SAMC, Purdue-Cal nursing program join against SIDS

CROWN POINT - Saint Anthony Medical Center, for the second time in a year, is joining forces with Purdue University-Calumet’s School of Nursing in an initiative aimed at saving lives.

On the heels of a project earlier this year that supported a state-backed plan to standardize patient safety wristband colors, comes “Back to Sleep … By Myself,’’ an effort to reduce the number of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome cases in Lake County by educating the public and health professionals on the proper way to position infants for sleeping and to stop the practice of bed sharing.

“There have been an alarming number of SIDS cases in Lake County,’’ said Susanne Heinzman, Saint Anthony clinical nurse specialist and student liaison, who coordinates educational projects with Purdue’s Senior Capstone Course in Nursing. Statistics show the county had 15 SIDS cases in 2007, eight of which were related to bed sharing; 18 in 2008, five of which were related to bed sharing; and 11 through June of this year, six of which were related to bed sharing and one that was caused by an infant sleeping face down. Results are pending on the remaining four reports.
“That is way too many cases and this year’s totals are only through June,’’ Heinzman said. “Even one is too many.’’

The “By Myself’’ local ingredient was added to the national “Back to Sleep’’ effort by Dr. Janice Zunich of the Lake County Fatality Review Committee, a pediatrician who also is director of the Indiana University Northwest genetics clinic in Gary. The student project came about after Heinzman contacted Zunich for information about the effort. Bereavement nurse Cassandra Bass co-directed the Saint Anthony portion of the program with Heinzman.

The students, Christina Pierzchalski of Crown Point, Amanda Kelley of Chesterton, Kathleen Hudson of Schererville and Carrie Tomko of Munster, chose the project from among four that were suggested and worked with Purdue instructor Gail Wegner, an associate professor of nursing at the Hammond campus.

They recently presented their proposal at Saint Anthony to a wide-ranging group of representatives of area health care and child health agencies, educators, insurance providers and state and county officials, in hopes of them, in turn, recommending the recently formed NW Indiana Patient Safety Coalition adopt and implement the campaign. The coalitions’ members represent all of Northwest Indiana’s hospitals and have supported the wristband initiative and other standards in their effort to put competition aside to help improve patient well-being.

The students, who are graduating in December, have spent their final 16 weeks working on the “Back to Sleep’’ program. Each of them presented a portion of the project report at the meeting.
Besides the Lake County statistics, they discussed risk factors for SIDS, the importance of having infants securely positioned on their backs and alone (although room sharing is supported), the dangers of not following the program’s recommendations and the importance of educating parents and other caregivers, as well as health professionals.

“We are excited to share this project and feel the program will be a success to help educate parents, relatives and hospital staffs,’’ Tomko said, reflecting the students’ goal.

Following the presentation, which was applauded by those in attendance, Bass told the group, “What we’re talking about is true change that is evidence-based. The power is right there at the bedside. Nurses can influence patients by what we do and hopefully put an end to these deaths.’’
Heinzman added, “We have the responsibility to act on what the students said today. The data supports it.’’

Reached later, Dr. David Milen, patient safety coalition executive director, who also is manager of safety and security for Saint Margaret Mercy hospitals in Hammond and in Dyer, said he would support the students’ project. “Obviously, the program that could be established and collaborated with PUC students and the Northwest Indiana region would be beneficial to all families with infants and the community as a whole. This effort brought forth by the students would be a benefit for positive social change within communities and further provide awareness on how to place an end to these deaths.’’

ABOUT SIDS
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, the nation’s leading cause of infant deaths, is described as the unexplained sudden death of a child under age 1.

WHO IS MOST AT RISK?
* Infants aged 2 to 4 months; males have a higher risk.
* Infants who share a bed with caregivers.
* Infants who sleep on their sides or belly.
* Infants who are surrounded by extra (and soft) bedding, clothing, toys or wedges.
* Infants who are exposed to tobacco smoke.
* Infants who are given a bottle instead of a pacifier at bedtime.

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
* The national “Back to Sleep’’ effort, begun in 1994, is supported by the Maryland-based Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Since the program was launched, the number of SIDS cases has declined by more than 50 percent.
* Adding the local “By Myself” component seeks to further reduce the number of infant deaths by eliminating bed sharing.

SAMC employees take diabetes fight to the streets

Raise $12,000 for JDRF during recent walk at Hidden Lake Park

CROWN POINT - Jeannine Plesac, Beth Dziadon and Darieta Strazzante share personal reasons for not taking the fight against juvenile diabetes lying down.

They recently led the way for about 125 Saint Anthony Medical Center employees who raised nearly $12,000 recently to benefit Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International during a Walk to Cure Diabetes that took place locally at Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville. They were among more than 1,000 participants who raised money from sponsors and made the one- or three-mile treks that were offered through the program, organized by the foundation’s South Bend-based Northern Indiana Branch. The foundation, founded in 1970, is headquartered in New York.

