st. vincent times november 2011

is here...

1st hospital in Los Angeles

Th e CARE sepsis prevention

team eff ort has generated useful,

evidence-based guidelines

hospitalwide.

Th e Nursing Protocol empowers the RN to obtain vital assessment and diagnostic data to quickly identify patients in the earliest stages of sepsis.

Th e Sepsis Physician Order Set contains the latest evidence-based medical interventions for initiating early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) for the septic patient.

Together, these tools and collaboration between nursing and medicine are key to reaching our goal of reducing sepsis-related mortality. SVT

St. V incent Times2131 W. 3rd St.Los Angeles, CA 90057www.StVincentMedicalCenter.comwww.facebook.com/stvincentmedicalcenter

NOVEMBER 2011 publication of St. Vincent Medical Center p

Respect Compassionate Service Simplicity Advocacy for the Poor Inventiveness to Infinity Respect Compassionate Service Simplicity Advocacy for the Poor Inventiveness to Infinity

system wel lnessAssociates in local health ministries throughout the Daughters of Charity Health System (DCHS) will participate this year in a wellness program with the catchy mantra: Be Well, Work

Well, Live Well. Th ere will be programs that promote staying healthy and enjoying better lifestyles.

One of the fi rst steps is to fi ll out a confi dential online Blue Shield of California Health Risk Assessment that will ask for screening values like cholesterol and glucose levels, and BMI measurements.

To that end, Wellness Fairs will be held on Nov. 1, 7, and 8 to provide free screenings for associates so they can “get their numbers” for the online assessment.

Th ere will also be a Benefi ts & Wellness Fair in conference rooms on Nov. 7, where associates can learn about health coverage options and services. Open Enrollment is from Nov. 7-18, a time during which associates may make changes to their benefi ts choices. During Open Enrollment, associates may go online at www.mydchsbenefi ts.com and make changes to their current coverage and benefi ts options for the coming 2012 calendar year. All associates need to participate in open enrollment this year because there are some changes to healthcare options.

As part of Wellness Training, DCHS requires that associates take the online confi dential wellness assessment at www. blueshieldca.com/hlr no later than Nov. 18. SVT

nurses’ phones Th e internal wireless system is being upgraded on Nov. 7, giving more capacity for patient-nurse and nurse-doctor communications. Th e goal is to improve the patient experience.

Approximately 100 new handsets will be provided to nurses for use in receiving calls from their patients and for making calls to doctors at the bedside of a patient. SVT

please l ike usSt. Vincent Medical Center has a Facebook page where you’ll fi nd all the hospital’s events and

award-winners. Take a look at what’s on www.facebook.com/stvincentmedicalcenter. SVT

VINCENTIAN VALUES: VINCENTIAN VALUES:

COVER STORYSt. Vincent Orthopaedic Institute and St. Vincent Spine Institute, two new hospital clinics, open in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Building. Page 4

SERVICE TO THE KOREAN COMMUNITY The KAGMA physicians’ group holds a large health fair on campus and provides free fl u shots and screenings for attendees. Learn about surgeon Willie Suhr’s connection to the service organization.

Page 3

SVMC ALIGNS WITH CONSULATES IN L.A.Letters of agreement with Consuls General from Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Korea reinforce the mission of St. Vincent Medical Center and the Daughters of Charity to serve the sick poor. Page 7

St. Vincent Times is a publication for St. Vincent Medical Staff and Associates. Please submit articles as soon as possible prior to or after an event for the earliest inclusion in the newsletter by e-mailing information to [email protected] or by calling (213) 484-5593. Medical Staff submissions may also be sent to [email protected]. Or call (213) 484-5525.

Ronald S. Fishbach, MD – CHIEF OF MEDICAL STAFF

Cathy Fickes – PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Sr. Sylvia Parks, DC – CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Physician of the Year – Dr. Arase

When Gerard Deegan, RGN, RN, ASEP placed 11th in the World Championships 8K cross-country competition in July, his O.R. colleagues were the fi rst to spread the news. Orthopaedic surgeon Ed McPherson, MD reported Gerard’s continual success as a

cyclist/runner and an all-around great O.R. nurse. Gerard, who has worked at SVMC since 1994, has a lot of respect for his colleagues too.

