2016 July CaraeNotes - Conemaugh Health System Health... · CareNotes July 2016 Conemaugh Health...

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CareNotes July 2016 Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter conemaugh.org July is UV Awareness Month Conemaugh Memorial - Primary Stroke Center The skin is the body’s largest organ and needs to be protected from harmful UV rays from the sun. Learn more from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services at www.foh.hhs.gov/calendar/july.html. As a result of hard work and commitment by our employees, Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center successfully completed The Joint Commission Stroke Survey with no deficits, and was awarded continued Stroke Certification as a Primary Stroke Center. The surveyor was complimentary of the program and staff. Congratulations! The Joint Commission Survey Update A big thank you to all Employees, Leaders, Physicians, Resident Physicians and Mid-Levels for your commitment to Patient Safety. Last week’s unannounced focused survey visit by The Joint Commission (TJC) went very well. As a result of everyone’s hard work and commitment to patient safety, all condition level standards have been downgraded to the standard level. There were no findings and no requirements for improvement. This means that we will follow the normal course of submission of the corrective action plans to TJC and continue to drive improvement and sustainability. Measurement for sustainability will commence soon, so stay on plan!! Thanks again for your hard work and dedication. - Jean Rearick, Executive Director of Performance Excellence and Quality Conemaugh Memorial Receives Accreditation for Acute Cardiac Care Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation. The accreditation program — sponsored by the American Heart Association and the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care —recognizes centers that meet or exceed quality of care measures for people experiencing the most severe type of heart attack, ST- elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), in which blood flow is completely blocked to a portion of the heart. Conemaugh Memorial underwent numerous on-site reviews by accreditation specialists from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. The American Heart Association launched Mission: Lifeline® in 2007 to improve the care of STEMI patients by eliminating obstacles that keep patients from accessing and receiving appropriate treatment.

Transcript of 2016 July CaraeNotes - Conemaugh Health System Health... · CareNotes July 2016 Conemaugh Health...

Page 1: 2016 July CaraeNotes - Conemaugh Health System Health... · CareNotes July 2016 Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter conemaugh.org July is UV Awareness Month Conemaugh Memorial

CareNotesJuly 2016

Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter

conemaugh.org

July is UV Awareness Month

Conemaugh Memorial - Primary

Stroke Center

The skin is the body’s largest organ and needs to be protected from harmful UV rays from the sun. Learn more from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services at www.foh.hhs.gov/calendar/july.html.

As a result of hard work and commitment by our employees, Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center successfully completed The Joint Commission Stroke Survey with no defi cits, and was awarded continued Stroke Certifi cation as a Primary Stroke Center. The surveyor was complimentary of the program and sta� . Congratulations!

The Joint CommissionSurvey Update

A big thank you to all Employees, Leaders, Physicians, Resident Physicians and Mid-Levels for your commitment to Patient Safety. Last week’s unannounced focused survey visit by The Joint Commission (TJC) went very well. As a result of everyone’s hard work and commitment to patient safety, all condition level standards have been downgraded to the standard level. There were no fi ndings and no requirements for improvement. This means that we will follow the normal course of submission of the corrective action plans to TJC and continue to drive improvement and sustainability. Measurement for sustainability will commence soon, so stay on plan!! Thanks again for your hard work and dedication. - Jean Rearick, Executive Director of Performance Excellence and Quality

Conemaugh Memorial Receives Accreditation for Acute Cardiac Care

Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation. The accreditation program — sponsored by the American Heart Association and the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care —recognizes centers that meet or exceed quality of care measures for people experiencing the most severe type of heart attack, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), in which blood fl ow is completely blocked to a portion of the heart. Conemaugh Memorial underwent numerous on-site reviews by accreditation specialists from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. The American Heart Association launched Mission: Lifeline® in 2007 to improve the care of STEMI patients by eliminating obstacles that keep patients from accessing and receiving appropriate treatment.

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July 2016 Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter

conemaugh.org

Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Celebrates 100 Years of Training Physicians

Friday, June 17, 2016, marked Conemaugh’s 100th Resident Physician Graduation. The fi rst medical training program at Conemaugh Memorial began in 1915 with three interns who were training for a one year period. One of them, B.A. Braude, MD, was elected president of the Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital Medical Sta� in 1938. His granddaughter, Lynne McQuillan is employed at Conemaugh as a fi tness specialist in Employee Wellness. “We are very proud of our legacy of being a teaching hospital,” says Dr. Richard Wozniak, Medical Director of Conemaugh Memorial’s residency programs. “Many great physicians have trained here and we are fortunate that many also remained in the community developing programs and providing care that has made Conemaugh Health System what it is today. In fact, since that fi rst class in 1915, Conemaugh Memorial has had over 200 residents remain at or return to work at Conemaugh Health System.”

