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Volume 2, Issue 2 - January 29, 2009 |
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Saint Joseph - Berea Receives Chamber Award
Appalachian Outreach Program Partners with Employees
Examples
of how employees shared gifts with Christmas Partner families and individuals
include: Appalachian Outreach Program team members Rose Rexroat, Barbara Baumgardner, Jeanie Lawson and Sister Joan Wilson, SCN, thank the following departments and individuals for partnering with them for Christmas 2008.
"God
will bless you in return for what you [have] done for others."
"Without you, I could not [have] had Christmas for my children. Thank you." Berea, Ky "For many years, we didn't believe in Santa, but this year we changed our minds." "Without your thoughtfulness, our holiday would have been a disaster. God was watching over us." |
Top Stories |
Saint
Joseph - Berea received the Corporate Partner Award from the
Berea Chamber of Commerce for its involvement and financial support
as a sponsor for a number of events and projects in 2008, including
the Spoonbread 5-K Run. Last year’s run (Sept. 20, 2008) saw a
record of more than 400 participants and marked the first time the run
was held at the hospital, although Saint Joseph - Berea has sponsored
the event for several years. Having the race begin and end at the hospital
was a good tie in to community health promotion. Saint Joseph - Berea
is proud of its community involvement and is now working on a healthy
living and wellness event to take place in the spring of 2009.
This
past Christmas, employees of Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph
East, Saint Joseph - Berea and Saint Joseph - Mount
Sterling volunteered for the Appalachian Outreach Program’s
(AOP) “Christmas Partners Project” to help make Christmas
brighter, more hopeful for families and individuals in need throughout
eastern Kentucky. For the past 16 years, the program's staff has engaged
employees, friends and families to sponsor Appalachian inhabitants to
give basic necessities and gifts during the holiday season. Since its
inception, the project has helped nearly 600 families and individuals
during the Christmas season. This year alone, 87 families and individuals
were helped. |
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On registration day, Jan. 29, Flaget staffers will weigh each participant and establish a weight-loss goal of 7%. If a participant weighs 200 pounds, for example, his goal would be to lose 14 pounds. “Losers” will have another eight weeks to shed the excess weight. All who meet their goal will have their names put in a drawing for prizes. Pictured: John and Carol Hill, 2007 winners of Trim Down, displayed the total weight loss for that year’s program. Along the way, participants will receive weekly handouts that address a number of weight-loss subjects, including healthy weight-loss methods, the ins and outs of counting calories or fat grams, healthy heart issues, exercise, and the effect of obesity on health. If you are overweight, you risk developing a number of health problems. On the brighter side, losing excess weight can add years to your life. Trim Down, Bardstown! is free; for more information call 502.348.7010. Healthy Living Center Opens in Lexington The Saint Joseph Healthy Living Center is located inside the Beaumont Family YMCA in Lexington. The center offers innovative, medically-based wellness programs and services to the community. Also provided is supervised exercise for both individuals and groups, in addition to providing community screenings.
Screenings
include:
Pictured: Nancy Durall, registered dietitian, answered nutritional-related questions during an open house on Jan. 26. Services are provided at both the Beaumont Centre Family YMCA and North Lexington YMCA. Call 219.0530 for questions or for more information. Join Urban Active Gym in Lexington Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East employees can join Urban Active Gym (corner of Palumbo/Man O’ War) at a discount. To discuss discounted membership rates, contact Jerame Ricks at 396.5901 or jricks@urbanactive.com. Saint
Joseph Hospital On-site ENROLLMENT DAY! Discounted
Membership Rates: Gym
Highlights: Join Downtown Athletic Club in Mount Sterling The Downtown Athletic Club in Mount Sterling is offering a special price to all Saint Joseph Health System employees. To receive the special price, at least 40 employees need to sign up. Please contact Rhonda Potts by Feb. 23 at 859.497.7708 to sign up.
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Flaget
Memorial Hospital will start the community-wide weight-loss
drive known as Trim Down, Bardstown! on Thursday, Jan. 29. The location
will be the Flaget Immediate Care Clinic on Highway 245. The hours for
each weigh-in day will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Offering
highlights include:
Saint
Joseph Healthy Living Center is proud to have a full-time registered
nurse on-site at Beaumont Family YMCA. Others on staff include an exercise
physiologist, registered dietitians and licensed massage therapists.
