Mather Matters Fall 2010

 Volume XIV
Fall
Sunrise Clinical Manager:
2010
Installation Begins for New
Health Information System
Mather Hospital is moving ahead
with plans to customize and install an
electronic information system that will
detail all the care given to a patient
from his or her first contact with a
clinician through discharge and allow
all caregivers – physicians, nurses,
therapists and others – to access that
patient’s record.
Sunrise Clinical Manager is what is
known as an electronic health records
system (EHR), designed to automate
and streamline the process of recording
a patient’s personal and health
information. Doctors will spend less time
writing down medical histories, tracking
down x-rays and other test results
and ordering the same tests. Patient
information will be stored in the system
that will not only help to provide care
for the current services being rendered
but will be maintained as a history for
Eclipsys Sunrise Clinical Manager
is now Allscripts Sunrise Clinical
Manager as a result of a merger
between the two companies
earlier this year.
subsequent care. The federal government
is encouraging hospitals and physicians’
practices to move from paper to
electronic systems by offering incentives
through stimulus funding (the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act).
Several teams, including a Physician
Advisory Team, have been put together
to install this important clinical system.
“EHR systems do more than just
replace paper forms and charts: they
are the tools that provide timely and
accurate information which are utilized
by the staff to deliver evidence-based
care,” noted Nursing Vice President
Marie Mulligan, RN.
Features offered by the Sunrise Clinical
Manager include tracking all medications
given to a patient and alerting caregivers
to possible drug interactions and
President’s
Message:
Preparing for
Healthcare
Reform
Project leaders include (from left) Consultant John Zaoutis; Vice President and Chief Information
Officer Tom Heiman; Director of Medical Surgical Services Joanne Connor MPA, RN; Consultant Mike
Gwardyak; Mather President Kenneth Roberts; Vice President for Nursing Services Marie Mulligan, RN;
and Phil Pape of Information Technology. There are more than 100 staff members involved with the
implementation of the new system.
incorrect doses; using patient information
Officer Joan Faro, MD. “Furthermore,
to help guide a clinician in selecting the
this information may be accessed
correct orders and medications; alerting
remotely from an office or home by
a physician or nurse to drug or food
the patient’s attending physicians and
allergies and relevant lab results; and
specialists – thereby allowing them to
electronically recording a patient’s vital
immediately address any care needs.”
signs through direct hook-ups to various
The systems will accomplish this using
monitors.
a number of applications, including:
The new system, which is a $22 million
investment and will be phased in over
• Computerized Physician/Provider
the next seven years, is actually two
Order Entry – Physicians directly place
systems that will
orders for their
work together – the
patient in the
Clinical Manager
electronic record.
“[These] systems do more
system and a
Medications,
than just replace paper forms
pharmacy system
nursing orders,
and charts: they are the tools
that will also use
physical therapy,
that provide timely and
bar codes to track
special diets and
all medications
lab work are all
accurate information…”
given to patients.
ordered online so
“Together, the two
that information
systems will provide a single, unified
is available to everyone caring for a
view of a patient’s information from
patient. Patients benefit from increased
emergency room to bedside and into the
hospital pharmacy,” said Chief Medical
continued on page 16
A Message from the President:
Preparing for Healthcare Reform
The current hurricane season has been
Nataloni, MD received
an active one, and the threat posed by
the awards, which
Hurricane Earl was a reminder to us all that
were established
we need to be prepared for emergencies
more than 50 years
and unexpected events. At Mather, news
ago by The Nassauthat Earl’s path up the eastern seaboard
Suffolk Hospital
Kenneth D. Roberts
might bring it within reach of Long Island’s
to honor those
President
East End was reason enough for us to begin
who demonstrate
making plans to ensure the safety of our
exceptional volunteer commitment to a
patients and staff. Fortunately, Earl turned
member hospital and their community.
further east than originally forecasted.
Bank of America was honored that night
Much as we prepared for the uncertain
with a special community award. Under
impact Hurricane Earl posed to our hospital
the leadership of Market President Robert
and community, we must prepare now for the
Isaksen, Bank of America has further
uncertain impact of healthcare reform in the
enhanced its position as a community
coming years.
advocate on Long Island, and Mather has
Prior to the Patient Protection and Affordable
been fortunate to be among the many
Care Act being signed into law earlier this
recipients of their philanthropy.
year, much of the discussion was around
Service – Wait times in Mather Hospital’s
the need for healthcare coverage for more
Emergency
Room have been dramatically
citizens. However, the new law sets the stage
reduced
thanks
to process redesign by
for a healthcare system that rewards value
administrators,
doctors,
nurses and staff.
(improved care at a lower cost), collaboration
Since February 2010, the Mather
and shared responsibility among providers.
Emergency Department (ED) “door to
And our reimbursements will be affected by
provider” time has averaged about 30
how well we do in these areas.
minutes. That’s a significant decrease from
At Mather Hospital, we are preparing for
the September 2008 average wait of 90
these changes by
minutes, and it
implementing a new
comes at a time
clinical information
when nationwide
system, continuing
hospital emergency
our strong focus
We must prepare now for the
department waiting
on clinical quality
times have grown to
uncertain
impact
of
healthcare
improvement and
an average of one
patient satisfaction,
reform in the coming years.
hour, according to
and looking at
a 2008 Centers for
potential new
Disease Control and
relationships with
Prevention report.
physicians and other
This initiative, along
healthcare providers.
with
other
process
changes
and technology
Earl had little impact on Long Island; the
updates,
has
helped
drive
patient
satisfaction
effect of healthcare reform will likely be far
in
the
ED
to
96
percent,
according
to the
greater and many of these initiatives will help
August 2010 Press Ganey reports.
us to be better prepared for it.
Our 14th annual Breast Cancer Victory Day
brought some 750 survivors, their families
People – Mather Hospital placed four
and friends to Mather, where they provided
finalists in the Long Island Business News
one another with hope and support and
2010 Health Care Heroes Awards: the
heard inspirational stories from speakers
Lymphedema Treatment Center staff under
Irene Trelfa of Sound Beach and Geralyn
the direction of Brian Davis (Health Care
Lucas, who wrote a memoir of her experience
Professional Hero); Kathryn Manzi (Nurse
being diagnosed with breast cancer at 27.
Hero); Dr. Vincent Basilice (Physician Hero);
Breast Center benefactor and Mather
and Dorothy “Dot” Milau, (Volunteer Hero).
board member Judi Fortunato welcomed
Congratulations to all of the finalists. The
everyone to the event, which was created
winners will be announced at a breakfast
to raise awareness of breast cancer and
on November 4 at the Crest Hollow Country
the need for early detection. In 2009, the
Club in Woodbury.
Breast Center staff, led by Dr. Joe Carrucciu
The honorees of Mather Hospital’s 2010
and Dr. Michelle Price, performed more
Theodore Roosevelt Awards were recognized
than 11,000 screenings and diagnostic
at our One Enchanted Evening gala on
mammography exams.
Friday, October 15 at The Inn at East Wind
in Wading River. James Danowski, Vincent
continued on page 9
Basilice, MD, Lloyd Lense, MD, and Robert
2
JOHN T. MATHER
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Board of Directors
Chairman of the Board
Kenneth A. Jacoppi, Esq
President
Kenneth D. Roberts
Vice Chairmen
Betsy Noyes Britton
Konrad J. Kuhn
Harold Tranchon, Jr.
Treasurer
John R. Sini
Secretary
Gene Gerrard
Chairman, Medical Board;
President, Medical Staff
Lloyd Lense, MD
Vice Chairman, Medical
Board; Vice President,
Medical Staff
Kara H.V. Kvilekval, MD
Board Members
Alan D. Beck
Joseph Boglia, MD
Gary Cress
James Danowski
M. Cecile Forte, PhD
Judith A. Fortunato
Kathryn B. Frey
Robert A. Isaksen
Frederick C. Johs, Esq
Thomas Kohlmann
Richard Lusak
James F. Maiella
Wayne Rampone
Leo Sternlicht
Edward J. Weiss
Chairman, Public Affairs Committee
Gene Gerrard
Vice President, Public Affairs
Nancy Uzo
Director, Public Relations
Stuart Vincent
Public Affairs Coordinators
Hannah Feldman
Nancy Fischetti
Julie Parenti
Published quarterly by the
Public Affairs Department
(631) 476-2723 or ext. 4291
or e-mail us at
[email protected]
HEALTH Matters
Get Your Flu Shots!
