Albany Med Today December 2017.Indd

VOLUME 12 NUMBER 12 | DECEMBER 2017 ALBANY MED Avril Moncrieffe, PSA KNOWN FOR OUR EXPERTISE. CHOSEN FOR OUR CARE. Environmental Services TODAY Team Honored / p. 2 Study on Opioid Use in Emergency Medicine Garners Widespread Attention Andrew Chang, MD, MS, the combinations given and found randomized, double-blind clinical Vincent P. Verdile, MD, ’84 Endowed patients experienced little diff erence trial. Consented participants Chair for Emergency Medicine, in pain relief after two hours. were given a single dose of one has authored a study on painkillers of four oral analgesics (ibuprofen, administered in an emergency “Our results of no diff erence in pain oxycodone, hydrocodone, or department (ED) setting that shows relief while the patient is still in the codeine), all combined with similar pain reduction off ered by ED imply that patients may be more acetaminophen, and were asked three diff erent opioids and one accepting of a non-opioid upon to rate their pain intensity from 0 non-opioid combination analgesic. discharge—and clinicians may feel to 10 upon ingestion, and at one- e study, which was published in less pressure to prescribe opioids to and two-hour intervals following the Journal of the American Medical patients leaving the ED,” he said. ingestion while still in the ED. Association, has the potential to aff ect “If we can decrease the number of the way opioids are given in ED patients being exposed to opioids, Of 411 patients, baseline pain settings and has added signifi cant fuel then perhaps we can decrease the intensity was initially high at mean it is true for every patient.” to the ongoing national discussion number of patients who will become 8.7. While each group experienced He also cautioned that the results about the opioid crisis in America. addicted to them. at change in signifi cant decreased pain after two of this study cannot necessarily be e study has received coverage in prescribing behavior might help hours (decreases in pain ranged generalized to other types of pain, more than 60 news outlets, including address the ongoing opioid epidemic from 3.5-4.4 points), there was no other settings outside the ED and the New York Times, Time and the and its devastating eff ects in statistically signifi cant or clinically other dosing regimens beyond a Associated Press. U.S. communities.” important diff erence in the change in single dose of analgesic, since those pain between any of the four groups. features were not examined in Dr. Chang, who joined Albany Med For the study, Dr. Chang, professor the study. of emergency medicine and vice chair in late 2016, performed the research Dr. Chang stressed that the results of of research and academic aff airs, while at Montefi ore Medical Center his study were an average—and that He plans to conduct additional compared the response of non-elderly in the Bronx. Adult patients who any patient’s response to a medication research that examines this non- patients with acute extremity pain to presented to the ED with acute is bound to be individualized. “In opioid regimen in the outpatient four diff erent analgesic medication extremity pain that required imaging other words,” he said, “just because setting after ED discharge. were considered for inclusion in the something is generally true doesn’t Cardiac Rehab Nurse Wins Albany Med’s First DAISY Award Pauline Calimag, RN, MSN, has nomination. “Everyone at Albany Med received Albany Med’s fi rst DAISY supported my father’s recovery, and Award, an honor bestowed upon Pauline epitomizes the healer’s touch.” clinical nurses in recognition of the extraordinary care they provide. Calimag Richard Dewitt was discharged received the award in November, in October, after spending a little surrounded by her colleagues in the over a week at Albany Med, and is post-cardiothoracic surgery unit. recovering well. DAISY Award nominations are reviewed by Albany Med’s nurse recognition committee. A DAISY winner will be named each month from the Main Campus and a second award will be given to a nurse from South Clinical In recent months, nursing leadership Campus and Albany Med’s practice at Albany Med has worked to develop From left: Diane Carey, RN, assistant vice president for Medical Mental Health and Rehab Services, DAISY winner Pauline Calimag, RN, and Chief Nursing Offi cer Kate Roche. settings. Nomination forms are available and introduce the DAISY program, on all hospital units. a national program that highlights the inestimable role nurses play in patient care. Shortly after his surgery, Calimag noticed Winners are selected based on their demonstration DAISY Award winners are selected based on Dewitt’s heart rate and blood pressure were of the qualities outlined in the Albany Med nominations by patients and their family members. dropping. Based on her observation, medical staff CARES program: Compassion for the needs eventually