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Watch for Saint Joseph Health System's TV spot during the Super Bowl this Sunday, Feb. 1! Tune in for the big game, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals, at 6 p.m. on NBC. Start making your game day predictions. Reader
Reward Challenge Winners Announced Thanks
to everyone who participated in the reader reward challenge in the Jan/Feb
issue of Common Thread, Saint Joseph Health System’s
employee magazine. Congratulations to the three lucky winners who will
each receive a $75 gas card! Visit www.SaintJosephCommonThread.org to read past issues of the magazine and to submit your story ideas. Look for the next reader reward challenge in the March/April issue.
Saint Joseph Health System is the central Kentucky sponsor of the AHA's Go Red for Women movement and is proud to be in the fight against the #1 killer of women – as well as of men. Most of the time, selecting clothing isn’t that critical. But on Wear Red Day, it’s vitally important because it's a chance to raise funds that will help the AHA advance its research and education efforts. Here's how it works: Wear your favorite red clothes or accessory to work– a red blouse or shirt, a red dress, a red tie, red socks, red earrings, red lipstick or carry a red handbag. Make a donation of any amount (suggested donation is $5) in support of the American Heart Association. Drop off your donation at any time on Feb. 6 in the collection boxes located at your hospital (listen for details in your Daily Line-Up meetings). Red long-sleeved T-shirts are available in human resources at Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling for a $5 donation!
Saint Joseph - London will help host a Go Red For Women free community educational seminar in London on Friday, Feb. 6 at the London Community Center. Attendees will learn more about women and heart disease and enjoy a vendor fair and dinner. Registration is from 6 to 6:30 p.m. and the program starts at 6:30 p.m. You can also register by calling June Rawlings at 606.330.3137. Town Hall Meetings to be Rescheduled in Lexington, Nicholasville The Town Hall meetings scheduled this week at Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East and Saint Joseph - Jessamine were all canceled due to the weather conditions. Watch for an update soon regarding new dates for these meetings. Take
the Employee Satisfaction Mini-Survey An employee satisfaction mini-survey is being conducted through Friday, Jan. 30 at Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph - Jessamine and Continuing Care Hospital. The goal is to achieve 85% participation from employees. The surveys are Internet-based and completely anonymous. Employees are encouraged to be honest and forthcoming with their feedback. Visit the Intranet home page to find the link to the survey, or:
Click
here if you work at Saint Joseph Hospital. Employees in the following units will complete unique surveys. Visit the Intranet home page to find the link to the survey, or click on your unit below:
SJH
OR SJE
OR
Employees of Saint Joseph - Berea, Saint Joseph - London and Saint Joseph - Martin will see "Saint Joseph Hospital Lexington" listed on their 2008 W-2s as their employer rather than Saint Joseph Health System. This is due to the hospitals being listed under the same employer identification number. Please be assured these W-2s are accurate and should be used, and no change needs to be made before you submit your tax information. 'Rename the Cafeterias' Contest in Lexington, Berea Nutritional
Services is holding a contest to rename the cafeterias at Saint
Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East and Saint Joseph
- Berea. Names should reflect future changes, which include
fresher, healthier food options; environmentally-sustainable products
that reduce waste and protect our community; and a warmer décor
and appearance. 'School at Work' Program Gearing Up for New Class in Lexington
New Hours for Medical Library in Lexington The new hours for the Saint Joseph Hospital Medical Library will be Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The library is now closed on Fridays, except for check-out of the CPR equipment or if a physician wants to use it. Security (313.1852) will be available to unlock the library for these reasons. The medical librarian, Laurie Henderson, is available for assistance during the regular operating hours at 859.313.1677. USA Mobility Pager Audit in Lexington
Urgent Care Line in Lexington
Most of the calls to date that come in via the Urgent Care Line pertain to password resets. While the staff is more than happy to assist with those resets, other issues that pertain to patient care are more pressing. Remember that the average wait time prior to a Help Desk Analyst answering the phone is still less than 40 seconds. Please hold and wait until an analyst is available to take your call. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Andre Fomby at 313.4568. Gift Shop Sale in Lexington
Serve on the Mission Committee in Martin Saint Joseph - Martin employees are invited to consider serving on the hospital's Mission Committee. Requirement for membership: a desire to become more involved in special events that create spirit at Saint Joseph - Martin and serve the community. Contact Judy Parsons if you are interested. Valentine's
Secret Pals in Bardstown Employees at Flaget Memorial Hospital are invited to participate in the Valentine’s Secret Pal activity. There is a sign-up sheet in your department and the deadline is Feb. 2. Each participant should not spend more than $10 for the five-day period. The activity runs from Feb. 9-13 (Valentine’s Day is on Saturday this year.) If you have any questions, contact Tammy Kirsch at 350.7030 or Tracey Bickett at 350.5037. |
Super
Bowl Ad
Circle
Friday, Feb. 6 in red on your calendars – that’s the day
Saint Joseph Health System will join the American Heart
Association (AHA)’s fight against heart disease by holding Wear
Red Day. Employees and volunteers are encouraged to participate by wearing
red to work and donating a few dollars to help the AHA raise women’s
awareness of cardiovascular disease and empower women to reduce their
risk.
