Smoother surgeries

LEARNING LEAN
DINING FOR A CAUSE
Backus Auxiliary fundraisier
July 19 at 99 Restaurant / 7
H3W training adds
more leaders / 2
HospiTell
The William W. Backus Hospital
VOL. 45, NO. 27
Windham Community Memorial Hospital
backushospital.org • windhamhospital.org
JULY 1, 2016
Smoother surgeries
Kaizen helps Backus OR find ways
to improve efficiency, patient experience
Above, Donna McArdle, RN, Operating Room Nurse Manager, talks about workflow and
processes used in the Backus Operating Room during a recent Kaizen meeting at the
hospital for Surgical Services. Inset, Gail Delaney, right, RN, Regional Director of Surgical Services, responds during the meeting. Ideas were written down and hung on
the walls of the conference rooms throughout the process.
A weekly newsletter for East Region employees, volunteers, patients and friends.
STORY,
PAGE 3
HOSPITELL
2
Gift Shop
Items of the Week
BACKUS
Celebrate with bubbles
Great for kids.
Great for the holiday weekend.
WINDHAM
Protect your skin this
summer
The Naked Bee Sun Sticks on sale
now at the Auxiliary to Windham
Hospital Gift Shop.
BACKUS Gift Shop HOURS: Mon. - WED. / 9:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.,
THURS. - FRI. / 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.,
Sat. / 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sun. / 1 – 4 p.m.
Windham GIFT SHOP HOURS:
Mon. - Fri. / 9 A.M. - 4 P.M.
About HospiTell
HospiTell is published each Friday by
the Communications Departments
of The William W. Backus Hospital
and Windham Hospital. Employees,
medical staff and volunteers can have
HospiTell e-mailed to their homes by
sending a request to
[email protected]
To submit news:
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 860.892.6964
Deadline: Wednesdays at noon
July 1, 2016
H3W daily management
rollout continues across HHC
The next phase of Hartford HealthCare’s roll-out of H3W Daily Management
was celebrated during a kickoff event at the Institute of Living in Hartford. During the event, 70 new work group leaders were matched with 30 mentors who
became group leaders during the second quarter.
“There was great enthusiasm on how the adoption of the daily management
system will help to both enhance our customer experience and advance our
focus around
our strategic
priorities. I’m
really excited
and confident that with
daily huddle
and the adoption of leader
standard work,
our staff will
be equipped
to transform,
reshape and set
a new standard
Trainees gathered recently for the Q3 Lean Daily Manto how we deagement kickoff event at the Institute of LIving.
liver care to our
patients and overall community,” said Mohamed Saleh, Director of H3W Lean
Office and Senior Lean Sensei at Hartford HealthCare.
East Region Staff who participated in the latest kickoff event include:
Corinna Quimby, ACU/PACU, Windham; Lisa Bazinet, IV Therapy, Backus; Anita
O’Rourke, PACU, Backus; Mary Jane Mattern, Pharmacy, Backus; Nicole Porter,
SDS and PAT, Backus; Meghan Hilliard, Emergency Dept., Windham; William
Muskett, EMS, Windham; Andrew MacDonald, Pharmacy, Windham; Suzanne
Ninteau, Sterile Processing, Windham.
Upcoming Auxiliary
vendor sales
Backus: Tupperware will be
the featured dealer for the next Backus Auxiliary vendor sale Friday,
July 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the MOB/cafeteria alcove. Items include
storage and picnic supply containers and more.
Windham: Haas Sheets will be the featured dealer for the next
Auxiliary to Windham vendor sale Thursday, July 14, from 9:30 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. in the atrium.
All sales by each auxiliary benefit the host hospital!
July 1, 2016
Backus surgery team uses
Kaizen to improve efficiency
As H3W Daily Management rolls
out across Hartford HealthCare, the
Backus surgical team has been adopting its principles, recently utilizing
a Lean Kaizen to improve work flow,
maximize efficiency and enhance the
patient experience in the OR.
