Calling onPatients, Family

for Feedback!— Page 6

INSIDE

1

…Check My NorthBay, Your Employee Portal, for News in

Real Tim

e…09.28.16

Konard Jones Named CEOAimee Brewer

Becomes Presidentof Healthcare Group

New Hires 2MAs Earn Honors 3Talk’s New Officers 4#OurDocTalk 11

Employees Step Up — Page 10

It’s Timeto GetYour FluVaccination

— Page 15

NorthBay Healthcare President and CEO Gary Passama (right) will be ready in March 2017 to hand off operations to NorthBay’s new CEO Konard Jones and the new President of NorthBay Healthcare Group Aimee Brewer.

There were hugs and high-fives all around after NorthBay Healthcare President and CEO Gary Passama announced Sept. 22 that Konard Jones, president of its hospital division, will take the reins as CEO in 2017.

At the same time, he announced that Aimee Brewer, who currently oversees all outpatient services as president of the ambulatory division, will become president of NorthBay Healthcare Group. Her duties will expand as she adds leadership responsibility of the two hospitals as well as The Surgery Center at NorthBay VacaValley.

The trio made the rounds of both hospitals and all medical offices to celebrate with staff, physicians and volunteers.

Gary’s official date of retirement is March 31, after 35

years at the helm.Konard returned to NorthBay

in February 2015 to manage the day-to-day operations of NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville.

Previously, he served as NorthBay Healthcare’s vice presi-dent of human resources from 1995 to 2004. He then became president and CEO of Broadline Medical Inc., but returned to hos-

See CEO, Page 12

2

TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

Matthew BautistaPhysical Therapy AssistantPhysical TherapyNorthBay Medical Center

Czarina DayaoClinical Nurse IINeonatal Intensive Care Unit NorthBay Medical Center

Dan DeeClinical Nurse II1-West Med-SurgVacaValley Hospital

Ashley DoveUltrasonographerUltrasound, NorthBay Medical Center

Seyda DunhamClinical Nurse INeonatal Intensive Care UnitNorthBay Medical Center

Bailey EkinEmergency Room TechnicianEmergency Dept.NorthBay Medical Center

Tiffany FerrySubstance Abuse SpecialistNorthBay ABC Clinic

Ashante FieldsClinical Nurse IDelivery RoomNorthBay Medical Center

April GansClinical Nurse IIEmergency Dept.NorthBay Medical Center

Melannie GreenEnvironmental Services AideEnvironmental ServicesVacaValley Hospital

Michael GuiangClinical Nurse II1-West Med-Surg, VacaValley Hospital

Amanda HannenCardiac Ultrasound Tech IIEchocardiologyNorthBay Medical Center

Tyler JohnsonEmergency Room TechnicianEmergency Dept.NorthBay Medical Center

Thomas JurewitzClinical Pharmacist IIPharmacy, VacaValley Hospital

Encarnacion LacapClinical Nurse IIUnit 1800 Med-SurgNorthBay Medical Center

Denise LanierMedical Social WorkerSocial ServicesNorthBay Medical Center

Rebbecca LeonardOccupational TherapistNorthBay Health at Home

Jennifer Lum NorrisHR Support Specialist IIHuman ResourcesNorthBay Healthcare

Steven NguyenPatient Access Ambassador IAdmitting, NorthBay Medical Center

Janet OseskiProcedural TechnologistAmbulatory Surgery Center

James PaularRespiratory Care Practitioner IIRespiratory Therapy, NorthBay Medical Center

Jasmine PecsonASC Registered NurseAmbulatory Surgery Center

Christine SantosRespiratory Care Practitioner IIRespiratory TherapyNorthBay Medical Center

Kimberly SantosClinical Nurse II1-West Med-Surg, VacaValley Hospital

Omar SiddiquiCall Center Practice ManagerNorthBay Medical Group

Rosa VirginieClinical Nurse IIUnit 1600, NorthBay Medical Center

Christena WetzelClinical Nurse IDelivery Room, NorthBay Medical Center

Monica YbarraClinical Nurse IObstetric Unit, NorthBay Medical Center

Human Resources is holding benefits fairs so employees can visit with the vendors who pro-vide our comprehensive benefits program during open enrollment.

A fair is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 13, at GVAC and

Employees Invited to Attend Benefit Fairs During Open EnrollmentFriday, Oct. 14, at VacaValley Health Plaza.

Both fairs will run from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Due to construction at North-Bay Medical Center no Benefits Fair is planned for that campus.

Representatives from our carriers for health, dental, vision, employee assistance, flexible spending, life insurance and our 403(b) retirement plan will be available. Call Diane Urbano at ext. 3313 with questions.

