 |
| Board member John Bilello sells chances at the 50/50 |
 |
| Board member Charles Cal thanks everyone for coming |
 |
Board member Leslie Farrington sells raffle tickets |
PULSE of NY Fundraiser a Huge Success!
The PULSE of NY fundraiser; “Patient Safety Isn’t Funny but Laughter is the Best Medicine” was a huge success at the Brokerage Comedy Club with almost 100 attendees showing up to hear 5 local comedians. Many guests left their troubles at the door as the sound of friend’s, colleague’s, and families’ laughter filled the lounge. Following the 90 minute show many guests expressed their satisfaction by stating “I hope you do this every year”. The night ended on a high note when nineteen raffle baskets and fourteen gift cards were given out followed by the 50/50 drawing after the show. In light of this success, PULSE of New York hopes to establish Comedy Night as a yearly event.
Advocate Training
 |
| Rick Popovic of enhancedCare MD and Ilene Corina |
(Wantagh NY, September 2011) Ilene Corina, President PULSE of NY and Patient Safety Advocate held a Family Centered Patient Advocacy training at enhancedCareMD in Rochester NY on August 30; just in time for the start of the much anticipated program servicing the people of Rochester and surrounding areas. EnhancedCareMD will offer better patient / provider relationships through phone calls, e-mails and more timely appointments.
The nurses and community patient’s advocate who would be called upon through this elite service, were taught about patient safety and areas where hospitals may fall short of safe care. Falls, infections, health literacy, medication and surgery safety were just some of the topics addressed. Difficult role playing scenarios often stumped participants and encouraged discussion about the importance of communication as well as past experiences and concerns.
Rick Popovic, Executive Vice President of enhancedCareMD played the part of an aggressive doctor speaking only to the advocate and rushing her to sign a consent form. The gentle nurse of 32 years, who played the advocate, struggled with the words to stand up to the doctor. She has always been taught to do and accept whatever the doctor says. One nurse in the room, also with over 30-years experience, suggested that nurses were taught for years to stand when a doctor enters the room. Participants practiced with an intensity that is sure to make them both thorough and sensitive to the patient’s needs.
Although there are different levels of care at enhancedCareMD, patient advocacy services are growing. An extra set of eyes can help ensure the patient’s safety. This training aligns with the mission of PULSE of NY: to educate and advocate for safe, quality care. Nurses in the patient advocate role are encouraged to be an extension of the patient. In the PULSE of NY training they are advised to avoid using their nursing skills because doing so can easily lead to overstepping their bounds as advocates. “The nurse advocate has the knowledge to recognize when more care or further explanation is needed but should not take the place of the patient / provider conversation” explains Ilene Corina who has been teaching Family Centered Patient Advocacy since 2006. “The nurse as an advocate shouldn’t be that different than a person with no medical background advocating”.
The Faces of Medical Error...
Through such discussion with the community, PULSE of NY fulfills its mission of engaging and educating the public and communities with the goal of progressing towards safer patient care experiences as patients interface with the health system.
 |
| Left to right, Dr. Leslie Farrington, Charles Cal, RN, Steven Pegalis ESQ. |
On August 29, 2011 PULSE of NY sponsored an evening of education and dialogue at the South Nassau Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Freeport Long Island. The topic was the value of the Informed Consent and the concept of Shared Decision Making process that impacts outcomes in medical care. The video was a 45-minute movie called The Faces of Medical Error…. From Tears to Transparency is the story of Michael Skolnik, a 25 year old man from Colorado who died in June 2004 following unnecessary brain surgery.
His parents, Patty and David tell the story of Michael’s life and the care leading to his death with nationally recognized patient safety experts sharing their views. Three years before his death Michael fainted and multiple brain scans showed a non-life threatening cyst. But their consult with a neurosurgeon and his subsequent advice indicated that this was something serious that needed immediate interventions - surgery. Of note, is that this level of surgery was unnecessary and not consistent with the recommended guidelines in the clinical research.
Michael never recovered. He suffered permanent brain damage and finally after three years of suffering the negative consequence that included nosocomial infections, he succumbed to his injuries and passed away with his parents at his side. During that time, his parents learned that the neurosurgeon was at fault and this case has since been utilized as a learning tool to educate others on transparency in medical care. In Colorado, the Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act was passed in 2007 and makes malpractice judgments part of the public record.
