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SLCH Announces Dr. John Reed, Medical Director, Primary Care:
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Dr. John Reed has accepted the position of Medical Director, Primary Care. This position was established at the recommendation of the Medical Staff Ad Hoc Primary Care Council (convened as a result of the hospital’s Leadership retreat in May 2010), as well as the recommendation of the Medical Executive Committee.
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Dr. Reed’s responsibilities include preparing for clinical integration and assisting with strategic planning, identifying and establishing evidence-based practices, driving efforts to improve the quality of care and outcomes within the department of Medicine and working with the Medical Staff to achieve compliance with public reporting measures.
Dr. Reed is the founder of New Windsor Family Medicine, 575 Hudson Valley Avenue Suite 201 in New Windsor NY. To contact Dr. Reed, call (845) 220-2270 or jreed@nwfamilymed.com
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On Tuesday January 25, SLCH will hold its first Cubs Place (Children Under
Big Stress) meeting. Cubs Place is a support group for children whose
caregivers have been diagnosed with Cancer. Set in a child-friendly
environment, the group will provide members with the necessary resources and
coping skills to express their feelings in a healthy manner. |
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Cubs Place uses art, music and play therapy as a way to engage children and
help express their thoughts, feelings and emotions. The group will provide
children with the ability to understand and cope with the changes that come
with having a care giver who been diagnosed with cancer. In addition, Cubs
Place will teach children to normalize feelings of sadness, anxiety, fear
and anger.
The first meeting is on January 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the 2nd floor meeting
room of SLCH's Cornwall campus. Please share this information!
For more information regarding Cubs Place, please contact Annette Hunt at
458-4544.
Download the flyer here
Vancomycin troughs now available to order from the SLCH Pharmacy
As per the December 2010 Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee Meeting, the SLCH pharmacy can now order Vancomycin troughs. Vancomycin use will be monitored by the SLCH pharmacy and ordered when deemed appropriate by the Infectious Disease Society of America, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and the Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists.
Troughs can also be ordered once Vancomycin blood levels are at steady-state (just before the fifth dose), unless otherwise ordered by a physician. The SLCH Pharmacy will follow up on these troughs and contact the physician for sub-therapeutic (< 10 mg/L) or supra-therapeutic (> 20 mg/L) results.
The most recent consensus statements do not support monitoring Vancomycin peaks, and as such, will not be ordered by the pharmacy. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter and any questions may be directed to Katie Taylor Boyd, PharmD, RPH, Clinical Pharmacist at kboyd@slchospital.org or 845-568-2835.
Multiple Admission Orders
In the past few months, there have been many cases where the pharmacy has received two distinct sets of admission orders. This has created challenges for the pharmacy, nursing, consultants, and ancillary staff, as well as a potential negative impact on patient safety. Please continue to date/time orders and not alter an order that has been scanned to the pharmacy.
Ongoing Propofol Shortage
The Propofol shortage continues and your patience is needed. As you know, Hospira recalled several lots of Propofol in October 2009 due to particulate matter in the vials. Teva completely discontinued making Propofol in May 2010. This left only American Pharmaceutical Products (APP) to manufacture this medication, who quickly became unable to keep up with the increasing Propofol demand. According to recent information from APP, brand Diprivan is back-ordered, but due for release sometime in the 1st quarter 2011. These vials are on intermittent back order with lots being released weekly. APP also has generic Propofol on intermittent back order and is releasing product weekly. Hospira has resumed its generic Propofol capability and is releasing lots weekly as well. However, the vials are being released on an allocation basis, meaning that institutions that need it most (large, trauma centers, etc) will receive the drug first.
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As SLCH receives Propofol, it is immediately made available; however the pharmacy cannot guarantee a steady supply at this time. Thank you again for your understanding and cooperation with ordering alternative agents. |
Warfarin Protocol
SLCH has a Warfarin protocol for newly-initiated patients. By using this protocol, INRs will be ordered automatically and daily doses will be followed and entered by the pharmacy based on an evidence-based dosing schedule. Once therapeutic, the patient will automatically be placed on a maintenance dose. No additional orders will be needed!