The single best way to protect yourself, your patients, family and
colleagues from the flu is to get vaccinated each year and Employee
Health is making it easy to get your shot this year.
First, Employee Health is offering “walk-in” hours from 7:30 a.m. to
noon and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is
necessary.
Second, the Employee Health Flu Mobile will be traveling around the
hospital administering flu vaccines throughout October and November,
during both day and night shifts.
To prevent healthcare-associated influenza, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and Joint Commission recommend that all
healthcare workers and hospital personnel be vaccinated.
Employee Health is asking all employees with or without patient contact
to get vaccinated. Those declining a flu shot need to sign a Flu Vaccine
form indicating that they:
• already received the vaccine somewhere else,
Karin Pape, RN of Employee Health Services with the Flu
• have a contraindication (must be accompanied with a note signed by the
Mobile, which is traveling around the hospital to make it more
convenient for employees to get vaccinated.
employee’s primary healthcare provider using the Department of Health
Influenza Vaccine Criteria for Exemption) to receiving the vaccine, or
• are declining the vaccine.
The form can be signed in the Employee Health Service office or at the Flu Mobile.
Ovarian Cancer Focus of Upcoming Seminar
Mather Hospital will host an educational symposium Wednesday, November 17 at 7 p.m., entitled “Ovarian Cancer: What You
Need to Know.”
Ovarian cancer strikes more than 21,000 women each year and only 24 percent of cases are diagnosed at an early stage.
At this free program, participants will learn about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, genetic links and treatment
proposals.
Jeffrey Vacirca, MD, hematology/oncology, will introduce the program. Distinguished presenters and panelists are to include
Michael Dosik, MD, hematology/oncology; David Hyman, MD, genetics; Stanley Ostrow, MD, hematology/oncology; Gerardo
SanRoman, MD, OB/GYN; and Benjamin Schwartz, MD, gynecological oncology.
Call (631) 476-2888 or go online at www.matherhospital.org/cancer to register.
Mather Physician Keynotes Town Health Symposium
Maritza Groth, MD of
Mather Hospital’s Intensivist
Program delivered the keynote
speech at Brookhaven Town’s
Women’s Health Symposium
at Town Hall October 2.
Dr. Groth’s address, Sleep
& Women: Are You Getting
Your Zzzz’s, focused on how
women can improve their
overall health by getting the
rest they need. The fourth
Annual Conference was an
all-day event that included
a series of informative
workshops that covered
nutrition, organizing your
environment, keeping fit
and the “Seven Secrets to
Keynote Speaker and Mather
Maintaining Your Mental
Intensivist Maritza Groth, MD
Health.”
Also taking part in the
event were representatives from Mather’s Sleep Disorders
Center, Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence and Fortunato
Breast Health Center.
Representing Mather and sharing information about their services are (from
left) Ted Nilsson of the Sleep Disorders Center, Cheryl Bishop, RN of Fortunato
Breast Health Center, and Daphne Baldwin Kornrich, MS, RD, Bariatric Dietitian,
Department of Bariatrics.
3
medical staff Matters
Ashish Agarwala, DO
We lcome New Doctors
Specialty: General
Surgery, Bariatric
Surgery
Medical Degree:
New York College of
Osteopathic Medicine of
NYIT, Old Westbury, NY
Residency: General
Surgery, Wyckoff
Heights Medical Center,
Brooklyn, NY
Fellowship: Minimally Invasive Surgery,
Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical
College of Virginia
Practice: 625 Belle Terre Road, Suite 202,
Port Jefferson, NY (631-689-0220)
Deepa Aravind, MD
Specialty: Endocrinology
Medical Degree: Sri
Ramachandra Medical
College, Chennai, India
Residency: Internal
Medicine, Stony Brook
University Medical
Center, NY
Fellowship:
Endocrinology and
Metabolism, Stony Brook University Medical
Center, NY
Practice: 285 Middle Country Road, Suite
105, Smithtown, NY (631-509-0390)
Pedro Calves, MD
Specialty: Palliative
Care
Medical Degree: SUNY
Upstate Medical Center
College of Medicine,
Syracuse, NY
Residency: Internal
Medicine, Nassau
County Medical Center,
East Meadow, NY
Fellowship: Critical Care, Cooper Hospital/
University Medical Center, Camden, NJ
Pulmonary Medicine, Nassau County Medical
Center, East Meadow, NY
Practice: 1476 Deer Park Avenue, Suite 4,
North Babylon, NY (631-617-5250)
Markella Christakis, MD
Specialty: General
Surgery
Medical Degree:
Louisiana State
University School of
Medicine, LA
Residency: General
Surgery, Nassau
University Medical
Center, East Meadow, NY
Practice: 70 North Country Road, Suite 201,
Port Jefferson, NY (631-403-4310)
4
Emanuel Chryssos, MD
Specialty: Cardiology
Medical Degree:
University Of Miami,
Miami, FL
Residency: Internal
Medicine, Thomas
Jefferson University
Hospital, Philadelphia,
PA
Fellowships: Cardiology
and Vascular Medicine, Ochsner Clinic, New
Orleans, LA
Practice: 45 Research Way, Suite 108, East
Setauket, NY (631-941-2000)
Robert Dawson, MD
Specialty: Pathology
Medical Degree:
University of Pittsburgh,
PA
Residency: Medical
College of Pennsylvania,
Allegheny Campus, PA
Fellowships: Surgical
Pathology, Allegheny
General Hospital,
Pittsburgh, PA
Practice: 1000 Montauk Highway, West Islip,
NY (631-376-3990)
Jennifer Gray, DO
Specialty: Physical
Medicine Rehabilitation
Medical Degree:
New York College of
Osteopathic Medicine,
Old Westbury, NY
Residency: Physical
Medicine and
Rehabilitation, Stony
Brook University Medical
Center, NY
Fellowship: Neuromuscular Medicine,
Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH
Practice: 200 Belle Terre Road, Port
Jefferson, NY (631-474-6880)
Anthony Llorens, MD
Specialty: Emergency
Medicine
Medical Degree: Duke
University School
Medicine, Durham, NC
Residency: Emergency
Medicine, Stony Brook
University Medical
Center, NY
Practice: Mather
Hospital Emergency Department (631-4731320)
Ajay Malhotra, MD
Specialty: Radiology
Medical Degree: St.
Georges University
School of Medicine,
Grenada
Residency: Internal
Medicine, Radiology,
University Hospital,
SUNY Downstate
Medical Center,
Brooklyn, NY
Fellowship: Interventional Radiology,
University Hospital, SUNY Downstate Medical
Center, Brooklyn, NY
Practice: 1000 Montauk Highway, West Islip,
NY (631-376-4027)
Ashesh D. Mehta, MD, PhD
Specialty: Neurosurgery
Medical Degree: Albert
Einstein College of
Medicine, Bronx, NY
Residencie:
Neurosurgery, Memorial
Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, NY;
Neurosurgery, Cornell
University Medical
Center, NY
Fellowship: Department of Neurosurgery,
Epilepsy Division, New York University
Medical Center, NY
Practice: 270-05 75th Avenue, New Hyde
Park, NY (718-470-9402)
Mather Doctor
Serves as Board
Examiner in
Hungary
Dr. Steven J. Litman, D-ABA/
PM, FIPP, D-ABIPP, served as Board
Examiner for the World Institute
of Pain Examination in Budapest,
Hungary on September 3, 2010.
He was one of only 10 American
physicians to participate in this
Examination. Dr. Litman evaluated
the ability of candidates to perform
pain management procedures during
the practical part of the examination
and evaluated knowledge base on
the oral examination.
Dr. Litman is the Section Chief
of Pain Management of the
Department of Anesthesiology at
Mather and St. Charles Hospitals.
medical staff Matters
We lcome New
Doctors
Rupesh R. Mehta, MD
Specialty: Nephrology
Medical Degree:
SUNY Upstate Medical
University, College of
Medicine, Syracuse, NY
Residency: Brown
Medical College,
Providence, RI
Fellowship: Nephrology
and Hypertension, New
York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell
Medical College, NY
Practice: 5225 Nesconset Highway, Building
13, Suite 60, Port Jefferson Station, NY
(631-406-6676)
Yunjia Tang, MD
Physicians
Honored at
Medical Staff
Dinner
The medical staff of Mather
and St. Charles Hospitals held
the Annual Physician Recognition
Dinner at Lombardi’s on the
Sound on September 30.
