Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

INSIDE

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HUPdate

Volume 23 Number 19 September 21, 2012

EDITORIAL STAFF Sally SapegaEditor and Photographer

Lisa PaxsonDesigner

ADMINISTRATIONSusan E. PhillipsSenior Vice President, Public Affairs

CONTACT HUPDATE AT: 3535 Market Street, MezzaninePhiladelphia, PA 19104

phone: 215.662.4488fax: 215.349.8312email: sally.sapega@uphs.upenn.edu

HUPdate is published biweekly for HUP employees. Access HUPdate online at http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside/hupdate.

Promoting Breastfeeding ........2

Quality & Patient Safety Application ................................2

Employee Flu Campaign .........3

5K for the IOA ...........................4

High school students in West Philadelphia o� en have many responsibilities to ful� ll in addition to classes, including school sports teams, jobs, and family responsibilities. � anks to Penn Medicine’s High School Pipeline program, selected high-achieving students in public high schools in West Philadelphia are adding an exciting and rewarding challenge to that list.

� e High School Pipeline program employs students in clinical and non-clinical areas at Penn Medicine’s three hospitals and other Health System facilities, giving those interested in future health-care careers a unique learning path to start the journey. Growing from its

start as a summer internship program, Pipeline is now a two-year program which o� ers high school juniors and seniors college-level courses through the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP), professional development training, and experience working in a health-care setting.

Getting into the program is not easy. Applicants with an interest in a health-care career must score at least at the 098/099 level on CCP’s English placement test, have no disciplinary violations on their record, hold a high grade-point average, and have and maintain at least a 90 percent high school attendance rate. Students are chosen from Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, Paul Robeson High School, and William L. Sayre High School.

A� er graduation, students selected to enter the Penn Medicine Academy internship work 20 hours a week at Penn Medicine and are paid for 40 hours, while earning college

Easy Access to Total Compensation StatementEach year, UPHS provides employees with a personalized statement of their Total Compensation Package, which includes salary, health and welfare bene� ts, and information on retirement bene� ts. To access your statement, go online to www.uphshrandyou.com and click on ‘Total Compensation Statement’ on the right side. You’ll need your Penn ID number to register, which can be found on your paycheck advisory notice.

If you have any questions about your Total Compensation Statement, contact Bene� ts at 615-2675. You can also submit a questions through the HR & You website.

CALLING ALL HUP Nurses and CPUP Nurses It’s time to leverage our strengths! � e 2012 RN Satisfaction Survey from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators is your opportunity to evaluate the initiatives designed and implemented to improve your professional work environment. Your feedback helps to evaluate programs and in� uences future changes.

� e 2012 RN Satisfaction Survey yields important information relevant to nurses and nursing practice, including a nurse’s role in: decision making, adequacy of available resources and sta� ng, quality of care provided, opportunities for professional development, and more. Your responses are important to our e� orts to provide world-class care to our patients and families.

� e RN Satisfaction survey will be available October 1 through October 21, 2012. You can access the survey through the Intranet via the RN Satisfaction link under “What’s Hot” or by typing www.nursingquality.org/survey into the browser. Additionally, you can take the survey from your home computer. Please note: � e survey needs to be completed in one sitting.

CANPREVENT LUNG CANCER CONFERENCE� e Abramson Cancer Center will host its second CANPrevent Lung Cancer Conference on Friday, October 12, from 8:00 to 11:30 am. Attendees will learn the latest information on:

• who is at risk.

• the latest screening recommendations for lung cancer.

• the latest tools to quit smoking.

• strategies to prevent starting to smoke cigarettes.

� e conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel, 4200 City Avenue, in Philadelphia. To register or for more information, call 1-800-789-PENN or go to OncoLink.org/conference.CANPreventLung. Registration deadline is Friday, October 5. credits. � e Pipeline program also o� ers the

interns the option to complete the requirements to become a certi� ed nursing assistant for those who wish to enter a nursing career.

All of this year’s 20 graduates successfully completed high school and 18 started college this fall. “Most intend to go into careers in the health-care � eld,” said Telandria Boyd-Johnson, Workforce Development coordinator. “And many are thankful to Penn Medicine for allowing them to explore the health-care � eld.”

“It’s the program that I have the greatest passion for, because it exempli� es Penn Medicine’s commitment to the community and developing a pipeline for career opportunities, and advancement of education,” said Judy Schueler, vice president, Organizational Development, and chief Human Resources o� cer. “� at’s really why people come to work at Penn Medicine. We call it our strongest employment value proposition, the gi� of learning. People come here to learn. � ey can advance their career

5K FOR THE IOA UPDATE If you’re registered for the 5K for the IOA, note that race packet pick-up times and locations have been expanded:

• Friday, September 28, from 1 to 5 pm, 1st fl oor Atrium of the Perelman Center.

