PPHC Nursing News
August, 2014 / Volume 2, Number 8
In This Issue
· August Updates
· President's Letter
· PPHC Nurse of The Month
· PPHC Fall Referral Bonus Progam
· PPHC is Now on Facebook & Twitter
· Continuing Education Courses
· PPHC Family Appreciation Event
· Kids With Autism
· Behavioral Therapy Now Approved with Medicaid
· Human Resource Update
Resources
http://www.achc.org
http://www.pedsnurses.org/
http://www.pncb.org/ptistore/control/index
Competency Links
Ventilators:
http://trilogy100.respironics.com/
http://www.cookchildrens.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/HomeHealth/Education/RespiratoryTherapy/Ventilator/CCHH_Ventilator_LTV950SeriesOperatorsManual.pdf
http://www.carefusion.com/medical-products/respiratory/ventilation/ltv-series/ltv-1150.aspx
Interesting Articles
Pediatric Assessment Review Slide Show
http://www.slideshare.net/kurniatirusman/pediatric-assessment-14943417
Contact Us
Ann Martin, Administrator & Director of Nursing
303-747-4018
Dori McDougal, RN
Nurse Case Supervisor
303-747-6283
Emily Dold, RN
Nurse Case Supervisor
303-747-4019
Joline Lowe, RN, CCM
Nurse Case Supervisor
720-414-2715
Diane Lovato, RN
Nurse Case Supervisor
Chelsea Preiss, Payroll/HR Asst.
720-924-3558
Company Website
pediatrichomecare.com /
August Updates
· We are NOW on Facebook & Twitter· PPHC September Continuing Education Courses
· Remember we have a 24 hour/ 7 day a week hotline so
you can always reach the on duty nurse supervisor
(303-759-1342)
· PPHC Fall Referral Bonus Program- $250 Bonus to current PPHC nurses for referral and hire of new PPHC nurse or therapist. See details below!
· PPHC Family Round Up on September 13th from 4:00pm-7:00pm at the Double T Stables
· PPHC is currently accepting qualified New Nurses into the New Grad Program
Mark Bruning, President & CEO
Dear Colleagues,Well, after about 6 weeks into this new role, company and specialty profession of pediatric home private duty nursing and therapy, I am starting to get a really good sense of who we are, what we do and how we do it. While I have over 30 years of healthcare experience as a provider and leader, our pediatric home health niche certainly has its nuances and it is both interesting and exciting to learn about a new (to me) aspect of healthcare that is rapidly growing.
What clearly emerges is that we have a lot of very passionate, skilled caregivers and support personnel at PPHC doing their very best every day to make a positive difference in the lives of children and their families in our community – and succeeding on many levels. Despite having to often work through extremely challenging circumstances or even the daily ups and downs of medically fragile and special needs children, I have seen an overriding sense of caring and advocacy from our staff for our patients and their families, especially the ones that need it the most.
It is that clinical and ethical commitment to our patients and their families, along with our ability to work effectively and collaboratively with many other providers and a stakeholder, that has allowed our company to earn a strong reputation that has allowed us to consistently grow in terms of both patients and caregivers. That same high growth has also created an opportunity for us to re-evaluate our resources, processes and support mechanisms to ensure we are continuing to meet our patient’s, providers and partner’s needs.
One of those pieces, as many of you may know, involves moving our offices a few blocks away from our current location to 304 Inverness Way South, where we will basically double our space and significantly increase our administrative, training and meeting capacity. We are tentatively scheduled to move around the middle of October and as we get closer and firm up the exact dates, I will be sharing that information with all of you as well as plans for an open house.
I will also be reaching out to many of you in various mediums and mechanisms over the coming weeks to solicit your thoughts and opinions on the things we do well and more importantly, our opportunities to further improve or enhance our services – internally and externally, as we move forward through the remainder of 2014 and into next year and beyond.
