UMMC Connections

T

We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care > We Heal > We Teach > We Discover > We Care >

Behind the Scenes at Night pages 2-3

Great Stories Abound at UMMC pages 4-5

Employees of the Month page 4-5

Quick Responses Save Runner’s Life page 7

Children’s Heart Center and Childhood Cancer Survivor Services Expand page 7

Nursing Leadership Award and Other People Spotlights page 8

The staff is ready for anything, at any time. Hospitals acrossMaryland transfer critically ill patients to the University of Maryland Medical Center, wherehighly skilled teams are in action around the clock in cardiac surgery, stroke intervention, trauma, organ transplant, neonatal intensive care and other critical fields. Illness and injury don’t keep regular hours. And UMMC’s specialized intensive care units are a resource for theentire state and the Mid-Atlantic region. See pages 2 and 3 to look behind the scenes on a typical winter night at the Medical Center.

news for the

Un ivers i t y

of Mary l and

Medica l C enter

c o mm u n i t y

INSIDEConnections:

Message from the CEOEXCELLENT CARE – ANY TIME,

ANY DAYOf all the qualitiesthat make UMMC agreat hospital, oneof the mostimportant is ourculture of deliveringthe highest quality

care in a personal way. Our staffmembers save lives – andenhance them, too. Throughoutthis issue of UMMC Connections,you’ll see examples of that.

UMMC serves as an importantresource for the Mid-Atlanticregion by taking the toughestcases referred by other hospitals,no matter what time of day, asour cover story illustrates. OurGreat Stories program (pages 4-5) illustrates how our physicians,nurses, technicians, chaplains,social workers and others – evenstaff whom patients don’t see –never lose sight of each patientas an individual, connected to afamily or community that caresabout him or her.

Our profile continues to rise to the top nationwide, asUniversity of Maryland surgeonscontinue to increase the amountof research dollars they obtain to develop the best options inpatient care (page 7).

And through research andrecruitment of top physicians and other professionals, ourservices are expanding. Thatallows us to meet the changingneeds of patients, such as thosewho survive to adulthood aftertreatment for cancer orcongenital heart defects (page 6).

All this, and more, is whatmakes UMMC a place whereeveryone strives to care forpatients the way they’d wanttheir own loved ones cared for.

JEFFREY A. RIVEST President & Chief Executive Officer

ConnectionsUMMC

UMMC DOES IT AGAIN!

PAGE 3 PAGE 7 PAGE 8

“They who dream byday are cognizant ofmany things whichescape those whodream only by night."

EDGAR ALLAN POE

WINTER 2012

ALL THROUGH THE

he Leapfrog Group has, for the sixth year in a row, ranked the University of Maryland Medical Center as a “Top Hospital”

for patient safety and quality care. UMMC is one of only two hospitals in the United States to make this stringent list every year since itsinception six years ago.

The Leapfrog Group annual Top Hospital List provides a publiccomparison of hospitals on key issues, including patient outcomes.Each year, Leapfrog expands the criteria for hospitals to meet itsstandards.

“The top hospital designation for 2011 reflects our unrelentingcommitment to excellence in patient care, embraced at every level,from doctors, nurses and pharmacists, to therapists, technicians andsupport staff,” says Jeffrey A. Rivest, UMMC president and chief

executive officer. “That this recognition has continued for six years ina row is testimony to the culture of excellence that drives theMedical Center’s approach to patient care.”

“A collaborative, professional and meaningful environment for our nurses and other patient care staff provides a solid foundationfor high-quality patient care,” says Lisa Rowen, DNSc, RN, senior vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer.

Leapfrog’s criteria center on evidence-based best practices, suchas electronic ordering of medications and tests.

“Our terrific physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other staff aredevoted to building safety, quality and a superior patient experienceinto a highly reliable system of care,” says Jonathan Gottlieb, MD,senior vice president and chief medical officer.

Research has shown that staffing hospital intensive care units(ICUs) with physicians who have specialized training in intensive orcritical care significantly reduces mortality rates. The University ofMaryland Medical Center has more ICUs than most hospitals in thecountry – 10 units, including surgical, medical, neurological, cardiacsurgery, trauma and pediatric ICUs, all staffed by intensive andcritical care medicine specialists.

UMMC scored well on safe practices, such as nurse staffing, handhygiene and communication of critical information to patients.

Rivest adds, “The Leapfrog recognition continues to validate ourcollaboration with the UM schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy,Social Work and Dentistry. Their faculty members participate inresearch-driven, quality-of-care projects that help us to elevatequality and patient safety.”

UMMC EarnsLeapfrog TopHospital Status

NIGHT

2 ConnectionsUMMC


ALIVE with ACTIVITYIn the daytime, sunlight floods the Weinberg Atrium as hundreds of staff and visitors pass through on their way tocare for patients, or visit a loved one or friend.

