May/June - SSM Health Care

Symptoms and Signs of Ovarian Cancer• Pe l v ic or abdo m i nal pain or discomfo r t• Va g u e, but persistent gastro i nt e s t i nal upsets suchas gas, nausea and ind ige s t io n• F re q u e ncy and/or urge ncy of urina t ion in absenceof an infectio n• Unex p l a i ned changes in bowel habits• Unex p l a i ned weig ht gain or weig ht loss,e s p e c ially in abdo m i nal re g io n• Pe l v ic and/or abdo m i nal swelling, bloatinga nd/or feeling of fullne s s• Pain du r i ng int e rc o u r s e• O ngo i ng fa t ig u e• A b no r mal post-me nopausal bleedingFor Jean Miller,C a n c e rD i a g n o s i sH a sL e dt o N ew R o l ei n Ad vo c a cyUntil she was 41, Jean Mi l l e r, ane xe c u t i ve assistant at SSMHC’scorporate office, was the epitomeof health. She led a life carefully orc h e s-trated to yield good health – running orwalking at least three miles a day, eatinglots of fruits and vegetables and no meator fat. But in July 2000, eve ry t h i n gchanged when she was diagnosed withovarian cancer.Sh e’d had indications that somethingwas wrong, but it took months – andchanging physicians – for a correct diagnosis.Su r g e ry and chemotherapy followed in quick succession.“I was stopped in my tracks physically,emotionally and mentally,” recalls Mi l l e r,n ow 43. “I couldn’t exe rcise. I couldn’tw o rk. I couldn’t drive. So I had to stayhome.” In sharp contrast to her highlyscheduled life, Miller allowed herself to justsit still and be quiet – for the first time in herlife. As she sat and reflected, she asked herselfwhy she’d driven herself so hard beforeher diagnosis. “I re a l i zed I was on this rigidpath eve ry day. And I was the only one creatingthe craziness,” she observes.“ Ge t t i n gdiagnosed with cancer was ahuge blessing,” she says, “because now Isee what my life is supposed to be. Pe o p l eMission StatementT h rough our exceptional health care serv i c-es, we re veal the healing presence of Go d .C o re Va l u e sIn accordance with the philosophy of theFranciscan Sisters of Ma ry, we value the sacre d-ness and dignity of each person. T h e re f o re ,we find these five values consistent with bothour heritage and ministerial priorities.• C o m p a s s i o n• Re s p e c t• Exc e l l e n c e• St ew a rd s h i p• C o m m u n i t yDe veloped by SSMHC employees systemwide during 1999.SSM Health CareE xceptional Health Care Services$Exceptional Clinical Ou t c o m e sExceptional Patient, Em p l oyee andPhysician Sa t i s f a c t i o nExceptional Financial Pe rf o r m a n c eLook for symbols on Network stories to link actionswith our focus areas.should wake up eve ry morning and beglad to put their feet on the ground … b eglad to have each day. ”Her diagnosis pushed her life in a newd i rection: advo c a c y. As a result of her illness,Miller founded the St. Louis Di v i s i o nof the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.“When I was going through chemo, therewas no one to talk to, except a womanw h o’d had ovarian cancer years ago. Ma n ypeople learn you have ovarian cancer andsee death. I felt that God was pulling me todo something more with my ovarian cance r, what I call taking it to the next leve l . ”“ O varian cancer whispers,” says Mi l l e r,who spent months re s e a rching the disease.“The signs are subtle, and that’s why it’soften not discove red until the disease isa d vanced.” During her re s e a rch, Mi l l e rlearned about the National OvarianCancer Coalition. She felt a bond with theorganization, and when she learned thatt h e re was no St. Louis Division, she askedif she could start one. “I thought, ‘This iswhat I'm supposed to do!,’” she declare s .In May 2001, with Miller as its pre s i-dent, the St. Louis Division held its firstmeeting – at SSM St. Joseph Hospital ofK i rkwood. Miller expected 30 people.Ninety showed up. Miller spoke abouther experience with ovarian cancer, callingher presentation: “Just Sit Still and BeQuiet.” Her physician was there torespond to questions about the disease.The organization meets once a month,and attendance continues to grow.Members attend communitye vents and provide educationabout the disease, warning signs,which tests to ask for, and questionsto ask physicians. “It’s ve ryhealing for us,” Miller says.“ Maybe we have three ye a r s ,maybe we have 10, but we knowthat as a result of our efforts peoplewill get diagnosed earlier. ”Miller also creates braceletsthat are sold to raisemoney to help fund theg ro u p’s education efforts.After being cancer-free for a ye a r,Miller experienced a re c u r rence of cancerin December 2001. “It’s harder thanb e f o re,” she admits. “The first time,you fight like crazy. You do eve ry t h i n gyo u’re supposed to do. And then,boom, it’s back.” Ne ve rtheless, sheb e l i e ves that her life is even moreblessed. “Be f o re my diagnosis, I neve rlet anyone do anything for me. Du r i n gchemo, I put my life in many people’shands. You have to totally trust yo u rdoctor and your care g i ve r s . ”As Miller undergoes chemotherapy forthe second time in her life, she has, onceagain, shaved her head. Each day, shewears an attractive head scarf that coord i-nates with her outfits. “Some people preferto wear a wig,” she explains, “but yo uh a ve to hold on to what is true to yo u r-s e l f. This is who I am. To wear a wigwould not be me.”For strength, she turns to her husband,her son and her friends. “Ap p reciate yo u rl oved ones, appreciate your life, becauseyou never know what tomorrow willbring,” she says.Miller finds another source of stre n g t hin angels, which abound in her office.“Angels are there for us to lean on,” shesays with a smile.Bone & JointAmong To pHospitalsT he 2002 Top Ho s p i t a l sreport published byAARP’s Modern Maturityma g a z i ne has na me dB o ne & Jo i nt Ho s p i t a lin Oklaho ma City as oneof the top 10 kne e - h i po r t ho p e d c ihospitals int he count r y. Basedupon overall exc e l l e nc efor this specia l t y, thera t i ngs are a report cardcompiled by Cons u me r s ’C heckbook, a no n p rof i tc o ns u mer educ a t io no rg a n i z a t ion. TheC heckbook’s Guide toHospitals rates mo rethan 4,500 ho s p i t a l sna t io nw ide on criterias uch as death ra t e s,local phy s ic ia ns’ ra t i ng s,Jo i nt Commission onAc c re d i t a t on i of He a l t h-c a re Org a n i z a t io nsstatus and tra i n i ngp ro g ra ms.B o ne & Jo i ntHospital also was listedby He a l t h G ra des fo rb e i ng in the top 10 perce nt na t io nally for hipa nd knee ortho p e d ic s, afirst for Oklaho ma. Thera t i ngs are based ont h ree years of patie nto u t c o me data re f l e c t i ngexc e l l e nce of care.M i l l e r, 43, was diagnosedwith ova r i a ncancer in July 2000.SSM Health Care Goals to Ac h i eve by 2004Unplanned Readmission: 2.63 perc e n tInpatient Loyalty: 60 perc e n tEm p l oyee Satisfaction: Index of 75 perc e n tPhysician Satisfaction: 82 perc e n tOperating Margin: 3.3 perc e n tM a y / J u n e 2 0 0 2 N E T W O R K • A b i m o n t h l y p u b l i c a t i o n f o r e m p l o y e e s , p h y s i c i a n s a n d f r i e n d s3

