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Volume 2, Issue 30 - October 16, 2009 |
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Anthem Quality Award Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling (SJMS) received the 2009 Successful Practice Award for its Orthopedic Joint Care Program during an awards ceremony last Thursday, October 8. The hospital was one of only two hospitals in Kentucky recognized by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield with such an award. The Successful Practice Award is in recognition of SJMS’s patient-centered, multidisciplinary team approach for total joint replacement care for the diverse population served by the hospital. The team decreased process variation, complications, post-operative infections, and improved patient, staff and physician education.
(From left): Sherry Tichenor, vice president of quality; Tammye Hood, SJMS risk management/infection control manager; Donna Rhodes, SJMS quality manager; Shelly Sanders, SJMS same day surgery manager; Sheila Barnes, SJMS operating room manager; Cinda Fluke, SJMS chief nursing officer; and Bruce Klockars, interim SJMS president, received the Anthem Quality Award on October 8. |
In this Issue: Employee Questions about annual enrollment for 2010? Attend a meeting. Click here for details. |
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Annual Enrollment—Important News! Remember to review your 2010 Medical Plan LEARN Modules. The LEARN Modules are now available for you to log on. They include: • SJHS 2010 Medical Plan Changes NOTE: Due to slowness and freezing issues, three new versions of the benefit LEARN modules are now loaded and much quicker to view. Employees are encouraged to log into their LEARN account to better understand the changes to the 2010 benefit plans. Log on to LEARN through Inside CHI (click the LEARN link on the left side of the screen) or go to www.SaintJosephHealthSystem.org/LearnInfo. This is not a mandatory assignment, but due to significant changes in the plan designs, all Saint Joseph Health System employees are strongly encouraged to review the LEARN modules in order to make the selection that best meets their needs. Plus, if you do review the modules by October 19 you will be entered into a drawing for one of three $75.00 gift cards! (excludes Flaget Memorial and Saint Joseph - Berea). Employee benefit meetings are being held now through October 30 to provide an overview of the 2010 benefit changes and to answer any questions about the upcoming 2010 calendar year. Prior to attending the meetings it will be helpful for you to have reviewed the LEARN module materials. 2010 Annual Enrollment Employee Benefit Meeting Schedule SAINT JOSEPH - BEREA Tuesday, October 27 SAINT JOSEPH EAST Tuesday, October 20 Monday, October 26 Tuesday, October 27 Thursday, October 29 SAINT JOSEPH HOSPITAL Friday, October 16 Wednesday, October 21 Friday, October 23 Monday, October 26 Tuesday, October 27 SAINT JOSEPH - JESSAMINE Thursday, October 22 SAINT JOSEPH - LONDON Tuesday, October 13 Wednesday, October 14 Thursday, October 15 Wednesday, October 21 Thursday, October 22 Tuesday, October 27 Wednesday, October 28 Thursday, October 29 Friday, October 30 SAINT JOSEPH - MARTIN Tuesday, October 20 Monday, October 26 SAINT JOSEPH - MOUNT STERLING Ask your manager for details. FLAGET MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Saturday, October 17 Monday, October 19 Friday, October 23 Monday, October 26
Update on the H1N1 Vaccine, Seasonal Flu Vaccine PTO Policy—H1N1 Flu There have been some recent questions regarding the PTO policy as it relates to the H1N1 flu strain. The PTO policy as it relates to a sick employee is still in place, and if an employee becomes ill, the three-day PTO policy is required, before accessing the Extended Illness Bank. Saint Joseph Health System may need to temporarily change the PTO policy later in the season if the number of H1N1 cases reaches an emergency level. If we reach that point, further communication will be released at that time, with an explanation of the temporary PTO policy. At this time, no changes have been made to the PTO policy. Seasonal Flu Vaccine—Shortage None of the vaccines that have been provided to Saint Joseph Health System employees were contaminated. The contaminated vaccine was not distributed from the manufacturer. Saint Joseph did not receive all of our vaccine order and we have been unable to find additional vaccine to purchase at this time. Employee health is continuing to locate additional flu vaccines to purchase. Multiple other health care