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…Check My NorthBay, Your Employee Portal, for News in

Real Tim

e…12.09.15

Growth TopsNorthBay’s2015 Listof Stories

Tree of Memories PaysRespect to Loved Ones

First in Line!

It has been a year of whirlwind activity in every corner of NorthBay Healthcare. From major new construction to almost half of the senior leadership changing, there was something to report every week of 2015. Here are our picks for the Top 10 NorthBay Healthcare stories of 2015:

1. Victoria Court’s transformation to a 120-space parking lot was the official beginning of a three-year, multimillion dollar modernization at NorthBay Medical Center. To assist our patients and visitors,

NorthBay’s medical fitness center in Vacaville now has a name, a general manager, and its very first member — North-Bay Healthcare President and CEO Gary Passama.

And coming very soon will

CEO is Member No. 1 at HealthSpring Fitnessbe the opportunity for NorthBay Healthcare employees to get in on the lowest rate possible as charter members of NorthBay HealthSpring Fitness.

Gary met Gregory Nagaye,

Happy Holidays!Enjoy this final FYI issue

of 2015. We resumepublication on Jan. 6.

See TOP STORIES, Page 6 See FITNESS, Page 10

See MEMORIES, Page12

There were tears and tributes as some 200 community mem-bers gathered Saturday, Dec. 5, at Green Valley Administration Center to remember loved ones lost dur-ing the annual Tree of Memories

CEO and President Gary Passama signs up for HealthSprint with Greg Nagaye.

Visitors decorated the Tree of Memories.

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TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

HR Night OwlVisits Dec. 23

1 to 5 a.m.VacaValley Hospital

NorthBay Medical Center

Meet Ken McCollum, Bob Armijo and Becky Lessler

Holiday Hours Scheduled for Care ’til 8

Penny CarterHome Health Nurse Case ManagerNorthBay Health at Home

Jody DiceRadiation Therapist IIIRadiation Oncology, NorthBay Cancer Center

Kortney HannahAdministrative Support SpecialistHospital Administration, NorthBay Medical Center

Ashley HurstLearning & Performance R.N. SpecialistClinical Informatics, NorthBay Medical Center

Yudon KarmaClinical Nurse II1-West Med-Surg, VacaValley Hospital

Paul MiquiabasPhysical Therapy Assistant LeadNorthBay Health at Home

Kristian Ivan PiniliCertified Phlebotomy Tech IClinical Laboratory, NorthBay Medical Center

Danielle RivasPatient Access Ambassador IIAdmitting, VacaValley Hospital

Zantrea TijerinoCertified Nurse Assistant1-West Med-Surg, VacaValley Hospital

Shaylene WilliamsonClinical Nurse II1-West, Med-Surg, VacaValley Hospital

The final Open Staff meetings of 2015 are scheduled for December 11 to 16. This is your chance to hear all the news about our organization from NorthBay CEO Gary Passama. We’ve had a great year — what will 2016 bring?

Hear the latest news about our fitness center, NorthBay HealthSpring; the new cancer center and other services opening on the VacaValley campus next year. Plus, what’s new in Fairfield with the NorthBay Medical Center replacement project under-way?

Open staff meetings are on the following dates and loca-tions. You may attend any meeting that fits your schedule.

Friday, Dec. 11, NorthBay VacaValley Hospital Café CR 8 a.m. 10 a.m. 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 15, GVAC Admin. Center CR 2 9 a.m. 1 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 16, NBMC Annex CR 3-47:30 a.m. 10 a.m. 3:30 p.m.

Open Staff MeetingsWill Focus on Our Future

Last Chance to Donate for ABC Party

Both the Hilborn and Nut Tree North Center for Primary Care and Care ‘til 8 facilities will be closed on Christmas Day.

The CPCs will also be closed on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1.

The CPCs will operate on a holiday schedule of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, and New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31.

Care ‘til 8 will be open from noon to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

It’s not too late to donate an unwrapped toy or cash to support NorthBay Healthcare’s ABC (A Baby’s Coming) prenatal program holiday party for families set for Dec. 16.

