National Poison Prevention Week is March 18-24. Dr. Suzanne Doyon, who joined UConn Health as the medical director of the Connecticut Poison Control Center in November, shares her expertise as a medical toxicologist.
What’s trending in toxicology?
The teenager laundry pod challenge occupied the airwaves in January. Local media helped us get the word out about this trend and the Connecticut Poison Control Center was featured in many stories. Carbon monoxide poisonings have kept us busy recently following the nor’easters and bomb cyclones.
What are the most avoidable poison hazards?
Unsecured household products and unsecured medications are still the number one avoidable poison hazard in the home. Other sources of calls are medication errors in the elderly, especially if they do not use pill dispensers. As a result, the Connecticut Poison Control Center supports child-resistant packaging and poison prevention practices and the use of pill dispensers by the elderly.
What’s most asked about on calls to the poison control center hotline?
The most common types of call remain unsupervised ingestions in children, usually involving personal care products (shampoos, creams, etc.) or household products (detergents, cleaners, etc.)
What makes the Connecticut Poison Control Center successful in its mission?
The Connecticut Poison Control Center is staffed 24/7 by nurses and pharmacists with extensive training and knowledge of poisons and poisonings. Collectively, the poison specialists have over 100 years of experience in poisonings. The person answering the phone is an expert. The hotline is a service is free to the caller.
What brought you to UConn Health?
I am a medical toxicologist interested in public health, especially opioid use disorder. My previous position was assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and prior to that I was medical director of the Maryland Poison Control Center. I missed doing poison center work. The position of medical director of the Connecticut Poison Control Center opened up and the rest is history.
The Poison Control Center Hotline is 800.222.1222, offering free and confidential information around the clock.
Did you know, some of the features of HealthONE will be accessible via smartphone? Two we’d like to mention here are Haiku and Imprivata ID.
Haiku is available to iPhone users who might like to take advantage of Patient Management, InBasket, Review and Ordering and ePrescribing functions on the go.
This is an optional package available to you should you find it helpful.
When you attend your provider training session, your will see a poster inviting you to send a registration/communication to HealthONEMobileApps@uchc.edu with your department and cell phone number if you have interest in accessing Haiku. This will go to the HealthONE team to initiate your access.
After that we will push the mobile app via MobileIron to your phone and, voila, with a few keystrokes you will be ready to go.
The push thru MobileIron makes it simple for us to ensure your configuration to our production server is accurate. Along with this push, you will receive a packet of information via email that will include some tip sheets to help you get jump-started. Once you have your Epic training, you will find it quite intuitive to use the app. No training classes will be needed!
Imprivata ID is a phone app that will enable you to receive a dual authentication factor code text message, required by state law beginning this year to support ePrescribing of controlled substances. The application will allow you to receive a text message and automatically with a single keystroke send that code into HealthONE, satisfying the elements needed to prescribe controlled substances.
You will be registered for this during your training class; however, the registration process could be shortened if you take a moment to download the iOS or Android application referred to as “Imprivata ID” prior to attending class. Please be sure to bring your phone with you to training.
Imprivata ID will work on iPhone or on Android and requires no MobileIron and no data fees. Easy peasy and convenient!
Even when UConn Health has an emergency closing, it’s not really closed.
Inpatient care must go on, as do some laboratory experiments, and other 24/7 operations such as public safety, housekeeping, dietary, information technology, the telephone operators, and the Connecticut Poison Control Center.
Making that possible is the work of Facilities Management and Operations, whose staff ensures those who do need to come to work (or to the hospital) can do so safely.
“They tackle their job with a real positive attitude, and they’re definitely engaged in the work that they do,” says Cliff Ashton, associate vice president of Facilities Management and Operations. “They work around the clock. They do take breaks for safety purposes, but it’s not an easy job.”
For this week’s nor’easter, that included six groundsmen operating four plow trucks and two skid steer machines, plus contractor support including six plow trucks and drivers, a bucket loader and operator, and 15 laborers shoveling around the entrances and fire exits.
“There’s a certain order of priority,” Ashton says. “When it’s snowing real hard, the focus is on keeping the roads open. We obviously want to keep access to the ambulance bays clear.”
Part of what makes the storm response effective is the preparation work that takes place in between storms.
