for your information

August 2015
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Roger Allen, Kensi Eisenzimmer, Tara Rogness
Valley Med
Spirit Lake Casino & Resort
On August 7th, the Foundation held their 5th
Annual Sports Golf Classic. We had 14 teams
golfing with us this year. Thank you to everyone
that was able to come out to volunteer their time,
golf in the tournament and have dinner with
us. The event raised over $2,000!
Thanks also to our event sponsors Valley Med
Flight & Spirit Lake Casino & Resort
Game Sponsor – Construction Engineers
Team Sponsors – CHI Mercy Hospital & Western
State Bank
Hole Sponsor - Leever’s Foods
All proceeds from the tournament will go towards
Patient Care Equipment.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
PAGE 2
HR Spotlight
Beginning September 1st, 2015:
Kronos Attestation will be implemented at CHI Mercy Hospital. The attestation is designed to ensure that you verify (attest to) that you did or did not receive a 30 minute meal break during your
shift.
You will see new in/out buttons on the time clock. When clocking IN to start your shift, you will
press the soft key next to In Punch and swipe your badge. When clocking out to end your shift, you
will first press the soft key next to OUT Punch and swipe your badge. Next you will receive a
prompt to attest to whether or not you took a meal break at some time during your shift. If you answer NO, your manager will receive an e-mail indicating you did not receive a meal break. This
same process applies to timestamp employees.
NOTE – if you are leaving the building/campus for your paid breaks (15 minutes) you DO NOT need
to clock in/out.
We anticipate that the change will take place mid-morning of September 1, so clock in like you
have in the past. When you clock out in the afternoon is when you will need to start clocking per
the job aide that you will be provided.
Just like today, if you are unable to take an uninterrupted meal break, you will need to detail the
reason on your department’s edit log sheet.
Kronos Attestation does not apply to exempt employees.
Job aides will be posted by the time clocks for easy reference of how to swipe the clock when attestation goes live.
Please contact HR if you have any questions and/or concerns.
Bonnie Mattern
HR Director
Hires
Beth Wheeler - Ft - Clinical Informaticist
Annette Zacher - Ft - Environmental Services
Teri Paine, RN - Ft - CCU
Thank
You!
PAGE 3
These
will
be
posted
by
each
time
clock!
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
PAGE 4
What is Kronos Attestation?
Kronos Attestation is a process in
the Kronos time and attendance
system designed to ensure nonexempt (hourly) employees are verifying or attesting that they did or did not receive meal break(s) during their shifts. It does not apply to exempt
(salaried) employees.
What is a meal break?
Employees are scheduled to take 30 minutes of uninterrupted time if scheduled to work eight (8) hours or more
per shift. The 30 minutes of uninterrupted time can be used to eat meals, snacks, or other activities which benefit
the employees. 30 minutes of uninterrupted time or meal breaks can be taken at any time during the shift. The
meal breaks do not have to be taken during the middle of employees’ shifts.
For example, if you work in the Emergency Room, you may get extremely busy at the lunch or dinner time, however you may be able to take 30 minutes of uninterrupted time towards the beginning of your shift or towards the
end of shift.
If employees are interrupted during their meal breaks, they should attempt to find another 30 minutes of uninterrupted time at an alternate time during the same shift.
Is a meal break built into all employees’ schedules?
Employees working shifts that are less than eight (8) hours should take a meal break if scheduled to do so. The
30 minute uninterrupted meal break automatically occurs after five (5) hours. Employees working shifts less than
five (5) hours would not have the 30 minute meal break automatically programmed in the time and attendance
system.
30 minute uninterrupted meal breaks are automatically programmed in the time and attendance schedules of
employees who are working eight (8) hours or more per shift.
What if employees are unable to take a meal break during their shifts?
When employees are unable to take 30 minute meal breaks without disruptions caused by work, or if meal breaks
are disrupted by work responsibilities, employees will verify or attest they were unable to take meal breaks (at any
time during the shifts) at the time clock at the end of their shifts. Please review Kronos Attestation Job Aides to
review process employees must complete at the time and attendance clock.
The manager will be notified by email when employees answer, “No” to the question, “Did you take an uninterrupted meal break during your shift”. Employees must also provide the reasons the meal breaks were missed on the
Kronos Edit Log. If meal breaks are missed the time will count as worked hours.
Can employees leave the hospital, clinic, long term care, or facility campuses during meal breaks?
Employees may leave the premises during meal breaks or to attend appointments of a personal nature. Nonexempt employees must punch out/in when leaving and returning to work for either of these reasons. Please
review Kronos Attestation Job Aides to review process employees must complete at the time and attendance
clock. NOTE – if leaving campus for your paid breaks (15 minutes) you do not need to clock in/out.
What happens if employees return early from a 30 minute uninterrupted meal break?
