ECHO September 2016

September 2016 Vol. 18 Issue 8

ECHO STORIES AND NEWS FROM THE HSS FAMILY

HSS Receives Top Ranking in Orthopedics and Rheumatology for the 25th Consecutive Year

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A Message from Lou Shapiro

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hat a year 2016 has been so far.

Together, our accomplishments have been unprecedented. We received our

fourth consecutive Magnet designation; successfully adopted Epic, an integrated electronic health record; and achieved Stage 6 in the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Adoption Model.

or the seventh consecutive year, HSS has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the

All of these successes have been achieved while

country for Orthopedics by U.S. News &

maintaining the highest quality care and reputation.

World Report in its annual “Best Hospitals” issue.

We received a No.1 ranking in orthopedics by U.S. News

Additionally, HSS was recognized as a leader in

& World Report in its annual “Best Hospitals” issue

Rheumatology, ranking No. 2 in the nation, up

for the seventh consecutive year and a No. 2 ranking

from last year’s No. 3 position on the list. This

in rheumatology, up from last year’s No. 3 position.

marks the 25th consecutive year we have been

We are also in the 99th percentile rank for “likelihood to

among the top-ranked institutions in both

recommend” for 33 consecutive quarters (eight years)

Orthopedics and Rheumatology.

when benchmarked against the high-performing Magnet peer group by Press Ganey. However, there

This recognition is made possible by the hard

is more to come this year and in the future as we put

work of everyone at HSS whose dedication to our

value that has defined HSS for more than a century

organization helps further our mission to provide the

and a half. Everyone at HSS, from the front desk to

highest quality patient care possible. Patients travel

the operating room to rehabilitation, is focused,

to HSS from across the country and around the

integrated and motivated to help our patients get

world because of our reputation for being the best,

back to what they need and love to do.”

which has been recognized not only by our patients, but the larger healthcare community.

“We are proud to be recognized as the leader in Orthopedics with unparalleled consistency,” said Lou Shapiro, president and CEO. “HSS is committed to delivering the finest care in the world to patients who want to return to doing the things they love most reliably and efficiently. Our singular focus on musculoskeletal health uniquely enables us to continuously raise the highest standards of quality, performance and value.”

Mary K. Crow, M.D., physician-in-chief and chair of the Division of Rheumatology, was especially proud of our high ranking in Rheumatology.

reading these publications, but that you came away with a better sense of our future and your role in it.

Your contributions, feedback and ideas are critical to our success. We recently finished the Gallup an open line of communication about our culture and

for a specialist want to be confident that their

workplace, and I look forward to seeing the results.

physician has the highest level of expertise and knowledge of the latest advances in the field,” said Dr. Crow. “HSS is the largest academic medical center dedicated to bone, joint and systemic autoimmune conditions, and through care we are advancing treatments and cures

about this unprecedented honor is its validation of

for patients everywhere.”

U.S. News & World Report evaluates close to 5,000 hospitals nationwide in 16 adult specialties

A new internal communications campaign – HSS Transformation: small steps, BIG IMPACT – is another way we are highlighting each team contribution to the strategic plan. I hope you will share my excitement in learning more about transformation throughout the organization.

Thank you for all you have done to contribute to our current success. I look forward to partnering with you in the months and years to come.

in their annual “Best Hospitals” issue. In most of those specialties, it ranks the nation’s top 50

finest care in the world to patients who

hospitals and recognizes other high-performing

want to return to doing the things they

hospitals that provide care at nearly the level of their

singular focus on musculoskeletal health

annual report, in the mail. I hope you not only enjoyed

engagement survey to collect your feedback and keep

director, added, “What may be most important

love most reliably and efficiently. Our

received the Roadmap along with Horizon, our 2016

nearly 50 million Americans, and patients looking

pioneering research, innovation and collaborative

“HSS is committed to delivering the

Two months ago, all members of the HSS family

“Autoimmune diseases and disorders affect

Todd J. Albert, M.D., surgeon-in-chief and medical

the virtuous circle of focus, teamwork, quality and

the Strategic Roadmap to 2020 into action.

Inside

nationally ranked peers. According to U.S. News & World Report, the best hospitals analysis covers clinical specialties, procedures and medical

uniquely enables us to continuously

conditions. Scores are based on data that include

raise the highest standards of quality,

survival, patient safety and nurse staffing.

performance and value.”

Congratulations to the entire HSS family on these impressive honors!

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Lifestyle Wellness Program HSS Celebrates Olympics Transformation Makes Big Impact

Making Rounds News & Insights from Lou Shapiro, President and CEO

Lifestyle Wellness Program Offers Support and Guidance to All HSS Family Members he health and well-being of the HSS family

Access “Making Rounds” www.hssmakingrounds.com, to read the below posts and more. I look forward to your comments.

