Insider December 2015
Transcription
Insider December 2015
THE INSIDER December 2015 Employee news for Coffey Health System 325 Recognizing Years of Service pg. 5 Celebrating Christmas Together pg. 6 Payroll Explanation pg. 4 November Shows Positive Bottom Line pg. 2 November Leonard A Few Words From Happy Holidays from Joni, Reggie and I to all of you and your families. We hope that if you are traveling, your travels are safe and you are able to enjoy the holidays the way they are meant to be. It has truly been our pleasure to have joined your team since September. We want to welcome Jim Van Hoet, our new CFO, who began his new duties on December 21st. It will be nice to have this position filled on a permanent basis, but we have certainly appreciated the efforts of both Cheryl Batchelor and Ken Cox to provide interim coverage for the CFO position. We will begin 2016 with a promise of continued accountability and firm commitment to making 2016 our best year ever at Coffey Health System! However, this can’t happen without each of you understanding and buying into the ideas presented as our best options in this ever-changing world of rural healthcare. That is why the recent employee survey was so important. We had a great response with 207 surveys completed. Thanks again for your participation. In early January, I will schedule several all-staff meetings to discuss the findings that we can address moving forward. North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano, in his now famous speech from 1993, challenged listeners to do three things every day. He assured that doing so would lead to a great life. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. Spend some time in thought each day. Number three is to move our emotions to tears, happiness, or joy. If you do those three things, that is a heck of a day, he said. Apply those three simple rules daily, and what a wonderful life you will have! My hope is that we can create the environment here at Coffey Health System that allows you to do those things. We can then share those feelings with our fellow employees and—more so—with the patients (inpatients and outpatients) that we are here to serve every day! What a wonderful 2016 we can create at CHS with just three simple steps. Leonard R. Hernandez Chief Executive Officer The Insider is a monthly publication for the employees, volunteers, and friends of Coffey Health System, Burlington, Kan. Publication occurs during the fourth week of the month. Leonard Hernandez Chief Executive Officer Tracy Campbell Director of Marketing Please submit ideas or items for consideration in The Insider by contacting the marketing office at (620) 364-5655 Ext. 4195 or tcampbell@coffeyhealth.org. Deadline for publication is the Friday preceding publication. Coffey Health System does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability or age in admission, treatment or participation in its programs, services and activities or in employment. For further information about this policy, contact: Leonard Hernandez at 620-364-2121 Ext. 4140; TDD/State Relay 711 Kansas Relay. 2 Coffey Health System registered a positive bottom line for the month of November. This was welcome news at the monthly board of trustees meeting on December 21. Interim Chief Financial Officer Ken Cox reported that CHS had a positive bottom line of $289,008 for November. This marks the first time since January 2015 that the overall number has been out of the red. The system also continues to see improvement in the time it takes to send bills and receive payment for services. The clinics have shown big strides, dropping from 63 days to 45. The hospital dropped from 78 to 76. Chief Executive Officer Leonard Hernandez introduced Jim Van Hoet as the organization’s new chief financial officer. Van Hoet will oversee all financial operations and serve on the organization’s executive team. He brings twenty-five years of healthcare finance experience, serving as auditor, controller, and chief financial officer at health Jim Van Hoet systems throughChief Financial Officer out the country. Van Hoet grew up and currently lives in Kansas City, but will be moving closer to Coffey County. “I’m looking forward to this opportunity, which I feel is challenging and close to my family,” Van Hoet said. “I think there is a backlog of work and I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and working with Leonard and the rest of the team here.” Director of Facilities Vic Blaufuss updated the board on the extensive flooring replacement project underway at Waverly Medical Clinic. In order to complete the work safely and efficiently, the clinic is temporarily closed. Chief Medical Officer John Shell, M.D. requested medical staff appointments for Janet Miles, M.D., Heather Brazzle, P.A.