Everything Emerson

e m e r s o n h o s p i t a l p r e m i u m c a r e. p e r s o n a l t o u c h.
E v e r y t h i n g E m e r s o n i s a v a i l a b l e o n t h e h o s p i t a l i n t r a n e t a t h t t p : // i n t r a n e t . e m e r s o n h o s p . o r g
Everything Emerson
News and updates for employees of Emerson Hospital
november 2009
New medical staff
president elected
Emerson launches new online performance
review system
Dr. Donald Driscoll,
an orthopedic surgeon,
recently became
president of Emerson’s
medical staff. Elected
by his peers as president-elect two years
prior to taking office as president,
Dr. Driscoll will serve a two-year term
that began October 1.
As president of the medical staff,
Dr. Driscoll will act as a liaison between
the medical staff and the hospital’s
administration and Board of Directors.
“During the past two years, when I
was president-elect, our main focus was
to get the hospital back on the financial
track,” said Dr. Driscoll. “This year,
the hospital finished in the black and
we (the medical staff, administration,
and the Board of Directors) can now
move forward with important initiatives
to improve quality and safety at our
hospital.”
Dr. Driscoll, who is fellowshiptrained in joint replacement surgery,
is a graduate of Harvard College and
Tufts University School of Medicine.
He completed residencies at New
England Deaconess Hospital and Tufts
New England Medical Center. He then
completed a total hip and total knee
fellowship under Dr. Hugh Chandler at
Massachusetts General Hospital.
He has covered local high school
football games as a sideline physician
for 23 years and is always available for
timely orthopedic consultations for the
scholar athlete.
Performance Manager, Emerson’s
online performance review system, is
now operational.
The system allows employees and
managers to process and file important
documents, including performance
reviews, electronically. Job descriptions,
forthcoming performance reviews,
position information, and pay rate will
be noted. Features for later implementation include licenses/certifications
tracking, goals, and other data. Most
importantly, the new system will help
ensure that employees receive timely
performance appraisals.
During the past few weeks as the
hospital launched the new system,
Emerson employees were asked to
register and sign off on their job description using the new online tool. Moving
forward, when a performance review is
due, managers will complete the review
using the system, and employees will be
required to sign off on it electronically.
Employees and managers will receive
prompts through their Emerson e-mail
when tasks are assigned or overdue.
Managers may also use the system to
set goals or provide feedback. Employees
can access their files at any time.
While the format is now electronic,
the review process has not changed.
The questions and categories remain
the same. Managers are expected to
route reviews to their division leadership
for approval in the same way as before
the electronic system. Managers will
meet with employees and have them
sign the review electronically after the
meeting. Interoffice mail of documents
will be eliminated, resulting in more
efficient processing of reviews and merit
pay increases.
The new online performance review
system, which is easy to use and ecofriendly, is part of a larger movement
toward electronic management of
human resources functions. “For the
past several years, we have tried to bring
more online capabilities to employees
to increase efficiency, reduce costs,
and improve the quality of our work
lives,” said Eric Stastny, vice president
of human resources. “Some of these
improvements include giving you
the ability to manage your retirement
investments electronically and this
year’s online benefits enrollment.”
User registration instructions
and “frequently asked questions” are
available on Emerson’s intranet. To
access Performance Manager, visit
http://www.healthcaresource.com/
performance/emerson.
For more information or to provide
feedback on the new system, contact
human resources at x3070.
A message from Christine Schuster, president and CEO
A season to give thanks
During this season of
giving thanks, I want
to pause and express
my deep gratitude for
all you do each day to
make Emerson the
special place it is.
Whether you greet visitors, deliver food
to our patients, support the growth of
our hospital through fundraising, or
offer top-notch care at the bedside, what
you do matters. We are a team, and
patients choose Emerson because
of you!
As the holidays quickly approach, it
is also important to maintain a work/life
balance. I hope that your work here is
rewarding and fulfilling, and it is equally
important that you find time in your
daily lives to slow down and enjoy the
holidays with family and friends.
As we head toward the end of the
year, there is a lot to be proud of:
the financial turnaround, which was
possible thanks to the combined efforts
of everyone here; the addition of bestin-class physicians and specialists; a
collaboration with Mass General
to bring specialized cardiac care to
Emerson patients; the introduction
of midwifery services—the list of
Emerson’s new programs and services
is endless.
