March/April 2011 - Catholic Health System

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Our Roots, Our Mission, Our Promise of Excellence 2 Living our Mission How Do You See Things – A Matter of Perspective Are you a realist, a pessimist, or an optimist? Do you see the cup as half full or half empty, or like it truly is? Is it all a matter of perspective? Research studies suggest that when an organization and its associates focus their energy and efforts on strengths, identifying what is positive and working well, as opposed to what is not working; it can instill hope, build cooperation and lead to greater overall satisfaction. Obviously, in healthcare we must focus on clinical and organizational improvements to fix things that are not working well, but it’s how we seek out the best of “what is” to create “what might be,” that ignites positive change. In our journey to become a high performing health system, approaching change by focusing on our areas of strength can help fuel our ministry and give us a new perspective in our daily work. When Michelangelo was commissioned to create the statue of David in 1501 for a cathedral in Florence, he carved it from a piece of marble a previous sculptor had discarded out of frustration 40 years earlier. Art historians say when Michelangelo began the project, he did not see a discarded slab of stone, but saw every detail of David as the statue appears today. Before he ever put chisel to stone, he envisioned what David would look like. This type of thinking leads to bold innovation. For Michelangelo, the hard work was done, he simply chipped away at the stone to reveal the perfect image of David he had envisioned. As we pursue excellence to enhance the patient/resident experience, the lesson here is that you can get what you envision yourself achieving when you work towards a goal. For us, it’s providing an exceptional and safe patient experience. Let’s focus on what is working, what gives us life, and what fuels our mission. Every organization has something that works right. In Catholic Health, our individual strengths bring our mission, vision and values to life and ensure we remain effective, successful, and connected. Aimee Gomlak Leads Women’s Service Line As part of Catholic Health’s commitment to bring its women’s services together to improve quality, access and outcomes, Catholic Health has appointed Aimee C. Gomlak, MBA, FACHE, vice president, Women’s Service Line. “Catholic Health is a respected regional leader in women’s health,” said Joe McDonald, president & CEO of Catholic Health. “Aimee will work closely with our physicians and staff, aligning women’s services to support our emergence as a top performing health system and better serve the thousands of women who depend on us for care.” Aimee has been with Catholic Health since 1997, most recently serving as vice president for Strategic Development. In that role, she was the project leader in the transformation of the former Our Lady of Victory Hospital into the OLV Senior Neighborhood, a national model for senior living. The rebirth of the campus fulfilled Catholic Health’s promise to ensure the facility would remain a vibrant part of the community for generations to come. She also served as executive director of the Continuing and Home Care Foundation, which supported the acquisition of nearly $30 million in investments, grants and donations for the OLV Senior Neighborhood Aimee Gomlak project. “Aimee has the organizational skills and commitment to help take women’s services to the next level,” said Richard Ruh, MD, senior vice president, Service Lines for Catholic Health. “She is a proven leader, noted for her drive and her passion for our mission. She will use those qualities to lead our Women’s Services and ensure a great patient experience for women who choose Catholic Health for their care.” Electronics Recycling Day Set for June 4 Catholic Health will hold its third “Electronics Recycling Day” for associates, physicians and volunteers on Saturday, June 4 from 9am to 1pm, at the AppleTree Business Park. Catholic Health Go Green volunteers, in cooperation with Regional Computer Recycling and Recovery of Rochester, will accept unwanted PCs, VCRs, TVs, cell phones and other personal electronic equipment from your home. This event is open to Catholic Health associates, physicians and volunteers. We’ll also be collecting non-perishable food items for the Food Bank of WNY, so it’s a double win for our community! For details on what items will be accepted for recycling, visit the associates section of the Catholic Health website: www.chsbuffalo.org/associates National Prescription Drop Off Day Thanks to everyone who supported the National Prescription Drop Off Day on April 30. Kenmore Mercy Hospital; Sisters Hospital, St. Joseph Campus; and the Mercy Ambulatory Care Center, served as drop off sites as part of this national and regional effort, collecting hundreds of pounds of unwanted and expired prescription drugs. Special thanks to Frank Heinrich and the Catholic Health pharmacy team for leading this