STANFORD HEALTH CARE
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SHC & SILICON VALLEY U.S. NEWS VALLEYCARE
from the CEO
PAGE TWO SHC Named to U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll
Dear Colleagues,
I’m excited to welcome all of our new Stanford Health Care-ValleyCare staff to their first issue of SHC People! We are so pleased to have you join the Stanford family. Together we will further advance leading edge and coordinated care in the Tri-Valley region and beyond. This issue features an overview of Stanford Health Care’s strong ties to the Silicon Valley. Together with some of the world’s technology leaders, we are innovating new ways to deliver health care. You will also learn about our Corporate Partners Program, through which a visionary group of Silicon Valley companies are helping us build the new Stanford Hospital.
When U.S. News & World Report announced its national rankings of top hospitals and specialty care areas last month, Stanford was recognized among the best in the country multiple times in multiple categories. The results were impressive: No. 15 on the Honor Roll of the nation’s top hospitals; No. 1 in the state of California; No. 1 in the San Jose Metro area; 13 specialties ranked among the best in the country, including six in the top 20. “I would like to congratulate our incredible faculty, physicians, staff, board members and leaders for all their efforts and support,” said president and CEO Amir Dan Rubin. “This is very exciting news and an honor we should be proud of.”
U.S. News evaluated hospitals in 16 adult specialties, with just 3 percent of the nearly 5,000 analyzed hospitals earning a national ranking in even one specialty. Stanford’s specialties were ranked as follows: ear, nose & throat (9); cancer (10); gynecology (11); diabetes & endocrinology (13); rheumatology (13); cardiology & heart surgery (18); urology (18); orthopedics (21), gastroenterology & GI surgery (23); neurology & neurosurgery (24); nephrology (33); pulmonology (33); geriatrics (43); psychiatry (high performing). “While we are pleased to be recognized, we strive to further advance our preeminence and excellence,” said Rubin.
Whether you are new to Stanford Health Care or have been part of our team for many years, your commitment to treating that next patient as our most important one is what truly sets us apart. Thank you all for everything you do to help heal humanity through science and compassion, one patient at a time.
STANFORD HEALTH CARE PEOPLE IS PUBLISHED BY
SHC OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS GARY MIGDOL EDITOR, DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS KATIE LIPOVSKY INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER GRACE HAMMERSTROM WRITER/EDITOR JAMES LARKIN DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS/PR
Sincerely, AMIR DAN RUBIN PRESIDENT & CEO
SARA WYKES CLINICAL AFFAIRS WRITER NORBERT VON DER GROEBEN PHOTOGRAPHY VENOUS FARSAD WRITER/EDITOR HIMANI SHARMA INTERN Send comments and story ideas to communications@stanfordhealthcare.org
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ON THE COVER: Stanford Health Care is innovating health care by partnering with Silicon Valley’s top companies.
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SHC SILICON VALLEY ADVANCING HEALTH CARE IN A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION
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DOBE. APPLE. CISCO. EBAY. HEWLETT-PACKARD. INTEL. INTUIT. NVIDIA. ORACLE. PAYPAL.
VMWARE. YAHOO. BOX. THE LIST OF SILICON VALLEY COMPANIES WITH STRONG TIES TO STANFORD HEALTH CARE IS EXTENSIVE. TOGETHER, THESE INNOVATORS IN TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE ARE REDEFINING HOW HEALTH CARE IS DELIVERED. They’re working together at a philanthropic
level to build the new Stanford Hospital. They’re improving convenience and access by bringing medical care onsite to the workplace. And they’re developing and testing new devices and workflows in the clinical setting. In short, SHC and Silicon Valley’s leading companies are fueling the next generation of innovation in health care. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
STANFORD HEALTH CARE PEOPLE / 3
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
Corporate Partners Nowhere is that link more dynamic than the Corporate Partners program. To date, 11 companies have joined this philanthropic effort to help fund the building of the new hospital. “The leading companies in the valley appreciate the advanced medicine provided at Stanford and recognize the value that Stanford brings to the community,” said John Jackson, Executive Director of the Corporate Partners Program. “They’ve supported the hospital at a substantial level. And in return, a portion of their contribution has been set aside to fund health care navigation and education services for their employees.“ One of the most-utilized benefits of this partnership
“This is our community. For us to be a vibrant part of that community, we have to have vibrant relationships with the other members of that community. The Corporate Partners program helps us achieve that with employers.”
