Drink Water: Your Colon Will Thank You

This weekend may mark the end of summer. But warmer weather this weekend mean you should be sure to pack lots of water for the park, beach or car.

"Water is the most important part of a balanced diet," says Sinai Hospital gastroenterologist John Rabine, M.D.

While there is no direct correlation between gastrointestinal troubles, such as diarrhea, constipation and nausea, and high heat, Dr. Rabine says those who have Irritable Bowel Syndrome can find that heat is a trigger. Other elements, including lack of sleep and stress, can cause the evil IBS to flare, resulting in diarrhea, abdominal pain or upset stomach.

Additionally, the elderly are at risk for chronic colitis when it's hot out, Dr. Rabine says.

"As folks get older, the colon gets by day in and day out," he says. But not enough water can lead the colon to struggle in staying regular. The symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, feeling light headed, loss of appetite, and darkening of the urine.

Those who develop acute colitis may find themselves in the hospital to cope with dehydration. Symptoms of colitis include rectal bleeding and acute diarrhea. "It's not subtle," Dr. Rabine says.

The bottom line? Stay hydrated this weekend.

To learn more or to schedule an appointment with a gastroenterologist, call 410-601-WELL (9355) .

Hyundai Provides Research Grant to Sinai Chief

Ask any parent of a child with cancer and you'll hear many of the same stories: financial difficulties, strain on the parent's marriage, trouble relating to families with healthy children, and the emotional hardship of seeing your child struggle with illness.

But the key word is 'ask.' Traditionally, research on children with cancer has focused around how the child copes with their diagnosis, not how the family is coping. Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Hyundai Foundation, pediatric oncologist Joseph Wiley, M.D., will be able to investigate the social, academic and employment impact of cancer on other members of the family.

"Families would give up everything for their children, and frequently they have to," says Dr. Wiley, the chief of the Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai. "If we can identify these stressers, we can find ways to reduce them."

Jen Miller, the mother of 18-month-old Emma Miller, says Dr. Wiley's words touched her. Emma, pictured at right with her mother and Dr. Wiley, is at Sinai anywhere from 1 to 5 days a week as she undergoes treatment for leukemia.

"This will help other families," Jen Miller says. "It's been super hard to find someone to relate to."

Additionally, "there's a huge financial impact on families where a child has cancer," says her mother-in-law Terry Miller. Her son is currently working two jobs, as Jen had to quit teaching in order to take care of Emma.

"Everyone is trying to do whatever we can, but it's a huge strain," Terry Miller says. "I'm really happy to see that someone is looking at that aspect of the cancer diagnosis."

The research grant award to Dr. Wiley is a part of Hyundai Motor America and hundreds of U.S. dealers “Hyundai Gives Hope on Wheels” campaign. During the month of September – National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – Hyundai Hope on Wheels will donate $6.8 million to fight childhood cancer. For every Hyundai sold this month, participating dealers will donate $200 to the cause.

The “Hope Grants” in the amount of $100,000 are being given to 68 hospitals and nonprofit organizations across the country involved in childhood cancer research or support programs dedicated to improving the lives of children with cancer. Since 1998, Hyundai has given approximately $23 million to children's hospitals.

To learn more about the Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai, call 410-601-WELL (9355).

Tell Us About Your Labor Day!

Who says Labor Day is only in September?

For mothers, Labor Day is that special day when they brought a new life into the world. Now, we want to hear from them in our unique Labor Day contest.

If your child was born at Sinai Hospital, whether it was 50 years ago or last week, you have a story to share. So tell us, in any format you want (video, photos or text), what made your Sinai Labor Day special.

The first 25 participants will receive a $10 Target gift card, and two grand prizes will be awarded for Most Creative entry and Most Moving Labor story. Stories will be posted here on the LifeBridge Health blog.

LifeBridge Health employees are not eligible to win prizes, however, we welcome their submissions.

Contest rules: Entries are due by September 30. You may submit in a video, picture or text format to eleis (at) lifebridgehealth.org. Entries may be edited for content or length. LifeBridge Health assumes no responsibility for adult children who may be embarrassed by their mother's story. She gave birth to you, so you'll just need to deal with it.

Finding New Outlets for Training

Editor's Note: We've asked two former LifeBridge Health orthopedic patients to do the Save-A-Limb ride in October. As they train, they'll be sharing their experiences here on the LifeBridge Health blog. Today we hear from rider Randy Reisfeld.

So, much has gone on since my last blog, but unfortunately not in the area of progressing my training! After really finding that I enjoyed the spin class, and was increasing my endurance, I was told that this type of exercise was not helping, and probably contributing to my increase in migraines. Besides an increase in my migraines, and an increase in their intensity (I was back to daily headaches), I also began to have bouts of vertigo.

None of this is good when you are planning on riding a bicycle.

So I needed to redirect my efforts in exercise. I have been able to do some swimming off and on over the past month, but have tried to give my body a rest. I have been focusing on trying to resolve the headache situation with weekly acupuncture, and had a couple of massages focusing on my head, neck and shoulders.

