The Carpenter Health Network Poised to Offer Turnkey Solutions

A Publication of The Carpenter Health Network
Volume 4, Issue 1
2nd Quarter 2015
The Carpenter Health Network Poised to Offer Turnkey Solutions
Submitted by: Pat Mitchell, President & Chief Executive Officer, The Carpenter Health Network
Please review the 36-month vision for The Carpenter
Health Network (TCHN) as I cast a vision for our future. We are poised to utilize the right model, at the right
time, to drive improved patient outcomes, satisfaction
and explosive growth while saving 3rd party payers,
such as CMS and MA Plans, considerable costs. The 36
month outlook for The Carpenter Health Network:
With the expansion of St. Joseph Hospice into Lafayette and New Orleans (General Inpatient Unit), as well
as opening the Mobile and Houston operations, SJH is
poised for real organic growth over the next 3 years. I
am very bullish on SJH. Anticipated cumulative growth
of 40% is projected. I am even more bullish on the
growth opportunities with a merger of our groups and
the synergies created.
Expansion of STAT Home Health in Pensacola, Monroe, Lake Charles, Houston and Huntsville presents
large growth opportunities. These new acquisitions
are poised for growth. With the addition of hospice in
Houston, we’re now able to provide the complete care
continuum in Southeast Texas. Within 3 years, I see
these markets contributing significantly to an organic
growth ADC 800 Patients. This represents an increase
of 25%. Other markets are stable. The industry is still
contracting with margins reduced as reimbursement is
cut. Fanatical attention to detail in Oasis Evaluation, as
well as corresponding patient service utilization, will
continue to provide excellent outcomes while managing through the cuts. Precision management, along with
new markets, increases synergies here.
The Launch of Homedica, a Physician Part B In-Home
Provider, provides additional touches within the home
for STAT patients in order to greatly reduce ACH
bounce backs. This “30 Day Post-Acute Transitional
Model” will offer up to 4 patient contacts by MD, PA or
NP in order to augment home health visits during this
critical period of transition from the hospital. This service will not negatively impact the bottom line but will
drastically improve outcomes to STAT and to referring
hospitals. Using this service to bundle our Shared Risk
Program with Medicare Advantage Programs will offer
marked improvements in patient outcomes, satisfaction and cost. These MA patients ultimately progress
into hospice. This will provide explosive growth in end
stage disease management when partnered with AIM
Palliative Home Health.
The above care continuum is known as The Carpenter Health Network (TCHN). Our goal is to use TCHN
to provide a “turnkey” solution to MA Plans, ACDs
and BPCIs. By meeting the needs of the sickest 5% of
chronically-ill patients ... plans, hospitals, CMS and
TCHN wins!
What’s Inside:
STAT Shreveport Office Thrives ...................................... 2
Capitol House Respiratory Program ............................ 3
Compliance Advice on Use of Abbreviations ........... 4
Brand Mantra Developed for TCHN ............................ 5
STAT Houma Practices Active Community Nursing ... 6
Sage Program Focuses on Respiratory Rehab ......... 7
Homedica Continues to Expand ................................. 7
SJH Acadiana Reports Exciting Growth ....................... 8
Business Development Presents 2014 Awards ......... 9
Payroll Services Reminder ................................................ 10
SJH New Orleans Acquires Inpatient Facility ............. 11
SJH BR Hosts Annual St. Joseph Altar ........................... 12
Page 2
STAT Shreveport Office Thrives by Living 5 Core Values
Submitted by: Allison Rhymes, RN, Executive
Director, STAT Northwest, Shreveport
I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “A
company is only as good as its’ employees”.
That certainly holds true for STAT Shreveport. Patrick Durr, Administrator and RSD
remembers several years ago, our CEO, Pat
Mitchell, shared with him that the Shreveport
operation had been one of his most successful startups. Patrick says, “When the branch
opened in early 2008, we were fortunate
enough to have the right players on the administrative, clinical, and marketing teams.
At our first staff meeting, we had 6 team
members. Seven years later, we have 4 of the
original 6 still with the company.” Our average tenure for therapists is 3.9 years, RNs
2.3 years, LPNs (implemented 2 years ago) –
1.6 years, and administrative staff 4.3 years.
