Our Campus` Journey to Magnet® – One Stitch at a Time

Affiliated with The University of Texas
Health Science Center at Houston
(UTHealth) Medical School
a publication for nurses and allied healthcare professionals
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013
Our Campus’ Journey to Magnet® – One Stitch at a Time
The mission of nursing at the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center Campus is to drive quality outcomes
by protecting, promoting and optimizing the health and wellbeing of patients we treat.
Our Campus’ Journey to Magnet® – One Stitch at a Time
Over the past few months, units and departments from
throughout the Campus were encouraged to help create a quilt
symbolizing our ongoing commitment to nursing excellence.
More than 60 squares were submitted and have been stitched
together to form our Magnet® quilt, featured on the cover.
The quilt symbolizes the Campus’ support of
interdisciplinary collaboration throughout our journey to
Magnet designation. Nurses as Collaborators also serves as
one of the pillars of the Nursing Professional Practice Model
and is a foundation for how clinicians operate. Nurses must
work with others in a way that promotes and encourage each
person’s contributions toward achieving goals that are both
optimal and realistic. Collaboration requires involvement in
intra- and interdisciplinary work with colleagues and the
community. Each square – like the ones shown below –
recognizes the strong, supportive clinical and nonclinical
departments that have made a positive impact on the
Campus.
Nursing Strategic Retreat Is a Success
Over 200 members from our Campus’ clinical team attended a retreat to set the nursing strategic plan for FY14 – FY16. From chiefs
and nursing administrative directors to managers and bedside caregivers, staff from all levels of the organization shared their
feedback during breakout sessions and round-table discussions throughout the two-day event. Stay tuned for the next edition of
Clinical Notes to learn more about the outcomes from the retreat.
2
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center Launches
New Structure for Quality Improvement
In keeping with Memorial Hermann’s
mission to provide patients with the
safest, highest-quality care possible,
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical
Center is introducing new structures
and resources dedicated to quality
improvement (QI) on Campus. The
structure currently in place is
comprehensive and effective, but the
numerous overlapping projects and
committees have created a need for
increased coordination and
communication.
“Our goal with these new structures
and resources is to streamline all quality
improvement processes,” said Victoria
King, chief nursing officer of Memorial
Hermann-TMC. “This effort supports
our commitment to quality and safety,
and will provide more opportunities for
clinical involvement in the many QI
initiatives taking place throughout the
hospital.”
The objectives of the new structures
include the following:
• Supporting a robust culture of
ongoing QI throughout the Campus
• Reducing duplication in QI projects
• Standardizing methodology and
related terminology
• Providing universal access to QI
tools, templates and other resources
to facilitate project completion
• Standardizing the approval process
for project leaders who require access
to various sets of data
• Connecting project leaders with
content experts, other individuals
working on similar issues and
interested parties who can lend
influence
• Providing a forum for networking and
collaboration between individuals in
clinical practice and individuals in
quality improvement roles
Below is a list of the new quality
improvement resources on Campus:
Comparative Analytics Department
The Comparative Analytics department
will focus on serving clinicians and
physicians through utilizing the
University HealthSystem Consortium
(UHC) and registries databases to
measure quality and safety. The
department is working to ensure data
integrity, build reports, and provide
educational opportunities and
collaboration for research and QI.
Quality Improvement
Review Committee
The QI Review Committee will be
responsible for providing oversight and
coaching for QI projects. The committee
will also ensure compliance with HIPAA
and other standards, serve as
gatekeepers for data requests, monitor
the volume and focus of QI projects to
avoid overlap and ensure relevancy, and
foster publication and presentation of
QI projects.
Quality Improvement Board
The QI board is located on the 7th floor
of the Robertson Pavilion and is already
in process. It is a visual display of
ongoing projects sorted by UHC quality
domains and is color coded to easily
identify projects by location (Memorial
Hermann-TMC adult service lines,
Children’s Memorial Hermann
Hospital, or both) and by staff
involvement. Annamaria Macaluso,
M.D., performance improvement
physician liaison, oversees the QI board
and coordinates the projects with the
Performance Improvement Review
Committee (PIRC).
