ADVANCED PRACTICE NEWSLETTER
May 2021
Ivette Becerra-Ortiz, DNP, NEA-BC, CPNP-PC Chief of Advanced Practice
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Shelley Gierat, CRNA Chair of APP Advisory Board Communications Committee
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CELEBRATING
NURSE PRACTITIONERS
NURSE ANESTHETISTS
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS
NURSE MIDWIVES
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IN THIS ISSUE
Highlighting APP Practice
at UCSF Health
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I am happy to announce that Brandon Sessler, MMS, PA-C is the new Associate Director of Advanced Practice Providers Professional Practice. He will be starting Monday, May 17, 2021. Brandon will work collaboratively with all UCSF Health departments and Advanced Practice Providers to ensure alignment among the Advanced Practice Professional Fellowship program, professional development, and scope of practice.
Having grown up on a family farm in rural Kansas, Brandon attributes his work ethic and desire to build personal connections to that experience.
After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Valparaiso University (IN) and a Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Midwestern University (IL), Brandon has dedicated his 14 year career to neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery. He joined the UCSF Spine Center in 2014 as a Senior PA and has excelled in patient care, leadership, and mentoring. During his tenure at UCSF, he has participated on the APP Advisory Board, advocated for UCSF employees as the UPTE union bargainer, and was honored with an Exceptional Advanced Practice Provider Award.
Outside of work, Brandon enjoys running and taking his dog Wilbur for long walks. He is looking forward to traveling again post-pandemic.
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Annika Ehrlich, MS, FNP-C, AQH, CNRN, along with Headache Neurology colleagues, presented the following abstracts at the recent Virtual American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in April 2021:
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Ehrlich A, Khanns D, Guiracocha J, Khan FA, Ali AS, Peretz A, Charleston L, Birlea M, Singh N, Minen M. What Role do Urgent Care Centers Play in Headache Management? A Quality Improvement Study of Select Urgent Care Facilities [abstract]. Presented at: American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting (Virtual) ; 2021 April 17 – 22. Abstract nr 2004.
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Minen M, Strauss L, Kaplan K, Ehrlich A, Bennett N, Rizzoli P, Riggins N. A New Vision in Headache Medicine: A Survey of Headache Specialists’ Utilization of Telehealth in Their Practice. [abstract]. Presented at: Virtual American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting; 2021 April 17 – 22.
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Bobker S, Ehrlich A, Sawhney H, Recchioni C, Levin M, Riggins N. Acute migraine anesthetic nasal spray treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic [abstract]. Presented at: American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting; 2021 April 17-22. Abstract nr 1779.
Regarding the abstract presented on Headache Management in the Urgent Care setting, Ehrlich states: "examining a sample of urgent care centers across the country gives us a picture of the care provided to patients with headache disorders in this setting. I'm excited to continue working on this topic with fellow members of the Emergency, Urgent Care and Inpatient Special Interest Section at the American Headache Society, with the goal of developing and improving standardized tools and protocols."
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Office of Advanced Practice Organizational Chart |
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Advanced Practice Advisory Board Organizational Chart |
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Acronym Change Announcement
BCH Office of the President
Dear Colleagues,
We are writing today with a simple but vital request that speaks to the heart of our PRIDE values and our commitment to deliver equitable, compassionate care.
For many years, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland has been referred to by the shorthand acronym “BCHO.” This term came into use following the affiliation between UCSF and Children’s Hospital Oakland, and has since become pervasive in both written and verbal communications, internally and externally.
The problem is that, when spoken aloud, “BCHO” is a Spanish slang word that is a profanity to certain cultural groups and is disrespectful to many of our colleagues, our patients and their families, and the broader communities we serve.
Our use of this acronym undermines our vision to build an organization rooted in cultural humility, inclusiveness and health equity. And so, today we are asking each of you to join us in committing to stop using this acronym at all times and in all venues, both written and spoken.
The acronym should be replaced with “BCH Oakland,” or – when a shorter abbreviation is necessary – “BCH OAK.” These naming conventions are consistent with those of our San Francisco campus, which is commonly referred to as “BCH San Francisco,” or abbreviated to “BCH SF.”
Please share this information, including the attached tip sheet, with your teams.
We recognize that many of us are just learning about this issue, and we know it takes time to change a habit. That is why we are focusing on raising awareness throughout the month of May with communications to managers and other audiences. We will continue to reinforce the change on an ongoing basis.
