September 6, 2016
Sepsis occurs when the body's natural response to an infection goes into overdrive, causing widespread inflammation that may damage tissue and organs. Septic shock is the advanced stage, when blood pressure drops precipitously and there may be organ failure and death. Every hour of delay in treatment contributes to increased risk of mortality, so rapid response by care teams is essential. That's why Montefiore is observing Sepsis Awareness Month in September, renewing the focus on implementing rapid and effective care protocols throughout the health system. Deploying the tools already in use, such as Epic Best Practice Advisories (BPAs) and Epic severe sepsis order sets, clinicians can be notified at the first signs of sepsis and take action to save lives.
Tables will be set up across the health system throughout the month to update clinicians on essential response protocols. Make sure to stop by one of the tables, and speak to your unit and department leaders about what you can do to prepare for a sepsis emergency.
Visit the Intranet for a full schedule of Sepsis Awareness Month events and educational materials.
“THE ONCOLOGY CARE MODEL (OCM) PROGRAM IS EXPECTED TO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON THE PATIENTS WHO RECEIVE CHEMOTHERAPY AT MONTEFIORE.” —ROMAN PEREZ-SOLER, MD
The Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care is now one of only 200 physician group practices and 17 health insurance companies in the nation to be selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM). The OCM is a care delivery model that supports more coordinated cancer care for improved outcomes.
As one of the first CMS physician-led specialty care models, the OCM builds upon lessons learned from other innovative programs and private sector models. The sheer number of hospital appointments, often complicated by chemotherapy side effects, can be an obstacle course for cancer patients and their families. The new Oncology Care Model will provide expanded access to different specialties and individualized support, enabling each patient to more easily navigate through their cancer treatment with better results.
"By reinforcing our outpatient clinical infrastructure, we will be able to serve and manage more efficiently the complex health issues that these patients present while maintaining excellence in a large number of quality metrics," says Roman Perez-Soler, MD, Chairman, Oncology; Chief, Medical Oncology; Deputy Director, Albert Einstein Cancer Center; and Guttman Professor, Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology, Montefiore and Einstein.
"A special mention should also be made of our team: Stu Packer, MD, Barbara Binder, RN, and Eliza Ng, MD, Senior Medical Director, CMO, who have shouldered the enormous task of coordinating and executing the OCM," says Dr. Perez-Soler.
Every year since 2011, The Walking Montes have laced up their shoes and stepped out to participate in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. This annual American Cancer Society event exemplifies the progress that can be made when people join together in the fight to end breast cancer.
For more information on how to get involved, stop by one of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer tables:
Thursday, September 15 | 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Taste of Little Italy event, East Garden, Moses Campus
Tuesday, September 20 | Noon – 2:00 PM
Food Pavilion, Wakefield Campus
Wednesday, September 21 | Noon – 2:00 PM
Lobby, Hutchinson Campus
Friday, September 23 | 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
4th Floor Lobby, Weiler Hospital, Einstein Campus
The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk takes place on Sunday, October 16 at Orchard Beach, Bronx.
Yuxi Chen, MD, Attending Pediatric Physiatrist, Rehabilitation Medicine, Montefiore, and Assistant Professor, The Arthur S. Abramson Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Montefiore/Einstein, was recently awarded the 2016 Gabriella E. Molnar-Swafford Pediatric PM&R Research Grant. Her research will focus on studying the utilization of virtual reality as a method of analgesia for pediatric patients during injection procedures. The prospect of utilizing technological means for analgesia rather than pharmaceuticals has many exciting possibilities for application throughout the health system.
Nitin Ohri, MD, Attending Physician, Radiation Oncology, Montefiore, and Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology, Einstein, is collaborating with Koneksa, a healthcare software and data analytics company. The study will track the daily physical activity of head and neck, lung and gastrointestinal cancer patients during concurrent chemoradiotherapy using through Garmin fitness trackers. In a previous trial, the study team developed an algorithm that can predict hospitalizations based on daily step counts. The expectation is that low and declining levels of activity are indicative of impaired quality-of-life due to pain, lack of nutrition, or other effects of the disease and its treatment. In the present study, clinicians will provide enhanced supportive care for patients who are thought to be at high risk for hospitalization based on activity data to try to prevent hospital admissions and treatment interruptions.
