May 15, 2014
To Whom It May Concern;
I would like to nominate, Brian Salle, RN-C, CCRN, CSC, RCEP, M.Ed for the National Magnet Nurse of the Year Award in the category of New Knowledge, Innovation & Improvements. Brian has been a registered nurse in the CardioVascular ICU (CVICU) at Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) for 8 years. Brian is also a Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist and as such has had a long standing interest in the field of Cardiac Rehab.
JSUMC is participating in a national demonstration project for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation services referred to as Model 4. This is a Bundled Care Improvement Initiative for our Medicare Coronary Artery Bypass patients. The bundled payment includes all operational and physician costs as well as the cost of any related readmission for 30 days post discharge. The opportunities of this project lie in redesigning care to decrease length of stay improve outcomes and prevent of readmissions during a 30 day post discharge period.
Brian is participating in a “Master Clinician” program via the Ann May Center for Nursing Excellence, which has allowed him to participate in the planning and execution of a Cardiac Rehab Phase I program for our cardiovascular surgery patients. This program supports our national project Model 4 as a care redesign measure. As part of a project within a project, an exercise science internship was also developed. The internship is set up to provide educational benefit to college students and to assist with the program implementation. Due to Brian’s leadership and embracement of this project is what made him the logical choice for the site supervisor for the students.
Brian has gained new knowledge and shown improvement personally and professionally by participating in the development and execution of a care redesign measure in a national demonstration project. He has taken an innovative approach to solving an age old problem of how to mitigate the effects of bed rest in the critically ill patient via the Cardiac Rehab Phase I approach.
Brian was able to win the support of his colleagues for this project by planning and presenting an effective protocol and by demonstration of safe execution of early ambulation in the CVICU. He has helped improve the delivery of care to this critical care population of patients while being a role model for the student interns. Three of the eight interns have decided to pursue a career in nursing due to Brian’s influence and leadership.
Brian has been an excellent CV ICU nurse and I am very pleased to see him use his skills both as a nurse and an exercise physiologist to expand his horizons. He has created a positive feeling of excitement among the staff and the students that is attributable to his clinical excellence as well as his willingness to explore new avenues. His contribution to this project will most certainly make it a success for Jersey Shore University Medical Center and the Meridian Cardiovascular Network.
Sincerely,
Dawn Heath, RN, MHA, CCRN-CSC
Nurse Manager
Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
Jersey Shore University Medical Center
1945 Route 33
Neptune, NJ 07753
732-776-4654