MMC U Connections
news for the University of Maryland Medical Center
summer 2012
community
Richard Norris’ prom photo
Richard Norris before surgery
Richard Norris after his transplant
Full Face Transplant
“ Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”
Makes History
Babe Ruth
Message from the CEO
extraordinary full
On Tuesday, March 20, 2012, University of Maryland surgeons and staff completed the most extensive full face transplant in the world. The patient was 37-year-old Richard Norris of Virginia.
face transplant.
>>>>>
The Heart of the Mission A few patient stories at UMMC have garnered international and national attention this year – most notably the
Read the full story on page 4
We have devoted page 4 of this issue of UMMC Connections to the team that achieved this
U
milestone in medical history while helping a patient reclaim
In the Community:
his life after an injury. Dozens of individual milestones achieved by patients and their care teams every day don’t make the news, but do make a difference in the lives of those patients. Some are the
N u r ses weeK
Health Fair at City Market
MMC celebrated National Nurses Week May 6-12 with several activities, including a clinical practice symposium, poster presentations and an appreciation breakfast. And for the second year in a row, nurses celebrated by doing something for the community: They again sponsored a community health fair at Lexington Market, providing information on a variety of the areas they specialize in, as well as blood pressure screening and other services, to an estimated 900 people. Evette Everett, BSN, RN, and Jemecia Buchanan, patient care technician, work in the Endoscopy Department and were among UMMC staff at the health fair to give information on colon cancer screening. Everett says people asked lots of questions about a variety of digestive diseases, especially gastroesophageal reflux and liver diseases. Several visitors also had questions for UMMC psychiatric nurses, seeking advice for themselves or for loved ones about where to go for help. “There are a lot of people who have lost their jobs and lost health insurance, and they need somewhere to go to ask these questions,” Everett says. “And there is that trust that people have in nurses.”
equivalent of a home run, others are more like runs batted in. We strive to exceed the expectations of patients and their families. We earn their trust by providing excellent care in the hospital and through our partnerships with the community around UMMC. When the Medical Center’s nurses sponsored a health fair at Lexington Market to celebrate National Nurses Week in May, members of the community trusted them enough to ask their most pressing questions. Trust is at the heart of our mission to deliver patientcentered care. We work hard to earn it with each new patient, and to continue building it with each interaction.
page 3
page 4
page 7
INSIDEConnections: Rapid Response Team Brings Expertise JEFFREY A. RIVEST
President & Chief Executive Officer
page 2
Double Lung Transplant Patient Attends Prom Full Face Transplant Makes History
page 4
Shock Trauma Model for the World
page 5
Welcome New Leaders to UMMC and UMMS Employees of the Month
page 3
page 6
pages 6-7
American Girl Fashion Show
page 7
We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care >
2 UMMC Connections Rapid Response Team Brings Expertise to the Bedside Intensive care units always have critical care physicians and nurses ready to respond when any patient takes a turn for the worse.
Rapid Response Team members (in black scrubs) Dana Simmons, BSN, RN, CCRN; Robert Russell, EMT-I and patient care technician; and Shawn Trautman, BSN, RN, CCRN, work with respiratory therapists such as Tera Martin, RRT, (front, right) and intensive care nurses such as Danie Stidham, BSN, RN. They are on call to staff nurses such as Vijaya Ramakrishnan, MS, CMSRN, CBN, front center.
F
or the rest of the hospital, the University of Maryland Medical Center has created the Rapid Response Team, which is like an Intensive Care Unit, but “on standby.” This team, on duty around the clock, consists of an advanced and certified critical care registered nurse, a critical care patient technician and a registered respiratory therapist specializing in critical care. Any time a bedside nurse in a non-intensive care unit notices deterioration in a patient’s condition, the nurse can dial a hotline to summon the Rapid Response Team. Evidence has shown that deploying such teams as a resource to the patient’s primary physicians and nurses can decrease cardiopulmonary arrests and unplanned transfers to higher levels of care, and increase staff, patient and family satisfaction. The Rapid Response Team’s practice is overseen by Marjan Bahador, MD, assistant professor of medicine, and Margie Goralski Stickles, MSN, RN, MBA, CCRN, director of nursing for peri-
UMMC Connections is produced by the Office of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs for the UMMC community. 22 South Greene Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201 410-328-6776 www.umm.edu Jeffrey A. Rivest President and Chief Executive Officer Mary Lynn Carver Senior Vice President Communications and Public Affairs Anne Haddad Editor and Publications Manager Chris Lindsley Director of Communication Services Frank B. Moorman Director, Strategic Internal Communications Linda Praley Creative Director Marc Laytar Photography Linda J. Lynch Staff Assistant Bill Seiler Meghan Scalea Karen Warmkessel Contributors Fax news and story ideas to UMMC Connections at 410‑328‑3450 or email ahaddad@umm.edu.
