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

Paula Schultz, Director of Clinical Services,

Katie Callahan, Associate Director of Clinical Services,

Mary Sheils, Director of Hospice Clinical Services, and

Jeanne Callahan-Lydon, Senior Vice President, Clinical Services, Quality & Risk Management

 

Creating an Amazing Patient Experience is one of the six pillars supporting our vision of Transforming Care to Improve Lives. As part of our Strategic Plan, key areas have been identified by reviewing patient satisfaction survey results.

Communication presented itself as a priority for our patients and there are some simple things we can do to enhance the patient experience in this area. You will be hearing more in upcoming staff meetings around Communication Expectations, including calls to schedule visits and key items to ask/mention during each visit.

Call with time of visit (2 hour range) and name of clinician by 10am day of visit (may call day prior for early appointments)

 

Discipline frequency/duration orders start on the day of the eval (not the next visit).

 

 Questions? Contact your Patient Care Manager.

By Surabhi Saxena, PT, DPT, Patient Care Manager

 

Understanding the regulations regarding Drug regimen review (DRR) and medication management

Per Condition of Participation § 484.55 CoP: Comprehensive assessment of patients (c) Standard: DRR. The comprehensive assessment must include a review of all medications the patient is currently using in order to identify any potential adverse effects and drug reactions, including ineffective drug therapy, significant side effects, significant drug interactions, duplicate drug therapy and noncompliance with drug therapy.

 

Required Practice Standards include:

PER CMS- DRUG REGIMEN REVIEW IS REQUIRED AT EACH VISIT BY ALL DISCIPLINES

 

Medication Management and Role of Rehab

Considerations in terms of Medication Impact Assess effectiveness of current med regime: Eg: monitor vitals New Medication- consider side effects, adverse reactions Compliance- willingness, ability to comply or other probable barriers
Considerations in terms of Functionality Cognition Motor control- dexterity Activity tolerance Balance Mobility Safety concerns surrounding access to meds and beverage Vision Knowledge regarding safe handling of medications, safe handling and disposal of sharps if taking injectable medications.

 

Charitable gifts from businesses, individuals and foundations play an important role in supporting patient care, staff education, equipment needs, and more.

 

Pictured, from left, are Marshall White, owner of White Builders, with Woburn Friends of VNA Hospice & Palliative Care Susan Jamieson, Joseph D. McDonough, Jr. and Tracey White, and Meaghan Gangi, development associate for VNA Hospice & Palliative Care.

 

• 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.