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Huntington Hospital’s President and CEO, Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, Selected to Participate on the Pasadena Celebrates 2020 Float in the 131st Tournament of Roses Parade Sponsored by Honda

Posted on December 23, 2019March 30, 2023 by colin

Huntington Hospital is proud to announce that President and CEO, Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, will be participating on the Pasadena Celebrates 2020 float in the 131^st Tournament of Roses Parade.

The theme of the Pasadena Celebrates 2020 float is “Years of Hope, Years of Courage” and will feature a 30-foot flower replica of the Statue of Liberty. A symbol of enlightenment, the statue will hold the tablet of the 19^th Amendment and across her body gracefully will drape a suffrage sash that says – Votes for Women. In addition, various leaders in the categories of science, peace makers, social justice and humanitarian efforts will be representing the advancement and support of women and girls. Dr. Morgan will be representing medicine and business on the float.

“As the first female president and CEO of Huntington Hospital, it is a great honor to be celebrating women and the right to vote on the Pasadena Celebrates 2020 float,” said Dr. Morgan. “Equality, human rights, diversity and inclusion belongs in every city. I’m proud to be representing not only our hospital and the field of medicine, but every woman in our community. I stand with you to offer hope and courage as you pursue your dreams.”

Dr. Morgan became President and CEO of Huntington Hospital in September 2017. As a little girl, she always knew she wanted to help people by becoming a doctor. With supportive parents, no one ever told her she couldn’t achieve her goals. Not only did she excel as a trauma surgeon, but since her arrival, Huntington Hospital has achieved five consecutive “A” grades from The Leapfrog Group, the gold standard in patient safety and most recently two national rankings from U.S. News & World report.

Before moving to Pasadena and starting her position at Huntington Hospital, Dr. Morgan spent eight years as a Corporate Vice President of Legacy Health in Portland, Oregon. She served as President of Legacy Health’s largest facility in Portland, the 554-bed Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, and also as President and Chair of the Board for the Unity Center for Behavioral Health, a psychiatric hospital and emergency room developed in partnership with Adventist Health, Kaiser Health and Oregon Health Sciences University.

Dr. Morgan received her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine, then completed her surgical residency at Stanford University Medical Center and her trauma/critical care fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. Dr. Morgan is a board-certified trauma surgeon and intensivist. She received her MBA from Pacific Lutheran University where she concentrated on technology and innovation management.

The float will also include a “bouquet of suffrage descendants” featuring family members in direct line to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ida B. Wells, Susan B. Anthony, and Frederick Douglass. These descendants today are carrying forth the work of their ancestors that still needs to be done in our democracy.

Congratulations to November’s DAISY Award winner, Eileen Castro, RN

Posted on December 19, 2019September 15, 2023 by colin

As a designated Magnet hospital, Huntington Hospital is a recognized leader in nursing excellence. Every day, our nurses go above and beyond for our patients, and we are proud to recognize them for their efforts. Huntington Hospital’s November DAISY Award winner, Eileen Castro, RN, was nominated by a patient who wrote the following:

“I am honored to nominate Eileen Castro for a Daisy Award after she provided nursing care above and beyond what is expected. My husband was admitted for what he said was chest pain and that it was the same sensation as it was in 2005 when he needed emergency heart surgery. Being the wife and a nurse, I simply jumped to the conclusion that he was going to need an angiogram and another open heart surgery. Thankfully he was at our skilled hospital for the most proper and thorough testing! All aspects of what is possible could be were tested.

Having been in the ER for almost 12 hours, he was grumpy and wanting to get settled. His admitting nurse was amazing, but on day 2 when the cardiac testing started, he was under the care of Eileen. Eileen has such a different and comforting bedside manner. She is very skilled at what she does and boy, does she do things by the old nursing school standards! As a nurse, I appreciate that! She has a fun and comforting personality. It is very calming and reassuring, especially when she knows I am a nurse and only thinking the worst! Eileen was always seen rounding and she constantly gave us updates as initially we thought he would go back to nuclear about noon, but it ended up being close to 4 p.m. before they finished the stress test. All the while, Eileen kept us posted. We settled in and assumed that we would spend another night in the hospital awaiting results.

At about 5 p.m., Eileen comes into the room asking us if we were ready to go and informed us my hubby was cleared to go by the physician and she would start processing our discharge. Wow, Eileen should be the trainer for a timely discharge. Within 25 minutes, we received the most thorough of discharge instructions and reviewed everything. She had everything nestled in the discharge folder and we had no questions as she had covered everything, as if she already anticipated our questions. One thing Eileen did that stood out which no one has ever done on my husband when they take his IV out, is sit and hold pressure since he is on Coumadin. Eileen sat and chit chatted while she did that. If you can believe someone so happy to get home and not have an enormous bruise from the IV, well my husband was thrilled!