Hourly Caring Rounds: Grounded in the Tradition of Nursing
B
“This enhances my rapport with a patient and allows me to more easily pick up on changes in the patient’s condition, because I’m right there at the bedside,” says Visitacion Casal, BSN, RN, a nurse in the Medical-Progressive Surgical Care Unit.
edside nurses at UMMC embrace “hourly caring rounds,” which is the intentional and purposeful checking in on patients at regular, hourly intervals, in addition to all the times nurses and nursing staff go in and out of a patient’s room or are at the bedside. Hourly rounding puts a structure and schedule on practices that are already the foundation of nursing — helping patients heal and keeping them safe and comfortable by proactively meeting their needs. “While making hourly caring rounds, we ensure the patient’s comfort and proper positioning,” says Lisa Rowen, DNSc, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer. “We assess their pain and make sure it’s controlled as well as possible. We address other personal needs, such as using the toilet, and we make sure the patient’s desired possessions are within reach — including the call light, in case they need anything before the next rounding visit.” The evidence indicates this type of nursing practice yields promising outcomes. “The data tell a compelling story, the kind of story we always want to see unfold at the Medical Center,” Rowen says. “The available evidence indicates making hourly rounds is appropriate, safe and useful for practice.”
operative services. “Sometimes the patient’s deterioration is obvious,” says Stickles. “For example, by decreased blood pressure, shortness of breath, change in level of consciousness or acute confusion. Other times, it is difficult to identify the cause without further evaluation and resources.” The team supplies the resources to provide care for the patient in need, allowing the unit staff to continue caring for their other patients. The Rapid Response Team stays with the patient until the appropriate care environment is available, or until the patient’s needs are met on the existing unit. “The team makes rounds to every unit twice a day, shortly after change of shift,” Stickles says. “We connect with the charge nurse to identify any patients about whom they might be concerned. The current trends indicate that most rapid response calls occur at change of shift.”
Nurses purposely check on patients at regular intervals and engage patients by checking on the “4 P’s”: • Pain • Positioning • Personal needs • Proximity of personal items In addition, one final question to the patient and family should be, “Is there anything else I can do for you?” In emergency departments and other outpatient settings, nurses and patient care staff can use a similar approach, focusing on pain, developing a plan of care and reducing any delays. “Hourly rounding lets our patients know that we are paying attention, and that we care about how they are doing,” says Kerry Sobol, RN, MBA, director, patient experience/guest services and Commitment to Excellence. “It also helps patients know what to expect.” An illness causes uncertainty. Hourly rounding relieves some of that uncertainty. “Patients become less anxious about getting their needs met, as they learn to trust the process,” says Paul Thurman, MS, RN, ACNPC, CCNS, CCRN, a clinical nurse specialist at UMMC. “Patient satisfaction increases in response to nurses addressing patient needs and preventing problems such as unrelieved pain.” Research has revealed that patients feel their care is exceptional when the staff constantly views the care process through the patient’s eyes. This philosophy is called patient- and family-centered care. It involves treating people with dignity and respect, sharing complete and unbiased information with patients and families in ways that are affirming and useful, and enhancing the patient’s control and independence. “The language we use with our patients in describing hourly rounds and their purpose is important not only to standardize the practice and let patients and families know what to expect, but also to communicate our genuine care about the patient,” Rowen says. “While we need to include some specific language, though, it is possible — and preferred — to make hourly rounds personal for each patient.”
We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care >
summer 2012
FROM DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT TO
3
HIGH SCHOOL PROM
A West Virginia teen returns to thank UMMC staff for helping her survive pulmonary fibrosis through a double lung transplant and making it possible for her to attend her senior prom.
V
ictoria “Tori” Chakwin, 18, of Martinsburg, W.Va., came back to UMMC for a follow-up visit to thank the many staff members who cared for her for nearly three months this winter. When she stopped to talk with Laura Classon, BSN, RN, one of her nurses in the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU), she showed her a picture of herself in her red-and-black prom dress, excited about the upcoming dance. “I owe them everything, pretty much,” Chakwin told WJZ-TV, one of many news organizations that covered her visit. “I wouldn’t be here if they didn’t push. I went from never being able to do anything to now, when I have the whole world ahead of me.” Chakwin had been battling the deadly disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for six years when physicians at another hospital in Baltimore told her mother they didn’t believe she could survive long enough to get a lung transplant, her only hope of a cure. Her mother, Robyn Schonhans, a retired New York City police officer, pressed the physicians to find another medical center that would accept Chakwin. She was transferred to UMMC. “Tori was so young, we had to do all we could for her,” says Aldo T. Iacono, MD, professor of medicine at the UM School of Medicine and medical director of the lung transplant program. He evaluated Chakwin and decided to accept her because UMMC ICU staff have the expertise and technology to care for the most complex cases, both before and after transplants. Chakwin was admitted to the CSICU, where all the physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, patient care technicians, respiratory therapists, clinical pharmacists and physical and occupational therapists specialize in advanced cardiac and pulmonary care. Until a pair of donor lungs became available two weeks after her admission, Chakwin was kept alive on an
external lung machine that did the breathing her damaged lungs could no longer perform. Chakwin was aided by a technology called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) that bypasses her failing lungs and oxygenates her blood as it passes through a machine. It gave her time until she could get a new pair of lungs, and it allowed her body to become stronger in preparation for the lifesaving lung transplant performed by Bartley Griffith, MD, professor of surgery at the UM School of Medicine and head of the division of cardiac surgery and director of heart and lung transplantation at UMMC. “Caring for patients such as this young woman, who came to us with very complex needs, is what the ICU teams throughout the hospital do, 24/7,” says Daniel Herr, MD, associate professor of medicine at the School of Medicine and chief of surgical critical care services at UMMC, as well as medical director of the CSICU. “Our team has a greater depth of experience than most hospitals nationwide in the technology used to keep Tori alive until she could receive a transplant,” Herr says. “Everyone plays a critical role — from those of us who provide the direct patient care to the technicians who maintain the machines.” ICU teams care for the patients before and after surgery and watch for the slightest change in a patient that could signal trouble. Before an operation, the job of the ICU team is to keep that patient in the best condition possible to weather the surgery and recover successfully afterwards. Many patients are so seriously ill that they require two nurses to care for them. Tori attended her high school prom, in her red-and-black dress and red Chuck Taylor sneakers, on April 28. It was her first appearance at her high school in more than a year, and something she couldn’t have imagined before her lifechanging transplant.