The team, with some additional
help from registration, patient care
services, imaging, and human resources, held a Kaizen in late May
with the goal of improving the OR
scheduling process, operating
room utilization
and patient, physician and staff satisfaction. A Kaizen is a rapid problem
solving session aimed at fostering
continuous improvement. The team
that broke up into three sub-groups
met each day from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
identifying 25 areas for improvement,
generating 75 ideas, and 41 combined
actions for improvement.
“We recognized that we weren’t
always matching our resources to our
demand especially late in the day.
[During the Kaizen] we really examined the entire process of how we
staffed, scheduled, and got patients
ready to go the operating room,” says
David Kalla, MD, one of the Kaizen
team co-leaders.
Some of the ideas generated and
considered for implementation are:
The creation of a perioperative home
— a single-stop area with clearly
defined protocols for medical clearance for surgery patients; creating an
inpatient preoperative preparation
area in the PACU with designated bays
to pull patients into the OR; and load
leveling (a method of reducing large
fluctuations in workload) for the OR
staff by increasing weekday staffing
and providing additional coverage in
the evening. The group also realized
COVER
STORY
3
HOSPITELL
that in some instances defects — like
incomplete pre-admission testing
which could be a missing cardiac
evaluation or lab tests — were being pushed downstream as normal
procedure.
“The Kaizen gave us a unique
opportunity to really involve a lot of
people who are the performers of the
work. They gave us valuable insight
into some of the processes that might
have otherwise been missed,” says
Paul Pudimat, MD, one of the team
leaders. “We had incredible buy-in
from the surgical staff, surgeons
and other physicians. Most importantly, we have a commitment from
our leadership who helps guide us
through the process and ensure that
there is follow through.”
Kaizen is one element of Daily
Management which moves our H3W
model from the monthly rhythm
of work group meetings to a daily
rhythm by incorporating fifteen minute daily huddles with standardized
visual tracking for key metrics and
results, daily coaching and follow-up.
This enhancement to H3W is paired
with H3W Leadership Behavior Training that is scheduled to reach every
employee by the end of this year.
Co-leader Gail Delaney, regional
director of surgical services, says the
Kaizen is key to engaging staff.
“It was an amazing display of
energy and focused clinical expertise.
It’s great to have frontline staff and
leadership working shoulder to shoulder to solve process issues in surgical
services,” Delaney says.
Backus and Windham hospital’s
surgery teams were two of the early
participants in full Daily Management across Hartford HealthCare
with Windham’s team, adopting it in
the first quarter of the fiscal year and
See KAIZEN, page 8 Kaizen participants
n Facilitators/Sensei: Todd
Osowski, Mindy Kivlin, Gene
Flenke
n Executive Sponsors: Cary
Trantalis, Dr. Nader Bahadory
n Team Leaders: Gail Delaney,
Dr. Paul Pudimat, Suzanne
Ninteau, Peter Lopez, Dr. David
Kalla, Donna McArdle
n Team Participants: Judy
Shea-Ursin, OR charge nurse;
Kris Wodrich, surgical scheduler; Nicole Porter, PAT and
Periop Services nurse; Monica
Brewster, NAPA Norwich CRNA;
Dr. Mark Tramontozzi, general surgeon; Dr. Scott Stanat,
orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Kenneth Paonessa, spine surgeon;
Dr. Nicole Arcand, orthopedic
surgeon; Dr. Franklin Friedman,
GU surgeon; Dr. Brandon Stahl,
GU surgeon; Dr. Sergio Casillas,
colorectal surgeon; Dr. William
Cambridge, orthopedic surgeon; Dr. David Coletti, general
surgery/trauma; Mary Johnson,
Registration; Gail Passarello,
OR RN; Diane Wolcott, certified
surgical tech; Lori Huckle, PAT
RN; Cristy Lied, SDS, E-1, ENDO
RN; Anita O’Rourke, RN, nurse
manager E-1 and PACU.
