November 8, 2010 –
Nurse.com The Magazine, SOUTH edition
Local Beat
Florida Notable Nurses
James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa — Innette Sarduy, RN, MPH, NEA-BC, chief nurse for acute care services has been named the Florida Organization of Nurse Executives Nurse Leader of the Year.
Oak Hill Hospital, Spring Hill, Fla. — Cindy McWhorter, RNC, was named a Star Associate of the Month of August.
Miami Dade College — Nursing professor Constance Miller is the 2010 recipient of Florida Campus Compacts’ Community Engagement Educator Award. The Community Engagement Educator Award recognizes and honors outstanding individuals for significant contributions to the institutionalization of community engagement.
Bay Pines VA Healthcare System — Several nurses earned national certification in their specialty areas including: Teresa Kumar, RN, nurse executive, advanced; Gyneth James, RN, emergency nursing; Eric Stocki, RN, addictions nursing; Melody Cannon, RN, psychiatric and mental health; Jacqueline Walsch, RN, ARNP, HIV specialist; Michelle Williams, RN, case management; Joanne Eastman-Gaudreau, RN, health risk management; and Joanne DeBiasa, RN, Lourdes Silverio, RN, and Rachel Bryant, RN, ambulatory care nursing.
Shands at the University of Florida, Gainseville — Irene Alexaitis, RN, MSN, NEA-BC, CNO and vice president, was named the 2010 Nursing Administrator of the Year by the Florida Nurses Association.
Florida Nurses Foundation — The FNF announced the recipients of the 2010 research grants. This year, FNF awarded funding for six research grants, over $4,000, to students throughout the state.
The FNF also announced the recipients of 2010 scholarships, awarding funding for 31 scholarships, over $16,000, to students throughout the state. 2010 scholarships recipients included Lolita Melhado, Florida Gulf Coast University, Barbara Green, University of Central Florida, Sophia Khawly, Florida State University, Leigh Ann Del Rio, Keiser University, Christina Amidei, University of Central Florida, George Byron Smith, Case Western Reserve University; April Hellner, St. Petersburg College; Catrina Quinn, the University of Central Florida; Snezana Radnovic, Miami Dade College; Lindsay Capito, Florida State University; Giovanna Craveiro, South University; Lisa Kern, Walden University; Joann Andrews, the University of Florida; Felusha Denford, Jacksonville University; Stephaney Ayres, the University of Miami; Natalie Camara, Broward College; Delilah Plate, Daytona State College; Amanda Hughes, the University of Central Florida; Elisa Rush, Florida State University; Isis Gonzalez, Nova Southeastern University; Sadie Abboud, Florida State University; Jennifer Anderson, Barry University; Yexica Perez, Florida Atlantic University; Michela Lambert, South University; Sanique Brown, Florida Atlantic University; Bessy Benjamin, Florida International University; Suraj Wagh, St. Petersburg College; Eva-Maria Gonzalez, Florida International University; Cheryl Roche, the University of Florida; Lisa Sellers, Florida Atlantic University; Theresa Owens, University of Central Florida.
Texas, Louisiana Notable Nurses
University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing — Mary Lou Bond, RN, PhD, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, the Samuel T. Hughes Professor of Nursing, was selected as the 2010 Distinguished Alumni of the University of Pittsburgh (Pa.) School of Nursing.
Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing, College Station — Student Christie Richter has been awarded a national Health Resources and Services Administration nursing scholarship designed to address critical nursing shortage needs.
Methodist Charlton Medical Center — Fran Laukaitis, RN, MHA, recently joined as vice president of nursing.
Texas Health Resources, Arlington, Texas — Joan Shinkus Clark, RN, MSN, NEA-BC, CENP, FACHE, FAAN, senior VP and system CNE, was elected to the board of directors for the American Organization of Nurse Executives for Region 7.
Methodist Mansfield (Texas) Medical Center — Michele Swanner, RN, was honored with a 2010 American Heart Association’s Lifestyle Change Award for her efforts to promote heart health
Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital — The March of Dimes- Texas Chapter honored Laura Jones, BSN, RNC-NIC, neonatal nurse and clinical educator, with the Texas Excellence in Perinatal Nursing Award.