Looking ahead, the evolution of
Emerson continues. In addition to
welcoming more new physicians to
Weight loss: Slow and steady wins the race
Dietitian Mayra
Seyfarth, MS, RD, LDN,
discusses the healthy and
safe way to lose weight.
When it comes to weight loss, slow is
always better and healthier overall. Fast
weight loss is usually followed shortly
by rapid weight gain. Besides, one
pound of fat contains 3,500 calories,
so you need to burn 500 more calories
(two bottles of Snapple) than you eat
each day to lose just one pound a week
(500 calories x seven days). If you’re
losing more than one to two pounds
a week, it’s either water weight or lean
tissue you’re losing, not fat. Weight
loss of one to two pounds a week may
seem like an agonizingly slow pace, but
if improving your health is a long-term
goal, the speed of your weight loss isn’t
important.
When you do begin the weight loss
process you may ask, “Where does the
fat go when you lose weight?” When you
consume fewer calories than your body
needs, your body turns to fat for energy.
Your fat cells (triglycerides) provide the
fuel for this energy. Through a series of
complex metabolic processes, triglycerides are broken down into two different
components — glycerol and fatty acids
— which are absorbed into your liver,
kidneys, and muscle. Here, these components are further broken down by
chemical processes that ultimately
produce energy for your body. The
heat generated through these activities
is used to help maintain your body
temperature. The waste products that
result are water and carbon dioxide.
You excrete water primarily in urine
and sweat and carbon dioxide in air
exhaled from your lungs. So remember
to increase your physical activity, watch
portion sizes, and make smart food
choices.
Source: Mayo Clinic 2009
the medical staff, extensive campus
renovations are planned, including
the updating of both Wheeler 4 and
“Main Street,” so that the hallway that
welcomes visitors and patients matches
the sophistication and aesthetic appeal
of the beautiful radiology center. With a
new maternal fetal medicine ultrasound
suite and new linear accelerator in
radiation oncology, Emerson is poised
to enter 2010 with state-of-the-art
equipment and facilities.
So, as I spend time with family and
friends throughout the upcoming
holiday season, I will give thanks to all
of you for making Emerson “the best
place to come for care and to work.”
Happy holidays!
Cardiovascular care
expands at Emerson
Early next year, Emerson’s cardiologists
will welcome specialized physicians
from the Massachusetts General
Hospital Heart Center for the opening of
the Mass General Cardiology Program
at Emerson Hospital. Specialists in the
areas of electrophysiology, women’s
heart health, and heart failure will provide consultation and treatment and will
work with Emerson’s physicians and
existing specialty programs to provide
patients with the best in cardiovascular
care. The program, which will be based
at the Center for Specialty Care on
Baker Avenue, will provide Emerson’s
cardiologists with greater access to more
specialized cardiac care for their patients.
That care will be closer to home, an
added benefit for patients.
The program will offer patients
convenient access to the expertise of
physicians from the Mass General
Heart Center while continuing to
strengthen and grow the two institutions’ existing collaborations in pain
management,radiation oncology through
continued on page 4
2 everything emerson | november 2009
Emerson celebrates
HIM week
Health information is a vital resource to
patients and the doctors, nurses, and
other health care professionals who
provide their treatment and care. It
is the role of health information
management (HIM) professionals to
ensure that the patient’s health record
is complete, accurate, and available
when needed. During the first week of
November, Emerson celebrated Health
Information & Technology Week. This
annual event recognizes the work of
those professionals who manage patient health information. This year’s
theme is: “PRECISION in practice,
EXCELLENCE of care.”
HIM professionals are responsible for
the collection, storage, coding, processing,
analysis, interpretation, application, privacy,
and sharing of information for a wide
range of purposes in health care settings.
Today, HIM professionals are increasingly
performing these tasks using emerging
technology and helping health care professionals access the information they need to
support clinical decision-making, research
financial management, and coordinate
personal health management.
Thank you to the HIM staff for
all their hard work, which ensures the
integrity and availability of patient data.
Thank you!
