Patient Surprises Cancer

Center Staff— Page 17

Channeling the Power of Storytelling

Traci Duncan has accepted NorthBay Healthcare’s offer to serve as our vice president and chief nursing officer, replacing

Kathy Richerson who retired in July after a 15-year stretch.

Traci comes to NorthBay from the Uni-versity of California, San Francisco Medical Center,

where she served as associate chief nursing officer for six years.

Prior to her role at UCSF, Traci worked as vice president and

1

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

Real Tim

e…09.16.15

Want to help NorthBay Health-care grow from “Now to Wow”?Then share your story.

That’s the message from Jennifer Shoemaker, manager of the Patient Experience Program and her Patient Experience Transformation Team, which is launching a new campaign this fall for NorthBay Healthcare employees.

The idea is to seek stories from employees on how they’ve connected – with a patient, a fellow employee, or even with the public – to promote NorthBay’s

mission of compassionate care and advanced medicine, close to home.

“Now that the NorthBay Way has become part of

Walls All Up on the Wellness CenterOur NewCNO HailsFrom UCSF

See CONNECTIONS, Page 16

See CNO, Page 12

The last five panels were put in place by construction crews last Thursday to complete the exterior of the VacaValley Wellness Center. Although wind set back the project by a few days, crews were able to make up the time by working through the weekend and into the week to complete the task. For more photos and an update on the project, see Page 10. Be sure to follow along with the Hard Hat Report on My NorthBay, for either the VacaValley project or the modernization of NorthBay Medical Center. The Hard Hat Report shares updates on construction, traffic and parking.

2

multiple ambulatory primary and specialty practices.

“Adventist was steeped in the ‘Dis-ney patient experience’ aspect of care and I’m very familiar with it,” she adds.

“Those who have had a chance to work with Justina already know her proven track record of leading projects and teams to success, while build-ing programs that are focused on clinical excellence and posi-tive patient experiences,” says Stephanie Tarter, assistant vice president, Health and Wellness.

Justina earned her master’s degree from the University of Illinois in Chicago, and her bach-elor’s degree in liberal studies from Chico State.

TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

New Clinical Manager for CPCRyan AntiqueraClinical Nurse IISurgery, NorthBay Medical Center

David GottliebSecurity Officer ISecurity, NorthBay Medical Center

Brittany McClureFinancial Verification AmbassadorPatient Finance & Insurance NorthBay Healthcare

Ruben Medina-LoretoPatient Services RepresentativeNorthBay Cardiology

Tyres NilesRadiologic Technologist IIRadiology, NorthBay Medical Center

Gemma OcampoPatient Account Rep IPatient AccountingNorthBay Healthcare

Brandon OuelletteSecurity Officer ISecurity, NorthBay Medical Center

Jon ReadManager, SecuritySecurity, NorthBay Medical Center

William SearsRadiologic Technologist IIIRadiology, VacaValley Hospital

Cynthia TorresHIM Technologist IHealth Information ManagementNorthBay Medical Center

HR Service Manager Diane Urbano will visit NorthBay Medical Center and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. to meet the personnel needs of night shift employees.

Benefit Fairs Set in OctoberOpen enrollment is next

month and once again Human Resources is holding Benefits Fairs so employees can visit with the vendors who provide our comprehensive benefits program.

The first fair is Wednesday, Oct. 7, at VacaValley Health Plaza. On Thursday, Oct. 8, the fair is at the Green Valley Administration Center. Both fairs are from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Please note, due to construction at NorthBay Medical Center no Benefits Fair is planned for that campus.

Representatives from our

carriers for health, dental, vision, employee assistance, flexible spending, life insurance and our 403(b) retirement plan will be available to answer your questions along with representatives for our supplemental benefit plans.

If you have no changes to your benefits, you do not need to take action unless you participate in the Flexible Spending Program. If you have questions, please contact Diane Urbano at ext. 3313. A detailed open enrollment letter will be mailed to employees’ homes in September.

Night Owl Visits AreTomorrow Morning

Justina Dombrowski is the new practice manager for the Center for Primary Care at Green Valley.

While her professional background is in practice management, she has spent the past few years as a senior systems ana-lyst in NorthBay’s IT department.

“I earned my master’s degree in Health Infomatics with the intention of using it to streamline operations and primary care management,” Justina explains. “Instead I got into programming, and while it is a good field, I missed the interaction with patients.”

Prior to joining NorthBay, Justina spent several years as a practice manager at Adventist Health in St. Helena, managing

3

Her LegacyCompassion

of

If you could summarize Patty Kramer’s 23-year tenure with NorthBay Healthcare, it would come down to one word: people.

It was all about people when she first volunteered for the Hospice and Bereavement program in 1988. After enduring a painful personal loss, she wanted to reach out and help others. She was so inspired, she decided to go back to school and pursue her degree – first, in psychology, and later a master’s in social science.

She was hired in 1993 as a Health at Home social worker, and later became the lead medical social worker at VacaValley Hospital.

After becoming a licensed social worker, she was able to bring licensing supervision to the organization.

“Now over half of our staff are licensed and most of the rest have accrued the required hours and will test in the next year or so,” she states proudly.

By 2002, she was supervisor, then manager and finally director – of Social Services – and a whole lot more. She was also named director of Health at Home, Hospice, and Patient Rights as well as NorthBay’s Privacy Officer.

“I went from volunteering in hospice to actual-ly running the program for a while,” she remem-bers with a smile. “But later I decided to shift my focus back to inpatients.”

She added Alzheimer’s Services in 2006 and then switched to be director of the Continuum of Care Services in 2009. She added inpatient case management and gave up Health at Home and Hospice.

Her role changed once again in 2012, when she became director of Supportive Care Services, and gave up inpatient case management.

While the titles kept changing, her commit-ment to the patient has been steadfast.

“I will miss the patient stories,” she confess-es. “That’s why I went into the field in the first place… to listen to patients and their families and

Patty Kramer sits in the Children’s Bereavement Garden, which she helped create – along with a children’s bereavement program – back in the days when she worked for Hospice & Bereavement. The little oasis still exists between the 1600 and 1700 wings at NorthBay Medical Center.

to be a resource for them. From the early days of be-ing able to meet patients in their homes – in their own environment – to sitting bedside of a hospital patient, listening to each unique story has been very exciting.”

Patty, who retired Sept. 1, has enjoyed watching staff flourish and grow.

“I’ve had the joy of working on teams to implement new programs, participating in improvement project work groups. Prepping for Joint Commission visits wasn’t always a pleasure but it was meaningful and there was satisfaction in that,” she smiles.