At night, the lights dim, foot traffic subsides and things look quiet. But looks

can be deceiving. The operating rooms, patient care floors, MRI suites, pharma-cies and labs – along with the teams that support them – are alive with activity. We took a stroll through the Medical Center one night in January, and here

is just a glimpse of what a typical night looks like:As expected, the Adult Emergency Department and Pediatric Emergency

Department are always busy, 24/7. The emergency staff takes on whateverpatients – and paramedics – bring them: heart attack, sprained ankles, frostbite,ear infections and asthma flare-ups.“There really is no downtime,” says Thomas Crusse, BSN, RN, CEN, nurse

manager for emergency services. In the large operating room specially equipped for liver transplants, a surgical

team was working steadily into the night on a case. The patient’s family, whosehopeful waiting for a donor liver had finally ended, was in the Healing Gardenin the Weinberg Atrium, some of them stretching out on the sofas and chairs toread or catnap while they awaited word on the outcome of the surgery.Meanwhile, in another OR, a cardiac surgery team had begun a heart

transplant at 7 pm. The team continued past midnight, sending a surgical support technician twice to UMMC’s Blood Bank to replace what the patientwas losing. The technician quickly returned to the OR with a cooler containingthe ice-packed units of needed blood.Busy operating rooms mean it will be a busy night in the Blood Bank.

Urgent requests from an OR, from the Trauma Resuscitation Unit (TRU) orother units in the hospital set off an all-hands-on-deck response: Blood Bankstaff pull together to match the patient’s blood type, label and pack the unitsneeded, and hand the cooler to the waiting technician to deliver. Once the urgent delivery is carried back to the patient-care team, the

Blood Bank scientists and technologists resume their nighttime work, includingcross-matching antibodies in units of donated blood products to prepare fortransfusions scheduled in the morning.Next stop, the Pediatric Satellite Pharmacy, where we found a pharmacist and

pharmacy technician filling night orders for immediate delivery to the childrenin the pediatric units, and preparing medications for the next day. The R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center has its own satellite pharmacy,

and even a satellite laboratory, to save every possible second of the “GoldenHour” when injured patients are brought in to the Trauma Resuscitation Unit.If patients are stabilized within one hour of their injury, their chances of survivalare much better. The Shock Trauma Center, whose founder and namesakedeveloped the Golden Hour concept, has a 97 percent survival rate. Medical lab scientist Brittney Howard, MS, never meets her patients

face-to-face, but she still visualizes them as individuals.“If it’s an older man, I think of my grandfather. If it’s a 24-year-old, I think

of my younger brother,” she says. “I sort of relate them to myself.”

CO

VE

R

ST

OR

Y

Janet Tchouaff-Emtcheu,medical lab scientist inthe Shock TraumaSatellite Lab.

COVER STORY:

22 South Greene StreetBaltimore, Maryland 21201410-328-6776www.umm.edu

Jeffrey A. RivestPresident and ChiefExecutive Officer

Mary Lynn CarverSenior Vice PresidentCommunications andPublic Affairs

Anne HaddadEditor and PublicationsManager

Frank B. MoormanDirector, Strategic InternalCommunications

Linda PraleyCreative Director

Marc LaytarPhotography

Linda J. LynchStaff Assistant

Alexandra BessentSharon BostonMeghan ScaleaKathy SchuetzKaren WarmkesselContributors

Fax news and story ideas toUMMC Connections at410-328-3450 or [email protected].

is produced by the Office ofCorporate Communicationsand Public Affairs for theUMMC community.

ConnectionsUMMC

1 Allen Norris, left, andRoland Nichols, Jr., distrib-ute, clean and decontami-nate medical equipmentthroughout the hospital. 2Thomas Walker, Sr., surgicalsupport technician 3Mwaamba Kabunda, ASCP,medical lab scientist in theBlood Bank 4 MichelleWatkins, certified pharmacytechnician, and AmjadAhmed, BS, RPh, clinicalpharmacist, staff thePediatric Satellite Pharmacy,working with nurses such as5 Casey Liberto, RN, CPN.6 Brittney Howard, MS, medical lab scientist II,focuses on accurate resultsin the fastest possible time in the Shock Trauma SatelliteLaboratory.

1 2

3

4

5

6

ALL THROUGH THE

3WINTER 2012


Brain Attack Team MARSHALS FORCESPrompted by a call to the Maryland ExpressCare offices on the ground floor, the Brain Attack Team had kicked into action for a patient who had a stroke and needed the expert neurologists andneurocare nurses at UMMC, a designated primary stroke center equipped to deal with the mostadvanced treatments and the serious risks that are associated with those treatments.

John Cole, MD, (center) leads the Brain Attack Team and Neurocare ICU nurses as they prepare a stroke patient for an MRI.

Nothing illustrates the concept of patient-centered team-

work better than the way the Brain Attack Team, ExpressCare,Neurocare Intensive Care Unit staff, Patient Placement Center,Admissions and other departments deploy a highly developedplan to save a stroke victim.The call on this winter night was centered on patient Paul

Sargent, 45, of Manchester, Md. ExpressCare staff in theirground-floor communication center set up a conference callbetween the community hospital and the Brain Attack Team,including Marcella Wozniak, MD, PhD, interim medical director of the team and associate professor of neurology, andJohn W. Cole, MD, MS, associate professor of neurology. Once the patient transfer was determined to be necessary

and the Patient Placement Center confirmed that a bed couldbe ready for Sargent in the Neurocare ICU, a UMMC admis-sions specialist obtained the patient information that Sargentand his wife had already given the transferring hospital, so thathis wife would not need to supply it again once they arrived atUMMC. This allowed Sargent’s family to go straight to his unitto meet him after his transfer and evaluation. The Brain Attack Team arranged for the local hospital staff

to begin the time-sensitive administration of the clot-bustingtissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). While that drug, adminis-tered in an IV, made its way to dissolve the clot that wasimpeding blood flow in his brain, Sargent was on his way toUMMC via ground ambulance. On the Neurocare Intensive Care Unit (NCICU), charge

nurse John Pfeifer, RN, updated staff nurses who would bewaiting to care for Sargent and accompany him to the MRIsuite. Staff from Housekeeping Hospitality Services were mak-ing sure the room was cleaned and ready for the new patient,while nursing staff reviewed his case to be ready to care for himwhen he arrived. Seconds after Sargent arrived, nurses and physicians moved

him from the stretcher to his bed, while Ermias Aytenfisu,MD, a neurology fellow at UMMC, introduced himself toSargent and began asking questions to assess his condition. “What is your name?”“How old are you?”“What month is it?”

