Volume 1
WHAT’Snew
Number 12
August 24, 2012
Pennsylvania Hospital
TJC C ert i f i es P A H as
Primary Stroke C e n t e r
About 795,000 strokes occur annually in the US, making stroke the leading cause of adult disability at an annual cost of $68 billion.
Inside Staff Announcements ................2–3 TJC Certification Continued.........3 Two New Historic Civil War Exhibits Come to PAH...................3 What’s Happening..........................4 CAREs Foundation Grant..............4 SAVE
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8 Annual History of Women’s th
The Joint Commission recently certified Pennsylvania Hospital as a Primary Stroke Center (PSC), a designation that recognizes the Hospital’s special expertise in caring for patients with acute stroke. This action by TJC and its certification of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and previous certification of Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania as PSC’s makes Penn Medicine the first Philadelphia health system to have all of its member hospitals to be certified in this way. The importance of this achievement cannot be overstated, since the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Emergency Medical Services announced in October 2011, that EMS ambulances would start bringing patients suspected of having a stroke only to certified PSC’s rather than the closest hospital. “This is a major step forward for Pennsylvania Hospital and the community we serve,” said Howard I. Hurtig, MD, chair of Neurology at Pennsylvania Hospital and professor of Neurology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “By giving us their stamp of approval, The Joint Commission recognizes our ability to provide the very best care to patients with stroke.” “Our certification is part of a national movement toward better outcomes from stroke,” said Ellen McPartland, MSN, CNS, CRNP, Stroke Program nurse practitioner coordinator at PAH. “Certified Primary Stroke Centers reduce long-term disabilities from stroke, length of stay in the hospital, and overall health care costs. 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.
And indeed they do. A recent Penn Medicine study led by Michael Mullen, MD, assistant professor of Neurology and Vascular Medicine, Penn Medicine, presented at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in April, showed that the emergence of PSCs certified by The Joint Commission has steadily improved the treatment of stroke patients (http://www. abstracts2view.com/aan/view.php?nu=AAN12L_ PD2_004). 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). Symptoms of acute stroke include sudden loss of strength (usually on one side of the body), sudden loss of or change in the ability to speak, sudden loss of vision or sudden change in sensation. Strokes are more likely to occur in people with stroke “risk factors,” the most important being high blood pressure, high
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Health Conference.........................4
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Margaret M. Markunas Named New Director of Operations for Facilities Management and Ambulatory Services Margaret M. Markunas, MBA, CNMT, has been named the new Director of Operations for Facilities Management and Ambulatory Services at PAH. Well known and respected throughout PAH, Margaret first came to PAH as a nuclear medicine technologist 21 years ago. Over the years she has successfully served as supervisor of the Division of Nuclear Medicine, Interim Co-Director of the Department of Radiology, Operations Manager of Radiology, Director of Value Analysis and most recently, Director of Materials Management and Central Processing. Margaret is an integral team member on many projects throughout PAH. She is co-chair of the Hospital Management Council and serves on multiple committees, including the New and Existing Technology Committee, Value Analysis Executive Committee, Emergency Management Committee, Environment of Care Committee, Best Places to Work Committee, and the Strategic Planning Committee for Penn Medicine Washington Square and the Private Room Initiative. In her new role, Margaret will continue to direct Central Processing and Materials Management, which includes Storeroom, Linen, Escort, Receiving and the Mailroom. In addition to these duties, she will be responsible for the operational planning and implementation of the Private Room Initiative and the transitioning of staff, services and outpatient care to Penn Medicine Washington Square. She will work closely with Nursing and Ancillary/Support Services leadership to assure continuous and on-target operations during this exciting and challenging time at PAH.
