B e r k s h i r e H e a l t h S y s t e m s E m p l o y e e N e w s l e t t e r

ScopeApril 11, 2013

Volume 35 Issue 7

BMC Launches Inpatient Palliative Care Consult Service

Physicians who are part of the new Palliative Care team at BMC, from left, Dr. Eve Block, Division Chief, and Hospitalists, Drs. Tony Makdisi and Ram Muthavarapu.

Berkshire Medical Center has initiated a palliative care consult service for inpatients. The consultations

will provide specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses with the goal of improving quality of life for patients and their families. The palliative care team collaborates with all of a patient’s doctors and caregivers to provide an extra layer of support at any stage in a serious illness. The new service is led by Eve Block, MD, a board certified Hospice and Palliative Medicine physician who recently joined BMC, and includes physicians, social workers and chaplains.

“Palliative Care focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of their serious illness, whatever the diagnosis,” said Dr. Block. “ Our team is also available to support patients and their families and work with other medical professionals to discuss patient prognosis, goals of medical care and optimal treatment plans to achieve those goals.”

The Palliative Care team includes: Dr. Block, Division Chief; Tony Makdisi, MD, and Ram Muthavarapu, MD, both board certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine; Teresa Caldwell, MSW, LICSW; Sherri Ryan-Mann, MSW, LICSW; Newell Young, MSW, LICSW; and BMC Chaplains Colette Hanlon, SC, MED, MA, BCC and the Reverend Art Kaufman, MDiv.

“Palliative care consultation does not require a patient to be at the point of considering or needing hospice care,” said Dr. Block. “In fact, studies have shown that early involvement with palliative care results in improved quality of life, better communication of patient wishes and increased satisfaction with care. Palliative care is provided in conjunction with curative treatment to help alleviate the physical, psychosocial and spiritual distress of chronic life-limiting illness and its treatment.”

Patients who can benefit from a palliative care consultation often suffer from illnesses such as, but not limited to cancer, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, recurrent infections, congestive heart failure, stroke and renal failure.

Common reasons for calling for a palliative care consultation:• A patient’s physical symptoms are difficult to manage or control• A patient received news about his or her prognosis and needs to discuss it further• A patient has social, spiritual or psychological stress that is compromising care• A patient’s end-of-life wishes or needs are not being sufficiently met

For questions, concerns and referrals, contact the Palliative Care Service by calling 413-499-8521. If you think that a patient can benefit from this service, please speak with their attending physician. The service is available for patient visits on weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm.

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The leader of BMC’s Infection Control Program has been honored by a group of her peers in Berkshire County. Dr. Paula Aucoin was named the 2013

Community Clinician of the Year by the Berkshire District Medical Society, an honor recognizing her professionalism and contributions as a physician.

The Community Clinician of the Year Award was established in 1998 by the Massachusetts Medical Society to recognize a physician from each of the 20 district medical societies who has made significant contributions to his or her patients and the community and who stands out as a leading advocate and caregiver.

Board certified in Internal Medicine with a subspecialty in Infectious Disease, Dr. Aucoin is Medical Director of Infection Control at BMC and an Infectious Disease consultant and Internal Medicine physician practicing with Berkshire Medical Group.

She was chairman of Berkshire Medical Center’s Ethics Committee for many years and continues to serve as a committee member. She is chairman of the BMC Infection Control and Prevention Committee and has also served on the BMC Medical Executive Committee and the Patient Care and Quality Committee of Berkshire Health Systems Board of Trustees.

With a medical degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Aucoin completed her internship and residency at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester and Infectious Disease Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. She is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Dr. Aucoin has been previously honored by BMC with its Patient-Centered Doctor Award and the Gladys Allen Brigham Award for her longtime service to the hospital and its patients.

Dr. Aucoin Named Community Clinician of the Year by Peers

Dr. Paula Aucoin

Solomon Lecture Will Highlight End-of-Life Care Lessons

The Sandra Solomon Memorial Lecture series continues in May with a presentation on end-of-life care. “Reverence for Life and Human Mortality: Lessons from Albert

Schweitzer for End-of-Life Care,” will be presented by Lachlan Forrow, MD, general internist and Director of Ethics and Palliative Care Programs at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and President of the Albert Schweizter Fellowship. Dr. Forrow will discuss understanding what Albert Schweitzer’s life and legacy can teach about contemporary end-of-life care.

The program is free and open to all, and will be held on Wednesday, May 1st at 5 pm in the BMC Auditorium. Pre-registration is required. To register, contact Susan Kelly at ext. 2775 or email: skelly@bhs1.org, no later than Friday, April 26th.

