A panel of patient safety experts provided guidance to The Leapfrog Group to calculate the grades from A to F. The panel selected 26 measures of hospital safety data, analyzed the data and determined the weight of each measure.

Mills-Peninsula achieved the highest score possible for:

• Computerized Physician Order Entry
• Nursing Workforce
• Leadership Structures and System
• Medication Reconciliation
• Identification and Mitigation of Risks and Hazards
• Care of the Ventilated Patient
• Teamwork Training and SkillBuilding
• Culture Measurement, Feedback and Intervention
• Pressure Ulcer, Stage 3 and 4
• Foreign Object Retained After Surgery
• Air Embolism

In the spring 2013 Hospital Safety Score, Mills-Peninsula again achieved the highest score possible for Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE), in which physicians enter orders directly into a computer rather than on paper. Because orders are automatically checked for errors and integrated with patient data, CPOE systems can prevent medication errors. Hospitals earn points in the CPOE Safety Score based on their level of implementation.

In June and November 2012, Mills-Peninsula also received Leapfrog’s “A” score for patient safety. The Leapfrog Group is an independent nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits.

The award recognizes Mills-Peninsula for treating stroke patients with 85 percent or higher compliance to American Heart Association/American Stroke Association standards of care for at least 24 consecutive months and achieving 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 quality measures in the Get With The Guidelines program. 

The quality measures include aggressive use of medications, such as antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs and smoking cessation – all aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients.

Get With The Guidelines is a national quality-improvement program for hospitals designed to ensure consistent care for cardiac and stroke patients following the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines and recommendations.

This year Mills-Peninsula also received the Target: Stroke Honor Roll recognition for improving stroke care. This designation means that during the past quarter, at least 50 percent of Mills-Peninsula’s eligible ischemic stroke patients received tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), the drug that breaks up clots that cause a stroke, within 60 minutes of arrival to the hospital (known as door-to-needle time).

“We are honored to be recognized for our ongoing efforts as part of this national initiative set forth by AHA/ASA to decrease disability from stroke,” said Jenny Fung, R.N., stroke program coordinator at Mills-Peninsula. “Our Emergency Department (ED) physicians, neurologists, nurses, ED technicians, registration staff, lab, radiology and pharmacy teams collaborated to develop the best method to achieve the goals of this initiative and provide the highest quality care for our patients.”

“This award reflects Mills-Peninsula’s commitment to being one of the top hospitals in the country for providing aggressive, proven stroke care,” said Mills-Peninsula CEO Bob Merwin. “I am very proud of our dedicated, multidisciplinary team and our entire organization for providing top-quality care every day.”

New information on the current status of the artificial pancreas and the latest enabling technologies to advance this field was presented at the meeting.  The purpose of the two-day conference was to have a multi-disciplinary discussion of advances and prospective areas of research that would accelerate the development and delivery of a wearable, automated artificial pancreas for individuals with diabetes. 

Dr. Klonoff, was on the planning committee of National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) / U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and chaired a session on “New Developments in Modeling, Algorithms and Technology. He also spoke at the meeting on the topic of mHealth (mobile health), delivering health care via mobile devices such as smartphones and wearable body sensors.

“The artificial pancreas is becoming a reality,” Dr. Klonoff said. “There are many settings where this technology could be used and many levels of complexity for such devices to control blood glucose without input from patients. The safety and effectiveness of each product will need to be carefully tested and each product will need to be approved by the FDA.  Systems and components currently under development both by companies and by independent investigators offer a great deal of promise for patients with diabetes,” he said.

Dr. Klonoff’s presentation covered how mobile communications devices, such as implanted or wearable sensors, smart phones, tablets, personal digital assistants and other wireless devices, are increasingly being used for health services. These devices can provide decision support and allow patients to track their health information and assist them to make some decisions.

The value of health apps is already being demonstrated; more than 40,000 mobile health applications have been developed and it has been estimated that nearly 250 million people have downloaded at least one health app.

Mills-Peninsula was the lead site on the first and recently completed United States multi-center outpatient trial of the first artificial pancreas system.  Results from that study will be presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 73rd Scientific Sessions meeting in Chicago June 21-25, at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois.

The Mills-Peninsula Diabetes Research Institute is an internationally recognized research center which has helped to commercialize many new devices and drugs for patients with diabetes, including the first FDA approved dedicated diabetes telemedicine product.  

