In Roads - July 11, 2014

In Roads

Inside information for the employees of Mercy Medical Center

Hospital President Announces Plans for Retirement At the end of June, David shared with the Hospital Community Board his decision to retire at the end of 2014. The Community Board and Jon Van Boening, senior vice president of operation for the Central California Service Area, will begin the recruitment process leading to the selection of our next hospital president.

David plans to work closely to ensure a smooth transition of leadership over the next six months.

Words from David: “I am very excited about this next phase of my life as I want to do some extensive traveling, volunteer work with conservation organizations, and spend more time with my grandchildren and family. Thank you for your support as we begin this transition phase.”

JULY 11, 2014

“Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.”

- George Sand

Starting at the end of this month on July 25th, we will be celebrating Hello Humankindness Day. The last Friday of every month will be a dedicated day for employees to wear their orange Hello humankindness t-shirt. The dress code will still apply on these days.

If you were not able to attend one of the forums, ask your manager how you can receive your shirt.

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“After 40 years of working in health care and 10 years at Mercy Medical Center, this was a decision I did not take lightly, but there comes a time for all of us.”

- David Dunham, president

Frequently Asked Questions From the 2014 Open Forums

Several hundred questions were submitted by employees and physicians who participated in the recent Open Forums. Many were specific to certain facilities and will be answered by facility leadership, but others touched on issues that concern Dignity Health as a whole.

In the future issues of In Roads, there will be a section dedicated to the questions and answers that will address a number of the “most asked” system-focused questions.

The first Q & A is shown below and it’s regarding the future of Dignity Health.

Some of you may see the FAQs several times, and that’s so we can make sure we give everyone the opportunity to see them.

Thank you again for what you do every day, thank you for looking out for each other, and thank you for staying involved in this conversation as we move forward into an exciting new era.

Q: Is Dignity Health considering merging with another system?

A: Our goal is to become an integrated delivery system offering a full range of health care services to our communities. This begins with a focus on our existing hospitals and clinics to make sure they are as strong as possible, and that they are providing the right continuum of care. We are always open to discussions about how to extend our healing ministry through acquisition or merger, but for the immediate future, our focus will be on our existing care centers.

Mercy in the News Lifting spirits at Merced’s Mercy Medical Center with music

BY ANA B. IBARRA, mercedsunstar.com (June 26, 2014)

A stay in the hospital can be a monotonous experience, but the harmonious sound of a guitar or violin can help raise a patient’s spirit and maybe even put a smile on their face.

Mercy Medical Center’s Volunteer Music Program strives to do just that. The program is currently made up of seven musicians who dedicate a few hours every month to play for patients at the hospital.

The musicians do bedside visits and play in selected common areas of the hospital or cancer center where patients, caregivers and staff can enjoy the music.

The program was created last year by Merced residents Leslie Hendricks and Kim Heyer, who now serve as the program coordinators. Hendricks came up with the idea after spending some time at Stanford Medical Center, where a similar program exists. She persuaded Heyer, her best friend, to help her start a music program at Mercy Medical Center.

Although Hendricks does not play any instruments, she believes music can add to a patient’s recovery process. She recalls that while she was hospitalized, nothing could take her mind off the pain except for the gentle sound of a melodic piece.

“The music – it just takes you to a whole different place,” Hendricks said. “It can be such a relief from the dry hospital environment.”

Hendricks said although the program is gaining popularity, the greatest challenge is recruiting volunteers. She said ideally the program would have a core group of 20 musicians that would rotate on a regular basis.

One volunteer is Chris Dodson, a Chowchilla resident who joined Mercy Medical Center’s Music Volunteer Program last November. He works full time as a control room operator in a power plant, but makes a trip to the hospital a few times a month to play his 12-string guitar for patients.

“I just love to play music, and I love to play for others” Dodson said. “I’ve done it all my life.”

Dodson, who has been playing guitar for 47 years, said mellow music seems to relax patients; some of them sing along and others fall asleep peacefully. Some of the patients’ favorites include songs from the Beatles and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, he said.

“These patients … sit there all day. Some of them want to hear music and some of them want to talk about music,” Dodson added. “I’m just here to bring a little joy to their day. It seems like the nice thing to do.”

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Mercy in the News

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Hospital staff simulate emergencies with lifelike dolls

Similarly, Jeri Sanders, of Atwater, has been playing the violin for more than 50 years. To her, volunteering at the hospital is all about giving back and spreading kindness.

BY ANA B. IBARRA, mercedsunstar.com (July 7, 2014)

Nurses at Mercy Medical Center rushed to the aid of a man who seemed to have stopped breathing. At first glance, the patient looked like an adult male in his mid-30s, but with a closer look one would realize that the man was not real, but was in fact a very lifelike simulation doll.

The highly interactive doll is one of five simulation mannequins used by medical professionals for in-house staff training and educational purposes.

The simulation mannequins, or SIMs, as they are often referred to, blink, breathe, bleed, cry, cough and scream. They have a realistic size and appearance, and as of Monday they also have names.

According to Lisa Wegley, executive director of the Mercy Foundation, several names were taken into consideration, but those that were picked have great significance to the hospital staff.

“The naming of our SIMs became very personal,” said Wegley. “We had lots of great suggestions, but we decided to keep it within our hospital family and commemorate people who have made a difference or have had some impact on our hospital community.”

