Volume 26
Number 6
March 20, 2015
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Gospelrama 20 years of
rejoicing!
`` The Victorious Praise Liturgical Dance group helped mark the 20th anniversary of Gospelrama.
When I came to HUP, no one told me about Gospelrama. It was one of the biggest unexpected gifts I received.
Inside Food Cupboard a Lifeline for Residents..............................2 A Preventive Measure That Works!...............................3 Adler Wins National Award.....3 School of Medicine Again Ranked Among Top Five..........4
This year’s Gospelrama started off with a bang! In fact, several of them as the Pathfinders “Lightbearers” drum corps kicked off the celebration, amazing the audience with its precision beats and moves. Theirs was just the first of many wonderful performances that showed why Gospelrama — which marks its 20th anniversary at HUP this year — continues to flourish and grow in size and popularity. From musicians to vocalists and dancers to those who recited the spoken word, the celebration provides a full program of rejoicing and gratitude.
`` Also performing was LaTosha Wray, daughter of Andrew Wray of Materials Management and Deborah Wray of CPUP.
Ralph Ciampa, the former director of Pastoral Care, spoke about the history of Gospelrama. Ed Smith, a HUP chaplain until he died in 1999, created Gospelrama with Sr. Ramona Cecille and Terri Salmond, as part of Black History Month. “He is the father of Gospelrama,” Ciampa said. “It would warm Ed’s heart to see that it’s continued.” (continued on page 2)
Helping People All The Time....4 Did You Know?..........................4
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Gospelrama 20 years of
(continued from cover)
rejoicing!
Ciampa also presented a plaque from Pastoral Care to Tamika Patton-Watkins, formerly of Administration, for her dedication and commitment to HUP’s Gospelrama celebration.
Chaplain Madeline Dawson thanked Administration for its full support of Gospelrama over the years. HUP executive director Garry Scheib said, “We have great talent taking care of our patients, equal to the talent we see on the stage each year.” “When I came to HUP, no one told me about Gospelrama,” said Al Black, COO of the hospital. “It was one of the biggest unexpected gifts I received.” Commenting on his retirement next month, he said, “Someone told me you’re at peace when you’re doing something you love... I’m at peace at HUP.” `` (From left) Chaplain Denise Statham, Tamika Patton-Watkins, and Chaplain Madeline Dawson have been key in bringing Gospelrama back year after year.
Many thanks to everyone who works so hard to pull together such a wonderful show each year. Also, we thank Morrison’s Catering and Atlas Pizzeria for their food donations. To see more Gospelrama photos, go to news.pennmedicine.org/inside/hupdate/.
Food Cupboard A Lifeline for Residents The Interfaith Food Cupboard, located in the First Presbyterian Church in Lansdowne, has been providing emergency food to the underserved areas of Delaware County for 30 years. Its mission is to provide three days of food (breakfasts, lunches and dinners) up to once a month to residents in need.
This past Thanksgiving, Lyons helped pull together turkey dinners for 48 families. “Our freezers were full of donated turkeys!” she said, adding that “Ardmore Avenue Elementary School students baked 60 loaves of bread for the Thanksgiving baskets.” She and the many other Cupboard volunteers also put together a Christmas basket.
Mathilda Lyons, medical technologist, has been a part of its efforts for at least half of those years, wearing many “hats” — from early volunteer to “in charge” to her current one: shopper. Every Sunday, she takes a peek into the church’s cupboards to see what looks low; food packages are given out on Mondays and Wednesdays. “We can only handle nonperishables so I buy staples, like canned tuna or chicken, beef stew, peanut butter and jelly,” she said.
Lyons has seen “a huge upsurge” in families coming to the Cupboard over the past few years. “You can really tell there’s a recession. We’re now giving out probably double what we gave out five years ago,” she said.
“If a lot of people come in on Monday and supplies are running low, I’ll get a call to do another shopping trip.”
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And they’re busier in the summer, “when kids aren’t in school and don’t get free lunches.” The Cupboard depends on donations of food and money to continue its mission. The Penn Medicine CAREs grant she received will help keep its doors open. “People are so grateful,” she said. “We get a lot of hugs.”
A Preventive Measure That Works! `` Greg Ginsberg, MD
Colonoscopies can prevent colon cancer. It’s that simple. Yet, only about half of those 50 years or older — the population where the disease is most prevalent — get colonoscopies. As a result, more people are needlessly dying of colon cancer — over 50,000 a year in the U.S. alone. The disease is currently the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in this country and the third most commonly diagnosed cancer. In recognition of Colon Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with Greg Ginsberg, MD, director of Endoscopic Services, about why colonoscopies are considered the gold standard for colon cancer screening.
Who should get a colonoscopy? Screening for average-risk individuals — those without a family history or the presence of other medical conditions — starts at age 50. Some guidelines recommend that African-American men, who may be at increased risk at a younger age, start screenings at 45. If a person’s first colonoscopy is normal, the procedure should be repeated every 10 years, unless risk factors exist.
How does a patient prepare for a colonoscopy?
