ECHO - July 2018

ECHO

July 2018 Vol. 20 Issue 7

STORIES AND NEWS FROM THE HSS FAMILY

Annual Service Award Dinner Honors Dedication of HSS Family Members

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HSS Supports 2018 NYC Pride

On a Friday evening in early June, this was on full

H

display as members of the HSS family celebrated

our commitment to our mission of providing the

he success of HSS can be attributed to many

SS was proud to serve as a bronze sponsor

factors, but one in particular sets us apart

of 2018 NYC Pride, the largest lesbian, gay,

from all other organizations – our culture.

bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+)

event in the nation. This sponsorship supported

the 63rd Annual Service Award Dinner at the Grand

highest quality care for all without regard to age,

Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan.

race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin,

The event honored 128 individuals who have

culture, language, physical or mental disability,

dedicated many years of hard work, support

socioeconomic status, veteran or military status,

and loyalty to HSS. This year, we had 94 HSS

marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender

family members celebrating 15 years of service,

identity or expression, or any other basis.

29 celebrating 25 years and five celebrating

membership is comprised of current regular

“HSS welcomes and celebrates individuality as

40 years of service.

full-time and part-time employees, members of the

a core of strength of our team and those we serve,

“The individuals honored at the Service Award

Board of Trustees, medical staff and volunteers who

at home here in New York and around the world,”

Dinner are the true embodiment of the spirit of HSS

have completed 15 continuous years of service.

said Lou Shapiro, President and CEO. “The LGBTQ+

and our culture of excellence, passion, integrity and

Overall, the club now has more than 1,300 members,

community is an important part of that, and so we

teamwork,” said Lou Shapiro, President and CEO,

including Chitranjan S. Ranawat, MD, Attending

were especially pleased to support this year’s

who welcomed guests to the dinner along with

Orthopedic Surgeon. Dr. Ranawat took the stage

Pride events.”

Todd J. Albert, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical

during the event to share his memories of HSS

Director. “I continue to be amazed year after year

with the approximately 350 guests in attendance.

at the number of HSS family members who have

In addition to celebrating the Club’s newest

spent so much of their careers and their lives with

members, we also remembered our beloved

our organization.”

colleagues who are no longer with us. C. Ronald

Founded in April 1955, the Service Award Club was

MacKenzie, MD, Attending Physician, shared a

created to recognize the long and faithful services

touching invocation, thanking these individuals for

of those who have had an affiliation with HSS. Its

all they did to make HSS so extraordinary.

CONTINUED on page 2

Team HSS participated in the Pride March, with 200 individuals representing our organization at the event, marching alongside thousands of other teams and individuals. This year’s event was the largest turnout in NYC Pride history, with a record 2.2 million people in attendance. In addition, we had a booth at the PrideFest street fair, where we saw hundreds of people stop by to learn more about our mission, vision and world-class patient care.

CONTINUED on page 3

Inside

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2,000 Patient Stories and Counting Sharing Our Knowledge and Expertise in Peru

HSS Recognized for Pediatric Orthopedic Care

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Annual Service Award Dinner Honors Dedication of HSS Family Members CONTINUED FROM COVER Pam Katkin, PA-C, Administrative Director,

he HSS Lerner

Physician Assistants, and President of the Service

Children’s

Award Club, addressed the crowd, thanking

Pavilion was

everyone for their service, recognizing members of

recently recognized

the Service Award Club Committee and introducing

by U.S. News & World

Amy Broffman, Fellowship Coordinator, Academic

Report on its “Best

Training, as the President-Elect.

Children’s Hospitals” list for pediatric

“It has been an honor to serve as president of the

orthopedics for the

Service Award Club Committee over the past two

second year in a row.

years,” said Pam. “I am so proud to be a part of HSS

This year, we have

and a member of the Service Award Club, which

advanced to become

represents a group of people who are committed,

honorees with certificate packets in recognition of

the top ranked hospital for pediatric orthopedics

caring and supportive in everything that they do.

their dedication and service to HSS.

in all of New York City, and our overall ranking

Congratulations to everyone recognized this year,

A special thank you to all members of the Service

for pediatric orthopedics improved from No. 28

and thank you for your service.”

Award Club Committee for helping to organize this

to No. 21.

