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i n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

B a l t i m o r e M a g a z i n e To p D o c s a t U M M C p a g e 3

N e w Q u e e n A n n e ’ s E m e r g e n c y C e n t e r p a g e 3

S c a l e a H o n o r e d b y N a t i o n a l I t a l i a n A m e r i c a n F o u n d a t i o n p a g e 4

U M M C E f f o r t S h i f t s t o S t r e n g t h e n i n g H a i t i ’ s H e a l t h I n f r a s t r u c t u r e p a g e 5

N o v e m b e r a n d D e c e m b e r E m p l o y e e s o f t h e M o n t h p a g e 5

P a t i e n t S u c c e s s S t o r y p a g e 6

Continued on page 3

NEW SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

for the employees, medical staff

and friends of the university of

maryland medical center

n o v / d e c 2 0 1 0

“No sensible decision can be made any longer withouttaking into account not onlythe world as it is, but theworld as it will be.”I S A A C A S I M O V

q u o t e s t o l i v e b y :

Message from the CEO

THE HUMAN TOUCH

Witnessing the enthusi-

asm of staff attending

the recent series of C2X

Employee Communication

Forums was a gratifying

way to start the fall sea-

son. We were proud to share many of

the great things going on throughout

the Medical Center.

Many members of our staff have

earned regional and national recogni-

tion in recent weeks. You’ll see exam-

ples on nearly every page of this issue

of UMMC Connections. We’re providing

excellent service to our patients and

visitors, and they’re taking notice.

You’ll see the evidence in our higher

patient-satisfaction scores.

Service and safety both factor in the

brand-new technology Pharmacy

Services is using in the TUG robots that

deliver medications. We were the first

hospital in the world to use these

robots, and now the first to use the new

tracking system. The response from

nurses and pharmacy staff has been

very positive. The robotic technology

reduces paperwork, freeing our staff to

spend more time with their patients,

providing the human touch.

As the holidays approach, I’d like to

wish all of you a pleasant season with

your friends and families. We’ll have

our annual holiday celebration for all

staff in the Medical Center on Dec. 15 –

including a late-night celebration for

the night-shift staff. See page 6 for

details. I’ll be there, and I look forward

to seeing you.

JEFFREY A. RIVEST

President & Chief Executive Officer

Mary Lynn Carver

ConnectionsCommunicationsand Public Affairs

new generation of pharmacy

TUGs useW I R E L E S ST R A C K I N G

S Y S T E M EVERYONE WHO WORKS AT UMMC KNOWSthat there are great stories to be told to the public

about the work going on at the hospital. Mary LynnCarver wants to provide the strategic plan and the toolsto tell these stories, whether they are about the latest

treatment for a disease or the compassionate service

patients get each day.

Carver is the new senior vice president for communi-

cations and public affairs for the Medical Center and

for the University of Maryland Medical System. Before

arriving in September, she served in a similar role for

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, including leading

all scientific research communications. Prior to that,

she worked for more than 11 years for AstraZeneca

Pharmaceuticals, one of the world’s largest drug

companies, including serving as a senior executive

for corporate communications at the company’s world

headquarters in London.

She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University in

Dallas, and started her career in the field of business

communications and strategy consulting.

What was it about UMMC that attracted you to this

position?

UMMC has a really strong leadership position in many

treatment areas. I think first and foremost, along with

the University of Maryland School of Medicine partner-

ship, that leadership position is what attracted me. I

was looking for a high-quality organization ready to

take things to the next level.

What is your vision for communications at UMMC?

Our job is to translate what is going on in the clinical

and research areas so that our patients and the rest of

the world can understand who we are and what they

Pharmacy Services

Continued on page 2

MR. GOWER AND FLORENCE HAVE EARNEDA PROMOTION — AND A HIGHER SECURITYCLEARANCE. They are two of the Medical Center’s fleet of nineTUGs — ROBOTS that navigate by wireless technology to delivermedications to patient units, often to the delight of visitors whoencounter them in the corridor. UMMC became the first hospital inthe world to use the Aethon TUGs to deliver medications in 2002, withmore than 100 hospitals nationwide following suit since then. Now,UMMC is the first in the country to equip two of the TUGS withenough security and tracking technology to deliver medications thatrequire more documentation than the robots previously could provide.