Congratulations to our 2016 graduating residents!

Sarah Abbot DOMartin Bolinger DOTina Boni PsyDJason Bregg MDNour Daboul MDAlmaan El-Attrache MDShane Fassnacht PharmDJessica Ferguson PsyDAmibahen Gandhi MDNeal George DODavid Gnugnoli DO

Jeremy Pappacena PharmDMuhammad Saleemi MDAllison Schiller DODouglas Schiller DOMaitri Shah MDWael Toama MDPuneet Tuli MDCandice Widuch-Mert MDPaul Williams MDChristopher Wolfe DOAmy Yan PharmD

Munawwar Hussain MDAdrienne Jantzi PharmDTanya Kindel PsyDRichard Kutz PsyDRichard Lammers DORebecca Larsen DOLusine Mesropyan DOMuhammad Naeem MDSara Nakhal MDEmma Oberlander DOFooroogh Ostovari MD

Conemaugh Memorial School of Medical Technology

GraduationCongratulations to the 2016 graduates of Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center’s School of Medical Technology program! Students graduated with a Conemaugh School of Medical Technology Certifi cate and are eligible to take the Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Exam given by the American Society of Pathologists (ASCP) Board of Certifi cation. Congratulations to our graduates: Hannah Dragoo, Andrea Harrer, Marana Marchese, Chad Moyer, Emily Preister, Adam Rodkey, Rebecca Shaw and Daniel Smith.

Crichton Marks 20-Year Anniversary

Crichton Rehabilitation is celebrating a 20-year milestone. The sta� at Crichton have cared for nearly 11,500 patients since opening its doors on July 1, 1996.

• About 21% or 2,300 patients with a diagnosis of stroke have been admitted

• About 17% or 1,800 patients with a diagnosis of hip fractures have been admitted

• About 7% or 775 patients with a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury have been admitted

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July 2016 Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter

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Conemaugh ConnectThe Conemaugh Connect technical team is implementing end user deployment of close to 2,000 net new devices! These devices have been purchased as a result of enhancements or work fl ow changes brought on by the implementation of our new electronic health record system set to Go Live on October 22, 2016. There are a variety of new device types that are being deployed throughout all Conemaugh facilities (both inpatient and outpatient) and Conemaugh Physician Group o¬ ces.

Conemaugh Connect MyChart

With the implementation of the new Conemaugh Connect, electronic health record system, the patient portal will transition to Conemaugh MyChart in October. MyChart is a great way to stay connected with Conemaugh Physician Group physician o¬ ces by taking advantage of user-friendly messaging, receive test results, request prescription refi lls, request an appointment, and pay physician o¬ ce bills online. Stay tuned for more information regarding Conemaugh MyChart and how to sign up! Questions, email [email protected] President of

Conemaugh Physician Group Named Nicolene Kushner has accepted the position of President of Conemaugh Physician Group, e� ectively immediately. Nikki served as Chief Operating O¬ cer for Conemaugh Physician Group since June, 2008. In this role, Nikki oversaw daily operations and management of all Conemaugh Physician Group practices, providing leadership and direction with additional accountability for operational and fi nancial performance/outcomes for the various components of the organization. Prior to that role, Nikki was the Director of Decision Support for Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, a position held since July, 2000. Nikki has been with Memorial Medical Center since May, 1994, serving as Senior Management Services Analyst and Sta� Auditor prior to being named as Director. Before joining Conemaugh, Nikki was employed as a sta� auditor by Coopers & Lybrand (presently Price Waterhouse Coopers). Nikki is a 1991 graduate of Saint Francis University, Loretto, PA., graduating with a Bachelors of Science degree in accounting and holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

New Business Manager - Surgical Business Unit

Kathy Ashcom, BS has the accepted the role of Business Manager of the Surgical Business Unit. Kathy will continue to provide data for the organization and lead the team’s transition to Epic this October concentrating on the fi nance, scheduling, charges, and billing aspects of the implementation for the Surgical Business Unit.

Congratulations, Conemaugh Home

Health! CMS began publishing “Patient Survey Star Ratings” in January 2016, which are based on the patient experience of care measures. All information about the Patient Survey Star Ratings is posted on the HHCAHPS website Home Health Compare. Conemaugh Home Health’s HH-CAHPS scores received a 5 star rating (the highest rating) for the second time this year. Congratulations to everyone at Conemaugh Home Health!