Finally, to honor the newest members of the Club,

special event: Sherry Backus, Amy Broffman,

HSS is pleased to be recognized among the nation’s

Bruce Slawitsky, Senior Vice President, Human

Liliana De Jesus, Arlene Edwards, Glenn Garrison,

top children’s hospitals, as providing world-class

Resources and Service Excellence, presented the

Mary Hargett, Pam Katkin, Bruce Slawitsky,

care for our youngest patients is something we take

15 and 25 year honorees with pins and the 40 year

Wayne Wright and Barbara Wukovits.

pride in.

“I am extremely proud of the members of the Pediatric Orthopedic Team at HSS who provide outstanding and complex clinical care and who also are involved in innovative clinical research,” said Roger Widmann, MD, Chief of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery.

We have seen a steady improvement in our rankings from last year, including a large increase in our reputation score.

“At HSS we provide the best care possible to all patients, including those in the Lerner Children’s Pavilion,” said Lou Shapiro, President and CEO. “As always, we will continue to strive to do even ‘better’ to improve on what we know is already great pediatric patient care. Thank you to all HSS family members for all that you do for our patients each and every day.”

HSS to Extend Reach with New Hudson Yards Location Making Rounds News & Insights from Lou Shapiro, President and CEO

care provided will be consistent with HSS

to 2020, HSS is focusing on growth and

quality standards.

expansion to make care more convenient

“We are expanding the HSS system as part of a

to those who need it. In mid-June, HSS announced

broader strategy to bring world-class care closer

Access “Making Rounds” at www.hssmakingrounds.com

a plan to open a new outpatient center at 35 Hudson

to where quality-minded consumers live and work,”

to read the below posts and more. I look forward to

Yards, a new building that is easily accessible by

said Lou Shapiro, President and CEO. “The Hudson

your comments.

the Number 7 subway line, commuter rail services,

Yards location will also enable us to help more large

West Side Highway, Lincoln Tunnel and Hudson

employers to control the large and rising costs of

River ferries.

musculoskeletal conditions.”

Scheduled to open in 2019, the approximately

This new location is another example of how HSS

15,000 square foot center will be dedicated to

is getting ‘bigger’ by being ‘better.’ As the demand

the diagnosis, treatment and management of

for our excellent care continues to grow, our

musculoskeletal conditions. Open to the public

organization will continue to grow as well,

via direct access, it will feature physician offices,

allowing our patients to have more convenient

diagnostic imaging and physical therapy services.

access to HSS.

– Lou Shapiro • Stories Are Best • How You Move Is Why We Ride • A Long History of Leaders • The Many Feelings of Pride • LBA

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A

s we continue to travel on our Roadmap

As with all of our outpatient centers, the patient

HSS Supports 2018 NYC Pride CONTINUED FROM COVER As an organization, HSS has been recognized for

who come through our doors” said Susan Flics,

excellence in inclusiveness by the Human Rights

Vice President of Operations and Executive Sponsor

Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the largest national

of our LGBTQ Committee. “HSS is committed to

LGBTQ+ civil rights organization in the US. This year

ensuring that all people receive the highest quality

marked the fourth consecutive year that HRC named

musculoskeletal care in a safe and welcoming

HSS a “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.” Under

environment. Participating in 2018 NYC Pride

the leadership of Jillian Rose, Director of Community

provided an opportunity for us to share our

Engagement, Diversity and Research and Team

message of inclusion with the community.”

Leader of the LGBTQ Committee, we have achieved

A special thank you to Susan Flics, Jillian

high marks in the areas of nondiscrimination, LGBTQ+

Rose, Roberta Horton, Christopher James,

education and training, and in our demonstration of

Nica Marcellus, Matthew Buchalter, Joanne

commitment to equitable and inclusive care.

Melia, Lori Furnari, Rachel Sheehan, Tracy

“HSS embraces everyone regardless of race, religion,

Hickenbottom, Carol Crescenzo and all members

or sexual or gender identity. Our mission is to heal all

of the LGBTQ Committee.

