QHS Connection

P r i n t
A Weekly Publication of the People of Queen’s
July 7, 2014
Volume 23 – Number 28
EOM Susan Block a Credit to Queen’s Imaging
“We’ve accomplished a lot since I
came to Queen’s in 1980,” reflected
Marc Coel, MD, Nuclear Medicine, at
the June Employee of the Month surprise party for his admin secretary
Susan Block. “Susan came in January 1981 and we have established a
program that’s been progressive, both
clinically and in research. I say ‘we’
because I couldn’t have done any of it
without Susan. You have established
this program just as much as I have.”
It’s not every boss who gives their
secretary that much credit, and it’s also
one of the reasons Susan has stuck with
Dr. Coel for so long. “We have a great
department and I have a great boss. We
work well together and I just saw no reason to ever leave,” Susan commented.
QHS/QMC president Art Ushijima
joked that Susan serves as the buffer
between himself and Dr. Coel. Dr. Coel
responded, “Hey, ‘cmon, I’ve got my
wife right here,
be nice.” Art shot
back, “She’s the
other buffer!” Dr.
Coel’s wife Elaine
handled billing
for 20 years, so
she is a familiar face to all. After 33
years, it really is all in the ‘ohana.
“Everyone knows that you just go to
Susan and she’ll get you whatever you
need,” Art confirmed. She even jumped
in recently when the Imaging Department found themselves without a secretary and took on those duties in addition to her own. “She’s not happy un-
less everything is organized and running
smoothly,” confided Ron Pate, Susan’s
long time significant other. “We love to
travel, and before we go, she’ll spend a
week putting in extra time to make sure
no leaf is left unturned. And then if we’re
in the States, she’ll be constantly calling
back to check in. She’s so conscientious,
she won’t quit until everything is just so.”
(Continued on page 2.)
Governor Signs Bills Beneficial to Healthcare
Your voice—and involvement—does
count. This past legislative session, many
bills beneficial to the people of Hawai‘i
were signed by Governor Neil Abercrombie last Tuesday at a bill signing ceremony at the State Capitol. These things
don’t happen by themselves. The process
EOM Susan Block
(Continued from page 1.)
Her nomination forms lauded that
dedication with additional comments,
including: “Over the years I have watched
Susan support all areas of the Imaging
Department without hesitation to ensure quality patient care with service
of excellence.” Another said, “Susan is
our department’s ‘go to’ person when it
comes to getting things done. She works
with multiple departments and receives
compliments for her
‘can do’ attitude.”
Imaging manager Kathy Sugai
said, “Susan is a
very loyal, long
time employee and
will go beyond her
required responsi-
is time-consuming and intense, and oriented to passing beneficial bills or killing
detrimental ones. It requires the building
bilities to assist others. She is willing
to teach and is a good resource to all.”
Susan grew up in a small town in Wisconsin and worked in the local hospital’s
Emergency Department as a registration clerk. She became friends with a
nurse from Hawai‘i, and when he decided to move back home, Susan jumped at
the chance to go along. “I was anxious to
get away from the cold,” she admitted,
while adding, “I’d never even been out
of Wisconsin until
then.” Her first job
was with Honolulu Home Care, and
then with the Japan Hawai‘i Cancer Study. “Then I
finally found my
way to Queen’s in
1981 and I’ve been
here ever since,”
she said.
You may be able
Friends & family: Carole Kleve, Ron Pate, Susan Block, Elaine Coel,
Sunni Wright, Lilah Wright, 14 months, Marc Coel, Autum Bascue,
11, Austin Wright.
2
of teams around each issue. The teams
consist of internal ones at Queen’s, as
well as external teams in the community.
“A lot of bills passed this year,” says
Malia Espinda, Government Relations
Legislative Analyst and QHS Lobbyist,
who helps build the teams and navigate
them through the intricacies of the legislative process. At QHS, government
relations is under the leadership of Pau(Continued on page 3.)
to take the girl out of Wisconsin, but…
she’s still a huge Green Bay Packers
fan. “I have gone back, usually when
it’s warmer, but we did go to Lambeau
[Lambeau Field, home of the Packers]
once in December, and that was harsh.
I just wanted to have that experience,”
Susan explained.
Susan and Ron have traveled extensively, usually based on someplace where
he will be running a race. “I can get her
to go anywhere that has shopping,” Ron
claimed. “She got shopping tips for London from someone we met in Finland!”
Susan did a mild eye roll at this and pronounced Italy as her favorite destination.
Ron did admit that the kind of shopping
Susan does is buying gifts for
her friends and coworkers.
When asked if, after 33
years at Queen’s, Susan
plans to stay until retirement, she said, “Yes, but
not soon I hope. Dr. Coel
and Dr. (Sandi) Kwee are
such great physicians to
work with. I really enjoy my
job, so why quit now?”
Healthcare Bills
(Continued from page 2.)
