Acts of Selflessness

By Jennifer Siragusa, Director of Patient Services, Bertrand Chaffee Hospital

I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage “seeing is believing.” This saying could not be more relevant now, especially in the healthcare field or, for that matter, any service-related industry.

As you walk in to a crowded hospital waiting room in your local community, you may be alarmed at first by the sheer volume of people waiting for care, perhaps you may feel disgruntled by the time you are waiting to be seen by a provider.

What you don’t see beyond the busy waiting area is what is happening behind the waiting room door.

What you don’t see is the unresponsive baby who had been rushed in by ambulance who is requiring the attention and care from half of the Emergency Department staff or the teenage boy involved in a skiing accident who arrived hours after you did who will lose his leg if he isn’t treated immediately.

What you don’t see while you waited 20 minutes for pain medication or 10 minutes for assistance to use the bathroom is the nurse performing chest compressions on the mother of three young children so that she might have a chance to see her children grow up.

Our doctors and nurses perform these actions every day, most of which go unseen or untold. They are entrusted to save lives, to provide outstanding care, and to deliver that care with compassion and kindness.

What we as patients and community members don’t necessarily see or feel is that the figurative rubber band of healthcare has snapped – the people we depend upon to perform these extraordinary acts of selflessness have been stretched to their breaking point. Despite clocking longer hours and fielding complaints of circumstances beyond their control, they weather this unparalleled environment with poise and pride. They are working harder than ever with less resources than ever, yet they continually show up so they can respectfully care for your loved ones and neighbors with dignity.

Please, the next time you are at your local healthcare facility, even your local grocery store, restaurant, or gas station, consider your interactions with the people you are depending upon to care for you, to serve you. You may not be seeing the full picture of what is going on in their workday, what is going on “behind the scenes”.

Your patience and understanding goes a long way with the staff who are working selflessly and tirelessly to make sure your small community hospital can care for your emergent needs.

REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CATTARAUGUS COUNTY TOWN HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION PRESENT GIFTS FOR THE YOUNGEST EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PATIENTS AT BERTRAND CHAFFEE HOSPITAL

The Cattaraugus County Town Highway Supervisors Association delivered a supply of new toys and stuffed animals for the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Emergency Department on December 17. Staff in the ED gives out toys to its youngest patients and visitors. The Association also collected toys during the holiday season to deliver to Olean General Hospital, Cattaraugus County Department of Social Services, the Ronald McDonald House in Buffalo, and the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.

Representatives from the Cattaraugus County Town Highway Superintendents Association present gifts for the youngest emergency department patients at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital.

From left: Teresa Fink, RN, Town of East Otto Highway Superintendent Tom Benz, Diane Metz of Suit-Kote, Rachael Conklin, RN, and Casey Suraf, LPN.

Representatives from the Cattaraugus County Town Highway Superintendents Association present gifts for the youngest emergency department patients at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital

The Cattaraugus County Town Highway Supervisors Association delivered a supply of new toys and stuffed animals for the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Emergency Department on December 17. Staff in the ED gives out toys to its youngest patients and visitors. The Association also collected toys during the holiday season to deliver to Olean General Hospital, Cattaraugus County Department of Social Services and the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.

Representatives from the Cattaraugus County Town Highway Superintendents Association present gifts for the youngest emergency department patients at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital

Representatives from the Cattaraugus County Town Highway Superintendents Association present gifts for the youngest emergency department patients at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital

From left: Town of Mansfield Highway Superintendent Brad Hurley, Diane Metz of Suit-Kote, BCH ED Nurse Manager Penny Gardner, RN, Bill Phillips of Gernatt’s, Town of East Otto Highway Superintendent Tom Benz, and BCH ED Nurse Ken Wiedemann, LPN.

Drug Disposal Box at BCH 

Bertrand Chaffee Hospital has installed a drug disposal drop off box in its Emergency Department Waiting Room. Members of the public can use this service to dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications in a safe and secure manner.

The box is accessible 24/7, and is monitored by security cameras. “This is one more way to keep drugs out of our water supply and out of the hands of children,” said Heather Hodson, PharmD, pharmacy department director. “We encourage our patients and area residents to clear out unused and expired pills, tablets, liquids, ointments and eye drops regularly from their cabinets and drawers.”

Although medications are accepted, needles and medical supplies should not be disposed of through ths location. This box was made possible by a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation through its Pilot Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program.

Additional drop off boxes are available in Erie County at many local substations, including the ones in Springville and Boston.

A Sleigh Full of Toys…

Representatives from the Cattaraugus County Town Highway Superintendents Association delivered a sleigh full – or maybe car full – of toys and games to the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Emergency Department and Lab on December 15.

The association’s team was making the rounds this month to bring joy and smiles to children in the region. This included stops at Olean General Hospital, Cattaraugus County Department of Social Services and Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.