When we left, my hubby commented on having Eileen as his nurse and how she has been the best in the couple of times he has been a patient. Eileen should be awarded this honor simply for her true professionalism to nursing. “

Thank you, Eileen, for your dedication to our patients and commitment to nursing. Congratulations on your DAISY award!

For more information about the DAISY awards, please visit:
www.huntingtonhospital.org/DAISY

Santa Claus brings holiday joy to Huntington Hospital’s pediatric patients

Posted on December 12, 2019February 25, 2020 by colin

On December 18, the Pasadena Police Air Operations Section and the Foothill Air Support Team (FAST), along with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, touched down from the North Pole (via helicopter) to deliver toys to our pediatric patients!

The 14th annual visit was funded through generous contributions from Pasadena Police employees and Officer Associations participating in the FAST program throughout the San Gabriel Valley. The donation of toys we received is so large, that we will give them to our pediatric patients throughout the entire coming year!

Thank you to Pasadena Police Chief John Perez and the Alhambra, Arcadia, Covina, Glendora, Irwindale Monrovia, Pomona, Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena Police Departments who helped bring holiday cheer to our young patients!

American Heart Association Recognizes Huntington Hospital With Gold Level Workplace Health Achievement for 2nd Year in a Row

Posted on December 12, 2019February 22, 2020 by Workforce

Scientific, evidenced-based instrument rates, recognizes workplace health programs and workforce heart health.

The results of the American Heart Association (AHA) 2019 Workplace Health Achievement Index were recently announced and Huntington Hospital has once again achieved Gold Level recognition for taking significant steps to build a culture of health in the workplace.

“As a leader in health and wellness for the community, our commitment begins with our own employees who spend countless hours caring for our patients,” said Debbie Ortega, Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President, Administrative Services, Huntington Hospital. “From our heart healthy menu in the cafeteria to health risk assessments, , lifestyle and condition management coaching and programs to encourage exercise, we are proud to be recognized by the AHA with this Gold Level achievement for workplace health.”

The American Heart Association created the Index with its CEO Roundtable, a leadership collaborative of more than 40 CEOs from some of America’s largest companies who are committed to applying evidence-based approaches to improve their employees’ overall health. The Index uses science-based best practices to evaluate the overall quality and comprehensiveness of their workplace health programs. Studies show that worksites with a culture of health with comprehensive, evidence-based policies and programs, and senior leadership support are more likely to have engaged employees and a healthier, more productive workforce.

A unique feature of the Index is that it calculates an average heart health score for employees of participating companies that securely submit aggregate health data. Companies receive benchmarking reports, which allow them to identify potential areas of improvement so that they can advance their annual performance and recognition.

As part of its commitment to healthier workplaces, the American Heart Association offers Health Screening Services, an onsite biometric screening solution which allows organizations to collect and submit employee health data seamlessly. The health screenings are combined with a health assessment and education to motivate participants to make behavior changes or seek support for lifestyle changes and follow-up medical care as appropriate.

The American Heart Association’s Workplace Health Solutions offers a suite of evidence-based tools to help optimize current employee health programs. These tools leverage the science behind the Index while improving consumer engagement and promoting healthier behaviors. For more information, visit www.heart.org/workplacehealth.

Becker’s Hospital Review Recognizes Huntington Hospital’s Orthopedic Program

Posted on December 5, 2019November 30, 2022 by Workforce

Becker’s Hospital Review has recently named Huntington Hospital to “100 hospitals and health systems with great orthopedic programs” list for 2019.

Becker’s states: “The hospitals featured on Becker’s Hospital Review’s 100 hospitals and health systems with great orthopedic programs list for 2019 have earned recognition for quality of care and patient satisfaction for orthopedic and spine surgery. Many are high-volume centers where surgeons annually perform hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of total joint replacements, in addition to less complex musculoskeletal surgeries. These programs highlighted have rich histories of innovation and have won grants to research musculoskeletal treatments. The centers also include robust nonoperative services and provide care to professional and elite athletes in their communities.”

Becker’s editorial team based the list on “…U.S. News & World Report rankings for adult and pediatric orthopedics. The team also considered CareChex rankings, Healthgrades awards, Leapfrog, Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Center designation, The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval and hospitals’ reputations for innovation in orthopedic care.”

Find a local orthopedist near you that is affiliated with Huntington Hospital.

Doc Talk: FAQs for new NICU parents

Posted on December 4, 2019September 15, 2023 by Workforce

In some instances, a baby (or babies!) might arrive early and require time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This can be emotional and stressful for new parents. Huntington Hospital’s Director of Pediatric Services, Jamie Powers, MD, shares her top five tips for NICU families to help prepare them for their babies’ stay at the hospital.

