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May 18, 2015
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Volume 4, Issue 20
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SERVICE EXCELLENCE
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Service Standard of the Week
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Professional Language:
We communicate with respect and courtesy to colleagues and patients. We address patients, families, and customers based on their preference, using Mr., Mrs., Ms. or their preferred name.
Attributes of Professional Language:
- Convey professionalism by using verbiage that enhances the patient experience.
- Careful not to use inappropriate words/phrases like - Hon, Honey, Sweetie, Darling, Girlfriend, etc.
- Be polite in speech using words like "please" and "thank you."
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Professional Language/Image
By Lori DeRosa, Clinical Service Manager & Service Excellence Champion
There are many ways in which our professional language leaves a lasting image. We communicate orally including voicemail, through e-mail and texting, with body language and with the attitude/tone in which we speak. The messages we convey leave lasting impressions not only on our patients and caregivers but our peers, business associates, referral sources, etc.
Did you know it takes just one-tenth of a second for us to judge someone and create a first impression? First encounters are based on a wide range of characteristics: age, race, culture, language, gender, physical appearance, accent, posture, voice, and number of people present at the time. All of these characteristics greatly influence our professional relationships and confidence in the service we provide.
Casual language such as Hi, no problem, sure, yup, no biggie, I got this, got ya covered, awesome, cool, etc. are some of the expressions that are not confidence builders for a professional relationship.
Typo's count: misspelled words make an impression too! Ti si evry diffiluct to read as wlel! E-mailing and texting can often be misinterpreted so it is very important to make sure your message is clear.
Body language and facial expressions tell a story; smiling, eyebrow position, emotional expression, arms crossed in front of the body, and eye contact (when appropriate) are some of the ways in which people make assumptions about your communication, positive or negative.
Confidence, good communication, patience, positive attitude, appropriate tone of voice, and mutual respect are paramount to providing service excellence.
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Old Adages still have merit!
- "It isn't always what you say, but how you say it"
- "please and thank you go a long way"
- "treat people the way you would expect to be treated", and
- "perception is 99.9% of reality!"
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Anne Zettek-Sumner reaches out to manager Michele Mercuri to compliment Amy Murray, RN Team 75
Anne Zettek-Sumner called me to compliment Admission Nurse Amy Murray. Anne stated her documentation was fantastic, the right amount of information in the right format. Anne could easily determine what had been done and what needed to be done. She thanked her for her exceptional documentation.
Amy has been here less than a year and is doing a fantastic job!
To Dave Hanley, Computer Operations Manage, regarding PC Techs
Eric Bromberg and John Severin have been truly fantastic to work with! I have not had any interactions before today, nothing but +++ things to say!
- Anne Zettek-Sumner
Dr. Pilkington and BWH iCMP Case Manager call to acknowledge Nursing and Therapy
Regarding: Holly Hughes, RN South End Team and Galina Brusilovsky, PT Charlestown Rehab Team, as reported by Physician Order Line R.N Mae Powers
Received a call from Rose Zawia, BWH ICMP Case Manager, expressing how wonderful Holly Hughes is with their patient. Dr Pilkington asked Rose to call "that nice nurse Holly" to see this particular patient. Dr Pilkington stated she was a "Star". Rose also wanted to express how Galina helps you to see the full picture of what is going on with mobility and goals for all her patients. Rose has learned so much more about the patient through Galina. Dr Pilkington and Rose expressed how they are a great team.
Patients' Note of Appreciation to Clinical Services Manager Julie Boone regarding Karri Crowley, RN
Dear Ms. Boone:
All too many times people write to complain, degrade, or negatively vent on employees. This is not one of those letters.
This is express my gratitude to one of your employees named Karri who visited me yesterday and was so impressive with her wealth of medical knowledge, I could not just ignore her qualities and must afford her well deserved "kudos".
Karri had an answer for all the questions I had. She also gave me a thorough and quality exam.
I can't explain how mesmerized I was in recognizing her detailed procedures. And her caring demeanor always with my health benefits as paramount. I discussed many illnesses I have but when I told her I can't take Flomax for my prostate issues she said ask the doctor about "proscar"...She appears to know everything about everything.
I just want to add that when VNA hired karri, they hit a "home run" Thanks for the opportunity to express my views and appreciation to VNA in sending me a quality nurse,
My best regards to you Ms. Boone
Susan Walker, PT passes along patient praise for Tom Durkin, OT
Passing along a compliment for Tom Durkin, This patient is very, very impressed with him and appreciates the care he has given her. "He is a great O.T, a great teacher and very thorough and kind. I agree!
