Kronos WFD: System enhancements

and ongoing support

• Exempt (salaried) employees will be able to edit their own timecards, beginning Aug. 17. Training on this functionality will be available Aug. 14 – 24.
• New clocks will replace the older 4500 model (green screen/blue buttons) and have already begun arriving at facilities that use this model. These new clocks will speed up the process of clocking in and out.
• Non-exempt (hourly) employees will soon have the ability to do on call, call back and low census with and without PTO entry at the clock, likely by the end of August.

As colleges prepare to begin their fall semester, many are requiring COVID-19 testing before students may return to campus. We are pleased to be providing testing for these asymptomatic patients as a reflection of our Mission and our commitment to whole person care in the communities we serve.
 

More details Leadership is currently discussing the possibility of expanding testing for other specific asymptomatic CHPG patient populations, e.g., those who need testing for work-related reasons. We will notify associates if we extend our testing parameters. In the meantime, those interested in asymptomatic testing options can refer to the following websites for information on COVID-19 community testing sites: Colorado: Find a community testing site - CDPHE Kansas: General testing information with links to testing locations - KDHE

To take advantage of this testing:

• Students must be an existing CHPG patient or become established as one.
• Student schedules an appointment with their CHPG primary care provider, either in-clinic or via telehealth.
• A clinic caregiver then schedules the student for a testing appointment.
  • In Colorado, this will be at a CHPG drive-up testing site.
• Results are typically available from the provider/clinic within two business days, including documentation for the student to provide to their college.

EAP – Help in Troubled Times
 

This article is provided by AdventHealth Communications Manager Ingrid Hernández.

Donning their personal protective equipment, health care staff of Clínica Adventista Ana Stahl in Iquitos, Peru, hold up a sign that says, “God is with you. Blessings.”

Haiti Adventist Hospital, located about a half-hour outside of Port-au-Prince, was one of the first three hospitals in the Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists to accept COVID-19 cases. The first week following Haiti’s national emergency declaration, the medical facility closed its doors to prepare teams, services and operations for what was to come.

What soon followed, said Chief of Staff Franck Geneus, was an increase of prices in the market for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other key items.

“Although we started with a fairly significant stock of PPE, we knew that it would be challenging to restock regularly,” he said.

Clínica Adventista Ana Stahl in Iquitos, Peru, which is in the South American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, closed for much longer as a result of the outbreak in its area. According to a report by Reuters, Peru confirmed its first coronavirus case on March 6 and surpassed 10,000 cases by April 14. By the end of that month, Clínica Adventista Ana Stahl had to shutter its doors for 30 days because of a staffing shortage. Of its 250 employees, about 75 percent had gone on sick leave.

“One of the reasons they had such a high rate of sickness is because they didn’t have an adequate supply of PPE,” said Greg Hodgson, director of Centura Health’s global mission work. Centura Health is a regional partnership of AdventHealth, and the Adventist medical institutions in Peru, like Haiti Adventist Hospital, are footprint facilities in the AdventHealth Global Missions program.

While much of the work of AdventHealth Global Missions takes place overseas, such as mission trips, on-site strategic planning sessions and other in-person touchpoints, the team saw an opportunity to continue to support footprint facilities from home by shipping PPE in collaboration with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). They started by sending supplies to Haiti Adventist Hospital, Andrews Memorial Hospital (Jamaica) and Centro Médico Vista del Jardín (Dominican Republic), and then added Clínica Adventista Ana Stahl and Hospital Adventista Valle de Ángeles (Honduras), among others.
 
“Local procurement of the needed PPE has quickly become impossible in our territory, mainly because of high costs and unavailability – two serious hurdles now impeding an adequate flow of proper service,” said Elie Honoré, MD, president for Adventist Healthcare Services – Inter-America. “My reaction is one of gratitude and thankfulness to God and to AdventHealth for this intervention.”

Using their combined expertise in logistics, AdventHealth and ADRA have been able to send 30 pallets of PPE to hospitals in nine different countries so far. The process began with AdventHealth Global Missions asking the footprint facilities for their monthly consumption levels to determine donation quantities, and working closely with AdventHealth’s supply chain teams to ensure the items were from donation-eligible stockpiles. This generosity went a long way to help facilities like Haiti Adventist Hospital.

“The support from AdventHealth was providential, so to say,” said Geneus. “We received from them materials like masks, gowns, foaming soaps, sanitizers and other consumables. To give a clearer idea, AdventHealth provided more PPE to us than the Haiti Ministry of Public Health.” 
 

Donations from Centura Health, a regional partnership of AdventHealth, arrive to Iquitos, Peru, on Saturday, July 18.

Monetary donations were also made to help the facilities source PPE locally. For instance, Centura Health donated $30,000 to help the Peru footprint facilities secure PPE. Additional funds are going toward the creation of a COVID-19 ward at Clínica Adventista Ana Stahl.

“The needs are still there for AdventHealth Global Missions,” said Monty Jacobs, director for the program. “Our work is not just about medical mission trips. It’s about fostering footprint relationships and collaborating with our partners so that they can continue their mission and serve their communities during these difficult times.”

Hodgson agreed.

“Our mission statement says we’re here to extend the healing ministry of Christ and as part of the Adventist family, we have a responsibility and opportunity to support Adventist health care whether in our community or around the world,” he said.

This summer, Colorado and Kansas have observed significant increases in positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and scientific studies suggest that wearing masks or face coverings is an important action in the fight against the coronavirus. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis from the scientific journal The Lancet found that “face mask use could result in a large reduction in risk of infection.”

On July 16, Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued a 30-day statewide mask mandate, hoping to avoid a major spike in coronavirus cases that he has stated has “left the state on the knife’s edge.” In Colorado everyone 11 years and older must wear a mask or other facial covering while in public indoor spaces, including all retail stores.

