By Martin Kinnunen
“The money we
raise in our gift shops at UPMC Montefiore and UPMC Presbyterian, in the LHAS
Café on Seventh, and at the various sales we conduct is dedicated to one purpose
— to help our patients and support programs that improve lives in our communities,”
said Dee Dee Troutman, executive director, LHAS.
That sense of
helping others in need and shaping lives for the better resonates in the
projects that were recently selected to receive LHAS 2013-14 Grant Program
funding. The LHAS has awarded more than
$50,000 in grants for the following projects:
Creating a
relaxing environment for patients
Unit 4D at UPMC
Presbyterian serves patients awaiting heart transplants or recovering from
various cardiac procedures. During their extended hospital stays, most patients
are on monitors and cannot leave the unit. To reduce stress and relieve
boredom, the staff on Unit 4D requested LHAS funding to create a patient and family
relaxation room, explained Susan Sweeny, clinical resource specialist.
The existing
family lounge on Unit 4D has ample windows and sunlight, but it can be improved
to become more inviting and have a less institutional feel. A number of ideas
are being discussed. “We like the concept of bringing the outdoors into this
room,” says Ms. Sweeny.
With financial support
from the LHAS, new color schemes using earth tones, window treatments,
comfortable reclining chairs, and perhaps smoothing audio recordings featuring
natural sounds are being considered.
Ms. Sweeny would
like to rename the area the LHAS Relaxation Room. “This space will become a
place where patients and their families can experience a quiet and refreshing
change of pace without having to leave the unit,” she says.
Protecting the
health of the city’s young athletes
The UPMC
Concussion Outreach Program will use LHAS funding to provide baseline testing
to approximately 500 young athletes through a partnership with the Pittsburgh
Public Schools.
Athletes of any
sport who are 11 years of age or older will receive a free computerized
concussion baseline test developed through UPMC. Additionally, all participants
will receive a neck strength kit that includes instructions.
“Athletic-related
concussions are a major recognized risk to youngsters. Young athletes in urban
areas often have scarce resources and opportunities to access the necessary
preventive computer program for concussion management, so this LHAS grant is
very much appreciated,” said Michael“Mickey” Collins, Ph.D., director of the UPMC Sports Medicine ConcussionProgram.
The risks of an
undiagnosed and untreated concussion are potentially severe. Repeated
concussions, as can happen in many sports, increase the risks. The effects on
the developing brain of a young athlete are likely to be even more severe.
Computerized
baseline testing of an athlete’s non-concussed neurological state can provide
objective data to clinical personnel diagnosing a concussion, ensuring a safer
return to play and possibly averting catastrophic injuries. The baseline test
will be made using ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive
Testing), which was developed by UPMC.
Helping patients
understand the complexities of their disease and treatment options
The newly
integrated departments of the Starzl Transplantation Institute and the Center
for Liver Diseases received LHAS funding to help patients better understand the
complexities of organ transplantation and chronic liver disease.
“We strongly
believe that one way to accomplish this goal is to focus on patient and family
education,” the department stated in its grant application.
Construction of
a dedicated space for a patient and family education room has been completed.
The LHAS funding will provide furniture and audiovisual equipment. Those to be
served in the patient education room include all new patients (more than 120 a
month), all patients beginning hepatitis C treatment, all recently transplanted
patients, and all long-term patients in need of ongoing patient education.
It also will provide
information about the option of living donation for kidney and liver patients,
as well as individuals who are interested in learning about the living donation
process. At least 250 patients a month (and their families) will use the
patient education room.
“Providing
superior patient and family education is essential to exceptional care
and, at the same time, empowers and comforts both patients and their loved
ones,” the department stated.
Funding to
discuss medical ethics
This event brings together the academic community and the Pittsburgh
community to discuss topics in bioethics, health care and patient care. It
provides an opportunity for health care professionals, lawyers, clergy, and lay
people to discuss how to best support the sick and poor living in Pittsburgh
and surrounding communities.
This
year’s keynote speaker is Kathleen M. Foley, M.D., of Memorial Sloan-Kettering/New York, who will speak on “Ethical Issues in Pain
Management.” The Medical Ethics Update/Annual Messer Lecture
will be held Friday, April 4, in the Biomedical Science Tower Conference
Center.
Labels: concussion, heart health, Ladies Hospital Aid Society, medical ethics, transplant, UPMC Center for Sports Medicine
