nexus connection - HealthBridge Children`s Hospital

NEXUS CONNECTION MAY 2013 Special Edi on: Salute to Nursing Wri en by: Chris Alanis, Employment Specialist, Nexus Health Systems and Cindy Mostaffa, Facility CEO/Administrator, Touchstone Neurorecovery Center Na onal Nurse’s Week begins on
Florence Nigh ngale’s birthday, May
6, every year. Nurse’s Week has
been celebrated since October 1954
which marked the 100th anniversary
of Nigh ngale’s mission work during
the Crimean War (1853‐1856). She is
the founder of professional nursing
and is viewed as a pioneer in nursing
care because of her frequent pa ent
rounding which gave her the tle
“The Lady with the Lamp.”
Each year the Houston Chronicle
promotes its Salute to Nurses cam‐
paign to recognize 100 of Houston’s
noteworthy nurses and Nexus has
quite a number of its own. Each fa‐
cility chose one nurse to nominate
and we wanted to take a moment to
recognize them:
From HealthBridge Children’s Hospi‐
tal – Houston – Jopy Jacob, RN Jopy is a hard working nurse; she
strives as a team play‐
er. She always has a
posi ve a tude and is
always looking out for
pa ents’ safety and
well‐being. She gives
outstanding customer service to
staff, pa ents, and visitors and she is
also one of our preceptor nurses for
new hires.
Jopy works in our cri cal area of
the hospital. When she is given diffi‐
cult pa ents, she takes the assign‐
ment with a posi ve a tude. She is
able to respect and honor pa ents, in
any state, while delivering great pa‐
ent care. She has great listening
and communica on skills, is an advo‐
cate for her pa ents and their family
members, and is a warming, caring
pediatric nurse.
From Nexus Specialty Hospital – Sonya Arndt, LVN Sonya exhibits, on a consistent basis,
the op mal of care of her pa‐
ents. She con nues
to go above and be‐
yond expecta ons to
direct pa ent care, ad‐
dress family needs, and
communicate with family members
as well as physicians. She is a true
example of a posi ve team player,
exhibi ng the utmost integrity in her
work ethic as well as her interac ons
with other staff members. She is an
asset to Nexus Specialty Hospital.
From Touchstone Neurorecovery Center – Priscilla Johnson Touchstone’s nursing compliment
has evolved and redefined the com‐
munity based nursing model which
encompasses transi onal care, neu‐
robehavioral, and re‐
habilita on nursing.
This endeavor was ac‐
complished with
Priscilla Johnson’s pro‐
gressive vision and her
ability to translate it into ac on
through educa on, team work, and
diligence. Her work 15 years of dedi‐
ca on at Nexus Health Systems is
only part of her story. She has over
51 years of nursing experience and
has worked in many facili es around
the country and the world. She has
been instrumental in problem solv‐
ing, listening to our nurses, and cre‐
a ng a plan for the nursing staff to
be a stronger, more unified team.
Priscilla should be admired for her
dedica on to the field, and her like‐
ness to Flor‐
Continued on Page 2
Salute to Nursing (con’t) ence Nigh ngale—she has never
given or taken any excuse. It is all
about the passion to care.
From HealthBridge Children’s Hos‐
pital—Orange—Jennifer Gonzaga Reyes, LVN Jennifer has been part of our
HealthBridge family
since April 2008
when she started
working here as a
Cer fied Nursing
Assistant. She then
went on to become
a Licensed Voca onal Nurse and is
currently pursuing her RN creden‐
al.
Jennifer is one of our night shi
nurses who has an exemplary work
ethic and will help in any capacity
that she can, whether it is to cover
as a nursing assistant when needed,
learning new tasks in order to assist
in “ge ng things done”, or just
lending a helping hand to others on
the team. She consistently turns out
quality work in a mely manner,
paying a en on to detail, while be‐
ing a strong pa ent advocate. She is
constantly looking for opportuni es
to serve and learn. Her willingness
to address tough issues with confi‐
dence is a trait that is much ad‐
mired by her peers and team mem‐
bers. We are proud to have Jennifer
on our team!
The top 10 will be featured in the
Houston Chronicle’s 2013 Salute to
Nurses sec on on Sunday, May 12,
2013 as well as honored at their an‐
nual Salute to Nurses luncheon later
in the year. We are so proud to
have such
outstanding
nurses as part
of our team!
May 2013
Update on the Nexus
Neurocon nuum
Wri en by: Maureen Arvanetakis, Vice President of Sales and Marke ng, Nexus Health Systems Nexus Health Systems announces the promo on of Ann De la Rosa to Na‐
onal Director of Catastrophic Care. For the past 10 years, Ann has been
the Director of Professional Rela ons and Payor Rela ons for Touchstone
Neurorecovery Center.