2008
W-2s for Berea, London and Martin 
The
School at Work program will start a new class in Feb. 2009 at Saint
Joseph Hospital. The School at Work Program is a federal initiative
to educate hospital workers about health care careers. Employees enrolled
in the eight-month, two-course program attend classes such as anatomy,
ethics, and medical terminology via a distance learning system that
uses Internet and television technology to deliver instruction directly
to the hospital. Employees spend two hours per week in class and two
hours per week in self-study. The goal of the program is to help workers
advance their careers. If you are interested, talk to your manager or
director and contact 
During
the month of February, the communications department will be conducting
an audit of the seven-digit pagers in use throughout Saint Joseph
Hospital and Saint Joseph East. Please bring
your pager to the switchboard at either campus during this time. The
operator will log your number and capcode, type of pager, who is carrying
the pager, and your department. It will not be time consuming. This
will ensure the organization is paying for only the pagers in service.
Thanks in advance for your cooperation. If you have questions, contact
The
IT department in Lexington piloted an Urgent Care Line in September
of 2008. After reviewing the process and determining the type of calls
that have been coming in via the Urgent Care Line, a decision has been
made to limit Urgent Care Line calls to those where patient care is
immediately impacted. 
Through
February 1, choose from a beautiful selection of jewelry sets in hot
new styles in the gift shop at Saint Joseph Hospital.
Valued up to $35, these necklace and earring sets are on sale for $10
this week. At Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint
Joseph East, a surprise 25%-off sale has been announced for
Jan. 29-31 in the gift shops. Valentine's Day selections are included
in this sale. Remember, during the month of January, with every $10
purchase or more in the gift shop, you can enter a drawing to win a
$50 gift basket. The gift basket drawing will be at noon Friday, Jan.
30. Each receipt is good for one entry and you can enter as many times
as you would like during the month with every $10 purchase (including
tax).
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Good Catch Reports in Lexington One of the goals of Clinical Patient Safety is to enhance a culture of safety for patients at Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East. A “Good Catch” can be described as when an error or potential for error is caught before it reached a patient, and harm — or potential for harm — was prevented. There is “no blame” for “Good Catches." Reporting a “Good Catch” helps in improving, preventing, and avoiding adverse outcomes and injuries to patients by improving processes.
Direct Admit Patients in Lexington Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East Nurses: Upon the arrival of a Direct Admit patient, please remember to page the accepting MD immediately. Physicians need to be notified in a timely manner in order to ensure appropriate care and treatment orders are communicated to the nurse. Patient care is our number one priority and your diligence in notifying the accepting physician upon the patient’s arrival is pivotal. Thanks for your support. Laboratory Reference Range Change in Lexington
Based on the following data our reference ranges will be adjusted to more closely reflect values accurate for the patient population in the central Kentucky area:
• Our own 45 patient reference range study Below are the old ranges and the new range:
2009 Blood Glucose Control Update in Lexington
In order to help improve the inpatient glycemic control, improve the percentage within the target range and the resulting complications, the Blood Glucose Control protocol and standing orders are changing. In-services have been planned for January, February and March. There is an online Blood Glucose Control In-service Module that nurses will need to take before attending the in-service. This is located on the Intranet under the Education tab and the E-Learning section. Nurses can begin taking this module now. The new Blood Glucose Control protocol and standing orders will go house-wide at Saint Joseph Hospital in February and at Saint Joseph East in March. For further questions, please contact the Diabetes & Nutrition Center at 313.2958. |
How
to report a Good Catch? Submit a “Good Catch” via the Intranet>Departments>Clinical
Patient Safety>
Guidelines
issued by the College of American Pathologists require that “…the
laboratory establish or verify reference intervals (normal values).”
