Familiar names Fund-raising under way for “Cartwheel Kids

May 12, 2005
Welcome
home, Jeff!
Jeff Lemley of
Radiology has returned
safely after a year of
active duty in the U.S.
Army. Jeff has served as
a Military Police Officer
at an Army detention
center in Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba. His friends
and coworkers at Skiff
thank him for his service, and are glad he’s
back at work!
Here’s how the “Cartwheel Kids” sculpture will look in the circle drive near Skiff’s main entrance.
Fund-raising under way for “Cartwheel Kids” sculpture at Skiff
Skiff Medical Center employees are being
given the opportunity to contribute toward
a new sculpture that will honor physicians
who dedicated their careers to serving
patients at Skiff Medical
Familiar names
Center.
Long-time Newton areas residents
The bronze sculpture,
will recognize many of the physicians
titled “Cartwheel Kids,”
who will be honored. They include
was created by sculptor
(with practice dates):
Gary Lee Price of
• John W. Billingsley, M.D. (1934-1977)
Springville, Utah. The artist
• John W. Ferguson, M.D.(1946- 1983)
specializes in inspirational
• Dorothy C. Forsythe,M.D.(1952-1985)
sculptures that celebrate
• Frank E. Forsythe, M.D. (1952-1988)
the fun and joys of youth.
• Raymond F. Frech, M.D. (1934-1984)
The sculpture will be
• Maynard L. Jones, M.D. (1953-1980)
placed inside the circle
• Thomas E. Kiernan, M.D. (1970-1990)
drive in front of the hospi• Marvin L. Moles, M.D. (1956-1995)
tal. It will be a lasting trib• Lewis D. Norris, M.D. (1951-1983)
ute to the many physicians
• Dale R. Onnen, M.D. (1956-1986)
who devoted their lives to
• John R. Singer, M.D. (1948-1968)
the health of children and
• Thomas D. Wright, M.D (1934-1966).
families in Newton and
Two former hospital administrators—
Jasper County.
the late Marc Ihm and the late Ronald
The sculpture and site
Ross—also will be honored.
preparation will cost an
estimated $40,000. A private fund-raising
effort has already brought in $22,250 from
families and friends of the physicians,
members of Skiff-related boards, and the
Skiff medical staff.
“We just wanted to to make sure that
everyone who wanted to help was given
the opportunity,” said Don Byers of
Newton, who is coordinating the fund-raising effort. “Giving for a project like this
can be a very rewarding experience for
those who knew these physicians and want
to honor them.”
Contributions of any size are welcome,
and participation is completely voluntary.
Contributions are tax-exempt, and checks
may be made payable to the Skiff Medical
Center Foundation.
The “Cartwheel Kids” sculpture will be
shipped to Newton in time to be on display at the Iowa Sculpture Festival on June
12-13 at Maytag Park in Newton. The festival is organized by a committee of the
Arts Connection of Jasper County.
Just two days left in National Hospital Week
Hospital Week is almost over! Here are the two remaining
events:
• Thursday, May 12: Take part in the American Heart
Association’s Heart Walk. Registration begins at 4:30 p.m., with
the walk scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
• Friday, May 13: We’ll end the week with the popular Hospital
Week Cookout, a free lunch for all employees. The same meal will
be available in the cafeteria at supper time.
Passes board exam
First grade tours
set for May 20
The annual First Grade
Tours of Skiff Medical
Center are scheduled for
Friday, May 20.
More than 240 6- and
7-year-olds will tour the
hospital, learn about
medical tests and treatments, and visit department displays in the
Inservice Room.
Thanks to everyone
involved for making this
traditional event so
well-organized and
entertaining for the children.
Cindy Abel, CMA, of Monroe Health
Services recently passed her board certification exam, and is now a Certified
Medical Assistant. Congratulations to
Cindy on her accomplishment!
Nurses, CNA combine
celebration days on May 18
The first-ever Nursing Caregiver
Celebration at Skiff Medical Center is
scheduled for 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday,
May 18 in the Cafeteria Annex. The
event is a combined celebration for
Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical
Nurses and Certified Medical Assistants.
In the past, the hospital celebrated
Nurse’s Day and CNA Day separately.
“But since caregiving is really a team
effort between the two groups, we
thought we’d combine the two celebrations,” said Lisa Guldberg, RN. “It
should be fun.”
RN’s, LPN’s, and CNA’s may call
Guldberg at ext. 4871 to RSVP.
Thanks from Rich Ferrell
A big thank-you to Dr. Tammy Chance
and the E.R. staff for their concern and
professionalism in their handling of a
hand injury I had April 25th. Also, to
Occupational Health and so many I can’t
mention on this page. Thanks again!
— Rich Ferrell
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Skiff birthdays
Pam Bassett
Kristi Miller
Laura Essen
Myrna Osten
Nancy Mott
Carroll Michmershuizen
Sherryl Davis-Antle
Dwight Diltz
Joely Anderson
Karla Knox
Julie Hauber
Dan Kruse
Joan Wilcox
Robin Banwell
Mildred Schultz
Georgina Robinson
May 12
May 13
May 14
May 14
May 14
May 14
May 15
May 15
May 17
May 20
May 21
May 21
May 23
May 24
May 26
May 26
Passes board exam
Congratulations to Macy Altenhofen
(daughter of Tom and Jane Altenhofen,
and sister of Molly Altenhofen), who
recently passed her written dental
hygiene board exams. Macy graduated
last week from the dental hygiene program at Des Moines Area Community
College.
