Hartford Hospital is one of the first hospitals in the world to try out “Google Glass” in its Center for Ed-ucation, Simulation, and Innova-tion (CESI).

Google Glass, which looks like a pair of eyeglasses, houses a small camera and a tiny screen display in the upper right hand corner with a touch pad on the right side of the frame. It provides many of the same features as a smart phone or iPad, but it is mostly hands-free and the information comes right into your field of vision.

Google has distributed 8,000 of the devices worldwide for testing. It is not yet on the market.

Chris Madison, a simulation tech-nician at HH, applied to Google to test the new device, and was awarded the privilege. Recipients had to ap-ply and explain their potential use for the device in 50 word or less.

“I wrote, ‘We want to save lives,’” Madison said.

“By using Google Glass in our simulation lab, we can study its ef-fects in a staged work environment, one that creates an atmosphere of realism without compromising HIPAA laws in place to protect patient privacy,” said Dr. Thomas Nowicki, director of Cognitive

Simulation at CESI. “Right now, we are in the de-v e l o p m e n t phase, build-ing applica-tions to be incor porat-ed into Glass to determine whether it can enhance critical care in the Emergency Department.”

Hartford Hospital doctors and re-searchers are testing and wearing Glass in mock emergency scenar-ios. They are looking at how Glass can deliver time sensitive and po-tentially life-saving information instantly.

Medical res-ident physi-cians at Hart-ford Hospital are now wear-ing the device while going through sim-ulated pro-cedures. No-wicki and Madison have simulated pa-tient data, such as po-tassium or sodium lev-els, which are then flashed to the phy-sician’s field

of vision. The

goal is to see whether this will al-low a more efficient process by eliminating the need for a doctor to go to a conventional computer to get the same information or to have a nurse read it aloud.

So far, researchers at CESI have created an app that pushes ‘alert’ notifications to Glass. Updates are displayed on the lens of Glass pro-viding timely information such as vital sign changes, lab results and medication requests to keep doc-tors better informed of any new developments with their patients in the Emergency Department.

Our researchers will also study Glass as a potential tool in the field for paramedics and EMTs. Glass may prove to be a valuable re-source by allowing for direct com-munication to a physician at the hospital providing them up-to-the-minute status reports of a patient’s condition.

Glass will be in ongoing stud-ies at Hartford Hospital’s CESI lab. Results will be reported back to Google with the goal of maximiz-ing its potential use in hospitals.

RxTraA publication for the staff of Hartford Hospital August 19, 2013 Vol. 69 No. 31

CESI Staff Test-Drives Google Glass

Chris Madison wears the Google Glass in CESI.

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In Memoriam

Support National Minority Organ Donor MonthToye McKissick knows how impor-tant it is for minorities to register as organ donors. She has been the recipient of not one, but two life-saving kidney transplants.

“It’s been almost a year and a half since I was blessed with my sec-ond kidney transplant,” she said. “Every time I look at the faces of my four babies, I can’t help but say, Thank you Jesus! “

“I am so thankful to the person that was kind enough and who understood the importance of be-coming an organ donor,” she said. “This individual’s choice of be-coming an donor literally saved my life.”

August is National Minority Do-nor Awareness Month, which is designed to increase awareness of the need for more organ, eye, and tissue donors, especially among minorities.

Now in its 17th year, this special observance honors minorities who have been donors, and encourag-es others to register as donors and take better care of their health in order to reduce the number need-ing a transplant.

“Before my transplant, my life re-volved mainly around dialysis and

sleep,” McKissick said. “I was on dialysis for over three years before receiving my new kidney. But since my transplant I live a much happi-er and healthier life, enjoying my time with my precious children. They are able to see and enjoy a stronger, more energetic, healthi-er, happier mother. I’m truly living

and loving life.”

Today in America, nearly 115,000 people are on the national wait-ing list for a life-saving organ transplant, and 18 die each day due to lack of organ donors. Mi-norities make up 56% of those currently on the organ donation waiting lists, but only 36% of the U.S. population, and only 30% of all donors.

“Becoming an organ donor is so very important,” McKissick said. “You have no idea how much it could change someone’s life to receive a new organ. It could mean the difference between life or death in many cases.”

