Newsbriefs

National Healthcare Decisions Day info tables April 16

Employees are invited to visit National Healthcare Decisions Day information tables Tuesday, April 16, 8:30 am - 2:30 pm outside both hospital campus’ cafeterias; and 8:30 am - 4:30 pm at ambulatory sites. National Healthcare Decisions Day is a reminder to everyone about the importance of advance care planning. Information will be available about advance care planning, living wills and healthcare representatives.

Heart Walk May 5 at Lighthouse Point Park

The Greater New Haven Heart Walk moves to a new location (but still with water views) Sunday, May 5, at Lighthouse Point Park, 2 Lighthouse Road, New Haven. Check-in time is 9 am and the three-mile walk begins at 10 am. Walkers representing Yale New Haven Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Center (HVC), Yale University, Yale School of Medicine and Northeast Medical Group will help raise funds to support scientific research and advances related to heart disease and stroke. This will mark the American Heart Association’s 37th annual Greater New Haven Heart Walk. Yale New Haven employees and physicians, along with community members who are on an existing team or want to participate can visit newhavenheartwalk.org or contact Chelsea Reis of the American Heart Association at [email protected]. Click “About” on the website for event frequently asked questions.

New HVC heart-healthy food guides available

The Yale New Haven Hospital Heart and Vascular Center (HVC), working with food service provider Sodexo, has created a heart-healthy food choice guide for HVC patients. The guide lists options from the standard patient menu and tips for healthier eating. According to Maura Shea, RN, executive director, HVC Inpatient Services, most heart disease-related deaths can be linked to poor food choices. The right choices can improve health, decrease chronic diseases and reduce the risk of death. The goal of the new food choice guide is to provide healthier meal options and nutrition education while patients are hospitalized in the hopes they will continue to make good food choices after discharge. The guide may be ordered from the Print Center.

Safety matters: verbal orders

Verbal and telephone orders should be used only in situations when order entry into the electronic medical record is not practicable.

• Verbal orders are limited to when providers are in the operating room or procedural suites or during emergent circumstances when a delay would compromise patient care.
• Telephone orders are taken when the prescriber is not physically present; entry into the electronic medical record is not practicable (such as non-formulary or restricted category medications); or in a situation requiring immediate attention.

Orders are not accepted via text or electronic messages. The person accepting the verbal or telephone order enters it into the electronic medical record before acting on the order unless the clinical situation necessitates acting before entering the order.