VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER PERIOPERATIVE NEWSLETTER modus operandi DECEMBER 2010 New & Notable Partnering to Improve Care: Cardiac Electrophysiology (EP) Program To Share space with Perioperative Services INSIDE THIS ISSUE: CREDO HEROES 4 In January of 2011 the Cardiac Electrophysiology (EP) Labs will be relocating to the 3 rd floor of VUH. VORs 15 & 16 are currently being renovated for use by the Cardiac EP Labs. The relocation of the 2 EP Rooms from the 1 st floor TVC location to the 3 rd floor will provide needed space for the Cath Labs, which are currently using the mobile trailers, to relocate to the two rooms previously occupied by EP. VOR 15 is being constructed as a bi-plane room and VOR 16 as a single plane room. The Go Live date for the EP occupation of ORs 15 & 16 is 1/24/11. DID YOU KNOW...? 5 good samaritans 3 M & M REMINDERS 5 Minor renovation of six Holding Rooms in TVC (7 12) for EP pre and post procedure care completion will coincide with the Go Live date for the EP Rooms. Both EP Rooms and the six Holding/Recovery Rooms in TVC will be staffed by the EP Program. Training and orientation for the EP staff will be conducted in January. Robin Steaban, Administrative Director, Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute expressed her gratitude for the generosity of Perioperative Services to partner with VHVI in order to eliminate the need for the mobile Cath Labs. NEW EMPLOYEES 5 PERIOPERATIVE DESIGN PROJECT UPDATE 2 WINTER WORD SCRAM- BLE 6 Please welcome the EP staff as they transition to the Perioperative Services areas.
PAGE 2 PERIOPERATIVE DESIGN PROJECT UPDATE BY TOM FEE, DESIGN PROCESS CONSULTANT In October, VUMC Leadership launched an organization-wide Perioperative Performance Improvement project. The effort encompasses every step in perioperative services from clinic scheduling through bed management (the scope does not include MCJCH). This project includes over 60 physicians, staff and managers in Perioperative Services. The solutions are being developed in weekly Design Shops by a large design team, everyone is invited to attend. Please contact Judith Stabin if you would like an invitation to attend sessions. Cross Functional Design Team -The design team includes representatives from all areas of VUMC, including physicians, and will meet in weekly Design Shops for a year to design and implement improvements to adult perioperative services. Comprehensive End-to-end - The team will systematically assess, design and implement improvements to the entire patient flow from clinic surgery scheduling through outpatient discharge/inpatient admission. Inclusive Design - the work will design new solutions and integrate current projects. Balanced Goals - The goal is to improve Patient Quality & Safety, Physician Access, OR Efficiency, Patient Service and Staff Satisfaction. The Project team began meeting in October. The design team meetings are open to all interested parties and the project progress will be regularly reported to the management team. The Project is led by Dr. Bill Nealon, Stephanie Randa and Tom Fee. Please feel free to contact the leadership or any member of the project team to provide insights and suggestions. Answers to Winter Word Scramble from p. 6
PAGE 3 THE SPIRIT OF GIVING 4S GYN SURGERY UNIT: A GOOD SAMARITAN TO CHILDREN OF OUR VETERANS Our veterans who have given so courageously to defend our rights and freedoms are at times in the unfortunate position of being homeless which impacts the lives of their children. Homeless veteran families have a difficult time finding accommodations and necessary personal items for each family member. These families are often required to move from shelter to shelter. The hosting shelter offers bedding, bathing and some activities but all items must remain at the shelter. But, there is an effort in place to help give back to our veterans. Project PJ (pajamas), which targets children of homeless veterans in Nashville, ensures each child is provided a backpack of basic care items. Kathleen Kelley, a Nurse Educator in Perioperative Services, originated the backpack idea to help fill an important need in the community. The Project PJ backpacks provides the children with a safe place to store the basic care items, promotes a healthier life style, and provides a sense of stability knowing these care items are their items, not the shelters. The children, ages 2 to12 years, each receive a backpack filled with a towel, a washcloth, a toothbrush and paste, a winter cap, a pair of socks, shampoo, soap, a hair brush, pajamas, and an age appropriate toy and book. The 4S GYN Surgery nursing unit was the first VUMC Good Samaritan volunteer to donate pack backs to Project PJ. In addition to the backpacks, the nurses donated $60.00 to complete the missing items in the other donated backpacks. Good Samaritans from left to right below: Julia Rabba, Tammy Fernett, Donna Gardner, Tracy Likins, Cindy Denton, and Johnnie Leater Other Good Samaritans include RN Unit Board chairman Cathy Lee and retired Vanderbilt Nursing Administrator Sara Jane Williams who assisted Kathleen with organizing Project PJ. All involved in meeting the needs of the homeless veterans children are to be commended for their outstanding humanitarian work. Margaret Mead once said, Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. This quote is definitely reflective of this small group of volunteers who have reached out to improve the lives of our veterans children, thank you Good Samaritans!