n Adhoc Team Participants:
Julie Handleman, patient care
supervisor, Ortho Partners;
Laura Sasser-Cuff, PCS business analyst; Kathe Ouellette,
Finance; Karen James, Human
Resources; Julie Colli, administrative secretary; Karen
Blackburn, manager, Diagnostic Imaging; Cindy McClarran,
director, Diagnostic Imaging;
Angelina Pearce, Registration;
Angie Mathieu, ITS; Ronda
Quinley, ITS; Mary Jane Mattern, Pharmacy
HOSPITELL
4
July 1, 2016
BACKUS / 5 YEARS
BACKUS / 10 YEARS
BACKUS / 15 YEARS
BACKUS / 20 YEARS
BACKUS / 25 YEARS
BACKUS / 30 YEARS
Years of service recognized with pinning ceremony
BACKUS
BEAT
Employees at Backus Hospital with milestone anniversaries were recognized during a ceremony
on Wednesday, June 29, in the main lobby conference rooms.
All of the recognized employees were given pins by their managers to mark the occasion. Recognition ceremonies are held quarterly. A similar ceremony was held at Windham on June 21.
Parking tips
to remember
Physical Therapist Kristin Hilliard, right, instructs Jack Graham, left, and Hayley Ault, center, in the proper technique in
using a wheelchair during orientation for the new group of
junior volunteers who started their summer session at Backus this week. You will see them throughout the hospital this
summer so please greet them and make them feel welcome.
Thanks to the cooperation of our staff,
Backus Hospital’s new parking plan is going
smoothly and improving the experience for
our patients and their families.
Just a few reminders for staff concerning
the new plan:
n Based on feedback from staff, Lot 4 is
for visitors and evening shift employees
Monday through Friday 2-11 p.m. only. Staff
members are asked to park as close to Lot 5
as possible.
n Lot 6 is for night shift employees only
n For medical exemptions, staff members
must receive approval from manager who
will notify Public Safety
n Failure to attach stickers to vehicle will
lead to violation
— Andrew N. Ellis, Regional Director of
Public Safety and Emergency Management,
Hartford HealthCare East Region
July 1, 2016
Here's !
u
to yo
n A weekly roundup of kudos
from staff and patients. Please
email your submissions to
[email protected]
by noon on Wednesdays. Editors
reserve the right to edit submission for length and grammar.
5
HOSPITELL
Thanks Dr. Lim
ing me back with
I’d like to thank Dr. Lim for call
very courteous, and I
the number I asked for. She is
is; I can only hope to
can only try to be as good as she
be that wise.
— A grateful patient
A team effort
The nursing
team has the
unique skill
not be taugh
set that cant in a classroo
m
,
yet separates
from excepti
good nurses
onal nurses.
— A grateful
4Shea East pa
tient
Healing Touch class
planned for July 9-10
Healing Touch Level 2 class on
July 9-10 at Windham Hospital.
In this class you will learn to develop
one hour Healing Touch
sequences for
specific client
needs, based
on information gathered in a holistic and energetic
intake interview and assessment.
Tuition is $375. Please contact
Paula Novak 860.889.8331, ext. 2163
to register.
WHAT’S
UP AT
WINDHAM
Weight Watchers
group meets weekly
Weight Watchers meetings are held
in the Windham Hospital Family Health
Center on Tuesdays at 4 and 5 p.m. in
the second floor conference room. All
employees and hospital insured partners are welcome.
Pam Bouten, RN, MSN, CNL, Nursing Administration at Backus
and Windham hospitals, was honored as one of several Hospital
Champions during the Connecticut Hospital Association Annual
Meeting on June 28 in Southington. Bouten was among a group of
nurses, doctors, volunteers and patients who advocated publicly
for hospitals prior to and during this year’s legislative session.
