CHRONICLE
July 2014
www.RUMCSI.org
Message from the President & CEO Daniel J. Messina, Ph.D., FACHE, LNHA June was filled with excitement as we unveiled the new Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), and received NCQA Level 3 recognition for our Patient Centered Medical Home model. We also launched our new patient portal, technology that enables patients to access their health records online at their convenience. I congratulate all staff involved with these achievements and thank you for your dedication. We hosted our first ever Cancer Survivors Celebration Day at the Carousel and proudly participated in Borough President Oddo’s Healthy Self Event, where RUMC provided blood pressure screenings and information on health and wellness. I was pleased to share updates with staff at round the clock shifts in my first set of Town Hall meetings. Everyone should be proud of what has been accomplished together as a team, and there is much opportunity if we seize the day. President & CEO Daniel Messina, Ph.D. with Borough President Jim Oddo and his staff members Dr. Ginny Mantello and John Fusco at the BP’s Healthy Self Event at the Staten Island Mall on June 7th.
Wishing you and your family a healthy and safe summer!
Daniel J. Messina, Ph.D., FACHE, LNHA
NCQA Recognizes Hospital With Highest Level Award RUMC has received National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long-term, participative relationships. The hospital’s PCMH Program earned a Level 3 designation – awarded only to the highest scoring and most comprehensive medical homes – for the Comprehensive Pediatric Care and Comprehensive Medical Care practices that are a part of the RUMC Ambulatory Care Pavilion, located at 800 Castleton Avenue. We are one of 64 hospitals throughout New York State with this designation, and the only hospital on Staten Island. To earn this recognition, which is valid for three years, the practices demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements, embodying characteristics of the medical home. NCQA standards aligned with the joint principles of the Patient Centered Medical Home established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.
One of 64 hospitals in New York State and the only one on Staten Island to achieve this distinction.
A PUBLICATION FOR EMPLOYEES, PHYSICIANS, TRUSTEES, AND VOLUNTEERS OF RICHMOND UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Human Resources News
Kicking Off Employee of the Month! Recognizing our exceptional employees is important at Richmond University Medical Center. We are pleased to announce the kick off of the Employee of the Month award!
Who should be nominated? Do you know an employee that goes above and beyond? Nominate them! Nominated employees should be staff members who have made outstanding contributions to the hospital and/or patient care experiences.
Who can be nominated? Anyone can share a nomination if you have witnessed and want to acknowledge a staff member’s exemplary commitment to the patient experience and to RUMC.
Andrew C. Burt
Development & Marketing Dept.
May Cheung
Nursing Department
Melissa J. Clarke
Clinical Services Department
Karla K. DeMartini
Behavioral Health Department
Nicole Francis
Nursing Department
Nicole M. Gaglione
Radiology Department
Cynthia B. Grandeza Nursing Department Patricia Hoo
Medical Clinical Department
Jian Liu
Human Resources Department
Fidelis Mendoza
Nursing Department
Celina Mineo
Nursing Department
Amanda Musso
Ambulatory Clinical Department
Shannan O’Hara-Levi Clinical Resources Department
Next Steps Complete a nomination form (available in HR) and forward to your department director. They will then forward to Human Resources for review by the Nomination Committee. For more information, contact Human Resources at x2501.
Francis A. Olumide
Facility Management Department
Henry A. Orjuela
Nursing Department
Jenna Piscitello
Ambulatory Clinical Department
Evelyn Rosales
Human Resources Department
Peter Sanicola
Materials Management Dept.
Lennard Thompson
Behavioral Health Department
June Town Hall Meeting Volunteer Star of the Month
Dolores Celentano
Dolores considers it a privilege to be working alongside the many dedicated volunteers she has met during her eleven year membership in Richmond University Medical Center's Auxiliary organization. She has chaired fundraisers and assisted with numerous vendor sales that provide the funds that are donated to the hospital. This past year, funding for the Pediatrics Unit and the Cardiac Cath Lab have been pledged. She has happily served as Auxiliary President and looks forward to supporting RUMC in the years ahead.
President and CEO, Daniel J. Messina, Ph.D., led his first set of Town Hall Meetings on Monday, June 16th for the day, evening, and overnight shifts. At the Town Halls, he shared five focus areas: people, service, quality, image, and facilities, as well as the goal of enhancing the patient experience, physician alignment, and the organization’s community outreach efforts.
Chronicle July 2014
Employee Appreciation Barbecue, a Success! Thanks to all staff who joined us for the Employee Appreciation Barbecue. Congratulations to the basket winners, and thank you to those who helped with the set-up, serving of food, and clean-up, as well as the departments for donating the baskets for the raffle. We look forward to planning the next barbecue!
