CHRONICLE May 2017

Inaugural RUMC 5K Run/Walk is a Runaway Success!

Although the weather April 1st was cold and damp, the chill in the air did nothing to dampen the spirits of those who participated in the inaugural edition of the RUMC 5K Run Walk, held on the medical center’s campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods of Snug Harbor and West Brighton. After the physical activities concluded, participants warmed their spirts with authentic German food and beer donated by our neighbors on Castleton Avenue, the Nurnberger Bierhalle.

Warm memories aside, the day was a success simply by the numbers. Fundraising, which had a goal to raise $25,000 to benefit the Pediatric Unit of the new Emergency Department, far exceeded expectations by raising $37,000 from 374 donations. Participation came from across the borough’s community and especially members of the medical center family with employees from nearly every department, along with members of the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership. Over 350 runners/ walkers participated with 26 teams being organized!

While there were male and female winners in different age categories, the overall 1st place winners were Joe Brancale and Jennifer Marano. A full list of finishers are available online at: http://my1.raceresult.com/70905/?lang.

Led by Laura Gajda, Executive Director of the medical center’s foundation and Vice President of Development, and Krista Desiderio, Senior Grant and Development Specialist , a dedicated team of employees and volunteers were responsible for pulling off such a large and successful event. A special thank you to all of the runners, walkers, sponsors, NYPD, Richmond University staff and our West Brighton/Snug Harbor neighbors for their support! Thank you to our volunteers: Angie Conte, Joanne Navarro, Jenna Coscia, Brandon Fusco, Caitlin Garcia, Jillian Umahag and Darryl Peterson.

A special thank you must also be given to Foundation Board member Marcello Sciarrino and Island Auto Group for generously serving as event sponsor for the run/walk. All participants who donated or fundraised over $500 received a prize and those individuals and teams who raised over $1,000 will receive special recognition in the new ED lobby.

A PUBLICATION FOR EMPLOYEES, PHYSICIANS, TRUSTEES AND VOLUNTEERS OF RICHMOND UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER President’s Update

Patient Satisfaction Message from the President & CEO A Note of Thanks Daniel J. Messina, Ph.D., FACHE, LNHA

Dear Friends, Dear Dr. Messina:

In this age of 24/7 digital media we are all “on On a Monday I was brought to your hospital by stage” at all times. By now I’m sure you all ambulance with severe abdominal pain. The have seen the viral video of a customer of diagnosis was a hernia with partial bowel blockage. I United Airlines being physically removed was operated on the next day and sent home on from a plane for which he had been ticketed Thursday. and assigned a seat. The purpose of this letter is to praise your employees. It was one of those videos that has to make I regret that I didn't get everyone’s name. everyone say “What the heck were they thinking?” There are some lessons from this The 2 EMTs on the ambulance were great. They incident that are applicable to us here at were caring and reassuring. The ER personnel were Richmond University Medical Center. great too. Even the technicians for the CAT scan were good to me. Later I went to the 3rd floor section We should never lose focus on creating an amazing customer 3 - 1. The staff there were incredible. I remember experience. Although, at first, the company reported that the flight was Tammy, Sharon and Kathy. They were caring and overbooked, in fact, it was not. Four airline employees were needed in professional. Louisville, so they needed four seats. Since they came to the gate after the boarding, four passengers had to be removed. We all know what My surgery was done by Dr. Helen Kay. She is happened next. The man refused to leave, the staff called for the airport incredible, caring, loving and all the adjectives one officer’s help, and they dragged him out of the plane by force. could use to praise a surgeon. She saw me the night before and the morning of my surgery. I was scared The staff didn’t keep a place for their colleagues – a mistake on but I felt much better after talking to her. I also company’s side, but it happens. Then, the staff asked four passengers to remember Dr. Dadic, the anesthesiologist. I spoke to leave the flight voluntarily, three of them agreed, one of them him before the surgery. He was very nice to me also. did not. There was no shortage of alternate strategies to alleviate or The recovery room nurses were very kind and caring. de-escalate this situation, rather than focusing on one passenger who said “no.” My overall stay was a very pleasant one. I was very nervous. Everyone, nurses, doctors, food staff was This is an example of everything but delivering great customer very nice to me. experience. There were over 70 passengers there and I’m sure all of them were offended, furious and worried about their families and Everyone deserves praise. Please thank them for me. themselves. If I see an innocent person being treated like that, nothing Reward them! They deserve it! makes me think I would be treated differently. Thank you, In the age of social media, our customers and potential customers are Thomas, West Brighton everywhere. Making such a scene in front of dozens of terrified customers who have the Internet connection is a crucial mistake any company could make. Actions performed in front of a few dozen people soon became a topic of discussion across the globe. United’s staff was apparently not aware of the harm such incident could make to the brand, otherwise, they would have taken action to de-escalate it! In our actions we should always act like there’s a camera on us, in our words we should always expect they could end up on the front page of the New York Times.

