RxTraJune 27, 2013 • Vol. 69 No. 22

A publication for the staff of Hartford Hospital

A Hartford HealthCare Partner

Food Matters:Improving The

Patient Experience with Better Meals

If you’ve noticed the smell of homemade soup or freshly baked bread drifting from patients’

rooms lately, you’re not dreaming. Hartford Hospital has reinvented the way it prepares and serves food to patients, replacing the bland, pre-cooked and reheated offerings with an assort-ment of mouth-watering, made-to-order entrees that leave patients asking for more. The hospital food that, for years, was the stuff of bad jokes has been replaced with a tempting selection of breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert options designed to please pal-ettes and promote good health. Caring Cuisine, as the initiative is called, was piloted at the Institute of Living in late April and expanded to Hartford Hospital May 1. It features room service-style menus with an abundance of choices, nutrition coordinators to help patients weigh those choices according to their likes and medical needs, and technology for tracking orders in real time and keeping food hot until it reaches patients. Making the transition from the outdated Cook/Chill system to the new one, called Cook/Serve, was a mammoth undertaking that took about a year of planning. New recipes had to be created along with a new menu. Workflows had to be changed, employees retrained, schedules adjusted, and new equipment purchased.

To make the new system work at the In-stitute of Living required converting a ground floor meeting room into a plating room. Since the kitchen at IOL closed five years ago, food for patients at IOL, Grace Webb School and the IOL daycare center had to be prepared at Hartford Hospital and trucked to IOL in reheating carts.

MORE THAN JUST A REDESIGN

“It was not just a redesign,” said David Fichandler, director of Patient Experience, “but

like ‘let’s blow it up and start over.’” When it was introduced 15 years ago, Cook/Chill was a hospital industry standard, said Janice Cannon, director of Food and Nutrition Services. It saved money because it required fewer cooks and support staff in the kitchen – 33 fewer positions in the case of Hartford Hospital, she said. With Cook/Chill, food is cooked until three-quarters done up to three days ahead. It is then cooled to 40 degrees and stored overnight in a cooler. The next day, trays are assembled and, 36 minutes before serving, a computer activates a heater in the cart. Once heated, staff in the kitchen recheck the trays, place coffee and tea on top of the carts and send them off to the floors, where “tray passers” deliver the reheated meals to patients.

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But Cook/Chill had draw-backs. Because the food was pre-cooked and reheated, there was no swirl of steam or entic-ing aroma when patients lifted the lid. And because the food is already plated when it’s re-heated, garnishes can’t be used, adding to the lack of appeal. The system was problem-atic for kitchen staff too. Plates were heated before the food was added, making it easy for staff to get burned. The carts used to transport the food were heavy and high, which made them hard to push and navigate. And because they were electric, the carts couldn’t be hosed down, which made them harder to clean.

INTRODUCING COOK/SERVE With Cook/Serve, the freshly prepared and garnished food goes from a steam table to the room temperature plate. The plate is placed on a special base that’s been inserted in a high tech gadget called an Activa-tor, which triggers a medium inside the base that heats it to nearly 200 degrees. Once the cover goes on, the heated base keeps the food warm for up to an hour, nearly twice as long as with Cook/Chill. Cook/Serve is significantly more labor intensive and the impact of the transition on the hospital’s kitchen operation has been enormous, Cannon said. Food is prepared before each meal instead of days ahead, which requires the staffing the kitchen for more hours each day. Staff accustomed to per-forming one job on the Cook/Chill line, must now rotate tasks. At IOL, the trays of food once trucked ready-to-serve from the kitchen at Hartford Hospital must be assembled in the plating room equipped with its own steam tables, sinks, re-frigerators and Activator. “It’s a huge change in cul-ture,” Cannon said. Of course, the only change patients are noticing is that

their food is fresh, warm and exactly what they ordered. On a recent morning, a steam table in the kitchen was brim-ming with hot offerings from the new breakfast menu, in-cluding scrambled eggs, hash browns, blueberry pancakes, and egg and cheese bagels. From the steam table, the plates were passed to the line where staff assembled the trays, glanc-ing up and back down at white order tickets, to make sure they had everything patients re-quested. Across the kitchen, executive chef Mickey Ruchin was busy chopping basil and plucking leaves from the stems of freshly cut rosemary. He was preparing lunch for members of the execu-tive advisory board who would be sampling lunch and dinner entrees from the new menu. A few hours before the luncheon, he was still fine-tuning the light herbal aioli for the grilled chick-en entrée. Unlike the Cook/Chill menu - a fixed cafeteria-style menu with a limited range of daily offerings repeated weekly – the Caring Cuisine menu give pa-tients about 40 items to choose from, including gluten-free, low-sodium and vegetarian options, such as spinach lasagna and Asian noodle salad with tofu and a light sesame dressing. MORE CHALLENGING “No doubt it’s more challeng-ing,” Ruchin said of the new sys-tem. “For cooks, it has changed responsibilities and workloads. They have to be accountable. Cook/Chill is history. We are working on moving forward.” Hospital administrators had long known food was a major issue. Patients had been telling them so for years. When asked in surveys what the hospital could do to improve their stay, patients routinely said fix the food – not the service – but the cold, tasteless, unappetizing food.