O N A R O L L

UMMConnections2c o v e r s t o r y c o n t i n u e d : p h a r m a c y s e r v i c e s o n a r o l l

”One of the pharmacy’s goals is to identify and install ‘Technology of Integrity’— which meanstechnology that helps the hospital reach its goals of improving safety, enhancing efficiency,enhancing medication security, complying with regulatory standards, improving work satisfaction,and freeing up staff time to advance clinical practice and overall quality of care,” says MarcSummerfield,MS, director of pharmacy at UMMC.

built-in scanner recognizes. Radiofrequency identification (RFID) tech-

nology allows the TUGs to read a tag on eachdose. In this way, the TUG knows who with-draws what, and thus is responsible for eachdose, and records a complete chain of custody.The TUGs transmit this information back tothe pharmacy staff, who can track the where-abouts of any dose at any time and determinewho has custody of the medication.

Playing off the way FedEx and other deliveryservices track their packages around the world,the TUGs manufacturer, Aethon, calls this newtracking system “MedEx.”

The automatic documentation frees nursesand pharmacy staff from most of the cumber-some chain-of-custody paperwork otherwiserequired to comply with federal law, givingthem more time that can be dedicated to directpatient care.

“The transfer of time from paperwork topatient care is an example of ‘walking ourtalk,’” Summerfield says.

“I think it’s just safer,” says Cynthia

Cosgrove, RN, BSN, CCRN, a nurse in the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. “It’s amore accurate way to have the medicineaccounted for. Nothing is lost in translation. Itmeans fewer interruptions for the nursing staffand makes patient safety the priority.”

The RFID provides thorough documenta-tion that eliminates some potential gaps in thepaper-based system, says Meagan Rushe,PharmD, the pharmacy manager who coordi-nated the pilot program.

“We can track in real time exactly where acontrolled substance is, which has never beenpossible with the paper forms,” Rushe says.“And if the cart gets stuck somewhere, we canactually look through its eyes: Each cart has acamera, and the staff in the pharmacy can seethrough it on the computer. And it’s greener—it saves a lot of paper.”

q u a l i t y a n d s a f e t y

Dropping Pounds and Inches, Gaining SafetyPharmacy Collaborates with Nursing, Medicine, Clinical Engineering and IT for Complete Shift to Metric

Science and medicine long ago embraced metric units of measure-ment — even if the general public in the US did not. Still, the

measurement of weight, height and body temperature were often inpounds, inches and Fahrenheit degrees.

As of Oct. 19, the Medical Center staff is using only metric measurements across the board, in line with recommendations fromthe Institute for Safe Medication Practice. Why? Medications arealways in metric measurements, and data show that greater consistency and standardization could prevent many dosing errors.

Connectionsis produced by the Office of CorporateCommunications and Public Affairsfor the UMMC community.

22 South Greene StreetBaltimore, Maryland 21201 410-328-6776 www.umm.edu

Jeffrey A. RivestPresident and Chief Executive OfficerMary Lynn CarverSenior Vice President, Communications and Public AffairsEllen Beth LevittDirector, Public Affairs and Media RelationsAnne HaddadEditor and Publications ManagerFrank B. MoormanEmployee CommunicationsManagerLinda PraleyCreative Director/DesignerMarc LaytarPhotographyLinda J. LynchStaff AssistantSharon BostonKathy SchuetzKaren WarmkesselContributors

Fax news and story ideas toUMMC Connections at410-328-3450 or email ahaddad@umm.edu.

The TUGs might get all the attention, but they’reonly part of the picture of how technology has

changed the way medication is safely stored andaccounted for at UMMC.

While the TUGs deliver specially-prepared drugsfor a specific patient, computerized cabinets on eachunit store and track the drugs most commonly adminis-tered, so that they are on hand when patients need them.

Most staff members at the Medical Center have become accustomedto referring to these cabinets by the manufacturer’s name — Omnicell.There is an Omnicell cabinet in each pharmacy satellite and patientcare area — more than 200 throughout the hospital — and each one is customized to meet the needs of that area for inventory, size andstorage. The Pharmacy Services department provides 24-hour supportfor the technology.

The unit-based cabinets are equipped with a variety of safety featuresto promote safe medication use:• Only authorized and trained users can access medications from the

cabinets by logging in via badge, manual password or fingerprint.

• Each cabinet is linked to the pharmacy computer system in realtime. A pharmacist must review and verify medication orders beforea nurse can remove most medications. A perpetual inventory systemalerts staff when to restock.

• Software incorporates barcode scanning to ensure that the correctmedication is restocked or dispensed.

• Customized alerts — such as for “sound-alike-look-alike” medica-tions — ask the clinicians to double-check in cases where errors aremost likely to occur or where danger is high. For example, an alertreminds the clinician when a timed-release drug should not becrushed, chewed or split.

• Nursing and pharmacy managers can generate reports to highlightareas that need improvement.“The Omnicell helps the staff meet the challenge of administering

medications in a safe and efficient manner,” says Rita Herzog, MSN,CNRN, a nurse on Gudelsky 5.