“We have great surgeons, great doctors here,” he said. “Th e O.R. is a family.” SVT

NOVEMBER 2011

On His Toes in O.R., and

Everywhere He Goes

S t . V i n c e 2 7

n t T i m e selcome to fall, which offi cially

started with warm days and cool

wet rains, unusual for Southern

California but a treat nevertheless.

As you can see from this issue of the St. Vincent Times, there is

so much happening at the hospital that we have packed this issue

with information.

I would like to thank everyone at the hospital. Th is year we

received an $87,693.00 award from Premier for our Quality

Improvement Initiatives. Th ese Quality Initiatives, Core Measures

and Patient Satisfaction Goals have now become key descriptors

of the service we provide at St. Vincent. Th ey contributed to

our award as the 5th Best Hospital in Southern California; but

more importantly they also speak to how well we take care of our

patients, in body, mind and soul. I believe that these scores and

this award refl ect how each one of you takes your calling in this

healthcare ministry and provides holistic care to our patients. We

are always endeavoring to exceed ourselves.

St. Vincent Medical Center Board of Directors and members

of the Medical Staff met to do some Strategic Planning for

the Medical Center. Th e outcome of the Strategic Planning

is to concentrate over the course of the next couple of years on

expanding development of some top items which are:

Evaluate and raise the level of our Emergency Department to •

a 911 Receiving ER

Expand and recruit more physicians in our Primary Care •

services

Improve Quality and Patient Satisfaction as seen through •

eff ective communication

Greater inclusion of physicians in decision and policy •

development including technology acquisition

Expand market reach and develop a brand through focused •

marketing

Expand Oncology, Cardiac, Cardiovascular and Th oracic •

service lines through service line teams

As always, fall is a hectic time of year as children reorient to school

and we prepare for the holidays. I hope you are taking time to

enjoy the change of the season. Most of all, I am delighted that you

are here working with us at St. Vincent Medical Center. SVT

c e o n o t e s

President/CEO

CA

TH

Y F

ICK

ES

St.

Vin

cen

t

Med

ical

Cen

ter

W

St. Vincent Times

m i s s i o n i n t e g r a t i o n : c o n s u l a t e s

g o t c o n c e r n s ?Physicians may report safety or quality of care concerns:

PHYSICIAN QUALITY HOTLINE: (213) 207-5783.

Call the VALUES LINE at (800) 371-2176 or go online at www.dchsvaluesline.org to report concerns

confi dentially and anonymously.

Gerard Deegan is a great athlete and O.R. nurse.

Welcome Sr. Joan Gibson, DC

Sr. Joan Gibson, DC has joined SVMC to manage the St. Vincent Conservancy, which is full of relics representing the Vincentian charism.

Sr. Joan has a career background in education and helped craft the merger that became Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory

School in San Francisco.

As principal at Cathedral High School in 1987, she saw the fi scal necessity of pooling resources with Sacred Heart, the boys’ school, and worked to form a unifi ed prep. school that enjoys excellent student scores

and a fi ne reputation. SVT

St. Vincent Medical Center provides screenings and education to the community throughout the year.

Meetings with consuls general recently helped to forge even stronger alliances and strengthen the bond between the people of the community and the fi rst hospital in Los Angeles.

SVMC Aligns with Korean and Latin American Consulates

Korean Consul General of Los Angeles Yeon-sung Shin signs a letter of agreement with SVMC on Sept. 12 to provide free health screenings for the community at the Korean Consulate.

Consuls General from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador sign letters of agreement with SVMC on Aug. 11 to provide ongoing community preventive screenings.

Sr. Joan Gibson, DC shows SVMC associates around the Historical Conservancy during Heritage Week in September.

Th e fi rst in a series of cross-specialty doctor networking mixers is held on Sept. 22. Above: Drs. Helen Kang, Daniel Sanchez, Pilsoo Oh, Patrick Takahashi, George Yamauchi, Anita Kriplani, Alan Jasper, and Jennifer K. Sohal. Below: President/CEO Cathy Fickes with Drs. Julio Guzman, Th omas Sevilla, and Luis Valle.