Hospital Week t-shirts
available in P.R. office
If you would like an extra Hospital
Week t-shirt, a limited number of shirts
are available in the Public Relations
office. You can choose from Lime Green,
Butter (a soft yellow) and Periwinkle
(blue).
More than 500 t-shirts were sold this
year (approximately 200 more than in
previous years.
Here’s the latest list of “Shining Stars” at Skiff Medical Center!
✭ A Shining Star to Nancy
Steingreaber for serving as
Chairperson for the Tri-Network
(Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa)
Conference of Cardio-Pulmonary
Professionals that was held in West
Des Moines on April 29 and 30. The
speakers were wonderful and the
Conference was very well organized.
Great job, Nancy! From Connie
Kaldenberg.
✭ A Shining Star to Kaye Swarts
for all the help she was getting ready
for the conference, too. From Nancy
Steingreaber.
•
•
•
Shining Stars from Deb VanGilst:
✭ To Susan Winecoff for coming
back in Friday after working all day
to do a recovery for me due to backto-back cases on call back.
✭ To Veronica Mangrich for once
again coming in on Sunday, her
weekend off, to assist with a case
and help clean up after 3 call-back
cases in a row.
✭ To Mary Appleby for coming in
Sunday to do recoveries and get
patients down for surgery when we
had three cases in a row.
•
•
•
✭ To Amber Houseman and Robin
Banwell for all their enthusiasm and
hard work towards making “lab
week” a great success!
✭ A Shining Star to Kathleen
Jackson for coming down from
Hospice after a delivery, cleaning all
the equipment, doing a baby bath
and weighing the baby. Thanks so
much! From Kim Molloy.
✭ Thanks to Hospice nurses
Natalie Pendroy and Jane
Altenhofen for sharing their wisdom
and expertise with our current
Hospice Volunteer Training Class.
You did a great job presenting
“Physical Care of a Hospice
Patient.” From Jennifer Barnett and
Kathy Trotter.
✭ A Shining Star to Tamera
Humes for staying very late this past
Friday evening to ensure two new
employees could start employment
the following Monday. Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation and
Human Resources appreciate her
dedication, teamwork and flexibility.
Thank you for helping make SMC
the “employer of choice.” From Jane
Johnson.
•
•
•
Shining stars from Brenda Smith:
✭ Thanks to Carla Johnson, Vickie
Schut, Kim Dove, Kim Molloy, Julie
Roozeboom, Nancy Van Zee, Shelly
To name a colleague a “Shining
Star,” just drop a note to Steve
Wilbur or John Easley.
Beeler, and Kathleen Jackson,
who have picked up extra
hours in the OB
Department.
✭ Thanks to all
OB staff for taking the
time to give the
“extra”emotional support to our patients
when it was needed.
While it can be difficult
at times, that just proves that
all of you are wonderful people.
✭ Thanks to Vicki Gunsaulus for
“being you” when a patient needed
you.
✭ Thanks to all of the OB staff for
working hard on completing the
monthly cleaning schedule.
•
•
•
✭ To Deb Nilles for covering for
me one afternoon when I went
home ill. From Jenny Thompson.
✭ To Genevieve Langmaid for
donating baked goods to our AHA
bake sale and to everyone who purchased items and donated to our
cause. From Ann Hansen and Jenny
Thompson.
✭ A shining star to John Easley for
donating all the shirts to OT for the
OT Olympics. You ROCK! Also, to
Jenny Thompson and Ann Hansen
for all their hard work in making
baked goods for the Heart
Association. Betty Crocker would be
proud! Thanks for all the treats.
From the O.T. Gals.
3
✭ A Shining Star to Margena Doty:
Thanks for your help and patience
with work comp billing! From
Jeannine Ringgenberg.
✭ A Shining Star to Cindy Abel,
who has been a wonderful addition
to Monroe Health Services. She does
so much for me, and I really appreciate her. From Allison Harter.
✭ Shining Stars to Kaye Swarts,
Bruce Hoffmeier, Barb Lester, Bob
Peters, John Bartello, Deb Nilles and
the Nutrition Services staff for their
help during Hospital Week. From
John Easley.
•
•
•
Shining Stars from Steve Wilbur:
✭ Sally Vasquez – I have had several of your peers tell me recently
how much they respect you and
your nursing skills. I just wanted
to thank you for your commitment to excellent
patient care. I also want to
let you know how much I’ve
enjoyed getting to work with you
more the past few weeks!
✭ Deb Drewis and Janice Balmer
– Thank you for going the extra
mile to prepare the chart I
requested from you this week.
Your teamwork was noticed and
appreciated by everyone involved!
✭ Colleen Jacobsen – Thanks for
the extra hours and effort you have
put in recently to monitoring medication administration and offering
direct feedback to staff about the
eMAR. It is sincerely appreciated!
