Healer's Touch Sculpture

You may have noticed the Healer's Touch sculpture outside of the cafeteria. This sculpture, commissioned by the DAISY Foundation, was created by the artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. The Foundation chose this design not only because it so beautifully depicts the unique relationship caregivers have with their patients, but also because the Shona people hold their healers in a position of great importance to the community. They feel about their traditional healers the way the DAISY Foundation and Saint Luke's Hospital feel about nurses. Thank you to all of our nurses for the amazing care they provide our patients each and every day.

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SLHS Pharmacy update

Thank you for your patience during the recent changes to the employee/retail pharmacy benefit plan. Many of you have asked very important questions, and the SLHS pharmacies would like share the answers to the two questions we hear most often.

Why is there an incentive to use SLHS employee/retail pharmacies?

You save money and SLHS saves money by using our SLHS pharmacies. Each time you get a prescription filled at a SLHS pharmacy, the payment for the prescription goes to SLHS rather than being paid to a non-SLHS business. Often SLHS is able to purchase a product at a reduced cost, and when that happens, we pass the savings on to you. SLHS is dedicated to helping you save money by keeping your premiums as low as possible.

Who came up with the hours of operation and why did they change?

The pharmacy team evaluated several different factors including, but not limited to:

• When prescriptions are routinely picked up
• The staffed hours for the local physician offices at each entity
• How we can best provide service to overnight staff
• The number of pharmacists and technicians required to cover the hours decided upon
• How we ensure we are operating as a system

After evaluating data and information collected, the current hours of operation (listed below) were developed and implemented as a starting point. We are continuing to evaluate all aspects related to operational hours and staffing and appreciate your constructive feedback.

Current hours of operation:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday - 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Closed for lunch daily - 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

- Greg Teale, Pharm.D., B.C.P.S., interim system pharmacy director

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Debbie Bondon named Medical Plaza Imaging's 2012 Employee of the Year

Debbie Bondon was recently named Medical Plaza Imaging's 2012 Employee of the Year. She has worked at Saint Luke's Health System for more than 26 years.

Bondon is a knowledgeable and compassionate individual whose commitment goes beyond the duties of her job and stretches into the community. She has a gift for bringing others together to get the job done, and her upbeat attitude is contagious to all around her. She patiently listens to concerns and has a genuine desire to help others and bring about resolve.

We thank Bondon for her willing spirit and innate ability to always go above and beyond in all that she does. Congratulations for being named Medical Plaza Imaging's Employee of the Year for 2012!

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New central staffing office helps manage peaks and valleys of metro area's nursing demand

The new nursing central staffing office is helping manage workforce needs better than ever before as nurses in a float pool are deployed where they are needed most - which helps to level out the peaks and valleys associated with demand in hospitals.

"The central staffing office consolidates all of our metro staffing decisions to one location, rather than the old system which involved separate staffing offices or nursing supervisors at each facility," said Jeff Eye, chief nursing officer at Saint Luke's North Hospital and implementation team leader for the staffing office project. "The float pool of nurses allows us to meet staffing challenges where they come up and move our capacity across entities to match demand."

Eye explained that in the past, one hospital might be sending nurses home due to low census while, on the same day, another metro hospital was at peak demand and using overtime, incentive pay, or expensive staffing agencies to keep up. Now, several nurses in the float pool are designated as available to work at some or all other metro facilities, and can be deployed to match peak demand. Nurses in the pool are also classified by clinical expertise so they can be assigned to specialty units.

"This is a relatively new program so we're still getting staff oriented and working within the new system. We have analysts in the office who are working to establish key performance indicators and tracking progress so we can quantify the success we're seeing on the clinical units," Eye said. "We're also looking at absence data and patterns of demand so we can better forecast our labor needs."

Other benefits of the new staffing system include better standardization of care, continuity of care, and sharing of best practices. So far, the program seems to be working well for everyone.

"I've heard many compliments about the quality and helpfulness of the nurses coming from the float pool," said Julia Woods, vice president and chief nursing officer at Saint Luke's South Hospital. "They have been critical to our success as our census has climbed and we've had staffing challenges due to the flu this winter."

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Let Me Tell You a Story web conference

Join us for a heart-healthy web conference presented by Joan O'Keefe, R.D., L.D., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, from noon - 12:30. In the presentation, O'Keefe will discuss how to maintain a heart-healthy diet; the importance of exercise, sleep, and water; and heart-healthy supplements to help you achieve the best minutes of your life.

To register for the web conference, email yourhealthmatters@saint-lukes.org.

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Introducing Omega 3 beef

When we think about Omega 3 fatty acids (the good fat) we often think about salmon. But Simply Omega is transforming the way we consume this essential fat. Simply Omega has created a new line of beef products with increased levels of Omega 3 fatty acids created naturally. The cattle, which are raised locally, are flax-fed and Process Verified by the USDA, which ensures superior products through frequent inspections and stringent guidelines. As a result, you have natural, healthier, and great tasting ground beef.

The benefits of Omega 3s include:

• Promoting cardiovascular health
• Promoting colon health
• Boosting the immune system
• Promoting bone health
• Providing fats that are precursors for brain building
• Promoting healthy skin
• Stabilizing blood sugar levels, which can lessen the severity of diabetes

Saint Luke's Hospital is now serving this Omega 3 ground beef in both the cafeteria and patient trays in our specialty hamburgers, meatloaf, taco meat, meatballs, and Salisbury steak. Saint Luke's is the only hospital in Kansas City serving this beef and joins a very elite group of high-end restaurants making this an available option.

Bon appétit.

Please remember that with all foods, moderation is key.

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Laugh whole-heartedly

When was the last time you had a good belly laugh? Some people believe that laughter is comparable to a mild workout.

When we laugh, we stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our heart rate and blood pressure rise, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our vital organs.

• Laughter relieves physical tension and relaxes our whole body.
• Laughter decreases stress hormones and boosts our immune system.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins and promotes a natural sense of well-being.
• Laughter releases hormones that are healthy for our heart.
• Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow.
• Laughter makes you feel good, promotes an optimistic outlook, and above all, it is contagious! 

Saint Luke's Muriel I. Kauffman Women's Heart Center

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