The Bulletin: October 2008

The Bulletin is a monthly newsletter for Children's and community providers.

Seattle Children's Awarded Magnet Nursing Designation

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) voted unanimously to award Magnet status to Seattle Children’s in recognition of its nursing excellence.

This makes Children’s the second hospital in Washington state and the only pediatric hospital in the Northwest to be granted Magnet status. Less than 4% of hospitals in the United States have qualified for Magnet status.

“This is a mark of excellence not only for our nursing program, but the entire hospital,” said Dr. Thomas Hansen, CEO at Children’s. “We are honored to receive this external recognition of the exceptional quality of our nurses — something our patients and their families have known for years.”

“Considered the gold standard of nursing care, Magnet status is the most prestigious honor a hospital’s nursing staff can achieve,” said Susan Heath, senior vice president and chief nursing officer. “Magnet designation affirms that Children’s nurses are among the best in the country, exceeding professional standards in nursing education, research, leadership and patient care.”

According to the ANCC, research indicates that Magnet hospitals produce better patient outcomes than other hospitals. Independent research also shows that Magnet hospitals consistently outperform their peers in recruiting and retaining nurses, resulting in increased stability in patient care throughout those hospitals.

Children's Gateway: The First Step in Improving Communication

In response to continuing feedback from referring providers regarding problems with communication, Seattle Children’s is offering CIS View—an easy way for you to gain real-time access to your patients’ clinical records.

If you don’t already have access, your practice must sign up for Children’s Care Gateway at gateway.seattlechildrens.org or from the link on the Medical Staff Web site. Simply click on Getting Started. The Gateway also includes PACS Web and will contain other applications in the future.

To further address the concerns noted in this year’s Referring Physician Survey, Children’s hosted a focus group of referring and Children’s physicians to better understand some of their shared communication issues. As a result, guidelines are being developed for dictation turnaround time and phone communication with referring physicians. Children’s is using Continuous Performance Improvement to address both of these issues.

The Bulletin will continue to be a source of information about communication improvement efforts.

Flu Vaccine Program for Patients and Household Contacts

Seattle Children’s is offering flu shots to all patients and their household contacts — family members and others who live with a patient. All patients over 6 months old will be screened for contraindications and encouraged to get a flu shot while at the hospital. Household contacts can receive a free flu shot; patients are billed as part of their service at Children’s.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommend flu shots for all children between 6 months and 18 years old.

Flu shots are especially important for children who are at increased risk due to:

* Young age (6 months to 4 years old)

Chronic medical conditions including cardiac, pulmonary (including asthma), endocrine, and neuromuscular conditions

A compromised immune system

Long-term aspirin therapy

The CDC also recommends the flu vaccine for household contacts of high-risk patients, especially the family members of children under 6 months of age, because these infants are too young to receive the vaccine themselves. Children’s is offering the vaccine to the household contacts of all patients (not limited to those of high-risk patients).

Flu vaccines will be noted in patients’ medical records, and patients and household contacts will receive documentation to share with their primary care providers. For questions, contact Dr. Danielle Zerr at 206-987-2653.

Faculty and community providers who attend at Children’s are encouraged to get a free flu shot through Occupational Health Services. Drop-in clinic hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., and on Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon. To avoid waiting, you may make an appointment by calling 206-987-2555. Remember to bring your Children’s ID badge.

Flu Vaccine Clinics for Children of Medical Staff and Employees

Everyone who works at Children’s can bring their kids to special flu vaccine clinics on Saturday, Oct. 11 and Saturday, Nov. 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in W-4861 (next to the Whale Pharmacy). The cost of each vaccine is $20; only cash and checks will be accepted. You will receive a receipt to submit to your insurance company. If your child is an enrolled dependent on Children’s insurance policy through Premera or Group Health, Children’s can bill insurance directly for your child’s vaccine. However, medical staff who have insurance through Children’s University Medical Group (CUMG) or (University of Washington Physicians Network) UWPN should plan to pay and get a receipt to submit for reimbursement.

Bösenberg Recruited to Lead Regional Anesthesia

Dr. Adrian Bösenberg has been named medical director for regional anesthesia at Seattle Children’s. Bösenberg joins Children’s from his position as professor and second chair of anesthesia in the Department of Anaesthesia at University of Cape Town, where he has been since 2001.

Dr. Adrian Bösenberg

Bösenberg spent a sabbatical at Children’s in the summer of 2006. He was invited to re-establish the regional anesthesia program and teach ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia in children. Previously he served as a doctor with Airlift Northwest, escorting critically ill patients from referral centers in the WAMI region from 1983 to 1984.

Among his many honors, Bösenberg was appointed to serve as principal anaesthetist and senior lecturer in the Department of Anaesthesia at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Health Sciences, University of Natal in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, from 1995 to 2001. His was the first and, to date, the only such appointment in that department.

“Dr. Bösenberg is one of the world’s foremost authorities on pediatric applications of regional anesthesia,” says Dr. Lynn Martin, director of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. “We are extremely fortunate to have his expertise here in Seattle.”

Medical Executive Committee and Medical Staff Leadership Changes

Effective Oct.1, the elected medical staff officers are:

Dr. Karen Murray, president, serving the second year of a two-year term
Dr. Matt Allen, president-elect, serving the second year of a two-year term
Dr. Anthony (Tony) Avellino, elected medical staff advisor, serving the third year of a three-year term
Dr. Gregory (Greg) Sliman, elected medical staff advisor, serving the first year of a three-year term

We thank Dr. Michael (Mike) Dudas, who completed a one-year term as past president, for his dedication and leadership. Thank you also to Drs. Tom Lenart, Tom Numrych, Hal Quinn, and Richard Hopper whose terms on the Medical Executive Committee (MEC) have concluded.