“We check all the equipment, make repairs when needed, and we flush all the equipment after a storm because of all the salt,” Ashton says. “There’s always freezing and thawing, and our guys are out there first thing in the morning, going around all the sidewalks to put the ice melt material down.”
What can the rest of us do to help with the snow removal effort? Observe parking bans, for starters.
“When we have a parking ban, there’s not supposed to be anyone parking roadside or in uncovered areas, and that does get to be a problem,” Ashton says. “The other important thing is being attentive to their own personal safety. People should wear the right footwear to get from their car to the building to reduce the risk of falls.”
Logistics Management also has storm-preparation protocol, which includes fully stocking all hospital departments, shifting schedules to minimize staff traveling in dangerous conditions, and coordinating with different areas to determine their needs.
"We'll provide cots to the operators, the help desk, and Correctional Managed Health Care pharmacy, and reach out to the nursing supervisor to make sure we have enough cots for hospital staff," says Logistics Management Director Jeff Boyko. "For the hospital, we're always servicing every facet. The outpatient clinical areas are often closed, but the urgent care offices may stay open, and we also make sure lab medicine and the pharmacy can continue to serve all the correctional facilities."
Three skid steer machines (left) and three plow trucks are among the equipment Facilities Management and Operations crews use for snow removal. (Photo by Joe Caron)
Heroism and Good Fortune
A member of the UConn Health grounds crew is being called a hero after a close call following the March 7 nor’easter. Mark Koziol and fellow groundsman William “Toby” Berry were in a grounds truck on lower campus when they stopped to pick up a sign. With Berry still in the driver’s seat, a tree fell on the truck. Koziol, who hadn’t returned to the truck yet, realized the danger and, risking his own safety, pulled his coworker out of the truck. Thankfully, both escaped serious injury. (Photo by Joe Caron)
HealthONE training is roaring and we appreciate the flexibility and patience of everyone involved. It is a lot of people doing a lot of training in a very tight window. And of course the weather hasn’t helped. So why the rush, why must this be done? There are a lot of reasons: patient safety, familiarity with new processes, we could have a long list. But at the top of this list is the simple fact: no training, no access.
When we go live April 28, all those not listed as trained—including not passing the end user proficiency assessment—will not be able to access the system to do their job.
Single sign-on doesn’t happen until the training is done so we create a safe, well-trained team to care for our patients. So, in the coming weeks when you have to cover for a co-worker, train off shift or just wonder why, keep in mind every good thing the system will do starts with your ability on April 28 to log in to HealthONE.
See your leader or a training coordinator for questions, enrollment problems, and to make sure on the 28th you are not someone asking ‘why won’t this system let me in?’
It’s natural that campus safety, while always a priority, would be even more top of mind following a mass shooting like what took place in Parkland, Florida, last month.
Within the last two years, UConn has shifted to a progressive model, folding police, fire, emergency management, communications centers, and the fire marshal’s office into a single Division of Public Safety. The resources span all campuses, including UConn Health.
Division Director Hans Rhynhart, who is also chief of the UConn Police Department, says the key to readiness for an active threat situation on any campus is preparation and prevention.
“We’ve accomplished and standardized combined training with all division personnel, with police, fire, communications and emergency management, to understand roles and responsibilities to enhance our unified response,” Rhynhart says. “We have threat assessment teams in place which are on the leading edge of trying to prevent a tragedy from happening.”
Part of that prevention component is intelligence gathering. UConn Police have a detective assigned to an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which provides direct access to real-time information on a threat or activity of interest.
“There is almost no better resource than the task force that we have to call upon should we need enhanced, immediate intelligence gathering,” Rhynhart says.
Another Detective works with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on cyber crimes. Social media monitoring is also one of the tools police use to stay aware and gather intelligence. Monitoring can be done on a specific incident or event as well as through the creation of a geo fence to alert investigators to certain phrases and words being used, all with the goal of intercepting and preventing a critical incident from occurring.
Meantime, a general sense of awareness and vigilance in the community can also help with prevention.
“There exists a ‘see something, say something’ philosophy,” Rhynhart says. “If you think that there’s something ‘off’, if you think that an employee or student is acting in a way that is concerning to you, let one of the police officers assigned to your campus know as soon as you can, so we may work with our partners at the University to try to understand what is going on. Most reports we receive are not threatening in nature and do not rise to the level of a criminal violation, but the information gives us an opportunity to talk with and most of the time develop a solution or positive path for an individual. We want to assist in creating a positive and safe environment for all involved.”