“SIM woman,” who is used predominantly for training at the Family Birth Center, was named Lori, after Lori Buendia, a labor and delivery nurse who died in 2013. According to Rebecca Cates, director of the center, Lori was instrumental in starting the SIM program. She dedicated several decades to health care education in the community and led the way in lactation and breastfeeding instruction. The

“For me it’s important to share my time, talent and treasure with others,” she said. Sanders smiled as she recalled stories of patients who have thanked her with tears in their eyes for brightening their day. She said these are the type of experiences that bring her great satisfaction.

Sanders plays a combination of classical and Christian pieces, as well as movie theme songs.

mannequin can be programmed to simulate birth and different emergency situations such as a retained placenta and an inverted uterus.

“In maternal child health, 100 percent of our staff have gone through the simulations for the last two quarters,” Cates said. “Others (departments) are on the same path to start that, so that once a quarter they will interact with these simulation tools on a set scenario.”

“SIM man” was named after hospital president David Dunham, who will be retiring in December after 10 years at Mercy and more than 40 years of working in health care. This SIM is used for training in every area of the hospital, Cates said.

Similarly, “SIM Junior,” which represents adolescents and is mainly used in pediatrics and the emergency room, was named Robert in honor of recently retired obstetriciangynecologist Robert Small.

“Doctor Small was a phenomenal instructor and delivered many generations here in Merced. ... He even delivered me 46 years ago,” Cates said.

“This is just one way to honor him.”

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“In a hospital environment, oftentimes people are under uncomfortable stress because of surgeries or treatments, and all that can be daunting,” Sanders said. “I think me playing the violin can bring a little bit of comfort to these patients.”

Lesa Byrd, a patient at Mercy Medical Center, requested a visit from the musicians on Thursday. As soon as Dodson began playing for her, a smile appeared on Byrd’s face.

Byrd said the music helps her feel at peace.

“It’s soothing, and it just makes you feel good,” Byrd said. “Even if it’s for a little while, the music takes you away from everything that’s going on.”

The volunteer musicians go through an audition and must meet certain requirements. The program is currently seeking musicians who play stand-alone instruments such as guitar, flute, harp, ukulele and violin.

Continued from previous page “Baby SIM,” which is representative of children up to a year old, was named Alice after a former pharmacy staff member. Alice, an employee for 35 years, was also known as the “mother of the pharmacy.”

“She was kind and gracious even while battling cancer,” said pharmacy director Brian Elmore. “We never let her go, even if it meant she only worked two hours a day; she was always there. She fought the good fight.”

after a sudden breaking away of her mother’s placenta. The newborn SIM is used in the neonatal resuscitation program designed for the stabilization of newborns in the delivery room.

“This is a nice gesture,” Ortega said about the foundation and staff naming the newborn SIM after his daughter.

“Sometimes people forget about honoring our little people, so this is nice.”

Ortega, who has had some experience training on the simulation dolls, said he is amazed by the technology available today.

“When I went to nursing school about 10 years ago, this obviously wasn’t available. It’s amazing how much technology has advanced,” Ortega said. “Especially because it really does help make training more hands-on.”

The youngest of the mannequins, “newborn SIM” was named Isabel, after Isabel Ortega, the youngest stroke survivor identified by hospital staff. Isabel, now 18 months old, is the daughter of emergency room clinical manager Alex Ortega. According to Ortega, Isabel suffered a stroke at birth

Emma Edwards, an interim clinical manager who is highly trained in operating the SIMs, said the dolls are used to expose staff members to critical situations they don’t come across too often. This type of training keeps the staff updated and increases a medical professional’s comfort level around different types of possible emergency scenarios. Edwards explained that the staff goes through drills that are sometimes unannounced, keeping

nurses, medical residents and staff on their toes.

The simulator dolls have become popular in hospitals as they allow medical professionals to practice and correct any mistakes before treating real patients, Edwards said. Additional training modules and software can be purchased to keep the SIMs current with the latest hospital practices.

Garth Pecchenino, chairman of the Mercy Foundation, said the mannequins, with the exception of “SIM woman” who has been around for a year, were bought in January. The dolls, training modules and software cost just less than $240,000, a purchase made possible by community donations raised at last year’s Night of 1000 Stars Gala. Pecchenino said the dolls are a good investment as they will contribute to the overall improvement of health care quality.

New Hires for June Cynthia Cook - Imaging - Rad Tech

Susana Baltazar, LVN - Family Care Clinic

Patricia Piceno - OB Tech

Faten Elwazir, RN - 4th Floor

Minh Pham, PA - Family Care Clinic

Jessica Orozco - Imaging - Rad Tech

Carol Snyder - OR Central Processing Tech

Brigid Ferrari - Social Worker

Karina Tovar, RN - OR

Deborah LeBeau, RN - Cancer Center

Gricel Montes - Patient Account Representative

Maria Garcia, CNA - 5th Floor

Andrea Perkins - Medical Social Worker

Timothy Franz - Cardiology Tech

Suzanne Nickerson, RN - ER

Suzanne Tevini - Utilization - Clinical Doc. Specialist

Jatinder Mann, RN - ER

Imelda Gonzalez - OB Tech

Tamara Edwards - Medical Staff Coordinator