JUNE 6, 2014
VOLUME 23 NO. 12
TRISH DELANEY, EDITOR
* THOUGHTS FROM TOM…WHAT’S IN A NUMBER?
Although math is not necessarily one of my strengths, I’ve certainly had more than my share of classes as I’ve gone through school. The one class that I found most difficult – statistics – is also one of the more interesting in application. Examining numbers can certainly shed light on issues we deal with everyday.
Once in a while someone will say something like this: “We should get it right 95% of the time,” or “99% of the time.” It sounds like the right thing to do, and most of us would certainly consider this successful. However, ponder this: If there are 1,000 commercial airline takeoffs and landings each day, at a 99% success rate there would be 10 airline crashes daily. With that perspective, 99% suddenly does not seem good enough.
This statistic challenges our thinking of what’s acceptable. What at first appears to be reasonable suddenly becomes substandard. The need to rethink our goals becomes crystal clear.
This line of thinking applies to what we do every day. Customer service scores, patient safety initiatives, and quality indicators and outcomes are all measured with numbers. We apply a percentage to each area and compare our performance against a given standard. Are we doing a good job? Are we successful? Are we improving? The answer depends on our perspective.
At first blush we might consider a patient satisfaction score of 95% a noble goal. And, in fact, in our business, it would put us in the upper tier of hospitals. Is that good enough? Should we be happy with that? This statistics means that for every 100 patients that enter our doors, five leave unhappy, unsatisfied and anxious to tell their friends and family about their bad experience. Suddenly 95% doesn’t seem nearly as adequate.
What if our goal is to minimize medication errors? What is a reasonable goal? On the surface, achieving 99% success in this area would seem to be a great goal. However, that still means that ten out of every 1000 medication doses would involve some form of error. Is that acceptable? What if that one dose was for you or someone in your family?
It is all about perspective. Is it reasonable for us to achieve 100% perfection in every area we measure? Probably not, after all we’re human. However, that should be our goal.
What perspective do you bring to your job? Do you strive to make everything you do error free, or do you figure that as long as the work gets done everything is okay? When you interact with a customer or coworker, do you treat that episode as the most important one of your day, or just another of the countless others you have to deal with during the course of the day?
Our commitment should be that each day we come to work with the perspective that only 100% is good enough. Our customers and coworkers should expect and deserve nothing less from us. Is your glass half full or half empty? It’s all about perspective.
* HEART AND SOLE CANCER WALK/RUN
The Avera Queen of Peace Cancer Center will again serve as one of the sponsors for the 17th Annual Heart and Sole Cancer Walk/Run scheduled for Friday, June 20, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Mitchell Middle School. The theme this year is “Rockin’ N’ Rollin’ in Hope of a Cure” and the purpose of the Heart and Sole Cancer Walk/Run is to raise money for area families experiencing a cancer diagnosis. If you would like to join their team or purchase a luminary for $5, please contact the Cancer Center at Ext. 5756 or e-mail Lindsey Wilson at . If you are able to make it to the walk, please feel free to stop by their campsite and help them celebrate survivorship!
* AVERACHART UPDATE
A special notice to any staff who help patients enroll in AveraChart: To best help our patients, please do not suggest that patients contact the technical support number (1-855-667-9704) to receive their medical record number in order to enroll in AveraChart. Tech support staff do not have access to this information, so it becomes a patient dissatisfier. The purpose of the AveraChart tech support is to help patients with issues after they have begun the enrollment process, or in using AveraChart.
Instead, please suggest that patients begin the enrollment process by contacting their clinic or hospital registration staff. Registration staff will give patients a printout with all the information they need to enroll in AveraChart.
AveraChart is now live across the entire Avera system! Thanks to all for your help in a successful implementation. The numbers clearly show that patients are eager for this new technology. To date:
· 32,231 patients have been offered the portal.
· 12,352 patient accounts have been created, representing 16,240 patients, including proxy-accessed accounts.
· This represents a 38.32 percent acceptance rate.
If you are an Avera patient and have not yet enrolled in AveraChart, please contact your clinic to enroll. Also, tell your family, friends, and neighbors about AveraChart! You can learn more at www.AveraChart.org.
* NATIONAL CANCER SURVIVORS DAY
The Avera Cancer Institute Mitchell (ACIM) will celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day on Thursday, June 12, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Avera Cancer Institute. Charlene Berke, Director of ACIM, has appointed Brittany Boehmer to plan and oversee Survivors Day. Cancer survivors will be invited to attend the open house and each will be given a T-shirt designed by Avera Creative Services for Survivor Day. The T-shirts will say, “Cancer Care Done Differently” on the front and will have one of the campaign headlines on the back with the ACIM logo, “One Avera Cancer Institute – Six Major Locations – 40 More Outreach Clinics.” We will be taking pictures of the survivors in their T-shirts, and the pictures will be displayed at ACIM for a month or so. The cancer survivors will be given a card with the T-shirt that invites them to send in pictures of themselves in the T-shirt doing an activity that they love to do, that cancer didn’t prevent them from doing, and we will also put those photographs on display. In addition, the attendees will also have the opportunity to view the new videos that have been produced by Avera Creative Services for our website.
* CANCER CARE DONE DIFFERENTLY
Avera is excited to announce the launch of a new system-wide advertising campaign about the Avera Cancer Institute. This is the second in a series of Avera-wide campaigns; the cancer campaign follows the current emergency care campaign. With a focus of “cancer care done differently,” the cancer campaign is an opportunity to reach out to the entire Avera footprint, creating awareness and showcasing our distinction as a cancer program.
