The family of well-known physician David Eitel recently created the “David R. Eitel MD, MBA, Celebration of Education Endowment” to allow his legacy to live on at WellSpan York Hospital.

The endowment will benefit the Simulation Center and help to update and improve the availability of simulation resources for all health care providers for generations to come.

“Dr. Eitel was an early adaptor of simulation methodologies for teaching, problem solving and studying the flow dynamics,” said Richard Sloan, MD, director of Medical Education.

“The Eitel Endowment is a wonderful legacy for a physician who devoted his professional career to the education of the next generation of physicians and healthcare improvement.”

Dr. Eitel passed away in October at the age of 63. He was a physician with WellSpan York Hospital and WellSpan Health for more than 30 years.

Dr. Eitel developed the curriculum for the WellSpan York Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency program and served as the program’s first medical director. Most recently, he served as physician advisor for Case Management.

“I know he was one of the first to tour the new Simulation Center when it opened. He was fascinated by its potential to really “turn on the lights” for WellSpan staff,” said Lynne Eitel, wife of the late Dr. Eitel and a nurse at WellSpan York Hospital.

If you are interested in making a gift to support the Eitel Endowment, please use our secure website: https://www.wellspansecure.org/giving/. Contact WellSpan Philanthropy at 851-3595 if you would like to learn about other giving opportunities.

Interventional neurosurgeon brings revolutionary approach to WellSpan

Dr. Neda Jafari, an interventional neurosurgeon, stands in WellSpan York Hospital’s hybrid operating room which includes a computer-aided imaging suite. She is standing in front of a 3-D biplane system, which is used for advanced interventional neurosurgery procedures such as clot retrieval from occluded intracranial arteries. Blood vessels can be viewed from two different angles at the same time with the biplane system.

Neda Jafari, D.O., an interventional neurosurgeon with WellSpan Neurosciences is known as a “game changer.”

Adding her unique skill sets to the WellSpan lineup of experts allows WellSpan to expand and enhance its Joint Commission Certified Primary Stroke Program by offering minimally invasive treatment for abnormalities of the vessels that provide blood flow to the brain.

Interventional neurosurgery is a new, revolutionary approach to treating stroke. In the past, stroke has typically been treated with medication, tPA or Activase.

Dr. Jafari, however, uses a technique to remove stroke-causing blood clots in brain arteries in a minimally invasive way rather than by surgical incision.

Usually, starting in the leg, a thin tube is threaded to the area of the clot in the brain; a smaller inner tube containing a stent is pushed forward through the clot. The inner tube is retracted; as the inner tube is removed, the stent expands into the soft blood clot.

A balloon is blown up to block blood flow; suction starts, and the stent is pulled back into the tube, taking the clot with it.

“The quicker you break up a blood clot, the better,” said Dr. Jafari. “Rapid intervention is critical in stroke care. This interventional technique can be used on stroke patients up to eight to 12 hours, but the best outcomes are for patients who are treated as early as possible.

“WellSpan York Hospital has a very exciting stroke program,” she added. “I’m a complement to that program, and I’m usually involved in the later stages in the care of stroke patients.”

The stroke team at WellSpan York Hospital includes the stroke neurologist, interventional neurosurgeon and a multidisciplinary group engaged in the emergency care of stroke patients. This emergency care involves the cooperative efforts of the EMS community, emergency department, imaging, laboratory, interventional neurosurgery, medical and nursing staff, stroke coordinator and others.

The neurologist evaluates the patient, determines the diagnosis and makes the immediate referral to the interventional neurosurgeon as appropriate. The interventional neurosurgeon may provide the first line of treatment or a secondary treatment. This varies case by case.

Dr. Jafari, who completed her Neurosurgery Residency at the Cleveland Clinic, can perform a wide range of advanced procedures. As a result, residents of York and Adams counties do not have to travel out of the area to receive state-of-theart care.

This also will enable WellSpan to work toward certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, providing the best of stroke care to the community.

WellSpan Lab Services will open a new collection site at 1150 Carlisle Street in Hanover on Tuesday, March 12. The new site will allow WellSpan to better serve the needs of its patients who live in the Hanover area and require lab work.

All standard blood and urine tests, except for sweat chloride tests, will be available. To ensure a minimal turn-around time, all specimens will be picked up multiple times per day and transported to WellSpan York Hospital for analysis.

Initial hours at the Hanover collection site will be:

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Thursday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, 7 to 11 a.m.

Excels in caring for shock and traumatic brain injury patients

WellSpan York Hospital’s Trauma Center ranks in the top five percent of performers nationally when it comes to caring for shock and traumatic brain injury patients.

WellSpan York Hospital’s Level 1 Trauma Program ranks among the best in the country for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and shock patient outcomes, according to national data.

Patients suffering shock and traumatic brain injury are among the sickest-of-the-sick as far as injury severity and outcome expectations.

WellSpan York Hospital and only four other centers exceeded expectations for shock and TBI risk-adjusted mortality, according to the Trauma Quality Improvement Program. This places WellSpan York Hospital in the top five percent of performers.

“This statistically significant outcome reflects the high-level of intensive and critical care provided to our trauma patients,” said Amy Krichten, trauma program manager.

“It is a result of our entire team working as one to ensure our patients have fewer complications and receive care resulting in lives saved. It truly translates into patients having a higher level of survival probability than other trauma centers.”

