Volume 27
Number 10
May 13, 2016
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
`` Photo by Will Connelly, HUP Video Services
KELLY FOREMAN RECEIVES `` Kelly Foreman celebrates winning the Helen Lysun Award with members of the PACU.
INSIDE Take Our Kids to Work..............2 2016 Spring Housing Fair.........4 Heartfelt Thanks........................4
Secretary Award
At a special celebration last month, Regina Cunningham, PhD, chief executive nurse at HUP, recognized and thanked all unit secretaries for their essential role in patient care. “You are involved in so much of what we do. Yours is often the first face families see on our units,” she said. “You are a constant for patients and families, with such poise and grace.” Over past year, she continued, “we’ve seen tremendous patient experience metrics. One is nurse communication — such an important outcome — and you play a very large role in making that a reality for us.”
Also part of the celebration was announcing this year’s winner of the Helen Lysun Secretary Award: Kelly Foreman of the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). According to the letter nominating Foreman, she “arrives to work each day with a smile and a greeting. She always asks if there is anything she could do to assist the nurses or patients. It is not uncommon to see Kelly locating and providing patients with pillows or offering verbal assurances of a safe passage.” (Continued on page 4)
“ Kelly’s unmatched commitment to the hospital, staff and patients results in a higher level of satisfaction for all.”
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LEARNING CAN BE
FUN! Last month, on Take Our Children to Work Day, approximately 650 kids spent the day at HUP, learning not only what a parent or mentor does but also the many different parts of hospital care. Learning to prevent infections has never been quite so much fun as it was for kids visiting Dulles 6, an oncology unit. They learned how to properly wash their hands while singing new lyrics to “Watch Me Whip” (“Now watch me soap, Now watch me wet wet”). Their assessment of an immunocompromised “patient” involved careful probing to find hidden bubble bottles. “It was wonderful to see how engaged the children were and how smart they were,” said LaToya Patterson. “They knew so much at the start and were able to describe the new information they had learned.” Meanwhile, on Ravdin 9, kids were learning “fascinting facts” about eyes. For example, did you know the eye muscle is the fastest in the body? Indeed, the speed of a blink is about 1/100th of a second. Typically people blink more than 14,000 times a day!
“ They’re always so excited and inquisitive as to how things work and I love it. It’s my favorite day!”
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Because bone marrow transplant patients are very susceptible to infection, when they leave their rooms (usually at night), they have to wear full-isolation personal protective equipment (PPE). Rhoads 7 gave the kids an idea of what it’s like wearing this protection — in a relay race! Each team member put on progressively more PPE items before they ran down the hall to the next leg of the race, with the last person wearing the full regalia: gown, gloves and mask. The kids loved the race but one noted, “You can’t breathe in these masks!”
One of the exciting parts of Take Our Children to Work is getting a “real” HUP ID tag. Badge Center coordinator David Arcidiacono and Badge Center tech Deneica Liverpool created 350 during the course of the day. “They’re always so excited and inquisitive as to how things work and I love it,” said Arcidiacono. “It’s my favorite day!” A trip to Hyperbaric Medicine gave kids a chance to see what it’s like inside the huge chamber. They learned that tracking a patient’s ear pressure while undergoing treatment is essential. Kevin Hardy, MD, explained the workings of the ear and, using an otoscope, gave many of the kids a view of what their ears look like along the ear canal. The kids also learned that ear wax is a good thing… but not very pretty. And that doing the Val Salva maneuver (covering their nose and mouth and blowing) will move the ear drum! The effects of hyperbaric treatment are similar to scuba diving (but no water is involved). Teresa Johnston, chamber operator, who has explored many underwater locations, brought in her own scuba gear and explained how each piece helps protect her while underwater… but it’s not light! “Just the oxygen tank alone can weigh around 22 pounds,” she told one group. Fully dressed in all the gear, the weight inches up to around 30 pounds. Kids were invited to put on some of the gear — including the tank — to see if they could support it. Not everyone rose to the challenge but, no matter how strong, all the participants left with special fish “tattoos” and a bag of Swedish Fish! Thanks to all the departments and units that put in so much effort to make this such a special day.
To see more photos, go to http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside/hupdate/.
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Congratulations
TO THE NOMINEES FOR THIS YEAR’S HELEN LYSUN AWARD: Ayishah Berry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 3
Effie McKlaine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 7
Bency Cherian. . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 12
Amoy Morris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CICU
JoAnn Embry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Darich Aia Nable. . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 7
Theresa Fletcher. . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 3
Sharon Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 5
Anna Fontanilla. . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 7
Lorna Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 9
Kelly Foreman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PACU
Judy Waters Crawford. . . . . . Founders 12
Tonya Goodwin . . . . . Radiation Oncology
Donella Wright. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MICU
Danielle Jackson. . . . . . . . . . . . .Rhoads 4
Monique Zeigler . . . . ED Observation Unit
Theresa Kocher. . . . . . . . . . . . . Founders 5
KELLY FOREMAN RECEIVES
Secretary Award (Continued from page 1)
Her courteousness “is a vital part of her workplace communication skills. She is always considerate while conveying messages and helps foster a feeling of mutual respect.” The PACU comprises three rooms, with a total of 36 beds, where patients recover from a variety of surgical and endoscopy procedures. In the morning hours, “Kelly is the only secretary on duty to meet the needs of the staff and patients in all three areas,” in addition to her additional responsibilities. Foreman is a dedicated representative for patients and families in the PACU. “With her help, our nurses are able to devote their skills and time to their patients…. Kelly is also instrumental in acquiring beds for our patients who will be spending an extended time in the PACU.”
2016
SPRING
HOUSING FAIR The 2016 Spring Housing Fair will be on Tuesday, May 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at PPMC, in the Wright-Saunders Building, room 186. Representatives from Penn Home Ownership Services lending partners and other exhibitors will be in attendance. To learn more about this popular event, please visit www.upenn.edu/ homeownership.
Heartfelt Thanks
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I was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in October 2014. I went through chemotherapy and radiation at another hospital. When it came time for my surgery the surgeon at the hospital had a meeting with me to tell me that he felt I would be better served if I went to University of Penn to Dr. Joel Cooper. I met with Dr. Cooper and he was so thorough. He asked me all types of questions about myself because he wanted to have a sense of who I was. His staff was very helpful with getting everything I needed in order to have the surgery. Dr. Cooper explained everything to me so I could understand. [After surgery] Dr. Cooper came to check on me every day. Thanks to Dr. Cooper I am cancer free. I had my 6 month scan in December, no cancer. I feel great! I am so grateful to all the people who work on the 6th floor of the Rhoads building. Thanks University of Penn!
When requesting a transport for patients, “Kelly goes the extra mile and asks each nurse if the patient requires telemetry or has any special needs. She also alerts the nurse whenever a bed is assigned or cleaned…. Kelly’s unmatched commitment to the hospital, staff and patients results in a higher level of satisfaction for all.”
HUPdate EDITORIAL STAFF Sally Sapega Editor and Photographer Lisa Paxson Graphic Designer
ADMINISTRATION
Susan E. Phillips Senior Vice President, Public Affairs Holly Auer Director of Communications 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.