2020 was a year of firsts, a year of struggles and loss, and a year that will forever be in the history books. There are as many different perspectives about the "how, why and who" of this past year as there are stars in the sky.
For the residents and staff of St. Augustine, 2020 was 294 days of "Groundhog Day."
In early March 2020, when this health crisis began to affect St. Augustine Health Ministries, most of us never thought that we would still be living it 13 months later.
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After 25 years of dedicated service to St. Augustine Health Ministries, staff and residents said farewell to Anita on January 28, 2021, as she took the first step of her retirement journey.
Anita joined the St. Augustine family in 1995 as Administrative Assistant at the Towers, our newly-opened assisted living facility and, in 1998, she was promoted to Director. In 2008 she moved across the street to the south side of the Campus and began serving as Senior Administrator of Retirement Living Services. Anita was then promoted to Administrator of St. Augustine Manor in 2014.
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Covid-19 Vaccine Arrived on the Health Campus: Hope for 2021
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Beginning in 1890 with the Sisters of St. Francis of Lafayette, people of all faiths and walks of life have come to this location for medical care. Throughout the decades, names and faces have changed, but in the passing of the torch, it is the legacy of Catholic Health Care and the Healing Ministry of Christ, that guides all that we do. |
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one-week only
Tuesday, May 4th - Monday, May 10th
Donate and play "FastScratch for Charity," a scratch off game that provides you the opportunity to have the VAF By The Hand Foundation match your donation up to 200%. This equals a BIG WIN for the residents of St. Augustine Health Ministries.
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https://www.vafbythehand.org/st-augustine
please help us reach the maximum matching gift by sharing this link with family and friends.
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Once you make a donation, you can scratch the squares in FastScratch for Charity to reveal the matching gift percentage. Up to 200% of your donation could be matched from By The Hand Foundation.
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Maximize your impact! Donate and play up to four (4) times on a computer, tablet or smartphone! All donation matches, processing fees and credit card fees are paid for by Ver-A-Fast By The Hand Foundation, which means each dollar donated goes directly to fund the Creative Therapy & Staff Appreciation Programs.
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Elayne Newcomb, Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, has accepted the position of Administrator of St. Augustine Health Campus. She joined the St. Augustine family as the Assistant Administrator in September 2019, shortly before COVID arrived.
“I am eager to get back to normal, especially to experience all of the wonderful programs and activities that make this place so special,” said Elayne.
She is a graduate of Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA, and earned an MBA in Healthcare Administration/Management at Cleveland State University. >> read the full story
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Ventilator-Dialysis Program |
For patients in need of ventilator dialysis, there are limited skilled nursing options available within Ohio or even nationally.
To meet this need, St. Augustine has partnered with DaVita Dialysis to provide hemodialysis to ventilator-dependent patients at their bedside or in the dialysis den. The hemodialysis treatments are four hours in length and take place three days a week. Since beginning this program, patients have come from as far as Alabama,
St. Augustine's dialysis den is equipped with walled oxygen, walled suctioning and hospital-grade dialysis units, specifically designed for ventilator- dialysis patients. Located just down the hall from our 20-bed vent unit, this proximity provides a smoother, less stressful transition, and provides more care coordination between the nursing, respiratory and dialysis teams.
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Telehealth SupportsThose Who Are Grieving |
The ability to provide grief support during a pandemic became more important than ever.
Thanks to the magic of technology, our bereavement staff at Holy Family Hospice has been able to maintain a level of continued support virtually through telehealth services.
Counselors Erin Hout and Carrie Nicholas have been offering telehealth support both over the phone and via Zoom to all families regardless of whether they have been served by Holy Family or not. In addition to one-on-one support, some support groups have also “gone virtual” including a monthly Grief Maintenance bereavement group.
When Grief Maintenance initially went virtual the group had about six participants. Since December, the group size has averaged anywhere from 10-15 participants and continues to grow. Most are from Northeast Ohio, but we have been able to reach a few people out of state including as far as California and Florida.
"When sessions were exclusively in-person (individual or as a group), we would never have been able to have such widespread reach! Now, thanks to technology, that is no longer a hurdle, and can support anyone, anywhere." says Erin >>Find out more about Holy Family's Bereavement Services
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Sharing His Faith - Remembering Joe Curtis |
The St. Augustine Health Campus community mourns the passing of longtime volunteer Joseph (Joe) Curtis.
Over the past 50 years, if you ever attended Sunday Mass at the Manor, you probably ran into Joe.
Joe was an altar server on Sundays, at special Masses and was instrumental in starting a corps of volunteers, beginning with the Boy Scouts, to transport residents to and from Sunday Mass. He was a man of great faith and knew the importance of helping the residents on their faith journey. In his later years, confined to a wheelchair, he would greet all who entered the Chapel each Sunday with his infectious smile and uplifting words.
At 97, Joe was the oldest and longest-serving volunteer on the Health Campus, completing over 50 years and 6,700 hours of service. He began volunteering in 1970, shortly after St. Augustine opened its doors.
Joe worked for 35 years at American Greetings and was a member of the Knights of Columbus 3rd and 4th Degree. He was a proud graduate of Cathedral Latin and Case Tech, a lieutenant in the Army Air Corps during WWII, and a member of the American Philatelic Society and the Institute of Industrial Engineers. He was also an Ad Altare Dei Catholic award advisor for the Boy Scouts.
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Early Learning Center
Re-opens
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"One Person Caring About Another Represents Life's Greatest Value."
- Jim Rohn, author
Mutual respect fuels the passion of Artreece and her residents. << read more...
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and watch it increase in impact!
https://www.vafbythehand.org/st-augustine
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