✭ Tamera Humes – Thanks for
getting the Occupational Health
clearance that I requested this week
on such short notice. I appreciate
your flexibility and willingness to go
the extra mile!
✭ John Easley – Thanks for doing
such a great job preparing the activities for hospital week! I also think
you did a wonderful job on the
recent volunteer luncheon.
✭ A Shining Star to Laura
Williamson for all her late evening
dedication to Newton Senior High
School Spring Sports Medicine coverage rain, snow, or shine. From
Brett Altman.
Great response to CareLearning.com training
Help needed
for July 4
parade entry
Volunteers are needed
to help Skiff create an
entry in the July 4th
Independence Day
parade. If you can help,
please contact Heather
Smith in Health
Information
Management.
Military family
members
Do you have a family
member serving on
active duty in the military? Please contact
John Easley in Public
Relations (ext. 4339) for
an upcoming story in
VITAL SIGNS about
Skiff-related service
men and women.
A note of thanks
A big thank you to
everyone for their concern and support over
the past few weeks. You
guys made a very frightening time bearable.
Tom is really doing
great. We appreciate the
excellent care he
received in the E.R.
Also, the cards, calls,
prayers and thoughts of
all of you. Faith, family
and friends are the
greatest. Thanks again.
— Tom and Sue
Wolters
M
ore than 60 percent of all Skiff
Medical Center employees
have already completed their
CareLearning.com training!
“We’ve had a fabulous response so far,”
said Lisa Guldberg, RN. “We’ve only had
it up and running for nine weeks, and
we’ve had 63 percent of our staff finish
already.”
Guldberg thanked the staff for their
hard work, and for being patient with a
few technical glitches in the new system.
“I think it just shows how people have
stepped up to the plate, accepted something new, and been willing to work hard
to get it done,” said Guldberg. “Plus, I
think the 30 Skiff Rewards points for finishing by June 30 has been an incentive
for people to do it now.”
Congratulations to these groups for
having 100 percent of their staff complete
their CareLearning.com training:
• Anesthesia
• Audiology
• Cardiac Rehab
• Central Supply
• Laundry
• Medical Specialties Clinic
• Operating Room
• Speech Therapy
‘Wonderful’ care at Skiff credited with helping pediatric patient
(Editor’s note: Vice President Steve
Wilbur shared this note concerning a
patient who was treated at Skiff Medical
Center before being transported to Blank
Children’s Hospital in Des Moines.)
ust a quick note of follow-up about
the pediatric transfer patient from
Saturday morning that each of you
were involved with. The Peds Transport
Team called me this morning to give an
update on the patient’s status. The patient
responded well to treatments received in
route and after arrival at Blank.
The transport nurse wanted to thank
J
each of you for your rapid response to
this patient’s change in condition. She
felt this made a significant difference for
a positive outcome for this patient.
The transport nurse wanted me to
know that the nurses, physician and staff
did a “wonderful job” of taking care of
this patient. She particularly appreciated
the IV being started prior to the transport
team’s arrival.
Thanks for your commitment to excellent patient care and teamwork! It is
noticed and appreciated!
— Steve Wilbur
Arthritis/Fibromyalgia course set for May 25-June 29 at Skiff
A
self-help course for people with
arthritis or fibromyalgia is scheduled for Wednesday evenings
from May 25 through June 29 at Skiff
Medical Center. The course is sponsored
by Skiff and the Iowa Chapter of the
Arthritis Foundation.
The course is a series of seven weekly
classes designed to teach people how to
take a more active role in their health
care. It offers information about pain
control, relaxation, exercise,
doctor/healthcare professional/patient
relationships, fatigue and depression.
4
“The course has proven very successful
in helping people with arthritis or
fibromyalgia not only better understand
how to manage their symptoms, but also
to improve their quality of life,” said
Jayne Goos, a Skiff Physical Therapist
who is coordinating the course.
Pre-registration is required; the deadline
is May 18. Any person with a medical
diagnosis of arthritis or fibromyalgia may
attend; a friend or family member is
encouraged to participate.
For more information contact Goos at
641-791-4380.
Violinist to perform
benefit concert on May 22
New “First Dose” fund will provide
short-term medicines for Skiff patients
A
new “First Dose” fund at Skiff Medical Center will provide
medications for low-income patients who leave the hospital
with costly prescription bills, but don’t yet qualify for longerterm assistance programs.
“We have patients on fixed incomes who can’t afford $250 or $300
for the new medicines their doctor has prescribed,” said Skiff
Chaplain Merle Smith. “For that first month or two after they go
home from the hospital, some of them have to choose between buying
their medicine or buying food. That’s just not right.”
Eventually, nearly all of these patients will qualify for public or private assistance programs that will pay for their medicines. It takes 3060 days, however, for patients to complete the paperwork and become
eligible for most programs. “In the meantime, they’ve got to have
their medicines,” Smith said.
The First Dose fund at Skiff will purchase the first prescriptions for
patients who cannot afford them. For longer-term assistance, Skiff
social workers will continue to help these patients apply for a variety
of local, county, state and federal programs.