Artificial Pancreas

Current studies show that uncontrolled diabetes creates intensified medical care requirements, high health care costs, and a high risk of disabling complications for diabetics. According to the NIDDK, it is expected that “physiological glucose-metabolic control provided by an artificial pancreas will reduce the incidence of acute and chronic complications and significantly improve the quality of life of the individuals affected. As a consequence, further morbidity and mortality also may be prevented.”

Additional details of the meeting are on the meeting website.

The Diabetes Research Institute at Mills-Peninsula is currently conducting trials on several innovative drugs and devices. People with diabetes interested in participating in a clinical trail can call 650-696-4261.

The STEMI project is a collaboration of the county, other hospitals in the community and emergency medical services (EMS) to ensure heart attack patients receive the highest standard of cardiac care. This coordinated effort results in a more rapid time to treatment for this most serious form of heart attack. The official start date of the program was May 1.

“We are proud of the care we provide to our patients. For many years, we have diligently worked to improve and expedite the care we provide to our patients,” said Mills-Peninsula Cardiovascular Advance Practice Nurse Sarah Newsom Healy, R.N., CNS, N.P.

“Our progress is evident in our excellent Door-to-Balloon times. Patients who are experiencing a STEMI will be treated in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory with a stent or other intervention within 90 minutes to improve their long-term outcome and save lives.”

Teams in the Emergency Department, Catheterization Lab and in other units work together and have consistently exceeded expectations for rapid response and excellent care, even achieving treatment in 30 minutes or less. (Ninety minutes is the recognized standard to prevent death and improve the long-term outcome.)

“We will continue to work with the county by meeting regularly, exchanging data, participating in community education and communicating on processes that can improve the outcomes for all patients we serve,” said Maria Elena Healy, R.N., CNS, CDE, Mills-Peninsula cardiovascular advance practice nurse.

The African American Community Health Advisory Committee (AACHAC) organizes the annual event to raise awareness of the benefits of good nutrition and exercise in preventing heart disease and diabetes. 

Triathlete Aaron Perry is this year’s celebrity chairperson.

This year’s event will feature celebrity chairperson Aaron G. Perry, the world’s first African American diabetic Ironman. An Ironman Triathlon consists of a 2.4–mile swim, a 112–mile bike ride and a 26.2–mile run, a grueling test of strength and endurance. A pioneer in the area of diabetes and exercise to communities of color, Perry is the president and founder of Rebalanced-Life Wellness Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the culture of wellness within communities of color. In 2008, he wrote “Through the Storm,” the story of his personal Ironman Triathlon triumph.

Estimated participation is 2,000-2,500 people of all ages. Register online to participate in his year’s Soul Stroll for Health.

The Health Walk will also feature free health screenings and information, children’s activities, as well as a continental breakfast and lunch. There is free but limited parking so carpooling is encouraged. Registration is $15 per person ($20 day-of) and proceeds help to fund the African American Community Health Advisory Committee’s work, including free health screenings and education throughout the year. Registered participants age five and older receive a free commemorative T-shirt, refreshments, gifts and other prizes. There is free admission for children under five.

Also appearing at the Soul Stroll for Health is Dominique Wilkins, retired basketball celebrity. Wilkens, who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA, was a nine-time NBA All-Star, and one of the best dunkers in NBA history.

NBA All-Star Dominique Wilkins (Photo: NBA)

This is the 12th consecutive Soul Stroll for Health, created with a special focus on improving health in the African American, Hispanic and Pacific Islander populations in San Mateo County through good nutrition and physical activity.  This year, the AACHAC will recognize the work of the African Women’s Development Fund USA at the Soul Stroll.

This popular annual event is sponsored in partnership with Mills-Peninsula Health Services.

Contact:

Gloria Brown, 650-696-4378; BrownG1@sutterhealth.org

The 12th Annual Mills-Peninsula Women’s Health Luncheon and Lecture, on Monday, April 29, will feature a lecture by award-winning author and columnist Anna Quindlen, entitled, “Is 60 the New 40: Middle-age or Midlife? A Short Guide to a Happy Life and Other Words of Wisdom.”

Quindlen is an award-winning author, journalist and opinion columnist.

The event will be at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront Hotel at 1800 Old Bayshore Highway in Burlingame. Registration begins at 11 a.m., and the luncheon and lecture run from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A book signing will follow the lecture. The event is expected to draw a capacity crowd of 1,000 attendees. The registration deadline is April 22, 2013, but the event is already nearly booked. Limited tickets are still available for $150 each.