Mather physicians honored at
the event were:
Chairman of the
Medical Board Award Dr. Kara Kvilekval
(Vascular Surgery)
Specialty: Pathology
Medical Degree:
Stony Brook School of
Medicine, Stony Brook,
NY
Residency: Pathology,
New York University
Medical Center, New
York, NY
Fellowship: University of
Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA
Practice: 1000 Montauk Highway, West Islip,
NY (631-376-3990)
Special Physician Award Dr. Robert Baranowski
(Gastroenterology)
Anzhelika Vaccaro, MD
President of the
Medical Staff Award
Dr. Mark Solomon
(Nephrology)
Specialty:
Ophthalmology
Medical Degree: SUNY
Downstate Medical
Center, College of
Medicine, Brooklyn, NY
Residency:
Ophthalmology,
University Hospital,
University of Medicine
and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
Fellowship: Glaucoma, New York Ear and Eye
Infirmary, New York, NY
Practice: 2500 Route 347, Building 24,
Stony Brook, NY (631-941-1400)
Chizheng Zhong, MD
Specialty: Pathology
Medical Degree:
Shanghai Medical
University, Shanghai,
China
Residency: General
Surgery, Zhongshan
Hospital, Shanghai, China
Anatomic and Clinical
Pathology, WInthrop
University Hospital, Mineola, NY
Fellowship: Surgical Pathology, WInthrop
University Hospital, Mineola, NY
Practice: 50 Route 25A, Smithtown, NY
(631-862-3052)
Dr. Lloyd Lense, chairman of the medical board at
Mather Hospital, congratulates Dr. Kara Kvilekval on her
Chairman of the Medical Board Award.
Heritage Award
Dr. Yakob Gangat
(Anesthesiology),
Dr. William Cohn
(Gastroenterology),
Dr. Peter Bruno
(Cardiology)
Dr. David Paul, chairman of the medical board at St.
Charles Hospital (right), congratulates Dr. Yakob Gangat,
who was recognized with the Heritage Award.
Voyage to Excellence Award Dr. Joan Faro
(Chief Medical Officer)
Emeritus Award
Dr. Frederick Buncke
(Anesthesiology),
Dr. Santiago Wong
(Pediatrics)
Drs. David Paul and Lloyd Lense congratulate Dr. Joan Faro
on her Voyage to Excellence Award.
Joseph Ng, MD Named Chief
Medical Information Officer
Dr. Joseph Ng, who specializes in critical care medicine, has
been named Chief Medical Information at Mather Hospital.
In this role, he helps the hospital optimize the physician
experience as it adopts the computerized provider order entry
(CPOE) system. Dr. Ng divides his time between his clinical
duties and his role in informatics.
Dr. Ng received his medical degree from Ponce School of
Medicine, Puerto Rico. He completed his residency in internal
medicine at New York Medical College, St. Vincent Catholic Medical Center. He also
completed a fellowship in critical care medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was
chief administrative fellow prior to joining Mather. Dr. Ng resides in Flushing, Queens.
5
Voyage Matters
You Asked, We Did
In 2008, before the Voyage to Excellence officially set sail, employees
throughout Mather Hospital were surveyed about their experiences,
opinions and expectations through a Cultural Excellence Inventory.
The survey identified four areas that, if improved, would further
enhance the work environment. The following report highlights the
changes that were made as a result of our employees’ requests.
You asked for:
Better Communication
We did:
• Daily Line-up, to ensure that every employee is kept abreast of the
Voyage and its focus as well as events and news items of interest;
• Employee Forums, so you could hear firsthand from senior leadership
about current issues and planning and also ask questions;
• Compass, the newsletter of the Voyage, integrated into Mather
Matters just as the Voyage has been integrated to the day-to-day
hospital business;
• Communication Boards, introduced throughout the hospital, to
provide current information about patient surveys, financial
statements, new employees, volunteer activity, and other items of
interest.
Top of the WAVE Winner
Mather Hospital President Kenneth Roberts congratulates
Nicole Poat on her selection as the Top of the WAVE.
Nicole was surprised while at work in the TCU by
members of the Employee Engagement team, as part
of its celebration of the first anniversary of the WAVE
program. For her outstanding service, Nicole received a
commemorative certificate and an Ipod. Runners-up for
the Top of the WAVE were William Quinn, Tina Stoebe,
Nicole Poat, Sharon Buda, and Patricia Sidoo.
You asked for:
More Visible and Accessible Leadership
We did:
• Rounding, to bring administrators into the different hospital
departments to share current developments in the Hospital,
recognize successes and share opportunities for improvement;
• Leadership Development Team, to foster a leadership development
program with the Advisory Board to assist the members of the
leadership team with their role in the Voyage;
• Mather Cares, to bring a different department each month to a lunch
with President Kenneth Roberts to discuss issues impacting the
healthcare industry and the hospital.
You asked for:
Recognition
We did:
Quarterly Employee Events and other recognition activities, such as the
Fall Festival and Board Keepers Celebration, to show appreciation for
employees;
WAVE Program, to give employees the opportunity to recognize
other employees for their “above and beyond” efforts as the perfect
complement to Service Excellence;.
Bright Ideas, to provide every employee with the opportunity to share
their best ideas with the hospital and to be acknowledged for those
contributions;
Capstone Award, to recognize an extraordinary team effort that
resulted in measurable improvement in the delivery of patient care, and
the first Capstone Award was presented to the interdisciplinary team
that worked on various initiatives to improve patient satisfaction in the
ED.
First Prize Winner
Susan McConnell of Professional Billing shows off her First Prize
certificate she received at a recent Boardkeepers Celebration,
coordinated by the Communications Team. Professional Billing’s
Communications Board was rated best by employees during he
Summer Fun Board Decorating Contest.
6
You asked for:
Staff Accountability
We did:
Standards of Performance were developed to ensure that every
employee understands what is expected from every member of the
Mather team and are the foundation of each employee’s performance
appraisal
Specialized Training Sessions, such as First Impressions and RELATE,
further support the Standards of Performance
Voyage Matters
Fall Festival Celebrates Strong Patient
Satisfaction Results
Whether they were trying to win it in a minute by bouncing pencils into plastic cups, finding the rubber duckie with the right words or
showing off how well they know the Medical Staff, employees had a great time at the Fall Festival. All of the Voyage teams came together to lead the celebration of strong patient satisfaction results with a host of fun games, terrific prizes and sweet treats.
Employee Forum: Questions & Answers
During June’s of Employee Communication Forums,
everyone had the opportunity to submit questions in writing
after each meeting. The following are answers from the
Senior Administrative Staff.
Can you explain the space issues a little more?
As Mather Hospital continues to enhance and increase the
healthcare services we provide to our community, the need
for space becomes greater. To that end, we are constantly
evaluating our current needs and assessing what our future
needs may be.
At present, we are looking for space that will allow us to
consolidate our outpatient services including Behavioral
Health Services and Wound Care, Pt. Jefferson into one
centralized and accessible location in the community. We are
also considering moving non-patient programs—the business
office and Public Affairs, for example—to this same off-site
location. This move would return more on-campus space for
clinical services.
Such a move would offer patient benefits of having
outpatient services accessible in one convenient location
with ample access to main routes and ample parking. There
would also be some financial benefits for the hospital over
time.
We will continue to provide updates on the space issue at
Employee Forums and through the Daily Line-up.
What is the difference between the way HCAHPS and
Press Ganey information is gathered?
Mather assesses both surveys for insight about how our
hospital programs, services and staff are being viewed
by our patients. We use the information they provided to
identify areas that require attention, such as noise level in
patient areas, all in an effort to improve the overall patient
experience.
Briefly, HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment
of Healthcare Providers and Systems) is a national,
standardized survey of hospital patients, created to publicly
report the patient’s perspective of hospital care. Mather
contracts with a telephone survey company to ascertain
this information. Patients are selected at random to answer
the 27 questions, created by the federal government, which
primarily focus on what a patient experienced during a stay.