“Can you hold your right hand up like this while I

count to 10?”“Where am I touching you now?”Sargent was able to answer most questions, but with enough

impairment that an MRI would be needed to determinewhether and where he had a clot impeding blood flow in his

brain, and which path of treatment was most appropriate.“We’re going to do an MRI, so we need to take your jewelry

off,” Aytenfisu told him.Another physician had been standing by since Sargent

arrived: Joao Prola Netto, MD, a fellow in neuro-intervention-al radiology, was following Atyenfisu’s assessment to help deter-

mine not just whether they could get an image of the bloodclot on the MRI, but whether they could use the latest inter-ventional radiology techniques to remove it, should thatbecome necessary. Nurse practitioner Karen L. Yarbrough, MS, ACNP, acute

care nurse practitioner and programs director for the MarylandStroke and Brain Attack Center, was observing and makingnotes to determine whether Sargent qualified for inclusion inany clinical trials, should he choose to participate.One of the reasons Sargent was transferred was that he

received t-PA, the clot-busting drug that must be administeredwithin three hours of the onset of stroke symptoms, or thetreatment becomes too risky. Even when administered withinthat three-hour period, t-PA carries a risk of hemorrhage. Butafter three hours, the blocked blood vessel is weakened fromlack of blood flow. A sudden return of blood flow could causeit to bleed. Because of this risk, the patient must be in a hospi-tal with intensive care nurses and vascular surgeons when t-PAis administered, so they can manage any complications. Once Sargent was out of danger, UMMC rehabilitation staff

– occupational, physical and speech therapists – began workingwith him.“As soon as someone is stable medically, we want them to

start rehab,” says Cole. “The sooner, and more consistent, thebetter the outcomes.”Paul Sargent is back on his feet and doing well. To read

about his recovery, go to the UMMC blog, Life in a MedicalCenter (http://medcenterblog.org).

A BEACON for the Region’s MostCRITICALLY ILLFor more than 15 years, MarylandExpressCare has provided a system fortransporting patients directly from com-munity hospitals to the Medical Center for specialized care, with admissions stafftaking care of the paperwork while thepatient is en route, in most cases.

The premise consists of two compo-nents: quick consultation with a UMMCphysician expert, and safe transport byground or air with skilled nurses andemergency medical technicians on board.Hospitals around the region know theyhave to dial just one phone number to theExpressCare Communication Center toset everything in motion.

“The ExpressCare CommunicationCenter is fully staffed day and night,” says Marcia Stalter, senior director forMaryland ExpressCare. “Likewise, thehighly skilled critical care transport teamsare available for both adult and pediatrictransports at any time.”

There is a very slim margin of down-time, she says. Calls and activity slowdown at about 2 am, but kick up againwithin a few hours at 6 am.

As for any slowdown around the holidays, the opposite is true.

“The number of inter-hospital transfersto UMMC via Maryland ExpressCare typi-cally spikes during the holiday season,”Stalter says. “It is not uncommon for themajority of transfers to occur in theevening and at night. By providing accessto higher level (tertiary) care to patientswho cannot be managed in communityhospitals with fewer resources, we areensuring that patients across the regionreceive the most appropriate care at any hour.”


Dear Nicolle and all your “Joy in July” Helpers,

Thank you so much for coordinating and hosting the “Joy in

July” party for children and families on the Pediatric units.

What a wonderful way to give back as hospital employees and

as a department!

The toys, craft kits, stuffed animals, games, puzzles and so

much more were all a hit and children and families enjoyed

picking out their gifts. You provided so many wonderful items

that some children took quite a while deliberating about

their selection —– which is all part of the fun as well! The

face painting and door signs were a perfect addition to the

festivities. And based on the creativity of both, you have

some multi-talented staff in your department. I’ve continued

to see the door signs hanging from IV poles and patient room

doors following your visit. The extra toys you provided are

being given out through our birthday closet, our treasure

chests for kids following challenging procedures, and our

prize booth for our Carnival in August.

The hospital setting is often frightening and lonely

for children. Sometimes hospitalized children and families

feel like the world goes on outside the hospital walls,

and that they are forgotten. It means so much when

individuals like you provide something special for them.

Please pass our thanks on to all the wonderful Laboratories

of Pathology staff who helped make this party possible —–

your generosity made a difference in the lives of these

children and families!

Sincerely,

Shannon Joslin, MS, CCLS, Child Life Manager

Great4 ConnectionsUMMC

Members of the Laboratories of Pathology team who organized and hosted a “Joy in July”

party for the Pediatric units. Team members pictured from left to right are: (front) Phil Stanekand Erin Bellamy from the Medical Laboratory Scientist-Laboratory Integration Team; and

Terri-Ann Smith, phlebotomist, and (back) Heather Adkins, Stephanie Dampier, Anatomic

Pathology (AP) office supervisor, and Diana Macfarlane of the Integration Team. NicolleBorys, assistant director for Laboratories of Pathology, and John Elder, AP technician, (not

pictured) also participated. Borys, whose daughter, Xavia Pirozzi, 15, was a patient on the unit

at the time, coordinated the event.

