Help UsSave Water!

— Page 7

From home demolitions to the pouring of concrete slabs, the action is in high gear at NorthBay Healthcare’s two hospital

campuses.As

anticipated, the activity at NorthBay Medical Center forced changes in parking

patterns, and the pouring of concrete at VacaValley meant that numerous heavy concrete

INSIDE

1

…Check My NorthBay, Your Employee Portal, for News in

Real Tim

e…07.08.15

Leigh Rabold, R.N., with her daughter, Aly, (left) and Elsa Lopez, R.N., with her daughter, Veronica, shared the nurse camp experience. Both teens plan to become nurses like their moms. Abbie Hoag, R.N. (below), helps a camper with a suture.

Intense & Inspirational

Students, Nurses Commend Camp

Activitya Frenzyat Both

Campuses

Thirty-one teens from 11 Solano County high schools participated in last week’s Nurse Camp.

When the intense four-day camp was over, organizers heard a familiar refrain: teens wanted more, more, more! More trauma, more hands on activities, and more time for more learning.

“This camp was amazing,” one teen wrote in her

See CAMP, Page 14

See ACTIVITY, Page 12

New Hires 2Accreditations Earned 5Spotlight on Ortho 6 A New Café for Staff 8Connect with Volunteers 9 Hilborn in Phase 2 10

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Starting this month, all NorthBay Healthcare employees qualify for a set amount of sick leave, according to Vice Presi-dent of Human Resources Ken McCollum.

In compliance with a new California law, the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (AB 1522), employ-ees who work in California for 30 or more days within a year from the beginning of employ-ment are entitled to no less than 24 hours, or three days, of paid sick leave annually.

The law applies to employ-ees in all job classifications: non-exempt, overtime exempt, full-time, part time, on-call and temporary employees, and went into effect July 1.

Employees may use their paid sick days beginning on the

Shari BalforeImaging Support SpecialistRadiologyVacaValley Hospital

Ginger BarrManager, Ambulatory CodingRevenue Cycle ManagementNorthBay Healthcare

Valerie GrovesMedical AssistantGastroenterology Practice

Albert LampkinFood Services WorkerNutrition ServicesVacaValley Hospital

Ciara MaganaCertified Phlebotomy Tech IIClinical Lab, NorthBay Medical Center

Jessica PantojaMedical Assistant IIMedical OncologyNorthBay Cancer Center

Dominique PattersonPatient Access Ambassador IAdmitting, NorthBay Medical Center

Seema SalhanPhysician Contracts AnalystAdministrative ServicesCenter for Primary Care

Melissa StewartObstetrical TechnicianDelivery Room, NorthBay Medical Center

Tatum TauscherPharmacy ResidentPharmacy AdministrationNorthBay Medical Center

Norma VeraUnit Clerk/Nurse AssistantObstetrical Unit, NorthBay Medical Center

Erika WalthallEnvironmental Services AideEnvironmental Services, NorthBay Medical Center

TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

90th day of employment.For full- and part-time North-

Bay employees, hours from existing PTO balances will be used to satisfy the requirement. If the employee’s PTO balance does not have enough hours to cover the requested sick leave time off, hours will be added to ensure employees are paid for their allotted time off, up to the maximum benefit amount.

More information about the new benefit is being mailed to employee homes.

Posters containing the details of the new law have been added to NorthBay bulletin boards containing labor law notifica-tions.

Questions about the paid sick leave benefit? Contact Diane Urbano at ext. 3313 or Tina Jackson at ext. 3314.

Under New Law, All StaffEntitled to Paid Sick Leave

Open-toed Shoesin Our Future?

NorthBay Healthcare’s senior management team has approved, in principle, the wearing of open-toed dress shoes by employees in non-patient care areas of hospitals and clinics and in administrative offices where there is no danger from an infection control or safety standpoint, according to Ken McCollum, vice president of Human Resources.

A revision to the dress code is being prepared by HR, and must be approved by senior management and NorthBay Healthcare’s Board of Directors before it can be put into effect.

HR will issue a revision to the Employee Handbook upon final approval. Employees will be notified by e-mail and on My NorthBay when the revised policy is in effect. In the meantime, our current dress code remains in effect.

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Thanks to the hard work of one NorthBay Healthcare employee, BloodSource and the Kawasaki Disease Foundation are now partnering to help children throughout California who suffer from the illness.

Leticia DeGracia, a phlebotomy tech at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, is one of three mothers at NorthBay Healthcare whose child suffered from – but survived – Kawasaki Disease, thanks to treatments that required massive blood donations.

Although the illnesses of the three children were unrelated — they were treated at different facilities — the three moms united to promote the value of blood donations, and were the champions for several NorthBay Healthcare blood drives in the past two years.

