Issue 239 SALEM VAMC July/August 2012 Just the Facts · 2012-07-16 · Salem VAMC “Just the Facts” Page 1 - July/August 2012 32ND VETERANS WHEELCHAIR GAMES IN RICHMOND More than

Salem VAMC “Just the Facts” Page 1 - July/August 2012

32ND VETERANS WHEELCHAIR GAMES IN RICHMOND More than 500 of America’s best wheelchair athletes, all disabled U.S. military Veterans, met in Richmond, Va., for the 32nd National Veterans Wheelchair Games June 25-30, 2012. VA and the Paralyzed Veterans of

America (PVA) present the games each year. They are a multi-event sports rehabilitation program open to U.S. military Veterans who use wheelchairs for sports competition due to spi-nal cord injuries, amputations or certain neurological problems, and who receive care at VA medical facilities or military treatment centers. Sports are important in the therapy used to treat many disabilities. For many injured Veterans, the games provide their first exposure to wheelchair athletics. Veterans competed in 17 differ-ent sports, including air guns, archery, basketball, bowl-ing, field, handcycling, nine-ball, a motorized wheel-chair relay, power soccer, quad rugby, softball, swim-ming, table tennis, track and field, trapshooting, weight-lifting and wheelchair slalom. For the third year, stand-up events were held in archery and table tennis for ath-letes who have amputations and choose to compete using prosthetic devices instead of their wheelchairs. Nine Salem VAMC employees assisted at the games in many different capacities: Dr. Miguel LaPuz (Director), Dr. Marueen McCarthy (Chief of Staff), Ryan Pleasants, Ginny Hoover, Jack Hooten, Belinda Lipes, Nancy Short, Tanyia Jones, and Rebecca Moore. Photos from top to bottom on this and page 2 by Nancy Short, OEF/OIF/OND Program Manager: 1) Veterans participate in the Archery competition. 2) Ms. Wheelchair Virginia, Stephanie Copeland, was there to cheer on the athletes. 3) Army Wounded Warrior Program Director Colonel T.M. Karcher and Delegate Joseph Morrissey con-gratulate the Bronze medal Power Soccer Team.

S A L E M VA M C Issue 239 July/August 2012

Just the Facts


(continued from page 1… Wheelchair Games in Richmond) 4) Wheelchair athletes race in the Track events. 5) Ginny Hoover (Voluntary Service), and Nancy Short (OEF/OIF/OND Program Manager),

with Iraq Veteran Randy Stone after he competed in Archery. 6) Veterans tested their strength, agility, and wheelchair handling skills during the Slalom Course. 7) Chief of Staff Dr. McCarthy congratulates Iraq Vet-eran Randy Stone on his Silver Medal for 9 Ball. Randy also won a Silver medal for Weightlifting. Thanks to all who helped make this event a success, and congratulations to every Veteran who participated!

Miguel H. LaPuz, MD, MBA Director


BRUCE SMITH VISITS SALEM VAMC Submitted by Ann Benois On July 11th, Salem VAMC was visited by Bruce Smith, former Defensive End for the Washington Red-skins and 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee; who signed autographs for Veterans, visitors, volunteers, and staff. About 150-200 Veterans and staff come over for autographs and photographs. Ashley Conner is shown with her baby shoes. One shoe had been signed when she was 2 years old and Mr. Smith had been a player at Virginia Tech. Sixteen years later, the matching shoe is now signed by the 2009 Hall of Fame inductee – what a great memory for this 18 year old!

