Heartbeat - Wilbarger General Hospital

WILBARGER
GENERAL
Compassionately Caring for You!
H ear tbeat
APRIL 2016
Volume 5, No. 4
Winding road leads Park to WGH
S
ome roads have a few more stops and curves than others, and
the road Gail Park traveled on her way to joining the Wilbarger
General Hospital team and becoming Director of the Alternatives
Program would look like an EKG strip if it were plotted on paper.
The twisting, winding road began when Gail, who is of Korean
descent, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her father was stationed at
Fort Shafter, but because it is common for military families to relocate,
her family ended up moving to a different Army base every one or two
years.
“I’ve lived everywhere from South Korea, the east coast, the west
coast, and everywhere in between. I’m an Army brat…emphasis on
Army, not brat!” she said. “Growing up I just thought everybody
moved like we did. I learned to make friends fast.”
Gail attended a 2A high school on Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio
then transferred to a 5A school when her father, a physician and
colonel, retired from the military. He eventually opened his own minor
emergency clinic that he ran as medical director for over 20 years
before retiring. Her parents are in their mid-80’s and still live in San
Antonio where her older brother, a retired Army Airborne Ranger, lives
with his family. Her younger brother, a psychologist, lives in Denver
with his kids.
Gail studied piano from age 6 and earned a music scholarship to the
University of Texas at Austin. She graduated with a bachelor degree in
Piano Performance in 1986 then taught private piano lessons for eight
years. She worked on a master’s degree in Piano Performance at the
University of Washington in Seattle before returning to UT Austin and
earning a Teacher Certification for K-12 music.
“After experiencing burnout, I left the teaching field and decided
I needed a career change,” she said. “I’ve always loved animals, so I
became a vet tech. I did dog and cat dentals, assisted in surgeries, did
lab work and x-rays, drew blood, and assisted vets in exam rooms…a
little of everything.”
During the four years she worked in vet clinics, Gail became known
as “the euthanasia tech.” She explained, “I was able to help clients with
their grief over losing a pet. I valued that role. I also looked forward to
helping deliver litters of kittens and puppies…the fun part!”
When a neck injury ended her vet tech career, she read a book
entitled, “Do What You Are,” which was about matching personality
types with careers. “The exercises and questions I answered kept
pointing me towards a career in social work,” she said.
Realizing she wanted a career more directly involved in helping
people, Gail returned to school at UT Austin and graduated with a
master’s degree in Social Work in 2006. Upon graduation, she accepted
a chief social worker position at North Texas State Hospital in Vernon.
“I had no idea where Vernon was. I had to look it up on the map and
continued to hit zoom, zoom, zoom until it finally popped up!” she
Gail Park, Director of the Alternatives Program
said. “My plan was to work at the state hospital for about three years,
gain some experience and move back to Austin. Here it is 10 years later
and I’m still here. Vernon has grown on me. I’ve gotten to know some
very nice people here.”
In 2010, Gail left NTSH and accepted a position as a therapist
with the Alternatives Program in Quanah. She worked there for 5½
years before accepting a job here last September as the social worker
for Western Trails and Alternatives. She was named Director of the
Alternatives Program in December.
“I love working back in Vernon and serving the people here because
this is my community. These folks are my neighbors,” she explained.
Being a new, first-time director is both exciting and challenging.
“The exciting part is the chance to grow our program and help more
and more people,” Gail said. “The challenging parts are growing the
program and dealing with the learning curve that comes with being
new, but I’m determined to learn. I want to be a good director. I feel
fortunate to be surrounded by good directors who have been very
supportive and helpful.”
Gail also wants to be a good leader for her team – John Johansen,
Harold Walker, and Elaine Crews.
“I’m so proud of my team. We have all come so far. John, Harold
and Elaine are the core unit that has kept this program going over the
years. They are 100% devoted to the patients and they’re hard workers.
I want to be a better leader in order to give them the support they need
and deserve so they can better serve our patients,” she said.