T H E N E W SAssisted LivingFacility MeetsG rowing NeedIn Februa r y, St. ClareHospital, Bara b o o ,b ro ke gro u nd for anassisted living fa c i l i t ys c he duled for completion in Fall 2002.Me a dow Ridge As s i s t e dL i v i ng will feature 24s t ud io-style apartme nt sa nd will pro v ide re s i-de nts with privacywhile ena b l i ng themto take advant a ge ofp re p a red me a l s, ho u s e-ke e p i ng services andhealth care.“ Me a dow Ridge willserve the rising nu m-bers of seniors whoseek affo rdable ho u s-i ng,” says Ron Schaetzl,a dm i n i s t ator r of St. ClareMe a dows Care Cent e r.T he new fa c i l i t yt a rgets a nic hebetween St. ClareMe a do w s, a 102-bednu r s i ng ho me, andMe a dow Lane, a 19-a p a r t me nt complex fo ri nde p e nde nt senio r s.Me a dow Ridge is ap a r t nership betweenSt. Clare Hospital andSSM Health Care, theW i s c o nsin Ho u s i ng andE c o no m c i Developme ntAu t hority (WHEDA) andE l derSpan Ma na ge me ntof Madison. Elde r S p a n ,a private, fo r - p rof i tfirm, will own and runt he Baraboo fa c i l i t y, butSt. Clare will cont i nu eto own the pro p e r t y.$The Healing GardenSt. Clare looks to nature to provide an added dimension to careBy Kathryn Stro p p e lAs any gardener or true nature love rk n ows, there is peace, tranquillityand beauty to be found in a garden.Plants and flowers do more thannourish animals and the Earth – gard e n salso nourish the soul.It’s with this in mind that the roots ofSt. Clare Ho s p i t a l’s healing garden beganm o re than 18 months ago, when the St .C l a re Health Care Foundation wasformed and Keri Olson was hired as itsd i re c t o r. Olson and family practice physicianBradley Schnee, MD, first begantalks with Foundation board members,and the garden idea sprang to life.Schnee, who has a master’s degree inb o t a n y, is a Foundation board memberand chairperson of the Healing Ga rd e nCommittee, which comprises Ol s o n ,e m p l oyees and community members witha love and knowledge of gardening, alandscape designer, a graphic artist, twoa rchitects and someone with landscapeinstallation experience.“ Our impetus was in hoping thiswould be a peaceful and beautiful locationfor staff, visitors and patients to re t reat forthe revitalization of mind, body and spirit,”Schnee says. “We believe in the healingpro p e rties of nature and hope the gardenbecomes just that – a place for healingin all its manifestations.”The garden will bloom on the eastlawn of St. Clare, land the hospital donatedand which measures 12,000 squarefeet. Accessible through arbors by the hospitaland from the main street in front ofthe hospital, the garden also will give visitorsa view of the Baraboo Bluffs, a locall a n d m a rk. “Yo u’ll feel when you entert h rough these arbors that yo u’re re a l l yentering a special place,” Olson says.The garden, which will be wheelchair-accessible,will consist of a series ofmeandering paths with places for peopleto sit and relax. A waterfall and pondwill make up one area of the garden, andan out-of-the-way gazebo area will makeup another.An area the committee eve n t u a l l ywould like to add is a walking laby r i n t h .Not a maze, the labyrinth is envisioned asa confined walking space in a pattern thatis designed to provide the walker withc l a r i t y. Olson explains, “It’s not that yo u’rewalking a distance but releasing what is ofconcern to you as yo u’re entering thisspace and hopefully finding resolution bythe time you come out.”Howe ve r, there is a lot of work to dob e f o re committee members can begin onthe labyrinth. First, there are flowers – andmoney – to be raised.To raise funds to keep the garden goingand ensure its expansion, the committee isselling engraved “Dedication Br i c k s” to beplaced along both sides of the gard e n’s colored sidewalks. En g r a ved “Bi rth St o n e “bricks also are for sale to commemoratethe birth of a child.So far, fundraising is on schedule tomeet the $150,000 goal, with $70,000a l ready raised. And the community,Olson says, is behind the project, donatingplants and time.Another fund-raising goal is to growthe Fo u n d a t i o n’s $1.2 million endowment,proceeds of which will benefit St .C l a re Hospital and St. Clare Me a d ow sC a re Center.On a personal note, Schnee says hen e ver thought he would be able to combinehis two loves of plants and medicineb e f o re this project and that doing so hasbeen rew a rding. “What started as a dre a mof mine with fountains and flower beds hasblossomed to a large-scale project,” he says.“We feel the garden will be a wonderf u l l yhealing, beautiful, serene extension of ourhealth care services and of our m i s s i o n . ”This bird s - eye - v i ew of the garden was drawn by E. Carter Arndt of MSA Professional Services. The gard e n ’sg rand opening is planned for 2003.St. Marys c o nt i nued from cove rRe v i ewers also look at a wide variety ofpatient safety and other care initiative s .Specific achievement at St. Ma rys wasnoted in the areas of pre venting patientfalls, improving pain managementand reducing medication errors.“We anticipate that earningmagnet status will enhance ourre c ruitment and retention effort s , ”says Deb He r r, RN, team leader of St .Ma ry s’ Magnet Steering Team. “Web e l i e ve it will also impress on patients thequality of care we prov i d e . ”She says re v i ewers we re especiallypleased to see a we l l - d e veloped share dg overnance model and the establishedpractice of charge nursemeetings at eve ry shift.“They we re impressed thatwithin a 10-minute meeting, we couldget a handle on needs,” Herr says. “Fo rinstance, it might be re p o rted that manysurgeries occurred in the last shift, backingup the re c ove ry room. We then have ah e a d s-up that there may be a shortage ofbeds on 4 So u t h west (Surgical Care ) . ”Perhaps the highest approval camewhen re v i ewers noted the place of themission statement in caregiving. “T h e ysaid that they could see the mission carriedout at the bedside,” Herr says. “Id o n’t think you can re c e i ve a better complimentthan that.”4S S M H E A L T H C A R Ew w w . s s m h c . c o m

