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Volume 3, Issue 3 - January 22, 2010 |
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Haiti Relief Fund As you are aware, Port-au-Prince, Haiti was the victim of a massive earthquake January 12, and relief efforts are being organized across the world. As a Catholic organization, it is imperative for us to respond to those who are in need. Saint Joseph Health System and Catholic Health Initiatives are providing the opportunity to contribute to the relief work.
CHI will make a contribution of $40,000 to two Catholic organizations that have relief efforts and a humanitarian presence in the country of Haiti. The donation will be sent to the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to provide basic health and human services to the people who have been affected by the damage from the earthquake. According to CRS, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The CMMB is a U.S.-based Catholic charity focused on global health care. Together as the employees of Saint Joseph Health System, we can make additional contributions to these funds. If you would like to offer your tax-deductible gift, please make your check payable to Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation, with "Haiti Relief Fund" written in the memo and send to the Foundation office at One Saint Joseph Drive, Lexington, Kentucky 40504. You may also go online to www.SaintJosephFoundation.org and click on the link "Give to Saint Joseph," and then select “Make a Donation.” Select "Haiti Relief Fund" on the donation form. If you have any questions, call the Foundation office at 859.313.1705. Thanks in advance for your generous giving during this difficult time in Haiti’s history. Photos by AFP/GETTY IMAGES |
In this Issue
Healthy Retirement
Watch a new Retirement” on HealthTube videos support the CHI initiative. Click here to learn more. |
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| New Advertising Campaign Launches for da Vinci Heart Surgery The da Vinci robotic technology at Saint Joseph Hospital is now being used for minimally invasive heart surgery. By using the da Vinci robotic-assisted surgical system, surgeons can now perform closed chest procedures. Traditional “open chest” surgery involves a 10-inch incision, splitting the patient’s breastbone and spreading the ribs with a retractor. Patients undergoing da Vinci robotic heart surgery usually have just three tiny incisions less than 1 cm, and the chest is not “cracked open” at all. The benefits are clear: no open chest, less pain and trauma and a shorter recovery and hospital stay. Saint Joseph Health System has launched a new television spot featuring this breakthrough in heart surgery. Print, outdoor and direct mail advertising will follow and continue running throughout the year. Visit our new Web site, www.HeartCareBreakthrough.com, to learn more about da Vinci heart surgery, and to watch the new commercial.
Since August of 2007, the advanced da Vinci technology has offered less invasive options for prostate cancer treatment and gynecological surgery, as well as several other urologic and general surgical procedures. With the addition of a second da Vinci robot, Saint Joseph Health System is quickly becoming a leader in medical robotic-assisted technologies. In December 2009, the 500th da Vinci case was performed at Saint Joseph Hospital. Standard Time and Attendance System Upgrade Feb. 18 Attention Saint Joseph Health System employees who use the Standard Time and Attendance System: Starting February 18, employees who use the Web-based Standard Time and Attendance system (Kronos) will see new features and changes to the look of the computer screens. Standard Time and Attendance tasks and processes will remain the same. Employees who clock in using time clocks or telephones will not see changes. In the coming weeks, you will hear more about the upgrade. Job aids are being developed to help affected employees understand what is changing and what they need to do differently. All Catholic Health Initiatives facilities are undergoing this upgrade so we can continue to receive the maximum benefits from our Standard Time and Attendance system. Questions? Employees should contact their manager for Kronos questions. Most employees will not need to take action since the time clocks will not be affected by this upgrade. Managers and Directors who have questions can call their facility's HR or Payroll Office once they have completed the LEARN Module which explains the Kronos 6.1 upgrade. This module should be ready for viewing soon. Win a Wii Fit! Make sure to take the “Reader Reward” challenge in the Jan/Feb issue of Common Thread for a chance to win a Wii Fit or one of four runner-up prizes! The drawing will be held Friday, February 5. The latest issue features new wellness offerings in 2010 and healthy resources available to you as an employee, as well as stories about our “health nuts” throughout Saint Joseph Health System. Visit www.SaintJosephCommonThread.org to read past issues of the magazine or to submit your story ideas. SJH Patients Can Now Watch Chapel Services on their TV Saint Joseph Hospital patients can now tune to Channel 13 on the TV in their rooms to see services held in the chapel. There is a daily Mass at noon on Thursdays and Fridays (this will soon change to Wednesdays and Thursdays at noon). On Sundays, the Catholic Mass is at 8:30 a.m. and there is a Protestant-nondenominational service at 11 a.m. Report any technical problems via e-mail to Mike Brandenburg in the maintenance department. Controller Named for Saint Joseph Health System Christy Spitser has been promoted to the position of Controller for Saint Joseph Health System, effective January 24. In her new role, Christy will be responsible for coordinating and reporting accurate and timely financial operations for the System, as well as coordinating the budget process, tax reporting and other financial matters. Christy has been with Saint Joseph Health System since 2000 