Making a difference in wheelchair comfort

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Feb 15, 2014 ... Memorial Ornaments patterned after the large quilt in the Solace. Great Room raised ... The sale of hand-made ornaments donated by Carolina Mountain ... Mega Estate Sale ... Mobile Arm Support and Viking XL Mobile Lift.
On Track with Tracy 3

Connections

GEM Moments 10

Birthdays & Anniversaries 12

Volume 18 Edition 5, February 2014

My CarePartners “I love the care I am receiving here!” says Kelly Dorris, a spinal cord injury patient who comes to Main Campus Outpatient Services for physical therapy, pool therapy and Seating Clinic consultations. “It’s well-rounded therapy that all works together to help my back get better. Thanks to adjustments made by the Seating Clinic staff, I am much more comfortable in my wheelchair. Before, I had intense pain and spent a lot of time lying in bed during the day. I still have some pain but not as bad, and now I can sit in my chair all day.”

Patient Kelly Dorris with Ellen Hoechstetter, Aquatics PT

Making a difference in wheelchair comfort In our work with CarePartners, stories illustrate how we connect our passion to our purpose every single day. We invite you to be a part of our stories about our patients and those we serve, illustrating how CarePartners makes a difference in their lives … and about our devoted and expert staff, and how we are ourselves touched and changed by the work we do here. Submit your stories to “My CarePartners” on the intranet or contact Judy Tanner to be included in Connections.

Barbara Crume, Seating Clinic PT, has been working with patient Kelly Dorris for a year and a half. Barbara explained that Kelly sustained a spinal cord injury in a diving accident in 2006 and, as a result, is an incomplete quad. This means she has feeling in her legs and arms, and enough strength in her arms to do transfers and positioning. ●●●

“When I first saw Kelly after she moved to this area, she was having low back pain all day and couldn’t sit in her power wheelchair for very long,” Barbara said. “The pain at times was causing numbness in her left leg and foot. I noticed that she was not sitting with a level pelvis, so I provided her with a foam wedge under the right side of the seat cushion. She says this has really helped. She can now sit in her power wheelchair all day and only has pain by the end of the day.” Barbara Crume Continued on page 2

In the News 4

Amy Pike, Hospice Home Care Social Worker, and Christopher Chardos, Solace Social Worker, appeared in the January issue of Sophie magazine.

From our Mailbox 11 “I wish to express my gratitude for all that you did for my husband during his stay at Solace.”

Continued from page 1

Barbara noted that Mary Martin, CarePartners PT, who also works with Kelly, has said that Kelly is staying in better alignment now. Barbara continued, “She is stronger on one side than the other so when positioning herself, she Mary Martin was tending to sit with her right side lower which led to the pain on the left side. In addition to modifying the cushion to give additional support, I trained her on how to position herself leading with the left side of her bottom as she sits down, so she is sitting evenly on both sides.”

Eli Day

it would need. We noted that her foot plate was so high that all of her weight was going into her bottom rather than her legs, adding to her discomfort. “Kelly’s original supplier had told her seven years previously that the foot plate couldn’t be moved, but our supplier said, ‘We can fix that.’ He was able to remove the bolts, turn the plate around to position it in a more forward position, and lower it an inch and a half. This allows her thighs to rest on the seat cushion, her pelvis to be level and her trunk fully supported, making it much more comfortable for her.”

Barbara added that Eli Day, PT, was with the Seating Clinic during Kelly’s early visits and was able to do some modifications on her power wheelchair that were helpful in supporting and correcting her posture.

Kelly also has a manual wheelchair which she uses for exercising to maintain upper extremity strength, Barbara went on to say. “She also uses it when she doesn’t have transport for the power chair or is going somewhere where it wouldn’t be accessible since it’s larger than the manual one. We had her bring in the manual wheelchair to see what repairs and changes

Kelly works on head and trunk control and core stabilization in a pool therapy session with Bryan Hoofnagle, PTA student from Southwestern Community College, and Ellen Hoechstetter, Aquatics PT.