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Drs. Crow and Salmon Named Honorary Members of EULAR

M

ary K. Crow, MD, Physician-in-Chief

and Chief of Rheumatology, and Jane E. Salmon, MD, Attending Physician, were

Wellness Committee Encourages HSS Family Members to Create a Culture of Health

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Williams and Renee Wilson.

the Create a Culture of Health Competition in 2017.

goal of climbing Mount Everest as a team, which is

This spring, the committee ran the competition

equivalent to 3,871 flights of stairs. They surpassed

for the third time with nearly 100 participants

their goal by the end of the competition period,

committing to improve their health and wellness.

climbing a combined 6,173 flights of stairs! The

HSS family members participating in the

competition brought team members together and

he health of the entire HSS family is

Pamela Riley, Rachelle Schwartz, Elena Ting, Efehi

something we take very seriously, which

is why the HSS Wellness Committee started

For their wellness initiative, The Stair Masters set the

recently named honorary members of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) during the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Amsterdam.

competition were asked to create a team and

challenged them in new ways, helping to improve

develop a wellness initiative with specific goals and

their fitness and overall wellbeing.

outcomes. The initiative could focus on any aspect

“The challenge provided an opportunity to hold

of wellness, such as healthy eating, fitness, finances

myself accountable to do a particular amount of

or spiritual, emotional and professional growth.

exercise every day,” said Julie Filippini, RN, Case

At the end of the five week competition period,

Manager and Team Captain of The Stair Masters.

teams submitted a video highlighting their goals

“I was more than happy to ask people to join the

and accomplishments.

group as I knew it would be beneficial to everyone

Members of the HSS Wellness Committee met to

involved, as well as keep me motivated. Everyone

review the entries and select a winning team based

that joined the team was enthusiastic, determined

on demonstration of peer support, innovation, use of

and involved. Their excitement and dedication made

goals and outcomes.

the challenge that much more fun.”

“We were so impressed by the creativity, teamwork

The Stair Masters, along with the other teams that

the burden of rheumatic conditions and to improve

and outcomes of every team initiative,” said Laura

participated in the competition, were treated to a

the treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of

Jasphy, EdD, LCSW, Clinical Social Worker, Case

luncheon in the Richard L. Menschel Education

musculoskeletal diseases. EULAR represents the

Management Department, who organized the

Center to celebrate their accomplishments. The

scientific societies of rheumatology in all the

competition. “With each competition, the teams

team located at the HSS Long Island Outpatient

European nations, health professional associations

continue to up the game and exceed expectations.

Center enjoyed a celebratory lunch onsite as well.

and organizations for people with rheumatism.

The programs that the teams created really showed

During the luncheon, attendees had the chance to

Founded in 1947, EULAR’s mission is to reduce

a commitment to health and wellbeing and also

view the video submissions from all participating

highlighted the amazing teamwork and camaraderie

teams, and everyone was impressed with what their

that exists within the HSS family.”

colleagues had accomplished. Laura also presented

organization began nominating its first overseas

In the end, the committee named The Stair Masters

the winning team and the two runner-up teams,

individuals in 2017. Dr. Crow is among the first two

as the competition winners. Team members included

Fitness Champions and 65 Jump Street, with prizes.

Americans honored in 2017, and Dr. Salmon is the

Nana Bediako, Meghan Burnett, Nancy Doldus,

Congratulations to all HSS family members

third American recognized.

Julie Filippini, Susan Hansen, Anne Catherine

who participated in the Create a Culture of

Congratulations Drs. Crow and Salmon on this

Hundhausen, Dina Mazzella, Nonie Meritt,

Health Competition!

As a mark of distinction, EULAR elects honorary members based on their outstanding service in accomplishing the organization’s objectives. The

outstanding honor!

Joint Commission Reporting Hospital for Special Surgery is committed to providing safe, quality care to all of its patients. In the event you have a concern regarding the safety or quality of care provided by the Hospital or the Laboratory, you may report these concerns to the Joint Commission.

Please be assured that no retaliatory disciplinary action will be taken if an employee makes such a report.

In addition, the Joint Commission has stated that your name will be treated as confidential information, and will not be shared with any other party.

The Stair Masters were named the winners of the competition, surpassing their goal of climbing 3,871 flights of stairs!

You may file your report in the following ways: 1. By email:

complaint@jointcommission.org

2. By fax:

Office of Quality Monitoring, 630-792-5636

3. By mail:

Office of Quality Monitoring The Joint Commission One Renaissance Boulevard Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

For fax and mail reports, submissions must be on a Quality Incident Report Form available on the Joint Commission website at www.jointcommission.org.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Executive Offices at x1236.