Quality Improvement Resources
Page on InSite
The new resource page standardizes
templates including project charters,
cause/effect diagrams, prioritization
matrices, failure modes and effects
analysis, stakeholder analyses, and
more. The page will also feature general
QI information and definitions, change
management tools, references, training
opportunities, a calendar of events, and
a link to useful websites and other
external resources.
Quality Networking Meeting
The quarterly networking meeting will
be a voluntary, quarterly gathering of
individuals actively engaged in QI
initiatives. Attendees will include
members of the Quality, Patient &
Infection Control department, Six
Sigma staff, Comparative Analytics
department staff, service line quality
directors and quality coordinators,
members of the Professional Nursing
Practice, Quality & Patient Safety
Shared Governance Council, UTHealth
departmental vice chairs for quality and
quality officers, Clinical Safety &
Effectiveness Program graduates and
others.
House Staff Patient Safety and
Quality Meeting
This is a monthly forum aimed at
increasing the engagement of residents
in the hospital quality effort. One to two
representatives from each residency
program will be invited to attend each
month. There will be presentations of
the monthly operating report quality
data from the previous month,
presentations of serious safety events
with specific discussion surrounding the
resolution of one causal issue, education
about a quality concept or issue,
discussion of everyday frustrations
experienced by clinicians or residents to
be discussed at the following month’s
meeting and collaboration
opportunities.
Annual Quality Forum
The first of these forums is slated for
May 2014. The goal is to showcase
successful QI efforts. The forum will
include rapid-fire oral presentations,
poster sessions and a keynote speaker.
The Quality Improvement Review
Committee will be responsible for
coordinating submissions, developing
the agenda, and organizing session
details.
The Texas Center for Healthcare
Quality Innovation
The Texas Center for Healthcare Quality
Innovation is a new quality
improvement center made possible by a
grant awarded to UTHealth. The center
will be housed at Memorial HermannTMC and will serve UTHealth
physicians at Memorial Hermann-TMC
and LBJ Hospital, and UT Physicians
(Continued on page 4)
3
Clinical Workstations Updated to Military Time
In support of quality and safety, all medical record
documentation within the Memorial Hermann System is now
noted in 24-hour clock format. The update provides
consistency for all electronic hospital records done in
Advanced Care4.
“Changing our clinical workstations to a 24-hour clock is
in line with how clinicians already operate mentally and helps
standardize our practice,” said Victoria King, chief nursing
officer of Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
The 24-hour clock format, known as Military Time, is a
method of measuring the time in which the day runs from
midnight to midnight and is divided into 24 hours. The change
affected all Memorial Hermann clinical desktop PCs on the
network and all Memorial Hermann workstations on wheels.
It did not affect administrative desktops and laptops, wall
clocks, telephones, handwritten documentation, or personal
devices. Administrative desktops and laptops may be changed
manually.
For questions or additional information, contact the ISD
Support Center at 713.338.5370.
A Guide to Military Time:
Standard
Military
12:00 (Noon)
1200
12:01 a.m.
0001
1:00 p.m.
1300
1:00 a.m.
0100
2:00 p.m.
1400
2:00 a.m.
0200
3:00 p.m.
1500
3:00 a.m.
0300
4:00 p.m.
1600
4:00 a.m.
0400
5:00 p.m.
1700
5:00 a.m.
0500
6:00 p.m.
1800
6:00 a.m.
0600
7:00 p.m.
1900
7:00 a.m.
0700
8:00 p.m.
2000
8:00 a.m.
0800
9:00 p.m.
2100
9:00 a.m.
0900
10:00 p.m.
2200
10:00 a.m.
1000
11:00 p.m.
2300
11:00 a.m.
