Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Mid Week Update for the Research Medical Center Family
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Spotlight | Patients | Communities | Each Other | COVID-19 | Events | Trivia
We Show Up Spotlight
To our entire Research Medical Center family, we wish you and your loved ones a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving! We have many reasons to be thankful this year here at RMC, from the countless ways we showed up to support our colleagues, patients and communities through our Thankful Families event, to the numerous donations we've contributed to throughout the year and volunteer hours logged in YourCause to support charities we care about, to our award winning colleagues (including DAISY Award winners, BEE Award winners, Employee of the Month, Rookie of the Quarter, and more) for choosing RMC as their place to care for our patients like family. This week, of all weeks, take a moment to reflect on what you are thankful for. Better yet, who you are thankful for here at RMC! Take a moment to say thank you to a fellow colleague by using the our colleague recognition platform to recognize peers for caring like family, setting the bar, unlocking possibilities, or for simply showing up when you needed a little help.
We Show Up for our Patients
Patient Testimonials: Thankful Families Celebration
Last week four former Research Medical Center patients with remarkable stories of recovery were reunited with their first responders and medical care teams during the hospital’s annual Thankful Families Celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 15. Research Medical Center is part of HCA Midwest Health, Kansas City’s largest healthcare provider. Miss out? Watch the KMBC Channel 9 segment.
Trauma Team Wears Green
On Friday, November 18, the RMC Trauma team wore green in support of National Injury Prevention Day.
Injuries are the leading cause of hospitalization and death amongst people 1 44 years old. And, they are preventable!
Thank you to our trauma team for your continuous education for our colleagues and patients.
Burn Safety Tips for Deep Frying a Turkey
Getting ready to deep fry your Thanksgiving turkey? Here are a few dos and don’ts from Dr. Megan Garcia who took to Instagram again with another fun and informative Reel
Do:
• Turn the flame off when lowering the turkey into the oil
• Watch small children around stoves, fryers and other hot surfaces
• Use your deep fryer a safe distance from your home or other structures
• Keep a fire extinguisher near you at all times
• Keep the burner as far away from your propane tank as possible
• Cover bare skin (arms, hands, legs, etc.)
Don’t:
• Don’t deep fry a frozen or partially frozen turkey
• Don’t overfill the pot with oil
• Don’t wear loose fitting clothing or leave long hair down
• Don’t put out a grease flame using water
• Don’t deep fry under an awning, patio, garage or cover of any kind
• Don’t drop the turkey in too quickly
We Show Up for our Communities
And the Winner is....
The winner of the YourCause Giving & Volunteering Campaign is Mel Smith, Director of Pharmacy. She logged 117.50 hours of her volunteer time and won an extra $200 for her charity along with Apple Airpods! In 2022, Mel has volunteered and served on the Board of Directors of the Missouri Society of Health System Pharmacists (Secretary) and the Junior League of Kansas City (Director of Planning). Mel says, "I am proud to work for an organization that supports its employees' interests and passions. Over the last two years, HCA has given $2,000 to the non-profit organizations I love through the YourCause program. It is so easy to log the hours I'm already volunteering to support the community!"
We'd also like to congratulate and thank all 35 RMC colleagues who logged their volunteer hours, including Lezona Williams, Clinical Pharmacist, who came in a close second place with 104 hours logged! Each of these 35 colleagues now have an extra $200 to give to their charities. Thank you for showing up for our community!
LAST DAY TODAY! Annual Food Drive
The last day to give to our Annual Food and Goods Drive to benefit our colleagues and students is today. If you can, please donate as we truly hank you for your generosity!
Drop off any of the following items in cafeteria OR donate funds via QR code and we will do the shopping for you!
• Canned food
• Beans
• Rice
• Nut butter
• Boxed meals
• Toiletries
• Paper towels and toilet paper
• Laundry supplies
• Feminine hygiene products
• Diapers and baby wipes
Blood Drive: Friday, November 25
Thanks for giving - donate blood and help save a life.
Friday, November 25 8:30am 1:30pm B Level Auxiliary Lounge
Please call 1 800 RED CROSS (1 800 733 2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: ResearchMC to schedule an appointment.