Several programs are available, according to Skiff Social Services
Director Lora Mattson. They include:
• Programs administered through pharmaceutical companies that
provide free or reduced-priced medicines for indigent patients;
• The state’s Elderly Waiver program, which provides qualified
seniors with medical services to help them to remain living in their
homes;
• Jasper County General Relief, a program that offers loans to individuals who meet certain income guidelines, for such items as rent,
food, utilities, medical assistance;
• The Iowa Senior Living program, which pays for home- and community-based services for low and moderate income older Iowans;
• The Salvation Army, which has a similar short-term medication
fund.
Mattson said that hospital social workers often help patients obtain
free samples of medicines from physician offices, and arrange for
generic medicines that often cost a fraction of the name-brand price.
Here’s a recent example: an elderly women with a limited monthly
income was admitted to Skiff with pneumonia and congestive heart
failure. When she was healthy enough to go home, her physician gave
her several new prescriptions costing more than $300.
“She really couldn’t afford $300, even for the first month,” said
Mattson. “She was eligible for the Elderly Waiver program, but it
takes a month to approved for that. In the meantime, we tried to get
her some samples from her doctor’s office. They didn’t have any samples, so we ended up going to the Salvation Army to get her first prescription filled.”
After a month, the woman began receiving prescription assistance
from the Elderly Waiver program, and is responding well to her
medicine.
A benefit concert for Skiff’s First Dose fund is scheduled for 4 p.m.
on Sunday, May 22, at First Presbyterian Church (see story at right).
5
V
iolinist Priscilla Hallberg will
present a
benefit
concert at First
Presbyterian
Church in
Newton at 4
p.m. on Sunday,
May 22. The
concert, featuring romantic
French music,
will benefit the
Priscilla Hallberg
“First Dose”
fund at Skiff Medical Center.
The First Dose fund provides medications for low-income patients who
leave the hospital with costly prescription bills, but don’t yet qualify for
longer-term assistance programs.
Tickets are available for $5 each at
Skiff Medical Center, Mattingly’s
Books and Music, most local churches, Newton Chamber of Commerce,
Hy-Vee East in Newton, Mode Huis in
Newton. The concert is co-sponsored
by Skiff Medical Center and the
Newton Ministerial Association.
Hallberg is a currently Director of
Music at St. Stephens Episcopal
Church in Newton. An active recitalist, chamber musician and orchestral
soloist, she has played with many
prestigious orchestras, including the
Boston Pops-Esplanade Orchestra for
27 years, working with conductors
Arthur Fiedler, John Williams and
Keith Lockhart. She has played with
the Des Moines Symphony, Cedar
Rapids Symphony, Sioux City
Symphony, San Antonio Symphony
and Midland/Odessa Symphony
(Texas).
She will be accompanied by pianist
Janet Bradford, Staff Accompanist/
Coach at Drake University in Des
Moines.
Educational opportunities
Skiff Foundation
Golf Tournament
set for May 20
The second annual
Skiff Foundation Golf
Tournament will be
held at the Newton
Country Club on Friday,
May 20.
It’s a four-person bestshot golf event, with tee
times available at 8 a.m.
or 1 p.m. Lunch will be
served at noon for all
golfers. Prizes: $400 for
first flight, $300 for second flight, $200 for third
flight (both morning and
afternoon). Cost: $75 per
golfer. Proceeds will go
to support the work of
the Skiff Medical Center
Foundation. Sign up as a
team or as an individual.
Contact Bruce
Hoffmeier at 791-4887
to register.
• Nurse Competencies 2005 will be
held May 19, 23, or June 3 from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. in Inservice ABC. These competencies will be “come and go” and nursing staff will not be scheduled into a session. Watch mailboxes for materials.
Nurses will be expected to come prepared.
• Representatives from the Iowa
Statewide Poison Control Center will
provide hazardous chemical training at
Skiff Medical Center on June 22, 2005.
There will be two sessions offered; from
4-5 p.m. and from 6-7 p.m. (location to be
determined). Participants will be able to
describe various types of chemical warfare agents, recognize signs and symptoms of a chemical exposure, and will be
able to describe how to properly manage
victims of a chemical attack. This educational offering is open to everyone.
Nurses will receive 0.1 CEU.
• The Hospice Fall Conference is
scheduled for September 23, 2005 from
7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Newton
Country Club. The speaker will be Dr.
Elizabeth Harper Neeld. More information will follow.
• CPR recertification will be offered to
staff on these dates:
• July 25
• October 24
All sessions will be held from 7 a.m. to 5
p.m. This will be a “come and go” renewal, so come to class prepared (and bring
your card!) The average renewal time has
been one hour. Call Lisa Guldberg (4871)
with questions.
• PALS Provider Class will be offered on
June 15 and 16 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m,.
The Provider class participants will need
to attend both days. Anyone needing to
renew their PALS certification will need to
attend day 2 only. Day 2 renewals will be
“come and go so participants will need to
come prepared. If you have not already
signed up for this class, call ext. 4871 to
sign up.
• ACLS Provider Class is tentatively
scheduled for November 16 and 17 from
7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Provider class participants will need to attend both days.
