World Day of the Sick 2013: Prayers for the sick and our caregivers

If easily accessible over-the-counter pain medication is a hint, most of us perhaps would rather avoid pain and suffering. Not Aline. Aline was only twenty years old when she discovered that she had a heart ailment. Confronted with the fragility and limitation of life, Aline took an unusual path. She faced her infirmity unconditionally to the point that she would even pray for suffering. Apparently she saw something essential that can only be known after having passed through the dark night of suffering and pain. She saw her infirmity as a gift and a confirmation that God took her seriously. And that recognition enabled her to compassionately (com-passion: to suffer with) relate and help others in their suffering. Nine years later, Aline founded a religious community in Olpe, Germany, dedicated to the care of the sick and the poor. Today, 150 years later, Aline is known as the Venerable Sister Maria Theresia Bonzel, the founder of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration.

Monday, February 11, 2013 will mark the 21st World Day of the Sick. Established in 1992 by Pope John Paul II, this day has three consistent themes. First, it offers us an opportunity to reflect and recommit ourselves to be compassionate in our care for the sick. When we have known suffering ourselves, we can relate well with another’s suffering. And when we can trust and see God in suffering, He will also show us the gift therein. Second, it reminds us to pray intensely and sincerely for the sick. And third, this day recognizes and honors YOU and all persons who work in health care as caregivers. Thanking YOU and all those who care for the sick and elderly.

Mission/Spiritual Care Team

Hospital, clinic to provide 24-hour care

Franciscan Hammond Clinic and Franciscan Physicians Hospital have teamed up to provide patients a convenient option for afterhours care.

Together they have developed the ‘Direct Admit Program’ allowing patients to be seen 24/7 when Urgent Care and physician offices are closed.

The process, utilizing night staff nurses at Franciscan Hammond Clinic, gives individuals needing care out of the emergency room where prolonged wait times can delay treatment.

Dr. Cynthia Sanders, medical director at Franciscan Hammond Clinic, states “Our Direct Admit program lets Franciscan Hammond Clinic patients avoid unnecessary trips to the ER, and having their complete medical history at our fingertips allows hospital and clinic staff to make quick and efficient decisions about their care.”

To be directly admitted an individual calls Franciscan Hammond Clinic after hours where they are connected to a night staff nurse. The nurse gathers the patient’s symptoms and contacts the on-call internal medicine physician.

If the symptoms warrant an admission, the physician will contact the Hospitalist at Franciscan Physicians Hospital. The Hospitalist can then review the patient’s chart and prepare for their arrival.

A Hospitalist is a physician whose practice emphasizes provision of care for hospitalized patients. Franciscan Physicians Hospital keeps a Hospitalist on-site twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

During this time the nurse will call the patient back and assist them with coordination of transport to the hospital through an ambulatory provider, family member or friend.

Upon arrival the patient is admitted and seen by the hospitalist who can provide treatment and contact their primary care provider.

Patients receive care from Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) trained physicians as well as ambulatory transportation when necessary and minimal to no wait time.

The program will provide patients of Franciscan Hammond Clinic and Franciscan Physicians Hospital an added benefit of access to medical history through an Electronic Medical Record (EMR).

Through the EMR, clinical staff can review previous medical treatment, conditions, surgeries and testing, ultimately increasing the care received.

Tracey Franovich, vice president of operations and chief nursing officer at Franciscan Physicians Hospital, condones the new program.

“Our hospital and clinic leaders felt that a new, streamlined avenue was necessary to benefit our patients and treat their emergent needs in a setting where medical records and adequate staff are available at all times. This program is a solid step toward improved patient satisfaction and coordination of care.”

For more information or to reach a night staff nurse, call (219) 836-5800.

Color codes help patients better identify hospital staff roles

As another step toward patient safety and satisfaction, clinical staff members of Franciscan Alliance Northern Indiana Region hospitals are wearing designated colors to help visitors better know who's-who.

Color codes are designed to make it easier for patients and other hospital personnel to identify nurses and to distinguish between aides, nurses and unit clerks.

Pat Halfman, patient representative for St. Margaret Health - Dyer and Hammond, said the policy, which was effective in June, has been well received by patients.

"Over the last couple of weeks, I have heard several family members comment on how many nurses we have, or, even if we have hired more – that they never saw so many nurses here before," she said, adding. "When I explain that we have the same staff, but it's now easier to see who the nurses and aides are, they just scratch their head in disbelief. I also have heard several patients comment they can tell the staff is proud of what they do and have great teamwork."

Showing the new clinical staff colors are, from left,
Pat Klucker, a unit clerk; Cecilia Yzaguirre, a patient care technician;
and Anna Freeman, a registered nurse.
All are with Franciscan St. Margaret Health - Dyer.

Other patient satisfaction surveys echo the same sentiment.
Color codes include:

• Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses -- dark navy blue, midnight blue. They may wear solid white scrub-type uniforms alone or in combination with navy blue tops or bottoms.
• Patient care technicians, patient care externs, medical assistants, technicians, paramedics who assist nursing staff – dark cranberry, wine.
• Unit clerks – sandstone, khaki.
• Staff in areas that require hospital-issued and laundered scrubs --  "ceil blue" scrub-type uniforms.

"We were excited to join such health care industry leaders as Cleveland Clinic and the University of Michigan Health System as we standardized our uniform colors and have already received patient comments related to the standardized uniform colors improving the professional appearance of our staff," said Carol Schuster, Franciscan Alliance regional chief nursing officer. "We also expect that the color standardization will allow physicians and patients quicker recognition of our staff that in turn will improve our patient safety and quality."

