Volume 27
Number 25
December 9, 2016
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
A THANKSGIVING TO REMEMBER Spending a holiday in the hospital is hard for both patients and their loved ones, but, thanks to the HEADstrong Foundation, Thanksgiving on HUP’s oncology floors — Rhoads 3,6, and 7, and Dulles 6 — became a more cheerful (and especially well-fed) place. Nick Colleluori, a young man who battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the Abramson Cancer Center, created HEADstrong to raise awareness of the disease and help other cancer patients. Before he died in 2006, he made his family promise to bring his vision to fruition. A decade later, his family has more than kept its promise. The HEADstrong Foundation has raised over $9 million to help support more than 13,500 patients through grants for treatment expenses and cancer research, including $455,000 for the Nicholas E. Colleluori Lymphoma Research Fund at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center. The annual Thanksgiving visit to HUP is a tribute to Nick, said his mother, Cheryl, who is president of the Foundation. “It was his favorite holiday,” she said. Colleluori family members and more than 30 HEADstrong volunteers set up banquet tables in each floor’s conference room and covered them with fall decorations and homemade cards that elementary school children created for patients.
INSIDE Snacks, Stories & Games.........2 Above & Beyond Heroes..........3 Local Students Get a Glimpse of Working in Medicine.............3 Philadelphia Heart Walk............4 Philadelphia Antiques Show....4
The meal included all the holiday favorites — turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, veggies, and of course dessert! In addition, each patient received a HEADstrong blanket — “It’s a wonderful blanket. Super soft, super comfy,” said patient Louis Paglaicetti — and a “comfort” bag, which included a toothbrush, toothpaste, and lip balm. Dennis Kilpatrick, a patient on Rhoads 6, has known the Colleluori family for decades. He spent Thanksgiving Day in the ICU but was able to return to the unit the following day, where a huge cooler of food awaited him and his family. “For what they’ve been through, most people want to just forget. The Colleluoris have made something positive from it,” he said. “For them to bring hope and comfort to so many people…. The whole family is incredible.” “It’s so great that they do this,” said Lindsay Christman, BSN, RN, of Rhoads 7. “Patients look forward to it. We’re so grateful.”
Penn Travel Medical Insurance Free...........................4
1
CAREs Grant Photos by Peggy Peterson `` Laura Carter with just a few of the many kids who enjoyed a summertime outing to a bowling alley that included plenty of food and free backpacks for school.
SNACKS, STORIES & GAMES: PUTTING THE FUN BACK IN SUMMER When Laura Carter, patient service associate for Penn Medicine Cherry Hill, worked in the trauma unit at Cooper Hospital, she saw many victims of violence. She vividly remembers one, a young man who had been shot eight times but, miraculously, recovered. “Before he was discharged, he told me that he’d get his life together this time. He said ‘I don’t want this to happen again.’” Months later, he returned to the ER, but this time no one could save his life. “I knew then that I wanted to help – give these kids a way to escape the violence in Camden,” she said. “I had to do something.”
Penn Medicine faculty, staff and students throughout the organization donate their time and expertise to provide countless hours of work to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve. To help with these efforts, the Penn Medicine CAREs Grant program was established to offer institutional support in the form of grants that can be used for the purchase of supplies and other resources needed to perform this important work in the community.
Growing up in Philadelphia, Carter recalled enjoying free lunches and free recreation activities during the summer. “They don’t have that in Camden. Kids have nothing to do. A lot are in the houses by themselves.” That’s when she came up with Setfree Urban Outreach, a fun and safe way for underprivileged children in Camden to spend Saturdays during the summer. “I simple wrote down what I wanted to do and then I made it happen!” she said. She created and distributed flyers in several Camden neighborhoods but didn’t think many kids would show. That first summer 250 kids and parents came. For several years, Carter and her team of volunteers (which included coworkers, friends, neighbors, spouses… even her mom!) set up several tents for games and storytelling, a dance contest with prizes, free pretzels and water ice, health screenings, and gently used clothing and shoes. “My volunteers were my motivation,” she said. This past summer, though, funding for these weekly activities, which primarily came from Carter and other volunteers, ran out so she was unable to hold the program. But, thanks to a Penn Medicine CAREs grant — and the help of many of her coworkers at Penn Medicine Cherry Hill — many kids from Camden still enjoyed an outreach they won’t soon forget. At the end of August, nearly 60 got to bowl for two hours and eat all the pizza, soft pretzels, and soft drinks they wanted! “We also gave out backpacks filled with school supplies,” she said. “The kids had a great time and the parents who came were thrilled.” Carter hopes to start Setfree Urban Outreach up again next summer. “I’m looking for sponsors to build a relationship with so that we may continue to service the children in the inner city and give them options other than just the street corner,” she said. “I work very hard to make sure my own children succeed; it’s embedded in me to want every child I come across to have the same outcome: success.” If you would like to learn more about Setfree Urban Outreach and how you can help, contact Carter at Setfreeurbanoutreach3@gmail.com or 856.520.0055.
2
QUESTIONS? Do not hesitate to contact the Public Affairs office at 215.662.7030 or CAREs@uphs.upenn.edu with any questions or concerns regarding the grant or application process. Interested in volunteer opportunities? Visit the Community Events Calendar at PennMedicine.org/about/serving-ourcommunity/community-events.
