Transcript Elizabethan - St. Elizabeth Medical Center

SEMC
Elizabethan Newsletter
St. Elizabeth
Medical Center
2209 Genesee St.
Utica, NY 13501
SEMC Offers My
Patient Portal
See p. 8 for details
FSLH
Employee
Pursues
Path to Sisterhood
See p. 6 for details
Vol. 37 No. 9
www.stemc.org
September 1, 2014
SEMC is sponsored by
The Sisters of
St. Francis of the
Neumann Communities
and is an affiliate of
the Mohawk Valley
Health System.
www.stemc.org
www.mvheart.org
www.mvhealthsystem.org
Mohawk Valley Health
System President/CEO
Scott H. Perra, FACHE
October 16-17, 2014
Elizabethan Editor
AJ Wiswell
e-mail:
[email protected]
Elizabethan News
is published for
staff and friends of
Mohawk Valley
Health System and its
operations. Submit
news items through
inter-departmental
mail, e-mail
([email protected])
or by calling
Marketing and
Public Relations
at (315) 798-8195.
The Elizabethan is
posted monthly on the
Medical Center’s
website at:
www.stemc.org.
MohawkRegister
Valley
System
online at Health
www.campaignforquality.com
Presents Campaign for Quality
M
ohawk Valley Health System’s (MVHS) 2014
Campaign For Quality (CFQ) promises to give
everyone in attendance a new perspective on today’s
ever-changing healthcare system.
This popular educational event, celebrating its 13th
anniversary, features international, national and local
experts presenting on current trends in healthcare,
patient experiences, population health topics and
patient safety initiatives. CFQ will be held at Hamilton
College in Clinton, New York, on Friday, October
17, 2014, and is free to attend. A special evening
presentation and dinner ($15 per person) will be held
on Thursday, October 16, at the Radisson Hotel in
Utica, New York.
“Our community’s health is a shared responsibility –
shared by our patients and residents, their families,
and our providers and healthcare staff,” said Scott H.
Perra, FACHE, president/CEO of MVHS.” Joining forces
for the fourth year with Iroquois Healthcare’s Annual
Quality and Patient Safety Forum, the 2014 CFQ offers
something for everyone.”
Continued on page 3
Page 2 • September 1, 2014
August
Employee of
the Month
Department Feature:
Sister Rose Vincent Family
Medicine Center
Maureen Franklin, Director of Operations, Sister Rose Vincent Family Medicine Center
T
he Sister Rose Vincent Family Medicine Center
is committed to the mission of excellence in
healthcare and physician education, with a focus on
compassion and respect for the dignity for all. Many of
our patients are the poorest in Utica and many speak
languages other than English, but to us, all of them
are our neighbors and all of them deserve kindness
and compassion.
Debbie Geary
LPN at Sister Rose
Vincent Family
Medicine Center
Patients have commented
multiple times about how
efficient and caring Debbie
is towards them and how
they appreciate that. She is
personable and welcoming,
making all of her patients
feel special.
Debbie accepts and
welcomes challenges. She
embraces assignments and
tasks and helps out when
and where she is needed.
Her colleagues said, “She is
an asset to the Sister Rose
Vincent Family Medicine
Center, St. Elizabeth, her
coworkers, and her patients.”
Congratulations,
Debbie!
With more than 40 physicians and a support staff of 70,
our center has professionals fluent in Spanish, Burmese,
Vietnamese, Arabic, Bosnian, Russian and Hindi; last
year alone we facilitated services in 29 languages. In
addition to managing language barriers, we also focus
on being sensitive to cultural barriers. Doing so is very
important because, for many of our patients, this clinic
is their first experience with Western medical practices
that differ widely from those of their homelands,
traditions and religious beliefs.
The challenges presented by these barriers provide
excellent opportunities for the physicians in the
Residency program to learn how to serve the needs
of a diverse range of patients and deal with a variety
of clinical situations. While the Center primarily
focuses on training physicians for careers in Family
Medicine, it also houses an Infectious Disease
clinic that provides patients from all walks of life
with medical monitoring of HIV/AIDS infections, as
well as a specialty clinic that provides services in
neurology, pulmonology, sleep disorders, surgery and
osteopathic manipulative therapy.
Second-year Family Medicine resident, Martin
Tolentino, MD, greets a patient at the Sister Rose
Vincent Family Medicine Center.