All proceeds from this event will benefit the Mills-Peninsula’s Women’s Center along with the Breast Health Program, which serves women in San Mateo County. Last year’s program raised more than $400,000, which funded nursing education and other services in the Women’s Health Center, including free mammograms and continuing care for the uninsured and underserved women in the community.

The mission of the Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation is to steward local health care philanthropy and fund new equipment, facility improvements, nursing education and enhance patient comfort, safety, services and programs that exceed the hospital’s normal operating budget, providing a margin of excellence to our patients.

The Master of Ceremonies will be John Loder, president of the Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation.

The presenting sponsors of this event are Carole Middleton on behalf of The Middleton Foundation, and Zelda Levin. Co-chairs of this event are Linda Cooperman, Ph.D., Peggy Bort Jones and Dayna Sumiyoshi.

More about Anna Quindlen

Over the last 30 years, Anna Quindlen’s work has appeared in some of America’s most influential newspapers, many of its best-known magazines, and on both fiction and non-fiction bestseller lists. Quindlen is an author, journalist and opinion columnist whose New York Times column, Public and Private, won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1992. She began her journalism career in 1974 as a reporter for the New York Post. Between 1977 and 1994 she held several posts at The New York Times.  Quindlen left journalism in 1995 to become a full-time novelist. In 1999, she joined Newsweek, and wrote a bi-weekly column until semi-retiring in 2009. Quindlen is known as a critic of what she perceives to be the fast-paced and increasingly materialistic nature of modern American life. Much of her personal writing centers on her mother who died at the age of 40 from ovarian cancer, when Quindlen was 19 years old.

She has written five best-selling novels, three of which have been made into movies, including “One True Thing” in 1998. With the release of A Short Guide to a Happy Life in 2000, Quindlen became the first writer ever to have books appear on the fiction, nonfiction and self-help New York Times Best Seller lists.

Her most recent book is a memoir entitled “Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake.” In it, Quindlen considers marriage, mothers, faith, loss, friendships and turning 60.

Media Contact:

Karen Malekos-Smith, Mills-Peninsula director of Major Donor Relations, 650-696-5908; malekok@sutterhealth.org

Everyone plays an important role in ensuring all children are safe from bullying – including young people themselves, but not everyone knows how. To help people learn coping techniques and strategies to overcome and end bullying of all kinds, the  African American Community Health Advisory Committee (AACHAC) in partnership with Mills-Peninsula Health Services, is sponsoring a half-day, anti-bullying workshop for youth, teens and parents called, “Bullies Tear Down, Friends Build Up!” 

The free community workshop will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2013, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at  Mills Health Center’s Hendrickson Auditorium at 100 S. San Mateo Drive in San Mateo, Calif.

Workshop Topics Include:

• Race-related Bullying

• Sexual Orientation Bullying

• Relationship Abuse

“The AACHAC is committed to hearing the voices in our community,” said Shaunda Scruggs of the AACHAC.  “In the past few years, the topic of bullying has come up again and again, so we felt it necessary to meet the need. This interactive program will instruct youth and their parents, and share the resources available in the community.”

The keynote speaker is Shakeel Ali. Ali is the creator of the Stop Bullying System Program, co-founder of Ask Academy (Alternative School of Knowledge Academy), and president of the Governing Board of Education for the Jefferson Elementary School District. He has also been a national trainer with Ripple Effects, an anti-bulling youth training effort.

Admission to this event is free. For more information, email info@aachac.org or call 650-696-4378. To register, visit the AACHAC website: www.aachac.org.

Anti-Bullying Multi-Media Art Contest

Prior to the “Bullies Tear Down, Friends Build Up!” event, AACHAC is sponsoring an anti-bullying multi-media art contest for visual arts and social media for students ages 8-18. Entries can be submitted individually or by groups. Deadline for submissions is March 22 at 5 p.m. Winning entries will be announced and prizes presented at the March 30 event. More contest details are available online.

The anti-bullying workshop partners are Mills-Peninsula Health Services, Genentech and the County of San Mateo Health Department.

The Mills-Peninsula Breast Cancer Program for Underserved Women fills the urgent need in San Mateo County for high-quality breast cancer screening and diagnostic services for women who would otherwise not have access to resources that can ensure that their cancer is detected and treated as early as possible. 

