SEPTEMBER 2016SEPTEMBER 2016

Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Approved Emergency Mobile Hospital Annual Remembrance Bench Service From the Library Corner Dr. Heitzman Retires Profuse Thanks to Environmental Services Adverse Childhood Experiences Kara Pool, DNP, FNP-BC New Provider at St. Johnsbury Pediatrics Local VT Department of Heath Receives Funding Auxiliary/Volunteer News Infl uenza Vaccine Clinics Announced Corporators Converse about End-of-Life Care

Seeking Everybody Wins Mentors Tobacco Advertising Targets Our Youth Volunteers for the 2016 Walk to End Alzheimers Great Presence at Caledonia Fair Human Resources Corner Father Mel's Brick Thoughts on Shared Governance The Annual Paul Sweeney Coat Drive Win 2 Tickets to this Year's Gala Gray Gallery - Darlene Wilson A+ Standard of Caring, July 2016

In this issue of The BrightLookThe BrightLook is a monthly publication for NVRH employees, volunteers, physicians, corporators and board members.

Our next deadline is October 19 for the October 2016 issue. Please contact Hilary De Carlo at ext. 7303 if you have an article or picture(s) to submit.

CELEBRATE AND THANK NVRH’S IT TEAM! The Annual National Health IT Week is September 26-30, 2016. Join us for this collaborative forum where public and private healthcare constituents work in partnership to educate industry and policy stakeholders on the value of health IT for the U.S. healthcare system. With Meaningful Use now providing the way forward, there is no better time for the health IT community to come together under one umbrella to raise national awareness! http://www.healthitweek.org/ The Information Service department here at NVRH has been investing much of our time and energy into improving our customer’s experience through technology. We have instituted a new ticketing system called Dell Kace for tracking issues that users report. We have been busy updating our hardware to improve the speed and responsiveness of all our programs. We are beefi ng up our security approach with Risk Analysis and Threat Management vendor engagements. This ongoing vigilance will compliment a next-generation fi rewall to minimize the number of negative consequences in a wired hospital environment. We have begun creating and deploying new training methods that should enable users to be more effi cient and confi dent in their daily workfl ow.

Front: Elouise Pearl, Rachel Malachuk , Casie Whitehead, Samantha Davis-Lescault, Ryan CloutierBack: Robert Harris, IV, Chris Wagner, Shawn Burroughs, Keith Willey, Dusty Jenks, David Zimmitti, Gary Guion

Continued

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We are testing and planning data interoperability and Telemedicine projects along with a new version of the EMR. We have quite a few irons in the fi re at any given time that all tie back to our mission of improving the health of the community. Information Services can be compared to a utility company. If the lights stay on there will be few complaints, when the lights go out we are judged by our responsiveness and ability to assist our customers in times of need. For many users our only contact is related to an issue or complaint. We work hard to establish and maintain positive relationships with all of our customers and are grateful to serve the wonderful people of NVRH in this capacity. While much of the Information Services or other IT efforts are largely behind the scenes, National Health IT Week is a great time to thank those who “keep the lights on” by offering your thanks. I challenge you to think about your own day through an IS point of view. How many of the items or routines you touch are set up and/or supported by Information Services? For many of you, the list can be quite long when you stop to think about how many hospital functions we serve. NVRH is very fortunate to have the exceptional people that comprise the Information Services department. I would like to extend my own personal thanks to the teamwork and grace under pressure that I see exhibited in our department nearly every day. Please join me in taking some time on the week of September 26th to honor the Information Service staff as part of National Health IT week! -written on behalf of the IT Team by Shawn Burroughs, Director of Information Services

The Green Mountain Care Board approved, with no changes, the fi scal year 2017 budget for Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital!! Hospitals in Vermont must go through one of the most rigorous budget approval processes in the country. The fi ve-member Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB), not the hospital Board of Trustees, has fi nal say on whether or not to

approve budgets for all 14 Vermont hospitals. Each hospital must submit and then publicly defend their budget in a public presentation before the GMCB. The GMCB imposed a 3.4% growth cap on patient care income. NVRH’s budget was approved even though its income growth exceeded the cap. We successfully argued that the extra income was a result of recouping lost business, especially for orthopaedic services, rather than from providing additional tests and exams for patients . Representing NVRH in the budget presentation to the GMCB were: Paul Bengtson, CEO; Seleem Choudhury

CNO and VP Professional Services; Bob Hersey, CFO; Matthew Prohaska, MD; Laural Ruggles, VP Marketing and Community Health Improvement; John Sayles, CEO, Vermont Food Bank. Over 20 members of the hospital community including trustees and staff also attended the public presentation.

Happy CFO when he heard the news!

Presenters

Supporters

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Annual Remembrance Bench Service Scheduled for Monday, October 3

Members of the community are invited to attend the annual memorial service at the Remembrance Bench in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery on Monday, October 3 at 1:00 pm. This service is held each year on the fi rst Monday of October to remember and honor babies who have died. The hospice choir, Continua will provide music for the service. The Remembrance Bench serves as a quiet place for family members and friends to gather together, rest and remember their babies. The ecumenical service is open to everyone, and will be held regardless of inclement weather. Abby Pollender, interfaith chaplain at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospice will lead the service. For any further information, please contact Abby Pollender at 748-7473.

