McKeesport Hospital Foundation holds 33rd annual Invitational ...

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4| Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comARTIST From Page 1only to the patients, but also to their victims,families, and to the community at large aswell, was profound.”When Schmidt-Rodriguez finally movedback to her native Wexford, she felt that sheneeded a bit of a change from that intensity.“Believe it or not, nursing school and addingnursing to my professional direction were anice break,” she adds.As a result, Schmidt-Rodriguez found thatshe also had more time to write, which is whenshe began to focus on that as well. “In the past,I have written and presented primarilyresearch-based work in the areas of sexualabuse and domestic violence. At one point, Ijust needed a break from the heaviness ofthose topics and sat down at the computer andbegan writing fiction.”Although she personally feels that there isnothing remarkable about this artistic driveand enterprise of hers, and she often humblydescribes her writing as really being“mediocre at best,” Schmidt-Rodriguez hasfound another avenue of joy and peace to complementthe great satisfaction she receives professionally.“It’s a wonderful way to step outsideof the structure of the healthcare field andlet my imagination run wild. It’s just anotheroutlet.”As a person who has an instinctual need tobe active and productive, Schmidt-Rodriguezuses writing and running to channel herintense energy.Upon reflection as to whether or not shewould like to write on a permanent or full-timebasis if she didn’t need to work, Schmidt-Rodriguez pauses and then replies with awholly, Thoreau-smacked response, “Well thatis exactly what I hope retirement is for mesome day. Living in the woods, waking up togo for a long run, and then spending my afternoonsoutside with a laptop letting my imaginationdevelop into pages of fiction—that’smy idea of a good day.”Of course this dream does not in any waydiminish her love of the healthcare profession.“That’s not to say I don't enjoy healthcare—Itruly do. But given the ‘burnout’ and intensityof healthcare, I think we all need to take careof ourselves in creative and physical ways—and for me writing and running tend to do thetrick.”Schmidt-Rodriguez has written several pieces of fiction, and she is currentlyworking on yet another. Her years of work and experience in the healthcareindustry have provided her with a reservoir of creativity and inspiration. Sheexplains, “My professional life in psychology as well as all the ‘personalities’ wedeal with every day in healthcare help me to develop the characters I writeabout.”In fact, many of Schmidt-Rodriguez’s characters are drawn from interactionswith people in real and everyday life and those who have both positive and negativeenergies. “It’s never easy to deal with a mean or dishonest manager, or a rigidand arrogant coworker, so I usually turn those traits into fictional characters andlet their personalities develop into the villains. It’s also nice to honor the lovely,caring, and genuine people I come across by developing characters based on theirtraits.”She says that although all of her writings are fiction, she completely appreciatesthe fine line of influence that reality provides for any creative process. “It definitelyblossoms from the impressions and ideas I have every day—and I am profoundlyimpacted by the behavior of others.”Schmidt-Rodriguez publishes her fiction under her penname, Beverly Schmidt.The author’s most recent book is titled, Dressed To Drill. Her other books include:The Doormat Chronicles, The Spring House Theory, The Change, and Stocks andBombs. All of Beverly Schmidt’s novels are available for purchase online at Amazon.comor at any major bookstore.Couple Renews Vows While WifeReceives Gateway Hospice CareAbout six months ago, Terry Sternwas diagnosed with Lewey BodyDementia, a form of Alzheimer’s disease,which caused a variety of healthissues. Although Terry is bedbound andreceives Gateway Hospice, she communicatedto her husband Bill that shewould like to renew their marriage vowsof 25 years. Wayne Hobbes, a chaplainwith Gateway Hospice, performed theceremony on May 11 at the Stern’s homein Pittsburgh’s South Hills.Bill’s love for Terry is so great that heis Terry’s primary caregiver and is veryactive with Terry’s plan of care in theirhome. “Gateway Hospice has been aGodsend for us because Terry is able toreceive the care she needs without leavingthe home that she loves. The entireGateway Hospice team has been veryattentive but especially Terri’s nursesShelly Shriver and Karen Cullen alongwith Rev. Wayne Hobbes, KatieMcMonegal, LSW, Myles Zuckerman,MD, and Mary Tobin, chief operatingofficer,” Bill explained.Married in Tulsa, Oklahoma onDecember 15, 1985, Bill and Terry wantedto move their renewal of vows to Maybecause of the unpredictable nature ofTerry’s illness. Even during difficultdays, Bill’s patience does not seem towaiver as he attends to Terry’s needs.“Terry has been my sole companionfor over 25 years. She has cared for meand our family with such love that I amonly returning that love,” Bill said.Rev. Wayne Hobbes, chaplain forGateway Hospice, with Bill andTerry Stern.Terry's other two lifelong pasttimesare ceramics (she took weekly classes tohone her skills) and cooking. Her specialtieswere Italian foods and varioussoups, which she cooked regularly duringthe years she did private catering.Everyone loved her cooking and her,"Bill said.While Terry was a waitress for Eat ‘NPark Restaurants for more than 20 years,Bill owned and operated his own company,Gateway Time Equipment, whichmanufactured, sold, and installed timedevices for industrial clients and schools.“We just want to renew our marriagevows in the eyes of God so that our lovewill be forever,” Bill said.For information on Gateway Hospice,visit www.gatewayhospice.com.

6| Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comINVITATIONAL From Page 1who spoke about advancements in cancer care at the hospital. The day’s finalspeaker was John J. Williamson, CMS program director, UPMC Health Plan, whodiscussed the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services and UPMC McKeesport’sEmergency Department.With the generous funding provided by the McKeesport Hospital Foundationthrough the Invitational, UPMC McKeesport is able to continually offer a highlevel of medical care to its patients—a census that has continued to grow followingthe closing of UPMC Braddock a few miles away. Add to that the large seniorpopulation in McKeesport, the only demographic group in the area that is expectedto experience growth, and things will get even busier for the hospital and itsstaff.“The emergency department is the first portal of entry to the hospital for mostpeople,” said Dorundo after the luncheon. “Some of the funds raised through theInvitational have been applied to advancing the level of care provided in the E.D.Also,” she said, “we have recruited some of Braddock’s service area physicians,who joined the staff at UPMC McKeesport, for patient continuity”Another program that has benefited greatly from the invitational is imaging atUPMC McKeesport. From 2005–2007, part of the invitational’s focus was onadding new technology at UPMC McKeesport. Today, said Dorundo, “The hospitalis participating in a clinical trials program with Johns Hopkins University. It’sreporting on the use of stents in emergent or urgent care in relation to scheduledservices.”Dorundo calls UPMC McKeesport a “historic organization.” The hospital is afacility that has served several generations of families in the area, and is positionedwell for the future as events like the invitational continue to ensure that neededservices and technology for care are available closer to home.In addition to advanced technology, Dorundo cites the addition of Jim Spindlerto her staff as a great benefit to the community. Spindler, public relations directorat the former UPMC Braddock and an expert in community health education, isnow using his experience in community outreach and education to address theneeds within the UPMC McKeesport community.“The partnership between UPMC McKeesport and the McKeesport HospitalFoundation is an excellent one,” says Spindler. “Michele Matuch is very involvedwith providing for many community health needs. This is how it should work.”For more details about the Annual McKeesport Hospital Foundation luncheoncall 412-664-2590.Those participating in the 33rd Annual McKeesport Corporate andSpecial Sponsor Luncheon are:AEC Group, Inc.Alpine Packaging, Inc.Architectural Sign AssociatesDr. PepperE. R. Crawford EstateEast Suburban Interiors, Inc.Elizabeth Carbide Die Co., Inc.Family Home Health Services and Three Rivers Family HospiceG. C. Murphy Company FoundationHerbein + Co.Lions Clubs of Districts 14-B and 14-ELovorn EngineeringManns Drug Store and Home Medical ProductsA.Martini & Co., Inc.City of McKeesportBill Merletti Brace Company, Inc.McKeesport Hospital FoundationPNC Capital AdvisorsCharles F. Peters FoundationPittsburgh Bone & Joint SurgeonsRiverside Care CenterRiverset Credit UnionSelect Specialty Hospital at McKeesportSunray Electric Supply CompanyTransCare AmbulanceTRIB Total Media - The Daily NewsUPMC Health PlanUPMC/Jefferson Regional Home Health, LPUPMC McKeesportUPMC McKeesport Medical StaffUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical CenterWivagg Printing CompanyYCC Associates Corporation

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Issue No. 5 | 9wpahospitalnews.comThe Value of the Doctor ofNursing PracticeBy Nicole K. OlshanskiThe Doctor of Nursing Practice degree providesadvanced practice nurses the opportunity to practiceat the highest level of care with a doctoral degree.The DNP provides the advanced practice nurse withthe knowledge to develop a capstone project to promotechange in nursing. Doctor of Nursing Practicestudents have the opportunity to pursue Doctor ofNursing Practice programs concentrating in NursePractitioner programs, Nurse Anesthesia programs,Leadership and Education programs. There areapproximately 100 Schools of Nursing offering theDoctor of Nursing Practice degree and more than 100Schools of Nursing are considering offering the Doctorof Nursing Practice degree. (AACN, 2009).The Doctor of Nursing Practice Leadership andEducation programs provides nursing administratorsand educators amplified learning opportunities andpracticum experiences focused on the AmericanAssociation of Colleges of Nursing’s Essentials ofDoctoral Education for Nursing Practice. The DNPstudents complete practicum hours with chief nursingofficers, directors of nursing programs, and withother leaders. The practicum hours increase theexpertise of the student in leadership roles.The Doctor of Nursing Practice programs teachstudents how to relate research into Evidenced BasedPractice. There is no evidence that the emergence ofthe Doctor of Nursing Practice programs willdecrease the number of PhD nursing students. Nurseswith a PhD and a DNP will complement each otherin the work force as they move the research into theclinical setting together. The student in the DNP programlearns how to develop a capstone project andpublish the results of the project in nursing journals.The DNP program teaches the value of strongleadership skills as the chief nursing officer, thedirector of a department and as the faculty member.A strong leader portrays a professional image andworks towards common goals, while keeping the corevalues and mission in focus. Without a strong leader,the team will not be successful. These values aretaught through the essentials of Doctoral Educationfor Nursing Practice. The essentials are:1. Scientific Underpinnings for Practice2. Organizational and Systems Leadership forQuality Improvement and Systems Thinking3. Clinical Scholarship and Analytical Methods forEvidenced Based Practice4. Information Systems/Technology and PatientCare Technology for the Improvement and Transformationof Health Care5. Health Care Policy for Advocacy in Health Care6. Interprofessional Communication for ImprovingPatient and Population Health Outcomes7. Clinical Prevention and Population Health forImproving the Nation’s Health8. Advancing Nursing Practice(AACN, 2006).The credential of a Doctor of Nursing Practice willprovide faculty the opportunity to work at levels ofhigher education. It will also open the doors to positionsas the director, the vice president, or the dean.Teaching positions are available to the DNP graduatewith the opportunity for promotion. There are a fewinstitutions that do not recognize the Doctor of NursingPractice for tenure track positions.The courses for the DNP program are designed forworking students. Some programs offer the options ofmeeting one weekend a month with online discussionswhile other programs meet once a week oncampus. There are also programs that are completelyonline. The credit load for programs varies from 31credits to 57 credits. Students interested in the DNPprogram should look to see if their program is credentialedby the CCNE.Nicole Olshanski MSN, DNPc, RN is an instructor ofnursing at the University of Pittsburgh. She is completingher DNP at Waynesburg University.Sources:The Essentials for Doctoral Education forAdvanced Practice Nursing. American Associationof Colleges of Nurses, October 2006.

10 | wpahospitalnews.comIssue No. 5WPAHS nurses spearhead process changes toimprove care, increase patient satisfactionBy Jennifer DavisNurses are in a unique position to advance patientcare through research implemented at the bedside.By pinpointing problem areas in day-to-day practiceand working toward better solutions, the nurses ofWest Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) continuallyadvance care and enhance the patient experience.When an all-time high of 121 patients leftAllegheny General Hospital’s Emergency Department(ED) without being seen by a physician inOctober 2009, for example, nurses and AdvancedLife Support (ALS) technicians initiated a two-stepprocess for improving patient flow through thedepartment and decreasing the number of patientswho left without care due to long wait times.First, whenever more than five patients are in thewaiting area, the department implements “ProtocolFive” procedures. To keep things moving, the nursingsupervisor and ALS technicians enter preapprovedprotocol orders for patients as they wait tosee a physician.Now, an x-ray can be ordered for a patient with apossible ankle sprain before he ever reaches a treatmentroom. Patients presenting with fever canreceive aspirin prior to seeing the physician. Takingsuch steps early in the treatment process keepspatients engaged as they wait and lessens theamount of care that is needed once they reach thetreatment area.“Patient satisfaction just skyrocketed,” said CathyFackovec, RN, Operations Director, Emergency Services.“The entire team is really excited now thatwe’re seeing such amazing results.”In addition to protocol orders, the departmentapplied a “team triage” approach, performing triagein both the designated triage area and empty examrooms to speed the intake process. Patients who aretriaged in an exam room can remain in that room fortreatment, providing added convenience for patientsand families.The two new procedures were launched in lateDecember 2009 with dramatic results. In December,64 patients left the department without being seen bya physician. In January, that number decreased to 22.In February, just 16 patients left without being seen.The department reduced the number of patientswho left without being seen from 2.99 percent to .53percent – well under the national benchmark of twopercent.“Of course, the goal is zero, but when you’rebelow one percent, that’s awesome,” said RogerHunter, RN, nursing director for the EmergencyDepartment.Hunter said the department uses a daily scorecard to keep staff focused on the numbers of patientsin the waiting areas and the number of patients leavingwithout treatment.Daily monitoring and a team approach alsohelped nurses on the Cellular Transplant Unit at TheWestern Pennsylvania Hospital introduce changes incentral line care that eliminated infections for 16consecutive months.The unit experienced a surprising jump in centralKelly Kunselman, RN, changes dressings forMichael Sinchak. Kunselman and the nurses onthe Cellular Transplantation Unit at West PennHospital initiated a “Scrub the Hub” campaign toensure proper central line care and preventinfections. The unit has had no central line associatedbacteremias for 16 consecutive months.line associated bacteremias (CLAB) in the firstquarter of 2008 and took action to pinpoint the causesof the infections, which can result in longer hospitalstays and be life-threatening to transplantpatients with suppressed immune systems.Nurses met with the Infection Prevention andControl Department and infectious disease physiciansand conducted peer-review observations at thebedside to determine potential methods for curbinginfection.“I expected to see improvement, but I didn’texpect to see zero CLABs for as long as we have inthis patient population,” said Bonnie Mihalchik, RN,Manager of Infection Prevention and Control atWest Penn Hospital. “They embraced the problemand worked as a unit, not as individuals, and reallymade a difference.”The unit initiated a “Scrub the Hub” campaign toensure that all staff cleaned the central line hub withchlorhexidine for the appropriate length of time thenallowed the chlorhexidine to dry prior to applyingdressings so that dressings would adhere to the skin.Staff completed online education modules oncentral line care and dressing checks were incorporatedinto patient rounds at shift change.“We fostered a professional environment wherethe staff has increasing comfort with holding theirpeers accountable,” said Kathy Fowler, “They’rehelping each other and looking out for the patients.It’s a great collaborative effort.”The unit also began taking surveillance culturesfor patients who were admitted with central linesand determined that a number of patients were arrivingat the Hospital with pre-existing infections.The Scrub the Hub campaign proved to be so successfulthat the unit went from five CLABs in thefirst quarter of fiscal year 2008 to having zeroCLABs since November of 2008.“The unit had monthly updates on it and when wegot to three months, then four months without aCLAB, the nurses really took a lot of pride in it,”Fowler said.For more information on Nursing Research atWest Penn Allegheny Health System, please call 412-D-O-C-T-O-R-S.Applications being accepted for Fine Awards for Teamwork ExcellenceThe 2010 Fine Awards for Teamwork Excellence, sponsored by The Fine Foundationand the Jewish Healthcare Foundation will honor healthcare teams inAllegheny, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland counties.“Healthcare teams all across our region are making dramatic breakthroughs inpatient safety and care,” said Karen Wolk Feinstein, PhD, president and CEO ofJHF. “The Fine Awards shine the spotlight on local healthcare professionals’achievements.”The Fine Foundation and JHF established the awards to recognize the criticalrole that teamwork plays in the safe, effective and efficient delivery of qualityhealth care to patients. A distinguished national selection committee of thoughtleaders in healthcare quality will evaluate nominees on the basis of measurableand sustainable breakthroughs in patient care and safety from January 2009 toDecember 2009. Three awards — Gold, Silver and Bronze — will be awarded anddistributed as follows: Gold: $30,000 divided equally and presented to team members$5,000 awarded to corresponding healthcare organization or practice Silver: $20,000 divided equally and presented to team members Bronze: $15,000 divided equally and presented to team members“The Fine Awards are unique because they honor the accomplishments of entireteams, instead of singling out individual leadership and achievement,” said Feinstein.“They also focus on frontline workers—the unsung heroes of healthcare whooften do not get recognized for their contributions.”The call for applications comes at a time when the healthcare industry is positioningitself for great change. “We are in an era of healthcare reform. Fundamentalchanges are coming in the way we deliver care and the way we pay for thatcare,” said Feinstein. “The Fine Awards honors healthcare teams who are ahead ofthe curve in patient safety and quality. They will be able to effectively adapt to thechanges that are ahead and thrive.”Eligible candidates must be a part of a team of four or more members. All applicantsmust be employed in Allegheny, Butler, Washington and Westmorelandcounties. Full-time and part-time employees of healthcare organizations — includingmedical, nursing, technical and administrative staff — can apply. Entries cancome from organizations throughout the continuum of care: acute care, homehealth, hospice, rehabilitation, sub-acute care and long-term care. No more thanfour teams can be nominated on behalf of each institution.Outcomes of a team’s success must be documented with credible 2009 data.Some examples of achievements that teams may want to enter include eliminatinghospital-acquired infections; eliminating errors and unsafe conditions; achievingoutstanding clinical outcomes; and removing waste, inefficiency and inaccuracies.Applications are due no later than June 14. To download an application formor to learn more about entry requirements visit www.prhi.org. Anyone with questionscan contact Carla Barricella at barricella@jhf.org or 412-594-2568.

Issue No. 5 | 11wpahospitalnews.comHighmark Foundation provides resources toaddress state nursing shortagePennsylvania healthcare providers will experience a 41 percent vacancy rate innursing positions by the year 2020, according to the Health Resources and ServicesAdministration. This situation will require the training and retention of morethan 54,000 nurses in order to provide adequate patient care in healthcare deliverysystems.“The nursing shortage in Pennsylvania is not a problem that will be solvedovernight,” said Highmark Foundation President Yvonne Cook. “Through grantsupport and partnerships with local nursing programs, our long-term goal is toincrease the number of graduates from nursing programs who successfully obtainlicensure, upgrade their skills and practice nursing in Pennsylvania.”Since 2003, the Highmark Foundation has awarded more than $1 million ingrants to five Pennsylvania colleges and universities, impacting the training anddevelopment of approximately 5,000 nursing students, nurses, medical students,first responders and nursing faculty. The following programs have benefited fromHighmark Foundation funding: Duquesne University School ofNursing re-ceived $125,000 to supportthe Second Degree Accelerated NursingProgram and purchase a simulationmannequin to be used as a teaching andlearning tool. Since the grant wasawarded in 2003, 81 percent of the studentsenrolled in the Second Degreeprogram have graduated, and more than300 students have been trained annuallyusing the simulation technology. Edinboro University of Pennsylvaniareceived $55,000 to support theInnovative Nursing Scholarship Award,Recruitment Program and TechnologyInitiative to assist with increasing thediversity of nursing students. Since thegrant was awarded in 2003, 58 percentof the program’s graduates are licensedin Pennsylvania and the graduation rateof students in the program (83 percent)is higher than the graduation rate of traditionalnursing students (79.86 percent). Pennsylvania State University –The Behrend College received$200,000 in 2007 to support the NursingTechnology Laboratory and SimulationCenter, which was established totrain nursing students through innovativetechnology in combination with atraditional nursing curriculum. It is projectedthat approximately 100 associatedegree students and 75 registered nursing(RN) to bachelor of science in nursing(BSN) students use the lab and simulationcenter annually. About 600nurses from Hamot and Saint Vincenthospitals and 320 first responders alsouse the center annually. Pennsylvania Higher EducationFoundation received $150,000 to supportthe Pennsylvania Nursing AssistanceFund, which was created to provide scholarships to undergraduate nursingstudents at Bloomsburg, Chatham, Clarion, Millersville universities and MountAloysius College. Since the grant was awarded in 2006, 130 scholarships havebeen awarded and approximately 45 students have graduated. Of those who havegraduated, 95 percent indicated that they would like to remain in Pennsylvania. Western Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing received $500,000 tosupport the Simulation, Teaching and Academic Research Center (STAR) at WestPenn Allegheny School of Nursing to improve medical and nursing education andpatient safety. Since the grant was awarded in 2007, approximately 4,500 nurses,medical students, nursing students, allied health professionals and ancillary personnelhave been trained using simulation education.The Highmark Foundation recently published a report that details the progressand outcomes of these nursing programs as a result of funds received from thefoundation. To view the complete report, visit the “Highmark Foundation” sectionof www.highmark.com.Submissions?Story Ideas?News Tips?Suggestions?Contact Harvey Kart athdkart@aol.com

12 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comPenn State’s Nursing Simulation Lab Offers High-tech TrainingThe Penn State School of Nursing’s Nursing Simulation Lab features apediatric room for nurse training. Photo by Gene Maylock, Penn StateSchool of Nursing.By Deborah A. BenedettiWhen Florence Nightingale tirelessly nursed British soldiers during theCrimean War in the 1850s, she was beginning what would become the modernnursing profession. The legacies of Nightingale and all nurses are being honoredduring the 2010 International Year of the Nurse. It’s estimated that more than 15million nurses are working worldwide today, including 135,486 registered nursesin Pennsylvania. To prepare the next generation of nurses for the challenges of the21st century, Penn State’s School of Nursing has renovated its Nursing SimulationLab to create a state-of-the-art training center.“When our students enter the new facility, they feel like they are entering a professionalsetting,” said School of Nursing Dean Dr. Paula Milone-Nuzzo, RN,Ph.D., FAAN, of the $3.6 million lab. “It prepares students for the complex clinicalsituations they will face when they enter the real world. The lab also enablesRNs to get the quality hands-on education and training they need to maintain theirPennsylvania licensure.” Nurses are required by Act 58 to complete 30 continuingeducation hours every two years.The lab, located in the Health and Human Development East Building on theUniversity Park campus, takes up the entire ground floor. It is designed to mimica hospital setting and give students hands-on clinical experience.The lab features an intensive care unit, pediatric room, maternity room, main“fundamentals” lab and four-bed primary care unit, as well as high-tech humanpatient simulators — “Harvey,” “Sim Man,” pediatric and birthing mannequins —that can replicate symptoms, diseases and conditions nurses will encounter on thejob. Laptops at every bedside, equipped with the software hospitals use, give studentscritical documentation experience. Cameras and a control room enable activitieswithin the lab to be videotaped and data to be recorded for educational andtesting purposes.“Nursing is a very demanding profession,” Madeline F. Mattern, M.S., CRNP,School of Nursing Outreach Programs coordinator, pointed out. “There has beenan explosion in knowledge and technologies for patient care, and keeping up todate is a huge challenge for nurses.”Mary Anne Ventura, RN, M.Ed., M.S., instructorin nursing and Nursing Simulation Lab coordinator, said, “In the lab, we cansimulate situations nurses will see on the floor. They can practice using the lab’sequipment, so they become more comfortable with the health care procedures andtechnologies. They can make a mistake in a safe environment, and they will learnfrom their mistakes.”In addition to using the new lab to prepare students for the nursing profession,the School of Nursing is partnering with Penn State Outreach to offer continuingeducation programs for nurse professionals. The first seven one- and two-day programsare being offered starting June 18 and running through July 20. Topicsinclude diabetes, women’s health, advanced wound care, documentation andassessing/evaluating patients, among other health care issues. Programs are beingtaught by School of Nursing faculty and other clinical experts.Ventura, who has conducted refresher programs for nurses at hospitals, added,“It’s always helpful for nurses to periodically review their assessment skills and theSee SIMULATION On Page 13

Issue No. 5 | 13wpahospitalnews.comThe Doctor of Nursing Practice: What’s the fuss?By Judith Kaufmann and Peggy MigaudThe American Association of Colleges of Nursinghas designated 2015 as the year that the Doctorate ofNursing Practice will become the terminal degree inadvanced nursing practice and will be the degree mandatedfor entry-level nurse practitioner practice. Thecurriculum for the D.N.P. is built upon traditional master’sprograms for advanced practice nurses, providingeducation in evidence-based practice, quality improvement,systems leadership, and other key areas. Corecompetencies developed by the AACN were designedJudith Kaufmannto build upon competencies from the National Organizationof Nurse Practitioner Faculties that guide educational programs in preparingthe highly skilled nurse practitioners.Factors influencing this change in nursing education include: rapid expansionof knowledge in underlying practice, increased complexity of patient care, andnational concerns regarding the quality of patient care and patient safety, as wellas projected shortages of primary care providers. These factors provide the impetusfor a higher-level nursing education that parallels other health care professions.Surprisingly, the D.N.P. degree has met with opposition and has generatedunprecedented controversy among medical organizations, even within the nursingprofession. The basis of most of the criticism stems from lack of understanding ofthe “clinical doctorate.” The D.N.P. is not designed to replace the Ph.D., or to create“mini docs.” Doctorally prepared nurse practitioners will not try to pass themselvesoff as medical doctors. They will, in fact, proudly identify themselves asnurses practicing at the highest level of the profession.The D.N.P. represents education of direct care nurses at the highest level. Theclinical doctorate places the nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, clinical specialistsand certified nurse midwives on the same professional level as the otherprofessions, including pharmacy, dentistry, chiropractics, speech therapy, physicaland occupational therapy. Like these other disciplines, it does not change the scopeof practice that is clearly legislated by each state board of professional licensure.According to the AACN, there are 92 D.N.P. programs nationwide, and another102 nursing schools considering starting D.N.P. Programs. There is broad latitudefor final doctoral projects, which include quality improvement initiatives, translationof current evidence-based research into clinical practice, and expanded directcare practicum hours. D.N.P.-prepared nurse practitioners will complete more than1,000 hours in precepted direct patient care prior to sitting for national certificationexams. In contrast, master’s-prepared NPs complete between 500 and 600hours during their programs. This increase in mandated internships is consistentwith the need for highly trained healthcare professionals.Patients will benefit from the additional academic preparation of the D.N.P., andphysicians working with N.P.s can be confident in their skills and advanced clinicalreasoning. In this complicated health care environment, multidiscipline teamscan maximize patient outcomes, and advanced practice nurses will clearly play arole in the provision of holistic patient care.One area of concern from within nursing is the variation among programs. Forexample, Colombia University School of Nursing’s program is based on a modelthat requires an intensive, year-long clinical residency that somewhat parallelsmedical education. Students pursue an area of concentration, and participate ingrand rounds and seminars. Students integrate didactic instruction, seminars andclinical experience to develop case studies that demonstrate increasingly complexand proficient practice, as well as complete a scholarly project. The curriculum isbased on competencies outlined by the Council of Achievement of ComprehensiveCare. Graduates from clinical practice doctoral programs are eligible to take theComprehensive Care exam, although the scope of practice for nurse practitionerswill not change. Those who pass the exam will be designated as Diplomate inClinical Doctoral Nursing.The Drexel Dr.N.P. is another alternative to the AACN model for D.N.P. education.It is best described as a “hybrid degree,” combining the professional practicedoctorate with the academic research doctorate to help advance the evidence baseof nursing. This is a practice-focused academic doctorate requiring a clinical dissertationthat will generate evidence-based nursing science.A number of other programs throughout the country integrate medicine andnursing competencies into the content of physical assessment and diagnosis,advanced pharmacology and pathophysiology. They maintain the “heart and soul”of nursing, which is ultimately in healthcare promotion and patient communicationand advocacy. As such, the D.N.P. curriculum incorporates current theoreticaldevelopments and evidence-based research in health behavior change, behavioralsciences, exercise physiology, nutrition, epidemiology and genetics.The AANC has painted a broad brush across the D.N.P. landscape with theexpectation that the D.N.P. will be the terminal practice degree by 2015. They havegiven broad latitude for the development of educational programs as well as finalclinical projects. Many stakeholders have placed their claim on part of the D.N.P.education arena, and they are varied in both their clinical and philosophicalapproaches. The variety and type of D.N.P. programs may have contributed tosome of the confusion among nurse practitioners, and certainly among physiciangroups. But as the role evolves, it is clear that the degree is an important step inthe advancement of nursing as a profession and in the direct care of patients.Judith Kaufmann, Dr.P.H., F.N.P., is an associate professor nursing at Robert MorrisUniversity and the director of the school’s D.N.P. program. Contact her at 412-397-5482 or kaufmann@rmu.edu.Peggy Migaud, R.N., M.S.N., is studying for herD.N.P. at RMU.SIMULATION From Page 12procedures and policies unique to their hospital. These are the kinds of programswe are offering at the simulation lab. New nurse graduates and RNs who needmore expertise in a particular area can use our summer programs to become betterprepared.”Mattern said, “Our programs will increase nurses’ knowledge, competenceand comfort level with new technologies. The programs also will promotecritical thinking and clinical judgment that can be transferred to the work setting.”For information about the School of Nursing’s Nursing Simulation Lab, visitwww.hhdev.psu.edu/nurs/simlab/, and for information about summer continuingeducation programs for nurses, visit http://outreach.psu.edu/cape/simlab/index.htmonline.Penn State nursing instructors can observe and videotape activities inthe intensive care unit unit of the lab for playback and evaluation.Photo by Gene Maylock, Penn State School of Nursing.

