YourCare Spring 2008

736 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210
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YourCare is a publication of Crouse Hospital’s Communications
Department. Please call (315) 470-7582 with your comments or questions.
The information in this publication is not intended for the purpose
of personal medical advice, which should be obtained directly
from a physician. YourCare may not be reproduced without written
authorization from Crouse Hospital’s Communications Department,
736 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210.
©2008 All rights reserved.
CROUSE IN THE COMMUNITY
Warms Hands, Heads and Hearts at Hughes
I
t may have been cold outside, but inside Hughes Magnet
Elementary School children were warming up with more than
500 sets of hats, gloves, mittens and scarves recently donated by
Crouse Hospital employees, Kinney Drugs and Buffalo Hospital
Supply. After the students donned their new winter wear, everyone
took to the streets around the school for a wellness walk. The event
was part of the continuing Crouse—Hughes wellness partnership,
which is being recognized at the Syracuse City School District
Educational Foundation’s annual breakfast on April 5.
Welcome!
Crouse Hospital is pleased to welcome these
physicians to our medical staff.
Medicine
Elias Ashame, MD
Geeta Chaparala, MD
Usha Donthireddi, MD
Ameesh Garg, MD
Santhi Priya Yalamanchili, MD
Neurology
Helen Barkan, MD
Ziad El-Zammar, MD
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Steven Brown, MD
Mary-Ann Doan, MD
Frederick Fitzgerald, MD
Robert Neulander, MD
Alexandra Spadola, MD
Don’t you deserve
a Crouse doctor?
Pediatrics
Yiling Katherine Chang, MD
Paula Farrell, MD
Psychiatry
Thomas Schwartz, MD
Surgery
Cynthia Corpron, MD
James Gangemi, MD
Moustafa Hassan, MD
James Timothy Riley, MD
Victor Valda, MD
PHYSICIAN
REFERRAL
1-866-4CROUSE
CrouseMD.org
SPRING 2008
YourCare
A
PUBLICATION FOR THE COMMUNITY FROM
C ROUSE H OSPITAL
Coaching for
Winning Outcomes
Crouse launches innovative seniors program
I
N
S
I
D
E
4
NEW
PROCEDURE
FOR VEIN PAIN
7 LINKING
DOCTORS, MOMS
AND BABIES
9 IS DIGITAL
MAMMOGRAPHY
FOR YOU?
Hospital Appoints New
Board Members
wo new members were recently
appointed to Crouse Hospital’s Board
T
of Directors:
Melvin Stith, Dean,
Martin J. Whitman School
of Management at Syracuse
University. With SU since
2005, Dr. Stith is the 16th
dean of the Whitman
School of Management.
Ellen Bifano, MD,
Partner, Neonatal Associates
of CNY. A long-time member of Crouse Hospital’s
medical staff, Dr. Bifano is
an attending neonatologist
in the hospital’s Baker
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
“We are especially pleased to strengthen
our board with the addition of these two
well-respected community leaders,” states
board chair Elizabeth Hartnett, Esq.
Other community members serving
on the Crouse board are:
James Carrick, President
Strategic Computer Solutions
Mary Cotter, President
Time Warner Cable
Ruben Cowart, Jr., DDS, President
Syracuse Community Health Center
John Frantz, President
The Sutton Companies
Louis Green, MD, Partner
Internist Associates of CNY
James Hughes, Principal
First Niagara Benefits Consulting
Patrick Mannion, President & CEO
Unity Mutual Life Insurance Co., Inc.
Richard Russell, Partner
Firley, Moran, Freer & Eassa, PC
Albert Wertheimer, Managing Partner,
Merit of NY, LLC
OUR MISSION
To provide the best
in patient care
and to promote
community health.
2
YOURCARE SPRING 2008
SENIOR CENTERED CARE
Coaching for
Winning Outcomes
great coach motivates his or her team to do their personal best and achieve
victory. Crouse Hospital Transition Coach Diane Nanno, RN, does just
this—not on court or field, but at the hospital and in homes.
As Central New York’s only healthcare professional in this innovative role,
Nanno’s “team” comprises senior patients who come to Crouse with congestive
heart failure—one of the top 10 conditions that send seniors to the hospital and
the number one cause for readmission.
Carlton Collins recalls the day he was admitted to Crouse last summer. “I
felt miserable. It was hard to breathe, I was tired all the time and my legs were
swollen,” he said. “When they told me I had congestive heart failure, I panicked,”
Collins admitted. “I kept asking Diane, ‘Will I get over this?’ I was scared.”