On Wednesday, September 21, the Vermont Department of Health brought one of their two 20-bed emergency mobile hospital units to NVRH. The hospital is used in a variety of situations, including natural disasters or a major disease outbreak. The hospital, generator and all tools needed for set-up are all packed neatly into a 28’ tow-behind trailer. The event on the 21st was a great exercise in erecting the hospital, as well as fi nding the appropriate location behind the Emergency Room, which worked out very well. It takes between 3-4 hours to set up, with a team of 6. The NVRH event had around 12 volunteers, all members of our emergency preparedness crew, State of Vermont offi cials and members of the Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps. The mobile hospital had visitors in and out all day; a public open house was held from 3:30-5.

The 28 foot trailer

The Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (in red t-shirts) is a network of community-based units initiated and established by local organizations to meet the public health needs of their communities. The MRC consists of medical and non-medical volunteers who contribute to local health initiatives, such as activities meeting the Surgeon General’s priorities for public health. The MRC supplements existing response capabilities in time of emergency and provide the structure necessary to pre-identify, credential, train, and activate medical and public health volunteers.

Laying the tent out fl at It’s up!

Setting up the inside Roger Leroux, RN and Assistant Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at NVRH giving a tour

David Casey, Public Health Program Administrator, Roger Leroux, and Max Kennedy, Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator. David and Max work out of Burlington.

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From the library corner… The Library of Congress Has a New Director

For many people, having a new director for a library is something that may be overlooked. New management is hired or appointed everywhere, every day. But this is special; this is the largest library in the world, and a librarian is once again taking the helm. It’s making even the most relaxed librarians take notice. Of all 14 previous Librarians of Congress, only one has been a librarian. Carla Hayden will be the second classically trained Librarian, and the fi rst woman to hold this position. Confi rmed by Senate vote of 74-18 on July 13 of this year, she was sworn in on Wednesday, September 14, taking over at a pivotal point for the library. Hayden is a career librarian, beginning in Pittsburgh (PA), then Chicago, and most recently, holding the position of CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore. She holds a Doctorate in Library Science from the University of Chicago and is past president of the American Library Association. The new Director also brings a sense of the everyday to her new position. She promotes public engagement, something rarely enjoyed at the Library. She believes that libraries are not simply depositories of information and knowledge, but community spaces, where conversation and meetings should happen, promoting the use of such spaces to create shared social visions. “I will be honored to build on the legacy and accomplishments of my predecessors in this position to be part of a continuing movement to open the treasure chest that is the Library of Congress even further, and to make it a place that can be found and used by everyone. I am confi dent that the staff is dedicated to this enterprise.” Hayden said in an offi cial statement. The US Congress established the Library of Congress in 1800 through an appropriations bill signed by President John Adams, making it the oldest federal cultural institution in the nation. That library (located in the Capitol Building) was burned by British troops in April of 1814, destroying the collection of some 3,000 books and other items. Within a year, Congress approved the purchase of Thomas Jefferson’s personal library of 6,487 books. (As an aside, I visited Monticello in June of this year, and I truly cannot fi gure out where that many books could be stored, unless they were under the dome, which I understand was the “visiting men’s dormitory”) The Library holds the largest rare-books collection in North America, housing the most extensive collection of 15th-century books in the Western Hemisphere, including one of three surviving copies of the Gutenberg Bible. It also has in its collection the fi rst book printed in North America, The Bay Psalm Book, (1640), and the 1507 World Map by Martin Waldseemuler, the fi rst map on which the name “America” appears, known as “America’s Birth Certifi cate”. It also houses Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence, and Abraham Lincoln’s handwritten copy of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Librarian of Congress has a broad range of responsibilities, including those dealing with copyright, extending to digital and electronic resources, and fair use provisions outlined not only in the US Copyright Law (Article 117 of US Code, Section 101) but also as defi ned in the Digital Millenium Copyright Act of 1998. Copyright law, as every librarian will tell you, is ever changing, and can be the stuff of nightmares. This director also has the responsibility of appointing the US Poet Laureate and awards the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, and much in between these opposite poles. Up to this point, the Library of Congress has been mostly unavailable to the citizenry beyond Congressional representatives. Will this change? As a group, librarians share a vision that libraries, regardless of size or specialty are public spaces, and librarians the advocates, guardians and curators of them; her work and personal history refl ect these commitments.

Congressional Librarians of yesteryear and today

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Long-time NVRH Cardiologist Retires: Dr. Mark Heitzman, Cardiologist at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital for over thirty years, examines the pair of blue converse sneakers with NVRH imprinted on the side, presented to him by the medical staff. Dr. Heitzman wore his trademark red converse sneakers every day. According to Practice Manager Tammy Wilkins, “Patients loved their appointments with him; it was like coming to see a friend. His patients were as important to him as he was to them. We will miss seeing him coming down the hall arm-in-arm with patients, walking them to the front desk of the elevator.”

Adverse Childhood Experiences : Kari White, Director of Quality at Northern Counties Health Care recently spoke about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to the Community Relations Committee at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have a tremendous impact on behavioral, social, emotional and thought processes, which can lead to the adoption of health risk behaviors and eventually disease, disability, social problems and early death. Kari and members of the committee spoke about focusing on ACEs as a public health issue. Discussion revolved around how ACEs can be identifi ed, and ideally prevented at an early age, and how community organizations can collaborate to become part of the prevention and solution.