Cora Speck of Queen’s Trauma Services
(far right) joins other community members
who worked on HB 2053, which created a
Fall Prevention Coordinator position.
la Yoshioka, Sr. Vice President of Corporate Development. “We had a successful
session at the legislature,” said Paula.
“We worked together with Queen’s physicians, nurses, and other staff, and also
with partners in the community such as
the Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i
(HAH) and the Department of Health.”
During testimony for one bill, Cherylee
Chang, MD, was scheduled in the ICU,
but was able to testify via cell phone.
“It’s challenging for physicians to testify when they’re treating patients, but
their expertise is needed,” noted Malia.
The following is a description of
passed and signed bills that will benefit the elderly, dignity for the dying,
Native Hawaiian health, telehealth,
living organ donors, and involuntarily
committed behavioral health patients.
HB 2053 establishes a Fall Prevention and Early Detection Coordinator position within the Department of
Health’s Emergency Medical Services
and Injury Prevention System Branch
and appropriates funds.
The statistics on falls causing serious injury to the elderly is staggering.
In Hawai‘i, falls are the leading cause
of fatal injuries among the elderly
(about 44 percent) and injury-related
hospitalizations (about 83 percent). An
elderly person sustains a serious fall
injury requiring hospitalization about
every five hours. These percentages
add up to an average of 82 deaths and
almost 1,800 hospitalizations a year.
Hospital costs associated with fallrelated injuries average over $65 million a year, not including significant
additional costs for rehabilitation and
skilled nursing care. Among Hawai‘i
seniors who suffer a serious fall, 43
percent are discharged to skilled nursing facilities, and 12 percent are transferred to rehabilitation facilities.
The Fall Prevention and Early Detection Coordinator will oversee the provision of public and private fall prevention
efforts and early detection services. The
state’s interest in preventing falls will
help individuals, families, and the state’s
healthcare system, including Queen’s.
The Queen’s team that worked on
the bill includes Cora Speck, Sally
Jones, RN, and Cindy Kamikawa, RN,
VP of Nursing and CNO.
Supporters of HB 2052 with the governor,
who holds a POLST form: Libby Char, MD,
Keith Ridley, Daniel Fischberg, MD, Malia
Espinda, and Jeanette Koijane.
HB 2052 expands the authority to
sign Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining
Treatment (POLST) to advanced practice
registered nurses (APRNs). Previously,
only physicians had the authority to sign.
The bill also corrects inconsistencies in
the law’s language describing who may
sign a POLST form on behalf of a patient.
POLST is a holistic method of planning for end-of-life care that a patient
can use to specify a set of medical orders
and ensure that his or her wishes are
honored. Completing a POLST form also
encourages communication and conversations between patients and healthcare
providers. “[This bill is] was brought to
the Legislature by a group of healthcare
leaders in Hawai‘i, including QMC physicians,” said Malia, They committed to
the legislative process and we worked
together step by step to see it pass. This
measure is incredibly helpful in expanding access to POLST, and in so doing,
preserving patients’ dignity.” For more
information about the POLST form, visit
www.kokuamau.org/POLST.
POLST bill supporters include Cherylee Chang, MD, Daniel Fischberg, MD,
Libby Char, MD, FACEP, of AMR, Keith
Ridley, Office of Health Care Assurance, DOH, Jeanette Koijane, Kokua
Mau, and Ken Zeri, Hospice Hawai‘i.
HB 1616 updates the Hawai‘i State
Planning Act’s objectives for health to
include a dual commitment to addressing Native Hawaiian health and eliminating health disparities. This will address the social causes of health disparities in the Native Hawaiian community. Previously the Hawai‘i State
Planning Act did not explicitly recognize the causes of health disparities
among Native Hawaiians.
The team included the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Diane Paloma, QHS
Native Hawaiian Health, and Gerard
Akaka, MD, VP Medical Affairs.
SB 2469, requires the same reimbursement for services provided through telehealth as the same services provided via
face-to-face contact between a healthcare provider and a patient. The bill also clarifies that telehealth providers include physicians (including osteopathic),
Anthony Guerrero, MD, who worked on
the telehealth bill, SB 2469, shakes hands
with Governor Abercrombie.
APRNs, psychologists, and dentists. The
bill also changes statutory references to
“telemedicine” to “telehealth” for consistency. “The term ‘telemedicine’ is too restrictive,” noted Governor Abercrombie.
“‘Telehealth’ is more encompassing.”
The intent is to increase the use of
telehealth and broaden access to medical care, especially in rural areas. Equal
insurance reimbursement could help extend telehealth services between Queen’s
and its three other affiliated hospitals,
as well as with other rural hospitals.
The team included Anthony Guerrero,
MD, Malia Espinda,and Paula Yoshioka.
(Continued on page 4.)
3
Cathy Miloni, Patricia McGhee, Rep. Scott
Nishimoto, the Governor, James McGhee,
Jennifer Watarai, and Maile Reddy.
