Vital Signs Two ACH Directors Promoted to Vice President Positions

Vital Signs
®
s e p t e m b e r
2 0 1 1
A Newsletter for Employees & Friends of Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Press Ganey Scores Show ACH is
Tops with Patients and Families
We all know that after safety, patient satisfaction with the ACH experience is of
utmost importance. It’s our goal to make sure that families are happy and comfortable
at ACH, especially considering that many of our visitors are enduring some of the most
challenging situations of their lives.
Fortunately, families are more and more pleased with Arkansas Children’s Hospital,
according to recent feedback on our inpatient services from Press Ganey.
“I am delighted to say that the ACH inpatient services received excellent patient and
family satisfaction ratings for three months running,” said Jay Deshpande, MD, MPH,
senior vice president and chief quality officer at ACH. “ACH received the very highest
score possible from many
of the respondents, a
ranking that places us well
above most other children’s hospitals. Keep up
the good work.”
Press Ganey Scores
HeaLth Assessment Must
be CompLeted by oct. 31
ACH employees and spouses will be offered the opportunity to complete a confidential health assessment. The health assessment can be completed online through the
Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth Web portal.
While the health assessment is open to all ACH employees and spouses, there is a
financial incentive for members of the ACH medical benefits plan. However, both the
employee and spouse must complete the health assessment in order to receive the
lower medical deductible.
Members and spouses of the ACH medical benefits plan who choose not to complete the health assessment will see their annual deductible increase to $650 each. A
$200 increase for the employee and spouse will be effective Jan. 1, 2012.
If you have questions, please contact Becky Wade at X41615.
Two ACH Directors Promoted to Vice President Positions
In August, ACH announced that two long-serving ACH directors were promoted to
vice president positions.
Val Segalla (shown, upper right) has been promoted
to vice president for Board Relations for Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Debby Keene, RN, MSN, CPHQ, CHC,
CCEP, (shown, lower right) is now vice president for Medical Administration, Safety & Improvement at ACH.
In her new role, Segalla will continue to assist and
support the ACH Board of Directors, helping them to
achieve their goals and obligations, according to ACH
President and CEO Jonathan Bates, MD.
“Val was promoted to this position at the most recent meeting of the Compensation Committee of the
Board,” Bates said. “As most everyone knows, she has
tackled that role with vigor and creativity to the delight
of the board and those of us who count on the work of
Val’s office. It is a pleasure to welcome her to the ranks of
the vice presidents.”
Segalla began her career at ACH in 1992, and has
served ACH in a number of roles, including director of
Board Relations, director of Physician Services and as a physician liaison. Prior to 1999,
Val’s experience was in Medical Staff Affairs and hospital & managed care credentialing.
Keene’s new role includes responsibility for Medical Staff services, Quality Improvement and patient
safety, process improvement, Infection Control, clinical risk management, continuing medical education, the medical library, and the family resource library, according to ACH Senior Vice President/Chief
Quality Officer Jay Deshpande, MD, MPH, and ACH
Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs W. Robert
Morrow, MD.
“Debby brings to the job much needed skills for
forthright communication and also a good grasp of issues that are impacting patient care,” said Deshpande.
“Debby served in this role as interim and it quickly became clear that she was well suited to the position and
capable of leading in this area of critical importance to
fulfilling our vision here at ACH,” added Morrow.
Debby began her career at ACH in 2001, serving
over the years as director of Regulatory Affairs and compliance officer and HIPAA privacy officer. She has served
since January as interim VP of Medical Administration, Safety and Improvement. Prior to
ACH, Debby’s experience included several leadership roles for Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Tennessee, and in ICU nursing at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.
Congratulations to Val and Debby!
Your Blood Can Save the Life of Someone You Know
Give the Gift of Life Sept. 7 – 9
Learn more on Video on Demand.
Secretary Nicole Murphy was in the middle of
It is impossible to overestimate the importance
a typical work day at ACH when a social worker
of giving blood. Every few months, Arkansas Chilnear her received a phone call alerting them that a
dren’s Hospital hosts a Red Cross blood drive on
seriously ill child was coming in to the Emergency
campus that gives employees a convenient opporDepartment. Murphy had no idea that child was
tunity to make sure there is blood available when
her own son, 6-year-old Brendan.
patients at ACH and elsewhere need it.
