Year in Review 20 11 - ChristianaCarechristianacare.org/documents/2011-Year-in-Review.pdf · 11 TH TOTAL SURGERIES Touching lives in 2 million ways. Dear Neighbors, ... FACTS 2 Christiana

Year in Review

2011

A Leader in Health Care

As one of the largest health care providers in the nation, Christiana Care Health Systemtouches lives in many ways.

In fact, we provided medical care to our neighbors more than 2 million times last year, in encounters with patients that range from routine screenings to complex surgeries tocutting-edge clinical trials.

In Delaware and the surrounding area, patients trust Christiana Care to deliver their babies, provide emergency services, promote wellness and give the highest quality careregardless of people’s ability to pay.

ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN

HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION’S LATEST

SURVEY OF 6,269 U.S. HOSPITALS,

CHRISTIANA CARE RANKS AMONG

THE LEADERS BY VOLUME IN

SEVERAL CATEGORIES.

IN THE U.S.:

ADMISSIONS 17TH

BIRTHS 26TH

EMERGENCY VISITS 20TH

TOTAL SURGERIES 23RD

ON THE EAST COAST:

10TH ADMISSIONS

12TH BIRTHS

10TH EMERGENCY VISITS

11TH TOTAL SURGERIES

Touching lives in 2 million ways

Dear Neighbors,

As you read our 2011 Year in Review, you will learnthat we at Christiana Care have increasingly used theconcept of “value” to focus our work. Our concept ofvalue is grounded in the needs of our patients, as theyperceive them. It is likewise grounded in a carefulscrutiny of the benefits and costs of what we can do to meet our patients’ needs.

The newly created Christiana Care Value Institute willformalize our thinking, our work and our learning as anorganization committed to value. The Institute builds on the strong foundations established by the ChristianaCare Center for Outcomes Research, the Department of Quality and Safety and our work in OperationalExcellence. A new Center for Health System DesignResearch also will be developed.

The vision for the Christiana Care Value Institute is to improve the health of Delawareans in ways that canbe shared with the nation. The Institute will enableChristiana Care to develop, implement, and study thebenefits of health care delivered to the individuals wecare for. The results—better health outcomes and lowercosts—will benefit us all.

Our commitment to patient-centered care is thefoundation of our national reputation for excellence. In this report, you will read about many of ChristianaCare’s community partnerships and accomplishments,

from heart care to cancer research to prevention, fromadvances in technology to honors bestowed upon thetalented and dedicated people who work here.

This edition of the Year in Review depicts ways in whichwe are adding value for our patients. We are steadfast inour commitment to provide the very best care to ourneighbors in need.

Thank you for your confidence in Christiana Care.

2011 Year in Review 1

Robert J. Laskowski, M.D., MBAPRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Our commitment to patient-centered care is the foundation of our national reputation for excellence.

Heart & Vascular Care at Christiana Care

“This is a nationally ranked heartprogram that significantly improvesoutcomes to patients in the region.”

— TIMOTHY J. GARDNER, M.D., MEDICAL DIRECTOR,

CENTER FOR HEART & VASCULAR HEALTH

OPEN-HEART CASES CHRISTIANA HOSPITAL 638BEEBE MEDICAL CENTER 168

CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION CASES 4,536 ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY CASES 1,722

THE CENTER FOR HEART & VASCULAR HEALTH features a full range of cardiovascular services.

VASCULAR SURGERY CASES 1,515VASCULAR INTERVENTIONAL CASES 4,293CARDIOVASCULAR NON-INVASIVE STUDIES 18,491VASCULAR ULTRASOUND STUDIES 33,170 CARDIAC REHABILITATION MONITORED VISITS 17,395

FAC T S

2 Christ iana Care


Leaders in heart and vascular careChristiana Care’s Center for Heart & Vascular Health is the only center in the region to integrateservices under one roof, including cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, vascular interventional radiology, cardiology and interventional nephrology.

Our prestigious heart program has earned a national reputation, with a 3-star rating for open-heart surgery from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Christiana Care ranks in the top 2 percentin the United States for advanced heart arrhythmia capabilities and is No. 2 in the nation forstroke volume. From prevention to planned care and emergency care, through rehabilitationand ongoing support, we partner with our patients to achieve optimal heart and vascular health.

H IGH L I GH T S

Heart Failure Program receivesJoint Commission certificationChristiana Care Health System’s Center for Heart & Vascular Health is the only hospital in Delaware, andone of just 33 in the United States, to earn The JointCommission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for its heart failure program.

The award recognizes Christiana Care’s dedication to continuous adherence to The Joint Commission’sstate-of-the-art standards.

Christiana Care voluntarily underwent a rigorous on-site survey as part of the process. A team of JointCommission expert surveyors evaluated the program for compliance with standards of care specific to theneeds of patients and families with heart failure.Christiana Care earned recognitionfor its progressive care models,levels of staff engagement andcollaboration among providers.

H IGH L I GH T S from THE CENTER FOR HEART & VASCULAR HEALTH

A policy statement for the American Heart AssociationWilliam Weintraub, M.D., is the lead author of a policy statement published in

Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association that says preventing heart disease is a good long-term investment in the nation’s health.

The statement summarizes years of research on the value of investing in prevention through community-basedchanges to make it easier to lead a healthy lifestyle:

• Every dollar spent on building walking or biking trails saves $3 in medical costs.

• Companies that invest in workers’ health with comprehensive worksite wellness programs and healthy work environments have less absenteeism, greater productivity and lower health care costs.

• Initiating a plan to drastically cut the amount of salt in the food supply to an average intake of 1,500 mg per day may reduce high blood pressure in the country by 25 percent, saving $26 billion in health care costs annually.

“The Society’s rating is widely regarded by clinicians as the gold standard by which to evaluate cardiac surgery programs.”— MICHAEL BANBURY, M.D., THE W. SAMUEL CARPENTER III DISTINGUISHED CHAIR OF CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY

Highest quality ranking from Thoracic SurgeonsChristiana Care’s heart surgery program at the Center for Heart & Vascular Health has received the highestranking—3 stars—from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons,an honor awarded to only 13.5 percent of hospitals in the Society’s cardiac database.

The heart surgery program includes an affiliation withBeebe Medical Center in Lewes. Combined, the programsperform more than 850 open-heart surgeries a year.

“The Society’s rating is widely regarded by clinicians asthe gold standard by which to evaluate cardiac surgeryprograms,” says Michael Banbury, M.D., the W. SamuelCarpenter III Distinguished Chair of CardiovascularSurgery. “We received this award because of realcoordination among all our team members at bothprogram locations that allows our patients to moveseamlessly through the care process.”

ACC honors Dr. WeintraubWilliam S. Weintraub, M.D., FACC, the John H. Ammon Chair of Cardiology and director ofthe Christiana Care Center for Outcomes Research, received the American College ofCardiology’s 2011 Distinguished Service Award.

Dr. Weintraub, an internationally distinguished cardiologist and expert in outcomes research,earned recognition for numerous contributions to medicine and the delivery of health care.

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Heart Failure Outpatient Center stresses follow-upFor patients living with heart failure who have been hospitalized, scheduling that first follow-upappointment after discharge is essential.

A new Heart Failure Outpatient Center offers patients a convenient location and time to schedule that keyappointment. A nurse practitioner experienced in heartfailure care sees patients every Tuesday at WilmingtonHospital Health Center.

“With timely follow up, working closely with theircardiologists and primary care providers, we can

ensure that patients get the best care possible tomaintain their independence and quality of life andavoid hospital re-admission,” says Heart Failure ProgramClinical Leader Carolyn Moffa, MSN, FNP-C.

The nurse practitioner can conduct a physical exam and review prescribed medications to help ensurepatients are getting the maximum benefit and notexperiencing any side effects. The clinic also canprovide counseling and education about diet, lifestyleand fluid management, as well as advice on how torecognize signs and symptoms of worsening heartfailure so patients can report problems as soon as theyarise, when they are most easily treated.

The Center for Heart & Vascular Health has received the Get With The Guidelines–Heart FailureGold Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association.

The recognition signifies that Christiana Care has reached an aggressive goal of treating heart failurepatients with at least 85 percent compliance for at least 24 months to core standard levels of care asoutlined by the AHA/American College of Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines for heartfailure patients.