From left, Randal Arase, MD wins Physician of the Year. He is presented with a commendation by St. Vincent Medical Center Chief of Staff Ronald S. Fishbach, MD.

SVMC Doctors’ Mixer

Th e SVMC Business Development and Marketing team is pleased to welcome the addition of Grace Kim. Grace brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge in the healthcare arena. For the past eight years, Grace has been working with the Korean American Medical Association of Southern California (KAMASC) and has not only gained a high level of respect, but also established strong working relationships within the Korean physician community.

Grace is eager to build and strengthen St. Vincent’s commitment to our growing Korean community. Grace is married to a local podiatrist and they have a healthy, happy fi ve year old son. Grace is fl uent in both English and Korean. You may contact Grace at (213) 434-3521 or [email protected]. SVT

General surgeon Willie Suhr, MD is a pioneer and team player at St. Vincent Medical Center. In the last 35 years, he has seen the profession change in many ways, from large cuts to pinhole incisions, from individual doctor-patient experiences to highly documented handling of cases.

On a morning in July, Dr. Suhr fi nished assisting a case in the OR and had a moment to refl ect on the profession. “Nowadays, the practice of medicine is changing drastically and rapidly,” said Dr. Suhr. “Th ere’s too much paperwork, a very bureaucratic atmosphere.”

Dr. Suhr is one of the fi rst Korean-American physicians to join the staff at St. Vincent Medical Center, second only to orthopaedic surgeon Joon Y. Koh, MD, who just joined the St. Vincent Orthopaedic Institute.

Since joining the staff of St. Vincent Medical Center in 1976, Dr. Suhr has surgically removed thousands of cancerous tumors, begun a medical society in his living room, and raised three successful children. His eldest son is a general surgeon in Minneapolis.

Th e Korean American Graduates Medical Association (KAGMA) was started in Dr. Suhr’s residence, specifi cally for younger

physicians. KAGMA is comprised of Korean-Americans who have graduated from American medical schools. Dr. Suhr is a charter member of the Korean-American Medical Association of Southern California (KAMASC), comprised mostly of graduates of Korean medical schools. Th e two service groups perform outreach to the community and provide guidance to new physicians and even to pre-medical students.

Dr. Suhr invests in the continuation of the medical profession by mentoring young physicians and providing knowledge from his own experience. He receives something in return: “I learn more innovative techniques from them and get an energy boost.” SVT

Vincentian Spirit Award of the Year

Korean American Graduates Medical Association (KAGMA) held its 6th annual community health fair on Oct. 8 at St. Vincent Medical Center. Th e day’s events included lectures by physicians and dietitians on topics ranging from: pediatric to geriatric health, healthy eyes, anti-aging, healthy diet and nutrition. Attendees listened to doctors throughout the morning and were entitled to free consultations thereafter.

Free lunch was provided by St. Vincent

Medical Center, catered by School Food Blooming Roll. In the afternoon, nurses administered free fl u shots and health screenings (including hep B and cholesterol screenings.)

Attendance Handled by New Call Center

St. Vincent Medical Center recently contracted with a call center to better assist Korean patients, their families, and the entire community. For example, 300 people used the call center to register for the KAGMA health fair. Callers now use it on a daily basis: dial the hospital’s main number, (213) 484-7111, listen for the prompt (spoken in Korean), then press 8 to be connected with with a Korean-speaking operator.

Th e operator stays on the phone until the caller’s needs are met, whether communicating with Imaging Services or just being transferred to a patient’s room.

KAGMA Today

Th e health fair was one of many community health outreach events that the physician-members of KAGMA perform throughout the year. SVMC urologist Samuel Lee, MD said that, in addition to the health fairs, KAGMA members also prepare future physicians for the profession of medicine. “We bring the community to our campus (SVMC) through these educational events,” said Dr. Lee. “SVMC has been the neighborhood hospital for the longest time.”


