October 9, 2017
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the outpouring of support across the Montefiore-Einstein community for the people of Puerto Rico has been enormous. The desperate situation at Puerto Rico’s hospitals and other healthcare facilities has impacted access to medical care throughout the entire island.
As Puerto Rico struggles to make medical services available to those who need them, Montefiore quickly answered New York’s call to action, joining the Empire State Relief and Recovery Effort for Puerto Rico, launched by Governor Andrew Cuomo. This effort brings together the Greater New York
Montefiore has donated generators and many other needed supplies to Puerto Rico. Photo Credit: Afya
Hospital Association (GNYHA), Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), 1199SEIU, and the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) to assist hospitals across Puerto Rico. New York hospitals have raised about $5 million for the relief efforts in Puerto Rico, with a goal of raising $10 million.
MONTEFIORE’S FIRST SHIPMENT OF SUPPLIES HAS ALREADY BEEN FLOWN INTO PUERTO RICO.
In addition to other contributions, Montefiore is one of nine health systems coordinating with the organizations above on the preparation and deployment to Puerto Rico of volunteer medical teams. Montefiore doctors, nurses and other associates have stepped forward to be part of teams leaving this week and next that will be on the ground in Puerto Rico for two weeks. Collette Maynard, LPN, who works at Montefiore Medical Group’s Comprehensive Health Care Center, will be heading to Puerto Rico on the deployment team. She, like many other Montefiore associates who have volunteered their time and expertise, is willing to go wherever the need is greatest.
Pharmaceuticals and medical supplies are being delivered to Puerto Rico by private plane.
Medical and other supplies for healthcare facilities are moving rapidly to where they are most needed through GYNHA’s partnership with Afya, a nonprofit with extensive experience delivering aid directly into the hands of aid workers, avoiding middlemen and red tape. Supplies shipped on donated private jets are already meeting critical needs at hospitals, including pediatric hospitals and a transplant center, community clinics and the UPR Medical School.
Volunteers from hospitals, including Montefiore, are sorting medical supplies to be sent to Puerto Rico.
Montefiore contributed an initial shipment of generators to provide desperately needed power; chain saws to clear away fallen trees blocking streets and access ways; work gloves, shovels, picks and brooms for essential cleanup; and many other items, including lanterns, batteries and hospital linens. Montefiore 1199SEIU and NYSNA members are playing a crucial role sorting and organizing targeted shipments into crates for delivery to Puerto Rican healthcare workers. Volunteers strive to have meds and supplies ready to go in 24–48 hours; work with member hospitals to procure lifesaving pharmacy orders; and organize multi-stage drop-off and warehousing processes.
Many of our Montefiore colleagues and patients have family and friends in Puerto Rico. We stand with them and will continue to play a role in the recovery efforts. As plans evolve, we will keep you informed of opportunities to participate in these initiatives. Some options for Montefiore associates and groups who want to help today can be found here.
Montefiore will comply with new United States Pharmacopeia (USP) regulations aimed at further protecting healthcare workers when they handle potentially hazardous medications. We already have safeguards and processes in place for handling chemotherapy drugs, and the new USP 800 regulations expand the list of drugs requiring special handling to include medications on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) list of hazardous drugs. In addition to chemotherapy agents, the list includes antiviral drugs, hormones, some bioengineered drugs and other miscellaneous drugs considered teratogenic (can affect the development of the embryo or fetus) or carcinogenetic, or that cause organ toxicity or other risks. Montefiore has created multi-departmental committees to quickly and effectively achieve compliance. Watch for updates on this important initiative.
Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) and the Department of Pediatrics has established the Dr. Robin Goldman Memorial Lectureship Fund to honor the work and achievements of this respected pediatrician and medical educator. Dr. Goldman treated thousands of children while directly mentoring over 70 pediatric resident trainees and countless medical students, and teaching courses in communication, ethics, wellness and humanism at Einstein. The Dr. Robin Goldman Memorial Lectureship will sponsor a visit by an outstanding physician-scholar who has achieved national recognition for work in pediatrics, medical education or humanism in medicine. The lecture will be followed by a mentoring activity providing training and skills in areas Dr. Goldman valued. Support her enduring commitment and vision today by visiting www.montefiore.org/goldmanlectureship.
Impact a teenager’s life by becoming one of Montefiore’s volunteer mentors for 11th grade students attending Health, Education and Research Occupations High School (HERO High), our partner school. Mentors are interested in building caring relationships, guiding teens with personal and professional development, and willing to talk about their work in a way young people can understand, to help them learn what it takes to succeed in the healthcare field. Mentors are fully supported through orientation, training and ongoing communication with staff at the school and hospital. Discover more by contacting Dana Politis at dpolitis@montefiore.org or 718-920-6212. Sign-up deadline is October 27.
In the run-up to the Epic@Montefiore upgrade launch, more than 6,000 associates attended demos and webinars, and practiced in the Epic Playground. These efforts contributed to the successful go-live on October 6, when our integrated electronic medical record system, connecting our entire network of care, was updated. The Epic@Montefiore upgrade improves our workflow experience with enhanced features and functionality. Montefiore MyChart, our patient portal, was also improved, with a cleaner, more vibrant look to make navigation easier for patients. You can still practice in Epic Playground, so visit the Epic@Montefiore intranet for exercise booklets that you can use to improve your Epic skills!
Each year from October 6 to 12, the physician assistant (PA) profession celebrates National PA Week to recognize its contributions to the nation’s health and raise awareness of the profession. Learn more about these amazing individuals by visiting www.aapa.org/events/pa-week/.
Montefiore physiatrists submitted videos on our first myoelectic arm and a recent Jamaica medical mission that will be shown online as part of Physiatry Day 2017 on October 13. Discover more and view the videos by visiting https://www.pmrismorethan.org/stories/physiatry-day-2017/.
Our doctors at the ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION RESEARCH PROGRAM at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine are dedicated to finding new and improved treatment options for adults, 18–75 years of age, suffering from major depressive disorder.
Please call 718-920-2933 or email depression@montefiore.org to learn more about our current clinical trial opportunities.
Director: Eric Hollander, MD
Join Montefiore’s Infection Prevention teams at Einstein, Moses and Wakefield campuses to raise awareness of hospital-acquired infections during International Infection Prevention Week, October 15–21. Learn more about infection prevention practices, and engage in fun activities with prizes!
Tuesday, October 17 | 12:00–2:00 PM
Moses, Wakefield and Einstein Cafeterias