She has also enjoyed the opportunity to work with colleagues in the community – from county mental

See LEGACY, Page 11

4

NorthBay Healthcare and BloodSource are teaming up with the Community United Methodist Church in Fairfield to sponsor a one-day blood drive in the church parking lot Thursday, Sept. 24.

Because of extensive construction in the NorthBay Medical Center parking lot, NorthBay blood drive organizers reached out to the church to seek a better location to host the Bloodmobile for the day. The church already leases some of

its parking spaces to NorthBay for employee parking, and is our backdoor neighbor.

The church not only agreed to host the Bloodmobile, but is also encouraging the public and its parishioners to donate.

“NorthBay Healthcare has coordinated blood drives in the past and we’re committed to the cause,” says NorthBay blood drive organizer Katie Lydon, R.N., director of Women’s and Children’s Services. “We’ve seen

firsthand how donated blood saves lives. We encourage all our employees who can to take the time for a donation.”

The drive will be from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

To save time, donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment online. Visit www.bloodsource.org/drives and enter location code H101.

Please eat and drink before donating blood, and bring photo identification.

NorthBayHonors itsCNS Team

NorthBay Healthcare honored the contributions of its five Clini-cal Nurse Specialists (CNS) Sept. 1-7 during the seventh annual National CNS Recognition Week.

CNS are advanced practice nurses who play a unique and important role in ensuring that patients receive high quality care based on the best and most recent research evidence, says Elisa Jang, R.N.

The specialists provide inter-professional, systemwide leader-ship. They create, monitor and evaluate cost-effective, evidence-based policies, procedures, pro-tocols and best practice models.

At NorthBay, CNS-led teams and hospital initiatives include some of the following: Code Blue Committee, Rapid Response Team Committee, procedural sedation, sepsis, EBP & Nursing Research Fellowship Program, shared governance, cancer research, restraints, falls, and

wound/skin management. There are approximately

72,000 such specialists nation-wide. National CNS Recognition Week was established in 2009 to commemorate the contributions of Hildegard Peplau to nursing and health care. Born in 1909, Dr. Peplau was a prominent nursing theorist whose landmark book, Interpersonal Relations in Nursing, emphasized the nurse-client relationship as the foun-dation for nursing practice and today serves as the basis of the CNS role in health care.

Honored at NorthBay are:W Keni Horiuchi, R.N., Clinical

Nurse Specialist/Nurse Navigator, Cancer Center.

W Anna Satake, R.N., Clinical Practice Manager, Medical/Surgical/Geriatrics.

W Mark Stevens, R.N., Clinical Practice Manager, Emergency Services.

W Natalie Correll-Yoder, R.N., Clinical Practice Manager, Critical Care Services.

W Elisa Jang, R.N., Clinical Practice Manager, Translational Research.

NorthBay, Community United Methodist Church to Host Blood Drive

NorthBay’s team of Clinical Nurse Specialists gathered for a photo during their special week. They are (left to right) Anna Satake, Elisa Jang, Keni Horiuchi, Natalie Correll-Yoder and Mark Stevens.

5

Annual Nursing Satisfaction Survey Will Stay Open Until Oct. 4A reminder that NorthBay

Healthcare nurses have until Sunday, Oct. 4, to participate in the annual nursing satisfaction survey, administered by the Na-tional Database of Nursing Qual-ity Indicators (NDNQI),

Participation is voluntary and all responses are anonymous. Nurses are eligible to participate if they work 50 percent or more of their time in direct patient care, have worked on their current unit for at least three months, are NorthBay employees and not on leave of absence dur-ing the entire survey time frame.

Travelers and regis-try nurses are not eligible.

Through the survey, NorthBay hopes to gain insight into the nursing professional practice environment. The results will help the organization make improvements.

There are two ways to access the survey. From a computer within the hospital, go online to ShareSpace and click on the link titled 2015 Nurse Satisfaction Survey. From outside the hos-

pital, go to http://www.nurs-ingquality.org/survey. Access codes have been emailed to all NorthBay registered nurses.

When you complete the sur-vey, be sure to print your cer-tificate and show it to your unit Clinical Lead IV or manager to claim your participation gift.

Questions? Contact your unit DBC members or any of the survey support managers: Chris Stevenson, survey coordinator; Dawn Hanneman, R.N., Emergen-cy Department clinical manager; or Shelley Johnson, R.N., director of medical/surgical services.

RRT: Seven Years and Still Going StrongDuring this year’s Rapid Re-

sponse Team Appreciation Week, NorthBay Healthcare celebrated the team’s seventh anniversary.

“Rapid Response Teams are comprised of experienced clinicians who bring critical care expertise to the bedside or wherever they are needed in response to a clinical situation that raises a concern about the status of a patient in our facilities,” says Natalie Correll-

Pictured are some of the nursing

and respiratory members

of NorthBay Healthcare’s Rapid

Response Team: Kalsang Dorji (front

row, left to right), Arold Nelson, Carol

Brower and (back row, left to right)

Sunny Weist, Juliana Shaw,

Elizabeth Rivera, Jennifer Tudor,

Cathy Byrne, Paula Azure, Paula

Bertsch, Noel Stein, Fred Maddox and Natalie Correll-

Yoder.

Yoder, clinical practice manager for critical care services.

The idea is to reduce the number of Code Blues, which explains the team’s “Beat the Blues” slogan.

Studies show that hospitals with RRTs can reduce the number of cardiac arrests and resulting deaths as well as reduce post-operative emergency critical care transfers and deaths.

Every day, NorthBay

Healthcare’s RRT members take up the challenge and put the pieces together to solve the puzzle, Natalie explains.

“Whether it be evaluating changing clinical status of a pa-tient, answering complex ques-tions or mentoring and coaching staff to use their critical-thinking skills for problem-solving, these team members can be counted on when they are needed most,” says Natalie.

6

Mark Your Calendar for Fall Open Staff

Fall is nearly officially here, and that means the kind of cooler weather that is perfect for a morning bike ride. And, with the 4th Annual Ride to Defeat Diabetes set for Sunday, Oct. 4, there’s still time to get the bike tires pumped up and the gears greased in time to participate.

The Ride to Defeat Diabetes offers biking enthusiasts a choice of rides and family-friendly camaraderie, all while raising awareness of Solano County’s diabetes crisis. Funds raised during the event benefit the NorthBay Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology.

R2D2 offers three separate rides: an easy 10-mile ride to the unincorporated area of Elmira, and 25-mile and 60-mile “metric century” rides for more serious cyclists. All will start from North-BayVacaValley Hospital, 1000 Nut Tree Road in Vacaville.

