Littauer’s Dr. James Anania, volunteers time to help children overcome a lifetime of stigma

Dr. James Anania will travel to Vietnam to help perform surgeries on children with isolating injuries and deformities.

Dr. James Anania an Anesthesiologist at Nathan Littauer will be leaving forVietnam January 4, 2012 as a volunteer for the NGOs (Non Governmental Organization) Smile Train and ReSurge International. He will be assisting people -especially children who need surgery. When not at the Surgery Center at Nathan Littauer Hospital, he frequently volunteers his time to travel to under served areas throughout the world. This is his third trip for the organization. He has also traveled to Peru. “Dr. Anania has traveled to some of the most economically-challenged countries in the world to help deliver surgeries.” stated Mr. Laurence E. Kelly, Littauer’s CEO and President. He added, “I know he will be working under exhausting conditions to transform lives. We are immensely proud of Dr. Anania’s contributions to our region and to the world.

Dr. Anania is part of ReSurge International (formerly Interplast). The organization works with Smile Train and other NGO’s “to restore the health and dreams to children and adults with deformities and injuries (such as disabling burns and clefts) so they can go to school, return to work to care for their families and be productive members of society. They also build surgical capacity in underserved areas to increase year-round access to surgical care. ReSurge mission is to reduce global suffering and poverty by giving more and more patients a second chance for a normal, productive life.”Dr. Anania states that despite the exhausting schedule and challenging setting, he feels truly rewarded when he meets the patients and their grateful families. He explains, “The family members are very appreciative. This is truly life-changing. These kids tend to be ostracized and these surgeries are a new lease on life for them.”

An avid photographer, Dr. Anania will be taking pictures of his journey which will be posted on the hospital’s Facebook site. He summarizes, “I like to do this. This is where medicine can change a person’s life. And these are extremely poor people.” He added, “I am satisfied to know that I played a direct role in changing somebody’s life.”

Dr. Anania is expected to return to Nathan Littauer January 21, 2013.

New food program first of its kind for region

Gloversville, NY — Nathan Littauer Hospital and its Nutritional Services has recently launched a new food service program, “Expressly For You, Personal Service Dining by Sodexo™”. After a few months of testing, the system is now fully operational for every patient in the hospital. “This really sets us apart from other healthcare facilities in our region” stated Tim Forte, the General Manager of Nutrition Services for Littauer who also spearheaded the program. He added “Hospital food is the subject of a lot of late-night comedy routines, but our team is working hard to change that image. We have already seen a big difference in our patient’s reaction to our food using the Expressly For You Program.”

Reporters and food critics joined us in a patient room to try our new food service program.

The program is centered on one-on-one attention with a nutritional services staff person, called an Ambassador. Upon arrival to the hospital a patient is provided with a menu while nutritional information is received from the admitting physician into a central computer system. Soon after, the hospital ambassador meets with the patient to review the upcoming meals and their preferences. Then the patient orders from a menu which changes every three weeks. The ambassadors are equipped with a handheld computer and the ordering is done in real-time. As the ambassador orders something bedside, the order is instantly received by the kitchen and preparation begins at once. “This way our food is hotter.” stated Scott Norris, the hospital’s Executive Chef. Designed not to be obtrusive and with a focus on efficiency, each patient sees an Ambassador six times a day. Mr. Norris explains further, “This goes beyond room service- because we provide face-to-face interaction. Instead of picking up the phone to order food each patient gets a person who visits them, who is trained in customer service and eager to help.”

Food critic, Anita Hanaburg works with our Ambassador to order her meal

“Gone are the days of tray lines” stated Mr. Forte. Mr. Forte goes on to state, “Now everything is about real-time.” He also has observed, “Our staff has responded well to the change. Some people who were behind the scenes in our kitchen are now working directly with our patients and enjoying the interaction.”

As a part of Sodexo Healthcare the hospital is the only one in the Upstate New York region using this program.  Tim said, “The project required a complete overhaul of the kitchen at Littauer. It was no easy task.”