3

MAs on a Fast Trackto Earning

CertificationA team of managers

and representatives from NorthBay Healthcare Human Resources fanned out across the organization in the last two weeks to celebrate medical assistants who have earned their MA certifications.

NorthBay has been encouraging MAs to achieve the certification because it will increase their “Scope of Practice” and that skill will prove to be a big time-saver for both providers and patients, said Todd Yoder, IT project manager. One example is the ability to allow the certified MAs to enter orders for lab and radiology tests into the Electronic Health Record (EHR).

Getting the MAs certified

is just one part of a much larger project for Todd, helping NorthBay’s ambulatory division reach Stage 2 by meeting all “Meaningful Use” measures to achieve a full EHR.

If NorthBay meets all the measures by the end of 2016, it

could earn as much as $527,000 in incentive funding, explained Todd.

According to Tina Jackson, Human Resources services manager, there are 121 medical assistants in our organization who could earn the certification,

and so far, about 30 have done so.

“Eventually it will be a requirement for the position, but for now, we’re trying to encourage them to get it done sooner rather than later,” she said.

Some MAs have attended study groups NorthBay has hosted on Saturdays, while others have studied on their own to pass the certification testing, said Tina.

“We’re proud of the efforts they’re making to help strengthen our organization,” said Tina.

Teresa Langley, service line director for Oncology, Neuroscience and Pain Management and Integrative Medicine (right) congratulates MAs (left to right) Laura Malkiewicz, Jessica Pantoja, Krista Bonds, Abby Agan and Lisa Thompson.

Specialty Care Practice Manager Dustin Nguyen congratulates Julia Renz (left to right), Amanda Armijo, Kristie Lentino, Alyssa McClain and Nancy Mai on earning their certifications.

4

Our ‘Talk’Celebrates

New Officers, Open House

Talk of NorthBay Toastmasters club held an open house on Sept. 14, giving employees as well as members of the community a chance to come learn about the club and the benefits of being a part of Toastmasters International.

Toastmasters is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide to help members improve their communication, public speaking, and leadership skills. Attendees at the Talk of NorthBay event were encouraged to join and promised a supportive learn-by-doing environment that allows members to achieve their goals at their own pace.

And the attendees saw a bit of that effort take place during the keynote address given at the lunch. When the scheduled speaker Desiree Ramos got ill and had to cancel, club member Robin Miller, social media and online specialist with NorthBay, stepped in to fill the gap.

Robin, who has been a member of the club only since March, spoke to the crowd about why NorthBay Healthcare is “hugging our haters,” a phrase coined by marketing expert and researcher Jay Baer.

Hugging our haters means NorthBay is focused on improv-ing our customer service and

care by reaching out and work-ing to resolve complaints posted on social media platforms: every comment, every platform, every time.

It was Robin’s second speech since joining the club.

Following the keynote, new officers for the club were in-troduced. They include: Presi-dent Ash Varma; Vice President Education Jessica Johnson; Vice President Membership J. Paul Harrington; Vice President Public

Relations Robin Miller; Treasurer Niki Petersen; Secretary Laura Oiler; and Sergeant at Arms Lydia Abad.

Talk of NorthBay is open to all. NorthBay employees who join will have their club dues paid by NorthBay. If you are interested in learning more about Talk of NorthBay and Toastmasters, you can contact Varma at ash-varma43220@yahoo.com, Johnson at JYJohnson@NorthBay.org or Har-rington at jpaul@solanoedc.org.

During its recent open house, Talk of NorthBay introduced its new officers (above from left to right) Vice President Education Jessica Johnson, Secretary Laura Oiler, Sergeant at Arms Lydia Abad, Treasurer Niki Petersen, Vice President Public Relations Robin Miller and President Ash Varma. (Not pictured is Vice President Membership J. Paul Harrington). At left, Robin gives the keynote speech at the event.

5

Evidence is In:Great Event!

The organizing committee for the third annual Evidence-Based Practice Symposium includes (left to right) Elisa Jang, Shawnee Laiwa-McKay, Nora Allen, Angeli Rivero, Leah Kuchta, Lisa Torgerson, Greg Hervey, Sandy Twyman, Carolina Barrero, Natalie Correll-Yoder and Alden Canlas. Conference rooms were packed during the presentations (below).

Amy Ciraulo, R.N., (left) and Michelle Harris, R.N., (right) both with NorthBay Medical Center’s Women and Children’s Services, show off the abstracts they prepared to share at the symposium. Amy’s focused on the Implementation of Postpartum Hemorrhage Bundle and Michele’s is “Thumbs Up” Means What? A Case for Cross-Cultural Nursing Education.

More than 130 participants came to NorthBay Healthcare from throughout the Bay Area and Northern California to learn how to integrate best-practice evidence into clinical practice. Keynote addresses by national experts and concurrent sessions showcased the work other hospitals have done to create positive outcomes. Initial feedback on the educational symposium was very positive, according to Elisa Jang, clinical nurse specialist, Translational Research.

