Inside Inspira Newsletter - October 2022

National Healthcare Safety & Security Officer Week is October 6-10, 2022.

Inspira's network Security team was recently honored with an international award. Read more on page 5.

Service Award Event Information, See page 6.

Pictured left to right: Melissa Jones, director of Workplace Violence; Vincent Buonocore, Security officer, Woodbury; Kevin Hills, Security officer, Mullica Hill; David Kim, Security officer, Elmer; Lauren NashMitchell, coordinator; Steven Felice, Security officer, Bridgeton; Christina Nunn, Security supervisor, Woodbury; Bill Wiley, director of Security; Hector Vargas, Security supervisor, Bridgeton; and Virginia Johnson, Security supervisor, Elmer.

Leadership Announcement

Ken Zanghi Appointed

Assistant Vice President, Facilities Operations

Ken Zanghi has been promoted to assistant vice president of Facilities Operations, effective as of August 7. Ken has been a member of our Inspira family since 2007 and, most recently, served as the director of Facilities Engineering where he was responsible for the oversight of a safe, comfortable and well-maintained environment for all patients, staff and visitors. Over the years, Ken has been involved in the planning and execution of several Inspira projects, such as the opening of Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill, and we are so proud of the work he has achieved.

In his role as assistant vice president of Facilities Operations, Ken is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and leading the activities

of the Facilities Management department, construction, grounds and plant engineering for the network. In addition, he also provides services, repairs and necessary maintenance to ensure safe and efficient operations throughout our hospitals and clinic facilities for all patients, employees, and medical staff.

As an experienced, reliable and self-motivated professional with a strong background in the building and architectural trades, we are confident Ken will succeed in his new position and help our health system continue to propel its strategic plan.

Mullica Hill Same Day Surgery Department Gives Back!

Hosts “Toes & Tushies” Collection to Benefit Local Kids

The Same Day Surgery Department at Inspira Mullica Hill held a "Toes and Tushies" collection to benefit Angels Community Outreach in Pitman, NJ. This collection was a result of the collaborative efforts of the Unit Based Council and department staff members.

Socks and underwear were collected for children, tweens and teens in need so they would have new items to begin the school year. According to Angels Community Outreach, children and teens need more than school supplies in September. Many children go without underwear and socks because their families have to choose between new undergarments or paying utility bills and putting food on the table. New underwear and socks can make a huge difference in a child's/teen's dignity. Changing in a locker room for a tween or teen can be embarrassing if they are wearing undergarments that are old, too small or too big.

The department collection resulted in several bags of donations being distributed to children of all ages ahead of school starting.

Pictured left to right: Hope Driver, R.N.; Joyce Hogan, R.N.; and Elissa Darrow, Director of Angels Community Outreach.

Reliability

Speak Up for Safety Great Catch of the Month

Christine Hendrix, R.N., Medical Outpatient, Inspira Medical Center Vineland

Christine Hendrix, R.N., Medical Outpatient, Vineland, was providing a platelet transfusion to her patient. The patient had just begun infusion when within minutes Christina noticed the patient was short of breath. Applying a Questioning Attitude, she validated this concern with Valeria Rulloda-Monte, R.N. Christine and Valeria immediately escalated their concern to Kush Sachdeva, M.D., medical director of the Frank and Edith Scarpa Regional Cancer Pavilion. A quick debrief was completed by all present staff and a decision was made by the team to call for a rapid response.

Shanda Richer, nurse manager of Cancer Services contacted Eric Crispo, assistant nurse manager of the Emergency Department (ED), to make him aware of the current patient situation and ensure there would be a bed available once the rapid response team arrived and interventions were completed. Dr. Sachdeva arrived to evaluate the patient within minutes and made the decision to transport the patient to the ED for further evaluation.

