The Pulse

As announced last week, Children’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) are reaching capacity. Leaders have worked together to create a plan that will allow us to better respond to anticipated higher volumes, as well as care for current PICU and CICU patients. On Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 8 a.m., we will gradually begin to move PICU South patients and staff into our Short Stay Unit (SSU), with the goal of temporarily relocating the entire PICU South to the Short Stay location this week. Once consolidated, this will  provide us with five additional beds and six negative airflow rooms to care for ICU patients. We will use this space during the COVID-19 crisis and our typically busy winter season to expand our capacity. When we return to a more typical operating model, we will determine whether we move the unit back to the original location or continue to operate in the expanded space until the opening of the Hubbard Center for Children.

At the same time, we will begin to transition the SSU observation patients to Med/Surg. Those working in the affected areas have received additional information and guidance on the move. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your supervisor or manager. A huge thanks to leadership and to the many teams who collaborated to make this happen in such a tight timeframe!

On Monday, Chris Maloney, M.D., Ph.D., chief clinical officer & physician-in chief, and hospital epidemiologist Alice Sato, M.D., Ph.D., presented a live COVID-19 update. Items discussed included an overview of Nebraska/Omaha rising numbers, an update on capacity and staffing, surge plans, use and availability of goggles, social distancing, risk reduction, bamlanivimab roll-out and more.

Watch the recording here.

Based on the turnover in Locums staffing in the Division of Pediatric Neurology, there is a great need for pediatric neurology expertise to serve our community. Geetanjali Rathore, M.D., has graciously agreed to provide increased clinical service as Alan Tingley, M.D., takes on the administrative responsibilities of the division until Sooky Koh, M.D., Ph.D., arrives as the permanent Division Chief on March 1, 2021. We sincerely thank Dr. Rathore for her leadership and direction as interim division chief, and welcome Dr. Tingley into the new, and temporary, role.

The medical staff biannual meeting will begin promptly at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10 via Zoom. The meeting will be held prior to the Children’s Specialty Physicians all members meeting.

Agenda topics for this meeting include:

• Disclosure data
• Physician Burnout Survey follow-up
• Annual PPEC data
• Introduction of new Medical Staff members in 2020
• Recognition of Physician retirements, as well as 25 year service anniversaries in 2020
• Announcement of nominations for two MEC Members-at-Large vacancies for 2021 and information about the voting process

Meeting invitations with the Zoom link have been sent out to all active members of the Medical Staff. If you did not receive this, or if you have any questions, please contact Sara Watson, MBA, MHA, Medical Staff Services director, at 402-955-3775.

On Friday, Dec.4, Children’s will present a Grand Rounds the House-wide Multidisciplinary Case Review, “Increased Mortality Rate among CDC Clinic Patients In 2020.” There will be two presentations — one at 8 a.m. and again at noon — via Zoom. There will be no in-person viewing.

Case review education sessions are part of a new plan to replace Nursing Peer Review.  CME and CNE credit are available. Content will include a discussion of trends in the literature vs. trends at Children’s related to a specific diagnosis. Conversation will center on what we did well and what were our opportunities. All information is de-identified to keep the focus on care and systems, rather than individuals.

Pre-registration is not required. For questions, contact Sara Olsen, Rebecca Jenkins or Traci Menicucci.

See the flier

Morning Zoom:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://childrensomaha.zoom.us/j/823015618?pwd=bkVJSmpPSTJKZUJEOG05UUFNK1B2dz09

Meeting ID: 823 015 618

Password: 274137

Afternoon Zoom:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://childrensomaha.zoom.us/j/93507087966?pwd=UGUxaG9yREVFazJwZzJzRndrdVgwZz09

Meeting ID: 935 0708 7966 Passcode: 118733

The MIS-C algorithm has had minor changes in the timing of labs. In addition, all patients meeting criteria for admission for MIS-C evaluation should have an echocardiogram in consultation with Cardiology.

A new algorithm helps differentiate mild/asymptomatic SARs-COV 2 versus acute COVID-19 requiring admission versus MIS-C, and also highlights current treatment recommendations for acute COVID-19 management.

Click on the Clinical Decision Making link on Children’s COVID-19 Update page. If you have questions, please contact Jaime Mukherjee, Performance Improvement.

On Monday, Nov. 30, the deployment of Office 365 and Exchange online (email) will begin for all users throughout Children’s. IT plans to complete the upgrade by the end of the year.

Currently, about 350 end-users have been upgraded, allowing the project team to gather feedback to help improve the deployment process and resolve potential end-user issues related to the upgrade.

We are excited to finally bring this upgraded technology to Children’s. As always, thank you for your patience as we strive to improve your experience as a customer of Children’s Information Technology.

When will I be getting upgraded? See the deployment schedule below.

Click here to read tip sheets and more.

Just Kids Health, a podcast from Children’s, has been created to help keep children healthy, safe and strong. During this unprecedented time, Children’s experts discuss families’ concerns in these podcasts, intended as a resource for families.

As families approach the holiday season, and with upticks in coronavirus cases nationwide, there are many new variables families are facing. In this latest podcast, Reo Newring, Ph.D., and Michael Coutts, Ph.D., Children’s Behavioral Health, discuss how families can intentionally create and foster connections with relatives while remaining physically apart.

Listen here. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

An article was shared on a national website by one of our patient families to express appreciation for the amazing skill and care her child received.  Her gratitude extends beyond Children’s doctors and nurses, but also to the speech, respiratory and physical therapists, the X-ray and lab technicians, and the Food Service staff. Her list includes the Child Life and art therapists, the tutors, Home Health coordinators and chaplains. It also includes the often left-out cleaning personnel who cleaned their rooms day after day, always reminding us to “be careful not to slip on the floor.”

Read it here

As of Oct. 31, there have been 8,565 events entered in the RLDatix system since go live (Aug. 27, 2019). Click here to see the top performers and October’s event trends. 

This information will be shared on a monthly basis. Remember, you can always track the follow-up progress of the events you have submitted using the File Submission tracker in RL. Access RLDatix tip sheets on the intranet under the Quality and Patient Safety link on the homepage. If you have questions, please email RLAdmins@childrensomaha.org.