Given the breadth of our patients and the scope of
our programs and services, working at the Sister Rose
Vincent Family Medicine Center brings new challenges
every day. Through it all, however, the physicians
and staff members of the Sister Rose Vincent Family
Medicine Center stand ready to serve the needs of our
neighbors and help those who are just starting off as
family physicians to meet those needs as fully and as
effectively as possible.
New Email Communications Structure
Coming to SEMC in September
I
n mid-September, St. Elizabeth Medical Center will
be adopting a new daily email communications
structure in an effort to streamline electronic
communications. Each week day, the “Daily Operations
Updates” will be distributed between 10 a.m. and
12 p.m. This email will be a single distribution point
for all information previously sent by individuals and
departments regarding organizational events, news,
reminders or requests.
The Marketing and Public Relations Department
(MPR) is working with individuals and departments
who currently send organization-wide emails to
incorporate their content into the daily updates.
All employees are encouraged to submit content
for inclusion in the Daily Operations Updates by
emailing their requests to [email protected].
Information received before 10 a.m. will be published
by 12 p.m. Information received after 10 a.m. will be
published the following weekday. Please remember:
if information is received after 10 a.m. on Friday, it will
be published the following Monday.
Any information you wish to communicate to the
entire organization, including lost item requests, name
change announcements and available supplies, should
be included in the Daily Operations Updates rather
than emailed from your own account. Items will be
repeated up to a maximum of three times.
If you have any questions or would like additional
information, please contact Sandra Fentiman, Manager
of MPR, at 798-8195 or [email protected].
September 1, 2014 • Page 3
Campaign for Quality, cont.
Continued from page 1
John O’Leary will kick off the conference on Friday
at Hamilton College. As a child, John experienced
firsthand the devastating nature of fire, which burned
nearly 100 percent of his body. He was given less than
a one percent chance of surviving the first night. His
unlikely recovery meant a journey of pain and loss
that could easily have been insurmountable, yet John
chose not only to rise above adversity, but to thrive.
As a college graduate, business owner, philanthropist,
husband, and father, he serves as an amazing beacon
of hope, positive change and bold action.
The conference will also feature Jeffrey Bauer, PhD, an
internationally recognized health futurist and medical
economist. He is widely known for his forecasting
efforts and strategies to create an efficient and
effective healthcare delivery system through multistakeholder partnerships and other initiatives focused
in the private sector. In his presentation, Dr. Bauer
will discuss the concept of population health and the
relationship between population health and the goals
of health reform. He will also introduce organizational
options for local leadership.
CFQ will end with Craig Parsons, a composer and
conductor who regularly performs at the finest concert
halls throughout the nation. Equally at home in the
world of comedy or classical music, Parsons combines
the spontaneity of humor with the discipline of music
to discuss specific ways to communicate clearly and
work in harmony for a common goal.
The conference offers 12 presentations in total,
including topics on readmissions, behavioral health,
reducing diagnostic errors, communication, stroke
prevention in women, palliative care, childhood
obesity and more.
“Any provider, any healthcare worker, or anyone
concerned about his or her health or the health of a
loved one should make time to attend Campaign For
Quality,” said Perra.
“This educational series brings together speakers of
incredible talent and experience…speakers you’d
normally have to travel to hear in major cities and
at major academic healthcare institutes. Even if you
only attend one session, you will come away with
knowledge that may help change your healthcare
experience in a very positive way.”
SUNY Upstate Medical University designates this live
activity for a maximum of 6.75 AMA PRA Category
1 Credits™ (see additional CME information on the
registration form at www.campaignforquality.com).
CFQ is coordinated by the Keith A. Fenstemacher
Center for Continuous Learning at Faxton St. Luke’s
Healthcare (FSLH) and is sponsored by Mohawk Valley
Health System (affiliates include FSLH and St. Elizabeth
Medical Center (SEMC)) as well as its medical staffs,
Iroquois Healthcare, Medical Liability Mutual Insurance
Company (MLMIC), ProAct Inc. and Sodexo.
Please visit www.campaignforquality.com to register
and for additional conference information.
Program Highlights
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Radisson Hotel
200 Genesee Street, Utica
David Glickman
A Dose of Healthcare Humor
$15 per person, seating limited,
reservations required.
