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DEPARTMENTS:

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Pages 30 - 31

LEGAL UPDATE Page 34

AROUND THE REGION Page 40

DATEBOOK Page 46

MAKING ROUNDS Page 48

RESOURCE DIRECTORY Page 50

AROUND THEREGION:West PennNames RobinZernich VicePresident,Operations

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McKeesport HospitalFoundation MarksThree-DecadeMilestone WithAnnual InvitationalLuncheon

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NURSES! We Salute You!See pages 4-28

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Hospital News hospitalnews.org May 22, 2007 3

Somebody stop me. I feel a rant coming on and Ican’t hold it in any longer.

Al Gore, the guru of global warming, likes to jetaround the country to tell anyone who will listen thatour earth has a temperature. Well, I’m no Al Gore,but I’d like to add a diagnosis of my own: Our soci-ety suffers from a severe mental disorder character-ized by selfishness and narcissism.

In other words, we have become a nation of jerk-worshippers. (Notice I didn’t say we have become anation of jerks; I don’t think we’re that far gone yet. Butwe are most definitely getting there.)

The evidence is overwhelming and if I were to cite everysymptom I could probably fill this publication. But tohighlight just a few, let’s begin with the obvious:pseudo-celebrities like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan,and Britney Spears, whose chief claim to fame seemsto be willingness—make that an obsession—to set an ever-lowering standard forraunchiness.

Lest anyone think this is a girl thing, let’s not forget the antics of those wacky guyswho play sports—at least when they’re not in jail. The Cincinnati Bengals come tomind. Or what about those whose ego outshines their ability (Terrell Owens) orwhose drive to succeed—and reap the financial jackpot that should bring—over-whelms their sense of fair play leading them to use illegal substances to enhancetheir abilities beyond what nature and hard work gave them? What’s worse, we havethe added phenomenon where known or strongly suspected cheaters are booedeverywhere except when the play at home. Somehow it’s okay if an athlete disgracesthe game just as long as he does it wearing OUR uniform.

Even the best of athletes show a selfish side that few of the rest of us could everpull off. I think most recently of Green Bay Packer Brett Favre or Pittsburgh SteelerAlan Faneca, both great players and apparent good guys, who found it necessary toair publicly their gripes with team management.

Hey, I’m sure there have been days when YOU haven’t been happy at work.So why didn’t you call a news conference to let the world know how

underpaid and unappreciated you are?It’s as if we truly are living in Superman’s Bizarro world, where

everything is backward, yet we’re too close to the situation to see it.I once heard of an experiment, where two similar birds were keptin separate but equal cages. One bird was well cared for a year; theother, however, was exposed to small bits of degradation eachday—a puff of smoke blown in its face, a blast of loud music inits cage, a small piece of garbage tossed onto its floor. At the endof the year, both birds were still alive. Then the bird that had beenkept in pristine conditions was exposed to all the filth and abusethe other endured, but this time it all happened at the same time.The experience killed the bird and the conclusion was that living

creatures can absorb a lot of degradation if it is doled out in smalldoses.I believe that’s true not just of the body but the spirit. We are following

an ever downward spiral of lowered standards: in our elected officials, oursports heroes, our business leaders, our culture (in the form ofmusic, television, and movies), and—most tragically—in our-selves.

Think I’m being a little harsh? Then explain the Internet petition to free the afore-mentioned Ms. Hilton from serving time after flaunting the law after receiving aDUI? Or the real possibility people in Allegheny County who depend on mass tran-sit soon will find themselves stranded for lack of funds, while so many former exec-utives live off of lavish pensions? Or that Roger Clemens can hire his arm out to thehighest bidder in baseball and, should he help win a pennant, the hometown fanswill be encouraged to celebrate their team? (Until Clemens and so many other mer-cenaries sign on with someone else’s team next season.)

This malady of twisted priorities and selfishness permeates all of society, includ-ing health care. The question is: can we find a cure in time? Do we even want to?

Harvey KartYou can reach Harvey Kart at (412) 856-1954

or [email protected].

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History

Community ServiceKimberly Stevens, RN

When KimberlyStevens, R.N., was 16,she went on our firstmission trip with herchurch. Ever since, shehas devoted her freetime to volunteeringwhile working full-timeas a staff nurse atChildren’s Hospital ofPittsburgh of UPMCsince 2006.

Her first mission tripwas a weeklong trip toin Linares, Chile, whereshe, along with a groupof others, built 15 hous-es for underprivilegedfamilies. Since then,Stevens has continuedto participate in week-long volunteering tripsto underserved areas.Her destinations have included Bangkok, Thailand; Johannesburg, South Africa; andMexico City and Tijuana, Mexico. Her most recent trips have required her to act as ahealth educator for the youth of the impoverished areas.

“It’s easier for the youths to listen to me because I am a peer,” Stevens said. “The con-versations feel more like a group of friends talking about important things like AIDSrather than a lecture.”

In addition to traveling abroad to volunteer, Stevens also works as a wish granter forthe Make-A-Wish Foundation.

As a child, Stevens role-played with her friends, many of whom wanted to be doctors.But Stevens had already decided what she wanted to be when she grew up.

“I always wanted to be the nurse,” Stevens said. “I guess my passion has always beenhelping people.”

Although her passion was always nursing, she was unsure of what specialty to go into.While attending nursing school at Duquesne University’s School of Nursing, Stevenswas torn between psychiatry and pediatrics. An eight-week clinical rotation atChildren’s helped her decide on pediatrics.

After graduating in May 2006, Stevens joined Children’s as a staff nurse in the LimitedStay Unit (LSU). Tracey Weifenbaugh, unit director of the LSU, knows that Stevens’ car-ing nature serves her well as a nurse and volunteer.

“Kim is truly an asset to our staff given her nurturing and caring character,”Weifenbaugh said. “It takes a special kind of person to give so much of herself to oth-ers and we are proud to have her at Children’s.”

Advancing the ProfessionPeggy Lamouree, RN

Peggy Lamouree, R.N., has dedicated the past25 years of her life to the tiniest patients atChildren’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.Lamouree joined the hospital in 1988 and beganher work as a staff nurse in the NeonatalIntensive Care Unit (NICU) at Children’s.

All it took for Lamouree to recognize caringfor neonates as her passion was one clinical rota-tion as a nursing student in the NICU.

“I had a clinical rotation in a hospital’s NICUwhen I was a student at Niagara University,”Lamouree said. “It is a miracle to watch thebabies get well, their tiny bodies able to be soresilient. Babies have a great potential to getwell.”

In addition to providing care to the infants, Lamouree offers her expertise to fellowNICU nurses. During the past year, she has worked on the Critical Care INET project.INET is a part of Children’s electronic medical record system and is specifically designedto fit the workflow of critical care nurses, physicians and other clinicians.

NICU unit director Bev Sahlaney, R.N., appreciates Lamouree’s work ethic and help-ful nature.

“It can be difficult implementing a computerized system like INET,” Sahlaney said.“Even after completing the training course, nurses may have questions about the sys-tem. Peggy continues to be a therapeutic resource to the nurses, neonatal nurse practi-tioners and physicians in critical care.”

Lamouree understands the needs and frustrations of critical care providers. “Being a NICU nurse, I knew what information is most important and relevant to

other critical care providers,” Lamouree said. “It definitely helped when it came time tointegrate INET into the hospital’s everyday procedures.”

LeadershipPaula Stanley, RN

Paula Stanley, R.N., has gained nearly a quar-ter-century of experience as a nurse at Children’sHospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC that she nowuses to help train and educate new nurses.

Stanley graduated from the University ofPittsburgh School of Nursing in 1982 and beganworking at Children’s in the special care nursery,now known as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU). Stanley also spent 13 years as a recoveryroom nurse and five years in the cardiaccatheterization lab. She was recently named thesupervisor in the gastrointestinal (GI) unit atChildren’s.

She has excelled in her new role as a leader inthe GI unit, helping new staff get accustomed to the hospital and her unit.

“I coordinate the staff of the procedure lab to provide direct patient care to childrenhaving endoscopies, colonoscopies and liver biopsies in the procedure lab or the oper-ating room, as well as educating parents about pre-procedure preparation,” Stanley said.“For that reason, I think it is really important that I am able to multi-task and I am nat-urally an organized person. It is my responsibility to make sure that everything runssmoothly.”

Stanley is quick to point out that everyone in her department should be credited withbeing organized and keeping on track.

“I enjoy the challenge of working with a variety of talented people,” Stanley said. “Ithink to be an effective leader you have to have good and hard-working people on yourteam.”

Barb Mentzer, R.N., the director of the Operating Room at Children’s, knows thatStanley’s experience and willingness to help others makes her an ideal team leader.

“Paula not only serves as a clinical expert in her field, but also as a mentor and teacherfor new staff,” Mentzer said. “She has taken a lead role on the transition team in help-ing to support plans for the move to Children’s future home in Lawrenceville. That rolerequires an exceptional amount of work, planning and forethought, so we knew Paulawould be perfect for the job.”


In recognition of National Nurses Week, May 6-12, Western Pennsylvania Hospital News askedhealthcare providers to submit profiles of nurses who deserve recognition for their contributions tothe advancement of nursing as a profession. Theses nurses featured in this issue are being recognized for excellence in the following categories: • Clinical Care • Community Service • Innovative/Creativity • Leadership • Mentoring • Patient Advocacy • TeachingWestern Pennsylvania Hospital News would like to salute the following nurses - and ALL nurs-es - for their hard work, dedication, compassion and commitment to providing superior care for our families, friends and neighbors.

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MentoringLori Josefczyk, RN

Working in pediatrics was always a top choicefor Lori Josefczyk. But it was good-naturedprodding by her college roommate that helpedher on her way to Children’s Hospital ofPittsburgh of UPMC.

“My roommate would come home and tell meabout how amazing the kids are,” said Josefczyk.“Her experiences made me want to be atChildren’s also.”

After receiving her nursing degree fromIndiana University of Pennsylvania, Josefczykcame to Children’s. She has been working on the8th floor for the past four years, caring for chil-dren and adolescents with metabolic disorders.

One year into her nursing career, Josefczyk’s passion for teaching was so evident shebegan to train new staff, working as a guide for new nurses who shadow her during herdaily routine.

When Cindy Retort, R.N., 8th floor unit director, envisions a mentor, Josefczyk imme-diately comes to mind.

“Lori’s professionalism, leadership and patience have made her a role model to staffon her entire unit,” Retort said. “She is often requested directly by new staff and stu-dents who have heard how great she is.”

Patient AdvocacyDawn Thomas, RN

Dawn Thomas, R.N., is the supervisor of the IVTeam at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh ofUPMC, a group of trained staff nurses who are oncall 20 hours a day to respond to requests forintravenous starts, blood draws and much more.

Children’s IV Team was established in January2005 and is an essential part of the hospital, per-forming more than 11,000 procedures in 2006.

Although the IV Team is a great resource forother hospital staff members, it is not alwayslooked upon kindly by patients who tend to asso-ciate the team with pain.

“If a child sees us coming into the room they aregoing to get nervous,” Thomas said. “Nobodylikes to get pricked by a needle, but because of our experience, we are able to make it aseasy and painless as possible.”

Thomas uses various techniques to minimize pain, including the use of topical anesthet-ics and non-traditional techniques. In her 25 years at Children’s as a nurse, she has pickedup a few tricks along the way, like using the Child Life department or music therapist tocalm a child.

Many times it’s the parents who need calming, if they are nervous about a procedurebeing done on their child.

“I enjoy taking care of the entire family,” Thomas said. “When a young child is hospital-ized, their parents and siblings need just as much comforting as the patient. I make surethat the family is comfortable and knows what is going on during procedures because itmakes them much less anxious.”

Durae Vincze, R.N., unit director for the medical unit at Children’s, appreciates Thomas’family-centered approach to care.

“Dawn is the consummate advocate for patients and families,” Vincze said. “She listensto their concerns and does her best to address them, whether it is a parking issue or accessto a needed patient service.”

MentoringShawn Moody, RN

When Shawn Moody goes to work inChildren’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC’sEmergency Department, he helps save lives. Inhis free time, he does the same as a volunteerfirefighter.

Since graduating from California University ofPennsylvania in 2001, Moody has dedicated histime and effort to helping sick and injured chil-dren and adults as an emergency room nurse andas a member of Peters Township VFWAmbulance Service.

As a registered nurse in the EmergencyDepartment, Moody is certified in multiple areas.He uses his knowledge to help teach and mentoryoung nurses including newly hired nurses and nursing students from area nursing pro-grams. He also teaches two courses at Children’s: Emergency Nurse PediatricCertification and CPR.

