Weekly Updates: Week of March 29
COVID news
Penn State Health town hall highlights: Vaccinations and easing some COVID-19 restrictions
More than 1,160 employees attended the March 24 Penn State Health town hall, which opened with a montage of quotes from employees sharing what they’re looking forward to as vaccinations increase and social distancing restrictions ease.
In case you missed it, here are some highlights:
- The health system continues to see a downward trend in the number of COVID-19 patients in its three medical centers, averaging a total of 50 to 60 positive patients throughout March — one-quarter of the numbers seen in early January.
- The number of employees who are either COVID-19-positive or quarantined due to exposure also continues to decline. In the third week of March, there were 46 positive and 206 quarantined. Steve Massini, Penn State Health CEO, reminded town hall attendees, “We have to remain diligent and cautious. We still have positive patients. We have fully vaccinated staff who are getting COVID.”
- More than 78% — 15,478 — of Penn State Health and College of Medicine staff, faculty and students have been vaccinated.
- As of March 22, Penn State Health had vaccinated 43,403 individuals in the Department of Health’s Phase 1A — including many Penn State Health patients — through its dedicated vaccination sites in Berks, Centre, Cumberland and Dauphin counties and at its pop-up sites for underserved populations. Additionally, as of March 20, 11,199 individuals have been vaccinated through Vaccinate Lancaster, a partnership between Penn State Health, other regional health care providers and county government.
- Managers may ask some staff currently working remotely to return on-site after Monday, April 5. Managers should consider all health and safety protocols and policies for on-site staff and work with employees as their work environment changes.
See a replay of the town hall here.
Penn State College of Medicine Pandemic Response Friday Round-Up – week of March 22-26
College of Medicine leaders updated faculty, staff and students on March 26 about the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Commencement 2021: On March 25, Dr. Kevin Black, interim dean, announced that commencement will be Saturday, May 15, at 1 p.m. at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in the lodge’s ballroom. Each student can invite up to three guests. An outdoor location at the lodge will be available adjacent to the ballroom to watch the ceremony via livestream.
- Ramping-up research: On March 29, on-site laboratory research activities transitioned from phase 4 to a modified phase 5 of our COVID-19 Ramp-Up plan. Guiding principles for phase 5 are available on the dedicated coronavirus section of our website. In addition, laboratory research capacity returned to 100%.
- Working remotely: All faculty, staff and trainees who can work remotely should continue to do so. Data analysis and other research, where possible, should continue to be performed remotely. Continue to use Zoom for all meetings and activities where in-person attendance is not essential and for those in-person meetings where an individual cannot join because of health-related concerns.
Hershey Medical Center Employee Health COVID Call Center closes weekends starting April 3
The Hershey Medical Center Employee Health COVID Call Center will close on weekends beginning Saturday, April 3.
The call center will continue to operate Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For details about how critical employees can obtain a test during the weekend, click here.
People
Curry named Human Resources strategic partner at Penn State College of Medicine
Jill Curry, formerly interim director of Human Resources at Penn State College of Medicine, has been named Human Resources strategic partner.
Curry will direct the Human Resources functions at the College of Medicine and report to Amanda Jones, senior director for Human Resources at Penn State University Park.
Curry has worked for the College of Medicine for nine years. She received her bachelor’s degree from Albright College and her master’s degree from Penn State. She has held multiple roles in the human resources industry, including serving as a senior human resources generalist for ITT Industries.
Since Denise Burkholder’s retirement in December, she served as interim director of Human Resources
Vrana recognized for Exceptional Moments in Teaching
Kent Vrana, PhD, Elliot S. Vesell Professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology at Penn State College of Medicine, is featured for April in the “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program.
“Dr. Vrana’s lectures were outstanding,” a current student wrote. “He was clear, concise and deliberate with the material he shared with students. He was exceptionally professional in his lecture materials (outstanding quality and presentation) and was quick to field complex questions in team settings. I am very excited to be his pupil in future blocks and learn more from him as my career at Penn State College of Medicine progresses. Thank you, Dr. Vrana!”
