Littauer welcomes Karen Bruce, FNP, to Johnstown Primary/Specialty Care Posted on June 6, 2018 by Dakota Pike– Nathan Littauer Hospital is proud to welcome Karen Bruce, RN, MS, FNP-C, to the Perry Street Johnstown Primary/Specialty Care Center. Ms. Bruce comes to Littauer from Cambridge, New York where she was working as a Nurse Practitioner in family health. She is a graduate of The Sage Colleges and is currently working on her PMHNP – Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.“Karen comes to us at a time when her services couldn’t be more welcomed and needed,” said Littauer’s Patrice McMahon – Vice President, Primary/Specialty Care Services. “We are thrilled to have her join the Littauer healthcare team.”“I loved being a nurse,” said Bruce. “I just felt that I would be more effective and better benefit my patients as a Nurse Practitioner. “Bruce has practiced all over the country and treated all age groups. “I have enjoyed every single one too,” added Bruce.Bruce is currently seeing patients at the Johnstown Primary Specialty Care, Perry Street location. Appointments cam be made by calling (518) 736-1500. She will also be the Littauer Primary Care presence with The Family Counseling Center in Gloversville.Karen Bruce, RN, MS, FNP-C, joins the Perry Street Johnstown Primary/Specialty Care Center
Littauer welcomes Pediatrician Dr. David Eisenberg Posted on March 1, 2018 by Dakota PikeDavid Eisenberg, M.D., F.A.A.P. (February 21, 2018) Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home is proud welcome David Eisenberg, M.D., F.A.A.P., to their pediatric staff at Perth Primary/Specialty Care Center.Dr. Eisenberg medical career has spanned 20 years. He is the founder /pediatrician of Eisenberg Pediatrics establishing a 10-year practice in Long Island. He comes to Littauer from private practice in both Putnam and Westchester Counties, as well as in Greenwich, Connecticut.“I am thrilled to be practicing at Littauer,” said Dr. Eisenberg. “I’d like to think I will be a positive influence as I practice in this community.”Dr. Eisenberg received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and completed his residency at North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New York. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.“Littauer is fortunate to have Dr. Eisenberg practicing in our community,” states Cheryl MCGrattan, Littauer VP Marketing/Communications. “His experience and expertise is exceptional. He is bringing the latest in pediatric healthcare to Littauer’s youngest patients.”Dr. Eisenberg is practicing at Littauer’s Primary/Specialty Care Center in Perth Monday through Friday. For an appointment, please call (518) 883-8624.
Littauer certified to ISO 9001 Quality Management System by DNV GL Posted on February 8, 2018 by Dakota PikeLittauer Director of Performance Improvement, Christine WaghirnGLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK (February 6, 2018) – Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home has been awarded by DNV GL – Healthcare full certification to the ISO 9001 Quality Management System. Littauer is dedicated to providing the safest and most effective healthcare services possible,” says Christine Waghorn, Littauer Director of Performance Improvement. “ISO certification not only reflects that mission, but helps to empower it. The certificate is not just a piece of paper, but the effort required to achieve it fundamentally transforms the way we do business. ISO 9001 is ideally suited to the complex, people-intensive challenges of running a hospital.” ISO 9001 is the most widely-accepted quality management system in use around the world, and is quickly gaining acceptance among US healthcare providers as a foundation for their quality and patient safety programs. “Littauer has worked hard to achieve this certification, and they have done so with unwavering commitment from their top leadership to make their hospital the best it can be,” says Patrick Horine, President of DNV – GL Healthcare. “ISO certification isn’t just an award or trophy for something you’ve done, it’s public evidence that you are at the top of your game with an obvious plan in place to make excellence an every day objective.” ISO 9001 brings science to the art of caregiving; it helps to standardize processes around things that are proven to work, by the people doing the work, thus empowering frontline workers while creating an environment of predictability for the entire organization. The ultimate impact of ISO within hospitals is the reduction or elimination of variation, so that critical work processes are done consistently and the “best ideas” aren’t held by one person or one department, but are ingrained in the organization itself. Businesses that implement ISO do so for both the internal and external benefits. Internally it helps staff create clear and consistent processes of patient care, and ensure that progress is constantly being made toward specific quality objectives. Externally, it tells the public, as well as insurers and regulatory agencies, that the hospital is not only talking about quality, but is pursuing it with discipline and transparency. “ISO 9001 is like sheet music for an orchestra; it gets everyone on the same page and helps us achieve our objectives,” says Waghorn. “We are honored to accept the DNV certificate of accreditation on behalf of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home. This is not a certification that can be achieved by a single person or department; rather, it takes the effort of an entire workforce. This certification truly symbolizes our commitment to a culture of safety and quality.” About DNV GLDNV GL Healthcare, with offices in Cincinnati and Houston, is a division of DNV GL – Business Assurance, part of the DNV GL Group, an independent foundation dedicated to safeguarding life, property and the environment. Globally, DNV GL – Business Assurance has more than 100 offices and is one of the world’s leading certification, assessment and training companies. For more information about DNV hospital accreditation, visit www.dnvglhealthcare.com.About Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing HomeNathan Littauer Hospital and Family of Health Services serves Fulton, Montgomery, and Hamilton counties in upstate New York with a full-service, 84-bed acute care hospital, 10 primary care centers, a nursing home and a community education center. The hospital was founded in 1894 and has nearly 1,000 employees. Littauer’s medical staff provides well over 130,000 patient encounters each year. For more information, please visit www.nlh.org.
