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JubileeCar Winners

Ecstatic— Page 3

INSIDE

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

Real Tim

e…08.30.17

VACAVALLEY HOSPITAL TURNS 30!

Party Honors Pioneers, Unveils Art Project

NorthBaySues KaiserOver Lossof Millions

Senior leaders pose with a number of NorthBay VacaValley Hospital “Pioneers” during an anniversary celebration Aug. 23.

See PARTY, Page 10

New Hires 2Open Staff is Coming 2Recipe Winner 5Learning Just Culture 6Tennis, Anyone? 7#OurDocTalk 9Change in Flu Clinics 12

See KAISER, Page 8

In the wake of failed media-tion efforts, NorthBay Healthcare on Monday asked a federal court in San Francisco to force Kaiser Foundation Health Plan to equi-tably pay for emergency care its members receive in NorthBay’s two hospitals.

Taking an aggressive posture, the lawsuit argues that Kaiser’s health plan, hospitals and physi-cian group is conspiring to deny or underpay NorthBay “in an effort to monopolize health care and insurance service markets in Solano County.”

NorthBay is seeking to protect

More than 100 well-wishers — including senior executive lead-ers, employees, physicians and board members — turned out to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the opening of NorthBay VacaVal-ley Hospital last week, enjoying cake, honor-ing the facility’s pioneers and getting a first glimpse of an his-torical art poster project now on display in the first-floor corridor.

The hospital first opened its

doors on July 1, 1987, and 22 individuals who were there that day still work for North-Bay Healthcare and were

honored as the facility’s “Pioneers.”

“We wouldn’t be here today if not for the amazing contribution of

our employees,” said Aimee Brewer, presi-

dent of NorthBay Hospital Group. “It’s especially aston-

ishing how many of you here today were with us back then.

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TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

Sean AllainSecurity Officer ISecurity, NorthBay Medical Center

Alexander Del RioSecurity Officer ISecurity, NorthBay Medical Center

Justin Joseph DominguesBiomedical TechnicianPlant MaintenanceNorthBay Medical Center

Loretta GaddiesPatient Access Ambassador IAdmitting, VacaValley Hospital

Nathaniel MarfilSecurity Officer ISecurity, NorthBay Medical Center

Marisella RomaineWeekend Administrative CoordinatorClilnical Support ServicesNorthBay Medical Center

Ashley Anne ShrumPatient Services RepresentativeNorthBay Pain Center

Marcus WallSecurity Officer ISecurity, NorthBay Medical Center

HR Night OwlsVisit Sept. 6

1 to 3 a.m. VacaValley HospitalKen McCollum, Tina Jackson, Bob Armijo

3 to 5 a.m. NorthBay Medical CenterKen McCollum, Diane Urbano, Becky Lessler

Familiar Face Selected to LeadAcute Care on Unit 1800

Evelyn Silag, R.N., has been named clinical manager of Acute Care Unit 1800 at NorthBay Medical Center, announced Tracey Clifton, R.N., director of Medical-Surgical Services.

Evelyn attended nursing school in the Philippines and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1978.

In 1989, several years after moving to the United States, she began working on the telemetry unit at NorthBay Medical Center. She has been a clinical nurse IV on Unit 1800 for the past 15 years.

Evelyn was named to the All Star team in 2007. Her

coworkers described her as an excellent team player, caregiver, resource nurse, educator, advocate, leader and most of all, an ideal role model.

“Evelyn has supported the unit by stepping into the role of interim manager several

times during her tenure on 1800, once in 2010 and again in March of this year,” said Tracey.

In her 28 years at NorthBay, Evelyn’s leadership has helped recruit, mentor and nurture many nurses, noted Tracy.

“She is a loyal and trusted member of our team. Please join me in welcoming Evelyn to her new role.”

Evelyn Silag, R.N.

Mark Your Calendar for Open StaffOpen Staff meetings take place next month. This is

your chance to hear NorthBay Healthcare President/CEO Konard Jones discuss the latest news about our organization.

