Volume 11, Issues 21 October 8, 2004
In This Corner by Jon D. Smiley, C.E.O.
Making Washington State and its communities the healthiest in the nation is the vision of the Washington Health Foundation (WHF). This is a vision shared by many around the state who are actively working to make Washington healthier. According to national health ranking organizations, Washington currently ranks around #13 for health out of all 50 states. Working with its participating organizations, including WSHA, WHF recently launched the Healthiest State in the Nation Campaign, aimed at making Washington #1. This campaign is an education and engagement campaign designed to raise awareness of what makes up health and to provide opportunities and information to actively improve health.
To learn more about the Healthiest State campaign in general, go to www.whf.org and click on the Healthiest State in the Nation Campaign logo.
I believe we can all do our part to make a healthy hospital staff and a healthy Sunnyside. I remember one of the first good exercises recommended for some of us is the "push away" - from the table.
The hospital supports your efforts to get healthy, or healthier. That is why you can join the Valley Racquet Club without joining fees as a member of the hospital staff. Also, as a corporate member, the more of us who join the club, the lower the rate will go for everyone.
Last week several of you took the time to support and walk in the Diabetes Association walk in the Tri Cities. I would like to thank those of you who got involved in that six mile walk. (Sandra Linde and Linda Garner are pictured below.)
Likewise we are a corporate sponsor of the Lower Valley American Cancer Society Relay for Life in May. I hope you will join the team as a walker, or support the team in their fundraiser efforts.
Nothing beats a good walk, for stress release, and calorie burn, so let's work together in a show of support to make Washington a healthy state and Sunnyside Community Hospital a healthy workforce.
The photo was published earlier in the week on the website, but I would like to again acknowledge and thank Mr. Joe Morin who retired from the hospital board last week. Mr. Morin was of considerable assistance to me the 12 years I have been at the hospital. He had been on the board for 19 years. (Click for larger image. Mr. Morin is in the middle, on the left is current board President Jim Sewell.)
This was originally a news release from Sunnyside Community Hospital to local media.
The
Washington State Hospital Association has appointed Sunnyside Community Hospital
Chief Executive Officer Jon Smiley to their Executive Committee.
The appointment was made during the WSHA annual meeting in Seattle this week. Smiley is also the current chairman of the WSHA Rural Hospital Committee and will continue that position for one more year.
WSHA President Leo
Greenawalt said the Sunnyside CEO has been an invaluable part of the association
policy and advocacy work.
“He
always has great ideas, asks hard questions, and supports the important work of
“Jon
was also a past chair of WSHA and served on the State of Washington Hospital
Rate Commission. This Commission had the single greatest influence on
hospital policy in the state of Washington in the 1970s and 80s,” Greenawalt
added.
Smiley
has led Sunnyside Community Hospital 12 years.
Prior to that he was CEO of Big Bear Community Hospital in Southern
California, and of Stevens Healthcare in Edmonds, Washington.
He has worked more than 40 years in healthcare.
Please Vote in November
If you want to know about registering to vote in Yakima County you can get all the information from the County Auditor's website.
We are beyond the 30 day window for registering at locations other than the Auditor's Office. However, you can go to the office up to 15 days prior to the November 2nd election, and register to vote via absentee.
Second P.A.-C joining Lincoln Ave. Family Medicine
submitted by Michael Delgado
Lincoln Avenue Family Medicine is happy to announce that Christina Rider, PA-C will join the staff as Physician Assistant. Christina will begin her new position November 1st.
Christina is a graduate of the Des Moines University Physician Assistant Program. She also has a Bachelor's Degree in Biochemistry from Calvin College.
Christina will join Rachel Mattern, PA-C, and Dr. Al Yinug and Dr. Terry Sanford.
Getting
Ready for the Flu
The news this week of a temporary shutdown of the production of the vaccine in England may effect the availability of supplies in the hospital. We will keep you posted with updates as soon as we have them. But at this point, we still expect the vaccine in the next two weeks - both injection & intranasal.
Intranasal vaccine is a live virus sprayed into each nostril. Because it
is live, you can have mild symptoms of flu after getting it. If you are younger
than 50 years old, do not have health problems with heart, lungs, asthma,
kidneys, diabetes, anemia or other blood disorders, are not pregnant, are not
caring for anyone who is immuno-suppressed and do not have a fever or illness at
the time of the vaccination, you may ask for the intranasal vaccine.
It is a good idea for anyone who fits the above profile to get the injectable vaccine. Healthcare workers are strongly encouraged to get it. Both are free to employees & volunteers.
Wednesday afternoon the Washington State Department of Health issued a news release about the availability of vaccine. To read the release click here.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
The
Mammography Department will be having a special screening day on October 15th in
honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We will be offering screening mammograms
at a reduced cost (not free).
Also, we will be selling pink
ribbons for $1 to employees to wear for the month. Wal-Mart is also selling
these ribbons to their staff and the money from both will go toward equipment
for breast cancer detection. In
addition, the department is reminding everyone to bring pink Yoplait labels to
the dining room collection point. Those
labels are a fundraiser for the Susan B Komen Breast Cancer Research Program.
And one more reminder, the Rebels with a Cause, have begun their 2005 fundraising for the American Cancer Society. Contact any team member if you would like to buy a Relay for Life ribbon or one of their other fundraisers. The pizza coupons are selling...like hotcakes...or pizzas, or something.
The Relay for Life Bowling Tournament fundraiser still has a few spots left. Contact Ed Smolak if you would like to get your team in the tournament.
