PULSE of NY Supports

National Healthcare Decisions Day

April 16, 2011

“This is the most important document you will ever sign” was emphasized by an elder-care attorney, speaking to a group of seniors at an assisted living complex.  The paper he held in his hand was a health care proxy, which documents the person you designate to speak for you in a crisis, should you not be able to speak for yourself.

“The reason it is so important is because it pertains to your life – not your money, your possessions or your assets”.  One needs only to fill out a single two sided sheet of paper, witnessed by two persons.  This is an advanced directive, a legal document not requiring an attorney.

You can spell out your wishes, regarding CPR, ventilation,  hydration – whatever you feel is best for you, or you can leave it up to the person you designate. The most important part is that you keep in touch with the designated person, your proxy, and have an ongoing conversation about your life.

National Healthcare Decisions Day, on April 16^th,  exists to remind all people, regardless of age or current health status, of the importance of making these decisions known.  Everyone over the age of 18 should fill out this important paper at once and keep it in a safe place. Make copies for your proxy and family members and encourage your loved ones to do the same.   To get more information or download a proxy visit www.pulseofny.org

Patricia A. Mulholland, RN

Board Member, Hospice Care Network

PULSE of NY, Patient Safety Advisory Council

About Hospice Care Network: Hospice Care Network believes in making every day count for the patient diagnosed with advanced illness. The focus is on caring, not curing, to allow the patient to live in peace and with dignity, surrounded by their friends and family in the environment they are most comfortable.   Our hospice services gives special care to support the family throughout the advanced illness experience. Hospice Care Network cares for patients of all ages, religions, races and illnesses in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Counties. 

About PULSE of NY: PULSE of New York is a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to raising awareness about patient safety and reducing medical errors through advocacy, education, and support. We work to empower the public to make informed decisions, increase effective communication and respect between healthcare providers and the public, and create community partnerships that will foster and ultimately lead to safer healthcare environments.

PULSE Update March 15, 2011

About PULSE:PULSE of New York is dedicated to raising awareness about patient safety and reducing medical errors through advocacy, education, and support. We work to empower the public to make informed decisions, increase effective communication and respect between healthcare providers and the public, and create community partnerships that will foster and ultimately lead to safer healthcare environments.
 What happens when the advocate becomes the patient?  Read about what happened on my blog here: Rants of a Patient Safety Advocate

Recently In the News: 

Selling Out Injured Baby Rights
New York State's Governor Andrew Cuomo will be judged harshly by history if he doesn't reverse his position supporting limiting the legal rights of brain damaged babies. Imagine a life-time $250,000 cap on pain and suffering and families having to endure a burdensome and humiliating struggle to get medical bills paid as they arise from an insurance funded entity.
Read more :    http://www.nader.org/index.php?/archives/2248-Selling-Out-Injured-Baby-Rights.html

Radiation Safety
Newswise — As part of Patient Safety Awareness Week, the American College of Radiology (ACR) reminds patients that everyone should understand radiology benefits and risks before they or a loved one receives an X-ray, computed tomography (CT) scan or other medical imaging exam.  Before undergoing a scan, patients should ask their physician...
Read more: http://www.newswise.com/articles/radiation-safety-during-patient-safety-awareness-week


New Guide From AHRQ Instruct on TeamSTEPPS TeamSTEPPS® Instructor Guide
The TeamSTEPPS Instructor Guide is designed to help you develop and deploy a customized plan to train your staff in teamwork skills and lead a medical teamwork improvement initiative in your organization from initial concept development through to sustainment of positive changes.
Get more information here:   http://www.ahrq.gov/teamsteppstools/instructor/index.html

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Releases Healthcare Quality Report. 
Highlights From the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports
Health care seeks to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease and to improve the physical and mental well-being of all Americans. Across the lifespan, health care helps people stay healthy, recover from illness, live with chronic disease or disability, and cope with death and dying. Quality health care delivers these services in ways that are safe, timely, patient centered, efficient, and equitable.  Read more herehttp://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhqr10/nhqr10.pdf