1100
12:00 (Midnight)
2400
Houstonia Magazine Recognizes
Memorial Hermann Physicians as Houston’s Top Doctors
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical
Center and Children’s Memorial
Hermann Hospital, along with our
partners across the Memorial
Hermann System, are proud of the
numerous physicians who practice at
our hospitals and were recently
recognized by their peers in
Houstonia magazine’s inaugural
“Best Doctors” issue. Over 150 Memorial Hermannaffiliated physicians across 50 different specialties are
(Continued from page 3)
clinics. It will be a comprehensive center
for quality data management and QI
project development. It will work to
4
named by the magazine as being the best in their field.
“We are incredibly proud to have so many of our
physicians recognized,” said Chief Executive Officer of
Memorial Hermann-TMC Craig Cordola. “To be hand-picked
by your peers as being at the top of your field is a true
measure of success and it exemplifies our culture of
excellence here at Memorial Hermann-TMC.”
Please join us in congratulating these physicians, and
be sure to pick up a copy of Houstonia magazine’s
September issue.
make quality data available to caregivers,
engage system engineers in QI projects,
and will complete a demonstration
project. As of now the proposed project is
to see a 5 percent reduction in sepsis
within the next three years.
For more information on these QI
initiatives, please contact Macaluso at
annamaria.macaluso@
memorialhermann.org.
July and August DAISY Award Winners
In 2011, the Campus was proud to adopt the DAISY Award,
which recognizes one nurse each month for going above and
beyond to deliver exceptional patient care. The designation,
presented in collaboration with the American Organization of
Nurse Executives, is part of the DAISY Foundation’s national
program to recognize nurses who serve as role models to
colleagues throughout the profession.
This section is dedicated to honor our Campus’ DAISY
Award winners for July and August. Congratulations to these
winners for going out of their way to best demonstrate the
Campus’ pillars of nursing and DAISY qualities.
To nominate a nurse for this prestigious honor, fill out a
nomination form located on various units throughout the
hospital and available online at TMC Connections on InSite.
Nominations are due by the 15th of each month, or they will be
counted as a contender for the next month’s award.
Sandra Uribe – July
July’s DAISY Award went to Sandra Uribe, R.N., Women’s
Services. Uribe received two nominations in one month. The
first is from a patient’s mother who wrote, “My daughter was a
patient on the floor for two months and delivered a preemie.
Sandra was an advocate for both my daughter and grandchild
during their stay.” The second nomination is by a patient who
wrote, “Sandra was my advocate, clinician and collaborator
when I was a patient for two months. After my daughter was
born and moved to the NICU, she was still our advocate. I
wouldn’t have made it through this journey without someone
like Sandra to explain medical procedures and take a personal
interest. She genuinely loves her job and provides such
wonderful care. I will forever be grateful to her.”
Sandra Uribe, R.N.
Kettia Hackworth, R.N.
Kettia Hackworth – August
The DAISY Award for August went to Kettia Hackworth, R.N.,
Neuroscience ICU. Hackworth received a nomination by a
patient’s daughter who also is a practicing physician in
Illinois. She wrote, “Kettia has displayed all of the pillars of
patient care to a remarkable degree. Her kindness and
patience in caring for my mother was a great compliment to
her strong clinical skills. I also want to compliment the entire
nursing and physician staff on their teamwork. As a physician
myself, I have worked in many ICUs and I was very
impressed.”
Adult Dialysis Unit Implements New Process to Improve Patient Outcomes
In collaboration with Kevin Finkel, M.D., chief of nephrology, and
Amber Podoll, M.D., staff from the adult dialysis unit led the
implementation of a new process called total plasma exchange
(TPE), which optimizes therapy for transplant patients to minimize
kidney rejections.
During TPE, the aphesis machine separates the blood,
removes the unhealthy plasma, adds albumin or donor plasma to
the blood, and returns the blood to the patient’s body. Since
2012, the unit has performed over 80 treatments and seen
considerable improvements in kidney transplant patients.
To administer TPE, staff must undergo an eight-hour training
session and perform three hands-on demonstrations. The unit’s
goal is to have 100 percent of the staff certified to administer TPE
by June 2014.
Members of the adult dialysis team take a moment to celebrate their
progress with TPE administration during National Nephrology Nurses
Week in September.
