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 Making a difference
Each and every day our dedicated and passionate employees make a difference in the lives of our patients, visitors, and colleagues. We would like to highlight some of those stories. If you have a colleague you would like to recognize, please send the employee's name and how he or she made a difference to slhrounds@saint-lukes.org.
"Grace Barth is a part-time nurse who works in my department. She is one of the kindest nurses I have ever worked with. It doesn't matter how busy she is, she is always wearing a smile. We are not a walk-in clinic, but on a very busy day we had four patients come in seeking treatment. She made sure that each of them walked back out of the office doors with a smile on their faces. She managed to juggle both the patients with appointments as well as the walk-in patients. Not once did she get frustrated helping them. It is a blessing to have an employee like Grace working in our office. She truly brightens each day. She's the real meaning of what we are here for - our patients and their care."
Tammy Howard, medical office coordinator
Saint Luke's Multi-Specialty Clinic
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Bridget Brion honored as Critical Care Nurse of 2012
 | | Brion accepting the Critical Care Nurse of 2012 award |
For the past 10 years Bridget Brion, R.N., B.SN., C.N.R.N., has been delivering outstanding patient care and excellent outcomes for Saint Luke's Health System, beginning as a nursing intern in 2002 and ultimately as a Code Neuro Nurse for the Saint Luke's Stroke Center. On Nov. 10, Brion's hard work and dedication was formally recognized when she was honored as the March of Dimes' Critical Care Nurse of 2012 at the inaugural March of Dimes Missouri Chapter Nurse of the Year event in St. Louis, Mo.
Click here to learn more.
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New certifications received by rehab staff
After completing advanced training in a classroom setting, demonstration of a specified amount of clinical experience, and successfully completing a written examination, Amanda Smith, D.P.T., Abbey Kroll, D.P.T., and Lori Bubien, R.N., have received new credentials.
Smith has been awarded the CEEAA, a certification focused on the aging adult and the exercise expertise required for this patient population. This certification sets the stage for Amanda to work toward the Geriatric Specialty Certification through the American Physical Therapy Association. Kroll and Bubien have both been awarded the Wound Care Certification, the credential that signifies advanced knowledge and skills in treatment and management of skin and wound issues.
Smith is a therapist and team leader in the inpatient physical therapy area; Kroll is a therapist and team leader in both inpatient physical therapy and wound care; and Bubien is an R.N. III in the outpatient Wound Clinic of Saint Luke's.
Congratulations to all three on these advanced clinical certifications!
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Click here for information about an employee contest to name the new Saint Luke's intranet.
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SLHS pharmacist published in Annals of Pharmacotherapy
The October 2012 issue of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy contained an article submitted by several SLHS pharmacists and physicians.
The article titled "Drug Related Problems and Hospital Admissions in Cardiac Transplant Recipients" was authored by Kristin Repp, Pharm.D., B.C.P.S., operations manager, SLNH; Charles Hayes III, Pharm.D., B.C.P.S., pharmacist II, SLH; Mark Woods, Pharm.D., F.A.S.H.P., B.C.P.S., clinical coordinator and residency program director, SLH; Keith B. Allen, M.D., cardiothoracic surgeon, SLH; Kevin Kennedy, statistician, SLH; and Michael A. Borkon, M.D., cardiothoracic surgeon, SLH.
This three-month study of 48 cardiac transplant recipients found that hospital readmissions are often drug-related (40 percent) and preventable (58 percent). Incorporating this insight into multidisciplinary transplant teams may improve outcomes, assist in meeting national quality mandates, and lead to new benchmarks for transplant centers.
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Holiday well-being from the EAP
The holiday season can come and go before we even have a chance to experience its true meaning. Merchants, gatherings, and the attempt to satisfy others' holiday expectations can certainly challenge our own personal holiday preparation and celebration.
To read an article about prioritizing how you want to spend this holiday season, visit the EAP's website and log in using the password EAP. The article appears in the Featured Article section of the home page.
http://eap.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/
Password: EAP
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Festive holiday foods without the weight gain
The holidays are often filled with good food and good cheer. But not all good foods are good for you. Consider the reality of some holiday foods:
- A single cup of eggnog contains about 340 calories and 19 grams of fat.
