Weekly Updates: Week of March 15
COVID news
Newest federal COVID-19 safety guidance does not apply to health care settings
The recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for fully vaccinated individuals does not apply to health care settings. At this time, no policy related to masking, social distancing or patient care protocols has changed within the walls and on the grounds of Penn State Health and College of Medicine facilities.
The recent guidance, including loosened quarantine requirements and the chance to enjoy time with vaccinated friends and family, reinforces that the U.S. is moving toward more balance in everyone’s lives. However, a continued downward trend in the number of COVID-19 cases is not guaranteed due to uncertainties about the impact of viral variants, limited community vaccinations to date and inconsistent safety precautions in communities.
For a summary of visitation scenarios and recommended prevention methods, visit the CDC website.
St. Joseph nurse-driven mobility program delivers for COVID-19 patients
At St. Joseph Medical Center, a new program geared to get COVID-19 patients moving to help their recovery is bearing fruit.
In the eight weeks since St. Joseph Medical Center rolled out its Stay Active, Stay Strong program, nurses have witnessed improvements in patient activity levels while deconditioning and isolation have decreased.
“In a normal world, the patients would have more interaction, staff from a variety of departments would be in and out of the rooms, and their activity levels would be different,” said Sharon Strohecker, vice president of clinical services and chief nursing officer. “These patients aren’t having that normal experience. They are isolated. The doors are shut. No family is coming in. Even the nurses, who are donned head to toe in personal protective equipment, are spending less time in the patient space.”
Continue to mask up, regardless of HIPAA-protected vaccination status
As more individuals in the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Phase 1A receive their COVID-19 vaccinations, more patients have been asking Penn State Health providers and staff whether they have been vaccinated.
The personal health information – including vaccination status – of any Penn State Health or Penn State College of Medicine employee or student is private and protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Staff members are not required to share this information with patients or other employees.
The COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for emergency use only, and Penn State Health and College of Medicine employees and students are not currently required to receive the vaccination. However, more than three-quarters have chosen to be vaccinated.
While the vaccine is very effective in keeping a person from becoming sick with COVID, it is not known if it prevents them from passing COVID onto others. Because of that, Penn State Health and the College of Medicine require that all staff and students — whether in patient-facing settings or not — continue to mask up, wash up and practice social distancing, regardless of their vaccination status. This includes small group settings where everyone present has received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Penn State Health has provided Medical Group sites with signage informing patients and their families that staff members are not required to say whether they have received their vaccinations, due to HIPAA.
Guidelines for admitting asymptomatic hematology-oncology patients from Emergency Department
All Hershey Medical Centers patients are now tested for COVID-19 before being admitted. Clinical leaders are reinforcing the Guidance for Antigen (Ag) Testing in PSHMC Emergency Department to clarify any confusion about admissions for asymptomatic patients.
Hershey Medical Center employees have raised questions about the process for admitting asymptomatic and hematology-oncology patients from the Emergency Department following the administration of a COVID test.
Managers should review these guidelines at the Daily Operational Management Safety huddles.
Conserve glove use during COVID-19 vaccinations
As Penn State Health vaccinates more patients and community members at its dedicated COVID-19 vaccination sites, Supply Chain cautions that its inventory of surgical gloves cannot support their continued use for vaccinations.
Penn State Health employees who administer vaccinations should follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including:
- Not using surgical gloves when administering vaccinations. The CDC advises those administering vaccinations to clean their hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or soap and water before preparing vaccines for administration and between each patient contact.
- Gloves are only required if the person administering vaccinations has open lesions on their hands.
College of Medicine Pandemic Response Friday Round-Up – Week of March 8-12
College of Medicine leaders updated faculty, staff and students on March 12 about the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Approximately 75% of our Penn State Health and College of Medicine workforce, students, contractors and volunteers have been vaccinated. Approximately 25% of our workforce who initially did not receive the vaccine are now securing it. Employees and students who are still interested can click here to schedule their appointments.
- The University and College are working closely to ensure that as many classes as possible are held in person for fall 2021. This information is being evaluated to provide instructors, staff and students adequate time for preparation. We will share additional information in the coming weeks, but the expectation from the University is that we will resume in-person instruction for fall 2021 with few exemptions to teach remotely.
Research
College of Medicine graduate students share research at forum
Graduate students and faculty members from Penn State College of Medicine gathered online to hear students talk about their research progress at the 2021 Graduate Student Research Forum March 3-5.
