Partners Newsletter - Fall 2017

Partners

October 2017

N E W S F RO M L M H E N D O W M E N T A S S O C I AT I O N

Rock the Block– Kick Cancer success!

Kicking cancer is a perfect reason for a communitywide happy dance, and this year’s Rock the Block– Kick Cancer Block Party was exactly that.

On Friday evening, October 27, a crowd came to party like rock stars (some in costumes!), celebrate cancer survivors, and support our friends and neighbors who still are in the fight. A special ceremony honored cancer patients past and present, including event co-chair, Lawrence Memorial Hospital oncology patient and breast cancer survivor, Megan Hill. Hill’s co-chair was her own oncologist, Sherri Soule, MD.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FAMILY

From left: Meg Givens, Beth Porter, Sue Givens, Barb Heeb, Rich Givens and Marjory Givens

Remembering Sue Givens

by Katherine Dinsdale

Sue Givens, RN, died in June 2015, leaving an extended community and family who loved her, many of whom still are marveling at how easily and effectively she circulated among her three loves: family, church and community.

“She had a great desire to care for those in need, comfort those in pain and celebrate the birth of new babies entering our world,” says her husband, Rich Givens.

Sue chose to work the night shift most of her 35 years in the Mother/Baby Unit at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Rich, KU Professor Emeritus of organic chemistry, says that in the early years he and his wife would pass one another quietly in the night, trading shifts while caring for their four young daughters.

That legacy of caring and providing support for others continues at LMH in Sue’s honor though a permanently endowed fund established by the Givens family, who wanted to offer opportunities for state-of-the-art education to the LMH nursing staff, as well as equipment for the Mother/Baby Unit. The nurse’s station where Sue spent so many late-night hours is dedicated to her memory. A plaque designating the memorial hangs in the nurse’s station near a hand sanitizer. Sue would have approved of that humble placement, her family says, because she liked the idea of pausing and praying for the last patient she’d seen each time she sanitized her hands. That simple and intentional habit was so like Sue, who was known for coming up with practical ways to translate her compassion into action.

—continued inside

Rock the Block–Kick Cancer — held this year at Dale Willey Automotive — raised funds to ensure that our community hospital stays on the leading edge of oncology care, purchasing new towers to monitor vital signs of LMH oncology patients in each treatment and exam room. Proceeds stay local to benefit cancer patients in our community.

Julie McElhaney Tuley, Clinical Coordinator of LMH Oncology, says the staff is looking forward to having the vital sign monitors in patients’ rooms.

“The new monitors will allow for more efficiency in taking care of our patients,” Tuley says.

Additional funds raised will underwrite mammograms at the LMH Breast Center for area patients who meet income requirements.

Vouchers for free mammograms are available through the LMH Breast Center and “offer an enormous opportunity to reach more people with complimentary screenings,” says Dave Watson, who administers the program for LMH. To request a voucher for a free or discounted mammogram, contact Dave Watson at David.Watson@LMH.org or (785) 505-5782.

Better together: A collaborative approach to creating healthy communities A wise leader once shared some amazing advice that has resonated with me for years. “If you want to go fast, go alone,” she said.

“But if you want to go far, go together.”

This simple but powerful message teaches us to unite around a shared vision — together, we are Rebecca Smith empowered to achieve much more than any one individual or team can accomplish on their own. I firmly believe that to be true, and as the new Executive Director for the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment Association, I am delighted every day to see the same message reflected among Lawrence Memorial Hospital’s cultural beliefs and the people who bring them to life: we are, quite simply, “better together.”

Collaboration is integral to success. For that reason and many others, I am dedicated to advancing the partnership between the LMHEA and the hospital by uniting around our shared vision. Together with LMH leadership, physicians and staff — and of course, our LMHEA team, Board of Directors, volunteers and generous donors — we will create a Destination for Healthy Living in Lawrence and our surrounding communities.

