To Your
S U M M E R 2 013
A h e a l t h a n d w e l l n e s s re s o u rc e p ro v i d e d b y J e f f e r s o n H e a l t h c a re
MAKING A DIFFERENCE:
How Hospitalists Are Improving Care
PAGE 4
The Friendliest Place
to Have a Baby
PAGE 2
Expanding
Orthopedic Care
PAGE 6
Dear neighbors,
Welcome to the Summer issue of
To Your Health. In this issue, we
feature several outstanding physicians
who could have located their practice
anywhere in the country, yet they chose
Jefferson Healthcare, including a group
of physicians who work together to make
up our hospitalist team. Hospitalists are the physicians who
specialize in providing round-the-clock care while you are an
inpatient in the hospital. Our team of Dr. Tracie Harris,
Dr. Christopher Giedt, Dr. Judy Gayne, Dr. Jim Geren, and
Dr. Karen Forbes not only provides exceptional patient care, but
they also make sure there is effective communication between
all members of your care team, including your primary care
physician. This group of highly trained doctors exemplifies
teamwork and quality patient care and ensures your hospital
stay is safe and of the highest quality.
We are also proud to welcome our third orthopedic surgeon,
Dr. David King, who started at Jefferson Healthcare in March.
Dr. King completed his fellowship training in adult hip and knee
reconstruction at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard
University. Jefferson Healthcare now provides comprehensive
orthopedic care to our community 24/7, 365 days a year. Each
week, we are getting positive feedback from our patients on the
breadth of services we provide. If you have an ache or pain, give
us a call. We’ll do our best to make you better.
You will also learn about a prestigious award recently given to
our Family Birth Center Unit. Jefferson Healthcare was designated
as a “Baby Friendly Hospital” by Unicef and the World Health
Organization. Jefferson Healthcare is one of five hospitals in
the state of Washington to have been awarded this designation,
and I could not be more proud of our birth center team and the
wonderful care they provide.
We are nearing the end of the spring season, and there is no
better sign that summer is on its way than the Rhody Run. Many
of us here at Jefferson Healthcare view training for and running
the Rhody Run as an excellent way for the community to stay
healthy and well. This year, we’ve introduced the first Jefferson
Healthcare Cup. The JH Cup challenges our local businesses to a
friendly competition between the staffs to see who can assemble
the best race times. The winner claims bragging rights and will be
named on a plaque placed on the hospital’s Quality Achievement
wall of fame. This is a pretty big deal.
Thank you for your continued support and interest in Jefferson
Healthcare. We do want to hear your stories and feedback, so
please feel free to contact me. We’re working hard at improving
the patient care experience, and I want to know how we are doing.
Be active, be healthy, and enjoy the summer months ahead.
Sincerely,
Mike Glenn
Chief Executive Officer
Jefferson Healthcare
Giving Newborns
a Friendly Welcome
It’s official!
Jefferson Healthcare
is now a BabyFriendly Hospital—
one of only five
hospitals in the state
of Washington to be
awarded the title.
Launched by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO),
the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative recognizes hospitals around
the world that implement best practices in birthing care for
newborns, including quality of care standards and breast-feeding
support for new mothers. Being designated a Baby-Friendly
Hospital means Jefferson Healthcare consistently follows the 10
steps to successful breast-feeding, including:
• developing a breast-feeding policy and training all staff on this policy
• showing mothers how to breast-feed and helping them initiate
breast-feeding within a half hour of birth
• allowing moms and infants to remain together at all times
while in the hospital
These best practices for Baby-Friendly Hospitals align with and
support the first strategic goal for Jefferson Healthcare—elevating
the patient care experience.
DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY
To qualify for the Baby-Friendly designation, Jefferson Healthcare
hosted three WHO representatives for an intensive, two-day
assessment. The representatives interviewed every physician,
nurse, and staff member at the Family Birth Center, as well as
approximately 20 patients.
Kirsten Pickard, RN, Nurse Manager of the Family Birth Center,
says securing this designation recognizes baby-friendly practices
the hospital has been implementing for many years.