We still have our original home health aide,
Shirley Carter! Overall, our tenure for active full time staff is over 3.5 years.
Patrick says “by the grace of God, we have
operated at a high level for over seven years.”
This has certainly not been without challenges! As stated above, the first key is having the
right people. I love the quote, “If you’re not
part of the solution, then you could be part
of the problem.” The 2nd key is working and
living with like values. There are 5 CORE
VALUES our team strives to live by:
1. Always be Honest. A
person of integrity and
character is respected.
Essentially we are on a
job interview every day.
Would you hire yourself?
2. Work Hard and
Smart. I believe the
saying the harder you
work, the luckier you
get. The truth is we
are creating opportunities each
day. The real question is are they positive or
negative opportunities?
3. Invest in Yourself. Expand your knowledge of the industry, your job duties, your
product/service, our customers’ industries.
What have you done in the last 30 days to
make yourself more valuable?
4. Learn From Your Mistakes. Experience
doesn’t matter, it’s what you do with it that
does. Mistakes are an opportunity to learn
and we ALL make them. Do you learn from
your mistakes?
5. Be Proactive. Don’t rely on someone to
determine your level of success. It’s easy to
point fingers and cast blame. If you’re not
part of the solution, you could be part of the
problem. Do you hold yourself accountable?
In addition to having strong core values, we
believe in CONSISTENCY. One area where
consistency is seen in the success of the program is in our AIM program. Erica Brice,
RN, AIM Coordinator, says: “To make the
AIM program as successful as it has become,
I strongly believe that consistency between
how we care for our AIM patients and the
communication between the nurses, the patients, STAT, SJH, the MD, and myself plays
a vital role. A consistent and open line of
communication helps us to provide better
care to the patient and helps initiate a bond
with the patient and their families. This assures them they are being provided the best
care possible and builds a trust like no other
… this is key to our success. They know it,
they feel it, they respect it and they are truly
grateful, especially when tough decisions
have to be made.”
Lastly, QUALITY, has always set STAT
Shreveport apart. This has been evidenced
by making the Homecare Elite Top 100 nationally and even recognized locally as the
#1 Home Health agency 2 years in a row by
Locals Love Us. Our quality is also proven
Continued on page 3
Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 3
Capitol House Entering 10th Year of Respiratory Program
Submitted by: Patrick Rambin, Executive
Director, Capitol House Nursing & Rehab
Capitol House is entering our 10th year of
operating a specialized long term program
for respiratory patients. Our 40 bed pulmonary program provides ventilator management and weaning, tracheostomy care, and
pulmonary hygiene. Our team of respiratory therapists provides 24-hour specialized
services that include: mechanical ventilator
support, non-invasive ventilator support (BIPAP, CPAP, AVAP), ventilator management
and weaning, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy, tracheotomy maintenance/care,
as well as chest physiotherapy.
Capitol House provides a skilled level of
care for patients who require long-term respiratory dependence on sophisticated technology in settings other than the acute care
hospital. We specialize in the treatment of
complex, acute, and chronic conditions due
to catastrophic illness or severe injury.
Our goal is wean and discharge home all appropriate patients currently in the program.
The majority of respiratory admissions come
in Fall and Winter, whereas discharges home
take place during Summer. Over the last few
months, in addition to discharging several
patient success stories home, we’ve taken
time to renovate patient rooms, provide preventative maintenance on all our equipment
and provide training for staff. As part of our
Special Operations goals (4DX), we have attempted to market to a new referral source at
least once per week, as well as continually
assess current residents at Capitol House for
respiratory needs.
The team at
Capitol House
is committed
to providing
an environment for our
residents that
provides the
best care and
makes them
feel at home!
STAT Shreveport Office Thrives (continued)
by the recent
trend of over
100 admits per
month. It is especially seen in
the number of
patients that we
readmit by their own choice because of how
happy they were with our care. This is due
to the excellent patient care they receive on
our services.
Providing quality of care to ALL patients is
as simple as this ... treat each patient as if
he or she is your father or mother. Listen
to what their personal goals are and respect-
fully incorporate them into the patient’s individualized plan of care. The knowledge,
skills, talents, patience, and common sense
that health care providers include in developing and executing a personalized plan
of care, are continuously developing and
evolving, which further enhances quality of
care.