5 p.m. – Cocktails
6 p.m. – Dinner
7 to 8 p.m. – Presentation
Friday, October 17, 2014
Hamilton College
198 College Hill Road, Clinton
Joshua Bennett, MD, MBA
Readmission “Tales From the Road”
and a National Perspective
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Shana Pughe
Mind the Gap: Understanding Health
Traditions of Diverse Communities
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Louise McCullough, MD, PhD
Sex Differences in Stroke
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Joanna Dolgoff, MD
Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right: An
Innovative Approach to the Child
Obesity Epidemic
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Kevin Mathews, MD, FAAFP;
Evelyn Kropp, BPS, RN, CPHQ;
Jeanne Tracy, BSN, RN
Conversation Ready Project
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
John O’Leary
The Power of One: Discover Your
Ability to Impact Profoundly
8:15 - 9:30 a.m.
John Kelly, PhD
Addiction as a Chronic Illness and
Strategies to Enhance Long-Term
Remission and Recovery
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Jeffrey Bauer, PhD
Population Health: The Bottom Line
in Health Reform
10 - 11 a.m.
Joshua Bennett, MD, MBA;
Kathleen Rauch; Loretta Willis
Readmissions Panel Discussion
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
September
Calendar
Month-Long Observances
International Alzheimer’s
Awareness
National Cholesterol
Education
National Emergency
Preparedness
Healthy Aging
Pain Awareness
Prostate Health
Rehabilitation
9/1 - Holiday: Labor Day
9/1-5 - Payroll Week
9/5 - MVHS Employee Golf
Tournament
9/7 - National
Grandparents Day
9/7-13 - Suicide Prevention
Week
9/8-14 - National
Environmental
Services &
Housekeeping Week
9/9 - Medical Staff Meeting
9/11 - 13th Anniversary of
9/11 Attack
9/11 - Laryngectomy
Support Group
9/12 - Guild Luncheon
9/14-20 - National
Rehabilitation
Awareness Week
9/14-20 - National Surgical
Technologist Week
9/15-16 - Employee
Orientation
Timothy Shoen, MD
Reducing Diagnostic Error
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
9/15-17 - Book Fair
Craig Parsons
Orchestrating the Future
2:45 - 4 p.m.
9/20 - Foundation
Octoberfest
9/18 - Foundation Board
Meeting
9/24 - National Women’s
Health & Fitness Day
9/25 - Lynne’s Closet Sale
Page 4 • September 1, 2014
Welcome to
St. E’s!
We’re glad
you’re here!
New Employees
Amany Bashir
Family Medicine Residency
Chelsea Beltran
Food & Nutrition
Alan Conte
Food & Nutrition
Rachelle Cunningham
Health Information Management
Lauren Fallon
College of Nursing
Azerina Habib
Laboratory
Tawanna Jackson
Housekeeping
Christy Lalonde
Nursing – ED
Connor McDonald
Laboratory
Barbara Ross
Nursing - ICU
Summer Dress Code Returns
to Standard Dress Code
M
onday, September
1, 2014 is Labor Day.
This date marks the end of
the Summer Dress Code
period for 2014. Beginning
Tuesday, September 2, 2014,
all employees are to return to
our standard dress
code policy.
Some of the changes from
summer dress code to the
standard dress code are
as follows:
• Full length (rather than
cropped) pants must
be worn.
• Open-backed shoes are
never allowed. Footwear
must have at least a strap on the back (please note that
the policy has been changed to allow open-toed shoes,
without hosiery, year-round in non-clinical areas).
• A neck tie is required to be worn with a dress shirt.
The complete dress code policy can be found in
the Employee Handbook. Any department-specific
rules that are in place will still apply. In addition, our
designated dress-down days, for those that participate,
will continue to remain on Fridays.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to
contact the Human Resources Department.
Holly Sellers
Nursing - Neuro/Peds
Nursing - CT ICU
HR Headquarters
Nedoh Stricker
Donna Ernst, Director of Human Resources, SEMC
Morgan Shumway
Food & Nutrition
Tasscia Williams
St. Elizabeth Medical Group
Little Falls
Scott Wood
Food & Nutrition
Important Dates:
September 5
National 401(k) Day
Cafeteria Conference Room, 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Stop by and enroll, increase your contribution, or make any changes. Non Union, NYSNA and UFCW
eligible employees welcome!
September 10
UFCW 401(k) and Empower Federal Credit Union representatives will be in the Cafeteria Conference Room
from 2 - 4 p.m.
September 25
A HANYS representative will be in the Sister Johanna Conference Room from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Please contact
Nancy Ratcliffe at [email protected] or 734-4252 for an appointment.