Leticia decided to get involved at the state level, and became an active participant in the Kawasaki Disease Foundation. In January, she took her message to the state Capitol to call attention to KD Awareness Day.

Now she reports that NorthBay Healthcare employees who donate blood through BloodSource can use the #0333 code and BloodSource will make a donation to the Kawasaki Disease Foundation.

“So they are saving many lives at one time just by donating blood,” says Leticia.

Kawasaki MomBlazes New Trail

Members of NorthBay Bereavement’s Compassionate Care Knitting Circle recently donated a number of handmade items to NorthBay’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, for its tiniest patients’ use. The collection of baby blankets, booties, dresses, caps and other items had been knitted by one of the members’ relatives, noted Knitting Circle organizer Elise Wigton, as she presented the gifts to (left to right) Richard Bell, M.D., neonatologist, and Katie Lydon, director, Women’s and Children’s Services. The group has knitted blankets for hospice patients in the past, but was gratified to be able to also donate to the NICU. “This really represents the circle of life,” Elise said to Katie. “You are at one end, and we are at the other.”

Knitters Come Full Circle

Raftingon theRiver

The Mallari and Galura families (which includes NorthBay Healthcare Unit Clerk/Monitor Technician Anne Galura in the middle row, far right) enjoyed NorthBay’s American River Family Float Rafting Trip on June 27. Pictured in the photo are Gail, Jilene, Jimmy, Gelai, Anne, Gabby, Jamie, Jackie, Emily and Patrick.

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When nurses need a point-of-care refer-ence tool, they turn to leading providers of evidence-based information, such as Mosby’s Skills, which is an extensive collection of evidence-based skills and procedures.

Since reference tools need to be updated to assure they are current, the publishers turn to experts for assistance. NorthBay’s Elisa Jang is one of those experts.

Elisa, clinical practice manager and clini-cal nurse specialist, was recently hired by Elsevier, publisher of Mosby’s Skills, to serve as one of their clinical expert reviewers. Mosby’s Skills covers more than 1,300 nursing skills for adults and pediatrics, and across a broad range of specialties,

NorthBay’s Expert Tapped by Experts

from perioperative to oncology. The publication offers quick-sheet sum-maries, in-depth descriptions with rationales, checklists, supply lists, video or animated demonstrations and illustrations, and competency tests with immediate feedback, Elisa explains. “Each skill is reviewed every year and clinical nurse specialists are hired for their clinical expertise and advance practice skills to make sure the material is accurate, updated and

evidence-based.”Elisa has undergone training and will begin

editing in July, in addition to her NorthBay job.

NorthBay Leaders Cheer Run for RareVacaville native Noah Coughlan successfully

finished his epic “Run4Rare” journey on Saturday, July 4, when he strode into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego.

It was the conclusion of a cross-country run that began in New York City on February 28 — International Rare Disease Day — and spanned 127 days, 13 states and 3,000 miles.

Thousands were on the beach to greet him, including several NorthBay Healthcare Foundation board members and numerous supporters from Solano County, including Assemblymember Jim Frazier. Noah is just the third person to ever cross America on foot a total of three separate times.

Noah’s Run4Rare effort was designed to rally support for the 30 million Americans who suffer from a rare disease or disorder.

During the course of his run, Noah was greeted by the governors of Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, several senators, congressmen, mayors, and police chiefs.

Noah was invited to a joint press conference with the Congressional Rare Disease Caucus in Washington, D.C., and presented with a Statement of Congressional Record.

To make this Run4Rare happen, Noah partnered with NorthBay Healthcare Foundation, the National Organization of Rare Disorders, EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases, the Asian American Hotel Owner’s Association, and others.

Noah Coughlin is cheered as he takes his final steps toward the Pacific Ocean.

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Chest Pain Center Earns Accreditation

Cardiology Earns Accreditation in Three AreasNorthBay Healthcare’s Cardiology Department

recently received echocardiography accreditation in the areas of Adult Transthoracic, Adult Transesophageal and Adult Stress, by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC).

Cardiovascular diseases — disorders of the heart and blood vessels — are the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, and echocardiography procedures help make early detection of these heart disorders and other diseases possible.

Receiving this accreditation means that NorthBay’s Cardiology Department has undergone

a thorough review of its operational and technical components by a panel of experts. It is only awarded to facilities that are found to provide quality patient care and are in compliance of national standards.

This “seal of approval” by the IAC is something that patients can rely on.

“Dr. Miland Dhond, you and your staff are to be commended for demonstrating your facility’s pursuit of excellence in the field of Echocardiography,” noted Susan Jensen, clinical specialist at IAC, in making the accreditation announcement.

