October - Cone Health

IN THIS ISSUE
Flu News
for U
Design Work
Begins on
North Tower
Learn More about
New Recycling Law
page 4-5
page 6
page 14
TomoTherapy is
expected to offer
cancer patients new
alternatives in
treatment with
fewer side effects
and better
outcomes.
Regional Cancer Center First
in State to Offer New,
Targeted Radiation Treatment
If you’ve walked through the Moses Cone Regional Cancer
Center in recent months, you’ve probably noticed a few
hardhats and heard the rumble of heavy equipment. It’s all to
make way for a new TomoTherapy Hi-Art radiation system that
is expected to revolutionize the treatment options available to
local cancer patients.
TomoTherapy allows physicians to administer safer, more
precise treatments with far fewer side effects than ever before.
They can even “vaporize” cancers with extreme doses of
radiation while protecting healthy tissue. That means complex
cancers of the head, neck or lung can be treated without
damaging surrounding organs or glands.
The new system is the first in North Carolina and one of only
about 225 in the world. It also represents a multimillion dollar
investment for Moses Cone Health System.
“We’re always challenged to carefully evaluate costs versus
benefits, so we look for treatment alternatives that offer
something valuable to our patients and our community,” says
John Feldmann, MD, Medical Director, Moses Cone Regional
Cancer Center. “TomoTherapy technology does that by helping
us reduce side effects, improve outcomes and offer an
alternative to many patients who have exhausted other
treatment options.”
(continued on page 3)
OCTOBER 2009
No Changes to Benefits This Year;
Enrollment Begins Oct. 12
The 2010 benefits enrollment process begins on Monday, Oct. 12, and runs through Friday,
Nov. 6. If you do not want to make changes, your current benefit selections will continue into
2010 except healthcare flexible spending accounts, dependent care flexible spending accounts
or pre-tax childcare deductions. You must elect these benefits each year.
This will be a year of “no changes.” Plan design and premiums will remain the same as in
2009. However, if you are currently paying “healthy lifestyle” rates for your medical coverage,
you will be required once again to:
• Have a Non-Tobacco Use Affidavit on file. (You do not have to complete one if you
already have one on file).
• Complete the online health risk assessment.
• Complete the biometric testing.
You must complete all steps to keep the discounted health premium. This year we will be
using a new company for the online health risk assessment and biometric testing. Look for
more information in October and November about this.
Enrollment Options Include:
1. If the only change you need to make is for
your Healthcare Spending Account,
Dependent Care Spending Account or pre-tax
child care deductions, you may call the
Benefits Service Center at 832-8777, and we
will take your selections over the phone. We
cannot take your entire enrollment by phone
so if you need to make changes in addition to
your flexible spending or childcare deductions,
you must use another enrollment option.
2. Enrollers may visit your department. Check
with your manager to see if an
enroller has been scheduled for your area.
3. Trion Call Center will take your enrollment by
phone Monday through Friday, between the
hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Please call
346-3500, extension 635.
2
OCTOBER 2009
4. You may also enroll yourself via Lawson HR
Employee Self-Service.
5. You can make an appointment with an
enroller who will have scheduled hours on
your campus.
6. You may visit a benefits coordinator during
scheduled hours in Room 44 at The Moses H.
Cone Memorial Hospital.
We look forward to helping you with the
enrollment process and serving your benefit
needs in the coming year.
Reminder
You must complete a
Self-Appraisal through the new
online Performance
Management System between
Oct. 1 and Oct. 31.
(continued from cover)
What They’re Saying
Patient satisfaction is all about treating people with kindness,
giving them our full attention, keeping them informed, and
meeting or anticipating their needs. Here are some examples
of best and worst practice. These comments are taken
directly from what our patients told phone surveyors about
their hospital experience.
The nurse and nurse tech went out of their way to
explain things to me. They were open with me, and I
really appreciated it.
A nighttime nurse came in to change the bag on my
IV. I asked her a question, and she completely ignored
me. She was not my nurse that night, but she was a
nurse. She would not even reply to my question.
Radiation oncologists are excited about
TomoTherapy’s ability to deliver high doses of
radiation to tumors, while minimizing the dose
to the surrounding normal tissues. In order to do
this, a built-in CT scanner helps to precisely
position patients before each treatment.
“TomoTherapy was built from the ground up
by some very bright people and gives us options
we simply don’t have with conventional
radiation,” says Robert Murray, MD, Radiation
Oncologist, Moses Cone Regional Cancer Center.
“I’m really hooked on the technology and what it
can do for our patients.”
In conjunction with the arrival of the system,
two new physicians are joining the Health
System’s radiation oncology team. Stacy
Wentworth, MD, formerly with Wake Forest
University Baptist Medical Center, will help to
plan and conduct brain cancer treatments using
the new device. Joseph Brooks, MD, the former
chief of radiation oncology for the U.S. Army’s
Madigan Medical Center in Tacoma, WA, will
work with lung cancer patients. Brooks
performed his residency with the National
Cancer Institute.
The first TomoTherapy treatments are
scheduled to get under way in early October.
I had some very good nurses that made me feel
good while I was there. That showed compassion
and concern.
More prompt response when pain medication
is required.
The nurses stopped by and asked if there was anything
they could do or if I needed anything.
Spend a little more time in your room making
you comfortable.
The doctor was very attentive and spent a lot more
time with me than I anticipated.
Try to get the patient discharged a little faster.
I went in with diabetes, and the staff and all the nurses
came into my room and told me what I needed to do
to take care of myself.
The people answering the call button could be a little
more courteous. They are rude and blunt. They make
you not want to use the call button.
The teamwork was well organized.
There was a lot of chatter going on among the nurses
and other staff members that I thought should be cut
out. Personal chatter is what I’m talking about.
I got the best care, better than anywhere.
OCTOBER 2009
3
U
Flu News for
Health System Prepares as H1N1
Comes to Community
H1N1 is here.
While Guilford County had 45 confirmed cases by midSeptember, this is likely the tip of the iceberg.
Physicians’ offices and schools are seeing an increase in flu-like
illnesses. Local gyms warn of exposures. And even churches are
changing their practices for as a result of the contagious virus.
“We have seen a definite increase in the cases of flu-like illness
within the community, and therefore, in our Emergency
Departments,” says Lori Mason, Public Health Epidemiologist, Moses
Cone Health System.
Moses Cone Health System is taking many steps to be ready for
the season.
Employees have been reminded to stay home if they’re sick – and
return only when they’ve been fever-free for 24 hours (without the
use of fever-reducing medication such as Tylenol or Advil). Staff
should remain off campus during their sickness unless they are here
seeking medical treatment, says Renee Amburn, Director, Infection
Prevention and Employee Health.
The Health System is restricting people younger than 18 from
entering its hospitals for visitation during flu season. All people are
also asked to not visit the hospitals if they are sick, unless they are
seeking medical treatment themselves.
“We want to limit any unnecessary exposures to the virus in
order to protect our patients and to maintain a healthy workforce,”
says Noel Burt,
Chief Human
Patients Coming to Emergency
Resources Officer.
