Employee Newsletter | February 2019
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Notable Volunteers
Lilac City Pediatrics Expands Services
Employee of the Quarter
Letter to Staff: Patient Experience
TIC Corner: Say This, Not That
Mark Your Calendar
Pass it On
Work Anniversaries
Job Postings
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We welcome our latest group of new hires to the Greater Seacoast Community Health family. Take some time to see who you might run into and remember to introduce yourself and welcome your new teammates.
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Tristin Roux, Patient Advocate
at Families First
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Gladys Rodriguez-Caraballo, Physician Assistant
at Families First
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Stephanie Martin
Accountant at Goodwin Community Health
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Michelle Gagne
Family Recovery Support Coordinator at SOS
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Richard Gouin, Dental Hygienist
at Families First
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Jason Brann, Recovery Support Coordinator at SOS
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Morgan Berryman, HR Coordinator
at Families FIrst
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Skylar Wilcox, MA
at Lilac City Pediatrics
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Allison Kowalski, PA Student
at Goodwin Community Health
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Nijmeh Hodaly, Scribe
at Goodwin Community Health
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Rebecca Balok-Searles, MA, LCMHC at Goodwin and Lilac City Pediatrics
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Gonzalo Cedeno, LCSW
Behavioral Health Specialist at Goodwin Community Health
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Michael Neveu, Dental Student
at Goodwin Community Health
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Volunteering was an international affair in February at Families First, when two students joined us from China.
Harvard Zhai
, 18, an electrical engineering student at the Shanghai Maritime University, helped in the Family Center with child care.
Ashley Xhang
, 21, a nursing student at Fudan University Shanghai, helped with medical records in the Health Center. While here, they stayed with
Lisa LeBlanc
, an MA in Portsmouth, through the Cultural Homestay International program. Ashley and Harvard said they most enjoy the people and the food in the United States. On February 5
th
, they hosted a Chinese New Year celebration.
Meanwhile, staff in Portsmouth chose their Volunteer of the Year:
Tracey Lyras
. Since she began volunteering with Families First in 2013, Tracey has given more than 550 hours providing childcare during playgroups and while parents or caregivers are here seeing providers.
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Lilac City Pediatrics Expands Service
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When Lilac City Pediatrics became part of GSCH last summer, pediatrician
Walter Hoerman
said that one of his main reasons for wanting to pursue the merger was to increase Lilac City’s capacity to offer integrated behavioral health services for children and families. That wish has now become reality, with the hiring of
Rebecca Balok-Searles, LCMHC, and Rima
Sutton
, LICSW
. The new behavioral health department at Lilac City will connect patients and families with local resources for continuity of care, as well providing behavioral management skills personalized for each patient, child and family.
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Congratulations to
Lexi Zerbinopoulos
for earning the employee of the quarter award! Lexi is a great example of always putting your best foot forward and treating everyone with the same respect and kindness. Lexi, who began working at Goodwin in 2016, pitched in for six months starting last summer to help in the front office at Families First, showing her versatility and willingness to roll up her sleeves for the greater good. Her behavior towards patients is always fantastic, instilling in them trust and confidence in our staff and care. She is consistent and reliable, which embodies Greater Seacoast Community Health's commitment to quality service. Thanks, Lexi!
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Will, Presence and Discipline
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This is a message to staff from
Sara Garland
, Integration/Patient Experience Manager. If your team or department has a message that you would like to share in this newsletter, please send it to
Mike Vinci
for consideration.
Will
, presence, and discipline are what it
takes
.
We all have the power to create unforgettable moments. We have the time (because such moments typically don’t take time). Beyond that, we need:
- Will: We have to decide that we want to, and WILL, create unforgettable positive memories for patients, families and each other!
- Presence: When interacting with patients, families and each other, we need to be fully present — noticing cues, reading feelings and tuning in fully, so we perceive people’s needs. This will help us use our best instincts to respond with care and also give us ideas for special acts of caring.
- Self-discipline: While we might intend to create positive memories, in the fray of busy days and nights, we just might not think to do it. Having rituals and other acts of self-discipline helps ensure that we deliver on our good intentions.
What if each one of us were to commit to engaging in (at least) one act of kindness or compassion daily with the deliberate intention of creating a positive memory for one patient, family member or coworker—a memory that this person will carry with them as our legacy to their well-being?
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TIC Corner: Say This, Not That
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As we’ve said before in TIC Corner, Trauma Informed language and approach are relevant to every department at GSCH. Here are two examples suggested recently by staff:
- Prenatal: Instead of give up for adoption, say place for adoption.