NorthBay Medical Center is only the fifth hospital in the country to earn ac-creditation as a Chest Pain Center with PCI (Percutane-ous Coronary Intervention) under new standards issued by the Society of Cardiovas-cular Patient Care.

“That means if you have a heart attack in Solano County, NorthBay Medical Center has all the tools and the very best team in place to care for you,” says Laura McGuire, cardio-vascular patient care program manager.

Laura spent the past 11 months working on NorthBay’s submission to the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care, especially focused on earning the organization approval under the society’s new “Version 5” standards.

“The society is always improving and upgrading their standards, and this year the focus put more emphasis on how hospitals deal with low-risk cardiac patients, especially patients in our hospital who come in for other reasons, but have a cardiac event in our facility,” explains Laura. “We’ve spent time focusing on our process and improving our responses for those patients.”

The team also developed a strategy for serving low-risk patients as outpatients after their discharge, instead of bringing them back into the facility for observation.

Two surveyors from Ohio spent a full day July 1 at NorthBay Medical Center, interviewing nearly 30 NorthBay staff and talking with representatives from Medic Ambulance and Solano County Emergency Medical Services.

“We have wonderful collaboration here with our EMS network,” says Laura. “We really appreciate the support from other EMS providers in our community.”

According to Mary Dickey, NorthBay’s director of Licensure and Accreditation, the surveyors were extremely impressed with the facility, the process and most importantly, the people.

“You can feel the positive and caring culture

when you walk through the door,” wrote one surveyor in the report.

NorthBay Medical Center became a Chest Pain Center in 2009, and in 2011 became a receiving center for STEMIs, which stands for ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction, also known as the most serious of heart attacks.

The status was raised in 2012 when the facil-ity earned its first three-year Chest Pain Center with PCI accreditation. PCI is a minimally invasive procedure performed in catheterization labs by in-terventional cardiologists. They use small incisions and a catheter to open blocked blood vessels in the heart, using balloon angiography and stents to keep arteries open and allow blood flow.

“The accreditation shows that we hold our-selves to a higher standard, that NorthBay meets or exceeds national guidelines when it comes to caring for our cardiac patients,” says Laura.

Laura McGuire

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Campaign PutsSpotlight on PatientsPrint, Digital Ads, Videos Showcase Joint Replacement Program’s Success

A new multimedia marketing campaign puts the spotlight on physicians and patients of NorthBay Healthcare’s Joint Replacement Program, according to Sarah Jewel, director of Business Development.

Using video spots on cable television, as well as print and digital advertisements, the campaign emphasizes personal stories and tells potential patients that they, too, can get their lives back.

Videos feature Jim, Rob and Pat, all real NorthBay Healthcare patients who had knee replacement surgeries and only wish they’d done it sooner.

“There’s nothing like patient testimonials,” says Sarah. “It also fits well with the philosophy of our entire organization, which is emphasizing our desire to create connections with every patient, every encounter, every time.”

To kick off the campaign, the marketing team held an Advanced Medicine Lecture event in May which showcased orthopedic surgeon Andrew Brooks, M.D.

It also featured a panel of four patients who discussed their treatment and answered questions from the audience.

“The opportunity to hear patients share their stories and ask them questions about their treatment and recovery can

make all the difference to an individual who is considering joint replacement,” says Diana Nalett, vice president Ambulatory Operations.

In the preceding weeks the marketing team compiled videos of several patients — and physicians — to beef up content on NorthBay.org.

In several two-minute videos on the website, Dr. Brooks discusses what to do when arthritis becomes severe, how to decide whether surgery is appropriate and what to expect during the recovery period.

“We’ve discovered that once people are in severe pain, there’s a small window of opportunity to educate them about our

program. Our strategy is to help them make a decision by providing clinical information as well as anecdotal stories from real patients,” says Sarah. “We had no problem coming up with a number of patients who are very enthusiastic about the service we’re providing at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital.”

The Joint Replacement Program, under the direction of Program Manager Cynthia Giaquinto, R.N., offers an innovative system of care, which focuses on education and preparation prior to surgery, followed by comprehensive inpatient care designed to get patients back into the activities they enjoyed as quickly as possible.

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We Welcome Water-Saving Ideas

Even before California rains trickled to a near stop, NorthBay Healthcare was busy finding ways to conserve water.

During the past two years, more than 100 toilets and urinals were replaced with low-flow models, as were dishwashers and steamers in the kitchens, and faucets around the organization.

“We’ve cut back 40 percent on our water usage, particularly through sprinkler and irrigation systems,” notes Jerry Misner, engineering supervisor at NorthBay Medical Center.

For example, controllers that used to work strictly on timers have been replaced with models that have moisture and tempera-ture sensors instead. These sen-sors will cut water usage by 50 percent on a cloudy day, and by 100 percent if they sense rain.

