Department Overview - PGH

Below is an exhaustive list of all the departments within PGH and what they do including:

Administration

Administration is comprised of the Facility Director, Assistant Director of Administration, support staff and Switchboard. The duty of Administration is to direct and oversee administrative and operational management functions within PGH to ensure achievement of PGH and DBHDS missions and goals and support the development and implementation of recovery based MH services. Back to List

Allied Health

The Allied Health Department serves to provide rehabilitative, dietary and durable equipment support to the patients at PGH. Our professional staff includes an Allied Health Manager, Physical Therapist, Physical Therapy Assistant, Occupational Therapist, Dietitian, Speech Language Pathologist, Rehab Tech and 2 CNA rehabilitative aides. Therapists screen patients on admit and evaluate and provide treatment per MD orders. Our Dietitian performs assessments and monitors weights on all patients throughout their stay. She makes recommendations for optimal health and food preferences as appropriate. Our SLP performs evaluation and treatment per MD orders. Our CNA staff work under the direction of the therapists and Allied Health Manager to provide appropriate care to patients and to support and maintain the daily needs of the department. Our Rehab Tech maintains the fleet of wheel chairs and parts inventory needed. The Allied Health staff provides training to all new PGH staff and per patient as needs indicate. Back to List

Environmental Services

Environmental Services is comprised of the Physical Plant, Power Plant, Food Services and Housekeeping/Laundry departments.

Physical Plant consists of 27 Multi-Trades Technicians and 2 Trades Managers. The Physical Plant Department provides the Nottoway Campus with a sensitive, well-trained, well-oriented and effective maintenance program which meets the needs and demands of the hospital and requirements of all accrediting and regulating bodies associated in any manner with the facilities.

Power Plant consists of 7 Utility Plant Specialists and 1 Trades Manager. The Power Plant Department supplies the required quality and quantity of steam for cooking, bathing, heating and any other uses to meet the needs of the patients and residents 24/7.

Food Services Department consist of 23 Food Service Technicians and 1 Food Service Manager. The Food Service Department prepares and serves wholesome, nourishing and tasteful food in a manner prescribed by their individual therapeutic dietary requirements for each patient in an environment and atmosphere most conducive to their progress, well-being and promote healing.

Housekeeping Services Department consists of 32 Housekeeping Workers and 1 Housekeeping Manager. The Housekeeping Department maintains a clean, hygienic and germ free environment that is aesthetically pleasing at all times for the well-being of the patients, staff and visitors.

Laundry Services Department consists of 1 truck driver and is managed by the Housekeeping Manager. The laundry is contracted out to Central State Hospital to clean all linen and patients personal clothing that is suitable for day to day living. Back to List

Fiscal Services

Fiscal Services is a shared service on the Nottoway Campus, providing support for both Piedmont Geriatric Hospital and the Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation. The objective of the Fiscal Services Department is to accurately and timely record, account and report all fiscal transactions in accordance with Federal and State Law, Departmental Regulations and Directives for the Nottoway Campus, to the satisfaction of the Auditor of Public Accounts and in order to meet the needs of the patients and customers. All functions relating to finance are incorporated in Fiscal Services. These areas include: Accounts Payable, Budget, Cashier, Cost Accounting, General Ledger, Financial Reporting, Fixed Assets, Inventory, Patient and Resident Accounts, Payroll, Timekeeping, Purchasing, and Warehouse. Back to List

Healthcare Compliance

The Healthcare Compliance Department includes Risk Management, Infection Prevention and Control, Quality Management, and Health Information Management. Our goal is to assist the hospital with compliance to DBHDS requirements and external regulatory standards such as OSHA and The Joint Commission, to maintain quality care and safety for patients.

Healthcare Compliance Director
Healthcare Compliance Administrative Assistant
Healthcare Compliance Specialist
Risk Manager
Infection Control Preventionist
Health Information Manager
Medical Records Technicians, (Medical Coder and Legal Process Coordinator)
Information and Records Clerks
Administrative Office Specialist

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Human Resources

Human resources mission is to strategically staff, recruit, train and develop and protect the facilities most valuable resources – It’s employees. HR is dedicated to attracting, retaining and supporting a qualified diverse workforce in order to meet the needs of our clients, residents, patients and customers. We do this by providing quality service to our internal and external campus community, and adhering to open, equitable and ethical personnel standards.

