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Service AwardsThe following employees have been honored for their years of service between January - May 2012. [SOURCE: SFVAMC HR Department] 10 Years Evangeline AbelgasEvelyn T. BaduaTony BallBarbara BensingDaniel BertenthalMichelle BosuegoNanette BrionesJames K. Carrico, Jr.Maria CordovaEvelyn DeGuzmanKimiko DeVoreGregory ElieLeon EvansIsabelita FultonJames GilbertLawrence GouldBrenda HardingMark Hayes 15 Years Florita MacaraegEvana MackKevin MackFatima MagcalingJeff ManiponImelda MerreraWilliam Mulligan, Jr.Pamela ParanMarie PermannLeonard RobertsNelson Schiller, MDKaren SealAnait SesiSudan ShakoorAmanda StricklandArthur TabungarIrene Turnman 25 Years Hussam AlkhadraRemy BalononDarryal CooperCandice CriderEdna De PaduaSusan HwayBrian KellyAlicia LopezTom LueMary Ellin Mannix-CantillonRene RuizDavid SalonerSue SchanbeckH.J. Simmons-MyersLinda StublerEvangeline TaylorCheryl TuckermanLinda AnastasiBenjamin ApawanKenneth CastellanoJean ClarkRudy ConceptionDeirdre DonovanDaniel GanozaNancy GulinoK. L. Harris-CollettSherry LedfordDeborah MendozaPaul MichellJerry MillsNathaniel PatrickRonald Patrocinio 30 Years Frances FongRobert HepplewhiteMary JulianEileen KennedyCandace KimKerry MarkNancy PimentelPhillip ScottMary Beth TomascoLourdes TorresCharles WatsonJ. Williams-St PaulThressa WinnPatrick PorterMichael PritchettDaniel RobertsGuillermo Rustia IIIMyla SanchezCharissa ThomasTerrie TzengMai Phuong VuReginald WilsonWalter WuRita YeeDebra Yelvington 20 Years Carolina AbaygarMarianne AddingtonMonica AllisonErin ButlerLeroy ChanMatthew ChappeloneFred ContrerasMartin CruzFrancis DurantRichard FontenotLinda GreenSusan KarpenkoDavid KjornesKimberly LandKevin LeechHon LeongEdward LoweeceyBonnie ObrienRebeka SilvaDouglas SouthArthur Wallace 35 Years Asteria AcostaDavid CanlasDoris ChanJohn DekutoskiJohn DesormierTheresa HashimotoRoy HerrenDiana HidalgoPaul Simpson, Jr.Betty Yee 40 Years Mary EilermanJeff JosephAnna Rouge 45 Years Alice AronowIN MEMORIAMAlan Winter, Member ServicesThe Beacon is published by the Office of Public Affairs for the employees of the San Francisco VA Medical Center. Please address suggestions, commentsor story ideas to Judi Cheary, Director of Public Affairs (OOP) at judi.cheary2@va.gov or (415) 750-2250.The editor reserves the right to make changes and/or edits to any submission chosen for publication.Writer/Editor/Designer: Judi A. ChearyWriter/Photographer: Kellie Mendonca Photographer: Edgardo CaballeroSan Francisco VA Medical Center 4150 Clement Street San Francisco, CA 941218F O R T H E E M P LO Y E E S O F T H E S A N F R A N C I S C O VA M E D I C A L C E N T E RAPRIL 2012First Veterans Justice Court Opens in San FranciscoFor the first time ever, a Veterans Justice Court (VJC) hasopened at 575 Polk Street in San Francisco. This court isfor Veterans charged with non-violent alcohol or drugrelated felonies who may be experiencing life difficultiessuch as mental health issues or homelessness. Thenew VJC is a collaboration betweenthe San Francisco Superior Court,the Department of Public Health,community-based service agencies, andour Medical Center.The intention of the VJC is to connectVeterans who have mental health,substance abuse and medical issues,to treatment in a timely manner, whileavoiding lengthy incarcerations and further involvementwith the justice system. Instead of spending time in jail,Veterans are diverted and sentences are either delayedor replaced with treatment for a period (usually 12-18months) during which medical and mental health careis provided by the San Francisco VA Medical Center(SFVAMC) or the SF VA Downtown Clinic. If this diversionis successful, the Veteran is less likely to repeat thebehaviors and offenses that resulted in court systeminvolvement.The court incorporates both rewards and sanctions to keepVeterans motivated in treatment, which may range fromresidential treatment and structured outpatient treatment,to drop-in groups. Upon successful completion of the VJC,charges may be reduced or dismissed.Future plans involve a Veteran peermentoring program that will pair courtparticipants with a peer mentor whowill support the Veteran throughout hisinvolvement in the court. “We are alsodeveloping relationships with local lawschools to provide services for a legal clinicat our Downtown Clinic to address civilrelated legal issues for Veterans,” said Brett.“Often times our Veterans are caught in a cycle—they havecivil legal issues which result in their becoming homeless,which leads to criminal justice involvement. Hopefully thislegal service, along with the new VJC, will help preventthat cycle.”Santa Rosa VA Clinic HomeNew Shuttle Service Coming July 6 to First Veterans Legal ClinicThe VJC currently focuses on Veterans living in specificgeographic areas in San Francisco: the Tenderloin, SOMA,Civic Center and Union Square, who have misdemeanorsor non-violent felonies. The process includes clinicalmeetings where updates are provided by treatment staff,and a court process that allows each involved Veteran toget feedback on their progress from the judge.