The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Northern Westchester Hospital

Northern Westchester Hospital Awarded Certification in Spine Surgery from The Joint Commission

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Mount Kisco, NY – Northern Westchester Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification in Spine Surgery by demonstrating continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.

The certification recognizes health care organizations that provide clinical programs across the continuum of care for Spine Surgery. The certification evaluates how organizations use clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, as well as to educate and prepare patients and their caregivers for discharge.

Northern Westchester Hospital underwent a rigorous, onsite survey during which the team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards, including: effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines through the continuum of care, organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities, as well as delivering and facilitating clinical care in compliance with national standards. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“Disease-Specific Care Certification in Spine Surgery recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Northern Westchester Hospital for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for Spine Surgery patients.”

Dr. Marshal Peris, co-director of the Orthopedic and Spine Institute at Northern Westchester Hospital added, “We are proud of this achievement and will continue to hold our spine program to the rigorous standards of the Joint Commission, as part of our ongoing commitment to provide the highest level of patient centered care. We are particularly proud to be one of only three hospitals in New York State that are Certified in Spine Surgery.” The other certified hospitals are fellow Northwell Health facilities, North Shore University Hospital and South Shore University Hospital.

For more information on the Joint Commission Spine Certification, please visit The Joint Commission website.

For more information on Northern Westchester Hospital’s Orthopedic and Spine Institute, visit https://nwh.northwell.edu/orthopedic-spine-institute/spine

November Events Offered by Northern Westchester Hospital & the Center for Healthy Living

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Part three of a three-part cooking series for reducing disease risk and a panel discussion focused on men’s health are November’s featured programs offered by Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) and the Center for Healthy Living. In November, virtual events for parents and future moms include courses on breastfeeding and newborn care and a calming cooking class for school-aged children. Other virtual events to help people feel better and get healthier include chair yoga, smoking cessation and a Wellness Wednesday on spiritual wellbeing.

Located next to the Whole Foods Market at Chappaqua Crossing, the Center for Healthy Living supports health and wellness through education, health resources, diverse programing and referrals. For a full list of upcoming free events and registration, visit Eventbrite.com. All programs are currently offered virtually.

FEATURED EVENTS:

Cooking for Reducing Disease Risk, Part 3: Diabetes

Thursday, November 4, noon – 1 pm, live over Zoom

Cost: Free

Join Registered Dietitian Amy Rosenfeld to learn about cooking balanced meals that reduce your risk of diabetes. Amy will explain the guiding principles of a diet that lowers your risk for diabetes as recommended by the American Diabetes Association.

Register at: Cooking for Reducing Disease Risk, Part 3: Diabetes

Man to Man: A Conversation about Men’s Health

Wednesday November 17, noon – 1 pm, live over Zoom

Cost: Free

Did you know men are much more likely than women to skip doctor’s appointments, routine screenings, and avoid seeking help for mental illness? Join us for a panel discussion focused on men’s health. Physical therapist Gerald Loehr will discuss fitness and healthy training tips. Dr. Richard Catanzaro will debunk mental health myths and offer real life coping strategies for stress. Dr. Warren Bromberg will discuss prostate and testicular health, including the latest recommendations on cancer screenings.

Register at:   Man to Man: A Conversation about Men’s Health

 

Chair Yoga
Mondays & Thursdays, November 1, 4, 11, 15, 18, 22 and 29, 11 am – Noon, live over Zoom

Cost: Free
Chair Yoga is one of the gentlest forms of yoga available, adapting poses through the creative use of a chair. Emphasis will be on breathing, balance, and taking things at your own pace. This workshop is led by Toni Russo, MS, RN AHN-BC, RYT-220, a leader on NWH’s Integrative Medicine Team.

Register at:     Chair Yoga

 

Smoking Cessation
Wednesdays, November 3 and 10 & Tuesday, November 16, 6 – 7 pm, live over Microsoft Teams
Cost: Free

Cigarettes are one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. We know it’s challenging to quit, and we are here to help. This support group is facilitated by a NWH respiratory therapist. For more information, contact NWHSmokingCessation@northwell.edu or call (914) 666-1868.

Register at:    Smoking Cessation

 

Virtual Breastfeeding Class

Monday, November 8, 6 – 8 pm, live over Microsoft Teams

Cost: $30 per couple

This comprehensive class is taught exclusively by our International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) for women who are considering or have decided to breastfeed. The class will cover advantages of breastfeeding; building and maintaining your milk supply; strategies for success; breastfeeding techniques; diet considerations; nipple care; and tips for partner feeding. Plenty of time is allotted for Q&As, and couples are encouraged to come together. For more information, please call the Mother-Baby Navigator Office at (914) 666-1840

Register at: Virtual Breastfeeding

 

Kids in the Kitchen: Calming Cooking Class

Thursday, November 11, 2 – 3 pm, live over Zoom (schools are closed for Veteran’s Day)

Cost: $30

Cooking is a wonderful experience for kids and can be a great opportunity to relax, relieve stress, and learn a skill. Join Registered Dietitian Amy Rosenfeld and Licensed Clinical Social Worker Rachel Merchan for a cooking class and relaxation workshop. Participants will learn how to make festive-for-fall apple nachos and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, while engaging their senses to feel calm and lower stress. This class is appropriate for school aged children – younger children will require parental supervision and assistance.

