January 2017 McGuire VA Medical Center

THIS ISSUE

Innovator’s Network

MLK, Jr. Day

Wellness Activites

UPCOMING

African-American History Month

National Salute to Veteran Patients

Week

Wear Red Day

EDITORIAL STAFF

Darlene Edwards · Armenthis Lester · David Hodge Patrick Gordon · Yanitz Irizarry · Mary Beatty-Brooks Jason Miller · Anderson Grant

All content within McGuire Monthly was written and complied by the editorial staff unless otherwise noted.

Ka Wong

Where do you work? I am a clinical dietitian taking care of veterans on 2-B and Polytrauma Rehabilitation Program. My other fun duties include co-leading an Anti-inflammatory Eating Group for the Veteran Integrative Pain (VIP) Center and writing nutrition postings for the Richmond VAMC Facebook.

How many years have you worked for VA? I’ve been working for VA for close to two years. My first week at VA began with a snowstorm.

What was your most memorable experience while working with VA? I was totally impressed that VA supports the practice of complementary integrative medicine in the care of our Veterans. Coming from the private sector, I’ve never worked at a healthcare facility that offered interventions such as Tai Chi, mindfulness, acupuncture, etc. I feel like VA is at the forefront with delivering these services.

Tell us something about yourself that most people would not know. DIY is my thing. I re-upholstered an antique chair that I have in my bedroom.

What does being a VA employee mean to you? Being a VA employee means that we as a facility and as individuals will continue to grow and change to adapt to better practices. It’s good to know that I won’t be doing the same thing for years to come. The variety of experience and challenges is what makes a job rewarding.

Cover photo: Dr. Gundars Katlaps, cardiothoracic surgeon, and his team perform a left ventricular assist device implant surgery on a Veteran with end-stage heart failure on Jan. 19.

Back photo: Recent snowfall at McGuire.

McGUIRE MONTHLY JANUARY 2017

McGUIRE JOINS VA INNOVATORS NETWORK

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In the final months of 2016, the McGuire VA Medical Center joined facilities around the

country in an effort to bring improved patient care and customer experiences to Veterans and their supporters.

McGuire, along with 22 other medical centers, joined the VA Innovators Network to catalyze innovation efforts within the facility and provide access to grant funding for projects.

“We’re trying to build a culture of innovation at the facility,” said Natalie Maixner, co-lead for the Innovators Network at McGuire.

The Innovators Network, part of the VA’s Cen-

ter for Innovation, creates a framework for the innovation process and offers different types of grant funding for projects that attempt to tackle challenges with new ideas.

“Being a part of this program allows McGuire to foster ideas and develop our own best practices,” Maixner said.

Within weeks after the kickoff in late 2016, Mc-Guire Innovators Network received 24 projects from employees, Maixner said. Participants can work alone, in groups, or in collaboration with other VA medical centers.

In addition to funding, the Innovators Network brings opportunities for training to help teach employees on innovation-related competencies to see and solve problems on the front lines, Maixner said. Training areas available to par-ticipants include classes on 3-D printing, hu-man-centered design and more.

“Participants will work to test the project locally and if it’s beneficial, we can spread it across the network and out across the VA,” said Melissa Oliver, co-lead for the McGuire Innovators Net-work.

Participants work closely with Oliver and Maix-ner to help prepare their project for the first pitch to McGuire leadership. Funding, which is active for one year, comes in three different tiers: Spark, Seed, and Spread.

Each grant type carries with it a different level of funding based on where the idea is within its development, Maixner explained.

Across the nation, the Innovators Network is benefitting Veterans and caregivers through large projects, such as software development, smart phone applications, and 3-D printed assis-tive technologies.

Other projects are small, but have a significant impact, Oliver said.

In late 2016, the McGuire VA Medical Center joined the VA’s Innovators Network to bring improved patient care and customer experiences to Veterans and their supporters. Natalie Maixner (left) and Melissa Oliver serve as co-leads at McGuire. In the final months of 2016, the facility had 24 participants submit projects for funding through the VA Innovators Network.

McGUIRE MONTHLY JANUARY 2017

The McGuire VA Medical Center held its annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration

program, Jan. 13, to honor and celebrate a man who inspired millions of people with his words, actions and pursuit of equality and justice.

