Hartford Hospital is recogniz-ing worldwide Suicide Preven-tion Week this week with sever-al events, in remembrance of the more than 40,000 people who com-mit suicide in the United States annually.

Throughout the week, we will hold a variety of activities and educa-tional events focused on this tragic decision that someone makes ev-ery 16 minutes in our nation.

“Our intent in recognizing Suicide Prevention Week is to increase awareness regarding the issues and challenges in identifying indi-viduals at risk for suicide and put-ting preventative interventions in place,” said Jeffrey Flaks, president and CEO of Hartford Hospital.

According to the Centers for Dis-ease Control and Prevention, sui-cide is the third-leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24; the second among people aged 25 to 34; the fourth among people aged 35-54; and the eighth among people aged 55 to 64.

Every day, our Hartford Hospi-tal family cares for individuals af-fected by this issue. Unfortunately, our outstanding staff is not always successful in intervening, which is devastating to everyone involved.

“Help exists, and it exists right on our campus at our IOL and throughout the Behavioral Health Network,” Flaks said. “It is my hope that we can intensify recognition of behavioral issues and provide more help to those in mental an-guish and help them turn their de-sire for death to life.”

Schedule For the WeekMonday, Sept. 9:

Dr. Hank Schwartz, psychiatrist in chief, will appear on WNPR’s “Where We Live” radio show, and on NBC CT to discuss suicide. He will also speak at the Auxiliary Golf Tournament dinner tonight about the link between enhanced emer-gency care and suicide prevention.

Tuesday, Sept. 10:

7:45 a.m.-Silent flag-lowering ceremony

8:30 a.m.-noon-Worldwide Suicide Prevention Day Conference at the IOL, with keynote speaker Dr. Da-vid Rudd.

1 p.m.-Management Forum will feature a patient story on suicide

6 p.m.-Medical staff presentation in Gilman Auditorium with guest speaker Dr. Luis Sanchez

Wednesday, Sept. 11

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.-Issues of Sui-cide for IOL staff and clinicians. Donnelly Building Conference Room 1, IOL

7-8:30 p.m.-Survivors of Suicide Support Group, open to public. Held in the Young Adult Services Group Room, IOL

Thursday, Sept. 12

12-1:30 p.m.-Schwartz Rounds for all IOL medical and clinical staff: “Vulnerability: Business as usual? The effects of suicide on me.” Hart-ford Room, Commons Building, IOL

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline lists the following signs of suicide risk. If someone you know exhibits these signs, please seek help as soon as possible or call Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255):

o Talking about wanting to die or kill themselves.

o Looking for a way to kill them-selves, such as searching online or buying a gun

o Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live.

o Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.

o Talking about being a burden to others.

o Increasing use of alcohol or drugs.

o Acting anxious or agitated; behav-ing recklessly.

o Sleeping too little or too much.

o Withdrawing or isolating themselves.

o Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.

o Displaying extreme mood swings.

RxTraA publication for the staff of Hartford Hospital September 9, 2013 Vol. 69 No. 33

Hospital Activities Mark Suicide Prevention Week

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Compliance Questions or

Concerns?If you need to obtain information

about compliance issues or raise

concerns regarding internal and

regulatory practices

or policies, please contact your

supervisor or call the ComplianceLine,

a confidential and toll-free service, at

1-855-HHC-OCAP or online at

HHC.OCAPComplianceLine.com

Eight Hartford Hospital Allied Health Radiog-raphy students volun-teered at Camp Cou-rant in Farmington on July 29. They present-ed campers with activ-ities focused on hand hygiene and heart health.

Camp Courant is the largest free day camp in the nation, serv-ing more than 1,100 Hartford children dur-ing the summer sea-son. Children ages 5 through 12 who live in the City of Hartford participate in a va-riety of recreational, educational, and cul-tural programs at the campsite. Transpor-tation, two nutritious meals a day, health care screenings and a bath-ing suit (if needed) are provided to every child. All of the programs are geared towards developing self-es-teem, building positive relation-ships and having fun.