She knew her husband had taken the boy to
The only sacrifice is usually about 30 minutes
the pediatrician that morning with some unexof your time. And yet in the U.S., every two seconds
plained symptoms. What Murphy couldn’t have
someone needs blood to live!
imagined was that within minutes her son would
In addition to providing a life line for someone
be in the very hospital where she worked, in dire
in need, donating blood at ACH is good for the hosneed of a blood transfusion.
pital because it helps us save on blood products that
“It was one of the most frightening experiencwe purchase for our patients.
es of my life,” Murphy said. “Without that blood,
In June, ACH had the best blood drive turnI just don’t want to even think about what might
out we’ve seen in more than a year. Help keep the
have happened.”
momentum going for the next drive, scheduled for
Brendan was diagnosed with idiopathic
Sept. 7 – 9, in Sturgis S120-121.
thrombocytopenic purpura after having pneumo Don’t forget that you can never tell who you
nia. His own body was attacking his platelets. His Brendan Murphy celebrated his 7th birthday just months after a badly have helped with your donation. Today, Nicole’s son
platelet count was so low that tests were unable needed blood transfusion at ACH in 2008.
Brendan is celebrating more birthdays because of
to detect their presence, and even a simple bruise
someone else’s gift!
could have led to serious bleeding under his skin.
Brendan’s condition was serious enough that if surgery had been needed, his
Donate Blood at ACH
inability to clot would have made it too risky to perform. He was admitted as an inSept.
7 • 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
patient, and was followed by the hematology team at ACH for three months after he
was discharged.
Sept. 8 and 9 • 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
That was in 2008. Today, Brendan is a playful 9-year-old who rarely slows down.
Sturgis 120-121
“We were blessed not only by the care he received here at ACH, but by the blood
donors who enabled him to receive transfusions and intravenous immunoglobulin,”
Murphy said. “When I have given blood in the past, it never crossed my mind the
Make an appointment for a faster donation:
lives it would impact. I am now acutely aware of what a great gift it truly is.”
redcrossblood.org, sponsor code “ach”
voLunteer Corner
Festival of Stars
Signing Up Music
Performances for
December
Arkansas Children’s Hospital is celebrating the upcoming holiday season by hosting
the Festival of Stars, a celebration held in December. We host music groups in the lobby
and invite donors to deliver their holiday donations. Volunteer Services is asking our
donors to bring their holiday toy donations on Dec. 16. However, the Festival of Stars
musical performances will be scheduled Dec. 1 through Dec. 21. We are looking for groups to be musical performers! Performances will be
scheduled for 45 minutes (30 minutes to perform and 15 minutes for set-up/clean-up),
and performance times will be scheduled as follows:
• Dec.1-2 at 11 a.m., 11:45 a.m., or 12:30 p.m.
• Dec. 5-9 at 11 a.m., 11:45 a.m., or 12:30 p.m.
• Dec. 12-15 at 11 a.m., 11:45 a.m., or 12:30 p.m.
• Dec. 19-21 at 11 a.m., 11:45 a.m., or 12:30 p.m.
One of the most valued donations is the donation of time. The Festival of Stars is
a great opportunity for groups to share their talents with the patients and families of
Arkansas.
If you know of a group interested in performing, please contact Melissa Wolfe in
Volunteer Services at (501) 364-1825 or by email at WolfeMB@archildrens.org. With your
help, we can continue to offer care, love and hope throughout the holiday season. PICU Reduces Red Bag Waste
Using New Initiative
As a process improvement effort in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at ACH,
team members have been working to reduce red bag waste. In just three months, PICU
staff have already made strides, cutting the amount of red bag waste from 8 pounds per
day per patient, to just a half pound per day per patient. That’s a drop of nearly 94 percent in only one quarter of the year.
