Phil Guild as 2019 Third Quarter Goodwill Award Recipient

Phil Guild as 2019 Third Quarter Goodwill Award Recipient

Phil Guild, RN, with his 2019 Third Quarter Goodwill Award.

Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home is proud to announce Phil Guild, RN, as the Third Quarter Goodwill Award recipient for 2019!

After being congratulated and presented with the award, Phil was momentarily speechless and overwhelmed with excitement. While smiling, he said, “I am very surprised!”

Laurence E. Kelly, President and CEO, presented Phil with the award November 13, during a gathering at Nate’s Café.

Interestingly, Phil was nominated for the Goodwill Award by a relative of a patient. Thanks to Phil’s efforts, not only was the patient extremely happy with the care received, but the family members were moved by Phil’s kind and caring expertise.

The family commended Phil for being gentle, patient, and compassionate. Always humble, Phil replied that he was “Just doing his job.”

Upon hearing Phil’s story, employees gave Phil a standing ovation for his heartwarming behavior. Afterwards, Phil received many positive comments, commendations, and a plaque recognizing his achievement.

“Phil is very good at what he does,” says Mr. Kelly. “It is not unusual for Phil to assist a patient in any way he can. It’s this type of quality care that makes us proud of our staff and their integrity.”

The mission of The Goodwill Award is to recognize goodwill and promote the “People Caring for People” environment toward co-workers, patients and the community of Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home.

Nominations for the award are made by Littauer employees, providers or patients, and nominees’ names are submitted to the Goodwill Committee. The winner is selected in blind format.

Congratulations, Phil! Way to go!

 

 

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About Nathan Littauer

Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home is a full-service, 74 bed acute care hospital with an 84 bed skilled nursing home. Since 1894, Nathan Littauer has provided safe, high-quality health and wellness services with a focus on securing appropriate new technologies for people residing in Upstate New York. Over the years, the hospital has expanded its services in order to offer health care that is comprehensive, accessible, and relevant to the needs of the communities they serve.  More information can be found by visiting www.nlh.org.

Wellness Words November 2019

HealthLink Littauer’sAlicia DeRuscio-Head

WELLNESS WORDS

Submitted by Alicia DeRuscio, B.S.

Community Education Assistant

 

Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy

Did you know that roughly 69 million Americans age 40 or older are affected by vestibular or inner ear dysfunction? According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), 40% of Americans suffer from dizziness or balance problems due to inner ear disorders. Depending on the type of disorder, dizziness and balance problems may be improved through vestibular rehabilitation therapy.

What Is Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy?

The Vestibular Disorders Association defines vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT), as a specialized form of therapy aimed at relieving both primary and secondary problems that result from inner ear disorders and diminish a person’s quality of life. People with vestibular problems often experience dizziness or vertigo, trouble with vision, and balance problems that are usually worse with movement.

As a result, many people limit their activity and adopt sedentary lifestyles to avoid triggering such problems. This can lead to further health concerns including decreased muscle strength, poor cardiovascular fitness and other chronic conditions. VRT can aid in combatting these secondary problems, too.

Types Of Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy

VRT is an exercise–based program that allows patients to adapt to inner ear disturbances by using other senses, such as vision and somatosensory or body sense, to compensate. Exercise plans are customized to fit each patient, depending on the type of vestibular problem and the symptoms that occur.  The three main types of VRT include habituation exercises, gaze stabilization and balance training.

Habituation is used to treat people who experience dizziness from motion or visual stimuli in the environment. Through repeated exposure to certain movements or stimuli, the brain learns to ignore signals from the inner ear that cause the dizziness. Over time, continued VRT helps reduce feelings of dizziness.

Gaze stabilization is used for people who have trouble seeing clearly and often feel as if their vision bounces around. In gaze stabilization, a person fixates their vision on an object and then moves their head around in different directions while keeping the object in sight.

The last form of VRT, balance training, helps to improve balance and steadiness to aid in performing daily activities such as cooking meals or taking a shower. Balance training incorporates different body positioning and movements, as well as visual cues to improve standing, bending, reaching, turning and walking. After establishing an exercise regimen specific to fit your needs, your audiologist or VRT therapist will also determine an exercise regimen to continue at home.

Recovery

There are many factors that can affect a person’s recovery during vestibular rehab therapy. According to the Vestibular Disorders Association, factors include:

  • The type of vestibular disorder, such as whether it affects one ear or both ears.
  • A sedentary lifestyle which can cause other health problems.
  • Pain which contributes to limited activity, as well as overall imbalance and an increased risk for falls.
  • Medications that may cause side effects including dizziness, weakness, muscle fatigue and sedation.
  • Emotional concerns such as anxiety or depression which affect a person’s ability to manage their symptoms.

Vestibular dysfunction can affect a person both physically and mentally. Taking steps to manage symptoms to better cope with the disorder will help you stay independent and improve your quality of life.

If you would like to learn more about VRT, attend a special program entitled ‘Exercise Your Ears’ presented by Dr. Mark Caffrey, Audiologist of Littauer’s Primary/Specialty Care Services, on November 13 in Littauer’s Auditorium.

You are invited to join us for a buffet-style luncheon at 11:30 for $6 or attend the presentation only at 12 noon at no charge. To attend the luncheon, call HealthLink Littauer at 518-736-1120 or email healthlink@nlh.org by November 11.  We’re your community health & wellness service of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home.

AHI Presents Littauer’s Third Winner of The Rural Health Champion Award

Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home staff member, Margaret “Maggie” Rowley, care coordination manager, was awarded the prestigious “Rural Health Champion of the Year Award” October 24. The award was presented by Executive Director of Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) and the Fulton Population Health Network (FPN), Nancy Gildersleeve, and Littauer’s Vice President of Population Health and Executive Director of the Nathan Littauer Foundation, Geoff Peck.

