Health system among Iowa`s Top workplaces

IVER HEALTH SYSTEMS
September 23, 2015
Health system among Iowa’s Top workplaces
Great River Health Systems has been recognized as
one of the best places to work in Iowa, according
to a recent Des Moines Register survey. Great River
Health Systems ranked 13th in the large-company
category. This is the third consecutive year that
Great River Health Systems has been named on
the list. Last year, the health system ranked eighth.
“Being recognized for three consecutive years
as one of Iowa’s top 150 employers is a great
achievement,” said Mark Richardson, president and
CEO, Great River Health Systems. “We are proud of
this recognition and the culture we have created.
Even during a period of tremendous change and
uncertainty in the health care industry, Great River
Health Systems and its dedicated staff continue to
live our EXCEL and STEEEP values every day.”
The Des Moines Register recognized companies
and organizations in Iowa as top workplaces based
solely on surveys about the workplace completed
by their employees.
The anonymous survey focused on six aspects of
the workplace environment including:
• Career – training opportunities and progression
• Conditions – assessment of the working atmosphere and environment
• Direction – assessment of the company’s values,
leaders and strategy
• Execution – assessment of how the company
communicates and gets work done
• Management – quality and managerial skills
• Pay and benefits – assessment of associate
compensation
EXCEL stands for:
• Enthusiastically friendly
• X-ceeds expectations
• Caring and compassionate
• Energetic teamwork
• Leadership and professionalism
Those interested in careers with Great River Health
Systems can visit www.GreatRiverMedical.org.
STEEEP stands for:
• Safe
• Timely
• Effective
• Efficient
• Equitable
• Patient-centered
New provider
Wyatt Baxter, PA-C
Emergency Department
Medical education: Southern
Illinois University
Caught in the act of
providing GREAT service
Deb Grogan, Great River Cancer Center
“Deb replanted flowers at the cancer center entrance when the existing flowers looked terrible
because of the weather.”
Pat Mullahy, Plant Operations
“Pat was working in our office when he noticed my
broken file drawer. He fixed it on the spot without
being asked.”
Kayla Schmidt, Acute Care Center
“Kayla took belongings that were left by a patient
to Danville Care Center.”
Bill Shanks, Environmental Services
“The Environmental Services person at Great River
Hospice House went home ill. There was a 60th
anniversary party for a patient at 4 p.m. Bill came
over when he finished working in the hospital at
2:30 p.m. to clean the family kitchen and great
room.
Kelsey Weitzel, Health Living Clinic
“Kelsey quickly helped a patient with heart-related
symptoms. She called Burlington Area Family
Practice Center, got the patient an appointment
and took her there in a wheelchair.”
Sex and menopause
topic of Sept. 24
program
Sex and menopause is the topic of the eighth Red
Hot Mamas program presented by Great River
Health Systems. The program is scheduled at 5:30
p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, in the Blackhawk Room on
the lower level of Mercy Plaza.
The speaker will be nurse practitioner Elisabeth
Long, Great River Women’s Health. She will discuss
the effects of menopause on sexual health, treatments, lifestyle changes and the importance of
communicating with health care providers.
A light supper and door prizes will be available
at the free program. Reservations are requested.
Please call 319-768-4070.
Red Hot Mamas is a 10-week program that educates women about the physical and psychological
changes that occur as they age, and helps them
make informed health care decisions. Its parent
company, Red Hot Mamas of North America Inc.,
recently received a Silver Award for its peri- and
postmenopausal education program from the
National Health Information Resource Center.
Red Hot Mamas has been educating and engaging women, and health care providers, since
1991. For more information, please visit www.
redhotmamas.org.
Safely dispose
medicines Sept. 26
It’s important to properly dispose old medicines
to reduce harm from accidental exposure or intentional misuse. Expired and unwanted prescription
medicines in their original bottles will be collected
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, in the
HyVee parking lot, 3140 Agency St., Burlington.
These services also are offered:
• Medical sharps, such as needles, will be accepted in sealed containers, and new red containers
will be available
•Glass thermometers with mercury can be exchanged for digital thermometers
The collection event is sponsored by the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Des Moines County
Public Health Visiting Nurses and the Des Moines
County Regional Waste Commission.
