Volume 18, Issue No. 11 - March 9, 2009

The Queen’s
T
Connection
HE
QU
EEN’
S MEDICAL CENTE
R
A Weekly Publication for the People of Queen’s • Vol. 18 • No. 11 • March, 9 2009
Walk takes Step Forward for Diabetes Cure
“A
“As we all know, Queen Emma and
King Kamehameha IV established our
hospital because in 1859 Native Hawaiians were rapidly dying of disease,”
says Art Ushijima, QMC president.
“Today the causes of disease and death
among Native Hawaiians are different than they were 150 years ago, and
there are significant health disparities among the various ethnic groups
in Hawaii. Diabetes, with its higher
incidence among Native Hawaiians,
represents a significant chronic health
need. As one of our community projects for this auspicious year, we are
supporting the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Walk, Step Out to
Fight Diabetes, scheduled for March
21 at Kapiolani Park. I hope, Queen’s
will be able to demonstrate significant
support, not only financially, but with
our active participation and presence
at the walk. I invite all employees to
bring their families and friends out to
support this important cause.”
Art is the Corporate Recruitment
Chair of the Walk and acknowledges
that the ADA’s $500,000 goal is a challenging one in these economic times,
but urges all that the need is immense
regardless of the economy. The QHS
goal is $50,000. $10,000 will be donated
directly by QHS as a corporate sponsor
and the System Leadership Council is
adding another $15,000. The remaining $25,000 will come from walkers and
their donors. There are about a dozen
QHS teams signed up on the website
and Art hopes to see 500 participants
from the Queen’s ‘ohana on Walk day.
Diabetes affects over 24 million
Americans, with a whopping 100,000
of them living in Hawaii. Medical costs
for those affected with diabetes is two
to three times higher than for those
without. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that diabetes will affect
one out of every three children born
after 2000. That statistic is even more
alarming in Hawaii, as two out of three
children are predicted to eventually
have diabetes. Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Asian populations all
experience higher rates of diabetes.
Art firmly believes that the ADA can
help provide the resources to prevent and
Above: Manny Caballes of Inventory
Control joins the fight against diabetes by
donating a dollar for a ”shoe” from cashier Shirley Vergara in the Queen’s Dining
Room. Hopefully, the dining room wall will
be thoroughly plastered with shoes by the
time the ADA Walk takes place on March
21. Stop in and donate your buck today.
cure diabetes and to improve the lives of
all people affected by diabetes. “One can
always find a reason not to give,” he says,
“but in times like this, there are so many
more reasons to give.”
Money raised in Hawaii stays in Hawaii to provide services to people living with diabetes and its complications.
(Continued on page 2.)
Queen’s Nurses Build Certification Culture
T
There are scarcely any seats open to take
progressive/critical care nurse (PCCN)
and critical care registered nurse (CCRN)
certification tests in the city of Honolulu because Queen’s nurses are filling
up most of them. The previous time, 15
nurses became PCCN or CCRN certified.
This time, 22 passed their exams. “Becoming certified is becoming more and
more a part of our culture at Queen’s,”
says Michelle Garson, RN, CCRN, CMC.
PCCN and CCRN certified nurses can
be found throughout QMC. For example, the Crisis Nurse Team has one
of the highest percentages of certified
nurses at Queen’s. And although Pauahi
6 has been a telemetry unit for only four
years, the unit has come together with
many nurses receiving certification.
Mimi Harris, RN, suggested Michelle
become certified. Michelle, in turn, began generating interest in certification
by using her own experience to help
others through the process. This puts
Michelle on top of a Queen’s certification pyramid that is rapidly growing.