I am still hoping to participate in Save-A-Limb, but I don’t think I’ll be able to do one of the long ones.

I am trying not to look at this as another failure of trying to “get in shape. I accomplished something new and I feel good that I was actually able to do a more intensive exercise than I thought I could. I even enjoyed it! However, I know that it’s more important for me at this time to focus on getting these migraines under control, as it does influence how I am able to function on a day-to-day basis.
-Randy Reisfeld

Summer Volunteer Program Wraps Up at Northwest

Northwest Hospital wrapped up its annual summer volunteer program Friday, and once again employees showed their commitment to mentoring and encouraging youth.

The 22 participants were ages 15 to 19 and worked in 21 departments ranging from the gift shop to the finance department to clinical areas. The students, who wore uniforms, completed a total of 1,950 hours, helping with tasks such as copying, answering phones and helping department employees with a variety of other needs.

“The students learned life skills and about potential careers in health care,” says Jennifer Terrell, the director of volunteer services and business outreach. “Our participants realized what it takes to be successful at a job and to see how the skills they learn in school are put into action in the workplace.”

Thanks to everyone who participated. The departments that had a volunteer are listed below:

• Units 3A/3B
• Units 3C/3D
• Unit 4C
• Finance
• SPD (Sterile Processing Department)
• Gift Shop
• PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit)
• HIM (Health Information Management)
• Sleep Disorders Center
• Patient Financial Services
• Northwest ER-7
• Radiology
• Mail Room
• Sub-Acute Rehab
• Dietary
• Women's Wellness Center
• Patient Access
• Outpatient Rehab
• Sub-Acute
• Operating Room
• Infusion and Cancer Therapy Center

Sinai Pitches in at Maccabi Games

Sinai ER-7 staff once again volunteered with the 2010 Maccabi Games, a part of the 2010 JCC Maccabi Experience. The games, which are an Olympic-style competition, is the largest organized sports program for Jewish teenagers in the world, with 5,000 Jewish teens participating.

The staff participated over four days during this month's games, staffing two different first aid stations, said Sinai ER-7 nurse manager Sheryl Thorpe, RN, BSN, CEN. Staff included physicians, nurse practitioners and nurses. This is the third time Sinai has provided first-aid coverage. Pictured at left are Sinai's Martha Saroop, RN II, and Jessica Tracy, critical care technician.

Helping out reflects Sinai's mission of "excellence in patient care, education and community service building on Jewish values."

The Maccabi Games allow teenagers to participate in one of 14 sporting competitions, and fosters pride in being Jewish. The 2010 JCC Maccabi Experience® was presented this year by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore (JCC), along with its partner organization, the JCC Association of North America.

Getting on the Bandwagon

LifeBridge Health is on the bandwagon - the wristband bandwagon, that is.

Poor communication about risk factors can lead to negative effects. “Get on the Bandwagon” is a patient safety campaign to standardized color wristbands that alert caregivers to some risks patients may face.

For example, a patient may be allergic to penicillin, in which case they would be asked to wear a red wristband. Another patient may be at risk for a fall, in which case they would wear yellow. More than a third of adults over the age of 65 fall each year, and preventing falls has been a major effort at LifeBridge Health.

The risk factors and their coordinating colors are:

The colors are:

• Purple: do not resuscitate
• Red: allergy
• Green: latex allergy
• Pink: restricted extremity
• Yellow: fall risk

The "Get on the Bandwagon” campaign is an initiative of the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) and the Maryland Patient Safety Center (MPSC). Since many health care workers float between facilities, standardizing the colors across the state will help with a clear message. Employees are also asked to reiterate the importance of the wristbands to patients and families in order to promote education around the program.

According to the Maryland Patient Safety Center, more than 30 states are using the color-coded wristbands already, or plan to implement the program soon.

To read more about Get On the Bandwagon, click here.

Superheroes Arrive at Sinai Hospital

At Sinai, our pediatric patients are our superheroes. Today, those patients got to meet their superheros: Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman.

Thanks to Hope for Henry, a foundation dedicated to bringing smiles to hospitalized children, the characters arrived bearing gifts, food and general awesomeness. Pictured above is 18-month-old pediatric oncology patient Emma Miller, with her mother Jen and men who need no introduction.

The Hope for Henry Foundation first began supporting patients at Sinai in 2009, and continues to support the inpatient and outpatient pediatrics patients with gifts and other celebrations. Mary Bohlen, social worker in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Sinai Hospital, says there have been at least six birthday celebrations courtesy of Hope for Henry. The parties are thrown when a pediatric patient has to spend his or her birthday in the hospital. The patient not only gets a personalized cake or balloon, but is allowed to choose an age-appropriate gift ranging from an iPod to a PSP player.

Today was the first Superhero Celebration at Sinai, but there are hopes for further events.

"When you are a child in the hospital, time moves very slowly," says Hope for Henry Foundation director Laurie Strongin. "A day like today, you won't even remember the medical treatment - you'll remember meeting Batman and Wonder Woman."

