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Articles by Kelly Bothum
Home Safe Home - ChristianaCare News
With his wife, Rena, pushing his wheelchair, Tom Tartaglia rolled down the aluminum ramp outside their home in Wilmington, Delaware. “Remember to pick your feet up,” she nudged him. “You’re leading the way,” he teased back. Just a few months ago, this impromptu trip outside to feel the late-summer breeze wouldn’t have been possible. After coming home following surgery at Christiana Hospital, Tom discovered his mobility challenges impacted not only his life, but Rena’s, too.
Stay Alert About Sepsis
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body has an extreme reaction to an infection. Like falling dominoes, sepsis triggers a rapid escalation of problems that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death if not treated in time. Each year, about 1.7 million people in the United States develop sepsis, and approximately 350,000 of those people die, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Caregivers Address Legislative Hall on Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention
ChristianaCare caregivers recently spent the day in Delaware’s Legislative Hall to raise awareness about the verbal threats, physical attacks and other assaults that health care professionals in all settings endure too often as they care for patients. The participants in Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Advocacy Day included caregivers from ChristianaCare’s emergency departments, inpatient units and public safety, as well as members of the ChristianaCare Workplace Civility Steer.
ChristianaCare Caregivers Help Our Neighbors on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Original
The kits also carried inspiration. Caregivers handwrote encouraging messages that were tucked in alongside toiletries and other essentials: “You’ve got this!” “You are stronger than you know.” “This is tough. But so are you!” Other caregivers delivered the inspirations and the kits to the the Graham Cancer Center, the Union Hospital Emergency Department, New Castle County Hope Center, Inc., and other community partners.
ChristianaCare Files Lawsuit to Address Constitutional and Corporate Franchise Issues in Delaware House Bill 350
ChristianaCare has filed a lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief related to Delaware House Bill 350 (HB 350), asserting the law is unlawful and infringes on ChristianaCare’s fundamental state and federal constitutional rights and is an infringement that threatens ChristianaCare’s simple yet profound mission: to care for the community.
Junior Board Continues Legacy of Giving Back
The members of the Junior Board of ChristianaCare are well-known for the salmon-colored jackets they wear while volunteering in the hospitals and Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute. But that’s not all they do – last year, the group of nearly 180 members helped donate more than $600,000 to programs that support and advance the mission of ChristianaCare.
ChristianaCare Builds Community With Habitat for Humanity Original
ChristianaCare announced a $200,000 investment into the community through Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County. The funding will provide home repair and modifications to at least 40 income eligible patients to ensure that they will be able to continue to live safely in their homes. ChristianaCare Chief Public Affairs and Chief Health Equity Officer Bettina Tweardy Riveros announced the funding during a press conference with Gov.
Veronica's Story: The Art of Making Moms a Priority
Veronica Chandler’s north Wilmington home is her sanctuary, and it shows. From the soft instrumental music to the scent of lavender to the comfy seats that invite visitors to put up their feet, the message is clear – rest, relax, recharge. In this space, Chandler celebrates her rediscovered self, and it’s a journey she shares with all who visit.
A 'Most Delaware' Reunion, Made Possible by the Thank You Project
When a car accident on a busy North Wilmington road trapped Janet Belles inside her burning car last fall, ChristianaCare nurse Mark Maitland, RN, rushed out of his own vehicle and helped pull Belles to safety. At the time, neither expected their chance encounter would bring them together again – or that they would bring to life the popular perception that everyone in tiny Delaware knows each other.
Emmanuel Mensah, M.D., Named Chief Medical Officer, Wilmington Hospital
Emmanuel Mensah, M.D., MBA, has been appointed chief medical officer of ChristianaCare’s Wilmington Hospital, effective January 2024. In this role, Dr. Mensah serves as the senior physician executive of Wilmington Hospital, responsible for quality, safety, care standardization, clinical outcomes and patient experience across the continuum of care. He works to be the liaison between the medical staff, operational leadership and the community.