Renewals will only need to attend on Day
2. Day 2 will be “come and go.”
Participants must come prepared.
If you have not already signed up, call
ext. 4871.
Guldberg inducted into international nursing honor society
C
ongratulations to Lisa Guldberg,
RN, who has been inducted into
the prestigious Sigma Theta Tau
international nursing honor society.
With 125,000 active members, Sigma
Theta Tau is the second largest nursing
organization in the world.
Membership is by invitation to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students,
who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, and to nurse leaders exhibiting
exceptional achievements in nursing.
Sixty-one percent of active members
hold master’s and/or doctoral degrees.
Forty-eight percent are clinicians, 21 percent are administrators or supervisors
and 20 percent are educators or
researchers.
The mission of Sigma Theta Tau is to
improve the health of people worldwide
6
through leadership
and scholarship in
practice, education
and research.
Founded in 1922, the
society has inducted
more than 300,000
members.
Members are active
Lisa Guldberg, RN in more than 90
countries and include
practicing nurses, instructors,
researchers, policy makers, entrepreneurs
and others. The society’s 424 chapters
are located at 523 institutions of higher
education throughout the United States,
as well as in Australia, Brazil, Canada,
Hong Kong, Korea, the Netherlands,
Pakistan and Taiwan.
2005 Auxiliary
Scholarship winners
announced
Winners of the 2005 Skiff Medical
Center Auxiliary Scholarships included
(front row, from left): Tim Ahlers, Kelsey
Roush, Emily Bailey. Middle row: Amber
Fopma, Cathy Sutherland. Back row:
Jillana DeGoey, Kelly Kleckner, Alicia
Graber, Alyssa Hageman, Casey Farrier,
Desirae Kenney. Not pictured: Jeana
Groeneveld, Leslie Sutherland, Debra
McMahon, Jordan Vos, Sarah
Thompson, Zach Russell, Kate Burnett
and Jaclyn Price
T
he Skiff Medical Center Auxiliary has awarded
19 scholarships to students who are pursuing an
education in Health-related fields. This Year’s
scholarships total $16,000. The winners include the following:
• Alicia Graber (a $1,000 scholarship): Graber is a 2002
graduate of Newton Senior High School. She will be a
fourth year student at Mercy College of Health
Sciences, pursuing an ASN degree. She plans to obtain
her BSN degree. She is the daughter of Marcia Graber
and Wayne and Ellen Graber.
• Kelly Kleckner (a $1,000 scholarship): She is a 2002
graduate of Newton Senior High School and will be a
3rd year student at Mercy College of Health Sciences,
with plans to obtain her BSN degree.
• Emily Bailey (a $1,000 scholarship): Emily is a graduate of Newton Senior High School and is currently
attending the DMACC urban campus. She is taking
classes part-time in the nursing program with plans to
graduate in August 2006.
• Jeana Groeneveld (a $1,000 Lydia Swihart scholarship): Jeana is a 2003 graduate of Grandview Park
Baptist and is currently attending Pensacola Christian
College. Her plans include obtaining her BSN degree
and her master’s degree in nursing. She is the daughter
of Gene and Marilyn Groeneveld.
• Jillana DeGoey (a $500 scholarship in honor of Janet
and Joyce Slycord): DeGoey is a 2002 graduate of
Newton Senior High School and is currently a 3rd year
student at Mercy College of Health Sciences. After
obtaining her ASN degree, she plans to continue her
education and pursue her BSN.
• Catherine Sutherland (a $500 scholarship in honor of
Lois Vogel): A 2005 graduate of Baxter Community
School, she plans to attend the nursing program at
Indian Hills Community College. After obtaining an
LPN degree, she plans to continuing her education to
get her RN degree. She is the daughter of Gary and
Regina Sutherland.
• Amber Fopma (a $1,000 given by Portraits by Sara)
A 2000 graduate of Pella Christian High School, and
also a graduate of Dordt College, she is attending Des
Moines University with plans to become of Doctor of
Osteopathy. She is the daughter of Alvin and Mary
Fopma of Grinnell.
• Leslie Sutherland (a $1,000 scholarship) Leslie is a
2002 graduate of Baxter Community Schools and is currently attending Iowa State University. She is working
towards a degree in dietetics. Upon completion of a certification exam, she would like to work as a clinical
dietitian in a hospital setting. She is the daughter of
Gary and Regina Sutherland.
• Kelsey Roush (a $1,000 scholarship): A 1999 graduate of Newton Senior High School, she is currently
attending Marshalltown Community College. She is
working on becoming an RN and would like to continue working at Skiff Medical Center.
• Debra McMahon (a $1,000 scholarship): A 2004
graduate of Lynnville-Sully High School, Debra is
attending the University of Iowa pre-med program and
would like to eventually become a pediatrician. She is
the daughter of Neal and Jane McMahon of Sully.
• Desirae Kenney (a $1,000 scholarship): Desirae will
graduate this May from Newton Senior High School
with plans to attend Iowa State University in the fall in
the pre-med program. She would eventually like to
become a neurosurgeon.