$Columbus Community Hospital andSSMHC of Wisconsin Form AffiliationColumbus Community Hospital (CCH) and SSM Health Care of Wisconsin (SSMHC/WI) have signed anaffiliation agreement that provides SSMHC/WI with a minority interest in CCH. The agreement formalizesa relationship to work together to enhance services to CCH and the communities it serves. Itwas signed May 21, and the transaction was completed May 29.“With SSMHC/WI’s investment ofcapital and re s o u rces in our hospital, ourpatients will benefit by having expandedhealth care services minutes – not miles –f rom home,” Ha rding says. “Ad d i t i o n a la d vantages include assistance with gro u pthe Columbus team,” says Ma ry St a r m a n -Harrison, CEO of SSMHC/ WI. “T h e ys h a re our commitment to building stro n glocal health care services and offeringe xcellence in patient care, and we believewe are stronger together.“ We feel fortunate to be working with the Columbus team. They shareour commitment to building strong local health care services and of f e r-ing excellence in patient care, and we believe we are stronger to g e t h e r. ”Olympics HighlightSpirit DaySSM Card i nal Glenno nC h i l dren’s Hospital, St.L o u i s, celebrated itsa n nual Spirit Day onMay 16 by spons o r i ngits own version of theO l y m p ic s. Departme nt st h ro u g hout the ho s p i-tal of f e red services tostaff such as glauc o mas c re e n i ngs from ophth a l mology and pulmonary func t ion testsf rom re s p i ratory care.O t her de p a r t me nts setup displays with game sa nd activities illustra t-i ng their servic e s.CCH will remain under local control. Ed Ha rding, president andCEO of CCH, will re p o rt to alocal board composed of eight CCHb o a rd members and three SSMHC/WIb o a rd members. Eight of the 11 membersare Columbus-area residents. Todemonstrate its commitment to thehospital and community, SSMHC/WIwill contribute $100,000 to CCH’sFoundation in support of the hospital’scapital campaign to construct a newemergency depart m e n t .p u rchasing and physician re c ru i t m e n t . ”Other opportunities available to CCHt h rough the affiliation will include accessto SSMHC/WI’s information systems,quality improvement, continuing educationand other support pro g r a m s .“We feel fortunate to be working with“The affiliation should result in a positi ve outcome for both organizations, aswell as the communities they serve , ”St a r m a n n - Harrison adds. “It is a winningcombination because CCH is financiallyand strategically sound and will contributeto SSMHC’s growth in Wi s c o n s i n . ”$B a rcode Technology at St. MarysA First In Wisconsin HospitalsSt. Ma rys Hospital Medical Center inMadison has become the first hospitalin Wisconsin to use barcode technologyto pre vent medication and bloodtransfusion errors. St. Ma rys purc h a s e dthe Me d Point software system fro mBridge Medical Inc.The decision “demonstrates our continuedcommitment to provide the mosta d vanced medical care possible in as erro r -f ree an environment as is humanly andtechnologically possible,” says St. Ma ry sPresident Gerald Lefert .“ St. Ma rys was one of three part n e r sthat helped Bridge advance Me d Po i n t ,”notes Bridge Senior Sales and Ma rk e t i n gVice President Kris Wa n a m a k e r. “We areve ry grateful for their expertise and suppo rt as we continue to enhance the abilityof our technology to help hospitals re d u c ecosts and minimize risk.”Me d Point is the only barc o d e - e n a b l e dp o i n t - o f - c a re system to combine medicationand blood product administrationverification with laboratory specimenidentification, according to Wa n a m a k e r.In early 2001, He a l t h c a re In f o r m a t i c smagazine named St. Ma rys and Bridge asjoint finalists for its He a l t h c a reIn n ovations in Technology Sy s t e m s( H I TS) partnership award. The HITSa w a rd honors health care organizationsand vendors that partner to cre a t i vely usen ew or emerging technology to improvepatient care quality.H ow MedPoint Wo r ksMe d Po i nt acts as a safety net at the bedside befo reme d ic a t ion is adm i n i s t e re d. Nurses scan the barc o deof the me d ic a t ion to be adm i n i s t e re d, the patie nt IDb racelet and their own ID badge. Me d Po i nt verifie st he “five rig hts” of me d ic a t ion adm i n i s t ra t io n–r ig htp a t ie nt, drug, do s e, time and route of adm i n i s t ra t io n( o ral, injection or int ra v e no u s )– c hecks for safe do s-i ng levels and alerts nurses of potent ial hazards withl o o k - a l i ke, sound - a l i ke me d ic a t io ns.B e d s ide computers int e ract with a ra d io wave-controlled wireless commu n ic a t ion system that communicates changes in me d ic a t io ns and other patie nti n fo r ma t on i from hospital info r ma t ion systems tot he bedside unit, no t i f y i ng nurses of change s.St. Marys has tested MedPoint extensivelyon 35 acute-care beds at St. Marysand is scheduled to go live with the softwaresystem in the remaining adult inpatientunits by Fall 2002. It will be implementedin specialty units in 2003. Thelab components will be implementedafter expansion of MedPoint.Me d Po i nt also helps eliminate ma ny of the ma nua lsteps pre v iously re q u i red in drug adm i n i s t ra t ion, further re duc i ng the possibility of erro r. It automa t ic a l l yre c o rds when a me d ic a t ion dose is given and byw h ich staff me m b e r. Special reports enable ma na ge r sto monitor the me d ic a t io ns given to patie nts andhelp hospitals ide ntify opportunities for impro v e-me nts in their me d ic a t ion adm i n i s t ra t on i pro c e du re s.About BridgeF o u nded in 1996, Bridge Me d ical Inc. is an info r mation technology firm that has pio ne e red the use ofb a rc o de technology in health care. He a d q ua r t e red inS o l a na Beach, Calif., Bridge has been ho no red for itsp a t ie nt safety solutio ns and educ a t io nal initia t i v e s.M a y / J u n e 2 0 0 2 N E T W O R K • A b i m o n t h l y p u b l i c a t i o n f o r e m p l o y e e s , p h y s i c i a n s a n d f r i e n d s5

F E A T U R E S T O R YPatient rooms aredesigned in a soothingn a t u re motif and areequipped with a wa l l -sized wipe-off board fo rnotes from nurs e s, visito rs and phys i c i a n s.SSMHC Employe e sH o n o red Fo rD i ve rsity Effo r t sFor their commitme ntto their prof e s s ion andde d ic a t ion to theA f r ic a n - A me can r i commun i t y, Yv o n ne Tisde l ,c o r p o rate vice pre s i-de nt–hu man re s o u rc e sa nd system diversity,a nd Rose McCallum, RN,Rose McCallumd i rector of care ma na gement and social s e r v ic e sat SSM Card i nal Glenno nC h i l dren’s Hospital, h a v ebeen ho no red by The St.Louis American ne w s p a-per as two of six “stellarhealth care perfo r me r s ”in the St. Louis area.Rose McCallum c a meto Glennon in 1973after graduating fromnursing school. One oft h ree Afric a n - A me r ic a nstudents to graduateas a nurse out of herclass of 90, McCallumsees ma ny mo re opportu n i t ies for Afric a n -A me r ic a ns in all fie l d sof the me d ical communitynow than in thepast. She believes thatshe and her African-American colleaguesserve as critical rolemo dels for young peoplein the commu n i t y.Defining ‘Modern’ Health CareH ow SSM DePaul Health Center is shaping the patient care model of the futureBy Kathryn Stro p p e lWhat do the computer mouse, the stand-up toothpaste tube