central line FOR THE EMPLOYEES AND CLINICIANS OF UC HEALTH | ISSUE 1, 2019
Tanner Schulte loves providing community-based care as part of a larger academic health system. See page 2 for details.
Investing
There’s Always
Multi-million dollar project will transform patient experience. page 5
From “patient” to “survivor” in 13 hours. page 6
in the Future
Hope
PRIIDE Awards Well-deserved recognition. page 11
| our purpose | To advance healing and reduce suffering.
| lofgren’s letter |
| our mission |
Investing in Our Future
We are committed to advancing medicine and improving the health of all people— regardless of race, ethnicity, geography or ability to pay—by fostering groundbreaking medical research and education, delivering outstanding primary and specialty care services and building a diverse workforce.
| our vision | To use the power of academic medicine to advance the science of discovery and transform the delivery of care.
| our values | PRIIDE: We will serve our patients, our community and one another by: Putting PATIENTS and families first. Showing RESPECT. Acting with INTEGRITY. Embracing INCLUSION. Seeking DISCOVERY. Offering EMPATHY.
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There’s always hope: read about one woman’s journey of faith and trust. PAGE 6
Central Line is a publication for employees and clinicians of UC Health. It is produced by UC Health Marketing & Communications. Send your comments and ideas to central-line@uchealth.com. © 2019 Volume 3, Issue 1
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Colleagues, It’s an exciting time for UC Health. We are preparing to open our new home for neurological care and we recently announced a $30 million investment in our facilities. And while we are looking forward, we are also celebrating our past by marking the University of Cincinnati's bicentennial year. This edition of Central Line offers you more information about our investment plans (see page 5)—designed both for our patients and our employees—and outlines the events planned for the opening of our UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute outpatient building (see page 4). Also in this edition of Central Line, we celebrate the winners of our first systemwide PRIIDE Awards and share the inspiring story of one patient who put faith in our care teams and now spreads a message of hope to others. As always, I want to thank you for all you do for UC Health, our patients and for one another. Sincerely,
Richard P. Lofgren, MD UC Health President & CEO
| on the cover | IT WAS A RECOMMENDATION from his sister, a registered nurse, which led Tanner Schulte to a career in respiratory therapy. Soon after job shadowing, he enrolled in the respiratory program at UC Clermont. Tanner, now a respiratory therapist at West Chester Hospital, has been with UC Health for six years. The father of a young son, Tanner is grateful that he’s part of a large academic health system where he can still provide community-based care.
| get involved |
Learn More About Clinical Research | compliance corner |
2018 Compliance and Ethics Survey Results The results are in from UC Health’s 2018 Compliance and Ethics Survey. Nearly 2,300 providers and employees completed the survey. Compared to the 2017 survey, the results for most questions remained relatively constant. To highlight a few results, over 86 percent of respondents either “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” that UC Health is an ethical organization. And nearly 83 percent of respondents “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” their supervisor is ethical. The survey also helps identify opportunities for improvement for the Compliance and Business Ethics Department and UC Health. This year approximately 23 percent of respondents stated that they witnessed conduct that violated the Code of Conduct or UC Health policies. Of those respondents, only 53 percent reported the violation, which is down from 59 percent in 2017. As a reminder, you may report compliance or ethics concerns to your supervisor, any member of management, HR, or by contacting Compliance directly. Employees can also anonymously call the Compliance HelpLine at 1-866-585-8030 or report anonymously through the Compliance Reporting Form on the UC Health Intranet homepage. This year 66 percent of respondents “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” they can report a compliance or ethics concern without fear of retaliation (14 percent of respondents “Disagree" or “Strongly Disagree” and 20 percent were “Neutral”). While UC Health would like everyone to be able to report without fear of retaliation, these figures are consistent with, if not better than, the national benchmark, which states that 34 percent of American workers do not speak up about misconduct due to retaliation concerns. Please remember that UC Health has a policy that prohibits retaliation against those who report compliance concerns in good faith. If you feel you have been retaliated against for reporting a compliance or ethics issue, please contact HR or the Compliance and Business Ethics Department. The No Retaliation policy is on the policy portal on the UC Health Intranet. Thank you to everyone who completed the 2018 survey. The responses were shared with department leaders, senior leadership, and associate chief medical officers; sitespecific results were shared at manager meetings. If there are any questions about the survey results, please contact the Compliance Department at 513-585-7224 or email compliance@uchealth.com. Article provided by staff within UC Health’s Compliance Department.