In addition, Christiana Care received the AHA’s Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Silver Plus QualityAchievement Award. To receive the award, Christiana Care achieved at least 12 consecutive monthsof 85 percent or higher adherence to all stroke quality achievement indicators and at least 75percent or higher compliance with six of 10 stroke quality measures during that same period of time.

Get With The Guidelines® lauds heart failure and stroke care

“With timely follow up ... we can ensure that patients get thebest care possible to maintain their independence and qualityof life and avoid hospital readmission.”— CAROLYN MOFFA, MSN, FNP-C, HEART FAILURE PROGRAM CLINICAL LEADER

Outcomes, iPads and cardiovascular researchCardiology fellows at Christiana Care were lead authorson abstracts presented at the Society for GeneralInternal Medicine (SGIM) National Meeting, Society forCardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI)Conference, National Lipid Association (NLA) AnnualMeeting, and the American Heart Association’s Qualityof Care and Outcomes Research (QCOR) inCardiovascular Disease and Stroke Conference.

Anitha Rajamanickam, M.D., presented at QCOR onher study showing that elevated blood levels of creatinekinase (CK-MB) in the absence of elevated troponin did not change treatment decisions at Christiana Care.Eliminating CK-MB testing potentially could savebillions of health care dollars nationwide each year.

Cardiovascular Research Fellow Doralisa Morrone,M.D., reported at QCOR that pregnancy-relatedhypertension is an indicator of hypertension later in life.

Interventional cardiologists-on-call who were once tiedto their fax machines can now roam thanks to a 3Gnetwork hookup that transmits electrocardiograms(ECGs) to their iPads.

“Now, time-sensitive decisions are just a phone callaway from just about any location,” says third-yearfellow Matthew Grove, D.O., who designed thefeasibility study presented at SCAI with Andrew Doorey,M.D. “We showed that ECGs converted to portabledigital files (PDFs) transmit clearly to our iPads, allowingus to zoom in for a closer look at suspicious leads.”

Christiana Care presents at national conferenceAt the American College of Cardiology AnnualScientific Session in New Orleans, authors fromChristiana Care were in the spotlight.

Among them was Kevin Copeland, D.O., whopresented on the prevalence of valve damage thatrequires open-heart surgery as a result of radiationtherapy for cancer.

Three studies reported outcomes from ongoing efforts to shorten the time to treatment for acute heart attacks.Ehsanur Rahman, M.D., associate chief of cardiology,reported that “door-to-balloon” times at ChristianaHospital average about 70 minutes, a significantimprovement and well below the 90-minute nationalbenchmark.

William Weintraub, M.D., was a co-author on four in-house studies as well as three others presented byinvestigators from other institutions. Two of the studiesreport on data from the COURAGE Trial, for which heserved as national co-principal investigator. A thirdstudy presents results from the National CardiovascularData Registry, which Dr. Weintraub helped create andnow serves as a board member.

H IGH L I GH T S from THE CENTER FOR HEART & VASCULAR HEALTH

“Now, time-sensitive decisions are just a phone callaway from just about any location.”— MATTHEW GROVE, D.O., THIRD-YEAR FELLOW

ON i PAD S A ND E CG s

6 Christ iana Care


Treating atrial fibrillation—without major surgeryAtrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythmdisorder, impacting 5 million Americans who sufferfrom pain, weakness and shortness of breath. ChristianaCare is one of a few select health care systems in themid-Atlantic region offering the convergent procedure,which is a minimally invasive approach to treatingchronic or persistent AF that eliminates the need for apainful chest incision and stopping the heart.

Instead, the procedure combines minimally invasivetechniques with catheter ablation, accessing the heartthrough small incisions in the abdomen. Patientsrecover more quickly and can resume their normal lives with less disruption.

Stereotaxis remote navigation offers speed, precisionThe Gerret and Tatiana Copeland Arrhythmia Center at Christiana Care’s Center for Heart & Vascular Healthis one of only about 130 centers in the United States to offer stereotaxis remote navigation, a $1.5 millionsystem that performs cardiac catheter procedures withgreater speed and accuracy.

This advanced technology uses two giant externalmagnets to steer a thin, magnet-tipped catheter througha patient’s veins to the heart to treat atrial fibrillation, an irregular rhythm that can cause clots to form in the heart.

The standard procedure of manually snaking a catheterto the heart takes about six hours, with a success rate of60-70 percent. Stereotaxis has a success rate as high as90 percent.

Making care readily accessible to heart patientsThe Center for Heart & Vascular Health is makingaccess to first-rate cardiology care easier and moreconvenient for patients in Delaware.

At the Christiana Care Cardiology Consultants SameDay Clinic at Christiana Hospital, patients who havecardiovascular issues that need urgent attention can getappointments within 24 hours of their call—and mostare scheduled on the same day. Same-day cardiacdiagnostic testing also is available.

Christiana Care Cardiology Consultants also providecare at the Smyrna Health & Wellness Center. As part ofChristiana Care Health System, cardiologists work withprimary care physicians to coordinate primary andcardiac care and provide a direct link to advancedheart support through the Center for Heart & VascularHealth. They also specialize in pacemaker anddefibrillator management. Cardiovascular diagnostictesting, including EKGs, cardiac ultrasound, nuclearstress tests and peripheral vascular ultrasound also are available in the Smyrna center.

VNA telemonitoring benefits heart failure patientsPatients with heart failure enrolled in Christiana Care’stelemonitoring program are much less likely to berehospitalized than the national average, according to statistics by Strategic Healthcare Programs.

In the program, nurses from the Visiting NurseAssociation work closely with patients to monitor suchvital signs as weight, blood pressure and the oxygenlevel in the blood so patients can make adjustments assoon as their numbers indicate a problem. Nurses alsohelp patients to set goals and maintain heart-healthydiets.

In New Castle County, 22.8 percent of heart failurepatients were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. That is significantly less than the 32.7 percent of patients readmitted nationwide.

Cancer Care at Christiana CareTHE HELEN F. GRAHAM CANCER CENTER features a full range of cancer services.

“This is an excellent cancer program that should serveas an example of how multidisciplinary care and clinicaltrials can be delivered in a private practice setting.”

— AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS COMMISSION ON CANCER PERFORMANCE REPORT

3,132 PATIENTS NEWLY DIAGNOSED AND/OR NEWLY TREATED

RADIOLOGY ONCOLOGY CONSULTS 2,026

EXTERNAL BEAM TREATMENTS 31,135

771 PATIENTS ENROLLED IN CLINICAL TRIALS

FAC T S

8 Christ iana Care

National model for cancer careAs one of the first National Cancer Institute Community CancerCenters Program sites awarded in the United States, the HelenF. Graham Cancer Center is a national model for other hospitalsto follow. In fact, at 24 percent, the Graham Cancer Center hasone of the highest patient accrual rates into clinical trials in theUnited States, far above the national average of 4 percent.

One of the original National Cancer Institute’s Community Cancer Centers established in 2007, the Graham Cancer Center is also one of the most technologically advanced and largest cancerprograms on the East Coast, recording more than 170,000 patient visits last year.

The center features some of the world’s most advanced medical technology, an on-site laboratorythat allows researchers and oncologists to collaborate in developing new treatments forindividual patients, and a comprehensive array of services to make cancer diagnosis andtreatment as convenient and comfortable as possible. Our patient-navigation system and uniquemodel of care give every cancer patient quick access to a team of world-class cancer specialists.

H IGH L I GH T S

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center leads the way in reducing cancer in DelawareThrough research, evidence-based physician practice and communityoutreach, Christiana Care’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center plays a leadingrole in Delaware’s rapidly declining cancer incidence and mortality rates.

Formerly first in the nation for rates of cancer incidence and mortality,Delaware now ranks 4th in cancer incidence and 12th in mortality. Rates forcancer mortality in Delaware are dropping faster than anywhere else in thecountry, at twice the national rate. The slight uptick in cancer incidence owesto effective screening programs diagnosing more cancers at an earlier stage,leading to fewer deaths.

“Ninety percent of the progress in cancer care and research results fromclinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute,” says Nicholas J.Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America-endowed medical director of the Helen F.Graham Cancer Center. “Our patient accrual rate into clinical trials is almostseven times the national average—24 percent, compared to the national rate of 4 percent.”

