This document provides information on upcoming events at the University of Chicago Medicine in April and May 2012. It summarizes the following: - The American Cancer Society's annual Walk & Roll on April 29th to raise money for cancer research. - A brunch on May 6th with chef Michael Digby to discuss diet, exercise and living well with diabetes. - A May 10th conference on reproductive health disparities among youth. - A Women in Science Symposium from May 11-12th with several female speaker from science fields. - A Day of Service and Reflection event at the University of Chicago Medicine on May 12th for faculty, staff and community members.

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APRIL 29: Join the University of Chicago
team in the American Cancer Society’s
annual Walk & Roll to walk (5 miles),
skate (10 miles) or bike (15 miles) on the
lakefront. Events start at 9 a.m. Register
or donate at http://bit.ly/wxyZnp.
MAY 6: Enjoy Sunday brunch with
chef Michael Digby, the Food Network’s
“Fat Chef,” who lost 100 pounds through
diet and exercise, at the Annual Living
Well with Diabetes Event. Brunch will
be served at the Duchossois Center for
Advanced Medicine. Free. Registration
is required at: diabetes@uchospitals.
edu, or call (773) 702-2371.
MAY 10: The Urban Health Initiative
sponsors the Section of Family Planning
& Contraceptive Research and the Center
for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture
at the “Reproductive Health Disparities
Among Youth: Improving Services
and Ensuring Access” conference. For
details, visit familyplanning.uchicago.edu/
policy/conferences.
MAY 11–12: Women in Science
Symposium 2012. Speakers include
Melissa Gilliam, MD, professor of obstet-
rics/gynecology and pediatrics; Kawtar
Hafidi, PhD, nuclear physicist at Argonne
National Laboratory; Vicky Prince, PhD,
associate dean in the Biological Sciences
Division; and Young Kee-Kim, PhD,
deputy director of Fermi National
Accelerator Laboratory. For details and to
register, visit bit.ly/womeninscience2012.
MAY 12: The University of Chicago
Medicine celebrates its Day of Service
and Reflection, 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
Faculty, staff, students, friends and
families are invited. Breakfast and lunch
will be provided. Call 2-5600 for details
and to register.
TRACY LOOPE
STAFF WRITER
Treating high-risk patients demands
immediate access to information. That’s
one reason the University of Chicago
Medicine and Biological Sciences
implemented the electronic health
record (EHR) in all inpatient and some
outpatient units one year ago, during the
2011 phase of the project to establish the
EHR across the medical campus.
For the Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, the EHR has increased
communication and collaboration among
faculty members, residents and nurses,
explained Kenneth Nunes, MD, assistant
professor of obstetrics and gynecology and
medical director of labor and delivery.
For example, when a morbidly obese
woman went into labor before induction,
the labor and delivery team was able to
access her specialized anesthesia plan,
deliver the proper medications and contact
all necessary caregivers with information
found in her EHR.
“Without quick access to her prenatal care
and anesthesia plan, her care may have
been compromised,” Nunes said. “But
because all information was readily
available, she had an uneventful delivery.”
The electronic “grease board,” in particular,
has impacted the department positively.
Before the EHR’s arrival, patients’ names,
attending physicians, delivery statuses
and other information were written on a
board only those in that room could see.
Now, caregivers access this information
from computers, tablets or mobile devices
throughout the hospital. This tool also helps
units such as the neonatal intensive care
unit prepare for possible admissions once
babies are born.
For Yolanda Becker, MD, professor of
surgery and director of the kidney and
pancreas transplant program, transitioning
to the EHR in the transplant clinics
has changed the way she interacts with
patients. Becker uses the computer to show
patients what she’s documenting and to
provide visuals of possible procedures.
“The computer can be used to interact
with the patient, but you need to think
differently,” Becker said. “I make eye
contact as much or perhaps more than I
did before the EHR.”
Launching both inpatient and outpatient
EHR systems for the Section of
Transplantation has helped the team work
faster when organs arrive.