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NorthBay Seeks Patient, Advocate Input

To improve the patient experience, NorthBay Healthcare is looking for patients and family members of patients who are willing to share their time and opinions by joining NorthBay’s first-ever Patient and Family Advisory Council.

“At NorthBay, we want to get things right for every patient, every encounter, every time,” explained Jennifer Shoemaker, program manager for patient experience. “Patients and their families are often the most knowledgeable members of the care team and can offer unique perspectives and valuable feedback regarding the care they receive.”

Jennifer and a team of NorthBay leaders are inviting interested individuals to apply for the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) by submitting an application that can be found online at NorthBay.org/PFAC.

The council will meet for two hours every other month and will provide insights across a variety of medical disciplines. The team will consist of patients, family advisors, physicians, nurses, safety and service specialists and managers.

Meetings will be held at NorthBay Healthcare’s Green Valley Conference Center and will either be between 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or between 6 and 8 p.m. and will include a meal.

The council will serve as an advisory resource to NorthBay on many of its programs. It will focus on improving relationships and communication between patients, families and staff.

“Managers who are develop-

ing programs at NorthBay will be invited to submit their propos-als to the council for feedback,” explained Jennifer. “Our team will work with them in advance to prepare the presentation and ensure they’re asking the right questions.”

Deadline for patients and family members to submit an application to join the council is Nov. 4.

“We’re hoping to build a team of eight to 10 community mem-bers, and we’ll complement that with three or four NorthBay staff members who can facilitate the conversations,” said Jennifer. “So far, serving on the coordinat-ing council will be Sarah Jewel, director of Business Develop-ment; Sandy Piedra, director of Emergency Services; and Katie Lydon, director of Women’s and Children’s Services.”

Jennifer will work with the co-ordinating council to screen and interview all candidates.

Applicants must be 18 years

or older, and currently or previ-ously a patient that has received care in the past 12-18 months. Council members must be willing to respect, promote and maintain strict confidentiality.

Terms are one-year commitments and are renewable at the end of each year at the discretion of the PFAC committee. Those who accept leadership roles are asked to commit to two-year terms. Each term begins in January.

All positions on the council are volunteer positions, and no compensation is provided.

For more information, write to patientfamilycouncil@NorthBay.org or call Jennifer at ext. 5757.

“The more input we can get, the better we’ll be,” noted Jen-nifer, pointing out that other hospitals have similar organiza-tions that serve in an advisory capacity. “This is a good addition for NorthBay Healthcare and it speaks to our focus on serving the community close to home.”

Community MembersUrged to Apply for Role

7

Firefighters Go Pinkfor Pizza Fundraiser

A Place to Play 4 AllSteve Huddleston, vice president of Public Affairs at NorthBay Healthcare and Rotarian (fourth from left) poses with Vacaville Planning Commissioner Jan Aldrich, Mayor Len Augustine, Rotarian Tom Philippi and Rotary Incoming President Kathryn Tuberty at the groundbreaking for the Rotary Play 4 All Park Sept. 17. NorthBay is a major sponsor of the project, which is being built in Vacaville to benefit children of all abilities and disabilities. NorthBay will have a hospital facade in the miniature Vaca Village Town Square.

Can NorthBay be the dominant presence again at this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s event? For the past several years, North-Bay had the largest contingent of walkers, and raised the most money during the event.

The walk is set for Saturday, Oct. 22, and NorthBay’s four teams are inviting employees and their loved ones to walk and fundraise with them, according to Sandy Perez, NorthBay Adult Day Center program manager.

Sandy is leading Team North-Bay, while Team Unity is headed up by NorthBay Guild Volunteer Bob Panzer. The Thoughts of You team is led by Marcia Nutter, Guild volunteer, and the Love for Les team is led by Char Barros, wife of a long-time Adult Day Center program participant. The teams have 57 walkers registered so far, and have set a combined fundraising goal of $29,000, Sandy said, and are about a third

of the way toward meeting that goal.

The Alzheimer’s Association returns 50 percent of everything raised up to $4,999, and 60 percent of funds over $5,000. In the past three years, NorthBay’s teams have earned more than $32,000 to support the NorthBay Adult Day Center, which goes a long way toward providing schol-arships for needy families.

Can’t walk? Consider purchas-

ing a raffle ticket to win a Kate Spade purse. Tickets are $5 each or receive five for $20. To pur-chase tickets, contact Sandy at 624-7973.

Registration opens at 8 a.m., and the walk begins at 10 a.m. Everyone who signs up to walk with NorthBay will receive a purple #NorthBay t-shirt, Sandy said. To walk with a NorthBay team, go to http://act.alz.org/goto/northbay.

