Pulse

Volume5/1995_May08May 8, 1995 PULSE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER U Hospital Quality Council Monitors Services As part of University Hospital's commitment to continuously improve its services and the satisfaction of its customers, Christine St Andre, executive director, has formed the University Hospital Quality Council. Chaired by St. Andre, the council, which meets weekly, is responsible for coordinating, facilitating, monitoring and communicating the quality improvement activities of the Hospital. In addition, the council establishes policy, engages in planning, oversees education, designates interdisciplinary work teams to improve processes and monitors the quality performance of the institution. " We will be providing training to all employees to further describe the Quality Council and its role in the ^ Hospital, as well as how each employee can participate in quality improvement efforts," says St. Andre. During the next few weeks, articles will appear in Pulse regarding activities of the council and some of its quality improvement teams. Also, watch for information about the council's quality training programs. Members of University Hospital's Quality Council: Christine St. Andre, Executive Director and Chair Jan Bair, Ph. D., Associate Administrator Abe Bakhsheshy, Ph. D., Chair, Depart-ment Head Group Janet Balbierz, M. D, Chair, Quality Assurance Committee Gene Corapi, Associate Administrator Rick Fullmer, Associate Administrator Evelyn Hartigan, Ed. D, Associate Administrator Neil Kochenour, M. D, Medical Director Dave Larsen, Associate Administrator Dan Lundergan, Associate Administra-tor Nathan Pace, M. D, Chair, Medical Board Jackie A. Smith, Ph. D., Staff Support, Quality Council Sylva Staab, Manager, Hospital Human Resources Homer Warner, M. D, Ph. D., HSC Chief Information Officer University Hospital Observes National Nurses Week May 6- 12 Pulse would like to recognize and thank the nurses at Univer-sity Hospital and the nurse educators in the College of Nursing, for the outstanding job they do. UH Celebrates National Hospital Week, May 7- 13 Health Booths in Hospital Lobby; Brown- bag Discussions for Staff You won't want to miss this year's celebration of National Hospital Week at University Hospital. Beginning Monday, May 8, the Hospital lobby will be lined with education booths from departments throughout the Hospital. The booths will feature information about proper skin care, emergency care in the home, prescription and pharmacy information, nutrition, eye care, and screenings for glaucoma and blood pressure. The booths will be staffed throughout the week from 11 a. m.~ 2 p. m., except for Tuesday, May 9, the day of Hospital Games. On Wednesday and Thursday ( May 10 and 11) the Hospital will sponsor two brown- bag discussions for employees, patients and visitors. On Wednesday, Pharmacy Services will present " Your Medicines, Your Pharmacist and You," in Classroom A at noon. Laura McWhorter, Pharm. D, from Wasatch Clinics, will discuss prescription drugs, as well as over- the- counter medications. On Thursday, Nutrition Care Services will present " Eating on the Run/ Dashboard Dining," in Classroom A at noon. Caran Graves, R. D, M. S., will discuss eating while on the road- how to eat healthier while traveling, and ways to snack during your commute. The brown- bags are free. Bring your own lunch, and drinks will be provided. Call the Office of Public Affairs for more information, xl- 7387. • Hospital Games Tuesday, May 9 It wouldn't be National Hospital Week without the annual University Hospital Games. Scheduled for Tuesday, May 9, from 11: 30 a. m.- 1 p. m. on the west side of the Hospital ( near the loading dock), this year's event will feature a picnic lunch for all employees, music provided by Matt Limberg, games, prizes and much more! Human Resources will defend its crown as champion of the annual bed race. Register your six- member team ( two men, two women) by calling Doug Boudreaux, xl- 7387. Also, get your team together for the obstacle course ( three people), and new this year is an employee pie- eating contest. To sign up for the pie eating, call Cheryl Henson, xl- 2283- • VP's Lecture Series Begins Tuesday " Health- care Reform and Academic Medical Centers: Developing a Vaccine Against Failure," is the theme of the University of Utah Health Sciences Center Vice Presidential Lecture Series, which begins Tuesday, May 9 on the HSC campus. Sponsored by John M. Matsen, M. D, vice president for health sciences, and in coopera-tion with the Physicians Task Force, the School of Medicine and the Faculty Practice Organization, the lectures are scheduled every Tuesday in May. Topics will include: the national trends and major obstacles among academic health sciences centers; choices academic health sciences centers have made and can make to ensure continued success; the Utah health-care climate- local and state issues and the role of its various providers; and the role of the University of Utah Health Sciences Center in Utah's evolving health- care delivery system. On Tuesday, May 9, Warren E. Ross, M. D, executive associate vice president for health affairs and CEO of the University of Florida Health System, will discuss national trends among academic health sciences centers. His discussion is scheduled from 4: 30- 5: 30 p. m. in Skaggs Hall auditorium in the College of Pharmacy. A social hour will follow his presentation. The lectures are free. For more information, contact Rosemary Curtin, x5- 7315. • Philip Price Lecture on Wednesday Lewis M. Flint, M. D, chair of the Department of Surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine, will present the 1995 Philip Price Lecture, " Financing Departments of Surgery During and After the Health System Reform," Wednesday, May 10, at 8 a. m., in the Eccles Institute of Human Genetics auditorium. The presentation is sponsored by the Philip B. Price, M. D, Lecture Fund, the Salt Lake Surgical Society and the Department of Surgery at the Univer-sity of Utah. Price served as dean of the U of U medical school from 1955- 62. Flint has written and co- authored numerous books, chapters and journal articles on subjects as diverse as multiple organ traumatic injuries, fractures, blunt and penetrating trauma, as well as the financial issues in medicine. • Open Enrollment Throughout May Open enrollment information sessions are scheduled for Friday, May 12, from 9- 10: 30 a. m. and 1- 2: 30 p. m. in Classroom A. Following each session, representatives ^ ^ Printed on Recycled Paper from the five health and dental plans available to university employees will be available in the cafeteria to answer questions. • UH Walks for Healthier Babies University Hospital employees either walked or staffed the Hospital checkpoint table during the 1995 March of Dimes WalkAmerica. UH employees joined teams from other compa-nies April 29 in raising thousands of dollars for the Utah Chapter of the March of Dimes. U Offers Special Mother's Night Out Celebrate Mother's Day away from the kids during " Friday Night Out," sponsored by the University Child Care Coordinating Office, the Early Childhood Education Center and University Hospital's Child Development Center. On Friday, May 12, from 6- 10 p. m., children of faculty, staff and students, ages 2- 6, will have the opportunity to participate in a number of activities in any of the campus child- care facilities. Preregistration is required. Cost is $ 6 a child, or $ 10 for two children- snacks provided. Space is limited. Call x5- 5897 to register. • Discount Plant Sale for Employees In an effort to reduce unnecessary costs, the faculty and staff of the John A. Moran Eye Center have scheduled a sale of more than 1,000 plants currently located in the building. Plants will be available to employees May 11, from 9 a. m.~ 4 p. m., in the Moran auditorium, with prices from $ 5- 10 ( more than 600 to choose from) to $ 100 for some of the larger plants and small trees. • Interpreters Needed at UH University Hospital's interpreters' list is being updated and there's a need especially for volunteers who speak French, Arabic, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, or Thai well enough to interpret for patients and visitors to the Health Sciences Center. If you speak these or any other languages and are willing to be included on this list, please call Mary Chachas in the Office of Public Affairs, xl- 7387, or Customer Service, xl- 2023.