facilities are experiencing the shortage issue as well. Additional flu vaccine clinics will be scheduled if additional vaccine becomes available, and we will still be within the recommended time frame for vaccination. An Update on the H1N1 Vaccine, Seasonal Flu Vaccine The Centers for Disease Control indicates that 99% of the current cases of Influenza A are a result of the H1N1 flu strain. The seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against the H1N1 flu strain. Saint Joseph Health System will be receiving H1N1 flu vaccine in a few weeks, at which time it will be provided to health care workers caring for high risk patient groups. Both the seasonal and the H1N1 vaccines are recommended for health care workers and can be given at the same time if needed. These vaccines are not mandatory. The LEARN module is intended to ensure that each employee is educated about the flu, the flu vaccine and other ways to prevent the spread of flu and other illnesses. If an employee chooses not to receive the vaccine, you can indicate that by completing the refusal. You do not need to complete the vaccine refusal portion of the module if you want to get the vaccine. We also must track vaccine compliance and encourage increased compliance as part of The Joint Commission Accreditation. Saint Joseph Health System encourages anyone who has not received a vaccine to see their health care provider or other source for a flu vaccine. Please provide documentation that you received the vaccine to the Employee Health Department or your manager to assist us in tracking vaccine compliance. Remember to place patients in droplet precautions and use mask and eye protection. Use N-95 when performing procedures that generate respiratory secretions. Christmas Partners Project Needs You The Appalachian Outreach Program’s (AOP) annual “Christmas Partners Project” is partnering with Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph - Berea, Saint Joseph - Jessamine and Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling this year to help make Christmas brighter for families and individuals in need throughout eastern Kentucky. If you or your department would like to sponsor a family, senior couple or individual in need, providing them with basic necessities and gifts, contact Barbara Baumgardner at 859.313.4447, Jeanie Lawson at 606.843.0920 or Sr. Joan Wilson at 859.498.2585. In addition to sponsors, the program will need people to play "Santa's helpers" this year and make deliveries. Get your family involved! Renew Your Kentucky Nurse License! The 2009 Kentucky Nurse License Renewal period is underway. You must renew your license by October 31, 2009. Renew online at the Kentucky Board of Nursing Web site: www.kbn.ky.gov. October 16th is National Mammography Day The third Friday in October each year is National Mammography Day. Celebrate by scheduling a mammogram if you're 40 or older, or have a family history of the disease. Sign up online at www.cancer.org for a free e-mail mammogram reminder to help you or a woman you love remember to schedule a mammogram and breast exam. It’s a fact: getting tested regularly for breast cancer is the best way for women to lower their risk of dying from the disease. These screening tests can find cancer early when it’s most treatable. The size of a breast cancer and how far it has spread are the most important factors in predicting the prognosis of a woman with this disease. Early diagnosis allows for more treatment options and greatly improves the likelihood that treatment will be successful. Call the Saint Joseph Breast Center at 859.967.5613 to schedule your mammogram. Visit www.SaintJosephBreastCenter.org to learn more. Annual Employee Campaign Needs Your Support! “LIVE UNITED” is the 2009 theme for the Foundation/United Way Campaign at Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph - Jessamine and 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. One of the programs benefiting from your gift is the Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship Program, established in 2001. More than 108 deserving students have received scholarships, totaling more than $349,000. There’s still time to donate! The deadline is November 6! Please help the Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation reach or beat its goal of 50% employee participation for SJH/SJE/SJJ (combined) and 45% for SJMS! Currently, the rate is 41% at SJH/SJE/SJJ and 35% at SJMS. Together, we can all “LIVE UNITED”! Please contact the Foundation office at 313.1705 (SJH/SJE/SJJ) and 497.8855 (SJMS) with any questions.
