April 30, 2010 - Mercy Medical Center

Bulletin
Mercy celebrates Nurses’
Week with several activities
In celebration of National Nurses’ Week
(May 6-12), all members of the Mercy
nursing team are invited to participate in
the following activities (more information
about these and other events will be
coming next week):
THURSDAY, MAY 6:
• Doctors’ Breakfast for Nurses
Marketplace and Grille; T
he Café
6:30-9:30 a.m.
FRIDAY, MAY 7:
• Certification Recognition Tea
East T
ower Auditorium
7:45 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, MAY 8:
• Ice Cream Social
All Campuses
Midnight – 2 a.m. & Noon – 2 p.m.
MONDAY, MAY 10:
• Healthier Tomorrow Fair
East Tower Auditorium
7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. (open to all staff)
TUESDAY, MAY 11:
• Careful Nursing Video Presentation
Central Campus/Mercy West Lakes
Various times and locations
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12:
• Careful Nursing Carnival
East T
ower Auditorium
7:30-8:30 a.m.; 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
April 30, 2010
Mercy eICU® Connect expands reach to
monitor patients in North Dakota
As of Tuesday, April 27, Mercy Health
Network’s eICU® Connect expanded
beyond state borders to monitor critical
care patients in North Dakota.
Mercy Medical Center in Williston, N.D., is
a 25-bed critical access facility that serves
residents of western North Dakota and
eastern Montana. A member of Catholic
Health Initiatives, Mercy-Williston is the
second rural hospital and the first outside
the state of Iowa to join eICU Connect,
which enables intensive care physicians and
nurses to oversee the care of ICU patients
24 hours a day, seven days a week from a
center located on Mercy’s Central Campus
in Des Moines.
Using an innovative blend of telemedicine,
early-warning software and electronic
monitoring devices, eICU Connect
enhances care for critically ill or injured
patients at hospitals where staff or resources
are limited. In addition to the four-bed unit
at Mercy-Williston, eICU Connect monitors
an additional 83 beds at Mercy’s Central
Campus, Mercy Medical Center – West
Lakes, Mercy Medical Center – Sioux City
and Grinnell Regional Medical Center.
“Care of critical care patients in eICU
communities is a partnership,” said Dr.
Michael Witte, co-medical director of eICU
Connect. “Local physicians are dedicated
to their patients, who are also their friends
and neighbors. We work directly with those
physicians to deliver the best treatment
possible.”
At each hospital, local physicians and
critical care nurses develop plans of care
for their patients. Through eICU Connect,
physicians and nurses in Des Moines
Above, Kari Farmer, RN, communicates with Mercy
eICU Connect® Director of Operations Beth Bice and
nurses at Mercy Medical Center in Williston, N.D., via
eICU equipment. The North Dakota hospital joined
the network on April 27, becoming the second rural
hospital and the first outside Iowa to have its critical
care patients monitored by physicians and nurses in
the center located at Mercy.
follow the local attending physician’s plan
of care while monitoring patients around
the clock. By paying close attention to
evidence-based critical care practices and
immediately responding to changes in
patient conditions, eICU staff help speed
recovery, minimize complications and
decrease length of stay.
To prepare Mercy-Williston for go-live,
Beth Bice, director of operations for eICU
Connect, Sandy Bloem, staff nurse, and
Jeff Smith, technical coordinator, traveled
to North Dakota to work directly with the
hospital’s ICU staff and demonstrate how
the eICU equipment would be used to
monitor patients.
The group also answered questions from
the Williston medical staff about the
benefits of using eICU Connect. “I think
the physicians see it as a tool that, when
combined with excellent bedside care, will
result in better outcomes for their patients,”
said Beth.
CONGRATULATIONS T
O...
Chanin Cassens, Mercy Johnston, and Cory, on the birth of their son,
Cash. Cash was born on March 27 and is the couple’s first child.
Amy Dillon, Quality Management, and Steve, on the birth of their son,
Vincent. Vincent was born on April 11 and is the couple’s first child.
Heidi Hagberg, W3CC, and Nathan, on the birth of their son, Logan
Andrew. Logan was born on March 20 and was welcomed home by
Clayten, 7, and Halle, 5.
Nicole Hall, Mercy West Lakes PACU, and Russ, on the birth of their
daughter, Rilynn. Rilynn was born on April 1 and was welcomed home
by Kelsey, 8.