Texas Nurses Association District 9 — Twenty nurses from all areas of practice such as patient care, education, research and administration were recognized as the Outstanding Nurses of 2010. The group of RNs Michele Bell, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Houston; Dana Bjarnason, Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston; Virginia Bowman, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston; Shirley Branch, Faith Community Hospital, Jacksboro; Heather Chung, The Methodist Hospital, Houston; Ladona Honea Cook, The Methodist Hospital; Vivian Dawkins, The Methodist Hospital; Grace Diaz-Font, West Houston Medical Center; Elizabeth Fredeboelling, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston; Melanie Gander, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital; Gayle Garland, The Menninger Clinic; Nancy Hunter, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital; Terry Kirk, Houston Northwest Medical Center; Patrick Laird, St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital; Karen Lyon, Texas Woman’s University; Kelly Maresh, The Methodist Hospital; Sharon Newman-Kemp, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital; Amelia Pacardo, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital; Mary Ellen Trail Ross, The University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Nursing; and Julie Thompson, Harris County Hospital District.
Briefs/Articles
Methodist Closes the Generation Gap
The generation gap is getting smaller for workers at Methodist Health System in Dallas thanks to a generational diversity class.
Laughter: Just What the Nurse Ordered
In March, the Miami Veteran Administration Healthcare System held its first Laughter Yoga Leader training. Fifteen employees, including eight RNs, took part. Once training was complete, the RNs were able to use laughter as an integral teaching tool for stress relief in patients and colleagues. Laughter Yoga is a unique practice that, ironically, does not rely upon humor to be effective. Participants simulate laughter as a form of physical exercise, which often leads to genuine and contagious laughter. The body responds the same whether laughter is real or faked.
North Broward Recognized for ZERO Blood Stream Infections
Broward Health North Broward Medical Center, Deerfield Beach, Fla., was recognized by the Florida Hospital Association for eliminating central line-associated blood stream infections in the ICU, according to a news release. The ICU at North Broward has had zero CLABSIs in the past six months.
Seeing Red: Texas A&M Helps Promote Heart Health
The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum’s Ansary Gallery will be in the center of the spotlight began presenting “The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection and First Ladies Red Dress Collection.” The Heart Truth is a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, First Ladies’ red dresses from the 13 Presidential Libraries of the National Archives and Records Administration will be on exhibit in the Ansary Gallery. Through an unprecedented partnership with the Texas A&M Health Science Center, there will also be educational interactives and information about heart-related issues such as high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity and healthy lifestyles.
Smart Tech’s Mobile Library the Latest Teaching Tool
Students at Miami Dade College’s Medical Center Campus no longer have to walk or drive to the campus library for academic materials. Using smart technology, the campus has provided students in the Nursing and Physical Therapy Assistant programs with a mobile library. Nursing students can use their laptops as a book bag, accessing medical resources such as electronic textbooks and more.
‘Virtual Hospital’ in the Cards for UT Health Science Center
A $1 million grant from the Economic Development Administration and funding from several community partners will help the University of Texas Health Science San Antonio’s School of Nursing build a state-of-the-art clinical simulation center. The 7,200-square-foot virtual hospital will be constructed in the basement of the existing school of nursing building, according to a news release. The community funding brings investment totals to $3.1 million. The clinical simulation center will house specialty rooms in which student nurses can practice their knowledge, skills, collaboration and clinical judgment using the latest hospital equipment and computerized simulation mannequins. The virtual hospital will be available to Health Science Center medical and health professions students, as well as students from other South Texas schools. It also will be used for continuing education and certification.
CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Receives ELSO Award for Excellence
The CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children's Hospital (San Antonio, Texas) Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Program has received the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Award for Excellence in Life Support, making it the only ECMO program in San Antonio to receive the prestigious honor. The ELSO Award recognizes ECMO programs internationally that reach the highest level of performance, innovation, satisfaction, and quality.
Memory Disorders Enter the Forefront for Baby Boomers
Anticipating a rise in memory disorders as the Baby Boomer generation ages, Florida’s network of Memory Disorder Clinics is working to find ways to prevent or diminish the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders. The first Baby Boomers will turn 65 next year, and every Baby Boomer will be 65 or older by 2029. Their age alone gives them a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The memory disorder clinic in Sarasota, operated by Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, is one of 15 such clinics in Florida.
NICU Babies Reunite
In August, Medical City Children’s Hospital hosted its annual Neonatal ICU Reunion where NICU “graduates” — babies who were in the NICU at any point during their medical treatment - and their families attended. This year’s theme was a costume party as hundreds of families gathered in the hospital’s atrium to eat, play games and share their NICU experiences. All 92 Medical City Children’s Hospital’s nurses participated in planning this event.
