NYPress
The newsletter for employees and friends of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital • Volume 16, Issue 6 • June/July 2014
All in a Day’s Work
Living Our Culture of Respect,
Teamwork, Excellence, Empathy,
Innovation, and Responsibility
— story on page 4
Inside This Issue
Who won the Steps
Challenge?
p. 3
Heroic NYPD officer
goes home
p. 11
Hit TV show starring
NYP returns
p. 16
Editor’s Clarification:
Social Work and Patient Flow
Last month’s NYPress included an article on
patient flow. As the article discussed, everyone
at the Hospital plays a role in patient flow.
One vital group, however, was inadvertently
not included in the discussion of different
departments’ contributions. Social workers – an
integral part of the interdisciplinary team – are
essential in efforts to improve patient flow
throughout the continuum. When a patient is
admitted, social workers conduct dischargeplanning assessments to help predict what the
patient needs for a smooth and safe transition
from the Hospital to their discharge destination. Social workers evaluate a patient’s capacity
for self-care and their need for post-discharge
services. Those services may include arranging
for skilled nursing facilities, acute rehabilitation, or home care services. The skills and
expertise of social workers are often vital in
surmounting challenges presented by the complexity of many patient cases and constructing
safe discharge plans as expeditiously as possible. This is in addition to providing emotional
support to patients during one of the most
stressful times of their lives.
A Message from Dr. Corwin and Dr. Kelly
A
s the summer begins, we want to again applaud and thank everyone
on the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital team – our physicians, nurses,
managers, staff, as well as our Trustees – for an incredibly successful Joint
Commission Survey! This was the largest survey of its kind in the country –
an unprecedented 13 surveyors who spent five days visiting all six of our
campuses and ambulatory sites. We were surveyed by a sophisticated and
seasoned team of physicians, nurses, and administrators. They spent an entire
week observing how we care for patients, reviewing our practices and processes,
and speaking with all levels of staff across all of our patient care sites.
Congratulations! Your efforts and extraordinary commitment to delivering
highly reliable, patient-centered care were not only recognized by all of the
surveyors, but were commended, and in many cases, considered “best practice.”
It was clear to the survey team that NewYork-Presbyterian has a unique culture
in which staff are engaged and dedicated to We Put Patients First every day.
We are extremely proud and grateful for all that you have accomplished
for our patients and families and feel privileged to be a part of this amazing
organization. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy summer.
Steven J. Corwin, MD
Chief Executive Officer
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Robert E. Kelly, MD
President
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
In recognition of Support Services Week, held in June, Dr. Corwin and Dr. Kelly participated in Walk In Our Shoes, a program that allows a senior leader to work alongside a front-line employee for an hour to learn more about his or her role at the
Hospital. Dr. Corwin (top photo) joined Patrice Whitely from Environmental Services
at NYP/Columbia, while Dr. Kelly (bottom photo), joined Patrick Brice and others in
Food Services at NYP/Lower Manhattan Hospital. See more photos on page 12.
Heard at CEO Town Hall Meeting with Dr. Corwin
NYPress
Volume 16, Issue 6
June/July 2014
NYPress is published by the
Public Affairs Department.
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Photography by John Abbott, Janet
Charles, Brad Hess, Richard Lobell,
Charles Manley, Michael Nelson,
Lynn Saville, NYP Media Services,
Rene Perez, and John Vecchiolla.
Current and past issues of NYPress
are available on the Infonet,
infonet.nyp.org/nypress.
To submit ideas to NYPress,
email nypress@nyp.org.
© NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
NYPress 2 JUNE/JULY 2014
Since we are the top hospital in New York, shouldn’t we
be paid the most?
NewYork-Presbyterian is committed to compensating our
employees fairly and competitively in recognition of their amazing work. To determine appropriate salary levels, we review
every job at the Hospital and consider overall responsibilities
and industry-wide market data. The salaries we pay our employees are extremely market competitive, and even though the environment has been challenging, we have consistently provided
annual salary increases. This has not been the case across New
York City, other health care institutions, or other industries.
Additionally, our employees have the opportunity to earn more
based on performance. We also provide an extremely generous
benefits package with minimal cost to staff.
Why aren’t staff allowed to work overtime?
Staff are allowed to work overtime, but we are being very
careful about how much overtime can be used. As you have
been hearing, for the last few years, all hospitals, including NYP,
have been deeply affected by health care reform. Government
payments through Medicare and Medicaid have been greatly
reduced and will decrease more significantly in the years to
come. As a result, we must find ways to reduce the costs of care
while continuing to deliver the highest quality. Through our
To encourage open dialogue and learn
from the NYP team, Dr. Corwin meets
each month with staff across our
Hospital campuses. In May, he held a
Town Hall Meeting at NYP/Weill Cornell
with staff from Environmental Health
and Safety, Facilities Development and
Engineering, Security, and Support
Services. Here are just a few of the
questions and answers discussed.
HERCULES initiative, we have successfully lowered the amount
we spend on things such as drugs, supplies, and overtime as
well. I wish we could have unlimited overtime, but given the
ongoing cuts in hospital reimbursement and our commitment to
remaining financially strong for our patients and staff, we will
continue to be prudent about the use of overtime.
It is often difficult for patients to find their way to our
clinics. Can we provide better directions?
We are aware of this problem and are looking at all of our wayfinding strategies to try to make it easier for patients to navigate
the Hospital. Every day I help to personally assist patients and
visitors to find their way around our buildings. I know so many
of you do as well, and that is very much appreciated.
Can we have Town Hall Meetings with you quarterly?
Having a strong, trusting relationship with our staff is
critical for the Hospital’s success. That is why I conduct a Town
Hall Meeting every month with different departments at different campuses. It is extremely helpful for me to hear what is on
your minds and have open dialogue so if it would be helpful to
you, I can certainly try to do more of them. Our leadership team
knows the importance of this kind of two-way communication
as well, and hold Chief Operating Officer Town Hall Meetings
and Department Town Hall meetings at each campus.
1st
Congratulations to
the Winners of the
Steps Challenge!
P
L
A
C
E
P
L
A
C
E
“The Steps Challenge helped to make us
more aware of our health and level of
physical activity. On a daily basis our team
members motivated and encouraged each
other. Overall the challenge engaged
employees and built teamwork, both within
Facilities Operations and across all levels
of NYP.”
P
L
A
C
E
Top Female: Abisoye Adekanmbi
Pharmacist
NYP/Weill Cornell
2nd
P
L
A
C
E
3rd
P
L
A
C
E
The Green Mile
Facilities Operations – NYP/Allen
— Sejal Shah, Supervisor, Facilities Operations,
NYP/Allen, and team captain of the winning team,
The Green Mile
1st
2nd
Standing: Tony Polanco, Santiago Borjas, Cesar Melendez, Brian Hussey, Roberto Nunez, Hugo Kyle, and Thomas Menezes.
Sitting: Blanca Vazquez, Kinya Cole, Sejal Shah, and Kendell Hutton. Not pictured: Antonio Nunez.