Kathleen Schenkel, R.N., Emergency Department unit director at Children’s, knowshow important it is to have Moody as a mentor.

“He is truly an asset to our department,” Schenkel said. “He is very enthusiastic andwell-respected by his peers, and has become a leader in our department through edu-cating our staff and lending a helping hand to anyone in need.”

TeachingElizabeth Lazzaro, RN

Elizabeth “Libby” Lazzaro, R.N., didn’t alwayswant to be a pediatric nurse, but after a nursinginternship at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh ofUPMC during her junior year of college, she dis-covered that working with kids was her passion.

Lazzaro graduated from the University ofPittsburgh School of Nursing in 2003 and par-layed her nurse’s aide position into a full-timestaff nurse position in the Pediatric IntensiveCare Unit (PICU).

“I knew I wanted to be a nurse, but until I hadthe opportunity to intern at Children’s, I hadn’tspecifically thought about working in pedi-atrics,” Lazzaro said. “The nurse I shadowedspent the majority of her time in the Intensive Care Units, so it felt natural for me tostep into the PICU.”

Lazzaro spends her time working as a nurse preceptor, training new nurses as well asnursing students from area colleges. She is also back at Pitt working on her master’sdegree in nursing and will graduate in April 2008.

An opportunity became available to Lazzaro in 2005 when Amy Biddle, R.N., nursemanager of the PICU, approached her with the idea of traveling to UPMC ISMETT(Instituto Mediterraneo per I Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione) in Palermo,Italy, to share her pediatric expertise with Italian nurses.

“The nurses in Palermo are extremely talented and experienced, but at the time theyhad very little pediatric training,” Lazzaro said. “I was excited to have the chance to helpthem learn to care for kids.”

Biddle sees Lazzaro’s effort paying off in Palermo. “Libby has made significant contri-butions to pediatric transplant nurse education at UPMC ISMETT,” Biddle said. “Shehas been an excellent teacher and ambassador to our friends in Palermo.”

“It has been a really rewarding experience,” Lazzaro said. “Knowing I have helpedteach nurses how to care for pediatric patients is a great feeling.”

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Innovation/CreativityHeather Ambrose, RN

Heather Ambrose, R.N., joined Children’sHospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC’s Training andEducation Department to help staff keep up-to-date with training, certifications and continuingeducation. But Heather’s creativity has madeongoing staff education something to look for-ward to rather than a requirement.

Ambrose began her service at Children’s in2000 as a recent graduate from Thiel College inGreenville, Pa. She worked as a staff nurse andlater as a clinical leader on thehematology/oncology unit. She now trains thehematology/oncology staff nurses she onceworked with.

“I really enjoy working in the hematology/oncology unit here,” Ambrose said. “I lovedit when I worked directly with the patients, and I still like being involved by making surethe rest of the staff is educated about the most recent advancements in the field so thatthey can provide the best care possible to the kids.”

To ensure that the best care is provided, Ambrose helps organize the annual CarnivalFair, a hospitalwide training and education event. The weeklong event is a requirementfor all hospital staff. A number of booths represent a different aspect of caring forpatients and also teach and reinforce hospital goals.

Ambrose also offers training for nurses who deal directly with hematology/oncologypatients on a daily basis, including APHON (Association of Pediatric Hematology andOncology Nurses) and CPON (Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurse) certification.

“I thought it was a great idea to offer a quarterly class to other nurses who want toreceive the CPON certification,” Ambrose said. “It is not a requirement, but earning thecertification shows excellence in your practice and an excellent knowledge base. Theseclasses help our nurses take superior care of our hem/onc patients.”

Bonnie Dean, Ph.D., R.N., director of Training and Education at Children’s, believesthat Ambrose is an asset for the entire hospital.

“Heather truly has a passion for what she does,” Dean said. “Her dedication has beencritical for ensuring competent nursing practice with the professional staff of hematol-ogy/oncology.”

Clinical CareSusan Karaffa, RN

Thirty years ago, Susan Karaffa joined theteam at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh ofUPMC and has been offering patients and theirfamilies comfort and care ever since.

She has worn many hats over the years,including spending time as a nurse educator, andfound her way to Same Day Surgery (SDS) in1987.

Karaffa received her nursing degree from theUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Nursing andimmediately came to work at Children’s, whereshe has excelled in delivering excellent clinicalcare.

Karaffa recently received the Children’s KIDS First award, which is awarded to staffmembers who demonstrate service excellence above and beyond normal job expecta-tions.

“The clinical leaders in SDS nominated me, I think partly because of the way I inter-act with the families,” Karaffa said. “But I just look at that as part of my job. I am hereto make their child’s experience as comfortable and smooth as possible.”

Following patients through their entire surgical experience is something that Karaffatakes very seriously. Before surgery, she completes the pre-surgical assessment and is inconstant communication with the surgeons and the anesthesiologists to make sure thepatient is ready for surgery. After the operation, she sees the patient through the recov-ery room and gives the discharge instructions to the family.

“Children’s offers a unique experience because you work with the entire family,”Karaffa said. “Everyone needs to be kept apprised of how a surgery or recovery is going.I’m there to help ensure that the same day surgery experience is successful for them.”

It is that level of caring and dedication that Beth Mastrangelo, unit director of SDS,says makes Karaffa invaluable to the families and staff who work with her every day.

“Sue goes above and beyond when caring for patients and families on Same DaySurgery,” Mastrangelo said. “On a daily basis she does the extra little things, from spend-ing time after her shift to assist a patient through the peri-operative admission, to assist-ing a staff member who needs an extra hand.”

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TeachingSerene Chamberlain, RN, BSN,MSN

As a Pediatrics Instructor at The WesternPennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing, SereneChamberlain, RN, BSN, MSN, not only teachesher students well, she helps her fellow facultymembers become better teachers.

She recently initiated a “lunch-n-learn” sessionfor faculty, in which instructors meet to eat andtalk about a predetermined topic, sharing ideasand concerns with open, purposeful dialogue. Itis a “wonderful, informed time of faculty interac-tion,” said Nancy E. Cobb, Director of the Schoolof Nursing.

Chamberlain “epitomizes the role of the lifelong learner,” Cobb said. “She has a thirstto learn and is not afraid of change.” Her teaching is consistently praised by both stu-dents and her faculty peers.

Clinical ExcellenceMillie Mills, BSN, RN

When it comes to excellence in clinical care,Millie Mills, BSN, RN, has it all. Technical knowl-edge, teaching ability, interpersonal and commu-nication skills, intuition, dedication to commu-nity service and administrative know-how allcome together in Mills, Clinical Nurse III in theAmbulatory Surgery Center at The WesternPennsylvania Hospital.

Her co-workers say they have watched as Millsturns a stressful situation with anxious patientsand families into a valuable learning experience.They see how physicians rely on her observa-tional skills and nursing judgment.

After 35 years in nursing, Mills says she reflects on her career and asks herself, “HaveI been an asset to my chosen profession? Have I strived to achieve one of my most cher-ished goals, to become the best nurse I could possibly be?” Her patients and co-work-ers would certainly answer yes.

Patient AdvocacyBob Monteverde, BSN, RN,IBCLC

If Bob Monteverde, BSN, RN, IBCLC, has afault as a nurse, it’s that he can’t say no, said hissupervisor Paula Lacher, RN, MSN, CNAA,Director of Maternal-Child, Women’s Services atThe Western Pennsylvania Hospital. But then,that is also one of his greatest strengths.

“He is without a doubt a patient advocate,”Lacher said. “If it’s for babies, if it’s for patients,if it’s for mothers, he can’t say no.”

As Maternal Child Health OutreachCoordinator at West Penn, Monteverde visitsreferring community hospitals to teach RNs andMDs many topics including stabilization of neonates and neonatal resuscitation. He alsoorganizes educational conferences, including a yearly “Nurses Who Care For SpecialBabies” event that attracts around 100 people. He provides backup support for thetransport team and coordinator, as well as for the coordinator of the infant apnea cen-ter.

But even knowing Monteverde’s outstanding clinical skills and passion for his work,Lacher was surprised when he told her one day that he wanted to learn more about lac-tation.

He became certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examinersand for the past several years has been helping new mothers breastfeed. They affection-ately refer to him as “Breastfeeding Bob.”

“He is just so easygoing,” Lacher said of his success with new mothers. “He just does-n’t get upset over little things.”

Monteverde said his passion for caring for infants and premature babies was ignitedwhen he transported a sick baby while on duty with the Air Force in Biloxi, Miss. Heremembers seeing a bewildered older nurse holding the premature baby.

“I discovered that the most important thing to me, as a nurse, was education,”Monteverde said. “In order to be an effective patient advocate, I had to be knowledge-able about the patient’s disease process. I then had to be able to communicate thatknowledge to the family of the patient in a manner that they could understand.”

LeadershipSherry Zisk, MNEd, RN, CNAA

As Chief Nursing Officer at The WesternPennsylvania Hospital, Sherry Zisk, MNEd, RN,CNAA, has the power to simply decide and act.But that’s not what leadership means to Zisk.

“It is her core belief that it is her responsibili-ty, and the responsibility of all nurse leaders, toalways involve the staff,” said JacquelineCollavo, director of the Magnet RecognitionProgram at West Penn, On a daily basis, Zisk canbe seen engaged in conversation with a nurse inthe hallway, or shadowing nurses on their dailyduties.

“Sherry makes you feel that what you aredoing is very important,” said Anna MariePozycki, BSN, RN, Clinical Nurse III and a 18-year veteran at West Penn. “She asks us,‘What do you need?’ She is concerned about what we need to function and is able tomake a difficult situation better.”

Her nurses believe her attitude comes from the heart, from a genuine interest and con-cern for staff members and patients. If she is questioned about something she did, herresponse is sure to be something like this: “Because it is the right thing to do for nurs-ing and for patient care.”

Zisk’s leadership style took West Penn Hospital to new heights in 2006, when WestPenn became the first and only hospital in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania toachieve Magnet Recognition status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.Magnet is the highest recognition a hospital can receive for nursing excellence.

And in April 2007, West Penn leadership showed the hospital’s faith in Zisk by pro-moting her to vice president and chief operating officer.

“Sherry’s past successes in leading the nursing department have prepared her for thisnext step in her career as a successful health care executive, said Mark Palmer, WestPenn’s President and CEO.

✲ THE WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HOSPITAL ✲

Patti Black, MSN, RN, CCRNJacqueline M. Buccilli, BSN, RN, CCRNSusan Librich, RNJane Kelly, BSN

Patti Black, MSN, RN,CCRN, has been involvedin several research pro-jects at The WesternPennsylvania Hospital, soit’s a bit surprising to hearher say she doesn’t likedoing research.

But what she does like isfinding solutions to prob-lems that affect patients,and that’s what researchhas enabled her to do.

As manager of the med-ical/surgical intensive careunit at West Penn, she hadnoticed inconsistencies inthe way patients on venti-lators were sedated. SoBlack and her team –Jacqueline M. Buccilli,BSN, RN, CCRN; SusanLibrich, RN, ClinicalNurse III and Jane Kelly,BSN, Clinical Nurse II,embarked on a review ofthe literature.

Based on their findings,they decided to beginusing the RichmondAgitation-Sedation Scoreas a way of ranking patientalertness. That led to anurse-driven protocol onwhen to stop sedation.

What’s up next for theteam? More research. Theybelieve through anecdotalevidence that they have improved patient outcomes with the new system, but now theyare trying to quantify that improvement.

(l-r) Patti Black, MSN, RN, CCRN; Susan Librich, RN, Clinical

Nurse III, and Jacqueline Buccilli, BSN, RN, CCRN, Clinical

Nurse II. Jane Kelly, BSN, Clinical Nurse II, who also partici-

pated in the project, is not pictured.


BY PAT RAFFAELE

Nursing is both an “art and a sci-ence,” and there are abundantopportunities for nurses to pursue

a wide range of careers within the field.Hospital Council of Western Pennsylvaniarecognizes the vital role of nursesthroughout the continuum of care in theregion. Hospital Council’s initiatives fornurses and its members include providingsupport for chief nursing officers, contin-uing a workforce development programand assisting members with transitioningyoung nurses into leadership roles.

“Nursing is an art,” said JaneMontgomery, BSN, MBA, vice president ofClinical Services and Quality for HospitalCouncil, “because nurses spend the mosttime with a patient – often nurses are theclosest person to a patient. Nurses usetheir communications skills and trainingto really talk to patients and then, in turn,share information with physicians.Nursing is also a science because nursesare always assessing a patient. Patientsafety and quality of care are always in theforefront of a nurses’ mind. Nurses trulywork towards doing the best for theirpatients all of the time.”

