November 28, 2016
Each year in November the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) promotes Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, an event to raise awareness of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate prescribing practice. More than 2 million people are infected annually with bacteria resistant to antibiotics, with at least 23,000 dying as a direct result. Studies show that a significant percentage of antibiotics prescribed in healthcare settings are inappropriate, contributing to this crisis.
Montefiore's Infectious Disease and Antimicrobial Stewardship Program is led by Belinda Ostrowsky, MD, Director, Healthcare Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases, and Associate Professor, Clinical Medicine, Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Einstein. The program is encouraging all associates to sign the Get Smart Week Pledge for 2016. By signing, associates pledge to promote prudent use of antibiotics in their care protocols. "The issue of antibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern—one that the CDC and the White House are taking very seriously. As healthcare leaders, Montefiore is in a position to lead by example and get the entire health system committed to responsible and judicious antibiotic prescribing practices," says Dr. Ostrowsky.
AS HEALTHCARE LEADERS, MONTEFIORE IS IN A POSITION TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND GET THE ENTIRE HEALTH SYSTEM COMMITTED TO RESPONSIBLE AND JUDICIAL ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIBING PRACTICES."
—Belinda Ostrowsky, MD
Sign the pledge and automatically enter yourself in a raffle to win a free Get Smart Teddy Bear by visiting the top news feature on the Intranet.
What are we doing well? What could we be doing better? These are the questions we seek to answer with the 2016 Montefiore Culture of Engagement Survey. Montefiore is doing more to foster a compassionate and inclusive environment in which every individual's voice is heard and respected, and the survey is an essential component of this effort. As with past surveys, your responses will remain completely confidential.
Honest feedback allows us to identify and address challenges, so we can continue to provide exceptional, patient-centered care to all.
The survey will be open to all associates from December 1 – 18. Check your Montefiore email for a link to the survey on December 1. Associates without a Montefiore email address will receive a letter from their manager with directions on how to participate. All associates will be provided dedicated time to complete the survey.
For more information, contact the Learning Network at LearningNetwork@montefiore.org.
Roughly 800,000 people suffer a stroke every year, with a spike in numbers during the holiday season attributed to unhealthy eating and a lapse in maintaining a healthy routine. "One of our main messages is that all stroke treatments are time-sensitive. If you think someone is having a stroke, call 911 immediately. If too much time passes, certain treatments cannot be considered," says Deepa P. Bhupali, MD, Stroke Director, Montefiore Weiler Campus, and Assistant Professor, Neurology, Einstein.
Do your part by learning the American Stroke Association's F.A.S.T. formula to identify the major symptoms of stroke and what to do if they occur:
The potentially devastating effects of stroke can usually be mitigated by rapid diagnosis and treatment. Montefiore's Stern Stroke Center is a noted leader in stroke service, where our experts provide state-of-the-art, acute care, long-term management and preventative care.
Discover more about how you can prevent and detect a stroke at www.montefiore.org/stroke-detection-and-prevention.
Students from the Temple Israel Center in White Plains interviewing Schaffer Extended Care Center residents
Residents of the Schaffer Extended Care Center welcomed 21 sixth grade students from the Temple Israel Center in White Plains on November 6, graciously participating in their ongoing mitzvah project. In the spirit of doing good deeds to help others as part of their Jewish faith, the students came prepared with interview questions in order to speak with and learn from the residents, building a foundation of intergenerational experiences. When one resident announced her upcoming wedding plans, the students broke into song to celebrate. These young people will continue making a difference by volunteering at Schaffer with two more visits in winter and spring.
The Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) becomes an outpost of the Magic Kingdom once a month when college-aged volunteers from A Moment of Magic arrive. They appear as our favorite Disney princesses, bringing joy to hospitalized children at CHAM and across the region. Founders Kelly McGrane and Maggie McAndrew created the organization in 2014. "We try to make fairytales come to life for the children we meet and for a few minutes, forget about whatever is currently going on in their life and allow them to just focus on pixie dust and the magic of childhood and imagination," says Ms. McGrane.
Members of CHAM's Child Life program look forward to the monthly visits as a welcome escape for the kids. "The girls have been volunteering for a couple of years. We have children from so many different cultural backgrounds, that even the kids who are not familiar with the characters are still smiling, engaged and genuinely getting caught up in the moment," says Meghan Kelly, MSEd, CCLS, Director, Phoebe H. Stein Child Life Program, CHAM. "We are so appreciative that these girls take the time from their busy schedules to brighten our kids' day," says Ms. Kelly.
All Montefiore associates hired prior to 2016 are required to complete the 2016 Annual Review by the close of business on December 30. Attending providers should have received the document via email and do not need to take further action. All others must complete the Annual Review online via Talent Management. Most associates were assigned the Annual Review, so it will appear on their "To Do" list as a requirement. Associates will need to select either the Clinical or Non-clinical version.
If you require further assistance with the Annual Review, contact the Learning Network at LearningNetwork@montefiore.org or 718-920-8787.
Roughly one in 40 Ashkenazi (Central/Eastern European) Jews will have a BRCA gene mutation that will put them and members of their families at an increased risk for certain cancers. Knowing your BRCA status can help guide your medical decisions. Montefiore's genetics team, in collaboration with the Program for Jewish Genetic Health, is now offering subsidized BRCA testing as part of a research initiative exploring the benefits and challenges of bringing BRCA testing to the Jewish community at large.
Participants will:
Participants must be at least 25 years old, have at least one Ashkenazi Jewish grandparent and have not had BRCA testing done previously. Study eligibility also will depend on personal/family cancer history.
For more information, contact 718-430-4156 or brca@einsteinmed.edu.
Discover more about clinical trials at Montefiore at www.montefiore.org/clinicaltrials.
Join us for special Grand Rounds with guest speaker Andrew Gurman, MD, President of the American Medical Association (AMA). The topic of the discussion will be "Physicians United to Meet Today's Health Challenges." Dr. Gurman is an orthopaedic hand surgeon who completed his surgical internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery at Montefiore and Einstein, and a fellowship in hand surgery at the Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopaedic Institute. He became the 171st president of the AMA at the peak of a career marked by professional stewardship and patient and physician advocacy. In 2016, Dr. Gurman was named one of Modern Healthcare's Most Influential People in Healthcare.
Wednesday, November 30 | 12:15 PM
Price Auditorium, Einstein Campus
Contact Mildred Rodriguez at mirodrig@montefiore.org or at 718-920-7091 for more information.
Donate on Tuesday, November 29 and help us raise $8,000 to buy 400 therapeutic pillows— one for each of the 400 pediatric cardiac patients the Children's Hospital at Montefiore will treat this year. For only $20, you can help us purchase a pillow for each child.
On this #GivingTuesday, help our kids recover quickly and safely!
This one day conference will focus on:
Monday, December 5
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx 10461
For more information, contact jill.raufman@einsteinmed.edu. Register online at www.mecme.org.