Profuse thanks to Environmental Services – Pam Applebee, Manager of Environmental Services

This team of professionals managed to pull off one of the MOST challenging weeks (August) I ever remember having in my 15 years here. We have had some bad ones in the past but this one topped them all. Starting out with vacations cutting the schedule close already, then thrown in were some illnesses and the death of a team members loved one. This all but put us down to nothing. As usual, the remaining staff pulled it off seamlessly. Please help me say thank you to them all and to especially thank some folks who went above and beyond to make sure everything was done and our patients were safe:

Bill Austin – for spending another 4 hours cleaning Dialysis Thursday morning after being here all night.Janet Simpson- Who literally lived here from Thursday morning helping to cover 2 shifts and sleeping in the OR so she wouldn’t be late.Jody Austin- Whom without hesitation came in on 2nd shift Sat and Sun even though she had not been refreshed on any changes since coming back as per diem. She had 7 discharges and a couple of OR patients. Janet had walked her through a few areas before leaving her on her own. She did awesome and after working until 11:30 last night was in the Laundry this morning at 6:30 to help out.

Thank you Bill, Janet and Jody!

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Kara Pool, DNP, FNP-BCis New Full-time Provider at St. Johnsbury Pediatrics

Kara Pool, Doctorate of Nursing Practice and Certifi ed Family Nurse Practitioner is a new full-time provider at St. Johnsbury Pediatrics. Kara is Board Certifi ed through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Kara grew up in Hyde Park, VT and received her BSN (Magna Cum Laude) at American International College in Springfi eld, MA. She worked at North Country Hospital in Labor and Delivery and Pediatrics for a year. For the next 7 years, while attending school at UMass-Amherst to earn her Doctorate, she worked with the Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Island Counties, taking care of medically complex children in their homes. Kara has always wanted to be a nurse practitioner working with children. “Children are fun, and I like to have fun! Additionally, I can help them lay the groundwork to maintain good health into their adulthood.” Completion of her doctorate program prepared her to become a change agent as well as a leader in the areas of quality improvement, patient care, and systems delivery. A couple of the many reasons Kara chose to pursue her doctorate include the implementation of evidence-based practices and her love of research. She appreciates the collaboration with community organizations, other health professionals, patients and families to ensure that children get the best care possible. She has received a warm welcome at St. Johnsbury Pediatrics, with providers and staff being very supportive. “There’s a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and information here. I feel fortunate that I’m able to practice with such a gifted staff.” Dr. Mark Price, Medical Director at St. Johnsbury Pediatrics said of Kara’s arrival, “We are excited to have Kara join our practice. Her previous experience as an OB nurse, as well as her caring with pediatric patients with chronic, high tech healthcare needs is advantageous. Her training and experience in motivational interviewing in dealing with chronic health issues is great for our patients and their families.” Kara and her husband Patrick live in Middlebury, VT with their two dogs. They delight in decorating their house extensively during Halloween for the local children! Otherwise, they love to hike and spend time with family.

Vermont Department of Health Expands Local Capacity for Substance Abuse Preventionin Caledonia and Southern Essex County

The Vermont Department of Health’s Offi ce of Local Health, St. Johnsbury District Offi ce, is announcing that the St. Johnsbury/Southern Essex District Offi ce will receive funding under the Regional Prevention Partnerships (RPP) Initiative. $153,709 will be received for the fi rst year of the grant and $130,000 thereafter for an additional four years. The RPP Initiative is the result of a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). RPP aims to reduce adolescent and young adult substance abuse while increasing the capacity of the state and local communities to provide prevention services over a fi ve-year period (2015-2020). The Regional Prevention Partnership aims to reduce underage and binge drinking (ages 12-20), reduce prescription drug misuse/abuse (ages 12-25), and reduce marijuana consumption (ages 12-25). The St. Johnsbury District Offi ce will partner with Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital to convene community partners and lead a regional planning process to reduce substance abuse. This process will review local data, identify community assets, and identify any gaps in services—resulting in a regional strategic plan comprised of

evidence-based prevention strategies to reduce adolescent and young adult substance abuse. Cheryl Chandler, BSW, has been hired by Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital as the Regional Prevention Partnerships Coordinator. Chandler, a prevention professional, has experience managing local, state and federal grants, and implementing SAMSHA’s Strategic Prevention Framework. She will be responsible for overseeing the RPP grant and leading a community-based process to develop a regional substance abuse prevention plan. For more information about Regional Prevention Partnerships (RPP): http://healthvermont.gov/adap/prevention/documents/RPP_summary.pdf

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Auxiliary/Volunteer

NEWSBy Pat Forest, Volunteer Coordinator

The Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital Auxiliary recently met for their bi-monthly meeting. The meeting was called to order by President Laurel St. James-Long and the secretary report was approved. The guest speaker for the meeting was Vice President of Professional Services, Seleem Choudhury who spoke to the membership about the results of the “Happy or Not” kiosks. The “Happy or Not” kiosks give real time statistics on how our patients, family members and staff are feeling about their experiences at NVRH based on a single question at a time. The Kiosks are moved to different locations throughout the NVRH campus, with one kiosk consistently in the main lobby of the hospital. The results show a 94-96% happy result in all areas. The Kiosks which were purchased by the NVRH Auxiliary for the Patient Experience Committee have been a great help in keeping track of immediate satisfaction as the scores can be monitored hourly, daily, weekly and monthly. Members of the NVRH Auxiliary then began discussion on the 2017 Wish List Requests. After debate and voting, the following items were approved to be purchased for NVRH Departments: Birth Center: Premature Ann Doll; Chaplaincy Shawl Program: yarn; Community Connections: gas, food, and clothing Cards for patient assistance; Corner Medical: Spirometry Machine; Emergency Room: 2 I-pads; Kingdom Internal Medicine: 65” TV for Patient Education; Medical Library: new fl ooring; Medical/Surgical Floor: 17 Radio/CD units for patient rooms and 4 sets of staff headphones for training; Patient Experience Committee: 11 Staxi Transport Chairs; Surgical Department: bariatric Floor Scale; Volunteer Services: volunteer jackets and music for the main lobby. The items total $34,182 that the NVRH Auxiliary will give back to NVRH.

