turn off the heat and set aside until the vegetables are ready.

Submitted by Karen Sudders, MS, RD, LDN, Nutrition

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When the roasted veggies are done, let them cool slightly, then transfer the vegetables and the base to a food processor (or use an immersion blender). Process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Return to the pan to reheat if needed. Serve with a drizzle of coconut milk and several drops of olive oil on top.

Don’t skip these garnishes–they add so much fabulous flavor!

[PHOTO-basket raffle] Thank you to the 24 departments that donated baskets and buckets to the Holiday Raffle – you helped make this fundraiser a successful reality!

AIH volunteers sold 3,200 tickets and the Holiday Raffle raised more than $4,000 to help patients and their families.

Thank You From AIH Submitted by Michael Robinson, Growth

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very donation to Assistance in Healthcare (AIH) helps defray the costs of nonmedical needs such as utilities, housing, transportation and basic living expenses to eligible patients and their immediate family members, so that the patient can focus on what’s important—their healing.

[PHOTO-gifts] A very special thanks to all the Stakeholders and visitors who donated a total of 120 presents and gift cards this year for families in need.

$500 La Salle College High School Student Fundraiser The son of one of our Stakeholders attends La Salle College High School and requested that funds from their annual fundraiser be donated to AIH. The donor chose AIH after experiencing his grandmother’s personal battle with cancer over a year ago.

[PHOTO-givingtree_letter] A family wrote to thank Stakeholders for making their holiday a wonderful experience.

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[PHOTO-puzzle sale] Thanks to Mr. Brown’s puzzle sales, was $483 raised this year for AIH.

Cancer Fighters Corner

Submitted by MaLinda Ross, Growth

New Online Cancer Fighters® Community!

Patients and caregivers have been asking for an online community to share and connect with one another. Although Cancer Fighters® has had a longstanding web presence, we have not had a virtual community where patients, caregivers and families can go to connect, ask questions, give and receive support.

But now our patients can connect with Cancer Fighters from Eastern and their hometown from their desktop or mobile device. The new Cancer Fighters Community includes group discussions, a searchable member directory and more!

Our new Cancer Fighters Community has all the features our patients, caregivers and families have been asking for. It makes it quick and easy to meet members who live in their hometown and to keep in touch with those they have gotten to know here at Eastern.

Cancer Fighters Community is an exclusive, online gathering place where patients, caregivers and families can: • Personalize their profile and update settings so others can find them in the

member directory • Search for other members by location, cancer type, name or shared interests • Join online groups and discussions • Send messages to individual members • Sign up for events, and see who plans to attend those same events

Mummers at CTCA - Thank You! To help ring in the New Year with our patients, Guest Services Associate Mary Fanning coordinated a visit from a Mummers String Band Trio to the hospital.

Best of all, becoming part of the community is easy. Starting in late February, anyone from our cancer community can just log in at www. cancerfighter.com and get instant access to all the new benefits. You’ll even find short, easy-to-follow videos to help you get started.

The event was close to Mary’s heart as her late father used to attend the New Year’s Eve celebrations every year with her at CTCA. Each year, he said that what would make the party so much better would be a visit from the Mummers!

We encourage you to check it out to learn more so that you can pass this information along to our patients, caregivers and their families.

After Mary’s father passed, she thought it would be a testament to her father and a joy to our patients to finally bring in the Mummers for the holiday celebration.

For more information please contact MaLinda Ross at 215-537-4838 or email CFphilly@ctca-hope.com.

Thank you to Mary Fanning for coordinating the New Year’s visit!

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