Beverly Hospital Endoscopy Suite Recognized for Quality and Safety
Beverly, MA -The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), a leading gastrointestinal medical society, has recognized Beverly Hospital as part of its program specifically dedicated to promoting quality in endoscopy. Beverly Hospital’s Endoscopy Suite is one of 215 endoscopy units, and the only facility on the North Shore, to be granted the recognition.
The ASGE Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program honors endoscopy units that follow the ASGE guidelines on privileging, quality assurance, endoscopy reprocessing and CDC infection control guidelines and have completed specialized training on principles in quality and safety in endoscopy.
“We are honored to be recognized by ASGE for our efforts to enhance quality and safety in our endoscopy unit,” said Pauline Pike, chief operating officer of Beverly Hospital. “The program course on improving quality and safety provided us with valuable knowledge to continue to give our patients the safest and best care possible.”
Upon completion of the program, units receive an ASGE “Certificate of Recognition” for promoting quality in endoscopy.
BEVERLY HOSPITAL, ADDISON GILBERT HOSPITAL WIN PRESTIGIOUS AWARD
Beverly, MA – Northeast Health System announced that two of its acute care hospitals, Beverly Hospital and Addison Gilbert Hospital, have received a prestigious achievement award from the American Heart Association.
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s “Get With The Guidelines(r) Stroke Silver Plus Performance Achievement Award” recognizes Beverly and Addison Gilbert hospitals’ commitment to and success in
implementing a higher standard of stroke care. Each campus was recognized because of the significant number of stroke patients that receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
“When a stroke hits every second is critical, and the Get With The Guidelines Stroke Silver Plus Performance Achievement Award demonstrates that our staff is committed to providing care that has been shown in scientific literature to quickly and efficiently treat stroke patients,” said Ken Hanover, president and CEO of Northeast Health System, parent company of Beverly and Addison Gilbert hospitals. “Beverly and Addison Gilbert hospitals are committed to providing the highest quality medical care to our patients, and these guidelines along with this award recognize that commitment.”
“Beverly Hospital and Addison Gilbert Hospital should be commended for their commitment to implementing standards of care and protocols for treating stroke patients,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., chair of the Get With The Guidelines National Steering Committee and director of the TeleStroke and Acute Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “The full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients.”
“Get With The Guidelines Stroke” uses the “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when they are most likely to listen to and follow their healthcare professionals’ guidance. Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke. Through Get With The Guidelines Stroke, customized patient education materials are made available at the point of discharge, based on patients’ individual risk profiles. The take-away materials are written in an easy-to-understand format and are available inEnglish and Spanish. In addition, the Get With The Guidelines Patient Management Tool provides access to up-to-date
cardiovascular and stroke science at the point of care.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds;someone dies of a stroke every three minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
Extraordinary Nurse Recognized At Merrimack Valley Hospital
Merrimack Valley Hospital Emergency Department Nurse Laury Opolski, right, was honored with The DAISY Award, which is presented quarterly to one of the hospital's "extraordinary nurses." Pictured with her is Chief Nursing Officer Diane Lovallo.
Haverhill, MA – A nurse at Merrimack Valley Hospital has been honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award, presented in collaboration with The American Organization of Nurse Executives, is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform everyday. This year’s award recipient at Merrimack Valley Hospital is Laury Opolski, RN.
“We are proud to be among the hospitals participating in the DAISY Award program. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that,” said Chief Nursing Officer Diane Lovallo. “Laury Opolski is a highly-skilled and extremely caring nurse. We are so proud to have her here at Merrimack Valley Hospital,” added Lovallo. The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes.
Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease.
The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and their families. Merrimack Valley Hospital’s nursing administration picks a nurse quarterly for The DAISY Award.
The award is presented in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors. The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” Honorees are also given a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, which is hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.
“When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide acutely ill patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do,” said Bonnie Barnes, President and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation.
BMH Receives Accreditation from College of American Pathologists
The Medical Laboratory at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital was recently awarded accreditation by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) based on results of a recent onsite inspection. The BMH Laboratory medical director, Christopher D. Appleton, DO, was advised of this national recognition and subsequently congratulated for the excellence of laboratory services being provided to the greater Brattleboro community.
During the process, inspectors of the CAP Accreditation Committee examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine laboratory staff qualifications, as well as the laboratory’s equipment, facilities, safety program and record, in addition to the overall management of the laboratory. The stringent inspection program is specifically designed to ensure the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients.