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Members of the runner-up team 65 Jump Street, which included Micah Banner, Jack Banos, Tracy Barbot, Megan Bouchard, Samantha Delson, Nicole Diaz, Marguerite Ellinger, Bryan Guss, Rachel Kramer, Thimothan Manickawasagar, Linna Quigley, Charlotte Reardon, Dionica Shepherd, Jo Ann Stern and Ellen Verdibello.

Members of the runner-up team Fitness Champions, which included Adena Batterman, Veronica Colacurcio, Rosalia Duarte, Melissa Flores, Lillian Mendez, Steven Ortiz, Randy Rodriguez, Jillian Rose, Nadine Spring, Priscilla Toral, Erin Treemarcki, Paola Viloria and Joan Westreich.

HSS Hosts 2nd Annual Professional Sports Medicine Conference

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he impact HSS has on the field of

professionals in the field to help improve the quality

The goal of the conference was to educate others

musculoskeletal health is far reaching, and

of patient care and safety.

to improve the quality of patient care and safety.

we are constantly looking for new ways to

More than 150 sports medicine professionals,

Nearly 20 HSS physicians, along with guest faculty

share our vast expertise and impressive knowledge

including physical therapists, physical therapist

from other leading institutions in the field, presented

with others in the field. On June 15 we did just that

assistants, athletic trainers, orthopedists, sports

on topics including offseason strength and

when HSS hosted the 2nd Annual HSS Professional

medicine physicians, physiatrists and primary care

conditioning, complex cases and concussions.

Sports Medicine Conference at MetLife Stadium in

physicians attended the Professional Sports

“Last year’s inaugural HSS Professional Sports

New Jersey.

Medicine Conference to learn about the latest

Medicine Conference was such a success, and we

At HSS, our physicians and rehab specialists are

strategies for treating the professional athlete.

were thrilled at the opportunity to once again bring

experts in the field of sports medicine and caring

Attendees included medical and training personnel

together top clinicians to share best practices in a

for the professional athlete, with our clinicians

from professional sports teams and organizations

collaborative environment,” said Bryan Kelly, MD,

serving as team physicians and athletic trainers

such as the Boston Celtics, New England Patriots,

Chief of the Sports Medicine Service and Director of

for more than 20 professional and collegiate teams

NY Mets, NY Giants, NY Jets, NY Rangers, NY

the Conference. “Attendees were able to learn from

and organizations, and fielding more than 45,000

Islanders, NJ Devils, Hartford Wolfpack, NY Knicks,

experts at HSS and other top organizations to

patient visits each year. Because of this, it is important

Brooklyn Nets, NY Red Bulls, Iona College, Rutgers

achieve the common goal of better patient care

that we spread our knowledge and educate other

University, Saint Peter’s University and West Point.

across multiple sports.”

Members of the HSS Women’s Sports Medicine Center at the conference

HSS sports medicine surgeons Riley Williams, MD; Samuel Taylor, MD; and Bryan Kelly, MD, along with Peter Asnis, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital

2,000 Patient Stories and Counting

A

t HSS, our purpose is to help people get

& Social Media. “Those qualities are only becoming

back to what they need and love to do better

more important.”

than any other place on the world. We have

To help increase visibility of the forum, the social

changed the lives of countless patients through our

media team encourages patients to share their

world-class care, and that has not gone unnoticed.

stories through Back in the Game whenever they

Thank you to Kevin Finkelstein of Mount Vernon, NY for sharing what proved to be the 2,000th patient-submitted story on our Back in the Game forum!

In 2015, HSS launched Back in the Game, a one-of-a-

receive a note or testimonial on one of our social

While I was

kind patient engagement platform that highlights

media channels. Additionally, they create Back in the

in the Navy

how HSS is helping people return to their best

Game postcards that feature story submissions for

going through

selves. Through the forum, patients are able to share

physician offices to hand to their patients when they

BUD/S (Basic

their stories of how HSS helped them get “back in

hit recovery milestones. Back in the Game patient

Underwater

the game.”

stories are featured each week on Facebook and

Demolition SEAL

In June, we hit a significant milestone on the forum –

Twitter, and the team frequently hosts Facebook Live

selection), I fell

our 2,000th patient-submitted story. That represents

broadcasts highlighting Back in the Game patients

from height and

2,000 patients who have not only chosen HSS for

discussing their HSS journey and answering viewer

was injured.

care, but who had a positive experience and chose to

questions about their care and treatment.