is the 24/7 personalized health navigation service that Stanford offers its Corporate Partner employees, Corporate Partner employees also receive health
dependents, families and friends. “Our navigators remove the complexity of health care for patients,” said Fouzel Dhebar, Administrative Director, Health Navigation Services. Navigators
education services via monthly Stanford-faculty led webinars and onsite health screenings. “This is our community,” said Jackson. “For us to be a
can locate specialty care, coordinate appointment
vibrant part of that community, we have to have vibrant
scheduling, offer evidence-based research on a
relationships with the other members of that community.
diagnosis via the Stanford Health Library, advance
The Corporate Partners program helps us achieve that
MD to MD Consults, facilitate plan of care validations
with employers.”
and promote access to Guest Services resources. In the first quarter of 2015, they assisted more than 2,300
Improving Access
Corporate Partner employees. “The majority of what
Bringing goods and services, including medical care,
we do is connect members to the right resources,” said
directly to the worksite has become the norm for many
Health Navigator Lindsay Bowman-Sarkisian.
large Silicon Valley companies. Leveraging this trend,
Fouzel Dhebar
John Jackson
Dagan McLennan, RN, BSN
Administrative Director, Health Navigation Services
Executive Director, Corporate Partners
Account Manager, Corporate Partners
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Stanford opened an onsite clinic at Yahoo in April and
the Digital Health team empowers patients to access
a second clinic at Qualcomm in San Diego in July. In
Stanford Health Care, anytime, anywhere.
October, Stanford is taking over the 24,000-square-foot Cisco medical complex.
“Given our location in the heart of Silicon Valley, we are uniquely positioned to define digital health in concrete
We are trying to make health care more convenient
terms for ourselves and the world,” said Kapadia, Vice
for people. Partnering with employers to deliver care
President and General Manager of Digital Health. What
onsite can also improve health at a population level with
are the digital disruptions in the health care industry? How
targeted interventions that address a group’s unique
do we accelerate SHC’s growth and create value through
health profile.
a personalized and seamless digital experience across
Staffed by faculty physicians, the onsite medical
the continuum of care? These are some of the questions
clinics provide preventive care, treatment for minor
his team asks when performing due diligence on new
illnesses and injuries, and travel medicine. Most
companies—more than 180 in the past nine months
sites also include an onsite medication dispensary
alone. When an idea shows promise, the Digital Health
or pharmacy and laboratory services.
Innovation Team, led by Chris Furmanski, PhD, tests it in
“Onsite clinics are a unique opportunity to take care
the clinical setting.
of patients where they live their lives,” said former Yahoo
IT Services also partners with industry to bring new
Assistant Clinic Manager Mary Beth Ginn, MSN, FNP-BC,
technology solutions to Stanford Health Care. In a recent
who is now working to operationalize the Cisco clinic.
collaboration, ITS worked with Box to bring cloud-sharing
Being onsite also allows clinic staff to develop a deeper
technology to the privacy-sensitive health care environment.
understanding of the workplace environment, she said.
“We wanted to take something that people really like to
“This positions us to provide more personalized and
use, the Box software, and make it work in health care in
holistic care.”
a way that keeps our employees safe and compliant,” said Pravene Nath, MD, Chief Information Officer.
Digital Entrepreneurs
IT Services also worked with Apple on the use of
Stanford’s burgeoning Digital Health strategic domain
Health Kit in the MyHealth App, and the possible use
enlists the brainpower and innovation of many of these
of its location awareness strategy at the new hospital.
same Silicon Valley companies, venture capitalists and
“We want to be a center for innovation, a test-bed for
startups to further innovation in digital care. Led by
technology in a real health care environment,” said Nath.