Monet & Friends: Volunteers Needed
Starlight Theatre is seeking volunteers to help scan tickets, greet patrons, and direct guests during the Monet & Friends Alive exhibit through December 31. Take advantage of this fun opportunity to experience masterworks of art like never before, mingle, and receive complimentary ticket vouchers! Any volunteer over the age of 16 is eligible to serve a four hour shift during exhibit hours (Tuesday Thursday and Sunday between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday Saturday between 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.). For every two full shifts worked, volunteers will receive two complimentary Monet & Friends Alive ticket vouchers (valued at $100). For more information and to sign up, visit: kcstarlight.com/monet volunteer signup
We Show Up for Each Other
Employee of the Month: Julia Fitzpatrick, Occupational Therapist
Congratulations to Julia Fitzpatrick on being named Employee of the Month. Her nominator said, "I have enjoyed working with Julia over the last several years, she consistently goes above and beyond both as a therapist and as the charge OT. She always has a smile and is willing to make time for questions, concerns, and comments. She is dedicated to improving both the patient experience as well as colleague experience. Recently, she worked diligently to make the 2023 schedule and took into consideration the time that I will be taking off to ensure I will be satisfied at work, and with the amount of time I am able to spend with my family. I appreciate her thoughtfulness and hard work."
Donate to the Nursing Student Emergency Fund on Giving Tuesday!
Help The Research Foundation raise $5,000 for the Nursing Student Emergency Fund on Tuesday, November 29.This Giving Tuesday, you can donate to The Research Foundation’s fund to assist nursing students in emergency situations like housing insecurity, lack of transportation, utilities, food insufficiency, and other needs. The fund is available for traditional BSN and accelerated BSN students at Avila University, Research College of Nursing, and William Jewell College. In 2022, The Research Foundation has already provided $5,000 to students. Help us reach our fundraising goal of $5,000 to continue our support of future nurses! Donate here.
Give Thanks this November
November is the month of gratitude and the perfect reason to show our appreciation. Send a colleague recognition for your chance to win 10,000 points. 10 winners each week!
"I enjoyed my Walk a Mile with Ashley, Kecia, and Taylor. I learned how we keep our patients safe with compounding medicines based on USP 797 and 800 standards, as well as our new Dose Edge technology. Also, I learned how Pharmacy is collaborating with nursing to ensure medicines are more readily available in Pyxis on the units. Great job Pharmacy team and thanks for letting me Walk a Mile with you!"
HR Tidbit: Adding and Verifying Dependents for Benefits
Ashley McClellan, Chief Executive Officer, Conducted a Walk-a-Mile with the Pharmacy Team.
“Alexa joined the RMC team in July of this year and is actively pursuing her RN degree. Alexa was fantastic with her patients- engaging, compassionate, and connected with them as people. Alexa you are a great nurse and I look forward to seeing where your career takes you. Thank you for letting me spend the morning with you.”
From the moment I sat down with Gabby, she never stopped advocating for her patients. From researching drug costs to help save a patient money to calling insurance companies to find a patient the best post discharge facility, there was no doubt that Gabby was looking out for her patients. It was also clear that multitasking is a major skill of Gabby’s because she was easily searching online, making phone calls, answering questions from her colleagues and answering the door to discuss cases with physicians and nurses all at the same time. Gabby has been at RMC since February after getting her Masters in Social Work (yay!) and wanting a career change. We are very lucky to her on our team advocating for our patients. Thank you, Gabby, for letting me Walk-a-Mile in your shoes!
Administrator on Call (AOC)
John Krajicek, Chief Financial Officer, was the AOC this past weekend. He stayed in contact with the Nursing Supervisor throughout the whole weekend to provide support to the hospital when and where needed.
Michaela Logan, Vice President of Patient Experience and Administrative Services, Conducted a Walk-a-Mile with Alexa Greufe, LPN, on 6 East.
Morgan Saxena, Director of Marketing and Communications, Conducted a Walk-a-Mile with Gabby Johnson, MSW, 4N/4C Case Management.
COVID-19 Update
Vaccine Locations
We continue to encourage colleagues and our community to get the vaccine and booster. Schedule at Walgreens here on campus, CVS Pharmacy on Prospect, or find one nearby at vaccine.gov.
By the Numbers
As of Tuesday, November 22nd
• 5 COVID+ patients
• 0 COVID+ patients on a ventilator
Calendar of Events
•
Last day today for the Food & Goods Drive: Nov. 23
• Happy Thanksgiving!: Nov. 24
• National Day of Giving: Tues., Nov. 29
• Drop off Adopt a Family gifts to Pastoral Care: Dec. 5 9
RMC Trivia
This Week's Trivia: Q: True or False: If you are deep frying a turkey, always put out a grease flame with water!
Last Week's Trivia: Q: Did you log your volunteer hours for a chance to win Apple Airpods? A: Yes!
Winner: Alizabeth Ballard, Director Student Success, Research College of Nursing
Submit your answer to RMC.MarketingDept@hcamidwest.com by Monday. All correct answers will be entered into a drawing for a weekly prize. Winner will be featured in the following weekly email.
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