14 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comSaint Francis University Physician AssistantsPrepare for Challenges of Rural AreasBy Laurie BaileyMedical providers in rural setting are constantly faced with the challenges ofeducating their patients about the importance of following doctor’s orders andmaintaining healthy lifestyles. The intense physician assistant program at SaintFrancis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania is well-equipped to prepare studentsto face issues prevalent in these areas.Located atop a mountain in centralCambria County betweenAltoona and Johnstown, the campuslends expert training, current medicaltechnology and modern facilitiesto surrounding communities.Part of the mission of the university’sSchool of Health and Sciences,to embrace the needs of the ruralcommunity, is enhanced by localdemographics and geographic location.“Many of the areas are depressed.Several people are without work orinsurance,” said Christine Roos, aChristine Roos, PA-C2009 graduate of the Saint FrancisPhysician Assistant Program. Shecurrently works for two offices ofthe Primary Health Network: Northern Cambria Family Medicine in CambriaCounty and Cherry Tree Family Medicine in Indiana County.“Patients may not understand the disease process for things like high bloodpressure or heart disease. They need to understand why it’s important to take theirmedicine,” she said.Others are reluctant to take medications because they are fearful of side effectsor don’t have insurance coverage.This was the case for a 62-year-old woman from Northern Cambria with type2 diabetes and elevated blood pressure and cholesterol. She was referred to diabeticand nutrition classes and adopted a pro-active approach to her own wellness.“With this education, she was able to successfullymake lifestyle changes, which resulted in a 15-pound weight loss over several months,” said Roos.Some patients are more difficult to treat, she continued.For example, a 56-year-old male from GlenCampbell did not take all of the necessary medicationsto treat his high cholesterol, high blood pressureand reflux because he lost his prescription coverage.To rule out cardiac etiology of symptoms, astress test was recommended, but because his bloodpressure was high, this wasn’t an option.“He was given samples of available medicationand, through pharmaceutical patient assistance, wasalso able to receive some of his medications forfree,” said Roos.The next hurtle was to get this patient transportationto the hospital so he could have the stress test.Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald“The patient refused to have his test done until after hunting season as he didn’twant to miss out on it,” she said. “Compliance in the office is a big challenge.”Roos credits her training at Saint Francis with preparing her for the challengesshe faces in her current position. Although a much more primitive setting, a fiveweekrotation she completed in Honduras exposed her to the issues of patientaccess to care and lack of funds for medications.“We were delivering babies to mothers who had no pre-natal care or no ultrasound,”she said. Diagnoses were made without the availability of testing facilitiesor being able to prescribe a variety of medications.Although PA students at Saint Francis might feelas though they are in class 24/7 for the first year oftheir professional training, students are in the community,at local hospitals or private practices, forhalf a day a week by their second or third semester,explained Donna Yeisley, chair of the Departmentof Physician Assistant Sciences at Saint Francis.The 110 students in the program also have advantageof the university’s Center of Excellence forRemote and Medically Under-Served Areas.Donna YeisleyResearch staff there are developing uses for telehealthequipment referred to by Yeisley as the “waveof the future.” With this technology, a patient can be examined by a specialist inthe city from his primary care physician’s rural location.And officially opening in July of 2009, the university’s DiSepio Institute forRural Health and Wellness provides 30,000 feet of academic and clinical space toall the school’s health and wellness programs. PA students are able to use thefacility as a venue for activities that couldn’t be accommodated by previous spacein the PA program.“Young people today have a desire to help others. By becoming physician assistants,they are mid-level practitioners who get to do diagnosing and treating withoutthe time commitment and expense of medical school,” she explained.In rural areas PAs are able to help fill the need for physicians. “It’s not alwayspossible for a practice to expand by hiring additional physicians. A PA can takeon the more routine everyday medical complaints, freeing the physician to concentrateon areas of expertise,” said Yeisley.Roos believes the education she received at Saint Francis was “top notch.” “Ifeel well-prepared to handle situations I encounter in practice,” she said.For more information about the Physician Assistant Program at Saint FrancisUniversity, call 812-472-3130.Fast Facts about a career as a physician assistant: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook isgood for physician assistant majors. Employment is expected togrow by 39% from 2008 to 2018. Nationally, there are about 12,000 students enrolled in programs. The number of programs rose rapidly in the 1990s, going from96 in 1996 to 148 in 2009. Pennsylvania has the second largest number of programs in thecountry surpassed only by New York.

Issue No. 5 | 15wpahospitalnews.comWellness Center reaches out tobeyond university campusBringing the Saint Francis University community together in mind, bodyand spirit, the DiSepio Institute of Rural Health and Wellness also promoteshealthy living to the school’s external communities. The 30,000 square foot8 million dollar facility continues the mission of Saint Francis of Assisi whoministered and showed comfort to the sick and underserved.Entering from the ground floor, visitors will find themselves in the 3-storyatrium, looking up to the glass ceiling. Students can witness first-hand thecurricular tie to patient care in the certified outpatient physical therapy andoccupational therapy clinic. The clinic features an in-ground rehabilitation“pool” that includes a treadmill with cameras to spot abnormalities.The student health center with its own pharmacy is also housed in theDiSepio Institute.“The goal is to set up an outside medical clinic for the community forthose who may not be able to get to Johnstown or Altoona for health care,”said Patricia Fitzgerald, Interim Dean of Health Sciences and Executive Directorof the DiSepio Institute.There is also a fitness center for students and staff at Saint Francis thatincludes a core strengthening and stretching area and a circuit of exerciseunits, a free-weight area and an aerobics studio. A cardiovascular areaincludes treadmills, upright and recumbent bicycles, elliptical units, and arowing unit.Nearby is the human performance lab that features a “bod pod” - an eggshapedfiberglass instrument in which the patient sits to determine muscleand fat mass – and a “balance manager” – a box-like structure with a movingfloor and wall for patients with balance issues.Promoting spiritual wellness, there is ample space dedicated to meditation,including an outside labyrinth garden. Another room – one that isalways open for meditation and prayer – includes a “triptbtych artk” – a 3-paneled piece of artwork which depicts Saint Francis’ encounters with theSultan Malik al-Kam and the wolf of Gubbio.“The Institute is truly significant for the university as well as the School ofHealth Sciences,” said Dr. Fitzgerald.For more information about the DiSepio Institute of Rural Health and Wellnesscall 814-472-3923.Education UpdateForbes Career Health StudentsPlace High in State ContestDomenic Robertaplaced second in thestate Medical Mathcompetition.Two Forbes Road Career and Technology Centerstudents recently placed high in the SkillsUSA StateLeadership Conference in Hershey in April. Studentsqualified to compete at the state level by placingfirst in their respective contest at the districtcompetition in January.Domenic Roberta, a junior at Gateway HighSchool, is a second-year student in the Health ScienceTechnology program. Domenic competedagainst students from the entire state in the MedicalMath contest portion of the conference and placedsecond in Medical.Domenic is the son ofMary and BrianRoberta of Pitcairn.Paige Reed, a juniorat Highlands High School, is a second-year studentin the Dental Careers Program. Paige is amember of SkillsUSA, a national organization forstudents in career and technical education. Paigecompeted against students from Career and TechnologyCenters throughout Pennsylvania in theDental Assisting contest portion of the conferenceand placed second. Paige is the daughter of AnjaDaly of Natrona Heights and Charles Reed ofFreeport.Paige Reed placedsecond in the stateDental Assistingcompetition.

16 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comPitt Health Sciences StudentsFirst in National Competitionthat Reinforces Team-BasedPatient CareThe University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences team placedfirst in the 2010 CLARION National Interprofessional Case Competition,held at the University of Minnesota in April.The competition unites teams of up to four students from at least two healthprofessions. The groups are presented with a hypothetical case scenario thathighlights unsafe care. They then analyze the situation and propose systemchanges to prevent the same outcome from occurring again. A panel of judgesrepresenting several health professions evaluates each team’s presentationbased on standards of practice.“The goal of the CLARION Competition is to reinforce the concept ofworking together to find the best team-based approach to patient care, orinterprofessionalism,” said Susan M. Meyer, Ph.D., associate dean for educationand professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, and facultyco-advisor for the University of Pittsburgh’s team. “This was the first year thatPitt participated in the competition. I was proud to see our students win, butknowing that they are developing a genuine appreciation for working as ateam is even more rewarding.”In this year’s fictitious case scenario, a 47-year-old woman with a spinalcord injury died while undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging scan. Informationprovided to the students chronicled events in the patient’s history thattook her through injury and hospital admission to death. Pitt’s team focusedon strategies to improve communication among care providers, accommodatepatients with special needs and promote a culture of patient safety.“At Pitt, we incorporate interprofessional education into our curriculum.Events such as the CLARION Competition reinforce the message that collaborationacross all health professions and hospital administration is essential toachieve the best possible patient outcomes and safety,” said Loren H. Roth,M.D., M.P.H., associate senior vice chancellor for the health sciences, Universityof Pittsburgh, and faculty co-advisor for the University of Pittsburgh’steam.The University of Pittsburgh’s team was one of nine that participated inthis year’s competition. Pitt’s team included representatives from the Schoolsof Pharmacy, Nursing and Medicine. As members of the winning team, thesestudents equally share the $7,500 prize: Garrett A. Eggers, Pharm.D., first-year student in the combined pharmacypractice management residency, UPMC, and Master of Science in PharmacyAdministration program, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. Maria E. Falcone, fourth-year student in the Bachelor of Science inNursing program, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Sean A. Tackett, fourth-year student in the Doctor of Medicine program,University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Debra J. Thompson, M.S.N., B.S.N., Ph.D. candidate in the Doctor ofPhilosophy program, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing.Education UpdateDuquesne’s BalceniukSelected as a PittsburghSchweitzer FellowMark BalceniukMark Balceniuk, a second-yearphysical therapy major at DuquesneUniversity’s Rangos School of HealthSciences, has been selected as a 2010-11 Pittsburgh SchweitzerFellow.Through the PittsburghSchweitzer Fellows Program, studentspartner with community-based organizationsto develop and implementyearlong service projects that meet thehealth needs of Pittsburgh’s mostunderserved populations.The U.S. Schweitzer Fellows Programsprovide community service fellowshipsfor graduate students inhealth-related professional fields whoare dedicated to addressing unmethealth needs in their local areas.Since its launch in 1992, theSchweitzer Fellows Programs havegrown to include programs in Baltimore,Bay Area, Boston, Chicago,Greater Philadelphia, Houston-Galveston,Los Angeles, NewHampshire/Vermont, New Orleans,North Carolina, and Pittsburgh. Since1997, Pittsburgh has had 193 Fellowswho have contributed more than38,000 hours of service.Balceniuk, a resident ofDoylestown, Pa, aims to address thehealth and well-being of Pittsburgh’sunderserved senior citizens by workingwith community center residentsregarding exercise, prevention ofchronic and life-threatening diseases,and nutrition. He will also incorporatefield trips for the senior citizens.“My biggest goal is that the peoplewho I am working with learn somethingfrom my project,” said Balceniuk,who is one of only 18 PittsburghSchweitzer Fellows. “I want the residentsof this center to learn about howfitness and wellness can impact theirhealth and what they can do to livelonger and healthier lives.”The U.S. Schweitzer Fellows Programhas four overall goals: Provide direct services thataddress health-related needs of underservedcommunities; Influence the professional developmentof students in health-relatedfields in ways that strengthen theircommitment to, and skills in, publicservice; Alter the culture of professionalschools so they more effectivelyaddress needs of surrounding disadvantagedcommunities; Support program alumni whocontinue in lifelong community serviceand who, as Schweitzer Fellows forLife, are influential role models forother professionals.Core elements of the U.S.Schweitzer Fellows programs include aservice project, development of coreknowledge and skills, a first-year orientation/retreat,completion of a projectdescription form, monthly reports,attendance at Fellows meetings, publicoutreach, a mid-year meeting and afinal report.Upon completion of his initial fellowshipyear, Balceniuk will become aSchweitzer Fellow for Life and join anetwork of more than 2,000 individualswho are skilled in, and committedto, addressing the health needs ofunderserved people throughout theircareers as professionals.For more information about the U.S.Schweitzer Fellows Programs, pleasecontact Meghan L. Johnson (Kalinich),M.S., National Program Director, atmjohnso9@bidmc.harvard.edu. Formore information on Duquesne University,please visit www.duq.edu.Submissions? Story Ideas? News Tips? Suggestions?Contact Harvey Kart at hdkart@aol.com

Issue No. 5 | 17wpahospitalnews.comLatrobe Hospital Auxiliaryawards student scholarshipsfor volunteer effortsThe Latrobe Area Hospital Aid Society honors the volunteer efforts of area highschool students by awarding educational grants annually to encourage the pursuitof health-related or other professional careers.Five high school seniors, each with more than 200 hours of volunteer service toExcela Health Latrobe Hospital, received scholarship funds in 2010. This year’srecipients are Andrew Bell, The Kiski School; Benjamin Drap, Hempfield Area;Zack Ferri, Greensburg Central Catholic; Samuel Fox and Hunter McGrogan;Greater Latrobe.Education UpdateHe’s also comfortable on the ice, as a four-year varsity letterman for the GreensburgCentral hockey, and in the band, as a guitarist for GCC’s Music Ministry. Theson of Denise and Greg Ferri, Zack plans to attend Miami University of Oxford,Ohio in the fall.When Samuel Fox enrolls at Georgetown University this fall, he’ll take plentyof real life healthcare experiences with him. Planning to major in biology in anticipationof pursuing a medical degree, the Greater Latrobe senior is vice presidentof the student chapter of the American Red Cross, and has accumulated more than300 hours of volunteer service with the Latrobe Hospital emergency department.The son of James and Carol Fox, MD, Excela’s interim chief medicalofficer,Samuel can also point to his mother as a driving influence in his careerchoice. The National Honor Society president is likewise committed to helping hispeers excel, as a school Study Buddy.Classmate Hunter P. McGrogan also can be found in Latrobe’s emergencydepartment, escorting patients, assisting nursing staff or restocking supply carts.His volunteering also extends to other health-related organizations, including theAmerican Cancer Society’s Relay For Life, and the American Heart Association’sSwim-A-Thon. A varsity swimmer and cross country runner, he is a member ofthe Greater Latrobe Aqua Club and a lifeguard at the Charter Oak pool. Hunter’sacademic and competitive success in mathematics will serve him well in thefuture. The son of Barbara and Patrick McGrogan, Hunter plans on attendingBucknell University and majoring in mechanical engineering.For more information on Latrobe Hospital, visit ?????.The Latrobe Area Hospital Aid Society presented scholarships to fivejunior volunteers who have contributed more than 200 hours of serviceto Latrobe Hospital. Pictured front row left to right: Benjamin Drap,Samuel Fox and Zack Ferri; back row left to right: Andrew Bell, DebbieNewingham, LAHAS vice president, Hunter McGrogan, and DottieStaffen, LAHAS scholarship committee.Awards totaling $7,000 were presented April 27 during a ceremony at the hospitalfor the student volunteers and their parents. Since the scholarship programbegan in 1984, LAHAS has awarded more than $200,000.Andrew Bell offered clerical support to various labs and the Diabetes Centerwhere his mother, a dietitian, is an educator. The son of Karen Harouse-Bell andCarmen Bell of Latrobe, also enjoyed serving customers in the Little Shop.A natural leader, Andrew is a Kiski School residential adviser, an altar serverin Saint Vincent Parish and officer in a number of school clubs. Captain of thevarsity soccer and baseball teams, the Red Cross certified lifeguard extends hisvolunteering as coach of youth baseball and basketball. Still choosing among severalcolleges, the teen has decided on a major: pre-med.When Hempfield Area senior Benjamin Drap made a commitment to RespiratoryCare Services, he didn’t realize he was also making a career choice. His widerangingvolunteer experiences cleaning equipment, organizing stockrooms, filingpaperwork, retrieving mail, and greeting incoming patients coupled with observationsof clinical care have led the teen to choose respiratory therapy as a course ofstudy at the Sanford-Brown Institute in Monroeville. The son of Roger and JeanDrap, maintenance worker and physical therapy technician respectively at LatrobeHospital, also credits his parents with influencing a health care career. A memberof Hempfield's concert and marching bands, Benjamin also volunteers at theYMCA summer camp.On Saturdays, it is not uncommon to find Zack Ferri on duty in the Little Shop.

18 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comPost Stroke Patients Benefit from Speech TherapyBy Kristie FlanneryMay recognizes two great causes: National StrokeAwareness, and Better Speech and Hearing. As a licensedspeech-language pathologist (SLP) on an inpatient rehabilitationunit, both of these causes are of great importanceto me. A number of patients can benefit from someform of speech therapy post stroke. Unfortunately, noteveryone fully understands the many services that alicensed SLP can provide. A stroke can affect a person inmany different ways depending on both the location andthe severity of the stroke. Some deficits are easily recognizable,such as a facial droop or slurred speech. Other deficits might present moresubtle, but still can benefit from the services of a speech therapist.There are five major areas of deficit that a SLP can evaluate and treat post stroke.These disorders can include: speech (dysarthria/apraxia), language (aphasia), cognitive-communication,pragmatic language, and swallowing. It is important for both thestroke victim and his or her caregiver/family to understand both the deficit and somecompensatory strategies for optimal coping and recovery.One of the more obvious deficits post stroke involves some change in a person’sspeech and/or language skills. Dysarthria is a weakness of speech, usually characterizedby slurring and imprecision. Speech treatment for this can include oral motorexercises for strengthening, articulation exercises and compensatory strategies (monitoringrate and volume of speech, exaggerated mouth movements). Apraxia is amotor speech disorder that presents with difficulty coordinating mouth and speechmovements, not weakness.Apraxia can be seen in combination with aphasia. Aphasia is a language-basedcommunication disorder where the person has trouble expressing himself, comprehendingspoken language, reading and/or writing. Aphasia can be extremely frustratingfor both the stroke victim and his or her family. Treatment for apraxia and aphasiavaries by the deficits presented but a focus should be placed on compensatorystrategies. People with aphasia might have trouble with word finding but might beable to gesture, point, write or draw to convey their point. The SLP needs to be creativeand base therapy off of their strengths. Families need to understand this impairmentand encourage them as much as possible.Cognitive-communication disorders can occur with right hemisphere brain damageand these deficits might not be as noticeable to health care providers or family. Examplesof these include: reduced attention span, short term memory impairment, problemsolving/reasoning impairment, and delayed processing. Pragmatic languageimpairments can also occur. These can include problems with topic maintenance duringconversation, inappropriate use of language, a change in a person’s affect, and/ordifficulty sequencing thoughts/tasks. Both pragmatic language and cognitive-communicationimpairments tend to be overlooked at times and speech therapy is notalways recommended. Unfortunately, the stroke victim can have reduced (or no)awareness of his deficits, placing him at an increased risk due to lack of safety awareness.Treatment for these impairments varies case to case but compensatory strategiessuch as memory books can be helpful.Swallowing impairments post stroke can be dangerous and need to be addressedimmediately. Dysphagia is an impairment of the person’s swallowing function. Thiscan include the oral, pharyngeal, and/or esophageal phase of swallowing. Stroke victimsmay present with loss of food/liquid from the mouth, pocketing of food on theweak side, coughing, and/or choking. Aspiration (food/liquid/secretions enteringbelow the level of the vocal cords) can occur post stroke placing the patient at risk forrespiratory compromise and aspiration pneumonia. Some stroke victims silently aspiratetheir food/liquid/meds, meaning they do not demonstrate any overt signs/symptomsthat they have a swallowing impairment. A licensed SLP is trained in identifyingpossible signs of silent aspiration and make recommendations for the safest diettextures and liquids. Sometimes a modified barium swallow study (MBS) is recommendedto further assess the swallowing function. This is a formal imaging studycompleted with both the radiologist and SLP present for interpretation. Silent aspirationas well as other deficits can be diagnosed via MBS.One of the primary roles of the SLP should not only be to work directly with thestroke victim during treatment, but to educate the caregivers and family as well.Please remember we treat more than just speech impairments. We work closely withphysicians, nurses, and therapists to collaborate for optimal patient care. It is importantto consider an early referral to a SLP post stroke to reduce any risk of aspirationand initiate appropriate treatment.For more information on stroke and caregiver support, the Neuroscience Center atLatrobe Hospital offers an outpatient stroke education and support group. This programis run by Elizabeth Long, RN, BS, Ed., neuroscience coordinator, and serves asa resource for both the stroke victim and his or her family.Kristie Flannery, M.S. CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist with Barclay InpatientRehabilitation, Neuroscience Center, Excela Latrobe. She has worked in varioussettings (acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, subacute/skilled nursing, long-term care,home health and outpatient) and is a member of ASHA (the American Speech-LanguageHearing Association). For more information, visit www.excelahealth.org.Excela Health’s Stroke Care ClaimsHighest Performance AwardDream It. Achieve It. Sustain It.For nearly three years, Excela Health has been dreamingof gold. Committing to the American Heart/StrokeAssociation’s Get With The Guidelines® program toachieve defect free stroke care, Excela’s neurosciencecoordinators began tracking adherence to these protocolsand celebrating the benchmarks each of the hospitalsattained along the way. This vigilance has paid off,demonstrating sustainability, not just over 90 days or ayear, but a 24-month period or longer to claim the StrokeGold Plus Performance Achievement Award.To receive the award, Excela Health achieved 85 percentor higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Performance Achievement indicators for two ormore consecutive 12-month intervals and achieved 75percent or higher compliance with six of 10 Get With TheGuidelines-Stroke Quality Measures, which are reportinginitiatives to measure quality of care.These measures include aggressive use of medications,such as tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy,DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs and tobaccocessation, all aimed at reducing death and disability andimproving the lives of stroke patients.Currently, Excela is reporting 94.2% adherence atWestmoreland Hospital; 95.3% at Latrobe Hospital, and100% at Frick Hospital.Excela’s achievements will be recognized at the internationalstroke conference, reported in the AHA’s StrokeJournal and be featured in US News and World Report inJuly.With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the Get WithThe Guidelines–Stroke Gold Plus Performance AchievementAward demonstrates Excela’s commitment to beingone of the top hospitals in the country for providingaggressive, proven stroke care.?Get With The Guidelines–Strokeuses the “teachable moment,” the time soonafter a patient has had a stroke, when they are most likelyto listen to and follow their health care professionals’guidance. Studies demonstrate that patients who aretaught how to manage their risk factors while still in thehospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack orstroke.According to the American Heart Association/AmericanStroke Association, stroke is the third leading causeof death in the United States and a leading cause of serious,long-term disability. On average, someone suffers astroke every 45 seconds; someone dies of a stroke everythree minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrentstroke each year.For more information on Get With The Guidelines, visitwww.americanheart.org/getwiththeguidelines. For moreon Excela Health’s quality measures, visit www.excelahealth.org.

Issue No. 5 | 19wpahospitalnews.comStroke RehabilitationReaches to Regain Functionand IndependenceBy Kathleen BrandfassStroke is the leading cause of adult disability andapproximately 3.7 million people in the United States,25 years or older, have a history of stroke. The AmericanHeart Association and The American Stroke Associationhave made significant impact on stroke impairmentby educating the public about stroke as a medicalemergency.Education regarding the importance of rehabilitationpost stroke has lagged in relation to other health conditions.Rehabilitation post stroke plays a crucial rolethroughout the entire continuum of care from acute to outpatient. Multidisciplinaryrehabilitation therapy has a significant impact on promoting function andindependence. Rehabilitation provided by neurologic therapists is not only themost cost efficient but will reduce long-term disability.Over the past several years concepts have evolved utilizing research on brainneuroplasticity, which has been applied to stroke rehabilitation. Neuroplasticity isthe ability of the brain to rewire or remodel after trauma or change. Research hasshown that the brain can change when prompted by specific rehabilitation with theoverall goal of improving neural function. Post-stroke neuroplasticity training continuesfrom the onset of acute stroke to chronic stroke. This advance in researchhas contributed to the development of rehabilitation tools to promote this recoverypost stroke.The acute phase of rehabilitation focus is to minimize learned non use of theaffect extremity and facilitate activities needed for daily living and mobility.Speech and cognitive training will also be initiated depending on the individual’simpairments.The physical performance rehabilitation developed tools for post stroke stressesa task-specific training model. The focus was movement efficiency, neuraladaptation, and movement problem-solving skills. The tools for upper extremitytraining at Centers for Rehab Services (CRS) include: SaboeFlex orthosis, constraintinduced movement therapy (CIMT) functional electric stimulation for theshoulder, wrist and hand with functional tasks. The tools for the lower extremityat CRS include: partially supported treadmill training, a functional electrical stimulationneuroprosthesis for controlling foot drop with gait training.The upper extremity tool presented here is constraint induced movement therapy(CIMT). Constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) treats chronic physicaldeficits that have resulted in reduced use of the arm post stroke. CIMT trainingincludes specific practice with the goal of using the affected side as much as 90%of the day with functional tasks. The tasks are practiced with progressively greaterdifficulty. The less-involved hand has a mitt applied to deter use and to allow usein case of loss of balance. Length of treatment is determined by level of initialinvolvement of the upper extremity; to be considered for CIMT a thorough evaluationis required. This type of upper extremity training has demonstrated improvementwith persons 17 years after their stroke.The lower extremity tool presented is the functional electrical stimulation neuroprostheticdevice to decrease foot drop, the “Walk Aide.” The Walk Aide isapplied to the weak muscles in the leg to stimulate the muscles involved in liftingthe foot when walking. The stimulation is adjusted to provide the necessaryamount of muscle stimulation for training foot clearance with walking. Studieswith the neuroprosthesis have demonstrated long term impact on improving footand ankle function when walking. These changes improved stability, balance anddecreased energy expenditure. The research demonstrated that these changes werethe result of specific neurorehabilitation and not simply spontaneous recovery. Theaddition of the neuroprosthetic device with gait training offers task specific trainingwith normalizing as much as possible the gait pattern for the appropriate candidate.gait pattern for the appropriate candidate.The rehabilitation training of personswith post stroke, especially in view of the healthcare climate of limited sessionsand increasing co-pays, demands that the choice of rehabilitation provider is moreimportant now than ever. Choosing the facility and therapist that provide specializedneurologic rehabilitation therapy will assure the best level of care needed toachieve maximum function and independence so that the highest personal potentialfor a full life can be recognized.Kathleen Brandfass, MS, PT, is director of Neuro and Geriatric Outpatient Services,Centers for Rehab Service. For information on Stroke and Balance Rehabilitationcall 1-888-723-4277.

