System News: January 2021
Atrium Medical Center
More than 230 children were remembered Dec. 3 during the 22nd Annual HEAL (Help Endure A Loss) Memory Tree Lighting event. The virtual event included messages from Atrium Medical Center’s spiritual care staff and HEAL coordinator before the reading of names and placing of ornaments on the HEAL Memory Tree. The event remained online throughout the month of December.
Atrium received a donation of 44 Facebook Portal devices from Blue Star Families of Dayton. The video conferencing devices will help patients and their loved ones communicate during a time of restricted visitor access.
During an unimaginable time of loss, Caring Cradle offers parents in the hospital additional time to grieve and process the very traumatic experience of a newborn child’s death. This past summer, an area couple experienced a stillborn birth. Because of the Caring Cradle at Miami Valley Hospital South, the family was able to spend extra time with their son. In appreciation, the family created a donation fund for a Caring Cradle to be given to Atrium in honor of their son. On Dec. 20, a dedication ceremony was held with the family and several caregivers from Atrium’s Family Birth Center in attendance.
The Community Blood Center and Atrium have partnered to host a series of COVID-19 convalescent plasma drives. All appointment slots were filled for the inaugural drive in December along with another in January. Additional COVID-19 convalescent plasma drives are planned for Feb. 19 and every Friday in March at Atrium.
Farbod Rastegar, MD, has joined the Premier Orthopedic Spine Center at Atrium Medical Center. Dr. Rastegar attended the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. He completed his orthopedic residency at Oregon Health and Science University. Dr. Rastegar completed a combined neurologic and orthopedic spine surgery fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. He is board-certified in orthopedic surgery. Dr. Rastegar is accepting new patients, and video visits are available. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (513) 420-3773(513) 420-3773.
Chauncy Eakins, MD, has joined the Pain Center at Atrium Medical Center. Dr. Eakins attended Ross University and completed his residency at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. He completed his fellowship at Michigan Sports and Spine. He is board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The Pain Center at Atrium is accepting new patients. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (513) 974-5165(513) 974-5165.
Miami Valley Hospital Campuses
The first respite room for hospital staff opened on an ICU on Dec. 9 at Miami Valley Hospital. Respite rooms have been identified and are being outfitted on seven floors. The respite rooms allow staff to get away from the long hours spent on care units for brief breaks. Thanks to community contributions, the rooms are being furnished with amenities like food and drinks and recliners. This initiative was led by the Miami Valley Hospital Foundation. Throughout December, Good Samaritan Foundation-Dayton raised funds to outfit and stock a respite room for Emergency Department staff at the Miami Valley Hospital North campus. In addition to these efforts, several in-kind donations were received from community businesses, including Divine Catering, Chick Fil-A, and WROU-FM/The Steve Harvey Morning Show, which donated gift cards to ED staff to purchase holiday turkeys.
To raise donor support for programs benefitting hospital employees, new television commercials and outdoor digital billboards saluting Premier Health’s Health Care Heroes were created. The 30-second and 60-second commercials include a text-to-give number and a specific website address for donations. Similar to the commercials, the message of support for employees also appeared on several billboards on the Key-Ads outdoor digital network.
During the December meeting of the Miami Valley Hospital Foundation board, the trustees voted to accept the recommendations of the Funding Priorities Committee for 2021. Funded by undesignated donor contributions, a brief rundown of the funded programs include:
- a Remote Patient Monitor Program to keep patients better connected with their physicians;
- upgraded disinfection equipment in endoscopy;
- replacement of police vehicles;
- CT software and contrast injection improvements;
- continued funding for weekend palliative care services.
In addition, four of the funded programs are part of system-wide services:
- a Mobile Clinic through Premier Community Health for rural and underserved areas;
- a respiratory protection program connecting several respiratory preparedness programs;
- a cancer prevention navigator to work with oncology patients;
- the continuation of funding for a system director for pastoral care.
The Good Samaritan Foundation-Dayton was the recipient of several grants. The Mothers Empowered program received a $12,000 grant from the Wallace Foundation and a $5,000 grant from Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The Breast Cancer Patient Assistance Fund received $2,000 from the Breast Cancer Fund of Ohio. The foundation also received a $10,000 donation from Salem Church of God for the Health Care Heroes campaign to purchase meals from local businesses and caterers to support both the community and hospital staff.
Upper Valley Medical Center
Upper Valley Medical Center was the first hospital in the region to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which arrived Dec. 21. A news conference was conducted that morning with coverage by Dayton and Miami County broadcast and print media outlets. Media coverage continued later in the day via Zoom interviews with vaccine recipients who participated in the initial rollout of the vaccine to staff.
UVMC Patient Flow Project renovation continued in the main hospital lobby, former gift shop, and cardiac rehabilitation space. The former medical imaging waiting room is under construction for the new CompuNet Clinical Lab Patient Service Center. Other renovation work is underway in the ICU patient rooms, corridors, nursing station, and an office suite on the first floor of the Support Services building.
Internal/external communications were launched in December for new OB/GYN Terence Young, MD, who has joined Premier Women’s Center, with locations in Piqua, Troy, and Sidney.
UVMC/Premier Health was a presenting sponsor for the 2020 Edison State Community College Annual Holiday Evening held in December via Zoom. UVMC’s sponsorship of this high-profile event, which is a major fundraiser for the Edison Foundation, is part of the hospital’s long-standing partnership with the college. In other community partnership activity, UVMC was a sponsor for the Tipp City Chamber Annual Holiday Gala celebrated virtually in December.
Launch, a new program focused on developing job skills for individuals with disabilities, was introduced at UVMC and in the local media. The one-year high school transition program takes the place of Project SEARCH, which was active at the hospital for 10 years.
Premier Physician Network
Every year Dayton Magazine readers vote for their Best of Dayton selections. In December, voters named Melinda Ruff, MD, the Best Physician in Dayton! Dr. Ruff was up against some tough competition; Aaron Block, MD, and C. Joe Northup, MD, were the other two Premier Physician Network physicians nominated. “As a family physician, I have the unique opportunity to form a more personal relationship with my patients over a long term and I’m able to see how their outside lives affect their health,” said Dr. Ruff. “I also get the pleasure to meet my patients’ families. I’m honored to be chosen for this award.”
Miami Valley Hospital also won as Best Medical Facility, Fidelity Health Care won Best Pharmacy, and Premier Health won the Best Medical Spa category.
Back to the January 2021 issue of Premier Pulse
