Physicians Health Programs Now Offers Intervention Services

Transcription

1 Spring 2014 NEWS FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA PHYSICIANS HEALTH PROGRAMS Physicians Health Programs Now Offers Intervention Services Pennsylvania PHP staff now offers intervention services to physicians and those who care about them. Sr. Case Manager Lou Verna is certified in intervention services. Intervention. Once thought of as a confrontational tool in treating addiction has developed into a care-frontational approach that demonstrates care and concern not only for the impaired individual, but also the family, friends, employers, and coworkers impacted by addiction or behavioral issues. Intervention is a way to address enabling behaviors and empowers those held hostage by addiction or behavioral problems and the challenges they present. People learn to utilize community resources and develop strategies for taking their lives back and returning to a healthy, productive lifestyle on a daily basis. Those impacted by addiction quite often sit by helplessly witnessing and even contributing to the dysfunction. The process of intervention will allow those impacted to take charge of the situation, freeing them from being held hostage. The importance of recognizing, defining, developing, and implementing solutions is paramount. Early recognition cannot be stressed enough. Too often, the addictive patterns and behaviors are allowed to continue and go on unchallenged. When determining whether an intervention is needed, some of the signs to look for are: absenteeism, excessive sick leave, tardiness, and Friday / Monday absences. In addition, absences prior to and after holidays can be telling. Accident rates, poor work performance, poor relationships or disruptive behavior in the workplace also are significant factors. The process of coaching a team for the intervention can be initiated by a phone call to the PHP. This can be the start of a well thought out process that will help alleviate conditions and behaviors that have a far reaching impact on the outcome. An interview will be conducted over the phone which will address the needs of the organization, family, employer, or coworker. The intervention process will be discussed as team members will be determined or eliminated. Those who continue to demonstrate enabling behaviors will be eliminated from the intervention team. A dialogue with concrete examples of the behaviors exhibited will be created and rehearsed. Finally a time and place will be determined for the intervention to take place and ultimately the recommendations for treatment to begin the process of resolution. Contact Lou Verna, MAC, LPC, at for more information. Louis H. Verna, MAC, LPC Senior Case Manager Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Executive Director Heather Wilson is offering a seminar now eligible for CME credit entitled SOS! Recognizing and Addressing Concerns Related to Impairment, Boundaries, Clinical Competence and Behavior that Undermines a Culture of Safety. This course is designed for physician leaders who are responsible to maintain a culture of safety within the healthcare environment. Visit to find out more.

2 NEWS FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA PHYSICIANS HEALTH PROGRAMS Published semi-annually by the Physicians Health Programs. PHP UPDATE Physicians Health Programs The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society 777 East Park Drive P.O. Box 8820 Harrisburg, PA In Pennsylvania: Fax: Hours: Monday Thursday 7:30 am 5:00 pm Friday, Emergency Calls Only PHP STAFF Clifford H. Lyons, MD Medical Director Jon A. Shapiro, MD Medical Director Shirley M. Stuppy Director Lou Verna MAC, LPC Senior Case Manager Kendra Parry, CADC Case Manager Tiffany Condran, CADC Case Manager Wendie Dunkin Compliance Assistant Vicki Baker Monitoring Assistant PHP COMMITTEE Charles Burns, MD, Chair Theodore Hovick, MD, Secretary Patrick Boyle, DMD Malorie Budman, DO Jennifer Leong, MD George Lloyd, MD, Vice Chair Charles McClure, MD Stanton Segal, MD Michael Sopchak, MD Dean Steinberg, MD Mark Stout, PA Thomas Turner, MD For more information or to submit articles, please contact Kerry Royer Communications Coordinator The PHP is a program of Executive Director Message Foundation Executive Director Heather A. Wilson, MSW, CFRE...They evolve and change into someone much stronger than who they were in their addiction. Like our participants, the Physicians Health Programs have gone through many changes in Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life said, You might be tempted to avoid the messiness of daily living for the tranquility of stillness and peacefulness. This of course would be an attachment to stillness, and like any strong attachment, it leads to delusion. It arrests development and