Volume 26
Number 17
August 21, 2015
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
`` A colorful display during Breastfeeding Week encourages new moms to continue to nurse after returning to work.
`` Officially opening the lactation lounge at the Helen O. Dickens Center were (from left) Regina Howard, manager of Clinical Operations; Rebecca Marlow, administrative director; Jabina Coleman-Dwyer, social worker and lactation counselor.
B R E ASTF EED ING AND W OR K:
T H E Y A R E C O M PAT I BLE!
Most people know the great health benefits of breastfeeding — for both baby and mom — but continuing to nurse after returning to work is still very difficult in this country. Two of the main obstacles women face are finding a private, clean and comfortable place to pump their milk — and the time to do it. To continue supporting its culture as a breastfeeding-friendly workplace, HUP
INSIDE Spreading the Word About Stroke Prevention......................2 Ebesutani Wins MER Award....2 Why We Need ZZZs..................3 Papal Visit Preparations............3
recently opened a third lactation lounge, in the Helen O. Dickens Center on 1 Gates, coinciding with the celebration of World Breastfeeding Week. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Jabina Coleman-Dwyer, MSW, perinatal social worker, said, “For the past two to three years, we’ve worked tirelessly to encourage our patients to breastfeed, at both pre-natal and post-partum visits, encouraging them to bring their little ones with them. Now, the Center can provide this level of privacy and comfort — for patients or employees.” HUP was ahead of its time when it created its first lactation lounge in 2000 on Dulles 2 (the original location of the postpartum unit.) When that unit was moved to Silverstein 8, the staff made sure the lactation lounge was a part of the new environment. Today, at least 20 women a day use that room to pump.
A second lactation lounge opened on the Penn Tower bridge, to help staff who worked far from Silverstein 8 — especially those in the Perelman Center — and did not have the time to travel that distance. Both the lactation lounge and the Nursing Renewal Center will be moved to 2 Donner in preparation for the demolition of Penn Tower in November. Additional support came this past May in the form of a Health System policy (2-05-28) that states, in part: “We encourage and support employees in their efforts to combine working and breastfeeding. UPHS will provide a private place, other than a bathroom, and a reasonable break time to express breast milk, for up to one year after the child’s birth.”(To learn more, contact your HR representative or your manager). (Continued on page 4)
…And Something New.............4
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`` Elizabeth Neuhaus-Booth (c.) with members of JEVS at Home.
SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT
STROKE
PREVENTION Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in this country and the leading cause of serious long-term disability. As a nurse stroke coordinator, Elizabeth NeuhausBooth, BSN, RN, CNRN, knows well the impact of stroke and works to help those at highest risk in our community. She recently connected with JEVS at Home, a non-profit organization that provides home care and support services to disabled and aging clients living in the Philadelphia area. “JEVS provides ongoing training to their staff and I saw an opportunity to provide stroke education to help the workers care for their patients but also for themselves,” she said.
At a recent JEVS at Home orientation, Neuhaus-Booth performed blood pressure screenings and spoke with caregivers about the risk factors for stroke, its signs and symptoms, and what to do if they suspect their client or a loved one is having a stroke. “I was able to answer their questions and left additional information for the JEVS at Home newsletter.”
If you volunteer your time and expertise to a community organization, you may be eligible to receive a Penn Medicine CAREs grant. The deadline for the next quarter’s grant applications is Tuesday, September 1. To learn more and apply, go to http://uphsxnet.uphs.upenn.edu/ community and click on CAREs Grant.
With her recent Penn Medicine CAREs grant, Neuhaus-Booth plans to purchase additional stroke educational materials to continue her outreach efforts throughout the year.
Wins M E R Aw a r d
E B E SU TA N I
Maryellen Reilly had a profound impact on those she knew and worked with. “She was a force of goodwill and enthusiasm, with a strong work ethic and a positive spirit,” said HUP executive director Garry Scheib. Before passing away in 2011, HUP’s former VP of Clinical and Administrative Operations “listened to everyone’s point of view and made sure they were heard.” To honor her memory and the work she did, HUP created the Maryellen Reilly Leadership Award, to be given yearly to a HUP leader who demonstrates similar qualities. This year’s recipient was Darren Ebesutani, director of the HUP Supply Chain. Ebesutani oversees all clinical supplies that are used at the hospital, ranging from IV needles and gauze pads to specialty equipment costing thousands of dollars. His style is “unique,” Scheib noted, describing Ebesutani as someone who is “data driven, energetic, extremely reliable, very smart and insightful with meticulous follow-through and a sense of humor.… His teams love him despite his running a tight ship.”