- Large tins of flavored popcorn contain lots of sugar and/or salt that make it hard to resist just one handful.
- Pigs in blanket appetizers are no small bite. They can pack 6 grams of fat per piggy and lots of sodium.
- Nuts are healthy but one slice of pecan pie can have 500 calories.
- Sweet potatoes are fresh and wholesome unless they are found in casseroles topped with butter, brown sugar, nuts, and marshmallows.
These are just a few of our favorite things we indulge in during the holidays. To help you survive the holidays, Kim Alexander, clinical dietitian, Saint Luke's East Hospital, shares some of her tips for festive holiday foods without the guilt, including her delicious recipe for pumpkin pie.
If you're doing a lot of cooking this holiday season, she also has helpful tips for low-fat substitutions.
The ultimate goal? Enjoy the holiday season with family and friends and avoid putting on that one pound that everyone gains during the holiday but never loses. With a little planning and support you can enjoy the holiday season without gaining weight. For more information, visit the Your Health Matters: Called to Excellence webpage.
On behalf of Saint Luke's Compensation and Benefits, we wish you peace and joy this holiday season - sprinkled with a small dose of festive foods and a large dose of good health!
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NICU Bright Space
Families with a newborn in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at SLH will have a new Bright Space to have fun and play in beginning Dec. 6, thanks to an innovative partnership with the March of Dimes and the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children.
Click here to learn more about the new Bright Space.
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NICU t-shirts put to good use
Mandy Sims, R.N., recently took a missionary trip to Uganda, Africa. Sims took boxes of unused NICU t-shirts to deliver to the children she visited. She said the shirts the children had previously been wearing were dirty and full of holes. They wore their new shirts for many days in a row and their moms were very appreciative.
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Annual Saint Luke's Holiday Breakfast
Thursday, Dec. 13
6 - 10 a.m.
SLH cafeteria
Free to all employees and guests! Come and celebrate the holiday season as the crew from Chris Cakes serve hot pancakes and sausage to an estimated 2,300 SLH employees and guests.
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Town Hall meetings
The December Town Hall meetings have been canceled and will be rescheduled at the beginning of the year.
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Apply now for M.S.N. program at SLCHS
Saint Luke's College of Health Sciences is currently accepting applications for the M.S.N. program that starts in January. The application deadline is Jan. 4, 2013. Classes begin on Jan. 15, 2013. Currently, there are two tracks to choose from in the M.S.N. program: nurse educator and adult acute care nurse practitioner. SLHS employees and alumni of Saint Luke's College who start in January will receive a 10 percent tuition discount for the entire length of the program.
Saint Luke's College is located at 624 Westport Road, Kansas City, Mo. If you have questions about the M.S.N. program, please contact Josh Richards at 816-932-6748 or via email.
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2013 SLH Summer Student Scholars Program
The Summer Student Scholars Program is designed to provide an opportunity for eight college undergraduates with an interest in health care to spend six weeks in a clinical or research area of emphasis at SLH. The hope is to someday see some of these students become members of the SLH medical staff.
The SLH-funded program will begin the week of June 10, 2013. Orientation will be held June 7, 2013. Application deadline is Jan. 4, 2013. Applicants accepted to the program will be notified by March 4, 2013.
For more information or for an application, please contact Jeanne Kimball in Medical Education at jkimball@saint-lukes.org.
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Thursday, Dec. 6
Noon
BMW Conference Room
SLH
"Holding on for the Holidays"
Panelists: Sharil Baxter, bereavement coordinator, Saint Luke's Home Care & Hospice; others TBA
Co-facilitators: Michael Salacz, M.D., and Tarris Rosell, Ph.D., D.Min.
Lunch will be provided.
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Worldwide Candle Lighting Ceremony
The Grief Support Committee at Saint Luke's Hospital is hosting their annual Worldwide Candle Lighting Service on Sunday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. in the SLH chapel. This worldwide ceremony is held for one hour every second Sunday in December to unite families and friends and remember children around the globe who have died. This invitation is for anyone in the community. Please join us for candle lighting, music, readings, and refreshments.
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