As we align our strategic efforts along the path to Destination Health, LMHEA will focus on fulfilling our mission. We will engage you, our stakeholders, for guidance in new directions, and because the compassionate philanthropy of our donors is pivotal to our work, we will create new communication channels to ensure all donors understand the true value and purpose of their contributions. We will also develop new approaches to fundraising that make it easier and more rewarding for donors to give time and money in support of our efforts to create healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy future for everyone.

Donor support: Defibrillators purchased with unrestricted funds

by Katherine Dinsdale Consistency during an emergency is critically important for patients experiencing a Code Blue or cardiac arrest at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Traci Hoopingarner says the hospital’s goal is for staff to do everything the same way, every time.

“The same teams from the Emergency Department respond to every Code Blue,” Hoopingarner says. “They need equipment they are familiar with, equipment they can count on to work the same way in every emergency. We don’t want personnel to encounter unfamiliar equipment in an emergency.”

With that goal of consistency in mind, the LMH Endowment Association provided funding for 25 new and identical defibrillators that are now ready to serve patients throughout Traci Hoopingarner the hospital. Replacing all the hospital defibrillators at one time was possible because of gifts of unrestricted funds.

“Unrestricted donations are extremely valuable assets for the hospital,” says LMHEA Board President Gary Sollars. “In this case, gifts allowed the Endowment to immediately fund a capital need that hospital administrators identified. LMH staff needed new defibrillators, and our donors met the need.”

The new LifePak Defibrillators replace machines manufactured by the same company, and many of the features of the new model are the same. However, the company trained hospital staff on the new machines and introduced a new feature that constantly monitors that the equipment is fully charged and ready for use.

In previous models, a hospital staff member was charged with checking the machines each shift. The new machines conduct self-checks more frequently and alert personnel when each system evaluation has occurred.

“We felt very fortunate that LMHEA gave us money to replace all our equipment at the same time,” Hoopingarner says. “This helps us provide the best care for our patients by preventing variation in equipment styles or models. We have the equipment we need because there are people in our community willing to invest in their community hospital.”

Please join us on our journey, as our shared goal is to go far, and therefore, we look forward to going together.

Giving Options (choose one) My check is enclosed, made payable to LMHEA.

Sincerely, Rebecca Smith Executive Director, LMHEA (785) 505-6134 / Rebecca.Ann.Smith@LMH.org

PA RT N E R S 325 Maine Street • Lawrence KS 66044 (785) 505-3315 Stories: Katherine Dinsdale, Caroline Trowbridge LMHEA team: Tiffany Hall, Erica Hill, Earl Reineman, Rebecca Smith © 2017 LMHEA

325 Maine Street • Lawrence, KS 66044 Gift Information I would like to make a gift of: $1,000 $500 $250 $100 other $ in support of Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

My preferred area of support: Please use my gift where most needed.

I would like my gift to be available now.

I would like my gift to provide long-term support for LMH. I have included LMH in my estate plans.

Please bill my credit card: Card # Exp. date / CVV code Print name Signature Automatic monthly gift?

Yes I prefer to give securely online: LMHEndowment.org

I have called (785) 505-3318 to make a gift.

Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Preferred email:

No

Phone number:

From left: LMH Employee Campaign donors Verdell Taylor, Dr. Tiffani Mercado and Andrew Brookens

PHOTOS BY LEANN MEYER

LMH employees: Giving by example

by Katherine Dinsdale Lawrence Memorial Hospital employees give in multiple ways. To some extent, giving is in their job descriptions.

Working in a hospital is all about doing unto others, offering care, encouragement and support.

But in a heartbeat, life can reverse those roles. The most generous givers find themselves in need. The LMH Employee Campaign exists to ensure that real and practical help is available for LMH staff members in times of crisis or emergency. Another fund serves LMH patients who cannot afford their recommended treatment. The Employee Education fund can help with expenses associated with furthering employee education.