Board of Trustees Spotlight Sara Warren Gardner Sara Warren Gardner is the Executive Director of the Fund for Public Health in New York (FPHNY), a not-for-profit partner to NYC’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Under Ms. Gardner’s leadership, FPHNY develops public-private partnerships that launch and expand programs promoting public health in New York City. Before joining FPHNY, Ms. Gardner worked for 19 years at an international health organization called EngenderHealth a variety of technical and managerial positions. In her last position, she served as the Vice President of Programs, providing leadership and oversight of EngenderHealth’s global and field programs in New York and 20 countries throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America. Ms. Gardner serves on the NYC Health and Mental Hygiene Advisory Council, the Executive Board of the Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness and is a founding member on the Steering Committee of the Tackling Youth Substance Abuse (TYSA) Initiative on Staten Island. Ms. Gardner holds a BA from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, and a Master of Public Health from New York University. Ms. Gardner lives on Staten Island and has served on the RUMC Board of Trustees for 3.5 years. When asked about her role as a trustee, Ms. Gardner shared her enthusiasm for the hospital and the changes taking place in the health care environment. “This is an exciting time to be working in the health field and in particular at the intersection of health care and population health. The current environment offers a major opportunity to transform healthcare delivery for the better—with a focus on wellness and preventive care. To do this will require a new vision and new partnerships. RUMC is at the forefront of this change. As a public health professional and a member of the Staten Island community, it is extremely gratifying to be a part of RUMC’s transformation.”
Quality & Patient Care
DSRIP With Early Phase of State Medicaid Reform Underway RUMC and SIUH to Co-Lead Island Effort at Community Level On April 14, 2014 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that New York finalized terms and conditions with the federal government for a groundbreaking waiver that will allow the state to reinvest $8 billion in federal savings generated by Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) reforms. The waiver amendment dollars will address critical issues throughout the state and allow for comprehensive reform through a Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program.*The DSRIP program will promote community-level collaborations and focus on system reform, specifically a goal to achieve a 25 percent reduction in avoidable hospital use over five years. On Staten Island, Richmond University Medical Center and Staten Island University Hospital have filed a Letter of Intent with New York State: the two hospitals solidifying their DSRIP partnership as co-leaders with 30 borough-wide care providers. The group will work together to identify and achieve 5-year goals aimed at reducing avoidable hospital use. According to hospital officials, the state has responded to the Letter of Intent, officially recognizing the RUMC/SIUH submission to become a Performing Provider System: one of 51 of 88 submitted. In the next phase, the partners will submit a planning grant, outlining specific project initiatives proposed for Staten Island. The state has promised review of the grant and recommendations by mid-summer. *Dollar rewards will be based on the type and intensity of the projects, as well as the determined monetary value of Medicaid members served.
Comparing Hospital Data: Heart Failure Process of Care Measure Lutheran Medical Center
Richmond University Medical Center
Staten Island University Hospital
Heart Failure Patients Given Discharge Instructions
100%
100%
99%
Heart Failure Patients Given an Evaluation of Left Ventricular Systolic (LVS) Function
99%
100%
100%
Heart Failure Patients Given ACE Inhibitor or ARB for Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD)
99%
94%
100%
Heart Failure Patients Given Smoking Cessation Advise/ Counseling
97%
100%
100%
Chronicle July 2014
Patient Satisfaction: A Letter of Thanks A community member recently wrote a letter of gratitude, sharing their appreciation of our employees. We acknowledge the staff who assisted the patient, and thank everyone for going above & beyond with patient care! Please see the letter below:
To Whom It May Concern, I had a colonoscopy done today and the only thing I wanted to do afterwards was come straight home and write this letter. The staff at the colonoscopy department is amazing. They are professional, courteous and made me feel very comfortable and relaxed. From the front desk to the discharge desk, one was better than the other. I am bad with names but I think Peggy, Ilene, and Gerry were a few of the nurses. I will recommend Richmond University Medical Center to people I know. Again, the staff at the colonoscopy department are out of this world. Thank You, Rodolfo
Richmond University Medical Center has provided dress and grooming guidelines for employees to promote a consistent professional image throughout the organization and to help patients and employees feel safe, confident and comfortable at work. The RUMC team is expected to have a well groomed appearance with clean and neat professional attire. The staff is also asked to wear safe and appropriate footwear on the job for their benefit as well as the benefit of the patients we serve. More information is available regarding the dress policy in the HR office. Wearing your name badge at work is extremely important. When being treated a patient should know and be able to identify the name and specialty of the medical personnel helping them. Not only is it for the safety and well being of the patient it is for
the benefit of the employee and can prevent misidentification if there are any issues during treatment. In general, people place a higher level of trust in practices and institutions that visibly distinguish their staff. Identifying the medical staff with a professional name badge promotes accountability and a commitment to the patient, and can enhance the overall experience. A name badge is an instant impression, an introduction without words, and connects medical personnel to its patients. Another way to make a difference is to wear your smile! Smiling can help patients and guests feel more comfortable while in the hospital. Together we build on our brand by sharing our very best self with patients and guests. Thank you for being an important member of the team - You make a difference!