-C., and Jayda Rupp, A.P.R.N. Re-appointments were requested for Melissa Loomis-Miller, A.P.R.N. and Joanne Quilon, M.D. Additional privileges were granted to Mark Greenfield, M.D. The board unanimously Shows Positive Bottom Line approved all medical staff appointments within the consent agenda. Dennis Young, board selection committee chair, reported that there are—to date—no applicants for a vacant board position. Tim Smith’s three-year term ends this month, and he chose not to seek re-appointment. Young encouraged board members to be thinking of potential candidates. The terms of Peter Allegre and Craig Stukey also ended, but both have been re-appointed by the county commission. Hernandez explained that several currently unused rooms at The Meadows are being recommissioned to accommodate more residents. The facility has a waiting list; so bringing these rooms back into use will immediately pay off. “We currently have five vacant rooms, but by the end of January we hope to have four of them filled,” Hernandez said. “We’re (working on) carpet and things like that. The only room that will be left is one we are using for storage, but we’re trying to find a place to take that stuff or get rid of it.” Two documents were presented for approval for the Home Health Agency and Senior Care Act. These documents are approved and signed annually by the board for Coffey County Hospital Home Health Agency to document authority and remain in compliance with state regulations. The board entered two executive sessions, both to discuss matters of nonelected personnel. The first session lasted thirty minutes with Hernandez present. A five-minute session followed with only the board present. All nine trustees were present at the meeting: Chairman Steve Hopkins, Vice Chairman Peter Allegre, Treasurer Craig Stukey, Secretary Rosemary Rich, Judy Reese, Cameron Roth, Levi Saueressig, Tim Smith, and Dennis Young. The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m. HR Headlines Theresa Thoele Vice President of Human Resources Job Openings CareLearning changes to calendar year All positions are full time, unless otherwise indicated. CHS will now be tracking all Care Learning assignments to the calendar year. As a general rule, all assignments must be completed prior to December 31, 2016. Please monitor your email for new assignments which may have a different due date. Dr. Hughes is not in Core Network Please remember that our medical insurance has different deductibles depending on which provider you utilize. Our Core Network consists of the following providers. The office visit co-pay is $35 (effective November 1, 2015). Their services are applied toward your $1,500/person deductible. John Atkin, M.D. Donald Braun, M.D. Beverly Clark, M.D. Scott Coates, M.D. Shane Fejfar, M.D. Richard Fox, D.O. Cindy Hildebrand, A.P.R.N Chris Jarvis, M.D. Laurel Louderbaugh, A.P.R.N. Sarah Nuessen, R.P.A. John Shell, M.D. Jon Sides, M.D. Jeff Sloyer, M.D. Travis Whitesides, P.A. Michael Goodman, CRNA Timothy Spears, D.O. Jeff Rinker, CRNA For clarification, our radiologist, Kevin Hughes, D.O., is in the PPO Network and services provided by him will go toward your $2,500/ per person deductible. However, these two deductibles do accumulate together. If you have further provider-specific questions, please contact Amber Dittrich or Theresa Thoele in human resources. Federal mileage rate drops to 54¢ The 2016 mileage rate for business miles driven is 54¢ per mile. This is a drop from 57.5¢ for 2015. Please begin using the new mileage rate January 1, 2016. 3 Coffey County Hospital RN OB (PRN) RN (Nights FT & PRN) CNA - PT & PRN – Nights CNA - 11 am - 11 pm Medical Technologist or MLT (FT, Day and Evening Shift) Coffey County Medical Center Clinic Nurse, LPN or Medical Assistant (PRN) Yates Center Medical Center Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner RN / Clinic Supervisor LPN or Medical Assistant (PT) The Meadows CMA – All Shifts (PRN) Cook / Dietary Aide (PT) Dietary Aide / Dishwasher (PT – evening) Rehabilitation Services Speech Therapist (PRN) Sunset Manor RN (FT / PT / PRN) CNA – All Shifts (FT / PT / PRN) Cook / Dietary Aide (PT - flex) For more information, call Ext. 4254. White Explains Benefit/Tax Change I sincerely apologize to all employees regarding the December 24 payroll run, where many of you saw “GROUP TERM LIFE” reported in two locations—earnings and deductions— on your EZ Stub. For those affected, the inclusion of Group Term Life also resulted in a change to your tax percentage withholdings and, potentially, a loss to your net pay. Even more importantly, I apologize that this was not communicated in advance! The fact that this occurred at Christmas is deeply regretted. I hope to clarify the situation here. Juanita White Controller According to the IRS, Group Term Life Insurance exceeding a $50,000 benefit is taxable and must be included in your earnings and reported on your W-2. Because of this IRS requirement, it had to be included in payroll during the 2015 calendar year. As this was the final payroll run of the year, I saw no choice but to include it so that your 2015 earnings