December employee of the month

Debbie Kirby, BSN, RNC, has played a key role inhelping the University of Maryland Center’s Centerfor Advanced Fetal Care (CAFC) become a world-class treatment center for women with high-riskpregnancies.

“Since 1996, Debbie has served as the nursingcornerstone of the program,” says Monika Bauman,MS, RN. “She has been instrumental in the evolu-tion of what is now the Center for Advanced FetalCare. She stands out because of her operationalexcellence. She’s very passionate about what shedoes, and she leads by example. Debbie has anexceptional relationship with all members of theCAFC multidisciplinary team.”

January employee of the month

As a multitrade specialist in the Department ofFacilities Operations and Maintenance, January’semployee of the month, Michael Layfield, does itall, and does one thing best of all: He is skilled inseveral trades, but mostly is known as the go-toexpert on more than 100 icemakers and refrigera-tors that preserve blood products, produce icepacks, store vaccines and medications, keep foodfresh and provide comfort and hydration topatients and visitors.

“Mike is an exceptional employee who desires tomeet our core objective of patient care,” says CarlJohnson, plant manager.

DEBBIE KIRBY, BSN, RNCSenior Clinical Nurse ICenter for Advanced Fetal Care

MICHAEL LAYFIELDMultitrade SpecialistDepartment of Facilities Operation and Maintenance

very day, patients and their families express gratitude to Medical

Center staff members for the care and service they provide. Staff mem-

bers notice when one of their own does something extraordinary, too.

Four times a year, the Great Stories program selects from among the

many emails and letters about staff members or teams that exceed

standards and expectations to enhance a patient’s experience.

Patients, patients’ families and staff are encouraged to submit

examples to [email protected].

EStorıes

5WINTER 2012


When the Cure Comes with a Price

Abound @ UMMC

Beth McDavid Pruitt, BSN, RN,left, and Amelia McGovern, BSN,RN, were among the many staffmembers who cared for ElizabethWalls’ daughter.

Melissa Parker, administrativeassistant in the AdultEchocardiography Lab, says she and her family received outstanding care even beforestaff realized she also worked at the Medical Center.

For Great Stories

On June 26, 2011, I was admitted to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center on life support

after being transferred from an area hospital that had given up hope in my recovery.

I was given outstanding care from the time of my arrival by Dr. Thomas Scalea, along with ShockTrauma nurses, doctors and staff, Maryland ExpressCare, Hospitality Services, Security, Pastoral Care,Dietary, Kernan Hospital staff and Patient Transportation. This care was given without knowing I was

an employee of the Medical Center. Being an employee of the Medical Center for the past four years in

the Cardiology Department, Echo Lab, I have seen the compassionate care given to our patients and

families during their time of need. That was also present in my care. The unit staff kept my family

informed of my progress and provided much-needed assistance, such as change of clothing and food,

along with Pastoral Care to comfort my family and friends.

I never once imagined being on the other side of such critical care. My family and I are grateful and will

always remember the services exceeding our expectations during my stay, until my discharge to

Kernan Hospital for rehabilitation. The mission of the Medical Center, “We Heal, We Teach, We Discover,

We Care,” was represented with the highest degree of efficiency. In my recovery today, my family and I

have visited with other patients at Kernan to encourage hope and acknowledge the great behind-the-

scenes miracles that take place every day here at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Lovingly Submitted,

Melissa Parker

February employee of the month

Howard McCray was once a victim of Baltimore’sviolent streets. Now, as a community outreachworker for the Violence Intervention Program (VIP)for the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, heassists others who were harmed by violence byhelping them to turn their lives around.

“Howard is tremendous,” says Carnell CooperMD, associate professor of surgery and VIPfounder. “He goes to patients’ bedsides, engagesthem and talks to them about what has happenedand what they’re going to do when they leave thehospital. He’s very dedicated.”

HOWARD MCCRAYCommunity Outreach WorkerShock Trauma Violence Intervention Program

March employee of the month

Rebecca Heinlein, data coordinator for Maryland ExpressCare, translates the work of the department into numbers and reports that will ultimately help the Medical Center do a better job of providing services.

“Becky has been a great addition to our team.She had worked in the ExpressCare communica-tions center for several years, and she’s an EMSprovider, so she has a great perspective on thetotal business of what we do,” says Theresa Drayer,RN, CCRN, NREMT-P, the department’s manager.“If I ever have a question or need something, Becky says ‘Okay, we’ll get it done.’ She’s extremelyhelpful and pleasant to be around.

REBECCA HEINLEINData Coordinator Maryland ExpressCare

August 25, 2011

Dear University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center,

My daughter was a patient at University of Maryland Shock Trauma[Center] August 11-23. Although I am not in the medical field, havingspent 12 days with my daughter, it was not hard for me to recognize outstanding quality care.

• Dr. Sharon Henry and Trauma Team C took the lead with her care. Aspecial thank you to the entire team. Resident Dr. Christopher Dang wentabove and beyond and possesses such an excellent bedside manner.

• When my daughter first arrived, Andy and Sarah, medical students, werethere by her side to reassure her, since my husband and I were on our waydriving there from Delaware.

• University of Maryland Shock Trauma nurses and physicians treated mydaughter with dignity and the utmost compassion.