SEVERE STORM—”DERECHO”—IMPACTS SALEM CBOCS A severe windstorm , called a derecho, hit our region on Friday evening, June 29th. Many homes and businesses were left without power for days. “The June 2012 Mid-Atlantic and Midwest derecho was one of the most destructive and deadly fast-moving severe thunderstorms in North American history. The progressive dere-cho tracked across a large section of the Mid-western United States and across the central Appalachians into the Mid-Atlantic States on the afternoon and evening of June 29, 2012, and into the early morning of June 30, 2012. It resulted in 22 deaths, widespread damage and millions of power outages across the entire affected region. The storm prompted the issuance of four separate severe thunderstorm watches by the Storm Pre-diction Center. A second storm in the late afternoon caused another watch to be issued.” (Wikipedia) While Salem VAMC remained fully operational, at one time three of the five Community Based Outpatient Clinics—Lynchburg, Staunton, and Danville, were shut down due to power outages. By July 9th, all were back in operation. Updates were shared with the local media and posted on our website www.salem.va.gov, and on our Facebook and Twitter sites. Be sure to check out these sites during any emergency. Thanks to all our Veterans, Volunteers, visitors, and staff for working together during this situation.

Fallen tree in the ballfield in front of Salem VAMC after the storm; photo by Ann Benois

EAT WISELY Submitted by Dr. Shannon Cohen On June 12th, information and resources about how to “Eat Wisely” was shared with Veterans, visitors, volunteers and staff; including a dis-play promoting the Health Promotion Disease Prevention (HPDP), MOVE weight management, and Wellness is Now (WIN) programs. Dr. Sarah Hartley is shown sharing information with Mr. Lloyd Bible.



ARCHIVES COMMITTEE WINS NATIONAL AWARD The Salem VAMC Archives Committee won 2nd place in the 2012 National Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Communications Awards in the Inno-vations category. Two other VISN 6 VAMCs also received awards: Durham won 3rd place in the Publications (Newsletter) category for their newsletter, “Insights;” and Hampton won 1st place in the Innovations category for their use of Facebook during Hurricane Irene. Salem VAMC’s Archives Committee, with the assistance of a Hollins Uni-versity intern and under the guidance of the VHA National Historian, was the first medical center in VISN 6 to implement and utilize a database to collect and archive documents and objects to preserve VA’s history for future gen-erations. This database has become an integral part of an ongoing effort to archive data at Salem VAMC. Given our collaboration with the VHA National Historian, we will be available as subject mat-ter experts to assist VA facilities nationwide. The Archives Committee was chartered in January 2010. The members of the Committee are Jace Walters (Co-Chair), Marian McConnell (Co-Chair), Megan Murray (Recorder), Shelby “Ann” Be-nois, Ronnie Kaplan, Jean Kennedy, Nathan Rivers, Stella “Jeanne” Wilson, and Susan DuGrenier (now retired). Excellent guidance was also provided by Darlene Richardson, VHA National Histo-rian, area museum curators, and local college archivists. Through the direction of Ms. Richardson, a formal affiliation was established with Hollins Univer-sity in order to pursue this endeavor with the assistance of an intern. Mary Ellen Apgar was ac-cepted as a Hollins University intern and initiated the archiving process during the four week term of her internship in January 2012. The committee chair worked closely on a daily basis with the intern while the Archives Committee met weekly during the timeframe to provide Ms. Apgar with steering guidance and support relevant to the VA, the Salem facility, and the long-range goals and parame-ters of this project. Together we explored the medical center’s various storage rooms and areas to assess the volume and type of items to be inventoried. During the four week interval, Ms. Apgar catalogued 1,027 items, which included photographs, newspaper articles, letters, leaflets, postcards, pamphlets, photo albums, and objects such as a 1934 general use key. Each item was subsequently entered into the new Excel database system to include detailed information about the item. Throughout the process, she and the Committee mem-bers provided constructive feedback to Ms. Richardson about the database tool to improve it for eventual national VA use. Our intent is to continue to seek out partnerships with local colleges, universities, museums, and high school summer youth programs in order to continue this best practice of utilizing internships to assist with this work.. This collaboration was found to be mutually beneficial as the intern was af-forded a historically rich environment in which to develop her archiving skills and we were able to provide the necessary guidance needed to bring the limited scope of her project to a successful con-clusion. Our goal was to find a system to inventory our significant archival items that could be imple-mented given existing resources. Due to the partnership with Hollins University and the guidance of the National VHA Historian, we accomplished this goal and can readily continue the process as new interns are enlisted. We met the difficult challenges by establishing an expandable, retrievable, user-friendly finding aid for future generations to identify and locate catalogued archive materials and other ephemera. Our ongoing goal is to continue to seek the assistance of interns to keep the momentum going. We are prepared to share our best practices and lessons learned with other VA facilities as they be-gin the immense task of preserving VA’s past, present, and future (which eventually becomes our past).


