03/06/2012 - Genesys Regional Medical Center

inA weekly publication for Genesys Employees, Physicians and VolunteersMarchinthekknowVol. 18, No. 106, 2012Patients regain hand use with electronic stimulation deviceOpen your hand, close it,reach, grasp, flex, release.Sounds simple enough.But for patients who havesuffered a stroke, traumaticbrain injury, spinal cord injuryor any number of neurologicaldisorders, using their hand for thesimplest activities is nearly impossible.Not at Genesys.Thanks to the generous donation of Sigma Phi GammaInternational Sorority’s local chapter, Genesys InpatientRehabilitation now has the technology to help patientsregain the use of their hand.The NESS H200 hand rehabilitation system uses advancedfunctional electrical stimulation technology that sends coordinated,sequential, low-level electrical stimulation to paralyzed musclesin the forearm and hand, resulting in a restoration or improvementin function. It actually mimics natural voluntary movements ofthe hand, reports Raquel Largent, director of Genesys InpatientRehabilitation.Normally, the brain sends electrical signals to the body throughthe nervous system. These signals tell the body how to move.When injury or disease interrupts normal communication betweenthe brain and arms, muscle weakness or paralysis may result.The NESS H200 system may be used to replace the naturalelectrical signals from the brain, helping the weak or paralyzedlimbs move again.With continued stimulation over time, the brain may even be ableto recapture and relearn this movement without the stimulation,Raquel points out.Here is how the system works:It consists of two components – an orthosis and a control unit.The orthosis fits snugly on the patient’s hand and forearm andholds the wrist at an angle ideal for functional hand movements.The orthosis features five electrodes custom-positioned to theforearm, and, on command by a handheld control unit, stimulatesthe muscles in the hand and wrist to extend and flex.The second component – the handheld control unit – sends theelectrical impulses – just like the signals that naturally wouldcome from the brain through the spinal cord to the musclesof the hand and wrist. Stimulation causes muscle activationso patients can grasp, pinch, release, extend and flex withtheir fingers and thumb through a series of exercises customizedfor each patient.Patients may feel a tingling sensation when the electrical impulsesare sent, Raquel reports.Through this system, “our goal is to retrain injured musclesto restore function and reduce complications from paralysis,”Raquel adds.For more information on the NESS H200 hand rehabilitationsystem, call Genesys Rehabilitation at 606-6543.

Coming upPlease clip and save this information, andpass along to family and friends:Pilates on the Green• Begins Wednesday, March 7, 6 pm to7 pm• Genesys Athletic Club• Improves golf swing through core strength,body rotation, flexibility, balance• Open to members and non-members.Call 606-7300.Kidney cancer support group• Tuesday, March 13• 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm• Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute• Topic: differences in the outcome foradolescents and young adults withleukemia and cancer treated bypediatric vs. medical oncologistsCall 888-762-8675.Congdon lecture• Addiction Medicine• Wednesday, March 14• 8:30 am to 4 pm• Genesys Conference & Banquet CenterCall 606-6527.Hip and knee pain seminar• Wednesday, March 14• 10 am• Health Park auditorium• Covers hip and knee anatomy, causes ofpain, latest treatments, and nutrition.Call 888-234-4710.Preventing diabetes classes• Tuesdays: March 20, April 3, April 17• 6 pm to 8 pm• Diabetes and Nutrition Learning Center• $35.Call 606-7720.Ethics & Palliative Care• Ira Byock, MD, keynote speaker• Congdon lecture/interprofessionalseminar• Wednesday, April 11Call 606-6527.Ladies spring golf clinic• Taught by golf professional MikeCunningham• Genesys Athletic Club• For beginner and intermediate golfers• Wednesdays or Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to11 a.m.; or Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. to9 p.m.• Open to members and non-members.Call 606-7551.Genesys conducts annual systemwide linen inventoryOn Monday, March 19, beginning at 7:30 a.m., Genesys and TSI (our linenprocessor) will conduct a linen inventory throughout the entire health system.This includes all campuses and off site ancillary units. The purpose of thisannual inventory is to provide TSI with an accurate count of linen use atGenesys in order to purchase adequate amounts to serve patients.To help with this inventory, please return any scrubs and warm-up jackets youmay have at home, in your work area or in your locker before March 19.Also remember to place all soiled linen in the soiled linen chutes beforeinventory begins.If you have any questions about this process, call Herb Anderson, Supply Chainmanager, at 606-6626 or email him at handerso@genesys.org.Get your plate in shape this month – part 2During National Nutrition Month, “get your plate in shape” with these tipsfrom the Genesys Food and Nutrition team:Make sure at least half of your grains are whole.