Don’t want to ride? Organiz-ers are looking for volunteers to help set up, strike down, serve

What goes around, comes around, and so when it comes around to helping a fellow non-profit, NorthBay Healthcare Foun-dation wants you to be there.

The occasion: Pink Fest 3, a benefit concert for Pink Lemon-ade. Because NorthBay Health-care Foundation is a sponsor of the event, organizers have given the Foundation a block of tickets to share with employees. They are available on a first come, first serve basis, according to Colleen Knight, foundation program coor-dinator with NorthBay Healthcare

Foundation. Pink Lemonade is a local non-

profit organization, created by a former NorthBay Healthcare cancer patient, to help other can-cer patients and their families. Pink Lemonade volunteers help by doing some light housekeep-ing or lawn work, or by provid-ing meals for the patients and their families. To help raise funds and keep the support going, Pink Lemonade organizers put on community events and benefit concerts, such as Pink Fest 3.

Pink Fest 3 is set to run from

noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Wooden Valley Winery, 4756 Suisun Valley Road in Fairfield. Scheduled to perform are Hey Jude, West Coast Blues Society Allstars, and CRSB.

Any employee interested in putting their name on the list for the available tickets is encouraged to email Colleen at cknight@NorthBay.org. If you would like to support the organization yourself, tickets are $20 each, and can be purchased at PinkLemonadeFight.com, or at the door.

a lunch or step up to be course monitors. Volunteers can sign up at the R2D2 website at www.nothbay.org/r2d2.

Everything gets rolling when the riders in the 60-mile loop depart at 7:30 a.m.; riders on the 25-mile route leave at 9 a.m. and the 10-milers head out at 10 a.m. The 10-mile ride is $15 for those ages 13 and up; it is free for children age 12 and under. There is a $30 registration fee for the 25-mile ride, and the 60-mile ride registration fee is $45. Teams of four to six riders can sign up for $30 per person.

T-shirts, a raffle ticket, music, lunch and refreshments will be provided for registered riders. Register online through the NorthBay website at www.northbay.org/r2d2.

Open Staff meetings be-gin Friday, Sept. 25. This is your chance to hear the latest news about our organization from NorthBay Healthcare President/CEO Gary Passama. All employees are invited to attend the meeting that best fits into their schedule.

You’ll hear the financial re-port and get an update on the construction taking place on both campuses. Do you have concerns about the parking situation at NorthBay Medical Center? This is your chance to ask questions or offer sugges-tions. Meetings will be:

Friday, Sept. 25, Vaca-Valley Hospital Café Con-

ference Room8 a.m. 10 a.m. 1 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 28, Green Valley Administra-

tion Center, Room 19 a.m. 1 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 30, NorthBay Medical Center,

Annex Rooms 3&47:30 a.m. 10 a.m.

3:30 p.m.

Block of Pink Fest 3 Tickets Available for NorthBay Employees

Sign Up Nowfor R2D2

7

Turning Grief into Outreach

For years, Mike Goodwin of Fairfield couldn’t talk about the devastating loss of his son, Joshua.

“I had heard that there were things available to help people who were grieving, but I didn’t want to talk to anybody about anything,” says the U.S. Air Force veteran. “And I didn’t, for five years.”

A former police officer and current criminal justice professor at Solano Community College, Mike says he tried to find a reason or purpose for his son’s death — something to make sense of it.

“I never did,” he says. “Then I decided that if I couldn’t find a purpose for his death, I’d find a purpose for the life I had remaining, a purpose much bigger than me and one that could help me heal.”

He contacted NorthBay Hospice about becoming a bereavement volunteer, and after completing the training process has remained involved in many ways. He meets one-on-one with people who are in crisis. He supports NorthBay Bereavement’s eight-week “Journey Through Grief” sessions, makes follow-up calls to those in the program, and volunteers at the annual Tree of Memories.

Now he’s working with North-Bay to give other veterans the chance to not only deal with their grief, but to help others over-come losses.

NorthBay Hospice & Bereave-ment is partnering with “We

Honor Veterans,” a program of the National Hospice and Pallia-tive Care Organization, in col-laboration with the Department of Veteran Affairs. It works with hospice organizations to provide staff and volunteers with edu-cational tools and resources to help them to better understand military culture and the unique needs of veterans.

“Only someone who has been to war knows what it’s like to live with those traumatic memories,” says Linda Pribble, bereavement coordinator for NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement. “And only anoth-er veteran could know how this might affect another veteran.”

This is especially true for those seeking a peaceful ending, she adds.

“That’s why we are actively recruiting veterans to serve as hospice and bereavement volun-teers.”

A new hospice and bereave-ment training program will launch in October, Linda says, and veterans, as well as other interested persons, are invited to

apply now. Interested candidates need to fill out an application in advance, agree to a background check and a TB test. The special-ized volunteer training process takes 30 hours.

Anyone — veteran or not — interested in becoming a hospice or bereavement volunteer is encouraged to contact Linda at (707) 646-3517.

“I like the idea of being there for veterans,” says Mike. “Many of them are just not aware of all the resources that are available to help. Many of our older veterans are of a generation that didn’t much address grief, except to say ‘just keep moving on, just deal with it.’”

While many have done just that, Mike wants to offer an alternative.

“I give a lot of credit to people who have the courage to talk about their grief after only a few months. I couldn’t do it. But, people don’t have to suffer their loss alone,” he says. “There are people here that you can talk to, and who will listen.”

Bereavement to Partner With

‘We Honor Veterans’

Linda Pribble, bereavement coordinator for NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement, joins Mike Goodwin to invite veterans to get involved in training to become bereavement volunteers.

8

A Day in the

Park

NorthBay Healthcare is once again working with Solano Napa Commuter Information (SNCI) between now and October to encourage as many employees as possible to try a commute alternative (other than driving alone to work) such as carpooling, vanpooling, public transit, bicycling or walking to work, says Ken McCollum, vice president of Human Resources.

The rewards are plentiful, says Ken.Use a commute alternative on 30 or

more workdays between now and Oct. 31 and become a “Commute Champion” and be rewarded with a $50 in Com-mute Bucks (your choice of gas station or grocery store card) plus entry into a $100 prize drawing.

Become the “Most Outstanding Com-muter” at our workplace who uses a commute alternative more than any co-worker and earn $100 in Commute Bucks and entry into a $500 Commute Bucks drawing.

As a bonus, if NorthBay finishes with more Commute Champions than any other employer in Solano County, we’ll be the “Most Outstanding Workplace” and all successful participants will receive a free catered lunch from SNCI.

If you live nearby, try walking or biking. In addition to your rewards, you will save gas, money and stress on your commute, says Ken. By participating, you will also positively affect climate change by reducing your carbon footprint and greenhouse gases.