Casy Willenberg, Maternity Trauma and Triage, and Chris, on the birth
of their daughter, Kaylie. Kaylie was born on April 1 and was welcomed
home by Kyler, 4.
Scott Withers, Cytology, and Amy, on the birth of their son, Caleb Blake.
Caleb was born on April 14 and was welcomed home by Benjamin, 2.
OUR SYMPATHY TO...
Evelyn Gabriel, Volunteer, on the death of her brother.
Paul Herring, Financial Operations, on the death of his wife.
Sheryl Hughes-Empke, Volunteer, on the death of her husband.
Jennifer Johnson, 5 South, and Andrew, on the birth of their son, Caleb
Andrew. Caleb was born on March 25 and was welcomed home by
Brandon, 1.
Beth Klostermann, Human Resources, on the death of her mother.
Steve Mather, Riverside Rehab, and Kristen, on the birth of their twins,
Kieran Paul and Alexandra Darlene. Kieran and Alexandra were born on
March 19 and are the couple’s first children.
Sue McNaughton, Medical Imaging, on the death of her son.
Christine McCarty, Nuclear Medicine, and Rick, on the birth of their
daughter, Amanda Lynne. Amanda was born on April 24 and was
welcomed home by Makayla, 3.
Becky Shough, Flex Pool, and Drew, on the birth of their daughter,
Devyn. Devyn was born on April 11 and was welcomed home by Colton, 2.
Rita Lepeska, Hospice, on the death of her father-in-law.
Connie Mitchell, Family Medicine Residency Program, on the death of
her father.
Shukri Mohamed, 5 North, on the death of her grandmother.
Peg O’Connor, Mercy Health Network – Central Iowa, on the death of
her mother-in-law.
Ted Roush, Rehab Services, on the death of his father.
Christy Soll, Emergency, and Jake, on the birth of their son, Silas
Jacob. Silas was born on March 31 and is the couple’s first child.
Todd Smothers, Urbandale Physical Therapy, on the death of his brother.
Ashley Sunderman, Pediatrics, and Michael, on the birth of their son,
Bennett Michael. Bennett was born on March 25 and is the couple’s first
child.
Beth Sollars, Mercy East Physical Therapy, on the death of her father.
Cassie Trenary, Mercy West Lakes Med/Surg, and Ryan Charter, on the
birth of their daughter, Madelyn Grace. Madelyn was born on March 26
and is the couple’s first child.
Marie Warren, Financial Operations, on the death of her husband.
Andrea Strain, 5 North, on the death of her grandmother.
Janice Wilkinson, Mercy West, on the death of her brother.
Wellness Council of Iowa honors two Mercy
Family members with annual awards
The Wellness Council of Iowa recently
honored two Mercy Family members
with its 2010 Light of Wellness Awards.
These special awards are given annually
to individuals, leaders and programs
throughout Iowa that promote health and
wellness in the workplace.
During a special banquet held at
Hoyt Sherman Place on April 15, the
organization recognized Dr. Richard
Deming, medical director of Mercy Cancer
Center Radiation Oncology, with a Light
of Wellness Leadership Award for his
role in developing and supporting the
LIVESTRONG™ at the YMCA cancer
survivorship program. In addition, Mary
Schemmel, assistant professor at Mercy
College of Health Sciences, received a
Light of Wellness Individual Award for her
outstanding accomplishments with her
personal wellness journey.
The Wellness Council of Iowa is a member
of the Wellness Councils of America
(WELCOA). Last fall, the group designated
Mercy a gold-level “Well Workplace” for a
third consecutive three-year term.
Bulletin
Volume 10 Issue 18 | April 30, 2010
The Bulletin is published weekly for employees
and friends of Mercy Medical Center, 1111 6th
Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50314-2611.
Editorial Staff
Erin Kurth ...................................................... Editor
Amy Bentz ............................................ Contributor
Lisa Jones ............................................. Contributor
Megan Jorgensen ................................. Contributor
Gregg Lagan ......................................... Contributor
Traci McBee .......................................... Contributor
Sarah Todd ............................................. Contributor
Kate Westercamp .................................. Contributor
Heather Hyatt ............................................ Designer
Laura Vanden Bosch .................................... Director
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