central line For the employees and clinicians of UC Health / January 2018 1 Team Builder Special “Beat Xavier” blankets were delivered to “Baby Bearcats” born at Project administrator brings right people UC Medical Center and West Chester Hospital in advance of the annual Cross- town Shootout basketball game in December. The UC Bearcat and several UC to the table cheerleaders stopped by UC Medical Center to hand-deliver blankets and show their UC pride. 4 Giving Patients Choice New clinic involves patients in care, decisions 5 Top-Notch Care Brain injury survivor back to work New Year, New Beginnings I N S I D E 2 .............Our Roots 4 ..............In Focus 5 ..............Making a Difference 6 ..............News and Notes OUR PURPOSE To advance healing and reduce suffer- ing. OUR MISSION We are committed to advancing med- icine and improving the health of all people —regardless of race, ethnicity, geography or ability to pay—by foster- ing groundbreaking medical research “What we have to offer to the patients and education, delivering outstanding primary and specialty care services, and we serve is unmatched.” building a diverse workforce. OUR VISION Colleagues, To use the power of academic medicine For many, the new year brings new beginnings and second chances. For to advance the science of discovery and Kourtney Hurst, featured on page five of this edition of Central Line, the new year transform the delivery of care. is especially meaningful. OUR VALUES On Jan. 11, Hurst marked the one-year anniversary of an accident that nearly PRIIDE: We will serve our patients, our took her life by visiting the team she credits for saving her. community and one another by: Putting PATIENTS and families first. If not for the skill of UC Health’s trauma team and neurosurgeons, Hurst’s story Showing RESPECT. could have been a different one. Acting with INTEGRITY. I’m reminded daily of the important role we play across our region. What we Embracing INCLUSION. have to offer to the patients we serve is unmatched. I’m extremely proud of who Seeking DISCOVERY. we are, and especially proud to call each of you a colleague. Offering EMPATHY. I wish you all the very best that 2018 has to offer. Sincerely, Central Line is a monthly publication for employees and clinicians of UC Health. It is produced by UC Health Marketing & Communications. Send your comments and ideas to Richard P. Lofgren, MD [email protected]. UC Health President & CEO © 2018 Volume 2, Issue 1 O U R P E O P L E Building Teams Project administrator brings right people to the table Polly Elmlinger / Project Administrator / Information Systems and Technology BY DAMA EWBANK “I see every day how dedicated the AFTER NEARLY TWO DECADES as a UC Health team member, it took Polly people are in this organization. They Elmlinger only three short years away from UC Health to realize she needed to want to do the right thing. I’m proud to get back to her former colleagues. “When I left I realized I was missing be a part of that.” out on something, and when I had the opportunity to come back I jumped at it,” says Elmlinger. preparing for the opening of the UC Despite being one-step removed from Now project administrator for Informa- Gardner Neuroscience Institute building. patient care, Elmlinger understands tion Systems and Technology (IS&T), what a difference she can make for Elmlinger is charged with bringing op- A mother of five, Elmlinger’s project patients and colleagues. management skills come in quite erations and technical teams together handy at home, and she also puts her “I see every day how dedicated the to ensure projects needing IS&T support team-building skills to the test each year people are in this organization and want are ready to go. as a captain for one of UC Health’s Heart to do the right thing. I’m proud to be • Since her return to UC Health, Elmlinger Mini teams. part of that.” has led the IS&T project teams for the “It makes me proud to wear that UC launch of maternity services at West Health T-shirt and I enjoy going around Bonus video at Chester Hospital, and for the 2017 Epic and encouraging people to participate,” uchealth.com/central-line upgrade. She’s now leading the team says Elmlinger. CENTRAL LINE / January 2018 / 1 O U R R O O T S Standing the Test of Time IN 1915, CHRISTIAN R. HOLMES, MD, dean of UC’s College of Medicine, set out to create a Cincinnati medical center based on what was then the new Johns Hopkins University model: a teach- ing hospital where the university and hospital worked together to serve the community and teach new surgeons. The Surgical Amphitheater, pictured during its early years of training and education. The result was the Cincinnati General Hospital (now UC Medical Center), a key role in the training and education of aters remaining. In 2005, following a pavilion-style facility that contained four surgeons. Residents frequently gath- five-year, $250,000 restoration project, separate surgical wards designed to pre- ered in these naturally-lit rotundas to it was re-dedicated. It has since served vent the spread of disease throughout watch leading surgeons perfect surgical its tradition•al role—a space for surgical the hospital. At the pavilion’s center—lit- procedures. education. erally and figuratively—was the Surgical UC’s surgical amphitheater—among Content adapted from a web posting by UC Institute, which included four operating the last to be built in the U.S.