During National Hospital Week and National Nurses Week, May 6–12, we recognize and thank our associates and volunteers for all they do to meet the needs of our patients every day—body, mind and spirit.

Thank You for providing the BEST CARE for our patients every day!

Bronchial thermoplasty has been clinically proven to be a long-lasting procedure demonstrating an improved asthma quality of life and the following benefits…

-          reduction in asthma attacks

-          reduction in emergency room visits for respiratory symptoms

-          reduction in hospitalizations for respiratory symptoms

-          reduction in days lost from work/school/other activities due to asthma

-          in the period immediately following bronchial thermoplasty, there was an expected increase in the frequency and worsening of respiratory-related symptoms which typically resolved on average 7 days after the procedure with standard care.

If you are interested in learning more about this new procedure for severe asthma or would like to be seen by a physician offering bronchial thermoplasty please call our Free Physician Referral Line at (408) 782-1501 – 24hours/7days a week.

The Daughters of Charity Health System (DCHS) and Service Employees International Union–United Healthcare Workers (SEIU-UHW) today reached agreement on a new three-year contract covering nearly 2,600 employees in six DCHS hospitals in California: O’Connor Hospital, San Jose; Saint Louise Regional Hospital, Gilroy; Seton Coastside, Moss Beach; Seton Medical Center, Daly City; St. Francis Medical Center, Lynwood; and St. Vincent Medical Center, Los Angeles.

The agreement comes after several months of discussions and achieves the goal – set by both sides – to develop a fair and reasonable contract,” according to Stephanie Battles, DCHS vice president of human resources.

“We can all feel proud about this new agreement, particularly in these challenging times for health care in our state and across the nation,” said Battles. “The agreement protects the interests of our associates and the financial health and safe and efficient operation of our hospitals.”

SEIU-UHW membership ratified the agreement yesterday.

“We want to acknowledge the bargaining teams for their good-faith efforts during our contract discussions,” said Battles. “We also wish to thank all of our employees for their ongoing and valuable contribution in service to our patients and the communities we serve.”

 

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. It is also a leading cause of serious long-term disability. Although most strokes occur in people aged 65 years or older, strokes can occur at any age. For example, a new Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) study, Trends of Acute Ischemic Stroke Hospitalizations in the U.S.:    1994–2007, found that stroke hospitalizations increased among both males and females aged 5–44 years old, raising concern about this young population.

Knowing the symptoms of stroke and calling 9-1-1 immediately if someone appears to be having a stroke are crucial steps in getting prompt emergency medical care for a stroke. New treatments are available that can reduce the damage caused by a stroke for some victims, but these treatments need to be given soon after the symptoms start.

Know the Signs and Symptoms of Stroke
SUDDEN

Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
Trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
Trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance and coordination.
Severe headache with no known cause.

If you think someone is having a stroke, call 9–1–1  immediately.
Receiving immediate treatment is critical in lowering the risk of disability and even death.

Quick Facts
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
In 2007, a total of 135,952 people died from stroke in the United States.
Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability in the United States.
About 795,000 strokes occur in the United States each year. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes.          About 185,000 occur in people who have had a stroke before.
Nearly three-quarters of all strokes occur in people aged 65 years or older.                                                                                     The chances of having a stroke double each decade after the age of 55.
Strokes can—and do—occur at any age.
Nearly 25% of strokes occur in people younger than age 65.
Stroke death rates are higher for African Americans than for whites, even at younger ages.
It has been noted for several decades that the southeastern United States have the highest stroke mortality rates in the country. It is not completely clear what factors contribute to the higher incidence of and mortality from stroke in this region.
People with a family history of stroke are more likely to have a stroke.

What Can You Do to Lower Your Chance of Having a Stroke?
Knowing your chances of having a stroke and doing what you can to decrease or control your chances constitute the best approach to preventing stroke and stroke-related disability. All people can take steps to lower their chances of having a stroke or lower their chances of having another stroke.

Things you can do to lower your chances of having a stroke include taking steps to prevent and control high blood pressure, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, not smoking, and not drinking too much alcohol (drinking more than two drinks per day on average for men or more than one drink per day on average for women).

Prevent and control high blood pressure.
Prevent and control diabetes.
Abstain from tobacco use.
Treat atrial fibrillation.
Prevent and control high blood cholesterol.
Maintain a healthy weight and exercise.
Engage in regular physical activity.
Eat healthy food.

