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Reverend Stephen Overall retiring

The Reverend Stephen Overall will be retiring as the Director of Clinical Pastoral Education of Saint Luke's Health System Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Program on Aug. 31. Rev. Overall and his wife, Lynne, will be moving back home to Chattanooga, Tenn. 

After receiving his Master of Divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology, Overall was ordained in the United Methodist Church and began CPE residency. In 1977, he received his certification as an ACPE (Association for Clinical Pastoral Education) supervisor and has been involved in health care ministry and education ever since, having served hospitals in Canada, Georgia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Missouri. Rev. Overall joined the Spiritual Wellness staff of Saint Luke's Hospital in 2000 as the director of Pastoral Education. Every year he oversees over a dozen students who are discerning their call to ministry as they serve Saint Luke's as intern or resident chaplains. He has faithfully cared for hospital staff, patients, and their families, and has skillfully and passionately trained student chaplains and spiritual leaders. Rev. Overall is most at home in an ecumenical and culturally diverse environment, teaching students who are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and other diverse expressions of spirituality.

Rev. Overall has said, "My passion for pastoral care and education is based on the belief that each person is a 'child of God' in search of fulfilling and meaningful relationships. Regardless of one's condition and station in life, each person has a calling to live in community and to help one another reach the fullest expression of what it means to be abundantly human."

Thank you, Rev. Overall, for your ministry at Saint Luke's! We will miss you and your stories!

Reception for The Reverend Stephen Overall

You are invited to a reception for Rev. Overall in the Women's Health Center Courtyard and Atrium (Peet Center), on Thursday, Aug. 29, from 1 - 3 p.m. Cake and punch will be served.

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Harvey and Kremer named DAISY Award winners

Brooklyn Harvey, R.N. I

Brooklyn Harvey, R.N. I, received the DAISY Award in recognition for her compassionate and caring nursing skills as an R.N. in CICU.

Brooklyn Harvey

Brooklyn was nominated for the DAISY Award by a former patient's wife. In the nomination she wrote, "My husband Kevin and I live in Ohio. Kevin was working in Missouri. He became very ill and was at two other hospitals before being airlifted to Saint Luke's. Kevin arrived long before we were able to make the 2 ½ hour drive. That was the longest 2 ½ hours of my life not knowing what was going on. When I walked into his CICU room that night, there was Brooklyn, or as my family calls her, our angel. She was buzzing around the room taking care of him. I instantly felt a calm feeling come over me as she explained everything in detail that she was doing. We stayed at your hospital for eight days and they were made much easier by Brooklyn. Even the following few nights when my husband wasn't Brooklyn's patient she came in to the room to help her fellow co-workers with my husband. My husband is 6'6" and was nicknamed the sleeping giant while he was on the ventilator. We were from out of town and Brooklyn was so kind to us night in and night out. From telling us about hotels, places to eat, and stores we needed to visit to buy supplies. She always gave us 110 percent and went above and beyond! She always took the time to explain things to us in terms that we could understand. We feel so blessed to have met her. I truly hope that Saint Luke's recognizes her for being an outstanding nurse! Everyone at Saint Luke's was so friendly to us. From the housekeeping staff, secretarial staff, kitchen staff, and all of the nurses and doctors who treated my husband. We feel we truly owe my husband's life to the CICU nurses and doctors. Thank you!"  

Brooklyn has been an ICU nurse for two years after graduating with her B.S.N. from Nebraska Methodist College. She has been at SLH for a year in the CICU, and she enjoys all the teamwork it takes to care for people as well as meeting all the interesting people along the way. While obtaining her C.C.R.N. certification is a future goal, she also hopes to make it to nationals for boxing or qualify for the Olympics in female boxing. Brooklyn enjoys activities such as skydiving, football, and riding four wheelers and motorcycles. When she's not compassionately caring for patients at the bedside, Brooklyn has been a linebacker and fullback for the pro football teams, Kansas Tribe and Kansas City Titans.

On July 16, the Nursing Recruitment and Retention Committee and the CICU staff surprised Brooklyn with this DAISY Award and a breakfast that included Cinnabon® Cinnamon Rolls. Brooklyn also received the Healer's Touch sculpture, award certificate, DAISY pin, and a Saint Luke's Hospital parking spot.

Renae Kremer, R.N. II

Renae Kremer, R.N. II, received the DAISY Award in recognition for her compassionate and caring nursing skills as a community member at the JJ's Restaurant explosion.

Renae Kremer

Kremer was nominated for the DAISY Award by her peers and a letter was submitted to the HR department on her behalf by the mother of someone she helped in the community. The nomination read, "Renae Kremer was a first responder during the explosion at JJ's. Renae lived a half of a block away and immediately responded to the scene. Renae started triaging patients and brought them to Saint Luke's ER in her car. Renae was interviewed by Fox 4 and her hometown news. Renae demonstrated excellent community service and takes extreme pride in working for Saint Luke's. Renae really went above the call of duty!"