and two patient care units at SSM DePaulHealth Center have in common? All were designed in collaboration with IDEO, an innovative designfirm that creates products, services and environments for companies pioneering new ways to providevalue to their customers.In December 2000, De Paul staffa p p roached IDEO to redesign itsnursing process as well as to understandIDEO’s cre a t i ve process. To achievethe center’s goal of providing a comfortablepatient experience, the IDEO teamworked closely with DePaul staff toe x p l o re the hospital’s use of space, serv i c e s ,staffing and technology and then deve l o pdesign concepts for a new patient cared e l i ve ry system.IDEO worked on-site, observ i n g ,brainstorming, interv i ewing and actuallyliving as a De Paul patient. It then visuallymapped the patient-journey pro c e s s ,documenting De Pa u l’s pro c e d u res fro mpatient check-in to recuperation. Next, itc reated 3-D blueprints that illustratedsolutions for new spaces, systems andtechnologies implemented within theUnderstand and Ob s e rveexisting hospital environment, prov i d e dDe Paul with a framew o rk to create itsn ew model and developed concepts tos u p p o rt it.“We chose IDEO for the project inp a rt because it is by far one of the mosti n n ova t i ve design companies in theworld,” says De Paul President Bob Po rt e r.“IDEO has the freedom to pick andchoose its clients, and we we re glad theywanted to work with us to design a creat i ve solution for the hospital.”And according to Po rt e r, staff andpatients in the unit, the team did just that.“We are extremely happy with the re s u l t sof this project,” Po rter says. “The units area t t r a c t i ve, useful and easy to navigate forpatients, visitors and employees alike. Infact, we hope to apply the IDEO designprinciples to other units in the future . ”C a re team coordinator and re c e n tgraduate Toni Hill got in on the gro u n dfloor of planning the new areas. “It was aphenomenal experience for me in comingf rom a bad experience to working handin-handwith my boss and being pluggedinto the process,” she says. “I worked thef l o o r, learned the protocol and became ap a rt of the team. I learned so many differentthings and was able for the first timeto be part of a team that actually was tryingto better health care – and it was happeninghere at De Pa u l .“T h e re was no such thing as a badidea,” she says of the process. “I think Ilearned more about nursing and De Pa u lthan I would have otherwise. I’m happyGod gave me the opportunity to be atDe Paul and experience the process and bea part of the growth here . ”The project began with a “What do you Know” session and continued with on-site interv i ews and observations. The team worked toidentify the gaps and needs in processes and to understand things from the user’s perspective .Photo Su rvey Patient To u r In t e rv i e w s Sh a d ow i n g Body St o rm i n gS i nce 1998,Yvonne Tisdel h a sw o r ked to inc re a s ea w a re ness of diversityt h ro u g hout SSM He a l t hC a re and to build afo u nda t ion that supportsa diverse workpl a c e. Her diversity initiatives inc l ude a diversityvideo, diversityfo r u ms, a me nt o r i ngp ro g ram, a diversityweb site, inc re a s e dc o m munity involvement, a supplier diversitypro g ram and diversitygoals that arei nc o r p o rated into thesystem’s stra t e g ic plan.Yvonne TisdelA photo survey was reve a l i n g .One DePaul nurs e, when aske dto photograph the mostimportant re s o u rces andtools for her job, documentedonly her co-wo r ke rs.Sy n t h e s i zePhotographs, diagrams anddrawings all we re mountedon the wall of the pro j e c troom to prompt discussionand illustrate key insights.In this stage, the teamw o rked to reduce all observationsto the key needsand then summarize themto become core aspects ofthe new pro c e s s .The team documented the fullpatient ex p e r i e n c e, which wa sone of the most beneficiali n ve s t i g a t i o n s.The team combined stakeholderinterviews with unitwa l k - t h ro u g h s.Team members fo l l owed ando b s e r ved a variety of stakeho l d e rs – patients, tra n s-p o r t e rs, nurses and phys i c i a n s.D e Paul team members actedout the patient journey of thef u t u re to generate cre a t i vep e rs p e c t i ves on the pro b l e musing nonverbal wa ys oft h i n k i n g .After completing apatient journey diagram, a patientroom diagram wa sl i b e rally annotatedwith photogra p h sand i n s i g h t s, as we l las questions re g a rdingthe various stagesof the journey. Totest the patient journey, team memberswa l ked through multiplepatient situationsto unders t a n dD e Pa u l s ’ patients’range of ex p e r i e n c e . s6S S M H E A L T H C A R Ew w w . s s m h c . c o m

T H E N E W SSSM St. JosephOpens LargestED in St.Charles CountyIn Ma y, SSM St. Jo s e p hHospital West, LakeS a i nt Louis, held ag ra nd opening forits new Eme rge nc yD e p a r t me nt (ED), thel a rgest in St. Charles( MO) Count y. With14,889 squa re feet,t he ED features 25t re a t me nt ro o ms,i nc l ud i ng four tra u maa nd four pedia t r icro o ms; a private tria gea rea; an EMS statio n ;a pedia t r ic play are a ;ra d iology services;a nd an 18-personnurses’ statio n .L e a d e rship Conference Focuses on Dive rs i t yBy Suzy Fa r re nMARCO ISLAND, FL – SSM Health Care employees gathered May 1-4 for SSMHC’s annual LeadershipConference, where the subjects ranged from disparities in health care for women and minorities, togenerational differences in the work force, to cultural differences in healing. Some 125 people – fullyhalf of all employees in attendance (total attendance topped 400) – were attending their first leadershipconference, the most first-time attendees ever. The conference featured 22 Showcase forSharing exhibits, which shared successes and best practices. In addition, 21 individuals and programswere honored with Human Spirit Awards for their efforts to raise the human spirit.May 2The conference theme, “Our People, Ou rPotential,” focused on diversity in thew o rk force and in SSM communities.St e ve Ba r n e y, SSMHC’s senior vice pre s i-d e n t– human re s o u rces, who chaired thei m p o rtant aspect of healing. The manresponded: “On a hot day, don’t have acold drink on an empty stomach.” W h e nHammerschlag looked confused, theh e a ler explained that a cold drink on a hotday on an empty stomach led to “bad b e l l y. ”a c c o rding to age and listed positive andn e g a t i ve characteristics of different generationsin the work force. While part i c i-pants found numerous opportunities toh u m o rously goad one another, Calcaterrab rought home the message that differe n tLeft: Dr. Caro l y nC l a n cy signs oneof her books.Right: The king& queen: DonEggleston andYvonne Tisdel serveas emcees atthe awa rds dinner.committee that planned the confere n c e ,said that more than half of SSMHC’s exe c-u t i ves are women and that the organizationmust continue to expand the numbers ofd i verse people in professional positions.In opening re m a rks, Sr. Ma ry Je a nRyan, FSM, president/CEO of SSMHealth Care, reiterated her longstandingcommitment to dive r s i t y. “Our themee x p resses our deep concern about beingd i verse,” she explained. “Our people areour potential, and our facilities mustreflect the communities they serve.”Carl Hammerschlag, MD, a psyc h i a-trist and a proponent of the mind/body/spirit connection, said the spirit ofhealing is suffering in American healthc a re because health care is being re d u c e dto economics. “It’s going from a ministryto an industry,” he said.Hammerschlag cited his re l a t i o n s h i p swith indigenous people to illustrate thei m p o rtance of the spirit. He said he onceasked a healer his opinion on the mostAnd you can’t expect to heal someone elseif you yourself have “bad belly,” he said.