“Implementation of unit-based cabinets at the Medical Center is agreat example of using a safety strategy to make it easier for our care-givers to do the right thing,” says Jonathan E. Gottlieb, MD, chiefmedical officer and senior vice president. “Medication administration is one of the most complex hospital processes, and creative use of technology like unit-based cabinets can allow us to perform complextasks more reliably for every patient, every time.”

The transition at UMMC was led by Pharmacy, Medicine, ClinicalPractice and Professional Development, Clinical Engineering, andInformation Services and Technology. One important change involvedthe computerized prescriber order entry(CPOE) system, which now includesprompts so that the clinician can catch an incorrect entry of a patient’s height,weight or temperature.

Unit-Based CabinetsBar Codes, PINs and Fingerprint Scans Protect Patients from Medication Errors

Heather League, CPhT, pharmacy services coordinator, must scan her fingerprint to document that she has stocked a TUG with medication

from the Shock Trauma satellite pharmacy. Within minutes, the TUG takes the elevator to Shock Trauma Acute Care on the fourth floor,

where staff nurse Shanna Pusinsky, RN, BSN, uses her fingerprint to document removal and storage in a secure cabinet.

KILOGRAMS POUNDS

1 kg 2.2 lb

30 kg 66 lb

70 kg 154.3 lb

So far, only the twoShock Trauma CenterTUGs have the newtracking technology, but early reviews fromthe nursing staff arefavorable.

“We plan to expand to the Weinberg andGudelsky buildings if the data we collect for thepilot project in the Shock Trauma units is favor-able,” says Marc Summerfield, MS, director ofpharmacy at UMMC. “So far, it has been.”

The TUGs have a whimsical appeal – Mr.Gower is named for the pharmacist in themovie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and Florence isnamed for Florence Nightingale – but they areall business. Their electronic “whiskers” cansense someone in their path, which brings themto a halt to say, “Waiting to proceed.”

Hospitals must document and track somemedications more thoroughly than others. Sothe TUGs give their precious cargo only tosomeone authorized with a PIN and, lest any-one’s PIN get hijacked, a fingerprint that the

Playing off the way FedEx

and other delivery services

track their packages around

the world, the TUGs manu-

facturer, Aethon, calls this

new tracking system

MedEx.

The November Baltimore Magazine — also known as the annual “Top Docs” issue —includes 66 physicians from the Medical Center and the University of Maryland Schoolof Medicine listed as the best in their specialties. In fact, the magazine chose Teresa York,

MD, assistant professor of pediatrics and pediatric oncologist at the University of MarylandHospital for Children, for the cover of the issue.

This is an unprecedented showing for the Medical Center and the School of Medicine. In addition to those in the list of 398 “top docs” from the Baltimore region, there are three separate articles about UM physicians:

• A day in the life of the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, featuring Physician-in-Chief Thomas Scalea,MD.• “Ironic Cure,” about Scott Strome,MD, chair and professor of otorhinolaryngology-head & neck surgery and chief of

otorhinolaryngology, who agreed to help a veterinarian friend remove a tumor on a beloved puppy. In the process, Strome noticeda skin lesion on the dog’s owner, leading to a cancer diagnosis and successful treatment of the owner.

• “Climbing for a Cause,” about Matthew Weir, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Division of Nephrology, andhis son climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

3NOV/DEC2010

m e d i c a l s y s t e m n e w s

UMMC DOCS ARE TOPS

l o c a l n e w s

The complete list of physiciansfeatured in the magazine can befound at: www.umm.edu/topdocs

Mary Lynn Carver speaks out...

Q&Awith Carver

New Queen Anne’s Emergency Center PROVIDES HIGH-QUALITY CARE FOR EASTERN SHORE RESIDENTS AND VACATIONERS

“”

More than 60 of our

“Top Docs” are affiliated

with the University of

Maryland Medical Center.

Baltimore Magazine

can expect from us. Essentially, what is the promise of

UMMC and how are we fulfilling that promise?

We’re all responsible for telling the University of

Maryland Medical Center story. I’m committed to help-

ing our employees have better tools in order to do so

consistently to have an impact externally. The employ-

ees are our best ambassadors for what we do.

You mentioned employees. What are your thoughts

about internal communications?

The C2X Forums, the Employee Opinion Survey – all of

these are wonderful best practices that show the

Medical Center is already communicating well with

employees. Frankly, this level of commitment to employ-

ee communications was something I was looking for

when I began discussions with UMMC. A lot of other

organizations pay lip service to communicating with

employees but don’t necessarily follow through.

