Associate Recognition: Get ready to celebrate! |
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It's been a long time since we were able to gather and celebrate Associate Recognition with our traditional banquet. TOO LONG!
We are eager to get together again and recognize our associates reaching service milestones in person. We also want to remain mindful that COVID has not completely disappeared and make sure we are minimizing risks. So, we came up with what we hope will be a fun solution: We're hosting Associate Recognition outdoors with casual catering from Friendship House in Wamego (pulled pork, bbq beef, sides, and desserts--hungry yet?!). We'll have some outdoor activities for all to enjoy (and a backup plan in case of inclement weather).
We will make sure that associates who are being recognized have their names announced, are congratulated by administration and board members, and receive their certificates, pins, and checks. (We also have some fun in store, so get excited!) To allow more time for conversation and relaxation and in an effort to keep the event to under two hours, we will not share extended speeches about associates. Instead, we'll provide writeups about recognized associates in special editions of the E-Connection during Hospital Week just as we have done the last two years. (Even COVID has a few silver linings, right?!)
Please make plans to attend with your plus-one/guest/ball and chain/date/significant other. An RSVP link will be provided next week. Get ready to celebrate!
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DAISY Award goes to Birth Center nurses |
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Last Friday, CHCS recognized Katie Kufahl, RN, and her Birth Center nursing team with the winter 2022 DAISY Award for extraordinary nursing. Birth Center nurses were nominated for their kindness and professionalism as they cared for a new mom who had a C-section and needed to stay in the hospital for a few days to recover. The nomination was compelling and provided a portrait of a team, so in a departure from tradition, the selection committee decided to give the award to the entire team rather than one person.
Ashley Bean, Lindsay Koch, and Jolene Wessel, Birth Center RNs, were nominated by James Fitzhenry. According to the nomination letter, these nurses provided caring service to Fitzhenry’s daughter when she gave birth to her baby girl.
“As the days went on, each of the [nurses] was so friendly and attentive,” Fitzhenry said. “My daughter happened to mention to one of the nurses that she no longer had the photos taken of her son [from] the previous year. … A few days later, my daughter received a CD from the photographer with the photos!”
“The Onaga Community Hospital should be proud of these nurses, and we will not forget their kindness and professionalism. Thank you!” Fitzhenry wrote in the nomination.
As manager of the Birth Center for more than 15 years, Katie Kufahl has trained nurses to provide the best possible care during a joyful but vulnerable time for new moms and babies. Kufahl herself has been nominated for a DAISY Award several times, and her leadership has created an amazing team.
Congratulations, all!
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When we listed all DAISY Award nominees in the March 17 edition of the E-Connection, we inadvertently left out Jenna VanDonge, RN, Onaga Surgery. SO SORRY, Jenna! Congratulations on your nomination, and well done!
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We hope our physicians enjoyed celebrating Doctors' Day yesterday (March 30). We shared a graphic on social media to thank our docs, plus we provided lunch or treats for all clinic locations. Photos are below (you may recognize a party crasher!). We look forward to celebrating our physician assistants and nurse practitioners on their special days in October and November!
Thank you to our outstanding team of physicians for all they do!
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The benefits of family meals |
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During National Nutrition Month, we've reviewed a number of tips to celebrate flavor and enjoy healthful food.
Our last tip is for families: Establish family mealtimes and eat meals together whenever possible. Family mealtime is a tradition in many cultures and a great opportunity to encourage healthy eating habits and family bonding.
Family mealtime has many benefits, including the following.
- Eating a family meal helps children establish healthy eating habits and table manners. This is a great time to be good role models for your children.
- It strengthens family bonds and communication. Mealtimes build a sense of belonging which leads to better self-esteem and overall mental health.
- It helps everyone eat more fruits and vegetables and consume fewer sugary drinks and fast food. Kids who eat family meals tend to eat a wider variety of foods and become less picky eaters.
- It helps prevent obesity. Research shows that people tend to eat less during family meals because they eat more slowly and talk more.
- Family meals help lower the chance of children engaging in high-risk behaviors such as substance use and violence, and children experience fewer psychological problems.
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Tips for eating more meals together:
- Make family meals a priority in your house. Focus on the importance of being together as a family more than on making a fancy meal.
- Start with small steps. Increase the number of family meals by one extra meal a week.
- As a family, plan a menu for the week or have each kid decide on a couple of meals a week. Make a grocery list to ensure that you have the right foods.
- Get the kids involved. Have them prepare food or set the table. They could even come up with a meal theme.
- Work as a family to clean up afterward or make a calendar of who does what cleaning each night.
- Turn off the TV during mealtime and don't allow phones at the table.
-- Holly Schmitz, registered dietitian
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Take the National Nutrition Month quiz by the end of the day for a chance to win a $10 gift card to the Coffee and Gift Shop or a jar of Raven's Originals black bean salsa. Winners will be announced next week. Good luck!
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Is COVID-19 endemic now? And what does that mean?
