Volume 11, Issue 25
December
5,
2003
In This Corner by Jon D. Smiley, C.E.O.
The Senate and the House of Representatives listened to the concerns you expressed in emails and phone calls over the past few months and approved important Critical Access Hospital legislation prior to the end of the year adjournment. The legislation we were watching all summer and early fall was part of the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill. Right up to the final hours of debate there was tremendous concern that changes would be made to the bill. Those changes would have seriously jeopardized our abilities to care for the patients of our Valley.
The good news this time is that the changes were stopped because politicians listened when we spoke together. The bill was changed in a positive way to allow the hospital to have 25 acute care beds instead of just 15. This will he much easier to monitor as our census begins to build again in the next two years.
The timetable for our implementation of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation will be early in 2004. We really believe it will have very little impact on our patients. Most will notice absolutely no change. Provisions to continue to care for some patients in "swing beds" will be explained to nursing and other care givers as we proceed to implement these changes.
You have also seen notice that we have changed our trauma designation from level three to level four. This does not relate directly to the CAH designation. It is caused by the inability to provide 24 hour a day seven day per week General Surgery coverage to the Emergency Department. We hope this designation can return to level three within the next year. As our surgical volumes begin to grow it will be open for reexamination.
Please make use of the many special events and projects coming up in the weeks and days ahead. I know many departments are already hard at work collecting food and clothing for special needs families around the Valley. Other special meals and plans are outlined within the body of today's newsletter.
Happy Holidays.
HO HO HO - it's
Christmastime! 
We will be having a Children's Christmas Party for children and/or grandchildren of employees, volunteers and medical staff up to age 12. The party will be held Sunday, December 14th in the classroom between 2.00 pm and 3.30 pm. Please RSVP Penny Duren or Lisa Garcia-Gray by December 8th with the names/ages of children and who will be attending.
Our Volunteers will be having their annual Christmas Potluck celebration December 19th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Classroom. If you have volunteers in your department be sure to include them in holiday time events, and remember to thank them for their work by encouraging them to attend the luncheon on December 19th.
The Hospital Christmas Dinner is scheduled for Thursday, December 11th in the Dining Room from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Be sure to bring your coupon for the meal. Remember if you don't plan on being here the 11th the coupon can be used for another meal prior to the expiration date.
Two Christmas Dessert Potluck Celebrations are planned December 19th in the classroom. The first will be at 2:00 p.m. the second will be at 8:30 p.m. Which ever one is most convenient for you please come and bring your favorite dessert to share. If you are participating in the Secret Santa activity plan to reveal your identity at that time. Winners of the Christmas wreath contest will be announced during the afternoon potluck.
Many departments are planning special efforts to decorate their doors, and prepare Christmas baskets for families with special needs. Be sure and check with Human Resources or your representative on the Employee Activity Committee if you have any questions about these events. We want everyone to have fun and enjoy this exciting time of the year. Christmas decorations are supposed to be up today - December 5th.
Festival of Trees Launches Holiday
This year's Festival of Trees was a
tremendous success. Twenty-two trees decorated the mini-mall. They
were sold to local businesses who will enjoy them throughout the rest of the
holiday season. The 22nd tree is decorated by Mary Schlenker's students
from the United Methodist Church pre-school. This tree celebrates
Christmas at the Sunnyside Senior Center.
This year the People's Choice" award went to Susan Babcock and Kenna Hazzard. (Susan works at Dr. Butler's office.)
Everyone attending the Festival
appreciated and delighted in the beautiful work the designers did on the trees,
the abundance of delicious food, and the many raffle prizes. Thank you to
all those reading this who donated items to the auxiliary for this event.
More than $4,500 was raised thanks to your generosity, and that of our sponsors
and ticket buyers.
Auxiliary members work year round doing fund raisers. Benefits are used
for health care scholarships - because the auxiliary joins with the hospital in
striving to help those wanting to pursue careers in healthcare.
Every spring $12,000 in scholarships are awarded through the auxiliary.
A large portion of this $12,000 is generated through your support of the
Auxiliary Gift Shop at the hospital. Another auxiliary book fair will be
held December 18th in the Atrium. An "Art is Fun" sale will be
held in January.
Nursing Notes
Educational Opportunities at SCH in the weeks ahead include the following:
December 9 - 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. "Acute M.I. Methods for Improving Care". From Qualis Health via telehealth network. In the Med Surg Conference Room.
