RxTraA publication for the staff of Hartford Hospital Aug. 6, 2012 Vol. 68 No. 29

August is Minority Organ Donor Awareness MonthAugust is National Minority Donor Awareness Month, which aims to educate minorities about the des-perate need for organ, eye and tis-sue donors within multicultural communities nationwide.

Minorities (including Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, American Indi-ans, Pacific Islanders and people of multiracial decent) make up 56 per-cent of the people on the national organ transplant waiting list but 36 percent of the U.S. population. Mi-norities are disproportionately af-fected by illnesses, like hyperten-sion and diabetes, which can lead to end-stage renal disease and the need for a kidney transplant.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, “successful transplantation often is enhanced by matching organs between mem-bers of the same ethnic and racial

group. Any patient is less likely to reject a kidney if it is donated by someone genetically similar. Gen-erally, people are genetically more similar to people of their own eth-nicity than to people of other races.”

In 2011, organ transplants were performed on 11,529 minority pa-tients; while there were 4,507 mi-nority donors:

• 1,995 Black organ donors and 5,857 Black recipients.

• 1,891 Hispanic organ donors and 3,923 Hispanic recipients.

• 400 Asian organ donors and 1,343 Asian recipients.

Every 10 minutes another patient is added to the waiting list, and 18 people die each day due to lack of organ donors.

Hartford Hospital encourages peo-ple from all racial and ethnic groups to become organ donors.

To register as a donor or for more information, please visit www.do-natelife.net.

Karl Herbert, Tissue Typing TechnicianRegistered Organ and Tissue Donor

“I believe we are all here to do something for others……what better thing to do than donate

something of yourself that can never be repayed?”

Yajaira Marrero, Patient LiaisonRegistered Organ and Tissue Donor

“No creo que la donación de orga-nos sea como dar una parte de ti mismo a un per-fecto desconocido

para mantenerlo vivo. Es realmente un perfecto desconocido renunciando a la casi posibilidad de si mismo para mantener una parte de ti vivo. Yo soy una sola, pero soy una. No puedo hacerlo todo, pero pu-edo hacer algo. Y no voy a dejar que lo que no puedo hacer interfiera con lo que puedo hacer. Yo soy una donante de organos, Y tu, lo eres?”

Pedro Mas-Astacio, PhysicistRegistered Organ and Tissue Donor

“I am an organ donor - thank-fully not as the result of a per-sonal tragedy, but as someone who fully enjoys

Life. In a verse from the poem entitled “En Paz” (In Peace) by Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet and Nobel Laureate: “When I planted roses, I always reaped roses” (translated). As an organ donor I will be planting roses, and the beauty that is Life goes on.”

All full time, part time and per diem employees must complete all of the required HealthStream e-learning each year by September 30.

The following are the consequences of non-completion:

• Performance rating will auto-matically be “needs improvement”

• No salary increase

• The employee will not be eligible for promotion or transfer for one year

• Under the Department of Public Health and Joint Commission com-pliance, employees will be placed under suspension without pay un-til test are completed

Exceptions are:

• Employees on an extended, ap-proved Hartford Hospital leave must complete the tests with-in three weeks of their return to work.

Please contact Wendy Picano at wpicano@harthosp.org for Clini-cal courses or contact Erica Corm-ier at ecormier@harthosp.org for Non-Clinical courses.

• New Hire employees with start dates between June 1 and Septem-ber 30 will not need to complete the required e-learning until the following September, but will be held accountable to complete all the new hire courses within 30 days of hire.

Hartford Hospital is committed to pro-viding a safe, clean and healthy environ-ment for our patients, visitors and staff.

As a responsi-ble community leader in health care, Hartford Hospital pro-vides a tobac-co-free environ-ment to reduce health risks associated with the use of tobacco products (including, but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobac-co, chewing tobacco, smokeless tobac-co, dip and snuff) and to promote and encourage healthy lifestyles through-out the community. Also prohibited on Hartford Hospital premises are electronic (smokeless) cigarettes.

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Compliance Questions or

Concerns?

If you need to obtain information

about compliance issues or raise

concerns regarding internal and

regulatory practices or policies,

please contact your supervisor or

call the ComplianceLine, a

confidential and toll-free service, at

1-855-HHC-OCAPor online at

HHC.OCAPComplianceLine.com

Electronic Cigarettes Prohibited in Hospital

Diabetes LifeCare and Preventive Cardi-

ology are cosponsoring viewings of “The

Weight of the Nation,” a 4-part HBO doc-

umentary series confronting America’s

obesity epidemic.

Part 1: Consequences - Thursday, Aug. 16

JB-118; two viewings - 12-1 and 5-6 p.m.

Part 2: Choices - Thursday, Aug. 23

JB-118; two viewings - 12-1 and 5-6 p.m.

Part 3: Children in Crisis - Thursday, Aug.

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JB-118; two viewings - 12-1 and 5-6 p.m.

Part 4: Challenges - Thursday, Sept. 6: JB-118,

5-6 p.m. OR Thursday, Sept. 13: 12-1 p.m.

The films were developed with the Cen-

ters for Disease Control and Prevention

and the National Institutes of Health.

You can register to attend the free film

showings using HealthStream (Course

title: Weight of the Nation).

For more information, and to view the

trailer, visit www.cdc.gov/Features/

WeightoftheNation.

