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Love Your Block - Grant Application

Love Your Block is a program created to revitalize our City - block by block! Here's how it works: Nonprofit organizations from across Pittsburgh are invited to propose projects to transform their blocks with a small grant and the support of key City Departments. Competitive projects will be selected, after which City agencies will engage with awarded group members and listen to their block improvement requests. They will then proceed to carry out the requested services, as feasible. With grant money, the selected groups purchase equipment and supplies, engage their neighbors, and roll up their sleeves to carry out their own brand of block beautification and repair.

Each group must have a detailed and realistic action plan for engaging residents to carry out a physical transformation of the public spaces on their block.
Specifically, each group must:

a) For purposes of Mayor Ravenstahl’s Love Your Block Program, a nonprofit organization shall be defined as a corporation, group, or association that exists for charitable and/or public purposes without a profit motive or shareholders.
b) Any organization that wishes to submit a proposal, but that is not a nonprofit organization as defined above, may propose to use another organization that meets this definition as its fiscal agent. In such cases, the organization proposing the activity must have a letter of support from the fiscal agent included in the application, or the application will be rejected.

The following projects will be prioritized; however, all projects meeting the above selection criteria will be considered:

Mayor Ravenstahl’s Love Your Block program strives to accept a variety of projects. Other considerations during the overall selection process are:

After project completion, grantees will be asked to submit photos of the block that was revitalized, and a written report that includes the number of blocks impacted, number of lots revitalized, square feet of graffiti removed, pounds of litter collected, number of trees planted, number of green spaces or community gardens created and other qualitative data to accompany it.
Love Your Block applications are due no later than 5:00 PM, February 29, 2012.

February 29, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Application Deadline
Late March 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grantees Announced
April 16, 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mandatory Grantee Orientation
May 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012 . . . . Love Your Block Project Implementation

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Very Important Bloomfield Citizens Council BlockWatch/Community Meeting

The Bloomfield Citizens Council has called a meeting for Wednesday, February 15, 2012 to address the recent rash of crime incidents and brand new Reassessment Developments. The meeting will be held at Immaculate Conception Social Hall at 7:00 PM.

Mary Cercone Outstanding Citizens Award
Bee Bianco Palmiere has been selected by the Bloomfield Citizens Council as the 2010 Mary Cercone Outstanding Citizens Award recipient.
This coveted award has been given for the past twenty-five years to an individual who mirrors the commitment to improve the Quality of Life for Bloomfield residents as the late Mary Damico Cercone had done for fifty years previous as a “woman ahead of her time”.
Bee’s ministry of teaching and spirituality has spanned over 40 years of service to the Immaculate Conception-St. Joseph Parish children and adults. She began as a librarian and substitute teacher in the grade schools while continuing her undergraduate and Master’s education from Carlow College and a second Masters from Duquesne University.
In the interim, Bea was promoted to Principal of the first St. John Newman School taking the 117 students from St. Joseph’s School to the new location for a total of 500 students. She returned in 1999 in a seamless transition from children to adult learner as she managed multiple roles in the Immaculate Conception-St. Joseph Parish. Bea has been Director of Religious Education including CCD and adult faith formation, Catechetical Administrator, Bible and Baptismal class instructions, Head of RICA, Eucharistic Minister at Mass and for the homebound, and mediator for the Ladies of Charity.
Bea and her late husband, Joe, were a loving couple and raised their four children Michael, Joe, Mark, and Bernadette in Bloomfield. Now eleven grandchildren and five great-granddaughters have been added to the family. She states, “God is good. He has given me wonderful religious and lay people to work with and a family that brings me so much joy! I will spend more time with them during my retirement.”
You may attend Bea’s Award Ceremony following the 11:30 Mass at Immaculate Conception Church on Sunday, September 26 during Little Italy Days.

West Penn Allegheny Health System Announces Final Plans for the
Western Pennsylvania Hospital

• Bloomfield Campus to House Unique Inpatient Services and Numerous Outpatient Programs
• System Announces Lower Than Anticipated Job Losses at West Penn Hospital

 

Pittsburgh, PA (October 28, 2010) – West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) today announced that it has finalized its plans for which services will be offered at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Bloomfield. In June, the System had announced the major consolidation of its two city-based acute-care hospitals to better meet community health needs and prepare the system for national health care reform changes.