All employees are invited to attend the meeting most convenient to them.

Friday, Sept. 15: VVH Café Conf. Room 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 19Hilborn Admin Bldg. Conf. Room 229AB, 2:30 p.m.Wednesday, Sept. 20: NBMC Annex Rooms 3/4

7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., and 3:30 p.m.Monday, Sept. 25, GVAC Conf. Room 154

9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

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What do you do when you win a brand new car, but don’t really need it? “Pay it forward,” said PJ Goodson.

That’s what PJ and her hus-band, Ray, did when they found out they won the Grand Prize in the Solano Wine & Food Jubilee’s Raffle: a choice of either a 2017 Nissan Altima, Buick Verano or Hyundai Sonata, courtesy of Rami Yanni, general manager of the Vacaville Buick GMC, Hyun-dai, Nissan and Dodge dealer-ships.

“We gifted the winning ticket to our son, Chase, and his wife, Tara (Sharifzadeh),” PJ explained. “We really didn’t need one; we had just inherited a car from Ray’s father, and our other chil-dren had just bought new cars.”

The timing couldn’t have been better for Tara, a Financial Ac-count Rep with NorthBay Health at Home, and Chase, Help Desk Support Specialist for NorthBay Healthcare’s IT department.

“Chase and I had said that once I finished my master’s pro-gram, it would be time to look for a new car,” Tara explained. After all, the one she had been driving since high school — a 2001 Nis-san Pathfinder — had served her

well all these many years.And, as fate would have it,

the night the winning ticket was pulled was also the night the Goodsons were gathered to celebrate Tara’s graduation from that University of California, Davis, master’s program. They only learned of PJ’s good fortune when friends — who saw the win-ning ticket pulled on Facebook live — started calling on their cell phones.

“I bought a raffle ticket at Open That Bottle Night, and then forgot all about it,” PJ explained.

“We wanted to support NorthBay; we’re so grateful to have them in our community. NorthBay has had a huge impact on the Goodson’s overall health, in fact, they’ve kept us alive and kicking after several successful surger-ies, and NorthBay continues to give back by supporting our local business, The Landmark Image. But, who buys a ticket expecting they’re actually going to win?”

So, how will Ray and PJs gift be paid forward? “We’re hoping the car is large enough for grand-children,” PJ said with a wink.

Jubilee CarWinner Keeps It

in the Family

Enthusiastic new car owners Chase Goodson, a NorthBay Healthcare IT Help Desk sup-port specialist (left to right), and Tara Sharifzadeh, NorthBay Health at Home financial account representative, show off their new Nissan Pathfinder, gifted to them from Chase’s parents, PJ and Ray Goodson, who won the grand prize at the Solano Wine & Food Jubilee.

Timing Perfect for NorthBay Couple

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Handing OutHelmets AplentyNorthBay Healthcare Trauma Program Outreach Coordinator Brenna Benjamin (in red) and Heather Venezio, Trauma Program director (in purple), share information and hand out bicycle helmets to Fairfield students during a Back-to-School Resource Fair at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Fairfield in early August.

DonationsHelp Fill UpBackpacks

SecondhandRose HostsFinal Sales

NorthBay Healthcare employees Vicquita Valezquez, Teri Bartoli and Tim Johnson drop in on Padan Elementary School in Vacaville to present Principal Cecily Rodda and students (left to right) Mimi Nguyen, Jesus Alcantara Ventura, Anerae Remiles and Mya Lightfoot with back-to-school supplies collected during a NorthBay “Fill-the-Am-bulance” fundraiser in August. A delivery was also made to Fairview Elementary School in Fairfield. Both schools are part of NorthBay’s Adopt-a-School program.

Everything is on sale at Secondhand Rose Thriftique in downtown Vacaville, now that the shop, operated by the NorthBay Guild, is closing on Sept. 30, said Jane Hilliard, director of Volunteer Services.

Bargain-hunters will find that household and décor items, all clothing and jewelry has been reduced by 50 percent.