Aiming for Quiet at Night for a Better Patient Experience The “BEEP” of a monitor and the “THUMP” of a pneumatic tube that has just arrived from the lab join with other sounds in most patient units to make for a cumulative commotion that can keep patients awake. The automatic doors make an indescribable yet unmistakable sound when someone enters or leaves the unit. In a busy hospital, where patient needs arise regardless of the hour, silence can be elusive. But things are getting quieter, says Kerry Sobol, MBA, RN, director of patient experience and Commitment to Excellence (C2X). The only way to effectively turn down the volume is to take a hospital-wide approach that involves multiple departments, Sobol says. So the new Service Partners Team, made up of staff from departments that are not part of Patient Care Services, has made the noise-at-night problem its first project. The team is exploring ways to reduce the noise level without hindering care for patients. It’s led by Albert Johnson, MBA, CPM, director of logistics and materials management for UMMC.
Robyn Schonhans, left, and her daughter, Victoria Chakwin, came back to thank the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Team and her surgeons, including Bartley Griffith, MD, in photo at right, who saved her life with a double lung transplant.
Ronetta Lambert, MS, RN, nurse manager of the Medical-Surgical Progressive Care Unit on Gudelsky 5 East, purposely focuses on noise reduction, starting with more control of the automatic doors and equipment delivery schedules, and continuing with how nurses and technicians meet patients’ needs. “Our secretaries do not use the overhead page when a patient requests assistance for a nurse or PCT [patient care technician],” Lambert says. “They actually are expected to physically go and inform the RN or PCT. We also dim our lights at 11 pm to visually communicate that we should be mindful of our noise level.” The nurses and technicians adopted some new practices that improved patient care and had the secondary effect of reducing noise. For example, says Andrea Danielson, BSN, RN, a nurse who rotates between day and night shifts, the entire staff agreed to act on any call light from a patient, rather than going to find the patient’s assigned nurse to respond. “And if we do need to talk to a specific nurse or technician, we don’t page — we actually get up and go find the person,” Danielson says.
We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care >
4 UMMC Connections
72 HOURS
AT UMMC
cover story
Full Face Transplant Makes History On Tuesday, March 20, 2012, University of Maryland Medical
DAY ONE
Face Transplant Begins (OR 5 & 6) Organ Donation Begins (OR 5)
DAY TWO
Face Transplant Finishes (OR 6) Heart Transplant (OR 24) Liver Transplant (OR 21) Single Lung Transplant (OR 25)
DAY THREE
Single Kidney Transplant (OR 21)
Center surgeons and staff made history by completing the most extensive full face transplant in the world. The patient was 37-year-old Richard Norris of Virginia. his medical milestone required the work of hundreds of faculty and staff, beginning 10 years ago with basic science research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine on the body’s immunologic response to transplantation of bone, nerves, muscle and blood vessels. The combined research and preparation by the scientists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners, perioperative nurses, surgical technicians and other staff culminated in a 36-hour surgical procedure in the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center that restored form and function to a man whose injuries had forced him to live as a recluse since 1997. “Our goal was to restore function as well as have aesthetically pleasing results,” says Eduardo Rodriguez, MD, DDS, associate professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of plastic, reconstructive and maxillofacial surgery at the Shock Trauma Center. “We utilized innovative surgical practices and computerized techniques to precisely transplant the mid-face, maxilla and mandible, including teeth and a portion of the tongue,” Rodriguez explains. “In addition, the transplant included all facial soft tissue from the scalp to the neck, including the underlying muscles to enable facial expression, and sensory and motor nerves to restore feeling and function.” At a press briefing held at the hospital on March 27, Rodriguez revealed photos of Norris at his high school prom before his injury and after his injury (see photos, page 1). When he revealed the photo of Norris six days after his face transplant, there was an audible gasp in the room packed with media and University of Maryland leadership, who then erupted in applause. UMMC is only the second hospital in the country to perform a full face transplant, and a reporter for Reuters