“The PICU has done an outstanding job,” said Joe Knight, Environmental Management Coordinator. “We are so pleased to see these efforts working and helping our environment.”
The reductions mean that the PICU has eliminated nearly two tons of trash from the
red bag waste stream when the volume from April and July are compared. In addition to
the environmental impact, the hospital is saving in the PICU alone an estimated $1,820
a month. That translates to nearly $22,000 a year in savings.
“It is amazing that something as small as trash can really have such a huge impact
for the institution,” said project co-leaders Cat Waters and Jennifer Emerson. “It shows us
that when we do the right thing we can make a difference.”
“Thank you to all the PICU staff and Improvement U project team members who
have taken this effort seriously, educated themselves about what does and does not belong in red bag waste, and made a significant change in such a short period of time,”
Knight said.
More efforts to reduce red bag waste are underway in CVICU, the CVOR, the ED, the
NICU, the Burn Center and Burn Wound Clinic. Estimated cost savings for the hospital is
more than $115,000 per year.
If you’d like additional information about Improvement U and the red bag waste
reduction campaign, contact Cat Waters, Jennifer Emerson or Joe Knight at X45332.
Donate Clothes to Big Brothers Big Sisters
Right Here at ACH, Sept. 27-Oct. 2
Arkansas Children’s Hospital team members have another chance to change children’s lives this month through a clothing drive for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Arkansas.
The drive will occur Sept. 27-Oct. 2 and will be open for several hours so team members
can make drop-offs easily at the Finkbeiner Parking lot at the corner of Maryland Street
and Martin Luther King Drive Jr. Dr., near the oasis sign.
On Tuesday, Sept. 27, a collection truck for Big Brothers Big Sisters will be on-site at
ACH from 6:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and ACH volunteers will assist unloading donations
from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., and from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Starting Wednesday, Sept. 28 and running through Sunday, Oct. 2, a large green Big
Brothers Big Sisters bin will be located the Finkbeiner lot for ACH employees to drop off
donations on their own.
Receipts will be available
on Tuesday from on-site volunteers. For the remainder of the
week, employees can obtain receipts by stopping in the Human
Resources Service Center on
Maryland Street.
Only cloth items such as
clothing, sheets and towels will
be accepted. For more information, contact Denise Bauer in Human Resources at X44122.
2
The Burn Center Receives American
Burn Association Reverification
The Burn Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital recently received notice
reaffirming its rank among elite institutions that have received the prestigious
Burn Center Verification status. The
approval makes ACH the only verified
burn center in a six-state region stretching from Tennessee to Oklahoma.
A joint venture by the American
Burn Association (ABA) and the American College of Surgeons, Burn Center
Reverification requires that an institution meet rigorous standards of organiThe Burn Center at ACH, which recently rezational structure, personnel qualifica- tions, facilities resources and medical ceived reverification, now uses the UltraPulse
care services. The Burn Center at ACH’s Laser in patient scar treatment.
verification now runs through 2013.
This voluntary program includes completion of a pre-review questionnaire and an
in-depth on-site review by members of the ABA Verification Committee, as well as senior
members of the ABA. The process included the entire Burn Center team: social workers,
occupational therapists, physical therapists, child life specialists, clinical nutritionists, respiratory care technicians and nurses, as well as physicians and administrators. A written
report by the site visit team is reviewed by the ABA Verification Committee and by the
Committee on Trauma of the ACS. The review process includes many components and
takes several months.
Verification status is an indicator to government, third-party payers, patients and
their families and accreditation organizations that the Burn Center at ACH provides high
quality patient care to patients during the entire treatment and recovery process, according to Burn Center medical director Anjay Khandelwal, MD.
ACH joins about 50 other institutions across the country that have passed the verification process.
The verification status will last for two years, at which time ACH will undergo the
same review to renew the credentials.
Genetics & Friends Named Top
Cereal Drive Collectors
It was a tight race, but
Genetics & Friends came
out as No. 1. This group
collected the most cereal
of any unit on the Arkansas
Children’s Hospital campus
during the 2011 Summer
Cereal Drive. They brought
in 1,691 boxes! That was
about 16 percent of all the
cereal donated on the entire ACH campus. Amazing,
right?!
