Bwell launches at Beaumont Health

January 26, 2016
Bwell launches at Beaumont Health
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Program focuses on your health and well-being
A hundred
pounds of
hope
Farmington
Hills team member loses
100 pounds the hard way p. 2
Wayne
controller
dedicates
wall to
employees
Jay Bonnell gave
donations, now he’s giving
recognition
p. 3
New tax
form
coming
soon
The ACA law
requires employers to give
you a new tax document. p. 4
MLK
celebrations
Dr. King
honored
throughout Beaumont
Health
T
he start of a new year marks a time of renewal, regeneration and fresh
starts. Part of your plan for this year may include enhancing your personal
well-being – whether it’s to stress less, move more, eat better or be more
mindful. So what more appropriate time could there be to unveil your new
Employee Wellness program – Bwell.
“This program is about creating the conditions for our employees to be energized
and thrive – to feel a greater sense of well-being while at work,” said Carla
Schneider, director, Bwell. “Bwell is less about dictating wellness priorities and
efforts and more about serving as a support
system to meet employees’ needs.”
Although the complete collection
of resources is still being determined,
the following existing programs and
services are available to support
employee well-being:
••Relax and Restore sessions starting this
week at several Beaumont locations.
••Mindfulness programs also beginning this week at different sites.
••Wellness Ambassadors – employees who work with Bwell to develop and launch
wellness programs.
p. 6
Eagle Eye
Patricia
Boisseau,
RN
Her
watchful
p. 8
eye saved a baby’s life
••Healthy Lifestyle Coaching provides employees perspective and motivation to
overcome barriers and improve their well-being.
“This is just the beginning,” said Carla. “We are currently considering additional
programs and services and plan to continue to grow Bwell.”
For more information about these programs and other initiatives, visit the Bwell
web page. Email your questions and feedback to the Bwell mailbox.
2
A hundred pounds of hope
A Farmington Hills employee loses 100 pounds through exercise, healthy eating
Staying motivated
Gaining the weight back isn’t an
option for Savannah. She wants to
live a long and healthy life. That
alone keeps her motivated to stick
with her healthy lifestyle choices
because she doesn’t want to fight
a lifelong battle with her scale. “It
would be very irresponsible to me
and to those who love me to put the
weight back on,” she says. “I worked
too hard to meet this goal, and I
never want to be in that spot again!”
Get a support system
Savannah met the man of her
dreams, James, five months before
she began her weight loss journey.
She said, “He’s my best friend
and absolute biggest supporter.
Losing 100 pounds in front of my
significant other was intense. His
love and acceptance of me 100
pounds heavier will be meaningful
forever. He inspires me every day
by practicing a positive mindset,
being a good listener and loving me
unconditionally. We do everything
Ambassador of wellness
Savannah was just accepted into
the Beaumont Health Wellness
Ambassador program this month.
She’s excited for the opportunity
to connect with employees who
struggle with overall wellness issues,
knowing she can relate to just
about every weight loss struggle
there is. “I’m honored to represent
Beaumont’s employee wellness
initiatives to help others achieve their
own success stories,” says Savannah.
“I want people to know that reaching
your goals is possible. Eat clean, stay
active, drink water and rest; it’s that
simple! I’ve found having balance in
all aspects of my life has brought me
peace.”
Inspiring others
Savannah hopes sharing her story
will touch someone else’s life. She’s
documented her wellness journey
on social media and has connected
with many people who wish to
make healthy changes in their lives.
Savannah gives encouragement, a
listening ear and suggests others look
for someone in their lives to support
their plan of action in a manner
similar to how her lifemate James
supports her.
“There are so many success stories
out there – people who have lost
more weight than I have,” Savannah
said. “I believe sharing that private
part of their lives with others who
want to change will create a wellness
domino effect.”
Savannah’s top 5 benefits from
weight loss:
••Her asthma is almost nonexistent.
••Her complexion is now clear and
vibrant.
Savannah Dougherty changed her life with
diet and exercise.
before
Savannah grew up healthy and
active, but her health and fitness
took a backseat after she went away
to college. In six years, she had
gained 100 pounds. Savannah was
miserable. Her poor food choices and
sedentary lifestyle led her to think: “I
don’t even want to be around myself,
so why would anyone else?” She hid
under large clothing, avoided social
events and felt stuck.
together, from grocery shopping and
meal prepping to hitting the gym and
being outdoor adventurers.”
after
Meet Savannah Dougherty, a vibrant,
healthy and beautiful 25-year-old
woman who works as a human
resources generalist at Botsford
Commons Senior Community.