3rd
1st
P
L
A
C
E
1st
2nd
3rd
2nd
P
L P
AL
CA
EC
E
P
P L
LA
AC
CE
E
Top Male: Frederick Michael
Housekeeping Worker
Environmental Services, NYP/Allen
P 3rd
L
AP
CL
EA
C
E
Allen Pharmacy Aviators
Pharmacy – NYP/Allen
Karen Erickson, Francine DelTito, Elizabeth Abraham, Christina Coloma, Mildred Rodriguez,
and Jessy Felix. Not pictured: Georgina Essar, Shibi Jacob, Prince Joseph, Christina Grullon,
Mary Kim, Wendy Mata, Marina Mathew, John Pathrose, Ivan Sanchez, Milan Topalov,
Jocelin Vargas, and Leenu Vayalumkal.
Back row:
Velma Cahouette,
Shonda Hynes,
Yvonne Gayle,
Andrea Murphy,
Gabrielle Cassin,
and Nancy Aybar.
Front Row:
Viktorija Matias,
Juliana Watson,
Vanessa Magloire,
Eliana Roshel,
Vilma Collado, and
Elicia Young.
Not pictured:
Heather Edwards,
Michelle Frommer,
Crystal Golden,
Joseph LaBruno,
and Morgan Mills.
1st
P
L
A
C
E
The Show Stoppers
Critical Care Cardiac Catheterization Lab – NYP/Weill Cornell
2nd
P
L
A
C
E
3rd
P
L
A
C
E
Visit the Infonet for more information about the winners.
JUNE/JULY 2014
3 NYPress
All in a Day’s Work
A
t NYP, our culture is defined by our
core beliefs of respect, empathy,
excellence, responsibility, innovation, and
teamwork. These beliefs should guide
everything we do, both in our interactions
with our patients and our interactions with
each other. The strength of our culture and
our core beliefs will help us continue to
deliver the best care possible while meeting
the challenges ahead.
On the next few pages, NYPress
highlights just some of the many examples
of Culture, one of our six Strategic Initiatives.
Paul Petermann, shown here with Dr. Joseph Jurcic, his wife, Gail, and Anna Raquiz, in NYP/Columbia’s
Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, has spent a great deal of time at NYP over the past several years.
Through it all, he says that the care, concern, and compassion shown by doctors, nurses, and other
staff have been consistently excellent. A strong culture of empathy, respect, teamwork, excellence,
responsibility, and innovation is the foundation of an excellent patient experience and relationship
among patients, families, and their care providers.
Respect
Every Person Counts
Patient escorts are entrusted with the safe and timely
transport of patients throughout the Hospital’s corridors, tunnels, bridges, and elevators. For a group so
vital to patient care, the Patient Escort Department at
NYP/Weill Cornell felt it needed to focus on improv-
Ramona Pujols and Orlando Perez, Patient Escorts at
NYP/Weill Cornell
“Patient escorts are
ambassadors for the Hospital.
It’s not just about efficiency
and getting patients to their
destination on time. It’s
also about compassion and
dedication to patient care.”
— James Gramstad, Director, Patient Escort
and Mail Services, NYP/Weill Cornell
Cover: Marietta Dublin-Pavon, RN,
with a new mother at NYP/MSCH
NYPress 4
JUNE/JULY 2014
ing respect shown to patient escorts. As part of its
Making It Better planning, which also focused on
teamwork, communication, and physical working
conditions, the department introduced several initiatives to improve respect. It created the Patient Escort
Pride award, given in recognition of meeting metrics
related to NYP’s vision, and found other formal and
informal ways to celebrate accomplishments.
The department also began working more
closely with other departments, such as by inviting
key leaders from clinical areas to their staff meetings to speak directly with the patient escorts about
their roles. That connection has helped the patient
escorts bring any issues back to those same leaders,
improving communication and respect between two
interconnected areas.
As a result of the department’s various Making
It Better initiatives, the patient escorts’ satisfaction
with the respect shown to them increased from
80 percent to 84 percent between 2012 and 2013,
according to its Employee Opinion Survey results.
Empathy
Listen, Understand and Respond
H
ow we display empathy is often best told directly by
patients. This is an abridged letter written by a patient
who received care at NYP/Allen last year.
Dr. Peter Santogade, Ellen Cotter, Joy Jacobs, Eugenia Minton, Nadia Elgoghail,
and Kim Dyer-Payne, NYP/Allen
I am writing
this note to ex
press my gra
professionalis
titude to those
m, courtesy,
who showed re
an
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Excellence
Exceptional Quality and Service
In March, the Cardiac Catheterization/Electrophysiology Lab at NYP/Columbia became
the first such unit in the nation to be awarded a Beacon Award for Excellence from the
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
The Beacon Award recognizes individual hospital units that distinguish themselves
by improving every facet of patient care. It provides a road map and tools to assist hospital units on their path to excellence. For patients and their families, the Beacon Award
signifies exceptional care through improved outcomes and greater overall satisfaction.
“The Beacon journey was a road map to evaluating our practices, outcomes, and
teamwork among all members of the interdisciplinary team,” says Alcina Fonseca,
MS, MBA, RN, Patient Care Director, Cardiac Catheterization Lab, NYP/Columbia. “In
August of 2013, we discussed applying for this award. We answered the many questions, collected data, and asked the staff to assist us in communicating our accomplishments and goals.”
Staff from the Cardiac Catheterization/Electrophysiology Lab at NYP/Columbia
The Cardiac Catheterization/
Electrophysiology Lab was awarded a
Silver-level Beacon Award. Two other
“The Beacon Award further validates the hard
units at NYP are current Beacon Award
work and dedication of all the staff. It makes
recipients. The Surgical Intensive Care
Unit (4 Hudson South) at NYP/Columbia
me very proud that I work in an amazing and
received a Gold-level award in 2013, and
innovative place that always strives for excellence,
the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (2
Southwest) at NYP/Weill Cornell received
not to mention the first and only cath lab in the
a Silver-level award in 2012. The awards
U.S. to earn this prestigious distinction.”
carry a three-year designation.
— Dionysius Tejero, RN, Cardiac Catheterization Lab, NYP/Columbia
JUNE/JULY 2014
5 NYPress
Responsibility
Honoring Our Past, Ensuring Our Future
Biomedical Engineering, responsible for maintaining 64,000 pieces of medical equipment, saw an
opportunity to reduce costs for service contracts with
manufacturers. By working with Procurement and
Strategic Sourcing, Legal, and Operations to renegotiate contracts and bring servicing responsibilities
in-house, Biomed has been able to save $3.7 million
over the past two years. The staffing model was also
redesigned, which converted the department to 24/7
operations, improved response time to service calls,
and allowed for the hiring of additional staff in key
areas. Building on these successes, Biomed is now
focused on reducing excess equipment inventory,
which will lower service costs while still maintaining
par levels to support patient care.
R
esponsibility means providing the
best care today, while building
a strong future for our Hospital. In
this challenging economic and health
care environment, being responsible
requires that we think about new ways
to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and
ensure sustainability. Three HERCULES
Operational Excellence projects – in
Biomedical Engineering, Patient Financial
Services, and Talent Acquisition –
illustrate some of these new approaches.
