News

Dept. of Surgery Recognized for Excellence

2010-10-20 00:00:00.0

Posted on October 20, 2010

The American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) has recognized Christiana Care as one of 26 ACS NSQIP participating hospitals in the United States that have achieved exemplary outcomes for surgical patient care.

Christiana Care is the only hospital in the Delaware Valley to receive this recognition.

As a participant in ACS NSQIP, Christiana Care is required to track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures and collect data that directs patient safety and the quality of surgical care improvements.

“This study suggests that Christiana Care is one of the national leaders in high quality surgical outcomes,” says Michael Rhodes, M.D., chair of the Department of Surgery at Christiana Care.

According to the American Hospital Association, Christiana Care ranks among the top 20 hospitals in the nation in the number of surgical procedures, performing more than 40,000 each year. These range from common to highly complex, minimally invasive and robotic procedures.

The ACS NSQIP recognition program commends a select group of hospitals for achieving exemplary outcome performances related to patient management in five clinical areas:

DVT (deep vein thrombosis, thrombophlebitis and pulmonary embolism)
Cardiac incidents (cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction)
Pneumonia
SSI (surgical site infections-superficial and deep incisional and organ-space SSIs)
Urinary tract infections

The 26 hospitals commended achieved the distinction of attaining exemplary results in two or more of the five areas. Risk-adjusted data in the June 2010 ACS NSQIP Semiannual Report determines which hospitals demonstrated exemplary outcomes.

ACS NSQIP is the only nationally validated quality improvement program that measures and enhances the care of surgical patients. This program measures the actual surgical results 30 days postoperatively as well as risk adjusts patient characteristics to compensate for differences among patient populations and acuity levels.

The goal of ACS NSQIP is to reduce surgical morbidity (infection or illness related to a surgical procedure) and surgical mortality (death related to a surgical procedure) and to provide a firm foundation for surgeons to apply the “best scientific evidence” to the practice of surgery. Furthermore, reducing or eliminating adverse effects from surgical procedures reduces health care costs. ACS NSQIP is a major program of the American College of Surgeons in use in more than 300 hospitals nationwide.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons, founded in 1913, to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the care of the surgical patient. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 74,000 members and it is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

Helping Our Neighbors at Wilmington Wellness Day

2010-10-05 00:00:00.0

Posted on Oct. 5, 2010

More than a dozen different Christiana Care departments and services were represented at the 2010 Wilmington Wellness Day.

Since Christiana Care Health System's inception in 1888, our longstanding commitment to Wilmington, Del., has taken many forms, including the current $210 million transformation project for our Wilmington campus. Our commitment also regularly unfolds at a grassroots level in the city.

More than a dozen Christiana Care departments participated in the 11th annual Wilmington Wellness Day on Sept. 18, 2010, bringing information about how to live longer, happier and healthier lives to more than 2,500 city residents. This event provides free health information and screenings that some lower-income residents of Wilmington may not be able to afford.

On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, employees of Christiana Care offered free health screenings, including blood pressure, cholesterol, nutrition and body-fat analysis, osteoporosis and depression.

The Christiana Care team screened more than 100 people and spoke with hundreds more about various ways to prevent disease and stay healthy. Rosemarie Richichi of Christiana Care Imaging has participated in Wilmington Wellness Day for the past three years and understands the impact of education and testing.

"Two young women stopped by our osteoporosis screening station," Richichi said. "They initially declined to take advantage of the free screening, believing that osteoporosis could not affect them because they're not old. They did, however, allow me to briefly explain the risk factors and effects of osteoporosis. Once they heard more about the condition, they changed their minds and decided to go ahead with the screening. As it turned out, each was surprised by the findings."

Richichi said she looks forward to this event each year because it really gives her an opportunity to educate the community about osteoporosis.

Christiana Care departments and services that participated this year included Community Health Outreach, Trauma, the residency program, Exercise and Weight Management, Moving Moms Forward, Imaging, Kidney Transplant, Center for Advanced Joint Replacement, Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Warriors Against Prostate Cancer, Nutrition and the Herman Rosenblum, M.D., Child & Adolescent Center.

Wilmington Wellness Day is co-sponsored by Christiana Care Health System, the City of Wilmington (Department of Parks and Recreation), 99.5 FM WJBR and the Wilmington Health Planning Council.

To see more photos of the event, visit our gallery on Flickr.

Caring for Our Neighbors articles highlight some of the many ways in which Christiana Care strives to improve the health of the people in our community. For more information about our community outreach efforts, contact Community Relations at 302-327-3320.

News Journal Spotlights Breast Cancer

2010-10-05 00:00:00.0

Posted on October 5, 2010

The Health section in the Oct. 5 News Journal focuses on breast cancer. The 16-page insert, printed in pink, helps heighten awareness of the importance of screening for breast cancer, and the importance of treatment options after initial diagnosis. The section helps readers see the courageous battles women fight against cancer.

Many of the articles feature patients, physicians and staff from Christiana Care’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center.

