HUPdate by Penn Medicine

Volume 24

Number 10

May 17, 2013

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

`` Showing off their cool casts are (l. to r.): Tionna Gilbert, daughter of Tiffany Frazier; Shaylyn Westmoreland, daughter of Renee Westmoreland; and Genesis Johnson, daughter of Alicia Johnson.

`` Nathan Iyoob, son of George Iyoob, takes his job of “examining” Connor Henry, son of Erin Henry, seriously.

`` Troy Rehrig of Pharmacy describes the ins and outs of making drugs for patients to the kids of IS. With 56 kids – and 32 chaperones – this was by far the largest group to tour the hospital.

A Not- So -Typ i cal Day at HUP What happens in the OR? What do my arteries and veins look like? And what the heck are leeches doing in a hospital?! Answers to these questions — and hundreds more — were part of the annual Take Your Child to Work Day at HUP, when more than 600 kids came to the hospital eager to see and learn.

Inside Bringing Down the Barriers.....2 Open Enrollment Change Period...........................2 Rich Wins National Diversity Award.........................3 Clinical Nutrition Team Wins Distinction Award......................3

Keeping patients safe is a priority at HUP and the demonstration on Ravdin 9 showed kids how our staff does that, for example, using wrist bands to identify certain patients as having a latex or medication allergy, or are at risk for falling. Every child who participated also now knows the five ‘rights’ of giving medication: right person, right med, right dose, right route and right time. A mock operating room allowed the young visitors — covered with gowns, gloves, and masks — to learn the proper way to drape and prepare a patient for surgery. They also discovered that doing CPR is not as easy as it looks. And how cool to actually see what your arteries look like! Touring the PennSTAR helipad remained a favorite, as was getting a ‘lift’ out of bed! Members of Physical Plant explained how they keep the hospital running smoothly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A Sim Man portraying a teen riding a bike without a helmet who ends up in HUP’s trauma bay provided the perfect opportunity for educating kids on this risky behavior. They also learned what it would be like to be a patient at HUP, the roles of the doctors and nurses, and how to perform common elements of patient care, such as using a stethoscope or putting in an IV. Putting in some episodes of ‘bleeding’ and spitting up made the demonstration really come to life! Many thanks to Phyllis Murray of Administration, who once again led this effort. “Thank you to Donna Griffith and team, Cynthia Byrd, Lucy Rivera, and Dorothy Horne who volunteered their time to serve lunch to the kids and parents.” To see more photos from Take Your Child to Work Day, go to http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside.

Bringing Down the Barriers

Saving Lives with a Colonoscopy Two eye-opening facts: • The average lifetime risk in this country of getting colon cancer is six percent, but when a pre-cancerous polyp is present, the lifetime risk increases by three to five times. •S tage 1 colon cancer has a 90-percent survival rate after five years. At Stage 4 — when the cancer has spread to other organs — survival plummets to less than 10 percent. A colonoscopy will not only find these pre-cancerous polyps, but also remove them, basically eliminating the risk. And yet, for a variety of reasons, many people avoid it. According to Carmen Guerra, MD, of Medicine, some of the barriers that keep people away often stem from a lack of knowledge. “People think a colonoscopy is painful [which it’s not], they think patients are put under general anesthesia [which, in the majority of cases, they’re not] and men have told us that colonoscopy takes their manhood away…. It’s a combination of knowledge, beliefs and attitudes.” There can be socioeconomic factors as well. For example, people can’t afford the cost of the test or the bowel prep, and do not have a way to get to the hospital and back home. To help overcome the many obstacles — and improve the colon cancer screening rates — Guerra, along with Michael Kochman, MD, of Medicine, launched the West Philadelphia GI Health Outreach and Access Program. The target population: UPHS patients, 50 and over, who live in one of five West Philadelphia zip codes (19104,19131,19139, 19151) and have failed to keep at least one appointment for a colonoscopy. Guerra said this population — mostly African Americans — are 20 percent more likely to develop colon cancer than Caucasians and 45 percent more likely to die from the illness.

`` (L. to r.): Alicia Lamanna, Michael Kochman, and Carmen Guerra help improve colon cancer screening rates in West Philadelphia through their GI Health Outreach and Access program.

Alicia Lamanna became the program’s patient navigator, working one-on-one with patients to overcome obstacles that might prevent them from getting a screening and then walking them through the entire process. Since starting the program last year, 148 patients have come for a colonoscopy. And of that number, “37 percent had at least one significant polyp removed that could have become cancer,” Guerra said. “In the average population, only about 10 percent will have an extremely concerning polyp.” In addition, three of the patients were found to have colorectal cancer and were referred to the Abramson Cancer Center for treatment. “Being able to assemble this program with the help of Dr. Guerra and Alicia has been extraordinarily gratifying,” Kochman said. “It has allowed us to provide needed care to our local citizens and is a great example of the collaboration between the University, foundations, and private philanthropy.” The Penn Medicine CAREs grant Guerra received, along with seed funding from an anonymous donor and funding from multiple foundations,* will help the program continue to reach out and save lives. “It’s an incredibly effective program,” she said. “We are helping people who need it most.” To learn more about the program, call 215-439-8281 or go to http://news.pennmedicine.org/blog and search the news blog for “GI Outreach.”

* The West Philadelphia GI Access and Outreach Program has received support from Wal-Mart and the American Cancer Society for the Community Health Empowerment Program, the Colon Cancer Alliance Community Partnership Grant, Get Your Rear in Gear, the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center’s Bach Fund and from the Haverford School Checking For Cancer program.