• Choose brown rice, barley, oats and other whole grains for your side dishesand ingredients.• Switch to 100 percent whole grain breads, cereals and crackers.• Check the list of ingredients on food packages to find foods that are madewith whole grains.Genesys EMS Education receives accreditationLast week, Genesys EMS Education passed an unannounced survey – with zerodeficiencies! The Accreditation Bureau of Health Education Schools conductedan onsite visit to inspect Genesys EMS Education’s new location in the GenesysLearning Institute area (inside the Genesys Athletic Club building). EMSEducation moved from West Flint Campus.Genesys phone directories no longer printedPaper copies of the Genesys phone directories no longer are available. If youwould like to access the directory online, go to the Genesys intranet, or use thislink: http://ahwappmigra031.genesys.org/.Genesys Heart Institute relocates to Suite 3452Genesys Heart Institute physicians and staff have relocated offices. The newsuite is 3452 Genesys Parkway (inside the medical office building of thehospital, on the third floor – the same floor as the hospital’s heart servicesand inpatient unit). Phone numbers and fax numbers remain the same.Physicians of Genesys Heart Institute include:• Matthew Ebinger, DO, electrophysiologist• Karsten Fliegner, MD, PhD, FACS, cardiothoracic surgeon• Ravi Kilaru, MD, electrophysiologist• Abdulfatah (Abed) Osman, MD, FACC, FSCAI, interventional cardiologist• Sunilkumar Rao, DO, cardiologist• Marc Silver, MD, FACS, cardiothoracic surgeon• Frank Tilli, MD, FACC, interventional cardiologist• Thomas Vanhecke, MD, cardiologistTo reach the Genesys Heart Institute, call 606-7550 or 888-463-3268 (toll free).Fax number is 606-6235.Anticoagulation moves into GHI suiteThe Genesys anticoagulation clinic also moved into Suite 3452 with GenesysHeart Institute. Phone number for the clinic remains the same: 606-5465.Learn about VisionScape: visit the intranet homepage.

Genesys conducts blood drive March 15The need for blood never goes away – please try to donate Thursday,March 15 at Genesys. The drive, sponsored by Michigan Blood, takesplace in the Health Park auditorium from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 4 p.m.to 8 p.m. Please bring a photo ID or two forms of non-photo ID.Appointments (preferred but not required) can be made online atwww.miblood.org or by calling 866-MIBLOOD. Any healthy person17 years of age or older who weighs 110 pounds or more may beeligible to donate blood every 56 days. On an average, blood is neededevery two seconds!This Heaven Cent goesto Anthony McKenna,Clinical Excellence/Social Work:“Anthony goes the extra mile and puts inthe extra effort to ensure patients get thecare they require, but would otherwisebe unable to obtain except for hisintervention. Anthony has the skill andcleverness to find solutions to financingexpensive and critical medications forhis patients before they are discharged.It is a pleasure to work with Anthony.”- Gary AustinEmployee PharmacyGive a Heaven Cent coinGive a fellow co-worker a Heaven Centcoin – a token of appreciation that can bepassed along to another co-worker. Keep thecoin passing going! You also can add a fewkind words about the coin recipienton the Heaven Cent registry,located on the Genesysintranet homepage. Toobtain a coin, stop byHuman Resourcesor call 606-7000.FACES of GenesysOn this week’s cover of INK: Stacey Womack,Occupational Therapist at Health ParkDoctors DayFriday, March 307 am to 9:30 amPhysician loungeStacie Bommersbach named interim CNOInterim CNO (Chief Nursing Officer) Polly Gates has accepted a permanent positionwith Aurora Health System’s Visiting Nurse Association as Chief Clinical ServicesOfficer of Home Health and Hospice Services. Her last day at Genesys is Friday,March 9.Stacie Bommersbach, RN, will serve as interim CNO while a national search for apermanent replacement continues. Stacie has been serving as Director of ClinicalSafety, High Reliability and Risk Management. Prior to this position, she wasQuality Black Belt and Administrative Director of Physical Medicine, RehabilitationServices and Stroke Services. She has served in other nursing leadership rolesoutside Genesys since 1995. To reach Stacie, call 606-5974 or email her atsbommersbach@genesys.org.Reminder: GHE begins relocating services this weekThese services of Genesys Health Enterprises (GHE) are moving from West FlintCampus to the Materials Management building, and will be in their new areasby tomorrow, March 7:Home Care Respiratory services, Biomed services, Purchasing, and Home Carewarehouse• Main phone number for GHE remains the same: 603-8900.• To reach Becky Cullen, manager of Home Care Respiratory services,call 606-6325.• Respiratory Therapy main line is 606-6303.• Warehouse and Biomed phone number is 606-6706.• Purchasing phone number is 606-6781.Individual phone lines for GHE personnel also are changing. Please ask yoursupervisor for a list of these names and phone numbers.Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a special menu March 15Food and Nutrition Services will feature a special menu on Thursday, March 15,as a pre-celebration for St. Patrick’s Day. The menu will include Chef John’sspecial corned beef, cabbage, Irish potatoes, beef stew/biscuit and pub-batteredCod with fries. During lunch hour, corned beef will be carved to order. Also lookfor special St. Patrick’s Day cookies, cupcakes and cakes, along with chocolatemint pie and chocolate mint soft serve ice cream.HRO training takes place tomorrow - March 7Times are 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the GenesysConference and Banquet Center. If you have not yet attended a trainingsession, please call 606-6592 and sign up now.Hot breakfast, shoe shines, massages