(GEN.42162)
Improving
blood glucose control decreases hospital infections and reduces complications,
mortality rates and length of stay. Current ADA Clinical Practice Recommendations
endorse hospital blood glucose targets of 70-180mg/dl for the non-critical
care patient and 80-140mg/dl for the critical care patient. These goals
have been adopted by Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint
Joseph East for some time now. Currently, the percentage of
blood glucose values in the target range is in the mid 70s range for
the non-critical care units and in the 40 to 60% range for the critical
care units. |
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Center
for Weight Loss Surgery’s Next Introductory Seminar The Center for Weight Loss Surgery at Saint Joseph East will hold an introductory seminar on Monday, Feb. 2 from 4-7 p.m. in the Saint Joseph East Medical Office Building (Education Center, Suite 200). Learn about their unique program and find out the latest options and outcomes in bariatric surgery. Call 859.967.5520 or visit SaintJosephWeightLoss.org for more details. Working
with Deaf/Hard of Hearing Patients ... A representative from the KY Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing will hold a class for employees on Thursday, Feb. 19, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Blakely Auditorium at Saint Joseph Hospital. Videoconferencing will be available to Saint Joseph East (Education Center in MOB) and Saint Joseph - Berea. The title is “Working with Deaf/Hard of Hearing Patients … are you ready?” and registration is now available at www.SaintJosephHealthSystem.org. Click on the Education & Events Calendar and type “working with deaf” in the event title box to locate the registration page. Earn 1.5 CEU's. If
you answer “True” to any of these statements, you need to
take this class! Contact Lynn Fors at 313.2187 for more details. LEAD Classes for Managers
March
Offerings
April Offerings Basic Medical Library Information Skills Class
Register
online at www.SaintJosephHealthSystem.org
(education & events calendar). For additional information, contact
Laurie Henderson at 859.313.1677 |
The
CHI LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) educational sessions
for newly hired or promoted Middle Managers has been scheduled and posted
on Saint Joseph Health System’s website, 
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. |
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A
Letter to Saint Joseph - London “I am writing to give a summation of facts in relation to my wife’s treatment in early January at Saint Joseph - London. Most often people have a tendency to complain when things do not go as expected but seldom do they take the time to pay a compliment when things go well. During my wife’s recent stay at Saint Joseph - London, from her admission through emergency, every employee that we came in contact with was most courteous, efficient in their duties and performed in a most professional manner. Not only were employees most helpful to my wife, but were readily available to answer any questions and to make my hospital visits much more relaxing and helped to relieve me of much stress during this time. All departments were most helpful and this lets me know that you are most selective in choosing your personnel. Thank you so very much and any time we need hospital care, be assured that we would not choose any other hospital but Saint Joseph - London.” |
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Sharing the Love
Saint Joseph - Berea VP for Patient Care Services/DON Pat Patton offered friendly greetings and afternoon refreshment to members of the Health Information Management team: Mary Jo Napier and Samantha Flannery (middle and right) and Donna Harris of Hospitality Services (left). Saint Joseph - Berea now encourages managers to sign up for a spin with the TLC Cart or to allow their staff to participate. The TLC Cart allows staff and volunteers to connect with patients and their families, visitors, and fellow staff as they push the cart from floor to floor. On the cart are healthy snacks, bottled water, books, magazines, puzzle packets, inspirational and prayer booklets, and toys for kids. And everything on the cart is free. New Year Baby
Sarah and Chris Hale and daughter Abigail welcomed a new addition to their family, Aurelia Memphis, on New Year's Day at Saint Joseph - London. They were surprised and thrilled to receive $1,500 worth of "goodies" the hospital collected from area merchants. They had no idea having the first baby of the new year was such a big deal.
Michelle Powell, CNA on the OB unit at Saint Joseph - London, collected more than $1,500 of items for the first baby of the new year give-away. A Valuable Tax Break
The H&R Block offices in Lexington congratulated Amanda and Bret Hamilton (Hillsboro, KY), the parents of twins Wyatt and Garrett who were delivered at Saint Joseph East, for delivering "Lexington’s Last Babies of the Year” born in 2008. H&R Block plans to annually celebrate babies born before the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31 to highlight the tax benefits of having a child before the end of the year. A Caring Gift
On December 12, during a meeting of the Old Kentucky Home Board of Realtors, the realtors made a donation of $500 to Hospice of Nelson County, a service of Flaget Memorial Hospital in Bardstown. Left to right are Mike Ballard, 2009 president, and Fred Hamilton, 2008 president, making the presentation to Hospice Patient Care Coordinator Phyllis Beavers, R.N. The donation will be used to help meet the needs of terminally ill patients and their families. Community Outreach
Saint Joseph - Berea Med/Surg nurse Mitzi Alexander took blood pressures at a recent NAACO health fair.
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