‘Nurses News’ Category

March 19 is nationally recognized as Certified Nurses Day, and Southern Ohio Medical Center is marking the occasion by honoring its 188 board certified nurses.

“We are so proud of our nurses and the excellent care they offer our patients each and every day,” Vice President of Patient Services and Chief Nursing Officer Claudia Burchett said. “Nurses represent one of the most critical and essential components of our modern healthcare system.”

Certification, as defined by the American Board of Nursing Specialties, is the formal recognition of the knowledge, skills and experience demonstrated by achieving the standards identified to promote optimal health results in a nursing specialty.

“It takes personal dedication and persistence to achieve and maintain certification,” Burchett said. “The hard work, professionalism and dedication that these nurses possess is vital to the care we provide at SOMC.”

SOMC encourages all of its nurses to pursue board certification, and currently has certified nurses working in 24 separate patient-care areas. The hospital will host a Nursing Certification Fair on March 19 to help nurses prepare for certification and learn more about the process.

For more information, visit www.somc.org or “like” SOMC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SouthernOhioMedicalCenter.

Southern Ohio Medical Center has announced it will be partnering with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to bring additional resources and care to pediatric and neonatal patients.

“We consider it our responsibility to make sure our community has access to the best care possible, and this new affiliation will help us do just that,” Randy Arnett, president and CEO of SOMC, said. “By combining the resources and expertise of Nationwide Children’s Hospital with that of our current pediatricians, we can bring our patients a higher level of pediatric care and service.”

As part of the affiliation, SOMC will be able to directly consult with specialists at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. SOMC’s medical staff will also benefit from training and mentoring programs as well as state-of-the-art pediatric research and clinical trials.

“Together, SOMC and Nationwide Children’s Hospital will build upon the tremendous care already provided by our current pediatricians,” Arnett said. “They will be able to provide even greater care by taking advantage of Nationwide Children’s telemedicine services and pediatric and neonatology expertise.

“Our hospitals will also be able to work together to place graduating residents from Nationwide Children’s Hospital right here in southern Ohio, which will directly impact the quality of care available at SOMC.”

“We are looking forward to our formal collaboration with Southern Ohio Medical Center,” said Gil Peri, vice president of Regional Development at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.  “We will bring our pediatric expertise to the community working closely with local pediatricians to enhance care in the Portsmouth and surrounding communities.  Together we can improve the health of the neonatal and pediatric community we serve.”

Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Ranked 7th of only 12 children’s hospitals on U.S.News & World Report’s 2012-13 “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric healthcare networks providing wellness, preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care for infants, children, and adolescents, as well as adult patients with congenital disease. In June 2012, the hospital celebrated completion of the largest pediatric expansion construction project in United States history, adding 2.1 million square feet of clinical, research and support facilities to total 5.3 million square feet on its main campus.  A medical staff of 1,100 and 8,300 employees provide state-of-the-art pediatric care for nearly one million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. Nationwide Children’s remains true to the original mission since its founding in 1892 of providing care regardless of a family’s ability to pay. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.

SOMC Home Health Services has been named a Top Agency of the 2012 HomeCare Elite, which is a compilation of the top-performing home health agencies in the United States.

“This is a tremendous honor,” Karen Thompson, administrative director of SOMC Home Care, said. “It has long been our goal to provide the patients of this area with the best Home Care possible.  Being named one of HomeCare Elite’s Top Agencies of 2012 shows that our hard work is paying off, and we hope to provide even greater care in 2013.”

HomeCare Elite identifies the top 25 percent of Medicare-certified agencies in the U.S.   Agencies are evaluated by an analysis of publicly available performance measures in quality outcomes, process measure implementation, patient experience, quality improvement and financial performance.

“The 2012 HomeCare Elite winners demonstrate a commitment to providing patient-centered care and serving as leaders in the home health community. Their success offers data-driven proof of being well-managed and high quality care providers to hospitals, managed care organizations, ACOs, and other potential referral partners across the healthcare continuum,” said Susan L. Henricks, President and COO of National Research Corporation, the parent company of OCS HomeCare. “Again, this year, we updated our methodology to reflect the rapidly evolving quality-focused healthcare landscape and national value-based purchasing trends. We congratulate SOMC on being recognized as a top home care agency.”

For more information, visit www.somc.org or like SOMC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SouthernOhioMedicalCenter.