This letter expresses thanks to Emerson, an excellent community
hospital and the center of a network of superior medical care.
Referred by Lincoln Physicians to Emerson’s orthopedic department,
I had total knee replacement surgery. I spent three almost pain-free
days in Emerson’s surgical unit (Wheeler 5) and then five days on the
floor above in the transitional care unit for smart rehabilitative care.
Back in my own home, Emerson’s home care services continued the
rehab treatment, supported by nursing and other services and a 24/7
telephone hotline to answer questions. Now, Emerson’s outpatient
services provide personalized rehab therapy two times each week.
In every setting, the care from doctors, nurses, therapists,
technical assistants, and other staff has been highly professional,
caring, responsive, and pleasant. Both the surgical and transitional
care units of Emerson are attractive—lots of windows, lights, and
decent space—and the TCU has social areas with an activities
director offering distracting activities and an opportunity to talk
to fellow patients. “Room service” delivers your requested foods
directly to you, hot and exactly what you ordered.
Thank you, Emerson Hospital and Lincoln Physicians, for our
network of expert, integrated medical services from a professional
and caring team in attractive and convenient settings.
—Peggy S.
Lincoln
Director of care management named
Cheryl DiPaolo, RN,
MHA, was recently
named director of care
management and is reporting to Sam Bagchi,
MD, associate vice
president for utilization
management and director of the adult
hospitalist service. This position carries
a broad scope of responsibilities for the
overall operation of the social work and
care management department, which
also includes the interpreter services
program.
In her role, Cheryl co-chairs
Emerson’s utilization performance
improvement committee, which identifies areas of opportunity for improving
hospital efficiency. She also chairs
bi-annual meetings with local extended
care facilities to enhance communication
between the hospital and the facilities
and agencies with which Emerson works
closely across the continuum of care.
Cheryl is an accomplished health care
manager with a strong track record of
leadership success. Most recently, she
served as the senior clinical consultant
for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC),
where she managed clinical performance
improvement initiatives and directed
HPHC’s Patient-Centered Medical Home
Program. She began her career as a registered nurse at the Boston VA Medical
Center and later served as nurse manager
there. As director of clinical services for
Neponset Valley Home Health Care, she
directed the home care program and de-
signed and implemented acute and chronic
disease management protocols in the
outpatient rehabilitation program. During
her 19 years at Harvard Pilgrim Health
Care, she practiced care management
here at Emerson as well as at Lahey Clinic
and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Cheryl graduated from Northeastern
University with a bachelor’s degree in
nursing. She received her master’s
degree in health care administration at
Framingham State College, and she is
currently pursuing post-graduate studies at Simmons College. Her office is
located in the care coordination department on Emerson’s main campus. She
can be reached at x3171 or via email at
cdipaolo@emersonhosp.org.
Welcome, Cheryl!
november 2009 | everything emerson 3
Q & A with Brad Bumpus, technology specialist
We will regularly feature a Q & A with
people who work at Emerson.
In his role as technology
specialist, Brad Bumpus
offers desktop and
telecom support to
Emerson employees.
Q: What is your educational background? After graduating high school
in 2000, I went on to study computer
science at UMass Dartmouth and
Mount Wachusett Community College.
I received my Meditech Operations
certificate in 2005. I’m still in the process of furthering my education through
certifications and other courses.
Q: How did you become a technology
specialist? I began as a volunteer at
Emerson in early 2005. I was lucky to get a
volunteer position in the information systems department. Once a position became
available, I was hired as a contractor and
then later received a full-time position.
Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
I really enjoy helping people with the
day-to-day issues that arise. I’m happy
if I can make their jobs easier or less
stressful by eliminating these issues as
they occur.
Q: Describe an average day. I start my
day by reviewing the open Helpdesk
requests, seeing which ones need immediate attention, and prioritizing them
from there. Later on in the day I answer
Helpdesk phone calls and work on
projects. Every day is different, and it is
hard to predict what might happen.
Q: Does your job require significant
medical knowledge? No. However,
there are times when I am working on
equipment near patients and must be
respectful of their needs.
Q: Does this job require professional
certification and do you have to do
anything to keep your credentials? As
technology evolves, there are always
new training programs and certifications
that become available.