Join in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s

Once again, a dedicated crew of Vacaville firefighters will take over Pietros’ No. 1 restaurant in Vacaville, don pink shirts and serve pizza as part of their “Passionately Pink for the Cure” fundraising event to benefit the NorthBay Cancer Center.

NorthBay employees, friends and family members are encouraged to come between 5 and 8 p.m. on Oct. 20 to the restaurant, 407 Cernon St., and 50 per-cent of every pizza order for dine-in or take-out will be donated to the Cancer Center. Pink Vacaville Fire Department shirts will also be on sale, for $20 each.

Call (707) 446-1771 to phone in your order, and be sure to say it is for the “Passionately Pink” event.

The purple # NorthBay t-shirt is free to all walkers, Sandy said, but a Kate Spade purse, shown by Amparo Lauriano, will be won by a lucky raffle ticket holder.

8

A New Vibe for Healthy FoodFairfield Mayor Harry Price (second from the left) poses with a team of dietitians during a Vibe Solano event promoting healthy food choices.

The Napa Valley Chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) will hold its annual symposium on Oct. 6 at NorthBay Healthcare’s Green Valley Administration Center.

Dr. Pete Zopfi, medical director for NorthBay’s Trauma Program, will be one of the featured speakers and will discuss multisystem

trauma. Other speakers will address healthy work environment, traumatic brain injury and donation.

The event will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Continuing education units will be awarded for sessions attended.

For more information, visit the Napa Valley Chapter AACN Symposium Facebook page.

Dr. Zopfito Speak at

Critical Care Symposium

Open Staffs ContinueWant the inside scoop on

events at NorthBay?It’s not too late to attend this

fall’s Open Staff meetings. The next meeting is this afternoon, Sept. 28, at 3:30 p.m. in Annex Conference Rooms 3 & 4 at NorthBay Medical Center.

The final meetings are Thursday, Sept. 29, in the VacaValley Hospital Cafe Conference Room. They are scheduled for 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

With music pumping and balloons waving in the breeze, the Fairfield Grocery Outlet, 200 Travis Blvd., formally debuted the new healthier food options it now offers Sept. 16, as part of the countywide Vibe Solano initiative.

NorthBay Healthcare joined in the celebration with registered dietitians Melinda Scholten, Michelle Morton, and Addison Ford along with Alicia Gambetti, R.N., on hand to dole out healthy eating information and NorthBay goodies including sunscreen and lip balm.

Friday’s celebration came a week after a crew of workers and volunteers spent a day completing a “healthy makeover” of the store, putting up signs and providing a plethora of healthy options for customers to choose from, including organic fruits and vegetables.

Solano VIBE aims to make the county a healthier place for all. The program is paid for through a $1.23 million chronic disease prevention grant from the Centers for Disease Control. The fund-ing helps the county reach goals of improving access to water, to more healthy fresh food options and to smoke-free environments.

Solano County is dotted with “food deserts,” areas where fresh, healthy and affordable food is not readily available and convenient stores and fast food restaurants have replaced grocery outlets as primary shopping centers, county public health officials explained.

Officials say Solano County compares poorly with many coun-ties in the state and California as a whole when it comes to gro-cery access. At the same time, Solano County, as compared to other counties and the state in general, has one of the high-est number of fast food outlets and has one of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the state, both directly related to diet.

9

NorthBay Healthcare experts will share information on how to prevent and recognize a stroke, and will teach hands-only CPR when the NorthBay Cardiac Education Series offers its quarterly presentation in October.

Laura McGuire, R.N., cardiovascular patient care program manager, and Elizabeth Gladney, R.N., stroke program manager, will speak and answer questions.

The presentation will be at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, at the VacaValley Health Plaza, 1010 Nut Tree Road, Suite 290, in Vacaville.

The lectures are focused on helping cardiac patients and their caregivers. They are scheduled on the fourth Thursday of the month in April, July, January and October.

Lectures are free, but guests are asked to register by calling (707) 646-5072. Parking is available.

Come TestYour SkillsAs an Artist

Cardiac Education Series to Focus on Stroke Signs, Hands-Only CPR

Dr. Michael Amster (inset and above) lectures on mindfulness, work-life balance and self-care to a group of about 40 NorthBay Medical Group physicians and providers during a NorthBay Evening of Wellness workshop held at the new conference room facilities at the VacaValley Wellness Center Sept. 21. Drs. Shanaz Khambatta (below left) and Deborah Murray prepare to arm wrestle during an exercise. The event also included workshops presented by Dr. James Long, Dr. Eric Hassid, Dr. Edie Zusman and Dr. Milind Dhond. “The event was a first for NorthBay and put the focus on an important issue — physician burnout,” said Aimee Brewer, president of Ambulatory Services. “We need

to provide awareness, resources and support, mindfulness practices, system changes, practice changes and continue the conversation. Ultimately our goal at NorthBay is to achieve the ‘Quadruple Aim’ of improving population health, elevating patient-centered care and reducing cost while bringing joy back to the practice of medicine.”