Register: Kids in the Kitchen: Calming Cooking Class

 

Newborn Care Class

Wednesday, November 19, 6 – 8 pm, live over Zoom

Cost: $30

Topics include newborn care, feeding patterns, common parental concerns, and the role of pediatricians during your baby’s stay at the hospital. Upon availability, a pediatrician will join at the end of class for a Q&A session.  Please note, this support group is for mothers who have already delivered their baby. For more information, please call the Mother-Baby Navigator Office at (914) 666-1840 or email NWHMotherBabyNavigator@northwell.edu
Register at:   Newborn Care Class

 

Childbirth Preparation Class

Saturday, November 20, 10 am – 2 pm, live over Microsoft Teams

Cost: $30

Our experienced nurse educators will discuss the process of labor and birth, relaxation and breathing techniques, the role of the partner and coaching skills, hospital admission policies and procedures, anesthesia/analgesic options, vaginal and cesarean births, and postpartum expectations.

Register: Virtual Childbirth Preparation Class

 

Wellness Wednesdays – Spiritual Wellbeing with Rev. Angela Maddalone

Wednesday, November 24, 11 – 11:30 am, by phone.

Cost: Free

This month’s Wellness Wednesday will focus on spiritual wellbeing.

Register at the link below or simply dial 1-929-436-2866 to join the program.

  • When prompted, enter the Webinar ID 994 8502 3594, followed by the # sign.
  • You will hear music until the program starts promptly at 11 am.
  • There is a 100-person limit for this webinar.

Register at:   https://nwhwellnesswednesday.eventbrite.com

News Courtesy of Northern Westchester Hospital

“Falling Back” from Daylight Savings to Standard Time

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Tips from the Medical Director of Northern Westchester Hospital’s Center for Sleep Medicine

On Sunday, November 7th, at 2 a.m., clocks will be turned one hour back as we change from daylight savings to standard time. Falling back, means means when the clock reads 10 a.m. on Sunday morning, your brain and body will insist that it is really 11 a.m.

Changing your clock Friday helps you adjust to standard time by Monday.

“‘Gaining’ an hour in the fall is much easier for our bodies than ‘losing’ an hour in the spring,” says Dr. Praveen Rudraraju, medical director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, NY. “Even so, one trick that helps some people is changing one clock on Friday, and eating, sleeping and waking up one hour later. By Monday, you will be adjusted to the time change.”

Though one hour may not seem like much, Dr. Rudraraju says that some people are more affected by the change because they have difficulty adjusting their circadian rhythm– the physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle responding to light and darkness in the environment. By altering the clock, our internal clock goes out of sync with the day-night cycle. He suggests the following tips to help people “fall back” more easily:

  • Try to spend time outside during the daytime, if weather permits.
  • Dim the lights in the evening, so your body understands that it’s time to wind down.
  • Exercise 30 to 40 minutes in bright light (before 5 p.m. daily).
  • Don’t drink caffeinated beverages after noon, and eat dinner at least three to five hours before bedtime.
  • Limit alcohol to one drink with dinner.
  • Stop all computer activity, which provides too much stimulation, an hour before bedtime. Instead, relax by reading, listening to quiet music, or watching TV.
  • Stay out of your bedroom until bedtime. If possible, do not work in your bedroom.
  • Prepare children for the change by eliminating all foods and beverages with caffeine, including soda and chocolate. These stimulants keep them awake at night.
  • If your sleep is really disrupted by the change, try taking melatonin about two hours before you would like to get to sleep. This is available without prescription.

For more information or to make an appointment for a sleep center study, call

914-666-1114.

Advice courtesy of Northern Westchester Hospital

Wellness Garden Gives Back in the Time of COVID

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Staff members at Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) gathered in the new Wellness Garden to enjoy a bounty of summer produce, learn how to care for plants, and taste some of the first harvest.  

Vegetables from the garden will be “prescribed” to patients who face food insecurity when they are discharged.  The patients will leave the hospital with fresh, organic, ready to eat fruits and vegetables selected to meet their nutritional needs by staff dieticians.

Northern Westchester Hospital staff in the Wellness Garden

However, the garden was created to provide more than physical nourishment. It also serves as a sanctuary for hospital staff, who plant, weed and harvest the garden on a voluntary basis.