At UC Health, we partner with the University of Cincinnati to advance research, training and education. One way we do this is through clinical research. Investigators from across our many specialties regularly seek participants for studies, and UC Health’s Office of Clinical Research assists them by providing a variety of services, including, but not limited to: contracting, budgeting/billing and marketing and recruitment of participants. UC Health employees are encouraged to seek information about ongoing clinical research. The Office of Clinical Research can connect you with clinical research coordinators who can share study information with your patients, where applicable. Employees may also wish to consider participating in an active study. Learn more at uchealth.com/research. Below is one current research study seeking eligible participants:
Mild Memory Problems and Weight Gain in Middle Age What: The purpose of this study is to study nutrition, gut health and brain health. Who: Overweight men and women who are aware of mild memory decline such as forgetfulness or short-term memory difficulty. You must be 50 to 65 years old and without diabetes to be eligible. Pay: Eligible participants will be compensated up to $200 for their time and travel. Details: For more information, contact Marcelle Shidler at 513-558-2455 or shidlemd@ucmail.uc.edu.
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| safe & well |
| What’s New?|
Transport Changes
A New Home for Neurological Care
In early January, timed to the opening of additional patient care areas within the Ridgeway Tower at 3200 Burnet, UC Health added an after-hours/ weekend transport service and adjusted the daily shuttle route.
We’ve flipped the electrical switch, the lights are on and our teams are training in preparation for the April grand opening of the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute outpatient building. Here are some fun facts we’ve shared on UC Health’s Facebook page:
After-hours/Weekend Transport • Available to all providers asked to see patients and provide consults at Ridgeway Tower. Patients/guests may also use this service. • Operates from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. Weekend operation: 8:30 p.m. Friday, through 5:30 a.m. Monday morning. • Request this service by calling 513-584-AUTO (2886). • Wait time: Approximately 5 minutes from the time of your request. • Pick-up: Overnight hours—South Entrance of the UC Medical Center emergency department; Weekend daytime hours—UC Medical Center front circle. Shuttle Route Change • UC Health weekday shuttles (except for the Express “E” shuttle) now take a direct route from the UC Medical Center Outpatient Building stop to Ridgeway Tower (North Entrance stop). • Download the free Doublemap app to your mobile device and search UC Health to see routes and get shuttle location information and approximate wait times. • Shuttle wait times can be up to 20 minutes, so please plan accordingly. Direct questions to parkingandaccesscontrol@uchealth.com.
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Join your colleagues and the community at one of our opening events:
Employee Open House Monday, April 8 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Community Open House Saturday, April 13 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute outpatient building is wrapped on the west, south and east sides with a three-dimensional sunshade system to control lighting for light-sensitive patients.
Investing in the Future
in focus
UC Health earmarks $30 million for enhancement of physical facilities, wayfinding and sharing the UC Health story.
On Thursday, Jan. 31, UC Health President and CEO Richard Lofgren, MD, announced a $30 million investment in physical facilities, wayfinding and sharing our UC Health story with the community.
Specific projects that have been approved include:
• UC Medical Center Emergency Department flooring and walls
• UC Medical Center Front Entrance/Main Lobby
• Clifton Campus Exterior Wayfinding/Signage
“The care that we provide to our patients is complex, but their experience with us shouldn’t be,” he said. “We need to make it easier for patients, visitors and employees to navigate our campus and for our facilities to reflect the advanced, innovative care that we provide right here in Cincinnati.”
o Main entrance canopy
Work has already begun on the new projects and will continue over the next two years. These enhancements will build upon the investments already underway, including the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute outpatient building and the opening of patient floors at Ridgeway Tower.
o Main hospital floors 5, 6 & 7
o Beacon façade o Goodman Garage façade o Sitework - hardscape and landscaping o Floors 1 & 2 corridor refresh • UC Medical Center Inpatient Unit Refresh
• UC Medical Center Tunnels (areas with patient traffic) • Holmes Aesthetics • Facilities - Branded Environment Guidelines • Brand Reputation Building
• UC Medical Center Relocation of Psychiatric Clinics • UC Medical Center Furniture Replacement (patient care areas)
Learn more about this exciting investment. Watch a video on The Link.
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making a difference
There’s Always Hope In 13 hours, Billi went from brain tumor patient to survivor. // Amanda Nageleisen Learn more about Billi’s journey. Watch a bonus video at uchealth.com/discoverhope.