—is one Academic Health Center Public Relations rooms and the surgical amphitheater. and Communications. of only a handful of surgical amphithe- Surgical amphitheaters once played a UC Health is committed to providing employees with IMPROVE YOUR FINANCIAL opportunities to improve financial wellness. Here are just a few things available to you: WELLNESS IN 2018 • Money-saving discounts and offers (Visit the IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE PREPARED for retirement, but “Discounts” page on the UC Health Intranet) you should also feel confident managing your financ- • Tuition assistance es while still actively employed. • Financial webinars, hosted monthly by our 401(k) administrator Principal Financial A recent PricewaterhouseCooper’s survey found (Visit principal.com/LearnNowOnDemand) that: • Presentations and/or one-on-one meetings with UBS (financial planning services) • 52 percent of workers are stressed about their finances If you are close to retirement age, the Social • 64 percent of millennials said they are stressed Security website is also a great resource for about their finances information. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov • 46 percent of workers spend three or more hours To learn more about programs available to during the workweek dealing with or thinking UC Health employees, contact the UC Health about financial issues benefits team• (513-585-MYHR) to schedule a • Finance-related stress has increased for 45 consultation. percent of respondents over the last 12 months. Your Questions Answered Can you tell me more about UC Health’s new Diversity, Culture and Inclusion Councils? UC HEALTH IS LAUNCHING several new current and emerging issues and areas schedule an interview as part of the Diversity, Culture and Inclusion Coun- of opportunity at UC Health. Council selection process. Final council member cils and employees were encouraged members will work with leadership to selections will be made and communi- to apply to participate. Managers were collaboratively develop solutions to cated in February 2018. also asked to nominate employees for ensure employees feel valued and to in- If you have any additional questions, participation. crease connectedness and engagement. contact Myron McCoo at 513-585-6064. The councils, which will launch in Employees who applied or were nomi- Do you have a question we can answer? February 2018, will offer employees the nated can expect to hear from Roberta Email [email protected]. opportunity to come together to discuss McClinon, Pope Consulting, who will C O M P L I A N C E C O R N E R : 2017 Compliance and Ethics Survey Results THE RESULTS ARE IN from UC Health’s 2017 Compliance and contacting the Compliance Department directly. Employees Ethics Survey. Nearly 3,800 providers and employees complet- can also anonymously call the Compliance HelpLine at 1-866- ed the survey. Compared to the 2016 survey, the results for 585-8030 or report anonymously through the Compliance every question saw positive improvement, with the exception Reporting Form on the UC Health Intranet homepage. of the question regarding personally observing misconduct, which rose by 1 percent to 18 percent. Overall, the results This year 68 percent of respondents “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” show exciting momentum at UC Health. Some highlights: they can report a compliance or ethics concern without fear of retaliation. While this is an increase from last year’s 63 percent, Almost 85 percent of respondents either “Agree” or there is still room for improvement. Please remember that UC “Strongly Agree” that UC Health is an ethical organization. Health has a policy prohibiting retaliation against those who report compliance concerns in good faith. If you feel you have 80 percent of respondents “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” been retaliated against for reporting a compliance or ethics that their supervisor is ethical. issue, please contact human resources or the Compliance Department. The No Retaliation policy can be found on the UC The survey helps identify opportunities for improvement for Health Intranet under Policies > Corporate Policies > Human the Compliance Department and UC Health. For example, Resources – Employee Relations. last year approximately 75 percent of respondents “Agreed” or “Strongly Agreed” that they knew how to contact the Com- Thank you to everyone who completed the survey. The re- pliance Department with compliance or ethics concerns. The sponses are vitally important to the development and success Compliance Department wanted to increase this percentage of the compliance program at UC Health. If you have ques- in 2017 and added communications regarding reporting tions about the survey results, please contact the Compliance • methods. This year, the number increased to over 83 percent. Department at 513-585-7224 or [email protected]. For the remaining 17 percent of respondents, please know that you can report compliance or ethics concerns to your su- This article was written by staff within UC Health’s Compliance Department. pervisor, any member of management, human resources or by CENTRAL LINE / January 2018 / 3 I N F O C U S Choice in Healthcare Multidisciplinary clinic offers education and options BY KATIE PENCE For the most part, having many choices is a good thing. In healthcare, however, “doctor knows best” is oftentimes the accepted standard, limiting choices for patients and their families. Because of this, a multidisciplinary team has come together to better involve patients in their care. The team— specif- ically focused on patients with prostate cancer—will help with decision-making about the multiple treatment options often available following a prostate cancer diagnosis. UC Cancer Institute physicians Abhinav Sidana, MD (urology), Timothy Struve, Timothy Struve, MD, Sadhna Verma, MD and Abhinav Sidana, MD. MD (radiation oncology), and Sadhna Verma, MD (radiology), meet as a team them to be able to weigh all of their op- as well—we want them to know about each Friday to review each patient’s case tions before either jumping into surgery them all.” immediately before they are seen in the or radiation without realizing that there UC Health Barrett Cancer Center. Sidana were other choices available.” Sidana says focal therapy, an emerging and Struve then meet with each patient treatment for targeted, localized pros- for an hour, splitting the time to discuss Verma’s expertise, Sidana adds, helps the tate cancer (similar to a lumpectomy in both surgical and radiotherapy options, team to provide patients with a com- breast cancer), is also being offered as a while also answering questions to help prehensive look at their cancer and their treatment option. the patient come to a decision about his treatment options. treatment plan. “We plan to add a pathologist and “Dr. Verma is known internationally as medical oncologist to our team,” Sidana Sidana says this model is the first-of-its- a leader in multi-parametric magnetic says. “We are excited to be offering this kind locally. resonance imaging scans for cancer unique clinic locally to serve as a portal detection and MRI as a guidance tool for for giving patients control over their care “Prostate cancer—while the most prostate biopsies,” Sidana adds. “These plans and making the best decision for common cancer in men in the United • tools can help physicians decide whether their lifestyles.” States after skin cancer—is a slow-grow- to remove or spare delicate neurovascu- ing cancer,” Sidana says. “Most men with lar bundles that surround the prostate prostate cancer are older than 65 and gland. Our team reviews the patient’s do not die from the disease; it is not like clinical history, images and histology other cancers where there is an urgency to determine the eligibility for certain APPOINTMENTS AT THE MULTIDISCI- to remove or treat the cancer, and in treatments. We ultimately let the patient PLINARY PROSTATE CANCER CLINIC some cases, active surveillance is all that make that decision and help them weigh CAN BE SCHEDULED BY CALLING is needed for an extended amount of the pros and cons of each option. How- 513-475-8787. time. Since someone could live 20 to ever, there are clinical trials and other 30 years after their diagnosis, we want ‘outside of the box’ treatment options 4 / UC Health M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E Top-Notch Choice in Healthcare Care Top: Kourtney Hurst with neurosur- geon Laura Ngwenya, MD, PhD. Above: Hurst with Cynthia Willis, health unit coordinator for the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (NSICU). Willis would sing to Hurst during her stay in the NSICU. Young woman celebrates life after accident nearly took hers BY DAMA EWBANK learning to walk and eat again. She’d Hurst said. “My nurses and physicians at also have to learn how to function with UC Health were phenomenal.” KOURTNEY HURST HAD BARELY come a brain injury, which can cause personal- down from the high of her October ity and eating disorders. Six months after the accident that nearly took her life, Hurst went back to work 2016 wedding when a tragic accident full time, and a year later, she returned to robbed