These special skills are used to guide each
patient in progressing toward and achievement of their personal goals. When goals
are achieved, the patient’s functional ability
improves as does his or her quality of life!”
Page 4
What Do You Mean I Can’t Use That Abbreviation Anymore?
Submitted by: Shelley Denton, RN, CLNC,
CPHRM, VP of Corporate Compliance
Most medical abbreviations, acronyms
and symbols originated before
healthcare providers and organizations realized, although time saving, some
can be misinterpreted and
cause errors leading to
adverse outcomes or
death.
In 2005, JCAHO adopted a list of medical abbreviations that can’t be used
by any JCAHO-accredited organization and those seeking accreditation, which also apply to services that have
been or are applying to be certified under the
Disease-Specific Care Certification Program.
The list, part of JCAHO’s 2006 National Patient Safety Goal Initiative, is a response to a
National Summit on Medical Abbreviations
and extensive commentary by the public.
For example, when “U” is used for units,
it can be mistaken for zero. An incident occurred in which “U” of insulin was interpreted as “200 U” resulting in the death from
an overdose of insulin. Another problematic
abbreviation is “µg” (for micrograms). It
can be mistaken for “mg” resulting in a dose
1,000 times greater than what was ordered.
It’s important to remember dangerous abbreviations, acronyms and symbols are not prohibited from use only on medication orders,
but in all notes within the patient record. For
example, the less-than (<) and greater-than
(>) symbols have been mistaken for the letter
“L” and the number seven (7), respectively.
These and other symbols and abbreviations
have been identified by JCAHO as problematic and are listed for possible future inclusion on the Do Not Use list.
During my years as a legal nurse consultant, I
collected some of the more creative “person-
al” abbreviations I found in actual medical
records. You should never invent your own
“medical abbreviations” in your patients’
charts. Remember ... one day an attorney,
judge or jury might read your abbreviations,
which you will have to explain … in front
of 12 of your peers and everyone else in the
courtroom.
Here are some examples of personal abbreviations and other slang from actual cases:
v Guts and Butts: GI Consult
v CYA: Cover Your @$$, which is an unnecessary prescription or procedure ordered
to avoid being sued (the inclusion of which
could result in just the opposite).
v Departure Lounge or Death Row: the geriatric ward of your hospital.
v FLK: a reference to a “Funny Looking
Kid,” often suggestive of characters in the
movie “Deliverance.”
v FLBs: “Funny Looking Beats” used when
you don’t know what the EKG is displaying
v Frequent Flyer: a patient who is transported to and from the hospital often.
v GOMER: an acronym for “Get Out of My
Emergency Room.”
v HAIRY PSALMS: a creative acronym,
which stands for “Haven’t Any Idea Regarding Your Patient, Send A Lot More Serum.”
Yes, that really was written in a chart!
v LOL in NAD: the Little Old Lady in No
Acute Distress.
v NETMA: Nobody Ever Tells Me Anything.
v NSA: Non-Standard Appearance. Often,
this abbreviation refers to what an FLK
grows up to be.
v Pumpkin Positive: a patient considered to
be so unintelligent that if you looked into the
ear, nose or throat, you would find a brain so
small that the entire head would light up.
In summary ... when in doubt Do Not Abbreviate! And always remember, you can contact
your friendly Compliance Team Member with
any questions or concerns.
Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 5
Brand Mantra & Website Developed for Care Continuum
The care continuum offered through The Carpenter Health Network (TCHN) is uniquely
qualified to provide continuity of care to
seniors. Offering a bridge for all stages of
care, it allows them an opportunity to receive
healthcare and support services tailored to
their individual needs.
As the continuum developed, the need for a
brand mantra and website became obvious.
A brand mantra is not an advertising slogan
or tag line ... and in some cases, may not even
be used publicly at all. It’s more of a rally cry
of what a company stands for. A brand mantra becomes a guide for developing goals
and objectives and becomes a deeply resonant piece of the DNA of an organization.
The Business Development team, with
thoughtful input from executive management, partnered with Zehnder Communications to develop the new website (www.
thecarpenterhealthnetwork.com) and the
mantra below.
