Weekly Updates: Week of Feb. 15
COVID news
Swift: Penn State Health stands up online, phone systems for vaccine scheduling
David Swift, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Penn State Health, emailed employees across the health system Thursday announcing a new system for the public to directly schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments with Penn State Health online or by phone.
Among the key points:
- Anyone who meets Phase 1A criteria will be able to register for an appointment online or by phone at one of four dedicated Penn State Health vaccination sites that open Monday, Feb. 22, pending vaccine availability.
- As additional vaccine doses become available, members of the public will be able to register online at vaccine-scheduler.pennstatehealth.org. Those who do not have access to the internet can schedule their appointments by calling a central scheduling number: 1-844-774-8883. Community members may find additional information related to COVID-19 and the vaccine on Penn State Health’s COVID-19 vaccination information page.
- Penn State Health has placed additional staff to help answer calls given the intense demand for COVID-19 vaccination and anticipates standing up an additional call center in the coming weeks. Still, because of high demand paired with a large number of Phase 1A-eligible people and an uncertain supply, those trying to register for appointments should anticipate long wait times by phone and likely extended scheduling options online.
Hershey employee COVID vaccine clinic temporarily closes Feb. 22
The Hershey Employee COVID Vaccine clinic at Hershey Medical Center, H3300, will be closed on Monday, Feb. 22, due to decreased demand for appointments. Most appointments have been moved to Tuesday, Feb. 23.
Clinic staff notified all patients and employees scheduled to receive vaccines that day about the change. If you are scheduled that day and have not received information about a new appointment, go to H3300 to verify the new appointment.
Clinic hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.
College of Medicine permits observational clinical research studies, with restrictions
Effective today, the College of Medicine will permit observational clinical research studies that involve participants who are already on campus for a health care appointment if all four of the following criteria are met:
- The study only involves limited sample collections, AND
- The participant remains in one location for both the health care visit and research visit, AND
- Interaction between study staff and subject is fewer than 15 minutes, AND
- The subject’s face mask is not removed at any time.
Observational clinical research studies that involve participants who are already on campus for a health care appointment that do not meet all four of the above criteria must be submitted for review through Penn State’s InfoReady system.
Studies previously submitted and approved through InfoReady do not require resubmission unless there are significant changes to the protocol since the previous review.
Observational clinical research studies involving subjects who are not on campus for health care visits are not allowed at this time, but College of Medicine leadership will reassess the reopening of these studies weekly.
Hershey Medical Center begins all-admissions COVID-19 testing, antigen testing pilot
Hershey Medical Center began testing all admitted patients for COVID-19 on Feb. 17.
The Medical Center is using a combination of laboratory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and a three-day point-of-care COVID-19 antigen testing pilot in the Adult Emergency Department.
Through Friday, Feb. 19, Adult Emergency Department staff will test different workflows to determine the best way to bring point-of-care COVID-19 antigen testing into the Medical Center.
Infectious Disease leaders have created a guidance document to help identify appropriate antigen and PCR testing workflows for different patient populations.
Non-emergency department direct admissions and pediatric admissions staff will begin COVID-19 PCR testing using the “COVID-19 Coronavirus Same Day” test order. These patients must be placed on contact/droplet precautions until their test results are back.
Review the guidance and a related memo for further details.
Urgent care on Holy Spirit Medical Center campus restarts non-respiratory patient services
Penn State Health Medical Group has ended the Camp Hill urgent care site’s temporary relocation of non-respiratory patient services. The urgent care office, which is located at 431 N. 21st St. on Holy Spirit Medical Center’s campus, now accepts patients 1 year old and older who have any urgent medical issue.
The relocation, which was implemented to create additional space to screen and treat a growing number of COVID-19 patients at the urgent care, is no longer necessary.
College of Medicine Pandemic Response Friday Round-Up – Week of Feb. 8-12
College of Medicine leaders updated faculty, staff and students on Feb. 12 about the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- A new inpatient COVID-19 elective will be introduced this month that provides fourth-year medical students the opportunity to directly manage COVID-19 patients on the inpatient setting TURF teams, supervised by our hospitalist physicians. TURF stands for The Undifferentiated Respiratory Failure. The elective is specifically targeted to Phase III students to prepare them for internship where they may be responsible for patients with COVID-19.
