Phelps Named a Screening Center of Excellence by the Lung Cancer Alliance
Phelps has been named a Screening Center of Excellence by the Lung Cancer Alliance, joining a network of more than 250 screening centers across the U.S. committed to responsible lung cancer screening. The Lung Cancer Alliance is the oldest and leading non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives and advancing research by empowering those living with or at risk for lung cancer. “Phelps is dedicated to providing patients with the highest quality care, and we are thrilled to be part of this elite group,” says Avraham Merav, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Phelps and Director of the Westchester Lung Nodule Center. “Low-dose CT screening has shown to be the only proven method to detect lung cancer at an early and treatable stage.”
Each of the Lung Cancer Alliance Screening Centers of Excellence is required to:
1. Provide clear information on the risks and benefits of CT screening
2. Comply with standards based on the most up-to-date best practices for managing screening quality, radiation dose and diagnostic procedures
3. Work collectively as a multi-disciplinary team or refer patients as appropriate to a multidisciplinary team to carry out the process of screening, diagnosis and continuum of care
4. Refer patients who still smoke to a smoking cessation program
5. Provide results of the screening scans to the patient or referring physician as appropriate in a timely manner
These standards are based on best practices developed by professional bodies including the American College of Radiology, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program.
Phelps Earns ‘Top Performer on Key Quality Measures®’ Recognition from The Joint Commission
Phelps has been recognized as a 2014 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in the United States. The recognition is based on the hospital’s success in attaining and sustaining excellence in six areas of measurable performance: heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, hospital-based psychiatric care and immunizations.
Phelps is one of only 1,043 hospitals out of more than 3,300 eligible hospitals in the United States to achieve the 2014 Top Performer distinction and one of only four in Westchester County. Phelps was recognized as a 2013 Top Performer last year in the categories of heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care.
To be named a Top Performer, Phelps had to meet the following performance criteria based on 2014 accountability measure data:
• Achieve cumulative performance of 95 percent or above across all reported accountability measures;
• Achieve performance of 95 percent or above on every reported accountability measure with a minimum of 30 applicable cases; and
• Have at least one core measure set with a composite rate of 95 percent or above, and within that set, achieve a performance rate of 95 percent or above on all applicable accountability measures.
“For the staff at Phelps, quality and patient safety are the number-one priority. We strive to achieve positive patient outcomes by following care processes that have been proven effective,” says Daniel Blum, Phelps President & CEO. “It is gratifying to be named a Top Performer, because it validates the teamwork, knowledge and dedication of all who care for our patients.”
Phelps Memorial Hospital Center Achieves Niche “Exemplar” Status for Its Efforts to Improve Care for Older Adult Patients
Phelps has achieved “Exemplar” status, the highest of four possible program levels, for its NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) program, designed to help nurses provide specialized care to patients age 65 and older. The “Exemplar” status recognizes Phelps’ ongoing, high-level dedication to providing the highest quality, most appropriate care to older adults. Phelps is one of only 10 hospitals in New York State to achieve this status.
The Exemplar status was attained following a rigorous evaluation of Phelps’ current NICHE program and its future goals for the program. The requirements include implementing the NICHE Geriatric Resource Nurse (GRN) model and evidence-based protocols on all applicable hospital units; applying aging-sensitive policies; incorporating input from patients, families and other healthcare providers in the development and execution of NICHE initiatives; and assuming regional and national leadership roles.
“The NICHE designation and the ‘Exemplar’ status signal our resolve to provide high-quality, patient-centered care for older adults,” says Cheryl Burke, MS, MBA, RN-BC, WCC, NICHE coordinator at Phelps. “Through our participation in the NICHE program, we are able to offer approaches that promote better outcomes, positive experiences, and improved care for our older patients. This leads to greater satisfaction rates for our patients, their families and our staff.”
NICHE is an international program based at NYU College of Nursing whose mission is to provide principles and tools to stimulate a change in culture in healthcare facilities to enable them to achieve patient-centered care for older adults. There are more than 620 hospitals and healthcare organizations from the U.S., Canada, Bermuda and Singapore in the NICHE network.
Phelps Receives Accreditation in Echocardiography from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission
The Phelps Cardiovascular Laboratory has been granted a three-year term of accreditation in echocardiography in the areas of adult transthoracic testing, adult transesophageal testing and adult stress testing by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). The lab is fully accredited in all of the cardiovascular testing services it provides.
IAC accreditation followed a thorough review of the lab’s operational and technical components by a panel of experts. The IAC grants accreditation only to facilities that are found to provide quality patient care in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process including detailed case study review.
Early detection of life-threatening heart disorders and other diseases is possible through the use of echocardiography procedures. There are many facets that contribute to an accurate diagnosis based on echocardiography testing: the skill of the sonographer performing the exam, the type of equipment used, the background and knowledge of the interpreting physician, and the quality assurance measures in place.
“I feel that this accreditation is an affirmation of our department’s high-quality standards. It reflects the excellence in echocardiography that our staff and physicians demonstrate daily,” says Tim Wages, Senior Administrative Director of Ancillary Services at Phelps.
Two Phelps Physicians Named “Doctors of Distinction”
Two Phelps Memorial Hospital Center physicians were honored at the third annual “Doctors of Distinction” awards ceremony in October, held at the Bristal in Armonk and sponsored by Westfair Communications and Citrin Cooperman.
“We are particularly proud that two of the six doctors honored this year are members of the Phelps medical staff,” said Daniel Blum, Phelps President and CEO. “Our congratulations go to all the honorees, but especially to Dr. Mark Russakoff and Dr. Craig Zalvan for these well-deserved awards.”
Dr. Russakoff, who received the “Leadership in Medical Advocacy Award,” has served as director of psychiatry at Phelps since 1994, where he has overseen the development of Phelps’ inpatient chemical dependency rehabilitation services and the expansion of outpatient substance abuse services. Prior to joining Phelps, he was the deputy and clinical director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute, a hospital and research institution. He is chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Psychiatric Society of Westchester and chairman of the Committee on Economic Affairs of the New York State Psychiatric Association.
Dr. Zalvan, a laryngologist and medical director of the Institute for Voice and Swallowing Disorders at Phelps, which he helped create, received the “Humanitarian Award.” Throughout the year, Dr. Zalvan performs free screenings to area residents to identify disorders of the throat. He provides treatment to the underserved and uninsured not only in this region, but also in Peru and Ecuador, where he has volunteered numerous times, providing surgery for cleft lips and palates and vocal disorders. In April 2015 he led a team to Lima, Peru, to teach current U.S. laryngology techniques to Peruvian ENT physicians.