20 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comLaboratory Science WorkforceShortage Affected ByBaby Boomer ExitsASCP weighs in with position and surveyOften dubbed the “hidden healthcare profession,” medical laboratory scientiststoil away in hospital labs, clinics and private practices. They run pertinent diagnostictests, draw blood and examine specimen samples. They are usually the first tospot abnormities in, and as such, are a key element in the healthcare team. In manycases, lab services make up about five percent of a hospital’s budget, but leverage70 percent of all critical decision-making.Despite robust career opportunities and a decent national average salary, theprofession continues to struggle with a workforce shortage. According to the 2009American Society for Clinical Pathology Wage and Vacancy Report, there are variousreasons for this shortage: laboratory science educational programs are shuttingdown, a lack of exposure and awareness about the profession and a highturnover rate in some areas.Another workforce shortage issue is babyboomer retirement. Thirteen percent of the currentlaboratory staff is likely to retire in the nextfive years, according to the survey. Hiring qualifiedstaff to replace baby boomer workers willprove tough with fewer becoming trained. TheU.S. Department of Health and Human Servicesreports that by 2012, 138,000 lab professionalswill be needed, but fewer than 50,000 will betrained. And as boomers hit their highest healthcareconsuming years, an increasing number oflaboratory tests will exacerbate the need fortrained laboratory professionals.“The average age of the laboratory workforceMark H. Stoleris about 50 and each year steadily increases,” said ASCP President Mark H. Stoler.“ASCP is taking steps to mitigate the baby boomer exodus from the profession.We are raising awareness in the media and on Capitol Hill, National Medical LaboratoryProfessionals Week recognizes the superb work being done in the labsacross the country and our new Ambassador Program taps newer professionals toshare their passion for the profession with pre-college students.”A graying workforce presents other issues because they tend to generally leavethe work force through retirement faster than younger health personnel and aremore susceptible to adverse health and safety risks associated with shift work.OTHER ASCP WAGE & VACANCY STATS ON THE SHORTAGE INTHE NORTHEAST: Eight out of 10 hospitals (83 percent) and high-volume test sites (85 percent)reported difficulties in filling staff level MT positions. Retirement projections for the Northeast region is better than other regions,but is still projected to be around 6 percent in the next five years due to babyboomer retirement. Overall, 42 percent of labs in the Northeast are having difficulty hiring certifiedlaboratory professionals.The ASCP Wage and Vacancy Report can be viewed at http://www.ascp.org/pdf/Membership-Communications/Wage-and-Vacancy-Survey.aspx.For the ASCP position on the medical laboratory workforce shortage, visithttp://www.ascp.org/pdf/MedicalLaboratoryPersonnelShortage.aspx.Alcohol Addiction Among theBaby Boomer GenerationBy Neil CaprettoNot only are baby boomers America’s largest generation,they are one of the fastest growing groups facingalcohol addiction. For those born between 1946 and1964, the need for addiction treatment is expected tonearly triple by 2020, according to the Substance Abuseand Mental Health Services Administration (SAMH-SA). SAMHSA also reports that although problemdrinking rates have dropped sharply among generationsin the past, researchers believe baby boomers’ habitsmay not decline as much, given their generation’s social acceptance of alcohol.Although the heaviest drinking usually takes place among those 18 to 30 yearsof age, baby boomers who are consistently binge drinking may face more serioushealth problems than their younger counterparts simply because their bodies donot have the same tolerance level at an older age. For instance, three drinks at age45 may have a greater negative effect than 10 drinks at age 25. On top of that,many boomers take a variety of prescription medications. When these medicinesare combined with alcohol, it can be a recipe for disaster.Many people are able to drink alcohol responsibly without having problems. Yetfor 18 million Americans, alcohol use is a serious problem, according to theNational Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD). Of the totalnumber of people who drink alcohol, about 15 percent will become alcoholdependent at some point in their lives.Risk factors for late onset alcohol addiction include a family history of alcoholism,loneliness and boredom as well as a variety of life changes such as retirement,divorce, unemployment, “empty nest syndrome,” financial losses in thestock market or death of a spouse. In addition, many boomers are facing highstress levels because they have to care for aging parents while they raise and supporttheir own children. In other cases, boomers want to reward themselves byindulging in alcohol as a way to relax. Nevertheless, one or a combination of thesefactors can spark a return to their younger “glory days” of binge drinking or bringto the surface a genetic predisposition to alcoholism.People should seek professional help if they are unable to control the amountand frequency of their alcohol use despite repeated negative consequences. Peopleoften want to deny their problem and rationalize with statements such as “It’s notthat bad” or “I don’t drink as much as someone else I know.” Yet, a slippery slopebegins when individuals are not honest with themselves and turn to alcohol as asolution for their problems.To stress the serious nature of alcohol abuse, NCADD has been sponsoringApril as “Alcohol Awareness Month” since 1987. Alcohol Awareness Month is anational campaign encouraging local communities to focus on alcoholism andalcohol-related issues through prevention efforts and screenings.The simplest alcoholic screening test is the CAGE Questionnaire, which wasdeveloped by John Ewing, M.D. The following four questions are used by manyhealthcare professionals to quickly assess an individual’s potential drinking problem.Two or more “yes answers” are highly suggestive of alcohol dependence. Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking? Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking? Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves orto get rid of a hangover (Eye opener)?Alcohol addiction is a disease that does not discriminate. It can affect anyoneregardless of age, race, religion or socioeconomic status. The good news is individualsand families can have hope knowing that addiction is a treatable disease.It is important that all individuals facing the disease of addiction—includingbaby boomers—choose a treatment program that holistically treats the biological,psychological, social and spiritual needs of its patients. To learn more about thetreatment options available through Gateway Rehab, call 800-472-1177 or visitwww.gatewayrehab.org. For information about recovery support services, individualscan contact Alcoholics Anonymous at www.aa.org and families can contactAl-Anon/Alateen at www.al-anon.org.Neil Capretto, D.O., F.A.S.A.M., is the medical director at Gateway RehabilitationCenter. For more information, visit www.gatewayrehab.org or call 1-800-472-1177.Submissions? Story Ideas? News Tips? Suggestions?Contact Harvey Kart at hdkart@aol.com

Issue No. 5 | 21wpahospitalnews.comBaby Boomers Facing Emotional Challenges as They AgeBy Vanessa OrrAs baby boomers age, many are finding it hard to imagine that they are, in fact,getting older. The generation that gave us the phrase “Don’t trust anyone over 30”is now well on the other side of that milestone. And while some are handling theaging process with grace, others are fighting it every step of the way.Regardless of how old baby boomers think they are, the passage of time doescause both physical and mental changes. It also causes a shift in responsibilities,most notably for boomers who are no longer “children of the 60s,” but are insteadcaregivers for elderly parents.“One of the biggest issues that boomers are struggling with is how to allowaging parents to remain as independent as they can be, but still provide them withthe care they need,” explained Kristy Wright, president and CEO, VNA (VisitingNurses Association) of Western Pennsylvania and author of the book If I Were anOnly Child. “In the previous generation, aging parents more often than not movedin with their kids, but boomers are not as accepting of this; they want to take careof their parents, but they don’t want to live with them.Stefanie Small (standing right), a geriatric social worker at JF&CS, assistsa Brain Builders Club participant during the program's computertraining class.“You’re still a child to your parents, even if you’re in your 50s,” she added. “Andbecause boomers tend to be ‘get it done’ types, they may try to make decisions forparents without involving the parents in their decisions, which can make parentsdig in their heels.”Being a caregiver to aging parents, and often to their own children as well, cancause boomers a lot of stress, according to Stefanie Small, LCSW, a geriatricsocial worker for Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pittsburgh, an organizationthat helps older adults remain safe and comfortable in their own homes byproviding care coordination, caregiver services, in-home counseling, supportgroups, family consultation, information and referrals. “As the sandwich generation,baby boomers often have two sets of people to take care of,” Small said. “Thegood news is that unlike earlier generations, most boomers are very good aboutplanning; they don’t wait for a crisis to deal with it. We get a lot of calls fromboomers who say that mom or dad is alright now, but they know it won’t alwaysbe that way, so they want to know what their resources are ahead of time.”Wright adds that creating a ‘family council’ can also help reduce stress. “Figureout what each person can do and what resources they have,” she said. “Somefamily members can contribute time or money; others may commit to making surethat mom or dad gets to doctors’ appointments. You have to take into considerationwhat each person is able to do—not what you think he or she should do. Be acceptingof what others bring to the table and you can make it work.”A lot of anxiety that boomers feel as they age revolves around medical issues,especially in this time of ever-changing health reform. “Boomers today are anxiousabout the future in ways that former generations were not,” said Small. “Willthey be able to access the healthcare that they thought they could expect? Will theyneed to ration pills, or be able to see specialists when they need them?”Even facing physical limitations, many boomers are also in denial about gettingolder. “Boomers don’t want to age, and they don’t see themselves as aging as evidencedby the amount of plastic surgery they undergo and other types of attemptsto stay young,” said Wright. “We are ayounger generation than our parents were atour age; we have a better health status thanour parents. The result of staying healthierlonger, however, is that it will result in hugesocial and economic issues.“If all boomers decided to retire at once,we would have 75 million people leaving theworkforce in a 10-year span, which would bedevastating to the work environment,” sheadded. “At VNA, the average age of our nursingstaff is 48, and we’re not seeing an influxof younger nurses. This means that we wouldlose 70 percent of our workforce in a fiveyearperiod.”An early retirement is not in the cards formany boomers, however, as the result of an Kristy Wrightimmediate gratification mindset and a turbulenteconomy. “While some retirees are out to spend the money they saved, manyboomers did not save,” said Wright. “Some who had the ‘I want what I want now’mindset did not save for retirement because they would not acknowledge that theywere getting older. While this is troubling, one benefit may be that there won’t bea huge exodus of the workforce of people retiring at 62, 65 or even 70.”Money woes can cause anxiety in boomers, just as it does in any generation.“Many boomers put away money in 401Ks and investments, and then got sockedwhen the market fell,” said Small. “They thought they would retire and cruise theworld, and now the money’s not there. They thought the Dow would never drop.”According to Small, even those boomers who are lucky enough to retire mayfind themselves becoming sad or depressed. “Boomers are at the age when theyare looking back and asking themselves, ‘Did I accomplish everything I wanted todo?’ and ‘How much more time do I have to do what I set out to do?’ While thesepeople may not be clinically depressed, they are feeling blue.“People often feel like they have no identity once they’ve retired if their liveswere wrapped up in their jobs,” she continued. “They need to establish a new identityand learn new skills. This will not only help them to connect to the outsideworld, but will also make a big difference in self-confidence. When you feel goodabout yourself, depression and anxiety are reduced. It helps to realize that there aregood things waiting in the future.”As boomers age, they are also faced with their own mortality, even if they refuseto acknowledge it. “Grief in any form, such as the loss of a person, a home, or eventhe ability to perform certain tasks, must be dealt with,” said Small. “When you’velost something in life, you can’t bury the emotion; otherwise, it becomes morecomplex grief later on. What you’ve lost is a part of who you are.”Counseling can help many people, as can facing the issues that come with gettingolder instead of living in denial. “It’s just like having a GPS system; when youfind that you’re going the wrong way, you have to reprogram yourself,” Small said.“Maybe you have to change your plans, but boomers are up to the challenge.Boomers are the most resilient generation that has ever been.”To learn more about Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pittsburgh, visitwww.jfcspgh.org or call 412-422-7200. To reach VNA, call 800-245-3042 or visitwww.vna.com.

22 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comHealth Information Technology for the PeopleIncreased recognition for patient-centered health IT, no road mapThe HITECH Act devoted $2 billion to healthinformation adoption to motivate the industry tospeed towards the health IT super highway. The fundsenables providers to improve care, lower costs, andprovide patients with personal information they canuse to manage their health. But a communication disconnectis hindering the process because there is noroad map to guide healthcare policy-makers, productdevelopers and providers toward accessible data andmaximum patient involvement. The issues surroundingthe absence of a definitive plan is the cover storyin the May issue of the Journal of AHIM (AmericanHealth Information Management).The HITECH Act—part of the ARRA stimulusbill—incorporates patient-centered ideas and setsgoals to advance health IT that can support patients’information needs. However, there is no businessmodel to develop a road map for patient-centered ITand the federal government’s long-awaited meaningfuluse definition is not robust enough to lead theindustry in the right direction.Health IT for the People reveals how the federalgovernment is relying on the private sector for expertiseto devise a plan while the private sector is lookingfor guidance from the government. Invariably, multiplehealthcare industry organizations have worked ondifferent patient-centered health IT tools, but to date,not a single organization has developed a road map.This article also includes a sidebar that definespatient-centered IT. It explains that while health ITtools are used to achieve healthcare that is patientcentered,the goal is to give patients the ability toaccess meaningful and useful information.The May Journal of AHIMA includes the practicebrief, “Guidance for Clinical DocumentationImprovement Programs,” which explains why anincreased need to interpret healthcare consumers’coded data for meaningful comparison and qualityreporting has led to the expansion of the health informationprofessional’s role in clinical documentationimprovement.Read these articles, our features, “Personal MedicalDevices” and “Accessing and Understanding:The Role of Health Literacy in Patient-centric HealthIT,” and more in the May issue of the Journal ofAHIMA or online at journal.ahima.org.AHIMA’s enduring goal is quality healthcarethrough quality information. Visit www.ahima.orgDuquesne University to Open Pharmacy in Hill DistrictA first in the countryPharmacy Dean J. DouglasBrickerBy Daniel CasciatoLast month, Duquesne University announced plans to open a pharmacy in Pittsburgh'sHill District neighborhood. The initiative will be the first off-campus,community pharmacy in the nation designed and operated by a school of pharmacy.“This pharmacy has the potential to bring some increased health care to apatient population that is definitely underserved and will also enhance their healthand management of chronic diseases,” says Dr. J. Douglas Bricker, dean of theMylan School of Pharmacy and associate professor of pharmacology.Expected to open late this fall, the pharmacy will be located in a 5,000 squarefootspace in the Triangle Shops Plaza on 1860 Centre Avenue. The Hill Districthas been without a pharmacy since 2000. It is expected to serve nearly 1,000 seniorswithin walking distance of the new facility. Duquesne University and theSchool of Pharmacy plan to invest more than $600,000 in the project. Renovationson the site will begin this spring.“Responding to the needs of others, particularly the underserved, is at the heartof Duquesne’s mission,” says Dr. Charles J. Dougherty, Duquesne University president.“This effort provides accessible, affordable health and education servicesdesigned to improve the health and well-being of Pittsburgh residents. It is also aunique opportunity for student and faculty community engagement, professionaleducation and clinical care.”For more than 85 years, the Mylan School ofPharmacy has been a leader in preparing graduatesto deliver comprehensive pharmaceuticalcare that promotes positive patient health outcomes.The school operates numerous communityinitiatives designed to prevent disease andimprove the health and well-being of communityresidents, particularly the underserved. Theseefforts exemplify the reputation of the MylanSchool of Pharmacy as a leader in pharmacy education,research and patient care.With a focus on health and wellness education,the school’s Center for Pharmacy Care offerseducational programs, medication therapy managementservices and health risk assessments forsuch chronic disorders as hypertension, hyperlipidemia,diabetes and osteoporosis. Since itsinception in 2002, the center has conducted health assessments on more than28,000 individuals. In 2007-08, the center: participated in 135 health assessment programs to more than 5,600 people. referred more than 1,000 patients to other healthcare providers for follow-upcare. provided monthly health assessments and education information to more than700 patients in Carnegie, Lawrenceville, Millvale, South Side Hilltop, the WestEnd and the Hill District, utilizing the The Spirit of Health mobile unit. administered more than 700 influenza vaccines. implemented a Hepatitis C identification program in Lawrenceville andSouth Side Hilltop.Pharmacy fellows and students flank, from left, Carl Redwood of the HillDistrict Consensus Group, Urban League President Esther Bush,Duquesne President Charles J. Dougherty, Pharmacy Dean J. DouglasBricker and, far right, Associate Pharmacy Dean Thomas J. MatteiThe pharmacy came about as an extension of two factors. One is the mission ofthe university to increase community service and the other is the fact that withinthe School of Pharmacy, one of its major goals is to increase the total comprehensivehealthcare within the community.“We can do that in a variety of ways,” says Bricker. “We have another center onour campus called The Center of Pharmacy Care, which looks at wellness and diseasestates, and that mission stretches out to eight areas in Pittsburgh that areunderserved. We do this through a mobile unit called the Spirit of Health, and nowwith the pharmacy, we are able to offer a more comprehensive approach to healthcarewithin the community. So from the vantage point of the School of Pharmacy,we're trying to implement health care providers within this area.”The pharmacy will be staffed by a director, licensed pharmacists, Duquesnepharmacy faculty, and student pharmacists.“This is not going to be your typical pharmacy layout with several aisles tobrowse products,” says Bricker. “This pharmacy will be devoted to counseling andpatient care.”In addition to providing affordable access to prescription medication, the pharmacywill offer private patient consultations, health and wellness education, medicationtherapy management services and health risk assessments. Bricker addsthat the pharmacy will be personal and patient-centered, offering a comprehensiveevaluation of individual needs. Residents will have the opportunity to meet withpharmacy team members on an ongoing basis to ask questions, set goals and monitortheir progress.“There will also be a small instructional classroom that will be used to educatethe residents in the community on chronic disorders such as diabetes and hypertension,”says Bricker.For more information, visit www.duq.edu/pharmacy.

Issue No. 5 | 23wpahospitalnews.comChildren’s Home, Children’s Hospital CollaborationBenefits Patients and FamiliesBy Pam SchanwaldAs part of the ongoing efforts to expand and enhancethe continuum of care that The Children’s Home &Lemieux Family Center offers, the non-profit organizationrecently began collaboration with Children’s Hospitalof Pittsburgh of UPMC. The hospital providesadditional therapy services and nutritional support forpatients who utilize The Children’s Home programs.In 2007, The Children’s Home & Lemieux FamilyCenter relocated to 5324 Penn Avenue, just blocks awayfrom the new Children’s Hospital facility. The physicalmove enabled The Children’s Home to increase space for patients and families,bring its healthcare programs together, and expand its clinical capabilities. Theadministration and clinical staff now works closely with physician leadership fromthe University of Pittsburgh Pediatrics group including Pulmonology, Neonatology,Transplant, and physicians of the Diagnostic Referral Group. This collaborationhas allowed The Children’s Home to further streamline clinical policies andprocedures, create more comprehensive care plans for patients and families andserve new patient populations including Cystic Fibrosis, pre/post transplant, andpost surgical patients among others.The streamlining that started with the University of Pittsburgh Pediatrics grouphas been further enhanced through the partnership with the departments of Physicaland Occupational therapy; Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology; andClinical Nutrition from Children’s Hospital. The partnership has helped The Children’sHome meet the additional unique needs of a diversified population of medicallycomplex patients. The therapists provide physician prescribed therapy topatients at The Children’s Home’s 28-bed Pediatric Specialty Hospital and the childrenenrolled at Child’s Way, a day care for medically fragile children ages birthto 8.A continuum of care is now established for patients that began their therapy atChildren’s Hospital and have transferred to The Children’s Home. The goals andexpectations previously set are able to remain consistent and carried through asprescribed, while staff nurses reinforce and support the best clinical practices fortherapy and nutrition. Additionally, families and therapists effectively work togetherto create a plan for each individualchild and nutritional recommendationscan be immediately implementedinto the child’s daily routine.The therapists also provide informationabout a patient’s progress morereadily to physicians at the outpatientclinics at Children’s Hospitalthat the patient may be utilizing.“This collaboration with TheChildren’s Home offers a continuumof care from the initial diagnosisthrough the patients return home,”said Kathy Guatteri, vice presidentof Ambulatory Services at Children’sHospital. “Providing this level ofservice helps to ensure the best outcomesfor our patients and their families.”These collaborations and partnershipslike the therapy and nutritionalprograms at Children’s Hospitalallows The Children’s Home &Lemieux Family Center to continueto provide a continuum of care forpatients—ensuring that best practicesare implemented and seamlessAllison Dlauro, a physical therapistwith Children’s Hospital of Pittsburghof UPMC, works with Jaron, age 2, atChild’s Way on trunk and corestrength as part of his prescribedphysical therapy.transitions are made from acute care to transitional, sub acute, or outpatient carefor each and every one of their patients.Pam Schanwald is CEO,The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center.For more information on The Children’s Home & Lemieux Family Center’s programs,call 412-441-4884 or visit www.childrenshomepgh.org. For more informationon Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, visit www.chp.edu.AHIMA Certified CodingAssociate Program EarnsNCCA AccreditationThe American Health Information Management Association has been grantedaccreditation for its Certified Coding Associate program for a period of five yearsthrough April 2015 from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, theaccreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence.CCA, an entry-level credential, distinguishes coders by exhibiting commitmentand demonstrating coding capabilities. Based on job analysis standards and stateof-the-arttest construction, the CCA is creating a larger pool of qualified codersready to meet potential employers' needs. The CCA designation has been a nationallyaccepted standard of achievement in the health information management fieldsince 2002. More than 8,000 people have attained the CCA certification sinceinception.Mike Niederpruem, MS, CAE, vice president, Certifications said “Achievingformal recognition by a third party through accreditation is the ultimate seal ofapproval, establishing AHIMA, through its Commission on Certification’s practicesand processes, as the definitive gold standard. Being the first NCCA-accreditedcoding certification program worldwide only occurs once, and further validatesAHIMA’s commitment to mission to be the professional community thatimproves healthcare by advancing best practices and standards for health informationmanagement and the trusted source for education, research, and professionalcredentialing.”AHIMA’s enduring goal is quality healthcare through quality information. Visitwww.ahima.org.Submissions? Story Ideas? News Tips?Suggestions?Contact Harvey Kart at hdkart@aol.com

24 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comHealth Care Reform:A Threat to Property TaxExemptions for Hospitals?By Michael J. WynneOn March 22, 2010, a day before the Patient Protectionand Affordable Care Act became law, the headlineof a New York Times article announced “In HealthReform, Boons for Hospitals and Drug Makers.” Thearticle predicted that 32 million additional paying customersin the next few years will be “better able to payfor hospital stays, doctor visits, prescription drugs, andmedical devices.”Five days prior, the Illinois Supreme Court denied aCatholic hospital a property tax exemption in ProvenaCovenant Medical Center v. Department of Revenue. The Court denied the exemptionprimarily because the amount of charity care provided by the hospital was notsubstantial enough to demonstrate a charitable use of the property.However, the chilling national repercussions some portend for the ProvenaCovenant decision, with its inquiry into how much charity is enough to justify aproperty tax exemption, may ultimately be dwarfed by the repercussions of thenew federal healthcare legislation.In 2014 the new healthcare law will extend coverage to households with incomeup to 133% of the federal poverty level, and will offer subsidies to purchase insurancefrom state insurance exchanges for those below 400% of the federal povertylevel. With Medicaid and Medicare, this extended coverage will displace much ofthe charitable patient care that hospitals have traditionally dispensed, and it mayundermine support for local exemption for hospital properties.STATE EXEMPTION STATUTESMost state property tax laws do not exempt hospital property. In many states,the general charitable exemption is applied only to property used by nonprofits toprovide medical care to those unable to pay for their care. The state charitableexemption standards generally predate those used to grant federal income taxexemption under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), often embodying a19th-century concept of “charity” that ill-fits modern times but that is embeddedin, and limits the scope of, the states constitution’s authorization for exemptions.FEDERAL EXEMPTION STATUTEHow much free care is “enough care” for a hospital to obtain a charitableincome tax exemption has long been a focus under the Internal Revenue Code,which does not include a specific exemption for hospitals and does not define anexempt purpose to include the promotion of health.In the 1950s, the IRS held that to qualify as a charitable organization a hospitalmust operate to the extent of its financial ability for those not able to pay for servicesand not exclusively for those who can and are expected to pay, and that thehospital must not ordinarily refuse to accept patients in need of care who areunable to pay.Since the advent of Medicare and Medicaid, the IRS has used a “communitybenefit” standard to determine whether a nonprofit hospital is exempt. That standardhas relaxed over time, but providing free or below-cost services to the poor isstill a factor that may demonstrate a hospital promotes health for the benefit of thecommunity.POSSIBLE OUTCOMESBeginning in 2014, as the pool of indigent patients significantly dries up or disappears,the facts will tilt more heavily in favor of local governments seeking todeny charitable exempt status to hospital property.In a state that considers hospital property eligible for the general charitableexemption, a standard similar to the federal “community benefit” standard couldbe adopted by legislation. In states where the state constitution imposes limits onthe types of property tax exemptions, adopting a “community benefit” standard bylegislation may not be a workable solution.Another legislative option would be to mandate a reduced assessment level forhospitals, allowing maximum flexibility for the legislature to consider factorsother than charity that warrant state support of hospital operations.Barring a proactive legislative solution, the property tax bills will be coming.Utilizing supportable data, qualified knowledgeable experts and experiencedcounsel, hospitals should not wait until 2014 to prepare their case for a reasonableand fair valuation of their property.Doing nothing will not be a good option.Michael J. Wynne is a partner in the Chicago office of Reed Smith LLP. His litigation,transactional and regulatory practice focuses on state and local tax mattersfor multistate clients in a variety of industries, including healthcare. He can bereached at mwynne@reeedsmith.com.Is Your Ethics Committee Ready for the “Next Generation?”By Rosa Lynn Pinkus, PhD, and Sarah SudarUniversity of Pittsburgh Consortium Ethics ProgramIn 1992, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations(JCAHO), now the Joint Commission, mandated that hospitals establish a “mechanism”for addressing ethical issues that arise in patient care. Hospitals were leftto decide what kind of “mechanism” to use, with most forming ethics committees.The focus of these committees was essentially clinically-oriented and includedethics education, policy formation and consultation.A survey published in the American Journal of Bioethics indicates that by 2000,95 percent of the hospitals surveyed had or were in the process of developing anethics consultation service. Only 41 percent of the individuals who performedethics consultations had learned to perform them with formal, direct supervisionby an experienced member of an ethics consultation service.*Over the last 20 years, the success of ethics committees has varied, depending onthe education received by committee member and resources available to them, aswell as how “well-respected” they were in the hospitals. In an effort to begin standardizationof the education of ethics committee members, the American Society forBioethics and Humanities (ASBH) developed “Core Competencies” guidelines forethics consultation in 1998 and later revised in 2009. A consensus among professionalethics societies seems to be that these competencies must be mastered bymembers of committees, especially those members performing ethics consultations.In addition to the identification of “Core Competencies” for clinical work,ethics committees may be faced with a new mandate: merging clinical and organizationalethics. Referred to as “IntegratedEthics” by the U.S. Department of VeteransAffairs, this focus includes tracking and evaluating the decisions made byethics committee. Also, it focuses on broadening a committee’s scope in education,policy formation and consultation to reach all levels of the organization. TheASBH is considering adopting a similar model called, “Next Generation Ethics.”In an effort to provide “cutting edge” education to the members of the ConsortiumEthics Program, we have enlisted the expertise of James Sabin, MD, of HarvardMedical School, to address this new charge. Last October, Dr. Sabin spokewith members of the CEP about his 10-year work with Harvard Pilgrim HealthPlan and what he learned about the transition of ethics from the “bedside to theboardroom.” He advised members of ethics committees to become knowledgableabout hospital administrative functions, cultivate links to high level administrativeleadership, interview leaders about opportunities and risks in taking on organizational-levelissues, broaden program/committee membership in accord with theexpanded purview, create a gradual learning curve for both clinical and managerialparticipants, start slowly and apply a try-it-fix-it approach.While new mandates continue to develop, the foundation of every ethics committeehas remained the same: education. From basic foundations and principlesof health care ethics to targeted education for ethics committees and ethics consultants,the CEP assists the ethics committees of member institutions with development,revitalization and ethics education. As the ethics needs of health care systemschange, the CEP’s programming changes to meet these needs.To learn more about the CEP or to inquire about membership, visitwww.pitt.edu/~cep or call 412-647-5834.*Fox E, Myers S, Pearlman RA,“Ethics Consultation in Unites States Hospitals:A National Survey.” The American Journal of Bioethics, 7(2): 13-25, 2007.

Issue No. 5 | 25wpahospitalnews.comHospitals Continue to Replace Pagers with SmartphonesBy Daniel CasciatoFor decades, pagers have been a critical component to healthcare communicationsmainly because they have provided consistent and dependable communicationsat a low cost. As communications technology has evolved, however, manyhealthcare systems are now making the transition from the pager to a Smartphone,such as a BlackBerry device or an iPhone.For decades, pagers have been a critical component to healthcare communicationsmainly because they have provided consistent and dependable communicationsat a low cost. As communications technology has evolved, however, manyhealthcare systems are now making the transition from the pager to a Smartphone,such as a BlackBerry device or an iPhone.A study conducted last year by Manhattan Research found that 64 percent ofdoctors use Smartphones. Count physicians at Heritage Valley Health Systemamong them. They began utilizing Smartphone text messaging as soon as the technologywas available.Heritage Valley provides the technology to allow for text messaging to thedevice. In addition, it took the opportunity to integrate text messaging as a conduitfor integration of its mobile electronic health recordsand e-prescribing technology.“Our technology allows for any Smartphone toinclude text messages, e-prescribing and electronichealth records, which allows physicians to receiveclinical information in a secure fashion, all on onedevice,” says Mitry.Smartphones have been a huge hit at Heritage Valley.There has been no resistance to the technologysince the organization provides the option for both aSmartphone and a pager. As for the type of Smartphonesit has purchased, Mitry says that it’s the physician’schoice.Norm Mitry, CEO ofHeritage ValleyHealth System“We have the technology to direct text paging to anySmartphone device,” he says.So far, it has made a limited direct financial impact,since it has been able to reduce the number of pagersand pager solutions required.“Success is credited to the text messaging tool our Information Systems departmentcreated internally,” says Mitry. “The infrastructure is critical to the successof utilizing Smartphones and it is crucial to test the technology before going live.”Likewise, over the past 24 months, Greensburg-based Excela Health hasembarked on a patient safety issue centered on remote physician communication.Like many healthcare systems, they carefully considered the pros and cons ofmaking the switch from pager to Smartphone.“The cost of pager and ease of use of the pager wasdefinitely a pro,” says Aaron Burd, manager of networkoperations for Excela Health. “However coverageand verification of receipt on a pager were cons.One other con was that a pager was an alert deviceonly and not a true communication tool.”The organization selected several models based onfunctionality and required end user services. Ultimately,it decided on the Apple iPhone, Motorola Q,and the Verizon HTC.With the reduction of close to 1,600 pagers it experienceda substantial cost savings at the onset, accordingto Dave DiFabio, director of information technologyand information security officer for ExcelaHealth.“However, the increased functionality of the Smartphonesadded to our monthly expenses but still leavinga cost savings overall,” says DiFabio.He adds that the purpose of this was to increase theservice level to its customers—the patient—and not asa cost savings.“So the real gain was in the improved response timeDave DiFabio,director ofInformationTechnology andInformation SecurityOfficer for ExcelaHealthfor the physicians and the ability to verify that a physician did in fact receive apage via the Smartphone,” he says. “This was not a function available with thelow-cost pagers utilized by Excela Health. These Smartphones also give thephysicians mobile access to our Clinical Portal and patient information and to acell phone all in one unit.”Ashish Ahuja, CTO at SigmaPage in Chicago, says that many physicians arehappy to consolidate all their communications into one device.“Smartphones do so much more than pagers can,” he says. “They support appsthat facilitate easy sharing of information and schedules. Text messages and emailsfacilitate fast communications.”Ashish Ahuja, CTO,Sigma PageSigmaPage leverages Smartphone technology toseamlessly integrate on-call scheduling with on-callpaging. It offers a technology called Clik2Talk, wherenurses and hospital-based personnel can talk to physiciansdirectly with the click of a button without knowingtheir phone numbers.“Physicians do not like to share their Smartphonenumbers since they fear it will get abused and they willreceive calls at the wrong time, such as late at night orwhen they are not on call,” says Ahuja. “Our producttakes care of this privacy concern. At no point in timedo we display physician contact info to the end user.”Interested in making the switch to a Smartphone?Burd advises other hospital systems to be prepared tohandle added support.“Smartphones require more post implementationsupport so the governing body (IT / telecommunications) needs to be prepared,”he says. “Also, keep the selection of support phones to a minimum, no more than3 to 5. This will also help in change and control down the road.”For more information on Heritage Valley Health System, visit www.hvhs.org; forinformation on Excela Health, visit www.excelahealth.org; and for information onSigmaPage, visit www.sigmapage.com.Western PA Hospital News & Morewants to hear from you!Submit your comments and letters for a new"Letters to the Editor" section tohdkart@aol.com.Letters must be signed to be published. Pleaseinclude pertinent information including yourposition, place of employment, and location.

