March/April 2013
the pulse
a publication for the Florida Hospital North Pinellas family
Our Employees Shoot for the
STARS
Hourly Rounding, Smartphones and Dancing...
Oh My!
WHAT MAKES YOUR HEART BEAT? SHARE YOUR STORY...
Contact Kate Archer: kate.archer@ahss.org or (727) 943-3463
Nitsa
Lekakis Serving our hospital family for 30 years
Naomi with her Sister and Grandson
Our Volunteers: Lillian, Pat and Cal
Josh and Lori being silly
Staying Focused in the New Year 2013 is off to a great start at Florida Hospital North Pinellas. I am excited about the strides our hospital continues to take in the direction of world-class care. This year our Emergency Department will be a focus for us as we continue to educate the community on our ability to care for patients during critical times. As you all know, in 2012 we were acknowledged by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association in our compliance with core standard levels of care. Our goal is to continue moving forward and surpass those standards by meeting and exceeding our patient’s expectations. Florida Hospital North Pinellas is the area’s only Accredited Chest Pain facility, and we are a Primary Stroke Center. Heart attack and stroke are time sensitive emergencies and we want our community to feel confident that Florida Hospital North Pinellas is their best choice in health care. Our delivery of care took another step on March 6th with Operation Sunshine’s inaugural skin cancer screening event at Sun Toyota, who generously donated the 2012 Toyota Tundra to the program last year. Operation Sunshine’s mobile Sun Spotter will focus on sun-safety education and on-site skin cancer examinations for the schools and industry in Pinellas County, as well as other community organizations. We embrace another new initiative this month with our focused Hourly Rounding program by our nursing colleagues. The goal of this program is to improve patient experiences and experience scores during their stay at our hospital. This will allow for our staff to anticipate the needs of our patients by making them feel better cared for and more comfortable. In addition to patient care, one of the focuses of the Administration team is to ensure that we acknowledge and support all of you. I very much enjoyed celebrating one-year of Go Live with Cerner at the picnic in the park in February. It’s very important that we not lose sight of those that have been a part of the successes of our hospital. I hope that you all will continue to support each other in your personal and professional efforts, just as I support you. Wishing you all the best,
Save the Date
the
EXPERTS At a FREE Dinner With The Docs
Thursday, March 28
Innisbrook Golf and Spa Resort Doors open at 4:30pm.
2 1
Bruce Bergherm President/CEO
Enjoy dinner with your favorite doc along with a panel discussion from the audience. Reservations are required, space is limited.
Please call (727) 943-3600 to reserve your space.
2012 Employees of the Year
STARS Special Thanks and Recognition
Nursing Services
Melissa Parker has been with the hospital since 1998. Melissa, LPN, is a team player who shows pride in her work. She shows dedication and compassion that allows her to connect with her patients. Her laugh puts a smile on her patients faces as well as the staff around her. She has a way of putting her patients at ease and helps them to keep their chin up. “Melissa is a great asset to the FHNP team and we are fortunate to have her on the 6th floor team,” says Katherine Hobday. Thank you, Melissa, for all you do!
Non-Nursing Clinical Services
Stan Revell was recently honored in December at our monthly First Tuesday gathering. His impressive work ethic and eagerness to assist others has brought him back into the spotlight as an Employee of the Year. He really cares for the patients and does his best to make their visit here as pleasant as possible. He demonstrates great focus in the work he does; he is not only kind and considerate to the patients but also to the employees at the hospital. Again, Stan has proven to be an “outstanding example of an exceptional employee”, as mentioned by Imaging Manager, Amy Scheffler. Thank you again, Stan, for all you do!
Support Services
Jackie Pendleton has been nominated by Tina Wallace, Switchboard Operator, for being a “very caring and dedicated person”. Jackie, Lead Communication Specialist, is the friendly voice you hear when calling Florida Hospital North Pinellas. She takes the extra time with each caller to ensure they are correctly connected, and really has a knack for making everyone feel important. She always has a positive attitude and is very professional, ensuring the department always runs smoothly. Thank you, Jackie, for all you do!