Christiana Care Takes Top Honors in Summer Blood Challenge

2010-10-04 00:00:00.0

Posted on October 4, 2010

Accepting the award on behalf of Christiana Care is Teresa Cathell, assistant to the COO. At left is Dick Pearce, chairman of the Executive Board of Directors of the Blood Bank, and, at right, Bob Travis, Blood Bank CEO.

Christiana Care has won top honors in the 2010 Blood Bank of Delmarva's Summer Blood Challenge with the highest overall number of blood donations. Christiana Care also took top place in the Extra Large Employer category.

This is the seventh year in a row Christiana Care has won the challenge. Christiana Care recruited 599 blood donors and 174 new Blood Bank members.

The challenge is a competition among employers to recruit the most Blood Bank members and donors during the summer. It helps raise awareness of the need for blood at a time when vacations and outdoor activities often contribute to shortages in many areas of the country.

At an awards ceremony Sept . 21 at the Hilton Christiana/Wilmington, the Blood Bank honored Wendy Felts, a nurse practitioner in the NICU, for the most individual blood donations. She donated every two weeks. She has been a top donor in the challenge three of the last four years. Since becoming a Blood Bank member in 1986, she has donated 19 gallons of blood.

"I never really consider a reason to donate," she says. "It's just a need I can help fill. I always ask my colleagues whenever we order blood on an infant if they are willing to donate, for it is not something that can be made or bought, and it is only available through the generosity of so many people who are willing to take the time to donate."

She wasn't the only representative from Christiana Care recognized at the ceremony. Internal Medicine Resident Courtney Ackerman, M.D., won a $500 Visa gift card in a randomly selected Grand Prize Giveaway.

This year 171 local employers participated, resulting in 7,150 blood donations and 1,980 new Blood Bank members. That's a blood donation increase of 17 percent over last year's competition.

Last year Christiana Care received 43,134 blood products from the Blood Bank of Delmarva. That includes 25,279 units of packed red blood cells, 9,000 units of fresh frozen plasma and nearly 6,000 units of platelets

For more information, visit Blood Bank of Delmarva.

Christiana Care staff shares pride in Magnet status

2010-09-29 00:00:00.0

Achieving Magnet status has been an ongoing journey for Christiana Care and its staff. In this insightful video, the nursing staff and leaders at Christiana Care share in their own words what it means to receive such prestigious national recognition.

Christiana Care Health System, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, is one of the country’s largest health care providers. A major teaching hospital serving more than 600,000 patients yearly through 1,100 patient beds in two hospitals, it was recently awarded Magnet^® status for excellence in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Only 6 percent of the nation’s hospitals have earned this highest level of national nursing excellence recognition and Christiana Care is the only hospital in Delaware to obtain it.

The Magnet Recognition Program^® honors health care organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing practice and adherence to national standards for the organization and delivery of nursing services. Research shows there are clear benefits to hospitals that receive Magnet status and to the communities they serve in consumer confidence, recruitment and retention and in maintaining quality of care.

This distinction underscores the tremendous professionalism, care and compassion of Christiana Care’s nurses.

News Journal Features eCare Program

2010-09-08 00:00:00.0

Posted on September 8, 2010

The News Journal on Sept. 5 featured Christiana Care’s eCare program, reporting on the success of tele ICU at both Christiana and Wilmington hospitals and at rural hospitals in Maryland that make up the Maryland eCare system.

Urban campers get a FRESH take on nutrition

2010-09-03 00:00:00.0

Posted on Sept. 3, 2010

Teens in Christiana Care's Camp FRESH program learn the value of incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into their daily diet.

Until this summer, Javiar Emory-Turner had never seen a tomato that wasn't red.
At Camp FRESH, the 16-year-old Wilmington youth is not only tasting tomatoes that are yellow, green and orange, he is helping to grow and sell the produce.

Even more important, Javiar is taking the lessons he is learning about eating healthy home to his family and neighbors, encouraging them to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day.

"Before, I only ate fruits and vegetables about once a week," he said. "Now, I'm trying new foods that are healthy. I'm cutting back on sugar. I'm getting exercise."

Started by Christiana Care, Camp FRESH is a nine-week program for 48 young people ages 13-18 from Wilmington, New Castle and Newark, Del. The corner stores in their communities carry few fresh fruits and vegetables, and getting to larger markets with more food choices is sometimes difficult. These young gardeners from city neighborhoods till the soil at Wilmington Urban Farm, a verdant plot bursting with broccoli and bok choy, carrots and cabbage, zucchini and zinnias. By growing and eating healthy produce, the teens grow a healthy respect and appreciation for the value of nutrition, and they model their new respect for nutrition to others in the community, who also improve their diets-and, ultimately, their overall well being.

Christiana Care launched Camp FRESH in 2006 as part of the health system's efforts to build an awareness of the value of nutrition, make a dent in obesity and improve the quality of life for these participants.