26 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comSame as it ever wasBy Paul BrahimOn December 31, 1932, Alfred Cowles, III presentedthe paper “Can Stock Market Forecasters Forecast?”to a joint meeting of the Econometric Societyand the American Statistical Association in Cincinnati.Cowles, founder of the Cowles Foundation forEconomic Research at Yale University, studied thestock-picking acumen of 20 insurance companies, 16financial services companies and 25 financial publications.He reviewed five years of data with the hopeof indentifying economic theories or statistical methodsthat lead to consistently superior stock selection or general market forecasts.In the summary of his paper, he reported that on average the financialservices companies underperformed the general market by 1.43% annually.Insurance companies underperformed by 1.20% annually and financial publicationsunderperformed by 4.5% annually. Surprising, isn’t it?In 1943, Cowles revisited the study and published his results in JournalEconometrica, 1944. He focused his research on those financial publicationsthat survived the period, so his results contain survivorship bias. Cowles concludedtha,t “The records of 11 leading financial periodicals and servicessince 1927, over periods from 10 to 15 ? years, fail to disclose evidence ofability to predict successfully the future course of the stock market.” Cowlesestablished that superior security selection was difficult at best and that owningthe broad market generally delivered better results.By the late 1950s, Harry Markowitz published his book Portfolio Selection:Efficient Diversification of Investment Portfolios. Markowitz establishedthe paradigm used for building diversified, efficient, optimal portfoliosby examining the relationships of risk, return and correlation of not justsecurities but also asset classes. His research placed the emphasis on portfolioconstruction and not security selection. "A good portfolio is more than along list of good stocks and bonds. It is balanced on the whole, providing theinvestor with protection and opportunities with respect to a wide range ofcontingencies. The investor should build toward an integrated portfoliowhich best suits his needs.” This was the birth of asset allocation.As for security selection, Markowitz goes on to say, “We are expecting toomuch if we require the security analyst to predict with certainty whether atypical security will increase or decrease in value .… Only the clairvoyantcould hope to predict with certainty.”In 1990, Markowitz won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciencesfor his work that we know as the Modern Portfolio Theory.So where are we today? Has anything changed, or, is it the same as it everwas? Every quarter, Morningstar determines how many active managersoutperform various underlying benchmarks. Outperforming benchmarks isthe best measure of the success of active management, begging Cowles’question, “Can stock market forecasters, forecast?” In the first quarter of2010, only 29.65% of active managers who invest in large cap core stocksoutperformed the S&P 500! Seventy-eight years later, it seems Cowles wasright.Does the work of Markowitz still hold true? Both historical returns andcurrent research are clear. For the ten-year period ending December 31, 2009,a portfolio of 50% bonds and 50% stocks grew by 4.6% compounded peryear while the S&P 500 returned -0.9% per year. Additionally, in theMarch/April issue of the Financial Analysts Journal, Thomas M. Idzorek,CFA, explored the importance of asset allocation. In his summary of thework published by MorningstarAdvisor, he states, “In aggregate, 100% ofreturn levels come from asset allocation.”The implications for investors are clear. Superior security selection isnearly mythical and asset allocation is still the king. It is the same as it everwas.Paul Brahim, CFP® AIFA®, is managing director, BPU Investment Management,Inc. He can be contacted at pbrahim@bpuinvestments.com.UnitedHealthcare Launches First Diabetes Planwith Incentives for Preventive CareBy Stephanie Bernaciak-MassaroUnitedHealthcare is introducing a healthcare plandesigned to help the rapidly growing numbers of diabeticsand pre-diabetics manage their conditions moreeffectively while controlling employers’ escalatingcosts of insuring them.The first-of-its-kind Diabetes Health Plan willreward diabetic and pre-diabetic individuals who routinelyfollow medically proven steps to help managetheir condition, including regular blood sugar checks,routine exams, preventive screenings and wellnesscoaching. Benefits include some diabetes suppliesand diabetes-related prescription drugs at no charge and lower co-paymentsfor related doctor visits, adding up to an estimated savings of up to $500 ayear.According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), in 2007 nearly 24million people in the U.S. had diabetes, 24 percent of whom were undiagnosed.Another 57 million are considered pre-diabetic, with about a fourth ofthem unaware of their condition.A decades-long epidemic of obesity in the U.S. is a major reason for thesharply rising numbers of diabetic and pre-diabetic adult Americans. The ADAreports that diagnoses of people with diabetes increased by 13.5 percentbetween 2005 and 2007, with 1.6 million new cases reported in 2007 alone.Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that twothirdsof all diabetics do not follow their physicians’ advice on how to managetheir disease. Experts say out-of-pocket costs for recommended supplies, medicinesand physician-visit co-pays are a key reason why many diabetics do notfollow treatment guidelines. Another is lack of knowledge about diabetes andpre-diabetic conditions. By lowering financial barriers and providing wellnesscoaching, training and information, a real-time compliance monitoring systemand personal health records, UnitedHealthcare’s Diabetes Health Plan incorporatesmany new incentives to help people better manage their health.UnitedHealthcare anticipates that increased preventive steps by DiabetesHealth Plan participants can help slow the progression of diabetes and reversethe condition when possible for people in the pre-diabetes stage, potentiallylowering healthcare costs for employers. According to UnitedHealthcare data,the total estimated annual cost of a diabetic is greater than $22,000 a year,which is 13-times higher than the average cost of an individual employee withno chronic disease.The cost of diabetes to the U.S. economy has increased 32 percent since2002, or $8 billion a year, reaching $174 billion in 2007, according to estimatesby the ADA. The disease also takes a significant toll on the resources ofthe U.S. healthcare system. According to the ADA, one out of every fivehealthcare dollars is spent caring for someone with diagnosed diabetes.UnitedHealthcare employer-specific studies show that the estimated averagecost for treating pre-diabetic patients is $5,000. For previously undiagnoseddiabetics, the expected annual cost is $12,000 and for diabetics withoutcomplications that often afflict people with the disease, the annual cost is$10,000. The average annual cost for diagnosed diabetics with complications,such as heart disease or kidney failure, can soar to $30,000.Diabetes Health Plan participants who regularly follow their treatment planswill have access to online monitoring, education tools, self-monitoring trainingand certain diabetes-related drugs and services. The plan also provides avoluntary screening model to help individuals determine if they have undiagnoseddiabetes or suffer from pre-diabetes conditions.The Diabetes Health Plan is available to self-insured commercial healthplan customers and their family members with diabetes or pre-diabetes.Employers have the option of offering the program as a standalone health planor as an enhancement to an existing traditional plan.Stephanie V. Bernaciak-Massaro, vice president and head of the Pittsburgh officeof UnitedHealthcare, can be reached at svbernaciak@uhc.com.

Issue No. 5 | 27wpahospitalnews.comCura Hospitality – Farm Fresh and Patient DrivenBy Kathleen GansterConcierge and room service are not words commonly associated with hospitalfood, but they are words that Cura Hospitality uses when describing their foodservices. Cura, a food service provider, prides itself on innovative services andfresh, healthy food choices for patients at over 70 hospitals and senior living communitiesin the mid-Atlantic area. Cura is part of the Eat ‘n Park HospitalityGroup.Jamie Moore, director of Sourcing and Sustainability for Eat'n Park HospitalityGroup in the zucchini field.St. Clair Hospital has worked with Cura Hospitality for slightly more than twoyears according to Joan Massella, vice president and CNO at St. Clair. “We likedthe fact that they were local and that people knew their reputation,” she said. “Plus,we liked the fact that they made the food fresh using ingredients from local farmers.”Since Cura not only provides food services for patients, but the staff and visitorsto the hospital, that was a real plus for the staff. “We liked the choices, thehealthy alternatives, they provided us.”Chris Vitsas, general manager of Cura at St. Clair, said the company is indeeddedicated to local farmers, which often does translate into the freshest ingredients.“We work with a local farm source program. It is our objective to buy local wheneverpossible and we cook from scratch,” he said. That means taking advantage oflocal bounty and specials focusing around those ingredients. “A lot to time thisalso means a tremendous change. For example, instead of frozen beans, we willhave fresh beans. And if thereis a good top round available,we can use it that night for aspecial.”Even meal delivery is different.Each patient isassigned a concierge who visits,with menus, to discussmeal options. Lunch and dinnerare chosen that day, notthe night before as in manyfacilities. “That way, if theyaren’t feeling so good, theycan choose what they feel likeeating at that time,” Vitsassaid.The concierge gets to knowthe patients and their mealchoices. “They remember ifyou take two sugars with yourcoffee,” said Vitsas. They evendress the part, in white dressshirts, black vests and blackpants. “It makes a difference,”he said.Staff is trained extensivelyCura Executive Chef Bill Hockenberry,preparing fresh and healthy food at awellness event hosted by St. Clair Hospital.to be able to steer patients ontherapeutic diets in the rightdirection. And a full-time chefoverseas meal production.Personalized Room Service at St. Clair Hospital.Because the meal services are also available to hospital visitors, Cura takes theirneeds into consideration. “At the cafe, we have a wide choice of coffees so ifsomeone wants to grab a latte and hook up to Internet, they can get some workdone while they are visiting,” he said.Indiana Regional Medical Center is new to the Cura system as of April 1, andso far, so good. Bob Gongaware, senior vice president, said Indiana Regional, likeSt. Clair Hospital, was attracted to the fresh foods and cooking from scratch philosophy.“We also liked the personalized room service. Our patient centered careis excellent and this adds to our care.”And also like the folks at St. Clair, Gongaware liked the healthy food optionsthat are provided for the hospital employees. “We have a commitment to ouremployees,” he said.Donald Redshaw, Jr., Cura Hospitality general manager, said that the first roundof attention at Indiana was on revamping the cafeteria and services to staff. Thefull-time chef began May 10 and the patient care services are now in the transitionperiod with full services slated to be in place by July.Redshaw also emphasized the fresh food approach Cura has to its meals. “Wemake our mashed potatoes from scratch rather than using dried potatoes. If weserve anything that is breaded, it is breaded in house, not frozen. And we buy fromlocal farmers whenever possible, so we can get the freshest cauliflower available,”he said.And the fact that it is part of the Eat ‘n Park Hospitality Group allows Cura totake advantage of its buying power and personnel expertise. “That was anotherreason that we were attracted to Cura,” said Gongaware. “The Eat ‘n Park brand isvery well known and respected in Western Pennsylvania. Their core values were agood fit with our organization.”For more information about Cura Hospitality visit www.curahospitality.com.Choose healthy, stay healthyChoosing the right foods while eating out can always be a bittricky, but the Eat ‘n Park Hospitality Group is dedicated to makingeasy for guests. Kevin O’Connell, vice president of marketing forEat ‘n Park, gave several suggestions for healthy meal selection.“We have the Eat ‘n Smart menu which makes it very simple, butthere is also a list on the back of the menu with the calorie, carband sodium content for many of our food items,” said O’Connell.There are also suggested celiac friendly items, vegetarian selectionsand reduced sodium choices listed.Eat ‘n Park also will prepare meals to the customer’s request.“Wecan do whatever the guests want,” he said.Since 2002, the Hospitality Group has been purchasing from alocal food coop of over 120 local farms for fresh produce andother items, said O’Connell. These fresh foods are brought to thetables at the Eat ‘n Park restaurants. “We were doing from farmerto table long before it was popular,” he said.

28 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comLocal Health Systems Collaborate on Home Medical Equipmentand Help Patients Effectively Transition from Hospital to HomeBy Amanda DabbsAfter being released from the hospital, only about halfof patients actually follow up with a doctor within 30 days,according to a recent article in The New England Journalof Medicine titled, “Rehospitalizations among Patients inthe Medicare Fee-for-Service Program.” As a result,patients who do not receive the follow up care they needoften end up having to be readmitted to the hospital within30 days of leaving it.John Sphon, MedCare Equipment Companychief executive officer and Patty Mastandrea,chief operating officer.One of the ways Excela Health, Conemaugh HealthSystem, Heritage Valley Health System and Butler HealthSystem are addressing this patient post-discharge issue isthrough a partnership with the home medical equipmentprovider, MedCare Equipment Company, LLC. The maingoal of this multi-health system medical equipment collaborationis to provide an effective continuum of care so thatall patients leaving the hospital are as prepared as possibleto manage their ongoing medical conditions.“With Excela, Heritage Valley and Butler not situatedin competing markets, we felt it only made sense to collaborateon services such as medical equipment, resulting in amutually advantageous arrangement for all parties,” saysEdward H. DePasquale, chief financial officer of ConemaughHealth System.Windber Medical Center and Dr. Kim R. Marley recentlyannounced that they have been named an AmericanSociety for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence®. The ASMBSBSCOE® designation recognizes surgical programs with ademonstrated track record of favorable outcomes inbariatric surgery. Marley is the Bariatric Medical Directorat Windber Medical Center.“This is a significant accomplishment for our bariatricprogram and we’re very proud of Dr. Marley and the entirebariatric program staff,” said Barbara Cliff, president andCEO of Windber Medical Center. “We refer often to ourcommitment to patient-centered care set forth by the principlesof Planetree. This type of independent recognition asa center of excellence only reaffirms to us that we are takingthe right approach to offering the residents of ourregion the best quality care possible.”According to a report released in 2007 by the Agencyfor Healthcare Research and Quality, the number ofbariatric surgeries has grown from 16,000 procedures performedin 1992 to 170,000 performed in 2005. Faced withclinical evidence that the most experienced and best-runbariatric surgery programs have by far the lowest rates ofcomplications, the ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Centers ofExcellence® program was created to recognize bariatricsurgery centers that perform well and to help surgeons andhospitals continue to improve the quality and safety of careprovided.For Bryan Randall, vice president and chief financialofficer of Heritage Valley Health System, an importantbenefit of the collaboration is that it gives Heritage Valleypatients another option when choosing their home medicalequipment.Anne B. Krebs, vice president of finance and chieffinancial officer of Butler Health System, remarks, “Med-Care provided us with the opportunity to expand the serviceswe offer our patients as well as having an ownershipinterest in a successful growing business.”According to John Sphon, chief executive officer ofMedCare Equipment Company and vice president ofDiversified Services at Excela Health, MedCare’s primaryfocus are patients and how to make their transition fromhospital to home in the “most effective and most caringmanner as possible.”MedCare was formed in 2008 with the coming togetherof two former companies MedCare Equipment Company,part of Excela Health, and Conemaugh Home MedicalEquipment in Johnstown. Heritage Valley Health Systemjoined the venture in September 2009 and Butler HealthSystem in February of this year. MedCare provides a widerange of medical equipment, supplies and respiratory careproducts for use in the home, nursing home, physicianoffices and other health-related organizations as well asthrough retail outlets. The company is licensed by theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania and accredited by theCompliance Team, an accrediting body that focuses onhome medical equipment.Throughout his 20 years in the home medical equipmentindustry, Sphon has witnessed significant changes.“With home medical equipment being smaller and lighterthan ever before, patients are able to be more mobile andenjoy a better quality of life,” says Sphon. “For example, apatient who needs an oxygen tank no longer has to stay inhis or her house all day,” he adds.Home medical equipment is a growing industry that isfollowing the trend of what most people want with theirhealth care—convenience. Spohn identifies the threemajor developments in the home medical equipmentindustry to be the evolution and incorporation of technology;the availability of products and services to patients intheir homes; and the quality of products, services and educationoffered to patients.Patients transitioning from the hospital to their homesTo earn a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence®designation, Windber Medical Center underwent a seriesof site inspections during which all aspects of the program’ssurgical processes were closely examined and dataon health outcomes was collected. Windber Medical Centerand other centers receiving the Bariatric Surgery Centerof Excellence® designation agree to continue to shareinformation on clinical pathways, protocols and outcomesdata.“Due to the increasing prevalence of morbid obesity, theinherent risks associated with obesity, and the limitedlong-term success with medical weight loss, it is importantto have a surgical option for patients who qualify. The surgicalopportunities available greatly improve the healthand quality of life of this patient population.” Dr. Marleysaid. “At Windber Medical Center, we believe that theASMBS Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence programwill serve as a catalyst, driving strong programs to get evenbetter. It is the overall system of care from initial consultthrough surgery and including long-term followup thatleads to success.”Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an organizationdedicated to pursuing surgical excellence, formulates andestablishes the rigorous standards with which WindberMedical Center and other Bariatric Surgery Centers ofExcellence® must comply, thoroughly inspects and evaluateseach candidate for designation, and upon review recommendsapproval of designation for those physicians andDelivery technician Jake Lowanse.are educated through instructional DVDs and brochuresexplaining the medical equipment they will be using. Inaddition, delivery technicians often bring the equipmentdirectly to the patient’s home to show them how to properlyuse it. Moreover, respiratory therapists make follow upvisits to the homes of patients who are using devices suchas oxygen systems. “We have staff available 24 hours a day,seven days a week to answer calls, make visits and handleemergencies like power outages that can affect the use ofequipment,” says Spohn.Spohn notes that a considerable challenge in the homemedical equipment industry—and health care in general—is being able to provide the same services for less reimbursement.“It’s a challenge we all will continue to face inthe current health care market,” he says.Nevertheless, the medical equipment collaborationamong the health systems of Excela, Conemaugh, HeritageValley and Butler may be a step in the right direction forpatient care.“This is an excellent example of how strong communityhealth systems can collaborate,” says Ken DeFurio,president and chief executive officer of Butler Health System.“We can improve care to patients and reduce costs toemployers while remaining independent and focused onthe local community.”To learn more about MedCare, call 1-800-503-5554 orvisit www.medcareequipment.com.Windber Medical Center recognized by ASMBS forexcellence in weight loss surgeryfacilities whose practices and outcomes meet the stringentdemands set forth by SRC for ASMBS®.Obesity has become a significant national health issue,with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) reporting that 66 percent of all U.S. adults are overweightor obese. Morbid obesity is closely correlated witha number of serious conditions that severely undermine thehealth of overweight patients, including heart disease, highblood pressure and diabetes.Bariatric surgery, when performed correctly, can helpobese patients manage these conditions. By definition, surgeonswith ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence®designation practice only top quality care, ensuringefficacy of the procedure with each patient to the best oftheir abilities. Windber Medical Center requires ongoingtraining and education of all staff involved in the care ofbariatric patients. It has developed extensive pathways forproviding streamlined and safe care and meet monthly toprovide quality oversight and improvement of its program.As a pioneering organization, designating BariatricSurgery Centers of Excellence® based on top quality careand efficacious outcomes, the American Society for Metabolicand Bariatric Surgery®, with the help of SRC, isworking to align the common interests of patients, surgeons,hospitals and insurers, all of whom suffer whencomplications develop after surgical care.For information please call 814-467-4750 or visitwww.windbercare.com.

Issue No. 5 | 29wpahospitalnews.comLeadership and Alignment: The Keys to Well-run HospitalsBy Jim Surman and Ray GraecaSenior management typically has a focus on opportunitiesto reduce costs, hoping that a single solution (cutstaffing, eliminate services, etc.) will solve its long-termcost problems. If the existing management behavior andculture of the hospital haven’t changed, savings will notbe sustainable.Alignment is the optimal state where the key elementsof an organization – people, strategy, customers (patientsand physicians) and processes are aligned and integratedto work in concert with each other. People in alignedorganizations have a clear line of sight to customers’ requirements and organizationalgoals. The hallmark of aligned organizations is that they consistently delivermeasurable improvements in customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, employeeretention, and bottom-line improvement all at the same time.Project pool employees were available for short- or long-term projects in anyhospital department. Meanwhile, the personnel office continued to search for regularpositions for these employees. The personnel department also provided trainingto employees to meet the requirements of positions for which future turnoverwas predicted.Graeca said at the start of the RPI engagement, “We realized that we needed toimprove productivity in order to become a strong healthcare center for the region,and as a major employer in the area. I feel that our employees had demonstratedthe commitment to helping us meet our goals of quality patient care and balancingresources with the delivery of that care. At DRMC, improved productivityresulted in greater job security.”When the engagement started the hospital had 929 FTE staff on the payroll.After the two-year engagement, the hospital employed more than 1,000 staff andwas growing, due to new programs being introduced and by the reassignment ofstaff to those new services. Staffing levels are now adjusted to fit volumes. Thisapproach saved the hospital several million dollars annually and has made theexpansion of additional services possible in following years.Over the years, since the implementation of the MCS and management training,DRMC has expanded services in heart surgery and cancer treatment just to nametwo of the new services now offered. The hospital currently has over 1,800employees and is recognized as one of the “Top 100” best hospitals nationally andone of the “Best Places to Work” in the state.Surman credits Graeca and his staff for success made over the past years. “Mr.Graeca is consistent in his application of administration and he treats everyonewith the same respect and attention to detail. All employees have the opportunityto hear about the state of the hospital and especially the financial status at leastfour times a year. This allows the staff to be a part of the process and to realize thattheir part in the hospital’s success is crucial,” said Surman.The integration of leadership and alignment as a culture can make the difference.DuBois Regional Medical Center is a “best in class” hospitals of the 89 RPIclient hospitals, and for good reason.Surman, a certified management consultant for 38 years, is chief executive officerof RPI, Inc. At RPI, all staff is certified management consultants and/or hold master'sdegrees, and have a minimum of five years of successful health care managementexperience. For more information, e-mail rpiconsulting@msn.com or visitwww.rpiconsulting.com.Ray Graeca is president and CEO, DuBois Regional Medical Center. For moreinformation visit www.drmc.org.DuBois Regional Medical Center’s (DRMC) president and CEO, Ray Graeca,came to the hospital in 1990, when the hospital was still integrating services afterthe 1985 merger of the two hospitals in DuBois. “Mr. Graeca makes the commitmentsnecessary when applying management decisions,” says Jim Surman, CEOof RPI, Inc. “When we started each of the twelve reengineered departments andimplemented the Management Control System at DRMC, Ray introduced eachengagement and provided the perspective of the hospital’s financial status to all ofthe employees in the department. He realizes that true leadership is, senior managementdefining the strategy while the staff and consultants work together to fixthe process, always with patient care the keystone of each reengineered process.”The DuBois strategy was to implement a formal management control system tomatch staffing with varying levels of patient and procedure volumes. This allowedwork to be done with the proper balance of labor resources. During the process,Graeca required that an extensive on-the-job training and education process be initiatedto develop a unique project pool concept. Twenty-nine employees joined thepool until a suitable opening became available. Based on seniority and performancelevels, employees in the pool were given top priority for other jobs within thehospital.Follow Us On@wpahospitalnews27 Suncrest Drive, Delmont, PA 15626Phone: 724-468-8360 • Fax: 724-468-0214Email: hdkart@aol.com • Website: www.wpahospitalnews.comHARVEY D. KARTPublisher404-402-8878 • hdkart@aol.comDANIEL CASCIATOAssistant to Publisher412-607-9808 • writer@danielcasciato.comMARGIE WILSONDirector of Advertising724-468-8360 • margiehn02@aol.comJEN KISSELEditorBETH WOODArt/ProductionContributing WritersLaurie BaileyDaniel CasciatoChristopher CussatAmanda DabbsJohn FriesKathleen GansterVanessa OrrSISTER PUBLICATIONSAtlanta Hospital NewsKristen & Josh Felix, Publishersinfo@atlantahospitalnews.comChicago Hospital NewsKristen & Josh Felix, Publishersinfo@chicagohospitalnews.comSouth Florida Hospital NewsCharles & Carol Felix, Publisherssflahospitalnews@aol.comCONTACT THE NEWSROOM:Hospital News welcomes story ideas, etc.Call 404-402-8878or email hdkart@aol.com.SUBSCRIPTIONSOne Year - $30Two Years - $45Three Years - $60All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or partwithout written permission prohibited. Copyright © 2010

30 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comHip to be FoursquareBy Daniel CasciatoBe careful Twitter and Facebook…foursquare is nippingat your social media heels. Foursquare is a locationbasedsocial networking website, software for mobiledevices, and it’s even a game.Using foursquare, members of the free application can“check-in” at various locations letting others know whereyou are at a particular time. Users can check-in at venuesusing text messaging or a device specific application.After checking in, your followers will know where theycan find you as well as recommend places to go andthings to do in the near vicinity.Over the past month, I have checked in at the University of Notre Dame, a gasstation along Interstate 80 in Ohio, Duquesne University, Rollier’s Hardware inMt. Lebanon, PNC Park, and Eat ‘n Park on Banksville Road, just to name a fewplaces.In turn, as a user of foursquare, you’ll start learning more about the placeswhere your followers like to hang out. It’s also a great way to meet up with friendswho are close by. Foursquare’s website states that you should think of its applicationas an “urban mix tape,” meaning that it will “help you make lists of yourfavorite things to do and let you share them with friends.”What can you do with foursquare? Plenty! We’ll start off with the four basicsfor now.Write a review. For starters, you can offer reviews of the places you visit. Lovethose juicy Tessaro’s cheeseburgers in Bloomfield (and who doesn’t?)? Tell yourfollowers. Foursquare also keeps tab of what you've done, help you create To-Dolists, and even suggest new experiences to try.Check out the tips. As you check-in at locations throughout your city, you'llsoon discover tips that other users have left behind. For instance, after checkinginat a restaurant, you may be able to unlock a tip suggesting what’s awesome andwhat to avoid. You can leave tips for your followers as well.Earn a badge. Checking in at different locations will earn you points andunlock badges. Every check-in earns you points. Find a new place in your neighborhoodthat is not listed on foursquare? Add 5 points. Making multiple stops in anight? They’ll give you 2 points. Have friends along for the ride? That’s 1 point.As you begin checking-in to more interesting places with different people, you'llstart unlocking badges. According to foursquare’s website, there are badges fordiscovering new places and for traveling to faraway places.Become the mayor. Various locales on foursquare will keep tabs on who's themost loyal of all the regulars. If you've been to a place more than anyone else,you'll become that venue’s “mayor,” until someone else comes along and nabs thattitle. Some places, like the Saloon in Mt. Lebanon, will offer you a reward whenyou’re mayor. The Saloon offers its mayors a free beverage. Some cafes will offerits mayors a free coffee or a free pastry.Have you been using foursquare? What do you like/dislike about it? Emailme at writer@danielcasciato.com and we’ll share your responses in a future column.Daniel Casciato is a full-time freelance writer. In addition to writing for the WesternPA Hospital News, he’s also a social media coach. For more information, visitwww.danielcasciato.com, follow him on Twitter @danielcasciato or friend him onFacebook (facebook.com/danielcasciato).Look AHEAD Study at Pitt to Determine How DiabeticsMight Benefit from Lifestyle ChangesBy Vanessa OrrCommon sense would seem to tell us that eating ahealthy diet, losing weight and increasing one’s activitylevel would make a difference in a person’s overallhealth and well-being. But how much of a differencecan this type of lifestyle change make for a personwith diabetes, especially in terms of cardiovascularoutcomes?The Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes)study, taking place at the University of Pittsburgh, isdesigned to determine just that. Started in 2001, thestudy will document the long-term effects of anintensive lifestyle intervention program on overweightvolunteers with type 2 diabetes. Participantsin the clinical study are encouraged to achieve andmaintain weight loss through decreased caloric intakeand increased physical activity. Their results are comparedto a control group who receive a program ofdiabetes support and education.“As investigators, our goal is to examine whetherlifestyle changes involving weight loss, a healthy dietand increased activity translates into improved cardiovascularoutcomes in overweight patients with diabetes,”explained John Jakicic, Ph.D., professor andchair of the Department of Health and Physical Activityat Pitt. “Though we don’t yet know what the outcomeswill be, if we go into this with the assumptionthat weight loss intervention resulting in patients’weight loss provides better outcomes, then we mayneed to rethink the landscape of medical practice.While physicians are doing what they can to treat thedisease, we may need to augment that care with interventionsto maximize healthy outcomes.“If these interventions are shown to help preventcardiovascular disease from happening, it may beeasier to get understanding and support of programslike these, and maybe even reimbursement,” headded. “If these types of interventions can preventcardiovascular disease and death, it’s a big cost savingsto health care organizations.”The 13.5-year study will look at the incidencerates of cardiovascular death (including myocardialinfarction and stroke), non-fatal myocardial infarction,hospitalizedangina and nonfatalstroke in participants.Accordingto study protocol, itwill also test forreductions in theincidence of threesecondary compositeoutcomes andexamine the effectof the interventionon cardiovasculardisease risk factors;diabetes control andcomplications; generalhealth; qualityof life; and psychologicaloutcomes aswell as the cost andJohn Jakicic, Ph.D.,professor and chair,Department of Healthand Physical Activity,University of Pittsburghcost-effectiveness of lifestyle intervention relative todiabetes support and education. The clinical trial istaking place at 16 sites across the county, andinvolves more than 5,000 individuals, approximately330 of whom are in Pittsburgh.“Participants in the study eat a reduced calorie,reduced fat, ‘heart-healthy’ diet based on USDAguidelines that is designed to help them lose approximatelyone to two pounds per week initially,” saidDr. Jakicic. “Adjustments in the diet will be made foreach individual as time goes on. We are also targetinga certain number of minutes of aerobic activity orcardiovascular exercise each week, with most studyparticipants choosing walking as their form of exercise.“I do want to make it clear that we are not managingdiabetes in this study,” he added. “That is left tothe person’s primary care physician or endocrinologist.”Participants meet with the study’s interventionalstaff who document how each person is doing andhow much of the intervention they are taking part in.The results of the first year of the study, which waspublished in Diabetes Care, showed that as participantssuccessfully lost weight, they were more liketo reduce certain cardiovascular risk factors withoutincreasing medication. Some were even able todecrease medications for specific risk factors.The study’s four-year outcomes have recentlybeen accepted for publication, and will be in anupcoming issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.Investigators are currently collecting eightyearoutcomes.“Regardless of the outcome of the study, in termsof cardiovascular disease, the quality of life isenhanced for people with type 2 diabetes who continueto lose weight, improve their diets and becomemore active,” said Dr. Jakicic. “It seems a wise moveon our part to promote healthy behavior in those peoplewho can benefit from it.”For more information on the study, visitwww.lookaheadtrial.org. To contact Dr. Jakicic, callthe University of Pittsburgh Department of Healthand Physical Activity at 412-648-8320 or visitwww.education.pitt.edu/hpa/.

