FEBRUARY 28, 2014

VOLUME 23 NO. 5

TRISH DELANEY, EDITOR

*“ROSES. . . JUST BECAUSE” TO BENEFIT DIABETES FUND

In the past, “Roses…Just Because” benefited Avera Hospice. Due to the overwhelming support through the years, Avera Queen of Peace is now blessed with funds to help those patients in need. Therefore, this year’s focus will be on the Diabetes Care Assistance Program, which is a growing need within the community. Through the efforts of numerous people, Avera Queen of Peace developed a Diabetes Care Assistance Program in 2008 to help those affected; to date, 31 patients have benefited from this program. Financial assistance will cover services such as: Diabetes education, one month supply of diabetic prescriptions, one month supply of glucose monitoring supplies, and other supplies such as insulin syringes.

If you areinterested in purchasing a dozen longstemmed roses for only $25 to benefit the Diabetes Cost Assistance Program, please call the Foundation Office at Ext. 6345 or Ext. 2217, or you may order online at; the last day to order roses is Monday, March 17. Inaddition, there are volunteers in several departments throughout the hospital who are selling roses. Roses are available in assorted colors; color selection depends on availability and are offered on a “firstcome, first served” basis. Thank you, in advance, for your continued support!

*2014 ASSOCIATE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY – YOUR OPINION MATTERS

Your opinion matters! The Avera Queen of Peace region will be conducting a confidential survey, March 3-28, to gather associate feedback. We want to understand your thoughts about our organization and use your input to make this a better place for you to work.Please set aside 15 minutes to complete the Associate Insight and Engagement Survey, which will be available online March 3-28.

The link to the survey is posted on the QNet. To get started, click on the “Engage. Participate. Succeed” image that will take you to the survey, then enter the password and select your work group.The passwords are as follows:

Avera Queen of Peace Hospital and Avera Medical Group associates – AQOP

Avera Brady Health and Rehab and Assisted Living – ABHR

Avera Weskota Memorial Hospital – AWMMC

Weskota Manor Avera – WESMANOR

Avera DeSmet Memorial Hospital – ADMH

Avera St. Benedict Hospital – ASB

We want your feedback on how you feel about your job, supervisor, co-workers, pay and benefits, policies, working conditions, and the Avera mission. This is an online survey only. We hope you are as excited as we are about the opportunity to gather feedback on important associate issues. We achieved 98% participation last year and are striving for 100% participation in this very important effort.

*JOINT PAIN SEMINAR SCHEDULED

Chris Krouse, DO, Avera Medical Group Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, will present a Joint Paint Seminar on Monday, March 10, at 5 p.m. in the Community Room at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital. Dr. Krouse will discuss the causes and treatment for joint pain including information on medications, nutrition, exercise, and various treatment/surgical options. A light meal will be served. To pre-register, attendees are asked to call Ext. 2205 or email .

*ASH WEDNESDAY – MARCH 5

For the past few years, we have offered an ecumenical Ash Wednesday prayer service and distribution of ashes at the hospital. As always, ashes will be made available to patients who wish to receive them. However, due to recent changes and the ongoing training needs of our chaplaincy and mission staff, we will not have an Ash Wednesday Service in the hospital chapel this year. Please plan to join your faith community for Ash Wednesday services on March 5. Sister Roxanne Seifert, Vice President of Mission Integration, anticipates the service will again be made available at the beginning of Lent 2015 (February 18, 2015).

*MISSION STORY

Angie McCain, Director of Surgical/Peds/Maternal Care shared the following story: “Lisa Williams, RN, received acall from Quality-Risk Management around 5 p.m. and was informed a patient on Surgical was unhappy with his care. Lisa knew this patient and he had been hospitalized for about a week and had been very ill. He currently had a NG tube, IVs, dressings, etc. When Lisa entered the room, she used AIDET and investigated the concern. Uponfurther review, she discovered the patient’s brother had called Quality-Risk Management and the patient was not unhappy with his care. Lisa bonded with this patient and answered some basic care concerned that evening. She told him she would check on him in the morning. When she entered the room, he had just showered and his NG had been removed. He stated he would like to wear his own sweat pants if she could send someone in to help him. Of course, Lisa assisted him at that moment. He was so appreciative of her efforts that he gave her a big hug daily. Prior to discharge, he walked into my office to tell Lisa and me good-bye. He thanked me for the excellent care he received, presented a CARE Card for one of the SAs, and hugged us both.” Lisa is a perfect role model for all ofour associates. She not only follows the Studer initiatives but also makes sure she delivers a caring and compassion message to all of our customers. She is another reason why I am proud to work at Avera Queen ofPeace.”