The process to certification is somewhat intimidating. According to the official certification website, PCCN and
CCRN exam candidates must have com-
Recent PCCN/CCRN Certifications
Nicole Anderson, CCRN, QET 4C
Editha Arellano, CCRN, QET 4 MICU
Kelly Ashburn, PCCN, QET 6, 3
Mae Ann Binonwangan, PCCN, Pauahi 6
Brenda Bonsato, PCCN, QET 6, 3
Kristi Ching, PCCN, QET 6, 3
Dan Choe, CCRN, QET 4D
Kristyn Green, PCCN, QET 6, 3
Jodie Kaalekahi, CCRN, QET4D
Elaine Kaneshiro, CCRN, Crisis RN
Patty Knapp, CCRN, QET 6, 3
Charness Lam, CCRN, QET 4 MICU
Lan Le, CCRN, QET 4 MICU
Nikki Lewis, PCCN, Pauahi 6
Joyce Lichte, CCRN, QET 6, 3
Wendy McKenzie, CCRN, QET 6, 3
Phyllis Moriguchi, PCCN, Pauahi 6
Dawn Sanderson, PCCN, QET 6, 3
Jill Slade, CCRN, QET 4C
Jessica Victorino, PCCN, QET 6, 3
Amy Wolcott, PCCN, QET 6, 3
Jane Yee, CCRN, QET 4 MICU
2
pleted at least
1,750 hours in
direct bedside
care of adult
patients within the two year
period before
applying for the exam. Qualified
nurses can then look forward to a
three-hour test consisting of 150
multiple-choice items.
While all certified nurses are
required to undergo the same process,
their reasons behind making the journey to certification are unique:
Elaine Kaneshiro, CCRN, was encouraged to become certified as more and
more on her unit (ER) became certified.
Having served as a nurse for only two
years, Dan Choe, CCRN, now feels empowered by receiving certification. “I
could finally hold my head up and see the
bigger picture of nursing,” says Dan.
Kelly Ashburn, PCCN, started PCCN
to build confidence in her work, while
Nikki Lewis was motivated by her peers.
“A lot of people I look up to on my unit are
certified, she says. “It reinforces how far
you’ve come [in your learning].”
When she began at Queen’s in the 80’s,
Jane Yee, CCRN, felt nurses weren’t as
recognized back then. She let it lapse.
Twenty years later in Queen’s push for
Magnet designation, Jane felt renewed
pride in earning her certification. “Nurs-
Walk for Diabetes
(Continued from page 1.)
Art reminds us, “In Hawaii, everyone
is touched by diabetes. We all have
an aunty, an uncle, a cousin, sibling,
spouse, child, parent or friend who
lives every day with diabetes and its
myriad of complications.”
Step Out to Fight Diabetes is a family event complete with refreshments,
entertainment, a keiki corner, health
information booths and more. Any one
donating $25 or more through Queen’s
will receive a commemorative T-shirt
designed by Lisa Valenti of Creative
Services. Paper walking shoes will be
posted in the Harkness Dining Room
and Queen’s Gift Shop with a wallet-
Recently certified PCCNs and CCRNs. Left:
Charness Lam, CCRN and Jane Yee, CCRN
Above: Jody Kaalekahi, CCRN, Nikki Lewis,
PCCN, Kelly Ashburn, PCCN, Elaine Kawamoto, CCRN, Lan Le, CCRN, Dan Choe, CCRN.
ing as profession has been elevated to a
point I haven’t seen before,” she says.
Jodie Kaalekahi, CCRN, was bit by
the competitive bug when Jane challenged her to beat her score. The friendly competition has encouraged other
nurses to try for certification. Like
Jody, Lan Le, CCRN, was encouraged
by Jane. Lan believes nurses “should
have some title, like physicians who
continue their learning through the
certification process.”
Twenty-eight percent of Queen’s nurses are certified, with 59% of PCCNs and
30% of CCRNs in the State. One hundred percent of Hawaii’s cardiac medicine certified nurses (CMC) work at
QMC—Michelle Garson is the only one
in the State.
A certification celebration for all certified nurses will be held on May 11
at Queen’s. Congratulations go out to
these nurses who serve the community
with excellence and continue to honor
the mission of the King and Queen.
easy $1 donation. Don’t be left out, put
your money and your feet on the line
and help stomp out diabetes. To register for the walk or donate to any of
the registered team members, log on to
www.stepout.diabetes.org and look for
the Hawaii event, then click “on search
for a team” to find the QMC or QHS
teams. If you know the name of an individual team member you wish to sponsor, you can enter that name as well.
