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Newsletter for Employees of VNA Care Network Foundation
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CONNECTER
ARCHIVES
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Below is this week's issue of the Connecter newsletter, which is required reading for all employees. The next edition will be published on Monday, October 12, with articles due to connecter@vnacarenetwork.org by Friday, October 9. |
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KEY DATES THIS WEEK:
- Tuesday, October 6: Flu Clinic Southborough
- Tuesday, October 6: Flu Clinic Woburn
- Wednesday, October 7: Flu Clinic Woburn
- Wednesday, October 7: Flu Clinic Worcester
- Wednesday, October 7: Encore Patch/Update
- Thursday, October 8: Flu Clinic Quincy
- Thursday, October 8: Flu Clinic Tippett Home
- Friday, October 9: Flu Clinic de Rham Home
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IN THIS ISSUE:
SERVICE EXCELLENCE
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPDATES
HUMAN RESOURCES
QUALITY AND RISK MANAGEMENT
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October 5, 2015
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Volume 4, Issue 40
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 SERVICE STANDARD OF THE WEEK: EMPLOYEE EMPOWERMENT
We are all a part of the customer experience. We are empowered to use resources and training to enhance our customer's experience as well as our own professional goals and growth.
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Submitted by Emily Minor, RN - Team 76 Clinical Coordinator
I would like to recognize Marjorie Morton the Needham Hospice Coordinator for all her hard work in getting a patient admitted to hospice. There were many logistical hurdles to overcome with the patient having a guardian, and residing in a group home. Marge worked diligently to ensure that the patient was admitted to hospice to get the care he needed right away. There was excellent communication between the skilled side and hospice side that made the transition smooth and expeditious. Thanks Marge!
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| Submitted by Laura M. Herzig, CSA in the Needham Office
I would like to recognize Joan Holst (Ms. Joanie), she is the best person to work with. She is friendly, knowledgeable and she truly cares about her job and about people. Nice work Ms. Joanie!
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Submitted by Janet Delmonico, Transitional Care/Business Development Regional Manager
I received a phone call from Maria Barranco, Harvard Vanguard Case Manager at the Cambridge site, wanting to let me know how wonderful Ivette Mulero is. She literally raved about Ivette's follow up, immediate and positive. She said that Ivette "is fantastic". Maria also took time to tell me that she is very impressed with our staff, has had only positive interactions with "her team".
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SCENES FROM THE STREET
| I caught Nancy Mandeville in Southborough "unit dosing" paper towels in effort to make it easier for staff to manage their hand hygiene supplies. Kudos Nancy and thank you for your consistent and exceptional staff centered service!
Submitted by Liz Dow, IV Clinical Services Manager
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| Martha Ciesyznski, Clinical Services Manager in the Southborough office, celebrating her birthday at a recent staff meeting!
Submitted by Nancy Ryan, Rehab Services Manager |
| One of our newer employees (who we welcomed from the VNS of New York) Irfan Ibrahim out of the Needham office encountered this little obstacle when trying to get to a patient. A far cry from the streets of Manhattan!
Submitted by Geri Spina, Clinical Services Manager |
| Our rehab staff are "flexible". Rehab staff in the Danvers office having case conferences in the kitchen because someone took over the conference room.
Submitted by Lori DeRosa, Clinical Services Manager |
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ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPDATES
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STAFF FLU CLINICS
It is once again mandatory for all staff to be immunized against the flu. Flu season begins October 1 and ends in the spring. It is best to be immunized early, before flu season starts, as it takes a few weeks for the vaccine to be fully effective.
if you receive the vaccine at another, non-VNA location, you must show proof of receiving the vaccine to be in compliance with the VNA's policy.
492 staff have received their vaccine so far. Let's keep moving towards our goal of 100%! Click the FULL ARTICLE button to read more.