Students presented 19 in-person oral presentations and 21 pre-recorded poster sessions. The event, hosted by the College of Medicine’s Graduate Student Association, involved faculty across all departments, postdoctoral students and alumni.
College of Medicine Alumna Tricia Burdo, who received her PhD from the College of Medicine in 2003, was the keynote speaker on March 5. Burdo is associate chair of education in the Department of Neuroscience in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
“Seek out good mentors. This is so important,” she advised, adding that students need to get involved in programs as much as possible and find people who will support them when they need encouragement.
People
Emergency medicine resident Zegarac honored for exceptional teaching
Dr. Marko Zegarac, an emergency medicine resident at Hershey Medical Center, was honored in March 2021 as part of the Exceptional Moments in Teaching program of Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine.
“Dr. Zegarac was an exceptional preceptor, and he really demonstrated respect for me as a learner,” a current student wrote. “He allowed me to go see patients on my own and present my findings to him with a full differential, but challenged me to explain why I considered each differential and plan. He took into account my findings and made me really feel like a part of the team.”
Employees honored for work milestones
Congratulations to the following Penn State Health employees who are celebrating a milestone work anniversary between March 10–16. They put our values into action every day.
Events
Mark your calendar for Penn State Health town hall on March 24
Penn State Health will host a virtual town hall on Wednesday, March 24, at noon:
- Zoom link: zoom.us/j/93405262414
- iPhone one-tap: US: +16465189805, 93405262414#
- Phone: 929 205 6099
- Webinar ID: 934 0526 2414
Employees can submit questions in advance here.
Read FAQs from previous town halls.
Smart Health Research Colloquium examines health care delivery March 24
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Penn State College of Medicine are cosponsoring a virtual event for researchers on the transformation of health care delivery Wednesday, March 24, from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
The Penn State Center for Health Organization Transformation Smart Health Research Colloquium will feature Naoru Koizumi, professor of public policy and director of research in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, and Chaitra Gopalappa, associate professor of industrial engineering and operations research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
College of Medicine primary investigators must attend March 25 biosafety workshop
Jeff Potts, biorisk management chief of the National Institutes of Health Division of Occupational Health and Safety, will discuss biosafety in microbiological and biomedical laboratories on Thursday, March 25, from noon to 1 p.m.
Attendance is mandatory for all College of Medicine primary investigators and one member of their study team. This quarterly regulatory workshop is presented by Penn State College of Medicine’s Research Quality Assurance Office. Register online to receive the Zoom link.
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.
Other news
Orthopedic Institute of PA provides care at Penn State Health’s Cumberland County hospitals
Penn State Health and Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania (OIP) have entered into a collaborative agreement for OIP to provide orthopedic care at Penn State Health’s two Cumberland County hospitals – Holy Spirit Medical Center and Hampden Medical Center.
The arrangement builds on the reputation of OIP’s surgeons and specialists who have provided patients in central Pennsylvania with compassionate, comprehensive orthopedic care for 50 years. OIP is a private, independent practice.
Penn State Health and OIP began discussing a collaboration for OIP to provide orthopedic care at Hampden Medical Center, set to open this fall, in early 2020. Discussions expanded to include Holy Spirit Medical Center when it became part of Penn State Health on Nov. 1, 2020. OIP will oversee general orthopedic care as well as orthopedic trauma at Holy Spirit Medical Center.
Dr. Brett Himmelwright has been named medical director of general orthopedic care at Holy Spirit Medical Center, a level II trauma center.
“This collaboration is a natural fit – OIP and Penn State Health have a shared mission of being a trusted choice for communities in the area,” Himmelwright said. “We look forward to providing the thoughtful, personalized care that OIP patients have come to know at Penn State Health facilities.”
Heart and Vascular Institute team excels at key post-surgery measures
A Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute team successfully removed the breathing tubes of 121 cardiac surgery patients in the operating room (OR) from July to December 2020, achieving a 44.5% OR extubation rate. That’s a 985% improvement from the prior six months.
Even better, the team has achieved a reintubation rate of 2.7%, lower than the published rate of between 3.7% and 10% for various types of cardiac surgery, an indicator that earlier extubations are safe and effective.
“When I tell cardiac surgery patients there’s a good chance we can get them off the breathing machine in the OR, they’re comforted,” said cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jeffery Cope of Hershey Medical Center. “And when patients are less anxious, their outcomes are better.”
Celebrate your safety journey, recharge your safety efforts
Are you a front-line employee thinking about becoming a safety coach or one of our leaders interested in certification as a patient safety champion? Are you interested in taking one of the many patient safety training courses available to our staff? Do you have a helpful patient safety experience to share? Or do you just need to recommit to the S.A.F.E. and T.E.A.M. behaviors after a challenging year?