For more information, please contact our stroke coordinator at (408) 848-4946 or visit the National Stroke Association website at http://www.stroke.org

In November 2011, the California Department of Public Health received a complaint from the family member of a dialysis patient, stating that a dialysis nurse at the hospital was talking on her cell phone during the dialysis procedure.  The Department of Public Health referred the matter to the local Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS), which conducts surveys of hospitals that receive Medicare payment for various services, including dialysis.

On January 17-18, three CMS surveyors visited the hospital to focus on five areas in the Conditions of Participation as a dialysis provider under the Medicare program:  Governance, Medical Staff, Nursing, Quality and Infection Control.  Following the survey, a number of deficiencies were noted.  The hospital was required to submit a Plan of Correction, which is currently under review by CMS.

On April 10, Joanne Allen, CEO of Saint Louise Regional Hospital, answered questions about this matter and the related local press coverage.

Q:  In local newspaper coverage, it’s suggested that the hospital isn’t taking this matter seriously.  Is that a fair characterization?

A:   No, not at all.  Immediately upon learning about the family’s reported concern, we took action.  We conducted a comprehensive investigation to help ensure we quickly identified any areas that might need to be corrected.  Our highest priority was – and continues to be – to ensure that all patients receive the safe, high-quality, compassionate care for which Saint Louise Regional Hospital is known.

Q:  It’s a bit confusing: does the hospital actually provide dialysis services or does an outside contractor, and who is ultimately responsible?

A:   We serve approximately 20 dialysis inpatients per month, and the hospital utilizes an outside provider to provide dialysis services to patients who are admitted to the hospital.  The hospital is responsible for the care delivered within the walls of the hospital – including those delivered directly by hospital staff and those delivered by contracted providers.

Q:  When the surveyors visited the hospital, what areas did they identify as needing to be corrected?

A:   The surveyors identified one area that is considered a “Condition-Level” deficiency, which means they felt there was one area where the hospital was noncompliant with requirements for participation as a Medicare provider.  The deficiency – a “Governance” standard – involved the lack of acceptable evidence of current competencies in the hospital file of the dialysis nurse.

Q:  Were there other deficiencies cited by the surveyors?

A:   Although there were no other “Condition-Level” deficiencies cited, other areas were identified as needing improvement.  These include (1) documentation of the review of the water quality tests from the contracted dialysis services at specific committee meetings, (2) the amount of data collected and reviewed regarding medical staff performance every six months, particularly from doctors who admit few patients to the hospital, (3) documentation of hand-off between the Chief of Staff and Vice-Chief of Staff for certain medical staff issues, (4) the requirement that history and physical documentation should be in Medical Staff Bylaws and not Rules and Regulations, (5) autopsy policy language that must include the requirement that the pathologist notify the attending physician of the autopsy ahead of time so that the attending physician may attend the autopsy, (6) use of a cell phone by the dialysis nurse, which was not in compliance with hospital policy, (7) verbal orders that had not been signed within the required 48 hours, and (8) documentation of the required annual TB testing that was absent in the file of three staff members.

Q:  What actions did the hospital take when these deficiencies were identified?

A:   The hospital took immediate and decisive action even before the surveyors were here in January.  A caretaker talking on a cell phone while caring for a patient is in clear violation of hospital policy.  It is also a basis for terminating the agreement with the contracted dialysis provider, which we did immediately after learning about the nurse’s violation.  Once the areas for improvement were identified by the surveyors, the hospital assembled a team of top clinical leaders to review the surveyors’ concerns and to develop a thoughtful, comprehensive plan that not only addresses the areas of concern but also meets the hospital’s high standards for safe, high-quality and compassionate care for all patients.

Q:  What happens next?

A:   We are looking forward to receiving word that our comprehensive corrective plan will be accepted and that a follow-up survey will document that all areas of concern have been fully addressed.  It is important to us that all patients of Saint Louise – including those who receive care from contracted service providers – receive safe, high-quality and compassionate care.

Q:  Is it possible that the hospital could lose Medicare funding because of this survey?

A:   CMS surveys are a common occurrence in the health care industry.  The media has reported often on local hospitals that have been surveyed by CMS in recent years.  While CMS officials always have the option – and duty – of “dropping” a hospital from the Medicare program for serious care and safety issues, hospitals routinely resolve any deficiencies and areas of concern through appropriate corrective action.  We anticipate the same outcome in this case.