Marina Reznik, MD, MS, Attending Pediatrician, Pediatrics, Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM), and Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Einstein, has been awarded a $4.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to launch a five-year research study to increase healthcare provider adherence to national asthma management guidelines and improve clinical outcomes for children with asthma.
Alexander Sankin, MD, Attending Physician, Urology, Montefiore, and Assistant Professor, Urology, Einstein, in collaboration with researchers at Einstein, is conducting research on immune checkpoints in bladder cancer. Dr. Sankin and his team aim to identify new receptors expressed on the cell surfaces of tumors that can be targeted by immunotherapy drugs. The team was the first to demonstrate a robust expression pattern of the newly discovered immune checkpoint ligand HHLA2 in human bladder tumors. An immune checkpoint is a receptor expressed on some tumor cells that signals to the immune system that the tumor should not be attacked. By blocking this immune checkpoint with immunotherapy drugs, it effectively 'releases the brakes' on the immune system, leading to destruction of the tumor.
Researchers at Montefiore need your help to investigate whether new educational material will help promote follow-up care in Latina breast cancer survivors.
To take part you must :
Participants will be compensated for their time.
To learn more, contact Rita Rivera at 646-627-6972 or rita.rivera@einstein.yu.edu.
Discover more about clinical trials at Montefiore at www.montefiore.org/clinicaltrials.
Montefiore knows that nurses lie at the heart of a compassionate patient experience. No one better understands the intricacies of care protocols and most importantly, what can be done to improve them. Montefiore's annual Nursing Research Symposium aims to engage nurses and provide them the knowledge, skills and mentorship to conduct research or evidence-based initiatives to bring about improvements in patient care and achieve positive patient outcomes. This year's symposium centers on "Engaging Nurses in Research through Meaningful Collaboration." The keynote speaker will be Mary A. Dolansky, RN, PhD, Director, Quality and Safety Education for Nurses, QSEN Institute, Associate Professor, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University.
The symposium is open to all associates.
Friday, September 23
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Grand Hall, Moses Campus
For more information, contact Farley Villarente at fvillare@montefiore.org.
To register, contact Caroline Herrera at cherrera@montefiore.org.
Help people in need and volunteer to donate blood. All lifesaving blood and platelet donations earn Donor Advantage points redeemable for a wide variety of gifts and gift cards. You can even donate your points to support a charitable organization.
For more information about the Donor Advantage Program, please visit www.mydonoradvantage.com.
Sign-Up Table
Tuesday, September 13 | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Food Pavilion, Moses Campus
Blood Drive
Tuesday, September 20 | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Food Pavilion, Moses Campus
For questions about eligibility to donate due to travel outside the U.S., medications or medical conditions, call 1-800-688-0900.
Clinical Documentation Improvement Week is intended to increase awareness of Montefiore's Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) program. Associates are encouraged to meet with their CDI specialist and answer clinical documentation trivia for a chance to win a Wearable Fitness Smart Bracelet.
Tuesday, September 13 | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
4th Floor Cafeteria Entrance, Weiler Hospital, Einstein Campus
Wednesday, September 14 | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Rear of Food Pavilion, Moses Campus
This symposium, "Teaching Skills Using Positive Reinforcement: The Journey from the Skinner Box to the Operating Room," centers on using positive reinforcement for effective results. This course is suited for anyone whose role involves teaching others how to perform any skill to fluency.
Wednesday, September 14 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
1200 Waters Place
Bronx, New York, 10461
Discover more on the Montefiore Einstein Center for Innovation in Simulation by visiting www.montefiore.org/mecis.
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