Remember, the power of one – you make a difference!

Medical Education News

41st Edition of Spring Review in Internal Medicine in May

During the week of May 22nd, the medical center will host the 41st edition of the annual Spring Review in Internal Medicine with daily sessions held in the Sipp Auditorium. The programming is being hosted under the leadership of Jay M. Nfonoyim, M.D., F.A.C.P., Vice Chairman, Department of Medicine, Acting Chief Medical Officer and Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program, Sundee Naing, M.D., F.A.C.P., Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program and Ana Paula Oppenheimer, M.D., MPH, Course Director for Spring Review and Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program.

The educational objectives are to familiarize the practicing internist with current concepts and recent advances in the pathogenesis and management of medical disease and to provide a broad based review of topics in Internal Medicine suitable for candidates studying for the Internal Medicine Boards.

While the Chronicle is issued once a month, you can find out about the latest happenings at Richmond University Medical Center, in real-time via our Social Media pages. Richmond University maintains an active Are you following presence on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Links to each of our social media pages are available on the Richmond us on social media? University Medical Center webpage, which is located at: rumcsi.org.

The Public Relations and Marketing Team welcomes your photos and news tips from around our community. Please send any newsworthy materials to William J. Smith at [email protected] or Lorraine Scanni at: [email protected]. Thank you! Capital Campaign

Annual Jack Sipp Golf & Tennis Outing to be held May 8th

As sure a sign of Spring as the arrival of warmer weather and sunshine is the annual Jack Sipp Golf & Tennis Outing to benefit our medical center. This year’s outing will be held on Monday, May 8, 2017 at the Richmond County Country Club.

The event, which is chaired by John Peter Sipp, Esq. and Thomas A. Sipp, Esq., will honor two notable members of the Staten Island community: our own Dr. Brian McMahon, Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, and Raymond

M. Burt, the founder and owner of Burt Construct LLC, a leading Staten Island homebuilder.

A downloadable copy of the invitation is available on our website at: www.rumcsi.org/golf There are numerous opportunities to attend the event, either as a golf/tennis participant, or attending the awards dinner in the evening.

For further details and other options to support the event, please contact Krista Desiderio in the Foundation Office at: [email protected] or (718) 818-2788. Donations of items or gift baskets to be raffled off at the event are especially needed.

The event is held in memory of John L.F. (Jack) Sipp, a noted businessman and philanthropist who served as the Chairman of the Board of the medical center when it was known as St. Vincent’s Hospital. Mr. Sipp, a World War II veteran, was the chairman and chief executive officer of the Staten Island Savings Bank from 1974 until his untimely death in 1987, at age 68.

Departments Hold Events to Support the VITAL Campaign Departments across the medical center continue to do their part in support of the medical center’s VITAL Capital Campaign to raise funds for the new Emergency Department.

In honor of March being National Kidney Awareness Month, a bake sale took place in the cafeteria on Friday, March 24th (r.). The sale of delicious homemade sweets and dessert items yielded $300 to donate towards the VITAL Campaign.

RUMC would like to thank the following employees who dedicated time and effort, along with other staff members who baked for the cause: Dr. Sunithi Krishnan, Angela Castelli, RN, SLB-6, Jenna DePasquale, RN, SLB -4 and Jennifer Mignuolo, RN SLB-4.