December 10 - 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. "Pediatric Grand Rounds", Dr. Kurt Fines, "Adolescent gyn and primary care". Via telehealth in Med Surg Conference Room.
December 12- 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. "Perioperative Pain Management". Shriners Grand Rounds. Via telehealth.
December 18- 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. "RSV - Controversy in Management and New Guidelines", Featuring Dr. Gary Goodman. Presented in the classroom by SCH and YVMH, includes breakfast sponsored by Medimmune, RSVP by December 16.
December 18 - 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. "Performance Improvement- Achieving Results", JCSN, in the classroom.
January 8- 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. "Update - Type-2 Diabetes Management", Dr. Bruce Wilson, includes lunch sponsored by Aventis Pharmaceutical. RSVP by January 6.
Other nursing notes submitted by Linda Garner and Elaina Castillo
ICU has two new primary nurses. Vivian
Geangan and Anges Ampril have
completed their residency program and are now primary nurses for the ICU.
A special thank you to all the RN's who have worked the
extra IBD (Incentive Bonus Days) this last year. By working these extra shifts, 436 through the end of the
current year, they saved the
hospital $'s and made some extra $'s for themselves.
This work is greatly appreciated.
We want to say good-bye to two staff members who are
leaving at the end of the year. Angela
Lorenzo, PA will be
moving to Las Vegas in order for her husband to complete his education.
Her work in the ED was greatly appreciated and she will be missed.
Karen Quinn, RN, long time employee
will be leaving and going "On The Road Again" as a traveling nurse.
Her work at SCH as Nurse Supervisor and RN was greatly appreciated.
December New Employees
Oriented 
December New Employee Orientation concluded today (Friday, December 5). Above: the December new employees hear from Customer Service Director Carol Allen. They are (left to right) Tara Blair, Family Birth Center, Kristen Betsch, Radiology, and Jaclyn Lee, Radiology. (Remember click on picture for larger image.)
Benefits
Planning ahead for the new year should include examination of two important employee benefits. Would you like to save money on taxes? Our Flexible Spending Account (FSA) plans, offer you a convenient way to pay for qualified health and depedent care expenses with before tax dollars. When you redirect part of your pre-tax salary to an FSA account to pay for these expenses, you lower your taxable income, so you pay less federal income and social security taxes.
There are two separate plans.
Dependent Care FSA - This plan provides reimbursement for qualified dependent care items, such as child or adult care expenses, that allow you (and your spouse, if you are married) to work.
Health Care FSA - This plan provides reimbursement for most medically necessary health care expenses for you and your eligible dependents that are not reimbursed or covered by our medical, dental or vision coverage or any other health care coverage. Earlier this year, the treasury department and the IRS ruled that over-the-counter drugs and medications can now be paid for with pre-tax dollars set aside in health care flexible spending accounts.
For more information on how to set up your own FSA account contact Human Resources.
Worst Flu Season in 30 Years Possible
submitted by Kerry Montague
This could be one of the worst flu seasons in 30
years, with thousands more people dying than in a normal year because they
failed to get vaccinated, according to the director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine
Research Group.
"This will probably be the worst flu season
we've had in several decades," said infectious disease specialist Gregory
Poland, MD. "My guess is that we'll be in the 50,000 to 70,000 deaths this
year due to this strain."
In an average year, the disease infects up to 20
percent of the U.S. population, killing about 36,000 Americans and hospitalizing
114,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Medicine designers in the United States decide
which strains of flu to include in the vaccine based on what happens in other
parts of the world. They select the prevalent strains and create a vaccine to
protect against them several months before the U.S. flu season.
Lisa Garcia is now Lisa Gray. Rick Gray married Lisa on November 1st in Yakima. They enjoyed a trip to Mexico for their honeymoon. Congratulations to Lisa & Rick.
Translation Exam
Another written examination is scheduled for the in-house translation certification program. Please sign up for one of testing time on December 15 or 16. Tests will be administered between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. both days. This is the first part of the Language Service Program. After passing the written exam a verbal test will be scheduled. Contact Human Resources to sign up for the exam.
Soroptomists
Help Mammography Fund 
Carol Allen, left, represented the Lower Valley Soroptomists Club as they presented Coleen Goulet with a check for $1700 for the Breast Imaging Center Mammography Fund.
The Soroptomists raise money, primarily through a weekend at the Indian John Rest Stop. The fund pays for screening mammograms when a woman does not have other resources to pay for the diagnostic test.