Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, Mo. October, 1986, Vol. 40, No. 10 literature on the subject and questioned doctors about all treatment options. After visits to hos- Hospitals unite in pitals in California, Illinois, Indiana, and Mary- St. Louis partnership land, Jared was referred here by pediatricians in Indianapolis and at Johns Hopkins Univer- The first nationwide preferred provider orga- sity in Baltimore where the use of ammonia- nization (PPO) will make its St. Louis debut this scavenging drugs was pioneered. Dr. Flye and fall when Barnes Hospital becomes an active his colleagues were recommended for their member of Partners National Health Plans. work in pediatric transplantation and for their Through Partners, a joint venture of Voluntary ability to combat enzyme deficiencies through Hospitals of America (VHA) and Aetna Life & organ replacement. Casualty, Barnes plans to build the area's strongest PPO by uniting select local hospitals During the three week wait for a new liver, to offer the best health insurance program pos- Jared was hospitalized for treatment of two ep- sible. isodes of elevated ammonia levels. Dr. Flye is optimistic about the operation's success, call- Partners, nationwide, is designed to provide ing it a new approach for a variety of genetic uniform healthcare benefits to employers with liver disorders. He says Jared's new liver is cur- personnel in more than one location in the rently functioning well and properly breaking United States. More than 600 hospitals in 45 down the ammonia that his own liver could not. states and Washington, D.C., participating in the program make Partners the largest health plan network in the United States. Members Young Jared Abbink receives a kiss from his mother, The Abbinks, expressing joy and relief, are receive special identification cards, a directory Janet, as he recuperates from liver transplant surgery happy they were referred to Barnes in their of participating hospitals and toll-free infor- to correct a rare, hereditary enzyme disorder. search for a treatment. Dr. Flye credits them mation numbers to facilitate health care at any for not giving up. "Sometimes, it's a matter of Partners affiliate throughout the U.S. Transplant for enzyme persisting in the medical system until the right treatment is found at the right place. Jared's Barnes, as the VHA Hospital for the St. Louis disorder is a first mother did just that." area, has developed a local network that unites 10 area hospitals in a PPO partnership. Those A loving mother's persistence and a Barnes 10 hospitals include Barnes, Jewish and Chil- transplant surgeon's skill have combined to Skywalk, construction dren's Hospitals, St. Anthony's Medical Center, give an Indiana toddler with a rare enzyme dis- St. John's Mercy Medical Center and Christian order a fighting chance at a long and normal projects underway Hospital Northeast-Northwest in St. Louis; St. life, Jared Abbink, 21 months, received a his- Construction of a skywalk to connect the sub- Joseph's Hospital in St. Charles; and Alton Me- tory-making liver transplant here August 29 at surface parking garage with the hospital's main morial Hospital, St. Elizabeth's Hospital in the hand of liver transplant program director lobby is expected to begin next month. Barnes Granite City and Belleville Memorial Hospital Dr. M. Wayne Flye. proposed the project a year ago as an integral in Illinois. part of an overall plan to increase the accessi- The eight-hour operation marked the first time bility of the hospital. All necessary approvals "The goal of our local Partners network is to that a transplant was used to treat OTC defi- have been obtained and the construction job provide a healthcare delivery system that will ciency, a rare enzyme disorder that claims the will be awarded this month. be unmatched by any other insurance pro- lives of untreated male victims within the first vider," said Mark Weber, a Barnes vice-presi- months of life and untreated females within a The skywalk will rise 16 feet above street level dent and manager of alternative delivery sys- few years. OTC deficiency allows potentially fa- across Barnes Hospital Plaza and enter the hos- tem development. "We are confident that the tal amounts of ammonia to build up in the body. pital at the first floor lobby, near the admitting united effort of these hospitals and the com- In an attempt to stave off mental retardation office, gift shops, cashiers windows and other mitment of their medical staffs will place Part- and death, standard treatment for the disorder patient services. At the south end, the skywalk ners a cut above any other available program." has been a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet will lead into a glass-walled atrium containing to decrease ammonia production and treatment escalators to the garage levels and access to A PPO offers employees whose companies