An additional component to campus safety is an extensive network of surveillance cameras and blue emergency phones.
“Part of it is being familiar with the information that we put out,” Rhynhart says. “Accessing these websites provides a wide array of tools that will aid in not only your own personal response to hazards, but what you can expect from the University as well. There are fliers and guides, including a campaign we started called ‘Seconds for Safety.’ We break information out into different types of incidents. They’re very quick to consume, you can look at it in seconds, and understand what you should do at any specific moment to ensure a better chance of survival.”
The ARB Small Conference Room (EG052) is on the ground floor of what’s also known as the E Building. Look for the sign the near the ARB elevator on Level G.
The C2021 Lab Conference Room is on the 2nd floor of the main building. Take the main lobby elevator to Level 2 and look for the sign.
OR 2 and OR 9 in the Connecticut Tower are in the former operating room space in the Connecticut Tower. Take the Connecticut Tower elevator (near the food court) to Level B and look for the sign.
Rooms 4023-4040 in the Connecticut Tower are on the fourth floor of the Connecticut Tower. Take the Connecticut Tower elevator (near the food court) to Level 4 and look for the sign.
The Munson Road locations are at 16 Munson Road, a building separate from the main building. Look for signs in the main lobby.
The Outpatient Pavilion is on lower campus. Take the elevator to either Level 2, Level 7, or Level 8 and look for the sign.
The L5079 Small Conference Room is on the 5th floor of the Laboratory Building.
It’s been a little over a year since Brian White joined UConn Health as its chief counsel. We thought it was an opportune time to ask the head of our legal team some questions about the new General Counsel’s Office and its potential benefits for employees and the institution as a whole.
First of all, please describe your role here and how the UConn Health legal team has changed over the past year or so?
General Counsel’s Office at UConn Health has just turned 1-year-old. I was brought in to formally start the office that was previously supported by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO). The office is now fully staffed and positioned to provide in-house legal expertise on a proactive basis. Much of the funding for the office is coming from the offset reduction in utilization of outside counsel.
What are your office’s prime responsibilities?
The office is responsible for the coordination and management of all legal issues affecting UConn Health. The office advises the UConn Health Board of Directors along with UConn Health senior leadership and administrative units regarding a wide range of issues, including transaction matters, regulatory compliance, employment law, intellectual property, faculty, staff and student conduct, and governance issues. The office also works with the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office on litigation and other matters.
How are you connected (or not) to the AG’s office?
We work intimately with the AGO on multiple matters, but mostly on those matters that involve litigation against the health system. We value our close relationship and are grateful to have an embedded AAG, Lynn Wittenbrink, located in our office.
How does this new legal team “configuration” benefit UConn Health as a whole?
The shift from exclusively relying on outside attorneys to having an established in-house legal counsel is one that takes time to fully appreciate, but is significant in its benefits. For UConn Health, it means having advisors at your fingertip that are not charging you hourly to provide counsel. Additionally, embedding in-house attorneys in planning and operations allows the organization to think and react proactively to potential legal and regulatory matters as it moves forward with implementing its strategic initiatives. Leaders and frontline staff now have immediate access to prompt, reliable, and effective legal services.
You’ve been here almost a year now, what have you found to be the most challenging issue you’ve faced so far?
The most challenging issue that I’ve faced in this first year is shifting the culture around the proper use of legal services. Upon my arrival, the health system tended to use legal services only after something went wrong – which is expected when only using costly outside counsel. As we have taken on these issues over the past year, we have begun shifting the culture to engage our office early on rather than waiting for the issues to arise. This proactive approach not only limits the legal and financial risk to the institution before any action is taken, but it also gives assurance to leadership in the decisions that they make.
How can the UConn Health community access your expertise?
Our offices are located on the ground floor in the Academic Building. Our main number is x1114. Reached 24/7 through the hospital operator.
Parking has been known to be a polarizing issue on our campus. But most would agree that as the Bioscience Connecticut construction led to the addition of three garages, we’re at a much better place today. The man who oversees parking (and transportation, and event services) is Allan Peterson. Allan’s been at UConn Health for three years now. He lives in Griswold with his wife and the two youngest of their four children.