One year ago, she weighed 231
pounds. Now, she’s returned to her
healthy weight through a steely
determination to regain her health,
her happiness and her life.
Savannah and her partner James before she
made big health changes.
••Stretch pants and big sweatshirts
don’t fill her closet.
••She feels strong and confident.
••She can do any physical activity and
truly enjoy it because she feels so
alive.
3
Beaumont – Wayne controller dedicates wall to employee recognition
A
s the controller at Beaumont
Hospital – Wayne, Jay Bonnell
works behind the scenes to
supply everyone with the tools
they need to provide the best in care to
the community.
So when it came time for Jay to be
recognized for his own philanthropic
efforts, it came as no surprise to those
who know him that he opted instead
to defer that recognition to others.
As an Oakwood Foundation Legacy
Society Member, Jay took his naming
opportunity to honor the exceptional
team at Beaumont – Wayne. The result
was the Hero Hall, named in honor
of site president Eric. W. Widner and
dedicated to showcasing the staff,
physicians and volunteers who provide
exceptional care to patients.
Jay Bonnell, controller, Beaumont Hospital – Wayne, dedicated a wall in the hospital to
employee recognition.
“Jay has made a tremendous impact on
the programs and services we provide
at Beaumont Hospital – Wayne,” said Michelle Anderson, interim executive director of the Oakwood Foundation. “He has
made this impact in the most humble and unassuming manner.“
His gifts have helped provide equipment for the Beaumont Breast Care Center – Wayne, supported the Summer Speech
Therapy Program and much more. Jay offered a challenge grant that matched Spirit of Giving Campaign contributions
by management at the hospital and he has also made arrangements through his estate plan to make a significant gift to
support patient care.
“Jay has taken significant personal action by making charitable investments in areas that impact patient care, and
challenging our staff and leadership to do the same,” said Neelam Kumar, M.D., chief of staff at Beaumont – Wayne.
“The wonderful thing about Jay is that he sees the personal side of things. He speaks directly to our physicians, our
patients, their family members and staff each day. I think that Jay has a unique perspective into the impact of charity and
philanthropy.”
The wall is prominently located in the hallway behind the main lobby. The photos of team members who have gone
above and beyond to impact the lives of patients are displayed on a gray background under special lighting. The wall is
already full.
Jay’s name is not on the main plaque, but Eric says his spirit reverberates through the hall.
“Jay’s enthusiasm and his passion for this hospital, for our co-workers, the physicians and for our patients, radiates from
him,” said Eric. “This hallway is designed to celebrate the caring heroes on our team, but it really demonstrates Jay’s
commitment to excellent patient care and the community. We are so fortunate to have him as a partner, as a colleague
and as an investor in our efforts.
“I think this is a fantastic way to honor the dedicated staff members who go above and beyond to provide exceptional
care to our patents and their families.”
4
Beaumont Medical Group management council meets for the first time
The Beaumont Medical Group made even more progress
on bringing together the physicians from all three founding
organizations. BMG ended the year with the first meeting
of its management council.
This year, the council hopes to have committees in place
to adopt and standardize quality measures. “Our new
management structure, the progress toward eventually
unifying our IT systems and developing best practices
help us achieve our goals for quality and efficiency,” said
Terry Kowalenko, M.D., president, BMG. “After a year of
research, study, planning and preparatory work, I am eager
to begin the next phase as it brings us closer to realizing
the benefits of becoming an integrated, multispecialty
medical group.”
BMG has nearly 900 members from across Beaumont
Health.
New tax form coming in March
As you begin preparing your 2015 tax
return, it is important that you are
aware of some last-minute changes to
the Affordable Care Act tax reporting
requirements and what those changes
may mean to you.
This past fall, Beaumont Health gave
employees advance notice of a new
ACA law requiring employers to
provide all full-time employees with
a new tax document, form 1095-C, by
Jan. 31. The Internal Revenue Service
extended the filing deadline by two
months, meaning employers now
have until March 31 to provide the
new forms to employees.
Employees may not receive the new
1095-C form from Beaumont Health
before filing their 2015 individual tax
returns to the IRS. You do not need to
wait for the 1095-C form and should
file your individual tax return as you
normally would. This year, the deadline
to file your tax return is April 18.
“While the information on the 1095-C
may assist in preparing a tax return, it
isn’t necessary. You should be able to
accurately complete the health care
coverage section of your tax return
without the 1095-C form handy,”
said Michelle Brady, vice president,
Benefits.
In addition, form 1095-C is for recordkeeping purposes only. You do not
need to attach the form to your tax
return – keep it with your tax records.
