Employee Newsletter

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Employee Newsletter |June/July 2022

IN THIS ISSUE

IN THIS ISSUE ONLY

Father's Day 5k

Somersworth Renovations this Summer

MAR Intro & Fun Facts

IN EVERY ISSUE

New Employees

Employee Spotlight

Trauma-Informed Care Corner

Current Job Openings

Pass it On

Staff Anniversaries

In the News

Welcome, New Employees

We welcome our latest group of new hires to the Greater Seacoast Community Health family. Take some time to see who you might run into and remember to introduce yourself and welcome your new teammates.

Devin Binnie

Public Heath Intern

@ Goodwin

Michaela Boeri

Public Heath Intern

@ Goodwin

Dr. Megan Carey

Primary Care Physician

@ Families First

‌

Tammy Hamel

Medical Assistant

@ Goodwin

Melissa Hogan

Recovery Support Coordinator

@ SOS Rochester

Dr. Reiko Johnson

Primary Care Physician

@ Goodwin

‌

Eileen Lawton

Recovery Friendly Workplace Coordinator

@ SOS Rochester

Jalen Murphy

Patient Experience Intern

Caroline O'Connor

Recruiter

Gilda Pronych

Dentist

@ Goodwin

Elizabeth Robinson

Behavioral Health Specialist

@ Goodwin

Elizabeth Swartley

Social Worker

@ Families First

Father's Day 5k a success! e a

Our 12th annual Father's Day 5k was a wonderful event, in part thanks to so many staff. We had 303 runners/walkers participate, many of whom won prizes thanks to Runner's Alley, who generously donated gift cards. A shout-out to staff volunteers Janet Laatsch, Donna Bernier, Casey Carr, Hope Kennedy, Deni Lozier, Stephanie Martin, Joann Neumann, Paula Place, Mike Vinci, Margie Wachtel, Erin Wintle and longtime volunteers Dave and Maureen Staples. I appreciate everyone coming together to make this race a fun event for our community. Even the weather cooperated, which was a bonus.

Check out pics from our event on our Facebook page.

-- Lisa Zhe, Community Relations Coordinator (first-year race director)

Employee Spotlight

The Personnel Committee is happy to introduce our new Employee Spotlight program, where we will talk with one or two employees (chosen at random) each month. The goal is to build community by getting to know one another better. Many thanks to Cora Long for going first, and to Mary Andrews for interviewing her!

Employee Spotlight will replace the Employee of the Month program. (You can still recognize and appreciate your coworkers using the Staff Shout Out.) If you have any questions or ideas about Employee Spotlight, please write to HRGroupMailbox@GoodwinCH.org.

Cora Long (she/her)

Substance Misuse Prevention Coordinator

Strafford County Public Health Network

What is the best part of your job? Being out in the community, helping form partnerships and organizing community awareness and education events that pertain to mental health/wellness and substance misuse prevention.

What is most challenging about your role? It’s really challenging describing my role to others because I do a wide variety of things. Reporting isn’t exactly a blast either.

What is one thing people would be surprised to learn about you? I am an original pre-merge Families First employee (once upon a time, I was a referral coordinator). I am also a person in recovery and part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Is there a charity/particular cause you support? I sit on the board of Seacoast Outright (a youth LGBTQ+ organization), and I am a supporter of harm reduction services, like syringe-exchange programs and safe-consumption sites.

What is first concert you attended? Tom Petty in 2001.

Are you a cat or dog person, or neither? Dog Person. I have a 6-year-old rat terrier/Chihuahua mix; we call him “Garbage Weasel” but his real name is Six.

What’s the weirdest job you’ve ever had? My first job was at a mini golf course – I handed out bug spray and helped manage the arcade.

Trauma-Informed Care Corner

Changes in Somersworth

Renovations starting this month

Groundbreaking of the original new Goodwin building in 2010.

Renovations have started at Goodwin Community Health in Somersworth and are expected to be wrapped up by September, according to Facility and Safety Manager Gary DeColfmacker.

The project will create:

• Dedicated space for the Residency Program. The southeast corner of the first floor will be renovated to include eight new exam rooms, a clean/dirty lab, a patient restroom, a resident office, a provider office and a Medical Assistant pod. An office for a Behavioral Health provider will remain, along with a shared conference room. Patients accessing this area (Poplar Hall) will have their own waiting room. This will be the first phase of the project.

• Four new Behavioral Health provider offices on the second floor, created by dividing the existing Kitchen and Kitchen Conference Room. A smaller Kitchen and Kitchen Conference Room will remain.

This project will still be disruptive in the areas it impacts. Goodwin will have very limited meeting space during this project, so check before scheduling any meetings. Please feel free to contact Facility & Safety Manager Gary DeColfmacker with questions.

Meet the MAR Team

and play the Fun Facts game

Each month, we feature a different department in the newsletter. This month, meet some members of the Medication-Assisted Recovery (MAR) team and see if you can guess which fun facts go with which person. Note: In addition to the MAR nurses and MA and the volunteer physicians introduced here, all Greater Seacoast providers who see adults are part of the MAR program by prescribing medications and otherwise supporting patients' recovery.

About Medication-Assisted Recovery

Program Manager Tiffaney Burdick, RN, explains: "The MAR team aims to provide low-barrier access to recovery-assisting medications that can decrease cravings and withdrawal symptoms in order to help patients focus on other aspects of their recovery. Patients in the MAR program are closely evaluated while participating in an individualized treatment plan created by their provider and MAR care team. In addition to supporting our program participants, our team is able to meet any patient wherever they are in their substance use journey. From overdose outreach to harm reduction education, we are always ready to assist a patient in creating a treatment plan that works for them."

Bob Andelman, MD

Volunteer MAR provider

(retired anesthesiologist)

Natalie Blough, RN

MAR Nurse

Tiffaney Burdick, RN

MAR Program Manager

David Gagnon, MD

Volunteer MAR provider

(Family Physician)

Deneige Hudanish, RN

MAR & Hepatitis Nurse

Peter Siragusa, RN

MAR Nurse

Rebekah Wynn, RMA

Medical Assistant

Fun Facts about MAR Team Members

Guess who said what, then scroll down to see if you are right!

a. I have 4 grandchildren, ages 22 months to 16 years; unfortunately, all live out of state, which keeps me busy traveling to see them.

b. Met my wife at a Friday-afternoon gathering called “liver rounds” that happened at Roger Williams Hospital in Providence, RI, where she was a nurse and I was a medical student… 45 years ago! Hobbies include gardening, tennis and basketball -- both recreational and the Boston Celtics.

c. When I was a young child I was invited on stage by Tim McGraw during one of his concerts. I have had a love for country music ever since!

d. I spent the first year of my life living in Japan, and the locals called me “Yoda” (not a compliment, LOL) because Star Wars was very popular at the time and I had huge eyes and very bald head.

e. I am from Sitka, Alaska, and I like to unwind by listening to murder podcasts.

f. I went to photography school, and when I first graduated I went to work at Rolling Stone as an assistant. But I didn’t like the city life so I packed up my station wagon and traveled the country hitting festivals and photographing bands.

Current Job Openings

New Jobs for You and Your Friends

The button below links to current open positions at GSCH. (You can also always find this link on both Families First and Goodwin websites.) Take a look and see if any are right for you or someone you know. There are referral benefits in many cases! Right now we have openings for a physician, HR generalist, crisis recovery coach, medical and dental assistants and more.