Can I hold my baby after he/she is born?

Whenever possible, we strongly support one or both parents holding their infants after they are born. We know that doing skin-to-skin care, also called kangaroo care, helps to stabilize a baby’s heart rate, breathing, and temperature, not to mention the emotional benefits for both parents and the baby. There are a few special circumstances when holding their baby following delivery may not be an option, for example, if an infant is delivered extremely premature or is very sick. Even for these infants, we encourage parents to hold their baby’s hand, read stories at the bedside, and even participate in taking the temperature, giving baths, and changing diapers. Once the infant is ready, we start kangaroo care on a regular basis.

What is all of the equipment for?

Newborn infants, especially sick and premature infants, have very special needs that are different from an adult or even a small child. The small houses the infants are kept in, called isolettes, can help to regulate temperature, humidity, sound, and light – all of which are crucial for appropriate development. Depending on the baby’s needs, we can also monitor the heart rate, breathing rate, oxygen levels, carbon dioxide levels, and brain activity, just to name a few items. Since every infant is different, the equipment that we need to use will be different for every infant. Regardless of what we are monitoring, it is all designed to ensure we are catering to each baby’s very special needs so that they continue to grow healthier and stronger.

How long will my baby be in the NICU?

A baby’s length of stay in the NICU depends on why he/she was admitted. The stay can be as short as a few hours, like for babies with low blood sugar levels or in need of a little breathing help, to as long as several months, like for an infant born extremely premature. The care team meets with families on a routine basis so that parents know when to anticipate their baby’s homecoming.

How often can I visit my baby while he/she is in the NICU?

Unlike the remainder of the hospital, regular visiting hours do not apply to the NICU. Parents are welcome to visit any time they are able, whether it’s 2 a.m. or dinnertime. We understand that leaving your baby in the hospital to go home is very stressful for families. Knowing that we open our door to families whenever they want to visit.

Will I be able to breastfeed my baby while he/she is in the NICU? Or will I be able to once he/she is out?

We strongly encourage mothers to provide breastmilk for their babies whenever possible. Not all babies can breast or bottle-feed when firstborn, but we have lactation consultants available to help support mothers with pumping their milk in the interim. When the infants are big enough and strong enough, we promote breastfeeding while the babies are still in the NICU. Many of our NICU graduates are exclusively breastfed once home, or at least on a combination of breast and bottle feeding.

Not all NICUs are equal, so it’s important to know the difference when choosing where to have your baby. Our Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit provides the highest neonatal intensive care available in the San Gabriel Valley. Families are offered a wide range of services to receive the support they need, including access to the March of Dimes app, which provides information and an instant community of NICU families who are sharing their experiences as well.

Learn more information about our maternity, labor & delivery support, and birth center team.

Huntington Hospital Receives National Recognition for Meritorious Outcomes from the American College of Surgeons

Posted on December 2, 2019November 30, 2022 by Workforce

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) has recognized Huntington Hospital as one of 88 ACS NSQIP participating hospitals that have achieved meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care in 2018. As a participant in ACS NSQIP, Huntington Hospital is required to track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures and collect data that assesses patient safety and can be used to direct improvement in the quality of surgical care.

“We are proud to be recognized by the American College of Surgeons for this national designation,” said Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Huntington Hospital. “When a patient comes to us for any type of surgery – outpatient or inpatient- they are trusting us with their care. This designation speaks to the high quality of our surgical care and outcomes for our patients thanks to our dedicated nurses, physicians and employees.”

The ACS NSQIP recognition program commends a select group of hospitals for achieving a meritorious composite score in either an “All Cases” category or a category which includes only “High Risk” cases. Risk-adjusted data from the July 2019 ACS NSQIP Semiannual Report, which presents data from the 2018 calendar year, were used to determine which hospitals demonstrated meritorious outcomes. Huntington Hospital has been recognized on both the “All Cases” and “High Risk” Meritorious lists.

Each composite score was determined through a different weighted formula combining eight outcomes. The outcome performances related to patient management were in the following eight clinical areas: mortality, unplanned intubation, ventilator > 48 hours, renal failure, cardiac incidents (cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction); respiratory (pneumonia); SSI (surgical site infections-superficial and deep incisional and organ-space SSIs); or urinary tract infection.

