May 16, 2023

Because we love, we lead.

Every day, we show compassion for our patients, their loved ones, and one another. Below are a few recent examples from our intranet's Recognition Wall. To recognize a co-worker or view more staff recognitions, click here.

Joseph Krcmar, MedEvac, Wisconsin Rapids Base

Thank you for coming in on your day off to help with an emergency transfer of a patient. It made the patient transfer a lot faster than it could have been, allowing the patient to get the higher level of care they needed.

Megan Dewitt, Aspirus Nekoosa Clinic

Megan had to come to Rapids to do fit testing. She saw we were short staffed that day and jumped right in to help me out. She then hopped on a computer and went into everyone else's workload to try and help out. Megan is a huge asset to our team and is an excellent team player!

John Ross, Maintenance, Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital 

Thank you, John, for all of your amazing support and dedication in preparing for the upcoming USSO event. Your insight, experience, and work ethic has made working with you a tremendous honor for me and I look forward to our continued progress together as we inch closer to a successful event.

Dr. Neal Smith, Aspirus Plover Clinic - Walk-In

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and life experiences with a patient who is interested in the Peace Corps in Cambodia. She was so appreciative of your time and the opportunity to talk with someone in person about their own experiences with the Peace Corps. You encouraged her to follow her heart.

Lianna Schoen, Med/Surg, Aspirus Riverview Hospital

During a recent leader rounding encounter, a patient's daughter showered compliments on Lianna, describing her as a "bright sun, always happy, caring, and attentive." Lianna truly made a positive impact and impression by personifying Aspirus values and gained ARH new advocates/supporters.

Adelaide (Libby) Pieczynski, Imaging-CT, Aspirus Plover Clinic-Vern Holmes Drive

Great job to you and the entire CT team for a good catch. An ER patient was allergic to iodine; and before scanning, it was caught. FORESIGHT! Amazing patient care outcome.

Note: The incorrect photo and name was published with this recognition in last week's edition.

What Our Patients are Saying

Some Comments from Recent NRC Patient Satisfaction Surveys

From Aspirus Clinic-Marshfield

• (Sherry) Hughes was amazing! She listened to me and my concerns. I didn't feel like just a number. The clinic got me in within an hour of calling, and I had three tests done in 35 minutes!

• Katelyn (Frankwick) is AMAZING!! She is really focused and attentive to her patients. I feel she really listens to what I have to say, and she even gave up her lunch to see me. I really appreciate the speed my appointment was made. Choua (Khang), the CMA, was also very welcoming. I am so very appreciative of all the people I've come in contact with at the clinic. I am so glad I changed to Aspirus...

From Aspirus Plover Clinic-Vern Holmes Drive

• I was impressed with Dr. Oscar Padilla. He was enthusiastic, patient, explained things well, thorough, respectable. I have been looking for a doctor for years and kept being passed to temps. I heard good things about Dr. Padilla and chose to see for myself. My boys will be going to him also.

• She (Michelle Jockin) was very thoughtful and thorough with her exam. My daughter is very timid and scared of the doctor, and she made my daughter very comfortable and spoke throughout the exam on what her next steps were. Made the whole process much easier.

Submitted by Gail Oninski, Clinic Manager, Aspirus Plover Clinic-Vern Holmes Drive

Patient Safety Tip

Faxing/Mailing/Traveling PHI

Why: Securely sending or traveling with PHI (Protected Health Information) is another situation in which we need to ensure we protect patients' privacy.

What to Know:

Before mailing or faxing documents that contain PHI, you should:  

• Confirm the fax number or address to which you are sending the information.
• Check all pages of PHI to ensure you are faxing or mailing the correct documents on the correct patient.
• Complete and include a coversheet when faxing and mailing PHI.
• Use Aspirus “Liquid Files” if emailing PHI to external recipients. *Ask your manager how to use Liquid Files if you don’t know how.*

Never take printed material containing PHI off Aspirus property without a specific business need: 

• If you are transporting PHI (such as lab or medical records) to another department or Aspirus location, ensure the PHI is secure and with you at all times. 
• Always take steps to safeguard PHI (like lab forms) to prevent others from viewing the documents.
• Never leave items that contain PHI unattended, such as a laptop, hand-written notes. (If it needs to be in a vehicle, please place in a locked trunk.) 