Away from the office, Gail enjoys playing the piano, working in
her yard, and taking care of her fur-babies, a dog named Zoe and a cat
named Punky. “They’re not spoiled at all,” she said with a smile.
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Facility plan will help
WGH plan for future
W
ith the end of March, we concluded the first half of our
fiscal year. It is hard to believe that we have only six months
remaining before we begin the cycle all over again. As the old
saying goes -- Time flies!
The first half of our year was incredibly busy and
the second half of the year is shaping up to be even
busier. Earlier this month we formally opened our
Fitness Trail and immediately hosted Wilbarger
County’s 2016 Relay for Life. In addition, we
have already scheduled other community events
that will be showcased and held on our campus
grounds. Stay tuned to announcements from
Kathy McClellan as she keeps you abreast of your
opportunities to participate in these community activities. We are
always looking for volunteers!
As we continue to grow and reshape the way we deliver high quality
healthcare and wellness services to our community, you may notice
we are evaluating and considering the best possible use of our space.
In order to take a measured and systematic approach to this evaluation,
we are working with a couple of companies to assist us in developing
what is known as a Master Facility Plan.
Typically, this plan is completed every 7 to10 years at hospitals and
helps to chart a course for the best use of the hospital’s campus relative
to the organization’s mission and vision. In addition, it provides for
the planned replacement and/or upgrade of critical systems that are
integral to the operation of the hospital’s physical plant.
We will keep you apprised of this process as it moves forward, as
ultimately there may be some recommendations relative to which
departments, service lines, or functions are best served occupying
which spaces. Our primary goal is to serve our community in the
best way possible and to create a work environment where each
employee has an opportunity to feel valued and be successful. Thus,
everything we do relative to space will be determined in concert with a
transparent dialogue with our associates and medical staff. We always
welcome your input.
Finally, I want to close with a quote from a patient letter that I
received this week. In part the letter said “I know you see patients
all the time, and that you see a lot of emotions. While I don’t show
emotions often, this experience truly humbled me in a number of ways.
There were a lot of tears of fear, worry, and ultimately relief…It was a
very tough time for me, and you all got me through it.”
This patient went on to say what I believe to be the most vital part of
the letter: “What made the visit truly memorable was the outstanding
care I was given by the nursing staff. You were always there giving me
exactly what I needed…You guys saved my life…”
Wow!
Incredible gratitude for work that I suspect most of us considers to
be just a part of a routine day. Yet this is a reminder to all of us that for
those people we serve, our work is anything but routine or ordinary. It
makes a difference. You make a difference and I am grateful to have
the opportunity to work beside each and every one of you.
Thank you for all you do!
Claudia A. Eisenmann, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Easter Tea
WGH Auxiliary members (from left) Sandy McCrary, Carolyn
George, Tennis Monter, Maria Padron, Ron George, Mary
Boatman, Carolyn Monter, Sue Sij, Alta Armstrong and
Wanda Wilson get ready to serve all of the sweet goodies they
provided for the Easter Tea they hosted for WGH employees on
Thursday, March 24.
The Auxiliary is currently conducting their Annual Bake-less
Bake Sale to benefit their Scholarship Fund. Instead of baking
something to donate to a bake sale, just donate the money it
would take to bake the item to the Auxiliary. It is that easy
and simple! Bake-less Bake Sale donations can be made in the
WGH Gift Shop.
Several community service
opportunities in April, May
W
ilbarger General Hospital team members will have
several opportunities to take part in some community
service projects in April and May.
On Saturday, April 9, the hospital will be participating in the
Vernon Trash-Off in an effort to help clean up the downtown area.
For those wishing to volunteer, we will be meeting in the back
parking lot of the hospital at 8:15 a.m., and then taking the bus to
the courthouse. The trash-off begins at 8:30 a.m. and should be
finished by 11 a.m.