Salem VAMC has a Rural Health Team to provide information and education to Veterans in our catchment areas. The team is under Salem VAMC’s Primary Care Service Line, and works closely with Home Based Primary Care, Tele-medicine, Women’s Health, Mental Health, OEF/OIF/OND Co-ordinator, and other services. Recently the Team shared information about VA health care services at: the VFW Post in Cov-ington, Valley View Mall in Roanoke, the Community Health & Wellness Fair in Wytheville, the VFW Post in Hillsville, and the Piedmont Mall in Danville. Upcoming Rural Health Outreach Events: July 14—Martinsville, VA Farmer’s Market August 18—Welcome Home Car, Truck & Cycle Show in the field between Salem VAMC and

Virginia Veterans Care Center (VVCC) from 9a-3p More information and upcoming events open to the public are posted at www.salem.va.gov in the events calendar. If you would like to invite the Rural Health Team to an event or to speak with your organization, please contact Marian McConnell at (540) 855-3460 or email at [email protected].

JULY IS BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE MONTH Submitted by Dr. Shannon Cohen Are you thinking about adding more exercise to your daily rou-tine? Increasing your activity does not mean you have to join a gym. Some easy and fun ways to increase your activity include: dancing, gardening, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, park-ing farther away from buildings, getting off the bus before your stop, walking your dog, and taking short walk breaks during the day. Aim for at least 30 minutes of activity throughout the day and gradually increase the length of time you are active. Check with your health care team about the kind of physical activities right for you. Check out our free display in the main lobby on July 30th from 12:30-1:30p. AUGUST IS STRIVE FOR A HEALTHY WEIGHT MONTH Losing even a small amount of weight can lower your chances of developing heart disease, dia-betes, and high blood pressure. A team of health care providers is ready to help you lose weight and keep it off. You can learn how to lose weight safely and be healthy in our MOVE weight man-agement program. The MOVE program focuses on healthy eating, increasing physical activity, and changing your behavior. Ask your Primary Care team about joining MOVE today. Check out our free display in the main lobby on August 15th from 12:30-1:30p.


? ASK ETHEL? The Integrated Ethics Committee poses a question each month in Just the Facts. Questions and answers will address resources available to employees and other ethical Issues in the workplace. Customer centered agen-cies, like Salem VAMC in which improved customer service is important to the overall mission of quality health-care, tend to offer various opportunities for all employees which promote career and self growth. Answers will appear in the following month's issue. Employees are encouraged to submit questions to Ethics (122). Please include your name and extension if you want a personal response (all responses are confidential). June’s Question: Recently while providing an educational program in the lobby for Veter-ans, visitors and staff, another employee made some inappropriate remarks to us. What is the best way to handle this type of situation in front of Veterans and visitors? Answer: When engaged in group education and discussions, it is best to deflect or limit interaction with those who might make inappropriate comments. Do not be rude or angry or raise your voice. Stay calm and patient and indicate that the question/comment is not appropriate for the setting but you would be glad to ad-dress it individually after the session/event has concluded. Then continue on with the group education or event. Remember to always, no matter how challenging, stay (1) professional, (2) credible, and (3) appropri-ate. Seeking guidance from your Supervisor is another option which may aide you in processing the situation. July's Question: What is the role of the Director in the Ethics Committee?