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Ashman 7“I could not have asked for any better care than I received while I was your patient. It was quite obvious the passion and commitment you have for your jobs.” -- A Patient

“Everyone was very cooperative. The attitude and caring by all helped make my stay less stressful than I could imagine. Your caring gave me peace of mind to accept the situations that developed.” -- A Patient

“All of you on 7 Ashman are the best care givers with outstanding personalities, always with a smile.” -- A Patient

“Everyone was kind, patient, helpful, e¬ cient, and exceptionally amicable.” -- Family of a Patient

Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter

conemaugh.org

July 2016

Service Excellence

TEAM Recognitions

Ashman 10“The patient care was Wonderful, Everyone was so nice, Treated me well. I was very impressed.” -- A Patient

“A great big WOW, hats o� to you, fantastic job, very excellent care and concern to all of you. The nursing sta� did everything possible to help me.” -- Wife of a Patient

“You made a di� erence to our mother daily through your willingness to communicate concerns to the physicians. You accommodated our very involved family, asking about what we might need each time you left our room. Your bedside hand o� s answered many of our questions and updated us on labs and studies, and gave us our plan for the day.” -- Family of a Patient

“The sta� was excellent; they routinely called me to update me on my husband’s progress, which was very much appreciated. My husband’s condition was critical at times but the sta� was on top of his care at all times. They sat in the room with him at times to make sure he was OK. The nurses went out of their way to make him comfortable and pain free. I felt comfortable knowing that my husband was getting the best care possible.” -- Wife of a Patient

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Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter

conemaugh.org

July 2016

Service Excellence

TEAM Recognitions

Cardiac Rehab“Everyone was knowledgeable and willing to help. It was a very positive experience and I would positively recommend this program.” -- A Patient

“The nurses at Cardiac Wellness/Rehab are excellent, professional and very helpful and courteous.” -- A Patient

“This is an excellent health program, provided by excellent professional sta� . I have benefi tted greatly from the program.” -- A Patient

“Wonderful program and excellent sta� .” -- A Patient

“All of the nurses were great. They answered all my questions and helped with setting up the exercise machines. Thank you and God Bless you all.” -- A Patient

Central Transport“While an inpatient I had an MRI done for back pain. By the time the MRI was done I was a wreck. The transporter who took me back to my room was unbelievably patient and kind with me. It’s a long trip to Good Sam and his patience and calm demeanor went a long way towards calming me down.” -- A Patient

“Thank you so much for allowing our new sta� to shadow you while you transport patients. It is important that our new sta� get o� on the right foot and your help allowed them to do just that.” -- A Conemaugh Memorial Director

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Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter

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July 2016

Service Excellence

TEAM Recognitions

Rose 6“Thank you so very much for the wonderful care my husband received, your skill and kindness was greatly appreciated.” -- Family of a Patient

“Thank you for the excellent care you gave my brother, I knew he was in good hands.” -- Family of a Patient

“Thank you for all you patience, support and kindness.” -- Family of a Patient

“All of you are a top notch group and I appreciate all you did.” -- Family of a Patient

“Thank you for your support and professionalism.” -- Family of a Patient

Rose 7“Your helpfulness and cheerful, caring attitudes made an unbearable time bearable.” -- Family of a Patient

“It meant the world to me that you were kind, compassionate, and considerate to my family and I. You took the time to explain what I should expect during the procedures I had done. Just knowing you were there to help me in any way I needed, eased my mind so much.” -- A Patient

“Often you do not see the good in people, well let me say that the entire sta� of Rose 7 is the best there is. I will forever be grateful to all of you. I truly believe you all deserve a gold star and I hope and pray you all receive special recognition for the work you have done, the work you are doing, and the work you are yet to do.” -- Family of a Patient

Check out our Facebook page to see our TEAM recognitions! Remember to click “Like”!

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Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter July 2016 Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter

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New Telestroke Technology

Conemaugh’s Neuroservice line is pleased to introduce new Telestroke technology which will be implemented the week of September 19, 2016. Conemaugh Memorial will be considered the “Hub” site where the physician is located and Conemaugh Miners, Conemaugh Meyersdale, and Nason Hospital will be the “spoke” sites where the patient is located. Using Telestroke, neurologists at Conemaugh Memorial will be able to complete an assessment in collaboration with the ED physicians at the spoke sites and decide if the patient is a t-PA candidate. Members of the stroke team took the Telestroke robot on a hospital wide tour to give physicians and sta� a fi rsthand look. Training for the spoke sites ED physicians and sta� will take place in August.