• These nurses should be commended: Beth McDavid Pruitt, AmeliaMcGovern, and Victoria Dornon cared for my daughter as though shewere one of their own family members. These nurses remained with heruntil her pain diminished and took extra time to make sure she was ascomfortable as her condition would allow.

Please do not underestimate the superior care given by the above-namedindividuals. I thank you for restoring my daughter and for the excellentcare, and offer my gratitude to each of you for restoring our faith.

My daughter continues to recover at home with us in Delaware. May youall be blessed for the good work you do.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth WallsGeorgetown, Delaware

Kevin Cullen, MD,

Professor of Medicine and Director

University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center

Dear Dr. Cullen,

I wanted to let you know about the amazingly positive experience I have had as a patient at the

Greenebaum Cancer Center. During the past year, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer and had

surgery at UMMC on October 29, 2010. This was followed by four months of outpatient chemotherapy.

My surgeon and oncologist is Dr. Sarah Temkin. The experience my family and I had with Dr. Temkin

and her team was quite remarkable. I found her to be both brilliant and amazingly caring. She is the

kind of physician who comes in on the weekends to check on you, even though I am sure that can

be delegated to others. She is very “down to earth” and comforting in her communication, and

she always communicated her availability.

It was also very advantageous to have my surgery and chemotherapy provided by the same

doctor. I understand from the literature that this increases good outcomes.

As I am a faculty member at the University of Maryland

School of Nursing, I am very familiar with what good health

care is. My care experience with Dr. Temkin was exemplary, and I

am so grateful to have her as my physician. I look forward to continued

good health, and I wanted to let you know about my very positive experience

at the Greenebaum Cancer Center.

Sincerely,

Patricia Harris

Patricia Harris, MS, APRN, CRNP-PMH,(left) a psychiatric nurse practitioner,and her doctor, Sarah Temkin, MD.

DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH

655 West Lombard StreetRoom 616Baltimore, MD 21201-1579

6 ConnectionsUMMC


FE

AT

UR

ES

Robert Rodriquez

Four New Specialists JoinChildren’s Heart ProgramBringing Expertise and Leading Research

The Children’s Hospital at the University of Maryland MedicalCenter has expanded the level of care it provides for children, ado-

lescents and adults with congenital heart conditions by adding fourphysicians, including a pediatric heart surgeon. This growth increasesthe hospital’s ability to treat complex pediatric heart disease patients andprovide continuous care of pediatric patients through adulthood.

Sunjay Kaushal, MD, PhD, is the new head of pediatric cardiac sur-gery in the Division of Cardiac Surgery. Kaushal specializes in pediatriccardiovascular thoracic surgery, neonatal surgery, valve repair, and adultswith congenital heart disease. He receives funding from the NationalInstitutes of Health (NIH) to investigate treatment for hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, a congenital disorder that carries a 15 percent mortalityrate before affected children reach school age.“Dr. Kaushal’s work with the Children’s Heart Program will help to

build a nationally recognized center of excellence in pediatric cardiaccare,” says Stephen T. Bartlett, MD, professor and chair of theDepartment of Surgery at the School of Medicine and chief of surgeryat UMMC.“Additionally, he adds even more research energy to the growing

scientific programs of the Department of Surgery, which is currentlyranked eighth in the United States in annualNIH funding,” Bartlett says. “The ability toconduct more research means more potentialtreatment options for our patients.”

Also joining the program is non-invasive imaging specialist AliciaChaves, MD. She will work closely with community obstetricians toidentify congenital heart disease in utero and create advanced care plansfor mothers and infants before, during and after birth.

Sudhir Vashist, MD, specializes in electrophysiology, which helpsdoctors search for and identify heart rhythms and abnormalities. Pediatric cardiologist Phat Pham, MD, treats children with complex

medical problems through interventional cardiology instead of surgery,when possible.“These new team members are crucial in making sure we deliver the

latest and best care to our patients, even those who come to us with themost complex cardiac conditions,” says Steven J. Czinn, MD, professorand chairman of pediatrics and chief of pediatrics at the Medical Center.When the expanded pediatric cardiology services began growing to

meet the demand, so did the multidisciplinary team, which includesnurses, nurse practitioners, sonographers and technicians. EveenaFelder, BSN, RN, nurse manager, oversees patient care services through-out pediatric cardiology. In addition, Beth Sherfy, MS, RN, a qualityimprovement coordinator, focuses on patient outcomes and on the qual-ity of nursing practice within pediatric cardiology. “The staff work closely with the medical team to provide high-quality

care with a family-centered approach,” says Mary W. Taylor, MS, RN,director of women’s and children’s services at UMMC. “It’s inspiring tosee how the team enhances the patient's and family's quality of life.”

Pediatric oncology has become so successful at curing most child-

hood cancers that it has led to a subspecialty dedicated to adults

who survived cancer as children. UMMC is in the early stages of devel-

oping a program to support these survivors throughout their lives as

they face lasting side effects or complications from the treatment. Patricia Shearer, MD, MS, FAAP, the new division head of Pediatric

Hematology/Oncology at the University of Maryland Children'sHospital and a professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine, hasestablished a new Cancer Survivor Program.

The program focuses on childhood cancer survivors of any age,including individuals who may have gone through cancer treatmentmany years ago.

“The cure rate for childhood cancers is now 80 percent, so weexpect that most patients will become long-term survivors,” Shearersays. “However, the disease and/or its treatment may put as many astwo-thirds of survivors at risk for other complications that they needto know about.”