“Most of the Veterans involved in this court are currentlyhomeless or at risk for homelessness, and this programwill offer them an opportunity to be considered forpermanent housing through the VA’s HUD/VASHprogram,” said Veterans Justice Outreach SpecialistElizabeth Brett, LCSW, who serves as a liaison betweenthe court and the VA.California’s first free Veterans Legal Clinic has openedat our Santa Rosa VA Clinic. Held every Wednesdayfrom 1-4 p.m., the clinic provides a variety of legalservices to enrolled Veterans by an experiencedNorthern California criminal defense attorney. Legalservices offered will help Veterans address issuessuch as driver’s license suspensions/revocations,outstanding warrants, and criminal records(expungement, sealing, pardons and certifications ofrehabilitation).This new clinic is a result of the efforts of VeteransJustice Outreach Social Worker Kevin Wright, LCSW,BCD, and Social Work Service leadership.
Hippotherapy Lifts CLCVeterans’ SpiritsHippotherapy is a form of physical, occupationaland speech therapy in which a therapist uses thecharacteristic movements of a horse to provide carefullygraded motor and sensory input. It is often used totreat people with physical or mental challenges. Unliketherapeutic horseback riding (where specific ridingskills are taught), the movement of the horse is a meansto a treatment goal when utilizing hippotherapy as atreatment strategy.SFVAMC is lucky to be within driving distance of theNational Center for Equine Faciliated Therapy, the onlyCalifornia facility that is a member of the AmericanHippotherapy Association. It is located at a state-ofthe-art, and tranquil, 12-acre facility in Woodside. CLCVeterans visit this facility once a month and participatein adaptive riding, therapeutic driving (steering a horsedrawn carriage), and grooming. This program providesphysical and emotional strength building therapies forVeterans using the movement, strength and compassionof horses.This nature-oriented physical activity promotes positivesocial interactions for Veterans with traumatic braininjury, PTSD and physical limitations. It also helps toawaken pleasant memories, especially for our Veteransraised in rural communities.New Privacy OfficerConstruction UpdatesSFVAMC’s new Privacy and Freedom of Information ActOfficer is Brynn Cole. She transferred from White RiverJunction VAMC to SFVAMC in 2010 and was previouslySFVAMC’s Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator.In that capacity shehelped rebuild thatprogram.Newly Renovated Emergency Department Space:Monumental Electrical Project Almost Finished:After a year or renovations, construciton on the nonacute care area and waiting room of the EmergencyDepartment (ED) has been completed. This project wasnecessary, in part, because the construction of the new12 bed acute care ED left the existing space lookingdated and poorly utilized.Since its design in 2005 and construction start in 2011,SFVAMC has been methodically undertaking a 25 millionelectrical construction project that has modernized andreplaced over 80 percent of our electrical distributionsystem.She brings to thisposition a wealth of VHAknowledge, as well aseffective communicationskills, the right attitudeand enthusiasm toexcel in the position. AsSFVAMC’s Privacy Officershe is responsible for: Ensuring local facility compliance with applicablelaws, regulations and directives.Working closely with SFVAMC’s Chief InformationOfficer and Information Security Officer topromote employee awareness of VA’s responsibilityto protect Veteran and employee personallyidentifiable information.Responding to privacy complaints and violations.Remember, privacy is everybody’s responsibility! If youhave privacy concerns or questions, Brynn can be reachedat Brynn.Cole@va.gov or ext. 2135.Since the Emergency Department is staffed 24hours a day, the 6,000 square foot renovation wasaccomplished in four phases. Essential to this wasthe collaborative efforts of Biomedical Engineering,Operations & Maintenance Engineering, SpacePlanning, IRMS, EMS and Project Engineering. Theirefforts allowed the ED to continue to care for Veteransthoughout the construction.The newly renovated area provides a brighter andmore welcoming waiting area. Christopher Brazell,project engineer, worked closely with ED managementto create a space with a higher level of privacy, securityand accessibility for patients and staff. In addition, thenew ED, which was completed in 2010, has a bettercapacity to function around the clock with increasedemergency power, and more effective and energyefficient systems with occupancy sensors for lightingand digital climate controls.As part of the Hippotherapy program, CLC residents take part intherapeutic driving, which is steering a horse-drawn carriage.2Highlights of this project inlcude: Installing 40,000 linear feet of new undergroundelectrical utilities. Upgrading from 5,000 volt to 15,000 volt electricaldistribution system for more available capacity. Upgrading and replacing 13 major electrical substationsand 451 electrical distribution panels.