“Jefferson Healthcare does things differently than most hospital
birth centers,” Pickard says. “Allowing a global organization to
come in and scrutinize our practices shows how committed we are
to the health of Jefferson County’s moms and babies.”
“We are also the only hospital in the country to require all OB RNs
to achieve recognition from the Coalition for the Improvement of
Maternity Services as Mother-Friendly Nurses,” Pickard says. Both
programs require strict adherence to evidence-based best practices
in the care of mothers and babies.
“Adding Mother-Friendly Nurses to a World Health Organization
Baby-Friendly designation makes Jefferson Healthcare one of the
best and friendliest hospitals in the United States to have a baby,”
Pickard adds.
See the difference for yourself! Call (360) 385-2200, ext. 3600,
to arrange a free tour of the Family Birth Center.
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“When it comes to the patient care
experience, we have identified very
high goals for hospital performance
and patient safety. For instance,
we are working to eliminate patient
falls that result in injury, eliminate
medication errors, eliminate
misplaced specimens, improve
transition from one hospital unit
to another, and also improve our
capability to manage significant
increases in census. We are already
performing extremely well in these
areas, but we are working to push
the margin of error to zero.”
—Mike Glenn, CEO, Jefferson Healthcare
Elevate
Elevating the Patient Care Experience at Jefferson Healthcare
We have set ambitious goals aimed at elevating
the patient care experience at Jefferson
Healthcare. Improving the quality and safety of
care is our highest priority, and we will remain
focused on this work until the margin for error
is zero.
Jefferson Healthcare already excels in many
areas of health care. So when the time came to
write a new strategic plan for 2013, what was
left? To rise even higher.
“We want to make sure patients are safe,
receive excellent care, and are completely
satisfied with their care experience,” says Mike
Glenn, CEO at Jefferson Healthcare.
Jefferson Healthcare’s strategic goals in
2013 include:
• elevating the patient care experience
by improving the safety, quality, and
satisfaction of care for every patient we treat
• uplifting employee and community
engagement to Jefferson Healthcare by
partnering with community agencies
and businesses to improve the health
and well-being of our community
• strengthening the stability of Jefferson
Healthcare by providing high-value
service to our community
“We are committed to working with
local agencies like Jefferson County Parks
and Recreation to develop meaningful and
sustainable partnerships in co-sponsoring
health and wellness events,” says Glenn. “We
look forward to increasing our footprint in this
important work.”
Glenn also emphasizes stewardship and
value. Among the 2013 goals are reducing
patient charges in the Emergency Department
and reducing costs per adjusted patient day
throughout the entire Jefferson
Healthcare system.
“We are committed to delivering costeffective, high-value care to our community,”
says Glenn.
To learn more about what we’re doing in the
community, visit www.jeffersonhealthcare.org
and choose “Community Involvement” under
“About Us.”
Where to Find Us
As we expand our
presence in the East
Jefferson County area,
you’ll be seeing us in
many places.
· Jefferson County Parks
and Recreation
· Jefferson County
Wellness & Safety Fair,
Port Townsend
· Jefferson County YMCA
· Port Ludlow Educational
Seminars, Port Ludlow
Bay Club
· Port Ludlow Festival by
the Bay
· Port Townsend
Farmers’ Market
· Port Townsend Paper Mill
· Port Townsend
Rhody Run
· Quilcene Ranger Run
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Left to right: Judy Gayne, MD,
and Tracie Harris, MD, Hospitalists
at Jefferson Healthcare
Expert Care from
Start to Finish
Jefferson Healthcare’s
highly trained hospitalists
are a group of physicians
exclusively dedicated to
providing comprehensive,
one-on-one care for
hospitalized patients and
their families.
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When it comes to caring for his
patients, Christopher Giedt, MD,
board certified in internal medicine
and a hospitalist at Jefferson
Healthcare, is a real “know it all”—he
has to be. As part of a five-member
team of full-time hospitalists, Dr. Giedt,
along with his colleagues, is an expert
in the care of hospitalized patients
and is responsible for the management
and treatment of their illnesses on a
daily basis.
