Thank you Holly, Personal Touch RN

Thank you, Holly, for your outstanding compassion and service. 

Press Release - 1.3% Readmission Rate, Lowers Skilled Nursing Visits by 60%

PRESS RELEASE
HRS, Personal Touch Home Care: 1.3% Readmission Rate, Lowers Skilled Nursing Visits by 60%
Apr 23, 2018, 5:00am EDT
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Personal-Touch Home Care has achieved a 1.3% 30-day hospital readmission rate for all payers after partnering with the telehealth company, Health Recovery Solutions (HRS). Over 120 patients were placed on telehealth from October 2017 to March 2018 at Personal-Touch Home Care, a certified Medicare agency with home health offices in 10 states. The success of the telehealth program is highlighted by the readmission rate for telehealth patients being considerably lower than the 13.1% readmission rate for non-telehealth patients in their Newport News branch.

In addition to achieving a significantly lower 30-day hospital readmission rate, Personal-Touch Home Care saw a 60.2% reduction in skilled nursing visits for patients on telehealth compared to non-telehealth patients from October 2017 to March 2018 (data acquired from Medicare Claims Data). Jennifer Reisinger, Telehealth Coordinator at Personal-Touch Home Care, attributes the success of their program and the reduction in skilled nursing visits to "empowering the patient to manage their own chronic condition."
Patients placed on Personal-Touch Home Care's telehealth program were provided with 4G tablets loaded with the HRS software. The tablets were paired with Bluetooth devices which allow patients to take their blood pressure, weight, heart rate, and more. The software gives clinicians the ability to monitor patient vitals, respond to risk alerts when patients are at risk for readmission, and conduct nursing visits through video, phone, and text chat all in real time.
The growth in telehealth utilization at Personal Touch can also be attributed to HRS's shipping and logistics program, HRS PatientDirectTM. Through the program, HRS handles all logistics and inventory management, allowing nurses to submit orders for new patients through the HRS service while tracking them from fulfillment through delivery at the patient's home. Reisinger notes, "This allows us to focus our attention on what really matters, the patient."
The unique ability to monitor patient vitals and receive alerts when patients are at risk for hospital readmission allows the clinicians at Personal-Touch Home Care to proactively manage patients in the comfort of their own homes.
Jarrett Bauer, CEO of HRS, adds, "We are thrilled that Personal-Touch Home Care has been using the HRS platform for over a year to keep patients healthy and at home. These low readmission numbers are not just a result of the HRS software, but they are also a result of the dedication from Personal-Touch Home Care's outstanding nursing and administrative staff."
To learn more about Personal-Touch Home Care, visit pthomecare.com or call (757) 595 —8005.
To learn more about Health Recovery Solutions, visit www.healthrecoverysolutions.com or call (347) 699 – 6477
View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/…/hrs-personal-touch-home-care-1-…
SOURCE Health Recovery Solutions

Sunday Quote

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” ~Sophia Loren

Our favorite Martha Stewart Cookie Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Credit: (martha stewart)

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

DIRECTIONS

1. 
   

   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

   
   

   
   
2. 
   

   Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. 
   

   3. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

COOK'S NOTES

If desired, use a small ice-cream scoop for uniform-size cookies.

Karen Watt - Money Tree

Today we have a very special #TBT to when one of our PTHC offices did something very special for another PTHC employee in another office.  Last Halloween #PTHCTeamMaysville invited the neighborhood families to stop by their trick or treat table to join them for a chili cook-off. In return for donations added their giving tree, they gave out treats, chili, desserts & drinks. The donations were to be sent to a Breast Cancer Awareness charity, however, they decided the donations were going to be given to someone much closer to them.   A short while after Halloween, employees from #PTHCTeamMaysville took a drive over to the #PTHCTeamFTThomas office to visit and surprised Karen Watt with the donations from their Giving Tree. Karen is a PTHC employee who has been battling breast cancer. We are happy to report that she has since finished all her chemo and radiation and is doing great!   It was a total surprise for Karen and as you can imagine there were tears of surprise, joy, and overwhelming appreciation.  We wanted to share these pictures from that day to show how committed we are not only to our patients but to each other. We consider ourselves one huge family and no matter how far our offices may be from one another, we come together to show our support for each other in whatever ways that we can. It is amazing how much love comes from these offices. We are proud of our team.

