Below are the February Medical Staff Updates. As a reminder, all providers must complete the attestation at the bottom of this page by February 28.
Medical Leadership Message
As the first month of the year comes to a close, Kaleida Health has a very clear focus for 2017. There will be many challenges and milestones throughout the year, but the three main goals of the organization have been clearly stated:
Achieve Our Quality Goals
This past year was highlighted by a remarkable reduction in the overall number of hospital acquired infections and a successful DNV accreditation survey. This year, we look to continue the momentum by achieving the goals set forth in our quality plan that will further drive down hospital acquired infections, improve the care of sepsis patients, and reduce readmissions. We have developed a robust process for accreditation readiness to ensure that we maintain the highest safety standards every day. The role of the physicians in driving these processes has been greatly appreciated, and with our next DNV visit only six months away, we look forward to working together for another successful survey.
Financial Stewardship to Help Achieve 2017 Budget
As the landscape of medicine continues to change, we are continuously challenged with providing higher quality care at a lower cost. Kaleida Health has posted a financial gain for the past three years. We value our physician partners and recognize that this would not have been possible without your support and loyalty. We look forward to continuing longtime relationships, developing new ones, and strengthening our commitment to you in 2017. Furthermore, many of the initiatives that have driven down the cost of providing care were led by physicians and our value analysis team. Physician input is absolutely necessary to help us maintain the highest standards of care and achieve our 2017 budget.
Successful Move to Oishei Children’s Hospital
One of the most critical moments in the history of our organization will occur at the end of the year when we make the move to the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital. This will require the coordinated efforts of everyone in the organization to ensure every child is safely transported to the new location. Strong physician support and leadership will be essential to make the move a success.
Thank you for your continued support in making our organization the best healthcare system in the region.
David Hughes, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer
Kaleida Health
Kenneth Snyder, MD, PhD
Vice President, Physician Quality
Kaleida Health
Colin McMahon, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute
David Pierce, MD, FACEP
Chief Medical Officer
Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital and DeGraff Memorial Hospital
Stephen Turkovich, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo
Message from the President of the Medical/Dental Staff
I would like to call your attention a new policy approved by the Medical Executive Committee (MEC) at our January meeting: “Serving LGBTQ Patients.” This policy will be posted to KaleidaScope shortly. My thanks to the Kaleida Health legal team for their work on this document. This policy affirms Kaleida Health’s commitment to minimizing barriers to health care for members of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) community. I ask you to read it. In particular, please look at the definition of terms (such as gender, gender identity, sex, etc.). Confusion in how we use these terms can interfere with our ability to communicate about these issues. Also note how the policy emphasizes communication with dignity: “Transgender patients should be addressed and referred to on the basis of their self-identified gender, using their preferred pronoun and name, regardless of the patient’s appearance, surgical history, legal name, or sex assigned at birth.”
This policy represents a tangible part of our effort to be an inclusive organization, not just for the LGBTQ community, but for people of all backgrounds. Inclusiveness extends to everyone in our institution: patients, families, colleagues and co-workers. It is only by treating each other with respect and dignity that we can provide the consistent high-quality care for which we strive. As words of divisiveness and hate fill the social and traditional media around us, we must remember that such words have no place whatsoever in health care. Our single goal is to provide everyone in our community, without exception, with the finest health care.
Peter Winkelstein, MD, MS, MBA, FAAP
Medical/Dental Staff President
Kaleida Health
Kaleida Health Response: Executive Order Regarding Immigration
Kaleida Health is aware of and evaluating President Trump’s executive order, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States.”
At this time, we are working with outside legal counsel, which specializes in immigration law to understand the impact and how it will affect our physicians, residents, employees, patients and families.
Until there is further clarity and a final legal opinion on the executive order, we are advising affected members of the Kaleida Health family to personally monitor the situation on an on-going basis.
In addition to this, we are recommending:
- Those on non-immigrant and immigrant visas should not travel outside the U.S. (including Canada) for any reason
- Those on non-immigrant and immigrant visas who travel outside the U.S. even for emergencies may have their U.S. visas cancelled and accordingly, will not be permitted to board flights headed back to the U.S.