VA POLICE ON SEGWAYS Submitted by Dale Hendley, VISN-6 Lead Police Chief Recently the Salem VA Police Service received two free Segways from the Salisbury VA Medical Center. Salisbury even transported the Segways up to us here at Salem at no ex-pense. Because of Salisbury’s generosity in looking out for their sister facility, the Salem VA Police are able to help in cost reduction by reducing the amount of vehicle fuel used by the officers while on shift and being a more visible Police Service to our patients, visitors and employees we serve when using the Segways. If you happen to see one of your VA Police Officers out and about on the Segways, I en-courage you to walk up and chat with them. Community relations is an important part of our service mission and we enjoy talking to all those we protect daily here at the facility. Pictured is Officer Norman Nicholson on one of the Segways.

DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE Submitted by S. Jeanne Wilson On April 17, the EEO Committee sponsored a Holocaust (word of Greek origin meaning "sacrifice by fire") National Days of Remembrance program featuring a talk by Dr. Gary Oberlender who spoke of his parents’ experiences during and after the Holocaust. A bulletin board was displayed in the main lobby for the entire week, and brochures and handouts were made available. In 1979, the U.S. Congress established Days of Remembrance as the Nation’s annual commemoration of the Holocaust and created the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum as a permanent living memorial to the vic-tims. This year, Holocaust Remembrance week was April 15-22. The Museum designated “Choosing to Act: Stories of Rescue” as the theme for the 2012 observance. in 1980, Congress unanimously passed legislation to establish the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, which oversees the Museum. In accordance with its con-gressional mandate, the Museum is responsible for leading the Nation in commemorating the Days of Re-membrance. The Holocaust was the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945. Jews were the primary victims—six million were murdered. Roma (Gypsies), people with disabilities, and Poles were also targeted for destruction or decima-tion for racial, ethnic, or national reasons. Millions more, including homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Soviet prisoners of war, and political dissidents also suffered grievous oppression and death.


SAFE PATIENT HANDLING (SPH) CORNER Submitted by Sonya Stokes, BSN, RN

JULY

SA FE PATIEN T HANDLING T IP

D ID YOU KNOW THAT A SIT TO STAND LIFT NOT ON LY LIGHTENS YOUR LOAD BU T GIVES PAT IENTS:

• More in d ependence and selfp art ic ipat ion

• Promo tes c ircu lation

• In creases jo int ran ge

• Im p ro ves c linica l outcomes

CAU TION: PATIEN T S M UST H AVE S OME W EIGH T‐B EARIN G ABILITY TO US E THES E L IFT S

VISN 6 LEADERS TOUR VCOM VA VISN 6 leadership toured the Ed-ward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) Blacksburg, Virginia campus re-search facilities on May 22nd, developing goals to strengthen and expand collabora-tion and medical student and resident ex-periences. Team collaboration focused on proc-esses to improve physician readiness and resources for the health of our returning Veterans. Left to Right, Photo by Alan Rawlins: Mehdi Kazemi, M.D., Salem VAMC Associate Chief of Staff-Education Jan M. Willcox, D.O. FACOFP, Vice Dean Virginia Campus, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medi-

cine Daniel Hoffmann, FACHE, VISN 6 Network Director Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, D.O., Dean and Executive Vice President, Edward Via College of Osteopathic

Medicine Maureen Fay McCarthy, M.D., Salem VAMC Chief of Staff Oliver Hayes, D.O, FACEP, Director of Medical Education, Lewis Gale Hospital-Montgomery Kirsten Funk, MPA, Salem VAMC Education Program Specialist Joe Gieck, PhD, Salem VAMC Education Psychologist Brian Wood, D.O., Salem VAMC Psychiatric Education Director and VCOM Neuropsychiatry and Be-