I look forward working more closely with our field staff and leadership team while continuing to find more effective ways to better meet your needs and in turn, those of our patients we serve. As always, please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have a question or concern and I will do my best to answer and address it. Until then, be safe and thanks for all you do
Best Regards,
Mark
PPHC is Kicking Off the Fall
With A
2014 Nurses Internal
Referral Program
September 1st-October 15th
$250 Bonus
Professional Pediatric Home Care is searching for qualified
Colorado nurses to fill current and potential cases. We want you to refer great professionals like yourself to help us continue to build our ALL-STAR Team! Please refer any potential nurse to our website at www.pediatrichomecare.com to apply or send their name, phone number and email to Chris Wood at by October 15, 2014. We will do the rest!!
*$250 referral fee will be paid to a PPHC nurse for each nurse they refer who is hired and works at least one shift.
PPHC Nurse of the Month
Congratulations to our Nurse of the Month, Danielle DeMarco, RN! Danielle has been with PPHC for almost a year. She started out with the company as a student nurse. For Danielle’s first case with PPHC, she managed care for a very fragile patient while being the only nurse on the case. She provided excellent nursing care. She recently helped bring home a new case. Danielle has gone above and beyond for the new case, helping to manage complications with obtaining supplies and working extra to train our new nurses. She made the transition home smooth for everyone involved. She has shown a high degree of intelligence, stamina, determination and dedication. Danielle is an excellent nurse and we are proud to have her on the PPHC team. Thank you Danielle for all the hard work you do!PPHC Is Now On FaceBook & Twitter
Please like us on FaceBook at:
https://www.facebook.com/PediatricHomeCareColorado
And follow Us on Twitter @PediatricCareCO.
We are excited to share resources, industry updates, educational opportunities, upcoming events and family successes! Make sure to encourage your families to post pictures and follow us too!
September Continuing Education Courses:
PPHC is hosting the following Courses:Vent/Trach/Respiratory 101 Course on Wednesday, September 3rd and Friday, September 19th at 1:00-4:00pm in the Major Medical offices located at Major Medical Supply on 7000 North Broadway Street, Suite 412; Denver , CO 80221. Nicole Brecht, RRT is the instructor of this excellent training opportunity for both LTV and Trilogy vents, respiratory and trach. They will spend time going over both ventilators (Trilogy & LTV) and will explain each part/connection/function of the vent and give you the opportunity to take apart and put the equipment back together. They will also provide training on the in home suction machine and the pulse ox machine. We offer this class is offered free of charge to all PPHC nurses.
We offer this class is offered free of charge to all PPHC nurses. Please RSVP to Emily Dold at .
Intermediate Vent & Respiratory Course on Wednesday, September 17th from 1:00pm-3:00pm at the PPHC offices in the conference room for 6 nurses. This informative course is a great opportunity to receive hands on training for our nurses who have completed Vent 101 and/or work on vent case. We offer this class is offered free of charge to all PPHC nurses. This is for PPHC nurses who have completed Vent 101 course and/or worked at the past year with one of our vent patients.
We offer this class is offered free of charge to all PPHC nurses. Please RSVP to Chris Wood at .
G/J Tube Course on Tuesday, September 30th from 1:00pm-2:30pm at the PPHC offices in the conference room for 8 nurses. Janel Savage, Regional Director Option One is the instructor for this informative G/J Tube and Nutritional hands on class. We offer this class is offered free of charge to all PPHC nurses.
We offer this class is offered free of charge to all PPHC nurses. Please RSVP to Chris Wood at .
PPHC Annual Family Appreciation
Saturday, September 13, 20144:00pm-7:00pm
Double T Stables
(9850 East Parker Rd; Parker Co 80138)
Please help us spread the word to our PPHC families! We are hosting a western themed Family Appreciation Evening at Double T Stables, which hosts the Palomino Pals Special Needs Recreational Riding Program. We will have food, music, puppy and pony petting, riding show, activities and games. Space is limited so reservations are required. Please have them RSVP to .
