Winter - Fairview Health Services

Fairview Home Infusion
FHIghlights
Winter 2013
Nurses join intake team to better serve referring clinicians
Nurse Training
2013
4Overview
Sarah Milius, RN (left) and Kim Huber, RN (right) have joined the FHI intake team to give referral
sources the opportunity for a clinical conversation while the patient’s insurance is being verified.
It’s no secret that Fairview
Home Infusion is highly
regarded for superior patient
experiences. In fact, an
October 2012 survey showed
100 percent of our patients
were satisfied with the care
and services they received and
would recommend FHI to
others.
Patients aren’t our only
customers. We continually
look for ways to better serve
our referral sources, too.
Two nurses have joined
our intake team to give the
opportunity for a clinical
conversation
while
the
patient’s insurance is being
verified.
Kim Huber is our new RN
clinical coordinator and, in
most cases, the first point of
contact. Kim has seven years
of home infusion experience
and can provide the clinical
expertise that many of our
referral sources are looking for
– all in one phone call. Sarah
Milius, RN also answers calls
to FHI’s main referral line.
“We look at this as one
contact, one phone call to
meet your needs,” says Carla
Taylor, FHI nurse manager.
“Having a clinical lead as part
of our intake process ensures
our pharmacists and nursing
staff get accurate, important
information to meet patient
care needs.”
All other coordination
happens behind the scenes,
where it belongs.
“We’ve had good feedback
so far,” says Kim. “I’m
looking forward to getting to
know more of our referral
sources and building those
relationships.”
To make a referral, call
612-672-7444 and you’ll be
greeted by a friendly nurse
who looks forward to serving
you.
A two-day course offered at no charge
to nurses of home health agencies who
work with us. Earn 13.2 CEUs and
receive extensive training in the basics
of therapy as provided by FHI:
• Care and maintenance of infusion
access devices
• Administration methods
• Protocols and equipment specific
to FHI
• Anti-infective therapy
• Home parenteral nutrition
• Pain management
• Specialty infusion (i.e., chemo,
inotropes)
4Dates and Times
Jan. 30-31
9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
April 18-19
9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
July 31 - Aug. 1 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Oct. 30-31
9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
*Lunch provided all days
4Location
Fairview Pharmacy Services
711 Kasota Ave. SE, Minneapolis
4CEU Contact Hours
13.2 nursing CEUs
4Register
Call 612-672-5396 or visit
www.fairviewhomeinfusion.org
Helping people of all ages manage their illness while continuing to live their lives.
Detecting renal problems early
We at Fairview Home Infusion want
to remind our nursing agency partners and
other clinical staff to be extra vigilant in
lab monitoring and early detection of renal
problems in patients on Vancomycin.
Multiple recent studies have shown a
significant correlation between Vancomycin/
Zosyn combination therapy and acute kidney
injury. Also, patients receiving Vancomycin
as a single therapy, have a history of renal
insufficiency, or are taking oral medications
that adversely affect kidney function (e.g.,
Metformin) have shown acute renal injury.
Here are ways FHI addresses this risk:
• Incorporate an alert in patients’ medical
records that prompt clinicians to the associated
risk.
• Increase lab monitoring of kidney
function in these patients to prompt early
detection in renal function. The specific labs to
be drawn and their frequency are included in
each patient’s individualized, interdisciplinary
plan of care.
• Educate clinicians on the critical need to
assess renal health indicators with each skilled
nurse visit. This includes: quantity and quality
of urine output; fluid balance shifts; alterations
in respiratory status; GI disturbances; acute
neurologic changes of any kind; cardiovascular
effects, such as BP alterations; and signs of
heart failure or dysrhythmias.
• Educate patients about signs and
symptoms they should report to their clinical
team, which can contribute to early detection
of any renal problems.
In light of recent scientific studies, it is
critical we are even more vigilant in our efforts
to detect any renal problems early among these
patients. Please contact us at 612-672-2233 with
questions.
Meet the materials management team
Coordination, precision and accuracy are
the daily, critical demands of Fairview Home
Infusion’s materials management team.
Ensuring the right supplies are delivered to
the right patients at the right time is no easy
task. Not to mention maintaining an inventory
of 600 supply and 400 drug items, fulfilling
120 delivery tickets each day, tracking and
maintaining rental equipment and staying on
top of ever-increasing drug shortages. It’s an
immense juggling act.
“We have a really good group,” says Dan
Walz, FHI materials supervisor. “Everyone gets
the value of what we do and the important role
each of them plays.”
With nearly 40 years of combined
professional experience among this six-person
team and incredibly low error rate, they’ve still
increased their use of barcode scanning to
eliminate human error and added a few more
steps in an effort to reach 100 percent accuracy.
The materials management group also has
to stay on top of drug recalls and shortages.
This growing challenge means FHI maintains a
four to six-week supply to give them ample time
to react to a red flag shortage.
“We’re talking about drugs and people’s
lives,” says Dan. “We have a larger overhead,
but we don’t want to compromise our patients’
health.”
FHI has been called a
“well-oiled machine” and
its materials management
group is one part that keeps
it running so smoothly.
Rowsi Basha has been
with FHI for four months
and enjoys the people she
works with. Her hobbies
include traveling, going to
movies and playing soccer
with her nephews.
Grant
Campbell- Left to right: Grant, Chris, Dan, Rowsi, Tim and Pete
Beams knows he is part
for Pony Express Courier where he established
of a team that helps people manage their
a process to bid for statewide routes for the
illnesses while continuing to live their lives and
Federal Reserve Bank that proved successful.
that is what has been bringing him to work at
Chris Smith enjoys learning something
FHI for nearly 10 years. He enjoys spending
new every day at FHI. He graduated in May
time with his wife, collecting and refurbishing
2012 with a bachelor’s degree in business from
electromechanical pinball machines and
Bemidji State University. His favorite activities
thrifting for mid-century collectables.
outside of work are bow hunting, golfing and
Pete Isaacs has been with FHI for six years
being outdoors.
and, before that, spent 16 years working for
Dan Walz enjoys working with the FHI
the Minnesota State Senate that spanned four
team that brings innovation to the home
governors (Rudy Perpich, Arne Carlson, Jesse
infusion industry, negotiating with vendors
Ventura and Tim Pawlenty).
and finding new ways to adapt to the business’s
Tim Saufley has been with FHI for five
growth while still being cost-conscious.
years. Previously, he was the operations manager
Fairview Home Infusion
711 Kasota Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Phone: 612-672-2233 l Referrals: 612-672-7444
www.fairviewhomeinfusion.org