Congratulations and
thanks for helping us feed
hungry children across central Arkansas!
Will Golf 4 Kids and Color of Hope Raised
$900,000-plus for ACH
The 18th annual Will Golf 4 Kids tournament and fourth annual Color of Hope Gala
were held in northwest Arkansas in August. These two events, which are the largest combined fundraiser of the year for the hospital, raised more than $900,000.
Will Golf 4 Kids and the Color of Hope Gala are organized by a volunteer committee
of Walmart supplier representatives. More than 1,100 golfers participated in the tournament, which was held over two days in Bella Vista, and 1,200 people attended the colorthemed gala, which was held in Rogers.
This year’s proceeds will support construction and expansion of the Neonatal and
Cardiovascular Intensive Care Units in the new South Wing. A portion of the proceeds will
also support the UAMS/ACH Centers for Children in Lowell.
The family of Brayden Jones, an
11-year-old from Bella Vista and cancer patient at ACH, spoke at Color of Hope about
their experiences at the hospital.
The Will Golf 4 Kids tournament went
“green” this year, as trash from the event was
recycled or composted. At the conclusion of the
two-day, four-flight tournament, Mike Sewell,
chair of Will Golf 4 Kids, reveals that only one
55-gallon bag of trash was sent to a landfill.
Ready
Ready to
to Race
Race for
for the
the Cure?
Cure?
Sign
Sign Up
Up Now!
Now!
You can now register online to participate in this
year’s Race for the Cure. Mark your calendars for Oct. 22.
This year the Arkansas affiliate is celebrating its 18th year
of fighting breast cancer in Arkansas. Sign up online at
www.komenarkansas.org. Online registration fee is $26. You can join the Arkansas Children’s Hospital team
by using the password “ach”. The ACH Fitness Center will be selling Race for the Cure T-shirts.
Please check Vital Signs Daily for more information.
Help us celebrate life and make a difference in the fight against
breast cancer. Looking for more information? Check out the Race for
the Cure link located on the ACH homepage in the jump-to menu.
Is Xtreme 8 Boot Camp
Right For You?
You may have questioned whether Xtreme 8 Boot Camp will be the
work out you need. We have the answer!
If your objective is to:
• improve self-esteem;
• decrease weight;
• reduce stress; and
• increase strength;
• and improve quality of life …
• enhance muscle tone;
• gain self-confidence;
then Xtreme 8 Boot Camp is for you!
Sign-up began late last month, and camp starts Oct. 3. This is an
eight-week boot camp that is designed to prepare you for the 2012 boot
camp that lasts for 12 weeks. Cost is $50 for members and $65 for nonmembers. All participants will receive the official Xtreme 8 Boot Camp
T-shirt! Sign up early to guarantee your correct shirt size.
For more information please contact the Ftness Center staff X41088.
Fall into Fitness with Walktober, Oct. 1-31
October is an ideal time to enjoy the outdoors by walking or running! Participate in Walktober and improve your cardiovascular system
while incorporating physical activity into your daily routine.
• Walk/jog 30 minutes a day during the month of October.
• Log 600 minutes and receive a T-shirt.
• Register for Walktober from Sept. 19 through Oct. 7.
• Register at archildrens.org/walktober.
• Available to ACH/UAMS employees.
• Earn 50 points for Travel to Wellness.
For more information, contact the Fitness Center at X41088.
DAISY Award is Twice as Nice for
Heart Center Couple
By Anna-Kate Mayhew, Nurse Recruitment
Compassion is key to patient care
at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Heart
Center nurses Diana and Trev Ragan,
now the second husband and wife pair
in the country to have each received
the DAISY Award for Extraordinary
Nurses, are models of compassion.
They demonstrate a unique empathy
like only a patient or parent could. Diana, June DAISY recipient and
a CVICU nurse for more than seven
years, is described by her team as meticulous and professional. What stood
out to the family who nominated her,
however, was the way she watches
over patients as if they are her own
children. In fact, Diana’s own daughter
was a critical care patient at ACH.