“We’ve also expanded our electrical capacity to supportnew Radiology and OR equipment, new air handlers, newchillers and other ventilation equipment,” said Dilts. “By‘expanding’ I mean modifying, retrofitting or renovatingareas to make them better for patient use.”“When the project is completed, the Medical Center willhave enough capacity for any future buildings, futureupgrades, and more than enough power to do whateverwe need to do,” he said.To date, this is the largest non-recurring maintenance(NRM) project ever to be funded through VA CentralOffice, according to Engineering Service Chief of FacilitiesDirk Minnema. “It’s a testament to our electrical projectengineers, Travis Dilts and Nick Rustia, that we were ableto get all this equipment in, well ahead of schedule,” hesaid.Compliance & Ethics WeekNational Compliance & Ethics Week is April 29- May 3, and the theme is "Excellence ThroughIntegrity.” This is a good opportunity to reinforce thesignificance of ethics in the work we do for Veterans.SFVAMC staff and Integrated Ethics Program Officerswill celebrate this important week by conductingactivities that raise awareness of ethics and VA corevalues. For more information, please contact BrynnCole at Brynn.Cole@va.gov or ext. 2135.“The entire project involved replacing the infrastructureof our power system at the facility,” said Electrical ProjectEngineer Travis Dilts, project lead and contractor liaison.Impressively, all the work was performed on weekdaysand with minimal impact to hospital services. and isalmost a year ahead of schedule, The project should becompleted in June.The newley renovated ED waiting room.7
SFVAMC Hosts StudentVeterans Day at CCSFMLB and SF Giants VisitHospitalized VeteransThe San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC), CityCollege of San Francisco (CCSF) and NCIRE joined forcesto host the first Student Veteran Day. The event servedas a multi-agency collaboration aimed at enhancingthe connection between student Veterans at CCSF, theSFVAMC, community support resources, and internalCCSF programming.The event, which was attended by 128 student Veterans,provided 12 sessions of educational programming,informational tables and individual consultations.Student Veterans were afforded priority access toeligibility and enrollment services at SFVAMC, academicsupport services at CCSF, individual benefits counseling,mental health services and more.The event also marked an important collaborationbetween VA clinical service and VA research because theevent included the presentation of research protocols toattendees.Special thanks to Keith Armstrong, LCSW, BridgetLeach, LCSW, and Gerard Choucroun, who spearheadedthe planning and implementation of this successfulevent.The SFVAMC has had a presence at CCSF since 2011when we opened the Veterans Outreach Program. Thisprogram has been nationally recognized for providingcomprehensive services to student Veterans. Servicesinclude enrollment, social work case management,medication management, smoking cessation, mentalhealth counseling, and referral for additional services notavailable on campus.Students had access to many resources during Student VeteransDay at CCSF.6Major Milestone for RRT New Vascular SurgeryWhen a patient at our Medical Center suddenly isn’tProgramdoing so well, who do you call? The Rapid ResponseTeam (RRT)! And, that team has reached a majormilestone as it has now responded to 1,000 calls!“We started the RRT in 2006,” said ICU Medical DirectorLeslie Zimmerman, MD. “The idea is that before apatient becomes seriously ill, what we recognized isthere was a period of time when they were beginning todeteriorate, and if we had a mechanism to rescue thosepatients in that early period, we could avoid the crisisof full resuscitation. So we developed a team that couldswoop in and do an early assessment, evaluation, andstart treatment of patients who had these early signalsthat things are not going well.”Staff on Unit 2B pose with Giants Legend Gaylord Perry. He pitchedfrom 1962-1983 for eight different teams in his career, includingthe Giants from 1962-1971.Employees and patients had an opportunity to be partof the World Series activities with a very special visitto the Medical Center by Major League Baseball andSF Giants executives and former ballplayers. BaseballCommissioner Bud Selig, President and CEO of the SFGiants Larry Baer, Giants Legend Will Clark, Hall of Famerand Giants Legend Gaylord Perry, and former MLB AllStar/Hall of Fame Broadcaster Jerry Coleman visited withpatients prior to Game Two of the 2012 World Series.This was part of Major League Baseball’s support for themilitary through their Welcome Back Veterans initiativeby dedicating Game Two of the World Series to Veteransand military families.The visitors met with patients on Unit 2B, handed outautographed baseballs and goodie bags, and posed forpictures. Even staff got in on the action as Giants LegendGaylord Perry entertained the group and tossed thembaseballs. Veteran students from the City College of SanFrancisco were also on hand