Plastics

Dr. Michael Gordon
Dr. David Mathes

Subject to change! Melissa Munkwitz can update you on any changes, particularly with OR time.

Here is the page for the VA Templates. Currently only the generic operative report template is here. In the future, it would be nice to have the common plastic surgery discharge instructions here as well. The VA templates for notes need to be updates.

VA Prefixes: 720-857-xxxx or 720-723-xxxx. Use this last number to call back pages. ie. 1-2345, call 720 723 2345 skipping the 1.
Vocera: 720-857-5239 or 1-5239 (in-house), then say the name of the person you want to call (example: Pre-op charge nurse, K3 [room number] nurse/provider/resident, wound care, OR 1 nurse, radiology, outpatient pharmacy, etc.)

Get Card reader either from VA (will loan, but may lock you up if you lose it) or Amazon. Make sure MAC compatible if user
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002N3MM6W?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details (MAC friendly)
https://www.amazon.com/Identiv-SCR3310v2-0-Smart-Card-Reader/dp/B07VVSY96H/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=IDENTIV&qid=1699290763&sr=8-6&th=1 (for USB-C users)

Make sure you have received Welcome Letter in email giving remote access. IF you have not, email Ashley.Herrera@va.gov

Download Citrix (must download this VA specific one) Steps below:
https://raportal.vpn.va.gov/.
Click First Time downloads –takes awhile
Restart Computer
Same website, log-in with Smart Card option

Make sure card reader driver is downloaded at this point

Login to Remote VA (Bookmark this site)
https://citrixaccess.va.gov/vpn/index_citrix_splash.html.
Open Desktop West, general or ECH-CPRS (again 1st time takes forever)
Make sure PIV reader plugged in, should pop up screen that asks you to select Smart Card for PIV Login, click picture of PIV
If next screen doesn't show your name at top and says some generic VA thing, click More choices in lower left and select your name
Enter Pin # and you're in

Welcome to the VA. The senior resident has good autonomy at this location and you are expected to run the service. We no longer have a PA or interns on service (including night coverage). For cases at the VA, it is VERY important to make sure you have everything ordered beforehand. They won't have anything like Integra or implants on consignment.

Signing up for the VA can be a huge hassle. Please start the process as early as possible. You will need the following processes to get started with onboarding

*TMS Training (open the VA User Job Aid Form and review instructions before starting the training) – keep a copy of your TMS Certificates

• Complete VHA Mandatory Training for Trainees-Refresher (if done before), VHA Mandatory Training for Trainees (if not done)
  
• If you need help with your TMS Account when you log in please contact 1(855) 673-4357 or email VHAECHTMSHelpDesk@va.gov
  
• Please email PRS Program Coordinator both of your TMS certificates to add to your file.
  
• Review VA Policies and then sign the VA Local Policies Acknowledgement Form and return it to Selena.
  
• va_fingerprint_request_form.pdf
  
• va_local_policies_acknowledgement.pdf
  

*VA Fingerprints

• Fingerprints must be completed at a VAMC facility. Don't bother doing them at an outside facility, there are always issues
  
• Recommended: Email VHAECHAcademicAffiliations@va.gov or Kayla.Lewis3@va.gov to schedule an appointment at the Aurora VA for fingerprints. the resident will need to bring 2 forms of ID - see PIV Acceptable Forms of ID. See RMR map for office location and directions for where to park for this visit.
  

*VA WOC Letter

• Program coordinator must send you Without Compensation (WOC) Packet and you must sign it via DocuSign
  
• If completed and held up at this stage Please reach out to VHAECHSurgeryPSA@va.gov .Michael T. Kilmer is the director who signs the letters
  

*VA Badging (after completion of fingerprints)

• You need to be sponsored for a badge, email Ashley.Herrera@va.gov this takes few days -a week. I’d check back in with her after a week and email her again to get scheduled to obtain a badge.
  
• When you present for your badge, I recommend earlier in day, not lunch hour in order to get both building and computer access as these are 2 separate people and the computer people leave at 3.
  