are correctly reported on your W-2. I received the actual benefit number from our group life insurance provider along with the instructions last week and uploaded into payroll right before direct deposit preparation. Any negative impact would be reflected in your federal income tax withholding. A variety of personal factors go into this withholding, so the net loss is different for each employee. These factors include: • Age - cost depends on your age bracket; • Income - our benefit is three times your salary • Amount of benefit over $50,000 • Voluntary Life Insurance -if you elected VLI, the premium you pay bi-weekly could be taken as a credit and was deducted from the taxable benefit given from the provider. We regret that this wasn’t spread out over all of 2015. To assure that this does not happen again, the taxable benefit will be spread out over your 2016 paychecks, effective January 1. Again, I am truly sorry and deeply regret that this impact was discovered this late and transpired around the holidays. $300.00 $XXX.XX If you have any further questions, please come see me. $300.00 $300.00 Juanita White Controller Here is a breakdown showing the net effect, assuming the entire year Valued benefit went into earnings. For 2016, the same example would show $11.54 in earnings and deductions each pay period. Payroll WITH Group Term Life Benefit Payroll WITHOUT Group Term Life Benefit Earnings:Earnings: Group Term Life $ 300.00 * Discretionary Leave Discretionary Leave $ 100.00 Shift 1 (week one) Shift 1 (week one) $ 900.00 Shift 2 (week two) Shift 2 (week two) $ 1,000.00 Gross Earnings $ 2,300.00 Gross Earnings Deductions:Deductions: CC Pension (FICA 4%) $ 92.00 CC Pension (FICA 4%) Medicare (1.45%) $ 33.35 Medicare (1.45%) **Federal Tax (7%) $ 161.00 ** Federal Tax (7%) State Tax (4%) $ 92.00 State Tax (4%) *Group Term Life $ 300.00 * Total Deductions Total Deductions $ 678.35 NET PAY $1,621.65 NET PAY Difference = $49.25 4 $ 100.00 $ 900.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 2,000.00 $ $ $ $ $ 80.00 29.00 140.00 80.00 329.00 $1,671.00 Q & A We understand that this is a complicated and emotional issue. The following are questions that we know are on your minds, and we hope to provide further clarification. Please accept Coffey Health System’s sincere apology for any strained this placed on holidays, and be assured that it will not happen again. Who approved the change, and why weren’t we told in advance? Chief Executive Officer Leonard Hernandez responds, “We understand that everyone wants to get answers and assign blame; however, that is not going to solve anything or move us forward. We were all upset and taken aback by this, but let me give a brief explanation. Information required to make this decision was not received until the Friday before the last payroll. However, even being that late, it should have been communicated prior to the payroll being completed. Because of this incident, we now have an understanding that any decision that affects payroll must have advance approval by the CEO in writing.” What is “imputed income?” The IRS rules require all companies to report imputed income on an employee’s W-2. Imputed income is a fancy term for any benefit you receive which has a value. The IRS wants this “value benefit” to be taxed. CHS offers a group life insurance policy at no cost to the employee that falls under this ruling. What caused the change? The change was necessary to be in compliance with an IRS ruling that states: “IRC section 79 provides an exclusion for the first $50,000 of group-term life insurance coverage provided under a policy carried directly or indirectly by an employer. There are no tax consequences if the total amount of such policies does not exceed $50,000. The imputed cost of coverage in excess of $50,000 must be included in income, using the IRS Premium Table, and are subject to social security and Medicare taxes.” Why does the net loss vary by employee? As Juanita explains on the previous page, a number of personal factors go into determining your withholding. Please see her bullet list for details. What is being done to assure that this will not happen again? The payroll department is working with CPSI and Lincoln Financial to get this code up and running for every pay period for 2016. Therefore on average, the employee can take this one lump sum, divide by 26, and that smaller amount will show up each pay period in 2016. For example, instead of a $300 lump sum, the deduction will be $11.54 per paycheck. The employee handbook states “CHS pays for 100% of the cost of the life and accidental death & dismemberment (ADD&D) insurance plan for the employee.” So, why am I paying anything? While CHS pays the cost of the Group Term Life Insurance, the IRS states that the value of the insurance is taxable. Since this changes my tax withholdings, can I opt out of the group life? We understand the temptation to do that, but Group Term Life plans like ours––where the employer pays the premium––must cover all employees. Individuals cannot opt out. If you have additional questions regarding the effect on your paycheck, please see Juanita White in accounting. She will be happy to help you better understand your withholdings. 