ScribeAmerica Participates in 2014 ZERO Prostate Cancer Run

AUTUMN 2014
VOLUME 1 • NUMBER 1
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ScribeAmerica Participates in 2014 ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. In observance, ScribeAmerica management and administrative
staff participated in the Uromedix Zero
Prostate Cancer 5K walk/run on September 26th. We could not have asked
for better weather as the starting whistle blew promptly at 8am.
While none of us set any records,
the run provided a chance for the
ScribeAmerica team to bond and encourage each other to do well.
For me, one particular highlight of the
race was getting passed up by a gentleman saying, “come on guys, I am 73
and passing you up! Lets go!” I will admit, this was a motivator, especially as
we rounded mile two.
by Fabio Giraldo
ties that were arranged by Uromedix. It
was really nice to spend some quality
time with the administrative staff from
Aventura and the South Florida junior
project leaders, as well as our clients at
Uromedix. We would like to give a special thanks to Mary Acevedo from Uromedix for inviting to participate and for
the gracious hospitality she extended
to us at the event.
After the race, we enjoyed the festivi-
Team ScribeAmerica, from left to right: Gentlemen Standing in Back Row: Luis Alva, Fabio Giraldo; Ladies Standing in Center Row: Tatiane Pereira, Chandra Sandoval,
Ariel Mulchan, Dhvani Patel, Jenny Rivas, Amber Kain, Heather Marinello, Ellen Ramia; Ladies Kneeling in Bottom Row: Johanna Tataje, Elizabeth Berrios
In This
Issue
Veteran Spotlight:
Education Corner:
Wellness:
Updates & More:
} Q&A with Daniel Ricci
} MCAT Tips
} Wellness Challenge
} TeleScribes
} Wellness Tip & Contest
} Star Corner
} Organization: GallantFew
} That I May Serve
} Video Contest Winner
} Crossword Puzzle
Q&A
Veteran Spotlight:
Daniel Ricci, Scribe, Maryland
How long have you worked for
ScribeAmerica?
I’ve been with ScribeAmerica since
June of 2013, so it has been nearly a
year and a half.
Tell us about your military service.
I joined when I was 17 so my parents
signed my paperwork for me. I initially started off in the Army
Reserve and then I moved
over to the National Guard.
I did two overseas deployments. I went to Iraq in
2007 to 2008 and I went to
Egypt from 2011 to 2012.
As far as my background
in the military goes, I was
an infantryman and I’m
now in my battalion’s
snipers section. A lot of my
military training is combat-based and
combat related. The unit I’m in now is
a sniper section, so it’s long-range surveillance and long-range shooting.
when I started. I didn’t really know what
I wanted to do. Initially, I was studying
sociology but didn’t really know what I
wanted to do. It was after I came back
from Iraq that I kind of started to really get serious about my education.
I went back to school, raised my GPA
and transferred to the school I attend
now, UMBC in Baltimore. I switched
my major to biochemistry and now I’m
on that path.
HONORING OUR
trolling bleeding, controlling the airway, administering IV fluids, and so on.
But coming into ScribeAmerica, you
kind of see the civilian side of medicine. Not everyone comes in with a
lot of trauma or a shot wound. People
come in with other ailments. They are
often sick rather than being injured.
So I think it gives you a well rounded,
complete picture of what medicine
actually is.
VETERANS
You started at 17. What motivated you to join right out of
high school?
I guess the cliché answer would be
that I joined out of patriotism. I had a
burden to serve. My family is a family
of immigrants. My father came over
here and owns a small business. This
country gave me my livelihood and
the livelihood my parents have. So I
just felt like I wanted to serve.
What are your career goals?
Ultimately, my career goal is to attend
medical school. I haven’t decided what
specialty I want to do, but I’m leaning
towards emergency medicine because
that is what I have been exposed to
with ScribeAmerica and in my Army
medical training. Ideally, I would like
to be an Army physician and finish out
the time I’ve served. I have completed
ten years and I would like to finish out
an additional ten and retire from the
Army.
It definitely gave me the
ability to remain calm
under stressful situations.
Being in the emergency
room, I see people who
have had STEMIs, who are
actively seizing, or people
who are just really hurt or really sick.
Sometimes you see the other staff and
the energy level starts to rise but situations like this don’t really phase me.
I’ve had physicians ask, “this person has
gangrene,” or, “this person is bleeding,
is that a problem for you?” As physicians get to know me more, or they
know my history, they stop asking that
question. It’s not really a big deal for
me to see injuries or illness. My training has prepared me to be ready for
the worst-case scenario.
What hobbies do you enjoy?
Has
your
position
with
ScribeAmerica prepared you
for a career in medicine?
