Congratulations are in order for Community Home Health, which had a record month in June!
- Patient visits were up 32.81%.
- Staff are seeing patients with more complex needs.
- Revenue was more than $10,500 higher than the previous record.
- Patients come from the Onaga or St. Marys hospitals, all of our clinics, as well as Wamego, Topeka, Manhattan, and Kansas City hospitals for continued recovery at home.
- The care team includes Home Health nurses, Home Health aides, therapists, and social workers.
- Our service area includes Pottawatomie, Jackson, Nemaha, Marshall, Shawnee, and Wabaunsee counties.
July started with a bang, too, with 9 new patient referrals in 2 days.
(A typical rate is 20-25 new patients each month.)
Congratulations to everyone at Community Home Health!
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Associate Recognition and Hospital Week
Service awards
will be distributed to associates at all locations next week. Dates and times are as follows. Please join us for a brief (socially distanced) presentation, snacks, and celebration!
- St. Marys Acute and Clinic: Monday, August 3, 12:45 to 2:00 p.m.
- Holton Family Health Center: Tuesday, August 4, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m.
- Onaga: Tuesday, August 4, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
- Westmoreland: Wednesday, August 5, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m.
- St. Marys Manor: Thursday, August 6, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Eastridge: Friday, August 7, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
We'll celebrate Hospital Week
—
complete with gifts, ice cream bars, and special activities
—
September 14-18
. During our September celebration, we'll share a
special edition of the E-Connection
each day to recognize our associates who have reached service milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years.
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Dear Onaga Community Hospital
A lovely note came to Onaga Community Hospital from Katelyn Reisinger on behalf of the Emporia State University chapter of Circle K International, an organization devoted to "d
eveloping college and university students into a global network of responsible citizens and leaders with a lifelong commitment to service." The text says:
"Thank you for everything you have done these past few months during this pandemic. Your services to our local community has been a huge success in order to help everyone with the coronavirus get better. I also watned to thank all of the healthcare workers for putting in their time to help during this time. Hope everyone is happy, healthy, and safe!"
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Check hand sanitizers for toxic ingredients
Just about everyone has purchased hand sanitizer to protect ourselves and our families from COVID-19.
The FDA is warning consumers and health care providers that the agency has seen a sharp increase in
hand sanitizer products
that are labeled to contain ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but that have tested positive for methanol contamination. Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested and can be life-threatening when ingested.
Please note that CHCS has not purchased hand sanitizers that appear on this list,
but if you have purchased some for your personal use, you should check to make sure your products aren't listed!
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KDHE travel updates
Changing circumstances mean that KDHE is updating travel-related isolation and quarantine guidance frequently. This week, KDHE added
Florida
back to the list.
As reported in previous editions of the E-Connection, associates engage in personal travel at their own risk.
See the
June 25 edition
for details on the CHCS Emergency Administrative Leave policy.
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Zero-deficiency infection control surveys
Earlier this month, we reported that Eastridge passed its federal infection control survey with only one deficiency that was easily corrected. The knowledge we gained from that survey helped us prepare for surveys at Redbud and St. Marys Manor, and last week they both passed with zero deficiencies!
Thank you to all who helped ensure that all associates were trained and prepared to represent CHCS so well and, most of all, thank you for keeping our residents as safe as possible!
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Visitors allowed to Onaga Cafeteria, Community Home Care Equipment starting August 3
Although the Community HealthCare System Onaga Community Hospital has been open to selected visitors and support persons for patients since June 1, the Cafeteria and Community Home Care Equipment store have remained closed. That will change on Monday, August 3.
On August 3, both the Cafeteria and Community Home Care Equipment store will allow visitors and patients who have been screened at the hospital main entrance and who are following the mask policy.
Cafeteria
CHCS recognizes that visitors who are waiting for family members having surgery or supporting patients during hospital stays need to access the cafeteria. Nurses have been able to request meals for visitors during COVID-19-related closures, but it will be more convenient for visitors to be able to visit on their own to get what they need.
Those who are not supporting patients will need to use curbside service as previously arranged.
The Cafeteria cannot accommodate large groups because we must maintain social distancing. The Cafeteria continues to offer free coffee and tea, breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and dinner from 5 to 5:30 p.m.
Community Home Care Equipment
Community Home Care Equipment, or CHCE, serves patients with a range of medical equipment and supply needs. The store was formerly known as DME.