Last year more than 200 children received gifts, thanks to the ABC party, according to Diane Harris, director of Women’s Services. All the patients are from low-income households and many continue to struggle on a day-to-day basis. Diane asks everyone who wishes to donate to bring unwrapped toys to ABC, on the third floor in the Gateway Medical Plaza or call her at ext. 4166 and she’ll arrange a pick up. Monetary donations may be made via NorthBay Healthcare Foundation, with key words in the memo field: ABC Prenatal Program.

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NorthBay Merriment on Parker Street

Princesses Elsa and Anna pose for photos with young guests at Secondhand Rose Thriftique during Merriment

on Main in downtown Vacaville last week. Ed Lowe, executive director for Health at Home and Hospice,

(top right) volunteered as lead penguin while Timothy Johnson (at right) did snowman duties, posing with Bob Armijo and Karyn San Gregory. A young talent (below)

sang “Santa Baby,” while Jane Hilliard (left to right in photo at right), Lauretta Graham and Lou Lopez greeted

guests. Popcorn, hot cocoa and NorthBay gloves were handed out to guests.

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Turkey Trotters

A contingent of NorthBay runners braved a cold Thanksgiving morning to run the Solano Turkey Trot at Solano College, raising funds for local nonprofits that assist women and children in need. NorthBay Healthcare joined the presenting sponsor, Medic Ambulance, as a major financial supporter.

Holiday HappeningsSome of NorthBay Healthcare’s extended

family took advantage of Holiday in the Park on Dec. 6 at Discovery Kingdom, which

featured a million lights in a synchronized light show, snow hills, Santa Claus, cookie decorating and more. The family of Diane

Barney, director of Public Relations, (right) posed with costumed characters.

Family friends of Diane Hohn, IT project manager at NorthBay Healthcare, (far left), as well as Diane and Al Kinder (inset bottom left) enjoyed the lights at Discovery Kingdom during Holiday in the Park on Dec. 6. Rick Llewelyn, director of network Operations (left), wife Sharon and twin grandkids Lauren and Lance are already planning next year’s visit.

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More and more employees are sharing stories of when they were able to make a connection, either with a patient, another employee or a member of the community, as part of the Creating Connections storytelling venture, according to Jennifer Shoemaker, manager of the patient experience program. “Connection Stories” are being shared at management team meetings, in FYI (below) and on the ShareSpace site under “Patient Experience/Connection Stories.” If you would like to share yours, call Jennifer at ext. 5757, or email to connections@NorthBay.org, and it may appear in a future edition of FYI.

By Sheila Hollister Lanni, R.N.

I started my 14-hour shift

in the NorthBay VacaValley Emergency Department coding a 92-year-old woman and soon after determined that she was a Do-Not Resuscitate patient.

With no family there, I sat at her bedside with my co-worker, Luis Walton, and we both held her hands as we watched her heart rate slow as she eventually took her last breath.

I was not about to let this woman, my patient, die alone, as no one should. As difficult as it is to watch someone die, it also gives me peace knowing she was not alone, we were able to be there when no one else was; she was no longer suffering, and she

died peacefully. I went into this profession

because I love to help people, care for them, and make a difference in someone’s life. We get yelled at, cursed at and spit on almost daily in the Emergency Department, and yet we continue to go back to our job with a smile on our face and start it all over again. We watch someone die, and a minute later we go on to our next patient as if nothing happened.

I am thankful and grateful to have a job that I love. I can’t imagine doing anything different, and I am grateful to work with such amazing people.

Sheila Hollister Lanni, R.N., with Luis Walton, ED Tech.

Nurse LovesHer Job, Even

On the Toughest Days

NorthBay Healthcare and Wellness Psychology Practice is offering 12-week senior support groups at Center for Primary Care facilities in Fairfield and Vacaville.

Led by a licensed psychologist, the group is open to individuals 60 or older who are struggling with day-to-day stress.

The Fairfield group meets

from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesdays at the Green Valley Center for Primary Care, 4520 Business Center Drive, Suite 200. To join a 12-week session in Fairfield, call (707) 646-3534 to schedule a screening appointment.

The Vacaville group meets from 10 to 11 a.m. on Mondays at the Center for Primary Care, 421 Nut Tree Road. To

join the next 12-week session in Vacaville, call (707) 624-7556 to schedule a screening appointment.