Executive Director of DSRIP at Adirondack Health Institute, Nancy Gildersleeve (left), Littauer’s Vice President of Population Health and Executive Director of the Nathan Littauer Foundation, Geoff Peck (right), present the Rural Health Champion Award to Care Coordination Manager of Littauer, Maggie Rowley (middle)

“I am honored and humbled,” Maggie reflects. “The credit for the award not only goes to me, but to all Nathan Littauer staff. It is a collective effort.”

To qualify for the Rural Health Champion of the Year Award, recipients must demonstrate a great amount of dedication and exceptional healthcare service to the community. Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home is proud to have distinguished three Rural Health Champions. Maggie has been an employee of Littauer for nearly three years.

“Together as a hospital, we’ve really embraced the needs of the community,” Maggie continues. “My family and friends come to Littauer. It’s very personal, and we want the community to know that we’re here to help. We work very closely with other organizations and providers in the community and our joint efforts are paramount in making a better experience for the patient.”

“Maggie has done an outstanding job by leading a team of discharge planners, community navigators, and others to reduce overutilization of the emergency room and hospital services by a challenged population,” says Dr. Frederick Goldberg, Chief Medical Officer of Littauer. “She is highly deserving of this award. These patients are among the most vulnerable that we serve. These patients struggle with navigating the healthcare system to manage their illnesses. Maggie leads by example by actively listening to the struggles and concerns of these patients with sincere empathy. Thanks to Maggie’s leadership and the efforts of her team; utilization of our emergency room by this population has been reduced by over 30 percent over the past two years.”

“She has played a crucial role in community-based care navigation and direct patient intervention,” agrees Geoff Peck, Vice President of Population Health and Executive Director of Nathan Littauer’s Foundation. “We’re very proud to have her as part of our staff.”

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About Nathan Littauer

Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home is a full-service, 74 bed acute care hospital with an 84 bed skilled nursing home. Since 1894, Nathan Littauer has provided safe, high-quality health and wellness services with a focus on securing appropriate new technologies for people residing in Upstate New York. Over the years, the hospital has expanded its services in order to offer health care that is comprehensive, accessible, and relevant to the needs of the communities they serve.  More information can be found by visiting www.nlh.org.

Meeting with Flare

October 10, 2019, Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home invited The Albany Medical Center (AMC) to state and review perinatal quality improvement processes and initiatives. Every year, the auditorium is decorated very lavishly in preparation of AMC’s arrival, as tradition. Deborah “Debbie” Fredriksen, one of Littauer’s Maternity RN’s, had gone above and beyond to make AMC’s site visit more special. She was working the night prior and spent many hours decorating the auditorium the night before the meeting. Employees and Staff of Littauer were in complete awe at how beautifully decorated the auditorium was.

“Debbie always does a fantastic job when she decorates,” said Nancy Quinlin, IBCLC, Lactation Consultant. “It is absolutely amazing what she has done. It really adds a touch of home when Albany comes to visit.”

“It is generally a very formal meeting,” says Deborah Fredriksen, RN, and Maternity Nurse. “I try to make everyone feel comfortable and right at home.”

                       Maternity’s Debbie Fredriksen with Maureen Mosher.

 

NLH on a Roll!

Babies to Benefit

GLOVERSVILLE, NY – Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home was recently recognized for the considerable vaccine rate for Hepatitis B vaccines of newborns. The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) included Littauer on their honor roll for a reported coverage rate of over 90 percent from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019.

“We educate new parents on the importance of vaccinating their children,” says Krista Sheils, MPH, RN-C, and Assistant Manager of Maternal Child Health. “We all work very hard and we’re glad to provide the best care possible for our babies.”

From left: Maternal Child Health Manager, Maureen Mosher, and Assistant Child Health Managers, Krista Sheils, and Amy Smith with honor roll certificate.

July 16, 2013, the IAC launched the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll program. The program helps recognize birthing centers and hospitals that have achieved high coverage rates for administering Hepatitis B vaccines to newborns.

The Honor Roll is a key part of IAC’s major initiative urging the nation’s hospitals to Give Birth to the End of Hep B. The initiative urges qualifying healthcare organizations to apply for the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll online.

To be included in the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll, a birthing institution must have: (1) reported a coverage rate of 90 percent or greater, over a 12-month period, for administering hepatitis B vaccine before hospital discharge to all newborns, including those whose parents refuse vaccination, and (2) implemented specific written policies, procedures, and protocols to protect all newborns from hepatitis B virus infection prior to hospital discharge.

Honorees are also awarded an 8.5″ x 11″ color certificate suitable for framing and their acceptance is announced to IAC Express’s approximately 51,000 readers. For any questions regarding vaccinations of newborns, please contact Krista M. Sheils at: (518) 775-4061 or via email: ksheils@nlh.org

“This award not only represents how much we care for our babies, but vaccinations put our babies’ best feet forward – even if they’re being carried,” says Cheryl McGrattan, Vice President of Marketing and Communications.

 

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About Nathan Littauer

Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home is a full-service, 74 bed acute care hospital with an 84 bed skilled nursing home. Since 1894, Nathan Littauer has provided safe, high-quality health and wellness services with a focus on securing appropriate new technologies for people residing in Upstate New York. Over the years, the hospital has expanded its services in order to offer health care that is comprehensive, accessible, and relevant to the needs of the communities they serve.  More information can be found by visiting www.nlh.org.