Additionally, the mother wrote, "My daughter was one of the injured at JJ's Restaurant. An individual came to my daughter's aid/rescue, providing physical care and emotional comfort to my daughter. This individual's name is Renae and she is a nurse on your staff in the neuro department. Renae not only cared for my daughter at the scene, she also transported her and another injured girl to the Emergency Room and stayed with her for some time. Renae is an extraordinary person and I am so very grateful to her."

Originally from Minnesota, Renae has been a nurse for four years after graduating with her B.S.N. from Briarcliff University in Sioux City, Iowa. She spent a year in a med-surg float pool and then moved to Kansas City for ICU/trauma experience. She lives with her dog and boyfriend in the West Plaza area, and in her free time enjoys outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and kayaking. She hopes to start school in the very near future pursuing her acute care nurse practitioner degree. Until that time comes, she loves working with her NSICU peers as they are her best friends and support system.

On June 12, the Nursing Recruitment and Retention Committee and the NSICU staff surprised Renae with this DAISY Award and a breakfast that included Cinnabon® Cinnamon Rolls. Renae also received the Healer's Touch sculpture, award certificate, DAISY pin, and a Saint Luke's Hospital parking spot.

Congratulations to Brooklyn Harvey and Renae Kremer, who like so many Saint Luke's Hospital nurses, deserve a big thank you for their extraordinary and compassionate nursing care.

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.

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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Help SLNI be recognized as one of 2013's top health care design projects

 

The new Saint Luke's Neuroscience Institute, which was designed by ACI Boland Architects, is a finalist in the 2013 Healthcare Design Remodel/Renovation Competition. You can help SLNI be recognized in Healthcare Design magazine by casting your vote for SLNI as "Best in Category" for 2013.

Go to hcdmagazine.com/renovate and show your support for the Saint Luke's Neuroscience Institute project by voting today. The last day to cast your vote is Tuesday, Aug. 20!

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Don't shortchange your future

Saving for retirement, while supporting yourself and your family, is never an easy task. There's always something that  demands your attention and your dollars. But the truth is, how much you save is one of the most critical factors in having a financially secure future.

However, no matter how carefully you plan, there are events that can throw your life into turmoil. When the unexpected happens, it's important to stop and carefully assess your situation - your long-term goals vs. shorter-term needs - because it could make a big difference in your future financial security.

You may have good reasons to consider taking a loan from your retirement plan. But before you request your first, or next, retirement plan loan, bear in mind this step may cost more than you expect. Click here to learn more.

The cost of lost savings
When you take money out of your retirement plan account, it is no longer earning money for you on a tax-deferred basis, so you lose the ability for that sum of money to potentially grow to fund your retirement. Further, if taking a loan requires you to reduce or stop contributions to your retirement plan account while making your loan repayments, you further reduce your retirement savings.

Paying interest to yourself may not always be the best alternative
Repaying the amount you borrowed, plus interest, will mean that you have less money in your paycheck. Further, the interest on a plan loan is not tax deductible. And, the interest rate paid on plan loans may or may not be competitive with other alternatives.

Money used to repay a retirement plan loan is taxed twice
When you take a plan loan, your payments are made with after-tax dollars. Then when you use your money to fund your retirement, this money is taxed again.

The risk of defaulting on a plan loan
If for some reason you are not able to repay the loan, any unpaid balance will be considered a taxable withdrawal. In addition, if you are younger than age 59½, you will owe income tax on the amount, plus a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty, and any additional state tax, if applicable. This could substantially reduce your account balance.

The bottom line
Determining whether or not you should take a retirement plan loan is a very personal decision. If, having weighed the alternatives, you still feel you need to borrow from your retirement account, there are some additional steps you should take so that you don't further reduce your chance of being ready for retirement.

Have a strategy for repayment
Be sure to factor your loan repayment into your budget. Failure to do so could result in more money going out than coming in and raise the risk of defaulting.

Contribute enough to get the SLHS matching contribution
If you must take a loan from your retirement account, try to continue contributing at least 4 percent, so you will get the SLHS matching contribution. This may be a challenge, as you will also be making loan repayments. But remember, those repayments will not be considered contributions to your retirement account.

Replenish your account after you pay off your loan
When you pay off your loan, consider turning the money you were using for loan repayments into additional contributions to make up for lost time.

Saint Luke's Health System has selected Transamerica Retirement Solutions as your retirement plan provider, but there are no other affiliations between the two organizations.

PT-13094_SLHS (07/2013)

© 2013 Transamerica Retirement Solutions Corporation

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