Arsalan Sheikh Named Chief Medical Officer, Union Hospital
Arsalan Sheikh, D.O., MBA, FACE, has been named chief medical officer of ChristianaCare Union Hospital. In this role, Dr. Sheikh will serve as the senior physician executive of Union Hospital, responsible for quality, safety, care standardization, clinical outcomes, and patient experience across the continuum of care. He will be the liaison between the medical staff, operational leadership and the community.
Gene Editing Institute Brings CRISPR in a Box™ to Philadelphia High School
ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute has achieved another first. On Feb. 15, the education team packed up supplies and drove to Roxborough High School in Philadelphia to teach students face-to-face how to cut a gene with CRISPR. The class marks the first time that CRISPR in a Box™, the gene editing toolkit used in the lesson, has been taught in a Philadelphia public high school. The ChristianaCare Gene Editing Institute accelerates breakthroughs in CRISPR gene editing to improve human health.
Donna Antenucci Named Vice President of Population Health Operations
Donna Antenucci, MHA, BSN, RN, has been appointed vice president of Population Health Operations for ChristianaCare. In this role, Antenucci implements Population Health strategy and programming, as well as leading its related operations, including network development, contract management, clinician engagement, quality and regulatory affairs and risk coding. She also oversees the operations functions of the Population Health analytics and informatics teams on population health-focused activity.
Valerie Cohen Named Emergency Medicine/Family Medicine Residency Program Director
Valerie Cohen, DO has been named director of the ChristianaCare Emergency Medicine/Family Medicine residency program. In this role, Dr. Cohen will be responsible for the oversight of emergency medicine/family medicine graduate medical education in the departments of Family and Community Medicine and Emergency Medicine. She will maintain her clinical work within the emergency medicine service line as well as precepting at the family medicine centers.
Alyssa Hancock Named Chief Advanced Practice Clinician for Primary Care
Alyssa Hancock MSN, APRN, FNP-C, has been appointed as chief advanced practice clinician for primary care. In this role, Hancock is responsible for providing leadership and support to advanced practice clinicians in Core Primary Care, Advanced Primary Care and Complex Primary Care and Community Medicine. She began her career at ChristianaCare in 2009 as a student nurse extern on the Wilmington campus.
Angel Tejeda Named Senior Vice President, Facilities and Support Services
Angel Tejeda, MBA, CHFM, has been appointed senior vice president of Facilities and Support Services for ChristianaCare. In this role, he will lead all aspects of ChristianaCare’s non- clinical essential services, providing strategic oversight of large-scale, multi-functional, capital project initiatives in collaboration with campus and service line leadership and organization and community stakeholders.
ChristianaCare Virtual Nursing Makes an Innovative Connection
As an acute care virtual nurse, Melanie Ries, RN, MEDSURG-BC, is never out of touch with her patients – even if she is working miles away from their bedside. With a click of her mouse, she can securely monitor a patient’s vital signs, join the care team for multidisciplinary rounds and assist with admission and discharge planning. A survey found that 78% of patients who used virtual nursing during their hospital stay liked it.
Students Explore Health Care Careers On the Road, In the Sky and Beyond
Kyais Ondari has set his sights on a career in forensic pathology, but for now, the William Penn High School senior hopes to take the first steps in his health care career as an emergency medical technician. That’s why Ondari jumped at the chance to climb inside the ChristianaCare ambulance parked outside the John H. Ammon Education Center during the 10th annual William Penn Healthcare Career Day.
ChristianaCare Announces New Board Leaders and Members
New members and leaders have been named to the ChristianaCare Health System and ChristianaCare Health Services boards, offering valuable expertise for the health system. Salvatore J. “Chip” Rossi Jr. and Paula Swain have been appointed to the ChristianaCare Health System board of directors. “The ChristianaCare Health System Board welcomes the addition of Paula and Chip, both of whom are known for their outstanding service and dedication to our community,” said Nicholas M.