To participate in the Foundation’s Employee Giving Campaign, or to learn more, visit the Foundation Team page on Arc or contact Terry Smither.
Tiffany and Christy, Cerner and Sunshine... Life is Good!
Happy One Year of Cerner, FHNP! Thank you all for making our first year of Cerner so successful! Your hard work has set the bar at Florida Hospital North Pinellas. We hope you all enjoyed the celebratory picnic in the park in February. What a great reward for a job well done!
Vernon and Alan, professional Grill Masters
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Nitsa
Lekakis
“Always forgive people,” says Nitsa
Fun Facts
_ _________ k _a__k_i_s e _ _ L _ _ _ _ a _ _ s ___i_t___ on: ___N
ardenia summer Flower: G te ri o g in the v a in F t a o B e Year: Time of th Favorite aroon n Wings Color: M d Chicke o o F e s Favorite e od: Chin erican Fo m A te ri o Fav Baklava ding” Dessert: reek Wed Favorite G t a F ig yB Movie: “M Favorite
On March 24th Nitsa will celebrate 30 years with our hospital. When asked what she would like to do for this great accomplishment, Nitsa replied, “I want to have a special birthday lunch with everybody that I see every day.” Please thank Nitsa for her 30 years of service; thank you, Nitsa, we all appreciate your kindness and your smiling face.
“everyone has their
good and bad days.
4
Sometimes you have to start new.”
Thirty-seven years ago, a kind lady came to the States from the beautiful Greek Island of Samos. She left behind all that she knew and started a new adventure here with her brother. On March 8, 1991 Ourania Lekakis became a US Citizen. Ourania was later shortened to Nitsa and so her story began. Nitsa began working in food service many years ago. She has worked in several different positions but she enjoys being out front with the people the most. “Happy people are nice,” says Nitsa, “I like to talk to people and I get to meet different people.”
“Nitsa is one in a million” says Alan Thomas, Director of Food Services.
“She is very conscientious of being service-minded, and always sets a great example of friendliness, honesty and integrity for others in the department to follow. She understands [customers] are our lifeline, and is committed to anything that will please them. We are honored to have her on our team.” Nitsa has raised three successful boys and that makes her very happy. She now has four grandkids and enjoys traveling to Maryland to see them. Though she is proud of her accomplishments here, there is still a part of her that misses her country every now and again. On an anniversary trip to the Bahamas, Nitsa was reminded of the beauty of her homeland. The scenic mountains as they roll into the water are one of her most treasured mental snapshots. She also misses her sister and brother who remained in Greece, but she is happy to keep her Greek traditions alive in the kitchen. Some of her favorite authentic dishes to make are spanakopita, moussaka, and at Easter, or as they call it in Greece – Pascha, a lamb rotisserie. Having abstained from meat for the 40 days of Lent is a tradition still very alive in Greece, so often times lamb is the first meat they bring
back into their diet; Nitsa carries on the tradition and prepares the rotisserie every year. Traditions are wonderful to honor, and now Nitsa and her family have some new traditions that they look forward to here. Her favorite time of the year is summer when she and her family venture out on the boat for a day of fishing. She also enjoys gardening; in fact, she grows many of her own vegetables in her backyard, including broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. She even enjoys a nice peek at an American tradition, the Super Bowl, as long as she gets to munch on some yummy chicken wings. FHNP is sponsoring the Relay For Life of Oldsmar & the Relay For Life of Tarpon Springs.
To volunteer, donate or find ways you can be a part of the legacy in the fight against cancer, contact Kate Archer, Event Chair for Oldsmar, at kate.archer@ahss.org or Rosemary Giuliano, Event Chair for Tarpon Springs, at rosemary.giuliano@ahss.org. Oldsmar April 12th 6:00 PM at Canal Park Tarpon Springs May 17th 6:00 PM at Tarpon Springs High School Would you like to see Rosemary Giuliano, Dr. Astra and Dr. Reintgen bald? Help them to raise $3,000 and they’ll tell cancer to buzz off!