The service is billed through the patient’s insurance, and co-payments may apply.

Cash payments of $45.17 per session are also accepted if a patient’s insurance does not cover it.

Psychologists Offer Senior Support Groups at CPCs

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a valet service began in the spring. By October, the new employee lot had opened on campus, and off-campus options remained in use. Work on a new welcome pavilion and expansion of the Emergency Department began in earnest.

2. NorthBay Healthcare officially broke ground in April on the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital campus for a $58 million investment in a new cancer center, medical office building and state-of-the-art fitness center.

3. NorthBay Healthcare Group celebrated its Magnet Nurse status, officially receiving accolades during a conference in Atlanta. The coveted designation is the highest level of recognition a facility can receive for quality nursing care.

4. Care ‘til 8 began at two Center for Primary Care locations, dramatically extending the hours of service to 8 p.m. on weeknights,

and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. It was an immediate success.

5. NorthBay Medical Center managers and pharmacy staff came together to cut the ribbon on a $6 million dollar improvement project, which included an upgrade of the pharmacy and new microbiology lab (which opened last year) and a new state-of-the-art automated carousel, a new anteroom and clean rooms with filters designated to maximize contaminant reduction, and nice new staff work stations.

6. As NorthBay Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit celebrated its 30th anniversary May 16, it mourned the passing of Barbara Lum, the “Mother of Maternity Services,” on May 8. Barbara joined what was then Intercommunity Hospital in 1966 and by 1973 was director of maternity services. Barbara was also a faithful Guild volunteer.

Top Stories ...(From Page 1)

Construction has been moving along at a great pace at NorthBay Medical Center. The dirt lot (at left) has already been paved and open to traffic. Elnora Cameron, vice president of strategic development, (below) briefs a tent full of VIPs about the VacaValley Wellness Center at the project’s groundbreaking ceremony.

A cadre of nurses attended the Magnet celebration in Atlanta in October, when NorthBay’s designation became official.

See TOP STORIES, Page 7

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7. NorthBay Healthcare’s new Hilborn Administration Cen-ter opened across the parking lot from the Center for Primary Care in Fairfield. The second floor of the center is the new home of Ambulatory Services Administra-tion, Performance Management, about half of our outpatient case managers, primary care and spe-cialty care referral clerks and the call center. The first floor houses Occupational and Employee Health and Drug Screening.

8. The executive staff had many changes, beginning in Jan-uary when Chris Timbers stepped in as vice president and chief information officer, replacing Paul Alcala. Then Konard Jones rejoined NorthBay Healthcare in February as the new president of NorthBay Healthcare’s Hospital Division, replacing longtime pres-ident Deborah Sugiyama, who retired in May. At the same time Aimee Brewer became President of the Ambulatory Division. Chief Nursing Officer Kathy Richerson

retired in July and was replaced by CNO Traci Duncan in October. Two new vice presidents were added to the group: Diana Na-lett was named vice president of ambulatory operations and Nicole Brocato was named vice presi-dent and chief quality officer.

9. The Surgery Center at NorthBay VacaValley became completely owned by NorthBay Healthcare in August. The

12,000-square-feet. Ambulatory Surgery Center opened in 2007 as a joint venture between NorthBay and several local physicians. Employees at the center became NorthBay employees.

10. Beginning Nov. 1, for the first time, employees who did not get the flu vaccination were required to wear masks when in contact with patients. This increased our vaccination rate to more than 90 percent.

Top Stories ...(From Page 6)

Deborah Sugiyama and Konard Jones share ribbon-cutting honors in the Pharmacy.

There were many other stories that didn’t make the Top 10 but still had major significance on NorthBay Healthcare. Among them: three waves of Lean Advisor classes were put through the paces in 2015, creating many Lean mentors at NorthBay; Creating Connections campaign of storytelling was initiated; NorthBay’s primary care docs ranked in the top 10 in the country for patient satisfaction; and Hospice earned its first star in its journey toward four-star distinction in the Honor Our Veterans program.

Care ’til 8 has been a huge success among patients.

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Chasing the Channel Challenge

The swimmer, slathered with Desitin ointment and Bag Balm, adjusted her goggles and plunged into the 73 degree water. It was 11 p.m., and she hesitated only a moment when she heard a commotion to her left — perhaps flying fish?