former HP and McKinsey executive Kash Kapadia,
Sang-ick Chang, MD
Mary Beth Ginn, MSN, FNP-BC
Kash Kapadia
Assistant Dean, Primary Care Services
Former Yahoo Assistant Clinic Manager
Vice President and General Manager, Digital Health STANFORD HEALTH CARE PEOPLE / 5
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SHC SILICON VALLEY
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Health Care
UNCOMPLICATED WHILE VISITING THE MIDDLE EAST, A CORPORATE PARTNER EMPLOYEE’S MOTHER SUSTAINED A COMPOUND FRACTURE DURING HER FLIGHT. When the plane landed in Europe, she underwent extensive surgery. Her son called Stanford Health Navigation for help. The navigator worked to get the mother’s hospital report translated and sent to her doctor in the U.S., and consulted with a Stanford orthopaedist to verify the quality of care she was receiving, thus alleviating the family’s concerns to continue her care abroad. When the woman was able to travel, the Stanford navigator arranged for her care at a rehabilitation facility near her home. “A huge part of our role is alleviating the stress and worry Corporate Partner employees have about themselves or a loved one,” said Lindsay BowmanSarkisian, a Health Navigator at Stanford for two years. For the past year, Bowman-Sarkisian has helped another Corporate Partner employee whose young 6 / STANFORD HEALTH CARE PEOPLE
adult child was diagnosed with two progressive, complex medical issues. She first facilitated getting the young man seen by an expert at Stanford’s Infectious Disease Clinic, who created treatment guidelines to share with the patient’s other referring physicians. Bowman-Sarkisian continues to help the family by scheduling their son’s neurology, infectious disease and immunology appointments, consolidating these appointments into fewer days when she can. “As navigators, we’re able to streamline the process for these parents,” she said. “Rather than having the parents calling all of these different clinics, I coordinate all of his appointments and then email them with the days, times and doctors.” Since those first anxious calls last fall, Bowman Sarkisian has become the dad’s first point of contact for all of his family’s health care needs. “We’re here to take away that additional layer of complexity that people run into when seeking health care services,” she said.
LINDSAY BOWMAN-SARKISIAN HAS BEEN A STANFORD HEALTH NAVIGATOR FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.
SHC & SILICON VALLEY
FUN FACTS
YAH
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$150
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HP
MILLION HAS BEEN CONTRIBUTED BY CORPORATE PARTNERS TO BUILD THE NEW STANFORD HOSPITAL
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1,127
CORPORATE PARTNER EMPLOYEES DIALED INTO A RECENT WEBINAR ON POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
40,000
AP
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PATIENTS HAVE BEEN SERVED BY THE CISCO CLINIC, MAKING IT ONE-THIRD THE SIZE OF THE NEW CANCER CENTER SOUTH BAY
700
AVERAGE VISITS PER MONTH AT THE YAHOO CLINIC
400 – 500
NAVIGATION CASES IN ONE MONTH GENERATED BY APPLE EMPLOYEES
Technology INCUBATOR
CONNECTED DEVICES. APPS. SOFTWARE ALGORITHMS. DIGITAL HEALTH IS A BOOMING BUSINESS. In 2014 alone, more than $4 billion nationally was invested in over 250 digital health companies. Ground zero for many of these tech startups and their venture capitalist backers is right here in Stanford’s backyard. As this new breed of disruptive technology enters the market, health care providers have to identify which solutions will improve outcomes and patient care. That’s where Stanford Digital Health and its Innovation and Alliances teams enter the picture. These experts in digital health technology are immersed in the startup ecosystem. They spend their days analyzing the health care market, looking for opportunities and validating whether there’s a strategic, operational or technological fit for a new product within the health care system. Like Shark Tank without the TV cameras and
the drama, Stanford Digital Health conducts due diligence on the most promising ideas, and has selected eight to move to the next step—pilot testing in Stanford Hospital or one of its clinics. “Emulating the pace of Silicon Valley discovery is the goal,” said Chris Furmanski, PhD, Director of Digital Health Innovation. First, his team identifies clinical champion to help drive the project forward. Then they work collaboratively with clinicians, subject matter experts, operations and Information Technology Services to test the hypotheses and new workflows in the clinical setting. In tandem with the efforts of the Digital Health team, SHC has partnered with GE Ventures to launch Evidation Health. This independent startup conducts similar validation trials of new technologies, but at an even faster pace. “We’re trying to be more nimble,” said Furmanski. “It’s a critical part of what drives innovation forward.”
CHRIS FURMANSKI, PH.D, DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION AT STANFORD HEALTH CARE DURING A RECENT MEETING AT IDEO DOWNTOWN PALO ALTO.
STANFORD HEALTH CARE PEOPLE / 7
FOCUS ON APPs: Advanced Practice Providers Nurse Practitioner Jong-Mi Lee sees patients in the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Clinic on an alternating basis with physicians. Clinical Nurse Specialist Heidi Salisbury works with patients suspected to have an inherited cardiovascular disease to confirm the diagnosis and understand their genetic condition to inform their medical decision-making. Physician Assistant Heather Radford manages acute and chronic medical issues for patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing stem cell transplant. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Ronni Kerrins works in conjunction with anesthesiologists to deliver anesthesia at the Byers Eye Surgery Center. These are just a few examples of how the 320 Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) at Stanford Health Care work as part of teams to care for patients in specialty and primary care.