We hope this made you smile today.  Don't forget, to pay it forward whenever you can.   

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Personal-Touch provides home health care personnel and related services to individuals in their homes 24/7. To learn more about our services and about current job opportunities, visit us:

www.pthomecare.com

Facebook: personaltouchhomecareinc

Twitter: PTHomeCareCorp

Instagram: @personaltouchhomecare

#pthomecare #personaltouchhomecare

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

#quoteoftheday

#favoritequotes

#morningmotivation

#wordstoliveby

#inspiredbylife

#inspirationalquotes

#beaninspiration

#bethechangeyouwishtosee

#homecarenurse

#homecareservices

#homehealthrn

#homehealthcarenurse

#elderlycare

#elderlycaregiving

#agedcareprofessionals

#agedcare

#bethechange

#payitforward

#bekind

#breastcancerawareness

#cancersucks 

Wonderful Wednesday - Neptune, NJ

We’re doing a #WonderfulWednesdaypost today because PTHC teams are throwing some amazing holiday events across the country. 🎁
Today it’s all about our Neptune City, NJ Field Staff Office Party. Check out how festive and beautiful their decorations are! 🎁🌲
Thank you #PTHCTeamNeptuneCity for the work that you do! 🎁
 “Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” ~Simon Sinek ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Personal-Touch provides home health care personnel and related services to individuals in their homes 24/7. To learn more about our services and about current job opportunities, visit us:
www.pthomecare.com
Facebook: personaltouchhomecareinc
Twitter: PTHomeCareCorp
Instagram: personaltouchhomecare
#personaltouchhomecare
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

How Nursing Changed My Life - Suellen Hormell, LPN

Nursing has personally changed my life from the perspective of taking care of people, which I love.  My patients help me and they are my therapy.  We all get in our ‘poor me’ ruts and when I am in mine, I go to a patients house that reminds me how lucky I am.  To be able to be independent, work, be as healthy as I am and make a difference in someone else’s life.  I can listen to my patients as well as care for them.  Everyone always needs someone else.  A lesson hard learned, but now understood.

Suellen Hormell, LPN 

Employee Recipe Share - Caron's Leek & Lemon Linguine

Ingredients 

• 8 ounces whole-wheat linguine or spaghetti
• 2 large lemons, plus lemon wedges for garnish
• 1 medium leek (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced and rinsed well
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• ¼ cup snipped fresh chives, divided

Preparation

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until just tender or according to package directions. Reserve 1½ cups of the cooking liquid and drain the pasta in a colander.
2. Meanwhile, finely grate 1 tablespoon zest (see Tip) and squeeze ¼ cup juice from the 2 lemons; set the juice aside. Pat leek slices dry. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leek, the lemon zest, ¼ cup parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the leek is lightly browned and softened, about 6 minutes.
3. Add the pasta, 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, the reserved lemon juice and the remaining ¼ cup parsley to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly until the liquid is mostly absorbed, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the remaining ½ cup liquid, if desired. Remove from the heat. Discard the garlic. Toss the pasta with ½ cup Parmesan and 2 tablespoons chives. Transfer to a serving bowl or bowls; sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan and 2 tablespoons chives and serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

How Nursing Changed My Life - Carole Cantatore

How Nursing Changed My Life

To start with and most likely to end with, Nursing changed MY HEART!

My Heart Changed with every smile from a patient that I have spent time with, shared stories with and provided the care they so well needed.

My Heart Changed when, after years of providing care from our caring Aides, the client passed away.  I have been by the family's side either at a wake, funeral or sitting Shiva in the homes of their loving children.

My Heart Changed as I have seen our clients smile, cry, laugh and share their pain, pain not only physical, but emotional, watching their children care and carry responsibilities for them.  Parents take care of the children, now their children, well loved by their parents, now provide them with the care at this time in their lives that they need.  