Thank you for your prompt attention and collective response to this important matter. It is seemingly small steps such as this that can have a profound impact on our long-term success as a truly inclusive and equitable employer and pediatric health care provider of choice.
Sincerely,
Matt Cook
President, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals
Jamie Philips
Chief Operating Officer, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals
Marsha Treadwell, PhD
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Co-Chair, BCH Oakland
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5th Annual UCSF Health Improvement Poster Symposium
From: Josh Adler
Dear colleagues,
We are thrilled to announce the 5th Annual UCSF Health Improvement Poster Symposium! It will be held as a virtual event June 9th from 4-6:30 pm. Please save the date.
In past years, our event has generated more than 150 posters and has been a wonderful recognition of improvement projects and the people who do them. This symposium has also been one of the mechanisms to spread innovation and best practices that have been put in place across the institution. We have been particularly excited for colleagues who had never submitted (or presented) a poster before. Last year the pandemic forced us to cancel the symposium, but the remarkable work by our diverse teams has carried on. It’s time to celebrate these incredible efforts!
The key details are included below. Our 2021 Poster Symposium will be held using video poster presentations and a virtual platform for participants to connect and share learnings. Even if you don’t ultimately submit a poster, we hope you’ll save the dates on your calendars to attend and celebrate the work of your colleagues. Electronic poster submission deadline is May 20th via this link.
Sincerely,
Josh Adler, MD
Chief Clinical Officer, UCSF Health
Matt R. Wolden, MPH
VP Quality and Patient Safety, UCSF Health
Lei Choi, MD MPH
Medical Director, Continuous Improvement, UCSF Health
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UCSF Health Improvement Symposium
Call for Poster Submissions: Share Your Improvement Work!
Why are we hosting our 5th Annual Improvement Poster Symposium?
The opportunities to learn from each other, share best practices and innovations, and build a community for improvement work are critically important for our patients and the success of UCSF Health. This is true now more than ever as we recover from the pandemic. An annual poster symposium provides a vehicle to recognize great work and foster our culture for continuous improvement.
How will a virtual symposium work?
To accommodate safe distancing precautions, we will be gathering virtually this year.
Before the event:
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Teams submit a poster and a 4-5 minute pre-recorded video poster presentation explaining the relevant information about the project.
- Videos will be displayed in an online gallery and shared with all attendees one week before the live event
- Attendees will be encouraged to view videos in advance and note which poster teams they would like to visit live on the day of the symposium for direct interaction.
During the event:
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On June 9th, poster teams will be organized into individual virtual rooms for 30 minute sessions. Attendees will visit the virtual rooms to engage directly with teams, to ask questions, and to learn more about the improvement work. Everyone will have had an opportunity to view the posters and videos in advance so that this time can be prioritized for questions and answers.
After the event:
- All posters and videos will be compiled into a Poster Booklet and shared across the organization.
What types of improvement work should be submitted?
All improvement work is welcome, and we encourage them to align with our True North pillars:
- Patient Experience (e.g., improving communication, care experience, patient/family engagement, etc.)
- Quality & Safety (e.g., improving clinical outcomes or reducing harm/complications)
- Our People (e.g., improving provider and staff experience)
- Financial Strength (e.g., cost-saving initiatives)
- Strategic Growth (e.g., increasing access and building new partnerships/affiliations)
- Learning Health System (e.g., trainee-led initiatives, advancing knowledge, health services/QI research, etc.)
We are also highlighting Special Themes: Health Equity (e.g., identifying/eliminating disparities) and Digital Health (e.g., technology solutions)
Who is invited to submit projects for the symposium?
Any provider, nurse, staff, or trainee (e.g., students, residents, fellows, postdocs) who worked on a project within a UCSF Health setting is encouraged to submit a poster. Projects that have already been presented at other conferences are welcome. This event is an inclusive opportunity to celebrate teams and their work within our UCSF Health community.
How do we submit our team’s project for the symposium?
There are two steps to submitting your project for the symposium:
Step 1:
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We’ve attached a poster template to guide you in sharing the desired content. Please use this link to electronically submit your team information and poster template. We encourage teams to submit their information as early as possible (by May 13th), even before the video is finished. This will assist greatly with symposium planning.