This necessitated

share their stories with us, with other patients and

“Thanks to the support of many physicians and

with those considering HSS for their own care.

their offices, the number and variety of new stories

To date, we have seen stories submitted from

grows every week,” said Otis Gamboa, Manager,

37 different states and 29 countries, representing

Social Media. “We get lots of very positive feedback

200 different conditions treated. The impact of the

on the forum, which has been visited well over a

I am quite literally already up and running

forum has been evident, with patients mentioning

million times.”

and ready for the next stage of my life thanks

similar experiences on Back in the Game.

Share Your Story!

“The Back in the Game forum supports the desire

If you have been a patient at HSS and experienced

of many patients to share their story, and the

our world-class care firsthand, we encourage you to

appetite among many potential patients to make

submit your story on our Back in the Game forum!

of others,” said Tracy Hickenbottom, Director, PR

two of which were performed by Dr. Anil Ranawat. The surgeries were a fantastic success.

to Dr. Ranawat and his team. While I won’t

that they chose HSS for care after reading about

care decisions based on the trustworthy experience

four surgeries,

Visit HSS.edu/BackInTheGame to share your story.

be returning to the military, I’m looking forward to returning to and exceeding the physical peaks I had reached prior to my injury, and continuing to serve people through the legal profession. Thank you, Dr. Ranawat!

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New Medical Staff Alberto Carli, MD Alberto Carli, MD, is an Assistant Attending Surgeon at HSS specializing in joint replacement surgery involving the hip and knee. He sees patients at the Paramus Outpatient Center, as well as the HSS Main Campus.

Dr. Carli completed medical school and orthopedic residency training, as well as a Master’s of Science in experimental surgery, at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He then completed two fellowships in joint replacement surgery here at HSS and was subsequently awarded the Maurice Muller travelling fellowship, learning from leaders in joint replacement surgery across Europe. Dr. Carli received the Research Excellence Award for the ARJR service during his fellowship and has also received research awards from the ORS/OREF, Ruth Jackson Orthopedic Society and Canadian Institute for Health Research.

In addition to treating patients suffering from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, avascular necrosis, hip dysplasia and arthritis due to metabolic or genetic disorders, Dr. Carli also treats patients who have had complications from previous joint replacement surgery. His priority is to ensure that patients understand their diagnosis, feel empowered in making the decision to proceed with surgery and feel satisfied with their recovery.

Bella Mehta, MBBS, MD Bella Mehta, MBBS, MD, is an Assistant Attending Physician at HSS in the Department of Rheumatology. She specializes in the care of patients with various rheumatic conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and osteoarthritis, and has a particular interest in adult-onset Still’s disease.

After receiving her medical degree from Terna Medical College in Mumbai, India, Dr. Mehta completed an internship and residency at Westchester Medical Center at New York Medical College. She then completed her fellowship here at HSS. Dr. Mehta is actively involved as an investigator in numerous clinical studies focusing on disparities in rheumatologic diseases and has been the recipient of several awards for her research studies.

Melanie Chapekis Prior, MD Melanie Chapekis Prior, MD, is an Assistant Attending Pediatrician at HSS. She is passionate about clinical care and patient education, working collaboratively with families to optimize the perioperative experience for all children.

After receiving both her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan, Dr. Prior completed a general pediatrics residency at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill-Cornell.

Dr. Prior also holds the academic title of Assistant Professor in Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College, where she continues to mentor pediatric residents.

Employee of the Month July 2018 – Dennis Manansala Congratulations to Dennis Manansala, Employee of the Month for July. Dennis is a Patient Access Specialist working at several HSS Regional Locations who has been a member of the HSS family for more than 13 years.

Described by colleagues as a team player, Dennis is always willing to lend a helping hand. He is extremely knowledgeable and often assists team members with questions and issues related to Epic and computers.

He helps to ensure efficient patient workflows and consistently handles high volume workloads with ease.

Dennis always greets patients and coworkers with a smile and a helpful attitude. He is willing and able to share his vast knowledge with any and all team members. Dennis is punctual, courteous and a true pleasure to work with, making him a most deserving Employee of the Month.