In the spirit of baseball season beginning and to give back, the Health Information Management (HIM) department hosted a Hot Dog Bar on April 11th, with proceeds from the sale going to our VITAL Campaign. The Hot Dog Bar was an instant success, selling out within 20 minutes and raising $262 for our new ED.

Again, we at Richmond University Medical Center appreciate the hard work and enthusiasm of our employees and thank the HIMS Department for hosting this event, especially Priya Wickramanayake, Donna Poggioli, Denise Connors and Martha Vazquez for organizing and coordinating this home run of an event! Quality & Patient Care

HCAHPS Question: Extent to which you felt ready to be discharged

This question measures how well our team prepared the patient for discharge and the patient's perception of their comfort level in leaving Richmond University. We face the challenge of completing treatment in increasingly short periods of time. The patient or a family member may need to continue a treatment or recovery plan after the patient leaves. We all must imbue patients with the capacity and confidence to manage post-discharge (either on their own or with the help of family or a home care agency). Therefore, preparations for discharge begin at or before admission.

Things you can do to help:

 Reassure patient that they are healthy enough to manage at home, or they would not be discharged.

 Be certain a discharge plan has been prepared, discussed, and is understood by the patient.

 Train the patient to care for themselves (physically and emotionally) at home. (A separate question rates the information that was provided for this purpose)

 Confirm that patient has acquired the skills/services to manage at home after leaving the hospital.

 Ask the patient if they have questions about what to do when they get home.

 Give the patient the name and telephone number of a person who can answer questions after they get home.

 Provide written instructions on what to do at home.

Trustee Profile

Kathryn K. Rooney has been a practicing attorney since 1977 and has served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Richmond University Medical Center since January 2007. She joined the hospital as an Advisory Board member in 1985 and was instrumental in guiding Trustee in Profile: the hospital through its exit from the financially troubled Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers.

Kathryn K. Rooney, Esq. Mrs. Rooney graduated from St. Joseph Hill Academy in Arrochar. She later graduated from SUNY at Albany and Albany Law School, serving as an editor of the Law Review. For over 30 years, Mrs. Rooney served as an attorney in the New York State Legislature, where for twelve of those years she served as Counsel to the NYS Senate Finance Committee; the remainder of the time she was Special Counsel to State Senator John Marchi. One of Senator Marchi’s most trusted advisers, she counseled the senator on such critical issues as the Staten Island secession movement, closing the Fresh Kills landfill and converting the property where the former Willowbrook State School once stood into the College of Staten Island’s campus. Mrs. Rooney also served as a Commissioner of the New York State Commission for Staten Island, known as the Secession Commission.

Mrs. Rooney has been involved in several professional and community organizations; serving on the Boards of the Staten Island Foundation, ArchCare, Sisters of Charity Housing Development Corp. and St. Joseph Hill Academy. Formerly the Chair of the Pax Christi Hospice and the CYO Staten Island Boards, Mrs. Rooney served on the boards of Carmel Richmond Nursing Home, Staten Island Zoological Society, Pax Christi Hospice and Camp St. Edward. Mrs. Rooney has received numerous awards over the years for her dedication and her tireless efforts to promote education and healthcare for the Staten Island community. She was named a 2009 Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement. She was also twice honored as a distinguished trustee by the University Hospital Fund.

Mrs. Rooney resides on Todt Hill with her husband, State Supreme Court Justice Stephen J. Rooney, and they are the parents of three daughters Megan, Elizabeth and Mary Kate, and one granddaughter. Human Resources News

Welcome April 2017 New Hires

Tara A. Gardner, Executive Assistant Nail Berkani, Maint. Mech. HVAC Vaithilingam Arulthasan, Hospitalist

Michelle B. Chan, EMT Tadeusz S. Hanusiewicz, Carpenter Alexander B. Usorov, Hospitalist

Rita L. Kornfeld, RN Katrina V. Giovinazzo, Switchboard Joseph V. Ferraro, RN Practitioner

Katrina Daae, RN Sara F. Lotito, Registrar Oluwabunmi A. Adenowo, Nurs. Asst.

Jay E. Arrington, Mgr., Behav. Health Keisha N. Pernell, Registrar Amy E. Perez, RN 12 Hrs.