Healthcare Bills
(Continued from page 1.)
HB 2400 and SB 1233 respectively extends temporary disability benefits and leaves of absence to living organ donors. These measures support the
Queen’s Transplant Center. Governor Abercrombie noted that in the past, organ
donations by living donors was a rarity, and that although still not common
today, medical advances have made it
more prevalent. Previously, the statutes
allowed disability benefits to employees
who are unable to perform duties due
to sickness, pregnancy, termination of
pregnancy, or accident other than a work
injury. HB 2400 adds organ donation.
SB 1233 requires certain private employers to let employees take leaves of ab-
Sell
Conga drums: Pair with one case $350 obo.
CRT TV: 21”. Free. Call Nancy at 395-4434.
Misc.
Housekeeper/Personal Assistant: Accepting new clients. Reliable, trustworthy,
detail-oriented, w/years of experience &
exclnt refs. Please contact Rose at 808258-2629 or email [email protected].
Placing an ad: Queen’s employees only. Include
name, phone and Employee ID number. Mail
to Creative Services—Print Connection, fax to
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Wednesday. The Print Connection reserves the
right to edit or refuse any ad. The Print Connection
does not make any warranty about the fitness of
any product or service listed in Q-Mart.
4
Mauna ‘Ala shuttle bus reservations for the Heritage Day dedication ceremony are now being accepted
by contacting Jeannine at 691-7261
or at [email protected]. Heritage
sence for “organ, bone marrow, or peripheral blood stem cell donation.” Unused
sick leave, vacation, paid time off, or unpaid time off may be used, and employers
must restore a returning employee to the
same or equivalent position.
Team members included Jennifer
Watarai, Queen’s Transplant Center
Manager, Cathy Miloni, Transplant Center Clinical Manager, Maile Reddy, Living
Donor Coordinator, Whitney Limm, MD,
QHS VP of Clinical Integration, Karen
Schultz, RN, QMC VP of Patient Care,
and John “Kai” Yamaguchi, MD.
HB 1723 allows for the appropriate discharge of involuntarily committed behavioral health patients. When
brought to Queen’s, usually by HPD, judicial involuntary commitment can be
sought for up to 90 days. Once committed, Queen’s has been bound by a statutory discharge process that kept patients
who are ready for discharge much longer
than necessary. The statutory process
often took an extra two weeks, even if
it was clinically better for a patient to
be released. HB 1723 exempts Queen’s
from the statutory process. Now, patients can be discharged when they are
no longer a proper subject for involuntary hospitalization. This will also make
more beds available for other patients.
The partnership on this bill included
DOH’s Adult Mental Health Department, Department of the Attorney
General, Prosecutor’s Office, Judiciary,
Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i; and
from QMC, Patti Garret, Karen Schultz,
RN, Loraine Fleming, PhD, RN, Barry
Carlton, MD.
The many favorable bills passed will
have positive benefits not only for
Queen’s, but for the people of Hawai‘i.
“We’re engaged in the legislature,” says
Malia. “Together, as a team, Queen’s
can move toward positively impacting
policy improvement in other areas.”
Day is Friday, July 18. The ceremony
takes place at the Royal Mausoleum
in Nu‘uanu. The complementary shuttle leaves Queen’s via Lauhala Street
at 8:30 am sharp. Buses return to
Queen’s at approximately 10:30 am,
in time for the Opening Ceremony on
campus at 11:00 am. Seating is limited.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Carol Hughes has been promoted
to Director of Perioperative Services,
with responsibilities to the Main OR,
Same Day Surgery-OR, Same Day Surgery Pre & Post Op, Surgery Admission
and Discharge Unit, Anesthesia Preoperative Evaluation Center (APEC),
Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), Anesthesia, Urology, Surgical APRN Program, Endoscopy, and the Endoscopy
Admission and Discharge Unit.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The following departments are
due for TB monitoring at Employee
Health in July: Biomed Clinical Tech;
Biomed Communication Tech; Queen’s
Cancer Center; Queen’s Cancer Center
Scheduling and Registration; Contract
& Building Management Services; Design & Construction; Facility Plan &
Development; Infusion Treatment
Center; ‘Iolani 2/QET 9 Ewa; Material/
Procure Admin; Outpatient Pharmacy; Pharmacy; Pharmacy Admin; Pharmacy Residency; Project Management;
Purchasing; and QET 5 Neuro.
P r i n t
Weekly
The Queen’s Print Connection is published
by Creative Services. If you have news or
wish to opine, call us at 691-7532 or e-mail
[email protected]. The news deadline is the Monday prior to publication.
QHS/QMC President . . . . Art Ushijima
Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roy Cameron
Editor/Writer . . . . . . . . . . . .Jason Kimura
Assist. Ed./Writer . . . . . . Glee Stormont
www.queens.org
The Queen’s Medical Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.
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