Stellar Leader of the Year
SLCH is proud to announce the 2010 Stellar Leader of the year, Clinical Nurse Manager, Tracey Horan. She has been a member of SLCH since 2005, and currently serves as the Clinical Nurse Manager of 1 West, and the Center for Joint Replacement. She has been an integral part of the SLCH community, helping to launch the Center for Joint Replacement in 2007 and the Epilepsy program in 2006.
Left to right: Tracey Horan, RN, SLCH Leader of the Year, Allan E. Atzrott, SLCH President and CEO, and Dolores Jacobs, SLCH Star of the Year.
Star of the Year:
Dolores Jacobs, Associate in the Food and Nutrition department was named the 2010 Star of the Year. Jacobs began working at SLCH in 2008 and is widely known for her positive attitude and smiling face. She spends much of her time working as a cashier at the Hudson View Café where she always makes customers feel welcome.
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The Littman Cancer Center’s (LCC) new website is live and available for viewing. The website was modeled after the Beyond Diagnosis brochure. The site includes patient testimonials, ways to donate and volunteer as well as a full description of LCC services and treatment methods. |
Please visit the new Littman Cancer Center website at www.littmancancercenter.com
The Patient Navigator serves an integral function within Same Day and Inpatient Surgery as well as many other patient-care departments throughout SLCH. A patient navigator works to establish and maintain communication between patients, their families, physicians and the healthcare system. Surgical Patient Navigator, Stacey Witte, works with patients and their families in Pre- Admission Testing, as well as Same Day and Inpatient units, by helping them eliminate barriers to their care. Many patients are overwhelmed and scared at the notion of having surgery, much less navigating the hospital system. Stacey works to guide patients through this system to ensure a smooth process and timely delivery of services.
For more information, please contact Stacey Witte at 568-2084 or switte@slchospital.org
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St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital is often in the news, regarding a wide array of events, topics and the stellar work of our staff. Each month, several press releases are sent to local media on behalf of SLCH.
January 2011 press releases and media coverage include, “SLCH Welcomes First Baby of the Year” in the January 4 issue of the Newburgh Circle. For a full listing of SLCH media coverage and press releases, click here, to access the “News” section of our website.
Sue Sullivan, SLCH Vice President, Advancement and Government Affairs, recently spoke with Christian Farrell, of YNN- Your News Now. The interview was to discuss the shortage of doctors in the Hudson Valley.
To view this story, click here
Sue Sullivan also spoke with Adam Bosch at the Times Herald Record recently about lobbying in New York State. Lobbying is extremely important in the Health Care industry. Sullivan predicts that 2011 will call for an increase in lobbying, in an effort to work through the new Medicaid program.
“We need our lobbyists to educate and communicate this to lawmakers in Albany,” Sullivan said. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and lobbying is about making things squeaky.”
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The 2011 calendar is starting to fill up with several community outreach and education events. Are youinterested in giving a community lecture? For more information, please contact Kate Reynolds at KReynolds@slchospital.org or call 458-4240.
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Interim Chief Information Officer Appointed:
Kevin Kenealy has joined SLCH as Interim Chief Information Officer. With vast experience, he has served as an IT Director, Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO), and Project Manager.
Kevin’s primary responsibility will be to assist the Executive Team in updating our Information Technology Strategic Plan, oversight of the implementation of Meditech System upgrades planned for 2011, and work with the end-user departments to identify and address their IT needs.
Kevin’s consulting experience includes the complete project management of MEDITECH implementations from vendor selection processes, through post-implementation review. Kevin’s experience includes the CIO of Phoenix Health Systems (MD) and the CIO for the Faculty Practice Information Systems of Georgetown University Medical Center (DC).
Kevin’s office is located in IT, on the third floor of the Newburgh campus. To contact Kevin, please call 568-2746 or email kkenealy@slchospital.org
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Advancing the Education of Nurses:
Numerous studies have demonstrated the relationship between higher levels of nursing education and improved patient outcomes related to safety. Some examples cited in the research are: a reduction of mortality rate, failure to rescue, hospital acquired pressure ulcers, and length of inpatient stay. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently released a report, “The Future of Nursing,” which supports the importance of advancing nursing to a predominately baccalaureate prepared profession. We will continue to focus on advancing the educational level as well as the standards of the profession.