Tony Limanovski, RN 12 Hrs. Eunkyung S. Lee, Clinical Lab Tech Farah S. Sherine, Unit Clerks

Ian J. Murphy, RN 12 Hrs. Neidhra Bharathan, Clinical Lab Tech Joanne Reeves, Sup., Nurs. Dept.

Peter A. Dinalfo, Grant Writer Athena J. McGowan, Clerical 1 Dante N. Deshauters, Transporter

Charles V. Visconti, Sup., Facilities

Medical Center Salutes One of Our Own for Giving the Gift of Life April was Organ Donor Donation Month and members of the medical center community were invited to take part and commit to becoming a donor. At Richmond University Medical Center, we appreciate that our employees exemplify our values inside the hospital’s walls and also in their everyday lives. A recent example is Lauren Levon, an Executive Assistant in our Finance Department.

Lauren, who is the mother of 1 year old twins, a boy and girl, was recently recognized at an employee meeting for donating a kidney to her husband, Tommy. Lauren’s selfless sacrifice embodies the spirit of our employees and medical center community.

Richmond University Medical Center strongly encourages organ donation, especially here in New York City where the need is great.

According to Live On NY, a non-profit, federally designated organization dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplant in the greater New York metropolitan area, there are more than 10,000 people are waiting for organ transplants in the metropolitan area. Of these, more than 8,000 await kidneys; more than 1,300 need livers; and more than 300 Lauren Levon (c.) with Ron Musselwhite, Esq., VP of Human Resources (l.), and Robert need hearts. Ren, VP of Revenue Cycle (r.) In the United States, there are more than 120,000 people currently in need of organ transplants. And each year, thousands of people die while waiting for a transplant because no suitable donor can be found for them. But you can help! Give the gift of life. Be a donor. For more information on becoming an organ donor, please visit: http://www.liveonny.org News Around Campus

Mayor’s “City Hall on Staten Island” Stops by Richmond University For a week in mid-April, the powers of city government were housed in the Borough of Staten Island. As part of Mayor Bill deBlasio’s initial “City Hall in Your Borough” campaign, city officials were relocated from City Hall to spend a week in the borough visiting various pillar institutions of what has often been called the “forgotten borough.”

On Wednesday, April 12th, we were joined by Gabrielle Fialkoff, Senior Advisor to the Mayor and Director of the Office of Strategic Partnerships, and Lannia Small, Deputy Director of the Center for Youth Employment. Prior to touring the hospital, Ms. Fialkoff and Ms. Small were briefed on current developments at the medical center by President & CEO, Dr. Daniel J. Messina, Dr. Pietro Carpenito, EVP, Rosemarie Stazzone, CNO/COO, Board of Trustees Chairperson Kathryn K. Rooney, Esq., Board of Trustees member Sara Gardner, MPH and William J. Smith, MBA, Director of Public Relations.

Among the topics covered in the briefing were an introduction to the medical center’s history and demographics of the community we serve, the role of the hospital as the only open and accessible facility during Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy, ongoing projects at the medical center and the ongoing Dr. Joel Idowu, Acting Chair of Psychiatry (l.), discusses affiliation with the Mount Sinai Health behavioral health issues with Lannia Small (c.) and Gabrielle System. Fialkoff (r.) while touring the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program area. Specific attention was given to the recent and ongoing major capital projects on the campus; including the Emergency Department construction, cogeneration plant, parking expansion as well as the medical center’s pending merger with the Staten Island Mental Health Society, primary care

network expansion and the opening of the Center for Integrative Behavioral Medicine and DSRIP projects.

Following the briefing, the group travelled to the visit with Dr. Joel Idowu, Acting Chair of Psychiatry and to tour the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) area. Dr. Idowu discussed at length the medical center’s programs to address behavioral health, which is a top priority of the deBlasio Administration and the city’s First Lady, Chirlane

Dr. Mansoor Khan, Chair of Emergency Medicine, McCray. For a personal view to demonstrate the need for the medical center’s new (c.) conducts a tour of the Emergency Department Emergency Department, Dr. for members of the Mayor’s staff. Mansoor Khan, Chair of Emergency Medicine, escorted the group through the current facility, which was quite busy tending to patients, and discussed the immediate improvement to patient care that will arrive with the new patient treatment areas.

