Pen Bay Medical Center Wellness Wire - July 2017

#11 July

Colleague News & PBMC Updates………………..……….Pg. 1 - Pg. 3 PBMC Spotlight…………………………...........Pg. 2 Around Our Community…………....Pg. 4 - Pg. 6

PBMC Employee Awards Connie Thyng, RN Cancer Care Center Manager of the 2nd Quarter 2017 Letter from a patient: “I came from Wiscasset for my Remicade infusion, through the blizzard.

After we had gotten ready to start, Connie came to tell the nurses they were closed. I could not easily reschedule and feel horrible without the infusion. Connie (and Amy and Cindy) made it happen and even made arrangements for my boyfriend and I to stay overnight if roads were unsafe. Cannot put into words how amazing this was to us. She went way above and beyond.

AWESOME!” Brenda Berry, RN Emergency Department Daisy Award Honoree, 2nd Quarter From a colleague: “I called Brenda when we were in need of a nurse transport. Brenda picked up her phone and immediately came in to allow for another nurse to go on the transport. It was a time sensitive emergent transfer, Brenda coming in ultimately helped increase the chance for a positive outcome. I have personally called Brenda many times when in a pinch, she ALWAYS picks up and most often comes in to help. She has saved us more times than I can count.” *Continued on page 3.

PBMC Spotlight: Stroke Center Pen Bay Medical Center recently received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to providing the most appropriate stroke treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

Hospitals must achieve 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month periods and achieve 75 percent or higher compliance with five of eight Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality measures to receive the Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.

To qualify for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke. If given intravenously in the first three hours after the start of stroke symptoms, tPA has been shown to significantly reduce the effects of stroke and lessen the chance of permanent disability. PBMC earned the award by meeting quality and performance achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a high level for 24 consecutive months.

These quality measures are designed to help hospital teams follow the most up-to-date, evidencebased guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.

This award comes at the same time the PBMC Stroke Center is preparing for its tenth anniversary as a certified Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center. PBMC achieved initial certification in 2007 and has continued to meet the high standards in stroke care set forth by the Joint Commission in conjunction with the American Heart and Stroke Association. “We are already preparing for our onsite re-certification review that is slated for the fall,” said Eileen Hawkins, RN, MSN, CNRN, SCRN, stroke program coordinator. “Our evidence-based stroke protocols are continuously updated and we have excellent staff that is committed to providing current and quality stroke care.”

PBMC is one of four Joint Commission certified Primary Stroke Centers in the state of Maine.

There are over 1200 certified Primary Stroke Centers nationwide. For more information on the PBMC Stroke Center, please visit pbmc.org.

Pen Bay Surgery and Wound Healing Center first in Maine to earn Vein Center accreditation by IAC

The Pen Bay Surgery and Wound Healing Center has been granted accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in Vein Center in the area of Superficial Venous Treatment and Management. Pen Bay Surgery and Wound Healing Center is the first Vein Center in Maine to receive this accreditation.

More than one half of Americans age 50 and older are affected by varicose veins. Varicose veins occur when the valves in the leg veins no longer function, causing blood to pool in the legs. In some cases, this condition progresses to a more serious form of venous disease called chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Whether to relieve symptoms and/or improve appearance, treating varicose veins can be performed by vein centers that specialize in the evaluation and management of superficial venous disorders.

There are many factors that contribute to an accurate vein treatment and management. The training and experience of the vein specialist performing the procedure, the type of equipment used and the quality assessment metrics each facility is required to measure, all contribute to a positive patient outcome. IAC accreditation is a “seal of approval� that patients can rely on as an indicator of consistent quality care and a dedication to continuous improvement.

Accreditation by IAC indicates that the Pen Bay Surgery and Wound Healing Center has undergone an intensive application and review process and is found to be in compliance with the published Standards, thus demonstrating a commitment to quality patient care in vein treatment and management. Comprised of a detailed self-evaluation followed by a thorough review by a panel of medical experts, the IAC accreditation process enables both the critical operational and technical components of the applicant facility to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports.

The Pen Bay Surgery and Wound Healing Center is located in the Pen Bay Physicians Building. The center is under the medical direction of Julie White, MD, FACS, RVT, RPVI and technical direction of Lynn Taylor, RVT. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 921-5737.

