Weekly Updates: Week of Jan. 4
COVID News
Penn State Health receives additional vaccines, prepares to vaccinate more employee groups
With the arrival last week of 4,000 doses of Moderna’s newly authorized for emergency use COVID-19 vaccine and 4,875 additional doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Penn State Health has moved to the second tier of its vaccination efforts.
Among those now eligible to receive the vaccine are staff with routine direct patient contact or routine contact with COVID-19 infectious material. Employees who wish to receive the vaccine should be responsive when they receive an email to self-schedule for their COVID Vaccine Clinic time. The COVID-19 Employee Vaccination Clinic is not a walk-in clinic. Only employees with scheduled appointments should come for their vaccine.
As of today, Jan. 4, Penn State Health has administered about 5,900 vaccinations across the health system. Until vaccine supply fully meets institutional demand, Penn State Health will continue to manage distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines based upon the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health guidance.
College of Medicine students put classroom learning into practice during pandemic
Since last spring, College of Medicine students have been actively working on task forces to support Penn State Health’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Jed Gonzalo, professor of medicine and associate dean of health systems science education, said when the new coronavirus first appeared, Penn State Health had to move quickly and meet many demands.
“We were seeing all of these needs and thinking, ‘Who is going to do this?’” he said. “At the same time we had these smart students, and we thought, ‘They can be part of our effort.’”
Within two days of Penn State Health mobilizing to care for patients with COVID-19, a curriculum took shape that would allow students to not only learn and earn credits but also help their community. Students quickly signed up for the task forces.
“If we can contribute to fighting this disease and ease some people’s pain, it’s all worth it,” said Dallas Hamlin, a fourth-year College of Medicine student.
Travel and Quarantine Policy updates include early return-to-work process after asymptomatic quarantine
Penn State Health and the College of Medicine have updated the Travel and Quarantine policy, effective today, to include a process to clear employees for an early return to the workplace following an asymptomatic quarantine. The policy also defines the terms “quarantine” and “isolation:”
- Quarantine: keeps someone who was in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 away from others.
- Isolation: keeps someone who is sick or tested positive for COVID-19 without symptoms away from others, even in their own home.
To reduce the spread of COVID-19 and maintain our critical staffing needs for systemwide patient care, all Penn State Health and College of Medicine employees must follow all safety policies, guidelines and protocols in place.
Holy Spirit employees inoculated for COVID-19 before Dec. 30 to receive second-dose scheduling information by mail
Holy Spirit Medical Center will mail notifications to employees vaccinated against COVID-19 before Dec. 30 informing them of the date and time of their second doses.
The Medical Center may not have made a second-dose appointment with all employees who received the COVID-19 vaccine before Dec. 30. Since then, employees have been given their appointment date and time when they receive their shots.
Those who don’t receive a letter can call 844-774-8883 to schedule their second dose.
If you have any questions about the vaccine or process, email askacovidq@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
Hershey COVID-19 vaccination administration site relocates to H3300, effective today
In preparation for the return of College of Medicine students, the COVID-19 vaccination administration site previously housed in the College of Medicine Biomedical Research rooms 1845 and 1847 on the Hershey campus moved to H3300. This move occurred today at 6 a.m.
Clinical staff will administer the COVID-19 vaccines to employees at this location during January and February 2021. Access H3300 by taking the north elevators to the third floor and heading south down the hall.
New questions about variant COVID strain, vaccine during pregnancy answered in updated FAQs
As Penn State Health continues to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to eligible employees, staff have questions following recent reports about new, variant strains of COVID. Some have also sought guidance about whether the vaccine is safe for pregnant or nursing women. The COVID vaccine FAQs have been updated to address these concerns.
College of Medicine pandemic response Friday round-up ― week of Dec. 28-30
College of Medicine leaders updated faculty, staff and students on Dec. 30 about the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Penn State has decided to delay the start of in-person classes and transition to a fully remote learning environment for the beginning of the spring 2021 semester.
- As previously communicated, all students will be required to complete a two-part COVID-19 testing protocol in order to return to College of Medicine facilities and educational activities following the winter break. This testing, which is part of the University’s overall COVID-19 operations program, will be done in two parts.
Research
Surgery may offer survival advantage in treatment-responsive metastatic breast cancer
Surgery, in addition to treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy, may increase the length of survival for metastatic breast cancer patients, according to College of Medicine researchers. They studied nearly 13,000 stage four breast cancer patients and found that those who had surgery in addition to their other treatments had a survival advantage over those who had other treatments alone.