At Coral Spring, Peds is Tops
Broward Health Coral Springs Medical Center has won the 2010 South Florida Kids Crown Award in the category of “Best Pediatric ER in Broward County.” Readers of South Florida Parenting magazine decided the honor based on which South Florida healthcare facilities are the most family-friendly in their activities, products and services. In other news at CSMC, Alyson Kaplan, RN, earned certification as a pediatric nurse. Kaplan is currently the coordinator for the Pediatric Advanced Life Support courses and Emergency Nursing Pedatric Course for Broward Health System.
Louisiana University Awarded Funding for Research
LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans has been awarded $12 million over five years by the National Institutes of Health to conduct research on diseases like prostate and stomach cancers, lymphoma and leukemia, dengue fever, tuberculosis and herpes infections, as well as to support the development of academic research scientists.
Peds Hospital Shreds the Paper Trail
Children’s Medical Center in Dallas has become the nation’s first stand-alone pediatric hospital to eliminate paper patient records, according to a news release. The accomplishment, the first for any hospital in Texas, earned Children’s the top certification from the Health Information and Management Systems Society. The Stage 7 certification recognizes Children’s as a fully electronic institution.
Hybrid Robotic OR Makes Summer Debut
The Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center at The Methodist Hospital in Houston opened an advanced hybrid, robotic OR this summer. The suite integrates advanced robotics, imaging and navigation with surgery, providing patients with less invasive surgical and interventional treatments for cardiovascular disease.
Nursing Students Bring Care to Needy
Florida International University has started a program designed to teach nurses and physicians about working as part of interdisciplinary teams. The program, Green Family NeighborhoodHELP, partners students from multiple healthcare disciplines in an outreach effort that brings healthcare to needy families in the Miami community.
UT Tyler NP Program Gets Financial Boost
The University of Texas at Tyler College of Nursing received a $1.37 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to expand the school’s Nurse Practitioner program. In particular, the school wants to increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities; increase cultural knowledge of ageism and competence in addressing it; and address the healthcare needs of impoverished children. The school plans to use some of the funds to provide students, faculty and designated preceptors with electronic evidence-based clinical software, giving immediate access to the most current medical and scientific data in the clinical setting.
Notable Facilities
Women’s care at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System in Texas is rated in the top 5% compared to all private, non-government hospitals in the nation, according to an independent study of patient outcomes released by HealthGrades.
Lee Memorial Health System, Fort Myers, Fla. — The hospital’s Community-Based Alternatives to the Emergency Room program was honored by the The American Hospital Association with the AHA NOVA Award. The award recognizes hospitals and health systems for their efforts toward improving community health.
The BSN program of Concordia University Texas in Austin, Texas received approval from the Texas Board of Nursing in April. The program will enroll 30 students this fall and next spring.
Several Florida facilities received kudos from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines program. Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, Hudson, Fla., was recognized for achieving Triple Gold Recognition. Community Hospital, New Port Richey, Fla., was recognized for achievement in using evidence-based guidelines.
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas was recognized as an accredited stroke center by
The Joint Commission.
Southeastern Notable Nurses
The Honor Society of Nursing Sigma Theta Tau International — Elizabeth Broome, RN, BSN, (mentee) and Charlene Cunningham, RN, BSN, MSN, CCRN, (mentor) of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Kristen S. Montgomery, RN, PhD, (mentee) and Laura Ann Talbot, RN, EdD, PhD, GCNS-BC, (mentor) of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, will participate in STTI’s Maternal Child Health Leadership Academy, an 18-month leadership development program that prepares nurses to lead healthcare teams to improve maternal child health in North America. The program will conclude with the participants presenting their completed leadership project during STTI’s biennial convention in November 2011.
Providence Hospitals, Columbia, S.C. — Carolyn Catton, RN, MBA, FACHE, was named senior vice president of patient care services. In this role, Catton will provide clinical and administrative leadership for planning and evaluating patient care services, manage the delivery of nursing care and patient outcomes, and establish and enforce standards of nursing practice.
Gwinnett Medical Center, Lawrenceville, Ga. — Molly Harmon, RN, NICU, is the August winner of GMC’s DAISY Award. The DAISY Award is given monthly to a nurse who personifies GMC’s goal to provide excellence in the patient experience. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem. The award was established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. His family was so inspired by the clinical skills, caring and compassion of his nurses that they created this national award to say thank you to nurses everywhere.