In her new posi on, Ann will develop and maintain Worker’s Compen‐
sa on, Group Medical and Managed Care payor rela onships, and will
seek opportuni es to develop new markets with a na onal focus for our
Nexus Neurocon nuum. The Neurocon nuum provides long term special‐
ty care for pa ents who have suffered trauma c brain or other neurologi‐
cal injuries. Ann will represent the Neurocon nuum which includes
Touchstone Neurorecovery Center, Nexus Specialty Hospital and both
HealthBridge Children’s Hospitals.
Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
on Kickoff By: Deepak Chaudhry, Vice President of Informa
Technology, Nexus Health Systems We are excited
to announce that we
had our official Med‐
itech kickoff mee ng at
the Omni Hotel on
April 9, 2013. Repre‐
senta ves from all our
facili es and the cor‐
porate office par ci‐
pated in this event.
During our kickoff,
Meditech discussed the various support op ons, melines and milestones,
an implementa on plan, training, and general expecta ons. We then had
breakout sessions to discuss the various modules with facility team leads
and resources to be er understand current workflows.
Meditech emphasized the key to a successful project is delega on,
cross facility support, and communica on. Meditech modules will be rolled
out to all facili es at the same me over the next 2 years. We look forward
to implemen ng this robust system and are enthusias c for a successful
rollout.
Feel free to visit www.meditech.com to get more informa on on this
EMR/Pa ent Accoun ng system.
If you have any ques ons/concerns, please contact Deepak Chaudhry
via email at [email protected] or at extension 4101.
Nexus Connection
Page 2 of 16
Head‐First Helmet Project 2013 GOAL $30,000 Help us reach our goal so
that we can con nue
providing the community
with helmets for safe recre‐
a onal use in our quest to
prevent brain injuries.
Don't email anything you might be
embarrassed about, whether right
now or in the future. Err on the side
of cau on.
Appropriate Uses of Humor There are many ways to incorporate
humor into workplace ac vi es:
 Start a mee ng with a smile:
Tell a story about a past foible. It
will make you more human.
 When training a new person:
Tell them about a mistake you once
Laughter can be a very powerful
made and how you learned from it.
tool. It can change an a tude and
 Any me: Work‐related cartoons
help relieve stress. And let's face it: can enliven a workspace or the re‐
most workplaces could do with a
frigerator in the lunchroom. Humor‐
li le brightening up. But what is ap‐ ous, cute, or odd animal pictures
propriate in an office, and when?
can bring a smile.
Simple Rules Be er Safe than Hur ul Think twice‐‐or even three mes‐‐
Something that you find funny may
before you tell a joke at work or
be offensive to someone else. If in
send a cartoon via e‐mail. If you
doubt, don't tell the joke or share
think a joke may offend someone,
the cartoon.
don't tell or send it. Period. At the
On the other hand, an appropri‐
very least, ALWAYS avoid the fol‐
ate joke or cartoon can brighten up
lowing:
your workday, and your employees'
 Racial and ethnic jokes, includ‐ and co‐workers' as well.
ing those involving religious or cul‐
And always remember that your
tural background
EAP is a valuable resource for issues
 Cruel or sarcas c jokes about
related to communica on and inter‐
yourself or others
personal issues in the workplace.
 Sexist jokes or jokes about sexu‐
al orienta on
© Harris, Rothenberg Interna onal,
 Jokes making fun of physical or Inc.
mental disabili es or someone's age Reviewed 07/11
 Overtly sexual jokes
Email E que e If you wouldn't send a joke or car‐
toon on business le erhead, do not
send it via email. You may want to
discuss your company's email rules
with your Human Resources depart‐
ment. In extreme cases, email can
be legally binding and may used as
evidence‐‐for example, in a sexual
harassment suit.
sing Humor at Work: Do's and Don'ts
“No Pass Zone”
CALL LIGHTS Are
Everyone’s
Responsibility
health care team approach, and im‐
prove overall customer service. The
“No Pass Zone” allows the health
care team to provide safe quality
care of all pa ents. This means that
everyone will par cipate in address‐
ing the needs of the pa ent. This
ini a ve is not new to health care;
it’s merely an enhancement to daily
prac ces.
Goal: To address the pa ent’s need or
concern within several minutes. Descrip on:
If a pa ent call light is on, any staff
member who is qualified to answer
call lights should answer. The team
approach to pa ent care usually
means that everyone is responsible
for the care of all pa ents on the
unit. It is both a quality‐of‐care and
quality‐of‐work‐environment stand‐
ard. When tasks are shared, and a
spirit of coopera on is maintained,
everyone wins, both staff and pa‐
ents.
Developing a trus ng pa ent‐
provider rela onship is an ongoing
process. Honesty and trust are cru‐
cial in pa ent‐provider rela onships
(Fitzpatrick, Friend, & Costley,
2005). Trust is cri cal because the
pa ent is in a defenseless posi on.