One of the roles of Hospital Council isto engage chief nursing officers fromthroughout the region in a forumdesigned for the highest level of nurseadministrators, said Jane Montgomery. Todo this, Hospital Council created a ChiefNursing Officers Forum for CNOs on toshare information and best practices aswell as to develop common responses topending legislation and regulations.

“Workforce development is one of ourtop priorities,” Montgomery said.“Hospital Council works with guidancecounselors and hospitals to reach middleschool and high school students interest-ed in health career fields, including nurs-ing. We offer scholarships as well as a spe-cial publication aimed towards students.In addition, we are working at making abetter connection between the education-al community and healthcare employers.”

These efforts are designed to assist theregion’s healthcare providers with recruit-ing and retaining clinical employees,including nurses. There are so manycareer options for nurses, Montgomerysaid, that even within a hospital, there aremultiple specialties to explore.

She noted these fields in a hospital set-ting include everything from working as afloor nurse to nurses specializing inobstetrics, surgery, medicine, orthopedicsand pediatrics, among others. In addition,within a hospital, nurses can specialize inintensive care fields such as neurology,cardiology, trauma, and neonatal ICU. Inaddition, there are many opportunities fornurses in the operating room includingfirst assistant nurses, circulating nursesand certified registered nurse anesthetists.Other opportunities for nurses includeutilization review and case management

“Beyond a hospital, there are many,many other opportunities for nurses,including home health, long term care,long term acute care, behavioral health,ambulatory care, and working in physi-cian practices. There are also opportuni-ties for nurse educators,” Montgomerysaid.

Nursing is “high tech/high touch,”Montgomery said, noting that technologyis changing the way nurses do their jobs.New technology makes information much

more accessible to everyone involved inpatient care, she noted. In ICU environ-ments, nurses use technology to helpassess and treat patients.

Hospital Council is also assisting hospi-tals with ideas on how to transitionyounger nurses into leadership roles with-in their organizations. “One of the keyissues our healthcare organizations arefacing is that we have many senior nursesand nurse leaders who are nearing retire-ment age. Hospital Council sees this as atrend and our goal is to help our members

prepare younger nurses to take on leader-ship roles.”

Hospital Council of WesternPennsylvania is a regional association rep-resenting a continuum of healthcareproviders including hospitals, long-termcare facilities, long-term acute careproviders and specialty hospitals in a 30-county area.

Pat Raffaele is Vice President for HospitalCouncil. For more information, contact JaneMontgomery at [email protected] or visit

Hospital Council’s website at www.hcwp.org.

Hospital Council Salutes and Supports Nurses

✲ HOSPITAL COUNCIL OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA ✲

“Nursing is “high tech/high touch, noting that technologyis changing the way nurses do their jobs.”

– Jane Montgomery Jane Montgomery

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Children’s Home Nurses EnhanceClinical Care at New Facility

The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh’s staff of 55 highly-experienced, pediatric reg-istered nurses has provided excellent care, both individually and as a team, toinfants and children for more than 20 years. Their skill and compassion help chil-dren and families thrive, and their clinical capabilities are even stronger now thanksto the opening in March of The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux FamilyCenter on Penn Avenue.

This new facility houses the expansion of both Child’s Way and the 28-bedPediatric Specialty Hospital, as well as Adoption, the founding program of TheChildren’s Home. In this one location, the organization’s medical programs canmore easily share a variety of resources, including the nursing staff’s expertise.

Child’s Way provides skilled nursing in a day care setting for up to 60 medicallyfragile children, ages birth through 8. Registered nurses work as a team with childcare associates, visiting therapists, and a child development specialist in Child’sWay’s dynamic, preschool-like environment.

Multiple, custom-designed rooms allow staff to focus on the developmental needsof various age groups, including infants, toddlers, and older children. Oxygen,medical air, and suction are piped in through most walls, so nurses can treat a childwhether he is busy at the craft table or playing with toys on the heated floor.

The Children’s Home’s Pediatric Specialty Hospital also offers multiple new fea-tures that assist nurses, all with NICU and/or PICU experience, in providing excel-lent clinical care. The acute care hospital includes an expanded Transitional InfantCare (T.I.C.®) unit for premature and high-risk infants and the new TransitionalPediatric Care unit for older medically fragile children.

Nurses provide families with “hands-on” education about how to care for theirchild’s medical needs, including the use of home medical equipment, so they canconfidently make the transition to home. An expanded family living area – com-plete with eight private bedrooms, shared living rooms and kitchens, and Austin’sPlayroom for siblings – facilitates teaching opportunities while giving families moreprivacy.


(l-r) Shree Jones, Kathleen Murphy, and Mark Edwards – several of the registered nurses in The

Children’s Home’s Pediatric Specialty Hospital – test a premature infant’s fit in a car seat as

the family prepares to go home.

A few of the 15 registered nurses providing care at Child’s Way – (l-r) Alison Ussher, Jan Verner,

Lynn Wray, Mary Ann Hall, Kathy Kiss, Gloria Martineck, and Betty Camus – are shown here

with Child’s Way patient, A.J.

✲ ALLE-KISKI MEDICAL CENTER ✲

Kathy McPhersonCompletes NurseNavigatorFellowshipProgram

Alle-Kiski Medical Center ispleased to announce KathyMcPherson, RN, BSN, CEN,completed the 2006 NurseNavigator Fellowship Program,the first of its kind in the area.McPherson was among ninePittsburgh area nurses who par-ticipated in the year-longFellowship. The focus was toprovide professional nurseswith quality engineering and safety science skills to improve patient outcomes.

The Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative (PRHI) and the Jewish Healthcare Foundationset out to teach nurses how to employ the Pennsylvania coalition’s Perfecting Patient Carecurriculum. Perfecting Patient Care was developed for healthcare settings and is based onthe Toyota Production System model of work redesign. It involves engaging front-lineworkers in the improvement process using evidenced-based knowledge to redesign andimprove care delivery.

McPherson’s project focused on eliminating excess medical/surgical supplies in theEmergency Department. “Through observation and mapping pathways, I was able to iden-tify waste and inefficiencies. Based on the findings, the department cleaned and made work-spaces and patient care areas more efficient. As a result, we were able to save over $18,000in supplies,” said McPherson. “One of the most exciting outcomes was we improved patientcare at the provider level.”

The Nurse Navigators met monthly and had coaches and mentors throughout the pro-gram. They also had opportunities to visit other facilities such as Medrad, to see the modelwork in different settings. According to Debra Thompson, MSN, RN, CNAA, chief nursingofficer for the PRHI and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, “This is a way to impact patientcare outcomes, by learning to use data. Nurses are very engaged in doing what is right forpatients. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to grow and develop nurses in our com-munity.”

Michael Harlovic, vice president, patient care at AKMC commented, “Kathy exemplifiesthe ever-evolving role of nurses today. Not only does she make quality patient care a prior-ity, she understands the necessity of cost saving and efficiencies needed in health care.”

Reta Caputo, RNAKMC Nurse Invited toAttend Leadership Summit

Reta Caputo, registered nurse, at Alle-KiskiMedical Center (AKMC) was recently invited toattend J.A.Thomas Associates’ (JATA) ThirdAnnual Leadership Summit in Atlanta, Georgiadue to the success of the compliant documenta-tion management program (CDMP). Caputo is theCDMP leader and was responsible for workingwith JATA to develop and implement the program.

West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS)system facilities engaged JATA to perform anassessment of its chart documentation and coding.This lead to the implementation of a programdesigned to provide complete, compliant docu-mentation in the medical record that more accu-rately reflects the severity of illness of patients witha goal to receive the appropriate reimbursement for services provided.

While coders are experts in coding clinic guidelines, they are not able to look at casesfrom a clinical standpoint as would a nurse or doctor. The CDMP involves the expertise ofa registered nurse clinical documentation specialist (CDS) on the front end reviewing con-currently and the coding specialists coding the chart with more accurate, complete andcompliant documentation prior to discharge. The collaboration between the CDS and thecoders is essential for the program’s success. CDMP focuses on the common goals of physi-cians and hospitals, bringing them together in a mutually beneficial alliance. This results indocumentation that truly reflects work effort, resource utilization, severity of illness, andcomplexity of patient care.

Caputo commented, “Hiring the right nurses for the job is essential. The CDS nurseshave to be clinically proficient as well as proficient typists.” Caputo lead the team and wasresponsible for ensuring communication with physicians, setting up in-services, doingphysician office educational visits, providing oversight and education to nursing and otherhealth care professionals at AKMC.

According to Caputo, the program has been very successful thanks to the teamwork ofthe CDSs, physicians, coders and administration. “It is an honor for me to be representingAKMC and WPAHS at the summit. I am looking forward to meeting and networking withother leaders from across the country. I wish I could take the entire AKMC team with mebecause if it weren’t for their excellent work, I wouldn’t have been chosen.”

(l-r) Michael Aull, unit manager, Kathy McPherson, RN,

BSN, CEN, & Michael Harlovic, vice president, patient

care services, AKMC.


HEALTH

SOUTH NURSING

Caringfor our Com

munity

©2007:HealthSouth:98829

As one of the nation’s largest healthcare providers, we know that our nursing professionals are critical to our success. Our excellent outcomes would not be possible without the dedication of those providing the high quality care within our facilities nationwide. It is during Nurses Week that we have the opportunity to recognize those that work as a part of our nursing teams to care for our community.

healthsouth.com

WeSaluteYou

Metropolitan Hospitals of Pittsburgh

Monroeville

Harmarville

Sewickley

✲ FORBES HOSPICE ✲

Leslie Pelkofer, RNMaria DePasquale, RN

Forbes Hospice wishes to recognize both Leslie Pelkofer, R.N.,Manager of Home Care Hospice and Maria DePasquale, R.N.,Manager of Inpatient Hospice, for successfully meeting therequirements to be a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse fromthe National Board of Certification of Hospice and PalliativeNurses. This is an accreditation of the American Board of NursingSpecialties. They both worked hard to attain this accreditation andwe at Forbes Hospice are proud of them!

As a member of the UnitedStates Air Force Reserves, JimCompliment, CRNP, AlleghenyGeneral Hospital (AGH), is oneof thousands of nurses aroundthe country who have been calledupon to serve their country inthis time of war, applying hisexpert nursing skills in war zonesacross the globe. As recently as ayear ago, Compliment served inIraq as part of new type of med-ical response force calledExpeditionary Medical Support,or EMEDS, which consists offour-person teams that rapidlydeploy to inpatient field hospi-tals. There are EMEDS operatingin Iraq and in 11 other countries.Prior to his duty in Iraq,Compliment served for sixmonths in Kuwait between 2003 and 2004.

“My biggest concern is always about being away from my family,” Compliment said. “But we do alot of good work and this is my way of giving back to our country.”

Compliment currently works with kids in AGH’s Division of Otorhinolaryngology, and has previ-ously worked as a LifeFlight nurse and in the AGH Trauma Intensive Care Unit.

In addition to Compliment, some other AGH nurses who have served or are currently serving thecountry include Bob Lefler, who is a Unites States Army officer in charge of the Emergency MedicalTreatment (EMT) section in the 339th combat support hospital.

Lefler has been deployed twice; once for nine months to Afghanistan in 2002, and once to Kosovofor 1 1/2 years in 2005. There, he not only oversaw the EMT, but also ground and air transport.

Lefler said that the main similarity between his work at AGH as a clinical education specialist inTrauma Intensive Care Unit, and overseas is the young age of the patients, though the cause of theinjury differs.

“Here, we see a lot of young victims of car accidents. There, we saw a lot of young victims of thebattlefield,” Lefler noted.

According to Lefler, 96 percent of soldiers who are injured survive their injuries, making him feelgood about the work that he does. “What’s most gratifying is when a soldier says thank you, and youhear that he or she returned home from the war.”

Both Compliment and Lefler don’t have any plans to return overseas soon, but as they said, “thatcould change at any moment.”

AGH Nurses Proudly Serve Country Abroad

Bob Lefler (left) and Jim Compliment

Leslie Pelkofer, R.N. (left), and Maria DePasquale, R.N.


Pittsburgh Mercy Health SystemSalutes Nurses for ExemplifyingMercy’s Mission & Core Values

“Nursing: A Profession and a Passion.” Anyone whoknows or who collaborates closely with nurses knows howpassionate they are about delivering high quality care totheir patients and that their profession is more than a job –it’s their life’s work. And anyone who has studied the richhistory and tradition of health care in Pittsburgh knows thatthe first nurses at The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh – aPittsburgh’s first permanent hospital and the first MercyHospital in the world – a were its founding seven Sisters ofMercy.