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Sharing Our Knowledge and Expertise in Peru

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s HSS continues to grow, it is important

In addition, the physicians, who were the first to

that we maintain a focus on extending our

travel to Peru on behalf of HSS, presented on their

reach and raising our visibility in key regions,

respective fields of specialty.

including Latin America. This spring, the International

“In the last 150 years, we have established the best

Center and the Global Sports Marketing and

surgical programs and musculoskeletal services

Business Development Department hosted a dinner

available in the world,” said Dr. Press. “This trip to

reception in Lima, Peru where key members of the

Peru gave us an opportunity to share a little bit of

local community were given the opportunity to learn

what we do with individuals who are in need of

more about our knowledge and expertise in the field.

excellent musculoskeletal care.”

During the event, Emil Calcano, Chief of Global

“Caring for individuals and helping them return to

Sports Marketing and Business Development, and

their everyday lives is part of my mission at HSS,”

in facilitating all aspects of their visit from the

added Dr. Coleman. “We want to extend that care to

moment they arrive at HSS.

to an audience of 100 individuals regarding HSS’s

individuals around the world, including in Peru, so we

Following the reception, several local news outlets fea-

growth in Latin America and our dedication to

can help them get back to doing what they love to do.”

tured information and photos from the event, as well

The event ended with a presentation from

as injury prevention tips from HSS that were shared

Gloria Ramirez, Patient Relationship and Business

with medical publications. This media coverage helped

Brian VanVelzor, AVP, International Center, spoke

providing world-class patient care.

Following, Struan Coleman, MD, PhD, Associate Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, and Joel Press, MD,

Emil Calcano, Dr. Coleman, Gloria Ramirez, Dr. Press and Brian VanVelzor at the event in Peru

Development Manager, who talked about her role

to further spread our knowledge and expertise in Peru.

Physiatrist-in-Chief, spoke about our growth in the

as an HSS International Center representative.

HSS will continue to expand our presence in Peru

country as part of our commitment to providing the

This includes her dedication to providing

throughout the year, with an additional event focused

highest quality care to the international community.

international patients with guidance and her help

on women’s sports medicine scheduled this fall.

Employee Safety Zone Keith Karwelies and the Orthopedic Specialty Care Unit In this month’s Employee Safety Zone, we are featuring Keith Karwelies, Patient Care Director for the Orthopedic Specialty Care Unit (OSCU). Keith and the OSCU team serve as a great example of a “best practice” unit when it comes to employee safety and specifically safe patient handling.

Tell us about your unit and the types of patients you see regularly.

The OSCU is HSS’s dedicated surgical intensive care unit. Our nursing staff provides care to our most complex and critically ill patients. Although the typical length of stay in the OSCU is short, the care of these patients is highly involved. While on the OSCU, these patients are often intubated, sedated and completely immobilized. Immobility and increased susceptibility to shear and friction leave these patients vulnerable to skin breakdown. Similarly, the nursing staff is at increased risk of personal injury when transferring and repositioning these patients. As a result, safe patient

OSCU team members Kate Riva, Kelly McNamara, Allyson MacDougall, April Real, Nicola Russell, Keith Karwelies and Stephanie Niu

handling is a vital component of the high-quality nursing care we provide on the unit.

What do you feel contributes to the safe environment in the OSCU? Teamwork helps the OSCU nursing staff stay safe from injuries of strain and sprain. When it comes to safe patient handling, we regularly offer to assist each other with patient repositioning and never hesitate to ask for assistance when mobilizing or transferring patients. Maximizing the fullest potential of our resources allows the nursing staff to work efficiently in a critical care environment. Therefore, in addition to working as a team, on the OSCU, we encourage the staff to utilize our safe patient handling equipment. The HoverMatt system has quickly become a team favorite.

The HoverMatt is a newer piece of safe patient handling equipment. How has that helped your team?

With the use of the HoverMatt, fewer nurses are required to safely reposition and transfer larger, less mobile patients. This is an important factor on the OSCU because we are a small unit with an equally proportionate number of staff members. Additionally, because of their sedated state and overall immobility, the typical OSCU patient cannot assist in their own positioning. This places the nursing staff at greater risk for injury.