5
Forensic Nursing Team Recognized for their Commitment
to Victims of Sexual Abuse and Domestic Violence
Memorial Hermann Health System was
recently honored by the Houston Area
Women’s Center for the System’s
dedication to aiding victims of
interpersonal violence. Memorial
Hermann-Texas Medical Center Chief
Operating Officer Tom Flanagan
accepted the award on behalf of the
forensic nursing team.
“The forensic nursing team
provides a critical service for the
Greater Houston community, and I am
proud to work in an organization that
values their work and commitment,”
Flanagan said.
Jamie Ferrell, B.S.N., R.N., clinical
director of Forensic Nursing Services,
added, “This recognition also highlights
the courage of the patients who reached
out to us for care. It is a privilege to be a
part of this incredible team and to be
empowered to provide holistic
healthcare that addresses with dignity
the physical, social, psychological and
spiritual needs of this very special
patient population.”
The Houston Area Women’s Center,
a member of United Way®, has provided
services to victims of domestic and
sexual violence in the Houston
community since 1977. They help
individuals move their lives forward by
providing shelter, counseling, advocacy
and support as they work to regain, in
their words, “lives free from the effects
of violence.” The center is also
committed to raising awareness through
education to spur social change in the
community.
Memorial Hermann’s forensic
nursing team, a System service
stationed at the Texas Medical Center
Campus, has a cooperative working
agreement with the Houston Area
Women’s Center. When a forensic nurse
gets word that a patient who has suffered
domestic or sexual violence has arrived
for care, he or she calls the Houston
Area Women’s Center hotline. The
center then sends an advocate to the
Memorial Hermann Campus where the
patient is being cared for. The advocate
initiates crisis intervention which
includes coordination of the patient’s
6
Members of Forensic Nursing Services at
Memorial Hermann were honored by the
Houston Areas Women’s Center at their
annual gala. Pictured from left to right are
Medical Director of Forensic Nursing Services
Sally Awad, M.D., Memorial Hermann-TMC
Chief Operations Officer Tom Flanagan,
Clinical Director of Forensic Nursing Services
Jamie Ferrell and Forensic Nurse Floyd Hand.
Southwest, as well as through a mobile
unit to the other hospitals throughout
the Memorial Hermann System. The
mobile unit allows them to serve over
5.5 million people and work with 74
different law-enforcement agencies
within a 12-county area, including
Harris and the surrounding counties.
And, according to Ferrell, it is now
more important than ever to address the
needs of these patients. She says,
“Providing this level of comprehensive
care to these patients is essential to their
treatment and healing, and it is the first
step in addressing the prevalence of
interpersonal violence in our
community.”
Congratulations to the following
members of the forensic nursing
safety and shelter upon discharge. The
team collaborates with over seven
different advocacy centers; their
services are free to the patient and to
Memorial Hermann.
“We don’t want the patient to lose
support at the point of discharge, and
this is where the work of the Houston
Area Women’s Center is so important,”
Ferrell said.
Memorial Hermann forensic
nursing services is recognized as a
leader in the field both nationally and
internationally. The team is comprised
of a group of specialized registered
nurses and a medical director who
provide comprehensive care 24 hours a
day to patients who have experienced
life-altering interpersonal violence.
These acts of inflicted violence include
sexual assault, intimate partner violence
or domestic violence, child sexual or
physical abuse, and elder abuse.
Forensic nurses frequently evaluate
patients in the Emergency department
but they are also available to consult on
inpatients as needed. The team provides
care onsite at Memorial Hermann-TMC,
Children’s Memorial Hermann
Hospital, Memorial Hermann The
Woodlands and Memorial Hermann
team for the recent achievements
in their profession.
Rachel Bryant, B.S.N., R.N.
Lori Cummings, R.N.
Suzanne DeVore, B.S.N., R.N.
Tiffani Dusang, B.S.N., R.N.
Floyd Hand, R.N.
Ashley Huynh, B.S.N., R.N.
Dana Oldham, B.S.N., R.N.