According to the Food and Drug Administration,
you can follow these steps to dispose of most
medicines in household trash:
1.Mix medicines (do not crush tablets or capsules)
with an inedible substance such as dirt, kitty
litter or used coffee grounds.
2.Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed
plastic bag.
3.Throw the container in your household trash.
4.Scratch out all personal information on the prescription label of your empty pill bottle or empty
medicine packaging to make it unreadable, then
dispose of the container.
For more information, visit the Food and Drug
Administration’s website HERE.
Health system
sponsors local events
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Great River
Area color run
8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, Rodeo Park
Fort Madison
Registration begins at 7:15 a.m. A “stroller boogie”
for ages through 10 begins at 8:10 a.m. Participants
should wear a white shirt. The entry fee before race
day is $25 for adults and $10 for children. On race
day, it is $30 and $12.
Register at Eventbrite.com. For more information, call Big Brothers Big Sisters at 319-372-2595 or
319-526-3944 or email [email protected].
Bringing Joy Penny Drive Finale for Children’s
Oncology Services Inc.
4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, Southeast Community College fairgrounds, Burlington
Help raise money to send kids with cancer to
camp. There will be carnival games, prizes, raffle
items and food. Pixar’s “Inside Out” will be shown
at dusk.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Saturday, Oct. 10, Port of Burlington
Click HERE for more information.
Volunteers are needed to help with the walk:
• Direct walkers along the path
• Greet and thank people for coming
• Hand out materials
• Help set up the event
• Help tear down
• Help with activities
Call the Alzheimer’s Association at 800-272-3900
or email [email protected].
Gift Shop specials in
October, November,
December
• Moonlight Madness – Come in for special sales
between 10 p.m. to midnight Thursdays, Oct. 15,
Nov. 19 and Dec. 17.
• Morning Madness – Shop early beginning at 7
a.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays of each
month – Oct. 14 and 28; Nov. 11 and 25; Dec. 9
and 23.
• Take 10 Sales – Take 10 percent off everything in
the shop (excluding gum, candy, greeting cards
and flowers) on the 10th day of every month.
Casual days
Employees purchase $2 stickers for the opportunity to wear jeans to work on designated Fridays.
The next casual days and projects they benefit are:
• Sept. 25
National Marfan Foundation
• Oct. 2
United Way
EMPLOYEEINFORMATION
Completing required
education is your
responsibility
Employees must complete required education
before their certifications expire. Your training fees
and time spent in training will be paid only if you
complete education before expiration dates.
Look under My Recertifications on NetLearning
to find your required certifications and expiration
dates.
Wellness screenings
begin Oct. 1
Free WellEXCEL screenings for all employees and
spouses are offered from Thursday, Oct. 1 through
Wednesday, Oct. 21. Employees who are covered
by medical plans 1, 2 or 3, or Health/HSA can earn
significant insurance premium discounts of $500
to $1,000 per year depending on their elected
coverage level:
• Single – $500 discount
• Family – $1,000 discount
• Employee + 1 – $1,000 discount
If your certification expires, it is your responsibility
to pay for training costs. The courses can be taken
at Great River Health Systems or another facility.
The health system’s employee prices are:
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support – $150
• Basic Cardiac Life Support – $50
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program – $20
• Pediatric Advance Life Support – $150
To earn the discount, employees and enrolled
spouses must meet at least three measurements
of the health screening, be nicotine-free and get a
flu shot by Friday, Dec. 4.
Regardless of the expiration date, employees are
responsible for payment if:
•You are required to take Emergency First Response and Choking but you choose to take
Basic Cardiac Life Support (CPR).
• You are required to take a live CPR class but you
choose to complete it on the Internet through
HealthStream.
Craft fair dates
announced
Details were mailed to employees’ homes. Register
online for a screening HERE.
The Annual Employee and Volunteer Craft Fair is
scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12,
in the Mercy Plaza lobby. Vendor spaces are limited
to health system employees and volunteers who
have made their products. Selling food and the
resale of manufactured products are not allowed.
Vendor registration ends Friday, Oct. 23, or when all
spaces are taken. Registration forms are available
in the Gift Shop or by emailing Michelle McGraw,
Volunteer Services, or Beth Keltner, Gift Shop.