*Trial & error

• Prior to starting VA rotation or taking call, recommend trying badge both for computer & door access during business hours
  
• Set up Remove access as below
  
• Must sign into remote access every 30 days to prevent expiring
  

When signing up make sure you have the following things:

• Access Code
• Verify Code
• PIN
• Signature Code
• Dictation Code (45 followed by the last 4 of your social. ie. 45XXXX)
• Microsoft Teams access (add Plastic Surgery team and inpatient list): From VA home page, click Sharepoint, then Apps in upper left hand corner

• OH NO I HAVEN'T SCANNED MY BADGE >90 days SO NOW IT'S EXPIRED
  
• EMERGENT: Call Police Dispatch 720-723-5800 and request reactivation for emergent purposes. This gets recorded in Facility Access Section for follow-up and verification with the supervisor/service.
  
• NON-EMERGENT: Email VHAECHfacilityaccessrequest@va.gov to request badge re-activation in advance of your rotation. If you are already on campus when you realize this, use intercom button at entrance of staff garage marked “POLICE” and you will be granted entrance after answering few questions. You must then visit Facility Access Section in A2-104 during normal business hours for re-activation.
  

We get weekly meal vouchers here redeemable at the canteen, coffee shop, or canteen store. Every Mon/Tues, get them from Ashley Herrera at the front desk next to the resident office. She will ask you how many days you are “on call” to determine how much money you get - tell her 5 days for each week.

Plastics Clinic - Tuesday AM 8-11:30. We are in Maroon Peak clinic. 3rd floor specialties clinic in Building E, in rooms 224 - 228. 3-2-4 “enter” is the code to the door to get back into the clinic from the waiting room. They're using VSE now to show when patients arrive. Once the vital signs are taken, you call for the patient yourself and bring them to your room. The attendings have been using the 3rd room (room 228) from the main door as his office. You (and medical student, if there) select your own rooms and camp out there throughout clinic. I also encourage you to at least peek in on your post-ops, as you are afforded quite a bit of independence in the OR and it’s a good way to learn from your mistakes. Disinfect the rooms ourselves between patients. There are multiple clinic schedules on CPRS as listed below. We will see patients from each schedule on Tuesday mornings. You have to look at each one individually, yes it's annoying but RN should print out list for you each week with all patients.

Hand clinic: 1st floor, building E. Code 154 enter. On Tuesdays it is you, Dr. Gordon and Melissa the PA. They have their own rooms. You will sit in the main team room and the nurse will room patients and write on the schedule when people arrive and when she roomed them; you will write initials next to one you see. These clinics are more organized. So you should only have to look at 1 schedule. Melissa will print out list of all patients for clinic and leave in team room. Make sure if scheduling patient for follow-up via RTC in orders, you select the correct follow-up clinic. Ask Melissa

Clinic names on CPRS:
Plastics: Rmr Surg Plastc (MD MPR, MD Oper, MD/PA, MD/PA postop, Md/PA preop, MD/Res Eval) (VVC is video)
Hand: Rmr Surg Hand (MD, MPR, OPer, Md/PA urgent, Pa post, pa screen)

Note Formats on CPRS:
I recommend you creating templates for new patients vs. post-ops etc. Go to templates in lower left corner of CPRS, right click “My templates” and create new template. When filling out notes, you can drag these to empty note page and will copy over.
When you click “new note” it will pop up with progress note title:
Plastics: PLASTIC SURGERY RESIDENT/FELLOW CLINIC NOTE
Hand: Type in Hand –> will pop up options, select HAND RESIDENT CLINIC NOTE
Sign notes by right clicking and selecting “sign note now”
It will show a prompt saying “are you the primary for this encounter”–select yes.
You have to select encounter type, complexity, add Dr. Gordon, and diagnosis for encounter, then sign

For pre-ops patients, patients need: an H&P (select “SURGICAL PRE-OP H&P” as progress note title), pre-op labs (under pre-procedure labs), signed consents (consents are electronic: under “Tools” → iMed Consents → Plastic Reconstructive Surgery → Consents Basics → then select appropriate consent and follow prompts).