Have you checked out the Senior Leadership blog? Be sure to stop by and read the latest interview! Learn little-known facts about our leaders! You can get to the blog through a link on the intranet under News and Announcements, an email sent to all staff, or through your CarePartners gmail - at the top right, click on the small white 9 square grid, then select Sites. 2

On Track with Tracy

On Track with Tracy Tracy Buchanan President & CEO

Three-Way Integration, One Goal: Highest Quality Patient Care As we move past the 100-Day mark in our partnership with Mission Health, I am excited about the wonderful opportunities for growth for CarePartners. And while it is fascinating and challenging to delve into the details of the integration, I think it is important to remind ourselves of the reason we do all that we do. Our top priority, as always, is patient care. Our goal is to provide exceptional care, every day. With that in mind, we are hard at work on what I think of as a Three-Way Integration. We are focused on efforts to • improve our Acute to Post Acute Transitions • position ourselves as the Post Acute Leader in the region, and • work through the myriad complex details involved in the CarePartners and Mission integration. We are working to improve our performance through timely and appropriate Acute to Post Acute Transitions. This effort has a direct impact on our patient care. A stronger referral process means that we can serve more people in our community. For example, we will have smoother transitions by streamlining the data entry requirements for Liaisons and Intake Staff. We are positioning ourselves as the leader in the region for Post Acute Care. This is one of the more exciting opportunities that comes from our integration. Not only are we benefiting from our partnership with Mission Health, but we are adding our expertise to that of other partners such as Angel Medical Center and Transylvania Regional Hospital through our integration of home health and hospice services. We will gain some back office efficiencies. And we will increase our service areas. But most importantly, we will enhance the quality and services we offer to the patients and families in our expanding community. You will also begin to see some changes in our policies and systems. These efforts support the other two goals of improving our Acute to Post Acute transitions and positioning ourselves as the Post Acute Leader. So, ultimately, the systems changes are aimed at helping us deliver top quality patient care. We ask you to be open and flexible as we work through these details. While change can be difficult and a little scary, what’s most exciting to me about all these efforts is the wider world that is open to us now that we are a part of Mission Health System. As staff, and on behalf of our patients, we have many more opportunities for growth, development and improved quality, all with the aim of serving our community in better and stronger ways. 3

Hats Off! Congratulations to Lisa Laney, CarePartners Director of Private Care Management, on her election to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. The NAPGCM is a nonprofit association representing more than 2,000 members nationally, governed by a 15-member Board of Directors. Lisa (MSW, CMC) will serve a two-year term. Lisa Laney

Lisa notes, “NAPGCM is the gold standard of geriatric care management. I am proud to be part of an association that defines excellence in my profession and is dedicated to education, collaboration and leadership. I look forward to working with the leaders of NAPGCM to meet the demands of the changing elder care environment.” Lisa has been a member of NAPGCM for seven years and has practiced as a medical social worker and case manager for CarePartners for 23 years. She provides guidance and advocacy for families who are caring for older relatives or disabled adults. With a specialized focus on issues related to aging and elder care, she assists clients with the challenges of aging, such as finding appropriate housing, in-home care, referrals to medical providers or elder law attorneys, as well as the advocacy and support that provides families peace of mind.

In the News - Making a difference in the Community •

In mid-January the Asheville Citizen-Times ran a guest column by Brenda Walker, CarePartners Home Health PT and a certified Tai Chi instructor. Brenda is teaching a series of Tai Chi for Arthritis Classes sponsored by CarePartners for anyone in the community. Brenda explained in the article that Tai Chi is a type of low-impact, weight-bearing and aerobic exercise with physical and mental health benefits, including improving balance which in turn helps prevent falls.



Amy Pike, Hospice Home Care Social Worker, and Christopher Chardos, Solace Social Worker, appeared in the January issue of Sophie magazine on the “Sophie Celebrates You” page. Both recently became Licensed Clinical Social Workers, which required completing 3000 hours of appropriately supervised clinical practice over a two-year period.

• An article about Lisa Laney, (MSW, CMC) CarePartners Director of Private Care Management, appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times HealthNotes section on January 22. Lisa was recently elected to serve a two-year term on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers.