her of all memories of the event. “We are blessed UC Medical Center to thank the staff and Hurst hit black ice while driving to work clinicians who saved her life. to wake up every the morning of Jan. 11, 2017. When she She and her husband, Brandon, are now awoke at UC Medical Center days later, morning.” expecting their first child. she learned just how severe her injuries were. “Since my accident, I’ve really learned Determined as ever to overcome, Hurst the value and importance of life, and Hurst had brain surgery for a subdural took her first steps before leaving UC understand that we are blessed to wake hematoma and had a broken neck and Medical Center, and even made a point • up every morning,” Hurst said. clavicle, a leg fracture, multiple facial after her release to get back into the fractures, punctured lungs and dissect- mangled truck to, as she put it, “show it ed carotid arteries. who was boss.” Bonus video at uchealth.com/central-line Active, hard-working and an avid hunter “Being in the medical profession, I can and fisher, Hurst was now faced with tell you that I received top-notch care,” 4 / UC Health CENTRAL LINE / January 2018 / 5 N E W S A N D N O T E S Clinical Trial Spotlight: Larynx Cancer Do you have larynx (voice box) cancer? Will you undergo chemotherapy and radiation? What: The purpose of this research study is to test the safety and the benefit of adding Pembrolizumab to treatment that you will already be getting for your cancer. You will be offered “standard of care” treatment whether you participate in this study or not. Who: Patients 18 and older who have larynx cancer and are receiving radiation and chemotherapy may be eligible to participate. Pay: Participants will not be paid for taking part in this study. Details: For more information, contact the UC Cancer Institute at [email protected] or 513-584-7698. Awards, Certifications and Recognitions West Chester Hospital has received certification from The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center. This special designation includes The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. Receiving the Gold Seal of Approval® emphasizes West Chester Hospital’s commitment to providing the greatest level of patient care by adhering to a higher FEATURED POST standard of service for stroke patients. THE CINCINNATI OPERA and Young Pro- Several from UC Health and the University of Cincinnati are listed as finalists for the fessional Choral Collective of Cincinnati Cincinnati Business Courier’s 2018 Health Care Heroes awards. They include: Amy visited Bridgeway Pointe, Bunger, PhD, Dustin Calhoun, MD, David Feldman, MD, PhD, Neil MacKinnon, PhD, UC Health’s assisted living facility, Robert Neel, MD, Shimul Shah, MD, and E. Steve Woodle, MD. Winners will be named to spread holiday cheer. The groups in February 2018. performed holiday carols for Bridge- way Pointe residents, their families and The UC Health George L. Strike Bone Marrow Transplant Center has received accredi- employees from Bridgeway Pointe and tation from the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) for Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care. both adult autologous and allogenic stem cell therapy. The accreditation is effective for three years and began Dec. 21, 2017. FACT is an internationally recognized accred- Be sure to follow UC Health on Face- iting body for hospitals and medical institutions offering therapies that use stem cells book, Twitter and Instagram, for bone marrow transplants and immunotherapy. FACT accreditation signifies that where we curate content for you our program has met the most rigorous standards in all aspects of stem cell therapy. to like and share. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma has re-verified West Facebook: UCHealthCincinnati Chester Hospital as a Level III Trauma Center. The re-verification comes after a rigor- ous on-site review, which was conducted by the ACS Committee in November 2017. Twitter: @UC_Health West Chester Hospital was first verified as a Level III Trauma Center in 2015. Instagram: UC_Health New Number UC Health employees with questions about benefits should now call 513-585-MYHR (6947) to speak with a benefits specialists. This new number is now active. 