GARRETT CHAN HAS BEEN DIRECTOR OF ADVANCED PRACTICE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.
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CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST HEIDI SALISBURY (LEFT) HELPS PATIENTS UNDERSTAND THEIR GENETIC RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.
“Stanford Health Care and our physician colleagues have recognized the positive contributions of APPs in providing high-quality and safe patient care.” Advanced Practice Providers—nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists and certified registered nurse anesthetists—straddle two worlds, medicine and nursing, said Garrett Chan, PhD, APRN, Director of Advanced Practice. They’re educated and trained to national core competencies to assess health conditions both independently and in collaboration with others if it exceeds the boundaries of their knowledge and expertise. “Stanford Health Care and our physician colleagues have recognized the positive contributions of APPs in providing high-quality and safe patient care,” said Chan. “They are full partners in the health care delivery system in collaboration with interdisciplinary staff to help promote the health and wellness of patients, as well as to address health conditions that require medical attention.”
NURSE PRACTITIONER JONG-MI LEE OVERSEES THE CARE OF MS PATIENTS.
Improving Access and Outcomes “In an academic setting, where residents and fellows rotate through service areas regularly,” APPs help create a stable workforce and steady presence for patients and staff, said Chan. They also increase access to care. In many specialty clinics, APPs see return patients to provide follow-up care, freeing up physicians to see new patients and manage more complex cases. As a nurse practitioner, Lee sees patients independently in the MS Clinic but collaborates with her physician colleagues when making any significant changes to the patient’s care. As the lead APP for Neurology, she is now working to bring this collaborative model to other subspecialties in Neurology. “Care for chronic disease involves medicine, nursing and case management,” she said, “and APPs are strong providers to delivering this holistic model.”
WELCOME TO THE SHC FAMILY
VALLEY CARE THERE’S JENNIFER BRANSCUM, LYNN COOPER, JANIS EMERY AND ABOUT 1,400 MORE-EMPLOYEES AT STANFORD HEALTH CARE-VALLEYCARE AND THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE STANFORD HEALTH CARE FAMILY.
“I’m thrilled about the services and standards of care that Stanford Health Care is bringing to the Tri-Valley community,” says Lynn Cooper, a native of Dublin, and a PBX operator/assistant telecommunications specialist at ValleyCare for the past 18 years. “This is my community. Not only am I an employee, but I’m also a patient.” Cooper and her colleagues at ValleyCare became members of the SHC family after the two organizations agreed to a new partnership last fall. With all of the legal requirements and ribbon-cutting ceremonies completed, Stanford Health Care-ValleyCare became a reality this spring. “Every day I have contact with patients and every day I get at least 10 comments about how excited and grateful they are that Stanford is here and that we’re here to treat them,” said Jennifer Branscum, a patient access registrar at ValleyCare for the past 10 years. “Our patients know that with Stanford now
FAMILIAR FACES AT STANFORD HEALTH CARE–VALLEYCARE ARE JENNIFER BRANSCUM, UPPER LEFT; LYNN COOPER, UPPER RIGHT; AND JANIS EMERY, ABOVE.