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is extremely important. HSS offers multiple

ways to stay healthy and active, including

lunch and learn sessions, fitness classes, smoking – Lou Shapiro

cessation resources and our online wellness platform, Vitality. But, it can still be difficult to know where to

• Boundaries

start when it comes to overall wellness.

• Engagement

For this reason, the Employee Wellness Committee

• “Progress Nonstop”

developed the HSS Lifestyle Wellness Program nearly three years ago. Offered to all members of the

• Changing Seasons • 1,400 Reminders

HSS family, the goal of the program is to encourage positive behavior change and guide individuals toward improving their lifestyle and successfully

• Home for Top Talent (and looking for more!)

managing negative influencing factors.

• TPC

“The program is run by several health coaches who are licensed professionals in the fields of nursing, nutrition and social work,” said Jodi Lewis, LCSW,

Health coaches meet in Belaire Courtyard to discuss the Lifestyle Wellness Program.

ACSW, clinical social worker. “All coaches have been

HSS Fall Fitness Classes

trained in health coaching and many of us are Vitality

in their everyday lives. They were able to speak freely

champions. We are there to guide and help our group

because everything was confidential.”

members reach actionable goals.”

Maria Casella, manager, IT Corporate Systems,

Each health coach leads a small group of individuals

participated in the Lifestyle Wellness Program

Did you know you can take health and fitness classes right here at HSS?

that meets weekly for up to one hour for about ten

last year and found the small group setting to

The Public and Patient Education Department

weeks. Every member of the group is asked to identify

be extremely valuable.

holds Yoga, Pilates, Core and Yogalates classes

short- or long-term goals to work on during the course

for members of the HSS family, as well as

“One of the biggest benefits was seeing what other

of the program. They utilize the Vitality wellness

members of the community. Classes take

people in the group suggested because you can really

platform to monitor progress through several tools

learn a lot from someone else and what they are going

place beginning in September and are available

available to help track and achieve their goals.

through,” said Maria. “It was great meeting other

“We ask that each member of the group identify

people from HSS who I would not have met otherwise

SMART goals, which are Specific, Measurable,

and really getting to know my support system.”

at different times throughout the week.

All classes are offered to employees at a discounted rate, but space is limited so make

Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound,” said Laura

Carole Travers, supervisor, Department of Service

sure to sign up soon! For more details on

Jasphy, MS, LCSW, clinical social worker and certified

Excellence, also benefitted from the program last

classes, schedules and pricing, please contact

health coach. “Goals can include anything from weight

year. “The program was very well presented and

Maggie Wimmer at extension 2647.

management to stress reduction to healthy eating.”

our moderator/coach showed enthusiasm at

In addition to having the guidance of a health coach,

each session. It provided us with our own personal

group members also have the support of their

cheering section, which was really helpful in keeping

colleagues joining them on the journey.

us all focused. I was able to provide support and

“The more than 50 HSS family members who

encouragement, share in the joy with others who

have gone through the program really needed

accomplished a goal and also be that extra push

the motivation and support to change, and they

for others if they were struggling.”

didn’t find that amongst their peers or at home,”

Registration is now open for the next session of

said Marie Serina, FNP-BC, MA, RN-BC, nurse

the Lifestyle Wellness Program, which will begin

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.

You may file your report in the following ways: 1. By e-mail:

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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practitioner, Occupational Health, and certified

in January. For more information or to register,

health coach. “We found that individuals really

please email Healthcoach@hss.edu or visit the

achieved or found that support in the group setting,

Lifestyle Wellness Coaching page on the intranet at

and it did help them with those barriers they found

http://intranet.hss.edu/committees/wellness/243.asp.

Compliance Helpline Reminder 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.

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.

The Compliance Helpline number is 888-651-6234.

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

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

HSS Family Celebrates Olympic Partnership embers of the HSS family celebrated

artists. In addition, all members of the HSS family

Medical Network. The partnership speaks to the

our partnership with the United States

were given the opportunity to pick up a special

unparalleled quality of our care, our ability to help

Olympic Committee (USOC) on August 3

Olympic-themed water bottle.

athletes perform at their best and our global

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with an ice cream social in the Belaire Courtyard.

Attendees enjoyed beautiful weather, delicious ice cream, live music and drawings from caricature

HSS is proud to have been chosen as the first

leadership in the field.

National Medical Center of the USOC’s National

Employee Safety Zone Introducing the Employee Safety Zone The HSS Employee Safety Committee is excited to bring you monthly information that will help keep YOU in the game with tips such as the best ways to lift, sit and stand and overall work safely during the course of your day – whether you’re at a desk, counter, doorway, OR table, bedside or anywhere/everywhere around HSS facilities!