The BMH Medical Laboratory is one of more than 7,000 CAP-accredited laboratories worldwide. The CAP accreditation program, begun in the early 1960s, is recognized by the federal government as being equal to or more stringent than the government’s own inspection program. BMH is proud to once again receive this certification.
Cheshire Medical Center/ Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Wins National Award for Clinical Excellence
Left to right: Colleen Risk, Executive VP Clinical Improvement Services, VHA, Inc.; Paula Hudon, Director of Education, Training & Development, CMC/DHK; Rachael Ellsworth, Director of Case Mgmt./QI, CMC/DHK; Curt Nonomaque, President & CEO of VHA, Inc., Pamela Brown, Case Mgmt./QI, CMC/DHK; Dr. Trent Haywood, Chief Medical Officer & Sr. VP, VHA, Inc.
Orlando, Florida- VHA, Inc, a national healthcare network, has given Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene a 2010 VHA Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence, honoring the hospital for meeting or exceeding national performance standards for clinical care.
Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene was one of only eight United States hospitals to receive this recognition and only one in five to receive the award in all four categories.
The VHA Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence recognizes hospitals for improving clinical quality, patient safety or the patient experience. The 2010 winners met defined standards for patient care throughout multiple quarters for their superior system performance, with composite scores in the top quartile across four clinical areas: acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infection prevention. The VHA Leadership Award is the highest level of recognition bestowed by VHA for clinical care.
President and Chief Administrative Officer Arthur Nichols said of the national recognition, “We are extremely proud of our quality and safety record. To know we were only one of a small number of hospitals in the nation to receive this award reaffirms our resolve to provide high quality care and to let our care and caring serve as the basis for making ours the healthiest community in the nation by the year 2020.” President and Chief Medical Officer, John Schlegelmilch, MD adds, ” The VHA Leadership Award, coming on the heels of being recognized as the NH Healthcare Business of the Decade, allows us to truly believe we have the people and the know-how necessary to lead in the areas of clinical quality, patient safety and service excellence. We feel this leadership will be invaluable to us, and to our community, as we enter the new age of healthcare reform and culture change.”
DAISY Award for Haiti Relief Efforts
(Far left) Kathy Schuler, chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services, presents Winchester Hospital operating room nurses Leigh Ferrante, RN of Woburn (center) and Stephanie Celata, RN of Tewksbury with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses for their role in the relief effort for Haitian earthquake victims in January.
Winchester, MA. – Winchester Hospital has recognized operating room nurses Stephanie Celata, RN of Tewksbury and Leigh Ferrante, RN of Woburn as its most recent recipients of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses for their role in the relief effort for Haitian earthquake victims in January. The DAISY Award, presented in collaboration with the American Organization of Nurse Executives, is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the exceptional efforts that nurses make each day.
With less than 24 hours of notice, Celata and Ferrante packed their things, said goodbye to loved ones, got the necessary vaccines and paperwork, and boarded a plane to join a medical team in Haiti. Throughout their eight-day trip, the need for medical treatment, supplies and compassion never slowed as the medical volunteers bore witness to innumerable stories of heartbreak and heroism.
The medical volunteers assisted in amputations, skin grafts, wound closures, plastic surgeries and other procedures despite no running water and limited medical equipment, supplies and electricity. Because an X-ray machine wasn’t available, for example, orthopedic surgeons set fractures by feeling the bones. There weren’t enough anesthesia machines to go around, and no device was available to suction blood during surgery.
“When skill, caring and compassion were needed in a country ripped apart by disaster and chaos, Stephanie Celata and Leigh Ferrante never hesitated. They got on a plane and courageously went into the unknown,” wrote Kathy Schuler, chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services at Winchester Hospital. “We, the nursing staff of Winchester Hospital, are honored to be your colleagues and are tremendously proud of you. You have made a difference!”
DR. MAUREEN PHIPPS HONORED BY RHODE ISLAND HEALTHY MOTHERS, HEALTHY BABIES COALITION
Maureen G. Phipps, MD, MPH
Providence, RI – Maureen G. Phipps, MD, MPH, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island; associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and community health at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; and vice chair for research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is the recipient of the Silver Rattle Award from the Rhode Island Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.
