Max recoveredone step, one laugh at a time

May 25, 2012

April 10, 2015

Flowers & JoyFrom Dorothy Latva

Continued on page 6

Oscar Wilde, the Irish playwright, poet and author, once wrote: “A flower blossoms for its own joy.”

Joy and flowers are in full abundance when Dorothy Latva, a proudBorgess Volunteer, is around. For the past 39 years, Dorothy, 84, hasbeen delivering flowers to patients at Borgess Medical Center and de-livering mail two days a week.

“I love delivering flowers,” Dorothy said. “The patients are so happy tosee you bringing flowers and mail. They just smile and are so surprised.

“It just makes their day.”

Dorothy begins her Wednesday mornings and Saturday afternoons check-ing orders for floral arrangements. Times are changing, and she doesn’tget as many flowers as she used to.

“When I first came to Borgess, we used to have more than 60flowers to deliver; that was a lot,” she said. “We had twopeople delivering flowers during our shift. Now, wedeliver 12 floral arrangements on average becausepatients don’t stay as long and the flowers areexpensive. Still, delivering flowers means somuch to me.”

Second time around at Borgess

Dorothy knows a lot about Borgess andhas seen much change since 1950 whenshe moved from the Upper Peninsulawith her husband to Kalamazoo whenhe began work on the railroad as a traindispatcher. When Dorothy and her hus-band came to town, she began workingat Borgess and spent a couple of years inthe billing department before leaving thehospital to raise a family.

Dorothy Latva

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Decide now

The Borgess Run for the Health of It! isfun. And like attending a football game,you don’t have to play to enjoy the event.

More than 1,500 volunteers are needed atthe series of events that take place May 1through 3.

The following are descriptions of volun-teer opportunities. (You can sign-up byvisiting http://borgessrun.com/volunteer-opportunities.) If you have any questions,please contact Bobbie Lam atbobbie@borgessrun.com

Groups are welcome to volunteer. If youhave questions, please contact CherylPickett at cheryl@borgessrun.com.

Group OpportunitiesMotivational Sign-Making: Volunteergroup makes motivational signs that aresprinkled on the course to inspire runners.

Adopt-A-Mile: Group sign set up for a sec-tion of the course to clean up, makingKalamazoo look great. Then if you are in-terested, the group can decorate that partof the course on Saturday before the race.

Loading Trucks: Volunteer group wouldhelp load the trucks for the course. EveryGu, water, table and cup gets loaded on atruck to be distributed on the course. Thisis some heavy lifting. (3-6 people)

Course Sign Distribution: Anytime Satur-day. Group goes onto course and sets upmotivational and essential signs for therunners. (2-3 people)

Pre-Race Help – (weeks leading up to race)Sorting t-shirts and organizing signage

and course giveaways are big jobs, butthe group work makes it fun and social.These tasks are usually done Mondaythrough Friday during work hours.

FRIDAy Activities – May 1

The Kids Expo 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. | TheKids Fun Run starts at 6 p.m. | The Moti-vational Mile starts at 6:05 p.m.

Volunteers help with Fun Run registrationand packet pick-up, assist with the KidsExpo, staff information booth, set up thecourse, organize runners by age group be-fore the run, supervise the course duringthe race, hand out awards to finishers,man recycle pods, and/or clean up afterthe event.

SAtuRDAy Activities – May 2

Expo: The Run Expo, held at Wings Sta-dium, takes place from 11 a.m.–6 p.m.Volunteers help set up and work in shiftsthroughout the day. Duties include packetpick-up or helping with Expo needs.

Race Site Set Up: Volunteers help teardown Kids Fun Run on Saturday morningand help set up the Race Site on Saturdayevening after the Expo.

SuNDAy Activities At tENt CIty– May 3Parking/Shuttles: One of the main goalsof the event is to make the day logisti-cally excellent. That means PARKINGhas to run smoothly. Volunteers help di-rect participants. Plan to arrive at 6 a.m.

Packet Pick-up: Volunteers help runnerspick up numbers and t-shirts. Plan towork from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m.

Gear check: Volunteers collect gear fromrunners, label it, and return it after therace. Plan to arrive at 6 a.m. Volunteersare needed throughout the morning.

Tent City: Volunteers are needed to workat the Food and Beer Tent during themorning and early afternoon. Volunteersare also needed to help throughout TentCity (sponsor tent, distributing pickles,selling shirts, etc.).