Upcoming Events:10-28-2016 – Bag Ali – 9:30 am – 4:00 pm, Room 127.11-04-2016 – NVRH Auxiliary Holiday Craft Sale - 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Rooms 126/127.11-08-2016 – Long River Pearls – 9:00 am-4:00 pm, Room 127.

Have you seen the NVRH fl eece jackets and vests? They are for sale in the Cherry Wheel Gift Shop. They both are the perfect holiday gift for an NVRH staffer or an NVRH fan. They are reasonably priced and a comfortable fi t as we move into the cooler weather. We have other Logo items in the shop, so stop by and check them out.

Models: Auxiliary/Volunteers Merlyn Courser and Laurel St. James-Long

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NVRH 2016-17

INFLUENZA VACCINE CLINICS ANNOUNCED

Preparations are well underway to have the entire workforce of NVRH immunized with the 2016-17 vaccine by November 18. The vaccine has been getting stocked by the Pharmacy since mid-August. It seems that any of the delivery and production issues of the last few years have not been in evidence this time. A team of employees from Pharmacy, Occupational Medicine, Infection Prevention and Human Resources have met and come up with a list of clinic dates that will provide the vaccine, free of charge, to the majority of NVRH employees. As you will recall, beginning in 2014 and continuing again this year, the infl uenza vaccine is mandatory for all employees and volunteers upon condition of employment. You are urged to read the policy that is available on the NVRH Pulse page for specifi c information. We will begin offering the vaccine on Tuesday, October 4 and will have the last clinic on Thursday, No-vember 17. One piece of information that will be need-ed soon is the number of those individuals that will be requiring the egg free vaccine. As stated in the policy, this vaccine is offered to those who have a severe (life-threatening) allergy to eggs. The Pharmacy needs to order this vaccine separately and they will need a count of how many doses are needed. If this applies to you, please contact our Occupational Medicine department (748-4394) and let them know you are going to require the egg free version. You will be contacted when it is available to you. If you are not sure if you require the egg free version, please con-sult your medical provider. Please note that the vaccine, as offered at our clinics, is for current employees only. Every effort is made to accommodate all shifts. The Nurse Supervisors will be available to immunize any second or third shift employee. Additionally, if you want to schedule an appointment at Occupational Medicine to receive the vaccine there, please call them to arrange it. This can even be done on the same day; again, just call them so they know to expect you and so they schedule you around their patient schedules. Occupational Medicine staff are very accommodating. They will be in contact with managers to see if they would like someone to come to staff meetings when the majority of staff may be available to receive the vaccinations. It is very important that if you wish to get your vaccine at your provider’s offi ce or at the offi ce where you work, you need to get a copy of your vaccine administration record signed by the person who administered the vaccine to Occupational Medicine. Perhaps the easiest way to accomplish this is to fax the form directly to Occupational Medicine at 748-6728. This will save numerous people a lot of running around later attempting to get copies of those signed papers.

NVRH FLU CLINICS FOR EMPLOYEES,VOLUNTEERS AND RESCUE PERSONNEL

DATE TIME PLACE

Tues. Oct. 4 9am-noon Conf. rm. 224

Thurs. Oct. 13 1:30-5:30pm Conf. rm. 126

Weds. Oct. 19 6-10am Conf. rm. 127

Thurs. Oct. 27 1-4pm Conf. rm. 126

Weds. Nov 2 9am-Noon Rm. 119Room 119 is Paul Bengtson’s offi ce in the 1st fl oor Business Offi ce Building

Thurs. Nov. 10 1:30-4pm Conf. rm. 126

Thurs. Nov. 17 10am-4pm Conf. rm. 126

Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other. Ann Landers

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NVRH Corporators Converse About End-of-Life Care Abby Pollender NVRH Chaplain and Martha Hill, Death Café committee member were the featured speakers at the recent Corporator meetings at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. The Death Café Committee is a group from healthcare organizations, as well as interested community members. Abby and Martha are both trained in Hospice, but their goal is to encourage conversations about end-of-life care and to normalize the conversations as part of life. Emphasis is on getting the conversation going early with both family members and providers, yet honoring those who don’t want to have the conversation. They, along with their committee, have brought Death Cafes to the area. Death Cafes (deathcafe.com) originated in England; it’s a gathering where there are two closely followed guidelines – there is no agenda, other than to have conversation around death and dying -- and cake is always served! The committee has held six Death Cafes in the past year, with the next one scheduled for Monday, October 19th at 7pm at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum. The committee also hosted a community book read this summer, which featured Palliative Care Physician Josh Lakin, discussing Dr. Atul Gawande’s book, Being Mortal. Dr. Lakin, who is a colleague of Dr. Gawande’s facilitated a group of 100 participants. From that evening, there were four primary take-aways that people felt were important, at this point, to focus on: Improved conversations, on behalf of patients, within families and healthcare providers Circles-of-care and people to take care of one another End-of-life care options available to the public – getting the word “out there.” Housing needs at the end of life Both Drs. Dobbertin and Ready were given accolades for their roles as board certifi ed palliative medicine physicians. Their medical knowledge, combined with their sensitivity and reverence for patients and families is deeply appreciated. Community Connections was also recognized for their commitment to go the extra mile for people. There are numerous community collaborations involved in continuing the conversation about palliative medicine and care, and end-of-life discussions. Feedback from Corporators is invaluable and they are great source of wisdom and perspective for the hospital leadership. The Corporators meet quarterly, and represent the communities in the hospital’s service area; they are important links in the essential communication system between members of our community and the hospital. For further information, please call Abby Pollender at 748-7473.