• Jordan Vos (a $1,000 scholarship): A 2004 graduate
of Lynnville-Sully High School, he is currently attending Central College in Pella in the exercise science/prephysical therapy program. He is the son of Loren and
Tammy Vos of Sully.
• Sarah Thompson (a $1,000 scholarship): A 2003
graduate of Baxter High School, she attends
Northwestern College in Orange City, pursuing a
degree in biology health professions. She is the daughter of David and Pam Thompson of Baxter.
• Alyssa Hageman (a $1,000 scholarship) Alyssa will
(Please turn to page 8)
7
Auxiliary scholarships (continued from page 1)
Learn about
minimally invasive
knee replacements
Orthopedic Surgeon
Ronald Charles, MD,
will present a Lunch and
Learn program on the
new minimally invasive
knee replacement
surgery at noon on
Friday, May 27 in the
Skiff Inservice Room.
He’ll discuss the new
procedure that has
reduced rehabilitation
times to 5-6 weeks,
rather than 12 weeks
with traditional knee
replacement surgery. A
nutritious lunch will be
served for just $3. Call
ext. 4339 to reserve your
space.
be a 2005 graduate of Newton Senior
High School with plans to attend the
College of Saint Catherine in St. Paul,
Minnesota. She would like to work
someday at the Mayo Clinic as a physical therapist. She is the daughter of
Sandra Hageman.
• Zach Russell (a $500 scholarship in
memory of Lucien Van Elsen): Zach is a
2001 graduate of Baxter Community
Schools and is currently attending the
University of Iowa College of Pharmacy.
• Kate Burnett (a $500 scholarship in
memory of Ronald Ross): A 2001 graduate of Newton Senior High School, and a
2005 graduate of Iowa State University,
Kate has been accepted into a graduate
program at Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine in the Department of Art as
applied to medicine. She is the daughter
of Jeff and Jane Burnett.
• Jaclyn Price (a $500 scholarship in
memory of Ronald Ross): She is a 2002
graduate of Newton Senior High School,
and will be a senior at Creighton
University in Omaha this fall. She is pursuing a degree in music and also taking
the necessary courses for entrance into
the University of Iowa School of
Medicine. She is the daughter of Doug
and JoAnne Price of Newton.
• Casey Farrier ( the $500 Geneva
Trost Field of Medicine scholarship):
Casey will be a 2005 graduate of Newton
Senior High School with plans to attend
the University of Iowa in the fall in the
biology/pre-med program. She is the
daughter of Joe and Jackie Farrier.
• Timothy Ahlers ( the $1,000 Ronald
Ross health Care Administration scholarship): From Dubuque, Tim is in his final
year at the University of Iowa, where he
is pursuing an MBA and MHA degree.
Thanks from the I.T. staff
Auxiliary presents $25,000 to Skiff
Skiff Auxiliary President Debby Pence recently presented
Skiff President Eric Lothe with a check for $25,000. The
money, raised at the recent Chair-ries Jubilee event, will be
used to purchase new infant hearing screening equipment in
Obstetrics. It will also complete the Auxiliary’s two-year
pledge of $30,000 for the recumbent bathtub in the Monarch
Hospice Wing.
8
We would like to thank everyone for
their patience and understanding during
our server upgrade. This was one of the
largest undertakings for server upgrades
that can be done, and there were some
bumps in the road. But all in all, things
went well. We only have a few outstanding issues, Docushare and Outlook,
which we are working on right now.
With Outlook, we need your help to
finish up any outstanding problems.
First, you may need to reconfigure your
Distribution Lists. Second, check to see
if you can select your personal contacts
while composing an e-mail. Third, if you
had delegates listed to view your calendar, etc., those will need to be redone.
Docushare is still in the midst of being
redone and will be available soon.
We would again like to thank everyone
for their understanding during the server
upgrade.
— The I.T. Department
Skiff inpatient satisfaction survey scores for January—March 2005
Here are the scores from our latest inpatient satisfaction surveys, for January through March of
2005. Every inpatient at Skiff Medical Center
receives a patient satisfaction survey after leaving
the hospital. The results are then compared to
1,193 U.S. hospitals served by Press Ganey, the
largest patient satisfaction research firm in the
Score
Overall Hospital Rating
88.0
nation. The numbers below represent Skiff’s actual score
on each question (the hospital’s Balanced Scorecard goal
for the year is to achieve an overall score of 86.5). The
next column shows the change from last quarter’s score,
and the last column shows how Skiff ranks among all
1,193 hospitals surveyed by Press Ganey.
Change
Rank
+1.7
94%
Score
Change
Rank
Visitors and Family
89.0
+2.3
94%
Helpfulness of the people at information desk
89.1
+0.6
89%
Admission
89
+0.7
92%
Accommodations & comfort of your visitors
87.9
+3.3
94%
Speed of the admission process
86.4
+0.6
89%
Staff attitude toward your visitors
89.9
+1.0
89%
Courtesy of person who admitted you
92.3
+0.3
94%
Information given to family about conditions, etc. 90.7
+4.3
97%
Rating of the pre-admission process (if any)
88.3
+0.1
89%
Ease of parking
82.0
-16
76%
Room
84.9
+3.0
91%
Physician
90.3
+1.4
91%
Pleasantness of room decor
87.1
+4.2
97%
Time physician spent with you
85.8
+1.4
84%
Room cleanliness
88.3
+1.7
93%
Physician’s concern for your questions, worries 91.7
+3.2
98%
Courtesy of the person who cleaned your room 88.6
+2.1
83%
How well physician kept you informed
90.3
+3.3
96%
Room temperature
81.6
+6.4
88%
Friendliness/courtesy of physician
92.1
+0.1
89%
Noise level in and around room
78.0
+3.0
72%
Skill of physician
93.6
+1.5
87%
How well things worked (TV, call button, etc.)