In Patient Financial Services, nearly $1 million
was saved last year through initiatives that reduced
expenses associated with the collection process,
working closely with Network Recovery Services,
our collection agency. For example, several units
were combined to improve efficiency and provide
enhanced customer service to our patients. The
department also collaborated with another one of
our vendors to reduce costs associated with paper
Explanations of Benefits, while simultaneously implementing a more state-of-the-art electronic system to
manage such documents electronically.
Gabriel Hellmann and Bishwa Pant, Biomedical Engineering, NYP/Columbia
“Not only have we reduced costs associated
with repairing NYP’s medical equipment,
but we’ve also decreased the time it takes
to fulfill requests for service. In the end,
it’s about making sure clinicians have the
tools they need – when they need them – to
provide the best care for patients.”
— Leo Bodden, VP, IT/Converged Technologies
Nicole Douglas,
Patient Financial
Services, NYP/
Seventh Avenue
“HERCULES has helped us
improve employee satisfaction
by empowering our employees
to be more efficient.”
“We’ve implemented
a strategic talent
acquisition
plan focused on
attracting top talent
across the country,
while at the same
time, building
an efficient and
effective service
delivery model for
hiring managers
to help get talent
quickly.”
— Lisa Carr, VP, Talent Acquisition
NYPress 6
JUNE/JULY 2014
— Miosotis Fermin, Director, Patient Financial Services
The Talent Acquisition team in Human
Resources has brought a laser-focused approach
to recruiting job candidates for certain critical
positions – nurses, OR techs, security officers,
housekeepers, and others – which has improved
the pool of prospective employees and reduced
the amount of time it takes to hire. The work
has involved direct outreach to candidates, social
media strategies, direct marketing, referrals from
current employees, and other proactive ways to
reach ideal job candidates, rather than wait for
candidates to come to us to apply. The results have
been tremendous – in Nursing, for example, the
team accomplished in four weeks what would normally have taken three months. Success has also
been achieved with the hiring of per diem staff,
floaters, and other part-time staff.
Syeda Ali and Esther Ahn from NYP/Weill Cornell’s
Nursing Float Pool with Cat Roberts, Talent
Acquisition Consultant (below)
Derron McKenzie-Beckford,
Nursing Attendant, NYP/Columbia,
and Lindsay Bryant, Talent
Acquisition Specialist (above)
Innovation
Creative Ideas, Cutting Edge Solutions
When treatment options for a specific condition are limited, sometimes the best option is to
develop one yourself.
Last year, a group of four physicians at NYP/Weill Cornell came together to form a
team dedicated to rapid bedside assessment and response to patients with a pulmonary
embolism – a blood clot in the lungs, which is responsible for some 300,000 deaths per
year. The physicians – Oren Friedman, MD, a pulmonary/critical care physician; James
Horowitz, MD, a cardiologist; Arash Salemi, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon; and Akhilesh
Sista, an interventional radiologist – are hoping to change the algorithm of care for pulmonary embolism.
The impetus for forming the team was an unusual case in the summer of 2012 that
required an innovative, team approach to treat a high-risk neurosurgical patient with a
pulmonary embolism. For the patient, the unusual approach was lifesaving. For the physicians involved, it marked a turning point in their perspective on care of patients with
pulmonary emboli.
The four physicians developed the Pulmonary Embolism Acute Care Team as a way to
provide other physicians with easy, quick, and specialized support for their patients with
pulmonary emboli, even ones that do not immediately seem threatening, since early identification of these patients is so important. Through the use of a 24/7 pager number (12568
or 1CLOT), the team members will immediately go to the patient’s bedside for evaluation,
evaluate imaging results, order any necessary tests, help the team manage the patient in the
acute phase, and then triage accordingly.
The team has worked together to create treatment algorithms and has the capability to
perform a number of advanced therapies, such as catheter-directed thrombolysis or surgical
embolectomy. Over the past 18 months, the team has had approximately 150 consultations
and has now begun accepting transfers from NYP Healthcare System hospitals.
Teamwork
Working Together
It has been just over a year since NYP/Lower Manhattan Hospital became our sixth
campus. Staff from many departments across the Hospital have been working together
to successfully integrate this campus into NYP. A major effort has been converting the
former Downtown Hospital information technology systems to those used at other
campuses. Having the same state-of-the-art systems at all campuses helps support highquality care and seamless provision of care across the continuum.
On a weekend in April, multiple clinical and financial systems at NYP/Lower
Manhattan were converted to NYP’s systems. “As always, patient safety was our primary
concern,” says Vladimir Morales, Corporate Director, Clinical Information Systems.
“Simultaneously migrating multiple systems is a
challenging endeavor, with little room for error.”
For months prior to the conversion, an interdisciplinary team came together to plan for the
migration. The team included representatives from
Dialysis, the Emergency Department, Medical
Staff, Nursing, Respiratory, Pharmacy, Obstetrics,
NICU/Pediatrics, Perioperative Services, Radiology,
Social Work, Clinical Labs, Nutrition, Internal
Communications, COLE, and other departments,
working closely with the Information Technology
Department and NYP/Lower Manhattan Hospital’s
operations and leadership team. Representatives
from many of these departments, as well as “superusers” from the NYP/Weill Cornell campus, were
on site during the migration to help make sure
everything went smoothly. Some of the work is
still ongoing, and this interdisciplinary team has
worked together every step of the way to ensure a
successful outcome.
Dr. Arash Salemi, Dr. James Horowitz, Dr. Oren Friedman, and Dr. Akhilesh Sista form the Pulmonary
Embolism Acute Care Team at NYP/Weill Cornell
“The techniques we are using are considered
game-changers. While we think that these
methods might revolutionize how we treat
pulmonary emboli, getting this done without an
interdisciplinary team is impossible.”
— Dr. Oren Friedman
“With careful planning and
exemplary teamwork, this
successful IT migration
is supporting NYP’s
commitment to the highestquality care for our patients.”
— Steven Herrmann, VP, Operations,
NYP/Lower Manhattan Hospital
A multidisciplinary team, many of the
members shown here, helped ensure
a successful IT systems migration at
NYP/Lower Manhattan Hospital.
JUNE/JULY 2014
7 NYPress
What does
I am NYP, the theme of this year’s
Kick-Off, reflects the Hospital’s
goal of creating a culture of
personal ownership for the patient
experience. It highlights the
importance of each person’s role at
NYP and the pride of being part of
the amazing NYP team.
Earlier this year, Dr. Robert
Kelly, NYP’s President, asked staff
to let him know what I am NYP
means to them. He received many
wonderful and very personal
responses, and he has invited
everyone to continue sharing their
thoughts in photos, videos, or words.
mean to you?
“
For me, I am NYP means I am a physical
representation of this amazing hospital and
organization, 24/7. Being a part of NYP fills
me with pride, which is reaffirmed by others
who learn about where I work. It gives me
the sense that we are doing something
right. It just makes sense. I am NYP means
that I’m always representing my hospital,
co-workers, and patients. I am proud to
work with this amazing group. We here at
NYP demonstrate teamwork, support, and
unyielding advocacy for one another and
those we help daily. For these reasons and
plenty more, I know NYP will continue to
make a difference in the lives of so many.