Several team members proceeded out of the department with the patient on oxygen. With an approximate 2–3-minute walk from the Medical Outpatient department to the ED, Carla Saunders, office clerk, proceeded ahead of the team to call for the elevator and open doors to prevent delays in transport. Dr. Sachdeva remained at the bedside to provide assessments and clinical support. Once the team arrived at the first floor of the cancer center into the radiation area, the patient lost pulses and went into cardiac arrest. Christine immediately began CPR as respiratory therapists arrived. Amy

Demitrio, R.T., remained with the team to provide airway support while Veronica Dixon, R.T., set up the ventilator and Rachel Kozma, R.T., gathered additional airway supplies.

The front desk staff in Radiation contacted the ED to provide an update on the patient. Following ACLS guidelines, Christine and Shanda switched roles and, in an effort to move quicker, Shanda climbed onto the stretcher with the patient so she could continue CPR without interruptions until they arrived at the ED.

Barbara Garret, R.N., met the team in the Radiation area to see if she could assist in anyway. As the team rounded the corner, Joseph Fanelle, M.D., chairman, Radiation Oncology, made himself available if any help was needed. The Medical Outpatient staff and Radiation Oncology staff continued to work together to open doors and lead ED staff towards the team’s location.

Upon arrival to the ED, they were met by technicians, RNs, residents, and physicians that were prepared to resume the care of the patient. As the patient was carefully moved from the transport stretcher to the ED stretcher, the patient’s pulses had returned, and the ED staff prepared to intubate and place the patient on a ventilator and admitted to the ICU.

Had Christine not Applied a Questioning Attitude about the patient’s condition and escalated her concern, the patient could have potentially suffered temporary or permanent harm.

LearningBoards

Pharmacy, Mullica Hill

The Pharmacy department at Inspira Mullica Hill holds their department huddle daily in front of their department Learning Board. The Learning Board is located in a common area for all staff to access. Cristina Hannigan, pharmacist, and recently appointed safety coach, added a Safety Coach bulletin board next to the Learning Board where she adds information from the monthly Safety Coach Meeting, reinforces the Safety Tool of the Month and highlights recent Great Catches.

Ed Dix, director of Pharmacy shared, “We use our Learning Board to drive our safety and quality initiatives as well as our Engagement and Safety Survey action plans. A recent item that landed on the Green (solved) section of the Learning Board was “Redesign of our Code Tray Shelf in the Main Pharmacy”.

In response to a reported RL6 safety event, in which a pediatric code tray was restocked into an adult code cart in the ICU, the Pharmacy team spoke up for safety and worked together to completely redesign the code tray shelf. The team created dedicated space specifically for Neonatal, Pediatric, and Adult Code Trays, and added color coded labels to each tray to provide an additional visual reminder to differentiate the three different code tray populations.

“Among the many benefits the Learning Board provides, one of my favorites is that by default it opens up another avenue of communication between staff and management.” - Cristina Hannigan, pharmacist & safety coach.

Pictured left to right: Amanda Hartje, technician; Stanley Michalski, pharmacist; Cristina Hannigan, pharmacist and Safety Coach; Nicole Smith, supervisor; and Sue Eivich, technician.

Pictured: Frank Bender, director, Cardiopulmonary (blue shirt); Kristi Hughes, secretary & safety coach (pink shirt); Amber Allen, RRT (sitting, green shirt); Dayna Patitucci, R.N. (sitting, blue shirt); Tammy Desiderio, RRT, supervisor (pointing to board); Kevin Pratt, RRT (standing); and Donna Patane, RRT (center).

Cardiopulmonary, Vineland

The Cardiopulmonary Department at Inspira Medical Center Vineland holds their department huddle in front of their department Learning Board.

A recent item that landed in the Solved (green) section of the Learning Board was the addition of an Organization Chart in the breakroom to identify access to the department Chain of Command.