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Hourly Rounding
Ensures Patients
are the Priority The new hourly rounding program is an AHS initiative that our hospital decided to implement as a way to keep our patients needs and experiences top of mind. The goal is to see every patient every hour, at night every two hours. This will allow for our staff to proactively anticipate the needs and keep call bell’s to a minimum. This program has been implemented at some of our sister hospitals already and they have seen a reduction in falls and pressure ulcers, and an increase in time for individualized patient care as well as an increase in patient experience scores.
With logging their hourly check-ins, patients and their family members will be able to see the North Pinellas difference of how we care for our patients. Danielle Rucker, Patient Experience Coordinator, said she, “appreciates the support and positive feedback from the staff already. This initiative shows we really are focused on the healing ministry of Christ.”
Can you find me now? Florida Hospital North Pinellas has jumped on the smartphone train by joining with ZocDoc. ZocDoc is a free service that allows patients to find a nearby doctor who accepts their insurance, see their real-time availability, and instantly book an appointment via ZocDoc.com or ZocDoc’s free apps for iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry. ZocDoc helps most patients get access to care in just 24-72 hours. So, on your lunch break – try it out! Search for your West Coast Medical Group docs and book your appointment today!
www.zocdoc.com SAVE THE DATE Presented by
Fashions by
Remember When Fashion Show, Luncheon and Dance Entertainment by
Ron & The Classics 50’s - 80’s Music
Papa Woody
“The Entertainer” Smooth Jazz
Sunday, April 14, 2013 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort, Sterling Hall 36750 US Hwy. 19N. Palm Harbor, FL
Reservations are strongly encouraged, (727) 942-5000 x2558 6
Happy Birthday to YOU!
thday, Happy Bir Okaayyy! a… n d E
MARCH
We
Atil
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Bold o Szü g leté sn
Lucy!
apo
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APRIL
BIRTHDAYs
Ruth Hooker................................1 Jackie Zazzarino........................1 Dean Cosgrove..........................2 Jody Anderson...........................2 Janice Gagarini..........................3 Norma Taylor..............................3 Helen Morris.............................3 Bradford Jones..........................3 Dorothy Cotton...........................3 Connie Mathews........................4 Denise Matz...............................5 Stephanie Burke.........................6 Joy Hart......................................6 Mark Lamanna...........................7 Christy Capille............................7 Attila Voros................................8 Marlene Turnrose......................9 Lizette Kirkendall.......................9 Kelly Pirovolos......................... 10 Rafaela Coates........................ 13 Erica Marquis.......................... 13 Christine Wallace.................... 13 Michael Gianninoto................. 14 Edna Thoams........................... 15 Lauren Conrad......................... 15 Christopher Smith................... 16 Josephn Oppenheimer............ 16 Katherine Shirley..................... 16 Megan Grella.......................... 18 Gary Avila................................ 19 Candice Young......................... 20 Dawn Cobb.............................. 21
Betty Messier.......................... 21 Kathy Beninati......................... 21 Nikolaos Georgoulis................ 22 Madeline Weis........................ 23 Malcolm Struble...................... 23 Stephen Iulg............................ 25 Deborah Nieves....................... 25 Lynn Godin............................... 25 Susan Sweet........................... 26 Marie Mac Eachern................. 27 Marvin Weeks......................... 27 Iran Kuchari............................. 28 Paul Farren.............................. 28 Alyssa Kay............................... 28 Alison Dolzonek....................... 29 Maida Kocan........................... 29 Donna Lynn.............................. 29 Susan Williams....................... 30 Nathan Gysin........................... 30 Cheryl Despenza...................... 30 Deborah Robison..................... 30