Dr. Lachlan Forrow is a general internist and Director of Ethics and Palliative Care Programs at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; and President of The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. In addition, Forrow serves as a Faculty Associate at the Harvard University Program in Ethics and the Professions and is Director of the Ethics Support Service and chair of The Ethics Advisory Committee at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He has served as a member of the Harvard Medical School Human Studies Committee, chaired the Human Studies Committee of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and, since 2000, has served as a member of the Institutional Review Board of the Harvard Cancer Center. Forrow also served as co-chair of the Expert Panel on End-of-Life Care that released the report Patient-Centered Care and Human Mortality in 2011.

Lachlan Forrow, MD

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More photos, page 4

Rita Tassinari, RN, right, showed BMC’s Simulation Center technology, which features life-like mannequins that help to test and train healthcare workers in dealing with real patient situations.

BHS Radiologic Technologist Christine Quillen, right, discusses career opportunities in advanced imaging with attendees of the Career Fair.

BHS Highlights

the Healthcare

Jobs of Tomorrow

The potential healthcare providers

of the future had the chance to see and learn about career opportunities up close on April 2nd as Berkshire Health Systems hosted a Healthcare Career Fair.

The event was designed for anyone wishing to enter the fields of nursing, diagnostic radiology technology, laboratory, pharmacy, physical, occupational and speech therapy, and medical coding.

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Healthcare Jobs of Tomorrow

Numerous colleges and schools with healthcare education programs had representatives at the BHS Career Fair, where visitors could learn more about how to enroll in their programs.

BMC’s School of Medical Technology had a display at the Fair and staff met with many of the visitors to the event.

Continued from page 3

As the next Joint Commission survey approaches for Berkshire Medical

Center, staff from numerous departments gathered for a Joint Commission Readiness Fair on March 18th. The Fair featured information on patient safety, demonstrations, games and a scavenger hunt.

BMC Preps for Joint Commission with Readiness Fair

Above: Jeff Quinto from Quality showed visitors to the Fair information on Crew Resource Management, a key program used by BMC to help further improve quality and patient safety.

At left: The Fair featured demonstrations on patient safety, including the use of a patient simulator.

Thanks and Recognition

In MemoriamLoretta J. Petell, a former employee of Berkshire Medical Center, died on March 28th at the age of 94. She worked as a nurses’ assistant in the Pediatric Unit, retiring in 1980 after 15 years of service.

The staff of Berkshire Health Systems offers its deepest condolences to her friends and family.

“I felt nurses were wonderfully helpful, encouraging when I needed it, and also respectful of my space, especially when sleep was necessary. Everyone in the Mother-Baby Unit did a remarkable job. Thank you.” – Comment from a BMC Mother Baby Unit patient

“I would give a 10+ for my care and overall experience from the ER to ICU to my room. Thank you for helping me feel better.” – Comment from a BMC Emergency Department, ICU and Telemetry patient

“The technologist was so compassionate and listened to my concerns about my MRI. He made a great suggestion that helped me immensely.” – Comment from a BHS Radiology Services patient

“Everyone is very helpful and friendly and I love the smiling faces.” – Comment from a BMC Center for Rehabilitation patient

“The staff at BMC was all very good. I cannot single out one person as everyone seemed to be attentive. I am glad that I chose BMC for my knee surgery and I would highly recommend Dr. (Kevin) Mitts and his staff.” – Comment from a BMC Orthopaedic Unit patient

“I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Berkshire Medical Center to anyone for any procedure.” – Comment from a BMC Cardiology Services patient

“Excellent experience and staff, and Dr. (Marcella) Bradway was exceptional.” – Comment from a Crane Center for Ambulatory Surgery patient

Resident of the Year Nominations OpenNominations are being sought for the 2013 Gerald L. Haidak, MD, Memorial Resident of the Year award.

Nominations may be submitted by anyone in the hospital family. Although all nominations will be carefully considered, this is not a simple popularity contest and some of the criteria to use in monitoring a resident are:

Commitment to humanity and patients; teamwork; dedication to profession; willingness to teach; commitment to medical education; scholarship; improvement during the past year; and clinical competence. Final selection of the

Resident of the Year will take place by Friday, May 17th, and all nominations must be submitted by Friday, May 10th to the Office of Medical Education.