“When we are offered an organ, the patient
comes in that day and surgery begins
within a few hours,” Becker explained.
Having access to the notes taken during
outpatient visits and studies from outside
facilities is essential.
“I anticipate that people will look back
and wonder how we ever did this without
electronic health records,” Becker said.
Inside » Special insert on May 6–7
Epic go-live.
MOLLY WOULFE
STAFF WRITER
The Oscars are over. But the
University of Chicago Medicine is
still backing “The Interrupters”
as a contender on the South Side.
The Urban Health Initiative (UHI) is
sponsoring a free screening of the critically
acclaimed documentary on April 10 at
Rainbow PUSH headquarters, 930 E.
50th St., Chicago. Set on the city’s South
and West sides, the 2011 film chronicles
the efforts of three gang members-turned-
professional counselors to defuse violence
at the street level.
Part of the University of Chicago
Medicine’s ongoing anti-violence cam-
paign, the screening begins at 5 p.m.;
a panel discussion with medical experts
and community leaders follows. Trained
“violence interrupters” traditionally
attend these events and field questions.
Turnout for a Feb. 27 screening
co-sponsored by the University of Chicago
Medicine at the Chicago Urban League
was “a great example of community and
university collaboration in addressing
health issues on Chicago’s South Side,”
said Quin Golden, associate vice president
for strategic affiliations and UHI.
“We have learned that addressing violence
from a public health model to reduce
violence in our community works.”
Thanks to a partnership between
the University of Chicago Medicine and
CeaseFire, the movie will be shown
monthly through August at community
venues. The nonprofit CeaseFire launched
the Interrupters violence-mediation
program in West Garfield Park in 2000.
Other anti-violence efforts backed by
the medical campus include specialized
forensic training for 27 percent of nurses
to improve the care of sexual assault
victims. The goal is to have at least one
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE)
on every shift in the adult Emergency
Department by the end of 2012. These
YOLANDA BECKER, MD, USES THE COMPUTER
TO SHOW PATIENTS WHAT SHE’S DOCUMENTING
AND PROVIDE VISUALS OF PROCEDURES.
PHOTO BY MEGAN E. DOHERTY
Continued on Page 3
VIOLENCE INTERRUPTER AMEENA MATTHEWS IN A SCENE FROM “THE INTERRUPTERS” (2011).
ENGLEWOOD RESIDENT MATTHEWS DISCUSSED PEACEKEEPING STRATEGIES AT A FEB. 27 SCREENING
OF THE DOCUMENTARY SPONSORED BY CEASEFIRE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KARTEMQUIN FILMS
COUNTDOWN TO THE NHP
Jim Hietbrink from the construction project office
shares a behind-the-scenes look at the engineering
for the walls in the New Hospital Pavilion in this
video: bit.ly/hietbrink
MONTHS
ATTHE FOREFRONTA PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES APRIL 2012
QUICK ACCESS TO INFORMATION SAVES LIVES

2. Boy’s Arthritis Pain
Is Sent Running
MAGGIE HIGGINS
STAFF WRITER
Last spring, Nick Pecoraro, 13, became
the first kid in his school to qualify for the
state cross-country meet. Fifteen years
ago, it would have been unfathomable for
a kid like Nick to run at all.
In 2009, he was diagnosed with
juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
Complaints of foot pain drove his mom,
Dawn Pecoraro, to consult his pediatri-
cian. Despite lab tests, doctors were
unable to identify the cause of Nick’s
stiffness and pain.
One Sunday at church, wanting to gauge
her son’s pain, Dawn reached over and
softly squeezed his hands, causing him to
yell out. Right away, she brought him to
see Karen Onel, MD, pediatric rheuma-
tologist at Comer Children’s Hospital at
the University of Chicago. “A minute
into the interview, she told us what Nick
had,” Dawn said. “We went home and
researched everything on JIA. We had a
million questions.”
