Intercom

Volume2/1986_February24INTERCOM UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER February 24, 1986 Christa Harp - February's Employee of the Month Planning the discharge of an infant from University Hospital's Newborn Intensive Care involves physicians, nurses, social workers, dietitians, therapists and technicians. It begins before the baby is even born. The individual responsible for developing the discharge program, Christa Harp, R.N., has been named University Hospital's top employee for February. Christa was born in Germany, but left and came to America with her family when she was six years old. (Her mother was pictured on the cover of the Summer/Fall 1985 issue of Health Sciences Report and her son recently donated blankets to NBICU is part of his Eagle Scout service project.) She grew up in Salt Lake City and began working for University Hospital's Nutrition Care Services in 1966 while she was studying to be a licensed practical nurse. She attained that degree in 1967, and it was then that she got involved with newborns. "Looking back, I don't know how we functioned in those days," she said. " We are spoiled now with all the advances in medicine, and I think the public demands a lot more of nurses and physicians." In 1981, Christa went back to school to become a registered nurse and a short time later, was asked to develop a discharge planning manual. "I found out how complex the subject is," she said. "We can even anticipate some of the baby's needs before it is born. That includes providing emotional and social support to the parents and helping them cope." " Discharge planning involves all the special needs of the babies and their parents," she said. " Out- of- state parents, especially, need our help to learn about heart monitors, apnea, oxygen equipment, how to assess a baby - is he breathing adequately, and they have to learn it all in a day or two. We Christa Harp also teach parents infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation." Besides her duties as discharge planning coordinator, Christa also is in charge of NBICU's quality assurance, risk management and patient utilization (the timing of discharges). "Christa is an outstanding employee," said Dr. August Jung, director of the Division of Neonatology. "On her own initiative, she has established programs of importance for the Newborn ICU. These include a weekly discharge planning meeting and a program of interviewing prospective parents. These future parents are given a tour of NBICU, a visit with the newborn staff' physician to talk about their baby-to-be and the Newborn ICU environment. We've done this several times and it puts parents at ease and builds a remarkable image of University Hospital in their minds." Christa said parents are the key to success for these tiny infants. " Statistically, the outcome for these babies is determined in the first or second year of their lives," she said. "The major factors behind healthy babies are the love, attention, cuddling, talking and other 'typical baby stuff their parents provide. Some parents can't or don't know how to provide it and that's part of their education here." Christa hopes to develop a program to better train the nurse staff to provide discharge planning. "I'm working myself out of a job," she said. University Hospital Administration congratulates Christa and thanks her for the tremendous contribution she is making to patient care. Christa will be treated to lunch with Hospital Administrator George Belsey and she will receive a $50 savings bond. Idahoans Donate Toys Twenty- five stuffed animals recently were donated to University Hospital. The toys were entries in the Idaho State Grange Toy Contest. The Grange is a national non-profit group, organized 120 years ago to support agriculture in the United States. The women's activities committee within the group sponsors annually a handmade stuffed toy contest with the entries going to local hospi-tals and Ronald McDonald Houses. University Hospital thanks the Women's Activities Committee of the Idaho State Grange for the donated toys, which will be used by the Newborn Intensive Care Unit and the Parent-to-Parent program. Hallside Gallery Features Chinese Watercolors Gong Sounds Again The fourth annual University of Utah School of Medicine Gong Show, a talent competition to raise money for medical student scholarships, will be Friday, February 28, at 7 p.m. in the University's Gardner Hall. A combination talent contest- fund raiser, Gong IV will feature performances by medical students, faculty and staff. Student tickets are $2 and University Health Sciences Center faculty and staff will be charged $5. The public is invited to attend for a minimum $2 admission charge. Tickets will be sold weekdays at noon in the University Hospital cafeteria and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the information window at the south end of the School of Medicine beginning Monday, February 24. Tickets also will be available at the door. "This year's talent will be on a par with that of the past," says Ardis Moe, second-year medical student and Gong IV organizer. "Regular Gong patrons will be pleased to know that last year's greats, ' Los Frijoles Saltarines de Colombia' and 'Sphincter Tones,' will be back again this year. Also, as in the past two years, Gong IV will feature everything from chamber music to folksinging to acts that deserve every gong they get." Medical students currently are soliciting prizes and scholarship donations from area businesses. Individuals or businesses can be Gong Show IV sponsors with a $25 tax-deductible contribution. Checks must be received by February 21 in order to be listed in the program and should be made payable to "Medical Student Scholarship Fund," Dean's Office 1C101, c/o Ardis Moe, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132. "Last year, Gong III raised more than $1200," according to Ms. Moe. "The money is being used to help support medical students selected by a student-faculty committee on the basis of academic standing and financial need." Ms. Moe said those not familiar with the Gong Show may be surprised to see the judges being bribed before or during the acts. "The act which receives the most bribes will win a special prize," she said. "It's an entertaining way to contribute to a very worthwhile cause." The Chinese watercolors of Mary Lou Romney are featured this month in Medical Illustration Service's Hallside Gallery, room AC113. "These paintings are done on handmade rice paper," said Ms. Romney. "This technique involves applying layer upon layer of Chinese colors with a bamboo brush on white or pastel-colored unsized paper. The black color is added last. The finished painting, often wrinkled and rough, is wet-mounted on heavier rice paper, then stretched and dried." Ms. Romney studied fine arts at the University of Utah. She also attended the Famous Artists School and received a master of fine arts degree from Utah State University. She has had additional training from the U of U's Dr. Lenox Tierney, The Museum of Asian Art and The Carrie Koo Mei Workshop. Ms. Romney has displayed her work at the Gittins Gallery, Sullivan Gallery Utah Watercolor Annual, Deseret News Art Show, Festival of the American West and many others