Pulse

Engaging and Educating Patients While They Wait

The Pulmonary Department waiting room where a new TV monitor has been installed in partnership with AccentHealth, a healthcare media company that provides healthy living video programming. (Photo by Janine Gelineau)
The Pulmonary Department waiting room where a new TV monitor has been installed in partnership with AccentHealth, a healthcare media company that provides healthy living video programming. (Photo by Janine Gelineau)

If you have ever spent time in your doctor’s waiting room, you may have read some well-worn magazines or watched reality TV to pass the time. This is no longer the case at UConn Health.

Recently, new TV monitors were installed in many of the waiting rooms in the Outpatient Pavilion and the Cardiology, Pulmonary and Nephrology waiting rooms in the main building. In partnership with AccentHealth, a healthcare media company that provides a patient engagement solution for physician waiting and exam rooms, UConn Health patients are being educated and empowered to live healthy lives by receiving credible health information.

“The patients in our waiting rooms are watching a television network that provides exclusive programming produced by CNN and co-hosted by CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and HLN Morning News Anchor Robin Meade. AccentHealth also delivers specialty networks that are produced in partnership with the American Cancer Society, Harvard Medical School, and the American Heart Association,” says Vice President of Ambulatory Services Anne Horbatuck. Segments include health news, living well, fitness, nutrition, medical breakthroughs, safety tips, and healthy recipes. In addition to the network programming, patients also view UConn Health produced videos and messaging.

“Patients used to sit down and either check their phones or read a magazine. Now they spend their time in the waiting room learning about health-related topics or getting wellness tips,” says practice manager Kelly Clarke. “The patient feedback has been so positive that we have increased the time the programming is available in our waiting room,” adds Clarke.

Bye-bye, Building 20

Building 20, constructed in 1990 for extra office space at UConn Health, in the process of being demolished. (Photo by Janine Gelineau)
Building 20, constructed in 1990 for extra office space at UConn Health, in the process of being demolished. (Photo by Janine Gelineau)

There are probably not too many of us mourning the demise of Building 20 – the small wood frame structure that was connected to the back of the main building where the police department is located. While it was drafty and dreary and had no running water (which meant no bathrooms!), it did serve a vital need for office space when it was first constructed in 1990.

Occupancy varied over the ensuing years, but typically served as academic and research-related support space. According to Thomas Trutter, AVP of campus planning, design and construction, “By removing this older, less than desirable structure, we are reducing long-term maintenance costs and the newly renovated space in the main building provides much more energy efficient and better configured office space.”

A pile of rubble is all that is left of Building 20 which housed research and academic office space for more than 25 years. (Photo by Janine Gelineau)
A pile of rubble is all that is left of Building 20 which housed research and academic office space for more than 25 years. (Photo by Janine Gelineau)

New Chief Counsel for Health

Brian White has been named Chief Counsel at UConn Health.
Brian White has been named Chief Counsel at UConn Health.

In January, Brian White will join UConn as chief counsel at UConn Health. In this role he will report to both Richard Orr, vice president and general counsel for the University of Connecticut, and Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, executive vice president for health affairs and CEO of UConn Health.

Currently Brian is associate general counsel for University of Wisconsin Health, a system with six hospitals and over 2,600 faculty physicians. Prior to UW Health, he was in-house counsel for University of Iowa Healthcare for nine years. He began his legal career with a private practice in Chicago after receiving both his JD and BA degrees from the University of Iowa where he continues to serve as adjunct faculty.

“The addition of Brian to the UConn Health leadership team comes at an important time for our organization,” says Dr. Agwunobi. “His experience in academic systems with transactions and physician relationships puts us in a stronger position to be an active part of a changing healthcare landscape across Connecticut.”

“Brian is an important addition to the legal team at UConn.  He represents another example of increased collaboration between UConn Health and the rest of the University,” says Orr. “ By enhancing  our in-house legal capacity we can reduce our dependence on outside law firms and improve service to internal clients at all of our campuses.”

“Joining an organization with the national reputation of UConn, at a time when they are so poised for success, is an opportunity I could not pass on,” says White. “I look forward to working with the exceptional team already established at UConn Health and furthering the tradition and vision of the academic medical system.”

Brian will be joined in Connecticut by his wife, Alicia, and their four children.

Last Call for 2016 HEP Compliance

A screenshot from the Health Enhancement Program online portal.
A screenshot from the Health Enhancement Program online portal.