If employees return early from a 30 minute meal break period, and clock back in at the time clock, they will be
asked, “You have ____ minutes left for your meal break – returning early will cancel your 30 minutes meal break.
Do you want to wait or is your manager requiring you to return early? 1) Yes, I am required to return early or 2)
No, I’ll return later.”
How do I cancel a meal break at the time clock or through the computer?
Employees will see new in/out buttons on the time clock. They will receive a prompt to attest to whether or not
they took a meal break at some time during their shift. Employees will see this prompt as they clock out to end
their shifts. Employees also detail the reason on the department’s Kronos Edit Log.
Anytime employees answer “No” to the meal break question, an e-mail alert will be sent to the manager. This notifies the manager of their meal break cancellation. This same process applies to timestamp employees (those who
clock in and out through the computer). This does not apply to exempt (salaried) employees.
What if employees forget to clock in or out at the beginning or end of their shifts?
Employees will be required to communicate their missed clock in or out time on the Edit Log. Managers will use
the Kronos Edit Log to edit the timecards. Employees’ emails or written documents can be utilized in conjunction
with the Kronos Edit Log. Employees must be paid accurately for time worked.
However, employees who fail to clock in or out regularly or fail to detail reasons for missed punches or cancelled
meal breaks on the Kronos Edit Log may be subject to disciplinary action.
PAGE 5
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
What If employees make mistakes in
clocking in or out or managers make
mistakes in editing the timecard?
As long as the mistakes and corrections
are documented on the Kronos Edit Log or
alternative time keeping document, managers can work with employees to edit timecards. Employees must be paid
accurately for time worked.
However, employees who continue to make errors or mistakes in the time and attendance system and/or Kronos Edit
may be subject to disciplinary action.
How long must I (the manager) maintain the Kronos Edit Log along with the auto-generated e-mails alerting that
the employee missed a meal break?
Kronos Edit Logs are considered to be Payroll records. As such, you must keep these records for the current year plus
an additional 3 years. These records need to be readily available/accessible in the event of an audit.
The auto-generated e-mails the managers receive alerting them that the employee missed a meal break is viewed are
also viewed as Payroll records.
Does this apply to CHIPS employees?
Yes, the attestation applies to non-exempt CHIPS employees.
If I am On Call, and get Called Back to the facility…how do I clock?
Employees would transfer to the Call Back button like in the past. Hit the “Call Back” button and swipe.
What happens if employees return early from a 30 minute uninterrupted meal break?
If employees return early from a 30 minute meal break period, and clock back in at the time clock, they will be asked,
“You have ____ minutes left for your meal break – returning early will cancel your 30 minutes meal break. Do you
want to wait or is your manager requiring you to return early? 1) Yes, I am required to return early or 2) No, I’ll return
later.”
How do I cancel a meal break at the time clock or through the computer?
Employees will see new in/out buttons on the time clock. They will receive a prompt to attest to whether or not they
took a meal break at some time during their shift. Employees will see this prompt as they clock out to end their shifts.
Employees also detail the reason on the department’s Kronos Edit Log. Anytime employees answer “No” to the
meal break question, an e-mail alert will be sent to the manager. This notifies the manager of their meal break cancellation. This same process applies to timestamp employees (those who clock in and out through the computer). This does not apply to exempt (salaried) employees.
What if employees forget to clock in or out at the beginning or end of their shifts?
Employees will be required to communicate their missed clock in or out time on the Edit Log. Managers will use the
Kronos Edit Log to edit the timecards. Employees’ emails or written documents can be utilized in conjunction with
the Kronos Edit Log. Employees must be paid accurately for time worked.
However, employees who fail to clock in or out regularly or fail to detail reasons for missed punches or cancelled
meal breaks on the Kronos Edit Log may be subject to disciplinary action.
What if employees make mistakes in clocking in or out or managers make mistakes in editing the timecard?
As long as the mistakes and corrections are documented on the Kronos Edit Log or alternative time keeping
document, managers can work with employees to edit timecards. Employees must be paid accurately for time
worked. However, employees who continue to make errors or mistakes in the time and attendance system and/or
Kronos Edit may be subject to disciplinary action.
How long must I (the manager) maintain the Kronos Edit Log along with the auto-generated e-mails alerting that the employee missed a meal break?
Kronos Edit Logs are considered to be Payroll records. As such, you must keep these records for the current
year plus an additional 3 years. These records need to be readily available/accessible in the event of an audit.
The auto-generated e-mails the managers receive alerting them that the employee missed a meal break is
viewed are also viewed as Payroll records.
Does this apply to CHIPS employees?
Yes, the attestation applies to non-exempt CHIPS employees.
If I am On Call, and get Called Back to the facility…how do I clock?