The Sisters of Mercy were invited by Bishop MichaelO’Connor to Pittsburgh to care for the health care needs ofthe Pittsburgh’s growing and diverse population, especiallythe underserved. On January 1, 1847, the Sisters of Mercyopened the doors of The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh tocare for the health care needs of all in the Catholic tradition.The Sisters dedicated their lives to the physical, emotionaland spiritual care of their patients –and 160 years later, theirproud tradition continues.

PMHS joined other religious and secular hospitals andhealth systems nationwide in celebrating National NursesWeek, May 6-12, 2007. This year Nurses Week coincidedwith Mercy’s Founders Week celebration. PMHS saluted itsnurses for not only fulfilling their professional responsibili-ties with passion, but for keeping the promise made by ourfounding Sisters of Mercy by living Mercy’s mission andplacing its core values at the forefront of professional prac-tice and patient care each and every day.

The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh hosted a special lun-cheon on May 9 in the Sister M. Ferdinand ClarkAuditorium to honor the 19 registered nurses who werenominated for the Mercy Hospital 2007 Nurse of theYear/Cameos of Caring Award. The award was given toKaren Martin, RN, Same Day Surgery Center.

In her nomination of Karen for the award, AdrianneMiller, RN, CNII, a Same Day Surgery Center staff nurse andcolleague wrote, “Karen’s warm, compassionate and affablepersonality is always present, helping to alleviate and mak-ing her patients and families very comfortable. She alwaysseems to find something in common with each patient.Patients often comment how nice she is and how she madetheir stay a more pleasant experience…Karen takes hernursing to a higher level. She is a knowledgeable, caring andhard-working professional. She exemplifies all of the quali-ties that elevate nursing to a prestigious profession.”

Other nurses nominated for the Mercy Hospital 2007Nurse of the Year/Cameos of Caring Award were: • Scott Beveridge, RN, 6F/Rehabilitation Services and

Acquired Brain Injury Unit• Sue Cobaugh, RN, Nursing Administration• Sue Cwynar, RN, 8E/Oncology Unit• Michelle Fontana, RN, Trauma Services• Victor Harding, RN, Intensive Care Unit (ICU)• Suzanne Heckert, RN, Neurology/Neuro Continuous

Care Unit (NCCU)• Sue Hern, RN, Risk Management• Kathy Johnston, RN, Intensive Care Unit/Birmingham

Trauma & Burn Center (ICU/TBC)• Beth Liptak, RN, Same Day Surgery Center• Melanie Mountain, RN, 12E/Medical Progressive Care

Unit• Kirsten Peroney, RN, Cardio

Vascular Intensive Care Unit(CVICU)

• Barbara Philage, RN,MercyLink and 7F/Neuro-Trauma Unit

• Andrea Pitschman, RN, SameDay Surgery Center

• Celeste Plunkett, RN,Department of EmergencyMedicine

• Janet Ringbloom, RN,8E/Oncology Unit

• Dan Warhola, RN,9E/Cardiac ProgressiveCare Unit

• Melissa Wiltrout, RN,Intensive CareUnit/Birmingham Trauma& Burn Center (ICU/TBC)

The luncheon opened with awelcome and remarks fromPMHS President and CEO KenEshak and Vice President ofNursing Mary Anne Foley, RN,MSN. A special prayer forMercy nurses was offered bySister Carolyn Schallenberger,RSM, RN, MSN. The luncheonconcluded with Foley reading“The Magic of Caring,” atouching poem by an anony-mous author about the manyrewards of the nursing profes-sion.

Other special Nurses Weekevents at The Mercy Hospital ofPittsburgh included specialmasses for the intentions ofMercy nurses; blessing of thehands for nurses; chair mas-sages, hand massages and on-the-spot manicures; continen-tal breakfasts; dessert breaks,chair massages; drawings forvarious prizes, and visits by WTAE-TV Medical EditorMarilyn Brooks, news anchors Mike Clark and AndrewStockey – a both of whom participated in an impromptuCPR contest.

In a separate recognition ceremony held May 4 at MercyJeannette Hospital, Kathy Shutsy, RN, Skilled/Rehab Unit,was named the Mercy Jeannette Hospital 2007 Nurse of theYear/Cameos of Caring Awardee. Marcia Cook, RN, BSN,MPM, chief nursing officer and Cheryl Price, RN, managerof the Skilled/Rehabilitation Unit, presented Kathy with anaward certificate.

“Kathy is an outstanding nurse for many reasons,” statedCook. “Kathy is a leader as well as a supporter of her peers.She is very knowledgeable, and empowers her fellow co-workers to be better individuals on and off the job. Kathyalways has a smile on her face, and goes out of her way toanswer questions. She has earned the staff’s respect. Kathy isan ‘Angel of Mercy.’”

Other nurses nominated for the Mercy Jeannette Hospital

2007 Nurse of the Year/Cameos of Caring were: • Katherine Anderson, RN, Emergency Department • Rosemarie Clark, RN, Cardiology• Shirley Friedman, RN, Short Stay Unit• Debbie Jones, RN, Critical Care Unit• Maxine Kiln, RN, Critical Care Unit• Darlene Levino, RN, Skilled/Rehab Unit• Erin Leydig, CRNP, Dr. George Hunter’s Office• Debbie Palmer, RN, Surgical Services• Michelle Stevens, RN, Skilled/Rehab Unit• Linda Schott, RN, Admission TeamOther special Nurses Week events held at Mercy JeannetteHospital included a display of baby photos where nurses hadto guess who was pictured. Special gift baskets made by theNurse Leadership Team were also awarded. As the MercyHospital and Mercy Jeannette Hospital Nurses of the Yearaward recipients, Karen and Kathy will represent Mercy atthe 9th Annual Cameo of Caring Awards Gala on October 6,2007 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

✲ PITTSBURGH MERCY HEALTH SYSTEM ✲

Seated (l-r): Sister Carolyn Schallenberger,

WTAE-TV Medical Editor Marilyn Brooks, and

Sue Cobaugh. Standing (l-r): Nora Johnson, Ann

Winiesky, and Mary Anne Foley.

Standing (l-r): Carol Stevenson, Brenadette Bryant, Rose

Savage, Eve Rosinzky, Betsy Kaplan, Sue Cobaugh, and Sherri

Stonecipher. Seated (l-r): WTAE-TV news anchor Mike Clark,

Sister Carolyn Schallenberger, and WTAE-TV news anchor

Andrew Stockey.

WTAE-TV’s Andrew Stockey takes part in a CPR

contest with fellow news anchor Mike Clark looking

on.

Seated (l-r): Adrianne Miller, RN;

Mercy Hospital 2007 Nurse of the

Year/Cameos of Caring Award recipi-

ent Karen Martin, RN; and Loretta

Bucci, RN. Standing: Mary Anne Foley,

RN, MSN, vice president, Patient

Services, Mercy Hospital.

The Mercy Hospital 2007 Nurse of the Year/Cameos of Caring nominees.

Standing (l-r): Victor Harding, RN; Celeste Plunkett, RN; Beth Liptak, RN;

Michelle Fontana, RN; Sue Cobaugh, RN; Janet Ringbloom, RN; Scott

Beveridge, RN; Sue Cwynar, RN; Kirsten Peroney, RN; and Andrea Pitschman,

RN. Seated (l-r): Barbara Philage, RN; Sue Hern, RN; Karen Martin, RN;

Melanie Mountain, RN; and Suzanne Heckert, RN. Not pictured: Kathy

Johnston, RN; Dan Warhola, RN; and Melissa Wiltrout, RN.

The Mercy Jeannette Hospital 2007 Nurse of the

Year/Cameos of Caring Award recipient is Kathy Shutsy,

RN (right), of the Skilled/Rehab Unit. On hand for the

presentation of awards was (l-r) manager of the

Skilled/Rehab Unit Cheryl Price, RN, and Chief Nursing

Officer Marcia Cook, RN, BSN, MPM.

Kathy Shutsy, RN, the Mercy

Jeannette Hospital 2007 Nurse

of the Year/Cameos of Caring

recipient

Sister Michelle Prah, CSJ, blesses the hands of

parish nurses from Mercy’s Parish/ Congregational

Nurse and Health Ministries Program.


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✲ ALLEGHENY GENERAL HOSPITAL ✲

Dannette Marbella, R.N. (right), reviews a patient’schart with colleague Joni Guzzy in Allegheny GeneralHospital’s Coronary Care Unit.

Deborah Irwin, R.N., talks with patientMelissa Boles on Allegheny GeneralHospital’s Labor and Delivery Unit.

Sherry Stutz, R.N., talks with patient Mark Kaugherabout his upcoming heart transplant in AlleghenyGeneral Hospital’s Cardiovascular Institute.

HeatherKennihan,R.N.,greetspatientLuisLacoutureonAlleghenyGeneralHospital’sOncologyUnit.

Deborah McNamara, R.N., admin-isters medication to a patient inAllegheny General Hospital’sEmergency Department.

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✲ MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER/CONEMAUGH HEALTH SYSTEM ✲

MentoringAngela Kudlawiec, RN

Starting a new job can be intimidating. ForCarol Plowcha, who’s been working as a regis-tered nurse for Conemaugh Home Health’s(CHH) Ebensburg office since March, the transi-tion has gone very smoothly thanks to the helpof one devoted mentor.

For the past few years Angela Kudlawiec,R.N., has been helping new home health nurseslearn the ropes as part of CHH’s MentoringProgram. Anywhere from three months up to ayear, new employees meet with a mentor eachday to shadow them in the home.

“I’ve been in nursing for more than 20 years,and Angela is one of the best nurses I’ve everencountered,” says Plowcha. “She’s very knowledgeable, conscientious, kind, courteousand truly an exemplary nurse. In her role as a mentor, she always makes herself acces-sible to us.”

Angela, who is currently mentoring four new employees, says those being mentoredaren’t the only ones reaping the benefits of the program. “I’ve grown a lot as a result ofworking with new employees,” says Kudlawiec. “It constantly reminds me that there ismore than one way to solve a problem and shows me just how far I’ve come since I start-ed in this profession, which is a confidence builder.”

In addition to confidence, Kudlawiec is also sharing her knowledge and experiencewith those she mentors. “Home health nursing is intimidating when you’re new,” saysPlowcha. “There are so many different rules and governmental regulations that don’tapply in other clinical settings, therefore having someone like Angela, who is a wealthof knowledge, is a vital resource.”

Kudlawiec says, “This career is very gratifying. When we discharge a patient it’sbecause they’re healthy; whereas, when I worked in a hospital that wasn’t always thecase. And my supervisor, Joni, and Conemaugh Health System in general, are very sup-portive about encouraging opportunities for professional growth and advancement. Asa result of this support, it encourages you as a nurse, to give back and assist howeverpossible. It wasn’t that long ago that I was in their place and am just glad that I’m nowable to help new nurses learn and grow as I have.”

Patient AdvocateLinda Petak, RN

“When you’re a nurse, your patients willknow if you sincerely care,” says Linda Petak, anRN on Good Samaritan’s 5th Floor medical inpa-tient unit at Memorial Medical Center inJohnstown. “That’s why I try to always treatpatients like family.” Having been a nurse inacute facilities for 33 years, Petak has just aboutseen it all; but she says no matter what the situ-ation, she remains focused on providing highquality patient care, and her coworkers agree.

“Linda is the kind of nurse who will do justabout anything to make the patient more com-fortable and at ease,” says Kathy Quinn, RN,Nurse Manager. “She goes above and beyond forher patients everyday. She treats each person as an individual and tailors their care basedon their individual needs, which means so much to not only the patient, but to theirfamily.”

“My personal experiences have shaped the way I approach my job,” says Petak. “Myfather was very ill with heart problems, my mother fought cancer and my brother wasin and out of the hospital regularly from the time he was born suffering from kidneyproblems. So I know how important it is for the hospital to tend to not only the patient’sneeds, but to serve as a support to the family as well.”

One example, explains Quinn, happened just recently. “A 96-year-old woman wasbrought in and there was some uncertainty about whether she could endure surgery.The patient’s children were on their way and wanted to see their mother in order todecide what action should be taken. Linda convinced the surgical team to wait until thefamily arrived and got to see their mother and make that decision before taking her tothe OR stat as intended. She was a true advocate for the family.”

“When I actually saw the woman with her daughters, I was reassured I had made theright decision. This was a life or death matter to them, and they wanted to see theirmother and make sure they were doing the right thing. Whenever possible you have togive that to the patient and their family,” says Petak.