Since 2010, the Employee Safety Committee, with members covering multiple HSS departments, has been dedicated to keeping our staff safe. We’re the same team that started the Body Mechanics Program and relaunched the Safe Patient Handling Program – and we’re JUST getting started.

Stay tuned. We’re looking forward to sharing with you.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU If there’s an employee safety-related concern or hazard that you’d like to tell us about, or something you’d like us to write about, please send us an email at EmployeeSafetyTeam@HSS.edu.

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Transformation Makes a Big Impact on Patient Care Delivery nnovation and transformation are happening

• Decreased Wait Times: Moving to one central

accurate data capture, the use of Express Check-In

across HSS in many ways, every day to ensure

location for patient check-in has resulted in a

will contribute to efficiency gains with patient flow

that we are continuously providing the best

decrease of more than 20 minutes per patient to

and an overall increase in patient satisfaction. It will

complete the check-in process, providing patients

also allow for patient preference. Those who prefer

with an enhanced check-in experience.

to use technology to

I

possible care for all of our patients.

Here are a few stories of how individuals and teams across HSS have transformed a department

Being in one location has fostered a more collabora-

check in for Hospital

or a process that is making a big impact on patient

tive work environment, as staff are able to work more

services will now have

care delivery. Congratulations to all members of

closely with one another. “In the 10 years I have been

the option to do so.

the HSS family who have contributed to these

here, we have always been separated. Now we have

HSS staff are available

remarkable achievements.

the opportunities to get to know our co-workers and

to help patients

develop better communication. We feel like one

who need support

department now,” said Merritt. Coumba Sy, Patient

or have questions.

Patient Access Services: Better Patient Care through Better Patient Flow

Access per diem, further states, “Now that we are in

Express Check-In will

On January 11 of this year, Patient Access Services

one central area, staff members are able to support

be rolled out in other

(PAS), formerly known as Admitting, opened on the

one another. Management is also able to better

ambulatory locations

first floor of the main Hospital. Patients now check

support the team since they are in the same area.”

beginning in 2017.

HSS measures all aspects of patient satisfaction.

Stay tuned for more

To ensure that we are holding ourselves to the highest

information in a

standards, we partner with Press Ganey to evaluate

future ECHO.

the patient experience, track our progress to improve

Expanding Nursing Call Center Improves Patient Experience

in for all Surgical, Pre-Surgical Screening (PSS), Ambulatory Surgery and Inpatient Hospital services in one location prior to going to the surgical units.

Centralizing the Admitting department, which was a primary area of focus for the Patient Access Transformation team, has been shown to provide patients with a consistent access starting point regardless of the treatment they are receiving.

care and service and identify areas of excellence and opportunities for improvement.

As part of our unwavering commitment to excel-

We recently received our Press Ganey scores for

lence, HSS continues to take steps toward improving

the second quarter and they are “spectacular,” says

the patient experience. One area of focus has been

DeCiembre White, director, Patient Access Services.

bolstering our Nursing Call Center with more staff,

HSS scored 96.7 compared to 94.6 (April 2015) for

more space and better technology to help clinicians

the ‘Courtesy of Person Admitting’ measure, placing

better support our Ambulatory Surgery patients.

HSS in the 99th percentile nationwide. For ‘Speed of Admissions,’ HSS scored 93.4 compared to 91.1 (April 2015), placing HSS in the 95th percentile nationwide.

In May of 2016, the Nursing Call Center was relocated from the 12th Floor Belaire to the 7th Floor Caspary building to accommodate increased staffing

DeCiembre attributes this success to the hard work

levels from five to 10 registered nurses. Expansion

undertaken by members of the Patient Access team

of both staffing and physical space was necessary

every single day to meet our patients’ needs. “It takes a

for the Nursing Call Center to successfully capture

team and great teamwork to create a patient-centered The group pictured represents the “first shift” of the Patient Access Services team. Front row (l-r): Dawn Williams, Rachard Collins, Lucy Moore, Victor Colon, and Maria Andrade.

