Newsroom Archive
Flag Raising for Organ Donors
Cassandra Contreras knew she wanted to be an organ donor before she was even old enough to drive, and told her grandmother so when they went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get her learner’s permit, where she added her name to the Donate Life Texas Registry. That conversation proved more meaningful than either could have anticipated.
Two years later, Cassandra suffered a catastrophic head injury in a crash on Interstate 30. After every treatment option was exhausted, her mother was approached about the possibility of donation.
What People Don’t Know About Podiatry Could Save Their Leg
When people think of podiatrists, they’re often thinking about heel pain or ingrown toenails, JPS Chief Resident of Podiatry Jordan Ernst, DPM said.
While those routine cases are certainly a part of the job, the U.S. Army veteran from Nebraska said he and his colleagues also often find themselves on the frontline of patients’ battles to save their lower legs from amputation or their fight to keep their mobility and independence after a traumatic accident. Finding a solution in those life-changing situations is his favorite part of the job.
Trauma Talk: Surgical-site Infections
To prevent surgical site infections, when does the patient get antibiotics? Before surgery, after, or both? For too many surgical patients, the answer turns out to be both, a leading expert told doctors and nurses at JPS on Tuesday.
There’s strong evidence that administering antibiotics before surgery reduces the likelihood of a surgical-site infection later, said Donald Fry, MD, of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and editor-in-chief of the medical journal Surgical Infections.
Pre-op Huddle
Taking patient safety to a new level in the operating room, JPS has launched an initiative winning both praise from patients and accolades from surveyors for The Joint Commission.
The Pre-operative Huddle is being piloted for surgical cases in Orthopedics, Women’s Services, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Before patients go to the O.R., the surgical team assembles with the patient and his or her family members, giving them a chance to meet the people behind the surgical masks and understand the role each will play.
Good Catch — Nursing a nurse
Devoted to caring for others, nurses don’t always pay the same amount of attention to themselves. Fortunately, however, they look out for one another. That’s what Leslie Haas, RN, did, likely saving the life of a fellow team member.
Haas’ coworker hadn’t felt very well that day, but went about her regular duties and even took on extra duty in the afternoon when an over-booked manager asked for help. As the day wore on, her vision blurred. She looked forward to the end of her shift so she could go home.
Doctors, nurses … and a librarian
Who are the people gathered around the hospitalized patient? Doctors and nurses, yes, but at JPS there could be a librarian there, as well. Clinical librarians have joined the team at JPS, informing medical decision-making with medical literature research, freeing up time for doctors to do what doctors do best: take care of patients.
Blood Drive No. 2
The next blood drive at JPS will be Monday, April 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Skills Lab on the third floor of the OPC.
Donors must bring along a driver’s license or other state-issued I.D. (not just your JPS badge) and can reserve a time in advance by clicking here:
John Peter Smith Hospital
Prescribing Fewer Opiates
Amid signs of a worsening opiate crisis across the country, doctors at JPS are doing their part to stem the tide of drug overdose deaths, writing fewer prescriptions for opiate painkillers. The number of opiate prescriptions dispensed by JPS pharmacies fell 35 percent between 2014 and 2017.
“People are doing a much, much better job in our system, absolutely,” said Manu Mathews, MD, director of the JPS Center for Pain Management.