For more than two years, we've been living through a pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the infectious agent that causes COVID-19 disease. But what happens as the virus becomes a more normal part of our lives, like influenza or other respiratory viruses? Understanding terms like "endemic," "outbreak," and "epidemic" will help you know what to do to keep your family safe.
A new handout from APIC (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology) breaks down the buzzwords. Click the handout above to expand/download/print.
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Delivering the WOW experience |
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A patient called the Gift Shop last week because she was so pleased with Cassandra Petri from the Business Office that she wanted to send her a surprise. |
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The patient gushed about how friendly and helpful Cassandra was and how much she appreciated Cassandra's help with her billing questions.
Thank you to Cassandra for providing the WOW experience! We hope you are enjoying your spring plant arrangement.
Have you noticed an individual or a group at CHCS delivering the WOW experience? Send it to Sarah Hancock or call extension 5133.
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Emergency badges
By now, all associates should have received a new CHCS Emergency "Quick Reference" Badge (see below). The emergency badge is designed to fit neatly behind the CHCS identification badge and provides instant access to critical, customized safety and emergency information. The badge also provides the PowerDMS.com website URL to remind associates where to find full policy information.
Thanks to OESEP (Occupational and Environmental Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee) members for their work on the badges!
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Eastridge family room remodeled
Eastridge residents, family members, and associates are enjoying a newly remodeled family room! The space is both attractive and contemporary, plus it has cleanable surfaces.
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Congratulations, Hannah!
Hannah Karn is an LPN in surgery who recently completed her IV certification course in March from Flint Hills Community College in Emporia. I would like to congratulate her for her hard work and always going above and beyond to help live out our CHCS mission!
Way to go, Hannah!
--Mindy Olberding, CNO
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Hiring tomorrow's nurses?
Frankfort 3rd graders are participating in a Classroom Society project. A recent activity included job interviews with professionals from the community.
Stacy Vermetten, Frankfort Clinic lead nurse, and Amy Jones, APRN, helped interview students for the activity. Students learn what it's like to be interviewed and are "hired" into jobs, which help them earn money to purchase what they need in their society.
Thank you, Stacy and Amy, for representing CHCS in the community. The students pictured below appreciate you!
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It's not too late to sign up for Walk Kansas!
CHCS is offering associates an opportunity to participate in Walk Kansas free of charge again this year (normal registration fee is $10). This program is for people at ALL fitness levels, and it's a great way to jump-start your routine!
It's not too late to assemble your team and sign up! The activity started March 27, but registration remains open until April 3. Teams of six with one person designated as the captain work best. Solo registrations are also available.
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Important reminders
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The CHCS apparel store is now open! Please place orders by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, April 10. Questions? Email Sarah Hancock. Apparel samples are making their way around the system.
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The Kansas Initiative for Stroke Survival (KISS) is promoting the 2nd Annual Stroke Awareness Video Contest. View the rules. Entries are due April 30. If you enter, be sure to share your video with us for the E-Connection! Questions? Contact Mindy Olberding, CNO.
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Associate Recognition 2022: Mark your calendar for food and fun at Rob Rosenfield Park in Onaga (across the street from the hospital) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on May 11. An RSVP link is coming soon for associates and their plus-ones.
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Here's to our associates with April birthdays. Join us in wishing them all the best as they celebrate!
Michelle Blindt, Kelsey Edwards, Amanda Mansfield, Mary Crumb, Elizabeth Merriman, Luke Perry, Chelsea Shupe, Peyton Bowers, Camden Conley, Megan Fordham, Constance Fisher, Evelyn Dorobek, Paula Schwartz, Terri Meade, Jasper Pie Amper, John Meriwether, Debra Schober, Arthur Meyer, Susan Tanking, Janice Wenzl, Kiefer Delforge, John Bresler, Nancy Davidson, Cheryl Holthaus, Alexus Jeanneret, Denise Fritz, Traci Sergent, Kayle, McNally-Knoblauch, Irene Hail Gingoyon, Hannah Karn, Therese Merz, Ashlea Kramer, Michelle Lippert, Irene Kiefer, Brandi Meade, Genevieve Wingerter, Patricia Kosmicki, Laura Cottrell, Rebecca McKenzie, Sherry Moran, Tiffany Sanders, Kim Lovvorn
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Coffee Shop Special
April 4-8
Banana Split Mocha
- Chocolate, banana, & cherry
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16 oz., $4
- Hot, cold, or frappe
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No Foolin'!
20% OFF
Friday, April 1
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Mention this coupon at the Gift Shop on Friday, April 1 and take 20% off one item that costs $10
or more.
(Applies to purchases over the phone, too!)
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CHCS menu: Onaga and Eastridge |
St. Marys menus are available each morning through the Activities chronicle.
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Did you miss your Connection?
Important information is relayed every week in the E-Connection. If you miss it in your email, an archive is available on our website. Visit the For Associates page, then click E-Connection Archive.
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Send items for the E-Connection or for sharing with our broader social media audience to sarahhancock@chcsks.org. Please send items by close of business on Tuesdays when possible. Ideas are welcome!
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