Volume 3
WHAT’Snew
Number 8
April 18, 2014
Pennsylvania Hospital
Pennsylvania Hospital Receives
Get With The Guidelines — Stroke Silver Achievement Award
795,000
On average, every m i nutes someone dies of a stroke
people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year
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On average, someone suffers a stroke ever y seconds
40
Inside April is National Occupational Therapy Month..........................2 The Patient Experience.............2 You’re Invited!...........................2 Get to Know the Lab.................3
Pennsylvania Hospital recently received the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations. “Management of stroke at Pennsylvania Hospital has improved tremendously since we were designated a primary stroke center in 2012,” said Howard Hurtig, MD, Elliott Professor of Neurology and chair of the Neurology department at PAH. “Every member of the team of nurses, residents, physicians, and other staff of the hospital plays a vital role in making the program so wellcoordinated and successful.” To receive the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award, PAH had to achieve at least 12 consecutive months of 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement indicators and at least 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures during that same period of time, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care.
What’s Happening.....................4 33rd Annual Zubrow Award Program.........................4 Penn Medicine Facts & Figures..........................4
> > > Last year, the four
These measures include aggressive use of medications, such as clot-busting drugs, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs and smoking cessation, all aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients. All four Penn Medicine Hospitals — PAH, HUP, PPMC and CCH — have received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award. Last year, the four Penn Medicine hospitals saw a combined total of 1372 stroke patients. According to the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association, stroke is one of the leading causes of death and serious, longterm disability in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. The number of acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment is expected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence and a large aging population.
Penn Medicine hospitals saw A combined total of 1372 St r o k e Pat i en t s. 1
You’re Invited! The Patient Experience... PAH Patient and Guest Relations recently received the following letter of praise from a daughter of an in-patient on 6 Cathcart: My mother stayed at Pennsylvania Hospital on the 6th floor of the Cathcart Building for a week. Her RN’s, Jeanne Belcher, Kelley Poznek, and Kristin Paligaro, were truly outstanding. Notable as well was RN Tony George and Winsome Davis the tech. I cannot express how much I appreciate Jeanne Belcher’s outstanding continuity of care. She remembered my mother from her last visit and treats her with special love and care. All of the care was truly outstanding. Kristin was wonderful on a particularly difficult night for my mother and Kelley was a ray of sunshine on a gloomy, rainy day. Also the food looked delish! Thank you!!!
All employees are invited to tour the new Infusion Department of Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center Pennsylvania Hospital.
Thursday, April 24 2 – 4 p. m . Farm Journal Building 5th Floor • 230 W. Washington Square Be sure to stop by for a sneak preview peek at the new state-of-the-art Infusion Department and help celebrate the opening of Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center Pennsylvania Hospital!
April is National Occupational Therapy Month Here at PAH we have a combined total of over 50 years of experience with our OT staff led by Arley Johnson, MS, OTR/L, Site Supervisor at PAH for Good Shepherd Penn Partners. Marion Conneen, OTR/L, has been with PAH for over thirty years as a critical member of the OT team on 4 Spruce. The OT staff works in inpatient acute care and inpatient psychiatry settings. They have recently expanded their talents to treating our most precious patients - babies in the Intensive Care Nursery. Thank you OT’s for all the hard work that you do meeting our patients’ therapy needs so they can safely return to their activities of daily living! `` Shown here from L to R are: Lawrence Stevenson, OTR/L, Robin Elican, OTR/L, Arley Johnson, OTR/L, Marion Conneen, OTR/L, and Kelly Mea, OTR/L.
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Get to Know the Laboratory Staff National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week April 20-26 The Laboratory at PAH is a part of the hospital that patients never see. However, it plays a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. As the celebration of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, held this year from April 20-26, approaches, it’s a good time to highlight the major players and activities in this important behind-the-scenes department.
Outpatient Phlebotomy draws blood and collects specimens for a large outpatient population. Along with blood draws and specimen collection, the staff also trains medical technology students and PAH staff.
Microbiology cultures a diverse array of specimens – from throat swabs to cerebrospinal fluid – to find any diseasecausing bacteria or other organisms present and their susceptibilities to different antibiotics.
Central Specimen Processing (CSP) is the hub of the core laboratory. All core lab specimens flow through this department and are prepared for testing. This department also handles incoming calls and reference laboratory testing.
Point of Care (POC) is responsible for monitoring tests performed outside the laboratory such as glucose meters, hemoglobin analyzers, urine dipsticks and urine drug screens.
The Core Laboratory consists of Chemistry who perform a battery of tests using automated chemical, enzymatic, and immunologic analyzers which includes testing of glucose, electrolytes, hormones, lipids, cardiac markers, and viral antigens. Coagulation checks for clotting time abnormalities and clotting factor deficiencies. Hematology performs complete blood counts and differentials in order to determine if the patient has anemia, leukemia or blood parasites. Urinalysis includes microscopic analysis of urine sediment to evaluate a patient’s renal condition. The Blood Bank types patient blood for ABO/ RH, screens for and identifies clinically significant antibodies and performs testing to provide compatible blood and blood products for patients. The Blood Bank also determines when Rh(D) Immune Globulin (RhIG) is indicated for new mothers to prevent future hemolytic disease of the newborn.
