Presbybulletin 9 5 by Penn Medicine

Volume 9

Issue 18

September 5, 2014

PRESBYbulletin IT’S FLU SHOT TIME!

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

The 20014 Penn Medicinne Influeenza Vaccin ne Camp paign for em mployeees will beegin as usuual in laate Septeember/earlyy Octobber. This timing is choosen too provid de optimal protecttion duringg the usual peak timess for inflfluenza infeection in the Ph hiladelphia area. The vaccine com mponennts are id dentical to those of 2013. As usual, thhe UPH HS Occuppational Heealth practiices will pro ovide vaccinnation oppoortunities at muultiple conveenient sites. The calendar and detaills will be poosted on thee UPHS Intrranet Home epage. Pennn Mediicinee Staff will be able e to prin nt their own bar-cooded conseent forms beeginning in midSepte ember. Any Penn Mediciine faculty or emplooyees who choose to be vaccinated for thhe 2014 seasson in their own doctor’s officces or pharrmaciees, should d save the documentattion annd submit it in Septe ember or Oc ctoberr withh their bar-coded forms. fo Documentaationn can be submittedd by drop-offf to your Penn Mediccine Occupaationall Healthh Practice or by emailing PDFFs (including the barr-coded forrm) to OccHealth@uphss.upenn.eduu.

Making History and Progress with the National Veterans Wheelchair Games This year marked the 34th National Veterans Wheelchair Games—the largest games yet, with over 650 men and women competing in softball, quad rugby, basketball, power soccer, and other events in Philadelphia and South Jersey. Support from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for wheelchair sports dates back to the 1940s, when disabled World War II vets played wheelchair basketball in VA hospitals nationwide. Forty years later, the VA established the Recreation Therapy Service, which strengthened support for the rehabilitative qualities of wheelchair athletics. The first games were held a year later, with 74 veterans from 14 states facing off in numerous sporting events. This year, the aptly-named theme was “Philly: Where Heroes Make History.” Some of the week’s volunteers came from Penn Medicine, including physicians, nurses and other hospital staff, and students from Penn Medicines nurses, Medicine’s High School pipeline program. “There was such a positive energy—smiles on everyone,” said Nora Brennan, BSN, (continued on back)

Nursing Quality Council: Handoff Communication

Age is just a number…my birth date makes me unique

The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare has reported that “an estimated 80 percent of serious medical errors involve miscommunication when patients are transferred or handed off.” As a core council, we identified five key components crucial for all handoffs, and made improving handoffs a focus for this year. The five components are: introduction of self, patient’s name, date of birth, allergies, and if the nurse asked if you had any questions. Over 200 observations were done hospital-wide and we found that date of birth had the lowest compliance with only 42 percent. Many nurses were using age as the identifier. Identifying patients correctly is a National Patient Safety Goal, and at least two unique identifiers should be used for each patient. As a committee, we made several interventions to highlight the importance of using date of birth in handoff communication. We threw “birthday parties” with cupcakes, balloons, and bright pink t-shirts with our slogan. We also rounded on every unit with balloons and pens, posting signs as huddle reminders. In the coming months, we will be collecting post-intervention data. Next year, the council will focus on improving compliance of allergies. In the meantime, we remind all staff that “age is just a number…my birth date makes me unique!”

COMMUNITY SCHOLARS-INRESIDENCE: A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR FACULTY RESEARCH TRANSLATION Applications are now being acccepted for the inaugurall cohort of Commu unity Scholars-in-Residence program m to beegin in January 20015. This new w facullty develo opment oppo ortunity will enablee Penn faculty to develop mean ningfu ul reseaarch relatio onships with community health h orgaanizations, esstablish best practicces in comm munity-engagged research,, and leeveragge their expeertise for scho olarshiip thatt leads to improved health outco omes. Com mmunity scho olaars-in-resid dence will ideentify researrch opportun nities and co--develo op ressearch projeccts during a two-yeear perriod with a communityy research paartner of theeir choosing. They will haave ded dicated d releasse time for co ommunity-en ngaged d heallth research and will receiive mentorin ng and a uniq que collaboraative skills-deevelopm mentt program. Sttanding facullty are eligiblle. Applications are due Monday, Septem mber 15th and ressults will be available in early Octob ber. Applicatiion materialss are avvailab ble here: http p:///www.med d.upen nn.edu u/chbr/ trainiing.shtml

Making History and Progress with the National Veterans Wheelchair Games (continued from front)

RN, CHFN, a primary care connector nurse at the HUP, whose husband served as a U.S. Marine and whose nephew served multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. “This is a great city to explore, we have so much to offer in history, medicine, and other areas— these guests should see that.” Brennan seized the opportunity to give back, volunteering at the durable medical equipment room, the hospitality table, and Kids’ Day. On top of those duties, she was one of thousands of fans in the stands at many events, including awards ceremonies and basketball. For those of us who are not veterans, the Games are a vital reminder that the costs of war extend far beyond the battlefield. The event exemplifies our disabled veterans’ ability to triumph over adversity, and the importance of caring for those who have served in our nation’s military. For more on the 34th National Veterans Wheelchair Games including firstperson accounts from Penn Medicine volunteers, please visit the Penn Medicine News Blog at http://news. pennmedicine.org/blog/.