Our guest speaker for the event, Rev. Millus “Doc” Bass has dedicated a large portion of his life to com-munity development, civil rights administration and school desegregation.

McGuire VAMC’s own Jerome Benson performed “Danny Boy” and “Off on My Own” solo on the trombone.

The event concluded with a King’s “I Have a Dream” speech from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963.

HONORING MLK

Top photo, Rev. MD “Doc” Bass, guest speaker for the MLK program; below Jerome Benson solos on the trombone.

JANUARY LEADERSHIP FORUM

ACCOMPLISHMENTS and AWARDS

• VA 101 Ambassadors Award• TCF Graduation Certificate

VA 101 EXCEEDS 2016 GOAL

Above photo: Barbara Mulvaney receives her Technical Career Field Gradu-ation Certificate from Mr. Brandecker.Left photo: Thanks to our VA 101 Ambassadors, Richmond has met the VISN 2016 goal: Front row, from left to right: Janeth Lalas; Suzanne Shirley; Tanisha Bowman; Brian Kausek; Medical Center Director, John BrandeckerBack row, from left to right: Ruben Santos Colon; Iesha Adams; Cassandra McMillan; Antoinette Chase; Haisley Holden.

McGUIRE PLEDGES FOR 2017

$71,000

McGUIRE MONTHLY JANUARY 2017

Delaware Bridgeforth is a WWII Veteran who served in the Army. During WWII, he was stationed in the Pacific Theater in Japan and the Phillipines.

Mr. Bridgeforth is from Richmond, VA.

HONORARY HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AWARDEDTO ARMY VETERAN, DELAWARE BRIDGEFORTHEMPLOYEE

WELLNESS SCHEDULEZumba: Mon & Tue, 4:45-5:45 p.m., $5Total Body Conditioning Class: Tue & Thu, 4:30-5:30 p.m., free Walking Group: Mon & Wed, 12:30-1:00 p.m.Yoga: Wed, 12:00 NoonBiggest Loser Kickoff: February 19Basketball Returns: Registration takes place Feb. 6-17 for free play and league play.Free play begins Feb. 22, and league play begins Feb. 28.

SETTING REALISTIC GOALS FOR THE NEW YEARAs we say goodbye to 2016 and welcome 2017, many people may have started their New Year’s resolutions with goals such as “no more junk food,” or “I will lose 40 pounds.” Unfortunately, many do not have a proper plan to attain such a goal.Each year, people set out on a weight-loss mission with unreasonably high goals. It’s better to set realistic goals to achieve your ideal weight by incorporating healthy living habits everyday into your lifestyle. That means being active on a daily basis and incorporating healthy meal options without going cold turkey completely on your diet. Determining a healthy ideal weight is better rather than simply looking at the scale. Here is a great way to get your goal planning on track for the 2017.Set a smart goal for your weight loss. An example of a smart goal: “I will walk 5 days a week for 30 min-utes.” The acronym S.M.A.R.T helps refine your goals:

SPECIFIC: Set your goals that are clear and easy to under-stand. Have a goal that you set for yourself and how you will achieve it. For example: “I will lose weight.”MEASURABLE: With your specific goal set, now you will attach a number or figure for your set goal. An example would be “I want to lose __ number of lbs.”ATTAINABLE: Before setting a measurable goal you must set a goal that you realistically can achieve. Instead of shoot-ing for a weight loss number that may be too out of reach to achieve, try setting your weight loss on percentage vs. weight. “I will lose 6% of my body-weight.”

REALISTIC: This is the part of goal-setting that focuses on you. The goal should never revolve around other peo-ple’s opinion, but rather your personal motivation. Again, the focus is for you and not what someone may want for you. TIME: Having a deadline helps keep you motivated and on track with your goals. Setting your deadline accordingly will keep you on track for your goal. A good realistic goal would be: lose 7% of your body weight in 3 months. Setting multiple SMART goals will help you reach your goals, but also stay realistic and keep you on track to a healthier lifestyle.