Innovation/CreativityMary Ashbaugh, RN

The commitment to update practices and poli-cies in addition to daily patient care duties couldbe viewed as a daunting task, but for MaryAshbaugh, RN, Crichton Rehabilitation Centerlocated at Memorial Medical Center inJohnstown, it was viewed as an opportunity forimprovement. Mary spearheaded adopting amultidisciplinary journal club at the inpatientrehabilitation center.

“Our journal club incorporates the nursing aswell as the physical therapy staff, which has vast-ly improved communication and collaborationbetween these two groups,” says Ashbaugh.“Ultimately, due to this collaboration, we’re ableto provide better care.”

“Teamwork has significantly improved since Mary created the Journal Club,” saysTeresa Hoffman, Director of Rehabilitation Services at Memorial. “Her creativity inimplementing this initiative has boosted employee morale and armed our staff withtools that allow us to provide an even higher quality of care.”

The journal club researches articles in medical journals adopting evidence-based bestpractices. In many instances, policies at the Center have been updated or changed as aresult of the club’s research.

“Many of the practices we employ were the same as when I started here five yearsago,” says Ashbaugh. “So I thought it would be valuable to reaccess some of them, andit’s proven beneficial to the staff and increased the safety of our patients.”

For example, since the Center implemented a Fall Prevention Program last August,the number of falls has dramatically been reduced. As part of this program, the staff per-forms a fall risk assessment using a color-coded system. Patients identified as high riskare given green armbands, and specific interventions are applied automatically to helpensure that they don’t fall. The staff also holds “daily huddles” to discuss other inter-ventions that can be applied, or if there is a fall, they discuss why it occurred, and howthey can prevent it from happening again.

“This job is very rewarding,” says Ashbaugh. “Patients come in with so many limita-tions, and you get to see their progress each day, until many of them are able to literal-ly walk out of here and go home. Hopefully in revisiting some of these policies we’reable to make their recovery here even more safe and successful.”

CommunityMichelle George, RN

As Program Coordinator of the CardiacRehabilitation at Memorial Medical Center inJohnstown, Michelle George, R.N., has helpedcoordinate hundreds of free community cardiacscreenings across Cambria and Somerset coun-ties over the past seven years.

“Working in the community setting is a wholedifferent kind of nursing,” says George. “Theyare coming out voluntarily because they want tolearn more about prevention and ways they canimprove their lifestyle, so it’s always a positiveexperience.”

And in the way of prevention, the CardiacRehabilitation’s screenings have grown each yearwith the addition of grant money from different resources such as the EdwardsLifesciences Fund.

“Without the grants we’ve been able to acquire with the help of the ConemaughHealth Foundation, we wouldn’t be able to provide these screenings and programs to thecommunity,” adds George. “We’re very grateful for their assistance.”

And with the added funds, George and her staff have been able to expand their screen-ings. They’ve gone from offering a basic blood work up including a blood pressure, cho-lesterol and lipids check along with a questionnaire to determine a person’s risk forheart disease to providing comprehensive cardiac, diabetes and cardiovascular screen-ings, using a portable noninvasive carotid ultrasound.

“A lot of the people we screen are uninsured or underinsured, so they wouldn’t nor-mally go to a physician unless they’re ill or injured,” says George. “When they come tous, it’s completely prevention focused, and sometimes we do detect serious conditions.”

Once, while screening an uninsured farmer, a life-threatening aneurysm was detect-ed, and the man was properly treated.

“It’s very rewarding,” says George. “If we do just one screening that ends up savingsomeone’s life or allows a person to get an intervention early enough to slow the diseaseprocess, then it’s worth it.”

In addition to cardiac prevention, the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program also incorpo-rates smoking cessation, nutrition, exercise and diabetes education classes. This year,the Heart and Diabetes Risk Assessment screenings are being held in conjunction withcommunity events to encourage heart health prevention and awareness especiallyamong families and children.

EducationMike Contrillo, RN

“Rehabilitation nursingis different than other areasof nursing. These nursesnot only have to take care ofpatients, but they also haveto teach patients how to takecare of themselves.” Thosewords from Mike Contrillo,a registered nurse andCertified Brain InjuryTrainer, explain Contrillo’sinsight and commitment tohelping provide educationalresources for these nurseswith a unique job.

Approximately 50 percentof the patient population atCrichton RehabilitationCenter, an entity ofMemorial Medical Center inJohnstown, is made up ofpatients who have sufferedfrom either traumatic oracquired brain injuries. In light of this statistic, Contrillo is leading a Brain Injury CoreTeam. Currently 35 healthcare professionals, the majority from the Rehabilitation Center,are participating in the training, and approximately 25 of the participants are expected tosit for the certification exam to become Certified Brain Injury Specialists.

Contrillo says, “It’s a holistic approach. We’re teaching our staff about the anatomical andphysiological aspects of the patient’s condition. If they understand what part of the brain isinjured, they can then know what to expect in the way of recovery. For instance, a trau-matic brain injury tends to be more global, affecting many parts of the brain, thereforeoftentimes you’re dealing with a patient who exhibits inappropriate behavior or may haveperiods of agitation. When the staff is armed with knowledge, they will know how to bet-ter deal with these particular behaviors.”

Mary Ashbaugh, R.N., has worked with Contrillo for the past five years. “Mike is not onlyan excellent nurse, but he is also very knowledgeable and readily shares his knowledge witheveryone. He is such an asset.”

In addition to the Brain Injury Core Team, Contrillo is also looking to expand other edu-cational initiatives such as the Community Reentry Program. This program focuses onhelping patients with relearning higher cognitive skills that are needed to function in thecommunity, such as balancing their checkbook or obtaining groceries. His ultimate goal isto integrate a complete and comprehensive program with the hospital’s inpatient units andoutpatient rehabilitation services.


Mike Contrillo, R.N., goes over a patient chart at Crichton

Rehabilitation Center with Patricia Gregorchik, R.N. (left),

and Ann Aiken, Occupational Therapist.

✲ PRESBYTERIANSENIORCARE ✲

Clinical Care Margery “Sam” Seidel, LPN

Presbyterian SeniorCare employee Margery“Sam” Seidel, LPN was recently honored at aHealthpoint national meeting in Albuquerque,N.M. Over 250 sales personnel and clinicians fromacross the country who have dedicated theircareers to advancements in wound care were inattendance. (Healthpoint is a specialty pharmaceu-tical company committed to prevention and treat-ment of diseased and traumatized skin and relatedsoft tissue.)

Sam, a wound care nurse at Southmont, a 155-bed nursing facility on PresbyterianSeniorCare’s Washington campus, was cited for her hard work and dedication to woundcare. She was described as someone who takes ownership of her facility and her patients,who holds others accountable for their actions, and who is a key to the success of care atthe facility.

In one session at Healthpoint’s meeting, the question was raised, “What type of personmakes a great wound care clinician?” Several examples were given: doctors, clinicalresearchers, and other individuals who excel at the profession. A district manager fromBaltimore proceeded to cite Sam as an outstanding wound care clinician. He described heras one of the most dedicated and professional wound care nurses he has seen in his sevenyears in wound care management.

Sam is an LPN who specializes in the prevention and care of pressure. She has been withPresbyterian SeniorCare for nine years and has found her passion in geriatric nursing care.While she was pleased to be recognized, she gave credit to her co-workers as well.

“I was very honored,” said Sam, “but I feel the credit should be given to all departmentsat Southmont. Having good wound care is a result of excellent teamwork and availability ofsupplies needed. I also feel that it is very important to hold myself and my co-workersaccountable for our job performance and the care given to each individual resident.”

WHILE CONTINUING THEIR

EDUCATION, OUR

NURSES GET A LOT:

RESPECT, SKILLS, PAYCHECKS.

Few nurses can say they have servedtheir country while tending to theirpatients. Our nurses do every day. And our nurses are paid toget training in new and advanced medical areas. If you join the United States Air Force, you couldreceive up to $26,000 for college and student loan repayments. You may also qualify for a $5,000 sign-on bonus. To learn more about Air Force nursing, please visit airforce.com or call 1-800-423-USAFto request more information. CROSS INTO THE BLUECROSS INTO THE BLUE

NURSE


THE REGION’S MONTHLY

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✲ VA PITTSBURGH HEALTHCARE SYSTEM ✲

Innovation & CreativityJeanne Walters, BSN, RN

Jeanne Walters, BSN,RN, is an off-shift supervi-sor at VA PittsburghHealthcare System(VAPHS). As a PatientCare Coordinator (PCC),she is administrativelyand clinically responsiblefor the overall functioningduring the off-shifts. Sheis the first contact when adeath occurs during hertour of duty and effective-ly guides the staff andphysicians in processingthe required documenta-tion. One aspect is com-munication with theCenter for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE).

Walters was frustrated as she continually had to call CORE toconvey that a death had occurred but was bound by rules andregulations not to discuss any medical condition nor share anypersonal information. She transferred this frustration to becom-ing an advocate for “changing how we do business.” Waltersrequested to participate in a newly formed interdisciplinaryDonor Advisory Committee. As co-chair of the Committee, shewas instrumental in instituting revisions to VA’s policies and pro-cedures associated with organ donation. According to JeffMcBreen, a CORE representative, “By rewriting the policy andaggressive patient and staff education, VAPHS has become thegold standard in the VA system for organ donation.”

As a PCC, Walters routinely approaches families of deceasedveterans to discuss potential organ donation. She consistentlyuses a therapeutic approach to obtain permission from the fami-ly to begin the process of presenting a potential organ donor toCORE. She treats the families of the deceased veteran with theutmost respect and kindness in this critical time and provides theemotional support needed to assist.

Walters has also promoted Donor Awareness in the communi-ty. She recently set up an information booth at a Health Fairwhere she had the opportunity to interact with veterans and theirfamilies to educate them about the potential “Gift of Life”through organ donation. In addition, she assisted with an infor-mation booth at VAPHS for National Donor Awareness Monthwhere she spent time educating the staff and veteran population.

Walters feels very strongly that it is important to give someonewith a potentially terminal disease another chance at a healthyand productive life.

Community ServiceAnecia Thibodeau, RN, MSN

Anecia Thibodeau, RN,MSN, is a Clinical NurseSpecialist at VA PittsburghHealthcare System. Whileworking full-time andgoing to school, she dedi-cated time to OperationSafety Net (OSN), a home-less medical outreach pro-gram operated by MercyHospital. OSN is recog-nized as one of thenation’s first full-timestreet medicine programsand continues to set thestandard for this uniqueform of health care.Program activities includeStreet Outreach which encompasses clinical volunteers of physi-cians, nurses, and paramedics who walk the streets in anassigned geographic area to provide care to the homeless. Aneciaparticipates on a weekly basis for two to three hour sessions toreach out to the homeless to meet their health care needs. Onaverage 10-15 homeless people are sought out with much focuson providing food and hygiene supplies.

Being a registered nurse brings to the forefront a unique set ofchallenges for Anecia, including the lack of rapid medicalresponse. Being a former critical care nurse, Anecia provides forand demands that others participate in delivering high quality,

technically competent skilled care. When asked what motivatesher to continue, Anecia is quick to relate, “It’s the people. Theydon’t need much nor want much but they demonstrate that thehuman contact is so vital to survival. I have met millionaires(truly those with stock brokers) who choose to be homeless. Ireceive more from them than they from me.”

Another aspect is the continuous striving to encourage an indi-vidual into rehab. Although one repeatedly offers assistance, theoffer is rebuffed or ignored. Not to be dissuaded, Anecia contin-ues down that path recognizing that previous success can trans-late to future occurrences. The best success story surrounds arecent homeless husband and wife with an addiction. Given thatthe wife had medical technology skills and was off of drugs fordays, they recognized the value of following through with thecommunity resources offered by Operation Safety Net. Aneciawas successful in obtaining affordable housing and job offers. AsAnecia notes, any one of us are a hair away from being homelessat any given time.

TeachingJoyce Clohecy, MN, Ed.

VA Pittsburgh Health-care System is on theMagnet Journey. This cer-tification of nursingexcellence has compre-hensive “forces” thatmust be addressed in theapplication process, anddirect caregivers must beable to articulate applica-tion of forces at the bed-side.

Joyce Clohecy, MN,Ed., is a Nurse Educatorwho provides continuousorientation for ALL nurs-ing staff and specializededucation for med/surg.

Clohecy fosters Force 11 which describes nurses as teachers.Through Clohecy’s initiative, a robust Nursing Grand Roundsprogram was developed. This monthly educational offering pro-vides an opportunity for the staff nurse to investigate, develop,design, and present a nursing topic to all acute care nursing staff.She encouraged two nurses to volunteer to present CongestiveHeart Failure. Through her patience and guidance, these novicenurses “wowed” their peers and set the gold standard for GrandRounds. Subsequent to the initial presentation, a total of 12 dif-ferent topics have been presented by 24 staff. Not only is Force11 being addressed through this initiative but Force Eight,Consultation and Resources, is also strongly represented.