Dr. Petrelli also credits the 16 Multidisciplinary Disease Centers at theGraham Cancer Center for helping to reduce cancer in community. In addition, Delaware is first in enacting cancer laws and policies that savelives and money, according to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer ActionNetwork. ACS CAN ranks Delaware highest in five priority areas: breast and cervical cancer early detection program funding, colorectal screeningcoverage, smoke-free laws, tobacco prevention programs and tobacco taxes.


“Our patient accrual rate into clinical trials is almost seven times the national average—24 percent.”— NICHOLAS J. PETRELLI, M.D.

BANK OF AMERICA-ENDOWED

MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE

HELEN F. GRAHAM CANCER CENTER

Christiana Care and Wistar Instituteforge historic bondChristiana Care Health System’s Helen F. GrahamCancer Center and The Wistar Institute of Philadelphia,an international leader in biomedical research, haveentered into an historic partnership to collaborate ontranslational cancer research with the aim of bringingthe latest discoveries in research to cancer patients inthe community.

The partnership combines Wistar’s strengths in basicbiomedical research with the Graham Cancer Center’sexceptional cancer treatment and patient care. The goalof the translational cancer research collaboration is to“translate” or advance research discoveries made inWistar’s labs into early phase clinical trials with patientsat the Graham Cancer Center.

“Forming this partnership with one of the foremostcancer research institutions in the nation will be greatlybeneficial to finding cures and treatment options formany cancers,” says Robert J. Laskowski, M.D.,Christiana Care president and CEO. “This collaborationis exciting news for Christiana Care and our cancerprogram, but most importantly, for our patients andneighbors in the community.”

Areas of initial research in the Wistar-Christiana Carepartnership will focus on colon cancer stem cells,targeted treatments for melanoma and novelapproaches for molecular profiling, and treatment of advanced and metastatic disease.

Cancer commission praises clinical trials, reduced disparitiesThe Helen F. Graham Cancer Center has receivedanother three-year accreditation from the Commissionon Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. The commission has accredited the cancer program at Christiana Care since 1985.

Says the commission: “This is an excellent cancerprogram that should serve as an example of howmultidisciplinary care and clinical trials can bedelivered in a private setting.” Further, the commissionpraises the Graham Cancer Center for “terrific clinicaloutreach program geared toward reducing disparities inthe community” and for a “phenomenal clinical trialaccrual each year.”

IN 2010, THE HELEN F. GRAHAM CANCER CENTER HAD 174,034 PATIENT VISITS –

WHICH IS ALMOST THREE TIMES THE 60,000 PATIENT VISITS RECORDED IN 2003.

NUMB E R O F PAT I E N T V I S I T S

H I GH L I GH T S from THE HELEN F. GRAHAM CANCER CENTER

“Forming this partnership with one of the foremost cancer research institutions in the nation will be greatly beneficial tofinding cures and treatment options for many cancers.”

— ROBERT J. LASKOWSKI, M.D., CHRISTIANA CARE PRESIDENT AND CEO

ON TH E W I S TA R PA R TN E R S H I P

10 Christ iana Care


Christiana Care leads colorectal cancer trialThe Helen F. Graham Cancer Center is leading anational clinical trial to determine if Crestor®

(rosuvastatin), a cholesterol-lowering drug, can prevent new colon tumors from forming after colon-cancer surgery.

The study seeks to determine if Crestor can stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of theenzymes that affect cell growth. The trial will alsodetermine if Crestor can keep new colon tumorsfrom forming after surgery to remove a patient’sinitial colon cancer.

The study, titled “P-5: Statin Polyp Prevention Trial inPatients with Resected Colon Cancer,” is conductedunder the auspices of the National Cancer Instituteby a network of cancer-research professionals, theNational Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project.

NCI funding advances research The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center at Christiana Care is the recipient of $2.8 million from the National CancerInstitute, part of the National Institutes of Health, to expand cancer research.

The Graham Cancer Center will use the funding to expand its community outreach programs, improve health caredisparities, leverage information technology to benefit patient safety and enhance survivorship and palliative care.The award also promotes smoking cessation among cancer survivors and boosts genetic counseling and breastcancer research.

Helen F. Graham Cancer Center performs first gene therapy to stop cancer in DelawareChristiana Care doctors used genetically engineeredcells from a patient’s own blood to trigger the destructionof cancer cells in his leg and foot. The patient was thefirst in the region to undergo collection of his whiteblood cells to make his personalized vaccine.

The historic clinical trial for advanced melanoma marksthe first foray for the Helen F. Graham Cancer Centerinto cancer gene therapy. Christiana Care is the only East Coast center participating in this early-phase studyand one of only 11 sites nationwide.

Center for Translational Cancer Research is a team effortThe Center for Translational Cancer Research at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center is a dynamic,comprehensive cancer program that highlightsprevention, treatment and laboratory research. Under the leadership of Bruce Boman, M.D., Ph.D., medicaldirector of Cancer Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, thecenter is a collaborative effort with the University ofDelaware, A.I. du Pont Hospital for Children/Nemours,and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, who share acommon vision to improve cancer research andtreatment delivery.

Research Coordinator Michele Johnson, RN, AS, Principal Investigator Michael Guarino, M.D., and Research Nurse SupervisorKathy Combs, RN, OCN, CCRP, attend to Howard Anderson, thefirst patient in the region to receive a new melanoma vaccine.

Christiana Care contributes to landmark breast cancer studyChristiana Care was in the top 20 sites for number ofpatients participating in a groundbreaking studypublished in The Journal of the American MedicalAssociation that found many women with early breastcancer do not appear to benefit from complete removalof the lymph nodes under their arm, even when canceris found in one or two representative (sentinel) nodes.

The American College of Surgeons Oncology Groupstudy involving nearly 900 women treated at 115 sitesfound those who did have more lymph nodes removedwere no more likely to survive five years after thesurgery than those who had only the sentinel lymphnodes removed, even when tumor was found in thesentinel nodes. The group who had only the sentinellymph nodes removed had a lower incidence ofswelling of the arm and other complications, but hadthe same low risk of recurrence under the arm as didthe group who had more lymph nodes removed.

“This trial is truly a landmark study for early breastcancer patients,” says Diana Dickson Witmer, M.D.,principal investigator for the study at Christiana Careand associate director of the Christiana Care BreastCenter. “The results of this study will most likely change the way we practice.”

H IGH L I GH T S from THE HELEN F. GRAHAM CANCER CENTER

“This trial is truly a landmark study forearly breast cancer patients.”— DIANA DICKSON WITMER, M.D.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE CHRISTIANA CARE BREAST CENTER

Breast Center first to earn accreditationThe Christiana Care Breast Center at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center has been awarded a three-year term ofaccreditation in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by the American College of Radiology.

The breast center is the only facility in Delaware to earn this accreditation. MRI of the breast offers valuableinformation about many breast conditions that other methods of imaging, such as mammography or ultrasound,might not obtain.

12 Christ iana Care


Graham Center is Community Cancer Center pioneerThe Helen F. Graham Cancer Center is aleader in speeding research and raising

the quality of care for underserved patients in thegroundbreaking National Cancer Institute CommunityCancer Centers Program. One of the original 16 of the30 cancer centers in the United States selected for theprogram, the Graham Center contributes to enhancedquality of care for patients, as well as advances incancer research.

As a result, more patients have access to cutting-edgetreatment in clinical trials. The ultimate vision is anational network of community cancer centers engagedin research that will provide the latest, evidence-basedtreatment for patients of all ethnic and economicbackgrounds.

A leader in recruiting for clinical trialsChristiana Care’s Community Clinical OncologyProgram (CCOP) ranked near the top for recruitingpatients for clinical trials for the period from May 1,2010 to April 30, 2011, according to the Cancer andLeukemia Group B, known as CALGB. Christiana Carewas fifth overall out of 45 participating organizations,and first among non-university cancer centers.

Christiana Care’s accrual rate is 24 percent of allpatients, far above the national average of 4 percent.That is due, in part, to recruiting community physiciansto CCOP and making nurses available to oncologypractices at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center toprovide patients with information about clinical trials.Clinical trials play an essential role in cancer research.