Two days a week, the teens sell produce at two stands in urban neighborhoods, one at the farm on East 12th Street and the other at Wilmington Hospital. On the other days, the youths gather at the Eugene du Pont Preventive Medicine and Rehabilitation Institute, where they make healthy dishes such as Asian coleslaw, made with Ramen noodles, cabbage and other accessible ingredients.

Campers were hesitant to taste when a bowl of edamame-baby soybeans popular in Japan-was passed around the room.

"Go ahead and try it," said Christopher Moore, Christiana Care healthy lifestyle coordinator. "Just squeeze the pod, and the beans pop right out."

About half the campers enjoyed the edamame. As for other healthy dishes, Hilda Hernandez, 16, feels good about trying hummus made from chick peas and red peppers.

"I thought it looked funny," she said. "But learning to eat things that are good for you is important if you want to stay healthy."

Already, Hilda has lost two pounds. She is walking more instead of taking the bus.

After lunch, she and the other campers got a rousing workout with Zumba, a Latin-inspired fitness regimen that harnesses the energy of music.

"Zumba is fun and makes me want to keep exercising," said Taylor Ferguson, 15, who has lost four pounds. "Now, I'm doing sit-ups and push-ups at home."

In addition to learning about nutrition and weight management, the teens talk about sex education, drug and alcohol abuse, strategies for being good ambassadors in the community and planning for the future.

To see more photos of the 2010 Camp FRESH, visit us on Flickr.

Despite need for constant care, Beau and his family thrive

2010-09-02 00:00:00.0

Posted on Sept. 2, 2010

Maureen, Beau and Terry Smith.

Beau Smith was born Dec. 24, 2003, with multiple complex medical complications and several physical genetic anomalies. While he weighed a healthy 6 pounds, 10 ounces, his condition was extremely fragile. He spent most of his first eighteen months in the hospital.

"When Beau was born, nearly every organ was affected. He was really, really sick," said his mother, Maureen Smith. His medical team included a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, a geneticist, a nephrologist and a pulmonologist.

Beau's problems included pulmonary hypoplasia, an enlarged heart, swallowing difficulties, reflux, and renal and gastrointestinal complications. Respiratory distress and a chronic need for oxygen, however, quickly emerged as Beau's greatest medical concern. Completely oxygen-dependent, Beau began using a negative-pressure ventilator, or "iron lung," in July 2005 to breathe for him at night so that his body could rest.

Beau's daily medical needs exceed what two parents can provide alone, making home care a necessity since his discharge from the hospital. Reactive airway disease requires Beau to have regular respiratory treatments to prevent his lungs from closing up, while insulin-dependent diabetes necessitates frequent blood-sugar checks. Unable to eat by mouth, he also receives continuous nutrition through a feeding pump and must be monitored regularly for intestinal obstructions.

"Beau needs constant care to stay alive. It's disruptive to our family to have him in the hospital, so we need to do everything we can to keep him at home," said Maureen, who along with her husband Terry has three other children. Finding reliable help, however, proved to be a challenge.

In December 2008, the Smiths turned to the Christiana Care Visiting Nurse Association to meet their need for dependable staffing. VNA private-duty nurses provide one-on-one care for Beau eight hours a day, seven days a week. Nurses administer Beau's medication, respiratory treatments, tube feedings and insulin care before accompanying him to school and physical, occupational and speech therapy. While away from home, the nurses maintain a watchful eye on Beau's respiratory status and insulin levels to ensure his well being.

"I rely on Beau's nurses to make judgment calls at school regarding his oxygen needs and to bring him home if staying at school is medically unsafe," Maureen says. When Beau is home sick, VNA nurses serve as a resource for medical decisions and relieve some of mom's caregiver stress. "Having a nurse come to our home makes me feel less isolated, like I am part of the world."

Amber Palo, LPN, cherishes her role as Beau's private duty nurse. "I look forward to going to work each day," she says. "It's empowering to see how happy and full of life Beau is despite the medical problems inside his body."

Under VNA's vigilant care, Beau is growing, gaining weight and making developmental and cognitive gains. He has experienced fewer hospitalizations and enjoys more time at home with his family. In kindergarten, Beau is learning letters, colors and shapes with his peers. He also enjoys playing with cars and puzzles, and listening and dancing to music.

"Beau is thriving under the consistent care of his VNA nurses," says Maureen. "He would not be alive without someone trained to recognize respiratory distress. I trust his nurses to react quickly and help him when he is having a problem."

To see more photos of Beau and his family, visit us on Flickr.

VNA Vial of Life Program Featured in News Journal

2010-09-02 00:00:00.0

The Aug. 17, 2010, edition of the News Journal featured the Visiting Nurse Association's efforts to improve outcomes in emergency situations by preparing medical information for emergency personnel in advance through the Vial of Life program.

HHS Secretary Praises Christiana Care

2010-08-26 00:00:00.0

Posted on August 26, 2010

(Wilmington, DE)— In a Kaiser Health News opinion piece on Aug. 26, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius praises Christiana Care efforts to spur adoption of health information technology.

Read her full op-ed in Kaiser Health News.