The Coalition presented the award to Dr. Phipps at their 25th Annual May Breakfast last month in Warwick, RI, during which time they celebrated their 25th year of improving the well-being of mothers and babies in Rhode Island through education and advocacy.
Director of the Brown University/Women & Infants National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, Dr. Phipps is also an adjunct faculty member in the Institute for Community Health Promotion and the Brown Center for AIDS Research. Among her many academic accomplishments, she is a co-principal investigator in the National Children’s Study, a landmark research project aimed at improving children’s health. In addition, she is chair of the Rhode Island Task Force on Preterm Births. A graduate of Boston College, Dr. Phipps earned her medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and a masters in public health from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She completed a residency at Brown University/Women & Infants Hospital and a fellowship in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Program at the University of Michigan. Dr. Phipps also completed the Women’s Institute for Leadership Certificate Program at Bryant University’s Executive Development Center.
Dr. Phipps is on the editorial board for the prestigious medical journal, The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She has been a member of a number of professional organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Public Health Association, the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved.
NMC Receives National Safety Award
St. Albans, VT – Northwestern Medical Center has received the National Safety Council’s Occupational Excellence Achievement Award. NMC was recognized for having an incidence rate of employees missing time for illness or injury which is less than one quarter of the national rate for general medical and surgical hospitals. “The National Safety Council compares us against industry standards nationwide,” said Wes Miller, NMC’s Safety and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. “They recognize those hospitals which are 50% lower than the national average. NMC is at 24% of the national average, which is outstanding.”
“Our success in preventing injuries is a result of a lot of hard work by our Employee Safe Practices Committee and the willingness of our employees to learn and support the organization’s efforts to keep our workplace safe,” said Miller.
In addition to its multi-disciplinary group devoted to improving safety in the workplace, NMC has a proactive approach to transitional duties for workers who do get injured. NMC managers and the hospital’s Human Resources department work closely with Northwestern Occupational Health to get injured workers back to work as quickly and safely as possible. “Preventing injuries and getting people back to work quickly keeps our staff working in vital roles,” said Miller. “It also helps save money by keeping Workers’ Comp costs down.”
North Adams Regional Hospital Receives “Gold” Performance Award for Treatment of Stroke
NORTH ADAMS, MA - North Adams Regional Hospital recently received the American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes North Adams Regional Hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award addresses the important element of time,” said Joyce Mickanin, RN, Director of NARH’s Emergency Department. NARH has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations, and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.
To receive the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award, NARH demonstrated at least 85% adherence in the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke key measures for 24 or more consecutive months. These include aggressive use of medications like the “clot-buster” tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol-reducing drugs, and smoking cessation. Get With The Guidelines-œStroke uses the “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when he or she is most likely to listen to and follow healthcare professionals’ guidance. Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke. Through Get With The Guidelines-œStroke, customized patient education materials are made available at the point of discharge, based on patients’ individual risk profiles. The take-away materials are written in an easy-to-understand format and are available in English and Spanish. In addition, the Get With The Guidelines Patient Management Tool provides access to up-to-date cardiovascular and stroke science at the point of care.
“The time is right for NARH to be focused on improving the quality of stroke care by implementing Get With The Guidelines-œStroke. The number of acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment is expected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence and a large aging population,” said Dr. Paul Donovan, medical director of the NARH Emergency Department.
According to the American Stroke Association, each year approximately 795,000 people suffer a stroke – 610,000 are first attacks and 185,000 are recurrent. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States is suffering from a stroke. This deadly condition accounts for one out of every 18 deaths in the United States.
St. Vincent’s Earns Breast Center Accreditation
Bridgeport, CT, – St. Vincent’s Medical Center has earned “Breast Center of Excellence” accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Cancer (NAPBC), which is administered by the American College of Surgeons. The NAPBC awarded this designation based on the implementation by St. Vincent’s of the accrediting agency’s strict guidelines, and based on the positive results of the organization’s survey earlier this year. In February, St. Vincent’s opened the 125,000 square foot Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, which houses breast cancer services.
“This accreditation represents an exciting milestone for us, and one that not many hospitals in the United States have as yet attained,” said St. Vincent’s Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and Chairman of the Department of Oncology Stuart Marcus, MD, FACS. Citing the high standards in comprehensive care and multidisciplinary approach required for the accreditation, he drew a direct correlation to what this means to the regional community.