Under the consolidation, Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) on the North Side will serve as West Penn Allegheny’s quaternary facility, supporting the system’s comprehensive services in oncology, the neurosciences, critical care, orthopaedics, and cardiovascular care, as well as the organization’s comprehensive clinical and basic research programs. 

The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Bloomfield will continue to support inpatient service for the system’s Women’s and Infants’ Center, including obstetrics, gynecology, gynecologic oncology, and neonatal intensive care unit. In addition, it will offer inpatient services for the West Penn Burn Unit and inpatient rehabilitation services. 

West Penn will also offer outpatient services and outpatient surgery. Specifically, the hospital will offer vascular, general, orthopaedic, otolaryngology, colorectal, plastic, podiatric, ophthalmologic, and urologic surgery on an outpatient basis. In addition, the Bloomfield campus will continue to house physicians’ offices and outpatient services such as a gastroenterology lab, pharmacy, radiology, pain management institute, sleep clinic, radiation oncology, breast center, pelvic floor center, the Lupus Center of Excellence, the Joslin Center for Diabetes, and the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine. 

The West Penn School of Nursing and the School of Respiratory Therapy will also remain on campus. All other inpatient, surgical and outpatient services will transition to Allegheny General Hospital beginning in January 2011. The West Penn Emergency Department is scheduled to close on December 31, 2010.

“We have done everything possible to minimize the number of people who will lose jobs as a result of our changes,” said Christopher T. Olivia, MD, WPAHS president and CEO. “We tried to place as many people as possible in other jobs across the System, and we also offered our West Penn employees the use of an on-site career center to help them find jobs outside of our System as well. We are grateful for the support of the City, County, and State leaders that has enabled us to provide a full array of support to our employees in this meaningful way.”

As a result, the System was able to reduce the number of jobs it originally anticipated would be impacted due to its urban consolidation plans. To date, approximately:

• 210 employees whose positions have been eliminated have accepted other open positions within West Penn Allegheny Health System;
• 65 employees’ jobs will move from West Penn Hospital to Allegheny General Hospital as clinical services are moved;
• 220 employees left West Penn Allegheny through resignations; and,
• 400 employees from across the system will lose jobs as a result of the announced changes and will be offered severance packages. 

 

At this time, the System does not anticipate any additional jobs will be impacted as a result of its plans for West Penn Hospital. West Penn has issued a notice to the Bureau for Workforce Investment as legally required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act that 352 people would lose jobs at the hospital. This number is a portion of the 400 people who will lose jobs across the System as a result of the consolidation plans.
WPAHS has also announced it will continue to transform its delivery system by investing in Allegheny General Hospital as its sole quaternary care facility, and plans to expand services in the suburbs where patients are seeking more care. The System is in the midst of a $60 million renovation to prepare Allegheny General to accommodate additional patients through the construction of 96 new state-of-the-art, private patient rooms. These rooms will be variable acuity units, capable of handling critical care patients throughout their recovery. The construction is being funded by the Series 2007 Bond Project Fund, which must be utilized for capital improvement projects to the System’s facilities.
WPAHS also plans to open a 55,000 square foot outpatient care center in Peters Township during fiscal year 2011. This is the first of the System’s planned outpatient care centers. The System also recently opened a Women’s Health Center at Canonsburg General Hospital to expand the services it offers to the community. At Forbes Regional Hospital, WPAHS is in the process of adding nine new treatment rooms to the Gerald McGinnis Emergency Department to better serve the 45,000 patients who seek treatment there each year. Alle-Kiski Medical Center has also just completed a renovation and remodeling of the Emergency Department to double its size.
“Our future system will be defined by excellence in patient care, delivered in a variety of clinical settings throughout Western Pennsylvania,” said Dr. Olivia. “We are pleased that West Penn will continue to serve Bloomfield and its surrounding neighborhoods with the outstanding patient care that it has become known for.”
Press Release issued October 29, 2010:

Kelly Sorice, Vice President, Communications

 

West Penn Hospitals Welcomes New Physicians
The Bloomfield Community welcomes the following physicians who recently joined or rejoined the staff of West Penn Hospital:
Elsie Aoun, MD. Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Allegheny Center for Digestive Diseases.
Patricia Arnett, DO. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Advanced OB/GYN Associates.
Yulin Liu, MD. Department of Pathology, AGH Department of Pathology.
Susan Manzi, MD. Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Lupus Center of Excellence.
Girja Nathan, MD. Department of Pathology, AGH Department of Pathology.
Cunfeng Pu, MD. Department of Pathology, AGH Department of Pathology.
Kun Ru, MD. Department of Pathology, AGH Department of Pathology.
Giath Shari, MD. Department of Medicine, Division of Critical Care Medicine and Division of Pulmonary Medicine, West Penn Medical Associates.
Ruby Shepherd, MD. Department of Family Medicine, East Liberty Family Health Care Center.

 

Neurosciences Integration Underway at West Penn Allegheny Health System
The Division of Neurosurgery at West Penn Hospital recently started transitioning services to Allegheny General Hospital.  West Penn Allegheny health System (WPAHS) neurosurgeons Howard Senter, MD; Eugene Bonaroti, MD; Francis Ferraro, MD; and Asvin Ragoowansi, MD, are now performing intracranial surgeries at Allegheny General Hospital as part of their neurosurgery group.  By the first of next year, all neurosurgeries will have been transitioned out of West Penn Hospital, which averaged about 750 neurosurgical cases annually. 
West Penn Hospital plans to maintain an outpatient center for neurosurgery patients where patients can receive consultations and pre- and post-operative care.  For more information about the neurosciences integration look for ore updates at www.Bloomfieldlive.com.

 

West Penn Allegheny Health System’s Lupus Center of Excellence Welcomes New Physicians
West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) recently announced that Amy H. Kao, MD, MPH and Mary Chester Wasko, MD, MSc, have joined the system’s Lupus Center of Excellence.  Drs. Kao and Wasko join internationally recognized physician-scientists Susan Manzi, MD, MPH, and Joseph Ahern, MD in the comprehensive Lupus Center established at WPAHS earlier this year.
The Lupus Center of Excellence provides superior care for patients living with autoimmune and rheumatic diseases while placing a strong focus on clinical and translational research that will further the knowledge of these diseases.

 

WEST PENN HOSPITAL CHANGES

On June 29, 2010, Christopher T. Olivia, MD, President and CEO, West Penn Allegheny Health System, and David McClenahan, Chair, West Penn Allegheny Health System Board of Directors, announced the Urban Consolidation and future vision of the West Penn Allegheny Health System.

THE URBAN CONSOLIDATION AND FUTURE VISION OF
THE WEST PENN ALLEGHENY HEALTH SYSTEM

Healthcare is undergoing major changes across the nation. More and more, patients are seeking care closer to home, in an outpatient setting. West Penn Allegheny Health System continues to adapt to these changes in the industry and within the market. The future of this System will be defined by excellence in patient care delivered in a variety of clinical settings throughout the region.

Please take the time to review the information below to find more about the urban consolidation and the future vision of the West Penn Allegheny Health System.

Included is specific information about the changes taking place at Allegheny General Hospital – Suburban Campus and The Western Pennsylvania Hospital, in addition to a look at the future delivery system and some frequently asked questions.

During this time of change at West Penn Allegheny Health System we have been assured that their purpose and mission remain steadfast, and that patients and their care remain a priority.

WEST PENN ALLEGHENY HEALTH SYSTEM

URBAN CONSOLIDATION AND FUTURE VISION

West Penn Allegheny Health System is proud to offer Western Pennsylvania a quality choice in healthcare.

The healthcare environment in our region and nation is rapidly changing and the future promises more change as healthcare reform measures are implemented.

West Penn Allegheny is changing its healthcare delivery system to adapt to the evolving market and position itself for long-term success in Western Pennsylvania. While the System has made great financial strides in recent years, significant operational changes are necessary to achieve long-term security.