Departments with Flu-Like Illness
The seasonal flu
vaccine is required
Aug. 23-29, 2009
189
for staff, volunteers
Same week 2008
116
and medical staff;
however, a separate
Aug. 30 – Sept. 5
271
vaccine against the
Same week 2008
125
H1N1 strain won’t
be available until
Sept. 5 – Sept. 12
370
mid- to late
Same week 2008
170
October. No
decision has been
made about
whether that will be required. “We will keep
everyone informed as that research
develops,” Burt says.
Guidelines for H1N1
and Flu Season
• Wash your hands and use alcohol-based rubs frequently – before
and after seeing each patient and throughout your day.
• If you are sick, stay home. Do not come to any office or
department at Moses Cone Health System for any reason, unless
you are seeking medical treatment.
• Follow the latest recommendations for healthcare workers and do
not return to work until you have been fever-free for 24 hours.
• Managers need to log all employee illness in the Safety Zone Portal.
• Stay flexible in your job. If this illness reaches widespread
proportions, we may all be asked to perform other duties or help
in different ways to care for our community.
4
OCTOBER 2009
• If you see anyone – including employees, contractors, physicians
or visitors – who appears to be ill, contact your manager.
Managers are asked to immediately question people who are
demonstrating symptoms and ask them to visit Employee Health
or leave the building.
• Practice good cough etiquette: Cover your mouth and nose with
a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue,
cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. Put any
used tissues in the waste basket and wash your hands.
• Consider your options for emergency childcare. You should have
a plan for how you can be at work if you are healthy, but your
child is sick and/or can’t attend school or childcare programs.
Sue Hampton, RN, Employee
Health, gives Ralph DeBruhl,
Safety Officer, a seasonal flu shot.
Get Your Mandatory Seasonal Flu Vaccine
Employees, medical staff and volunteers can receive free seasonal flu vaccines at all Employee Health offices.
The seasonal flu vaccine is mandatory. Staff, employed physicians and volunteers who intend to work during
flu season must receive the vaccine by Oct. 31 unless they have a signed medical waiver. No appointment is
needed during these hours:
Moses Cone Hospital Employee Health
Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – noon and 1- 4:30 p.m.
Wesley Long Community Hospital Employee Health
Monday – Friday, 7:30 - 11:30 a.m.
The Women’s Hospital Employee Health
(For Administrative Services Building employees also)
Monday – Friday, 7:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Behavioral Health Center
Available at Benefit Fair.
Annie Penn Hospital Employee Health
Monday and Wednesday 7:15 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.
and Friday 1- 4:30 p.m.
Shots are also available:
• Oct. 5-9 during Benefit Fairs at each hospital.
• Oct. 12 flu vaccine clinic at Moses Cone Hospital Room 31
(7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
• Oct. 15 flu vaccine clinic at Wesley Long Community
Hospital Classroom 2 (7:30 a.m. -4 p.m.)
The seasonal flu vaccine, paperwork and supplies also have
been sent to off site locations for nursing staff to give
vaccinations. Requests for these vaccines should be made to
the Employee Health office responsible for that site.
Weekend and off-shift schedules will be posted as available.
If you have special needs during this time, please contact
your facility Employee Health office.
A Hospital Outside
the Hospital?
Health System staff got a preview of a custom tent
that could be used to triage and treat H1N1
patients in the event of a large-scale epidemic. The
structure was set up recently in the parking lot at
Wendover Avenue and Church Street.
OCTOBER 2009
5
Tom Gettinger discusses the
North Tower concept with
Janice Holt, RN, Director,
Neuro Operating Room, The
Moses H. Cone Memorial
Hospital. The hospital recently
held design kickoff meetings
to brief directors and key
leadership about the scope
and timeline of the project.
Design Work Begins
on North Tower Project
Hospital officials are beginning early design work on The
Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital North Tower project,
while seeking input from clinical staff and others who will
use the space.
The project would add 226,500 square feet to the
hospital and redesign 90,600 square feet of existing space.
(See accompanying box for more details.)
This fall, the architects, engineers and Health System
project leaders will hold regular meetings with several
“key user” groups. These include representatives of
inpatient areas, the central energy plant, OR/Surgical
Services, PACU and pre- and post-operative areas, and the
Emergency Department.
“We want to be sure we have input from all our key
users so that the final plans can best support the needs of
our patients, staff and community,” says Karen Pierce,
Director, Campus Projects.
While design work on the nearly $200 million project
has begun, construction will not occur until the project
receives both Certificate of Need (CON) approval from
the state and building approval from the Health System
Board of Trustees. The board’s decision will take into
account the Health System’s financial outlook as well as
the health of the economy in general, Pierce says.
“This design should be timeless enough that if we need
to hold off and wait six months, a year, we can,” she says.
“But at the same time, we want to take advantage of this
favorable construction market if possible. We all recognize
that this project will replace existing services that are
6
OCTOBER 2009
aging and provide much-needed upgrades to best serve
our community, retain and recruit excellent staff and
physicians, and compete in the
marketplace.”
Key Features of the
Pending CON and financial
approval, construction could begin North Tower Project
in October 2010. Segments of the
• The new North Tower will house three
project would be finished in 2013
additional nursing departments of 32
and 2014.
beds each, allowing the hospital to
Pierce will work on this project
privatize all its rooms.
with a team of executive leadership,
including Tom Gettinger, Executive • Enlarged operating rooms will provide
needed space for surgical teams and
Vice President, The Moses H. Cone
Memorial Hospital; Jim Roskelly,
high-tech equipment.
Vice President, Strategic Planning;
• Redesigned pre- and post-surgery areas
Debbie Grant, Vice President,
will improve patient privacy and increase
Nursing; Judy Schanel, Vice
efficiency.
President/Service Line
• An additional 48,000 square feet in the
Administrator; Vicki Block, Vice
Emergency Department will improve
President, Heart and Vascular
efficiency and patient flow.
Center; Bill Bowman, MD, Vice
• A new main entrance to Moses Cone
President, Medical Staff Services;
Hospital will be built on Church Street.
and Ron Galloway, Director,
Construction Management. The
System is working with Perkins + Will, an architectural
firm in Charlotte; Affiliated Engineers based in Chapel
Hill; Brassfield & Gorrie, a Raleigh-based contractor; and
Hammes Company, healthcare consultants based in
Newport News, Va.
In Brief
Emergency
Department to Open
New Area for Stable
Patients
Rehabilitation staff hold the giant care package that they recently packed and sent to Iraq.
Shown here (from left) are Karissa Hicks, Tracy Hargraves and Allison Bolin.
Supporting Each Other,
Supporting Our Troops
Staff members of Inpatient Rehabilitation
at The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital
have a special connection that inspired
them not only to support U.S. troops but
also to involve rehabilitation patients in
the effort.
Karissa Hicks, Physical Therapist
Assistant, is married to Specialist James
Hicks, who is serving his third tour in
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Led by Tracy
Hargraves, Rehab Technician, and Allison
Bolin, Occupational Therapist, staff rallied
to collect care-package items, including
toiletries, snacks, candy and magazines.
The staff also included the patients in
packing and mailing the packages, a
unique way to aid in their rehabilitation.