Association members and their families collected toys, games and gas cards to assist community members during this time of year.

These gifts will be distributed to the hospital’s littlest patients and visitors, particularly as we continue through the holiday season.

From left: Michael Pidsadnick, RN, Lori Hudzinski, MD, Association Secretary/Treasurer Tom Benz of East Otto, Tina Brooks, LPN, Vice President Brad Hurley of Mansfield, Executive Board Member Diane Metz, President Robert Barber of Otto

Congratulations, Amber Kohn, RN

At its July meeting, the BCH Foundation gave a scholarship to Amber Kohn, RN, to apply to her educational expenses. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Alfred University, and is a nurse in the BCH emergency department. She previously worked on the medical-surgical floor at BCH as a registered nurse and in the ED as a nursing assistant.

The Elizabeth Dedrick Scholarship Fund is a way to support BCH and JBR employees as they pursue degrees and training, that they can then bring to their career in caring for patients and residents.

Congratulations, Amber!

Cordelian Club Presents Gift for BCH Emergency Department

Cordelian Club 2017Thanks to the efforts of the Cordelian Club, the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Foundation received a gift that will fund equipment in the Emergency Department.

The purchase of an ocular tonometer, which measures eye pressure, and additional equipment for the ED will proceed because of this donation.

Each year, the Cordelian Club coordinates a party like no other in town. This year’s theme was a tribute to Prince, and it continued a long tradition of dances that have changed with the times but have always supported the hospital.

Pictured from left: BCH Foundation President William King, Shelly Baronich, Primary Care Center Medical Director William Wnuk, MD, Dance Chairperson Kelly Baker, BCH Foundation Board Member Jessica Sullivan, Cordelian Club President Amy Wnuk, BCH Board and Foundation Board Member Stanley Handzlik, BCH Emergency Department Nurse Manager Penny Gardner, RN, BCH Primary Care Nurse Manager Kim Bockhahn, LPN.

Teddy Bear Donation from St. Al’s

The St. Aloysius Crafters group put together a generous donation of handmade teddy bears for Bertrand Chaffee Hospital. Before finding new homes with children, they will be staying comfortably in the hospital’s emergency department and lab. Thank you to Karen Schlageter, who coordinates the group, and BCH Women’s Association President Karen Ritenour for making this project happen for our facility.

Department Spotlight: Emergency Department

The people who work in the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Emergency Department have the distinction of being able to say that they are part of one of the most valuable teams in our community.

As a registered nurse and nurse manager for the department, Penny Gardner, RN says that the reliability of emergency care at BCH is stronger than ever. “It’s the only place that is open every minute of every day, and we never turn anyone away,” she explained.

Just as there is no such thing as a typical day in the ED, there is no typical patient either. “Every day is completely different,” said Gardner. “But every day we come to work we know we are going to be able to help our neighbors.”

Most people don’t realize the length and depth of experience that BCH ED nurses have. Just five of the 23 nurses have a total of 130 years of nursing experience at BCH. Some have decades’ more experience at other facilities. “I am astonished by the commitment these nurses have shown throughout their career,” explained Gardner. “We are lucky to have that kind of allegiance in this small community.”

Emergency care at BCH includes the nursing staff and providers who cover the ED 24 hours a day. That doesn’t count the lab techs and imaging personnel who are ready to perform immediate tests, and the registration clerks, hospitalists and medical-surgical nurses available to admit patients.

It also doesn’t include the air medical transport crews from Mercy Flight, who can rapidly transfer patients to a higher level of care once stabilized at BCH. The ED’s connection with Mercy Flight stretches back more than 35 years. It became even more powerful with the construction of a helicopter hangar and ground transport base for Mercy EMS in 2016.

Healthcare professionals who gravitate toward emergency medicine are usually people who want to be on the frontline, ready and willing to take care of whatever comes through that door. “Emergency medicine means having the ability to take care of a severely injured patient and the family member at the bedside,” Gardner continued. “And then minutes later, we walk into another room with our entire focus on that next patient; we are truly a special breed.”

 

BCH Women’s Association Installation Dinner

BCH Women's Association Officers 2017-18

BCH Women’s Association Officers 2017-18

The Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Women’s Association held its annual installation dinner on June 7 at the Apple Dumplin in Springville. Members capped off a year of fundraising and activities with a donation to the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Foundation to support the purchase of a vein viewer for the Emergency Department.

This continues the strong tradition of the BCH Women’s Association in supporting clinical equipment purchases and building improvements at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital and the Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home. Jennifer Siragusa, RN, director of patient care services, accepted the gift on behalf of the hospital and foundation.

From left: BCH Women’s Association Officers 2017-18: Secretary Diane Fleckenstein, Vice President Lori Beeman, President Karen Ritenour, Vice President Lisa Yaeger and Treasurer Beth Bolt