Following is a message from Anne Horbatuck, vice president of ambulatory services, Anne Diamond, UConn John Dempsey Hospital chief executive officer, and Dr. Steven Lepowsky, UConn School of Dental Medicine senior associate dean for education and patient care:

Call for Your HEP Appointment Today

Now is the time to schedule all your preventive health visits and screenings required through the state Health Enhancement Program (HEP). The deadline to complete all your visits and screenings is Dec. 31.

UConn Health can schedule HEP appointments for all state employees and their dependents (if applicable). Appointments are available Monday through Friday at UConn Health locations throughout the state including Canton, East Hartford, Farmington, Putnam, Plainville, Simsbury, Southington, Storrs, and West Hartford. Here are the dedicated numbers to call:

All medical/preventive appointments: call 1.844.577.7055

For appointments at the Storrs office: 860.487.9200

For mammography appointments: 860.679.2784

  • UConn Health can help you fulfill all your HEP requirements including yearly physicals, cholesterol screening, vision screening (ophthalmology), mammography, women’s health, colon cancer screening, colonoscopy, blood draw, and more.
  • Calls are answered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please feel free to leave a message after hours.

 For Dental cleaning appointments: call 860.679.3170

  • This applies to the necessary dental cleanings.
  • Calls are answered Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please feel free to leave a message after hours.

To make sure you are scheduling all required appointments for your age group, please log onto the HEP portal at www.CTHEP.com. If you prefer to access this information by phone, you can contact Care Management Solutions toll free at 877.687.1448.

 

Successful Surge Drill for ED

  • UConn Health employees participate in a surge drill in the emergency department at UConn John Dempsey Hospital Nov. 29, 2016.
UConn John Dempsey Hospital successfully conducted a realistic drill assessing its emergency preparedness and communications in the case of an external disaster, a Code Yellow, on Nov. 29. The 9 a.m. drill’s mock scenario tested the hospital’s response to a surge of 18 patients arriving to its Emergency Department after a multiple trauma bus accident occurred on I-84. The hospital’s emergency response was immediate with swift communication and activation of the Hospital Incident Command Center led by Nursing Director, Caryl Ryan. As Incident Commander, Ryan directed the team’s real-time response and communications of all personnel, hospital units, phone, and Everbridge System alerts via phone messages, emails and text alerts. UConn Health thanks the ED, Command Center, Fire Department and EMS, doctors, nurses and staff, including employees who played injured patients, for their drill participation and quick responsive actions in the role-play to help uncover any improvements necessary to put in place for a future, real-life situation.

Lakeesha Brown: 2016 Dr. Deckers Award Honoree

  • The Dr. Peter J. Deckers Employee Appreciation Award finalists from left, Lakeesha Brown, Elizabeth Cwalinski, Ursula Knight, and Carol Schramm. (Photo by Tina Encarnacion)
It’s among the highest honors a UConn Health employee can receive – the Dr. Peter J. Deckers Employee Appreciation Award. Who qualifies as a Deckers Award nominee? An employee who consistently demonstrates passion and commitment, strong leadership, exemplary professional skills, and goes above and beyond to help meet the goals of UConn Health. The award was first presented in 2009 and is named after Dr. Peter Deckers, retired executive vice president for health affairs and dean emeritus of the UConn School of Medicine.

This year’s honoree is Lakeesha Brown, principal labor relations specialist in the Department of Human Resources. Christine Cieplinski, director of labor relations, nominated Lakeesha saying “she sees every work day as an opportunity to positively invest employees in the mission and vision of UConn Health.” Hear what else Christine said about Lakeesha.

The three other finalists for the Deckers Award were:

Elizabeth Cwalinski, Housekeeping Supervisor (Nominated by Cliff Ashton, AVP Facilities Management and Operations)

Ursula Knight, CMHC Nursing Supervisor (Nominated by Connie Weiskopf, Director of Nursing and Patient Care Services, CMHC)

Carol Schramm, Registered Nurse (Nominated by Dr. Thomas Yasuda, Medical Director, Operating Room)

The Deckers Awards and the annual celebration of employee years of service were held Nov. 21 in the Academic Rotunda during a high-energy ceremony emceed by Alexis Crean, organization and staff development specialist in the Department of Human Resources.