What I do see is that we need to give more focused

attention on internal communications to make it simpler

for employees – less clutter, fewer messages, better

communication channels, but more impact. The goal is

for everyone to get what they need to know, get it quick-

ly, and understand exactly where we are headed, so we

can all row the boat in the same direction.

You’ve had a heavy schedule meeting with lots of peo-

ple from all departments. What do they want from you?

They want to make the great work of UMMC more

widely known, so that patients who need us, can reach

us. It’s that simple.

What are some best practices at other organizations for

communications and public affairs that you hope to

bring to UMMC?

The public affairs and communications function must be

closely aligned with the strategic goals of the organiza-

tion. Because of the nature of the media, oftentimes we

have to deal quickly with whatever issue is at the other

end of the phone or the e-mail at the moment, but in the

last 10 years, the focus in communications and public

affairs has been to work in a much more strategic fash-

ion. The online world is 24/7 and enables news to move

rapidly between audiences. Reputation management in

this environment is key – it all goes back to fulfilling

that ‘promise’ or expectation that patients and the

public have. Our job is to fulfill their expectations of

us so they will trust us with their lives.

With all the changes in the media, how do you

successfully get the story out?

The traditional gatekeepers of information to the public

have been removed. Some see that as a negative, and

some see it as an opportunity. I see it as an advantage

for us. The public is looking for trustworthy information

sources. Anybody who goes to our website or our other

channels knows they’re getting really solid information

they can base their decisions on.

How do employees affect UMMC’s reputation?

Actions speak louder than words. We can’t just say

something and expect people to believe us. When

there’s a disconnect between an organization’s actions

and its words, you get reputational damage. I can only

promote UMMC as a great organization as long as the

employees of UMMC continue to make it a great organi-

zation. Reputation, to me, is our “Do,” not our “Say.”

Tell us a little about your family.

My husband is also in health care. He’s a biomedical

engineer in orthopedics, developing and testing new

devices. We have three children, ages 13, 9 and 6, a bor-

der collie and a cat – a pretty busy household!

What do you do in your free time?

I’m a busy working mom. If I do have time, I sleep! And

read things totally unrelated to work.

The public affairs and communications functionmust be closely alignedwith the strategic goalsof the organization.

Anewly opened emergency center near Grasonville willprovide Eastern Shore residents and vacationers with

quicker access to emergency care and be able to refer patientswhen appropriate to UMMC and other hospitals in theUniversity of Maryland Medical System (UMMS).

In the first month of the Queen Anne’s Emergency Centeropening, the number of patients – 30 to 40 per day – exceed-ed expectations. Word spread quickly among the communitieson the Eastern Shore, where residents previously faced muchlonger drives for emergency care over the Bay Bridge toAnnapolis or through rural roads to Easton, says Patti Willis,vice president for corporate communications for Shore HealthSystem, which is part of UMMS.

The center opened in early October as a partnershipbetween Queen Anne’s County government, UMMS andShore Health. These organizations came together to add alevel of emergency medical services not previously available in that part of the Mid-Shore region. Elected officials and the emergency medical services community also supported the effort.

Residents of Queen Anne’s County have supported theQueen Anne’s Emergency Center by raising nearly $1 millionfor equipment.

Since the center opened, patients have arrived with a rangeof emergencies, including traumatic injury, appendicitis, asth-ma attacks, chest pain and seizures. Those who need to beadmitted to a hospital would be taken to the nearest one –Memorial Hospital in Easton for most cases. Patients whoneed tertiary care could be taken by ground or air transport toUMMC.

The new center is one of only three freestanding emergencycenters in Maryland and the only one in a rural area. Thefacility consists of approximately 16,000 square feet with 13treatment rooms and onsite diagnostic imaging and laboratoryservices.

The full-service Queen Anne’s Emergency Center will operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It is staffed byboard-certified emergency medicine physicians, experiencedER nurses and radiology and laboratory technologists.

The center’s campus is equipped with a helipad for landingof helicopters operated by Maryland State Police and otheremergency medical services transport organizations.

The Queen Anne’s Emergency Center is located just off US Route 50 near Grasonville, from Exit 45 B – Nesbit Road.

UMMConnections4t o p r e c o g n i t i o n

e m p l o y e e h e a l t h

Nurse Researchers Receive NationalAward for Study on Caring forSurgery Patients Who Are Obese

A group of nurses from two differentunits who collaborated on a researchtopic have won a national award fortheir study on different methods tomeasure blood glucose in surgicalpatients who are obese.

Lead authors Barbara Saia, BSN,RN, (top photo) of the SurgicalIntermediate Care (IMC) Unit, andPriya Viswanatha Kaimal, BSN, RN,RN-BC, CBN, (bottom photo) ofWeinberg 5, an acute care unit for

patients who have had surgery, received the 2010Research Award, including $1,000 to cover the costs

of their research protocol, from the NationalAssociation of Bariatric Nurses.