Growth & Development
COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY PROGRAM UNVEILED CPEP Will Offer Community Expanded, State-of-the-Art Behavioral Health Care We recently unveiled the new Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the main campus in June. Licensed by both the Department of Health and the Office of Mental Health, the unit consists of a psychiatric emergency room, six state-of-the-art extended observation beds, a recreation and activity area, waiting and interview rooms, and two spacious medical staff stations throughout 8,000 square feet. The construction project kicked off in November 2013 and was completed early June. The space allows for the relocation of CPEP from Bayley Seton to the hospital’s main campus at 355 Bard Avenue, which was effective Monday, June 9th.“This expansion offers the community immediate medical access in an environment that will foster rapid, state-of-the-art behavioral health care,” shares President & Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Messina, Ph.D. “CPEP will provide evaluation and treatment for individuals of all ages who are suffering from an acute mental health crisis.” He continued, “This project, along with the expansion of the Adolescent Psychiatric Unit was funded predominantly with New York State HEAL grants totaling $6 Million. “This project was made a reality thanks to the exceptional support of our elected officials and New York State. We are so grateful for the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senators Andrew Lanza and Diane Savino, as well as our Staten Island Assemblymembers, Michael Cusick, Matthew Titone, Nicole Malliotakis, and Joseph Borelli.” Pankaj Patel, RUMC Chair of the Department of Psychiatry has been involved in the project’s development from the early planning stages to completion. “Mental health issues are prevalent in all communities, including Staten Island. Often, medical conditions can present as psychiatric symptoms, and it becomes critical to assess the patient as a whole. RUMC’s CPEP is open 24 hours a day with a separate child and adolescent evaluation area. People can come anytime they need our help and we’ll be here,” said Dr. Patel. The space is equipped with six Emergency Observation Bed (EOB) units. These specialized rooms allow for further clinical assessment and stabilization of symptoms. Individuals can be admitted to the EOB for a period up to 72 hours. In-patient hospitalizations may at times be avoided after a brief period of stabilization. The Adolescent Psychiatric Unit is completing construction and will open shortly with a total of ten acute care beds. Photo Credit: George/Chu Media
Chronicle July 2014
Cancer Survivor Celebration Day
On Saturday, June 14th, the Medical Center hosted its first ever Cancer Survivors Celebration Day at the carousel! At the event, cancer survivors and their loved ones celebrated with family fun activities, treats, and free health screenings.
Highlights from Spring Review in Internal Medicine 2014
Steven Rudolph, M.D. with S. Raguthu, M.D.
The Lung Cancer Screening Panel with P.J. Cosentino as moderator and panel members: Dr. Andrea Wolf, Dr. Jeffrey Cane, Dr. Mahmoud Aly, Dr. Keith Diaz, Dr. Dongming Xu, and Jody Ruth Steinhardt, MPH, CHES
Patient Portal is Live We recently launched our new “Patient Portal” program to offer patients the option to access select portions of their health records online, through the main hospital website at www.rumcsi.org. This valuable tool will enable patients to communicate more effectively with hospital and ambulatory caregivers to better manage their health care. This will allow our patients to access information anywhere with an internet connection at any point in the day. Making the retrieval of test results and managing healthcare easier than ever, reducing barriers to collaboration and enhancing care efficiency. Enrollment is simple. After visiting the hospital’s website and clicking on the Patient Portal link, users will complete an enrollment questionnaire and choose a username, password and security question. Once a secure username and password have been established, patients will have the ability to access the portal from anywhere they have access to an internet connection using their computer, Smartphone or tablet.
Dr. Olga Zhdanova with Dr. Farhang Ebrahimi and Dr. Edward Arsura
Chronicle July 2014
Students at PS 50 Donate Artwork On Monday, June 2nd, fourth grade students and teachers from PS 50 came to RUMC for a reception entitled The Art of Giving. The students worked for six weeks on paintings which the UFT then framed. The paintings were donated to help patients and brighten the halls of the hospital. President & CEO Daniel Messina, Ph.D. spoke at the unveiling and shared artwork created by his children when they were younger. Each student stood by their painting while it was unveiled and spoke with guests and administrators about their creative process. All of the children learned the style of American artist Louis Tiffany, which inspired the paintings. The paintings will be on display in the lobby this summer.
Visit www.RUMCSI.org/clambake for more details
RUMC Auxiliary Honors Two Staff Members
The RUMC Auxiliary honored two staff members for their dedicated service at their June Tea, held at the Lake Club on June 12th. Pictured above: COO/CNO Rosemarie Stazzone, Honoree Marie Rosato, President & CEO Daniel Messina, Ph.D., Honoree Marie Szablowski, and SVP Richard Salhany.