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Office
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Date
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Time
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Location
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Charlestown
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10/19/2015
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8am to 4pm
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Conference Room #2
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Charlestown
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10/13/2015
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9a - 5p
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Conference Room #2
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Charlestown
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11/3/2015
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8a - 10p
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Conference Room #2
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Danvers
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10/14/2015
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7:30am to 10:30am
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Boardroom
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de Rham Hospice Home
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10/9/2015
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10a - 12p
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Leominster
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10/14/2015
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8am to 11am
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Needham
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10/14/2015
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9am to 3pm
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Wellness Area
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Needham
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10/21/2015
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9am to 3pm
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Wellness Area
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Needham
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11/4/2015
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9am to 3pm
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Wellness Area
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Needham
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11/18/2015
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9am to 3pm
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Wellness Area
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Needham
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12/2/2015
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9am to 3pm
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Wellness Area
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Needham
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12/9/2015
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9am to 3pm
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Wellness Area
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New Horizons/Advantage
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10/14/2015
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9a - 10a
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Wellness Office
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Quincy
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10/8/2015
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9a - 1p
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Conference Room
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Quincy
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10/22/2015
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8a - 10p
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Conference Room
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Rose Monahan
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10/13/2015
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10am to 1pm
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upstairs boardroom
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Southborough
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10/6/2015
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9am to 3pm
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Boardroom
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Tippett Hospice Home
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10/8/2015
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2p - 3:30p
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Weymouth
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10/20/2015
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8a - 3p
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Conference Room
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Woburn
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10/6/2015
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10a - 12p
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Clinical Manager's Office
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Woburn
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10/7/2015
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10a - 12p
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Clinical Manager's Office
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Woburn
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10/7/2015
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2p - 4p
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Clinical Manager's Office
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Woburn
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10/15/2015
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10a - 12p
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Clinical Manager's Office
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Woburn
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10/15/2015
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2p - 4p
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Clinical Manager's Office
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Woburn
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10/22/2015
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10a - 12p
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Clinical Manager's Office
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Worcester
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10/7/2015
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9am to 3pm
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rear auditorium
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| MUTUAL OF AMERICA REP IN WEYMOUTH
Michael Maguire, the Mutual of America retirement plan representative, will be in the Weymouth office on Monday, October 19 from 8:00AM-12:00PM. Please call him at 508-366-2418 to schedule an appointment.
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ENCORE PATCH
By Christine Day, Clinical Applications Specialist
On Wednesday October 7, Patch 06.00.0100 will be applied to the server. The server will be unavailable after 8PM. You will receive an email when the server is back up.
The purpose of the patch is for financial updates to the recent Code Load.
Laptop Users: Your laptop will pick up this patch during your communication/sync on Thursday afternoon and will take approximately 20 minutes. Check to confirm you are on version 06.00.0100. Please communicate your laptops again after picking up the patch.
Clinicians will notice a small change in Visits and Assessments in the Pain Tab. The pain scale drop down now defines what number is Mile, Moderate or Severe. This is consistent with the F1 Help in the form and F2 look up in Pain Comments.
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HHA CORNER
The HHA Department is setting up new processes to try to reduce delays in start times for HHA placement. Frequently, we have a HHA schedule all set and ready to go but we cannot reach the patient by telephone to see if the schedule is acceptable. This creates a delay.
Click the FULL ARTICLE button to read more.
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SLP REFERRAL INFORMATION
Patients who have the following diagnoses may have speech, cognitive-linguistic and/or swallowing difficulties: Stroke, Closed Head Injury, brain tumors, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, ALS, Tracheostomy; Laryngectomy; Dementia; Aspiration Pneumonia; Encephalitis, SDH, SAH GERD, Cancer (usually head/neck for speech and swallowing and, other cancers can contribute to dysphagia).
If you have any questions regarding the appropriateness of a referral, please call the Rehab Services Manager to put you in contact with the Speech Therapist for your team.
Click the FULL ARTICLE button to read more.
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TB TESTING
VNACN employees who have patient contact are required to be screened for TB annually. TB testing will be available at all flu clinics being held over the next few months. If you are due for your Mantoux screening, please attend one of the clinics listed in the flu clinic schedule above.
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EMPLOYEE REFERRAL BONUS EXPANDED
The referral bonus program has been expanded to include employee referrals for RNs, PTs, OTs and SLPs. If you would like to refer a friend, family member, or colleague, please inform the appropriate Human Resources Representative at your location prior to the applicant coming in for an interview. Please note, when two or more employees refer the same applicant, the referral bonus will be split equally amongst the employees. Referral bonuses are paid out after the referred employee's three and six month anniversary, as long as they are in a paid status at those intervals. Please contact Cheryl Milas at cmilas@vnacarenetwork.org or Debbie Brown at dbrown@vnab.org for more information.
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JOB POSTINGS - VNA OF BOSTON AND VNA HOSPICE CARE
To learn more about career opportunities listed in the links above, contact Debbie Brown, Human Resources Manager at dbrown@vnab.org.
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JOB POSTINGS - VNA CARE NETWORK AND VNA HOSPICE CARE
To learn more about career opportunities, contact a human resources representative:
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EMPLOYEE ADVISORY TEAM SUGGESTIONS
To suggest an area of focus to the Employee Advisory Team (EAT), please email your suggestion to EATSuggestionbox@vnab.org. Suggestions can include ideas to improve current processes and procedures, remove redundancies, or even to provide feedback on something you think is/is not working.
Please feel free to discuss any issues that you would like brought to EAT with the following members of the committee:
- Linda Britt
- Kim Dio
- Kelly Frew
- Mary Helen Mahoney
- Susan Marlin Procter
- Mary McCarthy
- Ilona O'Connor
- Mary Ann O'Connor
- Mae Powers
- David Rose
- Danny Yan
EAT is also on the lookout for new members. If you're interested in participating, or for more information on what EAT is all about, please reach out to any of the members listed above. Meetings are held monthly in the Charlestown office.