In addition to Dr. Giedt, the full team
of Jefferson Healthcare hospitalists
includes Tracie Harris, MD, Judy Gayne,
MD, James Geren, MD, and Karen
Forbes, MD.
“From the time patients are
admitted to the hospital until they are
discharged, the role of a hospitalist
at Jefferson Healthcare is to provide
immediate, around-the-clock care for
our patients and monitor every aspect
of their conditions,” explains Dr. Giedt.
“We are an extension of a patient’s
primary care physician. It is our job to
personally interact with patients and
their families, multiple times a day if
necessary, and evaluate their status
to ensure they receive the highest
level of care during what can be a very
frightening and emotional time.”
HIGHEST ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Available seven days a week, 24 hours a
day, Jefferson Healthcare’s hospitalists
assess and treat acute medical
conditions, interpret test results, and
make essential decisions about an
individual’s treatment plan, all while
maintaining close communication with
the patient’s primary care physician.
They also work with the team of nurses
and medical professionals to help provide
patients with a better understanding
of their illness or condition, along with
treatment options and recovery.
“Our network of primary care
physicians entrusts us with the lives
and care of their patients while they are
hospitalized,” says Tracie Harris, MD,
Hospitalist Medical Director and Chief of
Medicine at Jefferson Healthcare. “We
are a close-knit community of caregivers.
There is a huge emphasis on teamwork
and caring for our patients like family.
We are a hospital of neighbors caring for
neighbors.”
A HELPING HAND
The hospitalist program at Jefferson
Healthcare began in 2007 in an effort to
ensure the highest level of patient safety,
as well as offer support to primary care
physicians who may not be available to
attend their hospitalized patients.
“One of the many benefits of having
hospitalists on staff is that it allows us
to help our community of primary care
physicians focus more on outpatient
care at their practices while still staying
updated about their patients,” says
Joyce Cardinal, Chief Nurse Executive
at Jefferson Healthcare. “Once a patient
is discharged, a hospitalist will send
his or her primary care physician a full
summary of the patient’s hospital stay,
including post-discharge plans and
medications.”
According to Cardinal, additional
benefits of having hospitalists on staff
include shorter hospital stays, fewer
complications, greater patient satisfaction,
and more efficient care.
“Our hospitalists provide an additional
layer of safety to our patients, as well
as improved communication with their
families and loved ones,” says Cardinal.
“Jefferson Healthcare is passionately
dedicated to offering its patients the most
outstanding care available. I believe
our hospitalist program is proof that
our staff of medical professionals
is always here for the patients of
East Jefferson County when they
need us most.”
Our community is blessed
to have a team of hospitalists
that could work anywhere
in the country but chose
Jefferson Healthcare. They have
markedly improved the patient
care experience and are responsible
for the significant volume growth seen
by the hospital in the last two years,
explains Jefferson Healthcare CEO
Mike Glenn.
“Patients receive the same, if not
better, level of care at Jefferson
Healthcare than they would receive at
a larger hospital because of the quality
of our hospitalists,” says Glenn. “This is
validated by our patient safety, quality
improvement, and patient satisfaction
scores,” which can be viewed at
medicare.gov/hospitalcompare.
Jefferson Healthcare offers a
comprehensive array of health
services, including inpatient hospital
care, outpatient services, primary
care clinics, emergency care, and
home health/hospice services.
For more information about the
dedicated staff and personalized care
offered at Jefferson Healthcare, visit
www.jeffersonhealthcare.org and choose
“Why Choose Jefferson” under “About Us.”
Christopher Giedt, MD, Hospitalist
at Jefferson Healthcare
Treat This, Not That
The term hospitalist came from
an article written by Dr. Robert
Wachter and Dr. Lee Goldman that
ran in the New England Journal of
Medicine in the late 1990s. Today,
hospital medicine is one of the
fastest growing medical specialties
in the United States. According to
the Society of Hospital Medicine,
there are now more than 34,000
hospitalists practicing nationwide.
Hospitalists are trained in general
or internal medicine and can handle
a variety of complex, acute medical
issues. By acting as a liaison to
specialists and surgeons treating
hospitalized individuals, these
physicians help ensure that all
of a patient’s needs and care are
satisfied.
