Page 28 - SFHN JUNE 2020 FLIP BOOK

Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Accolades Accolades Treats Sea Turtle Patient,

VITAS® Healthcare All Lee Health Skilled “Nightingale,” in
and Mobile App Nursing Facilities Honor of Frontline Nurses

Developer Atomic Garner Highest
This year, the World Health Organization
Robot Win MUX19 CMS Star Ratings christened 2020 as the year of “The

Awards for Mobile The Centers for Medicare and International Year of the Nurse and the
Midwife.” And rightfully so with an
Social Impact and Medicaid Services (CMS) released their astounding 20.7 million registered nurses
2020 Five-Star Quality Ratings, award- and midwives in just the U.S. alone.
Agency Expertise ing Gulf Coast Medical Center Skilled In this time of COVID-19, the world has
Nursing, HealthPark Care & celebrated the work ethic and principles of
VITAS Healthcare and Atomic Robot, Rehabilitation Center and Lee Memorial millions of healthcare workers originally set
a mobile app development agency in Hospital Skilled Nursing with five stars. out by trailblazing men and women. Now
Cincinnati, were both recognized by the The scores reflect recent improvements more than ever, communities have proudly
Mobile User Experience Awards (MUX undertaken by the health system to con- stood by and shown their support, whether
2019) for their co-developed hospice tinue improving its quality of care for it’s clapping at the “quarantine hour,” sounding sirens or drawing empowering chalk
app for clinicians and commitment to the Southwest Florida community. messages.
the mobile user experience. “With nursing homes under scrutiny But the field didn’t get there by itself. Rather, it was fiercely led by the “the Lady with
The VITAS mobile app took top prize during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s the Lamp” – Florence Nightingale – who revolutionized nursing and developed greater
for best social impact. Atomic Robot, good to have this recognition from sanitation practices in hospitals. On the eve of her 200th birthday, Loggerhead
which developed the app in partnership CMS. Their star rankings are a gold Marinelife Center (LMC) demonstrated its own token of appreciation for Florence
with VITAS, was named boutique standard of nursing home quality and Nightingale, and nurses and midwives everywhere, by giving a juvenile loggerhead the
agency of the year. MUX, an organiza- safety and we are honored to be recog- name “Nightingale.”
tion of digital experts and firms, has nized for the level of care we provide On May 11, 2020, this honorary sea turtle patient was taken in after being stranded
sponsored the yearly awards program patients throughout Southwest at Jensen Beach, FL. Upon “Nightingale's” arrival, it was clear that the sea turtle was
since 2017 to highlight the best in Florida,” said Larry Antonucci, M.D., affected by chronic debilitation and anemia. Additionally, the patient was placed in
mobile user experience. MBA, Lee Health president & CEO. freshwater for 24 hours to remove the barnacles and leeches on the shell. The turtle is
Key features of the VITAS hospice app “Thank you to all of the doctors, currently placed on parenteral nutrition, to help speed its recovery, as well as antibiotics
include secure hospice referrals by photo advanced providers, nurses and support and fluids. While the two forms of treatment fall into different corners, LMC recognizes
capture of a patient’s face sheet, interac- staff for their commitment to providing the heart of healthcare. And from the Center’s outdoor sea turtle hospital, we salute our
tive tools for clinicians to determine hos- compassionate, high quality and safe frontline heroes in scrubs! In the form of a sea turtle, thank you to all the dedicated
pice eligibility, user personalization by care in our nursing facilities.” nursing professionals who are living out what Florence Nightingale set forth centuries
professional role, updated healthcare con- ago.
tent, webinar opportunities and a VITAS
hospice location finder.
VITAS® Healthcare Releases

“Thinking About Hospice”

Discussion Guide

Talking about end-of-life care is easier when patients and families have facts about what
hospice is and how it can help. VITAS Healthcare has released a free, downloadable dis-
cussion guide called “Thinking About Hospice” to help patients have important conver-
sations and reach informed healthcare decisions.
VITAS encourages frank and honest conversations. Patients need the help of their fam-
ilies, physicians and other trusted sources to decide on and document the types of care
they want - and do not want - as they face the challenges of advanced illness and the end
of life. Healthcare providers can also forward the guide via email to patients and families
from the VITAS mobile referral app for clinicians.
“Hospice can be an important part of living the way you want to and having the quality
of life that matters to you,” the guide reassures in its opening pages. Sprinkled with com-
mon patient/family scenarios and easy-to-use checklists, the robust guide:
• Describes hospice and palliative care, and the hospice team members who provide it
• Explains who pays for hospice
• Poses sample questions for patient-family conversations
• Describes the four levels of hospice care defined by Medicare
In plain, easy-to-understand language, the guide also provides helpful tips and
resources on advance directives, advance care planning, spiritual and psychosocial sup-
port, grief, caregiving and other topics.
“It’s essential to understand that advance care planning is appropriate for adults at any
age or stage of health,” says Dr. Joseph Shega, senior vice president and chief medical offi-
cer for VITAS. “It should be an ongoing process that takes place every time a patient’s
medical condition changes. Our 'Thinking About Hospice' guide serves as an ideal foun-
dation to ask the right questions and start the conversation.”

Resources for healthcare professionals, too
VITAS encourages physicians and healthcare providers to embrace the confidence-
building SPIKES protocol for delivering difficult news and helping patients and families
understand their options for care as illness progresses.
The six-step SPIKES process (which stands for setting, perception, invitation, knowl-
edge, emotions, and strategy-summary) was developed in 2000 at MD Anderson Cancer
Center in Houston, TX. It provides clear directions for intense-but-rewarding conversa-
tions that help patients understand their disease, decide on their options for care, and
document their end-of-life wishes and preferences. VITAS has produced short SPIKES ref-
erence graphics, as well as a 20-minute video showing the entire SPIKES experience with
a patient so physicians can see the process in action.
Download a copy of the “Thinking About Hospice” guide at VITAS.com.

28 June 2020 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News