Issue No. 5 | 31wpahospitalnews.comVariety of MRIs Now Provide Options in Scanning ProceduresBy Vanessa OrrFor many people, having to undergo an MRI canbe nerve-wracking; it’s difficult enough to have to liestill for a medical test, but for those who are uncomfortablein close quarters, it can be almost unbearable.The good news today is that there are MRImachines that allow patients to have more room, oreven to sit or stand while being tested. Added amenitiessuch as music, the ability to watch televisionwhile inside, and even the expertise of staff administeringthe test can make a big difference in a person’sexperience.A patient preparing to undergo an MRI scan atKane Community Hospital.“Many people get freaked out if they are in an MRIfor a long time; even the open models,” said SaurabhBhatia, office manager, High Field Imaging.“Patients may feel like they are alone in the room andbecome alarmed; other patients, maybe 30 to 40 percent,feel claustrophobic. There is also a smallergroup, approximately five to 10 percent of patients,who have trouble lying down because of back problemsor other medical issues, so this makes it veryuncomfortable for them.”In a conventional or recumbent MRI, patients lieon a table inside a narrow, tube-like device and passthrough the center of a magnet. Utilizing computertechnology, a magnetic field and radio waves, theMRI creates a clear, cross-sectional image of thepatient’s body or injury. MRIs are often ordered forneurological and orthopedic problems, tears to tendonsand ligaments, sports injuries, arthritis, and tosee organs in the chest and abdomen.An open MRI has openings on almost all sides,and the magnet that generates the image is usuallysuspended above a patient, making it less alarmingfor those with claustrophobia. An upright MRI,which was introduced to the market about nine yearsago, allows patients to sit or stand inside an MRI,with nothing directly in front of their faces, reducingclaustrophobia even more. Patients can also bescanned in a number of positions, including standing,sitting, flexion, extension, rotation and lateral bending,as well as in the prone (face down) and supine(face up) position.“One of the advantages of being able to scan a personin an upright MRI is that it often finds pathologiesthat are missed by a recumbent MRI,” explainedDan Culver, director of Communications forFONAR, the company that introduced the world’sfirst commercial MRI in 1980, and the Stand-UpMRI, also known as the UPRIGHT® Multi-PositionMRI, in 1996. “The UPRIGHT MRI also providesthe ability to scan images while a patient is inthe position that causes his or her symptoms to occur,making it possible to correctly correlate whichPatients can sit or stand in an upright MRI, andbe scanned in a number of positions.degenerative change seen on the patient’s spine iscausing his or her pain,” he added.“I compare it to the idea of putting a car on a liftto determine which tire is flat,” he said. “You need tosee the tire when it’s on the ground, in the right position.”Upright MRIs also have an advantage when itcomes to scanning children, who can sit on a parent’slap without sedation during the procedure.According to Culver, the upright MRI has a nearzeroclaustrophobic rejection rate, with studies showingthat of those patients who experienced claustrophobiaor anxiety during a previous MRI scan, 99percent were able to handle an upright MRI scan.While a traditional MRI usually features a magnetwith 1.5 tesla field strength, magnets can range from.6 to 1.5 to 3.0 or even 7.0 tesla. “An upright MRI is.6 tesla, and the most popular high field magnet outthere is 1.5,” said Culver.“From a diagnostic point of view, a 1.5 tesla magnetin a traditional MRI and an open magnet, whichis weaker, are equally diagnostic,” said Bhatia. “Forthat reason, it is rare for a doctor to specify that he orshe wants a closed or open MRI.” Physicians mayspecify, however, that they want upright, weight-bearingwith flexion and extension views, which the conventionalMRI cannot do.Kane Community Hospital, a 31-bed acute carehospital located in Kane, Pa., recently opened a newDiagnostic Imaging Center, featuring a high field 1.5tesla short-bore MRI. “We chose this MRI because ofthe image quality,” explained Clinical Ancillary ServicesManager Janet Brunner, of the hospital’s movefrom an open field magnet to a closed MRI. “Unlikethe large, tunnel-like MRIs from before, this model,which is not very deep, is very comfortable for ourpatients. They can even hear music while they areinside. Out of approximately 200 patients who havebeen scanned in this MRI so far, only one has notbeen able to handle the procedure.”No matter what size or style of MRI, having anunderstanding technician can make a huge differencein patients’ reactions. “We call the patient the daybefore the procedure and talk to them about what’sgoing to happen,” said Brunner. “This gives us a feelingfor whether or not it’s going to work. When theycome in, we prop them up with pillows and makethem very comfortable, and even provide music totake their minds off of what’s happening. Our technicianstalk to them throughout the exam to let themknow what’s happening and to keep them comfortable.”At High Field Imaging, technicians also talkpatients through the procedure, and patients are givena buzzer which they hold to signal the technician ifthey are needed. Patients who are especially concernedabout the procedure may also receive a sedativefrom their physicians before an MRI takes place.“A lot of people are nervous about getting an MRIand until they are comfortable, they need to be talkedto, and a good technician makes it his or her job to dothis,” said Culver. “That part hasn’t changed.”For more information on High Field Imaging, call1-800-677-3828 or visit www.hfimaging.com. Forinformation on Kane Community Hospital, call 814-837-8585 or visit www.kanehosp.com. To reachFONAR, call 1-888-NEEDMRI or visitwww.fonar.com.Photos courtesy of FONAR.Digital scan from a recumbent MRI compared to a digital scan from an upright MRI.

32 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comStop the Flawed Medicare Competitive Bidding Program!By Georgie BlackburnThe plan to change the way Medicare provides hospitalbeds, bed surfaces, power wheelchairs, oxygen andrelated supplies, C-Pap, respiratory assist devices, walkersand mail order diabetic supplies to Medicare beneficiarieswho are ill or disabled and receiving care at homeremains in full swing at the Centers for Medicare andMedicaid Services (CMS), despite the concerns ofproviders, healthcare policy advocates and Medicare beneficiaries.Provider bids were due December 21, 2009; in Junethe new single payment for each category will be released (based upon submittedbids and a very convoluted formula for establishing pricing); in September, the“winning” contractors will be announced; and as of January 1, 2011, the programwill commence.Initially affecting nine metropolitan statistical areas (MSA’s) across the UnitedStates, including Pittsburgh, it will adversely impact local beneficiaries living inAllegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland andsmall portions of surrounding counties.The glaring problem with the program is that it is anything but “competitive”!Bids will not be accepted if more than the existing allowable and the new priceset in each MSA for each item will be the “median” of all bids considered the“lowest” submitted, not the actual amount. Almost as frustrating is that the factthat bids were mandated to be accompanied by only one year of financial data, soa less than formidable firm bankrupt the year prior is able to bid on the three-yearcontract.No transparency relative to selection is evident and no consideration isgiven to the value of community-based providers.Consider other contracted bid scenarios: A bid is requested, documenting thenumber of items to be supplied, asking for the best price. The bid price is submitted,and if selected, is guaranteed at that rate for a specific amount of product tobe provided. This works well with commodity items like office desks and automobiles.But, home medical equipment that requires training, home evaluation andskilled staff?Under Competitive Bidding, beneficiaries and referral sources (physicians andhospital discharge planners) lose the ability to choose a provider based upon excellentservice, knowledge or proximity to the patient. The contractors with thecheapest bids will be selected and they may be from out of state.In 2007, the first stab at Competitive Bidding initiated for only two short weeksbefore Congressman Pete Stark and the House Ways and Means Health Subcommitteestopped it in its tracks through a congressional vote.Patients were not able to be discharged from hospitals because winning contractorscould not deliver the prescribed bed, wheelchair or oxygen concentratorthe same day or even within a two-day span. Contracted parties had sub-contractedwith non-accredited firms to supply product. Standards of care were notenforced and in certain states like North Carolina, oxygen providers, contractedby CMS, were not licensed in that state to provide respiratory care.Another major issue surfaced. Medicare contracted by category. If a patient ina hospital needed an oxygen concentrator, a bed and a walker upon discharge, thedischarge planner might have to contact three separate providers who each held acontract to supply only one item. Consider the increased cost of discharge planning,consider the impact of three suppliers delivering three separate items to thehome, and consider the copayment invoices received by the patient or caretakerfrom three companies rather than one supplier! Is this efficiency? Nothing haschanged in the final rule to preclude this from happening again.Access to quality care is at the heart of the issue. In 2007, I testified beforeCongressman Jason Altmire’s House Small Business Subcommittee in WashingtonD.C. regarding the effect of Competitive Bidding on small providers in America.In 2009, I again testified before Congressman Heath Schuler’s Hearing on theeffect of Competitive Bidding in rural areas.On both occasions, as a representative of small providers throughout the nation,I detailed the level of quality care to which accredited and compliant providerscommit, the 24-hour, round-the-clock availability small community providersafford local referral sources; how choice of provider, whether physician, hospitalor medical equipment supplier, is a right and a component of Medicare law; howcare for the elderly and disabled within their home is a substantial savings to theoverall Medicare budget; that CMS has stated its plan is to contract with less than400 providers across America when more than 4,000 now provide product perphysician orders…dismantling the provider network and that in itself will significantlyinterrupt continuity, quality and access to patient care.Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4th Congressional District), who has a strongbackground in healthcare policy, has been a staunch supporter of Competitive Biddingrepeal, touting it will seriously impact healthcare to beneficiaries in the communitieshe represents. Congressmen John Murtha (now deceased); Tim Murphyand Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper were also early co-sponsors of HR3790,the bill introduced by Congressman Kendrick Meek (FL) to repeal the law that setCompetitive Bidding in motion during President G.W. Bush’s reign. In Pennsylvania,Congressmen Kanjorski, Platts, Sestak, Thompson, Carney and Holden arewithin the majority of PA representatives who have signed on; however, thereremain those that unfortunately support CMS’s position.Recently, the House Ways and Means Committee took notice of HR3790momentum and asked the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to ”score” it – estimatethe price of repeal. This indicates the bill is of significance and deserves discussionon the floor. Our industry, aided by several advocacy organizations, issimultaneously working to secure a Senate companion bill to mirror the Houselanguage and drive repeal into law prior to the inception date of January 1, 2011.Home medical equipment and supplies for our elderly and disabled receivingcare in their homes should not be auctioned off to the lowest bidder! As part of theprovider network, you can help! Contact your federal PA representative today. Ifalready signed onto HR3790, thank them; if not, request they do, explaining qualitypatient care is at risk with Medicare Competitive Bidding. Also contact SenatorsSpecter and Casey to let them know their future support on the upcoming Senatecompanion bill is required to protect patients everywhere.Competitive Bidding has been a battle for providers throughout America andhelping to achieve its demise has become a personal goal for our company. Webelieve in good healthcare policy…Competitive Bidding in no way fits the bill.We’ll continue the fight and hope you will join in!For updates on the status of Medicare Competitive Bidding, please feel free tocontact Georgie Blackburn at 724-321-6418 or georgie.blackburn@blackburnsmed.com.She is board member and past president of the PA Association ofMedical Suppliers (PAMS) and past Vice Chair of the American Association ofMedical Suppliers (AAHomecare), and VP, Government Relations and LegislativeAffairs, Blackburns in Tarentum.Submissions? Story Ideas? News Tips?Suggestions?Contact Harvey Kart at hdkart@aol.com

Issue No. 5 | 33wpahospitalnews.comMVH Physicians Lend Helping Hands in HaitiTraveling to poverty-ridden countries, trudging through natural disasters, distributingmedicine and clothing, and bringing comfort to the hopeless, VasuMalepati, M.D. spreads a message of international humanitarianism through hismedical missions to nations such as Honduras, Sri Lanka, India, and, most recently,Port of Prince, Haiti.Dr. Malepati, a surgeon who specializes in otorhinolaryngology (treatment ofear, nose and throat disorders) operating out of Monongahela Valley Hospitaljoined 12 men and women from across the United States in March to lend his talentto the people of Port of Prince, Haiti weeks after the earthquake leveled thecity. The Satyasai Medical Association International established a Haiti EarthquakeRelief Fund and Dr. Malepati joined a United States group of five doctors,two nurses and five non-medical volunteers spending five days treating more than1,500 patients in St. Angeles Church, a makeshift clinic. One of the other physicianswas his pediatrician wife, Durga Malepati, M.D."Men, women, and children would wait three or four hours to be seen by a doctorat the clinic," said Dr. Vasu Malepati. "They were patient and so grateful forthe help they were receiving, both medical and emotional, despite their pain andcircumstances."During his time at the clinic, Dr. Malepati treated emergencies as well aspatients originally triaged at a lower priority level for hypertension, depression,anxiety and other less life-threatening medical conditions. The SAI group sent stabilizedpatients needing further medical or surgical care to the International MedicalCorps in downtown Port of Prince.Dr. Malepati distributed two-week supplies of medications to sick families andindividuals, and a volunteer from the SAI group cooked and served meals for thepublic. He and Dr. Durga Malepati also provided free medical check-ups and distributedclothing to children at an orphanage in Port of Prince.Part of the missionary group were four doctors including the Malepatis,two nurses and four non-medical volunteers who spent five daystreating more than 1,500 patients in St. Angeles Church, Port of Prince,Haiti.Dr. Malepati is a seasoned medical missionary who participated in the 2001Indian earthquake relief effort, spent three weeks in Sri Lanka after the tsunami in2005 that killed nearly 200,000 people, and volunteered in Indonesia during the2005 tsunami. He has also devoted his time treating patients through clinics inHonduras, Guatemala, British Guyana, Ecuador and Vietnam.Dr. Malepati has participated in two separate medical missions to the Philippines,and conducted free clinics and performed surgery with Chito M. Crudo,M.D., a gastrointestinal and general surgeon and fellow medical staff memberfrom MVH.Vasu Malepati, M.D. examines a young woman who survived the earthquakein Port of Prince, Haiti.He currently participates in free clinics in India with his wife. Though he occasionallytravels with medical groups like Surgi Corps, Philipino American MedicalSociety, Sri Lanka Medical Society, and the American Red Cross, the HaitianSAI group and St. Angeles Church arranged accommodations, food, local transportation,and a translator for his most recent trip to Port of Prince.In addition to his regular trips to India, Dr. Malepati plans to return to Port ofPrince to provide additional medical care and services for the public. When askedwhy he volunteers his time with medical missions, he recalls a quote from GuruSai Baba: "Helping hands are holier than praying lips."Dr. Malepati also attributes his life of service to "The Simple Path," written byMother Theresa, which states “The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer isfaith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service. The fruit of service ispeace.”“I have been many places and have experienced many things, but what I witnessedin Haiti will never leave me,” reflects Malepati. “People were wanderingthe street looking for water, food and jobs. The damage is devastating but I feel itis my responsibility to help in the ways I can.”Because of the dire need for medical attention and the gratitude of the Haitianpeople, Dr. Malepati calls his experience in Haiti as one of the most satisfying missiontrips he has taken. “There still is much to be done. They need medical care,emotional and financial support, and volunteers to provide assistance for the Haitianpeople. They need our time. They need your time.”The needs of the Haitian people are many, from medical care and housing tolearning English and providing meals. To find out how you can help, visitwww.redcross.org or www.UNICEF.org, contact local church groups, or donateonline. Medical professionals can also volunteer through International MedicalCorps or local volunteer organizations.Family Hospice and Palliative Care AcceptingRegistrations for Seventh Annual Camp Healing HeartsFree day camp helps children who are grievingFamily Hospice and Palliative Care presents Camp Healing Hearts, Family Hospice’sseventh annual free day camp for grieving children, ages 6-12, and their parent(s)or guardian(s).Camp Healing Hearts is conducted by Family Hospice’s experienced bereavementspecialists, and consists of fun and healing exercises that help children realizethat their feelings are normal – and shared by others. Activities include art andmusic sessions, the creation of a memory box, educational obstacle course, lunchand more.There is no cost to attend, thanks to generous funding.Camp Healing Hearts will be held at The Center for Compassionate Care, 50Moffett St.Mt. Lebanon, (off of Bower Hill Rd., between Asbury Heights and JeffersonElementary/Middle School), Saturday, August 14, from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.Camp Healing Hearts is open to the community, and registrations are now beingaccepted. To register, please call the Family Hospice Bereavement Department, at412-572-8829. Space is limited, please register by July 30.The death of a loved one can be a devastating experience, especially for children.Through the efforts of Camp Healing Hearts, children learn to express theirfeelings and come to realize they are not alone in their grief.

34 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comWhere are the adaptive leaders in healthcare?By Thomas DahlborgA leader at a local community hospital recently shareda “success” story that concluded with a technical solution.The challenge at hand included the increased numberof ER visits, the lack of efficient access to the floors,and the numbers of patients waiting excessive lengths oftime for care. The technical solution was a significantcapital investment and building of an expanded emergencydepartment at this hospital.And yet, at no time did anyone truly explore a moreadaptive solution by investigating the reasons for theincrease in ER visits. No one engaged people both inside and outside of the hospitalin the tougher discussions to better understand the root cause of this increase.While the technical solution addressed the symptoms of the problem, a more adaptivesolution could have truly addressed the underlying cause of the issue, perhapseven at a lower cost. An adaptive approach might actually solve the issue (andimprove the health of both individuals and communities and decrease the relianceon the ER).Recently the medical staff at another local hospital met and discussed a challengethey were facing. They had learned that their technical fix to lower bloodsugar levels in people who have been admitted to the hospital with blood sugarsover 300 was not yielding desired results (80 to 90 percent of patients still had levelsin excess of 300). After much discussion the proposed solution was to changethe goal (raise the blood sugar limit to 350).In essence, the medical leaders at this institution implemented an unsuccessfultechnical fix and then resolved to change the goal rather than participating in themore challenging, demanding and risky discussions focused on collaborative andadaptive change. An adaptive solution could challenge multiple constituencies, yetwould get to the root cause of the inflated blood sugar levels and again improvethe health of both individuals and communities.A local physician also recently shared this with a colleague of mine: “An obesewoman came in to see me. Even though I have limited time with each of mypatients I was successful in referring this obese woman for bariatric surgery.”I am not a clinician and do not know if in fact the best option for this particularpatient in this specific case was bariatric surgery. But I do find it interestingthat the physician’s decision was a technical solution positioned as the “best Icould do” based on limited time with the patient. And that at no point did this leadto a larger discussion focused on finding an adaptive solution to the limited timeissue, nor on making an adaptive change by engaging this and other patients indetermining the root cause of specific health challenges.In Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky’s book Leadership on the Line: StayingAlive through the Dangers of Leading (2002), they share the following:“Every patient looks to the doctor, hoping for a painless remedy; and every daydoctors have to tell people that their health depends on enduring the pain of change– giving up their favorite foods, taking time out of each overextended day for exercise…”“They (few doctors) had learned how to engage patients and their families inreshaping their values, attitudes, and long-standing habits.”“… many more doctors give little more than lip service to this part of their job,all the while complaining about patient noncompliance…”“… they (the doctors) would take the easy road, playing it safe by pandering tothe desire for a technical fix, avoiding the difficult (adaptive) conversations ratherthan disturbing people in an attempt to change the ways they lived.”Technical fixes to our profoundly broken health care system, such as the few Ipresented here, must be carefully weighed and balanced against the long-term benefitsof more complex adaptive solutions.We need to learn new ways; we need to be willing to engage communities,organizations and individuals inside and outside the system and to have thosechallenging discussions. We need to collaborate, take risks and adapt. We needto understand adaptive change and have the ability to get in the fray while alsoremaining above the fray. We need to let go of ego and attachment while positioningourselves and others to do new and amazing things for the benefit ofall.We need to become the adaptive leaders we – and our patients – seek.Thomas Dahlborg is executive director,True North: Maine's Center for FunctionalMedicine and the Healing Arts, Falmouth, Maine. For more information visitwww.truenorthhealthcenter.org.Race to Honor FallenEMS professionalsEvery day, emergency medical serviceproviders race to the scene to help aperson in need. So it’s appropriate thata race is being organized to raise fundsfor the families left behind when anEMS worker dies on the job.The inaugural Take a Step for YourHeroes 5K Run/Walk will be held June5 at 8 a.m. at the Galleria at PittsburghMills. The purpose of the 5K is to raisefunds for the National EMS MemorialService. This 5K is the cool downrun/walk for the Marathon and willinclude a fun walk for kids. To learnmore or register, visit www.takeastep5k.com.Some sponsors include Children’sHospital of Pittsburgh, Dick’s SportingGoods, A-K Pulsar, PennCare, UnitedHealthcare, Giant Eagle, LifeFlight, TheGerald McGinnis Cardiovascular Institute,and Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills.Since 1992, the National EMSMemorial Service has honored 512brave men and women who have giventheir lives in the line of duty. An oaktree (“The Tree of Life”) is used to symbolizethe strength of the devotion theyhave made and each year new leavesare added to this tree as a lasting tributeto their memory. There are currently31 leaves on the Tree of Life representingPennsylvania EMS providerswith two more scheduled to be addedthis year.The mission of the National EMSMemorial Service is to honor andremember those men and women ofAmerica's Emergency Medical Serviceswho have given their lives in theline of duty, and to recognize the sacrificethey have made in service to theircommunities and their fellow man.Each year, hundreds of family members,friends, coworkers, EMS andpolitical leaders, and colleagues fromEMS agencies from around the nationgather together to remember honorees.The National EMS Memorial is nota single event but rather a weekend ofevents centered around the ceremonyknown as the National EMS MemorialService. For more information visitwww.nemsms.org.Submissions? Story Ideas? News Tips? Suggestions?Contact Harvey Kart at hdkart@aol.com

Issue No. 5 | 35wpahospitalnews.comCommunity Donates to Help Loved Residentby Nathan LasherApproximately 75 gift baskets will be on display in the lobby of ArmstrongCounty Memorial Hospital (ACMH) today and tomorrow before they are shippedoff to an all-day benefit bake/soup sale, poker run, and dance at the West KittanningFire Hall on behalf of ACMH Registration Clerk Janine Kijowski to be heldthis Saturday, May 15 beginning at 9AM and lasting until 11PM.“The gift baskets were donated from a lot of local merchants,” said sister-inlawMarie Kijowski. “The majority of themhave come from Armstrong County MemorialHospital. Janine has been an employeethere for over 20 years.”The baskets will be able to be won as partof a Chinese auction. Interested people willbe able to purchase tickets at ACMH as wellas at the benefit for entries to win each one ofthe baskets. The more tickets a person purchasesand deposits, the higher the chance ofwinning a basket becomes. Many workersfrom ACMH came together in order to makethe baskets prime items.“For this auction, what we did was we justsaid, ‘if any departments want to make a basket,then you can,’ and our lounge up here hasover thirty baskets in it. Her sister-in-law,Rose, probably has another 20-some athome,” said coworker Jackie Baum. “Theoutpouring of support for her and her familyfrom her hospital family to back her up monetarily while she’s trying to getthrough this has been amazing. When they made the suggestion, I don’t think theyever thought that they were going to get this many baskets. Some of these basketsare just beyond belief. There is one that has Steelers and Penguins stuff, and thereis a set of Steeler preseason tickets in it, and there is one that is a complete icecream sundae package deal with an ice cream maker in it; there is a movie nightone that has about 15 movies plus movie passes. Everybody walks into our loungebecause that’s where we have them until we display them; their jaws just dropopen. It almost makes you cry to know that that kind of support is there.”According to a website set up by her sister-in-law, Janine is 47 years old and aresident of Armstrong County. She has been married for 25 years to Nick Kijowskiand is a mother of two. Her son, Andrew, is 21 years old and is in his third yearof college, majoring in Accounting, at Slippery Rock University. Her daughter,Hannah, is 15; she is in the 10th grade at Karns City High School.“Janine is an amazing person,” said sister-in-law Marie. “Her and my brotherare childhood sweethearts. They’ve been together since high school. Janine is avery kind, loving Christian. She is a very good wife and mother. She was born andraised in Armstrong County.”Brother, Rick Boltz, agreed. “She is very outgoing and personable. She woulddo anything in the world for anybody.”Diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Large Aggressive B Cell Lymphoma on July1, 2009, Janine had completed one session of chemo and was told in January of2010 that her PET scan was clear and that there were no signs of cancer. Unfortunately,that was very short lived. In March of 2010, Janine began not feelingwell again with pains in her abdomen and her side. CAT scans revealed that herlymphoma had returned. Immediately, Janine began an aggressive chemo treatmentcalled “ICE” which is done in four treatments every 21 days; she is admittedto the hospital for three consecutive days each time to have the chemo administered.The oncologist has told her that she will no longer be able to work. Thechemo depletes her blood count very quickly and the risk of infection is veryhigh.According to Boltz, money from the benefit will cover many costs that willsoon be adding up. “There will be medical and living expenses,” said Boltz. “InJuly she will be required to pick up the COBRA plan on her hospitalization. Duringher first bout with this, she used a lot of her vacation and sick time. Now thatshe’s into her second round, she has depleted all of her stored personal time thatshe had available. There have been some very good-hearted people that havedonated some vacation times to keep some of her medication going on, but, it’smy understanding that come around July first, she will be required to start payingfor her insurance.”When the four treatments of chemo have been completed and her blood countsare stable, Janine will be admitted to West Penn Hospital to undergo an AutologousStem Cell Transplant. During the transplant, stem cells from her marrowwill be “harvested,” cleansed, and then returned to her body (engrafted). Thismeans that Janine will be her own donor; it is less risky than having a donormatch. Janine will be required to stay in the hospital for 4 to 6 weeks dependingWorkers in an ACMH breakroom sit among only a fraction ofthe gift baskets for Chinese auction during an all-day benefitthat was held at the West Kittanning Fire Hall.on her recovery. Visitations will be extremely limited as to not to put Janine at riskfor any type of infection.“She’ll have a pretty long stay in Pittsburgh,” said Boltz. “There’s going to bea lot of traveling expense back-and-forth for her husband. He is going to take afamily leave for work so that he can spend some time down there, so there aregoing to be some living expenses to take care of.”“We’re trying to raise money to pay for her COBRA benefits so that she cancontinue to get medical treatment becausewithout her insurance they won’t do the stemcell transplant,” said sister-in-law Marie. “Wehave a fund set up at Moonlight Credit Unioncalled ‘Janine’s Transplant Fund,’ and all thedonations from that will pay her COBRApayments on a monthly basis.”Including the gift baskets, the all-day benefitthat will be held this Saturday from 9AMuntil 11PM at the West Kittanning Fire Hallis planned to have a DJ and music from livelocal bands all day, raffles and 50/50 drawingsthroughout the day, a bake sale andhomemade soups beginning at 9AM, hotdogs and sauerkraut starting at 10AM, and apoker run. Registration for the poker runbegins at 10AM and the last vehicle shouldbe out by 12PM. It consists of 80.2 miles, andit is a scenic tour of Armstrong County.Costs are $15 per bike or car, and $5 per rider.Winners of the baskets will not need to be present at the time of the drawing.Donations may be sent to “Janine’s Transplant Fund,” c/o Moonlight CreditUnion, P.O. Box 427, Worthington, PA 16262. Also, interested persons can callMarie Kijowski at 724-664-6242, Janine Crissman at 602-663-4628, Rick Boltzat 724-664-4974, or Denny Boltz at 724-525-0002. Information can also be foundonline at www. kijowskibenefit.com.Reprinted with the permission of The Kittanning Paper.

36 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comDisability Income Insurance: What Every Physician Needs to KnowBy Cameron ShortDisability insurance is a crucial safeguard for anypracticing physician. Many physicians do not realize thatthe group policies purchased by many practices can oftenfall short—leaving you unpleasantly surprised after it’stoo late.Disability is surprisingly common—through accident,injury, illness. According to a recent study, most peoplebelieve they have only a 16% chance of becoming disabledduring their working years, yet: If you’re younger than 35, chances are one in threethat you will be disabled for at least six months during the course of your career. 1 Men have a 43% chance of becoming seriously disabled during their workingyears. 2 Women have a 54% chance. 2 At age 42, it is four times more likely that you will become seriously disabledthan that you will die during your working years. 2Want to be better prepared? Consider the following:LEARN THE LINGOBefore shopping for DI, know which features to look for—and the language theinsurance industry uses to describe them. The following terms are part of the languagedescribing high-quality policies, and are what you should look for to get theright coverage: Non-cancellable: To avoid the possibility of losing your coverage when youneed it most, choose a policy that’s non-cancellable and guaranteed renewable toage 65—with premiums also guaranteed until age 65. With group or associationgroup coverage, you run the risk of being dropped and left unprotected at timeswhen age or health conditions can make it difficult to qualify for other coverage. Conditionally renewable for life: Although premiums may increase after age65, your policy should be guaranteed renewable for life, as long as you are workingfull time. “Own-occupation”: Own-occupation coverage defines “totally disabled”—and therefore eligible for benefits—as being unable to perform the material andsubstantial duties of your own occupation even when working in a different occupation.As a highly skilled professional who has invested so much in education andtraining, you want to make sure you have genuine own-occupation coverage.Group coverage is rarely true own-occupation coverage. Residual Disability coverage: Through a rider, a good individual DI plan canprovide you with protection against income loss suffered as a result of partial(residual) disability—even if you have never suffered a period of total disability.This kind of residual coverage is not available with many group plans. A choice of “Riders”: Riders offer optional additional coverage such as CatastrophicDisability Benefit (CAT), annual Future Increase Options, AutomaticIncrease and Cost of Living Adjustments, or “COLA.”PROTECT YOUR PRACTICE AND YOURSELFIf you are a physician, you must also protect your income source: your practice.Special policies, available from the same DI providers who offer high-quality individualcoverage, offer your practice protection while you recover from a disability.To help meet office expenses while disabled, consider a separate type of disabilitycoverage known as Overhead Expense (OE). Benefits reimburse your practicefor expenses such as rent, electricity, heat, telephone and utilities and interest onbusiness debts and lease payments on furniture and equipment.Overhead expense insurance designed for professionals pays some additionalcosts not included in regular business overhead expense policies—including thesalaries of employees except those who are members of your profession. Forexample, salaries for the receptionist and nurse would be covered, while salariesof other physicians would not. However, high-quality professional overhead policieswill cover at least part of the salary of a professional temporary replacementfor you.IN ADDITION…Partners in group practices will want to consider a policy known as a DisabilityBuy-Out or DBO. Just as life insurance benefits can be set aside to fund a buyoutby the remaining partner(s) if one partner dies, DBO is designed to fund thehealthy partners’ purchase of the disabled partner’s share of the business. With theproper agreement in place before a disability occurs, hard feelings and the conflictscan be avoided. In combination with the disabled partner’s individual DI coverageand OE, a DBO policy can allow the business to continue to generate anincome for the healthy partner, while the disabled partner is supported by the benefitsfrom his or her individual DI policy. Any continuing share of businessexpenses is reimbursed by the disabled partner’s OE policy until the buyout iseffected.Consider upgrading your DI coverage today. Like malpractice insurance, itcould be vitally important to your future economic well-being.Cam Short is a senior vice president/Investments with the CS Group of Stifel,Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Member SIPC and NYSE. Cam may be reachedin the Pittsburgh office at 412-456-0208.1Gallup survey conducted for UNUM Corporation (508 respondents ages 30 to 65), reported by Best’sReview.2“Why Disability” booklet, published by National Underwriter.Erie VA Helps Veterans Recover from Traumatic Brain InjuriesJohn Parmarter was nearing the end of his yearlongtour of duty in Iraq when a bomb exploded ina marketplace, knocking the National Guard Specialistoff his feet. Immediately after the blast, Parmarterappeared unharmed, but the soldier waslater diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injuryduring a routine, preventative TBI screening at theErie VA.“It was subtle. I didn’t wake up one day and say,‘Hey something is wrong with me.’ I started forgettingthings, messing things up—stuff I don’t normallydo,” says Parmarter. “I just assumed I was stillreadjusting from being over there. I didn’t think itwas anything serious.”Dr. Orinick, an Erie VA Polytrauma team physiatrist,says that many service members and veteranssimply brush off their TBI symptoms in the absenceof external signs of injury. This is one reason why thepreventative TBI screening—given to all returningservice members as part of their initial check-up—isso important.“Even a mild TBI can affect daily functions likememory and a change in vision, hearing, or smell,”says Orinick. “The key is to identify and treat theseproblems as early as possible. Their quality of lifeand functioning can be improved.”Last year, Erie VA treated more than 125 Veteransfor TBI’s. Patients who screen positive for a TBI arereferred to Dr. Orinick and the Polytrauma SupportClinic for an assessment and a treatment plan.Erie VA’s Polytrauma Support Clinic is a multidisciplinaryclinic comprised of staff members withareas of expertise in primary care, physical therapy,social work and occupational therapy. First, eachclinic member meets with a patient one-on-one.Then, the staff collaborates to develop a comprehensivetreatment plan for each veteran. These plans caninclude rehabilitation, medication management andbehavioral health care services.Nearly 90 percent of patients with a mild TBIrecover from their head injury within a year. MildTBI’s are often disguised behind symptoms such asheadaches, dizziness, lack of concentration, forgetfulness,irritability, balance problems, sensitivity tolight and noise, and sleep problems. Common psychologicalsymptoms include anxiety, depressionand the feeling of being overwhelmed.“I have good days and bad days. It’s like my mindgoes foggy. I lose words and I lose my train ofthought. I’m lucky though because I was really smartbefore, so now I’ll settle for just being smart,” saysParameter.Beyond providing health care services, the ErieVA also provides veterans with adaptive equipmentto help them regain some of their lost independence.Parameter received a Personal Digital Assistant(PDA) from the Erie VA. The device has beenextraordinarily in helping him remember dailyappointments and tasks, he says.Statistics suggest that some 360,000 Iraq andAfghanistan veterans may have suffered some degreeof brain injury to date. Yet, only about 9,100 servicemembers have been diagnosed with a TBI since thewar began. Eligible returning service members havefive years from their date of discharge to receive freeErie VA healthcare for any combat-related condition—includingTBI’s.“The hardest part is admitting you have braindamage and your cognitive skills are less than average,”says Parmarter. “But once you admit it, you canbegin to deal with it. The VA has helped me adapt tolife and maintain as much functionality as I can. Butit’s a process.”For questions or concerns regarding TBI injuries,please call Stacy Fritts, RN, at(814) 860-2647.