I am NYP and NYP is me.
”
— Valin Ortiz, Nurse Attendant, NYP/Columbia (in photo)
What does I am NYP mean to you? Send submissions to IamNYP@nyp.org.
Include your work location and phone number. Selected submissions
will be shared on the Infonet, on social media, and in NYPress.
NYP Senior Leaders Recognize Teams Who Exemplify ‘I Am NYP’
A
s part of NewYork-Presbyterian’s
ongoing efforts to recognize
excellence and achievement in
improving the patient experience, senior
leaders recently began “recognition
rounding.” On a monthly basis, senior
leaders have been visiting Hospital
units to personally thank teams
who exemplify I am NYP by making
measurable improvements in the patient
experience. Teams are selected based on
unit and department Press Ganey patient
satisfaction scores.
5 West at NYP/Weill Cornell and
9 Garden North at NYP/Columbia were
among the first teams to be recognized.
Both teams improved their patient
satisfaction scores and achieved sustained
excellence in hourly rounding. In the last
three months, they met or exceeded NYP’s
90 percent target for patients responding
“yes, the staff hourly rounded on me” on
the survey.
Congratulations to the staff on both
of these units! They are just a few of the
many staff at NewYork-Presbyterian who
have embraced I am NYP and are working
together to improve the care experience for
our patients and families. In the coming
months, senior leadership will be visiting
more units to say “thank you.”
NYPress 8
JUNE/JULY 2014
Dr. Cam Patterson, SVP
and Chief Operating
Officer, NYP/Weill
Cornell, recognized the
interdisciplinary team
on 5 West, an inpatient
step-down unit, for
excellence in hourly
rounding.
Andria Castellanos, SVP
and Chief Operating Officer,
NYP/Columbia, thanked the
staff on 9 Garden North, an
inpatient behavioral health
unit, for their achievement
in hourly rounding.
@NYP
NEWS ABOUT PEOPLE, PLACES AND PROGRAMS AT NYP
Dr. Yurt Awarded Greenberg Award for
Distinguished Service
Awards and Honors
At its 12th Annual Gala in May, the Sarcoma Foundation
of America honored Tomoaki Kato, MD, Surgical
Director for Liver and Gastrointestinal Transplantation
and Chief, Division of Abdominal Transplantation, NYP/
Columbia, with its 2014 Nobility in Science Award. The
award honors individuals who have made outstanding
advancements in the areas of sarcoma research and
treatment. Dr. Kato was selected in recognition of his
achievements in “ex vivo” transplant surgery, which
entails the removal and re-implantation of as many as six
abdominal organs. In an 18-hour surgery that was featured on the first season of
ABC’s NY Med, Dr. Kato saved the life of one of the foundation’s board members
by removing her abdominal organs, clearing them of the sarcoma, and replacing
them back into her body.
Colleagues, friends, and family
members of Roger Yurt, MD,
came out to the Plaza Hotel on
June 5 to celebrate his threeplus decades of distinguished
service to NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell Medical Center
at the 34th annual Maurice R.
Greenberg Distinguished Service
Award Dinner. As Director of the
William Randolph Hearst Burn
Center, one of the nation’s busiest
burn centers, and Chief of Burn,
Dr. Roger Yurt with Weill Cornell Medical College Dean
Critical Care, and Trauma Surgery Dr. Laurie Glimcher and NYP CEO Dr. Steven J. Corwin (top);
at NYP/Weill Cornell, Dr. Yurt
Maurice R. Greenberg and Dr. Yurt (bottom).
leads a team that has been at the
forefront of research, prevention, and treatment of burn injuries. Over his career, Dr. Yurt has
been recognized with numerous institutional, local, and national awards and honors. He has
authored more than 100 original manuscripts and book chapters dealing with trauma, burns,
and acute inflammatory response to injury, in addition to providing outstanding patient care.
Since 1981, the Maurice R. Greenberg Distinguished Service Award, named for one
of NYP/Weill Cornell’s most generous benefactors and former chairman of the Board of
Trustees, has been presented to a senior member of the medical staff for exceptional and longstanding service.
Dr. Corwin Recognized for Leadership by
Modern Healthcare
Steven Corwin, MD, CEO, has been ranked #17 on
Modern Healthcare’s list of the 50 Most Influential
Physician Executives and Leaders. The list honors
physicians working in the healthcare industry who are
deemed by their peers and an expert panel to be the
most influential in terms of demonstrating leadership
and impact. For the 10th annual list, Modern Healthcare
editors selected 100 physician executives out of more than
2,600 nominations submitted by magazine readers. Fifty
influential executives were then chosen based on readers’
votes and selections made by the magazine’s editors.
Susan Mascitelli, RN, Senior Vice President, Patient
Services, and Liaison to the NYP Board of Trustees,
recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award in
Administration from the Columbia University School
of Nursing. The award is given to a Columbia Nursing
alum who has contributed to a high-quality health
care environment at their institution, has used creative
approaches to positively influence health care both
regionally and across the world; and has mentored others in facilitating the growth and future development of
nurses within the profession. Ms. Mascitelli has served the Hospital for over 30
years in progressive levels of patient care and management in Nursing, Patient
Services, and Administration.
Alissa Rumsey, RD, CDN, CNSC, CSCS, Supervisor
of Clinical Nutrition at NYP/Weill Cornell, has been
appointed as a media spokesperson for the Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics. The academy’s nationwide
volunteer spokesperson network consists of 30 registered
dietitian nutritionists who conduct more than 3,000
nutrition and healthful eating interviews each year with
the media. As registered dietitians, these spokespeople
are food and nutrition experts. They have fulfilled specific educational requirements, completed a supervised
practice program, and passed a registration examination, in addition to maintaining continuing education requirements for recertification. Ms. Rumsey’s areas of
specialty include cardiovascular nutrition, diabetes, gastrointestinal nutrition,
wellness, sports nutrition, and fitness.
Brenda Sauer, RN, MA, CHAM, FHAM, Director,
Patient Access, NYP/Weill Cornell, was recently named
a fellow of the National Association of Healthcare Access
Management (NAHAM). She joins a group of nationally
recognized fellows who provide resources and knowledge to NAHAM, an organization that promotes best
practices, standards, and subject matter expertise and
provides networking, education, and certification opportunities. The NAHAM Fellowship Program selects members who have contributed to the patient access services
profession in a significant and sustained manner, have presented at the annual
NAHAM Conference within the past three years, and have been published in
national publications. Ms. Sauer is a past president of the NAHAM Board of
Directors and is the 2015 National Conference chair.
JUNE/JULY 2014
9 NYPress
@NYP
NEWS ABOUT PEOPLE, PLACES AND PROGRAMS AT NYP
Taking Pride in LGBT Health
NYP Teen Patients Plan and Attend Prom
The NYP/Ambulatory Care Network was a proud sponsor of this year’s annual festival and
march celebrating equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. More
than 50 NYP staff and patients, along with their friends and family members, joined the
NYP-sponsored group at the New York City PrideFest and Pride March on June 29, helping
to promote the Center for Special Studies, the Comprehensive Health Program, Project STAY,
and Project KISS – all HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs of the NYP/Ambulatory
Care Network. NYP, the only hospital sponsor of this year’s events, also provided a dedicated
ambulance on the day of the march.