Store fixtures will go on sale Sept. 1. Everything in the entire store will be reduced to 75 percent off starting Sept. 4, and after Sept. 18, whatever is left will be just $1.

The last day the Thrifique will accept donations is on Aug. 31, Jane noted.

Store hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

For information, call 451-0462.

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Donation for Cancer CenterMore than 100 blankets (above) were donated to NorthBay Cancer Center patients by the Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s “Someday is Today,” project and Subaru of Fairfield, through their Loves to Care drive, says Magi Philpot, oncology social worker. Posing are (back row, left to right) Fran Iyer, Louise Henry, Magi Philpot, Dr. Jessica Powers and Dana Carlson and (front row) Devin Robinette and Athena Pollintan.

Winning Vegan Recipe Lightens Up LasagnaLETITIA’S PLANTAIN LASAGNA

The winner for the September recipe contest at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital is Letitia Goodjoint, a member of the Performance Excellence team. September’s contest had a diabetes-friendly theme and Goodjoint’s receipe for Plantain Lasagna fit the bill.

“This looks like a yummy recipe, and it’s nice to feature a vegan option,” noted NorthBay Registered Dietition Laura Hitt. “Plantains are used to replace pasta. Doing this lowers the carbohydrate content of the dish compared to a traditional lasagna. And the beans and veggies add fiber to the dish.”

Kerry Harris, nutrition services manager at VacaValley Hospital, noted that the recipe is a Puerto Rican dish called Pastelon.

5 - 6 large ripe plantains 1 medium onion chopped 1 red bell pepper chopped 3 cloves of minced garlic 1 teaspoon cumin spice 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon of dried or fresh thyme ½ -1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tomatoes chopped or 1 cup tomato sauce 2 -16 ounce cans black beans drained and rinsed (one can of beans may be substituted for a plant-based meat, if desired.) 1/4 cup sliced black olives 2 -3 green onion, chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 tablespoons water 2 cup daiya vegan cheese 2-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Cut both ends off the plantain. Slit a shallow line down the long seam; peel only as deep as the peel and remove peel. Slice horizontally into 4-5 pieces. Fry or bake the plantains.

Spray a baking sheet and place plantains in a single layer; spray lightly with canola oil spray and bake at 400 degrees (turning over slices after 8 minutes) for about 12- 20 minutes or till plantains turn slightly brown.

Add about 1-2 tablespoons of oil to a skillet followed by onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, saute for a minute.

Add bell pepper, tomato sauce, bring to a simmer, add meat and/or beans and cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add water as needed.

Add olives, green onions and cilantro, ad-just for seasoning. Remove and set aside.

Spray a deep 8x8 pan with cooking spray or rub with butter/oil. Line the bottom of the pan with cooked plantains, leaving no space.

Add a layer of bean mixture. Alternate plantains and seasoned bean mixture until both are used up. Add daiya cheese if de-sired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

6

Last ChanceTo Sign Up

for R2D2

In keeping with our “Eyes on 2020” strategic plan, NorthBay Healthcare has trained 23 team members to serve as “Just Cul-ture” Champions, reports Mary Dickey, director of Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management.

The champions will serve as mentors to directors, manag-ers and supervisors as NorthBay begins to educate and implement Just Culture principles.

What is Just Culture? “As defined by Outcome Engenuity it means a system of justice — both investigatory and disciplin-ary action — that reflects system design, human free will, and our inescapable human fallibility,” explains Mary.

“That means as an organi-zation, we recognize our work environment involves people and systems. Systems can break down and people can make er-rors,” she said.

Just Culture establishes a system of workplace account-ability that helps the team learn from system failures and human errors to create a better working environment for staff and a great place to receive care for patients.

To become a Culture of Patient Safety, NorthBay will:w Align our values and expec-

tations with our mission, vision

and goals;w Create better systems that

have built-in redundancies to reduce errors;w Make better behavioral

choices as physicians and staff;w Refrain from drifting from

established protocols;w Learn to systematically

learn. (Create processes so that we can learn from our mistakes and insure that knowledge is shared with everyone); andw Find justice. (Look at every

situation through a standardized lens and treat everyone justly, fairly, and consistently.)