WellSpan York Hospital ranked in the country’s top 15 percent for avoiding excessive length-of-stay for shock and TBI patients. This category compares a nationwide average length-of-stay and then determines the number of patients who exceeded the average.

“Being named a high-performer in this category reflects the care provided by many disciplines, including rehabilitation therapy, case management and social services just to name a few,” said Krichten.

“These are high-acuity patients with many disposition challenges, and discharge planning can be very complex. Timely discharge of our patients leads to fewer complications, cost savings and patient bed management benefits.”

Krichten added, “WellSpan should be very proud of these results, knowing we are able to shine among the nation’s biggest and best programs. Our community benefits from the high-level of care we provide, and now we have the statistical data ranking us at the top.”

WellSpan York Hospital participates in a voluntary nationwide database called Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP). It is designed to measure trauma center performances using process and outcome measures.

It requires trauma centers to submit data to a central databank where it is benchmarked and compared to other Level 1 and Level 2 trauma centers throughout the country.

WellSpan York Hospital was one of the first 50 centers to join the project, joining in 2009. Currently, there are 146 participating centers.

WellSpan York Hospital has been a regional trauma center since October 1986. It was upgraded to Level 1 status in October 2009.

WellSpan York Hospital is one of 15 Pennsylvania hospitals to receive a Silver Medal of Honor for their successful donation and transplant outcomes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Medals of Honor are given in recognition of hospitals who achieve one or more of the following criteria: a conversion rate of 75% or higher, 3.75 organ transplants per donor, and at least 10% of organ recoveries occur through donation after cardiac death.

“Gift of Life works closely with its hospital partners to help create the opportunity for donation, out of what is often a difficult, stressful situation for our donor families,” said Gift of Life President and CEO Howard Nathan.

“Knowing the importance of these gifts helps our health care partners to be dual advocates for both donor families and transplant recipients.”

Other regional hospitals to receive a Silver Medal of Honor include Geisinger Medical Center, Holy Spirit Hospital, Lancaster General Hospital, Lehigh Valley Hospital, Pinnacle Health Harrisburg, Reading Hospital Medical Center and St. Luke’s Hospital.

Gift of Life encourages individuals to make the commitment to donate by registering online at www.donors1.org.

For more information on organ and tissue donation, call Gift of Life at 1-800-366-6771 or visit www.donors1.org.

Barbara Shute, MD, and Linda Bachman, CRNP, Hanover-based family medicine providers, are joining the WellSpan Medical Group, effective Tuesday, April 30.

Shute and Bachman will continue to see patients at their current office, located at 460 Clover Lane, Hanover, under the name Meadowview Family Medicine. Meadowview Family Medicine will be the second WellSpan Medical Group primary care office in the Borough of Hanover.

To help meet the future needs of the Hanover community, the WellSpan Medical Group will help to recruit a new provider to join Shute and Bachman.

Shute will remain a courtesy staff member at Hanover Hospital and continue to refer patients who require inpatient care and ambulatory services to Hanover Hospital, if they choose.

Have you signed up yet?

The MyWellSpan online patient portal was developed to give you access to your personal health information, and proxy access to your children’s information, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. With a secure online account, you have the convenience to choose when and where you log in.

The ability for WellSpan patients to enroll online is the latest enhancement to this tool. My WellSpan plays a key part in WellSpan’s ongoing journey toward a fully functioning community electronic health record.

“WellSpan’s decision to develop its own portal is a testament to the important role this effort will play,” emphasized Hal Baker, M.D., chief information officer.

“As we move to a patient-centered approach, including in the medical home, we want activated and informed patients.Giving patients access to their health information when and where they want it allows them to actively participate in ensuring ‘exceptional care for all, lifelong wellness and healthy communities,’ as described in our Mission.”

3 options to enroll in MyWellSpan

1. Online.WellSpan patients can self-enroll at www.mywellspan.org. WellSpan staff members can self-enroll in MyWellSpan or finish a partially completed enrollment by accessing www.mywellspan.org. This link is also available on INET in the “What’s Happening” section. The process to enroll is easy, taking less than two minutes.
2. Phone. Call 1-866-638-1842, and a MyWellSpan representative will help you create your account on the spot. Again, the process takes less than two minutes to complete.
3. In person. Speak with a member of the staff at any participating WellSpan Medical Group practice or WellSpan Lab. He/she can provide an enrollment form and help you get signed up.

Key features
More than 26,000 patients have signed up for MyWellSpan. One key feature of the program is access to general lab results, most of which are available 24 hours after the result is final.

MyWellSpan users can also access their children’s health records (age 12 and under), including immunizations, by establishing a proxy relationship. This is done by completing the proxy request form found in the left navigation of MyWellSpan.

There are a number of other features (see list), but one of the most popular is the secure messaging with your physician.

“Patients who have used MyWellSpan for non-urgent messaging have been very pleased,” states Mandi Waltemyer, clinical nursing coordinator, Yorktowne Family Medicine.

“They agree that it’s much easier than calling.” Waltemyer points out that patients can send their questions via MyWellSpan at any time (the office doesn’t have to be open) and access their MyWellSpan mailbox when it’s convenient.

Patients receive an email notifiying them when a response has been sent and is ready to be viewed in their MyWellSpan inbox.