when she started at Saint Joseph - London as a staff accountant. Subsequently she moved into the role of Accounting Manager and then Controller for Saint Joseph - London. She also had oversight of the accounting functions for Saint Joseph - Martin and Saint Joseph - Berea. She has made numerous contributions in these roles and consistently reported timely and accurate financial results for Saint Joseph - London, Saint Joseph - Martin and Saint Joseph - Berea. Appalachian Outreach Program Partners with Employees This past Christmas, employees of Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph - Jessamine, Saint Joseph - Berea and Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling volunteered for the Appalachian Outreach Program’s (AOP) “Christmas Partners Project” to help make Christmas brighter and more hopeful for families and individuals in need throughout eastern Kentucky. For the past 17 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 more than 700 families and individuals during the Christmas season. In 2009, 116 families and individuals were helped—a record year for the Christmas Partners Project and 29 more families/individuals than were served in 2008! Also worth noting, more departments and individuals participated in 2009 than in previous years. Through employees' generosity, families and individuals received toys, clothing, winter coats, food baskets and gift certificates. There were enough gifts to help provide extra gifts for people and supplemental gifts for 3-8-year-old children in the Irvine schools and gifts bags for patients undergoing dialysis in Mount Sterling. Wal-Mart even chipped in and gave a $1,000 donation, which made Christmas possible for an additional five families. 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 2009:
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403(b) Great West Rep to Visit Lexington The 403(b) Great West representative will visit Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East the first week of February. Stop by and learn more about how you can start saving! Saint Joseph Hospital Saint Joseph East School at Work Graduation in Lexington You are cordially invited to the School at Work Graduation on Friday, January 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the Blakley Auditorium at Saint Joseph Hospital. Congratulations to the class of 2010: Myra Banks, Jasmine Dunn, Rhonda Flenor, Krystal Minniefield, Krystal Neal, Tammi Wayman and Eka Weeks. 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 Interested in the School at Work Program? Talk to your manager or director and contact
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‘Frequently Asked Questions’ Regarding New Wellness Initiatives in 2010 Q: Do I need to have my medical insurance through SJHS in order to receive the $100 reimbursement for completing the Health Risk Assessment/Biometric Screening? Note: Free Health Risk Assessments/Biometric Screenings will be offered in 2010 at every Saint Joseph Health System facility. Visit your facility’s Web site (via www.SaintJosephHealthSystem.org) to view the screening schedule. Under your hospital’s employee section (far left column), click on the heading “Healthy Spirit Initiatives.” The screening schedule is also listed below. The first facility to conduct screenings will be Saint Joseph - Jessamine on Thurs., February 18 starting at 7:00 a.m. Saint Joseph - Jessamine employees should call Teresa McCord to schedule an appointment, 859.219.0530. Q: What if I already attend Weight Watchers on my own, outside of Saint Joseph Health System … can I still receive the $50 incentive? Q: What if my facility wasn’t able to recruit at least 20 employees to sign up for the 17-week ‘Weight Watchers at Work’ program? Does this mean I can’t participate at my facility? Q: Who can I contact to find out more about Weight Watchers? Weight Watchers Representatives: Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling Saint Joseph - Jessamine Saint Joseph Hospital/Saint Joseph East Saint Joseph - London Saint Joseph - Martin Flaget Memorial Hospital Saint Joseph - Berea Q: Where do I find information about Wellness Initiatives for 2010?
First Steps to Wellness Saint Joseph - Berea employees are invited to participate in "First Steps to Wellness" Friday, January 22 in the Balance Wellness Center from 3-7 p.m. This activity is part of the Commit to be Fit in 2010 challenge. Watch your Daily Line-Up for details. FREE Sustainable Berea calendars will be given to the first 75 employees who attend! Remember…"It all begins with a single step." —SJB Wellness Team Trim Down—The Biggest Losers Flaget Memorial Hospital offers a
community-wide weight-loss drive ("Trim Down-The Biggest Losers) beginning every
January. It is a nine-week program similar
to “The Biggest Loser” competition with weekly weigh-ins,
education and prizes. It only costs $5
to join. A registration event is planned for
Thursday, January 28 at Flaget Immediate Care Clinic
on Highway 245 (stop by between 11 a.m.-6 p.m. to weigh-in, register and establish your goals); the program continues on the next eight Thursdays. Call 502.348.7010 for
more information regarding Kick the Habit Flaget Health Connection, a service of Flaget Memorial Hospital, is holding a free 13-week smoking cessation course called "Kick the Habit" beginning Wednesday, February 3 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The class will be held every Wednesday at Flaget Health Connection, located at 111 N. Third St. (entrance to rear of building off parking lot). Course facilitators Suzanne Gude, Kentucky Cancer Program, and Rachel Briney, Nelson County Health Dept., will use the Cooper Clayton Method, which is a safe, effective way to help people stay smoke-free. The course is science-based, utilizing proven methods that include education, skills training and social support. Participants will be responsible for purchasing nicotine replacement products such as lozenges, gum or patches. To register, call Flaget Health Connection at 502.348.7010. To find out more online, visit www.stopsmoking4ever.org. |
