VOLUME 10 NUMBER 10 | OCTOBER 2015
ALBANY MED
TODAY
John Nash, LMSW
KNOWN FOR OUR EXPERTISE. CHOSEN FOR OUR CARE.
A Strong Supporter of Cystic Fibrosis Patients / p. 3
A Haircut and a Health Check
Promising Partnership Aims to Curb Hypertension Dr. Blinkhorn said.
Along with a haircut, customers at Brick’s barbershop in Albany recently had their blood pressure taken as part of a new community initiative to address health concerns of at-risk individuals in the Albany community. When two readings showed his blood pressure was higher than normal, Albany resident Eric Kersey said he knew what it was time to do. “I’ve got to make an appointment with my primary and handle this high blood pressure,” he said. And that’s exactly the point, according to Richard Blinkhorn, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine. “It is our hope that individuals follow up and make health and lifestyle changes that can significantly lower the risk of dying from this ‘silent killer,’” he said. Hypertension, a major cause of heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease, affects approximately one in three adults in the United States, with African-American men at a particularly high risk, with death rates from hypertension-related conditions three times higher than in white men. It is believed that
As part of Albany Medical College’s Service Learning Program, medical students checked blood pressures and provided important information, explained Ingrid Allard, MD, associate dean for Community Outreach and Medical Education. Dr. Allard said experience out in the field is invaluable for medical students.
genetics, as well as dietary and social issues, may contribute to this disparity.
facing African-American members of our community,” said Christopher Ellis, CEO of GBK.
Albany Med and community partners Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the George Biddle Kelley Education Foundation (GBK) held the firstever “barbershop health clinic” at Brick’s as part of the initiative, “Cut Hypertension!” All customers who had their blood pressure read received a $5 off coupon for a haircut.
Deryl McCray, co-owner of Brick’s, said he was happy to host the event to get the word out about hypertension, a condition he learned he had three years ago. “This health issue plagues our community,” he said, adding that his barbershop is a hub where people share information and feel comfortable.
“By partnering with a health care institution like Albany Medical Center on this important outreach initiative, together we are helping address head-on a major health issue
“When you link health efforts to your community, then the circle of people who are working with you and encouraging you to get care and stay on the right track is so much better,”
A Very Special Reunion, 38 Years in the Making In September, a woman who was badly burned as an infant was reunited with an Albany Med nurse who cared for her nearly 40 years ago. Their initial connection was captured in photos that appeared in Albany Medical Center’s 1977 Annual Report—images that provided great comfort to the patient, Amanda Scarpinati, 38, of Athens, as she grew up. “I’d look at those pictures and talk to her, even though I didn’t know who she was,” she said. Through a Facebook search that went viral, Scarpinati was able to locate the nurse, Susan Berger, of Syracuse, who is now the executive vice president of Cazenovia College. The two finally met face to face at Albany Med—a magical moment that captured the nation’s heart. For more on this story, please go to www.amc.edu/NurseReunion.
Susan Berger, RN, left, and Amanda Scarpinati
“Sometimes when they are studying, spending time in the library, taking exams, they forget why they went to medical school. This reminds them,” she said. Also on hand was a team from Albany Med’s Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment project, who assisted participants with questions about insurance paperwork and obtaining a primary care provider, if needed. “Our participation is important to help ensure that individuals most impacted by Medicaid redesign are aware of what’s occurring across the region,” said George Clifford, PhD, MPA, executive director of the Center for Health Systems Transformation.
NEWS AND NOTES
Kathleen Roche Appointed Chief Nursing Officer Kathleen (Kate) Roche, MSRN, who most recently served as executive vice president and chief operating officer at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, Connecticut, was appointed senior vice president and chief nursing officer (CNO) of Albany Med, where she leads the 2,200-member nursing organization. While at Saint Francis, Roche also served as senior vice president for patient care and CNO. She has held CNO positions at St. Joseph Health Services in Providence, Rhode Island, and Rockford Memorial Hospital in Rockford, Illinois. A recent recipient of the Hartford Business Journal’s
Business Woman of the Year Award, Roche is a former Johnson and Johnson executive fellow at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. “We are delighted that such an accomplished nursing leader has joined us here at Albany Medical Center,” said Steven Frisch, MD, executive vice president and hospital systems general director. “Kate brings impressive knowledge and experience to her role. Her past success in achieving operational excellence and working collaboratively with nursing and physician colleagues will serve the Medical Center very well moving forward. We are so happy to have her here.”
A Great Day for Research In September, Albany Medical College students participated in the 12th annual Medical Student Investigation Day held at the Hilton Garden Inn. Students like Dmitriy Gagarkin (left) shared poster presentations on research conducted over the summer. The studies covered a wide range of subjects, including science, management, outreach, bioethics and advocacy in medicine.
A Quarter-Century Salute Fifty-six new members were inducted into Albany Med’s 25-Year Club in September. Employees who have worked for Albany Medical Center for 25 continuous years or a cumulative sum of 25 years are eligible to be inducted into this prestigious circle, joining members like Support Team Associate Florencia Snow (left) and former director of Student Nursing Marie Treutler. This year’s inductees were honored at a special reception at the Albany Marriott. Congratulations to all! The 2015 inductees are: Timothy Root
Ismaeil Ahmed
Megan Hogan, RN
Sharon Alger-Mayer, MD
Bernadette House, RN Javier Sanchez, MD
Joel Bartfield, MD Cynthia Borcsok, RN Marie Campbell, RN
Kachigere Krishnappa, Melanie Sembrat MD Lori Siciliano Wilfred Lagoe Mark Sierad Patricia Lyden
Ellen Simmons
Dawn Carolus
Macey McArdle
Cheryl Clow, RN
Thomas McCann
Tammy Colley-Ogden
Pamela Micheli
Patrick Sommo, PharmD
Jean Marie Cornwell
Maria Miles
Maureen Spillane
Margaret Czerwinski, Jennifer Miller, ACRN BS, RN Cheryl (Lori) Millet Paul Davis, MD Joanne Nunziato
Kathleen Sokol, RN
Walter Staiger, CRNA Kitty Joy Thomas, RNC, FNP-BC
Deborah O’Hern, RN
Martha Tompkins
Edward Gage
Barbara Osterhoudt, LPN
Richard Uhl, MD Donna Walsh, BS, RN
Victoria Gauch
Kathleen Pangburn
Rose Mary Walsh, RN
Fern Gray
Marilyn Pastizzo, RRT
Theresa Weinman
Joseph Harrigan
Carmela Pechtel
Brenda Hart
Patrick Robinson
Joanne Wennstrom, RN
Paul Higgins, PhD
Julio Rodriguez
Amy Donofrio, CRNA Andrew Dubin, MD
2 | A L B A NY ME D TOD AY | O CT O BER 2015
Michael Zimdars
Plumber Joseph Platania, winner of the 2015 Facility Management Star Performer Award
National Health Care Facilities and Engineering Week is Oct. 25 – 31 Albany Med’s Facilities team is made up of employees in engineering and construction, maintenance, radiation safety, environmental health and safety, and administration. All are key players in ensuring that everyone who passes through our doors enters a safe and well-functioning environment. We salute this stellar workforce. Thanks for all you do.
Lean Health Care Initiative Salutes Its First Black Belt Graduating Class The Center for Innovation, which provides Lean health care training to Albany Med employees, recently recognized its first black belt graduates for their efforts to drive performance improvements at the Medical Center. The black belt graduates participated in a two-year program offered through Albany Med that focuses on leadership development, systematic problem solving, data analytics and critical thinking. At its core, the Lean mindset is about continuous improvement and respect for people, which drives a better patient and colleague experience. “For Albany Med, adopting Lean thinking is a crucial part of staying competitive in a rapidly changing health care environment,” said Don Wiesenforth, associate director of the Center for Innovation. Ferdinand Venditti, MD, vice dean for clinical affairs, was the keynote speaker at the graduation. “Improving the processes around patient care is at the core of everything we are working to achieve,” he said. “By engaging our staff to participate in Lean process improvements we are optimizing Albany Med’s greatest resource.” Nurse Manager Kate Keefe, RN, MSN, MHA, one of the four black belt graduates, said, “Albany Med’s Lean team members enjoy seeing and
For more information on getting involved, visit the Albany Med Intranet homepage for Center for Innovation and LEAN Education.
Lean graduates are recognized for three levels of mastery: black belts, green belts and white belts.
solving problems. They learn to look at our procedures with fresh ‘system’ eyes and sharpen their critical-thinking skills.”
This year’s BLACK BELT graduates are Matt Cerf, MBA, system consultant, Kate Keefe, RN, MSN, MHA, nurse manager, Samantha Vining, MS, RN, CEN, nurse manager, and Meghan Weygant, practice administrator.
A recent initiative undertaken by the Lean team successfully reduced the patient discharge time on Albany Med’s medicine unit by 50 percent. Another project decreased the turnover time between cases in the orthopaedic operating room by more than 50 percent.
GREEN BELT grads are Sharon Bestle, RN, assistant nurse manager, Tracy Blatney, practice manager of Neurosciences, Jamie Bocketti, practice manager, Karen Houston, MS, RN, director of Case Management and Social Work, Tom Mocerine, RPh, Sterile Products Division supervisor, Krystal Parrigan, MS-HSA, senior practice coordinator, and James Purcell Sr., senior loss prevention coordinator.
The Lean team has several projects currently underway in the Division of Endocrinology, the Vascular Surgery Program, Pre-Admissions Testing and the Pediatric Group, among others. The Center for Innovation also announced new Lean health care collaborations with the Watson Institute for Systems Excellence at Binghamton University and the University at Albany’s School of Public Health.
WHITE BELT graduates are Joelle Carmichael, RDMS, MHA, clinical supervisor, Jason Clum, RN, MBA, stroke coordinator, Joanne Galayda, DNS, RN-BC, FNP, CWOCN, nurse clinician, Stephen Moreau, MBAH, innovation specialist, and Neda Narkiewicz, MS, RN, risk management manager.
Medical Social Worker Provides Strong Support to Cystic Fibrosis Patients and Their Families This month, John Nash, LMSW, medical social worker for the Pediatric Pulmonary Cystic Fibrosis Program, will lead a symposium at the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Phoenix about cystic fibrosis (CF) and its impact on relationships. For more than 14 years, Nash, who specializes in caring for patients with CF, has counseled patients and their families who are living with chronic, life-threatening genetic illnesses. Earlier this year, he was honored with the Cystic Fibrosis Social Worker Achievement Award from the CF Nutrition and Social Work Consortium in St. Louis. He is also an accredited quality improvement coach and has worked
Vol. 10, No. 10 October, 2015 Albany Med Today
is published monthly by the Department of Policy, Planning and Communications at Albany Medical Center. Comments and story suggestions can be directed to Public Relations at (518) 262-3421 or albanymedcommunications@ mail.amc.edu.
to help Albany Med achieve national recognition for meeting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s (CFF) care guidelines.
physicians and other medical professionals from the time they are born until they are 21.
“The CFF recommends that patients visit their physician and caregiving team four times a year,” he said. “At Albany Med, we ask our patients to come in six times. This helps us develop a deeper relationship with them, which, in turn, can positively affect their care.”
John Nash in front of the Cystic “My primary responsibility Fibrosis Resource Center he helped is getting to know create for patients and parents. our patients and their families,” Nash said. “I talk with them about how CF is affecting their lives and how they them for most of their lives. are coping with the diagnosis. I try to “Often, kids will tell me, ‘I just introduce coping strategies and work want to be normal,’” Nash said. “I’ll with them to expand their support say, ‘Let’s think about that word. system.” Do other kids in your class visit the In keeping with the theme of the nurse?’ And they’ll say, oh, yes— symposium he will lead this month, for asthma, for diabetes, for other Nash explained that the value of conditions. ‘So,’ I’ll ask them,‘if there maintaining strong relationships with are 20 kids in your class and 12 of patients can’t be underestimated. It them go to the nurse from time to helps that he has known so many of time, who’s normal?’”