Community Care at Christiana Care

A tradition of caringChristiana Care has a long tradition of caring for our neighbors, regardless of their ability to pay.Last year we provided $28 million in charity care and more than $15 million in unreimbursedMedicaid services. Our community outreach workers bring education and screenings directlyto people who otherwise might not have access to health care. The Helen F. Graham CancerCenter’s Community Outreach and Education Program alone reached 15,000 people in the pastyear through cancer control, public awareness and educational activities.

The new Christiana Care Value Institute represents the next level in patient-focused care,balancing safety, quality and cost to benefit both patients and the community. Our landmarktransformation of Wilmington Hospital and its campus will significantly enhance care for ourneighbors in the city and surrounding communities.

EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND CHARITY CARE bring health care to our neighbors.

14 Christ iana Care

“We remain steadfast in our commitmentto provide the very best care to any and allneighbors in need.”

— ROBERT J. LASKOWSKI, M.D., MBA, PRESIDENT AND CEO

VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION


Transforming the Wilmington campusChristiana Care is investing in building a healthiercommunity in the City of Wilmington with its sweeping,$210 million expansion and renovation of WilmingtonHospital. The Wilmington campus will grow by337,000 square feet, creating a 1 million-square-foot,state-of-the-art medical center.

The hospital is open and fully functional throughout theconstruction process. The project will be complete in2014 and adds 600 jobs to the community.

Christiana Care leads in protecting the environmentAs part of its ongoing commitment to green initiatives,Christiana Care is the first Delaware health care systemto receive a Trailblazer Award for environmentalleadership from the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency, an honor recognizing hospitals that haveestablished a model for other institutions to emulate.

Christiana Care also buys electricity from a wind farm,and has rolled out programs to reduce regulatedmedical waste, decrease emissions into the air frompower plants and increase recycling.

Memory care center launchesChristiana Care has launched the Swank Memory CareCenter, providing multidisciplinary care for patientssuffering from memory disorders such as Alzheimer’sdisease, as well as for their caregivers.

Located at 205 W. 14th St. in Wilmington, the center isa collaborative effort of the Departments of Medicine,Family and Community Medicine and Psychiatry. The center provides specific expertise and coordinatedapproaches for patient and family support with the goalof increasing access to services.

VNA reduces hospitalizations and fallsChristiana Care Visiting Nurse Association is reducingthe number of hospitalizations and falls of home health care patients. Last year the VNA achieved a 18.8 percent hospitalization rate for Medicare patients,compared to a national rate of 25 percent. Also,patients requiring emergency care because of fallsdropped to .8 percent, a 10 percent improvement from2010 and better than the national rate of 1.4 percent.That translates into saving approximately 50 VNApatients from serious injury due to falls.

H IGH L I GH T S

Patient needs drive Value InstituteThe founding of the Christiana Care Value Institute signals Christiana Care’s commitment totaking value in health care services to a higher level, says Robert J. Laskowski, M.D., MBA,president and CEO.

A service is valuable if it makes a difference in the life of patients in a way that theyperceive and that patients and society can afford. Value includes safety, quality and cost.

“Through the Value Institute, Christiana Care will be able to develop, implement and studythe benefits of the health care we deliver with the expectation of achieving better outcomesat lower costs to patients, the community and the health system,” Dr. Laskowski says.

James Newman, M.D., senior vicepresident and executive director ofthe new Christiana Care ValueInstitute and chief academic officer

WILMINGTON HOSPITAL EXPANSION

“We learn a lot from the stories our patient advisors tell us. They watch our behavior closely. They will help us be far better care providers.”— JANICE E. NEVIN M.D., CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

Christiana Care moves toward electronic health recordChristiana Care has launched a pilot program in whichmore than 100 community physicians will employelectronic health records in their practices. ChristianaCare also is hardwiring electronic content into residenttraining programs and is offering continuing education toabout 1,500 community physicians on the benefits ofelectronic record systems.

By the end of 2011, 80 percent of providers in the stateare expected to use the Delaware Health InformationNetwork, a conduit for hospitals and labs to send resultsto doctors. The system also provides a reliable way fordoctors to access information about registered patients.

Latest phase of CPOE puts Christiana Care in elite groupChristiana Care’s journey to fully implement anelectronic health record took another significant stepforward when the Emergency Departments at bothChristiana and Wilmington hospitals joined patient careunits and ancillary areas already using ComputerizedProvider Order Entry (CPOE) and Electronic MedicationAdministration Record (eMAR). Bringing the EDs onlinebuilds on the 2010 inauguration of CPOE, furtheradvancing the goal of having the entire health caresystem ordering, delivering and verifying medicationsand tests electronically.

Rx for safer medicine cabinets, from Christiana CareA joint partnership of Christiana Care Health System, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the DelawareState Police, Medication Cabinet Clean-Out Dayprovides an opportunity for consumers to bring inunnecessary and outdated prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, inhalers and vitamins so they can besafely disposed.

The Christiana Care event enables consumers to disposedrugs easily without having to fill out forms or providepersonal information.

This year, drugs were collected at Wilmington Hospitalfor the first time, in addition to Christiana Hospital.Public announcements, flyers and posters promoted theevent. Christiana Care also encouraged staffers to helpspread the word through Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Patient and Family Advisory Council formsWith the launch of a Patient and Family AdvisoryCouncil, Christiana Care has taken an important stepforward in our journey toward Patient and FamilyCentered Care. Advisers are patient and familyvolunteers who collaborate with Christiana Care toshape policies, programs, facility design and day-to-dayservice interactions to continuously improve the careexperience.

Patient and family advisers must have been patients orfamily members who received services within the pastthree years, train to become an official Christiana Carevolunteers and commit to meeting monthly for at leasttwo years.

H IGH L I GH T S of COMMUNITY CARE

ON TH E PAT I E N T A ND FAM I LY A DV I S O RY COUNC I L

16 Christ iana Care


A new approach to addiction outreach Christiana Care partners with Brandywine Counselingand Community Services in Project Engage to provideintervention for Wilmington Hospital patients who areaddicted to drugs or alcohol. Thanks to a generous $1.1 million grant, the program is expanding toChristiana Hospital. Instead of referring the patient for community counseling—which few patientssubsequently schedule—a counselor initiates contactwith patients when they are still in the hospital, a timewhen studies indicate intervention efforts are moresuccessful.

The program has yielded dramatic results that couldultimately reduce serious illnesses associated withaddiction, such as pancreatitis, heart disease, kidneyfailure, cirrhosis and pneumonia. In just over two years,423 patients agreed to speak with a Project Engageinterventionist. Of those, 42 percent were admitted to a substance use and disorder treatment program.

eCare connects rural hospitalsRural hospitals in the Maryland eCare network rely oncritical care physicians and nurses at Christiana Care’seCare Central. By 2012, Christiana Care will connect to nearly 80 beds in the network, enabling remotehospitals to provide the highest level of care around theclock. The hospitals work most closely with eCare onnights, weekends and holidays, when fewer localspecialists are available.

Treating teen psychiatric issuesOften, kids who get into trouble with drugs also haveunderlying psychiatric problems. Young people with aco-occurring diagnosis of a psychiatric condition andsubstance abuse are now receiving comprehensivetreatment through a dynamic new program at theHerman Rosenblum, M.D., Child and AdolescentCenter in Wilmington.

At the Rosenblum Center, patients age 12-18 receiveintensive, personalized treatment for emotional,developmental and behavioral issues, as well asclassroom instruction that enables them to keep upwith their schoolwork. Young people attend theprogram Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m. andspend weekends at home.

Dental program offers affordable careSince the 1950s, the Department of Oral &Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry hasoffered quality dental services at greatly reduced coststo patients with little or no insurance. Services rangefrom routine care to complex reconstructivemaxillofacial surgery.

In the past 20 years, the department has provided more than 1,500 dental implants, most at cost. In fiscal year 2010-2011, more than 30 patients received111 implants. Dentists supervise residents and workwith patients to restore their smiles. Oral surgeonsperform such procedures as bone grafts to build upbone before an implant is placed.

Under the direction of Edwin L. Granite, D.M.D., the department also provides care for uninsured andunderinsured patients at clinics in the community,including Westside Family Healthcare and HenriettaJohnson Medical Center, both in Wilmington.

