The Wright Stuff - Sept. 2
Dear WVU Medicine colleagues,
It was a late night for many of us and not the outcome we had hoped for, but the Backyard Brawl has me looking forward to more WVU football. The home opener is coming up quickly – Saturday, Sept. 10, against Big 12 opponent Kansas.
WVU fans are steadfast in their dedication to the WVU football team. In fact, it’s being reported that last night’s Backyard Brawl set a record, drawing the largest crowd for a game in Pittsburgh sports history (70,622). (Confession: I’ll give credit where credit is due – Pitt fans had something to do with this accomplishment too!)
I loved seeing photos of so many of you sporting your gold and blue in the workplace yesterday in support of the Mountaineers. Check out the collage below for some scenes from our hospitals and clinics.
Football is always a sign that fall is on its way. The days are getting shorter, there’s a slight chill in the air in the evenings and mornings, and yes, those yellow school busses are out on the road again. Labor Day, which is Monday, is the unofficial start of the season.
With that in mind, I encourage you to take advantage of the waning days of summer this holiday weekend. Spend some time outdoors with family and friends – hike, barbecue, or just sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.
As always, I salute those of you who are working this weekend. Your efforts are so vital to our mission of keeping people in the region healthy and safe. Please know that you are greatly appreciated, and take some time for yourself to relax and recharge, if you can.
I want to thank each and every one of you for all you do, every day, for the patients we serve. I am so grateful for your dedication and commitment. Have a great Friday and weekend!
Peak Health Showcased at Chamber Business Summit
The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce held its annual Business Summit this week at The Greenbrier, and Peak Health was the host sponsor.
Peak Health is our new health insurance company that we own with Marshall Health and the Mountain Health Network. Peak Health’s mission is to make healthcare more accessible, understandable, and collaborative.
During the Summit, I had the opportunity to present a session with Bobby Miller, MD, dean of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University. We discussed “Creating New Healthcare Solutions in West Virginia.”
There was another session, “Changing Health Outcomes in West Virginia,” presented by Gordon Gee, president of WVU and board chair of the WVU Health System; Brad D. Smith, president, Marshall University; and Kevin W. Yingling, MD, CEO, Mountain Health Network. The session was moderated by Ben Gerber, president and CEO, Peak Health.
Peak Health will begin serving as a benefit administrator for WVU Health System employees and dependents on January 1, 2023. We expect Peak Health to enter the consumer market in 2024 with low-cost Medicare Advantage products, as well as innovative solutions for self-funded employers.
Watch the video to learn more about Peak Health >>>
Below are some photos from the Business Summit presentations.
IN OTHER NEWS
WVU Health System Chief Epidemiologist Provides Latest Updates on COVID-19 and Monkeypox
Michael Stevens, MD, MPH, chief epidemiologist, WVU Health System, provides the latest updates on COVID-19 and monkeypox in the videos below.
In the COVID-19 video, Dr. Stevens discusses therapy and shares the web address to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s PAXLOVID Patient Eligibility Screening Checklist Tool for Prescribers. He also provides PPE reminders, including demonstrating how a surgical mask should be worn over MSA half mask respirators that have an exhalation valve. The latest COVID-19 booster is also highlighted.
In the monkeypox video, he focuses on who’s at increased risk for getting the disease, treatment, and the vaccine. He also discusses PPE for providers. As of Aug. 31, there have been five documented cases of monkeypox in West Virginia, 18,989 in the United States, and 51,257 globally.
Employees can visit the COVID-19 and monkeypox website on CONNECT for more resources.
Watch the video for the latest COVID-19 update >>>
Watch the video for the latest monkeypox update >>>
Employee Health COVID-19 Hotline Closed Monday Due to Holiday
The WVU Medicine Employee Health COVID-19 Hotline will be closed Monday, Sept. 5, due to the Labor Day holiday.
Regular operating hours are weekdays, 6 a.m.-4 p.m.
WVU Medicine employees with COVID-19 symptoms are reminded that there are two options to determine the need for a COVID-19 test:
- Schedule a free e-visit through MyWVUChart – E-visits are a convenient way to reach Employee Health and eliminate the need to wait on hold to speak with someone for assessment. Once you log in to MyWVUChart, select “e-visit” from the main menu and then choose the “WVU Medicine Employee – COVID” option. COVID-19 e-visits will be reviewed during normal Employee Health COVID-19 Hotline hours.
- Call the Employee Health COVID-19 Hotline (304-974-3200) – When calling, please have your employee ID number available.