Some examples of late effects include problems with growth ordevelopment, problems with vital organ function, hormonal issues and secondary cancers.

Modeled after the program that Shearer started at the University of Florida in 2008, the Cancer Survivor Program at UMMC will bedesigned to:• Help survivors and their families understand the late effects of

treatment, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.• Help survivors monitor and manage current health or

developmental issues.• Take a proactive approach to problems that may occur in the future.

Following Patients into AdulthoodSurvivors of pediatric cancers of any age may enter the CancerSurvivor Program when they are off therapy for two years and aretumor-free.

“Even though I am a pediatric oncologist, in my survivor programsI’ve had patients who were in their 30s and 40s,” Shearer continues.She recommends that survivors of childhood and adolescent cancersbe followed for life so they can benefit from new research.

“We give specific information to each survivor about how often to have tests such as blood counts, hearing evaluations, echocardio-grams, pulmonary function tests and mammograms. We discussoptions for fertility and provide referrals to other specialties,” Shearer says. Equally important, the staff can reassure survivors about when it is safe to discontinue routine tests to monitor return of the primary cancer.

The Cancer Survivor Program addresses the whole person, includ-ing anxiety, pain, depression, fatigue, mobility problems and difficultygetting insurance.

“Many survivors report academic challenges, including having difficulty with memory, concentration or processing. We can take thatinformation and communicate with the teachers, school board or evencolleges to facilitate an ideal educational experience for our cancersurvivors,” Shearer says.

A Network of CaringAnother advantage of the program is that it serves as a resource toprimary care providers in the community so they know what to lookfor and what to do when caring for these patients.

To contact the Cancer Survivor Program, call 410-328-2808.

NEW PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY PROGRAM TO FOLLOW CANCER SURVIVORS THROUGH ADULTHOOD

“This expansion of the Children’s Heart Program speaks volumes to the importance we place on providing the best care for our families,” says Geoffrey Rosenthal, MD, professor of pediatrics and director of the Pediatric and Congenital Heart Program and executivedirector of critical care services at the UM Children’s Hospital. “Our goal continues to be toprovide the most compassionate and comprehensive care to patients with heart diseasefrom before birth through adulthood.”

Patricia Shearer, MD, MS, (left) and nursepractitioner Diane Keegan Wells, RN,MSN, CRNP, are developing a program to provide follow-up care for adult survivors of childhood cancer.

In the war on cancer, sur-geons and oncologists arewaging a fierce battle

against one particularly formidableenemy, metastatic melanoma, in theoperating rooms at the University ofMaryland Medical Center’s Marleneand Stewart Greenebaum CancerCenter (UMGCC).UMGCC was one of the major

institutions that helped conduct anational clinical trial evaluating theutility of a method to deliver high-dose chemotherapy directly to theliver of patients with metastaticmelanoma, for which there are noother known effective therapies. Thisserious condition affects thousands ofpeople in this country every year.

H. Richard Alexander, Jr., MD, is an internationally recognized surgical oncologist and clinicalresearcher. He treats cancer patientsat the Greenebaum Cancer Centerand is associate chairman for clinicalresearch in the UM Department of Surgery.Alexander is recognized for devel-

oping innovative techniques to treatpatients with advanced cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. One example ispercutaneous hepatic perfusion, away to circulate high doses ofchemotherapy directly into the liver.When people develop metastatic

melanoma to the liver, survival willvery frequently be measured in justmonths. With percutaneous hepaticperfusion, doctors deliver very highdoses of chemotherapy directly to theliver via a catheter positioned intothe artery that feeds the liver. Then,by placing a second catheter behindthe liver in the vein that drains blood from the organ, they collect all of the blood and filter the unusedchemotherapy drug before it evergets into the body, thereby eliminat-ing any unnecessary side effects.“We found in our preliminary

studies that the results of this treat-ment were quite striking, and it ledto a definitive national trial to testthis therapy and to demonstrate itseffectiveness and benefit forpatients,” Alexander says.The trial has now been completed.

The results were far better than what researchers had expected.Because of this, the data have beenpresented to the US Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) in the hopethat this treatment will become more widely available. “What I am particularly excited

about is the fact that we are going tobe looking at expanding this type oftechnology for other types of cancerthat can spread to the liver,” saysAlexander. “For example, patientswith colon cancer often develop livermetastases. We are very interested to find out whether this type of percutaneous liver perfusion can beused to help patients with that verydifficult condition.”

Asleaders in their field,University of Marylandsurgeons are securing

significant research opportunities toadvance the science of medicine andimprove patient outcomes. According to data released this fall

by the National Institutes of Health,the UM School of MedicineDepartment of Surgery has the mostNIH research funding of any depart-ment of surgery in Maryland andWashington, DC. In 2005, thedepartment was ranked 17th in thenation for NIH funding, and it isnow ranked 8th.The new funding data is for

fiscal year 2011, which ended Oct. 31, 2011.

In a time when the NIH is beingasked to cut its budget every year, the Department of Surgery continuesto obtain funding for biomedicalresearch despite increasing competition. “NIH research funding is an

objective measure that we use toreflect the excellence and quality ofour research program as we developthe latest treatment options forpatients,” says Stephen T. Bartlett,MD, professor and chair of theDepartment of Surgery and chief ofsurgery at UMMC. “We have builtthis department with the goal of becoming a top-three NIH-fundedresearch program.”Recently, a five-year $3.5-million

grant was awarded to Richard N.Pierson, III, MD, professor of surgery and director of the surgicalcare service at the VA MarylandHealth Care System to study coagulation control in lung and liver xenografts.