To deal with more than 20 swollen
joints, Onel started Nick on Humira,
a biologic drug that targets a particular
chemical in the body to reduce joint
inflammation. “These drugs have
changed the management of arthritis in
kids,” Onel said. When she started her
practice, chemotherapy was the strongest
treatment available. Adaptive devices
for everyday activity were the norm.
Nick’s response to Humira was
tremendous. The pain disappeared.
In six weeks of occupational therapy,
Nick’s grip test went from 7 pounds to
33 pounds of pressure. “I also started
playing the piano,” Nick said. “I didn’t
know I was able to do that.”
Nick will soon be taken off Humira and
monitored for how his body responds as
part of a study led by Onel.
“When we first started researching JIA,
there were many unanswered questions,”
Dawn explained. “We volunteered
for the study so other parents can get
more answers.”
Nick is in remission now, with no
inflammation. “It used to be that we
hoped to get patients better,” Onel
said. “Now we want everyone perfect,
like Nick.”
1 Pill May Work
Against 2 Addictions
ROB MITCHUM
STAFF WRITER
Since its approval by the FDA in 2006,
varenicline has become a valuable aid for
people trying to get over the hump of
quitting smoking. Marketed as Chantix,
the drug has joined buproprion and
nicotine replacement therapy as popular
options for helping smokers fight cravings
and withdrawal as they try to kick the
habit. But one side effect of varenicline
studied by University of Chicago
researchers may yield a secondary use for
the drug.
Anecdotally, patients taking Chantix
sometimes report that the drug reduces
their urge to drink. But no one had
looked at exactly why varenicline puts
people off of booze or what a single dose
of the drug could do compared to the
prolonged exposure resulting from a
Chantix prescription.
To answer these questions, a team
led by Emma Childs, research associate
(assistant professor) in the Department
of Psychiatry at the University of
Chicago Medicine, recruited 15
moderate-to-heavy social drinkers for a
controlled laboratory experiment. Each
subject spent six afternoons in the lab,
receiving a dose of varenicline or a placebo
three hours before drinking either a
non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage.
When pre-treated with varenicline and
given alcohol, the subjects reported more
negative feelings and less enjoyment
than when treated with a placebo. By
reducing the allure of alcohol, varenicline
might help people prone to binge
drinking say no to subsequent drinks by
ruining the effects of the first cocktail.
“The pleasurable effects of alcohol, for
example feeling ‘buzzed’ and talkative,
are associated with greater consumption
and binge drinking,” Childs said.
“Some people lose control of their alcohol
consumption during a drinking episode.
For example, they may aim to only have
one or two drinks but end up drinking
four or five. If varenicline counteracts
these positive effects by producing
unpleasant effects, then as a result people
may consume less alcohol during a
drinking episode.”
Match Day Magic
MEGAN E. DOHERTY
STAFF WRITER
“It’s 10 a.m. and I’ve never seen P117
quite this full,” teased Holly J. Humphrey,
MD, dean of medical education at the
University of Chicago Pritzker School
of Medicine.
On Match Day, anything goes. Such
was the case March 16 in the standing-
room-only Billings Auditorium. At times
the atmosphere rivaled that of a dance
party as 99 Pritzker School of Medicine
students learned their first-year residency
placements.
“Several of the medical students who
we’re looking at right now are going to
be members of your medical staff,”
Humphrey told first-row attendee Sharon
O’Keefe, president of the University of
Chicago Medicine.
Her prediction was on target. At precisely
11 a.m., envelopes went flying and
pandemonium erupted. A staggering
100 percent of the Pritzker class of 2012
matched via the main residency match,
and 33 students will be joining the
University of Chicago Medicine for some
or all of their training. “The Pritzker
student body is a great source of pride for
us, congratulations!” O’Keefe said.
The class of 2012 is unique because no
student relied on the Supplemental Offer
and Acceptance Program for finding a
residency. “This is also the first class in
almost 20 years to be graduating from a
top 10 medical school,” Humphrey told
the cheering audience.