More Staff A n n ou n ceme n t s from Around PAH…
Lisa O’Neill Named New Nurse
Manager of 6 Schiedt Oncology, The Pavilion and 5 Schiedt Dialysis Lisa O’Neill BSN, RN, has been named Nurse Manager of the 6 Schiedt Oncology Unit, The Pavilion, and 5 Schiedt dialysis unit. Lisa comes to PAH from DaVita, one of the largest kidney dialysis care companies in the US, where she was the home dialysis program administrator for New Jersey and the greater Philadelphia area. “In her previous role Lisa demonstrated excellent fiscal stewardship while maintaining high levels of quality and staff satisfaction,” said Tonya Johnson, MSN, RN, CCRN, clinical director, Critical Care, Oncology, Neurosurgery and Orthopaedics. With over nine years of management experience, Lisa spent several years in oncology nursing, first as a staff nurse and then as a researcher. A member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, she received her BSN from Immaculata University and is currently completing a Master’s degree in public health with a certificate in healthcare administration.
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Margaret will also be responsible for the strategic planning of Ambulatory Services to ensure PAH remains a viable, competitive provider on the ever-changing landscape of health care. In this role she will be able to apply her vast experience, knowledge and abilities to develop and assist in planning PAH’s strategy in the following key areas: capacity and infrastructure management, service line capability, service delivery, market position and physician alignment.
Richard Merschen Selected as Cardiology Services Employee of the Month
C o n g r at u l at io n s
to Cardiovascular Technologist Richard Merschen, MS, RT (R) (CV) (ARRT), who was selected as the Cardiology Services WOW Moment Employee of the Month. Throughout each month, Cardiology Services — including staff from the Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Electrophysiology Lab, Heart Station and Cardiology Coordinators — submit “Cardiology Services WOW Moments” that they have witnessed from their coworkers. All WOW Moments are shared at the monthly Shared Governance meeting, and the Employee of the Month is selected based on the employee submissions. This allows all staff to hear the good deeds that occur in the department and share their gratitude with and for one another. Cardiology Services strives to ensure that no good deed goes unnoticed. If you witness a Cardiology Services WOW Moment that you want to be sure doesn’t go unnoticed, please contact Danielle Heffner, MHA, BBA, director of Cardiology Services, at danielle.heffner@ uphs.upenn.edu or 215.829.3259.
Kristine Renshaw Named New Cardiology Services Coordinator Kristine Renshaw RN, BSN, has joined the Perioperative Services leadership team in her new position as Cardiology Services Coordinator. In her new role, Kristine will directly oversee clinical operations and patient care coordination of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Electrophysiology Lab and Heart Station. “Kristine comes to the Cardiology Services team after spending over four years in the Pennsylvania Hospital PACU where she championed an initiative to enhance care coordination between the PACU and the Cath Lab. She also helped to spearhead the development of the new Pre-op and Cardiac Recovery Unit,” said Sean M. Rowland, CRNA, MS, vice president, Perioperative Services. Prior to coming to PAH Kristine spent seven years as a Cath Lab nurse at three areas hospitals where she gained a wealth of Cath Lab and EP Lab experience. “Kristine has extensive prior nursing experience in such areas as Surgical-Trauma ICU, Surgical Trauma ICCU, and Renal Transplant Unit,” added Rowland.
TJC C ert i f i es P A H
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cholesterol, diabetes and a smoking habit. Acute stroke is a medical emergency, and anyone experiencing the symptoms of a stroke should call 911 to be taken to the emergency department of a PSC designated hospital. Just as chest pain is a classic symptom of “heart attack.” sudden onset of neurologic symptoms should be considered a “brain attack” until proven otherwise. About 795,000 strokes occur annually in the US, making stroke the leading cause of adult disability at an annual cost of $68 billion. One of the key practices of a PSC is the ability to skillfully administer tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a clot busting drug that must be given within 3-4 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms and can rapidly reverse the signs of stroke by removing the blockage of an artery and preventing irreversible damage to the brain attributable to the interruption of the supply of blood and oxygen. Most patients with stroke are not candidates for treatment with tPA for a variety of reasons (outside the time window, too severe, complicating medical illnesses), but those that know the precise time of onset of symptoms and who are not too severely impaired can qualify for this effective treatment if they arrive at a PSC within the specified time window and are evaluated quickly and efficiently by the comprehensive stroke team.