We have added new locations for your 90-day-refill prescriptions at several area retail stores. In addition
to Parkway Drugs, effective August 1, you can fill your maintenance prescriptions (90-day refills) at the
following locations:
Randall’s Pharmacy – Genesee Street, New Hartford
Holland Patent Health Mart Pharmacy – Main Street, Holland Patent
Kinney Drugs – visit www.kinneydrugs.com for the location nearest you
Your prescription drug coverage remains unchanged and you still have the option of sending your
prescriptions to our mail order vendor, MedVantx, 1-866-744-0621.
September 1, 2014 • Page 5
St. ElizabEth MEdical cEntEr Foundation and F.X. Matt brEwing coMpany
prESEnt
Gift Shops
Two-Day Sale
St. Elizabeth Medical Center,
Faxton Campus and St.
Luke’s Campus Gift Shops
Wednesday,
September 17 and
Thursday,
September 18
25% off all Gift Merchandise
(excluding flowers, cards,
candy, food, magazines,
stamps, and Landmark
Society ornaments)
This sale may not be
combined with other
discounts.
Gift Shop sales benefit
Mohawk Valley Health
System.
Saturday, September 20
2pm-5pm at F.X. Matt Brewery
a MErican and g ErMan Food providEd by S wiFty ’ S r EStaurant & p ub
S aranac b EvEragES · l ivE E ntErtainMEnt by t hE d uSty p uppiES and g ridlEy paigE
Tickets are $30*
S t . E lizabEth M Edical c EntEr Foundation o FFicE
S trEEt , u tica · (315) 734-4287 · www . StEMc . org / Foundation
F.X. Matt b rEwing c o . · 830 varick S trEEt , u tica
availablE at thE
2209 g EnESEE
or
payroll
dEduction iS availablE until
S EptEMbEr 10 th
Proceeds benefit the St. Elizabeth College of Nursing
Retraction
An article in the July issue
entitled “Understanding
Trans Fats” stated that
margarine is lower in
saturated fat than butter.
The article stated that, for
that reason, “margarine is
probably a healthier choice”
than butter. While SEMC
recommends limiting one’s
saturated and trans fat
intake overall, we do not
necessarily recommend
consuming margarine rather
than butter. Please consult
your doctor before making
any major dietary changes.
*After Friday, September 5, ticket price is $35. Fifty percent of ticket price is a tax-deduction contribution. 21 and over, please.
SEMC Receives Support for New Radiology Equipment
T
he Town of Webb Health Center Fund,
Inc. (TWHCF) has agreed to fund the
replacement of the radiology equipment at St.
Elizabeth Medical Group Town of Webb Health
Center in Old Forge, New York. The celebration
of the new equipment was acknowledged on
Friday, August 1, with a check presentation.
“We are pleased to partner with and provide
funding for SEMC’s Town of Webb Health
Center to replace and upgrade the radiology
equipment that the Fund and Town of Webb
had originally purchased in 1979,” said Hazel
Dellavia, president of the Town of
Webb Health Fund, Inc. Board
of Directors.
Pictured (Left to right): Brad Crysler,
executive director of Physician Services
for MVHS; Hazel Dellavia, president
of the TWHCF Board of Directors;
Barbara Proper, director of TWHCF;
Ray Smith, director of TWHCF; Robert
C. Scholefield, senior vice president of
MVHS, and Andrea LaGatta, director of
Development, SEMC Foundation
Page 6 • September 1, 2014
SEMG
Welcomes
Mallory
Sullivan, DO
St. Elizabeth Medical
Group (SEMG) is pleased to
welcome Mallory Sullivan,
DO, to the Waterville office.
Dr. Sullivan received her
Doctor of Osteopathic
Medicine from New York
College of Osteopathic
Medicine in Old Westbury,
New York and her Bachelor
of Science in Biology from
Utica College in Utica, New
York. She completed her
Family Medicine Residency
at St. Elizabeth Medical
Center in Utica, New York.
Dr. Sullivan joins the
practice of Dr. Francis
Chabot and Michelle
Rhymestine, RPA, and can
be reached at St. Elizabeth
Medical Group Waterville,
117 West Main Street,
Waterville at
(315) 841-4178.
