summer programs at Cranbrook Schools
in Bloomfield Hills and performing
in shows at North Farmington High
School and various community theater
groups. After her children were born,
she decided that the long nighttime and
weekend hours that theater required
were too demanding, but she missed the
excitement.
"That part was missing, and that's
what led me to writing — I needed a
creative outlet:' she said.
Her husband suggested she try writ-
ing because she had always been an avid
reader.
"I thought about it and, one day, it
was just there. We were on our way to a
movie at the Henry Ford Museum with
the kids, and the entire book came to
me. I got really excited': she said. "My
husband took the kids to see the movie,
and I sat in the lobby and outlined the
entire book."
Jason Bell, a New Jersey native diag-
nosed with Multiple Sclerosis several
years ago, spends much of his time at
home handling a large chunk of the
childcare responsibilities. This makes
it possible for Bell to write and also to
attend writing workshops and confer-
ences.
"He has been phenomenal': she said.
Bell and her family belong to Temple
Kol Ami in West Bloomfield, where
her children attend Sunday school and
preschool. She enjoys spending time
with her family, which includes her
brother, Bradley, and his family, who live
in Huntington Woods, and her parents,
Leslie and Mark Wasserman, who rotate
between West Bloomfield and Florida.
Bell already is more than halfway
through her next book, a paranormal
story with the working title Angelic
Wrath. She plans to travel to several book
fairs this year, including the Jewish Book
Fair here in November, to discuss A Year
to Remember and hopes to talk to young
people about food addiction.
"I didn't write it to become famous
and rich, but because I felt it was some-
thing I was meant to do, part of my jour-
ney," she said.
❑
A Year to Remember by Shelly Bell is
By
Jack Weiner,
President and CEO
St. Joseph Mercy
Oakland
available online and in print through Soul
Mate Publishing, www.soulmatepublishing.
com, or at www.shellybellbooks.com.
WSU Urologist Speaks
At Forum In Tel Aviv
U
Patient Safety and Quality Saves Lives
rology professor and sur-
Group. He spent a year of college in
geon Michael Cher, M.D.,
Israel and completed a medical rota-
represented the Wayne
tion there in medical school.
State University School of Medicine
He spoke as one of several pros-
in Tel Aviv as an invited speaker
tate cancer experts from around the
at an inaugural medical
world. His topics included
symposium on the current
best practices in surgical
and future treatment of
care for early stage prostate
urological diseases that was
cancer and how to optimize
attended by more than 400
robotic prostatectomy. He
scientists from 28 countries.
also spoke on new medical
Cher, the Dr. Donald J.
treatments for metastatic
and Dorothy Jaffar Endowed
prostate cancer.
Professor and Chair of
"It was a nice recogni-
Dr. Mic hael
Urology, attended the
tion of my role as a thought
Cher
Friends of Israel Urological
leader in the area of pros-
Symposium July 3-5 in Tel
tate cancer': Cher said.
Aviv. The symposium reviewed state- "Final attendance was far more
of-the-art treatment and educated
than initially expected, providing
attendees on social, political and sci-
opportunity for social networking
entific aspects of the broader Israeli
and development of collegial rela-
culture. Cher also served on the
tionships:'
meeting's organizing and scientific
Given its success, organizers hope
committee.
to host similar meetings every two
In addition to the scientific pro-
years.
gram, Israeli guest speakers included
Cher also observed the operat-
retired military leaders, an ambas-
ing room and discussed robotic
sador and peace negotiator, a Nobel
surgery at the Rambam Health Care
Prize winner in biomedical sciences
Campus in Haifa. Rambam is one of
and an expert on the Mossad, Israel's
the major affiliated teaching hospi-
national intelligence agency.
tals of Technion-Israel Institute of
Cher is chief of urology at the
Technology and home to a medical
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer
exchange student clinical elective
Institute and a doctor with the
program WSU established earlier
Wayne State University Physician
this year. ❑
Among Jewish teachings, there is the concept of pikuach nefesh—saving a human life. It is an obligation not just
for physicians, but for everyone, to prevent illness, to help a person in danger and to take care of one's own health.
In fact, there are references in the Talmud where the ancient rabbis emphasize the importance of public measures to
protect people's health.
At St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, we protect the health of our community by making patient safety our top priority. In all
we do, our first duty is to ensure that our patients receive the highest quality of care in the safest manner possible.
Recently, we have embarked on many initiatives to ensure that our patients are protected from harm.
Among them are:
• Bar code scanning to reduce medication errors
• Programs to reduce patient falls
• A sponge accounting system which enhances communications and gives clinicians and surgeons a
visual accounting of where sponges are that are used during surgery
• A reduction in early elective inductions in Labor and Delivery and a reduction of the percentage of newborns
who are admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
In addition, our Chief Accreditation and Regulatory Officer oversees what we call a Culture of Safety, which makes
certain that our associates are educated and informed about safety processes and recognizes that their contributions
to patient safety are vital to our operations.
St. Joe's commitment to patient safety and quality has been recognized locally and nationally. Most recently, we
received a Hospital Safety Score of "A" from The Leapfrog Group, attesting to our ability to keep patients safe while
they are being treated in our facilities. This distinctive honor reflects the dedication and excellence of our physicians
and clinical staff to provide high quality care and reflects our unrelenting focus on implementing health care
processes that make care safer and optimize patient outcomes.
This is the second Leapfrog recognition we've received in the past year. In fall 2011, St. Joe's earned a
"Top Hospital" designation for patient safety and quality of care. We were one of only five Michigan hospitals to
earn this distinction.
And we've received many more honors and awards attesting to our commitment to patient safety and quality of care.
These include, but are not limited to:
• Women's Health Excellence award with a five-star rating.
• American College of Radiology (ACR) three-year accreditation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Nuclear
Medicine Services, representing the highest level of image quality and patient safety
• Michigan's first Certified Primary Stroke Center
• Midas+ Platinum Quality Award for excellence in clinical health care
• Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence
• American College of Surgeons (ACS) Top Hospital for Exemplary Outcomes for Surgical Patient Care
• Blue Cross, Blue Shield and Blue Care Network Blue Distinction® designations for Knee and Hip Replacement,
Spine Surgery and Cardiac Care
• Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) for our commitment to senior care excellence
• ACS National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers three-year/full accreditation •
• ACR Breast Imaging Center of Excellence recognition
• ACS Three-Year Approval with Commendation for cancer care
• ACR Three-Year Accreditation in Ultrasound
• American College of Radiology three-year term of accreditation in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
representing the highest level of image quality and patient safety.
As you, can see, St. Joe's has a strong connection to pikuach nefesh by ensuring that when patients come to us,
their safety and the quality of care they receive will be at the highest level.
July 26 • 2012
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