short-circuits the cultivation of wisdom. This philosophy comes to mind when I watch the progression into recovery for many PHP participants they evolve and change into someone much stronger than who they were in their addiction. Like our participants, the Physicians Health Programs has gone through many changes in Services changed - The most significant change was that RecoveryTrek became our vendor for toxicology screening. Advocacy for our participants became stronger as the testing frequency and integrity of the collection process improved dramatically. Jon Shapiro, MD, is now serving in the capacity of medical director year round with a focus of service for our PHP participants and Cliff Lyons, MD, also a PHP medical director, focuses his efforts on outreach and education during the spring and summer months. Lou Verna is now providing Intervention Services and the PHP Committee continues to refine our capabilities to address disruptive physician behavior that undermines a culture of safety. People changed - Tiffany Condran and Kendra Parry were brought on as case managers to expand our abilities to meet the complex needs of our participants. The PHP accepted its first MSW intern, Lori Erb. Lori has helped the PHP to update its records and she has gained valuable insight and knowledge that will strengthen her ability to serve others after graduation. The PHP Advisory Committee changed as we expressed our sincerest appreciation to Mike Antoon, MD, for his service as chair and welcomed Charlie Burns, Jr. MD, as the new chair. Technology changed Many reporting requirements can now be submitted online and our website will continue to evolve to meet the needs of participants and those seeking to help their loved ones and colleagues. We are increasing access to the medical director for Caduceus groups through a portal that will allow groups to ask questions and share information using open lines of communication when appropriate. Change is a process, not an event. Just as our participants evolve, so will the PHP. Thank you for sharing the journey with us. Sincerely, Heather A. Wilson, MSW, CFRE Executive Director HOSPITALS We want to hear from you! We created an online survey at to find out information about how to better reach our constituents. Please go online and answer 5 questions. Let your opinions be heard! Raymond C. Truex Jr., MD, FAANS, FACS Chair Our Mission The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society provides programs and services for individual physicians and others that improve the well-being of Pennsylvanians and sustain the future of medicine.

3 Program Director message Getting to Know the Pennsylvania CaRTS Database Easier Online Access for PHP participants, monitors and therapists As I am sure most of you are aware, electronic records are here to stay and can save paper and staff time and perhaps make our lives a little bit easier. Our CaRTS (Case and Review Tracking System) database is a web-based program and as we have been telling everyone, You can submit that online! Meeting cards can be added on a daily basis and saved until the end of the month. Just click on the submit button on the last day of the month and you are ready to go for the next month. Once you type in the name of a meeting, the database will automatically recall that information and you only need to type the first letter or so to have the name of that meeting fill in. No postage, no getting lost in the mail, no tape, no staples, etc., just a very secure submission. Shirley Stuppy Program Director Therapy reports can be submitted by your therapist. Therapists need to contact the PHP office to get an initial login and password information. Once that is done, when therapists login to CaRTS, it only gives them access to fill out a form for the participants who see them for therapy. The therapist cannot see any personal information, reports, case notes, etc., for the participants. They can update their address or telephone information if necessary. Workplace monitor reports can also be submitted electronically. As with everyone, monitors need to contact the PHP office to obtain a user name and password. The workplace monitor can log on to complete the workplace monitor form and submit. A monitor will only be able to submit a report for the person(s) s/he monitors. Monitors cannot see any personal information, reports, case notes, etc., that are in the file just their personal contact information and the name of the person(s) s/he monitors. The PHP monitor report is a two-step process. First, the participant must fill out his or her portion of the form. When the section is complete, the participant clicks the Philanthropy The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society serves all physicians in Pennsylvania. Gifts made to the PHP ensure that physicians will