But, more can always be done, adds Kay Draisin, property and facilities manager in the Facilities Development department. “We need your help to conserve water.

“Report leaks in any of the medical office buildings, at the GVAC or its landscaping, to Pete Grindle, Jack Derry or myself,” Kay advises.

Any leaks discovered at NorthBay Medical Center or VacaValley Hospital should be directed to Jerry, at ext. 5661.

Employees can help in other ways, Kay adds. “Turn off the faucet while soaping up hands, and don’t pour out the contents of half-full water bottles if it can be used to water a plant or rinse out a glass instead.”

“For nursing staff, I would

recommend using hand gel for normal handwashing, and soap and water when hands are soiled or taking care of a patient with C Diff,” advises Mary Dickey, director of licensure and accreditation.

“Follow the normal procedures for hand washing which, according to our regulations, is to turn the water on, wash and rinse your hands, grab paper towels to dry hands and then turn off the water. “

Water restrictions are in place in Fairfield, where residents are being asked to cut usage by 20 percent, and in Vacaville,

where the goal is a 32 percent reduction.

The greatest reductions can be made by cutting down on outdoor watering, but there are many other ways residents can help conserve. For tips, check out the City of Vacaville’s website, www.cityofvacaville.com, or in Fairfield at http://www.fairfield.ca.gov/gov/depts/pw/utility/water/wa-ter_conservation/default.asp

Employees are encouraged to share their water saving ideas, Kay adds. “Your suggestions are welcome.” E-mail savewater@NorthBay.org or call our hotline at 624-SAVE (7283).

Campaign solicitsConservation Ideas

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New Dining Area Coming for Employees

An employee-only dining room at NorthBay Medical Center will open later this month, creating some much-needed elbow room in the hospital’s public café, according to Kathleen Shafer, director of Nutrition Services.

The walls have been freshly painted, two new four-seat tables are set up, and countertops are in place, providing seating for 15. Soon the art work will go up, and the doors will open, likely in mid-July.

Well, technically, they’ll open only to employees who can slide a badge for access.

“We’re hoping that employees will use this space and free up the public café space for visitors and families,” says Kathleen. “We get a lot of traffic through the café, but frankly, there’s not much sit-down space.”

The new employee dining area

will feature lots of plugs for cell phone charging, laptops or tab-lets, notes Kathleen.

The decision to create a dining area out of a space that was previously occupied by HIM coders came after employees expressed concern that there simply was not enough room in

NorthBay Café’s Guests Will Benefit: Extra Elbow Room

the newly upgraded café for our guests.

“And since some of our departments at NorthBay don’t have break rooms, this will provide a place for employees to go,” says Kathleen.

The café underwent a three-week remodeling project last fall, and when it reopened it featured an updated menu with more grab-and-go options. In addition, employees are now able to use

their badges to have a payroll deducation cover their meals.

“We’ll be moving again in three years when the modernization project is complete,” says Kathleen, noting that a large café and dining area are included on the first floor of a three-story wing.

Two four-chair tables and enough counter seating for 15 will fill out the new employee dining room.

R2D2 offers three separate rides: an easy 10-mile ride to the unincorporated area of Elmira, and 25-mile and 60-mile rides for more seri-ous cyclists. All will start from NorthBay-VacaValley Hospital, 1000 Nut Tree Road in Vacaville.

Anyone wishing to volunteer on the day of the event is encouraged to sign up at the R2D2 website at www.nothbay.org/r2d2.

The 60-mile ride departs at 7:30 a.m., the 25-mile ride at

9 a.m., and the 10-mile ride will depart at 10 a.m.

The 10-mile ride is $10 for those ages 13 and up and goes up to $15 after July 15; it is free for children age 12 and under. There is a $25 registration fee for the 25-mile ride, and

it goes up to $30 after July 15. The 60-mile ride registration fee starts at $35 and goes up to $45.

T-shirts, a raffle ticket, lunch and refreshments will be provid-ed for registered riders. Regis-ter online through the NorthBay website at northbay.org/2d2.

Looking for a fun and healthy activity to do with friends and family? Grab a bike, a group of your best buddies, and sign up to ride in NorthBay Healthcare’s fourth Annual Ride to Defeat Dia-betes, set for Sunday, Oct. 4.

And, if you sign up before July 15, you can get in on Early Bird registration and save a little money.

The R2D2 bike ride is a family-friendly event that offers a healthy, fun way to exercise while raising awareness of So-lano County’s diabetes crisis. Funds raised during the event will benefit the NorthBay Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology.

R2D2 Already Seeking Riders for October Event

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Connect with Volunteers — Via Vocera

NorthBay Healthcare’s job listings moved to a new platform this month, with stronger recruiting features such as a mobile app and automated job alerts, according to Tina Jackson, Human Resources Service Manager.