- Sue
From Frederick J., VNA Care Network Volunteer to Mary Ann O'Connor
Mary Ann - Acknowledging that a sample sizes of one is dangerous, I wanted to share my recent experience. [My wife's] mom, 92, broke her arm in a fall Wednesday morning. We had to be away all day at a funeral and were dealing with everything by phone. Late in the afternoon my wife learned that her mom was being discharged from the hospital and was asked if she had a preference for home care. She asked me and I said VNACN&H.
The VNACN&H call came within minutes and Jane commented that the caller was professional and efficient. They scheduled a visit for Thursday.
As it turns out, I happened to be visiting my mother in law yesterday when a Meghan from the Needham office visited. She was personable, professional, and kind yet firm about her recommendations. We chatted about OASIS and I told her that I volunteer with VNACN&H. She offered that it is the best agency that she has worked for.
I tend to get wrapped up in financial statements and investments and it's easy to miss the important work that you do every day. I'm a proud volunteer.
- Fred J.
From Beth Mena, IV Clinical Services Manager about Danny Pagliuca
On April 15 I was presenting an IV Class in the Charlestown office. I ran into Danny Pagliuca shortly after lunch time and he said I should help myself to some cake in the board room as there was a cake and people were celebration of Linda Britt's birthday. I didn't take the time to get any but shortly after, in walks Danny into the conference with a platter (actually a plastic tub top) with 7 servings of cake, enough for me and all the nurses attending the class.
He is really something special. He has always been so very helpful to me when I am in Charlestown. It's often the little things that matter, you know. He has done so many little things for me I can't even count, He deserves to be recognized. He gives character and warmth to that office and exemplifies a true sense of cooperation.
Grateful Patient calls Wendy Drake re: Michael Hoadley, PT - Worcester Office
A patients father called and was requesting that Michael be the therapist to evaluate and treat his son. The father states that his son was mentally challenged and that forming relationships can be difficult and stressful for him. The father went on to state that Michael bonded well with the patient in a past episode and that he was able to motivate the patient to work toward his therapy goals.
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AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPDATES
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DON'T LET A HACKER PHISH IN YOUR E-MAIL!
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Please see below for an incredibly important message recently sent out by Atrius Health. Phishing schemes are becoming one of the largest sources of data breaches across all industries. You can never be too careful. If you question the legitimacy of an email, contact the IS Department before sharing any information.
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You may have read in the news about a recent incident where Partners Healthcare employees' email accounts were hacked, leading to a potential data breach. This was the result of a "phishing" scam in which several Partners employees received emails requesting information which the employees then provided, believing the request was legitimate. The information the employees provided allowed unauthorized access to their email accounts. As a result of this "phishing", patient information that was in the employees' emails may have been exposed. Partners is in the process of notifying affected patients about the incident.
While Atrius Health has a robust security infrastructure designed to limit the likelihood of the type of event that occurred at Partners, we are not immune from such attacks. It is critical for all staff to be vigilant and use good judgment when using email and Atrius Health's computer networks in order to protect the security and privacy of our systems and corporate and patient information. As a reminder:
- Never provide your password or other personal information in response to an email request without first confirming that the request is legitimate. Our IT department will never request personal identification or passwords via email or a link sent in an email.
- Do not open or respond to suspicious emails, or click on links within those emails. Immediately report suspicious emails to IT and delete them.
- When using email to communicate about patient matters, include only the minimum amount of patient information necessary for that communication. Whenever possible, do not include full patient names and medical record numbers in email, and do not include full patient names on email subject lines. Social security numbers should not be communicated by email.
- Before using email to communicate with outside individuals or organizations about patients, confirm that we have a secure email route. If there is not a secure email route, and you need to send patient or other confidential information, ask IT for assistance in sending an encrypted message or use another method of communication (e.g., Federal Express with signature upon receipt required).
- Do not use personal or non-Atrius Health email accounts for Atrius Health business or to communicate about our patients.
If you have any questions about email and IT security, please contact the IS Department immediately.
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CLINICAL SERVICES
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Clinical Services Announcements and Updates
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Hello From Your New Director of Rehabilitative Services!
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My name is Judy Walsh, and I joined VNA Care Network Foundation & Subsidiaries as Director of Rehabilitative Services on Monday, April 28, 2015.