Ini ally, trust in a rela onship is
fragile, so it’s important that health
care providers keep promises to a
pa ent. If trust is breached, the
trust may be broken. When a pa‐
ent is wai ng on someone to meet
even their basic needs, it may seem
like a long me to receive a re‐
sponse. Once a pa ent pushes a call
light for help, it’s their percep on
that help is on the way. Imagine the Process:
1. Any health care provider
pa ent wai ng, perhaps seeing peo‐
walking down the hallway
ple walk by the door, talking and
when a call light is on will
laughing. This can destroy the
proceed to the pa ent’s
trus ng rela onship that all
room to address their need
healthcare providers strive so hard
to achieve. Pa ents trust that their
or concern.
needs and concerns will be ad‐
2. Any health care provider who
dressed in a mely manner.
hears a call light sounding
will answer the call light.
The “No Pass Zone” is created to
3. The health care provider
improve call light response rate, im‐
should understand his or her prove care of fall risk pa ents, pro‐
limits to work within his or mote pa ent centered care and a
her scope of prac ce.
May 2013
Nexus Connection
4. Excep on: Do not go into a
room with restric ons
(isola on or low dose radia‐
on), instead alert a nurse or
CNA to go into the room. If
the staff member is familiar
with the restric on then
please proceed to address
the pa ent.
5. Use hand sani zer before
walking into the room and as
you exit.
6. Greet the pa ent, introduce
yourself and ask “how may I help you, I have the me?”
7. Responses will vary based on
the pa ent’s request and
staff abili es:
‐Take care of the pa‐
ent’s need or con‐
cern;
‐No fy the Nurse/CNA.
Let’s con nue to ensure that our
pa ents not only receive the best
care, but improve on the trustwor‐
thiness of the pa ent‐provider rela‐
onship.
Wri en by: Cheryl Johnson, MSN, RN, CLCP, LNC‐CSP, Director of Quality Services Page 4 of 16
News from Shenandoah
and The Woodlands
Congratula ons Clinical April All Star! Sonya Ardnt, LVN Shenandoah Campus Sonya is a nurse who always en‐
sures that her pa ents’ best in‐
terests are addressed. She advo‐
cates for her pa ents to make
sure they receive the best
care. She has strong clinical deci‐
sion‐making skills and a compas‐
sionate manner.
Angelia Williams, Unit Secretary Woodlands Campus Angie is always helpful, friendly,
and a en ve to the needs of the
pa ents, visitors, and the
staff. She is organized and con‐
scien ous, an cipates physicians’
requests, while keeping infor‐
ma on flowing to the correct
person. Angie is a valuable mem‐
ber of the Woodlands staff and
we would be lost without her.
Relay for Life!
Nexus Specialty passed out helmets on April 16th to
the community and it was a great success!!!!
Happenings in West Houston!
WELCOME Josie Gombar, Director of Staff Development Please welcome our new Director of Staff Devel‐
opment Josie Gombar to Healtbridge Children’s
Hospital. Josie comes from Texas Children’s
Hospital where she was recognized as a highly
mo vated employee with con nuous and me c‐
ulous regards to detail and accuracy. She also
has extensive hands‐on training with staff mem‐
bers. Since day one at Healthbridge, Josie has
been very posi ve and jumps right in with staff
training. Please welcome Josie to our team!
May 2013
Nexus Connection
Page 6 of 16
Employee of the Month
Every Month “Changes” Program Coordinator, Chris Elem, along
with the “Champions” from the northside of the hospital host
ZUMBA which from 9:30 am—10:30 am. Everyone is welcome to
join or watch. Each month is a different theme! Chris will an‐
nounce the next me Changes and their Champions will have
Zumba. Below are pictures from the first Zumba fitness turnout.
Tiphanie Leath
The employee of the month at HBH for April is Tiphanie
Leath. She is one of our unit secretaries. Even though she
has been with the company a short time, she has gone
above and beyond her regular duties. She has cleaned up
every nursing station in the hospital making them organized and efficient for the nursing staff. She also has a
positive attitude with everyone she interacts with. She is
true example of dedicated, team player.
Easter Egg Hunt!
The Easter Bunny hopped over to visit
the patients at HealthBridge Children’s
Hospital-Houston. Johnny Pham and
staff from Epic Health Services collaborated with HealthBridge staff to create a
morning of springtime fun for families.
Patients decorated Easter baskets and enjoyed hunting for prize-filled eggs. Patients and
siblings were assisted by Epic staff and community volunteers to ensure that everyone could
participate. The Easter Bunny posed for
lots of pictures and families enjoyed the
egg hunt, bubbles, games and prizes.
Thanks to everyone who helped make
the event a success!
From the Sunny Shores
of Southern
Pa
Steger
has been
elected as
President
‐Elect of
the Orange County APIC chapter
for 2013. This means a 3 year
commitment serving as president‐
elect, president and past‐
president. The president automa ‐
cally succeeds to the presidency
a er serving as the president‐elect.
The most exci ng part is that Pa
will be President of OC APIC when
the chapter will “host” the Na on‐
al APIC Conference to be held in
Anaheim, CA in June 2014.