Tiffaney Ray, who works in the hospital Admissions office, wasn’t accustomed to being on the receiving end of help until an unattended cigarette on a balcony above her apartment started a blaze. Ray says the fire destroyed almost everything she owned.

“I had no idea what I was going to do,” she says. “My co-workers here at LMH signed me up to receive help from the CARE (Crisis Assistance and Resources for Employees) fund. I didn’t really know much about the program, but I’m very thankful for it. It helped me and my family a lot.”

Marla Potter, Clinic Support Specialist for Lawrence General Surgery, and Cory Wapp of Patient Accounts, were co-chairs of the 2017 Employee Giving Campaign. Potter says the experience

of being behind the scenes and seeing how much these funds really help individuals — family members, friends and co-workers — has strengthened her commitment to helping the campaign succeed.

“I’ve been there myself,” she says. “It was a blessing for me to receive help, and I want to help bless others in their times of need.”

“LMH employees are amazing,” says Russ Johnson, LMH President and Chief Executive Officer. “They give their time and talent every day they’re here, but they still find a way to reach down a little deeper and give to others going through a tough time.”

Potter tells the story an LMH employee who needed help.

“This person was always a giver, not a person accustomed to receiving,” she says, “but someone reminded her that LMH might be able to help. The CARE fund helped with household bills and travel expenses.

“The value of the funds really goes beyond the monetary value. In your time of need, when you can feel desperate and alone, the fund provides a bit of a safety net. Better than that, my employer began to feel more like my family. I knew my co-workers cared when I was able to ask for help and they came through.”

ABOUT THE LMH EMPLOYEE CAMPAIGN Employee Campaign gifts are directed through Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment Association, which works to secure financial support for all hospital endeavors, including charitable care and community health education.

Hospital employees can donate to any Employee Campaign funds using cash, check, credit card or designated payroll deductions. Employees have the option of making a one-time payroll deduction or can choose to have their pledge divided into monthly contributions.

“The remarkable support our colleagues provide through this employee-led campaign illustrates a strong commitment to LMH and to one another,” says Rebecca Smith, LMHEA Executive Director.

“LMHEA is committed to making these funds easily accessible, in order to ensure that they support our patients, co-workers and community.”

The Help & Healing fund helped 326 LMH patients last year obtain medications and durable medical equipment.

The CARE (Crisis Assistance and Resources for Employees) fund provides aid to LMH employees experiencing financial challenges due to a personal crisis or emergency. Employees in good standing may apply for assistance from the CARE fund. Payments are made directly to creditors; employees receive no cash from the fund.

The Employee Education fund is available to help LMH employees attend continuing education seminars and programs. Up to $250 is available per employee each year.

If you have questions, please contact LMH Endowment at LMHEA@LMH.org or (785) 505-3318.

Cory Wapp and Marla Potter, co-chairs of the 2017 Employee Giving Campaign

Saving lives in the cath lab

by Katherine Dinsdale

One part of Lawrence Memorial Hospital where lives saved is directly related to the generosity of our community and philanthropic foundations is the Cardiac Catheterization Lab. Funding from the LMH Endowment Association helped establish the cath lab 10 years ago, when the hospital began providing interventional cardiology. The cath lab’s creation meant the end of the need to transfer patients to Topeka or Kansas City for cardiac catheterization.

Now, additional funds are needed to update technology with state-of-the-art digital equipment that can provide clearer diagnostic images. New equipment will emit lower doses of radiation, a benefit to patients and staff.

Fundraising for the project is off to a good start. The Endowment Association’s 2016 Hearts of Gold Ball, along with gifts from several foundations and individuals, raised nearly $1.2 million needed for the $2.7 million project.

Among donors are Bruce and Jeanie Bundy. The Lawrence couple established an independent foundation in their name to fund medical research, services for people who are blind, and other human services. Bruce Bundy says their gift to

PHOTO BY LEANN MEYER

support the cath lab fell in line with their giving goals.