I've had the pleasure of meeting many of you since that time, and look forward to meeting you if I have not yet had the opportunity!
As you may know, I'm a Physical Therapist and have worked in a variety of settings. Despite the setting, I've found a few things to be consistently true.
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- The patient always needs to be at the center of our decisions.
- We clinicians can't ignore, and need to understand, the impact of the clinical care we provide on outcomes and operational results. Don't let that stress you out, it's our job as leadership to make that clear and relevant. And back to #1, our decisions are made based on patient needs.
- We need to talk to each other. It sounds silly but it's easy to forget when we get busy, and so our systems and processes for communication ideally build in some reminders and structure to allow this to happen routinely. I have that discussion frequently with therapists who have left other settings where their teammates were just down the hall, reassuring them that they're still there - just at the other end of the phone!
- We need to challenge each other, respectfully, to keep getting better. I'm so impressed with the support provided to clinicians by the Quality and Education departments and am excited to see that they are interdisciplinary. Joint visits are a huge opportunity, no matter how long you've been practicing - there's always something new to learn.
This is an exciting time for the Agency. As we blend our clinical operations and our cultures, we will continue to learn from each other, glean best practices and come out with a superior result for our patients, families, and staff. I'm proud to be a part of this process and understand how important it is to maintain the integrity of our service delivery, identify our strengths and work collaboratively to achieve the best results.
As you know, we will be looking at best practices within our Rehabilitation Services Department in order to ensure that as we blend, we preserve the strengths of each and ensure that we are providing the team with resources and support necessary to be successful. I'm confident that we will succeed in establishing a model which meets our needs as clinicians, operators, and most importantly, the needs of the patients and families. I'd like to reassure the team that this will be assessed with great care and that I am, and will always be, open to receiving ideas and suggestions. I'll be meeting with staff to collect their input over the coming months. We have such an amazing opportunity to continue to elevate clinical best practices and collaboration by putting our best ideas together.
Here is my contact information, please reach out to me at any time:
I look forward to working with you!
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Rehabilitation Therapy Preceptor Development Course Starts in 3 Offices
The Rehabilitation Therapy Preceptor Development courses that are the first step in our First Work Experience in Home Care For New Graduated Physical Therapists have started! Wendy Drake, Karen Patterson and Jennifer Bilodeau designed and have now started teaching this 16 hour course. They are offering classes in Needham, Worcester and Weymouth in the months of May and June. Thirty-two rehabilitation therapists from across the entire Agency are taking the course...and are well on their way to increasing their knowledge, skill and confidence in clinical instruction. We have also started recruiting Physical Therapists who are graduating this spring to start with us as new grads in early Fall! This work is funded by the Health Care Work Force Transformation Program administered by the Commonwealth Corporation.
Pictured: The Preceptor Development course in Needham.
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Encore Users: Update in Telehealth Eligibility Form
By Paula Schultz, Director of Clinical Services
The TELEHEALTH ELIGIBILITY FORM is now available in every nursing note in the Risk tab area.
Please follow prompts as indicated. Your mangers will have more specific guidelines for you to follow with our Atrius patients. This is a new program for all and thanks for your patience as we work out the details.
 
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To All Staff Using Byram for Supplies
By Carol Jones, Senior CWOCN
It has come to my attention that 50% of our orders are placed after 2 pm in the afternoon. This makes wait times in the afternoon MUCH longer. Please try to order supplies when you are in the patient's home. This way the patient is sure the supplies have been ordered and you won't forget what is needed. It will also spread the orders out over the day, making wait times shorter.
You have done a GREAT job ordering the supplies that are needed for a 2 week period in one order. This has decreased the number of orders under $25. Since Byram pays our shipping costs, this makes them very happy. Thank You!!!
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FUND DEVELOPMENT
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Staff Stride on Behalf of VNA Care Network
Three VNA Care Network employees put on their sneakers and joined hundreds of others walkers in the 28th annual Gloucester Pride Stride. The event raised over $30,000 for nonprofits serving Cape Ann, including VNA Care Network.
Pictured are Karen Fuhrman, a friend of VNA Care Network, (top left); Sheila McCarthy, development assistant, (top right); Diane Crudden, RN (lower left); and Louise Sarofeen, PT (middle) with her twins.
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HUMAN RESOURCES
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Exciting New Position: Virtual Visit Nurse
Position Overview
Provides nursing care to patients in their homes utilizing the Virtual Visit equipment that enables point of care assessment and intervention in coordination with the patient's physician or physician designee.