“I know how parents can feel
helpless. I know that hurt that can’t be
fixed,” she shared. As a result, she stands up for her patients so that they can receive the most exceptional
care ACH has to offer. As her supervisor, Amber Jones, states, “Diana is the true definition of patient advocacy, which is why families ask that she be their nurse.”
While Diana feels honored, she insists that there are many outstanding nurses at ACH deserving of a
DAISY award – nurses like her husband, Trev, who coincidentally won the award the very next month.
The parents who nominated Trev were blown away by his compassion for their child during his
seven-day stay. He continually went out of his way to help the patient feel comfortable because, simply
put, he knows how it feels. Seventeen years ago, Trev received a heart transplant in the same heart center
where he now works.
“It’s why I wanted to become a nurse,” Trev said. “Lying there, waiting to receive a heart, I looked
around and saw children and families struggling. I knew I could help make that better.”
Trev connects with his patients with a sense of humor and joy for life that helps them feel like normal
kids. He knows how important that is for the patients’ recovery.
“Families love him. The whole team admires him. We have a lot to learn from his experience,” Diana
said.
The couple met on the very unit that gave new life to Trev and to Diana’s daughter. She was attending to a transplant patient on a weekend shift, when Trev showed up fresh from church. He was not
scheduled to work that day, but had promised the family he would be there for the surgery. He roamed
around in a suit and loafers, asking nurses how he could help.
Five years later, both believe that the challenges in their lives have been amazing gifts. These
difficulties allow them to understand each other, to connect to their patients and to work so well with
their team.
“We are like a family up here,” Diana shared about the Heart Center staff. “We have a wonderful
team.”
Trev and Diana are two of three CVICU nurses in a row to have received the DAISY award. CVICU
Nursing Director Stephanie Rocket is thrilled.
“I am so proud of our staff,” she said. “I think it is a reflection of the exceptional and compassionate
care that is being delivered up here every single day.”
A Handy Guide to Recycling at ACH
The Green Team is leading Arkansas Children’s Hospital through an environmental revolution.
There are now more opportunities to recycle materials on campus than ever before!
Starting this month, ACH will facilitate aluminum can and plastic bottle recycling in units that
have suitable areas for disposal bins. This is just the latest addition to our line-up of recycling efforts.
Recycling
Item
How To...
Place in marked containers in The Capitol Café. EVS staff will pick up and take
Aluminum Cans & to hospital central recycling location. *Contact EVS to see if there is a suitable
Plastic Bottles
location in your area for a can/bottle container: lindbergab@archildrens.org
The chart below outlines the materials that can now be recycled at ACH and
how to go about recycling them. If you have additional questions, contact Green
Team members Joe Knight at X45332 or Scott Allen at X46440.
Volume
per Year
at ACH
Did You Know?
Just one recycled aluminum can will save enough energy to run a
Just started! computer for three hours. Plastics require well over 100 years to
break down in a landfill.
Cardboard
Break down boxes and place in the area of your regular trash. EVS staff will
pick up, segregate and take to hospital’s cardboard compactor.
110 Tons
It takes 3 tons of trees to produce 1 ton of cardboard. More than
85 percent of products in the U.S. are shipped in cardboard.
Confidential
Paper
Place in marked bins throughout the campus. It will be shredded and recycled. This is only for confidential paper.
200 Tons
Each American uses 600 pounds of paper each year.
Alkaline Batteries Place in an inter-departmental mail envelope and mark “USED BATTERIES.”
Admin Support will pick up and ship to recycling center. Call X41464 for
(Single-use AA,
more
details.
AAA, 9V, etc.)
0.5 Tons
According to the EPA, Americans purchase nearly 3 billion drycell batteries each year. While these can be disposed in the trash,
ACH chooses to recycle them.
Rechargeable
Contact Clinical Engineering at X41463 to recycle batteries from medical
Batteries
equipment. Contact Maintenance at X41222 for batteries from any other
(nickel, cadmium, rechargeable mechanical devices. *DO NOT PLACE IN THE TRASH.*
lithium ion...)
