Advocate Trinity Hospital - Advocate Pulse

FALL 2007

Current Pulse Issues Advocate System Advocate Impact Advocate Sites Advocate Bethany Hospital Advocate Christ Medical Center Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Advocate South Suburban Hospital Advocate Trinity Hospital Pulse Archives Pulse Home		A Message to the Community read more A Message to the Community At Advocate Trinity Hospital, our programs and services extend well beyond the walls of the hospital into the neighborhoods we are privileged to serve. As part of Advocate Health Care, we provided more than $296 million in charitable care and services to benefit patients, families and communities across metropolitan Chicago in 2006. You will learn more about these important community partnerships and programs in this issue. Also highlighted in our fall Pulse are efforts and investments we continue to make in advancing cardiac care for the community, as well as an update on health care legislation. We are proud to serve you and your community. close New services provide heart care close to home In order to continue providing exceptional care and services to patients and meet the growing needs of the community, Advocate Trinity Hospital is advancing its cardiovascular services... read more New services provide heart care close to home In order to continue providing exceptional care and services to patients and meet the growing needs of the community, Advocate Trinity Hospital is advancing its cardiovascular services. Expanding these services will make it possible to provide minimally invasive diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for cardiovascular disease. As part of the fulfillment of its mission and vision to provide advanced treatment for cardiovascular disease, Trinity Hospital will be the first and only hospital in its primary service area to implement Primary PCI— percutaneous coronary intervention, or advanced heart attack care. Primary PCI brings a new level of acuteness to the hospital in providing life-saving angioplasty treatment for heart attack patients. Along with new primary PCI services, a new, state-of-the-art interventional cardiovascular suite at Trinity Hospital provides permanent pacemaker insertions, diagnostic cardiac catherizations, peripheral angiograms and peripheral angioplasties. “By providing the full spectrum of high quality heart and vascular care, Trinity Hospital will continue to meet the needs of a community where heart disease remains a prevalent concern,” said Karshena Demus, Nurse Coordinator for Trinity Hospital’s Cardiac Catherization Laboratory. At a ceremony held in September, Trinity Hospital administration, Governing Council members, physicians and community leaders gathered with clergy for a blessing and dedication of the interventional cardiovascular suite. “We give thanks for the opportunity to provide a place close to home for all in this community who will need the immediate care and services of this advanced treatment center,” said Reverend Brenda Jackson, vice president of the Office for Mission and Spiritual Care at Trinity Hospital. For additional information on cardiovascular disease and treatment, please call 1-800-3-ADVOCATE (1-800-323-8622) to speak with a member of the Health Advisor team. close Someone you should know Barbara Pohrte, RN, is an assistant manager in the G.I. Lab and Annie Moore, RN, is an assistant manager in the Telemetry unit... read more Someone you should know Barbara Pohrte, RN, is an assistant manager in the G.I. Lab and Annie Moore, RN, is an assistant manager in the Telemetry unit. Together, they are the Advocate Trinity Hospital Nurse Advocacy Council representatives. What motivates you to be an advocate for nursing issues? B.P.: My role as a nursing advocate is to see that patients get the absolute best care possible. Current issues in the nursing profession have a distinct impact on the delivery of patient care (ex. legislation for staffing ratios). My passion is to see that the caliber of nursing care remains at its highest potential. A.M.: I feel we as nurses have a powerful voice when it comes to our standard of practice. We are professionals who can speak best to issues related to how we practice. We do not need people making decisions about nursing who do not truly understand patient care. We are experienced nurses with great ideas who can assist in making the right decisions for nurses in the state of Illinois. What is one valuable experience you have had since joining the Nurse Advocacy Council? B.P.: One thing that stands out is the camaraderie among my colleagues from various Advocate sites. At Nurse Advocacy Council meetings, everyone is working together to achieve a common goal, and that is a fulfilling experience. I value learning about the different legislative issues that are happening and how they will influence current and future nursing trends. A.M.: Witnessing the passing of the staffing by acuity bill was a rewarding experience because I feel my colleagues and I were able to educate our legislators on the differences between staffing by acuity methods versus staffing by ratios, and why acuity better fits our ability to provide patient care. We felt strongly about the issue, and our voices were heard! What do you hope to bring back to the nurses at your hospital by serving on the Nurse Advocacy Council? B.P.: I hope to bring back the positive energy and enthusiasm of the Nurse Advocacy Council to the nurses at Advocate Trinity Hospital, and I want to give nurses an avenue to voice their opinions. Knowing that we collectively have a voice that is recognized by our legislators creates a feeling of empowerment. A.M.: I want to let our nurses know about the issues that are pending in legislation that might affect us and our role as caregivers. Keeping nurses up to date will help us identify any concerns that we may have in common. close Medical Mission Making an impact for our patients A hospital isn’t the only place where people get healthy. That’s the cornerstone of the Congregation Connection Program at Advocate Trinity Hospital... read more Medical Mission Making an impact for our patients A hospital isn’t the only place where people get healthy. That’s the cornerstone of the Congregation Connection Program at Advocate Trinity Hospital. "The Congregation Connection Program connects Trinity in a different way and helps the community see us as a partner," says program coordinator Donna McGee. The program recognizes the importance of faith and churches in Trinity Hospital’s community, and empowers churches to increase awareness and use of health information and services to improve the health of their congregations and the community at large. It started with a six-month leadership training program—led by Trinity Hospital—for older adult lay leaders from area churches. Trainees were responsible for writing a grant proposal for a program at their church that would benefit older adults. In all, nine congregations were awarded $8,000 each for the first year to start their programs. At Parkway Garden Christian Church, volunteers are teaching computer skills to older adults. Another group is teaching adult children and grandchildren how to care for their older relatives. Bethany Lutheran Church developed a program to place seniors from the church in volunteer positions in the community. The program allows up to three years of funding from Trinity Hospital, provided the initiatives are reaching their goals. And with the training and support from the hospital, program leaders are learning how to find other funds, educate additional volunteers, and support their programs on their own. All nine congregations successfully won a second year of funding for their programs, so Trinity Hospital’s impact continues to grow. close Advocate Health Care’s 2006 Community Benefits Contribution read more Advocate Health Care’s 2006 Community Benefits Contribution Charity care and other uncompensated costs: Care that is provided free, subsidized or without full reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid or other government-sponsored programs. $224,121,000* Subsidized health services: Services that respond to unique community needs, such as neonatal intensive care and behavioral health services; as well as health screenings, immunization programs, school-based health care and other community outreach programs. $14,250,000 Hospital-based education: Education to train physicians, nurses, radiology technicians, physical therapists and a host of other highly skilled health care professionals. $44,471,000 • Volunteer services: Services provided by hospital workers who volunteer in their communities and community members who volunteer at hospitals. $2,913,000 • Language-assistance services: Services, such as translators, as well as signage, forms, brochures, patient education materials and other information in languages other than English.$1,334,000 Donations: Contributions by hospitals of meeting and clinic space, as well as other assistance to community groups. $8,944,000 Total Community Benefits Contribution*: $296,033,000 Includes unreimbursed costs of Medicare, Medicaid and other government-sponsored programs and bad debt. Includes unreimbursed costs of community benefits activities of Advocate’s eight hospitals, home health care operations, and other non-profit health care operations. close For more information and a complete listing of local events, please call 1.800.3.ADVOCATE**