Food Matters: Improving The Patient Experience

with Better Meals

Getting Back To GoodYears ago, Hartford Hospital was

known for good food. Food Services

supervisor Terry Talbot remembers

running into people at the grocery

store or gas station who would men-

tion how much they liked the food.

“It was like a restaurant,” he said,

of the lobster and steak served to

patients in those days. Macaroni and

cheese was a favorite on Fridays.

Healthier dishes have taken the

place of the steak and lobster on the

new Caring Cuisine menu, but a low-

er fat version of the mac and cheese

remains. The positive feedback about

that and other new dishes is bringing

back the old sense of pride.

“It’s exciting to me to be able to

do these things,” said executive chef

Mickey Ruchin of the new menu.

“The food gives patients some-

thing to look forward to, instead of

thinking about having x-rays and

being poked,” added patient services

manager Michael Cole. “While they

are here, it’s our job to make their

stay as pleasant as possible.”

Fruits and JuicesOrange Juice, Apple Juice,V-8 Juice, Prune Juice,Cranberry Juice, Fresh Fruit Cup

• Stewed Prunes,• Melon Wedge,• BananaTraditional FarePancakes (Blueberry or Plain)Texas Style Cinnamon French ToastScrambled Eggs or •Egg SubstituteBreakfast SandwichesEgg and Cheese on Bagel• Egg Whites and Low Fat Cheese on BagelBread BoxCoffee Cake, Muffins

(Corn/Blueberry/Bran and Gluten Free)SidesShredded Hash BrownsTurkey Sausage

CerealsOatmeal, Cream of WheatGrits (Plain /Cheese), Corn Flakes,Special K, Cheerios, Rice Chex

Natural Gluten Free Oatmeal• Apple Cinnamon with Flax Gluten Free Oatmeal

Dairy SectionGreek Yogurt, Fruited Light YogurtCottage Cheese

BREAKFAST SELECTIONS

SoupChicken Noodle SoupTomato Soup (low sodium)Vegetable SoupVegetable Broth and Chicken Broth(Regular/Low Sodium)

Hot Selections• Baked Spinach Lasagna(meatless selection of cheese, pasta, and

spinach with a Seasoned Marinara Sauce)•Grilled Boneless Chicken Breast with a Light Lemon Sauce

•Baked Cod with Fresh Basil and TomatoRoasted Turkey with GravyHome style Meatloaf with GravyOven Baked Macaroni and Cheese

(3 options: Gluten Free, Hartford Healthy and Regular)Simply Sandwiches

Sliced Turkey on a Whole Wheat Wrap

with Shredded Lettuce and TomatoTuna Salad Sandwich on MultigrainBread with Lettuce and TomatoEgg Salad Sandwich on a Whole grain Roll

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich on White Bread

Entrée SaladsChef Salad Turkey and Ham with Swiss Cheese and Hard Boiled Egg• Seasonal Fruit and Reduced Fat Cheese

served with a Mini Whole Wheat Roll•Seasonal Fruit and Cottage Cheese Plate, or Substitute Light YogurtTossed Salad with a Choice of Tuna Salad, Chicken Salad, or Grilled Chicken Breast•Asian Noodle Salad with

Light Sesame Dressing and Tofu

From The GrillBlack Bean Burger (Meatless Burger with Lettuce/Tomato and Chipotle Mayonnaise on a Whole Wheat Roll)Traditional Hamburger or Cheeseburger on a Plain or Wheat Roll

Side Salads•Tossed Salad (lettuce/tomato)Hummus and Vegetable Sticks

Hot AccompanimentsWhipped Potatoes, Carrots, Roasted Red Potatoes, Green Beans,

Whipped Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli,

• Rice (Brown/White), Rice and BeansFor the Sweet ToothCheesecake, Chocolate CakeTapioca Pudding, Diet Pudding, Angel Cake, Fresh Fruit CupApplesauce, Apple PieAll day BeveragesCoffee, Tea

(Regular or Decaffeinated), Hot Chocolate

Low Fat Milk (4 oz-8oz), Lactose Free MilkUnsweetened Iced TeaSalad DressingsBalsamic Vinaigrette, Light Ranch,

Light Italian, as well as the Oil and VinegarCondimentsSugar, Salt, Pepper, Sugar Substitute,

Sugar in Raw, Syrup (regular/diet), Peanut Butter Jelly (regular/diet),

Butter/MargarineFor Gluten Free options,

please discuss with your server.Kosher Meals are available uponrequest. Please ask your server.