Seeking Everybody Wins Mentors

Do you want to make a difference in a child’s life? You can in just one hour a week by becoming a reading mentor! Everybody Wins! Vermont is a state-wide, nonprofi t,children’s literacy and mentoring program. EW! VT Power Lunch mentors read with a child (grades 2-5) at the St. Johnsbury School during lunchtime, one day a week. Together,you explore books and literacy activities and build a meaningful relationship. You help a child build strong self-esteem and reading skills and a lifelong love of books. For more information about becoming a reading mentor, call or email Site Coordinator Cybele Hantman at 802-748-5305 or stjohnsbury@everybodywinsvermont.org.

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Tobacco Advertising Targets our Youth in a Really Big Way!

The more often our children are exposed to tobacco advertising, the more likely our children are to start smoking. Vermont’s children are exposed to tobacco advertising every day without realizing it. Tobacco advertising at the point-of-sale is even more infl uential on youth smoking than peer pressure. Counter Balance is a Vermont Health Department campaign to educate Vermonters about the impact of tobacco advertising on Vermont’s youth.

The centerpiece of the campaign is a new website -- counterbalancevt.com -- that provides educational facts, tobacco industry tactics, research, tips and shareable information for parents and community members.

The Counter Balance campaign was created in the Fall of 2014 to educate parents and raise awareness about how the tobacco industry targets youth with advertising in hundreds of Vermont’s retail stores. Each year, more than 400 Vermont youth become daily smokers. Counter Balance is the fi rst phase of a longer term initiative by the State of Vermont to specifi cally address the problem of underage tobacco use.

Counter Balance uses multiple venues including television, the web, and social media to prevent the next generation of tobacco users and get the message out that Vermonters can become more proactive in assisting the Vermont Department of Health in addressing this problem. Nicotine addiction is a serious problem. Nearly 90 percent of new tobacco users are under the age of 18, and tobacco companies purposefully try to attract new smokers with advertisements in retail stores near schools and playgrounds, and it works. In hundreds of stores across Vermont, savvy tobacco marketing infl uences our State’s youth to smoke their fi rst cigarette, e-cigarette or cigarillo, leading to a new generation of nicotine addicted Vermonters, our youth.

Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death, yet hundreds of Vermonters still die each year from tobacco-related diseases. Countless other lives, including friends and family members of smokers, are touched by the negative effects of secondhand smoke. The fact is that there are no safe levels of secondhand smoke.

The more our youth are exposed to tobacco advertising in Vermont’s stores the more likely they will start smoking. 88 percent of adult smokers began smoking by the age of 18 and an estimated 1/3 of teenage experimentation with smoking can be attributed to tobacco advertising. Every day our youth are exposed to many tobacco messages in our local retail stores. Vermonter’s can be proactive in countering the effects of tobacco advertising by supporting local tobacco prevention efforts in our own community. Visit the Vermont Department of Health’s Counter Balance website at counterbalancevt.com for tips on how to help spread the word. And remember that the more often our youth are exposed to tobacco advertising, t he more likely our youth are to start smoking.

Michelle Robinson and Sarah Winans volunteered for the 2016 Walk to End Alzheimers, which took place on Saturday, September 10th in St. Johnsbury. The walk has raised 98% of its $27,000 goal, and donations are still being accepted (act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk2016VT-Vermont?pg=pfi nd&fr_id=9381). Thanks Michelle and Sarah (where’s Teddy?)!

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As usual, NVRH had a great presence at the Caledonia County Fair this summer. Kim Darby, RN and Quality Improvement Specialist has been setting up the hospital’s booth for YEARS! Thank you. This year, she had added energy and ideas from Lyndi Medico and Heather Nelson from Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation. Thank you to all of the employees who volunteered at the booth: Jim Coulson, Kathy Brown, Lyndi Medico, Jennifer Layn, Laural Ruggles, Jan Oliver, Carol Moore-Whitney, Marlene Quilliam, Sarah Winans (with Teddy), Charlotte Hoppe, Jodi Campbell, Bella McCartney, Darla Hodge, Danielle Ball, Heather Nelson, Barb Jarvis and Samantha Winsor.

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This August, we are pleased to welcome some new folks to the NVRH team. Pictured left to right: Jessi Campbell (Secretary at Corner Medical), Kara Pool-Krok-Horton (Nurse Practitioner at St J Pediatrics), Kara Weaver (Access Specialist),

Jessica DiMartino (Access Specialist), Samantha Cotnoir (Multi-Modality Technologist in Diagnostic Imaging), Megan Armstrong (LNA on Med/Surg), and Hannah Wilkins (LNA on Med/Surg). Welcome !

There are many, many new faces to welcome to NVRH this month! Pictured standing left to right: Yuko Plambeck (Health Information Management), Candace Houghton (Care Management), Dawn Dobbs (Environmental Services), Kathy Mitchell-Eby (Care Management), Cheryl Chandler (Regional Prevention Partnerships), Cierra Henn (Diagnostic Imaging Student), Krystal Gray (Med/Surg), Sharon Alger (Finance), Theresa Grant (Nutrition & Food Services). Seated in the front, left to right: Amanda Follensbee (Community Connections Intern), Amanda Johnson (Nutrition & Food Services), and Margaret Herreid (Cardio Lab). Welcome to NVRH !