Back row (l-r): James Russell, Priscilla Gallmon and Stephen Pesantez. Not Pictured: Donika Baker, Nellie Bernard, Golden Blaise, Deborah Coleman, Sigfredo Delvalle, Andrea DonaldCallender, Claude Dorlean, Martha Echevarria, Sandra Hill, Tracy Hoo, Merritt Jones, Angeline Leon, Eileen Martinez, Mark McCormack, Cinandra Palmer, Roberto Perez, Darendra Ram, Marcia Richards, Velma Scott, Coumba Sy, Tenesha Walters, and DeCiembre White.

patient documentation in Epic pre-operatively and

culture and this recognition truly represents the

before admission to the hospital. Since this is one

Prior to transitioning to a centralized model, patients

The goal of technology at HSS is to make the entire

used to travel to the floor of their procedures to be

Hospital experience easier for patients and visitors

admitted. According to Merritt Jones, Patient Access

from the moment they enter our doors.

team lead, “It’s easier on patients to go to one area for registration, and the process is much faster.”

transformation of our department,” says DeCiembre.

of the first contacts with the patient prior to

Not only has moving to a centralized admitting

hospitalization, a comprehensive pre-operative

model enhanced the patient experience, but it has

phone interview is crucial to not only patient safety,

also transformed the staff experience for the better.

but also satisfaction.

HSS Express Check-In Launches in Patient Access Services

As part of our Epic transformation, the Perioperative

On August 18, HSS launched phase I of HSS Express check in for appointments via a self-service tablet

improved the patient experience and operations

upon arrival to Patient Access Services. Express

in several ways.

Check-In, which utilizes Epic’s ‘Welcome’ module,

• Streamlined Patient Flow: Having all staff trained

is part of our Epic optimization efforts.

in the same way has helped to eliminate the unit-

With Express Check-In, preregistered patients are

specific nuances and make the check-in process

able to quickly and easily perform the following tasks:

as improved patient arrival times to the floors.

• Consistent Staffing: Covering the many Admitting locations, often at a very early hour, was a challenge

Transformation team recognized the opportunity to improve efficiency on the day of surgery for Ambulatory Surgery patients by collecting the Initial Patient Assessment (IPA) information in Epic the day before surgery. Obtaining the IPA information through calling the patients ahead of time provides

Check-In, which provides patients with the option to

Having patients check in at one location has

more efficient for both patients and staff, as well

4

Maria Andrade, patient access specialist greeter, assists a patient who is checking in using HSS Express Check-In.

• Confirm demographic, insurance and emergency contact information.

• Sign certain documents directly on the tablet.

for Admitting leadership. Transitioning to a central-

• Print their Hospital identification wristband.

ized model has allowed for the addition of a third

Express Check-In is available to PSS and Ambulatory

shift, standardizing the patient admission experi-

Surgery patients for this initial adoption phase. With a

ence across the entire day.

goal of decreased wait times for our patients and more

Nursing Call Center staff enjoy their new office space on the 7th floor in the Caspary building. Pictured (l-r): Adriana Washington, Cynthia Bruder, Monique Davis, Geri Dilorenzo, Josephine Pirozzi, Jake White, Lola Dyer, Beata Almasi and Yolene Lubin.

various clinical and efficiency benefits to the patients

August 1. Today, inventory technicians are delivering

and clinical teams on the day of surgery.

implants to all operating rooms. The goal for delivery

For example, having staff in the Nursing Call Center

is 10 minutes for the 4th floor and 15 minutes for the

obtain Ambulatory Surgery patient information via

1st and 9th floors, if there is ever a need for deliveries

the IPA tool has streamlined the pre-operative

at these locations.

process by saving the RN and PA anywhere between

With the new delivery process, multiple layers of

10 and 30 minutes per patient on the day of surgery.

safety measures have been added and efficiencies

With less documentation required on the day of

have been gained. Nurses now call the Implant Room

surgery, clinicians are able to focus their attention

to order implants for each case. Once the nurse calls

on patient needs.

for an implant, the two implant technicians check the

According to Cindy Bruder, RN, ONC, “It has been

expiration date, the laterality and compatibility, and

an exciting year for the Nursing Call Center, as our

ensure that everything looks right before it is deliv-

The night shift Implant Room team includes (l-r) Angel Reyes, John Gonzalez, Travis Stone, Derek Casey and Leo Campbell.

expansion has brought some wonderful nurses and

ered. Implant technicians are really knowledgeable

the OR, the work does not stop here. With a contin-

registrars to our team.” Since the Epic go-live, Call

about implants, what is compatible with them and

ued focus on patient-centered care and efficiency,

Center nurses have begun obtaining patient IPA

other important features to ensure that the right

we are looking toward automation of the complete

information, and the feedback has been “tremendous,”

implant is delivered to the right patient all of the

process in the near future – from electronic ordering

said Cindy. “We are reminded how important our role

time. Having nurses stay in the operating room not

to electronic verification of implant receipt.

is in the patient experience and seamless transfer of

only satisfies the care team, surgeon and nurses, but

information to the OR.”

it also provides them the opportunity to stay in the

All Ambulatory Surgery patients are now called

operating room with their patient.

by the Nursing Call Center to obtain the IPA informa-

According to Jessica Drago, RN, “The initiation of

tion the day before surgery. This has increased the

implant delivery to the OR helps to limit our time

efficiency of patient care in the holding area prior to

outside of the OR, which in turn allows us to focus

the patient going into the OR, and, in turn, increased

more on the needs of the surgical team and provide

the quality of care provided to the patient.

uninterrupted patient care.”