havioral Sciences Department Chair Miguel LaPuz, M.D., MBA, Salem VAMC Director


SAFETY MAKES A DIFFERENCE: GAS CONE? Submitted by Cary Schlitz, CIH, CSP Here's how the conversation must have gone: "Hey Bud, looks like all of our cones fell off somewhere. We've only got one left." "No problem, Joe ... just find something else bright to put up so we'll be safe." Y'know, I'm just not impressed with the innovative substitutions made by these guys. It's bad enough that they actually used a gas container as a cone, but what rocket scientist decided to put it exactly where it is most likely to be hit? Apparently these guys just don't understand the hazards involved in what they've done. So let's help 'em out by putting all the sound effects together to describe the potential outcome of this arrangement ... ready? Bang! Splash! Foon! Aaaaggghhhh! Then the sound of sirens blaring. You've got it. One big disaster waiting to happen. Folks, this situation is what I call a no-brainer. Before you use something for which it wasn't in-tended, step back and look at what you're doing to make sure it's safe. If it's not, use something else!

GOING GREEN—REDUCE PAPER USAGE Submitted by Robert Rossbacher Do not print it if you can store it electronically and the paper is not needed. If you must print a document, print 2-sided. This cuts paper usage almost in half.

CHANGE HAPPENS ONE STEP AT A TIME Submitted by Dr. Shannon Cohen, Photo by Ann Benois On June 20th, the Health Promotion Disease Pre-vention (HPDP) staff coordinated an event in the back stairwell of Building 143, across from the Pharmacy, to promote exercise and good health habits. A rib-bon cutting ceremony was held — Dr. LaPuz, Director is shown holding the scissors — to kick off the grand reopening of the stairs. About 65 employees “caught” taking the stairs within the facility during the last 10 days of June were rewarded with a Wellness Is Now (WIN) incentive.

FIRST-EVER WOUNDED WARRIORS DIRECTORY IS WIN-WIN FOR CONSUMERS AND VETERANS

The Wounded Warrior Veterans Directory at www.VeteransDirectory.com is the first and only online directory exclusively in business to help support and promote service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses. Check it out today!




PHARMACY REMINDER—MAIL OUT REFILLS Submitted by Heather McKee As we complete the first 60-days surrounding the modification of the Pharmacy Window Refill Policy, the Pharmacy service would like to thank everyone for your support of this proc-ess. As the chart below demonstrates, there has been a steady increase in our Consoli-dated Mail-Out Pharmacy (CMOP) service utilization over the last four months and we have reached the national goal of > 80%! At this time, we like to remind our providers, staff, and Veterans to continue reserving the Outpatient Pharmacy Window services for those patients who:

Urgently need to begin a new prescription(s) Discharged from the Emergency Department Inpatient Hospital Discharges Patients on Day Passes Other will be triaged on a case-by-case basis as they present to the consult room

Pharmacist.

Thank you for assisting us in accomplishing this goal by ordering medications for mail deliv-ery and ensuring the best use of our Pharmacy resources. For questions, please contact Dr. Pam Braun, Outpatient Pharmacy Supervisor, at (540) 982-2463, ext. 1216.



FACILITY ENHANCEMENTS/CONSTRUCTION NEWS Submitted by Wayne Johnson, FMS The construction fence is in place! Construction work will begin very soon for the Building 8 Addi-tion in the East Courtyard. The contractor has secured the necessary storm water management per-mit, and earthwork and demolition work will begin shortly. Demolition work is also set to begin in July for the water tower replacement project. Construction of the new tower will begin shortly after removal of the existing towers, which is expected to begin in July. Additional building projects which will continue during the July/August timeframe include: Renovation of Building 7, 2nd Floor for MHSL: Should be essentially completed. New Education Center in Building 75: Construction work will resume after completion of a sup-

plemental agreement for finish changes. Community Living Center Dining Room Addition: Construction procurement will continue. Replace HVAC System in Building 74: The Design/Build contract was awarded in June and de-

sign of the new system will initiate during the July/August timeframe. Renovate Building 17 for Rural Health Program: Design/Build procurement will continue.