Ting-Wa Wong, MD, PhD, who
designed the 2012 Match Day T-shirts,
drew laughs as she explained her “turtle”
motif. “I have represented you as turtles,
for two reasons. First, I’m no good at
drawing people. Second, symbolically,
the turtle has a reputation of being
steadfast and a winner at the end,”
said Wong, associate professor of the
department of pathology.
As someone who spent a great deal
of time teaching the students, she said,
“this is an outstanding class, both in
intellectual and human qualities.”
‘HealthMatters’
Gets the Word Out
MAGGIE HIGGINS
STAFF WRITER
Every Wednesday, several local
newspapers include a feature headlined
“HealthMatters.” Presented by the
University of Chicago Medicine, the
advertisement promotes community
outreach and health education events
supported by the University of Chicago
Medicine in collaboration with
other organizations.
The Go Red for Women Community
Expo, for example, was recently high-
lighted in “HealthMatters.” Supported
in part by the University of Chicago
Medicine and held Feb. 24 at the
University of Illinois at Chicago Forum,
the event drew more than 1,000 people,
giving them a chance to take charge of
their health.
They learned about heart-healthy diets,
enjoyed Zumba instruction and con-
nected with local health resources. Two
panels of cardiologists — one speaking
in English, the other in Spanish —
discussed risk factors for heart ailments
and answered questions.
In collaboration with the American Heart
Association, the University of Chicago
Medicine staff offered free health screen-
ings and consultations. More than 350
women and men were screened for blood
pressure, body mass index, cholesterol and
blood sugar levels. A clinician reviewed
the numbers and shared risk factors and
prevention measures.
“We greatly appreciate the involvement
of the University of Chicago Medicine
cardiologists and staff,” said Kim Feil,
volunteer chair of the Go Red Campaign.
“Heart disease is one of the few leading
causes of death that is almost completely
preventable. We aimed to make sure that
people in underserved communities had
the opportunities to learn as well.”
Linda Bond, advanced practice nurse in
cardiology, was one of 13 volunteers from
the University of Chicago Medicine.
“The participants appreciated what we had
to offer and the amount of information
they received,” Bond said.
Bond added: “It’s nice to give back to
the community. Even in a small amount
of time, it was a wake-up call for
many participants.”
Look for “HealthMatters” in the
Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times
and the Post-Tribune.
MORE THAN 1,000 PEOPLE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF
HEALTH INFORMATION AND SCREENINGS AT THE
RECENT GO RED FOR WOMEN COMMUNITY EXPO
SUPPORTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
MEDICINE. PHOTO BY BILL RICHERT
EXCITED PRITZKER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
STUDENTS AWAIT THE CUE TO OPEN THE
ENVELOPES WITH THEIR RESIDENCY PLACEMENTS
ON MARCH 16 IN BILLINGS AUDITORIUM.
PHOTO BY MEGAN E. DOHERTY
HARRIET DE WIT, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY
AND BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE (FROM LEFT);
EMMA CHILDS, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, PSYCHIATRY
AND BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE; ANDREA KING,
PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL
NEUROSCIENCE, AND DANIEL ROCHE, GRADUATE
STUDENT, NEUROBIOLOGY, ARE LOOKING
AT A NEW USE FOR VARENICLINE. PHOTO BY
MEGAN E. DOHERTY
NICK PECORARO IS HELPING FIND THE ANSWER TO A
CRIPPLING CONDITION. PHOTO BY MEGAN E. DOHERTY
ADVANCING OUR MISSIONS
PATIENT CARE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EDUCATION & LEADERSHIP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

3. JESSY ALEXANDER (FROM LEFT) AND LIBY MATHEW
GET ASSISTANCE FROM ANDRE CRITTENDEN IN
PREPARING TO TAKE THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
SURVEY 2012. KIOSKS THROUGHOUT THE MEDICAL
CAMPUS MADE PARTICIPATION MORE CONVENIENT.