Car Seat Safety for Babies Saves Lives
S
Say you’re a new parent. Your first responsibility upon leaving the hospital
is getting your baby home safely. This
is where the car seat plays an essential
role. Yet, a surprising number of people don’t know how to use a car seat
properly. Queen’s and other organizations have partnered to ensure that no
child be put in harm’s way due to faulty
car seat installation.
“The first thing you need to do as a
parent is to transport your newborn
home,” says Leila Tamashiro of the Honolulu Association of Insurance Professionals (HAIP) and President of the
organization’s safety committee. “We
want to do our part to help.”
Leila and fellow committee members Charlene Mizumoto and Deborah
Chong recently presented a pregnant
QEC patient a gift pack with a Combi
infant car seat, baby blanket and other
amenities perfect for a mom-to-be. The
gifts were made possible through donations from Baby Emporium, GEICO and
Bank of Hawaii Insurance Services.
The gift was part of HAIP’s “Buckle
Up for Love” campaign to call attention
to car seat safety. It is one of several programs the committee sponsors in a continued effort to reach out to the community. Along with Queen’s, the organization donated car seats to Kapiolani Medical Center and a Kona hospital.
Injury Prevention and Research Coordinator Cora Speck, MS, facilitated
the transfer and demonstrated to the patient
how to properly install
her new car seat.
Cora stressed that it is
essential that the belts
on the safety seat are
snug enough to secure
the infant.
Cora then climbed
head first into the patient’s Toyota Tacoma,
where she snapped,
strapped and buckled the car seat to the
truck’s backseat. She
then removed the whole
thing and handed it to
the patient. Normal procedure, Cora explained.
First she demonstrates,
and then the parent(s)
try for themselves.
Queen’s-sponsored
car seat safety sessions
similar to this one are
held at least once a
month in the parking lot in front of
the Hawaii Medical Library. The service is free of charge. In 2008, Queen’s
inspected and installed nearly 400 car
seats—accounting for 40% of all car
seats checked on Oahu.
Most car seats require minor adjustment. However, every now and then a
seat comes in requiring immediate attention. Cora recalls once finding a car
Above: Cora Speck shows Leila Tamashiro of
the Honolulu Association of Insurance Professionals the finer points of car seat safety.
seat not strapped to the seat of the vehicle at all. Cora looks to prevent such
incidents in the future through the
continued efforts of the inspections.
Whether fixing an incorrectly installed seat or simply educating parents on seat safety, Cora believes that
“every car leaves safer than when it
arrived.” She encourages Queen’s employees who are interested to attend
the car seat technician training session. The next certification class is
registering now and will be held at
the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base June
18, 19, 26 and 27 from 8:00 am to
5:00 pm. Mileage will be reimbursed.
Participants pay the $60 registration fee up front and will be reimbursed upon certification. Volunteers
are asked to do four shifts per year at
any of the inspection sites. Anyone
participating in five or more times is
awarded a special prize. Register today by calling 537-7059 or email Cora
at cspeck@queens.org.
3
The Queen’s Cancer Program has been
awarded a three-year approval with commendations by the American College of
Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer. According to ACOS statistics, only 32% in
the category of a teaching hospital earn a
rating with “commendations.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Construction between the Harkness
Dining Room and the Cancer Research
Center will begin on Monday, March 9,
2009. There will be no thoroughfare.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Queen’s Orthopedic Center invites
all to attend a free community education event featuring hip and knee reconstructive orthopedic surgeon Kimo
Harpstrite, MD, on Minimizing the
Effects of Hip and Knee Arthritis. The presentation will be held on
Wednesday, March 11, at 6:30 pm in the
Queen’s Conference Center. Dr. Harpstrite will discuss how arthritis affects
Sell:
Washer: $100. TV: Heavy, 40”. Free. Futon
couch: Wood & iron w/mtchg coffee tbl.
$175 obo. Bed: Full w/platform frame. Only
2 yrs old. $300. Book shelf: Black iron. $20.
Drawers: (3) Plastic. $10ea. Dishes, pots &
pans. Must sell, moving. 808-557-3540.
Entertainment center: Glass, light wood
cabs & lights, w/52” Sony TV. $500. Bike:
Brand new boy’s Jeep bike. $50. Dinette set:
Incl 4 chairs. $200. Call 323-691-0376.