IMPORTANT INFORMATIONFOR ALL EMPLOYEES!PLEASE TAKE NOTE!

Open Enrollment is November 1 -26, 2016

Benefi ts Fair:Wednesday, November 2nd from 11am – 6pmThursday, November 3rd from 7am – 1pm

Mindy Vigeant, Patient Accounts Manager, and Darla Hodge, Patient Nutrition Manager recently attended a Boston Red Sox Game at Fenway Park. They found Father Mel’s brick, FINALLY! Mindy and Darla found the brick by Gate C, and all of the bricks are placed in the ground, so they are well worn. Employees of NVRH gave the brick in Father Mel’s memory after he passed away in 2011; he was a huge Red Sox fan. Our chapel is dedicated to Father Mel Richardson, who began the chaplaincy service at NVRH in 1989. It’s nice to know that Father Mel’s memory is forever etched in Fenway Park.

Some friends leave footprints in your heart. Eleanor Roosevelt

HumanHumanResourcesResourcesCornerCorner

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Thoughts on Shared Governance – Jodi Campbell, RN

The medical fi eld can be a double- edged sword. As members of a community of service; medical care providers, clinicians, allied health care teams and ancillary staff have a number of hoops to jump through and dimly lit paths to trod. Though some aspects are regulated beyond anyone’s control at the point of care level, some aspects are highly controllable. It is at these points that Shared Governance is essential for any thriving and vigorous healthcare community. It has been shown in numerous studies that increased autonomy in the work place leads to increased work satisfaction as well as a more sustainable and fl exible work environment. When those who are performing the tasks get to weigh in on how those tasks are done, it is only natural that the processes will run smoothly. It then becomes the responsibility of any member of this health care team to stand up and take part of a very dynamic relationship that we have with our community that we serve. Recently two members of Shared Governance Council attended a workshop about how a healthy Shared Governance Culture looks in a thriving environment. Acclaimed author Tim Porter-O’Grady was there on the fi rst day and shared a few thoughts that struck a very strong chord. He said that as a member of a profession, you are beyond the point of “doing a job” and are now under an unwritten contract with the community that you are serving to offer those services that are unique to your profession that they cannot obtain unless they seek someone of that profession. He reiterated this by the phrase “You don’t DO nursing, you are a nurse.” He went even further by saying that as a member of this professional community, nurses have a duty to take ownership over their practice and help guide the facility in which they provide care in the pursuit of best practice and evidence based care. This is where Shared Governance comes in. Here at NVRH, Shared Governance has been on a journey of reformation. This has been quite an eventful endeavor that has more recently produced some measurable progress. For the year 2016, Shared Governance set a Goal to have elected offi cials at the helm as well as more accurately established By-Laws. Both of these tasks are well underway. It’s also an initiative this year to create a culture of openness and better communication with administration. Administration has come to Shared Governance to help foster this new, more fl uid dynamic and will be holding a ”Town Meeting” style meeting (or perhaps numerous meetings to get more staff involved). There has been active participation between Shared Governance council and Patient Care Standards that ensures that there are multiple avenues for nurses to both be informed as well as take part in the management of nursing practice. These are great strides and Shared Governance continues to grow and develop. For any Shared Governance Council to continue to grow and thrive, participation is a must. It is no longer something that looks good on a resume or a clinical ladder, this is seen nationwide as a responsibility of those who are members of a particular professional c community. As nurses, we need to ensure that we are doing our part to educate ourselves, ensure that the most up to date information is provided to educate our patients and actively participate in the management of our practice. It is still seen as a privilege at times, as not all facilities recognize the importance of Shared Governance. However, for those who are fortunate enough to work in a facility that does acknowledge that value, the privilege becomes a responsibility. As members of the community of the Nursing Profession that serves the NVRH service area, we have a charge to do everything within our ability to ensure that our care is the best it can be. This includes being active and engaged participants of the Shared Governance process. This is a responsibility. It is a privilege. It is an honored call to duty. Will you answer the call?

The Annual Paul Sweeney Coat Drive

Once again, we, along with many local businesses, are participating in the Paul Sweeney Memorial Coat Drive. Green Mountain Power, where Paul worked at the time of his death, organizes this valuable drive in his memory and on behalf of the community. Paul was a hospital Trustee at the time of his sudden death in 2004; his wife Phyllis is still a hospital Corporator. Paul was a very community-minded person, always doing for others what they could not do for themselves. Please consider donating your used CLEAN, warm winter clothing (boots, hats, scarves, snow pants, ski pants, coats, parkas, gloves) for both children

and adults. It’s a great time to go through your winter clothing and recycle those items rarely worn, or those that are too big or small. Please bring donations to either the Chapel or to Hilary De Carlo’s offi ce (room 120 on the fi rst fl oor of the Administration/Business and Conference Center building). We will be collecting donations until Friday, November 4th at noon. Those who are in need of warm clothing can pick items up on Saturday, November 5th from 9am-1pm at the Salvation Army in St. Johnsbury. Anyone needing a winter coat may choose one free of charge. For offi ces off the main hospital campus, please give me a call (748-7303) and I will make arrangements to have items picked up once you have accumulated a bit. Many thanks to the people who have donated; in years past, NVRH has been very generous.

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Employees - WIN 2 TICKETS TO THIS YEAR’S GALA!*2 chances to win – see invitation in this edition of the BrightLook.

All it takes is a donation toward our current Capital Campaign –Building a Healthy Future, Together!