*FIT FRIENDLY RECOGNITION

Avera Health has been recognized as a Platinum Level Fit Friendly worksite by the American Heart Association. Avera Queen of Peace has been designated as a Fit Friendly work site in the past, but now Avera and all of our hospitals are being honored at the Platinum Level. To qualify for recognition, Fit Friendly work sites must: offer employees physical activity options in the workplace, increase healthy eating options at the work site, promote wellness culture in the workplace, and implement at least nine criteria outlined by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and culture. Platinum Level work sites are also able to demonstrate measureable outcomes related to workplace wellness. Congratulations Avera Queen of Peace associates and all Avera facilities!

*JOHN PAUL II FUNDRAISER FOR CANCER CENTER

Tracy Pardy, Foundation Director, and Charlene Berke, Director of the Avera Queen of Peace Cancer Center, visited John Paul II Elementary School in Mitchell on January 15 to receive a donation from the students for $1,194.92 to the Cancer Center. The students used a modified calendar to collect coins during the Christmas holiday, said Principal Robin Cahoy. Every day during Advent, the calendar told students how much to donate – for example, “one day was 2 cents for every pair of shoes in the house, “Cahoy said. The money was raised in memory of TomSelland, husband of music teacher Sandy Selland, and in honor of cafeteria worker Angie Larson, who is battling cancer.

*WEIGHT WATCHERS OPEN HOUSE

Introducing Weight Watchers simple start – the simplest plan for a new beginning. Whether you need to lose only 10# or more, getting started with Weight Watchers is now simpler than ever. Simple Start is a straightforward, doable two week starter plan, with delicious meal ideas and a great new app to get you started losing weight and on the path to long-term success. Join us at the Weight Watchers Open House on Wednesday, March 5, at 12:05 p.m. in Conference Room #2 at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital. Everyone is welcome! Call 999-2068 or e-mail Diane Kummer at for more information.

*COLORECTAL CANCER MONTH

March is National Colorectal Cancer Month, and the AveraQueen of Peace Foundation has a special invitation foryou. Call AveraMedical Group Surgery at 9968989 to schedule your colonoscopy; the Avera Queen of Peace Foundation will help you pay your hospital bill…upto $500 toward your out-of-pocket expenses. You must schedule and complete your consultation/office visit at Avera Medical Group Surgery during the month of March to qualify! Call today…996-8989.

Wondering if you need to have a screening for colorectal cancer and polyps? The American Cancer Society provides the following general guidelines: At Age 50 you should have one of the following screenings every five years: Flexible Sigmoidoscopy or CT Colonography (virtual colonoscopy) or a Double–Contrast Barium Enema, or a colonoscopy every 10 years.

*AVERA ASSOCIATE GIVING PROGRAM

Avera Regional Foundations and the Avera Foundation will begin standardizing our Associate Giving Programs by closely aligning our timelines over the next two years. Currently, each facility conducts their own program, theme, and timeline.

If you are an Avera Health associate, you may have received a mailing from the Avera Foundation requesting your participation in this year’s program. You may choose to give to the Avera Foundation or continue supporting any of the Avera Queen of Peace Foundation funds. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Tracy Pardy, Foundation Director, at Ext. 5773.