Employees would transfer to the Call Back button like in the past. Hit the “Call Back” button and swipe.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
PAGE 6
You’re a Star
Aaron Johnson
Amy Azure
Andrea Mund
Annette Zacher
Becca Lagein
Bonnie Mattern
Carley Lysne
Carmen Severtson
Ceya Holler
Chris Wooten
Cori Kaufmann
Craig Thornby
David Wilder
Dawn Putney
Deb Anderson
Debbie Hodous
Elizabeth Berg
Helen Tinker
Jason Potter
Jeanie Weiner
Joann Dion
Karissa Scott
Kayda Azure
Kristy Hoey
Lacey Lindenberg
Laura Burckhard
Liz Schlotman
Lois Steinhaus
Lorna Stanford
Mary Langley
Meghan Carew
Megan Gathman
Megan Sylling
Melissa Hodous
Patty Johnson
Rebecca Olson
Sarah Vetsch
Shannon Lunday
Sue Eckes
Tara Schroeder
Yolanda Jiminez
Tom Schwab
Cindy Ritterman
Good Catches
Thank you Amy Azure for catching orders in wrong chart prior to documentation in the chart
Thank you O.R. for the good catch on the sponge count.
Elizabeth is our STAR for the month.
She is an LPN from our Same Day Unit.
Liz has also helped out on the Nursing Unit!
She wins the parking spot for the month of
September and an article of Mercy
Clothing.
Congratulations Elizabeth!
Star Employee
for the month
of
September
is
Elizabeth Schlotman
PAGE 7
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
ULL
im
Queeze
R.
Rescue
A.
Alarm
C.
Contain
E.
Extinguish
Code Blue:
Cardiac/Respiratory
Arrest
Code Red:
Fire
weep
Code Green:
Disaster
Code Pink:
Infant/Child
We’re on the Web!
www.mercyhospitaldl.com
Code T Warning:
Tornado has been sighted
Adam 12:
Corporate Responsibility
To discuss or report a corporate compliance concern please contact:
► Your supervisor
► ethicspoint.com
► Ethics at Work Line: 800-261-5607
or
► Sheri Heinisch
Director of Corporate Responsibility
Catholic Health Initiatives, Fargo Division
4816 Amber Valley Parkway
Fargo, ND 58104
701/237-8136 (Direct)
701/446-7882 (Cell)
701/237-8195 (Fax)
Help needed
somewhere immediately
Violent or unruly
person. Severe
emergency.
Trauma Code:
Major trauma, can
be1or more patients.
CODE SILVER
Active Shooter
Prayer Express:
Acute need for prayer.
PAGE 8
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Backpack Project
Mercy Hospital employees had the opportunity to assist 8 children
in our community with their school supplies for the upcoming
school year.
An “Apple Tree” was set up in the cafeteria with the school supply
item or items on each apple. This was one of those “feel good”
projects. All items on the school’s list were placed in the
backpack and delivered to the children for the first day of school.
Pictured are Front Row,
Left to right:
Andy Lankowicz,
Kensi Eisenzimmer,
Bonnie Gessner
and Kim Hurly
Back Row, left to right:
Deb Severtson,
Carmen Severtson,
Melissa Hodous,
Debbie Hodous,
Jenny Potgieter
and Maria Wolf
A Prayer for Our Earth
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with
your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as
brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may
sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to
recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your
infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for
justice, love and peace.
PAGE 9
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Mercy Hospital Auxiliary
Mercy Hospital Auxiliary has been traveling with the Gift Shop. We have set up a portion of the
shop at Heartland Court 3 in order to give the residents a time to do some shopping. This past
Saturday, we added a small bake sale, and enjoyed a very nice time with the shoppers. The
residents are especially pleased that the proceeds will go to the Mercy Hospital projects right
here in Devils Lake.
Watch for details of the upcoming Fall Market and Bake Sale in the Hospital Garden. The lawn
ornaments and summer items will all be at a reduced price that day. We are especially hoping
that shoppers will purchase some of the beautiful garden decorations to donate to the
garden for added beauty.
A feel good moment….
One of our LPN’s on the Med/Surg Unit, Cindy
Ritteman overheard two of our nurses talking
about their OB ultrasounds they were going to
be having the same day...so that day she
brought home-made sugar cookies with little
marks of either pink or blue on them! What a
nice thing to do!! The results of the ultrasounds
will be known in January!!
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
PAGE 10
Safety First
For the Month of
September...
Use SBAR to communicate issues or concerns
requiring action
September’s Safety First project will be the SBAR for Action...

What is the patient’s or project’s Situation?

What Background information should be known?

What is you Assessment of the situation?

How do you Recommend solving the problem?
SBAR is not designed as a handoff tool,
but a communication tool when a decision is needed!!
Situation who or what you’re calling about and the immediate problem
Background - A brief description of relevant history related to the condition
Assessment - Your view of the situation and your perception of the urgency of
action.