But from that point on — for the next 13-plus hours — Asha Allen Roth was focused on one thing — completing her swim from Catalina Island to the shores of Rancho Palos Verdes.

Asha, a medical social worker at NorthBay Healthcare, is on a personal mission. She was a swimmer as a teenager, but dropped the sport suddenly at 18. Fast-forward 24 years, and she’s ready to realize a lifelong dream: to swim the English Channel.

It takes years of training, of course, and her Labor Day swim of the Catalina Channel may have

just been a warm-up, but it is a huge notch in her belt. It came just a month after a 21-mile swim across Lake Tahoe (a chilly 63 degrees on Aug. 1)

Now she’s taking a little time off her hectic training schedule

but will pick it up again in Febru-ary. That should give her enough time to be ready for her English Channel “window of opportunity.”

“You have to apply for per-mission,” Asha explains. “They’ve

Her Lifelong DreamJust Strokes Away for Social Worker

Asha is taking a much-deserved break from training and focusing her attention on her role as a medical social worker. But come February, she’ll be back in the water.

See CHASING, Page 9

9

given me any time between Aug. 9-16, 2016, to get it done. They give you a window since the weather is more unpredictable there.”

So she has her pilot and her watercraft reserved. And 8 months to get her head around the task at hand.

“Some of it is overcoming the fear factor,” she admits. “I know it’s irrational to worry about sharks, but I also know they’re there.”

Jelly fish are another concern. In the Catalina Channel, she swam through miles of them, and was stung by scores of the bothersome creatures. Some left their tails entangled in her swim-suit as a reminder. But in the English Channel, there are more dangerous varieties: the box jelly and the Portuguese Man-of-War. Their toxic stings can result in an aborted swim and a quick trip to the hospital, she notes.

Although as the crow flies the English Channel is about the same length as Tahoe and Catalina at 21 miles, she’ll actually have to swim about 25 miles, because the route goes with the current, which takes the swimmer on an S curve through the channel.

Hypothermia is a real concern, but wet suits are not allowed by the marathon swimming federation. “Only a bathing suit, cap and goggles,” she says, explaining that wet suits can provide buoyance, and that is not allowed.

“You can’t even have anyone touch you.”

So, instead, she has a sup-port group on the boat alongside her. For the Catalina effort, she was able to have a kayaker and a fellow swimmer in the water

near her. She also had family and friends on the boat preparing her “feedings,” which consisted of blended super drinks (raw egg, banana, avocado, vegan protein powder, bee pollen, moringa root powder, chia seeds and superfood green powder), water with Os-mo-hydration and an occasional breakfast burrito.

“I chose to be fed the first hour and then every 30 min-utes,” she explains. “Feeding was a chore and I almost wanted to tell the crew to feed me every 45 minutes. The current was so strong, I barely had time to pop the top and take three gulps

before the line became too taut. Feeds were about 30 seconds or less out of necessity.”

To prepare for the Lake Tahoe and Catalina swims, the Beni-cia resident practiced five days a week in the pool with Walnut Creek Masters, and joined the South End Rowing Club at Aquat-ic Park in San Francisco. She routinely spent her weekends swimming the Bay — out of Point Richmond or Keller Cove.

She understands that if she can swim the English Channel, there would only be one more goal to earn the “Triple Crown” of marathon swimming — the Man-hattan Island Marathon Swim. But it’s too early to even think about it, she insists.

“I just have to get past the English Channel first,” she says.

To follow Asha’s swims or learn more, visit www.Ashas-wims.com.

“I know it’s irrational to worry about sharks, but I also

know they’re there.”— Asha Allen

Chasing the Challenge ... (From Page8)

Asha relaxes on the boat, right before a workout challenge in the waters near Alcatraz earlier this year.

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HealthSpring’s general manager, last week for a tour of the construction site of the VacaValley Wellness Center. The pair, joined by Tom Nelson, vice president of community services at Exos|Medifit, were taken on a tour of the three-story work-in-progress by construction manager Ray Green.

The site was a flurry of activity, with concrete being poured on the second floor, ducts being readied for installation and welding continuing throughout the site.