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Need Help with Access, Excel or Want to Know More? Do you have some big, complex lists that you are storing in Excel or Word, and wish to have those converted to an easy-to-use Access database, with friendlier screens for creating new entries or generating summary reports? Or do you need help building reports inside a large Excel spreadsheet, or wish to automate any repetitive tasks that you frequently do inside Microsoft Office? Brett Mason, a new member of the Saint Joseph Health System Educational Services team, can help. Brett is a computer programmer whose primary strength is Microsoft Access databases. He will be teaching Excel and Access classes at Saint Joseph Hospital. To schedule a consultation with him, please visit this page (or call educational services at 859.313.2187): https://www.sjhlex.org/body.cfm?id=13&eformid=125 |
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Letters to Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling The following notes were written to the Emergency Department at Saint Joseph - Mount Sterling. “I have traveled extensively in the U.S. and Europe and due to asthma have had many ER visits. Mount Sterling’s ER personnel were the most conscientious, courteous, and thorough of any place I’ve been for treatment. Kim Henson, Kim Hamilton, Dr. Forrester, Esther, and Edwinna are the best.” “Staff is very attentive! You folks in the ER and Floors Rock!! I’m so thankful you folks are there. God Bless you all.” |
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Heart of Saint Joseph Award Congratulations to Rachel Scott for being named a recipient of the Heart of Saint Joseph Award at Saint Joseph East. Rachel is a labor and delivery nurse. You can read comments from her 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").
Russ Judd, PharmD, BCPS, Clinical Pharmacist and Antimicrobial Management Team (AMT) Coordinator, received the Resident of the Year Award for 2009 from the Kentucky Society of Health-System Pharmacists (KSHP). This award recognizes an individual pharmacy resident for their contribution to the practice of pharmacy through contributions and improvements at their institution/practice site and throughout the state. Dr. Judd was honored for his excellence in patient care, scholarship and teaching. His residency research project was a unique investigation of the interplay between diabetes, infection and health disparities in Kentucky. He also investigated the antibiotic use patterns in Kentucky counties and found some very interesting trends which he presented at the 2009 Infectious Diseases Fellowship Forum in Minnesota. Dr. Judd began working on a survey of antifungal use in hospitals with bone marrow transplant centers, a project which is ongoing, and coauthored a peer-reviewed publication reviewing the evidence for antifungal activity in nontraditional antifungal agents. He also volunteered for the Practice Advancement Committee of the University Health System Consortium and was involved in several UK residency committees. Marintha Short, PharmD, BCPS, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, received the New Practitioner of the Year Award for 2009 from the Kentucky Society of Health-System Pharmacists (KSHP). This award recognizes an innovative new practitioner who has made significant contributions to pharmacy practice in their first 1-5 years as a practitioner. Dr. Short is involved in numerous projects for the improvement of patient care at Saint Joseph Hospital (SJH), some of which include: the SJH Blood Glucose Control Protocol and the Critical Care Delirium and Sedation Protocol. She also takes the time to educate the nurses and pharmacists on new protocols, therapies or other topics of interest. For the past several years, she has lectured for the annual SJH Continuing Education Fall Conference. She has worked with many residents on research projects including the “Safety of Transdermal Nicotine Replacement Therapy in Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Patients,” which has been presented as a poster at both the state and national level. She serves as the residency director of the SJH Cardiology Specialty PGY2 Residency and is a Critical Care preceptor for the ASHP accredited PGY1 Residency. For the past two years Dr. Short has served on the KSHP Program Committee and coordinated Clinical Pearls at the 2009 KSHP Spring Meeting. In 2007 she was appointed to the ASHP New Practitioners Forum Science and Research Advisory Group. |
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Celebrating the New Vice President of Nursing LaJava Chenault began her new role as Vice President of Nursing for Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East and Saint Joseph - Jessamine on November 30. LaJava succeeded Debbie Spencer, who resigned in July. LaJava has extensive health care management experience, and was previously Director of Med-Surg/Oncology/Ortho/Neuro/Peds & WOCN departments at Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East, since assuming that role in 1999. During LaJava’s time as director, her many accomplishments have included: the development and opening of a 16-bed stroke unit, a 16-bed surgical telemetry unit, and the WOCN department; inpatient patient satisfaction scores for her units have increased significantly; and she led the TCAB project and revamped the skin care program. Prior to her time as director, LaJava served in multiple nursing roles for Saint Joseph including unit manager, house administrator and staff nurse. To celebrate her new appointment, several employees and members of the executive and management team threw LaJava a surprise party right before Christmas.
First Baby of the New Year at Saint Joseph East
Saint Joseph - Berea's Annual Auxiliary Christmas Dinner
Betty Little Retired after 27 Years at Saint Joseph - Martin
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