Weekly Updates: Week of Feb. 1
COVID news
College of Medicine pandemic response Friday round-up ― week of Jan. 25-29
College of Medicine leaders updated faculty, staff and students on Jan. 29 about the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Exposed to COVID or have symptoms? If you have been exposed to COVID-19 or are sick with COVID-like symptoms, employees should continue to call Occupational Health at 814-863-8492, and students should continue to call Student Health at 717-531-5998.
- Required surveillance testing for employees and students: Beginning Feb. 15, the University will conduct random daily surveillance testing of approximately 2% of the University’s on-campus population across all campuses. Random daily surveillance testing is also planned for students starting early March, and more details will be announced later.
- Reagent Supply Center now open: The College of Medicine Reagent Supply Center in C1735 has officially reopened for business. Stocked reagents can now be purchased at discounted prices (with no shipping or ice charges). Special orders for various items that are not kept in daily stock can be ordered at discounted prices.
Two College of Medicine spaces, Ronald McDonald Family Waiting Room will remain open for breaks through Feb. 28
Hershey Medical Center and the College of Medicine are extending the availability of the following break/meal spaces through Sunday, Feb. 28:
- Junker Auditorium (34 people) and Lecture Room B (19 people), 5:30 p.m. – 5 a.m.
- 7th floor South Ronald McDonald Family Waiting Room (nine people)
Use the QR code on the sign in the Rotunda Café to find additional break/meal spaces.
Here is a list of all spaces available. Safety and cleaning protocols are in place for these areas. Remember to adhere to room-occupancy requirements and social-distancing requirements of six feet or more. Wear masks when you are not eating and drinking.
COVID resources flyer available for employees
Human Resources has provided an employee COVID resources flyer for an at-a-glance snapshot of the COVID resources available to employees. The flyer and other wellness and support resources are located on the PRO Wellness BeWell Employee Wellness website. College of Medicine resources are located here.
Lunch and Learn: ‘The COVID-19 Vaccine: Your Questions Answered’ Feb. 16
Dr. Umar Farooq, Dr. Ben Fogel and Dr. Shawn Phillips will present “The COVID-19 Vaccine: Your Questions Answered” Tuesday, Feb. 16, from noon to 1 p.m.
The virtual session is part of Clinical Documentation Improvement’s Lunch and Learn Series. Zoom: https://pshealth.zoom.us/j/97739815415?pwd=R2NsVXlLTkhYT1JseHIvYnhPQ3NjUT09
People
Holy Spirit Medical Center presents Deppen with December Great Catch Award
Holy Spirit Medical Center’s Patient Safety Champion for December is Sara Deppen.
Deppen, a nurse on 6 Main, earned the Great Catch Award for identifying contraband delivered in a drink container and notifying the Security Department. Thanks to her attentiveness, local police responded and confiscated the contraband.
Holy Spirit Medical Center’s Patient Safety Committee presents the Great Catch Award monthly to an employee who recognizes an unsafe situation or near-miss event that decreases patient injury or harm. In addition to being recognized during the monthly leadership meeting, recipients receive a gift certificate to The Hearth, the hospital cafeteria, and use of a special parking space for the month.
Peterson recognized for Exceptional Moments in Teaching
Dr. Brandon Peterson, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, at the Heart and Vascular Institute, is featured for February in the “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program.
“He cares about his students,” a current student wrote. “He responds to emails very quickly, and in lectures he explains content clearly. When there are breakout rooms, he will come in to see if we have any questions. When other people are lecturing and going too fast or using words that are foreign to us, he has jumped into the conversation to ask the lecturer to explain the terms. He also created extra resource guides for us.
“Honestly, in all of my years of education he is the best professor I have ever had. Hands down. He is always smiling and honestly brings me so much joy every time I see him.”
College of Medicine employees mark work milestones
Congratulations to College of Medicine employees who celebrated a milestone work anniversary in February:
35 Years of Service
- Bernadette Warman, Marketing and Communications
10 Years of Service
- Gregory Holmes, Neural and Behavioral Sciences
Employees are recognized for their time at the College of Medicine, and recognition is given in five-year increments starting on their 10th year. For questions about work anniversary dates, contact HR Shared Services at 814-865-1473 or submit an inquiry via worklion.psu.edu.
Employees honored for work milestones
Congratulations to the Penn State Health employees who are celebrating a milestone work anniversary between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2. They put our values into action every day.
Events
Donors needed for Feb. 11 employee blood drive in Hershey
Penn State Health will host an employee blood drive Thursday, Feb. 11, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Penn State Cancer Institute, 400 University Drive, in rooms T2500 and T2501.
The Association of Faculty and Friends is sponsoring the event and recommends scheduling appointments, which can be made here.
For blood donor eligibility requirements, visit the American Red Cross website.
College of Medicine plans ‘Love Yourself’ event Feb. 12
The Office for Professional Mental Health at the College of Medicine is hosting “Love Yourself” Friday, Feb. 12, noon to 2 p.m. via Zoom. Penn State Health employees are invited. Here are the sessions:
Noon-12:30 p.m.
- Meditation session–Lisa Wilhelm
- Positive writing class–Dr. Martha Peaslee-Levine
12:30-1 p.m.