88.5
+2.6
92%
Discharge
86.8
+1.5
88%
Meals
82.7
+1.7
91%
Extent to which you felt ready for discharge
87.0
-0.3
83%
If on a special diet, how well it was explained
80.2
+0.3
89%
Speed of discharge process
84.5
+2.4
82%
Temperature of the food
80.8
+1.2
82%
Instructions given about how to care for
89.7
+1.2
95%
Quality of the food
81.6
+3.6
95%
Courtesy of the person who served your food
87.8
+0.7
81%
Help arranging home care services (if needed) 92.2
+10.5
99%
Nurses
89.9
+0.0
84%
Personal issues
86.6
+2.2
85%
Friendliness/courtesy of nurses
93.6
+1.5
93%
Staff concern for your privacy
88.3
+0.5
85%
Promptness in responding to your call button
86.0
-1.9
65%
Staff sensitivity to inconvenience
88.4
+1.1
94%
Nurses’ attitude toward requests
91.7
+0.9
93%
How well your pain was controlled
86.3
-0.4
64%
Attention paid to your to personal needs
88.5
-1.5
79%
Staff addressed your emotional/spiritual needs 84.0
-0.8
67%
How well the nurses kept you informed
87.8
+0.0
83%
Response to concerns/complaints during stay
86.7
+0.4
88%
Skill of the nurses
91.0
-0.1
76%
Staff included you in decisions regarding tmt.
86.0
-0.5
79%
Nurses’ sensitivity/responsiveness to your pain 91.5
+1.6
90%
Overall assessment
92.3
+2.3
96%
Tests and Treatments
88.0
+1.7
92%
Overall cheerfulness of hospital
91.0
+1.5
92%
Waiting time for tests and treatments
83.6
+1.3
90%
How well the staff worked together for you
92.3
+1.6
95%
Concern for comfort during tests and treatments 87.8
+0.2
86%
Likelihood of your recommending Skiff to others 92.4
+3.1
94%
Explanations during tests and treatments
89.1
+2.2
95%
Overall rating of care given at hospital
93.6
+3.1
97%
Skill of the person who took your blood
88.1
+1.9
90%
Likelihood of choosing hospital for future care
93.3
+3.2
94%
Courtesy of the person who took your blood
90.9
+2.4
91%
Friendliness/courtesy of hospital staff
94.7
+2.7
97%
Skill of the person who started your IV
86.5
+1.7
85%
Courtesy of the person who started your IV
91.4
+2.9
93%
9
yourself at home
Emergency Room patient satisfaction survey results for January-March 2005
Here are the results from Skiff Medical Center’s
Emergency Room patient satisfaction surveys. A
total of 118 ER patients responded to the survey
from January through March 2005.
The numbers below represent Skiff’s actual
Overall Facility Rating
score on each question. The next column shows the
change from last quarter’s score, and the last column
shows how Skiff ranks among all 1,064 hospitals surveyed by Press Ganey, the largest patient satisfaction
research firm in the nation.
Score
Change % Rank
91.2
-1.2
98%
Arrival
92.8
+1.2
99%
Waiting time before staff noticed your arrival
96.8
+1.5
99%
Helpfulness of person who first asked you
94.5
+0.5
99%
Family or Friends
92.6
-0.7
98%
Courtesy with which family or friends
92.2
+0.1
97%
91.7
-1.9
99%
93.6
-1.3
98%
Personal/Insurance Info
93.9
+0.6
99%
Courtesy of the person who took your
94.6
+1.3
99%
93.8
+0.8
99%
93.4
+0.2
99%
Staff concern to keep family or friends
informed during your treatment
Staff concern to let a family member or
Comfort of waiting area
88.4
-1.3
97%
Waiting time before you were brought
96.2
+3.8
99%
86.9
+1.1
98%
% Rank
were treated
about your condition
friend be with you during treatment
to the treatment area
Waiting time in the treatment area, before
Score Change
personal/insurance information
you were seen by a doctor
Privacy you felt when you were asked about
Nurses
93.5
-0.7
99%
your personal/insurance information
Courtesy of the nurses
95.1
-1.2
99%
Ease of giving your personal/insurance
Degree to which nurses took the time
93.4
-1.1
98%
information
Nurses’ attention to your needs
93.2
-1.3
99%
Personal Issues
88.2
-2.4
97%
Nurses’ concern to keep you informed
91.8
-0.2
98%
How well you were kept informed
83.6
-3.4
96%
91.4
-2.5
99%
to listen to you
about delays
about your treatment
Nurses’ concern for your privacy
94.2
-+0.1
99%
Degree to which the staff cared about
Doctors
86.7
-3.3
76%
How well your pain was controlled
85.5
-3.7
96%
Courtesy of the doctor
88.0
-3.2
68%
Information you were given about caring
90.1
-1.8
96%
you as person
Degree to which the doctor took the time
86.8
-3.4
76%
for yourself at home
85.5
-3.6
77%
Overall Assessment
to listen to you
Doctor’s concern to keep you informed
about your treatment
Doctor’s concern for your comfort while
85.9
-4.2
76%
89.8
-3.6
96%
Overall rating of care received during your visit 90.7
-2.5
97%
Likelihood of your recommending
-4.7
93%
our ER to others
treating you
Tests
93.7
+0.8
99%
Courtesy of the person who took your blood
95.8
+2.5
99%
Concern shown for your comfort while
94.3
+0.3
99%
Waiting time for radiology test
88.9
+0.4
97%
Courtesy of the radiology staff
93.1
-0.9
95%
Concern shown for your comfort during
95.1
+1.5
99%
blood was drawn
your radiology test
10
89.0
Comments from satisfied Skiff E.R. patients
(These comments were received
on Skiff Emergency Department
patient satisfaction surveys in
recent weeks.)