Visit SNCI’s web page at: www.com-muterinfo.net (click on Solano Commute Challenge) for more details or to sign up. You can track your trips online, or if you prefer to register and log your trips by mail or fax, please review the attached document, print it out, fill it in and return it to SNCI.

You can also follow the competition on SNCI’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/511SolanoNapa.

Staff Urged to Go

GREEN

Join a NorthBay Team for WalkWant to join up with NorthBay in this year’s Walk to

End Alzheimer’s fundraising event? You have a choice of teams to walk with, as there are four of them supporting the NorthBay Adult Day Center, according to Sandy Perez, program manager.

Sandy is leading Team NorthBay, and her group has set a goal to raise $15,000 in the walk, while Team Unity, headed up by NorthBay Guild Volunteer Bob Panzer, is walking with a goal of raising $5,000. The “Thoughts of You” team, led by Marcia Nutter, Guild volunteer, has a goal of $2,000, while the NorthBay Hospice team, led by its captain, Linda Pribble, also has a $2,000 goal.

“Together we have raised almost $5,000 so far,” Sandy says, “but we have a way to go to meet our combined goal of $24,000.” The Alzheimer’s Association will return 50 percent of everything raised up to $4,999, and 60 percent of funds over $5,000.

The Adult Day Center staff is holding a raffle for a Coach purse. Tickets are $5 each, or five for $20, and they are available at the Day Center or by calling 624-7970.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s event is Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Suisun Waterfront. Registration opens at 8 a.m., and the walk begins at 10 a.m. Visitors and walkers stop-ping by the NorthBay area will see a Kid’s Zone complete with a jump house, clown and face painter, as well as crafts and healthy snacks.

To walk with a NorthBay team, go to http://act.alz.org/goto/northbay.

Scores of families turned out for the second annual Day in the Park celebration at Andrews Park in Vacaville Saturday, Sept. 12. The event aimed to raise awareness and funds for children with autism. NorthBay Healthcare is a sponsor of the event, organized by NorthBay Healthcare Administrative Support Specialist Jessica Johnson. Jessica (seated on stage, far right) is also a dance instructor and invited students from her special needs class to perform. The day featured activities as well as informational and educational boothes and guest appearances by Cinderella, Wonder Woman and Batman.

9

Our Patients Featured in New Campaign

Tickets Available for Breast Cancer LuncheonThe annual Breast Cancer

Luncheon is Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Green Valley Administration Center.

Event check-in begins at 11:30 a.m. The program starts at noon with a video titled “Genentech Speaks” and will be followed by presentation of the Christine Franklin Award by the NorthBay Healthcare Foundation.

Medical oncologist Brian Vikstrom is this year’s physician

presenter. He will be followed by three patient testimonials from Yamilett Diaz, Diane Wong and Gigi Jerada. The patients will also form a panel to answer questions submitted by the audience.

Cost of the luncheon is $10 and pre-registration is encouraged to ensure a seat. You can register by visiting NorthBay.org/blunch, sending an email to events@northbay.org or by calling (707) 646-3280.

It’s not quite Breast Cancer Awareness Month yet, but NorthBay Healthcare has already kicked off a three-month, multimedia campaign featuring several of our patients, all very proud breast cancer survivors.

The campaign will include radio and television commercials, print advertisements in newspapers and magazines, an electronic presence on NorthBay’s website and in key locations in cyberspace.

One television spot is a 30-second ad that features Yamilett Diaz, a Fairfield mother of three, who shares her heart-breaking diagnosis of one of the most aggressive forms of cancer: triple-negative breast cancer. It was followed by bad news from a doctor at another facility.

Yamilett came to NorthBay Cancer Center to find hope, and is now cancer-free.

In another video which can be found on NorthBay.org, Diane Wong, a pharmacist, shares her story in which her breast cancer was diagnosed after a mammogram.

She talks about how she and Dr. James Long collaborated on her treatment plan.

“As a pharmacist, she has an added insight into some of the side effects, watching for things that the average patient might not have,” explains Dr. Long in the video.

“None of my side effects were particularly difficult to manage,” says Diane. “It’s just that I had so many of them... I saw it as an educational aspect...Because I’m a pharmacist, now I’m learn-ing what all of my patients go through. But I’m getting a little taste of everything.”

She is now cancer-free and focusing on fighting her tendancy

to procrastinate. “I talk myself into doing things

now,” she says.In the video, Dr. Long shares

that he is often asked why he choose to be an oncologist.

“People say, don’t I find this

depressing?” he relates. “The answer is no, not at all. In oncology, we are actually able to cure diseases.”

Longer versions of the videos can be found on NorthBay.org/hope.

10

Wellness Center Walls Up!The outer framework of the VacaValley Wellness Center is

complete, with the last five of the building’s 57 panels tilted up and put into place Thursday morning. The 170-foot crane that did all the heavy lifting was dismantled and removed from the jobsite on Friday, Sept. 11.

This week, the concrete casting slabs that the wall panel frames were built upon will be broken up and removed. Some grading of the lot will follow.

Next on the construction schedule is delivery of steel girders, according to Dean Dudak of Swinerton Builders. These steel girders will eventually become the frames for the second and third floors. Once the third floor deck is in place, the braces can be removed.

The gap in the middle (at left) is where the future lobby for the VacaValley Wellness Center will be. Between the tilt-up wall (far right) and the main structure is the area where one of the facility’s four pools will be. The crew painted a sample panel (below) of the color scheme.

Dean Dudek of Swinerton Builders walks across the construction site during the final tilt-up of walls at the Wellness Center on Thursday morning, Sept. 10. He’s standing in front of the medical office portion of the building, which will house the Cancer Center, Orthopedics, Diabetes & Endocrinology, rehabilitation services, cardiac rehab and diagnostic imaging. A welder (at right) connects tilt-up walls.

11

Legacy ...(From Page 1)

health, the Solano Coalition for Better Health, law enforcement, county adult and county Women’s and Children’s Services and more.

“Collaboration works,” she says. She should know. Patty was featured in a NorthBay Way video that focused on one of the Four Cs — Collaboration. In it, she and her team tell the story of a 19-year-old patient who was dy-ing of cancer.

The team worked with a number of nonprofit, state and federal teams to help him return to Mexico so he could die at home, surrounded by his family.

Another C — Caring — led Patty to create NorthBay’s Palliative Care Program in 2007, which offers quality of life choices to those with chronic and debilitating but not life-threatening illnesses. She also worked with a team to create NODA —No One Dies Alone — a program in which hospital employees are trained and volunteer to spend time with a terminally ill patient who has no one to care for them.