LUNCH AND DINNER SELECTIONS

CaringCuisine_Dance Brochure 6/5/13 2:13 PM Page 1

By Loretta Waldman

Fruits and Juices

Orange Juice, Apple Juice,

V-8 Juice, Prune Juice,

Cranberry Juice, Fresh Fruit Cup

• Stewed Prunes,• Melon Wedge,• Banana

Traditional Fare

Pancakes (Blueberry or Plain)

Texas Style Cinnamon French Toast

Scrambled Eggs or •Egg Substitute

Breakfast Sandwiches

Egg and Cheese on Bagel

• Egg Whites and Low Fat Cheese on Bagel

Bread Box

Coffee Cake, Muffins

(Corn/Blueberry/Bran and Gluten Free)

Sides

Shredded Hash Browns

Turkey Sausage

Cereals

Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat

Grits (Plain /Cheese), Corn Flakes,

Special K, Cheerios, Rice Chex

Natural Gluten Free Oatmeal

• Apple Cinnamon with

Flax Gluten Free Oatmeal

Dairy Section

Greek Yogurt, Fruited Light Yogurt

Cottage Cheese

BREAKFAST SELECTIONS

Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

Tomato Soup (low sodium)

Vegetable Soup

Vegetable Broth and Chicken Broth

(Regular/Low Sodium)

Hot Selections

• Baked Spinach Lasagna

(meatless selection of cheese, pasta, and

spinach with a Seasoned Marinara Sauce)

•Grilled Boneless Chicken Breast

with a Light Lemon Sauce

•Baked Cod with

Fresh Basil and Tomato

Roasted Turkey with Gravy

Home style Meatloaf with Gravy

Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese

(3 options: Gluten Free,

Hartford Healthy and Regular)

Simply Sandwiches

Sliced Turkey on a Whole Wheat Wrap

with Shredded Lettuce and Tomato

Tuna Salad Sandwich on Multigrain

Bread with Lettuce and Tomato

Egg Salad Sandwich on a

Whole grain Roll

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

on White Bread

Entrée Salads

Chef Salad

Turkey and Ham with

Swiss Cheese and Hard Boiled Egg

• Seasonal Fruit and Reduced Fat Cheese

served with a Mini Whole Wheat Roll

•Seasonal Fruit and

Cottage Cheese Plate,

or Substitute Light Yogurt

Tossed Salad with a Choice of

Tuna Salad, Chicken Salad,

or Grilled Chicken Breast

•Asian Noodle Salad with

Light Sesame Dressing and Tofu

From The Grill

Black Bean Burger

(Meatless Burger with

Lettuce/Tomato and

Chipotle Mayonnaise on

a Whole Wheat Roll)

Traditional Hamburger

or Cheeseburger on a Plain

or Wheat Roll

Side Salads

•Tossed Salad (lettuce/tomato)

Hummus and Vegetable Sticks

Hot Accompaniments

Whipped Potatoes, Carrots,

Roasted Red Potatoes, Green Beans,

Whipped Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli,

• Rice (Brown/White), Rice and Beans

For the Sweet Tooth

Cheesecake, Chocolate Cake

Tapioca Pudding,

Diet Pudding, Angel Cake,

Fresh Fruit Cup

Applesauce, Apple Pie

All day Beverages

Coffee, Tea

(Regular or Decaffeinated), Hot Chocolate

Low Fat Milk (4 oz-8oz), Lactose Free Milk

Unsweetened Iced Tea

Salad Dressings

Balsamic Vinaigrette, Light Ranch,

Light Italian, as well as the Oil and Vinegar

Condiments

Sugar, Salt, Pepper, Sugar Substitute,

Sugar in Raw, Syrup (regular/diet),

Peanut Butter Jelly (regular/diet),

Butter/Margarine

For Gluten Free options,

please discuss with your server.

Kosher Meals are available upon

request. Please ask your server.

LUNCH AND DINNER SELECTIONSCaringCuisine_Dance Brochure 6/5/13 2:13 PM Page 1

54

In 2007, food was the No. 1 complaint among patients sur-veyed about their inpatient stay. The feedback was blunt and sometimes brutal. “Awful,” is how one patient summed it up. “Barely edible,” another re-ported.