The Six Functions of HR are:

Strategic Management
Workforce Planning and Employment (recruitment and selection)
Human Resource Development (training & development)
Total Rewards (compensation & benefits)
Policy Formulation
Employee Relations.& Risk Management

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Training

The Training Department is responsible for New Employee Orientation and current staff development training to include but not limited to: TOVA, CPR, First Aid, Computer Access, Driver Training, Recovery Training, Safe Patient Handling & Movement, workshops to outside customers through Piedmont Geriatric Institute (PGI), and various other training as deemed necessary. Back to List

Information Technology

The Information Technology and Security Systems Department is part of the shared services for the Campus, serving both PGH and VCBR. Information Technology and Security Systems are comprised of programming, computer services, telecommunications, internet security, and in the case of VCBR, equipment maintenance for security services. Back to List

Medical Services

The Medical Services Department ensures that quality and evidence based medical and psychiatric care is provided to all patients admitted to the hospital. We provide medical services in the areas of Psychiatry, General Medicine, and minor procedures without general anesthesia for geriatric patients.

The Medical Services Department is comprised of the Medical Director’s Office, Medical Staff Coordinator, Staff Physicians and Nurse Practitioners, Lab and X-Ray. In-house physicians are available during regular working hours and at all times by phone. A high level of professional performance is ensured by all Medical Staff authorized to practice in the hospital. Back to List

Nursing

PGH’s Nursing Department employs skilled and proficient RNs, LPNs, and CNAs who provide excellent and all-inclusive nursing care for our patients. Patient focused care combined with the nursing process is utilized to implement interventions that are age and developmentally appropriate for the elderly adult with acute or long-term mental health needs. At PGH, we have a passion for the profession of nursing!

Also included under the Nursing Department are:

Nursing Education –Nursing Education- Responsible for the onboarding training of all new hire nursing employees, as well as continuing education and in-services for all PGH Nursing staff.
Central Supply – Responsible for coordinating in-house patient treatment clinics and providing our patients with medical supplies.
Transportation –Responsible for the provision of external health care services and community outings in order to facilitate recovery of our patients.

Patient Advocate:

The Human Rights Advocate monitors an advocacy system at Piedmont Geriatric Hospital to promote compliance with individual rights as outlined in the Human Rights Regulations. The advocate is independent of the hospital director and reports directly to the Office of Human Rights of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

The advocate is available to represent any individual making a complaint, or upon request, consult with and help any other representative the individual chooses. The advocate may also initiate a complaint on a patient’s behalf.

If a patient or legally authorized representative is not satisfied with the resolution of their complaint, a petition for a hearing may be submitted to Piedmont Geriatric Hospital Human Rights Committee. The Piedmont Geriatric Hospital Local Human Rights Committee is a committee of individuals from the community who are representative of professional and consumer interests. Back to List

Pharmacy Services

The Piedmont Geriatric Hospital Department of Pharmacy’s mission is to provide high quality pharmaceutical care in an atmosphere of educational growth, shared respect, communication, empowerment, and recovery. This means that everything we do centers around being among the best in clinical and service excellence, patient safety, research and education, and ultimately help our patients and residents make the best use of medications. The pharmacy team is devoted to making a positive difference in the lives of those we serve.

The pharmacy prides itself in having a team of highly qualified and trained pharmacy staff and clinicians who ensure the delivery of pharmaceutical care for all our geriatric patients and residents. Our services span across Piedmont Geriatric Hospital and the Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation. Our team works closely with many of the other departments within each of the two facilities to ensure that the medication needs of the patients and residents are met. Our services are licensed by the Virginia Board of Pharmacy and our facility is accredited by The Joint Commission. Back to List

Psychology

The Psychology Department is responsible for providing psychological assessments and interventions for PGH residents. Evaluations performed vary widely and include risk assessments, forensic evaluations, neurocognitive evaluations, and decision-making capacity. Interventions include individual psychotherapy, group therapy, psycho-educational sessions, restoration counseling, and behavior planning. The Psychology Department currently has two full-time licensed clinical psychologists on staff, one psychology resident, and two psychology post-doctoral fellows. The Psychology Department also provides training to graduate students from Longwood University, Virginia State University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Back to List

Forensics

The PGH Forensics mission is to provide best practices in court-ordered forensic assessment and treatment for older adults and others with mental illness. Pre-trial defendants ordered for restoration to competency treatment receive individual restoration counseling at least twice a week and evaluation of competency to stand trial and/or mental status at the time of the offense, per court order. Acquittees adjudicated Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) are also required to participate in NGRI treatment and other therapeutic activities to enable them to progress through the graduated release. Back to List

Psychosocial Rehabilitation

The Psychosocial Rehab Department (PSR) is comprised of Activity Therapy, Music Therapy, Recreation Therapy, Volunteer Services, and Chaplain. The department is responsible for providing therapeutic interventions and activities for the patients to help them to reach their goals and build skills to assist them in the community.

Activity Therapy – provides groups that focus on leisure, therapeutic, and sensory activities. Activity therapists aid individuals through engagement and movement activities to help them face problems and concerns, as well as improve their quality of life. The main focus of the therapy is to engage the individual in creative endeavors that help to alter the thought processes of the patient in a positive manner. This therapy may take place between a therapist and a single patient or be utilized in a group environment.

