You can help!

As promised, the Fall Ambassador Program application is now available! We are very excited about launching this much-anticipated program and we look forward to your application. The Fall Ambassador Program will provide you a great opportunity to test your interpersonal skills and do something new at the hospital. Remember, you must be a current MAPS volunteer to apply. Note that you may split your units amongst Fall Ambassador and our usual volunteering (handwashing, medication administration, and blood draws). Click HERE to download the application. Once you have completed the application, email it back to us at uclamaps@gmail.com. Feel free to email us with any questions you may have.

Applications are due by Wednesday, February 1, 2012.

Good luck and we look forward to making you a part of the program!

-Alma

As mentioned in an earlier post, the MAPS Leadership team has been finalizing the  newest opportunity offered by our program: the Fall Ambassador Program.

For all volunteers who have inquired about signing up to become one of the first MAPS Fall Ambassadors–and to all volunteers who still wish to learn more about this exciting new opportunity for MAPS–we have compiled a detailed Fall Ambassador Program Manual, which you can read through here. This new manual can also be found in our “Resources” tab, under “MAPS Volunteering Tools.” Thanks to Jess and Martin for all the hard work in constructing this manual!

Learn more about exactly what the Fall Ambassador Program is, and what is expected of you as a Fall Ambassador, by reading through this manual and asking us any questions you may have.

If you are interested in becoming a Fall Ambassador, please e-mail us that you have read through the manual and would like to learn more about the application and interview process.

We hope you all take the time to learn more about this exciting new opportunity for you as a MAPS volunteer! Let us know of any questions, comments, or concerns that you may have, and we hope to hear from many of you future-Fall-Ambassadors soon!

Michael

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012! Happy New Year to everyone on the MAPS team! Remember to write 2012 and not 2011 on anything you date, and be sure to enjoy 2012–whether the Mayans were correct or not!

As we welcome in a new year, we also welcome in a new month of volunteering–here is the Volunteer Schedule for January 2012 (click!), which can also be found alongside past volunteer schedules in the “Resources” tab at the top of the page. Thanks to Jessica for making the schedule!

We hope you continue to enjoy MAPS volunteering, and please let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding volunteering.

Cheers to twenty-twelve!

Michael

Filed under: Uncategorized ]]> http://uclamaps.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/happy-new-year-maps-team/feed/ 0 UCLA MAPS 2012 http://uclamaps.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/happy-holidays-maps-volunteering-for-the-month-of-december-is-optional/ http://uclamaps.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/happy-holidays-maps-volunteering-for-the-month-of-december-is-optional/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:57:31 +0000 uclamaps http://uclamaps.wordpress.com/?p=1578 Continue reading →]]> Hello MAPS volunteers,

Just to be clear: MAPS volunteering for the month of December is not required, and you will not receive assigned units for December unless you inform us via e-mail that you would like to receive a December assignment.

Although volunteering in December is not required, if you are in the area and would like to volunteer, we highly encourage that you do! Please e-mail us if you are interested in the opportunity to continue maximization of patient safety even when the academic school year is on break.

You will begin receiving assigned units once the school year begins again for Winter Quarter 2012.

Happy holidays everybody!

Michael

Jessica made the Volunteer Schedule for November 2011, which you can find here (click!) and which should have been e-mailed to you on October 31st. We have had a few volunteers contact us about not receiving the schedule through their e-mails that day; if you have not yet received this e-mail, please e-mail uclamaps@gmail.com and let us know, so that we can make sure you are on the distribution list when we e-mail out future schedules!

Also, if by mistake you have not received assigned units at all for this month, please let us know and I will assign you your units immediately.

As always, Dr. Vespa shadowing has been active and ongoing; let us know if you are available this month for an opportunity to experience his Neuro Critical Rounds process!

Happy Veterans Day and Thanksgiving everyone!

-Michael

Did you know: 2 to 15% of inpatients experience at least one fall during their hospital stay

Did you know: about 30% of falls cause injuries, including bruises, lacerations, fractures, intracranial bleeding, and even death

In response to these facts, MAPS leadership would like to proudly introduce the newest expansion to our volunteer organization: the Fall Ambassador Program.