PAGE 4 In this section of the Modus Operandi we would like to honor those faculty and staff members who exemplify the Vanderbilt Medical Center Credo. These employees have gone the extra mile in personifying the true ideal of our credo. Congratulations to these special faculty and staff! Credo We provide excellence in health care, research and education. We treat others as we wish to be treated. We continuously evaluate and improve our performance. Periop Credo Heroes (Names contributed by Perioperative Managers and Directors) TVC OR Beki Kazanofski, Patient Care Manager, would like to thank the following people for their commitment to their colleagues by working extra shifts and/or staying late to help cover spots. Thanks for being team players! Lara Aworunse Kelley Blunkall Kim Bodine Scott Boyte Cheryl Bridges Pam Coleman Laura Cumbee Zanette Dodson Jackie Fowler Chuck Hunley Karin Mayes Patty McKinney Daniel Nelson Sharon Pendleton Carol Purcell Angie Smith Patti Tickle Ann White VPEC During the week of Thanksgiving, both VPEC locations suffered a rash of unexpected events which led to a severely debilitated work crew. Lolita Fite, PSR 2, sacrificed a week of scheduled vacation to work at VPEC 100 Oaks because her team and the patients would have suffered otherwise. Lolita deserves a big thank you because of her personal sacrifice and dedication to our patient s needs. Thanks Lolita! -Russ Kunic, VPEC Manager
PAGE 5 NEW EMPLOYEES IN PERIOPERATIVE SERVICES D ecember Alvin Burroughs, Care Partner, MCE HR/PACU Chad Carnahan, ST 1, VOR Ophthamology Debra Kanter, RN 2, MOR, Neuro Barbie Lovett, ST ll, 4 South OR John Simmons, RN 2, Main OR / CCT Tara Tillman, CST ll, Main OR, Cardiac Jeannie Wood, RN 2, Main HR / PACU Reminder of Quarterly Multidisciplinary Perioperative Morbidity & Mortality Improvement Conference Dates for 2011: Friday, February 18, 2011 Friday, June 3, 2011 Friday, Sept.??, 2011 (date coming soon) Friday, December 2, 2011 6:30 8:00 a.m. Langford Auditorium DID YOU KNOW...? Jay Livingston, the author of Silver Bells also wrote the theme song for Mr. Ed. The song Do You Hear What I Hear was actually written in 1962 as a protest against war during the Cuban Missle Crisis. Due to time zone changes, Santa really has 31 hours to deliver gifts, which he will need to visit 832 homes per second! Animal Crackers, which began in England in the late 1800 s have a string on the box so they can be hung on a Christmas tree. The reindeer Donner s real name is actually Donder. The change started as a misprint and stuck.
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PAGE 7 From Perioperative Services Dan Beauchamp Nancye Feistritzer Warren Sandberg Modus Operandi Editors: Nancye Feistritzer, RN, MSN; Michael Higgins, M.D. M.P.H., Susie Leming-Lee, RN, MSN, Perioperative Services Modus Operandi Publisher: Mary Kay Matthys, BS, Perioperative Services