Six months later, the gentlemanly barber feels stronger each day and is back
to work at his landmark shop on Syracuse’s east side. Collins credits his comeback to Nanno, who spent 25 years with the Visiting Nurses Association. “She
uplifted me in the hospital. She said I had a good chance if I followed all the
instructions. She kept me going.”
A
“I do what Coach Nanno tells me because
I want to live. I just want to keep on living.”
— CARLTON COLLINS
But the care and inspirational chats didn’t end when Collins was discharged,
a time when most hospitals typically forget elderly patients. Seniors are often left
to fend for themselves after going home, when they likely are worried about their
health, confused about new medications and feeling more isolated after being
attended to around the clock.
Transitional care is a set of actions designed to ensure the coordination and
continuity of care as patients leave the hospital to return home. Dr. Eric Coleman of
the University of Colorado at Denver developed the program model, and has served
as a consultant to Crouse, one of just 70 hospitals in the U.S. to have embraced this
ground-breaking practice and the only Central New York hospital to do so.
Setting the Game Plan
As transition coach, Nanno sees her senior patients in the hospital daily.
After discharge, she visits a patient at home at least once and remains in contact
by phone for at least 30 days. During this time, Nanno educates patients and
families about congestive heart failure, and provides them with tools to manage
their own care through five key steps.
Step one is the creation of a personal medical record, containing demographic
and medical information and a place to record any questions or issues to discuss
with their physician. “Many of these patients have more than one doctor, so this
helps make sure everyone’s on the same page,” Nanno says.
Step two is developing a personal medication record, where prescription and
over-the-counter medications are listed. Nanno outlines dosage and ingestion
times to alleviate confusion.
An important third step is educating patients about
the “red flags,” or signs of congestive heart failure, including unexplained weight gain, swelling, shortness of breath
and chest discomfort. Along with this, a patient learns
how to report these red flags to his or her doctor.
The next phase in the transition regime is ensuring
that a patient has a follow-up appointment with his or her
physician within 14 days of leaving the hospital. Nanno
stresses that this time period is very important. “Studies
show that patients who don’t have a follow-up appointment within 14 days are much more likely to be rehospitalized,” she said.
Creating Winning Results
Finally, Nanno has her patients set at least one functional goal. It could be as simple as walking to the mailbox and back inside. “The goal is something patients want
to be able to do again, which gives them more of a vested
interest in making progress,” she says.
During a recent reunion with
Collins—the first patient she assisted in
her new position at Crouse—Nanno
beamed as she observed how well he’s
doing. “I’m back on my treadmill and
exercise bike 15 minutes a day,
sometimes twice a day,” he
shared. “I weigh myself every
morning and make up my
own pill box for the week
every Monday.”
Success stories like this have been made possible
through a quality improvement grant through the
Community Health Foundation of Western & Central
New York, which helped fund the transition coach position. “We hope to be able to expand the program to
include patients with other diagnoses, potentially stroke
and COPD (chronic pulmonary obstructive disease),”
says Christy Bond, MS, FACHE, the hospital’s director
of Senior Centered Care. “There is an increasing demand
for senior services as baby boomers age.”
Carlton Collins says he’s impressed with the interest
and monitoring that Crouse provided. Today, the former
senior centered care patient is focused on staying in the game.
“I do what Coach Nanno tells me because I want to live.
I just want to keep on living.”
Carlton Collins, happy to be
back to work, cuts the hair of
long-time client and friend,
Pastor Jimmie McMillon,
as his sons, Eric (left) and
Charleston, look on.
A third son, Terrance,
is also a barber at
Collins’ shop.
CROUSE.ORG
3
IMPROVING PATIENT CARE
Innovative Procedure Eases Vein Pain
Herb Mendel, MD, chief of surgery at Crouse Hospital, is the only area surgeon using the RFS catheter to repair leg ulcers and other vein
problems. Assisted by Sam Taylor, CST, left, and Glenda Hungerford, CRNA, right, Dr. Mendel uses the highly precise catheter to enter
Mary Cook’s insufficient vein.