Learn more about PULSE of NY at www.pulseofny.org

PULSE Update March 8, 2011 Patient Safety Awareness Week

March 8, 2011

Patient Safety Awareness Week March 6-12, 2011 Visit the NPSF website for more information on Patient Safety Awareness Week! Here’s another tool to help you choose a hospital. Does your local hospital celebrate Patient Safety Awareness Week? This annual event, sponsored by the National Patient Safety Foundation is designed to highlight improved patient-provider communication as a vital part of keeping patients safe.  See where there are celebrations this year here. Patient Safety Awareness Week March 6-12, 2011  The Joint Commission celebrates Patient Safety Awareness Week with a new Speak Up video!  This just released video is free to anyone who wants to encourage the patient and /or their family to Speak Up.  This is the first of a series being introduced by The Joint Commission an independent, not-for-profit organization who accredits and certifies more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Learn more about Speak Up! PULSE of NY Training Sign up now for our Empathy Training.  Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing, but most of us learn early on that we are expected to "fix-it" when others are in pain. Groups will be small so register early here! About the instructors:  Anne Fleming and Barbara Singer have been facilitating Compassionate Communication classes at the South Nassau Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Freeport since 2005.  Their 13-week course is presented on Saturday mornings in the fall and spring of each year. See What's New at PULSE of NY See the PULSE of NY Programs and Tools! See how we can help you! Meet the Patient Safety Advisory Council Members for 2011. The Patient Safety Advisory Council (PSAC) was developed to have a wide-reaching impact on improving patient safety awareness in local communities while strengthening ties with health care providers and studying patient safety needs and how they differ or are the same for each other or other patients.  If you are a community leader, and want to be involved in the Patient Safety Advisory Council in New York, or, to start one in your community call (516) 579-4711 and see how we can help. Learn to be a Patient Safety Advocate for Your Friends, Family and People Who Need You Moms and wives often say they can advocate for their family. But who will advocate for mom when she is sick?  Next Class May 2, 2011  Register Here This 8 hour certificate program encourages the partnership between patient and provider and can be offered in your community!  You get the participants, we do the rest! Meet the May 2, 2011 instructors: Charles E. Cal., MS, MBA, R.N.,  Mr. Cal is the Director of Program Evaluation at the Krasnoff Quality Management Institute, a division of North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System and Adjunct Professor at New York Medical College, Valhalla, and Baruch College, New York City. He holds two Masters degrees from Adelphi University, one in Nursing Administration and another in Business Management. His expertise is in the coordination and development of quality management curricula. Leslie Farrington, MD  Leslie Farrington is a practicing gynecologist on Long Island. She completed her training at Long Island Jewish in 1989 and has been practicing and teaching at LIJ, now part of the North Shore LIJ Health System for most of the past 20 years. Dr. Farrington was involved in the planning and participation of the PULSE Patient Safety Health Fair for Patient Safety Awareness Week in March 2006. She was active in developing the curriculum for the Family Centered Patient Advocacy Training and has co-presented numerous patient advocate training workshops. Dr. Farrington is presently training in Compassionate Communication and has been involved in developing presentations for healthcare workers using compassionate communication skills. Help us to continue our services with a tax deductible donation to PULSE of NY that will help defray the costs of our programs.  In most cases, we do not charge for services.  We count on the support of people like you! Donations, in any amount can be made by credit card here  or, to save our credit card handling fees, send your donation directly to PULSE of NY PO Box 353 Wantagh NY 11793-0353.  To learn more about PULSE of NY, and how we can help the community you serve, call (516) 579-4711.

What’s New at PULSE of NY!

See What’s New at PULSE of NY!

January 20, 2011

Caring in a Crisis, Sunday Sermon - January 23, 2011 I will be speaking at the Southold Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Southold, NY.  My sermon is titled “Caring in a Crisis, How You Can Best Step Up to Help the Ones You Love”.  Services begin at 10:30 AM.

An Introduction to Empathy, Wednesday evenings February 2 and 9, 2011  from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM join us in an Introduction to Empathy. To get more information or to register, go to:  Introduction to Empathy

Family Centered Patient Advocate Training, Back by popular demand! May 2, 2011.  Space is strictly limited so register early at FCPA Registration! 