As Community Outreach Coordinator, Erika Bermudez provides excellence in serving low-income and underserved individuals and sets an example for co-workers and clients by incorporating the mission and values of the Daughters of Charity. She took the lead in conducting regular outreach at the Mexican Consular Office and in Hispanic communities. SVT

36

S t . V i n c e

n t T i m e s

Erika Bermudez

Multicultural Health Awareness and

Prevention (MHAP) Center

Vincentian Spirit Award Winner

August 2011

Vincentian Spirit Award

awards

meet Grace

Reggie Bueno, RN, on the 7th Floor, wins the third DAISY award on Sept. 19, honored for extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care. From left, Kim Deese, CNO. At right, Director of 7th Floor Oncology/Nephrology Jo Aguilar.

DAISY Award

Tejani Sikuru

Central Processing and Distribution


September 2011

T.J. Sikuru is known for his friendly attitude and compassionate service towards patients and guests.

He always shows the utmost respect for patients and visitors by smiling, greeting them first and asking if they need help finding a certain location. SVT

Pride of the CCU quarterly winner Victoria Arreglo, RN celebrated July 20 with President/CEO Cathy Fickes, Kim Deese, CNO, and Director of the CCU Sandy Klatt. Victoria was selected for this honor by her peers in the CCU.

Interventional cardiologist Narinder Batra, MD earns a Guardian Angel Award from a grateful patient on Aug. 9

Pulmonologist Brian S. Kahn, MD earns a Guardian Angel Award from a grateful patient on Aug. 9.

6

community outreach: Koreatown

KAGMA founder

Reina Cruz


Award Winner of the Year

Instrument Tech Reina Cruz was named Vincentian Spirit Award Winner of the Year during the culmination of Heritage Week. Reina is known for her leadership in her department and her attention to the details that ensure O.R. instrumentation is sterile for our patients. SVT

KAGMA doctors presented wellness topics to the community in St. Vincent Medical Center’s Seton Auditorium on Oct. 8. Nurses administered free fl u shots and screenings for the attendees.

Willie Suhr, MD on his way into the O.R. on a morning in July.

C o m p r e h e n s i v e

O r t h o p a e d i c S e r v i c e s

Orthopaedist Brian Itagaki, MD moved

his Little Tokyo practice to St. Vincent

Orthopaedic Institute to help develop

the hospital’s full-service orthopaedics

program. Dr. Itagaki, who is Chair of the

Department of Surgery at St. Vincent

Medical Center, sees value in having a

centralized orthopaedics program right

across from the hospital.

Four years after SVMC opened the Joint

Replacement Institute in the S. Mark

Taper Foundation Building, two new

hospital-based clinics have been added.

St. Vincent

Orthopaedic

Institute opened on

Oct. 17 with fi ve

career orthopaedists,

including three

generalists, a spine

surgeon, and a

qualifi ed medical

evaluator (QME).

Th e Orthopaedic Institute has eight rooms

in a newly built 4,000-square-foot clinic

on the fi rst fl oor of the S. Mark Taper

Foundation Building at 2200 W. 3rd St.,

Ste. 120 A. Th e clinic is outfi tted with

electronic medical records.

Tae M. Shin, MD and Joon Y. Koh, MD

have moved their Koreatown practices

to the St. Vincent Orthopaedic Institute.

Dr. Shin’s practice includes orthopaedic

and spine care. Dr. Koh, a renowned spine

surgeon for 40 years, focuses now on his

work as a QME.

Charles H. Alexander, MD and Yung R.

Cho, MD have

moved downstairs

from Suite 400 of

the Taper building

to Suite 120 A.

“Th e St. Vincent

Orthopaedic

Institute is

dedicated to

providing the

highest quality of

care for our patients with orthopaedic

and musculoskeletal problems,” said Dr.

Alexander. “Th at includes treatment

of fractures and joint problems due to

injuries or systemic conditions. Our new

offi ce has state-of-the-art electronic

medical records and radiographic analysis.

But our most important feature is state-

of-the art personal care.”

New imaging technology is in place from

the hospital to the hospital institutes –

from C-arm and monitor to the PACS

network. St. Vincent Orthopaedic

Institute and the St. Vincent Spine

Institute share an imaging center.

New imaging

equipment is also

available in the

hospital’s O.R.

Neurosurgeon

Fardad Mobin,

MD, FAANS,

who practices

in the adjacent

St. Vincent

Spine Institute, 2200 W. 3rd St., Ste. 120

B, said: “St. Vincent Medical Center has

intraoperative 3D fl uoroscopy, giving

unprecedented ability for placement of

instrumentation. Before a patient leaves

the O.R., instrumentation is in perfect

location.”