5 Coffey Health System received a private donation earmarked specifically for a staff Christmas party, which was held on December 5th at Rock Creek Country Club. On behalf of everyone, we express our sincere gratitude for this very generous gift. A good time was had by all! Christmas Party Christmas at Coffey H 6 Ugly Sweater Contest 1st place Dr. Jarvis as “Uncle Eddie” 2nd place Amber Dittrich with her “Snowballs” sweater 3rd place Dr. Shell with his “Rudy” sweater Open House Best Decorations Health Information - “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” Best Food Radiology - “Nacho Mama’s Christmas” Best Theme Billing - “Christmas Vacation” Health System More pictures from the open house are posted at facebook.com/coffeyhealthsystem 7 The Meadows Sunset Manor 8 Residents saved their cups and made this cute snowman! Colleagues recognized for 325 years of service Congratulations to our colleagues who attained significant milestones this year. Your dedication to our patients, residents, and families is sincerely appreciated. The CHS float won first place in the business category of Burlington’s Christmas parade! Kudos to Vic Blaufuss, Melissa Hall, Stacy Augustyn, Gail Johnson, Kallie Jewett, and everyone who helped out. These adorable kiddos are children of CHS staff. They look pretty good in scrubs, and might just be the next generation of doctors and nurses! Scholarships available through KHERF The Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation offers a number of 2016 healthcare scholarships. More than 20 scholarships are available for the 2016-2017 academic year, and students are encouraged to apply in the following categories: • Nursing: undergraduate students in nursing • Graduate: graduate-level students in any health care discipline • Future faculty: students pursuing education necessary to become health care faculty • Healthcare: undergraduate students in non-nursing health care fields • Healthcare administration: students in healthcare administration • Human resources: students in hospital human resource-related fields • Health IT: student in a technical health IT-related field Priority will be given to hospital employees, particularly in regions experiencing shortages in Kansas. Find applications on the KHERF website at www.kherf.org. If you have any questions or need further information, contact Susan Cunningham at the Kansas Hospital Association at (785) 233-7436. 30 years Dondi Eichman 20 years Julie Graham Marilyn Kitt 15 years Karen Foster Gwen Mays Bonnie Decker Donna Hibbard Pamela Saueressig Donald Braun Richard Fox 10 years Debra Huntsman Garold Johnson Patricia Johnson Hallie Wilson Lindsey Skillman Randi Feuerborn Kelly Wagner Becky Houston Cindy Worlein 5 years Nellie Birk, a resident at The Meadows, took the time to express her appreciation the The Medicine Shoppe for a free magazine distributed by the national pharmacy chain. Her letter was featured in a recent issue! Nicole Orebaugh Tami Handy Carly Durham Mina Miller Kandice Alvarado Theresa Thoele Heather True Melissa Davis Katherine Rich Janet Edgecomb Carrie Hegg 9 Thank You Notes J ust wanted to send kudos for Jeff Rinker, CRNA. My husband had surgery and Jeff was very thorough going through his medical record and caught changes on his EKG that had not been noticed on visits to other providers. We really appreciated his attention to detail and it was obvious that he didn’t rush through reviewing my husband’s medical record prior to his appointments and surgery. He was very pleasant in our clinic appointment and really put both the patient and family at ease. He explained things in an easy to understand manner and answered any questions we had. It was very nice seeing another side to a professional co-worker as he interacted with us as patient and family. Completely professional, but also caring. I would also like to give kudos to Dr. Fejfar and his office staff, as well as to the surgical and recovery team. They were professional and kind. We were educated regarding the surgery; told what to expect; and given time to ask questions by Dr. Fejfar, Shelly and Sherry in the clinic. The staff was fun and very enjoyable to interact with. We never felt rushed at all. Recovery room staff were attentive and kind. Jennifer Newman took the time to let me as a spouse know in the waiting room when surgery was running behind due to a previous case. It was a very enjoyable experience for both my husband and me having his surgery done here at CCH. Laura Keegan December Anniversaries Our employees are our greatest resource. Each month, we include a list of employees who will celebrate their anniversary with Coffey Health System. Here’s to each of