INK is now 100 percent digital starting with this issue• Hard copies no longer will be distributed.• To read INK, look for the LINK to INK in your Genesys email everyTuesday afternoon after 3 p.m.• You also can access INK via the intranet (look for INK on the leftcolumn of the homepage under Publications).• From your home computer, go to www.genesys.org/INK.• If you do not have access to a computer at work or at home, pleaseinform your supervisor who will print a copy for you.• If you have any questions about this change, please send an emailto INK@genesys.org or call 606-7399.MRI Center receives three-year accreditationGenesys MRI Center – on the Genesys Health Park campus – has receiveda three-year accreditation in breast MRI from the American College ofRadiology (ACR). The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents thehighest level of image quality and patient safety – awarded only tofacilities meeting ACR standards after a peer-review evaluation by boardcertified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field.Last fall, Genesys MRI Center added the Suros ATEC® MRI Breast Biopsyand Excision System, the latest, minimally-invasive MRI-guided breastbiopsy technology that provides patients with advanced detection anddiagnosis of breast cancer.Patient Safety Awareness Week is this weekThis year’s theme – Be Aware for Safe Care – calls for everyone involved in thehealth care equation to be aware of the importance of patient safety; recognizethe extensive efforts ongoing to improve patient safety worldwide, nationally andlocally; and understand how everyone can be part of the solution.“This is a time to not only celebrate the successes Genesys has achieved in itspatient safety initiatives, but also to continue our commitment of workingtogether with our patients to provide the safest care possible,” announces StacieBommersbach, RN, interim CNO and director of Clinical Safety, HRO,and Risk Management.“The more we work together to promote patient safety, the more we all benefitfrom a safe health care system,” the National Patient Safety Foundation reports.At Genesys, the latest initiative to improve patient safety was the launch of a fallprevention program (announced on the cover of INK last week). National datahas shown that, on an average, one fall a day takes place in hospitals.The fall prevention program at Genesys includes: nursing assessment tools toevaluate the risk of patient falls; signs inside and outside patient bedrooms toalert staff, patients and families of fall risks (and their potential severity) andprevention measures; post-fall documentation and much more (continue to readINK for additional information on the fall prevention program underway).Please remember to “Be Aware for Safe Care” – during Patient Safety AwarenessWeek and every week.Remember to turn your clocks forward this SaturdayDaylight savings time begins during third shift, Saturday, March 10. Kronostime clocks will adjust to the new time at 2 a.m., on the morning of Sunday,March 11. Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night.Read INK online: visit www.genesys.org/INKPlease try to take five-minutepublic health surveyThe Michigan State University School of PublicHealth is conducting a survey to determine thepublic health research needs and priorities forGenesee County. Your opinion is valued! Thissurvey should take no more than five minutes.Simply click the link below and select “openhyperlink,” which will display introductoryinformation and walk you through thethree-question survey:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DGHNCJDContract employees – do youwant your mail faster?If you are a contract employee, or havea contract employee in your department,please alert the mailroom so mail canbe received promptly. Often, US andinterdepartmental mail does not list a roomnumber or location. Please call Sandy Ederat 606-5593 with this information.HousingValuesReflection“Not everything that is faced can bechanged. But nothing can be changeduntil it is faced."- James BaldwinWe are called to: Service of the Poor, Reverence,Integrity, Wisdom, Creativity and DedicationADVISORVacation home – Newago County, great fishingarea, price reduced to $12,900, completelyfurnished. 767-0896.MiscellaneousABD lounge – 2, good condition, $25; Weider1500 total body work, like new condition, $100.655-4537.Play structure – 8 in 1, Little Tykes, very goodcondition, $250 OBO. 962-9626.Pool table – Montgomery Ward, 8 ft, slate withrack and Belgium balls/pool sticks, $200.734-502-8045.Send ads to INK@genesys.org.