described it as “the most aesthetically pleasing result” seen yet. Nicole Kelley, MS, CRNP, CPSN, CCRN, RNFA, nurse practitioner for the plastic and reconstructive surgery team at Shock Trauma, first met Norris in 2005 during his initial visit with Rodriguez, when he came to see what reconstruction was possible. “If you had whispered in my ear in 2005 that, ‘You’re going to do a face transplant on him,’ I wouldn’t have believed it,” says Kelley, who has served as Norris’ nurse practitioner throughout his multiple reconstructive surgeries at UMMC preceding his transplant. As Rodriguez and his team began to exhaust the reconstructive surgical options for Norris and as research progressed, a face transplant became the obvious next step. When the surgical team was alerted in March that a potential donor might be available, one of the first calls went to Debra KuKuruga, PhD, clinical assistant professor of pathology and director of the Immunogenetics Laboratory at UMMC. By performing mini-transplants in test tubes with cells from the potential donor and intended recipient, she can determine the likelihood of a good match. KuKuruga’s lab also tested the four other organs that would be transplanted from this same donor into other UMMC transplant patients (see chart above). As surgery began, the PostAnesthesia Care Unit (PACU) in Shock Trauma, led by nurse manager David Wong, RN, began freeing up staff to help manage Norris after surgery. “We knew Mr. Norris was going to require two nurses for several days after his surgery. Our nurses took 12-hour shifts for several days after the surgery, checking the pulse and blood flow within his new graft every
15 minutes. Some of them didn’t go home for four days,” says Wong. Trisha Klein, RN, a nurse in the Shock Trauma PACU, says the plastic and microvascular reconstructive team involved nurses from the start last summer to prepare for their role. “We were able to make the interdisciplinary network even stronger by including the Security Department, Integrative Care, the entire PACU staff and the Select Trauma nurses who would care for the patient on their unit. Meeting the recipient months in advance allowed us to help the patient and family with the transitions.” “It was such a privilege to be part of this team,” says Caroline Connolly, RN, of the STC PACU. “We were very proactive and sought out educational opportunities, did literature searches and contacted the other institutions that had experience with similar procedures.” Donna Audia, RN, Shock Trauma nurse and liaison to the Center for Integrative Medicine, and Lolly Forsythe-Chisolm, Reiki master, have met with Norris. Audia uses acupressure to help soothe the muscles in Norris’ face, offering him his first moments without pain in 15 years. “Now we’re teaching Richard to apply these acupressure techniques on himself,” says Audia. “We never want to give our patients a treatment they can’t do themselves.”
Vanessa Peregrim, speech therapist
21 STC ORs
T
24
25 GOR POD 4
5
6
DONOR
The family of one anonymous donor generously donated his face and also saved five other lives through the heroic gift of organ donation.
Speech Therapy Helps Patient Regain His Voice The last time Richard Norris spoke with a full tongue, full set of teeth and two lips was in 1997, before a gunshot wound changed his life in an instant. For the last 15 years, he was able to speak, but even those who knew him well had difficulty understanding what he said. As he recovers, Norris has a unique story to tell about the challenges facing him before and after receiving the most extensive full face transplant the world had ever seen. Vanessa Peregrim, MS, CCC-SLP, and Jackie Staley, MS, CCC-SLP, both speech therapists at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, had worked with Norris prior to his face transplant. They supported him through his reconstructive surgeries prior to the transplant, focusing on swallowing and communication. Three days after his transplant, Norris began working with Peregrim for therapy five times a week. “Our plan of care focuses on articulation and speech and returning the range of motion to oral structures, such as his tongue, jaw, lips, and his face,” Peregrim says. There are nine speech therapists in Shock Trauma, and Peregrim relied on them to augment her own experience in treating other patients with severe traumatic injuries to their faces and mouths. “There are some massages and stretch techniques we use to facilitate blood flow and stimulate the facial muscles and nerves,” Peregrim says. “Then we do some tongue exercises with and without resistance. Sometimes I push a Q-tip against his tongue so he has to use strength. We incorporate all of that into words, sentences and sounds. We capitalize on the strength of his posterior tongue, which is his native tongue. We’re now working on the front tongue [from his donor] and the lips.” According to Peregrim, Norris makes good K and G sounds, which are formed with the back of his native tongue. Front sounds, such as T’s and D’s, are harder for him because they’re formed with the anterior part of the tongue (from his donor), and M, P and B sounds are also challenging because they rely on lip muscles. “Richard’s a great patient. He will try anything and work hard for the hour we’re in there,” Peregrim says. “And he has homework – he does exercises on his own. Working with him has been very rewarding. You never know when an opportunity like this will come to work with [someone like] Richard.”