Exciting news! We now have access to Mission employee discount programs! Look for the Dogwood Deals link on the CarePartners intranet to find information about discounts from local businesses. Just show your CarePartners name badge to take advantage of these great deals. You’ll also see information via this link about the Child Development Center. 4

Chili Cook-Off

CarePartners Connections Published Monthly for Staff, Friends and Volunteers of CarePartners 68 Sweeten Creek Road Asheville, NC 28803

News Team Carol Copeland Hubbard/Foundation Ruth Butler/Adult Day Diana Pegg/Home Health Tammy Ponder/Inpatient Kirsten Kern/Internal Staffing & Private Duty Katherine Caldwell Bauer/Hospice Karen Vernon/HR and Communications Nancy Lindell/Business Development Jeanne Gillespie/Outpatient Kate Guzy/IS

Hmm, which one is the best? Staff got to decide on the winner out of 13 different types of homemade chili at the Chili Cook-Off on January 23 in the cafeteria. Chef Debbie Robinson’s masterful entry called “Dad’s Woodstove Chili” received the most votes and won a gift card to – where else? – Chili’s! Second place winner was Jane Harmon’s “Chili Chili Bang Bang.” Thanks to all who supported the event which raised $345 for the CarePartners United Way Campaign.

Lyla Yaner and Rianne Matthews get ready to dig in!

Editor Judy Tanner United Way Chairs Jane Harmon at left and Kate Saxe at right present the winner Debbie Robinson with a gift card to Chili’s.

Designed & Printed by Andy Guzy, CarePartners Print Shop Readers are encouraged to submit announcements, questions, articles, suggestions & photos by contacting the Editor or any member of the News Team. Submissions may be sent electronically via email (preferred method) or through interoffice mail. It is our goal to provide equal coverage to all CarePartners services, but content published is ultimately dependent on material we receive from the staff & administration from each of the service areas.

DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE February 15, 2014 Submissions received after this date may or may not be considered for the March newsletter. The Editor of Connections reserves the right to edit and/or reject material submitted based on its appropriateness for publication, space availability or other considerations. We strive for accuracy in our reporting and encourage readers to notify us of errors.

Social Networking Dos and Don’ts for Nurses Submitted by the Nursing Practice Council

CarePartners Nursing Practice Council agrees with the NC Board of Nursing (according to their recent article in Nursing Bulletin) that nurses’ standards of professionalism are the same online as in any other circumstance. The Code of Ethics for Nurses reminds nurses of their primary commitment to patients, to practice with compassion and respect for all individuals, and the requirement to disseminate knowledge (ANA, 2001). HIPAA’s Dos and Don’ts of Social Networking include: • • • • • • •

Do make a distinction between your personal life and professional life online. Do use social media for educational and professional purposes. Do be mindful of HIPAA. Do set your privacy settings as high as possible. Don’t be lulled by false security. Don’t discuss your patients or your colleagues online. Our online conversation should reflect the same professionalism that is expected when working with the public. 5

Exceptional Care. Every Day

Exceptional Care. Every Day “…For myself as a mother, I was able to realize that these are life decisions that are very, very difficult to make. These parents have done a remarkable job of meeting their daughter’s needs, and I’m privileged to help with that.” – Jayne Gretz, Private Duty RN Stories happen every day at CarePartners, as our experts treat, restore, teach and comfort people of all ages, from the tiniest infants to the oldest citizens of our region. We believe that exceptional patient care requires an exceptionally caring staff, and we’re proud to uphold that standard each day. Got a story about your work with patients? Please share with our staff via ‘My CarePartners’ at the top of our intranet home page or contact Judy Tanner to be included in this section of Connections.

Compassionate care for one of our youngest patients Jayne Gretz, Private Duty RN, tells about a pediatric patient who requires round-the-clock care. Jayne notes that when she started, it was a new experience to take care of a child with this level of dependency. ●●● I worked as a hospital nurse for 42 years, and working for Private Duty the past three years has been quite different. In the hospital, the patients are there because of an acute episode, and our Jayne Gretz goal is to get them back home. Private Duty care is all done in the home, and our goal is to keep them out of the hospital. We work to keep them stable, with compassionate care, taking the unique aspects of each patient into consideration. It’s at a different level when you’re going into the home every day. One of our pediatric patients requires “complete care,” which includes bathing and washing her hair, toiletry needs (changing diapers), turning her and repositioning her every two hours, giving her medication, and checking her vent and feeding tube. What’s unique about this patient is taking into consideration the wants and needs of the parents, because they are the most critical determinants of her care. You have to be respectful of what the parents want for this child, which is to have her at home and take care of her. They have a nurse there almost all the time. The parents both work full-time at night and are with her almost constantly the rest of the time. The needs of the 6