“You should contract with Bos-ton Market and Dunkin Donuts

and not try to make your own food,” yet another advised. COLBY DIDN’T LIKE THE FOOD The most damning assess-ment perhaps, and certainly the most public, came from Colby Salerno, who posted a withering critique of the food on his “Tales from the Tenth Floor” blog. The now 25 year-old heart transplant patient, who spent six months at the hospital before re-ceiving a new heart in May 2012, described in detail, not just the food itself, but the mechanics of the Cook/Chill system that ren-dered it so unappealing. “Please feel bad for me and send good food,” he wrote. Administrators admit they were slow to make the change due to the scale of the hospital’s

food operation, which churns out 3,000 to 4,000 meals a day for patients and employees at Hartford Hospital, IOL, and New-ington. Due to fiscal constraints, it was easier not to change, they said – that is, until other hospitals started introducing restaurant-style menus. “That’s what we were compet-ing against,” said Cannon. “That’s why our complaints were getting so much worse. Patients were get-ting a taste of what other hospi-tals were like.” “The feedback was so over-whelming, we couldn’t ignore it,” Fichandler said. Not addressing the problem also had financial implications. Hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds participate in a federally mandated patient per-ception survey that asks patients a set of 32 standardized ques-tions. The results determine the score each hospital gets, and when scores fall below a certain level, hospitals don’t receive full funding, said Fichandler. Despite scoring well on clinical measures, the negative feedback about the food was hurting Hartford Hospi-tal’s overall score, he said.

Administrators are in the early stages of collecting data on the new menu, but feed-back has so far been over-whelmingly positive, they say. CLEAN PLATE CLUB Cannon said plates coming back to the kitchen have little if any food left on them. Hash browns are a favorite and, after breakfast, requests for more have become routine. Kelly Salerno, Colby’s mom, served on a patient advisory board that took part in early testing of the new Caring Cui-sine menu. “I had the salmon,” she said, of the Bake Salmon with Light Lemon Dill Sauce on the new lunch and dinner menu. “It was so juicy, and the aroma!” During a recent visit to the hospital with Colby, Mrs. Salerno said she again noticed a delicious aroma wafting from a tray of food brought to the room – this time the Grilled Boneless Chicken Breast on the Caring Cuisine menu.

“It was amazing,” she said. “My husband and I could not

believe how good it was. And

the cheesecake for dessert was very good.” Cannon beams with pride when she talks about how her staff has stepped up to make the launch of Caring Cuisine a success. Employees are still work-ing out kinks - predicting how much food to prepare has been a challenge, as has keeping up with constantly changing diet needs - but Cannon said she expects the forecast issue to be resolved once a history of what patients order has been estab-lished. Cooks are still chasing the diet change time line, Can-non said, but have closed the gap significantly. Ultimately, Canon said she expects the new system to produce savings of about 10 percent because it cuts down on the waste associated with Cook/Chill food. “The good thing is our staff wanted to do this,” Can-non said. “We are leading by example by offering food that we hope patients will continue eating when they leave the hospital. We have begun to use food as a teaching tool.” n

Thumbs Up From

Patients and Staff The technology used with the new Cook/

Serve food system is good for the food

service staff as well as the patients.

Nutrition coordinators now carry

iPads, introduced last year, to record

patients’ food choices. Instead of having

to download orders when they return to

the kitchen, nutrition coordinators access

the hospital’s Computrition software

wirelessly to deliver orders in real time.

Nutrition coordinator Indiana Gomez also

likes the new carts, which are lower and

easier to see over. The carts are lighter

and easy to push. Cook/Chill carts were

so heavy, they had to be pulled instead of

pushed, she said. Gomez and other nutri-

tion coordinators can thank yet another

piece of new technology for that improve-

ment. The “Heat-On-Demand” Advantage

Activator eliminated the need for electric-

ity in carts. The hospital purchased three

of the activators, which trigger a special

medium inside a base put under plates

that heats to 200 degrees. The base holds

the heat, keeping Cook/Serve entrees

warm for about an hour, nearly twice as

long as with Cook/Chill.