My Heart Changed when my Mother needed an aide, developed End Stage Alzheimer's and had the most tender, competent and caring Aides I could ever have imagined, they were, as she said, "these are my other Children"   these Aides, her other children, came to the wake, the funeral and stayed by my side throughout, this CHANGED MY HEART.

Knowing that what we, as Nurse's offer, what I offered was treasured and the appreciation from the family, daughters, sons, grandchildren is insurmountable.  This Changed my Heart.

I have learned, grown weary, sad, happy, have grown in my own right, to know the meaning, the true meaning of GIVING, that's what I wanted to do, longed to do and my Heart needed to do.

Yes, Nursing changed my life, for the better.  To know what a Nurse can provide to someone is far more, much deeper and touches much more than the client, the patient, it touches their entire family, One Patient, One Client and it spreads and fills everyone with the greatest feeling: My Loved One was Truly Cared for by my Nurse, this is what:

                                  CHANGED MY HEART

I am forever thankful and grateful for the encouragement I had to continue to fulfill my dream - to give back.

Thank you

A Nurse

Carole Cantatore  

Employee Recipe Share- Angela Terrano's Sunday Sauce

Angela Terrano’s Sunday Sauce

Angela is the HR Coordinator at Personal Touch – The Early Intervention Program in Fresh Meadows.

This is the traditional “Sunday Sauce” my mother made and passed along to me. My mother called it “gravy” but I call it sauce. This has been passed down to my daughter and, hopefully, she will be passing it down to her family as well. Sunday’s were always spent with family eating a delicious meal around the table, sharing family stories and things that happened with us throughout the week. Family is a very important part of who I am and sitting around the table eating delicious, traditional food made from the heart is part of all the good times with my family. Some say Italians, in general, have a “romance with food.” I truly believe that……..

What you will need:

• 8 Cans San Marzano Whole Tomatoes in Thick Tomato Puree (any brand, however, I  

   use Cento or Red Pack)

• 1 Small Can (any) Paste

• 4-5 Cloves of Garlic

• Fresh Parsley and Basil

• Dry Italian Seasoning

• Locatelli Cheese

• Dash of Sugar

• Beef Bones and Pork Bones (you can add Beef Short Ribs or Pork Ribs if you’re going to

   shred and eat the meat)

• Italian Sausage (hot and sweet or whatever you like)

• Veal/Pork/Beef (For meatballs)

Fry meat in large pot including sausage.  You will fry or bake your meatballs in a separate pan and add them at the end of the cooking time).  Once the meat is seared start the following:

Take first can of Tomatoes and put in blender with Paste, garlic, a handful of Parsley, a couple of shakes of Italian Seasoning, a handful of cheese, dash of sugar and S&P….BLEND (the idea is to add all the ingredients to the first batch so you don’t have to do it again) and then add to meat in pot. Continue to open cans and blend each can and then put in pot. Once the sauce starts to bubble, add some Basil leaves and put on low heat to continue a small simmer and cover halfway and cook for about 2-3 hours stirring frequently.

Make meatballs on side – once fried (or baked) add to pot at the last ½ hour as to not cook the meatballs too much –

Open a nice bottle of wine, some crunchy bread, whatever pasta you want, some fresh Ricotta on the table and Bon Appetite!

My Nonna would always say to anyone we brought to her home for Sunday Supper:

“Si prega di venire a sedersi al mio tavolo e mangiare con noi”

“Please, come and sit at my table and eat with us”

How Nursing Changed My Life - Michelle Dorian

HOW NURSING CHANGED MY LIFE

Employee Name:  Michelle Dorrian, LPN  Branch 059/NN

Since becoming a nurse I have learned many life lessons.  The first is to work with compassion and understanding.  This lesson changed my everyday life from raising my daughter as a single mother to working with dementia patients that were confused and ‘angry at life’.

Nursing also taught me how to adapt to change quickly.  In nursing, you see the beginning of life and its ending.  Just being able to adapt to those environments allowed me to grow as not only a nurse but as a mother and person in general.