“I got involved because my son (Frank, age 8) was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in January of this year,’’ said Plesac, of Crown Point, a recovery room nurse who has been with Saint Anthony for 13 of her 17 years in the profession. Frank is doing fine, with the help of an insulin pump.
Plesac also credited Dr. John King, the hospital’s vice president of medical affairs, and Carol Schuster, vice president of patient services, for supporting the hospital employees’ efforts.

Strazzante, of Lakes of the Four Seasons, a six-year nurse who works in the catheterization lab, is a Type 1 diabetic whose son Nicholas, 12, likewise was diagnosed in January and is doing well with an insulin pump, as is his mother. “I want the walk to get bigger and to have more people every year,’’ she said, adding this year’s event was her third.

Dziadon, of Lowell, who has worked as an emergency department unit clerk for five years, learned of her diabetes, also Type 1, about a year ago. She takes insulin injections four times daily.
“One day Mindy Webb, a nurse at work, noticed I had a dry mouth and was drinking a lot of water. She told me I had better get checked. My blood sugar reading was 687 (normal reading is between 70 and 120). It was a good thing I found that out when I did. Now, the doctors are always watching out for me. I’m very lucky to work here.’’

Dziadon said the emergency department also began a recycling program in September that collects plastic items and aluminum cans to help the foundation’s cause. She, along with Dr. George Librandi, who came up with the idea, plan to take the items to area recycling centers, open a joint account and annually donate the proceeds to the program. “Other departments bring aluminum cans to the emergency department to support our cause. I welcome anyone from the hospital to drop off aluminum cans in our department, or to start a recycling program of their own in their department,’’ Dziadon said.

Wii gaming system donated to Short Stay-Peds Unit

Children in the Short Stay-Pediatrics unit don’t have to be worried about being bored during their visit to Saint Anthony Medical Center. The national Starlight Children’s Foundation, in conjunction with Strack and Van Til and Colgate-Palmolive, recently donated a Wii Fun Center interactive system that contains 21 video games and also can play DVDs, to help children pass the time during their stay.

Unit manager Lena Dejesus got the ball rolling with Starlight last year when the organization donated two wagons that are used to give young patients rides to their x-ray or lab appointments. She was contacted by Starlight this year about the Wii system, which arrived the first week of November, after Dejesus completed an essay and other requirements. Shown demonstrating a bowling game on the system are nurse Jenny Gaspar, left, and practical nurse Michelle Busse, who is "throwing’’ her ball down the alley. Bio-med technician Brian Desso got the unit up and running.

SAMC offers free blood pressure screenings

CROWN POINT - Saint Anthony Medical Center’s Heart Institute offers free blood pressure screenings from 9 to 11 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.

The hospital is located at 1201 S. Main St. For more information, call (219) 757-6141.

SAMC doctor-honoree ‘a very humble man’

Randall Hile receives St. Raphael Award for boosting patient care

CROWN POINT - Randall Hile, MD, doesn’t like notoriety, but he deemed “very precious’’ an honor he recently received on behalf of Saint Anthony Medical Center nurses.

Hile, who has practiced internal medicine at Saint Anthony for all of his 25 years in the profession, was a recipient of an annual St. Raphael Award, which recognizes physicians who have improved patient care through the nurse-doctor relationship. It is named for Raphael, an archangel, who is the patron saint of physicians and nurses. The hospital’s Performance Improvement/Peer Review Council of Shared Decision Making developed the honor, which has been presented since 2005.

Hile was among six nominees. He received a plaque and congratulations from nurse representative Terese Bozak, who read a list of nomination reasons during presentations at meetings of doctors on one day last week, and nurses next day.

Hile said he was surprised when told of the award. “I want to thank the nursing staff for all of their support. This is a very precious honor,’’ he added.


‘Always considerate and thoughtful’
Excerpts from what nominating nurses said about Dr. Randall Hile:

* “There was a family with a very ill family member. It was this physician who gave this patient a puppy so that he would have some companionship during his recovery from a stroke. This physician visited the patient weekly in his home so that his wife would not have to bring him to the office.’’

* “There are several family members who have had him make personal calls to their homes to visit sick family members.’’

* “It is not unusual to see him in the hospital at 5 a.m. and again at 11 p.m. to ensure that his patients get the expedient care he feels they deserve. He has one of the shortest average lengths of stay for his patients because of those efforts. (Dr. Hile) recently had a member of his family who had a prolonged illness, but he was still here, nevertheless, for his patients.’’

* “He is a very humble man and does not seek nor want acknowledgement for the extra things that he does for his patients or his staff. It is truly refreshing to see the compassionate, respectful care he provides.’’

SAMC puts The Birth Place tours on hold until after flu season

CROWN POINT - Tours of The Birth Place at Saint Anthony Medical Center have been postponed until after the flu season. A date for resuming the tours will be set later.
The tours are designed to familiarize families with The Birth Place in order to make their experiences more comfortable. Tour groups are limited to 10 people.
For more information on the program, call (219) 757-6368. Saint Anthony Medical Center is located at 1201 S. Main St.