The garden is the culmination of a year-long effort on the part of Zack Couzens, who graduated from high school this spring and dedicated his Eagle Scout project to the heroes of Northern Westchester Hospital. He and his fellow scouts, classmates, family, and more than 30 volunteers built the 27 raised beds that comprise the garden. He also created a GoFundMepage that raised more than $3500 for the project, double his original fundraising goal.

Zack was inspired to give back to the hospital because of the care it provided for his family. In March 2020, his parents were among the first Covid-19 cases in Putnam County to be admitted to NWH. In the harrowing weeks that followed, his mother was released, but his father was put on a ventilator and spent three weeks in the hospital. Zack, who was born 10 weeks early, weighing only two pounds, eight ounces, also owes his life to the care he received at Northern Westchester.

“The Hospital has given so much to my family, saving both my parents’ lives, and my own,” he says. “Fortunately, everyone recovered, in large part, due to the extraordinary care my family received. My hope is that when people look back at the Covid-19 pandemic, this garden–dedicated to the heroes of Northern Westchester Hospital–will remind them of how the hospital’s staff worked tirelessly to keep the community members well.”

Northern Westchester Hospital leaders recognized that many staff were themselves recovering from their experience with the pandemic.  A Wellness, Recognition and Resilience Committee was formed to further support NWH providers during this unprecedented time and the idea of a Wellness Garden.

“The idea quickly grew beyond helping staff,” says Rebecca Martin, a committee member and the senior director of Dining Services at the Hospital. “We realized that if we built a garden of raised beds, we would be able to grow organic vegetables for the community.”

Story courtesy of Northern Westchester Hospital

 

 

 

COVID Recommendations are a Moving Target

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Editor’s Note: We contacted Northern Westchester Hospital for guidelines on the latest news surrounding COVID, for thoughts on breakthrough infections, vaccinations and mask wear. Here, expert insights and advice from Debra Spicehandler, M.D., Co-Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northern Westchester Hospital

By Debra Spicehandler, M.D.

To mask or not to mask? That is just one of the questions generating confusion as the CDC tries to nail down current COVID recommendations as the very contagious Delta strain gains traction. We continue to learn more, but the Delta variant appears to cause more severe illness and may spread as easily as chicken pox. In addition to a growing number of breakthrough infections among the fully vaccinated, it appears that symptomatic vaccinated people can also spread the Delta variant.

Dr. Debra Spicehandler

During the past few weeks, New York seemed to have pushed COVID back to the point when people felt comfortable eating in restaurants, attending weddings and going back to the office.  Not so fast. Almost overnight, the Delta variant has become the dominant COVID strain, and we are seeing rates of infection rise especially among the unvaccinated.

Here is what we know:

Being vaccinated is key, but vaccine hesitancy persists, and there is discussion about mandating vaccines among certain groups, including healthcare workers.

We are now seeing breakthrough infections even among people who are vaccinated as a result of the now dominant, highly contagious Delta variant. The good news is that breakthrough infections among the vaccinated seem mild, in most cases, and do not require hospitalization. It is unclear whether people with breakthrough COVID cases will have any of the long-term effects we’ve seen that include cardiac issues, long-lasting fatigue, lung problems, joint pain, and brain fog.

Though we have not seen definitive data, federal health officials announced both vaccinated and unvaccinated people who contract the Delta variant of COVD may carry similar levels of viral load and spread the disease even when asymptomatic. A recent New England Journal of Medicine study of 1,497 vaccinated Israeli healthcare workers found 39 breakthrough infections with three quarters of those people showing a high viral load.

This information raises other questions: if we are seeing more breakthrough infections, is it because the Delta variant is more efficient, or does the efficacy of the vaccine wane over a certain period of time? And, if so, how long do vaccines last?

It is beginning to look as though people who have been vaccinated will soon need booster shots.

As COVID rates rise, the CDC recommends that even fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors where transmission of the virus is high, such as New York City and surrounding suburbs, including Westchester. Since the virus is rising in New York, I recommend caution. It is still okay to be outside without a mask if you are vaccinated, but it looks like indoor masking should be reinstituted, and people should follow the most updated guidelines on the CDC website. This is an evolving situation. Even if we know people have been vaccinated, we cannot be sure that someone has not been exposed to the Delta variant.

For the vaccinated, COVID symptoms can be extremely mild. But if you are concerned that you may have COVID–especially if you have other co-morbidities–then get tested.

Patients who test positive and are at high risk for developing a severe infection may be eligible for infusions of monoclonal antibodies. This risk group includes people 65 and older, who have diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac disease, obesity, asthma or who are immunocompromised.

Because recommendations are changing so quickly as we learn more, check the CDC website for the most current information. And, if you think you may have COVID, check with your physician. For more information, visit Northwell’s Digital Resource Center.