.
There is no medicine better than hope ... no comfort more than home
and no power greater than the expectation of tomorrow.
For the fight in all of us ... for the families who won’t give in
and for the survivors we all are, we are
The Carpenter Health Network and we believe in the
expectation of tomorrow ... the foundation of hope that
guides us every day in everything we do.
In total, The Carpenter Health Network is the agile, seamless
solution to illness and injury, no matter the prognosis or expected
outcome. From the stability of senior care, home health and
rehabilitation, to curative, life-extending treatment and the
compassion of palliative and hospice care, we are a
continuum of care for the families we serve.
We are The Carpenter Health Network ...
the strength you need ... the wisdom you deserve.
Page 6
Active Community Nursing is “M.O.” for STAT Houma Office
Submitted by: Stacy
Dufrene, RN, BSN,
Executive Director,
STAT Houma
STAT Houma
Office Staff.
PCRs Becky
Zeringue (left)
and Tricia Jett
(right).
The U.S. population is facing an increasing prevalence
of chronic disease.
Community based solutions are essential
to effectively prevent chronic disease and
to maintain the best possible health among
Americans living with chronic illnesses.
The STAT Houma office uses four key
ingredients that are essential to success in preventing chronic disease and
achieving a healthy lifestyle:
à Investing in communities
à Providing a venue for education
à Mobilizing networks for change
à Providing communities with tools
We strive to partner with members of our
community as they achieve health equity and
delay the progression of disease.
Our office continues to work toward providing quality care and our staff members are
active health leaders in the community. For
example, our staff teamed with SJH and the
Council on Aging for an event, featuring a
healthy breakfast and lunch, door prizes, a
live band and
activities to engage the elderly
in heart-healthy
exercise. Social
interactions,
dancing
and
elaborating on
the effectiveness
of home health
nursing
were
discussed. Staff
members also
partner with the
Council on Aging for an event promoting flu
vaccinations to local community members
during flu season.
We believe by being actively involved in
community outreach programs, we will play
a role in increasing the quality of life in our
elderly community. By using a proactive approach, our staff hopes to achieve long term
reductions in the prevalence of disease. The
World Health Organization defines health
promotion as a process of enabling people to
increase control over and to improve health.
To facilitate this process, our staff aims to
educate and provide appropriate information
to the community by being actively involved.
We’ve overcome many obstacles, but with
many dedicated employees we’re able to
continue pushing hard and striving towards
excellence. We’re not just an office with coworkers, we’ve become a trusting family.
TEAMWORK, DEDICATION and AMBITION is what we’re all about. It’s not just
about one person growing, it’s about everyone growing and getting involved. Strategic
thinking, going above and beyond, and everyone lending a hand is what’s helping us to
grow. Blitzing, after-hours, involvement …
whatever it takes!
STAT Houma clinical team.
Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 7
Sage Program Focuses on Respiratory Rehabilitation
Submitted by: Linda Coulon, RHIA, Assistant
Administrator, Sage Rehabilitation
Sage Rehabilitation Hospital has teamed
up with Pulmonologist,
Dr. Bogdan
Nowakowski,
in developing a
Respiratory Program focused on treating complex respiratory diagnosis & providing ventilator care. Dr. Nowakowski brings a wealth
of knowledge with over 15 years’ experience
in Louisiana practicing pulmonology, internal
medicine, and critical care.
The program began in February and has made
Sage the only free standing Rehabilitation
Hospital to offer Ventilator care. Our interdisciplinary treatment team is committed to
providing an intensive respiratory program
designed to meet the individual needs of the
patient. Diagnosis and conditions treated
consist of ventilator weaning, ventilator support, tracheostomy care, tracheostomy weaning/decannulation, respiratory failure, respiratory infections, pleural effusions etc.
Sage welcomes the Director of Respiratory
Therapy, Todd Jarreau, and his team of outstanding Respiratory Therapists who work in
conjunction with the medical staff, nurses,
and therapists to develop a treatment plan focused on improving the patient’s quality of
life.
For those who require an extended recovery
time for treatment of complex respiratory
conditions, ventilator care and/or weaning,
or intensive inpatient rehabilitation, Sage Rehabilitation Hospital is the answer!
