Weekly Updates: Week of March 22
COVID News
Video: ‘A moment in time’
Since the pandemic began a year ago, Penn State Health’s communities have come together like never before. Unity, camaraderie and teamwork brought many through the tough times. This new TV spot uses images from throughout 2020 to highlight how innovation, perseverance and optimism carried Penn State Health forward. View the video here.
Color me happier: creative care on tap with faculty art therapy program
At the end of the day, Cindy Thomasson lets her creative juices flow ― right over the stress of COVID-19 challenges that don’t quit.
“I have been extremely stressed at work, and the impact of the pandemic has hit me hard,” said Thomasson, a physician assistant in orthopedics at Hershey Medical Center. “I love art and used to make time to be creative. I had lost that recently, and this virtual art class has helped bring me back to it.”
She is one of 14 faculty members at Penn State College of Medicine who is taking advantage of a virtual art therapy studio project for COVID-19 wellness, funded by a grant from the Office of Faculty and Professional Development.
“Art therapy is a perfect way to relieve stress, feel connected, improve mood and allow for meaning in life,” said Jennifer Rudolf, clinical psychiatric specialist with the Eating Disorders Program and board-certified art therapist who facilitates the class.
People
Frank: ‘Spring offers new possibilities’
In his March 22 email to employees, Joe Frank, interim regional president, St. Joseph Medical Center and Lancaster Medical Center, acknowledged that while the pandemic continues one year later, the spring offers new possibilities.
Among his key points:
- On Tuesday, March 30, the hospital will mark National Doctors’ Day by showing appreciation for all physicians.
- At a time when the health care industry faces so much uncertainty, Penn State Health is growing, financially strong and committed to meeting the health care needs of its communities. That distinction makes it an employer of choice for many physicians and advance practice providers, including six who have joined St. Joseph since the beginning of the year.
He also welcomed two additions to the leadership team: Mark Liston, who will join St. Joseph by early April as interim chief financial officer, and Jenna Mastromarino Riley, who was named nurse manager of the Emergency Department.
Hospitals name DAISY Award winners
Hershey Medical Center, St. Joseph Medical Center and Holy Spirit Medical Center named three nurses winners of their monthly DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Awards.
The accolade recognizes nurses for their skillful, compassionate care and their daily support of patients and families.
Hershey Medical Center
Hershey Medical Center presented the 2021 January DAISY Award to Katherine Quickel, Contingency Pool.
A colleague who had previously worked in the Pediatric Intermediate Care Unit nominated Quickel for providing the “peace and healing health care hands” that she and her husband needed while their infant daughter was undergoing cardiac surgery.
St. Joseph
St. Joseph presented a Daisy Award on Feb. 23 to Jackie Miller, a clinical coordinator for St. Joseph Cancer Center. A colleague recognized Miller for her “behind-the-scenes” work that makes a big difference for patients.
“Jackie goes out of her way to make an extra call for a patient, meet a patient face-to-face in the infusion room, or call multiple places to coordinate care, appointments or testing for a patient in a timely manner,” her nominator said. “Jackie is a very valuable member of our team, and her hard work and kindness make an impact on each patient she is involved with every single day.”
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit Medical Center presented a DAISY Award to Michelle Davis, a nurse on 4 Main.
A colleague recognized Davis for always being “kind, compassionate and open-minded,” especially in one situation where she spent hours helping a patient’s family understand why the patient needed to be transferred to another facility. Following the transfer, the patient’s son thanked Davis for taking the time to ease their fears and answer questions in a patient and kind manner.
“Davis interacts this way with people every day,” said her colleague. “She treated the patient and family with the utmost respect. She deserves to be recognized for her amazing kindness.”
Employees honored for work milestones
Congratulations to Penn State Health employees who are celebrating a milestone work anniversary between March 17 and 23. They put our values into action every day.
Leaders Celebrating Leaders highlights accomplishments, commitment of students
Each year, Penn State College of Medicine honors student leaders from the graduate, medical, nursing and physician assistant programs.
Because of COVID-19, however, in-person recognition for the 2020-2021 academic year was canceled. The offices of the Dean, Vice Dean for Educational Affairs, Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Studies and Nursing chose to virtually highlight student leaders for their hard work and accomplishments.
See a list of student organizations and their officers here.
As part of the annual Leaders Celebrating Leaders program, class officers and representatives from the medical doctor, physician assistant graduate and nursing programs acknowledge fellow students and their good work, commitment and service to the College of Medicine and community.
Click here to view all the honorees and their nomination letters.
Boose named Holy Spirit Medical Center BEE Award winner
Esther Boose, a unit desk clerk on 7 Main at Holy Spirit Medical Center, won the Medical Center’s BEE (Be Extraordinary Every day) Award.
Boose, who has been a Holy Spirit employee for 47 years, earned the award because she is extremely loyal and cares deeply about the hospital’s mission.