Patricia Orekoya, B.S.N., R.N.
Sandra Sanchez, B.S.N., R.N.
Amanda Sappington, B.S.N., R.N.
Susan Spjut, B.S.N., R.N.
Jamie Ferrell, B.S.N., R.N.,
Clinical Director
Sally Awad, M.D.,
Medical Director
Robin J. Williams, M.D.,
Assistant Medical Director
Transplant Surgical ICU (TSICU) Receives Award from
Professional Nursing Practice, Quality and Patient Safety Council
The Professional Nursing Practice,
Quality and Patient Safety Council
develops, reviews and updates standards
of nursing practice and care delivery to
be consistent with local, regional, state
and national standards, as well as with
the Texas State Nurse Practice Act. As
part of this effort, the Council reviews
the Monthly Nursing Report Card and
votes on a unit whose bedside caregivers
demonstrated superior performance on
nursing-sensitive indicators. The unit
with the most votes is recognized with a
quality award for embracing clinical
excellence – and the TSICU received the
award for this quarter.
Stacey Wallace, R.N., council chair,
said, “The award is an effort to recognize
bedside caregivers who are going above
and beyond to enforce evidence-based
practice, which results in an overall
better patient experience and higher
quality care.”
In collaboration with the medical
staff, the TSICU clinicians set a unit goal
to have zero incidences of infections for a
year – and as a result of promoting a safe
healing environment, the unit
accomplished its goal.
Wallace said, “The TSICU
demonstrated teamwork, innovation,
leadership and dedication – further
supporting the impact bedside caregivers
can have on patient care improvement
initiatives. Their commitment to
keeping patients safe by embracing
quality practices is the cornerstone of
nursing, and we are very proud of their
achievements.”
Members of the TSICU hold a banner with the council’s slogan for the
quality award – Perfecting Practice to Achieve Excellence.
Representatives from the Professional Nursing Practice, Quality and Patient
Safety Council surprised members of the TSICU with the special award.
Journey to Magnet® Timeline Update
September – November
December – January
February
Writing and compiling
submission document
Final editing, printing and
shipping of submission
document
Magnet reviews, reads
and scores submission
document
7
Recognizing Our Employees
Recognizing clinicians for their
achievements in patient care and in our
community is an integral part of the
culture of clinical excellence at
Memorial Hermann, both at the Texas
Medical Center Campus and across the
System. It is also an important aspect of
Magnet® Structural Empowerment
component – to reward and recognize
staff, many of whom have gone above
and beyond their day-to-day
responsibilities to make achievements in
their fields. Congratulations to the
following employees!
Promotions
Cardiac Cath Lab
• Keith Woerner was promoted to
R.N. III
CIMU
• Mojisola Ajasa was promoted to
R.N. III
Day Surgery
• Karen Bratovich-Mora was
promoted to R.N. III
NICU
• Cassandra Pocza was promoted to
R.N. III
Certifications
•
•
Germelita Manzanaris, R.N.,
received her professional
certification C.C.N. from the
American Nephrology Nurses
Association.
Theresa Obonyano, R.N., received
her professional certification
C.C.T.N. from the American Board
for Transplant Certification.
•
Achievements
•
Russell Graham, R.R.T., B.S.R.C.,
R.C.P., respiratory therapist, has
been selected for a poster
presentation at the American
Association for Respiratory Care
(AARC) International Congress in
Anaheim, California. The AARC
International Congress is the
largest gathering of respiratory
therapists in the world. His
presentation, titled “Protocol Based
Respiratory Care Services – Not
Necessarily the Expected Results,”
details his department’s
development and implementation
of patient-driven protocols across
all service lines. In addition,
Graham was recently elected to the
position of president-elect of the
Texas Society for Respiratory Care,
which is the professional society
representing respiratory therapists
in Texas and a chartered affiliate of
the AARC.