HealthSpring will open its doors in the summer of 2016, but the sales effort begins now, says Adrian Riggs, director of Solano Diagnostic Imaging and project manager for the big move of HealthSpring and diagnostic imaging into the building.

Employees, board members,

volunteers and members of our medical staff who indicate their interest online in December can be guaranteed the lowest rate, even down the road when rates rise, if they decide to join in January. The initial offering for these special NorthBay charter rates will be $39 a month for an individual, $49 for a couple and $59 for a family, nearly half off the public rate.

NorthBay is providing financial support toward these member-ships, because it’s an investment, not just in HealthSpring Fitness, but in our people, explains Gary. “We see the inherent value of a healthy team, and to a greater

extent, a healthy community.”In addition, all charter

members will receive a Health-Spring Fitness T-shirt and a special gift at signing.

To get on the list, visit www.healthspringfitness.org and enter your information on the left tab, under “Become a Charter Member.” Those who sign up in December will

be contacted by a HealthSpring Fitness staff member in early January.

At the same time, Greg and his sales team will settle into Room 180 in the VacaValley Health Plaza. A window from the office looks out on the construction site.

Come July, Greg expects to have a staff of more than 100, consisting of trainers, aquatic staff, instructors, front desk, maintenance and housekeeping folks ready to roll.

“It’s such a great opportu-nity to watch this grow from the

HealthSpring Fitness ... (From Page 1)

Construction Manager Ray Green (left)

takes NorthBay CEO and President Gary Passama on a tour of the three-story

VacaValley Wellness Center building last

week.

See FITNESS, Page 11

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ground up,” says Greg. “Every-thing will be state-of-the art, and our seasoned fitness team will be ready to meet the unique needs of our members.”

Before accepting the Health-Spring general manager position, Greg was in charge of operations at Fit Together, a corporate well-ness company based in Los Altos, where he provided in-house pro-gramming and a comprehensive online program. Prior to that, he was chief operations officer for X-Body, Inc., which offers personal trainers, group fitness, martial arts and corporate wellness.

Gregory has a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Sac-ramento State and a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from California State University, Long Beach.

The fitness center will be 56,000 square feet and will feature an aquatic center with a lap pool, general purpose pool, warm water therapy pool and a whirlpool. There are also group exercise rooms, a Queenax fitness system, dedicated Pilates and cycling rooms, a large cardio area and strength training and personal training areas.

It’s far from your traditional gym. “It’s designed to serve people of all ages, sizes and ability levels in our community,” adds Gary, “including first-time exercisers, athletes and those referred by their doctors.”

A daycare area and playground has been designated

Fitness ... (From Page 10)

and gym members can check their children in for two-hour periods.

A major marketing campaign will debut in January to promote membership to the general public.

HealthSpring will be managed by Exos|MediFit, a company that has designed and manages fitness programs for more than 150 clients, including leading corporations, academic institutions, health systems, sports teams and the U.S. military.

Work on the second floor (above and below) continues at a steady pace. The vault (bottom left) is where the NorthBay Cancer Center’s linear accelerator will be placed.

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Memories ... (From Page 1)

event hosted by NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement. Families were able to decorate complimentary

paper ornaments — in the shape of a butterfly — to hang on the tree in memory of a loved one. Those butterflies were made of seed paper, and at the end of the ceremony, Linda Pribble, Bereavement Volunteer Coordinator, invited families to take the ornaments home, plant them when the time is right, water them and watch them grow.

“It’s important, especially at this time of year, to take time and remember,” says Linda.

The Davis Threshold Choir performed a number of inspirational songs during the event, which also paid tribute to veterans for their sacrifice. NorthBay’s Hospice & Bereavement Program is now part of the national “We Honor Veterans” program, notes the program’s Executive Director Ed Lowe.

More than 400 names were read aloud in tribute by Hospice and Bereavement volunteers. In addition, Dr. Terrell Van Aken, medical director for Hospice & Bereavement and Palliative Care, put together a slideshow honoring lost loved ones from photos submitted by local families.

Volunteer Elise Wigton with a special ornament.

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Aiming for Always Events at NorthBay By Brittany Walker, R.N.“Always Events” are a natural

extension of the NorthBay Way and Creating Connections. They are an evolution of our mission to provide compassionate care, advanced medicine, close to home. Our goal with Creating Connections is to build a culture of trust and loyalty.