“We used the activity of packing the
boxes to help patients work on a variety of
skills, including increasing the use of one
of their upper extremities, or improving
their trunk control or their balance,” says
Becky Windsor, Team Supervisor,
Rehabilitation. “Going to the post office
then helped patients with money
management skills, community mobility
and communication skills.”
The troops received the packages and all
the items were distributed quickly, Hicks
says. The center plans to send another box
of goodies closer to the holidays.
The Moses H. Cone Memorial
Hospital Emergency Department
will open Section B in its Short Stay
area from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. to help
improve patient flow.
A select group of patients will be
moved to this location after their
initial assessment and evaluation in
the Emergency Department. The
group will include stable patients
who are awaiting further diagnostic
studies, inpatient beds and rehydration.
The area will be staffed with
Emergency Department staff and
the Emergency Department
physician extender.
Assist Now Takes Help
Requests Online
Computer users at Moses Cone
Health System can now report
problems or issues in a new way:
online.
In addition to calling 832-7242 or
emailing [email protected],
users can go the Intranet homepage.
From there, go to the Help menu
and click on Assist Desk Contact.
Employees will be prompted to
provide their domain accounts and
complete a short form, including a
description of the problem.
A work ticket will be created
within Assist’s Help Desk software.
OCTOBER 2009
7
Teams Save More than
Expected on Supplies,
Medications
The Supply Operations Committee has
saved more than $1.7 million on supplies
and medications, topping its adjusted
goal of $1.6 million in savings for the
fiscal year.
Most of these savings came through
more than 150 separate projects that
either resulted in better pricing, alternative
product choices or improved medication
dosing or administration.
Value Analysis Teams made up of
clinicians, contract administration and
other administrative staff suggested
opportunities to save money and then
reviewed them closely. “This is done to
make sure that we can effectively use the
new product and understand the pricing
and contractual implications,” says Ken
Boggs, Vice President, Supply Chain. “In
addition to the savings projects, these
groups also approve items that will
improve efficiency, safety or clinical
effectiveness, even if they add cost.”
Boggs says the teams will focus next
year on looking at “essentially identical”
supplies and products that are available
from multiple companies. The goal is to
find the best prices from among the
alternative vendors.
Pharmacy has been successful with
this in many ways by collaborating with
physicians and by using pharmacists and
technicians on nine quality
improvement teams, according to Brian
Romig, Executive Director, Pharmacy.
“Each team has been working on many
quality improvement projects and
together have discussed 140 topics,” he
says. “Many of the topics resulted in
supply cost savings due to
improvements in quality, improvements
in dosing and decrease in waste.”
8
OCTOBER 2009
Examples include:
• Using extended infusion Zosyn rather
than intermittent infusion Zosyn
(saving nearly $100,000 a year).
• Using smaller doses of Thrombin that
provide equal clinical effectiveness in
certain surgical procedures (saving
more than $300,000 a year).
• Using Heparin rather than Lovenox to
prevent deep vein thrombosis in
medical patients (saving about $20 a
day per patient).
• Using Misoprotil rather than Cervidil
for cervical ripening in certain
obstetric patients (saving about $200
per patient).
• Using premixed nicardipine rather
than mixing it in the Pharmacy
(saving $57,000).
• Reducing waste in IV delivery
(saving $75,000).
The pharmacy has also had success
ensuring the appropriate use of
•
antibiotics with particular attention to
medications related to the core
measures of pneumonia and the
Surgical Care Improvement Project
•
(SCIP). Working to ensure the
appropriate site of treatment (inpatient
versus outpatient) is also saving cost.
•
In addition, the Health System has
had financial success with the rebates it
gets back after certain supply and
•
medication purchases, collecting
$500,000 more than it budgeted for
this fiscal year.
Some Cost Savings
Various Pharmacy projects saved
$565,000. (See article at left for
more information).
Re-bidding cardiac rhythm management
systems saved $184,500 through
September, or $443,000 in a year.
Eliminating the case cart program at the
main Moses Cone Hospital Operating
Room saved $151,000.
New pricing on trauma products and
on advanced neuromodulation saved
$107,000.
• Better pricing on bariatric knees
saved $98,500.
• Changes in open-heart surgical items,
assisted by Goodroe consultation,
saved $61,000.
While Recent Surveys Are Finished,
Health System Must Remain Vigilant
The state and federal surveys of Moses
Cone Health System, which started June 19
following an H1N1 exposure in the NICU,
have been completed successfully.
While that is worth celebrating, it is also
worth noting that The Joint Commission
will soon be here, state regulators will
continue to monitor the Health System and
the flu season has already begun.
Joan Wessman
“We have worked very hard these past
months to improve our processes and physical environment to
ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and, most
importantly, to keep our patients and staff safe and protect our
community’s health,” says Joan Wessman, Chief Nursing Officer.
“I believe we have learned much during these months,
particularly related to H1N1, infection prevention, incident
command and team work. I don’t want us to slip back to old
ways - we truly must maintain the gains we made.”
Wessman challenges staff to continue to hold each other
accountable in the coming months. She also encourages
department leaders to monitor, audit, observe, inspect and
round to the same degree that they did to get ready for the
recent surveys.
“We all need to ‘own’ this organization and our outcomes,”
she says. “I want to thank everybody involved in the successful
outcome of the Division of Health Service Regulation survey. I
am proud of our work and all of you.”
Hospital Completes Successful
Trauma Survey
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital has completed a
“deficiency-free” trauma survey with the American College of
Surgeons and the state of North Carolina.
“Moses Cone Health System is the first Level II Trauma
Center in North Carolina to be verified by both the ACS and the
state,” says Judy Schanel, Vice President, Moses Cone Hospital.
“This is evidence of the high quality of care we provide to the
communities we serve.”
The hospital should receive the official report and
notification of its dual trauma designation within two
months. “The commitment for the Trauma Program
throughout the hospital is evident to all,” says Cheryl
Workman, RN, Trauma Program Manager, Moses Cone
Hospital. “It is with that spirit that we were successful not
only within our state, but nationally.”
The comments from the reviewers were extremely positive,
including examples such as:
• “This survey was easy because of the thorough preparation
you did before our arrival.”
• “You did a commendable job in correcting all the issues
identified on your consultative visit.”
• “Your application was outstanding and made our job easy.”
• “Your performance improvement is some of the best I
have seen.”
• “You should be proud of your efforts.”
Schanel credits the Trauma Team, which includes Jay Wyatt,
MD; Burke Thompson, MD; Cheryl Workman, RN, Trauma
Program Manager; Michael Jeffery, PA; Shawn Rayburn, PA;
Becky Ward, Registrar, Trauma Service; Sharon Branam,
Registrar, Trauma Service; Joyce McLaughlin, Office
Coordinator; and Leigha Shepler, Injury Prevention
Coordinator, SAFE Guilford.
“In addition, many thanks to the Emergency Department,
who wowed the reviewers, and to all the nursing units that
worked so diligently to complete their education
requirements,” Schanel says. “Also, thanks to Medical Records
for pulling all the charts, Food Services for catering, and
everyone else who contributed to this successful visit.”
