Cutting Turnaround Times for Echocardiogram Testing Town Halls

january 2012
quality
people
Operations Improvement Update
Cutting Turnaround Times for Echocardiogram Testing
The echocardiography
workout team included
physicians and
colleagues from Nursing,
Care Management,
Information Technology,
the Cardio-Pulmonary
Department, and
Transport.
With nearly 6,000 studies performed in 2010 alone, one of the most in-demand diagnostic services
at St. Mary Medical Center is echocardiography, an ultrasound of the heart to detect murmurs and
abnormalities in heart function. For this reason, our Patient Access Project team, in partnership with
Operations Improvement, recently redesigned some of its internal processes to improve the workflow
for inpatient echocardiography in the MG2 and MG4 nursing units and the Progressive Care Unit (PCU),
where most inpatient tests originate.
Town Halls Provide
Valuable Updates
More than 800 colleagues attended the latest
series of town hall meetings, which were
held over 23 sessions in December 2011 at
the main St. Mary campus in Langhorne, the
828C Building in Newtown, the LIFE St. Mary
Center in Trevose, and the Mother Bachmann
Maternity Center in Bensalem.
During the meetings, Greg Wozniak,
President and CEO, and Mary Sweeney,
Vice President, Colleague Resources and
Development, provided timely updates on
a wide range of advances currently taking
place at St. Mary.
“Our goals in conducting this workout session, which was held in September 2011, were to streamline
the workflow from initial order to reading and receiving test results, to identify a method to prioritize
patient testing, and to expedite test results for reading by cardiologists,” says Barbara Konschak,
Nurse Manager, Cardiology.
Education, communication, policies and procedures, and scheduling were identified among the highpriority areas for improvement.
“We found that clarification was needed around policies for stat testing and status terms on the
bed board. Review of the stat policy and status terms has eliminated duplicate orders and reduced
transportation delays,” notes Echo Sonographer Tamara Kisclev.
According to Echo Sonographer Alicia Pagano, other changes were made to facilitate interdepartmental communication and coordination of patient care.“For example,” she explains,“a new
process being piloted in the PCU requires the transport log to be filled out completely before the
morning shift begins. This helps patient transporters determine the best mode of transportation based
on the patient’s medical needs. Another new process calls for the labeling of patient charts to alert staff
when a test is complete.”
To address scheduling issues, sonographers’ work shifts were extended to provide coverage for orders
received later in the day. In addition, outpatient echocardiograms are now scheduled in the afternoons
and evenings to create additional daytime openings for inpatients.
Continued on page 4
Advances included the initial phase of
construction for the Emergency Department
and Trauma Center expansion, the recent
addition of services — physical therapy,
amputation therapy, and lymphedema
therapy — at the Cornerstone Executive
Suites in Langhorne near the Oxford Valley
Mall, and the forthcoming groundbreaking
for the new St. Mary Rehabilitation Hospital
directly across from the main hospital campus.
Also highlighted were the outstanding results
from our 2011 Colleague Giving Campaign,
which raised more than $470,000 to support
the St. Mary mission, Spirit of Nursing fund,
and expansion of critical services.
Continued on page 4
quality
Obstetrical Services the First to Launch CareLink at St. Mary
In November 2011, St. Mary Medical Center’s Department
of Obstetrical Services marked a major milestone by
becoming the first clinical department to implement
CareLink, our computerized provider order entry (CPOE)
system, spearheaded by Catholic Health East.
“CPOE refers to any system in which physicians
and providers directly enter medication orders, tests, and procedures into
a computer system, which then transmits the order to the pharmacy or
appropriate department. CareLink is one of the capstones of the electronic
health record, and it has the potential to greatly reduce errors by ensuring
standardized, legible, and complete orders,” says Anna Alderuccio, MSN, RN,
Director, Clinical Informatics.
According to Alderuccio, a study of inpatient medication errors found that
approximately 90 percent occurred at either the ordering or transcribing stage.
Inconsistent and ineffective interdisciplinary communication is the most common
contributing factor in medication errors, sentinel events, and near-misses.
“Recent research shows that if systems like our CareLink
were implemented in all urban hospitals in the United
States, more than three million serious medication
errors could be prevented every year,” Alderuccio notes.
Jay Rothberg, MD, Chair, Department of Obstetrical
Services, credits members of the department for their
patience and willingness to work through change during the transition from
paper to electronic ordering processes.“The order sets worked out very well,
with very few problems. The problems we had we were able to work through.
CareLink is a tool that can be honed for broader use,” he observes.
Plans call for the house-wide implementation of CPOE at St. Mary during the
first half of 2012 and pilot programs in electronic physician documentation,
such as progress notes and discharge summaries soon afterwards.