Cook’s vein problem revealed itself in
ary Cook’s job demands that she
the form of a darkened area on her right
be on her feet for hours at a
leg. “The area was swollen and hot to the
time. As a second-grade teacher
touch,” she said. “But the biggest problem
in the East Syracuse-Minoa district, Cook
stands before her class five days a week. So was the pain.”
it’s no surprise that she, like many others in
Now that’s over, she says. Following a
“standing professions,” has experienced
30-minute procedure under local anesthesia
severe, recurring leg pain.
Fortunately for Cook, she was
“With advanced technology and
referred to Herb Mendel, MD, Crouse
experienced surgeons, relief can
Hospital’s chief of surgery. He is the
now come quickly and easily.”
only surgeon in upstate New York who
uses a minimally-invasive technique—
by Dr. Mendel at Crouse, Cook was able
the Vnus ClosureRFS Stylet—to treat
to walk out and see immediate results. The
chronic venous insufficiencies.
purple and pain are gone, she says. “I’ll be
“Twenty years ago, we would have
had to make a major incision in Mary’s leg able to wear shorts and capris this summer,” she predicts enthusiastically, noting
to treat the underlying cause of her sympthat
her incision is the size of a “little dot.”
toms,” said Dr. Mendel. “With the new
RFS catheter, we are able to go into the
What causes leg ulcers and other vein
affected vein in much less time, with
problems? Most commonly, they are the
tremendous precision, greatly reduced dis- result of abnormal mechanisms within the
comfort for our patients and impressive
venous system of the leg, usually between
overall results.”
the foot and upper calf, according to
M
4
YOURCARE SPRING 2008
Dr. Mendel. In the leg, blood normally
flows from superficial veins, nearer the
skin’s surface, to perforator veins, which
connect to the deep veins inside the leg.
When the valves in the perforator veins
malfunction, blood begins to move backward, instead of forward toward the
heart. Ulcers and other venous problems
result from venous pooling.
Dr. Mendel has completed more than
100 procedures using the RFS catheter.
He encourages those who stand for the
majority of their day and who experience
discoloration of areas of the leg and pain
in the lower extremities to consult with
a vascular specialist. There’s no need to
put it off. With advanced technology and
experienced surgeons, relief can now come
quickly and easily.
For more information on venous leg
problems, including varicose veins and
treatment options, call (315) 470-7364.
The “Standing” Professions
P
eople in these professions have
a higher risk of developing vein
problems in the leg:
■
Teachers
■
Bank tellers
■
Barbers and hairstylists
■
Retail sales clerks
■
Grocery store check-out clerks
■
Butchers and deli workers
■
Construction workers
■
Waiters and waitresses
■
Fast food workers
■
Hospitality workers
■
Gaming industry workers
■
Dentists and other healthcare workers
DESIGNED FOR THE SURGERIES
OF TOMORROW
T
he Crouse Health Foundation is currently in the
“quiet phase” of a $6.5 million capital campaign
to assist Crouse Hospital in building a $39 million,
90,000 square-foot addition to house inpatient and
outpatient surgical suites. The facility will be called
the Chris J. and Marshia K. Witting Surgery Center,
and it will feature a contemporary design with a multitude of benefits for patients, families, surgeons and staff.
“I have pledged my support to this campaign to honor my husband,
Chris, and his life in this community,” said naming gift donor Marshia Witting.
“I am also lending his name to the project because he believed Crouse
Hospital was synonymous with healthcare excellence.” Crouse is honored
by Mrs. Witting’s passion for this project, as well as by her generous tribute
to her late husband, a pioneer in the fields of television, manufacturing
and entrepreneurship.
Chris Witting, a former president and CEO of Crouse-Hinds Co., served
on the Crouse Hospital board for close to 20 years, stepping down in 1993
to become a director emeritus. Marshia Witting, a former Crouse-Hinds manager
and community volunteer, joined him in supporting many local charitable causes
in significant but quiet ways. For more than 30 years, the Crouse organization
has been one of those causes.
“I am lending his name to the project
because he believed Crouse Hospital was
synonymous with healthcare excellence.”
— MARSHIA WITTING
Mr. Witting died in 2005, but Mrs. Witting has continued their tradition
of involvement with the hospital, noting that “for those of us who call
Syracuse home, the Crouse Health Foundation’s Operation: Innovation
campaign offers an extraordinary opportunity for us to secure a state-ofthe-art surgical center for our community and Central New York.”
Dr. Herb Mendel concentrates intensely as
he guides a catheter through Mary Cook’s
vein during her recent procedure.