Transfer-mobility coaches contribute to success of
Safe Patient Handling program
The November 2013 introduction of transfer-mobility coaches led to an 18 percent reduction in
patient-handling injuries in the last year. It is part
of the hospital’s Safe Patient-handling Program.
Transfer-mobility coaches receive specialized training to use and demonstrate safe patient-handling
techniques and devices. They help staff make safe
choices for the caregiver and the patient when
providing patient care and transfers.
Transfer-mobility coaches wear tags with the
letters “TMC” attached to their name badges. They:
• Are role modes for consistently using equipment
for all patient-transfer and mobility needs
•Check and replace batteries to ensure equipment operates safely
•Check equipment availability and ensure par
levels for slings are filled
• Communicate to leaders what processes are and
are not working well
• Continue learning, perfecting and teaching safe
patient-handling skills
• Participate in monitoring activities
• Stop the line until a device or equipment is obtained
Transfer-mobility coaches are:
Acute Care Center
Ann Martin
Michelle McConnell
Shirley Nungaray
Roy Patterson
Susanne Prough
Cortney Reed
Jermaine Rooks
Holly Seitz
Nicolette Siefken
Kristina Warth
Day Surgery
Sara Dopler
Biomedical Engineering
Kevan Allen
Digestive Health
Center
Laura Wehrle
Jessica Zimmerman
Cancer Center
Peggy Link
Cardiovascular Care
Unit
Stephanie Barngrover
Emily Hanger
Maurica Taylor
Corporate Education
Meranda Anderson
Barb Garcia
Tiffany West
Diagnostic Imaging
Sharon Fraise
Mike Jasper
Jennifer Parrott
Bob Shipplett
Marda Smith
Holly Thielen
Sheri Woolverton
Emergency
Department
Nicholas Collett
Devin Juel
Heart and Vascular
Center
Cinnamon Ague
Home Health
Alyssa Hawk
Dan Miller-Jacobs
Hospice
Helen Burger
Mary Schwerin
Intensive Care Unit
Kelsee Dobler
Cindee Franciskovich
Amanda VanBuskirk
Jenna Vorwerk
Klein Center
Kersty Garza
Callie Reighard
Tara Schroeder
Medical Care Unit
Taylor Messer
Wendy Young
Nursing
Administration
Nancy Burgus
Ramona DeSotel
Pediatrics Unit
Teresa Kurth
Plant Operations
Jim Franciskovich
Rehabilitation
Services
Kayla Scheitlin
Kristine Smothers
Rehabilitation Unit
Alora Brecount
Eunia Campbell
Donna Lewis
Kimberly Southerland
Superior Ambulance
Cheyenne Griggs
Surgical Services
Tim Heckenberg
Terry Starr
Derek Wolkenhauer
Health system offers
surgical technician
training program
Surgery technicians are in high demand, and job
growth is expected to continue rising through
2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To help meet the need, Great River Health Systems is offering a new in-house surgical technician
training program for employees.
Surgical technicians prepare operating rooms,
arrange equipment and help physicians during
surgeries. They must be willing to work evenings
and nights, and be on-call. Training-program candidates will be required to complete a job-shadowing experience to confirm their interest.
Classroom and clinical time – mostly during
daytime hours – will be paid. Candidates must be
willing to commit time outside work to study. If
chosen for the program, they will sign a contract
requiring repayment for training expenses if they
don’t complete the program or don’t accept an
offer of employment as a surgical technician.
After the training program, participants will be
prepared for the certification test after obtaining
three years of work experience.
If you are interested in the surgery technician
training program, call or email one of the following
people by Friday, Oct. 2:
• Christy Ford, Human Resources, ext. 3753
• Fran Strauss, director, Surgical Services, ext. 3050
• Dean Hoschek, operating room manager, Surgical Services, ext. 3018
Prizes awarded in annual campaign
Five employees won prizes in a drawing among
donors to Great River Friends’ Annual Giving
Campaign. Campaign chairwoman Michele Dyer,
second from left, presented prizes to, from left,
Shanna Ausburger, Maria Brockway, Janet Behrman and Patricia Penrod. Hannah O’Brien is not
pictured. Donations through payroll deduction
can begin anytime. Pledge forms are available in
Human Resources.
New briefs
Great Person card drawing
Sherry Welcher, Accounting, won the September A
Great Person at Great River drawing. She was nominated by co-worker Alyssa Lanz, who wrote, “She
took time out of her schedule to help me with a
question. She is always willing to help others, and
I appreciate it.” Both women received Heritage
Medical Equipment and Supplies gift cards.