6 7

40 Years of Service Diane Labedzki, Post Anesthesia Care Unit

35 Years of Service Diane Barber, Radiology/MRI

Lucie Bohannon, Rehab/General

Joan Bologna, Assessment Center

Jeffrey Colella, IS/Electronic Health Record

Mary Ann Couture, Respiratory Care

Gail Giberson, Rehab/General

30 Years of Service Carolann Birbara, Nursing Service Office

Emelie DiNonno, GI Endoscopy

Mary Ann Majewski, PA Medicare Billing

25 Years of Service Victoria Bryant, PA Non-Medicare Billing

Lydia Cordova, Womens’ Ambulatory Health

Service

Ivette Matos, Special Education/Hartford

Wayne Oden, Cafeteria/Vending Services

Elizabeth Rodriguez, Radiology/

Mammography

Marites Rodriquez, O.R. CORE

Robert Veenstra, Department of Cardiology/

Administration

20 Years of Service Patricia Furst, Rehab/General

Anna Hosig, Clinical Research Center

Patricia Kaehrle, IS/Electronic Health Record

Susan Kohn, Department of Medicine/

Administration

15 Years of Service Catherine Andersen, Rehab ERN

Administration

Lauren Bernardi, Accounting/General

Martha Lesmes, PA Non-Medicare Billing

Ron M’sadoques, IS/Finance Systems

Donna Rohrbach, Accounting/General

Bruce Telke, IS/PC Services

Michelle Walsh, Labor And Delivery

10 Years of Service Murphy Breary, Radiology/Imaging Transport

Barbara Browner, Case Coordination

Denise Davis, Cardiology Service North 10

June LornaGallardo, Dialysis Service

Omaira Giraud, PA Payment Variance

Juan Gonzalez, Environmental Services/

General

Jennifer Hull, Center For Anti-Infective

Research/Development

Keith Kendall, Donnelly 1N

Brendan Leahy, Department of Emergency

Medicine

Elaine Mains, Radiology/Imaging Transport

Rosa Matias, Medicine Service Center 12L

Raymond Ortiz, Materials Management/

Purchasing

Barbara Pettigrew, IS/Operations

Roger Piper, Environmental Services/General

Rogers Pylant, Respiratory Care

Alexandru Roman, IS/Clinical Integration

Kimberli Smith, Pharmacy/General

Teresa Sobota, Food/Nutrition/Main Kitchen

Robert Woodcock, Donnelly 2S

5 Years of Service Linda Adjabeng, Surgical Service Bliss 9E

Eric Bennett, Allied Health/Emergency

Med Tech

Matthew Brunelle, Surgical Service Bliss 8

Mario Jumal Camalig, Patient Service/SNF

Katherine Carges, Fund Development/Major/

Planned Gift

Kristin Carroll, Rehab Glastonbury - OP

Lois Chapman, Nursing Administration/

Womens’ Health

Meghan Cranouski, Rehab Avon - OP

Greg Cukrowski, Donnelly 3N

Maria Del Valle, Patient Support Services

Mulija Efendic, Environmental Services/

General

Erin Fitch, Special Education/Hartford

Pearl Hawkins, Surgical Service Bliss 8

Zhuljeta Isufaj, Environmental Services/

General

Elliot Joseph, Administration/General

Michael Kananowicz, STAR Team

Anna Kurian, Nursing Service Office

Danielle McGeary, Biomedical Engineering

Diane Pomarico, QM/Epidemiologists

Debra Powley, Finance/Professional

Services AD

Eric Rivera, Laundry/General

Mari Scalesse, STAR Team

Dwain Scott, Department of Neurosurgery

Lucille Taylor, HPHO-Administration General

Natacha Vigna, Obstetrics/Bliss 6

Brian Wallace, Allied Health/Emergency

Med Tech

Staff Members Recognized for Years of Service - April 2013

A Hartford HealthCare PartnerA Hartford HealthCare Partner

40 Years of Service Antonio Rodriguez, Engineering/Carpenters

35 Years of Service Patricia Mead, GI Endoscopy

30 Years of Service Tonya Adger, Food/Nutrition/Patient Tray

Service

Mary Banevicius, Center For Anti-Infective

Research/Development

Susan Biehl, Finance/Decision Support

Dwight Forrester, Patient Support Services

William Hardie, Food/Nutrition/Main Kitchen

25 Years of Service Elaine De Jesus, O.R. Assistive Personnel

Andre Desrosiers, Security

Carol Director, Respiratory Care

Sergio Garcia, Laundry/General

Christine Marques, Surgical Service Bliss 5

Joyce Miller, Department of Cardiology/

Administration

Mariesol Quiceno, Surgical Service C9I

Sharon Shea, Dialysis Service

20 Years of Service Jonathan Lindsey, O.R. CORE

Luz Maldonado, Environmental Services/

General

William Roman, Clinical Research Center

Malgorzata Stamenkovic, Surgical Service

Short Stay Unit