He also praised the O.R. team: “SVMC’s

surgical operating team is very dedicated

to performing, one of the best integrated

groups I’ve worked with.”

Dr. Mobin has extensive training and

experience in minimally-invasive spine

surgery and microscope-based spine

surgery. He is a

pioneer in image-

guided surgery,

using computer

generated

simulations

to design and

navigate safe

surgical corridors

for patient-specifi c anatomy.

St. Vincent Spine Institute, with six exam

rooms in about 4,000-square-feet of space,

opened on Oct. 31. Th e Spine Institute is

led by co-medical directors Mobin and

John J. Regan, MD. Th ey are joined by

spine surgeon Jennifer K. Sohal, MD.

Dr. Regan was an early adopter of

minimally invasive video-assisted surgical

techniques and a pioneer of cervical disc

replacement that has proven of benefi t

in fi ve-year post-trial studies. Disc

replacement is an alternative to spinal

fusion, performed for relief of radicular

pain and to preserve functional motion

between two vertebral bodies.

“We’re happy

to partner with

a hospital very

much moving

forward to be

able to share our

vision, bringing

high-quality care

to patients and

bringing research

clinical studies to the St. Vincent Spine

Institute,” said Dr. Regan.

Dr. Sohal also uses the latest in minimally

invasive techniques and has rapidly built

her practice over the past year. “I’m

excited to be working with such esteemed

colleagues and to be a part of the SVSI,”

said Dr. Sohal. “For many patients, they

live with back pain for such a long time

that they don’t even refer to it as ‘pain.’

Th ey don’t understand why they can’t even

walk one block without stopping to rest or

sit. Our goal is not to conduct surgery on

a patient. Our goal is to help increase the

quality of life, to improve someone’s life.”

Go to www.stvincentspine.com SVT

4 5

S t . V i n c e n t T i m e se x p a n s i o n o f o r t h o p a e d i c s e r v i c e s a t t h e # 5 B e s t H o s p i t a l

E x p e r i e n c e d O r t h o p a e d i s t s a n d S p i n e S u r g e o n s M o v e Pr a c t i c e s t o N e w O r t h o p a e d i c a n d S p i n e I n s t i t u t e s

John J. Regan, MDFardad Mobin, MD, FAANSCharles H. Alexander, MDBrian H. Itagaki, MD, Inc. Tae M. Shin, MD Joon Y. Koh, MD Jennifer K. Sohal, MDYung Rak Cho, MD

Th e SVMC Business Development and Marketing team is pleased to welcome the addition of Grace Kim. Grace brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge in the healthcare arena. For the past eight years, Grace has been working with the Korean American Medical Association of Southern California (KAMASC) and has not only gained a high level of respect, but also established strong working relationships within the Korean physician community.

Grace is eager to build and strengthen St. Vincent’s commitment to our growing Korean community. Grace is married to a local podiatrist and they have a healthy, happy fi ve year old son. Grace is fl uent in both English and Korean. You may contact Grace at (213) 434-3521 or [email protected]. SVT

General surgeon Willie Suhr, MD is a pioneer and team player at St. Vincent Medical Center. In the last 35 years, he has seen the profession change in many ways, from large cuts to pinhole incisions, from individual doctor-patient experiences to highly documented handling of cases.

On a morning in July, Dr. Suhr fi nished assisting a case in the OR and had a moment to refl ect on the profession. “Nowadays, the practice of medicine is changing drastically and rapidly,” said Dr. Suhr. “Th ere’s too much paperwork, a very bureaucratic atmosphere.”

Dr. Suhr is one of the fi rst Korean-American physicians to join the staff at St. Vincent Medical Center, second only to orthopaedic surgeon Joon Y. Koh, MD, who just joined the St. Vincent Orthopaedic Institute.

Since joining the staff of St. Vincent Medical Center in 1976, Dr. Suhr has surgically removed thousands of cancerous tumors, begun a medical society in his living room, and raised three successful children. His eldest son is a general surgeon in Minneapolis.

