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RRUCLA Trauma Team Prepared for All Patients, Even Astronauts As a Level 1 Trauma Center, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (RRUCLA) routinely receives patients who have sustained lifethreatening injuries from car and motorcycle collisions, falls and other serious accidents or assaults. While the RRUCLA trauma staff is prepared at all times to provide comprehensive emergency medical services to trauma patients from across the Southern California region, the team recently honed its skills in preparation for a special group of patients that may arrive from much farther away: astronauts from outer space. For more than 20 years, RRUCLA has been one of two Level 1 trauma hospitals in the region designated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to provide immediate emergency and comprehensive medical care for National Space Transportation System (Space Shuttle) crew members injured as result of an accident during landing at Trauma team participates in practice training Edwards Air Force Base (AFB). Edwards AFB, located in the Antelope Valley about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles, is a secondary landing site when the Space Shuttle is unable to land at Kennedy Space Center due to inclement weather conditions in Florida. If an accident were to occur during a Space Shuttle landing at Edwards AFB, Department of Defense (DoD) emergency personnel would stabilize injured crew members before transporting them via helicopter to RRUCLA for continued treatment that, in addition to emergency medicine, may include internal medicine, cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedics or hyperbaric medicine services. “Fortunately, there have been no incidents so far that have required us to provide emergency medical assistance to the Space Shuttle crew,” says Ann Munnelly, pre-hospital care coordinator, RRUCLA Emergency Department. “But astrocontinued on page 7 Child Life Volunteers continued from page 1 pediatric patients throughout UCLA Health System. Child life specialists use age-appropriate techniques and tools, such as books or dolls, to help children understand their illnesses and prepare them for their medical procedures. They also organize therapeutic play and educational programs to help children and their families develop positive coping strategies to address their fears and concerns. Additionally, child life specialists identify and discuss developmental and psychosocial issues with each patient’s family and medical team, and address potential problems using therapies including behavior management and adaptive role play. “Children with life-threatening or chronic illnesses who must be hospitalized repeatedly or for long time periods are at risk for experiencing significant isolation, which may cause them to regress developmentally,” Amy says. “By engaging these children in medical play and other therapies – either in the hospitals’ playrooms or at the child’s bedside – we can prevent or reverse developmental problems,” she says. Amy credits support from community volunteers with providing the therapeutic consistency needed to help children reach important milestones. “Our volunteers are able to see the immediate impact of their work through a child’s smile or through a child’s hug,” Amy says. “They really have an opportunity to make a difference during a very stressful period in the life of a child and family.” Holiday cards benefiting the Child Life/Child Development Program are now on sale for $20 per box in the RRUCLA and SMUCLA gifts shops or online at www.uclahealth.org/ holidaycards. The artwork featured on the cards was created by UCLA Health System pediatric patients with the help of volunteer artists through the Holiday Card Art Program. 6
From Left to Right: Danny Liew, Jane Pressman, Heidi Crooks, Eleanor Tomas, Bonnie Barnes, Monette Gomez, Pauline Gore, Reiko Watanabe, Alison Wrigley, James Scott The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses A “DAISY For Extraordinary Nurses” award ceremony was held on October 20 at RRUCLA to celebrate and reward nurses for the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care they provide to patients and families every day at UCLA. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The DAISY Foundation was established in 2000 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died of complications of an auto-immune disease. Bonnie Barnes, Patrick’s stepmother and president of the foundation welcomed everyone and shared the inspirational story behind the award’s meaning. During Pat’s eight-week hospitalization, his family was awestruck by the care and compassion his nurses provided not only to him, but to everyone in his family. The DAISY Award was conceived by the Barnes family as a way to say thank you to nurses around the country and was adopted by Magnet hospitals for recognizing outstanding nursing care. With more than 90 qualified nominations, only eight recipients were selected for the first presentation. Each award recipient, nominated by administrators, peers, physicians, patients and families, was presented with a framed certificate of recognition, a DAISY lapel pin and a “Healer’s Touch” sculpture. A DAISY award banner will be displayed in each recipient’s unit along with a special breakfast of Cinnabon cinnamon rolls (Patrick’s favorite) for the entire unit, as a reminder of how special and important teamwork is in providing great care to our patients and their families. To read about our DAISY awardees, visit: http://www.daisyfoundation.org/quarterlynursehonorees.html AWARD RECIPIENTS: Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center • James Scott, R.N., A.D.N. Acute Pediatrics • Reiko Watanabe, R.N., B.S.N. General Surgery, 8 West Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital • Alison Wrigley, R.N., B.S.N. Emergency Department • Yew-Choy (Danny) Liew, R.N. General Medicine, 8 Tower Ambulatory Care • Monette Gomez, R.N. Cardiac Catherization Lab, SMUCLA • Pauline Gore, R.N., A.D.N. Nephrology and Renal Transplant Clinic, RRUCLA Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital • Jane Pressman, R.N., B.S.N. Adult Psychiatry • Eleanor Tomas, R.N., B.S.N. Med/Psychiatry Trauma Team continued from page 6 nauts have specialized medical issues related to the Space Shuttle that we need to be prepared to handle, and the best way to do that is through consistent education and drilling.” Every one to two years, the DoD hosts a fourhour education session for RRUCLA trauma staff to provide information about planned missions and to ensure the trauma team is aware of potential physiological changes or problems that may be experienced by the astronauts, such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, metabolic changes and possible chemical/radiation exposure. The staff also participates in emergency transport simulations with Space Shuttle crew and DoD emergency staff, which includes learning how to efficiently remove a space suit. “We consider it an honor to be a designated Trauma Center for these distinguished astronauts who need comprehensive care when they are in our area,” says Janet Rimicci, R.N., M.S.N., director, Emergency and Trauma Services, RRUCLA. “Under the leadership of Gill Cryer, M.D., the team works hard at perfecting trauma care. We want our astronauts to receive the best quality of care, and we feel UCLA can provide the quality they deserve.” 7
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