News About Kindred People and Places
Here are some current happenings at Kindred facilities across the country.
Family Thanks Hospital with Plaque
By Justina Reid, Administrative Assistant
Dr. Samuel Skarote and the Kindred Hospital Greensboro staff were recently
presented with a plaque of appreciation from the family members of a
former patient.
The patient's family expressed deep appreciation for the level of care
their loved one received here. In their own words, "From the care
managers, nurses and CNAs to the cafeteria services and staff, everyone
was superb! The level of care was wonderful."
Thanks to our staff for providing outstanding care for our patients.
Why We Do What We Do
Lola was all smiles the day of her discharge. And she had good reason
to be happy. She was going home after seven months of concentrated rehabilitation
and care, and was surrounded by family and staff congratulating her on
her recovery.
Lola had been a very capable 68-year-old married woman living at home
with her husband, maintaining her independence while enjoying the company
of friends and family who would often visit the family home. One early
morning Lola went outside to empty the trash but lost her balance, fell
and hit her head on a trash can and suffered a brain hemorrhage. She
was rushed to the emergency room and eventually transferred to Kindred
Hospital Ontario, where she was bed-bound -- lethargic, dazed, confused,
unable to converse, and lacking the mental and physical capacity to care
for herself, let alone participate in her rehabilitation.
Her family vowed to be a constant presence in her recovery efforts, but
the stress and anxiety on their faces indicated they were struggling
to come to terms with their loved one's condition. They had many questions:
When will Lola get better? Will there be permanent brain damage? How
long will this process take? When will our mom go home? Do you know how
much we love her? Fortunately, this family was surrounded by a dedicated
and supportive staff who recognized the family’s concerns and responded
with compassion, commitment, and quality care that enabled Lola to begin
her recovery.
Physical and occupational therapists, nurses, dietitians, doctors, speech
therapists, and social workers all collaborated to try to give Lola and
her family hope. Soon after her admission Lola’s spouse and daughter
recognized how dedicated our staff was to helping Lola. And while her
improvement was steady and gradual, the family’s bonding with staff
was immediate.
Maybe that's why hugs, gifts, and fond farewells were exchanged when
Lola’s time to return home finally came.
In the midst of picture taking, laughter, and smiles Lola's husband whispered
to our dietitian Adrine Kaloshian, "I truly believe you saved my
wife’s life. I will always be grateful."
This is just another example of why we work so hard to give our patients
the chance to regain their independence and improve their quality of
life.
Congratulations to...
Michael Silver, MD, Chief of Staff with the Kindred Hospitals of Chicago,
was recently awarded a special citation in research from the Society for
Critical Care Medicine. The SCCM is the world’s largest society
of ICU physicians. This award was granted to Dr. Silver and his colleagues
for a study that he conducted to determine the efficacy of a pharmaceutical
agent in reducing the need for red blood cell transfusions in long-term
acute care patients.
The study addresses the common problems of anemia in patients who are
chronically/critically ill and their need for ongoing blood transfusions.
"Any time we can avoid blood transfusions, it is a benefit to the
patient," Dr. Silver said. "While the blood supply is safer
now than it has ever been, it is always preferable when the body can make
its own red blood cells."
Out of 700 abstracts submitted to the SCCM in January of this year, Dr.
Silver’s research was chosen as one of the five winners of the SCCM
research citation for outstanding research. In addition to being one of
the founding physicians at Kindred in Chicago and a developer of the ProTouch
computer system, Dr. Silver is boarded in both Pulmonary Medicine and
Critical Care Medicine and is an Associate Professor at Rush-Presbyterian-St.
Lukes Medical Center and Rush Medical College in Chicago.
Windtalker Honored at Madison Health
Nashville, TN --- During World War II, a group of Navajo Indians provided
an invaluable service to American forces in the Pacific. Their native
language, indecipherable to the enemy, was used by allied forces
to relay strategic messages critical to victory in a number of key battles.
The contributions of these Native American soldiers were featured
recently
in a film called Windtalkers.
Robert Yazzie, resident at Madison Health Care and Rehabilitation
Center, was one of the infamous windtalkers. For his lifetime achievement
he
was honored through the Tennessee Health Care Association's (THCA)
Who's Who in Tennessee Nursing Homes program. Mr. Yazzie received
a special
certificate during a ceremony at the facility on May 16.
Raised in an Episcopal orphanage on a Navajo Reservation, Yazzie joined
the Marines in 1943 and served in the South Pacific in WWII as a Special
Telecommunications Officer.
