Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

1

Volume 24 Number 17 August 23, 2013

Last month, the recipients of Penn Medicine CAREs grants for FY2013 were recognized at a special luncheon. “We are so grateful to work here with such a dedicated, gracious work force who spend an incredible amount of time and effort here at Penn Medicine and choose to pay it forward in our community,” said Judy Schueler, VP, Organizational Development and chief HR officer.

“Many wonderful results have come from your grass roots efforts.” In total, 27 CAREs grants were awarded to employees throughout the Health System.

The Penn Medicine CAREs grant program, led jointly by Susan Phillips, senior VP for Public Affairs, and Schueler, represents a joint effort between Public Affairs and Human Resources. It was established to offer institutional support to employees and their community outreach programs in the form of grants.

(continued on page 2)

Congratulations to the next round of winners of a Penn Medicine CAREs grant:

Jamie Shuda Perelman School of Medicine Penn Academy for Reproductive Services

Kara Cohen Home Care and Health Services Best Foot Forward

Chiamaka Onwuzurike Perelman School of Medicine PCPC Women’s Refugee Health Clinic

Mawusi Arnett Perelman School of Medicine West Philadelphia Wellness Empowerment

Ellen McPartland Pennsylvania Hospital Stroke Education Prevention

` (Above) Attending the luncheon that recognized all of Penn Medicine CAREs grant winners from FY13 were (l. to r.) Caroline Nelson, Karen Wagner, Sheryl Holbitzell, Phannerica Muhammad, and Beauty Averion.

INSIDE

The Powerhouses of Pathology ..............................2

Outreach Teaches About Health-Care Careers .................2

“Pet the Pooch:” A Great Way to Reduce Strees! ............3

5K for the IOA and Memory Mile Walk ...................4

UPHSrecognizes

CAREs Grant WinnersCAREs Grant W I N N E R S

Outreach Teaches about Health-Care CareersUsing funds from a Penn Medicine CAREs grant,

Ravdin 9 went to Paul Robeson High School and

hosted a fair called ‘Penn Careers in the City.’

Penn participants at the fair ranged from RNs to

respiratory therapists and social workers. “We

talked with over 100 students about the great things

we do every day in our careers,” said Janelle

Harris, Unit Council chair, adding that, based on

students’ feedback, “it was a complete success!”

2

THE POWERHOUSES OF PATHOLOGY

Like superheroes, Larry Kricka, PhD, and Russ Klenk, MEd, lead dual lives. By day, they are,

respectively, director of the General Chemistry Lab and a professional lead medical technologist in Pathology & Lab Medicine. But, when not at work, they become men of steel, lifting hundreds of pounds in a single, smooth motion.

With Kricka, this alter ego started in 2005, when his wife innocently gave him six sessions with a

trainer at the local gym for his birthday. He decided to start lifting again — that’s how he stayed in shape during

his days playing rugby — and focused on three types of lifting: squat, bench press, and deadlift. Staying motivated and working with two trainers (Andrew Urion, an Ironman Triathlete, and Brian Fairchild, a former Penn State football player), he slowly worked his way up to his goal of a total lift of 1000 pounds for the three types of power lifts.

Reaching this goal five years — “and many protein drinks”— later, Kricka entered an International Powerlifting Association competition, in the ‘Raw Amateur, Master’ category. Lifting a total of 920 pounds in the three different categories, he not only won for his age and body weight class but set new IPA state and world records! A year later, in 2011, he competed again and, lifting a total of 975 pounds, broke all his records.

Now retired from competition, he said, “I attribute my success to good genes, two outstanding trainers, advice and encouragement from David Cardamone [a former Olympic-style weight lifter, who is lab manager

of the Endocrinology Lab]…and the fact that no one else was competing in my age group!”

Klenk was also a lifter from way back. In fact, he briefly competed in weight lifting competitions 30 years ago through the YMCA. Although he stopped competing, Klenk continued to lift. And that would have been the end of it had Kricka not convinced him to enter an IPA powerlifting competition. “I thought it would be fun so I started lifting with a new focus,” he explained. “I adapted my lifts towards increasing the weight rather than focusing on fitness.”

Last year, he hefted 355 pounds in the IPA deadlift category and won a first place award in his weight and age group. “I owe it all to Larry,” he said laughing. “He was the inspiration behind my success!”

` Pathology’s men of steel (l. to r.): Russ Klenk, David Cardomone and Larry Kricka.

3

The dog days of summer came early to HUP’s Center for Nursing Renewal as staff welcomed adoptable dogs and kittens from the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Although therapy dogs are already widely used to help patients, military veterans, and others, this new partnership with SPCA brings these animals in to relieve the anxiety sometimes felt by doctors, nurses, and other staff caring for patients.

The mission is two-fold: help these loveable animals find a home and help employees melt away stress while spending a few minutes with the four-legged visitors. The program

is among the first in the country to utilize animals to relieve employee stress.

Heather Matthew, MSN, a clinical nurse specialist in the ED, started the program, inspired by HUPs Pups therapy dog program for patients. “They would play with the dogs and it made a huge difference on the stress level and morale in the Emergency Department,” said Matthew. “So, I thought of teaming up with the SPCA to bring them directly to staff.”