Saia and Kaimal worked on this project with fellow UMMC nurses Anthony Aroh, RN,CMSRN, CBN; Genevieve Vidal, BSN, RN; Gloria Fisher, BSN, RN, CMSRN; Patricia AnneBulacan, BSN, RN, CCRN; Veronica Brock, RN,and Vijaya Ramakrishnan,MS, RN, CMSRN,CBN. The research team was mentored by KarenJohnson, PhD, RN, director of nursing, research and evidence-based practice.

Thomas Scalea, MD, Honored by National Italian American Foundation

THOMAS M. SCALEA, MD, PHYSICIAN-IN-CHIEF AT

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND R ADAMS COWLEY

SHOCK TRAUMA CENTER, WAS HONORED AT THE

ANNUAL BLACK-TIE GALA OF THE NATIONAL ITALIAN

AMERICAN FOUNDATION (NIAF) IN WASHINGTON,

DC, ON OCT. 22 FOR HIS ACHIEVEMENTS AND

DEDICATION AS A WORLD LEADER IN TRAUMA

CARE. SCALEA RECEIVED THE NIAF SPECIAL

ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN SCIENCE AND MEDICINE.

FLU VACCINE DEC. 13 DEADLINE

APPROACHES

Plenty of influenza vaccine is available

for all UMMC employees, residents,

volunteers, medical students and

clinical faculty to ensure that everyone

can comply with the flu vaccine policy

by the Dec. 13 deadline. By that date,

all staff must be vaccinated or have

filled out an online form declining

the vaccine, or they may not come to

work until they do so.

Walk-in hours at Employee

Health Services are from 7 am to

4 pm Monday through Friday

Visit the UMMC Intranet for the link

to the Flu-Free Zone website. Use the

website for online declination, to see

EHS extended hours and to get

answers to flu-related questions. The

online declination includes a way to

report having received a flu vaccine

elsewhere.

All UMMC employees who receive a

flu vaccine (at UMMC or by submitting

online documentation of getting a vac-

cine elsewhere) will be entered in two

drawings Nov. 24 and Dec. 17

to win $250, $100 or $50.

Employees who are members of

UNET or MPP insurance can earn a

second chance to enter the drawings

for cash prizes by filling out a confi-

dential health risk assessment (HRA)

at www.umm.edu/stepuptogoodhealth.

Congratulations to the

Cardiac Care Unit for

acheiving the Beacon Award

for the second year in a row

A N D TO T H E

Progressive Care Unit

for its first-time award.

c o n g r a t u l a t i o n s

Here Now for PatientsUMMC offers a patient care technician (PCT) training

program to the community. The latest group of 20 PCTs,

who were selected from more than 100 applicants,

participated in a completion ceremony Oct. 15 in the

Paca-Pratt building. To be eligible for the training

program, all had to have one year of experience as

certified nursing assistants (CNAs). The training program

at UMMC consists of 80 hours of classroom instruction

and 70 hours of supervised clinical experience.

Maryland Senate Recognizes Surgical Techs

The high professional standards of the UMMC surgical technologists caught the

attention of Maryland Senate President THOMAS V. “MIKE” MILLER JR. when he met

THOMAS YEWELL, BA, CST, (far right), at a social event, leading to a Senate resolution

honoring their work. The surgical techs presented the resolution to JEFFREY A. RIVEST,

(center) UMMC president and chief executive officer, and LISA ROWEN, DNSc, RN,

(left of Rivest), senior vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer.

Also above are surgical techs (in scrubs, left to right) SHEILA LUNN, CST; KATHERINE

COLLINS, CST; and ROBBIN BROWN. At left are JAMES MCGOWAN, DHA, MBA, RRT,

vice president for perioperative services, and NICHOLAS TROELEMAN, RNFA, BSN,

director of perioperative nursing.

n e w s

The Beacon Continuesto Shine

for Inpatient Cardiology

“Do for others

before you do

for yourself –

words my mother

taught me.”— TO M S C A L E A

Scalea shared the stage with many prominent figures, including actor Danny DeVito, head coachof Michigan State Basketball Tom Izzo, Supreme Court Justice Saumuel Alito Jr. and Speaker of

the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. A large contingent of supporters from Scalea’s family, theShock Trauma team, Medical Center and Medical System leadership and the Shock Trauma Board ofVisitors were on hand to support Scalea. Peter G. Angelos, attorney and majority owner of the

Baltimore Orioles, presented the award to Scalea on stage.“Do for others before you do for yourself – words my mother taught me,” Scalea said after he

received the award. A moving video about Scalea and his work at Shock Trauma was shown to thecrowd of more than 2,000 people gathered for the event.

