Hospice Updates

Meet Deborah Turiano, MD, HMDC, Associate Medical Director! Although Dr. Turiano has been with VNA Hospice Care since 2011 as a part-time Associate Medical Director, she is now working full-time in our Woburn office taking care of the needs of not only Teams A & B in Woburn, but also the DeRham House.   A nationally certified hospice Medical Director, Dr. Turiano is one of the first groups of Hospice Medical Directors to earn this certification in the country. She has spent the last 30 years caring for critically ill patients and their families in both MA and NH. She attended the University of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Science, and pursued her post graduate education at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals and Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Turiano resides in Andover with her husband, Dr. Anthony Turiano, who has been a local practicing family practitioner for 27 years. They have 4 grown sons.Please join us in welcoming Dr. Turiano to our organization!
 

Amy Daley, RN, AD, has been promoted to the position of Clinical Manager of the Rose Monahan Hospice House. Amy has served at RMH as team leader for the past year. She brings her hospice house clinical manager experience from working at the Merrimack Valley Hospice House for the previous three years. Amy is a skilled clinician & has a good handle on the needs of our hospice inpatient facility.

Cyndi MacHenry, RN, AD, who has been a hospice nurse manager working out of the Woburn office for the past five years, will assume the responsibility of the day to day operations as clinical manager of the Tippett Hospice House in Needham & the deRham Hospice House in Cambridge. Cyndi will bring her years of hospice experience to further strengthen the good work being done at each house.

Mary Sheils, RN, BSN, has been promoted to the role of Clinical Director for VNA Hospice Care. In her role, she will be responsible for the agency's nurse manager team, the hospice psycho/social managers, the hospice quality team & the hospice education nurses. Mary joined the VNA Hospice Care team in 2013. She has over 37 years experience in nursing, focusing in the areas of hospice and palliative care, providing management, education and consulting skills.

Thank you to all who contributed to the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund. A check for $7,352.92 was sent to Direct Relief International, one of the largest nonprofit groups in the U.S. Direct Relief International will allocate 100 percent of funds raised to their relief efforts - like the ongoing emergency medical relief they are providing in Nepal - without deducting any overhead or administrative costs. The Nepal fund is now considered closed.

We would also like to thank Harvard Vanguard's Watertown and Wellesley sites for making in-kind donations that will be put to great use in Nepal. Thank you to Linda Drake-Ferreira, Project Manager, and Kelli Murphy, Operations Manager, who helped coordinate Watertown OB/GYN's donation of a fetal monitor. Thank you as well to Linda Plukas, Process Improvement Leader, Kerri Bodenstein, Clinical Support Supervisor II and Maya Fox, Medical Assistant I, who helped coordinate Wellesley OB/GYN's donation of various medical supplies. Both donations were gifted to IMEC, an organization that reduces environmental waste by recovering surplus equipment and supplies and bringing these materials and hope to impoverished communities who need humanitarian support, such as the people of Nepal.

Two FDA Alerts

ISSUE: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning health care professionals about the risk for dosing errors with the antibacterial drug Zerbaxa (ceftolozane and tazobactam) due to confusion about the drug strength displayed on the vial and carton labeling. (See the Drug Safety Communication for Label Photos).

FDA evaluated seven reported cases of medication error that occurred during preparation of the dose in the pharmacy due to confusion with the display of the strength of individual ingredients on Zerbaxa's vial labels and carton labeling. Listing the individual drug strengths led to confusion because it was different from labeling for other drugs in the beta-lactam/beta-lactamase class that express strength as the sum of the two active ingredients. In some cases, this led to administration of 50% more drug than was prescribed. No adverse events were reported among these seven cases.

BACKGROUND: Zerbaxa is used to treat complicated infections in the urinary tract, or in combination with the antibacterial drug metronidazole to treat complicated infections in the abdomen. Antibacterial drugs work by killing or stopping the growth of bacteria that can cause illness.

RECOMMENDATION: FDA urges health care professionals and patients to report side effects and medication errors involving Zerbaxa to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program

Including certain lots of Mucinex Fast-MAX Night Time Cold & Flu; Mucinex Fast-MAX Cold & Sinus; Mucinex Fast-MAX Severe Congestion & Cough and Mucinex Fast-MAX Cold, Flu & Sore Throat

 ISSUE: RB (formerly Reckitt Benckiser) has recalled certain lots of liquid bottles of Mucinex Fast-MAX Night Time Cold & Flu; Mucinex Fast-MAX Cold & Sinus; Mucinex Fast-MAX Severe Congestion & Cough and Mucinex Fast-MAX Cold, Flu & Sore Throat because the over-the-counter medications, which correctly label the product on the front of the bottle and lists all active ingredients, may not have the correct corresponding drug facts label on the back. This mislabeling could cause the consumer to be unaware of side effects and/or risks associated with the ingestion of certain product ingredients which include acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, phenylephrine and/or diphenhydramine.

 Consumers could take a product with undeclared levels of acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin, phenylephrine and/or diphenhydramine. Consumers would not be adequately warned of side effects which could potentially lead to health complications requiring urgent medical intervention, particularly in the case of acetaminophen use in people with liver impairment.

RECOMMENDATION: RB is asking consumers to responsibly dispose of any unused product in accordance with the following recommended guidance for drug disposal in your household trash:

• Mix liquid medicines with an unpalatable substance such as kitty litter or used coffee grounds;
• Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag; and
• Throw the container in your household trash