“Safeway and the Safeway Foundation’s annual Breast Cancer fundraising and awareness campaign allows us to fund organizations like Mills-Peninsula to further local research, treatment and access to preventive services in the neighborhoods where our customers and employees live,” said Wendy Gutshall, manager of Public and Government Affairs for Safeway Inc. in Northern California.

“We deeply appreciate this generous gift from the Safeway Foundation. It will help us to continue a program that is helping medically underserved women in our community who rely on the Mills-Peninsula Breast Cancer Program for their care,” said John Loder, president of Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation.

Mills-Peninsula’s Breast Cancer Program for Underserved Women provides:

• Care from experts in oncology and radiology
• Free screening and diagnostic testing, including laboratory, radiology, ultrasound and stereotactic biopsies using the most advanced technologies available
• Saturday Breast Cancer Program offering free screenings for women who cannot leave work or family during the week
• Individualized treatment plans and referrals for new breast cancer diagnoses
• Community education in partnership with local community-based organizations to inform women of breast cancer risk factors and the many resources available at the Women’s Center 

 Breast Cancer in San Mateo County

One in every eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime.  While technological advances in the detection of breast cancer have greatly improved patient outcomes, many low-income women do not have access to high-quality screening and diagnostic services that can effectively detect and diagnose their cancer so it can be treated before it spreads.  Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that women living below the poverty line were significantly less likely than higher-income patients to have annual mammograms, which public health experts cite as a primary reason why low-income women experience lower five-year survival rates than their wealthier peers. 

Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer among women in San Mateo County, yet increasing numbers of low-income women are at-risk of having their cancer go undetected until it is too late to be treated successfully.

Last year, funding from generous supporters in the community enabled the program to provide 341 low-income women with screening and diagnostic services.  Of these patients, 26 received ultrasound or stereotactic biopsies after an initial screening revealed a potentially cancerous growth.  Mills-Peninsula surgeons also conducted 11 procedures to remove tumors, of which six were malignant and potentially life-threatening.  Women who were served through the program received personalized treatment plans when needed and were referred to partner agencies for follow-up care and monitoring.

About Mills-Peninsula Women’s Center and Breast Health Program

Located in the city of San Mateo, the Mills-Peninsula Women’s Center is one of the region’s foremost providers of comprehensive health care for women, seeing more than 27,000 patients annually.  Since opening in 1994, the Women’s Center has become a leader in the detection and treatment of breast cancer with an expert staff specially trained in mammography and ultrasound who are equipped with some of the best available technology, including the area’s first all-digital mammography. 

Mills-Peninsula is part of the Sutter Health network.

While not a robot in the strictest sense, the Si surgery system is a computer-enhanced surgical device that allows a surgeon to view surgeries in high definition 3D while manipulating mechanical arms with micro-instrument tips to perform intricate surgeries with increased stability. Some of the benefits for patients can include a faster recovery, less pain, lower risk of infection and less blood loss and scarring.

“Mills-Peninsula prides itself on offering the latest in medical technology to our patients,” says Mills-Peninsula CEO Bob Merwin. “Adding robotic technology to our suite of surgical services enhances our ability to perform robust minimally invasive surgery with substantial benefits to our patients, specifically faster recovery times so they can return to their daily activities sooner.”

Since the da Vinci® system was installed at the Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame  in November 2012, more than 45 surgeries have been performed using robot-assisted surgery.  The system can be used for a variety of surgical procedures, including removal of the prostate (prostatectomy), hysterectomies, removal of uterine fibroids (myomectomy), colorectal surgeries, and a variety of cancerous tumor removals (including thoracic, liver, gastric and biliary tumors). 

The da Vinci® Surgical System is comprised of three components: a surgeon’s console, a patient-side robotic cart with four arms manipulated by the surgeon (one to control the camera and three to manipulate instruments), and a high-definition 3D vision system.

The new da Vinci® Si has the ability to perform “single site surgery” using a specially designed robotic arm.  Single site surgery is performed through one small incision, leaving little to no scarring.  The first single site surgery to remove a gallbladder was performed in January, making Mills-Peninsula the first hospital in the San Francisco area to perform this type of procedure.

“Using robotic technology, I am able to offer a level of surgical precision with minimal trauma that is difficult to achieve through traditional open incisions,” says Karen Whang, M.D., FACS. “Incisions made for robotic surgery are quite small, about the size of a dime. With the smaller incisions, my patients typically recover in half the time of traditional open surgery.”

