Heartbeat - Wilbarger General Hospital

WILBARGER
GENERAL
Compassionately Caring for You!
H ear tbeat
MARCH 2016
Volume 5, No. 3
Lively enjoys all aspects of nursing
A
s a young mother with two boys, Carol Lively began
searching for a career that would be both steady and able
to support her young family. She decided on nursing and
has never, ever regretted her decision.
“I wanted a career that would allow me to take care of my
children, would always be there, and gave me the opportunity
for advancement,” Carol explained. “But, once I started LVN
school and got into it, I knew this was what I was supposed to
do and I still feel that way today.”
Carol, who was born in Crowell and grew up in Quanah, was
23 when she started LVN school and graduated from the Vernon
College LVN program in 1994. She earned her associate’s
degree and became an RN in 1999. She later returned to school,
graduating with her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the
University of Texas at Arlington.
While she is the director of Infection Control/Education and
Employee Health as well as Disaster Management and Risk
Management coordinator, Carol’s future plans include taking
online courses for her master’s degree.
“I definitely plan to get my master’s,” she said. “I’m just not
sure right now if I want to get my master’s to become a nurse
practitioner or go for education.”
Once she became an LVN, Carol worked at Hardeman County
Memorial Hospital, and while she was going to school to
become an RN she worked at the North Texas State Hospital
and Electra Memorial Hospital. After she became an RN,
Carol began working the night shift in the ER of the 11th Street
Campus of United Regional in Wichita Falls.
“I absolutely fell in love with the ER. That was it,” she said.
“The versatility of the patients that come in, it is almost like
magic every day. From little kids to older people, you never
know what is going to walk through the door next. You just feed
off that energy.”
When Carol took the job at United Regional, she was living in
Chillicothe and driving back and forth, and at the same time was
doing PRN work here at Wilbarger General. The drive, coupled
with working nights, was tough when there were two boys under
the age of 13 at home.
“That schedule was really hard,” she explained. “So, I just
flipped it. I began working here full time on 3rd Floor and
worked PRN at United Regional. That made it easier.”
Carol later worked in the ER here before leaving for a job
with a home health agency. In 2006 she returned to Hardeman
County Memorial where she worked in administration for seven
years. She later worked in the ER at United Regional and for
Hospice of Wichita Falls before accepting her current position
Carol Lively, Infection Control/Education/Employee Health
here last May.
“I’ve enjoyed all of the different places I’ve worked and
each one has been a learning experience for me,” she said. “I
loved home health because I love little old people and I love
visiting with people. They were always so excited that someone
was there to visit with and help them. Hospice was one of the
most gratifying jobs I’ve ever had. It was also one of the most
humbling jobs I’ve ever had.
“Working for Hospice was very satisfying because you know
you’re making a difference in a person’s life,” Carol continued.
“Whether the person knows or not, the family knows and it just
makes you feel good. You meet the kindest, sweetest people at
Hospice.”
While she’s back in an office, she isn’t really behind a desk
that much.
“This job is similar to ER because I’m involved in doing so
many different things at the same time,” Carol said. “Plus, I can
step in and help wherever I’m needed – on the floor or in ER.”
In the future, she hopes to have more interactive education for
the staff and more programs to help staff with their jobs or to
make their jobs easier.
“One of my goals is to stay up with technology employ those
things that can make the job easier and more efficient for the
staff,” she said.
Another goal of Carol’s is to show that while the hospital may
Continued on Page 2
1
Plenty of exciting
times at WGH
Team members encouraged
to fill out satisfaction survey
W
ilbarger General Hospital CEO Claudia Eisenmann is
asking all team members to participate in an online Employee
Survey. The survey is being conducted by Press Ganey and is
completely confidential. The survey period will begin on Monday,
March 14 and will conclude on Sunday, April 3.
During that time frame,
Employee
employees are encouraged
Survey!
to follow directions
they will receive in an
Participate
email and complete the
for chance
survey. During the survey
to win!!!!
period there will be three
drawings for a gift card.
Since all responses are
confidential, Press Ganey will select the winner for each drawing
from the surveys that have been completed. The drawings will be
held on Friday, March 18, Friday, March 25, and Monday, April
4, so the earlier employees complete the survey, the more chances
they will have to win.
The WGH administration values input from employees and
wants to hear from all of our team members, so please take a few
minutes and complete the survey.
G
reetings, Colleagues!
As you go about your work day, you might note that there
are some new people on the hospital’s executive leadership
team. They are Kim Pierson, our new Chief Nursing Officer and Jeff
Casbeer, our new Chief Financial officer. If you
have not yet had the opportunity to meet these two
talented individuals, I would encourage you to stop
by their offices and introduce yourselves. You will
find them to be open, friendly, and anxious to assist
you in any way that you need in order to make you
more successful.
