Employee Volunteers Time Within Community
January 10, 2019
Excelance in Action In July 2017, Mr. B was admitted to Excela Health Latrobe Hospital with exacerbation of COPD and chronic hypoxic respiratory failure. When he was first admitted and discussed codes, Mr. B told nurse practitioner Kari Halaut he wished for full code. His condition worsened over time and Mr. B landed in the Intensive Care Unit. Here, he changed his code to Do Not Resuscitate/Do Not Intubate. As he experienced respiratory decomposition, Dr. Ian Zack and Amy Tokesky, RN, explained his status to him and his sons. Though his code was DNR/DNI, Mr. B and his sons decided mechanical ventilation was the best plan of care for support in real time. With a very poor prognosis over the next few days, Dr. Nikhil Asher discussed Mr. B’s status with his sons. Their father’s wishes no longer included mechanical ventilation, but his desire was to be extubated as quickly as possible, so hospice care was necessary. Mr. B shared with Lindsay Grenda (Newill), BSN, RN, that his dying wish was to see his daughter wed her fiancé. To find out how Grenda and the Latrobe Hospital nursing staff granted Mr. B’s final wish, check out the Excelance in Action story, “EP4 - Establishing a Plan of Care,” under Featured News.
What is a Chargemaster? On January 1, 2019, hospitals were required to have a “chargemaster” listed online. Excela Health is compliant with this new law, but still many are left asking “What is a ‘chargemaster’.” Each hospital's chargemaster is a list of medical codes and prices for everything a hospital provides to patients. These prices, however, are not the negotiated price between hospitals and insurers, and is not the price that most patients would pay for care. The best way to find out what you will pay out-of-pocket is to work with your hospital and insurer. To view the chargemaster for Excela Health and more information, go to excelahealth.org and search ‘price’.
When Theresa McClain, CRCST, is not spending her time helping patients at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital, she helps the plight of unwanted, abused or neglected horses at Second Chance Equine Association in Hempfield. For the past 12 years, the non-profit association and its volunteers have rescued horses while educating equine owners about caring for their animals. Some 150 horses have been relocated or adopted, and the organization plans to expand their services. McClain is the volunteer care coordinator and has been involved with the organization since it started.
Changing Careers, Winning Hearts Dora, a 7-year-old Labrador Retriever/Golden Retriever mix is the Therapy Dog of the Month for January. She was born to Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), based in Santa Rosa, Calif. CCI is a non-profit organization that breeds, raises and trains assistance dogs that are given to adults, children and veterans with disabilities or clients with special needs. Dora knows more than 40 commands, some as basic as sit, stay and down, and as advanced as turning on/off light switches, opening doors and picking up dropped items. Dora is considered a “change of career” dog and now spends time opening automatic doors and amusing those in the waiting areas at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital.
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Vol. 2 Issue 2
Excela Health Job Fair Congratulations to the following 2nd Quarter Safety Wall Winners: LH Respiratory; WH Quality; FH PCU/ICU; Offsite: ESN Imaging
Tell your friends and family how they can start their new year with a new career! A full-time benefits package, competitive pay and paid time off are just a few of the benefits Excela Health has to offer! They can join us at our job fair for on-site interviews with hiring managers. For more information visit: https://bit.ly/2UNYYJ4
In the news • Saint Vincent, which offers a master’s and doctorate program for nurse anesthetists in conjunction with Excela Health, will partner with Carlow University beginning this fall to offer a bachelor of science in nursing at its campus near Latrobe.: https://bit.ly/2SIincZ
Reminders • Do not forget to complete your mandatory Net Learning
Community Events • Mall Walkers, 1/24, 8 to 9:30 a.m., Join us to kick-off the 2019 Mall Walkers at Westmoreland Mall. There’s a continental breakfast, informational Mall tables and a chance to win door prizes as Walkers usual. • Hernia Screening, 1/26, 10 a.m., Excela Square at Norwin, Excela Health Surgical Specialists will discuss the importance of diagnosing a hernia, its risks,and the latest treatments including robotic technology used for hernia repair. Seating is limited to the first 50 responders. To reserve your spot visit: https://bit.ly/2SGIrFn.
education modules for the month. • Ready to shake the winter blues? The Westmoreland Hospital Hospitality Shop is getting ready for spring!
The
Heart Center at
Perks
PERKS!
In Partnership with Westmoreland Mall
Check out the Featured Perks Partners of the week! Perks available for all interests. For more details and to view more than 100 perks, visit http://www.myexcelaperks.org
UPCOmING ON-SITE EVENTS •
Employee Biometric Screening, multi-date, multi-site. Visit the Calendar of Events for more information. • Excela Health offers multiple options for fitness classes. To see a full list of classes, dates and times, check the calendar of events on the Intranet.
The YMCA, Greensburg
Levin’s, multi-site
Jiffy Lube, multi-site