A decline in inpatient admissions throughout the region, coupled with an increase in the demand for outpatient services has left Pittsburgh with an excess of inpatient beds. It no longer is feasible for the System to maintain duplicate programs within its two city hospitals.

After careful consideration, the System administration and Board determined that further consolidation of its city hospitals is an essential measure as it seeks to ensure that the System will be able to continue to fulfill its charitable mission in our region.

Beginning in January 2011, Allegheny General Hospital will house the System’s Cardiovascular Services, Critical Care, Neurosciences, Oncology, and Orthopaedics services. AGH will remain a hub for other major surgical services, clinical research, and medical education.

The Western Pennsylvania Hospital will house the System’s Women’s and Infants’ Services, West Penn Burn Center, the West Penn Bariatric Surgery Program, and the System’s recently expanded inpatient rehabilitation unit. Outpatient programs that will remain at West Penn are currently under evaluation and their status will be reported here at a later time.

THE HOSPITAL SYSTEM
As part of this consolidation, efforts are underway to prepare Allegheny General to accommodate a more complex patient population. The seventh and twelfth floors in the Allegheny General Hospital Snyder Pavilion are being remodeled into variable acuity units with state-of-the-art, private patient rooms. Each floor will include 44 to 48 beds.

The flexible acuity rooms can help patients to recover faster and decrease their length of stay in the hospital. In addition to being large enough to accommodate portable testing equipment and provide comfortable seating for visitors, they will also ease bottlenecks in the hospital by freeing up beds in the intensive care unit for the sickest patients.

Renovations are expected to be completed in December and the first patients will move into the variable acuity units by late January.

In concert with the urban consolidation plan, WPAHS is responding to the demand for more varied outpatient services in the communities they serve.

WPAHS and Canonsburg General Hospital have announced plans to open a 55,000 square foot ambulatory care center in Peters Township next year. The new facility will bring Allegheny General Hospital’s nationally recognized orthopaedic surgery services along with an urgent care center, primary care physician offices, medical and radiation oncology services, laboratory services, and advanced diagnostic imaging, such as MRI, CT, ultrasound, PET/CT, and digital x-ray to a convenient location for residents of the South Hills.

At Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville, the System is investing in an expansion effort which will add nine new treatment rooms to the Gerald McGinnis Emergency Department. Renovated in 2006, the Emergency Department at Forbes already boasts 29 state-of-the-art exam rooms and a new digital radiology system. The latest renovations, to be completed this year, will help the System to better serve the 45,000 patients who seek treatment there each year.

Allegheny General Hospital’s Suburban Campus in Bellevue is in the process of transitioning to a comprehensive outpatient center featuring an urgent care center along with outpatient services in radiology, laboratory, GI laboratory, cardiology, pediatrics, medical oncology, dialysis, and physical, occupational, and speech therapy. As the Suburban facility changes and evolves, WPAHS continues to explore how additional ambulatory services could enhance Bellevue and communities immediately north of Pittsburgh.

Alle-Kiski Medical Center is currently in the midst of a two-phase renovation which has already relocated and renovated its Endoscopy Short Term Procedure Unit and will ultimately renovate and expand the Emergency Department to double its current size. AKMC also features an Ambulatory Care Center which offers a wide array of outpatient programs, an urgent care center and the Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at AKMC. For added convenience to residents of the Alle-Kiski Valley, AKMC provides dedicated outpatient physical and occupational therapy, medical imaging and phlebotomy centers.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT UPCOMING CHANGES IN

THE WEST PENN ALLEGHENY HEALTH SYSTEM

West Penn Allegheny Health System has announced plans to further consolidate its city hospitals to help the System respond to the changing marketplace and achieve financial security for the future. Below are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the consolidation plans and how they will impact West Penn Hospital and the West Penn Allegheny Health System.

 

WHAT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES WILL REMAIN AT WEST PENN HOSPITAL?