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to pre-

serving and promoting the heritage and culture of Americans of Italian descent.

5NOV/DEC2010n o v e m b e r d e p a r t m e n t / e m p l o y e e o f t h e m o n t h

d e c e m b e r d e p a r t m e n t / e m p l o y e e o f t h e m o n t h

Lakeasha BrandfordThe Department of Clinical Engineering Services is responsible for acquiring, maintaining and repairing all

of UMMC’s clinical equipment. That includes everything from an IV pole to the Gamma Knife — more than

17,000 pieces of equipment in all. When any of that equipment requires parts or outside service for repair,

the department’s 21 biomedical technicians get in touch with November’s Employee of the Month,

Lakeasha Brandford, who handles the day-to-day purchasing and budgeting for supplies and equipment

for the “biomed team.” • Although Brandford’s title — administrative assistant — hasn’t changed since

she joined the department in 2006, her level of responsibility has increased significantly. She now over-

sees and tracks a budget of several million dollars. • “When I took over as interim director of the

department in 2008, I found out that Lakeasha had a bachelor-of-science degree from Towson University,

and that she had excellent financial acumen. So we started piling more and more work on her. Every time

we threw a challenge at her, she rose to it. She’s been an absolute pleasure to work with,” says Deborah

Photiadis, director of customer management in the Facilities Department.

A D M I N I S T R A T I V E A S S I S T A N T

D E P A R T M E N T O F C L I N I C A L E N G I N E E R I N G S E R V I C E S

Tracey JonesTracey Jones, a patient care technician in the Stoler Pavilion, seldom has a chance to sit during her work-

days. That suits her just fine. • “I like a job that keeps me up and moving; otherwise, I get restless,”

she says. • Jones’ energy, her can-do attitude and her exceptional care for patients who come for outpa-

tient chemotherapy and clinic visits made her an excellent choice for December’s employee of the month,

says Theresa Johnston, RN, BSN, OCN, nurse manager in the Stoler Pavilion. • “Tracey has shown dedi-

cation and provides an outstanding example of C2X service to both patients and staff of the Medical

Center. She was a supplemental employee who assisted us with staffing when we had needs. She made

such a positive impact on the unit that I decided to hire her as a full-time staff member,” Johnston says.

u p d a t e

The full article is available on theUMMC Employee Intranet.

The full article is available on theUMMC Employee Intranet.

UMMC Effort Shifts to StrengtheningHaiti’s Health Infrastructure

P A T I E N T C A R E T E C H N I C I A N • S T O L E R P A V I L I O N

M A R L E N E A N D S T E W A R T G R E E N E B A U M C A N C E R C E N T E R

At least $3,230 was raised inOctober by a team of cyclists led by

BARRY DALY, MD (right), professor of

diagnostic radiology, and SCOTT

JEROME, MD (left), assistant professor

of cardiology. The team of physicians,

nurse practitioners and other staff

members from the School of Medicine

and Medical Center biked 100 miles in

the 22nd Annual Seagull Century ride

on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

i n t h e c o m m u n i t y

The UMMC community continues to aid Haiti after the earthquake thatdevastated the country in January. Clinical and administrative staff and faculty have shifted the focus to helping the country rebuild its health careinstitutions and train Haitians in clinical areas.

“Our actions right now are focused not on direct medical aid, but rather ontraining physicians and nurses as part of strengthening the Haitian infrastruc-ture,” says John Spearman, senior vice president for external affairs at UMMC,who has been coordinating the Haiti effort.

“The University of Maryland Medical Center, in partnership with theUniversity of Maryland School of Medicine and Catholic Relief Services (CRS),remains committed to this project,” Spearman says. “We maintain a close relationship with the St. François de Sales Hospital, and are providing clinicaltraining and education.”

A recent outbreak of cholera has killed hundreds of Haitians and sickenedthousands more. Staff from UMMC and the School of Medicine are helpingseven CRS-supported hospitals around the country prepare to respond to a possible influx of cholera patients.UMMC staff set a fundraising goal of $125,000 to aid Haiti. A total of $105,230

had been raised as of Oct. 29, including:

• $90,407 from 149 employees who have donated vacation hours that are beingconverted to cash for the Haiti effort.

• Cash donations and pledges by UMMC employees.• Proceeds from events planned by staff and led by Nicole Bailey, guest services

manager.Since January, more than 6,000 Haitians have received medical attention —

including surgery for more than 700 patients and follow-up care — from 237physicians, nurses, surgical techs and other essential staff who traveled to Haiti,20 of whom traveled there multiple times.