Recommendation - Your suggestion about the action that should be taken to
solve the problem, or your request for guidance on what
action to take.
Why SBAR?
Nurses are trained to be narrative and descriptive
 Physicians are trained to be problem solvers “what do you want me to do” - “just give me the
headlines”
 An unusual/sudden event that may need manager or chain of command intervention
 Perceptions of teamwork depend on your point of view

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
PAGE 11
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
A, I & D
For
September
Creating an exceptional
patient experience
Creating the Best Experience, All the Time
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will
never forget how you made them feel” Maya Angelou
The Journey towards Service Excellence is critical for CHI to focus on the most
important aspect of healthcare: the patient.
By focusing on providing service excellence to our patients, families, and co-workers,
we will create the best experience for our patients as evidenced by improved HCAHP
and improve the workplace for everyone.
Service Excellence Tool: From Good to Great
A
Acknowledge. Greet people with a smile and use their names. Attitude is everything,
create a lasting impression
Smile, introduce yourself, make eye contact; if possible acknowledge the patient
by addressing them by name.
I
Introduce. Politely introduce yourself to others. Tell them who you are and how you are
going to help them.
Hi, I’m Tina. I will be registering you today for your……... I have over five years
experience. Please let me know if you have any questions. The staff caring for you
today are excellent. They will take very good care of you.
D
Duration. Set realistic time frames & expectations. Keep in touch to ease waiting times.
Let others know if there is a delay & how long it may be.
It will take approximately 5 minutes to complete the registration and have you sign
the necessary paperwork. I will escort you to where you will need to go next.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
PAGE 12
Manage so we
meet or exceed
patient
expectations
Combining
outstanding
clinical service
with outstanding
personal service
EVERY TIME.
What is Service Excellence?
2
Service Excellence is designed to improve the patient’s experience of care in
all CHI healthcare settings.
It is built on CHI’s philosophy of person-centered care and delivered through a
collaborative partnership with patients and families.
Why Service Excellence?
√
Quality of Care for our patients
√
Improved patient satisfaction
√
Increase patient compliance
√
Engaged employees foster more engaged patients
PAGE 13
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Infection Prevention
The Flu
What sort of flu season is expected this year?
It’s not possible to predict what this flu season will be like. Flu seasons are
unpredictable in a number of ways. While flu spreads every year, the timing, severity, and length
of the season varies from one year to another.
Will new flu viruses circulate this season?
Flu viruses are constantly changing so it's not unusual for new flu viruses to appear each year.
For more information about how flu viruses change, visit How the Flu Virus Can Change(http://
www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/change.htm).
Will the United States have a flu epidemic?
The United States experiences epidemics of seasonal flu each year. This time of year is called
"flu season." In the United States, flu season occurs in the winter; flu outbreaks can happen as
early as October and can last as late as May.
When will flu activity begin and when will it peak?
The timing of flu is very unpredictable and can vary in different parts of the
country and from season to season. Most seasonal flu activity typically occurs
between October and May. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the United
States between December and February.
What should I do to protect myself from flu this season?
CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older as the first and
most important step in protecting against this serious disease. People should begin getting
vaccinated soon after flu vaccine becomes available, if possible by October, to ensure that as
many people as possible are protected before flu season begins. However, as long as flu viruses are circulating in the community, it’s not too late to get vaccinated.
In addition to getting a seasonal flu vaccine if you have not already gotten vaccinated, you can
take everyday preventive actions, like staying away from sick people and washing your hands
to reduce the spread of germs. If you are sick with flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading flu to others.
Here at CHI Mercy Hospital, all employees, travel and contract employees are eligible
and encouraged to get the flu shot. It’s free and there is little to no hassle to get it. We expect
that we will have received our flu vaccine in the same manner as recent years and should be
able to offer flu shots by late September or early October. Please be watching, especially by
the time clocks and in your department - notices will be posted with the dates our flu shot
clinics.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
PAGE 14
Infection Prevention
What Good Reason Do You Have – for not cleaning your hands?
Reason #1 – Because I don’t think it’s important.
Every year, an estimated 2 million patients get an infection in hospitals alone, and 90,000
die from these infections.
Many of these infections and deaths could be prevented by performing hand hygiene. . .
.It's important.
How do we clean our hands properly in order to protect our patients? Here’s a quick
review:
Wash hands with soap and water:
● Wet hands with water – comfortable temperature
● Apply soap – no bar soap
● Rub hands and wrists vigorously for 15 seconds
● Rinse and pat hands dry
● Turn faucet off with dry paper towel
Clean hands with alcohol based hand sanitizer:
● Apply product to palm of one hand
 Rub hands together covering all surfaces of hands and fingers until dry
“
Remember:
Please report needle stick or body fluid exposures
to the coordinator right away.
You need to be seen in the ER.
Fill out an IRIS report within 24 hours.