Press Ganey, an independent vendor of patient satisfaction
measurement and improvement services, works with
thousands of healthcare organizations nationally. Press
Ganey surveys generally focus on how a patient felt about
his or her hospital experience. The survey asks questions
about: access to care; service provided at the visit; the care
provider; concern and sensitivity of the staff and provider to
the patient’s needs; and overall assessment of the medical
clinic. Press Ganey is completed by mail and family members
make the responses.
HCAHPS is also available to the public via the Internet,
whereas Press Ganey is used more as an internal tool by the
hospital.
Will MEDHOST be integrated with the new computer
system?
Both MEDHOST and the new computer system, Sunrise
Clinical Manager, are tremendous tools in the management of
patient records. They are independent software systems.
MEDHOST is an electronic medical record and management
system that tracks every patient through the Emergency
Department until discharge or inpatient admission. Each
time a patient is seen by a member of the staff, that contact
is entered into the system. MEDHOST is monitored by the
nursing and medical staff taking care of the patient and
Employee Forum Q&A is continued on page 8
7
Voyage Matters
New Team Members
Kathy Beacon
Communications Team
Andrea Breiner
Bright Ideas Team
Jacqueline Lyon
Communications Team
Tom Walsh
Communications Team
Joe Ferreri
Dr. Maria Basile, Co-Leader
Physician Engagement
Physician Engagement
Team
Team
Genine Schwinge
Patient Experience Team
Robert Montgomery
Bright Ideas Team
Cassie Folken
Physician Engagement
Team
Joan Samborski
Physician Engagement
Team
NOT PICTURED
Heather Heywood - Patient Experience Team Robert LaRocca - Patient Experience Team Brianne Bonner-Layne - Bright Ideas Team
Employee Forum: Questions & Answers
continued from page 7
helps everyone keep an eye on the progress of care. Sunrise
Clinical Manager automates the process of recording a
patient’s personal and health information.
Are we going to pursue Magnet status?
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the
largest credentialing organization of its kind, created the
Magnet Recognition Program® to recognize healthcare
organizations that provide nursing excellence, quality patient
care and innovations in nursing practice. In turn, it provides
patients and healthcare consumers a standard to evaluate
the quality of care they can expect.
To become a Magnet hospital, an organization must
meet more than 65 standards developed by the ANCC that
demonstrate an environment that supports nursing practice
and focuses on professional autonomy, decision making
at the bedside, nursing involvement in determining the
nursing work environment, professional education, career
8
development and nursing leadership. Because of the scope
of the effort, support and participation of all the departments
in the hospital is critical to its success.
It is our goal to pursue magnet status in the next few years.
I know at previous forums you identified a need to
increase outpatient services and had initiatives to do
this. Have the initiatives been effective and are you
looking to institute new initiatives in this area?
We are always looking for ways to improve the patient
experience at Mather. Our valet parking, which concluded its
first year in June, has been appreciated by those who avail
themselves of it.
We are in the process of refining the registration process
and technology in Imaging Services. As you may have heard,
we are investing in a new Toshiba 320 slice CT scanner which
will be able to do advanced cardiac studies and offers lower
radiation exposure. Once these initiatives are completed, we
will look to aggressively promote Imaging Services.
NURSING Matters
Phil Messina Appointed Director
of Nursing Emergency Services
Phil Messina of Commack has
been appointed Director of Nursing
Emergency Services and will be
responsible for the overall operations of
the ED nursing services and part of the
interdisciplinary team.
Messina joins Mather from
Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical
Center, where he was AVP Operations/
Administrative Director of Emergency
and Peri-Operative Services.
He worked at Brookhaven for almost 14 years, starting as
a Project Manager and later as Assistant Director of Nursing
Critical Care. He also is a Commander in the Nurse Corps of the
U.S Navy with 30 years of service and in 1980–1981 served at
the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD. and in 1983
with the 24th Marines in Lebanon.
Messina attended Nassau Community College and received
his B.S.N. at Adelphi University and a Master of Public Health
Administration degree at C.W. Post.
Infusion Center Opens
Mather Hospital’s Infusion Center in the Frey Family
Foundation Medical Arts Building is beautifully appointed
and anchored by a centralized nurses’ station that offers a
view of all patients.
In the 13-chair facility, infusion therapy is provided for
patients undergoing chemotherapy as well as those with
lupus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease and other
autoimmune diseases. Outpatient infusion therapy is
also a treatment option for hematological, rheumatologic,
gynecological and kidney disorders. Sharing space in
the facility are the Congestive Heart Failure and AntiCoagulation programs.
A Message from the President: The Impact of Healthcare Reform
continued from page 2
Quality & Safety – As part of the
Emergency Department Improvement
Initiative, wait times for an EKG have
been reduced to five minutes. Patients
who have symptoms of a possible
heart attack can quickly be given time
sensitive, life-saving treatment.
Mather’s Wound Care Center was
presented with the Center of Distinction
Award in recognition of high patient
satisfaction rates, exceptional healing
results and outstanding clinical
outcomes. The award was presented by
Diversified Clinical Services, a national
leading wound care management
company. The Wound Care Center
specializes in treating sores or wounds
that are not healing properly and creates
a treatment program based on the
individual needs of the patient.
Our Sleep Disorder Center continues
to offer the highest quality care for
those suffering from sleep disruption
such as obstructive sleep apnea,
restless leg syndrome or narcolepsy.
The Center is accredited by the
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
(AASM), the gold standard by which
the medical community and the public
evaluate sleep medicine services. An
accredited, hospital-based sleep center
tells our patients that we are following
the highest standards of patient safety
and patient care and that we are well
prepared to handle any emergencies
that may arise.
For the second year in a row, Mather
Hospital was named to the Honor Roll of
the Hearst Newspaper’s hospital safety
review report that was published on
September 17, 2010. Mather was the
only Long Island hospital to be named
on the Honor Roll two years in a row. The
Hearst Newspaper started the hospital
safety review report last year.
Innovation & Growth – We continue to
make progress with the implementation
of the new $22 million Sunrise Clinical
Manager electronic health records
system, which will replace paper
documents and charts, streamline the
process of recording a patient’s personal
and health information, increase patient
safety and allow our caregivers to spend
less time with paperwork. The system
will allow all caregivers access to a
patient’s record and includes an intuitive
feature that helps guide clinicians to
select proper orders and medications.
This system will be teamed with a
new pharmacy system that will use
barcodes to track all medications given
to patients. By scanning barcodes on
the medications and on the patients
identification bracelet, the system will
help ensure that patients receive the
proper medications in the right dosage
at the right times.
On October 29 we will hold a ribbon
cutting for our beautiful new outpatient
Infusion Center, located in the Frey
Family Foundation Medical Arts Building.
Mather Hospital was awarded a $1.5
million HEAL NY grant by the New York
State Department of Health, which
included establishing programs for
congestive heart failure and Coumadin
patients. The new infusion center features
13 stations, more than doubling our
capacity to provide patients who have
cancer, congestive heart failure and a
range of other chronic illnesses with
critically needed treatment. In addition,
the project realizes the hospital’s
commitment to helping community
members with congestive heart failure
and other heart related diseases to
better manage their disease, preventing
acute episodes requiring hospitalization
and/or a trip to the Emergency
Department. As we approach the end of another
year, we take satisfaction in knowing
that Mather Hospital is prepared
to handle the healthcare needs of
the communities we serve, be it an
emergency arising from a natural
disaster, a sleep disorder or an ongoing
health concern. My thanks to the
doctors, nurses, technologists and all
the members of the Mather family for
continuing the work of making Mather
the best community hospital in New
9
York.