ChristianaCare Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
ChristianaCare caregivers and their families marked the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 15 by packing 3,000 personal supply kits for use by our neighbors in need. Working in assembly lines at Wilmington Hospital, Christiana Hospital and ChristianaCare Union Hospital, volunteers packed toiletries, washcloths, personal care items and information about available resources.
Jasmine Patel Named Director of Operations, Delaware-Based Emergency Departments and Avenue North
Jasmine Patel, MHA, has been named director of operations for ChristianaCare’s Delaware-based emergency departments and the Avenue North campus. In this role, Patel supports system and service line annual operating plan (AOP) goals and accreditations while also conducting strategic planning, program development and implementation of new processes for managing flow and optimize resources.
Invisible Wounds: Violence Wreaks 'Havoc' on Health
Statistics present a sobering tally of the devastation caused by gun violence around the country and close to home. More than half of U.S. adults have experienced a gun-related incident, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Gun deaths are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 1 and 20, according to The New England Journal of Medicine.
Caregivers Strike Up Friendships - With Fun to Spare
Tom Gay didn’t know anyone in the ChristianaCare bowling league when he joined in 2008, soon after taking a job a medical assistant and data specialist with the Kidney Transplant Program. At the time, he didn’t really know how to bowl – but throwing strikes wasn’t exactly his goal. “It was really about meeting everybody,” Gay said. In the last 15 years, he’s certainly made some progress with the pins.
Harrington Minority Physician Awards Honor Work to Advance Health Equity
Five ChristianaCare physicians were recently honored by the Harrington Trust for their demonstrated commitment to caring for underserved and disadvantaged communities. The inaugural Harrington Minority Physician Award recognizes ChristianaCare physicians from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in medicine and who have dedicated their careers to advancing health equity through their clinical work, mentorship and academic service.
Marcin Jankowski Appointed Vice Chair, Department of Surgery
Marcin Jankowski, D.O., MBA, FACS, CPHQ, has been named vice chair for surgical quality, patient safety and performance improvement for the Department of Surgery. Jankowski has served as the medical director for surgical outcomes and research since November 2019, providing leadership, oversight and guidance to numerous quality and patient safety initiatives in the department and systemwide.
Uncovering a Piece of History
A large painting of the old Riverside Hospital in Wilmington hangs behind the desk in Scott Rickards’ Avenue North office in the Contact Center. Also displayed, albeit in a much less conspicuous spot, is a small, framed photo of an older couple holding an infant – Rickards’ own grandparents cradling him as a baby. As it turns out, there’s a special connection between the two images, one that blends Rickards’ personal and professional lives.
Jeanana Lloyd Appointed Vice President of Talent Development
Jeanana Lloyd, MA, has been named vice president of talent development for ChristianaCare. In her new role, Lloyd and her team are responsible for the development and execution of the enterprise strategy for leadership development, performance management, succession planning and talent management programs. Since joining ChristianaCare in 2015 as a talent advisor, Lloyd has centered her work around talent development, succession planning and executive coaching.
ChristianaCare CVCCC Hits Grand Slam With 4th Consecutive Beacon Award
For the fourth consecutive time, ChristianaCare’s Cardiovascular Critical Care Complex (CVCCC) has earned a gold-level Beacon Award from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. The award recognizes the CVCCC’s caregiver-driven excellence to maintain optimal patient outcomes, support interprofessional involvement in the unit’s ongoing quality improvement work and create an environment where caregivers feel proud to serve.
Jaqueline Ortiz Honored for Increasing Patient Access to Interpreter Services
Fifty-eight years ago, a young man from Argentina wound up in surgery at a California hospital after stomach pains turned out to be peritonitis, a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal wall. He was discharged to his wife’s care, with one problem — neither the man nor his wife had any idea how to care for the open wound in his abdomen.
Medical Assistant Academy Prepares Employees for New Careers
When Nyre Tilghman went back to school as part of a career change, she didn’t have to worry about how she would juggle her time in the classroom and at work. That’s because for Tilghman and the other participants in ChristianaCare’s Medical Assistant Academy, attending classes at Delaware Technical Community College was part of the job.