If an employee meets the testing criteria, Employee Health will place an order for testing at one of the WVU Medicine testing centers.
Employees who need urgent or emergent medical care should not use the e-visit option or call the Hotline. For medical emergencies, please call 911 immediately.
WVU Medicine Children’s Telemedicine and Specialty Clinic Opens in Princeton
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Monday (Aug. 29) at the Mercer Medical Group Primary Care facility in Princeton, West Virginia, to celebrate the opening of WVU Medicine Children’s Telemedicine and Specialty Clinic – the first of its kind in southern West Virginia.
The clinic currently offers several pediatric subspecialty and telemedicine services, including endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, and pulmonary. Adolescent medicine, nephrology, neurosurgery, and urology will be added in the near future.
Karen Bowling, president and CEO of Princeton Community Hospital, welcomed the crowd and highlighted the importance of being able to provide specialty services through visits to the local clinic. “With the opening of the WVU Medicine Children’s Telemedicine and Specialty Clinic here at Mercer Medical Group Primary Care, our children will receive safe, high-quality care right here by connecting directing to specialists in Morgantown,” Bowling said.
Maggie Jaynes, MD, pediatric neurologist and chief of pediatric telemedicine at WVU Medicine Children’s, also spoke to the crowd about the many advantages of telemedicine, particularly in rural areas.
Refreshments, including WVU cookies, were served following the event.
Grand Rounds Schedule for Week of Sept. 5 Announced
To receive free CME credit:
- Please ensure your full name is on your Zoom login so that you can easily be identified.
- If you have not participated and received credit for Grand Rounds via Zoom, please complete the Credit Request Form located in the chat box during the Zoom lecture. You will only need to complete this form one time. This ensures that appropriate information is on file to match your login name and that the correct person is receiving credit.
To view previously recorded Grand Rounds, visit the archive.
Also, mark your calendar for the Appalachian Addiction and Prescription Drug Abuse Conference set for Sept. 22-24. Learn more.
This is the next installment of a feature that illustrates the breadth of diversity across WVU Medicine, while hopefully stimulating your own thinking about how we can all do a better job recognizing that one of our greatest strengths is a diverse workforce that has employees with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, physical abilities, and religious or political beliefs. I believe our diversity helps widen our view and can serve as a strong catalyst that leads to better communication and teamwork, both of which are critical to our patients.
Respecting and accepting one another more readily begins with an understanding that we’re all unique, and that we should first and foremost respect qualities, experiences, and traditions that are different from our own. My goal is to nurture and sustain a culture where people feel safe, regardless of their unique dimensions, and to create a caring work environment built on mutual respect, acceptance, and inclusivity.
Healthcare is a team sport, and having a unified team with members who support, respect, and care for one another is essential as we continue to care for our patients. So with that, I want to share our next profile.
Name: Magin Connelly
Job: Secretary, Physical Rehab, Uniontown Hospital
Years of service: One
Hometown: Philippines
Superpower: My captivating smile
Q: What are you most proud of?
A: “I am proud of my culture, my heritage.”
Q: What one word would your friends use to describe you?
A. “Transparent.”
Q: How would you like to be remembered?
A. “Crazy, happy, yet living a purposeful life. A woman who does it by heart in everything she does.”
Q: What does diversity and inclusion mean to you?
A. “Uniontown hospital is diverse. There are doctors and other employees working here from many races and backgrounds, and employees with different gender identities and age and career backgrounds. Inclusion to me means there is equal treatment and equal access amongst all employees, thus everyone respects each other. I feel a sense of belonging here.”
A FINAL THOUGHT…
I had a great time watching the Mountaineers play in the Backyard Brawl and was joined by some doctors from Pulmonary Associates in Charleston (from left to right): Tom Takubo, DO; James Perry, DO; Phillip Cox, DO; and Robby Keith, MD.
And I loved seeing The Pride of West Virginia perform, especially my twins, Hope and Cole. Cole was able to meet up with a high school buddy during the game, which was fun!
In the bottom photo is a picture of The Miss Sterling, a boat owned by Kris Eads, MD, FACS, of the Thomas Health System. Dr. Eads and his boat were in Pittsburgh for the game. Check out the WVU Medicine banner! He shared the journey with WOWK 13 News meteorologist Bryan Hughes and his Katie H. sternwheel on the trip from Charleston. In addition to The Miss Sterling and Katie H., the third boat pictured is Donna Rae, a boat owned by Jim Kranz, vice president of quality and data services at the West Virginia Hospital Association. The boats were docked near the Fort Duquesne bridge.
Pittsburgh was booming with Mountaineer pride!