• Saturday, September 29, from 1 to 5 pm, at the Philadelphia Runner Store (37th and Walnut)

• Sunday, September 30 (Race Day!), from 6:30 to 7:45 am, outside of main entrance, Perelman Center.

If you’re not yet registered, there’s still time! Go to the Intranet home page and click on 5K for the IOA to learn more and register.

C R E A T I N G PROMISING CAREER PATHS FOR WEST PHILADELPHIA YOUTHPenn Medicine’s Pipeline Program

“ …it exemplifi es Penn Medicine’s commitment to the community and developing a pipeline for career opportunities, and advancement of education.”

(Continued on page 3)

Andrea Blount (c) of Trauma with graduates of the 2012 Pipeline program.

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HUP was one of 90 hospitals selected to participate in Best Fed Beginnings, a fi rst-of-its-kind national effort to signifi cantly improve breastfeeding rates in states where rates are currently the lowest. Breastfeeding is one of the most e� ective preventive health measures for infants and mothers. Yet, half of US-born babies are given formula within the � rst week, and by nine months, only 31 percent of babies are breastfeeding at all.

� e selected hospitals will work together in a 22-month learning collaborative, using proven evidence-based methods to achieve a ‘Baby-Friendly’ designation. “� e ‘Baby Friendly’ designation is given to hospitals that promote excellence in maternal-infant feeding practices,” said Jessica Lazzeri, nurse manager of Silverstein 8. Fewer than 150 health care centers have this designation and “the majority are birthing centers.”

“We want to promote breastfeeding as the best option,” Lazzeri said. And there’s good reason for that. Breastfeeding decreases the incidence and severity of many infectious diseases in infants, reduces infant mortality, and optimally supports neurodevelopment. � ese infants also have fewer ear, respiratory tract, and urinary tract infections, and fewer allergies. Moms who breastfeed have a lowered risk of breast and ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. “While we’ll support our patients no matter what decision they make, we want to make sure it’s an informed decision.”

Over the past three years, 99% of HUP and UPHS employees have been vaccinated for seasonal in� uenza. Getting the � u vaccine reduces the risk of illness for our sta� and helps keep our patients, colleagues, and families safe and healthy. UPHS has been recognized by the State of Pennsylvania for this key patient safety initiative.

� e 2012-13 Penn Medicine Employee Flu Campaign is an opportunity to continue our achievements. It will begin at HUP in September as usual with the distribution of vaccine to high-risk clinical units and practices. � e Occupational Medicine Flu Vaccine Clinics will follow in mid-October at a wide variety of HUP/CPUP/CORP locations. � e times and locations of the Flu Vaccine Clinics will be posted on the Intranet and in the next issue of HUPdate.

Seasonal in� uenza vaccine is provided free of charge to all Penn Medicine sta� , clinical faculty and contractors. Annual vaccination is needed for maximal protection. � e 2012-13 seasonal in� uenza vaccine protects against the three most likely in� uenza strains expected to circulate this year, all of which are di� erent from those in the prior year’s vaccine.

To ensure minimal waiting times and rapid documentation, bar-coded vaccine consent forms will be available to employees directly through ‘Employee Records and Paychecks.’ Details on how to access your bar-coded form will be posted on Intranet home page, under What’s Hot. Look for the Flu button.

� e UPHS In� uenza Vaccine Policy is unchanged from last year.* Contact your HR generalist for any questions about the policy.

*To access the policy, click on ‘Policies’ on the le� side of the Intranet home page. � en, under HUP, click on ‘Human Resources Policies” and then ‘In� uenza Immunization.’

and go clinical, non-clinical, and this program provides a pathway for these students.”

Celebrating the Class of 2012At a luncheon celebrating the program’s class of 2012 graduates, Schueler gave special thanks to faculty, sta� , and Health System departments that open up the work place and volunteer to mentor these students, and to the families of the students for providing their support. She also thanked University City District, the Philadelphia Youth Network, and CCP, our partners in making this happen.

Parents also take notice of their child’s develop-ment through the program. “I just wanted to say thank you to the entire sta� at Penn for the in� uence that you have had on [my daughter] Julia,” said Jennifer Laws. “I have seen her grow and mature and it became more than just a place she worked. � e friendships that she has formed will last throughout her lifetime.”

Out of this rigorous program are numerous success stories of students who provided instrumental support to locations such as Perioperative Services, Surgical Nursing, and other areas at HUP.

