No Flu for You =E2=80=93 flu =
vaccine encouraged to=20
promote
patient safety
by Laura Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, =
Banner Heart Hospital and Banner Baywood
Medical=20
Center
![](3D"http://bit.ly/NlY12c")
Banner Health is making the flu vaccination =
mandatory for its=20
employees, volunteers, vendors and students (except in the =
case of=20
those with documented medical or religious exemptions). The=20
vaccination is not mandatory for physicians; however, CEO =
Laura=20
Robertson is encouraging physicians to stand with Banner =
Health by=20
volunteering to become vaccinated for influenza. Read more as she discusses the importance of =
the=20
influenza vaccination within the health care =
setting.
Physicians: please use
your =
care=20
sets!
by Mark =
Starling,=20
Chief Medical Officer,
Banner Heart Hospital =
![](3D"http://bit.ly/PYN1fi")
Why are care sets important to our physicians and =
patients?=20
Because we are engaged in an acute care episode bundled =
pilot=20
project for heart failure, acute myocardial infarction and =
coronary=20
artery bypass grafts. Find out about care sets and the importance =
of using=20
them.
Prioritizing patient experience =
by David =
Wilcoxson, Chief=20
of Staff
![](3D"http://bit.ly/TcBHNz")
Dr. Wilcoxson shares more information about how to =
make the=20
patient experience better=E2=80=94leading to increased =
patient satisfaction=20
and higher survey scores. Learn more about ways you can improve your =
patients=E2=80=99=20
experience.
Banner=20
Baywood receives Level III Trauma Center designation =
![](3D"http://bit.ly/Tckqns")
Banner Baywood Medical Center is =
now certified=20
as a Level III Trauma Center. With the Level III Trauma =
Center=20
designation in place, Banner Baywood is now capable of =
handling=20
serious traumatic injuries and procedures are in place to =
quickly=20
transfer patients requiring a higher level of care. All =
facilities=20
within Banner Health will have trauma centers by 2013.=20
Kim Despres=20
named
cardiac associate administrator
![](3D"http://bit.ly/Q1Lcdz") =
Kim Despres, DHA, RN, has been =
named cardiac=20
associate administrator for Banner Heart Hospital and Banner =
Baywood=20
Medical Center. This is the first time there has been a =
specific=20
role designed to coordinate the cardiac care between both=20
facilities. Most recently, Despres served as director of =
Banner Good=20
Samaritan Medical Center=E2=80=99s 105-bed Progressive Care =
Unit. In that=20
role, she assisted in developing the Banner Good Samaritan=20
Transitional Medicine Program for heart failure patients. =
Despres=20
was responsible for the facility=E2=80=99s heart failure =
core measure, which=20
had progressive improvement over three years and exceeded =
the system=20
target. She has doctorate and master=E2=80=99s degrees in =
healthcare=20
administration from the University of Phoenix and earned her =
RN/BSN=20
from Grand Canyon University.
Nominate someone today =
for the=20
2011 Guardian Award
![](3D"http://bit.ly/PY2B9E")
Each year, on Banner Heart =
Hospital's=20
anniversary, we recognize two members of the Banner Heart =
family=E2=80=94one=20
physician and one employee or volunteer=E2=80=94whose work =
has inspired=20
others through the following Guardian virtues:=20
- Wisdom=20
- Warmth=20
- Strength=20
- Integrity=20
- Gentleness
Nominations are now being accepted =
through Sept.=20
14. For more information, contact Banner Heart Hospital=20
Administration at 480-854-5050, BHHadmin@bannerhealth.com. =
|
Joint Commission =
Compliance Update=20
All histories and physicals should =
be completed=20
and/or updated with a signature, dated and timed, prior to =
all=20
procedures/surgeries. This is a Joint Commission requirement =
and was=20
a finding during their recent survey.
In June, =
the=20
cardiovascular operating room was at 81 percent compliance =
and in=20
July it was at 86 percent. The catheterization lab was at 66 =
percent=20
compliance in June, improving to 86 percent in=20
July.