Inspira’s Security Team Recognized

Frank Bender, director of Cardiopulmonary shared,

“I encourage my team to Speak Up for Safety, it is so important that if they see something, they say something. I have an open-door policy with my team and any other employee in the organization. One of the tools we have in our HRO Toolbox to assist us in Speaking Up for Safety is the Safety Tool ‘ARCC’ (ask a question, request a change, voice a concern, chain of command). This safety tool is extremely important and helps guide the conversation when you encounter a situation when you must Speak Up for Safety. My team shared at huddle that they didn’t know who their Chain of Command was to escalate a concern above me. We immediately added this to our department Learning Board. During our department huddle the next day, we reviewed the Safety Tool ARCC along with our Org Chart and I reinforced the importance of escalating concerns.”

Inspira’s Network Security Team has been awarded the International Association of Healthcare Safety and Security’s (IAHSS) Program of Distinction.

This recognition highlights Inspira’s commitment to High Reliability and safety, and there are only 57 healthcare organizations internationally that have received this distinction.

IAHSS recognizes outstanding qualifying healthcare security and safety departments with the Program of Distinction. Hospitals/facilities qualify for the Program of Distinction by achieving and maintaining a minimum level of certified officers, managers and directors within their security department. To qualify for the IAHSS Program of Distinction, 70% of the security officers must hold a current Basic, Advanced or Supervisor certification. The director or administrative leader of the security department must also be a current Certified Healthcare Protection Administrator (CHPA).

DAIS Y Award Winners

Janita Hutchinson, R.N.,

2 East, Inspira Medical Center Vineland

“Since joining our 2 East team, Janita has provided the ‘Wow’ experience to everyone she encounters. She regularly receives compliments from her peers for her willingness to help and her upbeat attitude. Janita goes above and beyond to deliver compassionate and personable care to her patients. She is regularly mentioned in leadership rounds with patient comments such as ‘I love her attitude, she keeps me smiling’ and ‘I was happy to see that she was going to be my nurse again today’. Janita is truly an extraordinary nurse.” – Coworker

Save the Date

Employee Service Award Celebrations

Service anniversaries are important milestones and Inspira wants to thank employees for their dedication to our organization, our patients and the communities we serve. We are excited to announce that our Service Award celebrations will be back in person this year!

• Location: The Grove at Centerton, Pittsgrove, NJ

• November 1 – employees celebrating 5 through 15 years of service

• November 30 – employees celebrating 20 through 50 years of service

Keeping our employees at the center of all we do, Inspira has a Total Rewards philosophy that includes five cornerstones of offerings: Benefits; Rewards & Recognition; Career Development; Work-Life; and Compensation. Our Service Award celebration is one such component of our Total Rewards Program. For more information visit the HR section of Inspiranet.

Congratulations Employees of the Month! Reliability

Robert Rain, R.T., Respiratory Therapy, Vineland

Teamwork

Christine Anderson, system analyst, Information Systems, Bridgeton

“Chrissy goes above and beyond to support her co-work ers. No matter how busy she is or if she is in the middle of something, she always does her best to help. Chrissy helps with processes and whenever there is a hiccup she is there to help resolve and never complains.”

Teamwork

“Rob is the epitome of a ‘perfect’ em ployee. We feel so blessed to have him in our NICU. No matter how busy we are or how critical the baby is, Rob walks in with his calm self and it's an assurance that every thing is going to be fine! Rob gives us 100% every day that he works in our unit!”

Empowerment

“Lisa's positive attitude and willingness to work together to help guide us to success with systems and processes is well worth appreciation. She is always willing to help answer questions and show me system processes without hesitation. She has great positivity, patience and such a helpful nature. Lisa has a wonderful team spirit and we are lucky to have her on the team!”

Reliability

“Leslie empowers her peers around her to be positive and work hard to achieve patient satisfaction and safety. She also empowers staff to be a voice for the department. Les lie recently assisted in leading the Employee Engagement Survey; she empowered her peers to take the survey, as their voice is what makes change. I truly believe Leslie is one of the reasons why our Employee Engagement Survey response rate was so successful.”