- Healthy eating demo–Tomi Dreibelbis
- Music therapy–Jan Stouffer
1-1:30 p.m.
- Share your pet–Chad Lauro
1-2 p.m.
- Patchwork meditative drawing–Amber Coppings
1:30-2 p.m.
- Red balloon breathing–Dr. Stevie Falk
For Zoom links and more information click here.
Holy Spirit Medical Center invites employees to connect with hospital leadership Feb. 16
Holy Spirit Medical Center employees can talk with senior-level managers and their colleagues during CONNECT with Senior Leaders, an informal Zoom meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 16, from noon to 1 p.m. Employee questions and feedback are welcome during the meeting.
Register by noon Monday, Feb. 15. Confirmation will be sent via email, along with a Zoom meeting invitation and instructions for how to join. Email Allie Pochak with any questions or call 717-972-4134.
Lunch and Learn series: Lunch Break Workout Feb. 18
Register to participate in a lunch break workout featuring High-Intensity Interval Training on Thursday, Feb. 18, noon to 12:30 p.m. Email bewell@pennstatehealth.psu.edu for more information.
Registration open for ‘COVID-19 Research from a Policy Influence Perspective’
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute presents “COVID-19 Research from a Policy Influence Perspective” on Thursday, Feb. 18, from noon to 1 p.m. The event is the first in a three-part Translational Science Seminar Series focused on health policy. Registration is required.
Other news
Four Diamonds Impact Report highlights research, funds raised
Four Diamonds raised more than $17.5 million between July 2019 and June 2020 to help families, researchers and health care professionals conquer childhood cancer, according to its recently released 2019-2020 Impact Report.
In addition to helping families pay their medical bills and aiding Penn State Health Children’s Hospital’s efforts to better care for its patients, the charity funds scientific studies to find safer treatments and cures. It works with 300 research partners around the globe. The annual Impact Report also highlights progress made by these Four Diamonds-funded researchers, such as:
- A promising therapy to decrease relapse and improve long-term survival in children with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia
- A potential new treatment to overcome chemotherapy resistance in high-risk childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
- A new approach to suppressing tumors
During the 2019-2020 fiscal year, more than 100,000 volunteers contributed more than 5 million volunteer hours at events like the annual dance marathon at Penn State, known as THON.
Take actions to avoid Zoom bombings
Recent incidents of racist, hate-filled “Zoom bombings” during meetings and lectures at the university and the health system serve as an urgent reminder to take actions to avoid the video-teleconferencing attacks. Here is guidance from Cybersecurity and Privacy for hosting secure Zoom meetings:
- Do not make Zoom meetings public. There are two options to make a meeting private: require a meeting password or use the waiting room feature and control the admittance of guests. See the Configuring your Zoom Account job aid for more details.
- Do not share the Zoom meeting link on public websites or social media. Provide the link directly to the specific individuals you need in the meeting. Be sure to verify the identities of your attendees, especially if you are discussing sensitive information.
- Do not allow attendees to screen-share. Ensure screen-sharing is set to “Host Only.” If you are creating a meeting on behalf of someone else, designate “Alternate Hosts.” See the How to Screen Share job aid and the Configuring your Zoom Account job aid for more details.
Learn more, including what actions to take if your Zoom meeting is disrupted by uninvited attendees, by visiting Cybersecurity and Privacy’s news site on the Infonet.
Put RITE values in action every day in February
Penn State Health will focus on RITE (respect, integrity, teamwork and excellence) values in February, with a month of activities.
Download the calendar here.
RITE values provide Penn State Health employees a compass for becoming Pennsylvania’s most trusted health care organization. Daily activities include doing random acts of kindness, sending thank you notes or PAWS UP! ecards and respecting the opinions of others.
Today’s activity: Send a PAWS UP! card to someone who demonstrates RITE values.
Health Care Heroes Award nominations extended to Feb. 19
There is still time to nominate a colleague, mentor or leader who has had a positive impact on individuals and the quality of health care in our communities. Nominations for the 2021 Central Penn Business Journal/Central Penn Parent Health Care Heroes Awards have been extended to Friday, Feb. 19.
Geisinger mails paper 2020 W-2 forms to former employees
Geisinger mailed paper W-2 forms to all former Geisinger Holy Spirit, Spirit Physician Services Inc. and West Shore Advanced Life Support Services employees who transitioned to Penn State Health.
Employees who elected electronic distribution of their W-2 form will also receive a paper form. Those same employees may access their W-2 in Geisinger’s Workday platform by emailing a request to Geisinger Human Resources technology team to reopen their account. The request must include the employee’s name, Geisinger employee identification number and email address.
Wellness Wednesday: tips to boost your mood
Feeling gloomy this winter? You’re not alone. During this time of year, it’s common to feel a little blue, lethargic and less social than usual. These feelings might be even more pronounced because of COVID-19. Post-holiday financial stress coupled with shorter days and colder weather can exacerbate depression. Here are some tips to help.
If self-care measures don’t seem to help lift your mood or you experience prolonged sadness, talk to your health care practitioner.
Check out the BeWell Employee Wellness Toolkit and for information on wellness resources, visit the PRO Wellness BeWell Employee Wellness website.
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