- Coordinates care with other agency staff, community resources, and the patient's family
- Assesses health and psychological needs of patients and the impact of the home environment on the health and safety of patients
- Collaborates with the primary case manager of the agency and with the MD practice team
- Utilizes agency specialty resources as needed
- Takes leadership in communication and coordination of services
- Utilizes critical thinking for patient assessment and interventions
- Establishes and or updates the plan of care. With the medical doctor, VNACNF clinician, patient, and family; establishes joint goals and plans of care using Agency standards of care
- Communicates regularly with physician and VNACNF clinical staff
Qualifications
- Registered Nurse in Massachusetts
- One year of medical/surgical experience in a sub-acute or acute care environment
- Home care experience preferred
- Strong problem solving skills and critical thinking skills a must
- Competent computer skills and comfort with using multiple software applications
If you are interested in learning more, contact Kathy Duckett, Director of Population Health, at kduckett@vnab.org or your HR representative.
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Job Postings - VNA of Boston and VNA Hospice Care
To learn more about career opportunities listed in the links above, contact Debbie Brown, Human Resources Manager at dbrown@vnab.org.
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Job Postings - VNA Care Network and VNA Hospice Care
To learn more about career opportunities, contact a human resources representative:
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Employee Advisory Team Suggestions
To suggest an area of focus to the Employee Advisory Team (EAT), please email your suggestion to EATSuggestionbox@vnab.org. Suggestions can include ideas to improve current processes and procedures, remove redundancies, or even to provide feedback on something you think is/is not working.
Please feel free to discuss any issues that you would like brought to EAT with the following members of the committee: - Ellen Cavalier
- Michelle Coote
- Kelly Frew
- Jenny Highland
- Mary Helen Mahoney
- Becky Manning
- Susan Marlin Procter
- Annemarie Martin
- Mary McCarthy
- Ilona O'Connor
- Mae Powers
- Maria Rodrigues
- David Rose
- Chris Schultz
- Danny Yan
EAT is also on the lookout for new members. If you're interested in participating, or for more information on what EAT is all about, please reach out to any of the members listed above. Meetings are held monthly and alternate between the Charlestown and Braintree offices.
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INFORMATION SYSTEMS
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Blocking Spam Texts
By George Richardson, CIO
As we have been rolling out iPhones to clinicians, there have been some reports of receiving inappropriate text messages. Unfortunately, as cell phone numbers are recycled, we have no way of knowing who might have had the number previously and what they may have done with it. At this time, there is not a way for us to mass block text messages from originating sources, but here is a way to prevent repeated messages from the same sender. Follow these steps when you receive unwanted text messages:
- When you have the message open, select Details in the upper right hand corner
- Then click the "I" in a the circle next to the sender
- At the bottom of the screen you will see the option to Block this Caller.
- Select that and it will prevent any more from that person.
If you are receiving emails of an inappropriate nature, please notify someone in MIS and we can arrange to have that person or domain blocked from sending emails into our network.
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Changes to the Expiring Password Process
Great News! We have improved our expiring password(s) notification system. As of June 1, 2015 we will be eliminating the reminders sent out via voicemail and interoffice mail. This will be replaced with two emails - one at least 14 days prior to expiration and then a second 1 week later.
When you receive this email, you should update both the network password and your smartphone password as soon as possible, but no later than 5 days after the final notification.
The goal is to make sure all employees receive advance notice that the password will expire and have the opportunity to update it to a new one. Please remember, that all laptops must be communicated at least once every 14 days or they will be made inactive.
Please see below for a sample of the message you will receive. If you have any questions please contact MIS.
Dear George Richardson,
Your Windows password will expire in 5 days.
This message is a reminder that your VNACN network password will be expiring soon.
Please come into the office to change your VNACN network password within the next X days to avoid being locked out of your network resources. This would prevent you from connecting to the VPN and being able to communicate your laptop and/or affect your ability to check email from your Smartphone, iPad or laptop.
If you have an iPad and/or an iPhone, you must also update your password on each device under Settings --> Mail, Contacts, Calendars --> Exchange ActiveSync --> Your email address --> Password. This must be done after you update your Network Password.
If you need instructions on how to change your password, please contact your local IT support person.