Clohecy suggested that on pertinent topics presenters collabo-rate with the content experts in leading the audience through aphysiologic review of involved body systems. As such, less expe-rienced staff has a venue for incorporating current evidenced-based findings in delivering quality care to our veteran patients.

Clohecy was not satisfied in limiting Grand Rounds to PatientCare Services and expanded the idea to other service lines, thusenhancing collegiality among the staff. She diligently pursuedbroadcasting pertinent topics to the Long Term Care andBehavioral Health staff with the first V-tel Grand Rounds beingconducted in February on Evidenced-Based Practice.

This snapshot of her involvement does not adequately describeher commitment and devotion to staff education. Frequently onehears “I am too busy” or “I don’t have time.” Nothing could befurther from the truth in the case of describing Clohecy. Whileher current functions in education could be perceived as over-whelming for many, Clohecy makes the time to advance staffalong the path of learning.


Community ServiceDonna Freiters, RN

At 6:30 a.m. on a typical day at ACMHHospital in Kittanning, PA, Donna Freiters isfound in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Departmentgetting ready to start her day: preparing the crashcart for emergencies, cleaning exercise equip-ment, and preparing to greet the first cardiacrehab outpatients as they arrive by 7 a.m.Treating an average of 40 outpatients would morethan fill each day, but Donna has also helped todevelop a three-day a week after school programcalled “Kids’ Fun & Fitness.” Starting as a pilotprogram in 1996 and offered first to hospitalemployees’ children, it was then opened up tochildren ages 6 to 16 in the community recom-mended by their physicians to receive help with exercise and diet. With a positive empha-sis on fun, Donna leads the children with educational games, aerobic exercises, taste test-ings, and plenty of camaraderie. Weather permitting, they are on the lawn playing out-door games or walking around the building. During the winter months, they use the car-diac rehabilitation department to do floor exercises and walk laps around the area. Donnafeels developing children’s self-esteem is very important, and a huge step toward that goalis providing participants with a positive atmosphere and a safe environment in which tolearn healthy diet and exercise habits they can use for a lifetime. Her enthusiasm hasextended to her daughters, Nikki and Kelly, who both volunteer with the Kids’ Fun &Fitness program.

Donna’s dedication to improving the health of the community led her to begin a train-ing program for the Fun & Fitness children, their parents, and their pets to prepare for a2K walk sponsored by the hospital last September. The response was so favorable that sheoffered them the option of continuing the training after the event was over, and they arenow preparing for the next 2K walk.

Donna is also involved in a mentoring program at Lenape Vo-Tech, working one-on-onewith a student who is interested in pursuing a health career.

Some of the persons she has helped through Cardiac Rehabilitation have grandchildrenwho became part of the Fun & Fitness program, and some of the children are now col-lege students who hopefully will continue the healthy lifestyles Donna has tried so hardto instill in them.

Submitted by Geraldine Hansotte, Volunteer Services Liaison

Innovation/CreativityCindy Scoccimerra, RN, BSN, OCN

Cindy Scoccimerra is the Nurse Manager of theOutpatient Oncology Department at the RichardG. Laube Cancer Center at ACMH Hospital,Kittanning, PA. Cindy’s innovative approach topatient treatment includes complementary thera-pies that incorporate wellness of mind and bodywith traditional cancer care treatments. Under herdirection, classes in Tai Chi, Reiki, therapeutictouch, and meditation have been offered topatients to explore the mind-body-spirit connec-tion in the wellness process.

She is part of the Cancer Care Team, a groupthat provides services to the community and tothe oncology patients. The Cancer Care Team works closely with the American CancerSociety to provide programs such as “Look Good, Feel Better.” Other programs providedinclude onsite private fittings for wigs and breast prosthetics with professional consul-tants, onsite pastoral support for patients undergoing treatment several support groupsand free cancer screenings yearly.

Cindy was instrumental in implementing the Cancer Genetics Program through tele-conferencing with Allegheny General Hospital. Patients can meet locally with a geneticscounselor, have testing completed, and confer with a genetics physician via teleconfer-encing, all at the local facility.

Much of Cindy’s outside activities reflect her deep devotion to oncology patients. She isvery active with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life team, the Barracudas, andparticipates in the Society’s annual golf outing, the cow patty bingo fundraiser, and theRelay for Life’s 24-hour Walk for Cancer held every Father’s Day. Her two children, Emilyand Jacob, have also been participants in the walk since they were babies. New Year’s Day2007 marked Cindy’s first jump into the freezing Allegheny River as part of the Polar BearClub, raising money for cancer research.

Cindy finds her work with cancer patients very rewarding but very difficult to leavebehind at the end of the day. Following a patient’s progress through treatments forges adeep connection with the person and his or her family, and Cindy’s aim is to focus on the“well” part, even helping bereaved families to see the death of a loved one as a healingexperience.

Submitted by Geraldine Hansotte, Volunteer Services Liaison

✲ ACMH HOSPITAL ✲


Michelle L. Kurtz, RN, Patient Care Coordinator Two Southeast 2001 Jameson School of Nursing Graduate, began as staff nurse Pediatrics Unit and Two Northeast. April, 2007 became Patient Care Coordinator on Two Southeast.

Roy Hamett, RN, CCRN, Patient Care Manager Coronary Care UnitReceived CCRN certification from the AACN Certification Corporation. Began his career in 1989.

Diana Cupec, RNPatient Care Coordinator,Pediatrics2003 Jameson School of NursingGraduate, began as staff nursePediatrics Unit and becamePatient Care Coordinator April,2008

Madeline Melidona, RNPatient Care ManagerMaternityWorked as labor and deliverynurse for three years, receivedassociate degree in nursing fromYoungstown State University andserved as maternity supervisor fornine years at YoungstownOsteopathic and Forum Health asa labor and delivery nurse. Shebecame Patient Care ManagerMaternity in 2006.

Deborah Martell, RN, BSN, COWCNEnterostomal Therapy NurseGraduate of Montefiore HospitalSchool of Nursing, Worked as staffnurse in ICU, Cardiac Rehab,JVNA (home health) andCardiology. She is a certifiedEnterostomal Therapy nurse.

Kate MazzeiDirector of Assisted Living at Jameson PlaceApril, 2007 earned her NursingHome Administrators License andMedication Administration TrainerLicense. Employed at Jameson fornine years

✲ JAMESON HEALTH SYSTEM ✲


“We make a living by what we get.We make a life by what we give.”

– Winston Churchill

West Penn AlleghenyHealth System salutesour nurses for thecare, compassion andcommitment they provideto the patients we serve.

Provider of Choice

MentoringCecilia Koontz, RN

Cecilia “Cil” Koontz has been with the Kanefamily since January, 1985. She is from Hazelwood,born and raised, and attended St Stephens and St.Rosalia High School. She is a graduate of MercySchool of Nursing and attended DuquesneUniversity. While working as a head nurse atMercy Hospital, she met and married her dearesthusband, Harry; then was blessed with three chil-dren and seven grandchildren. Cil hopes her yearsof nursing service have made a difference. Cil isbeing nominated because every contact she haswith staff, residents and family members – every-one leaves feeling positive. She is a valuable assetto Kane, in that, she nurtures and helps others togrow. Kane Regional Center is proud to recognizeCil for her outstanding efforts and dedication to her profession.

LeadershipBonnie Yorke, RN

Bonnie has been in nursing for 47 years; a super-visor in acute care then in long-term care. Bonnieadvanced from a unit supervisor position to that ofan assistant director of nursing. Bonnie came toKane in 1994 as an assistant director of nursingthen moved to Registered Nurse AssessmentCoordinator in 2003.She has five children and 10grandchildren. She has traveled the world andwhen and if she retires, plans on traveling. Bonnieis being nominated because of her dedication toleadership and her positive influence on the staff atGlen Hazel. Kane Regional Center is proud to rec-ognize Bonnie for her outstanding efforts and ded-ication to her profession.

✲ JOHN J. KANE REGIONAL CENTER –SCOTT TOWNSHIP ✲

Clinical Skills andMentoring Krista Johnson, RN, BSN

Krista Johnson is an RN and clinical care man-ager overseeing the day-to-day management andcoordination of a 60-bed long-term care unit aswell as facility wide administrative and manageri-al duties for the 314-bed Kane Regional Center.She has been an RN since 1995 and recentlyearned a BSN from the Waynesburg College.Krista began her nursing career at the KaneRegional Center in 1995 and continues her pro-fessional growth through academic and experien-tial work and experience. She is a wealth ofknowledge and an exceptional example of profes-sional excellence. Krista is a leader and mentor for all nursing personnel. She willinglyshares her knowledge and expertise as a mentor and leader and delivers expert quality careto the residents of the facility. Krista is highly respected by her peers and the medical staff.She is an extraordinary nurse and manager. The Kane Regional Centers recognize Kristafor her outstanding clinical abilities as well as for her superior mentoring skills with nurs-ing personnel. She is an integral part of our success and we are so very fortunate to haveher on our team.

TeachingSue Burns-Cmar, RN, BSN

Sue Burns-Cmar is an RN and oversees staffdevelopment and training at the John J. KaneRegional Center in Scott Township. Sue’s wittyand interactive approach to teaching is highlyeffective and successful in securing outstandingretention results for the materials presented topersonnel while making their learning experiencevery enjoyable. She has made significant contri-butions to the development of nursing profes-sionals by promoting very successful mentor,career ladder and preceptor programs. She createsand encourages learning and professional devel-opment. Sue earned a BSN from VillanovaUniversity and has held various nursing positionsin acute care, long-term care and home health settings. She has headed staff developmentand training activities for the Kane Regional Center in Scott Township for two years. TheKane Regional Centers recognize Sue for her continued dedication and support of nursingprofessionals as well as ancillary staff in our center. She is an integral part of our successand we are so very fortunate to have her on our team.

LeadershipMelissa Barcic, RN

Melissa Barcic, Directress of Nursing at theJohn J. Kane Regional Center in Scott Township,exemplifies nursing leadership. Melissa is respon-sible for the administration of the entire nursingservices program and coordinates nursing ser-vices in a 314-bed facility. Her team of nursingand ancillary staff provides and coordinates acomprehensive range of care and services to meetthe physical, social, and emotional needs of peo-ple who are chronically ill or disabled, as well asto people with short-term post-acute rehabilita-tion needs. Melissa brings to her position a com-bination of clinical experience and guidancewhich has led her facility in being recognized as apremier destination for long- and short-term nursing care needs in the South Hills.Nursing care at the Kane Regional Center in Scott Township is known to be the best in thearea and the center has received exemplary reviews by all regulatory agencies. She beganher career at Kane as a nursing assistant while attending nursing school and rose throughthe ranks of nursing leadership after receiving her nursing degree. Melissa has held theposition of Directress of Nursing for five years and has demonstrated an outstanding com-mitment to vigilance in the provision and delivery of consummate quality nursing care.The Kane Regional Centers recognize Melissa for her leadership ability and skill and con-gratulates her on an extremely successful career in the nursing profession.


✲ JOHN J. KANE REGIONAL CENTER– GLEN HAZEL ✲


LeadershipJanet Massimiani, RNDirector of Nursing

Janet has worked in the Kane system for 14years. She was a 3-11 house supervisor, unitsupervisor, Assistant Director of Nursing, andhas been the Director of Nursing for the past 6years. She leads by example and is dedicated tothe residents and staff alike. Janet has been amentor to many and faces daily problems withconfidence and assurance. We are extremelygrateful to have Janet leading our team with herexperience and commitment

Innovation/CreativityChristine Miller, RNAsst. Director of Nursing

Chris has worked in the Kane system for 20years. She was a staff nurse, unit charge nurse, aunit supervisor and is currently the AssistantDirector of Nursing. Chris has made significantcontributions to our Wound Care Program. Sheheads the Wound Care Team and makes recom-mendations to the doctors concerning treatmentof wounds. She is currently working withWound Care Champions on every unit and shiftto improve wound care. Development of thisprogram has encouraged innovation and pro-moted creativity among our interdisciplinaryteams. We greatly appreciate the efforts and con-tributions Chris makes to our facility.

MentoringKay Szczublewski, RNRNAC

Kay has worked in the Kane system for 20years. She is the Ross facility RNAC and thementor for the MDS Resident Care Coordinators.Kay is a positive influence for the nurses. Sheguides them, supports them and is a great rolemodel. We acknowledge Kay for her dedicationand exceptional efforts.

