Hupdate December 27 2013

Volume 24

HUPdate

Number 26

December 27, 2013

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Raising Spirits at HUP and in the Community Throughout the year, HUP, CPUP, and corporate employees volunteer their time to help members of local communities, but the outreach efforts always reach new levels around the holidays, making the season more joyful for those less fortunate.

Holly Days was again a rousing success, as HUP staff fulfilled the wish lists of 42 families from two local shelters. Bikes, games and electronic games, dolls and doll houses, iPods, TVs, clothing, and gift cards were among the many contributions. In addition, HUP staff generously donated more than $3,900 in gift cards for supermarkets, Walmart, Target, and other stores to the Covenant House, a Philadelphia shelter for teens. “It was another successful year with HUP staff making wishes come true for many children and mothers in need this holiday season,” said Phyllis Murray of Administration, who again ran this hospitalwide drive.

Corporal James Hart of Security delivered Holly Days gifts, as he has done for nearly 20 years but this year “Santa Claus” did even more. Hart also took the lead in the drive to help purchase a commercial stove and range

Inside Another Year to Spread Holiday Cheer.........................2-4 Raising Spirits at HUP and in the Community.....................4

hood for The Veterans Group, an organization that helps former soldiers transition into productive members of society while providing a place to live. “Dr. Jim Mullen, Kevin Mahoney, and Driscoll [construction] are to be acknowledged for helping to make this happen,” Murray added. But what’s a stove without lots of good food to cook? Security took care of that, raising $400 to purchase food.

John Kirby, associate (L. to r.) Chanelle Russell of PPMC, Laura Lombardo of Government Affiars and Madaline hospital director, and Bullard of Ophthalmology were among the more than 90 Penn Medicine employees who Kelly Cooke, corporate volunteered for Councilwoman Blackwell’s annual gift wrapping and holiday dinner. director, their direct reports, and others raised over $1,400 for the Philadelphia Diaper Bank, a nonprofit organization that distributes diapers to groups that help those in need. And gifts from the Radiology Business Office will help make the holidays brighter for residents of Families Forward, a private shelter in West Philadelphia.

Children in the People’s Emergency Center will have a happier holiday thanks to the toy drive run by the Nursing Network Center.

And Ravdin 9 collected scarves, hats, socks and gloves for St. Barnabas Mission, an emergency shelter in West Philadelphia. “Our donations will not only provide warmth during the winter season but also brought warm smiles to the faces of the women at the Center,” said Maria Nicolas.

Ravdin 9 didn’t stop at donations for people.

Last year’s toys and treats for animals at the Continued on page 4.

Heather Matthew gives a special treat to one of the animals that will be helped by the $1,100 she helped raise for the Pennsylvania SPCA to help them care for injured and ill animals at the shelter.

Another Year to Spread

Holiday Cheer!

Each year, the Abrahamsohn Christmas and Easter Committee brings the sights and sounds of the holiday season into HUP, with decorated trees in public areas and holiday caroling throughout the hospital on Christmas morning.

But the favorite holiday activity among the patient-care units is the annual tree-decorating contest. The specially created decorations help raise spirits of both patients and staff, but being named one of the top five winners keeps the creative juices flowing.

Our thanks to the staff of all the units who go all out to make the hospital a happier place for our patients.

Honoring Those Who Served For its tree theme, the staff of Dulles 6 chose to honor the men and women who are or were in the military. But they wanted to do more.

Understanding, as a trauma unit, the true impact of losing a limb on a person’s life, they chose to donate money to Home for Our Troops.

This non-profit builds homes for severely injured veterans and their families that provide maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently, at no cost to the veterans.

To raise money, people “bought” an ornament to put on the bulletin board in the family waiting room. Each honors a friend or loved one who serves or has served in the military. For the tree, Erica Brennan made colorful ornaments from medical bottle tops and Donna Koombs added the ball ornaments and other decorations (including “platoons” of the tiny, plastic toy soldiers).

Dulles 6 raised over donated $600, which will go towards furnishings for the home of a young marine who lost both of his legs above the knees during his second deployment in Afghanistan.

Dulles 6 raised $600 to help buy furnishings for the home provided

by Home for Our Troops for a seriously injured young marine.

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Members of OT and PT will help Steve the tree get back on his “feet” again with many precautions to keep him safe.

Prize-Winning Precautions Many trauma patients have injuries that ultimately bring them under the care of HUP’s physical and occupational therapists, but “patient” Steve was truly put through the wringer. A very serious accident left him needing a back brace, a neck collar, an eye patch, a leg brace, crutches… and significant rehab. But Steve turned out to be good luck for the staff, which won one of the top prizes in this year’s decorating competition.

In addition to the many rehab devices he wears, Steve the tree has also received a thorough education from the staff about keeping safe while recovering. Many educational ornaments (ie, “No bending forward,” “Always wear your collar,” “Always call for help before getting out of bed”) decorated the tree.

