Exceptional Experiences at Community Health Network

We are pleased to introduce Dr. Michael Leins as our blogger for the Family Medicine Residency program.  Please stay tuned for more details!

John W. Fleming, MD
Assistant Director

Kisha, 26, is carrying twin girls whom she plans to name Macey and Marleah and has already learned that her two daughters have unique personalities. “Macey is more active and outgoing and Marleah is going to be kind of shy,” she says.

Kisha was admitted to Community Hospital North during her 23rd week because of a short cervix and was told she would be staying in the hospital until the babies come. In the meantime, she’s been attending the weekly antepartum support group for women who are in similar situations.

The antepartum support group, which was spearheaded by Ellen Manolopoulos, R.N. and care manager, meets in Community North’s fifth floor solarium.

“The large, sunny room is flooded with natural light and offers a great change of environment from the patient’s hospital room and a place to interact with others who are experiencing complications in their pregnancies which require hospitalization,” says Jonell Allen, R.N. and perinatal clinical nurse specialist who helps facilitate the group.

Another bonus to the group meeting in the solarium is the large amount of space available. It can accommodate patients who are in their beds, in recliner chairs and in wheelchairs. Remote telemetry is available for patients who require continual fetal monitoring. All long-term antepartum patients are invited to join the group, however, each patient who attends needs permission from her doctor to participate.

The support group members discuss their pregnancies, eat snacks and participate in activities, such as journaling, aromatherapy, manicures and pedicures and sharing recipes. Since the group began meeting on May 28, the facilitators of the group also have invited lactation consultants who provide education and counseling.

Patient concierge Joni Brattain, who also attends the weekly meetings, has worked with Kisha to plan a baby shower, which will take place in the hospital on August 16. When first-time group member Christine, 22, found out about this service, she, too, was excited. Christine, who is in her 31st week, began having contractions on July 14. When she arrived at Community North, she learned that she would have to remain on bed rest and be constantly monitored by remote telemetry.

Even though some women have already delivered their babies, they continue to return to the group to share their stories. The group is also open to fathers and siblings. “There is great conversation and a safe environment to ventilate all the feelings that accompany the complications of pregnancy that require an unexpected hospital stay,” says Rainey Martin, R.N. and clinical manager.

Yesterday I shared some results from our SharingSite usability testing with the team. Overall, our test participants thought SharingSite would be a useful tool and they liked the look and feel. This is good news!

Of course, there is always room for improvment. We are going to be working on changes to many aspects, including navigation, buttons, directives, text size, layout of the blog area, and more. We hope to add guided tours in the future as well. We also recently updated the Help page and hope that will help the new parents get their baby pictures set up more quickly and with less hassle.

So look for the new and improved SharingSite coming soon!

We have over 400 SharingSites at this time. The majority are for families with new babies. We are working on efforts to extend the SharingSite reach to even more user categories. Examples could be:

• those who are currently managing a disease or condition
• those who are going through a rehabilitation process or other recovery
• additional maternity-related situations
• ?

Have you had a good/bad experience with SharingSite or ideas for how we could improve it? We welcome your comments and questions here. To learn more, please visit eCommunity.com/SharingSite

On July 21, Stephanie Isenberg, R.N., who works on the medical/surgical unit at Community Hospital North, was the first-ever Community North nurse to receive the DAISY Award. She was nominated by one of her patients.

The DAISY Award is part of a nationwide program that rewards and celebrates excellence in nursing. The award was presented during a ceremony at the end of July. As part of her award, Isenberg received:

• A beautiful certificate
• A DAISY Award pin
• A hand-carved stone sculpture titled A Healer’s Touch
• A 30-day fitness membership (provided by BodyZone fitness center)
• A Starbucks gift card (provided by GetWell Network)
• A parking pass (provided by safety and security)
• A complimentary meal (provided by food services).

Additionally, Isenberg’s unit will receive Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, with the sentiment that the aroma reminds them how special they are and now important their work is.

All nurses whose names were mentioned by patients will receive letters and pins to recognize their great care.

Community North’s participation in The DAISY Award program is generously sponsored by the Community Health Network Foundation.

Community Health Network has again been named to the list of the nation’s Most Wired hospitals, according to the results of the 2008 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. Community has been recognized eight out of the past 10 years, since the magazine began naming the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems in 1999.

“The Most Wired award reflects on the investment and integration of our patient data and processes that we have made over the last 12 years, specifically the last five years, since the opening of The Indiana Heart Hospital, which is all-digital,” says Ed Koschka, network vice president of information technology and chief information officer for Community Health Network. “Each year the requirements for winning this award are increased, as the level of technology increases in the hospitals. I have seen the requirements move from hospital-based processes to physician office processes, and now, to involving patients in their own record keeping.”

The 100 Most Wired hospitals show better outcomes in patient satisfaction, risk-adjusted mortality rates and other key quality measures through the use of information technology (IT), according to a new analysis. “Today’s results add to the growing evidence that the appropriate use of IT can enhance both quality and patient satisfaction,” says Alden Solovy, executive editor of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. “Most Wired hospitals are proving the fundamental value of information technology.”

The analysis shows that better outcomes occur among high tech hospitals, but it does not establish a direct causal relationship between technology and outcomes. The satisfaction analysis was conducted jointly with Press Ganey Associates and the quality analysis was conducted jointly with Thomson Healthcare.

“Quality and satisfaction are often tied to key initiatives and goals that hospitals are striving towards through the use of technology and process improvement,” says Merrie Wallace, R.N., vice president and solution line manager, McKesson Provider Technologies. “The most successful hospitals use technology as part of an overall strategy and achieve significant results. Those that just deploy technology for technology’s sake don’t see these types of results.”

The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com.