Face Transplant Timeline 1997
2002
2005
2011
November 2011
March 20, 2012
Richard Norris sustains
Stephen Bartlett, MD, chairman
Richard Norris has first patient
Rolf N. Barth, MD, associate
Face transplant research
University of Maryland
traumatic facial injury.
of the Department of Surgery
consultation with Eduardo
professor of surgery,
procurement occurs for
completes most extensive
at the University of Maryland
Rodriguez, MD, DDS, associate
Rodriguez, Bartlett and
real-time surgical rehearsal.
full face transplant to date.
School of Medicine and
professor of surgery and
their research lab publish
surgeon-in-chief of the
chief of plastic, reconstructive
data showing positive
University of Maryland Medical
and maxillofacial surgery at
effects of vascularized bone
System, secures grant from
Shock Trauma.
marrow in facial transplantation.
Office of Naval Research in Department of Defense to pursue research in composite tissue allotransplantation.
We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care >
summer 2012
5
Shock Trauma Model for the World
H
ealth officials in Brazil, which will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, are strengthening their trauma system before they welcome the elite athletes and hundreds of thousands of fans and supporters. They turned to Maryland for their model, and sent a team of 17 physician and nurse leaders to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center earlier this year for an intensive six-week training program that is truly “golden” — R Adams Cowley, MD, the center’s namesake, was a pioneering surgeon who developed the concept of the Golden Hour. Cowley found that stabilizing patients in the first hour after a traumatic injury gave them a much better chance of survival. The model he pioDeana Holler, Shock Trauma nurse coordinator, explains neered includes “pre-hospital” response, coordinated statewide by the to visiting Brazilian physicians and nurses how emergency Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS). responders communicate from the injury scene with the The Brazilian physicians and nurses have now returned to their own Trauma Resuscitation Unit. country, preparing to open their first trauma hospital — Hospital Estadual Alberto Torres (HEAT) — in November. By 2014, they plan to have built three more trauma hospitals and a rehabilitation hospital. “The 11 physicians and six nurses who came here are the leaders for this hospital, so we developed their training to focus on the importance of communications and relationships in a trauma network — between hospitals and first best emergency medical systems worldwide,” Spearman said. responders, and among the physicians, nurses and other clinical care staff,” said John “Upon securing the bid for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, the Spearman, who was then a senior vice president for external affairs and community relations state of Rio’s health care budget increased and the state’s secretary of health and at UMMC and is now CEO of Laurel Regional Hospital. “They need to work against time, civil defense was able to devote more resources to developing a better trauma as a team, to save a patient.” network and clinical care,” said Gretchen Swimmer, global market development The visiting physicians and nurses observed UMMC’s Trauma Resuscitation Unit, manager at UMMC. where a bank of phones provides direct contact with ambulance, fire and police at the scene. Meanwhile, the State of Rio and the Maryland Department of State were Most of the training was provided by Carnell Cooper, MD, clinical associate professor of beginning to develop a formal sister-state agreement for collaboration on key issues, surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Shock Trauma nurse leaders including health care. Ultimately, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and Rio Gov. Karen McQuillan, MS, RN, CNS-BC, CCRN, CNRN, clinical nurse specialist, and Deana Sergio Cabral Filho signed a sister-state agreement in March 2011. Holler, MS, RN, trauma nurse coordinator. The Rio State Health Foundation, which oversees the development and Spearman said the Rio leaders want a true network between hospitals and emergency management of hospitals and health programs, has also developed a strong responders, such as fire, ambulance and police, for the state of Rio, which includes the city relationship with UMMC to collaborate in other disciplines. The Health of Rio de Janeiro as well as surrounding suburban and rural areas, and a population of Foundation is opening a new transplant hospital for the State of Rio at the end 18 million residents. of 2014, and is considering collaboration with UMMC in training of nurses and “This partnership started when the medical directors and physicians in the Fire physicians in transplant surgery and patient care. Department for the State of Rio de Janeiro first came to us in 2006 while researching the
Going the Distance: UM Physicians Draw Inspiration from Patients Geoffrey Rosenthal, MD, PhD: Running for Little Hearts
T
he annual Baltimore Running Festival is fast approaching. And this means that more than 100 UM staff and friends are lacing up their running shoes to participate in the festival on Oct. 13 as part of the University of Maryland Children’s Heart Running Team. Each year, Geoffrey Rosenthal, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of the pediatric and congenital heart program at University of Maryland Medical Center, energizes his staff and community members to run and raise money to help care for children with heart disease. “People always ask me what motivates me to run each day,” says Rosenthal. “I do it for the children. I run because I know we can do more to make life better for those touched by childhood heart disease.” One out of every 125 infants are born with heart defects each year, making it one of the most common birth defects and one of the leading causes of birth defect-related deaths. Diagnosis and surgical advancements, like those performed by physicians within the Children’s Heart Program, have lead to dramatic increases in survival rates for children with congenital heart disease. Now more than ever we are seeing children with congenital heart disease grow to be healthy, normal adults. To join the cause and run — or walk — with the Children’s Heart Running Team, contact Nichole Barbuzanes at 410-328-6053 or email
Geoffrey Rosenthal, MD, PhD
Aaron Rapoport, MD: Celebrating Patients’ Courage and Staff Dedication
A