“She holds everyone to a high standard and is the ultimate knowledge keeper,” one nominator said. “Esther precepts new employees and is always ready for any new task.”
After volunteering to take responsibility for 7 Main’s kitchen stock, Boose purchased an organizer so every item had its place, simplifying inventory and saving the department thousands of dollars.
The Nursing Department presents the award four times a year to non-nurse team members who provide extraordinary care to patients, visitors and each other. Recipients receive a pin, honey, chocolate and a certificate.
Research
Understanding how cells repair DNA may lead to targeted cancer treatments
The human body is made up of trillions of cells that divide throughout a person’s lifetime. Each time a cell divides, its genetic material is copied and reproduced so the duplicate carries the same information. This process of DNA replication happens continuously in humans, and cells use a series of biological safety nets to make sure the process goes smoothly.
George-Lucian Moldovan, Penn State Cancer Institute researcher and associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State College of Medicine, and students and postdoctoral scholars in his laboratory are working to better understand the cellular machinery that repairs DNA when something goes wrong.
“Genetic mutations that cause cancer may occur as a result of DNA damage from environmental exposures like tobacco smoke, radiation and sunlight,” Moldovan said. “Cells have several mechanisms to ensure that the resulting damage can be repaired, but sometimes a person’s cells may already have genetic mutations which limit the capacity to fix that damage correctly.”
Researchers join study evaluating blood test to diagnose endometriosis
Penn State College of Medicine researchers are participating in a study that will evaluate whether a blood test can be used to determine if a person has endometriosis. They said if the test’s accuracy is confirmed, it could shorten the time to diagnosis and treatment and may prevent years of uncomfortable symptoms, disease progression and high health care costs.
Dr. Timothy Deimling, associate professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said that symptoms of endometriosis are often confused with other gynecological or digestive disorders, which can make it difficult to diagnose. The only current method for confirming endometriosis is surgery, which can take a while since gynecologists carefully consider symptoms before scheduling invasive procedures.
“A noninvasive test could help us get patients the treatment they need sooner so we can improve their quality of life,” Deimling said. “Delayed diagnosis can cause reproductive or other complications as a result of advanced disease progression.”
Events
‘Women in the Workplace and Inclusivity’ town hall discussion advances gender equality March 30
Penn State Health officials will discuss the health system’s resources and efforts to promote gender equality at the “Insights into Our Identities: Women in the Workplace and Inclusivity” meeting from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30. Register here.
This virtual event will include a discussion on how individuals and Penn State Health can work together to improve the organization’s culture, communications and safety for women in its workforce. The “Insights into Our Identities” series is presented by Penn State Health’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Email questions or request accommodations for disabilities to participate.
Book club features ‘Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line’ author March 30
The Penn State Commission for Women will host a book club discussion with Deepa Anappara, author of “Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line.” The event is Tuesday, March 30, at 4 p.m. Register here.
Registration open for ‘Opportunities and Limitations in Microbiome Association Analysis’ March 30
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute will present “Opportunities and Limitations in Microbiome Association Analysis” at its next Recent Topics in Research Methods Seminar Series from 4 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30.
The Recent Topics in Research Methods Seminar Series features statisticians and methodologists from multiple Penn State departments. Xiang Zhan, associate professor of public health sciences, will present this seminar. Zhan will discuss computational and statistical limitations to leveraging the large body of available microbiome data and propose new statistical methods and computational tools to combat these challenges while maintaining both statistical rigor and biological relevance.
Holy Spirit Medical Center transitions print requests to Digital Storefront March 31
Holy Spirit Medical Center’s print shop will stop accepting requests on Wednesday, March 31. Staff should order all print items through the Penn State Health Printing Services Digital Storefront, which is available 24/7.
Access the online portal through the link “Resources – Printing Services” on the main page of the Infonet or via psh.myprintdesk.net/dsf using Chrome or Firefox. Users may not find every item needed on the site, but products can be scanned as PDF files and ordered by clicking on the “Reorder” link in the left-hand menu.
Email or call Printing Services at 717-534-1758 with any questions. View a brief overview and users guide here or pick up a printed copy in the mailroom located in the basement of Holy Spirit Medical Center.
Collaborative presents autism discussion April 7
Catherine Mello, assistant professor of psychology at Penn State, will virtually present “Evaluating and Improving Service Trajectories for Families of Children with Autism in Québec, Canada” on Wednesday, April 7, noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
The lecture is part of the Penn State Autism and Developmental Disorders Collaborative seminar series.
IRS extends tax filing deadline to May 17
The Payroll Department at Penn State Health is alerting employees that the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of the Treasury have extended the 2020 tax filing and payment deadline to Monday, May 17.
Under Pennsylvania law, the deadline for filing state income tax returns is tied to the deadline set at the federal level. As a result, the deadline to file 2020 Pennsylvania personal income tax returns and make final 2020 income tax payments also has been extended to May 17.