The use of the HoverMatt has allowed the OSCU nursing staff to remain injury free when working with these complex patients. We have successfully used the HoverMatt with patients in excess of 400 lbs. and, most recently, the HoverMatt was utilized as a regular part of daily care when working with a poly-trauma patient who sustained fractures to his spine, arm, ribs, pelvis and legs. With as few as two nurses, the use of the HoverMatt allowed us to safely reposition him in bed, transfer him between beds and chairs, and transfer him onto equipment in other practice areas such as MRI and CT. That’s amazing! What do you think contributed to the change in the way they handle patients?

Change never comes easily. As they were instructed during their earliest days of training, many of the OSCU nurses had been relying on the classic methods of patient positioning and transferring, which involved gathering extra staff for assistance. Although effective, it wasn’t always efficient and it didn’t always prevent personal injury.

With encouragement from their patient care director and in-servicing from both the unit’s clinical nurse specialist and the body mechanics coordinator, the staff has come to embrace newer approaches to safe patient handling and the equipment associated with it. We continue to use morning rounds and daily huddles as opportunities to identify patients and clinical scenarios where this equipment could be beneficial. Now that the team has realized how simple the equipment is to use, how helpful it can be and the positive results it produces, they actively suggest its incorporation into daily practice.

Thank you for sharing, Keith, and for empowering your team to ask for help and make use of the equipment that’s available to keep patients and HSS family members safe.

If you know of a department or employee that we should feature in the Employee Safety Zone, send us an email at EmployeeSafety@HSS.edu.

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Milestones Nursing

Rehabilitation

• Congratulations to the following members

• The following clinicians earned their OCS

• Magdalena Oledzka, PT, DPT, MBA, PCS, c/NDT, was quoted in an article on “Movement Matters” in Parenting magazine.

of the Department of Nursing for receiving

certifications: Dana Aaron, PT, DPT, OCS; Astrid

certifications during the second quarter of 2018:

DiVincent, PT, DPT, OCS; Jamie Lamb, PT, DPT,

Jennifer Albano, RN, CCRN; Khasiem Allah, RN,

OCS, PMA®-CPT; Nick Maroldi, PT, DPT, OCS,

Mayerhofer, PT, DPT, MSPT, MTC, CSCS, SFMA,

CNOR, ONC; Anna Barinova, RN, ONC; Danielle

SFMA; Jay Mizuta, PT, DPT, OCS; Randy Pifer,

USATF-1; and Lee Rosenzweig, PT, DPT, CHT,

Bianchino, RN, ONC; Patricia Horan, RN, ONC;

PT, DPT, OCS; and Christi Reinhardt, PT, DPT,

OCS, were each quoted in separate articles for

Kerri Kinsella, RN-BC; Leticia Lista, RN, CEN;

OCS. Michelle Cilenti, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS,

U.S. News & World Report.

Rebecca Lyons, RN, ONC; Renee Nicholson,

CSCS, USATF-L1, and Curtis Wu, PT, DPT, OCS,

RN, CAPA; Aquanna Ratcliff, RN-BC; Mame

SCS, CSCS, earned their SCS certifications.

quoted in an article on “5 Signs You Shouldn’t Try

Serwah-Boah, RN-BC; Callie Starzee, RN, CEN;

Michelle Darnell, PT, DPT, CHT, became a

to Push Through a Workout” in Silver Sneakers.

Jocelyn Suanico, RN, CPAN; and Maria Zayas,

Certified Hand Therapist.

RN, ONC.

• Stephen Fealy, MD, was an author on the paper “Non-Operative Treatment of Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries with and without Platelet-Rich Plasma in Professional

• Polly de Mille, RN, MA, RCEP, CSCS, USAT, was

• Tiffany Chag, MS, RD, CSCS, was quoted in an

• Eugenia Papadopoulos, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, led

Research, Academic and External Activities

• Ioonna Félix, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS, CTPS; Jason

a team that competed in the 2nd Annual Health Innovation Hackathon at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Clinical and Translational Science Center. Their 3D-printed prosthesis won them a shared Novel Technology Team award.

• Roger F. Widmann, MD, and Michelle Yang, PT,

Baseball Players: A Comparative and Matched

DPT, co-hosted an HSS Facebook Live event for

Cohort Analysis,” which won the AOSSM 2018

Scoliosis Awareness Month, with reached more

Fellow Research Award - Clinical Science.

than 31,000 individuals.

article on “How to Hone Your Hydration” in Runner’s World.

