If you haven't yet, share your story with us during Centura Health’s Associate Engagement Pulse survey by Sunday, August 2. Check your inbox for an email from survey@glintinc.com inviting you to share your story by participating in our brief online survey.

The survey requires less than 5 minutes of your valuable time! You are the heartbeat of our organization and your feedback will help us better provide experiences that nurture, inspire and motivate you and your colleagues.

If you haven’t seen the email from Glint:

• Look in your spam or junk folder to make sure it didn't end up there;
• Check your deleted items folder;
• Watch for periodic reminder emails from survey@glintinc.com;
• Scan a QR code on one of the posters, or access via the following links*:
  • Associate
    • Enter the following attributes to log in to the survey:
    • Your Centura email
    • your date of birth in this format:  YYYY/MM/DD

Earlier this week, we recorded a 50-minute discussion featuring Peter D. Banko, President & CEO, and other executive leaders to cover important topics in our continued COVID-19 response. View the recording here to learn where we are today, how we are faring with the community returning to our services, what lessons we have learned since March, where we are headed (will we see a wave 2 or 3?), what measures we are taking for appreciation and the importance of taking care of you.

Peter personally reviewed every question associates submitted. Questions that were more hospital- and departmental-focused were sent to CEOs or senior executives to follow up directly with you and your co-workers. If you need more details than we could provide in this recording, please e-mail OfficeoftheCEO@centura.org.

Total Administration Service Corporation (TASC) will be upgrading the account website for associates who maintain a Centura Health benefits FSA. If you have an FAS, please be aware of these key dates and review the attached FAQ.

TASC has sent communications to plan participants about this upgrade. Please encourage those who report to you to review those communications that cover the following information:

• new cards should arrive between - 7/24/20 – 7/28/20
• Projected go-live for the new website - 7/29/20

We’re proud to announce that six Centura Hospitals - Littleton Adventist Hospital, OrthoColorado Hospital, Parker Adventist Hospital, Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, Porter Adventist Hospital and St. Anthony Hospital - have been ranked among the best in the nation by the 2020 U.S. News & World Report. Plus, Porter Adventist Hospital and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services have been ranked as No. 2 and 3 in Colorado, respectively.

The annual Best Hospitals rankings, now in their 31^st year, are designed to assist patients and their care providers in making informed decisions about where to receive care for challenging health conditions or common elective procedures.

We’re proud to be at the forefront of excellence in health care! To learn more about Centura Health services, visit www.centura.org. 

Last week, five of our health care centers – Avista Adventist Hospital, Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, Littleton Adventist Hospital, Longmont United Hospital and St. Anthony Summit Medical Center – were named to Newsweek’s 2020 list of Best Maternity Care Hospitals. The distinction recognizes facilities that have excelled in providing care to mothers, newborns and their families, as verified by the 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Best Maternity Care Hospitals is part of Newsweek’s Best Health Care series, powered by data from The Leapfrog Group.

Our hospitals were among fewer than 250 to receive the prestigious accolade nationwide – and only 11 in Colorado.

“Best Maternity Care Hospitals showcases an elite group of hospitals from across the country,” said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief of Newsweek. “These facilities stand out for the care they provide to women and families, and for giving babies a strong start to life. Particularly in these uncertain times, we are honored to share this list of top-ranked facilities with Newsweek’s readership.”

Hospitals named as a Best Maternity Care Hospital have fully met The Leapfrog Group’s standards for maternity care on evidence-based, nationally standardized metrics. This includes lower rates of early elective delivery, NTSV C-section and episiotomy, as well as compliance with process measures including newborn bilirubin screening prior to discharge and blood clot prevention techniques for mothers delivering via C-section.

Congratulations to the incredible associates and physicians at these hospitals, who have demonstrated the highest standards in care and every day honor our commitment to building whole and thriving communities!

American Sentinel University and Colorado Hospital Association named Celeste Hanson-Weller, Manager of Clinical Nursing in the Emergency Department at  Mercy Regional Medical Center (MRMC), as a Colorado Health Care Star Award winner. This award recognizes Celeste as an exceptional health care professional.

Colorado Health Care Stars is a statewide health care professional award recognition program sponsored by American Sentinel University and Colorado Hospital Association. The program was launched in February 2015 to acknowledge industry professionals in Colorado who exceed expectations in the delivery of health care.

As a staff nurse, department team leader and now as clinical nurse manager, Celeste has transformed the MRMC Emergency Department into one of the highest functioning emergency departments in the health system. She helped build the SANE program, has worked with the community to find solutions to resolve the increase of marijuana use and is currently the department lead in the CHA ALTO program. She has also taken the lead to help develop a program to care for and ensure the safety of our psychiatric patient population.