The program has been well received by the patients. The hospital reports that patient satisfaction scores in the category of “Courtesy of the person serving the food” has risen by 40 percentile points. One patient who was admitted last week explained, “The food was actually good. I almost hate to leave.”

In addition to a better food experience, Expressly For You also increases patient safety by strictly adhering to patient dietary restrictions. The system double checks patient food compatibility, allergies, intolerances and automatically filters out any contraindicated foods.

Our new system goes beyond room service

Tim Forte concluded, “I am really proud to have reached this goal. But in the end it is the patient who will benefit the most.”

Additional Facts:

1. NLH serves 1,000 meals daily.

2. All of the menu items are approved by Sodexo Healthcare and also approved by the clinical dietitian team at Littauer.

3. The hospital has 96 hours of food on hand on any given day in the event of an emergency.

“Jackie Ruggeri inspires everyone around her”

LITTAUER ANNOUNCES EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER
“Jackie Ruggeri inspires everyone around her”

Jackie Ruggeri works in Littauer’s Department of Care Coordination as a Care Coordination Assistant. Jackie has been with Littauer for over 10 years. One of her colleagues stated, “Whether it is contacting insurance companies to payroll to copying a chart, she does it with grace and effortlessness.  When dealing with insurance companies on a daily basis she represents herself and the facility in an exceptionally professional manner.”  Known for her good attitude, her manager explained, “Jackie is the embodiment of a great attitude. She inspires everyone around her with her dedication and caring. She is very well organized, diligent in her work, easily reachable and always on time.” One of our nurses explained, “She is a quiet hero. She is in the trenches everyday; ensuring loose ends are tied up and safety nets are in place for our patients.”

Mr. Kelly agreed noting, “Jackie certainly deserves our thanks and appreciation.”  Many people gathered at the celebration undoubtedly agreed as they clapped and cheered when her name was read.  Jackie upon learning of the award stated, “I was very surprised to get this award. It means a lot to me because I try to do my job to the best of my ability.  It helps when you have great co-workers around you and that NLH is a great place to work.”

Employee of the Quarter is a function of the Nathan Littauer Goodwill Committee. The employee-led initiative strives to improve the patient experience by recognizing outstanding employees at every level in their network.  Employees receive a plaque, preferred parking and a gift certificate.

Nathan Littauer raised $4,800 this year in their annual basket raffle for Fulmont. Now in its 12th year, Littauer has donated over $40,000 to the agency.

The Fulmont Community Action Agency announced today a donation they received from Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home. A check in the amount of $4,800.00 was presented to Denis E. Wilson, Sr., Executive Director of the Fulmont Community Action Agency, Inc., during a short presentation at the hospital last month.

In response to the donation, Mr. Wilson said, “I would like to thank the employees of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home for their continuing generosity to our agency, as well as the Courtesy Council for organizing this event again this year.” The project called “Kozy Coats” is an initiative of the hospital’s Courtesy Council and it includes a basket raffle in which all proceeds are donated to Fulmont Community Action Agency, Inc., Community Services division. Over 25 different departments each donated baskets this year. In turn, the proceeds are used to buy outer wear for local children. Last year, their efforts clothed 142 children. Susan Kiernan, Vice President of Development stated, “Our employees always make such creative and generous donations to this community. They are remarkable. As an entirely- led initiative, their support of our community should be commended.”

Now in its twelfth year, Nathan Littauer’s Kozy Coat project has raised over $40,000 since its inception. “The numbers are staggering.” said Hospital Spokesperson, Cheryl McGrattan. “The employees are beyond generous, giving large ticket items for the raffle. And they have fun doing it.”

“Fulmont depends on the kindness and generosity of donors such as Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home to continue to provide quality services to low income families in our community,” said Denis Wilson. “On behalf of the hundreds of children who have reaped the benefits of the Kozy Coats Program over the years, I’d like to thank you all for your kindness.”