Whitehall Administrator Elected President of FHCA District 7
Gilda Osborn, who served as Whitehall Boca Raton's director of nursing for 20 years prior to becoming administrator in 2008, was elected July 12 to a 4-year-term as District VII president of the Florida Health Care Association. The leadership position serves as a conduit between the statewide organization and the District VII counties, which include Palm Beach, Glades and Hendry.
FHCA is a statewide federation representing facilities that provide skilled nursing, post-acute and sub-acute care, short-term rehab, assisted living and other services. Currently in District VII there are 37 facility members and 18 associate members.
Ms. Osborn received her degree in health care administration with an additional certificate specialist in aging from Lynn University. She is also a licensed nursing home administrator and has been active in numerous associations, including as a founding board member of the Florida Association of Directors of Nursing.
Summer 2011
One-of-a-Kind Vision Rehab Program Added to Whitehall Boca
In an effort to help reduce falls and ensure that all aspects of a patient's rehabilitation is complete, Whitehall Boca on June 1st officially launched its "Functional Vision Rehabilitation Program," a program designed to find undetected visiion problems not discoverable through routine eye exams. The program was developed by Whitehall therapists and neuro-optometrist Dr. Larry Lampert — one of only 511 optometrists certified worldwide in this specialty area.
Undetected vision problems do not contribute only to falls, but can severely impact an individual's ability to read, walk in a straight line, and even pour beverages. Learn more about this important addition to Whitehall's therapy lineup.
Spring 2011
Whitehall Earns National Recognition for Rehabilitation Program
Out of thousands of potential participants in the Silver Crown Awards sponsored by Dorland Health, a 50-year-old national media and educational publisher in the healthcare business, Whitehall Boca was one of just four recognized leaders in rehabilitation programs that ease the burden of an aging population.
During a March 8 presentation in Las Vegas, Nevada, Whitehall was cited particularly for its patient-centered, interdisciplinary approach that helps ensure patients return home with a maximum level of function.
Leslie Curtis, director of business development, accepted the award on behalf of Whitehall. “Although our patients are always the benchmark for how we do in our rehabilitation program, it’s an honor to be recognized by an organization that keeps its finger on the pulse of the entire healthcare industry,” she said. “Our goal is always to look for the best ways to restore patients to their maximum levels, and we’ll never stop doing that.”
Specialized Company Brings Memory Training to Whitehall
Memory Training Centers of America (MTCA) is bringing its professional training for memory impairment to Whitehall patients in need of robust treatment. Among its strategies, MTCA makes use of state-of-the-art computer exercises to slow the progression of memory loss related to Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive declines.
MTCA’s programs provide treatments that stabilize memory functioning and potentially even reverse its devastating consequences. Those treatments now supplement Whitehall’s own, long-standing measures to improve patient capacities to function in rehabilitation programs and daily living. Read about our unique Comfort Care Program and other measures we use to help those with cognitive impairments.
Fall 2010
Celebrating Earth Day 2010 Every Day of the Year
Officially, Earth Day 2010 is April 21. At Whitehall Boca, it’s an important day but only one day out of the year that we do our best to adhere to the highest environmental standards for our planet. We recycle cardboard, soda cans, and shredded paper as part of a cumulative effort to preserve the environment. Among our other, routine efforts:
- Freshly planted flowers and trees in our garden area
- Printing handouts and other material on two sides of paper
- Printing e-mails only when necessary
- Turning off computers at night
- Turning off office lights at the end of every day
- Using plastic utensils only when necessary
To encourage active participation on those and other levels, in recognition of Earth Day we’ve given each department a plant to decorate and care for. We’ll have a judging on May 21.
To learn more about Earth Day and what you can do, visit the official Earth Day web site and get involved.
Spring 2010
Whitehall Honored with “2009 NAHCA Facility of the Year” Award
The National Association of Health Care Assistants named Whitehall Boca Raton 2009 “Facility of the Year” during the association's 15th annual “Key to Quality” awards banquet held Sept. 17 in Kansas City, Missouri. Whitehall was chosen from more than 500 NAHCA member facilities. Criteria for being named Facililty of the Year included demonstration of innovative programs, continual education, professional development opportunities, teamwork, and person-centered care.
The Washington, D.C.-based NAHCA is a non-profit organization working to ensure that the highest quality of care is provided to elders living in nursing homes, achieved by elevating the professional standing and performance of facility staff caregivers.
