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Vicky Wirtz named DAISY Award Winner
Vicky Wirtz, R.N. IV, recently received the DAISY Award in recognition for her compassionate and caring nursing skills as an R.N. in the critical care float pool. 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.
Wirtz was nominated for the DAISY Award by a former patient's
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daughter. The daughter wrote, "My 94-year-old mother was admitted with a broken vertebrae in her back, and the care she received was above and beyond my expectations. My mother was in excruciating pain, and the family's goal was to alleviate it as fast as possible. We were so fortunate to have Vicky as our nurse not only because she demonstrated exemplary skills at caring for our mother's physical needs, but also because we found Vicky to 'nurse' the family's emotional well-being as well. It was this skill that deserves recognition. At 94 years, our family always fears that a situation will be the beginning of the end for our mother. This is a realistic fear, and no matter what people say, you are never prepared for it. With Vicky's help we all left the hospital healed physically and emotionally. Vicky made it possible for us to dare to hope for good things. We all need more hope, more compassion, more grace, and humanity in our lives. What if the entire world demonstrated her skills? What if one person could create such a positive 'butterfly effect'? In our heart of hearts we believe that Vicky is just the person who could make all these things possible. We still dare to hope. Please recognize her for these skills as they are the yardstick to which all others should be measured. Anyone can put a band-aid on a boo-boo, but it takes a very special person to put a band-aid on a heart. Thank you."
Wirtz has been a nurse for 35 years, mostly at SLH. She started as an L.P.N., then obtained her R.N. degree. She explains that her biggest career accomplishment is being C.C.R.N. certified for 30 years! Her favorite part of nursing at Saint Luke's Hospital is the team she works with. Having people around you who really care about others has helped her keep her morale up all these years.
In Wirtz's free time she enjoys gardening, riding horses, hobby farming, and tending to her goats. She says her greatest achievement in life is raising her two successful sons - one is the owner of a company in Lincoln, Neb., and the other just started ENT residency in Minnesota. She keeps telling them that she wants to have grandchildren to play with on her farm very soon!
On June 20, the Nursing Recruitment and Retention Committee and the float pool staff surprised Wirtz with this DAISY Award and a breakfast that included Cinnabon® cinnamon rolls. Wirtz 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 in the nurse staffing office at Saint Luke's Hospital.
Congratulations to Wirtz who, like so many Saint Luke's Hospital nurses, deserves a big thank you for her extraordinary and compassionate nursing care.
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.
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The grass is greener: Employee Engagement Team update
With the Employee Satisfaction Survey complete and results received, your Employee Engagement Team (EET) has now determined what goals they will set to improve employee satisfaction. The EET will focus on four areas, setting action steps for each.
Stay tuned for future updates! Thanks to all for your continued work in making Saint Luke's a great place to work!
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Third television commercial to air during Olympics
Our final television commercial for our branding campaign will begin airing during the Olympics. I thought you might enjoy seeing a preview! I also wanted to share with you some great work completed by the marketing team that integrates our major branding campaign with an online presence. This expansion of the campaign should significantly increase the power of the stories that we are telling via television, print, and radio advertising.
To see a preview of the final commercial, click here.
To see how we are integrating the commercials onto our website, click here.
- John Leifer, senior vice president, Strategic Planning and Marketing
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Broadway Bridge will close Saturday
MoDOT will close Route 169 from just north of the Wheeler Downtown Airport to Route 9 beginning a minute past midnight on Saturday, July 14. The closure will last through mid-December, redirecting more than 35,000 vehicles each day to find another route.
The closure is necessary to make repairs to a wall that supports the east side of the northbound lanes, fix problems with the southbound lanes, and with drainage between these lanes. Both northbound and southbound Route 169 must be closed for this work because there is not room to do the repairs without a total shutdown.
Motorists will continue to have access to Wheeler Downtown Airport from downtown via the Broadway Bridge, and from Harlem Road to the east. However, motorists accustomed to using the Broadway Extension to commute to and from downtown must detour to other routes. The Heart of America (Route 9) and Bond (I-35, I-29 and Route 71) bridges are the closest alternate routes.
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Dr. Bernhardt named interim chair
The UMKC School of Medicine is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Bernhardt, M.D., as interim chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, effective July 1. A member of the Dickson-Diveley Midwest Orthopaedic Clinic since 1990, Dr. Bernhardt joined the School of Medicine faculty in 1994 as a clinical associate professor and has served as a clinical professor since 2000. He earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his residency training in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita/St. Francis Regional Medical Center and Affiliated Hospitals. He completed a fellowship in spine surgery at the Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Hospital. He has also served as director of the Spine and Deformity Clinic at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, and as associate team physician and spine consultant for the Kansas City Royals professional baseball team, assistant team physician for the Kansas City Blades professional hockey team, and associate team physician for the Kansas City Explorers professional tennis team. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Bernhardt to his new leadership role. top
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UMKC CME staff on site at SLH
A representative from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine Continuing Medical Education Program is on-site weekly at SLH Monday afternoons from 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. The representative can meet with you regarding your CME needs for programs targeted at practicing physicians, answer questions, and assist you in facilitating your ideas and paperwork for your CME programs.
The CME Program Office is located in the Department of Medical Education (South 3 of main hospital). The phone number is 816-932-9844. Please contact Lisa Paschang at paschangl@umkc.edu to schedule an appointment or feel free to drop by the office during the office hours.