- SOS Recovery: Instead of addict or substance abuser, say person with a substance use disorder. (SOS recently wrote about this in an article called “Reducing Stigma” in their latest newsletter and included the poster at right).
Thank you to
Jess Garlough
and
Rene Philpott
for sharing these. Let’s keep this conversation going! Feel free to
email
your ideas for more trauma-informed wording or practices to our Trauma Informed Care Specialist,
Rachel Kradin,
and stay tuned for other ways to share these.
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BANFF Film Festival
March 13-14
@ The Music Hall, Portsmouth
Purchase your tickets to the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival
here
.
All proceeds benefit Families First and Goodwin. Follow the festival on
Facebook
too!
Joint All-Staff Meeting
April 10, 8 a.m. to noon
@ The Elks Club, Dover
This four-hour meeting for staff from all Greater Seacoast Community Health locations and programs will include service awards, info on our new three-year strategic plan, and a training covering compassion fatigue, staff burnout and vicarious trauma. All locations will be closed that morning except Lilac City Pediatrics.
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Pass It On
Please Refer Your Clients to these Programs
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Parenting Classes in Somersworth
Open to:
All parents and caregivers
Thursdays, 5:30-7 p.m.
@ Goodwin Community Health
Contact:
Family Center, 422-8208 ext. 2 or calendar button below
Please take a moment to think of parents you know who could benefit from these programs. The first two are appropriate for all parents; Parenting Journey is especially for parents with a trauma history.
·
Teaching Self-Regulation, March 7 & 14:
How to help children understand their emotions and triggers.
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Keeping Your Cool, March 21 & 28:
Anger help for everyday parenting.
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Parenting Journey, beginning April 4:
A 12-week evidence-based and trauma-informed program. Helps parents identify what they’re repeating from their childhood and what they want to change in your own parenting journey. Questions? Contact
Patrice Baker
.
The
Family Morning Out
program in Somersworth also needs your referrals, please! It meets on Friday mornings at the Flanagan Center.
Other Parent and Family Programs
Open to:
All parents, grandparents, guardians and children
Weekday mornings and evenings
@Families First in Portsmouth and in Somersworth, Seabrook, Epping and Exeter
Contact:
The Family Center at Families First (603-422-8208 ext. 2) or calendar button below
In addition to the Somersworth programs listed above, we also offer parenting classes, parent groups and playgroups in four other town – including a Co-Parenting Support Group that meets monthly (next ones are March 20 and April 17 at 6 p.m.) at Families First. Click the green button below for the complete list.
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Intensive Outpatient Programs
Open to:
Anyone with a substance use disorder
@ Families First and Goodwin Community Health
The IOPs at both
Goodwin
and
Families First
have room for more people. Participants do not need to be patients of ours, so please refer anyone you know who needs this kind of support.
Empowering Whole Health Peer Support Group
Open to:
Anyone 18+ with a chronic disease
Wednesdays, 3:30-5 p.m., March 6 through May 8
@ Goodwin Community Health
The Empowering Whole Health W.H.A.M. Peer Support Group is designed to teach participants ways to manage their emotional well-being, nutrition, exercise and more. Participants must be 18+ with a chronic disease such as diabetes, obesity, COPD, a mental health condition, or others.
Diabetes Vision Day
Open to:
Uninsured diabetic patients
Saturday, April 13
@
Lafreniere Eyecare, 390 High Street, Somersworth
Vision Day is to help uninsured diabetic patients get screened to rule out a particular eye disease that can lead to blindness if not treated early. The screening is free for all uninsured diabetic patients. Appointments are required! Call Megan at 603-994-6356 to schedule an appointment.
Follow the links below for complete program listings:
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Dawn Holmes - 16
Jo Ann Clement - 7
Penny Gregoire - 5
Timothy White - 2
Elizabeth Carmer - 2
Kelly Czerwinski - 2
Rebekah Wynn - 2
Nancy Brink - 2
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Ashley Clawson - 2
Rachel Kradin - 2
Richard Salvati - 2
Tonya Silva - 2
Janice Vaughn - 2
Jennifer Riggio - 1
Susan Geary - 1
Suzanne Baumgardner - 1
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Job Postings
New Jobs for You and Your Friends
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The button below links to current open positions at GSCH. (You can also always find this link on both Families First and Goodwin websites.) Take a look and see if any are right for you or someone you know. There are referral benefits in many cases! Right now we have about 14 openings, including Crisis Response Coach, OB Nurse, Dental Assistant, and more.
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Links to GSCH in the News
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