Homedica Continues to Expand Care into the Home
Submitted by: Gayla Bryant, BSHA
VP of Rehab Operations
Homedica continues to grow and expand offering both routine medical care, as well as
palliative medical calls in the patient’s home.
Homedica now offers services throughout
Louisiana in Baton Rouge; Covington; New
Orleans; Lafayette; Monroe; Shreveport;
Thibodaux and Houma; and plans to expand
into Mississippi and Texas in the near future.
Over 450 patients are now receiving quality
care in their homes.
Homedica welcomes the addition of Susan
Brown and Krysten Perque, Nurse Practitioners, to the growing staff. Susan serves the
Shreveport area, along with Jennifer Cameron and Krysten serves the Houma/Thibodaux
region.
Provision of quality healthcare at home means
better care to our most vulnerable population.
Te a m e d
with excellent
h o m e
health and
hospice, we
PALLIATIVE MEDICAL CALLS
can improve qualMEDICAL HOUSE CALLS
ity of life and provide
services to decrease the burden on our healthcare system as the elderly
population increases. Decreasing the return to
hospitals for admission and emergency care
can reduce the overall cost of healthcare and
sustain provisions for future generations.
Homedica
Homedica can seamlessly navigate the flow
of patient care through the course chosen by
the patient and the family assuring the quality
of life that each deserves.
Page 8
Exciting Things Happening in the Heart of Acadiana
Submitted by: Kelley Blankenship, RN,
Executive Director, SJH Lafayette
“Passionate people making passionate
progress” has been our motto as we fulfill
our “call” of Hospice. Our team has grown
and changed and with it a renewed sense
of purpose for our ministry of hospice. We
have new team members who have all
added a unique value to our family,
so we’re primed for success and are
growing!
Pat Mitchell, CEO, addresses staff and community at Ground Breaking
Ceremony.
We’ve also teamed up with Homedica
and coupled with our great STAT family, SJH now offers the full continuum
of services for our community. We
are leading the way and making a difference for our agency
and our community
and with our wonderful
partners we know our
community will benefit
from this full collaboration and continuum of
care.
We are extremely excited
about the addition of a general inpatient facility to our
continuum of care! Construction has begun on The Carpenter House, which
will be located at 923
West Pinhook. The state-of-the-art facility, will include 11,200 square feet
of medical area and 5,100 square feet
of office space. In
addition to 16 private rooms, a welcoming atrium with
a waterfall, patients
and families will
have use of a meditation chapel and
Deacon Keith Duhon, Our
family rooms for
Lady of Wisdom Catholic
dining and relaxChurch provides blessing
ing, a children’s
for ceremony.
playroom, and computer availability in a furnished library. Each patient room will include
a private bathroom and large window, allowing for a generous amount of natural light, as
well as an attractive outside view.
We are uniquely placed to serve our area like
no other providers can and we are thrilled to
be here and have a great hope for the future.
There are many exciting things just around
the corner that will revolutionize the way end
of life care is done in Acadiana. We are so
privileged to be a part of this mission.
Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 9
Business Development Presents 2014 Sales Awards
Submitted by: Dawn Wolda, VP of Business
Development, St. Joseph Holdings
The Marketing Team held Regional Sales
Training sessions during 1st Quarter and presented awards to our top achievers! Meetings
were held in Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Hattiesburg and Bellaire. Awards for 2014 were
presented to the following staff:
Top Gun Award (awarded to PCRs attaining 250+ admits in the calendar year)
v Tommy DeLaMare - STAT Pensacola
v Karen McClendon - STAT Shreveport
v Jaclyn Clinton - STAT Alexandria
v Christie Talamo - STAT New Orleans
v Sherri Ballard - STAT Huntsville
v Shane Gilliam - STAT Shreveport
v Carrie Johns - STAT Baton Rouge
v Tracey Mathews - SJH Alexandria
v Annette Zuelke - SJH Baton Rouge
President’s Club Award (an elite group of
sales members who attain 300+ admits in
the calendar year)
v Annette Zuelke - SJH Baton Rouge
v Tracey Mathews - SJH Alexandria
v Jaclyn Clinton - STAT Alexandria
v Tommy DeLaMare - STAT Pensacola
v Karen McClendon - STAT Shreveport
Rookie of the Year (awarded to a PCR newbie obtaining the highest number of average
monthly admits)
v Tommy DeLaMare – STAT Pensacola
Diamond Award (awarded to the PCR with
the highest number of admits for the year)
v Tommy DeLaMare – STAT Pensacola
(472 Admits)
v Tracey Mathews - SJH Alexandria
(311 Admits)
Rainmaker Award (highest overall new
physician business developed)
v Christie Talamo - STAT New Orleans
v Dey Caronna-Schwing - SJH New Orleans
Our sales team is managed
by Regional Sales Directors, Patrick Durr, John
Clarkson, Joe Buckley and newest member,
Terri Davis. Richard
Oates (STAT Alexandria),
Darrell Newman (STAT
Monroe) and Jerome Cox
(SJH Shreveport) also assist with leading the sales
team in their respective
areas. All of these individuals bring a wealth of
knowledge and experience to the table and help
to keep our teams in focus
and on a successful path.
From the looks of the list
of winners ... our sales
team has some outstanding performers already.
Our mission is to help all
our team reach these successful milestones and to
give them all the tools
they need to market the
unique care continuum
offered by TCHN.
Our staff is busy preparing for our next round of
sales training sessions,
which will be held during
end of May, early June.
By holding these sessions
Continued on page 10
Pictured at left (from top): Joe Buckley with
Annette Zuelke (SJH Baton Rouge); John
Clarkson with Carrie Johns (STAT Baton
Rouge); John Clarkson with Christie Talamo
(STAT New Orleans); Joe Buckley with Tracey
Mathews (SJH Alexandria); Patrick Durr with
Jaclyn Clinton (STAT Alexandria); Patrick
Durr with Karen McClendon (STAT Shreveport); and John Clarkson and Patrick Durr
with Sherri Ballard (STAT Huntsville).
Page 10
Business Development Hosts Annual Sales Meeting ... (continued)
on a quarterly basis, we hope to be able to
provide our sales team with up-to-the-minute
training that propels them to the top!
Pictured above: Joe
Buckley with Dey
Caronna-Schwing
(SJH New Orleans);
Patrick Durr with
Shane Gilliam
(STAT Shreveport).
Speaking of the top ... we can’t miss this
opportunity to give accolades to one of our
major Sales Superstars, Tommy DeLaMare
(STAT Pensacola). Tommy snagged the
Rookie of the Year Award, but set an all-time
record total of admits with 472 for the year!
He also received the Top
Gun Award, The President’s Club Award and
the Diamond Award.
Not too shabby for his
first year on the team!
Tommy DeLaMare with awards during
ceremony held in his honor in Pensacola.
Tommy was unable to
attend the session to receive his awards, but
he joined in via Skype,
later receiving a hero’s Tommy DeLaMare via Skype
presentation at the Pen- during the Shreveport award
sacola office. Tommy ceremony!
It’s not about luck ...
is an awesome sales
it’s about hard work!!
rep and advocate for the Pensacola operation.
He’s just an all-around great guy, constantly referral sources. Hats off to Tommy for livlooking for ways to set himself apart from his ing the mission of TCHN!
competition. He’s been known to don a red
tutu on Valentine’s Day and out dress the Irish We are excited about the future of The Caron St. Patty’s Day to make an impression on penter Health Network and its potential
his customers. But his biggest achievement growth. We each can play a roll in touchis being attentive to the needs of his custom- ing the lives of others and if we continue to
ers and our patients ... doing what’s best for do that for our patients and their families, we
the patient and being a problem solver for his are certain to achieve greatness! Let’s Roll!!
Payroll Services Reminder ...
It is very important that all personnel files
maintain current up to date information.
Employees must notify their supervisor
if any of the following information has
changed:
v Name, Address, Phone Number,
Emergency Contact information
v Marital status or legal dependents
v Designation of beneficiary
v W-4 information
Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 11
SJH New Orleans Acquires General Inpatient Facility
On February 6th, St. Joseph Hospice acquired an inpatient hospice house, located at
507 Upstream Street in New Orleans.
The Carpenter House of St. Joseph Hospice is
located in a well-maintained area and like the
flagship facility in Baton Rouge, will serve
as a place of peace for terminally ill patients
with symptoms not well managed at home.