Issue No. 5 | 37wpahospitalnews.comHealthcare institutions now free to speak upfor or against candidates at election timeBy Ron HicksMidterm elections are fast approaching, and as candidatesgear up for political battle, the recently passedhealthcare reform legislation is already a hot button issue.Now, thanks to a groundbreaking Supreme Court decision,hospitals, insurance companies and other major healthcareinstitutions have the right to say something about it.Before the Supreme Court transformed the politicalplaying field in January 2010, the federal BipartisanCampaign Act of 2002 (BCRA) prohibited corporationsfrom directly funding political speech. To speak about anelection or candidate for federal office, or otherwise engage in “electioneeringcommunication,” corporations had to work indirectly through a separate politicalaction committee.Not anymore. In a landmark decision in Citizens United vs. FEC, the SupremeCourt declared the BCRA ban on corporate political speech unconstitutional.The conflict in the case began when nonprofit corporation Citizens United soughtto air a documentary critical of then-Senator Hilary Clinton, who was campaigningfor the Democratic Party’s 2008 Presidential nomination. The foundation wanted torelease the film on cable television prior to the start of primary elections, but couldnot do so under the rules set by BCRA. According to federal law, the documentaryqualified as a prohibited “electioneering communication” for three reasons:1) It was a broadcast, cable or satellite message referring to a clearly identifiedcandidate for Federal office.2) It was prepared within 30 days of a primary election.3) It would be “publicly distributed,” which in the case of a Presidential nomineemeans it could reach more than 50,000 people in a state holding a primaryelection.Concerned about possible civil and criminal penalties for violating BCRA, CitizensUnited sued the Federal Election Commission (FEC), arguing that the banon corporate political speech was unconstitutional. In an historic 5 to 4 decision,the Supreme Court agreed.Based on the ruling, federal law no longer denies organizations the right toexpress free political speech merely on the basis of “corporate identity.” Corporationscan now directly fund advertising in support of or in opposition to a candidatefor public office. The decision also eliminated the timeframe for when politicaladvertisements can appear publicly, leaving even the eve of an election openfor corporate ad release.Hospitals and other healthcare institutions planning to engage in politicalspeech should be aware of one major distinction following the Citizens Uniteddecision: Corporations publishing content directly must still follow the BCRA disclaimerrequirements and disclose the source of the advertisement. If they fund anadvertisement indirectly, however, there is no need to disclose the source.Corporations have the option to provide funding to a trade organization, whichwill in turn produce a political advertising campaign independently. These organizationsare permitted to accept the corporate contribution while keeping donorinformation private. That means, unless there is an intervening law, corporationscan channel funding toward election advertising without appearing to be directlyinvolved in any political argument.The important thing to remember is that though the impact of the SupremeCourt’s decision is far-reaching, it does not change federal and state laws barringcorporations from funding political campaigns. It is still a violation of the BCRAto directly finance a candidate’s election operations.There’s also no way to be certain the effect the decision will have on state andlocal statutes. Though it’s likely many will be overturned, some that are more narrowly-craftedmight remain valid. All healthcare organizations planning to fundpolitical speech in an upcoming election should make sure they follow all currentdisclaimer, disclosure and reporting requirements and stay abreast of changes tostate and local laws to avoid getting caught in a damaging lawsuit.Now that corporations have the right to express free political speech, they havethe ability to influence federal elections without directly contributing to the campaignsof any particular party or candidate. What is means for voters, future candidatesand even major issues like healthcare reform, remains to be seen. But inone way or another, the Citizens United decision will profoundly and historicallychange the shape of federal elections in the United States.Ron Hicks, attorney at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott, can be reached atrlh@muslaw.com.Mission Vision: Providing a world of visionIf you are able to read this, consider yourself veryfortunate. Good vision is something most of us takefor granted. Even if you weren’t born with 20/20vision, chances are you saw an eye doctor, got eyeglasses,or had surgery to correct the problem andwent on with your life. Sadly, for many low-incomeAmericans, proper eye care is a luxury they cannotafford.Exactly what is the difference between 20/20 and20/200 vision? Imagine you are driving a car andhave 20/20 vision, while another driver has 20/200vision. This simply means that you can clearly discerna detail from 200 feet away that the other drivercannot make out until they’re only 20 feet away fromit.Untreated vision problems are a handicap to many,especially in terms of education and/or employment.Twenty-five percent of school age children sufferfrom some type of visual impairment but have noidea they do not see well. They cannot know how theworld is supposed to look, if never given a chance tosee it properly. Only a thorough examination from alicensed eye care professional can determine thecause and extent of visual impairment, yet 48 percentof parents with kids age 12 or younger have nevertaken their child to see an eye doctor!“But schools check students’ vision every year…”Yes. In Pennsylvania, school nurses are responsiblefor administering a “vision screening” of every studentin their charge. However, things have changedover the years. There was a time when every schoolhad a full-time RN on site, but today the averageschool nurse in the Pittsburgh School District isresponsible for 3.25 schools. Consequently, manyschools only have an RN on site one day per week.Despite these challenges, dedicated RNs still getthe job done. Unfortunately, as many as 80 percent ofchildren who fail a school vision screening are nevertaken for an eye exam as recommended. Tragically,some of these kids end up in “special needs” classesbecause they’re “slow to learn.”Statistics like these drive the work of MissionVision, which was founded in 2004 by ophthalmologistWilliam C. Christie, MD. Mission Vision is a501(c) 3, non-profit organization dedicated to protectingthe eyesight of needy citizens in our greaterPittsburgh community (and abroad), and to preventingunnecessary blindness by providing educationabout the importance of maintaining eye health andthe dangers of neglecting eye care. These goals areaccomplished by partnering closely with other serviceproviders to ensure those who receive services arein the greatest need.Mission Vision supplies free vision screenings,prescription eyeglasses, and even surgery to thosewho desperately need, but cannot afford such services.Mission Vision staffs a mobile unit with volunteerlicensed medical professionals includingoptometrists, certified opticians and technicians. Freeeye clinics are held on site at area crisis shelters, freemedical centers, public schools, churches, and homelessministries throughout the Pittsburgh area.This past year, 24 free vision clinics, 757 freevision screenings, and 667 new pairs of prescriptioneyewear were provided to homeless, underinsuredand working poor citizens in Western Pennsylvania.What makes this especially impressive is that no“human resource” costs were incurred because everyoutreach event was staffed by volunteers. Thisenables Mission Vision to use nearly every pennydonated, providing direct services to our neighbors inneed. In fact, there is a waiting list of 35 crisis shelters,free clinics, churches, schools, etc., that wish tohost a free vision clinic to meet the eye care needs oftheir beneficiaries (the average wait is nine months ormore). If we are to reach our goal of serving 50 percentmore people this year, we need your help! Donationsare always needed and welcome, but more thananything, Mission Vision needs more optometrists tovolunteer their time and talent to give back to thecommunity.If you are interested in learning more about MissionVision and how you can help, please visitwww.mission-vision.org, or contact Executive DirectorSusan Henault at 724-772-5640 or susan@mission-vision.org.

38 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comBlackwood Named WPAHS SystemDirector for Radiation Physics, SafetyWest Penn Allegheny Health System has named Margaret(Peggy) Blackwood system director for Radiation Physicsand Radiation Safety, a new role responsible for all administrativeand managerial aspects of radiation safety, imagingand diagnostic radiological physics, and imaging physics educationalsupport.Blackwood will serve as Radiation Safety Officer for allWPAHS entities, maintaining and supervising state radioactivematerials and linear accelerator licenses, X-ray registrationsand regulatory records. She will also serve as the physicistof record and will establish and oversee the accreditationand testing of all diagnostic imaging equipment at WPAHSPeggy Blackwood facilities.Blackwood holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physicsand a Master of Science degree in Radiation Health from the University of Pittsburgh. Sheis board-certified in Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology Physics from the AmericanBoard of Radiology.She has more than 30 years of experience in radiation physics and safety, and has providedradiation services for WPAHS hospitals for the past 20 years. She has also givenmore than 50 national presentations on topics including radiation safety, imaging and radiationtherapy physics.Tressler Memorial’s First Cameosof Caring winnerElizabeth Tressler, Cameo of Caringaward winner, with Claudia Rager,vice president, Patient Care Services,Memorial Medical Center.Excela CMO receivesATHENA AwardAs part of National Nurses Week (May3-7), Elizabeth Tressler, a nurse on MemorialMedical Center’s Palliative Care Unit,was selected as Memorial’s first-everCameos of Caring award winner. TheCameos of Caring program honors exceptionalbedside nurses who work at acutecare hospitals. Proceeds from the Cameosof Caring Program & Awards Gala benefitthe Cameos of Caring Endowed NursingScholarship Fund, established in 2000,to offer financial support for nurses toenhance their education.This year, Carol Fox, M.D., Interim Chief Medical Officerfor Excela Health, is the recipient of the ATHENA Award, oneof the Westmoreland County Winners Circle Awards presentedby Seton Hill University’s E-Magnify women’s businesscenter. The awards are presented for recipients’ commitmentin advocating for women, women owned businesses and thecommunity at large. Fox is also a family physician at MountainView Family Medicine, where she has practiced for 20years. Countless patients have benefited from her kind, professionalbedside manner, philosophies of prevention andhealthy lifestyles, and dedication to managing diseases andconditions.A mentor at heart and an advocate for continuing medical Carol Foxeducation, Fox was appointed acting program director ofLatrobe Hospital’s Family Medicine Residency Program (of which she was also a graduate)in May 2003. By June 2007, she ascended to program director, a position she helduntil May 2009 when she was appointed Interim chief medical officer of Excela Health.Through an informal mentoring approach, she works with female family medicine residentsin understanding and getting the most out of residency training, blending family andcareer, considering different medical specialties and looking to other women in medicalleadership positions as role models. Whenever possible, she promotes connectionsbetween female medical students and physician role models and offers students time withfemale physicians in different medical specialties and clinical settings.Fox has served as the Captain of Excela Health’s Medical Staff Team for the AmericanHeart Association, raising funds to support medical research. She also serves on the AdvisoryBoard for Westmoreland County Mental Health/Mental Retardation. Fox’s love ofeducation extends to her spiritual life as she has been a Sunday school teacher and memberof the Board of Religious Education, First Reformed United Church of Christ, for morethan 10 years. Fox also has been a featured speaker for the United Way of Westmoreland’sWomen’s Leadership Council, empowering women to take charge of their health.Healthcare Professionalsin the NewsMedical Associates of Erie’s DiMarcoReceives POMA DistinguishedService AwardCarlo J. DiMarco, D.O., M.Sc., F.O.C.O.O., ophthalmologistwith Medical Associates of Erie, recently received the2010 Distinguished Service Award from the PennsylvaniaOsteopathic Medical Association, a statewide organizationfor physicians holding the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine(D.O.) degree. DiMarco received the association’s highesthonor in recognition of his countless contributions to theosteopathic profession and the POMA.A past president of the POMA, and the American OsteopathicCollege of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology(AOCOO), and immediate past president of the American Carlo J. DiMarcoOsteopathic Association (AOA), DiMarco has served in manyand various capacities for each organization. A fellow of the AOCOO, he is also a clinicalprofessor and regional dean of clinical medicine at the Lake Erie College of OsteopathicMedicine. He is also director of the ophthalmology residency program at Millcreek CommunityHospital in Erie.DiMarco is a graduate of LaSalle College in Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Collegeof Osteopathic Medicine, where he also received a master of science degree. He completedan internship and ophthalmology residency at PCOM. He is in residence at SterrettaniaOphthalmology, 4000 Sterrettania Road.Heilman wins first Eric W. SpringerProfessionalism AwardLaw firm Cohen & Grigsby announces that attorneyNancy Heilman was recently honored with the inauguralEric W. Springer Professionalism Award. (Springer co-foundedHorty, Springer and Mattern in Pittsburgh, one of the firsthealthcare law firms in the country, and was the first African-American to lead the Allegheny County Bar Association. Hehas also served on the board of numerous hospitals, healthcare facilities, corporations and foundations.) Established torecognize outstanding members of the W. Edward Sell AmericanInn of Court, (formerly the University of Pittsburgh Inn),this award honors deserving lawyers or judges in the regionwhose life and practice display sterling character and unquestionedintegrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the high-Nancy Heilmanest standards of the legal profession and the rule of the law.As a founding member of the W. Edward Sell American Inn of Court, Heilman servedas president from 2002-2004 and as vice president from 2000-2002. She remains a memberof the organization's executive committee. Heilman also served on the committee thatwas charged with selecting the first recipient of the Eric W. Springer ProfessionalismAward. Without Heilman's knowledge, the other committee members concluded thatHeilman should become the inaugural recipient.An attorney for more than 20 years, Nancy Heilman is a director and a member of theLabor and Employment and Litigation Groups at Cohen & Grigsby.LECOM professor earnsdoctoral degreeLake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School ofPharmacy faculty member Michael Madden recently completedthe requirements for the degree of Ph.D. in MedicinalChemistry from the Department of Chemistry at the Universityof Buffalo. Dr. Madden recently joined LECOM as aninstructor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, and with his degreewill earn the title of Assistant Professor in the School of Pharmacy.Michael Madden

Issue No. 5 | 39wpahospitalnews.comGrove City’s WrigleyWelcomes PA-CsDr. H. Martin Wrigley is pleased to welcome JamesF. Cobbett, PA-C and Trish Waddell, PA-C to hispractice of internal medicine in Grove City.Cobbett's 26-year career as a physician assistant hasincluded workin occupational medicine and surgicalservices. He completed his Assistantto the PrimaryCare Physician program from Community College ofAlleghenyCounty. Most recently, he supported themedical director of the OccupationalHealth Center atDuBois Regional Medical Center. Cobbett was awardedthe National Commission of Certification of PhysicianAssistants Gold Seal in Primary Care, based onJames F. Cobbett his exemplary academic performance.Waddell graduatedfrom Gannon University with honors with a Master ofScience degree in Physician Assistant in 2007. Her previousexperience has included working with ButlerEmergency Physician Associates at Butler MemorialHospital as well as delivering primary care at MedExpressUrgent Care Center in Cranberry and CenterTownship.Wrigley is also announcing extended hours at hisoffice, located at 647 North Broad Street Extension,Suite 107, in the Medical Office Building at GroveCity Medical Center. For more information, or toschedule an appointment, call 724-458-8460.Trish WaddellMillcreek’s Tursi namedpresident-elect ofmedical associationFrank Tursi, D.O., of Erie, was recently named presidentelectof the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association, astatewide organization for osteopathic physicians.Tursi, who is board certified in family practice and geriatrics,is an active staff member and director of medical educationat Millcreek Community Hospital. He is also a clinicalprofessor of family medicine, osteopathic manipulation medicineand geriatrics at the Lake Erie College of OsteopathicFrank TursiMedicine.Tursi is a graduate of Widener College in Chester and of the Philadelphia College ofOsteopathic Medicine.Penn State Fayette nursingeducator earns elite certificationDamien Zsiros, MSN, RN, aninstructor in the Nursing program at PennState Fayette, The Eberly Campus, hasearned the Certified Nurse Educator(CNE) designation. With this achievement,Zsiros join the ranks of only 171nurse educators in Pennsylvania whohold this national credential.The Certified Nurse Educator certificationprogram is administered by theNew York City-based National Leaguefor Nursing (NLN). The CNE certificationprogram was established in 2005 to“recognize excellence in the advancedspecialty role of the academic nurse educator.”Candidates for certification mustcomplete a rigorous standardized examination.Damien ZsirosZsiros has been employed as a nursingfaculty member at Penn State since 2006. He teaches second-level nursing studentsin the classroom, lab and on clinical experiences in several local hospitals. Zsirossays that he owes a great deal of thanks to the other nursing faculty at the FayetteCampus.Healthcare Professionalsin the NewsNew Chief Development OfficerNamed at HamotHamot Second Century Foundation is pleased toannounce that Charles “Boo” Hagerty has becomechief development officer and vice president. Hagertywill provide leadership for all philanthropic programsHamot Health Foundation conducts and will providecounsel to Hamot Leadership and the Hamot Board onmatters relating to philanthropy. He will also lead thestrategic planning efforts of all Hamot philanthropicprograms, including Hamot Medical Center, RegionalHealth Services, the Hamot Women’s Hospital, KaneCommunity Hospital and other affiliates. He willreport directly to Hamot President and CEO John Maloneand the Second Century Board. While in this new Charles “Boo” Hagertyrole, he will continue overseeing the Marketing andCorporate Communications Department.Hagerty joined Hamot in 2001 as vice president of Marketing and CorporateCommunications. In 2008, he became the vice president of Strategic Resources. Hehas served as acting chief development officer for the past year.Hagerty received a bachelor's of science in advertising from West Virginia University.He is a volunteer for many organizations in the Erie community and mostrecently served as the board chair for Erie’s Downtown Improvement District andACES. To learn more about Hamot Second Century Foundation log ontowww.hamotgift.org.Family Hospice and Palliative Carehires staffChristine MeduhoAntonia MartinezChristine Meduho has joined Family Hospice and PalliativeCare as a community liaison. Meduho will work toenhance relationships with Jefferson and Ohio Valley GeneralHospitals, as well as long-term care facilities in southernAllegheny County and parts of Washington County.Kelly Jones, LPCC,(Licensed Professional ClinicalCounselor), has joined as abereavement specialist. Jonesconducts individual and groupbereavement support sessionsfor children and adults whoseloved ones were under FamilyHospice care.Antonia Martinez hasjoined as Bereavement Departmentassistant, assisting in theKelly Jonescoordination and implementation of individual and communitybereavement counseling services.Wertz Evans Joins CorazonElizabeth M. Wertz Evans, an experienced healthcare professional, joins as aconsultant who will provide top-notch service delivery to Corazon’s national clientbase. Wertz Evans brings a range of experience from work at both hospitals andphysician practices in clinical, management, and leadership roles.Corazon is a Pittsburgh-based firm with offices in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Austin,TX, that offers consulting, recruitment, and interim management services for theheart, vascular, and neuro specialties.

40 | Issue No. 5wpahospitalnews.comPitt’s Dunbar Jacob elected to firstInternational Nurse ResearcherHall of FameJacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, RN, PhD, FAAN, dean and professor, University ofPittsburgh School of Nursing, will be one of only 22 esteemed nurse researchers tobe inducted into the newly created Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse ResearcherHall of Fame. This unique recognition eternally honors nurse researchers who areHonor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) members; whohave achieved long-term, broad national and/or international recognition for theirwork; and whose research has impacted the profession and the people it serves.STTI will induct 22 nurses who are leaders, mentors, scholars and role models.Their research projects have been focused on areas such as patient/family outcomes,community wellness, national or international healthcare policy and healthcareinterventions.For more information visit www.nursingsociety.or or www.pitt.edu.John T. CinicolaHeritage Valley appointsCMOJohn T. Cinicola, former division director and the interimchairman of the Department of Medicine at Allegheny GeneralHospital, has been appointed vice president and chiefmedical officer at Heritage Valley Health System.As a member of the senior management group, Cinicolawill oversee the medical staff office, including peer review,continuing medical education, ethics and the medical library.Cinicola is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.He obtained his medical degree from the West VirginiaSchool of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residencytraining at the Cleveland Clinic.Memorial’s WehnerNamed President, PA’sAmerican College ofEmergency PhysiciansDaniel R. Wehner, MD, chairman, Department ofEmergency Medicine, MMC, has been appointed to aone-year term as president of the Pennsylvania Chapterof the American College of Emergency PhysiciansFor the past year, Wehner has been active as president-elect,working on issues from emergency departmentovercrowding to healthcare reform. Dr. WehnerDaniel R. Wehnersays, “Among my goals are efforts to reduce emergency department crowding andboarding of admitted patients in our emergency departments, making strides towardimproving the medical liability situation in Pennsylvania and promoting access toquality emergency medical care to all who seek such care.”Wehner joined Memorial Medical Center in May 2000 as chairman of theDepartment of Emergency Medicine.Healthcare Professionalsin the NewsWenzel Receives American ThoracicSociety AwardSally Wenzel, M.D., professor of medicine, University ofPittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM), and director, Universityof Pittsburgh Asthma Institute @ UPMC/UPSOMreceived the 2010 Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishmentsat the American Thoracic Society (ATS) InternationalConference in New Orleans, May 17. She gave a presentationtitled “Asthma Phenotypes: A Prelude to MechanisticInsights on Disease Pathogenesis.”The award is given each year to ATS members whodemonstrate outstanding scientific contributions in basic orclinical research that further the understanding, preventionand treatment of respiratory disease or critical illness.Sally Wenzel Wenzel has a longstanding interest in severe asthma and isone of four National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-fundedinvestigators in the NIH-sponsored Severe Asthma Research Program. She has publishedwidely on differing inflammatory profiles in asthma and their relation to clinical characteristics.She is actively involved in clinical trials in severe asthma, incorporating theseinflammation variations in predicting response to therapy. Dr. Wenzel also is internationallyrecognized for her contribution to identifying vastly different personal approaches tothe treatment of asthma and severe asthma in particular.Wenzel served on the Pulmonary-Allergy Advisory Committee to the FDA, was assemblychair for the ATS section on Allergy, Immunology and Inflammation, and chaired theATS International Conference Committee. She was Deputy Editor for the American Journalof Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine from 2005 to 2009.CCMH Announces Addition of HamotAffiliated CardiologistCyril Gunawardane, MD, recently joined the medicalstaff at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital.Gunawardane is a cardiologist with the Hamot Heart Instituteand comes to Charles Cole Memorial Hospital as the hospital’srelationship with Hamot continues to evolve. Services,such as cardiology, are one of the priorities established byboth organizations in their recent announcement outliningtheir new clinical affiliation agreement. Gunawardane willhelp to expand cardiology services at CCMH, where he joinsDrs. Howard Miller and Steven Herrmann.Gunawardane completed an internal medicine residencyand cardiovascular diseases fellowship at State University ofCyril Gunawardane New York at Buffalo affiliated hospitals. He previouslyserved as director of non-invasive cardiology at the ErieCounty Medical Center, associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Buffalo’scardiology division, and as a staff cardiologist at the Olean Medical Group. He is anAmerican College of Cardiology fellow.Sandra Osborne, director of InformationSystems at Monongahela ValleyHospital, wa honored for a strong commitmentto work and the goals and idealsof the health care system with the 2010Edward J. Protin Memorial Award.The Protin Award is one of the hospital’smost prestigious honors and therecipient is not named until the night ofthe event. Osborne, whose career atMonongahela Valley Hospital spansmore than 40 years, received a standingovation from the audience. Criteria arethat the recipient must have served thehospital for at least 10 years, exhibitedsignificant contributions to the healthcaresystem over and above what isrequired, and demonstrated the qualitiesof leadership, loyalty, compassion andempathy.Osborne Receives MVH Protin AwardA graduate of Charleroi High School,Osborne began her MVH career evenLouis J. Panza Jr.,president and CEO ofMonongahela ValleyHospital (left) andRichard A. Barcelona,chairman of the Mon-Vale Health ResourcesBoard of Directors andMonongahela ValleyHospital Board ofTrustees, present the2010 Edward J. Protinaward to SandraOsborne.before college in 1964 with a part-timesummer job at the Charleroi-MonessenHospital. She is a nursing graduate of theLillian S. Kaufman School of Nursingand is also a Penn State alumni. In theeighties as an obstetrics nurse, she wasrated outstanding for many years.In the mid-eighties, she becameMVH’s first information system’s nurseliaison when the hospital launched nursingorder entry and in 1988 became managerof information systems for the hospital.Recently, through her direction of theinstallation of a hospital-wide computersystem, filmless radiology, stroketelemedicine and computerized physicianorder entry are a few of the new technicalsystems now available at the hospital.Physicians are able to link directly to thesystem and to patient medical recordsfrom their offices.

Issue No. 5 | 41wpahospitalnews.comClearfield Hospital ReceivesHighmark GrantClearfield Hospital recently received a $69,000 grant for its Electronic Health RecordsProject from Highmark Inc.The funding is through Highmark’s Health Information Technology Grant Program.Originally known as the Highmark eHealth Initiative, the $29 million grant program isdesigned to help physicians acquire health information technology for their practices toimprove patient safety and quality.The grant Clearfield Hospital received will be used to offset costs of implementingelectronic health records in the hospital’s physician clinics.“Having EHR technology is essential in today’s healthcare field. We’re grateful to HighmarkInc. for recognizing the importance of this project,” said David J. McConnell, presidentand chief executive officer of Clearfield Hospital.An EHR is a secured computer file of patient history, medical transcription notes andother information needed for a complete patient profile. EHR improves patient care byplacing information at health care providers’ fingertips – meaning doctors, nurses andother healthcare providers can access a patient’s complete medical history and the resultsof diagnostic testing quickly.Other benefits include better productivity, reduction of medical errors, lower operatingexpenses due to the elimination of paper processing and improved regulatory compliance.Clearfield Hospital embarked on its electronic health records initiative last summer.The $5 million project is expected to be finished in 2012, making the hospital eligible forapproximately $4 million in stimulus money.The hardware and software for the system was purchased from Siemens USA MedicalSolutions, a company that specializes in EHR technology. The installation of the system isbeing handled by Siemens, Stoltenberg Consulting and Clearfield Hospital.Physical Therapy ProviderOpens New Outpatient Facilityat Pittsburgh MillsWESTARM Physical Therapy of Lower Burrell is proud to announce the openingof its new facility at The Village at Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer Township.Services will be provided by experienced and licensed physical therapistsMichael Dunham, DPT and Linda McMannis MS, PT. Specialty programs offeredinclude Woman’s Special Care, Pediatrics, and Functional Capacity Evaluation(FCE) testing.Brian Jacob, MHA, president, believes this location is ideal to meet the increasedneeds of the local community due to the development of the Galleria at PittsburghMills and the surrounding mall area. He noted that this new center is located off ofRoute 28, convenient to the residents of Cheswick, Springdale, Frazer, Russellton,East and West Deer, Creighton, Tarentum, and the surrounding area.WESTARM is a Medicare Certified Rehabilitation Agency that has been in businessfor over 27 years. It offers outpatient Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapyat eight facilities and Skilled Nursing Homecare, primarily located in the Alle-Kiski Valley area.WESTARM is in the same plaza as Sonic restaurant and Ross Dress for Less, at1020 Village Center Drive, Tarentum. Visit www.westarmtherapy.com for moreinformation.Innovative Technology Developed at AGH Accurately MonitorsHealthcare Professionals’ Handwashing PracticesA novel electronic device developed by an AlleghenyGeneral Hospital physician and similar to that used inTurnpike toll booths may be an effective and practical wayto monitor the hand hygiene compliance of healthcareworkers, according to a study published in the May issueof the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.The article is available online at www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/iche/current.Pioneered by Andrew Sahud, MD, chairman of the InfectionPrevention Committee at AGH, the Semmelweis HandHygienometer incorporates use of a pager-size data receptorworn by an employee that communicates with a monitorattached to patient room entryways and adjacent soap dispensers.The device records whether soap or a sanitizerwas used as the employee entered and exited the room.In the study, researchers compared the device’s resultswith information on employee hand hygiene practicesobtained through direct observation. The Hygienometerwas worn for four weeks by medical interns and registerednurses. The researchers found that the technology waseffective, recording compliance rates similar to thoseassessed through direct observation.“As hospitals and healthcare workers confront increasinglyvirulent strains of bacteria, there is a sense ofurgency among physicians and institutions to address thesecomplications and reduce the rates of transmission,” Sahudsaid. “Innovative ideas are desperately needed to improvehand hygienecompliance, reduce infection rates and savelives.”“Our device is unique in that it acts like a hand hygienepedometer,” said Sahud. “We hope this method of monitoringwill eventually be embraced by the medical communityas a way of increasing self-awareness and as a motivationaltool. Our goal is to make hand hygiene habitual andautomatic.”In addition to Sahud, study authors included infectiousdisease specialist Nitin Bhanot, MD, MPH; hospitalistHarish Manyam, MD; medical residents Anita Radhakrishnan,MD, and Rajinder Bajwa, MD, and J. ChristopherPost, MD, Ph.D., president and scientific director, Allegheny-SingerResearch Institute.According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,hand hygiene remains the single most effectiveway of stopping the spread of hospital acquired infections,yet compliance rates among healthcare professionalsnationwide are generally low. Studies show that just 35 to40 percent of healthcare professionals follow recommendedhand hygiene protocols.An effective system of monitoring hand hygiene andenforcing accountability by empowering healthcareproviders with their own data could significantly increasehand hygiene rates, Sahud said. Further research mightinvestigate whether the device could also be used byemployees as a behavior modification tool, much as someonemight use a pedometer to motivate themselves to exercisemore.The Semmelweis Hand Hygienometer uses radio frequencytechnology that was developed in the 1930s andnow widely used in interstate highway toll collection (EZ-Pass), parking garages and retail inventory tracking.The device is named for Ignaz Semmelweis, who in1846 instituted hand hygiene as a means of limiting thespread of puerperal fever in Vienna.VA Butler Driving Program Keeps Veterans On The RoadThe ability to drive is a mark of independence, sowhen a patient has his driver’s license taken away it canbe upsetting. The loss of driving privileges is what happensto many patients when they suffer significant injuryor illness. VA Butler Healthcare has a new program committedto providing needed resources, tools and trainingto keep its veteran patients self-reliant and back on theroad safely.Kinesiotherapist Jill Umstead manages VA ButlerHealthcare Center’s “Driving Rehabilitation Program.”The program is the only VA program of its kind in WesternPennsylvania.“This is a service for our veterans,” said Umstead.“Our program works with veterans determining if theyare still safe to drive a motor vehicle.” The program alsoassists veterans to develop the skills needed if there areany special modifications needed to successfully operatetheir vehicle.“If a patient has a stroke (or another health issue that mayimpede driving capability) it is a doctor’s duty to report it (tothe DMV),” said Umstead. “With this program we have theability to do a pre-assessment to see if the veteran still hasadequate skills to drive and avoid losing his license.”There are myriad causes for a patient to potentiallyloose his/her license: loss of cognitive ability, a need forprosthetics, epilepsy, etc. The Driving Rehabilitationprogram not only assesses the veteran’s driving aptitudebut assists him in learning new skills that may be neededto get back on the road.The program is presented in two parts. The first partis the assessment, conducted in a driving simulator thatlooks very much like an elaborate driving arcade game.After an evaluation for depth perception, color blindness,cognitive ability; the veteran gets behind the wheel of hisvirtual automobile. If there is special adaptive equipmentthat is required, the veteran can practice and learn how touse it in the safety of the virtual car.“For example, if a person has a brace or prosthesis onhis right leg,” said Umstead, “we can train them on a leftfoot accelerator.”The driving simulator assesses patients or provides asafe environment to practice with adaptive equipment,but nothing replaces getting behind the wheel for real.The second stage of the program is to have the veteranstransfer their simulated driving into reality with a specially-adaptedtraining vehicle.“We can do the practical driving here in our van,”said Umstead, “or we have gone to the veteran’s home tocontinue training there.”Since the program’s start October 2009, more than 40veterans have been referred to the program.For information about VA Butler Healthcare visitwww.butler.va.gov.