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FYI

Employees Invited to Spring Cosmetic Open House at Plastic & Reconstructive SurgeryDr. Rodrigo Santamarina and the staff of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at BHS invite all employees to a spring

cosmetic employee open house. The open house will be held on Friday, May 3rd from 10 am to 12 noon and 1 to 3:30 pm in Suite 605 of the BMC Medical Arts Complex. Employees and family members that book an appointment for May 3rd will receive a 15% discount and a waiving of the $100 consultation fee if a service is performed that day. Space

is limited for drop-ins and it’s encouraged that interested employees sign up in advance by calling ext. 2745.

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for your health Brought to You by the Wellness at Work TeamVisit the Wellness page of the employee portal for more details.

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for yourhealth Brought to You by the Wellness at Work TeamVisit the Wellness page of the employee portal for more details.

YOU ARE INVITED: Monday, May 6BMC PDRs, 8 am to 4 pm

7th Annual BHS Employee Health FairImprove Your Health IQ!

Don’t miss participating in this special day for all BHS employees! This year’s theme is “Wellness University.” The Wellness Team and many other BHS departments have worked hard to organize this comprehensive and informative event focusing on the health of our employees and their families.

The fair includes a healthy breakfast or lunch, informative displays, drawings, giveaways, chair massage, FUN and over 25 featured health topics & assessments. (The Fairview Health Fair will be Monday, October 7th.)

Cholesterol Medications are nowincluded in the Wellness Prescription BenefitTo access this benefit:1) Schedule a Wellness screening appointment by calling 447-3100 and meet with a Wellness nurse to receive your Prescription Benefit card.

2) Present the card at the BMC/Fairview Employee Pharmacy for proof of program participation and authorization for waived co pays on select generic medications.

3) Renewal of the prescription benefit is required twice annually by meeting with the Clinical Wellness Nurse and engaging in a Wellness coaching plan.

New Cholesterol medications include: Lovastatin, Pravastatin, Simvastatin, Atorvastatin (Lipitor), Fenofibrate,(TRICOR), Gemfibrozil (Lopid),Cholestyramine (Questran pwd).

NEW for employeesand their spouses

BHS Employee PharmacyRR

A monthly group exercise program at Berkshire Nautilus for Wellness at Work participants. Group exercise sessions are held in a private exercise room and are designed to introduce participants to the basics of exercise: cardio, strength and flexibility. Participants can sign up for either the morning or afternoon program. Classes are fun and progressively challenging from week to week.

Program starts on the 1st Monday of each month and includes:• 8 Supervised Sessions, lasting 1 hour each• 2 Classes Weekly• Cardio• Strength & Endurance• Core & Flexibility

Tuesdays & Thursdays at 8:00 am ORMondays & Wednesdays at 5:00 pm$69.00 (will be credited towards a BerkshireNautilus membership if you wish to join)$49.00 for current BN membersClasses are suitable for all fitness levels!

Exercise–Keeping It Simple

For more information and to register, call Wellness at Work at (413) 447-3100 or email WellnessAtWork@bhs1.org.

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Job OpportunitiesBerkshire Medical Postings, 04/12/133 East Ortho RN 16 Hr/EQuality Performance Improvement Specialist I 40 Hr/D, 30 Hr/D 4 West Telemetry Nursing Assistant 32 Hr/NNon Schedule Dept Nursing Assistant Non ScheduledBehavioral Sciences/Jones II/Jones III Psych Aide 32 Hr/DLab Phlebotomist/Registrar32 Hr/D, 30 Hr/DLab LIS Coordinator 40 Hr/DClinical Engineering Administrative Assistant 24 Hr/DHillcrest Family Health Medical Asst 40 Hr/DBFS Administration Charge Entry Specialist 40 Hr/DCentral Sterilization CS Tech 32 Hr/DCommunity Outreach Program Summer Intern Non Scheduled

Berkshire Health Systems Postings, 04/12/13Benefits and Compensation HR Technology Support 40 Hr/D

Berkshire VNA Postings, 04/12/13Transitional Care Nurse Practitioner 24 Hr/D Physical Therapist Non Scheduled

Fairview Hospital Postings, 04/19/13Housekeeping, Housekeeper, Per DiemHousekeeping, Housekeeper, 37.5 Hr/variesSurgical Services, Cert. Surgical Tech, 32 Hr/DWound Center, Registered Nurse, Per DiemNursing Admin, Nursing Shift Director, 20 Hr/variesEmergency Dept., Registered Nurse, Per DiemMed/Surg, Nursing Assistant, Per DiemSurgical Services, RN First Assist, Per DiemRehabilitation, Physical Therapist, Per Diem

BMC Postings 03/16/07 (continued)

ScopePlease direct any comments, questions or suggestions for Scopeto Development and Community Relations at 447-2060.