On Saturday, April 16, WGH will be manning a first aid station
and handing out water at the Jr. Service League 5K Glow Run.
Kim Pierson, Carol Lively, Mary Thompson and Kathy McClellan
have volunteered for this event.
On Saturday, May 21, the hospital will be partnering with Dr.
Amechi-Obigwe in a “Hard Hats for Little Heads” project, which
provides bicycle helmets to children. The event will include a
bicycle safety course, a bounce house, face painting, and free hot
dogs and drinks.
HIPAA
Corner
Q: What does “minimum necessary” mean? A) I am only expected to
complete the minimum requirements of my job. B) A workforce member’s access to PHI is limited to only what is needed to perform his/her
responsibilities. C) Requests for and disclosures of PHI are limited to
what is needed to perform the task. D) B and C
A: D. Both B & C are correct.
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Employees take part in satisfaction survey
T
he Employee Satisfaction Survey conducted by Press
Ganey concluded on April 3, and Human Resources
Director Alisha Nix reported the hospital had a very good
response rate by team members. She said 75% of employees
went online and completed the confidential survey.
Over the three-week period of the survey, the hospital held
weekly drawings for gift cards, and the three winners of the gift
cards were Alice Hodges, Manuel Gomez and Mary Colbert.
After Press Ganey compiles the data from all of the survey
responses a report will be sent to WGH administration. The
WGH administration team will review the report and determine
what areas can be addressed in an effort to improve employee
satisfaction.
On behalf of the WGH administration, Alisha offered a big
‘Thank you’ to all team members who took time to complete the
survey.
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The Wilbarger County Relay For Life event was held at
our Fitness Trail on Saturday, April 2, and was a great success.
Our WGH Seals team received the Best Campsite award at the
Relay. In March the WGH Seals held a bake sale that raised
$606. Team members also sold tickets for a chance to win a Gift
Card Basket that had close to $500 worth of gift cards, and at
the Relay event they sold Allsups burritos and Sonic corn dogs.
The team collected $736 from the gift basket fundraiser and
concession stand.
Overall, the WGH Seals raised $2,515 for Relay For Life.
The winner of the Gift Card Basket was Michelle Creason.
The members of the WGH Seals would like to thank all of
those who helped with their fundraisers, and a special thank you
to Allsups and Sonic for donating the burritos and corn dogs.
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On March 4, a drawing was held to giveaway 40 tickets
for the Kiwanis Club Pancake Breakfast, which was held
on Saturday, March 5. Winning the 20 sets of two tickets
were: Kelly McMillan, Maria Ortega, Maritza Martinez,
Dora Whiteside, Savannah Sandoval, Rebecca Braziel, Vicky
Woodfin, Christina Edmonds, Katy Nunn, Tammie Wrinkle,
Lisa Wilson, Vanessa Voelkel, Ashley Hall, Juan Zapata, John
Chilton, Kim Weaver, Tami Ferguson, Ashleigh Kemp, Barbie
Lytle and Nita Velez.
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The week of March 14-20 was Patient Safety Awareness
Week and one of the activities during the week was a Word
Search Puzzle Contest for all employees. The names of
employees who completed the puzzle and found all of the words
correctly were placed in a drawing for a Mestizo’s gift card.
The drawing for the gift card was held on Monday, March 21,
and Frances Hartman announced the winner of the drawing was
Kathy McClellan.
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Alyssia Patrick, daughter of Kelly McMillan, Business
Office, and granddaughter of Carol Patrick, Materials
Management, was accepted into the Gifted & Talented Program
at Northside Junior High School. Alyssia, who is a sixth grader,
also competed in the District Junior High UIL Competition
in March. She took third place in Modern Oratory, fifth place
in Social Studies, and sixth place in Oral Reading and Ready
Writing. Alyssia was also a member of the Sixth Grade Social
Studies team that took second place.