“Celeste has the respect and admiration of every ED staff member as well as other managers, directors, and senior administrators at Mercy,” said Paul Gibson, former Director of Emergency Services at MRMC. “Celeste worked as a Night Staff RN and leads from the floor, always with the patient’s best interest at the core of her being. She will continue to work diligently to ensure the department, and Mercy, grow and adapt to the ever-changing healthcare environment, well into the future.”

“Committed healthcare professionals like Celeste are the heart of providing patient centered care in today’s rapidly changing healthcare environment,” said Michael Rickart, Vice President of Partner Engagement for American Sentinel University. “We’re thrilled our partnership with the Colorado Hospital Association allows us to honor her achievements and to recognize her as a Colorado Health Star.”

Learn more at http://www.americansentinel.edu/.

Social distancing: To many, this term has been used ad nauseam in 2020. However, reminding ourselves of this measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is critical. Why? Because it works.
 

Keep your distance It is important to stay at least six feet (approximately two arms’ length) away from other people to slow the spread of COVID-19. Consider the following tips from the CDC: Know before you go: Before going out, know and follow the guidance from local public health authorities where you live. Prepare for transportation: Consider social distancing options to travel safely when running errands or commuting to and from work, whether walking, bicycling, wheelchair rolling or using public transit, rideshares or taxis. Follow these additional tips to protect yourself while using transportation. Limit contact when running errands: Only visit stores selling household essentials in person when you absolutely need to. If possible, use drive-thru, curbside pick-up or delivery services to limit face-to-face contact with others. Choose safe social activities: It is possible to stay socially connected with friends and family who don’t live in your home by calling, using video chat or staying connected through social media. Follow these steps to stay safe if you will be participating in personal and social activities outside of your home. Keep distance at events and gatherings: It is safest to avoid crowded places and gatherings but if you are in a crowded space, try to keep six feet of space between yourself and others at all times, and wear a cloth face covering. Pay attention to any physical guides, such as tape markings on floors or signs on walls, and allow other people space when you pass by them. Stay distanced while being active: Consider going for a walk, bike ride or wheelchair roll in your neighborhood or in another safe location where you can maintain distance between yourself and others. If you decide to visit a nearby park, trail or recreational facility, first check for closures or restrictions. If open, consider how many other people might be there and choose a location where it will be possible to practice social distance. Other resources: Households Living in Close Quarters: How to Protect Those Who Are Most Vulnerable Living in Shared Housing People with Disabilities People Experiencing Homelessness

Along with using face masks and proper hand hygiene, social distancing is the most important thing you can do to in public to combat the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and numerous health care experts. In fact, it is so fundamental that creatures throughout the animal kingdom – from mammals to insects, fish and birds – practice this basic survival instinct as their primary defense against life-threatening diseases.  

In an article published in Weird News from New Mexico and Beyond, the authors describe such simple creatures as crabs, who congregate in small crevices to protect themselves from predators, capable of detecting when a particular member has contracted a deadly virus. Surrounding crabs will instinctively back away, even leaving the protection of the den to put distance between themselves and the infected member.

To humans, as social animals who aren’t regularly threatened by such serious communicable diseases, social distancing may be easy to forget. But the CDC reports that the disease mainly spreads among people who are in close contact (within about six feet) for a prolonged period.

While COVID-19 can live up to days on a surface and it may be possible to get the disease by touching a surface and then your mouth, nose or eyes, this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. By practicing social distancing, you not only prevent close contact with human emissions, but by extension limit your contact with contaminated surfaces as well.

People who are infected but do not have symptoms play a major role in the spread of COVID-19. This is yet another reason why it is important to stay at least six feet away from others when possible, even if you — or they — do not display any symptoms. This importance is magnified for people who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

As many of us begin a gradual process of returning to work, social distancing remains a priority and our Centura Health leaders have set guidelines for everyone to follow. Let’s remember that we all have a role to play in preventing the spread of this still-active virus. If crabs can follow social distancing, so can we!

Research Operations and Information Technology (IT) are excited to announce that the software platform Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) will soon be available to research clinicians throughout Centura Health; this includes health professionals within and affiliated with a Centura entity. REDCap, created by Vanderbilt University and licensed to Centura, is supported by the REDCap Consortium to primarily facilitate Institutional Review Board-approved (IRB) clinical research. However, there may be projects beyond research where REDCap is an appropriate platform for data acquisition and management. 

