MVHS ACQUIRES NEW STOMP OUT CANCER TELETHON MVHS OFFERS INNOVATIVE DA VINCI® XI™ SURGICAL SYSTEM MAKES DOUBLE THE IMPACT WATCHMAN HEART PROCEDURE PAGE 4 PAGE 14 PAGE 16 TRANSFORMING HEALTHCARE FROM EXCELLENT TO EXCEPTIONAL | THIRD QUARTER 2019 MVHS LAUNCHES NEW SYSTEM-WIDE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD: EPIC By MILLIE CONDON | Page 9 Table of Contents MVHS held the 113th graduation ceremony for St. Elizabeth College of Nursing in May, with 81 new nurses graduated. 3 | News In Brief 11 | MyCare – Transforming MVHS 16 | MVHS Offers Innovative from the Inside Out WATCHMAN Heart Procedure 4 | MVHS Acquires New da® Vinci Xi™ Surgical System 12 | Orthopedic Surgeon 17 | The 23rd Annual Miracle Introduces Non-Operative Drawing Kicks Off 6 | MVHS Volunteers Gift More Option for Knee Pain Than $2 Million to MVHS since 18 | MVHS Hosts Open House for Turn of Century 13 | MVHS Among First in Breastfeeding Moms New York State to Offer 7 | New Regional Medical Center Innovative TCAR Procedure 19 | I-CARE Stories Model Reveal 14 | Stomp Out Cancer Telethon 8 | MVHS Launches New Achieves Goal, Makes Double System-Wide Electronic the Impact Health Record: Epic 2 · INSIDER | Q3 { NEWS IN BRIEF MVHS Introduces Medication NEWS Takeback Program In March, MVHS installed pharmaceutical drop-off receptacles at IN BRIEF each of its three main campuses: Faxton Campus – Urgent Care, 1676 Sunset Avenue, Utica; St. Elizabeth Campus – Emergency Department, 2209 Genesee Street, Utica and St. Luke’s – Campus Emergency Department, 1656 Champlin Avenue, Utica. Edward S. Barton Trust These receptacles are monitored by security and cameras at all Awards $100,000 to MVHS times. The drop-offs are free, safe and completely confidential. Waterville Medical Office Consumers and caregivers are encouraged to remove expired, unwanted or unused medicines from their homes as quickly as The Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) Foundation was awarded possible to help reduce the chance that others accidentally take or a $100,000, two-year grant from Edward S. Barton, Bank of America, intentionally misuse the unneeded medicine, and to help reduce the N.A., Co-Trustee to assist in renovations of the MVHS Waterville amount of drugs from entering the environment.1 1 Medical Office located at the Madison Street Business Park, 358 U.S. Food & Drug Administration, 2019, Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know. Madison Street, Waterville, New York. This grant is for renovations needed after consolidating the two Waterville Medical Offices. MVHS Graduates New Prohibition Party Nurses, Family Medicine and On Friday, April 26, 2019, MVHS Foundation and F.X. Matt Brewery Dental Residency Students held the 11th annual Prohibition Party at the historic F.X. Matt Brew- ing Co. The event was presented by Theresa Flemma, CFP®, director In May 2019, the St. Elizabeth College of Nursing (SECON) graduated at Baird, Flemma Gornick Group. 81 new nurses. Additionally in June 2019, ten doctors graduated from St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency Program. Five of the graduating residents will stay in the area to work, and four will be working for MVHS. Our Dental Residency Program also graduated five dental residents. Congratulations to all our graduates! Above: Partygoers enjoy the 2019 MVHS Foundation Prohibition Party. Right: (left to right) Allysa Prashad, MD, Captain William I. Lin, MD, Gregory Marra, MD, Sukhi Sandhu, MD, Yagnasri Eagala, MD, Heraa Chaudhry, MD, George Wickramanayake, MD, Kyung Auh, MD, Phillips S. Cao, MD and Sophie Alesna-Sabang, MD graduted from the Family Medicine Residency Program at MVHS. Q3 | INSIDER · 3 NEW DA VINCI XI SURGICAL SYSTEM AT MVHS} MVHS ACQUIRES NEW DA VINCI® XI ™ SURGICAL SYSTEM BY GRACE FERNANDEZ Jonathan Blancaflor, MD, director of Robotic Surgery at MVHS. 4 · INSIDER | Q3 {NEW DA VINCI XI SURGICAL SYSTEM AT MVHS “This system is a great example of how the advancement of technology will allow us to do amazing things for our patients.” - Jonathan Blancaflor, MD, director of Robotic Surgery at MVHS VHS has acquired a second clarity. The robot provides the ability to allows our surgeons to perform even surgical robot. The da Vinci® Xi™ attach the endoscope to any arm, provid- more complex procedures and show our Robotic Surgical System is an ad- ing flexibility for visualizing the surgical site community that their medical needs can M ® dition to the da Vinci Si™ robot acquired in and has smaller, thinner arms with newly be met right here at home.” 2017. Surgeons at MVHS use the da Vinci Si designed joints that offer a greater range Patients that benefit from robotic to remove lung tumors, urological, gyneco- of motion than ever before. surgery include, but are not limited to, logic, thoracic, cardiac and general surgery “The acquisition of this new robot is a patients with hernias, colon cancer and procedures. A new and secondary robot perfect example of the many ways MVHS is urological issues. will