stopped beta blocker medication and his of patients and families; Accountability Calimag’s nomination was written by Deborah condition improved. by going above and beyond; Respect for Dewitt, of Baltimore, whose father, Richard patients and families; and Engagement in the “We are so grateful for Pauline’s observation and Dewitt, received quadruple bypass surgery at patient experience. Albany Med. judgment,” Deborah Dewitt wrote in her DAISY RAISING THE BAR Environmental Services Team Honored for Working Faster and Protecting Patients’ Health ey set the stage upon which all work—and and disinfecting more than 80,000 rooms annually Going Deep With Disinfection healing—gets done at Albany Medical Center. when patients are discharged or transferred. e Albany Med Environmental Services (EVS) Since 2014, EVS has signifi cantly reduced the team is made up of more than 375 dedicated time it takes to reach and clean these rooms professionals who work around the clock every day while maintaining high standards. “Overall of the year to provide a clean, safe environment for room turnover time has decreased 18 minutes patients, visitors and staff . is powerful workforce per room, providing 69 hours a day of increased was recently recognized with a New Signifi cant room availability,” said Chief Medical Offi cer Quality Award for increasing the effi ciency of Dennis McKenna, MD. “At night, that time was hospital room turnovers to help get patients to the shortened by 26 minutes, providing 50 extra hours right bed in the right unit as quickly as possible, as of room availability. is is an invaluable amount well as implementing innovative techniques that of extra operational bandwidth at a hospital that have been shown to signifi cantly protect patients’ serves as many patients as ours.” health. Seeing the Big Picture One of the happy fallouts of their collaboration How did they do it? was the addition of a Tru-D Smart UVC system in Teamwork, strategy and 24/7 follow-through. June to clean rooms occupied by patients with clostridium diffi cile (C-diff ), a drug-resistant bacterial infection that can be a risk to patients taking antibiotics. Previously only used to clean operating rooms at Albany Med, EVS associates like James Mugabi, In addition to the human touch, EVS above, now employ the Tru-D, which uses introduced new technology in 2017, ultraviolet light, to deeply disinfect sealed rooms. including HEV monitors that provide EVS Before this even happens, EVS team members dispatchers and supervisors with a constant like Avril Moncrieff e, PSA, below, go to work, visual overview of rooms at all stages of the thoroughly hand-cleaning these rooms, the same turnover process. Synchronized way they do for every patient room at Albany Med. communication, via pager and two-way It’s a one-two punch against C-diff and other radio, allows for the speedy arrival of the hospital-acquired infections. right team members to the right place. Majeda Al Zaydan, ASA V, above, and A Workforce That Never Sleeps James Brisbin, ASA V, are the dispatchers who coordinate this complicated process. “It’s a little like playing chess,” Al Zaydan said. “A lot went in to this achievement,” said Daniel Madden, director of Environmental Services. “We anks to these and other strategies, Albany introduced new technology. We set room ‘turn Med has seen a reduction of hospital-acquired time’ goals. But, really, it was the people who made infections, which are a risk in any hospital. it happen. It’s impossible to put into words how hard this team works—and how much they do.” Albany Med’s EVS team works very closely with the Department of Epidemiology. “We have a Albany Med’s EVS staff (just a few of whom are very vigorous approach to reducing the risk of And the fi ght goes on. “We are introducing new pictured above) perform innumerable operations infections,” said Rebecca O’Donnell, MT (ASCP), ideas all the time,” Madden said, “but it’s really our across Albany Med and its off -site locations. ese CIC, director of epidemiology, “and we are all people who make the diff erence. ey are a team include keeping operating rooms gleaming and very proud that our eff orts have had such a direct beyond compare.” sterile, preparing patients for meals, and cleaning impact on protecting patients’ health.” Double H Documentary Features Albany Med Physicians and Partnership A new documentary about the Double H Ranch, a year-round camp for children with serious illnesses in the Adirondacks, features some faces that will no doubt be familiar to anyone with more than a passing knowledge of Albany Medical Center. Chief Medical Offi cer Dennis McKenna, MD, a Double H Ranch board member; pediatric oncologist Jennifer Pearce, MD; and pediatric critical care specialist Ray Walsh, MD, all describe the profound partnership Albany Med has with Double H, dating back to 1994.

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