News from the University Hospital at Downstate
March 2022

A Message from David H. Berger, MD, MHCM, FACS, CEO of University Hospital at Downstate

Join Us for UHD’s Patient Safety and Quality Fair!

On Wednesday, March 16, our staff will present their ideas to make patient care safer and improve our policies, processes, and practices. The best projects will win great prizes.

Our Patient Safety and Quality Fair will be a dynamic event, packed with speakers, games, and an incredible keynote presentation titled “Risky Business: Quality, Equity and Essential Hospitals,” that will be given by Dr. Bruce Siegel, M.D., MPH, President and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals. We will also hear remarks from members of leadership at Downstate. This event is part of our We Care journey toward zero harm and becoming a High-Reliability Organization (HRO).

Our Vision at UHD is to be the ‘Best Place to Get Care and the Best Place to Give Care,’ and every team member contributes significantly to this vision. We are looking forward to ALL Downstate physicians, nurses, employees, frontline patient caregivers, and students registering for this exciting event. Even if you are not submitting an idea or project, we know that you will be motivated and energized about patient safety and quality improvement at Downstate. So please, do not miss out—register!

CLICK HERE for registration information on the Patient Safety and Quality Fair, and join us as an attendee on Wednesday, March 16!

Strongline Trial Run for Staff Security

Did you know that seventy-five percent of nearly 25,000 workplace assaults reported annually occur in healthcare and social service settings?(1) Unfortunately, workplace violence in healthcare is alarmingly common. To better prepare our staff for this, the team at Strongline visited UHD the week of January 24 for a test-trial run of their Staff Security System. The Strongline system is a cutting-edge duress-alerting tool specifically developed to protect staff working in the healthcare space. Strongline allows for discreet, flexible alerting via wearable badges assigned to all patient-facing employees, no matter where they find themselves at work.

The Strongline system is being piloted in the Emergency Department, NS61, and NS72 Med/Surg units at the hospital. During the trial run, participating staff received a personal panic button, which immediately alerts Hospital Security of a potential threat/distress to staff. To date, we have had 18 activations with good de-escalation responses. This is an example of how UHD is exploring technology to advance our staff’s physical and psychological safety.

(1) Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Medical-Surgical Division Announces Cleanest Hands for 2021

We are happy to announce the top 10 individuals from Med/Surg with the CLEANEST HANDS for 2021.

By using the BioVigil badge, we were able to track the number of hand hygiene opportunities (handwashing or use of sanitizer) staff performed before and after their patient encounters for the entire year of 2021.

These colleagues have shown their commitment to preventing the spread of infection to patients under their care. Please take a look below at everyone in Med/Surg who had the Cleanest Hands in 2021, and let’s put our (clean) hands together for this great accomplishment.

Five Employees Honored for Black History Month

University Hospital at Downstate celebrated Black History Month and honored five employees for their exceptional efforts at the hospital. These individuals were honored at the monthly Department Head Meeting by hospital leadership last month. Kudos to our five outstanding honorees:

Josheila Crandall Administrator, Department of Medicine

Michele Fisher, RN, MS Nursing Informatics

Llewellyn M. Hyacinthe, MD, MBA, FACS Associate Professor of Urology

Carol King Nursing Assistant, Nursing Station 74

Tashma Watson, Ph.D., R.N., CSSM Assistant Vice President, Surgical Service Line and Interim Administrator, Transplant Program

Welcome to our New Outpatient Pharmacy