Weekly Updates: Week of March 8
COVID news
Medical Group eliminates outdoor COVID-19 screenings, tents
Beginning Wednesday, March 10, Penn State Health Medical Group outpatient practices will move patient COVID-19 pre-screenings to the front desks inside each location. Any outdoor tents that have been used up to this point should now be removed. Practice managers should arrange for tent removal, as appropriate.
Greeters will continue service at these sites to ensure all patients entering are wearing masks properly. In addition, signage alerting patients to symptoms of COVID-19 and directing them to social distance will also remain in place.
Updates to this process are possible due to the decreasing number of COVID-19 diagnoses and increasing number of patients vaccinated.
Two Lancaster sites will not move patient COVID-19 pre-screenings indoors:
- Penn State Health Lime Spring Outpatient Center. A greeter will conduct pre-screenings prior to directing patients to a check-in station.
- Penn State Health ― South Lancaster. Due to the size of the waiting room and the inability to socially distance, a greeter will conduct pre-screenings while patients are in their cars, where they will remain until they are called in for their appointment.
Lime Spring drive-thru COVID-19 testing site closes March 12
The drive-thru COVID-19 testing site at Penn State Health Lime Spring Outpatient Center, 2211 Noll Drive, Lancaster, will close on Friday, March 12, due to a drop in volume.
Beginning Monday, March 15, Penn State Health Medical Group primary care outpatient practices throughout Lancaster County will offer on-site COVID-19 testing for patients. To ensure convenience for patients, the COVID-19 tests will be scheduled by appointment or built into the patient’s visit. If any sites have staffing issues that prevent this service, care teams will coordinate with other Medical Group practices in the area to ensure patients are covered.
COVID test swabs for the Community Practice Division locations in Lancaster County will continue to be processed through St. Joseph Medical Center’s lab.
College of Medicine Pandemic Response Friday Round-Up – week of March 1-5
College of Medicine leaders updated faculty, staff and students on March 5 about the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- If any clinical research study staff test positive for COVID-19 (regardless of employment with Penn State Health or the College of Medicine), in addition to the requirements to report to Employee Health or Occupational Medicine, the principal investigator must notify Dr. Neal Thomas and Ray Scheetz immediately at nthomas@pennstatehealth.psu.edu and scheetz@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
- If the number of COVID cases in the county and hospital continue to decrease, the College of Medicine is anticipates potentially resuming observational research on campus on Monday, March 15. Studies that have already been reviewed through the InfoReady process do not require another review, but any new studies or any significant changes to previously approved studies will require submission and approval prior to opening. More information will be available in next week’s Pandemic Response email.
- The College of Medicine has added a meal/break space. Lecture Room D, C-7619, which accommodates 38 people, is open daily from 5:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. until April 28.
- Human Resources, in conjunction with Penn State Health, will offer vaccinations in early March to new employee hires and current employees who missed being vaccinated. Watch for future emails from Human Resources regarding vaccine availability for these individuals.
People
Fischer recognized for Exceptional Moments in Teaching
Dr. Michelle Fischer, an emergency medicine physician at Hershey Medical Center, is featured for March in the “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program.
“Flex days with Dr. Fischer were the most valuable learning opportunities and experiences I have had in medical school (by far),” a current student wrote. “She challenges students to go outside of their comfort zone without the fear of being judged when wrong. After each patient encounter, she took the time to have thorough debriefs with us that were focused on giving a strong oral presentation, a focused history and physical exam, and appropriate work-ups.
Women in Science: Leading the way in women’s health research
The College of Medicine has a rich history of research related to women’s health. Many of these projects were led by women.
Mary K. Howett, PhD
Howett helped lead a team of researchers that perfected a technique for propagating the human papillomavirus (HPV) – the primary cause of cervical cancer. Their work led to vaccines against HPV – the first of which got FDA approval in 2006.
Rebecca Phaëton, MD
Nadine Hempel, PhD
Phaëton and Hempel helped start the Penn State Gynecological Malignancies Group, a team of research scientists and physicians who are working toward a better understanding of ovarian cancer.
Read more about women engaged in research for women’s health and other topics.
Learn more about the virtual Women in Science Symposium on Friday, March 12, and register to attend.
Employees honored for work milestones
Congratulations to the following Penn State Health employees who are celebrating a milestone work anniversary between March 3 and March 9. They put our values into action every day.
Events
Lunch and Learn: ‘Cerner Specialty Optimization project – Improving your documentation’ March 16
Dr. Colleen Rafferty, associate professor of medicine at the College of Medicine, will present “Cerner Specialty Optimization Project – Improving your Documentation” Tuesday, March 16, from noon to 1 p.m.