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Saint Luke's College now offering Master of Science in Nursing degree (MSN)
The health care industry has undergone radical transformation in the past five years. Many hospital administrators and health care experts believe they are not able to predict how many graduate-prepared nurses they will need - they just know the number will be substantial. The health care industry trends indicate that along with continuing opportunities in hospitals, more and more master's prepared nurses, specifically nurse practitioners and nurse educators, will be needed to work in outpatient settings, community agencies, and schools of nursing. As patients are spending less time in hospitals, master's-prepared nurses are urgently needed to oversee and manage patient care in a variety of settings and ensure improved patient outcomes.
Responding to the aforementioned needs for nurses prepared at the master's level, Saint Luke's College of Health Sciences will launch its master's in nursing program this fall, pending final notification of HLC approval. Initially the graduate program will offer an acute care nurse practitioner track and a master's of science in nursing education. Students will be able to matriculate and earn their degrees on a full-or part-time basis.
Additional information about the graduate program and admission applications can be found on the college website at www.saintlukescollege.edu or contact the Admissions Office.
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Love the Skin You're In
Spending at least 15 - 20 minutes in the sun enables your skin to produce as much Vitamin D as you need each day. However, exposing your skin to the sun can put you at risk for skin cancer and premature aging. For healthy skin, it may be better to get your Vitamin D from foods.
Make healthy choices this month by selecting salmon, tuna, and low-fat milk at SLH Broadway Café to make sure you get enough Vitamin D. Then plan to participate in an upcoming web conference entitled, "Love the Skin You're In," presented by Meggan Newland, M.D., board certified dermatologist. Dr. Newland will share important information on skin care to keep your skin looking younger longer! This web conference will be held on Tuesday, July 31, from 12:15 - 12:45 p.m. and can be viewed from the convenience of your computer.
To register, email yourhealthmatters@saint-lukes.org or call Gayle O'Connell at ext. 23807.
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Help for quitting tobacco
SLHS provides resources and assistance to help you and your family members with tobacco cessation. New this year, SLHS is providing up to 12 weeks of free nicotine replacement products.
By participating in one-to-one tobacco cessation coaching through the SLHS Employee Assistance Program (EAP), you and/or your family members can obtain vouchers for nicotine gum or patches. Contact the SLHS EAP at 1-800-327-1223 or 816-931-3073 to schedule your coaching sessions today. Once you've developed your quit plan, the EAP counselor will provide vouchers for you to redeem your nicotine replacement products at the SLH Outpatient Pharmacy.
Today could be the day you begin to see yourself tobacco free! For more information, contact Gayle O'Connell at ext. 23807 or email yourhealthmatters@saint-lukes.org.
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Noteworthy
Dr. Bateman named to ABIM Board
Congratulations to Timothy Bateman, M.D., who has been named to the American Board of Internal Medicine's cardiovascular disease subspecialty board. Click here to read more about the appointment.
Deadline for peer review grievance panel today
Saint Luke's Hospital's Human Resources Department is looking for employees who are interested in volunteering for the peer review grievance panel. Members of the panel are selected to hear the third step in the grievance process. The deadline to apply is today, Wednesday, July 11. Click here for more information and an application.
Look Good, Feel Better
Women currently undergoing cancer treatment are invited to attend the next Look Good, Feel Better class, a free two-hour workshop in which you learn simple beauty techniques for skin and nail care, makeup application, and coping with hair loss. You will receive a complimentary bag of makeup to use in the session and at home. Join us at the Muriel I. Kauffman Women's Heart Center conference room Aug. 8, 1 - 3 p.m. Call Vickie at 816-932-2124 to sign up.
Saint Luke's Courtyard Marketplace
Wednesdays
June 20 - Aug. 29
7:30 a.m. - noon
Rain or shine
Women's Center Courtyard
Stop by each week to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and other heart-healthy items. Pick up the featured recipe of the week and learn how you can keep your heart healthy through nutrition. It is easy to "think prevention" and promote a healthier you! Products may be purchased by cash or payroll deduction. The Courtyard Marketplace is brought to you by Saint Luke's Muriel I. Kauffman Women's Heart Center and Nutritional Services.
Coffee with
SLHS Diversified Representatives
Diversified representatives will be onsite at various SLHS entity cafés in the coming weeks. Click here for the schedule. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments will take precedence. If these times do not work for you, they can also meet with you on another day/time at your convenience.
If you would like to meet with Carmellia McCray or Laura Coup, please schedule an appointment with McCray by emailing cmccray@divinvest.com or calling 816-210-2678 or schedule an appointment with Coup by emailing lcoup@divinvest.com or calling 913-219-7959.
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Breast Cancer events
Denim Day
Save the date! On Friday, July 27, Saint Luke's Hospital employees are invited to wear jeans to help raise additional funding for the Susan G. Komen Greater Kansas City Race for the Cure.
To wear jeans please make a $5 donation and receive your sticker to show your support. The sticker must be worn with your jeans. Please refrain from wearing T-shirts with your jeans.
The stickers are now available. Please contact Marcia Hamm at 816-932-2048 or mhamm@saint-lukes.org or stop by to make your donation at Medical Plaza III, Suite 1000, and ask for Hamm.
Breast cancer survivor celebration
Breast Cancer Awareness month is celebrated in October. The Breast Cancer Awareness planning group is coordinating a celebration for breast cancer survivors who work within SLHS. We are seeking any breast cancer survivors who would like to attend the celebration. Please contact Marcia Hamm at mhamm@saint-lukes.org or Mandy Sims at mssims@saint-lukes.org.
Further plans will be communicated as we approach October.
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.
Online registration is now open. 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.
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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