parents are critical when you’re forming the nursing plan of care. When I first began working with this family two years ago, the father helped me to understand the subtle ways his daughter would show a positive response. For example, after I washed her hair, he would point out how much more relaxed she seemed. While most people wouldn’t notice her responses or changes of expression, I’ve gotten to know the patient and the small things to look for. It might be a facial expression such as a peaceful look, or a slowing of her heart rate, or she may doze off. These are her responses to soothing things. She has some intestinal issues that occasionally flare up, with muscle contractions. This will cause her to grimace. She may need to be suctioned or we turn off the feeding tube for a little while to allow her to relax. If she seems uncomfortable, we reposition her. If you don’t get the pillows just right, you may notice a certain facial expression. During my shift, I try to give her some stimulation. You want to stimulate all of her senses so if there is awareness, you can reach her. I read to her. I especially like reading Shel Silverstein’s poems. It’s not so important

Continued from page 6

Exceptional Care. Every Day - Continued what I’m reading but rather the soothing tone of voice. I also play audio books on my ipad. I put it on the bed next to her so she can listen. I sing and play ukulele. I put movies on. She seems to like these things. I watch her heart rate to make sure she is ok. After I give her a bath, I put lotion on her and do range of motion exercises. She does some grimacing. It must be a bit uncomfortable. Her vision is compromised so talking to her is important, and you hope she is hearing you. I talk to her and tell her what we’re going to do next. It’s a very unique way of taking care of a patient. The other staff who take care of her have taught me a lot. During shift change, we discuss her comfort level and the particulars of how the previous shift went. When I started, I had not taken care of a child with this level of dependency before. You really do have to get to know her. At first I thought this is so sad. After time goes by, you realize what you’re doing as a nurse is very important. For myself as a mother, I was able to realize that these are life decisions that are very very difficult to make, and these parents have done a remarkable job of meeting their daughter’s needs. I feel privileged to help them with that. This is not the kind of nursing everyone can do longterm. The shift goes by fast. You give her her meds, make sure she’s nice and clean, and do your best to evaluate pain. The next nurse comes in and does the same thing. We all take special pride in taking care of her. She’s a special little spirit. The parents are very appreciative of what we do. It’s a credit to CarePartners that she’s done as well as she has, with care from her parents and our staff.

Grief Education Class for Staff Friday mornings for six weeks beginning March 28 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in Seymour Auditorium. Provided by CarePartners Bereavement Department For All CarePartners Staff March 28: Grief Process April 4: Coping Strategies April 11: Decision Making April 18: Self Understanding April 25: Social Understanding May 2: Role Changes You are welcome to attend all or any – they are not sequential. No pre-registration necessary.

Autism: the spectrum and emotional coping All interested staff are invited to “Autism: the spectrum and emotional coping,” presented by Amy Hobbs of the Autism Society of NC, on Tuesday, February 4, from 8 to 9 a.m. in Seymour Auditorium. Amy will review the autism spectrum, give ideas for coping emotionally with autism, and list local resources that can help. No registration required, no fee, no CEUs. For more information, contact Sharon Bigger.

Reminder about food in office areas The CarePartners Infection Control Team asks all staff to be diligent about food in office areas because we are seeing an increase in pests and don’t want this problem to get any worse! If you have food in your office, be sure it is stored in a sealed container. Don’t leave anything sitting out. Also, please do not place containers with uneaten food etc. in your office trash can that doesn’t get emptied every day. Take your uneaten food, food containers, bags, wrappers, etc. to a trash can that gets emptied every day. Thank you! 7

Focus on Foundation

Focus On Holidays for Hospice Thank you to everyone who contributed to a successful 2013 Holidays for Hospice! • • • •

The Gift Wrap Booth at Asheville Mall received a total of $28,272 in donations, with the help of an army of volunteers including more than 35 CarePartners staff members. Volunteers gave 2,305 hours to the Gift Wrap project. Memorial Ornaments patterned after the large quilt in the Solace Great Room raised $54,976. The sale of hand-made ornaments donated by Carolina Mountain Woodturners and sponsorship of Miniature Trees brought in an additional $2,640. Local school children decorated more than 480 miniature trees which staff distributed to Hospice, Rehabilitation Hospital and Home Health patients and Adult Day participants.