Breast Health Patient Navigators Now Helping Patients

Missy Felton, RN, Conemaugh Advanced Imaging and Melissa Myers, RN, Conemaugh Cancer Care Center have been added as Breast Health Patient Navigators. They will provide special care for breast cancer and imaging patients including:

• General breast health education

• Explanation of tests and procedures

• Assistance with coordinating appointments

• Help patients fi nd community care resources

• Support before, during, and after treatment

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July 2016Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter

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Pension UpdateConemaugh Memorial Medical Center’s Cash Balance Plan remains in the IRS waiting period for termination. What does this mean?

• Your pension funds are safe! And continue to earn interest.

• Pension plans are very highly regulated. The IRS is the fi nal governmental agency required to approve the termination of such plans. The role of the IRS is to ensure that all pension plans are administered in the manner set forth by plan documents and funding amounts are accurate.

• We will continue to provide information and timeline updates as they are available.

• As always, if you terminate employment for any reason (resignation, retirement, etc.), your retirement benefi t will be available to you, through the normal process, regardless of the IRS termination process.

Conemaugh Health System Launches Community

Health Needs StudyConemaugh Health System (CHS), in collaboration with The United Way of the Laurel Highlands (UWLH), recently launched a comprehensive Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). The CHNA is a systematic collection, assembly, analysis, and dissemination of information about the comprehensive health of the community. Its role is to identify factors that negatively a� ect the health of a population and determine the availability of resources with the community to adequately address those factors. CHS and UWLH performed a CHNA three years ago and are now assessing what changes have occurred in the communities we serve and how to address key fi ndings. The assessment is expected to be fi nalized by the end of September. A report of the results will be presented to the community. The information and data is being gathered by Stratasan, Conemaugh Health System’s research partner, who will collect, quantify and interpret the data. The results will be shared with the CHS board of directors and administration to help them develop and refi ne the health system’s programs and services to ensure the community’s healthcare needs are met. Once the data gathering is complete, a Community Health Summit will be scheduled in August. The summit will share the data collected in the CHNA and serve as a way to gather additional community input into the plan for health improvement.

Employee Development through Saint

Francis UniversityA representative of Saint Francis

University’s Adult Degree & Continuing Studies will host an information session for

Conemaugh employees on Wednesday, July 13, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. in room F304.

Conemaugh employees receive a 15% discount on Saint Francis University Adult Degree undergraduate tuition. Degrees o� ered online, evening and Saturdays include: AS in Business, BS in Healthcare Management, BS in Accounting, BS in Management, BS in Organizational Leadership, BS in Computer Systems Management, BS in Behavioral Science, and a BS in Health Studies (science based). Learn more about the programs, formats, fl exibility and more during this upcoming information/drop-in session. Register via Net Learning – Title: Saint Francis University Information Session

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July 2016

Conemaugh Memorial

O� ers New Procedure for

Heartburn ReliefConemaugh Memorial now o� ers LINX, a small device that is having a big impact on those who su� er with refl ux disease. LINX is implanted during a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure and requires no alteration to the stomach. Patients who want to learn more should attend an informational session with Dr. Stanley Zagorski – Conemaugh Physician Group Surgery, August 22, 2016, 6:00 p.m. at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center’s Cross Roads Café. Call (814) 539-8725 to register.

Outpatient PalliativeConemaugh Memorial will be opening an outpatient Palliative Care Clinic in July in Suite 180 at 1111 Franklin Street. Dr. Donald Ratchford will be providing the physician services at this site. The Palliative care clinic will supply a critical, extra layer of support to patients with complex conditions or uncertain prognoses. The focus of the care is to:

• Provide assessment and treatment of a patient’s physical and emotional/spiritual distress

• Improve pain and symptom management

• Prevent inappropriate emergency department visits, inpatient admissions, and readmissions

• Increase enrollment of patients who would benefi t with end-of-life-care such as hospice

• Reduce variation in care

• Provide care consistent with the patient’s preferences and values

• Provide better outcomes and quality of life

• Assist patients with complete prescribed treatments

• Help both patient and family with diffi cult decision making

• Facilitate smoother and safer transitions to other care settings-helping the patient and family to navigate through the complex healthcare setting

• Make referrals to community groups and to the Managed Care network for Advanced Illness program

Conemaugh School of Nursing

Student of the MonthCongratulations to Staci Lyn Stemmerick, the Conemaugh School of Nursing Student of the Month! Staci is from Bedford, PA and when she’s not busy with school she enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to the beach and Steelers football. Thank you for all your hard work Staci!

