HUPdate

Volume 23

Number 23

November 16, 2012

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

 A converted conference room on Rhoads 6 became comfy sleepover quarters for the staff.

Neither RAIN Nor WIND STOPPED HOSPITAL OPERATIONS

Long before Sandy’s hurricane-force winds and pounding rains descended on our area, HUP’s emergency preparedness team was making the necessary preparations to keep the hospital running and our patients safe.

By 5 am Monday morning, HUP’s command center was open and ready to field phone calls and inquiries, and to provide guidance as conditions deteriorated. The first major impact: SEPTA’s decision to cancel operations.

Employees who came to work for the late shift on Sunday couldn’t get home and many day shift employees had no way to get in. Calls flooded the command center, requesting a ride in or asking about available parking. Security

INSIDE Chemo Parties Raise Spirits ....2 Seeking MLK Award Nominations .............................2 Sandy Doesn’t Stop Transplants................................3 OB/GYN Practice Outreach......4

took the lead, bringing in over 80 staff members. “John Kirby [of Administration] used his own car to pick up many staff and transport them to the hospital,” said Security director Joe Forte. “In addition, we made an emergency drug delivery to Penn Medicine Radnor.”

Parking — always an issue — became critical on Monday. Penn Tower garage filled up quickly and while some staff were able to park at Perelman (leaving room for patients), the demand quickly threatened to overwhelm the supply of spaces. Luckily, the University had closed for all but essential staff. Forte worked with Jim Atkinson, Penn Medicine chief of Security and Parking, to put the overflow in University lots and garages.

As transportation options dwindled — SEPTA and PATCO had both been shut down — requests for sleep accommodations

increased. Tonita Bell-Chapman and The Admissions Center (TAC) swung into action.

“The job seemed insurmountable but the Center’s staff has crafted a process that makes it seem effortless,” said Bernard Dyer, director of UPHS Safety and Management. Staff got in line and received a sleep location assignment, a food voucher, and linens and scrubs. “It was as orderly as the deli line at a supermarket,” he continued.

“The only thing missing was the ticket number dispenser!” In the end TAC filled over 500 requests.

Support departments had extra staff on hand — many volunteering for double shifts — to make sure that the hospital continued to function, no matter what the impact from Sandy. “We were fully staffed around the clock — electricians, plumbers, general mechanics... all trades — to make sure we were covered,” said Chuck Aitken, (Continued on page 3)

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Chemo Parties

RAISE SPIRITS

“The chemotherapy parties that her family is having for her are helping her get through a difficult time both physically and emotionally, and they are contributing to her incredibly positive attitude and outlook on her condition.”

Kelly McCollister, Debbie’s daughter, quickly added her own prescription to the list: a special party during each chemo session to help her mom count down the days until she finished her treatment.

“I’d heard of people doing parties for the last day of chemo, but I thought, ‘We should do a party every day!’” Kelly said. She and her sister, Karen, worked out a slate of themed parties that would see Debbie through her entire treatment.

The family — dubbed “Team Debbie” in matching black and white t-shirts — kicked off the festivities with a “Comfy Chemo Circus,” complete with red clown noses and swirly rainbow lollipops, on the day of her first infusion. They later threw a Hawaiian luau with grass skirts and smoothies served in coconuts, and held a Mardi

Gras-themed day with glittery, feathery masks. There was a tie-dyefestooned Disco Party, a tea party with fancy hats and a visit from a group of stuffed teddy bears, and Monte Carlo night with card games and a red feather boa.

The festivities all included themed music and snacks that they shared with other patients and families receiving infusions nearby.

Debbie’s radiation oncologist, Charles Simone, MD, who treats her along with her medical oncologist Charu Aggarwal, MD, said she is fortunate to have such a committed and creative support system in place. “The chemotherapy parties that her family is having for her are helping her get through a difficult time both physically and emotionally, and they are contributing to her incredibly positive attitude and outlook on her condition,” he said, noting that studies have shown that positive attitudes and decreased emotional stress about a cancer diagnosis can contribute to better quality of life.

Some studies indicate those qualities are even associated with better outcomes.

On Debbie’s last day of chemotherapy, the family celebrated with a black tie event — she and her daughters arrived decked out in black cocktail dresses, and her husband and son-in-law came in tuxedos.