BIRTHDAYs
Yasmin Balsamo.........................1 Kathleen Schmieder...................2 Sheryl Bohlender........................2 John Barry..................................3 Michele Sweeney......................4 John Pemann.............................4 Josephine Maslonka.................6 Amanda Albertson.....................6 Harmony Juchniewicz................7 Raymond McAplin......................7 Catina Chacon............................7 Clarissa Winthrop......................8 Samantha Gumpf.......................8 Barbara Arnold...........................9 Janet Jones.............................10 Tina Baum................................10 Dipti Mehta..............................11 Melissa McBrinde....................11 Alissa Cooper...........................12 Roberta Hoffman.....................12 Sophia Tombros.......................12 Jeffrey Golji.............................13 Francine Larkin........................15 Arthur Schneck........................15 Dolly Davis...............................15 Eric Moore...............................15 Rebecca Belanger....................15 Gwenda Gulvin-Seidler............16 Peter DeGraff...........................16 Elizabeth Coddington-Wade....17
it’s You say day…. your Birth Feliz –Fro Cumple añ m: T he h os, Bar b ole i n th ! e W all
William Weigand.....................17 Sandra Ackley..........................18 Nancy Tartaglia........................18 Lawrence Coddington..............19 Holly Cavanaugh......................19 Jackeyln Pettay........................19 Meawalal Kelly........................19 Brandi Ransom.........................20 Yeniley Gala-Fuentes...............20 Jessie George..........................20 Mary Assalone.........................21 Junice Altass............................21 Jennifer Sweeney....................23 Trevor Clark..............................23 Audrey Edens...........................23 Anna Dykzeul...........................25 Catherine Brech...................... 25 Lucy Mahaffy...........................25 Kevin Wuertz.......................... 26 Donna Szarejko....................... 26 Hallie Murphy......................... 26 Shanik Edwards...................... 27 Mushtaq Nabi......................... 27 Linda Wonderly....................... 30 Noreen Salzillo....................... 30 Marsha Polin.......................... 30 Don Belles............................. 30 Michele Kaniarz...................... 31 Donna Himmelman................. 31
It’s MY B irthday, too, yeah! 7
“Great SERVICE
Starts with me!”
AllSpice CAFÉ
The
The AllSpice Café at Florida Hospital North Pinellas knows that nutrition is important for both health and healing. The Food Services staff is dedicated to the patient and customer’s complete satisfaction. Catering to patients on a restricted diet is quite common; our hospital Dieticians are more than willing to consult with patients in an effort to educate the patient on a proper diet fit for their needs. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, you’ll be served with a smile from all the members of the Food Services team.
From Left to Right - Back Row: Lori Current, Nitsa Ouranis, John Flyzanis, Phyllis Cunningham, Sondra Dodge, Eric Lupion, Caitlan Ruiz St Onge, Gary Randolph, Linda Black and Despina Psomas Left to Right - Middle Row: Analyn Oppenheimer, Anastasia Kapetanopoulos, Amanda Filliagi,Teresita Billedo, Bobbi Sheffield and Mike McManus Front: Chef David Riposo and Alan Thomas Not Pictured: Alivia Diggins, Ginette Rennell, Cassandra Stowell, Betty VonDerlieth, Deborah Chaney, Margaret Lewis, Joshua Tobey, Jerry Bitros, Andy Sutula, Linda Anderson, David Branfield, Adam Curve and Guenka Toptchieva
MARCH IS NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day”
(727) 942-5000 I FHNorthPinellas.com
Sign up to join the FHNP Weight Loss Challenge Registered dieticians play a critical role in helping people eat right, their way, every day. Sign up at our dietitian’s office located outside of the AllSpice Café, email amanda.filiaggi@ahss.org or page Amanda at 257-4326 for more information.
The Pulse Editor: Kate Archer – kate.archer@ahss.org Layout and Design: Jackie Smith – jaqueline.smith@ahss.org