Site Clean Up: Volunteers are needed totake down signage & finish line structure,and clean up trash from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

SuNDAy Activities ON tHE COuRSE – May 3Course Needs

Medical Coverage: Calling doctors andnurses! Share your expertise by keepingrunners safe throughout the run. Must havemedical background. Volunteers will beplaced at Medical Tents along the course.

Aid Stations: The course offers 18 aidstations giving water, Gu, and/or GuBrew to participants. Please sign up ingroups only. (Group Opportunity Only)

Monitors: Volunteers will direct partici-pants at key intersections, keep people ontrack and maintain order. Great forgroups of two people.

Entertainment and ExcitementMusic: Individuals or bands spur the run-ners along. Tarps and tents will be pro-vided in case of inclement weather.

Spirit Stations: Brainstorm with us waysto make your group a unique spirit sta-tion. It’s fun for the runners; it’s fun foryou! (Group Opportunity Only)

Want to join the fun, but don’t want to run?36th-Annual Borgess Run for the Health of It!

Now is the time to consider who you wantto make informed decisions and supportyou in a health care crisis.

More information on this topic will beavailable Thursday, April 16–NationalHealthcare Decisions Day–7:30 a.m. to9:30 a.m. in the Borgess atrium, and11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Borgess cafeteriaexit. Borgess Mission Integration chap-

lains and volunteers will distribute forms,offer conversation starters for family andfriends, and provide the opportunity tocomplete an advance directive.

Help will be available if you are uncertainabout your circumstance and want peopleto assist and witness the completion ofyour form so you can get it done.

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how can we eat, clean and consumeenergy in a healthy, practical, en-vironmentally sensitive way? how

can we more efficiently garden and planttrees? how can we buy products that areearth-friendly?

these questions and much more will beanswered at a special Earth Day celebra-tion, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, april22, in the Borgess Medical Center cafete-ria. there will also be a special noon per-formance of the Borgess resoundingSpirit Choir.

“area organizations will have experts,

exhibit displays, literature and providedemonstrations to help associates andvisitors live healthier, reduce waste and

be more environmentally sensitive,” saidEric Buzzell, vice president, General Serv-ices and Property Management. “the or-ganizations will include: the KalamazooCo-Op, Consumers Energy, the MichiganDepartment of Natural resources, a mas-ter gardener, and others.

When it comes to caring for Mother Earth,Borgess health couldn’t be greener. ascharter members of Practice Greenhealth,Borgess has received the organization’s

Environmental Leadership Circle awardseven times.

“Being green is a reflection of the valuesof our original sponsor–the Congregationof St. Joseph–who has long practiced adeep and abiding environmental ethos,”said Sr. Sue McCrery, spiritual care spe-cialist, Mission Integration. “It’s also a re-flection of ascension health who singlesout environmental stewardship as a vitalpiece of our health care mission.”

Everyone is welcome to the Borgess EarthDay Celebration 2015. For more informa-tion, call 226.7117.

Porches are a symbol of the transition between the private, indi-vidual area and the public, communal area of our lives. Porchesare the bridge between outdoors and indoors.

Porches invite us to slow down, sit a spell and pause from thehustle and bustle of life to enjoy all that we have and are in thismoment. their physical space invites us to create and be gratefulfor the spiritual space in our lives. they allow us to invite neigh-bors and passersby to engage in conversation.

Porches allow us to partake of nature's cooling breezes, the scentof her blooming flowers, her myriad stars twinkling in the nightsky and the cheerful songs of her birds.

Do we know our neighbors? how can we create porches in ourlives that help us connect our individual life with the life of thecommunity and that connect the outside world of nature with ourindoor lives?

Possible actions:

Spend some quiet, reflective moments each day on your “porch”and note what you learn about yourself, God, your neighborhoodand God's creation.

Participate in a neighborhood Welcome Wagon program to helporient newcomers to the people and sites.

Organize a “progressive dinner”– or other shared activity suchas a picnic or game day–in your neighborhood that becomes atradition and part of the neighborhood identity.

Porch

A celebration with healthy, environmentally sensitive suggestions

Earth Day10 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 22, BMC Cafeteria

Earth as Our Home. The following is information from Catholic Sisters for a Healthy Earth. Theyencourage us to think of the Earth as our house with various rooms. The subsequent advice fromthe Sisters is what may help make this ‘house’ a true ‘home.’ Additional practical advice will beavailable at Borgess Earth Day 2015.