effort. Think Spring… Spring Cleaning that is In an effort to make our facilities more inviting for our patients, visitors and staff, Joe McDonald has put out a call to each Catholic Health organization to look for ways to spruce up their buildings and grounds. Each ministry leader has been asked to put together a plan to clean, organize, clear clutter, and recycle outdated equipment and supplies for a Spring Cleaning campaign that will run from April 22 – June 3. Look for ways in your own department or work area you can support his effort to create a more pleasing environment in and around Catholic Health. Creating Physician Partnerships continued from page 1 (PCMH). This new practice model changes the way primary care is organized and delivered to provide patients and their families with a more coordinated approach to care. Using electronic medical record technology and office-based clinical care coordinators, PCMHs provide comprehensive, efficient care, while helping patients become more active participants in their own health. Catholic Health is committed to strengthening primary and specialty services throughout the region to improve access to care and support the continued development of our Clinical Service Lines, which include Vascular Services (Cardiac, Stroke and Vascular care), Women’s Services, Orthopedics and Cancer Services. Primary Care services such as Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, OB-GYN and Pediatric Services, provide the vital link to the physician specialists who practice within these service lines. The recent opening of the Mercy Comprehensive Care Center in Buffalo’s Old First Ward is a great example of the steps we are taking to ensure patients have greater access to Primary Care Services. This gleaming, new facility rivals centers found in more affluent communities, and is a testament to the charitable work begun by the Sisters of Mercy in this very neighborhood more than 150 years ago. To further support the development of our physician practices and the growth of our Clinical Service Lines, Catholic Health created its own Physician Recruitment Department in 2006. Over the years we have recruited dozens of physicians to our system and community to improve access to care throughout the region. Through the hard work of our managers and associates; the acquisition of the latest medical technology; and an emphasis on quality, safety and providing an exceptional patient experience, Catholic Health is quickly becoming a preferred destination for some of the finest physicians practicing today. Over the next decade, the demand for more physicians in our community is likely to continue, but Catholic Health is well positioned to meet this need by providing the ideal practice environment for area physicians. chsbuffalo.org
The “Faces” of Sisters Hospital Our Roots, Our Mission, Our Promise of Excellence The “Faces of Sisters Hospital” campaign was a great success, with hundreds of budding artists participating in the unique art project. Buffalo artist Brian Nesline, founder of Faces of Buffalo, created a special mosaic rendering of Sisters Hospital Main Street campus, composed entirely of drawings made by the hospital’s staff. Over 200 doctors, nurses, and associates participated in the project, creating one-of-a-kind self-portraits to be displayed within the final artwork. Nesline composed the portraits into a beautiful mosaic rendering of Sisters Hospital’s front entance, which will be proudly displayed in the hospital’s newly renovated Emergency Department, slated to open later this Spring. The artwork depicts the many “faces” of Sisters, who help to serve our community. Nesline started Faces of Buffalo in 2002 with a single mission: to collect self-portraits from the community and create a massive mosaic of the city itself. A larger mosaic was made the following year, as well as six more images, with more than double the participants. Nesline continues to create and display his artwork around Buffalo, and soon will be creating a mosaic for the St. Joseph Campus. MS Support Group Helps Patients Share Struggles and Successes For the past 13 years, Marion Smith has attended a Multiple Sclerosis Support Group twice a week at Partners In Rehab West Seneca. The group offers structured exercise in a supportive, caring atmosphere to help MS patients maintain their independence and stabilize the progression of the disease. At age 60, Marion moves easily from the elliptical machine, to the parallel bars, to the exercise bike, all under the watchful eye of Marion Smith practices some exercises on the parallel bars under the watchful eye of Partners In Rehab Physical Therapist Nancy Ogorek. chsbuffalo.org the center’s physical therapists. To see her in action you would never know she has lived with MS for the past 20 years. Today, she credits her mobility and stamina to the exercise and support she gets from the Partners In Rehab staff and her fellow patients. “They’re like family,” says Marion, who is the informal den mother of the group, often counseling other MS patients. “The