“Since the Wittings have sought no public recognition for the majority
of their philanthropic gifts, we are very pleased to have been given this
opportunity to associate their names with this important project,” says Crouse
Health Foundation President Carrie Berse.
CROUSE.ORG
5
Keep Your Hands Safe!
W
@
S
R
E E
E
R
CA OUS
CR
ishful thinking, but winter is not over yet. Each year,
thousands of people suffer maiming or amputations
of their fingers or hands due to improper handling of snow
blowers. Michael Nancollas, MD, a board certified hand
surgeon affiliated with Crouse Hospital, recommends
that individuals take the proper precautions to prevent
hand-related injuries while removing snow.
Dr. Michael Nancollas
”Snowblower injuries are usually very serious, often
requiring delicate surgery followed by weeks or even months of rehabilitation,”
says Dr. Nancollas, a partner with Orthopaedics Associates of CNY. He reports seeing
his share of this type of injury shortly after each Central New York snowstorm.
“Most snow blower operators aren’t aware that the impeller is only two inches
below the opening of the discharge tube,” cautions Dr. Nancollas.
“With proper safety techniques
–and a dose of common sense–
you can stay away from the hospital.”
Position Manager
Streamlines Crouse
Hiring Process
C
rouse Hospital seeks exceptional
employees, and has recently made
the application and hiring process
quicker and easier. The hospital’s new
Position Manager program is a Webbased system that enables candidates
to apply for jobs online.
“There has been a very positive
response since our new system was
launched, and we have already
received more than 1,500 online job
applications in the first six months
it’s been in place,” according to
John Bergemann, director of Human
Resources, who emphasizes that
hard copy resumes and applications
are no longer accepted.
To view current clinical and
non-clinical openings at Crouse, visit
crouse.org/careers or call Human
Resources at (315) 470-7521 for
more information.
6
YOURCARE SPRING 2008
With proper safety techniques—and a dose of common sense—you can
stay away from the hospital. Should you cut your finger or hand, bleeding
from minor cuts will often stop on their own by applying direct pressure to
the wound with a clean cloth. If continuous pressure does not slow or stop
the bleeding after 15 minutes, get to the nearest emergency room. Other
reasons to visit an ER are to update your tetanus protection, if necessary,
or to check for tendon or nerve injury if motion or feeling is lost in the
finger, says Dr. Nancollas.
To prevent hand injuries, Dr. Nancollas suggests
the following safety tips if your snow blower jams:
■
Turn it OFF!
■
Disengage clutch.
■
NEVER put your hand down the chute or around the blades.
■
Wait five seconds after shutting machine off to allow impeller
blades to stop rotating.
■
ALWAYS use a stick or broom handle to clear impacted snow.
Never use your hand.
■
Keep all shields in place. DO NOT REMOVE
the safety devices on the machine.
■
Keep a clear head, concentrate, and (this
should go without saying) DO NOT DRINK
alcoholic beverages before using your
snow blower!
IMPROVING TECHNOLOGY
Staying Connected
With OB Link
Artwork Honors
Sister’s Memory
I
f you wanted to honor your late sister,
how would you do it? Commercial
character artist Russ LaChanse created
an art poster in memory of Amy Rose
LaChanse and donated it recently to
Crouse Hospital, where staff cared for
her for many years. Last year, LaChanse’s
sister passed away at age 29 from complications of spina bifida.
Although his family had already
purchased a bench in her name on the
hospital’s pediatric unit, LaChanse created
a multi-colored work featuring friendly
fish and sea creatures. “Over the years,
my sister spent a lot of time in and out of
Crouse, so it only seemed fitting that my
work in her memory would go to the
hospital,” said LaChanse, a Syracuse
native and SUNY Oswego grad now
living in Brooklyn.
From his office computer, Dr. Leonard Marotta checks on the status of a patient in
labor—and that of her baby soon to be born—at Crouse Hospital.
LaChanse’s artwork will take on
different hues as well, since he has
developed the poster into a coloring
sheet for children on the unit.
Leonard Marotta, MD, medical
sing highly advanced Web-based
director of normal obstetrical services
software, Crouse maternity
at Crouse, said OB Link substantially
doctors can now “communireduces possible delays in patient care,
cate” remotely with unborn babies
especially during overnight hours or
and their mothers. GE Medical
when a physician may not be in the
Systems’ OB Link provides an obstetrician with the ability to access, from hospital. “The attending physician
any desktop computer in the hospital, can now log on to any computer to
another office or from home, the vital answer any questions about a patient’s
monitor strip,” he said. “This ensures
signs of a mother-to-be and the baby
a proper diagshe’s carrying.