Ann Sparker, speech language
pathologist, in collaboration with
respiratory therapists Jennifer
Amos, Eryn Cillis, Lisa Kainer and
Adam Mullaly, have been selected
for a poster presentation at the
American Speech-LanguageHearing Association (ASHA)
Annual Convention in Chicago,
Illinois. Their poster, titled
“Interdisciplinary Tracheostomy &
Follow-up Team,” details the
collaboration of implementing an
interdisciplinary tracheostomy team
dedicated to progressing
tracheostomy patient care, followup and discharge planning.
New Leadership
•
•
Fallon Benavides, R.N., M.S.N.,
C.N.M.L., has been named the
clinical manager of the NIMU.
Colleen Zuckero, R.N., B.S.N., has
been named educator for the Neuro
ICU.
Magnet Moment: Environmental Services Receives
Standing Ovation Award at Patient Experience Meeting
The standing ovation award is presented to employees at the Memorial
Hermann-Texas Medical Center Campus who go above and beyond for their
patients. Janete Sheiner, R.N., M.S.N., A.P.R.N., C.C.R.N., clinical manager of
the NSICU and NIMU at the Mischer Neuroscience Institute, honored
members of Environmental Services (EVS) for their work and recited the
story below at a Patient Experience meeting held in August:
My team and I would like to recognize the great job done by Estella
Weslow and her EVS team on one of our busiest days yet in the
Neurotrauma/Neurosurgical ICU. We had nine OR and three ED patients to
accommodate in our unit. We started the day at full capacity. By the end of
the day, we were able to accommodate every single one of those patients.
This was only possible because of the phenomenal job done by Estella and
Pictured, from left to right, are members of the EVS team
her EVS team members: Augusta Joseph, Brigida Lopez, Teresa Beltran,
James Dixon, Estella Weslow, Augusta Joseph, Teresa Beltran,
Maximina Reyes and James Dixon. Estella was proactive and activated her
Director of EVS Tim O'Hern and Maximina Reyes.
team early to assist us in getting this accomplished. Every time we
transferred a patient out, one of Estella's team members was going in right behind us and getting that room cleaned so
we could accept the next patient. They were literally right there waiting to get started. Estella, your team did a
phenomenal job getting those rooms cleaned quickly and efficiently. We could have not done it without their hard work
and collaboration. Thank you very much.
8
Continuing Education Opportunities
October
Oct. 2 & 3, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. *Class Full
Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course
Oct. 2, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
EKG Interpretation: Beyond the Basics
Oct. 3, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Advanced Care4 Training for Respiratory Therapists
Oct. 5, 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Perioperative Nursing: Improving Patient Outcomes
Oct. 9, 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. *Class Full
CPR for Healthcare Providers (Licensed Staff Only)
Oct. 10 & 11, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Respiratory – Adult Emergency Airway
Management Course
Oct. 11 & 12, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Respiratory – Adult Emergency Airway
Management Course
Oct. 14 & 15, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. *Class Full
Trauma Nursing Core Course
Oct. 16, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
EKG Interpretation: Beyond the Basics
Oct. 17, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. *Class Full
Advanced Cardiac Life Support – Recertification
Oct. 17, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy
Oct. 21 & 22, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. *Class Full
Advanced Cardiac Life Support
Oct. 23, 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. *Class Full
CPR HeartSaver (Non-Licensed Staff Only)
Oct. 23, 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump
Oct. 24, 7 – 11 a.m.
PBDS Reassessment
Oct. 24, Noon – 4 p.m.
PBDS Reassessment
Oct. 24, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support – Recertification
Oct. 24, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Advanced Care4 Training for Respiratory Therapists
Oct. 25, 10 a.m. – Noon
HealthQuest – Nursing ADT
Oct. 28, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Acute Care Concepts Day #2
Oct. 28, 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
TEAM Training for Direct Patient Care Providers
(Blue & Gold Trainings)
Oct. 29 & 30, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. *Class Full
Pediatric Advanced Life Support
November
Nov. 1, 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
CPR for Healthcare Providers (Licensed Staff Only)
Nov. 4 & 5, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. *Class Full
Advanced Cardiac Life Support
Nov. 7, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
EKG Interpretation: Beyond the Basics
Nov. 7, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Advanced Care4 Training for Respiratory Therapists
Nov. 11 & 12, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Trauma Nursing Core Course
Nov. 14, 7 – 11 a.m.
