Volume 1, Issue 2 - November 7, 2008

Initiatives

'Working Green, Living Green' Team Launches

Saint Joseph Health System has launched a “Working Green, Living Green” team to help decrease its carbon footprint, continually improve practices and raise awareness among employees.

A "green event" will be held at every hospital next week as we lead up to National Recycling Day on Nov. 15. At the event, employees and volunteers are invited to learn more about the new team and its green initiatives and to pick up a complimentary gift: a Saint Joseph Health System reusable shopping bag ... perfect for a quick trip to the drug store, grocery store or farmer's market!

Watch for ongoing news at your hospital about the Working Green, Living Green team, plus the little things you can do at home that make a big impact. It's easy being green!

PICK UP YOUR FREE REUSABLE SHOPPING BAG & LEARN MORE: Saint Joseph East: Mon., Nov. 10, 12-1 p.m., cafeteria entrance
Saint Joseph - Berea: Tues., Nov. 11, 12-1 p.m., cafeteria entrance
Saint Joseph Hospital: Thurs., Nov. 13, 12-1 p.m., cafeteria entrance
Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling: Nov. 13, 12-1 p.m., cafeteria entrance

Saint Joseph - Martin/Saint Joseph - London/Flaget Memorial: Date/time/location will be announced in next week's Daily Line-Up

Top Stories

• Saint Joseph-Jessamine
• Voice, Speech, Swallowing Center
• Telemedicine Grant
• Tobacco-Free Countdown
• CMO Named
• Annual Enrollment
• United Way Campaign Celebrations
• Go Red for Women

Growth

Bringing Care Closer to Home

Saint Joseph Health System’s new ambulatory care center in Jessamine County is scheduled to open on January 2, 2009 and it will be the first medical facility of its kind in Jessamine County. The center’s name will be the Saint Joseph - Jessamine RJ Corman Ambulatory Care Center in honor of RJ Corman’s generous gift to Saint Joseph Health System and his support of the need of a comprehensive medical facility in Jessamine County. The 60,000-square-foot center will provide 24-hour emergency services, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services and offices for doctors and staff. Jessamine County’s Chris Bowe will serve as the site administrator.

On December 18, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m., an EMS reception and tour will be held at 3:30 p.m. and a public open house will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Saint Joseph - Jessamine.

New Services

Voice, Speech and Swallowing Center Opens at Saint Joseph East

The speech pathology department at Saint Joseph Hospital is pleased to announce the opening of its new outpatient center at Saint Joseph East, located at 120 N. Eagle Creek Drive, Suite 350, in the Eagle Creek Medical Plaza building.

The outpatient facility will offer digital videostroboscopy, which is a procedure used to provide magnified, slow-motion visualization of the vocal cords. The center also will offer a variety of treatment modalities for voice, speech and swallowing to both adults and pediatrics. Examples of specialty areas include Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), Vital-stim treatment for dysphagia and LeeSilverman Voice Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease.

Additionally, the speech pathology program at Saint Joseph East welcomes Aubrie Boswell, a recent graduate from the University of Kentucky, who will offer individual speech therapy for children with articulation, language or voice disorders. To contact the Voice, Speech, and Swallowing Center call 859.967.5737.

Recognition

Saint Joseph Awarded Grant for Telemedicine

The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded $385,955 to the Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation to enhance and expand its rural mobile telemedicine and public health network. The funds will enable Saint Joseph to expand its existing multi-county mental health, nutritional and diabetes prevention program to schools and medical facilities in eight rural counties. “With high gas prices, making a daily or weekly trip to Lexington can create financial and logistical challenges,” said Harold Rogers, congressional representative from Kentucky. “With this new telehealth program, patients will be able to be connected to health care specialists from sites all over rural Kentucky. This wise investment saves families time and money, while providing them with the access to the health care they deserve.”

Saint Joseph Foundation President and CEO Barry Stumbo said, “We are extremely pleased and thankful to the ARC for funding this important project. This grant will ultimately help raise the level of quality health care in the region and provide expanded telemedicine services to those patients with the greatest need.”

