HHS news_12_10 - Harrington Memorial Hospital

H A R R I N G T O N
Harrington
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Total Local Care
Volume 35 News for the Extended Harrington Family December 2010
M O O R E N O T E S
Harrington is joining a statewide
hospital safety initiative knows as CUSP, an
acronym that stands for Comprehensive
Unit-based Safety Program. We’ve joined the
program as part of our ongoing focus on quality
and patient safety.
The program, which will be spearheaded at
Harrington by our Vice President of Quality and
Patient Safety, Kathleen Davis, is designed to
integrate safety practices into the daily work of our
clinical units, enhance collaboration and communication,
and improve teamwork. We will initially
roll out CUSP to our Intensive Care Unit; we intend to
introduce it to other units of the hospital over time.
As part of the CUSP initiative, we are asking all
employees to fill out a Patient Safety Survey. If you
have not received a survey, you can ask your
manager for one, call Quality at extension 3046 or
go to TLCnet and find, on the right-hand side of the
home page, “Harrington Survey/Click Here!” The
surveys are due back at the Quality Department
by January 15.
I believe that we have a very good record when it
comes to patient safety. For example, one focus of
CUSP is reducing Central Line infection to 0.
Harrington already has a perfect record when it
comes to avoiding central line infections. (A
Central Line is a catheter placed into a large vein,
usually to administer medication or fluids, or
obtain blood tests.) We are embarking on
initiatives such as CUSP because we want to make
sure that patient safety is foremost in the mind of
all of our employees.
Sincerely,
Improving
Safety
Through
CUSP
Ed Moore, President & CEO
S A V E T H E D A T E !
Holiday Gala – Friday, Feb. 4, 2011
Sturbridge Host Hotel, More Information TBA
Cancer Center Marks Anniversary With
Poignant Patient Testimonials
The Cancer Center at Harrington marked its first anniversary with an event that drew Harrington
staff, physicians, clergy, community members, politicians and cancer survivors.
“The idea was to build a comprehensive cancer treatment center,” Harrington President and
CEO Ed Moore told those who gathered at the facility Dec. 8, 2010 to celebrate the anniversary.
“The obstacles were almost insurmountable, but we did it…. I look on that as it was meant to be.”
Harrington and the building’s developer had to face strict regulatory deadlines and severe
weather that set back the construction schedule, Moore noted.
The Cancer Center at Harrington, which offers infusion services and is operated by Harrington,
opened December 7, 2009. It is on the second floor of The Central Massachusetts Cancer Center,
located on the Harrington Hospital campus. The first floor of the building, operated by
Harrington’s joint-venture partner Radiation Therapy Services, which offers radiation, opened in
June of 2009.
One highlight of the event was the reading of testimonials from cancer patients treated at the
center. “When cancer strikes, your world is turned upside down and you want to retain as much
of your normal routine as possible,” one patient wrote. “The Cancer Center at Harrington has
allowed me to continue to work, which would not have been possible if I had to travel a
distance to get the treatment that I needed.” ■
Harrington Honors Long-Time and New Physicians
Orthopedic Specialist Joseph
Veneziano, M.D., left, receives a gift
from Harrington President Ed Moore,
right, and Board Chairman Ron
Carlson, center, during Physician
Appreciation Night. Dr. Veneziano
has served the hospital for more
than 30 years. Also honored that
evening were Doctors Thomas Clay,
T.K. Thomas, Stephen Kurland and
Kalpana Acharya. Dr. Thomas and
Dr. Charles Luyrink were also feted on
the occasion of their retirement. ■
— All Employees Urged to Get Flu Shots —
All employees who have not yet had their free flu shots are strongly urged to get them –
for your own safety, your family’s safety and for the safety of our patients. To schedule an
appointment for a shot, call CompreCare at 508-765-3093. If you have received a shot
elsewhere, please let CompreCare know by faxing the information to 508-765-3047.
According to Sue Valentine, Harrington Infection Prevention Coordinator, "A case of the flu
can have devastating financial implications for a family. Who can afford to be out of work
for 7 to 10 days because of the flu and another week taking care of your sick children? I
think it is great that Harrington is supporting the staff by extending our free flu campaign to
include immediate family members.” ■
H a r r i n g t o n H e a l t h C a r e S y s t e m • 1 0 0 S o u t h S t r e e t , S o u t h b r i d g e , M A 0 1 5 5 0 • 5 0 8 - 7 6 5 - 9 7 7 1 • w w w . h a r r i n g t o n h o s p i t a l . o r g

Webster Campus Hosts
ECC Lecture Series
Emergency Medicine physicians James Sullivan (pictured)
and Kathy Finn lectured to audiences at our Webster
campus in November. Dr. Finn spoke on strokes and heart
attacks and Dr. Sullivan discussed the realities of the
Emergency Room.
Harrington HealthCare at Hubbard offered two
special lectures to the Webster community in
November. Kathy Finn, D.O., Associate Medical
Director of the Emergency Room, spoke on
Strokes and Heart Attacks on Wednesday, Nov.
17, to a crowd of nearly 40 adults.
