eChannelThe Right Care Right Here

An electronic newsletter for our employees and friends • Available at www.irmc.cc, under ‘Staff Tools’

VOLUME 6 | NUMBER 14 | July 3 2014

Endoscopy Unit Celebrates One-Year AnniversaryLast year, on July 1, IRMC’s new

Endoscopy Unit opened to its first patient. This year on July 1—some 3,210 procedures later—the employees in the unit invited everyone to celebrate the one-year anniversary with cake and punch. And they really have something to celebrate – of the entire group of patient surveys returned, 100 percent of patients said they would recommend the unit to others and in general raved about the experience and care offered there.

“We have great people that work here and they put patients first,” said Kim Mayo, R.N., Outpatient Endoscopy lead.

An endoscopy is a procedure where a physician uses a thin tube to examine a patient’s digestive system. An upper GI, where the endoscope is inserted into the mouth to look at the upper part of the digestive system, is on average a 30-minute procedure, Kim said. A lower GI, where the colon is examined, is a 45-minute procedure. The patient spends 2 ½ to 3 hours overall in the unit.

The unit features a 190 series wide-angle endoscope offering enhanced image quality and lighting enhancements that give doctors

Celebrating on Tuesday were, from left, Donna Thomas, outpatient endoscopy navigator; Kim Mayo, R.N.; Jane Peabody, R.N., BSN, preceptor, outpatient endoscopy; Joe Brown, R.N.; Dr. Charles Eberhart, gastroenterologist, who did the first procedure a year ago; Walt McCarty, M.A.; and Andrew Arthur, endoscopy tech.

a more detailed, larger and easier-to-observe image. Patients coming to the unit find a bright, spacious area—formerly Critical Care B—that features heated recliners with

massage capability and TVs in the pre-op areas, a family waiting room, and pre-admit and recovery areas all in one unit.

Mary Volsky’s Enthusiasm Translates into March of Dimes AwardMary Volsky, R.N., BSN, charge nurse, Labor and Delivery, recently received

a Volunteer Spirit Award for her work on behalf of the Indian River County March of Dimes March for Babies at Riverside Park on March 1. IRMC also received third place mention as a fundraising team for raising more than $7,500; its highest rank ever.

Mary organized a bake sale that raised more than $1,200, a gourmet burger day and a basket raffle.

“The hospital really jumped on board with the events,” Mary said. “More than 500 gourmet burgers were sold until they ran out. The basket raffle was popular—who doesn’t love to donate and then get something back? Our hospital community comes together for fundraisers.”

The March for Babies drew a crowd of more than 800 walkers, raising a total of $135,000.

From left: Shannon Bragg, R.N., BSN, Nursery, OR; Ana Benitez-Prieto, M.D., OB/GYN, Partners in Women’s Health; Mary Volsky, R.N., BSN (center in back); Jessica Stewart, R.N., BSN; Rachael Randall, surgical tech; and Deni Malave, M.D., OB/GYN, Partners in Women’s Health.

Jennifer Bailes, R.N., PCCN, just received her Progressive Care Certification. PCCN specialty certification was introduced in 2004 by the American Association for

Critical Care Nurses for nurses providing care to acutely ill adult patients. In addition to providing them with a sense of professional pride and achievement, PCCN certification reinforces the special knowledge and experience required for progressive care nursing. Research studies link higher levels of clinical knowledge, skill and experience with certification.

In suggesting we recognize Jennifer, Kathy Clark, R.N., CCRN, CNML, nurse manager, Cardiac Stepdown Unit, Intermediate Cardiac Care, said that “Advancing one’s clinical knowledge and staying current with nursing practice is so important for our patients. Jennifer is an asset to our IRMC team.”

Golfing to Support the ChambersIRMC physicians and administrative staff

put on their cleats and hit the links in May to support the 23rd Annual Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament and the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce Golf Classic.

On the course at the Sebastian Municipal Golf Course, from left, were Emergency Medicine physician Brad Damiani, M.D.; Anthony Wallace, R.T., (R)(N), manager, Imaging Sciences; and Bill Towns, Emergency Department physician assistant.

Playing at the Vero Beach Country Club were, from left, Charles Mackett, M.D., MMM, FAAFP, senior VP/chief medical officer; Roderick Bennett, M.D., Emergency Medicine physician and president of ApolloMD Region 2; Anthony Wallace, R.T., (R)(N), manager, Imaging Sciences; and Don Magee, RRT, B.S., Cardiopulmonary manager.

ICC Nurse Earns Progressive Care CertificationValerie Harrison, office coordinator at

the Behavioral Health Center, pictured right, and Melissa May, unit assistant at BHC, pictured below, were surprised recently on behalf of Administrative Professionals’ Day with an edible bouquet and balloons. This was just a nice way to let them know how much their hard work is appreciated!

BHC Staff Celebrated on Administrative Professionals’ Day

The Employee Engagement Survey was completed by Integrated Healthcare Strategies and results were presented to General Management the week of June 16. Three organizational opportunities for improvement were identified as well as each department that management received aggregated scores from the responses submitted by their employees. Management will be discussing the results with their employees, celebrating the “wins” and seeking input from them to address areas of opportunity for improvement over the next couple of months.

Supervisors to Discuss Results of Employee Engagement Survey