Did you attend school too?
Yes, I completed a little bit of college
when I initially enlisted. I was 17, going through my initial training through
the military and also attending school
full-time. I wasn’t a very good student
How has the military
help you prepare for
your professional career?
I think so. It has definitely shown me
the other side of medicine. When I was
in the Army my exposure to medicine
was more trauma-based and combat
sustained injuries. A lot of the medical
training I had received included con-
I enjoy long-range shooting. I’m trying
to go out whenever I get the chance.
In the summertime I like to go scuba
diving. In the winter time I like to go
snowboarding. I like to go bowling
from time to time. I’m not very good
but it’s still fun.
Continued on page 6
That I May Serve
Michael Bourgeouis, Chief Scribe, Virgina
My name is Michael Bourgeois. I have been a Scribe at the
Prince William & Haymarket Medical Centers program since
March 2012. I am also an Officer of the Virginia Defense Force.
I know what you’re thinking (because I thought it back in 2009
when I first joined): what’s a Virginia Defense Force? We are
a volunteer branch of the Organized Militia (that’s the technical term for the state’s military forces: the National Guard,
the Naval Militia, and the State Defense Force), specializing
in incident management and emergency communications.
(If you’re familiar with the Coast Guard Auxiliary or the Civil
Air Patrol, then you’ve got the basic idea.) Not every state has
one, contributing to the lack of familiarity with the service
among the general public. Here in Virginia, we are characterized by strong relationships with the National Guard and our
local communities, relationships that strengthen our ability
to coordinate emergency response efforts. There is no pay
(that’s true for most state defense forces), and there are no
benefits save for the satisfaction of a job well done.
I decided to join the military way back in high school; to
that end, after getting accepted to Virginia Tech, I signed up
for the Corps of Cadets. The Corps is a training program designed to build expert leaders in four years, whether for the
military or for civilian professions. The first year sees New Ca-
dets subjected to daily inspections (of your uniform and your
room), dragging (moving fast with good marching form) only
the right side of the hallway, greeting everyone at the top of
your lungs by name and rank (if you didn’t know their name
and rank, you had to stop and ask in a specific format, also at
the top of your lungs), and frequent smoke sessions (physical
training to muscle failure, usually earned by such infractions
as a smudge on your belt buckle). It was by far the single most
difficult thing I had ever done, and I am not convinced that
I have really done anything harder since. However, success
meant development into one of the most effective leaders
the United States is capable of producing.
The point of telling you all that is to come to one of the most
important things I have learned over the past decade. That
lesson is to persevere and press on, regardless of the hardship.
Most of us are going into medicine, a profession infamous
for teeth-grinding frustration that starts with the application
process. Whether we want to make a positive impact on the
world, or if we’re drawn to service, or if we’re attracted by the
lifestyle, we have embarked on a long and hard road. There
will be failures and there will be disappointment. I myself am
currently wading through the medical school application
process for the second time after a botched cycle last year.
Don’t get discouraged from your goals. Learn the necessary
lessons to carry on and try again, put on a smile, and keep
going. Do not accept defeat and never, ever quit. If all else
fails, sheer persistence will see you through.
Veteran Organization Spotlight: GallantFew
Often, the transition from military service to civilian life can be challenging. Veterans often encounter many hurdles, including
unemployment due to difficulty translating military skills into qualifications that appeal to civilian employers and delays in the
VA medical system. Far too often, many more veterans face even greater challenges such as homelessness and depression.
GallantFew’s mission is to help new veterans face these challenges by connecting them with hometown mentors who can
help facilitate a peaceful, successful transition back to civilian life filled with hope and purpose.
This summer, veterans Marty Skovlund and Leo Jenkins set out
on a three-week nomadic trek with nothing but a backpack full
of clothes and gear and $100 in their pockets to raise awareness and funds for veterans. Their goal was to raise $10,000 for
GallantFew but the two successfully raised nearly $25,000 for
the non-profit organization.
As part of their fundraising effort, Skovlund and Jenkins put
forth a challenge, offering to get a tattoo for a $5,000 donation.
As a proud supporter of U.S. veterans, ScribeAmerica met this
challenge. The final tattoo can be seen on Leo Jenkins (right).
To learn more about GallantFew and Skovlund and Jenkins, visit
www.scribeamerica.com/veterans.
INTRODUCING
As a healthcare company, wellness is important to ScribeAmerica. Scribes help
physicians provide the best care to their
patients, helping them lead healthier and
happier lives. Our scribes know all too well
that increased activity, a balanced diet and
decreased stress leads to improved health
and longer lives.
achieved more often when someone is there
to help keep you accountable so this provides a
great opportunity to meet your wellness goals
and possibly earn some prizes in the process!