15 Years of Service Mindi Cieck, Department of Surgery

James Gregware, Information Services

Josue Sanchez, IT/Client Infrastructure

Dana Shagan, Schizophrenia Rehab

Delia Torres, PA Third Party Follow Up

Deborah Walker, Survivorship Program

Judith Zysk, Rehab ERN Administration

10 Years of Service Julie Alvarado, Surgical Service Bliss 9E

Carl Bogli, Department of Orthopedics

Luciana Brown, Assessment Center

Henry Christensen, Center For Anti-Infective

Research/Development

William Cyr, Emergency Transport Center

Eddie Genga, Fitness Center

Amelia Grenier, RC Administration

Scott Kerry, Allied Health/Emergency Medical

Tech

Helena Kula, Medicine Service North 11

Jorge Leon, Patient Support Services

Fotini Merja, Surgical Service Bliss 7E

Christine Mikosz, ERN - VNA Hartford

Adriana Nallbani, H I M/Regulatory

Anne-Marie Nugent, Medicine Service Bliss 11

ICU

David O’Sullivan, Research Design and

Support

David Pace, Dialysis Service

Michele Petrucelli, Department of Emergency

Medicine

Gerilyn Rivosa, Radiology/Short Stay

Christopher Rusate, Surgical Service Bliss 7

ICU

Ivette Santiago, OPD/Surgical Clinic

Ruth Serafino, Operating Rooms/CORE

Ambulatory

Linda Straka, Finance/Professional Services

Administration

Janis Tiernan, Orthopedics CB6

Sue Tuttle, Finance/Decision Support

Debra Wolicka, Rehabilitation/Clinic

5 Years of Service Iona Baker, Donnelly 3S

Roberta Boss, Cardiology Service Center 10

Phillip Brewer, Department of Emergency

Medicine

Maureen Casey, ERN - Schools

Raquel Cespedes, Finance/Professional

Services Administration

Joseph Cianciolo, Biomedical Engineering

Marco Cuas, Emergency Room/General

Akesha Cunnigham, Special Education/

Hartford

Rachel Duzant, Schizophrenia Rehab

Barbara Falkowski, General Surgery Clinical

Administration

Lesley Fiasconaro, Radiology/CT Scan

Robert Flescher, Department of Medicine/

Administration

Janice Freda, Sleep Lab/Hartford

Helen Funari, Nursing Service Office

Gary Gillan, Radiology/Administration

Anne Gonzalez, Oncology Service CB2

Linda Hassett, Recreational Therapy

Jennifer Hertell, Rehab ERN Administration

Marcia Kuck, Breast Health Outreach/

Education

Kristy Lachance, Medicine Service CB5

Karen Leung, Surgical Service Bliss 9 ICU

Jaime Morales, Security

Maria Moreno, Radiology/Imaging Transport

Erika Perricone, Department of Surgery

Jonathon Riddick, Food/Nutrition/Main

Kitchen

Madelene Rivera, Patient Support Services

Melissa Tentoni, Human Resources/Operations

Penny Towery, O.R. CORE

Nikkia Turton, STAR Team

Diane Wade, Bed Management

Staff Members Recognized for Years of Service - March 2013

8 9

Staff Members Recognized for Years of Service A Hartford HealthCare Partner

March • 2013

Left to right: President Jeffrey Flaks congratulates five-year award win-ners Roberta Boss, Rachel Duzant, Kristy Lachance, Jaime Morales, Maria Moreno and Erika Perricone.

Left to right: President Flaks con-gratulates 10-year winners Ivette Santiago, David Pace, Helena Kula, Eddie Genga, Amelia Grenier, Jorge Leon and Ruth Serafino.

President Flaks (left) and Frank Rive-ra (right) congratulate Josue Sanchez, center, on 15 years of service.

President Flaks (left) and James Baio (right) congratulate Luz Maldonado, center, on 20 years of service.

Left to right: President Flaks con-gratulates 25-year winners Carol Di-rector, John McNab, Andre Desrosiers, Elaine DeJesus and Sergio Garcia.

Left to right: President Flaks con-gratulates 30-year recipients Dwight Forrester, Lisa Aneiro and William Hardie.

Patricia Mead (second from left) is congratulated on 35 years of service by President Flaks, Kathleen Van Gelder and Rosemary Aiello.

40-year award winner Antonio Rodriguez.

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1110

Staff Members Recognized for Years of Service A Hartford HealthCare Partner

April • 2013

Left to right: Peter Fraser, vice president of Human Resources, congratulates 5-year award winners Eric Rivera, Diane Pomarico, Danielle McGeary, Zhuljeta Isufaj, Katherine Carges, Eric Bennett, Maria Del Valle, Mulija Efendic and Pearl Hawkins.

