Receive your COVID-19 vaccine or submit a qualified exemption by Sept. 24 Review our COVID-19 Vaccination policy and our communication from Sept. 3 carefully to understand if you need to take action.

Throughout the pandemic, Safety First, People Always has remained at the forefront of everything we do. Even during the most uncertain of times, we remain steadfast in our commitment to follow the expertise of our clinicians, keeping our people and patients safe and healthy, while remaining compliant with guidance and regulations from our federal and local governments. We appreciate all that you do to care for patients and our communities.

Earlier this month, the Colorado Board of Health implemented rules requiring licensed health care facilities to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine and Centura Health developed the COVID-19 Vaccination policy to comply with the ruling. As a reminder, you must receive the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or submit a qualified exemption by Sept. 24. Click here to read the communication that was shared on Sept. 3.

View our recorded town hall
So many of our incredible caregivers have asked questions about the state’s mandate, our policy and processes, and about the state of COVID-19. To help answer your frequently asked questions, we have put together a recorded town hall. We invite you to watch this 20-minute recording. Spanish subtitles are also available by clicking on Settings > Captions – Subtitles and checking Spanish.


You must be connected to the Centura Health network to watch this video. For the best experience, use Google Chrome.

Join our virtual town halls to learn more
If you have additional questions after watching the above video, we encourage you to connect with your direct supervisor or you may join one of our many virtual town halls led by Dr. Ozzie Grenardo, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, and Maria Kneusel, DNP, RN, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist. Click here to learn how you can join this conversation.

You are the heartbeat of Centura – the incredible people who deliver whole health to our patients and help build flourishing communities. Your commitment to health and safety has carried us through the pandemic and allows us to continue to move health forward. Thank you for your strength, resilience and commitment.

Questions?
Please reach out to your direct supervisor to discuss your next steps.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each year. The dates are meant to capture the independence anniversaries of various Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile. To honor Hispanic Heritage Month, please take a moment to learn more about the incredible people we serve who are part of this community.

At Centura, 21.1% of our patient population identifies as Hispanic. As caregivers, it is important for us to understand the unique social and health disparities these patients face. Health disparities are differences in disease rates or outcomes experienced by certain populations. There are significant health disparities between Hispanic or Latino populations and other racial groups. Latino individuals also have different health outcomes depending on whether they were born in the United States (US) or emigrated here. There are also health differences among various Latino subgroups.

Did you know?

• According to the 2020 US Census, the Hispanic population in the US grew by 23% since 2010.  
  
• There are currently 62.1 million individuals living in the US who identify as Hispanic or Latino.
  
• On average, Latinos in the US are nearly 15 years younger than whites.
  
• The top 10 states with the largest Latino populations are: CA, TX, FL, NY, AZ, IL, NJ, CO, GA and NM – in that order.
  
• When compared to their white counterparts, members of the Latino community:
  
  • Have 35% less heart disease and 49% less cancer, even though both conditions are still in the top 10 causes of death for Latinos.
    
  • Have a 50% higher death rate from diabetes or liver disease.
    
  • Experience 23% more obesity.
    
  • Are 24% more likely to have poorly controlled high blood pressure.
    
  • Have higher flu-related hospitalization rates (45 per 100,000 vs 38 per 100,000 for whites).
• When compared to US-born Latinos, foreign-born Latinos who live in the US have:
  • 50% less heart disease
    
  • 48% less cancer
    
  • 29% less high blood pressure
    
  • 45% more high cholesterol
• Among Latino subgroups the following is true:
  
  • 66% more Puerto Ricans smoke than Mexicans, putting them at greater risk for heart disease, strokes, cancer and other smoking related diseases.
    
  • Only about 40% of Cubans between the ages of 50-75 get screened for colorectal cancer, compared to 58% of Puerto Ricans in the same age category.
    
  • Puerto Ricans have a low-birth-weight rate that is almost twice that of non-Hispanic whites.

There are social factors that disproportionately impact Latinos in the US.

Did you know?

• Latinos are three times as likely to be uninsured as whites.
  
• About one in three Latinos living in the US has not completed high school.
  
• About one in four Latinos in the US live below the poverty line.
  
• About one in three Latinos in the US does not feel they speak English well.

