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MERITUS STORIES
Meritus nurses honored for their actions during Nurses Week
Meritus recently held its annual Nursing Awards as part of its Nurses Week celebration. Here is a list of the 2024 awards and winners: Amy Henesy - Daisy Educator Recipient Haley Loeser - Daisy Leader Danielle Miller - Preceptor of the Year Lily Bevis - Rookie Nurse of the Year Hannah Brunner - Clinical Inquiry Nurse of the Year Dr. Erick Kawegere - Physician Champion of Nursing Kylie Ayers - Excellence in Clinical Nursing - Community Health Tammy Ware - Excellence in Clinical Nursing - Clinical Support Samantha Kershner - Excellence in Clinical Nursing - Med Surge Tiffany Noel - Excellence in Clinical Nursing - Outpatient Areas Shelby Campbell - Excellence in Clinical Nursing - Surgical Services Congratulations to this year’s recipients!
NEWS & UPDATES
Food, penicillin allergies have remarkable treatments available
An estimated 32 million people in the U.S. suffer from food allergies. But a new treatment that received FDA approval in February has a physician with Meritus Allergy & Asthma Specialists particularly excited. “This is a huge moment for those dealing with food allergies,” said Dr. Seemal Awan, M.D. “A food allergy can be life-threatening.” The drug, Xolair, increases the threshold for the amount of an allergen that would trigger a reaction, Dr. Awan said. For example, if a child has a low threshold for peanuts, the tiniest piece of a peanut butter cookie could cause everything from a huge rash to anaphylaxis, she said. Xolair raises that threshold so now “you would have to have a significant serving of that food to have a reaction.” Studies found that almost 70 percent of people who had multiple food allergies were able to consume the equivalent of about four peanuts before seeing a reaction. For 44 percent of those tested, that number was about 25 peanuts. “It’s not a small amount,” Dr. Awan said. “We’re really excited about this. It’s a great step forward in food allergies.” The treatment is available at Meritus Allergy & Asthma Specialists. But that’s not the only remarkable treatment available there. What is the penicillin clinic? Dr. Awan is also behind a clinic that can help clear the reaction for a majority of people diagnosed as allergic to penicillin. “Roughly 90 percent of people diagnosed with a penicillin allergy will grow out of it in their lifetime,” Dr. Away said. “And a lot of people are misdiagnosed.” Penicillin is the base of many antibiotics, used to eradicate infections. By clearing people of their allergies, it allows a wider variety of treatments should they need it. “It’s one of my personal favorite things to do,” Dr. Awan said of the clinic. “It’s huge. And it’s straightforward.” A skin test is administered first, and if that comes back negative, an oral penicillin treatment is given. Typically, this is done over two days, but Dr. Awan said it can be done in the same day, provided the patient has time to wait for the results of the skin test. Since starting the clinic last year, Dr. Awan estimates more than 100 people have gone through the testing and treatment. And rather than set a specific time or day, patients are able to request the test and treatment during normal business hours. To learn more about the penicillin clinic or Xolair, visit www.meritushealth.com/allergies, or call 301-790-1482.
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Meritus earns initial approval to offer psychiatry residency in 2025
Meritus is the fifth hospital in the state to develop such a program As critical demand grows for physicians who are specially trained to offer mental health services, Meritus has received initial accreditation for a psychiatry residency program beginning in 2025. It’s one of several commitments by the health system to reduce the shortage of physicians in the region, state and nation. In July 2022, the health system announced its plans to pursue licensure and accreditation of a medical school to reduce the growing physician shortage. Meritus currently offers a family medicine residency training program. The psychiatry residency, which is being introduced in partnership with behavioral health organization Brook Lane, will be only the fifth psychiatry residency program from a hospital in the state of Maryland. Meritus has plans to continue expanding residency programs in other specialties in the next several years and plans to have more than 100 resident physicians. “Investing in these programs is paramount to providing care for patients for generations ahead,” said Meritus Health President and CEO Maulik Joshi, Dr.P.H. “When you consider the growing physician shortage, the need for medical schools and physician training programs is essential to ensuring healthcare is accessible for all.” “As we continue on our pathway to seeking accreditation of the proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine and the graduate medical education program, there is an obvious need for more psychiatrists in the region and nationally,” said Dr. Bradley Miller, D.O., associate dean for graduate medical education who also serves as the program director of the Meritus Family Medicine Residency. What will the Meritus Psychiatry Residency program look like? The psychiatry residency will have five spaces available over a four-year program for a total of 20 residents once the program is filled out. The first residents will start in July 2025, said Dr. Heather Theibert, D.O, program director for the Meritus Psychiatry Residency. Dr. Theibert earned her medical degree from Kansas City University of Medicine, in Kansas City, Mo. She completed residency at Adena Health in Chillicothe, Ohio. She is board certified in adult psychiatry with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and in addiction medicine with the American Board of Preventative Medicine. The commitment to expand Meritus Health’s graduate medical education programs is a key component in Meritus’ mission to improve the health of the community, said Dr. Paula Gregory, D.O., M.B.A., FACOFP, dean of the proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. “We can’t provide the care our community needs without well-trained physicians,” Dr. Gregory said. “By increasing our graduate medical education offerings, we are considering the future needs of our neighbors by developing the skills of those who will provide the care. Medical education takes years of training and discipline. Meritus Health’s dedication to education is also a testament to our commitment to care for this community. One cannot exist without the other.”
Meritus earns 3rd consecutive ‘A’ hospital safety grade from Leapfrog
Meritus Medical Center earned its third consecutive “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog that sets standards for excellence in patient care. Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. “We are community-obsessed and that means providing our neighbors with the highest quality care possible,” said Meritus Health Chief Operating Officer Carrie Adams, Pharm.D. “It takes an incredible amount of dedication and commitment by every single one of our team members to earn this highest rating three times in a row. I’m proud of our teams for their continued and impressive commitment to providing our community with incredible care.” The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital-ratings program exclusively based on hospital prevention of medical errors, infections and injuries. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually in the fall and spring. “Earning an ‘A’ Grade means Meritus Medical Center made a true commitment to put patients first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.” To see Meritus’ full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org. To learn more about Meritus and its mission, vision and values, go to www.meritushealth.com, and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
PROMOTING A