White House, Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug ControlPolicy David K. Mineta, MSW, talks with Christiana Care ChiefMedical Officer Janice Nevin, M.D., and Hugh R. Sharp Jr. Chair ofMedicine Virginia Collier, M.D., during a visit to Christiana Care tolearn about an innovative substance-abuse intervention program.

Christiana Care employees feed the hungryHungry people who do not have the means to buy foodcan get a free, nutritious meal every Sunday, rain orshine, from Premier Charities, a not-for-profit groupfounded by a group of doctors on Christiana Care’sMedical-Dental Staff and others who are dedicated toserving people who are poor, homeless or otherwisedisadvantaged.

“People are in need of food, no matter what the weather,”says Reynold Agard, M.D., who also went on medicalmissions to Haiti with other volunteers from ChristianaCare. The group served its first meal in December 2009and feeds about 150 people each week in a lot near theSunday Breakfast Mission in Wilmington.

Promoting breast health to Latinas At Christiana Care, Latinas are learning about breasthealth and cancer screenings, essential information theycan share with others as Promotoras—promoters ofhealth education—to Delaware’s rapidly growingHispanic community.

“If you teach someone, then ask her to go talk to herfamily, her community, you raise awareness that canceris not a death sentence,” says Nora Katurakes, RN, MSN,OCN, Christiana Care’s manager of Community HealthOutreach and Education.

At a workshop at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center,Promotoras-in-training learned facts about breast healthand the effectiveness of early detection and treatment insaving lives. Throughout the year, Christiana Care’soutreach staff works with Hispanics and people in otherunderserved communities to make health care moreaccessible. Among Hispanic women, breast cancer is theleading cause of cancer death, according to the AmericanCancer Society.

Raising awareness in communitiesSkin cancer is the most common of all cancers, withmore than 2 million cases each year in the United States,according to the American Cancer Society.

For 21 years, Christiana Care has been shedding light onthe disease, offering free screenings in order to diagnoseskin cancer early, when it is curable, and educatingpeople so they can take steps to prevent the disease. Thescreenings, held at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center,involve the entire body, including between the fingersand toes, soles of the feet, behind the ears and at thescalp. Christiana Care partners with the Delawarechapter of the American Academy of Dermatology forthe event. Dermatologists volunteer their services.

At the Black Expo at the Doubletree Hotel in Wilmington,Community Health Outreach and Education workersreached hundreds of people in a single day, providingblood pressure screenings and information on such vitaltopics as smoking cessation, diabetes wound care, selfbreast exams and HIV prevention.

H IGH L I GH T S of COMMUNITY CARE

“If you teach someone, then ask her to go talk to her family, her community, you raise awarenessthat cancer is not a death sentence.”— NORA KATURAKES, RN, MSN, OCN, MANAGER OF COMMUNITY

HEALTH OUTREACH AND EDUCATION

18 Christ iana Care


Excellence in women’s healthChristiana Care is the only health care system in theregion to earn the prestigious designation as aCommunity Center of Excellence in Women’s Health.The honor is based on:

• Improving the health and wellbeing of womenthrough community-based organizations.

• Providing integrated, coordinated care with stronglinks to existing community programs.

• Offering comprehensive care in a way that reducesfragmentation and recognizes the complexity ofwomen’s lives.

In addition, Christiana Care provides excellent clinicaland preventative services, training for health careprofessionals, and public outreach and education.

Pioneering patient radiation exposure scoresChristiana Care has implemented a software scanningsystem that tracks radiation doses, providing anaccurate estimate of the lifetime exposure that a patienthas received in the Christiana Care system. Thatincludes radiation exposure from CT scans, imagingperformed in the Cath Lab, Nuclear Medicine, X-ray,ontra-operative fluoroscopy and other diagnostic exams.

The program assigns a color-coded rating to let doctorsknow the relative exposure level that a patient hasreceived in the past at Christiana Care. The patient’sradiation exposure score offers important information inweighing the risks and benefits of performing aradiological study.

Building bridges to better careChristiana Care’s Diversity & Inclusion Council isaddressing the needs of an increasingly diversepopulation of patients and staff with workshops fordoctors and other health care providers.

At Christiana Care’s new Center for Diversity, CulturalCompetency and Communications, interpreters anddual handset phones allow patients and health careproviders to access interpreters at any hour in morethan 150 languages. Most documents are available inSpanish, with translations planned for a number ofother languages. And, Christiana Care has launched a Spanish language version of its website athttp://es.christianacare.org/.

‘Community Connections’ highlights screeningsChristiana Care’s health screenings at local farmersmarkets were featured in the American HospitalAssociation’s “Community Connections,” a publishedcollection of hospital programs benefitting communitiesacross the nation.

The health screenings, from Christiana Care’s depart-ment of Community Health Outreach and Education,are one of just 24 highlighted initiatives under thecategory “Access and Coverage.” These programs“demonstrate the strong commitment hospitals have to ensuring that everyone gets the care they needregardless of their ability to pay,” says the publication.

Innovative flow helps SPEED up careChristiana Care is moving patients through theEmergency Department process with greater SPEED,thanks to the Synchronized Provider Evaluation andEfficient Disposal Project. SPEED teams a resident or physician assistant with three nurses: one forassessment, the next for treatment and the third fordisposition, to synchronize the care process.

As a result, patients wait less time to see a doctor, andreceive diagnostic tests and test results more quickly.That facilitates a timely diagnosis, medication ordersand treatment before patients are either released fromthe ED or admitted to the hospital. During inauguraltesting, SPEED reduced the length of stay in the ED by 40 percent.

COMMUNITY HEALTH SCREENINGS

Research and Education at Christiana CareCLINICAL, TRANSLATIONAL AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH with a national reputation.

“Research defines a means of transferringbasic discoveries in the laboratory into new clinical interventions for the diagnosis,treatment, prognosis, or prevention of disease with a direct benefit to the patient.This idea forms the basis of our ‘Discovery to Recovery’ motto.”

— CENTER FOR TRANSLATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH

20 Christ iana Care

C L I N I CA L & P H A RMAC EU T I CA L

R E S E A R CH S T UD I E S


Advancing medical care through research and educationChristiana Care is one of the largest community-based teaching hospitals conducting researchin the United States. Robust partnerships in clinical, translational and outcomes research boostChristiana Care’s national reputation and speed new ideas, technologies and treatments tocommunities challenged by today’s most pressing health concerns.

Christiana Care’s commitment to exploring the science of medicine keeps clinicians at the topof their specialties and attracts the brightest and the best to serve as faculty and mentors in ourfully accredited graduate medical education programs and undergraduate student rotationswhere tomorrow’s health providers learn state-of-the-science medical care.

H IGH L I GH T S

Christiana Care approved asparticipating hospital in Delaware Branch Campus of Jefferson Medical CollegeChristiana Care has been approved as a participatinghospital in Jefferson Medical College’s DelawareBranch Campus. The approval comes from The LiaisonCommittee on Medical Education, the accreditingauthority for medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree in U.S. and Canadian medical schools.Other participants are the duPont Hospital for Childrenand the Wilmington Veterans Administration Hospital.

This achievement underscores the transformative role Christiana Care plays in medical education. It specifically spotlights our core competency inproviding clinical education to third- and fourth-yearmedical students. Christiana Care has a long-standingrelationship in providing first-rate medical education to students from Jefferson Medical College, one of thetop-rated medical schools in the country.

Learning Institute embraces educationThe Learning Institute of Christiana Care, officiallylaunched July 1, aims to engage and inspire creativeeducation, advancing across the tapestry of a diversehealth system with an overarching goal to learn betterways to deliver health care.

It is a virtual institute that embraces collaboration andinnovative learning, nurturing new ways of thinking and intelligent growth at all levels of the organization.The Learning Institute focuses on the capabilities andpassions we all possess to derive the greatest benefitfrom our combined strengths. Distinct parts of theLearning Institute act as think tanks for research,development and best-practice educational productsand services.

Christiana Care a model fortranslational researchThe chief scientific officer of the Association ofAmerican Medical Colleges says Christiana Care is a leader in linking research and education into thehealth system’s clinical care mission.

Ann Bonham, a leading advocate for research training,has challenged America’s teaching hospitals to do abetter job of translating research into clinical practice.She spoke on “The Role of Independent AcademicMedical Centers in Translational and Clinical Research”at the John H. Ammon Medical Education Center.