The new platform is part of the Cornerstone system, already in use at NorthBay. The job feature, called Cornerstone On Demand, replaces the current Jobscience listings and will track applicants through the system.

“We are hoping in some cases it may help us fill positions faster,” says Tina.

Employees may already be familiar with Corner-stone’s talent management system that is currently used for learning management. A quick shortcut into the Cornerstone system for employees can

be found on the Intranet home page and also on NorthBay desktops. The public can access it via NorthBay.org by clicking on the careers tab and then clicking on Job Openings.

“We are excited as the system has a social network feeling to it,” says Tina. “Employees will be able to set up automated job alerts for when jobs they are interested in post. The system also has smart technology and you can actually apply by using a Linkedin account. The system will parse the information right into the application from your Linkedin account or a resume you upload, saving time.”

Of course you don’t have to have a Linkedin account to apply – the system will allow you to enter information independently.

Cornerstone is New Home for NorthBay Job Listings

For about a year now, employees in the Center for Primary Care facilities have been using Vocera badges that enable instant two-way conversations. Now, they are also being worn by NorthBay Guild Volunteers who are ready to be called whenever help is needed.

“Our Guild volunteers are here to enhance our patient and family experience, and this is another way to accomplish that goal,” says Jane Hilliard, director of Volunteer Services. Anyone can call 646-3120 or ext. 3120, and ask for either a NorthBay Guild Volunteer or a VacaValley Guild Volunteer.

Our volunteers are happy to help you with:4Transporting patients in

wheelchairs.4Running patient-related

errands.4Picking up special trays from

the kitchen for patients.4Assisting families with

special requests.4Sitting with patients so fami-

lies can take a break. (We cannot babysit children, however.)4Call ext. 3120 and a Guild

volunteer can deliver coffee, wa-ter or tea to a patient or guest.

“They can also help with short-term projects you might have in your department,” says Jane. “For example, they can compile packets, scan documents and stock cards.”

Is a visitor having trouble finding their way? A Guild volunteer is just a phone call away and can escort them where they need to go.

“We are also happy to cuddle and sooth crying babies in our

Mother/Baby Unit,” says Jane.“Please don’t forget we also

have Care Carts full of personal items patients or families may need,” Jane adds, “such as sam-ple sizes of deodorant, mouth-wash, soap, toothpaste, lip balm, BandAids, hair ties, combs, ear plugs, eye masks and puzzle and coloring books.”

When you call, remember, everyone around the volunteer using Vocera can hear what you say, so mind your P’s and Q’s, Jane cautions.

NorthBay Guild volunteers Mirium Ramirez-Munos (left) and Cherie Bauer get some hands-on training using Vocera badges. The idea is to make Guild members more accessible to help with patient needs and staff requests.

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All Systems Go For Hilborn’s Next PhaseNorthBay Healthcare received

a construction permit last week, and work has already begun on Phase 2 at the Hilborn administration center, according to Lisa Thomas, NorthBay’s facilities project manager.

Wiseman Company, the land-lord and construction manager of the site, began demolition and saw-cutting of concrete on the first floor of the two-story struc-ture at 2470 Hilborn Road, which is located just across the parking lot from NorthBay’s Center for Primary Care facility.

NorthBay is already leasing 15,000 square feeet – the entire second floor – of the building and the move-in of about 60 employ-ees was completed in June.

Now occupying the second floor are staff from Ambulatory Services Administration, Performance Management, primary care and specialty care referral clerks, the call center and about half of our outpatient case managers.

NorthBay will take up about two-thirds of the first floor, which

will become home to Occupation-al and Employee Health and Drug Screening.

“We’re hoping to make that move in October,” says Lisa, noting that Wiseman has promised to provide an updated

schedule soon. “We are trying to schedule

the loudest of construction activi-ties off hours but we’ve warned our upstairs staff to be prepared and patient during construction activity,” notes Lisa.

The current shell of the first floor of the Hilborn administration center is all wide open spaces, but will soon undergo a transformationas the Wiseman Company builds a home for NorthBay Healthcare’s Occupational and Employee Health and Drug Screening departments. Plans call for NorthBay to take up two-thirds of the first floor, and all of the second floor.

July 15 is the go-live date tentatively scheduled for NorthBay Healthcare’s roll-out of “ShareSpace,” which will serve as our new web-based collaboration site, powered by Microsoft’s SharePoint.

ShareSpace will allow departments, committees and project teams to have their own site on the web where they can post documents, create custom calendars, lists and wikis. Features will allow multiple team members to update a single document, store previous versions of the documents and search for documents based on key words.

Eventually the site will replace the current Intranet and serve as a new location for most of the files on the K and S drives. The current Intranet will run parallel with ShareSpace for several more months, to allow departments time to review and move their content from the Ektron system into ShareSpace.