Each ornament corresponds to a specific area of injury, for instance, craniotomy precaution or spinal precaution. He’s also wearing a sock with a no-slip tread on his uninjured “foot” to keep him from accidentally falling.

Steve was the brain child of Kalia Burklow, who worked with other members of PT/OT to bring him to life. Luckily for Steve, he’s got an excellent group to help him heal from his injuries and will be back on his feet…or putting down roots… in no time!

The ICU:

All Heart

The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz searches high and low for a heart but his actions show that he has the biggest heart of anyone. Staff members of the Heart and Vascular ICU on Founders 5 are also all heart and that’s the theme that brought them a win in this year’s competition.

Alison Kuzma, Megan Hardy, and Rachel Klinedinst are credited with taking the lead on this winning idea.

Megan created a life-size tin man, with a heart, out of cardboard and a lot of aluminum foil. Rachel made a yellow brick road. Continuing the Wizard of Oz theme on the tree, decorations include Dorothy, Tin Man, and others. A pair of sparkling ruby red slippers top the tree.

The staff of the Heart and Vascular ICU are all heart when caring for their patients.

In addition to the decorations, the unit has “adopted” the Penn Transplant House, which provides a homey environment for families of transplant patients who are in the hospital. The staff plans to donate money to the House and hopes to cook dinners for families, on a quarterly basis.

Going Back to a Simpler Time Children’s books can transport people back to a simpler time, remembering when they listened to — ­ or read — a storybook before going to sleep. With that in mind, the staff of Rhoads 7 transformed its oncology unit into a “library” of warm memories.

Members of the staff and patients painted the covers of favorite children’s books on the window of every patient room, including Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, and Corduroy. One patient decorated his room’s window with the cover of a book he wrote for his grandchildren and published.

In addition, the windows of the family waiting room were painted to look like a library shelf.

In the unit’s elevator lobby is the decorated tree with book ornaments of all the titles as well as quotes from the books.

And there’s a fireplace and rocking chair, the perfect environment for reading one of these classics to a child.

While memories of these wonderful books make a person feel good, giving the real thing to children is even better. That’s why every person who decorated a window bought a copy of that book and all 26 books will be donated to CHOP’s oncology unit.

Rhoads 7’s storybook theme brought back warm memories of childhood for patients and staff.

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Another Year to Spread

Holiday Cheer!

Continued from page 3

Be a Super Hero Super heroes save lives with their super powers but mere mortals can save lives as well by becoming organ donors. That’s the theme that got Founders 14 a winning nod from the Abrahamsohn Committee.

The unit promoted organ donation throughout its display. Fake Pennsylvania driver’s licenses with photos of every staff member (as well as Santa and Mrs. Claus), decorate the window leading into the unit. And, of course, all the licenses have the “organ donor” designation. Super hero ornaments — also with photos of the staff — trim the tree.

Raising Spirits at HUP and in the Community Continued from cover page

SPCA was such a big hit that Nicolas brought it back this year. Also helping animals at the Pennsylvania SPCA was Heather Matthew of Emergency Medicine. With donations from throughout the hospital, she was able to contribute $1,100 for the organization’s Second Chance Medical Fund, which provides care to injured and ill animals at the shelter. In addition, the shelter’s cats and dogs received bedding, food, treats and toys.

Several Penn Medicine volunteers took part in the annual Turkey Toss with the South of South Neighborhood Association. The group distributed 500 frozen turkeys to families and seniors so they too could enjoy a delicious holiday meal.

In addition to the flurry of outreach activities during to the holiday season, employees showed their generosity in the latest Penn’s Way campaign. HUP raised more than $270,000, helping the Health System easily exceed its goal of $725,000 by more than $90,000!

Thanks to everyone who helped make the holiday season so much happier for so many people.

A visit from the Phillie Phanatic — as part of Rhoads 5’s tree decoration theme — helped spread holiday cheer throughout the unit, to both patients and staff.

As a unit which cares for transplant patients, its staff knows the importance of organ donation. They hope their fun approach to a serious topic will help spread the word.

HUPdate Editorial Staff Sally Sapega Editor and Photographer Tara Skoglund Trissy Harding Designer

Administration

SusanKaplan Marc E. Phillips DirectorVice Senior of Communications President, Public Affairs

Founders 14 knows that everyone with an organ donor notation can be a super hero.

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Susan E. Phillips Senior ViceHUPdate Contact President, at:Public Affairs 3535 Market Street, Mezzanine Philadelphia, PA 19104 Contact HUPdate at: 3535 Market phone: 215.662.4488 Street, Mezzanine Philadelphia, fax: 215.349.8312 PA 19104 email: sally.sapega@uphs.upenn.edu phone: 215.662.4488 HUPdate is published biweekly for HUP fax: 215.349.8312 uphs.upenn.edu employees.

Access@HUPdate online at email: sally.sapega http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside/hupdate.

HUPdate is published biweekly for HUP employees. Access HUPdate online at http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside/hupdate.