Windham is on Facebook at
facebook.com/windhamhospital
HOSPITELL
6
News
from the
July 1, 2016
EAG weekly prize
winner for July 1
n Ann Derosier — Microbiology
Discount movie tickets
n Discount Lisbon Landing Digiplex
movie tickets are available through
Cathy Saunders in Diagnostic Imaging or Donna McLaughlin in Food and
Nutrition. We are pleased to offer the
tickets to CarMike Cinemas for $8.
About the EAG
n The EAG is a small team of employees who plan and coordinate
fun and discounted activities for all
employees. Contact the group by e-
Call Cathy Saunders at ext. 2105
to collect your prize.
mailing Donna McLaughlin at donna.
[email protected].
Find treasure every week on the Intranet
Backus Café menu
The HHC Connect Intranet is a treasure trove of information about everything you need at Hartford HealthCare.
To have some fun and help you find your way around the
site, we’ve planned a little treasure hunt.
Every two weeks or so, look for a new clue in HospiTell.
To find the buried treasure, log into HHC Connect
(intranet.hartfordhealthcare.org from work or your mobile
device) and use the clue to find the treasure chest icon
(shown here). Once you find it, click on
the treasure chest to reveal the secret
question. The answer to the question
will be located on the page or a subpage in the section of
where the treasure chest was found. Submit the correct
answer and be entered to win a prize.
To unlock this week’s buried treasure search the
Request a Leave of Absence section of HHC Connect.
Sunday, July 3
honey soy chicken wings / chef’s choice / chicken and dumpling soup / garlic mashed
potatoes / green peas
Monday, July 4
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY: chipotle BBQ chicken breast / SOUPS: vegetarian minestrone
/ garlic and potato / SIDES: cole slaw / corn on the cob / baked beans
Tuesday, July 5
ENTREES: korean beef tacos / cod picatta / SOUPS: chicken noodle / creamy barley
lentil / SIDES: cauliflower au gratin / vegetable medley / roasted pilaf with toasted
orzo
Wednesday, July 6
ENTREES: pierogies / strawberry pecan chicken salad / SOUPS: thai coconut curry /
chicken florentine / SIDES: cooked red quinoa / fresh green beans / potato wedges
Thursday, July 7
ENTREES: rotisserie turkey breast with gravy / american chop suey / SOUPS: chicken
tortilla / broccoli cheddar / SIDES: steamed corn / sour cream mashed potatoes /
candied butternut squash / stuffing
Friday, July 8
ENTREES: batter fried cod / bacon avocado lettuce and tomato sandwich / soups:
vegetable beef barley / clam chowder / sides: fresh vegetable blend / wild rice blend /
french fries
Saturday, July 9
butternut squash ravioli alfredo / blanched broccoli / chef’s special / pasta fagioli /
curly fries
DAILY FARE: A variety of pizza, sandwich and burger options are available on a rotating basis
The Backus cafeteria is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Hot food is served from 6:30-10:30 a.m.; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-6:30 p.m.
July 1, 2016
7
HOSPITELL
Community outreach efforts honored
Backus Hospital’s Community Education and Outreach program was one of the recipients of a 2016 grant from the Rose of New England Chapter 110 Order of AHEPA
(American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association). Pictured is Gen Schies,
Backus Development Program Manager, fourth from the right, with grant recipients from NFA Greek Studies Program, Three Rivers Community College, Katie Blair
House, Martin House, Otis Library, ARC of New London, UConn Paideia Society,
and Center for Hospice Care. The local chapter of AHEPA, which brings the ideals of
ancient Greece including philanthropy, education, civic responsibility, family and
individual excellence to the community, has donated more than $100,000 to local
nonprofit organizations over the years.
Backus
Auxiliary
fundraisier
July 19
The Backus Hospital
Auxiliary will be holding
its annual “Dining For A
Cause” fundraiser on July
19, from 5 - 8 p.m. at the
Ninety-Nine (99) Restaurant, 5 Salem Turnpike in
Norwich.