Editor: Ruth BlodgettWriters: Mike Leary, Elzbieta “Ala”TrzepaczLayout and Printing: Deirdre McKenna, Materials Management

Please direct any comments, questions or suggestions for Scopeto Development and Community Relations at 447-2060.

Editor: Ruth BlodgettWriters: Mike Leary, Lauren SmithLayout and Printing: Deirdre McKenna, Materials Management

Scope is printed on 30% post-consumer recycled paper.

BMC Postings 03/16/07 (continued)

ScopePlease direct any comments, questions or suggestions for Scopeto Development and Community Relations at 447-2060.

Editor: Ruth BlodgettWriters: Mike Leary, Elzbieta “Ala”TrzepaczLayout and Printing: Deirdre McKenna, Materials Management

Please direct any comments, questions or suggestions for Scopeto Development and Community Relations at 447-2060.

Editor: Ruth BlodgettWriters: Mike Leary, Lauren SmithLayout and Printing: Deirdre McKenna, Materials Management

Scope is printed on 30% post-consumer recycled paper.Scope is printed on paper with post-consumer recycled content.

South Berkshire Seniors had the opportunity to see how their communities prepare for emergencies on April 10th when Fairview Hospital teamed with Egremont, Great Barrington and Alford Triad to present a public program on emergency preparedness.

Presenters included Major Thomas Grady from the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office, Great Barrington Police Chief William Walsh and Fire Deputy Chief Edward McCormick, Acting Sheffield Police Chief Eric Munson, Egremont Acting Police Chief Jeremy Pilone, Alford Police Chief Richard Robarge and Will Brinker, Deputy Emergencyf Management Director for the towns of Egremont and Great Barrington. The discussion was moderated by Heather Barbieri, Emergency Management Director for Fairview Hospital.

The program included information on:

• The location of shelters for humans and animals in each town.

• Items to have on hand in an emergency: emergency glow sticks, strobing exterior lights which alert first responders that you have an emergency, a list of current medications and doses kept on the refrigerator for easy access for emergency personnel; food and water for one to three days.

• An explanation of communications systems including Connect-CTY, which can notify the entire town or a portion of the town based on geographic location, as well as 9-1-1 and the 9-1-1 Disability Indicator Form for residents who are mobility impaired, blind, deaf, hard of hearing, on a life support system, speech or cognitively impaired.

• The importance of signing up to receive emergency messages from your town and asking to be put on a list of people that the emergency personnel check on during an event, such as a prolonged power outage.

• Plans in the event a neighborhood or a facility evacuation.

The presenters encouraged residents to be proactive in their household planning given that in any large scale event, state and regional resources will take time to mobilize and respond.

A second session on what seniors can do to help themselves in an emergency will be held on May 1st at 10 a.m. at the Claire Teague Senior Center. Speakers will include Dr. Adrian Elliot of Fairview’s Emergency Department, a representative from the Southern Berkshire Volunteer Ambulance Squad and a representative from Fairview Hospital’s Rehabilitation Department.

For more information, please contact Fairview’s Emergency Management Director, Heather Barbieri at (413) 854-9635.

Fairview and Community Organizations Hold Public Session on Emergency Management Planning

Berkshire Health Systems announces the appointment of Henry Richard P. Lyle, MD, FACC, a board certified and fellowship trained Cardiologist, to the medical staff of Berkshire Medical Center and the physician staff of Cardiology Services at BMC. Dr. Lyle is accepting new patients in need of cardiology care, practicing at both the North Adams and Pittsfield offices of Cardiology Services at BMC. He is partnered with Drs. Jeffrey Leppo, Kyle Cooper, Kristen Currie, David Finck, Peter Hahn, Douglas Herr, William Levy, Lisa Massie, Andrew Potash, Mara Slawsky and Georgianne Valli-Harwood.

Dr. Lyle will primarily be providing care out of the North Adams office of Cardiology Services at BMC, in collaboration with Drs. Herr and Potash.

Dr. Lyle came to the Berkshires after serving for many years with Riverside Medical Group and Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, and previously worked with Hillcrest Cardiology, also in Lowell, and a cardiology practice in Silver Spring, Maryland.

He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases. Dr. Lyle was fellowship trained in Cardiology at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston and fellowship trained in Interventional Cardiology at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. He received his medical degree from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California at Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

For an appointment with Dr. Lyle or one of his colleagues in North Adams, call Cardiology Services at BMC at 413-663-3400. For an appointment in Pittsfield, call 413-395-7580.

Dr. Lyle Joins BMC Cardiology Providing Patient Care Services in North and Central Berkshire

Dr. Henry Richard P. Lyle

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