Opportunities for continuous improvement =
include=20
documentation of the time and date when updating and a =
documented=20
history & physical no older than 30 days and updated =
within 24=20
hours of a procedure.
*2G PowerNote conversion is=20
here!
![](3D"http://bit.ly/L63Ca8")
- The conversion will be completed by
Oct. 31=20
- New functions to include the potential future use of =
Dragon=20
and better integration of Apple products (not supplied or=20
supported by Banner Health at this time), additional smart =
templates and greater individual simplification and =
customization=20
- If you are using them, all pre-completed notes and =
macros must=20
be converted to the new format=20
- Clinical Informatics will have concentrated support =
for you=20
during your conversion period. Please contact your =
Clinical=20
Informatics team at 480-321-4668 if you have questions or =
would=20
like to schedule a time for assistance with your =
conversion.=20
Click here for additional updates from your =
Clinical=20
Informatics team.
Surgery=20
department endorses new sacral dressing policy=20
The Department of Surgery studied =
the use of=20
sacral dressings, placing them preventatively in pre-op on =
52=20
high-risk surgical patients for two months earlier this =
year. During=20
the trial, only one patient developed a stage one wound on=20
post-operative day five. It is unclear from the =
documentation=20
whether that patient still had the dressing on or not. Based =
on=20
these results the Department of Surgery has decided to =
endorse the=20
use of preventative sacral dressings for high-risk surgical =
patients=20
and will begin using the dressings as soon as they are=20
restocked.
Clinical =
investigators=20
required to complete training
Banner Health and the Western =
Institutional=20
Review Board require human subject protection training for =
all=20
investigators and staff members who participate in clinical =
trials.=20
Physicians will not be allowed to participate in research =
until they=20
have completed this training. This includes physicians involved =
in=20
ongoing research studies. The training can be completed via a =
free online tutorial. For more =
information,=20
contact Barbara Lambeth, RN, CCRC, CCRP, research director, =
at=20
480-854-5178 or email. Read more about the required training.=20
New food=20
selections added to physician lounge =
Based on physician feedback, the =
Banner Heart=20
Hospital physician lounge is providing a variety of =
healthier=20
options. Overall, the menu now includes more vegetarian =
options and=20
heart-healthy selections. On Wednesday, a Chinese wok =
station is=20
available and on Fridays, a special salad bar is being set =
up. This=20
will remain through September. Options may change seasonally =
and=20
updates will be provided in Heart.doc. =
Don=E2=80=99t=20
forget =E2=80=93 we=E2=80=99re tobacco-free! =
=20
Just a reminder that Banner Health =
facilities=20
have been tobacco-free since 2010. This includes cigarettes, =
cigars,=20
pipe tobacco, smokeless or chewing tobacco by anyone on our =
grounds=20
or inside our facility. As a nationally-recognized leader =
and=20
provider of health care, we are committed to being health =
advocates=20
for those we serve. In addition to improved health, other =
advantages=20
include a cleaner workplace, decreased fire risk, lower =
maintenance=20
costs and improved productivity. Please be mindful of this =
policy=20
and help us to remind patients and family members. Banner =
Health=20
does provide a tobacco-cessation information on its =
website for=20
those ready to quit using tobacco products. =
Welcome:
New Medical =
Staff=20
Members!
Banner Heart has welcomed several =
new medical=20
staff members! Please offer a warm welcome to:=20
- Kristine Brazzel, PSYD (Psychology)=20
- Tzvi Neuman, DO (e-ICU)=20
- James Nowakowski, MD (Anesthesiology)=20
- Howard Saft, MD (e-ICU)=20
- Arthur M. Taylor, DO (Internal Medicine)=20
- Bradley White, PhD (Psychology)
Medical Staff=20
calendar
![](3D"http://bit.ly/wcR9g7")
Find out what Medical =
Staff meetings=20
are taking place at Banner Heart Hospital. View the September and October meeting=20
calendars.
Medical Staff=20
Committee Updates
Take a look at what the Banner =
Heart medical=20
staff committees have been discussing. View July and August committee meeting =
highlights.=20
|