Opportunity for PPHC Families to receive In Home Behavioral Therapy
Lesley Goth, PsyD is a licensed clinical psychologist and owner of Denver Family Counseling Services. She has recently become a Medicaid approved provider and is offering her services in home for PPHC families. If you have a family interested in behavioral therapy, please contact her at 303-217-1822 or . Lesley and her team will work directly with the family and handle all the required Medicaid paperwork. We are pleased to share this great service with our families! Please read Lesley's attached article addressing behavioral therapy.All Pregnant Women Need Flu Shot
TUESDAY, Aug. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A group representing U.S. obstetricians is calling for all pregnant women to get a flu shot. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), several studies released in recent years have upheld the safety and effectiveness of flu vaccination during pregnancy.
"The flu virus is highly infectious and can be particularly dangerous to pregnant women, as it can cause pneumonia, premature labor, and other complications," Dr. Laura Riley, chair of the college's Immunization Expert Work Group, explained in an ACOG news release. "Vaccination every year, early in the season and regardless of the stage of pregnancy, is the best line of defense," she advised.
The best time to get vaccinated is early in the flu season, regardless of the stage of pregnancy, the guidelines state. However, pregnant women can get a flu shot at any time during flu season, which typically lasts from October to May. All women who are or become pregnant during the flu season should get the inactivated flu vaccine, which is also safe for women who have just given birth and those who are breast-feeding. However, pregnant women should not be given the live attenuated version of the flu vaccine (the nasal mist), according to the guidelines.
Before the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic, flu vaccination rates for pregnant women were only 15 percent. That rose to 50 percent in the 2009-2010 flu season and has been around that mark every flu season since. However, vaccination rates could and should be even higher, according to ACOG. Flu shots not only protect pregnant women, but their infants as well. Babies can't be given flu vaccine until they are 6 months old, but receive flu antibodies from their vaccinated mother while in the womb. This provides them with protection until they can be vaccinated directly.
The guidelines appear in the September issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Kids With Autism Have Extra Brain Connections, Study Says
Too many of these 'synapses' could be a problem, but medicines might someday help prune them awayTHURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report that children with autism appear to have excess synapses -- cellular connections -- in their brains compared with typical children.
The scientists also believe it might be possible to reduce the number of extra synapses through drug treatment. Synapses are the points in the brain where brain cells (neurons) connect and communicate with each other. Having excess synapses may have a major impact on how the brain functions, theorized neuroscientists at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. The extra synapses in the brains of autistic children are due to a slowdown in the normal brain "pruning" process during development, the researchers believe.
"It's the first time that anyone has looked for, and seen, a lack of pruning during development of children with autism, although lower numbers of synapses in some brain areas have been detected in brains from older patients and in mice with autistic-like behaviors," study senior investigator, David Sulzer, a professor of neurobiology, said in a Columbia news release. His team also found that rapamycin, an immunosuppressant that helps prevent rejection in organ transplants and coats some coronary stents, can restore normal synaptic pruning and improve autistic-like behaviors in mice. The effect was seen even when the drug was given to the mice after they developed those behaviors.
The drug causes side effects that might prevent its use in people with autism, the researchers said. However, "the fact that we can see changes in behavior suggests that autism may still be treatable after a child is diagnosed, if we can find a better drug," Sulzer added. For the study, he and his colleagues examined 26 brains of youngsters with autism -- 13 aged 2 to 9, and 13 aged 13 to 20. All of the children had died from causes other than autism. Their brains were compared to 22 autopsied brains of children without autism.
The researchers measured "synapse density" in a small section of tissue in each brain. By late childhood, synapse density fell by about half in the brains of children without autism, but fell only 16 percent in the brains of those with autism. The researchers also found clues about what causes the pruning defect in the brains of children with autism, according to the study, which was published online Aug. 21 in the journal Neuron.
Idaho Reports Alarming Rise In Whooping Cough Cases
(Reuters) - Idaho health officials on Tuesday urged vaccination to combat what they said was an alarming rise this year in the number of cases of whooping cough, which has killed an infant and afflicted 240 other state residents since January.The 241 cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, reported in Idaho from January to July compares to the 122 and 129 cases reported during the same period in 2013 and 2012 respectively.The Idaho Department of Health described the latest outbreak as "troubling," but said it could be eased by vaccination.