7WINTER 2012


UniversityCareLeading the Transformation of Primary Care

UniversityCare at Edmondson Village, one of UMMC’sambulatory care centers, has achieved the highest

level of recognition as a “patient-centered medical home,”or PCMH – an advanced model of primary care that usesa team approach to provide continuous and coordinatedservices for all of a patient’s medical needs.The approval as a Level-III PCMH came in January

from the National Committee for Quality Assurance(NCQA), a private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizationdedicated to improving health care quality. UniversityCare was the first practice in Baltimore city

to be recognized as a PCMH when it gained the designa-tion in July 2010. The practice was developed by UMMCto provide under-served areas, such as the West Baltimoreneighborhoods surrounding Edmondson Village, with aprimary care model similar to private physician practicesin more affluent areas. Medical director for

UniversityCare’s three locations -- Edmondson Village,Waxter Center and Shipley’s Choice (Anne ArundelCounty) – is Russell Lewis Jr, MD.As a leader in Maryland, UniversityCare is part of a

statewide pilot program evaluating the impact of thismodel of care on reducing the need to re-admit patients tothe hospital because of a complication after they’ve beendischarged, decreasing unnecessary emergency departmentvisits, and promoting positive patient outcomes. “This recognition for UniversityCare Edmondson

Village will position the center to contribute in a majorway to the organizational initiative of reducing re-admis-sions at UMMC,” says Joanne Riley, vice president forambulatory services. “The PCMH is the foundation toensure that our recently discharged patients receive longi-tudinal coordinated care from the high-quality physiciansin our network.”

UM Department of surgery rises to 8th in nation for NiH funding

IT STARTED OUT AS A REGULAR RACE DAY when RobertPohl of Frederick, Md., began the half-marathon at the2011 Baltimore Running Festival Oct. 15. But justbefore the finish line, he collapsed of a heart attack.

Several other runners around Pohl – including aBaltimore City Police officer – immediately recognizedthe emergency and began CPR.

That was just the first of a cascade of responsesthat saved Pohl’s life. Because he collapsed near the finish line, he was only about 100 feet from themedical tent, where physicians from Union MemorialHospital led by Cynthia Buchanan-Webb, MD, directorof medical care for the festival, quickly assessed him,recognized the arrythmia, defibrillated his heart andsecured his airway.

Paramedics transported him within five minutes tothe UMMC Emergency Department, where a team thatincluded Michael D. Witting, MD, MS, associate profes-sor of emergency medicine, and Bethany Radin, MD, a resident in emergency medicine, immediately instituted a therapeutic hypothermia protocol, slowing the chemical reactions that can cause celldeath in major organs.

R. Michael Benitez, MD, professor of medicine, ledthe cardiology team that found a complete blockagein one of Pohl’s coronary arteries and treated it.

Pohl recovered in the Cardiac Care and ProgressiveCare Unit under the care of Erika D. Feller, MD, assistant professor of medicine.

An article about Pohl’s experience in The BaltimoreSun quoted Feller, who marveled at the succession ofresponses by the team in the field and in the hospitalthat gave Pohl such an excellent prognosis.

“One missing link and it wouldn't have worked outthe way it did,” Feller told the Sun reporter, addingthat she expects Pohl to run again some day.

“I can’t imagine being in a better place than I was, here,” Robert Pohl says in a video interview on the Medical Center’s website, www.umm.edu. “As I progressed further, and asked more questions, I understood how lucky I was.”

Karen Pohl, his wife, praises UMMC physicians andnurses for their clinical skills, compassion, patienceand continuity.

“When I would arrive, [the nurses] would greet meby name,” Karen Pohl says. “When I saw a doctor inthe hallway, they would stop and talk to me. Theircompassion was amazing.”

DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY CONTINUES TO LEAD THROUGH INNOVATION

NO HEATSHEET FOR THIS RUNNER:

QUICK RESPONSES, THERAPEUTIC HYPOTHERMIA AND CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION SAVE HIS LIFE

“These were all vital links in the chain of events thatsaved this man’s life,” said Brian Browne, MD, professorand chair of emergency medicine at the UM School of Medicine and chief of emergency medicine at UMMC, who spoke at a ceremony arranged by the race organizers to give Robert Pohl the medal heearned and recognize all those who saved his life.

New Way to Deliver Cancer TreatmentOriginated from Research at UMMC

Stephen T. Bartlett, MD

H. Richard Alexander, Jr., MD

8 ConnectionsUMMC


The University of Maryland Medical Center is an equal opportunity

employer and proud supporter of an environment of diversity.

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

PEOPLE SPOTLIGHT

IN THE NEWS

Honored > > > Denise Choiniere, MS, RN,

sustainability managerfor UMMC, has beenawarded the firstannual NursingLeadership in

Environmental HealthAward from Maryland

Hospitals for a HealthyEnvironment (MD H2E). As thefirst full-time sustainability manag-er in a Maryland hospital, she hasspearheaded a number of environ-mental initiatives at UMMC,including managing hazardouspharmaceutical waste, a weeklyfarmers’ market, sustainable product procurement, energy conservation, waste minimization,toxicity reduction, and air- andwater-quality improvement. She coordinates the assessment,development, implementation andtracking of programs that improvethe environmental health of staff,patients, and the community.