Members of the Cardiovascular Testing Lab at Southern Ohio Medical Center recently donated $300 to the Ohio River Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. The funds were collected in lieu of department Christmas gifts and will be used to benefit victims and relief efforts of Hurricane Sandy. Shown on the day of the donation are Ohio River Valley American Red Cross Executive Director Mary Arnzen, Registered Nurse Claudia Wilburn, and other employees of the SOMC Cardiovascular Testing Department.

Southern Ohio Medical Center was one of just 620 hospitals nationwide to be named as one of the Joint Commission’s “Top Performers on Key Quality Measures.” SOMC was the only hospital in the tri-state region to earn the distinction.

SOMC was recognized for offering excellent care for treating heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia as well as surgical care. The designation is based on aggregation of accountability measure data reported to The Joint Commission during the previous calendar year.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized for providing our patients with excellent care in so many areas,” Claudia Burchett, vice president of Patient Services, said. “We strive to provide the area with the best healthcare possible, and it’s encouraging that the Joint Commission recognizes that we’re doing just that.”

The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Only the top 18 percent were honored as “Top Performers on Key Quality Measures.”

“Every patient that walks through our doors deserves excellent care,” Valerie DeCamp, director of nursing at SOMC, said. “That is something they expect to receive from SOMC, and everyone here works hard to make sure it is delivered.”

Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards. For the full list of hospitals recognized by the Joint Commission, visit www.jointcommission.org.

For more information, “like” SOMC on Facebook.

Southern Ohio Medical Center has once again received the Ohio Hospital Association’s (OHA) Top 20 Percent Award for being one of the safest healthcare facilities in the state.

 The award is given through OHA’s Statewide Hospital Safety Campaign, which annually recognizes hospitals and healthcare systems that have secured the most successful safety programs and superior employee safety records. The safety awards were created in 1953 by the OHA and the Industrial Commission of Ohio to promote workplace safety.

 “This honor shows that SOMC is not only working to provide a safe environment for our patients and visitors, but also our employees,” Christy Aeh, director of SOMC Safety Services, said. “It’s a true accomplishment and is yet another way to measure our progress toward achieving excellence at SOMC.”

 Twenty Percent winners were chosen based on their organization’s submitted Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses data, which included the total recordable employee injury cases and days away from work for the past year. SOMC was recognized among 14 other healthcare facilities.

 “Safety is a priority in everything we do and this award proves our dedication to go above and beyond,” Chief Safety Officer Leeann L. Sammons, vice president of SOMC Health and Safety, said. “Our employees have been working to create and sustain a culture of safety and an exceptionally safe work environment and it’s wonderful to see the collaboration that has been made to produce these outcomes. We thank our leaders and staff members for their teamwork and congratulate them on their success.”

 For more Southern Ohio Medical Center news, ‘like’ SOMC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SouthernOhioMedicalCenter.

Nursing leaders at Southern Ohio Medical Center were recently selected to present during the 13th Annual PRC Excellence in Healthcare conference, held June 3-6 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

More than 300 clients and distinguished guests attended the event, which aimed to further educate healthcare professionals interested in achieving service excellence.

Those who presented included Claudia Burchett, RN, BSN, MBA, FACHE, NEA-BC, chief nursing officer and vice president of Nursing at SOMC; Mary Kate Dilts Skaggs, RN, BSN, MSN, NE-BC, director of SOMC Emergency, Outpatient and Pediatric Services; and Valerie DeCamp, RN, BSN, MHA, NE-BC, director of SOMC Inpatient Nursing Services.

Dilts Skaggs and DeCamp presented, “From Very Good to Excellent, Service Tools, Strategies and Action Plans to Achieve Results,” while Burchett was chosen to sit among a panel that discussed “Creative Ways to Reward and Recognize Staff.”

“This is the second year we have been chosen to present at the annual PRC conference and we hope to do so again,” Burchett said. “It was a great opportunity for our organization and the sessions helped us gain invaluable knowledge that can be used to better continue SOMC’s journey toward excellence and perfection. We look forward to returning.”

Southern Ohio Medical Center was recently honored with an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits.

Calculated under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group’s nine-member Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 26 measures of publicly available safety data to produce a single score representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from infections, injuries, and medical and medication errors.

Through the collected data, U.S. hospitals areassigned an A, B, C, D, or F.