Longtime FSLH Employee
Pursues Path to Sisterhood
Alyssa Grates, Communications Intern
A
fter 14 years of employment at Faxton St. Luke’s
Healthcare (FSLH), most recently as a receptionist
at the FSLH Imaging Center, Kim Martinez is exploring a
new path in life: her faith. Born and raised as a Protestant,
Kim frequently attended church with her mother and
participated in a youth group to further her religious
education. However, it wasn’t until college when she
realized that a true church presence was lacking and her
religious calling was too powerful to ignore.
“My friend encouraged me to attend a Catholic church
with her; it was a small chapel in Chadwicks,” said Kim.
“The minute I walked in, I felt the puzzle pieces align.
It was as if everything I had ever been searching for
was coming together as one. It was a beautiful sight.”
Kim immersed herself in the Catholic faith in 2009,
but still wanted more. Conversations with her pastor
gave her the confidence to take her faith further and
explore sisterhood.
Kim was introduced to the Felicians, a Franciscan order,
by a Sister who attends her parish. The Felician order
is made up of Sisters and associates who support
the Sisters. They meet once a month. “The Sister took
me to an associates’ meeting for the first time and I
was hooked,” said Kim. “We share the same views and
heart.” Two years ago, Kim became an associate to the
Felicians. Her journey continued to blossom as she
found new guidance by participating in Felician “meetand-greet” events.
Meet-and-greets help women seeking sisterhood
find a calling that fits their heart, thought process and
mission. The process involves weekends of learning
and praying with Sisters and other “seeking” women
at a retreat. By participating in several meet-andgreets, those seeking are able to explore their religious
interests and find a fitting service. Kim grew fond of
the Response to Love Center in Buffalo, New York.
The center offers a soup kitchen, thrift store and food
pantry, giving Kim the hands-on experience for which
she was searching.
After her time at the
Response to Love Center,
Kim knew she wanted
to invest in her faith
even further and join the
sisterhood. Upon writing her
letter of acceptance to the
Kim Martinez
sisterhood, Kim became a
candidate. As a candidate,
there are requirements Kim must complete. She wears
a Tau Cross—a Franciscan symbol presented to her
by the Sisters—at all times. The Tau Cross was used
by St. Francis to wish peace upon all he met and was
selected to be worn by those in his community. Every
Sunday, Kim’s attire must include a long skirt and
sweater, limited to the colors brown, black, beige and
white.
To prepare for the next step in her journey, the
transition from candidacy to admission into the
religious order as a postulant, Kim recently gave up
her apartment and gave away her furniture. She also
said goodbye to her cat of nine years, with whom she
shared a very special bond. “It was a sad experience,”
said Kim. “But I’m looking forward to my postulancy
ceremony in Pittsburgh this September.”
Deacon Paul Lehmann, director of Mission Services at
Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS), understands
the significance of a religious calling. “When you find
your calling, you just know,” said Deacon Lehmann.
“Kim is a woman who is making her spirituality who
she is. Her experiences and her emotional attachment
to her faith have prepared her for this time in her life. I
have no doubt that she will use her journey to inspire
someone else.”
Presently, Kim is preparing for her next steps, which
include psychological testing and relocation. After
Continued on page 7
Spotlight on a Volunteer:
Frank Ramirez
F
rank Ramirez has been a volunteer
at St. Elizabeth Medical Center since
January 2014. He works as a greeter at
St. Elizabeth Medical Arts, welcoming
patients, giving directions and assisting
people with their wheelchairs or other
devices. Frank says that his favorite
aspect of being a volunteer is “meeting
new people, helping them and making
them smile.”
“It’s a good way to help others and become
involved in the community,” he says.
Frank Ramirez
When he is not volunteering, Frank enjoys
golfing, and making and bottling his own
salsa, Señor Salsa, which he sells at area
farmers’ markets. Frank moved to the
Mohawk Valley from Tucson, Arizona in
2008. He and his wife, Karen, live in Clinton
and are the parents of four children.
September 1, 2014 • Page 7
STAR Fish Card Recipients
July 2014
MVHS
Welcomes
Jerry Plows
Names of the following employees, Medical Staff and volunteers were submitted to be recognized for acts of
kindness. Staff, volunteers, patients and visitors are encouraged to recognize an act of kindness when they see
it by filling out a “STAR Fish” card and placing it in one of the STAR Fish boxes throughout the Medical Center or
sending it to Karen Burton in Administration. When submitting a name, please include first and last names. STAR
Fish cards can be obtained from department managers, the Print Shop or by calling Administration at ext. 4978.