Pa began a ending APIC
mee ngs in 2008 so that Health‐
Bridge Children's Hospital Orange
would have an “ear” in current in‐
fec on preven on & control top‐
ics. At first in midated by being a
“lab” person amongst many nurs‐
es, she quickly found that the mix
of microbiology and data gather‐
ing/analysis was right up her alley.
Pa added to her responsibili es
(and another “hat” to wear) when
she assumed the role of Infec on
Preven onist for the facility in
2010. A er 2 years of hands on
experience and lots of studying,
Pa took the Cer fica on in Infec‐
on Control ex‐
amina on and
passed.
Congratula ons
Pa !!
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY MONTH: April 2013—Denver Nino, Director Rehabilita on Services I am pleased to introduce the Oc‐
cupa onal Therapy (OT) Depart‐
ment at HealthBridge Children’s
Hospital‐Orange (HB‐O). My name
is Denver Niño, OTD, OTR/L and I
am also the Director of Rehabilita‐
on Services. We are a group of 7
Registered and Licensed Occupa‐
onal Therapists and 1 Cer fied
Occupa onal Therapy Assistant
with various levels of clinical expe‐
rience and educa on. OT is a help‐
ing profession that works towards
improving a person’s ability to
complete their ac vi es of daily
living. Such ac vi es may include
May 2013
California
dressing, bathing, toile ng, feed‐
ing, mobility, play, and social skills.
The OT’s at HB‐O work in both an
inpa ent and outpa ent capacity,
trea ng across the pediatric
lifespan (0‐21 years of age) with
varying diagnoses. The OT’s spe‐
cialize in orthopedic, neurological,
and developmental condi ons and
have a ended various con nuing
educa on courses in the area of
pediatric rehabilita on. Our mas‐
ter’s and doctoral trained OT’s also
boast a number of advanced cer fi‐
ca ons including physical agent
modali es, swallowing cer fica‐
on, sensory integra on, child pas‐
senger safety, and fieldwork educa‐
on cer fica on. In addi on, many
Nexus Connection
of our OT’s are also California
Children’s Services (CCS) Pan‐
eled. We also supervise the Ac‐
vi es program here in order to
ensure that our pa ents are con‐
nually offered leisure and rec‐
rea onal ac vi es daily. HB‐O is
a facility that helps in the transi‐
on between hospital and home,
thus facilita ng generaliza on of
skills and normalcy. It is an hon‐
or to recognize the following
therapists during this 2013 occu‐
pa onal therapy month.
Mary Ann Bailey, MA, OTR/L
Karena Bui, MA, OTR/L
Arnel Calvario, OTR, OTR/L, SWC
Taryn Donnowitz, MOT, OTR/L
Allison Mercer, MA, OTR/L,
CPAM
Marlene Magistrado, BS, COTA/L
Chris ne Nagano, MA, OTR/L
Denver Niño, OTD, OTR/L, SIPT,
CPAM, CPST
Star Award Winner
Shannon Monroe, LVN
Employee of the Month
Abdu Said, RRT
Page 8 of 16
F
Communications
from Conroe, Texas
April is OT Month, an annual designa on for the celebra on
and recogni on of the roles and value that this hardworking
and passionate group of professionals brings to the lives of
their clients and our Nexus teams.
The profession of Occupa onal Therapy makes valuable
contribu ons in helping people "Live Life to Its Fullest" a er
an illness or injury. These professionals also help people
across the lifespan par cipate in the things they want and need to do through the
therapeu c use of everyday ac vi es.
They play key roles in rehabilita on of clients with all manner of acute and
chronic disabili es, as well as contribu ng exper se in health promo on, home
modifica ons, driving reentry, voca onal and community reintegra on, and upper
extremity rehabilita on.
Help us celebrate our OTs. Find one, say thanks and give them a handshake or
hug!!
A belated Congratula ons to Priscilla Johnson, IC Nurse/
Special Projects, on her 15 year anniversary with the company! EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH MARCH Our March Employee of Month goes to Steve Perez, Living
Skills Support. Steve joined the team in October 2012. Ste‐
ve always engages pa ents with ac vi es that doesn’t only
keep them safe, but also helps them become more inde‐
pendent and confident of their own self worth. He has a
caring nature and work ethics that exceeds expecta ons.
Congratula ons on your
Re rement, Mrs. Renee !!!
Best wishes for a happy re rement, Mrs.
Renee! Thank you for everything you’ve
done for Touchstone; it’s been much appre‐
ciated and you will be missed by both staff
and residents. We sincerely hope that re‐
rement is wonderful and we wish you lots
of joyous me with your family.
(L to R) Renee Toliver
and Pamela Steinmetz
(L to R) Tish Gist, Rushine Wallace, Dee Montello, Merle McDowell EMPLOYEE OF THE
QUARTER
It is with great pleasure that we
announce Shaque a Williams as
the Employee of the Quarter for
the first quarter in 2013.