therapists are wonderful. They provide individualized care to meet each patient’s special needs.” A firm believer in the principle of “use it or lose it,” Marion looks forward to her time at Partners In Rehab and the socialization it provides. “Living with MS can be a challenge, but coming here is hope,” she says. “You have to set realistic goals and take small steps to reach those goals.” “This is a way for our associates to give back to patients who have ongoing physical therapy needs,” said Tom Coleman, PT, Partners In Rehab site manager. “We are the common thread that brings these patients together to support one another and share their MS struggles and successes.” Begin the Conversation: Understanding Advance Directives Have you had “the talk” with family and loved ones about end-of-life care? Because it can be uncomfortable to have frank discussions about death and dying, many people simply avoid having these important conversations. Recognizing the difficulties families can encounter when Advance Directives are not in place, Catholic Health Continuing Care has developed a series of educational videos to help patients, residents, and families throughout the community begin the conversation. Through a grant from Fidelis Care New York, the videos help viewers understand the importance of Advance Directives and how they can help people ensure their wishes will be carried out, even if they cannot speak for themselves. The videos provide an easy to understand introduction and overview of the four components of Advance Directives: • Health Care Proxy – allows you to appoint an agent or proxy to make healthcare decisions for you, when you can no longer speak for yourself. • DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) Order – a document that tells medical professionals you do not want CPR performed if your heart stops or you stop breathing. • Living Will - states your medical care wishes. • MOLST (Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) – a document that identifies your wishes for life sustaining treatment. Talking about death and dying is never easy. As advocates for those in our care, we hope these videos will encourage you to have conversations with your family, friends, and perhaps medical and legal professionals to ensure your wishes for end-of-life care are followed. The time to think about Advance Directives is NOW! Begin the discussion today by logging on to www.chsbuffalo.org/advancedirectives. On the Road With Mission on the Move Each day, hundreds of people come to Catholic Health for medical care. But did you also know we travel to sites throughout Western New York, bringing valuable health and wellness services to people in their own communities? Through our Mission on the Move mobile health program, Catholic Health Community Education nurses visit churches, schools, senior centers, shopping malls and other community gatherings, offering free health screenings and important health education to people who might not otherwise have access to these valuable services. During a recent trip to the Buffalo Auto Show in February, Mission on the Move provided free diabetes, cholesterol and bone density screenings to dozens of people attending the annual event. The team not only offers health screenings for common diseases, but also identifies people with serious health concerns and provides one-on-one health counseling and referral information to link at-risk individuals with the follow-up medical care they need. Often, Mission on the Move nurses are the first health practitioners some people have seen in years. At the auto show, one man who had his cholesterol tested commented to Community Education nurse Maria Schilling that he hadn’t seen a doctor in over 20 years. Maria provided him with information about our HealthConnection physician referral service and he was able to schedule an appointment with Brenda Perez, MD, at Catholic Health’s Chestnut Ridge Family Practice in Orchard Park. This is just one example of how Catholic Health is reaching out in our community. During 2011, Mission on the Move expects to perform over 8,000 health screenings, many in underserved areas where people have limited access to care, fulfilling Catholic Health’s mission to serve those in need. Best Place to Work Catholic Health was named the “Best Place to Work,” by Business First of Buffalo during its annual awards luncheon held at the Buffalo Convention Center in March. Over 700 people attended the luncheon, which honors area employers in a variety of categories. Catholic Health received the top honors in the jumbo category (1,000+ employees). Winners were chosen by Quantum Workplace of Kansas using an employee survey that measures how a company rates as a place to work. Congratulations to everyone for helping to make Catholic Health the Best Place to Work. 3
Page 1: March/April 2011 Volume 2, Issue 6
Page 5 and 6: Our Roots, Our Mission, Our Promise
Page 7 and 8: Our Roots, Our Mission, Our Promise

March/April 2011 - Catholic Health System

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