Providers Focuson Wellness

If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at being an artist, this event is for you.

For two hours on a Saturday afternoon, you will receive art instruction and create your own 11x17” canvas painting. No talent is necessary to paint your own

masterpiece.It’s the Special

Activities Committee’s “Paint Nite Fundraiser”

on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. A portion of the $45 ticket proceeds will be donated to R2D2.

Paint Nite provides all the tools you need, including paint, brushes, canvas and a host artist, to guide your creativity.

Snacks and wine are included.

Tickets are now available online for all NorthBay employees, contract employees, volunteers and their families.

If you have questions, please call Lorie Jarvis at ext. 3311.

10

Going Above and Beyond to Help

By Monica Belo, Quality Assurance & Training Coordinator

I wanted to share a couple of stories from our Patient Access & Communications team who went above and beyond to help our patients, and members of our community.

Jeannette Santoni, patient access ambassador II, was working as a PBX Operator on Aug. 8 when she received a call from a patient who was having dizziness and feeling some complications from a recent accident. Jeannette felt that it was important to take action and called 911 to get the patient some help. This isn’t the norm for the operators, but she wanted to ensure the patient was

taken care of. She provided the 911 operator with the patient’s details, and stayed on the phone with the patient, keeping the patient and those around her calm until the paramedics arrived. Jeannette was so cool under pressure!

On Aug. 29, Trina Borello, patient access ambassador II, found an elderly gentleman wandering in our facility. She asked him if he was okay and if she could help. The gentleman told her he had been dropped off here but needed to be at Kaiser for an appointment. She asked him some probing questions, but something didn’t sound right with his story. Trina then went to get additional help from Kim Hickman, patient access ambassador II, to see if Kim

could find out if the patient had an appointment here. It turns out he did not. Something still didn’t feel right with the situation to Kim and Trina. He didn’t have any money, he was in his pajamas, and seemed confused. So, Trina and Kim called Hope Phillips in Social Services for assistance. She was able to get in touch with the patient’s family, who came to get him. As it turns out, the man suffers from dementia, and had wandered off from his home.

I am grateful that our team will take the extra steps to ensure that our patients and non-patients are safe and taken care of, can remain calm under pressure, and will go the extra mile to find resolution to a very confusing situation.

More and more employees are sharing stories of when they were able to make a connection, either with a patient, another employee or a member of the community, as part of the Creating Con-nections storytelling ven-ture, according to Jennifer Shoemaker, manager of the patient experience program. “Connection Stories” are be-ing shared at management team meetings, in FYI (be-low) and on the ShareSpace site under “Patient Experi-ence/Connection Stories.” If you would like to share yours, call Jennifer at ext. 5757, or email connections@NorthBay.org, and it may appear in a future edition of FYI.

Trina Borello (left to right), Hope Phillips and Kim Hickman worked together to help reconnect a confused visitor at VacaValley Hospital with his worried family members.

11

Breast cancer awareness and treatment will be the topic of the next #OurDocTalk live chat on Facebook.

NorthBay oncologist/hematologist Brian Vikstrom, M.D., will answer questions during the chat from 12:30 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Dr. Vikstrom’s chat will precede a breast cancer luncheon set for Oct. 13 at the NorthBay VacaValley Wellness Center in Vacaville. Cost is $10 and proceeds benefit the NorthBay Cancer Center. RSVP to events@NorthBay.org or call (707) 646-3280.

#OurDocTalk, is a live Facebook chat. Interested followers who visit NorthBay’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/NorthBayHealthcare) post their questions or send them via Facebook Messenger, and the doctor will reply. Questions can also be submitted in advance to: Robin.Miller@NorthBay.org.

From the effectiveness of herbal remedies to the latest studies on prostate cancer sur-vival rates, followers of North-Bay’s Facebook page were given the latest information on prostate health during the Sept. 21 #Our-DocTalk with urologist Herkanwal Khaira, M.D.

#OurDocTalk is a live Face-book chat in which interested followers who visit NorthBay’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/NorthBayHealthcare) post their questions and comments and a NorthBay doctor replies.

Dr. Khaira focused on prostate health for a half an hour during the chat.

When asked about the herbal remedy saw palmetto, for exam-ple, Khaira laid out the facts.

“Saw palmetto has been used as an herbal remedy for prostatic problems for many, many years. It is available in numerous formulations; typically you would

find it in a health food

store or in the ‘Men’s Health’ section of a

pharmacy,” he explained.