It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to
Q: What is your biggest challenge in
your role? If I’m working on an issue
and things are not going well, it is easy
to get frustrated or overwhelmed by the
situation. I usually try to take a step
back and think of all the options and
consult my fellow team members when
needed.
Q: How does your position fit in
with the overall mission of Emerson
Hospital? By keeping our service levels
high, the staff in information systems
hopes to help make Emerson the “best
place to come for care and to work.”
Cardio, continued from page 2
the Mass General Department of Radiation
Oncology at Emerson, and pediatrics and
neonatology through MassGeneral
Hospital for Children. “Our affiliations
with Mass General enable us to bring the
expertise of a world-renowned academic
medical center to a convenient setting for
the 25 towns in the Metrowest area served
by Emerson,” said Christine Schuster,
president and CEO. “The Mass General
Cardiology Program at Emerson will also
be conveniently located to take advantage
of the existing services offered at the
Center for Specialty Care, a new concept
that brings together many of Emerson’s
talented specialists at one facility.”
“Our affiliations enable
us to bring the expertise
of a world-renowned
academic medical center
to a convenient setting.”
Dr. Michele Sinopoli, second from right, is pictured at the Birthing Center’s open house with some
of the children she delivered here. The hospital recently threw open the doors of its beautiful new
Birthing Center, which is now one year old. Attendees, including babies born at Emerson during the
last five years and their families, enjoyed face-painting, pumpkin-decorating, refreshments, crafts,
entertainment, Birthing Center tours, and birthday cake, many while wearing their favorite
Halloween costume.
4 everything emerson | november 2009
The program’s location at the Center
for Specialty Care will allow for easy coordination of care for patients requiring
treatment at Emerson’s existing specialty
care clinics, including the surgical weight
loss program, the Center for Wound Care
and Hyperbaric Medicine, the Elizabeth
Smith Agarwal Diabetes Center, the Bone
and Joint Center, and PET/CT scanning.
These centers complement the medical
needs of many cardiovascular patients.
Welcome to Emerson!
Debra Hawk
Pre-Visit Services
pre-visit associate
m Katlin Clark
North 6
registered nurse
m Nicole Courchaine
Laboratory
phlebotomist
Elizabeth Coger
Rehabilitation Services
speech pathologist
Deena Delforte
Shared Specialty
Practice
clinical office
coordinator
Michelle Schomacker
Laboratory
medical technologist
Pamela Lamothe
Emerson
Cardiovascular
Associates
cardiac sonographer
William Lester
Respiratory
respiratory therapist
m Michelle Norris
Radiology Support
patient services
representative
Joanne Pacella
CT Scan
Ct scan technologist
m Amy Turner
Pre-Visit Services
pre-visit associate
Cardiac rehabilitation program receives national certification
Emerson’s cardiac rehabilitation program
was recently certified by the American
Association of Cardiovascular and
Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR).
The AACVPR is a national association whose mission, promoting health
and preventing disease, is recognized
as the gold standard. AACVPR certification signifies that Emerson’s program
meets the essential standards for quality
patient care in cardiac rehabilitation,
including exercise programming, risk
factor education, psychosocial wellbeing, and nutrition.
The AACVPR program certification
committee reviews each hospital program for adherence to standards. If
the program is approved, the AACVPR
Board of Directors issues a certificate,
which is valid for three years. The certification process takes about 10 months
SDC knows how to
bee festive
Surgical day care nurses (pictured left to right)
Susan Minott, Polly Repucci, and Cathy Celli
donned bumblebee costumes in celebration of
Halloween.
from start to finish. The mission of the
American Association of Cardiovascular
and Pulmonary Rehabilitation is to reduce
morbidity, mortality, and disability from
cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases
through education, prevention, rehabilitation, research, and disease management.
“Ginny Dow, manager of cardiac
rehabilitation, and her team submitted
a substantial portfolio demonstrating
100% compliance with AACVPR standards
in December 2008,” said Kevin Whitney,
RN, MA, vice president of patient
care services and chief nursing officer.
“Following a lengthy review process, we
received notification that we met the
criteria for the three-year certification.
Congratulations to Ginny and her team
for the excellent service they provide to
our patients and for this outstanding
achievement.”