Karen Jones, M.D., medical director of quality and innovation for the WellSpan Medical Group, adds that because the answers to the secure message questions tend to be more complete and detailed than a verbal response on the phone, the volume of calls to a practice generally declines and patient satisfaction increases.

Engaging patients
“We take every opportunity to educate patients about the benefits of MyWellSpan, including check-in and check-out and the providers often will mention it during the visit,” said Tracy Blickenstaff, office manager for Apple Hill Internal Medicine.

Just as important as speaking with patients about the program is continuing to provide patients with different ways to access MyWellSpan. The WellSpan mobile app now provides access to MyWellSpan portal content. Using an existing MyWellSpan account, users can access all the features directly from their smart phone.

Users can also exchange messages with their participating WellSpan provider office with mobile secure messaging. The WellSpan mobile app also includes many additional useful features.

WellSpan set out to make managing your health care as easy as possible. The current result is an online system that gives you access to your personal health care information 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-aweek, and makes it easier than ever to communicate with your health care provider and become more involved in your care.

According to Baker, more enhancements and new features are on the horizon. “In the coming months you will see a number of improvements including the ability to truly schedule some doctor’s appointments online, the ability to have proxy access for not just children, but teens and adults. New features will be coming forward almost monthly.”

Questions? Need help?
To learn more about MyWellSpan or for a list of participating WellSpan locations, go to www.mywellspan.org. Or call MyWellSpan Customer Service at 1-866-638-1842 with any questions. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Works behind the scenes to help fledgling non-profits

Bruce Bartels, president of WellSpan, right, presents the WellSpan Medical Group Community Service Award to Debra Bell, a physician with Hayshire Family Medicine.

Debra Bell, M.D., likes to say she “took the long route” to becoming a physician. For seven years, she worked as a paramedic in her native Texas before enrolling in medical school.

Bell, of Hayshire Family Medicine, is this year’s physician recipient of the WellSpan Medical Group Community Service Award. After coming to York nearly a decade ago for a WellSpan family medicine residency, Bell immediately immersed herself in community service projects.

Looking back, she credits her paramedic days not only for the strength to get through medical school, but for her deep commitment to volunteerism.

“Being involved in people’s lives in that setting—going into their homes—helped me realize I needed to make the most of the gifts I was given,” she said. “I realized I didn’t have the right to just settle.”

Transforms volunteers into leaders

Today, Bell practices her own special brand of volunteerism. With a master’s degree in organizational leadership, she helps fledgling non-profits find the people and funding they need. She works behind the scenes, scaling mountains of paperwork and transforming volunteers into leaders.

“It’s cool to watch somebody realize that they have more to offer than they knew,” Bell said.

In York, she has long been associated with Logos Academy, a non-profit, faith-based school for city children. More recently, she helped launch Kavanna House, which offers instruction and guidance in spiritual practices.

“I’m pretty good at seeing the connections, how things can work together,” she explained. “So I help people network and find the resources they need to realize their vision.”

Bell has also traveled to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Guatemala, teaching residents and developing community leaders in those nations. Whether at home or abroad, Bell believes organizing and developing volunteers is the work she was always meant to do.

“You have to realize where your skills are,” she said. “As a physician, I’m expected to be a leader. If I fail to lead and use the skills I have, I’m not doing everything I was meant to do for the community.”

Bell received the Community Service Award in January at the State of the Medical Group conference.

“Her service both here in York and internationally has truly impacted so many lives,” wrote colleague Mark Catterall, M.D., when nominating her. “We at Hayshire Family Medicine are so proud to work alongside such a wonderful and giving physician and person.”

WellSpan EMS will reallocate its resources and base a Medic Unit at the Bendersville Fire Company, beginning April 1.

The medic unit will help cut response time to the northern part of Adams County by an average of 15 minutes, according to Chris Krichten, EMS deputy chief.

Other medic units will continue to be based at WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital and at the Littlestown Fire Company.

Editor’s note: This article appears on WITF’s Transforming Health website at www.transforminghealth.org, where you can also view a five-minute video of Dr. Karen Jones discussing this topic

The health care industry is just starting to incorporate electronic medical records, patient portals and apps into their practices.

And, although it is just the beginning, Karen Jones, M.D., medical director for quality and innovation for the WellSpan Medical Group, said the future is not too far out in changing how care is delivered and received.

“You have to have the right tool for the right situation. I would never tell someone that they have cancer over the phone or in an email. That needs to be face-to-face,” she said.

She explained that although some situations call for face-to-face conversation, helping a patient to understand the process and what to expect can be done with a tool that they can get on a smartphone or a computer.

She said, “This helps set them up for a more meaningful conversation when they do talk to a provider. Health care today is complicated. It is not like the olden days when there was one doctor for
the whole town. Now, we have a lot of specialization and places to keep track of.”

She added that electronic medical records are doing a great job in keeping physicians in the loop about patients’ care. Connected physicians use smartphones and tablets along with apps, online tools and online medical records to deliver more efficient care.

Virtual e-visits in which a patient can video chat with their physician instead of taking the time to drive to the doctor’s office and meet there in person is something we may see in the future.

“I think it’s very exciting, and the opportunity is huge. I think we need to figure it out,” said Jones.

WellSpan has partnered with WITF, PinnacleHealth and Lancaster General Health on Transforming Health, a multi-media, public-information campaign.

The Transforming Health website contains health care information, innovations and advances as well as stories of personal transformations and community transformations.