you, and thank you for your service to our patients! Terri Tweedy 34 years Stephanie Garland 33 years Debra Huff, Melinda Pattinson 16 years Christina Crane 13 years Janice Birk 9 years Elaine Reynolds 4 years Dyane Christiansen, Alea Deal, Cynthia Dwight, Laura Keegan, Teryn McGrew, Nicole Rodgers, Jessica Wilson 1 year Thank You Thank YouNotes Notes Thank You Notes Y To the Sunset Manor Team ou have a wonderful staff! Thank you so much for taking such good care of David and also for the lovely plant. Loree T hank you guys for the wonderful care you have given our parents! Your kindness has been overwhelming! We appreciate you all so much! Janet Brown’s girls Linda, Judy, Holly, and Jolene T o the wonderful staff, Thank you so much for the beautiful flowers you sent when Laryl passed. It was so kind & thoughtful. Thank you also for the wonderful care you gave Laryl. He loved you all & we are so appreciative. Larry, Lori, Barbara & Family D ear Sunset Manor & Staff: The family of Donald (Don) Rife would like to express our thanks for your care of our loved one over the last four years. It was so important to us that Don was able to spend his last four years in a wonderful place called Sunset Manor. The care Don received was outstanding. Don always had a smile on his face that made the family really happy to have found a wonderful place. The nurses and other staff was so thoughtful of him. Thank you all for the wonderful care you gave our husband/dad. Sunset Manor will always have a special place in our hearts. Thank you to each and everyone for the special work you guys do. Also, a special thanks goes to Amy Johnson for making our loved one happy. May God bless you all! With warm regards, Debbie Rife and Don’s kids: Harold, Donetta, Jerry, Shatosha, Bonnie, and Ronald Santa had some extra elves this year who helped to make it a very merry Christmas for a few local families. A big thank you to everyone who participated in the adopt-a-family project! We had great participation and many generous donations were made. We also thank Stacy Augustyn for coordinating this wonderful project. Sharing the Christmas Spirit 10 Michelle McVey completed certification to teach Neonatal Resuscitation Program in April, and recently taught her first class. Kudos to Michelle! Also getting a pat on the back are Melinda Pattinson, Stacy Augustyn, and Melissa Hall for completing the course. Former employee Chris Beaver called in to share a kudo to Anna Blanton. Over Thanksgiving weekend, a lengthy power outage threatened Chris’s husband’s oxygen supply. When Chris learned that the power was expected to be off for another twelve hours, she called the ER to ask what she should do. She reports, “Anna was so helpful and kind. She did everything she could. It is really refreshing to have someone with no obligation to us but she made sure we got the help we needed and was so very kind and understanding.” Kudos to the dietary staff for trying out some new menu items! The variety is something we now look forward to each week! Kudos to Terri Tweedy for all that she did for the Christmas Party! It was such a fun evening! Thank you to all the Sunset Manor CNAs for working together to help cover extra shifts. Thank you to all the staff for the hard work you do every day. You make it a joy to come to work! Thank you to the anonymous donor(s) who made our Christmas party possible this year! Your generosity is greatly appreciated. The EMS department has really stepped up to cover shifts during the extended absence of Craig Huddleston. Your teamwork is awesome! Scott Coates, M.D. was recently elected to the Board of Governors of the American College of Surgeons. HUGE kudos to all who helped make this year’s Christmas party a success! CHS was blessed by a very generous “Secret Santa” who paid for the entire event, including the prizes! Without their generosity, this celebration would not have been possible. THANK YOU!!!! Please thank the following people for their help in making the party a night to remember! Terri Tweedy; Lucas Markowitz; Renee Branson; Cathy Paige; Diana Thomsen; Toni Ahlgrim; Stacy Augustyn; Toby Paige; Garold Johnson; Jerad White; Vic Blaufuss; Dondi Eichman; Leonard Hernandez; Steve Hopkins; Mike Tweedy; Ralph Elliott; Carrie, Brandon, and Katie Hines; the New Strawn Community Center; Corey Hugunin; and the Rock Creek Country Club staff. Have a Happy New Year! Kudos to Rachel Gunlock for helping pick up extra shifts at Sunset Manor. The Sunset Manor staff put together a wonderful Christmas open house for residents and their families. Thank you to everyone who made it such a success. Kudos to Pat Johnson for helping clear off tables when we were running behind. A special thanks to Amy Johnson for organizing the event; Monica Rolf for decorating the facility, dietary staff for making all the food; and Cindy Cole for staying late and cleaning up. Thank you to everyone who adopted a resident for Christmas and decorated