Verizon Wireless discount
A Verizon Wireless representative will be in the
Cafeteria from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct.
15. The company offers a discount to Great River
Health Systems employees.
NetLearning modules
If you are having trouble viewing NetLearning
modules, click the icon that looks like a torn piece
of paper in the address bar.
Spread the word,
not the flu!
Part 2
The minor pain of a flu shot is nothing
compared to the suffering influenza
can cause.
The flu can make you very sick for several days,
and it can lead to hospitalization. Some people die
from it. Don’t avoid getting a flu vaccine because
you don’t like shots. A nasal-spray flu vaccine is an
alternative for most healthy, nonpregnant people
who are 2 through 49 years old. It is not offered
by Employee Health, but it may be available at
your health care provider’s office. Whatever little
discomfort you feel from the minor side effects of
the flu vaccine is worthwhile to avoid the flu.
Even if I get sick, won’t I recover quickly?
Not necessarily. Influenza can be serious, and
anyone can become sick with flu and experience
serious complications. But even if you bounce
back quickly, others around you might not be so
lucky. Older people, young children, pregnant
women and people with medical conditions like
asthma, diabetes, heart disease and lung disease
are at especially high risk from the flu.
Kids, teens and adults who are active and healthy
also can get very sick from flu and spread it to others. Some people can be infected with the flu virus
but have no symptoms. During this time, you can
still spread the virus to others. Don’t be the one
spreading flu to those you care about.
Annual flu clinic
Oct. 19 to 23
The health system’s annual flu shot clinic
will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Oct.
19 to Friday, Oct. 23, in the Aspen Room.
Flu shots also will be available from 7:30
a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays from Monday, Oct.
26 through Monday, Jan. 4, in Employee
Health. A house supervisor can give flu
shots to employees who cannot get one
during the designated times.
There is no cost to health system employees, physicians, nursing students and
volunteers. Flu shots for spouses are $20.
To be eligible for the WellEXCEL insurance
premium discount, employees must get a
flu shot by Friday, Dec. 4.
All employees must receive a flu shot or
sign a declination statement and turn it in
to Employee Health by Monday, Jan. 11. If
you don’t, you will be removed from the
work schedule beginning Monday, Jan. 18,
until you comply.
If you decline a flu shot and are not allergic
to the vaccine, you must take a mandatory
NetLearning module by Sunday, Jan. 31.
If not, you will be removed from the work
schedule until the module is completed.
The module will be available from Oct. 19
through midnight Jan. 31.
If you are allergic to the flu vaccine, you
must provide one-time documentation
from your physician. You must sign a declination statement every year.
United Way campaign begins
Information about pledging to support United
Way is being distributed to all employees. Burlington/West Burlington United Way is a local organization that combines donations from thousands
of people and distributes them to local nonprofit
health and human services agencies. A local
group of volunteers carefully screens, chooses and
monitors the organizations that receive funding.
Decisions are based on the impact organizations
have on the community.
The money pledged this fall will be given to 14
organizations that rely on United Way dollars to
survive. They are:
•Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services of
Southeast Iowa
• Burlington Area YMCA
• Burlington Stepperettes and Traveleers
• Crime Stoppers of the Greater Burlington Area
• Food Bank of Southern Iowa
• Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois
• Home Caring Services Inc.
• Hope Haven Area Development Center
• Iowa Legal Aid
• Mississippi Valley Boy Scout Council
• Partners: An Association Serving Persons
With Disabilities
• The Nest of Des Moines County
• The Salvation Army, Burlington Corps
• Young House Family Services
Return your pledge card, enter prize drawings
The six health system departments that have
the greatest percentage of returned United
Way pledge forms will receive an extra pair of
hands – and feet – for part of a day. President
and CEO Mark Richardson and vice presidents
Teresa Colgan, Tony Hayes, Jim Kammerer,
Amy O’Brien and Todd Sladky will work in the
winning departments. If more than six departments qualify, there will be a drawing.
You are encouraged to return your pledge
forms to Human Resources by Friday, Oct. 9,
whether or not you choose to donate to United
Way. Returning cards helps the health system
verify that the United Way information was
received. Department leaders don’t know if
you donate, and participation does not affect
job reviews.