Loyalty, to me, is found when employees say, “I love to work here!” managers say, “I love the people I work with!” caregivers say, “I love our patients!” and patients and families say, “I love NorthBay, they always take great care of me and my family!”

We all know the events that jeop-ardize patient safety, called “Never Events.” These are events that regula-tory bodies and our patients rightfully expect should never, ever happen. These include operating on the wrong patient, on the wrong extremity, death or a serious injury related to a medication error or blood administration, or acqui-sition of a pressure ulcer while hospitalized. As an organization, we all do our part, every day to make sure these do not happen at NorthBay.

On the flip side, there are “Always Events.” These need to be part of our NorthBay Way culture, as we work to create connections with every patient, every encounter, every time.

Always events include:w Offering warm greetings and thoughtful

departures.w Looking out for the lost and confused.w Authentically listening with intent.w Considering others’ needs.w Maintaining a healing environment.These ideas are not new to us, and we all do an

incredible job making our patients’ experiences at NorthBay unique.

While attending the Magnet Conference in Atlanta in October, it became clear, other hospitals and health systems are consistently working on this mission as well. The organizations that stand out are those where caring, compassion and courtesy are their culture. It is the expectation of employees, patients, and families. It was inspiring to hear other hospitals’ challenges and accomplishments in creating connections.

We all have stories about creating connections or

have witnessed a staff member doing an “Always Event.” In the Emergency Department, two staff members re-cently shared their story as they sat with a dying patient who did not have family present. The staff had other patients to attend to, but they took the time to hold this patient’s hand and sit with her as she died.

I’ve also witnessed a security guard giving a NorthBay teddy bear to a scared pediatric patient. I’ve heard about a front desk employee at one of our Center for Primary Care facilities figure out a way to fit in a patient who showed up a day early for her appointment — her daughter had taken off work to come with her.

These are the moments that make a difference in our patients’ healing, and why we do what we do. One patient

said, “This (VacaValley) is the smallest hospital I have ever been in, yet I am the most lost I have ever been.”

It is through Always Events that we can help pa-tients and their families or visitors feel supported, even if they are scared and anxious in unfamiliar places.

Our challenge for Creating Connections and Always Events is to make positivity and courtesy contagious and consistent and to build an energy focused on the patient.

We are so lucky to do the work that we do. I consider it an honor. We “get” to create memories for our patients. Whether the patient is experienc-ing a heart attack, getting routine care, having a baby or recovering from surgery, we are part of their memories.

Be proud of who we are at NorthBay. Be proud of the work you do. Do not accept mediocrity. Always stay focused on Creating Connections.

Are you practicing Always Events? I’d love to hear about how it works for you. If not, pick one or two and start practicing.Then share your stories with us for a future column. E-mail patient experience@northbay.org.

This is the first in a series of columns that will appear sporadically in FYI. The author, an emergency room nurse at NorthBay Medical Center, is a member of the Shared Governance Patient Experience Work Group — Editor.

Brittany Walker, R.N.

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Every year the NorthBay Healthcare Board of Directors presents all employees with a gift certificate as a way of saying thank you and as a token of their appreciation during this holiday season.

This year the boards generously raised the amount from $25 to $35. However, language on the gift certificates does not reflect that change.

Employees are encouraged to spend their gift certificate in either of the hospital gift shops, where NorthBay Guild members have worked hard to assemble a wide array of “gifty” items, noted Jane Hilliard, director of Volunteer Services. To make it easier for employees, Guild members will have the shops open on two Saturdays in December, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The certificates can also be spent at Secondhand Rose, the Guild’s thrift store in Vacaville, she adds.

Or, you can transfer the gift certificate to one of several of NorthBay’s outreach funds, such as the Employee Emer-gency Fund, or the H.E.R.O. Fund. Employees can also transfer the certificate to NorthBay Healthcare Founda-tion, and designate that it be used for a specific program or service, such as the NICU, A Baby is Coming, or NorthBay Cancer Center. For questions about eligible programs, con-tact Tim Johnson in the Foun-dation at (707) 646-3132.