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Brooke Teague, granddaughter of Kim Weaver,
Rehabilitation, received her CNA certification in March. A
senior at Northside High School, Brooke has been working
at Advanced Nursing and Rehab since February, and plans to
go into the LVN program at Vernon College after high school
graduation. She would like to eventually become certified in
Hospice care.
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Craig Wrinkle, son of Tammie Wrinkle, Accounting, will
be advancing to the Class 4A Region I Golf Tournament after
finishing fifth in the individual medalist competition in the
District 5-4A Golf Tournament. Craig, a junior at Vernon High
School, tied for the lowest score in two of the three rounds of
district play, and finished with a three-round total of 273. The
district’s top two medalists who are not members of the first
and second place teams, which advance to regionals, qualify
for regionals. The four golfers who finished ahead of Craig are
members of the Iowa Park and Burkburnett teams, which will be
going on to regionals. As a team, the Lions finished third.
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Tami Ferguson, Surgery, would like to remind everyone of
the Zion Lutheran Barbecue which will be held from 6 p.m. to
8 p.m., on Friday, April 8. There will be barbecued brisket and
pork with all of the fixings. You have three ways to enjoy the
wonderful food – eat in, take home, or purchase the meat by the
pound.
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Three new employees joined the WGH team in March. The
new additions to the WGH staff included Megan Hammonds,
RN, Home Health; Sarah Harris, Nurse Tech, Med/Surg; and
Stormy Smith, RN, Resource Pool.
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Eleven WGH team members will be celebrating birthdays
in April. Those with birthdays this month include: 1 – Harold
Walker; 3 – Morgan Martinez, Mary Colbert; 6 – Jessica Lora;
10 – Laura Taylor-Hernandez; 11 – Rebecca Hart; 16 – Cynthia
Jimenez; 17 – Sarah Harris; 19 – Julie Burson; 22 – Tiffanie
Gibson; 24 – Lowell Salang; 25 – Claudia Eisenmann; 26 –
Hazel Brantley; 27 – Carol Patrick.
Mark Your Calendar
April 12 -- Med Staff
Noon -- Boardroom
April 14 -- QAPI
Noon -- Boardroom
April 20 -- Lunch & Learn for Docs
Noon -- Boardroom
May 3 -- Clinical Review
Noon -- Boardroom
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Members of the WGH Seals taking
part in the Relay For Life were (front
row, from left) Melanie Ybarra,
Jennifer Edwards, Rebecca Braziel,
Brenda McClellan, Laci Danner and
Konner Braziel; (back) Bailey Braziel,
Barbie Lytle, Claudia Eisenmann,
Kathy McClellan, Tammie Wrinkle,
Doyle Patrick and Carol Patrick.
(Photo left) Carol Patrick and granddaughter
Amanda check out the AirVac helicopter that
landed in front of the hospital during the Relay
For Life event. Residents were able to stop by
and see what the inside of the chopper looked like.
(Photo right) Melanie Ybarra and son Tibbie take
a moment to look inside a Vernon Police Department patrol car that was also at the Relay event.
Krysinda McElwee holds
a “Fidget Blanket” she
made to give to a recent
WGH patient suffering
from Alzheimer’s. The
blanket has several different things to keep the
patient’s hands busy and
different textures to feel.
The object of the blanket
is to keep the patient’s
hands and mind busy.
(Above) Kim Pierson, Carol Lively and Sarajane Rushing show off the front and back of
the “WGH Loves Vernon” t-shirts. Employees
can order the t-shirts to wear when representing the hospital in the community. To order a
t-shirt, contact Kathy McClellan at ext. 804.
(Top Photo) Christy Weatherly, Christina Schoonover, Tonya Flynn, Kenslea
Young and Lisa Pruitt of Radiology participate in the “Cookie Game” during
a Wacky Wednesday moment.
(Photo left) Butch Ishom tries to catch a cup before it hits the floor while racing Lydell Boyce in the “Blue Cup Game” while Dale Owen awaits his turn
during another Wacky Wednesday moment involving the HIM Department.
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