Th e Korean American Graduates Medical Association (KAGMA) was started in Dr. Suhr’s residence, specifi cally for younger

physicians. KAGMA is comprised of Korean-Americans who have graduated from American medical schools. Dr. Suhr is a charter member of the Korean-American Medical Association of Southern California (KAMASC), comprised mostly of graduates of Korean medical schools. Th e two service groups perform outreach to the community and provide guidance to new physicians and even to pre-medical students.

Dr. Suhr invests in the continuation of the medical profession by mentoring young physicians and providing knowledge from his own experience. He receives something in return: “I learn more innovative techniques from them and get an energy boost.” SVT


Korean American Graduates Medical Association (KAGMA) held its 6th annual community health fair on Oct. 8 at St. Vincent Medical Center. Th e day’s events included lectures by physicians and dietitians on topics ranging from: pediatric to geriatric health, healthy eyes, anti-aging, healthy diet and nutrition. Attendees listened to doctors throughout the morning and were entitled to free consultations thereafter.

Free lunch was provided by St. Vincent

Medical Center, catered by School Food Blooming Roll. In the afternoon, nurses administered free fl u shots and health screenings (including hep B and cholesterol screenings.)

Attendance Handled by New Call Center

St. Vincent Medical Center recently contracted with a call center to better assist Korean patients, their families, and the entire community. For example, 300 people used the call center to register for the KAGMA health fair. Callers now use it on a daily basis: dial the hospital’s main number, (213) 484-7111, listen for the prompt (spoken in Korean), then press 8 to be connected with with a Korean-speaking operator.

Th e operator stays on the phone until the caller’s needs are met, whether communicating with Imaging Services or just being transferred to a patient’s room.

KAGMA Today

Th e health fair was one of many community health outreach events that the physician-members of KAGMA perform throughout the year. SVMC urologist Samuel Lee, MD said that, in addition to the health fairs, KAGMA members also prepare future physicians for the profession of medicine. “We bring the community to our campus (SVMC) through these educational events,” said Dr. Lee. “SVMC has been the neighborhood hospital for the longest time.”


As Community Outreach Coordinator, Erika Bermudez provides excellence in serving low-income and underserved individuals and sets an example for co-workers and clients by incorporating the mission and values of the Daughters of Charity. She took the lead in conducting regular outreach at the Mexican Consular Office and in Hispanic communities. SVT

36

S t . V i n c e

n t T i m e s

Erika Bermudez

Multicultural Health Awareness and

Prevention (MHAP) Center


August 2011

Vincentian Spirit Award

awards

meet Grace

Reggie Bueno, RN, on the 7th Floor, wins the third DAISY award on Sept. 19, honored for extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care. From left, Kim Deese, CNO. At right, Director of 7th Floor Oncology/Nephrology Jo Aguilar.

DAISY Award

Tejani Sikuru



September 2011

T.J. Sikuru is known for his friendly attitude and compassionate service towards patients and guests.

He always shows the utmost respect for patients and visitors by smiling, greeting them first and asking if they need help finding a certain location. SVT

Pride of the CCU quarterly winner Victoria Arreglo, RN celebrated July 20 with President/CEO Cathy Fickes, Kim Deese, CNO, and Director of the CCU Sandy Klatt. Victoria was selected for this honor by her peers in the CCU.

Interventional cardiologist Narinder Batra, MD earns a Guardian Angel Award from a grateful patient on Aug. 9

Pulmonologist Brian S. Kahn, MD earns a Guardian Angel Award from a grateful patient on Aug. 9.

6

community outreach: Koreatown

KAGMA founder

Reina Cruz


Award Winner of the Year

Instrument Tech Reina Cruz was named Vincentian Spirit Award Winner of the Year during the culmination of Heritage Week. Reina is known for her leadership in her department and her attention to the details that ensure O.R. instrumentation is sterile for our patients. SVT

KAGMA doctors presented wellness topics to the community in St. Vincent Medical Center’s Seton Auditorium on Oct. 8. Nurses administered free fl u shots and screenings for the attendees.

Willie Suhr, MD on his way into the O.R. on a morning in July.