The gift certificates are valid through Jan. 31, 2016.

Don’t Forgetto Use Gift Certificate

Blood Drivea Success

The numbers don’t lie: NorthBay Healthcare is making a difference when it comes to recycling, reusing and reducing, according to Darrin Salswedel, procure-to-pay/contracts manager in Purchasing.

“We get quarterly statistics from a few vendors that show how much material we divert from the solid waste stream, and NorthBay is more ‘green’ than people might otherwise perceive,” he says.

By using Shred-it paper recycling, for example, NorthBay’s efforts saved the

equivalent of 2,351 Monterey pine trees; 967,992 gallons of water; 8,297 pounds of air pollution; 566,966 kilowatts of energy; 415 cubic yards of landfill space; and 13,828 gallons of gasoline in 2014.

We’ve racked up recycled savings by using Stericycle Resusable Sharps containers, too, Darrin notes. This method of recycling has prevented 15,451 pounds of plastic and 696 pounds of cardboard from landing in landfills, and reduced CO2 emissions by the equivalent of either 9,018 pounds, or 171 propane gas barbeque tanks.

Stats Show NorthBay Growing Greener

Caption here for blood drive.

Sue Anderson-Seibert, R.N., (above) and Jennie Courtemanche,

R.N., (at right) participated in the blood drive at NorthBay

VacaValley Hospital Thursday, Dec. 3. In all, 21 units of blood were

donated, reported Heather Sharpe, BloodSource account manager.

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NorthBay Circles Globe, Gets Married!?

The NorthBay Way photo contest continues until Dec. 31.

E-mail your images to DBarney@NorthBay.org and include your name and job title.

A winner will be announced in January. For contest details, see My NorthBay, your employee portal.

Contest Deadline: Dec. 31

The wedding party (above) of

Teresa Urbano and Jason Pierce,

both NorthBay Healthcare

employees, got into the NorthBay

spirit. Rebecca Miller (on left, in

photo at right) took her love

of NorthBay to Sanya, China,

where she visited with childhood

friend Anna Wong.

Experienced world traveler Carolyn Carwile, R.N., (on left in photo

at right) and her family took NorthBay with them on a very

long trip that pretty much circled the globe. It included a visit to

the Statue of Liberty, as well as a 23-day Baltic and Atlantic Crossing Cruise with a three-day pre-cruise

stay in Berlin. Countries she visited included Estonia, Russia, Finland,

Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Canada.

Evelyn Edwardes, R.N., (on left in photo at far right) and Carmela

Alasco, R.N., of 1 West took a photo at the Paris Hotel in Las

Vegas while attending the AMSN Convention in September. “We used Collaboration in NorthBay

Way by honoring our commitment to attend this National Convention as med-surg nurses,” says Evelyn.

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12.11.15 Open Staff Meetings – VVH12.14.15 Week of Adopt-a-School Parties12.15.15 Open Staff Meetings – GVAC12.16.15 Open Staff Meetings – NBMC Annex12.16.15 ABC Holiday Party12.23.15 HR Night Owl visits to both hospitals

TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

Fill the Ambulance,Help the Homeless

NorthBay Medical Center is a collection point for a sock and glove drive to help the homeless.

Our purple Trauma Ambulance will be staffed from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, through Dec. 16, according to Sandy Piedra, who is on the Solano County Healthcare for the Homeless Advisory Board. Questions? Call Sandy at ext.

Jane Hilliard, director of volunteer services (below, left to right) and volunteers Nona Strahan and Virginia Greer were joined at the celebration by board members (below right) Gary Falati and Skip Thomson and (center photo) Adam Burke and Bill Seiden.

A Very Guild ChristmasNorthBay Guild Volunteers were treated to a sumptuous “Thank You” breakfast on Dec. 3, thanks to Outback Steakhouse. As each arrived, they were greeted by a number of NorthBay Healthcare board members, who took time to thank them for their generous service and invaluable fundraising abilities. Many Guild Volunteers also brought unwrapped toys to the event, which in turn were donat-ed to Diane Harris, director of Women’s Services, for the ABC (A Baby’s Coming) holiday party for families, set for Dec. 16.

Diane Harris thanks the Guild for supporting the Center for Women’s Health.

5840.