Although organs are not matched according to race/ethnicity, and people of different races fre-quently match, everyone wait-ing for a transplant will have a better chance of receiving one if there are large numbers of do-nors from their racial/ethnic

background.

“We as minorities MUST do better about being organ donors,” McKis-sick said. “You never know who’s mother, father, sister, or brother’s life you may be saving. Please take a few minutes and register to be-come an organ donor.”

Toye McKissick received two life-saving kid-ney transplants, and is thankful to all those who register as organ donors.

Hartford Hospital is saddened by the untimely passing of Public Safety officer Lee Smith.

Lee was a 25-year employee of the Hartford Hospital Public Safety Department. He passed away sud-denly at home on Friday, August 16. He was 64.

Lee began his career at Hart-ford Hospital in July of 1988 and worked on the third shift. He was assigned to the ERC lobby.

Lee was a U.S. Army Vietnam War Veteran.

Our condolences go out to Lee’s wife Donna Gagnon-Smith, his children, Barbara Lee, Danielle Lee, Michelle Lee, and Lee Ga-gnon-Smith, and his many friends and coworkers.

To share memories of Lee or express condolences online, please visit www.biegafuneralhome.com.

HH Mourns Passing of Officer Lee Smith

Fall is almost here, and that means that the 24th Annual Hartford Hos-pital Auxiliary Benefit Golf Tourna-ment is less than a month away.

Proceeds from this year’s event, scheduled for Monday, September 9, at Tumble Brook Country Club in Bloomfield, will benefit the Purple Pod in Hartford Hospital’s Emer-gency Department, which is being renovated and expanded.

Due to the tremendous success of last year’s tournament, the Auxil-iary was able to donate more than $300,000 to Hartford Hospital, a large portion of which went to the new Epilepsy Center.

This year we hope to do even bet-ter, but we need your help!

We are in dire need of raffle and auction prizes, such as gift certif-icates (from retail stores, restau-rants, sporting goods stores, mov-ie theaters, etc.), new merchandise (jewelry, bicycles, golf clubs, golf bags, tennis racquets, etc.), trips (including stays at beach homes, ski homes, etc.), golf passes, and event tickets (major league base-ball games or other sporting events, Bushnell and Broadway shows, golf tournaments, etc.)

If you have a prize to donate, or can solicit a donation from a business, please contact Shel-

li Siegel (momgull@comcast.net) or Amy Steinberg (asteinberg74@gmail.com).

We can assist you with donation forms and arrange to pick up do-nated items.

Over the past 23 years, the Hartford Hospital Auxiliary Golf tournament has generated in excess of $2 mil-lion, which has been used to fund critically-needed programs which cannot be covered by the hospital’s annual budget.

The Auxiliary, the hospital, and our patients appreciate your continued support of our Golf Tournament.

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Auxiliary Seeks Prize Donations For Golf Tournament

Improvements Coming To The Auxiliary StoreFor decades, Hartford Hos-pital Auxillians have run the Auxiliary Store, provid-ing great service to patients, visitors, and staff and gen-erating income for impor-tant hospital projects. We are grateful for the dedi-cation, commitment and service of all the Auxilli-ans, volunteers and staff at the store, who have always been helpful and pleasant.

Recently the Auxiliary Board made the decision to bring in an outside management company for the store in order to increase profits to expand their capacity to

support additional hospital capital projects.

On August 1, we welcomed Faber International, which has specialized in gift store management for 146 years. It will continue to be called The Auxiliary Store.

Over the next three weeks, Faber will be doing minor modifications to the Auxil-iary Store. The store will re-main open during this time

with limited merchandise. Please continue to support the Auxiliary Store as we work to improve its appear-ance and merchandise selection.

We are seeking staff members to rep-resent their departments as Hartford Hospital United Way campaign coordi-nators. It’s not difficult, nor time con-suming. Coordinators deliver pledge forms in their department, hang post-ers, talk at H3W meetings, and help spread the word about the importance of giving to the United Way.

The 22nd annual United Way Kick-off Breakfast will be held Wednesday, Sept. 11 from 8-10 a.m. in Heublein Hall in the ERC.

In addition to enjoying some great food, campaign coordinators will learn about the campaign and be provided with the training and resources need-ed to make this year’s campaign a success!