A More Coordinated Inpatient Care Environment at HSS Epic has greatly contributed to early successes in the delivery of patient care in the inpatient setting.

We uniquely designed Epic to meet the needs of our patients and clinicians, which enabled the system to support process improvement with communication during interdisciplinary rounds. The newly designed

While there is more work to be done, these recent

‘Interdisciplinary Plan of Care,’ commonly referred

improvements are already having a positive impact

to as the IPOC, has been transformational. While

on the patient experience.

conceptually the IPOC carries the same goals as our previous method of rounds, its transparency and

Enhancing Patient Safety with Implant Delivery to the Operating Room

enhancement in documentation has significantly improved the impact on communication and collab-

The perioperative care process is a unique and

oration amongst the interdisciplinary care team.

challenging environment, and, as such, perioperative

Listed below are a few of the most notable changes

clinicians at HSS are increasingly focused on how to

of Epic and the IPOC that have impacted patient care

innovate to improve patient safety and quality of care.

One area of focus for the Perioperative Transformation team has been enhancing the delivery process of implants to the operating room.

To enhance the workflow of the nursing staff and materials management, two inventory technicians were hired and trained, enabling delivery of implants directly to the operating room. Utilizing two implant technicians for safety checks and having inventory technicians act as runners to the operating room lends itself directly to patient-centered care and greater overall efficiency. Nurses now remain in the operating room with the patient, surgeon and the entire care team. Having inventory technicians deliver implants to the operating room translates to a reallocation of nursing time back to the patient, as well as

The day shift Implant Room team includes (l-r) Paul Pabon, Melvin Nieves, James Powell, Omar Wilson and Jose Fuentes, Jr.

delivery in a positive way: • Clinical Documentation: Integrates patient information into one report view within Epic, reducing

Let’s take a look at the impressive numbers for nursing efficiency gains: • Prior to the new process, nurses would walk to the

redundancy in documentation for interdisciplinary rounds. It also facilitates transparency in documentation and provides a single source of truth for

Implant Room window, and, depending on the loca-

all interdisciplinary practitioners to view the same

tion of the operating room, it was anywhere between

information at the same time in one patient record.

a two-second and a one-minute walk for nurses.

• The time spent for nurses to pick up the implants,

• Communication: Enables better communication amongst the interdisciplinary care team, eliminat-

conduct the attestation and return to the operating

ing previous communication barriers within the

room was on average five minutes per trip, with

documentation system itself.

about 70 delivery trips per day, and adding up to about 5.8 total hours per day.

• The delivery program has minimized the time

• Surgical Pathways: Utilizes evidence-based surgical pathway guidelines linked to Epic to better support the interdisciplinary team in managing the patient’s

improved inventory

nurses spend out of the operating rooms – this

care progression. With patients being visually

management and

means that more than 1,467 hours per year for

displayed on their surgical pathway, all practitioners

nurses have been reallocated from indirect to

can easily identify any issues, as well as track

direct patient care tasks.

patient progress on the pathway. Pathways guide

patient safety.

We went live with Phase 1 of the new

James Powell, OR implant inventory technician,

clinical milestones, ensure safe recovery and

implant delivery

believes that “the Implant Delivery Program has and

aid in discharge planning, better steering the

process on June 16

will continue to be a part of a process that benefits

interdisciplinary team to focus on variances

in six of our 36 oper-

and improves the overall quality of both patient care

and outstanding clinical/social issues based on

ating rooms. We

and staff interaction.” The positive feedback from the

the patient’s individualized plan of care. We have

rolled this out in

Nursing and OR staff has left him “engaged and excited

seen an average of 464% improvement in ARJR

about both the successes and future endeavors.”

pathway adherence, which has contributed to

three additional phases, with the last phase starting on

Paul Pabon, OR implant inventory technician, waits for Jessica Drago, RN to verify that the correct implants were delivered.

While great improvements have been made to materials management and how implants are delivered to

better patient outcomes.

CONTINUED on page 6

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Transformation Makes a Big Impact CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 • Pathway Variances: Affords us the ability to have

has an expected date of discharge and discharge

variance reporting. Nurses, physical therapists and

plan noted in the IPOC. We have seen a decrease

nutritionists document goals patients have/have

of more than 20 minutes per patient from the time

not met based on the expected pathway and length

of the Discharge Order to the Actual Discharge,

of stay. This allows the interdisciplinary team to

reducing the time spent on discharges, as well as

focus their attention on variances and active patient

improving the patient experience.

issues that need to be addressed during rounds.