Our therapeutic activities are designed to promote the following:

Improve quality of life
Improve leisure skills/stimulate interest.
Provide an outlet for energy release/emotions.
Improve impulse control/direction following.
Develop/improve peer interactions/social skills.
Improve reality orientation.
Improve self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Activity Therapy additional resources:

National Certification Council for Activity Professionals

Recreational therapy, also known as therapeutic recreation, is a systematic process that utilizes recreation and other activity-based interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses and/or disabling conditions, as a means to psychological and physical health, recovery and well-being.

The purpose of the RT process is to improve or maintain physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual functioning in order to facilitate full participation in life. Services are provided or directly supervised by a “Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist” (CTRS).

Recreational therapy includes, but is not limited to, providing treatment services and recreation activities to individuals using a variety of techniques including arts and crafts, animals, sports, games, dance and movement, cognitive games, drama, music, and community outings. Recreational therapists treat and help maintain the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of their clients by seeking to reduce depression, stress, and anxiety; recover basic motor functioning and reasoning abilities; build confidence; and socialize effectively. Recreational therapists should not be confused with recreation workers, who organize recreational activities primarily for enjoyment.

Goals of Recreation Therapy:

Develop and maintain a healthy leisure lifestyle
Improve quality of life
Improve self-esteem
Decrease recidivism
Community reintegration
Promote intrinsic motivation
Increase socialization
Increase coping skills
Encourage self-expression
Increase socialization
Promote a well-balanced lifestyle

Recreation Therapy Internship

Internship opportunities are available. The Recreation Therapy Department accepts interns from accredited Recreational Therapy programs on a first come, first serve basis.

If interested or if you would like more information please contact: Stephanie Greenawalt, CTRS – Stephanie.Greenawalt@dbhds.virginia.gov

Recreation Therapy Resources:

National Council for Therapeutic Recreation

Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Music therapists work with the interdisciplinary team to assess emotional well-being, physical health, social functioning, communication abilities, and cognitive skills through musical responses. When individualized music experiences are designed by the music therapist to fit functional abilities and needs, responses may be immediate and readily apparent. Patients need not have a music background to benefit from music therapy.

Through experiences with music like music listening, song writing, lyric analysis, instrument playing, etc., music therapy intervention provides opportunities to:

Explore personal feelings and therapeutic issues such as self-esteem or personal insight
Make positive changes in mood and emotional states
Have a sense of control over life through successful experiences
Enhance awareness of self and environment
Express oneself both verbally and non-verbally
Develop coping and relaxation skills
Support healthy feelings and thoughts
Improve reality testing and problem solving skills
Interact socially with others
Develop independence and decision making skills
Improve concentration and attention span
Adopt positive forms of behavior
Resolve conflicts leading to stronger family and peer relationships

Additional Resources:

American Music Therapy Association (AMTA)

Mid-Atlantic Region of the AMTA

Virginia Music Therapy Association

Certification Board for Music Therapists

At Piedmont Geriatric Hospital, we offer spiritual services every Sunday. Catholic Mass is also held 2 times a month. If additional spiritual requests are made, we make every effort to meet those needs through enlisted resources in the community.

The Volunteer Services program at Piedmont Geriatric Hospital aims to improve the quality of life for our individuals while they undergo treatment. Our goal is to empower the individuals we serve by enhancing their stay here at Piedmont Geriatric Hospital and supporting them in their transition to the community. Back to List

Social Work Department

The Social Work Department upholds Piedmont Geriatric Hospital’s mission to provide recovery based mental health services to enable the elderly to thrive in the community. The social work department supports this mission through providing comprehensive social work services that are person centered and strength based. These services include biopsychosocial spiritual assessments, case management, advocacy, collaboration with support systems and Community Service Boards (CSBs)/Behavioral Health Authorities (BHAs), and discharge planning.

The Social Work Department at PGH is comprised of the following staff:

Social Work Director
2 Social Work Supervisors
6 Treatment Team Social Workers (BSWs & MSWs)
Social Worker, Floater
Social Worker, Part-time
2 Administrative Assistants

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Safety & Security

The PGH Safety and Security Department is responsible for the safety of all patients, visitors and staff at the facility. Duties of the Security Officers include: multiple daily rounds, knowledge and operation of the fire alarm system, monthly fire drills, fire extinguisher inspections, assisting during behavioral crisis, and many more varied duties. The Safety Manager is the Department Supervisor and is tasked with a wide range of responsibilities. These include: administrative duties, knowledge of all life safety equipment and standards, quarterly inspections of the facility, regular updates of the Emergency Operations Plan, conducting quarterly Safety Committee Meetings, conducting disaster drills, adhering to Joint Commission Standards, conducting monthly and quarterly safety briefs, oversight of the hazardous waste program, and numerous other responsibilities. The dual roles of the Safety and Security Department ensure that the entire facility is kept safe at all times.

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