Volume 19, Issue No. 52 - December 20, 2010

A Weekly Publication for the People of Queen’s | Volume 19 | Number 52 | December 20, 2010
Cheerleader of APEC Named EOM
“So there’s really no Yankee doodle
swap?” asked a slightly bewildered Jenney Sarte as she was bombarded with a
bevy of cheers by a crowd gathered in the
staff lounge of the Anesthesia Preoperative Evaluation Center (APEC). Jenney is
the QMC Employee of the Month for December, and APEC’s unit secretary.
“We’ll do our swap this afternoon,” a
coworker assured her as she was quickly
engulfed in lei and good wishes. Jenney’s mom, big sister, fiancé and her two
young sons were on hand for her surprise party. Jenney teared up as she accepted congratulations, adding, “I only
wish my dad were here to see this.” Jenney’s father passed away recently and his
presence is sorely missed especially now
at Christmastime. “I think dad knows,
Jenney, and he is so proud of you,” her
sister Stephanie Fermin consoled.
Jenney credits her dad Jose with the
credo she lives by and hopes to pass on
to her children: “Work hard, be proud of
the work you put out, and family comes
first.” Her son Jaison, 9, piped up, “Papa
said never give up!” Jaison then jumped
right in to pick up the mess of flower petals that had fallen off her tangled lei. He
told the Print Connection solemnly that
he “likes to spend quality time” with his
mother. When pressed, he admitted his
favorite thing to do with her is watch
Sponge Bob! “But,” he intoned, getting
serious again, “she told us she’ll get mad
at us if we put her in a home when she is
old. So we will always take care of her,
right?” he looked meaningfully at his
brother Triston, who is almost 13. A man
of few words, Triston just nodded.
Jenney was a nursing student with two
years under her belt when she needed to
immediately begin working full time to
support her kids. Wishing to remain in
the health care setting, she applied at
Queen’s for an opening in Pre-Op Teaching. “I called every week to check on the
status of my application,” Jenney recalls. She was hired and stayed with the
department as they transitioned into
APEC. “I am so very proud of this department,” she says enthusiastically. Jenney
became a notary public as a way to help
patients with their advance health care
directives. “I am available for employees
too; there is no charge for my service,”
Jenney added. Call her at 547-4874 if
you need notary services.
(Continued on page 4.)
Donated Bike Helmets Supplement Bikes for Tykes
When Cora Speck, coordinator of Injury Prevention, Trauma Services, read
about the Marine Corps Reserves Toys
for Tots and Bikes for Tykes program
in the newspaper, she thought it was a
great idea, but, being in the injury prevention business, it made her think immediately that the kids ought to have
helmets to go with those bikes. The article stated that Marine Corps Reserves
hoped to collect 85 bicycles (and 45,000
toys) for Hawai‘i’s less fortunate kids
this holiday season, so Cora organized a
fundraiser at Queen’s and got the Keiki
Injury Prevention Coalition involved.
Within five hours, all the money and
more was raised from individuals from
the two organizations. Eighty-five new
helmets were purchased, and each keiki
will also be given reflective tape and
Fidelity to Manage
QHS 401(k)/403(b)
Submitted by Fidelity Investments
Fidelity Investments will become The
Queen’s Health Systems’ 401(k)/403(b)
plans service provider starting March 1,
2011. The retirement plans have always
been an important part of employees’
benefits package. Fidelity’s goal is to
help you meet your financial retirement
goals. With the upcoming transition to
Fidelity, your QHS 401(k)/403(b) plans
will become an even better way to plan
and prepare for your future, no matter
what your stage of life.
Service excellence you can count on.
Chances are, you already know Fidelity
by reputation. Founded in 1946, Fidelity has been committed to accuracy, top
technologies, and the highest ethical
standards. A relationship with Fidelity
means you can count on accurate statements and information, as well as timely assistance with your questions.
Unmatched experience to meet
your needs. Fidelity serves more than
20 million customers, and brings that
experience to help manage your priori2
educational materials on bicycle safety
and child passenger restraints for their
parents. Representatives of the Marine
Corps Reserves came to Queen’s to pick
up the helmets and materials.
“Nearly half of all bicycling accidents
occur with children under 14, and the
majority of them are not wearing helmets,” said Art Ushijima, QHS/QMC
president. “Our trauma staff, who sees
the bulk of these injuries, truly cares
ties at every stage of life. Because Fidelity’s plans are offered at thousands
of tax-exempt organizations, they understand how employees can make the
most of a retirement program.