Seniors Strut Their
Stuff at NYP/Allen
Talent Show
In May, NYP/Allen hosted its annual talent
show in recognition of Older Americans
Month and Nurses Week. About 25
performers, ranging in age from their late 60s
to their 90s, entertained an audience of their
family members and NYP employees with a
diverse repertoire: Zumba, a cappella singing,
poetry and short story readings, and a belly
dancing – including a performance by an
86-year-old male belly dancer (in photo). The
talent show was presented by HealthOutreach,
a free program sponsored by NYP that
promotes health and quality-of-life issues for
people 60 years of age and over.
Prom revelers at the NYP/Komansky (top) and NYP/MSCH (bottom) proms
During prom season, NYP hosted two proms for teen patients and their guests for a night of
glamour, celebration, dinner, and dancing. On May 3, teenagers in both inpatient and outpatient
care, along with their guests, attended a prom in the Griffis Faculty Club, hosted by the
Komansky Center for Children’s Health at NYP/Weill Cornell. Two weeks later, patients from
the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at NYP/Columbia and their guests got their own chance
to celebrate and enjoy this rite of passage for American teenagers at a prom in the Wintergarden.
Generous hairstylists, make-up artists, manicurists, and clothing retailers volunteered
their services and donated products for both proms. To cap things off, a red carpet was set up
and a limousine was parked outside the proms for photo opportunities. The celebrations were
organized by interdisciplinary planning committees, working with each campus’s advisory
group of teen patients who volunteer their time to make the Hospital a better place.
In addition to an anonymous donor, many supporters helped make the proms possible,
including Joseph Andreoli Jr., Gabriela Cadena, Cornucopia Flowers, Angelique Famulak,
Men’s Wearhouse, and Stephanie and David Wolkoff – Dolce & Gabbana.
COMPLIANCE HELPLINE
To report fraud or violations of NYP’s Code of Conduct, call the
Compliance HelpLine at 888-308-4435. Anonymous calls are accepted.
NYPress 10
JUNE/JULY 2014
@NYP
NEWS ABOUT PEOPLE, PLACES AND PROGRAMS AT NYP
A Hero’s Send-Off for NYPD Officer Injured in Fire
NYP and the New York Police
Department recently gave Officer
Rosa Rodriguez a celebratory sendoff from NYP/Weill Cornell after
she spent six weeks being treated
for serious injuries from a fire in
Coney Island. Mayor Bill de Blasio,
Police Commissioner William
Bratton, and more than 100 police
officers gathered in front of the
main entrance to NYP/Weill
Cornell to greet and honor Officer
Rodriguez, who was joined by
her children and members of her
care team. The event also served
as a tribute to Officer Rodriguez’s
partner, Officer Dennis Guerra,
who did not survive the incident.
Officer Rodriguez received
extensive treatment at the William
Randolph Hearst Burn Center of
NYP/Weill Cornell, and the NYPD
has expressed immense gratitude
and appreciation to NYP for the
Dr. Robert Kelly (far left), NYC Police Commissioner William Bratton (third from left), NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio
outstanding care.
(second from right), and Dr. Palmer Bessey (far right) join Officer Rosa Rodriguez and her family.
Dr. Roger Yurt and Dr. Palmer Bessey update the news media
on Officer Rodriguez’s condition after she was discharged.
Getting to Know You
Ann Padmore
Dietary Worker
NYP/Lower Manhattan Hospital
How long have you been working here?
I’ve been working in Food and Nutrition Services for over
25 years.
How did you end up here?
I moved here from my home country of Guyana in the
1980s. I started out working in people’s homes, and
then I became a nurse’s assistant. I liked working with
patients, but I didn’t enjoy the actual tasks I was doing,
so I eventually decided to get training as a dietary
worker, and I’ve been doing this ever since.
What does your job entail?
As a dietary worker, I have to multitask. I do some
cooking, catering, serving patients, working as a cashier…
basically, I do little bit of everything!
How has your experience at work changed since New
York Downtown Hospital merged with NYP?
Before we merged with NYP, I didn’t really get to work
with patients that much. That’s changed a lot in the last
two years, and now I get to see them almost every day.
What does I am NYP mean to you?
Getting to interact with patients, being able to help
them out, and knowing that I am helping them – that is
rewarding. It takes me back to what I liked about being a
nurse’s assistant.
You work with food so much here at NYP. Who does the
cooking in your house?
It’s still me! I really do love to cook. I cook a lot of West
Indian food like curry, roti, catfish, and rice and beans.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
What do you like to do in your free time?
I really love catering because I think it plays to my
strengths. I like setting up a room, being at an event, and
serving people. You get to see the results of the work you
put into the event.
I travel every chance I get. I’ve been all over the place:
Jamaica, Saint Martin, Barbados, back to Guyana, and
others. I really like to go on cruises and relax.
JUNE/JULY 2014
11 NYPress
Walk In Our Shoes
“Cooking has always reminded me of a chemistry experiment. You measure the ingredients
out exactly. But Maudlyn Christian throws into the pot a handful of this, a bit of that, a can
of something else, and it turns out great. Obviously the secret ingredients are knowledge,
pride in her creations, and affection for the patients who depend on her. Though it’s a
production environment with a lot of mouths to feed, it still has the feel of ‘Mom’s kitchen.’
And I’m still envious of the patient satisfaction scores!”
— Kevin Hammeran, SVP and COO, NYP/MSCH and Sloane Hospital for Women
NYP senior leaders and managers
recently participated in the Walk
In Our Shoes program, shadowing
staff in Environmental Services,
Food and Nutrition, Linen Services,
Mail Services, and Patient Escort at
NYP’s six campuses to see firsthand
the invaluable contributions of
Support Services staff to the
Hospital and our patients.
1 Michael Fosina, SVP and COO, NYP/
Lower Manhattan, and Joseph
Primus, Patient Escort, NYP/Lower
Manhattan
2 Susan Hernandez, Environmental
Services, NYP/MSCH, and Anand
Joshi, VP, Procurement and
Strategic Sourcing
3 Donna Tinling-Solages, Director of
Nursing, NYP/Allen, and Yovanni
Gil, Mail Services, NYP/Allen
4 Dr. Anthony Gagliardi, VP and
Associate Chief Medical Officer,
NYP/Lower Manhattan, with
Resabdaye Corley and Khemraji
Narine, Environmental Services,
NYP/Lower Manhattan
5 Steven Herrmann, VP, Operations,
“We talk a lot about the patient experience. It was
inspiring to see first-hand how a simple ‘Good
morning’ or a friendly smile can have such a positive
impact on a patient. It was a pleasure to serve
breakfast alongside Adriana Pagan at NYP/Westchester.
She was a great reminder that We Put Patients
First is more than a motto – it is the foundation of
outstanding care and who we are as a hospital.”