New Additions to Performance Improvement
Primary Stroke
C e n t e r
T he
Golden Hour
“To be a certified PSC, PAH had to demonstrate that it could efficiently evaluate and treat stroke patients within what’s referred to as The Golden Hour, assuming that the patient arrives in the ED well within the treatment window of 3-4 hours after onset of symptoms,” explained McPartland. “The phrase “from door (entering the hospital’s ED) to needle (receiving tPA when appropriate)’ describes the dynamic process of rapid evaluation and treatment of a stroke patient that is required to assure the best outcome.” The rigorous breakdown for The Golden Hour, according to McPartland, is as follows: »» Door to 10 minutes – Initial MD evaluation to include patient history, exact time when the patient is last known to be normal, lab work initiation, EKG, and chest X-ray initiation »» Door to 15 minutes – Stroke Alert Pager activated by ED staff to contact Neurology, Radiology, Lab, NAC, and bed control »» Door to 25 minutes – Neurology assessment »» Door to 25 minutes – CT scan of the brain initiated »» Door to 45 minutes – CT scan and labs interpreted
“With the PAH Stroke Center PSC Certification, there are many additional benefits that contribute to improving the efficiency of patient care,” said McPartland. “We’ll be using the best, evidence-based clinical care practices recommended by the American heart Association and American Stroke Association and provide access to the most up-to-date strategies for managing acute stroke, including treatment of co-morbid medical illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes, physical and cognitive rehabilitation and comprehensive patient education about stroke risk factor self-management at home and in partnership with the primary care physician.” PAH will maintain its eligibility requirements for certification and continually show improvement in care by evaluating patient outcomes. In order to retain TJC certification, a PSC must maintain its high standards and pass annual re-evaluation by TJC. PAH and PPMC received the PSC certification following a TJC review that found both facilities to be in compliance with requirements for TJC’s Disease-Specific Care Certification program as well as primary stroke center requirements, which include implementing evidence based protocols and collecting the Joint Commission core measure data to use in performance improvement activities. 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.
»» Door to 60 minutes – Marian Lord-Gartner, MSN, RN, CPHQ, patient judged to be a candidate for has been named the Regulatory Manager intravenous tPA; drug administered in the Department of Performance Improvement, effective September 2. Marian has worked at PAH as a Quality HMD Traveling Exhibition Installation Guidelines Coordinator supporting numerous Unit-Based Clinical Leadership Two New Historic Civil War Exhibits (UBCL) Teams over the past five years. A graduate of both LaSalle and Coming to PAH Temple University for her MSN and BSN degrees, respectively, Marian is has also been certified in Health Care Quality for over 15 years. “Marian Two new historic exhibits are coming to PAH starting August 27. brings the knowledge of working collaboratively within our organization Be sure to visit the Historic Library and Hallway on 2 Pine to experience and a strong quality background to her new role in the regulatory Mental Health During the Civil War: Thomas Story Kirkbride and the position,” said Dorothy Counts, RN, MA, CPHQ, clinical director, Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane. This one-of-a-kind exhibit will explore Quality and Patient Safety.
The National Library of Medicine is pleased to provide you with this exceptional traveling exhibition. We hope that the following information will be helpful to you as you prepare for the exhibition’s arrival and installation at your institution.
Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War looks at the African American men and women who served as surgeons and nurses during the American Civil War and how their service as medical providers challenged the prescribed notions of race and gender pushing the boundaries of the role of African Americans in America. The exhibit consists of six free-standing graphic panels (7’ H x 2-1/2’ W) and is transported in two plastic wheeled graphics tubes. Exhibition Requirements
1) 500 square feet of floor space (minimum) 2) 2 people for unpacking and set-up
3) Safe, secure, indoor storage for exhibition travel containers - two plastic tubes with wheels - 46” H x 19” diameter each 4) Avoid display of the exhibit in an area with direct sunlight.
5) Please use latex gloves when installing the exhibition and be sure that your hands are clean if handling the panels without gloves.
Jennifer Yocum, RN, MSN, has also joined Performance Improvement as the Senior Quality Coordinator. Before coming to PAH, Jennifer worked as a legal nurse consultant and in the Division of Quality and Risk Management at Capital Health, Trenton, NJ. She received her MSN from Drexel University and her BSN from Hahnemann University.
the treatment of the mentally ill during the Civil War period of 1861-65. Brought to PAH by the Hospital’s own Curator and Lead Archivist, Stacey Peeples, this exhibit will be on display until September 1, 2013.