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In the past, a home’s one–car garage was separate from thehouse and was used to store the family car or truck. In manynewer homes today, the garage makes up one-third of the houseand is prominently attached on the front of the house, becomingthe entrance to the home, obscuring the front door to the activi-ties of the neighborhood.

In the U.S., 82 percent of homes have two–car garages or larger.More and more of us are using the space for extra storage in-stead of for our cars.

as you enter the journey each day with your Creator, be awareof the needs of many people in our world. Look around and seeif there are things you could do without so you become more de-pendent on God rather than on things.

Possible actions:

Patriarch Bartholomew suggests that we turn our focus awayfrom what we want to what the world needs. as you reflecton his words, what becomes clear to you about the needs ofthe world?

Go through your possessions and see if there are gently useditems that could be taken to a thrift store so others in needmay benefit.

the living room is a place where families can relax, watch tele-vision, play games, discuss important issues, and greet and enter-tain guests. Some homes have a single room usually called theliving room, whereas others have another less formal roomcalled the family room. Each functions as a place where the lifeof the family unfolds.

For a family with young children, laughter, wrestling and occa-sional arguing occurs. a quieter atmosphere will rule when onlyadults live in the home, although this tranquility may be punctu-ated by chaos when grandchildren or young neighbors visit.

Conversations in the living room might include serious topicsaffecting individual family members, the entire family or thebroader community. Conflicts can be addressed, behavior taughtand moral values explored. Lessons on living community aretaught by example as we make a life together.

Possible actions:

reflect on families who are homeless or without other basicneeds who have little space for quiet conversation or play.Choose a way you and your family can help localhomeless families.

Gather with family and/or neighbors to study how thechanging environment is likely to affect you, your childrenand grandchildren in the future. Create and implement plans torecycle, to reduce your use of fossil fuels and to reduce yourcarbon emissions.

Check out your household carbon footprint:http://1.usa.gov/MIgCa.

the kitchen is the heart of the home. It is where we feed thebody and cater to the soul.

In ages past, the kitchen table was a place of dialogue, friendshipand support as family and friends sat around the table snippingbeans, peeling apples, cooking from scratch and building com-munity while sharing a cup of coffee.

these home-cooked meals have been replaced by processed,packaged and microwave meals. taking the time to cook to-gether, choosing to go meatless, buying locally grown foods,bringing in your own garden produce or eating only what is inseason are ways to honor food and the need for all to eat. Eatingbecomes a spiritual act when done mindfully.

the real cost for food is not considered today.

Possible actions:

Limit your food choices to what comes from within a 50-mileradius of your home or community.

Practice meatless Mondays! Check outwww.meatlessmondays.com for recipes.

Stop disease by saying no to pesticides that inhibit plants frombuilding their own immunity/nutrients and are then passed on tous as we eat them.

Garage

Living Room

Kitchen

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They are known as events to “Honorand Remember.”

The 2015 Friends of Borgess Nursing(FoBN) celebration recognizes the manyoutstanding nurses throughout BorgessHealth. Honor and Remember willfeature two annual events that are de-signed to continue the healing mission ofnurses through support of a special en-dowment fund.

FoBN Silent Auction

The Ninth-Annual Gift Basket SilentAuction supports awards, certificationsand scholarships recognizing nurse re-search throughout Borgess Health. Thisevent will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,

Wednesday, April 22, in the BorgessMedical Center cafeteria. The event is organized by the Borgess ProfessionalNurse Council and is held the same dayas the Skills Fair.

Nurses in departments at Borgess Med-ical Center, Borgess-Lee Memorial Hos-pital and Borgess-Pipp Hospital areencouraged to donate baskets for theFoBN Silent Auction. The annual auc-tions feature more than 40 basketsranging in price from $35 to $290,with bidding often exceeding $6,000in total proceeds.

FoBN Awards Reception

The second and main FoBN event is theAwards Reception, which will be held at

5 p.m., Thursday, May 7, at the LawrenceEducation Center Auditorium. The recep-tion tickets are $40. The reservationdeadline is Thursday, April 30.

The Awards Reception will recognize re-cipients of 11 non-monetary awards fornursing excellence, and recipients of 23monetary grants that promote specialtycertification and research. The non-mone-tary categories are:

� Rising Star Award� Nursing Leadership Award� Sisters of St. Joseph Legacy Award� Excellence in Clinical Practice Award

Ι (one for Borgess Medical Center, and one each for Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital, Borgess-Pipp Hospital, Borgess Gardens, Reverence Home Health & Hospice, and Borgess Ambulatory clinics/departments)

� Excellence in Clinical Practice Award Π

The monetary categories are:

� Scholarly Grant� Certification Grant� Certification Renewal Grant

Funds that are raised through the SilentAuction and Reception will support theFoBN Endowment Fund. The funds willbe used to continue recognizing nursingexcellence throughout Borgess Health,and to support future nursing educationand scholarships.