The campaign references the Avera Cancer Institute as one institute which encompasses our six regional centers and 40 outreach locations. Marketing messages will focus on our integrative approach of caring for the whole person – body, mind, and spirit; our interconnectedness as a system; and our new emphasis on genomics and clinical research trials. You will be seeing and hearing ads on TV, the Internet, and print media sources, including newspapers and magazines throughout the region.
Avera will also publish a patient publication about “cancer care done differently” at the Avera Cancer Institute. Avera and Charlene Berke, Director of the Avera Cancer Institute Mitchell, will be contributing to the magazine. All of the marketing will drive readers and viewers to a special website which features patient stories and background information. The initial “cancer care done differently” campaign will launch on Sunday, June 8.
* FIDELITY VISIT NEXT WEEK
Jason Cronick, a dedicated Fidelity Workplace Planning and Guidance Consultant, will be at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital to help associates manage their retirement savings goals, review investment choices, and build a plan that’s easy to put into action. According to Jason, “As Avera Queen of Peace associates, you’ve dedicated your professional life to caring for others. At Fidelity, we’re here to make sure you give the same attention to your own future.”
Jason will be at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital on Tuesday, June 10, from 10:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Conference Room #5 and on Wednesday, June 11, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Conference Room #5. Associates are invited to schedule a free one-on-one appointment by calling 800-642-7131 or you may register online at www.getguidance.fidelity.com. Please consider bringing relevant account statements and any paperwork to help address your questions and needs.
* GALA THEME CONTEST – WE WANT YOUR HELP!
Please help us select the theme for Gala ’15. Mail us your ideas and the winner will receive free entry to the Gala scheduled for Friday, January 30, 2015, at the Highland Conference Center. Submissions are due on Monday, June 16, 2014. To submit your entry, e-mail or mail to the Avera Queen of Peace Foundation, 525 North Foster Street, Mitchell SD 57301. For more information, contact Tracy at Ext. 5773. A team of judges will select the three top entries and the winner will be chosen by a vote of the people. Check The Daily Republic in early July for an invitation to visit mitchellrepublic.com to vote for your favorite theme entry.
* STORM SEWER PROJECT UPDATE
The intersection of Seventh Avenue and Foster Street was re-opened to traffic on Tuesday, June 3. Work has progressed this week to Hunter Street. The intersection of Seventh Avenue and Hunter Street is now closed.
For associates utilizing the parking lot on the west side of Hunter Street near the warehouse, pedestrian crossing will need to be made at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Hunter. Please do not cross the construction zone.
The Sixth Avenue and Hunter Street intersection will remain open the next two weeks.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Jim Buck, Director of Plant Operations, at Ext. 2243 () or Will Flett, Vice President and CFO, at Ext. 2251 ().
* MAYBE A BABY!
Are you thinking that it might be time to start a family? Maybe a Baby? Becoming a patient is a challenging, rewarding, life changing commitment. Avera, and particularly the Maternal Care staff at Avera Queen of Peace, would like to help by providing an opportunity to learn more at Maybe a Baby, a free event on Tuesday, June 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital. By participating in Maybe a Baby, potential parents can make decisions to benefit their relationship, the health of both mother and baby, and feel better prepared for when “Maybe a Baby” turns into “definitely a baby.” The event will provide the opportunity for prospective parents to talk one-on-one with physicians and other health care professionals in a casual setting as they cover topics including:
· Nutritional Health – Karen Klinkner, MS, RD, LN
· Breast Feeding – Janet Jackson, RN
· Achieving a Pregnancy (Fertility) – Michael Krause, DO, OB/GYN
· Choosing a Provider – Elizabeth Campbell, MD, OB/GYN
· Joys of Raising a Child – April Willman, MD, FAAP, Pediatrician
· Healthy Living Considerations – Sam Laufmann, Wellness Coordinator
· Expectant Parenting Classes – Jacki Austerman, RN
· Pain Mangement (Epidurals) – Polly Parker, RN
· Financial Planning – Lisa Williams, RN
This event will be held system-wide on the evening of Tuesday, June 17. Radio, TV, and print ads are promoting the event. For more information or to register, go to www.avera.org and on the right side under Register Online, click on Mitchell.
* GENERAL POLICY AND PROCEDURE UPDATES
Please note the following policies/procedures effective June 29, 2014. Policies are located on the Qnet under Manuals – GENERAL POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL. Please read each of these policies and contact your Department Director or Human Resources with any questions you may have. Note: A committee consisting of HR and legal staff has been meeting to standardize the HR Policies for the system looking for best practice policies that can create the best environment for all. A group of policies has been completed, awaiting approval, while a new batch of policies is being worked on. The change made to Avera Queen of Peace *“ Call In/On Call” policy is to be consistent with the rest of the organization. During this time of reduced revenue and the need to reduce expenses, we need to be good financial stewards and this change makes sense.
· TABLE OF CONTENTS – Updated to include new name
· “DRESS CODE POLICY” – Revised – added under Procedure – In the event any staff member has their personal scrubs/uniforms contaminated with blood, the associate will go to the OR and get hospital scrubs to wear while their contaminated scrubs/uniform are laundered in our laundry department. – Employment Section
· *“CALL IN/ON CALL COMPENSATION” – Revised/Change – Under On Call Compensation changed to “When an associate is on Low Census Standby, they will receive On-Call pay for the scheduled hours; however, if the associate is called in to work, the hours worked are deducted from the Low Census Standby hours and the associate will be paid their regular rate of pay for all hours worked” – Compensation Section
· “RETIREMENT RECOGNITION” – Revised – Name changed to Retirement Recognition. A retirement tea, plaque, and monetary gift is offered to associates who retire from employment at Avera Queen of Peace after 10 or more years of employment. Associates employed by another Avera entity with 10 or more years of service will be offered a tea and the benefits offered by their Avera location – Benefit Section