Saint Joseph Health System provides telemedicine through the Kentucky TeleHealth Network and through the Eastern Kentucky Mobile Health Service. Additionally, the hospitals within Saint Joseph Health System provide telemedicine to one another through the InTouch "Remote Presence" robot technology.

Healthier Communities

Fresh Air. Fresh Breath. Fresh Start.

Saint Joseph Health System's mission calls us to create healthier communities. In order to be faithful to our mission as a health care provider, we will become tobacco free for all patients, employees and visitors on Thursday, November 20, 2008, the day recognized annually as The Great American Smoke-out. The new policy means that patients, visitors and employees are prohibited from using any tobacco products anywhere on hospital grounds and will apply to all properties that are considered part of SJHS, including our clinics. This new initiative is a further step in making our organization healthier for our patients, employees and communities — a priority for us. It also supports the high standard of care we provide and that our community has come to expect.

Saint Joseph Health System employees can enroll in the Quit For Life smoking cessation program for free by calling 1.866.QUIT.4.LIFE (866.784.8454) or visiting QuitNow.net.

13 DAYS UNTIL WE'RE TOBACCO-FREE! Listen for frequently asked questions regarding the new tobacco-free campus policy in next week's Daily Line-Up.

Leadership

Chief Medical Officer Named

Daniel W. Varga, M.D. has been appointed the new Chief Medical Officer for Saint Joseph Health System and will assume the role in December. Dr. Varga will bring a rich history of pioneering experience to our team as we continue our quest for exemplary quality.

Dr. Varga is currently Regional Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for SSM Healthcare in Saint Louis, Missouri. Similar to Saint Joseph Health System, SSM Healthcare-Saint Louis is a seven hospital system, sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary. His accomplishments at SSM include developing a network-wide strategy in areas of clinical quality, patient safety, clinical resource management and medical staff affairs. Dr. Varga also developed the public quality report for the network that consists of CMS/TJC Core Measures, SCIPP indicators, AHRQ Patient Safety Indicators and National Quality Forum Safe Practices, among other measures.

Prior to Dr. Varga’s time at SSM, he was the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Norton Healthcare, a large, multi-hospital system in Louisville. There he developed the Norton Healthcare Quality Report, which is a nationally recognized, web-based public reporting initiative that started in 2005. Norton was at the leading edge with this effort in Kentucky, and continues to be recognized as a national best practice.

Announcements

Annual Enrollment has Begun!

Annual enrollment is the one time of year Saint Joseph Health System employees can review their current benefit elections and make changes or adjust their level of coverage for the coming year. Review your information packet that you received in the mail from Catholic Health Initiatives, including important enrollment tips and things to consider as you make your 2009 benefits decisions.

Annual enrollment ends November 21. Use HR/Payroll Connection to enroll online! Or you can enroll by phone by calling the HR/Payroll Connection Support Center at 1.888.450.9450. (Note: Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling will use the traditional enrollment method.)

Submit Your Photos to Common Thread

Watch for the fourth issue of Saint Joseph Health System’s new magazine, Common Thread, to arrive in your home mailboxes very soon. Be sure to check out the new "Reader Reward" feature! If you would like to share your story ideas for the January/February issue, please visit SaintJosephCommonThread.org.

We’d also love to publish your photos from a recent family trip or outing. Upload your photos at  SaintJosephCommonThread.org. Call 859.313.1845 with any questions.

'LIVE UNITED' Employee/United Way Campaign Meets its Goal!

Thank you to all employees who participated in the “LIVE UNITED” Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation Employee/United Way Campaign and helped us reach our goals:

45% employee participation- Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East (combined)
30% employee participation- Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling

Your participation will help meet the needs of many critical programs and services that benefit employees and thousands of patients and their families in central and eastern Kentucky, such as the Appalachian Outreach Program, Employee Emergency Financial Assistance Fund, the Free Clinic, Patient and Family Assistance Fund, and the Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship Program.

CAMPAIGN CELEBRATIONS: You're invited to enjoy refreshments on the following dates:
Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling: Thurs., Nov. 13, Noon       Listen for an announcement regarding the location.