3B Staff
4A Staff
Corrine Adams
Jeremy Ankin
Leslie Aponte
Taylor Arcuri
Becky Arnold
Jenn Austin
Almisa Bajrektarevic
Alaina Barker
Betsey Becker
Wendy Bird
Chyanne Blackman
Leslie Bogan
Melanie Bowie
Darnell Brice
Beth Bronner
Adel Browne
Jennifer Burton
Debi Calogero
Mike Cash
Stephanie Christman
Kimmie Ciriaco
Matthew Cook
Peggy Cool
Kim Cordeiro
Janice Costello
Brendy Cruz
CT ICU Staff
Christine Dickson
Katie Dickson
Edina Dizdarevic
Jill Dodge
Melissa Doolen
Barb Drake
Tosha Elseth
Terri Enk
Tom Entwistle
Gary Evans
Chris Fearon
Gail Francisco
Justina Gibbs
Dawn Gilchrist
Sue Guardi
Tom Gwilt
Willie Hall
Li He
Erica Hubal
Bob Hughes
Jackie Hughes
Patricia Iagnacco
Tom Ingersol
Michele Jaramillo
Alicia Jones
Safa Kadic
Laura Kalk
Tara Kennerkneckt
Dr. Khan
Patty Klein
Mary Koury
Trish Kuhn
Karen Lallier
Kathleen Land
Nadine Larson
Jolene Leddick
Joanne Leuthauser
Sabrina Lindfield
Chris Lipkin
Mary Jane Loiacano
Jessica Loucks
Paula Mallard
Tina Mallory
Patty Manna
Abby Marosek
Becky Martin
Zachary Martin
Farah Mason
Kali Mbata
Marian McCormick
Rita Merrick
Megan Metzger
Jennifer Minor-Hansen
Kevin Monahan
Cassidy Moore
Karen Mower
Christina Nessia
Sue Ortello
Asmira Palic
Diane Palmer
Sandy Parsons
Olga Pavlyukovets
Ana Perez
Melissa Peruzzi
Francisco Ramirez
Tracy Reed
Sheena Referente
Donna Rixford
Elizabeth Robinson
Ann Marie Rosato
Cheslie Ruffrage
Joe Ruggiero
Adila Sahbaz
Dr. Molly Schug
Dave Sebastian
Marisa Simon
Danielle Siuta
Giovanna Skinner
Elena Skorina
Steve Sliski
Luba Sokol
Amanda Stewart
Sue Streigler
Dr. Leo Sullivan
Jenn Szatko
Amanda Tanoury
Pharmacy Techs
Christina Torchia
Nicole Traglia
Samantha Van Dyke
Diane Van Pelt
Judy Verminski
Diane Vore
Al Walker
Sara Walker
Harold Wells
Shawna Whitehill
Glenda Whittaker
Margaret Williams
Bill Wolanin
Becky Zike
Path to Sisterhood, cont.
Continued from page 6
that, she will relocate to Connecticut for three years,
where she will live in a convent with other seeking women
and two Sisters. She will continue to explore her faith and
find passion in the service that she performs. In the future,
Kim hopes to work with children or possibly overseas, but
is open to whatever path on which the Lord takes her.
Kim’s journey to sisterhood has only just begun. After
a year of service, she will receive her sisterhood veil to
wear at all times. In nine years, Kim will say her final
vows and enter into the sisterhood as Sister Kimberly
of the parish she chooses. “It’s beautiful to see all the
pieces coming together in my journey,” stated Kim. “I am
so excited to see what I can do for our Lord in service.”
Jerry Plows has been
named Service Excellence
and Employee Engagement
Coordinator for Mohawk
Valley Health System
(MVHS). In this new role,
Plows is responsible for
coordinating programs
and strategies to build and
maintain positive patient
experiences and employee
engagement at MVHS.
He will also implement
and oversee all employee
reward and recognition
programs and coordinate
employee activities such
as picnics, parties and
celebrations.
Prior to his new position,
Plows was the RelationshipBased Care Coordinator
and assistant director of
Volunteer Services and
Guest Relations for Faxton
St. Luke’s Healthcare (FSLH).
He is a Certified Health Unit
Coordinator and a recipient
of the FSLH Spirit of Caring
Award.
Plows’ office is located in
the Volunteer Office at the
St. Luke’s Campus and he
can be reached at (315)
624-6035 or at
[email protected]
and [email protected].