Purchased “The system provides important nosis and
physiwith funding
real-time clinical data that can be allows
cians
to
secured from
viewed only by a mother’s
immediately
New York State
healthcare
provider.”
reassure
the patient
Senator David
or
act
if
necessary.”
Valesky, the monitoring
Dr. Marotta says this enhanced
software is available to any physician
technology is another step in Crouse’s
or midwife with active privileges to
perform deliveries at Crouse. The sys- strategic plan to upgrade computer
tem provides important real-time clin- programs and continually improve the
ical data that can be viewed only by a accuracy and efficiency of patient care.
“Crouse has always been an innovator
mother’s healthcare provider, such as
in women’s and children’s services, and
the rate of contractions and baby’s
OB Link reinforces this commitment.”
heart rate.
U
CROUSE.ORG
7
IMPROVING PATIENT SAFETY
Wellness Update
Robotic Technology Delivers
Safety, Efficiency
Coffee contains soluble fiber, the kind that helps lower blood cholesterol and
control blood sugar, according to a new analysis in the Journal of Agricultural
and Food Chemistry. A 6-ounce cup of filtered coffee has slightly less than a
gram of soluble fiber; ounce for ounce, espresso and instant coffee have a little
more. That’s more fiber than in wine, most orange juice, or nearly any other
beverage, but much less than in most fruits or vegetables.
Still, coffee can contribute to the 30 daily grams of fiber
recommended for someone consuming 2,000 calories
a day. The study also confirmed that coffee is rich in
potentially beneficial antioxidants.
Men who regularly eat cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli
and cauliflower, may have a reduced risk of aggressive prostate
cancer, according to a four-year study in the Journal of National Cancer
Institute. Those who ate such vegetables (also including Brussels sprouts,
mustard and turnip greens, cabbage and kale) more
than once a week were up to 50% less likely to develop
aggressive prostate cancer, compared to men who rarely
ate them. Previous lab research at UC Berkeley found
that substances in cruciferous vegetables inhibit the
growth of prostate cancer cells.
Selenium supplements may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes,
according to a recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine. This was
contrary to expectations, since some earlier evidence suggested that this trace
mineral may reduce the risk of diabetes as well as several cancers. In the new
study, people taking 200 micrograms of selenium daily
(about four times the recommended intake) had a 50%
increased risk of developing diabetes, compared to those
taking a placebo. The safest way to get selenium is from
food, such as whole grains, nuts (notably Brazil nuts)
and seafood.
Reprinted with permission from the University of California, Berkeley Wellness
Letter. Visit wellnessletter.com for more information. This information is not
intended to replace the advice and care of your physician.
8
YOURCARE SPRING 2008
Pharmacy Assistant Joan Waite works with the
IntelliFill IV pharmacy robot, which automates
the preparation of IV syringes and increases
patient safety.
A
s part of its strategic efforts to increase
patient safety, Crouse Hospital recently
became the second hospital in New York State
to install the IntelliFill IV pharmacy robot.
The innovative, high-tech system automates the compounding and labeling of up to
600 IV syringes per hour. Through bar code
scanning, vision systems and weight confirmation, the system reduces the risk of medication
errors and improves staff efficiency.
“This sophisticated technology provides
our pharmacy with a high-quality, sterile environment for preparing medications, while
providing nurses with a safe, highly efficient
process for administering IVs to patients,”
says Barbara McNiff, director of the hospital’s
pharmacy. Since the robot pre-packages IV
medications so they are ready for use upon
delivery to hospital units, nurses will no longer
need to prepare these medications, according
to McNiff.
Crouse Hospital administers more than
125,000 IV medications each year. Of these,
about three-fourths can be prepared in
syringes ready for patients. The need for individualized doses requires a labor intensive
process and, as with any manual process,
comes with the potential for human error.
“This system represents a major step
forward in our patient safety initiatives,”
adds McNiff.
Q&A
with Dr. Stephen Montgomery
T O P I C : D I G I T A L
M A M M O G R A P H Y
Every day we learn more about breast cancer and how to win the battle. One fact is
clear: the distinct advantage of early detection. Fortunately, breast cancer is highly
detectable through digital mammography screening. If caught early, before it spreads,
96 percent of women will be alive five years later. The earlier breast cancer is
discovered and treated, the better the chance of survival.