Saint Joseph Hospital: Wed., Nov. 19, Noon, Front Lobby (near water wall, outside of Administration)

Saint Joseph East: Wed., Nov. 19, Education Center (Room A) Listen for an announcement regarding the time; it will follow the SJH celebration.

Flu Shots for Employees

Flu Shots will be offered to employees at Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East in the employee health office on the following dates/times. IMPORTANT NOTE: If your medical insurance is through Saint Joseph Health System, please bring your insurance card with you when you get your flu shot. You are not required to have your medical insurance through Saint Joseph Health System in order to receive a flu shot— flu shots are being offered for free.

Thanksgiving Services

The Thanksgiving services for Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East will be on Tuesday, November 25 in the hospital chapels. Any employee who would like to share a brief 1-2 minute “expression of gratitude,” can e-mail Judy Donohue at Saint Joseph East or Scott Buck at Saint Joseph Hospital. Canned goods and nonperishable items will be accepted for God’s Pantry. The services will be at 11:30 a.m. at Saint Joseph Hospital and 1:30 p.m. at Saint Joseph East.

Fall Harvest Food Drive

The outreach and advocacy subcommittee of the mission council at Flaget Memorial Hospital will be sponsoring a food drive to restock the shelves at the Saint Vincent DePaul food pantry. Boxes will be placed in departments around the hospital and departments will be teamed together in different groupings for some friendly competition. For more information, contact Ben Wiederholt at 502.350.5046.

Logo Items Now in the SJH Gift Shop

The Saint Joseph Hospital gift shop is now carrying lunch totes ($5.99), backpacks ($6.99) and tote bags ($6.99) displaying the Saint Joseph Health System logo.

World Diabetes Day

The Saint Joseph Diabetes & Nutrition Center is hosting an event at Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling in celebration of World Diabetes Day. The event is on Wednesday, November 12 at 6:00 p.m. inside the Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling atrium. Endocrinologists Dr. Yancey Holmes and Dr. Rezkalla Butros, along with individuals whose lives have been affected by diabetes, will speak. Light refreshments will be served followed by a candle lighting ceremony in the hospital parking lot.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

During the month, watch for facts, myths and inpatient information regarding diabetes in inCommon, brought to you by the Saint Joseph Diabetes & Nutrition Center. The American Diabetes Association estimates there are about 23.6 million people in the United States with diabetes diagnosis; that’s about 7.8% of the population. So about 17.9 million people have diabetes diagnosis and about 5.9 million are not aware that they have it.

DIABETES FACT: There is no such thing as borderline diabetes or ‘a touch of sugar’! Borderline diabetes is not an official term. Diabetes is diagnosed by having a fasting blood sugar of 126mg/dl or greater and confirmed a second time. However, “pre-diabetes” is now used to describe when the blood sugar levels are higher than normal but yet not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Don’t ignore pre-diabetes. Some of the side effects of diabetes begin to develop at this stage. It has been proven that weight loss, physical activity and portion control in eating can really make a difference.

INPATIENT INFORMATION: At Saint Joseph Health System, we are focused on helping our patients improve their blood glucose while hospitalized. Our inpatient blood glucose goals match what is recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The ADA recommends that the fasting blood glucose be less than 110mg/dL and the post-prandial blood glucose be less than 180mg/dL. Therefore, we currently say that for the medical/surgical units, 70-180mg/dL is the goal; and for the critical care units, the blood glucose goal is 80-110mg/dL. The recommended treatment for inpatient high blood glucose is insulin. Check out next week’s inCommon for discussion related to insulin.

Health Care Observances

This week Saint Joseph Health System celebrated Medical-Surgical Nurses Week, Radiologic Technology Week, Medical Staff Services Awareness Week, Patient Transport Week, Allied Health Professions Week and Health Information & Technology Week (SJH/SJE will celebrate its Health Information Management employees next week). Next week Saint Joseph Health System will celebrate Perioperative Nurse Week.

