Message from the CEO
Your Voice Counts

After a busy summer here at the Medical Center, we are looking ahead to a very exciting fall season. In September, we officially charter six teams that will support the Commitment to Excellence (“C2X”) journey. Many of you have provided us with excellent ideas regarding our new comprehensive plan for achieving high customer service standards throughout the Medical Center. We are using your feedback, as well as data from the 2006 Employee Opinion Survey, to guide our C2X planning.

In October, we will open a state-of-the-art Breast Center that will enable the staff from several clinical specialties to collaborate more effectively to better serve each patient. All employees are encouraged to visit the new Breast Center during one of several opening events.

October also signals an important process – the Employee Opinion Survey. We place great value on this annual, anonymous survey of all employees, so that we can better understand your views. This year’s survey is scheduled for Oct. 8-19. Your participation is essential and greatly appreciated.

As always, thank you for your commitment, active participation and enthusiasm in all that you do, every day.

Jeffrey A. Rivest
President & Chief Executive Officer

August Department/Employee of the Month

Laura Hearson, BSN, RN, OCN
9 West / Senior Partner

The patients on 9 West, a unit that is part of the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, are often fighting for their lives amid physical and emotional challenges. But the unit's employees have demonstrated their ability to exceed these patients' expectations: in the most recent hospital-wide patient satisfaction survey, the nursing staff of 9 West received the highest score of any inpatient unit in the medical center.

The August Employee of the Month, Laura Hearson, BSN, RN, OCN, a senior partner, exemplifies the dedication and commitment shown by the staff on the unit.

“Laura is a very good nurse – compassionate and caring,” says Marianna Timm, MSN, RN, OCN, patient care services manager.

“She’s been here for 21 years, and is a good resource for the rest of the staff,” Timm says. “Laura has stepped up to the plate whenever I’ve asked her. For more than a year, she’s been committed to advancing the practice of oncology nursing by being responsible for the Cancer Center nursing educational programs, including the Oncology Nursing Society chemotherapy course. She also coordinated the first oncology nursing review class presented here at the Medical Center.”

Working with cancer patients is something that Hearson always wanted to do.

“I came here as a new graduate; I actually interviewed several places, but this was the place that I was hoping would call back,” Hearson says. Many of 9West’s patients are receiving chemotherapy that can leave them vulnerable to infection or bleeding. Others have terminal cancer and require palliative care. Although the average length of stay is seven days, some patients remain on the floor 30 days or longer.

“We get to know them and their families,” Hearson says. “I like helping patients with a new diagnosis understand the nature of the disease. I also like helping people at the other end of the spectrum – those with advanced illness. It’s a privilege to be able to help people at that stage of their lives.”

Hearson has always had an approach that exemplifies the type of nursing that UMMC has embraced – relationship-based care, or RBC. This nursing model focuses in large part on the nurse building a positive relationship with the patient and family. It is what many nurses in this unit do well, judging by their showing in the patient satisfaction survey.

“Cancer nursing is a wonderful calling, and we simply would not be who we are or be able to do what we do without this outstanding group of women and men,” says Kevin J. Cullen, MD, director of the Greenebaum Cancer Center and a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “As such, it is especially wonderful to see that our patients have ranked 9West as an exemplary inpatient unit.”

Hearson has found additional inspiration in her educational role, and will begin graduate school at the University of Maryland School of Nursing in the fall, working toward a master’s degree in health services and leadership management.

Hearson, in her free time, enjoys walking and biking in her Harford County neighborhood, and traveling. She recently visited Sweden, the birthplace of her great-grandparents, and other Scandinavian countries.

In recognition of Hearson’s contributions to the Medical Center, she has received a $100 check and a certificate of appreciation from Jeffrey A. Rivest, Medical Center president and chief executive officer.

September Department/Employee of the Month

Jennifer Clinkscales
Health Information Management / Senior Manager

The Health Information Management (HIM) Department, now located on the ninth floor of the Paca-Pratt building, changed its name from Medical Records seven years ago. Even though a lot of people still call it by its previous name, the current title more accurately describes the responsibilities of this department.

“The title indicates what we do now; we’re managing information, not just filing charts,” says Eugene Jones, RHIA, MPA, JD, director of Health Information Management. “The advent of the computer has changed how we do business and how people access medical records. They don’t want a paper chart; they want to be able to get the chart online.”

Jennifer Clinkscales, the September Employee of the Month, is a senior manager in HIM who has been key in making that conversion, Jones says.

“We have changed for the better,” says Clinkscales. “When I came here 26 years ago, we were completely a paper environment and we had just one copy of a record. It was always a challenge to provide our customers with what they needed. But with the new system, 50 or more people can view a record at the same time. All clinical staff who have a need can access it.”

Clinkscales manages the team that converts the paper files of recently discharged patients to an electronic format.

“We get anywhere from three to 10 feet of loose material in a day, and we scan about 1.2 million pages a month,” she says. That’s a big increase from the half million pages when the process started.

