CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 1

Volunteer Updates Spring 2015 April 2015

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

1 Staff listing

2 Volunteer Spotlight – Robert Holcomb

3 Check This Out: Volunteer at CHOP’s 2015 Camp

4 Volunteer Supervisor Spotlight

5-6 2015 Volunteer Week Pictures!

7 Kudos!

8-9 Important Information: New Background Check Requirements

for active volunteers

10 Volunteering is Networking

11 Infection Prevention and Control Review

12 Fall Risk Update

13 More pics from the 2015 Volunteer Week

14 Infection Control Concerns

Need Assistance? Contact Us!

Volunteer Services Manager: Irin Cruz 215-590-1192

Volunteer Services Liaisons for Child Life and Inpatient Services:

Carla Claud 215-590-1094

Tangee King-Morton 267-426-2266

Volunteer Services Liaisons for Outpatient Services, Hospitality and

Buerger Center:

Kristin Marnie 215-590-1196

Edwina Smith 267-426-6682

Pet Therapy Program Coordinator:

Lisa Serad 215-590-5013

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 2

Volunteer Spotlight

Robert Holcomb (also known as Chris P. Lettuce)

Interview Theme: Bringing Laughter through Volunteerism!

1. What Unit/Department do you work on?

When I first came to the Children's Hospital I

said, "Pay me what I am worth." They made

me a volunteer! I originally volunteered on 5

East, but I’m now in the Emergency

Department.

1. How long have you volunteered at

CHOP? It was 15 years since I first started

volunteering. I remember my first day I saw

Dr. Pepper walking the hallways. Well, back

then he was still an intern.

2. What do you like most about volunteering at

CHOP? My favorite things are holding

babies, helping the patients/ families smile. I

can live the rest of my life holding babies and

watching TV :-)

3. Please share with us your favorite experience

so far as a volunteer? When they put the

kiosk in the cafeteria so I can make a $7.00

custom sandwich for free. Seriously, years ago

I was walking down a hallway and a

mother with her daughter tracked me down

and said, "We were going through the worst

day of our life last week and you had us

laughing, I will never forget that." Neither will

I, but I must say the corned beef on rye with

swiss cheese and bacon is a close second.

4. Do you volunteer anywhere other than

CHOP? Volunteering is not a one day a week

hobby, it is a lifestyle. I am the youngest of 8

kids and always wanted little brothers and

sisters. Through the Big Brother Big Sister

Program, I can mentor young

ones.

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 3

5. Tell us a little bit about yourself. My game

plan is to one day become a house husband. I

want to spend the rest of my life taking care of

children. I am prepared if my future wife

struggles to give birth to 25+ children (that is

not a typo.) I am affiliated with an orphanage

in India. My dream is to build them a new

house; they gave me an invitation to move in

anytime I desire. Here is a link with more info

letshelporphans.org Years ago I took guitar

lessons; however, I quit because there were

too many strings attached. Seriously, I am

currently starting a music program at an

orphanage in India. It is such a rewarding

feeling when I see pictures of my Indian

brothers and sisters standing proud with their

instruments.

6. Anything else you would like to share with all

of the volunteers that will see this

newsletter? Helping out our fellow human

being is the greatest thing one can do. CHOP

has given me the opportunity to be part of

something special. I am thankful as

volunteering makes me a better person.

Thank you, Robert for taking the time to tell us about all of the volunteering you do at CHOP, in Philadelphia, and in India!

Volunteers Needed for the 2015 CHOP Camp

We are looking to have lots of

help from our CHOP volunteers to

make Camp better than last year!

Click on the link below to get

more information on how to get

involved.

Link: Click Here to Sign up to

Volunteer

Did you check out the Shake it

Off Video? It highlights the

Child Life Department, Pet

Therapy Program and some of

CHOP’s amazing volunteers!

http://highlights.aplus.com/a/k

ids-staff-CHOP-shake-it-off

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 4

Supervisor Spotlight

Kent Wyckoff, Media Programs Specialist

1. How long have you been working at CHOP? How

long in your current role? I have been working at

CHOP for a little over 3 and a half years. I was

hired as the Media Programs Specialist, but I

actually started at CHOP as an intern for about 9

months.

2. Do you have volunteer experience yourself? Yes,

I used to volunteer for a place called Food For

Others. This was a large warehouse that collected,

organized, and stored donated foods to be

dispersed in special grab-and-go packages for

those in need who could not afford normal

groceries. My roles ranged from cleaning and

organizing, to actually putting together grocery

bags for families.

3. What inspires you to work with

volunteers? What really inspires me are those

volunteers who truly enjoy and find meaning in

what they are doing. Sure there are times where

we all have special volunteer requirements for

school or we're trying to build up our resume, but I

occasionally see volunteers who really are just

here to give back to the community and they are

superstars in my book.

4. How do you see the role of your volunteers

supporting the mission of the Child Life

team? Our volunteers are critical to our program.