HOSPITAL Matters
MAY 2010
JULY 2010
august 2010
SEPTEMBER 2010
10
Service Excellence Awards
Kelly Abbe
Fran Abbott
Joan Adams
Christine Albinski
Erik Alfredsen
Deborah Amato
Donna Apinis
Rose Aurigue
Mary Ballato
John Becherer
Dr. Shailendra Bhatnagar
Vanessa Bishop
Brianne Bonner-Layne
Christine Brady
Debbie Brennan
Chris Brons
Sharon Buda
Janet Buitenkant
Donald Bulin
Gina Marie Butera
Gabreila Calderon
Paul Carollo
Dr Joseph Carrucciu
Thomas Castro
Dr. Bo Chao
Dr. Tommy Chau
Jennifer Christofor
Nancy Clavin
Craig Clavin
Amy Colleran
Donna Collins
Michelle Collins
Eileen Corcoran
Kathleen Cote
Valerie Craig
Stephanie Cris
Heather Crommer
Christine Cubano
Angelique Cuevas
Noreen Cullen
Alethea Cunningham
Michael Daley
Anne Marie Daley
Roger D’Amalio
Anita Dantzig
Janet De Angelis
Coleen Delvalle
Bill DeMicco
James Denning
Susan Deturris
Virginia Devera
Mark DiCarlo
Loretta Didwell
Jomar Dimanlig
Joan Dipiazza
Marlene Dmytryshyn
Patricia Dodd
Daria Dodds
Lisa Doumas
Denise Driscoll
Kevin Duggan
Dr. David Duong
Danielle Duryea
Grace Ebinger
Rhonda Edwards
Lisa Eggers
Daniel Epstein
Jules Estime
Jackie Faetz
Judee Falcone
Mary Ferrara
Charles Ferrer
Lorraine Fitzgerald
Jane Foley
Gloria Fortune
Marion Fracassa
Birthe Frank
Mary Friel
Karen Fritzon
Lori Fusco
Kristen Garcia
Cameron Gittens
Dina Giulietti
Erma Glanville
Mary Ellen Glennon
Floyd Glubiak
Janet Gonzalez
Mary Ann Goodman
Peta-Gaye Gordon
Tom Gorman
Joan Grant
Michael Graziano
Nancy Grella
Gail Griffett
Laura Grosse
Teresa Haddon
Melissa Hafner
Michael Hagenbruch
Kim Hagerman
Lori Hamilton
Lindsay Handy
Bill Hansen
Sherry Hansen
Shari Harris
Mary Harwood
Margaret Hassett
Sherry Heath
James Hegarty
Kathleen Herrera
Louise Hershberger
Maureen Hervan
Margaret Hess
Dr. Kenneth Hirsch
Maria Hogan
Theresa Holt
Kevin Hood
Tracy Hopkins
Marie Ioanuu
Barrie Jacobsen
Jo-Ann Jelley
Colleen Kiernan
Kathleen Kote
Guy Koutouvidis
Patricia Krepil
Deborah Kreuscher
Dr. Alain Kruh
Audrey Krutys
Jessica Lafosse
Joan Landers
Debbie Lang
Christina Lauria
Robin LiSanti
Igor Lizogubenko
Allison Lombardi-Visco
Merritt Love
Tracey Magro
Catherine Malinowski
Diane Malloy
Karen Maloney
Frank Mannino
Suzanne Marmo-Roman
Ginny Marosz
Josh Martino
Margaret Massaro
Teryl Ann McDonald
Betsy McLary
Pauline Meek
Charles Mellor
Angela Mondello
Heather Mongogna
Paul Monthie
Dr. Maxine Morgan
Kelly Mullane
Gerri Murillo
Shala Naz
Filomena Neves
Dr. Juliet Nichols
Joseph Nigro
Patricia O’Brien
Maggie O’Malley
Kerry O’Sullivan
Sal Pennetti
Ann Marie Penney
Denise Pepe
Felicia Perkowski
Michele Perricone
Jean Marie Peterson
Tara Petrungaro
Regina Pfieffer
Dr. Mitch Pollack
Margaret Popp
Marie Preller
Willie Mae Presswood
Dr. Michelle Price
Audrey Quibell
Geri Quinn
Robin Rahn
Dr. Stephen Ralph
Peter Raszka
Louise Reichel
Dr. Usha Rengarajan
Krystin Reuter
Pat Rivers
Katie Rush
Frank Russ
Joan Samborski
Joyce Sanfilippo
Karen Sanner
Therese Sargent
Sharon Scanlon
Melanie Scattone
Michael Schmit
Daniel Seigh
Dr. Perry Shapiro
Nanette Shaw Felicio
Debbie Shull
Patricia Sidoo
Janice Smith
Patty Smith
Dr. Jacob Sokol
Dr. Bradley Spangher
Darlene Specht
Karen Starin
Eileen Swieczkowski
Cara Taranto
Dr. PhyllisTawiah
Liz Taylor
Lindsay Ventura
Cheryl Viggers
Ana Vlasic
Patrick Vosper
Trudy-Ann Weekes-Roach
Kathleen Wehrs
Nora Weiss
Jennifer Werthner
Julie Wesley
Carolyn West
Candice Whaley
Victoria White
Andrew Wichard
Anthony Wiley
Jennifer Will
John Woehrle
Dr. Adam Wos
Patricia Zarb
Sara Zaret
Mark Zender
HOSPITAL Matters
10
3, 20
r
e
b
m
Dece
,
y
a
t
Frid
dnigh terers
i
m
o
.t
Ca
7 p.m ast Wind r
E
ive
ing R
d
a
W
Save the Date …
Mather Hospital’s Annual Employee Holiday Party is set for Friday
December 3 from 7 p.m. to midnight at East Wind Caterers in Wading
River.
Outpatient Mental Health
Clinic Opens
To expand the continuum of psychiatric services
care, Behavioral Health Services at Mather Hospital
has opened a Mental Health Clinic for outpatients.
Through the Mental Health Clinic, patients will be
seen once or twice a week for individual, group, or
family therapy. The Clinic will also provide psychiatric
evaluations and medication management for those
patients who need those services in addition to
therapy. Each patient will have a comprehensive
treatment plan that will coordinate all of the services
being provided.
The clinic is located at 5505 Nesconset Highway,
Suite 238, Mount Sinai, NY 11766 (631-7292140). Contact Director Victoria Cook, NPP for more
information.
The Clinic complements other Mather Hospital
psychiatric services, including: Inpatient (24 hours/
day); Partial Hospitalization (6-7 hours/day); Intensive
Outpatient (3 hours/day); Outpatient (1-2 times/
week).
Stuart Vincent Named
Director of Public
Relations
Pink Ribbon
Round-Up
Mather Hospital’s 45th
Annual One Enchanted
Evening fundraising
gala October 15 was an
impressive success, with
proceeds benefiting the
Fortunato Breast Health
Center and breast cancer
treatment at Mather
Hospital. Among the highlights of the western-themed event, hosted by
event co-chairs Judith and Barney Fortunato, Jr. (inset photo) was the
presentation of the Community Award to Bank of America, represented
by Robert Isaksen (second from left) and Theodore Roosevelt Awards
to (from left) Lloyd Lense, MD, James Danowski, Robert Nataloni, MD
and Vincent Basilice, MD.
Stuart Vincent of
Sound Beach has been
named Director of
Public Relations.
In his new role,
Vincent coordinates
publicity for the
hospital and his
key responsibilities
include media relations
and marketing
communications including publications, such
as Mather Matters and Housecalls, advertising,
electronic marketing, and events.
Vincent was most recently AVP for University
Relations at Hofstra University where he oversaw
media relations and acted as a spokesman for the
university. He helped coordinate media coverage for
the October 2008 presidential debate at Hofstra
between now President Barack Obama and U.S. Sen.
John McCain.
Prior to that, he spent 20 years at Newsday, first
as a reporter and later as Communications Manager.
He earlier worked as a reporter for the Albany Times
Union and the Elmira, N.Y. Star-Gazette.
A Brooklyn native, Vincent earned a Master of Arts
degree in Journalism while at Hofstra and has a B.A.
in Communications from the University at Albany
(SUNY).
11
VOLUNTEER & AUXILIARY Matters
Hours of Service
Mary Brancaccio
1,000 Hours
Mafalda Smith
2,000 Hours
Robert Casey
2,000 Hours
Helen Samuels
3,000 Hours
Nancy Hutchinson
5,000 Hours
Joan Kaye
2,000 Hours
Laura Jean Glover
15,000 Hours
Lois Nevins
3,000 Hours
Thank you for your service!
Did You Know…
That Mather’s volunteers
corps of volunteers logged a
combined 11,683 hours of
service to Mather Hospital this
summer? From June through
August, they collectively
donated their time to assist
at Reception, the Thrift Shop,
Gift Shop and other areas
throughout the hospital.
Contributing to the nearly
12,000 hours were Pink Ladies,
Mather Men and Juniors.
Thanks to all for their service.
Thanks to Our Caring Staff
On behalf of my family members, myself and my husband, Joe, I want to express my
heartfelt appreciation to all who ministered to my son, Raymond Grinere.
I’ve heard of the excellent care and emotional support from those who have been
hospitalized, but to experience it firsthand was nothing short of overwhelming.
