COVID news
Staff invited to sign up to help at Penn State Health’s newly launched, dedicated vaccination sites
Penn State Health is asking employees to help staff its four dedicated vaccination sites in Berks, Centre, Cumberland and Dauphin counties. Four, eight and 12-hour shifts are available.
Positions include the following:
- Greeters/screeners
- Ushers
- Monitors
- Check-in staff
- Mobile scheduler
- Pharmacists
- Vaccinators
- Logistics coordinator
- Provider of the day
Interested staff should sign up for the location associated with where they currently work — i.e., Hershey Medical Center staff should sign up for the Dauphin County dedicated vaccination site. Employees will receive their regular hourly rate of pay for the hours they work at the vaccination sites. They should seek manager approval prior to signing up for a shift.
Additionally, they must get prior approval from their manager for any shift work that would result in overtime.
Penn State Health town hall highlights: COVID-19 cases, employee vaccinations, dedicated vaccination clinics
More than 1,100 employees attended the Feb. 25 Penn State Health town hall. In case you missed it, here are a few highlights:
- The health system is seeing a downward trend in the daily number of COVID-19 patients at its three medical centers, falling from a high of 230 at the end of December 2020 to the mid-80s in the last week of February.
- The number of employees who are either COVID-19-positive or quarantined due to exposure has also dropped significantly. In January, at the height of the second surge, the health system had 231 positive employees and an additional 660 in quarantine. In the last week of February, there were 59 positive and 190 quarantined.
- As of Feb. 23, three-quarters — 16,020 — Penn State Health and College of Medicine staff, faculty and students had been vaccinated. Eight-five percent of those who have been vaccinated have received their second dose.
- As of Feb. 23, Penn State Health had vaccinated 1,879 community providers — health care and emergency medical services providers not affiliated with the health system.
- Penn State Health vaccinated more than 10,500 patients as of Feb. 23. With its four newly launched vaccination sites, it anticipates being able to vaccinate as many as 2,700 individuals each day, dependent upon vaccine supply.
See a replay of the town hall here.
College of Medicine Pandemic Response Friday Round-Up – Week of Feb. 22-26
In-person temperature and COVID symptom screenings were discontinued at the College of Medicine main entrance and Biomedical Research Building entrance on March 1. Follow this process daily when entering the buildings:
- Complete the online check-in process to assist with contact tracing.
- Scan your ID badge.
- Use the digital thermal scanners in the lobby to check your temperature.
- Continue to practice physical distancing of at least six feet, regular hand hygiene and mask wearing.
The University will conduct random daily surveillance testing of approximately 2% of the University’s on-campus population across all campuses. This testing is scheduled to begin this week. This testing is mandatory, and only those who have tested COVID-19-positive in the last 90 days are exempt.
Penn State Health, College of Medicine offer vaccine appointments to employees, students in March
Penn State Health and the College of Medicine are offering opportunities for employees and students to receive the COVID-19 vaccination in March at three locations:
- Penn State Health Camp Hill Outpatient Center, Employee Health: Wednesday, March 3, and Wednesday, March 24, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Hershey Medical Center, H3300: Thursday, March 11, and Thursday, March 18, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Joseph Medical Center, Garden North: Wednesday, March 17, and Wednesday, March 31, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
The health system and college will offer additional times in April depending on the supply of the vaccine.
Penn State Health and College of Medicine employees and students can click here to schedule their appointments. This scheduling link should only be used by Penn State Health and College of Medicine employees and students. Do not share it outside of the organization.
New break space available at College of Medicine
In ongoing efforts to keep employees and patients safe, the College of Medicine has added a meal/break space. Lecture Room D, C-7619, which accommodates 38 people, is open daily from 5:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. until April 28.
The Ronald McDonald family room, Junker Auditorium and Lecture Room B, C5621, are no longer break areas. However, employees can take advantage of other designated meal/break rooms.
Many employee-positive COVID-19 cases have been linked to crowded break areas and dining without social distancing and masking.
Employees should follow room-occupancy mandates and social-distancing requirements of six feet or more. They also should wear masks when they are not eating and drinking.
All COVID-19 safety and cleaning protocols are in place for these areas.
St. Joseph eliminates screeners at satellite locations March 12
Penn State Health St. Joseph will eliminate screeners at its high-volume, high-risk satellite locations – except for urgent care – beginning Friday, March 12.
Instead, each department will screen patients. The new visitor policy, vaccinations and a decrease in COVID-19 cases led to the change.
St. Joseph had switched to department screenings at most of its satellite locations in the fall but continued using screeners at its high-volume, high-risk sites, such as the Medical Office Building, Downtown Campus and Penn State Health Medical Group – Berks Cardiology.
People
Holy Spirit Medical Center presents Reinoehl with January Great Catch Award
Holy Spirit Medical Center’s Patient Safety Champion for January is Mary Reinoehl. Reinoehl, a nurse on 7 Main, earned the Great Catch Award for noticing a dosing error with a high-alert medication and having it corrected.