Questions?

Amanda Walloch, Director of Quality Improvement, Southeast Division

Vicki Peshek, Director of Quality Improvement, Southwest Division

Southeast Division News

Southeast Division Aspirus Week Activities

Southeast Division Welcomes New Employee

Brett Miller

EUC Hardware Technician

Information Technology

Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital

ED Teams Hone Expertise at Skills Fair

Our Emergency Department teams from Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital and Aspirus Plover Hospital brushed up on their knowledge and techniques at last week's ED Skills Fair.

The two-day fair was held at ASP and gave team members an opportunity for some great interprofessional collaboration.

Hannah Oswald Discusses Fall Prevention

Some of the medications we take can increase our risk of falling. That was the message recently shared by Hannah Oswald, Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner with Aspirus Plover Clinic-Vern Holmes Drive.

Hannah recently presented to the Stepping On class at the Aging & Disability Center of Portage County. The objective of the seven-week workshop is to help prevent falls in older adults.

Each week, participants learn about a different factor that can lead to falls. As a specialist in geriatric medicine, Hannah was able to discuss the connection between medications and falls and answer the class participants' specific questions.

Thank you, Hannah, for sharing your time and expertise with our community!

Karen Shibilski Earns Good Catch Award

Congratulations to Karen Shibilski, Surgical Technologist with Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital's Operating Room. Karen was recently presented with the Good Catch Award.

Karen questioned a medication that was being handed to her during surgery. She asked the RN to double check the surgical card to be sure the correct medication was selected. Pitocin was originally selected, and it was supposed to be Pitressin. Karen used the High Reliability tool of ARCC to prevent this medication error.

The Good Catch Award is based upon a commitment to High Reliability Principles for Safety to bring awareness to situations when an employee's or physician's actions prevented harm to those we care for.

Nursing Expo Kicks Off Pathway to Excellence

Our Southeast Division nursing team kicked off its Pathway to Excellence journey on May 12 with a nursing expo at Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital.

Pathway to Excellence standards include:

• Shared decision making
• Leadership
• Safety
• Quality
• Well-being
• Professional development

Our nurses viewed educational displays and learned from interactive workshops and presentations, including "jeopardy."

Attendees networked with fellow nurses and division leaders over ice cream and focused on their well-being with hand/shoulder massages. They also enhanced the well-being of others by bringing in hygiene items and nonperishable food to donate to our neighbors in need.

Mental Health Awareness Month Tips for Accessing Support

One of the biggest ways your location can impact your mental health is how easy or hard it is to access the things you need.

What can you do to get access?

• Get to know your neighbors. The people living around you can be a big help. You can support each other.
• Connect with a group in your area where community members share and exchange services.
• Check out peaceofmindportagecounty.org or contact Mental Health Navigation at 715.343.7104.

Submitted by Michelle Nelson, Master Level Social Worker,

Mental Health Unit, Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital

Southwest Division News

Southwest Division Aspirus Week Fun

Aspirus Week Word Scramble Winners

Thank you to everyone who took a few moments to celebrate Aspirus Week by completing our word scramble. The winners of our Aspirus swag (drawn from all completed entries) are:

Teresa LaBarge ~ Staci Christianson ~ Melissa Hitsman ~ Vicki Alft

Lori Cesare ~ Katie Schneider ~ Brittany Korslin

Nancy Schirmer Wins Sunflower Award

Congratulations to Nancy Schirmer, Certified Medical Assistant with Aspirus Doctors Clinic. Nancy is our Southwest Division's quarterly Sunflower Award winner. The person who nominated Nancy wrote:

Nancy is very deserving of the Sunflower Award! Upon arrival, you are always greeted with a smile, making you feel like you've been friends forever. She makes you feel like a valued patient, remembering things about you. Her compassion and care are genuine, yet professional. She takes the time to listen, ask questions, and share her thoughts. I really appreciate that. She is the perfect nurse for Dr. Tang because he shares the same compassion, values, and knowledge with a personal touch. Professionals like Nancy and Dr. Tang keep us coming back. They are a blessing!