Those trained to be Just Culture champions include Mary

Dickey, Ken McCollum, Jennifer Ha, Rhonda Martin, Joan For-bush, Diane Urbano, Bob Armijo, Jim Bollig, Terese Davis, Mary Dugbartey, Wanda Fletcher, Dr. William Fulton, Louise Henry, Tina Jackson, Tyler Jobson, Katie Lydon, Yolanda Nunez-Bonomo, Niki Petersen, Sandy Piedra, Ryan Seo, Kat Shafer, Brad Vas-concelles, Rachelle Hunter and Eileen Smith.

Management training will be offered later this year by trainers Mary Dickey, Jennifer Ha, Terese Davis, Tina Jackson, Tyler Job-son, Katie Lydon, Niki Petersen, and Kat Shafer. Staff training will begin in the first quarter of 2018.

Champions Embrace ‘Just Culture’Team Will Mentor

Program’s Introduction

Just Culture champions trained this year included (front row, left to right) Katie Lydon, Louise Henry and Sandy Piedra and (back row, left to right) Jim Bollig, Kathleen Shafer, Wanda Fletcher, Dr. William Fulton, Niki Peterson, Tina Jackson, Tyler Jobson, Terese Davis, Bob Armijo, Yolanda Nunez-Bonomo, Brad Vasconcelles, Mary Dugbarty and Ryan Seo.

There are only a few weeks left to sign up for NorthBay Healthcare’s sixth Annual Ride to Defeat Diabetes (R2D2), scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 10.

If you wait until the day of the event, registration price increases. For now, the 10-

mile ride is $15 for those ages 13 and up; it is free for children age 12 and under. There is a $45 registration fee for the 25-mile ride, and the 60-mile ride registration fee is $70. T-shirts, a raffle ticket, lunch and refresh-ments will be provided for registered riders. Sign up at www.NorthBay.org/r2d2.

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Some of the best up-and-coming men’s professional tennis players in the nation will com-pete for the $100,000 purse in the NorthBay Healthcare Men’s Championship Oct. 7-15 at So-lano Community College.

The tournament benefits the Dr. Chris Cammisa Tennis and Educational Foundation, an orga-nization that supports the athletic teams at SCC and also introduces tennis and a related educational program to underserved youths in Solano County. It is the final leg of the worldwide ATP Chal-lenger Tour’s swing through

NorthBay Sponsors Tennis TourneyNorthern California for 2017.

NorthBay Healthcare came on-board as the title sponsor this year, honoring the legacy of Dr. Cammisa, who served as its chairman in the department of family practice. He also was chief medical officer at Partnership Health Plan from 1999 to 2010 before his passing in June 2014.

Several NorthBay physicians will comprise the medical team

that will staff the tourna-ment.

The event features a Pro-Am Tour-nament where local players

can team up with a professional in friendly competition.

A limited supply of tickets for the nine-day tournament will be available to NorthBay employees. Youngsters can apply to be ‘ball kid,’ working on the courts during the tournament.

Watch FYI for more details.

Massage Deal ContinuesRespiratory Fit Clinics End Aug. 31

Annual Respiratory Fit Testing clinics end tomorrow, Aug. 31. It is a requirement for all employees who enter isolation rooms.

The compliance date for this condition of employment is Oct. 31. Anyone who does not come to a clinic will need to visit Occupational Health for fit testing prior to that date.

If you have questions about the test, please call Employee Health at 646-4699.

TESTING AVAILABLE AT:VacaValley Wellness Center,

Room 15011020 Nut Tree Road, Vacaville

Aug. 30.NorthBay Medical Center,

Medical Staff OfficeConference Room

1200 B. Gale Wilson Blvd., FairfieldAug. 31.

All clinics are 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Do you ever feel like you need a break? Like you could use a massage? Now you can get both, thanks to a gener-ous offer from NorthBay HealthSpring Fitness.

