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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, May 2022 topics include:

WELCOME

First, I want to congratulate , security, who won the gift certificate for the most creative vacation. He is going to Mount Rushmore and will join a caravan of RVs there on a one of a kind camping trip. My favorite time of the year is the beginning of summer. Vacation plans, outdoor events and warm weather means we have turned the page on winter in many ways. For UM Upper Chesapeake Health it also means we have turned the page on COVID. We will always continue with preparations but it is no longer feared. 
 
More evidence on how we have turned the page was the Back to Basics retreat. I saw many of our team members that were inspired and engaged from the event. We will continue to build on this momentum so that UM UCH can return as the UMMS leader in safety, quality and patient experience. Everyone has battled valiantly against COVID and have cared for our community in a way that makes us all proud. Take your vacations, enjoy extra sunlight and recharge our batteries. Let us all walk together down this journey of high reliability and provide the safest highest quality care for our patients. Enjoy this month’s efocus and let’s keep that momentum going!

Fermin Barrueto, Jr., M.D., M.B.A.
Senior Vice President/CMO
Medical Staff Affairs

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Back to Basics Retreat Recap: On Friday, April 29, UM UCH held a planning retreat with 84 frontline clinical team members to discuss our Back2Basics initiative.  The program began with the “why” and included sharing data on the downtrend of UM UCH patient safety and quality data since 2020. Everyone agreed that we had to address these challenges and areas to improve with urgency. Initial ideas expected to launch over the next six months were reviewed and the team was asked to react to it and improve it. The group broke into multiple interdisciplinary teams to discuss how to address realistic clinical scenarios such as: how to prevent falls, how to timely bathe patients according to highest risk of infection, and how to get patients mobile as quickly and safely as possible.  A brainstorm exercise asked the team how best to sustain our efforts and provide measures of success. Several creative ideas were shared to keep our quality of patient care delivery and infection prevention top of mind.  The energy and engagement in the room was palpable and positive and our goal is to keep that going strong as we get “back to basics”. The program closed with poll questions regarding Joy in the Workplace—what we are doing currently and how to infuse more joy going forward. We ended with what we are most grateful for in our daily work. 

  

Hospital Week: Hospital Week is fast approaching and will take place this year from Sunday, May 8 through Saturday, May 14. This year’s theme is: ADVENTURE and BEGINNING ANEW! It has been a difficult and trying two years. As healthcare workers, we are in the precarious process of picking ourselves up and continuing on in our roles. This pandemic has led us down an unknown path—a journey that we hope to never endure again. But this adventure has also taught us that we are resilient. And with resiliency comes starting anew. 

The Hospital Week Planning Committee, the Healthy HERO Committee, and many others have been working hard to plan some fun events for this special week. From artificial campfires to ice cream and fireside chats to giveaways—we’ve got something for everyone to enjoy! Of course, the highlight of the week is the team member picnic (aka, campground) taking place at each hospital. We’ll have music, great food, and maybe even some furry friends joining us. 

Attached is the full schedule of events. You'll also receive daily reminders of activities and events throughout the week. Hope you can make it! Be sure to bring your compass.

Picture This! Some of our providers, administrators and members of the physicians relations team got together on Thursday, May 5 for a spring networking happy hour. Smiles, good conversation and great drinks were had at Independent Brewing Company in Bel Air.

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!

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.

COVID UPDATE

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.

SAFETY UPDATES

  

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!

 

Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative: Coming to UCH in May are new dysphagia diets. Currently, our dysphagia diets follow the National Dysphagia Diet guidelines (NDD); however, we are switching over to the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative guidelines (IDDSI). Go Live for all UMMS sites is May 12th.

IDDSI is a new framework to think about foods and liquids with standardized terms and leveling. This was created to provide clarity and continuity for people with dysphagia on an international scale. It was created in 2013, published in 2015 & clinical application began in 2018. It’s part of a global movement to standardize dysphagia diets, improve patient safety and provide continuity of care across UMMS. Learn more via this presentation and tip sheet package.

EMPATHY & WELLNESS UPDATES

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.

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS

Mark your calendars for important standing meetings and special events.

  • Cardiovascular Effects of Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Prostate Cancer
    Friday, May 20
    7:30 to 8:35 a.m.
    Kaufman Cancer Center, Streett Conference Room 
    See handout for more info
  • 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.
  • 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

      As mentioned during this morning’s Patient Safety Brief, UM UCH has achieved 90% Hand Hygiene Complianceduring August observations, see graph below. Our goal is to be 90% or better for hand hygiene compliance, so well done and please continue to stay clean with hand hygiene!
 
Attached is August hand hygiene data broken out by nursing unit and by role. If your unit does not have data in attached slides, it is because there were no observations collected and/or submitted for the month of August.
      As mentioned during this morning’s Patient Safety Brief, UM UCH has achieved 90% Hand Hygiene Compliance during August observations, see graph below. Our goal is to be 90% or better for hand hygiene compliance, so well done and please continue to stay clean with hand hygiene!
 
Attached is August hand hygiene data broken out by nursing unit and by role. If your unit does not have data in attached slides, it is because there were no observations collected and/or submitted for the month of August.
      As mentioned during this morning’s Patient Safety Brief, UM UCH has achieved 90% Hand Hygiene Complianceduring August observations, see graph below. Our goal is to be 90% or better for hand hygiene compliance, so well done and please continue to stay clean with hand hygiene!
 
Attached is August hand hygiene data broken out by nursing unit and by role. If your unit does not have data in attached slides, it is because there were no observations collected and/or submitted for the month of August.