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WHY WE
NEED
ZZZs Many people today seem to see sleep as less important than other activities (such as work), but that’s a mistake. “Every human needs it…. It’s a requirement for life,” said Michael Grandner, PhD, of the Penn Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology, adding wryly, “That alone should send us a message that maybe it’s important.” Indeed, from tiny fruit flies all the way up the evolutionary ladder to humans, animals need this time to rebuild, repair, and replenish. Quoting Allan Rechtschaffen, a pioneer in sleep research, Grandner said, “If sleep doesn’t serve some vital function, it is the biggest mistake evolution ever made.” But why is sleep so important? Many of the major restorative functions in the body — like muscle growth and tissue repair — occur at night. Genes that are sensitive to sleep loss control the production and transport of proteins that perform many functions, such as basic maintenance on the cellular level. And, while a computer’s “brain” may wind down during the sleep mode, the human brain does not. In fact, the brain remains quite busy the entire night, processing the countless pieces of information an average person takes in during the day, to make sure everything is properly consolidated and integrated into
`` Michael Grandner, PhD
long-term memory. “The brain is basically restocking shelves, sorting through the experiences of the day before and getting you ready for the next day,” Grandner said. “This information becomes part of who you are — your personality, your beliefs, your experiences.” Not getting enough sleep for the brain to finish its task every night could lead to problems. “You can become more stressed, less able to handle what life throws at you,” Grandner said. “You’re not on your game, physically, mentally or emotionally.” But what is “enough” sleep? Grandner and David Dinges, PhD, chief of Sleep and Chronobiology, were part of a committee of sleep experts who evaluated the current literature and found that seven hours of sleep per night promotes optimal health in healthy adults. While this does not mean every person requires this amount, the group reported that sleeping less than seven hours per night has been associated with health problems. But sleeping too much may not be good either, Grandner said. Over the course of a lifetime, “an average person who sleeps less than seven hours a night — or more than nine hours — has a shorter lifespan.” So now that you know how good sleeping is for you, how can you help yourself get enough sleep? Stay active… with
Over the course of a lifetime, “an average person who sleeps less than seven hours a night — or more than nine hours — has a shorter lifespan.” “purposeful” physical activity. A recent Penn study, led by Grandner, showed that while cleaning and childcare may require effort, they won’t get you the healthy sleep you need. “Not only does this study show that those who get exercise simply by walking are more likely to have better sleep habits, but also these effects are even stronger for more purposeful activities, such as running and yoga, and even gardening and golf.” Finally, if you’re one of those people who ends each day using a mobile device, you might want to change your bedtime routine. “Using your device at night, especially if it’s interrupting your sleep unexpectedly, can leave you stressed and may ultimately lead to sleep problems.”
Sweet dreams!
Papal Visit Preparations As Philadelphia prepares for the Pope’s visit in September, Papal planning teams at each entity have been meeting to assess site-specific issues that may arise, including necessary staffing levels and adequate supply delivery. Each entity will provide more detailed guidance to staff as required. As a reminder, all elective procedures and outpatient appointments in any downtown facility on Friday, September 25, and Monday, September 28, have been rescheduled. General information as well as useful external web links and the ability to submit questions can be found on the UPHS Intranet at http://uphsxnet.uphs.upenn.edu/hr/papal-visit/index.html.
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Tanesha wanted to marry before the birth and they were moving towards that. The couple had been issued a marriage license in early June and planned for a wedding in a chapel, but baby Aiden wasn’t willing to wait.
….AND SOMETHING “The ceremony was beautiful and heartfelt, with many wet eyes among the family members and staff who packed the small room.”
New
Big change came quickly for Daniel and Tanesha Armstrong. Within a little more than 24 hours, HUP clinical staff delivered the couple’s first baby — a healthy son named Aiden Matthew Armstrong — and the couple was wed in a visiting room in HUP’s newborn nursery.
Now, the small room on Silverstein 8 wasn’t what the couple had originally planned.
After a lengthy labor, the baby boy was born Tuesday, June 30. Outside of Tanesha’s room, Daniel tracked down Diane Fescina-Jones, RN, MSN, to ask her a question. “I thought something was wrong at first,” but when Daniel asked about getting married in the hospital, she was ecstatic. Staff nurses did everything they could to turn the visiting room into a venue. Bed sheets became beautiful white curtains, sparkling peach juice was subbed in for champagne, and Patient and Guest Services sent up flowers. The ceremony was beautiful and heartfelt, with many wet eyes among the family members and staff who packed the small room. After the wedding, Daniel and Tanesha celebrated their new family with members of their family and relaxed after their busy couple of days.
BREASTFEEDING AND WORK: (Continued from page 1)
T HE Y A RE COMPAT IBLE !
Providing the Right “Ingredients” In 2012, HUP was selected as one of 90 hospitals to participate in Best Fed Beginnings, a national effort to significantly improve breastfeeding rates in states where rates were the lowest. Since then, the Silverstein 8 staff have been working with new moms to encourage them to breastfeed their newborns. “Prior to the push, the exclusivity rates [when no formula is given at all] hovered around 20 percent,” said Maria DiSciullo, BSN, certified lactation consultant. “Now it’s in the high 40s.” Education helped a great deal but the floor also started rooming-in (keeping the mom and baby together in the room as much as possible), and “we got rid of pacifiers and discharge bags with formula,” she said. At HUP, lactation specialists see all new moms. Although the numbers fluctuate, as many as 90 percent of those giving birth at HUP have had a “breastfeeding initiation,” in which they’re shown how to nurse. The support doesn’t end at discharge. A special lactation “warmline”
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is available for new moms to call (215.662.2361) and DiSciullo leads a monthly breastfeeding support group (from noon to 2 pm on Silverstein 8), for both new and experienced breastfeeding moms, “to encourage them to keep nursing.”
HUPdate
Coleman-Dwyer, who is also a certified lactation counselor, teaches a breastfeeding class on the first and third Tuesdays of every month (3 to 4 pm in the Dickens Center) and facilitates a biweekly breastfeeding support group for post-partum patients every other Thursday (4 to 5:30 pm) as well.
EDITORIAL STAFF
The lactation specialists also do consults in other areas of the hospital, if a nursing mom is an inpatient for any other reason. “We also work with Pharmacy to answer questions about taking meds while nursing,” said Bonnie HigginsEsplund, BSN, certified lactation consultant.
Holly Auer Director of Communications
“We want to educate and support women so they have confidence in their abilities and know they have the milk supply for their baby. You just need all the right ingredients to make it work,” DiSciullo said.
Sally Sapega Editor and Photographer
Lisa Paxson and Maureen McGirr Graphic 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.