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Message Leapfrog Safety A GradeWe are proud to announce that St. Mary Medical Center has once again earned an A grade from The Leapfrog Group for hospital safety in Spring 2025! This marks the second consecutive Leapfrog A grade, solidifying us among the safest hospitals in the nation, a testament to our ongoing commitment to patient safety. This achievement is a direct result of your unwavering dedication, hard work, and relentless pursuit of excellence. Your passion for putting patients rst is what makes St. Mary a leader in safe, high-quality care.Medical DialogueKEEPING PHYSICIANS ABREAST OF THE LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION AT DIGNITY HEALTH – ST. MARY MEDICAL CENTERSPRING 2025Doctors’ Day Wrap-upThank you to all of our physicians who joined us for St. Mary Medical Center’s Doctors’ Day celebration in March. Those in attendance were treated to a delicious buet lunch, a photo booth, rae prizes and karaoke fun. It was a great opportunity to build camaraderie and share many laughs. While Doctors’ Day is only once a year, the hospital administration extends its heartfelt appreciation for your dedication, compassion and everything you do for our patients 24/7/365!During the Doctors’ Day event, several physicians were honored for their years of service: Sarah Strube, DO; Arlene Vernon, MD, Chief of Staff; Marcia Alcouloumre, MD; Marie Beall, MD; and Hripsime Gharibjanyan, MD (l-r).You’re Invited! Physician Mixer You’re invited to a special networking event designed to connect community physicians, specialists and hospital department leaders! This event will provide a valuable opportunity to build relationships, share insights, and explore new opportunities. Thursday, May 15th Parker’s Lighthouse 435 Shoreline Village Drive, Long Beach 5 – 8 p.m. Appetizers and drinks will be served.To RSVP, scan the QR code or contact Damaris Pelayo, Market Development Representative, at (562) 618-2944.
2 St. Mary Medical DialogueWe Did It Again! Newsweek’s Best Maternity Hospitals!Our dedication to providing outstanding maternity care has earned us America’s Best Maternity Hospitals award from Newsweek – again! This remarkable accomplishment is a testament to theexceptional work of our entire team, especially our dedicated maternity sta. Thank you to each and every one of our OB/GYNs and Anesthesiologists for creating a positive and supportiveexperience for our patients.Welcome New Physicians to the St. Mary Medical Center FamilyAnesthesiologyGeorge Mychaskiw, DOCardiologyHemal Kadakia, MDCritical Care SurgeryCameron Ghal, MDEmergency MedicineMegan Storm, MDFamily MedicineKristoer Chin, DORohit Chopra, MDHem/OncologyMichael Del Rosario, MDInternal MedicineSashini Weeraman, MDNavid Zaidi, MDNeurosurgerySean Xie, MDRadiation OncologyRobert Zimmerman, MDTrauma SurgerySubarna Biswas, MDAlbert Kazi, MDVascular SurgeryQuang Vo, MDPhysicians In the NewsSt. Mary Medical Center and our physicians are often featured in media stories. Here are a few recent news clips.Ali Jamehdor, DO, Medical Director of Emergency Medicine, discussed the u on KNX-1070, including prevention tips, the best ways to treat symptoms at home, and when to seek medical care.Nik Kapoor, MD, Cardiology, was featured in Random Length News where he emphasized key factors in protecting heart health.Jim Keany, MD, CMO, discussed a range of health topics on KFI, including long COVID, ADHD and Parkinson’s Disease.Serap Sobnosky, MD, Cardiology, joined NBC Channel 4 News in honor of National Wear Red Day to discuss the risks, lifestyle changes, and signs and symptoms of heart attacks, particularly in women. New Graduate Disaster and Trauma DaySt. Mary Medical Center recently hosted a full day of disaster and trauma education for our new graduate cohort, equipping them with essential skills and knowledge for emergency response. A special thank you to all of our instructors, including Jennie Kim, MD, Won Ki Chae, MD, and Bill Paige, Director of Trauma Services, for their invaluable support and their vision in making this training a success. This investment underscores our commitment to exceptional care in all situations.