Look what is new to empower patients and families!

Center for Disease Control 

http://www.cdc.gov/

Since 1999, more than 125,000 patients in the United States have been notified of potential exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and HIV due to lapses in basic infection control practices. Many of these lapses involved healthcare providers reusing syringes, resulting in contamination of medication vials or containers which were used later on subsequent patients.   See what is being done to inform the public!  http://www.youtube.com/user/OneandOnlyCampaign

The Joint Commission  

http://www.jointcommission.org/

Released by The Joint Commission, entitled “Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient- and Family-Centered Care: A Roadmap for Hospitals.” Provides recommendations to inspire hospitals to address unique patient needs and comply with new standards for patient-centered communication.

National Patient Safety Foundation   

http://www.npsf.org/

Celebrating Patient Safety Awareness Week March 6-12 Watch the Patient Safety Awareness Week Video

What else is new?

I was a participant at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, IHI patient activists’ meeting in Orlando, FL in December 2010.  Fifty activists from all over the country (and from many other countries) came together to learn from each other and network.  If you are a Patient Safety Activist, see what is being discussed on Facebook at

IHI National Forum Leadership Summit for Patient Activists   

  

See what Doug is doing at PULSE of Florida!  http://www.pulseofflorida.org/

Meet Ted. Ted was misdiagnosed for years until his mother insisted she see doctors who could help and take her concerns seriously. You can see Ted on this video. I blog about my personal relationship with Ted.  You can read my blog here: Rants of a Patient Safety Advocate. 

See what’s new at the PULSE of NY website and keep up on our events and trainings.

PULSE of NY has speakers available and training about patient safety and advocacy for your organization or group from Middle School to Senior Citizens.  Our programs can be developed to your needs.  To learn more about PULSE of NY visit http://www.pulseofny.org/ or call 516.579.4711

If you want to make a tax deductible donation to PULSE of NY, go to Donate Now. 

PULSE of NY Held First Long Island Patient Safety Advocate Training

November 15, 2010

PULSE of NY Held First Long Island Patient Safety Advocate Training
LAKE SUCCESS, NY – PULSE of NY held its first Long Island Patient Safety Advocate Training last week at the North Shore-LIJ Health System’s Center for Learning and Innovation (CLI) and its Patient Safety Institute in Lake Success, attracting 22 community-minded individuals from as far away as Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

The full-day training was taught by PULSE board members Charles Cal, RN, MBA, who is also the Vice President of PULSE of NY and director of program evaluation at the North Shore-LIJ Krasnoff Quality Management Institute, and Leslie Farrington, MD, a gynecologist based on Long Island. In the first part of the program, the group learned about patient safety and hospital policy. It was followed by a discussion about critical communication skills presented by Ilene Corina, President of PULSE of NY and Dr.Farrington. This interactive session taught essential communication skills and empathy.

During the second half of the training, volunteers were introduced to CLI’s Patient Safety Institute, which houses high-tech simulation labs resembling hospital rooms and feature life-like computerized mannequins that respond like actual patients. The facility – one of the largest of its kind in the country -- is used to train doctors, nurses, medical students and other healthcare professionals to hone their clinical skills to prevent medical errors. The Patient Safety Institute is also used to train emergency medical technicians and community groups.

Using the simulation lab, participants had an opportunity to interact with clinicians and practice their communications skills, for instance, when a doctor or nurse didn’t wash their hands, appropriately answer their questions or follow hospital policy on consent for surgery. The training was videotaped and the rest of the group watched from a nearby classroom on a large screen as the situations unfolded. After the scenario, participants joined the group for a debriefing.

“We address the needs of the entire family in our training” explained Ms. Corina. “By using the simulators and the actors, participants are emotionally engaged in the process and learning is enhanced. The hands-on aspect definitely makes a huge impact as opposed to just talking about patient safety.”

Participants received certificates of completion and many will continue their training with PULSE of NY through conference calls or the internet.

For three years, PULSE of NY has brought together a team of community members, physicians, pharmacists, nurses and risk managers who developed the Patient Safety Advocate Training and taught the program in the community. Another Patient Safety Advocate Training is planned for the Spring of 2011.

