MedStar Washington Hospital Center

A new FDA regulation means women with #DenseBreastTissue will learn about it in their #mammogram results. Learn what #BreastDensity means for your risk of developing cancer, and get answers for other common questions from Brooke Wolvin, MD.

The thumb is the most important digit on our hand and is responsible for approximately 40% of the hand’s function. When a person is unable to use the thumb, everyday tasks can be difficult to do. That happened to patient Linda Briggs when she started to have pain in both thumbs, and they froze in place. She struggled with daily life routines until she met our hand surgeon Kevin O’Malley. She’s now back to doing things she loves, including holding the leash to walk her six-pound chihuahua. Read Linda's story now: ➡️ http://ms.spr.ly/6048lA5KC

Help us congratulate nurse Stephanie Sims-Coates, who recently won The #DAISYAward for Extraordinary Nurses after being nominated by a grateful patient family! Stephanie works in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and was recognized for her outstanding, compassionate care of one of our littlest patients who was a third-generation baby born at MedStar Washington Hospital Center! The nomination reads, in part: “We were anxious and had questions. Nurse Stephanie cared for my nephew for 2-3 days while he was in the NICU. Her attention to the concern for his wellbeing was impeccable.” Thank you, Stephanie, for all that you do and for being you! The DAISY Foundation

A seasonal respiratory virus known as parvovirus B19 is on the rise across the U.S., especially among young children. It can also lead to serious complications for people who are pregnant or immunocompromised or who have certain blood disorders. Dr. Glenn Wortmann spoke with WTOP News on what you need to know. http://ms.spr.ly/6042l4Vv4

One of the important quality measures that we track for quality and safety is inpatient falls. A fall in the hospital can potentially result in severe injury or even death. Patients are screened to determine if they are at risk for a fall and, if they are high risk, they wear yellow socks. A patient was getting breakfast in the cafeteria and Officer Christopher Henderson noticed the patient was wearing yellow socks and, of great concern, was the patient had bruises on his face. Officer Henderson quietly and compassionately engaged the patient and walked him back to his unit. “Each MedStar Health associate has a path to the patient, and we all must understand the role that we play in reaching our goals,” said President Gregory J. Argyros, MD, who witnessed Officer Henderson’s interaction with the patient. “Officer Henderson provides an excellent example of how our public safety officers contribute to our success!” Dr. Argyros presented Officer Henderson with a SPIRIT Shout Out for his focus on patient safety. Congratulations, and thank you for everything you do!

Happy Women's Equality Day! In honor of this special day, we'd love to recognize the fact that women make up 76% of our organization—that’s 27,205 in total, a number we are #MedStarHealthProud of! #WomensEqualityDay

Summer may be winding down, but mosquitoes aren’t going away anytime soon. Dr. Glenn Wortmann shares some simple steps people can do to protect themselves from these pesky insects and the diseases they spread. Watch now via WUSA 9. #WorldMosquitoDay

Claire Kent, a physician assistant with our Hospitalist Medicine team, is being recognized for exemplifying our MedStar Health motto “It’s how we treat people” by caring for a patient who was in hospice and quickly approaching the end of his life. Patients are often vulnerable and sometimes alone when they come to us for treatment. Claire cared for a patient who unfortunately received no visitors during his time with us and ended up spending many of his last days alone except for the medical staff who cared for him. From purchasing the patient's favorite foods–JIF peanut butter and butter pecan ice cream, Claire was compassionate and kind going out of her way to spend time with the patient and making him peanut butter crackers. For her exceptional patient care, Claire received the Chief Medical Officer's Award from our CMO Jeff Dubin, MD. “Claire went the extra mile to let him know how important he was to her. In return, we hope this award shows Claire how important she is to us,” says Dr. Dubin. Congratulations and well done, Claire!

Chief Operating Officer Saira Aslam, MD, presented her inaugural COO Award to Karl Malone, catering coordinator, for his decades-long career at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and his thoughtful support of a patient’s family recently, as they awaited the outcome of their loved one’s medical procedure. The award is a ceramic tile, which reads: MedStar Washington Hospital Center Chief Operating Officer STAR Award, Karl A. Malone. The acronym stands for Stewardship, Teamwork, Accountability, and Reluctance to Simplify. Thank you, Karl, for your decades of dedication to our ONE TEAM and our patients!

The summer’s most annoying pest–the mosquito! On this #WorldMosquitoDay, Dr. Glenn Wortmann shares some simple steps people can do to protect themselves from these pesky insects and the diseases they spread. Watch now. http://ms.spr.ly/6046lxGsg