How do digital mammograms differ from conventional film?
It’s like comparing an older camera that uses traditional film to
a new digital camera. How the images are captured and what
healthcare providers can do with them sets digital apart. A digital mammogram lets your doctor focus in on areas of concern,
which enhances readability and interpretation of the image.
Why the switch to digital?
Digital mammography allows the image to be stored and
transferred throughout the care network. Images can also be
manipulated after the exposure is taken, which means we can
magnify them for a closer look, or make changes in contrast,
which also helps us hone in more precisely than we could do
with traditional film mammography.
When should I have a mammogram?
If you’re a woman 40 and over, you should have a mammogram every year to check for abnormalities or lumps that
may indicate early stages of breast cancer. Mammograms
can see cancerous lesions earlier than you can feel them
with a self-exam.
Stephen Montgomery, MD, is medical
director of Crouse Hospital’s Breast
Health Center. Board certified in
mammography, Dr. Montgomery
pioneered the use of the stereotactic
breast biopsy procedure in Syracuse
14 years ago and started the area’s
first breast MRI (magnetic resonance
imaging) program in 1997.
How long will my digital mammogram take?
It takes less time than with a film mammogram because there
are no films to develop—usually about 10 to 15 minutes. The
compression and positioning are the same as traditional mammography, but with less waiting time and far fewer call backs.
Does a digital mammogram involve any radiation?
Yes, but less than with film mammography.
Is digital mammography better for patients who have
dense breasts? What is the difference between dense and
fatty breasts?
Younger women tend to have more fibro-glandular tissue that
can appear dense on mammogram images. Because digital
images can be manipulated after exposure, your radiologist
can “see” through the dense tissue more reliably than with
film mammography. Older woman tend to have less fibroglandular tissue and the breast appears less dense (or fatty)
in a mammogram.
For more information about digital mammography at Crouse Hospital,
or to schedule your next mammogram, call (315) 470-5880.
CROUSE.ORG
9
Crouse Receives Major
Grants from Legislators
T
wo sizeable grants are coming to
Crouse Hospital thanks to the efforts
of two local government leaders.
IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE
Staying in Touch With
Management Rounding
Senator John DeFrancisco recently
announced that $500,000 is coming from
New York State to support the renovation
of the hospital’s pediatric catheterization
suite and new equipment, which will
enhance diagnostic cardiac care for the
area’s youngest heart patients. Crouse is
the only regional provider of pediatric
cardiac “cath” services.
And, thanks to the efforts of U.S.
Congressman James Walsh, a recently
passed federal domestic spending bill
includes $292,000 to support the development of an electronic medication
administration system in the hospital.
We thank Senator DeFrancisco and
Congressman Walsh for their continued
support of Crouse Hospital and our patients.
F
E
RE
!
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Sungwon David Yoo, DC, MSAOM, LAc
Stephanie Chow, BA
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7
Integrative Medicine:
What Really Works
Carolyn Christie-McAuliffe, PhD
All seminars are free and open to the
public and begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Marley
Education Center, 765 Irving Ave. Parking
is free in the Marley and Crouse Hospital
garages. Pre-registration is requested by
calling (315) 472-2464.
10
YOURCARE SPRING 2008
Kris Schutrum, manager of patient access, joins Andrea Kennedy-Tull, director of guest
services, on recent hospital rounds. Here they talk to patient Erin Thurston—who had
given birth a day earlier—about her hospital stay.
Rounding provides the hospital with
s a patient at Crouse Hospital,
immediate feedback on what’s going
your next visitor may be your
right and, more importantly, what can
spouse, sister or CEO—of the
be done to improve the patient experihospital. That’s because we’ve started a
ence. Some changes
program that gets
administrative
“Rounding provides me the can be made quickly
easily. During a
leaders out of
opportunity to interact with andrecent
rounding
their offices and
patients and families and gives session on the
onto hospital
floors and into me a better sense of the current maternity floors,
patient rooms.
needs throughout the hospital.” Jackie DeCecco,
director of
Management
— KIMBERLY BOYNTON
Nutritional
Services,
rounds are part of
learned
that
new
mothers
were
hungry
the leadership team’s ongoing efforts to
between main meals. “Right away, we
be aware of and address the needs of
began to supply healthy snacks to new
patients and their families. “Rounding
moms,
and now we have a staff member
on patient care floors provides an oppordedicated
to meeting this need on an
tunity for members of the management
team to get a real ‘feel’ for why we exist, ongoing basis.”