PBMC Employee Awards Continued

L to R: Jim Cilley, physical plant director with Jim Lane, physical plant, January 2017 Employee of the Month

L to R: Frank Carozza, nurse manager of surgical care center and endoscopy with Erica Robishaw, surgical care center, February 2017 Employee of the Month

The medical surgical unit staff with Carol Williams, March 2017 Employee of the Month

Memorial stones for therapy dogs placed in PBMC garden Memorial garden stones bearing the names of two therapy dogs and the phrase “you left your paw prints on our hearts” have been placed in the hospital courtyard garden in memory of the difference they made at PBMC. Bodie and Taser spent countless hours at PBMC and brightened the day of many patients, visitors, colleagues and volunteers.

Robin Guist and her certified Pet Therapy Black Lab, Bodie, volunteered from 2008 until Bodie’s passing in April 2017, just shy of her 10th birthday. They contributed almost 900 volunteer hours.

Al Ockenfels and his certified Pet Therapy German Shepard, Taser, volunteered from 2011 until Taser’s passing in July of 2016. They contributed 440 hours.

Knox Center holds Cleanup Day

Thank you to the Knox Center colleagues and their families who spent a few hours on June 3 cleaning Limerock St, Lincoln St, Beech St, Maple St, White St and the children’s playground near the Rec Center in Rockland. Approximately 15 bags of trash were gathered during the day.

PBMC looks to continue cleanup days in Rockport, with Keep Rockport Beautiful and in the Rockland area. Thank you to all of our colleagues who have participated!

Midcoast Breast Cancer Golf Classic Please join us on Friday, August 11 at the Rockland Golf Club for the annual Midcoast Breast Cancer Golf Classic hosted by the Rockland Women’s Golf Association. The tournament benefits financial support services for breast cancer patients of Pen Bay Medical Center. If you are not a golfer but would still like to contribute to the event, sponsorship opportunities are available and donations are being accepted for raffles and door prizes. Please contact the Pen Bay Waldo Healthcare Foundation at 207-921-6705 or visit www.penbaywaldofoundation.org for more information or to register.

For more information on how to apply for financial assistance from this fund, please contact Catherine Athay in the Pen Bay Medical Center Cancer Care Center at 207-921-8977.

Journey to Health Summer Classes Introduction to Sea Kayaking With the miles of coastline and many lakes in Maine, kayaking is a great way to stay active. The Journey to Health program will be offering two-hour sea kayaking tours in Belfast and Camden in our Introduction to Sea Kayaking class throughout the months of July, August and September.

Registration fee is $30 per outing; please visit journeytohealth.coursestorm.com or call 921-3950 to sign up for a session near you.

Cooking for Health Series Made possible by a generous gift from the Walmart Foundation, our Cooking for Health series will teach you to create healthy and tasty recipes so you can make better food choices for yourself and your loved ones. Please visit journeytohealth.coursestorm.com or call 921-3950 for more information. Topics include:      

Heart Healthy Cooking Practical Plant-Based Cooking Learn to Be Sugar Savvy Quick & Healthy Family Meals On-the-Go Breakfasts On-the-Go Lunches

Get 5k Ready!

Wednesdays, August 2 – September 27, 4:30 – 5:15 p.m.

Rockland Downtown Boardwalk, Rockland Have you always wanted to complete a 5k? With proper training, it is possible! Join personal trainer Rachael McCormick for an eight-week program that will gradually help you build your endurance and strength, as well as provide you tips and techniques to make your first 5k or your next 5k not only fun, but successful. This class leads up to the Energy 4 Life 5k on September 30 in Rockland.

Registration fee is $40; please visit journeytohealth.coursestorm.com or call 921-3950 to register.

Join us for the Pen Bay Waldo Healthcare Foundation Summer SoirĂŠe Join us for a casual western themed BBQ on Saturday, August 19 at Point Lookout Resort in Northport. Western attire encouraged. Proceeds benefit capital investments at Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County General Hospital. To purchase tickets or for more information, please call 207-921-6705 or visit www.penbaywaldofoundation.org.

6 Glen Cove Drive Rockport, ME 04856