Annual Tree of Lights ceremony is December 8
The Emerson Hospital Auxiliary will hold its
annual Tree of Lights ceremony on Tuesday,
December 8, at 4:30 p.m. Members of the
community are invited to join Emerson staff
and patients for a brief program in the North
Assembly Room, which will be followed by the
tree lighting in front of the White House. A
reception of light refreshments will follow in the
North Assembly Room. Those who attend the
ceremony will receive 20% off most merchandise
in the hospital gift shop. Community members
may donate a light on the tree in memory of
a loved one, to honor a special person, or to
celebrate a special event. For information
on donating a light for the ceremony, please
contact Denise Haartz at 978-371-7211. A light
on the tree with acknowledgement is $10. A
light on the star with acknowledgement is $25.
Donations may be made by mail by sending payment to Doris Webber, 8 Maple Street, Bedford,
Mass., 01730. All donations should be made by
December 15. Please make checks payable to the
Emerson Hospital Auxiliary.
november 2009 | everything emerson 5
Happy Halloween!
Compliance
Everyone’s responsibility
From a prom queen to a jailbird, the costumes of the TCU staff brightened up the unit in honor
of Halloween. The TCU also won first place in the pumpkin-decorating contest for its “Apple a
Day” pumpkin (see inset) at Emerson’s Thank You Harvest BBQ, held in appreciation of Emerson
employees.
Upcoming
Classes
All programs are open to Emerson
Hospital employees and the general public. Prices listed below reflect an employee
discount. Pre-registration is required.
To register for classes, call x3777 (unless
otherwise noted).
Fundamentals of acupressure points
Presented by Loocie Brown, professor
at New England School of Acupuncture
and licensed acupuncturist
Acupuncture points for foot, ankle, and
knee disorders
December 1, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
$29.75
Quit smoking with hypnosis
Presented by Joseph Packard,
board-certified hypnotherapist
December 3, 10, 17; 7:00 – 9:00 pm
$85 for three sessions
Hypnosis for weight loss
Presented by Joseph Packard,
board-certified hypnotherapist
December 3, 10, 17; 5:00 – 7:00 pm
$85 for three sessions
Finding the deep river within: The art
of slowing down in a 24/7 world
Presented by Abbey Seixas,
psychotherapist
December 3, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
$29.75
Town Hall Meetings
with the President
Town Hall Meetings are open to
Emerson Hospital employees,
volunteers, and medical staff.
November 30
Main Campus
North Assembly Room A
10:00 – 11:00 am
and 3:00 – 4:00 pm
December 1
Main Campus
North Assembly Room A
2:30 – 3:30 pm
December 3
Main Campus
North Assembly Room A
12:00 – 1:00 pm
December 4
Main Campus
Donaldson Conference Room
9:00 – 10:00 am
310 Baker Avenue
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
This monthly newsletter is published for the employees
of Emerson Hospital. Please submit story ideas to
Naomi Funkhouser at nfunkhouser@emersonhosp.org
or 978-287-3408.
6 everything emerson | november 2009
Emerson is a complex organization, but
our goal is to always champion ethical
practice and compliance standards. We
provide the necessary resources to help
employees carry out their responsibilities
in a professional manner.
The core elements of the compliance
program are described in detail on the
hospital’s Intranet but generally include:
• Standards of conduct that outline
expectations of behavior
• Systems for reporting and response
to identify potential violations of the
program
• Ongoing audit and assessment to
monitor compliance with the program
• Education and training of all employees
It is everyone’s responsibility to report
any suspected violations of the law to our
compliance program. All reports will be
discreetly and thoroughly investigated.
If you have any compliance questions
or concerns, please call the compliance
hotline at x3427.
Holiday Happenings
Annual Emerson Holiday Party
Maynard Elks Club
Friday, December 4
6:00 pm
Tickets available for purchase in
the Human Resources department
or by calling x3070.
Annual Emerson Children’s
Holiday Party
JCB Atrium
Saturday, December 12
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
RSVP to Sara Ringer at x3221 or
sringer@emersonhosp.org.
Emerson Hospital Auxiliary’s
annual Cookies by the Pound sale
North Assembly Room
Monday, December 14
9:30 – 11:30 am