I think there is a tendency to look to a hospital staff for all the answers and a quick fix
to the problem, whatever it may be. It’s an expectation, unrealistic and completely out of
focus, but Mather’s staff did all they could to meet those expectations with a good will and
an understanding beyond belief.
Professional, in the face of grief my family had never experienced. Compassionate, caring
while dealing with my son and still ever mindful of the mourning family surrounding him.
Words in this case are mere trifles when expressing our gratitude, but that gratitude from
a grieving family is magnified ad infinitum.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
— Louise Grinere
Thrift Shop Fashion Show
The Mather Hospital Thrift Shop Fashion Show will be held on
Monday, November 1, 2010 at Lombardi’s on the Sound in Port
Jefferson from 12 – 4 p.m. All clothes donated from the Thrift
Shop will be modeled by our volunteers and there will be music
and entertainment.
The Auxiliary will be selling raffle tickets in the Employee
Cafeteria prior to the event at a cost of $5 each or a an arm’s
length for $10. Prizes are as follows:
First prize: 42-inch plasma television with wall mount;
Second prize: Two orchestra tickets to March 20, 2011 3 p.m.
performance of Jersey Boys at the August Wilson Theatre in
New York;
Third prize: Two ferry tickets to casino and $50 basket of
instant lottery tickets.
Louise Grinere, manager of the Mather
Auxiliary Thrift Shop, models evening
wear at the 2009 Fashion Show.
12
For information, call the Auxiliary Office at (631) 476-2895.
Helen Rodowicz, in disguise, at last
year’s Fashion Show.
COMMUNITY Matters
Presenting the
Mather Cup
Mather Hospital honored the winners of the
American Cancer Society Regatta with the
presentation of the Mather Cup. The Mount
Sinai Sailing Association sponsored the August
21 regatta for the 29th consecutive year.
The trophy is awarded to the club with the
three best finishing yachts in what is the
second longest running charity regatta in
the country. Raggamuffin, Glass Slipper and
Zara, representing the Mount Sinai Sailing
Association, took home the 2010 Mather
Cup, named in tribute to the Port Jefferson
ship builder who founded John T. Mather
Memorial Hospital.
Mather President Kenneth Roberts (second from
right) made the trophy presentation to (from left)
Raggamuffin’s John Baker of South Setauket, Glass
Slipper’s Doug Dalessio of Stony Brook and Zara’s Jim
Poulos of Miller Place. Mount Sinai Sailing Association
Commodore and Regatta Chairman Ted Turner is at the
far right.
Port Jefferson Rotary
Supports Mather Hospital
The Port Jefferson Rotary recently donated $1,000 toward
the purchase of kitchen equipment at Mather Hospital.
Dennis Brennan, president of the Port Jefferson Rotary Club
visited the hospital recently to see firsthand how his club’s
donation benefited Mather and its patients.
“Without their help we would have never been able to
receive these new cooking essentials,” said Petra Robinson,
director of food and nutrition services.
Port Jefferson Rotary Club President Dennis Brennan (center) with Petra
Robinson, director of food and nutrition services (right), and Kevin Murray,
senior vice president of administration.
A Caring Decision
Decision Women in Commerce and Professions
recently presented a donation to Mather Hospital for
educational DVDs to support adolescent psychiatric
services. The group of professional and business
women is committed to community service, raising
funds for deserving programs, and networking,
President Barbara Ransom (second from right) and First Vice
President Maryann Douglas presented the ceremonial check to
Mather Hospital’s Jill Snelders (left), recreational therapist, and
Jean McCarrick, assistant vice president for Behavioral Health.
13
COMMUNITY Matters
Mather Sets Sail in the
Village Cup Regatta
Nearly 30 Mather staffers braved rough seas, gray
skies and gusty winds to take part in an exciting sailing
adventure on September 12 that generated nearly
$44,000. Proceeds benefit pancreatic cancer care at
Mather Hospital and the Lustgarten Foundation.
The inaugural Port Jefferson Village Cup Regatta pitted
sailors from Mather against those from the Village. Even
though the Village managed to eke out a victory and
possession of the trophy, the event was an unprecedented
hit with everyone who took part. Mather was well
represented (photo right) on the boats and on shore.
Espresso
Captain: Bill Menninger
Crew: James Sunyar, Jennifer
Chamberlin, Patty Schindler,
Robert Montgomery
Paladin
Captain: Jason Richter
Crew: Bonnie Friedl,
Catherine Escabi
Barbaros
Captain: Dr. Altan Ilkay
Crew: Dr. Jeffrey Vacirca,
Danielle Brouard
Sei Via Mare
Captain: Gary Passavia
Crew: Tina Stoebe, Mary Friel,
Denise Davis
Capricorn 4
Captain: Jeff Hausner
Crew: Sue McConnell,
Patty Marinello
Shalom
Captain: Mort Fortgang
Crew: Dennis Kramer,
Jon Zwigbaum
Topaz
Captain: John Ciarelli
Crew: Rocco Abbazia,
Juan Herrera,
Mike Foster
Ark
Captain: Bob Bari
Crew: Christine Ryan,
Jean Jaeger
Sand Box
Captain: Mike DeNicola
Crew: Terri Healy, Jeffrey Foster,
Gerald Miller
WIndrift
Captain: Dick Gambino
Crew: Ken Court, Kevin Duggan
Cyrene
Captain: Karl Jahnsen
Crew: Connie Reilly, Andrea Briener
One Step Up
Captain: Henry Elias
Crew: Alisha Richard, Joseph Aliano
Hundreds Celebrate
Breast Cancer Victory Day
Inspiring
speeches and
heartwarming
camaraderie were
the highlights
of the 14th
annual Breast
Cancer Victory
Day. Among
those adding
to the positive
spirit of the
afternoon were
(photo, top left, from left) survivor and featured speaker Irene
Trelfa; benefactor Judith Fortunato; featured speaker, survivor
and author Geralyn Lucas; Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher;
Assemblyman Marc Alessi; radio personality Donna Vaughn;
(photo, bottom left, from left) Vice President Wayne Shattes;
Judith Fortunato, Dr. Maria Diaz; benefactor Barney Fortunato;
(photo bottom right) Fortunato Breast Health Center co-directors
Drs. Michelle Price and Joseph Carrucciu.
14
FAMILY Matters
Birthdays:
Breast Center: Many birthdays celebrated
by Geri Quinn 4/4, Marie Dillon 4/21, Dr.
Michelle Price 5/1, Gloria Fernandez 4/24,
Lorraine Fitzgerald 5/6, Maria Bonneville
5/8, Chris Bolk 6/4, Deb Lang 6/20, Carmen
Halliday 6/24, Christine Denimark 7/27,
Colleen Fitzgerald 8/20. Administration:
Birthday Wishes to Wayne Shattes 4/1, Kevin
Murray 4/12, Christine Kleppe 6/28, Heather
Heywood 8/1, Nancy Grella 8/21. Public
Affairs: Warm birthday wishes to Cindy Court
4/27, Hannah Feldman 5/12, Laura Juliano
6/9, Dale Moller 6/22, Christine Kearney
8/30. Security: Birthday wishes to Ken Sullo
6/12, Robert LaRocca’s 60th birthday 6/17.
