September 29, 2011 Volume 1, Issue 10 | ||
Caregivers Voice Emotions of Working with Victims of Violence at Schwartz RoundsJoe, a 20-year-old man, is admitted to Boston Medical Center’s Emergency Department with a gunshot wound to the head. By the next morning, he is dead. His family, who are present at the hospital, are devastated. How do his caregivers feel? On a recent Tuesday morning they spoke to a standing-room-only crowd about the emotions they experienced surrounding the young man’s death. “I learned that this man’s family lived eight houses away from me,” said the nurse who cared for Joe. “That was tough. I realized I may have seen them. But to do my job, I had to look past that and focus on the care.” “You grieve with the patient and family when they first arrive,” said Suresh Agarwal, MD, Chief, Surgical Critical Care. “But sometimes grief gets in the way of providing the best care possible and you have to separate it and move forward.”
Members of the patient’s care team were panelists at the Schwartz Center Rounds, a forum where BMC caregivers from multiple hospital disciplines come together to discuss the emotional impact and challenges of patient care based on an actual case. The rounds, held in more than 200 facilities in 32 states, commemorate Kenneth Schwartz, a Massachusetts health-care lawyer diagnosed with lung cancer in 1994 who believed in nurturing the compassion in medicine. Panelists included members of BMC’s Violence Intervention Advocacy Program (VIAP), which helps victims of violence recover from physical and emotional trauma, and Public Safety officers who worked on the case. Thea James, MD, Director, VIAP, and an emergency medicine attending physician, presented an overview of the program and shared her thoughts on caring for victims. “I think about the difference between myself and the patient and its opportunity,” said James. “This man lost his life and it’s a lost opportunity for society to benefit from what he had to contribute.” The rounds ended with questions and thoughts from the audience. “I worry that we have become desensitized to the violence,” said an attendee. “I don’t know how we continue to care with compassion and ensure patients aren’t just another statistic. How do we do it?” “I think the key is to humanize the victim,” responded James. “That’s what makes him not just another statistic.” | ||
Staff Pedal for Pediatrics in Rodman RideThis weekend, 22 BMC staffers will pedal their bikes 25, 50 or 100 miles around Massachusetts to raise funds for the hospital’s pediatric programs through the Rodman Ride for Kids. The Rodman Ride for Kids is an umbrella matching gift charity that raises funds for youth-focused social-service agencies that support at-risk children in the Commonwealth. All funds raised by the ride go directly to charities, including BMC. Rodman Ride provides a 10 percent match to the total raised. This is BMC’s third year participating in the ride and each rider commits to raising $1,500, with an overall goal of raising $100,000 for BMC’s Child Witness to Violence program, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the Autism clinic and more.
“I ride because I am proud to work here and want to support the great work we do,” says JoseAlberto Betances, MD, Assistant Division Chief of Primary Care, Pediatrics, and a three-time Rodman Ride participant. “My fundraising supports the Pediatric Team Kids Fund that we use to help our patients with basic needs, such as a crib or stroller for a homeless mother, as well as things like camp scholarships.” Betances is captain of Team Kids, a subgroup of Team BMC. The group of 14 BMC staff and residents are riding to raise $15,000 for the Team Kids Fund. Rodman Ride starts and ends in Foxboro, one mile south of Gillette Stadium. Cyclists loop through the flat, scenic back roads of Southeastern Massachusetts and enjoy a barbeque and raffle when they’re done. “I ride for the SPARK Center, which is an amazing program that benefits many of Boston’s most vulnerable children,” says Trysha Ahern, Section Administrator, Pediatric Infectious Disease. “Due to serious cutbacks from all levels over the last few years, I am dedicated to raising much needed funds for this program.”
| ||
Study Finds Aggressive Glycemic Control in Diabetic CABG Patients Does Not Improve Survival
BMC surgeons have found that in diabetic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, aggressive glycemic control does not result in any significant improvement of clinical outcomes as compared with moderate control. The findings, which appear in this month’s issue of Annals of Surgery, also found the incidence of hypoglycemic events increased with aggressive glycemic control.
Currently 40 percent of all patients undergoing CABG suffer from diabetes, and this number is quickly rising. Traditionally these patients have more complications following surgery, including greater risk of heart attacks, more wound infections and reduced long-term survival. Eighty-two diabetic patients undergoing CABG were prospectively randomized to receive either aggressive glycemic control or moderate glycemic control using continuous intravenous insulin solutions beginning at anesthesia and continuing for 18 hours after surgery. BMC Cardiothoracic Surgeon Harold Lazar, MD, author of the presentation, says there was no difference in the incidence of major adverse effects between the two groups. “Aggressive glycemic control did not result in any significant improvement of clinical outcomes than can be achieved with moderate control,” says Lazar. “Although aggressive glycemic control did increase the incidence of hypoglycemic events, it did not result in an increased incidence of neurological events.” | ||
What Do You Do, Jean Figaro?Name: Jean Figaro
What brought you to BMC? What do you do here? Do you see the results of your work? What do you like about your job? Do you know a staff member who should be profiled? Send your suggestions to communications@bmc.org. | ||
In Their WordsPatients share their BMC experienceI want to take a few minutes of your time to tell you about an exceptional patient care experience my wife and I had with the birth of our baby.
My wife decided to have our baby at BMC not only because it was convenient (both my wife and I work here) but also because of the countless times we have witnessed first-hand exceptional care without exception. Our physicians treated us with kindness and respect and took the time to explain to us what was happening and the nurses in Labor and Delivery and the Mother/Baby Unit were nothing short of exceptional! Last Friday my wife delivered a happy and healthy baby boy, and we cannot thank the staff of Boston Medical Center enough for all that they did for us - and for all that they do every day for patients in need of care. | ||
News of Note
Bowling for BMC BMC receives Radiology ultrasound accreditation
Saltalamacchia lends name to coffee for BMC Saltalamacchia visited the Downtown Crossing location Sept. 21. to kick-off sales of the drink and meet and greet fans. | ||
Awards and AccoladesThe Boston Medical Center (BMC) HealthNet Plan, the largest Medicaid health plan in Massachusetts, earned the No. 3 ranking among Medicaid plans in the nation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in its Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Rankings, 2011–2012. The ranking is based on its score in quality performance reviews conducted by NCQA. BMC HealthNet Plan also earned an Excellent Accreditation, NCQA’s highest possible accreditation status, for its Medicaid (MassHealth) plan, a distinction it has achieved continuously since 2008. “We are extremely pleased with the consistently high results of this independent review of our health care quality performance,” says Tom Traylor, Vice President of BMC HealthNet Plan. “Earning this high rank is the result of an extraordinary and ongoing collaboration on the part of our health care providers and our health plan staff in support of our members who received the medical visits, tests, immunizations, lab work and other services they need in order to become or remain as healthy as possible.” BMC HealthNet Plan currently serves 194,000 Medicaid members through 58 hospitals and 15,000 healthcare providers across Massachusetts. BMC HealthNet Plan counts 238,000 members overall including 45,000 members in Commonwealth Care, a subsidized state insurance program. |
