Patient Safety Fair at Sinai on March 8

Sinai Hospital is proud to sponsor the Annual Patient Safety Fair from noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8. This fair shows how different products are used at Sinai, encouraging safer care for every patient, every day.

Products on display will include the VersaCare bed, which helps prevent pressure ulcers. Reducing these ulcers, also known as bed sores, has been a high priority for LifeBridge Health facilities. Both Levindale and Northwest offer wound care.

"It is of paramount importance to Sinai to engage staff and others as we strengthen collaboration and commit to safe health care for all," says Sinai patient safety officer Tina Gionet, RN, MS.

Everyone is invited to attend the fair, from staff to patients. Sponsors will receive lunch and attendees will receive refreshments. There will be a raffle for gift cards and giveaways.

-Elizabeth Leis-Newman

Northwest Hospital Concludes Astounding Year

2010 has been a great year for Northwest Hospital. We thought 2009 was a banner year with the conclusion of the Renaissance Campaign and opening of the new Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center, but this year was also met with some equally important milestones:

In January, the Northwest Professional Center on Carlson Lane opened. The 51,000 square foot medical office building houses the hospital’s administrative offices as well as physician practices and the new SurgiCenter – a state-of-the-art, outpatient surgery center features four large operating rooms, a special procedures room and an endoscopy suite.

In March, the Women’s Wellness Center opened. The center offers a holistic approach for not only a woman’s gynecologic care but also her other health needs. The center is led by Dr. Dee-Dee Shiller, a board-certified gynecologist, and employs a health coach, a registered nurse who works with patients to coordinate all aspects of their medical care.

In April, the Sleep Disorders Center was awarded accreditation by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Fewer than 20 percent of sleep centers in the Mid-Atlantic have earned this distinction, and Northwest was granted it only after a rigorous survey of areas such as patient safety, testing protocols, environmental cleanliness, and ongoing training of center physicians and staff.

In June, Northwest Hospital acquired a da Vinci® Surgical System, which allows surgeons to operate with robotic precision, making minimally invasive surgery safer and easier to perform.
In July, Northwest Hospital was the first in the United States and the second in the world to perform robotically assisted hand surgery. Stacey Berner, M.D., nationally recognized orthopedic surgeon and director of the Hand & Upper Extremity Center, performed this leading-edge surgery on the da Vinci robot.

In other surgical news, throughout the year, mini-port and single-port surgeries were performed with increasing regularity by Chief of Surgery Alan Davis, M.D., and W. Peter Geis, M.D., head of the Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery. Through the use of smaller and more sophisticated instruments, these new surgical techniques permit patients to experience smaller incisions and less surgical trauma, leading to less pain and faster recoveries. With single-port surgery, procedures can be performed with small instruments inserted through a single incision in a patient’s navel, resulting in no visible scar.

From July 2009 through June 2010 over 60,000 visits were made to the Northwest Hospital ER-7, making 2010 the emergency room’s busiest year on record. That Northwest is now a Primary Stroke Center, the growing population in the Randallstown area and the H1N1 flu outbreak all contributed to the increase in ER-7 patients.

In November, Northwest’s cardiac rehabilitation program earned certification from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACPR). The AACPR looked at 14 different program aspects, including the skill level of the cardiac rehab staff, individual patient treatment plans and an assessment of the program’s patient outcomes in awarding this certification.

Also in November, ground was broken on a new healing garden, located near the hospital’s main entrance. The cost of the garden will be offset by the generous gifts of donors, and trees and shrubs have been planted. The garden, which will be receiving additional plantings in the spring, will provide a place of respite for patients, visitors and employees, helping to relieve stress and promote healing.

Northwest Hospital wishes everyone at happy and HEALTHY 2011!

-Holly Hosler

Northwest Hospital Celebrates Emergency Nurses Week

Now through October 16, LifeBridge Health is celebrating Emergency Nurses Week. Northwest Hospital is marking the occasion with a festive educational fair for its Northwest ER-7 staff.

There are about 70 registered nurses (RNs), 40 techs, ten administrative care coordinators (ACCs) and ten companions who work in the emergency room at Northwest Hospital. All serve key roles in ensuring that patients receive the emergency care they need.

“We’re proud of our ER team, and are happy to have a week to formally recognize their hard work,” says Nelson Figueroa, RN, director of emergency services. “Being able to successfully handle emergency medical situations takes special dedication and focus, and we are thankful that our nurses and staff give their all at work.”

