News from the University Hospital at Downstate
April 2022

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

Winners from Our Patient Safety and Quality Fair!

On Wednesday, March 16, our participating staff and students took advantage of the opportunity to present their ideas to help make patient care safer and discuss projects that can improve our policies, processes, and practices. Our Patient Safety and Quality Fair was a fun and informative day packed with speakers, games, and an incredible keynote presentation given by Bruce Siegel, M.D., MPH, President and CEO of America's Essential Hospitals.

Our colleagues shared proposals and best practices to improve the care of our community. Every member of our team provided a significant contribution to this objective. Below are our winners from our poster sessions.

Congratulations and many thanks to all who participated in the Patient Safety and Quality Fair to help us find ways to deliver the highest quality, patient-centered care.

Poster Winners

Post-Discharge Follow-Up Phone Calls for Adults and Pediatrics Patient Safety and Quality Project
Presenter: Betty Jung
Department: Nursing, Patient Education
Role: Nurse Coordinator

Interdisciplinary Stroke Education to Improve Patient Safety
Presenter: Dr. Karen Broome-James
Department: Nursing Education
Role: Director

Gonadal Shielding and Collimation
Presenter: Dr. Mohanad Kurdi
Department: Radiology
Role: Resident

Management of Obesity in a Student-run Free Clinic
Presenter: Raphael Kirou
Department: College of Medicine, Brooklyn Free Clinic
Role: Medical Student

Honorary Winners

Using Admission Order Sets to Improve Efficiency in the Well-baby Nursery: a Quality Improvement Project
Presenter: Dr. Hao Tseng
Department: Pediatrics
Role: Resident

How A Medical Surgical Unit Sustained the Highest Hand Hygiene Compliance Score of 95% and Above
Presenter: Ruth O'Donnell

Department: Nursing
Role: Director

Addressing Healthcare Disparities Through Implementation of a Medical Student-Based Patient Navigator Program
Presenter: Miar Elaskandrany

Department: College of Medicine, Rheumatology
Role: Medical Student

Assessment of Post-surgical Antibiotic Use in the Pediatric Units
Presenter: Dr. Daniel Mesa

Department: Pharmacy
Role: Pharmacy Resident

Spotlight on our HAZMAT Volunteer Team

A motto that the UHD Emergency Management and Emergency Medicine team lives by is “be prepared and be ready to respond.”

We are extremely fortunate to have an amazing all volunteer-based team that lives by these words through our HAZMAT Team, made up of more than 24 volunteers throughout the campus who work across all shifts and schedules.

Led by Mr. Clarence Bryant from the Emergency Department, the HAZMAT Team trains volunteers, additional medical staff, and technical HAZMAT specialists.

Members participate in at least 25 training sessions a year. They are knowledgeable on using personal protective gear and train and prepare staff across the campus for potential disasters. For example, were there ever a mass casualty event requiring chemical, biological, or radiation screening and decontamination, our HAZMAT team would swing into action.

Members do not need to be a clinician or have any prior experience. We are fortunate to have on staff many individuals who are military veterans, former EMTs and paramedics, volunteer firefighters, and even former security and police officers who want to be part of a team and who draw from their past experience to give back to Downstate. In addition to our experienced staff, there are students, resident physicians, and faculty who want to learn, be better prepared, and who possess the ability to assist in times of emergency.

The Emergency Response/Hazardous Materials Team is always looking for new members to join our ranks. Together we can better serve Downstate and our Brooklyn community through CAMARADERIE, BONDING, SOLIDARITY, and FELLOWSHIP. For more information, please reach out to Mr. Clarence Bryant at Clarence.Bryant@downstate.edu.

Downstate Pediatric Surgeon Receives the APSA Densler Award for 2022

It gives us great pleasure to inform everyone that the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and the Board of Governors of the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) have awarded Francisca Velcek, M.D., FACS, FAAP, one of our Pediatric Surgeons in the Department of Surgery, the James F. Densler Award. This award is given in recognition of an APSA member who has a consistent record of accomplishment for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity in pediatric surgery, delivering care to diverse populations, and working in diverse teams.

We would like to congratulate Dr. Velcek and the Department of Surgery on this outstanding accomplishment, as we continue to provide the best of care for our pediatric patients.

Eye Donation Data for 2021 at UHD

It is with gratitude that the Eye Bank for Sight Restoration shares this summary of the 12 eye/cornea donations that occurred at our hospital in 2021. Thanks to the assistance of our staff, 11 individuals had their sight restored through eye donation and corneal transplantation.

Giving the gift of sight is a collaborative effort, and we are grateful for the dedicated assistance of our team. Thank you for your valuable support as we work to help others see again!

Employee of the Month for March – Charlene Waldron, RN

Ms. Charlene Waldron, RN, is one of our amazing nurses on NS 72. She keeps her patients positive and motivated towards achieving optimal health. One of Ms. Waldron’s patients states, “Whether emptying a bedpan or helping someone become mobile, she’s always willing to help.”

Nurse Charlene is a wonderful communicator and she talks to as well as listens to her patients’ concerns. She continuously helps her patients articulate their needs to the medical team. Her supervisor, Ms. Paulina Marfo-Boateng, says, “Charlene is loyal, hardworking, patient-centered, dependable, has a great attitude, and is a patient advocate. I can’t say enough about how friendly and helpful she is.”

Nurse Waldron is compassionate, positive, and motivated while caring for her patients. She exhibits tremendous pride and professionalism in her work, from the time she arrives at work until the time she leaves.

Great job, Ms. Waldron, on being a nurse we can all count on. Congratulations and thank you so much!