Imaging staff rallies to support cancer patient and her family

Margaret Rockafellow, center, is surrounded by just some of the many “angels,” as she calls them, who she and her family have encountered at WellSpan. First row, left to right, Diane Emler, Jill Bryant, Dr. Joanne Trapeni and Nancy Wright. Back row, left to right, Diane McElwain, Deanna Owens, Dyann Tozlu and Diane Seitz. Through donations from the Imaging Center staff and the Cancer Patient Help Fund, the Rockafellows are navigating through some rocky times.

Margaret Rockafellow describes her experience at WellSpan as being “surrounded by angels.”

Rockafellow is being treated for breast cancer. That, however, is just one of the many obstacles she, her husband and three daughters are trying to overcome. A series of unfortunate events, including Hurricane Sandy, left Roy Rockafellow unemployed and the family’s savings depleted.

While living in California, Margaret felt a lump in her breast but she did not visit a physician because of the lack of money. The family then moved to New Jersey and to Maryland, following Hurricane Sandy. All the while, the lump was growing.

Seeking a mammogram, the Rockafellows visited three hospitals in Maryland, but were turned away because of their inability to pay.

In January, they moved to southern York County and Margaret visited WellSpan’s Chanceford Family Medicine. Dr. Carl Brango said, “We can take care of this,” and referred her to the WellSpan Imaging Center on the Apple Hill Health Campus for an urgent mammogram.

Following the mammogram, three sites from her breast were biopsied. Margaret was diagnosed with breast cancer and referred to the WellSpan York Cancer Center for treatment.

While Margaret prepared to receive chemotherapy treatments, the family was struggling desperately to make ends meet. They had sold almost everything they had—their truck, furniture and even Roy’s tools that he used for his job—to pay the rent.

Peggy Tilton, financial counselor at the York Cancer Center, and Diane McElwain, oncology coordinator, worked with the family to access the Cancer Patient Help Fund.

Funds were used to pay the family’s rent, utilities and to purchase gas cards to be used to help them travel back and forth to the York Cancer Center. The family also received food from the food pantry.

Staff members rally to assist the family

As the plight of the Rockafellow family became known throughout the WellSpan Imaging Center, staff members rallied to assist the family.

“Staff members donated clothes, shoes, gift cards, cleaning supplies, toiletries and whatever the family needed.” Joanne Trapeni, D.O., radiologist at the WellSpan Imaging Center, said. “Staff members from throughout Imaging contributed.  The outpouring was unbelievable.

"A staff member whose husband is unemployed insisted that I take a monetary donation. Families with their own hardships have been touched by the Rockafellows.

“I’ve never been prouder to work for WellSpan,” she stressed. “The outpouring of kindness has been amazing. The Imaging Center has put its arms around this family.”

Tilton added, “The Rockafellows didn’t expect anything, and they didn’t ask for anything. They are a very humble and grateful family. The circle of caring has been unbelievable.”

Margaret said, “I can’t believe how much help we’ve received, and how nice everyone has been to us. It’s been overwhelming.

“People at WellSpan don’t just care about me, they care about my family. Receiving the diagnosis of breast cancer has, in a way, been a blessing.”

One of the most touching moments came when McElwain heard that the Rockafellows had pawned their wedding rings. She was working on a way to get the rings from the pawn shop in time for Valentine’s Day. When Trapeni heard about the situation, she enlisted the help of Drs. Thomas Bauer, James Lockard and Howard Goldberg.

The four of them contributed the money required to secure the rings, and have enough for the Rockafellows to go out for a special dinner. Roy presented the wedding rings to Margaret as a surprise on Valentine’s Day. Tears and happiness abounded.

“It was just unbelievable,” said Margaret. “I never thought we would ever get our wedding rings back.”

A lot of good things happen when you’re surrounded by angels.

Have you signed up yet?

The MyWellSpan online patient portal was developed to give you access to your personal health information, and proxy access to your children’s information, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. With a secure online account, you have the convenience to choose when and where you log in.

The ability for WellSpan patients to enroll online is the latest enhancement to this tool. My WellSpan plays a key part in WellSpan’s ongoing journey toward a fully functioning community electronic health record.

“WellSpan’s decision to develop its own portal is a testament to the important role this effort will play,” emphasized Hal Baker, M.D., chief information officer.

“As we move to a patient-centered approach, including in the medical home, we want activated and informed patients.Giving patients access to their health information when and where they want it allows them to actively participate in ensuring ‘exceptional care for all, lifelong wellness and healthy communities,’ as described in our Mission.”

3 options to enroll in MyWellSpan

1. Online.WellSpan patients can self-enroll at http://www.mywellspan.org/. WellSpan staff members can self-enroll in MyWellSpan or finish a partially completed enrollment by accessing http://www.mywellspan.org/. This link is also available on INET in the “What’s Happening” section. The process to enroll is easy, taking less than two minutes.
2. Phone. Call 1-866-638-1842, and a MyWellSpan representative will help you create your account on the spot. Again, the process takes less than two minutes to complete.
3. In person. Speak with a member of the staff at any participating WellSpan Medical Group practice or WellSpan Lab. He/she can provide an enrollment form and help you get signed up.

Key features
More than 26,000 patients have signed up for MyWellSpan. One key feature of the program is access to general lab results, most of which are available 24 hours after the result is final.