Wearing a mask keeps respiratory secretions within that barrier and helps protect others if you happen to be sick with COVID-19, even if you have minimal or no symptoms. It's also a helpful reminder not to touch your face. People are best protected when both they and others in the community wear masks.

Types of masks to wear in public

Outside of healthcare settings, you should use a simple mask that can be secured to your face, covers your mouth and nose and prevents respiratory droplets from spreading. It can be a hand-sewn mask with ear loops or head ties, or something as simple as a scarf wrapped around your face. The idea is to create a physical barrier that blocks any droplets you might produce when coughing, sneezing or even talking.

Medical-grade masks, like N95 masks and surgical masks, should be reserved for caregivers in the health care setting. When you're out in public, you don't need to wear the same kinds of masks worn by healthcare providers, who are in close contact with sick patients on a regular basis. 

As a reminder, Centura associates and physicians must wear face coverings while in the public areas of our facilities (entryways, hallways, breakrooms, restrooms, elevators, and cafeterias). And remember that wearing a mask in public is not a substitute for social distancing, frequent hand washing and avoiding touching your face. Wearing a mask is just one part of a larger infection control plan and doesn’t replace these other important recommendations. Working together to take these simple steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we can protect our communities and each other.

 

Our library and expert staff are available to assist you with your professional research needs!

Resources

• Print journals onsite and full-text journals and books online.
• Databases including PubMed, Medline, Health Business and CINAHL.

• Literature searching – Let us save you time on your topic of interest.
• Database searching instruction – We can teach you how to use the databases more effectively and efficiently, if you choose to perform your own searches, in person or via Skype.
• Article/book retrieval – If you need an article that the library cannot immediately access, we can request a copy from another library. We can also request to borrow a book if the library does not own it or have online access.

• Christine Fleuriel, MSLIS
  christinefleuriel@centura.org
   
• Davin Dearth, MLS
  davindearth@centura.org

• Email addresses
  porterlibrary@centura.org
  porterlibraryill@gmail.org
  (for article or book requests)

What are GMOs?
A GMO (genetically modified organism) is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism that has had its genetic makeup modified through engineering in a laboratory. Most GMO varieties are engineered to survive the application of herbicides, generate pesticides in their tissues to kill pests, and/or be resistant to disease and drought. GM crops can improve yields for farmers, reduce draws on natural resources and provide nutritional benefits.

Which foods might contain GMOs?
At least 90% of the soy, cotton, canola, corn and sugar beets sold in the United States have been genetically engineered. Most packaged foods contain ingredients derived from corn, soy, canola and sugar beets. Some new types – such as anti-browning apple varieties – are starting to hit the market.

Are GMOs safe?
In 2016, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released their report Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects. More than 20 years of data was reviewed, including nearly 900 studies and tests and European and North American health data. The committee found no differences that link a higher risk to human health from GM foods than from their non-GM counterparts.

Labeling
In November 2015, the FDA issued a ruling that only requires additional labeling of foods derived from genetically engineered sources if there is a material difference — such as a different nutritional profile — between the GMO product and its non-GMO equivalent.
The National Library of Medicine maintains a list of potential risks associated with GM foods, including genetic alterations that can cause environmental harm.

References

1. World Health Organization. “Frequently Asked Questions on genetically modified organisms.”
2. National Research Council. 2010. The Impact of Genetically Engineered Crops on Farm Sustainability in the United States. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
3. GMO Answers. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002432.htm

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 are now 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. To apply for a position, please ensure you use the Chrome web browser.

If interested in Kansas opportunities, please apply here. 

If interested in Colorado opportunities, please apply here.

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.

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

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, August 12 at 8 p.m. MST. You can register for it by clicking, here.

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

“What the Living Do is addressed to her brother, weeks after his death. It begins by detailing a particular morning, one which a person … could easily dismiss as a bad day. The kitchen sink is clogged, and Drano isn’t helping. The dishes are piling up. It’s cold outside, but the heat in the apartment is cranked up too high … driving a car, carrying a bag of groceries in the street, dropping the bag, spilling coffee, buying a hairbrush. How different all of those seemingly insignificant acts would look if we knew we would never get a chance to do them again.

“We often hear self-help gurus talk about ‘living in the moment.’ And it’s true we don’t appreciate ‘what is’ nearly enough.”

The above quote is taken from a commentary on the poem What the Living Do by Marie Howe. My guess is that most of us think of poems as lofty language and rhyming verses, not words describing a mess in the kitchen and the everyday, often chaotic endeavors that make up our anything but ideal lives; “dropping the bag” and “spilling coffee” aren’t exactly the stuff of poetic gracefulness. But because we usually don’t appreciate “what is” until it’s too late, it is this element of our existence that Howe wistfully describes in her ode to her deceased brother.
   
We often tolerate, resent or take for granted “what is,” never pondering “how different all of those seemingly insignificant acts would feel if we knew we would never get a chance to do them again.” We look ahead, we plan for the future, we say “see you later” when we part from one another, but we never know if there will be a “later,” or if there will be another opportunity to drive a car or buy a hairbrush, or do any of the thousand things we plan to do tomorrow. 

Everyday acts are usually done automatically. We often undervalue the people with whom we interact. And we ourselves, though temporary citizens of the earth, are frequently too busy to appreciate the brief and sometimes messy blessing of being alive. There is great wisdom in the simple phrase memento mori, memento vivere: remember death, remember to live. Even dropping a bag of groceries and spilling our coffee doesn’t seem so bad when we remember it’s only because we are alive that those things can happen.

Tom Stella, NCC
Corporate Chaplain          
tomstella37@gmail.com