6 / UC Health Improving the Health of our Community ‘The UC Health Way’ ENGAGING WITH PARTNERS to drive positive change in our community is critical to the success of UC Health’s “Community Health” strategy. This win- ter, we partnered with Upspring, located in Hamilton County, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County, to collect and distribute new winter apparel. UC Health employees collected and donated near- ly 130 winter apparel items, including 79 coats. New UC Health Physicians LATOYA BRATHWAITE, MD SAMEER PATEL, MD LORI STOLZ, MD Nephrology Surgical Oncology Emergency Medicine (GI malignancies/Mela- (Ultrasound) noma) TONYA DIXON, MD ARTEMIS PETRIDES, MD ALICE TANG, MD Orthopaedics & Sports Radiology Otolaryngology (Head & Neck Cancer) Medicine (Foot & Ankle) ABHINAV SIDANA, MD MARIO ZUCCARELLO, MD ANISIIA DOYTCHINOVA, Urology Neurosurgery MD, Cardiology (Neurovascular) (Cardiac Imaging) ABIGAIL NYE, MD Primary Care (Family For more information about each new physician, including practice location and Medicine) scheduling information, search by last name at uchealth.com. 6 / UC Health CENTRAL LINE / January 2018 / 7 A H A ! M O M E N T JOIN THE HEART MINI 2018 TEAMS ARE STILL FORMING for the March 18, 2018, American Heart Associ- ation Heart Mini. Join UC Health and the Targeted Treatment University of Cincinnati in our effort to Could Prevent Spread raise funds and awareness to fight heart disease and stroke. of Pancreatic Cancer, Visit heartmini.org and search for UC Heart Damage Health or University of Cincinnati in the company listing to join a team. You can RESEARCHERS AT THE UC COLLEGE OF MEDICINE have shown that a new also register using payroll deduction at targeted treatment could benefit patients with certain pancreatic tumors by pre- surveymonkey.com/r/UCHEALTHREG18. venting spread of the cancer and protecting their hearts from damage resulting from the tumor. Locally Sponsored by These findings, reported in the November 2017 issue of Molecular Cancer Ther- apeutics, could lead to another targeted treatment for patients and prevent the life is whyTM onset of additional complications from their cancer. Mark your calendars: Higher levels of serotonin, among other tumor secretions, can cause injury to Remaining Fleet Feet Shoe Sales the valves of the heart over time, leading to cardiac impairment—a condition Cash, credit and payroll deduction accept- referred to as cardiac carcinoid disease—in these patients. ed. Ten percent of all proceeds benefit our campaign. “Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors—pancreatic NETs, pNETs or islet cell tu- mors—are tumors that form from the abnormal growth of neuroendocrine cells Jan. 23, West Chester Hospital (Cafeteria) in the pancreas,” says lead author Hala Elnakat Thomas, PhD, research assistant Jan. 25, Business Center (Lobby) professor in the UC Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, and member of the Cincinnati Cancer Center and UC Cancer Institute. Bunco Night Fundraiser “Most pancreatic NETs are functional, meaning they produce hormones. The Purchase tickets ($25 each) in the West overproduction of certain hormones results in a number of symptoms termed Chester Hospital Gift Shop. carcinoid disease which may impact the patients’ quality of life if not managed 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, Jan. 19, West Chester appropriately.” Hospital Plaza Conf. Room (A Level) She says mutations in key players of the mTOR On-site Registration Event at pathway, a molecular pathway present and Findlay Market Pop-up active in several types of cancer, have been iden- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 25 tified in pNETs. UC CARE/Crawley Building Atrium “Inhibiting mTOR signaling using everolimus, a Campaign Fundraiser targeted therapy known as a rapalog, for Pancreatic cancer cells. at Kendra Scott patients with lung and gastroenteropancreatic Twenty percent of proceeds benefit our NETs, has been approved by the FDA. A rapalog inhibits the mTOR protein by campaign. preventing it from activating some signals,” she says. “However, patients eventu- 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 1, Kendra ally experience progression of cancer on this treatment, highlighting the need Scott jewelry shop at Kenwood Town for additional therapies. In this study, we focused on pancreatic NETs (pNETs) Centre and thought that treatment of these tumors upon progression on rapalog therapy, with an mTOR kinase inhibitor (mTORKi), could overcome a number of Heart Month Kickoff and resistance mechanisms in tumors and delay cardiac carcinoid disease.” Wear Red Day Events Thursday, Feb. 1, and Friday, Feb. 2 Elnakat Thomas’ team partnered with UC Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute To the extent our uniform policies allow, researchers to perform preclinical studies to determine tumor progression and wear red and watch out for opportunities cardiac function in those treated with a rapalog alone or switched to the mTORKi for site/team photos. (CC-223) when cancer progression was noticed. Deadlines They found that it is possible to reduce disease progression when switching Feb. 14: Deadline to register to receive to an mTORKi and that the mTORKi also may lead to additional cardiac benefit, race packet at UC Health work location results that warrant further study. Feb. 23: Deadline to register before Content provided by UC Academic Health Center Public Relations and Communications. prices increase 8 / UC Health