42 | Issue No. 45New bariatric weight losssurgery program developedat Sharon RegionalSharon Regional has announced a new Bariatric SurgeryProgram, under the direction of Ravi Alapati, M.D., a generalsurgeon who specializes in minimally invasive surgery andsingle incision laparoscopic surgery. The program offers amulti-disciplinary approach to surgical weight loss, helpingto ensure the best possible outcomes. The bariatric surgeryteam consists of surgeons, dietitians, psychologists, physicaltherapists, nurses, and a coordinator to provide a weight lossprogram that addresses all of the needs of the patients. Thenew program offers three surgical options for patients, includinglaparoscopic RY gastric bypass, the Lap-Band system,and the vertical sleeve gastrectomy.Ravi AlapatiAccording to Alapati, the introduction of bariatric surgeryat Sharon Regional follows a natural progression in advancesthe Health System has made in laparoscopic surgery and SILS (single incision laparoscopicsurgery) over the past 24 months. "I am very excited about the new bariatric surgery program,"said Alapati. "Through specializing in the gastric bypass, lap band, and verticalsleeve gastrectomy procedures, we can offer our patients a truly customized surgicalapproach to their weight loss plan and insure we utilize the techniques that best fit theirindividual needs.”The laparoscopic RY gastric bypass is performed by introducing a laparoscope that isconnected to a video camera through small abdominal incisions, which magnify the viewof the internal organs on a television monitor. The entire operation is performed "inside"the abdomen after gas has been inserted to expand it. Special stapling instruments are usedto create a new, small stomach pouch. The remainder of the stomach isn’t removed, but iscompletely stapled shut and divided from the new small stomach pouch. The result is anearly sense of fullness, combined with a sense of satisfaction that reduces the desire to eat.The LAP-BAND® System is the first FDA-approved adjustable gastric band for use inweight reduction. It was approved for use in severely obese adults with a Body Mass Index(BMI) of 40 or more or for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one severe obesity-relatedhealth condition, such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and asthma.Unlike gastric bypass, the LAP-BAND® System does not involve stomach cutting, staplingor intestinal re-routing. In many cases, the LAP-BAND® System procedure can beperformed on an outpatient basis and the patient can return home the same day. By reducingstomach capacity, the LAP-BAND® System can help patients achieve long-termweight loss by creating an earlier feeling of fullness while maintaining a healthy diet. It isreversible and can be removed at any time.The newest technique in weight loss surgery is the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. VerticalSleeve Gastrectomy is a new bariatric procedure that offers an excellent alternative toboth the laparoscopic RY gastric bypass and adjustable gastric banding. Perhaps thebiggest advantage of the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy is that it does not involve any bypassof the intestinal tract. Patients don’t experience the complications of intestinal bypass thatcould include intestinal obstruction, osteoporosis, anemia, vitamin deficiency and proteindeficiency.Dr. Alapati was recently named to the 2010 list of “America’s Top Minimally InvasiveSurgeons” compiled by Consumers Research Council of America. He completed a fiveyeargeneral surgery residency at St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center in New York anda laparoscopic surgery fellowship at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York.During his fellowship, he focused on advanced laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery,along with extensive experience in bariatric surgery, including gastric bypass, theLap-Band system, and the new Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy procedures. He developed aspecial interest towards bariatric surgery after having seen the remarkable improvementand complete resolution of the obesity-related health conditions in patients who chosebariatric surgery.For more information on the bariatric surgery program at Sharon Regional call 724-983-5518 or 800-346-7997.When it opens in early 2011, HamotWomen’s Hospital in Erie will be theregion’s only free-standing facility exclusivelydedicated to women’s health. Inpreparation and celebration, Hamot recentlyunveiled its Faces of Women Campaign.“As we prepare for the opening of theHamot Women’s Hospital, we are excitedto launch this community project aimed atgathering the faces of this community,”said Debbie Burbules, president of HamotWomen’s Hospital. “We want to show justhow many women may be served by thenew facility.”FacesofWomen.org provides a way forparticipants to honor the women in theirlives by uploading a picture to the virtualwall. The goal of the project is to collectas many pictures as possible to be displayedon a banner on the day of the openingof the hospital. Each picture representsa woman who has the potential to beserved by the women’s hospital. Additionally,visitors to the website can purchasetiles with the uploaded photos on them thatwill be permanently places in the women’shospital.“This is an opportunity to become apart of history,” said Boo Hagerty, chiefdevelopment officer at Hamot. “What away to honor a special woman in your lifeand give back to the community at thesame time.”The five-story building has beendesigned with comfort in mind whilemaintaining Hamot’s commitment to providingthe highest quality care and moststate-of-the-art technology for its patients,wpahospitalnews.comDelta Dental Awards $10,000 Grantto Altoona Community Dental Clinicsto Help Uninsured PatientsTwo community dental clinics that provide much-needed services to low-incomepeople who lack access to care will receive a $10,000 grant from Delta Dental ofPennsylvania.The grant will directly reimburse clinic dentists for their services to patients whohave unmet dental needs and who are unable to pay on their own for those services.The first grant installment of $5,000 was presented today to the James W. BarnerCommunity Dental Clinics of the Partnership for a Healthy Community, whichprovides oral healthcare services for those with limited access to care due to medicalconditions, disability or limited financial resources. The two clinics collectivelyserve about 7,500 patients a year, including more than 4,000 children.The partnership was created by and operates as an affiliate of Altoona RegionalHealth System. The children’s clinic is located in and operated in partnership withthe Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center.Although about half of the clinics’ patients are beneficiaries under dental Medicaidor Medicaid Managed Care, many lack any financial resources to help pay forcare. The clinic provides these patients approximately $100,000 per year in servicessuch as dental screenings, restorations and emergency care.“Our clinics are a great story of good people coming together to help neighborsin need,” said Jerry Murray, president and CEO of Altoona Regional Health System.“We have been blessed by the hard work of devoted and community-minded individualswho turned a dream into reality.“Generous partners such as Delta Dental help us keep the dream alive. And we thankDr. Donald Betar, clinical director, who was instrumental in securing this grant.”The clinics serve an eight-county area (Blair, Centre, Huntingdon, Fulton, Bedford,Cambria, Clearfield, and Clinton). They are the area’s largest provider of oralhealthcare services to patients with limited resources.“These two clinics routinely absorb the cost of urgent and emergency care for thedentally underserved,” said Gary D. Radine, Delta Dental president and CEO. “We’repleased that this grant will go directly toward paying for this care. The grant is consistentwith our mission to expand access to care for as many people as possible.”For more information, visit www. deltadentalins.com or www.altoonaregional.org.MedWELL Urgent Care Center toopen in EbensburgCaregivers at Conemaugh Health System’s newest MedWELL Urgent Care Centerrecently began seeing patients in May. Physicians and other medical personnel,including physician assistants and nurse practitioners, staff the new center.“We want to stress that the MedWELL is not meant to replace the relationshipbetween a patient and their primary care physician, which is extremely important,”says Dr. David Carlson, chief medical officer of the Conemaugh Health System.“We realize, however, that there are times that people need medical attention whentheir physician’s office is closed, and the emergency room is the only option. Med-WELL is designed to provide an alternative for care when nonemergent situationsarise and the primary care physician is unavailable.”Some conditions that can be treated by the MedWELL team include common illnessesand colds, sprains and strains, minor cuts or injuries, and skin and eye irritations.Conemaugh Health System’s first MedWELL location on Scalp Avenue in Johnstownhas had more than 20,000 patient visits since opening its doors in September 2008.Located at Conemaugh Ebensburg, 236 Jamesway Road in the Jamesway Plaza,MedWELL will be open to walk-in patients seven days a week, Monday through Fridayfrom 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with limitedlaboratory and imaging services also available on-site. Call 814-472-7336.Hamot Women’s Hospital Unveils Faces of Women Campaignphysicians and employees. In addition tothe obstetrics, gynecology and neonatalintensive care, Hamot Women’s Hospitalwill encompass the broad range ofwomen's services through the Hamot forWomen program including heart health,breast health, orthopaedics, neuroscience,plastics, psychology and more.In November, Hamot Medical Centerreceived a check for $100,000 from PNCFoundation as part of the PNC Grow UpGreat Program. The grant is being used fora Children’s Play Room to be built in thenew hospital. The PNC Foundation Children’sPlay Room, as it will be named, willbe adjacent to the Second Floor welcomearea and lobby and will offer a dedicatedspace for children to play. With toys andbooks appropriate for children of a varietyof ages, the Play Room will offer an environmentfor parents and older siblings ofinfants to have fun and interact during areprieve from the clinical setting of thehospital.“Our goal it to create a facility that willserve the women of this region like neverbefore,” said John Malone, president andCEO at Hamot Medical Center. “The generosityof the PNC Foundation providesanother level of care for our patients andtheir families. We are very appreciative forits support.”For more information on Faces ofWomen and the Hamot Women’s Hospital,please contact Lucia Conti, manager ofMedia Relations, at Lucia.Conti@hamot.org. More information about Hamot can befound at www.hamot.org.

Issue No. 45 wpahospitalnews.com| 43VA Pittsburgh Receives $3.6 Million forVeterans Engineering Resource CenterVA Pittsburgh Healthcare System received a three-year, $3.6 million award to streamlinethe delivery of health care services to local veterans by establishing the Veterans EngineeringResource Center (VERC). As part of this award, the VAPHS VERC has partneredwith the University of Pittsburgh to apply engineering and systems-improvement principlesto such common healthcare hurdles as when to move patients through intensive careand how to best schedule surgeries and routine appointments.The Veterans Health Administration assessed 28 applications and gave four VA organizationsmonetary awards to set up VERCs. VAPHS was the only stand-alone facility toreceive this award (the other three recipients were networks of VA medical centers). VERCDirector Robert Monte, R.Ph., MBA, will lead the initiative at VAPHS alongside Chief ofStaff Rajiv Jain, M.D., and Associate Director Bonnie Graham, MBA. Pitt’s VERC teamwill include principal investigator Andrew Schaefer and co-principal investigator Jay Rajgopal,both associate professors in the Department of Industrial Engineering in Pitt’sSwanson School of Engineering, as well as researchers in Pitt’s Katz Graduate School ofBusiness, Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH), and School of Medicine.From a medical provider’s standpoint, the VERC at VAPHS will empower healthcareteams to work more efficiently and effectively—and in turn give veterans the best care andservices possible. The VERC projects will use engineering models to simulate both the randomand planned factors that determine the outcome of medical situations. For example, forone project, the team will analyze the factors that affect patient flow through intensive careunits, such as the patient’s condition and clinical and management decisions. They willattempt to establish the best strategies for making flow more efficient while maintaininghigh-quality care. Another project involves scheduling operating rooms more efficientlythrough such avenues as better predicting how long surgical operations will take.One long-term aim of the VERC at VAPHS will be to create healthcare delivery modelsthat will benefit facilities nationwide, in both the private and public sector. The VERCat VAPHS also plans to mold its educational collaboration into a permanent academic center.At this center, teams who have implemented the VERC’s successful engineering modelswill share their knowledge with VA colleagues and their professional counterpartsthroughout the country.The VERC at VAPHS is multidisciplinary in scope and helps sustain the existing educationalcollaboration between VAPHS and Pitt. Currently there are 25 students fromGSPH working at VAPHS on healthcare system improvement projects.For more information, visit www.pittsburgh.va.gov or www.pitt.edu.Jamison pilotsMETIman mannequinJameson Health System was recently chosen to do pilot simulation training for“METIman,” an advanced computerized mannequin. METIman is a duplicate of thesimulation man featured on the television show “Gray’s Anatomy.” METIman is cutting-edgesimulation technology, placing the latest in simulation engineering directlyinto healthcare professionals’ hands. METIman is human size and can breathe,bleed and talk and have physiologic settings that can be changed based on clinicalsituations. The goal is to promote patient safety and prepare staff for real unexpectedsituations. Some of the features of METIman are secretions from eyes, nose andmouth, vital signs, heart rate, blood pressure, and even comes with interchangeablemale and female genitalia.Memorial’s Wound Healing Centercelebrates 10th anniversaryCaregivers at Memorial Medical Center’s Wound Healing Center recently celebrated thecenter’s 10th anniversary.“It’s been an honor to serve those in our community and the surrounding communitiesfor the past 10 years,” says Marion DiMauro, manager, Wound Healing Center. “Becausewe tend to see patients repeatedly over a period of time at the Center, often times we developa personal relationship. Many of the people we treat become more than patients, theybecome our friends.” Each year, there are more than 5,000 patient visits to the center,which is located at Memorial Medical Center’s Lee Campus. Specialists at the WoundHealing Center treat a broad range of conditions, including: Pressure ulcers Diabetic wounds Wounds due tocirculatory problems Skin irritations Wounds due torheumatoid arthritis Slow-healing or chroniculcers and wounds Simple burns Traumatic wounds Complicated postsurgicalwounds Follow-up burn andscar careFor more information about the Wound Healing Center, call 814-534-6840 or visitwww.conemaugh.org.Accelero, Washington Hospital Team Upto Enhance Musculoskeletal ProgramThe Washington Hospital has teamed up with Accelero Health Partners -- a Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania based firm specializing in the coordination and delivery of care related tobones, muscles and joints – to enhance orthopedic, spine and rehabilitation services andcreate a musculoskeletal program of distinction for the greater Washington community.The partnership will focus on providing superior clinical outcomes, optimizing coordinationof care, and achieving exceptional patient satisfaction results. To reach this goal,The Washington Hospital Center for Orthopedics and Neurosciences has developed a comprehensiveprogram for the patient’s entire episode of orthopedic or neuroscience care,including prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation.The Washington Hospital already provides an array of musculoskeletal services includingjoint replacement, sports medicine, trauma, neurosurgery, spine, hand/upper extremity,and extensive rehabilitation services.For more information visit www.accelerohealth.com.

44 | wpahospitalnews.comIssue No. 45Series of Free Asthma Campsfor Children Starting atDuquesne UniversitySome at-risk children and their parents will attend asthma camps at Duquesne Universitythis spring and summer.Two Duquesne University researchers who were involved in a study of asthma in innercitychildren have received state funding to support asthma camps for children at the A.J.Palumbo Center on three Saturdays this year: April 24, May 15 and August 7.Drs. Jennifer Padden and Nicole Marcotullio, assistant professors in the Mylan Schoolof Pharmacy, were awarded a $60,831 grant from Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth UniversalResearch Enhancement (CURE) program for this initiative.The pharmacy school will take a leadership role in organizing and managing the campsand screening activities, in collaboration with physicians from the Department of Allergy,Asthma and Immunology at Allegheny General Hospital and members of For Your GoodHealth, a regional nonprofit focused on health education.More than 50 Duquesne pharmacy student volunteers, under the direction of pharmacyfellows Katie Garcia and Jonathan Ogurchak, will staff the camps.During the morning session, 5- to 17-year-olds will participate in screening tests andlearn educational materials that focus on asthma, smoking and the importance of healthyeating habits and physical activity. After lunch, Duquesne University athletes and othervolunteers will teach campers basketball fundamentals. Parents and caregivers are encouragedto stay and participate in a smoking cessation workshop and an Ask the Physicianpresentation. Health screenings will also be provided for caregivers.The program was developed in response to a recent asthma study that found 82 percentof inner-city children had undiagnosed or poorly managed asthma.“The first step is screening to identify as many children as we can who suffer from asthma,obesity or hypertension,” explained Marcotullio. “These conditions are often relatedbecause children with asthma frequently are not physically active so they are predisposedto obesity, which goes hand-in-hand with hypertension.”“We then invite these children to the camps, where we can educate them about asthmasymptoms and triggers, and provide activities and strategies that we hope will increase positivehealth outcomes,” added Padden, who developed an ongoing interest in asthmaresearch following her own volunteer experience at an asthma camp.There is no charge for the screenings or the camps, and free transportation to and fromthe Palumbo Center is available. Lunch and giveaways will be provided.For more information visit www.duq.edu or call Rose Ravasio, 412-396-6051.Conemaugh Employees Get Into the“Spirit of CARING”Employees at Conemaugh Health System devoted National Hospital Week (May 10-17)as a time to “give back” and assist community organizations in need of volunteers throughConemaugh Spirit of CARING Days.Health System employees on the Conemaugh Spirit of CARING Days committee spearheadedthe initiative, focused on encouraging employees and their families to volunteer intheir community. The committee deployed an employee survey to determine volunteerpreferences. Based on the survey responses, committee members then assigned employeesto a nonprofit organization in need of volunteers. As a result, nearly 200 ConemaughHealth System employees volunteered their time during National Hospital Week to nonprofitagencies located throughout Cambria, Somerset and Blair counties.“What’s wonderful about Conemaugh Spirit of CARING Days is that it is an employeecreated and employee driven effort to make a difference in the communities we serve,” saysScott Becker, chief executive officer, Conemaugh Health System. “It’s wonderful to see somany of our employees and their families dedicate their time and talents to help others, andthis is just the beginning. We look forward to growing this program year after year.”Some of the volunteer organizations that benefitted included St. Vincent DePaul SoupKitchen, Somerset SPCA, Womens Help Center, Beginnings, Inc., Goodwill IndustriesInternational, Inc., Flight 93 National Memorial, and Senior Activities Center.The CARING in Conemaugh Spirit of CARING Days is derived from the ConemaughHealth System’s values, which stand for:CompassionAlways put the patient firstRespectInnovationNo excusesGreat attitudeFor more information visit www.conemaugh.org.SRMC Opens Hematologyand Oncology CenterSouthwest Regional Medical Center is pleased to announce the opening of theHematology and Oncology Center, located on the first floor of Southwest RegionalMedical Center. The center will be under the medical leadership of MudussaraKhan, MD, Hematologist and Oncologist. Khan completed a fellowship in Hematologyand Oncology at West Virginia University School of Medicine and is Board Certifiedin Internal Medicine.According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, in 2006 Greene Countysaw 236 confirmed cancer cases, with more than more 100 resulting deaths. The topthree cancer concerns in Greene County include colon, lung and breast cancer. TheHematology and Oncology Center will provide exceptional care for patients sufferingfrom all types of cancers.Khan sees patients with blood disorders (hematology) and offers medical oncologyfor the treatment of brain, breast, colon, rectal, gastrointestinal, head and neck,leukemias, liver, lung, gynecological, prostate and urologic cancers. A few of thetreatments offered at the center include chemotherapy, biological agents, injectionsfor anemias and growth factors, iron infusions, immunoglobulins, therapeutic phlebotomiesand bone marrow biopsies. The center offers IV chemotherapy, but willnot perform radiation therapy.Khan will work closely with other physicians and surgeons in the market, suchas obstetrician and gynecologist Alexander Mecs; general surgeons AJ Patterson andFerdinand Martinez and primary care physicians. Once a diagnosis is made, thepatient can access Hematology and Oncology services by calling to make anappointment with Khan. She can accept referrals from patients’ doctors or thepatient can call after diagnosis to set up an appointment directly with Khan.The center’s treatment nurses have a combined 26 years of oncology experienceand are Oncology Certified.For more information, visit www.sw-rmc.com.Western PA Hospital News & Morewants to hear from you!Submit your comments and letters for a new"Letters to the Editor" section to hdkart@aol.com.Letters must be signed to be published.Please include pertinent information including yourposition, place of employment, and location.

Issue No. 45 wpahospitalnews.com| 45Invaluable Gifts of ServiceBy Rafael J. SciulloService can take on many forms. The term can make us think of those whobravely serve our country in the armed forces. Service can be a measure of the waycustomers are treated in a restaurant or retail setting. In the hospice industry, servicespeaks to the dedication, hard work and compassion with which we devote ourselvesto patients and families.KDKA-TV’s Jennifer Antkowiak and Nick Petti, Family Hospice managerof Volunteer Services, congratulate 30-year volunteers Vera Beck(second from left) and Carol Vockel (far right).At Family Hospice and Palliative Care, we have an extraordinary group of peoplethat serve alongside our employees. Our corps of 400 volunteers keeps ourorganization running smoothly and helps the patients and families we serve makethe most of life every day. The duties performed by our volunteers include officeadministrative support, bereavement support, staffing our fundraising events – andperhaps most importantly, offering patient and family companionship.For example, Family Hospice has a group of volunteers known as “CandlelightCompanions.” These compassionate, specially trained individuals help uphold thehospice principle that no one should die alone. They sit with patients during theirlast days and hours of life, especially when loved ones are not able to do so.Some of our volunteers are teens, like the ones who offered their time duringour first ever Memorial River Walk, last October. This fundraising event kicked offat the South Side Works Towne Square and we were grateful to have several teenvolunteers on-hand to help organize our efforts and offer refreshments for ourwalkers.Still others are actively engaged in life-enrichment activities. Volunteers helpfacilitate our community bereavement support groups. These monthly sessions,which are free to the public, help those coping with the loss of a loved one.Our volunteers perform a range of valuable services – always with a smile anda giving heart.Those smiles were aplenty recently when Family Hospice and Palliative Careheld our annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon at The Center for CompassionateCare. The event allows us to pay tribute to our volunteers and thank them forthe difference they make in the lives of our patients and families.At the luncheon, volunteers were recognized for their years of service (commemoratingfive years and multiples of five) to Family Hospice – in fact, we hadeight individuals celebrating 20 years of service, one at 25 years, and two whomarked 30 years of giving their time. Four of our volunteers were also presentedwith the Heart of Hospice award,given annuallyto those who exemplify the spirit and missionof hospice – it is the highest recognitionthat can be bestowed in our field.The guest speaker at our luncheon wasKDKA-TV news anchor Jennifer Antkowiak,whose presentation focused on care giving.Relating her own experience helping take careof her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ms.Antkowiak’s message was particularly usefulto our volunteers. Many of them help care forour patients – and many others joined our volunteerforce because of a patient experience intheir own family. Ms. Antkowiak reminded ourvolunteers to take care of themselves as well –talking about how physically and emotionally overwhelming the duties of a caregivercan become.It is our hope that our volunteers not only enjoyed lunch – but benefited by theentire experience. Hospice certainly benefits by the work of its volunteers. TheNational Hospice and Palliative Care Organization estimates that in 2008 alone,over a half-million hospice volunteers provided 25 million hours of service. To putthat into perspective, the average person who works 40 hours a week will accumulatejust over 83,000 hours after 40 years on the job.Despite our huge advancements in medicine and technology, Western Pennsylvaniais still very much an area that respects a strong work ethic. Hospice volunteersexemplify that spirit as well as anyone, because they have answered the callto truly give of themselves for completely selfless reasons. Saying “thank you”barely seems adequate. The services they provide are invaluable gifts from theheart.Rafael J. Sciullo, MA, LCSW, MS, is president and CEO of Family Hospice and PalliativeCare and past chairperson of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.He may be reached at rsciullo@familyhospice.com or 412-572-8800. FamilyHospice and Palliative Care serves 11 counties in Western Pennsylvania.

46 | wpahospitalnews.comIssue No. 45

Issue No. 45 wpahospitalnews.com| 47Health Care Event & Meeting GuideGBA’s greenSCENE:“A Celebration of Firsts!”Senator John Heinz History CenterJune 10www.gbapgh.org or email karenp@gbaphgh.org115th Eye and Ear Anniversary Alumni and Vision Research DayIBEW ( Five Hot Medal Street –Southside)June 11412-647-2256, gallaghersa@upmc.eduTemporal Bone Microanatomy & Hands-on Dissection WorkshopGeorge J. Magorvern, M.D. Conference Center, 2nd FloorJune 11-12412-359-4952, tmariani@wpahs.orgSummer Anesthesia SeminarWilliam Pitt UnionSaturday, June 12www.sas.pitt.edu, (412) 624-4860, pittsas@pitt.eduPassavant Hospital Foundation 23rd Annual Pro-Am Invitational Golf BenefitWildwood Golf Club in Allison ParkJune 14(412) 367-6640Diabetes UpdatePenn State, University Park Simulation LabJune 18Wands Bickle 814-863-6780, wqb2@outreach.psu.edu16th Annual Gold InvitationalJohn G. Rangos, Sr. School of Health SciencesDiamond Run Golf Club, SewickleyJune 21Contact Mrs. Deborah L. Curica at 412-396-5551 or durica@duq.eduCancer Caring Center’s Jeans, Jewels & Jimmy B207 Bailey Avenue, Mt. Washington, PAJune 25, 7-10pmOnly 200 tickets are available, $100 each412-622-1212, info@cancercaring.org, www.cancercaring.orgPancreasFest 2010 and the 6th International Symposium on Inherited Diseasesof the PancreasThe University Cub University of PittsburghJuly 29 – July 31Call 412-648-3232 or email MerusiJ@msx.dept-med.pitt.edu9th Annual Pittsburgh Vascular Symposium: Controversies and Updates onCurrent TherapyOmni William Penn HotelSeptember 10-11Call 412-647-8232 or email ccehsconfmgmt201@upmc.eduSHSMD's Annaul Conference and Exhibits, Connections 2010: Healthcare on theWinds of ChangeChicago, ILSeptember 12-15www.shsmd.org/connectionsHealthcare Facilities Symposium & ExpoNavy Pier, Chicago, ILSeptember 14-16www.hcarefacilities.comEndoscopic Endonasal Surgery of the Cranial Base and Pituitary FossaUPMC Presbyterian Suite B-400September 19-22Call 412-647-6358 or email tutchko@upmc.eduAllegheny County Immunization CoalitionIBEW Circuit Center and BallroomOctober 7Call 412-578-8305 or email ihodge@achd.netTo list an event or meeting, contactMargie Wilson at margiehn02@aol.comEKG Rhythm and RhymePenn State, University Park Simulation LabJune 25Wands Bickle 814-863-6780 wqb2@outreach.psu.eduJeans, Jewels & Jimmy B Sponsored by Cancer Caring Center2007 Bailey Ave, Mt. WashingtonJune 25Call 412-622-1212 or email info@cancercaring.orgFrom Controversy to Consensus in Cardiovascular Care: An Interactive Forum forGeneral Practitioners and CardiologistsNemacolin WoodlandsJune 25-27Call 412-647-8232 email ccehsconfmgmt301@upmc.eduRedo Cardiac Surgery in Adults 2010Herberman Conference CenterJune 26-27slomkasm@upmc.eduLab Values and Your PatientPenn State, University Park Simulation LabJuly 12Wands Bickle 814-863-6780 wqb2@outreach.psu.eduAdvanced Wound CarePenn State, University Park Simulation LabJuly 16Wands Bickle 814-863-6780 wqb2@outreach.psu.eduAdvancements in IV Therapy and PhlebotomyPenn State, University Park Simulation LabJuly 19 and July 20Wands Bickle 814-863-6780 wqb2@outreach.psu.eduOptical Coherence TomographyFairmont HotelJuly 24Call 412-647-2256 email gallaghersa@upmc.edu