National Patient Safety Awareness Week is March 14-20. “This is the perfect time to reset our individual patient safety focus and celebrate our collective patient safety successes,” said Steve Mrozowski, director of patient safety for Hershey Medical Center.
Patient Safety will periodically highlight safety root-cause analyses and lessons learned in the Daily Brief. The first article features a short case summary and a challenge question.
Penn State Health transitions to new medical surgical supplier
Penn State Health will move 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.
Leaders say the decision to select one distribution partner for the system will result in fewer supply substitutions and the consistent delivery of existing products. They also emphasized that Owens & Minor’s data capabilities will assist with product decisions and improve overall productivity.
Penn State Health patient portal upgrades improve patient satisfaction, safety
Hershey Medical Center and St. Joseph Medical Center patients will be able to view pathology interpretive reports in their patient portals beginning Tuesday, March 30. The anatomic pathology reports will include surgical pathology, cytopathology, bone marrow, flow cytometry and dermatopathology.
Four days will pass between a report’s finalization and its availability to patients via the portal. This will give providers time to review the reports first.
The Penn State Health patient portal “mypennstatehealth” posts nearly everything in a patient’s medical record immediately upon availability in the electronic medical record in final format. This includes vital signs, lab results, imaging studies and final, signed provider notes. This patient-centric approach to data transparency is nationally known as “open note.”
Research Recognition Award nominations due March 23
Nominations are now open for Penn State College of Medicine and Hershey Medical Center’s Research Recognition Awards until Tuesday, March 23. Faculty and staff are invited to submit nominations for outstanding investigators at the college and medical center.
Sponsored by the Office of the Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, the event highlights achievements in several areas of research, including the Career Research Excellence Award. The 2021 awards will be presented on Tuesday, May 11, following the spring Dean’s Lecture.
Read more and submit a nomination online through March 23.
McKenna: March is month for celebration
In his March 16 message, Don McKenna, regional president, Holy Spirit Medical Center and Hampden Medical Center, acknowledged that a year after the pandemic began staff must remain vigilant about masking and social distancing—particularly in the health care work environment—but they have every reason to feel hopeful.
Among his key points:
- Holy Spirit Medical Center earned a spot on Newsweek’s list of Best Maternity Hospitals 2021 for meeting The Leapfrog Group’s high standards for safety and quality in delivering maternity care.
- On March 3, the hospital celebrated 58 years since first opening its doors to patients, and the Sisters of Christian Charity began their sponsorship of a much-needed hospital on the West Shore.
- On Tuesday, March 30, Holy Spirit Medical Center will recognize the contributions of its physicians with an appreciation breakfast, from 7 to 9 a.m. in the hospital auditorium. A highlight will be the presentation of the 2021 Physician of the Year award.
Did you know? Holy Spirit Medical Center marks milestone
Get to know the newest member of our Penn State Health family ― Holy Spirit Medical Center. We’ll share some facts about its history, people and services each week in the Daily Brief. As promised in Thursday’s Daily Brief, here are the answers to question No. 1:
Q: What year was Holy Spirit Hospital first proposed, and what year was it built?
A: In 1953, the Founding Committee officially brought the idea of a Catholic hospital before Bishop George L. Leech, Harrisburg Diocese. In 1956, the Sisters of Christian Charity were asked to sponsor this much-needed hospital. They agreed to make a generous investment in the Camp Hill community, not only a large financial outlay, but an investment of absolute devotion to the care of the sick. That same year, the Sisters purchased 26 acres of land in East Pennsboro Township. Holy Spirit Hospital opened its doors on March 3, 1963.
Watch for “Did you knows?” about our other medical centers coming soon in future editions of the Daily Brief.
Emotional Wellness Resources for employees
Emotional wellness is key to managing stress and achieving success. Human Resources has provided a snapshot of the emotional wellness resources available to employees. To view the Emotional Wellness Resources flyer and additional wellness resources, visit the PRO Wellness BeWell Employee Wellness website.
Wellness Wednesday: spreading love and kindness
Love yourself—and others—no matter what! It’s easier said than done, right? This skill is a foundational part of mindfulness and well-being. Only when we’re able to achieve this level of understanding, love and freedom from judgment for ourselves and others can we truly reach total well-being.
Practicing loving kindness can help improve:
- Physical health
- Mental health
- Connections to one another
Practicing loving kindness takes time, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Click here to learn more.
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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