PBDS Reassessment
Nov. 14, Noon – 4 p.m.
PBDS Reassessment
Nov. 14 & 15, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Respiratory – Adult Emergency Airway
Management Course
Nov. 14, 8:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Antineoplastic Therapy in the Non-Oncology Setting
Nov. 18 & 19, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support
Nov. 20, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Acute Care Concepts Day #3
Nov. 21, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
EKG Interpretation: Beyond the Basics
Nov. 21, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Advanced Care4 Training for Respiratory Therapists
Nov. 21, 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support – Recertification
Nov. 22, 8 a.m. – Noon
CPR HeartSaver (Non-Licensed Staff Only)
Nov. 22, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Respiratory – Adult Emergency Airway
Management Course
Nov. 22, 10 a.m. – Noon
HealthQuest – Nursing ADT
To register or get more information on any class, visit the Partners in Learning section of InSite.
9
Upcoming Events
AORN Greater Houston Perioperative Nursing
Conference – Oct. 5
Fourth Annual Advances in Oncology: From Clinical
Science to Clinical Practice – Oct. 11
The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)
Greater Houston Chapter will host a perioperative nursing
conference, titled “Improving Patient Outcomes,” on
Saturday, Oct. 5, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Hermann
Conference Center. The event will cover topics such as
communication, teambuilding, trauma and more, and
attendees can receive up to 6.5 contact hours. Breakfast and
lunch will be provided and free parking will only be available
in the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza Parking Garage. The
registration fee is $50 for Memorial Hermann Health System
employees and $20 for nursing students. To register or get
more information about the event, please visit the Partners in
Learning section of InSite or email Darlene Murdock at
[email protected].
Memorial Hermann Cancer Center-Texas Medical Center and
UTHealth Medical School are hosting the fourth annual
Advances in Oncology conference on Oct. 11 from 7 a.m. to
6 p.m. The conference will include presentations on cancer
care topics ranging from diagnosis to local systemic therapy,
and will provide overviews of new approaches to cancer care
and how those methods can be used in conjunction with
standard-of-therapy care. The conference will take place at the
Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, 1825
Pressler St., Houston, TX 77030. Clinicians may register
online at UTcme.net. The conference has been approved for
up to a maximum of 8 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.
Fall CE Bonanza and School of Nursing Fair –
Oct. 10
On Thursday, Oct. 10, our Campus will be holding two special
nursing events. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., nurses are invited to
attend the Fall CE Bonanza, which will take place in the
Hermann Conference Center. Titled “Communication and
Team Building with a Purpose,” the bonanza will include
speakers from nursing leadership and education and will offer
3.5 continuing education hours. To register or get more
information about the event, please visit the Partners in
Learning section of InSite.
Also on Thursday from 1:30 to 6 p.m., the Professional
Nursing Education Council is hosting a school of nursing fair
in the Atrium. Representatives from local and national
nursing schools, such as UTMB, UT Arlington College, Texas
Woman’s University, UT Houston, Texas Tech, TCU and many
more, will be available to talk with registered nurses who are
interested in returning to school for advanced education.
Members from the Education department will also be available
to discuss reimbursement opportunities. All attendees who
participate in the fair will have the chance to enter a drawing
for an iPad.
More to Life Weekend Training – Nov. 1 – 3
The More to Life weekend training will take place on Friday,
Nov. 1, through Sunday, Nov. 3, at the Hilton Garden Inn –
Houston Northwest America Plaza. The unique training
offers nurses the tools and techniques to access creativity in a
constantly evolving and demanding career field. Attendees
can receive up to 25 contact hours for the training, which
costs $125. To register, please visit
www.houstonmoretolife.org/mtl-weekend.