Professional & Regulatory: A very happy
birthday to Kim Teri 4/12, Cathy Hammer
4/24, Kelly Jackson 4/25, Cathy Trudel 4/28,
Maureen Dimaiuta 7/12. Hyperbarics: Happy
birthday to Janet Maguire. Finance: Best
wishes to Anne Marie Brooks 4/8, Rosemarie
Barbato-Schor 4/13, Theresa Healy 4/18,
Joanne Machacek 6/7, Morgan Miller 6/9,
Adam Gordon 6/11, Joseph Wisnoski 6/14,
Christine Livreri 6/16, Samantha Bublik
6/17, Linda Klein 6/22, Ruth Wheeler 6/26,
Susan Kehoe 6/30, Gale Elling 7/13, Danielle
Boehm 7/14, Dawn Foley 7/18, Barbara
Spiegel 7/20, Alanna Quinn 8/19. Wound
Care, PJ: Happy birthday to Kim Jarett 4/7,
Vilma Rosario 4/11, Krystal Thomas 4/30,
Ketlie Chrispin 5/12; Adriana Navaro 5/30,
Elizabeth Looney 6/17, AnneMarie Daley 6/24,
Magda Filangeri 7/8, Deborah Lamendola
8/3. Food & Nutritional Services: Many
birthday candles blown out by Kyle Brochard
4/4, Susan Sullivan (Coffee Shop) 4/22;
Everette Charles, 4/25, Matthew DeLeonardis
4/25, Kelly Denimarck, 4/30, Jacqueline
Magee 4/12, Adam Pometti 4/4, Christopher
Ramirez 4/23, Christopher Schumacher 4/27,
Linda Uebel, 4/25, Carrie Bruno 5/31, Kelly
Faller 5/4, Enrique Gonzales 5/24, Celeste
Gorman 5/12, Sara Koenig 5/23, Kristen
Reichling 5/2, Sharon Rhodes 5/21, Charles
Seales 5/13, Steven Squillace, 5/25, Daniele
Stanisci 5/17, Ingrid Schmidt (Coffee Shop)
5/9, Susan Page (Coffee Shop) 5/25, Steven
Pizzo 5/13 (Coffee Shop), Derek Woodward
5/16, Terri Ciavolella 6/4, Patrick Diamond
6/22, Drew Kaelin 6/26, Kathy Marshall 6/23,
Robin Martinez 6/16, Charlete Piggott 6/7,
Lisa Ragozzino 6/20, Richard Scott 6/14,
Winston Thomas 6/5, Linda Howlett 6/29,
Maria Nuzzi 6/28 (Coffee Shop), Stephanie
Witt 6/2 (Coffee Shop), Jane Collins 7/15,
Kiersten Falcone 7 23, Don Given 7/13, Ryan
Kaelin 7/29, Joe Loper 7/20, Gary Martin,
Jr. 7/27, Michelle Perrone 7/11 Caitlin Ryan
7/19, Brieana Schoener 7/30; Kathryn
Shouler, 7/6, Joe Aliano 8/11, Kim Altinok
8/30, Barbara Calandra, 8/7, Dana Court
8/15, Erin Danziger 8/7, Rosemary Doxey
8/21, Chris Esposito 8/10, Andrew Grant
8/20, Diana Nappo 8/4, Alana Palmer 8/12,
Ashley Polistina 8/10, Chris Reganato 8/15,
Paula Rushforth 8/17, Katherine Saporito
8/23. Professional Billing: Joyce Hinch 4/1,
Ginger Marchese 4/4, Cassy Folken 4/11,
Kathy Cote 4/25, Evelyn Lauture 5/16, Denise
Rubinetti 6/11, Marie Schipani 7/3, Luann
Stewart 7/21, Patti Marinello 8/13, Robin
15
Rahn 8/14, Sue Mcconnell 8/21, Connie
Reilly 8/23. Imaging Services: Birthday
celebrations by Suellen D’Andria 6/23, Wendy
Guzman 5/19, Debra Alicea 5/9, Laura Manne
5/16, Janell Bellamy 6/8, Cara Vassallo 6/13,
Debbie Brennan 7/13, Caroline Miller 8/3,
Filomena Neves 8/31, Caroline Denapole
5/21, Laura Heiman 4/23, Tim Callejo 4/26,
Mark Gentile 4/10, Scott Viscardi 8/4, Rob
Wells 6/8, Mark Proffit 6/15, Virginia Paul
7/16, Meghan Mack 7/11. ASU: Happy
birthday to Irma Rivera, Terry McDonald, Joan
Adams, Mary Friel, Jennifer Whitfield, Margaret
Massaro, Joann Meisenzhal, Trish Calvarese,
Andrea Lauckhardt; Pat Rivers, Lorraine Nigita,
Jamie O’Hara. TCU: Birthday wishes to Loretta
Wagner, Tanya Fanella, Deborah Amato, Lee
Viggiano, Susan Kreitzman, Stephanie Carr,
Deborah Schafmayer, Rishae Sturgis, Gladys
Francis. Admitting/ER Registration: Denise
Leombruno 4/17, Allie Vansteen 4/11, Lisa
Kaufman 5/1, Lori Olsewski 5/12, Joan Claire
6/28, Susan Greco 8/14, Barbara Parisi 8/26
and Ciara Grennen 8/5.
Birth Announcements:
Laboratory: Sharon Schmidt announces the
birth of her ninth grandchild, Julie Elizabeth
Schmidt, born 6/11. Public Affairs: Gemma
& Sebastian Saylor welcomed Annabelle Laura
on 8/11, joining big sister, Charlotte. Nursing
Admin: Jean McCarrick became grandma
to Madelynne Jayne, born 8/21. Joyce
DeMoore became grandma to Aubrey Rachel,
born 5/17. Congrats to all! Jessie (Fassois)
Canale gave birth to a beautiful girl, Aubrey
Nicole, 9/2, 8 lb. 7 oz. Baby and parents
are all happy and well, and Grandma Debbie
Fassois can’t stop smiling! Business Office:
Diane Malloy welcomed twin grandchildren,
Samuel Edward and Claire Frances, born 8/7.
Imaging Services: Debbie Garsik had a
beautiful granddaughter, Kate Evangeline on
4/15, 7 lb. 2 oz. Jean Dumas has a darling
granddaughter, Julianna on 8/11, 7 lb. 8
oz. ASU: Margaret Massaro was blessed
with a second grandchild, Madison Elizabeth,
on 6/14. Telemetry: Jessica Lagala had
a baby girl on 8/18, 5 lb., 19.25 inches.
Congratulations!
Wedding Anniversaries:
Professional & Regulatory Services:
Maureen and Sonny Dimaiuta celebrated
30 years of wedded bliss on 4/27.
Congratulations! Finance: Gale and
David Elling celebrated their 40th wedding
anniversary in Barbados, and family and
friends hosted a party for them when they
returned. Business Office: Carol & Philip
Penalver celebrated their 48th wedding
anniversary on 8/25. Imaging Services:
Suellen & Rick D’Andria celebrated 24 years
of wedding bliss. Meghan & Rick Mack
celebrated their third wedding anniversary.
ASU: Stacey and Tom Jolley married 16 years
on 8/27, Maggie and Gerry Maltz married 26
years on 8/4, and Irma and Carlos Rivera
married 40 years and decided to renew their
contract for 40 more! Congratulations to
all! Wound Care PJ: Kim & Dennis Jarett
celebrated 20 years 6/23. Admitting/ER
Registration: Jennifer & Mike Thebner 4/7,
Lynn & Doug Zigrosser 4/22, Diane & Jim
Trube 5/10, Niquette & Gene Daniels 7/9.
Administration: Congratulations to Kevin
Murray and his wife, Dawn, who celebrated
their anniversary on 8/7, and to Ken Roberts
and his wife, Cathy, who celebrated their
anniversary on 8/14.
Engagements/Weddings:
Public Affairs: Dale Moller’s son, Donald, and
Christie Pitrowski, were wed on 6/9. Security:
Robert LaRocca’s son, Paul, was married on
7/16 in Pasadena, CA. Bariatrics: Danielle
Nicolosi married John Mandracchia on 9/3.
Revenue Cycle Mgmt: Lisa, daughter of
Carol and James Cruz, married Doug Milano
on 7/3. The reception was at Fox Hollow and
honeymoon in St. John’s. ICU: Congrats to
the brides: Rose Dionisio wed on 9/18, and
Sabine Wallace wed on 9/4. Business Office:
Congratulations to Karen Greco’s daughter,
Brittany Greco, who became engaged, and
Evelyn Rizzacasa’s daughter, Stephanie Ferrere,
who also got engaged. Professional Billing:
Robin Rahn got engaged to Joe Franzosa
(Engineering) on Robin’s birthday 8/14.
Congrats and best wishes to both of you!
Imaging Services: Jim Haggerty’s daughter
Christina was married on 5/1. Patty Deery’s
son, Jesse, wed on 5/15 at Gurney’s Inn,
and her other son, Devon, was engaged in
August. Shannon Walker married Marc Perry
on 7/10 at West Sayville Country Club. ASU:
Andrea Lauckhardt’s son, Jim, wed on 8/7 to
his high school sweetheart, Jillian Breisacher,
followed by a fabulous honeymoon in Hawaii.