“ Pay attention to what you feel withyour heart,” Hammerschlag advised.“The truth is closer to the heart than thehead. The heart knows things the mindd o e s n’t want to think about. You cannotdo this work from emptiness. Come to itf rom a place of joy.”C a rolyn Clancy, MD, director of theCenter for Outcomes and Ef f e c t i ve n e s sRe s e a rch at the Agency for He a l t h c a reRe s e a rch and Qu a l i t y, addressed the disparitiesin health outcomes betwe e nwomen and minorities compared to whitemales. She called for improvements in thecollection of data for minorities, notingthat health outcomes for minorities andwomen offer a critical quality improvementopport u n i t y.During an interactive session led byMa ry Calcaterra, organizational deve l o p-ment specialist for SSM Health Care - St .Louis, participants grouped themselve sgenerations value different things in thew o rk place. Successful hiring and re t e n-tion demands that employers understandthese differences, she said.Fo l l owing dinner, dynamic emceesDon Eggleston, SSM Health Care - St .Louis director of organizational deve l o p-ment, and Yvonne Tisdel, corporate vicep resident – human re s o u rces and systemd i ve r s i t y, presented Human Sp i r i tAw a rds to 22 individuals and teams (seepage 9). The awards honored the effort sof SSM employees and teams to re a c hout to patients, employees, communitiesand the organization.May 3Marilyn Hughes Gaston, former U.S.assistant surgeon general, told part i c i p a n t sthat radical change is needed in healthc a re. Despite the enormous amount ofmoney it spends on care, the U.S. healthsystem provides “sick care” rather than“health care,” she observed. As a re s u l t ,“we have awful health outcomes.” She is a8 S S M H E A L T H C A R E w w w . s s m h c . c o m

A R O U N D T H E SY S T E MSt. Mary’s beginskiosk pilot tom e a s u re loya l t y.P E O P L EState Quality Awa rdE xa m i n e rs /J u d g e sD u r i ng 2002, 13 re p re s e ntatives from SSM Health Care willserve as quality award exa m i ners or judges in their stateq uality award pro g ra ms.E xa m i n e rsMissouri: Mark Ta y l o r, Deborah Whitfield, St. MarysHealth Center, Jefferson City; Michelle Henson, KristinMcManmon, SSM St. Joseph Hospital of Kirkwo o d ;Shelly Pierc e, SSM St. Mary’s Health Center, St. Louis;D e bby Vo s s e n ke m p e r, SSM St. Joseph Health Center, S t .C h a r l e s /SSM St. Joseph Hospital West, L a ke St. LouisWisconsin: Gabrielle Jensen, Laura Jelle,Ann Helwig, St. Clare Hospital and HealthS e r v i c e s, B a ra b o oIllinois: Michelle Darnell, St. Mary’s Good SamaritanI n c. ,S o u t hern Illino i sJ u d g e sWisconsin: Tim Hallock, St. Marys Hospital MedicalC e n t e r, Ma d i s o nOklahoma: Janet Farhood, Bone & Joint Hospital,O k l a ho ma CityMissouri: Lois Ko e h l e r, SSM St. Joseph Health Center,St. Charles/SSM St. Joseph Hospital West, L a ke St. LouisMissouriAppointmentsJon Kimerle has accepted the position of HIPAA pro j e c tma na ger re p o r t i ng to Tom Langston, pre s ide nt, SSMI n fo r ma t ion Cent e r / c h ief info r ma t ion of f ic e r. Kimerle previously served as business planning ma na ger at theI n fo r ma t ion Cent e r.K i merle’s years in health care inc l ude ex p e r ie nce inf i na nc ial ma na ge me nt, business ma na ge me nt and info r-ma t ion techno l o g y. Prior to joining the SSM Info r ma t io nC e nt e r, he served as a project ma na ger for J. No r ma nC o ns u l t i ng in St. Louis, working with health care clie nt son HIPAA complia nce planning and Electro n ic DataI nt e rc h a nge (EDI) pro j e c t s. Kimerle holds an unde rg ra duatede g ree in health services ma na ge me nt and a ma s t e r ’ sde g ree in health adm i n i s t ra t ion from the University ofMissouri – Columbia.Bill Schoenhard, executive vice pre s ide nt / C O O, SSMHealth Care, has been appointed to the Ame r ican Collegeof He a l t h c a re Exe c u t i v e s, Governa nce Impleme nt a t io nTask Forc e. Scho e n h a rd also received the William H.S p u rgeon III Aw a rd for cont r i b u t i ng sig n i f ic a nt leade r s h i pto the Exploring Pro g ram of the Greater St. Louis Are aC o u ncil of Boy Scouts of Ame r ica.M a rg a ret Singleton, MD, was appointed associate dire c-tor of outpatie nt psychia t r ic services at St. Fra n c i sHospital & Health Center, Ma r y v i l l e.Ann Mann was pro moted to vice pre s ide nt of hu ma nre s o u rces for SSM Home Care, St. Louis.Glenda Major was appointed clinical director of S S MRehab at SSM DePaul Health Center, B r idgeton. To nyEgan j o i ned SSM Rehab as director of outpatie nt busine s sde v e l o p me nt.G e ra rd “Jay” Harms Jr. was appointed director of phy s ic ia ns e r v ices for SSM St. Joseph Health Center, St. Charles, andSSM St. Joseph Hospital West, L a ke St. Louis.Douglas Wilson was appointed chief fina nc ial of f ic e r / v ic ep re s ide nt of fina nce for St. Marys Health Center,Jefferson City.Trevor Axfo rd, MD, FAC S , j o i ned the staff of SSM St.M a r y ’s Health Center, St. Louis, as me d ical dire c t o r, division of card io t ho ra c ic surge r y. Patricia Pe n ko s ke, MD,j o i ned the health center staff as a card io t ho ra c ic surge o n .St. Marys Health Center, Jefferson City, welcomed B a r b a raSheehan as a new regular-term member of the Health Cent e rF o u nda t ion’s board of dire c t o r s. Roger Dudenhoeffer a ndJohn Landwe h r w e re elected to the board.C u r re nt and re c e nt gra duate stude nts in clinical psycho l o g y /ne u ro p s y c hology at SSM Rehab, St. Louis, re c e i v i ng clinicalint e r nship positio ns for the upcoming year wereS t a c ey Sand, M iami Ve t e ra ns Adm i n i s t ra t ion Me d ic a lC e nter; S a rah Ohrt, University of Alabama Me d ical Cent e r,B i r m i ngham; L a u ra Brow n , B rown University; andMichelle Kincade, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary.Honors