6) Please complete the Host Venue Report within two weeks of the closing of the exhibition and return to the National Library of Medicine, Exhibition Registrar. 7) Please provide the National Library of Medicine with copies of any publicity, advertising, or supplemental materials that are produced for the exhibition. 8) If possible, a digital image of your installation would be appreciated.
Make the trip one flight up to the Historic Surgical Amphitheatre, 3 Pine, to see the exhibit Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War, which explores the harrowing experiences of disabled Civil War veterans which transformed them into indelible symbols of a fractured, young nation. The exhibit, on loan from the National Institute of Health, will be on display until October 6.
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WHAT’S H a p p ening
Y our resource for events and happenings throughout PA H and P enn M edicine
For complete events listing, please visit What’s New on the Inside Penn Medicine web site at: http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside
August/ September August 27 & September 17
September 8
September 19
Until September 7
September 8
September 24
Magnet Monday
The 2012 Quality & Patient Safety Awards
Saturday Night with the Phillies
Annual Housing Fair Penn Medicine Annual Fall Golf Outing
Join Penn Medicine at the Undy 5000
September 24
Annual Walter E. Brandon Sickle Cell Walk-a-thon
Save the Date/Call for Papers 8th A n n ua l
History of Women’s Health Conference `` Photo from the PAH Historic Collections Photograph Collection, #711
PAH will host its eighth annual History of Women’s Health Conference Wednesday, April 17, 2013. All interested in participating are invited to send a one to two page proposal or abstract of their topic by Friday, November 2, for consideration. The History of Women’s Health Conference focuses on areas of women’s health from the 18th century to the present and strives to foster an interdisciplinary work environment. Topics of interest may include, but are not limited to: overall women’s health/consumer health, obstetrics and gynecology (fertility, infertility, birth control, menopause), female adolescent health (cultural influences, body image, puberty, eating disorders), mental health, aging, the female figure in popular culture, access to health care issues, minority health, nursing, midwifery, and female healers. Jacqueline H. Wolf, PhD, professor of the history of medicine, Department of Social Medicine at the Ohio University Heritage College of
Osteopathic Medicine, will be the keynote speaker, presenting “Cutting Risk: Obstetricians’ Evolving Views of Cesarean Sections, 18702010.” She is the author of Deliver Me from Pain: Anesthesia and Birth in America (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009) and Don’t Kill Your Baby: Public Health and the Decline of Breastfeeding in the 19th and 20th Centuries (Ohio State University Press, 2001). The first History of Women’s Health Conference was in 2006, as part of PAH’s celebration in honor of Hospital co-founder Benjamin Franklin’s 300th birthday. Each year since, scholars from the humanities and health care professionals gather to discuss the past, present and future state of women’s health. The conference is jointly sponsored by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Pennsylvania Hospital Historic Collection. Please e-mail proposals to: Stacey C. Peeples, curator-lead archivist, PAH, at peepless@ pahosp.com. For more information, please or e-mail call Stacey at 215.829.5434.
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Join Team UPHS/PENN for the 32nd Bike MS: City to Shore Ride
September 30
5K for The Institute on Aging and The Memory Mile Walk
September – December Penn Program for Mindfulness Fall 2012 Course Offerings
WHAT’Snew Editorial Staff
Sally Sapega Director of Internal Communications Olivia Fermano Editor and Photographer Pamela Furches Design Graphic Design Barry Ogburn Photography
Administration
Susan E. Phillips Senior Vice President, Public Affairs Contact What’snew at: Department of Communications Pennsylvania Hospital Philadelphia, PA 19106
Apply Today for Your Penn Medicine CAREs Foundation Grant Remember — you can still apply for a grant from the Penn Medicine CAREs Foundation Grant Program to help fund your outreach projects. The deadline for applications for the next round of recipients is September 1, 2012. For more information or to apply, please visit http://pennmedicine.org/community/.
September 29-30
phone: 215.829.6799 email: olivia.fermano@uphs.upenn.edu
S PennMedicine.org/Community
WHAT’Snew is published biweekly for PAH employees. Access WHAT’Snew online at http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside/whats-new/.