Several energy, site-wide utility, or security projects will also progress as noted below during the July/August timeframe: Additional Energy Conservation Measures (light replacement, corridor roll-up doors, water heater

replacement, removable insulation covers for valves): Rollup door installation for corridor drive-through locations will initiate. Upgrades to Emergency Electrical System: Replacement of several Automatic Transfer

Switches for emergency electrical power will initiate. Replacement of Primary Electrical Feeders: Design effort will continue. Upgrade Underground Water Distribution System: The construction contract was awarded in late

June and the pre-construction process is underway. Upgrade and Modernize Utility Plant: Design procurement will continue. Site-Wide Security Fencing: Contract award received a protest, but construction will begin upon

resolution of the protest. Install Storm-Water Overflow for East Courtyard: Design will continue and construction procure-

ment will initiate. Projects which have recently been completed include: Roof work on Buildings 143, 144 (Chapel), and 146

(Chaplain’s Offices). This completes all currently con-tracted large-scale roof work. Buildings 74/75 Basement Corridor Floor Finish. Steam Distribution Corrections in the West Loop – sup-

plemental agreement work completed. Other smaller projects including phased renovation of the Canteen will continue as the schedule allows. A contract has also been awarded for completion of marquee signs, and contracts are in process for enhanced security of the Medical Center under emergency situations. Please avoid construction areas to the extent possible and we ask that you observe all construction signage and barriers for your own safety. If you observe any safety con-cerns, please report them immediately to Safety (Ext. 2292) or FMS (Ext. 2700).


COMPLIMENTS CORNER ☺ “I am pleased with Heather McKee’s service

in the Pharmacy. She is wonderful and has helped tremendously with getting my recently changed medications to me. She always gets medications mailed to me.”

☺ “I have had numerous x-rays here and also accompanied others. This is absolutely the friendliest, most efficient facility ever!”

☺ “I appreciate Megan Reed, LPN, in the Womens Health Clinic. Megan always goes above and beyond in helping me and others; she is one of the best at the VA.”

☺ “My compliments to the Oncology staff. I was recently diagnosed with cancer. I was given an appointment in the Oncology Clinic the next day. I was told a PET scan would be ordered and it was done quickly as well.”

☺ “During some recent health issues that I have had, I have been so impressed and apprecia-tive of all the medical advice and extra atten-tion I have received from Kenneth Ander-son, RN, and Dr. Suzanne Hanna. They have served me well and beyond! We also appreciate MyHealtheVet for communica-tion.”

☺ Veterans in the Specialized Inpatient PTSD Unit were highly complimentary of medical center staff; they noted how hard everyone worked after the storm to get things cleaned up and what a big job it had been. A number of them also said how grateful they are for being treated with such concern and respect by all the medical center staff. One Veteran said, “I feel people actually care about me and want to help me here.”

☺ “I just want to say that Mike Nicholas, PA, is an incredible person. He took such great care of my father. He is so kind and courte-ous, really knows what he is doing. I think you need more people on your staff like him.”

☺ “Monica [last name not provided} is so sweet and kind and really helped my father out so much!”

☺ Veteran filled out a “quick card survey” about his appointment with Dr. McLeod on May 14. Veteran complimented Dr. McLeod and his staff for their bedside manners and overall professionalism. Veteran stated it took him a long time to trust the VA enough to become a patient, and now he is very satisfied with the care he receives here.

☺ “Compliments for having such capable and committed personnel. Special thanks to An-nie Grause for her assistance twice—you are the cog of the wheel as resource, liaison, and coordinator. To Nicki Campbell for an-swering questions and concerns, faxing ap-plication documents to enroll my husband, and for getting him an appointment so quickly. Thanks to Bill Barksdale at the Roanoke VARO who assisted her with Aid & Attendance benefits.”