“We’re doing it, because it’s

the right thing to do,” she says simply.

It’s that sentiment that compelled her to serve as co-chair of the NorthBay Ethics Committee since 1997.

And when the Adult Day Center seemed in peril because it was losing its home on the VacaValley Hospital campus, Patty worked hard with manager Sandy Perez to not only retain the service but find its new home on VacaValley Parkway.

“The legacy that Patty leaves is incredible,” says Mary Dickey, longtime colleague and friend.

“She’s touched every single patient that we serve in one way or another. She has worked tire-lessly to benefit those without a voice. We will miss her dearly.”

It’s a mutual feeling, Patty admits, although she’s looking forward to spending time with her husband and grandson.

“The time is right,” she says with a smile. “NorthBay has provided so much satisfaction in my life. The work, the relationships. I look forward to watching it continue to grow and develop programs as I move on with a new chapter in my life.”

NorthBay Healthcare Group has reorganized four key services that were previously managed by Patty Kramer, who retired Sept. 1.

According to Dante Tolbert, assistant vice president of the NorthBay Hospital Division, the Adult Day Center and Palliative Care programs will move to the Ambulatory Division, under the management of Ed Lowe, R.N., who is the executive director of Health at Home and Hospice & Bereavement.

Social Services and NorthBay’s chaplaincy programs will move to the Quality Division, under the direction of Shelley Stelzner, R.N. Shelley is currently the director of Case Management.

“The realignment of these services will allow us to grow, forge new alliances, and help move us forward in the changing healthcare landscape,” says Dante.

Departure Sparks Realignment

Seminars Offer Hope for Parents with Overactive ChildrenThe NorthBay Advanced

Medicine Lecture Series will present two sessions of “Coping with ADHD,” at locations in Vacaville and Fairfield this month.

Tonight (Sept. 16) the presentation will be in Vacaville by NorthBay Center for Primary Care Pediatrician Michael Ginsberg, M.D., who will offer his insights on this disorder that affects nearly 5 percent of children worldwide.

Dr. Ginsberg knows what it’s like for children with ADHD — Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. That’s because more than 30 years ago, he was that child. While public school labeled him incorrigible, his parents never gave up on him. Now he can offer that same encouragement.

Refreshments are at 5:30 p.m. and the seminar begins at 6 p.m. The seminar is at the Holiday Inn

Express & Suites, 151 Lawrence Drive in Vacaville. The seminar is free, but space is limited. Please RSVP online at NorthBay.org, and then click on the Events tab, or call (707) 646-3280.

“Coping with ADHD” will be presented again in Fairfield on Thursday, Sept. 24. To register for the Vacaville event, visit www.northbay.org/handleadhd. For the Fairfield event, visit www.northbay.org/endureadhd.

12

Walk Your Way to Fitness This ‘Steptember’Want to improve your health

and have fun — all while earning a chance to win some great prizes?

It’s as easy as taking a walk, says Jamie Boasso, NorthBay Healthcare’s Onsite Wellness Specialist. The three-week STEPtember Walking Challenge began this week (don’t worry, you can still register) and will run through Oct. 4. It is an oppor-tunity to increase awareness of your daily steps, enhance your health and have fun as you find new and creative ways to add walking into your day. In addi-tion, for those who take up the gauntlet, the future could hold not only improved health, but a chance to win prizes.

All NorthBay Healthcare employees are eligible to par-ticipate — either on a team of 10 against your co-workers and/

or as an individual. Each partici-pant, whether as a member of a team or taking part individually, is challenged to walk at least 50,000 steps each week for three weeks.

Track how many steps you walk each day on the CORE Well-ness Dashboard or HealthyNow app to compete for a chance to win prizes. In the team challenge it is the team with the most steps that wins the prize.

What counts as a step? All walking and running activities performed throughout the day.

Challenge prizes include (for individuals) 100 points and a chance to win one of three raffle

prizes: REI gift card, a spa re-treat with one hour massage and four hour stay for two; and Farm Fresh to You fresh produce deliv-ered for seven weeks.

The team prize includes a choice of indoor rock climbing or lunch event.

Every employee who reaches 100 percent of the goal is eligible for the individual prize raffle.

Signups continue until Sept. 20 (you can retroactively log your steps for seven days).

To help the process along, volunteers have been recruited to lead walking breaks at vari-ous NorthBay locations. View or download the walking break schedule at: https://cernwell-data.s3.amazonaws.com/pl/ACI/201509081601351910/Walk-ing_Break_Schedule.pdf

Register for the challenge at www.acicorewellness.com.

chief nursing officer for Swedish Health System in Seattle. She got her start as a telemetry staff nurse at St. Vincent Medical Cen-ter in Portland, and worked her way up through many nursing and leadership positions at that organization during a 26-year-span.

“I feel confident that Traci’s background will help NorthBay in its continued pursuit to provide compassionate care, advanced medicine, close to home and I look forward to adding her to our leadership team,” says Konard Jones, president of the Hospital Division.

Traci has a Doctorate of Nurs-ing Practice (DNP) from Univer-sity of San Francisco, a master’s

CNO ...(From Page 1)

degree from the University of Portland and a bachelor’s from Oregon Health Science Univer-sity. She is a Wharton Nurse Ex-ecutive from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

“The thing that excites me the most about coming to NorthBay is that it’s a community-based organization,” says Traci. “It’s clear that NorthBay and the community really embrace each other, and I think that’s so important.”

During her 35-year nursing career, Traci has gained extensive experience in performance improvement (LEAN), experience in advancing the professional practice of nursing, and has provided leadership to three Magnet organizations.

One of NorthBay’s challenges will be to maintain the high level of enthusiasm and the

momentum created by the Magnet recognition, notes Traci.

“NorthBay has met the stan-dard, but now we have to raise the bar, and that’s always the challenge. Keep the momentum and the energy going, and keep us growing,” says Traci. “It’s exciting because NorthBay is an individual organization in a state that is known for innovation and healthcare… we have to be better than the rest.”

She’ll have a chance to see NorthBay’s energy and enthusiasm in action when she accompanies NorthBay’s team of about 20 nurses to the Magnet conference in Atlanta in October.

“To me, NorthBay is such a gem, and I’m excited by the opportunity,” says Traci. “The cul-ture that has been created and the reputation are so positive. I hope to continue the good work.”

13

Distinguished ‘Talk’ Welcomes Guests

With a room full of club mem-bers and interested guests, the Talk of NorthBay Toastmaster Open House at Green Valley Ad-ministration Center Sept. 9 was a grand success, reports LoMai Goza, the group’s vice president of public relations.