During the closure, CHCE offered phone orders and curbside delivery service. These services will continue, but those who prefer to visit in person will be able to do so.
To order over the phone, call 785-889-5018. To visit in person, enter through the main hospital entrance for screening, then proceed through the waiting area and follow signs marked DME.
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Mental health moment: Create a self-care plan
You may have heard it before: You can’t help others without taking care of yourself first.
Self-care is an important way to protect your physical, mental, and emotional health so you can better adapt to changes, build strong relationships, and recover from setbacks. You can also better support those around you who might be in need.
If you’re ready to take care of yourself and practice self-care,
use this information from the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) curriculum to create a realistic and effective plan.
When creating your self-care plan, it’s important to consider the following questions:
- What will I do for self-care? Stick to the basics and add certain self-care activities to your calendar. Some examples are getting enough sleep, exercising as appropriate for your own health, eating healthfully, spending time with loved ones, using relaxation exercises, and practicing meditation.
- Whom can I call at any time? Identify people in your life who you trust and can talk to about the good and bad that may happen.
- Whom can I reach out to if I need more help? Identify who you can call if you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or sad. This may include loved ones, a coach or teacher, or mental health professional.
As you start to think about what activities you want to include in your self-care plan, it can be helpful to explore these domains and brainstorm people, programs, and activities that are important and feel safe to you within each.
You may find that you have things for one domain, a few, or all of them:
- Intellectual
- Emotional
- Occupational
- Environment
- Community
- Physical
- Financial
- Spiritual
Remember that everyone’s self-care plan will be different — and that’s OK. Equally important, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Reach out to the supportive people in your life and discuss self-care methods that may have helped them and what you’re hoping to achieve. You can also use these
tips from MHFA
to care for yourself while practicing physical distancing. With the right information and tools, you can #BeTheDifference for yourself every day.
This article is from the Mental Health First Aid website.
Find it online
, then be sure to explore the site for more excellent tips!
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CHCS Patient Portal access now available through Apple Health app
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CHCS now offers Patient Portal integration with Apple Health.
The functionality brings together hospitals, clinics, and the existing Apple Health app to make it easy for patients to see their available medical data from multiple providers whenever they choose.
The iPhone Health Records feature is part of the Health app, which also shows activity, heart rate, nutrition and other health data consolidated from iPhone, Apple Watch, and some third-party apps. Information from the CHCS Patient Portal will now be available for patients who wish to integrate their health information and access it from one app.
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Sounds of summer: The quiz
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Thanks to all who played. The winners and prizes are:
- Jason McKinsey: Kooler Cozy
- Jill Greene: Grapefruit bath bomb and lip balm
- Lisa McGowan: Abdallah candy
If you missed it, you can view the quiz (and find the answer key) by clicking the buttons below).
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Don't forget to vote next week!
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The Kansas Primary is August 4!
Your vote counts and your voice matters
, so be sure you are ready and able to cast your ballot for the future leadership of our state and our country.
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Here's to our associates with August birthdays! Join us in wishing them all the best as they celebrate.
Clara Niehues, Andrea Heideman, Lori Vernon, Theresa Dressman, Cassidy Eisenbarth, Bryan Mehl, Diane Mayhew, Danica Paloma, Brenda Sommars, Linda Fordham, Cornelia Campbell, Heather Myers, Jennifer Cantillon, Patricia Kolterman, Derek Surdez, Rochelle Browning, Heather Hurla, Raylee McClelland, Erin Lacey, Cecilia Reiser, Elaine Stephenson, Christopher Holliday, Lisa Pasillas, Tammy Handley, Vanessa Parker, David Cancelada, Steven Evans, Kelli Stewart, Abbie Flentie, Amaris Jones, Leah Chamley, Madison Lueger, Kayla Suther.
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Corn-shucking time!
Eastridge residents enjoyed shucking some corn last weekend
. The corn was donated by Bob Shirley (husband of resident Sally Shirley). Pass the butter!
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Welcome
We are happy to have the following associates joining us. Welcome to CHCS!
- Marie Wessel, Onaga/St. Marys Acute
- Doreen Cox, PTA, Rehab
- Janet Haug, CMA, Redbud
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Coffee Shop special
August 3-7
Coconut caramel latte
- Hot, iced, or frappe
- 16 oz., $4
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Note: St. Marys menus
are available each morning through the Activities chronicle.
If you are in Onaga on Thursday, August 6, enjoy
build-your-own burger day
from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.!
View a flier with details
.
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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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