Admitting/ER Registration: Barbara Parisi’s
son, Paul, is engaged to Kristi and wedding
set for Oct. 2010. Diane Trube’s daughter,
Jennifer, is engaged to Nicholas Bannon, and
a November wedding is set. Administration:
Confetti and good wishes go to Kim Eagen and
Patrick Collins on their recent engagement. We
wish them both years of happiness together.
Vacations:
Public Affairs: Mary Steinmuller and family
had a fun time in Disney World. Health
Information Management: Subha Bagchi
went to Paris and Switzerland in July to
meet her son, and experienced Switzerland’s
awareness of noise pollution and energy
conservation (dim lights after 10pm). Jean
Jaeger and her partner, Lewis, cruised to
Bermuda on 4th of July with all of his family
including six of her grandchildren. Security:
Robert LaRocca vacationed for two weeks
in southern California and Las Vegas. ICU:
Jeanette Voelger enjoyed Mexico with her
entire family! Business Office: Idalia Soto
and Eric Ekert had an amazing vacation at
the Outer Banks, NC in August. Carol and
Philip Penalver had a wonderful vacation in
Punta Cana Dominican Republic in June.
Imaging Services: Filomena Neves and
family vacationed in Portugal. Debbie Brennan
and husband celebrated her birthday at Block
Island. Charlie Schneider and his wife took a
cruise to Maine and Canada. Laura O’Brien,
Donna Procida and families vacationed in Lake
continued on page 16
Installation Begins for New Health Records System
continued from page 1
safety and more time with caregivers.
Alerts or reminders can be displayed
to the provider at the time an order is
being placed in the system.
• Critical order sets – a grouping of
tests and procedures based on a
patient’s diagnosis that can be ordered
in one step – will help to make the
order process more efficient.
• Intelligent Clinical Decision Support
– This intuitive feature helps guide
clinicians to select the proper orders
and medications based on the
patent’s ever-changing condition. It
will alert them to a patient’s allergies,
drug interactions and other medical
conditions based on a patient’s
medical history and the information
entered since his or her arrival at the
hospital. Again, the system increases
the level of safety for patients.
• Clinical Analytics – The electronic
system will capture information
needed for continuously monitoring
and tracking quality and utilization.
Information can then be analyzed to
help in clinical quality improvement.
• Integrated Device Monitoring – Allows
the system to automatically record
a patient’s vital signs through direct
hook-ups with monitors. This replaces
the need for a nurse to manually enter
the information into a chart and allows
for continuous computer monitoring of
a patient’s condition.
• Bar-coded Medication Administration
– Through the use of bar codes on
all medications and on the badges
of those ordering, administering and
receiving the meds, the system ensures
that the right patient gets the right
medication at the right dose via the
right route (IV, oral) at the right times.
• Critical Care – An application
specifically designed for patients in
Critical Care Units allows caregivers
to closely monitor the condition of
those patients and alerts staff to any
significant changes.
“Mather is making a significant
investment into advancing patient care
by implementing this system which will
aid faster treatment and further our
patient safety practices,” noted Chief
Information Officer Tom Heiman. “It is
essential to making Mather the best
community hospital in New York State.”
FAMILY Matters
continued from page 15
George and had a blast. ASU: Joan Adams
went on a Bermuda cruise in May and Irma in
August. Lots of fun had by all! Wound Care
PJ: Deb Lamendola celebrated her birthday
with her husband Jerry in Key West Florida.
Ketlie Chrispin and her family spent a lovely
week in the Bahamas. TCU: Susan Kreitzman
visited Lake George with her family. Christa
Dwyer visited Jamaica with family and friends.
Admitting/ER Registration: Jeri Devlin
vacationed in North Carolina, Christine Diprima
vacationed in Palm Springs, CA, and gambled
in Las Vegas, and Jennifer Thebner had many
summer adventures camping with her family in
NY, PA and CT.
Graduations &
Educational Achievements:
PACU: Congrats to those who successfully
passed the certification exam in PACU
nursing: Janet DeAngelis, Lisa Ambrose, Irene
Cassata, Donna Collins, Louise Hershberger,
Sue Kiernan and Michelle Swensen. Nursing
Admin: Congrats to the following RNs who
received various types of certifications: CCU:
Julie Macauley and Teresa Pickel; Patricia
Woods (CT scan); Deborah Amato (TCU); 2
West: Darlene Steigman, Walter Griffith and
Floyd Glubiak; Suzanne Soltysik (Nursing
Ed); ER: Debbie Buganza-Estepa and Elise
Boyd. ICU: Teresa Pickel and Julia Macauley
passed their CCRN. Food & Nutritional
Services: Kudos to the graduates: Taylor
Schuchman, Gary Martin, Kumel Rizvi, Lindsey
McDonald, Kelly Faller, Kelly Denimarck, Crystal
Santamauro, Caitlin Ryan, Adam Pometti, John
Puzelli.
16
New Employees/
New Appointments:
Breast Center: A warm welcome to Lisa
Kreamer, mammo technician, and Lori Brooks,
ultrasound technician. Public Affairs: A big
warm welcome to Stuart Vincent, Director of
Public Relations, and Christine Kearney, as
assistant Healthy Heart grant coordinator.
Professional & Regulatory Services:
Welcome aboard Kelly Jackson, who joined the
staff as a Data Analyst on 4/6. Bariatrics: We
welcome Kara Ragone to our staff. Revenue
Cycle Mgmt: Welcome to Brendan Bonacum
and Karina Escabi. Finance: Welcome Susann
Sinkiewicz, Capital Projects Clerk. Nursing
Admin: Welcome Phil Messina, Director of
Nursing Emergency Services, Liz Picozzi,
Denise Bonneville, Jeanne Brennan, Kathleen
Biase, Maria Cassara, Latoya Bernard, Jennifer
Swanson, Anne Lasota, Diane Muller, Janet
Coacci, Arien Depaz, Armando Lastra, Nancy
Rochler, Pat Stillwaggon. ICU/CCU: Welcome
aboard Eric Schaf and Amy Wooten. Business
Office: Margaret Arfsten was promoted to
Credit and Collections Supervisor. Hospitalist
Medicine: Welcome David Duong, MD,
Mildred Garcia, MD, Sam Nuthalapaty, MD, and
Mervat Mourad, DO. Professional Billing:
A warm welcome to Christine MacGregor &
Erica Cruz. Imaging Services: Welcome
new Ultrasound Techs Jessica Bollbach and
Denise Olson. ASU: Welcome aboard to Eileen
Keary, perdiem RN. Information Services:
We welcome Doris Lepore, David Lombardi,
Efrat Bolze – welcome aboard! Telemetry: A
big welcome to Arien Depaz. Medical Affairs:
Welcome Will George, and ER physicians
Dr. Lindsey Grober and Dr. Anthony Llorens.
Admitting/ER Registration: Welcome
Kayleigh Fox, Kathleen Hardwicke, Laurie
Hlavac and Victoria Scheck.
Retirements/Farewells:
Professional & Regulatory Services:
Fond wishes to Cathy Trudel who retired
after 30+ years of service. ICU: Farewell to
Audrey Quibell – we’ll miss you. Information
Services: After 30 years of dedicated service
in Nursing and Information Services, Susan
Hovani retired on 7/9.She will be missed but
not forgotten! Admitting/ER Registration:
We will miss Brenda Rivoli – good luck with
your new position.
Miscellaneous items of interest:
Public Affairs: Dale Moller’s son, Donald,
graduated Army basic training at Fort Knox,
KY in June and is now assigned to the 11th
Armored in Fort Irwin, CA. Hyperbarics:
Carolyn West’s daughter, Danielle, a speech
language pathologist, was voted Teacher of
the Year in Trumbull, CT. Nursing Admin:
Congratulations to Terry Grimes for being
elected President of the American Society
for Pain Management Nursing, one year term
ending Sept. 2010. Finance: Michael Healy,
son of Theresa Healy, spent the summer
in Mbarara, Uganda working on a research
project funded by the UN on how to prevent
mothers who are HIV positive from spreading
the disease to their children. He spent his
time living in the Milleneum Village, observing
and interviewing the locals. Michael is a
second-year medical student at Columbia
University and a graduate of the University of
Notre Dame. Wound Care PJ: Lynsey Jarett,
daughter of Kim Jarett, qualified this past July
in Baton Twirling to be a member of Team USA
International Cup and competed in August with
20 other countries. TCU: Transitional Care
Units were signed into permanency in July
2010, by the Governor.