In August 2014, Billi Ewing was a busy woman: her oldest child was finishing college, her second was in middle school and her youngest was entering kindergarten. The wife and mother of three had also recently started a new job. “With three kids in different aspects of life, it was a pretty busy time,” she said. “But it was good busy—exciting.” And then there were the endless string of doctors visits for the vision problems in her right eye that she’d been experiencing for the past nine months. Billi figured she might eventually need LASIK surgery or treatment for cataracts, and she was awaiting the results of a MRI scan of her brain. One Sunday afternoon, as she and her family were getting ready for church, Billi received the phone call that would bring her life to a standstill: the MRI showed that a benign tumor was wrapped around her optic nerve. If left untreated, it could have led to blindness.
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“In that moment, it felt like the floor kind of just dropped,” she said.
tumor.” But, he said, they had to move fast—within the next week or two.
Billi’s neuro-ophthalmologist said he was referring her to the experts at the UC Brain Tumor Center at UC Health in Cincinnati.
“He said we had to move now,” she said. “In that moment, instead of fear, I chose faith. I trusted him.”
“I’m telling my story so people know there’s always hope,” she said. “He said, ’ I’m sending you to the best of the best. His name is Dr. Zuccarello, and you’re going to be just fine,’” she said. Mario Zuccarello, MD, is a worldrenowned neurosurgeon and director of skull base surgery at UC Health. The first time they met, Dr. Zuccarello looked Billi in the eyes and said: “I promise you that I can get that brain
The surgery was performed on her son’s fifth birthday. It was a success. “Thirteen hours later, I went from patient to a survivor,” she said. Four years later, Billi is back to her first love: singing and performing in her hometown of Dayton, Ohio. She is back to life, to work and to raising her children. She has also become an advocate for brain tumor awareness through public speaking, involvement in the annual Walk Ahead for a Brain Tumor Cure and through involvement in survivors’ advocacy groups.
| aha! moment |
Pregnancy in kidney transplant recipients increases risk of preeclampsia, cesarean section Pregnancy in kidney transplant recipients is associated with adverse outcomes, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati. The study, published online in the Jan. 23, 2019, edition of BMC Nephrology, finds that pregnancy in kidney transplant recipients is associated with higher risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. “Given that pregnancy in kidney transplant recipients can be challenging due to risks associated with immunosuppression and kidney allograft dysfunction, our study focused on pregnancy outcomes in women of child-bearing age who are kidney transplant recipients,” says Silvi Shah, MD, assistant professor, Division of Nephrology, Kidney CARE Program at the UC College of Medicine, and lead author of the study.
Silvi Shah, MD
The study showed significantly higher rates of cesarean section (62.6 percent), preeclampsia (21.5 percent) and ectopic pregnancy (2.4 percent) in kidney transplant recipients as compared to the U.S. general population. Shah and her team analyzed 87 studies that included 6,712 pregnancies in 4,174 kidney transplant recipients. A quantitative meta-analysis was performed, and the pooled incidence of various maternal and fetal pregnancy outcomes was calculated. “Reproductive function in women with end stage kidney disease generally improves after kidney transplant,” says Shah. “What our study
findings tell us is that pregnancy in kidney transplant recipients is associated with higher risk of adverse maternal outcomes. We have to consider these associated risks when we counsel women of child-bearing age with kidney transplant who are contemplating pregnancy.” In regard to the fetal outcomes, the study showed higher rates of preterm births, still births (5.1 percent), and neonatal mortality (3.8 percent) in kidney transplant recipients as compared with national data in the general population. The mean gestational age for newborns was 34.9 weeks (U.S. mean, 38.7 weeks) and the mean birth weight was 2,470 grams, or just less than five and a half pounds (U.S. mean, 3,389 grams or just less than seven and a half pounds). “It’s very important when a woman who has a kidney transplant gets pregnant, she is followed by a multi-disciplinary team, including a gynecologist, a nephrologist and a neonatologist working together through the pregnancy,” says Shah.
| your questions answered |
Can you tell me more about our new “no meeting days?” In December, UC Health’s President and CEO Richard P. Lofgren, MD, called for a “no meeting day” and laid out plans for additional “no meeting days” in 2019. These days without meetings were instituted to allow focus without interruption—with exceptions granted for emergencies or regulatory visits. These days are designed to allow us to give attention to and energize around our quality and safety efforts; patient and family experience; and team engagement. All are asked to honor these days by blocking their calendars. Upcoming “no meeting days” are: Thursday, May 23, 2019 Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019 Do you have a question we can answer in the next edition of Central Line? Email central-line@uchealth.com.
The study was supported by the UC College of Medicine Health Sciences Library Grant. Content provided by UC Academic Health Center Public Relations and Communications.