The December 2010 issue of The Journal of Nursing Administration highlights the proposed revisions to the NYS Nurse Practice Act, which supports a seamless transition between Associate, Baccalaureate, Master's degrees and other advanced certifications, and removing financial barriers standing in the way of a more educated work force (Zimmermann DT, Miner DC, Zittel B. (2010), Advancing the education of nurses: a call for action. J Nurs Adm, 40(12); 529-533)
The authors explore the benefits of national uniform process for nursing education advancement and encourage nursing leaders to collaborate with academic partners to ensure this vision becomes a reality.
SLCH is fortunate to have a seamless partnership between SUNY Orange and Mount Saint Mary College. To learn more about tuition reimbursement, please contact Human Resources, at 568-2606.
Read Full Article
You can also access this article on the Medical Library website at www.slchlibrary.org
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Medical Staff Committees
The medical staff committee rosters for 2011-2012 have been finalized. Information regarding committee assignments, meeting dates, times and locations will be forwarded to your offices and to you via email. To view a full listing of all Medical Staff committees, rosters and meeting times click here
Please contact Yulia Kennedy for any questions or requests at 568-2345 or email ykennedy@slchospital.org
Medical Staff Email
As noted in last month’s addition of the Clinical Beat, recent revisions to Joint Commission medical staff standards require urgent notification of the medical staff of various matters including proposed bylaw revisions, urgent bylaw revisions, and Medical Staff policies.
Additionally, other matters often arise that require immediate communication with the Medical Staff. In an attempt to facilitate communication, email is the most direct, efficient and expeditious way to share information. Currently we have email addresses for about 80% of the Medical Staff.
If you have not already done so, please provide your preferred email contact to the Medical Staff office at 568-2345 or email ykennedy@slchospital.org
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Medical Staff Survey
It is once again time for the Medical Staff survey. This survey evaluates hospital based services as well as hospital administration. Feedback from the Medical Staff is instrumental in order to effectively evaluate hospital based departments and thus allows for changes to be made based on survey responses. Examples of recent changes are the re-organization of the Emergency Department including new leadership as well as extended hours and availability of pain management and enhancements of in-house testing provided by the laboratory. Your responses are essential in assisting the hospital to update and improve services provided to you and your patients.
The survey will be sent electronically this year. More information and links to the survey will be available shortly.
Any questions, please contact Yulia Kennedy at 568-2345 or ykennedy@slchospital.org
Physician Consultations
Direct communication between physicians is essential in providing optimum and timely patient care. This is particularly crucial if your patients require an urgent or STAT consultation. Please be advised that the expectation is, as per Medical Staff Policy as well as in the best interests of patient care, that physicians directly communicate the need for consultations with one another rather than relying on nursing staff or unit secretaries to contact the consultant. The hospital operator has a listing of home and cell phone numbers for physicians on staff if the usual mean of communication (via the physician’s office number/answering service) is unsuccessful. |
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The SLCH Medical Library is located in the Newburgh campus, on the first floor across from Quality Management. Library hours are Monday and Tuesday: 8:00-4:30 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 8:00-3:00 p.m. The library is closed on Fridays.
New books are now available at the SLCH Medical Library
Print versions include:
Scott-Brown's Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery
Textbook of Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Goodheart's Photoguide to Common Skin Disorders: Diagnosis and Management
Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine
Creasy and Resnik's Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Principles and Practice
Williams Obstetrics
Fetology: Diagnosis & Management of the Fetal Patient
Principles and Practice of Gynecologic Oncology
Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility
Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology
Miller's Anesthesia Premium
Head and Neck Imaging
Stroke: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management
Hinman's Atlas of Pediatric Urologic Surgery
Atlas of Gastroenterology
Online Books:
To sign up for free access to all of the library’s online resources, contact Twila in the library
at 568-2220.
Anemia’s and Other Red Cell Disorders
Atlas of Pancreatic Cytopathology With Histopathologic Correlations
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy In Heart Failure
Critical Care Medicine
Diagnosis of Endometrial Biopsies And Curettings
Feigenbaum's Echocardiography
Harwood-Nuss' Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine
Illustrated Pathology of The Bone Marrow
Interventional Radiology
Neonatal Cerebral Investigation
Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas
Operative Orthopaedics
Pancreatic Cytopathology
Revision and Complex Shoulder Arthroplasty |
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