Congratulations to our three new lead nurses! |
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From coordinating staffing and ordering supplies to attending meetings and hosting huddles -- not to mention caring for patients -- our clinic lead nurses take on many responsibilities to ensure that we provide quality care. They implement quality measures and keep things running smoothly, and they exhibit grace under pressure.
CHCS is proud to recognize two new lead nurses and one change in location.
"Our lead nurses are the glue that keep teams together in our clinics, and we are grateful to have wonderful candidates to promote. We have big shoes to fill after Pat Flentie and Peggy Buessing retire, and I know the new lead nurses will be up to the task," said Merica Surdez, Chief of Provider and Clinic Operations.
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Jes Hipp, RN, will assume the lead nurse role at the Centralia Clinic. Jes previously served as lead nurse at the Westmoreland Clinic. She joined CHCS in April 2002. She started at Eastridge, completed her LPN at Northeast Kansas Technical College in Atchison in 2004. After that, Jes worked at St. Marys Clinic, Eastridge, Onaga Clinic, and filled in for a short time at Holton. She received her RN in 2013 from Manhattan Area Technical College. Jes said she has loved the atmosphere in Westmoreland and the close relationships she has built there. She said that CHCS has caring people "who are willing to go above and beyond, but they don't even realize it's above and beyond. We have great providers--we couldn't ask for better!" Jes will miss her Westmoreland co-workers, but she is excited to be working in her home community and is looking forward to learning more about the people there. Jes and her husband, Jeremiah, have three children (ages 20, 16, and 11) and one grandson (age 3). They have lived in Centralia for 20 years, and Jeremiah has his own construction business.
Kayla Suther, RN, will be the new lead nurse at the Westmoreland Clinic. Kayla has worked at CHCS for 7 years. She is a Rock Creek alum and completed her RN at Manhattan Area Technical College. She likes the Westmoreland Clinic and is happy to have an opportunity to advance her career. "I'm glad to work with the same providers and staff -- it's a good team," she said. She enjoys the small community and the variety of patients and families, from babies to the elderly. "It's fun to know everyone well and get to know the patients," she said. Kayla's husband is an auto body technician at RC Auto Body in Manhattan, and they have three children, ages almost 8, almost 5, and 2 months.
Carol Perry, LPN, will assume the lead nurse role at the Onaga Clinic. Carol has worked at CHCS for nearly 30 years. She was born here at the Onaga hospital and grew up on a farm north of town. She received her degree from Manhattan Area Technical College in 1995. "I am excited about taking on the lead nurse role to advance my career in doing what I love," she said. "I'm excited to be the voice for not only the patients, but also my co-workers and providers to offer the very best care around." Carol is married to Luke Perry, who works for CHCS in maintenance, and they have two girls, ages 10 and 9. Their family lives on a farm near where Carol grew up, and in addition to their full-time jobs, Carol and Luke raise cattle. Their girls are active in 4-H and busy with their Hereford show heifers. Carol also helps her mom and sister with Route Step Farm merchandise (soaps, lotions, honey) and in selling LC Ranch beef.
Congratulations Jes, Kayla, and Carol!
The rest of our lead nurse team is:
- St. Marys Clinic: Stacey Pearl
- Frankfort Clinic: Stacy Vermetten
- Holton Clinic: Brandy Watkins
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Trauma Awareness: Vehicle safety |
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Since 1988, the United States has recognized the month of May as Trauma Awareness Month. This year’s theme chosen by the American Trauma Society (ATS) and The Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) is Safe and Secure – Safety is a Choice, Prevention is the Key.
During the pandemic, we learned that taking preventative measures to ensure our safety against COVID-19 was important, and the same is true with trauma! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 214,000 people die each year from unintentional and violence-related injury.
CHCS encourages our communities to choose safety. Adopting some basic motor vehicle and off-highway vehicle (OHV) safety measures can help PREVENT injury and death.
Quick facts
- Motor vehicle crashes account for 19% of unintentional injury death in Kansas, per Kansas Trauma Program statistics between 2010 and 2015.
- 2,311 Kansans died as a result of motor vehicle accidents between 2010 and 2015.
- From 2015-2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that the U.S. had around 524,600 ER visits related to injuries from OHVs (ATVs, ROVs, &/or UTVs).
- The majority of the injuries suffered from OHV accidents are from those who are under 16 years of age.
Safety measures for motor vehicles
- Buckle up every trip, every time!
- Ensure children have the proper booster seat or car seat for their age.
- Do not place a rear-facing child seat in the front of an air bag.
- The safest spot for a child to be buckled up is in the middle back seat of a vehicle.
- Drivers: Ensure everyone in your car is buckled up.
- Find additional information:
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Child Passenger Safety – CDC
- Teen Drinking and Driving – CDC
- Distracted Driving - CDC
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Safety measures for off-highway vehicles
(ATVs, ROVs, or UTVs)
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Always wear a helmet and other protective gear, such as eye protection, boots, gloves, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.
- Never ride with more passengers than there are seats.
- Riders younger than 16 should be supervised by an adult. These are not toys.
- Off-road vehicles are designed to be driven only on off-road terrain, not paved surfaces.
- Never ride on public roads except to cross where permitted by law, because another vehicle may hit you.
- Avoid drinking alcohol before or while driving an ATV, because alcohol can impair judgment and response time.
- Get training on OHV safety:
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SAIF Farm ATV Safety Video
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ATV training for Kids
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Recreational Off Highway Vehicle training
-- Mindy Olberding, Chief Nursing Officer
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Lego logic
This is a good representation of the power of vaccines. It shows in a simple way what getting the COVID-19 vaccine does to prevent severe illness.
