Carroll Mills

Carroll Mills, R.N. II, received the May DAISY Award in recognition for her compassionate and caring nursing skills as a nurse on labor and delivery. The DAISY Award was established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of ITP, an auto-immune disease.

Mills was nominated by a husband whose wife was undergoing a particularly difficult delivery of their baby boy. He explains, "There had not been any progress for six hours and the baby's head was at a bad angle. The doctors were consulting about a Caesarean section when Mills came on shift." Mills immediately began working with this fatigued mom, suggesting a new laboring position. He said, "She saw our exhaustion and got into every aspect of this labor with us. She was a coach, cheerleader, servant, and friend - all with much skill. She knew what needed to be done and did it with excellence. She never gave up! At just the right time, our son began making his way down and eventually was born vaginally."

Mills has strong ties with SLH where she, herself, was born. She graduated from Saint Luke's Hospital School of Nursing in 1976. She has skillfully done her job at SLH in labor and delivery for 36 years. Mills enjoys patient care and her co-workers, and her co-workers love her!

A Kansas City native, Mills and her husband have three grown children and three grandchildren. She and her family enjoy spending time at the lake.

The Nursing Recruitment and Retention Committee and the labor and delivery staff surprised Mills with the DAISY Award and a breakfast that included Cinnabon® cinnamon rolls. Mills also received the Healer's Touch Sculpture, award certificate, DAISY pin, and a Saint Luke's Hospital parking spot. You can view the DAISY award banner on the Labor and Delivery floor of Saint Luke's Hospital.

Do you know a nurse deserving of a DAISY Award? Send an email to daisyaward@saint-lukes.org. Or pick up a nomination form located in most SLH waiting rooms. 

Saint Luke's eStore launches 

The Saint Luke's Employee eStore is now live! Visit the Saint Luke's website and click on "eStore" at the top of the page to access the store.

When you have been issued a voucher, to redeem it you will need to create a My Saint Luke's account (if you do not already have one) at www.saintlukeshealthsystem.org, then verify you are an employee. Click here for instructions.

The new eStore offers: 

• All new items
• Orders shipped directly to your home within a few days (allow extra delivery time for apparel items)
• Vouchers now worth $10

For more information, visit our frequently asked questions.

Saint Luke's Employee Circle of Giving

June 18-29

Saint Luke's Employee Circle of Giving program allows employees to participate in the mission of Saint Luke's Foundation by making charitable gifts through payroll deduction.

Saint Luke's Foundation supports medical education and research, as well as community outreach, charity care, and medical programs not covered by patient fees.

This year's Employee Circle of Giving campaign runs June 18-29. Look for a special edition of eRounds for more information about changes to the program and how you can make a difference in the lives of others through payroll deduction. These gifts truly make a difference! In 2011:  

• 1,917 employees within Saint Luke's Health System contributed $259,951 through payroll deduction.
• 108 programs received support from employees, from the Miracle on 44th Street employee emergency assistance fund to departmental education funds.
• 12 Clinical Excellence in Nursing Awards totaling $12,000 were given to Saint Luke's nurses to further their professional development.
• 181 nurses and clinical staff received more than $112,670 in funding to attend educational conferences.
• Five Health Futures Scholarships were awarded to the children of Saint Luke's employees who are pursuing health-care related degrees.
• 36 employees who experienced medical or financial crises benefited from the Miracle on 44th Street Fund, which is supported solely by employee donors.

For as little as $2 per pay period, your gift can support Saint Luke's Foundation and benefit medical programs and patient care as well as your colleagues and their families. When you contribute to a specific fund, 100 percent of your gift goes to support the program you choose.

For more information on how to become an Employee Circle of Giving member, please contact Tanya Carson at tcarson@saint-lukes.org or ext. 25612.  

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Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

The 19th annual Susan G. Komen Kansas City Race for the Cure is Sunday, Aug. 12, at Union Station.

Saint Luke's Cancer Institute (SLCI) is sponsoring 500 employees to actively participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Employees must be present at the race to participate. SLCI is not sponsoring Sleep in for the Cure. 

Together, we can honor those who have battled this disease, those who have lost loved ones, and those who are about to be impacted by breast cancer.

Online registration begins June 4. The registration code is to be utilized by employees only. To register for the race go to www.komenkansascity.org. The SLCI sponsor code is slci12. To register on a team please look for SLCI- (your facility name). You must use a Saint Luke's email address to verify that you are an employee.

There are team captains throughout Saint Luke's who can assist you and keep you updated on race details. For further information about your team captain, please contact Marcia Hamm at 816-932-2048 or email mhamm@saint-lukes.org.

Thank you for showing your support by participating in this event and helping to fight against breast cancer.   

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Winners of the Ready, Set, Go team competition announced

For 12 weeks, 80 teams of SLHS employees have been competing in steps, weight loss, and exercise minutes in the Ready, Set, Go Challenge sponsored by Aetna Get Active. During that time, these employees:  

• Walked 4.2 times around the earth
• Lost more than 1,500 pounds
• Logged more than 18,000 hours of exercise 

Congratulations to the following teams that finished in the top five in one or more divisions. The team Neuro Active, led by Kathey Denney from Saint Luke's Physician Specialists, finished in second place in weight loss. She and her team members Sarah Wallace, Brenda Tittle, Bobby Olm-Shipman, Erin Shonkwiler, Jeremy Burd, Sandy Eckley, and Helen Jagorin lost 4.7 percent of their body weight.

The team No Excuses, led by Lana Grady from Corporate, finished in third place in two divisions - steps and exercise minutes. She and her team members Terrie Bauer, George Pagels, M.D., Brenda Jones, Ann Franke, and Marilyn Lewis-Thompson averaged 12,649 steps and 68 minutes of exercise each day.

The team Powerhouse, led by Pam Holloway from Saint Luke's Cancer Institute, finished in fourth place in the steps division. She and her team members Pearlie Hayes, Angela Lewis-Thompson, Leia Darden, Janie Sarvis-McMann, Bonnie Witt, and Julia Weiss averaged 11,662 steps each day.

The team Go-Getters, led by Bob Bonney from Corporate, finished in fourth place in exercise minutes. He and his team members Van White, Stacy Cook, Joe Stasi, Regan Doyle, Carla Wieters, and Darrell Bieberly averaged 58 minutes of exercise each day.

These teams received $50 Giving Cards for their efforts.
The next Team Challenge is Balancing Act. Registration and team formation for Balancing Act begins on June 20. Competition begins July 9. Go to Aetna Get Active and get started using the webpage, which is currently featuring weekly bonus challenges. Use "SLHS" as the company name to register. Then click "Join." Click here for a listing of the top five Ready, Set, Go winners of each division. Email questions to yourhealthmatters@saint-lukes.org.   

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