Volume 3
WHAT’Snew
Number 17
August 22, 2014
Pennsylvania Hospital
Penn Leads National Effort to Treat Me mor y Loss
`` An illustration showing the placement of deep brain electrodes in an epilepsy patient.
A team of scientists and physicians at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine will lead a four-year effort worth as much as $22.5 million to develop next-generation technologies to restore memory function in people who suffer from memory loss due to disease or traumatic injury. The project, which is `` Dr. Gordon Baltuch, Penn neurosurgeon at PAH, is part of a team collaboration to develop technologies to treat memory loss.
Inside TJC Recertifies PAH as Primary Stroke Center...............2 Congratulations to the PAH School of Medical Laboratory Sciences 67th Graduating Class...3 Penn Medicine Wins the 2014 Pennsylvania Donate Life Hospital Challenge.........................3 What’s Happening.........................4 Final Call! Employee Auditions......4 Donate Life continued...................4
in support of President Obama’s BRAIN Initiative, will combine research on the basic mechanisms of memory function with the development of systems designed to electrically stimulate discrete regions of the brain. Because memory is the result of complex interactions between widespread brain regions, researchers will study neurosurgical patients who have had electrodes implanted in various areas of their brains for the treatment of neurological disease. By recording neural activity from these electrodes as patients play memory games, the researchers will measure “biomarkers” of successful memory function, patterns of activity that accompany the successful formation of new memories and the successful retrieval of old ones. Gordon Baltuch, MD, PhD, director of Penn’s Center for Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery at PAH, is leading the arm of the project that will involve Parkinson’s patients.
“This multidisciplinary, collaborative effort to develop a neuroprosthetic device will go beyond treating Parkinson’s disease,” Baltuch said. “We’re taking the lessons we’ve learned in the clinical application of deep-brain stimulation and expanding the scope and power to treat a variety of memory disorders.” By the end of the four-year project, Penn aims to develop a fully implantable neural monitoring and stimulation system that could be used in the treatment of memory loss. To read more about this exciting research initiative which will lay the groundwork that could one day lead to a cure for memory loss, visit: http://bit.ly/1vPKfy7.
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the joint commission
R e c e r t i f i e s PA H as
Primary Stroke Center
Pennsylvania Hospital has been recertified as a Primary Stroke Center (PSC) by The Joint Commission (TJC), a designation that recognizes the hospital’s special expertise in caring for patients with acute stroke. TJC performed an onsite visit on July 24. PAH was found to be in compliance with all requirements for Advanced Disease-Specific Care Certification as a Primary Stroke Center. The requirements include implementing evidence based stroke care protocols, developing performance improvement initiatives, monitoring quality care compliance, collecting and submitting stroke core measures, and other metrics to TJC and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. While here, the survey team focused on the Emergency Department, critical care, the inpatient unit on 7 Cathcart, CAT scan, and the Laboratory — all areas critical to adhering to The Golden Hour of advanced stroke treatment. The surveyors did not find any areas for which they required improvements and PAH was certified for another two years. PAH first received PSC designation in 2012.
“ Certified Primary Stroke Centers reduce long-term disabilities from stroke, length of stay in the hospital, and overall health care costs...” — Ellen McPartland, MSN, CNS, CRNP
“To be certified and obtain recertification as a Primary Stroke Center, Pennsylvania Hospital had to demonstrate how we educate the community on how to recognize stroke symptoms and our partnership with Emergency Medical Services,” said Ellen McPartland, MSN, CNS, CRNP, Stroke Program nurse practitioner coordinator. “We were able to demonstrate how we can efficiently evaluate and treat stroke patients throughout their hospitalization and as they transitioned to either home or to
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another level of care. We also demonstrated the identification of a suspected stroke patient and then the quick, efficient evaluation for those stroke patients who presented in the ED, or were in patients who are within the three to four hours from symptom onset for what’s referred to as the Golden Hour.” The Golden Hour is the time period of rapid intervention crucial in the management and treatment of acute ischemic stroke required to assure the best outcomes. Stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is suddenly interrupted due to a blockage of an artery (ischemic stroke) or when an artery in the brain bursts (hemorrhagic stroke). About 795,000 strokes occur annually in the US, making stroke the leading cause of serious, long-term disability and costing an estimated $36.5 billion annually in health care services, medications and missed employment. “Certified Primary Stroke Centers reduce long-term disabilities from stroke, length of stay in the hospital, and overall health care costs,” said McPartland. “Certified Centers also increase the number of patients who are discharged to their homes instead of skilled nursing facilities and decrease re-hospitalizations for this population.” Research conducted by Penn Medicine’s Michael Mullen, MD, assistant professor of Neurology and Vascular Medicine, also showed that the emergence of PSCs certified by The Joint Commission has steadily improved the treatment of stroke patients. In 2012, Penn Medicine was the first Philadelphia health system to have all of its member hospitals to be certified as PSCs, an important differentiator, since the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Emergency Medical Services has mandated that EMS ambulances are to bring patients suspected of having a stroke only to certified PSC’s — not the closest hospital. Developed in collaboration with the American Stroke Association and launched in 2003, The Joint Commission’s PSC Certification program is based on the Brain Attack Coalition’s “Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers.” Certification is available only to stroke programs in Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals.