“Our goal is to have records available within 72 hours – max – after discharge,” Clinkscales says. “And it would be even better if we did it within 48 hours.”

Clinkscales is also in charge of the release of information for the Medical Center, Kernan Hospital and University Specialty Hospital. The Medical Center receives approximately 2,000 requests per month for medical records that may include thousands of pages. The requests come from patients and from others, such as physicians and insurers, whom the patient has authorized to see the record. The department fulfills most requests within 10 days.

“Jennifer is a person who brings back results,” Jones says. “Her staff and her peers know that when she has a project to accomplish or a goal to reach for the year, she will stick to it, and at the end of the year will bring back the desired results. She’s smart and efficient, traits that we all need and appreciate.”

Clinkscales, originally from Virginia, came to the Medical Center in 1981 as a medical clerk. She moved with the department to various locations, along the way becoming a team leader and a supervisor of four different areas. She was promoted to manager in 2001 and to senior manager in 2003. It’s a role she enjoys.

“I think my favorite part of this job is the opportunity that I get to hire people and help them develop,” she says.

Although Clinkscales spends many long hours on the job, she always makes time for her husband, Antonio, and her two young sons, Ayodele and Jelani.

In recognition of her contributions, Clinkscales will receive a $100 check and a certificate of appreciation from Jeffrey A. Rivest, Medical Center president and chief executive officer.

October Department/Employee of the Month

Terri Biggins, BSN, RN
Senior Partner, Gamma Knife / Division of Neurocare & Surgical Services

After researching the Gamma Knife to make a presentation at Nursing Grand Rounds in 1992, Terri Biggins, BSN, RN, knew she wanted to work with this non-invasive type of radiosurgery that uses radiation instead of a blade to treat brain tumors and vascular malformations.

“I became very interested in the idea of doing ‘surgery’ without opening up the skull,” recalls Biggins. The Gamma Knife uses high-dose radiation to treat patients whose brain tumors are inoperable or for whom conventional brain surgery would be too high a risk.

After working as the nurse back-up for Gamma Knife for two years, Biggins took over the job full time in 1994. Now, her department has recognized her 13 years of exceptional service in that role by nominating her as the October Employee of the Month.

The Division of Neurocare and Surgical Services has 480 employees who care for inpatients and same-day surgery patients. Their work encompasses acute, intermediate and critical care for neurocare and surgery; acute transplant and orthopaedic care; episodic care areas, including radiology nursing, the mobile practitioner team, vascular blood flow and electroencephalography; and consultative services including advocacy for organ and tissue donors and wound, ostomy and continence care.

“The Gamma Knife unit has just one employee – Terri,” says Judy Slide, BA, RN, director of neurocare and surgical services. “She is very good at problem-solving and customer service. She functions well independently.”

A 1980 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, Biggins worked in neurosurgery acute care at the Medical Center for 14 years before accepting her current position. As the senior partner in Gamma Knife, she assists the neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists and physicists who treat patients. She also works with a neurosurgeon one day a week in his clinic.

“I like the one-on-one nursing care that I get to do here – meeting patients before treatment, taking care of them, and then following up with them when they come back to the clinic,” she says. “My goal is to make them as comfortable as possible and to educate them and their families. Many of them have cancer, so they’re already going through a lot. I like to do whatever I can to give them a good experience.”

When the Medical Center got its Gamma Knife in 1992, it was one of just 11 hospitals in the country that had the tool, but today there are about 100. Biggins networks with other nurses in similar positions across the country, sharing her expertise with members of the Gamma Knife Nurses Association. She hosted the annual meeting of the group in Baltimore in 2005.

Biggins and her husband, Jeff, became empty nesters this fall when their daughter, Caitlin, started classes at the University of Maryland. Biggins hopes to travel to College Park to catch some Terps basketball games later this year. In the meantime, she and her husband still have the company of their Labrador retriever, Sunny.

In recognition of her contributions, Biggins will receive a $100 check and a certificate of appreciation from Jeffrey A. Rivest, Medical Center president and chief executive officer.

A Patient's Story

Head and Neck Cancer Patient Grateful for Experienced, Caring Radiation Oncology Team

David McElmurray

David McElmurray, of Harrisonburg, Va, could have been treated closer to home for the throat cancer that was diagnosed in March. But he and his family decided his best chance for a cure was to temporarily shut down their wall-covering business and live in a Baltimore hotel while he was being treated for six weeks at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.

“It began with a sore throat that just wouldn’t go away,” McElmurray says.

His doctor referred him to Rodney J. Taylor, MD, co-director of otorhinolaryngology at UMMC and associate professor of otorhinolaryngology/head and neck surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Taylor found squamous cell cancer of the right tonsil and soft palate and recommended that he see Mohan Suntha, MD, radiation oncologist at the Greenebaum Cancer Center and professor and vice chair of radiation oncology for the School of Medicine. McElmurray had an appointment with Suntha within the week.

McElmurray’s wife, Donna, and two grown daughters had researched his condition and treatment options for being treated closer to his home, a four-hour drive from Baltimore.

