Kenmore Mercy Foundation Insider - Fall 2020

Insider

Fall 2020

A Message from Susan Jandzinski, Executive Director and Daniel Paolini, President

The past six months have certainly been challenging. No one could have predicted where we are now.

COVID-19 has changed so much about our daily lives and routines here at Kenmore Mercy.

Despite all the new policies, protocols and changes, Kenmore Mercy Foundation has continued to successfully support the hospital and our frontline healthcare workers.

The community’s response has been overwhelming. We have coordinated the donations and deployments of over 5,000 meals to our doctors, nurses and staff. The outpouring of support has been amazing.

We reimagined our golf event at Park Country Club that was held on July 13 with 115 golfers, all with scheduled tee times and boxed meals.

The day was a great success, all of our golfers loved the new format and over $85,000 was raised for Kenmore Mercy Hospital.

We hope we see even more golfers return in 2021.

We are working on reimagining our A Tribute to Angels event to an online auction with more information coming soon. We hope you can join us remotely in November for this signature event in support of our hospital.

In the meantime, we hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy.

An Update on Kenmore Mercy Hospital There is no question that Kenmore Mercy Hospital has been put to the test the last few months as the staff faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 crisis.

While things have changed to ensure hospital services could resume, many best practices have also evolved to help keep patients and associates safer.

“We are working hard to provide a great experience for patients and visitors while returning to a sense of normalcy for our associates,” said Walt Ludwig, hospital president. He noted that surgical volume is back to normal with new preoperative testing processes in place, including COVID-19 testing, medical, Emergency Department cases, as well as outpatient services like imaging and physical rehabilitation are nearing closer to their projected volume.

In August, the hospital started welcoming back visitors with restrictions in place. All visitors are screened upon entry and provide New York State mandated information for contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Catholic Health has simplified that process by setting up an online pre-registration website.

Thanks to the Foundation’s ongoing investment in education, the hospital’s critical care, emergency and all its healthcare teams were prepared to navigate through uncharted waters and care for vulnerable patients.

The Foundation also helped coordinate hundreds of food donations from local restaurants to keep staff nourished and lift their spirits. Most recently, it funded the annual associate picnic that was served on the go to ensure social distancing.

Moving into fall, the next big focus is the implementation of Epic, Catholic Health’s new electronic health record system set to go live on November 1. This has been a long term and substantial project, involving many of Kenmore Mercy’s associates and physicians. The result of all this hard work will be streamlined access to records for associates and a more efficient experience for patients.

chsbuffalo.org/ FCH/Kenmore Mercy

Event Updates

New technology offers improved imaging at Kenmore Mercy A $150,000 grant from the Kenmore Mercy Foundation has made it possible for Kenmore Mercy Hospital’s Imaging Department to purchase two new ultrasound systems which will provide better quality imaging and streamline exams.

The ACUSON Sequoia ultrasound system from Siemens Healthineers will be used in the main radiology department. The new technology is recognized in the industry for its speed, high-quality images and resolution.

The portable “TE7” Mindray unit, which will be used in the Interventional Radiology Suite, adds to the hospital’s fleet of vascular access units and provides increased efficiencies and improved imaging quality.

Craig Harris, Rich Gaenzler, Jeff Lombardo and Paul Saffrin enjoyed their round at Park Country Club for the Kenmore Mercy Foundation’s Golf Event.

New Golf Format a Hit

Despite the challenges the pandemic has presented, the Kenmore Mercy Foundation was able to host a successful golf event at Park Country Club on July 13, raising just under just over $85,000.

Golfers were treated to a member-like experience with scheduled tee times instead of a shot gun start, single carts and prepackaged meals ready to go. The fun continued with on course contests and beer tastings, while maintaining proper social distancing. Dinner was available to go or served on the patio.

Please save the date for next year’s golf event scheduled for Monday, June 8, 2021 at Park Country Club.

A Tribute to Angels Postponed

Ultrasound is an imaging method that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of structures within your body. The images can provide valuable information for diagnosing and treating a variety of diseases and conditions.

“We are grateful to the Kenmore Mercy Foundation for awarding us this grant. Investments in state-of-the-art equipment like this new first-class ultrasound technology ultimately improve services for our community,” said Jason Judd, director of Radiology at Kenmore Mercy.

In addition, to the ultrasound systems, the Kenmore Mercy Foundation supported the purchase of a cardiac monitor, which allows for better patient vitals monitoring during computerized tomography guided procedures where a patient is not able to be monitored with the traditional procedural room systems.

Meal donation made in father’s honor When Kelly Frothingham lost her loving father, Walter Monahan, to COVID-19 in March, colleagues of hers wanted to do something to express their collective condolences.

As COVID-19 remains a concern, the future has never felt so unpredictable. The Kenmore Mercy Foundation has made the difficult decision to postpone our signature fundraising event, A Tribute to Angels, to Friday, November 19, 2021 at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens.

Her peers at Buffalo State College’s School of Natural and Social Sciences settled on providing meals to hospital workers who had cared for him at Kenmore Mercy.