MyWellSpan users can also access their children’s health records (age 12 and under), including immunizations, by establishing a proxy relationship. This is done by completing the proxy request form found in the left navigation of MyWellSpan.

There are a number of other features (see list), but one of the most popular is the secure messaging with your physician.

“Patients who have used MyWellSpan for non-urgent messaging have been very pleased,” states Mandi Waltemyer, clinical nursing coordinator, Yorktowne Family Medicine.

“They agree that it’s much easier than calling.” Waltemyer points out that patients can send their questions via MyWellSpan at any time (the office doesn’t have to be open) and access their MyWellSpan mailbox when it’s convenient.

Patients receive an email notifiying them when a response has been sent and is ready to be viewed in their MyWellSpan inbox.

Karen Jones, M.D., medical director of quality and innovation for the WellSpan Medical Group, adds that because the answers to the secure message questions tend to be more complete and detailed than a verbal response on the phone, the volume of calls to a practice generally declines and patient satisfaction increases.

Engaging patients
“We take every opportunity to educate patients about the benefits of MyWellSpan, including check-in and check-out and the providers often will mention it during the visit,” said Tracy Blickenstaff, office manager for Apple Hill Internal Medicine.

Just as important as speaking with patients about the program is continuing to provide patients with different ways to access MyWellSpan. The WellSpan mobile app now provides access to MyWellSpan portal content. Using an existing MyWellSpan account, users can access all the features directly from their smart phone.

Users can also exchange messages with their participating WellSpan provider office with mobile secure messaging. The WellSpan mobile app also includes many additional useful features.

WellSpan set out to make managing your health care as easy as possible. The current result is an online system that gives you access to your personal health care information 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-aweek, and makes it easier than ever to communicate with your health care provider and become more involved in your care.

According to Baker, more enhancements and new features are on the horizon. “In the coming months you will see a number of improvements including the ability to truly schedule some doctor’s appointments online, the ability to have proxy access for not just children, but teens and adults. New features will be coming forward almost monthly.”

Questions? Need help?
To learn more about MyWellSpan or for a list of participating WellSpan locations, go to http://www.mywellspan.org/. Or call MyWellSpan Customer Service at 1-866-638-1842 with any questions. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WellSpan Health has been named to Training magazine’s Top 125 for the third consecutive year.

The top 125 includes ranking based on statistics such as total training budget; percentage of payroll dedicated to training; number of training hours per employee program; goals, evaluation, measurement and workplace surveys; hours of training per employee annually; and detailed formal programs.

Training magazine noted that all WellSpan leaders are expected to take part in an interactive, three-day program that provides foundational knowledge related to Process Improvement tools and methodologies.

Completion of the course includes the implementation of the new learning in the initiation of a local improvement project with results coached and monitored by senior leaders.

To date, 165 leaders have completed the course.

WellSpan York Hospital has received the Get With The Guidelines®–Resuscitation Gold Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association.

The recognition signifies that WellSpan York Hospital has reached an aggressive goal in using guidelines-based care to improve patient outcomes from in-hospital cardiac arrest.

The Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation program aims to help hospital teams save more lives threatened by cardiopulmonary emergencies by consistently following the most up-to-date scientific guidelines for treating patients who suffer a cardiac arrest in the hospital.

More than 18,800 in-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year, according to the American Heart Association.

Get With The Guidelines–Resuscitation helps WellSpan York Hospital’s staff develop and implement protocols that can reduce disability and death from cardiac and respiratory emergencies. It provides an evidence-based, quality improvement program of patient safety, medical emergency team response, effective resuscitation and post-emergency care.

Specifically, WellSpan York Hospital was recognized for meeting identified measures in caring for adult cardiac arrest patients.

Best possible outcomes sought

“WellSpan York Hospital is dedicated to helping our patients have the best possible outcome and implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines–Resuscitation program will help us accomplish this by making it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis,” said Julie Miksit, vice president, WellSpan Heart & Vascular.

Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation builds on the work of the American Heart Association’s National Registry of CardioPulmonary Resuscitation (NRCPR), originally launched in 1999 as a database of in-hospital resuscitation events from more than 500 hospitals.

The data from the registry and now the quality program give participating hospitals feedback on their resuscitation practice and patient outcomes. They have been used to develop new evidence-based guidelines for in-hospital resuscitation.

WellSpan York Hospital joins other hospitals across the country in putting those data to work in everyday practice to save lives, ensuring cardiac arrest patients are getting timely CPR, defibrillation or other appropriate treatment within minutes of being found in cardiac arrest.

“WellSpan York Hospital’s commitment to Get With the Guidelines-Resuscitation puts our quality improvement interventions and strategies into the workflow of care for their patients who experience cardiac arrest,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., chair of the Get With The Guidelines National Steering Committee and professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

“Shortening the time to effective resuscitation and maximizing post-resuscitation care is critical to patient survival.”

Dallastown student headed to international fair

Nicole Daniell

WellSpan Lab Services staff members will pay close attention to the results of Intel’s International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona, in May.

Nicole Daniell, a senior at Dallastown Area High School, will present her science project, “Determining the Anticoagulant Effect of Zingiber officinale (commonly known as ginger).”

WellSpan Lab Services staff members were involved with Daniell’s project, and she conducted her experiments in the lab. Dallastown science teacher Tad Gould contacted Ed Beitz, medical laboratory science program director, about meeting with Daniell.