There are a number of key plans and projects
that are scheduled to be completed in the month
of March. They include the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the
WGH Fitness and Walking Trail, the completion of the renovations
for the Cardiac Rehab space, and the first of three key management
training courses to help support our leadership team.
In addition, and of particular importance, we will be interviewing
several physicians and nurse practitioners throughout this month with
the hopes of securing new providers to begin practicing at WGH in
2016. And further, we will launch our new Wilbarger General Website
that has been designed to provide an improved user experience as well
as a fresh, contemporary view of our hospital and the services we offer.
Wilbarger General is on the move with a new focus, new growth,
and new ideas. And what is so rewarding about the improvements
that we are making, is that our community is beginning to notice.
Everywhere I go in our primary service area, people stop me to tell
me that the experiences that they are having with our hospital are
exemplary. They talk openly about the positive change that they are
seeing and feeling. They share that they have begun to believe in their
local hospital again.
In other words, they are beginning to believe in us.
I want to encourage each of you to keep reaching for your highest
potential. Keep pushing to be your best self. Remind yourselves each
and every day that you make a difference.
Wilbarger General is on the grow and I am so glad that each of you
are here to grow with us!
Claudia A. Eisenmann, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Continued From Page 1
be where we work, we can also have fun here as well.
“I think some people are scared to have fun in the
workplace,” she said with a smile. “We need to be responsible
and do our jobs to the best of our ability, but we can also have
fun. That’s what Wacky Wednesdays are all about. We’re taking
departments one or two at a time, and taking about 15 minutes
of the day to have a little fun.”
Carol’s family includes her two sons, Trae, 24, who lives in
Wichita Falls, and Bailey, 21, who lives in Vernon; a sister who
lives in Virginia; her dad and step-mom who live in Haskell;
her grandmother who lives in Vernon; and her 4-pound Yorkie,
Thaddeus, who she said with a laugh, “is the ruler of my
house.”
Her hobbies include spending time with family and friends,
shopping and enjoying outdoor activities.
HIPAA
Corner
Q: Are Consents and Authorizations the same? A) Yes. They can
be used interchangeably. B) No. Consents are used to get the
patient’s permission to use or disclose health information for
treatment, payment or business operations. Authorizations are
used to obtain permission to disclose patient health information
for activities outside the realm of treatment, payment or business
operations.
A: B. No.
2
Employee quarterly meetings scheduled
A
ll WGH team members will have five opportunities to attend
the Employee Quarterly Meeting for the first quarter of the
year. To try and give all employees an opportunity to attend,
the meetings have been scheduled at various times and on various days.
Meetings are scheduled for 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., on Thursday,
March 10, in the WGH Cafeteria; 7 p.m., Saturday, March 12, in
the WGH Boardroom; and 6 p.m., Sunday, March 13, in the WGH
Boardroom.
Team members are encouraged to attend one of the meetings in order
to receive important information about what is happening here at WGH.
Employees will also have a chance to ask questions at the meetings.
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All employees who have dependents covered on the hospital’s
group health insurance are being asked to log onto the UMR website
and update the dependent’s information so that future claims are not
delayed.
To update the information: Log onto the UMR website: umr.com;
Set up a user name and password to log in; 3/4 down on the main home
page is tile indicating Other Insurance; Click on the tile; On the next
page you will be asked if your dependents have other health insurance
coverage. If you answer ‘No’ then the records are updated. If you
answer ‘Yes’ you have to answer additional questions.
This information is needed on an annual basis after March 1.
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All employees are invited to attend “War Room Wednesdays” a
time of group prayer to lift up to God any concerns those in attendance
may have and to lift up the hospital. “War Room Wednesdays” will
begin at 7:45 a.m., on Wednesday, March 9, in the boardroom.
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The WGH Seals, the hospital’s Relay For Life team, will be
conducting a bake sale on Friday, March 11, in the lobby. The bake sale
will start at 8 a.m. and continue until there are no longer any items to
sell.
Kathy McClellan and Christina Schoonover are asking for volunteers
to bake goodies for the sale. If you plan on donating an item, or items,
to the bake sale, please let Kathy or Christina know.
The WGH Seals would like to thank all of those who purchased
Valentine’s Day cookies. The cookie fundraiser raised $422 for the
team.
Along with the bake sale, the WGH Seals will also begin selling
tickets for a chance to win a gift card basket. Tickets will be $1 each
or 6 tickets for $5. The basket will include at least $300 worth of gift
cards. The drawing for the gift card basket will be held on Saturday,
April 2, at the Relay For Life event.