TeachingCarol Spera, RNStaff Development

Carol has been in the Kane system sinceDecember, 1979. She is highly involved with thedevelopment, improvement and teaching of newpolicies and procedures. Carol also promotes thepreceptor program and is an advocate for ourClinical Ladder Program. We salute Carol for herdedication and contributions to the develop-ment of our team.

Clinical CareRosanne Bonivich, RNMDS RCC, Pain Champion

Rosanne wears many hats during her day. Shecompletes all MDS functions on the 3 East Unitincluding writing and updating care plans andconducting care conferences. She covers the unitwhen the Resident Care Coordinator is not avail-able. She is a member of the Wound CareCommittee and is our Pain Champion. TheKanes are involved with the CMS STAR Projectand since Rosanne has been the Champion at theRoss facility, our pain management score is 2.9points below the state average and 4.1 pointsbelow the national average. This is one wayRosanne assists in providing quality care to all ofour residents. We are very happy to haveRosanne on our team.

✲ JOHN J. KANE REGIONAL CENTERS –ROSS TOWNSHIP ✲

Maxine Vargo, RN

If there is one person at Family Hospice andPalliative Care that has worn many clinical hats,it is Maxine Vargo. First she has the distinctionof being the most senior clinical employee –joining Family Hospice and Palliative Care whenit began in 1980. Since then her dedication andcompassion is obvious with each patient andfamily she has cared for. Maxine has worked intriage, as an on-call nurse, and as a case manag-er. For many years she worked as one of theNurse Liaisons with local hospitals. In this roleshe helped to educate the hospital staff abouthospice and palliative care. At the hospital shewas often called upon to talk with patients andfamilies about hospice care. Sometimes being thefirst to address in detail end of life choices for the patient and family. Because of heryears of experience and great sensitivity, Vargo is often asked to precept other nurses.Most recently, she has taken on the role of staff nurse at Family Hospice Manor, FamilyHospice and Palliative Care’s inpatient hospice facility. Although she has cared for hos-pice patients in many different settings, Vargo is always able to see the thread that runsthroughout all hospice and palliative care patients – compassionate, comfort, and care.No matter how hospice care might have changed over the years, Vargo continues to pro-fess the basic principles of hospice care with each one of her patients and families.

Carrie Benedict, RN

The three C’s of hospice care – commitment,compassion and competence – describe perfectlyCarrie Benedict’s approach to hospice nursing. Inorder to increase the accessibility of hospice andpalliative care services to long term care patients,Family Hospice and Palliative Care placedBenedict exclusively at one long-term care facili-ty. Her professional and friendly nature hasallowed her to change the staff’s perception andunderstanding of palliative and hospice care.Through her work, she has been able to gain theconfidence of the medical and nursing staff andcreate a trusting relationship between the twoorganizations. The patients and families in thefacility have benefited greatly from Benedict’sadvice, care and education of the staff. Throughher work, Benedict’s has offered more and more patients the comfort of hospice care.

When caring for a patient, Benedict is actively involved in all aspects of her patient’scare – physical, emotional and spiritual. She approaches each case as if they were herown family – giving them the personal care each person wants during this final journey.Benedict has made a tremendous difference in the lives of her patients and families bybringing hospice care to them no matter where they reside.

Caryn Wayman, RN

When Caryn Wayman joined Family Hospiceand Palliative Care in 1995, it served about afourth of the patients it serves today. Over theyears, Wayman, has trained and mentored manyhospice nurses. Her excellent assessment andclinical skills, coupled with her dedication andcompassion, make her an obvious preceptor fornew nurses. She has demonstrated that a nursewho provides the technical skill to help a patientis a competent professional, but the nurse whobuilds a relationship with the patient and familyis a true companion during this final journey.She has shown them that hospice nurses mustbring warmth and understanding as well asknowledge and skill to the patient’s bedside. Inaddition, her patience, flexibility and respect for others make her a welcoming host fornew staff. Wayman has the ability to explain the overall goals of care for a particularpatient while at the same time not losing sight of all the details needed to achieve thatgoal. Her encouragement and training gives these nurses the necessary confidence tovisit patients on their own. She leads by example, showing others how to utilize the tal-ents and skills of the entire hospice team to meet the patient’s needs. She also modelsfor others how to be an effective team member. Finally, Wayman has also extended her-self as a leader by working with the organization’s administration to outline the detailsof a new extended hour shift. Everyday, Wayman, not only makes a difference in thelives of her patients, but she also touches all those patients whose nurses have had theprivilege of training with her.

✲ FAMILY HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE ✲

University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Ranked 7th OverallIn the 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Graduate Schools

Several nursing specialties also ranked in the top 10:

Anesthesia ........... 5thCNS Psychiatric/Mental Health....... 6thPediatric NP ......... 6thAdult NP............... 9th

School of Nursing

Advancing the Science and Practice of Nursing412-624-4098www.nursing.pitt.edu

HealthSouth Nurse Volunteers for Missionary Work

Diana DuPont, R.N., recently trav-eled with her mother and thePhillippine American Medical Societyof Western PA (PAMS, Inc.) toBatangas, Phillippine for their annualmedical surgical mission. This was herfirst experience working with thePAMS. DuPont was part of the surgicalteam that performed almost 200 majorand minor surgeries over a 5 day peri-od. Her mother, an 81 year old residentof Pittsburgh and a Phillippine nativewas part of the medical team that sawapproximately 2,750 patients over afour day period. DuPont was not pre-pared for what she saw during herweek in Batangas. “I am a hard workerand am used to ‘roughing it’, yet whenI saw the conditions this communitylived in, it was a real awakening forme. The people are desperate for med-ical supplies and they are very poor.The value system of the community seemed to evolve around the basic needs offood, shelter and safety.” Dupont goes on to say “We take so much for grantedhere in the US. We are very fortunate to have good healthcare. It is one thing tosee such poverty on TV, yet another to get in there, roll your sleeves up and tryto do something about it”. DuPont reported that the people of Batangas wereextremely grateful for the mission’s work and care for their community.

DuPont and her mother later traveled to San Marcilino to visit her extendedfamily. She plans to return in 2008 for the next mission.

DuPont is a graduate of CCAC, Boyce Campus and has worked at HealthSouthHospital of Pittsburgh since 1993. She also holds her BS in Health, PhysicalEducation and Recreation from the University of Pittsburgh. She resides inMonroeville with her 3 children.

HealthSouth Pittsburgh congratulates Diana DuPont on her dedication anddetermination to help those in need. She is a true example of a caring and com-passionate nurse.

Diana DuPont


Team Approach EnhancesNurses’ Role

When it comes to caring for children in a hospital setting,nurses have always been on the front line. But as technolo-gy and treatment protocols have become specialized, nurs-es have become integral parts of medical care teamsdesigned to enhance the effectiveness of patient care.

Over the past few years, the patient care staff at theShriners Hospitals for Children – Erie, has focused its atten-tion on the development of Specialty Care Teams. Alsoknown as Centers of Excellence, these teams focus ondeveloping world class expertise in those medical areas thathave significant clinical impact for a large number oforthopaedic patients seen at the Erie Shriners Hospital.

These multidisciplinary Specialty Care Teams are com-prised of nurses, physicians, therapists, dietitians, carecoordinators, orthotists and other professionals. The hospi-tal currently has teams for Cerebral palsy,Myelodysplasia/Spina Bifida, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, limbdeficiencies and spinal deformities. Many of the teams arecoordinated by nurses.

The decision to develop Specialty CareTeams was derived from the desire to cen-tralize talent and time, since having toomany priorities may erode effectiveness.Although the hospital continues to treat alltypes of orthopaedic and neuromuscularproblems, by emphasizing a few key med-ical areas, the staff is attaining a level ofexpertise that will enhance patient careand result in superior outcomes and cut-ting edge treatment practices.

According to Gina Lesoski, R.N., coordi-nator of the Cerebral Palsy team, the teamis available to provide each CP patient withindividual assessments and planning.Every month, a CP MultidisciplinaryClinic is held at the hospital to address theunique needs of CP patients. Each childmay not need to see each member of theteam during clinic visits, but all teammembers are always available to CPpatients as needed.

“The team members work together toenhance the overall health and well beingof each patient,” Lesoski notes. “For exam-ple, the doctors and nurses assess thepatient’s medical needs while the dietitianmay address the child’s nutritional strengthand the care coordinator helps the familyaccess necessary services in the communi-ty.”

In addition to studying the way the hos-pital cares for these specialized patients,the teams also study professional journals,work done by other Shriners Hospitals andhospitals throughout the world that areknown as experts in the specialized care ofthese specific ailments.

“Nurses at the Erie Shriners Hospitalhave been very instrumental in the devel-opment of these Specialty Care Teams,”Lesoski points out, “but the decisionsmade about the patient’s care are a teameffort.”

This team effort is the result of post-clin-ic conferences where all of the SpecialtyCare Team members collaborate to developa plan of care for each patient.

“We make every effort to understand theroles of all the team members. No memberis more important than another. As aresult, our role as nurses is enhanced bythe expertise of everyone on the team.”


Members of the

Cerebral Palsy Specialty

Care Team at the

Shriners Hospitals for

Children – Erie, work

together to provide

patients with compre-

hensive medical care.

The Team members

include (l-r): Dr. Kate

Stark, pediatrician; Kris

Knost, registered dietit-

ian; Gina Lesoski, RN,

CP Team coordinator;

and Catherine

Chesmar-Sheldon, care

coordinator.


BY BECKY AMBROSINI

Rapid change and increasing com-plexity in healthcare has challengednurse leaders to be courageous inno-

vators as they evaluate, redesign, andimplement “futuristic” patient-centeredcare delivery systems. Uniquely qualifiedby experience, position of influence, and apassion for delivering top-notch patientcare, nurse executives no doubt have theability to convert these challenges intoopportunities.

In today’s healthcare organizations,nurse leaders face issues such as patientsafety and quality outcomes, health per-sonnel shortages, creating a work environ-ment that fosters professional nursingpractice, large building projects, work flowredesign, reimbursement issues, new tech-nologies, and the integration of clinicalinformation with technology. These issuesare even more important in cardiovascularservices where competition for patients ison the rise and technology changes areprominent.

But, Corazon believes this plethora ofchallenges has given nurse leaders theopportunity to make major contributionsto the future of healthcare through the cre-ation of strategic partnerships with physi-cians using evidence-based solutions forimproving patient care; with health policymakers who are beginning to understandthe vital role of nurses in healthcare; witheducators in order to support research andcreate bridges for novice to expert practice;with communities for prevention andhealth maintenance strategies; and withcomputer experts to hardwire patient safe-ty and improve the work environment.

While all of these strategic partnershipsare essential for a successful future in thedelivery of quality patient care, partner-ships with information technology special-ists have transcended the others in it’seffectiveness to achieve rapid clinical trans-formation. Indeed, the nurse executive’spartnership with Information Technology(IT) has resulted in clinical informationsystems that contribute unique solutions tomany of the issues plaguing hospitals andcardiovascular service lines. Patients todayare supported by an extraordinary array ofcomplicated systems, advanced technologyand pharmaceuticals, along with an arma-da of highly-skilled professionals. Whilethese advances can improve the overallhospital experience, they also introduce acomplexity of care that is difficult to man-age with human intellect alone.

The commitment of nurse leaders to anIT vision that facilitates provider access topatient information, ensures uniform stan-dards of evidence-based care, and inte-grates clinical processes and work, hasresulted in solutions for some of these keyhealthcare issues. In fact, nurse executiveshave been instrumental in activatingCardiac Information Systems (CIS) thathave improved patient safety and quality,

increased efficiency and patient satisfac-tion, improved recruitment and retentionof talented clinicians, and employee satis-faction.

Many hospitals aspire to achieve“Magnet” status—a quest that has nurturedand accelerated the much-sought-after col-laboration between nursing educationleaders and the leaders of nursing practicein hospitals. An important component ispartnering and building relationships withphysicians, along with education; so, nowmore than ever, nurse executives havebecome personally involved and have fre-quent interactions with faculty and nursingstudents to explore opportunities for col-laboration. Such involvement has led to theidentification of funds for nursing scholar-ships from hospital auxiliary boards, hospi-tal-based skills laboratories, individualizedorientations with quality preceptors, andprograms to socially assimilate new staffinto the organization’s nursing culture.These efforts have developed strong bondsand open communication between hospitaladministrative staff and the faculty of nurs-ing programs, which will be important toaddressing difficult issues and challenges inthe future.