Hematology/Oncology is the newest addition to the laboratory and is located within The Abramson Cancer Center in the Farm Journal Building. The laboratory performs STAT Hematology and Chemistry tests for those patients being seen and treated.
There have been more than a few changes to the laboratory in the past year. Previously located on 6th and 7th Preston, the lab moved to the Cathcart sub-basement last January, opening up space for PAH’s first all private patient room units which opened this winter. The Laboratory has also seen a sizeable expansion in outpatient services. In addition to becoming the primary laboratory for Farm Journal, the laboratory expanded its services to a large phlebotomy area at Penn Medicine Washington Square — the latest addition to the PAH campus — the 153,000 square facility that serves as the major hub of PAH’s outpatient care.
Surgical Pathology examines whole organs and tissue samples for gross abnormalities and looks at slides of stained tissue slices to check for signs of disease and malignancy and guide surgeons during operations. Cytology analyzes microscopic cells collected from different parts of the body and is usually used to detect cancers and precancerous changes. Laboratory Information Systems maintains the interfaces and communication between Cerner, EPIC, SCM and MedView along with other computer systems.
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WHAT’S H a p p ening
You r r esou r ce f o r events and happen i ngs th r oughout PA H and P enn M ed i c i ne
For complete events listing, please visit What’s New on the Inside Penn Medicine web site at: http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside
April–June April - June
Penn Program for Mindfulness NEW Spring Course Offerings
April 23
Nursing Care of the Parkinson’s Patient and Family
April 25
Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Bake Sale
April 25 – May 3
Deadline for Harrison Fund Applications
April 26
Million Dollar Bike Ride
2014 Brain Health Fair – Philadelphia
April 27 May 1
May 15
Costs.” The basic premise of Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID) is to reduce the cost to the patient for evidence-based services that offer higher clinical benefit with the intent that increased use will improve health outcomes and reduce overall health care spending. Come and learn more about this timely topic affecting hospitals all across the U.S. A reception will follow the program. Kindly respond by visiting PennMedicine. org/Zubrow, calling 215-746-2163, or sending an email to pmevents@ben.dev. upenn.edu.
Penn Medicine Facts & Figures The 2014 edition of Penn Medicine Facts & Figures is now available. This pocket-size brochure contains a wealth of publicly reported, statistical information about our organization and highlights a small sample of Penn Medicine’s research, education, and patient care activities from the past year. Facts & Figures has a variety of uses, such as background information for visitors and faculty and staff recruiting, and it also provides the types of official institutional information often required for grant and award applications. Facts & Figures can be ordered in packages of 50 from Aelitho.com using #UPHS- 041-12. This year’s brochure is also available online at http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/facts.htm.
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May 15
UPHS Benefits Open Enrollment Ends
Annual Zubrow Award Program
Dr. Fendrick will present “Value-Based Insurance Design: Using ‘Clinical Nuance’ to Improve Health and Lower Health Care
May 3
Start of Greensgrow CSA Summer Season at PAH
2014 Ehrenzeller Award Ceremony and Reception
The 33rd Annual Molly and Sidney N. Zubrow Award Program will be held Tuesday, April 29, at 5 p.m. in the Zubrow Auditorium. This year’s program features A. Mark Fendrick, MD, professor in the department of Internal Medicine and the department of Health Management and Policy, and director of the Center for Value-Based Insurance Design, at the University of Michigan.
May 1
Penn Medicine at the 2014 Philadelphia Science Festival
Deadline for Penn Medicine “Impressions of Philadelphia” Photography Contest
May 16-18
Penn Wissahickon Hospice’s Annual Camp Erin
October 11-2
Ride to Conquer Cancer©
WHAT’Snew EDITORIAL STAFF Editorial Staff Olivia Fermano
Sally EditorSapega and Photographer Director of Internal Communications Pamela Furches Design Olivia Fermano Graphic Design Editor and Photographer Barry Ogburn Pamela Furches Design Photography Graphic Design
ADMINISTRATION
Barry SusanOgburn E. Phillips Photography Senior Vice President, Public Affairs Holly Auer
Administration Director of Communications
Susan E. Phillips Senior Vice President, Public Affairs Sally Sapega Director of Internal Communications Contact Contact What’snew What’snew at: at: Department Department of of Communications Communications Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Hospital Hospital Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA PA 19106 19106 phone: phone: 215.829.6799 215.829.6799 email: email: olivia.fermano@uphs.upenn.edu olivia.fermano@uphs.upenn.edu WHAT’Snew WHAT’Snew isis published published biweekly biweekly for for PAH PAH employees. employees. Access Access WHAT’Snew WHAT’Snew online online at at http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside/whats-new/. http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside/whats-new/.