• I really loved the staff and the
doctor on duty that day. They made
the whole experience kind of fun or
as much as it could be.
• A very fine experience, I would
definitely recommend your facility.
• Nurses made me comfortable
and were very helpful.
• The nurse was very nice and
helped my son not to be so scared.
• Wonderful care and facility.
Thank you!
• The nurses and Doctors were
very concerned and attentive. The
treatment was great.
• Dr. Tammy Chance was very
compassionate and I would recommend her to anyone.
• Everyone was extremely helpful
and friendly!
• Nurses very informative and
kind, Great people.
• Your emergency room is much
better than others I have been to.
• The nurse who took care of me
was very accommodating and
friendly.
• I was transferred to the ER from
the Newton Clinic after collapsing
in the clinic. In the ER everyone
was very prompt and I felt that I
was in the best of care!
• The staff was comforting and
reassuring.
• I would recommend Skiff ER to
anyone not only because my daughter works in the ER but also
because I could see the nurses
worked as a TEAM and really cared
about me. Thank you!
• Your ER Staff was amazing! I
have never been treated with such
courtesy and professionalism! Sandy
was my nurse she was so helpful!
• Everything was OK! No gripes.
Thank you!
• I had a very good experience
with the emergency department and
I would recommend it to anyone
• Very friendly staff.
• I was taken immediately back to
room as soon I we arrived.
Comments from satisfied Skiff Obstetrics customers
Skiff Obstetrics patients recently
shared these comments on their
patient satisfaction surveys:
• The nurses in the OB department were excellent and made my
stay a very pleasant experience.
• Dr. Nieves was excellent, my
husband and I could not have asked
for anything more. Dr. Nieves provided us with everything we needed.
• My experience during my stay
was wonderful. The staff was very
helpful and accommodating to any
needs I had.
• They took me to OB immediately, they were very courteous and
helpful in my time of pain.
• The nurses were very nice. They
were very helpful. I have never had
such friendly and courteous nurses.
I was very comfortable, they made
my stay a lot easier.
• The nurses were great and even
called several times after I got home
to make sure I am doing ok even
today. I’m very impressed with the
nurses there and know they will
treat me well when I come in to
have my baby.
• I’m very happy with the Newton
hospital. I’m glad that’s where I will
be having my daughter.
• Thank you for such excellent
care.
• Admitting OB nurse was very
informative and patient, especially
when using new computer system.
• Food was plentiful with variety
of food to select from.
• Great experience, very prompt
and courteous.
• OB rooms are very private and
spacious.
• OB nurses were very personal
and comforting. Enjoyed my stay in
the OB.
• Dr. Edwards was wonderful! I
had never met him and he was very
good to explain and was very courteous.
• We were very pleased with Skiff.
We have decided if we are blessed
with more children we will definitely choose Skiff.
11
Relay for Life
set for June 3-4
Several Skiff Medical Center
teams are planning to participate in the June 3-4 Relay for
Life fundraiser for the American
Cancer Society. See Carol
Hopkey Donna Combs, Jan
Backus, Carol Hopkey, Ann
Cutts, Jan Backus, or Kaye
Swarts if you’d like to walk,
pledge or volunteer for this
year’s Relay.
A reminder: Maytag employees
and retirees who take part in the
Relay for Life are eligible for
Maytag Matching Gifts. Please
don’t forget to take advantage of
this opportunity!
New Skiff employees
Krisen Mouchka CNA
Med/Surg
Annette Sheets
Radiology Tech.
Elise Schry, CNA
Med/Surrg
Brenda Steenhoek, RN
Home Care
Juli Hersom, PTA
PM&R
Kathy Trotter
Hospice Volunteer
Coordinator
Christine Trettin, CNA
Med.Surg
Kristyn Kohrs, CNA
Med/Surg
LeAnn Zach, CST
O.R.
12
Teresa Hiemstra, CNA
Med/Surg