It is evident that nurse executives haveand will continue to transform care andinfluence the future of the healthcareindustry through self-dedication, individ-ual commitment and passion, as well asknowledge to address critical issues ofpatient care. Let us all congratulate andpraise those professional nurses that pas-sionately care for patents at the bedside aswell as those nursing leaders that pas-sionately create an environment for thedelivery of quality patient care, not onlyon this annual week celebrating nurses,but every day.

Becky Ambrosini is a Senior Consultant atCorazon, a national leader in specialized

consulting and recruitment services for CVprogram development. For more information,

call (412) 364-8200 or visit www.corazoninc.com.

Nurse Executives –Helping Shape the

Future of Healthcare

Becky Ambrosini

“An important component is partnering and building relation-ships with physicians, along with education; so, now morethan ever, nurse executives have become personally involvedand have frequent interactions with faculty and nursing stu-dents to explore opportunities for collaboration.”


✲ MONONGAHELA VALLEY HOSPITAL ✲

Dana Green Receives ProtinAward at MVH

Dana Green, R.N., honored for a strong com-mitment to work and the goals and ideals of thehealth care system, is the 2007 recipient of theEdward J. Protin Memorial Award atMonongahela Valley Hospital.

Dana, a staff nurse in the Progressive Care Unit(PCU), received the honor at the hospital’s 35thannual Service Awards Dinner at the WillowRoom in the Mon-Vale HealthPLEX in Rostraver.

The Protin Award is one of the hospital’s mostprestigious honors and the recipient is notnamed until the night of the event.

Green, whose career at Monongahela ValleyHospital spans more than 17 years, received astanding ovation from the audience.

“I just can’t believe that you can get an awardfor doing something that you love to do,” shesaid in accepting the award. “Being out on thefloor in the hospital I see what all of you do everyday. I admire every one of you. If I could, I wouldgive an award to all of you. You are all so kind. Iam honored to have the privilege to representMonongahela Valley Hospital and deeply appre-ciate the support I receive from my team every day.”

Tom Wilson, last year’s recipient of the Protin Award, made the presentation to Green.Mary Lou Murt, Assistant Vice President of Nursing, emphasized that Green “certainly meets

the criteria for this honor – for many reasons.”“In addition to leading by example,” Murt continued, “Dana has consistently demonstrated

a strong commitment to patient care and her dedication is irresistible. She has mentored manynew employees and students and our part-time employees ask when she is working so theymight work with her.”

A 1976 graduate of Charleroi Area High School, Green did not pursue a nursing degree rightout of high school. She did not begin her career at MVH until 29 years of age.

She graduated from the Washington Hospital School of Nursing in 1987 and three years laterreceived her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from California University of Pennsylvania.She was the valedictorian of her graduating class at Washington Hospital School of Nursing andalso received the Washington County Chamber of Commerce outstanding student award in1987.

Dana Green, R.N., of Monessen (left), 2007

winner of the MVH Edward J. Protin Memorial

Award receives the coveted honor from

Thomas Wilson, the 2006 Protin Award recip-

ient.

The Butler VA Medical Center Salutes Their Nurses

The Butler VA Medical Center honors the dedicated men and women we inthe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) consider to be the compassionate back-bone of the veterans’ health care system – our nurses.

The theme of National Nurses Week 2007 is “Nursing: A Profession and aPassion,” and no one puts more passion into the health care profession than VAnurses. VA is the nation’s largest single employer of nurses and VA nurses leadtheir profession in education and training, clinical responsibility and research.But their passion comes from VA’s mission – caring for our veterans.

VA nurses are integral and equal members of our health care team of profes-sionals. No health care professional is closer to the veterans we care for than aVA nurse. Our patients rely on them for their compassion and the VA relies onthem for setting the highest clinical care standards. That reliance is well placed.VA’s recognition as a leader in health care, patient safety and research is due inlarge part to its nurses.

I am deeply proud to be associated with the nurses who serve veterans at theButler VA Medical Center and of all of our nation’s 2.9 million registered nurseswho work tirelessly to keep us well and save lives around the clock every day.

Submitted by Patricia Nealon, Director, Butler VA Medical Center.

Windber Surgery Center at Windber Medical Center

Patient Advocacy, Nate SannNate helped to establish a bariatric program that integrates the multidiscipli-

nary approach to care. He developed a cohesive program that puts the patient atthe center, tailoring not only to the surgical weight loss, but enhancing outcomesby ensuring support and education are at the forefront of the program. Nate con-tinues to act on patients’ behalf spending countless hours writing appeals to getthe surgeries authorized when insurance companies denied the procedure. He isinstrumental in educating the hospital staff, community and patients on the ben-efits of weight loss as well as preparing the hospital to be more bariatric friend-ly. He performs monthly sensitivity training for new hospital employees thatmirror the Planetree Philosophy. Nate strives to continually improve the pro-gram, incorporating data tracking and research into the program.

Nate also serves his country and will be leaving in the near future for his mil-itary training.


Combining Nursing withTechnology is a Profession and a Passion

During vacation bible school at the young age of 4 years old iswhen Andra Roig, Registered Nurse and Telehealth Coordinatorfor Celtic Healthcare, discovered her life’s passion and careerpath. When allowed to play “dress up” in a costume of what theywanted to be when they grew up, Andra chose a nurse’s outfit.She loved the crisp white hat with the big red cross on the front,the little white tights and shiny clean white shoes, the white cot-ton dress, and best of all the stethoscope! “It is one of those daysin my memory that I remember so vividly. I’ll never forget it,”comments Roig. “I just always knew from that day forward, I wasgoing to be a nurse.”

Roig, a single mom, is raising four children on her own (her“single, greatest accomplishment”). “As a ‘life trainer,’ instilling morality and ethics in my children hasactually helped me become a better person and a more compassionate nurse. When times were hard,my children kept me going. I had to be there for them,” says Roig. “I learned to go the extra mile anddo what it takes for the betterment of my family, and have taken that an applied it to my nursing career.”

Realizing that Celtic Healthcare, with its passion for technology teamed with the absolute best health-care, was the perfect match for her passions in the nursing field, Roig joined the Celtic team in March,2007 and is extremely excited about her duties as Telehealth Coordinator. She jumped at the opportu-nity to join this innovative, patient-caring, and technology-motivated company.

The goal for Celtic’s Telehealth Program is to develop a program so that patients can be monitoredmore closely, improve their quality of health, use it as a means to keep them out of the hospital, andincrease Celtic’s productivity as well.

Roig’s first tasks include developing policies and procedures, proper documentation, best practices,researching grants to be able to develop the program further, meeting with Celtic’s Information Systemsteam to develop documentation on providers’ laptops, and quality assurance with regards to outcomesmeasurements. “Building a solid foundation for Celtic Healthcare to be the Telehealth homecare leader”is Roig’s number one goal. “My second goal and ultimate hope is that as we prove our outcomes, it willultimately grab the attention of the insurance companies for future reimbursement of Telehealth ser-vices.”

When asked about her experience so far at Celtic Healthcare, Roig just can’t say enough. “I love thewhole experience. The thing that I love the most is how supportive everyone is; they are very upbeatand have great attitudes. Everyone made me feel welcome and important to the team.”

Homecare nursing has been an important part of Roig’s life as single mom. “Homecare is wonderfulbecause you have one on one contact with patients, spend time with them, have the opportunity tomake a difference, and it fits so well into my family’s lifestyle by giving me the flexibility and autonomythat I need to ultimately keep my family first. Once I stepped into homecare, I just loved it and didn’twant to do anything else!”

Andra Roig

Nursing: A Profession and a Passion

Nursing has long been respected as aprofession. It is an autonomous bodythat draws on a well-defined knowledgebase, uses scientific research (evidenced-based practice) to increase that body ofknowledge so as to enhance the serviceit delivers to all customers and providesmultiple opportunities for professionaldevelopment. It educates its students ina variety of settings from hospital to uni-versity and is guided by specific policiesand codes. It is a lifework that con-tributes to society anywhere in theworld.

One “Google” search defines a profes-sion as an “activity that involves a responsibility to serve the public … hasstandards for admission, and has a need for public confidence.” Sounds likenursing. Our customers EXPECT the academia of improving the scientificapproach to patient care. That’s where the public confidence comes in.

What they DESERVE is the delivery of that care with passion – the emo-tional zeal, fervor and excitement with each contact, an advocate that can bedepended on when the customers can’t speak or act for themselves. Withoutpassion nursing becomes just a job, just a paycheck. With it nurses exhibit apride that is easily seen in their actions and statements. It’s the sparkle in theeyes of a nurse describing what she did to make a difference in the care of adying patient or how with such pride he articulates why a new piece of equip-ment will speed recovery.

Nurses with passion love what they do. It is the drive that keeps themreturning to the workplace while still managing to balance a busy home andsocial life. Liken the passion of nursing to the sports fan exhibiting an ardorfor the game even when the odds of winning are low and the weather isfrightful. The image presents a dedicated and loyal person committed to aspecific group, no matter what the circumstance.

During the month of May, when we take the time to ponder on the wordsof the Nightingale Pledge to “be active in … safeguarding and protecting thehealth and happiness of mankind,” let’s also reflect on how we can take own-ership of rekindling and keeping the passion in our own nursing practice.

Submitted by Charlotte Foster, BSN, RN, a charge of nurse recruitment atVAPHS and can be reached at (412) 365-4815 or [email protected].

Charlotte Foster


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BY DIANE S. HUPP, RN, MSN

Nursing may be defined as an artand a science. And it is so muchmore. Nursing has grown into a

profession that requires a deep dedication,commitment and passion to serve othersin such a unique role.

Whether someone chooses to become abedside nurse, teacher, administrator orresearcher; and whether someone choosesto be a nurse in the hospital, office, uni-versity or home, each of these uniqueopportunities requires a special individualwith special talents. The one commontrait in each of these nursing endeavors isa passion to care for others and a commit-ment to improve their well-being.

Bedside nurses serve in a most impor-tant role for patients and families, stayingby their side 24 hours a day, seven days aweek, not only as a caregiver, but as anadvocate.

Whether there to assess a patient’s mostcritical but most subtle change in physicalstatus, or simply to hold a patient’s handat his or her most lonely moment of thenight, it is the nurse who typically pro-vides the support and comfort that makessuch a difference.

As teachers, nurses combine their clini-cal expertise and passion for teaching tohelp educate the next generation of care-givers. Today, as we face an ongoing short-age of nurses in this country, our nurseeducators and nursing faculty play pivotalroles in providing mentorship to our stu-dents and to new graduates as they pre-pare to enter a career in nursing. After sev-eral years at the bedside, professional staffnurses are educated and prepared to serveas role models and mentors to new gradu-ate nurses in the hospital setting.

Just as critical as our bedside nurses andour teachers are our researchers, nurseswho are continually exploring ways toadvance our nursing knowledge and ournursing practice in hopes of better out-comes and improved standards of care forour patients.

As nurses advance in their profession,many choose the path of leadership andserve as administrators. Nursing adminis-trators are continuously challenged todaywith the nursing shortage as well as thedemands placed on hospitals that providecare for critically sick and injuredpatients.

They also are faced with the demands ofensuring that nurses are well prepared toadapt to the advancements in technologyand treatments that allow us to providethe best care possible for patients.

As the chief nursing officer at Children’sHospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, it is mytop priority to ensure our patients and

families receive the best care possible inthe safest environment possible. And it ismy responsibility to provide the nurses ofChildren’s with the tools to excel in thebest work environment possible. Theseare responsibilities I take pride in andtreat with the utmost importance.

Each and every day at Children’s, I hearmany stories of gratitude from the parentsand families we care for. It is with prideand honor that I say many of these fami-lies view our nurses as the “heart andsoul” of Children’s.

Nursing truly is a profession thatrequires passion to make a difference inthe lives of the patients entrusted to ourcare. I salute all of the nurses at Children’sand pay tribute to all of you who havechosen to dedicate your careers to improv-ing the health and well-being of othersand making the many differences you doeach day.

Diane S. Hupp, RN, MSN, is VicePresident and Chief Nursing Officer,

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.For more information, call (412) 692-8791

or visit www.chp.edu/chpnursing/.

Pride and Passion: PediatricNursing at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

Each and every day atChildren’s, I hear many sto-ries of gratitude from theparents and families wecare for. It is with pride andhonor that I say many ofthese families view our nurs-es as the “heart and soul”of Children’s.

–DIANE S. HUPP

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Amerinet applauds you for a jo

I n r e c o g n i t i o n o f : N a t i o n a l H o s p i t a l We e k � N a

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At Amerinet, we share your commitment to achieving the highest level of quality at the best possible cost. And, we applaud your dedication to improving the lives you serve and honor your contributions to the communities in which we live.

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