ABOVE & BEYOND
HEROES
The Above and Beyond Award recognizes HUP employees who have a meaningful and positive impact on patients and colleagues by consistently acting with respect, leading by example, and inspiring others around them to emulate their impeccable professionalism in our work environment. Five HUP employees were chosen as award recipients for the Fall 2016 quarter:
Shaleeta Mills, CNA, Silverstein 7 Shaleeta was the assigned CNA for a patient who required a 1:1 for suicide precautions and was also recently postpartum with an infant in the Intensive Care Nursery. The patient was feeling ready to give up breast pumping, was feeling depressed about her milk production and was very disheartened until she met Shaleeta who stepped in right at a crucial moment and gave her the inspiration she needed to not give up. She even took the time to create a pumping schedule for the patient.
Ali Hamedani, MD, Neurology Ali performed a full-fledged investigation largely outside his normal scope of practice that took weeks in an effort to find family and/or friends who could aid in decision making for a patient. He was eventually able to find someone who did in fact know the patient personally. We are proud to have him as part of the Silverstein 9 family.
Local Students Get a Glimpse of Working in Medicine
Danielle Callahan, CRNP, Neurosurgery Danielle has stepped up in a very challenging leadership role as supervisor of advanced practice for Neurosurgery. She is committed to nursing and quality improvement. She is a team player and always willing to go “above and beyond!”
Dan Petrosky, RN, SICU Dan was coming off night shift and was made aware that a patient’s family member was looking for a laundry mat. Dan took the family member’s clothing home and washed everything in his own washer/dryer. After nightshift the LAST thing one wants to do is laundry. This is a prime example of how Dan constantly provides patient-family care in the H&V ICU.
Joe Favatella, PharmD, Specialty Pharmacy Joe consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that all patients who leave the hospital are going home with all medications that they need. This is helping to lower re-admission rates and lead to better outcomes for these patients. He has made arrangements for patients who cannot afford the care they need and allows the patients to concentrate on getting better.
Last month, several middle school students from Quba Institute, an Islamic school in West Philadelphia, visited Rhoads 7 to learn about healthcare careers. “Our goal was to expose students from underserved communities to career opportunities in medicine,” said Lily A. Arya, MD, of OB/GYN, who helped organize the visit. During a workshop held in the unit conference room, the students participated in hands-on activities (including suturing and hand washing) and spoke with nurses, residents, fellows and medical students about working in healthcare. In addition, Sakinah Wade, RNC MNN, BSN, of Women’s Health, made a presentation on multiculturalism. Though students did not visit clinical areas because of infection control policies, “the principal of Quba Institute thought that the visit would have a deep and lasting impact on her students,” Arya said. “The enthusiasm of the young doctors and nursing staff who participated and their genuine pleasure in ‘giving back’ to the community was impressive!” The visit also included a stop at Penn’s Biomedical Library where students learned how 3D printing is used in medical research and saw a specially designed tray to hold tiny zebrafish and models of a femur showing the spongy tissue.
`` Lily Arya, MD, demonstrates how to suture during a visit to Rhoads 7 by students of the Quba Institute.
3
2016 Philadelphia Heart Walk – THANK YOU! At this year’s #PhillyHeartWalk, Penn Medicine was the number one fundraising company and health system, with over $270,000 raised and over 1900 registered walkers. Not only did we beat both our overall fundraising goal and our walker recruitment goal for the 2016 Heart Walk, but the Penn team also raised more money and recruited more walkers than ever before. The HUP-CPUP team alone boasted more than 500 walkers and raised nearly $66,000! The funds we all worked so hard to raise go directly into cardiovascular research and education — and Penn Medicine is awarded more research dollars than any other hospital or health system in the region. Thank you for your support of the American Heart Association. It was wonderful to see so many employees, friends and family join our fight against heart disease and stroke.
SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 21–23 The Philadelphia Antiques and Art Show The 2017 Philadelphia Antiques and Art Show will benefit Penn Medicine’s Department of Radiation Oncology. The money raised will help support the department’s Quality of Life Program, which was created to improve its waiting areas, making patients’ first encounter on the journey of healing a transformative and holistic experience by providing a place of calm, community, optimism, inspiration, and support.
Penn Travel Medical Insurance Free through International SOS All Penn and UPHS employees traveling on Penn-affiliated trips abroad are members of International SOS (ISOS). This membership includes 24/7 medical and security consultation, hospital referrals, emergency evacuation assistance and travel medical insurance. In order to receive notification of ISOS membership, a summary of benefits and a link to download your ISOS member card, please register your roundtrip flight itinerary in Penn’s Global Activities Registry. More information on International SOS and how to register your travel can be found on Penn’s International Travel Guidance website (global.upenn.edu/ global-resources/travel-safety ) or by contacting Jaime Molyneux, director of International Risk Management, at molyneux@upenn.edu.
HUPdate
The Philadelphia Antiques and Art Show is an exciting opportunity to experience history through a world of extraordinary treasures. More than 60 distinguished exhibitors will present exceptional handcrafted items and art from the Colonial to the Mid-20th Century eras. Mark your calendars to see why the Philadelphia Show has been called one of the finest of its kind for over 50 years.
EDITORIAL STAFF
More details are available at PhiladelphiaAntiquesandArtShow.com.
Susan E. Phillips Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
Sally Sapega Editor and Photographer Trissy Laurito Graphic Designer
ADMINISTRATION
Holly Auer Director of Communications
Holiday Outreach? Is your department or area planning to do some holiday outreach in the community? We’d love to share the story of your efforts to brighten this season for others. Please send information about the outreach and photos to Sally.Sapega@uphs.upenn.edu.
4
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.