Pen Bay Medical Center Wellness Wire - May 2017

#10 May

Colleague News & PBMC Updates………………..……….Pg. 1 - Pg. 4 PBMC Spotlight…………………………...........Pg. 3 Around Our Community…………....Pg. 5 - Pg. 6

Pen Bay Medical Center Achieves Straight “A’s” for Patient Safety in The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade Pen Bay Medical Center has once again earned an “A” grade from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. Pen Bay Medical Center has achieved straight A’s since the inception of the Safety Grade in 2012, and is one of only 63 hospitals nationwide to attain this honor.

Developed under the guidance of an expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peerreviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. The Safety Grade addresses how a hospital and other health care organizations protect patients from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

“I am proud of Pen Bay Medical Center for once again receiving an “A” rating in patient safety,” commented Mark Fourre, MD, President and CEO of Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County General Hospital. “It is because of the dedication and commitment to patient-centered care from the entire PBMC team that we receive recognition like this. Thank you to all of our colleagues at PBMC for your continued commitment to providing exceptional healthcare to our community.”

Pen Bay Medical Center was also one of 115 hospitals nationwide that was named a 2016 Top Rural Hospital by the Leapfrog Group.

#08

Medical Volunteer Missions at Pen Bay Medical Center

Second from left, Diane Kelley, CST and fifth from left, Janet Watkinson, RN

Many colleagues at PBMC volunteer with mission centered organizations to help increase access to quality healthcare around the world. In this Wellness Wire, we highlight Janet Watkinson, RN and Diane Kelley, CST from the operating room.

Janet and Diane were part of a group mission with Baobab Canopy, a “ME to Z” annual medical mission with a focus on public health and education between Portland, ME and Chuini, Zanzibar. The group of 17 volunteers, which included nurses, student nurses, one surgical tech (CST) and one OB/GYN physician traveled to Zanzibar from March 9 - 19. This particular medical mission supported women, men and children in a clinic setting. They provided education regarding hygiene, transmission of disease, sexual health and wellness. Triage was set up to partner with consultation and dispersal of medications as needed.

Diane also travels to Haiti annually with the Notre Dame Haiti Program which focuses on eradication of lymphatic filariosis, a mosquito born disease that causes limb elephantiasis. Janet and Diane’s story was submitted by Tara Murray, RN, OR clinical care coordinator who states, “Janet and Diane exemplify compassion and selflessness with these missions.”

Along with Tara and the entire OR team, PBMC is honored to have Janet and Diane as part of our organization.

Lab Exceeds Accreditation Standards Recently, NorDx (which operates the lab at Pen Bay Medical Center) was inspected by two of the top laboratory accreditation programs in the United States, The College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). NorDx exceeded all the accreditation standards from both CAP and AABB. By adhering to the standards set forth by these accreditation programs and through tremendous effort across the organization, NorDx is able to provide one of the finest U.S. laboratories to MaineHealth members and the northeast region.

NorDx’s blood bank department at Pen Bay Medical Center recently passed the AABB inspection with flying colors. The AABB has recognized NorDx with the highest standards in regards to blood bank and transfusion services.

NorDx is proud to provide laboratory and blood bank services of superior value throughout MaineHealth and the northeast region. By embracing our core values: Patient Centered, Respect, Integrity, Excellence, Ownership and Innovation, NorDx is uniquely positioned to remain a successful high-quality laboratory and center of excellence.

PBMC Spotlight: Volunteers Pen Bay Medical Center would like to recognize and thank all of our volunteers across the PBMC system. The week of April 23 – 29 was recognized as National Volunteer Week and a celebratory lunch was held in March to honor all volunteers. Combined, the in-hospital volunteers and Pen Bay Stitchers contribute more than 13,000 hours with an estimated monetary value of approximately $312,650. Thank you for your tireless dedication to our hospital and patients, you make the world a brighter place!

To learn more about volunteering at Pen Bay Medical Center, please visit www.penbayhealthcare.org/volunteer.

Karen Wincapaw and Denise Messa

Virginia Johns, Arcy Hamalainen and Charlotte Root

JR. Guimond

Values in Action Stars – Karyl Breen and Kathy Yonce Each month, colleagues are asked to submit examples of their coworkers who exemplify the value of the month. For the month of May, Karyl Breen, patient access support and Kathy Yonce, PT/OT secretary of Pen Bay Outpatient Physical and Occupational Therapy (Rockport YMCA location) were recognized by their colleagues for exemplifying the value of excellence: “Karyl Breen and Kathy Yonce demonstrate unlimited patience, professionalism and more than competent skill throughout our Epic transition. They are at the front line at our patient check in desk and manage every complicated detail for patient registration, scheduling, numerous phone calls and questions, as well as keeping our staff well informed of the daily changes. We would be lost without them and so appreciate their hard work and dedication.”