As part of Child Life, we try to reach patients and

families by providing LIVE daily programming that

is therapeutic, entertaining, educational, and most

uniquely, interactive. With such a high turn-over

rate of patients, and with such a wide range of

ages, we need volunteers everyday who can help

let families know the interactive options that we

have available to them and then to actually help

patients engage with our studio either from their

rooms or in person.

5. What is your favorite thing about supervising and

mentoring volunteers? Approaching strangers

can be awkward and difficult for anyone. What I

really enjoy seeing is the transformation that

happens with many of our volunteers from

shy individuals who might rather keep to

themselves, into really confident people who know

how to take initiative and can get comfortable

striking up a conversation with anyone. That's

really cool and it's a skill that goes a long way.

Thank you, Kent, for taking the time to tell us more about your work! We appreciate your mentoring

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 5

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2015 Volunteer Recognition Event

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 6

Top 17 Volunteer Luncheon During Volunteer Recognition Week CHOP celebrated top performing volunteers.

These volunteered were recognized by their supervisors as dependable, collaborative, and dedicated. We thank our top 17 group for this year and all of the

amazing work all CHOP volunteers bring to patients and families. Thank you, on behalf of the patients, families and staff at CHOP!

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 7

Kudos to the 2015 Emergency Room High Volume Volunteers: Volunteer Services would like to highlight the Emergency Department High Volume Nursing Volunteers for the outstanding job they did during the Flu Season. The High Volume ED Team volunteered Sunday through Saturday, for 5 hour evening shifts. The team’s supervisor, Mary Kate Funari, was so pleased with their level of commitment and service that she offered the following volunteers the opportunity to continue volunteering weekends, beyond the flu season:

Kristin Aust Ashkan Salamaitpour

Sara Smith Caroline, Toomey

Corrine Largist Brittany Wyatt

Kamilah Barnes-Berry

Shout Out for the Shake It Off Video!!!

Volunteer Services would also like to thank the two Bedside Buddies who helped in the Child Life video last month! Thank you, Abigayle Zee and Rachel DiGalbo!!!

Shout Out for Pet Therapy!!! We also want to acknowledge Tom Madorna and CHOP therapy dog Santino!! They were given an award at the 4th-annual K-9 Veterans Day at Stoney Creek Veterinary Hospital. Below is an except from the article as well as a link to the article on

the Delaware County Times’ website. Congratulations to Tom and Santino!! “Several dogs and their handlers were presented with awards for their services, including Santino, a therapy dog that works with children at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His owner, Thomas Madorna, accepted the honor. “Santino is pretty much a natural,” Dr. Jennifer Johnson, a veterinarian at Stoney Creek, said of the dog. “He is assigned to soothe children that sometimes need to receive 40 or 50 injections at a time. His relaxing touch makes those injections much easier to endure.” http://www.delcotimes.com//general-news/20150314/giving-dogs-their-afternoon-annual-k-9-veterans-day-awards-4-legged-

friends

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 8

To: All CHOP Volunteers From: CHOP Volunteer Services Department Re: ACT 153: New Background Check Requirements for Certain Existing CHOP Employees Situation: Certain employees and volunteers at CHOP will need to undergo child abuse clearance checks as a result of new Pennsylvania Law. Background: Pennsylvania Act 153, which goes into effect December 31, 2014, requires that hospital employees, prospective employees, and volunteers who have or will have direct contact with children or responsibility for the welfare of children undergo pre-employment and ongoing (every 36 months) background checks. The required checks are:

- A Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance - A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

criminal fingerprint - A Pennsylvania State Police

Prior to this law, the hospital was not required to renew background checks during employment. Assessment: To best capture all employees and volunteers covered by the law, CHOP will apply this requirement to all staff and volunteers who routinely work in a building where patients are cared for or who deliver care to CHOP patients (known as HealthCare Workers (HCW)). This includes staff and volunteers who work on patient units, regardless of the frequency of that work. Recommendations HCWs/volunteers with child abuse screens that are 36 months old or older as of December 31, 2014 (generally those hired prior to December 31, 2011) , will be required to complete new child abuse screens no later than December 31, 2015. This includes HCWs/volunteers who never completed these screens as a result of being grandfathered under the prior law. Other HCWs/volunteers will be required to complete these screens prior to the 3 year anniversary (36 months) of their last screens.

For example:

1. If you are a HCW/volunteer and were hired in 1999, and did not complete the screens, you will now have to complete the three child abuse clearances prior to December 31, 2015.

2. If you are a HCW/volunteer and

completed your child abuse screens in January 2013, you will be required to complete new screens before January 2016.

Next Steps: Covered employees/volunteers will receive further instructions at a later date regarding how to initiate checks and will also receive an authorization to sign electronically permitting CHOP and Sterling Backcheck, CHOP’s background checking vendor, to run such checks. A schedule that identifies targeted HCWs/volunteers will be sent in the next few weeks to confirm when you should start submission of required clearances. The cost of clearances will be borne by CHOP. Adverse Background Clearance Findings: Consistent with legal requirements, CHOP will evaluate adverse findings that may arise on background checks on an individualized basis to determine what, if any impact such findings may have on the HCW’s position at CHOP.