Left to right: Peter Fraser congratulates 10-year award winners Raymond Ortiz, Rosa Matias, Rogers Pylant, Elaine Mains, Roger Piper, Jennifer Hull, Barbara Browner,Keith Kendall, and Juan Gonzalez.

Peter Fraser congratulates 15-year award winners Lauren Bernardi, Donna Rohrbach, Bruce Telke and Michelle Walsh.

Peter Fraser (left) and Lizabeth Roper (right) congratulate Anna Hosig for 20 years of service.

Newest members of the Quarter Century Club, left to right: Elizabeth Rodriguez, Victoria Bryant, Lydia Cordova and Wayne Oden.

Peter Fraser congratulates 30-year award winners Mary Banevicius and Mary Ann Majewski.

Peter Fraser congratulates 35-year award winners Mary Ann Couture, Jeffrey Colella and Joan Bologna.

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Psychiatry Residency Programs 2013-2014

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

General Psychiatry IV

General Psychiatry III

General Psychiatry II

General Psychiatry I

Sec

ond

Yea

r

Firs

t Y

ear

Alejandra Arroyave, MD Kim Brownell, MD

Marie DiDario, DO Co-Chief Resident

Rakesh Goyal, MD Saili Kalaskar, MD Jennifer Zajac, DO

Louis Forouhar-Graff, MD Elaine Gould, DO Mohit Manandhar, MD Co-Chief Resident

Katharine Woods, MS, DO

Erin Cordero, MD Co-Chief Resident

Andres Ramos, MD Co-Chief Resident

Heather Forouhar-Graff, MD Sara Sala, MD Samira Solomon, MD Scott Walmer, DO

Justin Uzl, MDEsteban Toledo, MDDavid Schmidt, DORaymond Morris, MDMohammadreza Mokhtari, MD

Carolyn McIlree, MDGavrosh Faylayev, MD

Kathleen Hershon, MD Matthew Marker, MD Donald McNally, DO Griffan Randall, DO Izabella Shuvayev, MD Saachi Tarr, MD

2013 Summer Student Research FellowsEach of the following student

research fellows will be work-

ing on a project this summer at

Hartford Hospital in conjunction

with a senior investigator.

Lauren Bellarose, Women’s HealthProject: The Influence of Induction Policies on C-Section RatesSenior Investigator: Dr. Amy Johnson

Kevin Braghirol, Primary Care Project: TBASenior Investigator: Dr. Cunegundo Vergara

Edward Carey, Colorectal Surgery Project: Massive Hernia Repair with Separation of Components Technique: A General and Plastic Surgery Combined ApproachSenior Investigator: Dr. Chike Chukwumah

Ashley Cox, UrologyProject: Assessing compliance and evaluating potential barriers to routine utilization of mitomycin instillation following transurethral resection of bladder tumorsSenior Investigator: Dr. Anoop Meraney

Christina D’Agostino, UrogynecologyProject: TBASenior Investigator: Dr. Paul Tulikangas

Trevor Dolittle, Heart Failure Project: Studies on Myocyte Apoptosis in Advanced Cardiac FailureSenior Investigator: Dr. Joseph Radojevic

Alyssa Heiser, OncologyProject: Influence of race and ethnicity on stage and survival in colorectal cancerSenior Investigator: Dr. Andrew Salner

Max Jackson, UrologyProject: TBASenior Investigator: Dr. Steven Shichman

Michael Keating, Emergency MedicineProject: Database comparison of carbon monoxide poisoning at the poison centerSenior Investigator: Dr. Charles McKay

Jeanne Kiernan, TraumaProject: TBASenior Investigator: Dr. Lenworth Jacobs

Matthew Lavalle, TransplantProject: Cryopreserved human femoral vein al-lografts for dialysis vascular access have improved patency and infection rate compared with ptfe graftsSenior Investigator: Dr. Matthew Brown

Michael Mancini, Neuro-Interventional Project: Headaches Associated With Cerebral Embolization ProceduresSenior Investigator: Dr. Martin Ollenschleger

Connor McElligott, Emergency Medicine Project: Urine Acetaminophen testing platform for overdose patientsSenior Investigator: Dr. Charles McKay

Kelly Nedorostek, Fetal Maternal Medicine Project: Induction versus Expectant Management in Gestational Diabetes at term—Does it matter?Senior Investigator: Dr. Elisa Gianferrari

Angela Quental, Emergency Medicine Project: Characteristics of Carbon Monoxide Ex-posures Reported to the Connecticut Poison Control Center After a Massive SnowstormSenior Investigator: Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor

Melissa Scinto, Primary Care Project: TBASenior Investigator: Dr. Cunegundo Vergara

Alexandra Thompson, NeurosurgeryProject: TBASenior Investigator: Dr. Inam Kureshi

14

Renovated Transplant Suite Wins Interior Design Award

Hartford Hospital’s renovated Kidney & Liver Transplant suite located on the third floor of the

Medical Office Building has received the blue ribbon award for Best Interior Design from CREW CT Real Estate Exchange in their 2012 Annual Connecticut Real Estate Awards. Selection was based on excel-lence in design, meeting financial challenges, innova-tions, and impact on the community. Steven Alexandre, Hartford Hospital’s director of Real Estate, was project manager. The new 11,000 square foot suite was renovated into a new bright functional space and consists of two separate areas for doctor’s offices and exam rooms. An open floor layout was incorporated, and all materials were selected to support a healthy envi-ronment. Other design challenges included providing adequate space for proposed functions such as spa-cious exam rooms to accommodate a patient’s family member and easy access for stretchers to enter and

exit. Consultation rooms required space for group discussion and AV capabilities when necessary. Glastonbury-based interior design and architec-tural firm id3A designed the space. The biggest chal-lenge for id3A "was demolishing and retrofitting the space within a very busy acute care hospital within 10 weeks," said Stevanie Demko, founder, owner and interior design principal. “The space offers excellence in patient experi-ence,” said Bimal Patel, vice president of operations. “Staff areas were relocated near patient rooms, and shared space for providers was incorporated adjacent to staff for optimum efficiency and improved patient service.” The CT Real Estate Exchange is one of 76 chapters of the 8,000-member national CREW Network, the industry's premier business networking organization dedicated to advancing the achievements of women in commercial real estate. n

Research UpdATE

15

Manuscripts supported: Suozzi, B. A., Brazell, H. D., O’Sullivan, D. M., and

Tulikangas, P. K. A comparison of shoulder pressure among

different patient stabilization techniques. Am J Obstet

Gynecol in press, 2013.

Brazell, H. D., O’Sullivan, D. M., and Tulikangas, P. K.

Socioeconomic status and race as predictors for treatment-

seeking behavior for pelvic organ prolapse. Am J Obstet

Gynecol in press, 2013.

Presentations supported:Parwani P, Gowd P, Ingrassia J, Nahar R, Chomick N,

Statz C, Radojevic J, Gluck J, Hammond J, Wencker D.

Left Ventricular Assist Device in Right Ventricular Failure.

Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society

of International Heart and Lung Transplantation,

Montreal, QC, CAN, April 24-27, 2013.

QI projects supported:Anupam Kumar, MD (Medicine) Does MEWS score >=5

predict transfer to the ICU?

Research Program senior scientists

contributed to the following manuscripts,

presentations and projects:

Dr. David Tolin Awarded $3 Million Grant from NIH

Dr. David Tolin, founder and direc-tor of the Anxiety Disorders Center and Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy at the Institute of Living, has been awarded a $2,916,925 grant from the National Institutes of Health. The five-year R01 grant is for the study of “Neural Mechanisms of CBT Response in Hoarding Disorder.” Dr. Tolin is coauthor with Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee of Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Ac-quiring, Saving, and Hoarding; author of the compan-ion two-DVD set, Buried in Treasures: A Professional’s Guide to Hoarding Disorder; author of Face Your Fears: A Proven Plan to Beat Anxiety, Panic, Phobias, and Obses-sions; and coauthor of Treating Trichotillomania: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Hairpulling and Related Problems. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Dr. Oz Show, Anderson Live!, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and on the A&E TV series Hoarders. He hosts the Oxygen Network television series My Shopping Addiction. Dr. Tolin is president- elect of the Clinical Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association, and a principal investigator for the National Institute of Mental Health. n

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Organization

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P A I D

Hartford, CT

Permit No. 4361

is published by the Planning & Market-ing department each week – with a special expanded issue once a month.

Submissions should be sent to announcements@harthosp.org at least two weeks before the publication date using the submis-sion form found on the hospital Intranet under the Planning & Marketing dept. (The web link for the form is: http://intranet.harthosp.org/hh/docs/2484). For questions or comments, please contact Annie Emanuelli at 860-972-2199. This publication is printed by Hartford Hospital’s digital Print Center (dPC).

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The New Hudson Street GarageThe state-of-the-art, nine floor, 1,250 space Hudson Street Garage opened its doors

recently, and has led to an easing of our chronic parking issues. With the new structure, we have seen a 16% increase in parking spaces for staff,

and a 35% increase in parking spaces for patients and visitors.

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