Shaque a joined the team in
March 2011 as Living Skills Sup‐
port and was promoted to Reha‐
bilita on Technician in Septem‐
ber 2012. She has taken to her
new role with the same passion for learning that
she brings to her daily resident care du es. She
con nues to be seen as a loyal, hardworking con‐
tributor by her peers and as a favorite staff mem‐
ber by her clients. With her “Can Do” a tude and
upbeat personality, going Above and Beyond
comes naturally to Shaque a. Congratula ons!
LaNee & Lawrence are ge ng married!!! Soulmates… Two halves of the same soul joining together in Life’s journey ~Author Un‐
known~ Wedding Date: May 4, 2013 The Apple Core:
Are you looking forward to a healthy
and happy retirement? Have you
thought about how long you and your
spouse or partner will spend in retire‐
ment? What is your life expectancy?
How many years will you spend alone
if you become widowed? How much
money have you saved in order to as‐
sure yourself of a financially‐secure
retirement?
Why it's Important to Plan Ahead These ques ons are important for all
of us to ask ourselves as we grow
closer to re rement, but they are es‐
pecially important for women. Studies
indicate that American women at age
65 can now expect to live an addi on‐
al 19.2 years. That's an average of
seven years longer that men. Further‐
more, approximately eighty‐five per‐
cent of married women in the United
States will become widowed. In addi‐
on, child care and elder care respon‐
sibili es frequently fall on women's
shoulders. This is significant because
it means that women may spend less
me in the workforce than men,
which may be one of the reasons why
many women are likely to have lower
wages and pensions. These factors
are magnified even further if a wom‐
an is single.
To ensure that you are financially se‐
cure in later life, it's important to plan
ahead and prepare now. Now, more
than ever, ac ons that you take, and
decisions that you make, will deter‐
mine the financial security of your
re rement years.
With the economy at its peak, notable
May 2013
a en on on Wall Street, and the
mass influx of baby boomers ap‐
proaching their re rement years,
women are realizing more and more
that being able to manage money is
just as important as earning it.
Financial Plannin
Re rement? Harri
For women, if just one factor is miss‐
ing, it may increase your chances of
ending up in poverty in later life. This
is even more reason to motivate
yourself to overcome ambivalence
toward, and lack of knowledge about
financial issues.
What Are Your Goals? If you haven't found the time and en‐
Many women have several major fi‐
ergy to focus on your financial future,
nancial goals, such as funding a child's consider these facts:
college educa on, building a nest egg
for re rement, and providing for fam‐ Social Security will not be enough.
ily security on a long‐term basis. Yet With the American economy strong, it
the ques on then becomes, how does looks as if Social Security will have
one a ain these goals? One answer is enough money to provide benefits to
to develop and follow a financial plan. everyone who is eligible. Unfortu‐
nately, this supplemental income pro‐
How Do You Feel About Finances? gram for older persons provides just a
portion of what most men and wom‐
Do you o en feel afraid or that it's
en will need to maintain their style of
too late to begin planning? Do you
living into retirement.
feel that perhaps you lack the appro‐
priate knowledge to begin financial
Women's savings are rarely enough.
planning? In reality, it's not too late. It Less than half of working women reg‐
is to your benefit to begin planning
ularly save for retirement. And those
ahead. In the event of illness, disabil‐ who do save, begin doing so at later
ity, or the death of a spouse or part‐ stages in life than most men do.
ner, you may find yourself so over‐
come with emo on that it may be
Women do not contribute to employ‐
difficult to make a sound decision
er‐sponsored pensions as much as
about finances.
they should. Among people forty and
older who have defined contribution
Factors That Contribute to a Com‐
pension plans, women's median ac‐
fortable Re rement count balances are one‐third of
men's. This difference also is a func‐
Financial managers have iden fied
tion of the fact that women's salaries
four factors that predict a comforta‐ are lower than those of men.
ble re rement:
Women are less likely than men to
· A college education
retain their lump sum distributions
· Pension
for retirement. Two‐thirds of women
· Marriage
nearing retirement deplete their lump
· Home ownership
sum distributions from defined bene‐
Nexus Connection
Page 10 of 16
g and Women: Are You Ready For is Rothenberg Interna onal Reviewed 01/10 a spouse or partner to become inca‐
pacitated or to die to understand your
family's financial circumstances. Be
sure to make a list of all important
documents and know their wherea‐
bouts. Learn how to take over any fi‐
Marital status impacts net worth
nancial responsibility now held by a
much more seriously for women. Old‐ family member, and be sure you un‐
er married couples have a median net derstand all family investments.
worth five times greater than house‐
Study. Gather and read articles and
holds headed by older unmarried
other resources that explain basic
women. The net worth of a woman
who is unmarried, is significantly low‐ facts about financial investing. Attend
er than that of an unmarried man, at lectures or workshops, many of which
are sponsored by employers, local
all ages.