- Green Card holders should refrain from international travel (including Canada). If they must travel outside the U.S., they should expect to be detained and questioned when they attempt to re-enter the U.S. Green Card holders who have not processed as U.S. citizens should consider doing so. (If additional information is needed on the citizenship process, please contact your immigration attorney or Lorraine Duthe at lduthe@kaleidahealth.org)
- Those non-immigrants who intend to enter the U.S. for training programs in July may not be processed in time due to the 90-day halt on visa processing
- Additional countries may be added to the list
Kaleida Health’s core values of patient-centered care, accountability, respect and integrity will not be compromised during this period of change and uncertainty. We are committed to serve our community, our workforce and our patients, regardless of immigration status or national origin.
In the coming days and weeks, we will provide updates (executive order’s impact on hospitals) as they become available.
Peter Winkelstein, MD
President, Kaleida Health Medical/Dental Staffh
David Hughes, MD
Chief Medical Officer, Kaleida Health
Save the Date: Medical/Dental Staff Semiannual Meeting on April 27
All Kaleida Health physicians and advanced practice providers are invited to the Medical/Dental Staff Semiannual Meeting on Thursday, April 27, 2017, at Templeton Landing in Buffalo.
Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres begin at 5:45 p.m.; the business meeting and dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Additional details will follow.
Free Buprenorphine Certification Training
A FREE 8-hour buprenorphine certification training for physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners with CMEs is being offered. The training includes a 4-hour online component and a 4-hour in-person component on March 18 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Learning Objectives
- Apply for a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine to their patients with opioid use disorders
- Identify and assess patients who are appropriate for treatment with buprenorphine
- Describe how to manage opioid addicted patients
- Discuss the psychiatric and medical co-morbidities associated with opioid addiction
Participants are required to complete a 4-hour online component within two weeks of the in-person training.
Participants will meet the requirement of DATA 2000 to be qualified to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid-dependent patients.
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants can currently take the 8-hour waiver training, and it will count towards their waiver application. However, at this time SAMHSA has not finalized the additional 16 hours of training. After completion of this training, nurse practitioners and physician assistants must wait until additional training content is available and complete it before applying for a waiver.
This program has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for CME (ACCME) through joint providership with the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP).
The University at Buffalo is accredited by the ACCME to sponsor CME for physicians.
Certification
The UB School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences designates this live activity for a maximum of 8.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
For more information, contact Mary.stmary@erie.gov or 716-858-4941. Registration information is available at www.ecdoh-mar18.eventbrite.com.
Clinical Research: Aortic Stenosis
Aortic stenosis, caused by a narrowing of the valve opening, is one of the most common and most serious valve disease problems.
Not all patients with aortic stenosis have symptoms. Symptoms may develop over time as the valve opening becomes smaller. These symptoms may include breathlessness, chest pain, pressure or tightness, fainting, and palpations in the chest. Some patients do not recognize these symptoms because they sometimes develop slowly over time. It is important for family members who notice a decrease in routine physical activities or fatigue to point it out and schedule an appointment with their doctor.
Aortic stenosis can also cause the heart to work harder to pump blood through the narrow valve opening, which can cause heart failure. Once a patient develops heart failure due to aortic stenosis, their life expectancy is decreased and aortic valve replacement is necessary. When the time comes for the valve to be replaced, it can be done surgically by removing the damaged valve and replacing it.
There is now a procedure called TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement), which does not require open heart surgery. The new valve pushes the old valve out of the way, and the new valve takes over functioning as the aortic valve.
The University at Buffalo has been at the forefront of Cardiology Research and is currently doing many research studies for patient who have aortic stenosis. Please contact Courtney Bishop at 888-4839 or cabishop@buffalo.edu if you would like more information.Policy Updates for Providers
Below are revised policies that affect providers at Kaleida Health. Please take a moment to review this month's updates. The policy links below are accessible from a Kaleida Health computer only. For additional assistance, please contact Amy Palombo at apalombo@kaleidahealth.org or 716-859-8447.
Revised Policies:
MED.1 – Expiring Documents
MED.25 – Initial Medical Staff Appointment
Medical Staff Attestation - February 2017
By submitting this attestation, I confirm that as a member of the medical staff I have read and understand the information included in this email from Kaleida Health in accordance with Kaleida Health policy MED.41 as approved by the Medical Executive Committee.
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