Diabetes LifeCare and Preventive Cardiology Sponsor Showing of Documentary Series on Obesity

HealthStream e-Learning Must Be Completed By September 30

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More than 800 cyclists, runners, walkers and

exotic car enthusiasts came together July 14

for the third annual ERRACE - Everyone Ride/

Run Against Cancer Everyday (www.errace.

org). The event features a 100, 50 and 25 mile

bike ride as well as a 5K run and walk.

The group raised more than $165,000 - far

exceeding the goal. The money is split be-

tween the Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center

and Livestrong Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Sponsors were Orthopedic Associates of

Hartford, Jefferson Radiology, miles4mary,

Constitution Surgery Cen- ters, Hoff-

man Auto and The Hartford.

ERRACERS Raise $165,000 To Fight Cancer

Memorial Softball TournamentSaturday, August 18

10 a.m. - All day

IOL Softball Field

Please join us for a fund raiser in memory of fallen security officers Greg Noble and David Livingston. Proceeds will go to creating a memorial in their honor. Open to staff and family members.

Cost is $20; food and drink is included.

Please register by August 13. Contact Officer Steven Garcia at 860-545-2147 or sgarcia01@harthosp.org

Toastmasters WednesdayThere will be a meeting of Toastmasters International, a world leader in com-munication and leadership develop-ment, on Wednesday, Aug. 8 from 4-5 p.m. to in JB-118. Guests are always wel-come. Call Doug Shomo at 860-545-4202 for more information and to learn what Toastmasters can do for you, or visit http://www.toastmasters.org.

“The Flavored Olive” In Cafeteria On ThursdayThe Flavored Ol-ive will be in the Cafeteria this Thursday, Aug. 9 from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. so you can sample and pur-chase from their complete line of extra virgin olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars. A portion of each sale goes to the good works of The Auxiliary Store.

Workplace Violence Prevention WorkshopThe Safety Action Committee is offer-ing Workplace Violence Prevention and Crisis Intervention Training on Wednes-day, Aug. 8, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in Spe-cial Dining Room. Staff can enroll via HealthStream.

Bus to Foxwoods Friday Join us on a bus trip to Foxwoods this Friday, Aug. 10. The bus will leave the HH Newington Campus at 6 p.m., and depart the ca-sino at midnight,

returning to Newington at 1 a.m. Cost is $25 per person, which includes a $15 food voucher, and a $10 Keno play. Proceeds benefit our Domestic Violence program. For tickets, contact Ivana Marrero at 860-778-8086 or imarrer@harthosp.org.

Donate Your Used Scrubs August 15-17The Nursing Profes-sional Practice Council invites you to donate your gently used, clean scrubs to support stu-dents and health care workers in the Great-er Hartford community. We will be col-lecting them in the cafeteria, Aug. 15, 16, and 17, from 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m. For more info, contact Mary Kate Parker, 860-545-5478.

Are You A United Way Champion?The United Way needs department champions to help with the pledge drive in September. If you can volunteer, please contact Crestina Walker at 860-545-0001 or cbwalke@harthosp.org by Thursday, Aug. 16. Champions will be invited to our campaign kick-off break-fast on Thursday, Aug. 23 in Heublein Hall, where they will learn about this year’s campaign and receive resources to make it a success. For more informa-tion, visit the Intranet page at http://in-tranet.harthosp.org/unitedway.htm

Deadline for Award Noms Aug. 15Do you know someone, or a team of people,

who has made a significant impact with-in our organization? Please help us rec-ognize them by submitting a nomination for the “Making a Difference Together” Award. The deadline has been extended until Wednesday, Aug. 15. For more in-formation, visit http://intranet.harthosp.org/hh/docs/7435.

Register This Week for ERN’s Golf Tournament Please register by Friday, Aug. 10 for Eastern Rehabilitation Network’s (ERN) 13th Wheeling and Able Golf Classic on Sept. 11 to benefit the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, CT chapter. It will be held at the Lyman Orchards Golf Cub in Middlefield. Fees are $175 for in-dividuals and $600 for a foursome. For more information, contact ERN at 860-696-2532 or www.easternrehab.net.

Six Flags Outing Aug. 19The Employee Council is sponsoring a special family day at Six Flags. Includ-ed in the price of $39.50 ($18.75 for sea-son pass holders) is all day admission, an all you can eat lunch buffet and free parking. Use the ticket at the Summer Sizzler on Sunday, Aug. 19 or the fall fright fest on Saturday, Oct. 13. Tickets must be purchased at least seven days in advance. They will be sold in the caf-eteria on Friday Aug. 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can also buy your tickets at www.sfnepicnic.com/hhc; or contact Evette Martinez at 860-972-0046.

Macy’s Shop For a CauseHartford Hospital has partnered with Macy’s for the annual Shop for A Cause. Purchase a $5 shopping pass for exclusive savings in every Macy’s store on Saturday, Aug. 25, and Hartford Hospital gets 100% of the proceeds. You can enter to win a $500 Macy’s gift card. Contact Nicole Attardo, 860-545-1299 or nattardo@harthosp.org.

Happening at Hartford Hospital

Questions or comments about RxTra? Contact editor Annie Emanuelli at aemanuelli@harthosp.org or 860-545-2199