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In this year’s edition of the the Boston Globe's annual Salute to Nurses, 13 outstanding Spaulding Rehabilitation Network Nurses received recognition. Below are the celebratory letters written by the grateful doctors, nurses, and therapists who work by their side. Each letter shares a brief story about the many reasons why Spaulding nurses are leaders in the field. Johngelyn Alleyne, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital I first worked with Johngelyn when I was in training as a resident physician caring for stroke patients. She was a phenomenal colleague and teammate—always making sure that patients got home safely with the right medications, instructions, and follow-up appointments, while ensuring that their family and loved ones understood the plan. She educated colleagues and empowered nurses to ask questions that improved the quality of care we delivered on the stroke floor. Since then, she became the nurse manager on the inpatient spinal cord injury floor, while I now see outpatients in the clinic downstairs. Recently, a patient who needed to speak with a nurse who was very familiar with spinal cord injuries came into the clinic. Johngelyn came down to work with them for a few minutes because our outpatient nurses have more experience with general rehabilitation. She shows
Boston, MA - While the landmark 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act has made great strides specific to physical access, there is still a significant gap around accessible digital information. Assistive technology tools exist, such as audible screen readers, but the success of those tools hinges on the thoughtful and inclusive design of digital information. Spaulding Rehabilitation Network has taken a major step to close that gap by teaming with Perkins Access, the commercial consulting group at Perkins School for the Blind, to design a patient-first website (spauldingrehab.org) which sets a new standard for usability and accessibility. Spaulding patient Chris Hoeh tested the new site and commented, “I use my phone for most of my online needs and navigate using my thumb, which doesn’t work on most sites. It would be incredible if all organizations followed Spaulding’s lead and considered users of every ability when designing their sites.” The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) specify how to make content accessible and usable by audiences of varying needs and abilities. Spaulding’s new website reaches beyond these compliance standards to incorporate inclusive design and usability testing. The expert team, which also included Hero Digital and Klish, considered key areas of accessibility including --
AAP Physiatry 19Puerto Rico, February 19-23 Sampling of HMS PM&R Faculty Presenting: 2019 Spotlight SpeakerSynergies Between the AAP & Cochrane Rehabilitation: Education, Research, Knowledge TranslationSabrina Paganoni, MD, PhDSaturday 2/23 10:30am-11:30am Musculoskeletal Ultrasound: Beyond the Horizon (Pre-Conference Workshop)Joanne Borg-Stein, MDWednesday 2/20 1:00pm-5:00pm Adaptive Sports Programs: Considerations, Complications, CollaborationCheri Blauwet, MD & Mary PatstoneThursday 2/21 7:30am-9:00am Breaking Down Employment Barriers for Persons with Disabilities: The Physiatrist's RoleOz Mondejar & Chloe Slocum, MD, MPHThursday 2/21 6:45am-7:30am Climate Change & Persons with Disabilities: It's Time for ActionChloe Slocum, MD, MPHThursday 2/21 3:30pm-5:00pm Movement Dysfunction & Failed Rehab Syndrome: A Paradigm Shift in Treating Back PainDana Kotler, MD & Amy West, MD, MEdThursday 2/21 3:30pm-5:00pm Collaborating with Industry: Is it For You?Sabrina Paganoni, MD, PhD, David Binder, MD, MBA, Ross Zafonte, DOFriday 2/22 7:30am-9:00am Maintaining Muscle Function Across the Lifespan: The State of the ScienceJonathan Bean, MDFriday 2/22 7:30am-9:00am Visit us in the Exhibit Hall at booth 424! Stop by our table at the Job and Fellowship
SANDWICH, MA – In an effort to educate the public about the potential damaging effects of ballot question 1, physicians at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod have written letters to the editor stating their opposition to rigid nurse staffing ratios. Their letter follows: As physicians at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod, we feel compelled to share why we are voting no on Question 1 and to correct some of the misleading information that is confusing voters. In our hospital setting, we work in teams with nurses, aides, therapists and others to deliver highly individualized care to persons following serious illness, injury, disability, and surgery. Our model of care requires collaboration, flexibility, and a commitment to work together to put patients’ needs first. The mandated ratios proposed by the nurses’ union would reduce complex staffing decisions to a simplistic formula, where every patient in every rehab unit in the state is treated the same, regardless of the patient’s needs, the staff’s experience and skill, and the setting. The proposal is flawed at its most fundamental level, because that’s not how we care for patients in 2018. The nurses’ union claims that mandated ratios improve quality of care. In our decades of
Government mandated nurse staffing ratios would cost the hospital $4.6 million Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Boston today announced the negative impacts mandated nurse staffing ratios would have on their viability and their capability to provide safe, quality care to patients across the region. Slated to be Question 1 on the ballot this November, these rigid staffing ratios will devastate community hospitals and behavioral health facilities across Massachusetts. “The care we provide is specialized and unique, and cannot be determined with a government mandated number,” said Mary Beth DiFilippo, Director of Nursing at Spaulding Boston. “The nurses who are here every day understand what our patients needs are and the best way to care for them. This ballot question will not allow our teams to provide the high-quality care Massachusetts hospitals are known for.” The enormous costs associated with the nurse staffing ballot question will set Spaulding Boston back $4.6 million, resulting in major cuts to community health programs. According to an independent study by MassInsight and BW Research Partners, the ballot question will cost the Massachusetts health system $1.3 billion in the first year, and $900 million every year thereafter. The ballot question would require that hospitals across the state, no
