System Hospital News: October 2020

Atrium Medical Center

An employee-led raffle raised more than $1,500 for the American Heart Association’s Butler/Warren County Heart Walk. The walk, presented by Atrium Medical Center, moved to a virtual format due to COVID-19 and encouraged participants to be active in their neighborhoods. Keith Bricking, MD, president of Atrium and 2020 Heart Walk chair, was featured in a video that officially kicked off the event. In the video, Dr. Bricking shared Atrium’s mission to improve the health of the communities we serve, celebrated heart and stroke survivors, encouraged physical activity during these unprecedented times, and shared the importance of Atrium’s partnership with the AHA to raise lifesaving funds for research.

Relay for Life of Butler County looked different this year due to COVID-19. Light the Fight, sponsored by Premier Health/Atrium Medical Center, was a drive-through luminaria tribute experience in West Chester Twp. that honored those who have been affected by cancer. Each luminaria represented a cancer survivor, a caregiver, or someone who died from cancer.

Atrium’s Level III Trauma Center has been awarded $50,000 in federal funding from the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Traffic Safety Office. Atrium manages a traffic safety program in collaboration with other community partners. This is the 11th consecutive year Atrium has received the grant, which will continue to fund the hospital’s traffic safety initiative known as Warren County Safe Communities Coalition. The coalition focuses on motor vehicle and traffic safety awareness initiatives. In addition to Atrium, coalition members include Warren County law enforcement agencies, local government agencies, Warren County Career Center, and Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Miami Valley Hospital Campuses

In light of COVID-19, many area nonprofits have been forced to make changes to one of their most significant revenue streams – fundraising events. For Ronald McDonald House Charities Dayton, this meant canceling the 10th annual Doors of Compassion event, which was scheduled to take place in April. Fortunately, the Doors of Compassion planning committee embraced a pivot, developing a series of virtual dining experiences called Cooking Alone-Together. As an event sponsor of Doors of Compassion, Premier Health leaders participated, including Marc Belcastro, DO; Melissa Merritt; Christie Gray; and Jenny Lewis.

Christina Knowles, director of development for Good Samaritan Foundation – Dayton, was named to the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) 40 Under 40 list of honorees. The 40 Under 40 program is designed to recognize future leaders within the health care philanthropy community. AHP is honoring these 40 young professionals because they are shaping the future of the health care development industry.

Proceeds for the 2020 Valley Classic were announced at the Miami Valley Hospital Foundation board meeting in September. The tournament welcomed 166 golfers and raised $100,742, benefitting patient education provided through the Bull Family Diabetes Center.

The final report from philanthropy consultant Betsy Chapin Taylor was presented to the Premier Health Philanthropy Executive Committee. The report outlines recommendations for a strategic plan for the Premier Health foundations through 2023. Among the plan’s objectives are modifying fundraising responsibilities among existing foundation staff, providing more of a focus on major gifts, planned giving, and developing a grateful patient strategy. The full plan was presented to members of each board at the Premier Health Foundation’s Board Retreat.

A new nursing education scholarship, the Sweet Caroline Elizabeth Mills Scholarship, was awarded to Angel Shumaker, a case manager in the emergency department. Six educational scholarships are available to nurses and nursing students through the Miami Valley Hospital Foundation, including a Minority Nursing Scholarship and the Jerry Colp Nursing Scholarship. The remaining scholarships are named in honor of former employees Kyle Combs and Pat Hastings, and former MVH President Bobbie Gerhart. This year, seven applicants received $12,000 in scholarship awards.

The Ambulatory Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Clinic, with an anticoagulation focus, will be opening at the Miami Valley Hospital South campus. The MVHS MTM Clinic will share space with the MVHS Pain Clinic in Suite 140 on the days that the Pain Clinic does not see patients. This clinic will be in addition to the Medication Therapy Management/Anticoagulation Clinic currently operating at the Miami Valley Hospital North campus. The clinic will provide comprehensive pain management, monitoring, and instruction related to anticoagulation therapy. 

Premier Health continues to support its school partners with presentations on safely returning to in-person learning.  Joseph Allen, MD, Premier Health regional medical director, presented to the staff of Valley View Local Schools and the Dayton Regional STEM School.

Several Premier Health sports medicine physicians participated in “Thursday Night Lights” interviews promoting our school partnerships and sports medicine services. These interviews were pre-recorded and aired during half-time of the Thursday night high school football games.

Upper Valley Medical Center

Kevin Harlan, president of Upper Valley Medical Center, attended the Sept. 29 meeting of the Miami County Commission to meet the commission members and provide a brief update on activities at UVMC. Kevin also met with Troy Mayor Robin Oda and other Troy city leaders for a meet-and-greet that same day. Meetings with other governmental and community leaders in Miami County are being scheduled.

Scott Kanagy, DO, was interviewed Sept. 14 on Troy Radio 107.1 and Sept. 18 on Piqua WPTW 98.1. Topics included the new COVID-19 testing site on the Upper Valley Medical Center campus, the new Piqua Urgent Care at UVMC’s Outpatient Care Center North, the new Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab Center at UVMC, and enhanced safety protocols implemented with full reopening of services at UVMC.

The new COVID-19 testing site on the UVMC campus is running smoothly with nearly 1,000 tests collected in the first month of operation. The site has successfully shifted activity from the two Premier Health Urgent Care locations in Troy and Piqua. Numbers are expected to increase as we progress into flu season.

A new, expanded Winan’s Coffee Shop opened adjacent to the cafeteria on the lower level of Upper Valley Medical Center, replacing the previous one in the hospital’s main lobby. The relocation is part of the UVMC Patient Flow Project, designed to enhance patient experience with improved wayfinding, privacy, and ease of access to frequently utilized services.

Net proceeds from the Upper Valley Medical Center 5K to Fight Hunger – hosted virtually this year due to COVID-19 – were distributed to four local food pantries/soup kitchens. Bethany Center Food Pantry in Piqua; Needy Basket of Southern Miami County in Tipp City; New Path Outreach in Miami County; and St. Patrick’s Soup Kitchen/Hobart Community Kitchen in Troy each received $470 from this year’s event. In other community support activities, UVMC sponsored the Bowls of Hope Fundraiser to benefit First Place Food Pantry in Troy on Sept. 12, Piqua Chamber Annual Golf Outing held at the Piqua Country Club on Sept. 24, and the Edison State Community College Drive for Scholarships held at the Piqua Country Club on Sept. 25.

Back to the October 2020 issue of Premier Pulse