OCTOBER 2009
9
United Way
Why Give to the United Way?
As you may know, the area unemployment rate has nearly doubled
in the past year, and many residents are struggling. Local agencies
supported by the United Way are helping, but the demand for their
services keeps rising.
For example, Family Service of the Piedmont, which provides
housing, bankruptcy and budget services, has seen its call volume
more than double during the past year.
Guilford Child Development now has 450 children on its waiting list for scholarships to pay
for childcare.
The Women’s Resource Center, which helps train women for new jobs, has seen demand for
its services spike by 30 percent since last year.
“Please consider supporting the United Way this year … even if it’s just a few dollars a pay
period,” says Denya Hawkins, Chairwoman, Moses Cone Health System United Way Campaign.
Here’s why some of your co-workers give to the agency:
“My husband died on the
basketball court playing basketball
with friends. We had an 8-year-old
son and I was six months pregnant
with our second child. When
something like this happens to
you, it is hard to know where to
turn. Hospice and Palliative Care
of Greensboro came into our lives
Kizzy Graves
and helped get us through the
most difficult of times. Kids Path (the child support
group of Hospice) helped my son with counseling and
helped him to go to camp, which was so good for him.
Hospice stayed in our lives as long as we needed them.
Without this support, our lives would have been very
different. I can never thank Hospice enough, and I
cannot tell you how important this agency is to
families like mine when they are in need. I will always
be a supporter of the United Way.”
— Kizzy Graves
Endoscopy Tech,
Wesley Long Community Hospital
10
OCTOBER 2009
My son, TJ, was born into this
world with Lee’s Syndrome. Lee’s
Syndrome is a neurological
disorder that affects all motor
skills. Hospice and Palliative Care
of Greensboro and Kids Path have
impacted our lives in many ways.
Being a single parent, these United
Way agencies have allowed TJ and
Lee Salters
me to live our lives as close to
normal as possible. The people who have helped us
have become lifelong friends and love TJ. Caregivers
stay with TJ and this allows me to do errands, go to
doctor’s appointments, go to the grocery store and
work at my job. If it had not been for these agencies, I
would not have been able to maintain a job.
— Lee Salters
Receptionist, Radiology,
Wesley Long Community Hospital
Bob Bessey, standing, leads four volunteers through a quiz game
during a training session on Health System policies and safety
practices. The volunteers, from left, are Bob Jones, Mary Byrd,
Frances Whitman and Keith Halstead.
Kim Johnson, CT Tech, (left) and Jim Whiting, Vice
President, Regional Cancer Center, (right) watch as Nancy
Kimber, Nutritional Services Ambassador, plays the “Wheel of
Need” game at the United Way kickoff at The Women’s
Hospital of Greensboro.
• FUNraising events will be from Oct. 12 – 30. Look for an
Iron Chef competition between Health System leaders and
Sodexo chefs; drives for spare change – every penny
counts; one-day profit-sharing from our Gift and Uniform
shops (the more we spend, the more money for the United
Way campaign); and other fun events.
• Last year, 34 percent of employees pledged, and the
committee is asking them to maintain their gift this year.
Additionally, the committee is seeking 1,000 new donors to
pledge a minimum of $1 per pay period (or $26 total).
Anonymous employee donors have agreed to match those
new pledges.
• Donors who give just $5 a pay period, or $130 dollars total,
will receive a Caring Card from United Way of Greater
Greensboro, granting them discounts into dozens of area
businesses. (In order to qualify, your donation must be
designated to the United Way of Greater Greensboro or an
agency they sponsor.)
• Want to pledge? It’s easy with E-Pledge. Go to Lawson HR,
click on E-Pledge and then United Way form. If you have
questions, please contact the United Way committee at
832-3444 or e-mail [email protected].
• As of mid-September, Annie Penn Hospital had raised
$31,000 toward its goal of $35,000 for the United Way of
Rockingham County.
Annual Volunteer
Training Informs
and Entertains
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital recently held required
training for its volunteers, with a fun new twist.
Volunteers participated in “Heck If I Know,” a game designed by
Bob Bessey, Director, Volunteer Services, to share information about
policies and safety at work practices. During the game, four
volunteers competed to answer questions. Frances Whitman won,
and her team won a prize.
The training session also featured:
• An update from Tom Gettinger, Executive Vice President, Moses
Cone Hospital, who spoke about patient satisfaction scores,
construction projects and future plans.
• Introduction and comments from Terry Akin, Chief Operating
Officer.
• Fiscal year 2009-10 budget information from Myra Tejada,
Treasurer, Volunteer Board. The volunteer department will fund
more than $23,000 worth of hospital and community projects
this fiscal year.
• Fray Metcalfe, President, Volunteer Board, and Patricia
Schoffner, President-Elect, announced the volunteer milestone
awards. This year, 49 volunteers hit service-hour milestones.
The longest tenured volunteer has accumulated more than
17,000 hours. Together, all the honored individuals have
provided enough service hours to equal more than 45 years of
full-time service.
• The meeting ended with lunch and door prizes from the
Magnolia Gift Shop and Panera Bread.
“It was a great way to have fun with friends, while providing an
innovative way to learn about hospital procedures and practices,”
says Mary Byrd, Volunteer.
OCTOBER 2009
11
Moses Cone Health System
Leadership Council
Have a question and don’t know who to ask? Need to direct a patient to management? Here is a
listing of Moses Cone Health System leadership. Please feel free to clip this and post in your department.
Tim Rice
Terry Akin
Steve Anderson
Vicki Block
President and CEO
Chief Operating Officer
Office: Administrative Services Building
832-9500
Office: Moses Cone Hospital
832-7881
Vice President,
Physician Network
Vice President, Moses Cone
Heart and Vascular Center
Office: LeBauer HealthCare at North Elam
547-1552
Office: Moses Cone Hospital
832-7951
Ken Boggs
Bill Bowman, MD
Noel Burt
Troy Chisolm
Vice President, Supply Chain
Vice President,
Medical Affairs
Chief Human Resources Officer
Vice President/Administrator,
Behavioral Health Center
Office: Moses Cone Hospital
832-8170
Office: Behavioral Health Center
832-9615
Tim Clontz
Tom Dorle
Cindy Farrand
Tom Gettinger
Executive Vice President,
Health Services
Vice President, Marketing
Vice President/Administrator,
The Women’s Hospital of
Greensboro
Executive Vice President,
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital
Office: Administrative Services Building
832-7695
12
Office: Moses Cone Hospital
832-3900
Office: 200 E. Northwood Street, Suite 301
832-8100
OCTOBER 2009
Office: Administrative Services Building
832-8657
Office: The Women’s Hospital of Greensboro
832-6505
Office: Moses Cone Hospital
832-7881
Bob Goldstein
Debbie Grant, RN
Paul Jeffrey
John Jenkins
Executive Vice President,
Physician Network and
LeBauer HealthCare
Vice President, Nursing
Vice President/Administrator,
Wesley Long Community
Hospital
Vice President, Management
Systems/Chief Information Officer
Office: Moses Cone Hospital
832-8858
Office: LeBauer HealthCare at North Elam
547-1552
Office: Wesley Long Community Hospital
832-1400
Office: Moses Cone Hospital
832-8006
Grace Moffitt
Bill Porter
Jim Roskelly
Judy Schanel
Interim Vice President/
Administrator,
Annie Penn Hospital
Vice President,
Fund Development
Vice President, Corporate
Planning and Development
Vice President/Service Line
Administrator
Office: Administrative Services Building
832-9450
Office: Administrative Services Building
832-8199
Office: Moses Cone Hospital
832-8243
Susan Shumaker
Beth Ward
Joan Wessman, RN
Jim Whiting
President, Moses ConeWesley Long Community
Health Foundation
Chief Financial Officer
and Treasurer
Chief Nursing Officer
Vice President, Regional
Cancer Center
Office: Annie Penn Hospital
951-4582
Office: Administrative Services Building
832-9555
Office: Administrative Services Building
832-8005
Office: Moses Cone Hospital
832-2770
Office: Regional Cancer Center
832-0820
OCTOBER 2009
13
Got aDrink?