It is not too late to join the WGH Seals for the Wilbarger County
Relay For Life event, which is scheduled for Saturday, April 2, right
here on our WGH walking track. The actual relay will be held from 3
p.m. to 9 p.m.
Kathy and Christina are team co-captains and encourage everyone
to come join the team. Those wishing to join the team, even those
who were on the team last year, will need to register once again. To
join the WGH Seals, go to www.relayforlife.org and in the Search For
Event box put in Vernon’s zip code of 76384. Click on Relay For Life
Wilbarger County. In the middle of the Wilbarger County page there is
a banner that starts with 10 teams. Click on ‘10 teams’ and a page will
appear with a list of the 10 teams. Find WGH Seals and click the join
button.
Kathy said when you register it will ask for a donation, but members
do not have to make an individual donation. All money the team raises
from its fundraisers will be divided among team members.
–––––
Kyndell Horn, daughter of Kimberly Horn, Rehabilitation,
was named 2nd Grade Student of the Month for February at Central
Elementary School.
–––––
Jessica Haynes, daughter of Alisha Nix, Human Resources, is a
member of the Vernon Roarin’ Lion Band and she participated in the
UIL Solo and Ensemble competition in Wichita Falls on Saturday,
Feb. 20. Jessica, a sophomore, was a member of a 10-piece percussion
ensemble. The ensemble earned a Division I or “Superior” rating
and will now advance to the State Competition that will be held in
Pflugerville, Texas, in May.
–––––
Several WGH team members will be busy keeping up with their
children, who are participating in school sports events this spring.
Craig Wrinkle, son of Tammie Wrinkle, Accounting, is a junior at
Vernon High School and is a member of the varsity golf team.
Colton Sims, son of Michelle Creason, Med/Surg, is a senior at VHS
and is a member of the varsity baseball team.
Malyson Valverde, daughter of Melanie Ybarra, Home Health, is a
freshman at VHS and is a manager for the varsity softball team.
Jade Guzman, daughter of Alice Hodges, Med/Surg, is a sophomore
at VHS and is a member of the varsity softball team.
Konner Braziel, daughter of Rebecca Braziel, Social Worker, is a
freshman at Quanah High School and is a member of the softball team.
Austin Thompson, son of Mary Thompson, ER, is a sophomore at
Wayland Baptist University and is a member of the baseball team.
–––––
Six new employees joined the WGH team in February. The new
additions to the WGH staff included Erica Myers, RN, Nursing
Resource Pool; Kim Pierson, CNO, Nursing Administration; Randy
Pompey, medical lab technician, Laboratory; Lyndee Ayala, respiratory
therapist; Respiratory; Shelley Gillis, physical therapist, Rehabilitation;
Jeff Casbeer, CFO, Administration.
–––––
Eleven WGH team members will be celebrating birthdays in
March. Those with birthdays this month include: 3 – Stephanie Billings;
4 – Jerri Hulcy; 6 – Deana Stewart; 8 – Jeff Casbeer; 10 – Lydell
Boyce, Kathy Bliss; 11 – Christy Weatherly; 14 – Donald Flenker; 18 –
Lyndee Ayala; 28 – Mary Thompson; 29 – Juan Zapata.
Mark Your Calendar
March 8 -- Med Staff
Noon -- Boardroom
March 10 -- QAPI
Noon -- Boardroom
March 16 -- Lunch & Learn for Docs
Noon -- Boardroom
April 5 -- Clinical Review
Noon -- Boardroom
3
(Left) Sylvia Eason,
Jessica Lora and Maria
Ortega gather around
Jovita Ochoa to wish her
farewell at her retirement party. Jovita had
two separate stints as an
employee of the hospital
for a total of over 25
years.
(Below) Seth Roberson, Leah Saylor,
Clarence Tipton, Sharon Turvaville and
Sarajane Rushing have a little fun at
the chocolate fountain at the hospital’s
“We Love Our Staff” Valentine’s Party.
Employees enjoyed dunking a variety
of items in the chocolate fountain.
(Top Photo) Members of the Rehab
Department have a little Wacky
Wednesday fun trying to hike toilet
paper rolls through a hoop.
(Bott0m Photo) Members of the
Alternatives Department have a few
Wacky Wednesday laughs as they try
to stack bolts.
(Bottom Photo) Staff members gather in
room 201 to give co-worker Kathy McClellan a surprise birthday party.
(Photo Right) Kathy stands next to the
sign wishing her a Happy 13th Birthday.
Since she was born on Feb. 29, this was
only the 13th “real” birthday she has had.
Sunday, March 27
4