Sometimes hearing medical news and information can be difficult to wrap your head around. But understanding that information can be the difference between a good outcome and a poor outcome.
Low health literacy is associated with more hospitalizations, greater use of emergency care, and higher mortality. Greg O'Neill, ChristianaCare's Patient and Family Health Education Director, and Dr. Himani Divatia, ChristianaCare's Associate Designated Institutional Official, join us to discuss the critical need for clear communication in healthcare, share examples of the Teach-Back method of understanding health instructions, and offer advice on how to better receive health information yourself.
Greg O'Neill, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, leads the strategic plan for patient education and health literacy initiatives at ChristianCare as Director of Patient & Family Health Education. In this role, O'Neill has developed a team of Nursing Professional Development Specialists who champion health literacy best practices systemwide and support all manner of patient education initiatives and vendor relationships.
Himani R. Divatia, DO, is an experienced internist, pediatrician, and hospitalist. She has been with ChristianaCare since her residency in 2015.
Links
- ChristianaCare Health Library
- ChristianaCare News - ChristianaCare Expands Health Literacy Partnership Through Support From Highmark Health
- Health Literacy Council of Delaware
The world of technology has expanded rapidly over the past few years, from video chatting to generative artificial intelligence. And while it's all become part of our day to day lives, it's also directly influencing how we receive our medical care.
For our 8th topic in our Toughest Questions in Health Care series we’re asking – "How is technology changing health care?" Randy Gaboriault, ChristianaCare's Chief Digital and Information Officer, and Dr. Tim Shiuh, ChristianaCare's Chief Health Information Officer discuss what it takes to utilize new and innovative technologies that positively impact patient care while also simplifying the work of those providing care.
Randy Gaboriault, MS, MBA, has been dubbed an “exceedingly rare, triple threat CIO” by media. IT initiatives that Randy has spearheaded have garnered numerous distinctions, which include Information Week’s “Twenty Great Ideas To Steal,” Computerworld’s “Premier 100 IT Leaders,” a four-time awardee of CIO Magazine’s “CIO 100,” and one of Becker’s Healthcare 20 Chief Digital Officers to Know.
Timothy Shiuh, M.D., MHCDS, FACEP, leads the development and implementation of a comprehensive enterprise digital health and clinical information strategy that facilitates effective, value-based, “high tech-high touch” health care delivery across the continuum of care and promotes digitally-led clinical transformation.
Links
- Health & Technology Innovation Center at ChristianaCare
- Transformational Leadership Awards Honors ChristianaCare for "Trailblazing" Innovation
- Introducing Digital Forms, Appointment Reminders and Check-In
Did you know that in 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner created the world's first successful vaccine? Since then, vaccines have greatly reduced diseases that once harmed or killed babies, children, and adults. But people all over the world still become seriously ill or even die from diseases that vaccines can help prevent. Which is why it's important to stay up-to-date on vaccinations.
On this episode of For the Love of Health, ChristianaCare Chief Infection Prevention Officer, Dr. Marci Drees, and Associate Infection Prevention Officer, Dr. Stephen Eppes join us to explain the necessity of continuing to discuss vaccinations as a whole, especially outside of outbreaks and pandemics.
Marci Drees, M.D., MS, is the Chief Infection Prevention Officer and hospital epidemiologist for ChristianaCare. Dr. Drees serves as a councilor on the Board of Trustees of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), and previously served as SHEA's liaison to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). She is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases.
Stephen Eppes, M.D., is the Associate Infection Prevention Officer and Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist at ChristianaCare. Dr. Eppes is also Co-Chair of the Immunization Coalition of Delaware.
Links
- Child Immunizations & Screenings
- ChristianaCare News - How Vaccines Can Save Your Life
- ChristianaCare News - Think Vaccines Are Just for Kids? Think Again!
- CDC - Immunization Schedule By Age (Adult)
- CDC - Immunization Schedule By Age (Child & Adolescent)
- CDC - Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
- Immunize.org - National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
- Immunization Coalition of Delaware
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the U.S. population age 65 and over grew nearly five times faster than the total population over the 100 years from 1920 to 2020. As the population ages, more people are worried about aging in place – and being safe, well and independent in their own homes.
Since 1922, ChristianaCare HomeHealth has helped neighbors in Delaware live independently and get the care they need.
On this episode of For the Love of Health, Ann Painter, President of ChristinaCare HomeHealth and Pam Szczerba, Director of Quality, Education and Risk Management for ChristianaCare HomeHealth offer valuable insights into this evolving field.
Learn about the significant shift towards home-based care and the range of services ChristianaCare Home Health has perfected over a century of dedicated service, from skilled nursing to physical therapy and medical social work.
Ann Painter has more than 25 years of experience in the home health care industry and has demonstrated exceptional skills as a transformational leader.
Pam Szczerba is director of Quality & Risk Mangement at for ChristianaCare HomeHealth. In this role, she leads the Quality & Safety and Education departments.
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High quality and safe care are two things you’d expect from any health care experience. ChristianaCare has achieved national recognitions, awards and accreditations for quality and safety. Recently, U.S. News & World Report ranked Maryland as No. 1 and Delaware as No. 2 in the nation for hospital quality. What does it all mean?
For our 7th topic in our Toughest Questions in Health Care series we’re asking – 'Why are quality and safety so important in health care?' Dr. Kert Anzilotti, ChristianaCare’s System Chief Medical Officer and Interim President of the Medical Group, and Tim Bowers, Vice President of Clinical Effectiveness at ChristianaCare discuss the organization-wide commitment to positively impact the quality and safety of care delivered by ChristianaCare caregivers to patients and the community.