Thank you
VNA Care Network MIS department
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QUALITY AND RISK MANAGEMENT
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Dual Coding to Begin in McKesson and Delta over Next Few Weeks
By Jean Clive, Director, Health Information Management
All providers must begin using the new ICD 10 code set on Oct 1, 2015. What is unique to the Home Care setting is that we must to begin dual coding as of Aug 3, 2015 due to the fact that there is the potential for these patients to be recerted after the begin date of Oct 1, 2015. For 60-day episodes, requests for anticipated payment (RAP) beginning Aug 3 should include ICD 9 codes but the final claim - if the episode ends on or after Oct 1 - would include the ICD 10 codes.
The major difference non coders will see is that ICD 9 codes always begin with a numeric number and be 3-5 digits in length while ICD 10 codes will always begin with a letter of the alphabet and be 3 to 7digits in length.
Example:
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ICD 9
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ICD 10
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491.21
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Obstructive chronic bronchitis w/acute exacerbation
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J44.1
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation
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311
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Depressive disorder, not elsewhere classified
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F32.9
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Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified
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The other difference that non coders will see is that in McKesson on the Profile page there will be the list of ICD 9 codes as you see today, these codes will continue to flow to the Oasis Tool and Plan of Care. But just under that will be the list of ICD 10 codes that the coders have used. These codes are only there for practice and will not flow to the Oasis Tool or Plan of Care until after Oct 1, 2015. A second article will follow for Delta users as we are currently working with them and will let you know how that will look prior to us going live with dual coding in Delta. Any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at 617-886-6499 or jclive@vnab.org.
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2nd Quarter OASIS Education
Below is the Quarter 2 OASIS EDUCATION schedule for all offices . Mandatory Attendance is expected for ALL Clinical Professionals. You may attend any site but be sure to sign in on the attendance so you will get credit for attendance. IF you do not attend any of the sessions, you will need to complete the Makeup test and have a meeting with the PCM in your district to be sure you are understanding the Q2 content. The Quality Department is committed to ensuring the CMS guidelines are used in our clinical practice to our patients. Thank you to all our staff for their continued clinical commitment to understanding OASIS and reaching for the Best Outcomes for our patients.
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VNA HOSPICE CARE
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What is Palliative Care?
It is hard to live with a serious illness. You may feel lonely, angry, scared, or sad. You may feel that your treatment is doing more harm than good. You may have pain or other disturbing symptoms. Palliative care can help you and your loved ones cope with all of these things.
Palliative care is a kind of care for people who have serious illnesses. It is different from care to cure your illness, called curative treatment. Palliative care focuses on improving your quality of life-not just in your body, but also in your mind and spirit. Sometimes palliative care is combined with curative treatment.
The kind of care you get depends on what you need. Your goals guide your care. Palliative care can help reduce pain or treatment side effects. Palliative care may help you and your loved ones better understand your illness, talk more openly about your feelings, or decide what treatment you want or do not want. It can also help with communication among your doctors, nurses, and loved ones. (Source: WebMD)
For questions regarding palliative care, contact Robin Wilson, Palliative Care Services Manager, at 781-569-2869 or rwilson@vnab.org.
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HOME STAFF
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Interim Executive Director at Home Staff
We are pleased to announce that Joanne Walsh has joined Home Staff as Interim Executive Director. Joanne is a seasoned, talented, and energetic leader with extensive experience in the home health care industry.
Most recently, Joanne served as Interim Executive Director at Independent Living Services in Southington, Connecticut. Independent Living Services is a private duty affiliate of VNA/Hartford Health Care Systems. Joanne served in that capacity for just under a year and was instrumental in making many improvements in the organization. Prior to that role, Joanne was President and CEO at Constellation Health Services in Norwalk, Connecticut. Joanne served in that role for approximately 5 years and made many contributions including, but not limited to, Constellation Health Services being named a 2011 Top Workplace by Hearst Media Group and receiving a Bronze Best Award from the Connecticut Law Tribune. Former to that role, Joanne was President and CEO, VNA Health Systems in New Haven, Connecticut and held that post for over 20 years.
Home Staff has been and continues to be a visible, vital, and important asset to this community. We are proud and inspired by the quality brand we have created and its very important, dedicated and engaged team. The work we do is impactful, meaningful and important and everyone who works at Home Staff should feel good about the work we do keeping our communities healthy.
Please join us in welcoming Joanne to Home Staff. We look forward to working with her in this interim capacity as we continue to identify candidates that will fill the Executive Director role on a permanent basis.
To contact Joanne:
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