to welcome the guests tothe unit. While the special guests only had a very limitedtime to spend at the Medical Center, patients and staffhad a great time and enjoyed the visit.That night at AT&T Park, there was a special pre-gameceremony honoring World War II-era baseball Veterans,including Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr, Broadcaster BobWolff, and Manager Tommy Lasorda. The visit to ourMedical Center must have brought the Giants good luckbecause they went on to win the World Series with a 4-0sweep of the Tigers!The RRT consists of an ICU physician, ICU nurse, andan ICU respiratory therapist. The program began in themain hospital and has since been expanded to includethe Community Living Center, the Primary Care Clinics,and Radiology.“Anyone can call us,” said Zimmerman. “A physician,nurse, respiratory therapist, dentist, and even familiesand patients can call (ext. 4444) and say, ‘Something isnot quite right. Here’s the situation, and here’s where thepatient is. Please come help with an evaluation.’” RRTmembers respond within five minutes, surrounding thepatient with a “safety net” of expertise.The greatest benefit of having the RRT is that it “saveslives,” said Wendy Quek, RN. “There are less code bluescalled, and if we intercept early, it’s a better outcome forthe patient.” Congrats to the Rapid Response Team on ajob well done!The Vascular Surgery team has initiated a programfocused on thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA).They have started a pilot in the Western Region tostandardize TAAA evaluation access and management.This program was inspired by a total endovascular TAAArepair pioneered by Drs. Tim Chuter and Linda Reillyfrom UCSF and SFVAMC. This treatment has lowermorbidity and mortality, and faster recovery than canbe achieved with an open repair. This program givesthe Vascular Surgery team the ability to receive patientreferral/consults from any other VAMC facility in thenation.The team has been working diligently to create thesystems that allow any other VA to send e-consults anddigital images and is working to facilitate Telehealthvisits in collaboration with their primary care andlocal vascular surgery provider. Their vision is that thepath they are blazing will allow them to treat Veteransanywhere for other rare illnesses.Help Share Clean AirIn the spirit of VA’s mission of focusing on wellness andpatient-centered care, and in support of national VAdirectives, Smoking Policy MCM 00-16 has been revisedand changes where people can now smoke.Smoking is now allowed only in one of three newsmoking shelters. The new shelters are locatedbetween across from Building 12 (near the EmergencyDepartment), and outside the entrance of Building 7.There is a third smoking shelter, for use only by patientsand staff in the Community Living Center, located on thesouthwest side on Building 208, accessible via the groundfloor.The smoking shelters provide employees and Veteranswith an environmentally-enhanced area to smoke. Theseshelters include heating, air conditioning, air and smokefiltering.Rapid Response Team members, from left, Evangeline Rico,RN; Wendy Quek, RN; Jayson Morgan, MD (back); MindaLaquian, RRT; Leslie Zimmerman, MD; and Arwin Neypes,RN.The policy applies to all patients, employees, visitors,volunteers and contractors, and will be enforced bycampus Police. Thanks for your adherence to the changein smoking locations and helping to share clean air!3
Highlights Around the Medical CenterMichael Drexler, PhD, received the ExceptionalEducator Award at the 2012 National Academyof Neuropsychology Conference in Nashville,Tennessee. This award is bestowed by the Womenin Leadership Committee of the National Academyof Neuropsychology, in recognition of guidance andsupport during professional training and with gratitudefor extraordinary supervision. Congratulations!sssCarmen Peralta, MD, (pictured right) is one of10 national winners of the Robert Wood JohnsonFoundation Young Leader Awards.The award recognizes leaders ages40 or under for their exceptionalcontributions to improving thehealth of the nation. The awards alsosignal the winners’ strong potentialfor future leadership, and highlightthe important contributions thatpeople can make early in their careerto improve health and health care for all Americans.Congratulations!sssKimberly Hiroto, PhD, psychologist at the SantaRosa VA Clinic, has been appointed as the early careerpsychologist for the American Psychological AssociationCommittee on Aging, a six-person committee dedicatedto furthering the science and practice with olderadults. It’s a three year term and will involve severalprojects focused on issues including policy, education,and science. It comes on the heels of her being partof the A
new Radiology and OR equipment, new air handlers, new . chillers and other ventilation equipment,” said Dilts. “By ‘expanding’ I mean modifying, retrofitting or renovating areas to make them better for patient use.” “When the project is completed, the Medical Center will . have enough capacity for any future buildings, future