Holy Spirit Medical Center’s Patient Safety Committee presents the Great Catch Award monthly to an employee who recognizes an unsafe situation or near-miss event that decreases patient injury or harm. In addition to being recognized during the monthly leadership meeting, recipients receive 20,000 PAWS UP! points, a gift certificate to The Hearth, the hospital cafeteria and use of a special parking space for the month.
Women in Science and Research: Serving the community, the world
Women at Penn State College of Medicine are engaged in research that makes a difference in the community and beyond.
Patricia “Sue” Grigson, PhD
Grigson leads the Penn State Addiction Center for Translation, which was created to address substance-use disorders.
Elaine Eyster, MD
Eyster’s research revolutionized understanding of HIV and hepatitis C. She also studies hemophilia, its complications and treatment.
Jennifer Kraschnewski, MD
Susan Veldheer, DEd
Researchers like Kraschnewski and Veldheer are connected with community partners to promote healthy lifestyles.
Tricia Burdo, PhD
Burdo is a College of Medicine alumna and is speaking at this week’s Graduate Student Research Forum. She is a faculty member at Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Her research is focused on immune responses in central and peripheral nervous system and heart during simian immunodeficiency virus and HIV infection.
Read more about women researchers in psychiatry and behavioral health and community health and how alumni are shaping biomedical research.
Learn more about the virtual Women in Science Symposium on Friday, March 12, and register to attend.
Employees honored for work milestones
Congratulations to the following Penn State Health employees who are celebrating a milestone work anniversary between Feb. 24 and March 2. They put our values into action every day.
College of Medicine employees mark work milestones
Congratulations to College of Medicine employees who celebrated a milestone work anniversary in March:
25 Years of Service
- Kathy Bentz, Clinical and Translational Science Institute
20 Years of Service
- Linda D’Ambrosia, Student Affairs
- Sue Kocher, Pharmacology
15 Years of Service
- Leonard Harris, Surgery
10 Years of Service
- Kimberly Perkins, Clinical Research
- Kristin Smith, Graduate Education
- Jessica Folmar, Medical Education
- Susan Veldheer, Family and Community Medicine
Employees are recognized for their time at the College of Medicine, and recognition is given in five-year increments starting on their 10th year. For questions about work anniversary dates, contact HR Shared Services at 814-865-1473 or submit an inquiry via worklion.psu.edu.
Events
Women2Women March 10 event focuses on career road mapping
Women2Women/De Mujer a Mujer presents, “Career Road Mapping: Identifying, Growing and Leveraging the Network That Will Positively Support Your Career,” on Wednesday, March 10, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Ngozi Bell, a partner with Trans-Sahara Investment Corp., will help participants identify the people in their lives who remember them and propel them in their careers.
To register for this free, virtual event, email Devon Fiore, events coordinator for the chamber. Penn State Health St. Joseph is a founding sponsor of Women2Women.
Holy Spirit Medical Center invites employees to connect with hospital leadership March 11
Holy Spirit Medical Center employees can talk with senior-level managers and their colleagues during CONNECT with Senior Leaders, an informal Zoom meeting on Thursday, March 11, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Employee questions and feedback are welcome during the meeting.
Register by noon Wednesday, March 10. Confirmation will be sent via email, along with a Zoom meeting invitation and instructions for how to join. Email Allie Pochak with any questions or call 717-972-4134.
Registration open for ‘Graphical Models: New Methods, Algorithms and Applications’
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute will present “Graphical Models: New Methods, Algorithms and Applications” on Tuesday, March 16, from 4 to 5 p.m. Registration is required here.
Mark your calendar for Penn State Health town hall on March 24
Penn State Health will host a virtual town hall on Wednesday, March 24, at noon:
- Zoom link: zoom.us/j/93405262414
- iPhone one-tap: US: +16465189805, 93405262414#
- Phone: 929 205 6099
- Webinar ID: 934 0526 2414
Employees can submit questions in advance here.
Other news
Harkins leaving Penn State Health Women’s Health. MIGS team assures continuity of expert care
Dr. Gerald Harkins, division chief of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (MIGS), a division he established within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2010, is leaving Penn State Health effective Wednesday, March 31. The MIGS team, comprising Drs. Andrea Benton, Timothy Deimling, Katherine de Souza and Kristin Riley — will continue to treat patients at Penn State Health Women’s Health, 35 Hope Drive in Hershey.
Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery enables patients with complex gynecologic diagnoses, such as chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis and fibroids, to have major surgery through small incisions. This allows a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery time.
“During his career at Penn State Health, Dr. Harkins built a leading-edge, high-volume MIGS service line that has grown to include five faculty members, a nationally recognized fellowship program and patients who travel from neighboring states to seek specialized gynecologic surgical care,” Riley said.