Eleven students who started their third year of medical educationat Christiana Care in July comprise the inaugural class of theDelaware Branch Campus of Jefferson Medical College.

Center for Outcomes Research evaluatescare and cost to find best treatmentThe Christiana Care Center for Outcomes Research(CCOR) is a leader in comparative effectivenessresearch, identifying the best ways to treat patients at the most efficient cost. CCOR is one of only a handful of groups involved in the science of evaluatingthe consequences of health care delivery by comparingresults of one form of therapy or treatment to another.

“We look at different approaches to management, how we take care of people, not just comparing onepharmaceutical to another,” says William Weintraub,M.D., CCOR director and John H. Ammon Chair ofCardiology, noting that Christiana Care’s diversepopulation base of 1.2 million people in Delaware and the surrounding areas makes the health systemideally suited to these types of studies.

Dr. Riesenberg authors most popular articleA groundbreaking review of communications duringshift changes by a Christiana Care author was the most-downloaded article in the American Journal of MedicalQuality in 2009 and 2010, according to SAGEPublications, an independent international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media. Lee AnnRiesenberg, Ph.D., director of Medical Education/DIOand director Medical Education Research andOutcomes, was lead author of “Systematic Review of Handoff Mnemonics Literature.” Mnemonics arecommonly used to enhance memory. In the case ofhandoffs, mnemonics may increase memory ofimportant steps and provide a structured process tofollow. Dr. Riesenberg also is the lead author of reviewsfocusing on effective communication during handoffs for nurses, residents and attending physicians.

H IGH L I GH T S of RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

VIRTUAL EDUCATION AND SIMULATION TRAINING CENTER

22 Christ iana Care

Simulated patients, real educationAt the Virtual Education and Simulation Training Center,doctors can gain a firm foundation in hand-to-eyecoordination and repetitive skills exercises before they ever pick up a scalpel to operate on a real patient.

Located at the John H. Ammon Medical Education Center,the VEST center includes a trauma bay, intensive care unit, operating room and standardized patient rooms. Thepatients are high-fidelity simulators that breathe, speak,blink their eyes and respond to stimuli like real adults andchildren. Doctors, nurses, emergency medical techniciansand first responders such as police officers and firefightersobtain highly realistic hands-on training that will betterequip them to deal with real-life emergencies.

Ear pain responds to migrainetreatmentMany patients suffering from unexplained ear pain canbe helped with migraine therapy, says Michael Teixido,M.D., an otolaryngologist and medical director of theBalance and Mobility Center at Christiana Care.

Using rigorous scientific standards in analyzing theresults, Dr. Teixido concluded that he had identified anew clinical entity called migraine-associated otalgia.His seven-year study, “Otalgia Associated WithMigraine,” was published in the February issue of the journal Otology and Neurology.


CANC E R & CA RD IOVA S CU L A R R E S E A R CH

Cancer and cardiovascular research broadenResearch into the diagnostics and treatment of cardiovascular disease is expanding through afive-year, $17.4 million federal grant. The grant supports 15 projects, including cancer biomarkersand stem cell research, as well as how kidney function impacts the link between obesity andheart disease.

The National Institutes of Health awarded the grant to the Delaware IDeA Network of BiomedicalResearch, which includes Christiana Care, the Delaware Biotechnology Institute at the Universityof Delaware, Nemours/Alfred I. du Pont Hospital for Children, Delaware State University,Delaware Technical and Community College and Wesley College.

Study compares effectiveness of cardiac proceduresThe Christiana Care Center for Outcomes Research is sharing in a $4.026 million grant in apioneering study that compares the effectiveness of catheter-based and surgery-based cardiacprocedures. The American College of Cardiology, partnering with the Society of ThoracicSurgeons, received the grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

The research, which compares data from more than 10 million patients, will help doctors toimprove care for patients with coronary artery disease. The principal investigator is WilliamWeintraub, M.D., CCOR director.

Advancing toward a better test for cancer genesPeople who are at higher genetic risk for colon cancer and other cancers could gain essentialinformation as a result of a study at the Center for Translational Cancer Research at the Helen F.Graham Cancer Center. The study focuses on MSH2 and MLH1 genes, commonly known asmismatch repair genes. Four of five people with this gene develop cancer.

The goal is to develop a cheaper, faster blood test to identify individuals who are at risk.Researchers are examining blood samples from patients in the Graham Cancer Center’s FamilialRisk Assessment Program.

Cancer Genome Atlas charts geneticsThe Helen F. Graham Cancer Center is part of the Cancer Genome Atlas, a massive, federallyfunded effort to speed up scientific insight into the molecular basis of cancer so doctors can ultimately diagnose and treat patients based on their genetic profiles. Christiana Careparticipates in a four-year, $4.6 million subcontract from the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. The Graham Cancer Center plays a vital role in theinitiative, collecting, storing and sharing tissues and blood samples for research.

WOMEN & CH I L D R EN ’ S H E A LTH

Pioneering research in fetal growthChristiana Care is expanding its groundbreaking research in fetal growth, adding expectant mothers oftwins to its study of women age 18-40 of all ethnicities living above the poverty line. The data researchersgather will help to establish a national standard for fetal growth that will help doctors to better determineif babies are developing normally.

Christiana Care was the first health system in the nation to enroll expectant mothers in the program andone of only six institutions in the United States selected for a $1.136 million grant from the NationalInstitutes of Health. Christiana Care’s large, diverse population and proven track record in OB/GYNresearch make it an ideal choice for the project.

Delaware babies in national spotlightChristiana Care is one of 105 sites in the National Children’s Study, a dynamic initiative that is the largestlong-term study ever of children’s health in the United States. Researchers hope to develop a clearsnapshot of American children by following 100,000 youngsters from before birth through age 21. Thegovernment-funded study will help researchers to understand how genetics and the environment impacthealth and also could provide insights into such conditions as asthma, autism, mental illness and obesity.

In New Castle County, researchers will study 1,000 babies. Christiana Care is working with Alfred I. du Pont Hospital for Children and the University of Delaware, in partnership with investigators at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Christiana Care plays key role in reducing infant mortalityThanks, in part, to Christiana Care initiatives, the infant mortality rate in Delaware declined for the thirdconsecutive reporting period, dropping to 8.4 deaths for every 1,000 live births, according to theDelaware Division of Public Health.

Since 2007, Christiana Care has provided the hormone progesterone to obstetric care providers, which ishighly effective in preventing premature labor. Through the Healthy Beginnings program, Christiana Careoffers preconception and prenatal care to women who are at risk for multiple reasons, including highstress levels, chronic health conditions and living in high crime areas.

H IGH L I GH T S of RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

CHRISTIANA CARE WAS

THE FIRST HEALTH SYSTEM

IN THE NATION TO ENROLL

EXPECTANT MOTHERS IN THE

FETAL GROWTH PROGRAM

24 Christ iana Care


Groundbreaking research on new momsChristiana Care plays an important role in a groundbreaking study of first-time mothers that will ultimately result in identifying problems sooner, and developing new strategies and interventions to help mothers and babies.

Sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the nuMoM2b Study focuses onunderstanding predictors and causes of adverse outcomes in women with their first pregnancies. The study will enroll 10,000 women across the United States, including 750 expectant moms at Christiana Care, one of the highest-volume hospitals for deliveries in the Mid-Atlantic region. About 40 percent of women who give birth are first-time mothers.

Alliance a collaborative visionThe Delaware Health Sciences Alliance is forming dynamic partnerships, including a collaborative effort to gainglobal insights into ways to improve care for women and children.

Nearly 300 people gathered at the DHSA Women & Children’s Health Research Conference at the University of Delaware, sponsored by the Alliance’s four member institutions: Christiana Care Health System, Nemours/A.I. du Pont Hospital for Children, Thomas Jefferson University and UD.

“We view this as a visionary conference, born out of an exciting, collaborative effort,” said Richard J. Derman, M.D.,chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Christiana Care.

The alliance enables partner organizations to collaborate and conduct cutting-edge biomedical research, to improve the health of Delawareans through access to services in the region, and to educate the next generation of health care professionals.

Study links inductions and C-sectionsWomen who have their labor induced are twice as likely to need Cesarean section, according to a study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. The findings suggest that putting more limits on elective inductions would decrease the rate of C-sections, says Deborah Ehrenthal, M.D., of Christiana Care’s Departments of OB/GYN and InternalMedicine and the lead researcher in the study.