If you would like to be a campaign coordinator, please RSVP to Crestina Walker by Aug. 30 at 545-0001 or crestina.walker@hhchealth.org. For more information, visit the HH In-tranet under Community Resources, or www.unitedwayinc.org

United Way Corner

Happening at Hartford Hospital

Questions or comments about RxTra? Contact editor Annie Emanuelli at annie.emanuelli@hhchealth.org or 860-972-2199

United Way Committee Holds School Supply Drive

We are sponsoring a School Supplies Drive this week (August 19-23) in conjunc-tion with the United Way’s annual Time To Read Community Cel-ebration. At last year’s event we filled more than 1,000 backpacks

with school supplies that were given to Hartford students. You can help by pro-viding these supplies:

• Large pink erasers

• Crayons, colored markers & pencils

• #2 pencils

• Safety scissors

• Small school box or zipper pouch

• Two-pocket folders

• Spiral bound notebook (wide-ruled)

• Ruler (inches & centimeters)

Supplies can be dropped off by the end of the day, Friday (Aug. 23) at:

• Hartford Hospital – main front infor-mation desk, Credit Union in Jefferson Building, or Patient Relations in Bliss

• IOL – Lillian Ruiz at the main lobby desk, Donnelly Building, IOL Campus

• Newington campus – Accounts Pay-able, Corporate Accounting or Lobby.

For more information, please contact Goran Sisic, Patient Relations, 972-1400 or goran.sisic@hhchealth.org

“Serving Up Hospitality” Class in Library ThursdayThe Health Science Libraries are offering a Customer Service Class, “Serving Up Hos-pitality,” on Thursday, Aug. 22 from 2-3 p.m. in the ERC 3rd floor Library Class-room. Instructor will be Sheila Hayes. To register, call/email Sheila at 860-972-2416 or sheila.hayes@hhchealth.org.

“Tastefully Simple” Vendor in NewingtonA Tastefully Simple repre-sentative will be in the 5th floor connec-tor of the New-ington Campus on Thursday, August 22 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Many items will be available cash and carry. For more infor-mation, contact Michele Confessore at 860-561-5011 or mwebhill@pcnet.com. Sponsored by the Hartford Hospital Unit-ed Way Newington Campus.

Free Music Thursdays at Blue Back SquareHartford Hospital has partnered with Blue Back Square in West Hartford for their outdoor concert series, A Little Thurs-day Night Music, which offers free sum-mer concerts on Thursday evenings from 7-9 p.m. Bands will play next to Barnes & Noble. On Thursday, Aug. 22, the band will be Frank Vignola Duo.

Sparkle Jew-elry In HH Caf ThursdaySparkle Jewelry will be selling necklaces, brace-lets, rings and beads

in the Hartford Hospital cafeteria on Thursday, Aug. 22 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Prices range from $2-$40. Proceeds ben-efit the United Way.

Free Outdoor Movie Saturday NightHartford Hospital has partnered with the Farmington Valley Shoppes in Can-ton to offer free outdoor movies at sun-set in the main parking area near the barn. Pre-show entertainment 6-8 p.m. The movie Saturday, Aug. 24 is Rise of the Guardians.

Car Raffle Benefits Cancer CenterWant to win a 2013 Volvo XC-60? You can, if you win the LITE 100.5 WRCH/Hartford Hospital car raffle. Your $50 donation ben-efits the Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Cen-ter. The winner will be drawn on Oct. 4 at the Nite of Lite Laughter. Raffle tick-ets will be sold Saturday, August 24, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. at Footprints, in Newington. Check e-xtra for upcoming dates.

Orientation Class for New Cancer PatientsBecome familiar with the Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center, staff, and the various supportive resources that are available to help you throughout your cancer treat-ment. Class is Tuesday, Aug. 27, from 9:30-10:30 a.m., in the Taylor Conference Room in the Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center. Registration is not required, but it is preferred. Please call Cancer Con-nect at 860-545-6000 or email cancercon-nect@harthosp.org.

Compliance Questions or

Concerns?

If you need to obtain information

about compliance issues or raise

concerns regarding internal and

regulatory practices

or policies, please contact your

supervisor or call the ComplianceLine,

a confidential and toll-free service, at

1-855-HHC-OCAP or online at

HHC.OCAPComplianceLine.com