Investments to match your style.
With a wide range of mutual funds to
choose from, you’ll have everything
you need to create and manage a welldiversified portfolio.
Education how and when you need
it. To help you make knowledgeable
and confident decisions about your
money, Fidelity offers flexible ways
you can learn, including:
• Online workshops, tools, resources
• On-site learning opportunities
• Regular email and print messages
• Experienced representatives
By mid-January, 2011, a Fidelity
Above: (front, l to r) Lorenzo Branch,
hospital corps manager, and Staff Sgt. Rafael Arriaga of the Marine Corps Reserves
came to Queen’s to pick up donated bike
helmets and gracefully donned angels’
wings provided to them for the occasion.
In back (l to r) are Len Kylie, volunteer, Cora Speck, Caesar Ursik, MD, Victoria Augustin, volunteer, Tina Harvell, RN, nurse
manager of QET 5, and Brenda Ana, manager of Clinical Ops.
about the keiki in our community and
wanted to promote the importance of
wearing a helmet.”
“Many parents are unaware that
Hawai‘i law states that all keiki under 16
years of age must wear a helmet when
riding a bicycle,” said Caesar Ursic, MD,
medical director of Trauma Services at
Queen’s. “Properly fitted helmets significantly reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury. We are providing high
quality helmets so that all of our families can enjoy a safe holiday season.”
Investments Transition Guide will be
mailed to your home. It will outline
exactly what you can expect before
and after March 1, 2011, and explain
how the QHS 401(k)/403(b) plans
transition may affect you. It is very
important that you review the guide
and the key dates to help you make informed decisions.
Head & Neck Cancer Group Turns 3
Amongst nausea, feeding tubes, dry
mouth, and pureed food—not to mention life-threatening cancer—the Head
and Neck Cancer Support Group is a
godsend. The group recently held its
third birthday celebration with guest
entertainer Melveen Leed.
“When we go through the most difficult times during treatment, we can
have a pity party,” said Joe Recca,
speaking from personal experience.
“That’s what we’re here for, so you can
call someone and get support.” Joe
would know—he hasn’t had a steak in
eight years since his bout with cancer of
the tonsils. “You have to find new recipes and other ways to get nutrition,”
Evaluating Older
Drivers for Safety
“Removing the car keys is not an
overnight thing,” says Pam Anderson,
COTA (Certified Occupational Therapy
Assistant). Older Driver Safety Awareness Week was promoted with an information table. Below, left to right
are Glenn Nishimura, COTA, David
Uyechi, PT, Wendy Johnston, OT, Royden Young, MD, Kari Hayashi, OT,
and Pamela Anderson COTA. Visit the
American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., at wwwAOTA.org for suggestions and podcast links for starting
1. Melveen Leed
weaves stories and
song. 2. (l to r) Kawika McGuire, Victoria
Hollinger, Joe Recca,
and Melveen. 3. Joe
and Kathy Krammer.
1.
he told the group.
The facilitator of
the group, Joe regained his “life
after cancer” through faith in God. It
became a dream of his to visit other
cancer patients and offer support by
telling them what to expect before and
after cancer treatment. Joe explained
his dream to his ENT surgeon, Christy
Adachi, MD, who sent him to see some
of her patients. Realizing that they had
something good going, Joe and some
of the patients talked to Dr. Adachi
about forming a support group. Kathy
Krammer, a Queen’s speech-language
pathologist, and Lilinoe Watanabe, Director of Decision Support, also got involved. At first covering just head and
that all-important, yet prickly conversation surrounding when to take away
the car keys from an older driver. Topics include initiating family conversations, screenings/evaluations, driving
equipment/adaptations, taking changes in stride, and life after driving.
2.
3.
neck cancer patients, the group now
includes esophageal, throat, mouth,
thyroid, and brain cancer patients.
At support group meetings, each person is given an opportunity to share
if they desire. Special speakers are invited to the sessions and practical issues like learning to eat again, finances,
and caregiver support are discussed.
Although held at a special early evening
time, the birthday celebration was no
different. Members got up to share. Sister Judy Resta, Hospital Ministry’s oncall chaplain that evening, said a prayer,
then Melveen Leed sang a country song,
“Back in the Race,” for an appreciative
audience. She crooned, “I’m gonna wear
a new smile on a new face, and then I’m going out and get back in the race….”