Government mandated nurse staffing ratios would cost the hospital $3.5 million Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Medical Care Cambridge (Spaulding Cambridge) today announced the negative impacts mandated nurse staffing ratios would have on their viability and their capability to provide safe, quality care to patients across the region. Slated to be Question 1 on the ballot this November, these rigid staffing ratios will devastate community hospitals and behavioral health facilities across Massachusetts. “As a nurse I am very concerned about the unintended consequences of this strict, government mandated ratio bill that will eliminate the ability of professional nurses to assess and flex staffing to meet the changing needs of our patients,” said Joanne Fucile, RN, DNP, CRRN, Director of Nursing at Spaulding Cambridge. “Nurse staffing decisions are complex and we need to take into consideration the patient acuity, the experience of the RN and the Hospital environment in which they are delivering care. It will also limit patient access to healthcare services if we cannot meet the rigid ratios at all times.” The enormous costs associated with the nurse staffing ballot question will set Spaulding Cambridge back $3.5 million, resulting in major cuts to community health programs. According to an independent
Government mandated nurse staffing ratios would increase costs, reduce access to care Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod (Spaulding Cape Cod) today announced the negative impacts mandated nurse staffing ratios would have on its ability to provide safe, quality care to patients across Cape Cod and the South Shore and to its viability. Slated to be Question 1 on the ballot this November, proposed rigid staffing ratios will devastate community hospitals and behavioral health facilities across Massachusetts. “Our nurses are on the leading edge of efforts to deliver quality care in the rehabilitation setting, and the hospital needs to ensure they have every tool and resource they need to care for our patients,” says Stephanie Nadolny, MHA, Vice President of Hospital Operations at Spaulding Cape Cod. “This ballot question will hinder, not support, our care teams’ ability to provide the high quality care Massachusetts patients experience.” In fact, Massachusetts hospitals rank #4 in patient safety, according to Leapfrog’s 2018 report, the national database that tracks patient safety. California, the only state to have implemented universal nurse staffing ratios, ranks #25. The costs associated with the nurse staffing ballot question are unfunded and will set Spaulding Cape Cod back $1.9 million per
(BOSTON, MA) -Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital has again been recognized as one the top rehabilitation hospitals in the country, achieving a rank of #2 in the 2018 US News and World Report “America’s Best Hospitals” issue, climbing two spots to reach its highest rank ever in the survey. Spaulding has ascended from a #14 position back in the year 2000 and is the only current top 10 rated rehabilitation hospital that has increased its rank so dramatically. Spaulding continues to be the only rehabilitation hospital in New England ranked each year since 1995. “To achieve this prestigious ranking reflects the outstanding skill and excellence of the thousands of dedicated people who are part of Spaulding,” said David E. Storto, President, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. “This validates the commitment we have all made to raise the importance of rehabilitation medicine to be on par with the elite centers of healing in the world.” Spaulding continues to expand its efforts in advocacy and research and has been recognized as the top overall rehabilitation medicine residency program and highest research output in the country by the Doximity Residency Navigator. Spaulding was also honored by DisabilityIN as “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” with a
Boston, MA – Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Drexel University College of Medicine published a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Open titled, “Assessment of Women Physicians Among Authors of Perspective-Type Articles Published in High-Impact Pediatric Journals” examining the role gender may play in opinion articles published in high impact journals, which in turn, likely have an important role in creating opportunities for professional advancement. The study built upon previous work on gender disparities in medicine and barriers to professional advancement. Among the documented issues women physicians face are disparities in opportunities for publications, professional presentations, awards and recognitions. This study looked specifically at the pediatric specialty and four high impact journals related to it. Even though most pediatricians are women (approximately 62%), the study found that all four journals underrepresented women physicians among first authors of perspective-type articles where they would have an opportunity to express their opinions and provide insights that may influence the field and their own careers. Notably, all four journals are led by editors-in-chiefs who are men and all have formal affiliations with medical societies that physicians belong to in order to support their careers. Importantly, for more than
For second year in row Spaulding honored as a "Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion" Washington, D.C. – Disability: IN formerly the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) today released the 2018 Disability Equality Index (DEI) – the fourth year measured by the Index. Among the 126 employers recognized was the Boston based Spaulding Rehabilitation Network which earned the highest score possible of 100 on the index. Fortune 1000 and Am Law 100 companies across twenty-five unique business sectors participated in the 2018 DEI, with results indicating where companies are excelling in their commitment to inclusive environmental, social, and governance policies. Companies received their recognitions at the USBLN 20 annual conference in Las Vegas. "To achieve a perfect score in the 2018 Disability Index is truly a proud achievement for all of us at Spaulding. This is a testament to the commitment from our entire workforce to embrace that inclusion should be part of everything we do. Work is empowering for all of us and whether you live with a disability or are re-entering the workforce as a returning veteran, you deserve an equal opportunity. We are so proud to be among