“Every day I have contact with patients and every day I get at least 10 comments about how excited and grateful they are that Stanford is here and that we’re here to treat them.” as part of the team, they will continue to get the best care every time.” “We were all so excited when we first heard the news about ValleyCare and Stanford teaming up,” Branscum said. “We couldn’t be happier being a part of Stanford Health Care.” ValleyCare has been a leading community health system in the East Bay’s Tri-Valley region for more than 50 years. It has facilities in Pleasanton, Livermore and Dublin, and includes the Stanford Health Care-ValleyCare
Medical Center with emergency services in Pleasanton; two urgent care centers; a skilled nursing facility, wellness/fitness center and inpatient senior psych unit on its Livermore campus; and a myriad of outpatient services at all locations. Janis Emery, an RN and cardiac educator, is excited about the broader scope of services that will be offered to her patients and the educational opportunities that will be available to her colleagues. “There is so much more we’ll be able to do through the partnership not only for our patients, but our staff. I’m thrilled about all the possibilities.” “We’ve been a great hospital and health system,” says Branscum of ValleyCare, which began treating patients in 1961 when it opened Valley Memorial Hospital in Livermore. “We embrace Stanford with open arms and can’t wait to learn more from our new Stanford Health Care colleagues.” STANFORD HEALTH CARE PEOPLE / 9
GOOD WORKS Healing Humanity Through Compassion Phil McLean is a nurse practitioner who cares for patients by day at the SHCoperated Qualcomm Health Center in San Diego, and on the weekends you can find him a few miles down the road in Mexico offering what he can to assist those in desperate need of medical care. That’s because McLean is a volunteer with Healing Hearts Across Borders, an organization that has been going to the Tijuana area to provide medical care and medications for the past 17 years. On a typical weekend, McLean and a team of 100 volunteers, including doctors, nurse practitioners, dentists and pre-med students, see between 1,000 and 1,400 people who need medical care. “Their needs are great,” he said. “These are people who have lived a
tough life, subject to very difficult manual work situations for little income, no medical care, and long hours. The thing we can offer that is most important is to let them know they are valued, respected and loved. They respond universally to that. They smile back at me for being there, even when I’m not able to do anything for them medically,” said McLean. “He has few donated supplies and little to offer as far as long-term care,” said Laura Wolfgang, one of McLean’s fellow nurse practitioners at Qualcomm. “But his visits are greatly appreciated and highly anticipated.” “I often get compliments about Phil—not only about his compassion, but also his clinical capability,” said Diana Felix, manager, Qualcomm Health Center. “I think what he does is something that’s really true to Stanford’s mission of healing humanity through compassion.”
ITS Volunteer Services Committee When LeAnna Fries arrived at SHC more than a year ago, she found an
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opportunity to mobilize the interest of her Information Technology Services (ITS) colleagues to give back to the community. Fries, Director of Informatics Education, has been passionate about volunteering since childhood. Following graduate school, Fries served as a member of the U.S. Peace Corps as a public health educator. “I believe we can all make a difference. One just has to transform thoughts into action,” she said. “There’s always been an interest in ITS to provide community support and be actively involved in the community. And when I saw there was a structure being provided that was championed by LeAnna, I jumped in,” said Jason Golden, manager, Inpatient Reporting. The ITS Volunteer Services Committee formed in 2014, and meets monthly to plan activities. Each activity is led by a different committee champion who is passionate about a cause. Golden and Vicki Davis, Director, IT Project Management Office, were service champions for the first event, a Second Harvest Food Bank drive. ITS collected 1,760 pounds of food, filling 12 large barrels, before the Thanksgiving holiday. Other volunteer events have included a day-long blood drive, a media donation to local organizations, and a backpack-filling activity for lowincome children. “Our department may not be involved in direct patient care, but we can play a role in supporting our mission of healing humanity. An important part of job satisfaction is to provide meaning, and this gives employees the opportunity to get closer to the work that is done every day at SHC,” said Fries.
KUDOS April Service Spotlight Award ROBIN CLEARY AND JILL RACKLIFFE
UHA May Service Spotlight Award Medical Assistant Margie Jordan, who works with the Cardiovascular Consultants Medical Group in Walnut Creek, was awarded UHA’s Service Spotlight Award for her compassionate care of an elderly patient. Jordan has been with UHA for only a few months, but she has already made such a positive impact on patient care. Her use of C-I-CARE principles on patients and staff has made her a role model to her colleagues.
May Service Spotlight Award
April Safety Star Award
Extraordinary circumstances often call for extraordinary actions. Pulmonologist Arthur Sung, MD, and Laura Roberts, MD, recently did just that for a patient. She was a fourth-year medical student when she was diagnosed with a rare and fatal form of lung cancer. Knowing that this young woman would not be able to complete her final year of studies, Sung and Roberts arranged the permissions for her to complete her final rotation—in psychiatry—at Stanford.
Sterile Processing Supervisor Hober Duarte was honored for his exemplary attention to the disinfection procedures of duodenoscopes. Duarte was credited with developing a comprehensive scope disinfection program commended by the Joint Commission in 2010.
UHA April Service Spotlight Award MARY HARRINGTON Mary Harrington, Practice Manager for the Affinity Group, was honored for her exemplary contribution to patient experience. After learning his wife had advanced cancer, a husband did not want to leave her side to pick up medications. Harrington delivered the medications to the couple’s home and saw they needed other assistance. She offered to clean their house and did their laundry.