Anne Horbatuck Named VP of Ambulatory Services

Anne Horbatuck
Anne Horbatuck

After nearly a year in an interim role, Anne Horbatuck has been named Vice President, Ambulatory Services. In this role she has responsibilities for ambulatory practices with both UConn Medical Group and UConn John Dempsey Hospital. In over thirty years with UConn Health, Anne has held a number of roles including as Chief Operating Officer of the Musculoskeletal Institute, Director of Signature Programs, and as a nursing director, manager and service line leader.

“Removing Anne’s interim designation is well deserved,” said Dr. Andy Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health and EVP for Health Affairs. “She has shown passion for her work, dedication to the organization and a commitment to making UMG a top tier patient service organization.”

“I am excited to have such a significant opportunity to impact the future of UConn Health,” said Horbatuck. “I love the potential we have and look forward to working with people in all roles of ambulatory operations to create a great patient experience that contributes to the overall success of UConn Health”.

 

UConn Health Configuring Its New EMR System

Roberta Luby and Dean Moroniti from UConn Health's HealthONE team (Photo by Chris DeFrancesco)
Roberta Luby and Dean Moroniti from UConn Health’s HealthONE team (Photo by Chris DeFrancesco)

In less than a year and a half, UConn Health will be using a new integrated electronic medical records system that will enable patient information to seamlessly and securely follow patients wherever they go, both within and outside of UConn Health.

Informally known as “Epic,” which is the name of the vendor, UConn Health has adopted the name “HealthONE” for this suite of applications designed to make the delivery of health care safer and more efficient.

A team of 100 specially trained employees and consultants has been working on the intricate 23-month undertaking to program HealthONE for UConn Health since May. The project is in the “adoption and build” phase, which is nearing the end of its second wave next month. Here is where a lot of the configuration takes place.

“In the scheduled Dec. 13 through 15 Adoption 2 session, we will be pulling in managers and subject matter experts from across the clinical and financial organizations to look at the dashboards that will help them manage our patient care, quality measures, and financial results,” says Roberta Luby, assistant vice president for HealthONE. “We will also discuss the reports that will be available out of the system, and determine which reports they are going to need to manage their day when we go live.”

UConn Health One badgeFor example, a dashboard tool could aggregate data on admitted patients that today may take several hours a day to identify and analyze. The time saved then can be spent on caring for patients, ensuring safety and improving outcomes.

“We’re going to show them what that dashboard might look like, where that information might show up, and what quality measures are available, and let them decide what kind of data they need to see, how often, and when,” Luby says.

Major milestones achieved to date include completion of the direction phase, where current and potential future workflows were reviewed, and the certification of 80 members of the HealthONE team.

Next after the adoption and building phase is the testing phase, an eight-month period starting next May that involves running thousands of scenarios to make sure the system is designed and operating as intended. During that time, a team of trainers also will be working to prepare the training materials and plan the training logistics.

The timeline calls for end-user training to start in early 2018, two-to-three-months before HealthONE goes live in April 2018.

“This system will establish one patient record whether the individual is coming to the ED, an outpatient clinic, or has an admission in the hospital,” Luby says. “It’s going to allow us to see everything that occurred on that patient and have one view into his or her allergies, medications, procedures and immunizations, allowing safe, efficient care regardless of where that patient is in our care environment.”

HealthONE also will allow the exchange of patient information with other EMR, enabling UConn Health to send and receive data from other hospitals and practices that may be using a different system.

“We’ll be able to assemble all the data needed for a patient to enable a provider to care for that patient safely,” Luby says.

 

PAWS Awards for November

Human Resources has announced the PAWS award recipients for November.

In case you’ve forgotten, PAWS stands for:  Part of a team | Awesome attitude | Wonderful work ethic | Superior service

The following employees consistently perform above and beyond the expectations of their job.

Lisa Bartis………………………………………………….Volunteer Services

Mary Ann Caron………………………………………..UMG – Nephrology

Gladys Diaz……………………………………………….Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center

Dorothy Linnhoff……………………………………….Graduate Office

Velma Martinez…………………………………………Radiology

Lea Pannella……………………………………………..CMHC – MacDougal/Walker

Lisa Pepin…………………………………………………Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center

Carly Rivera………………………………………………Cardiology

Team – COAs of 3 East

Donna Cordeira…………………………………………UMG – General Neurology

Desiree Doty……………………………………………..UMG – Nephrology

Yahaira Serrano Felix……………………………….Rehabilitation Services – Outpatient

 

  • November 2016 PAWS Awards