As more members of the managewhich is for our patients,” says hospital
ment team round, the hospital will be
CEO Paul Kronenberg, MD.
Stepping out from behind her desk as able to further identify opportunities
Chief Financial Officer, Kimberly Boynton and trends to make improvements.
was, admittedly, intrigued about the idea The program has also been expanded
of visiting patients she didn’t even know. to include nurse managers, who visit
“Rounding provides me the opportunity patients on floors other than their own,
and department directors and managers.
to interact with patients and families.
“The rounding process continually
I can hear directly from patients about
pulls us back to our shared responsithe care and comfort provided by our
staff. Interacting with patients and fami- bility for achieving our mission of
lies also gives me a better sense of the
providing the best in patient care,”
current needs throughout the hospital.”
says Dr. Kronenberg.
A
What’s Happening:
Health & Wellness Calendar
MATERNITY & FAMILY EDUCATION
Call (315) 470-5716 for details
on these classes:
4/15: Baby Care Class
3/18, 4/29: Breastfeeding Class
5/13: Multiples Class
4/11-12, or 5/9-10:
Weekend Lamaze Classes
4/3 or 5/22: Family Birth Classes
5/8: Sibling at Birth Class
Murals Transform Hallways/Exam Rooms
5-week Lamaze Classes (4/3, 4/7,
4/23, 4/27, 5/15 start dates)
A
Tours of the Kienzle Maternity Center are
the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month
at 5:30 and 7 p.m.
long, narrow, stark-white tunnel connecting Crouse Hospital with its garage
across the street has been transformed into a wonderland of sights, shapes and
vibrant colors by local artist and graphic designer Ally Walker. Inspired by familiar
Central New York views, Walker painted scenic scapes of Onondaga Lake and the
hills of Jamesville, sprinkled with whimsical storks delivering babies, hot air balloons,
colorful flowers, a blazing sunrise and calming waters.
The mural, part of Crouse’s commitment to creating a “healing environment”
throughout the hospital, is the first public work by Walker, a graduate of Westhill High
School and SUNY Plattsburgh. Walker has also just completed smaller murals in several patient exam rooms. “I enjoy knowing that people are able to forget, if only for a
moment, the stress and worries that can come with being in a hospital,” Walker says.
COMMUNITY HEALTH SEMINARS
4/2: Traditional Chinese Medicine
5/7: Integrative Medicine: What
Really Works
5/21: Stroke: Symptoms & Treatment
6:30 p.m. Seminar and parking free.
Call (315) 472-2464 to pre-register.
TRAINING CLASSES
3/18, 4/22 & 5/27: CPR
Call (315) 470-5716
COMMUNITY HEALTH SCREENINGS
Call (315) 472-2464 for details
on these classes:
4/5: Get Health Connected Fair
Noon - 3:30 p.m., Assumption Church,
812 N. Salina St.
4/6, Natur-Tyme Health Fair, Blood Pressure
Screenings, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., NYS Fairgrounds
5/12: Health Screenings, Kinney Drugs,
Brewerton, Noon - 3 p.m.
SUPPORT GROUPS
Ostomy Support Group, 6:30 p.m., second
Tuesday of each month. Call (315) 470-7300
Mary-Pat Donaldson Northrup (left), event committee member, joined honorary
co-chairs Laura Robinson, Juli Boeheim, Suzanne Congel and event chairperson
Kimberly Boynton during the Auxiliary’s fashion show.
4/10, 5/8 RTS Perinatal Loss Parent
Support Group, 7 p.m.
Call (315) 470-2768
Recycling with Style
C
rouse Hospital Auxiliary once again partnered with Syracuse University’s School
of Design for its annual fashion show, this year benefitting Operation: Innovation,
the hospital’s campaign to construct a state-of-the-art surgical center. “Recycle with
Style,” sponsored by Natur-Tyme and the Onondaga County Resource Recovery
Agency, featured earth-friendly designs created by the students.
CROUSE HOSPITAL
SCHOOL OF NURSING OPEN HOUSES
Saturday, March 29, 10 a.m. - noon
Tuesday, April 22, 5 - 7 p.m.
Call (315) 470-7481
CROUSE.ORG
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