For more information on CPOE or the CareLink initiative, contact Alderuccio at
215.539.7254 or aalderuccio@stmaryhealthcare.org.
growth
Work Progresses on ED and Trauma Center Expansion
Construction has begun on the expanded Emergency Department and Trauma
Center and is expected to be completed next year.
The new Emergency Department and Trauma Center will be designed to enhance
the experience of care received at St. Mary. Along with a new physical layout,
St. Mary is implementing a best-practice model of care delivery to streamline
processes and treat patients in a more efficient and effective time frame.
community benefit
New Self-Management Program for People with Chronic Health Conditions
“Road to Healthier Living,” a new educational
program conducted by St. Mary Medical Center,
is helping people with diabetes, heart disease,
asthma, arthritis, and COPD (chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease) better manage their chronic
health conditions.
The free interactive program consists of six weekly
workshops — each covering a different aspect of
disease management — held in senior centers,
senior housing communities, and other locations.
Each workshop is facilitated by two trained leaders,
one or both of whom is a non-health professional
with a chronic disease.
Components of the workshops include: techniques
to deal with pain, frustration, and isolation; exercises
to maintain and improve strength, flexibility,
and endurance; appropriate use of medications;
communicating effectively with family, friends,
and health professionals; nutrition to support and
improve health; and the ability to make informed
decisions about treatment options.
Upcoming Sessions
February 14 – March 20, 9:30 am – noon
Falls Township Senior Center, Fairless Hills
n
April 4 – May 9, 9 – 11:30 am
Northampton Senior Center, Richboro
n
April 12 – May 17, 3 – 5:30 pm
Bristol Township Senior Center, Bristol
n
Visit www.StMaryHealthcare.org/roadtohealth for
more details or call 215.710.5888 to register for an
upcoming session.
April 19 – May 24, 9:30 am – noon
Middletown Country Club, Langhorne
n
quality
National Organizations Recognize High Quality of Patient Services
St. Mary Medical Center has earned numerous distinctions for the quality of the care we provide, most recently in the
areas of neurophysiology, cardiovascular services, and medical imaging.
Neurophysiology Intraoperative Monitoring
Laboratory Accreditation
The Intraoperative Monitoring Laboratory at
St. Mary has received a five-year accreditation
from the Laboratory Accreditation Board–
Neurophysiologic Intraoperative Monitoring
(LAB–NIOM) of the American Board of
Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential
Technologists (ABRET), a national credentialing
organization. St. Mary currently is one of only 11
U.S. providers to earn this distinction.
The St. Mary Neurophysiology Intraoperative
Monitoring Laboratory provides real-time
monitoring of a patient’s neurological status
during spinal, nerve, and brain surgeries.
“This feat was accomplished by everyone in
the department diligently working together to
establish policies and procedures that meet the
highest standards of care. All five of our full-time
technologists are highly experienced and are
credentialed to provide monitoring of the most
complex cases,” notes Myra Gonzalez, Chief
Neurophysiology Technologist.
This is the second ABRET accreditation for
our Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory. The
Electroencephalography Laboratory obtained
accreditation in 2009.
to standard levels of care as outlined by the ACC/
AHA clinical guidelines and recommendations. St.
Mary is one of only 167 hospitals nationwide to
earn this award.
American Heart Association Distinctions
St. Mary was honored recently with three
award distinctions from the American Heart
Association (AHA).
The final award, Mission Lifeline “Bronze,”
recognizes St. Mary’s commitment and success in
implementing a higher standard of care for STEMI
(ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction) patients. At
least 85 percent of eligible STEMI patients are
treated within specific time frames upon entering
the hospital and discharged following the AHA’s
recommended treatment guidelines. Our
St. Mary door-to-balloon time is significantly below
the national standard of 90 minutes.
First is the Get With The Guidelines® (GWTG)–Heart
Failure Gold Quality Achievement Award. This award
signifies that St. Mary has reached an aggressive
goal of treating heart failure patients with 85
percent compliance for at least 24 months to core
standard levels of care as outlined by the AHA and
the American College of Cardiology (ACC).
The second award — the ACC Foundation’s NCDR
(National Cardiovascular Data Registry) ACTION
Registry®–GWTG Gold Performance Achievement
Award — signifies that St. Mary has reached an
aggressive goal of treating heart attack patients
Nuclear Medicine and Positron Emission
Tomography Accreditation
St. Mary Medical Center has received a threeyear accreditation by the American College of
Radiology (ACR) in Nuclear Medicine and Positron
Emission Tomography (PET). These accreditations
represent the highest level of image quality and
patient safety.
people
Dream Manager Program
Dreaming About a Cure for Autism
During the Dream Manager program rollout last year, John Manzoni, RN,
the father of two sons with autism, shared his dream of finding a cure for the
developmental brain disorder with his manager.