Mega Estate Sale February 12 - 15 9:00-5:00 each day This sale will be at two locations at the same time: 105 Fairview Road Asheville NC 28803 (just below the ScreenDoor) and 12 Gerber Road Asheville NC 28803 (behind AAC Building Materials) Watch the intranet for weekend specials at the Hospice Thrift Store. Visit carepartnersfoundation.org for more information.

Gift Shop December 2013 was the best month yet for the CarePartners Gift Shop. Thank you to all of our shoppers! The Gift Shop turned four years old last year and proceeds have funded four pieces of equipment for the Rehabilitation Hospital including a Saebo Mobile Arm Support and Viking XL Mobile Lift. The Gift Shop is just across from the main entrance reception desk in the Rehabilitation Hospital and is open weekdays from 11 to 4. You’ll find greeting cards, jewelry, candy, plush toys, housewares and other great gift items. Stop by to shop and support the Rehabilitation Hospital. Sharon Pearson, Volunteer Services Manager for CarePartners Foundation, manages the shop and its staff of volunteers. More volunteers are always needed! For information, contact Sharon at 277-4888 or [email protected].

PACE program development update Submitted by David Beijer

Good news! The NC Division of Medical Assistance has approved our PACE application. This is a significant step in our program development. Our application has now moved to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and we expect they will take the next 90 days to review our program. In the interim, there is significant work to be done. • • • • • 8

We are nearing completion with the construction project. Completion is expected in early February. Furniture and equipment should soon follow. We recently submitted our application to be a part D provider and soon will submit an application to the agency that regulates Adult Day Health organizations. We are making progress in developing our PACE provider network. Our current projected opening date is August 2014. We will begin to slowly add new staff as early as February and continue through June of this year. Please keep an eye on the CarePartners.org website for these postings.

What’s going on in Food Services? Jennifer Hester, Manager of Food and Nutrition Services, reports that staff from Food Services and the Rehab Hospital attended a Lean event in January to improve communication between the two departments and to look at problems with getting each patient Jennifer Hester the right food at the right time, especially those with special dietary needs. She explained, “Susan Sparboe-Derry led us in using a tool called a fishbone diagram for identifying root causes. We used the diagram to identify reasons that patients might be getting the wrong food and then brainstormed to come up with ideas to improve any problems. For example, the diabetic patients are supposed to get an 8 p.m. snack, which they were not getting consistently. We came up with the idea of having a visual cue for this: making the snack available at the nurses’ station for the patient with their name on it, so when the nurses do blood sugar tests they can pick up the snack at the same time. “We have also recently designed new menus. We determined that 40 percent of our patient population needs mechanically altered food (ground, pureed or chopped), so we made a special new menu for those patients.”

Food Services staff and Rehab Hospital nursing staff attend a Lean event in January to improve interdepartment communication and better serve our patients.

Pardon our dust! - Jennifer says, “Renovations are going on in the serving line. The cafeteria will

have a new salad bar, a new hot line, a new grill station, and refrigeration for grab-and-go items including salads, wraps and parfaits.” Renovations are expected to be completed sometime in February.

Upcoming classes

Got plates?

Click on the “CarePartners Education” box on the right side of the intranet for upcoming educational opportunities and other resources. • Register by February 8 for “Re-Gift the Donuts, Add Exercise, An Evidence-Based Rehabilitation Approach to Diabetes.” Approved for 7.75 contact hours for PT, PTA, OT, OTA and nurses. • Watch videos, find links to past presentations, and much more!

The cafeteria is running low on plates, coffee cups, drinking glasses and silverware. Have you borrowed any and forgotten to return them? Please check your office area and if you find any, return as soon as possible!