☺ “Thanks to Carolyn Parker who assisted me and my husband in the My HealtheVet Con-nection. Carolyn is a jewel and gave me a whole new outlook on the VA.”

☺ “I am very pleased with your facility. Espe-cially my surgical care. My last surgery was performed by Dr. Dockery. All staff—surgeons, anesthesiologists, residents from UVA, RN’s, were all wonderful and kind to me during my hospital stay.”

☺ “From the time my wife and I entered the medical center everyone was kind and help-ful to us. Everyone was very professional. Respect and courtesy were shown to us.”

☺ “Hats off to Ryan Pleasants and Terri McGuigan for the fabulous job with the Sum-mer Carnival. As I walked around and spoke with Veterans and Volunteers it was evident how much all enjoyed this event. The com-plexity of the event and the smooth way in which it ran speaks volumes to the high qual-ity work you provide each and every day.”


EVENTS CALENDAR—2012 Also see www.salem.va.gov Events Calendar and Employees can view Intranet Events Calendar

Jul 4 Independence Day Holiday

Jul 6-12 Alzheimer’s Awareness Week

Jul 8-14 National Therapeutic Recreation Week

Jul 13 Night Tour Employees—Breakfast with the Director from 4-5 am

Jul 21 Veterans Administration Created in 1930—82 years ago; we are now the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Jul 24 Employees Town Hall Meeting from 11:30-12:30 in the Auditorium (Bldg. 5)

Jul 26 4th Annual Operation Christmas Pet from 9a-4p in parking lot next to Canteen Bldg. 4

Jul 30 Be Physically Active—Display in Main Lobby of Bldg. 143 from 12:30-1:30p

August National Immunization Awareness Month Cataract Awareness Month Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month MedicAlert Month Neurosurgery Outreach Month Psoriasis Awareness Month

Aug 5-11 National Health Center Week Assistance Dog Week

Aug 7 Purple Heart Day

Aug 15 Strive for a Healthy Weight display in the Main Lobby (Bldg. 143) from 12:30-1:30p

Aug 18 2012 Welcome Home Car, Truck & Cycle Show from 9a-3p in the field between Salem VAMC and VVCC

Aug 23 Health Unit Coordinator Day

Aug 26 Women’s Equality Day

Aug 28 DMV2GO Mobile Unit from 9a-4p in Parking Lot S across from Bldg. 76

Aug 7 Diversity Day Celebration from 9a-2p in the Auditorium Bldg. 5

REPORTING SAFETY & QUALITY ISSUES Submitted by Quality Management Anyone may report safety and quality of care issues to the Joint Commission (TJC); and any criminal activity, waste, abuse, mismanagement, as well as safety issues may be reported to the Office of Inspector General (OIG). (Concerns can be reported without fear of retaliation or disciplinary action against a reporting employee.) The Joint Commission (TJC): Office of Quality Monitoring, The Joint Commission One Renaissance Blvd. Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 Phone: 1-800-994-6610 Fax: 1-630-792-5636 Email: [email protected] OIG: VA OIG Hotline PO Box 50410 Washington, DC 20091-0410 Phone: 1-800-488-8244 Fax: 1-202-565-7936 Email: [email protected]

JUST THE FACTS The newsletter is published around the 1st of each month. If you have ideas for Just the Facts articles (250 words or less), photos, or suggestions, please con-tact Marian McConnell at (540) 982-2463, Ext. 1400; or email [email protected] at least 10 days before the first of the month. Remember, you can read current and past issues on the Salem VAMC Intranet home-page. Disclaimer: We reserve the right to edit/condense articles and information as appropri-ate. We will make every attempt to notify the author(s) first. Posted online under “Resources” at:

www.salem.va.gov

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Issue 239 SALEM VAMC July/August 2012 Just the Facts · 2012-07-16 · Salem VAMC “Just the Facts” Page 1 - July/August 2012 32ND VETERANS WHEELCHAIR GAMES IN RICHMOND More than