“John told me his one true dream would be to find a cure for autism.
Knowing I would be unable to help him realize that particular dream, I
researched the Autism Walk and decided this was what we, as a team, could
do in support of finding a cure,” says Teresa Scholer, Nurse Manager, MG4.
Manzoni, Scholer, and 14 other colleagues from MG4 formed the “Manzoni
Munchkins” team, pictured right, to participate in the Walk Now for Autism
2011, held at Citizens Bank Ball Park in September 2011. In all, the team raised
$1,550 from walk donations and a bake sale to support a cure for autism.
“As a parent, dealing with autism is a lonely journey. However, there is no greater feeling than to know you are supported by coworkers who rally
around you like family. With everyone’s generous support, we are one step closer to making my dream for my kids come true,” says Manzoni.
awards
ST. MARY CALENDAR
Saturday, February 11, 8:45 am – 4:30 pm
2012 Cardiovascular Medicine CME
n
Sheraton Bucks County Hotel, Langhorne
Information: Valerie Frazier, 215.710.4612
Mondays, February 13 – March 12, 6 – 7:30 pm
“Clearing the Air”Smoking Cessation Program
n
BCHIP Adult Health Clinic
2560 Knights Road, Bensalem
Honors for St. Mary Website
The St. Mary website was honored in December 2011 with a firstplace nod during the 43rd Annual Philadelphia Chapter of the
Public Relations Society of America Pepperpot & Achievement
Awards. The Pepperpots were created to recognize best-in-class public relations
campaigns and tactics from the Philadelphia region. Also in 2011, the website also took a national silver
honor during the 2011 Web Health Awards.
As part of our social media initiatives, St. Mary has launched a Facebook presence. In only two months,
we already have nearly 450 “likes” — and we’re driving for more. Find us at www.facebook.com/
stmaryhealthcare.
Registration: 215.710.2264
SAVE THE DATE
n Saturday, April 28, 6:30 – 11:30 pm
St. Mary Medical Center Foundation
Annual Gala
Information: Lisa Juris, 215.710.2644
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Emergencies
Ext. 5555
(To report emergencies)
“St. Mary Medical Center has been a special blessing to many. The
physicians, nurses, technicians, and many different types of support
staff do deliver high-quality patient care. Thank you for providing these
invaluable services to my family over the decades!”
— Mary, via Facebook
n
St. Mary Hotline
Ext. 7777
(To communicate to colleagues important
information, such as severe weather and
emergent situations)
n
President and CEO
Ext. GREG (4734)
(To share concerns and ask questions)
n
Carebridge
800.437.0911
(To contact the Employee Assistance Program)
Echocardiogram Testing from page 1
“We would like to have echo tests performed and read within 24 hours of the order. Because of the
changes in work flow, we achieved 100 percent in November and 99 percent in October,” says Konschak.
“We now are working on a process to enable cardiologists to read results remotely.”
Every colleague plays a part in improving processes and patient care at St. Mary. To submit a new idea, visit
the Operations Improvement Activity Center on the My St. Mary Intranet. You also may send feedback to
Adrienne Elberfeld, Administrative Director, Operations Improvement, at 215.710.4053 or aelberfeld@
stmaryhealthcare.org.
n
Work-Related Injuries
1. Contact supervisor
2. Notify Colleague Health, ext. 5827
n
Compliance
compliance@stmaryhealthcare.org or
800.254.0458
(To report concerns related to Compliance/HIPAA)
n
Joint Commission Quality Monitoring
complaint@jointcommission.org or
800.994.6610
(To report issues relating to safety, quality)
n
Spirit is published by Marketing &
Communications and is posted on the Intranet.
Submit news items to Steve Dowdell at sdowdell@
stmaryhealthcare.org or 215.710.5839.
www.StMaryHealthcare.org
www.facebook.com/stmaryhealthcare
Town Halls from page 1
Among the highlights covered under our “People” pillar were the
recently concluded Colleague Pulse Survey and upcoming activities
from the Make Every Day About Living (MEDAL) Colleague Wellness
Program, such as the Way to Wellness program that kicked off on
January 10.
Under “Service” and “Quality,”Wozniak discussed our St. Mary
ongoing efforts to enhance patient satisfaction through reductions
in length of stay and other initiatives, as well as the 20th anniversary
of Mother Bachmann Maternity Center. The center, which serves
financially eligible pregnant women, was honored on the floor
of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by Congressman
Mike Fitzpatrick for marking its 20th anniversary of service to the
community in October 2011.
All colleagues are encouraged to attend one of the next town hall
meetings, which will be held throughout April. For a schedule of
dates or to view the December town hall presentation, visit the
Colleague Resources section of the My St. Mary Intranet.