— John Haley, VP, Development
NYPress 12
JUNE/JULY 2014
NYP/Lower Manhattan, and
Deborah Delgado, Patient Escort,
NYP/Lower Manhattan
6 Christopher Brennan, Acting VP,
Facilities Design and Construction,
and Priscilla Oller, Patient Escort,
NYP/Columbia
7 Farida Cheddie, Director of
Finance, and Gregorio Velez, Food
and Nutrition, NYP/Weill Cornell
8 Adriana Pagan, Food and Nutrition,
NYP/Westchester, and John Haley,
VP, Development
NYP/Weill Cornell is
offering a new lung cancer
screening program for
those at risk for developing the disease. The
program uses low-dose
CT scans to detect cancer
in its earliest stages, giving patients a significantly
A lung CT scan shows a tumor in its
better chance to survive
early stages.
the disease.
For many years, doctors relied on chest X-rays to identify
tumors, but their limited sensitivity and clarity made diagnosis difficult as symptoms of lung cancer usually do not
appear until the disease is in an advanced stage. In 2011,
the National Cancer Institute’s National Lung Screening
Trial established low-dose helical CT as the first validated
screening test that can reduce lung cancer mortality. As a
result, new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines
recommend annual screening in certain former and current
smokers. Screening may also be appropriate for individuals who are otherwise at high risk for lung cancer, such as
individuals with a first-degree relative diagnosed with lung
cancer at an early age. The program can provide an individualized risk assessment to guide decision-making about
undergoing screening.
The exam and low-dose CT scan take only a few minutes, and results are reviewed and shared with the patient
by a team that includes pulmonologists, oncologists, and
radiologists.
The program, led by interventional radiologist Bradley
Pua, MD, incorporates a variety of services aimed at preventing and treating cancer, including smoking cessation counseling, support groups, and follow-up services for treatment.
It May Take Guts to Cure Diabetes
By switching off a single gene, scientists at Columbia’s Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center
have converted human gastrointestinal cells into insulin-producing cells, demonstrating in principle that a drug could retrain cells inside a person’s GI tract to produce
insulin. The research was reported in Nature Communications.
“People have been talking about turning one cell into another for a long time, but
until now we hadn’t gotten to the point of creating a fully functional insulin-producing
cell by the manipulation of a single target,” said the study’s senior author, Domenico
Accili, MD, from NYP/Columbia. The finding raises the possibility that cells lost in type
1 diabetes may be more easily replaced through the reeducation of existing cells than
through the transplantation of new cells created from embryonic or adult stem cells.
For nearly two decades, researchers have been trying to make surrogate insulinproducing cells for patients with type 1 diabetes, in which the body’s natural insulinproducing cells are destroyed by the immune system. Although insulin-producing
cells can now be made in the lab from stem cells, these cells do not yet have all the
functions of naturally occurring cells. This has led some researchers to try to transform
existing cells in a patient into insulin-producers. Previous work by Dr. Accili’s lab had
shown that mouse intestinal cells can be transformed into insulin-producing cells; the
current study shows that this technique also works in human cells.
The researchers were able to teach human gut cells to make insulin in response
to physiological circumstances by deactivating the cells’ FOXO1 gene. Dr. Accili and
postdoctoral fellow Ryotaro Bouchi first created a tissue model of the human intestine
with human pluripotent stem cells. Through genetic engineering, they then deactivated
any functioning FOXO1 inside the intestinal cells. After seven days, some of the cells
started releasing insulin and, equally important, only in response to glucose.
The key now will be finding a drug that
can inhibit FOXO1 in the GI cells; Dr. Accili
is now looking for suitable compounds.
“This work provides a new research tool
for investigating the basic biology underlying the important relationships between the
gut and insulin-producing cells, as well as a
clear indication of the potential clinical utilHuman GI cells from patients were engiity of stem cell-based approaches to diabeneered to express insulin (fluorescent
tes,” said co-author Rudolph L. Leibel, MD.
green) in the lab.
Image by CUMC
New Program at NYP/Weill Cornell
to Detect Early Lung Cancer
New Appointments
Two New Division Directors at NYP/Komansky
Dr. Levine Named Head of Orthopedic Surgery NYP/Columbia
Eduardo
Perelstein, MD,
has been named
Director of
the Division
of Pediatric
Nephrology at
NYP/Komansky
Center for Children’s Health. Dr.
Perelstein, who joined NYP/Weill
Cornell in 1990, brings more than 35
years of clinical and administrative
experience to his new position. He is an
expert in the diagnosis and management
of kidney diseases in children, including end-stage kidney disease requiring
dialysis or kidney transplantation. He
also cares for children with high blood
pressure as well as fluid and electrolyte
disorders. Dr. Perelstein is a leader and
expert on quality and safety and chairs
committees charged with medication
safety and other safety issues.
William Levine, MD,
has been named
Chair of the
Department of
Orthopedic Surgery
and Orthopedic
Surgeon-in-Chief at
NYP/Columbia. Dr.
Levine succeeds Louis
U. Bigliani, MD, who
retired as chair after
leading the department for the past 16 years, during which time
the department doubled in size and significantly
expanded both its research and clinical programs.
Dr. Levine is a clinician, scholar, and teacher
who has served in numerous leadership roles since
joining NYP/Columbia in 1998. Most recently, he
has been the department’s Vice Chair for Education,
Director of its residency and fellowship programs,
Chief of the shoulder service, and Co-director of the
Center for Shoulder, Elbow & Sports Medicine.
Christopher
Cunniff, MD,
has been named
Director of
the Division
of Medical
Genetics at
NYP/Komansky
Center for Children’s Health. With 25
years of experience in pediatrics and
genetics, Dr. Cunniff will oversee an
individualized array of genetic services
including preconception and prenatal
evaluations, medical genetic evaluation
and testing for pediatric patients and
continuity of care for patients with
medical conditions. Previously, Dr.
Cunniff served as chief of medical and
molecular genetics at the University
of Arizona College of Medicine and
co-medical director of the Children’s
Clinics for Rehabilitative Services in
Tucson, Arizona.
As a former tennis professional and starting goalie
for Stanford University’s varsity hockey team, Dr.
Levine brings a passionate interest in sports medicine
to his patients. He is Columbia University’s head
team physician and has been named a Top Doctor
in Sports Medicine by Castle Connolly and New York
magazine, as well as one of the top 25 shoulder surgeons in the United States by Orthopedics This Week.
Dr. Levine is a member of the American
Orthopaedic Association executive committee
and a board member of the American Board of
Orthopaedic Surgery. He also serves as deputy editor of the Shoulder and Elbow section of the Journal
of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
After receiving his BA in human biology from
Stanford University and an MD from Case Western
Reserve University School of Medicine, Dr. Levine
completed his residency in orthopedic surgery
at New England Medical Center/Tufts University
Medical School and fellowships in shoulder surgery
at NYP/Columbia and in sports medicine at the
University of Maryland.
JUNE/JULY 2014
13 NYPress
NYPromotions
Human Resources reports the following promotions as of May 31.
Month #9:
Discharging
Patients
A safe discharge process starts at admission.
There are opportunities
throughout a patient’s
stay to ensure the patient
and his or her loved ones
and care partners are
prepared mentally, physically, and emotionally
for the care the patient
will need when he or she
leaves the hospital. The
keys to successful discharges are repetition
and teach-back.