Recycle the Bottle
Moses Cone Health System is placing
new recycling containers throughout all
hospitals and facilities to assist with
recycling plastic bottles, which is now
required by state law. The new
requirement took effect Oct. 1.
The new recycling containers will be
placed prominently in public areas and
on nursing units. The containers on the
nursing departments will be blue with
the recycling logo and a round hole on
the lid. Other containers in public areas
will be labeled “Cans and Bottles.”
The recycled items in these containers
will be collected by Environmental
Services, deposited in large recycling
containers at each facility’s loading dock,
and picked up several times each week by
the city of Greensboro. The Nutritional
Services departments have also developed
programs to comply with this
requirement and increase recycling in
their areas.
“Recycling has always been the right
thing to do and everyone’s
responsibility,” says Jack Smith, Director,
Environmental Services, The Moses H.
Cone Memorial Hospital. “Now that it is
also mandated by the state, we need
everyone’s help. Please properly dispose
of your own plastic bottles and help us
get the word out to our patients and
visitors.”
Joining Forces
Annie Penn Hospital recently opened its newly named Department 300, after
merging its 2A and 3A departments. Here, staff enjoy the grand opening event
(far right). Tora Simpson, RN, Assistant Director, 300 (left), and Mona Easter,
Director, 300 and ICU (right), prepare to cut the cake.
14
OCTOBER 2009
“Recycling has always been the right thing to
do and everyone’s responsibility. Now that it
is also mandated by the state, we need
everyone’s help. Please properly dispose of
your own plastic bottles and help us get the
word out to our patients and visitors.”
Jack Smith
Director, Environmental Services,
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital
Daniel Gottsegen, MD
Timothy Fontaine, MD Juan Fernandez, MD
Greensboro Gynecology Joins
Health System’s Physician Network
On Sept. 1, Greensboro Gynecology Associates joined
the growing Physician Network of Moses Cone
Health System. Through this partnership, the
physicians and staff of Greensboro Gynecology
became employees of the Health System.
Located at 719 Green Valley Road, Greensboro
Gynecology Associates specializes in gynecologic
healthcare and infertility. The practice opened in
1964 and, today, handles approximately 20,000
patient visits annually.
Its clinical staff includes Daniel Gottsegen, MD;
Timothy Fontaine, MD; Juan Fernandez, MD; and
Nancy Young, Nurse Practitioner. The practice has a
high-complex CLIA certified lab and is nationally
accredited in ultrasound and bone density services.
“We’re pleased to join the Health System,”
Gottsegen says. “We believe this partnership will
enable the Health System and our medical group to
ensure the ongoing quality of women’s healthcare in
the region.”
“We are excited to announce this partnership with
such a well-respected and long-standing physician
practice in our community,” says Steve Anderson,
Vice President, Physician Network. “This relationship
will be a win-win-win for patients, the practice and
the Health System.”
The Physician Network offers a business model
that benefits both physician practices and the Health
System in the midst of a changing healthcare
environment.
From the physician standpoint, the advantages are:
• An opportunity to share in the Health System
reimbursement contracts to improve what they’re
being paid for their services.
• Better access to new technology for electronic
medical records, scheduling systems and more.
• Access to patient satisfaction, quality indicator
and risk management services.
At the same time, the Health System benefits by
gaining a strong working relationship with the
physicians. The affiliation with Greensboro
Gynecology Associates is the first transaction for the
Physician Network utilizing this new model.
For more information about the Physician
Network, contact Anderson at
[email protected] or call 547-1552, or
Bob Goldstein, Executive Vice President, at
[email protected].
OCTOBER 2009
15
Free to Breathe Walk,
Run to Benefit Lung
Cancer Research
Donna Niemela, Surgical Tech, (right) shows Avra Shorkend,
Surgical Tech, new instruments to be used in a procedure at
The Women’s Hospital of Greensboro.
Surgical Technologists
Educate Themselves, Others
The lead surgical technologists and the surgical technologist IIIs
throughout Moses Cone Health System have been busy this year –
educating themselves, other staff, students and the public.
Using PowerPoint presentations in their “Back to Basics
campaign,” these surgical technologists delivered information to all
operating staff. Themes covered included: labeling medications on
and off the sterile field, gowning and gloving, sterile technique and
draping.
The surgical technologists also developed a process to educate
students and the public about what a surgical technologist is and
what that job description entails. In the last part of 2008, the
group launched a “buddy system” to pair area surgical technology
students with either a surgical technologist or a registered nurse at
the Health System. This pairing helps students with any questions
or difficulties they may have during their clinical rotation and
provides the student with a valuable “real life” resource.
Surgical technologists have also been stressing the importance of
being certified. A recent issue of
noted that 100 percent
of staff in the Annie Penn Hospital Operating Room are certified
surgical technologists. “Along with the lead surgical technologist
being certified, we have been working hard to bring certification to
the forefront and show the importance of having certification to
all staff in the Operating Room and the importance of
maintaining that certification,” says Donna Niemela, Surgical
Technologist III, Operating Room, The Women’s Hospital of
Greensboro.
Finally, this year the lead surgical technologist and the surgical
technologist IIIs are challenging themselves to take advantage of a
variety of educational classes offered through the Health System
and directly apply those new skills to their leadership roles.
16
OCTOBER 2009
Moses Cone Health System is co-sponsoring the second
annual Free to Breathe Lung Cancer 5K in the Triad on
Nov. 14.
Employees and volunteers are invited to help raise
awareness and donations for lung cancer research by
participating in either the 5K race or the 1-Mile
Run/Walk. There will also be a kids’ dash and a rally
with speakers, music, food and entertainment.
The event will be held off of Grandover Parkway at
4512 Weybridge Lane in Greensboro. The Employee
Council of the Regional Cancer Center is volunteering
at the event.
To register or for more information, go to
http://freetobreathe.com/registertriad2009.html.
It’s All About
Rey Buendia, RN, 3700, The Moses H. Cone Memorial
Hospital, is now a Progressive Care Certified Nurse and has
earned the designation PCCN.