Classes are being scheduled now to train departmental site owners. Questions? Contact Diane at x3206 or via e-mail at dhohn@NorthBay.org.

ShareSpace to Debut July 15

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New Look, Platform for My NorthBay

The Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Evidence-Based Practice & Research Councils have collaborated to develop a state-of-the-art clinical information website to help clinicians across multiple disciplines ensure they provide quality safe patient care based on the best available evidence.

According to medical sources, only 20 percent of what healthcare providers do is based on evidence, which means a whopping 80 percent is not.

Patients get the evidence-based recommended course of treatment only 55 percent of the time, according to reports.

“Integrating evidence into practice to improve patient outcomes has to be a top priority so that clinicians can provide interventions to their pa-tients based on the latest evidence and research, not because it is based on the way that things have always been done,” says Elisa Jang, R.N., clinical practice manager and clinical nurse specialist.

Starting July 1, a new desktop icon (pictured above) called “Library Resource Center” was placed on all computers. It links users to a multitude of databases available to NorthBay employees.

The main categories are electronic books, e-books from Nursing Reference Center, e-books from

ClinicalKey and Point-of-care resources.Point-of-care tools are those research

and reference resources that a clinician can use at the point-of-care with a patient.

Most of the evidence-based point-of-care tools include levels of evidence, rating scales or grade recommendations as well as citations back to the original research studies, systematic reviews, or guidelines.

There is access to seven different bib-liographic databases, which provides indexing and links to full text articles in both medical and nursing journals

In addition, links to prominent and reliable healthcare organizations are provided, which offer expert opinion and executive committee summaries on healthcare topics

The site also offers links to professional associations, which provide evidence-based standards of practice recommendations for a variety of specialties.

Not only can you search thousands of online journal titles, but NorthBay’s memberships also allow users to view and download full text articles.

Monthly workshops are currently being offered for those who would like to learn more about these products. Employees can find class availability and register via Cornerstone.

Clinical Library Resource Now on Your Desktop

My NorthBay, your employee portal, debuts today with a new look and some added features, with more on the way.

The site is designed to capture the look and feel of NorthBay.org, but with a lot more information for and about employees, according to Diane Barney, NorthBay Healthcare’s director of Public Relations.

As before, the portal will continue to be your one-stop spot for NorthBay news. You’ll find the latest issue of FYI here in PDF form, as well as the archive reaching back to 2001. You’ll also find links to other NorthBay Newsletters, including Nursing Notes, Trauma Update and the Infection Connection.

“Ultimately, the plan is to post news as it happens, and not wait until after FYI publishes. We’re striving to be digital first, to deliver content to our employees as soon as possible,” says Diane.

You’ll also find links to all our bloggers.The site was designed by Dan Fowler, e-media

designer and built with assistance from Ayla Steward, digital media tech. Reporting comes from the Public Affairs team lead by Vice President Steve Huddleston. Writers include Diane, Marilyn Ranson and Sally Wyatt.

One new feature on the portal is a button to the NorthBay Way. Click on the link at the top, right-hand side of the page and you’ll be treated to a menu of informational items and assets, including the program’s history, videos, links to related articles, and PDFs of the Four Cs, posters, buttons. You’ll also find a link to website where you can write an e-card or nominate someone for a NorthBay Way award.

In the coming months, look for an expanded calendar of events, as well as links and information about our social media sites and posts.

“That’s the nice thing about cyberspace – we can constantly add and revise our content,” says Diane. “And we plan to take advantage of it.”

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mixing vehicles were rolling with regularity onto campus.

Have you visited the Hard Hat Report yet? It’s easy to access on NorthBay.org. You can even sign up for e-mail alerts every time something new is posted.

It can come in handy if you’re wondering where to park. You’ll find a live web cam is already capturing the action at VacaValley, and now two web cams are tracking the action at NorthBay.

Here’s a brief summary of some of the action taking place in the past two weeks:

Last week, four houses on Victoria Court were demolished, making way for the start of Phase 1 of the NorthBay modern-ization project. After demolition,

fencing was placed around the Victoria Court site and a corner of the Unit 1800 parking lot. (See related story, Page 13.)

While this removed several parking spots from that area, they were replaced by spaces added back into service behind the Central Utility Plant.

You’ll find maps with parking spaces denoted on the Hard Hat Report.

Traffic that travels behind NorthBay Medical Center is now one-way only. Traffic will move counter-clockwise around the hospital, making a left turn only past Solano Diagnostics Imaging (MRI).

All the concrete has now been poured for the foundation of the VacaValley Wellness Center

project, and now pouring has begun for the “casting slabs,” which are temporary slabs used to pour tilt-up panel walls.