Landmark study on shoulder dystociaThe largest study of its kind has shed new light on how obstetricians should manage shoulder dystocia, a rare but serious complication ofchildbirth. Data gathered from 132,098 births of babies delivered vaginally at term, including more than 15,000 at Christiana Hospital,indicate that doctors should deliver the posterior shoulder after they have tried two other widely accepted maneuvers for shoulder dystocia.

The study, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, was published as the lead article in the June edition of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. “We look to data to help us make betterdecisions,” says Matt Hoffman, M.D., MPH, director of OB/GYN Education & Research and principal author of thestudy. “Christiana Care is helping to define and improve standards of care through large studies with the NICHD.”

“We look to data to help usmake better decisions.”— MATT HOFFMAN, M.D., MPH, DIRECTOR

OF OB/GYN EDUCATION & RESEARCH

26 Christ iana Care

Achieving Excellence at Christiana CareAWARDS, RECOGNITION AND APPOINTMENTS affirm our commitment to patient care.

“Hospitals like these are onesyou or those close to you shouldconsider when the stakes arehigh. These are hospitals we call‘high performers.’“

— US NEWS & WORLD REPORT

Giving our personal bestChristiana Care’s many recognitions and honors are the sum total of individual effortsof people in the health system giving their best, each and every day, to provide thebest in patient care. Christiana Care excels on many levels, as a quality health careprovider, a caring voice in the community and a great place to work.


Best in the region ranking from U.S. News

Christiana Care Health System ranked amongthe top hospitals in the region with highperformance in 11 adult medical specialties in U.S. News & World Report’s 2011-12 Best Hospitals rankings.

Of the 93 hospitals in the Philadelphia metropolitan area,Christiana Care ranked in the top 10, the only hospital inDelaware providing adult medical care to make the list.Christiana Care has received Best Hospital rankings fromthe magazine the past four years. The publication evaluatesnearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide and includes only 3 percent in its rankings.

Joint Commission awards seal of approval

Christiana Care Health Services received The JointCommission’s Gold Seal of Approval, based on anunannounced on-site survey. The seal isproof of Christiana Care’s organization-wide dedication to providing quality carefor its neighbors.

Gold Seal for Center for Advanced Joint Replacement

Christiana Care Health System’s Center for Advanced JointReplacement has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Sealof Approval™ for its total hip and knee replacementprograms.

The certification award recognizes Christiana Care’scompliance with The Joint Commission’s national state-of-the-art standards for health care quality and safety indisease-specific care. Christiana Care is one of only 300hospitals out of 8,000 in the U.S. to achieve total hip andknee replacement certification. In 2010, Christiana Careperformed more than 2,000 total knee and hipreplacements.

Christiana Care Wins Top Workplace Employer

For the eighth consecutive year, the NewsJournal has named Christiana Care a TopWorkplace employer, ranking the healthsystem sixth in the large Workplace categoryand best in Career Opportunities. Only 50companies made the best-place-to-work list this year.

Christiana Care achieves Magnet® status for nursing

Christiana Care Health System receivedMagnet recognition for excellence innursing from the American NursesCredentialing Center, joining an elite group of hospitals toachieve the highest level of recognition for sustainedexcellence in nursing care. Christiana Care is the only hospital in Delaware to achieve Magnet status;only 6 percent of U.S. hospitals have earned the honor.

Top 50 hospitals rating from Becker’s

Christiana Care has been namedone of the 50 best hospitals inAmerica by Becker’s Hospital

Review, a publication that covers business news andanalysis of health care systems. In awarding the honor,Becker’s noted the health care systems launch ofComputerized Provider Order Entry, its excellent bondrating and clinical outcomes.

ED system, IT ranked by Information Week

Christiana Care’s use of large touch-screenmonitors to better manage its emergencydepartment's trauma rooms is one of “20 ITinnovative ideas to steal” according toInformationWeek 500 magazine.

The magazine also ranked Christiana Care 232 in the top500 of North American enterprise IT. The publicationannually shines a spotlight on IT innovation by identifyingand recognizing business technology teams that have madea notable difference in how their companies do business.

Practice Greenhealth honors sustainability

Both Christiana and Wilmington hospitalsearned Partner for Change with DistinctionAwards from Practice Greenhealth, anorganization for health care institutions thatare committed to sustainable, eco-friendly

practices. Christiana Care’s waste reduction program has reduced regulated medical waste by more than 800,000 pounds; approximately 20 percent of solid waste is recycled. Christiana Care also purchases 40 percent of its electricity from a wind farm.

AWARD S AND R E COGN I T I ON

28 Christ iana Care

Consumer Choice Award winner

For the 16th year in a row, Christiana Care was named the top health care provider of choice in Delaware based on a National Research Corporation survey of more than 250,000 households. Winning hospitals possess the best doctors, nurses and reputation and provide the best overall quality of care.

Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery

The American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery has designated Christiana Care as a Center for Excellence, based on a

record of favorable outcomes in weight-loss surgery. Thecenter also received accreditation as a Level I facility by the Bariatric Surgery Center Network Accreditation Program of the American College of Surgeons.

Family Medicine Center state’s firstcertified ‘medical home’

Christiana Care’s Family Medicine Center,with sites at Foulk Road and Wilmington

Hospital Annex, is the first practice in Delaware—and one offewer than 2,200 nationwide—to achieve designation as aPhysician Practice Connections Patient-Centered MedicalHome. To earn the honor, the FMC met key standards,including patient access, enhanced communications andcharting tools used to track patients and organize clinicalinformation.

AHA gold award for fit and friendly

Christiana Care has earned the Gold Level award in theAmerican Heart Association’s Start! Fit-Friendly Companiesprogram. Companies earn honors for being leaders inpromoting exercise, healthy eatingand wellness among employees.

AWARD S AND R E COGN I T I ON

A P PO I N TM EN T S

Dr. Laskowski serves on COTHboard

Christiana Care Health System

President and CEO Robert J. Laskowski, M.D.,MBA, is a member of the Council of TeachingHospitals (COTH) and Health SystemsAdministrative Board and is a COTHrepresentative to the Association of AmericanMedical Colleges Assembly. He is a member of the Health Management Academy ChiefExecutive Officers Forum and the AmericanMedical Association Section on MedicalSchools. He also serves on the board of directors of the United Way of Delaware and the Wilmington HOPE Commission andchairs the Delaware Public Policy Instituteboard. He is a member of the EconomicAdvisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

Dr. Petrelli provides leadership in cancer care

Nicholas J. Petrelli, M.D., Bank ofAmerica endowed medical directorof the Helen F. Graham Cancer

Center, is a member of the National Cancer InstituteGastrointestinal Steering Committee that oversees and approvesclinical trials in the United States for gastrointestinal cancers.Dr. Petrelli is also chair-elect of the Publications Committee ofthe American Society of Clinical Oncology and was appointedto the newly created position of Associate Director forTranslational Research at the Wistar Institute Cancer Center.

Dr. Fulda chairs council

Gerard Fulda, M.D., director ofChristiana Care Surgical Critical Care and Surgical Research, has been named chair of the Council for Medical

Specialty Societies’ Clinical Practice Guideline Developers Group.


Dr. Gardner receives Gilliam award

Timothy J. Gardner, M.D., medicaldirector of Christiana Care’s Centerfor Heart & Vascular Health, andpast national president of theAmerican Heart Association, is therecipient of the 2011 James H.Gilliam Jr. Memorial Award fromthe American Heart & StrokeAssociation. Dr. Gardner is alsochair of the Steering Committee,Cardiothoracic Surgery ClinicalResearch Network of the NationalHeart Lung and Blood Institute ofthe National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Nevin named CMO

Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, wasnamed Chief Medical Officer forChristiana Care Health System. Dr. Nevin serves on the WestsideHealth Board and is chair of theQuality Subcommittee and aUnited Way Cabinet Member. She is on the Delaware Health Care Commission and wasappointed to the Board of theDelaware Community Foundation.She delivered this year’s keynoteaddress at the White CoatCeremony at Jefferson MedicalCollege in Philadelphia.