“The demand for enhancing our speaking skills and overcom-ing fears about public speaking are still there,” she reports. “Our guests found our club to be very warm and welcoming. For sev-eral of them, they had no idea of what to expect. They found themselves laughing and signing up to become Toastmasters.”

Guest speaker George Jarosik, Distinguished Toastmaster and current director of Toastmaster District 39, inspired members in the audience to step out of their comfort zones and learn how to speak in front of the public.

Guests enjoyed a delicious lunch and inspirational speeches.

New officers for 2015-2016 Talk of NorthBay are Vice President of Membership Darlene Capenhaust (left to right), Treasurer Niki Petersen, Secretary Vicki Norris, Sergeant at Arms Lydia Abad, President Donna Dabeck and Vice President of Public Relations LoMai Goza. Inset: Vice President of Education Mercille Locke.

Jeannette Fagan, the group’s 2014-2015 president, was pre-sented the President Distin-guished Club ribbon.

Darlene Capenhurst also gladly accepted the nomination for the VP of Membership for 2015-2016 to complete the panel of official board members of Talk of NorthBay.

The 2015-2016 official board includes President Donna Dabeck, Vice President of Membership Darlene Capenhurst, Vice President of Education Mercille Locke, Vice President of Public Relations LoMai Goza, Treasurer Niki Petersen, Secretary Vicki Norris and Sergeant at Arms Lydia Abad.

Guest speaker George Jarosik presented former Talk of NorthBay President Jeanette Fagan (center) and current president Donna Dabeck with the President Distinguished Club ribbon.

Club Selects NewSlate of Officers

to Serve in 2015-16

14

By Kyle Fowler, R.N.I’m sharing this story

about connections because this experience taught me an important lesson about gratitude.

I was serving as a transport liaison/Neuro-Trauma-ICU nurse at Brooke Army Medical Center. Whenever an injured patient was being flown in, the Army would send me or one of my Nurse Fellows to represent BAMC and to begin initiating the Army care protocols while transporting in flight with the Air Force.

I picked up a patient from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center who was less than 24 hours out from injury in Afghani-

stan. The patient was a 19-year-old Marine who was in severely critical condition.

I made a special connection with this young man and realized along with my fellow medical pro-viders that he would ultimately succumb to his injuries.

I was in frequent contact with his family and developed a rap-port with his mother. Our Marine did pass away, unfortunately.

Sometime after that, his mother contacted me to ask if I would be a pallbearer at his funeral. I was honored that she asked me but, to be honest, I declined because I was emotion-

In this first installment, two administrative coordinators share very different stories

that show the power and importance of creating connections. To further inspire you to share, FYI has pledged to publish

many of these stories on our pages in the months to

come. To submit your story, visit Patient Experience on

Sharespace, call Jennifer Shoemaker at ext. 5757 or email connections@

NorthBay.org.

Accept Gratitude with Dignity, Honor

Kyle Fowler, R.N., (left) and Patrick Garner, R.N., (seated) both administrative coordinators at NorthBay Medical Center, shared their stories of how connecting with patients has given them greater insight into our mission of delivering compassionate care and advanced medicine, close to home.

See DIGNITY, Page 16

15

The following was also submitted as a blog and will be posted this week on Lifecycles on NorthBay.org – Editor.

By Patrick Garner, R.N.After a recent cycling vaca-

tion in Italy, I returned on a flight from Frankfurt to Seattle. I was looking forward to my premium seat with leg room. Nobody was sitting next to me and it looked like I was going to have a very comfortable, quiet trip home.

But 90 minutes into the flight, there was a page for medical assistance. When I looked, I saw that quite a few people were huddled around the passenger. The flight attendant said a registered nurse had stepped up and was helping with the patient, so I stood back.

A little later I checked and saw that the passenger was standing in the aisle and the flight attendants could not get past to begin their duties. I introduced myself to the nurse and suggested that we move the passenger to my extra seat.

The volunteer was a pediatric nurse and had only been licensed for a handful of years. Since I have nearly 30 years of experience, we decided I should be the primary caregiver.

The passenger (now my pa-tient) was a 60-year-old teacher with a very distended abdomen with severe abdominal and back pain. She had been constipated for her entire trip and had not seen anybody for it, possibly be-cause of religious beliefs.

After completing an assess-ment, the chief of the flight crew

told us that in one hour we would pass the last airport where we could land before we began flying over the Atlantic and then Green-land and then over Northern Can-ada. After that, the next airport would be Edmonton, which would be six hours later.

There was a conversation over the radio with a physician. It was decided it was safe to continue on to Seattle. The doctor asked that we try to give some medica-tion orally, which the patient was unable to tolerate. A suppository allowed the patient to rest for a short time.

But soon, she began to com-

plain of difficulty breath-ing, and her vital signs became worrisome. I placed her on oxygen mask, strapping the small bottle to my person for safety. Unfortunately the first bottle of oxygen lasted only 40 minutes. I tried to make the second bottle last longer with little success. There were only eight bottles on the plane and two of those were attached to the emergency system in case of decompression.

I weaned her off oxygen and made do with fanning her for the last hour of the flight.

Besides assessing her condition, I focused on trying to make her comfortable, and assisted her in switching between standing and sitting and elevating her feet, which were swollen. For much of the time I simply held her

hand. During our approach and land-

ing, she thanked me for saving her life. I told her I was just glad that I did not have to save her life…I was pretty concerned for a time.

A fire truck and a paramedic crew was waiting for us at the gate and my patient was quickly taken off the plane after I gave a brief report.

I didn’t think about using the Four Cs of the NorthBay Way during the flight, because they came automatically. I did what

Even on Vacation, He’s Always a Nurse

Patrick Garner, R.N., strapped on an oxygen tank during his flight from Frankfurt to Seattle when he stepped up to help a woman in distress.

See NURSE, Page 16

16

our workplace vocabulary, we’re ready to take it to the next level, and ask employees to share stories of how they’re helping us achieve our mission,” says Jen-nifer. “We want those stories to inspire and motivate our work force as our culture evolves — a culture that is patient- and family-centered.”

The NorthBay Way was rolled out to employees in 2013 and emphasized the Four Cs: Car-ing, Collaboration, Communica-tion and Competence. The next chapter emphasizes three other values: safety, courtesy and effi-ciency, as well as “Creating Con-nections, every encounter, every time, the NorthBay Way.”

“In May of this year, the Leadership Academy III team

introduced managers and some frontline staff to the three new values,” Jennifer explains. “We should keep these in mind and make decisions based on their priority. As part of the next phase roll-out, managers will introduce all staff members to these new values and what it means to pri-oritize decisions based on these values.