• Erica Fritz, PT, DPT, OCS, was quoted in an article on “How to Relieve Knee Pain” in Consumer Reports.

• Thank you to everyone who supported the runners in the HSS Recovery Zone at the NYRR Queens 10K: Jessica Flores; Ashley Fluger, CSCS, CPT; Blake Karavas; William Marrone, PT, DPT; Yukiko Matsuzaki, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS; Anil Nandkumar, PT, DPT; Jessica Qiu; and Alex Shafiro, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS.

Picture This

Welcome Kristen Alexander, Beemnet Amdemicael, Taylor C. Anzilotti, Gucci Atehortua, Caroline M. Benson, Julianne P. Bowlin, Caroline Boyle, Daviana Caba, Jennifer Castillo, Mamadou F. Cisse, Aisling T. Coffey, Francesca A. Cortese, Julissa H. de los Santos, Alioune Diane, Kaitlyn E. Donald, Adriana Echeverria, Daniela Elezovic, Anthony Finocchiaro, Olivia P. Ford, Marianna B. Frey, Jonathan H. Garfinkel, Kevin Gazzale, Brittany Genovese, Margaret M. Goonan, Madison R. Heath, Oscar A. Hoffman, Timothy F. Kane, Haemin Kim, Zef Krasnigi, Alexandra N. Krez, Carlene A. Kurschinski-Rivera, Cristina LaMarca, Colette L. Lawrence, Sonia Lee, Andrew T. Levine, David L. Lewis, Ana M. Lopez, Tehila E. Mandelbaum, Erin E. Marchini, Anna Mart, Marcia Martinez, Dana Mayell, Rena K. Mehta, Luke G. Menken, Keith Montalvo, Gabe C. Novac, Peter Sang Uk Park,

For the 14th consecutive year, members of the HSS family participated in a European cycling tour. This year’s destination was the majestic Dolomites, just north of Milan, Italy, where Team HSS climbed more than 30,000 feet over five days, covering more than 200 miles. The team donned a special jersey decorated with the Edelweiss, the official flower of the Italian Dolomites, in loving memory of a participant from prior trips.

Compliance Helpline Reminder

Amanda Pecovic, Mary Peng, Breanna A. Polascik, Kara N. Powers, Deja S. Pressley, Paul Pricop, Joanna Radutman, Richard Rangel Vargas, Vindhya Rao, Michelle A. Richardson, Jasmin Rivera, John A. Roberts IV, Stacy B. Robustelli, Marielle R. Rogoff, Katherine Rudkin, Rosemarie Saccoccio Xenos, Laedi Marie S. San Luis, Kristen A. Santiago, Amanda Scheer, Lindsay M. Schlichte, Kolline J. Schramm, Anne Serrano, Spencer Shadel, Sara Shanaj, Dina Sheira, Shaneth Simmons, Marie Syku, Stephanie Taormina, Crystal Tejada, Sarkis Telyan,

The Compliance Helpline is a service for employees who wish to anonymously or confidentially report suspected violations of the Hospital for Special Surgery’s Code of Conduct, officially stated policies or relevant public laws and regulations. This includes concerns about patient safety.

Verdejo, Claire I. Verret, Sarah E. Waldman, Grace Wang, Ziqi Wang, Danielle W. Williams, Jason Wong, Marisa Wong, Yunwei Xia, Justin Zhu, Maryann Zuk

The Helpline does not replace other resources available to you, including supervisors, managers and Human Resources staff, but it is an alternative channel available to you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is operated on our behalf by National Helpline Services, Inc., an independent firm.

Editor:

Marisa DeFilipps

The Compliance Helpline number is 888-651-6234.

Executive Editor:

Rachel Sheehan

All information will be kept confidential unless the law requires it to be shared with law enforcement authorities. Hospital for Special Surgery policy forbids any retribution or

Editorial Committee:

Lisa Goldstein, Bruce Slawitsky, John Englehart

retaliation against an employee who reports a compliance issue in good faith.

Next Issue:

August 2018

If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Corporate Compliance office directly at x2398.

8

Jameala C. Thomas, Haley N. Tornberg, Amber Torrence, Karolina Treska, Luis J.

echo@hss.edu