Volunteers Make the Good as New Shop a Bargain — and a Treasure - ChristianaCare News
The Good as New Shop is at 213 North St., Elkton, Maryland, 21921. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays. Here’s a look at what you can find for sale: Eight-piece settings of fine china. Never-worn cocktail dress with the price tag still attached. Fall home décor and, for a touch of whimsy, an entire collection of porcelain clowns. Coffee mugs, beer steins, crystal flutes and drinking glasses.
Team Daisy Awards Celebrate Compassion and Extraordinary Care
For providing exceptional care to patients and their families, two ChristianaCare teams — the Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit and the Center for Reconstructive Plastic Surgery — have earned the DAISY Team Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The DAISY Team Award recognizes teamwork and patient- and family-centered care that make a positive, measurable impact. The international DAISY Award program honors skillful and compassionate nursing care.
Sonja Bowman Honored With ROSE Award
Patient care technician Sonja Bowman, of the Newark campus, has received the ChristianaCare ROSE Award. ROSE stands for Raising Our Standard of Excellence, recognizing outstanding partners in nursing who help deliver compassionate, excellent care to patients and families. “Every single day, no matter what is going on or how stressful the workday may be, Sonja comes in with a positive attitude. She lights up the unit and every room she walks into.
Wilmington Hospital Emergency Department Earns Lantern Award for World-Class Excellence
ChristianaCare’s Wilmington Hospital Emergency Department is one of 53 emergency departments around the world to receive the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Lantern Award for 2023, recognizing the excellence of its caregivers in incorporating evidence-based practice and innovation. The ENA Lantern Award celebrates emergency departments that demonstrate exceptional leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research performance.
Jennifer Peticacis Honored With DAISY Award
Jennifer Peticacis, BSN, RN, of Christiana Hospital, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Peticacis was nominated for the extra kindness and attentiveness she displayed on her overnight shift, making sure her patient was comfortable after being admitted for severe preeclampsia and also supporting her patient’s husband during a scary time for both. “She truly strived to make my wife’s time there as pleasant as possible.
Madison Pritt Honored With DAISY Award
Madison Pritt, BSN, RN, of Wilmington Hospital, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Pritt, who works on 7S, was nominated for prompt, attentive care and comforting kindness she showed a patient recovering from surgery. “I am not an easy patient to have. I don’t like having to ask for help. I don’t like being dependent on anyone else. Having major abdominal surgery put me in a position where I had no choice.
Ashley Janocha Honored With DAISY Award
Ashley Janocha, BSN, RN, of Christiana Hospital, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Janocha, who works on 5B, was nominated by a patient’s son who called her “the embodiment of what nurses should aspire to.” In his nomination letter, the son said he watched Janocha care for his father with compassionate care in the hospital for a week.
Anna Filip Appointed Family Medicine Residency Program Director, Department of Family & Community Medicine
Anna Filip, M.D., FAAFP, has been named ChristianaCare Family Medicine Residency program director. In this new role, Filip is responsible for the oversight of family medicine graduate medical education in the Department of Family & Community Medicine, focusing on recruitment and retention, accreditation and innovative curriculum transformation.
Erin Kavanaugh Appointed Chair, Department of Family & Community Medicine and Physician Executive, Complex and Community Care
Erin Kavanaugh, M.D., FAAFP, has been named chair of the ChristianaCare Department of Family & Community Medicine and physician executive of Complex and Community Care. In her role as chair, Kavanaugh is responsible for fostering a vibrant, successful academic workplace culture. This includes managing the affairs of the department related to faculty physician performance, credentialing, peer review, education, research and scholarly activity and administration of related academic programming.
HBCU Students See Their Future in Health Care
Delaney Leonard’s internship this summer with ChristianaCare helped the Howard University sophomore learn about the work of Community Health and its expansive role in supporting education, awareness and access to health care for all people. Just as importantly, the experience also taught Leonard about herself. Over the summer, Leonard hung out with the kids of Camp Fresh, which teaches youth how to become advocates for improving the health of their neighborhoods.