Teamwork

“Lori is an example of an exemplary employee. She is punctual, dependable, and reliable. Both management and her peers depend on her every day. Lori comes to work daily with a smile and a positive attitude regardless of what the day may bring. Lori is admired by her peers and appreciated by all!”

“Francis has demonstrated her excellence in a high-stress environment since her first day as a LIFE scheduler and is a vital part of our team. Our schedulers are faced with the daunting task of coordinating transports for our partici pants (280+) everyday, to and from home, for hundreds of scheduled appointments both internal and external to the Inspira network. Francis deserves the highest level of recognition for her constant efforts!”

Lori Hullihen, technologist, South Delsea Imaging

Lisa Sutton, HRIS analyst, Human Resources, Garden Road

Francis Rosa, scheduler, LIFE

Leslie Popolo, L.P.N., Emergency Room, Mullica Hill

Get Your Flu Shot

September 12, 2022 - November 30, 2022

A few reminders about the mandator y flu vaccine campaign:

• Receiving the influenza vaccine is a condition of employment at Inspira Health, and it has been the law in the State of New Jersey since Januar y 2020

o The program includes employees, students, volunteers, contracted staff, and physicians working within the walls of Inspira Health.

• If your plan is to request a Medical Exemption for the 2022-2023 flu season, you must submit medical records documenting evaluation and treatment for the condition for which you are requesting exemption by October 1st. No request will be reviewed without suppor ting documentation. No exemption request will be accepted for review af ter the deadline

Examples of documentation that will not be accepted:

• A note on a prescription pad stating, “…excuse from a flu shot…” or “…patient allergic to flu shot…” or patient should not have a flu shot…”

• Submission of just the Medical Exemption Request without suppor ting documentation

Examples of acceptable documentation:

• A narrative from the physician stating that they’ve seen you and treated you for the issue for which exemption is being sought

• Medical Records from the ED or physician who saw you for the issue for which exemption is being sought

Additional information:

• If you will be receiving a vaccine at one of our clinics, you must have your consent completed. There will not be blank consents available at the clinics. Blank consent forms can be found on Inspiranet or in emails from Employee Health/Marlene Fischer

• If an employee is on Leave of Absence bet ween September and November 2022, they will need to receive or provide documentation of receipt prior to being cleared to return to work

• Flu vaccines are available at any of the vaccine clinics, a communit y pharmacy, your physician office, or Inspira pharmacy. The Retail Pharmacies in Vineland and Mullica will be taking walk-ins for flu vaccines from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Flu clinics in all of our facilities will allow for appropriate social distancing to keep you safe. Our Laurel Springs, Glassboro, and East Vineland Urgent Cares will also ser ve as "flu vaccine centers" for employees. Depar tmental "deputies" are also being identified to aide in accessibilit y. If you receive a vaccine at a non-Inspira location, please provide documentation that includes your name, the date of vaccination, vaccine lot number, and vaccine expiration date

Questions regarding the mandator y flu vaccine?

Email employeehealth@ihn.org

In an effor t to keep our patients, families, and ourselves safe, Inspira Health requires that all employees receive the influenza vaccine.

Ethics Committee Lecture Series

Please complete the brief survey to help guide the topics you’d like to learn more about and let us know if you would like to be a part of Ethics Committee or Subcommittees.

The Ethics Committee is responsible for developing and reviewing hospital policy, providing staff education, and reviewing complex cases pertaining to ethical issues.

The Ethical Lecture Series is a subcommittee of the Ethics Committee with the goal of providing education to all staff pertaining to healthcare and ethical issues.

The subcommittee aims to discuss and explore various topics, including:

• IV hydration and nutrition

• Medical Aid in Dying

• Healthcare Literacy

• Medical Futility

• and much more

The Ethical Lecture Series is available in person for all to join!

• When – Held the last Wednesday of the month from 1-2 p.m.

• Where - Mullica Hill Classrooms A, B,and C

• Who – Open to ALL Inspira staff

• RSVP - Joann Cross at crossj@ihn.org

www.inspirahealthnetwork.org