• Physical Therapy (PT) Treatment: Provides

According to Ann Lo Basso, RN, MBA, NE-BC, vice president, Inpatient Operations, “IPOC has been

transparency and ease in visualizing PT progress,

transformational in care delivery on the Inpatient units.

as well as PT scheduled times for patient appoint-

The interdisciplinary team comes to rounds prepared

ments. This not only helps practitioners better plan

with all the information they need at their fingertips,

for the patient progression and discharge, but also

completely transparent. It is influential on the conver-

Patient Care leadership participate in daily interdisciplinary rounds for coordinating care.

enables staff to clearly communicate with patients

sations that happen during rounds and in keeping the

The results to date show that the IPOC is succeeding

when to expect their PT visit.

team on board with the patients’ clinical milestones.

in improving safety, efficiency and effectiveness. For

As we grow, we will continue to best utilize the IPOC

the inpatient units, quality and patient and clinician

to deliver high quality care to our patients.”

satisfaction have improved.

• Discharge Planning: Facilitates discharge planning early in the care process. Each patient

New Medical Staff Sarah Faith Taber, M.D. Sarah Faith Taber, M.D., is an assistant attending physician at Hospital for Special Surgery specializing in pediatric rheumatology. Her focus is on the diagnosis and treatment of children with rheumatic diseases, including juvenile idiopathic arthritis, childhood systemic lupus, dermatomyositis, vasculitis and systemic and localized scleroderma.

After receiving her medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Taber completed her residency in pediatrics at NYU Medical Center, where she was selected Outstanding Floor Senior Resident upon graduation. She then completed her fellowship in pediatric rheumatology here at HSS and the Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Dr. Taber is a member of the American College of Rheumatology, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance. She has been a featured speaker for the Scleroderma Foundation, Charla de Lupus and A Lasting Mark Foundation.

Shanthini Kasturi, M.D., MS Shanthini Kasturi, M.D., MS, is an assistant attending physician at Hospital for Special Surgery in the Department of Rheumatology. Dr. Kasturi specializes in the care of autoimmune and rheumatic conditions, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and undifferentiated connective tissue disease.

Dr. Kasturi received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and a master of science in clinical epidemiology from the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center followed by her fellowship in rheumatology here at HSS. Additionally, Dr. Kasturi is a recipient of the 2016 American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Fellow Award and the 2015 Rheumatology Research Foundation Scientist Development Award. Her research focuses on the use of patientreported outcome measures to improve clinical care of rheumatic diseases.

Peter Fabricant, M.D., MPH Peter Fabricant, M.D., MPH, is an assistant attending orthopaedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery specializing in pediatric and adolescent orthopaedic surgery. His clinical expertise is in sports medicine and fractures of the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow and ankle.

Dr. Fabricant received his medical degree from the Yale University School of Medicine. During his orthopaedic surgery residency training here at HSS, he also earned his MPH from Columbia University. Following residency, Dr. Fabricant completed two fellowships: in pediatric orthopaedic surgery at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and in sports medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital.

In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Fabricant has received multiple research awards, including the Herodicus Award (AOSSM), the Excellence in Research Award (AOSSM) and the Promising Career Award (PRiSM Society). He also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of ISAKOS, on the Peer Review Committee for the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) and as a reviewer for several academic journals, including the American Journal of Sports Medicine, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research and the Bone & Joint Journal.

6

HSS Family Showcases Talent at Art & Design Show

Back in the Game SS’ online patient forum – Back in the Game –

H

now has more than 1,400 patient stories!

or the third year in a row, the Employee

F

as the lead in putting the show together and even

Activities Committee (EAC) organized the

displayed her own photographs. “Everyone who

popular Art & Design Show at HSS. A dozen

stopped by to view the artwork on display was so

talented members of the HSS family showcased

impressed and really enjoyed seeing the talents

their artwork and design projects in the Richard

of their colleagues.”

L. Menschel Education Center for colleagues, family members, friends and even patients to

Congratulations to all HSS family members who

enjoy. Everything from paintings and drawings

participated in the Art & Design Show!

to photographs and crochet pieces were on display.

Jean Park, Maria Toro, Maureen Firth, Coline

“The artistic talent of our fellow HSS family members

Haxaire, Karen Carr, Grace Bell, Alexander

continues to amaze me year after year,” said Pamela

Hirka, Meredith Forbes, Sun Guang-Rong,

Katkin, PA-C, administrative director, Physician

Raquel Carter, Melissa Gaspard, Pamela Katkin

Assistant Department. Pam, an EAC member, served

The postings share how HSS helped patients

get “back in the game.” Every month we will include

one of the stories that highlights the extraordinary care members of the HSS family provide.