The Aspirus Sunflower Award recognizes support staff who demonstrate compassion, accountability, collaboration, foresight and joy in patient care. Also nominated last quarter were: Annette Perez, Kasey Fancher, and the entire Aspirus Riverview radiology team.

Wound Center Honored for Success in Healing

Aspirus Riverview Wound & Hyperbarics was recently awarded the Healogics Center of Distinction. The center has a success rate of healing 95 percent of wounds within 23 days.

“The Center of Distinction award recognizes the incredible dedication the nurses and providers have for the patients in need of wound healing,” said Athena Boardman, RN, clinical program director. "Our team truly transforms lives through putting our patients first and ensuring treatment modalities meet each individual's needs to heal our patients.”

Aspirus Riverview Wound & Hyperbarics offers highly specialized wound care to patients who suffer from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections, and other chronic wounds. The center’s leading-edge treatments include negative pressure wound therapy, total contact casting, bio-engineered tissues, biosynthetic dressings, and growth factor therapies. The center also offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which works by surrounding the patient with 100 percent oxygen to help progress wound healing.

The Center of Distinction award is presented by Healogics, the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. To earn the award, Aspirus Riverview Wound & Hyperbarics excelled in clinical key performance areas that include patient satisfaction and wound healing rates.

The Aspirus Riverview Wound & Hyperbarics team recently gathered to celebrate its Center of Distinction award. Team members include (from left): Casey O'Day Hendricks, Mary Feltz, Kris Peplinski, Amanda Bullock, Dr. Richard Wessling, Holly Rosplock, Athena Boardman, Lisa Skibba and Maria Platta.

Dr. Ridhwi Mukerji was not available for the group photo but is also part of our award-winning Wound & Hyperbarics team.

The Next Generation of Medical Professionals

Aspirus is planning for ways to fill the void left behind by retiring baby boomers. One example is in laboratory science careers.

In a recent interview with WSAW TV, Michael Hawks, Aspirus Riverview's Director of Laboratory Services, explained, “Ten years ago we were planning for a substantial amount of retirements due to the aging population of baby boomers. The last three years have just compounded it."

Hawks also shared where we are looking for the next generation of lab professionals. “We’re reaching out to high schools, getting that younger generation that’s interested in math, science, biology, chemistry, and all those critical thinking areas that we need in the lab."

Be in the Loop: Three More Chances to Attend a Town Hall

At our Town Hall sessions, you will learn about what is going on in the division and systemwide.

You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and share your thoughts.

We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity for some excellent, two-way communication.

You're Invited... Project SEARCH Interns Graduate May 24

It's hard to believe the school year is nearly over, and our Project SEARCH interns are preparing to graduate.

Everyone is invited to attend the graduation ceremony and celebration on Wednesday, May 24, at 6 p.m., in the McMillan Memorial Library Fine Arts Center. Refreshments will follow.

Please join us in thanking our interns for a great year with us and wishing them well as they go on to pursue their careers!

ER Team Treated to Self-Care Goodies

Members of Aspirus Riverview's emergency department were recently treated to some self-care goodies, courtesy of an area business.

To pamper those who work night and day to care for others, Pam Meddaugh of Jordan Essentials (right) recently delivered gift bags containing shea butter lotion, lotion bars, and magnesium-infused body spray.

The gifts were funded by donations from the company's customers and supporters. "Our goal is to have them pamper themselves, while fulfilling their purpose in finding work/life balance," Meddaugh said.

Community Blood Drive May 22

Cancer Support Groups Temporarily Suspended

The remainder of our 2023 cancer support group meetings at Aspirus Riverview have been temporarily suspended, as the facilitator has left the organization.

We understand the value of these groups and hope to begin offering them again as soon as the position is filled.

Bob Smith

President, Southeast WI Division

Brian Kief

President, South & Southwest WI Divisions

Submit newsletter contributions by noon on Thursdays to Tami.Barber@aspirus.org.