aron Rapoport, MD, wouldn’t miss an opportunity to run in the Maryland Half Marathon. And it’s not just because the 13.1-mile race raises money for the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center. “I run every year because I want to celebrate the great work that is done by our nurses and staff every day of the year in the Greenebaum Cancer Center and the privilege of participating in the care of our patients, who display such inspirational courage and determination,” says Rapoport, professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and associate director of the Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant Program at the cancer center. “It’s a very gratifying experience. I run for all of my patients: past, present and future.” Rapoport, a hematologist/oncologist, adds that the race brings together patients, their families and friends and the cancer center staff in an “almost familial” atmosphere. “Several of my patients have run in the half marathon, some just months after finishing treatment. Another one of my patients, Amy Babst, has put the finishing medal around my neck each of the last four years. I wouldn’t want to miss that,” Rapoport says. He has raised more than $39,000 for the cancer center. The race, started by running buddies Michael Greenebaum and Jon Sevel in 2009, was held this year on May 6 in the Maple Lawn community in Howard County. More than $200,000 was raised, bringing total net proceeds to about $1 million. To contribute — or to participate next year as a runner — contact Whitney Reeves at 8-3637 or wreeves@umm.edu. Aaron Rapoport, MD, at the Maryland Half Marathon with former patient Amy Babst and her daughter, Kira.
nbarbuzanes@umm.edu.
We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care >
p eo p le
6 UMMC Connections New Leaders Join UMMC and UMMs “We are very confident in
“Candy brings us the experience,
Janice’s ability to advance
vision and strategic leadership
our history of successful
we need to continue to build
programs,” says Jeffrey A.
our employee base as a local,
Rivest, president and CEO
regional and national destination
of UMMC.
for top-quality health care,” says Jeffrey A. Rivest, president and CEO of UMMC.
Janice J. Eisele Named SVP for Development at UMMS Foundation
Every Tuesday Through November
Janice J. Eisele is the new senior vice president for development at the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) Foundation. She is the senior philanthropy executive for all fundraising activities at the University of Maryland Medical Center and works with all 12 hospitals within UMMS to support and strengthen existing fundraising strategies. “We’re fortunate in Maryland, thanks in large part to generous donors who have had lasting impact on the medical system through their gifts,” Eisele says. “I look forward to helping them find new ways to support the growth and innovation needed to remain an international leader in health care.” Eisele joins the UMMS Foundation from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she was assistant vice chancellor for medical development beginning in 2004 and was responsible for the institution’s “grateful patient” giving program. From 2001-2004, she served as director of development for UCSF’s Department of Medicine. Prior to moving to San Francisco, she held development roles locally at the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “We are delighted to welcome Janice and her family back to Baltimore and look forward to her leadership driving key fundraising and development initiatives,” says Jeffrey A. Rivest, president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center. “We are very confident in Janice’s ability to advance our history of successful programs.” Established in March 2000, the UMMS Foundation generates private financial contributions for UMMC, including the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital, Kernan Hospital and Maryland General Health Systems.
Candy Knowles, Leader in Human Resources, Joins Medical Center and Medical System Candy Knowles, MS, SPHR, FACHE, joined the Medical Center in March as the new senior vice president for human resources and chief human resources officer (CHRO) for both the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS). And just four days after she and her family moved here from Dallas, her husband fell and broke his kneecap while walking the dog. “Fortunately, I knew where to bring him,” Knowles says. “I got a very in-depth orientation into the UMMC culture right away, and I have to say that at every level, everyone was wonderful to both of us. We felt one big organizational hug!” “It is a pleasure and a privilege to be part of such a renowned organization and leadership team,” she says. “I have found that people who join the health care industry do so because it is a calling to help others. This industry, this organization, this leadership team fit my values.” “Candy brings us the experience, vision and strategic leadership we need to continue to build our employee base as a local, regional and national destination for top-quality health care,” says Jeffrey A. Rivest, president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center. “A leader with Candy’s expertise will help ensure we have the best human resources practices in place for the near term and the future.” Knowles comes to the Medical System from Parkland Health and Hospital in Dallas, Texas, where she had been chief human resources officer since 2008. She has previously held senior-level HR positions at Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, Ind.; Phoebe Putney Health System in Atlanta, Ga., and Battle Creek Health System in Michigan. She earned a BA in business administration and marketing from Lakeland College and an MS from Cardinal Stritch University, both in Wisconsin. She is certified by the Society for Human Resources Management and is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
April employee of the month
May employee of the month
From her very first day on the job in the Adult Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), Sigrid Umali, BSN, RN, demonstrated her commitment to patients and to UMMC, says David Wong, RN, nurse manager of the PACU. “Sigrid immediately entrenched herself in learning everything there is about perianesthesia nursing,” says Wong. “She has been able to handle the fast-paced environment of the PACU, and has a warm way of making patients feel taken care of. She’s also a strong clinician and an advocate for patients’ families. Her teammates describe her as kind, upbeat, smart and compassionate.”