Step 2:
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To participate in the live symposium, you must also submit a 4-5 minutes pre-recorded video poster presentation explaining the relevant information about your project. The poster template is optimized for creating an accompanying video presentation. We suggest using Zoom to create the video while narrating each of the slides. Please submit your video using this link by Thursday, May 20th.
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Example video poster presentations and tips for recording on Zoom can be found here.
My team already created a poster. Do we also have to create a poster presentation video?
A poster presentation video is required to participate in the live symposium. Attendees will be able to view your video in advance, which reduces the need for poster teams to repeat the same information to attendees on the day of the event. This allows teams to use all of the time during the live symposium for questions and answers.
Teams who submit only a poster, with no video, may still have their work included in the Poster Booklet. However, we will not be able to accommodate them on the virtual platform during the live symposium.
What is the deadline for submission?
Please submit your team information and poster template as soon as possible! Video poster submissions must be received by Thursday, May 20th to be included in the symposium. This will allow time to organize the poster symposium, create the virtual gallery, share posters with attendees to preview, and create a great experience for everyone. Teams will be responsible for confirming a primary person who will present at the symposium. We will provide additional logistical information following submission.
When is the virtual poster symposium?
The event will be hosted on Wednesday, June 9th from 4-6:30p. Additional details about the event will come closer to its date.
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Provider Self-Coding
and available for viewing
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Emergency Paid Sick Leave for COVID-19 relief available to UC employees for 2021
In recognition of the many challenges UC employees continue to face, the University has decided to offer all University employees, including exclusively represented employees, a new 2021 allotment of Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) — available for use immediately.
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Please submit professional photos and highlights of your practice to Shelly.gierat@ucsf.edu.
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IN THE KNOW
Zoom now offers integrated, secure live transcription, which may be helpful for hard of hearing patients who have difficulty with audio during video visits. Live transcription uses artificial intelligence to convert spoken words into text, as they are spoken. This feature must be enabled by the meeting host. Patients who use smartphones or tablets will see captions automatically once the host has enabled them; patients using computers will need to turn captions on with a mouse click.
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Musical Oasis: sponsored by Art for Recovery
Join healing harpist, Patrice Haan, for a musical journey of rest and rejuvenation. Let the music be your guide to recharge your body, mind and spirt. Patients and staff are welcome to drop in at any time during the hour to enjoy this musical oasis of self care.
Time: every Tuesday 1:30 -2:30
Meeting ID: 997 7309 8435
Password: harp
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month
1 in 5 adults in the United States experiences mental illness each year. COVID-19 has considerably impacted mental health as reports show elevated levels of reported anxiety, depressive disorders, and substance abuse due to the pandemic. Data shows mental health in young adults, communities of color, essential workers, and women with children have been especially impacted in these times.
During this month we encourage you to explore the UCSF Emotional Wellbeing 2021 Webinar Series and commit to attending at least one webinar. Back by popular demand, the series is presented by UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and UCSF Alumni.
UCSF Emotional Wellbeing 2021 Webinar Series:
- Pandemic Transitions: From Collective Grief to Joy
- Pandemic Burnout and Regeneration for our new world - one year late
- Anti-racism and building an inclusive culture
- Emotional Wellbeing of our Youth and Young
- Climate Distress, Climate Health, and roles of Healthcare Profession
- Psychedelics and Mental Health
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For some more
Advanced Practice Information
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Teach for UCSF Certificate Program
Improve the quality and depth of the teaching skills of UCSF faculty.
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The UCSF Health
Office of Advanced Practice
Academic Stipend
15 Academic stipends are offered each fiscal year to offset the cost of APPs presenting at a conference in their specialty. Podium/poster/panel presentations will be eligible. Other requirements listed in link below.
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Healthcare News
SOME ARTICLES ARE RELEVANT TO ADVANCED PRACTICE.
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ALL APP STUDENTS AT UCSF HEALTH FACILITIES |
All preceptors are required to ensure all students from ALL educational institutions have been vetted by UCSF prior to any educational activities, including employees. UCSF has many parts of the organization involved in this process. Their school needs an affiliation agreement with UCSF, they need health screening to be completed, they require online training for Health and Safety and APEX, and sign a HIPPA form. |
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WANT TO SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE WITH APP COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE STATE, THE NATION, OR THE WORLD? |
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UCSF HEALTH ADVANCED PRACTICE WEBSITE |
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I am here to support and advocate for APP's
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Senior Operations Analyst |
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Associate Chief of Advanced Practice Providers |
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