Swinerton Builders will contin-ue to have flag men on campus to help control traffic, which can include as many as 60 large con-crete trucks coming and going.

John Lasell, NexCore’s execu-tive vice president for develop-ment and construction, walked the nearby neighborhood in late June to personally meet with sev-eral residents whose homes are adjacent to the east and south property line of the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital campus.

He answered questions and addressed concerns about construction noise and dust. He also left fliers at several homes, which included his name and phone number for additional questions. Any resident in the area who has questions or concerns, or would like to be included in e-mail blasts with construction updates, may contact John at (303) 382-0171 or Lisa Thomas at ext. 3084.

Activity ... (From Page 1)

At NorthBay

At VacaValley

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Fairfield Firefighters were offered a rare opportunity to perform vital training exercises in June in two vacant homes on Victoria Court behind NorthBay Medical Center.

The homes were demolished a week after the training exercises, to make way for modernization plans on the campus.

During the two life-like training exercises – one in the morning and another in mid-afternoon – different teams of firefighters were presented with mock fire-fighting and rescue scenarios. During the scenarios, they practiced search and rescue techniques, ran hose lines, placed ladders, cut through roofs using chainsaws and hatchets, and broke out windows.

To make the training exercise even more realistic, the homes were filled with “smoke” — actually a non-toxic pepper fogger — to simulate fire.

“We’re going to throw the teams some curve balls here,” notes Matt Luckenbach, battal-ion chief and public information officer for the Fairfield Fire De-partment, just before the exer-cise began. “We’re going to have downed power lines and we’ve hidden two rescue dummies in the house — one is a 160-pound adult male, and the other is an infant.”

Before the drill, teams were waiting at a nearby staging area for Luckenbach to give the go-ahead.

“We have a unique training opportunity here,” he says. “This one home is a tri-level, and when

firefighters walk in the front door, they may think they are on the first floor, but in actuality they are on the second. If a fire has started in the garage, that could prove to be a fatal mistake, as it did for firefighters in San Francisco and Seattle. We’ll see if the guys are thinking about that.”

Luckenbach then set the training session in motion, and a two-man squad truck was first to arrive.

Firefighters were met by a frantic family member — actually Engineer Chad Bubak — who told them there were people trapped inside.

A fire truck with more team members arrived two minutes later, and they began their rescue attempt, sending one team of firefighters into the house through an upstairs window and another team in through the front door.

Firefighters not only had to deal with copious amounts of smoke, but with an overly anx-ious “family member” who was screaming for them to move faster. “That’s a very real situa-

tion,” Luckenbach notes. After successfully rescuing the

baby and adult male, and then putting water on the house, the teams stepped off to the side to undergo a debriefing session. They discussed the difficulties of placing ladders on slanted driveways, the decision to carry the adult down stairs vs. out the front windows and down a ladder, the realization that there were “downed power lines” on the lawn, and how to communicate with each other if the walkie-talkies don’t work.

“Be sure to do a 360-degree assessment. Leave some bread crumbs for each other,” Luck-enbach advises. “Find a way to communicate. Everything you learned here today, you can share with others and will use the rest of your career.”

A total of four houses on Victoria Court were torn down last week in the first phase of the NorthBay Medical Center modernization project.

For more information, check out the updates at www.North-Bay.org/hardhat.

Pre-Demolition Drill Offers InsightsFirefighters Test Skills on Victoria

Court Homes

As a firefighter carries an infant dummy down a ladder, others prepare to enter the smoke-filled home, frantically urged on by a “family member” (center).

14

Surgical nurse Melinda Manuel, R.N., (center in photo at left) guides two teens through an exercise in laproscopic surgery as they attempt to remove seeds from a melon. Spending time in the operating room was one of the most popular learning modules in Nurse Camp. Intensive Care Unit nurse Maureen Allain, R.N., (below, background right) taught campers about circulation, the anatomy of the heart, and what happens when something goes wrong. For the first time, each camper had a beef heart to examine.

evaluation. “It taught me so many different things and opened my eyes to what nursing really is.”

Another wrote: “All of you (nurses) are amazing and so helpful when it comes to our 25 questions. This camp inspired me to become a nurse even more. I can’t wait for nursing school!”

This is music to the ears of Donna Dabeck, manager of nurse recruitment and retention.

“The goal of Nurse Camp has always been to encourage students to consider nursing as a career,” she says.

Six former campers are now registered nurses, and others are completing their education at various nursing schools. One “happy camper” is James Parmer, R.N., who has just joined the NorthBay Medical Center Emergency Department.

Nurse Camp also brings NorthBay nurses together —

many whose jobs never cross paths during the year.