Diners must present
a fundraising voucher
when seated. Vouchers
will be distributed at a
later date.
If you have any questions, please call
Betty Trudelle at
860.889.4714 or email
[email protected].
crispy ranch chicken / roasted vegetables / sour cream and chive potatoes
Monday, July 4
ENTREES: chicken marsala with roasted garlic / mesquite flank steak / SOUPS: vegetable beef / tomato kale and potato / SIDES: zucchini and tomatoes / stir fried sugar
snap peas / rice pilaf
Tuesday, July 5
ENTREES: latin spiced pork loin / whole grain penne with beans / SOUPS: chicken
noodle / lentil / SIDES: green peas / southwestern grilled vegetables / moroccan
couscous
Wednesday, July 6
ENTREES: honey mustard salmon / rotisserie turkey breast / SOUPS: vegetarian minestrone / vichyssoise / SIDES: tomato basil summer squash / fresh green beans /
signature macaroni and cheese
Thursday, July 7
ENTREES: barbecued chicken / skirt steak / SOUPS: chicken tortilla / broccoli cheddar
/ SIDES: grilled vegetables / corn on the cob / garlic roasted potatoes
Friday, July 8
ENTREES: chicken and artichokes with penne / horseradish crusted salmon / soups:
tomato roasted red pepper / fish chowder / sides: fresh vegetable blend / herbed
brown rice
Saturday, July 9
roast turkey breast / tomato basil summer squash / red pepper risotto
Sumner Cafeteria menu
Sunday, July 3
DAILY FARE: A variety of pizza and burger/chicken/sandwich options are available on a rotating basis
The Sumner Cafeteria open from 6:30 - 10:30 a.m.; 11:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.; 2 - 2:30 p.m. and
3 - 6:30 p.m. Hot food is served from 6:30 - 9:30 a.m.; 11:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.; and 5 - 6:30 p.m.
HOSPITELL
8
July 1, 2016
GENERAL STORE
General Store is a free classified ad section for the benefit of
East Region employees, retirees, medical staff and volunteers.
We welcome your submissions by the hospital Intranet, fax (860.892.6964), mail or by e-mailing [email protected].
The deadline for submissions to be included in each Friday’s HospiTell is Wednesday at noon.
HospiTell will include community events for not-for-profit organizations based in eastern Connecticut that are open to
the public and free of charge. We do not accept ads for real estate, firearms or personal ads. Please do not list hospital
phone numbers or hospital e-mail addresses for responses. You must submit your item weekly if you want it to appear
more than one week.
To have HospiTell e-mailed to you, or for questions about the General Store, please call Ginny James, Backus Corporate
Communications, at 860.889.8331, ext. 4211, or e-mail her at [email protected].
FOR SALE
1999 SALEM LITE CAMPER — 21-foot,
fifth-wheel hitch included, A/C, heat,
good condition, $5,000 or best offer.
Call 860.928.0259.
DESK & HUTCH — Natural wood, four
drawers, side cabinet, hutch has seven
shelves, pictures on request. Call
860.465.6549.
EXERCISE EQUIPMENT — Weslo Total
Body Motion, low impact cardio glide,
model WLMC003342, user’s manual,
conditioning guidelines, new batteries, excellent working condition, $50.
Pro-Forma Whirlwind, Dual Action,
model 831, user’s manual, exercise
guidelines, new batteries, excellent
working condition. Both for $75.
Call 860.889.2278 and please leave a
message.
MISC. ITEMS — GE microwave and
stand, black & white, 22 inches long,
$40 for the set. 30 inch Toshiba color
television and stand, remote, $40, pictures on request. Call 860.983.0597.
KAIZEN,
MISC ITEMS — Moving sale. Antique
wicker wheelchair, $100. Two antique
dressers with mirrors, $125 each.