“We decided he should have his treatment here, no matter what it took to get it done,” says Donna McElmurray. “We were that impressed with this place.”

McElmurray was considered a high-risk patient for cancer treatment because of diabetes and other pre-existing health conditions.

“Dr. Suntha presented us with a plan to attack the problem and he gave us the confidence that he and his team would help us through it,” says McElmurray. The plan consisted of 35 daily treatments of intensitymodulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

“It delivers a very powerful beam of radiation directly to the tumor without hurting the surrounding tissue,” McElmurray says. Each treatment lasted only a few minutes, although he needed to nap throughout the rest of the day to recover.

He and his wife stayed in the Marriott Inner Harbor Hotel on Pratt Street for six weeks with the help of a discounted room rate for UMMC patients. The hotel chef prepared pureed foods when McElmurray couldn’t eat solid food.

The couple praised nurse practitioner Tiffani Tyer, CRNP, and nurse Donna Mitzel, RN, OCN, who work with Suntha.

“They were able to tell us exactly what to expect before it ever happened,” Donna McElmurray says. “They and Dr. Suntha even gave us their home phone numbers!”

McElmurray is currently finishing treatment and concentrating on building back his strength. Suntha feels that the prognosis is good. “This place saved my husband’s life.We’re both convinced that if it hadn’t been for this cancer center and Dr. Suntha, Dave wouldn’t be here today,” Donna McElmurray says. Read more about McElmurray at http://www.umgcc.org/success/d_mcelmurray.htm.

People Spotlights

Promoted
Debra Boyd, RN, CCRN, is the new manager for Multitrauma Critical Care/Intermediate Care in the Shock Trauma Center. She has more than 26 years of experience in critical care, and has worked at the Medical Center for 17 years. She is currently working toward a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix.

Johnie E. Carr, has been promoted to director of operations with responsibility for managing Commitment to Excellence (C2X), as well as Guest Services and the Aramark environmental services and food services contracts. Carr’s responsibilities will include supervising many customer service related areas. He has worked at UMMC since 1996, including as director of training for environmental services and food services, and as environmental services operations manager for the Shock Trauma Center. He has been director of environmental services since 2001. He has more than 19 years of management experience working in health care and hospitality management.

Welcome
Roxana C. Del Barco, MA, is the medical interpretation coordinator for the Medical Center, with a dual role as a Spanish medical interpreter. She brings with her more than 10 years of professional experience in medical interpretation and translation. Before coming to UMMC, she was the lead bilingual content specialist with Pearson Government Solutions, a federal contractor for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She has BA degrees in English and Translation Studies from Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and an MA in Intercultural Communications from the University of Maryland. She formerly worked at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, and several international non-profit institutions.

Helaine Matz, MA, has joined the Medical Center as a Spanish medical interpreter. She had been providing interpretation services at UMMC since 2005 through an agency. Matz holds degrees in Spanish language and literature from Goucher College and Johns Hopkins University, as well as teaching certificates in Spanish and in English as a second language. She completed post-graduate work at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and has more than 20 years of experience in teaching, in addition to experience in personal coaching and interpretation at local hospitals, school systems, businesses and government agencies.

Involved
Penny Olivi, MBA, RT(R), FAHRA, CRA, senior administrator for the Department of Diagnostic Imaging, has been elected president of American Healthcare Radiology Administrators (AHRA). The association serves as an educational and networking resource. Olivi has been active in the association since 1989, and writes a column in its journal, Radiology Management. She also has taught AHRA continuing education programs and wrote a chapter in a textbook the association produced, “Finance in Radiology.”

Published
Robert Stiefel, CCE, MS, director of Clinical Engineering, shared an award as a co-author of the best management paper in Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, the journal of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). His article, “Medical Equipment Management Strategies,” appeared in the May-June 2007 issue of the journal. As chairman of the board of AAMI, Stiefel hosted various events, including the banquet, at AAMI’s 40^th anniversary annual conference in Boston in June.

Published
Bettie Jean Howard, RN, CGRN, retired Aug. 31 after 41 years at UMMC and a total of 60 years as a registered nurse. Howard has been a leader in gastroenterological nursing at UMMC and on a national level, having served as president of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA), and as president of its certifying board.

She devoted the major part of her career to gastrointestinal nursing, especially in endoscopic procedures. As the scope coordinator for Perioperative Services, she developed a program for the care of flexible endoscopes, establishing policies and procedures and competency testing for all staff involved with these highly developed instruments. She also led the creation of a dedicated room for the sterilization of these scopes at UMMC, in the Central Sterile Processing Department.

Howard started training as a student nurse on the home front duringWorld War II.

She came to UMMC in 1966, after taking a 10-year break from nursing to raise her five children. She worked as a part-time pediatric emergency nurse for two years before progressing to full-time nurse clinician at what was then called the Looper Clinic, a multidisciplinary endeavor devoted to endoscopy. In addition to her work for UMMC and the SGNA, Howard also served as a volunteer consultant reviewing consumer education materials for the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, part of the National Institutes of Health.

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