Pittsburgh Magazine Honors Hometown Heroes with 2021 Excellence in Nursing Awards

A Salute to Nurses By RACHEL WEAVER LABAR | Photos by LAURA PETRILLA

The pandemic has killed more than 700,000 Americans, a disproportionate number of whom were people of color or the underserved. This crisis has taken a heavy toll on the nursing community — especially those who served on the front lines, supporting patients and helping families communicate with their very ill loved ones.

But as harrowing as this has been, I’ve often felt inspired and hopeful.

Why? Because COVID-19 has shown the world the important role nurses play in health care — not because they have no fear but because they approach their work and care for patients despite their fear with the utmost compassion.

On behalf of the Pittsburgh community, I would like to extend our collective thanks, gratitude and appreciation to all of the nurses and nursing students who responded to those in need. Join me in congratulating the 2021 Excellence in Nursing Award recipients who are recognized in this issue. They have demonstrated extraordinary dedication and courage.

– Mary Ellen Glasgow Dean and Professor, Duquesne University School of Nursing; Chair, Pittsburgh Magazine Excellence in Nursing Selection Committee

View the nominees!

Excellence In Nursing – Pandemic Response Hero: Pauline Hutsler Excellence in Nursing – Leader: Maribeth McLaughlin Excellence In Nursing – Emerging Leader: Jeffrey Bomba Excellence In Nursing – Advanced Practitioner: Maj. William Pileggi Excellence In Nursing – Clinician: Shenoa Jamieson Excellence in Nursing – Community: Alexis Myers Excellence In Nursing – Academic: Ruth Madden Foreman Excellence In Nursing – Researcher: Alison Colbert

HONORABLE MENTION

Pandemic Response Hero

Mark Cashioli, Infusion Nurse, Chartwell Specialty Pharmacy Jonna L. Morris, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Judith A. Shovel, Improvement Specialist, Clinical Improvement Department, Wolff Center at UPMC

Leadership Krista Bragg, Chief Operating Officer, Allegheny Health Network Christin M. Durham, Associate Chief Nurse, Primary Care, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Nancy Gross, RN Director, Butler Health System Geralyn Lee, Clinical Director, UPMC Home Healthcare

Emerging Leader Ashleigh Anderson, Senior Professional Staff Nurse, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Tammy Barker-Fleming, Unit Director Neuro/Trauma, UPMC Presbyterian Hospital Leanne Feil, ER Case Management Access Nurse, Butler Health System Amber Kolesar, Instructor and Director, Second-Degree BSN Program, Duquesne University School of Nursing Tara Stickley, Unit Director, Womancare Birth Center, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital

Advanced Practitioner Erin Q. Dieter, Palliative Medicine, Excela Health Medical Group Joyce Knestrick, Associate Professor, George Washington University School of Nursing (Visiting Professor; Family Nurse Practitioner from Washington, Pa.) Charles Warner, Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care Medicine, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital

Clinician Mandy Emmick, Registered Nurse/Case Manager, UPMC Home Healthcare Christopher Hornberger, Registered Nurse, 7T Telemetry, Butler Memorial Hospital Catherine “Caty” Thomas, Clinical Education Specialist, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital

Community Mary Jo Bellush and Deborah Schotting, Infection Preventionists, Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital Elizabeth DiLembo, Project Manager, COVID Vaccine Clinic, Quality, Clinical Documentation Specialist, Excela Health

Academic Janet Barber, Standardized Patient Manager, Robert Morris University Richard Henker, Professor, Department of Nurse Anesthesia, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Rebecca Kronk, Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Duquesne University

Researcher Susan W. Wesmiller, Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing

Guest column: Eliminate barriers to crisis-ready health care

An emergency is no time to trifle with bureaucratic red tape. At the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, many feared a surge of patients would overwhelm hospital capacity. Health officials sounded the alarm and identified policy changes that would enable them to meet the coronavirus challenge. And, in many cases, government responded.

In March, Gov. Tom Wolf issued executive orders designed to expand the state’s health care capacity, including temporarily suspending regulations that restricted where and how nurses and other health care professionals could practice.

For those aiming to ensure our health care system is always prepared, this raises an important question: If we cut the red tape during times of crisis, why not cut it permanently?

The fact is, before these regulations were suspended, our health system was suffering serious consequences. In April, PennLive reported that thousands of medical professionals across the country were getting furloughed or laid off. Though postponed elective procedures were partially responsible, another major factor was licensing requirements that made it difficult for medical staff to transition from their previous roles to help care for those suffering due to COVID-19.

Jess Poole, who previously worked out of Greensburg, is one such medical professional. Despite being a licensed nurse anesthetist with the training to intubate and manage patients, Pennsylvania wouldn’t recognize her specialty. Licensing restrictions made it impossible for her to contribute.

Health care heroes like Jess were forced to sit on the sidelines just when they were needed most. Thankfully, some state lawmakers are determined to keep this from happening again.

State Rep. Christopher Quinn (R-Delaware County) recently introduced legislation, HB 2779, that everyone concerned about conquering the virus should care about. Rep. Quinn’s bill would extend the suspension of certain bureaucratic regulations holding back our health system for one year — and establish a panel to determine which of those counterproductive regulations should be done away with for good.

Telehealth, or remote medical appointments often conducted via video calls, is a great example of a health care innovation that would have been limited under prior overly-restrictive regulations. The contagious nature of COVID-19 made telehealth an essential service in 2020, and utilization skyrocketed by 50 to 175 percent. This expanded use was made possible because Pennsylvania took steps to guarantee provider reimbursements by insurance companies and relaxed licensing restrictions that prevented providers from serving patients across state lines.

Even after the crisis subsides, telehealth promises increased access to care and reduced patient costs. For example, a Vermont Veterans Association saved almost $19,000 a year from reduced travel costs after offering telehealth options. A 2017 study found that patients experienced a cost savings of $156 per consultation due to reduced time and travel burden.

The removal of antiquated barriers to telehealth and the lifting other unnecessary regulations should be made permanent to expand access to care. For example, maintaining newly-increased practice flexibility for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Practitioners would empower over 7,000 nurse practitioners in Pennsylvania to care for more patients.

Rep. Quinn isn’t alone in seeing an opportunity to improve health care access and reduce cost for all Pennsylvanians. Senate Bill 25 and HB 100, together sponsored by over 70 lawmakers, create a path for nurse practitioners to practice independently after a minimum of 3 years and 3,600 hours under the supervision of a physician. Empowering them to provide primary care could bring down the patient load per primary care provider from almost 1,000 patients per provider to 667 patients per provider.

Two other proposals, HB 1997 and HB 1998, would give doctors more flexibility over how to work with physician assistants. The result? Greater access by patients to customized care.

Another bill would allow pharmacists to offer flu shots to individuals 9 years of age or older, creating an additional 9,000 access points for flu vaccinations across the state. Empowering pharmacists to provide vaccinations to a wider age range can free up physicians to focus on their most urgent cases.

It is impossible to predict what the future holds for COVID-19. But by repealing unneeded health care regulations that are barriers to patient care, lawmakers can ensure Pennsylvania’s health system is always prepared for crisis.

Stephen Bloom is vice president for the CommonwealthFoundation, Pennsylvania’s free market think tank.

Published in The Pottstown Mercury