Read how HSS helped George Robertson of Toronto, ON, Canada get back in the game.

In 2000 I walked 529 kms (329 miles) along the Canal du Midi across the southwest of France on a fundraising effort for an orphanage in Thailand. By 2014 I couldn’t walk 50 yards without stopping to ease the pain; climbing stairs had become a nightmare. I went to HSS and met with Dr. Mark Figgie who examined my x-rays and ultrasound results and said, “You need me.”

He was absolutely right. On Nov. 28, 2014 I received a Total Knee Replacement, which was followed by 10 days at the excellent Burke Rehab.

By Dec. 10 I was on my way home. By Jan. of this year I had started on a program of walking and stair climbing of my own devising. By April I was walking up to 3 miles per day and climbing up the 75 steps of the stairway at our local reservoir/park. I have been told that my running days are over, but at 82 I can live with that restriction.

My wife and just returned from a trip to Europe which included a walking tour of the Scottish Highlands. That was good enough for me. I cannot express strongly enough my appreciation to the staff at HSS and, of course, Dr. Figgie. You have given me back my life. I thank you for that.

Employee of the Month Susan Mollica, August 2016 Congratulations to Susan, Employee of the Month for August! Susan is a clinical coordinator in the Paramus Outpatient Center who has been a member of the HSS Family for nearly two years. She has a positive outlook and a compassionate demeanor that make her a joy to work with.

Susan is an extremely dedicated employee who takes initiative and is constantly looking for ways to improve the workflow of the Paramus Outpatient Center. She is well-respected by her peers and is the go-to person in her department.

Additionally, Susan always goes the extra mile for patients. Numerous patients have praised her for her sense of humor, her caring nature and her willingness to answer any questions they might have.

Several patients have even said they looked forward to their next appointment just so they could see Susan.

7

Milestones Research, Academic and External Activities • Karla Felix, Ph.D., associate director of Curriculum and Evaluation, presented research conducted on the HSS orthopedic residency program this

• Andrea Tychanski, PT, DPT, SCS, ATC, CSCS, and

DPT, OCS, MTC, Cert. MDT; and Jennie Yen PT,

Aisling Toolan, PT, DPT, SCS, presented “Man-

DPT, CHT, CLT, SFMA, TPI Level-1, participated

agement of Low Back Injuries in an Athletic Popu-

in the NY Red Bulls 5v5 Tournament. Sabrina

lation” at the NYSATA 2016 Annual Conference.

Cerciello, PT, DPT; Ann Kokinda, practice manager;

• The sixth consecutive PSAL Football Combine was

and Matthew Powers, PT, DPT, CSCS, volunteered

spring and summer at two different conferences:

held at the James M. Benson Sports Rehabilitation

Association for Hospital Medical Education

Center and Tisch Sports Performance Center. 122

at the event.

• Snay Patel, PT, MPT, SCS, led the Fantasy Camp

Institute (AHME) and the Council of Orthopaedic

players from 16 schools were tested for the coming

Residency Directors (CORD) conference. The

season. The HSS team covering the event included

research studies reflect ongoing projects to

John Cavanaugh, PT, MEd, ATC, SCS; Theresa

Lynders, PT, OCS, presented exercise safety tips

improve the educational curriculum and to gather

Chiaia, PT, DPT; Polly de Mille, RN, MA, RCEP,

to the NBC Sports staff.

information on the traits that predict orthopaedic

CSCS; Robert DiGiacomo, PT, DPT, ATC;

residency achievement.

Ioonna Felix, PT, DPT, OCS, CTPS; Matthew

Rehabilitation

Jake Grundstein, PT, DPT; Joel Guzman, ATC; Jessica Hettler, PT, DPT, MSPT, ATC, SCS, Cert

reunion warm ups at Citi Field.

• Lynne Roberts, PT, DPT, ATC, and Christine

• John Indalecio, OTR/L, CHT, was quoted in Arthritis Today magazine for an article on “Relief at Hand: Therapy gloves can help ease pain and stiffness.”

• Theresa Chiaia, PT, DPT, presented “Quality of

MDT; Jamie Lamb, PT, DPT; Ayla Olk-szost, PT,

• Erica Fritz, PT, DPT, OCS, was quoted in Pain-Free

Movement for Athletes Six Months Post–ACL

DPT; Andrew Saldivar, PT, DPT; Rhea Sinha, rehab

Living magazine for an article on “Mapping Out

Reconstruction” on behalf of her co-authors

tech; Andrea Aldana, managed care liaison;

Your Next Trip.”