and AuthorsDoug Ries, p re s ide nt and CEO of SSM Cardinal GlennonC h i l d re n ’s Hospital, St. Louis, received the 2002 Gua rd ia nA ngel Aw a rd, pre s e nted by the Family Support Network torecognize outstand i ng achie v e me nt in the pre v e nt ion ofchild abuse.I l l i n o i sER Kiosk Speeds Customer FeedbackSt. Mary’s Good Samaritan Inc., SouthernI l l i n o i s, recently placed a kiosk in thee m e rg e n cy department at its Centra l i ac a m p u s. Located next to the departme n t ’s exit doors, the kiosk allowspatients to provide feedback about theirexperience by completing a brief electronic survey consisting of three importantquestions:O k l a h o m aE xe c u t i ve Director Completes Fe l l owship for Cre a t i n gHealthier CommunitiesPamela Troup, exe c u t i ve director of St.A n t h o ny North, Oklahoma City, completedthe prestigious C re a t i n gH e a l t h i e rCommunities Fe l l owship,a yearlong intensivelearning collabora t i ve fo c u s e don training selected healthc a re and community leadersto advance a new vision of popul a t i o nhealth. Troup was o n eof only 29 people selecte dnationally for the 2001-2002f e l l owship class, which is directed byHealth Forum, an American HospitalAssociation organization. Troup and the• H ow satisfied are you with your ex p e r i-e n c e ?• A re you willing to return to our emerge n cy department?• H ow willing are you to recommend oure m e rg e n cy department to your family orf r i e n d s ?Among the benefits of this new surveya p p roach is the ability to get feedbackother Fe l l ows will put into action theirideas for enhancing population healthand well-being in their ow no rg a n i z a t i o n , scommunities andre g i o n s.Troup plans to helpa d vance St. Anthony Hospital’sparish nurse pro g ram andwork collaboratively with theOklahoma State Board ofHealth to strengthen thestate’s health infrastructureby tackling negative health trends andc o o rdinating sustainable preve n t i o nprograms.St. Anthony Hospital Named 2001 Corporation of the YearThe Archdiocese of Oklahoma City’sCatholic Charities awarded St. AnthonyHospital the 2001 Corporation of theYear Award. The hospital was honoredfor upholding the gospel values of justic e, love, compassion and ho p et h rough servic e, empowerme nt anda d v o c a c y. Specific re c o g n i t ion wasgiven to St. Anthony Hospital and itsVo l u n t e e rs Bra ve Soggy SundayFoundation for providing employmentand language skills to immigrants, forits innovative promotion of holistichealth care through a parish nursep ro g ram enc o m p a s s i ng 10 parishe sand 22 nurses, and for offering freechildbirth classes and some prenatalcare to unwed mothers.For two decades, St. Anthony Hospitalvo l u n t e e rs have lent a hand during theannual Redbud Classic, a series of fitnessevents held each April in Oklahoma City.Although this ye a r ’s 20th annive rs a r yclassic was soggier than most with heavys h owe rs and cooler-than-normal temperatu re s, St. Anthony Hospital again showe dits support. Hospital wellness staffa n s we red questions while other vo l u n-t e e rs handed out race medals and afterracenourishment and collected timingchips from runners’ shoes. St. Anthony isa presenting sponsor of the eve n t .within 24 hours of patients’ visits, makingit a leading indicator for measuring loya l-t y. In addition, staff members can monitortheir pro g ress on a daily basis andm o re easily identify reasons for positiveresults or opportunities for improve m e n t .If the pilot project is successful, thep rocess will be replicated in other keya reas of the hospital.Heart Hospital NamedBiotech HealthcareI n n ovator of the Ye a rThe Journal Record , Oklahoma City’s bu s i-ness news p a p e r, honored St. AnthonyHeart Hospital by naming it the BiotechH e a l t h c a re Innovator of the Year during arecent awa rds luncheon. The HeartHospital, which opened in January, isO k l a h o m a ’s first hospital dedicated tothe treatment of the heart and card i o-vascular diseases.L to R: Oklahoma Lt. Governor M a r yFallin, St. Anthony Hospital Pre s i d e n tValinda Rutledge and Iftikhar Ahmad, MD.Christmas in AprilOklahoma City-area homeless childrena re enjoying a newly re no v a t e dlibrary designed especially for them,thanks to the helping hands of 11 St.A nt ho ny Hospital volunt e e r s. St.A nt ho ny employees and their fa m i l ie sworked alongside more than 20 othervolunteers to complete the extensiverenovation project on April 7. Theyinstalled dry wall, painted, movedshelving, ripped out old carpet andinstalled new lighting fixtures for thelibrary at Positive Tomorrows School,w h ich serves ho meless and tra ns i-t io na l children.Seminar Fe a t u res Actor andS t ro ke Survivo rRobert Guillaume, actor and stro kes u r v i v o r, re c o u nted his personal storyat the ninth annual Stro ke of Coura gec o n f e re nce pre s e nted by St. Ant ho nyHospital, Oklaho ma City, and theA me r ican Stro ke As s o c ia t ion. Thec o n f e re nce pro v ided info r ma t io nabout stro ke pre v e nt ion, inno v a t i v eme d ical tre a t me nts and stro ke re h a-b i l i t a t io n .Continued on page 11L to R: Chris Howa rd, Lisa Lew i s, Mandy Hayes and Sandra Pa y n e.10 S S M H E A L T H C A R E w w w . s s m h c . c o m

SSM St. Mary’s HealthC e n t e r, St. Louis,recently opened an ew center dedicatedto seniors.P E O P L EIn Ma y, the e m e rg e n cy department at SSM DePaul HealthC e n t e r, B r idgeton, and its me d ical dire c t o r, Kurt Kloss,M D , w e re featured in a na t io nal advertising campaign fo rt he T System, a computerized info r ma t ion ma na ge me ntsystem de s ig ned for hospital eme rge ncy de p a r t me nt s.Paul Conve r y, MD, executive vice pre s ide nt and chie fme d ical of f icer of SSM Health Care – St. Louis was electeda Fellow of the Ame r ican College of Phy s ic ia ns -A me r ican Society of Int e r nal Me d ic i ne (ACP-ASIM), thep rof e s s io nal society of int e r n i s t s. The distinc t ion re c o g-nizes Convery’s achie v e me nt in int e r nal me d ic i ne.Milton Sallis, MD, SSM St. Mary’s Health Center, St. Louis,was recognized by the ACP-ASIM for a poster pre s e nt a t io nhe ma de at the org a n i z a t ion’s annual me e t i ng .Andy Koseff, MD, a nd Eunice Halve rs o n, vice pre s ide nt ,q uality re s o u rce cent e r, pre s e nted “A Collabora t i v eA p p roach to Enhanc i ng Pa t ie nt Safety” at the AprilP re m ier me e t i ng held in San Die go. In add i t ion, Ha l v e r s o np re s e nted “MBNQA: Passport to Exc e l l e nce” at the Ne wMex ico and Wa s h i ngton State Quality Aw a rd confere nc e s.Bruce Eve rs, PT, SSM Rehab Home Care, St. Louis, waso ne of seven phy s ical the rapists ho no red by the MissouriP hy s ical The rapy As s o c ia t ion with an Outstand i ng Servic eAw a rd for his exc e l l e nt patie nt care servic e s.James