Hershey Medical Center adds new eLearning modules to improve patient experience
Hershey Medical Center’s Department of Patient and Guest Experience is rolling out e-learning modules in COMPASS for physicians, nurses and non-clinical staff. The 10- to 15-minute modules will enhance the medical center’s continued drive to improve the patient experience.
In the coming weeks, employees may see one of the following modules assigned to their Compass transcript with a due date — for tracking purposes only — of Saturday, May 1:
- Physician scorecards: Outpatient survey and physician scorecard and tips for improvement
- Managing up: Creating a positive impression of organizations, departments or staff in different health care settings
- HEART of apology: Handling patient/family complaints, use of “service recovery paradox,” addressing complaints/grievances and service recovery tools
- Patient experience in hiring: Incorporating patient experience in the hiring process and interview questions
Only one e-learning module will be assigned, but employees may complete others. While these modules are not required, leaders encourage staff to watch them and provide feedback. For more information, contact the Department of Patient and Guest Experience.
Behind the Scenes on the Front Lines: Employee Health Services
In “normal” times, they take care of the people who take care of the patients.
Employee Health staff strives to make employees feel like “we’ve got your back,” reassurance that became more important than ever when COVID-19 hit.
What was the biggest challenge your department faced during COVID?
“We were responding to an outrageous number of calls while trying to sort through and give out the best information, which was changing all the time.” ~ Susan Vodzak, Employee Health nurse, Holy Spirit Medical Center
What is one fact about your department that you wish everyone at Penn State Health knew?
“I think there is the misconception that Employee Health is just where you go for shots… Yes, but more importantly, we advocate for our employees, patients and our community in many ways. The message is simple: We care about you and your overall health.” ~ Judy Zabinski, Hershey Medical Center
Put RITE values in action every day in March
Penn State Health focuses on RITE — respect, integrity, teamwork and excellence — values in March, with a month of activities.
Download the calendar here.
RITE values provide Penn State Health employees a compass for becoming Pennsylvania’s most trusted health care organization. Daily activities for March focus on integrity and include taking responsibility, honest communications, building trust and sending PAWS UP! e-cards.
Today’s activity: Leave something or someone better than you found it or them today.
‘Engage’ podcast highlights use of saliva in diagnosing medical conditions
Dr. Steve Hicks, an associate professor of pediatrics at the College of Medicine, discusses his work in using saliva to diagnose concussion, autism and COVID-19 severity in children on Episode 9 of Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s “Engage” podcast. The tests provide an objective way for health care providers to assess patients.
“Engage” is available on all major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
St. Joseph Medical Center installs permanent magnetic resonance imaging unit
St. Joseph Medical Center replaced its mobile magnetic resonance imaging unit with a 1.5 Tesla, high-field magnet that is faster and quieter. The wide-bore unit accommodates larger patients and provides a better experience for those with claustrophobia.
To install the 4-ton unit in the first-floor Radiology Department, crews had to remove doors and maneuver it through hallways. A successful Pennsylvania Department of Health inspection on Feb. 17 cleared the way for staff training and patient studies.
Holy Spirit Medical Center opens nominations for Physician of the Year award
Holy Spirit Medical Center has opened nominations for its 2021 Physician of the Year award. Staff must submit their nominations by Monday, March 15. All physicians with privileges at the hospital are eligible for the award.
A team of physicians and nurses will review each candidate’s qualifications without knowledge of their identities and select the winner. Dr. Bret DeLone, vice president of medical affairs, will present the award at the Doctor’s Day Appreciation Breakfast, Tuesday, March 30, from 7 to 9 a.m., in the hospital auditorium.
The 2020 recipient of the Physician of the Year award was Dr. Arlene Bobonich.
Keep tabs on Hampden Medical Center job opportunities
Penn State Health is poised to add a significant number of jobs in central Pennsylvania, as Hampden Medical Center prepares to welcome its first patients in October 2021.
Click here to learn more about Hampden Medical Center, and sign up to receive updates and view job opportunities.
The new facility in Hampden Township will bring inpatient and outpatient medical services to communities in Cumberland, Perry and York counties.
Wellness Wednesday: positive emotions affect heart health
Researchers tracked more than 1,000 patients with coronary heart disease and found a correlation between mental state and positive behaviors. Patients with sunny dispositions were more likely to be physically active, sleep better and take their heart medications than those struggling with negative emotions.
For the full article on heart health and positive emotions, click here.
Check out the BeWell Employee Wellness Toolkit, and for information on wellness resources, visit the PRO Wellness BeWell Employee Wellness website.
Check out Penn State Health employee discounts
Penn State Health offers employees discounts on products, services and events from local and national businesses. Discounts are available on travel, concerts, electronics, fashion and beauty, health and wellness, restaurants and more.
Access the complete list of discounts available through Abenity.
Holy Spirit Medical Center updates uniform requirements
Holy Spirit Medical Center staff will not be allowed to wear uniforms or other work clothing with the Geisinger Holy Spirit logo, effective Monday, May 31. Visit the Infonet for complete details.