C ong r atu l at i ons to t he
PAH School of Medical Laboratory Sciences 67th Graduating Class T he P enns y lvania H ospital S chool of M edical L aborator y S cience is pleased to announce its 6 7 th graduating class . The PAH Medical Laboratory Science School is a 12-month professional course of study which is fully accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences and is affiliated with seven colleges and universities in Pennsylvania. The eight graduates — Travis Bicher, Lebanon Valley College; Kofi Dagadzi, Lauren Salvadeo and Claire Verrico, East Stroudsburg University; Antonio Esparza and Stephanie Noblit, University of the Sciences; Katie Langdon, Gwynedd Mercy College; and Julie Van Dyken, West Chester University — all received their degrees on July 3. Medical laboratory scientists (also known as clinical laboratory scientists or medical technologists) are an integral and vital part of
PAH. Medical lab scientists analyze blood, urine, tissue, and other body specimens, to aid physicians in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease. It is estimated that 70-80 percent of a physician’s medical decisions are based upon data gleaned from a patient’s lab test results. A degree in medical lab sciences prepares students for challenging and dynamic careers in hospital labs and clinics, veterinary clinics, molecular biotechnology labs, and industrial research labs. Two of this year’s graduates have already been hired for positions at PAH: Bicher in Hematology and Verrico in Point of Care. Langdon and Noblit have has accepted positions in the Blood Bank and Toxicology Laboratory at HUP. Van Dyken is moving
on to the Sunshine State as a generalist at Einstein Hospital in Florida and Salvadeo has accepted a position at Pocono Medical Center. Four of the graduates are part of the UPHS scholarship/work loan program. Our best wishes to all the graduates and special thanks to all lecture and bench instructors for their hard work and dedication throughout the year.
Penn Medicine WINS the 2014 Pennsylvania Donate Life Hospital Challenge Earlier this year, representatives from all four Penn Medicine hospitals banded together for the 2014 Pennsylvania Donate Life Hospital Challenge. Organized by the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE), and the Gift of Life Donor Program, the campaign ran from February 28 until May 14. During that time, participants organized activities and events aimed at inspiring and increasing donor awareness and designations within their hospital families. Teams captured those activities on a scorecard in an effort to achieve platinum, gold, silver, and bronze level point totals.
In July, HAP recognized Penn Medicine as the health system with the Highest Total Points Achieved! The involvement and support of our faculty and staff were critical to the overall success of this campaign. HAP Campaign leaders asked the entire Penn Medicine community to help save lives by educating staff members, patients and their families, visitors, and the extended community outside our doors on the critical need for organ donation and providing opportunities for people to sign up as organ, eye, and tissue donors. Throughout the campaign, Penn Medicine teams worked together to host registration events, post flyers and advertisements raising awareness about the campaign, organize lunch and
learns for staff, and arrange donor awareness celebrations. “We had a dynamic, inter-professional team contributing to the campaign at Pennsylvania Hospital. Plus, we had great support from the Gift of Life who providing volunteers for our awareness displays in the cafeteria, presented at hospital meetings, and provided many gifts for staff and patients alike,” said Deborah Christopher, MSN, RN, CPHA, clinical director of Quality, who lead the campaign at PAH along with Matthew Menard, physician liaison and community relations coordinator. “Increasing awareness is key for the success of the Donate Life campaign and we were happy to help.”
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WHAT’S H a p p ening
Y o u r r es o u r ce f o r eve n t s a n d happe n i n gs t h r o u gh o u t PA H a n d P e n n M edici n e
For complete events listing, please visit What’s New on the Inside Penn Medicine web site at: http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside
August Summer 2014
GET ‘EM WHILE THEY LAST! PAH Employee Discount Amusement Park & Events Tickets
Fall 2014
NEW! Penn Program for Mindfulness Courses & Special Events
September 16
34th Bike MS City to Shore Ride – 4th Annual Team UPHS/Penn
September 21
October 11-12
Penn’s 3rd Annual 5K for the IOA & Memory Mile Walk
Ride to Conquer Cancer©
October 24
PPMC’s 5th Annual Cultural Diversity Conference
FINAL CALL! Employee Auditions for Patient Welcome Video
August 25-29
September 27-28
Deadline – Quality & Patient Safety Awards Submissions
November 8
2014 American Heart Association Heart Walk
The Pennsylvania Hospital Management Council Still Needs You! Any employee who wanted to audition for the new PAH Patient Welcome video but was unable to, there’s still time. The Council is holding scheduled auditions the week of August 25-29. To arrange for an individual audition please contact Olivia.Fermano@uphs.upenn.edu in Communications. Stop by and tell us — on camera in 30 seconds or less — why you think Pennsylvania Hospital is the best place for a patient to be a patient!
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
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Many thanks and congratulations to all those who helped raise awareness around this life-saving issue in the hospital and throughout the community! 4
The Donate Life Campaign may be over, but it’s never too late to register to become a donor! More than 121,000 people in the U.S. are currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Today, 18 of them will die because not enough organs are available for transplantation. In Pennsylvania alone, there are more than 8,400 people waiting for a transplant. To learn more about donation and to register to become a donor, please visit http://www.donors1.org/penn.
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/.