Brian D. Hayes, PharmD,DABAT, clinical phar-macy specialist inemergency medicineand toxicology atUMMC and clinical

assistant professor at theSchool of Medicine and School ofPharmacy, received the Jeffrey EnsorEmerging Leadership Award fromthe Maryland Society of HospitalPharmacists in November. Theaward is given annually to a societymember for leadership, excellenceand the ability to inspire others.Shortly before learning of thisaward, Hayes had achieved certification from the AmericanBoard of Applied Toxicology as aclinical toxicologist.

Kathryn T. Von Rueden,MS, RN, ACNS-BC,FCCM, a clinicalnurse specialist at theR Adams CowleyShock Trauma

Center, has been selected by the Society of

Trauma Nurses (STN) as the recipient of its 2012 STN TraumaLeadership Award, to be presentedthis spring at the society’s annualmeeting. She also is associate pro-fessor and Interim SpecialtyDirector of the Trauma/CriticalCare/ED Advanced Practice Nursegraduate program at the Universityof Maryland School of Nursing.Her professional career includesleadership roles in hospitals andthe biotechnical industry, and herclinical research most recently hasfocused on secondary traumaticstress in nurses and delirium intrauma patients. A Fellow of theAmerican College of Critical CareMedicine, she is a recognizedexpert in areas related to care ofcritically ill and injured patientsand clinical outcome management,and has been invited to lectureinternationally. Her work is pub-lished in several peer-reviewedjournals and textbooks, and she isa member of the Editorial Board ofthe Journal of Trauma Nursing.

Expanded Role > > > Lisa Rowen, DNSc,RN, FAAN, seniorvice president forpatient care servicesand chief nursingofficer at UMMC,

has been appointed clini-cal associate professor of nursing atthe University of Virginia, in addi-tion to three other faculty appoint-ments she currently holds. She isalso associate professor at theUniversity of Maryland School ofNursing, as well as adjunct nursingfaculty member at both JohnsHopkins University andNortheastern University.

Involved > > > Donna Bandzwolek, BS, RN, director ofpost-acute services, has been elected to the board of theChesapeake Chapter

of the Case ManagementSociety of America. She has workedat UMMC for nearly 17 years.

WE KNOW OUR UMMC DOCTORS ARE GREAT,but three recent rankings make it clear thatnational and regional media think so too.Congratulations to our “Top,” “Best” and“Super!” doctors.

U.S. News & World Report expanded its2011 Best Hospitals lists with a new element:an online listing of some the nation’s “TopDoctors,” featuring more than 60 from UMMC.

The Super Doctors® supplement, publishedin the Washington Post’s magazine in October,listed more than 120 UMMC doctors who were

selected by their peers as outstandingpracticing doctors in the Washington,DC-Baltimore-Northern Virginia area.

And in November, 27 Universityof Maryland doctors appeared onBaltimore Magazine’s 2011 list of“Top Doctors.”

You can read more details onthese prestigious rankings bysearching for articles on the Medical Center’s website, www.umm.edu.

WinterBlazing a Trail for Other Hospitals With leadership from the Green on Greene StreetTeam, UMMC won another Trailblazer Award from Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (MD H2E) this winter for lightingconservation and upgrades during 2011. The project included turning off lights when not in use and when daylight is sufficient inatriums and hallways, replacing light bulbs with more efficient models, and installing occupancy sensors and photo cell sensors toconserve lighting energy. • As a Trailblazer Award winner, UMMC agreed to host an educational event here in 2012 to demonstratehow it achieved success and share lessons learned with other hospitals so that they can replicate the results in their facilities. • MD H2E is a technical assistance and networking initiative that promotes environmental sustainability in health care. Participantsinclude hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, research laboratories and other ancillary health care providers in Maryland.

Social workers in UMMC’s Department of Social Work andHuman Services who specialize in working with patients inthe Division of Transplantation have been leading severallocal and national initiatives in their profession, which playsa critical role in patient support for both donors and recipi-ents during the organ transplantation process.

Gracie Moore-Greene, DrPH, MSW, LCSW-C, clinical team leader for social work in Transplant, is first author on “Chronic Stress and Decreased Physical Exercise: Impacton Weight for African-American Women” in Ethnicity &Disease, the peer-reviewed journal of the International Society on Hypertension in Blacks. Kristi Silver, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, is a co-author.

Moore-Greene and co-presenters Leah Luby, MSW, LGSW,kidney pre-transplant social worker, and Shelley Cheatham,MSW, LGSW, in-patient kidney transplant social worker, led a session at the Society of Transplant Social Workers’International Conference in October that inspired the societyto begin developing an assessment tool to be used by trans-plant social workers across the country. Moore-Greene serveson the society’s committee to provide direction and oversightfor this national initiative.

Luby and Linda Pham, MSW, LGSW, kidney pre-transplantsocial worker, conducted an in-service to local dialysis centersocial workers at the request of the Maryland Council ofNephrology Social Workers about the kidney transplantprocess, from evaluation through post-surgery.

And Jane Gerber, MSW, LCSW-C, liver transplant socialworker, has provided professional expertise to the NorthAmerican Liver Transplant Social Workers Association as current chair of the membership committee.

UMMC Transplant Social Workers

Lead at National Level

Sitting in front from left to right are Linda Pham and JaneGerber. Standing from left to right are Shelley Cheatham, LeahLuby and Gracie Moore-Greene.

OUR TOP DOCS

UMMC Connections

Documents

Transcript of UMMC Connections