Volume 24
Number 16
August 9, 2013
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
MyPennPharmacy: ASSURING MEDICATION SAFETY “Drugs don’t work in patients who don’t take them.”
— C. Everett Koop, MD
Medication non-adherence — ie, not taking essential medications or not taking them as prescribed — can lead to serious outcomes and, as a result, readmissions to hospitals. Indeed, in this country, nearly one in five hospital readmissions is related to medication issues. The reasons for not taking medications vary, but frequently result from either a patient’s lack of understanding about the medication or an inability to obtain the drug. Now, a new program at HUP has the potential to significantly reduce these occurrences. MyPennPharmacy delivers prescribed medications to inpatients at the time of discharge, eliminating the need to stop at the local pharmacy on the way home and ensuring that the patient not only has the correct medication but understands how to use it. Launched in April, the program is currently being piloted on four patient units. A dedicated pharmacist works with two technicians and a billing coordinator to ensure that the correct prescriptions are delivered to the correct patient, prior to discharge. Working with nurses, the unit-based clinical pharmacist, social workers and other providers on the unit, an MPP technician identifies patients who may be eligible to participate, based on specific criteria. The technician then explains the program to these patients . If they’re interested in participating, a special icon appears on Navicare next to the patient’s name. Aitken Wins MER Award...............2 This notifies the MPP pharmacist as well as Save Lives: the staff on the unit Be an Organ Donor...................2 which patients are now Keeping Active Earns Points!.....3 part of the program.
INSIDE
`` (L. to r.) In the MyPennPharmacy program, pharmacist Jane Sensenbrenner reviews all patient medications with pharmacy technicians Fransheca Soto and Smitha Jacob.
When the patient nears discharge, the unit’s pharmacist completes the final medication reconciliation. Then the MPP tech picks up the prescriptions from the unit and enters them into QS1, the pharmacy’s billing system where the prescriptions are processed and billed to the patient’s prescription drug insurance policy. “Once the prescriptions are reviewed and filled by the MPP dedicated pharmacist, they are then delivered to the patient and the patient’s co-payment is collected at bedside,” explained Michelle Plummer, MyPennPharmacy program administrator. The unitbased pharmacist performs the final step in this process, educating the patient about each prescription and answering questions. Timing is important. Plummer said the MPP pharmacist needs at least three hours to prepare the prescriptions in order to have them delivered to the patient in a timely fashion. “It’s very patientcentered. We will not delay a patient’s discharge,” said Donna Capozzi, PharmD, associate director of Ambulatory Services. (Continued on page 3)
Leading by Example.................4 2013 MS City to Shore Cycling................4
1
Aitken Wins MER Award Chuck Aitken, assistant executive hospital director, received this year’s Maryellen Reilly Leadership Award. Before announcing the winner, Garry Scheib, HUP’s executive director, noted that “this winner has many of the same traits as Maryellen Reilly – an effective team player, a great working relationship with his team, well‑respected and known for creative solutions in a complex environment.” In receiving the award, Aitken said, “I can’t tell you how honored and privileged I am to be tied to Maryellen’s legacy.” `` Chuck Aitken, winner of this year’s Maryellen Reilly Leadership Award, with his wife Marge and members of his team.
Save Lives:
Be an Organ Donor When people think of transplants, they tend to picture hearts and kidneys. But, in fact, lungs, livers, intestines and the pancreas are also transplantable organs. And some tissues can be transplanted as well, such as: • Eyes • Skin • Bone • Heart valves • Tendons Indeed, one organ donor can save as many as eight lives and improve the lives of many more. And yet, more than 117,00 people in this country are waiting for a life-saving organ — and more than 100 die every week — because there aren’t enough organs for transplantation.
2
HUP has joined the HAP (The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania) Donate Life Hospital Campaign to help increase the number of registered donors by the end of August. The national campaign’s goal is to educate people about the importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation. “We encourage our hospital community to join with the Gift of Life Donor Program in educating our staff, patients and their families, and visitors on the critical need for organ donation,” said Garry Scheib, HUP’s executive director. Registering to become an organ donor is easy! Stop by the tables outside of the cafeteria on Founders 2 on any Thursday in August, between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm to learn more about donating and register. Or, just go to www.donors1.org/penn.
Be a life saver!
Another Benefit of Saving a Life According to UPHS Human Resources Leave of Absence Policy (No. 2-06-07), when an eligible employee intends to donate bone marrow, stem cells or a major organ to another person , he or she may request a Bone Marrow/ Organ Donation leave of absence. Eligible employees will be paid regular time. No vacation, personal or sick time will be utilized. Time off will not be counted towards the employee’s leave entitlement. The amount of time off granted will be determined on a case by case basis, depending on the type of donation to be made. Interested employees may contact the Disability Management Office at (215) 615-2630 for additional information.
Keeping Active Earns Points! The UPHS Wellfocused “Healthy Rewards” Program lets you earn points for participating in healthy activities and challenges. You can earn a $150 lump-sum payment by completing the Well-Being Assessment, Knowing Your Numbers and participating in healthy actions and challenges.* The challenges in the Healthy Rewards site are engaging and include something for everyone!
MyPennPharmacy: ASSURING MEDICATION SAFETY (Continued from page 1)
These new challenges are waiting for you to join in the Healthy Rewards site: Sweat for 30 Find a physical activity you enjoy and do it for 30 minutes or more per day on most days of the week at a moderate intensity. Earn 25 Wellfocused points per week for participating in this challenge.
