The Newsletter for Waterbury Hospital Employees & Network Affiliates

PROJECT WIPE ‘M OUT
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the hospital recently kicked off Project Wipe ’m Out,
an initiative designed to permanently eliminate hospital-acquired Methicillin
Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. MRSA is a resistant staph
infection found in hospitals. It is spread through contact from a health care worker’s
hands or environmental surfaces, to a patient.
Waterbury Hospital
congratulates and welcomes
the following new employees
who joined the hospital in April:
Bibi R. Ali
Johnathan Arana
Gloria M. Benza
Christine L. Florio
Stacey Foote
Leon Frederick
David J. Lewis
Elizabeth D. Lowy
Brenda L. Pandiscia
Emily S. Parizo
Lana J. Porzio
Yazmin Rivera
Andrew J. Romano
Ruth M. Ross
Lidia M. Silva
John D. Tichon
Edward J. White
IS A PUBLICATION OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS &
MARKETING DEPARTMENT OF WATERBURY HOSPITAL
MANAGING EDITOR: HEATHER TINDALL
CONTRIBUTOR: KERRI ALLMER
SUBMIT ITEMS FOR UPDATE TO:
htindall@wtbyhosp.org
As part of a campaign to eliminate MRSA, the ICU will conduct a nasal swab on all
patients entering the Medical or Surgical ICU. Patients will be kept in contact isolation
until such time as results from the swab return with a negative finding. If a
patient’s swab comes back positive, the patient must remain in contact isolation.
Project Wipe ‘M Out was initiated by the Infection Control Team, working in conjunction
with the Volunteer Hospital Association (VHA) to eliminate the spread of health
care-acquired MRSA. Pictured above with the Wipe’M Out kickoff cake are (from L
to R) Sue Cordeau, Infection Control Coordinator; Debbie Migliaro, Infection Control
Coordinator; Colleen D’Amico, Assistant Director of ICU (holding cake); Stephen
Antopol, MD, Infection Control Chair; Niki Devito, PCA; Veronica Hart, CIA; Rachel
Crosby, Infection Control Coordinator (also standing next to cake); Steven Aronin,
MD, Assistant Hospital Epidemiologist; and Sharon Bielarczyk, RN, SICU.
“My Boss
is a
Patriot!”
Master Sergeant Charles Loya, a Pharmacy Buyer at the hospital, recently presented
Pharmacy Department Director Kimberly Curry with the Employer Support of the Guard
and Reserve’s “My Boss is a Patriot Award” at the Department Director’s monthly meeting.
Loya said he was grateful for his supervisor’s support of his military service in the
Connecticut Air National Guard. MSgt Loya serves as the Noncommissioned Officer in
Charge of Medical Logistics for the 103rd Medical Group at the Bradley Air National Guard
Base. He has deployed overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and also to New
Orleans in support of Katrina relief efforts. He was also recalled to active duty for eight
weeks after 9/11.
“My director’s support allows me to oversee the smooth running of medical logistics operations
throughout each month and on Guard training weekends,” said Loya. “As
Connecticut Air National Guard members prepare for deploying overseas every month, I
am able to ensure their needs are taken care of and that they are able to perform in the
Theater of Operations.” As a token of his appreciation, Loya also presented Curry with an
Air Force coin he recently received as an award.
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