Arc i p ows k i , p ra c t ice dire c t o r, S S MSt. Charles Clinic Medical Group, w a si nstalled as pre s ide nt of the Greater St.Louis Chapter of the He a l t h c a re Fina nc ia lMa na ge me nt As s o c ia t io n .OklahomaClinton Medbery, MD, an oncologist at St. AnthonyHospital, O k l a ho ma City, was listed in the April issue ofLadies’ Home Journal as being amo ng “the best doctors fo rw o men – coast to coast.” Medbery is na med as one of 43top breast specialists in the cent ral United States.Medbery pre v iously appeared on R e d b o o k ma g a z i ne’s listof “A me r ica’s Best Breast Cancer Doctors“ for 2001.St. Ant ho ny’s planning and marketing departmentreceived a Gold ADDY Aw a rd at the annual Ame r ic a nAd v e r t i s i ng Fede ra t ion District 10 ADDY Aw a rds Show fo r“Beats Per Minu t e,” a 60-second local television spot.WisconsinTroy Wa l ker was appointed director of fina nce for S t .C l a re Hospital and Health Services, B a ra b o o .Pediatric End-of-Life Pro g ra mBecoming National ModelT he Footprints pro g ram at SSM Card i na lG l e n non Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, is having a sig n i f ic a nt impact on pedia t r ic carep ro v iders na t io nw ide through pre s e nt a t io nsma de at venues such as the April pre c o n f e re nc eto the annual Society of Pe d ia t r ic Nu r s e sC o n f e re nc e. Mary Ann Collins, MSHA, whoheads the pro g ram, detailed how pedia t r ic end -of-life care in the Footprints pro g ram differsf rom standa rd ho s p ice pro g ra ms.Un l i ke ho s p ice care, in the Footprint smo del, children may cont i nue re c e i v i ng aggre s-sive tre a t me nt, receive palliative or “c o m fo r t ”c a re, or receive a combina t ion of both.A second key factor is that instead of confi n i ng a child to a hospital bed, the Footprint sp ro g ram enc o u ra ges the family to take thechild ho me when possible, to celebrate thechild’s life and to create me mo r ies by allowingt he child to participate in fa m i l iar activitie sl i ke walking through a park, taking a ride int he car or ge t t i ng ice cre a m .“ W hen pare nts hear the word ‘ho s p ic e,’ its o me how takes away their last vestiges ofho p e,” Collins says. “In the Footprints program, we try not to take away ho p e. Ins t e a d,we take away bounda r ie s. ”M i s s o u r iCenter Improves Seniors’ Access to CareAn increased commitment to olderpatients by SSM St. Mary’s Health Center,St. Louis, has resulted in a new SeniorC a re Coordination Center.“Our motivation is to demonstra t edignity and respect for seniors so theyfeel comfortable here at the health cente r,” says Nancy Dorr, senior servicesd i re c t o r. “Statistics show that by 2030,m o re than 20 percent of the U.S. populationwill be over the age of 65. In fa c t ,s e n i o rs are the fastest growing segmentCase Management Bre a k fast SeminarIn Ma rch, nearly 50 people attended SSMRehab’s Case Ma na ge me nt Bre a k fa s tS e m i nar held at the May Center at SSMD e Paul Health Cent e r, Bridgeton. AbnaO g l e, MD, me d ical director of spinal cordinjury pro g ra ms for SSM Rehab, talked toFashion Show FundraiserThe SSM Rehab Foundation raised morethan $24,000 at its April fashion show,an event attended by more than 220g u e s t s. Celebrity models included HeidiGlaus from KSDK- T V ’s “Show-Me St.Louis” pro g ram; Lauren Pro n g e r, wife ofSt. Louis Blues player Chris Pronger; andWendy Pleau, wife of Larry Pleau, theBlues’ general manager. A highlight ofthe show was Kamisha Hodge, an SSMRehab patient who wa l ked down the runwaywith her husband and son. Hodge,who has multiple sclero s i s, is working toregain her strength and walk again.P roceeds from the show benefit programs and services essential to there c overy of SSM Rehab patients.of the population and are most of t e nusing medical care. ”S e n i o rs entering the Senior CareC o o rdination Center for the first timeu n d e rgo a thorough examination. Staffm e m b e rs then coordinate both inpatientand outpatient services for seniorsand other patients with special needs.The services include scheduling tests,putting patients on fast track re g i s t rationand planning for transportation toand from the health center. Registra t i o nt he group about func t io nal ne u ro mu s c u-lar stimu l a t ion in spinal cord injuryre h a b. The quarterly seminars pro v ide anopportunity for potent ial re f e r rers tolearn mo re about SSM Rehab, its phy s i-c ia ns and staff.I m p roved Collection Process Bolsters Bottom LineSSM Card i nal Glennon Childre n ’ sHospital, St. Louis, is impro v i ng its bottomline by impro v i ng its collectio np ro c e s s. The effort is part of a ne t w o r k-w ide initiative of the cent ralized billingof f ic e, spearhe a ded at Card i nal Glenno nby the “Gross to Net” Team. The teamc o nsists of a dozen ma na gers and Jo h nD u b i s, executive vice pre s ide nt .Two major efforts are under way. Thefirst focuses on impro v i ng processes sop a t ie nts’ cond i t io ns and the servic e sFood Drive Doubles Collection GoalWith a goal of collecting 600 pounds offood du r i ng a re c e nt weeklong dr i v e,SSM Rehab employees raised ne a r l y1,200 pounds to benefit the St. LouisA rea Food Bank. The food drive is anSSM Rehab re c e ntly was na med the onlyl y m p he de ma center in St. Louis sponso red by the Na t io nal Lymphe de maNetwork. Network sponsorship re q u i re sthat all phy s ical the rapists have at least135 hours of course work, tre a t me nt isc o ns i s t e nt with the standa rd of care,Kamisha HodgeSSM Rehab Named Lymphedema Centerp ro v ided are described as accura t e l y,ho nestly and completely as possible.Ac h ie v i ng this goal will ens u re pro p e rre i m b u r s e me nt from Me d ic a id and privateins u ra nce companie s.T he second effort involves de v e l o p-i ng a me a ns of verifying that payme nt sa re correct and complete. Impro v i ng thisfacet of the collection process is ex p e c t-ed to result in mo re easily ide nt i f y i ngu ncollected charge s.a n nual event spons o red by the SSMRehab Mission Aw a re ness Team. Sinc e1999, employees have collected 2,364p o u nds of food that pro v ided 788meals and fed 197 fa m i l ies of fo u r.a nd PT/OT services are pro v ide d, as wellas other assistance such as garme nt fitti ng and support gro u p s.SSM Rehab is listed on the Na t io na lL y m p he de ma Network’s Web site atw w w. l y m p h ne t . o rg .is housed in a different area than regularre g i s t ration in order to prov i d es e nior guests with a private setting,and a patient transportation pro g ra mp rovides the services of two wheelchairaccessiblevans and a sedan.For patients coming to SSM St. Mary’sHealth Center from a nursing home, along-term care manager is available tos e r ve as a liaison between the two fa c i l-ities and keep the nursing home updatedon patients’ pro g re s s.SSM Rehab EmployeesSelect EquipmentAdm i n i s t rators at SSM Rehab, St. Louis,p ro v ided staff members with a voice inde c i s ion ma k i ng by giving them re s p o n-sibility for re s e a rc h i ng and selectinga n nual new equipme nt purc h a s e sa mo u nt i ng to $75,000.T he eig ht - member committee consistedof phy s ical the ra p i s t s, nurses ando c c u p a t io nal the rapists from SSMRehab’s various inpatie nt and outpatie nt fa c i l i t ie s. Wo r k i ng from a list ofcapital ex p e nd i t u re re q u e s t s, committeemembers re s e a rc hed equipme nt, contactedvendors and followed guide l i ne sin which they described how the equipment directly benefitted patie nt carea nd improved effic ie ncy and outcome s.