MMC eNews - PETAL and Tufts Faculty Awards!

 

July 31, 2023   Unit Helper Receives PETAL Award   When Unit Helper Nyjany Koda saw a new mother experience a medical emergency while holding her newborn, she sprung into action. The care she showed the patient before medical help arrived has earned her a PETAL Award. The PETAL Award recognizes, rewards and celebrates the special skills and compassionate care provided by our nursing support staff.   Nyjany’s nominator writes that Nyjany, “sat on the floor next to the mom, holding the newborn in her arms, and holding the mom's hand while help was arriving.”   Thank you, Nyjany, for the compassionate care you showed this patient, and congratulations.   Pictured from left to right: Labor and Delivery Nurse Manager Colette Dumais, RN, Vice President Patient Care Services Faye Weir, RN, Nyjany Koda, Surgical Technologist Brittany Babb, RN, Nursing Director Meghan Smith, RN.

MMC News ·        Vicky Hayes, MD, Chosen for Tufts Faculty Award ·        Food Pantry Hours Changing ·        You Can Now Add Your Pronouns to Microsoft Teams ·        High School Career Exploration Event ·        Weekly Construction Update ·        MMC in the News       Click here for all MMC News, including past eNews stories and a calendar of events.   MMC News   Vicki Hayes, MD, Chosen for Tufts Faculty Award   Vicki Hayes, MD, of the Department of Medical Education and the Journal of Maine Medical Center will receive the Tisch College of Civic Life and Tufts University School of Medicine Community Service Learning Faculty Award.   This award was established to honor an educator who demonstrates outstanding commitment to civic engagement in medical education. Dr. Hayes’ nominator specifically called out her efforts in the Doc 4 A Day program, which allows Maine high school students to engage with medical simulations, learn how to suture and spend time with medical student mentors. . Tufts will present her with the award in September.   Congratulations, Dr. Hayes!   Food Pantry Hours Changing   MaineHealth’s Food Pantry at Maine Medical Center will be reducing its open hours beginning the week of August 7. The pantry will no longer be open on Tuesdays, but will remain open weekly on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are two main factors driving this decision. The first is overwhelming demand that has far exceeded MaineHealth’s projected budget. The second is MaineHealth’s need to address federal requirements to aid patients who are identified as food insecure, and having the resources to do so. On the demand side, since opening in January 2023, the Food Pantry at MMC has been open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, distributing on average 10,000 pounds of food each day and serving roughly 350 households, representing more than 1,500 individuals. This heavy demand has far exceeded MaineHealth’s projected budget for the pantry, leading to the reduction in hours. Contributing factors beyond the overwhelming demand for services include increased food purchasing costs, reduced access to rescued foods, and a dramatic reduction of federal SNAP benefits in March, which diverted more people to the pantry for services. MaineHealth remains committed to nutrition security as a critical social determinant of health, and the reduction in hours will allow MaineHealth to continue to support patients and the community, albeit at a reduced level. Regarding the new federal requirements that address nutrition security as a social determinant of health: Regulations that go into effect in January require all inpatients at every admission to be screened for food insecurity, and to link them to resources if they are food insecure. MaineHealth will implement processes to meet these requirements this fall, and will require adequate resources through our programs, including the pantry, to focus on inpatients at MMC and Spring Harbor who screen positive for food insecurity.   You Can Now Add Your Pronouns to Microsoft Teams   In response to MaineHealth’s requests, as well as requests of many other organizations, Microsoft has added an optional pronouns field in Teams. To learn how to add your pronouns on Teams, please click here.   Although some common pronouns options are built into the new field (she/her, he/him, they/them), Microsoft has also included a free text option to allow for self-identification by those who use alternative pronouns. *Please note, the free text option is only to be used for listing pronouns.   This feature will eventually be available in Outlook, but is not available at this time.   For more information on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion resources, please visit the DEI intranet page.   High School Career Exploration Event   MaineHealth is hosting a High School Career Exploration Event on Tuesday, August 22, from 1-4 p.m. The event will take place at MaineHealth Professional Park located at 301 US-1 in Scarborough.   High school students and recent high school graduates are welcome to learn more about a variety of career pathways within MaineHealth. The day will feature guest speakers and demonstrations that provide an overview of clinical and non-clinical opportunities available in healthcare. There will also be opportunities to speak 1:1 with talent and workforce development staff as well as healthcare professionals.   Sign up here or click the image to learn more!     Weekly Construction Update   The Malone Family Tower   The Malone Family Tower project interior and exterior work continues. Manpower continues to average 235 workers on site with a peak workforce expected between 230 and 245. Last week, worker count was at 240.   Sidewalk improvements begin continue at multiple locations along Congress Street. Elevators 6 – 9 are being completed. Atrium hoist removal begins. Millwork install continues on the first floor. Finish work on the second and third floors continues and includes ceiling grid, ceramic wall tile and flooring. Interior, framing and in-wall inspections are taking place on a weekly basis on floors 4, 5 and 6.   Additionally, pre-fabricated head-walls continue to be installed in patient rooms on the fourth floor. Drywall install continues on level 4. Framing and drywall continues on patient room level 5 and SPD level 6. Electrical, mechanical infrastructure and information technology cable tray and conduits continue on multiple floors. Low voltage IT/IS cabling on multiple floors continues. Elevator work continues in cars 1, 2 and 3. Conversations surrounding punch listing areas nearing completion have started   Exterior work for the week will include the continuation of the Bean Bridge enabling work and roofing continues on level 3 and 7 as weather permits. Metal panel soffits on the bed floor overhang continues and fiber cement panels on the west façade install completes, again, weather permitting.     MMC in the News   Kinna Thakarar, MD, and Kristen Silvia, MD, spoke to The Maine Monitor about MaineHealth’s grant-funded harm reduction program Project DHARMA, as part of a story about Maine’s fight against the opioid epidemic.

MMC News is published by the Maine Medical Center Communications and Public Affairs team