To learn more, visit http://www.pulseofny.org/ or call (516) 579-4711.

RL Solutions Presents 2010 MITSS HOPE Award to Ilene Corina

November 15, 2010

Sanjay Malaviya, President & CEO, RL Solutions prsents HOPE award to Ilene Corina, President PULSE of NY
RL Solutions Presents 2010 MITSS HOPE Award to Ilene Corina

RL Solutions, developers of innovative and easy-to-use healthcare quality and safety software, announced today that Ilene Corina is the winner of the 2010 MITSS HOPE Award. For the past 12 months, nominations have poured in from acrossNorth America for individuals and organizations that have embodied the MITSS mission: to provide support for patients, families and physicians who are involved in adverse medical events.

Although there were many exceptional submissions this year, the judges selected Ilene Corina, the founder of PULSE of New York, as the nominee who was most representative of MITSS' mission. RL Solutions, the sponsor of this year's HOPE Award, recognized Ms. Corina for her tireless efforts in pursuit of patient safety, advocacy and education. Selected from among 10 finalists, Ilene was awarded $5,000 at the 9th Annual MITSS Dinner and Fundraiser, held at the Westin Copley Place Hotel inBoston, MA on Thursday, November 4th.

"Ilene has experienced the best and worst of our healthcare system and has never wavered from her goal of improving the patient experience," said Sanjay Malaviya, President & CEO of RL Solutions. "We are honored to sponsor the HOPE award and support an outstanding organization such as MITSS. Our small role is especially humbling when we are able to help bring more attention to extraordinary people like Ilene and her inspirational organization, PULSE of New York."

"Not a minute goes by that I am not thinking about patient safety, that I am not passionate about my work or anxious to reach more people," said Ilene Corina, founder of PULSE of NY. "Being awarded this year's MITSS HOPE award helps reaffirm the value of the work that patient safety advocates do each day. It will also help save additional lives, as the services we offer are now more visible to both healthcare consumers and healthcare providers. I can't thank RL Solutions and MITSS enough for this honor."

For more information about Ilene Corina, her organization (PULSE of NY) and other finalists, visit the HOPE Award website at www.mitsshopeaward.org

About RL Solutions
RL Solutions designs innovative healthcare software for patient feedback, incident reporting & risk management, infection surveillance and claims management. At RL Solutions, nurturing long-lasting relationships with our clients is what we do best. We have over 600 clients, including healthcare networks, hospitals, long-term care facilities and more. RL Solutions is a global company with offices in Canada, the United States, Australia and the UK. For more information, visit www.rlsolutions.com.

About MITSS
MITSS is a non-profit corporation with headquarters in Chestnut Hill, MA, who is Supporting Healing and Restoring Hope to patients, families and clinicians impacted by medical errors and adverse events. For more information, please visit www.mitss.org.

About PULSE of NY
Since 1997, PULSE of has been dedicated to raising awareness about patient safety and reducing medical errors through advocacy, education and support. PULSE of NY works to empower the public to make informed decisions, increase effective communication and respect between healthcare providers and the public, and creates community partnerships that will foster and ultimately lead to safer healthcare environments. Learn more at www.pulseofny.o rg.

PULSE of NY Offers an Introduction to Empathy

An Introduction to Empathy -- Learning How to Connect with Others


Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing, but most of us learn early on that we are expected to "fix-it" when others are in pain.


Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."


• Learn listening skills and how to offer empathy at home, at work and anywhere that you want to connect with someone.
• Practice listening skills.
• Connect with the feelings and needs of yourself and others.


When: Wednesday evenings, February 2 and February 9 (attendance at both is recommended)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Where: South Nassau Unitarian Universalist Congregation
228 South Ocean Ave, Freeport, NY
Cost: Recommended donation for both evenings $15.00 to be paid at first session.

We encourage small groups so we anticipate that this program will be filled early. Register early here

 About the instructors: Anne Fleming and Barbara Singer have been facilitating Compassionate Communication classes at the South Nassau Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Freeport since 2005. Their 13-week course is presented on Saturday mornings in the fall and spring of each year. The next session begins Saturday, February 5.