The 45 minute panel discussion following the video was moderated by Charles E. Cal, RN, MS, MBA, CPHQ, Vice President of PULSE of NY. Panelists consisted of Dr. Leslie Farrington, a gynecologist in private practice in Freeport NY and Steven Pegalis Esq., Founder and Senior Partner, Pegalis & Erickson, LLC., Great Neck NY.
Dr. Farrington explained that a doctor must have a conversation with the patient and when appropriate the family. Mr. Pegalis agreed and explained physicians are required to protect the public. Discussing the risks and alternatives with the patient keeps them thinking about what the risks actually are. Mr. Pegalis also stressed that all doctors, as in any other situation, must be held accountable for their behavior.
A passionate discussion between audience members and panelists ensued. An audience member responded that the family was not informed of the alternatives including other doctors or other procedures and that Michael may be alive were they given an alternative of if they were made aware of what the literature recommendation beforehand. Another person questioned if Michael was old enough and capable of make his own decisions especially since he was under stress.
It was agreed that while a great deal was left out of the events surrounding the case, that it was a sobering reminder that medical errors, adverse events or negative outcomes in medical treatment are always very complicated.
Through such discussion with the community, PULSE of NY fulfills its mission of engaging and educating the public and communities with the goal of progressing towards safer patient care experiences as patients interface with the health system. This level of dialogue encourages the community to become informed and to proactively partner with health care professionals, paraprofessionals and hospitals, etc. in their care. By bringing together various experts, PULSE of NY, the grassroots patient safety organization, is able to play a much needed role as they lead a discussion on informed consent and the importance that shared decision making brings towards improving communication and ultimately patient safety.
Sponsors of this event included:
PULSE of NY Update
 |
| Mirna Cortes-Obers |
PULSE of NY offers patient safety education in Spanish and English!
Mirna Cortes-Obers has been working at the Central American Refugee Center (CARECEN) since 1991. Since 2008, as part of her work at CARECEN, she has been a health advocate for the Hispanic community. Ms. Cortes has assisted individual Hispanic immigrants with obtaining access to affordable and quality health care by ensuring that they are provided both language and financial assistance as required by law. Ms. Cortes has degrees in Public Relations and Sociology and has completed courses toward a Master's Degree in Humanities.
Choosing a Hospital or Doctor
A common concern that is shared with PULSE of NY is how to choose a doctor or hospital. It makes us feel vulnerable when we have a choice and fear we may make the wrong one. So how should we choose?
Web MD Suggests look for a hospital that:
- Is accredited by the Joint Commission.
- Is rated highly by State or consumer or other groups.
- Is one where your doctor has privileges, if that is important to you.
- Is covered by your health plan.
- Has experience with your condition.
- Has had success with your condition.
- Checks and works to improve its own quality of care.
Choosing a doctor is a difficult task too but an important one.
From Consumer Reports:
Choosing a doctor is one of the most important things you will do in your life. You will trust this person for his or her expertise, advice and to administer treatment that may save your life.
Try to avoid picking a doctor at random from your health plan's list or out of the phone book. In a recent Consumer Reports survey, people who found their physicians through someone they trusted--a friend, a family member, or another doctor--had the most favorable experiences. (We found a similar phenomenon in a 2004 survey of consumers who visited mental-health professionals.)
If you're picking a doctor to care for a specific condition, ask about how often he or she treats cases similar to yours. Patients we surveyed who took this step were more satisfied with their care. You can also ask the doctor about specialty board certification, which requires advanced training and the passing of rigorous tests.
Try to avoid picking a doctor at random from your health plan's list or out of the phone book. In a recent Consumer Reports survey, people who found their physicians through someone they trusted--a friend, a family member, or another doctor--had the most favorable experiences. (We found a similar phenomenon in a 2004 survey of consumers who visited mental-health professionals.)
If you're picking a doctor to care for a specific condition, ask about how often he or she treats cases similar to yours. Patients we surveyed who took this step were more satisfied with their care. You can also ask the doctor about specialty board certification, which requires advanced training and the passing of rigorous tests.
No matter what hospital we choose, it’s important to remember good things come out of every hospital. Just the same, every hospital has the potential to cause an unplanned outcome or even an injury to a patient. It is therefore just as important that the patient and the family or friend, is also prepared with important information. See our Quick Guide to Patient Advocacy
Helpful Information:
To contact PULSE of NY for help as an advocate for a family member or friend or for a speaker or program, call (516) 579-4711.
If you are receiving this as a forward and want to be added to our e-mail update go to PULSEUpdates and sign up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)