One group of Radiography students presented a demonstration about hand hygiene. They had the chil-dren play a handball game where everyone passed the “GERM” and then looked under ultraviolet light at their hands. Campers learned how long to wash their hands by singing “Happy Birthday” to time themselves.

The other group of Radiography students presented a demonstra-tion about heart health.

The children learned how to find their own pulse, and then tested it after rounds of jumping jacks and

duck-duck-goose.

To help campers visualize how the heart works, the radiology students had a heart shaped sponge and soaked it with red Kool-Aid to simulate blood. Then they squeezed it out to show that exercise and healthy hearts help keep blood moving throughout the body.

From today through Sept. 20, we will conduct a “Pulse” survey as a follow-up to the system-wide em-ployee satisfaction survey con-ducted in March 2012.

The survey will ask you to re-spond to 28 questions to help us assess employees’ commitment and our progress based on your earlier feedback.

In particular, we’d like your input about our progress with balancing work and personal life, and devel-oping and improving communica-tions across different levels of the organization.

As in the past, we will keep your answers confidential.

We’ve once again hired Morehead Associates Inc., now part of Press Ganey, to conduct the survey and compile the results.

No one at HHC will view any indi-vidual responses. We only are in-terested in the results as a whole.

Please Take The Pulse Survey!

HH Radiography Students Volunteer at Camp Courant

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Seven Receive Nursing Alumnae ScholarshipsThe Alumnae Association of the Hart-ford Hospital School of Nursing award-ed seven nursing scholarships total-ling $31,000 at their annual banquet on June 2 at The Crowne Plaza in Crom-well. Guest speaker was Cheryl Ficara.

Scholarship recipients were:

• Courtney Benham, great-grand-daughter of a 1933 graduate of Hart-ford Hospital School of Nursing

• Henry Christensen, lab assistant in the Center for Anti Infection R+D, attending Gateway Community College

• Marcia Kieltyka, RN on Bliss 7, attending St. Jo-seph University

• Stacey Nemchick, RN on Donnelly 2 South, at-tending University of Hartford

• Lisa Solari, PCA on CB4, attending CCSU

• Zofia Stec, cardiovascular clinical leader on C10, attending UMass

• Joanne Szczawinski, PCA on C12, attending UConn

This year, fewer than one in three third graders in Hartford and New Britain met the state goal for read-ing by third grade. In some schools, that figure is even lower.

Students who read on grade level at the end of third grade are more successful in school, and more likely to graduate from high school on time.

We all need to work together - families and students, schools, faith and business leaders, health care profes-sionals, and neighbors - to help our kids learn how to read by third grade.

We know what works:

• It takes an early start with learning, so kids be-gin kindergarten with skills like knowing how to write their name, and how to take turns.

• And it takes regular school attendance. Research shows that at least one out of every ten students misses 10 percent of the school year. That’s only 18 days, but these missed days add up. Only when children are “in their seats” can they gain the skills they need to compete, now and in the future.

• It also takes opportunities to stay on track with building skills over the summer. Kids who don’t continue to learn over the summer can lose valu-able academic ground.

• And it takes practice. When children read alone and one-on-one with adults they build critical vo-cabulary and comprehension skills.

United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecti-cut is bringing our community together to work on all of these approaches, by taking part in the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a national movement that focuses on school readiness, consistent school atten-dance, and preventing summer learning loss.

We are seeking volunteers to read to children once a week.

Volunteers are asked to attend one orientation session prior to being assigned. Orientation sessions will be offered in late September/early October and volunteers will be in the schools the week of October 7.

Contact Brian Mezzi at BMezzi@unitedwayinc.org to RSVP or find out more.

United Way Corner: Helping Kids Read

Left to right: Joanne Szczawinski, Zofia Stec, Marcia Kieltyka, Henry Christensen and Courtney Benham. Not pictured: Stacey Nemchick and Lisa Solari.