COVER STORYSt. Vincent Orthopaedic Institute and St. Vincent Spine Institute, two new hospital clinics, open in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Building. Page 4

SERVICE TO THE KOREAN COMMUNITY The KAGMA physicians’ group holds a large health fair on campus and provides free fl u shots and screenings for attendees. Learn about surgeon Willie Suhr’s connection to the service organization.

Page 3

SVMC ALIGNS WITH CONSULATES IN L.A.Letters of agreement with Consuls General from Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Korea reinforce the mission of St. Vincent Medical Center and the Daughters of Charity to serve the sick poor.

St. Vincent Times is a publication for St. Vincent Medical Staff and Associates. Please submit articles as soon as possible prior to or after an event for the earliest inclusion in the newsletter by e-mailing information to [email protected] or by calling (213) 484-5593. Medical Staff submissions may also be sent to [email protected]. Or call (213) 484-5525.

Ronald S. Fishbach, MD – CHIEF OF MEDICAL STAFF

Cathy Fickes – PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Sr. Sylvia Parks, DC – CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Physician of the Year – Dr. Arase

When Gerard Deegan, RGN, RN, ASEP placed 11th in the World Championships 8K cross-country competition in July, his O.R. colleagues were the fi rst to spread the news. Orthopaedic surgeon Ed McPherson, MD reported Gerard’s continual success as a

cyclist/runner and an all-around great O.R. nurse. Gerard, who has worked at SVMC since 1994, has a lot of respect for his colleagues too.

“We have great surgeons, great doctors here,” he said. “Th e O.R. is a family.” SVT

NOVEMBER 2011

On His Toes in O.R., and

Everywhere He Goes

S t . V i n c e 2 7

n t T i m e selcome to fall, which offi cially

started with warm days and cool

wet rains, unusual for Southern

California but a treat nevertheless.

As you can see from this issue of the St. Vincent Times, there is

so much happening at the hospital that we have packed this issue

with information.

I would like to thank everyone at the hospital. Th is year we

received an $87,693.00 award from Premier for our Quality

Improvement Initiatives. Th ese Quality Initiatives, Core Measures

and Patient Satisfaction Goals have now become key descriptors

of the service we provide at St. Vincent. Th ey contributed to

our award as the 5th Best Hospital in Southern California; but

more importantly they also speak to how well we take care of our

patients, in body, mind and soul. I believe that these scores and

this award refl ect how each one of you takes your calling in this

healthcare ministry and provides holistic care to our patients. We

are always endeavoring to exceed ourselves.

St. Vincent Medical Center Board of Directors and members

of the Medical Staff met to do some Strategic Planning for

the Medical Center. Th e outcome of the Strategic Planning

is to concentrate over the course of the next couple of years on

expanding development of some top items which are:

Evaluate and raise the level of our Emergency Department to •

a 911 Receiving ER

Expand and recruit more physicians in our Primary Care •

services

Improve Quality and Patient Satisfaction as seen through •

eff ective communication

Greater inclusion of physicians in decision and policy •

development including technology acquisition

Expand market reach and develop a brand through focused •

marketing

Expand Oncology, Cardiac, Cardiovascular and Th oracic •

service lines through service line teams

As always, fall is a hectic time of year as children reorient to school

and we prepare for the holidays. I hope you are taking time to

enjoy the change of the season. Most of all, I am delighted that you

are here working with us at St. Vincent Medical Center. SVT

c e o n o t e s

President/CEO

CA

TH

Y F

ICK

ES

St.

Vin

cen

t

Med

ical

Cen

ter

W

St. Vincent Times

m i s s i o n i n t e g r a t i o n : c o n s u l a t e s

g o t c o n c e r n s ?Physicians may report safety or quality of care concerns:

PHYSICIAN QUALITY HOTLINE: (213) 207-5783.

Call the VALUES LINE at (800) 371-2176 or go online at www.dchsvaluesline.org to report concerns

confi dentially and anonymously.

Gerard Deegan is a great athlete and O.R. nurse.

Welcome Sr. Joan Gibson, DC

Sr. Joan Gibson, DC has joined SVMC to manage the St. Vincent Conservancy, which is full of relics representing the Vincentian charism.

Sr. Joan has a career background in education and helped craft the merger that became Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory

School in San Francisco.