1.8 Tons
Since 1996, the U.S. has recycled more than 55 million pounds
of rechargeable batteries. That’s the weight of about 4,500 male
African elephants.
Laserjet
Cartridges
Take used cartridges to Cart Systems (X41512). They will recycle your used
cartridge and, with most toners, provide a replacement. If you have a cartridge that Cart Systems doesn’t carry, they will still recycle it for you! Be sure
to order your replacement through Staples.com.
*DO NOT PLACE IN THE TRASH.*
on-going
More than three quarts of oil are used during the manufacturing
of a new laser toner cartridge, while only one quart is required
to make a recycled one. In addition, recycling cartridges is not a
one-time deal; they can be cleaned and reused up to five or six
times.
Inkjet
Cartridges
Take used cartridges to Cart Systems (X41512) and they will recycle these
for you. Note: ACH Cart Systems does not offer replacements for inkjet cartridges. *DO NOT PLACE IN THE TRASH.*
on-going
In the U.S., more than 13 cartridges are disposed of every second,
totaling an estimated 375 million each year. The total weight of
these cartridges is equivalent to 67,612 Ford Explorers.
Electronics
(PCs, monitors,
printers...)
Contact IT at X41111 to have your computer electronics picked up. An IT
technician will evaluate the devices for reuse or send for recycling. Contact
Maintenance at X41222 for assistance with any non-computer electronics.
*DO NOT PLACE IN THE TRASH.*
16.7 Tons
According to the EPA, Americans generated 3.16 million tons of
e-waste in 2008. ACH is prohibited from disposing electronics in
the general trash.
Mercury Lamps
(Fluorescent,
CFLs...)
Contact the DIN Team at X41170 to have lamps replaced. The used lamps
will be picked up and sent for recycling.
*DO NOT PLACE IN THE TRASH.*
2.2 Tons
Last year the equivalent of 6.3 miles of fluorescent lamps were
recycled by ACH. That is enough lamps to wrap around the hospital more than 15 times.
Other products recycled by ACH include used oil from mechanical equipment, cooking grease and oil waste from The Capitol Café, and xylene and alcohol
from the Histology Lab. 3
New Arrivals
CVICU Nurse Kimberly Street and her husband Adam welcomed a son on July 21.
Parker Williams Street weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and measured in at 20.5 inches.
Congratulations on your new little guy!
Congratulations to Emmy Jones of the ACH Foundation and Jordan Rogers on the
birth of a baby boy, Ramsey Britton. Born Aug. 5, he weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces
and measured 22.25 inches long. Best wishes!
Mandy Fenwick, of Child Life, and her husband Brandon are the proud new parents
of a son, Kanyon Jace. He was born on Aug. 17, weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce
and measuring 19 inches long. Congratulations!
Marketing Specialist Shellee Robbins and her husband Ryan welcomed Reese Ashley
on Aug. 19. She weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 20.5 inches in length.
Lots of love to the new family!
Staff Development Calendar
September Anniversaries
Seasha Askew
Daren Bolen
Roxanne Braithwaite
Carrie Clifford
Brent Easley
Janine Edwards
Jennifer Emerson
Patricia English
Jarrod Ferguson
Ra’shanna Gibson
Denise Gill
Robyn Graham
8 - Just Culture Manager and Supervisor Training
12 – Traditions – Day 1
13 - Traditions – Day2
13 - Medical Terminology (Week 1)
14 – Pathways to Excellence Series/Benefits
16 – Medical Terminology
20 – Medical Terminology (Week 2)
22 – Customer Service: Natural as Child’s Play
23 - Medical Terminology
26 – Traditions – Day 1
27 – Traditions – Day 2
27 – Medical Terminology (Week 3)
30 – Medical Terminology
Tracy New
Demetrius Pighee
Erin Parker
Christina Rucker
Whitney Ruff
Michelle Scoggins
Jan Shock
Brandi Thennes
Ina Tolley
Marty Truesdale
Angela Turner
Cindy Webb
10 years
Tywana Allen
Cheryl Dearing
Sara Gerner
Renee Lipsie
John McIntosh
Charlotte Miller
Carolyn Ocampo
Kristy Price
Donna Robinson
Julia Smith
Leigh Snead
Jan Stroud
Refina Thomas
Tanya Williams
15 years
Staff Development is coordinating the following opportunities in September. If
you have questions, please contact X46511. Sign up for courses through the ACH
Training System and check Vital Signs Daily for more information.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
Sept.