Please join 216+ of your fellow employees and help keep NVRH strong into the future! Donating is easy – contact Jen Layn at j.layn@nvrh.org/748-7313. We have many giving options to fi t your needs, including payroll deduction.

Please consider you are supporting more than just the campaign. By making a donation you are accomplishing the following:

1) Showing pride for your work. 2) Supporting the hospital as a whole and our mission. 3) Helping us encourage community support – if we believe in NVRH enough to support it,

individuals and businesses will want to as well!4) Joining the fun! You will be entered in to win fabulous employee only prizes throughout the

campaign timeframe!

Donate by the end of day on September 29th and you will be entered to win. If you have already donated you will be included in the drawing.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING NVRH!

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Darlene Wilson Oil Painter of the Northeast Kingdom The Charles M. & Hanna H. Gray Gallery October 6 -- December 8, 2016

Born and raised in New England and now living in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, I became an artist at the age of eight, working mainly in pencil and crayon before moving on to oil painting in the 70’s . I am largely self-taught and have been studying for over 30 years; selling my fi rst art piece in 1977. After 35 years of working as a waitress, bartender, event coordinator, real estate agent/broker and advertising/marketing agent, I decided to take the artistic journey full time and see where it would take me. For as long as I can remember, I have been following the artistic path of my Uncle “Donald Parker” an almost fi ctitious character in my life, as I had met him only once. Stories of how he had become a full-time artist supporting his family as an oil painter in the far off land of LaJolla, California enchanted me. I studied art in high school but as the years went on I took a few draw-ing and painting classes here and there. I have read a library full of books and magazines but for the most part I have learned to paint by painting. So here I am throwing my hat into the ring and if for no other reason I hope to become an inspirational character in a child’s dream to become a creator of beautiful things.

A public reception will be held in the Gray Gallery on Thursday, October 6th from 4:30pm to 6:00pm.

Loneliness and the feeling of being uncared for and unwanted are the greatest poverty. - Mother Teresa –

Press Ganey Positive CommentsA+ STANDARD OF CARINGJuly 2016

Ambulatory Surgery+ Everything went so great; I was not worried about having the second eye done. I never had pain. A very little discomfort.+ A very positive experience during a very anxiety prone time.+ I arrived at 1 p.m., the surgery was at 4 p.m. Everyone was so great during my wait.+ Very good!+ They are the best!+ ALL the staff I had were very good. Nurse Kelly was exceptional. Introduced herself & explain what she is going to do prior to doing it. Above & beyond.+ Everything went very smoothly.+ The staff was very friendly and effi cient. I felt that I was very important to the staff and they made sure my needs were met.+ Excellent care was provided.+ Everyone was delightful - kind, courteous & friendly.+ They were very informative and attentive. Thank you staff!!!+ Glad it’s over and grateful to have good vision. Thank you. Dr. Haight.

+ Enjoyed piecing together a puzzle (jigsaw) with family to distract me from surgery.+ Comfort range in pre-op was great! Music was playing in the background and staff (particularly Dave the anesthesiologist) was extremely friendly but did not need his services.+ I asked to not be completely sedated so I could watch the screen and was accommodated. I liked the experience.

Emergency Department+ The staff was great to my sister and me.+ Best help ever.+ Very kind & attentive.+ Excellent - very knowledgeable & caring & competent.+ I arrived at 3 a.m. & had excellent care from all.+ Lady at the window was amazing and very nice.+ Excellent job. Especially Margy.+ X-ray techs was very caring & friendly.+ She took my bad jokes with grace.+ The wait time was more than fair considering how full they were. Very calm.+ Jen Starling was an amazing nurse and her kindness put me at ease.+ Dr. Thu was very professional with a kind bedside manner. I felt confi dent in the care and answers I was receiving.

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+ My young daughter was with me and was given a recliner & warm blanket to sleep because it was late. I was impressed.+ My experience was very positive.+ Immediately taken care of by nurse.+ EXCELLENT!

Inpatient+ Hope I don’t have to recommend hospital but if I ever had to it would be great.+ They saved my life. Thank you.+ Everything went very well & smoothly.+ The breakfast is still the best I’ve had. Meals were fi lling & veggies were not overcooked. Kudos to kitchen staff!+ Eileen, Katya, Dayka, Tammy all GREAT! Eileen also was a student nurse present during my fi rst shift with her, & she showed that she was also an able instructor. A wonderful person.+ All the pre-op & OR staff were very good, & I felt very at ease during the whole process. Post-op staff also very nice & adept at making me comfortable.+ Dr. Prohaska is a wonderful addition to your staff, his skill & procedures made my stay much easier & smoother than my last knee replacement.+ Discharged out in time for a very important work meeting. Thank you.+ I have nothing but good to say about the NVRH staff during my short stay. They are all wonderful people+ I can’t stress enough how positive my experience was at NVRH. + GREAT! They explain all! + Nice variety of food groups.+ They were fantastic - caring & professional.+ Very nice & informative.+ My 1st surgery & I was a little apprehensive. Dr. Dixon exuded faith & confi dence.+ I was very impressed with all staff I was in contact with during my stay.+ I am very impressed with the staff & facility. I felt not only cared for but also cared about!!+ All of our nurses were wonderful.+ We did not expect to deliver our son at NVRH, but it turned out to be a great experience due to our nurses and doctor.+ *Abby was great.

Outpatient+ Pat Brochu - EXCELLENT!!+ I frequently recommend your radiology department to others.+ Registered by phone = great!+ Young lady who took x-rays was the best. Very concerned, patient, expertise, knowledgeable excellent!! + I just had my blood drawn. Everything went very good right down to lunch in the cafeteria.+ Everything was actually a head of time. Telephone registration was easy, the caller pleasant. + Staff very helpful and friendly.+ Very good care and friendliness.

