Volume 22, Issue No. 15 - April 15, 2013

P r i n t
A Weekly Publication of the People of Queen’s
April 15, 2013
Volume 22 – Number 16
Queen’s PCU Rated 5-Star SNF
Queen’s got into the skilled nursing
facility (SNF) business back in 2001 to
help care for patients who are no longer acute, but require too high a level of
care for most nursing homes. Thus the
28-bed Progressive Care Unit (PCU) was
established on Pauahi 5. True to Queen’s
commitment to quality, the PCU was
recently recognized by the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
in U.S. News and World Report as a fivestar nursing facility. The listing, which
is organized by state, then metro area,
can be found at www.usnews.com/pubfiles/Five_Star_Nursing_Homes_Metro_
List.pdf. If you are interested in commenting or joining the conversation, the
Twitter hashtag is #BestNursingHomes.
“This is the first time we have received
this recognition,” noted Helen Arakaki,
Director of Geriatrics, proudly. Cindy
Kamikawa, RN, Vice President of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer, congratulated the PCU team for their “impressive
recognition.” The unit is currently made
up of a panel of four geriatricians (Shari
Kogan, MD, Medical Director, Kentaro
Nishino, MD, Elizabeth Rhee, MD, and
Yukako Tachibana, MD), nurses, nurses
aides, pharmacists, social workers, occupational therapists, physical therapists,
activity coordinator, data entry, intake
coordinator, and an MDS (minimum data set) coordinator. Over 40 staff work
on the unit. “[The five-star] rating is a
testament to our staff,” said Nurse Manager Mike Morimoto, RN.
The PCU provides physical and medical rehabilitation for patients 18 and
older who are transitioning from the
hospital to home. “One of the criteria is
that patients must require some rehabil-
Above: PCU staff celebrate their five-star
rating in U.S. News and World Report.
itative service,” said Gloria Berbano, RN,
PCU Coordinator, “so rehab therapists
have a big part to play.” Another criteria
is that patients have spent at least three
days in acute care. The overall goal is to
safely discharge patients to home.
As a skilled nursing facility, the PCU
operates under a separate license from
QMC, with its own set of regulations.
“[The PCU] is very unique,” continued
Gloria, “because it’s a company within
a company, but the regulations are very
different.” For example, the PCU is subject to an unannounced, one week annual survey by the state Department
of Health (DOH). SNFs are ranked on
three measures: health inspections by
the DOH, nurse staffing, and quality of
(Continued on page 3.)
A New Chapter
for Judy Keith
On a cold winter day in Chicago’s
O’Hare Airport, freshly minted RN Judy Keith (Stucke) was returning home
to Boston from a Hawaiian vacation. It
suddenly dawned on her that as a nurse,
she could work anywhere, so why not
somewhere warm, like Hawai‘i? “We
didn’t have the Internet back then, of
course,” Judy reflected. “So I had to do
it the old fashioned way—I made some
phone calls.” She was hired and packed
up without a second thought. OK, she
admits, there was a second thought:
Maui. “Or maybe Hilo. I love the Big Island, too,” Judy laughed.
Flash forward almost 38 years. Judy
has recently retired from Queen’s as the
clinical coordinator for the Wound Care
Clinic, and has begun a new chapter in
her life working on the Windward side as
an enterstomal therapist and homecare
nurse for Castle Medical Center. “I love
inpatient care, and truly missed it while
working at the Wound Clinic,” Judy
Sign up to become an organ donor today!
Legacy of Life Hawai‘i will be at educational registration booths Wednesdays
through April 24 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
at the Harkness Kiosk. To commemorate
national Donate Life Month, a flag raising and proclamation signing event will
take place on Tuesday, April 16 at 10:00
am at the Harkness Courtyard.
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confessed. “And I love being outside,
so traveling for homecare meets that
requirement too.” Homecare is the field
Judy initially thought might be her
nursing calling before she specialized in
wound and ostomy care, so she mused
that it’s kind of full circle for her.