Beitz had several discussions with her about coagulation studies, various test methods, setting up and calculating dilutions and how to obtain patient samples.

Daniell’s science project was designed to look at the effects of ginger, when added to freshly drawn blood, on the clotting of that blood.

Preliminary studies show that ginger may affect arthritis pain or have blood thinning properties, but these effects remain unconfirmed.

In the United States, ginger is used to prevent motion and morning sickness and to avoid heat cramps. It is recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration. It is sold as an unregulated dietary supplement.

Wealth of data recorded

In December, Daniell came to WellSpan York Hospital to conduct her experiments with the support of the laboratory staff. Sharon Mead arranged for various supplies that were needed for performing the testing.

She also organized a group of staff members who volunteered to have their blood drawn. They were Mead, Melody Botterbush, Brenda Wiley, Steve LeCour and Sarah Fogelman. Jodi Michael served as the phlebotomist.

Daniell recorded a wealth of data while conducting her experiments at WellSpan York Hospital. She continued to work on her project at home and at school over the holidays.

At the Dallastown Science and Engineering Fair held in January, Daniell’s project was named one of the Top 15 out of 314 projects, and she received a first-place award. She also received a special award for Best Senior High Medical Research Project.

At the York County Science and Engineering Fair held in early March, she won a first-place award and reserve grand champion award for the senior division.

Her project was judged as one of the top three projects at the county fair. As a result, she received an all-expenses paid trip to compete at Intel’s International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona, in May.

In a recent message to the laboratory staff, Daniell wrote, “I cannot thank you and the volunteers enough for helping me along the way. I realize that none of this would have been possible without you. Please pass my thanks along to the volunteers and staff.  Thank you for everything.”

Beitz added, “We’re very proud of Nicole and happy for her success. We’re rooting for her in the international fair.”

25 patient partners assist WellSpan practices and departments

Patient partner Dick Simpson, second from left, meets with staff members at WellSpan Endocrinology in Gettysburg. They are, from left to right, Ruth Beel, diabetes educator; Lita Weikert, senior practice manager; Dr. Aruna Chelliah, endrocrinologist; and Dr. Brian Michael, endocrinologist.

A fresh perspective can foster new ideas. That’s the premise of the Patient Partner Program.

Providers invite one or two patients for a behind-the-scenes look at their practice, and then seek suggestions for making it better. The program is an initiative of Aligning Forces for Quality – SouthCentral PA.

“Patient partners become part of a practice’s
quality improvement team,” said Kathy Hutcheson, consumer engagement coordinator. “Their role is to give the patient’s perspective.”

More than 25 patient partners currently assist WellSpan practices and departments, with more volunteers set to begin shortly.

They attend monthly staff meetings, participate in conference calls, and gather together quarterly to swap ideas.

“If a practice’s goal is to get 90 percent of their diabetic patients in for an A1C [blood] test, they will ask their patient partner, ‘What are some of the roadblocks you encounter when trying to come in for your test?’” Hutcheson explained.

She said the program currently focuses on diabetes patients, but will expand to include other groups.

Richard Simpson is a semi-retired contractor and the patient partner at WellSpan Endocrinology of Gettysburg. He said staff members have implemented a number of his ideas since he first joined them a year and a half ago, including one to upgrade the practice’s glucometers.

“They had these older models that took a long time and needed a lot of blood, so I took mine in and showed them how easily it works,” Simpson said. “It only takes about five seconds and uses very little blood.”

Once while away on vacation he ran into trouble with his insulin pump. After hearing his story, staff introduced an insulin pump information card, complete with help line numbers.

Commitment inspires patient

Currently, Simpson is helping develop waiting-room displays on the importance of good nutrition and regular eye exams. He said the commitment he sees each time he visits the office inspires him. “I had no idea how many patients they have,” he admitted. “Before this I couldn’t have imagined their workload.”

Anna Owings of McSherrystown echoed those sentiments. The retired home health worker has been a patient partner at Gettysburg Adult Medicine for nearly two years.

“Considering the number of patients they have and the amount of stuff that goes on behind the scenes, it’s just overwhelming,” she said.

Owings believes that health care’s future rests in better communication between patients and providers. She’s proud to be helping make that happen.

“We work with everyone—the docs, the nurses, the front office staff—so that we’re all communicating at the same level,” she said.

Barcode medication administration assures the “six rights” are confirmed

Amy Sheely, RN, on 6 South at WellSpan York Hospital, uses barcode technology to match patient Joe Sciarrabba with the right medication.

Beginning April 1 with WellSpan York Hospital, WellSpan’s three hospitals will begin to implement Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA).

This creates a closed- loop process that improves patient safety by matching the right patient with the right medication. BCMA enables nurses to scan patients’ arm bands along with their medication to ensure accuracy in dosage, delivery and timing.

The use of barcodes provides a valuable verification of medication administration by assuring that the “six rights” are confirmed — right patient, right medication, right dose, right time, right route and right documentation of administration.

Now, nurses can scan a patient’s armband and then the medication to validate it is the correct product.

According to the Institute of Medicine, the use of this technology has shown it dramatically reduces medication administration errors. When used properly BCMA is an effective means to prevent medication administration errors.

The addition of barcode verification at the point-of-care has the potential to significantly increase patient safety for hospital patients.

“We are always looking for ways to utilize technology to improve patient safety,” said Kris O’Shea, vice president, clinical transformation and patient care services, WellSpan.