How has parking and transportation on our campus improved over the last few years?
In terms of parking the key improvement has been increased capacity (spaces) in high-demand areas. This has allowed us to offer additional Area 1 permits which in turn led to more convenient Area 3 spaces becoming available. We were also able to provide evening and weekend enhancements for our students and residents. And although smaller in scale, the repaving and restriping of several surface lots simply makes it easier to get in and out of spaces. We’ve also had some nice improvements in transportation services on campus with our new shuttles, well trained drivers, and the handy mobile app and desktop link which let you know where your shuttle is. CTtransit and CTfastrak have also been great partners by improving access to our campus from throughout the region. They are now carrying more than 4,000 passengers per month to and from our campus.
To what do you attribute that success?
To me it’s really a great story about teamwork. It all started with buying into our leadership’s vision of what Bioscience Connecticut and UConn Health would become. Then the people responsible for planning, safety, and operations worked together to understand the traffic and parking demands so we could create the best possible experience for the whole community. Of course there will always be bumps along the way when you undertake this type of amazing growth, but with everyone’s hard work, patience and perseverance we’re beginning to see some very good outcomes.
Allan Peterson
Favorite
sports team: Go Huskies!
Favorite delicacy:
My wife’s grilled fish on top of spinach and mashed potatoes.
Favorite way to unwind:
Waterskiing
Favorite vacation:
A few days exploring a national park with family and friends.
Something about you today that your younger self would never believe:
I drive a Prius.
People may not realize, your work is about more than lots and garages. What else does your office handle?
Although parking is a big piece, it’s not everything. Here’s a snapshot of what we handle.
6,500 parking permits for staff, students, residents and contractors
Parking for more than 2,000 patients and visitors daily
5,100 campus wide parking spaces
Valet parking at the University Tower, Main Building & Outpatient Pavilion
Campus shuttles which transport over 40,000 passengers annually
Partnering with CTrides and CTtransit to promote regional transportation services
Maintenance of the garages and parking equipment
Room scheduling for more than 4,000 meetings and events annually
Coordination of special event services
What would you say is the most misunderstood thing about parking?
One of the most common questions we hear in the parking world is, ‘Why do we charge for parking’? You will hear this from time to time at many institutions and municipalities across the country, especially during times of major growth. There is a great book (for transportation geeks like me), The High Cost of Free Parking, written by Donald Shoup, Ph.D., professor of urban planning and economics at UCLA. The book examines parking’s impact on society, the economy and the environment, and how a shift in the approach to transportation planning, engineering and operations can lead to many long-term benefits. The gist of the book is that for many decades the real costs of parking—maintaining driveways, sidewalks, lots, garages, and signage—were hidden by free or subsidized parking spaces, which in many cases lead to additional costs driven by declining infrastructures, traffic congestion, pollution, lost time, etc. One of Shoup’s recommendations, which has been widely adopted, was to first understand the planned utilization and demand of parking areas, and then to set pricing based on the distance from the destination, traffic demands, and fair market rates. Among the benefits would be reduced traffic congestion and pollution (by cutting down on ‘cruising for parking’), time savings, and modest revenues that can be reinvested into the community for maintenance, repairs, and other sustainable transportation programs.
What’s left to do in terms of parking on our campus?
Over the coming year we will be installing a new wayfinding sign package and bringing two visitor parking lots back on line. We’ll also continue to assess traffic demand and where it makes sense to initiate programs that improve efficiency and sustainability. Nevertheless, the real key to our long-term success is our staff’s caring, attentive approach, and diligence in making sure that we are providing a clean, welcoming, and safe environment so that everyone’s arrival and departure is as seamless as possible. We have this saying that goes, “Every day we have an opportunity to create an exceptional first and last impression for everyone at UConn Health.” That’s what we’re striving for: everyone, every day!
Visitors to the Outpatient Pavilion got a special treat Tuesday when 16 students from the preschool class at the UConn Health Creative Child Center sang a repertoire of holiday songs to the delight of dozens of onlookers. The annual event was broadcast live on Facebook for the benefit of loved ones who were unable to attend.
Ambulatory care services at UConn Health got into the holiday spirit Tuesday with an “Ugliest Sweater” contest. View the photo gallery to see a sampling of the contestants from across campus – along with the winner.