June 7, 2022

Regional & Divisional News

Click to see what's happening locally:

• Central WI Region
• UP Region
• North WI Division
• Northeast WI Division
• Northwest WI Division
• South WI Division
• Southeast & Southwest WI Division

Foresight in Action

Project Pinnacle will advance us during change

Aspirus has launched Project Pinnacle, a system initiative to improve how we:

• Leverage and develop our team members.
• Manage costs.
• Integrate new people and entities into the Aspirus system.

By aligning our improvement efforts in a focused, strategic way, Aspirus will continue to advance our mission of healing people, promoting health and strengthening communities.

For more information about this exciting initiative, please remind your manager to review the Spring issue of The Cascade with your team.

Important! Turn On Location in Kronos Mobile App

If you use the Kronos Mobile app (UKG Workforce Central) to record your work time, you must turn on the location services feature within the app by Monday, June 13. This feature monitors the location of mobile punches. It is required in order for you to successfully perform mobile punches and have your work time documented.

Starting June 13, anyone using the Kronos Mobile app who has location access turned off or disallowed will be unable to record their work time.

Don’t wait! Enable your location today.

Need help turning on location access? (Android & iPhone)

Check out the Mobile Kronos – Allow Location in Kronos App instructions on the intranet. Click on the “Kronos & Timekeeping” link under the “Life & Career” menu and scroll down to the “Job Aids, Forms & Resources” section to access these instructions and other helpful timekeeping content.

Aspirus in the News

Workplace Violence (WPV)

Within the past few years, hospitals and health systems have seen an increase in violence against health care workers, such as the shootings that took place last Wednesday at health care facilities in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Dayton, Ohio.

Aspirus Associate Chief Nursing Officer Robin Rudie talked with WAOW about the issue. 

Cancer Clinical Trials

June is National Cancer Research Month. 

Aspirus Oncologist Dr. Andrew Huang talked with WAOW about how Aspirus offers patients advanced medical treatment through clinical trials that are suitable for each patient.

Men's Health

According to the CDC, men in the United States, on average, die at higher rates from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries and COVID-19.

Aspirus Family Medicine Provider Dr. Nebasi Valantine talked with WSAW about why this happens. 

Migraines and Headaches

It’s National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month.

Aspirus Physical Therapist Jeff Baril spoke to WJMN TV3 about specialized treatment options available for people who suffer from headache and migraine pain.

Why I Enjoy Working at Aspirus

Laramie Kostyn, Medical Technologist

Click the button below to discover why Medical Technologist Laramie Kostyn (pictured) enjoys working at Aspirus. He and others across our system recently shared their stories for an Aspirus recruitment campaign. These stories are helping bring new talent to our organization.

How you can help our team grow

• Look for and share Aspirus team members' recruitment videos on social media.

• Be an ambassador for Aspirus.

• Review your personal and professional networks for prospective team members and refer candidates to our organization. You could earn a referral bonus. See the Employee Referral Bonus Program policy for full details and the referral form.

• Build a positive environment that supports new and existing team members.

• Leverage HealthStream and other resources to expand your skills and knowledge.

Visit www.aspirus.org/careers to view current career opportunities at Aspirus. If you know someone right for a position, let them know we'd love for them to join our team.

AWH Certified Surgical Technologist Celebrates 50 Years

Congratulations to Sue Aschbrenner, Aspirus Wausau Hospital, on marking 50 years as a Certified Surgical Technologist. Fifty years in and Sue still loves what she does and continues to show up because of the great outcomes her team delivers for patients and her wonderful co-workers. Read more about Sue in the Central WI Region News.

Easy as ABC (Aspirus Brand Center)

E-Store now open for business

Did you know you can now order Aspirus apparel through the Aspirus Brand Center?

The Aspirus E-Store is located on the scrolling banner of the Aspirus Brand Center homepage.

Items on the E-Store are available to all employees and can be purchased with a personal credit card and shipped directly to your home. Check it out today!

The Aspirus Brand Center is located on the intranet under Work Tools & Resources > Service Requests > Marketing, Communications, Graphic/Print Shop Support > Visit the Aspirus Brand Center.

Enter to Win a National Safety Month Prize: Week 1

June is National Safety Month. This annual observance reminds and helps us all to keep ourselves and others safe.

Each Tuesday in June, the Aspirus News Now will feature information on a safety-at-work topic and a related question.

Answer the question correctly and you'll be entered into a drawing to win 2,500 Rewards & Recognition Points courtesy of Aspirus Employee Health & Wellness! Five winners will be randomly selected each week!

Week 1: Musculoskeletal Disorders

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries or disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage and spinal discs. 

MSDs are the leading cause of workplace injury and cost billions each year in workers’ compensation and lost productivity. The proper desk ergonomics along with daily stretching habits can help prevent MSDs.

Check out the resources below for how you can set up your workspace to be ergonomically correct and select the stretching program that best fits your type of work.

• Computer/Workstation Awareness
• Stretching program for employees who are light-to-moderately active - Routine 1
• Stretching program for employees who are light-to-moderately active - Routine 2
• Stretches for employees who sit at work

True or False?

Your computer monitor should be adjusted so the top of your monitor is at or below eye level.

What You Need to Know About Repaying Student Loans

Master your money with MoneyAdvice@Work live webinars from Francis Investment Counsel, Aspirus Health’s retirement plan investment advisor.

Tuesday, June 21

• Noon (Central)
• 4:30 p.m. (Central)

Congratulations on your graduation! Now is the time to start thinking about a plan to pay off your college debt. Attend this class to learn about the many payment options and develop a strategy to put the debt behind you.

5 Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children

The average American child spends about four to seven minutes a day playing outside and over seven hours a day in front of a screen. Spending time outdoors isn't just enjoyable, it’s also necessary.

“It is important for children to be outside and active,” said Aspirus Psychiatrist Dr. Desire Christensen (pictured). “Some foundational social, motor and cognitive skills are developed when children play outdoors. Playing outdoors helps children learn how to solve problems, build relationships with others outside their family and gain a respect for nature. Being in nature also positively impacts children’s mental health by keeping them grounded and helping them regulate anxiety responses.”

Click the button below to discover five benefits kids get when they spend time outside.

World Environment Day was celebrated this past Sunday (June 5). This day reminds us all that there is only one earth and we must do what we can to protect it.

One action we can all take to help reduce waste and support a cleaner environment is to limit the number of things we use and then throw away. Single-use products can amount to a lot of trash.

4 things you can do

• When printing is necessary, print double-sided. Always use recycled paper, which produces 39 percent less waste.

• Skip the straw or choose a compostable one when needed. Plastic straws can’t be easily recycled. Americans used about 390 million plastic straws each day in 2017.

• Opt for a reusable water bottle. Globally, 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute.

• Recycle whenever possible. Make use of the recycling bins placed throughout our campuses.

To learn about our Aspirus Sustainability Program and activities, visit aspirus.org/sustainability or access the program's intranet page by clicking the Sustainability link under the Key Initiatives menu.

Regional & Divisional News

• Central WI Region
• UP Region
• North WI Division
• Northeast WI Division
• Northwest WI Division
• South WI Division
• Southeast & Southwest WI Division