“Nurses from throughout our organization come together to teach at Nurse Camp,” says Leigh Rabold, R.N., co-chair of the camp with Laurel Nielson, R.N.

“I work in the ER, and I never have the opportunity to spend time with nurses from the ICU or Labor and Delivery.”

This year, 18 nurses

participated in Nurse Camp. They planned a detailed schedule that included plenty of learning time mixed with team-building games and a good look at the inside of the hospitals.

On the first day of camp, the teens learned about airways and intubation, suturing wounds, circulation and the heart, shock and IV fluids, infection control

Camp ...(From Page 1)

See CAMP, Page 15

15

Teens (at left) learned about splints and casts from VacaValley Hospital Emergency Department nurses during the second day of camp. Students (below) share a laugh while learning how to move a patient with a lift chair. This was the first year the teens learned about the importance of patient safety.

and medications. Wednesday was trauma

day, and the teens witnessed a mock trauma, learned how to apply soft casts and how to use restraints. They took a tour of VacaValley Hospital and after lunch learned about medical transport from the fire department’s ambulance crew and a flight nurse on a medical helicopter. A highlight of camp is watching the CALSTAR helicopter land and providing a closeup look at its interior.

On Thursday, the camp moved to NorthBay Medical Center, where the teens suited up in sterile garb and ventured into an operating room and visited the ICU to learn CPR. For the first time, the stroke robot was called in to action, and a nurse from Mercy Stroke Center spoke to the teens about remote diagnoses made through the robot. The

nurse was speaking through the robot through an iPad while she was parked on the side of a road.

Friday was spent learning about babies in Labor and Delivery and the NICU.

“This year’s campers were very smart and very engaged

in learning,” Leigh says. “Their feedback gives us ideas about what we can improve for next year.”

And, as one camper summarized: “You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!”

Camp ...(From Page 14)

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TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

07.08.15 Retirement Plan Meetings, VVHP Suite 290 B07.09.15 Retirement seminar, NBMC Penn Tab, CR-2 07.13.15 Golf & Tennis Classic, Green Valley Country Club 07.18.15 Family Day at SF Academy of Sciences08.22.15 Oakland A’s Baseball Game

The majority of East Indians follow the Hindu faith, and being aware of some traditions and cultural considerations may help during interactions with these patients.

Most East Indians speak English, are vegetarians, and will avoid alcohol and beef. Many Indians are also lactose intolerant and may have protein deficiencies. The Hindu practice of fasting may affect dietary

treatments.In the hospital set-

ting, it is important to make every effort to pair female patients with female practitio-ners and caregivers. Cleanliness is a strong value and bathing every day, before breakfast if possible, is important.

Many Indians believe that good and bad health is a result of an interaction between three forces: vata, or movement; pitta, or heat and metabolism; and kapha, or physical build. Pregnancy is considered a “hot” condition and should be treated with “cold” foods, such as milk, vegetables and tart foods.

Any gesture using the fingers is considered rude, as is whis-tling. It is also considered an

East Indian Culture Important to Understandinsult to either show someone the bot-tom of your feet or to touch someone with the bottom of a foot, and an apology should be offered if this happens. Wink-ing has vulgar impli-cations.

Traditionally, the male head of the family should be addressed when discussing any issues, medical or other, and he will speak on behalf of the family.

For end-of-life care, the oldest son will be responsible for performing the rites of the deceased. The family will want privacy to wash and prepare the body after death, and Hindus will typically make arrangements for cremation, preferably on the same day as the death.

Mary Poppins Comes to Fairfield TheatreDiscount tickets to the

Saturday, July 11, stage production of “Mary Poppins” are now on sale for $15 each.

Due to the limited number of tickets, each person can only purchase five. Tickets will be sold

until July 10 or the supply runs out. All employees, contracted employees and their families are welcome to attend. The play is at The Downtown Theatre, 1035 Texas St., Fairfield.Call Lorie Jarvis at ext. 3311, for details.

Watch Your E-mail:Survey Goes Out

This FridayWatch your NorthBay e-mail

this Friday: You may be one of 350 randomly selected employees asked to participate in a special survey.

NorthBay Healthcare has a new goal: Making the list of Modern Healthcare’s 2015 Best Places to Work in Healthcare.

An online employee engagement and satisfaction survey will be sent July 10. Employees will have until July 24 to submit their surveys.

What if you don’t have access to e-mail? NorthBay will provide computer access.

“We encourage our employees to share their thoughts about our organization in the survey,” says Ken McCollum, vice president of Human Resources. “Not only are we hoping for inclusion on Modern Healthcare’s list, but we have found the feedback from previous surveys (such as the Great Place to Work Survey) to be very helpful.”

It should only take 10 to 15 minutes to complete the survey. NorthBay needs a 65 percent response rate to compete for a Best Places to Work honor.