“A good friend invited us to meet with LMH Endowment staff and to consider giving a gift to support interventional cardiology at LMH,” he says. “I remember the stress and anxiety that all my family felt, years ago, when my father and, later, several brothers experienced heart attacks. Those memories make us happy for the chance to strengthen cardiac care at LMH. “We knew we wanted to support our local hospital. We don’t want to be shipped to another city for care. We are thankful to have excellent healthcare available locally, and we want to help make local healthcare the best it can be. We don’t know what’s ahead for us. Who knows? We may need cardiac care at LMH. We want to support excellence right here in Lawrence.”

“ We are thankful to have excellent healthcare available locally, and we want to help make local healthcare the best it can be.” —Bruce Bundy

STOCK IMAGE

LMH cardiologists and staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, locating and repairing blockages in patients’ arteries and veins. LMH ranks high among more than 900 hospitals of similar size for “door-to-balloon” time, the amount of time it takes an interventional cardiologist to open a patient’s artery after arriving at LMH. The shorter the time, the better the chances that patients do not suffer permanent heart damage. The cath lab staff performs nearly 500 potentially life-saving interventional cardiology procedures a year.

How to help: If you would like to donate to a specific project at LMH, such as helping to update technology in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab, please contact Earl Reineman at (785) 505-3317.

Remembering Sue Givens —continued Another example of Sue’s compassion occurred after she was on duty one New Year’s Eve and a family tragically lost a newborn.

Sue saw a need in that grieving family and established an Infant Loss Support Group that continues to meet at LMH. LuAnn Baumchen, Clinical Nurse Educator at LMH who began working with Givens in 1983, says Sue was both a professional and personal role model.

“At the time I met Sue she was a very busy working mom,” Baumchen says. “I only had one child at that time, but she helped me in my role as a mom, as well as in my role as a nurse. She helped me learn to juggle.”

Sue was not afraid of information or innovation in her practice of nursing. In 1990, the idea of keeping newborns with their mothers throughout their hospital stay was unheard of in the Midwest. Baumchen credits Sue with learning about the benefits of keeping moms and babies together and quickly realizing that made more sense than caring for them separately. Sue served on a task force to implement that new model of care at LMH in 1991.

Sue’s community work included serving on the boards of Just Food and Health Care Access, as well as offering friendship and encouragement to the many students who crossed her path as they studied with her husband. Sue was ahead of the curve in the early 1990s, working with other nurses at First Presbyterian Church to educate parishioners about end-of-life advance directives.

That knowledge became more personal in fall 2014, when Sue was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The prognosis did not offer hope for recovery, Rich says, but his wife did not respond with anger or bitterness. “She was just disappointed and sad that she would be missing so many things in our family’s future,” he says.

Even during her own illness, Sue continued her campaign to encourage others to make end-of-life decisions wisely and proactively. Daughter Barb Heeb says that throughout her

“ How will doing this help us put our patients first?” is just the sort of pragmatic question Sue might have asked. mom’s career, her mom loved the joy, the work, the struggle and everything it takes to bring a new life into the world.

“Sue was our family’s center of compassion,” Rich says.

All four of Sue and Rich’s daughters entered some facet of healthcare. Barb Heeb, who is married to LMH urologist Jon Heeb, MD, is a nurse; Beth Porter is a physical therapist; Marjory Givens works for a public health organization; and Mary Givens is a psychologist.

All of the Givens family has been enthusiastic about establishing the memorial fund. Barb Heeb says she and Jon are grateful for the opportunity to honor Sue’s memory and to give to the hospital and people who have supported Jon’s long and successful practice at LMH. Traci Hoopingarner, LMH Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, says the hospital shares the family’s commitment to ensure the educational opportunities made possible through the gift are available for all Mother/Baby Unit staff members.

“In every decision,” Hoopingarner says, “hospital administrators ask, ‘How will doing this help us put our patients first?’”

It’s just the sort of pragmatic question Sue might have asked.