“It’s important for employees to
understand that the 1095-C serves
as proof that you have met the ACA
minimum coverage requirement, so
be sure to keep the form for your
records in case you need to refer to it
in the future,” added Michelle.
For more information about form
1095-C and the recent changes to the
filing rules, please review the FAQs
prepared by the IRS.
Love at first shift?
Did you meet your sweetheart
at Beaumont Health? Are you a
physician who found “the one”
over an interesting medical case?
Are you a nurse who wowed your
partner with your impressive
clinical knowledge and skills?
We want to hear from you!
At Beaumont Health, we heal
hearts every day. But now
we want to know about the
metaphoric heart for a special
Valentine’s Day article in
Blend. If you’re interested in
sharing your story, please email
BeaumontBlend@beaumont.org.
5
New Beaumont Health signage continues to rollout, more coming soon
A complex endeavor and a
$7 million investment, the
Beaumont Health signage project
intends to unite our sites, signs
and vehicles while increasing
visibility and awareness of
Beaumont in the communities we
serve.
Starting last year with temporary
hospital main entry signs, our
signage transition and its costs
will continue in 2016 and 2017.
This two-year rollout is necessary
because of the large budget
required to cover hundreds
of signs, the signage approval
process with cities as well as
lengthy layout, bid, production
and placement schedules.
Nevertheless, you will begin
to see more signs popping up
throughout our service areas on
our hospitals and vehicles as well
as freeways and roads.
The mega sign at Beaumont Hospital – Taylor was just installed. More are coming to other hospitals in
February.
Site permanent signs
The transition continues with exterior signs at hospitals
and other locations. Last year, durable temporary entrance
signs were placed at hospitals and some adjacent
properties.
The next step is installation of new exterior and interior
permanent signs for the eight hospitals. Then old signs will
be replaced at outpatient, ambulatory and medical center
facilities.
Earlier this month, a new cobalt blue sign was installed at
the highly visible corner of Coolidge and Woodward next
to Beaumont Hospital – Royal Oak.
Freeway and road “H” signs
Current Beaumont signs are being updated and new
ones are being installed on freeways to direct drivers to
our hospitals. Highway signs for Beaumont hospitals in
Royal Oak and Troy are complete. The other signs will be
installed after the approval by various agencies within the
jurisdiction of the other hospitals.
In addition, more “H” signs are being placed along roads
for way finding to our hospitals.
Mega signs
These large signs are scheduled to be placed on the roof
line of all Beaumont hospitals to enhance the visibility of
those facilities. The sign at Beaumont Hospital – Taylor
was installed last week and most of the other signs
are scheduled to be up by Feb. 25. The exceptions are
hospitals at Grosse Pointe and Troy, which still need city
approval.
Truck signs
Beaumont trucks have been repainted with new branding
for awareness and visibility when in use throughout the
communities we serve. These trucks are used for deliveries
between sites.
EMS vehicles
Beaumont ambulances and medical transportation vehicles
are hitting the road with a new look. All the vehicles in
the Beaumont fleet are being repainted to reflect the
new colors and logo. There are two newly repainted
ambulances in use now, with another four due to debut
soon.
For more information about signage, contact Marketing.
6
Beaumont Instagram hits 1,000 followers
The Beaumont Health Instagram account recently topped
1,000 followers! Instagram is an online photo and video
sharing social network site that Beaumont uses to share
behind-the-scenes, unique photos from across the health
system.
Some of our most popular photos include shots of Beau,
character visits to Beaumont Children’s Hospital and
photos of grateful patients and our compassionate team
members.
You’re invited to join in the fun on Instagram by taking or
suggesting photos and sending to socialmedia@beaumont.
edu, following @BeaumontHealth and tagging your
photos with #BeaumontHealth. Let’s target another 1,000
followers (or more) in 2016!
Photo consent and HIPAA guidelines still apply. Contact
socialmedia@beaumont.edu with any questions or
concerns.
Follow Beaumont Health on Instagram and you’ll be among the first
to see cool photos, like at right, from when Sparty visited Beaumont
Children’s Hospital.
Beaumont Health celebrates life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday, Jan. 18, was recognized across the United States
and Beaumont Health to celebrate the life and vision of
the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Colleen Joseph, RN, Nursing Education and Research, gave
the Litany as the audience followed along at Beaumont
Hospital – Troy. About 70 people participated in the program.
Civic and community leader Ray C. Johnson, Ph.D., encouraged the audience
to make a personal commitment to advance equality at Beaumont Hospital –
Dearborn’s Celebration of Diversity honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Check out the video of the celebration
at Beaumont Hospital – Dearborn.