Happening at Hartford Hospital

Questions or comments about RxTra? Contact editor Annie Emanuelli at annie.emanuelli@hhchealth.org or 860-972-2199

Mobile Mammography At Newington CampusThe Mobile Mammography Team will be offering screening mammograms to the HHC employees at the Newington cam-pus on Tuesday, September 10 in the up-per lot where our coach parks under the canopy. These mammograms are offered for women over the age of 40 who have not had a screening mammogram in over one year and one day. We accept insur-ance, and if a woman has no insurance, we have donated funds to cover the cost of her screening. Call Diana Gonzalez at 545-1243 to schedule an appointment.

United Way Kickoff Breakfast Wednesday; We Need You!We are seeking staff members to repre-sent their departments as “United Way campaign coordinators.” The role is not difficult, nor time consuming. Coordi-nators manage delivery of pledge forms for their department, hang a few posters, talk at H3W meetings, and help spread the word about the importance of giving to the United Way. Volunteers are invit-ed to the 22nd annual United Way Kickoff Breakfast on Wednesday, Sept. 11 from 8-10 a.m. in Heublein Hall in the ERC. In addition to enjoying some great food at the breakfast, campaign coordinators will learn about this year’s United Way campaign and will be provided with the training, tools and resources needed to make this year’s campaign our most suc-cessful yet! If you would like to be a cam-paign coordinator and can attend the breakfast, please RSVP to Crestina Walk-er at 545-0001 or crestina.walker@hh-chealth.org. For more information, visit the HH Intranet – look for the link under Community Resources. Or, visit the Unit-ed Way website at www.unitedwayinc.org

D’s JewelryD’s Jewelry will be in the lobby of the Cancer Center on Wednesday, Sept. 11 and Thursday, Sept 12 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Unique 14kt and ster-ling silver jewelry at affordable prices.

Sparkle Jewelry ThursdaySparkle Jewelry Sale will be held Thurs-day, September 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Hartford Hospital cafeteria. Neck-laces, bracelets, rings and beads will be available for sale. Prices range from $2 to $40. Proceeds will benefit the United Way. For more information contact Rais-sa.Johnson@hhchealth.org.

Bake Sale To Benefit Breast Cancer Walk

Team Hartford HealthCare, which will be walking at the Making Strides Against Breast Can-cer Walk on Octo-ber 20, will hold a

bake sale on Thursday, Sept. 12 from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in the HH Cafete-ria to raise donations for the team. Team captain is Patricia George, from the Part-nership for Breast Care. Call her at ext. 5-1215 for more information, or e-mail Patricia.George@hhchealth.org.

Buy Your Car Raffle Ticket From Dr. SalnerDr. Andrew Salner, director of The Hel-en & Harry Gray Cancer Center, will be in the cafeteria on Thursday, September 12 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. selling raffle tick-ets for your chance to win a 2013 Volvo XC-60. Tickets are $50 each, and proceeds will benefit the Cancer Center.

Storeroom Closing at Noon on FridayOn Friday, September 13, the Main Storeroom will perform a physical inven-tory, and will close at 12 p.m. and only fulfill Urgent Order requests. It will re-open on Saturday, September 14, for nor-mal hours of operations. Please contact Edwin Echevarria, Storeroom manager, with any questions at 860-972-1493.

Shop Pampered Chef

September is Pros-tate Cancer Aware-ness Month! Help raise money for a good cause by shopping The Pampered Chef at www.pamperedchef.biz/karen-kurrle (search for “prostate” under Party), now through September 20, and 20% of the proceeds will benefit Hartford Hospi-tal’s Comprehensive Prostate Cancer Pro-gram Fund. Questions? E-mail Carrie Col-lin R.N., B.S.N., C.U.R.N. at carrie.collin@hhchealth.org.

Grand Opening: South Windsor Family Health CenterThere will be a grand opening celebration at the South Windsor Family Health Cen-ter on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m, with a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. The Health Center is at 1559 Sullivan Ave. in South Windsor. The event will feature New England’s Joe Andruzzi, MD Speed-Meet, the giant colon, mobile mammog-raphy van, fun for the kids, tours, fire truck, police safety education and Hart-ford Hospital services open house. For more information, contact Evi Schaffer at eveline.schaffer-shekhman@hhchealth.org.

R E M E M B E R : HealthStream Tests Must Be Completed By Sept. 30