“One of our most powerful tools in reinforcing these values is through storytelling,” Jennifer adds, “and these stories are real life examples of when the priori-ties come into play.”

Already, these “Connection Stories” are being shared at Management Team meetings, and now the net is being cast wider, with an invitation to all employ-ees to share.

To that end, Jennifer and her team have created a Share-Space site under “Patient Experi-

ally overcome with deep sadness and remorse and realized I could not remain stoic as a pallbearer and my emotions would pour out and this would be unacceptable at a Marine funeral.

A couple of years later his mother contacted me again. She wanted to thank me again for the care I’d given her son. She said she had been think-ing about me all this time, and explained that she wished I would have come to the funeral because she wanted to meet me and thank me in person.

What I learned from this mother is this: It’s important for us to accept the thanks people may want to give us for the things that we do. It is the little things that we do as healthcare professionals that have deep impact on families and patients and our acceptance of their thanks is paramount in the grieving process.

The author is an administrative coordinator with Clinical Support Services at NorthBay Medical Center.

I did out of Caring for the individual who was suffering and also in Caring for the flight crew and passengers of the plane. Collaboration and Communication with my fellow nurse and the flight crew were key in meeting the goal. I had to have confidence in my Competence. I knew I had the skills and experience to make the correct decision and provide the necessary care during this long flight across the Atlantic Ocean, Greenland and Northern Canada.

I received a number of thanks from some of the passengers as we stood in line for customs. One person asked me if I felt like a hero.

I simply replied, “No, I feel like a nurse.” The author is an administrative

coordinator for Clinical Support Services and has worked at NorthBay 28 years. An avid cyclist, he writes a recurring Lifecycles blog for NorthBay.org.

Dignity ... (From Page 14) Nurse ... (From Page 15)

ence/Connection Stories.” Here, employees can read stories of connections others have made and shared, and then share their own. Employees can share their stories through email to Connec-tions@NorthBay.org.

To stir up even more inter-est, the team has also created a crossword puzzle contest. Clues can be found in the PowerPoint presentation managers will be sharing with their staff through September and October.

Winners will be drawn during Quality Week — the third week in October — and two $50 and four $25 gift certificates will be awarded to the winning partici-pants. More details can be found on the entry form.

FYI has pledged to frequently feature employee stories and in fact shares two in today’s issue.

Questions? Call Jennifer at 646-5757.

Connections ...(From Page 1)

17

Follow theRules WhenAccessing

Information

A Blooming Surprise

Staff at the NorthBay Cancer Center were surprised and honored recently to receive vases of flowers from Debbie Sexauer, a patient of Jonathan Lopez, M.D., NorthBay Cancer Center oncologist/hematologist.

Debbie had arranged to have a vase of flowers delivered to every staff member, and the occasion was her last chemo treatment. It was her way of showing thanks to all for the wonderful care and support she received, according to Bea Castro, administrative coordinator for Oncology Services.

“Oncology staff goes that extra mile, every day for our patients, and a kind gesture like this validates to our staff that their superior patient care is noticed and appreciated,” Bea says.

The photos were posted on NorthBay Healthcare’s Facebook page, and the response was overwhelming. The post reached more than 4,500 people, and received more than 200 Likes, 22 Shares and 19 comments. “People like a good story with a happy ending,” noted Robin Miller, social media and online specialist for NorthBay.

Patient BringsBouquets toExpress Thanks

Dr. J.D. Lopez is pleased to accept a special bouquet of flowers from Debbie Sexauer, one of his patients. Debbie surprised the entire staff at the Cancer Center with flowers.

Many NorthBay Healthcare employees have access to patient information.

“Such access is a privilege and should only be used for legiti-mate, job-related activity,” says Sharmini Cassady, corporate compliance manager and privacy officer. “Federal and state laws require healthcare providers to have policies and security safe-guards in place to protect patient health information — whether it is stored on paper or electronical-ly. Confidentiality is essential to the quality of care that patients have come to expect from us.”

Sharmini notes that employ-ees should never use their work access to look up their own health information, or that of their family, friends, co-workers or other individuals, without an authorized business purpose.

“Employee access to patient information is monitored by NorthBay and non-business use may subject you to disciplinary action, up to and including termi-nation,” advises Sharmini.

She also reminds employees not to share their passwords with anyone else. “You would not want to be held accountable for actions committed by another person using your username and pass-word,” she says. “If you suspect your password has been compro-mised, change it immediately and notify the IT Help Desk.”

For questions about these or any other privacy policies, please contact Sharmini at ext. 5754 or email her at SCassady@North-Bay.org.

18

Symposium Draws Nurses From Throughout State

NorthBay Healthcare is contracting with Canteen, a new vending machine company, to install and stock machines in our hospitals that will dispense delicious temptations, according to Kathleen Shafer, director of Nutrition Services.

Canteen’s suite of innova-tive vending solutions includes

machines with the latest touch-screen technologies, cashless vending, and energy-efficient capabilities.

“Want to browse the nutrition facts of a product before you buy it, or cut down our electricity bills with a motion-activated machine? Not a problem,” says Kathleen.

In addition to innovative

vending equipment, Canteen is a leader in the movement toward healthy, sustainable vending solutions.

“They will carry a great variety of snacks and beverages, while offering healthy products and fresh, locally sourced foods whenever possible,” says Kathleen.

New, Innovative Vending Machines to Serve Hospital Campuses

Poster presentations featured at the EBP Nursing Research Symposium were designed by Sandy Piedra, R.N., (left to right) Amelita Topasna, R.N., Laura Corson, R.N., and Charlie Dharmasukrit, R.N.

Nearly 200 nurses from across California turned out to attend NorthBay Healthcare’s second annual Evidence-Based Practice & Nursing Research Symposium Sept. 11 at the Green Valley Administration Center, according to coordinator Elisa Jang.

Keynote speaker Mary Foley, PhD, R.N., and Endnote speaker Lynn Gallagher-Ford, PhD, R.N., were bookends to a full day of learning opportunities, vendor demonstrations and a chance to network. NorthBay Nurses Sandy Piedra, Amelita Topasna and Laura Corson offered poster presentations as well.

Organizers of the second annual Evidence-Based Practice & Nursing Research Symposium took a moment to pose with their poster in front of the Green Valley Administration Center. The team includes (back row, left to right), Eugene Curtis, Muriah Germano and Jennifer Tudor and and (front row) Elisa Jang, Angeli

Rivero, Paige Weisbrod, Ruth Nunez and Carolina Barrero-Brown. Inset: Rhonda Martin.

19

Flu shot clinics for NorthBay Healthcare employees begin Monday, Sept. 21, and continue through Oct. 23.

