Please contact the Champions listed below if you would like to have an initiative or issue reviewed at the next meeting. Thank you!

 

Beginning this week, all patients will receive the new "Home Health Patient Handbook" instead of the old admission folders/packets. During June, PCMs will attend clinical meetings and discuss the handbook in more detail.

 

Please note the enhancements associated with using the new "Home Health Patient Handbooks":

If you have any questions, please contact the PCM in your office for more information (see below for PCM list).

 

The Southborough office has been in the process of moving to the new model over the past several weeks. The feedback we have received so far has really helped to keep us focused of our next steps. One of the responses was in regards to the purpose of this change. Staff reported that they did not fully understand the reason we were making such a profound shift in our daily operational workflow. The goal of the redesigned Clinical Structure is to prepare us for Value Based Purchasing. Value Based Purchasing will measure our success both clinically and financially through our OASIS accuracy, by establishing evidence based best practices that are consistent across the organization, and to remove all of the barriers that prevent our Clinical Service Managers, Patient Service Managers and Rehabilitation Service Managers from spending time with clinicians, conducting joint visits, 1:1 Caseload Management meetings, and Episodic Management meetings. All with the focus on supporting clinicians in delivering patient care guided by these best practices, as well as supporting their overall caseload management. The outcome of this change is to create an operational structure that supports the clinicians in a manner that maximizes the use of our systems (including scheduling), allows the administrative tasks to be supported by the new operations department and shift resources to give our highly skilled clinicians the ability to work at the top of their license and focus on the clinical aspects of patient care.

 

The Southborough office is now up and running, the care coordinators have all moved into their new positions. Michele Mercuri, Nancy Mandeville, and team have assumed responsibility for the operational workflow in Southborough. Workflows are being assessed and adjusted as this first site is ramping up, which will allow for a strong foundation and the model rolls out in other locations.

 

Over the next two weeks will we begin to roll on the Worcester office while still monitoring the changes in the Southborough office. We have instituted daily huddle calls with the office to ensure questions can be answered timely and that the goals continue to be at the forefront of this change.

 

We will continue to keep you posted regarding our progress.

 

 

Mary Ann O'Connor thanked the group for their "profoundly important" contributions to our mission. She added,  "I think you are angels walking around on Earth."

 

Many of our supporters are former patients or loved ones. If you know someone who would like to give back as a fundraising volunteer or donor, please contact Jane Woodbury at  Jane_Woodbury@vnacare.org or 888-663-3688, ext. 1360.

From left: Chris Bailey of Mutual of America, a corporate supporter, Mary Ann O'Connor, Diane Bergeron, and Daiva Braunfelds

From left: Lillian Capozzola, Woburn Friend; Robin Wilson, palliative care services manager; and Doris Lynch, Woburn Friend

From left: Winchester Friends Charlene Williams, Audrey Caulfield, and Patricia Harte with Meaghan Gangi, development associate

 

As you may know, Annette Benoit, Clinical Services Manager for the Worcester/yellow team, retired on Friday, 6/3/16, after 31 years with the organization; she is literally moving on to greener pastures in the Kansas plains. As an interim measure, while the search for a replacement is ongoing, Lori Morini will continue in her role as Case Coordinator for the Worcester/yellow team. For any issues requiring manager oversight, please do not hesitate to contact Mary Sheils directly as she will be assuming responsibility. Thank you in advance for your assistance and cooperation during this period of transition.

 

The new MyBlue Member App is an easy-to-use tool that gives you a secure and convenient way to manage your health plan and care from your smartphone.

 

With a couple of clicks, you can get access to:

• Administrative, Secretarial, and Clerical
• Clinical Management
• Home Health Aide
• Hospice
• Information Services and Technical
• Nursing
• Professional and Non-Clinical Management
• Rehabilitation

To learn more about career opportunities listed in the links above, contact Debbie Brown, Human Resources Manager at debbie_brown@vnacare.org.

• Any Office
• Charlestown
• Danvers
• Gloucester
• Leominster
• New Horizons
• Needham
• Southborough
• Weymouth
• Woburn
• Worcester
• de Rham Hospice Home
• Monahan Hospice Home
• Tippett Hospice Home
• Children's Garden

To learn more about career opportunities, contact a human resources representative:

• Cheryl Milas at cheryl_milas@vnacare.org or 888-663-3688, ext. 6951
• Bev Riley at beverly_riley@vnacare.org or 888-663-3688, ext. 4717
• Ann Bohac at ann_bohac@vnacare.org or 888-663-3688, ext. 6964

 

To suggest an area of focus to the Employee Advisory Team (EAT), please email your suggestion to EATSuggestionbox@vnacare.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:

Liz Bourne Ray Brackett Kim Dio Kelly Frew

Mary Helen Mahoney Susan Marlin Procter Mary McCarthy Ilona O'Connor

Mary Ann O'Connor Mae Powers David Rose Danny Yang

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 in the Charlestown office.

 

The number of patients we see with Clostridium Difficile continues to rank highest among infections at the VNA. Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming, Gram-positive anaerobic bacillus that is an important cause of disease in the US. In 2011 it was estimated that 94% of cases were related to health care, meaning after a care received in a hospital, nursing home or outpatient setting. C. Diff is an infection that occurs secondarily to antibiotic use. That is why antibiotic stewardship is so important (stay tune to next week's Connector for more information).

 

Many patients do not get sick with C. Diff until they are home after a hospital or nursing home admission. When the patient becomes symptomatic, they begin to shed spores through feces. Spores have been estimated to live on surfaces up to 5 months. The sooner the C. diff infection is identified, the sooner it can be treated and the spores can be contained within the home. Contact precautions and patient/family education are components most effective to prevent spread of the infection.

 

Contact Precautions indicate to use gloves and gown when caring for the patient or touching surfaces in the home close to the patient when the patient is symptomatic and for at least a week later. After use, the gloves need to be carefully removed and hands washed. Wash your hands with soap and water using friction during the rubbing to lift the spores off your skin. The alcohol in the handsantizer is NOT sporicidal, therefore soap and water is more protective with C. Diff patients.

 

By Maria Dunn, Patient Care Program Manager

 

Clinicians, when using your own equipment, the only choice for taking a temperature is "ORAL." Clinicians need to utilize the oral thermometer along with disposable thermometer sheaths provided as part of the standard clinical bag. Only VNA-issued equipment is approved to take a temperature reading UNLESS the clinician or patient uses the patient's thermometer.

 

When using the patient's equipment, document the temperature results (and route) noting that the patient's thermometer was used.

 

Clinicians can encourage patients to purchase and use their own thermometer in an effort to manage their care AND to provide consistency in temperature readings.

 

Our Infection Control Officer, Sue Stiller, reminds us that after use, remove the disposable sheath from the oral thermometer and disinfect the thermometer with 70% alcohol.

 

It is our protocol that clinicians have and utilize at all visits a VNA-issued clinical bag stocked per the VNA-standard bag supply (unless clinically contraindicated). Standard bag supply includes both the oral thermometer and disposable thermometer sheaths.

 

Please refer to related policy and procedures with questions or contact Sue Stiller at 508-756-7176, ext. 6351 or susan_stiller@vnacare.org.

Mr. Giardelli was admitted to the VNAB on 5/02/16 after a hospitalization for a COPD exacerbation. He also carries a diagnosis of DM2 and CAD. During the course of his hospital stay his DM2 remained stable and there was no need for sliding scale insulin.  He currently uses Spiriva daily.

What McKesson POC would be appropriate for the SOC?