“Although barcode technology has been present in our hospitals for some time now in support of positive patient identification during the medication administration process, the implementation of barcode medication administration enhances the sophistication of this process by coupling the positive identification of the patient to the correct medication order and product. The end result is a medication use process that is confidence-inspiring for nurses and patients alike.”

Administering medication can be cumbersome

Traditionally, administering medication to patients can be a cumbersome process that entails transcribing information by hand, comparing this information against the patient chart, visually checking to confirm patient identity, and transcribing patient information back into the patient record. By its nature, it’s a process that takes caregivers away from their patients in order to perform administrative processes.

The traditional medication administration system is also prone to human error, which occasionally results in misidentification of patients and delivery of incorrect medications and/or dosage.

BCMA will help clinicians by improving workflow and eliminating workarounds that can lead to documentation errors and to potential adverse medication errors. Two WellSpan York Hospital units, 5 South and 6 South, recently completed a successful two-month BCMA pilot.

“It’s really been easy to learn the system and become comfortable using it,” said Amy Sheely, RN, 6 South at WellSpan York Hospital.

“There are times when the technology actually catches you to make sure that your dosage and other vital information are correct.”

Dawn Wise, RN, 6 South at WellSpan York Hospital, added, “The thing I really like about the new system is that we are ensuring the right patient, right medication, right time and right dose by not only visually checking arm bands and medication. Because we have to scan the patient and medication, we are getting the extra safety insurance for our patients.”

WellSpan York Hospital’s implementation will be followed by the WellSpan Surgery & Rehabilitation Hospital on May 6 and by WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital on May 28.

Chaz White has lost 135 pounds and improved other health measures

WellSpan Rehabilitation athletic trainer Joe Koncewicz discusses a workout routine with Chaz White. “My success wouldn’t be possible without everyone at WellSpan caring about me,” said White.

Chaz White had more or less given up. In his early 20s, his weight exceeded 500 pounds and his daily activities were extremely limited. He figured he would be relegated to an unfulfilling life and probably die at an early age.

But, he decided one day that he wanted to change that bleak future. He made an appointment to see Dr. Chris Echterling at the York Hospital Community Health Center. He had been treated by Echterling in the past, but had not seen him for several years.

“I didn’t want to accept my life as it was, and I didn’t want to die early,” said White, who realized he had a long way to go to reach his goals.

“I wanted to get to a weight where I could get around easier and do more things. I wanted to eat healthier and feel better about myself.”

In addition to being morbidly obese, White had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes with nephropathy and severe swelling in his legs.

Echterling realized that 20-minute office visits and White’s family resources weren’t going to be enough to make a difference. It would take “working as one” to truly make a difference in White’s life.

In April 2010, he took the unusual step of sending an email to various staff members throughout WellSpan asking for ideas to help save a life. White had mentioned that he felt that if he had a “life coach” or mentor, it would help him be successful.

“Staff members who care for trauma patients or patients in the emergency department or intensive care often get the feeling that they saved a life,” said Echterling. “You don’t often get that feeling treating outpatients. But, I thought this was an example of how working as one we could help save a life.”

Many people willing to help

Echterling received a strong response to his email. Behavioral health counselors from Edgar Street, nursing students at York College, a nutritionist, VNA physical therapists and athletic trainers and an occupational therapist from WellSpan Rehabilitation all offered their assistance. Everyone involved in White’s care provided feedback and communicated on a regular basis, providing a good overall picture of what was happening.

One of the first steps was to purchase a sweat suit for White that he could wear to exercise. Not having a sweat suit was a barrier because White didn’t feel comfortable exercising in his regular clothes and he couldn’t afford a sweat suit.

A WellSpan Rehabilitation athletic trainer was assigned to work with White. The plan was for him to go to the Bannister Street location three or four times a week to work out. In the past three years, White has lost 135 pounds, lowered his blood pressure and eliminated his symptoms of diabetes.

Besides the physical changes, White has a much more positive attitude.

“So many people at WellSpan have been helpful and supportive to me,” said White. “They give me motivation, and they remind me when I’m slacking off.

“I feel like I’m on the right track. I’m encouraged by my progress. If you care about your life, you have to be willing to put the work in.”

White added that he has more energy; he is much more comfortable interacting with people and his confidence has increased. One of White’s new goals is to help inspire others to improve their health.

“I owe a lot of credit to Dr. Echterling because he motivated me, and he never gave up on me. I gave up countless times. My success wouldn’t be possible without everyone at WellSpan caring about me.”

Here are some injury prevention tips from WellSpan Sports Medicine’s Justin Zabrosky, the athletic trainer with the York Revolution. These tips can help keep everyone from Little Leaguers and high school baseball players to weekend warriors injuryfree during pre-season and beyond.

Tip 1: Warm up and stretch!
Baseball is a game that involves a lot of twisting, jumping, lateral and forward-to-backward movements. Static stretching (stretching that is held for 10 or more seconds) does not reduce the risk of injury.

Instead athletes should be doing dynamic stretches that facilitate movements similar to those during play and targets muscle groups as they relate to specific sport movements. For baseball players, this means sprints, forward bends, rotations, knee lift, squats, lunges, arm circles and arm crosses.

In addition to raising muscular tissue temperature in the body and increasing blood flow, dynamic stretching activates the nervous system, preparing the body for movements performed during play.