Dr. Rizzo chairs lung association board

Albert A. Rizzo, M.D., chief of theSection of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Christiana Care, was named the national volunteer chair of the American Lung Associationboard of directors.

Dr. Dickson-Witmer vice chair of CoC task force

Diana Dickson-Witmer, M.D.,associate medical director of theChristiana Care Breast Center atthe Helen F. Graham CancerCenter, serves as vice chair of theStandards Revision Task Force forthe Commission on Cancer,charged with helping to establishthe CoC’s new standards forcancer centers throughout thecountry. She is also a member ofthe American Society of BreastDisease’s Education ProgramCommittee and of the EducationCommittee of the AmericanSociety of Breast Surgeons.

Dr. Galinat serves on AAOS committee

Brian Galinat, M.D., chair of the Department of OrthopedicSurgery, is a member of theAmerican OrthopaedicAssociation. He also recentlycompleted his six-year term as the Board of Councilorsrepresentative to the AmericanAcademy of OrthopaedicSurgeons. He continues to serveon the AAOS Coding, Coverageand Reimbursement Committeeand is the AAOS alternate to theAmerican Medical AssociationResource-Based Relative ValueScale Update Committee.

Dr. Granite reappointed to exam committee

Edwin L. Granite, D.M.D., chair of theDepartment of Oral and MaxillofacialSurgery and Hospital Dentistry, wasreappointed for a fourth year to theExamination Committee of theAmerican Board of Oral and Maxillo-facial Surgery. The Commission onDental Accreditation of the AmericanDental Association also reappointed himas Commission Consultant.


Residents place in national competition

Christiana Care’s Emergency/InternalMedicine residents took second place in the annual competition at the Societyfor Academic Emergency Medicineconference. This year’s event, “SimWars,” involved teams of residentscompeting on simulated patients todemonstrate communication andclinical management skills.

30 Christ iana Care


Lynn C. Jones is VNAA chair

Lynn C. Jones, FACHE, presidentof Christiana Care Visiting NurseAssociation, began a two-yearterm as board chair of the VisitingNurse Associations of America. He has been on the VNAA boardfor six years and has been chair ofits Public Policy Council the pasttwo years. He is a member of theAmerican Hospital AssociationPost-Acute Governing Counseland Regent for Delaware for theAmerican College of HealthcareExecutives.

Wilderness fellowship for Linda Laskowski Jones

Linda Laskowski Jones, RN, MS,vice president of Emergency,Trauma and Aeromedical Servicesat Christiana Care, was awardedFellowship status in the Academyof Wilderness Medicine (FAWM),a national recognition from theWilderness Medical Society.

EM/IM chief resident receives national award

De B. Winter, M.D., 5th YearEmergency/Internal Medicine chief resident, is the winner of thenational Emergency MedicineResidents Association ClinicalExcellence Award for outstandingwork in the clinical aspect ofemergency medicine.

Sue Sokira is a Jefferson honoree

Sue Sokira was honored at the national Jefferson Awardsceremony in Washington, D.C.The 2011 winner of the ChristianaCare Jefferson Award forOutstanding Community Service,Sokira is a transfer centerrepresentative in the EmergentTransport Access Center andworks as a firefighter and EMT.

Pharmacist Trent Beach namedBaldrige Award examiner

Christiana Care Clinical PharmacySpecialist Trent Beach, Pharm.D.,MBA, MHA, has been named to the2011 Board of Examiners for theMalcolm Baldrige National QualityAward, the highest level of nationalrecognition for performanceexcellence that a U.S. organizationcan receive.

He also received the HealthcareLeadership Network of the DelawareValley’s Administrative AchievementAward for his achievements indeveloping quality, performanceimprovement, accreditation andeducation around medicationmanagement and pharmacy practice.

Maureen Seckel secretary of national board

Maureen Seckel, RN, a clinicalnurse specialist in medicalpulmonary critical care, has beenappointed to serve a one-year termas secretary on the AmericanAssociation of Critical-CareNurses national board of directors.She is also serving a concurrentthree-year term on the board ofAACN until 2013.

Keith Lamb chairs AARC adult acute care section

Keith D. Lamb, RRT, received a four-yearappointment to chair the American Association forRespiratory Care Adult Acute Care Section, alongwith a seat on the AARC board of directors. Lamb

also was appointed to a three-year term on the Multidisciplinary Adult Critical Care Knowledge Assessment Committee of the Society of Critical CareMedicine, responsible for editing and updating the study guide and exam thatcritical-care fellows take to evaluate their knowledge.

Service Statistics at Christiana CareVITAL TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY and the state of Delaware.

Our landmark transformation ofWilmington Hospital will enhance careand bring 600 jobs to the community.

2011

2011 2011


5

WILMINGTON HOSPITAL

5

CHRISTIANA HOSPITAL

5

TOTAL VISITS

2011

2011

2011

2011

2011

2011

S E RV I C E S TAT I S T I C S at CHRISTIANA CARE

Christiana Care’s impact on DelawareChristiana Care employees paid more than $23.5 million in taxes to the State of Delaware.On average, a Christiana Care employee returns $100,640 to Delaware’s economy every year.

1,206 Christiana Care volunteers gave a total of 90,800 hours of service this year. That translates into more than $1.9 million dollars.

A BOU T OU R VO LUN T E E R S

32 Christ iana Care

2011

TEMPLE UNIV. HOSPITAL

THOMAS JEFFERSON

UNIV. HOSPITAL

COOPERUNIV.

HOSPITAL

HOSPITAL OF THE UNIV.

OF PENN.

CROZER-CHESTERMEDICALCENTER

CHRISTIANACARE HEALTH

SYSTEM


CHRISTIANA CARE HOME HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

HOME HEALTH CARE VISITS 279,740

HIGH SCHOOL WELLNESS CENTERS AND ALZHEIMER’S DAY PROGRAM VISITS

39,471

CHRISTIANA CARE EMPLOYEES10,477

MEDICAL-DENTAL STAFF1,447

MEDICAL & DENTAL RESIDENTS & FELLOWS255

RNS, LPNS AND PATIENT CARE TECHNICIANS3,683

PERSONNEL STATISTICS

CENTER FOR ADVANCED JOINT REPLACEMENT AND CENTER FOR REHABILITATION

TOTAL KNEE AND HIP REPLACEMENTS2,241

REHABILITATION PATIENTS677

Source: American Association of Medical Colleges’Autumn 2010 Databook.

2011

2011

$1

28¢ for Therapeutic &

Diagnostic

Services

24¢ for

Nursing

Services 15¢ for Employee

Benefits

8¢ for Medical Education

& Social Services

8¢ for Facilities & Services

7¢ for Support Services

6¢ for Depreciation & Interest

3¢ for Administration

1¢ for Other Affiliates

WHERE CHRISTIANA CARE HEALTH SERVICES’

OPERATING DOLLAR GOES

P.O. Box 1668Wilmington, Delaware 19899-1668800-693-CARE (2273)

www.christianacare.org

Christiana Care is a private, not-for-profit regional health care provider and relies in parton the generosity of individuals, foundations and corporations to fulfill its mission. 12GEN1

Christiana Care offers a wide range of health care services in Delaware and surrounding communities.

At a Glance

ON THE CHRISTIANA CAMPUS:• Christiana Hospital (907 beds)• Center for Heart & Vascular Health in the Bank of America Pavilion • Helen F. Graham Cancer Center • Christiana Care Breast Center • Christiana Surgicenter

ON THE WILMINGTON CAMPUS:• Wilmington Hospital (241 beds)• Wilmington Hospital Health Center• Center for Advanced Joint Replacement • Center for Rehabilitation • Roxana Cannon Arsht Surgicenter

DELAWARE AND THE COMMUNITY:• 16 School-Based Health Centers • Home Health & Community Services-Visiting Nurse Association • 2 Alzheimer’s Day Programs• Eugene du Pont Preventive Medicine & Rehabilitation Institute • 18 Primary Care Centers (2 in New Jersey)• 9 Christiana Care Physical Therapy PLUS sites• 11 Christiana Care Imaging Services locations

Documents

Year in Review 20 11 - ChristianaCarechristianacare.org/documents/2011-Year-in-Review.pdf · 11 TH TOTAL SURGERIES Touching lives in 2 million ways. Dear Neighbors, ... FACTS 2 Christiana