What does that really mean? Well, at Whitehall the primary facility staff caregivers are the certified nursing assistants who perform as the front-line staff with patients. They deliver much of the personal and physical care to patients, performing such tasks as bathing, oral care, and generally taking care of them in all those ways that deliver comfort and physical care.
Not surprisingly, patients typically bond most quickly with their nursing assistants because the nursing assistants are the people who interact the most with patients. Indeed, nursing assistants are the hands-on people who respond when the call light is turned on by a patient and then take care of the patient’s needs. Of course, if a patient's needs are beyond the scope of a nursing assistant's practice, they get a nurse to step in. For instance, some tasks beyond a nursing assistant's scope include getting pain medication, calling a doctor, or performing a skilled need such as insulin monitoring or injection, and making dressing changes.
“We are so proud of this award,” said Whitehall Boca Administrator Gilda Osborn. “Our staff is the best and they're what really make Whitehall different from corporate-run facilities. They genuinely care about our residents and the care they receive.”
That Whitehall's front-line team of nursing assistants performed with consistent standards high enough to help bring in an award that topped 500 facilities is significant, and those standards are no accident. All of the certified nursing assistants at Whitehall go through specialized customer service training, as well as annual in-services by social services on the importance of communication skills and interaction with patients and families.
Fall 2009
Protecting Patients and Staff During the 2009-2010 Flu Season
Flu season is an annual occurrence that strikes all parts of the country and typically is more threatening for the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. This year, in addition to the regular flu virus, medical authorities are also tracking a widespread outbreak of a flu known as the “H1N1” flu virus — more commonly known as the “swine flu.” Two flu strains occurring simultaneously make the 2009-2010 flu season unique from previous seasons and requires more diligence than ever before. Also, because the swine flu virus is very different from the seasonal strain, two separate vaccines are required.
Residents at Whitehall Boca can rest assured that the facility has the situation well in hand.
“We know that between the regular flu season and the potential for swine flu, people might be more concerned than usual about our policies in seeing that patients who want vaccines are properly immunized, said Whitehall Administrator Gilda Osborn. “We understand, and in fact, this year we made a point of getting a month's head start on offering the seasonal flu vaccine.” The earlier start was put in place because medical authorities identified that the flu season was beginning earlier than usual. “We're on top of it and will stay diligent throughout the flu season,” Osborn said.
U.S. government medical authorities are still sorting out how best to distribute swine flu vaccines. Whitehall will act accordingly when those decisions have been finalized and instructions issued.
As is true for every regular flu year, both residents and employees are encouraged to be vaccinated. No one is charged a fee. However, those who elect vaccinations must sign consent forms. And, because some patients may not be appropriate candidates for flu vaccines — such as those who are allergic to eggs — written orders by patients’ doctors are also required.
To prevent the spread of flu viruses, Whitehall’s staff members are instructed on specific precautionary procedures, including proper hand washing, cough etiquette, and other sanitizing methods. They are likewise trained to be alert to possible flu symptoms. Whitehall also has liquid hand sanitizers in hallways and restrooms. Residential rooms are outfitted with soap dispensers as well. Of course, after vaccinations are given, residents are monitored for 24 to 48 hours for mild reactions. More acute reactions are immediately reported to a physician.
Whitehall’s policies are governed by the guidelines issued by both the state Department of Health and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations from the CDC are also followed for administering the pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccine to appropriate candidates.
Fall 2009
Whitehall Participates in Two FAU Research Programs
Research is important in identifying and helping to curb a variety of ailments. To further some new efforts, Whitehall in 2009 received a $20,000 grant from the New York-based Pfizer Company to work in conjunction with Florida Atlantic University for a study on incontinence in the elderly. The program, coordinated through Dr. Joseph G. Ouslander, an associate dean and professor in biomedical science, is intended to improve initial assessments, quality control monitoring and data collection, and better outcomes upon discharge to improve patient urinary tract infections.
Whitehall, whose rate of urinary tract infections is well below the national average, is an active participant in the study so that medical facilities and practitioners everywhere can one day benefit from improved methods.
Another initiative in which Whitehall is involved concerns a Florida Atlantic University study through which Whitehall will educate nurses using special algorithms to assist them in timely recognition and reporting of symptoms to medical doctors. The goal is to reduce the number of avoidable hospitalizations and improve communication with physicians.
Both research studies are ongoing projects expected to continue through at least 2009.
Spring 2009
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