Right now, we’re doing everything we can to continue to raise much needed funds for Kenmore Mercy Hospital, including hosting an online auction from November 16 - 20, 2020. While there’s a lot of uncertainty, we know that we need to continue to adapt fast to our changing reality. Now, more than ever, our community needs us. And we need you. Please visit our event website for more information on how to participate in the upcoming auction or to make a donation. You can find us at https:// kenmoremercyfoundation.ejoinme.org/ MyEvents/ATributetoAngels2020.

“We were impressed with the care Dad received at Kenmore Mercy Hospital, and it would do our hearts good to know doctors and nurses, as well as local businesses, were being supported during this difficult time,” said Kelly and her mother Valerie Monahan.

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Walter, age 74, was the second Erie County resident to pass away from COVID-19, according to an article in the Buffalo News.

With the funds collected, they were able to purchase more than 525 individual meals from Mike’s Subs in Kenmore. Kelly and her mother were able to visit the hospital to say thank you the day they were delivered to associates in May. After he tested positive for the virus, Walter was placed in the intensive care unit (ICU). “Not being able to be with a loved one while they fight this terrible virus is a nightmare,” Kelly said. “But everyone we interacted with at the hospital was full of compassion and grace. The nurses and doctors in the ICU ‘Facetimed’ with us a few times to let us talk to my dad.”

Recliners helping patients take “next steps” to recovery Contrary to popular belief, getting out of bed, not staying in, is the best option for recovery during a hospital stay. Kenmore Mercy is making that a priority with the addition of new medical recliners in patient rooms.

Russell Salvatore donating more than 225 TVs to Kenmore Mercy Hospital

The specialized recliners and Kenmore Mercy’s nurses are playing a key role in early mobility and helping patients achieve important steps to regain strength.

As noted in multiple studies, getting patients out of bed earlier and sitting upright between activities contributes to a quicker recovery, builds strength, and prevents deconditioning.

Nurse managers Deborah

Micholas and Mary Hojnacki The longer patients are in bed, the helped demonstrate the higher the risk of deconditioning, recliner’s ease of use at or weakness that can occur from Tribute to Angels. inactivity. This includes falls, bed sores, delirium, increased length of stay, loss of ability to perform activities of daily living, and decreased independence.

Kenmore Mercy’s nurses have been the driving force behind the addition of an Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AMPAC) assessment tool which clearly defines patients’ mobility needs and identifies opportunities to incorporate movement throughout their hospital stay.

Every step forward, even minimal activity, helps lead to independence. Transferring patients to the medical recliners is one of eight progressive mobility goals, with the top one being walking more than one lap around the patient care unit.

“Ambulation while recovering helps restore function and maximizes independence. Something that seems very simple, like a patient being transferred to a medical recliner for all meals, can help lead to bigger steps, and improve recovery,” said Heather Telford, BSN, MS, BCEN, NEA-BC, Vice President of Patient Care Service & Chief Nursing Officer at Kenmore Mercy Hospital.

Nurses advocated for their patients and the hospital has invested more than $50,000 to purchase these medical recliners that will be making a huge difference in patients’ recovery.

The Garman Family Foundation, a fund administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, funded the purchase six of recliners with a $20,000 grant to the Kenmore Mercy Foundation.

The purchase of an additional ten chairs was made possible from funds raised during Kenmore Mercy Foundation “A Tribute to Angels Event” in 2019.

Russell Salvatore, local philanthropist and one of Western New York’s most renowned and admired restaurateurs, continued to spread his kindness and generosity throughout the local community as he presented a $125,000 donation to the Kenmore Mercy Foundation for the Kenmore Mercy Hospital Television Replacement Program this summer.

His generous gift will be used to replace 226 existing 28” analog televisions throughout the hospital with state-of-the-art 43” HDTVs to improve viewing experience for patients.

This gift will also allow Kenmore Mercy Hospital to replace an existing 40”analog TV in the surgical waiting room with a stateof-the-art 75” HDTV to improve the viewing experience of the visitors. It will also allow for the replacement of the television in the Doctor’s Lounge.

In addition, Kenmore Mercy Hospital will now be able to provide a Wellness Network for the patients and their families with education and information prior to discharge.

“I believe in giving back to the community I love and making a difference in people’s lives,” said Russell Salvatore. “Just as my dad always told me as a young boy, ‘Give and you will receive,’ and it is so true. It makes me feel good when I can help others.”

“Russell Salvatore’s generous gift will make a difference to so many individuals, but most especially our patients who will benefit from these televisions for years to come,” said hospital president Walt Ludwig.

“We can’t thank him enough for this unparalleled support. His charitable giving has become as legendary as his restaurant career.”

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Kenmore Mercy Foundation 2950 Elmwood Avenue Kenmore, NY 14217

To our generous community, thank you for your contributions of meals, personal protective equipment, supplies and so much more that have helped to ensure that Kenmore Mercy can continue to provide safe and quality care during this stressful time.