Employees are reminded that getting a flu vaccination, or signing a declination form by Oct. 31, is a condition of employment at NorthBay Healthcare.

“Getting a flu vaccination protects not only you, but your patients and your family,” says Sandra V. Ohlson, RN, Employee Health Coordinator.

According to California Senate Bill No. 1318, beginning this year a clinic shall have a 90 percent or higher vaccination rate. The percentage rate of vaccinations is now posted as a hospital quality indicator.

The Centers for Disease Control recommend that all people age 6 months and older get a flu vaccination as soon as it is available. While influenza can occur at any time, most cases occur from October through May, peaking in January and February.

Monday, Sept. 21NBHP, Suite 202

7:30 to 11:30 a.m.12:30 to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 23NBHP, Suite 202

87:30 to 11:30 a.m.12:30 to 4 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 25GVAC, Room 160

8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 28NBHP, Suite 202

7:30 to 11:30 a.m., 12:30 to 4 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 29NBHP, Suite 202

7:30 to 11:30 a.m. 12:30 to 4 p.m.

Vaccination Schedule

Employee Flu Clinics Start Sept. 21Wednesday, Sept. 30

NBHP, Suite 2027:30 to 11:30 a.m.

12:30 to 4 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 5GVAC Room 160

8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 6VVHP Room 240

7:30 to 11:30 a.m.,12:30 to 4 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 9VVHP Room 240

7:30 to 11:30 a.m.12:30 to 4 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 23VVHP Room 240

7:30 to 11:30 a.m.12:30 to 4 p.m.

Green Valley Administration Center4500 Business Center Drive, Room 160

Flu Season is coming!The influenza vaccination is

a required CMS Core Measure and data collection begins Oct. 1 and continues through March 31, 2016. According to the CDC, on average, more than 200,000 people in the United States are hospitalized each year and 49,000 deaths occur for illnesses associated with seasonal influen-za virus infections. Per the CDC, vaccination is the most impor-tant step in protecting yourself against the flu. CDC recommends

anyone 6 months and older get vaccinated. The influenza season usually peaks during January or February and can last until May; the vaccine provides protection for the duration of the flu sea-son. Also, washing your hands and avoiding those who are sick will help to reduce the spread of germs.

As a reminder for nurses, every patient must be screened and offered the influenza vac-cine at each patient encounter and at every inpatient admis-

Where? NorthBay Health Plaza (NBHP)1101 B. Gale Wilson Blvd, Suite 202VacaValley HeaLth Plaza (VVHP)1010 Nut Tree Road, Room 240

What You Need to Know About the Flu Vaccinationsion. Please check to make sure the immunization screening has been completed on your patient. Good times to check are during the admission process, bedside patient safety handoffs, and unit transfers. If the immunization screening has not been complet-ed, please get the “screen and administer influenza” order and complete the screening. Admin-ister the flu vaccine if indicated; if a patient refuses the flu vac-cine, document the refusal on the MAR.

20

TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

Heart Failure is TopicOf Cardiac Lecture

Christina Birch, a nurse practitioner at David Grant Medical Center, will be the featured speaker, providing an overview of congestive heart failure as part of the NorthBay Cardiac Education Series.

Her presentation will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the NorthBay Medical Center Annex, Rooms 1&2. Lectures geared to-ward helping cardiac patients and their caregivers are scheduled on the fourth Tuesday of the month in January, April, July, and Octo-ber. Lectures are free, but guests are asked to register by calling (707) 646-5072.

09.16.15 Advanced Medicine Series – Coping with ADHD with Dr. Ginsberg09.17.15 HR Night Owl Visits to Hospitals09.21.15 Employee Flu Clinics Begin09.24.15 Advanced Medicine Series – Coping with ADHD with Dr. Ginsberg09.25.15 Open Staff Meetings – VVH Cafe09.24.15 Blood Drive – Community United Methodist Church09.28.15 Open Staff Meetings – GVAC Room 109.30.15 Open Staff Meetings – NBMC Annex 3&410.04.15 Ride to Defeat Diabetes (R2D2) VacaValley Hospital10.07.15 Retirement Plan Meetings – GVAC Room 16010.07.15 Annual Benefits Fair – VVHP10.08.15 Retirement Plan Meetings – VVHP Suite 29010.08.15 Annual Benefits Fair – GVAC10.09.15 Retirement Plan Meetings – Penn Tab Room 210.15.15 Annual Luncheon for Breast Cancer Treatment – GVAC10.24.15 Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Suisun Waterfront10.27.15 NorthBay Cardiac Lecture Series Annex 1&211.12.15 Advanced Medicine Series – Urology

A NorthBay Healthcare cyclist who sustained life-threatening injuries in a hit-and-run collision with a pickup truck has made amazing progress in her recovery and continues to grow stronger each day, says her boyfriend.

Cynthia Pouncey, NorthBay Clinical Nutrition Manager, has undergone several surgeries since the accident Aug. 29 on Pleasants Valley Road. Last week she was moved from the inten-sive care unit into a regular bed in a Vacaville hospital.

“The doctors have been amazed at how strong she’s been since her arrival,” says Rob Maschal. “It’s in her DNA to be a fighter.”

Rob said she has friends and family across the world who have been sending up prayers and support and the family appreciates it.

“The healing has been nothing short of a miracle,” he said.

Rob and Cynthia were cycling on Pleasants Valley Road when a

Toyota Tacoma moved into their lane to pass another vehicle. Rob slowed down but Cynthia didn’t see what was happening and slammed into the back of his bike, before falling into the path of the passing vehicle.

The driver fled the scene. A suspect was later ar-rested after a coworker of Cyn-thia’s spotted a suspicious vehicle that matched the description. Valorie Oberg, Nutrition Services analyst, saw the truck parked near her home and called police.

Cynthia’s supervisor, Kathleen Shafer, Nutrition Services direc-tor, has offered to take any cards and letters of support to Cynthia and her family. Drop them off at her office at NorthBay Medical Center or at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, or e-mail her at KSha-

fer@NorthBay.org. “The outpouring of

caring, concern and compassion from the NorthBay family – corporate, inpatient and outpatient – has been amazing and I know that all the well wishes and prayers

have helped in her healing,” says Kathleen. “She has a long recovery ahead and we can’t wait to have her back.”

Employees can donate some of their Paid Time Off (PTO) through a PTO-donation program to Cynthia.

“Since Cynthia has only been employed at NorthBay for eight months, she hasn’t had time to build up much PTO,” notes Kathleen.

Forms can be found on the Intranet under HR forms.

Cyclist Continues to Improve After Hit-and-Run