Spearman Keynote Speaker atNAACP Freedom Fund Banquet

J O H N S P E A R M A N, UMMC senior vice president

for external affairs, gave the keynote address at the

Baltimore City Chapter of the NAACP Freedom Fund

banquet Oct. 26. He spoke on the chapter’s 2010 focus

— reducing the incidence of childhood obesity.

Among the several UMMC staff members who

attended was VERLYN WARRINGTON, MD, MS,

assistant professor of family and community medicine,

whom Spearman said is among those on the front lines

helping families battle obesity.

“But she cannot do it alone,” Spearman said to

the attendees, who included several national, state

and local officials and longtime civil rights activists.

“There’s a tremendous amount of power in this room.

We need to keep our eyes on the prize. Today, that

prize is ensuring the health of our children.”

• • • • • •

The University of Maryland Medical Center

is an equal opportunity employer and proud

supporter of an environment of diversity.

This publication is printed on recycled paper.

UMMConnections6c a l e n d a r / e v e n t s

W E L C O M E

Jonathan Bromberg,MD, PhD,known for his innovative researchinvolving ways to train the body’simmune system to accept a trans-planted organ, has joined the

University of Maryland School of Medicine asa professor of surgery and microbiology andimmunology. At UMMC, Bromberg will serveas a kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon,director of research in the Division ofTransplantation and director of strategic services for transplantation. He comes toUMMC from Mount Sinai School ofMedicine in New York, where he served for 10 years as a professor of surgery and gene and cell medicine in addition to chief of kidney and pancreas transplantation and theTransplantation Institute at Mount SinaiMedical Center. Bromberg received both hisMD and PhD from Harvard University.

Allison Murter, MSN, RN, is thenew professional developmentcoordinator in the Office ofClinical Practice and ProfessionalDevelopment. In her new role,

Murter will primarily focus on nursing practicefor Women’s and Children’s Services. She willalso be involved in broader nursing practiceissues, infection control policies and JointCommission activities. She comes to UMMCfrom Johns Hopkins Hospital, where sheworked for 23 years. She received her BSNfrom the University of Maryland and her MSNfrom Johns Hopkins University.

N E W R O L E

Shana Ntiri, MD, MPH, hasbeen named medical director ofthe Baltimore City CancerProgram (BCCP). In her newrole, Ntiri plans to focus on

expanding the program’s already successful outreach, education and screening efforts. Ntiri began her career at UMMC as a residentin the Department of Family and CommunityMedicine, where she is now an assistant professor. In addition to her work with BCCP, she divides her time between patient care, graduate education and primary care research.

H O N O R E D

Rudoph J. Castellani Jr.,MD,director of neuropathology atUMMC and professor of patholo-gy at the University of MarylandSchool of Medicine, received the

2010 Alzheimer Award presented by the Journalof Alzheimer’s Disease, in recognition of hisarticle, “Reexamining Alzheimer’s Disease:Evidence for a Protective Role for Amyloid-βProtein Precursor and Amyloid-β.” Castellanialso was presented with the bronze AlzheimerMedal at the Alzheimer’s AssociationInternational Conference on Alzheimer’sDisease.

Carnell Cooper, MD, associateprofessor of surgery at theUniversity of Maryland School ofMedicine and director of theViolence Intervention Program

(VIP) at UMMC’s R Adams Cowley ShockTrauma Center, was presented with theAmerican Trauma Society Maryland DivisionDistinguished Achievement Award in recognition for creating the VIP. The first hospital-based program of its kind, VIP ensures that victims of intentional violent injury receive assessment, counseling and socialsupport from a multidisciplinary team to helpthem make critical changes in their lives.

I N V O L V E D

Linda Goetz,MHS, CRNA, chiefnurse anesthetist at UMMC, is thenew president of the MarylandAssociation of Nurse Anesthetists(MANA). The mission of MANA

is to advance and elevate the standards of prac-tice of anesthesia, to elevate the standing ofnurse anesthetists, to generally increase the qual-ity and availability of anesthesia services to the general public and to provide ethical guidancefor members of the association practicing anesthesia in Maryland.

Lisa Rowen, DNSc, RN, FAAN,senior vice president and chiefnursing officer for UMMC, hasbeen named adjunct associate pro-fessor of nursing at Northeastern

p e o p l e s p o t l i g h t s

Pat Tierney: Cancer Survivor

a p a t i e n t ’ s s t o r y

November 18 • BLOOD DRIVE AT PACA-

PRATT The Medical Center will host a blood

drive for the American Red Cross from 9 am

to 3 pm in the lower level of the Paca-Pratt

Building. Schedule your donation by

contacting Fred Herman at 8-4391 or

fherman@umm.edu, or just stop by.