For pre-op labs: Women <55 need HCG (under pre/post procedure orders-pre-labs-urine pregnancy), pre-procedure (NPO/IV/Iodine/CHG/Hair), and CBC/coags if indicated. I recommend placing/confirming these orders in clinic or the night before cases or you will be woken up to a page at 6am.

If ordering studies/labs that require follow-up or change management - please make sure to add to “tasks to follow up on” spreadsheet in Excel. Melissa and next resident will then be able to follow-up after you change rotation.

PACS is IMAGING PAC (IMPAX) here. Click the icon on the desktop and search by using the last #4 of patient's SSN (“*1234”).

You can also access by opening CPRS: 1. Tools 2. Imaging Apps 3. IMAGING PACS 4. Type in patient's last initial and *#### (last 4 of SSN)

Find surgery schedule by selecting clinic schedule RMR SURG PLASTC MD OPER. All Gordon hand cases are now under this schedule as well


The plastic surgery operating room day is Thursday. The first case is supposed to roll into the room before 08:00 AM to not be deemed “late.” Start time is supposed to be 07:45 AM. The operating room is on the 3rd floor of the D building. There are locker rooms in the back of the resident call room.

Residents wear blue scrubs at the VA. There is a scrub card that can be obtained from the administrator's. Go to office next to resident workroom to ask for one. In a bind, you can sign out a pair of scrubs from the office as well.

To check the OR status, go to Sharepoint and search for “VA ECHCS Perioperative Services”. Link is https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/ECHOR/IP%20DAILY%20CALENDAR/Forms/AllItems.aspx?viewpath=%2Fsites%2FECHOR%2FIP%20DAILY%20CALENDAR%2FForms%2FAllItems%2Easpx

You can also go into VistA under “tools” “more” and “operating room schedule” from here you can select the date and see the schedule

Prior to procedure, patients need orders, a pre-op H&P (by attending) and a consent. You do not need to write note on day of surgery. It's good practice to double check the charts beforehand to make sure that was all done. You should mark every patient. Dr. Mathes likes you to text him all patient names/last 4 of SSN at the beginning of each OR day so that he can write all his notes in the AM.

Ordering Tumescent: Go to surgery main menu, order tumescent

Under orders, “Write Delayed Orders”
“Admit to Plastic Surgery”, relay orders immediately
Click inpatient orders for all the below orders, and start by going through all the “REQUIRED Admission Orders”
Next in same menu, click “Nursing” for orders on drains, neuro checks, ice or heat packs
Select NURSING free text (0) for free text wound care instructions
Click “Inpatient Meds” under pharmacy for all analgesics, antiemetics, antibiotics, etc
Labs can be found under own menu listed on left of CPRS
Restarting home meds: click on meds tab at bottom of CPRS–> Select all outpatient meds you wish to restart –> open action menu at top left of CPRS–> select transfer to inpatient.
Vitals and I&O's found in a different application called clinicomp.

Admitted patients will go to the Building K - 3rd floor.

Prior to discharge INPATIENTS, the patients will need:
(Clicking discharge menu under orders will walk you through this)

1. Discharge order
   
2. Discharge Instructions (under new Notes- PROVIDER DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS)
   
3. Pharmacy Consult
   
4. place a nurse free text order for drain teaching if applicable
   
5. Pain medication
   
6. Operative Note must be dictated the same day
   
7. Discharge summary (under D/C Summ tab, click new summary, DISCHARGE SUMMARY)
   

Prior to discharge OUTPATIENTS, select:

1. Pre/post procedure order sets
   
2. Post
   
3. Outpatient discharge orders 1,2,3
   

For narcotic prescribing, email vhaechepcshelp@va.gov to get your pharmacy ID

You can either dictate (see below) or type your operative notes. However if you type, make sure it goes into the right encounter (it is often easier to simply dictate). If typing, select surgery tab in CPRS. Select surgical date, and then select operative report for associated attending. If it was an intra-op consult, this may not exist and you will be forced to dictate. Next right click blank document to edit report. And copy and paste op note here from word document(you only get once chance with 0 edits). Right click again and hit sign. You will get a warning memo that you can't view report. This means it has gone to attending for their attestation.