Judy, an RN, COCN and CWCN, was
the enterstomal therapist and wound
care specialist at Queen’s for many
years, first taking on the specialty after being sent to Cleveland Clinic for
training back in 1983. She took to it
like a duck to water and was the go-to
gal for ostomy and wound care up until
Queen’s decided to create an outpatientbased Wound Care Center in 2005. Then
Judy became the clinical coordinator
for that venture. Founding director Ted
Norris said, “The Wound Center would
not be what it is today without Judy. She
has done an amazing job and I couldn’t
ask for a better leader.”
Whenever nurses had a wound they
just didn’t quite know how to deal with,
the solution was simple, “call Judy.”
Glee Stormont, QMC Creative Services,
said, “Judy was my hero when she was
my ostomy nurse. And then years later
when my teenaged son wiped out on his
bike, I was beside myself looking at all
of his horrible road rash. A quick call
and visit to Judy at the Wound Center
put us on the path to healing and really
eased my mind because of her professionalism and her calm and sincere demeanor.” Everyone in the room echoed
the sentiment and added their agreement on the countless number of times
each of them needed and appreciated
Judy’s special touch. “What a Godsend
it was to be able to call Judy and have
her come up,” asserted Mimi Harris,
Director of Patient Services, recalling
her own days as a bed side nurse.
Recognized as the QMC Employee of
the Month for October 2005, Judy began her career at Queen’s in 1975 as a
Float nurse. She then became the chemo
nurse, then the very first (“and only,” Judy chimed in) nurse assigned to radiation
therapy, and finally worked for a federally funded comprehensive cancer program. Then came the offer to study at the
Cleveland Clinic. When she first got back
from that training, Judy became the
Queen’s enterstomal therapist, treating
inpatients for ostomy and wound care, as
well as still covering cancer patients. “I
think that’s when I found out where I was
meant to be; I really loved that inpatient
job so much,” Judy said.
Anyone who knows Judy can attest to
her dedication and knows that she will
put her whole heart into her next mission. “I’m looking forward to being on the
road and getting to see patients on their
own turf,” she said. “You can understand
their needs just a little better when you
see what their situation really is.
“You know, I am going to really miss
everybody at Queen’s,” Judy concluded
wistfully. “It has been a part of my life
for so long.”
Queen’s Sponsors Arthritis Walk
“Arthritis is inflammation or wear of
joints, and will affect virtually all of us
eventually,” says Thomas J. Kane, III,
MD. “My goals are to relieve patient
pain and to restore quality of life and
activity. The Arthritis Foundation is
the national cornerstone of research
and treatment for patients afflicted
with this often-crippling disease, and I
am humbled and honored to have been
selected as Hawai‘i’s Medical Honoree for 2013.” Dr. Kane will lead the
fray at the 2013 Arthritis Foundation
Walk, to be held on Saturday, May 5 at
Kaka‘ako Waterfront Park.
The annual Hawai‘i Arthritis Walk
is the signature fundraising event for
the Arthritis Foundation. Your participation can make a difference for
the 236,000 adults and 1,200 keiki
in Hawai‘i with arthritis. The familythemed, dog-friendly event offers plenty of free entertainment, a Keiki Zone,
vendor booths, food, and educational materials. By joining the Arthritis
Service
A W A R D S
In acknowledgment of many years of continued service, the Queen’s ‘ohana congratulates those who are
marking an anniversary. Mahalo to all for your dedicated service. Employees work at QMC unless noted.
March & April 2013
5 years
Michelle Agonoy
Sonia Allen
Linda Alvior
Jennifer Asato
Loreleigh Austria, QDC
Dollie Fiesta
Andriano Galon
Jerry Lee. Jr.
Joseph Joao, MGH
Terecia Lee
Chelsea Leitner
Mary Manuel
Okhee Miyazono
Donna Naehu
Donald Nosis
Michelle Relosimon
Kathy Rocha
Kevin Shimmon
Cheryl Sumimoto
Antonio Tayag
Jaime Wong
Shauna Wong
Lisa Zukeran
10 years
Kameki Artienda
Lily Au
Sarah Baker
Laureen Berbano
Elby Bonilla
Darwin Cabalar
Erica Cadiz-Sales
Amelia Clayton
Rollanda Faraon, MGH
Bret Flynn
Nancy Flynn
Walk, you not only help to raise money
for much-needed research and fund local community programs and services,
but also help raise awareness about the
number one cause of disability in the
country. The Queen’s Medical Center is
a host sponsor for this year’s event and
teams are forming now.