Children like Thomas Georgiou, pictured left, also got to have pizza, juice and cake today. Other activities including having a caricaturist draw a picture of them as a superhero, getting their photo taken in a photo booth, making their own cape, having their face painted, and receiving a variety of gifts.

"This is such an exciting time for the department of pediatrics and the Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai," says Shannon Wollman, manager of Development at Sinai. "Working with new organizations like Hope for Henry enhances the mission of making children and their families feel like they are being well taken care of."

But don't take our word for it - below is a short video of 3-year-old Jeffrey Schwantes of New Jersey, who had surgery last month with Shawn Standard, M.D. Jeffrey and his mother came over from Hackerman Patz house to visit with the superheros. He's also pictured above left with Wonder Woman.

LifeBridge Health Launches Mobile Recruitment Site

If you're looking for a great place to work, a new job may be on the horizon - straight from your mobile phone.

LifeBridge Health recently launched a mobile version of LifeJobs so that those using smart phones (such as the iPhone, BlackBerry or Android) can view jobs from virtually anywhere.

“We are very excited to debut the user-friendly mobile site and allow potential employees another method to view our job opportunities,” says Rudy Miller, vice president of Marketing and Community Relations at LifeBridge Health.

The mobile site is a condensed version of the main recruitment website and includes information such as details on each LifeBridge Health center, benefits, directions, the application process and the full listing of current job openings. Each of the LifeBridge Health social networking sites can be accessed from the mobile site, including the LifeBridge Health careers page on Facebook, the @LBHealth on Twitter, the LifeBridge Health blog and the LifeBridge Health YouTube channel.

Applicants also have the option to e-mail themselves or a friend links to individual jobs to later apply online using a laptop or personal computer.

“We are on the continuous journey of becoming and remaining a great place to work, which includes offering our applicants user-friendly recruitment and application options,” says Taylor Foss, vice president of Human Resources at LifeBridge Health.

LifeBridge Health is currently hiring in most areas of patient care, allied health and administration.

Back to School Tips for Adult Students

Before we know it, school will be back in session. While everyone worries about what their teachers will be like and how much homework they’ll have, adult learners face special challenges.

Going back to school as an adult means juggling your course work with the demands of everyday life. However, according to Anita Hammond, the Workforce Development Coordinator at LifeBridge Health, instead of being overwhelming, the experience can be rewarding and exciting, as long as there is some planning.

There are a variety of reasons that adults decide to go back to school. Among the most popular are career advancement, a job change, the ability to help their own children with homework and the chance to do something for themselves after their kids are grown.

Hammond shares five tips to help adults successfully add schoolwork to an already busy life.

• Make sure that you’re going down the right career path. Part of this is honestly evaluating your own skills, such as math, reading and comprehension, so you have a good idea about how you’ll fare when you get back into the classroom.
• Research what financial help is available from the government, public funds, private sources and your employer. For instance, LifeBridge Health provides tuition assistance for employees so they have the latest information in their fields and so they can continue to challenge themselves in life.
• Organize your family’s time. Make a calendar with everyone’s activities and a to-do-list so that you can keep track of schedules, study time and free time.
• Stay healthy so you can still thrive no matter how hectic things get. This can include everything from healthy eating (especially a good breakfast so your stomach doesn’t growl during class) to exercising to relaxing.
• Finally, understand that there will be stresses: the balancing act with your family, wondering how you will do back in the academic world and all of the unexpected things along the way. Perseverance and humor are two keys.

Hammond says it’s never too late to further your education and your dreams. If you are a LifeBridge Health employee who wants to learn more about workforce development classes, call 2-0858. To learn more about working at LifeBridge Health, visit LifeJobs.

Sinai Occupational Therapist Helps Children in Quito

Many LifeBridge Health employees use their hard-earned vacation time to visit different countries to help those in need. Today we're featuring Sinai Hospital occupational therapist Katie Cooper, pictured at left.

Cooper, who works on the inpatient neurological rehabilitation unit at Sinai, was invited on a 3-week trip to Quito, Ecuador with OT students from St. Catherine's University in Minnesota. She supervised two occupational therapists and two certified occupational therapist assistants at Fundacion Reina de Quito. The students, who have Down Syndrome, can attend the school up to the time they are 6 years old. Cooper and the students worked with them on a variety of activities.

"Many of the children lack in sensory integration," Cooper says. "The program for occupational therapy is being developed, and we were there to help them with best practices."

Other projects included building a shower chair for a student who had athetoid cerebral palsy, a vast improvement over the school staff trying to bathe him in a sink. Cooper speaks Spanish, an asset that "definitely helps."

Cooper plans to return to Quito. She says being an occupational therapist and giving back has been a lifelong dream.

"When I was in seventh grade, the Girl Scouts had a Women in the Workplace Day," she says. "An occupational therapist talked about what she did, and I said, 'that's what I want to do.' Occupational therapy is about changing people's lives and allowing them more independence."

Are you interested in being an occupational therapist at LifeBridge Health? Click here to see our openings.