Auxilary News
More fun ways to shop and help the auxiliary raise money for health care scholarships. The next auxiliary jewelry sale with extended hours will be October 26th in the classroom 7am to 6pm! Start putting away Christmas presents now, or just find something nice for your self or your sweetie!
The Auxiliary is also planning for the annual Festival of trees celebration November 19th. It's a fun way to start getting into the holiday spirit. Beautiful specially decorated Christmas trees, lots of yummy food to sample, and time to visit with lots of friends from the hospital and around the community.
The annual poinsetta sale deadline for orders is November 12th. You can get lovely holiday floral for $8.50 a plant - pink, red or white blooms. Contact Charlene Maling for more information.
Your Lung Health - Respiratory Care Awareness
Here's a link to an interesting interactive test on lung health. National Respiratory Care Week is October 24-30. We are fortunate to have a busy and well trained Cardiovascular Services/RT Department at SCH.
They want you to know all you can about your own lung health, as well as understand the variety of things they do to care for their patients. This link and test is just a sample of some of the interesting information on line at your lung health.org.
Other celebrations this month include:
Materials Management Week running through October 9th
Healthcare Food Service Week running through October 11th
Facilities and Engineering Week running October 24-30.
Pharmacy Week running October 24-30.
Perinatal Ultrasound Update via telehealth, bring your lunch & learn. Tuesday October 19 12:00 - 13:30 in the Med Surg Conference Room. Karen R Smith, RDMS, Donna MacDowell, RNC, Terry Mahoney, from Deaconess Medical Center, Spokane.
New
Web-Based Training Course from
CDC Smallpox Vaccine
Storage and Handling. The class is free of charge. Click on the
link for more information or contact Gabriella
Barker.
Diabetes Dialogue: Understanding the Nature of Type 2 Diabetes. October 15, 8:30 a.m., via telehealth, in the Med Surg. Conference Room. CME, CEU available, contact Gabriella Barker.
Monthly MedStar Classes in 2005. Free monthly classes via TeleHealth. 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on the 4th Monday of each month starting in January. All the classes offer CEUs from the AACN. You must register at least one week in advance to obtain CEUs. Contact Gabriella Barker or MedStar's Michael Day for more information.
Café Hours Detailed
submitted by Jean Clary
Based on our present staffing,
these are our Cafe hours and food service available during those
hours. Thank you for your help and
understanding as we continue to work to bring you the best service possible.
Cafe Hours
7:30 - 9:30 am: Breakfast
(Cafe Breakfast menu items only. We are not able to make special items
that are individualized)
9:30 - 9:45 am: Limited
Breakfast
We have some Breakfast items
on the line; however, we are not able to make new items
to order during 9:30 - 9:45 am.
9:45 - 11:30 am:
We have pre-prepared
("grab & go") sandwiches and salads on the Cafe line. You may
purchase those items that are in the cold well, beverages & cookies/muffins.
We are not able to make items to order.
We are spending this time getting ready for the Cafe lunch service and
patient lunch trays.
11:30 am - 1:30 pm: Lunch
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm: Cafe
Sandwiches & Hamburgers to Order/Coldwell Salads
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Cafe Dinner
Menu (Last "made to order menu item" i.e. grilled hamburger must
be placed by 4:45 pm.)
5:00 pm - Cafe Closed
Thank you for observing these
hours. This helps our FNS Staff work safely, get
Christmas Care Packages for Troops in Iraq
Ruth Hagensicker (Food Services) is gathering items for a Christmas Care Package to send to troops in Iraq. (Her brother is one of many guard members called back into fulltime duty and serving overseas.)
The package will be shipped out of the hospital November 1st. If you would like to contribute to the cause here are a few ways you can help:
1. Donate small toiletries such as soaps, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant and disposable razors.
2. Donate small bags of snacks such as crackers and cheese, jerky, hard candy, packaged drink mix, trail mix, gum and mints.
3. Donate magazines, paperback books, music CDs, stamps (to send mail home).
4. Donate money for postage to mail to the package.
5. Donate small wrapped Christmas gifts, and mark "male" or "female" on each gift.
After October 1st, there will be Christmas cards posted on the bulletin board across from the Cafe. Please sign all the cards, as they will be sent with the gifts and packages.
Mt. St. Helen's - will it or won't it?
We don't know what will be happening with Mt. St. Helen's. The first weekend of October an eruption was expected within 24 hours, and another "burp" happened Monday morning. So, even the U.S. Geological Survey is unsure what will be going on with the recently reawakened volcano.
Still, many questions have come up about the health risks should an ash flow head to the east as it did in 1980. What folows is some of the recommendations we received from the State Health Department. Keep an eye toward the TV, or an ear toward the radio for the news on the mountain. But, don't worry, like with everything else these days, just use some common sense precautions.
Ash
in the air:
·
Although volcanic ash is not poisonous, it can be dangerous for people
with young or compromised lungs or people with heart problems.
§
For example, infants, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions
such as asthma, emphysema and other chronic lung diseases may experience
respiratory problems.
§
People who take medications for existing lung or heart conditions should
make sure they have an adequate supply of medications.
·
Take precautions to protect your lungs if volcanic ash is present; this
is especially important for those who have respiratory conditions such as
asthma, emphysema, and other chronic lung diseases.
§
Stay inside, if possible.
§
Keep windows and doors closed.
§
Persons with respiratory conditions may decrease exposure to ash by
wearing an effective single-use (disposable) face mask when outside.