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VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York - VISN 2
January - March 2008
Network 2
- Miss Linda Hobbick, RN, MSN has been selected as the VISN 2 Director, Geriatrics and Extended Care. Welcome Linda!!!
If you have any questions or concerns,
feel free to contact Linda.
Albany VAMC
- The Albany Infection Prevention team recently held a poster contest related to the MRSA initiative. The GEC Community Living Center, Victory Lane, was the winning entry featuring both staff and residents of the unit. Posters were judged on originality of subject material, cleverness of slogan and suitability for hospital display. Congratulations to the Victory Lane team!
Bath VAMC
- Debra Roe, RN, Bath Care Coordinator spoke with a veteran who wanted to say how grateful he was to be using Health Buddy. He stated at first he thought it was kind of a “gimmick”. Now after using Health Buddy to monitor his Diabetes, he has found that it is a daily reminder to him and encourages him to live a healthy lifestyle. He stated that because he is being provided with constant education that he’s much more alert to his intake, exercise and overall care of himself. Deb says that “It’s always great to know that we are making a difference and that our veterans are benefiting.”
- Sharon Domm who is the GEC AO from the Bath VAMC recently completed her Genesis Program. Her project focus was on Monitoring Wound Care products.
- On February 7, Bath VAMC held an OEF/OIF Welcome Home luncheon for the National Guard unit out of Hornell, NY. The 222nd Military Police Unit recently returned from deployment in the Middle East. In addition to the luncheon, enrollment, physicals and counseling on benefits, health care services and employment opportunities were made available. On February 10, members of Bath VAMC leadership will attend a ceremony at the Guard unit in Hornell, NY.
Canandaigua VAMC
- We have received quite a bit of attention recently for our use of the Nintendo Wii system with our veterans. Not only have area newspapers printed stories about our creative integration of the game system into veterans treatment regimes, R News ran a feature on our use of the Wii system.
- 2008 Secretary's Award for Excellence in Nursing
Left to Right:
Registered Nurse (Staff Role): John Kerr, RN:
BVAC Canandaigua
Registered Nurse (Expanded Role): Diane West, RN, MS:
Associate Chief Nurse for Long Term Care
Licensed Practical Nurse: Connie Eddy, LPN:
GEC 3A Garden View Community Living Center
Nursing Assistant: Tina Notebaert, NA:
GEC 8A Pleasures in Past Times Community Living Center
Congratulations to all of you!
- 7B would like to recognize Richard Vest as their employee of the month. Richard, a NA on 33A, has gone over to 7B a number of times for coverage during SL. They would like to thank him for his assistance!
- There were several local events during the “Cover the Uninsured Week”. Nina Mottern represented the Veterans Administration at the Rochester Patient Assistance Program where providers could learn how to help uninsured or underinsured patients.
- Nina also was a speaker at a Community Forum sponsored by the NYS Department of Health. The forums allow caregivers, family members, health and social service providers and other community members to share stories and experiences about caring for and providing services to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Syracuse VAMC
- An abstract authored by Dr. Abid Iraqi, Medical Director for Syracuse GEC/Community Living Center, and Terry Lynn Hughes, MS, RN, Clinical Nurse Specialist, has been accepted for poster presentation at the American Medical Directors Association annual conference March 6-9 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Entitled “A Case Report of Nightmares with Memantine Use,” the poster describes a patient with worsening dementia who developed nightmares with memantine.
Dr. Iraqi and Mrs. Hughes have also had two additional abstracts accepted for poster presentation at the American Geriatrics Society’s annual scientific meeting April 30-May 4 in Washington, D.C.
WNY VAMC
- The VA Medical Center in Batavia celebrated their 2nd Annual “Festival of Lights” on Dec. 13th, 2007. The snow stopped just in time for a perfect winter evening for resident veterans from the Community Living Centers to enjoy the holiday display outdoors. The event was planned by the Recreation Dept. and the Nursing staff from Pine Lodge/Community Living Center, and to provide the opportunity for veterans to enjoy holiday light displays “right in their own back yard”. Right after dinner, volunteers and employees wheeled veterans outside to view the light display that was located behind the main buildings. The gazebo/picnic area was transformed into a delightful display that included candy cane pathways, a carousel of winter animals, Santa on a motorcycle, light displays of all sizes, and all to Christmas music playing in the background. The fresh snow provided the perfect background for this evening.
Once the parade through the displays concluded, veterans were joined in the Recreation Hall by Boy Scout Pack 6467 – Pembroke, NY, who served Hot Chocolate and cookies to everyone. The Pack members of Tigers, Wolves, Bears and Webelos, joined by Boy Scout Den Chiefs, did a reading of the Night Before Christmas, and passed out gift bags of candy to the Veterans. A spontaneous “Best Dressed Scout Contest” occurred as several veterans who were former Eagle Scouts themselves, commented on how well dressed all the boys were in their uniforms .Christmas Carols were then lead by the “Merry Carolers of Genesee County”, a group of singers from various churches in Genesee county. The songs had everyone involved from toddlers to elders, and finished off the evening by offering the residents the opportunity to be part of all the usual community Christmas festivities right at their own home.
- Deloris M. Fields was recently selected as the dementia care manager (social worker) for the new initiative in Dementia Care. She joins with Susan Engel, RN, MSN, (Dementia Care Manager) as the first Nurse/Social Worker Dementia Manager Team. They will be involved with the new VA initiative on Dementia Care, involving the RAPID program (Recognizing and Assessing the Progression of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia).
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| Reviewed/Updated Date: May 19, 2008 |
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