“Working as a traditional laparoscopic surgeon for 20 years, I have seen a lot of advancements but none are even close to this robotic system which is truly a giant step forward in women’s health care,” said Claire Serrato, M.D., an OB/Gyn at Mills-Peninsula’s San Mateo Center. “The technology is such a great advancement over classical techniques, particularly the 3-D viewer and the ability of the robot to rotate instruments better than the human wrist. Using this technology I can offer minimally invasive surgery to many more women in a safe manner. Most of my patients who have myomectomies or hysterectomies robotically can stop taking their pain medicines in a few days or a week.” 

Mills-Peninsula is part of the Sutter Health network.

Contact: Mark Riley, Marketing & Public Affairs, 831-460-6034; rileym1@pamf.org

Mills-Peninsula’s San Mateo Center houses the Diabetes Research Institute.

“Diabetes is one of the most serious health problems of our time,” says David Klonoff, M.D., medical director of the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) at Mills-Peninsula Health Services. “We conduct research to tackle this problem and work toward breakthroughs in care.” 

Throughout 2012, the DRI conducted research studies, participated in hospital initiatives for diabetes care and performed service for Mills-Peninsula, the U.S.government, and the national and international scientific communities. In January, Dr. Klonoff compiled a summary of the DRI’s 12 grants for research conducted in 2012.

“A complex set of social, financial, behavioral and organizational hurdles can slow advances in high-quality diabetes care,” Dr. Klonoff concluded. “Despite these barriers, we are making significant advances translating our clinical research findings into medical practice.

“Last year, we worked with many novel technologies for patients with diabetes.  We are particularly proud that our DRI served as the lead center for the first multicenter outpatient study of the world’s first artificial pancreas product.”

The artificial pancreas system contains a continuous glucose monitor, an insulin pump, a wireless monitor and software which controls insulin delivery.  The device is intended to protect from hypoglycemic brain or heart damage by shutting off insulin delivery for two hours in case a patient has a low sugar level and does not respond to an alarm. 

Mills-Peninsula’s DRI was one of only two research centers in the United States conducting a trial in outpatients of a new type of insulin delivery system.  The device heats the skin which increases local blood flow and speeds up the absorption of insulin that is pumped into the body continuously through a subcutaneous catheter.  Mills-Peninsula’s DRI studied adult patients and Yale-New Haven Hospital studied pediatric subjects. 

Last year, the world’s only non-invasive glucose monitor was approved. It uses light reflected off skin to determine the concentration of glucose in the body.  The first research studies to support regulatory approval of this product were conducted at the Mills-Peninsula DRI, and were mentioned in the regulatory submission document.

In 2012, the DRI performed a trial of a novel long-acting GLP-1 agonist drug for diabetes that is intended for once-weekly use. 

The DRI helped design a protocol for a diagnostics company to assess the analytical accuracy and human factors performance of an outpatient test for self testing of Hemoglobin A1C and was the sole test site for a pivotal clinical trial of this method.  This method allows patients to collect blood specimens at home and ship the specimens to a qualified testing laboratory. 

Additionally, the DRI worked on therapeutic trials of four new types of insulin.  One of them is an inhaled powdered insulin using a tiny delivery device to facilitate absorption from the lungs faster than liquid insulin injected into the skin.  Another insulin type is an injectable liquid that is absorbed faster into the circulation than any currently approved rapid-acting insulin.  The other two are time-release insulins with longer durations of activity than any currently approved long-acting insulin. 

During 2012, DRI conducted three trials of a combination treatment consisting of investigational insulin to lower glucose levels between meals combined with a recently approved novel GLP-1 agonist drug to lower glucose levels after meals with once-daily use. 

About the Dorothy L. and James E. Frank Diabetes Research Institute

In 2000, community donors Dorothy L. and James E. Frank gave a gift of $3 million to the Hospital Foundation and Silicon Valley Community Foundation to found the Diabetes Research Institute. Today, the Dorothy L. and James E. Frank Diabetes Research Institute is a leading Bay Area research institution dedicated to improving quality of life for people with diabetes. Researchers work with health care companies that are developing diabetes management treatments and technologies such as needle-free devices for delivering insulin; safer, more effective oral medications; and less painful, more convenient blood tests.