community groups, and educational
Two important financial concepts that institutions. Look into the many learn‐
women should consider are:
ing tools now available on the Internet
and in computer software packages to
 Investments should be diversified help you understand and manage
to spread risk
money. Make a plan. Identify your fi‐
 It is important to invest continu‐
nancial goals. When do you plan to
ously over a long period of time
retire? How long will your retirement
Tips income need to last? How much mon‐
ey will you need to support your life‐
There is only one fatal mistake that
style after you have left the work‐
anyone can make regarding prepara‐ force? What are the sources of that
tion for retirement ‐ and that is to do retirement income? How much do
nothing about it. Remember, it's nev‐ you need to start saving now to meet
er too late to start saving and to gain a your retirement income goals?
greater understanding and control of
your personal financial situation. To
Formulate a budget and stick to it. begin:
Control your spending. This doesn't
need to involve drastic cutbacks! Even
Get organized. First, get your financial small savings eventually add up if you
records in order. List your savings ac‐ follow them with discipline.
counts and any pensions or other em‐
ployer‐sponsored retirement savings Maximize employer‐sponsored re‐
accounts as well as any investments. tirement benefits. If your employer
List your debts and any other liabili‐
offers a 401(k), contribute at least the
ties. Become familiar with your finan‐ minimum needed to trigger the em‐
cial situation.
ployer's matching contribution. Open
an Individual Retirement Account
Make sure you get information from (IRA).
your spouse or partner. Don't wait for
fit plans rather than rolling them over
into IRAs, leaving the money with the
old employer or transferring it to a
new one, or converting it into an an‐
nuity.
Utilize automatic deduction plans. If
you can, have your employer deduct a
small percentage from your paycheck
for deposit into a savings account,
that will go towards retirement. Peo‐
ple usually find it easier to do without
money that they have never seen,
than to set aside savings on their own.
Make your own financial security a priority. Don't assume that someone
else will take care of your financial
security. Treat saving for your retire‐
ment as a necessary expense and
begin to save. Don't get discouraged.
Anything put away today for your fu‐
ture will make your retirement easier.
Invest with inflation in mind. Some
risk in your investment choices is nec‐
essary to overcome inflation and taxes
so that you won't outlive your retire‐
ment savings. Start small and build
your investing confidence through
your knowledge and experience. Join
or start an investment club, perhaps
one just for women.
Hire a trustworthy financial advisor.
Financial planning is not just for
wealthy individuals. If you feel you
could benefit from the advice and ex‐
pertise of a financial advisor, inter‐
view several to find someone you can
trust. Check his or her references and
credentials. Be clear and up‐front
about how much you will pay for the
services provided.
Don't procrastinate! The sooner you
start, the sooner you'll begin to ad‐
dress the inevitable requirements for
your happy retirement. It's never too
late to start!
Quest for Quality…
NSHs Total Quality Indicators Not Red 2013
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
85%
79%
57%
67%
64%
120%
TNC Quality Indicators Not Red 2013
100%
85%
100%
96%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
0%
HBOs Total Quality Indicators Not Red 2013
HBH Quality Indicators Not Red 2013
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
94% 94%
93% 93%
85%
85%
69%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
85% 85% 85% 85%
Update Your W2
Online
Complete Form W-4 so that we withhold the correct federal income tax
from your pay. Consider completing a new Form W-4 each year and when
your personal or financial situation changes. You can change your W4
online by going to the “Pay & Taxes” tab at
the top of our home page, selecting “Tax
withholding” and clicking on Federal or
State to make your changes. Note: please
make sure your change is submitted no later
than the Friday before your paycheck. If you
have any questions or need assistance with
this please contact, Lisa Zamarripa, System
Specialist, Payroll @ 713-589-4144.
May 2013
Nexus Connection
85%
0% 0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0% 0%
0%
If you don't have me to do it right, then you must have me to do it over. Anonymous
Page 12 of 16
News from the Quality Dept. Nexus Direct
A direct access hotline to the Nexus Compliance
Department monitored by a contract agency and
available to all employees, families, vendors and visitors.
1-866-285-8528
2013 NSH IP Customer Satisfaction
5
4.6
4.7
4.4
4.8
2013 HBH IP Satisfaction
4.9
4.9
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
4.9
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
April
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
0
TARGET YTD AVG JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
TARGET YTD AVG JAN
4.6
4.8
4.8
4.9
4.8
FEB
MAR
2013 TNC IP Customer Satisfaction
2013 HBO IP Customer Satisfaction
4.9
5.0
4
4.9
4.6 4.8 4.7 4.7
4.0
3
3.0
2
2.0
1
1.0
0.0
0
4.8
0.0
0
5
4.9
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
News from Riverway!
2013 Employee of Na onal Vitamin C Day
The corporate office celebrated with these oranges
the Month: (pictured right). ‘Orange’ you excited?
One navel orange packs 82.7 milligrams of vitamin C,
Brent Vincent but there are tons of other colorful fruits and vegetables
with just as much—or even more.