Antique Singer sewing machine,
$100. Antique safe, $350. Antique
trunk, $75. Oak server/hutch, $350.
Nine-foot pro pool table, $2,000. Oak
bookcase, $100. Oak entertainment
center, $350. Call 860.949.8262.
WANTED
CARING ASSISTANT — Seeking
reliable individual to provide support for a wonderful woman with
disabilities, three mornings per week
7-10 a.m. Thursday, Friday and one
weekend morning, $13.50 per hour,
rewarding work, Plainfield area. Call
860.245.5714.
VENDORS — For the Kris Kringle Fair,
Saturday, Nov. 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
at Saints Peter & Paul Church, 181
Elizabeth St., Norwich. Please apply
by calling the Rectory at 860.887.9857.
from page 3
Backus’ team in the second.
“Our surgery teams at Backus and Windham have truly embraced Daily Management
and are becoming leaders across the system in
demonstrating how to improve efficiency and
reduce waste while enhancing the patient experience,” says Cary Trantalis, East Region Vice
President of Operations and Clinical Services
and executive sponsor of the Kaizen. “This
Kaizen at Backus truly shows the team’s commitment to continuous improvement and to
always offering the highest quality, safest and
most efficient care for our patients.”
EVENTS
YOGA IN THE PARK — 5:30-6:30 p.m.
on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays, July 5,
7, 12, 19, 21, 26, 28 and Aug. 2, 4, 9, 11,
18. Offered by the Norwich Recreation
Department at Mohegan Park Lakeside Pavilion. Cheryl Hughes, a 200 ERYT instructor, will guide the evening
practice outdoors, if it rains, the inside
of the pavilion is available for use.
Fees: four days is $35 for residents, $45
for non-residents, eight days is $55 for
residents, $65 for non-residents and
walk-ins are $10 for residents, $12 for
non-residents.
FREE SPAGHETTI DINNER — Friday,
July 8, 3:30-7 p.m. at St. James Church,
95 Route 2A, Preston. The dinner is
being offered at no cost to raise funds
for relief from the earthquake Ecuador
has endured. There will be running
videos to show work done on mission
trips to Ecuador. A free will offering
will be accepted.
RUMMAGE SALE — Thursday, July 28,
5 - 8 p.m.: early-bird shopping, $10
admission. Friday, July 29, 9 a.m. - 6
p.m., free admission. Saturday, July 30,
9 a.m. - 2 p.m., free admission. Friday,
Aug. 5, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., free admission.
Saturday, Aug. 6, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at St.
Mary’s/St. Joseph’s, 70 West Main St.,
Baltic. We are seeking donations of
furniture, household items, clothing,
jewelry, outdoor items, toys etc. gratefully accepted through Wednesday,
July 27. Please call the Rectory at
860.822.6378 to arrange for pick-up of
larger items.
NORWICH GRANGE FAIR — Saturday,
Aug. 6, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 174 West
Town St., Norwich. Tag sale, live country music, country store, raffles, silent
auction, blue ribbons, cash prizes,
exhibitors invited. Call 860.887.3145.
CLASSIC CAR & TRUCK SHOW —
Saturday, Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. at Holy New Martyrs Church, 364
Canterbury Tpke., Norwich. Trophies
awarded, admission is one nonperishable food item to benefit the
Soup Kitchen, music by DJ “The Pom,”
vendors, great food, tag sale.
Tips for summer
Summer has arrived and Dr. Setu Vora, MD,
pulmonologist on Backus Hospital Medical
Staff and Medical Director, Critical Care Services and Quality for Hartford HealthCare’s
East Region, has some advice to help you stay
healthy this summer. Visit http://bit.ly/294Jhol
for more details.
Vora
Cardiac support group meets July 13
The Backus cardiac disease support group will host its next session on Wednesday, July 13, from 6-7 p.m. in the hospital’s library. If
you have questions, please call 860.889.8331, ext. 2128.