For information on the FoBN Silent Auction,contact Nancy Mora, RN, Borgess MedicalCenter, at (269) 226.4835 or emailnancymora@borgess.com. For informationon attending the FoBN awards reception,contact the Borgess Foundation at(269) 226.8100.

2015 Friends of Borgess Nursing Awards

Ajewelry sale and a booksale on April 16 and 17will benefit the Borgess

Medical Center Labor andDelivery Unit. Both sales aresponsored by BorgessVolunteer Services.

the Imagine Nation Book Salewill be held in the BorgessLawrence Education Center Rooms 123 & 124.

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,Thursday, April 16 and

8 a.m. to 2 p.m.,Friday, April 17.

the Silvique Jewelry Sale willbe held in the Borgess MedicalCenter cafeteria exit area:

10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday, April 16 and

7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, April 17.

Jewelry and Book salesApril 16 & 17 to benefit Labor & Delivery unit

REQuIRED PHISHING tRAINING-because of the ongoing dangers of phishing, a security training course–Phishing 101–is required of allAscension Health associates. It must be taken by June 15, 2015. Visit mylearning@ascension.org.

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She and her husbandraised three sons – all of themGorgeous Borgess Babies. One of her sons livesin Three Rivers and the other two live inChicago, where one is a physician.

“I love Borgess,” Dorothy said. “It’s almost likehome to me because this is where we’ve comeever since we’ve been in Kalamazoo. My hus-band had open-heart surgery here, and my boyswere born here.”

Celebrate volunteers

This year, National Volunteer Week is celebratedApril 12-18. It is an opportunity to highlight andthank the many people who volunteer their time,talent and service to countless organizations andcauses to benefit society.

“This year, we celebrate 125 years as a healthministry, and Borgess Volunteers have played amajor role in our mission to provide holistic,spiritually centered care,” said Julie Luginbill,manager, Borgess Volunteer Services. “The morethan 240 active volunteers do everything fromsewing and knitting blankets and hats for patientsto greeting visitors to offering companionship topatients and their families.

“Dorothy and volunteers like her,” Luginbill said,“are instrumental in steering the Borgess principleof connecting with people at various levels to fos-ter an environment for better healing.”

“There has not been one day where I didn’t wantto come to Borgess to volunteer,” Dorothy said.I remember once helping an elderly couple whowere from another country and who were losttrying to find a patient. They didn’t know whereto go. I showed them the way and took them upto the room. They were so happy and theyhugged me.

“That’s what being a Borgess Volunteer means,”she said. “It’s the compassion and it’s the people.

“It’s like home.”

For information on becoming a Borgess Volunteer,contact Volunteer Services at (269) 226.4882 or visitvolunteer.borgess.com.

Flowers& joyContinued from page 1

BORGESS HIStORyLearn more at a lunchtime brown bagSr. Sue McCrery, spiritual care specialist, Mission Integration, along with Larry andPriscilla Massie, (Larry is author of the new book about our history–Health Care Anew:The First 125 Years of Borgess Health) will share Borgess history at a series of brownbag lunches to be held throughout Borgess Health. After the presentations, Larry Massiewill sign purchased copies of the Borgess history book.

All brown bag lunches and book signings will be held from noon to 1 p.m.

April 21-Borgess Medical Center Lawrence Education Center Auditorium

April 23-Borgess-Pipp HospitalConference Room

April 27-Borgess-Lee Memorial HospitalCommunity Room

May 7-Borgess at Woodbridge HillsFamily Practice Lounge

May 14-Borgess Health ParkLarge Conference Room

Larry and Priscilla Massie

Health Care Anew: The First 125 Years ofBorgess Health is available for $9.95 at theBorgess Gift Shop. For additional informa-tion, visit history.borgess.com.

A copy of Health Care Anew:The First 125 Years ofBorgess Health, will be given away at each Brown Bag Lunch.

$5,000 scholarship offer from Capella university continues to Ascension Health associatesCapella university will continue offering a $5,000 scholarship for Ascension Health associates and immediate family members who begin a newdegree program between April and September 2015. For more information, visit Capella university @Capella.edu/Ascension.

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