+ I was pleased that you have a radiologist to read the mammography on the day of my visit.+ Very up-beat, friendly woman who executed her job w/kindness and was very gracious. + You have excellent staff! + The two young ladies that attended the CT scan were kind and were genuinely concerned for my comfort. The woman doing my blood work was fast & effi cient. + Your staff goes above and beyond making me comfortable, answering my questions and putting me at ease while my testing is being done. I absolutely am at ease in all my tests whether it is blood work, CT scans or MRI’s. + A+ as always, I appreciate lab service - BEST!!+ As a “fl atlander” this is a diamond hospital service.+ My experience was very good and all staff was kind, caring and helpful.+ Very comforting.+ Totally satisfi ed.+ Uncrowded waiting area, relaxing visit even though I am very fearful of blood being taken or any injections.+ Excellent people - friendly, skilled, effi cient.+ Blood draw on 1st attempt - am considered hard so this was very much appreciated.+ Lab always great.+ Very satisfi ed with care and staff at NVRH.

Kingdom Internal+ The doctor was thorough, polite, & pleasant.+ Going to miss the heck out of Elaine Robinson when she retires in September. Great with people and she helped me so much.+ Good luck Elaine in all you do you will be missed.+ Jamie, Kathy and Michele are always very pleasant, professional and accommodating. My husband and I both use KIM, so the ladies are very good at coordinating our appointments to save us multiple trips.+ Natalie was very pleasant, professional and thorough in collecting all of the necessary information.+ Dr. Lee has a great sense of humor that puts me at ease. She really listens to what I say and answers my questions. Her skill at diagnosing and prescribing meds has really helped me feel much better. She spends as much time with me as I need.

North Country Otolaryngology and Audiology+ Very professional and friendly staff+ Great. + Walk-in visit for hearing aid repair. Was taken care of within minutes.

Corner Medical+ It was all good!+ I like Dr. Hebert.+ I have been recommending my care provider to others.+ I do not remember having anything but good experiences at the clinic. Everyone always has a smile for me.

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+ They did a very good job taking care of my problem.+ It was a very good experience.+ I was well protected.+ I enjoyed my visit to Corner Medical.+ Everyone was very helpful and polite.+ Everything at Corner Medical is A#1!+ I like Dr. Dargis & her assistant very much.+ I like the way the waiting room is quiet -- no TV! Every time I come people have been friendly.+ Dr. Scott is very laid back. He LISTENS & he explains my options. Seems to want me to share in my health care & he doesn’t push medicines, but gives me ways I can help with the right foods.+ Always a pleasant place when I need to be there.+ Great staff. Kind, attentive.+ Best nurses!+ Ashley Gerrish has always shown concern and understanding. She takes the additional time to explain the diagnosis and answers any questions or concerns I have.+ Everyone at this medical practice appears to work together very well and are always friendly and caring.+ Always a pleasure to deal with all the people at corner medical center.+ Amy is awesome!+ Dr. Dobbertin has been my PCP for as long as I can remember would not change providers or see anyone else, if she is not available. She is in demand from other patients because she is that good everyone wants her as a doctor.+ My experience with Corner Medical nurses has always been very good.+ Dr. Dargis has been attentive and conscientious and focused. She is terrifi c.+ All the staff was great, very good experience+ Very friendly and polite+ Ashley Gerrish is very knowledgeable and gave a great experience. Very caring.+ Everyone is very pleasant+ Visit completed in a timely manner I didn’t feel rushed

Saint Johnsbury Pediatrics+ Always friendly and quick service!+ All nurses are always pleasant and caring.+ Always recommend this practice to people that I know.+ Dr. Shepard is amazing. She takes the time to explain thing to us, and helped us to understand the meds that Chloe needed. She is one of a kind.+ I enjoy coming in for appointments because the staff checking us in are very nice and knowledgeable and friendly.+ If I ever have a question the care provider is willing to answer my questions and doesn’t make me feel like I have asked a wrong question.+ I have been going for 17 years and have never had anything to complain about the it’s the best pediatrics offi ce+ Lori is the best+ I recommend this offi ce all the time

+ Most of the time the nurse/ assistant are very good about asking how my child is doing and talk to my child. They are very friendly.+ The providers have always been wonderful+ They always make sure everything is good with my child.+ The staff at St. J Peds are very good about communication with the family’s.+ Nancy always does awesome+ Thanks for all you do!

Women’s Wellness+ I always have a good experience and like the staff & my doctor. I trust her etc.+ Everyone is very friendly+ Megan Haygood is wonderful, I love having her as my care provider! She makes me feel very comfortable and at ease.+ Dr. Paul always seems unhurried and attentive. She answered my questions about my gallbladder better than my other doctor did!+ Ladies in the offi ce are great, midwife was very polite and informative. I was very pleased with my overall experience at the women’s wellness center.+ I can’t seem to remember her name, but I really like the midwife who saw me during my very fi rst visit (proof of pregnancy) appt.+ Excellent.+ Very nice experience - everyone is so friendly & professional & I always feel at ease.+ I was seen quite promptly.+ Dr. O’Connor is caring, funny, and a highly-skilled, excellent practitioner. I highly recommend her.+ I was able to be scheduled within a few hrs. of calling.+ First time seeing Dr. Haygood - very good provider.

Positive comments are published in the BrightLook. We take all feedback seriously. Other comments are handled individually by department managers and/or the Quality Management Department.