ACS NSQIP is the only nationally validated quality improvement program that measures and enhances the care of surgical patients. This program measures the actual surgical results 30 days postoperatively as well as risk adjusts patient characteristics to compensate for differences among patient populations and acuity levels. The goal of ACS NSQIP is to reduce surgical morbidity (infection or illness related to a surgical procedure) and surgical mortality (death related to a surgical procedure) and to provide a firm foundation for surgeons to apply what is known as the “best scientific evidence” to the practice of surgery. Furthermore, when adverse effects from surgical procedures are reduced and/or eliminated, a reduction in health care costs follows. ACS NSQIP is a major program of the American College of Surgeons and is currently used in nearly 850 adult and pediatric hospitals.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 82,000 members and it is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

Congratulations to October DAISY Award winner, Alma Escusa,

Posted on November 18, 2019February 27, 2023 by Workforce

As a designated Magnet hospital, Huntington Hospital is a recognized leader in nursing excellence. Every day, our nurses go above and beyond for our patients, and we are proud to recognize them for their efforts. Huntington Hospital’s October DAISY Award winner, Alma Escusa, RN, labor and delivery, was nominated by a patient who wrote the following:

“I was feeling anxious and nervous when admitted to Huntington Hospital. Alma was the RN for the evening. Straight away she was compassionate, thorough and capable. She suggested different things that would help me. She also held me during a procedure and constantly encouraged me to relax. She was almost like family that evening and less like an RN. I am extremely grateful for her presence and experience. She made me feel very comfortable and safe, considering that I was scared and out of my mind. She was extremely hands-on; she was everywhere simply doing everything for me to ensure I felt comfortable. Her compassion and exceptional care are deserving of the Daisy honor. Thank you, Alma.”

Congratulations, Alma, for your well-deserved DAISY Award! For more information about the DAISY Award, please visit: www.huntingtonhospital.org/daisyform.

Huntington Hospital Nationally Recognized with an ‘A’ for the Fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

Posted on November 7, 2019November 30, 2022 by Workforce

Huntington Hospital was awarded an ‘A’ in fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Huntington Hospital’s achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization driven by employers and other purchasers of health care committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade to all general hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.

“It’s my pleasure to share with you that, Huntington Hospital has received another A safety grade from the Leapfrog Group, the gold standard in patient safety,” said Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Huntington Hospital. “This is the 5th consecutive A grade we have achieved, a true testament to our ongoing dedication to safe and excellent care.”

“‘A’ hospitals show us their leadership is protecting patients from preventable medical harm and error,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It takes genuine commitment at every level – from clinicians to administrators to the board of directors – and we congratulate the teams who have worked so hard to earn this A.”

Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

Huntington Hospital was awarded an ‘A’ grade today, when Leapfrog announced grades for the fall 2019 update. To see Huntington Hospital’s full grade details, learn how employers can help, and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.

About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

Huntington Hospital named America’s 100 Best for Cardiac Care and 100 Best for Coronary Intervention

Posted on October 30, 2019February 22, 2020 by Workforce

Huntington Hospital is one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care and 100 Best for Coronary Intervention according to a national study by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for information about physicians and hospitals. Every year, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 32 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions using Medicare data, and outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 15 states.

The achievement is part of findings released today in the Healthgrades 2020 Report to the Nation. The new report demonstrates the importance of hospital quality to both hospital leaders and consumers.

For the 2020 Report to the Nation, Healthgrades compared America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care Award recipients as a group, to all other hospitals, as a group, and found:

From 2016-2018, patients treated at hospitals receiving the America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care Award have, on average:

28.1% lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award.*
From 2016-2018, patients treated at hospitals which did not receive the America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care Award have, on average:

1.39 times more likely to die than if they were treated at hospitals that did receive the award.*
“As consumers navigate their health, it is important to consider a number of factors, including hospital quality, before deciding where to access care,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades. “Healthgrades’ America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care recognizes those hospitals that have proven their dedication to quality care and exceptional outcomes over time and we applaud their efforts and achievement.”

“I’m so proud our hospital has been named one of Healthgrades America’s 100 Best for Cardiac Care and Coronary Intervention,” said Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Huntington Hospital. “Heart disease impacts so many of our friends, families and neighbors. From our dedicated interventional cardiologists to our skilled cardiac rehabilitation team, these designations reflect their hard work and commitment to providing the highest-level of care to our patients.”

Huntington Hospital is currently expanding its care capabilities with its new Huntington Heart and Vascular Center, creating state-of-the-art facilities to provide cutting edge, compassionate care to our cardiology patients. The new facility is set to open late 2020.

For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide to assess hospital performance in 32 common conditions and procedures, and evaluated outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 15 states.

Healthgrades recognizes a hospital’s quality achievements for cohort-specific performance, specialty area performance, and overall clinical quality. Individual procedure or condition cohorts are designated as 5-star (statistically significantly better than expected), 3-star (not statistically different from expected) and 1-star (statistically significantly worse than expected) categories. View the full list of Specialty Excellence AwardTM recipients here. The complete Healthgrades 2020 Report to the Nation and detailed study methodology, can be found at https://partners.healthgrades.com/healthgrades-quality-solutions/healthgrades-quality-awards/.

* Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2016 through 2018 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.