According to the New England
Journal of Medicine, studies
show that patients cared for by
hospitalists had a shortened
hospital stay by up to 12 percent.
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Bringing
the
Best
Orthopedic Care
Tristan McGovern, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Michael Thomas, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Kevin Hines, PA-C
Physician Assistant
With the
addition of David
King, MD, Orthopedic
Surgeon, Jefferson Healthcare
Orthopedics will expand its coverage
to include appointments at the Jefferson
Healthcare Port Ludlow Clinic in the near
future. Now our patients in this area
can receive orthopedic consultations,
postoperative follow-ups, and other
routine care in their own hometown.
Contact the Orthopedic Clinic for
scheduling at
(360) 344-0400.
David C. King, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
With more local providers and resources than ever before, the Jefferson Healthcare Orthopedic
Clinic provides convenient access to highly qualified surgeons and personalized care right here in
Port Townsend.
“Our goal is to be a true partner
for patient health care,” says Josh
Martin, MHA, Director of Orthopedics
at Jefferson Healthcare. “That means
making it easier to have your needs
met close to home, personalizing your
treatment options, and working to
educate you along the way.”
MEET DR. KING
With the addition of David King, MD,
Orthopedic Surgeon, Jefferson
Healthcare is now home to four
orthopedic providers.
“Dr. King completed a fellowship
at Harvard University in adult knee
and hip replacement,” Martin says.
“In addition to specializing in hips
and knees, he is also well equipped to
provide a wide variety of treatment
options specific to each patient. Dr. King
understands the importance of building
a relationship with his patients to
explore nonoperative treatment plans
as well as surgical alternatives.
“We found a champion in Dr. King,
who is dedicated to bringing the latest
in evidence-based orthopedic medicine
here to Port Townsend,” Martin
continues. “We align our providers and
clinical practice with the best medical
standards and are always looking for
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ways to provide the highest standard
of care.”
Expanding the orthopedic team has
allowed Jefferson Healthcare to extend
its hours of operation and develop an
orthopedic urgent care pathway. This
pathway is designed to help patients
receive rapid care for orthopedic issues,
sometimes even the same day they visit
Jefferson Healthcare’s Walk-In Clinic.
PUTTING YOUR MIND AT EASE
Deciding to undergo orthopedic surgery,
like any major surgical procedure, can be
daunting. But there’s no reason for you to
face your concerns alone. The Jefferson
Healthcare Total Joint Replacement
Program provides the continuum of care
support you’ll need.
“The Total Joint Replacement Program
was developed by a team of specialists
in collaboration with the Swedish
Orthopedic Institute as well as other
industry leaders in orthopedics,” Martin
says. “From joint replacement pre-op
classes to personalized care plans, this
program outlines a step-by-step process
to help get our patients back to mobility
in less time and with higher patient
satisfaction scores than other healthcare
systems. It all starts with a decision to
partner with Jefferson Healthcare.”
OUTREACH TO OUR COMMUNITY
In 2013, Jefferson Healthcare’s
team of orthopedic surgeons has been
conducting a series of educational
seminars for the community. Some of the
topics have included “Managing Joint
Pain,” “Jefferson Healthcare’s Total Joint
Replacement Program,” and “Preventing
Sports Injuries.”
“These presentations have been well
received by our community. We get
tremendously positive feedback from the
audiences. Over the last three months,
we’ve presented orthopedic information
to well over 200 Jefferson County and
Clallam County residents,” says Martin.
“The community learns from our
orthopedic specialists about the latest
techniques in evidence-based orthopedic
practice. People want to be informed
when making medical decisions. When it
comes time to make a decision about their
joint health, our orthopedic team is there
to work with patients and provide them
with a full spectrum of options. Our goal
is to collaborate and partner with each
patient and lay out the best medical plan
to accommodate their specific needs.”
To learn more about local
options for orthopedic care, visit
www.jeffersonhealthcare.org/orthopedics.
My Story
by Bill Vaughn
A year ago, Bill Vaughn suffered a back injury from a car accident.