PHOTO BY MEGAN E. DOHERTY
GAIL ANDERSON (LEFT) AND KAREN DANIEL
SUPPORT THE IRISH COFFEE FUNDRAISER HOSTED
BY THE COMER CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL SERVICE
COMMITTEE. THE 45TH ANNUAL EVENT, HELD MARCH
15 AT ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE CHURCH, INCLUDED
REFRESHMENTS AND A SILENT AUCTION.
PHOTO BY MEGAN E. DOHERTY
SANDRA ROBINSON, RN, PATIENT SAFETY
COORDINATOR (RIGHT), HELPS ALLISON DYREK, RN,
USE THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE’S
EVENT REPORTING SYSTEM DURING PATIENT
SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK, MARCH 4–10.
THE RISK MANAGEMENT & PATIENT SAFETY
DEPARTMENT SPONSORED THE WEEK’S EVENTS.
PHOTO BY MEGAN E. DOHERTY
MAGGIE HIGGINS
STAFF WRITER
For several nights each January, members
of the University of Chicago community
and their neighbors put on a show. As the
Quad Club Revels, they entertain audiences
with a satirical, slapstick dinner-theater
production in a tradition that began at the
Quad Club in 1904. This year’s show was
a “noir musical murder mystery.”
Two members of the University of
Chicago Medicine are regulars on the
Quad Club stage.
Philip Hoffman, MD, professor of
medicine, was “discovered” at a new
faculty gathering in the early 1980s during
which there was singing around a piano.
One of the Revels’ producers asked if he
would be interested in performing.
“I do not have a trained voice,” Hoffman
admitted. “But I have the virtue of
speaking loudly, clearly and usually on
key, and I’m willing to make a ham
out of myself in public.”
Patricia Young-Beyer, MD, assistant
professor of anesthesia and critical
care, started out playing gofer for the
production. “I made sure the show went
on,” Young-Beyer said.
She also put together costumes, and after a
couple of shows, Young-Beyer was costum-
ing the entire production. “I wouldn’t say I
can sew, but I can put things together,” she
said. “I love working with fabrics.”
The camaraderie brings both physicians
back to the rehearsals every year. “Half
of us don’t even know what the others’
day jobs are,” Hoffman said of his fellow
thespians. “These are just a bunch of
people that get together and do a show.”
“I feel like I’m contributing to the university,
in a way, by continuing a tradition,”
Young-Beyer said. The show brings
together elements of the university, the
medical campus, and the Hyde Park
community. With wit and fun, the
amateur cast puts on an entertaining
production that’s a showcase for some
real talent.
During the dark days of Chicago winters,
the rehearsals are “a social outlet as well as
just fun,” Hoffman said. “It’s cheaper than
psychiatric care.”
Neither physician is going to quit his or
her day job, though. Not yet.
MEGAN E. DOHERTY
STAFF WRITER
Working in the registration area of the Emergency
Department (ED) in the University of Chicago Medicine’s
Bernard A. Mitchell Hospital once meant squeezing
through tight spaces and bumping into colleagues. A
recent kaizen event helped change that.
“The area feels more open and inviting,” said Michael D.
Ewing, manager of the inpatient access center. “Prior to the
(February) event, you may have had to open four or five
cabinets to find what you were looking for. Now you can
see at a glance where things belong.”
“In order for the staff to have a healthy working environment,
we used the ‘5S’ kaizen tool,” Carmen Acevedo, operational
excellence partner, said. “This tool helps identify
opportunities for improvement, wasteful processes and
safety concerns.”
Typical 5S activities focus on “sorting,” “straightening,”
“shining,” “standardizing” and putting measures in place
to “sustain” the best working environment — not just for
staff, but also for patients.