*AVERA BRADY ONE OF BEST NURSING HOMES 2014

Avera Brady Health and Rehab has received the highest possible overall rating of five stars in U.S. News & World Report’s sixth annual Best Nursing Homes. The Best Nursing Homes 2014 ratings highlight the top nursing homes in each city and state, out of nearly 16,000 facilities nationwide. U.S. News’ goal is to help the millions of Americans who will spend time in a nursing home in 2014 find a home with a strong track record of good care. According to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, about 60% of individuals over 65 will require some type of long-term care services during their lifetime and over 40% will receive care in a nursing home for some period.

Best Nursing Homes draws on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a federal agency that assesses homes in three categories – health inspections, level of nurse staffing, and quality of care – and gives each an overall rating. The U.S. News awarded the “Best Nursing Home” designation to homes that earned an overall rating of five stars from CMS in January 2014.

Veronnica Smith, Administrator, Avera Brady Health and Rehab, extends her thanks to the staff at Avera Brady, noting that the award recognizes their attention to providing the very best care for the Avera Brady residents. Ofnote, this is the fourth year in a row that Avera Brady has received the overall rating of five stars.

*PHARMACY CENTRALIZATION

Fred Slunecka, Chief Operating Officer, Avera, announces that over the course of the next 18 months, pharmacy services in Avera sponsored, owned, and leased hospitals and long-term care facilities, as well as specialty pharmacies, will become centrally managed and organized. The process began with the hiring of Steve Peterson as system-wide Vice President of Pharmacy. Steve will report to Steve Statz, Senior Vice President of Business Development and a licensed pharmacist. According to Fred, at some point, regional directors will start to report to Steve Peterson, the Vice President of Pharmacy, and the local pharmacy team at Avera Queen of Peace and all other Avera facilities will continue to report to their local director. At Avera Queen of Peace, the local director is Eric Larson. In a letter to Avera pharmacy team members, Fred Slunecka stated, “Acentral pharmacy leader will enhance the great work that is being done across the Avera system. Each of you contribute to our mission and the high quality of care Avera is known for providing. Thank you for your service.”

*’Round avera queen of Peace

  • Marketing is in the middle of creating an Avera-wide campaign for emergency medicine that will highlight the extraordinary care delivered throughout Avera’s Emergency Departments. The campaign will focus on real stories, showcasing our eEmergency and connections to the communities with the goal of connecting to patients in an emotional way.
  • Marketing has five pairs of tickets for the Mitchell Show Choir Classic on Saturday, March 22, atthe CornPalace. If you would like your name placed in a drawing to receive tickets for this event, you must click onthe purple ticketon the home page of Qnet,then click on the survey and complete the form. Click on ‘Finish’ when done. Thedeadline for signing up is 5p.m. on Wednesday, March 5. Thewinners will be notified via email on Thursday, March 6.
  • Kay Thomas, Officer Manager, Avera Medical Group Optometry, reports that their staff, in partnership with the Palace City Lions, screened 160 people for vision and provided interocular pressure testing on 125 individuals at the Health Fair.
  • Rita Lemon, Human Resources Officer, has been appointed Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Administrator for Avera Queen of Peace Health Services. As the EEO Administrator, Rita has the primary management opportunity for ensuring compliance with the provisions of Executive Order 11246, as amended, and for implementing the regulations of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
  • Matthew D. Christiansen, PhD, Psychologist, joined Avera Medical Group effective February 24, and his practice is located at Avera Medical Group Family Medicine in the Avera Medical Plaza, 2200 North Kimball Street, Suite 400, phone 996-7900.

* * * HR HiLites * * *

BENEFIT FACTS: OUT-OF-POCKET MEDICAL EXPENSE ASSISTANCE

A fund has been established to assist with the Avera Health Plans deductible and out-of-pocket medical expenses when an associate has experienced an unforeseen, unique, or catastrophic financial situation. The maximum amount that may be awarded under this benefit is $1,200 annually per associate. The dollars that are awarded are to be used to help cover you or your covered dependent’s deductible and out-of-pocket expenses. To be eligible to receive this award, you or your dependents must be covered under the Avera Health Insurance Plan. To apply, please submit inwriting an explanation stating why you feel you would qualify for this award and provide documentation of medical bills. If your request is approved, payment will be made directly to the provider. Submit your request to the Human Resource Department.

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