Queen’s VP Karen Shultz has thrown
caution to the wind and her hat into
the ring by offering her services for a
day to the Queen’s team that brings in
the most donations. Register or donate
online at http://hiarthritiswalk.kintera.
org/Queens. There is no registration fee
for the walk and walkers who earn $100
or more in donations will receive an
Arthritis Walk 2013 special edition Tshirt. There are also prize incentives for
various levels of fundraising. See full
details on their website, which is most
easily reached by searching “Arthritis
Walk Hawaii 2013,” and clicking on “InLisa Hanakeawe
Garret Kawamura
Rene Kuehu, QDC
Gina Marquez
Kaeren Maruyama
Kristina Matsunaga
Betty McMullin
Justin Mullen
Manolito Nable
Mila Ocol
John Prevost
Lisa Rojas
Christopher Saqui
Leslie Severns
Rebecca Stinson
Christine Sutton
Jennifer Takeshita
Kari Teshima
Alma Tumacder-Jarrett, QDC
15 years
Thelma Amuro
Jimmy Diep
Norbert Dolor
Reden Esquillo
Lisa Fuchigami
Cherami Hebron-Welsh
Jennifer John
John Lim
Alberto Marquez
Cathy Ngatoshi
June Tom
20 years
Joycelyn Agag
Mona Briones
Susan Carvalho
Carol Crislip
Maryrose Guillermo
Kenneth Hansen
Amy Kuraoka-Goo
Rodolfo Madelo
Fely Manipon
Katherine Miles
Brian Nakao
Vega Pascua
PCU Rated 5-Star
(Continued from page 1.)
medical care. The PCU is also evaluated
by a federally mandated Minimum Data
Set (MDS), which is a clinical assessment
of all patients in Medicare or Medicaid
certified nursing facilities. It provides a
comprehensive assessment of each patient’s functional capabilities and helps
staff identify health problems. MDS assessment forms are completed for all
patients on admission to the PCU with
specific guidelines and time frames. The
information on the MDS determines the
RUG (Resource Utilization Group) category which determines the rate paid
to the facility. It also feeds the facility’s
quality indicator and quality measure
reports which are publicly reported and
used by surveyors during surveys.
Eleven other nursing homes in the
Honolulu metropolitan area received an
overall rating of five stars: Ann Pearl
Nursing Facility, Arcadia Retirement
Residence, Avalon Care Center – Honolulu, LLC, Hale Ola Kino, Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Care Center, Island Nursing Home, Kulana Malama, Leeward Integrated Health Services, Maluhia, Maunalani Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, and Palolo Chinese Home.
centives” in the blue box on the page’s
left side. Incentives include everything
from Starbucks gift cards to iPads.
The Keiki Zone features bounce houses, carnival games, face painting, and
more. The fun begins with a warm up
at 7:30 am and concludes at 11:00 am.
“I have been an Orthopedic Surgeon
here in Hawai‘i for 22 years,” Dr. Kane
said. “I would urge all to come out to the
Arthritis Walk to show support for this
truly noble cause.”
Marni Pearson
Dave Takano
Lori Torres
Eileen Wong
Tyler Yamashita
25 years
Teresita Aurellano
Karen Budd
Mark Cagasan
Alvin Morishita
Aven Okamura
Mary Schwallier
Felicitas Tungpalan
30 years
Marsha Okazaki
Reginald Willliams
35 years
Romie Agliam
Terry Ichinose
Lynn Lum
Gloria Madrid
Melvin Muranaka
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Nominate an outstanding Queen’s
nurse for one of the 2013 Nursing
Awards. Nomination categories are:
Queen Emma Nursing Leadership
(sponsored by Medical Staff), Clinical Practice, Education, Leadership,
Performance Improvement, Research/
Evidence-Based Practice. Nominations
close Friday, April 19. Forms are available on the Queen’s Intranet or contact
couchi@queens.org. All are invited to attend the Nursing Awards Ceremony on
Friday, May 10, at 12:00 pm in the Kamehameha Auditorium.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Welcome to the following new providers: Ayman A. Abdul-Ghani, MD; Dukee Kim, MD; Brian Kluess, MD; Rachel Lee, MD; Vanessa R. Lyons, APRNRX; and Samuel D. Rosenthal, MD.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The final pair in a series of free
preretirement workshops presented by
HR are: QHS Retirement Benefits for
HNA Only, on Tuesday, April 23, in the
Kamehameha Auditorium from 12:00
to 1:00 pm; Managing Your 401(k)
When You Retire, will be held on Tuesday, April 30, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm
in the Harkness Boardroom. Register
at http://eww1.queens.org/traindev/reg/
retirement.asp. Contact Leslie Kawa-
UE
C . A.R.E. VAL
K
OR
S
moto at 691-5131
or at lekawamoto@
queens.org with any
For Employees
questions.
