Volume 11, Issues 14 July 2, 2004
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Summer Safety Fair Photo Gallery
1. Gretchen Mallery and Sheila Robinson presented information on hand washing to stop the spread of germs. 2 & 4 Fire safety was presented by Alan VanBeek and Battalion Chief Aaron Markham in the hospital parking lot. 3. Sylar Gray, Sarah Root and Gentri Gray wait for their ride on the "General Grant Train". 5. KOB (Kids on the Block) puppeteers Sonny Barnes and Cristy Linde. 6. Jean Clary and Lucy Rubio presented nutrition information and healthy snacks to Aaron Meader.
Note: Click on photo for larger image. Contact Community Relations for reprints and to see other photos.
In This Corner by Jon D. Smiley, C.E.O.
In the heat of the summer time we looking ahead to the Labor Day weekend as near the start of employment of our three new Internal Medicine physicians.
The arrival of Dr. Francesco Vinci, Dr. Ellen Ang and Dr. Sandra Wilson will have tremendous impact on the hospital. If you work in patient care you are probably aware of the frequent times when Internal Medicine coverage has not been available over the past few months. If you don't work directly in patient care, let me assure you, that full time Internal Medicine coverage will have a profound impact on every department of the hospital.
It will effect the number of surgery cases we can prepare to do. An Internal Medicine consult is needed prior to a surgery. We have been unable to care for some patients, especially on weekends when emergency surgery was needed. Not because of the lack of a surgeon, but because of the lack of an Internist to provide a consult. Those patients were transferred to other facilities.
The Internal Medicine program will also be of benefit to our Family Physicians and other primary care providers. The Internist team will spend more time with patients in the hospital, allowing the Family Physicians more time to deal with the daily duties of patients in their own clinics.
Even as a critical access hospital we have room to see our patient volume increase. That increase will be of great benefit to the hospital, and equal benefit to the local patients who want to be treated here at home.
I hope you will join with me in welcoming these doctors as they join with Dr. Coke Smith later this summer.
Foundation Golf Tournament Now Accepting Applications
submitted by Carol Allen
One of the busy times of the summer is the annual SCH Foundation Golf Tournament. Right now we are calling all you golfers with a reminder to get your registration in early to assure you have a spot.
You can download an information form by clicking here.
The tournament is August 7, 2004. We will have an early morning shotgun start to beat the summer heat.
Anyone interested in helping out please contact us as well. We are looking for folks to help with registration, serve lunches and get the golfers out on the course. If you have helped before and want to come back we can really use you this year.
Speaking of golf, congrats to Jim Schlenker CFO, and his team who won first place in the 2004 Mabuhay Tournament recently. The tournament held in Sunnyside raises money for scholarships awarded by the Yakima Valley Philippine Community. (Pictured below, team members Rick Mitoff, Bob Hicks, Bob Hall and Jim Schlenker.)
New Babies! Nursing is welcoming two new arrivals! (click for larger image)
Lemuel
and Vivian Geangan (ICU) announce the birth
of their son
Schyler Lemuel Geangan
Born: May 30, 2004.
Schyler (note the
first three letters of his name) weighed in at 5lbs 2 oz, and measured 18
1/2 inches tall. He has a big brother Vince (age 7) and a sister Leianne
(age 6) already at home.
Adrian
and Bethelle Abringe (M/S) announce the
birth of their daughter Chamelle
Wong Abringe, born June 27, 2004
The first two letters of her name also recognize the hospital. Chamelle entered the world at 6 lbs 8 oz and 18 inches.
*Special thanks to Elaina
Castillo for help in preparing this article.
SIDS Awareness with Dairy Women
Sunnyside Community Hospital partnered with the Yakima Valley Dairy Women to receive a grant from the SIDS Foundation of Washington. SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. While there is no clear understanding of what causes SIDS, researchers have determined that the rate of SIDS has dropped 50% since hospitals and doctors began actively educating parents to put babies to sleep on their backs and not on their stomachs. Family Birth Center Nurses Karen Tucker, below left, and Jenelle Grenz, center, receive a SIDS awareness infant shirt from Yakima Valley Dairy Princess Nicole Linde, Thursday. The shirts remind parents to reduce the risk of SIDS by placing babies to sleep on their backs. (Click on photo for larger image.)
RSV & Influenza Clinical Update
Dr. Vincent Haynes, Director of Medical Sciences for Medimmune, and Associate Profession of Pediatrics at USC School of Medicine gave a presentation via telehealth (from Deaconess Hospital in Spokane).
Dr. Haynes explained a great deal about RSV that many parents probably do not know until their child has the infection. RSV accounts for the most mortalities due to respiratory disease in children under 2.
Haynes that by age two nearly every child has been infected. The purpose of our healthcare is to prevent the infection amount the most vulnerable infants and toddlers.
RSV is different than many infections because one exposure does not create an immunity - like say the measles. In fact, patients can get RSV more than once in a season. He also explained that more than 50% of all medical personnel carry the RSV infection. The best way to prevent the spread of the infection is through hand washing. He also said that many infants who have never been outside a hospital are diagnosed with RSV before they go home.