HealthSpring’s massage therapy staff is offering some great discounts to all NorthBay Healthcare employees.

If an employee is already a member of HealthSpring, they will receive 15 percent off the current member rates. If they are not a member, they will receive the current HealthSpring member rate.

The offer is available for all types of massages, starting Aug. 1, through the end of the year.

Massage styles include Swedish, deep tissue, sports massage and trigger point/myofascial. Check out the web-site at HealthSpringFitness.org/services/massage-therapy for rates.

High-Intensity Boxing Classes OfferedDoes your workout need a one-two punch to get you

to that next level? Consider a new high-intensity, interval-training boxing class being offered at NorthBay Health-Spring Fitness this fall, says Chrisi Blackman, programs and group fitness manager.

The cost is $150 per member. Twice-a-week classes are scheduled to run for four weeks.

Two sessions will be offered: from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays with Megan Thiedeman, and from 11 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Andre Marc. Sign up at the front desk.

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NorthBay Sues Kaiser ... (From Page 1)

Commenting on Legal Matters

its patients, and to ensure that it will continue to provide services to health care consumers in So-lano County, according to Presi-dent and CEO Konard Jones.

Until September 2016, Kaiser had an agreement with North-Bay Healthcare that provided a contractually agreed upon dis-count on emergency and hospital services. But even under that contract, the lawsuit alleges, Kaiser underpaid for services to the tune of well more than $1.5 million.

Kaiser then terminated the contract. Since 2016, Kaiser has failed to reimburse NorthBay for more than $21.7 million for emergency services that North-Bay was required to provide to Kaiser members, the lawsuit states.

Underpaying NorthBay is “par-ticularly pernicious given the role NorthBay plays in treating indi-gent Solano County residents,” the lawsuit notes. For instance, in 2015, NorthBay provided more than $56.02 million in care to patients who could not afford it. During that time, Kaiser provided $5.48 million in charity care to local residents. Meanwhile, its corporate financial report showed net income of $1.9 billion.

Konard explained, “As we are the safety net that catches and cares for all those who do not have insurance or cannot afford insurance — many of whom Kai-ser does not accept — our ability to provide and grow emergency care and advanced services is greatly reduced by Kaiser’s fail-ure to equitably reimburse us.

“NorthBay has provided ex-cellent care to many Kaiser enrollees who have faced life-threatening emergencies,” Ko-

nard said. “We simply seek to be fairly compensated for providing those services. Everyone loses when competition is stifled by unlawful and mean-spirited busi-ness tactics.”

Other California hospitals have been forced to sue Kaiser to try to obtain fair compensation for services rendered — costing not only local not-for-profit hospitals millions of dollars in attorneys’ fees, but also costing California taxpayers for the time and ex-pense spent by the courts resolv-ing these disputes.

The lawsuit also lays out instances in which Kaiser has sought to steer emergency room patients to or away from Kaiser hospitals based not on health conditions, but on Kaiser’s finan-cial incentives.

For instance, the lawsuit claimed, “Last year a Kaiser en-rollee was involved in a serious car-vs.-pedestrian accident in So-

lano County. Instead of sending the patient to the closest capable emergency facility — NorthBay’s Fairfield facility, thus obligating Kaiser to reimburse NorthBay for providing care to one if its en-rollees — Kaiser transferred the patient more than 13 miles north of NorthBay to Kaiser’s Vacaville facility. The patient’s unnecessar-ily longer route to trauma care contributed to his injuries and the patient ultimately died.”

Among other demands in the lawsuit, NorthBay Healthcare seeks:w Damages for Kaiser’s viola-

tions of anti-trust laws;w Damages to compensate for

losses sustained as a result of Kaiser’s conduct, which is ongo-ing and currently totals more than $21.7 million;wA new equitable agreement

for future services between NorthBay and Kaiser; andw Reasonable litigation costs.

NorthBay Healthcare strives to be transparent in our business operations by sharing information with employees whenever possible.