Welcome to CarePartners Charlene Galloway Chyrise Hollifield Corinne Huntsman Debra Allen Dora White

Dreama Murdock Ellis Stroud Haley Porshia Heidi Howard Jennifer Koempel

Jessica Earwood Joanna Faulkenberry Lana Danilova Laura Grace

Lisa Bain Logan Angel Mark Galyean Meghan Roach Michelle Revai

Padma Dyvine Raymond Annable William Wheeler

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GEM Moments

GEM Recipients Abigail Clarkson Allie Hupertz Allison Seklecki Ana Rivera Diaz Angela Taylor Annette Adkins Annie Clayton Arlene Fair Autumn Sutton Ava Rice Barbara Crume Becky Gilbert Becky Taylor Beverly Switzer Bill Chivers Bo Ball Boxley Crenshaw Brent Wyatt Brian Lehr Brittany Gilmore Carol Stephenson Celeste Rice Cheryl Huntsman Christine Hensley Christopher Chardos Christy Brank Chuck Turner

Thanks and congratulations to the following staff who recently received a CarePartners GEM, which stands for “Going the Extra Mile.” GEMs help us give special recognition to staff who exemplify our Standards of CARING in providing excellent customer service. If you wish to give a GEM, forms are available in special holders at all locations or ask your supervisor.

Cindy Gunther Cindy Welsh Dale Tascier Daniel Edwards David Simpson Debbie Johnson Dede Williams Denise Pace Denise Smailes Deresa Carlos Dianne Fryar Donna Woon Eli Day Elizabeth Miletich Elizabeth Smith Ellen Bedenbaugh Ellen Hoechstetter Eloise Farr Eric Lafone Gina Bokmiller Ginger Davis Hillary Kruse Jan Murphy Jay Ingram Jean Coletti Jeff Hinkle Jeff Scoltock

Jennie Barnhardt Jennifer Downing Jennifer Finley Jennifer Postles-Britt Jennifer Torba Joan Fusco Joanne Maciejewski Joy De Guzman Joyce Russell Juana Salmeron Sanchez Julie Bickel Kathryn Gunn Katie Lyda Kelly Jackson Kim Crain Kim Leatherwood Kristen Penland Kristi Berry Kristin Williams Laima Rivera-Diaz Latonya Caldwell Laura Cauthen Laura Coley Laura Dylus Libby Buchanan Libby Lewis Lori Ellison

Lorie Rice Lynn Irvine Lynn Williams Maria Delgado Mary Ashe Mary Little Mary Lynch Mary Martin Marybeth Moscinski Melissa Dean Melody Greer Michelle Barry Mike Hand Mike Pearson Mike Peck Mindy Alexander Moneick Moore Nancy Bowers Nancy Wells Nic Carswell Nikki Petty Noel Blanton Pamela Brown Patti Lowery Patty Mabe-Parker Paul Urquhart Rebecca Hurst

Reta Reagan Robin Smith Rosa Tuitele Ryan Conrad Sandra Leyvas Scott Williams Sherry Worley Sid Heilbraun Sonya Brady Stephanie Grant Stephanie Tolley Steve Murphy Sue Hagedorn Susan Gilison Sylvia Reed Tammy Redmon Terri Rogers Terry Bemis Tiffany Mchone Tom Krause Vicky Stamey Wilhemina Johnson Yvonne Austin

Congratulations to the GEMs of the Month Each month, PepPartners randomly draws three individuals’ names from the previous month’s GEM recipients to be honored for “Going the Extra Mile” in providing exceptional customer service. Each honoree receives a $25 gift certificate from Carrabba’s Italian Grill.

Ellen Bedenbaugh, Hospice Home Care Intake Coordinator, with CarePartners for 3 years According to Jennifer Torba, Ellen’s supervisor, “I have worked side by side with Ellen for one year now, and over that time I have never heard one complaint. What I do hear repeatedly are the words, ‘What can I do for you?’ Ellen has a very strong work ethic, never hesitating to go the extra mile, willingly accepting whatever tasks or responsibilities arise. She provides tremendous customer service in her phone triage role, compassionately taking care of the diverse needs of patients and family members who call in for help. She has a special gift of providing comfort to those who call with her calm and supportive presence.” A GEM from a co-worker said, “Ellen went above and beyond, taking on the challenge of a busy weekend day independently in my absence. She took on extra duties and responsibility willingly. What a great team member!”