Arnita Ridgeway-Henry, Service Assistant, Environmental Services
For Arnita Ridgeway-Henry, cleaning a patient’s room means more than changing the bedsheets, emptying the trash and sanitizing surfaces. Those are the big things, of course, but Ridgeway-Henry knows the little things also matter, like greeting patients with a smile, making them feel seen – and heard – and recognizing when someone might need a pick-me-up just because.
Kimberly's Story: Hospital Care at Home
Kimberly Wellman is a stay-at-home mom who usually uses social media to document funny things in her household, like her snoring senior dog, Mia, or the neighborhood skunk that scared a driver dropping off a package. But when Wellman was hospitalized with COVID-19 last fall, she liked the experience so much she made a TikTok about it. Despite needing inpatient hospital care, Wellman slept in her own bed. She snuggled with Mia.
Jessica Aliff Honored With DAISY Award
Jessica Aliff, BSN, RN, of Christiana Hospital, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Aliff, who works on the Medical Intensive Care Unit, was nominated for the dedication and caring attitude she provided to a patient — and his family — before his death. “Jess was probably the best nurse we could have ever asked for to take care of our loved one on his last day on earth. “She went out of her way to shave his face, wash his hair and make him look as good as he could for us.
Megan O'Hara Honored by Delaware Legislature for Maternal Mental Health Efforts
Megan O’Hara, LCSW, PMH-C, of the Center for Women’s Emotional Wellness, was honored by the Delaware General Assembly in May for her outstanding work in maternal mental health and her ongoing efforts to increase awareness about the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders in pregnant and postpartum people.
Robotic Surgery Offers Maximum Benefit With Minimal Downtime
Looking back, there’s only one thing Elizabeth Garvin would change about her minimally invasive hernia repair surgery at ChristianaCare’s Hernia Center. “I would have done it sooner,” said Garvin, who underwent an abdominal wall reconstruction on Jan. 13 after living with two hernias that developed after her colon ruptured in 2020.
Saying 'Thank You' for Lifesaving Stroke Care
One year after she arrived comatose by helicopter after a blood vessel ruptured in her brain, Gretchen Dejter walked without assistance into Christiana Hospital to personally thank the people who saved her life. She wrapped caregivers in tight hugs, smiling as she wiped away tears. With each embrace, she pressed a small keepsake into each of their hands — a card with a picture of a starfish and a story about how one person can make a difference.
The Return of Camp Scrubs
For 12-year-old Michael Bilski, Camp Scrubs at Union Hospital really lived up to its name. He and his fellow campers helped paint inspirational messages on the windows above the High Street walkway, then took turns delivering lunch trays to patient rooms.
Danielle Forrest Honored With Rose Award
Danielle Forrest, a homemaker with ChristianaCare HomeHealth, has received a ROSE Award after being nominated by a patient and also a family member of another patient. ROSE stands for Raising Our Standard of Excellence, recognizing outstanding partners in nursing who help deliver compassionate, excellent care to patients and families. “Danielle is very considerate, friendly, and does anything asked of her,” the patient wrote.
Jacinta Iheanacho Honored With DAISY Award
Jacinta “JC” Iheanacho, MSN, BSN, RN, of Wilmington Hospital, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Iheanacho was nominated for the attentive care and enthusiasm she displayed when a patient needed to pass a swallow test but had been unsuccessful despite multiple attempts. “The next day, when I arrived, JC came running into the room full of excitement,” wrote the patient’s daughter, who nominated Iheanacho.
Hyang Suk Kim Honored With DAISY Award
Hyang Suk Kim, RN, a nurse working in Smyrna, Delaware, for ChristianaCare HomeHealth, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Kim was nominated by Carol Capobianco, who has seen the improvements in her daughter Gia as a result of her care. In her nomination letter, Capobianco said Gia was born premature and weighed just over 1 1/2 pounds. She required a feeding tube to eat and a tracheostomy to assist with her breathing.
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