always have a place to go to when help is needed. Physicians can turn to us for guidance, support and advocacy during some of life s most challenging moments. PHP operational costs are underwritten by the generous support of hospitals, corporate and individual donors. Financial gifts allow the PHP to provide programs that ensure physician wellness. Please contact us to find out how you can make a tax-deductable contribution. Philanthropy Office: The official registration and financial information of the Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling the toll-free number within Pennsylvania, Registration does not imply endorsement. The mission of the PHP is to assist physicians and other eligible health care professionals (herewith referred to as physicians/others) to understand, accept and cope with the physical, emotional, spiritual and mental conditions which impair or threaten to impair their health and well-being, and thus help them to meet the usual and high standards of medical care required of licensed physicians/ others in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In doing so, the program shall act to promote the health and attitudes of physicians/ others, and thus the safety and welfare of the public. submit button. This automatically sends an to the PHP monitor that the form is ready for completion. The second part is for the PHP monitor to complete the next section of the form and submit. The form will not show in the PHP database until both sides are completed. The Find out more about how other Foundation programs support medical education and excellence in practice at 3 PHP monitor cannot see any other data in the participant s file. Note to participants: PHP monitors must be willing to complete forms in this manner. Note to monitors: PHP monitors who are also participants must have a different user name to log on as a monitor. The password can be the same. Also, monitorees must complete their portion of the form, or the option to complete a PHP monitor form will not appear. Confidential As you know, the PHP has not accepted messages because of confidentiality concerns. Once participants have login information for the database, they can confidentially questions or concerns and confidential replies can be sent. The participant can the PHP, a therapist or monitor. The therapist or monitor can the PHP staff, or the participant that they monitor. When any mail is sent, the CaRTS system will send an automatic regular alerting individuals that a confidential has been sent. Participants can then log-in to the system and answer the mail. (You must have a valid address on file and be registered with a user name in the database in order to do this.) All forms used by the PHP are available at or by a link on the CaRTS homepage. Also, a link is provided on the CaRTS homepage to the RecoveryTrek website. Confidential Support for Pennsylvania Physicians. CONTACT US 777 East Park Drive, PO Box 8820 Harrisburg, PA Hours of Operation 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Toll Free: (866) Phone: (717) Friday Emergencies Only (717) php-foundation@pamedsoc.org PHP has updated its informational brochure about its programs. Call us at (717) to order a supply for your organization.

4 Medical Director Message Jon Shapiro, MD Jon Shapiro, MD Medical Director Drug testing alone doesn t prove use or abuse. It is only one tool in our monitoring toolbox. Drug testing is as important in addiction medicine as glucose testing is in the treatment of diabetes. Drug testing can be performed using several types of body fluids. Urine testing is the most common because urine is readily available and most chemicals or their metabolites are filtered by the kidneys. Blood testing requires phlebotomy but can also be useful for establishing use/misuse of many substances. Alcohol is uniquely volatile among abused substances and so shows up in exhaled air. This is the basis for the well known breathalyzer testing. Hair and nail analyses have the advantage of reflecting use from the previous weeks to months. Recent advancements in toxicology testing allow us to analyze saliva and even sweat. Drug testing can inform us whether a prescribed medication has actually been ingested rather than being resold illegally. Experience with substance abusers tells us that their denial often precludes honesty about recent use. Drug screening can thereby confirm abstinence or catch an early relapse and minimize the damage. Toxicologists have established some means to exclude tampered samples. Testing is done to find extraneous chemicals that may have been added to block detection of controlled substances. We also routinely address the creatinine concentration and the osmolarity of the urine samples which could reflect artificial dilution and invalidate the sample. Testing of