The ED is holding two kaizen events each month over
the next year to develop processes that deliver a better
patient experience. An ED 5S event in October focused on
improving a nurses station, including installing two touch-
screen monitors for faster patient service. Changes to the
waiting room configurations in another event aimed
to create a friendlier and cleaner space.
To date, eight kaizen events have been held in the ED, and
several more are scheduled to tackle the treatment rooms.
Metrics will be used to track progress and improvements,
which include reducing the length of stay for patients,
reducing the number of patients who leave without being
seen, reducing and eventually eliminating diversion
hours, reducing and eventually eliminating the number
of patients in the waiting room and increasing patient
satisfaction scores.
Ewing, as manager of the registration area, noted
progress also has been made in how employees feel
about their work environment.
“More employees are taking ownership and are
actively engaged in maintaining workplace standards.
That ownership creates a more positive work-life
experience, which is transferred to our internal and
external customers,” Ewing said.
MAKING THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT SHINE
staffers are trained to independently
conduct forensic examinations and collect
evidence, increasing the likelihood of
charges and prosecution of offenders.
Measures to curb teen violence are a
priority as well. One venture is the stage
drama “It Shoudda Been Me” at the eta
Creative Arts Foundation. Recommended
for fifth- through 12th-graders, the play
addresses the impact of a friend’s murder
on a sensitive 15-year-old. Written by
Doriane Miller, MD, associate professor
of medicine and director of the Center
for Community Health and Vitality at
the University of Chicago Medicine, this
collaboration between UHI and eta runs
weekdays at 10 a.m. through June 15 at the
foundation, 7558 S. Chicago Ave., Chicago.
Gary Slutkin, MD, founded CeaseFire in
1995 on the premise that urban crime is a
public health issue treatable by early inter-
vention. Under CeaseFire Illinois Director
Tio Hardiman, the program trains violence
interrupters — many of them reformed
gang members — to help resolve disputes
in their high-risk neighborhoods.
These outreach workers intervened in
more than 900 conflicts and worked
with more than 1,100 young people last
year in Chicago. They gained national
recognition when Oscar-nominated
director Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”)
documented their crusade against
retaliatory crimes in “The Interrupters.”
While film festivals lauded the gritty
documentary, shot by Chicago’s
Kartemquin Films over the course of
a year, the Academy Awards snubbed
the homegrown feature.
The University of Chicago Medicine will
fund a CeaseFire interrupter to address
violence over the next three years on
Chicago’s South Side. A daylong UHI
summit on April 17 at the Bridgeport Art
Center, 1200 W. 35th St., Chicago, will
address community needs.
Continued from Page 1
LEAD ED COORDINATOR JACKIE DAWSON SORTS AND STRAIGHTENS
SUPPLY CABINETS IN THE MITCHELL HOSPITAL ED TO CREATE A
MORE OPEN, ORGANIZED AND INVITING WORKPLACE. PHOTO BY
MEGAN E. DOHERTY
CUTTING A RUG: PATRICIA YOUNG-BEYER, MD, AND PHILIP HOFFMAN, MD, GIVE IT A WHIRL
IN THE QUAD CLUB REVELS’ PERFORMANCE OF. “FAREWELL, MY BITTERSWEET, OR 99% NOIR.”
THIS YEAR’S ANNUAL SPOOF OF UNIVERSITY LIFE BOWED JAN. 26 AT THE QUADRANGLE CLUB.
PHOTO BY MANOL GUEORGUIEVO
AT THE SCENE
EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS
BEYOND THE FOREFRONT
A Different Kind of Operating Theater

4. PR ACTICE PLAN
FOCUSES ON
COMMUNITY
RELATIONSHIPS
Rounds: Great Opportunity To Share
Teams on 5SW, 6NE and 5NW in the
University of Chicago Medicine’s Bernard
A. Mitchell Hospital implemented a modi-
fied rounding model that allows for broader
dialogue with disciplines critical to care
planning (physicians, pharmacists, nutri-
tionists, physical therapists, occupational
therapists and others). Rounds also provide
an opportunity to reflect on patient and
family concerns and gain insight to address
readmission risks in a meaningful way.