Anne Macner, Executive Director, Post Acute Rehabilitation,
received a perfect score in her surveyor training with the
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities
(CARF). She is now an intern and, upon completion of two
surveys, she will be a CARF surveyor.
Jill Tsoutis, RN, 3700, The Moses H. Cone Memorial
Hospital, passed the Medical-Surgical Nurse examination
offered by the American Nurse Credentialing Center and is
board-certified.
Jill Smith (from left), Michael Friesen, Senior Technical Analyst, Information
Systems, and Debra Coble, Rad Tech, Radiology, are among those working on
a committee to evaluate existing policies and develop an online policy manual.
Systemwide Online Policy
Manual is Being Developed
Executive leadership has asked that a multidisciplinary project
committee evaluate the existing policy process and system and
design a more comprehensive, Systemwide online policy manual.
This comes in response to employees’ requests.
This committee will systematically review all existing policies as
well as design a new system to manage, monitor, retrieve and
archive policies. The goal is to prevent duplication, decrease the
numbers of department-specific policies (when possible),
eliminate all hard-copy manuals and develop an easier, more user
friendly system to locate needed policies quickly.
In June, the project committee began this process by reviewing
the four main Systemwide manuals. The committee has
completed the review of the Administrative and Patient Care
Manual and has started reviewing the Infection Prevention,
Human Resources and Safety manuals.
After this work is complete, these four manuals will be
combined into one Systemwide manual. The committee will
then begin a review of department specific policies throughout
the entire Health System. “We anticipate this process to take
some time; however, we hope to complete the review process by
next summer,” says Jill Smith, Quality Project Management
Specialist, Quality.
“We are very excited that some departments have already taken
an active interest in participating in this important project;
however, we do believe a systematic approach is the best,” Smith
says. “This change will take some time and patience.”
What can the individual employees do in the meantime?
Keep an eye out for updates, assist in departmental assessment
of specific policies and continue to provide feedback about what
works and what doesn’t.
What can individual departments do to help this process?
1 Determine if the department-specific policies are truly
policies versus departmental procedures or guidelines.
2
Compare all “department-specific policies” to the
Systemwide policies and determine:
A Does a Systemwide policy adequately represent the
department-specific policy?
B Is it necessary to maintain the department-specific
policy? (Be prepared to explain why).
3
Make sure each of the “department-specific policies” have
documented:
A The originating department.
B The approval department or committee (should be
Medical Executive Committee, Nurse Executive
Committee or Leadership Council).
C A review/revision date within the last three years (The
Joint Commission requirement).
Flag any department-specific policies that can be relocated
to an archive folder (when/if the Systemwide policy meets
the need).
If you have further questions or concerns please feel free to
e-mail or call Smith at [email protected] or 832-4359.
4
OCTOBER 2009
17
Error Proofing Can
Improve Quality
Have you ever wondered why your car gives an audible alarm when
you leave the keys in the ignition if you open the driver’s side door?
Or why the car manufacturers would install such an alarm as a
standard feature, when it costs additional money?
In addition to improving customer satisfaction, car manufacturers
wanted to reduce the number of customer complaints they receive.
This is one of their metrics, just as the core measures are one of our
metrics in healthcare. The alarm was the result of a concept called
“error proofing.”
Error proofing is an effort to improve materials, machines or
methods in order to prevent human error. The approaches to
reducing errors are varied and changing, but they all focus on
eliminating errors first. If the errors can’t be eliminated, then error
proofing attempts to uncover them and lessen their effects.
Error proofing should be used if you have a process that causes
errors to happen repeatedly. Some examples of successful error
proofing are:
• Marking surgical sites in the patient’s presence to prevent wrong
side/site surgeries.
• Changing the color of pills that look alike but are very different, to
make sure the wrong pills are not accidentally given or taken.
To learn more or to suggest a process that might benefit from errorproofing, contact Kendall Johnson, QI Team Leader, Quality
Excellence Initiative.
Putting the
Brakes on Errors
The first documentation of an errorproofing device was the Otis elevator
brake. At the Crystal Palace Exposition
of 1853 in New York, Elisha Otis rode
an elevator above the crowd and
had an assistant cut the cable. The
elevator brake stopped the
elevator and Otis from
falling.
Thank You Notes
Periodically, Code U will publish letters of thanks from
patients, visitors, employees or others. Many of these
letters exemplify employees living our mission: “We
serve our communities by preventing illness, restoring
health and providing comfort, through exceptional
people delivering exceptional care.”
I just wanted to let you know how wonderful the staff
at the new Moses Cone MedCenter High Point are.
I had to drive my husband there at about 11:30 p.m.
because he was having severe abdominal pain. He had
had gastric bypass surgery in late July and thought he
was having a gallbladder attack. The staff took us in
immediately and began attending to him, while I
checked him in. Ultrasound and a CT scan revealed he
had a strangulation of part of his intestine. At around
4:15 a.m., he was transferred to Moses Cone Hospital to
undergo emergency surgery to repair the affected area.
Every single employee at the Moses Cone
MedCenter High Point was courteous, compassionate,
knowledgeable and helpful. Because of the late hour
and the fact that I am terrible with names, I cannot
remember the names of all of the folks on the night
shift who helped us, but I wanted to commend them
for a great job. My husband was scared, as was I, and
they made a bad situation for him into the best they
could. They reassured him and calmed him down as
well as provided excellent care.
Please pass our thanks along to the entire night shift
staff at MedCenter High Point. We will not forget this
experience, and if anyone we know needs medical
care, we will recommend the Moses Cone High Point
facility. We had the choice of going to High Point
Regional Hospital, but we chose Moses Cone
MedCenter High Point. I’m awfully glad we did!
— Julie Setzer
Have you received an impressive thank-you letter?
Please drop a copy in interoffice mail to Code U,
Marketing, Administrative Services Building.
18
OCTOBER 2009
MOSES CONE HEALTH SYSTEM 2009 GOALS
Results for Oct. 1, 2008 - Aug. 31, 2009
SYSTEM INDICATOR
MEASURE
ACTUAL
GOAL
Community Health
Core Measure Optimal Care
Compliance*
86.2%
85.0%
Mortality Rate
Risk-Adjusted
Mortality Rate**
1.00
0.90
Would Recommend
Inpatient
88.46
87.65
Would Recommend
ED
72.00
72.35
Turnover %
12.78%
15.0%
Employee Satisfaction
Overall Job Satisfaction
TBD
78.70
Internal Succession
Internal Succession %
63.0%
60%
Physician
Relationships
Physician Satisfaction
TBD
8.0***
Margin (%) 6.78%
6.25%
Length of Stay 5.02
5.08
QUALITY
PATIENT
SATISFACTION
Patients Who Would
Recommend Us
For Care
Turnover
EMPLOYEE &
PHYSICIAN
ENGAGEMENT
FINANCE
Margin (%)
AT OR ABOVE TARGET
BELOW THRESHOLD
BETWEEN THRESHOLD
AND TARGET
TBD - To Be Determined
The threshold is the lowest acceptable value before the measure fails.
