April 23, 2015
VALUING THE VOLUNTEERS
NOTEWORTHY
Johnston Health to offer SAFE
SITTER course for children
Do you want your children to learn how to
babysit safely?
Johnston Health is offering three sessions
of the SAFE SITTER course this summer.
Classes will be from 9 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. on
June 16-17, July 14-15 and Aug. 11-12 at the
Johnston Medical Mall in Smithfield. SAFE
SITTER is a medically accurate instruction
series that teaches boys and girls ages 1113 how to handle emergencies when caring
for young children. Students learn basic lifesaving techniques, safety precautions to prevent accidents, how and when to summon
help, and tips on basic child care.
To register, call 919-938-7736. A fee of
$65 covers the two-day program.
Champions 5K is May 2
There’s still time to enter the fourth annual
Johnston Health Champions 5K. The timed
event will start at 9 a.m. on May 2 in front of
the hospital in Smithfield. Proceeds will go
toward the Angel Fund, which assists patients battling cancer, and toward a nutrition
and exercise program for overweight children. The $30 entry fee includes a T-shirt,
food and water. For more info, visit johnstonhealth.org or call Alison Drain at 919-9387169.
Dates announced for summer staffing
The summer staffing plan will be implemented
again this year. The plan applies to non-clinical
support departments that do not flex based on
patient census or volume indicators. The plan
will cover 11 pay periods starting April 26
through September 26.
The affected full-time employees will be required to use eight paid days off in addition to
the three holidays that occur during this period.
Part-time employees with benefits will be required to use a pro-rated number of paid days
off based on their part-time status. Questions
about the plan can be directed to the human
resources or payroll departments.
Remembering the children
The managers and staff on third floor
medical in Smithfield observed child
abuse prevention month during April
by placing pinwheels at the hospital’s entrances. From left are: Jessica
Lux, Robin Taylor, Jessica Edwards,
Brandi Law and Jessica Herring.
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Cornhole,
T-shirts,
movie night
Mark your calendars
for hospital-week treats
From left, volunteer coordinators Farrah Nguyen and Wanda Johnson and
volunteer services director Greg McClain present a ceremonial check to
Johnston Health board chairman Bobby Parker and CEO Chuck Elliott. The
check represents the value of the volunteer hours given to Johnston Health
last year.
Johnston Health recognizes gifts of service
H
ow do you place a value on volunteers?
During the volunteers annual luncheon last week, CEO Chuck Elliott said the value
of hours logged last year was roughly equal to the organization’s bottom line. In all,
the 240 or so volunteers gave 40,519 hours, which was worth $934,784.86.
“We couldn’t do what we do without you,” he said. “You’re making our environment better
for patients, and we depend on you.”
Bobby Parker, chairman of the Johnston Health board of directors, thanked the volunteers for
their generosity. “I appreciate everything that you do. With the shrinking reimbursements
brought about by the changes in health care, your volunteerism is more important than ever,”
he said.
The luncheon, held at the Johnston County Agriculture Center, served up a buffet of ham,
fried chicken and the fixings. But the highlight was the distribution of certificates and pins
recognizing the hours contributed by every volunteer.
The Rev. Greg McClain, who is director of spiritual care and volunteer services, presented
the Overa S. Stevens Award to Frank Rawls, who has been a chaplain volunteer since 2005.
Stevens was the local pastor who helped start the volunteer chaplaincy program 40 years ago.
Also, Wanda Johnson, volunteer coordinator for hospice, recognized George Stafford and Cecilia Hicks for their years of service. Both began volunteering with hospice in 2003.
Johnston Health’s place within the UNC
Health Care system is part of an internal
branding campaign that will launch during
hospital week, which is May 10-16.
It’s called “The sum of us,” and special
messaging will be emblazoned on T-shirts
for all employees and on posters and banners that will be hung at the medical mall
and both hospitals.
Details about the campaign (and the Tshirt distribution) will appear in the May 6
issue of the LifeLiner. In the meantime,
here are the activities planned for the week:
A breakfast for employees celebrating
their five-year anniversaries is at 7:30 a.m.
on May 12 in the cafeteria in Smithfield.
A meal for all employees is from 11 a.m.
till 3 p.m. on May 13.
On May 14, employees celebrating milestones of 10 years and above will be treated
to a special dinner in the cafeteria in Smithfield. The service awards program starts at
6:30 p.m., and a highlight is the announcement of the Johnston Health Ambassador
of the Year.
A night out for two at the movies. See
any show at the Howell Cinema in downtown Smithfield from May 15-17. To get
in, show your Johnston Health identification badge at the door.
Cornhole anyone? From Monday through
Friday, employees and volunteers are invited to play cornhole between 10 a.m. and 2
p.m. outside the hospital cafeterias.
Sterile Processing recognized for making a difference
I
t’s the department that you may pass
on the ground floor of the hospital
without knowing it’s there. But as
surgical services director Lynn King
points out in her profile of the sterile processing department, the employees behind
those locked doors play a crucial role.
Last week, Brookie Stanley, a member of
the standards committee, presented its “You
make a difference” award to the staff. “We
so appreciate the work that you do every
day,” she said. “You have a tremendous
responsibility, and you always rise to meet
the challenge.”
What follows is the story written by King
about how the department contributes to the
organization through its five pillars.
People: Sterile processing has a loyal and
dedicated staff. They are the unsung heroes
who work out of the spotlight, but their job
is vital to the efficient functioning of the
operating room. They are always willing to
cover for one another or work an extra shift
if a co-worker needs to be off. Most of the
staff has longevity with the hospital and has
given many years of service to Johnston
Health.
Quality: Quality is at the forefront of everything that the staff does. They properly
clean and sterilize instruments for surgery
according to required standards. Every
recommendation must be followed and no
shortcuts are allowed. This ensures that all
instruments used on patients are sterile,
and the highest set of standards has been
followed, ensuring patient safety and quality outcomes. Both JCAHO and AAMI standards and guidelines are followed.
Service: Our staff provides sterile instru-
Employees in the sterile processing department were recently honored
for making a difference. From left, they are supervisors Heida Moore,
Meghan Daniels, Tammy Grams, Daniel Kuster, Sue Jackson, Lynn King
and Debbie Gainey. Absent from photo are Jenalee Brink and Rebecca
Mileski.
ments to departments other than the OR.
These include the emergency department,
wound clinic, cath lab, labor and delivery,
endo, special procedures, radiology and
QuikMed.
The staff also has to gather and send the
instruments needed at our hospital in Clayton. When they are returned to Smithfield,
the instruments have to be reprocessed.
Financial: The staff flexes accordingly to
help meet budgetary and productivity
measures. The department always meets its
budgetary guidelines.
Growth: The staff in Smithfield has been
flexible and willing to help cover the
sterile processing department at Clayton. At least one staff member goes over
to Clayton daily to help meet the needs
of the growing department and hospital.
The staff has also been willing to learn
ways to accomplish its work by keeping
current with the latest standards and
learning how to process new instrumentation.
They also willingly learned how to
process the da Vinci robotic instruments
and do a great job.