Offering ten cozy, home-like rooms, living
and dining areas, a full kitchen with amenities for patient and family cooking, relaxing
outdoor family/meditation area, as well as
bath and showers for family members, the
facility will provide the confidence of a hospital, with the comforts of home.
Patients can
transition
directly
from their
residence
or the hospital into a
home-like
atmosphere The facility helps patients and
families in need of intense assistance with
symptom management as appropriate patients step down from acute care hospitalization. This option is important since patients
have elected to seek comfort and dignity
rather than heroic curative measures … they
are now on a different trajectory and The
Carpenter House supports and respects the
choice made by the patient and family.
“We believe this will improve our patient
outcomes and help improve outcomes in the
local acute care hospitals, while lowering
unnecessary costs to the Medicare system,”
stated Pat Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer.
As our population ages, innovative health
care providers evolve their services to meet
changing needs. SJH has done just that. The
staff is comprised of a compassionate, experienced and well-trained interdisciplinary
team of professionals including Medical Di-
rector, Laurence Durante, MD, Administrator, Christian R. Koerner, RN, BSN, MSHCM; Director of Nursing, Laura Hansen,
RN; Operations Specialist, Jackie Diamond,
CHA; skilled registered and licensed practical nurses; certified nursing assistants; medical social workers; bereavement counselors;
chaplains; and hospice-trained volunteers.
“St. Joseph Hospice is privileged to have
served the New Orleans area for over 12
years, respecting life from conception through
natural death,” said Mitchell. “The Carpenter House of St. Joseph Hospice
will help better meet the needs
of those with life-limiting illness
in the dignified manner they deserve.”
TCHN is proud to offer this important crisis care component to
St. Joseph Hospice patients in
the New Orleans area!
Volume 4, Issue 1
Page 12
St. Joseph Hospice Hosts Annual St. Joseph Altar
The Baton
Rouge
office of SJH
hosted
its
yearly
St.
Joseph Altar
on Thursday,
March 19th.
The St. Joseph Altar
began
as
a
custom
brought to New Orleans by Sicilian immigrants. The tradition in Italy goes back as far
as the Middle Ages in gratitude to St. Joseph
for answering prayers for
deliverance from famine.
Families of farmers and
fishermen built altars in
their homes to share their
good fortune with others
in need. After many centuries, the St. Joseph Altar
still serves as a reminder
that those who have enjoyed some measure of
good fortune must share it
with those who have less. It is an offering
of love and gratitude for all the blessings received.
Friends, along with St. Joseph Hospice staff
and volunteers, prepared an abundance of
food, cookies and pastries and decorated
an altar with flowers, candles and statues in
thanksgiving to St. Joseph, the Patron Saint
of a Peaceful Death, for favors granted.
Foods are traditionally served containing
bread crumbs to represent saw dust since
St. Joseph was a carpenter. Since the feast
occurs during Lent, traditionally no meat is
allowed on the celebration table. The altar
usually has three tiers, to represent the trinity. Following a blessing by the Reverend J.
Clifton Hill, C.S.Sp., the public was invited
to partake in the feast. This year, the oldest in
attendance was a 99 year old and the youngest in attendance was a four-week old baby,
named Joseph.
As the only hospice agency in the Baton
Rouge area hosting an event of this type, St.
Joseph Hospice hosted its first Altar in 2004
and is proud to continue this honored tradi-
tion. The altar, held yearly in mid-March,
gets larger and larger each year. All donations
made during the event go to the St. Joseph
Hospice Foundation, a non-profit foundation,
chartered in 2003, which provides assistance
to terminally ill patients and their families.
Many thanks to all the staff and volunteers
who helped to make this year’s event another
wonderful success!
Pictured L-R: Rae Anne Firmin, Executive Assistant; Joe Buckley,
Regional Sales Director; Sommer Anding, PCR; Annette Zuelke,
PCC; Christy Thomas, PCR; and Heidi Thomas, Intake Coordinator.