* The Core Measure Optimal Care Compliance goal, new for 2009, takes into account how
well the Health System meets targets in four core measures: Acute Myocardial Infarction,
Heart Failure, Pneumonia and the Surgical Care Improvement Project. Staff from the Quality
department will look at a random sampling of charts to determine if all of the proper
documentation has been done for each of the core measure areas. This is a pass-fail
process. The number of charts that pass out of all those examined is the percentage
reported in this table.
***The Health System is working on eight strategies to help
improve physician satisfaction. This measures how many
have been implemented.
Margin goal at the end of Fiscal Year 2009 is 4.97%.
Length of Stay goal at the end of Fiscal Year 2009 is 5.05.
** The risk-adjusted mortality rate considers the severity (acuity) of patients’ conditions instead
of simply calculating a mortality rate on the basis of actual deaths. The risk-adjusted measure
is more commonly used in other health systems and is a much better indicator of the quality
of care being given. A score of 1 is equivalent to the expected mortality rate given the acuity
of patients. Any score less than 1 means there are fewer deaths than expected given the
acuity of patients. If a score is greater than 1, there are more deaths than expected.
OCTOBER 2009
19
SEPTEMBER
Employee
Award Winners
Recognized
Employee of the Month, Going the Extra Mile (GEM) and Annie’s Spirit awards
recognize employees who go above and beyond their normal job requirements and
represent the values adopted by Moses Cone Health System.
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital
GEMs
Keith Bailey, Purchasing Agent, Pharmacy
Sandra Brady, Rehab Tech, Acute Rehab
Wayne Fields, Mail Coordinator, Mail Room
Brenda Modlin, HR/Recruitment Assistant,
Human Resources
Antonia Smith, Phlebotomist, Lab-Venipuncture
Tina Stutts, Secretary, Care Management
Wesley Long Community Hospital
GEMs
Brenda Brown, Supervisor, Environmental Services
Kimberly Cheek, RN, Orthopedics
Amy Cobb, RN, Telemetry
Gloria Lucas, Administrative Coordinator,
Nursing Administration
James Mabe, Master Mechanic, Plant Operations
Andres Salvador, Environmental Services Tech,
Environmental Services
What Winners Say
“I enjoy working at Moses Cone Health System. It’s a great work
environment, and you can work as a team.”
April Harper
"There is a great sense of gratification when my efforts are
noticed and appreciated by my co-workers. These are the
people who support, motivate and encourage me. I am truly
thankful to serve on a team of caring professionals.”
June Covington
20
OCTOBER 2009
The Women’s Hospital of Greensboro/
Administrative Services Building
Employee of the Month
June Covington
RN, NICU
Nominated by: Kristen Briers, RN, NICU
June Covington received Employee of the
Month for her extra work to ensure that the
tiniest patients would be safe. “June once again
proved what a GEM she is,” Briers writes. “There
were two babies in Pediatrics who had been
transferred from the NICU and were ready to go
home. June went to Pediatrics to perform a
carseat test on one of the babies before
June Covington discharge. As it turned out, the baby couldn’t
use a regular carseat and needed a second test in
a car bed. June then got up in the middle of the night to come to
The Women’s Hospital, get the appropriate car seat, drive over to
Pediatrics and test the baby for the second time, all before she was
scheduled to work 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the NICU. She did this all on
her own and never complained, even though she was extremely
tired. This is typical behavior of June, who always puts the needs of
patients, families and her co-workers above her own. She is truly a
GEM and an outstanding, caring, compassionate person. We are so
grateful to work with her.”
GEMs
Teresa Hicks, Respiratory Therapy Clinical Specialist,
Respiratory Care
Deborah Hill, RN, Women’s Nursing Unit
Melissa Wilkins, RN, Birthing Suites
Behavioral Health Center
Employee of the Month
Alan Watt
Physician Extender
Nominated by: Rita Clark, Behavioral Health Care Facilitator,
Behavioral Health Center
Alan Watt received Employee of the Month for his willingness to
pitch in and help with extra responsibilities. “Alan has been very
flexible with his schedule this week, while two psychiatrists were on
vacation,” Clark writes. “Alan covered all of another doctor’s caseload
and the intensive outpatient program while taking care of his own
patient load.”
GEMs
Angela Beard, Secretary, Outpatient Services
Nancy Brown, Environmental Services Tech,
Environmental Services
Chris Judge, RN, Inpatient Adult Services
LeBauer HealthCare
GEM
Kathleen Perdue, Clinic Scheduler, Pulmonary Office
Health Services Division
Employee of the Month
April Harper
RN, Emergency Department,
Moses Cone MedCenter High Point
Nominated by: Jennifer Beal, RN, Emergency Department,
Wesley Long Community Hospital
April Harper
April Harper earned Employee of the Month
for her willingness to take on additional
responsibilities. “April was working relief in the
Wesley Long Community Hospital Emergency
Department and voluntarily took a 10-patient
assignment, taking care of the behavioral
patients,” Beal writes. “Our usual ratio is 1:4.”
GEM
Teresa Lackey, Secretary,
Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, MedCenter Kernersville
Regional Cancer Center
15th Annual George
Wolff Symposium
Includes Retirement
Celebration
The 15th Annual George T.
Wolff, MD, Primary Care
Symposium will also include
a dinner this year to honor
Wolff, who is retiring after
his lengthy service to Moses
Cone Health System and its
Family Medicine Residency
Program.
George Wolff, MD
Wolff was the first familyphysician director of the Family Medicine
Residency Program at The Moses H. Cone
Memorial Hospital.
“Dr. Wolff considers this symposium one of
his most important legacies because it brings
community physicians and our graduates back
together to network,” says Bill Hensel, MD,
Director, Family Medicine Residency Program. “It’s
a nice way for physicians in the community to
continue to establish ties with each other. And
what better time than this to have a celebration
of Dr. Wolff ’s life achievements.”
Wolff will continue working with the
residency program one half day per week,
performing chart audits.
The symposium will be held Nov. 6 in Room
0030 at Moses Cone Hospital. Faculty physicians
will review current evidence-based guidelines for
a variety of disease states, including GERD,
osteoporosis, lower back pain, skin cancer,
prostate cancer, diabetes, hypertension, postmyocardial infarction depression, menopause,
asthma, re-hydration of children with nausea and
vomiting, ultrasound, dermatology and practical
use of antibiotics. Tim Lane, MD, will also
provide an update on novel H1N1 influenza.
The all-day event offers continuing medical
education credits and is open to physicians, nurse
practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists
and other interested healthcare providers.
For more information, call Greensboro AHEC
at 832-8025 or visit www.gahec.org.
GEM
Mark Allen, Mechanic, Plant Operations
OCTOBER 2009
21
Mark Your Calendars
Back to a Better Back
If you suffer from back pain, minimally invasive spinal surgery may
be an option. Dahari Brooks, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon with
Greensboro Orthopaedics, discusses the latest in surgical procedures
of the spine.
Thursday, Oct. 15, 6:30-8 p.m.
Moses Cone Hospital AHEC, Rooms 0029-0031
Registration is required. Call 832-8000.