This month, meet with
your teams and focus on
your discharge process.
Think about opportunities you have to engage
in discharge conversations earlier in the stay
and consider not only
what is discussed but
also who is present. Are
you using the Patient and
Visitor Guide Book and
discharge checklist? Do
the patient and the care
partner seem to understand what is being asked
of them? Be sure to reference the We Put Patients
First Manager’s In-Service Guide on safely
discharging patients and
review the daily huddle
messages with your team.
Alyssa Wynn
Yonell Bonilla
Tania Teran
Nahyra Lanzo-Espinosa
Caleb Zeringue
NYP/ACN
Kimberly Altman
Christina Dionisio
Sasha-Gaye Palmer
Emergency Room Technician,
Psychiatric ED
NYP/WEILL CORNELL
Christopher Amorosa
Sarah Joseph
Patient Care Director,
Operating Rooms
Senior Social Worker,
Broadway Practice
NYP/ACN
Senior Clinical Nutritionist,
Cystic Fibrosis
NYPress 14
JUNE/JULY 2014
ICU Technician,
Bone Marrow Transplant Unit
NYP/Columbia
Lactation Specialist,
4B
NYP/Lower Manhattan
Information Systems
Programming Specialist - IS,
IT Corporate Systems
Gina Edmond
Kenya Robinson
Catherina Burns
Telemetry Technician, Telemetry
Psychologist - PhD, Center for
Community Health & Education
Program Director, Nursing
Informatics
Telemetry Technician, Telemetry
Kathleen Ryan
Jessica DeShazo
Arline Guzman
Senior Clinical Nutritionist,
Nutrition Wellness and
Associates in Internal Medicine
Programmer Analyst III Information Services, Ambulatory
Electronic Health Records
Senior Clinical Nutritionist,
Clinical Nutrition Services
Alyssa Wynn
Yvette Hernandez
Nurse Coordinator, Milstein and
Harkness Nursing Support
Senior Social Worker,
Broadway Practice
Health Information Management
Coordinator, Health Information
Management
Christine Segarra-Velez
Global Services Manager,
Global Services
NYP/ALLEN
Yonell Bonilla
Danielle Klein
Angelica Regina Silva
Senior Clinical Nutritionist,
Clinical Clinical Nutrition Services
Staff Nurse,
7HN Surgical Telemetry
Joseph Licci
Tania Teran
Quality Management Specialist,
Regulatory and Quality
Information Management
ICU Technician,
Bone Marrow Transplant Unit
Edward Cortez
Jennifer Lindner
NYP/LOWER MANHATTAN
Christine Henry
Jessica Dowd
Inventory Control Clerk,
Receiving/Delivery
Tania Hodgson
Patient Care Director,
Operating Room
William Lake
Patient Care Associate,
2FE Medical Specialty
Gena Seraita
Senior Clinical Nutritionist,
Clinical Nutrition Services
NYP/COLUMBIA
Nawar Alzubaidy
Andrea Gray
Senior Clinical Nutritionist,
Clinical Nutrition Services
Garry Magat
Lab Technologist II, Hematology
Core Lab, Clinical Labs
Melissa McCormack
Senior Clinical Nutritionist,
Clinical Nutrition Services
Kenia Mendez
Christine Saint-Cyr
Planner/Scheduler,
Plant Services Administration
Courtney Jadidian
Radiologist Assistant,
Diagnostic Radiology
Nahyra Lanzo-Espinosa
Lactation Specialist, 4B
Patient Global Services
Coordinator, Global Services
Emergency Room Technician,
Psychiatric ED
Regwana Arin
Maureen Musatto
NYP/MSCH
Ishoma John-Peters
Lab Services Supervisor,
Chemistry Core Lab,
Clinical Labs
Clinical Nurse II,
8GS Neuroscience ICU
Patient Care Director,
Perioperative Services
Shaneece Norris
Carmen Nicasio
Kevin Brumit
Lab Services Supervisor,
Chemistry Testing, Clinical Labs
Certified Medical Assistant,
Diagnostic Imaging
Mary O’Hara
Flerida Noyola
Senior Clinical Nutritionist,
Outpatient Transplant Program
Certified CT Technologist,
X-Ray
Garry Magat
Flerida Noyola
Business Administration Manager,
Cardiology
Sabrena Butcher
Clinical Nurse III,
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Tania Hodgson
Each month, the Hospital focuses on one
of the in-service guides and topics from
NYP Leadership Boot Camp. Ultimately,
using these guides will help ensure
NYP provides every patient and family
member with an amazing experience.
Inventory Control Clerk,
Receiving/Delivery
NYP/Allen
Patient Care Director,
Operating Room
NYP/Allen
Lab Technologist II, Hematology
Core Lab, Clinical Labs
NYP/Columbia
Certified CT Technologist,
X-Ray
NYP/MSCH
Adanna Babb
Staff Nurse-RN,
2N Transplant
NYP/Weill Cornell
Purchasing Coordinator,
Real Estate
Shelly Mason
Nurse Educator,
Perioperative Services
Patient Registrar, Admitting
Headley May
Diana Beckner
Information Systems
Programming Specialist - IS,
IT Corporate Systems
Patient Services Coordinator,
Client Relations
Michele Berko-Field
Senior Major Gifts Officer,
Development
Jill Burton
Patient Care Director,
4W Cardiac Critical Care
Vanessa Chernes-Rosado
Global Patient Services
Coordinator, Global Services
Programmer Analyst II - IT
Corporate Systems
Nurse Educator,
Maternal Health and NICU
Uvannie Enriquez
Patient Care Director, Dialysis
Vladimir Farber
Biomedical Technician III,
Biomedical Engineering
Katrin Griswold
Programmer Analyst II - IT
Corporate Systems
Jewel Harry-Rowe
Transfer Access Clinical
Coordinator,
Transfer Call Center
Susan Hom
Tara Oliveri
Transfer Access Clinical
Coordinator, Transfer Call Center
Wiha Powell
Administrative Assistant,
Legal Affairs and
Risk Management
Kyle Sullivan
Accountant, Accounting
Christine Tapper
Emergency Department
Technician,
Critical Care/Emergency
Department
Genevieve Tavares
Cross-Sectional
Radiological Specialist,
Radiology-CT
Zoey Whitaker
Staff Nurse-RN, 10C Oncology
Caleb Zeringue
Staff Nurse-RN, 2N Transplant
NYP/WESTCHESTER
Lisa Ortiz
Senior Credentialed Alcoholism
and Substance Abuse Counselor,
Nursing Float
Information Systems Manager,
IT Corporate Systems
Janel Joaquin
Transplant Coordinator,
Bone Marrow Transplant
Vladimir Farber
Biomedical Technician III,
Biomedical Engineering
NYP/Weill Cornell
If you know of any promotions that have been omitted, call Human Resources at:
212-746-1448 (NYP/Weill Cornell); 212-305-5625 (NYP/Columbia).