“Patients are assured of having options here that are comparable to those at major cancer hospitals and university centers, and won’t have to travel long distances to get the most effective treatment for their cancer,” he said. “With our superb physicians and all the latest in diagnostic and treatment equipment as well as the most coordinated of specialized care, patients find it right here at St. Vincent’s.”
St. Vincent’s multidisciplinary approach differs in that it follows a program of regular, face-to-face meetings where cases are presented and reviewed at multiple key points throughout the patient’s workup and treatment.
A VISIT TO AN AILING GRANDFATHER TURNS TO A CAREER IN NURSING
Sheryl Washburn, VP Patient Care Services, presents the 2010 Nursing Excellence Award to Kim Major, RN., I.C.U.
Newport, VT – Thinking back in time Kim Major R.N., a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at North Country Hospital, said she remembers when she was about five years old visiting her grandfather in the hospital. For some children her age a hospital is an intimidating place, but that was the case for Kim. Instead, watching the nurses and doctors work was an inspiration for the youngster.
“I told my parent I wanted to be a nurse,” Kim said. She liked the idea of helping people when they were sick or injured. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Almost 33 years after being hired at North Country Hospital, the 1976 graduate of North Country Union High School was honored with the sixth annual North Country Hospital Nursing Excellence Award. The honor was bestowed upon her by her peers at an award ceremony.
The award recognizes a North Country Hospital nurse who exemplifies excellence in nursing through compassion, ownership, partnership, dignity, integrity, knowledge and communication. They are nominated by their peers. The five previous winners of this award reviewed the nominations and letters of support. This task fell into the capable hands of Eileen Burnor, Robin Hahn, Rita Nye, Joanne Root and Sue Morin. for reviewing the nominations and letters of support and carrying out the remarkable task of selecting one award recipient.
When she was invited to the award ceremony, Kim said she knew she was one of the three nominees but she had no idea that she was the recipient. The two other nurses nominated were: Abby Provost RN, a nurse in the Emergency Department, and Bruce Muir RN, a nurse in Med/Surg. The following is a brief excerpt from a lengthy award nomination letter written by some of Kim’s colleagues.
“Kim is a nurses’ nurse. She is the voice of common sense and experience. She makes clear and accurate assessments and decisions. She consistently places the needs of her patients, colleagues and NCH above her own personal needs. She cares deeply for everyone she meets and invests her whole heart and soul in everything she does. North Country Hospital is blessed to have her as an employee.”
As a result of receiving this honor, Kim is eligible to attend a nursing conference of her choice during the next year.
“Kim has dedicated over 30 years of her nursing career to providing care for North Country Hospital’s patients,” Sheryl Washburn said. “Her dedication to providing education for her fellow nurses, EMS services and community members is unfailing. Untold numbers of individuals in the NE Kingdom have benefited from her expert critical care skills. She is well deserving of this recognition.” Sheryl is the vice-president of patient care at North County.
Sheryl also commended the two other nominees for the honor. “As president of the Nurse Practice Council for the past year, Abby Provost has moved the bar for professional nursing at North Country Hospital to a higher level,” Sheryl said. “Her commitment to the development of the mentoring program is but one example of her passion for excellence in nursing.”
“Bruce Muir’s endless patience and compassion serve him well in his nursing career and his life in general. He’s well known, both at NCH and throughout the community, as being naturally caring and open hearted. He dedicates his life in service of others.” Looking back on her nursing career, Kim said she never deviated from her dreams of being a nurse.
Following graduation from high school Kim went on to earn a Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) Degree from the Fanny Allen Medical School of Practical Nursing (the school no longer exists). She later earned her RN from Vermont College (when it was affiliated with Norwich University). She joined North Country as a nurse in 1977. Since coming to North Country she has worked in many departments, among them: pediatrics, the Emergency Department, and MedSurg.
Kim is obviously proud of the fact that she works for her hometown hospital. “I love working at North Country,” she said. “We are a small hospital that has a lot to offer its patients. I think it is a very special place.”
She has high praise for her colleagues. “They are super people to work with.”
As for the future, Kim said she has no plans on going anyway and retirement is something that will come in the distant future. Just think, if Kim’s parents hadn’t allowed her to accompany them to visit her grandfather in the hospital back so many years ago maybe her interest in nursing would have never been sparked., and the people of the community of her youth might not have providing outstanding, compassionate care for them today.