“Many of my patients swear by saw palmetto and feel that it has greatly impacted their urinary function. However randomized, placebo controlled studies have not been able to detect any significant improvement with the use of saw palmetto for prostatic symptoms. The supplement is generally safe and side effects/complications of treatment are not widely reported. The supplement is not regulated by the FDA, so there is less regulation and monitoring of

Facebook Fans Learn About Prostates

Cancer is Topic of Next #OurDocTalk

Dr. Vikstrom

manufacturers.”Dr. Khaira was also quizzed

on a recent study that grabbed headlines regarding prostate cancer survival rates, and noted that some of the reporting could be misleading.

“Certainly there has been some over-diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer in the past 30 years. But prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths of men in America and we should not disregard screening

or treatment of the disease,” he wrote. “The Urologic Oncology community has been focusing efforts on identifying the patients who would most likely benefit from treatment (thereby treating the prostate cancers which show more aggressive profiles), while monitoring prostate cancers which appear less likely to cause problems.”

A transcript of the chat is posted on NorthBay’s Facebook page and will be shared on NorthBay.org.

NorthBay urologist Herkanwal Khaira, M.D. pauses for a photo while answering questions during the #OurDocTalk chat on Sept. 21. The live Facebook discussion focused on prostate health issues.

12

CEO...(From Page 1)

pital operations in 2011 serving as vice president, professional and support services, at UC San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oakland.

“Several years ago, the Board of Directors embraced a succession plan knowing that key top leaders were approaching retirement and we wanted to grow the next generation from within,” explained Ben Huber, chairman of the board. “These selections are a result of cultivating those who live the mission and nurture the unique culture that is NorthBay Healthcare.”

Gary is confident the new wave of leadership will succeed in advancing medicine and pro-viding compassionate care, close to home. “It’s clear that Konard has gained the trust of those who work closest with him in our hospitals, but also the other se-nior managers and the Board of Directors,” observed Gary.

He added, “We have worked hard for decades to provide a

different type of health care, not assembly-line, corporate-style patient treatment. And Konard has understood and espoused that principle from his first day here.”

Konard says he has big shoes to fill.

“I’m honored the Board of Directors selected me to take the baton from ‘Mr. NorthBay,’ Gary Passama,” he said. “I won’t at-tempt to fill his shoes, but in-stead make new footprints in the sands of this great institution. It will be a privilege to work with the highly committed physicians, management team, staff and volunteers.”

He added, “There is

much work to do and many uncertainties in health care, but Gary has positioned NorthBay to take on those challenges. So, as we come to an end of one great era and we begin a new one, I commit all of my energy and passion to keeping this extraordinary health care system the leader in Solano County.”

Even while working in Oak-land, Jones and his wife, Denise, have lived in Fairfield. He is ac-tive in community affairs, serving as a board member of the Solano Affordable Housing Foundation, an honorary commander at Travis Air Force Base, a board member of the Solano Coalition for Better

See CEO, Page 13

The team of Unit 1800 at NorthBay Medical Center was quick to surround Aimee Brew-er and Konard Jones and offer a thumbs up for the roving photog-rapher. President and CEO Gary Passama (below, center) makes the announcement to the staff in the Emer-gency Department at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital.

MorePhotosOnline

See photos from the announcement on My NorthBay, your employee portal.

13

Health and a community advisory committee member for Touro University. He is a graduate of Grambling State University.

Aimee joined NorthBay Healthcare in August 2014 with the charge of growing the array and the sophistication of services outside the hospital.

With the vision of access to excellence for patients and a partner in health and wellness to the community, Aimee has led initiatives resulting in significant improvements for NorthBay in both quality and patient experience.

“Expanding Aimee’s role was an easy decision,” said Archie Humphrey, chairman of the board of directors of NorthBay Healthcare Group, the division that oversees all medical services within the system. “She quickly acclimated to the nonprofit, com-munity-oriented philosophy that is ingrained here. She promptly took to building relationships and partnerships, enhancing and expanding services across the organization.”

He added, “I speak for the board when I say, without a doubt, we are confident that our progress over the years, fueled

by Gary Passama’s vision of com-passionate care, advanced medi-cine, close to home will continue with Konard and Aimee.”

Aimee said she is proud of the organization and the accomplish-ments already achieved, noting, “The leadership team in place is extraordinary. The physicians are

truly exceptional and highly en-gaged. Collectively, our employ-ees are committed to providing high-quality, personalized care.”