Nursing Systems Director Sally Szumlas,
RN, MS, is excited about the opportunity to
bring so many disciplines together. “There
are great examples of collaborative rounding
already happening in the hospital,” she said.
“We need to standardize and spread these
best practices.”
Daily interdisciplinary patient care rounds
on adult inpatient units are getting a
fresh look under the leadership of the
Collaborative Care Council, which Szumlas
co-chairs with Nutrition Services Director
Mary Russell and Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit Patient Care Manager Rachel Reid.
The council was created in October 2011
after discussions noting the potential for
improvement in clinical communications
throughout the medical campus.
The rounding changes began in January.
“Feedback from staff members has been
encouraging,” Szumlas said. “Specialty-
specific successes already achieved will be
used to plan for housewide implementation
of collaborative rounding.”
These changes support the council’s
intention to develop a unified model of
care and then sustain and improve that
model to impact patient care, experiences
and outcomes.
Council membership represents diverse
disciplines, including a range of physicians
and residents, staff and leadership from
nursing and allied professions.
“Health care is extremely complex, and
it’s important that everyone — patients
as well as caregivers — understands all
aspects of care, including the prevention
of malnutrition,” council co-chair Russell
said. “Nothing should be overlooked.”
Also included are support specialties such
as information technology, operational
excellence and human resources.
Beyond developing the model of care
and better defining the scope of practice
responsibilities among professions, the group
will work to standardize workflows critical
to transition to the New Hospital Pavilion.
“Admission, care planning, patient education
and discharge processes will benefit from
our collaboration,” Reid added.
MEGAN E. DOHERTY
STAFF WRITER
The recently established faculty
practice plan at the University of
Chicago Medicine continues to support
physicians’ clinical mission and build
community relationships.
One focus is increasing networking
and relationships between the University
of Chicago Medicine and other Chicago-
area hospitals. At the end of January,
the University of Chicago Medicine
developed a formal agreement with
Munster Community Hospital to provide
physician services for its neonatal intensive
care unit (NICU). Starting July 1, four
neonatalogists from the University of
Chicago Medicine will work full-time at
Munster to provide clinical services and
oversee management of the NICU.
“Our physicians will be going out into the
community to be a visible presence and an
available resource,” said Richard Baron,
MD, dean for clinical practice.“They will
bring the highest quality care to patients
in Northwest Indiana.” New mechanisms
will be put in place to ensure a seamless
transfer of patients to the University of
Chicago Medicine when necessary.
Similar agreements are in place for
neonatal services with MacNeal Hospital,
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, and
Little Company of Mary Hospital, said
David Gozal, MD, chairman of pediatrics.
“We hope this initiative will translate into
collaboration with other pediatric services
at Munster,” Gozal said, “and that it
will foster expansion into sub-specialty
services, as well as more convenient access
for patients to such services.”
MARY CATE WILHELM, PA-C (FROM LEFT);
ALLISON DYREK, RN; EMILY ROSENBAUM, PA-C;
KATHY SHANAHAN, RN, MSN (DIRECTOR OF THE
MULTI-SPECIALTY CARE CENTER); GENEVIEVE
SOTELO, RN, CCTN; STEPHANIE GRAHAM, RN;
AND HAILEY ANDERSON, PHARMACIST, REPRESENT
VARIOUS DISCIPLINES ENGAGED IN COLLABORA-
TION. PHOTO BY MEGAN E. DOHERTY
Diverse Disciplines
Come TogetherJOE PIXLER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Great things happen when people work together. So the University
of Chicago Medicine is enhancing collaboration among clinicians to
achieve the safest and highest quality of care.
JOE PIXLER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
During a follow-up call, a
case manager learns that a
discharged patient with fluid
overload is taking Lasix incor-
rectly. The case manager gives
instructions on how to take it
correctly, potentially preventing
a readmission.