Page 8 • September 1, 2014
MVHS
Welcomes
John Lynch
St. Elizabeth Now Offers My
Patient Portal to Inpatients
S
t. Elizabeth Medical Center (SEMC) is now offering
patients a secure portal to view their inpatient
medical information. My Patient Portal allows
patients and their designated family members to
review health information from their stay at SEMC.
The portal includes: patients’ problems (diagnosis),
active medications, allergies, test results, vital
signs, immunizations, family history and discharge
instructions for each visit.
John Lynch has been
named vice president/
chief information officer
(CIO) for Mohawk Valley
Health System (MVHS). In
this role, Lynch coordinates
and manages the use of
technology to increase
information accessibility
and integrated systems
throughout MVHS.
Prior to this position,
Lynch was vice president/
CIO at Greater Hudson
Valley Health System in
Middletown, New York,
and, previously, system vice
president/CIO at Provena
Health (now Presence
Health) in Mokena, Illinois.
Lynch earned his
Bachelor of Science from
Massachusetts Maritime
Academy in Buzzards Bay,
Massachusetts. He became
licensed as an Officer in
the United States Merchant
Marines and commissioned
as an Officer in the United
States Navy Reserve. He is
a member of the American
College of Health Care
Executives (ACHE) and
the College of Healthcare
Information Management
Executives (CHIME).
Lynch’s office is located at
MVHS IT at 30 Campion
Road in New Hartford,
and he can be reached at
(315) 624-5841 or jlynch@
mvnhealth.com.
My Patient Portal allows patients convenient access
to their medical information and that of their family
member(s) from the comfort and privacy of their
home, office or mobile device. The site will continually
be enhanced to include many more features.
Participating patients and families can log in using the
patient’s full name, birth date and an email address.
To sign up for patient portal access, patients provide
the hospital Registrar with a valid email address during
registration. Upon discharge, they will receive an
email with a link to the portal website. The portal was
recently developed and includes patient information
from Monday, July 1, 2014, to the present date.
If patients have questions regarding the portal, they
are asked to call (866) 735-2963 or email
[email protected].
Letters of Thanks from Patients
To the OR Staff, Dr. Sarabu and
Dr. Ahluwalia
On Thursday, June 5, I had surgery at St. Elizabeth.
I’m writing to tell you that if having surgery could be
described as pleasant, it was not only pleasant, but
left me very impressed with your facility. Everyone
I came into contact with, from my pre-op through
my post-op, were conscientious, courteous and
compassionate.
The nurse who prepped me for surgery was
comforting and has a way of bringing calm to a
stressful situation. The anesthesiologist, Dr. Sarabu,
made me feel that I was in very capable hands; he also
has a great sense of humor.
Now about Dr. Ahluwalia, I’m grateful I was referred
to him. In the past, I had heard positive comments
about him and now I know first-hand what a wonderful
doctor he is. You are very fortunate to have him on staff.
- DM
To the Cardiac Services Staff
Specifically Katie, Amanda, Jim and Mary.
These folks went out of their way to make me
comfortable and informed on what was going on. They
were very caring and personable. Not that I want to return
for any more procedures, but, if I have to return, I hope
they are there with the smiles and caring demeanors.
- RG
Campaign for Quality Week Events
Nancy Traxel, Nursing Education Department Manager
F
ood! Games! Prizes! In anticipation of the
Campaign for Quality (CFQ) workshops being
held on October 17 at Hamilton College, the Nursing
Education department is coordinating several
employee activities throughout the week to increase
awareness of the responsibility we all have to create a
quality experience for our patients.
Please save the date of Monday, October 13 and visit
the Sister Rose Vincent and Sister Johanna Conference
Rooms to vote for your favorite poster depicting quality
activities within SEMC departments, compete in the
“Patient for a Minute” relay and “Talking Teamwork”
puzzle, along with activities to “treat” yourself!
The days leading up to the workshop will also include
quality-themed food specials in the Café and the
opportunity to win a ticket to the Thursday evening
CFQ presentation by professional comedian, David
Glickman, who will introduce stress-reduction tools
designed to help in the healthcare workplace. He has
worked with Steve Martin and has been the opening
act for stars such as The Beach Boys, Ellen DeGeneres
and Ray Romano and has been presenting programs to
healthcare professionals for more than 20 years. Watch
for a flyer announcing all the specifics, coming soon!