The goal of this newest aspect of MAPS volunteering is to spread awareness about the frequency of patient fall risks in hospitals and to play a role in helping to minimize falls in the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

MAPS volunteers interested in serving as Fall Ambassadors will have the opportunity to communicate extensively with charge nurses, collaborate with care partners and nurses to reduce the risk of falls in the patient rooms they encounter during their rounds, and contribute directly to improving the safety conditions of patients within their own rooms. Fall Ambassador volunteers will execute duties specific to minimizing fall risk, in place of conducting their regular handwashing, blood draw, and medication administration observations.

As further incentive, Fall Ambassadors will receive a special, personalized note in their letter of recommendation upon completing their year-long MAPS commitment, acknowledging their extra effort in professional communication with the health care team of Ronald Reagan, and in heightening awareness of what continues to be a frequent problem to the safety of patients as they attempt to move around in their rooms.

As MAPS volunteers, patient safety is already our top priority during volunteering. Helping prevent the possibility of patients falling and injuring themselves, then, fits right into our responsibilities as members of the MAPS program.

If you are a MAPS volunteer interested in signing up to become a Fall Ambassador, click here!

-Michael

Our very first Volunteer Meeting of the year will be held on Friday, October 21, from 4PM to 5PM in Room 3-3102 (on the third floor).

At the meeting, we will discuss important updates, news, and information regarding our program. Not to mention the fact that there will be free food and drinks for everybody!

Please let us know at uclamaps@gmail.com if you cannot make the meeting. See you then everybody!

-Michael

Hello MAPS Family!

Welcome back! We hope your summer has been splendid!

The MAPS team would like to welcome you back to another school year of volunteering and making a difference in patient safety! To our newest members and our returning members alike, thank you for your role in continuing to make MAPS one of the most innovative and successful volunteer programs in the country! And to ALL of our volunteers who put in the extra effort to work with our program during the optional months of volunteering in June, July, August, and September, thank you so much for your willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty with the never-ending responsibility of maintaining watchful eyes over patient safety–we hope your experiences over the summer have been unforgettable!

October begins tomorrow, and so does required MAPS volunteering. The Volunteer Schedule for the month of October 2011 (click!) has now been posted, and as you can see, our program is back to full operation with nearly 100 active volunteers choosing to make a difference in patient safety for the next month! Please e-mail us if you have any questions regarding your assigned units in Reagan for the next month.

Dr. Vespa shadowing has been fully active all summer and will continue to be an opportunity available to you as a MAPS volunteer! Appointments to shadow Dr. Vespa are already full until mid-October; however, if you are interested in this unique shadowing opportunity after mid-October, please send us an e-mail and we’ll set up a date for you to shadow this Neuro/Trauma ICU Physician and his renowned team!

With October also comes the return of our monthly All-MAPS meetings! We are still setting up a date for our October meeting, but please expect this meeting to be held on a weekday from 4-5PM (depending on the availability of most of our volunteers), and remember that your commitment with our program requires you to attend at least one of these meetings per UCLA quarter. Contact us if you have any questions regarding problems attending these meetings. We will inform you via e-mail the exact details of this meeting once they are finalized, but for now, expect there to be pizza, drinks, cookies, and information regarding all the progress our program has made since the last All-MAPS meeting!

Until then, Happy Halloween, and the MAPS team cannot wait to see you all again! Keep checking your e-mail and this website for more updates regarding our program! And, as always, feel free to e-mail us with any questions, comments, or concerns you have as one of our very own volunteers!

Boo! Oops, I mean…Cheers!
Michael Arias

A still frame from our upcoming MAPS Recruitment Video! Stay tuned!

The Volunteer Schedule for the month of September 2011 (click) has now been posted!

As we approach September, our final Summer Month of optional volunteering, the MAPS team would again like to thank and congratulate our members who have elected to take the extra effort and volunteer over the summer. Your work as a MAPS volunteer in establishing and propelling some of the best Patient Safety procedures in hospitals over the nation continues to be important and appreciated, even (and especially) during the summer. Bravo to all our summer volunteers!