- Mandatory testing of all students will occur today, Tuesday, Feb. 16, and Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 1 to 6 p.m. at the University Conference Center. Students should check their emails for more information from their program coordinators.
- Penn State will conduct random daily surveillance testing of approximately 2% of the University’s on-campus population across all campuses. This testing is scheduled to begin March 1. Employees and students who are randomly selected to participate in surveillance testing will receive an email indicating they have been selected and must complete a COVID-19 test. Students will need to complete both the random surveillance testing and required campus testing.
Research
Common antidepressant may be first-ever treatment for osteoarthritis
Researchers from the College of Medicine’s Center for Orthopaedic Research and Translational Science have identified a potential new use for a common antidepressant — paroxetine. They said the drug might be used to treat osteoarthritis – a disease affecting more than 30 million adults that destroys joint cartilage, resulting in pain and disability.
Fadia Kamal, the lead investigator who holds doctorate degrees in pharmacy and cell physiology, said that there is a dire need to identify novel therapeutic targets, approaches or agents that can actively halt or reverse the osteoarthritis disease process. Invasive, artificial joint replacement surgeries are the only treatment currently offered.
The team is currently seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a new trial of this drug to treat osteoarthritis.
“If this trial works, we will have found a new solution to an age-old problem of joints in the body wearing out because of cartilage destruction and loss,” Kamal said. “We hope to intervene with this disease-modifying treatment for the benefit of our patients.”
People
Women in Science and Research: Joining the fight against cancer
As the Penn State community looks forward to THON this weekend, the College of Medicine celebrates the investigators who are funded by this philanthropy and the contributions of past and present female cancer researchers.
Chandrika Gowda, MD
Gowda is a Four Diamonds and Penn State Cancer Institute researcher and focuses on developing targeted therapies which are less toxic and can improve outcomes in children with relapsed leukemia.
Judith Weisz, MB BChir, and Mary Judith Tevethia, PhD
The College of Medicine has a rich history of women involved in cancer research from Weisz’ work on estrogen metabolism’s link with breast cancer to Tevethia’s studies on the relationship between viruses and cancer.
Read more about female faculty’s contributions to cancer research, how they identify genetic and cellular mechanisms of disease and their support for the research mission.
Learn more about the virtual Women in Science Symposium on March 12 and register to attend.
Lori Campbell, 35-year Penn State Health employee, passes away Feb. 14
Lori Campbell, a medical office assistant with 35 years of service at Penn State Health and more than 25 years of service in the Neuroscience Institute, passed away on Feb. 14. A cause of death has yet to be determined. She was 57 years old.
Campbell was known to be a leader at Penn State Health. She is remembered for her kindness, humor, laughter and ability to teach and inspire others.
She is survived by her father, sister Lisa and daughter Sarah.
Employees honored for work milestones
Congratulations to the following Penn State Health employees who are celebrating a milestone work anniversary between Feb. 10 and Feb. 16. They put our values into action every day:
Events
‘Black Men in White Coats’ free virtual screening Feb. 19-21
Black men account for only 2% of American doctors. This disparity matters because Black men have the lowest life expectancy in the U.S. ― 69 years old. A new documentary, “Black Men in White Coats,” examines the causes of this disparity. The film is available at no cost to Penn State Health and College of Medicine employees and students between Feb. 19 and 21.
Register at dcls.org/Screening. You will be issued a link to watch the film. Participation is limited.
A virtual panel discussion will follow the film on Monday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. Four Black Penn State Health physicians will participate: Drs. Kofi Clarke, Eldra Daniels, Dwight Davis and Ifesinachi Ndukwu.
The Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has partnered with the Dauphin County Library System to make this streaming event available.
College of Medicine faculty joins panel discussions on WITF’s ‘The Gene: An Intimate History’ Feb. 24
College of Medicine faculty members will participate in a free, virtual screening and panel discussion hosted by WITF-TV on “The Gene: An Intimate History” from producer Ken Burns.
The documentary features compelling interviews and powerful personal stories that highlight discoveries made possible by research into the human genome. The panel discussions will provide an opportunity to highlight the work on personalized medicine happening within the College of Medicine and through Penn State Institute for Personalized Medicine.