We welcome newly elected MEC members Drs. Sarah Archibald, Ann Champoux and Jeff Ernst.

Physicians and Staff Honored With Family Choice Awards

Dr. Russell Saneto from Neurology, Teresa Wachs, RN, from Gastroenterology, and Jennifer MacKinnon of the Craniofacial Center recently received Seattle Children’s Family Choice Awards for providing outstanding family-centered care.

Patients and families nominate physicians, employees, teams or departments for the award, choosing staff members who have made a difference to families during their time at Children’s.

The Family Advisory Council reviewed the nominations and chose this year’s award recipients from more than 100 nominations. Drs. Andy Beckstrom and Lila O’Mahony received Family-Centered Care Resident Awards, which are based on peer nominations.

Emery First Honoree of Arthritis Foundation

Dr. Helen Emery, Rheumatology Division chief and education program director, is the first honoree of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. She was selected for being “a doctor who has made a true difference in the world of arthritis.” The award will be presented at the chapter’s first annual dinner and auction on Nov. 1.

Bergman Honored

Dr. Abraham Bergman was chosen as the 2008 recipient of the Northwest Kidney Center’s Scribner Courage in Health Care Award for his contributions to the health and welfare of children, especially children in the Northwest. The award, presented on Sept. 24, recognizes extraordinary service, innovation and professional courage which have resulted in meaningful change and improvement to the health of people in the Northwest.

Named in honor of the kidney dialysis pioneer and bioethicist Dr. Belding Scribner, the award is given by First Choice Health and the Washington Academy of Family Physicians.

Weiss and Walker Complimented by Patient Parents

Dr. Avery Weiss, division chief of Ophthalmology, received high praise and exuberant thanks from a parent who said, “Dr. Weiss and the clinic staff at Ophthalmology are the very best at their professions. The entire staff is committed to providing quality care for their patients, resulting in excellent outcomes! They are absolutely amazing! How else do you describe a man who is responsible for my child having 20/20 vision despite the fact she has had tumors on her optic nerves twice! Dr. Weiss is a godsend! Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts!”

Dr. William Walker Jr., director of Seattle Children’s Neurodevelopmental Program, was recognized by a parent who said, “Dr. Walker is just terrific! It is apparent how much development he checks out without the child or parent feeling rushed. I have clear instructions on things to watch for, where to get more information and so on — I really can’t imagine any way to top the great job he does.”

1st Annual Nutrition Symposium

On Saturday, Oct. 25, pediatric experts from the fields of medicine and nutrition will address many of the issues primary care providers are faced with every day. Topics include healthy feeding relationships, the child or infant who is not thriving, and practical approaches for office visits to help children and adolescents achieve healthier weights and fitness levels. The program will also discuss the provider’s role in the obesogenic society, including motivational interviewing and counseling. See the brochure for more information.

The Margo Johnsen Orthopedic Pathology Review

Seattle Children’s Department of Orthopedics and the University of Washington (UW)
Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine will present The Margo Johnsen Orthopedic Pathology Review on Friday, Oct. 10, and Saturday, Oct. 11, in Wright Auditorium at Seattle Children’s Hospital. This event is free for UW orthopedic residents, fellows and advanced clinical experience (ACE) fellows. Fees for other attendees range from $50 to $100. For questions regarding the event, contact Zina Ivy.

New Medical Staff and Allied Health Professionals

Seattle Children’s welcomes these new medical staff members and allied health professionals.

J. Elaine-Marie Albert, MD, Children’s, Critical Care
Jeffrey Avansino, MD, Children’s, General Surgery
Derya Caglar, MD, Children’s, Emergency Medicine
Harvey Chiu, MD, Children’s, Endocrinology
Mark Engelstad, MD, DDS, University of Washington, Oral Surgery
Mark Freeborn, MD, Harborview Medical Center, Orthopedics
William French, MD, Children’s, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine
Robin Graham, MD, Pediatric Associates-Totem Lake
Sabrina Guse, MD, Children’s, After Hours Clinic
Christopher Howe, MD, Harborview Medical Center, Orthopedics
Mariska Kemna, MD, Children’s, Cardiology
Elizabeth Kutcipal, DDS, Children’s, Oral Surgery
Helen Lee, MD, Children’s, Anesthesia
Mithya Lewis-Newby, MD, Children’s, Critical Care
Nicolas Madsen, MD, Children’s, Neonatology
Heather Mefford, MD, PhD, Children’s, Medical Genetics
Heather Naumann, MD, Children’s, Anesthesia
Nooshin Parhizkar, MD, Children’s, Otolaryngology
Sarah Ringold, MD, Children’s, Rheumatology
Thomas Scharschmidt, MD, University of Washington, Orthopedics
Suzanne Skoda-Smith, MD, Children’s, Infectious Disease
Emily Combs, ARNP, Children’s, Neonatology
Gwyneth Recupero, ARNP, Children’s, Endocrinology

Grand Rounds

View the schedule of upcoming Grand Rounds.

Grand Rounds Online

View online versions of recent Grand Rounds.

On-Call Schedule

The on-call schedule for inpatient services can be found in the secure area of the Medical Staff Web site. It is updated on a daily basis.