Volunteers not on the schedule for September who are still interested in completing observations over the final Summer Month of optional volunteering can still receive assigned units; send me an e-mail at MArias@mednet.ucla.edu and I’ll help you get started!

Dr. Vespa shadowing has continued to be busy with MAPS volunteers interested in experiencing the life of a Neuro Critical Physician at Ronald Reagan. The shadowing schedule became completely filled for the month of August after only a short amount of time. Currently, Dr. Vespa shadowing for the month of September is still unavailable until the week of Monday, September 12, 2011. If you are interested in this opportunity, please send me an e-mail at MArias@mednet.ucla.edu!

Again, thank you to our summer volunteers! To our LMU volunteers, enjoy the start of the school year, and to our USC, SMC, and UCLA volunteers, enjoy whatever summer you have left!

Cheers!
Michael Arias

Note: I will be vacationing with my family on a Disney Cruise in Alaska for the following week, from Sunday, August 28, to Tuesday, September 6. Our intern Lina Manoukian will handle any e-mails during this time; however, if you are interested in receiving assigned units for the month of September or in scheduling a date to shadow Dr. Vespa, feel free to e-mail me as well and I will try to answer any e-mails before the morning of Sunday, August 28; otherwise, I will be sure to get back to you as soon as I come back home from vacation!

A summery afternoon at Bolsa Chica Beach.

The Volunteer Schedule for the month of August 2011 (click) has now been posted!

Again, thank you to our members who make the extra effort and volunteer with us over the summer. In June 2011, even though volunteering was optional, our program still managed to gather over 1,000 patient safety observations! To put this amazing feat into perspective: just a few months ago, our program was not large enough to gather 1,000 observations, even during the months where volunteering was required! Thank you to Angela Kyutunian, Drew Morton, Diandra Newlin, Eric Tran, Lauren Strady, Kaitlin O’Rourke, Allison Igtanloc, Neel Raval, Mimi Ho, Tanya Patimeteeporn, Harrison Chen, Wen-Ching Tran, Melissa Huang, Lesley Chu, Alec Nielsen, Alysa Feng, Ida Bezabeh, Sally Kim, Shiwei Huang, Malav Patel, and Lindsay Ward, for all making the effort to volunteer with us during our summer months of June, July, August, and September! (Please let me know if you volunteered during June and July and I accidentally missed your name on this list!)

Volunteers not on the schedule who are still interested in completing observations over the summer months can still receive assigned units; send an e-mail to me at MArias@mednet.ucla.edu and I’ll get you started!

Also, Dr. Vespa shadowing has been busy and exceptional! As of right now, the month of August is still very much available for shadowing, but it won’t be for long; if you are interested in this opportunity, please send me an e-mail at MArias@mednet.ucla.edu and I’ll help set up a date for you to shadow Dr. Vespa and experience what it is like to be a Neuro Critical Physician in the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center!

As a final note, you may notice that our website received a total make-over. The header also changes pictures every time the page refreshes, giving the page a make-over with every click. We hope you enjoy our new look!

Happy Summertime everybody!
–Michael Arias

The Volunteer Schedule for the month of July 2011 (click) has now been posted!

The MAPS Team would like to continue to thank those volunteers who work with us over the summer. Your hard work is appreciated! Volunteers not on the schedule who are still interested in completing observations over the summer months can still receive assigned units; send an e-mail to uclamaps@gmail.com and we can get you started!

Also, Dr. Vespa shadowing is still largely open and available; please inquire about it with a quick e-mail to uclamaps@gmail.com, and we can discuss possible dates for you to experience this amazing shadowing opportunity!

Happy summer everybody, and enjoy your Fourth of July weekend with some BBQ, fireworks, and a dip in the pool!

–Michael Arias

Aloha! Happy June to our MAPS family! Or, as Lilo would say, Happy June to our MAPS Ohana!