Med-Surg Nurse Week   Medical Staff Services Week   Allied Health Week   Transport Week

Upcoming Events & Conferences

Go Red for Women

Saint Joseph Health System is the official central Kentucky sponsor of the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women program, which alerts women to their risk of cardiovascular disease. On November 14, Saint Joseph and the Central Kentucky American Heart Association will host the first annual Go Red For Women Symposium/Luncheon in Lexington. The fundraising event will be held at the Campbell House Crowne Plaza and feature a fashion show by Macy’s and breakout sessions on heart health. Saint Joseph will offer screenings and former Miss Massachusetts and heart disease survivor Michaela Gagne will be a featured speaker. Tickets are $50 for individuals; call 859.278.1632.

Fall Critical Care Conference

The Saint Joseph Health System Fall Critical Care Conference, “Enhancing Your Critical Care Skills,” will be held on December 4 & 5. The conference is designed as a one-day conference with the same content being presented each day. This will allow staff to attend one day and work the next day so that their peers and co-workers can also attend. Please don’t forget to go to www.SaintJosephNurses.org and follow the link to get registered for the program!

Classes & Workshops

Maternity Education

Saint Joseph East offers a variety of educational and fun wellness and childbirth classes to help prepare moms- and dads-to-be for a positive birth experience. Classes are offered for free to Saint Joseph Health System employees (and their families who accompany them). To register or to view the class offerings, visit www.SaintJosephHealthSystem.org/baby or call Diane Prewitt at 859.967.BABY.

Maternity Education offerings include:
Childbirth Classes, Baby Boot Camp, Grandparent Classes, Breastfeeding, Infant/Child CPR, Sibling Classes, Pre-Delivery Classes

Upcoming Excel Workshops

Brenda Harris, education specialist/technology, will be teaching an introductory Excel workshop on Nov. 17. Class objectives include learning the basic components of Excel, the definition and functions of spreadsheets, navigation, data entry, printing and formatting (data and cells); and creating workbooks and worksheets, and simple formulas. Register online at www.SaintJosephHealthSystem.org (education & events calendar, select technology). Call 313.1828 with any questions.

November 17, Saint Joseph Hospital, Ground Floor PC Lab (next to biomed)
9-11 a.m. or 1-3 p.m.

In Memoriam

Sheila Maria Lewis

Sheila Maria Lewis, SCN, 84, a native of Lexington, KY, died at Nazareth Home, Louisville, KY, on November 5, 2008. She had been a Sister of Charity of Nazareth for 61 years. Sister Sheila Maria served in the apostolate of health care in Nursing Service, Nursing Education and Chaplaincy in Kentucky, Ohio, Florida and Washington, D.C. for 46 years. In Lexington Sister served as a chaplain at Saint Joseph Hospital from 1989-96, and gave volunteer service there for the following ten years. Sister became a resident at Nazareth Home, Louisville, in October, 2008.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, November 8, 2008, at St. Vincent Church, Nazareth, KY, followed by burial in Nazareth Cemetery. Memorials may be made to SCN Missions, P.O. Box 9, Nazareth, KY 40048.

A Look Back

Halloween Fun at Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling

Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling held a pumpkin decorating contest among its departments this Halloween. Employees and visitors voted for their favorites among the 15 entries on display near the cafeteria. Below are a few of the entries, including the winning pumpkin created by the outpatient surgery department (top, left). Outpatient surgery will be treated to a pizza party for their festive efforts.

Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling's tooth fairies helped pediatric dentist Dr. Timothy Crisp take care of his patients on Halloween. Below (L to R) is Dana Brundon, RN, Dr. Crisp and Teresa Shrout, LPN making their rounds. Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling President Jim Heitzenrater stepped in to pull one of Dana's rotten teeth.

Trick-or-Treat at Saint Joseph Hospital

Children from the daycare at Saint Joseph Hospital donned their favorite superhero, princess and cowboy costumes to go trick-or-treating throughout Saint Joseph Hospital. Thank you to the departments who participated in the Halloween fun.

Imaginative Pumpkins at Flaget Memorial Hospital

Flaget Memorial Hospital held a pumpkin decorating contest among its departments on Halloween. The judges said they were amazed by the ingenuity and engineering skills that went into all the pumpkins, and struggled in making their decisions.

First Place: Critical Care (Spider)
Second Place: Imaging (Tootsie Pop Owl)
Third Place: Med/Surg (Haunted House)