- A virtual event exclusively for Penn State Health and College of Medicine faculty and staff will be Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 5 to 6:15 p.m. After the screening, a panel discussion will feature James Broach, director of the Institute for Personalized Medicine, and Jennifer McCormick, associate professor of humanities in the College of Medicine, Kent Vrana, chair of the Department of Pharmacology, who will serve as moderator, and Dr. David Goldenberg, chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Register here.
Penn State Health presents virtual town hall Feb. 25
Penn State Health will host a virtual town hall on Thursday, Feb. 25, at noon:
- Zoom link: zoom.us/j/94025628669
- iPhone one-tap: US: +16513728299, 91757591115#
- Phone: 929 205 6099
- Webinar ID: 940 2562 8669
Employees can submit questions in advance here.
Other news
Penn State Health focuses on right product, right place, right time in selection of new medical surgical supplier
Penn State Health is moving to a single medical surgical supplier for its medical centers effective Tuesday, April 6. Hershey Medical Center is transitioning from Cardinal Health to Owens & Minor, an expert in logistics and inventory management and the supplier for St. Joseph and Holy Spirit Medical Centers.
Owens & Minor has a demonstrated track record of success, providing exceptional service to the St. Joseph and Holy Spirit facilities. The decision to select one distribution partner for the system will have many positive impacts, including the addition of new data that will help with product decisions and improve productivity and financial performance.
The transition will result in fewer supply substitutions and the consistent delivery of existing products. Currently, care teams spend too much time tracking down supplies. Unpredictable product availability and back orders increase quality and safety risks.
Employees should not experience any interruption in service when the transition occurs. However, in the event that a problem arises, leaders will provide all affected staff with the appropriate internal supply chain contacts in advance.
Additional details will be shared closer to the changeover date.
Information Services launches Microsoft training program
In partnership with Microsoft, Information Services is launching a training program available to all of Penn State Health and the College of Medicine. Microsoft will host weekly, instructor-led, virtual training sessions on topics such as Teams, OneDrive, Outlook and SharePoint. Find out more here.
To access the training schedule, Holy Spirit Medical Center employees should connect to Penn State Health Storefront. They should click on Infonet, then Holy Spirit Medical Center, Information Services, Collaboration tools and finally Microsoft Training Program.
The site will be updated often with additional topics, training cycles, dates and times. Bookmark the page and check back often.
Hershey expands shuttle routes, introduces shuttle tracking app
Hershey Shuttle Services has expanded its routes to better meet the needs of faculty and staff at Hershey Medical Center and the College of Medicine.
All shuttle routes on the Hershey campus now include stops at the Academic Support Building (ASB). Employees can now ride from the Hospital main entrance, Children’s Hospital and/or University Physician Center entrances to the ASB and back. The new service took effect Feb. 15.
Shuttles three and four take the most efficient route from the ASB to the Main Hospital north entrance. For employees traveling from the ASB to the Children’s Hospital, shuttles and two take the most efficient route.
Hershey Shuttle Services is also developing a new shuttle tracking and ride request app to improve service information, notification and ride optimization. Shuttle Services will provide details when the app goes live.
Nominations due Feb. 19 for Lehigh Valley Business Health Care Heroes Awards
Penn State Health St. Joseph employees are invited to submit nominations to Lehigh Valley Business magazine’s Health Care Heroes Awards by Friday, Feb. 19.
The awards recognize health care professionals who have had a positive impact on individuals and the quality of health care in their communities. Honorees will be celebrated on June 1 at a virtual awards event and through profiles in the magazine and online.
Complete employee mandatory training by May 31
The 2021 annual employee training modules must be completed by Monday, May 31. The modules are:
- Compliance
- Cybersecurity and Privacy Awareness
- Microaggression/Unconscious Bias and Patient Bias Prevention
- Annual Safety Training
Employees will receive separate training assignments in the Compass or LION platforms.
St. Joseph Medical Center tunes into HGTV to improve patient satisfaction
St. Joseph Medical Center has set the TVs in its waiting rooms to HGTV following feedback that the CARE channel, which had been displayed on most public-facing TVs, did not provide the calming effect it was intended to create. Staff, patients and visitors said they preferred the cable network’s home-buying, renovation and reality shows, such as “House Hunters and “Flip or Flop.”
No other stations can be viewed on the waiting room TVs.
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