Walk-ins are welcome, but scheduled

donors will have priority.

November 23 • LAST FARMERS’ MARKET

The University Farmers’ Market continues

Tuesdays until Nov. 23. Visit the University

Plaza Park on South Paca Street between

Redwood and Baltimore streets from 10:30

am to 2:30 pm to purchase fresh produce

and other local foods.

December 14 • WEIGHT-LOSS SERVICES IN

FAMILY MEDICINE Verlyn Warrington, MD,

MS, assistant professor of family and com-

munity medicine and medical director of

UMBC Student Health Services, will talk

about obesity, its consequences and the

services offered at the medical weight-loss

clinic in the Department of Family Medicine.

This event is part of the Step Up to Good

Health “Care Package” series, and will be

from noon to 1 pm in the Patient Resource

Center Assembly Room, (S1D03).

Participation is free and a lunch is

included, but advance registration is

required. Call 8-2999.

December 21 • BLOOD DRIVE The Medical

Center will host a blood drive for the

American Red Cross from 8 am to 2 pm near

the Gudelsky entrance to the hospital.

Schedule your donation by contacting Fred

Herman at 8-4391 or fherman@umm.edu, or

just stop by. Walk-ins are welcome, but

scheduled donors will have priority.

A F T E R F O U R Y E A R S of naggingthroat and ear problems, Pat Tierney was diag-nosed with Stage IV cancer at the base of hertongue in 2008. She traveled from her home inKentucky to several cancer centers around thecountry for opinions before deciding to betreated by William Regine, MD in theDepartment of Radiation Oncology at theUniversity of Maryland Greenebaum CancerCenter in Baltimore. In this video, she sharesthe story of how she navigated a difficult diag-nosis and treatment, including 17 months on afeeding tube, and how she has chosen toapproach her life as a cancer survivor.

To watch the video, go to

http://www.umm.edu/media/channel/

and select the topic “Cancer.”

UMMC Connections is available on the Intranet and at www.umm.edu/connections.

University in Boston, in addition to her facultyappointments as associate professor at theUniversity of Maryland School of Nursing andadjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins Schoolof Nursing.

Maria Madden, BS, RRT, respiratory care trauma clinicalcoordinator, and Matthew Davis,AS, RRT, respiratory care educa-tion coordinator, will present three abstracts at the AmericanAssociation for Respiratory CareInternational Conference in LasVegas. Both Madden and Davisauthored individual abstracts thatwill be presented at the conference.

The two also collaborated on a third abstract.The presentations will be given Dec. 7-9.

UMMC Staff Share SUCCESSFUL APPROACHES TO LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY

UMMC staff members Eryl Quilao,RN, BSN, CEN, CCRN, a nurse inthe Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care

Unit; Kimberleigh Nash, MA, director ofdiversity; and Fe Nieves-Khouw, MSN, RN,director of quality improvement and patientsafety officer, delivered a presentation on thechallenges and opportunities of language diver-sity in a health care setting, including issuesrelated to speaking one’s native language in theworkplace. They gave the presentation at thePhilippine Nurses Association education semi-nar on Aug. 7 at Howard County CommunityCollege. Patricia Wilson RN, BSN, clinicaltransition coordinator, Quilao and Nash alsogave a poster presentation on linguistic diversi-ty in the workplace at the Diversity Rx 7thNational Conference on Quality Health Carefor Culturally Diverse Populations held at theRenaissance Hotel in Baltimore Oct. 19.

Bienvenido welcomE

Mabuhay Ciao

NEW HOME SAME GREAT CAREUniversity of Maryland Pediatrics at the Harbor (PATH) opened in a new and improved

location at the corner of South Charles and East Lee streets, near the Inner Harbor. The

general pediatric practice of the University of Maryland Hospital for Children provides

comprehensive primary care to children from birth through age 20. Formerly known as

the Pediatric Ambulatory Center when it was located on Penn Street, the practice is still

staffed by the same doctors, such as medical director JILL KEMPTHORNE, MD, (above, with

patient), assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

WE CAREThe UMMC 2010-1011 United Way

campaign kicked off Oct. 5 in the

Weinberg Atrium while a jazz

band played in the main lobby.

The campaign is winding down,

but employees can still pledge

through Dec. 31. See the Intranet

for the link to donate.

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Holiday PartyD E C E M B E R 1 5

The annual UMMC holiday party for all staff will be from 3 to 8 pm in the

hospital’s Gudelsky Atrium, and from 11 pm to 1 am near the Courtyard Café.

Employees must wear their badges.

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