Tip 2: Use proper equipment!
The amount of equipment required for baseball isn’t on par with football or hockey, but the right gear can go a long way toward preventing injuries. Athletic equipment consists of a batting helmet, proper footwear, athletic cup, shin guards and mouth piece. Coaches need to check athletes to make sure their equipment fits properly. Parents need to observe the equipment their athletes are wearing.

Tip 3: Overuse injuries are preventable!
Because many young athletes are focusing on just one sport and are training year-round, doctors are seeing an increase in overuse injuries. Specific tips to prevent overuse injuries in baseball include:

• Limit the number of teams in which your child is playing on in one season. Kids who play on more than one team are especially at risk for overuse injuries.
• Do not allow your child to play one sport year-round — taking regular breaks and playing other sports is essential to skill development and injury prevention.
• Do not allow your child to pitch on consecutive days and avoid pitching on multiple teams with overlapping seasons.

Tips 4: Inspect the field!
This tip is specifically for the coaches. To ensure the safety of your players, it is important to inspect the playing field for uneven terrain (holes, divots), glass and other debris.

In addition, use a field with breakaway bases. Many injuries occur while sliding into bases. In addition, assess weather conditions and be prepared to delay/cancel the game, especially in cases of particularly hot weather or thunderstorms with lightning.

Tip 5: Proper nutrition is key!
Baseball is a combination of balance, agility and concentration with bursts of physical activity. Food choices, adequate fluid intake, frequency of meals and timing of meals to activity can provide the edge in practice, games and recovery. The proper fuel mix contains 55-60% carbohydrates, 15-20% protein and 20-25% fat.

Tip 6: Drink water!
As an athlete trains or competes, fluid is lost through the skin through sweat and through the lungs while breathing. If this fluid is not replaced at regular intervals during practice or competition, it can lead to dehydration.

The best way to prevent dehydration is to maintain body fluid levels by consuming plenty of fluids before, during, and after a workout or competition.

Many times athletes wait to drink until they are thirsty. Thirst is not an accurate indicator of how much fluid an athlete has lost. Athletes who wait to replenish body fluids until feeling thirsty are already dehydrated.

Tip 7: Follow proper technique when sliding!
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends the following tips for those individuals sliding into, as well as protecting, the bases while playing baseball and softball:

• Players under age 10 should not be taught to slide.
• Proper instruction in sliding technique must be taught and practiced before using any bag, including the breakaway bases. Practice should first be with a sliding bag.
• The “obstruction” rule must be taught and observed. Getting in the way of the runner or blocking the base without possession of the ball is dangerous to both the runner and fielder.
• When coming into home plate, it is important that the runner attempt to slide to avoid a collision.

To prevent ankle and foot injuries between the runner and fielder at first base, a “double bag” — a separate bag for both the runner and first baseman — should be used.

Overuse, overload and overexertion

Dr. John Deitch

Injuries in young athletes are on the rise, but elbow and shoulder injuries in youth are on the verge of becoming an epidemic. Thousands of young athletes are seen each year complaining of elbow and shoulder pain.

There are nearly three million Little League, adolescent and high school-aged baseball players in the United States.

Between 2005 and 2007, there were more than 22,000 high school baseball-related shoulder injuries alone. Pitching was the most common mechanism causing shoulder and elbow injury.

These statistics validate the importance of these injuries and indicate that all coaches, parents and athletes should be aware of the most up-to-date recommendations for injury prevention in this population.

“A team approach is required for injury prevention,” said WellSpan orthopedic surgeon John Deitch, M.D., a fellowship-trained sports medicine specialist and director of WellSpan Sports Medicine. “Parents, coaches, trainers/therapists and physicians need to work with the throwing athlete. Everyone plays a role in helping to minimize injuries.”

While factors such as weather conditions and hazardous playing fields contribute to some sports injuries, playing injured or overtired, conditioning and training errors and improper techniques are the biggest culprits we have control over.

“It’s important to build a solid foundation,” said Deitch. “If a child is ready for organized sports, he or she is ready for strength training.

“It’s important to gain athleticism before skills,” he said. “Without basic elements of athleticism, most players are unable to master baseball specific skills.”

Athletes who are required to pitch or throw several hundred times during a practice or a game put a large amount of stress on their shoulders and elbows. Deitch said “the three O’s—Overuse, Overload and Overexertion” contribute to many throwing injuries.

Overuse comes from too many pitches, while overload is the result of inadequate rest and recovery. Overexertion comes from overthrowing.

Athletes with throwing injuries may experience:

• Progressive pain
• Pain on the inner area of the elbow
• Shoulder pain when throwing
• Pain and soreness that persists after throwing for two or three days
• Significant loss in throwing speed
• Loss of control during pitching
• Swelling or tenderness around the upper arm

Some tips to prevent overuse throwing injuries:

• Warm up properly by stretching, running and easy, gradual throwing
• Avoid pitching on multiple teams with overlapping seasons
• Don’t pitch with elbow or shoulder pain. If the pain persists for more than four days, see a doctor
• Don’t pitch on consecutive days
• Don’t play year-round
• Communicate regularly about how your arm is feeling and if there is pain
• Emphasize control, accuracy and good mechanics

Contact WellSpan Sports Medicine at 1-877-482-5420 if you have any concerns about injury or are interested in injury-prevention strategy.