After having spine surgery in January 2013, Vaughn realized he
had a long road to recovery. Fortunately, Jefferson Healthcare was
there to help. This is his story in his own words.
After my spine surgery at a Seattle
hospital, my wife tried to give me home
care, but it became too much for her as I
continued to experience debilitating pain.
My wife tried to find follow-up care and
had no luck until she called Mitzi Hazard
[Physical Therapist and Inpatient Clinical
Supervisor] at Jefferson Healthcare.
My wife explained my surgery and
the pain I was having, which was
excruciating. Mitzi was able to get
me admitted through the Emergency
Department where Dr. Eric Panzer and
the ED staff were ready to get my pain
under control—I was in pretty bad
shape. From there, I was admitted to the
Swing Bed Unit. Staff members Lesa and
Gail started gently working with me, and
I made steady progress. By day seven, I
was off my pain meds.
The nurses, social workers, physical
therapists, and doctors were great.
They treated me like I was their
brother. I was simply astonished
Dressing
Up
Greens
Salad greens—including spicy arugula, bitter
endive, and sweet leaf lettuce—are among the
first garden crops to make an appearance in the
spring. Each contributes its own unique color,
texture, and flavor to a mixed salad.
Arran Stark, Executive Chef
at Jefferson Healthcare
Vinaigrette dressing is a great way to
accentuate—without overpowering—the flavor
of greens. Just as you can vary the mix of greens,
you can adjust the vinaigrette recipe to suit your
family’s tastes. Traditionally, the ratio of oil to
vinegar is three parts to one, but you may prefer
different proportions. Try various combinations of
seasonings, too. Mix in finely diced aromatics and
herbs—including onions, celery, chives, parsley,
or cilantro—and spices such as mustard, cumin,
ginger, coriander seeds, chili, and pepper. Try a
touch of sweetness, from honey or sugar.
when I inquired about my home care
and within a half hour, I had a full
printout of an outpatient therapy
regimen and a take-home plan.
They worked miracles. Jefferson
Healthcare is a wonderful, wonderful
hospital—a real gem.
Did you have a great experience at
Jefferson Healthcare? We want to hear
about it. Please send your story to
[email protected].
with Arran Stark
“Finding just the right blend of ingredients for
the perfect vinaigrette is like magic,” says Arran
Stark, Jefferson Healthcare Executive Chef. “My
own favorite concoction utilizes golden balsamic
vinegar, which is mellow and sweet, in a 3:1
olive oil to vinegar ratio. If I were using stronger
vinegar, like red wine vinegar, I would use a ratio
of 4:1 due to red wine vinegar’s strong acidity.”
VERSATILE VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
Ingredients
3 cups olive oil
1 cup white or golden balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon shallot, finely diced
1 Tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Combine ingredients in a bottle with tight-fitting
lid. Shake well to combine. Pour over your choice
of salad greens. Store any unused dressing in the
refrigerator.
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The doctors will see you now.
AD T/F
Meet your team of Orthopedic
specialists practicing at Jefferson
Healthcare Orthopedic Clinic
Dr. David King,
Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. Tristan McGovern,
Orthopedic Surgeon
We are excited to have three board certified Orthopedic surgeons who
have completed their residencies at such prestigious institutions as
Harvard University/Massachusetts General, the Mayo Clinic and Swedish
Medical Center. They bring years of experience and expertise in the
latest orthopedic procedures and surgical techniques.
We offer a full spectrum of orthopedic services from non-surgical
approaches and sports medicine to joint pain management and
joint repair and replacement using the safest procedures that
ensure your joint health. The Orthopedic Clinic has increased access
for our patients. By expanding the clinic hours, our providers are
now available from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday to
accommodate the urgent needs of our patients.
Dr. Michael Thomas,
Orthopedic Surgeon
Kevin Hines,
Physician Assistant
This team of dedicated and highly skilled Orthopedic surgeons and
healthcare professionals will provide you with the excellent care you
deserve.
To learn more about our joint replacement program or other orthopedic
services, call us at (360) 344-0400.
jeffersonhealthcare.org/orthopedics
Now accepting new patients.