REDCap is a secure, HIPAA-compliant web-based solution that allows for a fully customizable, streamlined process to rapidly create and design projects with multiple tools. Highlights of the system include:

• A web-based interface for easy-to-use database building, data entry and reporting
• The ability to import data from external sources
• Automated data export (.csv, SPSS, SAS, Stata, R)
• Audit trails for tracking data changes and exports
• Data validation, branching logic and calculated fields
• A sophisticated tool for building and managing online surveys

On Sunday, August 9, Information Technology (IT) will perform monthly maintenance on the following critical applications and services, which will be unavailable from 11:30 p.m. (2330) until 2 a.m. (0200) MT on Monday, August 10.
 

Critical Applications
Application	Workaround
3M 360 Encompass	There is no workaround for this application.
Alaris Interoperability	Use the Alaris IV Pump Integration Downtime Recovery Checklist.
Ascom Vital Sign Alerts (St. Francis NICU)	Ascom will not provide vital sign alerts to Cisco phones and requires the downtime procedures to be initiated.
Avasure Virtual Telesitters	Avasure Virtual Telesitters will be unavailable. Initiate downtime procedures including in-person sitting coverage.
HUGS	HUGS Infant security system will be unavailable. Onsite security should be notified of downtime and unit doors monitored.
Nurse Call Systems (All)	Nurse Call systems will not send alerts to phones. Nurse Call alerts will alarm at the main console. Downtime procedures should be in place and the nurse call console should be monitored while the system is down.
OBIX	OBIX will be unavailable. Downtime procedures including in-person monitoring should be initiated which may require increased staff.
Point of Care lab tests uploading to Epic	Point of Care lab results will not upload to Epic during the full maintenance window. Epic is scheduled to be available at 1:30 a.m. (01:30) MT, POC lab results at 2 a.m. (02:00) MT. POC tests completed during the downtime will upload to Epic once the downtime is complete.
Pyxis	Pyxis stations must be placed on critical override in order to pull medications.
WellSky Transfusion – Blood Bank	WellSky Transfusion (Blood Bank) will not be available.  Laboratory should refer to downtime blood bank procedures and refer to the APBC for blood bank history.
Computer workstation security updates	Following the installation of workstation updates, you will see a 15-minute countdown and then the workstation will automatically restart.

Offline workstations will automatically be updated and rebooted once connected to the Centura Health network.
We appreciate your patience as we conduct these maintenance activities to keep our incredible people equipped with the latest tools and to ensure you can provide the highest quality, whole-person care.

Questions?
Contact your Clinical Informaticists by Facility.

The Centura Health Foundations have partnered with Walden University for a new scholarship opportunity available to all Centura Health associates. Walden University has generously donated 30, $15,000 scholarships to Centura Health associates who enroll in a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral program and begin classes on or before December 31, 2020 at Walden University. For scholars whose degree program exceeds $15,000, your local Centura Health hospital foundation will provide a 50% matching gift to each scholarship winner (not to exceed $7,500).

With more than 80-degree programs and more than 385 specializations and concentrations, Walden University can offer Centura Health associates a way to build highly transferable skills that can be immediately applied, as well as a pathway for greater career success. To qualify for a scholarship, the degree program you enroll in must meet the hiring needs of Centura Health. With only 30 scholarships available to Centura Health associates this will be a highly competitive application process.

This unique opportunity is powered by philanthropy and would not be possible without the generosity of Walden University and our community of donors, including many associate donors. 

To learn more about this incredible opportunity, please join us for a virtual Q & A on Wednesday, July 29th at 8pm MST. You can register for it by clicking here.

You can also visit WaldenU.edu/CenturaHealth-Scholars to learn how to apply, plus get information about eligibility, requirements and important deadlines.

Are you looking to expand your scope of practice and elevate your career? As a valued caregiver, Centura Health wants to provide you with the opportunity to grow and develop, right here within our vibrant, connected ecosystem.

Applications will soon be open for our next Nurse Residency Programs in the areas of Cath Lab, ED, ICU, Neonatal, Oncology, Perinatal and Perioperative. If you recently became a nurse, our Newly Licensed RN Residency Program (Embark) will equip you with the tools you need to maximize your healing impact.

Our goal is to promote internal talent mobility and offer these residencies to our own skilled, qualified and incredible nurses. The fall cohort program will begin Nov. 2, 2020. Save calendar reminder for application window.

Important dates for the upcoming Nurse Residency Programs:

Fall  2020 cohort dates: 

• Application window: August 10 - August 24, 2020
• Offers extended by: October 16, 2020
• Obtain license by: October 16, 2020
• Program begins: November 2, 2020

Andy Flemer named interim CEO for St. Catherine and Bob Wilson 
 

I am on a mission to encourage, engage and equip others to believe in the possibilities and to do the right thing.