of Wholly-Owned
Queen’s Companies
....................
Nicole
Akana,
RN, MSN, is now
Nurse Manager for
QET 10. Nicole has
been on QET 10
since 2005 and has
served as Clinical
Operations ManagYE Y
er for the past two
M
T
IS
LO
P
SI
ON
EM
FE
years. She can be
A
S
reached at 691-4101
PATIE N T
OC
APR A SUR
or pager 578-8440.
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Food For Thought,
The Organizational Climate Assessment (OCA) Survey is
a free Work on Wellthe road to a premier organization that you will be proud to
ness workshop, will
call your Employer of Choice. Take the CONFIDENTIAL OCA
be held Thursday,
Survey and set Queen’s on the road to a better workplace!
April 18, from 11:00
Visit the Queen’s Intranet and click “OCA Survey” OR visit https://surveys.
am to 12:00 pm in
kenexa.com/queenshealth2013/default.asp OR complete a paper survey
the Kamehameha
from your manager and place in the postage-paid envelope and mail.
Auditorium. Work$100 Gift Card Drawing: Number of awarded gift cards depends on
shop topics incompany size. At least 60% participation required to trigger drawing.
Regular F/T & P/T employees only.
clude: which carbs
are recommended; lean protein and healthy fats; hid- patients, caregivers, and families on
den dangers of liquid calories; portion the journey through cancer. The annual
control made simple; and ways to eat event is sponsored by The Queen’s Canhealthy on the go. Register online at cer Center and Oncology Nursing Socihttp://eww1.queens.org/hr/registration/ ety. Call Darlene at 691-8984 to reserve a
space or to volunteer.
ajaxreg.asp?ID=282.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LiAnn Yoshimura in now the QHS Director of Health Information Systems.
LiAnn’s responsibilities include the medical records systems throughout QMC.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Schedule your HMSA Well-Being
The Queen’s Print Connection is published
Connection biometric screening to
by Creative Services. If you have news or
check your blood pressure, cholesterol,
wish to opine, call us at 691-7532 or e-mail
glucose, height, weight, body mass injkimura@queens.org. The news deaddex, and waist circumference. For an
line is the Monday prior to publication.
appointment, log on to https://www.
hhtinc.com/SelfScheduler/QueensHealthQHS/QMC President . . . . Art Ushijima
Systems.aspx. Call the HR Service Center at 691-4627 for more information.
Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roy Cameron
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Glenn Nishimura, COTA, should
Editor/Writer . . . . . . . . . . . .Jason Kimura
have been included in the “not picAssist. Ed./Writer . . . . . . Glee Stormont
tured,” list from the Occupational
Therapist photo last week.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Oncology on Canvas will be held on
www.queens.org
Saturday, April 27, from 9:00 am to 3:00
The Queen’s Medical Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.
pm. Let art connect, inspire and help
T O E X CEL
TAK
E
TH
E
P r i n t
Weekly
Sell
Puppies: Purple ribbon Pit Bull Terrier
show class, good temperament, short and
compact. Call 306-1519.
Exam table: Ritter, MidMark, $700. Call
294-9958.
Placing an ad: Queen’s employees only. Include
name, phone and Employee ID number. Mail
to Creative Services—Print Connection, fax to
691-4002 or e-mail to jkimura@queens.org by
Wednesday. 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.
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Please recycle