Kert Anzilotti, M.D., MBA focuses on the optimization of care delivery across the health care system through strategic visioning, network development, clinical technology implementation and leveraging medical informatics.
Tim Bowers, MS, CIC, CPHQ is the vice president of Clinical Effectiveness at ChristianaCare, where he is responsible for overseeing programs within ChristianaCare dedicated to patient safety, including the logistics of preventing infections in patients.
Links
Colorectal cancer is the second most deadly cancer worldwide, equally affecting both men and women. According to the American Cancer Society, when colorectal cancer is caught early, 91% of patients survive five years or longer… however, that percentage drops significantly if the cancer has already spread to distant parts of the body before it’s found.
In this episode of For the Love of Health, Dr. Bruce Boman, medical director of Cancer Genetics and Stem Cell Biology at ChristianaCare provides invaluable perspectives on his team's research focused on finding a cure for colon cancer.
Whether you're a medical professional, a patient, or simply someone interested in the advancements in cancer treatment, this episode is a fascinating listen.
Renowned for his work in colorectal cancer, and a cancer survivor himself since 2000, Bruce M. Boman, M.D., Ph.D., is an attending physician and director for Cancer Genetics and Stem Cell Biology for ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. He also represents the Graham Cancer Center as a scientist with the Center for Translational Cancer Research.
With forward-thinking collaboration, the Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute links physicians and scientific researchers under the same roof. Working side by side, together they identify needs of individual patients at the bedside, explore solutions in the lab and translate those results directly into treatment plans as unique as the individuals who will benefit from them.
Links
- Q&A: Research Pioneer Bruce Boman Gets 'Ever Closer' to Cure for Colorectal Cancer
- ChristianaCare Scientists Discover New Link to Colon Cancer Stem Cell Growth
- ChristianaCare Colon Cancer Research
- Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, from July to December of 2022, 58.5% of adults used the internet to look for health or medical information. But while most of us have done it, is it the right approach when you need medical attention?
For the sixth episode of our “The Toughest Questions in Health Care” series, we're asking the question, "Can the internet replace primary care?" ChristianaCare Physician Executive for Core and Primary Care Dr. Priya Dixit-Patel and ChristianaCare Virtual Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Melissa VanNeerden explain why the idea of a “medical home” that provides holistic support is a better approach to foster long-term well-being. You’ll also hear how technological advances are making it easier to meet health needs in the ways that work best for individual patients.
Priyanka Dixit-Patel, MD is ChristianaCare Physician Executive for Core and Advanced Primary Care. She is a family medicine physician who specializes in primary care, gynecology and women's health.
Melissa vanNeerden, AGNP is an experienced Adult-Geriatric Nurse Practitioner at ChristianaCare Virtual Primary Care. She has been in practice since 2016 focusing on disease management and prevention.
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In 2023, ChristianaCare’s Emergency Departments treated more than 2,000 patients who were victims of violent crimes. In situations like those, a special team of nurses called Forensic Nurse Examiners provide comprehensive, trauma- informed care.
In this episode of For the Love of Health, ChristianaCare Forensic Nurse Examiner Coordinator Amy Stier and her colleague, fellow Forensic Nurse Examiner Sarah Peluso explain the vital role Forensic Nurse Examiners (FNEs) play across the country and how ChristianaCare is setting the gold standard in the field.
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If you’ve been involved in any type of fitness routine, you've likely tried exercises that focus on the body’s midsection. Maybe you’ve tried crunches or planks, but have you heard of the Row Dog or the Upside Down Turtle?
On this episode of For the Love of Health, ChristianaCare Physical Therapists Brian Catania and Travis Ross deep dive into their nationally recognized Sling Activation Sequence and why you need to be thinking about the core differently.
Brian Catania, MPT, SCS, ATC, is a physical therapist and site manager of ChristianaCare Rehabilitation Services at Glasgow who has attracted national attention for trailblazing new types of therapy.
Travis Ross, PT, DPT is an outpatient orthopedic and sports Physical Therapist at ChristianaCare in Newark, Delaware since 2006. He co-created the Sling Activation Sequence, which has been used to prevent and reduce injuries by athletes across the country.
Links
- VIDEOS: ChristianaCare Sling Activation Sequence
- VIDEOS: ChristianaCare Standing Sling Activation Sequence
- NFL Teams Use Exercises Developed by ChristianaCare to Protect Football Players from Injuries
- NFL puts core strengthening program of Delaware therapists in its playbook
- These physical therapists have a new approach for strengthening the core, and the NFL is taking notice
- For a Stable, Strong Core, Forget About Crunches
If you’ve ever received medical care, you’d likely agree the cost of care can be expensive. According to the National Health Expenditure Accounts, U.S. health care spending grew 4.1% in 2022, reaching $4.5 Trillion.
For the fifth episode of our “The Toughest Questions in Health Care” series we're asking the question, "why is the cost of health care so expensive?" ChristianaCare Chief Financial Officer Rob McMurray and ChristianaCare Chief Population Health Officer Dr. Chris Donohue-Henry share insight on health care economics. Hear how challenges are being met with pioneering solutions to reduce cost while simultaneously boosting the quality of care.
Rob McMurray is the Chief Financial Officer, responsible for the direction and oversight of all financial operations at ChristianaCare. He also has oversight of supply chain operations.
Dr. Christine Donohue-Henry, M.D., MBA is the Chief Population Health Officer at Christiana Care. She is also the President and CEO of eBrightHealth ACO. Prior to her current role, Dr. Donohue-Henry was the Chief Medical Officer, Community Care at ChristianaCare from 2017 to 2019
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