St. Joseph Medical Center recognizes Guardian Angels for exceptional care
St. Joseph Medical Center presented three Guardian Angel awards on March 18 to Cancer Center staff recognized by patients and family members for exhibiting kindness and providing exceptional care.
Receiving awards were the Infusion Services team; Lisa Spencer, a breast care patient navigator; and Ashleigh Plank, a pre-certification associate.
Donors described the staff members’ actions using words such as, “helpful,” “respectful,” “compassionate” and “a blessing.”
Holy Spirit presents Recupero with February Great Catch award
Holy Spirit Medical Center’s Patient Safety Champion for February is pharmacist Cynthia Recupero.
Recupero earned the Great Catch award for noticing that a verbal change order to a medication was not documented properly and for correcting the discrepancy before it negatively affected the patient.
Holy Spirit Medical Center’s Patient Safety Committee presents the Great Catch award monthly to an employee who helps decrease the chance for patient injury or harm by recognizing and preventing an unsafe situation or near-miss event.
In addition to being recognized during the monthly leadership meeting, recipients receive 20,000 PAWS UP! points, a gift certificate to the hospital cafeteria and use of a special parking space for the month.
Employees honored for work milestones
Congratulations to Penn State Health employees who are celebrating a milestone work anniversary between March 24 and March 30. They put our values into action every day.
Events
Donors needed for April 7 employee blood drive in Hershey
Penn State Health will host an employee blood drive, Wednesday, April 7, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the University Conference Center, 500 University Drive.
Schedule appointments here.
For blood donor eligibility requirements, visit the American Red Cross website.
Unconscious bias: Own it and oust it
The remedy for unconscious bias starts with a conscious decision to do something about it.
“Everyone has unconscious bias based on their own personal experiences,” said Dr. Chen Zhao, a neurologist at Hershey Medical Center. “But as we become aware of it, we should make an intentional effort to ensure those thoughts don’t impact how we treat and speak to others.”
The relationship between patient and doctor has the potential to be enhanced or inhibited by unconscious bias or even blatant bias, said Zhao, who, as an Asian American, says she has experienced both.
Asian Americans, in particular, are an easy target because they have often been labeled outsiders, she said.
Zhao will touch on the role that unconscious bias plays in medical research in her presentation “Cognitive Evaluation of Diverse Populations,” Thursday, April 8, from noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
Other news
Berini: ‘It’s all about your excellent care’
Hershey Medical Center President Deborah Berini recognized National Doctors’ Day and thanked Medical Center doctors for their excellent care in her March President’s Perspective emailed to medical center staff today, March 30.
Among the key points:
- This day of recognition is not just about the extraordinary efforts during the pandemic, it is about all the excellent care that you provide day in and day out. This care involves so much more than diagnosing and treating patients, but also listening, explaining procedures and building trust.
- One of the most important ways that I can thank you is to listen, ask questions and advocate for you. Through our regular meetings, one-on-one conversations and the employee and faculty engagement survey, my team works to get your input so we can address your concerns and improve the practice environment. Sometimes this comes in the form of identifying and streamlining antiquated processes that eat away at time that could be better spent with patients.
- The time-consuming process of manually signing into clinical computers has long been a frustration for our doctors. It was the number one requested improvement from the Physician Informatics Advisory Group, which represents our faculty to improve our clinical systems. I recently spoke with Dr. Ifesinachi Ndukwu and Hy Nguyen, information technology support specialist, about the rollout of Fast Pass, a system that allows those who use shared clinical computers to quickly log in with a tap of their badge. Watch the video.
Small group learning opportunities are at heart of Penn State College of Medicine University Park Curriculum
Students who are part of the Penn State College of Medicine University Park Curriculum say they benefit from the smaller classes and hospital experience.
A dozen students study and do clerkships at Penn State’s University Park campus in State College while staying connected to instructors and mentors at the College of Medicine in Hershey.
First-year medical student Lauren Pomerantz says she likes the teamwork and close bond she has formed with peers because of the small program.
