Outpatient
CLINIC NEWS November 2023
Save the Date - Holiday Employee Lunch! It's that time of the year when we come together to celebrate the spirit of the season and express our gratitude for the incredible work each one of you contributes to our Outpatient Behavioral Health Centers. We are thrilled to announce the annual Holiday Employee Lunch, hosted by the leadership team, scheduled for December 14 at each of our clinic locations. This is an opportunity for us to share laughter, good food, and camaraderie, and to express our heartfelt appreciation for your dedication and hard work throughout the year. We've planned a delightful event to make this celebration truly special.
CLINIC UPDATES Patient Experience Top Performer: Congratulations to Stop Six Clinic for being top performer for October with a score of 84 percent! All the clinics were above 80 percent - which is amazing! MANDATORY TJC Prep Meeting: Do not miss the TJC Prep Meeting scheduled for December 6 at noon. This is a MANDATORY meeting unless otherwise told. 2023 Chili Cookoff: Don’t forget to mark your calendar for December 5 and bring your best bowl of chili. Outpatient employee lunch will be on December 14. Be on the lookout for a catering survey to vote where we will order from.
In the spirit of inclusivity, we want your input on an important decision the catering for our festive meal. Look out for a survey that will be sent to your email shortly. Your feedback will help us choose the perfect meal to make our holiday lunch a delight for all. We understand the importance of your time and appreciate your commitment to our shared mission. Your participation in the survey will ensure that we cater to a variety of preferences, making this celebration as enjoyable and inclusive as possible. We look forward to sharing this festive occasion with our amazing team and creating lasting memories together. More details about the event will follow, but for now, please save the date - December 14 - on your calendars. Wishing you a joyful holiday season in anticipation of our upcoming celebration.
Outpatient BH Clinic
Employee of the Month - Sharon Medley Sharon is the Outpatient BH Staff Assistant. She opens and manages provider templates, handles purchasing of supplies for all of our locations, handles complex scheduling issues for the department, and so much more! Sharon has been with JPS for almost 15 years and has worked in Behavioral Health the whole time. Staff have shared that Sharon is pleasant and kind at work and is so helpful when they are in need. Sharon is truly an asset and a central part of the OPBH department. We thank you for all that you do to keep us running every day and we are so appreciative of all your hard work and dedication!
National Patient Safety Goals As we prepare for our upcoming Mock Survey expected in December 2023 and our Triennial Survey in 2024, it’s important we all understand The Joint Commission (TJC) National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG). This knowledge will help us understand how certain processes we follow are directly related to patient safety and quality of care. Each year TJC gathers information about emerging patient safety issues from consumers, providers, and other stakeholders in the healthcare field. This information informs the annual NPSGs, which highlight areas most critical to keeping our patients safe while they are in our care. You should already be familiar with the NPSG 15- reducing the risk of suicide for patients, NPSG 1- ensuring we always use two patient identifiers when providing care to patients, and NPSG 7-reducing healthcare related infections by practicing good hand hygiene at all times. There are 16 NPSGs for 2023. You can find the list of current NPSGs on your BH clinic or PHP quality board. If you do not know where to locate the quality board at your work location, please ask your leader or a colleague to show you. Our quality boards have important information about our goal performance and performance improvement initiatives. A Mock surveyor or TJC Surveyor WILL ask team members where to locate their quality board and how to interpret the information posted on it. Please visit your locations’ quality board and review it for understanding. There is also a new NPSG that went into effect on July 1, 2023. NPSG 16 , which focuses on improving healthcare equity. This
NPSG is especially critical for JPS patients as we serve a highly diverse demographic with various needs. Our job as a healthcare organization is to ensure equitable access to healthcare for all patients, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, language spoken, zip code in which they reside, etc. The organization as a whole, and behavioral health specifically, are implementing initiatives and tracking data on ways in which we can reduce healthcare disparities and improve equity across Tarrant County. For example, one way we can assist with improving equity is through assisting patients with transportation or food insecurity. Another example of how we are working to reduce disparities is by adding JPS clinic locations to underserved parts of the county. In future newsletters, we will share data around our impact of improving healthcare equity for our patients. We will continue to be innovative in identifying ways to serve our patients, and we welcome feedback and ideas from all team members.