Source: A SMART Guide to Goal Setting www.acefitness.org/acefit/fitness-fact-article/3575/a-smart-guide-to-goal-setting/

$71,000

For more information, contact Ryan Ballon at ryan.ballon@va.gov

For example, in Jackson, Mississippi, innovators sought to reduce the number of falls associated with wheelchairs rolling away while trying to sit, or stand. The group noticed the brake levers were the same color as many other parts of the wheelchair.

The brake handles essentially blended in with everything else on the wheelchair, Oliver said.

With only a small change—applying different colored paint to the brake handles—the group significantly reduced the number of falls associ-ated with wheelchairs.

In 2016, approximately 250 applications were submitted across the nation, Maixner said. Of those, approximately 10 were selected to be in-vited to D.C. for a demonstration day to present in front of VA leadership.

The Innovators Network at McGuire continues into 2017. For information on submitting a proj-ect idea, contact Melissa Oliver or Natalie Maix-ner. Additionally, they can be reached by email at VHARICInnovation@va.gov. •

The McGuire VA Medical Center joined the VA Innovators Network in 2016 to work to bring a culture of innovation to the medical facility. The VA Innovators Network offers training and funding to participants who bring forward new ideas to help improve patient care and Veteran experiences. Melissa Oliver (right), provides training on human-centered design to a group of employees in November of 2016.

Dr. Frank Zieve, left, recently stepped down as the Chief of Research at the McGuire VA Medical Center and a small party in his honor was held January 11. Zieve, an endocrinologist, has spent more than 40 years in federal healthcare. After stepping down from research, Zieve said he will continue to serve Veterans at McGuire.

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McGUIRE MONTHLY JANUARY 2017

On Tuesday, Jan. 3, the Richmond VA Med-ical Center staff celebrated a legend in the

field of cardiothoracic surgery. Dr. Szabolcs Szentpetery retired after more than 30 years as a heart transplant doctor with the VA.

Many of Dr. Szentpetery’s heart transplant patients attended the event to thank and celebrate the doctor who performed their heart transplants. In all, Dr. Szentpetery per-formed more than 200 heart transplants at the Richmond VAMC.

It was no surprise to see some of his former patients there to celebrate him. He was hardworking and beloved by his patients, according to Lisa Martin, RN, the Clinical Nurse Specialist in McGuire’s surgi-cal wing.

“Dr. Szentpetery works circles around us,” she said. “He remembers names of patients from 15 years ago. The patients love him and he knows everything about his patients.”

His expertise is unmatched in the region. He is not only the most respected cardiothoracic surgeon in Virginia, he also trained many top surgeons over the course of his career. He started the heart trans-plant program at McGuire in 1980, was the first VA doctor to perform a heart transplant, and led the Richmond VA’s heart transplant program until 2014.

Dr. Neil Lewis, a cardiologist, has high praise for Szentpetery.

“Dr. Szentpetery is one of the most modest, unassuming but over-accomplishing individuals you will ever meet,” Lewis said. “Having worked with him since the mid-2000s, I can say he has

been a superb cardiothoracic surgeon and colleague and I know from con-

tact with many of his patients, he is held in equally high regard by

all of them.”

Dr. Szentpetery was born in Hungary. He moved to the United States in 1965. About a year later, he was drafted into

service in Vietnam. He served in the 93rd Evacuation Hospital

and the 12th Evacuation Hospi-tal near the Cambodian border. He

voluntarily stayed for an extra year and performed a total of more than 600 battlefield surgeries.

Upon his return to the United States, he felt an urge to continue supporting Veterans, leading to his long career at McGuire. He was a pioneer in the heart transplant field, and had a tremen-dous impact on both McGuire and the medical community as a whole. •

RICHMOND VA CELEBRATES HEART SURGEON’S IMPACTFUL CAREER

Dr. Szabolcs Szentpetery, center, celebrated his retirement from the Richmond VAMC on Tuesday, January 3. Here, he is joined by fellow cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Gundars Katlaps, left, and cardiologist Dr. Neil Lewis.

Performed over 200 HEART TRANSPLANTS in his 30+ ye

ar ca

reer

.

Dr. Szabolcs Szentpetery

804-675-5000 · 1201 BROAD ROCK BOULEVARD, RICHMOND, VA 23249 · WWW.RICHMOND.VA.GOV