The answer is a simple: Staff education and state-of-the-art equipment can help ensure the best care for all babies and their mothers who come to LMH. For more information about the Susan Mary Givens Family Fund or how to contribute in Sue’s honor, contact Earl Reineman at Earl.Reineman@LMH.org or (785) 505-3317.

36th annual Penny Jones Golf Tournament The 36th annual Penny Jones Golf Tournament went off without a hitch on Sept. 8, thanks to guidance from our colleagues at the Lawrence Country Club and our tournament co-chairs Curt Wright and Cathy Shenoy.

Dozens of volunteers (including many of you) ensured the day went as smoothly as possible.

More than $120,000 in proceeds will benefit patients at LMH. Gary Sollars, LMHEA Board President, presented a check to Russ Johnson, LMH President and CEO, to fund a state-of-the-art system that tracks, sharpens and sterilizes surgical instruments.

A highlight of the day occurred during the afternoon flight when Tom Larkin of Foxtail Real Estate Company made a hole-in-one on the 17th hole. His prize was a 2017 Ford Focus, sponsored by Laird Noller Automotive. This was the second consecutive year that a player sank a hole-in-one during the tournament at Lawrence Country Club — a statistical improbability, per the country club pro. Tom is pictured here, at left, with Adam Courtney, Vice President of Finance at the BTBC; and Tim Mock of Truity Credit Union.

325 Maine Street Lawrence, KS 66044

PHOTO BY DRU FRITZEL

Save the date for the 2018 Hearts of Gold Ball!

June 23, 2018, at The Jayhawk Club

PHOTO BY MELISSA SIGLER

PERSONAL STORIES OF PHILANTHROPY

I gave because...

An unusually virulent flu season last winter put heavy demands on Lawrence Memorial Hospital and brought many patients to the hospital for diagnosis and care. Holly Hamilton, Clinical Lab Scientist and Chief Technologist, explains that a patient with influenza can develop sepsis, a potentially life-threatening complication of a secondary infection. Physicians rule out sepsis using a blood culture analysis, a process easily conducted with a hospital instrument designed to incubate special blood tubes in individual bottles and monitor specimens for bacteria growth.

With the number of flu cases at near-epidemic numbers, the capacity of the blood culture analyzer was nearly reached. Staff wanted to make sure the ability to run cultures was never delayed

and approached LMH Endowment requesting funds to purchase this unbudgeted equipment, an additional unit that nearly doubled the capacity of the analyzer.

Two donors stepped up to purchase the new equipment.

One anonymous donor says she was born at LMH and has spent her long life in the community.

“Most all of us are going to be using the hospital at some point,” she says. “I am so pleased to have an excellent hospital and pleased to give to keep it strong.

“The thing I didn’t know when I gave the money was that about a month later my son would become very sick and enter LMH,” she says. “They used that very blood culture analyzer to test his blood. I was thankful the results were readily available.”

Hamilton says the expanded capacity of the instrument will be sufficient for use to detect blood stream infections for years to come. “It will definitely help save lives. We’re glad to have it,” she says. “I’m thankful for the Endowment donors who helped with this unbudgeted need.”

Nancy Helmstadter is full of laughter and plainspoken good sense, as well as a lifetime of stories about times past.

Helmstadter’s life experiences help order her giving priorities. She explains a recent gift to help renovate LMH’s fourth floor for Acute Rehab and Skilled Nursing by telling how grateful she remains for the care her mother received at LMH

years ago when Nancy was living in Alaska.

“LMH was always there to give her the care she needed,” Helmstadter says. “Now I’m the one who sometimes needs care.”

She described a recent trip to the Cardiac Care Unit where she got proper treatment and soon returned home.

“I want to give while I can see my donation being used for the reason I donate it. I want to ensure that the same good care my mother had is always available at LMH. Our hospital is making great strides every year in improving care, and I’m looking forward to beginning another pledge. I know of some cardiac equipment that the hospital would like to replace.”

—compiled by Katherine Dinsdale