Littauer Birthing Center again recognized for higher quality in maternity care Posted on February 8, 2018 by Dakota PikeHealthy moms and babies at Nathan Littauer Hospital with Littauer Lactation Consultant Nancy Quinlan, RN, IBCLC, at centerGLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK (January 2018) – Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has once again recognized the Nathan Littauer Hospital Birthing Center with a Blue Distinction® Center for Maternity Care designation as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated hospitals that show expertise in delivering improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community. Nearly four million babies are born in the U.S. annually, making childbirth the most common cause of hospitalization, and cesarean sections the most common operating room procedures, according to National Centers for Health Statistics and the Agency for Health care Research & Quality (AHRQ). Reducing early elective delivery is an area of focus for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)According to Health Affairs, elective inductions result in more cesarean deliveries and a longer maternal hospitalization. The Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program evaluates hospitals on quality measures for vaginal and cesarean delivery.Littauer is proud to be recognized by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield for meeting the rigorous Blue Distinction Center quality selection criteria for maternity care set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.“I am so proud of our team,” said Maureen Mosher, Littauer Manager of Maternal Child Health. “Last year, we were one of the first hospitals designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care. It is a distinction we achieve through our heartfelt dedication to our patients and community.”Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies across the nation have recognized more than 1,000 hospitals as Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care. Hospitals recognized with this designation are assessed using a combination of quality information supplied by hospitals and cost measures derived from BCBS companies’ medical claims.Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality specialty care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, maternity care, knee and hip replacements, spine surgery and transplants, while encouraging health care professionals to improve the care they deliver. Research shows that, compared to other hospitals, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients.For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated facilities, please visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.
Meet Performance Improvement Specialist, Wes McFee Posted on November 30, 2017 by Dakota PikeNathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home Performance Improvement Specialist, Wes McFeeGLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK (November 30, 2017) – Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home Performance Improvement Specialist, Wes McFee, has brought his skill set to Littauer.Performance improvement specialists are employed primarily in the healthcare field to improve patient care in a variety of ways. At Littauer, McFee serves as a consultant to staff and administration, evaluating, planning, and implementing improvements in healthcare. Other aspects of his job include team building and group facilitation, compiling and tracking data, and preparing training materials.In has set up a task force to address sepsis and to lead the nation in sepsis education. McFee is working as the project lead for sepsis education at Littauer. Sepsis is the result of a massive immune response to bacterial infection that gets into the blood. It often leads to organ failure or injuryIt is McFee’s goal to bring awareness and education to the forefront of all Littauer staff. He also works closely with individual departments supplying them with information and tools to improve patient outcomes.McFee works closely with Littauer’s Vice President, Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer Dr. Frederick Goldberg.“In the brief time that Wes has been working here, he has been quick to add value by using his strong problem-solving, analytical, communication and teamwork skills. We are delighted to have him on our team,” said Goldberg.“As a numbers guy, using data and statistics for practical insight is what I enjoy, and I’m right at home at Littauer’s Performance Improvement department,” adds McFee. “My background is largely in project management and I’m fortunate to share that with my colleagues, as well.”Interestingly, June 2017 was not McFee’s first interaction with Littauer. In 2000, while at Littauer, he was diagnosed with a severe mitral valve prolapse at age 33. Mitral valve prolapse is a condition in which the two valve flaps of the heart do not close smoothly or evenly, but instead bulge (prolapse) upward into the left atrium.Dr. Michael Holmes of Schenectady Cardiology Associates gave McFee a prognosis of two weeks during surgical consult. McFee claims he would not be alive today without the condition being correctly diagnosed at Littauer.McFee had open-heart surgery immediately thereafter, was found to have an extremely rare bleeding disorder known as Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia, which caused post-op complications while at Albany Medical Center. He was later seen at Johns Hopkins University Hospital by Dr. Harry Dietz, the world’s leading expert in connective tissue disorders and after whom Loeys-Dietz Disorder is named. McFee was soon diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder not yet identified by medical science, and his DNA remains as a research specimen at Hopkins.Fast-forward to 2017, McFee together with his wife Tabatha, a Special Education Teacher at Mayfield Elementary School, Co-Advisor of Mayfield Elementary School Running Club, created a 12-person team of locals to run the Reebok Ragnar Adirondacks Relay Race where each runner completed three different legs of the 196.2 mile course through the Adirondack Mountains over two days and one night; each runner totaled 11-24 miles during the event depending on which legs they ran.Open-heart surgery survivor Wes McFee was the Team Captain of the team appropriately named “Heart & Sole,” who finished with flying colors and an amazing sense of accomplishment.“Littauer was thrilled for Wes when he was able to compete in Ragnar” said Littauer VP of Marketing/Communications Cheryl McGrattan. “We were stunned when he finished so strongly. Undoubtedly his professional and personal experience will benefit our patients.”Littauer welcomes the education and experience McFee brings to this community hospital.