Joe, also an entertainer, got in the
act for another song. “I’ve been having
trouble with paralysis of my voice box,”
he said. It’s a side effect from his cancer
treatment. Then he said: “But I can still
sing falsetto….” and wowed the crowd,
hammering home the message of the
group: “There is life after cancer.”
The Head and Neck Cancer Support
Group meets at 11:00 am to noon every third Wednesday of the month.
For more information about this free
group, please call the Queen’s Cancer
Center at 545-8777.
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The last QMC blood drive of 2010
will be held on Wednesday, December 29, from 7:00 am to 1:30 pm. The
Bloodmobile will be parked in the Old
ER turnaround. Be sure to bring a valid
picture ID with your birth date on it.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Gift Shop offers a wide variety of QMC logo items, including the
2010 commemorative Christmas ornament and a temperature-sensitive color changing water bottle. New arrivals
include lanyards and hoodies.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Treat someone special or yourself to
a wonderful pampering facial and/or
massage at the Women’s Health Center. Licensed aestheticians and massage therapists trained in a variety of
techniques will customize treatment
especially for you. Gift certificates are
also available.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The remaining yardage of 150th Anniversary aloha fabric is now available
at the bargain price of $3/yard (less
than half price). This limited edition
fabric (44” wide) is 100% heavy cotton
with a brushed finish. Call Jeannine
at 537-7261 to make arrangements for
purchase and pick up.
Sell:
EOM Jenney Sarte
(Continued from page 1.)
Karen Shultz, VP of Patient Care,
says that Jenney is like the cheerleader for APEC (“Go team go!” Jenney
couldn’t resist shouting.) “She was a
chart tech and went to physician offices cheerleading for us. She has really
helped with the positive outcome of
the APEC program,” Karen praised.
“I love my staff,” Jenney gushed.
“They are like my second family.” Jenney’s coworkers feel the love, too. Just a
few of her nominations read: “She makes
people her primary focus. Our patients
and families always feel welcomed by
her, a feeling shared by her colleagues
and friends.” “As a chart tech, I was impressed by her ability to easily [be] liaison [to] doctors’ offices and ensure any
miscommunication or other problems
were quickly resolved.” “She took the initiative to organize our office to improve
working conditions considerably.” And
finally: “Jenney Sarte is a compassionate
employee who lives the aloha spirit with
respect for everyone.” Go Jenney!
iPodtouch: New, 8GB. $160 obo. Lv msg
@ 392-7007.
Grand piano: Kawai, 5’7,” great shape, blk
gloss, incl bench, child’s pedal & custom
cover. $7,000 obo. Serious inquiries only.
Call 386-5612. Electric scooter: Currie
Technologies e-Zip E750, brand new, box
unopened, lots of power, commute to
work. $250. Call 386-5612.
Pups: Blk & yellw Lab Retrvr, born
10/30/10. Call April @ 779-6077.
Rent:
Room: In Kalama Valley Hawaii Kai home.
$700. Call Dan @ 537-7153.
Misc:
Vehicle disposal: Free. Jump start or lockout: Discount prices. 478-5887 or x5418.
Placing an ad: Queen’s employees only. Include
name, phone and Employee ID number. Mail
to Creative Services—Print Connection, fax to
547-4002 or e-mail to jkimura@queens.org by
Wednesday. The Print Connection reserves the
right to edit or refuse any ad. The Print Connection
does not make any warranty about the fitness of
any product or service listed in Q-Mart.
Weekly
A Premier Medical Center…
A Community of 500 Million…
The Queen’s Print Connection is published
by Creative Services. If you have news or
wish to opine, call us at 537-7532 or e-mail
jkimura@queens.org. News deadline is the
Monday prior to publication.
QHS/QMC President. . . . . Art Ushijima
The Queen’s Medical Center
by Jason Y. Kimura
Publisher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roy Cameron
Discover the History of
Queen’s, 1859 – 2009. 175 pages.
$40. Cash or checks only.
Assist. Ed./Writer. . . . . . Glee Stormont
Available at the Queen’s
Gift Shop and Women’s
Health Center.
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Editor/Writer. . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Kimura
Coming January 3, 2011
www.queens.org
The Queen’s Medical Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.
Please recycle