Karyl Breen

Kathy Yonce

Pen Bay Medical Center would like to thank Karyl and Kathy for their dedication and commitment to their patients.

Pen Bay Medical Center Launches New Website

Pen Bay Medical Center is excited to announce the launch of our new and improved website. To access the new site, please visit www.pbmc.org or search online for Pen Bay Medical Center. (www.penbayhealthcare.org will redirect you to this new site) Our new website has a refreshed look and feel, will provide you with seamless access to the latest technologies and treatments, and offers access to our array of providers, with additional details on their specialties and interests. Pen Bay Medical Center is proud to share this new website as a resource for health and wellness in the Midcoast community.

May is Stroke Awareness Month During Stroke Awareness Month, the American Heart & Stroke Association and Pen Bay Medical Center encourage community members to learn stroke risk factors and understand stroke prevention. Below are six educational tips for reducing stroke risk. We encourage you to share this information from the National Stroke Association (stroke.org) with your family and friends.  

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High blood pressure is the primary cause of stroke. Managing your blood pressure plays a role in lowering your stroke risk.

Cholesterol or plaque build-up in the arteries can block normal blood flow to the brain and cause a stroke. All adults age 20 and older should have their cholesterol checked at least once every five years.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a type of irregular or "racing" heartbeat that can cause blood to collect in the heart and potentially form a clot, which can travel to a person's brain and cause a stroke. Unfortunately, many Americans who have AF don't know it.

Diabetes can double or quadruple your risk for stroke. Talk to your doctor and learn how to manage your diabetes and stroke risk.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a mini-stroke with stroke symptoms that last less than 24 hours before disappearing. More than one third of all people who have a TIA will have a stroke. Do not ignore episodes of stroke-like symptoms, even if they are transient and resolve over minutes to hours. Seek medical attention.

Tobacco use, smoking and alcohol use increase your risk for stroke. Consider quitting smoking or tobacco use and drinking alcohol in moderation.

Pen Bay Medical Center is a certified Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center. This certification of distinction is awarded to hospitals that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke. The PBMC Stroke Program is also the recipient of the American Heart & Stroke Association Get With the Guidelines® Gold Plus Stroke Performance Achievement Award.

Pen Bay Medical Center Ethics Committee hosts Ethics Day Join the PBMC Ethics Committee on June 6 for Ethics Day. The committee will be hosting a medical ethics expert from the University of Maine for a public event on end-of-life issues. The presentation, Ethics in End-of-Life Care, will help attendees understand the current legal status of end-of-life health care choices and appreciate the major ethical issues involved in those treatment decisions. The event is free and open to the public, registration is not required.

Date: Tuesday June 6 Time: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Place: Pen Bay Physicians Building, Ground Floor, Conference Room C Speaker: Jessica P. Miller, Ph.D. Department of Philosophy, University of Maine, Orono

Fresh Salads in a Jar Wednesday, June 7, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Rockland Congregational Church 180 Limerock Street, Rockland Mason jars aren’t just for canning – they make portable, portion-control meals simple and keep salads fresh for up to a week. Join the Community Health & Wellness team to learn how to make perfect and tasty mason jar salads.

Participants will create their own salads to take home.

Registration fee is $10. Space is limited so pre-registration is required; please visit journeytohealth.coursestorm.com or call 921-3950 to register.

Cooking for Health – Eating Well with Diabetes Join us for a free two-session cooking class to learn diabetes cooking basics, like using herbs and spices to reduce sodium and fat and including more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. We will eat sample portions of all foods we prepare and teach you to cook your own healthy meals at home.

Eating Well with Diabetes is part of the Cooking for Health series, made possible by a generous $60,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation. Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County General Hospital would like to thank the Walmart Foundation for the grant, which will allow the Journey to Health program to offer 40 free hands-on healthy cooking classes throughout Knox and Waldo counties.

Classes:  St. George: Thursdays, June 1 & 8, 10:00 a.m. – noon  Liberty: Mondays, June 12 & 19, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.  Brooks: Tuesdays, June 13 & 20, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.  Rockland: Wednesdays, June 14 & 21, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

For more information or to register for any of the Cooking for Health classes, please visit journeytohealth.coursestorm.com or call 921-3950.

Save the Date: Pen Bay Waldo Healthcare Foundation Summer SoirĂŠe Please save the date 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.

Proceeds to benefit healthcare services at Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County General Hospital. For advanced ticket information, please call 207-921-6713 or visit www.penbaywaldofoundation.org.