St. Luke's Health’s Post

https://a.co/d/8K2piCm Sharing the Amazon link to my guidebook, Empathetic Connections: A Guide to Patient-Centered Care During Radiation Therapy Empathetic care for our patients is the beacon of comfort, understanding, and empowerment on their healing journey. This guide is a useful tool for all professionals in cancer care, offering practical insights to enrich empathetic connections with their patients. It is super easy to read, not text booky with long paragraphs, and easily digestible with each chapter being broken down into short sections. The outline of it is formatted in a way that healthcare leaders can take some sections and turn it into an in-service, handout or a presentation for their staff. I have always been passionate about patient care and am super excited that I was able to create something that can help us all elevate compassionate care together. #EmpathyInCancerCare #PatientCenteredCare #AvailableOnAmazon #RadiationTherapy #Cancercare #cancercaregiver #radiationoncology

“The heart of Reimagine Care is our ability to seamlessly integrate cutting-edge technology with the compassion of our Virtual Care Center (VCC) healthcare professionals into the patient’s existing care team in the cancer center. The VCC provides patients with 24/7 access to Advance Practice Providers (APP) and Registered Nurses (RN) through a symphony of support via SMS text, phone, and video. This synergy of humans and technology promises to redefine the cancer care experience, making it more efficient and patient-centric for patients, caregivers, and providers alike.” Patient expectations are evolving, with 90 % of patients asking for on-demand access to their care teams. However, most cancer centers struggle to provide this type of access due to resource constraints and technology limitations. In this edition of the Reimagine Care Chronicles, hear from two of our amazing clinical and operations leaders, Bellinda Conte, MS, eMBA and Amy Hillsman, MSN, ANP-BC, about the impact a cancer center can have when combining smart technologies with compassionate people to extend care beyond the clinic. Read more below ⬇ https://lnkd.in/e8X4dv-b

We can’t let this happen again. 🚫 In this heartbreaking article, a simple mix-up of two IV lines by an overworked nurse led to a fatal error. Dr. David Boothman, a well-known pancreatic cancer researcher, was inadvertently administered a fentanyl bolus instead of saline, resulting in his tragic loss. 💔 At Crimson Medical, we understand the immense pressure healthcare professionals face and are driven to support them in preventing such devastating mistakes. Our IV Manager is built for nurses, making it easy for them to keep IV lines straight and ensure patient safety. 🏥 Our commitment is stronger than ever to preventing errors like this, safeguarding patients and supporting healthcare professionals. 🌟 Together, let's make healthcare safer. 🙏 https://lnkd.in/g8P3F8Sr

My Broken Heart — Streaming Live on YouTube 📽️ https://lnkd.in/ertTE5Ki Featuring Jillianne Code, Ph.D , Patient Lead of our Patient Engagement and Empowerment Platform, this feature-length documentary was shot over 5-years as it follows the lives of Jillianne Code, Mark Wilson, and Cody Halfpenny as they face the challengers of heart transplantation. Exploring the journey from end-stage heart failure, LVAD, heart transplantation, and organ rejection, My Broken Heart is an unflinching look at the possible complications and consequences of organ transplantation. We highly recommend you watch 'My Broken Heart' to gain insight into the realities faced by heart transplantation patients. It’s an educational experience that fosters understanding, empathy, and awareness about the intricacies of heart health, the importance of organ donation, and the incredible advancements in medical science.