On Tuesday, Nov. 30, Emergency Room
Medical Director Jim Sullivan spoke about the
reality of Emergency Room care, including
common misconceptions and protocols of
emergency medicine. The cafeteria was
packed with community members who took
interest in Dr. Sullivan’s lecture.
The Harrington campus hopes to have different
community lectures each quarter to help
educate the community and interact with local
patients and families. ■
W E L C O M E A B O A R D
Nicol Annese ———————— Radiology
Linda Ashe ————————— Radiology
Laura Bessette ———————— Radiology
Sharon Bessette ——————— ECC
Stacy Booker ———————— ICU
Jessica Cournoyer ——————— 2 South
Abigal Courtemanche ————— Dietary
Joanne Drogue ———————— Nursing Administration
Maria Escobar De Sanchez — Interpreter Services
Juliana Forcier ——————— Laboratory
Ameh Idoko ———————— 2 South
Laura Killeen ———————— Volunteer Services
Roland Larochelle —————— Education
Loretta Mandeville —————— Obstetrics
Karen Messier ———————— ECC
Lawrence Ouillette —————— ECC
Johanne Robinson —————— Radiology
Jennifer Tellier ———————— Pediatrics
Daniela Valentgas —————— Respiratory
Felix Vega —————————— Dietary
News for the Extended Harrington Family
Drs. Figueroa, Shaheen Present Their
Work at Annual Meetings
Dr. James Figueroa, a rheumatologist, presented an abstract evaluating
the appropriateness of multi-drug combination therapy in the treatment
of fibromyalgia at the Eighth International MYOPAIN meeting in Toledo,
Spain in October. Fibromyalgia is a form of soft-tissue rheumatism. The
challenge to the treating physician, according to Dr. Figueroa’s research,
becomes what medications, when and how much is appropriate.
Dr. Figueroa, who has an office in the Medical Arts
Building at Harrington Hospital as well as in
Worcester, has given more than 50 lectures or
presentations throughout the world on fibromyalgia,
rheumatology and other medical issues. — James Figueroa, M.D.
Dr. Rola Shaheen, Chief of Radiology at Harrington, presented at the
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Annual Meeting in Chicago
Nov. 28 through Dec. 3.
Dr. Shaheen's presentation at the conference focused on the use and
quality of breast MRI imaging in evaluating architectural distortion. In
— Rola Shaheen, M.D 2008, Dr. Shaheen joined Harrington Hospital as Chief of Breast Imaging. In
2009, she was promoted to Chief of Radiology. Her passion for radiology services has taken her
around the globe to make presentations and/or provide training in Europe, Jordan, UAE (Dubai),
Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Dr. Shaheen works at Harrington as part of the Harvard Medical Faculty
Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. ■
Harrington Honors Veterans with Luncheons
Harrington HealthCare honored nearly 200 local
veterans by hosting two luncheons in celebration
of Veteran’s Day.
The Webster campus carried forward its tradition
of a luncheon for more than 100 veterans on
Monday, Nov. 8, at Point Breeze Restaurant.
Restaurant Owner A.J. Alkire graciously gave
Harrington his banquet room, and more than 20
of Harrington’s managers, staff and supervisors
volunteered their time to serve coffee, lunch and
dessert. Nutrition Supervisor Jerry Gile helped
organize the food preparation and delivery; Marketing Manager Blaine Schnare helped organize
the event. Speakers included Harrington President and CEO Ed Moore, Webster Site Administrator
Pam Zouranjian-Connor, State Rep. Paul Kujawski and State Sen. Richard Moore.
On Monday, Nov. 15, the Southbridge campus, for the first time in recent memory, honored its
local veterans with a luncheon at the Southbridge Hotel and Conference Center. The hotel
provided a banquet room and servers, and Harrington Nutrition Production Manager David
Langevin helped coordinate the event with Veteran’s Agent Mike Trombley.
State Rep. Geraldo Alicia, Ed Moore and Mike Trombley addressed the veterans, who enjoyed a
wonderful meal and dessert compliments of Harrington, the Southbridge Hotel and Conference
Center and Bay Path College.
“This is the first of what we hope will happen every year in greater numbers,” Trombley told the
assembled group. ■
Seidler Named Medical Director at Cancer Center
Harrington staff served veterans at the Webster Veterans
Day luncheon.
Dr. Christopher Seidler has been named Medical Director, Hematology/
Oncology for The Cancer Center at Harrington. Dr. Seidler joined the
staff at The Cancer Center last spring. Dr. Seidler, who is affiliated with
UMass Memorial Health Care and is an Associate Professor at UMass
School of Medicine, received his degree in medicine from Robert
Wood Johnson School of Medicine and is board certified in Medical
Oncology, Hematology and Internal Medicine. ■
H a r r i n g t o n H e a l t h C a r e S y s t e m • 1 0 0 S o u t h S t r e e t , S o u t h b r i d g e , M A 0 1 5 5 0 • 5 0 8 - 7 6 5 - 9 7 7 1 • w w w . h a r r i n g t o n h o s p i t a l . o r g