While the long‐held belief that vitamin C can ward off the sniffles has
been ques oned, the nutrient is s ll vital to our health, helping to repair
body ssue and providing an oxidants. The NIH recommends that adult
men over age 19 consume 90 milligrams a day, and adult women 75 milli‐
grams a day. (One word of cau on before you up your Vitamin C intake: the
body can't store any more than 2,000 milligrams a day.)
While the classic apples to oranges comparison doesn't quite pan out
(oranges would win), there are some other match‐ups that give oranges a
real run for their money such as kiwi, strawberries, cauliflower, red bell pep‐
pers, and papaya.
(Courtesy of The Huffington Post)
Brent Vincent, Network Ad‐
ministrator, is the Riverway office Employee of the Month! We welcomed Brent to the Nexus family in July of 2012 and he has been a great asset ever since. Brent is responsible for managing the IT Help Desk cke ng system as well as our servers. He re‐
cently helped to automate the Windows Upda ng func‐
on throughout the organi‐
za on. Thanks for all of your hard work, Brent! Kickoff of 2013 Leadership Conferences
May 2013
The 2013 Leadership Conferences were kicked
off with the first session “A Supervisor Toolkit:
Using ADP, E‐Time and the Employee Portal as
management tools” on April 17th and 18th at
the Marrio Houston North. Guy Murdock, VP
of Human Resources, (pictured right) provided
managers and other key employees with interac‐
ve, in‐depth training on the ADP Self‐Service
Portal (the Portal). The Portal has been available
to all employees since the conversion to ADP in
2010, but with the implementa on of Single
Sign‐On (being able to access eTime through
the Portal) at the end of last year, we decided
to dedicate this session to ADP so managers
could learn about all of the available tools the
Portal has to offer. Not only did the training
benefit the managers that a ended, but it
benefi ed all employees since those manag‐
ers can now share what they learned. If you
have ques ons about the Portal, please con‐
Chris Alanis, Employment
Specialist-Corp, assisting Tif- tact your supervisor, facility HR manager, or
fani Todd, Director of Quali- Chris Alanis at extension 4146.
ty Services-HBH.