Lisa Ortiz
Senior Credentialed Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse Counselor,
Nursing Float, NYP/Westchester
green pages
Benefits Corner
TSA PLAN FEE REDUCTION
To offset costs related to the operation of
the Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA) Plan, all plan
participants are charged small fees on their accounts. Effective June 1, 2014, the annual administrative fees
have been reduced from 0.27% to 0.19%. In addition, based
on any rebate specific to your investments, your account may
reflect an annual administrative expense less than 0.19%.
VOLUNTARY BENEFITS
The annual Voluntary Benefits campaign
for Universal Life, Critical Illness and ShortTerm Disability is now through August 29.
During this period, you can enroll for the first time, or if
you already enrolled, review existing policies and make
changes to your current plan. Please review your options
to make sure you have the plan and benefits that best fit
your needs. Enrollment Counselors will be onsite to assist
you. To schedule an appointment, call 800-229-5129,
ext. 204 or email nyp@efpnow.com.
ENHANCED NYP TSA 403(b) PLAN
WEBSITE NOW AVAILABLE
NYP’s enhanced website for the TSA 403(b)
Plan is available at nyp.trsretire.com. Developed by NYP’s Retirement Services Department in collaboration with Transamerica, our TSA 403(b) plan administrator, the
redesigned website offers access to a library of planning tools
and resources to Plan, Save, and Retire. This website will assist
employees to better plan for retirement. If you have any questions regarding retirement, please contact the NYP Benefits
Service Center at 212-297-5771 or retirement@nyp.org.
BENEFIT CHANGES DURING THE YEAR
If you or an NYP benefit-eligible family member
has experienced a qualifying event, you are
allowed by the IRS to make changes to your
benefits selections before the next Annual Enrollment period.
These qualifying events are: marriage; divorce or legal
separation; change in spouse’s employment or loss/gain of
spouse’s medical coverage; change in domestic partner’s
employment which results in loss/gain of domestic partner’s
benefit coverage; birth or legal adoption of a child; dependent
satisfies dependent eligibility; and dependent ceases to satisfy
dependent eligibility.
To make the change, you will need to complete a Qualifying Life Event Form, which can be found on the Employees
page of the Infonet under Benefits Forms. Please be sure to
submit the form to the Benefits Service Center within 31 days
of the event date. If you do not notify the Benefit Service Center
within 31 days, you will not be able to modify your coverage
until the next annual enrollment period.
GREEN PAGES CONTACT INFORMATION
Benefits Corner: 212-297-5771, BenefitsBridge@nyp.org
Employee Activities: 212-746-5615, activities@nyp.org
Other Green Pages News: hrweb@nyp.org
Employee Activities
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
We are excited to announce that the Amazing People
recognition program is now offering more ways to
acknowledge staff. Effective immediately, staff can now
use Applaud a Teammate to recognize the efforts of a
staff member at any of the Hospital’s six campuses.
To recognize your co-worker, access the Applaud a
Teammate section through the Recognition Center tab
on the Amazing People platform.
DISCOUNT TICKETS FOR SPORTS,
THEATER, AND FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT
Plum Benefits and TicketsatWork have merged, and
NYP employees can take advantage of more offers and
entertainment. You can enjoy savings of up to 60% on
over 80,000 offers. Perks include:
• New website with better navigation as well as more
entertainment and travel options to destinations
nationwide.
• New products and special offers including rental
cars, parking, movie tickets, theme parks nationwide,
Las Vegas shows and more.
Use your current Plum Benefits account information to
log in if you are already a member.
If you are not a member and would like to sign up, visit
www.plumbenefits.com and use your NYP email address.
You can also use your personal email if you include your
corporate access code, which can be obtained by calling
212-660-1888.
If you need assistance, contact the customer service
team at 212-660-1888 or contact@plumbenefits.com.
For a complete list of discounts, go to the Infonet
Employees page and click on Discounts & Perks under
Quick Links.
MOVIE TICKETS
Discounted AMC movie tickets can be
purchased in the Gift Shops at NYP/Weill
Cornell, NYP/Columbia, NYP/MSCH, and
NYP/Allen. If you have any questions, please email
activities@nyp.org.
EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS
Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo and New
York Aquarium
NYP employees receive a 20% discount
on individual tickets to the Bronx Zoo,
Central Park Zoo and the New York Aquarium. To
purchase discounted tickets, visit tickets.wcs.org and
enter NY Presbyterian Hospital under the store name.
Also, you can save up to 30% on an NYC
WildPass, which includes admission to all three parks.
Each ticket is valid for one visit per park now through
November 2, 2014. The offer is available online only at
wcs.org/wildpass. No code is necessary.
Six Flags Great Adventure/Safari and
Hurricane Harbor
NYP employees receive a discount
when purchasing tickets online for Six
Flags Great Adventure. You can save up to $28 on the
Main Gate price for the Theme/Safari ticket and up to
$13 on Hurricane Harbor Water Park tickets. Log on
to www.sixflags.com/partnerlogin and enter the
user name NYPHGA and the password SixFlags1.
Verizon Wireless
NYP employees can receive a 22%
discount on their Verizon Wireless
monthly access charge on new and
existing accounts. You can also receive 25% off
eligible Verizon Wireless accessories. Register your
personal wireless for a new discount or sign up as a
new customer at verizonwireless.com/discounts.
YogaWorks
YogaWorks is offering a preferred
rate through August 31, 2014, to NYP
employees for monthly unlimited yoga
classes at all levels from beginner to advanced. In
addition, YogaWorks offers mindful fitness classes
such as BarWorks, SculptWorks and Pilates Mat.
Rates are $105 monthly at the Soho location, $95
monthly at the Upper West Side, Upper East Side,
Union Square, Westchester and Brooklyn locations,
and $120 for unlimited access to all YogaWorks
locations. To receive the preferred rate, employees
must show a valid NYP ID. Contact Angela Getter at
angelag@yogaworks.com for more information.
Crunch Fitness
Crunch Fitness is offering
reduced monthly memberships
rates and no enrollment fee for NYP
employees who join by July 31, 2014. Monthly
rates are $79.99 for all access or $74.99 for one
club access (regularly $102.99). The enrollment fee
(regularly $249.99) will be waived. Stop by any club
and present your Hospital ID to receive this discount or
to obtain 5 free workouts (some restrictions apply). For
more information, please contact Amy Hart, Corporate
Account Executive at amy.hart@crunch.com.
JUNE/JULY 2014
15 NYPress
Airs Thursdays at 10 p.m.
Summer 2014
Watch online: abc.com/nymed • Join the conversation: #NYMED
For this second season of NY Med, an
ABC News crew spent a year filming
the 24/7 action at NYP, interviewing
patients, family members, physicians,
and nurses in our emergency rooms,
operating rooms, doctors’ offices,
and waiting areas. The result is an
extraordinary blend of dramatic and
poignant medical stories, told through
the voices of patients and loved ones
who are facing major life challenges
and the medical professionals who
make up the close-knit family at NYP.
“NY Med is back on the air with more white-knuckle
looks at medical emergencies”
­— New York Daily News
“This is one of TV’s best-produced and surely one of
its best-intentioned reality shows…”
­— USA Today
“…Perhaps the most fully evolved species roaming
the summer landscape is the absorbing NY Med…”
­— Forbes.com
NYPress 16
JUNE/JULY 2014