With support from Victoria L. Rich, PhD, chief nurse executive, AnnMarie Papa, DNP, clinical director of Emergency Nursing, and the SPCA, the project has grown to a regular event at HUP. Seeing early success, Matthew plans to promote this model to other hospitals nation-wide.

“Basically, when you take that five-minute break out of your day, the pick-me-up makes all the difference. That animal isn’t judging you, they don’t know that maybe you’ve had to give a family some bad news and your heart is breaking over it,” Matthew said, adding that “there are many medical benefits to owning a pet as well.”

Without intervention, two-thirds of ex-offenders released from prisons will commit new crimes and return to prison within three years.

This is where Stephanie Bredell’s outreach efforts come in. For the past several years, she has turned around the lives of many prisoners, talking to them about what they’ll need when they leave prison, what to expect upon release, and, most important, how to better themselves.

But it is much more than advice. In 2011, Bredell, a patient service rep in the Pulmonary/Lung Center, connected with a 21-year-old who left behind a 4-month-old baby when she entered prison and was pregnant with another. Bredell established a strong bond with the young woman, to the point of agreeing to care for her newborn until the woman was released from prison. “The baby lived with me with 10 months,” Bredell said. “My daughter and sister helped watch the baby while I worked.”

When the mom was released, Bredell not only found an apartment for her but furnished it with some of her own furniture (she had recently downsized to an apartment) and flea market finds. She even gave the young woman money to tide her over until she got back on her feet. “I’ve been working with her for months trying to rebuild her self-confidence and get her GED.”

Her help with another ex-offender led the woman to get her GED and enter a work program to learn new skills. And Bredell has worked with male prisoners as well, some of whom went back to school to learn a trade.

“I tell them all that they can overcome their past. ‘This is not your destiny,’ ” she said. “It makes me feel good. I just wish I could do more.”

To learn more about helping ex-offenders get their lives together, email sbredell@hotmail.com.

` Thanks to HUP’s new Pet the Pooch program, Audrey Blewer of the Center for Resusitation Science (above) and Heather Matthew (left) were able to bond with adoptable dogs and kittens from the SPCA.

Pet the Pooch: >>> A Great Way to Reduce Stress!

To learn how you can adopt a cat or dog from the Pennsylvania SPCA, contact Kathy Giles at 215-426-6304, x272 or kgiles@pspca.org.

HELPING OTHERS is Her Passion

4

HUPdateEDITORIAL STAFF Sally Sapega Editor and Photographer

Abby Ernst Designer

ADMINISTRATION Susan E. Phillips Senior Vice President, Public Affairs

CONTACT HUPDATE AT: 3535 Market Street, Mezzanine Philadelphia, PA 19104

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

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

Heartfelt Thanks On May 26, 2013, my beautiful 7-year-old granddaughter succumbed to a house fire in

southwest Phila. On behalf of my daughter, Katherine S. Shands, unit secretary in the EDOU [Emergency Department Observation Unit], and myself, we need to say thank-you for all of the duas, thoughts, and prayers. From the CNAs to the unit secretaries to the nurses and the doctors, and all other staff members throughout the hospital, thank you for being there. Many, many thank you’s for all the donations to help us in our hour of need. Thank you for all of your shoulders that were there for us to cry on and for the hugs you gave when you knew we needed them. To all my therapists (staff workers) to allow me to talk when you know that I needed to. Thank you...Ms Kat.

A letter from Katherine P. Shands of Rhoads 2.(continued from page 1)

The funding can be used for projects big and small and for new or existing community outreach efforts. During the past year, with financial support from CAREs, employees have addressed health disparities, provided care to seniors, provided CPR training and blood pressure screening at permanent housing for the previously homeless, helped prevent youth violence, and numerous other initiatives.

If you’re involved in community outreach, you may be eligible for a Penn Medicine CAREs grant. To learn more — and to apply — click on ‘CAREs – Community Outreach’ on the left bar of the Intranet home page. The deadline for the next round of applications is Sunday, September 1.

UPHS Recognizes CAREs Grant Winners

There’s still time to register for Penn’s 5K for the IOA and the Memory Mile Walk, to be held on Sunday, September 22. The race will be held on Penn’s campus. It will start on Shoemaker Green between the Palestra and Franklin Field and will pass through Penn Park with its skyline views of the city. The run will start at 8:00 am; 8:10 am for the walk. Medals will be given to the top three male and female runners in several age groups.

To register, go to www.pretzelcitysports.com and click on ‘Online Registration’ in the left column. Registration cost prior to September 7 is $20 or $15 with a Penn student ID, and $25 after that date.

Race packet pick-up will be on Friday, September 20, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm, in the lobby of the Perelman Center for Advanced

Medicine. You can also pick up packets on the day of the race, from 6:45 to 7:45 am, at Shoemaker Green, 33rd Street, between Walnut & Spruce Streets. Free parking in the Perelman Center garage will be available for participants with a race bib.

Proceeds will help further research by Penn’s Institute of Aging for the treatment and care of patients with Alzheimer’s, neurodegenerative and other age-related diseases. Ask family and friends to support your run to help us meet the $50,000 goal!

And employees in the UPHS Wellfocused Employee Benefits Rewards Program can earn 100 points for participating!

5K for the IOA and Memory Mile Walk

UC’s NEW HOURS at the HUP Cashier Window

Effective immediately, the HUP Cashier window will be open:

9:00 to 11:30 am • 1:00 to 3:00 pm