par- with scavenging drugs which bind to and re- Hudlin Park above the garage. The glass-en- ticipate in the program a financial incentive to move the ammonia from the bloodstream. On closed skywalk will measure 10 feet wide, 14 use hospitals and doctors under contract with that regimen, however, no youngsters with a feet tall and 180 feet long. the plan. Employees are not obligated to use deficiency of Jared's severity have lived beyond the preferred provider, but pay less out-of- three to five years of age. The Barnes Auxiliary has pledged a $ 1.3 million pocket expenses (deductible and co-payment) if donation toward the cost of the $3.3 million they do so. For Steven and Janet Abbink, Jared's disorder skywalk. was not their first encounter with OTC defi- ciency. Five years ago, their eldest son, Bran- In other construction activities at the hospital, Incentive program don, died of the rare hereditary disorder five bids are being reviewed for a pneumatic tube days after birth. A second son, Steven Jr., now that will connect all intensive care unit and op- offered for hired RNs 3, escaped the recessive gene that plagued his erating room nursing stations to the laborato- A registered nurse (RN) recruitment program brothers. It was not until Jared's birth that the ries, pharmacy and emergency department for designed to fill more than 75 newly created po- Abbinks discovered the family carried the de- rapid transfer of STAT (urgent) specimens, sitions at the hospital is offering Barnes em- fective gene. It was their steadfast determina- medications and other vital patient informa- ployees and prospective employees a cash in- tion that led the Abbinks to Barnes and Dr. Flye. tion. Construction is projected to begin in De- centive. The program, which began last month cember, 1986. and extends through October 31, offers a cash Mrs. Abbink says her youngest son has spent bonus to RNs who are hired and to employees the majority of his life in hospitals. In pursuit Projects currently underway include renova- who have referred an RN hired by the hospital of an answer, Mrs. Abbink read all available tion of two nursing divisions, replacement of during this limited time period. the Queeny Tower central sprinkler and air con- Front cover: Orthopedic surgeons Drs. Jordan Gins- ditioning system, and construction of a new fa- A recent expansion of services, as well as in- burg and Robert Shively prepare to tape a "Health Mat- cility in the West Pavilion for chemosurgery creasing opportunities in Barnes' rapidly grow- ters" segment about sports injuries with Channel 5's procedures. Renovation of Queeny Tower nurs- ing home health department, has created open- Tom O'Neal. The 1986-87 "Health Matters" season pre- ing divisions and doctor's offices will begin late ings for RNs in almost every specialty area. mieres October 11. (See centerspread, pages 4-5.) this year. (continued on page 2) RN referrals Fire-Wise reaches out metabolism and orthopedics. Dr. Gregorio Si- (continued from page 1) card, vascular surgeon, serves as major consul- to community tant for vascular reviews. The recruitment incentive program applies to "Stop, drop and roll" and "Get low, get out" RNs who are hired into permanent full-time Patients referred to the foot center undergo are familiar and potentially life-saving phrases and permanent part-time positions. The incen- blood glucose monitoring and examinations to for children who have completed Barnes Hos- tive does not apply to referrals which result in evaluate circulation and neurological function pital's Fire-Wise program. Would your child the hiring of temporary, per diem or non-des- in the feet and legs. A diabetic nurse educator know what to do if a fire broke out at home or ignated RNs. Hired RNs will receive a bonus offers general information about diabetes and in the classroom? payment after the first two weeks, and a second instructs patients in proper foot care, including installment following six months of continuous Barnes' Fire-Wise program teaches pre-school hygiene, nail care and the importance of prop- employment. through third grade children simple directions erly fitting shoes. Patient also are encouraged and steps for fire safety and burn prevention. to ask their own doctors to check their feet on Employees referring RNs hired by the hospital Those steps include how to extinguish burning every office visit. receive bonus payment upon the RN's hire date clothing, get out of a burning building and and a second payment after six months of em- check the temperature of a closed door. The one- After the patient's initial needs assessment, ployment. All employees and house staff officers hour classes are taught by healthcare experts members of the foot center healthcare team of- with the exception of administrators, depart- from Barnes' burn center, departments of social fer recommendations to the patient's private ment heads, N.S.A.B.