--Karen Elliott, RN Infection Control
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Social media fact check
A viral video and blog post that has been shared widely on social media falsely claims that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines cause disease and death through "GMO shedding." The herbal medicine devotee behind the information claims that unvaccinated people are exposed to toxins that cause sudden deaths, miscarriages, placenta dysfunctionality, and more just from being around vaccinated people.
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Looking for reliable vaccine information?
KFMC Health Improvement Partners has developed a fact sheet about available COVID-19 vaccines. The fact sheet is now updated to reflect availability for those ages 12 and up, and it includes explanations of how mRNA vaccines work, how viral vector vaccines work, what other ingredients are in the vaccines, and more. Click the image at left to expand or download the flyer.
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Mental health and social media |
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Can you reward yourself with any of the stickers at right?
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so it's the perfect time to remind yourself of the best ways to protect your mental health as you use social media.
Excessive social media use can fuel anxiety, depression, isolation, and FOMO (fear of missing out).
Quitting is often not an option, so what can you do instead?
- Narrow down the apps you use
- Curate smaller friends lists
- Turn off push notifications
- Set time, space, and content boundaries
- Find more tips
Another thing to consider is changing your focus. If you’re accessing social media to find specific information, check on a friend who’s been ill, or share new photos of your kids with family, for example, your experience is likely to be very different than if you’re logging on simply because you’re bored, you want to see how many likes you got from a previous post, or to check if you’re missing out on something. Next time you go to access social media, pause for a moment and clarify your motivation for doing so. Find more information on social media and mental health.
Look for more information next week on the power of stepping away for a mental health break and taking a walk!
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Everyone loves wearing jeans on Friday, right?! Starting in June, CHCS associates can wear jeans for a cause.
It's simple: Contribute $10 by the first Wednesday of the month to benefit the Greater Giving fund of your choice (Comfort Closet, Wish List, Scholarships, or the Endowment), get a sticker for your name badge, and enjoy a month of Friday jeans! Learn more about the funds.
More details are coming soon on where to submit payments in each location, so stay tuned! Use the form above (click to expand) to submit with your $10 when the time comes.
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Alexis Whorton awarded 2021 Kansas Health Care Scholarship
Our own Alexis Whorton, Community HomeHealth RN, has been awarded a $1,200 scholarship from Healthworks (formerly the Kansas Hospital Education & Research Foundation).
Alexis is pursing a bachelor of science in nursing, or BSN, through Fort Hays State University. She learned of the scholarship opportunity by reading the E-Connection. Alexis has worked for CHCS for 5 years and is passionate about being a nurse and providing the best possible care.
Congratulations, Alexis! CHCS is proud of you!
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Walk Kansas: Week 7
Hey, Walk Kansas participants! You're in the home stretch!
Congratulations to the more than 90 CHCS participants who have been exercising and logging their efforts with Walk Kansas. We hope you have enjoyed it and helped build or reinforce good habits.
Even if you aren't participating, you are welcome to read the Walk Kansas newsletter. Week 7 topics are related to diabetes: prevention and management, exercising with diabetes, and eating well with diabetes. Plus, find a recipe for steak with mushroom sauce! (click the image at left to expand)
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Welcome to CHCS!
We are happy to have the following associates joining us. Welcome to CHCS!
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Erica Delehanty, Unit Secretary/Screener, Onaga Registration
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Jaiden Thomas, C.N.A., Redbud
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Important reminders
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CHCS Clinics are offering COVID-19 vaccines for anyone age 12 and up. View a flyer.
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Employee Assistance Program: All CHCS associates are eligible for three confidential counseling sessions per fiscal year (April 1-March 31). To schedule, contact Regina Gronewoller, LSCSW, at reginagronewoller@chcsks.org (preferred) or call 785-437-3734. Download and share a flyer.
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Coffee Shop special
May 24-28
Dirty chai latte
- 16 oz., $4
- Hot, cold, or frappe
Come and check out our new gourmet popcorn snacks!
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$15 Friday flowers!
Swing by the Gift Shop for Friday Flowers! For $15, you can take home a little joy or surprise someone with a bit of beauty.
Our local floral vendor, Fun and Fabulous Floral, supplies the wrapped bouquets, and they are fresh and long-lasting. Take a look!
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CHCS menus: Onaga and Eastridge |
Note: St. Marys menus are available each morning through the Activities chronicle
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Hospital Week fun!
Hospital Week 2021 was a good time! Congratulations to the winners of the Hospital Week Poker Run and the CHCS Associate Trivia Quiz! Winners are listed below, plus enjoy more photos from Associate Recognition around the system. Thanks to all who planned and participated in the activities.
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Trivia winner
More than 60 associates took the trivia quiz to learn more about those with the most years of service. We drew from the highest scores to choose a winner. Carol Perry, Onaga, won the drawing. Her prize is a CHCS T-shirt from the Gift Shop
Poker Run winners
90 Poker Run sheets were submitted. The Grand Prize winner will receive a CHCS T-Shirt from the Gift Shop. The location winners will receive a gourmet popcorn snack. Congratulations to all!
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Grand Prize Overall: Susan Tanking, Holton, with a full house
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Onaga 1st Place: Karen Johnson with a flush
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Holton 1st Place: Amber Grollmes with a flush
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St. Marys 1st Place: Brenda Sommars with two pair
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Westmoreland 1st Place: Annie Crumbaker with a straight
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Centralia 1st Place: Michelle Lewis, Tabitha Shuler, Kandi Gosvener (they turned in one sheet together) with three of a kind
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Frankfort: No participants.
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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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