PLEASE READ – New background check requirements

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 9

FAQs:

1. Who is impacted? If you are a designated HCW/volunteer at CHOP, you will be required to undergo these screens.

2. Who is a HCW?

A Health Care Worker at CHOP is an employee/volunteer who works in a building where patients are cared for or who delivers care to CHOP patients. This includes employees/volunteers who work on patient units, regardless of the frequency of that work.

3. What are the required background screens

under the new law? Three screens are required:

A. Criminal History Record Information obtained from the PA State Police

B. Child Abuse Clearance obtained through the PA Department of Public Welfare certifying if the applicant is named in the statewide database “as the alleged perpetrator in a pending child abuse investigation or as the perpetrator of a founded report or indicated report” of child abuse.

C. Federal Criminal History Record Information obtained by submitting a full set of fingerprints to the PA State Police or its authorized agent for submission to the Federal Bureau of Investigation “for the purpose of verifying the identity of the applicant and obtaining a current record of any criminal arrests and convictions.”

4. Will I have to stop volunteering if a

conviction is discovered? As with all other processes, CHOP will apply an individualized assessment and will review all factors such as the age the conviction was

committed, the crime as it pertains to the role, whether any law prevents the HCW/volunteer from working with children given the particular crime committed and other factors. Your HR Business Partner will be able to answer additional questions regarding this process.

5. Do I have to Pay?

No. CHOP will cover the cost of all checks.

6. How will this Work? CHOP’s background check vendor, Sterling BackCheck, will contact employees with instructions on getting the process started. More details will be made available over the next coming weeks.

7. I work in Patient Care but never had to get

screens in the past. Do I have to do these screens now? Yes. There volunteers must receive screens even if they have worked in patient care areas without such screens in the past.

8. Where will I get my fingerprints taken? Once you have been notified by Sterling BackCheck and have signed the authorization to permit CHOP and Sterling to run your clearances, Sterling Backcheck will provide you with detailed instructions on how to locate a fingerprint vendor (Cogent location) either near your work or your home. These vendors are located throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

9. What if I have Questions? Please contact Volunteer Services.

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 10

"Volunteer Services congratulates Kathryn (Katie) Smith, who began volunteering December, 2011 in the Oncology Department as a college student from Saint Joseph's University. Katie graduated with undergraduate degree in Nursing. On April 9th, 2015 "Katie" passed her nursing boards and has been offered a full time Nursing position on the Oncology Unit at CHOP. Kudos Katie, for your commitment, devotion and dedication to the hospital, patients and families. We are so proud of you!!!! "

Volunteer Services congratulates Meghan Long! Meghan is a Villanova Nursing Student and is going to have an externship this summer in the PICU!

Meghan has been a Bedside Buddy, and was our first “Pet Therapy Assistant” after giving us the idea for the role!

Bedside

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 11

Infection Prevention and Control Review

WHO’s 5 Moments of Hand Hygiene 1. Before touching a patient 2. Before a clean/aseptic procedure 3. After body fluid exposure risk 4. After touching a patient 5. After touching patient surroundings

*If you touch your phone, face, hair, etc.…

You must perform hand hygiene before touching the patient again.

*If you leave the room after having contact with the patient/environment…

You must perform hand hygiene on the way out (even if you plan to

reenter the room soon after)! Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Putting it ON

Taking it OFF

You must remove gloves to perform hand hygiene when an indication occurs.

Try to avoid contaminating gloves by keeping your gloved hands away from your face and refrain from continuously touching you mask.

Only wear gloves when indicated (e.g. contact precautions, exposure risk)

Surgical masks should cover your mouth and nose at all times!

Gloves never replace the need to clean your hands!

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 12

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 13

2015 Volunteer Recognition Event

CHOP Volunteer Services Newsletter 14

Infection Control Concerns

Several staff members have shared concerns about working with patients on precautions.

Please take a moment and read these concerns:

Personal Protective Equipment – We would like to remind everyone of how critically important it is to be sure you are wearing your personal protective equipment correctly. It’s very important that you take the time to appropriately mask, gown and/or glove when entering/existing a patient’s room who is on precautions. It’s also recently came to our attention how easily long hair can become contaminated when in a patient’s room on precautions. For example, sweeping your hair away from your face even if you are wearing a glove can result in contamination of your hair. The nursing dress code says the following about hair: “Hair must be neatly combed, clean, and styled or contained in such a manner that it will not come in contact with the patient or the care field. Style and length of hair should be such as to minimize touching/adjusting or handling of hair during patient care.” For those with long hair, I encourage you to pull your hair back when working with patients on precautions. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Hand hygiene – Please be mindful of hand hygiene!!!! 4WCSH had no hospital acquired infections for 247 days as of March 12, 2015. Starting on March 12 we have had 3 confirmed hospital acquired infections and 3 additional patients that had new symptoms that but did not meet definition. Five out of six of the patients had an increased number of volunteers at the bedside. Their nurse manager wants us to know that the bedside RNS will be reviewing hand hygiene in detail with each volunteer moving forward and that they will be receiving written information.

Therapy Dog Morty being “Doctor for a Day” at the Child Life Expo!