Light smokers may not escape nicotine addiction, study reveals
Even people who consider themselves to be casual cigarette smokers may be addicted, according to current diagnostic criteria. Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and Duke University found that many light smokers — those who smoke one to four cigarettes per day or fewer — meet the criteria for nicotine addiction and should therefore be considered for treatment.
“In the past, some considered that only patients who smoke around 10 cigarettes per day or more were addicted, and I still hear that sometimes,” said Jonathan Foulds, professor of public health sciences and psychiatry and behavioral health, Penn State. “But this study demonstrates that many lighter smokers, even those who do not smoke every day, can be addicted to cigarettes. It also suggests that we need to be more precise when we ask about cigarette smoking frequency.”
Other News
Penn State PRO Wellness partners with Kohl’s Cares to enhance school wellness program
Kohl’s Cares has awarded $100,000 to Penn State PRO Wellness to support Healthy Champion school wellness initiatives through the Circle of Wellness program. Circle of Wellness focuses on the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model by taking a collaborative approach to learning and health developed by credible professionals. The year-long Circle of Wellness program includes a virtual workshop for staff members as well as technical support to assist schools in creating unique signature events.
On Nov. 18, Penn State PRO Wellness kicked off the program by hosting 51 staff members from 42 Healthy Champion schools across Pennsylvania in a three-hour virtual workshop. Attendees learned about school safety as an engagement tool, mental resiliency, self-care and preparing families for success through engagement.
Cultivating kindness in 2021 – 31-day Kindness Calendar
Each new year, many of us resolve to be a better person, live a better life or build a better world. What better way to improve our world than by practicing kindness? The COVID morale team at Hershey Medical Center invites everyone to kick off the new year by committing to 31 days of kindness. Kindness leads to more kindness and can make a positive difference in our workforce and in our health.
January’s already begun, but by following the Kindness Calendar (starting today throughout 2021) these generous acts of kindness can help us get through these challenging times and also thrive in them.
Check out the BeWell Employee Wellness Toolkit and visit the PRO Wellness BeWell Employee Wellness website for wellness resources.
In the limelight: Healthcare Heroes award nominations open
Relentless challenges of COVID-19 have drawn our nation’s attention to the outstanding care and commitment of health care workers this past year more than most.
That makes the 2021 Central Penn Business Journal/Central Penn Parent Healthcare Heroes awards as meaningful as ever.
The awards recognize health care professionals who have had a positive impact on individuals and the quality of health care in surrounding communities. Nominations are due by Wednesday, Jan. 27.
Award categories honor a range of health care heroes, including nurse, physician, allied health worker, volunteer, mental health caregiver, special needs advocate, lifetime achievement hero and more, as well as recognition for an organization that advances innovation in health care. A COVID-19 Hero award is new to the roster this year.
Need an address? Use the find a location to help you complete the nomination.
Honorees will be celebrated during a virtual awards event on May 27 and spotlighted through profiles in the Healthcare Heroes magazine and online.
Holy Spirit seeks staffing for medical center screening desk
Holy Spirit needs staffing for the medical center’s screening desk seven days a week, especially on the weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m.
In addition, staff members who are willing to be on call to fill a shift when there is a call-out or shift cancellation are needed. Duties include asking screening questions, taking temperatures and checking the Epic electronic medical record system to see if the visitor is approved. Staff who don’t currently use the system will receive access and training for Epic.
Managers should review the main screening entrance desk schedule (you will need to be in your Geisinger portal to access) and let Calvin Beidleman, Theresa Price or Tiffany Jenkins know which shifts their team is able to fill. If you would like to arrange a standing shift for consistency, that would be appreciated and accommodated.
Access to Geisinger email and SharePoint ends Jan. 31
Access to Geisinger email, email folders and SharePoint for all former Geisinger Holy Spirit, Spirit Physician Services Inc., and West Shore ALS employees ends Sunday, Jan. 31. An automated migration tool will not be available. Staff should continue to manually transfer emails and files to Penn State Health systems. Two methods to transfer manually are:
- Forward individual emails to your @pennstatehealth.psu.edu email address.
- Create a new email message and attached a group of emails to the new email message. Then send the email message to your @pennstatehealth.psu.edu email address. Note that there is a 25 MB limit on email message size.