Linda Kraiko, Franciscan St. Margaret Health senior director of patient services, agreed. "The new uniform policy is a win for both our patients and the hospital. The patients and their families can identify who is a nurse, versus a patient care technician or a clerk," she said. "The staff can be identified at a distance rather than having to look for a badge. This also enhances the communication between our patients and staff."

Trish Weber, vice president of operations and chief nursing officer at Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Michigan City, also praised the policy.

"In part, the standardized uniforms were implemented in response to patient feedback/confusion about caregiver roles, in addition to similar standardization taking place at our sister hospitals and hospitals across the state," she said, adding, "We are very excited about our new standardized uniform colors as patients and their family members are now able to more easily identify nursing from other support staff, which facilitates improved patient communication and care and enhances the professional image of nursing."

Besides Franciscan St. Margaret Health, other hospitals in the region include Franciscan St. Anthony Health - Crown Point, Franciscan St. Anthony Health - Michigan City and Franciscan Physicians Hospital in Munster.

Volunteers Give Help, Heart

Volunteers Glenda Bolton, Dorothy Alexander and Mimi Wadas
stand in the hospital’s outpatient surgery center.

"The greatest benefit is helping others. Doing something for others makes me feel better about myself," says Dorothy Alexander, a volunteer at Franciscan Physicians Hospital.

Alexander began volunteering in mid-February, hoping to meet other people. "I got to the point that I could no longer work and I had too much time on my hands. I called Mary Higgins and she set up the orientation for me to be a volunteer. I'm helping out twice a week and hoping I can be here more."

Higgins, director of mission services, kicked off the hospital's volunteer program, which has 42 members thus far, in February. "I'm very excited about the new volunteer program within our hospital. I have enrolled so many great and capable people who are highly motivated to provide assistance and be a part of our Franciscan team. They're helping create new ways to serve Munster and the Northwest Indiana community," states Higgins.

Volunteers provide a variety of essential services. A range of age, history and educational background bring numerous benefits to the hospital.

Glenda Bolton is among those who contribute. Bolton, who assists twice weekly at the hospital, is a retired sixth-grade school teacher from Cedar Lake. "I just retired from teaching and wanted to help out," Bolton says.

"As a teacher, I naturally enjoy the interaction and when I assist with patient escorting, I get the exercise I need. It’s really nice to help out and spend time with other people."

Benefits to volunteers don’t outweigh those received by the hospital. Since its inception, the volunteer program has offered the hospital numerous advantages. "Volunteers have been essential for us as patient representatives, greeters in the surgery lobby, transporters and information providers, among other various positions that are valuable to the operation of this facility," says Higgins.

Hospital president Barb Greene acknowledges the importance of each individual. "Within our facility, we've garnered a community of caring and devoted employees whose focus is solely on the patient and their care. Since February, our volunteer program has quickly melded into that community. My appreciation of these individuals is great and I look forward to the expansion of the program."

To join the volunteer program or for more information, call (219) 922-5897.

It's Pastoral/Spiritual Care Week

This week, October 23-29, is Pastoral/Spiritual Care Week.

Every day throughout our nation's hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, and hospice homes, chaplains seek to bring hope, healing, comfort and peace to those they encounter. They listen and affirm the faith values of their patients and calm anxious patients. They empower and help persons tap into their own spiritual resources as they search for meaning of their suffering and pain. They advocate for people regarding cultural and religious tradition, connect individuals with loved ones, support people as they make end of life decisions, lend an objective ear to others, pray if prayer is desired - they bring God's healing and presence to all.

Please join us in congratulating our Spiritual Care Staff - especially your Unit Chaplains - who every day brings God's healing and comfort to all our patients, their families and our staff here at Franciscan Physicians Hospital.

Blessing of the Franciscan Hammond Clinic

June 15, 2011 - Today marked the blessing and commitment service of the Franciscan Hammond Clinic. Staff gathered to give thanks for the clinic and to commit to its healing ministry. Together, the Franciscan Hammond Clinic and Franciscan Alliance are able to offer patients access to more providers, newer procedures, and new diagnostics.

Franciscan Alliance Launches Accountable Care Organization

Health system takes vital step in responding to national health care reform

MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Franciscan Alliance has formed an accountable care organization (ACO), a model designed to improve patient care, reduce medical costs and enhance the delivery of health care.

For months, the state's largest Catholic-based health-care system diligently has been working to establish an ACO, a vital component of health care reform as it progresses nationally.

"It has been our vision to provide better and more affordable care to our patients and elevate efficiency among our hospitals, physicians and insurers," said Kevin Leahy, Franciscan Alliance president and chief executive officer. "The ACO we are creating benefits patients by giving them more of a role in directing their own care, offering them more incentives for disease prevention and pursuing healthier lifestyles, and significantly reducing duplicative medical tests."

Franciscan Alliance – with 13 hospitals in Indiana and Illinois – provides care for more than 2.9 million outpatient visits and more than 100,000 inpatient discharges every year with the most effective medical treatments, state-of-the-art medical equipment and an abundance of compassionate care.

The system employs 18,200 co-workers including 556 physicians – both primary care and specialists – and expects to grow its physician team to more than 630 physicians next year, serving the system's service-area population of 3.7 million people.

From an industry perspective, the ACO model encourages organizations such as hospitals, physician practices and insurance providers to collaborate closely, thus bringing down the overall costs of medical care.

Franciscan Alliance (formerly the Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc.) took the first step in creating an ACO in late 2010. Franciscan St. Francis Health Network in Indianapolis forged an agreement with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, providing patients enrolled in Hoosier Healthwise and the Healthy Indiana Plan with access to a more integrated health system.

The program, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2011, expands access to an estimated 28,000 Medicaid beneficiaries in south-central Indiana.

To learn more about the Franciscan Alliance, go to: http://www.franciscanalliance.org/.