As principal at Cathedral High School in 1987, she saw the fi scal necessity of pooling resources with Sacred Heart, the boys’ school, and worked to form a unifi ed prep. school that enjoys excellent student scores

and a fi ne reputation. SVT

St. Vincent Medical Center provides screenings and education to the community throughout the year.

Meetings with consuls general recently helped to forge even stronger alliances and strengthen the bond between the people of the community and the fi rst hospital in Los Angeles.

SVMC Aligns with Korean and Latin American Consulates

Korean Consul General of Los Angeles Yeon-sung Shin signs a letter of agreement with SVMC on Sept. 12 to provide free health screenings for the community at the Korean Consulate.

Consuls General from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador sign letters of agreement with SVMC on Aug. 11 to provide ongoing community preventive screenings.

Sr. Joan Gibson, DC shows SVMC associates around the Historical Conservancy during Heritage Week in September.

Th e fi rst in a series of cross-specialty doctor networking mixers is held on Sept. 22. Above: Drs. Helen Kang, Daniel Sanchez, Pilsoo Oh, Patrick Takahashi, George Yamauchi, Anita Kriplani, Alan Jasper, and Jennifer K. Sohal. Below: President/CEO Cathy Fickes with Drs. Julio Guzman, Th omas Sevilla, and Luis Valle.

From left, Randal Arase, MD wins Physician of the Year. He is presented with a commendation by St. Vincent Medical Center Chief of Staff Ronald S. Fishbach, MD.

SVMC Doctors’ Mixer

is here...

1st hospital in Los Angeles

Th e CARE sepsis prevention

team eff ort has generated useful,

evidence-based guidelines

hospitalwide.

Th e Nursing Protocol empowers the RN to obtain vital assessment and diagnostic data to quickly identify patients in the earliest stages of sepsis.

Th e Sepsis Physician Order Set contains the latest evidence-based medical interventions for initiating early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) for the septic patient.

Together, these tools and collaboration between nursing and medicine are key to reaching our goal of reducing sepsis-related mortality. SVT

St. V incent Times2131 W. 3rd St.Los Angeles, CA 90057www.StVincentMedicalCenter.comwww.facebook.com/stvincentmedicalcenter

NOVEMBER 2011 publication of St. Vincent Medical Center p

Respect Compassionate Service Simplicity Advocacy for the Poor Inventiveness to Infinity Respect Compassionate Service Simplicity Advocacy for the Poor Inventiveness to Infinity

system wel lnessAssociates in local health ministries throughout the Daughters of Charity Health System (DCHS) will participate this year in a wellness program with the catchy mantra: Be Well, Work

Well, Live Well. Th ere will be programs that promote staying healthy and enjoying better lifestyles.

One of the fi rst steps is to fi ll out a confi dential online Blue Shield of California Health Risk Assessment that will ask for screening values like cholesterol and glucose levels, and BMI measurements.

To that end, Wellness Fairs will be held on Nov. 1, 7, and 8 to provide free screenings for associates so they can “get their numbers” for the online assessment.

Th ere will also be a Benefi ts & Wellness Fair in conference rooms on Nov. 7, where associates can learn about health coverage options and services. Open Enrollment is from Nov. 7-18, a time during which associates may make changes to their benefi ts choices. During Open Enrollment, associates may go online at www.mydchsbenefi ts.com and make changes to their current coverage and benefi ts options for the coming 2012 calendar year. All associates need to participate in open enrollment this year because there are some changes to healthcare options.

As part of Wellness Training, DCHS requires that associates take the online confi dential wellness assessment at www. blueshieldca.com/hlr no later than Nov. 18. SVT

nurses’ phones Th e internal wireless system is being upgraded on Nov. 7, giving more capacity for patient-nurse and nurse-doctor communications. Th e goal is to improve the patient experience.

Approximately 100 new handsets will be provided to nurses for use in receiving calls from their patients and for making calls to doctors at the bedside of a patient. SVT

please l ike usSt. Vincent Medical Center has a Facebook page where you’ll fi nd all the hospital’s events and

award-winners. Take a look at what’s on www.facebook.com/stvincentmedicalcenter. SVT

VINCENTIAN VALUES: VINCENTIAN VALUES:

st. vincent times november 2011

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