TBHC Times - September 2023

TBHC

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President’s Message: IMPORTANT MILESTONE!

The Brooklyn Hospital Center has been named by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Regional Hospital” in its “2023-2024 Best Hospitals” listings. This report is the country’s benchmark and a way for patients and their doctors to choose the right hospital for them. This is the first time that we have received this prestigious recognition.

U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 21 procedures and conditions; only 12% of evaluated hospitals earned a Best Hospitals ranking. Hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, level of nursing care and patient experience.

Of the common conditions and procedures, we also ranked as “High Performing” for:

• COPD

• Diabetes

• Heart Attack

• Heart Failure

•

Hip Fracture

• Kidney Failure

• Stroke

Everyone should be proud of this announcement. I like to think that the hospital’s founders back in the 1800s would also be proud of where we are taking this essential institution today. This is an important milestone and one I intend to keep up and even improve on! Let me be clear: We cannot go backwards and have a year that we are unranked. We must keep up the momentum!

Gary G. Terrinoni

TBHC Ambulatory Earns Diabetes Education Recognition

Recently, the American Diabetes Association awarded our ambulatory sites with a Diabetes Education Recognition. We demonstrated National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support thanks to the collaboration of our care team of ambulatory physicians, pharmacists, nutritionists, and nursing and clinical support staff.

In partnership with Mount Sinai, TBHC established a collaborative care model in which patients with diabetes and an elevated A1c level greater than 9% received visits including primary care, endocrinology, nutrition, pharmacy and social work.

In between visits, patients received calls to facilitate support and coordination to meet their health goals. Virtual group classes on nutrition education were also provided. Participating patients reduced their A1c by 2%, which reduces their risk for diabetes-related complications, such as death, heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.

Nutritional counseling is also an important part of the program, as is evidenced by Lavern King, who saw a dramatic improvement in her health, thanks to support from Jessica Vatel, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (both shown here, Ms. King to the right).

To learn more about the Diabetes Care Program, contact Thomas Cannell, Ambulatory Nurse Manager, at 718.250.6323 or tcannell@tbh.org.

New Covid-19 Vaccine Approved

The FDA and CDC have approved the 2023-2024 version of the COVID-19 vaccine. Here are a few key points to know:

• Everyone 6 months and up is eligible for this shot, regardless of their previous vaccination history.

• This is NOT being called a booster. It is now considered the 2023-2024 vaccine, similar to how we refer to the seasonal flu vaccines.

• For those 5 years and up, the vaccine is a single dose, whether your child has gotten COVID vaccines in the past or not.

• For children 6 months through 4 years, it is a threedose series. Previous shots count towards the three dose count.

• Those 65 years and up will be eligible for an additional “booster” of the vaccine FOUR months after receiving the 2023-2024 vaccine.

• Those deemed moderately to severely immunocompromised by their provider may also be eligible for a “booster” of the 2023-2024 vaccine TWO months after receiving the 2023-2024 vaccine (patients on

chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive medications, HIV patients with significant viral loads).

• This COVID shot can be given along with flu and RSV vaccines. Keep in mind that the best protection is likely to last about 4 months with the COVID vaccine and about 6 months with the influenza vaccine. Flu season has been starting and ending later than in past years (December to June). Thus, timing the autumn vaccines together may make sense in November for the best defense against the flu, but one may want to get their 2023-2024 COVID vaccine sooner. If patients are hesitant, or unlikely to come back for a second vaccine, it may make sense to include the flu vaccine at the same time. RSV vaccines will be available soon for those over 60 years of age.

• All insurance plans cover the vaccine and administration charge without a copay.

TBHC’s Vaccine Center has the new COVID-19 vaccine in stock for all ages. Appointments can be scheduled through the tbh.org website.

Rounds

In partnership with NYPD,, we celebrated National Night Out on August 2! We spent time with neighbors, and offered info on services such as pediatrics, pharmacy, cardiology, family medicine, dental, women’s health center, and PATH Center. Thanks to all the staff and volunteers who came out to make the night a success!

TBHC was recently awarded the Silver Performance Achievement Award for Chest Pain-Myocardial Infarction Registry, following the implementation of American College of Cardiology and American Heart Clinical Association Guideline Recommendations.

June was Pride Month and our PATH Center was out there throughout the month at various community events to mark it and provide information about its HIV/AIDS services.

A warm thank you to Target for its recent donation of handmade cards and other items for our pediatric patients.

An “A” for Social Responsibility

This July, TBHC received an “A” grade for social responsibility from the Lown Institute, a Massachusetts healthcare think tank. We were the only Brooklyn hospital to receive this grade and only one of 39 hospitals in all of New York State. What is wonderful about this grade is that it covers 50 different metrics including equity, value and outcomes, community benefits, inclusivity, cost efficiency, clinical outcomes, and patient safety and satisfaction. The necessary information in obtaining this grade was not provided by us but rather gathered from public sources, making it the more meaningful.

Story Time is Back!

Thanks to Director Anna Long, our relaunched Volunteers Services program is thriving! With it, comes the return of volunteer readers in the Children’s Health Center. Shown here, Lizzie Kehoe.

Tools and Tips Marketing Wants You To Know About

2) Logos. The latest camera-ready art is posted for your use. If you are currently using our logo that says “Keeping Brooklyn healthy.” – that is an outdated one. The updated logo should say “Keeping Brooklyn Healthy”– with a capitalized “H” in Healthy and no period (as shown to the left).

The Department of Marketing & Communications create the strategic marketing direction for the hospital and its various sites. We also keep key stakeholders internally informed. Did you know we have tools and pathways to help you?

On mytbhc.org, there is an array of Marketing tools for you to use! Go to mytbhc.org, scroll down the left-hand navigation bar to “Departments” and click on “Marketing and Communications” and then “Resources Available to TBHC Staff.” Three things we’d like to draw your attention to:

1) A PowerPoint template – download it and and use it (shown below).

3) A review card. We work hard to maintain and improve our online reputation, which is what people are saying about us on Google reviews, for instance. If you have a HAPPY patient who is interested in spreading the word about their POSITIVE experience, these cards can help you have the conversation with them about posting a GOOD review.

We are also responsible for the website. If your program or division is on the website and you notice out-of-date information, please contact marketing@tbh.org and we can update that quickly.

If you are a clinician with a profile on the website and you see an “egghead,” that means you need a photo. Reach out to us on marketing@tbh.org to get on a list to get your headshot taken. Check your bio, too, and make sure it’s accurate. Same deal – changes can be sent to marketing@tbh.org

If you have ideas or requests for marketing –literature like pamphlets or fliers, social media content, newsletter stories (we produce four – one for the physicians, one for nurses, one for the employees and one for the community) – please feel free to share these with us at marketing@tbh.org. We cannot accommodate every idea or request, but we are happy to help in any way we can.