West Penn Hospital will continue to support the System’s Women’s and Infants’ Services, West Penn Burn Center, West Penn Bariatric Surgery Center, and the System’s recently expanded inpatient rehabilitation unit. West Penn will also be home to support services designed to help these programs continue to provide the high-quality, personalized care for which they are known and well respected in the region and beyond.

By the first quarter of calendar year 2011, all other programs will be moved to Allegheny General Hospital and various locations throughout the region. West Penn’s Emergency Department will close at that time, although the System will offer a 24-hour-triage unit at the Emergency Department entrance for patients coming to the Women’s and Infants’ Care Center and West Penn Burn Center.

HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS?

Up to 1,500 WPAHS jobs will be impacted by the first quarter of calendar year 2011. Reducing staff is a very difficult decision. West Penn Hospital has stated that they appreciate the talent, skill and dedication of all of the employees and will do all that they can to facilitate the transition for employees who must leave the System. 

WHAT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR WEST PENN HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES LEAVING THE SYSTEM?
West Penn Hospital has reported that they have given employees as much notice as possible of coming changes and will work with them as they search for new employment. Over the coming months, they will be doing everything possible to offer comparable positions throughout the system to employees who will lose their jobs. In addition, career counselors will be stationed on-site at West Penn to offer help with resume preparation, interviewing skills, and job searching techniques. Computers and telephones will be made available to all employees to assist them. For eligible employees, severance packages including income continuation and advanced outplacement assistance will be available.

 

WHY WAS WEST PENN THE HOSPITAL RECOMMENDED FOR DOWNSIZING?

West Penn Allegheny is transforming its healthcare delivery system. Like the majority of healthcare providers throughout the country, their system has experienced declining reimbursements for inpatient care and a significant increase in the demand for outpatient services. In addition, the federal government mandates that they provide care more efficiently, and recently passed national health reform will require them to be more productive while continuing to offer high-quality care.  West Penn Hospital has also been acutely impacted by other external drivers that are unique to this region. The hospital has struggled financially due to declining volumes, driven by fewer referring private practice physicians and fewer people seeking care in the city. The bottom line is that declining volumes result in empty beds, which is not a sustainable formula.

 

WILL MY PHYSICIAN OR PROGRAM STILL BE LOCATED AT WEST PENN HOSPITAL?

Patients should certainly continue to visit West Penn Hospital for their normal appointments as scheduled. The recently announced changes will not take place until later this year, and patients will be notified if their physician or program is moving to another location. Over the course of the next few months, West Penn Allegheny will evaluate outpatient services at West Penn and let patients know of any changes.

 

WILL THIS MAKE IT HARDER FOR RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING WEST PENN HOSPITAL TO GET THE CARE THEY NEED?

Residents of Bloomfield and surrounding communities have long looked to West Penn for quality health care. Fortunately, the communities within West Penn’s service area are home to several facilities that provide convenient access to quality care. West Penn is located within walking distance or just a short drive away from Allegheny General Hospital, Children’s Hospital, Shadyside, and several urgent care centers.

 

WHAT DO THESE CHANGES MEAN FOR MEDICAL AND NURSING STUDENTS STUDYING AT WEST PENN HOSPITAL?

Students completing their medical residencies at West Penn will be afforded the opportunity to do so at Allegheny General. At this time, the System plans to keep The Western Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing open with students obtaining clinical experience at West Penn and other locations throughout the System. The System will maintain a nursing school in the future and will evaluate locations for that facility over the next year.

 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO WEST PENN HOSPITAL’S PHYSICAL PLANT?

Throughout this year, they will weigh options for making the appropriate use of the West Penn campus. They will invite the community at large to participate in discussions about the appropriate reuse of the facility.

 

IS THIS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD CLOSING WEST PENN HOSPITAL ENTIRELY?

The System would like to maintain a presence in Bloomfield in the future. West Penn Hospital will continue to assess and reevaluate the financial health of the system as a whole as well as the programs that will continue their. However, they believe that the programs remaining at West Penn will meet patient needs in our region and serve to complement programs offered at Allegheny General Hospital and their other facilities. West Penn has enjoyed a long and proud history in Bloomfield and it is with hope that they will work with the community to foster that relationship on an ongoing basis.