48 | wpahospitalnews.comIssue No. 45Contact Margie Wilson to find out howyour organization or business can be featuredin the Hospital News Resource Directory.If your organization is looking for away to get the word out to more than36,000 health care professionals everymonth, then our Resource Guide is right foryou! Call 724.468.8360 today!COMPUTER AND IT SERVICESWOW Global Corporation, LLCWOW Global, a certified Women-owned and Minority BusinessEnterprise (WBE/MBE), is an award-winning Healthcare IT companythat provides Healthcare IT consulting, Healthcare IT productsand Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) solutions to physicianpractices, hospitals and healthcare organizations. WOW Global haspartnerships with several leading EMR companies. Our strengthsinclude EMR/EHR implementation and support services, EDI andXML integration, medical billing and claims processing and,HIPAA privacy and security compliance. WOW Global hasdeployed more than 2500 consultants on over 350 projects in morethan 35 states.Contact us today for a FREE assessment.Phone: (412) 747-77445168 Campbells Run Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15205www.wowglobal.comCREDENTIALS VERIFICATIONCAMBRON CREDENTIALS, INC.A full service Credentials Verification Organization offeringverification services, employee screening, ongoing monitoring,quality audits and customized software. Caring for ourclients since 2001.161 Western Avenue, Suite 201, St. Johnsbury VT 05891www.cambroncredentials.com802-473-7411Trust, but VerifyDIGITAL DOCUMENT SCANNINGCOMPUCOM INC.Organizing your files in the digital world need not be a challenge!Save costly staff time and money with out TargetedServices approach to solving your document problems.Working within the guidelines you establish, we develop thebest program for converting and maintaining your files. Ourservices include analysis, solution recommendation, scanning,and retrieving to suit your needs. All performed professionallyand confidentially. Locally owned and operated,COMPUCOM Inc. has been serving document managementclients since 1978 with progressive technology that lets youconcentrate on your business while we keep you running efficiently.Call for a free, no cost consultation.COMPUCOM Inc.412-562-0296www.compucom-inc.comDRUG ADDICTION/ALCOHOLISM TREATMENTGATEWAY REHABILITATION CENTERGateway Rehabilitation Center provides treatment for adults,youth, and families with alcohol and other drug relateddependencies - within a network of inpatient and outpatientcenters located in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Services offeredinclude evaluations, detoxification, inpatient, partial hospitalization,intensive outpatient, outpatient counseling, and malehalfway houses. Gateway also offers comprehensive schoolbasedprevention programs as well as employee assistanceservices. Visit gatewayrehab.org or call 1-800-472-1177 formore information or to schedule an evaluation.EMPLOYMENT DIRECTORYINTERIM HEALTHCARE HOME CARE ANDHOSPICE SERVICESOffers experienced nurses theopportunity to practice their professionin a variety of interestingassignments – all with flexiblescheduling and professional support.Assignments in pediatric andadult home care, school staffing,and home health or hospice visits.Full- or part-time - the professionalnursing alternative throughoutsouthwestern Pennsylvania since 1972.Contact Paula Chrissis or Kristin Petyak, Recruiters1789 S. Braddock, Pittsburgh, PA 15218800-447-2030www.interimhealthcare.comPRESBYTERIAN SENIORCAREAs this region’s premiere provider of living and care optionsfor older adults, Presbyterian SeniorCare offers a wide varietyof employment opportunities - all with competitive wagesand comprehensive benefits - at multiple locations throughoutSouthwestern Pennsylvania. As part of its philosophy ofHuman Resources, PSC strives to develop a rewarding workenvironment that is rich in interdepartmental cooperation andthat recognizes the value of each individual employee.Human Resources Department1215 Hulton Road, Oakmont, PA 15139412-826-6123 or call our “Job Line” 412-826-6080ST. BARNABAS HEALTH SYSTEMRNs, LPNs, Home Care Companions, Personal Care, Attendants,Hospice Aides, Dietary AidesSt. Barnabas Health System frequently has job openings at itsthree retirement communities, two assisted living facilities,two nursing homes, and an outpatient medical center thatincludes general medicine, rehab therapy, a dental practice,home care and hospice. Campuses are located in Gibsonia,Allegheny County, and Valencia, Butler County. Enjoy greatpay and benefits in the fantastic suburban setting. Both campusesare a convenient drive from the Pennsylvania Turnpike,Routes 8, 19 and 228, and Interstates 79 and 279. ContactMargaret Horton, Executive Director of Human Resources,St. Barnabas Health System, 5830 Meridian Road, Gibsonia,PA 15044. 724-444-JOBS; mhorton@stbarnabashealthsystem.com.www. stbarnabashealthsystem.com.EXTENDED CARE & ASSISTED LIVINGASBURY HEIGHTSFor a century, Asbury Heights, operated by United MethodistServices for the Aging, has been providing high-quality compassionatecare to older adults in Southwestern Pennsylvania.Asbury Heights is a faith-based, non-profit charitable organizationlocated in Mt. Lebanon. Through various accommodations,services and amenities, the needs of independent livingresidents can be met. For residents requiring more care,the continuing care community also offers assisted living,nursing and rehabilitative care and Alzheimer’s specialtycare. The Health and Wellness Center is headed by a boardcertified, fellowship trained geriatrician. Residents may betreated by on-site specialists or retain their own physicians.Rehabilitative therapies are also available on-site. A varietyof payment options are available to fit individual financialsituations. The application process is very quick and easy anddoes not obligate the applicant in any way.For more information, please contact Joan Mitchell for independentliving; Michele Bruschi for Nursing Admissions; orLisa Powell for Assisted Living at 412-341-1030. Visit ourwebsite at www.asburyheights.org.BAPTIST HOMES SOCIETYFor almost 100 years, Baptist Homes Society has served olderadults of all faiths throughout the South Hills. As a continuingcare retirement community, we provide a full continuumincluding independent living, short-term rehabilitation, personalcare and assisted living, memory support, skilled nursingprograms and hospice care. Between our two campuses,we offer one-stop shopping for senior living services. BaptistHomes, our Mt. Lebanon campus, serves nearly 300 olderadults. Providence Point, our new campus in Scott Township,has the capacity to serve over 500 older adults. Our missionis to offer a full continuum of enriched living, compassionatecare, and benevolence to a broad spectrum of individuals.Baptist Homes Society is both Medicare and Medicaid certified.For more information, visit our websites (www.baptisthomes.orgor www.providencepoint.org) or arrange for apersonal tour at either campus by calling Karen Sarkis, CommunityOutreach Liaison, at 412-572-8308. Baptist Homes islocated at 489 Castle Shannon Boulevard, Mt. Lebanon, andProvidence Point is located at 500 Providence Point Boulevard,Scott Township.COMMUNITY LIFELiving Independently for EldersCommunity LIFE is a non-profit program that offers allinclusivecare that goes beyond the traditional boundaries ofelder care. It allows seniors to remain in the community,maintain their independence, and allows them to enjoy theirgolden years at home. Community LIFE provides olderadults with fully integrated and coordinated health and socialservices, usually at no cost to qualified individuals. Participantsin the program are transported to our day health centeron an as-needed basis, to receive health care and social services,meals, and participate in various activities.The LIFE Center is staffed by a geriatric physician, RN’s,physical and occupational therapists, dietician, social worker,and aides, and includes a medical suite for routine exams andminor treatments, some emergency care, therapy areas, dining/activityspace, personal care area and adult day services.Community LIFE offers complete, coordinated health carefor the participant, including all medical care, full prescriptiondrug coverage, rehab therapies, transportation and inhome care. If you or someone you care about is having difficultyliving in the community, then call Community LIFE at866-419-1693.GOLDEN LIVINGCENTER - MT. LEBANONGolden Living ... providing complete senior care.At Golden LivingCenter - Mt. Lebanon, we believe that for seniorsto live life to the fullest, they must receive the highest-qualityservices. Professional, 24-hour care is provided in a comfortableand inviting setting. Our residents participate in a varietyof results-driven programs that help them reach theirhealthcare goals, build confidence in their abilities, and maintaintheir independence.Golden Living Center - Mt. Lebanon350 Old Gilkeson Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15228412-257-4444 • Fax: 412-257-8226KANE REGIONAL CENTERSThe Kane Regional Centers, located in Glen Hazel, McKeesport,Ross and Scott, provide 24-hour skilled nursing care,rehabilitation services, specialty medical clinics and dedicatedunits for dementia care to the residents of Allegheny County.Admission to the Kane Regional Centers is based on medicalneeds and can occur within 24 hours, including weekends andholidays. Kane accepts a number of insurance plans as well asprivate pay. To apply for admission to the Kane Regional Centerscall 412-422-6800.OAKLEAF PERSONAL CARE HOME“It’s great to be home!”Nestled in a country setting in a residential area of BaldwinBorough, Oakleaf Personal Care Home provides quality, compassionatecare to adults who need assistance with activities ofdaily living. As we strive to enhance the quality of life of ourresidents, our staff constantly assesses their strengths and needsas we help them strike that fine balance between dependenceand independence. Oakleaf offers private and shared rooms, alllocated on one floor. Our home includes a spacious, sky-lighteddining room, library, television lounges, sitting areas and anactivity room. Our fenced-in courtyard, which features a gazebo,provides our residents with a quiet place to enjoy the outdoors,socialize with family and friends, and participate inplanned activities. Upon admission, the warmth of our surroundingsand the caring attitude of our staff combine to makeOakleaf a place residents quickly call “home”. Please call foradditional information, stop by for a tour or visit us on our website.www.oakleafpersonalcarehome.com.3800 Oakleaf Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15227Phone 412-881-8194, Fax 412-884-8298Equal Housing OpportunityPRESBYTERIAN SENIORCAREA regional network of living and care options for older adultsthroughout southwestern Pennsylvania. Services and facilitiesinclude skilled and intermediate nursing care, rehabilitation,personal care, specialty Alzheimer’s care, adult day care, homehealth care, senior condominiums, low-income and supportiverental housing. For more information:Presbyterian SeniorCare - Oakmont1215 Hulton Road, Oakmont, PA 15139412-828-5600Presbyterian SeniorCare - Washington825 South Main Street, Washington, PA 15301724-222-4300ST. BARNABAS HEALTH SYSTEMRegardless of what lifestyle option a senior needs, St. BarnabasHealth System has a variety of choices to fulfill that need.Independent living options include The Village at St. Barnabasapartments, The Woodlands at St. Barnabas carriage homes,and The Washington Place at St. Barnabas efficiency apartments.Assisted living is available at The Arbors at St. Barnabasin Gibsonia and Valencia. Twenty-four hour skilled care isprovided at St. Barnabas Nursing Home and Valencia Woodsat St. Barnabas. St. Barnabas Medical Center is an outpatientfacility that includes physicians, chiropractors, dentists, rehabilitationtherapists, home care and hospice. The system’scharitable arm, St. Barnabas Charities, conducts extensivefundraising activities, including operating the Kean Theatreand Rudolph Auto Repair. St. Barnabas’ campuses are locatedin Gibsonia, Allegheny County, and Valencia, Butler County.For more information, call 724-443-0700 or visit www.stbarnabashealthsystem.com.WESTMORELAND MANORWestmoreland Manor with its 150 year tradition of compassionatecare, provides skilled nursing and rehabilitation servicesunder the jurisdiction of the Westmoreland County Board ofCommissioners. A dynamic program of short term rehabilitationservices strives to return the person to their home while anemphasis on restorative nursing assures that each personattains their highest level of functioning while receiving longterm nursing care. Westmoreland Manor is Medicare and Medicaidcertified and participates in most other private insuranceplans and HMO’s. We also accept private pay.Eagle Tree Apartments are also offered on the WestmorelandManor campus. These efficiency apartments offer independentliving in a protective environment.Carla M. Kish, Director of Admissions2480 S. Grande Blvd., Greensburg, PA 15601724-830-4022HOME CARE / HOSPICEANOVA HOME HEALTH AND HOSPICEAnova Healthcare Services is a Medicare-certified agency thathas specialized care in home health, hospice & palliative care,and private duty. Anova concentrates their care within sevencounties in South Western PA. Through Anova’s teamapproach, they have developed a patient-first focus that trulyseparates their service from other agencies in the area. HomeHealth care is short term acute care given by nurses and therapistsin the home. Private duty offers care such as companionship,medication management and transportation services.Hospice is available for people facing life limiting conditions.With these three types of care, Anova is able to offer a continuumof care that allows a patient to find help with every conditionor treatment that they may need. Anova’s goal is to providecare to enable loved ones to remain independent whereverthey call home. Anova Knows healthcare … Get to knowAnova!580 Broad Avenue Ext., Suite 2Belle Vernon, PA 150121229 Silver Lane, Suite 201Pittsburgh, PA 151361-877-266-8232BAYADA NURSESBayada Nurses has been meeting the highest standards ofclinical excellence in home health care for more than 30years. Every client in our care is supervised by an experiencedRN and both clients and staff have access to 24-houron-call support, seven days a week. With homemaking, personalcare, and skilled nursing care that extends to the hightechlevel, our Pittsburgh location provides quality in-homecare to pediatric, adult and geriatric clients. The office is certifiedby Medicare and Medicaid and accepts a wide varietyof insurance programs and private pay. All staff are screenedrigorously and fully insured.www.bayada.com• Pittsburgh OfficePhone 412-473-0210 • Fax 412-473-02121789 S. Braddock Avenue, Suite 395,Pittsburgh, PA 15218CARING HANDSSenior Health Care. Est. 1982. “Hands that will make a differencewhen it comes to in-house health care.” Available 24hours, seven days a week. Phone answers 24 hours. CaringHands services consist of bath visits, personal care, sitters, 24hour companions, home making in your home, hospital ornursing home. Initial Assessment Free. Ask about our noovertime rate on all holidays. Please call 412-349-4633.GATEWAY HOSPICEGateway’s hospice services remains unique as a locallyowned and operated service emphasizing dignity and qualityclinical care to meet the needs of those with life limiting illness.Quality nursing and home health aide visits exceedmost other agencies. Our commitment to increased communicationand responsiveness to those we serve is our priority.Medicare certified and benevolent care available. Gatewayserves patients in Allegheny and ALL surrounding counties.Care is provided by partnering with facilities and hospitals inaddition to wherever the patient “calls home”.For more information call 1-877-878-2244.HEARTLANDAt Heartland, we provide Home Care, Hospice or IV Care.We have a special understanding of the health care challengesof our patients, as well as their families and loved ones maybe experiencing. Through our passion for excellence, we arecommitted to enhancing their quality of life through our compassionateand supportive care. Most of the care Heartlandprovides is covered under Medicare, Medicaid or many healthcare plans including HMOs, PPOs and private insurance.Our team can provide more information about Heartland’sservices and philosophy of care at anytime. Please feel free tocontact us at 800-497-0575.HOMEWATCH CAREGIVERSHomewatch CareGivers serve our clients with affordable andtrusted care providing families with peace of mind and freedom.Staff are selected based on experience, skill anddependability and are provided orientation to the client andcontinuous training. We provide free initial assessments, individualizedcare plans and in home risk assessments. Ourservices are professionally supervised to meet quality assurancestandards. Homewatch CareGivers go the extra mile tomake a meaningful difference in the lives of our clients.Penn Center West Two Suite 120, Pittsburgh, PA412-788-1233 or 412-999-2611INTERIM HEALTHCAREInterim HealthCare is a national comprehensive provider ofhealth care personnel and services. Interim HealthCare hasprovided home nursing care to patients since 1966 and hasgrown to over 300 locations throughout North America.Interim HealthCare of Pittsburgh began operations in 1972 toserve patient home health needs throughout southwesternPennsylvania and northern West Virginia. IHC of Pittsburghhas been a certified Medicare and Medicaid home healthagency since 1982. IHC provides a broad range of homehealth services to meet the individual patient’s needs - fromsimple companionship to specialty IV care and ventilatordependent care to hospice care - from a single home visit to24 hour a day care. IHC has extensive experience in workingwith facility discharge planners and health insurance casemanagers to effect the safe and successful discharge andmaintenance of patients in their home.For more information or patient referral, call 800-447-2030.1789 S. Braddock, Pittsburgh, PA 152183041 University Avenue, Morgantown, WV 26505LIKEN HOME CARE, INC.Established in 1974, is the city’s oldest and most reputableprovider of medical and non-medical care in private homes,hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. Servicesinclude assistance with personal care and activities ofdaily living, medication management, escorts to appointments,ambulation and exercise, meal preparation, and lighthousekeeping. Hourly or live-in services are available at theCompanion, Nurse Aide, LPN and RN levels. Potentialemployees must meet stringent requirements; screening andtesting process, credentials, references and backgrounds arechecked to ensure qualifications, licensing, certification andexperience. Criminal and child abuse background checks aredone before hire. Liken employees are fully insured for generaland professional liabilities and workers’ compensation.Serving Allegheny and surrounding counties. Free Assessmentof needs available.For more information write to Private Duty Services, 400Penn Center Blvd., Suite 100, Pittsburgh, PA 15235, visit ourwebsite www.likenservices.com, e-mail info@likenservices.comor call 412-816-0113 - 7 days a week, 24 hours perday.LOVING CARE AGENCY OF PITTSBURGHLoving Care Agency is a national provider of extended hourhome health services with 31 offices in 7 states. The Pittsburghoffice cares for medically fragile children and adultswith a variety of diagnoses. Specializing in the most complexcare, including mechanical ventilation, the staff of LovingCare Agency of Pittsburgh includes experienced RNs, LPNsand home health aides. Services are available 24 hours perday, 7 days per week in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler,Washington and Westmoreland Counties. Backgroundsand experience of all staff are verified. Loving Care Agencyis licensed by the PA Department of Health.Contact information:Loving Care Agency of Pittsburgh875 Greentree Road, Building 3 Suite 325,Pittsburgh, PA 15220Phone: 412-922-3435, 800-999-5178Fax: 412-920-2740www.lovingcareagency.comPSA HEALTHCAREAt PSA Healthcare, we believe children are the best cared forin a nurturing environment, where they can be surrounded byloving family members. We are passionate about workingwith families and caregivers to facilitate keeping medicallyfragile children in their homes to receive care. PSA Healthcareis managed by the most experienced clinicians, nurseswho put caring before all else. Our nurses are dedicated totreating each patient with the same care they would want theirown loved ones to receive. The Pittsburgh location has beenproviding trusted care since 1996, for more information call412-322-4140.

Issue No. 45 wpahospitalnews.com| 49VITAS INNOVATIVE HOSPICE CARE ®OF GREATER PITTSBURGHVITAS Innovative Hospice Care is the nation’s largest and oneof the nation’s oldest hospice providers. When medical treatmentscannot cure a disease, VITAS’ interdisciplinary team ofhospice professionals can do a great deal to control pain,reduce anxiety and provide medical, spiritual and emotionalcomfort to patients and their families. We provide care foradult and pediatric patients with a wide range of life-limitingillnesses, including but not limited to cancer, heart disease,stroke, lung, liver and kidney disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS,Alzheimer’s and AIDS. When someone becomes seriously ill,it can be difficult to know what type of care is best ... or whereto turn for help. VITAS can help. Call 412-799-2101 or 800-620-8482 seven days a week, 24 hours a day.HOSPITALSMEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONCMS MEDICAL WORDSDo you need help with medical transcription? CMS MedicalWords may be the answer. Founded over 20 years ago by CarolynSvec of Elizabeth Township, her company works withmulti-physician facilities as well as solo practicing physicians.CMS Medical Words also provides transcription serviceson a temporary basis caused by staff turnover, vacationsand leaves of absence. With new digital equipment, reportsand/or letters can be sent electronically to your site, savingyou valuable time. For more information phone 412-751-8382.PEDIATRIC SPECIALTY HOSPITALTHE CHILDREN’S HOME OF PITTSBURGH &LEMIEUX FAMILY CENTER28-bed, licensed pediatric specialty hospital serving infantsand children up to age 21. Helps infants, children and theirfamilies transition from a referring hospital to the next step intheir care; does not lengthen hospital stay. Teaches parents toprovide complicated treatment regimens. Hospice care alsoprovided. A state-of-the-art facility with the comforts ofhome. Family living area for overnight stays: private bedrooms,kitchen and living/dining rooms, and Austin’s Playroomfor siblings. Staff includes pediatricians, neonatologists,a variety of physician consultants/specialists, andR.N./C.R.N.P. staff with NICU and PICU experience. To refercall: Monday to Friday daytime: 412-617-2928. Afterhours/weekends: 412-596-2568. For more information, contact:Kim Reblock, RN, BSN, Director, Pediatric SpecialtyHospital, The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & LemieuxFamily Center, 5324 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224.412-441-4884 x3042.PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICESALLEGHENY COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENTThe Allegheny County Health Department serves the 1.3 millionresidents of Allegheny County and is dedicated to promotingindividual and community wellness; preventinginjury, illness, disability and premature death; and protectingthe public from the harmful effects of biological, chemicaland physical hazards within the environment. Services areavailable through the following programs: Air Quality, ChildhoodLead Poisoning Prevention; Chronic Disease Prevention;Environmental Toxins/Pollution Prevention; Food Safety;Housing/Community Environment; Infectious DiseaseControl; Injury Prevention; Maternal and Child Health;Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition; Plumbing;Public Drinking Water; Recycling; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/AIDS/HIV;Three Rivers Wet Weather DemonstrationProject; Tobacco Free Allegheny; Traffic Safety; Tuberculosis;and Waste Management. Bruce W. Dixon, MD, Director.333 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213Phone 412-687-ACHD • Fax: 412-578-8325www.achd.netTHE CENTER FOR ORGAN RECOVERY &EDUCATIONThe Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) is anonprofit organization designated by the federal governmentto provide individuals an opportunity to donate life throughorgan, tissue and corneal donation. CORE devotes a largeportion of its resources to developing innovative educationalprograms and engineering research that will maximize theavailability of organs, tissue and corneas. Lastly, COREstrives to bring quality, dignity, integrity, respect and honestyto the donation process for the families, hospitals and communitiesit serves.For more information, please contact CORE at 1-800-366-6777 or www.core.org.PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTSTRATEGY AND MARKET DEVELOPMENTOF THE AMERICAN HOSPITALASSOCIATIONIn the new consumer-based healthcare environment, the marketing,communications, and strategic planning of hospitalsand healthcare systems has never been more important. Professionalsin these fields are often given high expectationsfrom senior management and a shoestring budget for implementation.Through membership in the Society for HealthcareStrategy and Market Development of the American HospitalAssociation, you will have access to the resources andeducation you need to increase the productivity of yourdepartment and your professional growth. For more information,call 312-422-3888 or e-mail shsmd@aha.org.REHABILITATIONTHE CHILDREN’S INSTITUTEThe Hospital at the Children’s Institute, located in SquirrelHill, provides inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation servicesfor children and young adults. Outpatient services are alsoprovided through satellite facilities in Bridgeville, Irwin andWexford. In addition, The Day School at The Children’s Instituteoffers educational services to children, ages 2-21, whoare challenged by autism, cerebral palsy or neurologicalimpairment. Project STAR at The Children’s Institute, asocial services component, coordinates adoptions, foster careand intensive family support for children with special needs.For more information, please call 412-420-2400The Children’s Institute1405 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217-1350www.amazingkids.orgTHE PT GROUP SM PHYSICAL THERAPYSince 1978 THE pt GROUP has provided early evaluationsand continuous progressive care under the same licensedtherapist for orthopedic and neurological injuries and conditions.We are not owned or controlled by doctors, hospitals,or insurance companies, but evaluate, and treat, and offerhome exercise programs. We treat patients from over 1000physicians’ prescriptions covered by most of the work, autoand managed care programs. Call 1-888-PT-FOR-YOU (1-888-783-6796) or www.theptgroup.com.OUTPATIENT CENTERSApollo - 724-478-5651Blairsville - 724-459-7222Derry - 724-694-5737Greensburg - 724-838-1008Greensburg Ortho & Sports - 724-216-9116Greensburg West - 724-832-0827Harrison City - 724-527-3999Irwin - 724-863-0139Jeannette - 724-523-0441Latrobe - 724-532-0940Ligonier - 724-238-4406Lower Burrell/New Kensington - 724-335-4245McKeesport/N. Versailles - 412-664-9008Monroeville - 412-373-9898Moon Township - 412-262-3354Mt. Pleasant - 724-547-6161Murrysville - 724-325-1610New Alexandria - 724-668-7800Penn Hills - 412-241-3002Pittsburgh Downtown - 412-281-5889BALANCE THERAPYBlairsville - 724-459-7222Derry - 724-694-5737Greensburg - 724-838-1008Harrison City - 724-527-3999Irwin - 724-863-0139Jeannette - 724-523-0441Latrobe - 724-532-0940Lower Burrell - 724-335-4245McKeesport - 412-664-9008Monroeville - 412-373-9898Moon Township - 412-262-3354Mt. Pleasant - 724-547-6161New Alexandria - 724-668-7800Penn Hills - 412-241-3002FUNCTIONAL CAPACITYEVALUATION SCHEDULINGGreensburg - 724-838-7111

50 | wpahospitalnews.comIssue No. 45Kane Ross Geothermal Unit will fit into County’s Green InitiativeThe John Kane Regional Center in Ross Townshipsoon will be seeing green. Allegheny County plans toinstall a 100-ton geothermal cooling system at the center,using state-of-the-art technology that fits well in thecounty’s “Green Initiative.”The geothermal unit is expected to reduce energycosts and maintain the high level of service to patientsand staff at the residential skilled nursing care facility.Installation is expected to begin this year and be completedin 2011.“This is part of our ongoing Allegheny Green initiative,which is helping us save money and energy,” saidAllegheny County Executive Dan Onorato. “This projectwill result in a significant reduction in energy usageat one of our largest facilities. We will continue toinventory all of our buildings to see where we mayadopt additional ‘green solutions.’”The geothermal cooling system will use carbondioxide as a refrigeration agent and the earth’s temperature,instead of electricity, to cool the facility. Thecounty plans to install the unit to recycle heat using carbondioxide in a series of 300-foot-deep geothermalwells and heat exchangers.The overall objective of the project is to deploy thefirst large-scale geothermal cooling system into anAllegheny County-owned nursing center. The systemwill replace the current inefficient system and reduceelectricity consumption for cooling by an estimated 50percent.“This is an extraordinarily smart, renewable kind ofenergy for our area,” said Jeaneen Zappa, sustainabilitymanager of Allegheny County. “Our conditions here inWestern Pennsylvania tend to make it more adaptablebecause we have seasons and seasonal change. Thoseconditions make it a very effective type of energy touse. It results in a higher performance. It’s a lastingresource for us and it reduces the carbon footprint.”Energy management at Allegheny County’s fourKane Regional Center nursing homes is critical.Reduced energy costs certainly will benefit all partiesinvolved. The installation of the system also mightserve as a pilot for further deployments into the remainingcenters in Scott Township, Glen Hazel and McKeesport.“Clearly this is the way of the future to incorporateGreen Initiatives. This is one of those initiatives,” KaneExecutive Director Dennis R. Biondo said. “As wemake any capital improvements we strive to include theenergy saving measures in all four of our buildings. Inour Ross facility this particular project is important toshow that we take it seriously and are able to incorporatethese types of programs in any of our projects.”The total cost is projected at $1,192,903. AlleghenyCounty received a $250,000 grant in federal stimulusmoney from the Pennsylvania Energy DevelopmentAuthority for Kane Ross. Construction is slated tobegin this year and be completed in 2011.TharGeothermal of Pittsburgh, a global leader insupercritical fluid technology and equipment, willinstall the geothermal unit. Thar’s innovative groundsource heat pump utilizes high pressure carbon dioxideand transfers heat from a building system into the earthin a closed-loop system. Ground source heat pumps aresimilar to conventional central air conditioning unitsbut instead of using the variable outside air temperatureas a heat sink, the cooler and constant temperature ofthe earth is used as the heat sink.A matrix of 300-foot deep geothermal wells andinstalled heat exchangers utilize the cool earth to serveas the heat sink for the rejection of heat from the facility.Carbon dioxide cooling systems eliminate the useof compression in the thermodynamic cycle. These provideliquid carbon dioxide to a series of evaporators inthe air handling systems and reject the heat absorbedinto the ground.“We at Kane Ross welcome this geothermal coolingsystem as it fits into the Allegheny Green initiative,”Kane Ross Administrator John Niederberger said. “Thesystem will enable us to maintain a healthy, comfortableenvironment during the summer months. Geothermalcooling also saves energy, lowers costs and is a perfectcomplement to the county’s green initiative.”For more information, call Kane Ross at (412) 369-2000 or visit www.thargeo.com.

Issue No. 45 wpahospitalnews.com| 51Hand Therapy at Frick Hospital Restores Vital FunctionThe human hand – reaching out in friendship,holding a utensil at mealtime, grasping a tool in theworkplace – is vital to daily living. According toCheryl Ozias, OTR/L, CHT, a certified hand therapistat Excela Health Frick Hospital, any loss of handfunction through injury or accident can have a devastatingeffect on a person’s life.Hand therapy is a very specialized form of OccupationalTherapy that emerged in response toadvances in microscopic surgical techniques. Handtherapy involves rehabilitation of the upper limb,which includes the hand, wrist, elbow and shouldergirdle. By utilizing specialized skills in assessment,planning and treatment, hand therapists provide therapeuticinterventions to prevent dysfunction. With theuse of these skills, they can restore function and/orreverse the progression of pathology of the upperlimb thus enhancing an individual’s ability to executetasks and participate fully in daily activities.“The majority of patients requiring hand therapyare post-operative surgical patients or those whoseupper extremity has been affected by an accident,trauma, illness or a condition that has resulted in aburn, wound , scar, injured tendons/ nerves, fracturesor an amputation,” noted Ozias.Additional patient cases include those who havebecome physically limited from the effects of disorderssuch as tennis or golfer elbow, carpel tunnel orcubical tunnel syndrome. Patients who have arthritic,neurological or congenital conditions also benefitfrom hand therapy rehabilitation.William Bush, 38, of Connellsville sustained a“crush injury” to his hand in a work accidentFebruary 9. He began therapy March 26 atExcela Health Frick Hospital with certified handtherapist Cheryl Ozias, OTR/L, CHT.Treatment options include modalities such aswhirlpool, fluidtherapy, moist heat, ultrasound andlight therapy as well as massage, splinting and the useof special equipment designed for hand therapy. “Theultimate goal of therapy is to return the injuredextremity to as normal functioning as possible, foractivities of daily living or return to work if applicable.”emphasized Ozias.Ozias is one of three certified hand therapists onstaff at Excela Health. Certification is voluntary anddifficult to attain. It involves meeting rigorous standards,developing a long-range career path andacquiring the advanced study and training to sit forthe certification exam. Eighty hours of continuingeducation is required every five years for recertification.The CHT credential is recognized by many professionalorganizations as a benchmark for excellencein advanced specialty credentialing in healthcare.For Ozias, the job is rewarding and fulfillingbecause it is an area of care in which there are measurablegoals and evidence of progress. “Seeing mypatients overcome their challenge, get better andachieve their goals is an awesome experience. Knowingthat I played a part in helping them accomplishthat is the ultimate reward in itself,” said Ozias.She added that with service being offered locally,many area patients who had extensive micro-handsurgery in Pittsburgh now have an option to pursuerehab and therapy closer to home. “Often therapy isprescribed several times a week in order to obtainresults,” said Ozias. “This service availability addsfurther convenience, less hassle and travel time forlocal patients requiring treatment. “For more information on Excela Health hand therapyservices, call 724-547-1049.Livingscott realtyReserve your space now ...Reach more than 36,000health care professionalsevery month.Call 724.468.8360 formore information.

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