Throughout the week, all shifts of ER-7 staff will be able to visit the fair to tour interactive, educational exhibits. These exhibits cover topics as diverse as recognizing when an ER patient may be a victim of domestic violence to joining the Emergency Nurses Association to attracting future generations to the nursing profession.
-Holly Hosler

A Safe Haven for Mothers

The Safe Haven law in Maryland, passed in 2002, allows mothers to leave newborn babies at a hospital, fire or police station without being prosecuted and with no questions asked.

That means Sinai and Northwest hospitals are safe havens. The purpose of the law is to protect newborn babies who may be abandoned by their mothers who are afraid they would be subject to legal action if they cannot keep the child. The law aims to protect the health of a newborn baby, who may be especially at risk if a pregnant woman is fearful or in denial of her pregnancy.

The baby must be 10 days old or younger and unharmed for the mother to be protected by this law. The mother needs to hand the baby to someone at a Safe Haven facility and say that she cannot take the baby. If she is willing to answer a few questions with a social worker it is helpful, but not required.

Hospital employees should know that if a mother hands their baby to them and states they cannot keep the baby, the employee should call security, and an officer will escort the baby and employee to Sinai ER-7 or Northwest ER-7. The mother may either leave at that time or go with the baby and employee to answer questions.

A baby who is brought to a hospital will be examined and treated, and a social worker will notify the Baltimore City Department of Social Services or Baltimore County Department of Social Services. The baby will be placed in a safe foster care or potential adoptive home.

Northwest ER-7 Shows Gains In Patient Satisfaction

At 7:05 a.m. on Wednesday, June 16, Northwest Hospital’s ER-7 saw its 60,000th patient since July 1 of last year. If current trends continue, the ER will see about 62,380 patients in a year’s time, a new record for the hospital. There’s no question that the Randallstown community has grown, increasing the demand for emergency medical services, and we're constantly striving to improve the ER patient's experience.

Northwest’s current ER was built 7 years ago and was designed to accommodate 50,000 patients a year. Though the emergency department is busy, the staff takes measures to ensure that patients don’t feel the pinch.

Through the creation of a Rapid Evaluation Unit (REU), in which patients are quickly screened by a health care provider and directed to one of seven ER care centers, average waiting time to see a physician has decreased by half. For people in the main waiting room, a guest relations representative makes sure they have what they need, whether it be a blanket, something to read or more information about their loved one. Since 2006, patient satisfaction with the Northwest ER has increased three-fold.

Last June, Northwest’s ER was designated as a Primary Stroke Center by MIEMMS. This means that ambulances will bring patients who present with stroke symptoms to Northwest when it is the nearest Primary Stroke Center. With a stroke, time to treatment is of the utmost importance, and now that stroke patients now are able to be seen more quickly at Northwest, lives will be saved and qualities of life improved.

“Our hospital and community are better off for the commitment [the ER staff has] made to providing top notch care to those who need us in times of emergency,” say Erik Wexler, president of Northwest Hospital.

-Holly Hosler

Celebrate Patient Advocacy Week

It’s not much fun being sick. Apart from not feeling well, your life is disrupted, you or your family must make complicated care decisions, and – in the back of your mind – there’s the worry you won’t make a full recovery.

So if somebody grabbed your hand and offered to make being sick a little easier, you would think he or she was heaven-sent, right?

To many a grateful patient or family member, patient advocates - who can be a navigator, health coach or guest relations designee - are like angels. The Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy (SHCA)'s Patient Advocacy Week (April 11-14) is a good chance to thank those who work tirelessly in departments such as Volunteer Services, Guest Relations or the Emergency Department.

For Karen Foote, guest relations representative in Northwest Hospital’s ER-7, being a patient advocate is very much about giving people the respect they want. She “works the area,” introducing herself to everyone and giving waiting family members updates on their loved one so they aren’t kept in suspense.

Knowing that ER waits can be draining, Karen pushes around a cart of supplies to make sure those in the waiting room have pillows, blankets, and a paper or magazine to read. Sometimes she’ll even reconfigure the ER seating to accommodate groups or add extra chairs so that everyone has a place to sit.

“I like feeling like I’m approachable,” says Karen. People often confuse her for a police officer, social worker, registration associate or financial services representative. At times, she has to play these roles.

“I love my job; it was made for me,” Karen says. “It’s not just about fixing people physically, but also fixing them mentally.”

For more information on Patient Advocacy Week, click here.