This year, students learned about the pandemic from different perspectives, thanks to Dr. Mark Stephens, who spent 27 years in the U.S. Navy and has accumulated a long list of friendships and professional relationships during his career. Through him, they had the opportunity to speak to leaders involved with the local, state and federal response to the pandemic.
Hershey Medical Center Food Service gift cards program ends in May
Hershey Medical Center’s Food Service gift card program will end in May, in preparation for a new gift card program through the new vendor, Sodexo.
Hershey Food Service gift card sales will end Monday, March 29.
Employees carrying a balance on a Hershey gift card should use the card prior to Monday, May 17. Beginning on that date, Penn State Health food service outlets will no longer accept Hershey Food Service gift cards as a method of payment. There will be no refunds or transfers on unused balances.
Starbucks gift cards and Lion Cash will still be accepted at Penn State Health food service outlets.
Hershey Patient Safety Department highlights root cause analysis about alarm recognition, response
Hershey Medical Center’s Patient Safety Department will periodically highlight patient safety root cause analyses and lessons learned in The Daily Brief.
This week the department is focusing on alarm recognition and response. Take three minutes to review the case summary, lessons learned and challenge question. Use the information to improve personal patient safety practices, share it with team members and discuss the findings at a huddle.
Learn more about telemetry monitoring and alarm fatigue at the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority.
Nominations for 2021 Penn State Commission for Women annual awards due April 7
The Penn State Commission for Women is accepting nominations for two annual awards.
Both awards are open to Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine faculty, staff, fellows, trainees and students regardless of gender. Nominators and nominees are not required to be members of the Penn State Commission for Women.
2021 3C Award – Commitment, Community, Change
This award recognizes work and volunteer efforts that impact the advancement of women within or outside Penn State in the areas of commitment, community and change.
- Commitment: demonstrating commitment toward supporting the growth of women through education, mentorship, leadership or opportunity
- Community: addressing the needs of women and girls or promoting female initiatives in the community
- Change: championing change, advocating for and creating impact regarding women’s issues
2021 Mentoring Award
This award recognizes exemplary and effective mentorship through voluntarily mentoring women to support them reaching their professional and personal potential. Each year the award is presented to one faculty member and one staff member.
Submit nominations by Wednesday, April 7. Self-nominations are accepted. Contact Lisa Ingalls with questions.
Did you know? The heart of Holy Spirit
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’s the answer to question No. 3:
Q: What is the name of Holy Spirit’s dedicated heart center?
A: The Ortenzio Heart Center at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center, a 140,000-square-foot facility dedicated to the care and treatment of patients with heart conditions, opened in 2003.
Watch for future “Did you knows?” about Penn State Health’s other medical centers, coming soon to the Daily Brief.
Wellness Wednesday: spaghetti and roasted veggies recipe
Spaghetti dinners can be an easy way to include more veggies in your kids’ diets. Adding vegetables makes it possible to have your spaghetti dinner and be healthy, too. This colorful pasta dish is a great source of protein and fiber. Click here for full recipe and video!
Check out the BeWell Employee Wellness Toolkit and for information on wellness resources, visit the PRO Wellness BeWell Employee Wellness website.
‘Engage’ podcast highlights improving young people’s sexual health through testing
Winnie Adebayo, an assistant professor of nursing at Penn State College of Nursing, discusses her research into improving the rates of sexually transmitted infection testing in young people on Episode 10 of Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s “Engage” podcast.
“Engage” is available on all major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Put RITE values in action every day in April
Penn State Health emphasizes its RITE values (respect, integrity, teamwork and excellence) in April, 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 for April focus on teamwork and include collaborating, being a team player, building trust and sending PAWS UP! e-cards.
Today’s activity: What knowledge can you share?
Penn State Commission for Women needs mentors, mentees
The Penn State Commission for Women is looking for mentors and mentees. Learn about the mentoring program at two virtual informational sessions on Thursday, April 15, noon to 1 p.m. or 6 to 7 p.m. Applications are due Friday, May 28:
Zoom: pshealth.zoom.us/j/96260980341
Learn more about the program or email cfwmentoring@pennstatehealth.psu.edu for questions.
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