Open Enrollment Change Period Open Enrollment has ended but you have another opportunity to log in and make changes to your benefits (or to enroll), now through Sunday, May 19. Review your confirmation statement carefully. To make changes or corrections, please use the online enrollment website www.enrollone.com/uphs. If all of the information is complete and accurate, no further action is required. Please keep the printed confirmation statement for your records. The enrollment or changes that you make during this time will take effect July 1, 2013. Once the enrollment change period closes on May 19, you will not be eligible to make changes to your benefits until the next open enrollment period or if you experience a qualified life event or status change that would allow you to make changes to your current elections. If you have any questions, please contact the Benefits Department at 215-615-2675, option #4.

Rich Wins National Diversity Award Victoria Rich, PhD, RN, chief nurse executive, UPMC, has received the Prism Diversity Award from the American Organization of Nurse Executives. The award acknowledges her success in promoting diversity in the nursing workforce and helping advance that mission across Penn Medicine and the greater community. At the event celebrating this recognition, Rita K. Adeniran, DrNP, director of HUP Diversity and Inclusion, spoke about growing up in a remote village in Africa and reaching her current position as HUP’s global nurse ambassador. “Only in America is my story possible,” she said. “HUP nursing and Dr. Rich are committed to upholding the values our forefathers laid to us.” In his nomination letter, HUP executive director Garry Scheib noted, “Dr. Rich embodies the ideals of this award. She is passionate about social justice, inclusivity, and brings ethics every day in decision-making processes, community engagement, and global partnerships.” Rich established the Global Nurse Program in 2003 as a resource center to address diversity in nursing and leadership roles along with global nursing issues. This program led to several other initiatives, including the Nursing Cultural Competence Committee, the Circle of

`` Victoria Rich (center) with some of the many who celebrated her receiving the Prism Diversity Award (l. to r.): CEO Ralph Muller; Al Black; Afaf Meleis, dean of Penn’s School of Nursing; Rita Adeniran; and Garry Scheib.

Women, the Seedling Program and the Global Nurse Ambassador’s role at HUP. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Victoria,” said Al Black, COO of the hospital. “Even as Victoria constantly increases her own understanding of diversity, she makes the effort to move others forward as she moves forward, and that’s one of the true tests of a leader. She’s been an innovator and an excellent listener. There’s no question about Victoria’s commitment to patients and staff and, when you see her doing that, there can be no question in your mind about how deeply she cares about equality for all.”

Clinical Nutrition Team Wins Distinction Award When a HUP patient is identified as malnourished or at nutrition risk on admission, Clinical Nutrition Support Services is called on to intervene. “Proper nourishment has an impact on patient outcomes,” said Lauren Hudson, MS, RD, LDN, program director. “Identifying patients that need specialized nutrition support therapy [parenteral and enteral nutrition] and initiating those therapies early is important to prevent and heal wounds, fight infection and impact recovery.” Recent recognition as an inaugural winner of the Clinical Nutrition Team of Distinction Award from the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) further highlights the strong role Clinical Nutrition Support Services plays in patient care at HUP. The award confirms the team’s active involvement in ASPEN, use of national guidelines in clinical practice, and its commitment to evidence-based practice.

This interdisciplinary team performs about 36,000 patient interventions each year and receives about 850 consults each month. Team members include registered dietitians, clinical nurse specialists in nutrition support, a pharmacy specialist in nutrition support, and a dietetic technician, with physician support from the Department of Medicine. They provide clinical nutrition care for inpatients at HUP and Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse as well as patients benefiting from the group’s Home Parenteral Nutrition Support Program. HUP has a long history of cutting-edge nutrition care. Jonathan E. Rhoads, MD, and his team invented intravenous nutrition, or TPN, in 1966. Ten years later, HUP had one of the first nutrition support teams in the United States.

Oncolink’s next brown bag chat: Date: Friday, May 31 Time: 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm Topic: Cancer Survivorship OncoLink’s nurses and social workers will provide information and resources to help you navigate life after cancer. To submit questions or participate in the chat, go to www.oncolink.org/webchat. You can also read a transcript on the site after the live event.

A New Tournament with a New Focus Building off of the success of the “Your Big Idea Innovation Tournament,” Penn Medicine will embark on the “Your Big Idea Challenge.” This program will focus on finding opportunities to be more efficient while continuing to excel in patient care, teaching and research. All ideas will be reviewed and validated for their potential of implementation. As in last year’s Tournament, there will be some prizes for those who submit ideas, such as tickets to the Phillies or theater. Last year we had over 1,200 people who submitted ideas and we are sure that we can match that this year.

• Top News Showcasing Penn Medicine Experts and Discoveries

• The Latest Posts from the Penn Medicine News Blog

Start Date: Tuesday, May 14 Submission Deadline: Friday, June 7 IDEA Evaluation: Review team will evaluate submissions and the Penn Medicine community will rate ideas posted on the website Tuesday, June 18, to Friday, June 21 Results communicated: Week of June 24 For more information please go the website: www.PennMedicine.org/YourBigIdea.

• Selected Patient Care, Research, and Medical Education News of the Day

• Penn Medicine News Releases

HUPdate Editorial Staff Sally Sapega Editor and Photographer Julia Fiorello Designer

Give Your Garden a Boost! Give your garden a boost with organic compost created right here in University City from fallen leaves and food waste. Come to The Dirt Factory on Saturday, May 18, from 10 am to 2 pm and take up to 10 gallons of compost for free! While you’re there, take a tour to see how compost is made. Plus, from 11 am to noon, learn how to make your own compost and, from 1 to 2 pm, hear about vegetable gardening with compost. The Dirt Factory is located at 4308 Market Street.

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.