Our legal counsel agreed that we should share details of the Kaiser lawsuit in this publication because of the potential for media coverage. As a reminder, it is NorthBay’s policy that employees should not comment on, or discuss, ongoing legal matters, including sharing information in e-mails, social media and other internal and external channels.

Thank you for your discretion and adherence to the policy. If you have any questions, or if someone asks you about the legal matter, please direct all queries to Steve Huddleston, NorthBay Healthcare Vice President of Public Affairs, at (707) 646-3300.

9

Surgeon Answers Concussion Questions

ACI Specialty Benefits, the provider of NorthBay Health-care’s Employee CORE Wellness program, has made a business decision to exit the employee wellness business effective Fri-day, Sept.1.

“We have been evaluating al-ternative wellness programs, but due to 2018 budget uncertainties we don’t have a replacement,” said Ken McCollum, vice presi-dent of Human Resources.

Employees will have access to their CORE Wellness accounts until 11:59 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 31, after which time the web-site will go dark. All incentive program points need to be re-deemed for raffle tickets by noon on that date. Third Quarter Cash Raffle winners will be drawn at 1 p.m.

“For your records, please visit the CORE Wellness Dash-board to access and print all of

your reports, including the PHA Report and your biometric data if you participated in the bio-metric screening program,” Ken added. Your reports can be found under the HEALTH tab on the dashboard.

Wellness Coordinator Jamie Boasso will continue to pro-vide onsite events, department wellness breaks and individual employee wellness coaching until further notice.

CORE Wellness Program Closing Accounts Aug. 31

Striking a blow against con-cussions, the latest #OurDocTalk focused on educating parents of young athletes, information on how soon it’s safe to resume activity after a concussion, and the potential long-term impacts of brain injury.

NorthBay Healthcare Trauma Medical Director and Surgeon J. Peter Zopfi, D.O., fielded a half dozen questions from followers on the NorthBay Facebook page during the half-hour chat.

“Should soccer players be al-lowed to head the ball?” asked one person.

“Yes, depending on their age,” Dr. Zopfi noted. “Children under 12 years of age should not head the ball. Beginning at 12 years of age, they should be taught the proper technique for heading and then slowly advance their skills in competition.”

One Facebook fan asked about a child with a concussion. “How long after a concussion should you wait before resuming normal activity?” she asked.

“He should follow a gradual re-turn to play format supervised by a medical professional trained in concussion management,” wrote

Dr. Zopfi. “Most initial concus-sions require seven to 10 days before resuming physical activity and only after resolution of all concussion-related symptoms.

A few of the questions focused on understanding the potential long-term impact of concussions.

“In light of the brain damage now being found in NFL players, what are the potential long-term effects of concussions sustained in two auto crashes 50 years ago?” asked one.

“Long-term effects would de-pend on the severity of the initial

concussions,” noted Dr. Zopfi. “If 50 years has transpired and no significant symptoms have devel-oped, the likelihood of permanent damage is less but not complete-ly zero.”

The text of the chat is still available on the NorthBay Face-book page (Facebook.com/North-BayHealthcare) and a transcript will be posted soon on NorthBay.org.

The next #OurDocTalk chat will be scheduled toward the end of September. Watch FYI for details.

Dr. Peter Zopfi fields questions about concussions on NorthBay’s Facebook page from the keyboard of his office.

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Party ...(From Page 1)

We love to hear you share those amazing stories and we want to honor you today.”

As she announced their names, pioneers came forward to receive a special gift — a luxuri-ous NorthBay Healthcare blanket — and take a photo for posterity.

NorthBay President and CEO Konard Jones discussed the his-tory of the hospital, which re-ally began with fundraising in 1985, noting that at one time, nurses there wore starched white uniforms, carpeting was in the

VacaValley Pioneers (at left) Nancy Juarez and Patricia Hayes share a hug. Beverly Lewko (above) is happy with her blanket. Tony Molina brought a remnant from the hospital’s fifth anniversary.

Once the speeches were over, the line formed for cake, punch and water tumblers.

