In This Issue2 3 4 5 6 7 8 - Catholic Health System

Our Roots, Our Mission, Our Promise of Excellence
For many seniors, living independently can be a difficult
challenge. In some cases, the only option available may
be a traditional nursing home. But what if there was an
alternative to traditional nursing home care that would
provide all the same services, while allowing area seniors
to remain in their own homes?
Now, thanks to a new state and federally-funded program
called PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the
Elderly) many seniors are able to live independently while
receiving needed services in a community-based setting.
Catholic Health is sponsoring the area’s newest PACE
program called LIFE – Living Independently For Elders
– soon to be open at the OLV Senior Neighborhood in
Lackawanna.
Catholic Health LIFE is a comprehensive program that
provides a wide range of services in the senior’s home, as
well as in the newly remodeled
“LIFE Center” on
the OLV campus. As part
of the program, Catholic
Health LIFE coordinates
all services and becomes
the primary caregiver for
seniors who voluntarily
enroll in the program.
“Our goal is to keep individuals in their own homes for
as long as possible,” said Thomas Schifferli, Executive
Director of the LIFE program. “We do this by working
closely with family members and by providing all medically
necessary services an individual may need to maintain
their independence.”
Available services include outpatient medical care, hospital
care, rehabilitation and therapeutic services, nursing
care, social work, nutritional services, institutional longterm
care, home health aide services, dental care, mental
health services, eye care, podiatry services, and prescription
drug management. Transportation is also provided to
and from appointments and visits to the LIFE Center.
Participation in Catholic Health LIFE is completely
voluntary. The program is open to Erie County residents
age 55 or older who qualify for nursing home care but
choose to remain in their own home with assistance. Interested
participants must need the services of the program
for at least 120 days and be able to have their needs
safely met at home or in the LIFE Center. The cost of the
program is covered by Medicare and/or Medicaid. Private
pay options are also available.
“It’s no secret that people are living longer and Western
New York has one of the fastest growing senior populations
in the nation,” Schifferi added. “Through innovative
programs such as LIFE, Catholic Health is committed to
helping area seniors remain active and independent.”
Catholic Health LIFE is expected to open in the next
few months. For more information on this unique program,
call 819-5101 or visit www.chsbuffalo.org.
☛
4
Seniors Live LIFE at
Their Own PACE
Save the Date...
Corporate Challenge – June 4
Creighton Model of Natural
Family Planning Sessions
Sisters of Charity Hospital • May 30, June 27, and August 22
Mercy Hospital • May 9, June 10, and July 18
Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital • May 21, June 18, and July 16
Call Mary Zablocki at 862-1944 for more details.
Nazareth Campus Breathes New Life
into Former Nursing Home
With the closing of Nazareth Nursing
Home in 2007, Catholic Health created
“Nazareth Campus” and an opportunity to
breathe new life into this beautiful facility
located on North Street in the city’s historic
Allentown district. Already home to
Catholic Health’s Continuing Care corporate
offices and the Continuing Care Foundation,
the building’s remaining administrative
offices and a former nursing home
unit are being renovated to accommodate
additional corporate offices from throughout
Catholic Health.
“We have many corporate departments taking up valuable space in our hospitals – space
that is needed to expand clinical programs and services,” said David Vitka, Vice President
of Facility Planning for Catholic Health. “By moving these departments to the Nazareth
Campus we are creating a centralized location for many corporate functions while providing
a valuable re-use for the Nazareth property.”
Renovations began in the fall of 2008 to transform the resident rooms into functional
office space. Catholic Health corporate offices that will be moving to the Nazareth Campus
over the next month include Facility Planning & Property Management, Care Connection,
Quality & Patient Safety, and Materials Management.
Nazareth Nursing Home became part of Catholic Health in 2001. “We owe a great
deal to the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, who established Nazareth
Nursing Home in 1947 and took such great care of this facility over the years,” said Chris
Kluckhohn, President & CEO of Continuing Care. “After the Berger Commission forced
the closure of the nursing home, we knew there was an opportunity to create something
positive on this campus that would help support our mission for years to come.”
IT Commits to S.A.F.E.
Mercy Hospital Renovates
5 East Patient Care Unit
A blessing ceremony was recently held for
Mercy Hospital’s 5 McAuley East Patient Care
Unit which underwent a complete makeover, creating
a more modern and efficient care environment
for patients and staff. This major renovation
project began in the fall of 2008 when the entire
unit was temporarily relocated to the 5th floor of
the Main Building, in space previously occupied
by the Mercy Nursing Facility.
According to Bob Hawks, Construction Manager
at Mercy Hospital, all the renovations were
made with direct input from the staff. “We actually
created the design and layout of the nursing
station from suggestions made by our associates
who work on the unit everyday,” he said.
Mercy’s Facility Services Department pitched
in by painting all the rooms and installing new
Associates at the Nazareth Campus came together for a
welcoming ceremony in the facility chapel on March 23.
Not long after assuming the role of Chief
Information Officer for Catholic Health,
Dr. Michael Galang introduced his IT
team to the concept of S.A.F.E. (which
stands for Support, Access, Function, and
Experience).
Focusing on each of these elements increases
awareness among our IT associates
of the vital role they play in delivering quality
care to our patients. Our IT associates
have embraced the concept and are bringing
it to life through a variety of new programs,
processes, and initiatives. Here are just a
few ways in which S.A.F.E. is improving
IT quality and service throughout Catholic
Health:
Support – A team has been assembled to
review the Help Desk ticket intake to help
streamline the process and make it more efficient
and effective for everyone involved.
Access - our Networking staff has teamedup
with Soarian HIM/EDM (Health Information
Management/Enterprise Data
Management) to take a closer look at remote
access options for Physicians.
Function - We have successfully established
a Soarian Clinical Team User Group.
Nurses from across the system meet monthly
to provide feedback on the clinical documentation
application.
Experience - An extensive “call back”
initiative has begun under the leadership of
Clay Bozard and Jay Bradway. We are reaching
out to associates who have completed
tickets with the Help Desk to ask “how we
did.” Through the process, we hope to find
out what worked well and what didn’t to enhance
customer service.
IT’s commitment to improving customer
service is also evident in a number of other
initiatives that are underway, including the
IT Liaison Service, IT Rounding, and the
Mobile Help Desk.
Celebrating Mercy Hospital’s new 5 East Patient
Care Unit are (from left to right), Deborah Spino,
RN, Charge Nurse; Florence Reed, Unit Clerk; Bob
Hawks, Mercy Hospital Construction Manager;
Pauline Blake, RN, Nurse Manager; and Steve Piesczynski,
Director of Facilities and Engineering.
corner guards and cove base. The Environmental Services Department put the finishing
touches on the project by cleaning the entire unit and polished the floors.
Highlights of the project include a modern and efficiently-designed nurses’ station, a
new physicians’ work room, and remodeled associate lounge, medication room, and kitchen.
The patient rooms feature new furnishings including patient beds and chairs, over-the-bed
tables, and bedside cabinets. Other features of the project include the addition of two newly
furnished hospice rooms, sconce lighting in the corridors, and new flooring in the nurses’
station, physicians’ work room and the hospice unit corridor.
www.chsbuffalo.org