Polly de Mille, RN, MA, RCEP, CSCS; Joseph

Robyn Browne, managed care liaison; Jordana

• Polly de Mille, RN, MA, RCEP, CSCS, and Happy

Nguyen MPH; Allison Brown PT, PhD; Huong

Correa, managed care liaison; Marivic Faustino,

Freedman were quoted in Bicycle Times for an

Do, MA, and Elizabeth Selvaggio at the AOSSM

managed care liaison; and Geraldo Lugo;

article on “Pain free: ride more, hurt less.”

Annual Meeting 2016.

managed care liaison.

• Tracey Llewellyn, PT, DPT, SFMA; Kelsie

• Hector Lozada, PT, DPT; Aija Paegle, PT CFMT,

• Team Rehab raised over $3K for the 2016 Arthritis

CPI, Cert. Schroth Scoliosis Therapist; Elizabeth

Ganshert PT, DPT; and Aisling Toolan PT, DPT,

Walk. Congratulations to Danielle Edwards, PT,

M. Manejias, M.D.; and Dallas J. Kingsbury, M.D.,

SCS, presented on “Injury Prevention in Soccer”

DPT; Marlena Albanese, PT, DPT, CSCS; Jose

presented a 5 day workshop on “Acupuncture

at Rehab Grand Rounds.

Carchi, managed care liaison; Mike Martell, PTA;

in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders

Elizabeth Niedbala, PT, DPT, MBA; Paulina

in dancers” at the International Congress on

• John Cavanaugh, PT, MEd, ATC, SCS, presented at Sports Emergency Curriculum, a five part

Rukaj, OT; Angelo Toro, sr. rehab mobility tech;

Diseases and Rehabilitation of Performance

curriculum designed for volunteer clinicians at

and Tracie Vander Schauw, PT! Team Rehab &

Artists in Havana, Cuba.

the 2016 Olympic Games.

NYG Jason Pierre-Paul led the pre-walk warm-up.

• Glenn Garrison, CPO, and Katherine Wilson, PT,

• John Castro, PT, DPT, OCS, MTC; Erica Fritz, PT,

• Lorene C. Janowski, DPS, OTR/L, MS, C/NDT, and Aviva Wolff, OTR, CHT, EdD, presented on “Upper

DPT, traveled to Ghana to volunteer for the Founda-

DPT, OCS; Greg Garcia, rehab tech; Evan Marx, PT,

Extremity Function in Cerebral Palsy: Clinical and

tion of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS).

DPT; Chris Petillo, rehab tech; Matt Pugliese, PT,

Research Applications” at Rehab Grand Rounds.

Picture This

Welcome Airat A. Agbetoba, Okezie K. Aguwa, Kathleen Alemar, Nada M. Ali, Humaira Ashraf, Michael J. Assayag, Daniel M. Avery, Nicholas R. Beatty, Jonathan L. Berliner, Sheena R. Black, Yiadom Barbara Boakye, Edelina J. Bustamante, Kevin Chan, Ian Cohn, Rachael J. Da Cunha, Ryan R. Fader, Thomas D. Falls, Vandy T. Gaffney II, Joseph M. Gentile, Joseph Giordano, Karen S. Glass, Samrawit A. Goshu, Andrea Griffith, Akash Gupta, Leigh F. Hanke, Eric K. Holder, Elizabeth R. Inkellis, Mark R. Jensen, Kyuho Kang, Amir Khoshbin, Jiyoung Kim, Joseph F. Konopka, Nicole Lohr, Jeannie S. Lui, Michelle C. Mazur, Michael H. McGraw, Lauren M. Nakazawa, Natalie M. Nielsen, Theresa J. Pazionis, Michael Z. Pitta, Nicolas R. Plais, Danielle Ponzio, Fernando J. Quevedo Gonzalez, Susanne M. Roberts, Fiachra Rowan, Celeste Russell, Trevor P. Scott, Lior Y. Shabtai, Adam Shaner, Suchet Singh, Blake Staub, Alexandra Stavrakis, Matthew A. Tao, Camden M. Tissue, Gregory J. Vitone, Emil Stefan Vutescu, Dean Wang, Tianyi Wang

Jo Hannafin, M.D., Ph.D., attending orthopedic surgeon and team physician for USRowing, and Lisa Callahan, M.D., associate attending physician and team physician for USA Basketball, catch up with one another at the offsite training facility for USA Basketball and post-race facility for USRowing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

8

Editor:

Marisa DeFilipps

Executive Editor:

Rachel Sheehan

Editorial Committee:

Lisa Goldstein, Bruce Slawitsky, John Englehart

Next Issue:

October 2016 echo@hss.edu