our PHP participants usually includes urine drug tests and blood testing for PEth (phosphotidylethanol), a slowly metabolized by-product of alcohol use. The urine screen includes many commonly abused drugs and can be customized to discover less common drugs, difficult to detect drugs and novel designer drugs. The lower level of detection of the PEth test has been set at the high level of 20ng/ml to minimize false positives. A positive test indicates more than minimal exposure to ethyl alcohol. We recently changed vendors to a new drug testing laboratory. We acknowledge the difficulty of the transition and thank our participants for their patience. While not perfect, our new lab service RecoveryTrek has been providing good service with accurate and timely reporting. Drug testing alone doesn t prove use or abuse. It is only one tool in our monitoring toolbox. We also employ self-report, 12 step attendance, clinical reports and personal observations to fill out the portrait of recovery. Negative (clean) tests help reaffirm that our participants at PHP are following their prescribed program of recovery. This assists us in building an objective record of sobriety to facilitate re-entry and full employment of our monitored health care professionals. 4 PHP Welcomes New Committee Chair Charles N. Burns Jr., MD PHP Committee Chair The Physicians Health Programs welcomes Charles N. Burns Jr., MD, as the new chair of the PHP Committee. Dr. Burns specializes in Urology with Riverview Urologic Associates in Kingston. He resides in Luzerne County. I accepted the chairman s role as I feel I can contribute to the committee my experience. My years on the committee have been a rewarding experience. My professional goal in this new leadership role is to listen to all of my colleagues. As a result, we can reach out to our communities, both the medical and hospital branches to help identify our co-workers who may need our help, said Dr. Burns. Another reason that physicians take part in the PHP committee is philanthropic interests. I was taught early in recovery to help others in any way I am able. Each of us in recovery has known a person that has suffered terrible losses, personal and financial. I can never repay the kindness I have been shown by those who helped me in my first few years. A monetary gift to the Physicians Health Programs, a program of the Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, can ease some of the burden new recovering colleagues experience, he said. Dr. Burns has been an active supporter of the PHP program for many years and had previously served as a member of the PHP Committee After serving on the committee, he rotated off for a period of three years and was reappointed in I was taught early in recovery to help others in any way I am able. Each of us in recovery has known a person that has suffered terrible losses, personal and financial. I can never repay the kindness I have been shown by those who helped me in my first few years... PHP Program Director Shirley Stuppy said, We are fortunate to have someone with his experience serve as our committee chair and we look forward to his support and guidance during his tenure on the committee. I cannot thank PHP enough, said Dr. Burns. The staff works selflessly and tirelessly providing a path for recovering health care professionals. Dignity and caring is their work ethic.

5 PHP Advocacy in Action George Lloyd, MD, vice-chair of the PHP Committee, testified on behalf of PHP in January before the Pennsylvania House Human Services Committee on HR 544. According to Pennsylvania Legislative Services, the resolution requests the Office of Attorney General to investigate the proliferation of prescription opioid drugs across the Commonwealth, investigate the cost of this proliferation including, but not limited to, the costs to the emergency health Dr. Lloyd testifying at the Opioid hearing care, criminal justice, law enforcement and addiction treatment systems, develop a plan to recover damages to the Commonwealth from drug manufacturers and distributors and establish the Pennsylvania Opioid Recovery Fund to fund treatment of addiction to prescription and other drugs. Dr. Lloyd, speaking on behalf of the Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, shared findings from the CDC to highlight the need to address opioid abuse. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports drug overdose rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990, he stated. Over 36,000 people died in 2008 from drug overdoses, and most of these were caused by prescription drugs. This represents a death rate of 12 per 100,000. Closer to home in Westmoreland County, 92 people died from drug overdoses last year. That represents 25.5 per 100,000 people in that county. The rates of opioid pain reliever overdose deaths and kilograms of opioid pain relievers sold in the United States have both increased substantially. Dr. Lloyd outlined ways to decrease the death rate including the following: Implement a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program statewide to include schedule II, III, IV and V medications Establish guidelines for prescribing opioids for the treatment of chronic, non-terminal pain Educate about the danger of opioids and sedative-hypnotic drugs, especially in combination Initiate a drug take-back program. (Source: Pennsylvania Legislative Services) 5 Coverys Recognizes the Foundation s Work with a Generous Donation Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Executive Director Heather Wilson (left) accepts a $6,000 corporate donation from Coverys. Pictured also are Foundation Vice Chair Donald Parlee, MD, Coverys Clinical Risk Management Consultant Robin Webster, Coverys Senior Marketing Representative Will Herrmann, and Foundation Board Chair Raymond Truex, MD. Coverys representatives attended the Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society board meeting to present a charitable gift in recognition of the work the Physicians Health Program does in Pennsylvania. Coverys supports charitable endeavors that provide healthcare services to improve patient safety and care. Coverys has long supported non-profit organizations and state/regional medical societies and has expanded its focus to include innovative projects committed to enriching the healthcare community. Through funding, Coverys positively reinforces charitable organizations and innovative programs affiliated with the healthcare community. Coverys selected the Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society s program based on how closely it aligns with Coverys mission to promote physician well-being and patient safety through education and treatment of healthcare providers experiencing health-related problems. Coverys remains a committed contributor to state medical societies physician health services initiatives and has contributed nearly $3 million over the past decade to organizations in various states where the company operates. Coverys provides over 1,000 Pennsylvania policyholders, including hospitals/facilities, groups, physicians/surgeons, dentists and allied healthcare providers, with the highest quality medical professional liability insurance policies and products backed by excellent service and financial strength. To find out how you can become a corporate sponsor of the Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, contact Margie Lamberson at mlamberson@pamedsoc.org or

6 2013 was an outstanding year for hospital support of the Physicians Health Programs. We are very thankful to the following hospitals that provide for the financial health of the PHP. Without the support of our Pennsylvania hospitals the programs of the Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society would not be possible. Ambassador $10,000 or more Chester County Hospital M Holy Spirit Hospital M & H Lehigh Valley Health Network M & H Wellspan York Hospital M & H Visionary $5,000 to $4,999 Allegheny General Hospital M & H Grand View Hospital M & H Holy Redeemer Hospital and Medical Center M & H Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center M Pinnacle Health Hospitals M & H Reading Hospital/Reading Health System M & H UPMC Altoona M & H UPMC Mercy M The Western Pennsylvania Hospital M Leader $2,500 to $4,999 Albert Einstein Medical Center M Doylestown Hospital M & H Chambersburg Hospital H Easton Hospital M & H Evangelical Community Hospital M & H Excela Health - Latrobe Hospital M Forbes Regional Hospital M & H Good Samaritan Hospital Lebanon M & H Hanover Hospital M & H Indiana Regional Medical Center M & H Jefferson Regional Medical Center M & H Memorial Medical Center M & H Mount Nittany Medical Center M & H Thank you. Ohio Valley General Hospital M & H Pocono Medical Center M & H St. Mary Medical Center M Susquehanna Health M & H Thomas Jefferson University Hospital M UPMC Hamot Medical Center M UPMC Horizon M & H UPMC McKeesport M UPMC St. Margaret M Washington Hospital M & H Guardian $1,000 to $2,499 Abington Memorial Hospital M & H Aria Health M Blue Mountain Health System M Brandywine Hospital M Charles Cole Memorial Hospital M & H Chestnut Hill Hospital M Delaware County Memorial Hospital M & H DuBois Regional Medical Center M & H Einstein Medical Center Montgomery M Elk Regional Health Center M & H Ephrata Community Hospital M & H Grove City Medical Center M & H Hazleton General Hospital M & H Heritage Valley Health System Beaver M Heritage Valley Health System Sewickley M Jeanes Hospital M & H Lancaster Regional Medical Center H Lewistown Hospital M & H Lower Bucks Hospital M & H Meadville Medical Center M & H Mercy Suburban Hospital M