Did you know?
Even though Latinos in the US struggle with lack of health insurance, low education levels, poverty, and language barriers, they live longer and die at significantly lower rates from the top 10 leading causes of death than do whites. This is known as “The Hispanic Paradox”. While we still do not understand the reasons behind this paradox, research suggests that it is linked to the fact Latinos have strong faith, family, and social ties, all of which result in higher psychosocial resiliency.

Did you know?
The single best way to impact the health of Latinos positively is to engage “Promotoras” (community health workers) in their care. Learn more about promotoras in an upcoming edition!

References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015, May) CDC Vital Signs: Hispanic Health: ! A la Buena Salud!- To Good Health! Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/pdf/2015-05-vitalsigns.pdf

Office of Minority Health (2020). Profile: Hispanic/Latino Americans. Retrieved from: https://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=3&lvlid=64

U.S. Census Bureau (2021, August 12). 2020 Census Statistics Highlight Local Population Changes and Nation’s Racial and Ethnic Diversity [Press Release Number CB21-CN.55]. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/population-changes-nations-diversity.html

Please join us in welcoming Dennis Kraus, M.D., FACS, and Jeffrey Albert, MD, MPH, to our Oncology Service Line. Dr. Kraus has been named Executive Medical Director of Oncology effective Aug. 23, 2021. Dr. Albert has been named Enterprise Medical Director of Radiation Oncology & Integrated Cancer Care effective Oct. 11, 2021.

I’m on a mission to provide patient centric, state-of-the-art cancer care, one patient at a time. – Dr. Dennis Kraus

In his role, Dr. Kraus will be responsible for providing leadership in the design, development, administration and direction of our Oncology Service Line. He will partner closely with his dyad partner, Kathryn Bishop, our operating group physician leaders, strategic planning professionals and hospital executives to place Centura Health as the leading choice for oncology services across Colorado and Western Kansas. Dr. Kraus will also work collaboratively with the clinical teams across our connected ecosystem to ensure we are providing high quality, accessible care to our communities.

“I was attracted to the role of Executive Medical Director of Oncology at Centura due to the magnitude of the position,” Dr. Kraus explained. “Cancer represents one of the true existential threats to any individual’s existence. Centura represents one of the leading health care providers in Colorado and Western Kansas. Although significant cancer care is already provided, there is the opportunity to wed the general health care of our patient population with their cancer care, which will ultimately lead to improvements in cancer care and quality of life.”

Prior to joining Centura Health, Dr. Kraus served as the Director of the Center for Head and Neck Oncology within the New York Head & Neck Institute and the Northwell Health Cancer Institute. He served as the Chair of the Lenox Hill Hospital Cancer Committee; was a member of the Cancer Oversight Committee for the Northwell Health System; and served as a professor of Otolaryngology at Northwell Health School of Medicine. He was a member of the Board of Governors for the American College of Surgeons and the Otolaryngology Advisory Council. He also served on the American Joint Commission of Cancer.

“As I look back on my three decades in surgical oncology I am humbled by the approximately 10,000 head and neck cancer operations I have performed. But more humbling is the 60 to 80 head and neck surgical oncology fellows I have helped train,” Dr. Kraus said. “Through this type of education I have been able to impact literally hundreds of thousands of patient outcomes through these extended efforts.”

Dr. Kraus earned his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, New York. He completed his residencies in the Departments of General Surgery and Otolaryngology and Communicative Disorders at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and his fellowship in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York.

Dr. Kraus and his wife, Daryl, have three adult children; Devon, Cameron and Collin. In his free time he enjoys golf, skiing and travel.

My mission is to expand access to high quality multidisciplinary cancer care by elevating the quality of care in the communities we serve. – Dr. Jeffrey Albert

As Enterprise Medical Director of Radiation Oncology & Integrated Cancer Care, Dr. Albert will work to build our enterprise-wide cancer program from the ground up. As part of our team, he will build, develop and implement our Cancer Care Service Line. Dr. Albert will collaborate with peers, stakeholders and providers to create a destination program. Reporting to Dr. Kraus, he will also work closely with physician executives, entity leaders and experts in the oncology field.

“Centura is a mission-driven organization comprised of passionate people who take pride in serving their communities,” said Dr. Albert when asked what drew him to the position and Centura Health. “I am excited to work with this team to continue building an oncology program that provides the highest quality, compassionate, patient-centered, multidisciplinary cancer care to our patients in the Denver area, the state of Colorado and throughout our region.”