Infection Prevention Updates We have important updates to share regarding two key aspects of our workplace environment. Portable Fan Policy Update for Infection Control: Recently, there has been an update to the Portable Fan policy for Infection Control, effective as of 10/30/23. The revised policy now imposes limitations on the use of fans within patient care areas. Specifically, fans are prohibited from use in nurses' stations or other open work areas in clinical locations. Fans are only permitted in non-clinical areas such as staff offices. To ensure compliance, we will be conducting rounds to collect all fans purchased by JPS that are currently in clinical areas. If you have a fan purchased in a clinical area, please take it home. Unattended fans will be collected and turned in to your respective leader. Nail Hygiene Enforcement by Infection Prevention (IP) and Regulatory: In addition, Infection Prevention (IP) and Regulatory are intensifying their focus on nail hygiene. Long and artificial nails present hand hygiene challenges and have been addressed in recent tracers. They will be considered a finding during mock
surveys or The Joint Commission (TJC) survey. Fingernails may be painted as long as they are not chipped, and the paint is applied to natural nails (no dip, gel, etc.). It is also worth noting that fingernails are also addressed in the HR Standards of Appearance policy. However, the emphasis on hand hygiene provides a clearer understanding of why this is an issue, especially for those who provide patient care or work in clinical spaces. Thank you for your attention to these updates. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to your leaders with any questions or concerns about these updates.
Clinic News continued A note from our Executive Director on the Future of Mental Health on Lancaster
Patient Escort Protocol and Risk Mitigation Reminder
We are all aware of the need for behavioral health services for our unhoused population. Many of these patients frequent the Psychiatric Emergency Center and the Walk in Clinic but do not establish consistent care. As a result, our patients often find themselves utilizing emergency services throughout the county and at JPS. One of the primary reasons being the travel difficulties that patients experience trying to get to appointments. Evidence has shown that a proven way to improve access and utilization is to address proximity to care. How and what we offer in the community needs to be responsive to the community demand, service patterns and needs.
Recently, we've encountered situations where patients have been inadvertently left unattended within the clinic premises, resulting in their unintentional presence in areas such as the Admin Hall or Psychology Hall, where they were not scheduled to be.
In Tarrant County, we have a concentration of services for individuals experiencing homelessness along Lancaster. Behavioral Health has had a presence in this area since 2014. Historically, we have provided programing through PDR (AKA Psychiatric Day Rehabilitation AKA True Worth Behavioral Health AKA Behavioral Health Day Program). This program has continued to serve patients over the years, but the utilization of the program has been on a steady decline. At the same time, we have had community demand for access to medication management in this location. After much thought and consultation, we have determined that the best evolution of PDR is to transition to a traditional Behavioral Health Clinic. What does this mean for services? We will provide the services most common in our clinic locations: adult medication management (New Patient and Follow Up), we will continue to provide individual therapy (with the possibility of groups in the future), and we will provide Intakes for behavioral health. We will maintain the current location, but we will work through the best use of the existing space to meet the new service requirements. This transition is intended to better meet the needs of our patients and to increase access to behavioral health professionals in a much-needed way. We will no longer provide the 30-day transitional programming focused on psychoeducation, group therapy and vocational services. I am confident that this new journey will not only benefit the community but also allow us to impact more individuals and families. We expect the transition to be complete by the end of the year. Please note referrals for PDR AKA Behavioral Health Day Rehab have been closed. If you have specific questions, please reach out to Teneisha Kennard.