St. Mary Medical Dialogue 3California Region HRO Universal BehaviorWe Communicate ClearlyWhen We Communicate Clearly we ensure that we share and receive information accurately. Using the tools for the behavior improves the accuracy of how we communicate with colleagues and patients every day.By utilizing the We Communicate Clearly tools, you can ensure you and those you are speaking to hear and understand information correctly.Situation - The immediate problemBackground - The relevant historyAssessment - Evaluation of the situation and urgency of action neededRecommendation - Suggested course of actionPhonetic and Numeric ClarificationsPhonetic and numeric clarifications help avoid confusion with sound-alike letters and numbers. For example, “The serial number is 40B-45V. That’s four-zero, B as in Bravo, dash four-five, V as in Victor.”SBAR for ActionSBAR is a tool to provide clear and concise communication. Include the following four sections:Standardized HandoffsEffective handoffs are an interactive conversation among the key individuals involved in a patient’s care or project to deliver a seamless transition.Document AccuratelyAccurate documentation is necessary for safe and reliable patient care. To ensure information is accurate, verify it is the correct patient record, use only approved abbreviations and carefully check all information.abc123“The two words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite dierent things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.” – Sydney J. HarrisYou’re Invited! St. Mary Charity Golf ClassicMonday, June 9Virginia Country Club, Long BeachBenefitting the St. Mary Medical Center Scholar FundReserve your spot today at supportstmary.org/golf2025For more information, call (562) 499-8397 or email Jennifer Bourgeois@CommonSpirit.org
Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Survey Coming SoonOn May 6, practicing physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) at St. Mary Medical Center will be invited to take the CommonSpirit Health MyVoice Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Survey. This important survey focuses on organizational improvement from the perspective of our practicing physicians and advanced practice providers:•The survey window is May 6-27.•All practicing physicians and APPs in the active and provisional medical sta categories and all employed (including those in medical groups) will be invited to participate. Additionally, you must have been credentialed/privileged or employed by Jan. 31, 2025, to participate in this year’s survey. •It only takes a few minutes to complete the survey. •The survey is condential. Survey responses and comments cannot be tracked to individuals.Practicing physicians and advanced practice providers will receive a survey invitation via email on Tuesday, May 6, from our survey administration rm, Press Ganey. You may also click the survey desktop icon to access the survey.Questions? Please emailphysicianfeedback-questions@commonspirit.org or advancedpractice-communications@commonspirit.org. 4 St. Mary Medical DialogueCALL FOR ARTICLES: We encourage members of the St. Mary Medical Staff to submit information or articles for publication. We welcome your input! Issues are published quarterly (Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring).Article submissions are due to the Communication Department a month in advance of the next quarterly issue.Please call Tracie Gipson, Medical Dialogue Editor at (818) 522-4574 or email TracieCheesemangipson@CommonSpirit.org.EDITORIAL TEAMJim Keany, MDChief Medical OfficerChristina ZicklinExecutive EditorTracie GipsonMedical Dialogue EditorBonnie MathewsMedical Staff Coordinator1050 Linden Avenue • Long Beach, CA 90813 | 1.888.4STMARY (1.888.478.6279) | dignityhealth.org/stmarymedicalOur values are the core principles that enable us to deliver humankindness.CommonSpirit Values: Compassion | Inclusion | Integrity | Excellence | CollaborationAvoid Physician Burnout Physicians may suer from burnout for many reasons – a demanding schedule, long hours, administrative duties, even the prognosis of a terminally-ill patient – can lead to frustration and fatigue. Here are a few ways to combat burnout:•Instead of jumping out of bed in the morning, take ve minutes to meditate, practice deep breathing or journal.•Try to focus on why you chose to practice medicine. •Talk over your burnout and stress issues with a trusted colleague or trained professional.•Take care of yourself by eating right and exercising. Even a brief walk can clear your mind and improve your perspective. •Get a massage, which is proven to induce feelings of wellbeing.•If you only have a few minutes, practice “mindfulness meditation,” a mental exercise that involves sitting quietly and focusing on one’s breathing to calm and prepare the mind for a clearer perspective. You can nd several app oerings on your smartphone that oer meditative practices, or simply google “mindful meditation” and you’ll see many videos with which you can follow along. It’s also advisable to get a health checkup to ensure that burnout isn’t aecting you physically. Be well.