“We told you at the beginning of this program that this is not an easy program, that this needs commitment and dedication,” said Frances Graham, associate director,Workforce Development. “While in this program, you were high school students, college students, you went to professional development sessions, mentoring sessions, and you worked at di� erent positions throughout our health-care system, and you exceeded our expectations. We are so proud of all of your hard work.”

One of those students rising to this task in the 2012 graduating class is Jasmine Starks. She especially enjoyed being challenged in college courses at CCP and assisting doctors where needed at HUP. “I have come to love the program,” said Starks. “It’s a great experience to have.”

Another student who accepted that challenge is Nahree Anderson, from the Pipeline 2011 graduating class. Excelling as a Penn Medicine Academy intern, Anderson accepted a full-time role on the � oor she trained on, before the year ended. “We were given the opportunity to work at the actual bedside with patients, see what the nurses do, the CNAs do, the techs do, and it was just really amazing,” said Anderson. “I got a chance to not only to watch at the bedside, but to be actually involved.”

Anderson had some early doubts going into the program. “It’s been a long run. When I was in high school, in June 2011, I found out I was pregnant. I came and I talked to the high school program coordinators and they said ‘It’s okay, we’re going to be here for you, we’re going to support you, and no matter what you do, you can always hang on us’ and that made me feel so good. � ey gave me the courage and con� dence I needed to say I can get over this.”

Anderson is just one of many great examples of success stories from this initiative.

“I have a job with bene� ts and I am applying to nursing school in the fall. You can do it. Stay in the program. It’s hard, but stay,” said Anderson. “I am able to really help patients and make a di� erence.”

� e Baby Friendly designation veri� es that a hospital has implemented the ‘Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding,’ as established by UNICEF/WHO. One of these steps is skin to skin contact, which is now a part of the post-birthing process at HUP. “Immediately a� er a baby is born, we place the baby skin to skin with mom,” Lazzeri said. � is simple step provides signi� cant bene� ts, including regulating the baby’s heart rate, breathing, and temperature, and stimulating digestion and feeding behavior, which leads to more successful breastfeeding. “If the mother chooses to nurse, we try to initiate breastfeeding within an hour of birth.”

Another step in this process is rooming in, ie, keeping the mom and baby together in the room and limiting the baby’s time in the nursery. “We will also avoid giving the baby formula unless it is medically necessary. Formula decreases a mother’s milk supply.”

In addition, all health-care providers on the unit will receive 20 hours of training, supplementing the hospital’s lactation teams. Lazzeri said their goal is to achieve the Baby Friendly designation by September 2014.

� ere’s Still Time TO SUBMIT QUALITY & PATIENT SAFETY APPLICATION The deadline to submit an application for the 2012 Quality & Patient Safety Awards has been extended to Friday, September 28. These awards acknowledge departments or teams at Penn Medicine that have exhibited leadership and innovation in activities that ensure high-quality clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, patient safety, and/or cost effi ciency. All applications and projects must be submitted electronically. To learn more and submit your project, go to What’s Hot on the Intranet home page and click on 2012 Quality & Patient Safety Award Submissions. Questions? Contact Michael Anderson (HUP) at 215-614-0632 or andersom@uphs.upenn.edu, or Scott Schlegel (CPUP) at 215-614-0041 or scott.schlegel@uphs.upenn.edu.

Kim Wright gives a potted fl ower to new mom Stephanie Tomchak (holding baby Tyler) , in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week. All nursing moms received a fl ower that week to help ‘plant the seeds’ of successful breastfeeding.

PROMOTING BREASTFEEDING AS THE BEST OPTION

� ere’s Still TimeTO SUBMIT QUALITY & PATIENT SAFETY APPLICATIONThe deadline to submit an application for the 2012 Quality & Patient Safety Awards has been extended to Friday, September 28. These awards acknowledge departments or teams at Penn Medicine that have exhibited leadership and innovation in activities that ensure high-quality clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, patient safety, and/or cost effi ciency. All applications and projects must be submitted electronically. To learn more and submit your project, go to What’s Hot on the Intranet home page and click on 2012 Quality & Patient Safety Award Submissions. Questions? Contact (CPUP) at 215-614-0041 or scott.schlegel@uphs.upenn.edu.

Employee Flu Campaign Starts Next Month

(Continued from page1)C R E A T I N G PROMISING CAREER PATHS FOR WEST PHILADELPHIA YOUTH

(L to r) Lorna Taylor, unit secretary, Silverstein 9; Julia Laws, Pipeline graduate; Nahree Anderson, CNA; and Diane Leichter, Nurse Manager, Silverstein 9.