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| news and notes |
Awards, certifications & recognitions West Chester Hospital has achieved the HEALTHGRADES 2019 AMERICA’S 250 BEST HOSPITALS AWARD™, placing the hospital in the top five percent of more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide for superior clinical performance as measured by Healthgrades, the "leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals."
Seven from UC Health and the University of Cincinnati were selected by the Cincinnati Business Courier as finalists for the publication’s annual “HEALTH CARE HEROES” AWARDS. Of the seven, two were named winners: Greer Glazer, PhD, dean of the UC College of Nursing, won a Health Care Hero award in the manager category, and Chris Tuell, EdD, assistant professor in the UC
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience and clinical psychotherapist, Lindner Center of HOPE, won the award for the provider category. The Courier also presented a special "Heroes in Action" award to UC Health's Trauma and Emergency Medicine teams based at UC Medical Center for their response to the Sept. 6 shooting at Fifth Third Center on Fountain Square.
Featured post
“Phenomenal” and “Number 1 doctor for sure” were among the comments received when we posted about the nearly 270 UC Health physicians who made this year’s “Top” and “Best” doctors lists by Cincinnati Magazine and Cincy magazine. The physicians recognized represent 64 unique specialties, and many have been recognized on these lists for years. A complete list of our “Top” and “Best” listed doctors can be found at uchealth.com/bestdoctors. Be sure to follow UC Health on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, where we curate content for you to like and share.
Facebook: @UCHealthCincinnati Twitter: @UC_Health Instagram: @UC_Health
Delivering better, safer and smarter care ‘The UC Health Way’ In 2018, UC Health introduced the Care Delivery Integrating System (CDIS), which structures us in a way to build effective interprofessional teams, standardize best practices and optimize information sharing. The CDIS allows our system to prioritize, solve problems together, break down barriers quickly and sustain improvement. Four CDIS triad teams are now up and running, testing and implementing interventions to improve patient outcomes and reduce patient harm. Our intensive care unit (ICU) system triad team was the first CDIS triad to activate. This diverse group of medical director and nursing manager dyads from all eight UC Health intensive care units assumed the critical work of reducing patient harm by addressing healthcare-acquired infections. As a result of the ICU system triad team’s great work, our catheterassociated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) rates have been reduced for over eight months in a row with a 78 percent reduction overall.
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| news and notes |
New UC Health physicians
Hany Al-Khedr, MD Gastroenterology (Digestive Diseases)
Marc Cassidy, MD Anesthesia
Danielle Clark, MD Hospitalist Medicine
John Crowe, MD Anesthesia
Laura DeVita, MD Anesthesia
Alan Fleischer Jr., MD Dermatology
Kamal Joshi, MD Cardiology
Josh Kuethe, MD General Surgery
Kara Markham, MD Obstetrics & Gynecology (Maternal-Fetal Medicine)
Patrick Minges, MD Emergency Medicine
James Muth, MD Cardiology
Matthew Neth, MD Emergency Medicine
Ryan Noska, MD Anesthesia
Jeffrey Papiernick, MD Pathology
Meredith Pensak, MD Obstetrics & Gynecology
Walker Plash, MD Emergency Medicine
Chantal Reyna, MD Surgery (Oncology)
K. Robert Thompson III, MD Emergency Medicine
For more information about each new physician, including practice location and scheduling information, search by last name at uchealth.com/physician-search.
Peter Wilson, MD Anesthesia
Lulu Zhang, MD Interventional Radiology
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| coming up |
| snapshot: UC Health giving back |
UC Health Giving Back National Doctors’Day Saturday, March 30
New Building Opening Celebration
Check out the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute outpatient building at one of the planned events for employees and community members.
Employee Open House Monday, April 8 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Community Open House Saturday, April 13 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Quarterly Leadership Meeting
Thursday, April 25 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sharonville Convention Center
UC Health Volunteer Ambassadors assembled and distributed holiday food packages to families in need during the Eighth Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Led by the Avondale Community Council and the Avondale Avenue Block Club, the food drive fed over 700 families in the community including seniors, neighborhood school students and their families, and local residents.
Donate Life Flag Raising
Holiday food bags included a turkey, gravy, dressing, green beans, corn, and a bag of potatoes, cranberry sauce, aluminum foil, an aluminum baking pan and more.
Friday, April 26 3 p.m. UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute Outpatient Building Auditorium
UC Health Nurse Conference Friday, May 3 7 a.m. – noon Lindner Center of HOPE
National Nurses Week May 6-12
National Hospital Week May 12-18
UC HEALTH IS AN ACTIVE SUPPORTER of a number of events and community health initiatives across the region, and many of our employees step up as volunteers to help out, share information and provide health screenings. And sometimes our community partners and legislators come to us! Would you like to become a UC Health Volunteer Ambassador and learn about opportunities for representing UC Health in the communities we serve? Email ambassador@uchealth.com.