Nexus Connection
Page 14 of 16
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! HBO Anniversaries
TNC Anniversaries
# yrs.
# yrs.
Kelly Colley, Case Manager ........................ 13
Tam Harwell, Assistant Administrator ........ 11
Tanisha Carter, Staffing Coordinator .......... 10
Teresa Horton, Admissions Coordinator .... 8
Nedra Green, Career Emp Specialist .......... 8
Sylvia Mar nez, Director Admissions ......... 8
Ma hew Lehigh, Purchasing Assistant ....... 5
Patricia Bayne, LSS ..................................... 3
William Clay, Maintenance Staff ................ 3
Cindy Bailey, Dir Neuro/Psych Svcs ............ 2
Myisha Anderson, LSS ................................ 2
Kama Taylor, LSS ........................................ 1
Shannon Thompson, Psychometrist ........... 1
Regina Davis, LSS ........................................ 1
Jaqueline Pinchback, LSS ............................ 1
Monica Bruce, LSS ...................................... 1
Laura Gas neau, LSS .................................. 1
Vincient Crawford, LVN .............................. 1
NSH Anniversaries
Pamela Draves, LVN .................................... 11
Monique Miramontes, RN .......................... 6
Emily Barr, Die cian ................................... 2
Lisa Keinert, Speech Therapist .................... 1
Jacqueline De Lara, CRT .............................. 1
Kimberly Stephens, LVN.............................. 1
Fabiola Ochoa, RRT ..................................... 1
Ashley Wya , Recep onist ......................... 1
HBO Birthdays
Jacqueline De Lara, CRT .............................. 5/3
Robert Bartolucci, RRT ................................ 5/5
Maryanne Talamayan, RN .......................... 5/13
Eric Corpus, LVN ......................................... 5/24
Alfred Landicho, LVN .................................. 5/25
Linda Mor more, Director PR ..................... 5/26
# yrs.
Jocelyn Larson, HIMS Clerk ......................... 9
Brenda Pedrablanca, CAN .......................... 8
Alvin Castro, Dir Purchasing Services.......... 8
Esther Urbano, Tele Tech ........................... 8
Rami Asfour, CRT ........................................ 7
Zuleima Flores, RN...................................... 5
Mike Brigle, Director Pharmacy .................. 4
Stefanie Kologinczak, Director Rehab ......... 4
John Sommerla e, Pharmacist ................... 4
Lisa Peters, CAN.......................................... 4
James Winton, Clinical Liaison .................... 3
J Jones, RN .................................................. 3
Steve Dalman, Rehab Tech ......................... 3
Julie Walton, Dir Professional Rela ons ..... 2
Robert Houghton, CRT................................ 1
Dora Alvarez, EVS Tech ............................... 1
Heather Lohr, Nurse Manager .................... 1
NSH Birthdays
TNC Birthdays
James Bogart, Transi on Prog Dir .............. 5/2
Tyler Cork, LSS ............................................ 5/6
Seandre Jones, LSS ..................................... 5/10
Tracey Harmeier, Marke ng Liaison .......... 5/10
Jerondon Grear, LSS ................................... 5/11
Alice Chase, LVN ......................................... 5/14
Michelle Sewell, Speech Therapy Aide ....... 5/14
Amanda Phillips, LSS .................................. 5/17
Sarah Harford, LSS ...................................... 5/17
Be e Hensley, LSS ..................................... 5/19
Kelly Colley, Case Manager ........................ 5/20
Aquila Harris, LSS ....................................... 5/21
Kourtney Wright, LSA I ............................... 5/22
Edward Major, Shi Leader ........................ 5/27
Priscilla Johnson, IC Nurse/Special Proj ...... 5/28
HBH Anniversaries
# yrs.
Mary Hernanndez, RRT ............................... 13
Ike Okwumabua, CAN ................................. 8
Debra Blankenship, Case Mgmt Asst .......... 5
Donatae Clark, Pharmacy Tech ................... 4
Laura Vargas, Manager Central Supply ....... 3
Elizabeth Nsiah, CAN .................................. 2
Bridget Burns, RN ....................................... 2
Mary La n, Die cian ................................. 2
HBH Birthdays
Corporate Anniversaries
# yrs.
Chris Alanis, Employment Specialist ........... 4
Clara Pierre, Syst Coordinator, Pt Accts ...... 1
Corporate Birthdays
Clara Pierre, Syst Coordinator, Pt Accts ...... 5/8
Dr. John Cassidy, NHS CEO ......................... 5/22
April Shaver, Child Life Asst ........................ 5/4
Josie Gombar, Dir Staff Development ......... 5/7
Ancy Samuel, RN......................................... 5/15
Amanda Garza, Pharmacy Tech .................. 5/17
Martha Flowers, CAN.................................. 5/21
Mary Ann Gill, Dir Respiratory Therapy ...... 5/22
Dontae Clark, Pharmacy Tech ..................... 5/22
Kira Guidry, Business Ofc Coordinator ........ 5/22
Tracy Mabry, CAN ....................................... 5/26
Myleine Bounna‐Djikeng, RN ...................... 5/31
Julie Walton, Dir Professional Rela ons ..... 5/1
Anna Herrador, EVS Supervisor .................. 5/1
Lisa Scheffe, Director Rehab ....................... 5/2
Caleb Mogaka, CAN .................................... 5/3
Kathy Sco , Case Manager II ...................... 5/4
Eric Morgan, EVS Technician ...................... 5/4
Ruben Fernandez, EVS Technician .............. 5/5
Fonda Vaughn, RN ...................................... 5/6
Zuleima Flores, RN...................................... 5/10
Shiloh Welch, CAN ...................................... 5/12
Shelley Reynolds, COTA .............................. 5/14
Carolyn Anderson, LVN ............................... 5/14
Gloria Cedeno, CAN .................................... 5/15
Vanessa Calderon, CAN .............................. 5/15
Elizabeth Cas lla, CAN ................................ 5/16
Nancy Prior, Recep onist ........................... 5/20
Troy Covart, Lead Cook .............................. 5/22
Cindy Rolon Vasquez, RN ............................ 5/29
Paula Hayes, RRT ........................................ 5/31
One RIverway, Suite 600
Houston, TX 77056
Nexus Direct
Did you know about the IRS Withholding Calcula‐
tor??? If you are an employee, the Withholding Calculator can help you determine whether you
need to give your employer a new Form W‐4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Cer fi‐
cate to avoid having too much or too li le Federal income tax withheld from your pay.
You can use your results from the calculator to help fill out the form.
Who Can Benefit From The Withholding Calculator?
Employees who would like to change their withholding to reduce their tax refund or
their balance due;
Employees whose situa ons are only approximated by the worksheets on the paper W‐
4 (e.g., anyone with concurrent jobs, or couples in which both are employed; those
en tled to file as Head of Household; and those with several children eligible for
the Child Tax Credit);
Employees with non‐wage income in excess of their adjustments and deduc ons, who
would prefer to have tax on that income withheld from their paychecks rather than
make periodic separate payments through the es mated tax procedures.
A direct access hotline to the Nexus
Compliance Department monitored by a
contract agency and
available to all employees, families, vendors and visitors.
1-866-285-8528
CAUTION: If you will be subject to alterna ve minimum tax, self‐employment tax, or oth‐
er taxes; you will probably achieve more accurate withholding by following the instruc‐
ons in Pub 505: Tax Withholding and Es mated Tax.
Ready to start? Go to the IRS.gov website and in the search engine type in calculator. If you have any ques ons please call, Lisa Zamarripa, System Specialist, Payroll @ 713‐
589‐4144. May 2013
Nexus Connection
Page 16 of