allow for MVHS Robotics Department bringing advanced medicine and innova- For more information on the da Vinci Xi to expand and allow more patients tion to our region,” said Darlene Stromstad, System at MVHS, visit mvhealthsystem.org/ to receive state-of-the-art care. FACHE, president/CEO. “The da Vinci Xi, robotics. v On Monday, April 22, 2019, Jonathan Blancaflor, MD, director of Robotic Surgery at MVHS, successfully completed the first surgery at MVHS with the da Vinci Xi, which Dr. Blancaflor says would not have The da Vinci Xi incorporates a new been possible without this specialized overhead instrument arm architecture designed that allows anatomical access robotic device. from virtually any position. Inset: smaller, “The surgery went smoothly and the thinner arms and newly designed joints team handled it flawlessly,” said Dr. Blanca- offer a greater range of motion. flor. “This system is a great example of how the advancement of technology will allow us to do amazing things for our patients.” The da Vinci Xi Surgical System has a motion-integrated table that commu- nicates with the robot and allows the surgeon to position the patient dynamically during the procedure. The da Vinci Xi provides a new overhead instrument arm architecture designed to facilitate anatomical access from virtually any position. It also has a new endoscope that creates a simpler, more compact design with improved vision definition and Q3 | INSIDER · 5 MVHS VOLUNTEERS REACH MILESTONE} MVHS Volunteers Gift (Front row, left to right) Linda Kurtyka, Paula Fontaine and Michele Adams. (Back row, left to right) Jane Gwise, Susan Warwick, Patricia Lupia, Cheryl Collins, Nancy Randall, Carole More Than $2 Million Nunziata, Grace Garro, Craig Heuss and John Forbes. Absent from photo are board members, Elise Hereth, Pam Joswick, to MVHS since Turn of Century Margaret Lalonde and Sheila Marlenga. BY ANGELA LINCE n Tuesday, February 19, 2019, MVHS Foundation – whether they are MVHS, there are openings in several de- MVHS Volunteers Mirror Board partnering with us by making a generous partments with flexible assignments and O Members were acknowledged gift toward a critical need, volunteering hours. Some common tasks in which vol- during their monthly board meeting for at an event or providing their unending unteers provide assistance are customer donating more than $2 million to MVHS comfort and support to our community in and sales service in the gift shops, giving since the year 2000. These donations their daily roles, they are making a differ- directions at the lobby information desks, were a combined effort of the Faxton ence. We have always been thankful for keeping families in the waiting rooms up- St. Luke’s Volunteer Association and The all they do and we are so happy to be able dated on their loved ones, delivering mail Guild of St. Elizabeth Medical Center. to recognize such a wonderful milestone to departments and assisting patients in “We are very grateful to celebrate the in their giving.” medical units such as Outpatient Infusion incredible gifts made by the MVHS Volun- Both volunteer groups raise funds and the Emergency Department. teers over the past 19 years as they are through gift shops and vendor sales. To become a volunteer at MVHS, please one of our system’s largest annual and In addition to their monetary gifts, the call the Volunteer Services office at 315- lifetime donors,” said John Forbes, vice volunteers contribute more than 24,000 624-6142 or visit mvhealthsystem.org/ president of Philanthropy at MVHS. “Our hours of services to MVHS each year. volunteer. v volunteers provide critical services to the For those interested in volunteering at 6 · INSIDER | Q3 {NEW REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER MODEL The model brings the #MVHSDowntown vision to life, showcasing the hospital footprint and surrounding areas in Downtown Utica. New Regional Medical Center Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. and Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce Executive Model Reveal Director Meghan Fraser McGrogan check out the model of the new regional medical center. BY CAITLIN McCANN n April 2019, MVHS introduced a new addition to the Regional Medical Cen- I ter endeavors that physically brings the #MVHSDowntown vision to life - on a miniature scale. Since the exterior Regional Medical Center renderings were publicly released on October 26, 2018, discussion of creating a model lingered among MVHS and its project partners. The importance of demonstrating to the public how the MVHS Regional Medical Center will con- tribute to the revitalization of Downtown Utica continues to be a focal point in the beginnings of the project. To kick-off the revealing of the model, the portable 3D sky view of Utica was first shown at the 11th annual Prohibition Par- ty on Friday, April 26, 2019, located at the historic F.X. Matt Brewing Co., 830 Varick Street, Utica, New York. Over 300 guests had an exclusive first look at the model.