“To earn an ‘A’ for our Hospital Safety Score is quite an accomplishment and a true testament to the exceptionally safe environment we have created at SOMC,” Chief Safety Officer Leeann L. Sammons, vice president of SOMC Health and Safety, said. “It’s through the dedication of many employees that we are able to sustain this excellent safety culture and I’m grateful for the strides that have been made to provide the safest patient-care possible.”

The Leapfrog Group is a national organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of healthcare to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality, and affordability of healthcare for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals.

“It’s The Leapfrog Group’s goal to give patients the information they need and deserve before even entering a hospital,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said. “We congratulate the hospitals that earned an ‘A’ and we look forward to the day when all hospitals in the U.S. will earn the highest scores for putting patient safety first.”

To see SOMC’s scores as they compare nationally and locally, or to find information on how you can protect yourself and your and loved one during a hospital stay, visit the Hospital Safety Score website at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.

Nursing is a field unlike any other. It is physically and emotionally demanding and requires those who accept its challenges to be driven by more than monetary gain.

Lisa McGowan, Amy Montgomery and Nicholas Erlenwein are all nurses at Southern Ohio Medical Center. McGowan is an RN Case Manager, Montgomery a HomeCare Clinical Coordinator and Erlenwein a circulating nurse in surgery.

Their jobs may be different, but their motivations are the same: They are driven by a desire to make a difference.

“I think it’s just something that’s inside of you,” Montgomery said. “Health care is just something that felt like a calling for me.”

SOMC, and other healthcare facilities nationwide, honored those who hear that calling during National Nurses Week. Nurses Week beginsevery year on May 6 and concludes May 12, which is also the birthday of Florence Nightengale. Nightengale is known as the founder of modern nursing.

“National Nurses Week is an important event for our hospital because it gives us the opportunity to acknowledge the individuals who dedicate themselves to bettering the lives of others,” Claudia Burchett, chief nursing office and vice president of SOMC Patient Services, said.

Montgomery and McGowan joined SOMC in 1990s, but have worked in health care for longer than that. They believe there is a dedication forexcellent care at SOMC that sets the hospital apart.

“SOMC is full of caring people. They care deeply for the patients, and they care deeply for their employees,” McGowan said.

Erlenwein has been at SOMC for six years and has already developed close relationships with his co-workers, as well as with his patients.

“This surgery’s like a big family to me,” Erlenwein. “We work so closely together that you form bonds and friendships. There are also relationships you form with the patients. They’re trusting their lives with you, and you want to do everything you can to take care of them.”

For SOMC nurses, the knowledge that they make such a meaningful difference in the lives of their patients is perhaps the most fulfilling part of the job. For those who answer its call, Montgomery believes that nursing can be one of the most rewarding professions there is.

“You get fulfillment out of every day that you go to work,” Montgomery said.

Nearly 50 high school students considering a career in healthcare got the opportunity to take a closer look at their dream jobs during Southern Ohio Medical Center’s Nursing Camp event at the SOMC Friends Center.

Nurse Recruiter Katy Stephens said the event helps students decide whether or not they want to enter the healthcare field. For those who do, it also offers insight into numerous nursing specialties.

“The students in attendance learn more about surgical nursing, maternity nursing, cardiac nursing and emergency nursing as well as community health and wellness,” Stephens said. “When the weather allows it, we even bring in a helicopter and give them a glimpse into flight nursing.”

SOMC invited four students each from 15 local high schools to the event. Guidance counselors were tasked with selecting which students to send. Among those in attendance was Minford sophomore Olivia Thoroughman, 16, who said she enjoyed the hands-on elements of Nursing Camp.

“I enjoyed the surgical segment and being able to use the simulation tools,” Thoroughman said.

In addition to encouraging the interest of students like Thoroughman, SOMC also helps aspiring healthcare providers by explaining the various routes they can take to become a nurse. SOMC also offers financial assistance for nursing school to employees.

Stephens said that SOMC’s Nursing Camp event is continuing to grow and receive positive feedback. In fact, the students are consistently asking for more.

“The most common things we hear is that they want to go into the actual hospital and see the work we do first-hand,” Stephens said. “That feedback led us to pass out flyers for shadowing opportunities at SOMC this year.”

Although they may not be able to engage in patient care as high school students, events like Nursing Camp are meant to help put them on the path to doing just that later in life.