“ Ma ny members of adm i n i s t ra t io ns a id the committee did a better job thant hey would have in de t e r m i n i ng ho wcapital dollars were spent,” says Je n n i f e rNelson, a re p re s e ntative of SSM Rehab.“ W hen caregivers ma ke de c i s io ns basedon firsthand observatio ns of patie ntne e d s, the patie nts truly bene f i t . ”Robin Stro s s, an occupatio nal the rapistat SSM Rehab in Lake Saint Louis,says the ex p e r ie nce gave her job satisfac t ion as well as a chance to do the bestfor her patie nt s. “Being given thisre s p o nsibility showed adm i n i s t ra t o r svalue our expertise and our kno w l e dge ofwhat our patie nts’ needs are,” she says.S he add s, “Because we were looking at outcome s, we weren’t just pic k-i ng some t h i ng because it would benefitoccupatio nal or phy s ical the ra p i s t s.We looked at the whole pic t u re,i nc l ud i ng nu r s i ng . ”T he committee purchased an isokinet ic exe rcise ma c h i ne, a balanc ema s t e r, a We ig ht Well weig ht tra i n i ngma c h i ne and a car that helps stro kev ic t i ms and others learn to get in andout of a vehicle from a whe e l c h a i r. Thei t e ms were purchased for SSM Rehab’sof f ices in St. Charles, Lake Saint Louisa nd Wa r re nt o n .E vent Focuses on SeniorsSt. Marys Health Center Senior Conne c-t ion, Jefferson City, spons o red Senio rFocus ’02 in April. The annual event featu res info r ma t io nal and educ a t io na ls e m i na r s, health scre e n i ng s, lunch anda re s o u rce area. Approx i mately 300 senioradults and 30 exhibitors from thea rea partic i p a t e d.M a y / J u n e 2 0 0 2 N E T W O R K • A b i m o n t h l y p u b l i c a t i o n f o r e m p l o y e e s , p h y s i c i a n s a n d f r i e n d s11

H E R O A M O N G U SV i rgie Shafferre c e i ves a HumanSpirit Awa rd fro mSSMHC Pre s i d e n t /CEO Sr. Mary JeanR yan, FSM.Making Kindness Tangible: Po r t rait of a Nurs eVirgie Shaffer, an LPN at St. Michael Hospital, Oklahoma City, recently was honored with a Human Spirit Award atSSMHC’s Leadership Conference in Marco Island, Florida. What follows are excerpts from the award nomination writtenby Kelli Geopfert, unit secretary for the Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation Unit at St. Michael Hospital.Virgie Sh a f f e r’s face is the living, bre a t h i n greflection of what one would see if theyheld our mission statement up to a mirro r.Virgie exemplifies what it means to be a serva n te ve ry single day. By servant, I mean the biblicaldefinition – “If you do it to even the least of these,then you have done it unto me.”C h r i s t’s words are made manifest in Vi r g i e’sl oving, tender hands. When all the rhetoric hasbeen spoken, when all the paperw o rk has becomeye l l ow with age, the love she gives her patients willl i ve in an unending circle of good deeds and kindnessesshown to others, for the law of sowing andreaping isn’t just a parable, but a proven principle.If we truly want to re veal the healing presence ofGod in our excellent service to the community, wewould do well to follow in Vi r g i e’s footsteps. Fi r s t ,s h e’s been a nurse at St. Michael for more than 25years and has worked in almost eve ry nursingd e p a rtment. Her skills are exceptional. She starts theIVs on the “hard sticks.” She can tell someone’sblood pre s s u re just by looking at them. I don’t re c a l lany medical errors she’s made. Unflappable, she canhandle any medical crisis that might arise with apatient. A great amount of her knowledge is theimmeasurable type. “She just know s . ”Sh e’s older than 60, but can work the halls likea 20-year-old. Dependable, she never calls in sick.She even works extra shifts to help out the unitw h e n e ver we are at high census and under staffed.She is a team player and will do whatever it takesto make her patients comfortable. In fact, a ru n-ning joke on our shift is not to let her “s t i r” herpatients up. “Now you know I have to go in andcheck on these people,” she’ll say sheepishly as sheinches down the hall.“W h e re’s Virgie?” someone will ask. “Pro b a b l yin a patient’s room,” will be the inevitableresponse, because Virgie can’t just go into a ro o mto pass meds or answer a light. No, she has to fluffand tuck pillows here and there, making herpatients comfort a b l e .While her work ethic is re m a rkable for someonewho should’ve been “burned out” a long timeago, it is compassion that is the hallmark of hernursing. Sometimes, we admit a patient whoseems impossible to deal with, and we will all agre ethat this “is a Virgie patient.” The fragile, old,pleasantly confused patients all find a safe harborin Vi r g i e’s gentle, loving care. By the time thatpatient is discharged, he or she will have been forever changed by the generosity of Vi r g i e’s spirit.Sh e’s never too tired, too over worked or too“a n y t h i n g” to let it interf e re with the care of herpatients. From the greatest need to the mostseemingly insignificant of things, nothing is ani n c o n venience to her.Virgie calls herself an old farm gal – simpleand eart h y. I call her Go d’s gift to all the frail,b roken among us, whatever our station maybe. The majesty of servitude is found in theh u m i l i t y of a pure heart that simply loves othersand seeks their wholeness.S S M Healt h CareMAKING A DIFFERENCESt. Louis newsletter inside4The Healing GardenSt. Clare looks to na t u re to provide an added dime ns ion to care.8L e a d e rs h i pC o n f e rence Fo c u s e son Dive rs i t y61C OV E R S TO R I E SSSMHC CliniciansGather For Share dAc c o u n t a b i l i t yC o n f e renceB e g l i nger: Shared Ac c o u nt a b i l i t ycould be as sig n i f ic a nt as CQI.St. Marys Ac h i eve sMagnet StatusHospital joins small, elite gro u pas ma g net for attra c t i ng andre t a i n i ng nu r s e s.3For Jean Miller,Cancer DiagnosisHas Led to NewRole in Ad vo c a cyDefining ‘Modern’Health CareD e Paul Health Center is shapingt he patie nt care mo delof the future.SSM Health Care477 N. Lindbergh Blvd.St. Louis, MO 63141w w w. s s m h c . c o mN o n - P rofit Org .U.S. PostagePA I DSt. Louis, MissouriP e rmit No. 2406