Garage sale: Mililani Mauka, 6am-4pm, 3/21.
For directions. call Sherwin. Cell: 372-3436.
Ultra Scooter: Swivel, adjustable. 250lb.
max, 2 rchrgbl battr, 2 keys, horn. 3 yrs old,
good cond, transportable, red. $600 obo. Call
Stephanie @ 668-2217.
Rent:
Salt Lake: 2/1 upstrs dplx, sep entr, cvd pkg.
Nr airport, schools, shpg. Jun 699-4407.
Nr QMC: 2 BR apt w/yard. $1,300. 1BR apt.
$950. 216-2576 or 531-6847 x26.
4
joints and possible treatment options.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Victor Lizardi, General Maintenance
worker for over 24 years, has been promoted to a management position in Facilities & Building Services.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Comprehensive Review of MedSurg Nursing will be held Monday and
Tuesday, April 27 and 28, at The Queen’s
Conference Center from 8:00 am to 4:30
pm. The course is designed to help prepare for the Med/Surg Certification Exam. Register now for a cohost participant discount at www.nursecredentialing.
org/Certification/ExamResources/CertificationCalendarEvents/MedicalSurgicalReviewSeminarHonoluluHI.aspx.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The QMC Security & Emergency Preparedness Department will participate
in Chaminade University’s second annual Murder Mystery Night on Friday,
March 13, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Mystery
night is a fun, family interactive event involving clues to solve a mock murder, evidence and interrogation of Chaminade
alumni “suspects.” This year’s event,
Murder at the Chaminade Culinary Institute, will be held at the Chaminade
library and surrounding school grounds.
Sign up in teams of up to five investigators, or come alone if you think you’re another Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot.
Big City Diner will offer food and drink
for sale. Proceeds benefit the Chaminade
Criminal Justice and Forensic Science
Programs. Tickets are $8 per person in
advance, $10 at the door; $5 for students
with (any school) ID. Children under five
Employee Forums
with art ushijima
Q HS p r e s i d e n t & C E O
All employees are invited to attend
one of the following QHS annual,
system-wide Employee Forums:
Monday, March 9
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Tuesday, March 10
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Wednesday, March 11
7:30 am - 8:30 am or 2:30 - 3:30 pm
Thursday, March 12
7:30 am - 8:30 am or 2:30 - 3:30 pm
Wednesday, March 18
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Friday, March 20
2:30 - 3:30 pm
Kamehameha Auditorium
are free. Call 739-4663 to order tickets or
email gradserv@chaminade.edu.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pain Management Education Day:
Practical and Useful Skills to Better Manage Your Patient’s Pain
will be offered on Thursday, April
16, from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm at the
QCC Mabel Smyth Auditorium. A continental breakfast is included. Register on the Queen’s Intranet under
Staff>Education>Inservice>Pain Management Day. Call Pain & Palliative
Care with any questions at 547-4726.
The Queen’s
Connection
Weekly
Miscellaneous:
Looking for laughs? Is your party in need
of some comedy? Are you tired of 7 layer
dip & boring speeches? Writing guru Kehau
Rezentes & members of In Yo Face Improv
would like to entertain you at your next shindig
any day of the year! Remember “Whose Line
Is It Anyway?” That’s what we do. Pricing is
negotiable. Call 386-6975 for more info or to
book your event!
Companion: (Male) Will also admin meds,
help w/ADL for Polynesian male at his home.
Likes to go out, play cards etc. Pls call Cindy
@ 261-1013.
The Print Connection reserves the right to edit or
refuse any ad. The Print Connection does not make
any warranty about the fitness of any product or
service listed in Q-Mart.
The Queen’s Print Connection is published
by Creative Services. If you have news or
wish to opine, call us at 537-7532 or e-mail
jkimura@queens.org. News deadline is the
Monday prior to publication.
QMC President. . . . . . . . . . Art Ushijima
Publisher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roy Cameron
Editor/Writer. . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Kimura
Assist. Ed./Writer. . . . . . . Glee Stormont
Writer/Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Bailey
www.queens.org
Please recycle