Patients recovering on the Gudelsky 6 West Orthopaedic Unit rely on the skill of nurses such as Annamma Chacko, RN, CMRSN, to manage their post-surgical pain and encourage them to work through it toward rehabilitation. “Anna has a passion for her work and a dedication to helping patients meet their goals in recovery,” says Beverly Dukes, MHA, BSN, RN, nurse manager of Weinberg 5, who formerly also managed the Orthopaedic Unit. “She regularly goes out of her way to help them and their families. She has an amazing enthusiasm and appreciation for all patients, no matter how difficult their situations.”
Sigrid Umali, BSN, RN Clinical Nurse II Adult Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
Annamma Chacko, RN, CMRSN Clinical Nurse II Gudelsky 6 Orthopaedic Unit
We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care >
summer 2012
7
American Girl Fashion Show Raises Awareness for University of Maryland Children’s Hospital The first annual American Girl Fashion Show, held March 24 and 25 at the Hippodrome Theatre, was a huge success – and a whole lot of fun for the staff and 1,200 guests from the community who attended the fundraiser that will help make a difference for children at Cool Kids Campaign and University of Maryland Children’s Hospital. The 180 girls chosen to model the American Girl® fashions raised more than $52,000 through individual fundraising efforts – an incredible feat for a first-year event! “We thank all our generous sponsors and volunteers, without whom this event would not have been possible,” says Janice Eisele, senior vice president, University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) Foundation. “The Children’s Hospital is thrilled with the results of this first annual event, and we look forward to making this fashion show a family tradition for years to come.” To read more and download photos from the event, go to www.umm.edu/ pediatrics/american-girl.
Children are not just little adults. Young patients need specialized health care designed to fit their physical and emotional needs, which is why at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital, we combine state-of-the-art medicine with family-centered care, treating each child, as well as every parent, grandparent and sibling, as a unique individual.
www.umm.edu/pediatrics
June employee of the month Computed tomography (CT) technology has evolved considerably over the past two decades, but one thing that has not changed during that time is the outstanding performance of Eileen Dentry, RT(RCT), radiologic technologist III. Colleagues praise her unflappable attitude and her ability to remain positive throughout the busy days. “Eileen leads with incredible style,” says Katherine Mohr, MA, RT(RCT), advanced imaging manager. “When the department is humming and patients are abundant, Eileen’s no-nonsense, get-the-job-done attitude propels her forward during the most stressful of times. She takes the initiative and transforms into the center of action, methodically assuring that each patient is scanned in an efficient yet timely fashion.”
Eileen Dentry, RT(RCT) Radiologic Technologist III Radiology/CT
We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care >
summer
8 UMMC Connections
PEOPLE SPOTLIGHT
Welcome > > > Scott Tinsley-Hall is the new director of strategic planning for the Medical Center. He has more than 15 years of health care planning and finance experience in academic, community and children’s hospitals, most recently in Springfield, Ill., where he was regional director of planning for a 13-hospital system. Simone OdwinJenkins, MBA, BSN, RN, is the new nurse manager of the Orthopaedic Unit on Gudelsky 6 West. She served as director of outpatient operations and clinical services at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital before coming to UMMC. She obtained her Business of Nursing Certificate from the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and her MBA from Loyola University of Maryland. Her clinical experience includes orthopaedics, neurology, neurosurgery, multi-trauma, oncology and cardiac telemetry. Karen Lancaster, director of media relations and corporate communications, leads the joint media relations team for the Medical Center and the UM School of Medicine. She comes to UMMC from MedImmune, a biotechnology company in Gaithersburg, where she was director of corporate relations and managed the company’s H1N1 pandemic vaccine communications, among other projects. She has also worked in science communications for several high-profile campaigns for the American Diabetes Association, American College of Cardiology, and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope with Lance Armstrong, and for the nation’s largest public relations wire service for press releases and media information. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Loretta “Lori” Schmitt, RN, is the new senior director of strategic marketing and physician relations. She comes to UMMC from the Cleveland
Clinic, where she spent the last 12 years as director of service line marketing. She will lead consumerdirected and physician-directed marketing at the Medical Center, including affiliated UM School of Medicine clinical faculty practices, the UMMC call center for specialist consultation and referral services, faculty physician outreach to community physicians and marketing strategies for specific clinical services that span the University of Maryland Medical System. New Role > > > Ruth Borkoski, BSN, RN, has been appointed nurse manager of the Medical Intermediate Care Unit (N10W) and the Medical Telemetry Unit (N13E/W). She has been a nurse at UMMC for 19 years, including clinical and leadership roles in both the Labor and Delivery and the Surgical Intensive Care Units. Her particular strengths include employee engagement and patient and family advocacy. Dana Farrakhan, MHS, FACHE, has been promoted to a new position as vice president of strategic planning and program development. She will also support the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) clinical program development projects across the 12 UMMS hospitals. She has been with UMMC for more than 18 years in planning and marketing. In her new role, she will lead UMMC’s planning and clinical program development efforts; support the UMMS strategic planning needs; and work with executive and clinical leaders at the Medical Center to expand linkages with UMMS affiliates. Cynthia O’Carroll, MS, RN, is the new nurse manager of the Transplant Unit on Gudelsky 8 East and West. She joined UMMC in 2002 as a transplant coordinator and later a clinical leader who was instrumental in the transition of the transplant infusion center into the Transitional Care Clinic. She has a BA in biological sciences from