Wellness will be a key feature of the new Scribe
Quarterly newsletter. We know that health and fitness is
important to many of our scribes and want to create a forum
where scribes can share success stories and tips and learn
about opportunities to participate in health challenges.
We’re happy to announce our first weight loss challenge below. HealthyWage offers a fun way to set and meet weight
loss goals by competing in small teams of friends, family
and co-workers against others at ScribeAmerica. Goals are
In addition to the wellness competition, this
issue provides a simple health tip that might
help those who aim to drink more water–a key
part of any fitness plan. In the coming issues we will
offer more specific tips and spotlights on anything from
healthy eating for the ‘on the go’ college student to mastering a new yoga pose.
Again, this newsletter is for scribes, by scribes. We want to share
your health and fitness stories and tips to the ScribeAmerica
community. We’ve offered a contest for those who simply post
a wellness tip on social media. If you have an idea you would
like to share in an upcoming newsletter, let us know by emailing
community@scribeamerica.com.
$10,000 Team Weight Loss Challenge
ScribeAmerica has partnered with HealthyWage to bring you a team weight loss
challenge where you can win up to $10,000! Get together your co-workers, family
members or friends and compete to lose weight and win more than $30,000 in prizes, including a $10,000 grand prize. Registration costs $23.33/month for 3-months
($70). Questions: 1-888-636-3832. Register by October 17th at the link below.
Sign your team of five up by October 17th at
www.healthywage.com/clients/scribe
Wellness Tip
Goal: DRINK MORE Water
While diet and activity are vital to any fitness goal, it’s just as
important to drink plenty of water. It seems that any article
I read regarding weight loss, muscle gain, or athletic performance lists water intake is always listed in the ‘top 5’ key factors that lead to success. I hate to admit that such a simple
behavior is one that I struggle with but I know it’s one that
challenges others as well. I hope that my very simple trick
can help others who develop better water drinking habits
just as it has helped me.
It’s worth noting that the recommended water intake may
vary quite a bit depending on a variety of factors, but a standard easy-to-remember rule many like to follow is “8x8” –
8 glasses of 8 ounces for a total of 64 ounces in a day.
With that said, back to the problem at hand–while I know
how much water I should be drinking, I usually fall very short
of my good intentions. Typically, the only time I’ll reach for
water is when I’m engaging in a physical activity. Any other
time I tend to grab a soda or juice before I think to drink
water. I’m certainly not likely to chug eight glasses of water
throughout the day. Perhaps two or three, but certainly not
eight.
By Justin Wilson
throughout the day, in the morning (8am), afternoon (12pm/lunchtime) and evening (4pm). Each fill gets
me four hours worth of water, with each hour amounting to
roughly 5-ounces.
It would be easy to just keep this math in mind and simply
know that I just need to drink three fills of the bottle each
day. However, having the times marked out on the bottle
helps me realize when I’m falling behind throughout the
day so I’m not forced to chug a bunch of water at the end
of the day.
It’s worth noting, this is just helping to make sure I meet a
minimum level of water intake. I’m going to guzzle quite a
bit more if I’m going the gym or enjoying some other activity. The bottom line—this method is helping me to develop a routine of drinking a minimum amount of water and
might similarly help someone else who also struggles with
this goal.
Not so long ago, I came across a simple tip to guide my
water intake throughout the day. It starts with simply using a medium sized bottle. But even a bottle sitting at my
work desk is often not enough to make sure I stay on track
throughout the day. Using a 22-ounce bottle, I used a marker to divide the bottle up into hour-long segments that keep
me on track to meeting my water intake goal.
I used a 12-hour segment of the day—8am to 8pm—and
split the bottle up evenly so that I’m filling it three times
Share your SIMPLE WELLNESS TIP for a chance to win a Fitbit Flex™
Sometimes it’s the simplest tricks that help us meet a tough objective. Have any unique tips
that have helped you stay on track toward meeting your wellness goals? We’d love to share
them with the ScribeAmerica community. Post them to Instagram or Facebook (include a
photo, if you can) and include the username @scribeamerica and hashtags #scribeamerica
and #SAwellness. You can also email them to community@scribeamerica.com. Those that
share their tips will be entered into a drawing for a free Fitbit Flex™!
Drawing will occur on December 15, 2014 at 12:00pm EST. To be eligible, you must post your
tip using one of the methods mentioned above. You must be a ScribeAmerica employee
at the time of the drawing. One entry per person. For more information, please contact
community@scribeamerica.com.