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July 2016 Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter

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Ideal Patient Experience Hero

AwardsNominations for the Ideal Patient Experience Hero Awards are now being accepted. We are looking for nominations of employees, both clinical and non-clinical, who make signifi cant contributions in providing the Ideal Patient Experience. These are the employees who embody the CARING Values and their behaviors encourage others to view them as role models. Nominations will be sent out via global email as an attachment and can be found on the Recognition Share Point Site. Completed nominations can be returned to Kathy Gorzelsky in Service Excellence/HR. Nominations will be accepted until July 25. Winners will be recognized at the September 12 Employee Recognition Dinner. If you have questions, please call Kathy at extension 3177.

Conemaugh Meyersdale Medical Center Employee Earns Recognition Conemaugh Meyersdale Medical Center’s Sarah Schardt was recently awarded the Caring Gold Star at a reception held in the medical center’s dining room. This is the second time Schardt received this special recognition. Schardt, a Surgical Services and Nursing Services employee, received the gold star for her outstanding care of an emergency department patient. Thanks to her quick thinking and listening skills, Schardt was able to calm the patient’s fears, discovered that the patient had some non-medical concerns that quickly needed resolved and provided essential medical treatment in a very caring manner. Schardt received her nomination through an application submitted by a family member. The Caring Gold Star is facilitated through the Conemaugh Health System, and nominations are reviewed on a quarterly basis. Patients, family members, visitors, physicians and co-workers can nominate any employee who has performed at an exceptional level - going above and beyond normal expectations. Application forms can be found in waiting rooms and patient care areas throughout the facility.

Nurse Manager Recognized by National Association Fran Watson, nurse manager of Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center’s intensive care unit, has been recognized by the American Association of Critical Care nurses (AACN) for her 40 year certifi cation as a Critical Care RN (CCRN). The AACN is the world’s largest specialty nursing association. As the fi rst Intensive Care Units of hospitals were not established until the 1950s, the AACN was o¬ cially established in 1969. The purpose of the organization is to provide education and training to nurses specializing in treating critically ill patients. Fran is one of only 16 other active nurses who received CCRN credentials the fi rst year they were o� ered in 1976- one year after the AACN Certifi cation Corporation was founded. Speaking on the value of this certifi cation for nurses, Fran explained how, “Certifi cation is the di� erence maker in your career…it will help you expand your knowledge base and with successful testing you will soar.” Fran has been helping other nurses to soar in their career under her infl uence and encouragement to earn the same certifi cation. She has been instrumental in establishing the local and active AACN chapter at Conemaugh. Currently, all the nurses of CMM critical care units have also completed the same rigorous training to receive this advanced certifi cation of CCRN.

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Facts About Hospice - Did You Know?Conemaugh Regional Hospice wanted to share the 10 facts regarding Hospice. Last year, 1.65 million dying Americans were cared for by hospice. Yet, there are some important facts about hospice that people don’t know and this may be keeping people from get-ting the best care possible, when they need it most.

• Hospice is not a place—it’s high-quality care that focuses on comfort and quality of life.

• Hospice is paid for by Medicare, Medic-aid, and most insurance plans. Fear of costs should never prevent a person from accessing hospice care.

• Hospice serves anyone with a life-limiting ill-ness, regardless of age or type of illness.

• Hospice provides expert medical care as well as spiritual and emotional support to patients and families.

• Research has shown that the majority of Americans would prefer to be at home at the end of life—hospice makes this possible for most people.

• Hospice serves people living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

• Hospice patients and families can receive care for six months or longer.

• A person may keep his or her referring physi-cian involved while receiving hospice care.

• Hospice off ers grief and bereavement ser-vices to family members to help them adjust to the loss in their lives.

• Research has shown people receiving hos-pice care can live longer than similar patients who do not opt for hospice

Screensaver Implementation

Please be advised, to limit the potential risk of PHI being visible on CHS computers, MIS will be using technology to deliver a standard screen saver to all CHS computers. The screen saver will automatically invoke on computers after 5 minutes of inactivity on the computer (no keyboard or mouse input). This process will be complete by 6/30/16. As a reminder please be sure to follow good security practices, never share your user account and password with other users, do not open email or websites from unknown sources, etc.