The virtual session is part of Clinical Documentation Improvement’s Lunch and Learn Series. Zoom link here.
Examine effects of images, language on COVID-19 perception March 18
Jessica Myrick, associate professor of film-video and media studies at Penn State, will present “Improving Grassroots Policy Support Through Better Public Health Message Framing” on Thursday, March 18, from noon to 1 p.m.
Myrick will address how the language and images used to describe COVID-19 in the media can shape emotional and cognitive responses to the condition as well as subsequent policy support. Registration is required.
The webinar is part of Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s seminar series.
Cocoa Beanery to exhibit Ballentine’s artwork starting March 22
Dr. Noel Ballentine, general internist and geriatrician at Hershey Medical Center, spends his free time creating pen and ink art. Examples of his work will be on display at the Cocoa Beanery from Monday, March 22, through Monday, May 17. The exhibition will then move to the Community Art Gallery outside Room T2500 at Hershey Medical Center. Center Stage Arts in Health and the Hershey Area Art Association curated this exhibit. Learn more about the exhibit.
LGBT Health Week speaker focuses on global impact of COVID-19 on sexual and gender minorities March 23
Dr. Jessica Bonatakis (formerly Mattingly) will discuss “The Global Impact of COVID-19 on Sexual and Gender Minorities” from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, as part of LGBT Health Week 2021. Sign up here.
Bonatakis will talk about the limited research available on sexual and gender minorities and societal violence experienced by this group under the guise of COVID-19 mitigation efforts. She also will discuss recommendations by human rights organizations and the resilience of sexual and gender minorities.
A sexual minority herself, Bonatakis is a psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral health at the College of Medicine. The session is sponsored by the Penn State Health Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Holy Spirit Medical Center offers safe driving webinar for students, parents March 23
Holy Spirit Medical Center will host NJM Insurance Group’s virtual Share the Keys safe-driving orientation for students and parents at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23.
The 45-minute, research-based, data-driven program is designed to reduce teen-driver crash risks through increased parental involvement. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is why the hospital’s trauma services team is offering the educational session.
“We see far too many teens in our emergency room due to driving accidents, and the Share the Keys program is a way to combat that through education,” said Sunny Goodyear, injury prevention and outreach coordinator for trauma services at Holy Spirit. “We are committed to improving the safety of young drivers throughout Pennsylvania, and this education is a good first step.”
Register online for the free webinar.
Webinar: ‘Community Health Workers as Facilitators of Research’ March 25
The College of Medicine will present “Community Health Workers as Facilitators of Research” webinar on Thursday, March 25, from 1 to 2 p.m. Register here.
Group on Women in Medicine and Science Summit focuses on barriers, successes during pandemic March 26
The Group on Women in Medicine and Science will discuss the challenges, barriers and successes that female physicians and scientists have experienced during the pandemic on Friday, March 26, from noon to 1 p.m.
Sign up here. Contact Kelly Thormodson, kthormodson@pennstatehealth.psu.edu, with any questions.
Donors needed for March 29 employee blood drive in Reading
St. Joseph Medical Center will hold an employee blood drive on Monday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Bern Township Campus in the American Red Cross Bloodmobile.
Schedule an appointment here. You may also call the American Red Cross at 800-733-2767 or Cheryl Gipe, St. Joseph’s blood bank manager, at 610-378-2187.
For blood donor eligibility requirements, visit the American Red Cross website.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction classes start April 5
To help with anxiety and stress that for some has been exacerbated by the pandemic, mindfulness-based stress reduction classes are being offered again this spring.
This eight-week course will teach the principles of mindfulness and how to apply them to deal more effectively with stress and the demands of daily life. Two eight-week courses will be offered via Zoom:
- Mondays, April 5 – May 24, 6-8:30 p.m.; orientation March 22, 6-7:30 p.m.
- Wednesdays, April 7 – May 26, 6-8:30 p.m.; orientation March 24, 6-7:30 p.m.
Participants will need a laptop, smartphone or tablet with reliable internet connection. A quiet, protected space within the home is recommended. Registration deadline is April 1.
Financial support is available if the class fee is an obstacle to participation. For more information, visit ce.med.psu.edu/mbsr.
Penn State Health will also offer two half-hour mindfulness drop-in sessions each week to staff and the community. To be notified of these free public offerings, email mindfulness@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
Other news
Penn State Health providers discuss health disparities facing Black/African American Communities
Speakers at the virtual event “Health Disparities Facing Black/African American Communities” discussed barriers to research on health issues that affect Black patients and overall systemic racism in health care. Watch the recording here.