On April 13th, Dr. George Askew, the Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Family and Child Health at NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene visited our maternity unit (r.) to learn more about our services, including the fact that Richmond University Medical Center is the first "Baby Friendly" designated hospital on Staten Island and 6th hospital in NYC/Metro area and the 12th hospital in New York State to receive the designation. This prestigious international award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies. Louise Steward, RN (l.) and Catherine Wilson-Mooney, RN (r.) welcomed Dr. George Askew to the facility and conducted the tour. May 2017

Rosemarie Stazzone Honored by Community Organizations

April was a month of well-deserved recognitions for our own Rosemarie Stazzone, RN, MS, CNE, the medical center’s Chief Nurse Officer & Chief Operating Officer, as she was recognized at a brunch at the Staaten hosted by the New York State Women, Inc., Staten Island Chapter, as a Woman of Distinction, and as an honoree at the Stapleton UAME Church’s Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” Gala at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Mrs. Stazzone has served as the Chief Nurse Executive and Senior Executive for Patient Care at Richmond University. Mrs. Stazzone hold the additional responsibility as the Chief Operating officer where she is responsible for the daily and Rosemarie Stazzone, rear, 2nd fr. l, joined by other members of the medical center strategic clinical operations throughout the hospital. An essential community at the NYS Women’s brunch at the Staaten. member of the senior leadership team charged with defining the hospital’s mission and clinical operations for immediate and strategic objectives, Mrs. Stazzone is responsible for maintaining cohesive and collaborative internal relationships to assure continued service and commitment to organizational goals. Prior to this appointment, she served as Vice President for Nursing and Patient Care Services at St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers (Staten Island) for two years and before that was the Associate Vice President for Professional and Clinical Development, Patient Care Services at Staten Island University Hospital.

Mrs. Stazzone earned a master’s degree in nursing from Wagner College, Staten Island, and her BSN Degree at Medgar Evers College. She is a registered nurse in New York State and holds ANCC certification: Nurse Executive, Advanced. In addition, she is a member of the New York Organization for Nurse Executives, the American Organization of Nurse Executives, and the Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society, Epsilon Mu Chapter, who honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. She is well-known in the borough community for her strong involvement with March of Dimes and St. Joseph Hill Academy over the years.

She and her husband Dominic reside in New Dorp. They have 3 daughters including Diana, Lauren and Victoria and are the proud grandparents of Michael, Ariana, Rita. MedicalNational Colorectal Center Cancer Outreach Awareness Events Month, Raiseheld in MarchColorectal each year, Cancer offers healthcare Awareness providers who care for patients with diseases of the colon and rectum a valuable opportunity to educate their communityAlthough March about was these National diseases Colorectal and Cancer promote awareness of the importance of colorectal cancer screening,Awareness Month,prevention, Richmond and Universitytreatment. Medical We at Richmond University Medical Center hosted a plethora ofCenter’s events events to raise to raise awareness awareness prevention. spanned March The month was kicked off when hospital employees partic- ipandat eApril!d in the “Dress in Blue Day’ followed by a special morning edition of our “Meet the Nurses” pro- gramThe month at the was West kicked Brighton off when hospitalSenior employeesCenter, featuring Dr. Loren Harris. Our evening “Meet the Nurs- es”participated program in the featured “Dress in Dr.Blue Manuel Day” followed Gonzalez, by a who spoke to the community and nursing students aboutspecial spreading morning edition awareness of our “Meet of colon the Nurses” health and screenings among our younger population. And whoprogram can at forgetthe West the Brighton Colon Senior Prevention Center, featuring Awareness Day that our GI Nurses hosted in the Main Lobby? OurDr. Loreninflatable Harris. colons Our eveningwere a “Meet huge the hit Nurses” and real conversation starters. program featured Dr. Manuel Gonzalez, who spoke to the community and nursing students about spreading awareness of colon health and screenings among our younger population. And who can forget the Colon Prevention Awareness Day that our GI Nurses hosted in the Main Lobby? Our inflatable colons were a huge hit and real conversation starters.

Thank you to all who participated!