President and CEO Konard Jones shares some of the hospital’s history with a room packed with employees, board members, and senior leaders.

See PARTY, Page 11

11

hallways, and smokers could light up a cigarette on the unit.

“Yes, we’ve come a long way in 30 years,” he said with a smile.

Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Traci Duncan shared the history of the rest of the campus, starting with the VacaValley Health Plaza which opened in 1989, fol-lowed by the Surgery Center in 2006, and the VacaValley Wellness Center in 2016.

All of the major milestones were covered in a four-poster art project that was un-veiled and later placed in the hospital cor-ridor. Created by NorthBay Senior Designer Dan Fowler and the Public Affairs team, it includes many historical photos and mile-stones from the campus’ history.

Water tumblers with the NorthBay Healthcare logo were given to all guests who attended, and handed out at two other celebrations for later shifts.

Party ... (From Page 10)

Vice President and Chief Quality Officer Nicole Brocato (left) checks out a historical art project with Carol Damman.

A historical four-poster art project is now on display in the main corridor on the first floor of NorthBay VacaValley Hospital.

Employees from througout the hospital, from Patient Access (at left) to nursing (above, left) turned out to celebrate NorthBay VacaValley Hospital’s 30th anniversary, including pioneer Pat Carter (right).

12

TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

09.04.17 Labor Day holiday09.05.17 Retirement Plan Meetings — GVAC Room 15409.06.17 Retirement Plan Meetings — VVHP Suite 29009.07.17 Retirement Plan Meetings — Penn Tab lobby09.10.17 Ride to Defeat Diabetes, VacaValley Hospital campus09.15.17 Open Staff Meetings — VacaValley Hospital09.19.17 Open Staff Meetings — Hilborn Admin Bldg.09.20.17 Open Staff Meetings — NorthBay Medical Center09.25.17 Open Staff — Green Valley Conference Center

Evidence Shows Nursing Symposiuma Real Success

Flu prevention is more conve-nient this year for both staff and CPC patients, thanks to changes in how the vaccine is delivered.

Employee Health plans to bring the shot to employees, rather than asking them to line up at flu clinics. Beginning Mon-day, Sept. 4, flu vaccines will be offered by Employee Health on “rolling rounds” throughout the organization. All three shifts will be covered at the hospitals and each ambulatory/office build-ing will receive visits, according to Wanda Fletcher, R.N., clinical manager of NorthBay Occupa-tional Health.

At the Center for Primary Care, drive-through flu clinics will be replaced by walk-in flu clinics at Care ‘til 8 in Fairfield and Vacaville for patients only. This year, there are no free flu clinics for the general public.

For NorthBay Healthcare em-ployees, obtaining a flu shot or signing a waiver by Oct. 31 is a condition of employment. Each

New Plan: Flu Shots Are Coming to Employeesvaccinated employee will receive two badge stickers that indicate they have received the shot. Those who decline the vaccine will be required to wear a mask in patient care areas during flu season – Nov. 1 to March 31.

Employee Health strives to be “paper free” this year, with all vaccination forms available elec-tronically. The declination form is also electronic and can be signed

during rolling rounds. Those who receive their flu vaccination elsewhere are asked to scan their proof and email it to Employee Health.

Watch ShareSpace for a calen-dar featuring rolling flu rounds. If you miss the opportunity to be vaccinated at work, you are welcome to come to Employee Health between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

NorthBay’s Evidence-Based Practice & Nursing Research Symposium attracted hundreds of participants to the Green Valley Administration Center Aug. 25. The Clinical Nurse organizing committee included (left to right) Natalie Correll-Yoder, Greg Hervey, Jennifer Tudor, Lisa Torgerson, Ceferina Tello, Elisa Jang, Angeli Rivero, Carolina Barrero, Sandy Twyman, Shawnee Laiwa-McKay, and Alden Canlas. The theme for the symposium was Building an Evidence-based Practice Culture on the Front Line. Keynote speaker was Cynthia Bautista, associate professor at the Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut.