eFocus – June 2022
Welcome to eFocus. Our goal is to provide you with timely, informative and useful short summaries and links about UM UCH related news, issues, or events. Feel free to contact us if you have news to share, story ideas or any other feedback. As always, your comments are welcome.
eFocus, June 2022 topics include:
- Welcome Message
- Announcements
- COVID Updates
- Safety Updates
- Empathy & Wellness Updates
- Upcoming Meetings and Events
As soon as Memorial Day weekend came, the summer was turned on; we already have some hot temperatures ahead of us! We will also be turning the page on fiscal year 2022 as we begin our new fiscal year on July 1, 2023. We have seen some incredible improvements with patient experience scores and a flattening of the curve for our HAI and Harm Index events. Furthermore, COVID has not overwhelmed our hospitals. I know the move to Level Orange (starting June 1) can be seen as a disappointment but it is for the safety of our team and patients since the prevalence of disease has risen so much in the community. We have not seen a proportionate increase in hospitalizations, though we have seen some. Our continued emphasis on “Back to Basics” and regaining our position as the top in UMMS will require our collective resilience and dedication.
This month’s issue will also have the results of our medical staff elections. A special thanks to Dr. Muhammad Jokhadar who has been our President of the Medical Staff for four years. His leadership and expertise has guided us through the tumultuous COVID years and has led to improvements on our care delivery model. A personal thank you for all that you have done for our medical staff, team members and community! I would also like to congratulate Dr. Dixon King as the newly elected President of the Medical Staff; he some big shoes to fill but is well up to the task. More to come from Dr. King! Take care of yourselves and each other. Take that needed vacation and downtime and enjoy this month’s eFocus!
Senior Vice President/CMO
Medical Staff Affairs
Healthcare Heroes! Congratulations to our two The Daily Record 2022 Healthcare Heroes, Heather Beauchamp, RN and Vickie Bands, RN. Heather, AVP of Patient Services, Critical Care & Emergency Department, is honored as a Nurse of the Year while Vickie, Director of Community Outreach and Health Improvement, is a Community Outreach/Education Hero. We are so proud and honored to have them on our team! Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/tdrhh2022
Medical Staff Election: Congratulations to the Medical Staff election winners. Please see the results of the winners in the attached slides. And a big thank you to the outgoing officers for all your work over the past years!
Nominate a ‘Top Doctor’ for Baltimore Magazine: Baltimore magazine's 35th annual ‘Top Doctors’ survey is now underway for 2022. We hope that you’ll participate by nominating your physician peers across 100-plus specialties. The survey is available HERE. Last year, more than 300 individuals in 108 specialties and sub-specialties who provide care across University of Maryland Medical System hospitals were recognized as ‘Top Doctors’ in the November 2021 issue of Baltimore magazine. Sixty-five of them were on staff or had privileges at UM Upper Chesapeake Health. You can see the full 2021 list at umuch.org/topdocs. DEADLINE IS JUNE 24!
New Additions to Medical Staff: Welcome to the newest members of our medical staff, including physicians and advanced practice providers. Since March 1st, 28 new faces have joined UM UCH. To learn more about our individual providers, visit umms.org/findadoctor.
Ovid Resources: As a reminder, we have access to Ovid Discovery, a medical library that centralizes most content at UM UCH in one location that can be searched with a single Biomedical search box. This this includes Ovid, UpToDate, Journals, ebooks, Cochrane, drug databases, and full-text content available on PubMed Central. Learn more.
Level Orange: Effective Wednesday, June 1, UMMS will move back to Level Orange across all facilities. This will be reflected in our UMMS Tiered Approach to Infection Prevention Practice and Presence at the Workplace (UMMS Tiered Approach) and our Strict Patient Safety (Visitor) Policy. Transitioning to Level Orange will ensure that all team members are masked at all times within our hospitals and patient care areas, and decrease instances where team members infect one another or our patients. This will also give our member organizations the flexibility to implement the Contingency staffing strategy, as defined by the CDC and outlined in our Guidelines for Management of COVID-19 Employee Exposure, allowing COVID-19+ team members to resume work as safely as possible. Keep in mind, the decision to implement Contingency staffing occurs locally—team members should follow the appropriate return-to-work (RTW) guidance for their hospital. Learn more.
Dr. Leo's COVID Corner: View this month's full library of articles and resources HERE. Topics include the reduction in deaths among those 60 and older after a second booster, vaccine effectiveness against Omicron, the sharp increase of physician burnout after COVID, and more.
Journey to Zero Harm: Below is the current Harm Index graph. The IP Team continues to round, educate and work to assure our team members are knowledgeable about Infection Prevention basics and the bundle-best practices to target prevention of specific HAIs. If you have any questions, concerns or needs, please reach out!
Clinical Variation Reduction: UM UCH continues to perform very well on our CHF, COPD and Sepsis initiatives. We are exceeding our targets starting patients on Care Paths, Pathways and timely antibiotics. Keep up the good work!
Join the Walk with a Doc Bel Air chapter to improve community health! UM UCH is excited to announce a sponsorship of the local Bel Air chapter of Walk with a Doc! Walk with a Doc is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve health through physical activity, strengthen relationships between physicians and patients, and provide access to health information and education. The Bel Air WWAD chapter was started by Dr. Marie Kanagie-McAleese in October 2021, and meets on the first Sunday and second Saturday of every month at 10 am at Schucks Regional Park (301 Schucks Rd, Bel Air MD 21015). Events are free and open to all ages and abilities! Each walk starts with a brief talk on a health topic followed by a walk around the park at each participant’s preferred pace.
We are looking for providers to spread the word to patients, colleagues, and friends, give a brief talk at the beginning of a walk, or simply show your support by walking with us. For more information, visit the WWAD website or contact Dr. Kanagie-McAleese at mkanagie@umm.edu / 443-485-1110. Walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity, and research has shown that you could gain two hours of life for each hour of regular exercise. Come out and join us as we take a step toward better health!
Physician Support Line: The Physician Support Line is a free, confidential peer support line staffed by volunteer psychiatrists helping physician colleagues navigate the many intersections of their personal and professional lives. For support, please call 1-888-409-0141, 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST. You can also visit www.physiciansupportline.com to learn more.
Mark your calendars for important standing meetings and special events.
- Cultural Humility and LGBTQ Communities - Virtual Training Available
Thursday, June 16
10 a.m. to 12 noon
Clinicians and other healthcare workers serve sexual and gender minority people every day, but adequate preparation about supporting these populations is rarely offered professional training. Using a Cultural Humility framework, this workshop provides a broad overview of LGBTQ+ terms, gender identity concepts, cultural beliefs, health disparities, and barriers to accessing services, as well as best practice strategies for creating an affirming care experience.
Register here. - Walk with a Doc
First Sunday and second Saturday of each month at 10 a.m.
Shucks Regional Park
Walk with a Doc is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve health through physical activity, strengthen relationships between physicians and patients, and provide access to health information and education. Events are free and open to all ages and abilities! Each walk starts with a brief talk on a health topic followed by a walk around the park at each participant’s preferred pace. Learn more. - Multidisciplinary Thoracic and General Conferences: 12 Noon, Alternates Every Thursday (e.g., Thoracic is 11/3, General is 11/10)
UM UCMC, KCC Streett Conference Room - Multidisciplinary Breast Conference: 8 a.m., Every Tuesday
Radiology/Oncology Conference Room - Pharmacy &Therapeutics (P & T) Committee: 7:30 a.m., Third Tuesday of each month
UM UCMC Maryland Room - Credentials Committee: 7:30 - 9 a.m., First Friday of each month
UM UCMC, MSCR - Medical Staff Leadership: 8 - 9 a.m., Fourth Thursday of each month
UM UCMC, Fallston Room/UM HMH, MSCR -
Metabolic Bariatric Surgery Committee: 5 p.m., Quarterly, Wednesdays
HMH MSCR and UCMC Fallston Room -
Advanced Practice Providers (APP) Review Committee: First Tuesday of each month