- Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIn 1944, the Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) Auxiliary was founded as a way for community members to integrate with the hospital and give back. Originally referred to as the “Pink Ladies,” over time, the group of volunteers became known as the “Blue Crew” and evolved into an integral part of the organization’s mission of providing patient-centered, high-quality health care services to the community it serves every day. “Volunteers dedicate an incredible amount of hours in any given month, equating about 58 full-time staff members that the hospital would need to hire,” said Ann Brundige, Auxiliary president. “The best part about being an auxilian is the ‘family’ spirit.” Last year marked 75 years of service for the AAMC Auxiliary. There are now 500 volunteers who serve over 30 service lines on AAMC’s main campus and off-campus locations around the community. Among those volunteers, you’ll come across auxilians like June Caudill and Rita Kapurch. READ MORE: Donating to AAMC: A how-to guide Lasting impact In August 1996, June joined a volunteer program that formed through a partnership between the American Cancer Society and AAMC. Being surrounded by other volunteers and having the opportunity to work directly with patients made her feel like she had discovered her calling in life. “I quickly became attached to the environment,” she says. “Working with the other volunteers felt like having a second family. I was warmly welcomed by AAMC staff, and it was that warm approach that was an integral part of immediately feeling part of the hospital.” A year later, June started supporting Oncology and working with cancer patients. She often came across patients who were undergoing difficult situations, and although at times it was hard for her, she learned how to appreciate how gracious many of them were considering what they were going through. “When I first started as a volunteer, I thought it was about seeing the patients in the bed and taking care of them,” June says. But, she learned that working in health care can be both rewarding and challenging. “It was such a different feeling and I have asked myself, ‘are you sure you’re doing the right thing?’ And then I stopped and thought, ‘if not me, then who?’ So I kept pushing right through it because I loved being with patients.” Making lifelong friends Rita, who began as a volunteer in the gift shop, had a similar experience when she started her journey as an auxilian 31 years ago. “I read somewhere that volunteers live longer,” she laughs, adding that she started volunteering in her home state of Massachusetts. “When we moved to Maryland, I told my husband I wanted to be a volunteer at AAMC, which was also good for me personally because I didn’t know anyone.” Rita says she had the opportunity to meet the most amazing volunteers and patients while working at AAMC. Her favorite part? Meeting new grandparents. “I love seeing grandparents come in and buy the big teddy bears,” she says. “Especially when they’re first-time grandparents, I get to share the joy and special moment with them.” Rita’s favorite day of the week is Tuesday, when she volunteers at AAMC’s gift shop. “I always look forward to seeing the other volunteers, whom I proudly call my friends,” she says. “I love people and I couldn’t be more grateful for volunteering.” Learn more about the AAMC Auxiliary and ways you can get involved.
- Employee Spotlight, Graduate Medical EducationGeneral Page Tier 3BlogOne January day, resident Abdel-Moneim Mohamed Ali, MD, was completing his acute care surgery rotation when he received a call to the Emergency Department to evaluate a patient for an urgent umbilical hernia repair. When Dr. Ali saw the patient, he learned that the patient was also on a waiting list for a liver transplant. He consulted his fellow resident and senior team member, Shyam (Jay) Jayaraman, MD, and, together, they made a decision that would ultimately save the patient’s life: they decided to calculate the patient’s MELD score. A MELD score is used to gauge how urgently a patient needs a liver transplant. Patients with higher numbers are higher on the transplant list. As they suspected, their patient’s score was dangerously high. “The patient’s liver failure was getting worse,” said Dr. Jay. “The hernia was purely excess fluid in the abdomen caused by the patient’s liver failure.” Thanks to Dr. Jay and Dr. Ali’s meticulous evaluation, the patient received a life-saving liver transplant the very next day. When they’re not saving lives, the two might be found preparing for a game of jeopardy. In 2018, Dr. Jay and Dr. Ali competed as a two-person team in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Surgical Jeopardy contest at the ACS Annual Clinical Congress held in Boston. The duo took an impressive second place in the rigorous contest. “It all comes down to teamwork,” they concurred. Pro tip: “Treat the patient and not the imaging or lab value. Look at the whole picture and do what’s best for the patient.” Learn more about GME at AAMC by visiting www.AAHS.org/Graduate-Medical-Education. Watch our video to hear program officials describe AAMC’s unique learning environment for residents, as well as the benefit of a teaching hospital to the community. If you know a great individual or a fantastic team going above and beyond to make a difference, make sure to let us know! Looking for a career in health care? We invite you to join a diverse and collaborative team of professionals working together to innovate the future of health care for our entire region. Check out our career opportunities.
- WellnessGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIf you’re a vegetarian or trying to change your eating habits to sustain the environment, you might be swapping real meat burgers for veggie burgers. The sustainable food movement has recently gained tremendous traction and the faux meat industry — with brands like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat — is growing as a result. But if you think eating alternative meat burgers is healthier than having real meat burgers, think again. While they’re made with veggies and other plant-based ingredients, many other added ingredients can make faux meat burgers high in sodium and saturated fat. Let’s take a closer look at why fake meat substitutes aren’t necessarily a healthier option to real meat products: Saturated fat. Some people choose not to consume beef burgers because of saturated fat, which increases our LDL cholesterol or the bad cholesterol. But an Impossible Burger is comparable to an 80 percent lean beef burger patty in calories as well as saturated fat. It’s swapping one form for another. Sodium. Fake meat burgers are higher in sodium in comparison to beef and turkey burgers. The Impossible Burger and a Beyond Burger contain over 300 milligrams of sodium. A beef patty has over 60 milligrams of sodium and a turkey burger has just over 90 milligrams. Protein. When it comes to protein content, generally, plant-based burgers aren’t as high in protein as real meat burgers. A lack of protein can leave us feeling hungry and craving more. If your food philosophy steers you away from meat, consider grain-based veggie burgers. Grain-based veggie burgers have less calories and roughly one gram of saturated fat, making them the healthier option. They’re made with real ingredients, like quinoa, edamame, walnuts, chopped veggies and more. Plant-based substitutes are fine to eat, but there is no need to replace your beef burger if you do not enjoy these alternatives. Since most of these plant-based alternatives are highly processed, those who eat them should try to incorporate more whole foods and plant-based foods into their diet. For the healthiest route, eat lentils, fruits and vegetables in recipes prepared at home, not processed into a patty along with a laundry list of other additives. READ MORE: Check out healthy recipes from our dietitians Authors Maureen Shackelford is a nutritionist and registered dietitian at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach her, call 443-481-5886.
- PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAs a parent, you are the most important influence on your child. You can do many things to help your child develop healthy eating habits for life. Start healthy eating habits by introducing your child to a variety of foods. Children need nutrients from a variety of food groups to support their growing bodies and minds. They are more likely to try new foods, and to like more foods, if they are exposed at an early age. But don’t stop there. Here are some additional tips to get your child on a path to a lifetime of healthy habits. Lead by example. Let your child see you indulge in fruits and vegetables at meals and snacks. Go grocery shopping together. Use a trip to the grocery store to teach your child about food and nutrition. Discuss where foods come from and let them add their own healthy choices to your cart. Be creative in the kitchen and let your child help. Cut fruits into fun shapes with cookie cutters. Try a simple, healthy recipe like a trail mix with dry whole-grain cereals, nuts and dried fruits. And name a food your child helps make, like “Sarah’s zucchini noodles!” Prepare one meal for all. Avoid becoming a short order cook by accommodating different preferences or pickiness. This will expose your child to new foods and help to avert a picky eater. Plus, it is easier and cheaper to serve one meal to everyone in your family. Reward your child with a fun activity, not food. Celebrate with activities, such as a trip to the pool, a bike ride or family hike. When you use candy or dessert, especially as a reward, your child might think of those foods as better options. Eat dinner at a table and focus on each other. Pleasant topics at mealtime will help make dinner that much more enjoyable. Limit screen time. TV viewing has a direct correlation to obesity. Aim for less than two hours of TV per day. Listen to your child. If they are hungry, serve fruits or vegetables as between-meal snacks. Encourage physical activity. Play with your child and encourage outside activities. And, be an example. Research shows that children of parents who exercise are more likely to exercise as they grow up. Be sure to use safety gear such as bike helmets or other sport- specific gear. Don’t force it. Offer one new food at a time. Serve something your child likes along with the new food. Avoid lecturing or forcing your child to eat. Cook together, eat together, talk together and make mealtime family time! You can find more information on childhood eating at EllynSatterinstitute.org or at choosemyplate.gov. Authors By Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford, nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them call 443-481-5555. Originally published Sept. 11, 2017. Last updated Oct. 23, 2019.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) has again received Magnet® designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program.® AAMC was first recognized as a Magnet organization in 2014, as the designation is bestowed every four years to organizations that continue to meet ANCC’s standards for nursing excellence. Magnet recognition is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice. Organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. This process includes an on-site visit and review by the Commission on Magnet Recognition. Only 502 U.S. health care organizations (out of over 6,300 U.S. hospitals) have achieved Magnet status. Watch as our team receives this honor: “Magnet recognition is a tremendous honor and reflects our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care to our community,” said Barbara Jacobs, chief nursing officer at AAMC. “To earn Magnet recognition is a great accomplishment and an incredible source of pride for our nurses and all of our caregivers. Our repeated achievement of the Magnet designation underscores the foundation of excellence and values that drive our entire staff to strive harder each day to meet the health care needs of the people we serve.” The Magnet Model provides a framework for nursing practice, research, and measurement of outcomes. The foundation of this model comprises various elements deemed essential to delivering superior patient care. These include the quality of nursing leadership and coordination and collaboration across specialties, as well as processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care. Magnet recognition has been shown to provide specific benefits to hospitals and their communities, such as: Higher patient satisfaction Lower mortality and complication rates Higher job satisfaction among nurses “We’re a better organization today because of the Magnet recognition we first achieved five years ago,” added Jacobs. “Magnet recognition raised the bar for patient care and inspired every member of our team to achieve excellence every day. It is this commitment to providing our community with high-quality care that helped us become a Magnet-recognized organization, and it’s why we continue to pursue and maintain Magnet recognition.”
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