Mary Ashe, Hospice Home Care RN, with CarePartners for 6 years According to Robin Creson, Mary’s supervisor, “Mary is always courteous, not only to her patients and families, but also to her coworkers. She is a truly genuine person, with a personality so suited for Hospice work. She is always tender, kind and compassionate. She encounters circumstances with her patients and families that she handles with grace and ease.” Mary received this GEM from a co-worker: “I was in the home of a patient I serviced with Mary, following the patient’s death. Again and again the son said that Mary had explained various things and prepared them for what was going to happen. Good job, Mary!” and from another co-worker: “Mary went above and beyond to make sure a family had basic necessities that they could not afford on their own.”

Jean Coletti, Outpatient PT, with CarePartners for 7 years According to Laura Dylus, Jean’s supervisor: “Jean is an exceptional clinician, who receives many compliments from her teammates and clients. A GEM from a patient recognized the great clinical care that she received in the management of her lymphedema and also said Jean is ‘such a caring therapist.’ Jean routinely goes out of her way to assist and mentor colleagues, and helps insure that the best and appropriate care is being provided. She also creates a positive work environment, regularly bringing in homemade goodies to celebrate her colleagues’ birthdays and accomplishments. During a recent tornado drill, Jean helped keep morale up by providing her Soul Train dance moves during the drill.”

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Join the Couch to 5K training group It’s not too late! Even if you missed the organizational meeting, you are still welcome to join the Couch to 5K training group, which offers help and encouragement to get ready for the United Way 5K on April 13. The group is meeting after work at Carrier Park on certain days to walk/run together. Contact Pam Griffin or Myrna Twitchen for information. Participating in the group will give you a feeling of accomplishment and a healthier lifestyle, as well as a $5.00 discount for the 5K race in April! See the intranet for a printable registration form.

From our mailbox From a Solace family member: “I wish to express my gratitude for all that you did for my husband during his stay at Solace. I could not have asked for a more caring and respectful group of people than each of you. Your care and concern for both of us was most appreciated during this very difficult time.” From an Outpatient patient: “The therapist did a great job, and I appreciate being able to borrow a quad cane (four-pronged cane to assist with walking more safely) until I could find my own which I had misplaced.” From a Private Duty family member: “The CNA encourages the patient to try more activities, and he responds very well to her. Our whole family is very pleased with her care.” From a Rehab Hospital patient: “The hospital staff are all very good at their jobs. That is why I was only there for 11 days. I’d like to thank all of the nursing and therapy staff for getting me on my feet as quickly as they did. By the way, the food is also excellent.” From a Home Health patient: “The therapist was so patient and kind. After knee surgery I was having problems with orthostatic blood pressure, but we were able to complete my therapy. Without her skill and kindness, I don’t think I would have made it.” From an Adult Day participant’s wife: “My husband has always been very social, enjoying the company of others. It was sad to see that diminish before we found you. Now when I tell him to have a good day, he says, ‘I always have a good day here!’ A loved one couldn’t ask for more, plus it is such a help for me to have some time to myself. Thanks!”

Picks of the Month Each month, CarePartners staff with a birthday or anniversary in the month will be entered in a drawing. Two lucky winners will each receive a gift from PepPartners. Here are this month’s winners: Happy birthday to Diane Huey on February 26. Congratulations to Shannon Seymour for 10 years of service. 11

Connections Celebrations Birthdays

Anna Wines (2/13)

Anniversaries

Dean Jolly (2/21)

Caleb Bemis (2/23)

February 1 – Vicki Allison, Diana Shackelford, Allison Seklecki, Janet Warren February 2 – Kathleen Caldwell February 3 – Diana But-Gusaim, Charles Peters, Dylana Rector February 4 – Wayne Gosnell, Elizabeth Wachacha February 5 – Allan Hall Jr., Cory Hustad, Billy Mauney, Michelle Morrison, Sarah Reeves, Pamela Seymour