ESTHER CHYAN AND JEAN YIH
MARGIE JORDAN
Robin Cleary, RN, and Jill Rackliffe, RN, from North ICU showed one family the level of care and compassion that transformed the last days of a patient’s life. The patient’s girlfriend wrote a long letter of praise for the care the patient received in North ICU, saying the patient was given information straightforwardly, honestly and as gently as she could imagine anyone doing.
HOBER DUARTE
June Service Spotlight Award
ARTHUR SUNG AND LAURA ROBERTS
May Safety Star Award ANNA GALANTO Pharmacy technician Anna Galanto was working an evening shift in Central Pharmacy when she spotted a problem and pressed for a solution, earning her recognition as a Safety Star Award winner. She became concerned when she noticed that a medication bottle was being returned to the pharmacy with a partial dose still inside. Galanto alerted a pharmacist. Her awareness and persistence accomplished an important patient safety improvement.
Esther Chyan, RN, and medical interpreter Jean Yih were honored in recognition of their interaction with a patient who spoke no English and had no relatives or close friends in the United States. Chyan became this patient’s primary nurse, caring for her whenever she received outpatient cancer treatment. Yih set up transportation to and from appointments for the patient. Sometimes, when necessary, she drove her home. In the patient’s last days, she gave Chyan’s and Yih’s names as locals to be contacted in case of an emergency.
June Heroes Healing Humanity Award SIMON ATKINSON Simon Atkinson, RN, Cath Angio Lab, was honored for saving a three-year-old girl from drowning. Atkinson was at a party when someone noticed a little girl was at the bottom of the pool. She appeared to be lifeless. He cleared the water from the child’s lungs and began resuscitation. He showed great presence of mind in the emergency, said fellow nurse Millicent Gerken.
June Safety Star Award NENG ALBRIGHT Neng Albright, RN, Cath Angio Pre-Procedure and Recovery, was completing a pre-procedure phone call with a patient when the patient asked for a suicide hotline number. She learned that the patient was thinking of suicide, had a plan in place and was alone at home. Albright spent the next 45 minutes on the phone with the patient until the police arrived for a welfare check.
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OUR PATIENTS NOW
Ryan Kennedy suffered a stroke at age 29. Now, he’s running marathons. The very thing that brought Ryan Kennedy back to health was the very thing that threatened it. Kennedy, 29, was in a strawberry field near Hollister, looking closely at the plants’ leaves to spot bugs that might damage them, when he started to feel dizzy. Then he began to drool. “I thought, ‘I’m just thinking about the In-N-Out burger I had just had for lunch. I’m not sick or anything,’ ” he said. Five minutes later, he walked to his car and looked at himself in the rearview mirror. He could see that one side of his face was drooping. Five years earlier, he had had Bell’s palsy, a temporary paralysis of the face, and he wondered if it had returned. Something was different, however. He attempted to say to himself, “Why do you have Bell’s palsy again?” He couldn’t. The words were all jumbled. “I went back to the field thinking this was a psychosomatic issue,” he said, but as he started walking, he started stumbling. He decided he’d make the 15-minute drive to a store operated by his employer. “I still had complete motor capabilities,” he said.
He arrived and tried to talk. “It was complete jumbles. I tried to write, and it was very, very shocking to me that I couldn’t write. That’s when I started to think something was really wrong.” It’s easy to understand why Kennedy didn’t realize the seriousness of what was happening to him—his symptoms were caused by a stroke, but only one in five people who have a stroke are younger than 54. Despite public education campaigns about stroke in the young, many people in Kennedy’s age group are not aware. “Initially, my friends were not believing that this could happen to a 29-year-old,” Kennedy said. The symptoms are the same, the treatment is the same—and Kennedy was lucky because once he reached his employer’s store and his colleagues saw him, they drove him quickly to the nearest local hospital. Clinicians immediately recognized his condition—a clot blocking blood flow in his brain. Within an hour, he was in a helicopter headed to Stanford Health Care’s Stroke Center, where more advanced imaging was available and he could be better monitored. Now, youth was on his side. A few days later, he was at home. He began speech
therapy. One of his doctors told him he was progressing so fast that within a year, no one would believe that he had had a stroke. In a month, he was speaking almost fluently, although he sometimes needed time to come up with some of the more scientific words he needed for work. Before his stroke, he had been training for a marathon. He was a backpacker and mountain biker. Post-stroke, running became another form of therapy. Almost 18 months since the stroke, he’s ready to run his first post-stroke marathon this summer. “I’m not letting anything hold me back,” he said. Find more patient stories at stanfordhealthcare.org/now.