5 years
Kynan Gray
Heather Harden
Aisha Harris
Dawn Hansberry
Gloria Hayes
Steven Hendon
Kristen Hewitt
Rob Holder
Dorothy Hopkins
Jamie Johnson
Leslie Joseph
Rosalie Karigan-Winter
Barbara Cooper
Robert Harris
20 years
Pam Auten
Jack H. Denis, Jr.
Cindy Stern
Mark A. Wilson
Laura Wiley
25 years
Rebecca Adams
Angelia Allen
Sally Avila
Teresa French
Kim Watts
30 years
Lois Toney
Join ACH on JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes,
Sept. 17 at Murray Park
35 years
James Hynson
Taking part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) walk is a great experience. Not only do you get the satisfaction of helping JDRF make a difference in the lives
of people with type 1 diabetes, you also have fun and get a good workout, too!
The money raised will go to finding better treatments and a cure for people with
type 1 diabetes. Join Team ACH and participate in the walk, or make a donation on behalf
of team ACH. Join ACH’s team by clicking on the Walk to Cure Diabetes on the MyACH
page jump-to menu. Participants in the Walk to Cure Diabetes will also receive 25 Travel
to Wellness Rewards Points. To receive your points, we ask that you collect a minimum of
$5 in donations. There is no registration fee for the Walk to Cure Diabetes.
For more information, contact the Fitness Center at X41088 or Christine Ferguson at
fergusoncs@archildrens.org.
Editor’s Note: Each month, employees and staff who are celebrating milestone
anniversaries at ACH are invited to share their experiences with Vital Signs.
Congratulations
Kudos to Esther Tompkins, DO, of Rehabilitation Medicine on being selected
as the 2011 recipient of the Arkansas Osteopathic Medical Association’s Humanitarian
Award. She received the honor at the group’s annual conference in August. The award
read: “In recognition for her extraordinary efforts while working with children in need at
Arkansas Children’s Hospital.” Congratulations, Dr. Tompkins!
Vital Signs
A New View: Check Out Patient Art on Second Floor
When was the last time you strolled through the second-floor corridor behind
the ORs that leads to Sturgis? If it’s been a while, you’re in for a treat! Recently, the
ACH artists in residence put up several new collaborative art works painted, drawn
and sculpted by ACH patients. You may recognize several of the pieces from the 2011
ACH calendar, including the popular Trixie & The Wild Pups collage, Monster mosaics
and Spinning Quilts, a geography-inspired moving display. Many of the projects are
fastened from recycled products, so you’ll especially want to see how kids at ACH are
turning trash into treasure! Thanks to Artists in Residence Hamid Ebrahimifar (shown)
and Elizabeth Weber for bringing these projects to life by inspiring our patients.
Vital Signs is published monthly for the employees, staff and
volunteers of Arkansas Children’s Hospital, 1 Children’s Way,
Little Rock, Arkansas, 72202-3591; (501) 364-1100.
Visit the all new archildrens.org.
President/Chief Executive Officer: Jonathan Bates, MD
Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer: David Berry
Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer: W. Robert Morrow, MD
Senior Vice President & Chief Business Development Officer: Carole Zylman
Director of Communications: Dan McFadden, APR
Manager of Publications: Michael Spigner
Editor: Hilary DeMillo
Photographer: Kelley Cooper
This month on archildrens.org:
4
“Brayden’s Story” – National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month • Support ACH Hem-Onc • 4-webisode series
“Expectant Parents” – Know the facts about head cooling at the ACH NICU with host Dr. Jeffrey Kaiser • 8-webisode series