Jeanne Russell (15 yrs)

Sally Davis (11 yrs)

Vickie Buchanan (2 yrs)

24 years – Gail Brown 23 years – Jean Parker 21 years – Lynnie Barrett 20 years – Michael Hand 19 years – Jim Darress, Sue Hagedorn, Warren Yeisley 18 years – Barry McDonagh

February 6 – Sue Hagedorn, Jessica Lance, Connie Sherlin

15 years – Jeanne Russell

February 7 – Brittany Gilmore, Russel Swinney

14 years – Pat Newell, Gordon Popular

February 8 – Patti Lowery

13 years – Melissa Bennett, Wendy Cady, Anne Weatherford

February 9 – Sandy Devinney, Mary Ellen Donnelly, Krista Eubanks, Georgiana Hill

12 years – Stephanie Bagwell, Paula Reese

February 10 – Cindi Brantley, Tracy Cormier, Cheryl Gutowski

11 years – Sally Davis, Susan Davis, Amie Gough, Jennifer Lynch, David Phillips

February 11 – Karen Weaver, Nikki Weiner

10 years – Joanna Christoph, Shannon Seymour

February 12 – George Gould, Jackie Hipps, Carolyn Watkins February 13 – Kathy Inukai, Tammy Redmon, Anna Wines

9 years – Jimmy Lowery, Jennifer Postles-Britt, Renee Searcy, Melissa Sluder, Keith Whitmire

February 14 – Matt Ballance, Brandi Campbell, Karri Konczal, Karen Lowe, Jennifer Lynch

8 years – Billy Mauney, Monica Sety, Vicky Stamey, Myrna Twitchen, Anna Wines

February 15 – Joy Hughes

7 years – Jessica Clark

February 16 – Kashka DeBruhl-Cawthorn, Linda Kaye, Susan Roberts

6 years – Tracy Kuster

February 17 – Michele Dupyawon, Sharon Pearson, Juana Salmeron Sanchez February 18 – Louise Dodd, Celeste Rice, Wanda Redmond, Dee Warren, Jean White February 19 – Jayne Gretz, Nick Machi, Donna Zorn February 20 – Vicki Davidson, Jennifer Downing, Jennifer Scott February 21 – Gloria Cobb, Dean Jolly, Anne Levine, Dow Stick February 22 – Stephanie Bagwell, Marie Langlois, Donna McCurdy February 23 – Caleb Bemis, Beverly Switzer February 24 – Sue Cauthen, Josh Long February 25 – Kelsey Sessoms, Scott Sullivan February 26 – Chrissy Adkins, Diane Huey, Phyllis Neal February 27 – Martha Burchfield, Jessica Whitaker February 28 – Lorie Calhoun, Lana Danilova, Casey Hollifield February 29 – Phyllis Brooks

5 years – Vicki Davidson, Nancy Driscoll, Karen Goessl, Jeanne Hansen, Peggy Millwood, Denise Vish 4 years – Sharon Bigger, Jackie Hipps, Jenny Hollifield, Nestoria Lewis, Bessie Penland, Ali Tiano 3 years – Gina Bokmiller, Mike Carrelli, William Clayton, Leeane Dennis, Michael Erdman, Nore Hunter, Leslie Lowe, Sue Reese, Cindy Roberto, Nicole Rule, Elizabeth Smith, Tammy Thibodaux 2 years –

Tresane Burgess, Vickie Buchanan, Tina Garren, Candice Gibson, Jane Harmon, Karen King, Beth Lamb, Mary Lanier Perry, Rebekah MacNair, Lynda Moore, Liz Zook

1 year – Wolff Alterman, Allyn Barron, Jen Blankenship, Ryan Byrne, Claire Cannon, Edan Douek, Tisha Griffith, Terry Johnson, Lori Kreisel, Valerie Lowe, Ashley Moody, Bobbie Nelson, Tamara Owen, Diane Owenby, Phil Piserchia, Adrienne Reasor, David Sherlin, Shawn Silver, Autumn Sutton, Angela Taylor, Macon Thoma, Stephanie Tolley