UMBC and had worked in molecular biology research and as a cytogenetic technician before graduating from nursing school at Stevenson University. She obtained her MS at the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Health Services Leadership and Management. Michael Anne Preas, BSN, RN, CIC, is the new director of infection prevention and control at UMMC. She earned her nursing degree at Boston College and began her career at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at UMMC in 1984 as a critical care bedside nurse and then as infection prevention nurse for Shock Trauma until 1994. She also worked as director of infection prevention at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville before returning to UMMC as an infection preventionist in 2009. She represents the Medical Center on the Maryland Health Care Commission’s Health CareAssociated Infections Task Force, where she has been a representative since 2007. She is also the president-elect of the Baltimore chapter of the Association of Practitioners in Infection Control. Involved > > > Karen Doyle, MBA, MS, RN, NEA-BC, was elected as the next president of the Society of Trauma Nurses, a 1,400-member professional and educational organization. At UMMC, she is vice president of nursing and operations at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and the Adult Emergency Department. Before becoming president-elect of the Society of Trauma Nurses, she had been on the society’s board of directors, most recently as treasurer. She became president-elect at the 2012 annual conference in April, and will take office as president in the spring of 2013. Lisa Rowen, DNSc, RN, FAAN, senior vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer at UMMC, has been elected to the Maryland Hospital Association Executive Committee, the highest policymak-
ing body of the association’s board. A leader in nursing practice and education, she has published more than 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals and is the principal investigator of an American Organization of Nurse Executives study on improving patient and staff outcomes. She also is an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, a clinical associate professor at University of Virginia School of Nursing and an adjunct faculty member at the schools of nursing at Johns Hopkins University and Northeastern University. Honored > > > Monika Bauman and Connie Noll, two UMMC nurse managers, have been chosen as finalists in the Nurse.com Excellence Awards for the DC, Maryland and Virginia region. They were honored at a gala in June. Nurse.com is affiliated with Nursing Spectrum magazine and NurseWeek. Monika Bauman, MS, BSN, RN, CEN, nurse manager for women’s and children’s ambulatory services, is a regional finalist in the Patient and Staff Management category. In addition to her clinical leadership in hospitalbased clinics and outpatient procedure areas that serve women and children, she is
also widely known within the Medical Center for heading the Celebrations Team, which includes staff members from a variety of UMMC departments who plan and execute organization-wide events to celebrate accomplishments such as achieving Leapfrog Top Hospital status for quality and safety, and annual events honoring staff who are completing milestones in their careers at UMMC. Connie Noll, MA, BSN, RN-BC, nurse manager for adult psychiatry services, is a finalist in the category of Volunteerism and Service. She has volunteered with the American Red Cross since she was in high school and throughout her career as a nurse. Noll specializes in disaster mental health services and has responded to the most devastating disaster scenes in the country, including the Oklahoma City bombing; the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in Pennsylvania and New York City; and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. She also leads mental health volunteers in her local chapter in York, Pa. In 2010, the American Red Cross presented her with one of its “Hometown Hero” awards for her national and local service.
Becker’s Names UMMC and CEO Jeffrey Rivest Among Top 100 in Nation Becker’s Hospital Review has recognized the University of Maryland Medical Center as one of “100 Great Hospitals to Know” for 2012. In addition, UMMC President and CEO Jeffrey A. Rivest has been named to Becker’s list of “100 Leaders of Great Hospitals.” Rivest is in the company of other hospital presidents, CEOs and directors who have, according to Becker’s, emphasized organizational excellence, patient safety, quality service, financial savvy and an appropriate management demeanor. Criteria for making the “Great Hospitals” list include contributions to the history of American health care, noteworthy accomplishments in 2011 and continued strides in 2012. These hospitals “have demonstrated greatness through clinical accolades, innovation in care delivery, recent capital developments, and the offering of new services, specialty programs or technology.” According to Becker’s, “within the Baltimore area, Maryland and the country as a whole, the University of Maryland Medical Center has made a lasting imprint in how it delivers quality care.”
UMMC Connections
is available on the Intranet and at www.umm.edu/connections.
The University of Maryland Medical Center is an equal opportunity employer and proud supporter of an environment of diversity. We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care >