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our people
PRIIDE Awards
New systemwide program offers well-deserved recognition.
// By Dama Ewbank
Lindsay Schaffer, of West Chester Hospital’s Emergency Department, is hugged by a colleague after winning a November “PRIIDE Award.”
The first round of UC Health’s systemwide PRIIDE Awards events were held in November. Thirty-one people and four teams were recognized over the course of five celebrations across our UC Health sites. Nearly 200 nominations were submitted for this first-ever systemwide recognition program. The PRIIDE Awards program recognizes employees and teams that have exemplified the PRIIDE values through their everyday work. Nominations for PRIIDE Awards are accepted on a rolling basis; the nomination form can be found on The Link. PRIIDE Awards winners for November 2018 were:
Leaders of the Quarter
Selected by site leadership and nomination review committee. Jeffrey Anderson, Assistant Director, Revenue Cycle, 3200 Burnet Aaron Herring, Director, Plant Operations/ Maintenance, West Chester Hospital Olivia Mumfrey, Manager, Clinical Operations, Ambulatory Services Erin Scott, Director, Pharmacy, Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care Alex Terhar, Clinical Placement Project Manager, GME Office, UC Medical Center
Physicians of the Quarter
Selected by site Chief of Staff. D. Millar, MD, Trauma/Critical Care Medicine, West Chester Hospital Ravi Samy, MD, Otolaryngology, UC Medical Center Muhammad Ahsan Zafar, MD, Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Division, 3200 Burnet
Employees of the Quarter
Selected by nomination review committee. Rachael Day, Patient Care Associate, 1PCT, West Chester Hospital Rosie Ecker, Consultant, Marketing & Communications, 3200 Burnet Heather Hubbard, Senior Occupational Therapist, Rehabilitation Services, UC Medical Center Stacia Poff, PharmD, Pharmacy, Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care Sharon Quan, Medical Assistant, Neurology, Ambulatory Services
"PRIIDE Awards"
Selected by nomination review committee. For PRIIDE Awards, each site selects up to five Employee of the Quarter finalists, awarding one of the finalists the Employee of the Quarter award. The remaining finalists are given individual PRIIDE Awards. Ambulatory Services Rita Lule, RN, Outpatient OB/GYN Jill Cleaves, Patient Services Representative, Neurology 3200 Burnet Hannah Bushey, Client Services Analyst, IS&T Frank Frable, Database Administrator, IS&T Lisa Jaspers, Senior Consultant, Revenue Cycle Christa Lawrence, Specialist, Human Resources Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care Amie Bressert, CNP, 2 North Chip Horn, Lead Mechanic, Maintenance Eric Powers, RN, Charge, 2 North Chelsea Rhodes, Senior Physical Therapist, 2 North
UC Medical Center Tahir Carter, Patient Access Representative, Admitting & Registration Shari Lecky, Quality Coordinator, Radiology Anita Riley, RN, 5 East Ana Savitz, Customer Service Consultant, Patient Relations West Chester Hospital Dawn Menke, RN, Staff Nurse, 1 PCT Kate Welling, RN, Staff/Charge Nurse, ICU/ Stepdown Unit Lindsay Schaffer, Technician, Emergency Department Dale Short, Transporter, Materials Management
Team Awards
Selected by site leadership. Professional Billing Payment Posting and Refunds Team, 3200 Burnet EDUFIT Activities Team, Bridgeway Pointe Oncology Care Model Multidisciplinary Implementation Team, UC Medical Center Public Safety Department, West Chester Hospital All PRIIDE Award winners in each category receive a glass trophy and framed certificate. Employee of the Quarter winners at 3200 Burnet, Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care, UC Medical Center and West Chester Hospital receive a designated "frontrow" parking spot for the quarter following their award selection. Nominees each receive a gift card and letter of thanks from their location/site leader.
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3200 Burnet Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45229-3019
Discounts and Offers UC Health employees have access to a number of discounts and offers. As a platinum sponsor of the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon, UC Health can offer employees a 25 percent discount for any of the Flying Pig’s weekend events. To access the discount, visit https://raceroster. com/events/2019/19341/cincinnati-flying-pigmarathon-weekend-2019 and use offer code 21PIGUCHEE. Access more UC Health discounts, including our new UC Health Perks program, on The Link.
thelink.uchealth.com
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