Andy Flemer, who currently serves as interim Chief Operating Officer for Mercy Regional Medical Center (MRMC) in Durango, has been named interim CEO for St. Catherine and Bob Wilson Memorial hospitals (SCH and BWH) in Kansas. He will replace Christine McSweeney, who has been named Chief Operating Officer for St. Anthony Hospital (SAH).

Andy and his wife, Shannon, plan to travel to Garden City on July 31, and he will begin his new role on Aug. 3. He will work with Christine during a transition period before she starts at SAH on Aug. 17. Christine has been serving as interim CEO in Kansas since the retirement of former CEO Scott Taylor on July 1.

Prior to joining Centura Health and MRMC in March, Andy was with B.E. Smith, Inc., a professional services firm in Lenexa, Kan., that specializes in executive recruitment services and interim executive leadership for health care organizations. Recognized as a personable, creative leader, his diverse 34 years of health care executive leadership experience includes managing urban and rural acute care for-profit hospitals, public hospital district authorities, not-for-profit hospital and health system operations and multispecialty medical group/physician practice management operations.

He earned a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va.

In his free time, Andy enjoys hiking and mountain and road cycling.

We continue to be engaged in a national search for a permanent CEO at SCH and BWH.

Questions?
Please contact Tom Gessel, Group President, at TomGessel@Centura.org.


Linda Hills named Director of Virtual Care/Telehealth

Linda Hills, MBA, BSN, RN is the new Director of Virtual Care/Telehealth. She will continue to work within the Ambulatory Services team in this new role, which she has been serving on an interim basis since June. She will report directly to Deb Carpenter, Vice President of Ambulatory Operations. 

As Director of On-Demand Care, Linda excelled in leading 10 Emergency and Urgent Care centers for two years, with a focus on standardization, financial improvement, associate engagement and patient experience. She served in leadership positions involving physician practice, information technology, clinical resources and value analysis before settling in Ambulatory Services at Centura.

Linda earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Texas in Arlington and her Master of Business Administration at Amberton University in Garland, Texas.

Always motivated by opportunities to learn and gain new perspectives, Linda is committed to providing the highest quality in health services and will aim to have the same positive influence on the Virtual Care/Telehealth service line as she has in her past endeavors. She will be able to build on the momentum created in virtual care, particularly during the last several months under COVID-19, and take it to the next level as we look to solidify and expand its potential for these services across the enterprise.

We are in the process of searching for a replacement for Linda’s previous role and will keep associates informed appropriately.

Questions?
Contact me at AndrewGaasch@centura.org.

“The anonymous author of the following quote turns the traditional image of spirituality on its head: ‘God and the angels will hold you accountable for all the joys you were allowed in life that you denied yourself.’”

Instead of the solemn face of the saint or the figure of a renunciant lost in contemplation, he gives us the image of joy as the gateway to heaven. The experience of joy in this world is an indication that our spirit is shining brightly. Joy is an expression of our deepest nature, beyond all notions of right and wrong, beyond all dogma and belief, beyond any religious framework … Joy is a pure expression of the human spirit.

Allowing ourselves to experience joy is no easy task when a pandemic, racial inequities/injustice, global warming, terrorism and other weighty issues are so viscerally on our minds and hearts. There is so much to be sad and mad about, that joy seems like the last thing that can or should be front and center. But if poet Roger Housden and the anonymous author he quotes are correct, “joy is an expression of our deepest nature” and is therefore too important to lose touch with, too close to the bone of who we are as human/spiritual beings.

It is not only spirituality that gets turned upside down when joy is considered something to embrace, for the conventional wisdom of our time and culture clearly prioritizes the likes of seriousness, logic, responsibility and hard work. Joy may be the “gateway to heaven,” but a frown, not a smile, is the sign that we are earnest citizens of the earth.  
 
True joy is not the opposite of accountability, dependability and other elements of maturity; it is not a Pollyanna-like outlook, but a radical quality of character, an unquenchable vitality, enthusiasm and passion for life that the French refer to as joie de vivre. Joy is more a matter of choice than feeling; we can choose to be joyful even amidst life’s difficulties and demands.

Joy is what we can experience when we are connected to the sacred depth that poet Robert Frost refers to when he says, “We dance ‘round in a ring and suppose. But the secret sits in the middle and knows.” The “secret” at the heart of who we are and that is present even when we don’t feel it, is that Divinity or the D in our DNA; God by whatever name is our essence. If instead of keeping this a secret, we gave ourselves permission to live it, joy might just help us remain positive and hopeful in the midst of life’s very real and often dire circumstances.  

Tom Stella, NCC
Corporate Chaplain
tomstella37@gmail.com