Contact your local municipalities to see if they are extending their tax filing dates as well.
Other news
College of Medicine hosts international research data management conference
Penn State hosted more than 400 attendees from 90 institutions at the 2021 SciVal and Pure North American User Group meetings, the first virtual event of its kind, Jan. 26-28.
SciVal is a research assessment tool that provides data on individuals, institutions, research themes, locations and collaborations.
Presenters highlighted the functionality and best practices for these research data management products used by institutions across the globe.
Penn State was chosen to host this conference for its successful implementation of these technologies, evident in the more than 5,200 researcher profiles on Pure as of January 2021.
Read more about the event and how researchers can update their Pure profile.
Penn State College of Medicine Pandemic Response Friday Round-Up – Week of March 15-19
Penn State College of Medicine leaders updated faculty, staff and students on March 19 about the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- The College announced its commencement plans on March 17. The hybrid ceremony will allow graduates to celebrate with each other in person at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. Students’ family and friends will participate via webcast, and faculty and staff are also encouraged to log in. Stay tuned for more information.
- Fourth-year medical students learned on March 19 where they will be going for their residencies. Click here to see Match Day photos and leave congratulatory messages.
- The College is still in phase 4, which permits research labs to work at up to 80% capacity, if they can maintain appropriate physical distancing requirements of at least six feet between individuals. Masking is still required for everyone while in the lab and on campus, even if everyone in the lab environment has been vaccinated.
Penn State Health must continue efforts against discrimination, town hall members say
Racial equity is one of the most important issues Penn State Health must tackle, said participants of the “Insight Into Our Identity: Race Relations and Inclusivity” town hall on March 4. Penn State Health has made progress toward eradicating racism and advocating for inclusion, they agreed, but more work must be done.
Watch the town hall, sponsored by the Penn State Health Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, here.
Lynette Chappell-Williams, Penn State Health vice president and chief diversity officer, said that some of the health system’s accomplishments during the last 10 months include establishing a systemwide patient bias prevention policy, amending the discrimination policy to include zero tolerance for discrimination, and establishing a policy that requires racial/ethnic and gender diversity in all management-level and faculty/physician searches.
Penn State Health also is requiring employees to participate in an online educational program about unconscious bias, microaggressions and upstanding.
Hershey Medical Center pathology lab earns renewed accreditation
Hershey Medical Center’s pathology lab has earned continued accreditation from the College of American Pathologists. Widely recognized as the gold standard, the program has served as a model for laboratory accreditation programs throughout the world.
“This is a remarkable accomplishment, especially during the pandemic,” said Maher Hanna, vice president of operations. “Staff have stepped up to contribute countless hours in support of the medical center’s response to COVID-19, including identifying needed changes in laboratory medicine and technology, adapting practices to support and protect their colleagues and providing high-quality care for our COVID patients.”
St. Joseph residency program wins continued accreditation
St. Joseph Medical Center’s Family and Community Medicine Residency program earned continued accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), demonstrating it meets the quality standards needed to prepare residents for the practice specialty.
The reaccreditation is a first for the program since all post-graduate medical training programs switched to centralized accreditation through the ACGME in June 2020. With the shift, medical and osteopathic residency programs also standardized their graduation requirements.
“We are thrilled to have maintained our ACGME accreditation so soon after moving from an osteopathic accreditation system to a centralized one,” said Dr. Alexis Reedy-Cooper, program director.
Julian Weinstein, a resident with the program, said continued accreditation “gives us official recognition of what any resident in the program would say. This is an excellent program that continues to train physicians who are well-qualified to practice independently after graduation.
Keep tabs on Hampden Medical Center job opportunities
Penn State Health is poised to add a significant number of jobs in central Pennsylvania, as Hampden Medical Center prepares to welcome its first patients in October 2021.
Click here to learn more about Hampden Medical Center, and sign up to receive updates and view job opportunities.
The new facility in Hampden Township will bring inpatient and outpatient medical services to communities in Cumberland, Perry and York counties.
Wellness Wednesday: National Diabetes Alert Day
Nearly 1 in 4 adults living with diabetes, or 7.2 million Americans, are unaware they have the disease. The sooner you know you’re at risk for diabetes, the sooner you can take steps to prevent or manage it.
If you have a family history of diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing Type 2 diabetes. You are also more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes if you are over age 45, overweight or not physically active.
Find out if you – or someone you love – is at risk for Type 2 diabetes by taking this quick and simple American Diabetes Association Diabetes Risk Test.
Check out the BeWell Employee Wellness Toolkit, and for information on wellness resources, visit the PRO Wellness BeWell Employee Wellness website.
University Fitness Center seeks input on group exercise classes
As the University Fitness Center at Hershey works to resume its services while maintaining COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the team is looking for feedback about its group exercise classes. Members can participate in this survey until Wednesday, March 31.
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.
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