Prior to joining Centura Health, Dr. Albert served as the Physician Executive for the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center program in Northern Colorado. He also maintained an active clinical practice. Dr. Albert was selected as a 2017 honoree for the Northern Colorado 40 Under Forty program, recognizing emerging leaders in the region. He has served in a national role on the Clinical Affairs and Quality Council for the American Society for Radiation Oncology, as well as that organization’s Measures Subcommittee.

Dr. Albert completed his internship and residency in radiation oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. During his training, in addition to receiving numerous honors and awards, he completed his Masters in Public Health with a focus in health care management at The University of Texas School of Public Health. He graduated from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Dr. Albert has a passion for the outdoors and enjoys many activities in the mountains such as trail and ultrarunning, hiking, backpacking, camping, skiing and snowshoeing. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Erin, and three young children: Parker (7), Caroline (5) and Owen (4).

Please join us in welcoming Drs. Kraus and Albert to our connected ecosystem.

Your feedback matters. Leaders and teams review, analyze and act upon the insights provided from our engagement surveys. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!

Thank you for sharing your feedback in the recent Associate Engagement Pulse Survey! This engagement check-in provides valuable insight into our strengths and the areas we can better support you in living your mission. Across our ministry, 11,321 of our people shared their feedback to help strengthen our connected ecosystem and we are incredibly grateful for your recommendations and comments!

What’s next?
Your leader will share results with you soon so you can celebrate your team’s strengths and discuss opportunities for improvement. Together, you will partner to build action plans that focus on the areas most meaningful to you and your team.

Across the organization, key themes and opportunities are aggregated and reviewed by our leadership teams. Your feedback truly shapes the work we do and how we will build upon our strengths to become the system of choice for you; our caregivers and for our patients and communities. We are committed to checking in with you about your engagement regularly, so if you missed the opportunity to complete this engagement pulse survey, please watch for our next opportunity coming in November!

Thank you again for sharing your experiences, recommendations and comments!

Questions?
Contact your leader or your human resources director or vice president.

On Sunday, Oct. 10, Information Technology (IT) will upgrade Epic to the February/May 2021 version to ensure our incredible caregivers are up-to-date with the most optimized Epic functionality!

NEW with this upgrade: One-Click Feedback on Decision Support! Clinicians can indicate whether a decision support was useful or not! Results Release to MyChart available directly in Chart Review! New peripheral drawing tools in Cupid for Cardiologist diagram documentation!

Epic will be unavailable for approximately two hours while IT applies the upgrade to a new version starting at 11:30 p.m. (2330 MST) (0030 CT) Saturday, Oct. 9.

What do you need to do?
Please be aware that in order to ready Epic for the upgrade, IT will put the production environment into a transparent lockdown beginning Thursday, Oct. 7, at 5 p.m. (1700 MT) (1800 CT). Certain customization tools, including the application of filters to Chart Review, modifying NoteWriter macros, modifying SmartPhrases, etc., will not be available during this time.

There will be a dedicated remote Command Center where Epic Upgrade related tickets can be submitted. The Command Center will open on Sunday, Oct. 10, at 1:30 a.m. (0130 MT) (0230 CT) and remain open until Tuesday, Oct. 12. If you or an end user need assistance with an upgrade related issue, please call the Service Center at 303-643-4200 and they will be able to provide direction.  

IT will have a dedicated Epic Command Center Support Issue request available in the Self Service Hub for end users to report any issues they may encounter with the Epic Upgrade.



How to submit an Epic Upgrade Command Center Support Issue:

1. Launch the Self Service Hub.
2. Enter Upgrade in the Search field at the top.
3. Select Epic Command Center Support Issue request.
4. Enter the Required fields.
5. Click Submit

A scheduled downtime of the Midas Care Management Application is required to allow Information Technology (IT) to upgrade Midas to the newest version. The downtime will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (0900 to 1700 MT) Wednesday, Sept. 29.

The following Midas applications will NOT be available during the planned downtime:

• Midas RDE
• Midas Care Management
• Midas Focus Study

Unfortunately, we hear a lot about suicide lately and the continued increase of this devastating outcome of mental illness. The suicide rate in the U.S. has been steadily increasing over the past two decades. In 2018 alone, more than 48,000 Americans died by suicide. There was a small decline in 2019, and then COVID-19 hit.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the proportion of mental health-related emergency department (ED) visits among adolescents aged 12 to 17 (highest risk group) in 2020 increased 31% compared to 2019. As health care workers, we see it in our emergency departments, our coworkers and our families.  