the residents’ rooms! Our residents and their families appreciate everything you did. Michelle Owen would like to recognize all the EMS personnel for their assistance they provide in the ED. They are always willing to help and assist as needed no matter what time of day it is. BIG THANK YOU to all of them. She also thanks the ED staff for their hard work and dedication. She writes “It’s almost like we are family. The support and help for one another is very welcoming. THANKS!” Carrie Hines goes above and beyond to make the ER the best that it can be. Her hard work and dedication for improvements is very recognizable. She is very open to suggestions and changes. Keep up the great work! Kallie Jewett is always there to help brighten the day with her positive outlook. Your encouragement means more than you know. Thank you to all the med-surg staff for helping to cover open shifts. Your flexibility and teamwork with one another is great to see and very much appreciated. Kudos to Orio Rodriguez for helping out in pain clinic. He jumps in and helps make the day go smoothly. His bedside manner is beyond awesome and he is very friendly to all. Kudos to Jo Neill for helping us out in pain clinic when she can. It’s nice to work with people who are so versatile and helpful. Dr. Jon Sides went above and beyond Thanksgiving Eve when a family from out of town was involved in a car accident and treated in the emergency room. After he treated and released them, he willingly gave of his own money to help cover hotel expenses for the family. Fortunately, the county used a hotel voucher and Dr. Sides was returned his $100. His touch of kindness and caring for this family who no longer had a vehicle to drive and a child under one year of age was so touching. Welcome to the CHS Family Jim Garner Accounting Welcome! Kudos to you! Kudos to you! Kudos to you! Kudos you... Michelle Delles Dietary Manager The Meadows Kerrie Lyons CNA Sunset Manor Linda Scott CNA Sunset Manor Tesla Allison AEMT EMS Thank you to Mike Tweedy (Terri’s husband) for filling in as the official photographer at the Christmas party. You did a great job! Michelle McVey, Kallie Jewett, Katie Rich, Melissa Hall, and Stacy Augustyn organized another great Christmas Open house! Thanks! 11 Juanita White Controller Accounting All f one. r Landry Quyad Cameron Cullison (top) is the grandson of Sue Hatch in housekeeping. One for all. “All for one” is a new feature in The Insider to share information about news in the lives of the CHS family. We will share life’s happiest moments — like the births of Landry and Chloe (left) — and we will also feature ways that the CHS family is pulling together to help our colleagues in times of need. Please call Tracy at Ext. 4195 or send information to tcampbell@coffeyhealth.org. Chloe Marie Orebaugh (bottom) is the daughter of Jason and Nicole Orebaugh, obstetrics nurse. A chili/soup supper will be held from 4:30-6:30 at Burlington High School. The Huddlestons live in Eureka, and this event coincides with the Burlington vs. Eureka basketball games. A sign-up sheet is located in the ER for anyone who would like to donate chili, soup, desserts, crackers, bowls, spoons, etc. or you can contact Jered Schulte at Ext. 4175 T here simply are not words to express our appreciation to our Coffey Health System family. Our lives have been forever touched by the outpouring of support since my diagnosis. In all the years I’ve worked here—and my mother worked here before me—I could never have imagined the depths of love and support shown from people in every department. It is simply amazing! “Huddle for Huddleston” Craig Huddleston has been a paramedic with Coffey County EMS for 13 years. He has saved many lives in our community, and now it is time for us to help Craig as he battles leukemia. Several fund raisers have been held to help the Huddleston family, and more will be announced. Everyone’s support is sincerely appreciated. While the doctors say that I am now cancer-free, my journey continues. However, every step I take is made easier knowing that my friends and colleagues are with me. Thank you to everyone who has organized fund raisers, volunteered to help, gave a donation, bought a shirt or raffle ticket, said a prayer, or helped in any way. And to my EMS and ER family, I will simply never be able to thank you enough. You’ve kept my spirits up, covered my shifts, and had my back. I am blessed beyond measure to have you in my life. On behalf of my family, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. Craig and Donna Huddleston and family It is always heartbreaking to lose a loved one, but it is especially difficult during the holiday season. We express our sincere condolences to our colleagues who recently lost family members. Stephanie Garland, Bonnie Decker, and Donneta Karman lost their fathers; Pam Saueressig and Peter Allegre lost their mothers; and Laura Keegan lost her mother-in-law. Our hearts are with each of you. 12