The attendings expect us to dictate all of the operative reports. Attached below are the dictation instructions. Your dictation code is 45 followed by your last 4 of your SSN. To get dictation number, go to academic office next door or email richard.wagner6@va.gov. I recommend doing this sooner even if you plan on writing your op notes just in case.

DENVER VAMC Dictation Instructions

1. To access dictation system:

      From within the facility, dial x15075\\

When the call is answered, you will be greeted with a voice prompt which gives you instructions.
2. Enter your USER ID, followed by the # key.
3. When prompted, key in the patient’s full 9-digit SS number, followed by the # key.
4. When prompted, key in Work Type, followed by # key.

WORK TYPE REPORT TYPE
1 DISCHARGE SUMMARY 2 OPERATIVE REPORT 3 CONSULT & PROCEDURE 8 PROGRESS NOTE

At the sound of the tone, please begin your dictation.

* THE FOLLOWING MUST BE DICTATED DURING THE BEGINNING OF DICTATION*
• IDENTIFY PATIENT NAME (SPELL THE LAST NAME AND FIRST NAME).
• ENTER FULL SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
• CLINIC SPECIALTY TITLE (i.e., ORTHOPEDIC, NEUROLOGY, PRIMARY CARE, ETC.)
• DATE OF SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT
• NAME OF CO-SIGNATURE (ATTENDING) IF APPROPRIATE.

3. If you wish to dictate multiple reports, press ‘8’ to end one and begin another.
4. To obtain a job number for the report you just dictated, press ## before hanging up. KEEP THIS NUMBER UNTIL THE DICTATION IS AVAILABLE FOR ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE.
5. To disconnect, simply hang up.

DICTATION KEYPAD FUNCTIONS
1 To pause dictation.
2 To resume dictating after pausing.
3 Rewind – rewinds approximately 3 seconds. Press ‘2’ to resume dictating.
8 To end current report & begin another
## To get job number of report just dictated before hanging up
To disconnect, simply hang up.

‘LISTEN’ ACCESS
1. DIAL 800-394-3845
2. Press 333, followed by the # key.
3. Enter the patient’s full 9-digit SSN or Report number, followed by the # key.
4. The latest dictation or selected report will begin to play.

‘LISTEN’ KEY FUNCTIONS
1. PLAY
4. WILL GO TO END OF REPORT
2. PAUSE
6. NEW SEARCH
3. REWIND AND PLAY

DRAGON SUPPORT: \\18006541187 \\18008337776

SCI - This is the inpatient spinal cord unit (first floor of H). This unit is run by PMNR doctors and wound care.

• There are no longer MDC meetings
• See Plastic Surgery TEAMS spreadsheet for pending SCI consults. You keep this up to date
• Whoever you are in clinic or OR that day is who I tend to staff the patient with.
• Our criteria is that their co-morbidities are relatively well-controlled, osteo has been addressed, and their albumin is 3 or above.
• Intraoperatively, Dr. Mathes typically does V-Y advancements, and Dr. Gordon does rotational flaps.
• Postoperatively, Dr. Mathes typically likes to keep the patients on antibiotics until the bone biopsies result. Dr. Gordon likes to keep dressings on for as long as possible (2 weeks) and sutures in for 4 weeks. Drains stay in until nothing consistently draining. Once sutures are out, can start on movement protocol (led by PMNR).
• Patients are typically seen every Tuesday after clinic. Have her or the charge nurse call for wound care nurse (Jen) to help you turn and go over what they have been doing for wound care. Unless ongoing concern for a wound, we typically stop following a week or two into their motion protocol.
• Criteria:
  • Co-morbidities are relatively well-controlled, osteo has been addressed
  • Albumin is 3 or above

Set up a Surrogate: In CPRS - under “Tools” —> select “Options” —> select Surrogates —> select “Add Surrogate” put in name of next resident coming onto rotation and select start date as your last Friday on rotation (just make sure you clear your inbox your last day of rotation)

Make sure TEAMS spreadsheets for SCI consults & Tasks to follow up are updated.

See Aline's guide here: plastics_va_.docx

Ryan's VA Templates here: va_hand_templates.docx & va_prs_templates.docx