Cancer Prevention and Treatment Series:
Cervical Cancer and HPV
If you have a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, you are at
high risk to develop cervical cancer. Kelly Leggett, MD, an
obstetrician and gynecologist with The Women’s Hospital,
discusses HPV infections, vaccines and the importance of
screenings for cervical cancer.
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 6-7 p.m.
Moses Cone MedCenter Kernersville, 1635 NC 66 South
Registration is required. Call 832-8000.
Coping with Stress in a Crazy World
Jeanne Peters, Clinical Psychologist, LeBauer HealthCare Behavioral
Medicine and the Moses Cone Regional Cancer Center, explores ways
to beat stress and optimize your health.
Thursday, Oct. 22, 6:30-8 p.m.
The Women’s Hospital of Greensboro, Classrooms 5 and 6
Registration is required. Call 832-8000.
Great Web Sites and Tools for Researching Health
Information
Molly Groves, Medical Librarian, Moses Cone Health System, and
Carolyn Woods, branch manager of the Kernersville-Forsyth
County Library, give tips on how to find reputable sources for
health information on the Internet.
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6-7 p.m.
Moses Cone MedCenter Kernersville, 1635 NC 66 South
Registration is requested. Call 996-2006.
Cervical Cancer Screening
A free cervical cancer screening is available to all women 18 years of
age and older who are currently or have been sexually active, or have
never had a Pap test, or have not had a Pap test within the last 12
months. The screening is open to women who have no insurance,
have Medicaid and/or Medicare, or cannot afford to visit their
regular physicians.
• Monday, Oct. 5, 5:30-7 p.m.;
MedCenter High Point, 2630 Willard Dairy Road, Suite 300
• Monday, Oct. 12, 5:30-7:30 p.m.;
MedCenter Kernersville, Suite 210
• Monday, Oct. 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m.;
Annie Penn Hospital, Reidsville
Registration is required. Call 832-8000.
Management News
Vince Carlson, Physical Therapist, is the new Director, Outpatient
Rehabilitation. Previously, he was team supervisor for the
Outpatient Rehabilitation Center at Brassfield.
22
OCTOBER 2009
Jami Goldberg is a new Organizational Development Specialist.
Previously, he worked as a senior trainer for RF Micro Devices.
He will lead new leader orientation and the Leadership Excellence
I series.
Satisfaction Scores
Would patients recommend the Health System for care?*
INPATIENT SCORES
100% Possible
Wesley Long
Community Hospital
GOAL 87.3
Moses Cone Hospital
GOAL 87.3
The Women’s Hospital
of Greensboro
GOAL 89.3
Annie Penn Hospital
GOAL 85.19
Behavioral Health Center
GOAL 86.5
100
100
100
100
100
98
98
98
98
98
96
96
96
96
96
94
94
94
94
94
92
92
92
92
92
90
90
90
90
90
88
88
88
88
88
86
86
86
86
86
84
84
84
84
84
82
82
82
82
82
80
80
80
80
80
78
78
78
78
78
76
76
76
76
76
74
74
74
74
74
72
70
72
89.88 84.96 86.13
JUNE
JULY
70
AUG
72
89.93 86.67 90.68
JUNE
JULY
70
AUG
72
90.26 95.33 92.03
JUNE
JULY
70
AUG
90.48 88.24 83.33
JUNE
JULY
AUG
72
70
91.7
91.1
JUNE
JULY
Adult
95.2
JULY
91.3
AUG
89.1
AUG
Child
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT SCORES
Wesley Long
Community Hospital
GOAL 72.35
Moses Cone Hospital
GOAL 72.35
Annie Penn Hospital
GOAL 72.35
MedCenter High Point
GOAL 72.35
95
95
95
95
90
90
90
90
85
85
85
85
80
80
80
80
75
75
75
75
70
70
70
70
65
65
65
65
60
60
60
60
55
68.24 72.53 69.35
JUNE
JULY
AUG
55
72.31 71.77 65.18
JUNE
JULY
AUG
55
74.06 74.42 77.0
JUNE
JULY
AUG
55
94.05 91.25 88.89
JUNE
JULY
AUG
* These charts show an average of patients’ ratings when they are asked to what degree they would recommend Moses
Cone Health System for healthcare services. They answer on a scale of 0 to 10. The ratings are then multiplied by 10
to convert them into the percentages on this chart. On all charts, lines indicate goals or proposed goals, as noted.
OCTOBER 2009
23
More than 7,400 people make up Moses Cone Health System, and the
success of the System depends upon the strength of these individuals. A
“code” is made up of symbols representing a special meaning. Code U
was developed to symbolize the publication’s “It’s All About You!”
philosophy.
Code U provides up-to-date news each month for employees and
friends of Moses Cone Health System. Comments, story suggestions,
photos and signed letters to the editor are welcome.
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 195
Greensboro, NC
Moses Cone Health System
1200 North Elm Street
Greensboro, NC 27401-1020
(336) 832-8131
www.mosescone.com
CONTACT
Newsletter Editor
Marketing Department
Moses Cone Health System
1200 North Elm Street
Greensboro, NC 27401-1020
Phone: (336) 832-6516
Fax: (336) 832-7979
E-mail: [email protected]
TIM RICE
TERRY AKIN
TOM DORLE
DAWN MARTIN
President and Chief Executive Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Vice President, Marketing
Editor,
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Bob Bessey, Ken Boggs, Linda Edgerton, Wanda Kosterlytzky, Tommye Morrison, Donna Niemela,
Myrtle Rapp, James Sidden, Jill Smith, Sheryl Thornton, Karen Tillman, Lisa Wilkerson
PHOTOGRAPHY
Doug Allred, Mike Coughlin, Wanda Kosterlytzky, Karen Tillman, Sharon Troxler
Our Mission
We serve our communities by preventing illness, restoring health and
providing comfort, through exceptional people delivering exceptional care.
Read
Wina Prize!
Each month, Marketing will draw five entries from the correct responses and
award five free $6 meal tickets, valid at any Moses Cone Health System cafeteria.
The following employees won the contest in September:
Crystal Atkins, Secretary, Acute Rehab, The Moses H. Cone Memorial
Hospital; Jay Christopher, Phlebotomist, Short Stay Center, Moses Cone
Hospital; Kathy Lester, Patient Accounting Supervisor, Managed Care; Phyllis
Lipscomb, Phlebotomist, Lab-Venipuncture, The Women’s Hospital of
Greensboro; Cynthia Moore, Environmental Service Tech, Environmental
Services, Annie Penn Hospital.
This month’s quiz:
1. What is one of 225 in the world?
2. Are online health risk assessments required to get healthy-lifestyle
discount premiums this year?
3. If you get the flu, when can you return to work?
4. What has increased by 30 percent since last year?
5. Name one award winner featured in this issue.
ENTRY FORM
Send your entries via interoffice mail to Marketing, Administrative
Services Building, by Oct. 15. All correct entries will be placed into a
random drawing, and five meal-ticket winners will be announced in the
November newsletter. The contest is open to all employees and
volunteers of Moses Cone Health System. Marketing staff is not eligible.
Previous winners are not eligible in the calendar year that they won.
ANSWERS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Name
Department, Campus
Phone