Monongahela Valley Hospital M & H Moses Taylor Hospital M Phoenixville Hospital M & H Regional Hospital of Scranton M & H Roxborough Memorial Hospital M & H Sharon Regional Health System M & H Somerset Hospital M & H St. Clair Memorial Hospital M St. Luke s Hospital & Health Network Bethlehem M Uniontown Hospital M & H UPMC Northwest Seneca M UPMC Passavant M Wayne Memorial Hospital M & H Waynesboro Hospital M & H WellSpan Surgery and Rehab. Hospital M Benefactor $500 to $999 Bloomsburg Hospital M Clearfield Hospital M & H Good Shepherd Specialty Hospital M Guthrie Health/Robert Packer Hospital M Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center M & H Jersey Shore Hospital M & H Millcreek Community Hospital M & H Titusville Area Hospital M Tyler Memorial Hospital M & H UPMC - Bedford Memorial M & H Wellspan Gettysburg Hospital M & H Windber Hospital M & H Partner $100 to $499 Brookville Hospital M & H Children s Hospital of Pittsburgh M Corry Memorial Hospital M Ellwood City Hospital M Healthsouth Harmarville Rehab. Hospital M Kane Community Hospital M & H Miners Medical Center M & H Muncy Valley Hospital M Norristown State Hospital M & H Philhaven M & H Pottstown Memorial Medical Center M Punxsutawney Area Hospital M Schuylkill Medical Center - South Jackson Street H Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital M & H St. Joseph Medical Center M Wernersville State Hospital M 6 M = Medical Staff Donation H = Hospital Administration Donation M & H = Medical Staff & Hospital Administration Donation

7 We all have special people in our lives that inspire and motivate us. The Foundation would like to remind you that making a gift to any of the Foundation programs is a wonderful way to honor that special person. Simply use the form on this page and let us know to whom you are making your honorary or memorial gift. We will send a handwritten note to the person you are honoring or their family and let them know of the special gift you have made. How do you want to be remembered? It s easy. You can make a simple, yet transformational gift through your will or estate that costs you nothing during your lifetime. Marjorie M. Lamberson Margie Lamberson Director of Philanthropy mlamberson@pamedsoc.org My Gift YES, I will support the Foundation with my gift of $. Please designate my gift for r Area of Greatest Need r Physicians Health Programs General Fund Endowment r Medical Student Loans r Medical Student Scholarships r LifeGuard r Tribute gift in memory honor of. Please send acknowledgment to: Name Address City/State/ZIP Method of payment Education. Wellness. Excellence. Always. 777 East Park Drive P.O. Box 8820 Harrisburg, PA Donald E. Parlee, MD, FACR Vice Chair, Foundation Board of Trustees r Check (payable to The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society) r Credit Card (or donate on our Web site, Card # Exp. Date The PHP thanks Mike Haggerty, MD, for his seven years of service, commitment and leadership on the PHP Committee. His insight and dedication will be greatly missed. Pictured with Haggerty are PHP Program Director Shirley Stuppy and Medical Directors Cliff Lyons, MD, and Jon Shapiro, MD. Michael Antoon, MD, served a total of six years on the Physicians Health Programs Committee, the past three as Chair. He has been an avid supporter for those needing assistance in the Erie area. We appreciate his continued service to the PHP. Dr. Antoon also served as an Assistant Medical Director for the PHP in the early 2000s. 7 Signature r I would like to learn more about planned giving opportunities. Please contact me. r I would like my gift to be remain anonymous Name Address City/State/ZIP Phone Fax Preferred method of contact: r Phone_ r r Please remove my name from mailing 777 East Park Drive P.O. Box 8820 Harrisburg, PA The official registration and financial information of the Foundation may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Charitable Organizations, by calling toll-free within Pennsylvania, (800) Registration does not imply endorsement. "

8 When everything seems like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top unknown NON PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID HARRISBURG, PA PERMIT NO East Park Drive P.O. Box 8820 Harrisburg, PA CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Hospitals: Schedule Presentations Now The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Physicians Health Programs Medical Director Clifford Lyons, MD, offers presentations. Learn about: Services available through PHP Physician Burnout Stress in the Workplace Also, see front page for a CME course We can present at your hospital. Presentations are beneficial to hospital leadership, physician groups, staff meetings, etc. Now booking for Summer 2014 presentations. Call Clifford Lyons, MD PHP Medical Director