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disorder that can cause severe damage to the lungs and affect other systems of the body. At Albany Med’s Cystic Fibrosis Care Center, patients are treated by an interdisciplinary team of
ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER OFFICERS JAMES J. BARBA, JD President and Chief Executive Officer
GARY J. KOCHEM Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
STEVEN M. FRISCH, MD Executive Vice President of IDS and Hospital Systems General Director
VINCENT VERDILE, MD The Lynne and Mark Groban, MD ’67 Distinguished Dean at Albany Medical College and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs
WILLIAM C. HASSELBARTH Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer GEORGE T. HICKMAN Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer
COURTNEY BURKE Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer KENNETH COLLOTON Senior Vice President, Center for Innovation
JOHN DEPAOLA NOEL HOGAN Executive Associate Dean Senior Vice President and and Chief Operating Officer, Chief Compliance Officer Albany Medical College KEVIN M. LEYDEN Senior Vice President for LOUIS FILHOUR, RN Business Development and Senior Vice President for Strategic Partnerships Clinical Quality CATHERINE HALAKAN Senior Vice President for Human Resources LEE R. HESSBERG Senior Vice President and General Counsel
DENNIS P. MCKENNA, MD Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Medical Director
HENRY POHL, MD Vice Dean for Academic Administration FRANCES SPREER-ALBERT Senior Vice President of Finance KATHLEEN ROCHE Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer FERDINAND VENDITTI, MD Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs
MOLLY NICOL Senior Vice President for Development and Communications A LBA N Y ME D T O D AY | O C T O B ER 2015 | 3
Albany Medical Center Foundation 43 New Scotland Avenue (Mail Code 119) Albany, New York 12208 (518) 262-3322 Fax (518) 262-4769 Email:
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C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S … AT A L B A N Y M E D
Community Partnership Creates Scholarship to Address Growing Field To help create a pipeline of employees in a fastgrowing field, Albany Medical Center, in partnership with Trinity Alliance and Bryant & Stratton College, has created a scholarship program in medical coding known as “Code for Success: Scholarships for Tomorrow’s Medical Coders.” It was developed collaboratively to introduce an underserved population to this in-demand medical career. “There is a significant shortage of medical coders in the Capital Region and across the U.S. at a time when medical coding is more critical than ever to health care. We are definitely feeling the shortage here at Albany Med,” said Carol McDonald, vice president of Patient Billing Services. Medical coding organizes and manages patient information and data in the electronic health record. Because illnesses, treatments and hospital visits are categorized using universal classification systems, fewer medical and billing errors are made, communication with insurance companies is improved, and medical histories are complete and accurate. “Increasingly, the health of our population, the success in the treatment of our patients and the research collectively done to better manage—and potentially
cure—disease rely on the accuracy of a patient’s electronic medical record,” said McDonald. The first scholarship recipient, Janie Bridges of Albany’s South End, will take a nine-month program for medical coding at Bryant & Stratton and participate in a mentoring and enrichment program at Albany Med. A mother of three grown sons who is also raising two younger nieces, Bridges said she was thrilled to receive the scholarship because many challenges in her life have kept her from fulfilling her dream of working in the medical field. “With my interest in medicine and math, and my love of learning, medical coding is a perfect fit,” said Bridges. According to Robert Burke, interim director of the Capital South Campus Center of Trinity Alliance, “We want our scholarship winners to succeed and understand the full scope of a career in medical coding.” “The partnership has created a unique model that provides the necessary infrastructure to ensure each recipient has outstanding support,” said Michael Gutierrez, director of Bryant & Stratton College.
A Champion of Childhood Literacy is Honored Sandhyaa Iyengar, MD, a senior resident in the Department of Pediatrics (left), was honored by WMHT as a champion in its “American Graduate, Let’s Make It Happen” initiative in September. Dr. Iyengar was chosen for her work to launch “Story Time Stars,” a program that instructs parents on ways to read with their children that best promote brain development, bonding and language acquisition. Dr. Iyengar is pictured with WMHT President and CEO Robert Altman and Marva Richards, MPH, director of Community Outreach and Service Learning at the College. 4 | AL B A N Y ME D TOD AY | O CT O BER 2015
From left: Ashley Soroka, regional healthcare director at Bryant & Stratton College, Carol McDonald, Janie Bridges, James Thomas, former director of Capital South Campus Center of Trinity Alliance, and Robert Burke.
For more information, call the Capital South Campus Center at (518) 694-4510.
Generous Gift Honors Teen, Supports Sepsis Research The Johnathan R. Vasiliou Foundation will donate $4,000 to Albany Medical College this month. The proceeds were raised in August at a Queensbury road race that drew some 200 participants and volunteers, and honored the memory of local student athlete Johnathan Vasiliou, who succumbed to sepsis at age 16. The gift will support research conducted by Michelle Lennartz, PhD, a professor and biomedical researcher, who is studying how the immune system helps us stay healthy, and why it doesn’t always protect us from conditions like sepsis, as well as atherosclerosis and lung cancer. To make a gift in support of sepsis research at Albany Med, please visit https://community.amc. edu/jrvsraf.