RSV reacts like a cold in many older persons, and that is why many healthcare workers do not realize they have the virus.
Left: Option Care/Synagis Representative Lisa Nicley
waits in Sunnyside as Dr. Haynes prepares to speak from Spokane.
Pediatric Grand Rounds - Monthly educational programs for physicians, nursing and other health care providers. These programs originate from Spokane and are available for viewing by telemedicine at SCH. Click here for complete schedule. You may also contact Gabriella Barker for more information.
Women's Health Grand Rounds is also scheduled via telehealth. Or contact Gabriella Barker.
Oncology Grand Rounds every second Friday of the month via Telehealth.
You can also get class information from the office of Gabriella Barker at any time of the day. Flyers for all current classes are posted on her door in the Administrative wing. So, even if you are working nights or weekends you can see the latest flyers by taking a walk down the admin. hallway. Your department manager should also have a copy of the monthly class schedule if one is not posted in your department.
Pete Sartin, above left, a local broker for State Farm Insurance, joined Cathy Finlayson and Jon Smiley to recognize a State Farm Insurance grant to the hospital for supplies in support of the Trauma Nurses Talk Tough program. Mr. Sartin and his wife are long term supporters of our hospital.
Nursing Notes will now also be kept on a direct link at the front page of the hospital website. So, if you are looking for updated information on classes you can come to the newsletter, or the direct link on the website.
To All Staff
On behalf of the Trauma Surgeon, ER Director, and Disaster Chair, we are writing this letter of recognition, to all the team members from the various departments who assisted in the double trauma that occurred on June 10, 2004 at 1840 hours.
The multi-disciplinary team performance that took place during the event demonstrated the quality and care of "Excellence". The crisis was handled with smooth proficiency, which not only supports, but also validates, the Sunnyside Community Hospital mission "In a Word, Quality."
The following labor resources were involved; ER Staff, ER Admitting, Nursing Supervisor, Laboratory, Radiology, Med/Surg, Cardiopulmonary, ICU, CRNA, Trauma Coordinator, Environmental Services, Maintenance and Security. All are to be commended for your outstanding skills and abilities.
Please join us in this proud moment of success and applaud our healthcare providers for a job will done.
Steven C. Elerding, MD Karen Quinn, RN Gabriella Barker, RN, BSN
When in Doubt - SHOP!
The Gift Shop is having a Christmas in July sale. Never to early to find bargains, and the summer is a great time to find some bargains on really nice Christmas items at the Gift Shop. The Christmas in July sale is July 12-16.
The Gift Shop also has brand new merchandise straight from the Market Gift Show in Seattle. It includes some picture frames that will make every dog lover happy, regardless of the breed you love. Also some very special angels have been added to the inventory. Some of the angels are musical. Stop by and shop, and remember employees can use payroll deduction with your name badge.
Mammography Fund
submitted by Coleen Goulet
The local Soroptomist group raises money for our mammography fund that provides women without insurance the source to have a screening mammogram without anything out of pocket. The group recently gave us $6000.00 and is planning a fundraiser at the Indian John Rest stop in August. They need people to work shifts at the rest stop taking donations and giving out coffee and cookies. They also need cookies. The fundraiser is August 6-8, 2004 if anyone of your staff could donate their time or make cookies please get back to me.
This program is of great benefit to women in our area who have little or no insurance coverage. It is also of benefit to the hospital to provide payment for screening mammograms. Not only do mammograms save lives, they can also reduce the overall cost of healthcare to the rest of us, by detecting problems at an early stage. While this is important for all of us, helping the uninsured cover less expenses medical procedures really does cut the cost of healthcare as treatment can be done far in a less expensive procedure when it is caught early.
Letter from the Editor
For the past eleven years as editor of the hospital newsletter I have tried very hard to keep my personal life out of this paper. Today I am violating that rule to share a picture from my vacation where I got married to Katherine Smith. We were married June 12th in Los Angeles.
I include this picture to say thank you for so many things. To all of you who gave us cards and gifts and visited last Friday at the Quality House, thank you. Your kindness and generosity explained so much to Kathy about why this place is much more than just a job to me.
When I got divorced seven years ago so many of you were kind and supportive at my lowest point. Now that I have found an angel here on earth I wanted to take one moment to thank you and share that joy with you.
I also want to thank Jon Smiley and the hospital administration for the Employee Assistance Program that was the first step in me putting my life back together seven years ago. If you ever doubt the Administration's interest in keeping employees happy and productive I can tell you from first hand experience it is real.
As Editor, I also had an idea. If anyone else would like to share a photo from a vacation experience I think that might make a fun way to add some photos to our newsletter over the summer. You can email them to the editor, or drop by and see me at the Quality House. Photos will be scanned and returned.
Women's Health Returns September 23rd
The hospital is scheduling this year's "Women's Health Night" for September 23rd. If you would like to know more about plans for the night contact Sandra Linde.