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See Cool Cars and Support 'Lights for Life' Take the family and friends to attend the Old Cool Kustoms 1st Annual Car Show at Brushy Fork Park in Berea on Saturday, October 17, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., with judging at 3 p.m. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Lights for Life through a generous gesture of Mark VanWinkle, employee Dorothy Van Winkle’s son. There will be food, hot cars and door prizes. The Lights for Life program helps low income and uninsured patients receive health-restoring prescription medicines at no cost, emergency medical care and patient/family assistance. Red, White and Blue Days Festival Saint Joseph - Martin will participate in the Red, White and Blue Days Festival Saturday, October 17 in Martin. The festival, which honors veterans, consists of arts and crafts, local entertainment, carnival rides, a car show, and food. The hospital will provide a booth with assorted educational materials and blood pressure checks. Contact Neva Francis at 606.285.6690 for more details. National Health Care Quality Week Reception—Everyone Invited! To celebrate National Health Care Quality Week, a reception will be held Thursday, October 22 between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. in the Saint Joseph Hospital front lobby by the water wall. Meet some of your Quality Management staff and learn how quality in health care affects each patient and staff member. What does “Zero, Zero, and 100%” mean? Recently the Quality Management Department has begun to use “Zero, Zero, and 100%” on communications. It means Zero avoidable harm, Zero avoidable deaths, and 100% compliance with all evidence-based practices. This is the goal not only for the Quality Management Department, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East and Saint Joseph - Jessamine but also Saint Joseph Health System. Harvest Festival in Mount Sterling Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling will host a harvest festival on Wednesday, October 28 in the cafeteria. Festivities will include a pumpkin decorating contest and snacks. More details to follow. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Saint Joseph East OR nurses Renee Mellin and Sarah Wellnitz are forming a team for the “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk, held by the American Cancer Society. The walk is Sunday, October 25, 2-5 p.m., at the Kentucky Horse Park. Call 859.967.5715 to sign up. Remembering Our Babies in Bardstown A prayer service will be held Sunday, October 25 at 2:00 p.m. at Flaget Memorial Hospital. The service is called “Remembering Our Babies” and it is a memorial service for those whose lives have been touched by the loss of an infant during pregnancy or soon after birth. At the conclusion of the service there will be a balloon release and reception. The event is open to the community. October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Hospice of Nelson County Annual Memorial Service Hospice of Nelson County, a service of Flaget Memorial Hospital, will hold its annual memorial service Sunday, November 1, 2:00 p.m., at St. Catherine Church in New Haven. The service, held every year during National Hospice Month, remembers patients who have passed on. Friends and family attend and bring framed photos of their loved ones to display on tables for a reception that follows. The names of those who have passed on are called during the service, and each family comes forward to hug Hospice team members and receive a memorial candle. Go Red for Women Symposium & Luncheon Saint Joseph Health System is the central Kentucky sponsor of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women program, which alerts women to their risk of cardiovascular disease. On Friday, November 6, Saint Joseph and the Central Kentucky American Heart Association will host the second annual Go Red for Women Symposium & Luncheon in Lexington. The fundraising event will be at the Marriott Griffin Gate, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m., and feature a heart-healthy expo, educational breakout sessions, a luncheon with keynote speaker Eliz Greene, and an inspiring survivor fashion show by Macy’s. Saint Joseph Health System will host one of the breakout sessions, offer screenings and provide heart healthy educational material to all attendees. Tickets are $50 for individuals; call 859.278.1632. STARS Gala Enjoy an evening of dining, dancing and entertainment at the 21st Annual Evening with the STARS (Saint Joseph Associates for Renowned Service) Saturday, November 14 at Lexington Downtown Hotel & Conference Center (formerly Radisson Hotel). The Jimmy Church Band will perform and guests of honor include Robert K. Salley, M.D., Tamara James, M.D. and Jack Kain. Proceeds from the black-tie event will benefit many community programs and outreach services of the Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation. Tickets are $300 per couple or sponsored tables for ten can be purchased at various donation levels. For more information or tickets, please contact the Foundation at 859.313.1705 or visit http://saintjosephfoundation.org/body.cfm?id=89. |
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Basic Medical Library Information Skills Class Get hands-on experience in using our medical information resources, including Saint Joseph’s Virtual Medical Library. This course is open to anyone interested in using these resources for work, study and research for school, or to do research to learn about health conditions or patient/family education. Register for this class by logging on to Inside CHI, then click the LEARN link on the left side of the screen. For additional information, contact Laurie Henderson at 859.313.1677 Saint Joseph Hospital Saint Joseph East Upcoming Diabetes Workshops in Berea Care of the Hospitalized Patient with Diabetes Learning Objectives:
Registration: Register for this class by logging on to Inside CHI, Continuing Education Credit Units: 4.00, Kentucky Board of Nursing Understanding Diabetes Basics Learning Objectives:
Registration: Register for this class by logging on to Inside CHI, Continuing Education Credit Units: 4.00, Kentucky Board of Nursing HIV/AIDS Educational Module: The following HIV/AIDS educational module has been added to the LEARN course library: KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services Approved HIV/AIDS Education for Nursing and Pharmacy. The learner can put in the key word "HIV" and will choose the above title from the listed courses. The LEARN module contains a link that will take the learner out to the Creative Educational Concepts Web site. This activity is supported by an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. This activity provides 2.0 CEUs for Nursing and Pharmacy. This course will expire on December 21, 2010. |
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Say ‘Boo’ to Tobacco. Your Lungs are Worth It. Did you know? Do the right thing for your health, the alternative is frightening. Call 1.866.QUIT.4.LIFE or visit www.quitnow.net (1.866.784.8454). Saint Joseph Health System employees can enroll for FREE! |
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Letters from Our Patients Saint Joseph – Martin The family of a recent patient would like to thank the Saint Joseph - Martin staff for all of their medical care and compassion they showed during such a difficult time. "A special thanks to Dr. Webb and Dr. Crace, Chaplain Judy Parsons and the second floor nurses, especially Sharon, who stayed by her bedside for hours. And, the housekeeping staff for providing extra chairs and coffee. We will never forget the care you showed us. Sandy and Clare from the pharmacy, will also always be in our hearts." Saint Joseph - London “Let me start by saying, I have never been hospitalized before! Smoking for 33 years and eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, caught up with me. The Emergency Department at your hospital said I had a light heart attack when I went in. My family and I were very scared. But now this is where my praise and thankfulness to God Almighty for your staff and doctors start! Connie and others in the ER that day kept us calm. Dr. Patil was the heart doctor on call that weekend. Everyone treated me and my family like we were special.” Thanks for being an inspiration to your patients, their families and to us all! |
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Heart of Saint Joseph Award Congratulations to Scott Overbee for being named a recipient of the Heart of Saint Joseph Award at Saint Joseph - Berea. Scott works in biomed. Read comments from his nomination form below.
Through the Heart of Saint Joseph Award, employees are recognized for outstanding performance in exemplifying Saint Joseph Health System's four core values: Reverence, Integrity, Compassion and Excellence. Any employee can nominate another employee for this possible recognition. The selected employee will receive the Heart of Saint Joseph Award certificate, $75.00, a preferred parking spot for one month and recognition in InCommon. The award is currently in place at Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East and Saint Joseph - Berea. To nominate an employee, simply go to the Saint Joseph Health System Web site, www.SaintJosephHealthSystem.org (click on your hospital tab, then select "Saint Joseph Employees" and "Recognition & Awards").
Ethics Associate Program Catholic Health Initiatives' (CHI) Ethics Associate Program provides health care professionals an opportunity to receive education and mentoring in health care ethics. The program requires one year to complete. Ethics associates serve as resource persons in the area of ethics, along with their other professional responsibilities, at their facilities. Below are Saint Joseph Health System's recent graduates.
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Breaking Ground Saint Joseph Health System (SJHS) held the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling (SJMS) on September 29. The ceremony was held at the site of the new hospital, on Falcon Drive in Mount Sterling (near Days Inn on Maysville Road, just off exit 110/I-64). Construction will begin this fall on the new all-private room hospital, scheduled to open in the summer of 2011. Speakers included Gene Woods, CEO; Bruce Klockars, interim SJMS president; Tom Byron, SJMS hospital council member; Mike Fiechter, SJHS board chair; and James Rollins, MD, SJMS medical staff president, who all shared comments with attendees about exciting plans for the new facility. During the ceremony, Lexington Bishop Ronald Gainer blessed the site and SJMS employees sang the hymn, "Holy Ground."
Saint Joseph Cycling Team Raised $1,165 for American Lung Association Saint Joseph Health System Cycling Team members Melissa Agee (Saint Joseph - Berea), Kathryn Lacny (Saint Joseph East), Gene Glass (Saint Joseph East) and Vada Paugh (Saint Joseph East) rode in the Shakertown Bike Trek September 19-21, raising $1,165 for the American Lung Association. The first day of the trek started at Ft. Harrod State Park in Harrodsburg. The riders endured a slight rain as they began pedaling across bluegrass country. Each rider had a choice between the long ride, 69.5 miles, or the short ride, 35.0 miles. During the rainy three-day event, the riders stopped in Danville at the Pioneer Playhouse for dinner and entertainment, and toured Shakertown, where they listened to the music of cellist Ben Solee.
Martin Goes Pink Saint Joseph - Martin employees recognized Breast Cancer Awareness Month by holding a “Pink Day.” Below, they formed a “V” with their hands to represent victory; two of the women are breast cancer survivors.
March of Dimes Walk in Bardstown Several Flaget Memorial Hospital employees formed a team to support the 2009 March of Dimes March for Babies walk on October 3 at Bernheim Forest in Bardstown. Money raised supports research and programs that help babies begin healthy lives.
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