As I round throughout Centura hospitals and have conversations with associates, physicians, HR leaders and others, I’m often asked, “How can we stop this?” “What can I do?” and “How can we prevent this?” These are difficult, complex and challenging questions. I run our Profile Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and see this challenging “mental health pandemic” (the other pandemic) impacting our already emotionally traumatized associates. It makes me think, “What can I do more?”

While speaking about our peer-to-peer coaching program we are doing with Centura physicians, I heard a statement that I credit to Dr. Sunmee (Sue) Lee, the VP Physician Executive with CHPG. She said much like we need to create “herd immunity” with the vaccine for COVID, we need to do the same with our physician coaching program and create a “herd mentality” of self-care and taking care of others. We need to create a culture of taking care of each other and supporting each other.

To me, suicide prevention is taking care of ourselves and then others. To create herd immunity (Zero Suicide) within our organization, I believe we need to focus on: 1) self-care – being mindful and aware of taking care of our own mental health, and 2) being aware and taking care of others.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provides five steps we can take to help someone in emotional pain. This is great advice for us in helping others.

• Ask, “Are you thinking of killing yourself?”
• Keep them safe (reduce access to lethal items or places)
• Be there (listen carefully and acknowledge their feelings)
• Help them connect (save the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number, 800-273-TALK)
• Stay connected (follow up and stay in touch after a crisis)
  

During Ovarian Cancer Month, we want to make sure you know the facts about your health and provide you with the resources you need to know the symptoms, listen to your body, and see a doctor if you notice anything unusual.

Each year, approximately 21,000 women in the United States get ovarian cancer. Among women in the United States, ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death. All women are at risk for ovarian cancer, but older women are more likely to get the disease than younger women. About 90 percent of women who get ovarian cancer are older than 40, with the greatest number of ovarian cancers occurring in women aged 60 years or older.

Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer may cause one or more of these signs and symptoms:   Vaginal bleeding (particularly if you are past menopause) or discharge that is not normal for you. Pain or pressure in the pelvic or abdominal area. Back pain. Bloating. Feeling full too quickly or difficulty eating. A change in your bathroom habits, such as more frequent or urgent need to urinate and/ or constipation.

What factors can raise a woman’s chance of ovarian cancer?  

• Ovarian cancer is more common in women in middle-age or older.
• Having close family members (such as your mother, sister, aunt, or grandmother) on either your mother’s or your father’s side who have had ovarian cancer.
• Having had breast, uterine, or colorectal cancer.
• Having an Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish background.
• Having never given birth or having had trouble getting pregnant.
• Having endometriosis (a condition where tissue from the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body).

• Using birth control pills for more than five years.
• Giving birth.
• Having had a tubal ligation (getting your tubes tied), both ovaries removed, or hysterectomy.
• Breastfeeding. Some studies suggest that women who breastfeed for a year or more may have a modestly reduced risk of ovarian cancer.

• Pay attention to your body and know what is normal for you.
• If you notice any changes in your body that are not normal for you and could be a sign of ovarian cancer, talk to your doctor and ask about possible causes, such as ovarian cancer.
• Ask your doctor if you should have a test, such as a rectovaginal pelvic exam, a transvaginal ultrasound, or a CA-125 blood test if:
  • You have any unexplained signs or symptoms of ovarian cancer. These tests sometimes help find or rule out ovarian cancer.
  • You have had breast, uterine, or colorectal cancer; or a close relative has had ovarian cancer.

Right now, more than one in seven American adults is living with kidney disease, and our team at Centura Transplant is once again walking and working to do something about it.

Our team, Centura Transplant Keepin’ it REnAL!, is walking to raise vital funds to support the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and expand public conversation from kidney disease to kidney health.

Centura Transplant is proud to be the Denver Kidney Walk’s presenting sponsor for the fifth year in a row, and is also sponsoring the Southern Colorado Kidney Walk.

Learn more about either walk by clicking on the highlighted text above, or Join our Centura team or Donate! Your help will make this and so many more amazing programs possible.

Centura Transplant is composed of our multidisciplinary team of transplant professionals, all who are deeply committed to delivering whole person care to patients with chronic kidney disease. We walk to support our transplant patients and their families –  as well as to honor all organ donors who’ve given the gift of life.

We cherish our partnership with the National Kidney Foundation and love being part of such an inspiring event that brings the entire kidney community together so we can raise awareness of kidney disease and provide critical education about kidney transplantation and living kidney donation.