Wellness Wednesday: need extended time off?
Employees who need time off from work for medical conditions or to care for eligible family members should contact SunLife at 877-786-3652 to request a leave of absence.
If they aren’t eligible for a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, or the reason for their leave does not qualify for FMLA, employees should reach out to their supervisors or managers to request a personal leave of absence.
Visit mySolutions to find information on leaves and ask questions. You can also call 717-531-8440 to talk directly to a Solution Center representative.
Check out the BeWell Employee Wellness Toolkit and for information on wellness resources, visit the PRO Wellness BeWell Employee Wellness website.
University Fitness Center remains closed until Jan. 18
With the continued high number of COVID-19 infections in the community as well as at Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine leadership has decided to keep the University Fitness Center (UFC) closed until Jan. 18. They will continue to monitor the situation and reopen when they feel the risk to UFC members is minimal.
Holy Spirit adds facilities work request icon to desktop
Icon of Holy Spirit facilities request shortcut.A new facilities work request shortcut icon has been added to each Holy Spirit employee’s desktop. This shortcut will take them directly to the Holy Spirit facilities maintenance request module.
Employees who have an emergency facilities request should contact the Facilities Department at 717-763-2494.
People
Adams recognized for Exceptional Moments in Teaching
Dr. Nancy Adams, assistant dean for foundational sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, is featured for January in the “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program.
“Dr. Adams has been the MS1 class superhero since the pandemic and before!” a current student wrote. “I am grateful for all of the extra time and effort she has put into providing us with a manageable and challenging course online. She has worked so well with our class representatives to fix any problems we had and to deal with concerns about anatomy, Zoom problems and scheduling.
“Her weekly emails with the schedule are so organized, and I appreciate the personal details she adds about how her family is dealing with the pandemic. Now that everything is online, there are so many places to check for information (Davinci, Oasis, Box, Zoom, etc.), so it is extremely useful to refer to Dr. Adams’ email where she details the following week and provides links to the Box page where she lists all of our coming assignments. She really has been an important part of helping us deal with learning during this difficult time.”
Williams wins Holy Spirit Medical Center November Great Catch award
Holy Spirit Medical Center’s Patient Safety Champion for November is Nicole Williams.
Williams, a pharmacist, earned the Great Catch award for recognizing a coding error in the Epic electronic medical record system. The system had offered a pediatric-sized dose of a drug to an 18-year-old patient. Williams pushed to correct the error. Thanks to her diligence, the Epic coding age for pediatrics is now 0 to 17 years and 364 days.
Holy Spirit Medical Center’s Patient Safety Committee presents the Great Catch award monthly to an employee who decreases patient injury or harm by recognizing an unsafe situation or near-miss event. In addition to a certificate, recipients receive a gift certificate to the Hearth, the Holy Spirit cafeteria, and use of a special parking space for the month.
Hershey names Getz, Bowser November, December Daisy Award winners
Hershey Medical Center presented the November and December DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Awards to Rebecca Getz, staff nurse for the Heart and Vascular Institute Critical Care Unit, and Caitlin Bowser, staff nurse on 6th Floor Medical, respectively.
The accolade recognizes nurses for their skillful, compassionate care and their daily support of patients and families.
A colleague nominated Getz and praised her compassion for a patient who had been on the unit for months suffering from cardiogenic shock .The patient started out hopeful but then gave up. On the patient’s birthday, Getz threw a party with balloons, decorations and a cake. The patient “cracked a smile” that day because of Getz’s effort to bring joy in the midst of a crisis.
A patient nominated Bowser. “She made me feel human,” the patient wrote. “She made me forget for at least a bit about my ailments. She is extraordinary, and I feel truly blessed to have met her. She gave me so much of herself. I want to honor and thank her.”
John Connor, College of Medicine professor emeritus, passes away at 87
John “Jack” Dennis Connor, former assistant chair of the Department of Pharmacology, passed away Dec. 28, 2020, peacefully at his home in Hummelstown. He was 87 years old.
Connor worked for Penn State College of Medicine for 29 years. He served on many committees such as dean searches and student admissions. He retired in 1998 with emeritus status. In 2000, he traveled to Pakistan, teaching and researching at the Aga Khan University in Karachi for six years.