East Hills Construction Update

Work is well underway on the new Conemaugh East Hills Outpatient Center. Land purchased from a business on Eisenhower Blvd. has been cleared for a temporary parking lot to be used by employees and the construction crews. Once complete, this lot will be incorporated into the site parking design. Land behind the existing building is being prepared for the foundation work to come.

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Conemaugh Memorial Announces First Annual Donate Life Community Challenge Winner

Conemaugh Health System participates in an annual challenge through the Hospital and Healthcare Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) to raise awareness about organ, tissue, and eye donation. Hospitals state-wide compete in the HAP challenge, earning points as activities are completed throughout the year. For the past two consecutive years, Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, fl agship hospital of Conemaugh Health System, has earned Platinum distinction, the highest level of achievement for the challenge. Conemaugh’s Organ, Tissue, and Eye Donor Advisory Committee took initiative through the HAP challenge in e� ort to increase community awareness about organ, tissue, and eye donation by holding its fi rst annual Donate Life Community Challenge. The challenge took place during National Donate Life Month in April. The goal of this month-long observance is to highlight the critical need for designated donors. “I’m very humbled by the support our universities and business community demonstrated during the 2016 challenge for organ, tissue, and eye donor awareness,” said Pam Swansboro, Director of Nursing at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center and Chairperson of the OTE Donor Advisory Committee. “The support continues with every conversation between friends, coworkers, and family members regarding individual decisions to be a designated donor and give the gift of life.” A total of fi ve local employers and organizations participated in the Donate Life Community Challenge, with the winner being the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown’s Psych Club. “Our members are all organ donors who understand the importance of donating life,” says Amy Varmecky, recent Pitt-Johnstown graduate and member of the Psych Club. “Participating in this challenge was a great way for us to spread the word about organ donation not only to our department, but to the entire Pitt-Johnstown community.” The Psych Club participated in activities including creating ribbons and holding a table event for National Blue and Green Day, having students sign cut-outs in support of organ, tissue, and eye donation, creating a bulletin board encouraging donation, posting information to Facebook, and having one student present about donation in a public speaking course.

Conemaugh Cancer Care Center Donation Thank you to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society who partnered with Spangler Subaru in Johnstown and Stuckey Subaru in Hollidaysburg to provide beautiful blankets to patients at the Conemaugh Cancer Care Center. Tina Massari-Thompson, Executive Director of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Western Pennsylvania Chapter and Angelina Shilcosky, Campaign Coordinator for the LLS Greater Alleghenies Light the Night Walk recently presented 200 blankets to sta� at the Cancer Care Center. The blankets have been a pleasant surprise for patients who visit the Center for treatment.

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July 2016

Nason Hospital Special Guest

Congressman Bill Shuster recently visited Nason Hospital and toured the facility.

(L-R): Doug Mingle, Nason Hospital Board President; Tim Harclerode, Nason CEO; Congressman Bill Shuster; Kim Semelsberger, Nason CFO; Michelle Buttry, Nason CNO; Susan Maestra, Physician Recruitment

Doctoral Dissertation Research

My name is Tina Boni, MA and I am a psychology intern at Conemaugh Memorial Hospital conducting my doctoral dissertation research on parents of children who have been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder of any type. This includes Autism, Asperger’s Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, NOS. Parenting a child with Autism is very stressful, and this research attempts to examine the specifi c perceptions related to that stress. If you are the parent or caregiver of a child with Autism, PLEASE consider taking the survey or passing the link on to anyone you know who is the caregiver/parent of a child with autism. This electronic survey takes about 30 minutes to complete, and your participation is so very greatly appreciated. Please click on the link below to participate in the survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ASDparentalstress

Tina M. Boni, MAPsychology Intern/Doctoral CandidateFamily Medical [email protected]: (814) 534-9925C: (412) 916-8852

Share Your Positive Stories!

rch

Did your department have

an accomplishment?

Are you giving back to the organization or community?

Do you have great

news to share?

Send your stories for CareNotes to Stacy Roberts,

Marketing Communications, at [email protected].

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July 2016

Welcome New Residents!Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center hosted a Graduate Medical Education picnic at People’s Natural Gas Park to welcome new residents and their families, and create networking opportunities among residency programs. Community organizations provided information about activities and ways to get involved in the Johnstown community. Special thanks to Jeannine McMillan, Manager of Strategic Planning, for her e� orts to create a wonderful event!

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Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter July 2016Conemaugh Health System Employee Newsletter

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July 2016

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July 2016