7
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
Help for caregivers to discuss HPV with parents and children
Newly appointed director of the
Beaumont – Farmington Hills Cancer
Center, Laurel Jackson, knows
firsthand how important the human
papillomavirus vaccine can be in
preventing cervical cancer. She also
realizes the difficulty some caregivers
have talking with parents and children
about young people getting the series
of shots.
Laurel comes to Beaumont after
several years managing the Grand
Valley State University Health Center
in Grand Rapids and Gynecology
Services at Henry Ford Health System.
She also dedicated her graduate
studies to assessing public attitudes
and perceptions to the cervical cancer
vaccine for girls and boys.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention estimates as many as 80
percent of people in this country –
women and men – will contract HPV
during their lifetimes. Worldwide,
an estimated 470,000 new cases of
cervical cancer occur annually. In
many parts of the world, cervical
cancer is the most common cancer
among women and the leading cause
of reduced life expectancy for women.
HPV infections are the most common
sexually transmitted infections in the
United States. The vaccine targets HPV
types -6 and -11, which are associated
with 90 percent of genital warts
cases, and HPV-16 and -18, which
are associated with 70 percent of all
cervical cancers.
Widespread use of the vaccine is
thought by CDC experts to greatly
reduce cervical cancer. So, why is
there such reluctance by parents to
administer the shots to adolescents?
“It’s not an easy topic for either
caregivers or parents to address,”
Laurel said. “Caregivers often find
parents resistant partly because it is
relatively new and because sexually
transmitted disease is a sensitive
topic. One of the main concerns
parents express is that the vaccine will
give their child HPV. They say, ‘You’re
injecting the virus into the body.
Won’t that give HPV to my child?’
That’s a common misconception.”
“Parents are also worried we don’t
have any long-term studies to prove
it’s safe,” Laurel said. “They’re worried
they’ll vaccinate their kids now and
something bad will happen later in
life. It’s a valid concern. But caregivers
should explain that the studies have
been going on for years, so we’ve
got solid data. The CDC continues to
assert the vaccination’s safety.”
“Education is extremely important,
and caregivers play an important role
along with the schools and parents,”
Laurel said. “Starting around age 11
or 12 when boys and girls are entering
adolescence, parents should start
talking to their kids about sex if they
haven’t already. The schools will start
talking about sex around that time,
and some kids will start to become
sexually active. Parents should try to
have an open conversation about sex
and everything that goes along with it,
including the risks.”
The CDC and the American
Association of Pediatrics have
published a helpful downloadable
toolkit that includes talking points
for caregivers to address HPV with
parents and adolescents.
OUWB Medical School students read to kids at Beaumont Children’s Hospital
Students from the Oakland University
William Beaumont School of Medicine
participated in a day of service
and read to patients at Beaumont
Children’s Hospital.
The medical students read books to a
camera, which was broadcasting live
to patients’ rooms.
8
Eagle Eye
P
atricia Boisseau, RN, made
a discovery on her arrival
to the delivery room. The
vitamin K in her hand
was an adult concentration five
times the strength of an infant’s
dose. She ran to her manager
and discovered there were two
misplaced adult vitamin K vials in
with the infant doses.
Heading towards an active
delivery, she needed a vial of
vitamin K to administer to the
newborn infant to help prevent
hemorrhagic disease. It’s
routinely given to newborns and
is necessary for normal blood
clotting in infants and adults.
Without vitamin K, a baby could
have internal bleeding in the
brain and other organs, leading to
serious injury or potentially death.
An employee in the New Beginnings Maternity Center at Beaumont Hospital – Farmington Hills for 36 years, Patricia has
been keeping watch over new moms and their newborn babies and making sure they are safe and healthy.
Patricia has always known what she wanted to do. As a new graduate from University of Michigan, she stepped right into
her dream position in the nursery at Botsford Hospital and never changed course.
Due to her discovery, extra steps are now being taken when it comes to receiving and storing vitamin K. “We now have
extra security by using our fingerprints to access the vials. It’s an extra step, but one that helps in the safety of our
newborns,” said Patricia.
The Eagle Eye Award is given to a team member at each campus monthly for preventing a medical error. Because of their
eagle eye, one team member will be featured each month. The featured winner will rotate campus to campus.
EDITORIAL TEAM
Lynn Anderson, Julie Antioch, Rebecca Calappi, Beth Montalvo, Scott Roush and Scott Spielman
Photographers
Elizabeth DeBeliso, Mark Nuytten and Tony Simler
We welcome comments, feedback, letters to the editor and story ideas.
Just email BeaumontBlend@Beaumont.org and we’ll get back to you.