What is a colonoscopy? A colonoscopy uses a slender, flexible tube with a light and video camera on the end that allows the doctor to view the entire colon. Most colon cancers come from abnormal growths of tissue in the lining of the colon, called polyps. A colonoscopy not only identifies potentially pre-cancerous polyps but also removes them. The entire procedure, during which the patient remains under sedation, takes about 30 minutes and is not painful.
Are all polyps the same? Most people think of polyps as mushroom shaped but now, thanks to high-definition endoscopes with electronic enhancing imaging, “we’re finding flat lesions that may have been missed. These lesions have a more accelerated pathway to cancers.”
Only half of people
50 years or older
get colonoscopies.
Prior to getting a colonoscopy, the entire bowel must be emptied. “The prep is probably the most feared aspect of colonoscopy.” Indeed, at one time, this required drinking a gallon of a prescribed preparation in a short period of time. But there’s been considerable progress in this arena. HUP uses a low-volume (half gallon) and split dose prep. “The patient drinks one quart, waits six hours, and then the second.” Providing a prep that people find more tolerable is essential: “The quality of the exam is only as good as the quality of the prep.”
Is colon cancer treatable? In its early stage, colon cancer is often highly treatable, but it’s a silent disease. There are no symptoms until the advanced stage, when survival rates plummet to less than 10 percent. Preventing the disease from starting remains the goal. “Early detection and proper screening by colonoscopy can prevent 90 percent of colon cancers,” Ginsberg said. “I’m glad we’re demystifying colonoscopies. Knowing more saves lives.” To learn more about colonoscopies, go to PennMedicine.org/prevention.
Adler Wins National Award Joe Adler, PT, DPT, of Occupational and Physical Therapy, received the Mary Sinnott Acute Care Section Award from the American Physical Therapy Association. This national award is given annually to a therapist demonstrating excellence in acute care physical therapy. Adler (shown with Mary Sinnott) received the award at last month’s APTA national conference.
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Helping People All the Time
Congratulations and many thanks to October’s winners of the Helping People All the Time raffle. If you know employees who go above and beyond to help our patients and their families, be sure to nominate them. It’s easy! Simply go to pennpoint.uphs.upenn.edu/ sites/HUP/hupse and click on “HUP Service Excellence Nomination” and then “New” at the top of the chart. You can also submit a name on a paper form, available at several locations throughout the hospital. Cheryl Mooney. . . . . . . . . . . . . Emergency Nursing
Kristen McCabe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NICU
Edward Franklin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Samantha Schad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 7
Dana Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MICU
Pamela Garvin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 7
Joanna Embry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Bryan Chin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Radiology
Ginny McGill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Labor & Delivery
Nicole Mazzotta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 7
Catherine Alfano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pharmacy
Karen Pitter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 7
Michelle Rozploch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 8
Tamara Betancourt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 7
Shawntae Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhoads 1
Shante Holmes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Radiology
Jenny Galbraith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Founders 11
Jen Perno. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 11
Bruce Geib . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Respiratory Therapy
Sarah Allen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emergency Nursing
Jen Newcomber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MICU
Jeanne Papa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Kaungim Joung. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Tawanda Wicks. . . . . . . . Staffing For All Seasons
Stacey Wright. . . . . . . . . Staffing For All Seasons
DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that HUP has more than 1.5 million outpatient visits a year, comprising more than half of the Health System total? Or that 80 percent of Penn’s medical and doctoral students perform community service or outreach?
You can find those facts and more in the new edition of Facts & Figures, now available in print and online!
The pocket-size brochure targeted for the general public contains a wealth of publicly reported, statistical information about our organization, from details about our latest building projects to quick facts about our economic impact, workforce and student community. The publication also highlights a small sample of Penn Medicine’s research, education, and patient care activities and achievements over the past year.
The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the 18th year in a row. According to the annual medical school survey in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” report, Penn Medicine is ranked #5 in the country. “Being named among the top five medical schools in the country year after year is a testament to the stellar education that our faculty and staff provide for our students as they prepare for their careers in clinical medicine and biomedical research,” said J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, EVP of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. The School of Medicine also ranked among the nation’s top medical schools in five areas of specialty training, including a firstplace ranking in Pediatrics, and honors in Women’s Health (#5), Drug/Alcohol Abuse (#6), Internal Medicine (#6), and AIDS (#7). The School of Medicine is also #12 in the rankings of Primary Care medical schools.
HUPdate Editorial Staff Sally Sapega Editor and Photographer Lauren Hochenberger Graphic Designer
Administration
Susan E. Phillips Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
Staff from departments across Penn Medicine have reported using Facts & Figures for a variety of purposes, including:
Holly Auer Director of Communications
• Training program recruiting • Institutional information required for grant and award applications • Community outreach activities
Contact HUPdate at: 3535 Market Street, Mezzanine Philadelphia, PA 19104
Facts & Figures can be ordered in packages of 50 for $16.65 each from AELitho.com using item #UPHS-041-13. The publication is also available online at www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/facts.htm.
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School of Medicine Again Ranked Among Top Five
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.