A patient finished treatment today and we had our bell-ringing ceremony for him. We are a tiny department and 6-7 of us are usually there. The patient typically says a few words, we share some laughs and tears with them and wish them luck. "Simul, are you ignoring the evidence that says this is potentially harmful? There may be unintended consequences." There are actual studies on this - about the "harms" of ringing the bell. Life is not simple and cannot always be simulated with a randomized trial. A few times a week, in the midst of the routine of work, the sadness of loss, we celebrate our patients. We ask them if they would like to ring the bell at the end of treatment. A minority of patients say "nah, I'm good" and we respect that. But, most say yes. Why do I do this in spite of "the evidence"? Note, I am saying evidence with many many grains of the most sarcastic salt you will find. - We are rarely all together in the department with the patient, as we all have our own roles. But, here we get to spend this moment with the patient and their family. - The patient just did something really hard! If they choose to celebrate it, we are here for them. If not, we will see you in 2 weeks. - It is a safe space for tears - there are times when every single one of us and the patient and family emote. It's okay even for you doctor to share a cry with you. - Patients that are really into it bring their family - kids, friends, partners. We get to celebrate with them, as well, and to see the people that will help take care of our patient when we aren't in the picture. Overall, the patients that choose it very much appreciate it. This is seen over the course of years and being a perceptive reader of people. There is a "killjoy" nature in oncology that want to take away even the smallest of joys. We are a community clinic in the truest sense of the word - we provide care, but also sometimes money for groceries and rent and prayers and rides. My door is literally always open and patients walk in on random days to chat. When you read studies like this or that resident Steve that says things like "Actually, ringing the bell might be harmful" (Steve is so annoying!), think a little more deeply about this. If you're at some center where you flew in, saw a student, a resident, a fellow and occasionally an attending physician once in a while, then flew out, this ceremony may not be appealing. If you are being taken care of by your neighbors and friends, people you attend church with or play pickleball with, people that you'll see out in the world that feel connected to you, celebrating small victories may be one of the small joys that keep patients going. And stop wasting time and energy studying this stuff. Just learn how to be a person. https://lnkd.in/gcFTMXvc.

Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation-Based Approach to Refractory Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: a Focus on Organ Donation, a Secondary Analysis of a Prague OHCA Randomized Study

Redefining Radiation Therapy Prior Authorization with RT Care Pathways In the evolving landscape of healthcare, care pathways are becoming increasingly important. These tools guide evidence-based healthcare, improving multidisciplinary communication, care planning, and patient satisfaction. HealthHelp's Radiation Therapy pathways are end-to-end, detailed, and evidence-based treatment protocols for specific types of cancer care. They align with ASCO, ASTRO, and NCCN recommendations, ensuring our pathways meet the highest standards of care. Our Chief Medical Officer, Ronald Lopez MD, highlights the transformative power of these pathways: “Radiation therapy care pathways provide the solution to the 3 major problems attributed to prior authorization: administrative burden, lack of transparency, and delays in care. By simply entering a cancer type, stage, and size, the requesting party is presented with the best modality and number of units necessary to produce the best outcome. Transparent, easy to use, and without delays in care.” Read more about it here: https://bit.ly/49ztnRe #HealthHelp #RadiationTherapy #CarePathways #PriorAuthorization #HealthcareInnovation

April is Be a Donor Month. From 2023-2024, St. Joe’s had 26 total tissue donors which lead to 15 ocular recipients, 1 multi-tissue recipient and 10 donors who supported research and education. Many individuals and teams support the organ and tissue donation process, and two teams we want to celebrate in 2024 are the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) team and the Histocompatibility Lab (HLA). The ICU team plays a pivotal role in the organ donation process here at St. Joe’s, working tirelessly not only to save lives but also to extend those lives through the selfless gift of organ and tissue donation. Their role extends beyond the medical care they provide; with compassion and dedication to promoting a quality experience for our patients and families, the ICU team participates in identifying and assessing potential donors, while supporting families in navigating the logistics of the decision-making. Their tireless efforts are essential to the success of organ and tissue donation. The HLA Lab is an integral component of Hamilton’s two transplantation programs – When patients require a transplant, an appropriate donor must be found. To ensure we find the best donor and improve the chance of successful transplant, the HLA Lab collaborates closely with local clinical programs and our national colleagues. They are dedicated to ensuring quality and are invested in finding the best match for our patients. Each donor recipient case is unique and HLA testing is key to ensuring a successful transplant outcome. “Matchmaking” a donor and recipient requires a large amount of testing, interpretation and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, but by working together we can provide the gift of life. Learn more about these hidden heroes at: https://bit.ly/3WlCSQv #BeADonor #BeADonorMonth #OrganDonation #WeAreStJoes Trillium Gift of Life Network

Top 8 Takeaways from ACC 2024. It was the largest gathering since the pandemic. Out of 8 takeaways, the one that I was most interested in was Diagnostic Barriers – Many conversations drifted towards the elusive goal of treating heart disease more like cancer, including more comprehensive screening and much earlier treatments. ACC24 featured some impressive AI-based technologies that could significantly widen cardiology’s patient-detection pipeline, but we saw little evidence of screening policies/practices keeping pace with screening technologies.