This real-life scenario faced
at the University of Chicago
Medicine illustrates a signifi-
cant issue in health care and
how caregivers here are tackling
it head-on.
“Every clinician knows that
the transition from hospital
to home is a high-risk time for
patients,” said Chad Whelan,
MD, associate chief medical
officer, Clinical Performance
Improvement and Innovation.
“While some readmissions are
unavoidable, we fully understand
the importance of preventing
them whenever possible.”
Aside from causing unnecessary
complications for patients,
readmissions drain medical
resources. They are addressed
by the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act of 2010,
signed into law by President
Obama. The law seeks to
reduce repeat hospitalizations
by penalizing hospitals for
unplanned readmissions
of patients within 30 days
of discharge.
To better serve patients (and
respond to these reimbursement
changes), the Office of Clinical
Effectiveness is calling on a
new Readmissions Task Force.
“We’re taking a multipronged,
evidence-based approach to
focus on improving the quality
of patient care,” explained Seth
Blumenthal, manager, Clinical
Performance Improvement and
Innovation. “We are increasing
collaboration both internally
and after the patient is dis-
charged from the hospital.”
Processes being reviewed by the
Readmissions Task Force, under
the leadership of Blumenthal
and Whelan, include:
! Medical records
! Discharge planning
! Follow-up appointments
! Home health
! Follow-up calls
CULTURE OF COLLABORATION
In the past, hospitals operated
under the constraint of profes-
sional and departmental silos,
Blumenthal explained. Patients
were passed on to the next clinic,
and there was little coordination
between clinics. Today, the
University of Chicago Medicine
is committed to operating under
a culture of collaboration, and
the Readmissions Task Force is
making improvements across
the continuum of care.
Starting at admission, Pharmacy
is improving the accuracy of
medication records to avoid
adverse drug reactions.
Rounding, traditionally per-
formed separately by specialty,
is being tested by a multidisci-
plinary team approach. Problems
are being resolved much faster
by having nutritionists and
pharmacists on the rounding
teams, Blumenthal said.
To better prepare patients to
manage their recovery at home,
clinicians are using the “teach-
back” method of instruction.
This gives immediate feedback
on patients’ level of understand-
ing. Their understanding is
confirmed when they explain
instructions back to clinicians,
allowing education to be
customized on the fly for each
patient’s needs.
Additionally, the task force
is piloting better coordination
with home health agencies
to ensure that patients are sent
to agencies equipped to help
them recover quickly.
As a test, care coordinators are
calling patients 48 hours after
they are discharged to find out if
they need help with medications
or are experiencing any other
problems. These coordinators
are already reporting “saves,” in
which patient care is directly
impacted in a positive way.
In the coming months, the
Readmissions Task Force will
analyze this and other interven-
tions to determine their impact
on readmissions.
Blumenthal said he’s confident
of success.
“We can already see the positive
effect on patient care,” he said.
Nice Save:Helping Patients Stay Home
RUKIYA LACY-GRIFFIN, LEAD NURSE CARE COORDINATION MANAGER, HELPS
PATIENT LEONIA GAMBLES USE THE PHONE. AS PART OF AN INITIATIVE TO LIMIT
UNPLANNED READMISSIONS, LACY-GRIFFIN IS PREPARING GAMBLES FOR AN
UNEVENTFUL TRANSITION HOME. PHOTO BY MEGAN E. DOHERTY
Michele Panozzo, RT (R) (CT)
One of my scanners. It is
extremely fast and will
provide the lowest dose for
our patients.
Michael Pankowski, RN, BSN
My patients. I love our
specialty.
Aimee Tarr, RN, BSN
Teamwork!
Kim Budil, RN, MBA
Our IR status board. It tells
us at a glance what’s going
on in our department.
What do you want to
take to the NHP?
PHOTOS BY MEGAN E. DOHERTY
Around the Medical Campus