She came to NorthBay Health-care from HCA Physician Ser-vices, appointed as director of operations for MountainStar Healthcare, serving Utah, Idaho, Alaska and Nevada. Prior to join-ing HCA, she was administrator for the Payson Center for Can-cer Care. In addition, she was a practice manager and researcher for Children’s Hospital of Bos-ton. She has a bachelor’s degree from Simmons College in Boston and a master’s degree in public health from the University of New Hampshire. She recently joined the advisory board of the Salva-tion Army Kroc Center. She, too, is an honorary commander at Travis Air Force Base.

CEO...(From Page 12)

NorthBay Healthcare’s soon-to-be top leaders received a hearty high-five in Women and Children’s Services (left) and a thumbs up on 1-West at VacaValley Hospital. Konard Jones (below) gets a hug from an employee at NorthBay Medical Center.

The team at Specialty Care offers thumbs up after hearing the news.

14

Have you told your Creating Connections story yet? Not sure you have one, or how to tell it? And, some might ask, why are we doing this?

Answers are available through an interactive training module created by members of Leadership Academy 4, called “The heART of Storytelling” on Cornerstone. It explains why employees are being encouraged to share personal stories of the connections they’ve made through their work at NorthBay, said Tracey Clifton, director of medical surgical services, and member of the Leadership Academy IV team.

“The ultimate goal of sharing Creating Connections stories is to promote the great work that all employees in all departments do every day, and how they impact and touch the lives of our patients in truly touching, heartwarming and positive ways,” Tracey said.

“Too many of our staff — both in the patient care areas and especially in the ancillary areas — just don’t realize the impact they have on the outcomes of our patients,” she added. Hearing other people’s stories helps illuminate the many ways all of us have a hand in improving the patient experience.

Storytelling is an art, as more than 300 employees and senior leaders learned earlier this year when they attended a “Heart of Storytelling” workshop. Led by Andy Goodman of the Goodman Center, Andy shared how

storytelling helps motivate, inspire and engage others in vocalizing and celebrating the important work we do every day.

Now there is a learning module for everyone who didn’t attend the workshops.

“It is just one more step in NorthBay’s mission of cementing a culture of compassionate, patient- and family-centered care,” according to Pam Venturi, director, supply chain management and Leadership Academy IV member.

The Creating Connections journey was originally kicked off in 2015 by Leadership Academy III, to introduce the concept of Creating Connections — with a patient, fellow employee or even with the public — to increase patient satisfaction. Leadership Academy IV carried the storytelling aspect forward through the “HeART of Storytelling” workshops and now with this learning module, Pam explained.

“The interactive module gives employees the tools on how to write their story in a way that will motivate and engage the reader or listener,” Tracey said. “And, it helps to re-energize the passion for all our employ-ees to come to work and show what they do every day! Once they start sharing, it becomes contagious!”

The modules are available on Cornerstone through Dec. 31.

Other members of Leadership Academy IV team were Alonya Elgrably, nurse practitioner, and Niki Petersen, director of respiratory services, and this learning module was the team’s final project.

Pick Up Some Storytelling Tips in Cornerstone

The Move is Done:We’re All In!Abby Agan (left to right), April Palmer, Aimee Griffiths and Domenica Kelley are happy they’re finally seeing patients in Medical Oncology’s infusion room, after they and the Pharmacy moved to their new third-floor home in the VacaValley Wellness Center on Sept. 16. “Recent and upcoming stringent requirements for air quality in the Pharmacy’s sterile compounding areas required us to modify the ventilation and air filtering system, prior to a California Department of Public Health licensing visit,” according to Hy Ton, Pharmacy manager. “We are relieved the licensing phase is behind us and are very excited that we can serve our Medical Oncology patients in this beautiful facility and state-of-the-art pharmacy.”

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All NorthBay Healthcare employees are required to get a flu shot this year. Those who are vaccinated

will be given a sticker to place on their badge. Employees are reminded that getting a flu vaccination, or signing a declination form by Oct. 31, is a condition of employment at NorthBay Healthcare.

Here are some frequently asked questions about NorthBay’s flu policy:

Flu Clinics Ongoing: Get a Shot or Wear a Mask

Thursday, Sept. 29HAC

VVHP (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) Monday, Oct. 3

GVACWednesday, Oct. 5

NBHPThursday, Oct. 6

HACMonday, Oct. 17

NBHPTuesday, Oct. 18

Quality Fair, VVH Cafe CR10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Wednesday, Oct. 19

NBHPThursday, Oct. 20

Quality Fair, HAC Room 22910:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 21VVHP

Wednesday, Oct. 26NBHP

Friday, Oct. 28VVHP

Flu Vaccination Schedule

Green Valley Administration Center (GVAC)4500 Business Center Drive

Room 160, Fairfield

Where?

NorthBay Health Plaza (NBHP)1101 B. Gale Wilson Blvd.

Ste. 202, Fairfield

VacaValley Health Plaza (VVHP)1010 Nut Tree Road Room 240, Vacaville

All clinics are7:30 to 11:30 a.m.