The Volunteer Schedule for the month of June 2011 (click) has now been posted.

During the summer months, the number of active volunteers in our program decreases drastically. We encourage all of our volunteers to take advantage of the lowered volunteer base by volunteering over the summer! Shadowing Dr. Vespa during a time when few other volunteers are shadowing him, for example, may help you stand out in his eyes! Please e-mail me at marias1@ucla.edu if you are interested in receiving assigned units for summer volunteering.

Happy beginning-of-summer to all!

–Michael Arias

Just a portion of our MAPS Team! Can you find yourself?

 Hello MAPS family! Here are some pictures from April’s general meeting! (And yes, we recognize that these pictures are being posted midway through May. Better late than never!)

David Nguyen, a former MAPS Intern Coordinator who now attends UC Davis School of Medicine, came to talk to us about life as a med student, and how MAPS has played a part in his life. Patricia De Jesus (not pictured), another former coordinator who now works as a nurse in acute pediatrics at Ronald Reagan, also came to talk to us on this evening.

Volunteers listen closely to David and ask him questions about his career, his involvement with MAPS, and his life. To David's left is Jessica Hudson, a current MAPS Coordinator, and to his right are former coordinators Haidang and Rebecca (and David's little sister, who joined David to explore Westwood).

Two of our supervisors, Cait and Petra, also listen in on David's medical stories.

Aside from David and Patricia’s presentations in this meeting, we also introduced our expansion into Neuro Critical Care shadowing with Dr. Vespa (see post below). In addition, we discussed the January 2011 report, in which we had 8415 observations–the most that our program has ever gathered in one month! Truly, our organization is expanding rapidly, and our data reflects this.

Other important reminders in this meeting included: to keep both MAPS offices clean, to make copies of observation tools when they are running low, and, quite importantly, to make sure that our volunteers still conduct observations even when shadowing physicians. Even though you are welcome to spend most of your time talking to the physician you are shadowing, make sure to still mark down your regular observations on the side! We are still MAPS volunteers, after all!

The B-Level of the Ronald Reagan Medical Center, where our Alternative Office is found, and where the auditorium for our End-of-the-Year Banquet is found as well!

We were glad to see some of you come out to this meeting, and we hope to see even more of you next Wednesday night, May 25, at our End of the Year Banquet! From 5pm to 7pm in the Ronald Reagan B-Level Auditorium, expect great food, good pictures, interesting guest speakers, nice awards, and all-out fun!

Cheers!
Michael

Hello MAPS Volunteers! The Volunteer Schedule for the month of May 2011 (click) has now been e-mailed and posted. Start looking for those Mother’s Day gifts, and “May” you all have a wonderful month! :-)

-Michael

As a MAPS Volunteer, this opportunity is given to you!

Our program has just expanded into shadowing the Medical Director and Attending Physician of the 6 Neuro-Trauma ICU, Dr. Vespa (seen above). He has agreed to allow MAPS volunteers to shadow him and his team on his Neuro Critical Care rounds.

This is a ONE-ON-ONE shadowing experience, and the distinction with this aspect of our program is that, upon scheduling with us via e-mail, you will be shadowing the same doctor and the same team each time you volunteer. This means that Dr. Vespa and his team may eventually become familiar with you, allowing you to develop a relationship with a highly respected doctor from the best hospital on the West Coast, the Ronald Reagan Medical Center!

Detailed instructions to shadow Dr. Vespa are found here (click!). Only one MAPS volunteer is allowed to shadow Dr. Vespa per week, so read these instructions carefully if you are interested in this very exciting shadowing opportunity!

This opportunity is now open! Shadowing Dr. Vespa is on a first-come, first-serve basis, so e-mail us immediately to schedule a time for you to experience what it’s like to be a neurosurgical physician at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center!

E-mail Michael if you have any questions at all about shadowing Dr. Vespa, and, as always, feel free to let the MAPS team know about any questions/concerns/comments you may have.

Cheers!
Michael

(Los Angeles Times article on Dr. Vespa’s treatment of Jay Yim found here.)