That day, in her little black dress and black and white turban standing in for the hair she lost while receiving chemo, Debbie walked the red carpet to ring the bell signaling the completion of her treatment. (See photos from chemo parties at http://news. pennmedicine.org/inside/hupdate/.)

800

700

Credit Check

600

Seeking

Penn Homeownership Services is hosting a Credit Counseling Workshop on Monday, November 19, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in Room 223 (Golkin), Houston Hall. The workshop will feature a variety of information on improving your credit and will answer questions about credit issues. The workshop is open to UPHS staff. We ask that you RSVP if you plan to attend.

Go to http://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/homeownership and click on Credit Counseling Workshop.

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MLK AWARD NOMINATIONS

2013

Beach Boys music, hot dogs, sheet cake and feather boas aren’t the tools oncologists usually use to attack cancer. But along with powerful drugs and targeted radiation treatments, they’ve all played a big role in helping Debbie Hemmes, an Abramson Cancer Center patient, fight lung cancer. After she was diagnosed early last summer, Debbie and her family — her husband, Tom, and two adult daughters, Kelly and Karen — learned she would need to undergo seven and a half weeks of radiation treatment, plus two six-day sessions of chemotherapy during that same period of time.

Nominations are being accepted for the 2013 Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Involvement Recognition Awards.

These awards are presented to individuals who demonstrate significant contributions in community service and/or work for social justice efforts. Penn faculty, staff, students, and members of the broader Philadelphia community are eligible to be nominated. Go to www.upenn.edu/mlk/award/htm for nomination forms. The nomination deadline is Friday, December 7. If you have any questions, please contact the African-American Resource Center at 215-898-0104 or aarc@pobox.upenn.edu.

Sandy Doesn’t Stop

TRANSPLANTS On Monday, October 29, Hurricane Sandy was doing its best to batter the Philadelphia region but that didn’t prevent HUP staff from performing not one, but two organ transplants.

Nicole Hornsby, Heart Transplant coordinator, received the call about an available heart a little after 2 pm on Monday. Due to extreme weather conditions, Jack Vaughn, a local patient on HUP’s heart transplant list, was now at the top. Could they take it? She quickly notified Vaughn who wanted to move ahead, but was afraid to make the drive from Easton.

Hornsby immediately started making calls — both internally and externally — seeking a way to get the patient down. Gift of Life provided the name of an ambulance company in the Easton area. “They said no but gave me the name of another,” she said. “That company said they’d call me back.”

Meanwhile, texts, emails, and calls flew back and forth between her, Michael Acker, MD, chief of Cardiovascular Surgery, and Pavan Atluri, MD, who would perform the transplant, trying to figure out how to safely get the patient here. PennSTAR was grounded but Bob Higgins, PennSTAR’s program director, offered to get the patient with its ground ambulance. But the trip there and then back would be dangerous and long.

Finally, 40 minutes after her initial call, the Suburban Rescue Squad of Palmer Township returned her call. They would pick up the patient at his house at 6:15 and make the trip to HUP. Vaughn safely arrived at HUP a little after 8 pm. By 10 am Tuesday, he had received his heart and was in the ICU recovering.

As if one transplant in these circumstances weren’t amazing enough, another call came from the donor hospital shortly after the first.

A liver was now available as well. The original recipient could not get to his hospital and one of HUP’s patient was next on the list. Could he get there?

Nicole Platt, a transplant coordinator who worked in tandem with Hornsby to get Vaughn to HUP, took the lead in this. The patient not only wanted the transplant, but was also willing to drive in on his own. He said he would leave his home — which is north of Doylestown — as soon as possible.

Twenty minutes after the initial call, the

Neither RAIN Nor WIND

 Nicole Hornsby with post heart transplant patient Jack Vaughn.

patient called back. “He said ‘There are five ways out of my neighborhood and four are blocked with heavy trees I can’t move…. I’m going to try the fifth.’ I think I held my breath until he called me back 15 minutes later with good news: ‘I made it to 611.’”

They talked several times during his trip down. “Judging by our conversations, you wouldn’t have known we were in the middle of a hurricane,” she said. “He said my calm demeanor kept him relaxed but I wasn’t feeling all that calm!”

Nearly four hours after he left his home, the recipient arrived at HUP. Peter Abt, MD, performed the liver transplant after the heart transplant early Tuesday morning and, by Sunday, the recipient had been discharged to home and was doing well.