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QUALITY AND RISK MANAGEMENT
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Q4 OASIS SCHEDULE
The following are the Q4 OASIS Education schedules. All clinical staff are mandated to attend 1 OASIS Education session per quarter, this includes RN (staff and contract), LPN, clinical managers , PT and PTA's, and clinical coordinators. Quarter 4 will review miscellaneous OA education and COPS.
The QA Department has scheduled out many sessions in all offices for the final quarter of the year to accommodate multiple offerings at multiple sites. Please work out the time that you choose to attend with your individual manager, you may attend at any site.
Quarter 4 Sessions
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Office
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Day/Date
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Time
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Presenter
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Charlestown
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Wednesday, November 04, 2015
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8 - 10am
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Elaine Gardner
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Charlestown
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Tuesday, November 10, 2015
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2 - 4pm
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Kyra Mihalick
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Charlestown
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Wednesday, November 18, 2015
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2 - 4pm
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Elaine Gardner
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Charlestown
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Sunday, November 8, 2015
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8 - 10am
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Elaine Gardner
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Danvers
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Wednesday, November 04, 2015
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8:30am - 10:30am
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Marilyn Bowden
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Danvers
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Friday, November 06, 2015
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8:30am - 10:30am
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Marilyn Bowden
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Danvers
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Monday, November 09, 2015
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2 - 4pm
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Marilyn Bowden
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Danvers
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Tuesday, November 10, 2015
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8:30am - 10:30am
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Marilyn Bowden
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Leominster
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Thursday, October 29, 2015
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8:30am - 10:30am
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TBA
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Leominster
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Wednesday, November 18, 2015
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2 - 4pm
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TBA
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Needham
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Tuesday, November 03, 2015
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8:30 - 10:30am
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Maura Vitello
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Needham
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Thursday, November 05, 2015
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2 - 4pm
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Maura Vitello
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Needham
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Friday, November 13, 2015
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8:30 - 10:30am
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Maura Vitello
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Needham
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Sunday, November 15, 2015
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8:30 - 10:30am
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Maura Vitello
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Quincy
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Wednesday, November 04, 2015
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8 - 10am
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Carol Morris
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Quincy
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Tuesday, November 10, 2015
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2 - 4pm
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Carol Morris
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Quincy
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Wednesday, November 18, 2015
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8 - 10am
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Kyra Mihalick
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Southborough
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Wednesday, October 28, 2015
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2 - 4pm
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Maria Dunn
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Southborough
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Thursday, November 05, 2015
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8:30-10:30am
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Maria Dunn
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Southborough
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Tuesday, November 17, 2015
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2 - 4pm
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Maria Dunn
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Weymouth
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Tuesday, November 17, 2015
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8:30-10:30
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Maura Vitello
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Worcester
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Sunday, October 25, 2015
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8:30-10:30am
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Christine Gill
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Worcester
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Tuesday, October 27, 2015
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2 - 4pm
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Christine Gill
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Worcester
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Wednesday, November 04, 2015
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2 - 4pm
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Christine Gill
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Worcester
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Thursday, November 19, 2015
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8:30-10:30am
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Christine Gill
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PATIENT CARE MANAGERS
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Name
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Email
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Cell
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Position
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Covering Office
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Bowden, Marilyn
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774-502-7478
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Patient Care Manager
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Danvers and
Gloucester
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Dunn, Maria
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508-688-2449
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Patient Care Program Manager
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Leominster and Southborough
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Gardner, Elaine
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617-680-1105
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Patient Care Manager
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Charlestown
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Gill, Christine
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774-502-5725
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Patient Care Manager
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Worcester
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Mihalick, Kyra
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617-913-6823
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Patient Care Manager
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VNAB Therapy
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Morris, Carol
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617-913-3006
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Patient Care Program Manager
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Quincy
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Saxena, Surabhi
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774-463-7336
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Patient Care Manager
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Leominster and Southborough
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Vitello, Maura
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774-502-7475
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Patient Care Manager
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Needham
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QI SUPPORT
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Covering Office
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Name
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Email
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Office Phone
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Position
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All VNAB
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Hughes, Kim
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617-886-6501 x5419
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QI Support Coordinator
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All VNACN
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Schultz, Chris
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617-886-6501 x6527
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QI Support Coordinator
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All VNACN
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Rao, Shamala
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508-756-7176 x6876
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QI Nurse
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| October 5, 2015 |
The Connecter
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Volume 4, Issue 40
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Confidentiality Notice: The Connecter newsletter is an internal communication intended only for employees of VNA Care Network Foundation and Atrius Health. Information contained within this newsletter includes confidential, proprietary, and privileged content. Unauthorized forwarding, printing, copying, distribution, and/or negligent handling is strictly prohibited and could result in disciplinary action.
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