Penn Medicine Community Events Choose an upcoming UPHS Community event to participate in and earn 100 points after you’ve completed the event. Some upcoming Walk/Run events include Penn’s 5K for the IOA and the Memory Mile Walk, and Bike MS City to Shore. For more information on these events go to www.uphshrandyou.com and click “Wellfocused” and then “Latest and Greatest Health and Wellness News.”
Balance the Scales Make healthier food choices and take the time to be physically activity this summer! Track at least 24 days of balanced living from now until the end of September and earn 200 points!
Have a Bucket List? This challenge is created to give you the motivation to check at least 3 things off your bucket list and earn 100 points!
More new challenges are available to you in the Healthy Rewards site at www.uphshrandyou.com. Just click on “Healthy Rewards.” Improve your health and well-being while earning points along the way. Quarterly raffle prizes will be awarded for those participating in the Healthy Rewards challenges!
`` The MyPennPharmacy techs work closely with unit-based clinical pharmacists, such as Ryan Fuller of Ravdin 9.
The idea for this program came from last year’s ‘Big Idea’ competition to improve patient satisfaction, and, based on informal patient feedback, the program is a success: “I love how convenient this is. I can go straight home and sleep.” “All the convenience of my pharmacy and you bring it up to my room? How great is this.” “Everything was explained very well, all my questions were answered” “Thank you for helping me so I don’t have to stop at my pharmacy.” Capozzi added that the program is also revenuegenerating, capturing prescriptions currently being dispensed outside of the Health System. “Our goal is to make this program accessible to as many patients as possible,” she said. In addition to expanding to other inpatient units, she said that MPP could also help outpatient cancer patients, bringing medications for pain or nausea during the course of the treatment. “This program can truly have an impact on readmissions. It’s a win-win situation for both our patients and the Health System.”
*NOTE: You must complete the Well-Being Assessment and the Know Your Numbers tasks to be eligible for your $150 credit.
3
2013 MS
Leading by Example John McCoy, registration supervisor in the ED, is no stranger to community outreach. He has coached football and basketball teams for youth leagues and is a referee for the annual Jimmy Valvano Foundation basketball tournament. He’s also been one of the leaders of his son’s Boy Scout troop since 2005, when the program was in danger of closing due to lack of troop leaders. “We didn’t want our kids sucked up into street life,” he said.“Even one kid saved from a life of crime has a significant impact on a community.” His latest project involved scouting as well. In pursuing the Eagle Scout Rank, the highest award in the Boy Scout organization, son Drake needed to pull together a community project. He decided to transform the backyard of the Veterans Comfort House, a homeless shelter for displaced veterans. Located at 4108 Baltimore, the yard was little more than a trash dumping area. McCoy worked with his son and other members of the troop to map out the project, showed them how to mix cement, do carpentry work and landscaping, and, equally important, how to network. “When word got out, people – and businesses – contributed plants, supplies, and manpower.” Also helping out in the project were University employees Aubrey Bailer and David Busch. Two months after starting, they had created something both beautiful and useful. The yard now contains flowering plants, a vegetable garden and a compost bin. David Kamioner, executive director of the shelter, was thrilled. In a thank-you letter, he wrote, “The project is beautiful and will act as therapy for some of the residents and give them something to do. Thanks for choosing our location to do your Eagle Project, we truly appreciate it.”
CITY to SHORE Cycling
On September 28 and 29, hundreds of UPHS employees will join the organization’s cycling team to ride as the largest team on the 33nd anniversary of the Bike MS City to Shore Ride and 17th anniversary of the UPHS Bike Team. The team is open to everyone including students, friends and family and our patients. We’ve set a system-wide goal of recruiting 300 team members this year and raising $150,000. This one or two-day cycling event has been named the best cycling getaway in NJ by industry expert Bicycling Magazine. Various starting points in southern NJ enable participants to choose from the following mileage options: 25, 50, 75 or 100 on Saturday or 150 and 175 over the course of the weekend. If you don’t want to ride, you can participate as a volunteer at the team’s finish line tent or even as a virtual cyclist (if you can’t ride, but want to fundraise) To learn more, go to http://bikepae. nationalmssociety.org/ and click on the ‘UPHS/ Penn’ link.
`` John McCoy helped his son create a beautiful garden in what was once a trash dumping area behind the Veterans Comfort House.
Helping People ALL THE TIME
Congratulations to the winners of the Helping People All the Time raffle for March. Thank you for all you do for our patients.
4
Joan Akhilele-Hidalgo. . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Colleen Hodgen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Founders 14
Trudy Bailey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Barbara Jones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Michelle Blackwell. . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 2
Kevin Joynt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 2
Jake Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Lisa Kilburn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Cheryl Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 10
Caitlin McGovern. . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 2
Roxanne Colter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Respiratory Therapy
Julie Meyer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 7
Kasey Davis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 2
Anna Nguyen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Founders 9
Kathleen Donovan. . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 2
Nicole Ramirez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 2
Maura Gallagher. . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Shannon Reynolds. . . . . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Shawn Grabski. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Respiratory Therapy
Sharon Schlereth . . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 10
Samantha Greenbaum. . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Deb Tomaszewski. . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 2
HUPdate EDITORIAL STAFF Sally Sapega Editor and Photographer Tara Skoglund Designer
ADMINISTRATION
Susan E. Phillips Senior Vice President, Public Affairs CONTACT HUPDATE AT: 3535 Market Street, Mezzanine Philadelphia, PA 19104 phone: 215.662.4488 fax: 215.349.8312 email: sally.sapega@uphs.upenn.edu HUPdate is published biweekly for HUP employees. Access HUPdate online at http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside/hupdate.