Page 62 - Healthcare News Sep/Oct 2022

UMass Amherst Dedicates Elaine Marieb College of Nursing
AMHERST — On Sept. 12, UMass Amherst celebrated the life and legacy of alumna Elaine Marieb at the official dedication of the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing.
Marieb, who died in 2018, had previously made gifts of more than $2 million for campus-wide scholarships prior to the 2021 gift of $21.5 million from the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Charitable Foundation, the largest cash gift in UMass Amherst history. The funds are advancing the uni- versity’s innovative nursing engineering center and also providing support for student scholarships, an endowed professorship, and mentorship and research initiatives designed to further access, equity, and excellence in nurs- ing education.
“Elaine Marieb lived her values. Through her teach- ing, textbooks and philanthropy, she sought to ensure the transformative power of education touched as many lives as possible,” Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy said. “Today, with the naming of the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, her reach grows exponentially, as all students who pass through these doors will learn and practice
under her name.”
Several state and local officials who spoke during the
ceremony praised the university’s response, and that of its students and faculty in the College of Nursing in particu- lar, during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. They noted how the Marieb Foundation’s gift will help address the critical shortage of nurses and healthcare workers in the state and also empower nurses to have a leading voice in the development of healthcare products.
State Rep. John Lawn, House chair of the Joint Com- mittee on Health Care Financing, said the gift came at a critical time. “This is a time in the healthcare profession when we have over 5,000 open positions in nursing across the Commonwealth and over 20,000 open positions in healthcare in hospitals, not including nursing facilities. We are really in crisis.”
“This gift is transformative,” Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders added, noting that it empowers nurses be not only at the bedside, but also in leadership roles. “The foundation’s gift is really
for the future and that next generation. UMass Amherst will usher in a new era of nursing education and interdis- ciplinary collaboration.”
Allison Vorderstrasse, dean of the Elaine Marieb Col- lege of Nursing, added that “this is a sign of incredible trust in the college and its institutional leadership. This gift and the resources it will provide will have an incred- ible and long-standing impact on our research, teaching, and growing areas of need, like public-health promotion and campus well-being initiatives.”
Also taking part in the celebration were alumni Michael and Theresa Hluchyj, who gave a founding $1 million gift to create the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and En- gineering Innovation; UMass President Marty Meehan; state Rep. Mindy Domb; UMass Amherst Provost Tricia Serio; Karen Guliano and Frank Sup, co-directors of the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Inno- vation; and representatives of the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Charitable Foundation.
Berkshire Medical Center, Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates Recognized for Osteoporosis Care for Seventh Straight Year
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) an- nounced that it received 2022-23 Star Performer recogni- tion from the American Orthopaedic Assoc. (AOA) Own the Bone program, marking the seventh consecutive year it has been recognized.
“Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates and BMC are
proud to partner in this national effort to aid our patients who suffer from osteoporosis-related fractures,” said Dr. Anthony DeFelice, the surgeon who leads the program
for the Berkshire practice. “This is a group effort, and all members of our care team are focused on helping our patients take advantage of our support services so they can get back to their active lifestyles.”
Berkshire Medical Center is one of more than 275 healthcare institutions nationwide that have taken initia- tive to ensure that osteoporotic fracture patients receive the highest-quality care by implementing the AOA Own the Bone program. The program is aimed to better
identify, evaluate, and treat patients who suffer from an osteoporosis or low-bone-density-related fracture. The program brings attention to the severe health implications of fragility fractures (broken bones that result from a fall from standing height or lower) and the multi-faceted ap- proach hospitals or clinics can incorporate to ensure these patients receive the most comprehensive care.
Star Performer designation is reserved only for institu- tions that have achieved a 75% compliance rate with at least five of the 10 Own the Bone prevention measures. Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates has achieved between 98% and 100% compliance on all 10 measures, based on data from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. The measures include educating patients on the importance of calcium and vitamin D, physical activity, falls prevention, limiting alcohol intake and quitting smoking, recommending
and initiating bone-mineral-density testing, discussing pharmacotherapy and treatment (when applicable), and
providing written communication to the patient and their physician regarding specific risk factors and treatment recommendations.
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, up to 50% of all women and 25% of men over age 50 will sustain a fragility fracture. Studies show that patients who have had a fragility fracture are two to four times more likely to experience another fracture than those who have never had a fracture. Yet, 80% of Medicare patients do not receive recommended osteoporosis care following a fragility fracture.
Berkshire Medical Center has participated in the Own the Bone program for more than a decade. Together
with Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates, more than 1,385 patients over age 50 presenting with hip fractures have received important information on how to prevent future fractures since 2009.
Gift Shop Hours Expanded at Baystate Wing Hospital
PALMER — The Baystate Wing Hospital Gift Shop continues to expand its days and hours of operation. The gift shop hours are now Monday, Tuesday, and Wednes- day from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with additional days planned in the near future.
“We are delighted that as community members join our team of volunteers, we are now able to expand the number of days our gift shop is open,” said Michele LaPrade, volunteer coordinator for Baystate Wing Hospital. “We welcome all to stop in the Baystate Wing Gift Shop to find
a treat for themselves or a special unique gift item for a friend or loved one.”
For more than 65 years, the Auxiliary has been actively supporting Baystate Wing Hospital through donations made possible by gift-shop sales and various other fun- draising efforts. This diverse group of women and men includes teachers, nurse, business owners, both young and retirees, who live in many different communities and are united by a shared commitment to support the mission of the hospital.
Volunteers are currently being sought to fill positions in various departments at Baystate Wing, including the hospital Gift Shop, as greeters, and in patient-care areas. Duties will vary depending on the assigned department. Volunteers are assigned to a department or area according to their interests and the needs of the hospital.
For more information about volunteer opportunities, call Michele LaPrade at (413) 370-5295.
22 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022