Claire Flaherty, associate professor of neurology, said more needs to be done or the imbalance between Blacks and whites will continue to grow. In 2020, during the pandemic, life expectancy dropped by eight months for white women and by 10 months for white men. But for Black women the decline was 2 1/2 years, and for Black men the drop was three years.
Dr. Claire Hollins, assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology, said physicians and researchers have a responsibility to raise awareness about disparities in research funding.
The Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion presented the program on Feb. 26.
Penn State Health highlights employee safety initiatives
During the past two years, Penn State Health has reaffirmed its commitment to employee safety by implementing multiple resources to prevent and respond to violence toward staff. These resources include:
- The Behavioral De-escalation Response Team
- Safety First notices
- Duress notification buttons on staff locator badges
- The Crisis Behavior Assessment tool
- Additional security staff
- Investments in security technology, training and building infrastructure
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.
Dave Trein, who manages both the print shop and mailroom, will continue in his role with the mailroom and work with Supply Chain after March 31.
Access Holy Spirit facilities work request through desktop icon
Holy Spirit employees must use the facilities work request shortcut icon on their desktop to access the Holy Spirit facilities maintenance request module. Access to the module through Quick Links on Geisinger’s Sharepoint site has ended.
Employees who have an emergency facilities request should contact the Facilities Department at 717-763-2494.
Information Services portal offers fast help for technical problems
The IS Service Portal is a user-friendly way for employees, faculty and students to connect with IS for non-urgent issues. Employees with urgent issues should call the IS Service Desk at 833-577-HELP (4357).
The IS Service portal helps you:
- Inform IS that an application or service is not working or you need technical assistance
- Check the status of an IS service ticket
- Communicate with the IS team member who is working on your ticket
- Locate a link to other services and information on the IS Infonet page
Review this guide for additional information about the IS Service Portal. For easy access, IS placed an icon to the IS Service Portal on your desktop.
Additionally, Information Services (IS) walk-up technical support, provided by the IS Service Desk, at the Harrell Health Sciences Library will change its hours on Monday, March 15. Walk-up service will be available Monday through Friday, 8 to 11 a.m.
Westview Parking Garage wins design award
The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) selected Hershey Medical Center’s Westview Garage for a 2021 PCI Design Award. The awards honor the best precast projects in the nation. Westview was selected best all-precast concrete parking structure. All winning projects will be showcased and honored at the 2021 PCI Convention in New Orleans, La., on May 21.
Wellness Wednesday: benefits of getting enough sleep
A good night’s sleep helps you feel rested and energized the next day, but it also:
- Boosts your immune system, reducing your risk of illness
- May lower your risk for health issues, such as heart disease or diabetes
- Helps you achieve or maintain a healthy weight
- Enhances memory, concentration and problem-solving skills
- Reduces stress and improves mood
Adults need seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night. Watch the video “5 Benefits of Getting Enough Sleep.”
Check out the BeWell Employee Wellness Toolkit and for information on wellness resources, visit the PRO Wellness BeWell Employee Wellness website.
Celebrate National Nutrition Month by personalizing your plate
March is National Nutrition Month, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages individuals to learn about nutrition, health and the role of the registered dietitian.
This year’s theme is Personalize Your Plate, which encompasses the idea that nutrition is not one-size-fits-all. Meals and snacks should be created with creativity focusing on an individual’s cultural and personal food preferences.
Throughout March, the clinical dietitian team at Penn State Health St. Joseph will share recipes they enjoy eating and making. Up first is Aztec Tortilla Bowls. Click here for full recipe.
Check out the BeWell Employee Wellness Toolkit and for information on wellness resources, visit the PRO Wellness BeWell Employee Wellness website.
Holy Spirit Medical Center extends nomination period for Physician of Year award to March 18
Holy Spirit Medical Center extended the nomination period for its 2021 Physician of the Year award until Thursday, March 18. Staff may nominate any physician with privileges at the hospital for the award.
Dr. Bret DeLone, vice president of medical affairs, will present the award at the National Doctors’ Day Appreciation Breakfast, Tuesday, March 30, from 7 to 9 a.m., in the hospital auditorium.
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 questions and answers about its history, people and services each week in the Daily Brief. Here’s question No. 1:
What year was Holy Spirit Hospital first proposed and what year was it built?
Find out the answers in Monday’s Daily Brief. And watch for “Did you knows?” about our other medical centers in future editions of the Daily Brief.
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