This summer, ScribeAmerica employees were invited to participate in our first video contest. Participants were asked to
film a brief video that stated why their site has the best medical scribe program. Apart from this key objective, the sky was
wide open. Teams were encouraged to be creative and they
certainly delivered.
Ten teams submitted videos that included humor, sincerity and
some fantastic singing in one submission. The public voted to
send videos through to a final round where a jury selected a
winning video that received $7,500. It was a tight competition
but the “Southern Hospitality” team won this year’s grand prize.
“Problem (99 $cribe$)” and “#scribeology” closely followed as
runners up.
View all ten videos at: www.scribeamerica.com!
(Scribe Resources > Video Contest)
Daniel Ricci Q&A
Continued
As you prepare for medical school and the MCAT, do you
have any tips for anyone else walking in your shoes?
Tip #1: Practice
The best way to compare for the MCAT to do is many practice questions and tests as you can.
Tip #2: Set Aside Time
If you have the opportunity, just clear your schedule out
and focus on studying and practice tests.
Tip #3: Consider Your Schedule
I took an MCAT course at night during the semester and
I also had to work at the hospital so my time was kind of
crushed. I got a lot out of the course but I feel like I might
have gotten more out of it if I wasn’t taking a full course
load. If you’re going to study and you’re still a student, the
summer might be the best time so that you can devote as
much time to it as possible.
Tip #4: Plan Ahead
Allow yourself enough time to see where your shortfalls
are. Whether you’re studying practice questions or even
take a full-length past exam, allowing yourself extra time
will help you properly prepare yourself. The MCAT is currently a 4-½ hour exam and is changing to 7-½ hours next
year. There’s a lot of material that you have to cover. It’s not
a matter of just knowing all of the material, but preparing
and having the stamina. Most people aren’t accustomed
to taking a test that long.
SCRIBEAMERICA UPDATE:
Introducing TeleScribes™
This fall ScribeAmerica introduced its newest–and perhaps
most technologically innovative–service, TeleScribes. TeleScribes offer remote, real-time scribe services to providers
who otherwise would not be able to host an on-site scribe
program.
a scribe program is impracticable. This new innovative
service opens the door so that even more physicians can
spend more time with their patients while relying on accurate documentation from ScribeAmerica’s unmatchable
medical scribes.
More than just a tagline, we regularly hear testimonials that
Learn more about ScribeAmerica’s TeleScribes seraffirm our motto: Doctors save lives. Scribes save doctors.
vice by watching our new animated explainer video at
Scribes help physicians spend less time in front of a comwww.scribeamerica.com/media.
puter and more time with patients. But
there are often situations where a scribe
program is infeasible, whether it’s provider
in a rural area or an on-call physician with
TeleScribes: How It Works
variable hours.
TeleScribes offers fully trained, on-demand
scribes at the click of a button. Physicians
will be able to connect to their scribe via
phone or by video using a mobile headset
and interact in real-time. All of the same
documentation that would occur in a normal scribe situation will be completed remotely.
1
2
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While nothing can match the benefits of
having a live, on-site scribe program, TeleScribes offers the next best solution when
We can’t help but brag–but our team is the best! We regularly hear
from physicians, nurses and other personnel who provide great
feedback about team members who have gone above and beyond
the call of duty. Each quarter ScribeAmerica recognizes individuals
who have received outstanding feedback. If you hear from someone
who wants to provide feedback about a scribe, chief scribe, project
leader or other team member, tell them they can reach out to us at
star@scribeamerica.com!
ELIZABETH GORMAN, Senior Project Leader, Myrtle Beach, SC
AMENEH YASREBI, Junior Project Leader, Aurora, CO
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
EPONYMS: Surgical - Abdomen
ACROSS
DOWN
2 RUQ inspirational point tenderness concerning for
cholecystitis.
1 Flank bruising concerning for pancreatic necrosis.
6 Pancreaticoduodenectomy to treat cancer of head of
pancreas.
7 RLQ point tenderness concerning for appendicitis.
8 Gastric fundus wrapped around lower esophagus to
treat chronic gastroesophageal reflux.
9 Operation where rectosigmoid colon is resected, rectal
stump closed, and colostomy created.
3 Resection of pyloric antrum with anastamosis of
remaining stomach with duodenum.
4 Periumbilical bruising concerning for pancreatitis.
5 LLQ point tenderness supportive for appendicitis.
Visit scribeamerica.com/newsletter for the answers to this
crossword puzzle.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
This is your newsletter. Have an idea for a topic or want to write a brief article? Have some
photos from a recent scribe activity? Your feedback and contributions are welcomed and
encouraged! Send your comments or questions to community@scribeamerica.com.
STAY CONNECTED:
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