8th Annual Avery Grace Kargel Memorial Golf
Tournament – Dec. 7
Save the date for the 8th Annual Avery Grace Kargel Memorial
Golf Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Houston National
Golf Club. The golf tournament was started by Heather and
Jason Kargel in loving memory of their daughter Avery, who
passed at the time of delivery. Each year, the family picks an
organization to receive the proceeds from the event, which
this year will be donated to the Texas Fetal Center at
Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. For more
information on how to participate in the tournament or to
donate, please visit www.AGKMemorial.com.
Back to the Basics: Handoff Communication
According to The Joint Commission, breakdown in communication
was the leading root cause of sentinel events reported to their
organization in the U.S. between 1995 and 2006. Effective
handoff communication is essential to upholding patient safety
and preventing potential medical errors.
The Memorial Hermann-TMC Campus strongly encourages all
caregivers to conduct handoff communication. It is our role as
clinicians to do everything possible to protect our patients and
one tool to ensure effective communication is SBAR: situation,
background, assessment, recommendation.
10
Situation
•
•
Briefly describe the situation.
Give a concise overview.
Background
•
Briefly state pertinent history.
•
What got us to this point?
Assessment
•
Summarize the facts.
•
What do you think is going on?
Recommendation
•
What are you asking for?
•
What needs to happen next?
C A M P U S
C
CONSTRUCTION
ONSTRUCTION
UCT
U P D A T E
Dialysis
Inpatient dialysis services will
continue to operate as normal in
a construction safe environment.
Elevators
Service for the public elevators on
9 Jones will be turned off during the
construction project. The service
elevators will remain fully functional
during this time.
Telecommunications
To contact a staff member of 9 East
Jones, call 4 Cullen at 713.704.2234
or 713.704.7395. To reach a member
of 9 West Jones, contact 6 Jones at
713.704.2150. Spectralink numbers
will remain the same.
Lockers
All items from 9 Jones have been
removed for construction. Lockers are
available on Cullen and Jones to store
personal belongings during shifts.
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center
is expanding the Campus and upgrading infrastructure.
The objective of this regular Campus Construction Update
is to keep our employees, patients and visitors informed of our ongoing
development projects.
9 Jones Refresh Project Now Under Way
Memorial Hermann-TMC is committed to improving our patient environment. As many of you
know, multiple renovation projects are slated to begin throughout the Campus in the coming
months, and a few are already in process.
The renovation project for the 9th floor of Jones Pavilion began on August 26. The
patients of 9 East and 9 West Jones were relocated to allow construction crews to renovate
patient rooms, refresh bathrooms and waiting areas, and update fixtures and millwork within
the unit.
For the safety of our patients and staff, the floor is closed to the public during this
time. Patients in 9 West Jones (Transplant, Hepatology, Nephrology, Urology, ENT and
General Surgery) have been relocated to 6 Jones and patients in 9 East Jones (Bariatrics,
Urology and General Surgery) have been transferred to 4 Cullen. Dialysis will remain open
during renovations, with safety measures in place for staff and patients.
At this time, the public elevators no longer travel to the 9th floor. Necessary access to
the 9th floor is available through the service elevators, which will remain in operation
throughout the renovation. The construction project is expected to last seven months, and
will impact multiple units and support departments across the hospital.
Projects like this would not be possible without the collaboration of many departments.
Thank you for your patience as we work to improve our hospital environment. For additional
questions or concerns about the refresh project, please call Administrative Director of
Specialty Surgery Elizabeth Fredeboelling at 713.704.6518.
CLINICAL NOTES EDITORIAL TEAM
Alejandra Rodriguez
Internal Communications
Lauren Allen
Internal Communications
Victoria King, M.H.A., M.S.N., R.N.,
C.N.O.R., N.E.A.-B.C.
Chief Nursing Officer
Memorial Hermann-TMC
Clinical Notes is a publication of Memorial
Hermann-TMC internal communications.
We welcome your suggestions and comments.
713.704.1222
medicalcentercommunications@
memorialhermann.org
6411 Fannin | Houston, TX 77030 | 713.704.4000 | www.memorialhermann.org