To address this concern and ensure the safety and satisfaction of our patients, it is imperative that providers accompany patients to the check-out desk at the conclusion of their appointments. Given the layout of CBHR, with its numerous hallways and exits, patients may easily become disoriented and find it challenging to navigate their way back to the lobby. This practice not only aligns with principles of excellent customer service but also contributes significantly to enhancing the overall patient experience. Additionally, escorting patients is a crucial component of our risk mitigation plan. Leaving patients unattended in the clinic poses potential risks, both to their well-being and the safety of our team members. Adhering to the protocol of walking patients to the check-out desk not only fulfills our commitment to exceptional customer service but also plays a vital role in maintaining a secure environment for everyone involved. Thank you for your cooperation in implementing and reinforcing this protocol. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out.
Andrew Santi 11/03 Diana Salgado 11/11 Carol Sutton 11/05 Manuel Hidic 11/14 Doris Jackson 11/09 Carolina Tobias 11/14 Crystal Henderson 11/10 Janet Thompson 11/20 Rachel Oliva 11/11 Michael Schultze 11/21
New Clinic on the Block
Employee News!
On Tuesday, November 14, JPS leaders stood with our partners from Cook Children’s Health Care System, the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, LVTRise, and WestAid Community Resources to break ground on the Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood Health Center. The partnership between JPS Health Network and Cook Children’s Medical Center aims to provide exceptional, comprehensive care for the entire family.
As a team, we understand the importance of celebrating both personal and professional milestones. These moments not only enrich our lives but also contribute to the vibrant tapestry of our workplace community.
The two-story, 40,000-square-foot Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood Health Center will open in late 2025 at the corner of Calmont Avenue and Cherry Lane in west Fort Worth. The center will be the first of its kind. Cook Children’s will provide pediatric medical care, while JPS will provide adult care. Social services, behavioral health, a Fort Worth Police storefront, and WestAid Community Resources’ food pantry will also be housed within the facility. This partnership will allow JPS to continue to expand further into the community and provide healthcare services to the patients who need us. The collaboration also offers an opportunity to demonstrate the significance of healthcare in Tarrant County and how these healthcare entities are working together to create a framework for better healthcare delivery and access.
We are thrilled to announce that Sheree Johnson has completed and successfully defended her dissertation for her Doctor of Healthcare Administration! Sheree's dedication are truly commendable, and her achievement reflects the exceptional talent and commitment present within our team. We are fortunate to have such an experienced and dedicated clinician on our team.
In addition to Sheree's achievement, we are excited to share the joyous news that Dalila Campos, our Embedded BH Specialist, welcomed her baby boy, Reade Maceo, on 11/6/2023. Both Dalila and Reade are doing wonderfully, and his four older brothers are absolutely smitten. Congratulations to Dalila and her family on the arrival of their new bundle of joy! Your achievements and blessings bring joy to our team, and we look forward to continuing to support one another in all aspects of our lives.
Email to register: MSchnapp@jpshealth.org
JAMIE PORTILLO A patient shared, "Jaime is amazing!! So caring and kind. She is very knowledgeable. She is so patient. She helped me come so far in my treatment that I feel much more comfortable moving forward." COURTNEY WILSON I had a patient, who doesn't have a phone or transportation, that needed an appointment. I called Courtney and she was able to get that set up while I was with the patient - which saved the patient a trip to the clinic only to have to return for the appt at a later date VANESSA DEAN A patient shared, "Vanessa at the front desk is always genuinely happy to see the patients, smiling her 100-watt welcome smile!" Thank you, Vanessa! JESSICA REYES I loved seeing Jessica do her thing at the Feast of Sharing. She is an amazing ambassador for the OP BH team! SHEREE JOHNSON A patient shared that, "Sheree is great. She listens to all my problems and gives me great advice." LETICIA MOLINA Huge shout out to Leticia for helping to get a research study patient scheduled on such short notice! You are amazing!! JIJI JOHNS and ZANDRA RUTLEDGE A patient recognized you both on their experience survey! SHAUNA FULLER Shauna is willing to go above and beyond her regular duties and recently took on a stretch project of high importance! I know that I can trust Shauna to get the task done and done well! I so appreciate your help and dedication, Shauna!