The names of employees who return their
pledge cards by the deadline will be entered
into drawings for:
• Gift Shop certificate
•Heritage Medical Equipment and Supplies
gift card for logo wear or other items
• Lunch for six prepared by Mike AbouAssaly,
M.D., in the new Healthy Living Clinic kitchen
• Paid time off
• Personal training session
• Rock-climbing wall pass
• Trip for four to Dairy Queen, Grandpa’s
Ice Cream or Sassy Strawberry with Mark
Richardson
•United Way parking spot in the employee
parking lot
• Visa gift card
The announcement or drawing for Shifting
Shoes contest winners and individual prize
drawings is scheduled at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct.
20, in the Cafeteria. Ice cream sundaes will be
available from 2 to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.
in the Cafeteria. Ice cream bars will distributed
during the night shift. Leaders from off-campus clinics can arrange ice cream bars with
Nutrition Services.
United Way questions and answers
What’s in it for me?
One in two people in Des Moines County uses or
is affected by at least one organization supported
by United Way.
I don’t live in Des Moines County, so
why should I support Burlington/West
Burlington United Way?
It’s important to support the community in which
you work. Although Great River Health Systems
provides excellent health care in southeast Iowa,
the health of the community also depends on
the effectiveness of human-service agencies and
other support services that receive United Way
funding.
Even if you don’t use any of the 14 organizations
supported by United Way, which provide services in a 40-mile radius of Burlington, donating
to United Way helps build Burlington and West
Burlington. A stronger community helps attract
physicians and other health care providers, which
helps ensure the success of the health system.
If you don’t want your money to go to Burlington/
West Burlington United Way but still want to
donate, you can note this on your pledge form.
Your money will be sent to United Way or a similar
agency in the community you designate.
How much should I give?
You are encouraged to give as much as you feel
you can afford. The health systems’ goal for every
employee is at least $1 per pay period. That’s $26 a
year – just 7 cents a day.
What if my spouse gives for both of us
at work?
Supporting United Way at both workplaces instead of making one larger donation helps both
companies meet their campaign goals.
I give money to my church. Why should
I also donate to United Way?
Churches often refer members and other people
seeking help to local human-service agencies that
are supported by United Way.
Why should I give?
• Each donation helps many people.
• It’s affordable and tax-deductible.
• It’s an easy way to make a difference in the
community.
•Organizations that receive money are chosen
carefully.
• The money stays in the community, making it a
better place to live.
What happens if I don’t give to United
Way?
Participation does not affect your job. Because
pledge forms are collected by Human Resources,
your supervisor or director doesn’t know about
your choice.
EMPLOYEEPROFILE
John Thurman, D.O.
Great River Family Practice Clinic
Start date:
Aug. 3
What I like about my job:
Forming relationships with patients, staff,
colleagues and everybody else
What I wanted to be when I grew up:
Professional basketball player, doctor or politician
Hometown / Where I live now:
Midland, Texas, and West Point, New York, are my
hometowns. I live in Burlington now.
Family:
• Audrey, my wife of nearly 11 years
• Jamal, our Rhodesian Ridgeback
• Trooper, a beagle mix we rescued in January.
We think he’s 17 years old.
My younger sister and parents still live in Texas.
Hobbies, pastimes, things I enjoy:
Traveling around the world with Audrey, Army
football, all things West Point, staying physically
active, writing prose, spending time with and
rescuing doggies, and living life to the max
I helped a co-worker today by:
Giving a smile and a hug
Department I’d like to learn more about:
Great River Sleep Disorders Clinic
Favorite memory:
Marrying Audrey in a castle. How cool is that? I’ll
share photos with you if you don’t believe me –
Castle Inn Riverside in Wichita, Kansas.
People would be surprised to know …
I was an all-region viola player in high school.
If I could, I would …
Have been 6-foot-5 with a rocket arm for playing
quarterback
Most interesting thing on my desk:
My own John Thurman bobblehead
Weirdest thing I’ve eaten:
Steak tartare at a Czech restaurant in Warsaw,
Poland
Proudest moment:
Graduating from West Point and serving with my
guys in Iraq
Must-have guilty pleasure:
Gelato in Rome – any flavor, thank you very
much!