(Continued from page1)

STOPPED HOSPITAL OPERATIONS

assistant executive hospital director. On leak patrols, “we found and fixed leaks in places that had never leaked before, because of the high winds.” Aitken also made sure the emergency generator contractor and the elevator vendor stayed overnight “just in case.”

L.F. Driscoll workers came and stayed, to do whatever might be needed.

Food Services handled over 700 food vouchers for staff during Monday night alone. Larry McCook, director of Patient Transport, said that many of his staff braved the elements to come in. For example, “Richard Watson walked over two miles through the storm to get to work when he couldn’t find a ride

and then spent the night so he could begin working bright and early on Tuesday.”

Staff in patient care units went out of their way to ensure uninterrupted care and patient safety. Many worked back-to-back shifts so those who lived farther away could stay home.

Those living in the city opened their homes to colleagues so they could safely return to HUP the next day. The Heart and Vascular ICU used technology to ensure sufficient staffing, posting scheduling messages and responses on its locked Facebook account, starting Saturday evening.

As a result of the extensive preparations, HUP made it through with no significant

disruptions of services. Indeed, not even this weather emergency could stop both a heart and a liver transplant from being performed.

(See story above.)

“HUP physicians, nurses, and staff took on this emergency with the quiet confidence and skill that can only come from dedication to others,” said executive director Garry Scheib. “My heartfelt thanks for going above and beyond to help our patients and one another.”

“The response was incredible,” agreed Dyer. “People step up…They want to help.

It demonstrates why HUP is such a special place.”

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OB/GYN Practice Outreach Thanks to the generosity of the staff at Penn OB/GYN Associates, located at 3701 Market, 12 boxes of clothing, household items, and toiletries were donated to Impacting Your World Ministries, a Philadelphia church which helps its parishioners and neighbors in need. Leading the effort were (l. to r.) Jackie Inniss, Jada Spellman-Boyd, Nicole Speaks, and Taniesha Abdul-Ali.

PAYSTUB REMINDER

The Best Time to

QUIT SMOKING: NOW! Yesterday’s Great American Smokeout reminds us that NOW is a great time to quit smoking…. And UPHS can help, with a free tobacco cessation program through Health Advocate. The program — available to both employees and covered dependents — provides 13 weeks of coaching and nicotine replacement therapy (gum, patch, or lozenge) that will be mailed directly to your home at no cost to you! Just call 1-866-695-8622 to get started today!

Helping People ALL THE TIME

Congratulations to May’s winners of the Helping People All the Time raffle.

Kiristin Barber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 1 Jennifer Barden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ED Stephanie Brody . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ravdin 9 Nathaniel Butler . . . . .Telemetry Transport Mary Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 8 Denise Curran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Founders 5 Heather DeRafelo . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 8 William Fletcher . . . . .Telemetry Transport Michelle Gasperi . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 8 Patricia Haygood . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 8 Corey Howard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 6 Kenny Lavin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Founders 4 OR Samia Long . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Radiology

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Lisa Lupico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 4 Theresita Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ravdin 6 Samantha Null . . . . . . CRM & Social Work Helene Ogden . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 12 Christine Peregrim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ED Jessica Plantulli . . . . . . . . . . . .Founders 5 Kristin Rosato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 4 Patricia Saladik . . . . . . . . . . . . .Founders 8 Alison Stewart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 6 Rebecca Sweeney. . . . . . . . . Silverstein 8 Myriko Wade . . . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 9 Sakinah Wade . . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 8 Eva Zois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 6

The November 16 paycheck is the last paystub that will be distributed on paydays to those who use direct deposit for their paychecks. Employees can easily access their paystub information online. Go to Employee Records and Paychecks, located on the right column on the Intranet home page. Just log on with your network ID and password and select Paychecks.

HUPdate EDITORIAL STAFF

Sally Sapega Editor and Photographer Lisa Paxson Designer

ADMINISTRATION

Susan E. Phillips Senior Vice President, Public Affairs CONTACT HUPDATE AT: 3535 Market Street, Mezzanine Philadelphia, PA 19104 phone: 215.662.4488 fax: 215.349.8312 email: sally.sapega@uphs.upenn.edu HUPdate is published biweekly for HUP employees. Access HUPdate online at http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside/hupdate.