Employees honored for work milestones
Congratulations to the following Penn State Health employees who are celebrating a milestone work anniversary between Dec. 23 and Jan. 5. They put our values into action every day:
45 Years of Service
- Carolyn Zimmerman, Shipping and Receiving, Hershey
40 Years of Service
- Susan Bechtold, Information Services Business Applications, Hershey
35 Years of Service
- Carolyn Blecker, Revenue Integrity, Hershey
30 Years of Service
- Lisa Culler, Pediatrics Support Services, Hershey
- Gregory Dancause, Facilities Maintenance, Hershey
25 Years of Service
- Anne Manning, Penn State Health OB/GYN – American Office Center
- George Minckler, Respiratory Therapy, Holy Spirit
- Kathleen Rhoades, Penn State Health OB/GYN – American Office Center
20 Years of Service
- Susan Blackman, Medical Records, Hershey
- Jenny Boyarski, Patient-Centered Performance Improvement, Medical Group
- Colette Grandstaff, Safety, Hershey
- Victoria Kern, Outpatient Physical Therapy, Hershey
- Janine Oshell, General Administration, Medical Group
- Kerry Roberts, Pediatrics, Hershey
- Mary Simmonds, Penn State Health Medical Group – Andrews Patel Hematology/Oncology
- Sharon Storck, Nursing Administration, Hershey
- Holly Zimmerman, Patient Access, Hershey
15 Years of Service
- Matthew Jacob, Shipping and Receiving, Hershey
- Diedre Shumaker, Orthopaedics, Hershey
- Azlynn Swartz, Medical Group Cancer Services Administration, Hershey
- Ashley Williams, Pharmacy Services, Holy Spirit
10 Years of Service
- Karen Dunn, Operating Room, Hershey
- Michelle George, Medical Group Practice Sites Administration, Hershey
- Sara Grendzinski, Phlebotomy, Hershey
- Alexandra Horwitz, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Hershey
- Joseph Kenny, Information Services Network and Voice Service, Hershey
- Julie Krall, Revenue Integrity, Hershey
- Bregia Lomax, Patient-Centered Performance Improvement, Medical Group
- Cindy MacDonald, Environmental Services, Hershey
- Betty Manspeaker, Information Services Enterprise Infrastructure Technologies, Hershey
- Sarah Medvec, Pediatric Intermediate Care Unit, Hershey
- Kimberly Nguyen, Operating Room, Hershey
- Travis Peiffer, Automated Testing Laboratory, Hershey
- Kathryn Probst, Family and Community Medicine, State College
- Joseph Puleo, Information Services End-User Services, St. Joseph
Employees are recognized for their time at Penn State Health. Recognition begins on the 10th anniversary and is given in five-year increments. Employees from every entity within Penn State Health are included in these recognitions, but not every entity may have an employee with a work anniversary during this time period. For questions about work anniversary dates, contact the HR Solution Center at hrsolutions@pennstatehealth.psu.edu or 717-531-8440.
Events
Penn State Health presents virtual town hall Jan. 13
Penn State Health will host a virtual town hall on Wednesday, Jan. 13, at noon. Penn State Health CEO Steve Massini and his senior leadership team will discuss the health system’s COVID-19 response, vaccine distribution and other topics:
- Zoom link: zoom.us/j/91757591115
- iPhone one-tap: US: +16513728299,,91757591115#
- Phone: 929 205 6099
- Webinar ID: 917 5759 1115
Employees can submit questions in advance here.
‘Providing Inclusive Care for LGBTQ+ Patients’ Topic of Jan. 14 program
Individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ face discrimination and social injustice, including in their health care. To look at issues facing this population, Penn State Health Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will present an Inclusion Academy session, “Providing Inclusive Care for LGBTQ+ Patients,” from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14, as part of the Inclusion Academy: Patient Care series.
Bethany Bower, co-founder, vice president and director of professional development for the LGBT Center of Greater Reading, will lead the program.
For questions or to request accommodation of a disability to participate, email the diversity office at diversity@pennstatehealth.psu.edu. Register here for the virtual event.
Celebration of Women in Science event set for March 12
Penn State College of Medicine and Hershey Medical Center will highlight the contributions of women in biomedical sciences during the past 50 years with “A Celebration of Women in Science.” This full-day, virtual symposium has been rescheduled for Friday, March 12. Visit the website to register. If you registered for the in-person event originally set for March 2020, there is no need to register again for this online event.
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