12:30 to 4 p.m.(except as noted)

Hilborn Administration Center (HAC)2470 Hilborn Road Ste. 110, Fairfield

Please do not bring children.

Are flu shots mandatory again this year?Yes.

Will flu shots be available on the units and at the CPC’s?Yes, ample supply will be provided to these areas.

May I decline the vaccine?Yes, but you may only decline for religious, philosophical or medical reasons. You may no longer decline for personal reasons. You will not be asked to explain why you decline, however, you will need to check a box on the declination form (because we must report the reasons our employees decline the vaccination to the state).

What happens if I decline the vaccination? You will need to wear a mask when in patient areas from Nov.1 to March 31.

Are the badge stickers the same?No, each year will be a different color. This year is purple.

Can I get my flu shot at Kaiser or Walgreen’s or another offsite area?Yes, but you must submit your documentation that you got it done. This can be a completed consent form or receipt that specifies it is for the flu shot. You may no longer simply write the date and location. The vaccine must be from this year’s flu season.

Can I get the nasal vaccine?No, the nasal vaccine is not recommended this year due to lack of effectiveness.

If you have questions, contact Employee Health at ext. 4699 or Infection Prevention at ext. 5014.

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TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

09.28.16 Open Staff Meetings — NBMC Annex 3 & 409.29.16 Open Staff Meetings — VVH Cafe CR10.04.16 Retirement Plan Meetings — GVAC Room 16010.05.16 Retirement Plan Meetings — VVHP Suite 29010.06.16 Retirement Plan Meetings — Penn Tab Room 210.13.16 Benefits Fair — GVAC10.14.16 Benefits Fair — VVHP10.13.16 Breast Cancer Luncheon, Conference Room Dedication10.17-21.16 Quality Week10.22.16 Alzheimer’s Walk — Suisun Harbor

Much Ado About Getting Enough Fiber

By Kathleen Shafer, MA, RDFiber, a somewhat misunder-

stood nutrient, often gets a bad rap when it comes to taste. The word fiber can bring to mind chewing on cardboard. No way! That was your grandfather’s fiber!

Here are some tips and tricks to add this important component to your meals and some information about the different types of fiber and what some of those label terms actually mean.

The benefits of fiber are numerous: it can make you feel full, as it slows stomach emptying. It can help lower your blood cholesterol and prevent constipation and diverticulitis. It can help keep your blood sugar within a healthy range. It also helps with bowel health and more and more information is coming out about beneficial fiber and the gut microbiome. Feed those beneficial bacteria good high fiber foods and see how happy and healthy your gut can be.

Most Americans eat about half the amount of fiber they need on a daily basis. Daily fiber goals for women should be 25 grams, while men should aim for 38 grams per day.

Fiber is only found in plants and cannot be digested by our bodies. With a few simple and tasty tweaks, you can increase the amount of fiber in your diet. One great way is to toss that po-tato peeler away. Eating the skin or peel of fruits and vegetables can be a great source of fiber — and vitamins and minerals. One medium apple with skin contains 4.4 grams of fiber, ½ cup of applesauce contains 1.4 grams, and ½ cup of apple juice contains no fiber at all.

Beans, lentils, whole grains,

nuts and seeds are great sources of fiber. The more processed a food actually is, the less fiber is present.

When you are in-creasing the amount of fiber you eat, be sure to do so gradually and drink plenty of water. Fiber needs water to plump it up and if you don’t have enough fluid you might experi-ence nausea or constipation.

You are, no doubt, wonder-ing about the differences be-tween soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and good food sources are whole grains, fruits and seeds. Insol-uble fiber does not dissolve and is found in the wall of the plant. Good sources of this are brown rice, legumes and wheat bran. It is important to have both types in your diet.

To be considered a “good source of fiber” a food must have at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving. To be considered an “ex-cellent source of fiber” the food must have at least 5 grams per serving.

Whole grain products indicate

that there is little to no refined white flour. Read the labels carefully for “12 grain or mul-tigrain” breads. It doesn’t matter how many grains are there, you want them to be whole grains.

Add black beans to your salad for a pop of color, creaminess, and 7.5 grams of fiber per ½ cup. A cup of fresh raspberries brings another 8 grams of fiber to the meal, while three cups of air-popped popcorn can be a great snack with 3.6 grams of fiber.

Add some shredded carrot and cucumber to your sandwich and have it on whole grain bread or in a whole grain pita. Or try the slightly nuttier-tasting whole grain pastas for your pasta salad and other pasta dishes. The author is a member of NorthBay Healthcare’s Well-ness Committee and writes a monthly column for FYI. E-mail your questions or ideas to KShafer@NorthBay.org.