Exciting things are happening in Epic!

SlicerDicer Tool Available in Epic Beginning Friday, Feb. 9 

SlicerDicer is a powerful analytics tool that transforms Epic data into visual elements such as maps and graphs. It can help you analyze trends, explore large quantities of data, find patients for research studies and more.

On Friday, Feb. 9, the following SlicerDicer data models will be available to most Epic users at Carilion: 

Every employee has the opportunity to identify unsafe conditions (circumstances where safety in health care delivery can be improved) and near misses (unsafe situations that are caught before they reach the patient) by placing a SafeWatch Event Report or calling 7-SAFE (77233).

Thanks to all our SafeWatch reporters in 2023, we had 9,200 Great Catches or Unsafe Conditions reports that led to system-based improvements. This makes over 6,000 Great Catches for the fifth consecutive year!

We have submitted a Certificate of Public Need (COPN) application to the Virginia Division of COPN (DCOPN) to begin a renal (otherwise known as kidney) transplant program for adults at CRMH. If approved, it would become the only transplant program in Southwest Virginia. 

“We’re committed to continuing to provide our neighbors and community with more access to sophisticated medical services,” said CEO Nancy Howell Agee. “The need is clear, and we’re fortunate to have the clinical expertise to perform this lifesaving procedure.” 

On Thursday, Jan. 11, CGCH added two new robotic team members to their staff!

The Moxi robots, designed by Diligent Robotics, will start rolling down the hallways to learn the space and work with front-line teams to get oriented to our needs.

They are the first of their kind in our entire region and are acting as a pilot program for our system.

Our Oncology team has launched a new service that pairs patients with a go-to nurse navigator who will follow them through their treatment.

What Is SPOC?

The single point of contact (SPOC) program will be available to adult and pediatric oncology patients.

Each patient’s journey is different and can sometimes be difficult to navigate. The SPOC program provides a “one-stop shop” for all oncology questions. It is staffed by oncology nurses—currently, this consists of:

Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure that uses tiny needles to stimulate the growth of new, healthy skin cells on the face and neck. It is sometimes also referred to as collagen-induction therapy.

How Microneedling Works 

Using a patented, FDA-approved SkinPen device, our master aestheticians introduce tiny “micro-injuries” to the top layer of skin on the face and neck. This stimulates our natural wound-healing process, resulting in the production of collagen and elastin.

We have a new blood services partner.

We’ve collaborated with The Blood Connection (TBC) for our blood product needs. Our agreement begins on Monday, January 1, 2024.

TBC is a non-profit community blood center with 61 years of experience. TBC serves more than 120 hospitals in Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.

We've teamed up for the second consecutive year with Virginia Tech Athletics and Shoes4Hope, an organization that inspires hope and helps our youngest cancer patients. 

To improve access to care and streamline pre-surgical assessment and optimization, we have expanded our Pre-Surgical Testing center into a larger, more comprehensive Peri-Operative Surgical Home (PSH).

In addition to pre-surgical testing, the PSH offers specialized pre-operative care that follows standardized, evidence-based guidelines. 

The goals of the PSH are to:

Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) provide specialized care for critically ill newborns. The first American NICU was opened in October 1960 at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. Several years later, between 1967 and 1976, the newborn and preemie nursery was established and developed at Roanoke Memorial Hospital (now CRMH); the first neonatologist came on board in 1976.  

Now, our NICU is the third-largest in the state and the only in our region.