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Home » Archives for 10/2015 - The Profile Edition

Employee Survey Coming in October

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Online_Survey

This year’s Employee Survey is coming to your email in October. Just as patient satisfaction is important to PVMC, staff satisfaction is also a main priority. We have been working hard to make PVMC an even better place to work; take the survey to let us know if we have been successful. Your response is anonymous and fully confidential. Please keep an eye out for a message from ivantagehealth.com.

If you have questions or need a Spanish survey, contact Cynthia Reeves at creeves@pvmc.org. or by calling extension 1552.

 

 

 

A Special Thank You for the ED

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blue-thank-you-note

The following email was sent to Wendy Colon from a former patient who arrived in the ED:

Ms. Colon,

I was on a business trip last Monday the 28th from Nashville to Denver. I had received a myelogram Friday, and thought I had recovered sufficiently for the trip. Halfway through the flight I found out I was wrong, and ended up with the most excruciating headache, nausea, and overall  weakness I’ve ever felt. I ended up in the Platte Valley Emergency room, and was attended to by Dr. Ryan Klemt, and a staff full of professional, friendly, compassionate team members I have ever met.

After finding out I wasn’t from the area, they went out of their way to make me feel “at home” as much as you could under those circumstances. They took care of me in about 3 hours, gave me several medications, and I ended up sleeping the rest of the day in my hotel room.

After waking up the following day, and heading towards a meeting I was to attend, I had another re-occurrence  of the same issue. I called the emergency room, arrived, and was readmitted. This time a “blood patch” was performed, which solved the problem. Again, everyone I encountered was extremely nice, professional and truly cared about their profession.

Although I wasn’t able to attend any of the day and a half meetings I was scheduled for, I ended up meeting a team of professionals,  who truly made a difference to me in my time of need.

I’ve cast a vote for “Best emergency room staff away from home” . Please pass along my thanks to everyone working those two days, I am eternally grateful.

Regards,

RKG

Great job ED staff! 

Celebrate Materials Management!

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This week, October 5-9, is National Healthcare Supply Chain Week!  Congratulations to the Platte Valley Supply Chain / Materials Management team for their tremendous contributions in ensuring excellent patient care through medical supply, equipment, and service management!  There have been changes in the staffing of Materials Management in recent days.  We want to acknowledge our long time staff members, Janine Varra, Buyer;  and Shelly Sack, Sr. Distribution Clerk, for their ongoing dedication and excellent performance to the team!  Some newer faces to the team include Giovanni Velez, Materials Management Supervisor; Dakota Nickell, Distribution Clerk; and Max Lee, Receiving Clerk.  Welcome to our Platte Valley family!

Take a moment to THANK a Supply Chain team member this week when you see them throughout your day!

Platte Valley Players Recognized at National AACT Festival

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Platte Valley Players of Brighton, Colorado is proud to announce that its production of The Nina Variations by Steven Dietz was awarded Third Place honors at  AACTFest 2015, a national  community theatre festival, in Grand Rapids, Michigan held June 23-28, 2015.  In addition to their third place finish, they were also honored with nominations for Best Sound Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Achievement in Direction- making it also the most nominated production at the festival.  Actress Carolyn Lohr was also awarded the Peoples’ Choice Award for Best Actress.

AACTFest 2015, the national community theatre festival, showcased twelve community theatre productions from across the United States and the U.S. Military Overseas. These winners of state and regional festivals represent the best community theatre in America – Brighton’s Platte Valley Players among them.  AACTFest is a program of the American Association of Community Theatre. It is a biennial event that has been held since 1969.

Platte Valley Players presented The Nina Variations first at the Colorado Community Theatre Festival at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in August 2014 where they took top honors at the state festival and then were selected to represent Region VII (Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah) at the national festival.

This was Platte Valley Players first trip to an AACT festival and they look forward to participating in the future.  The award-winning production was designed and directed by Platte Valley Players member Kelly Van Oosbree who, in sharing her thoughts about this special honor said, “The festival was a wonderful celebration of American Community Theatre.  We were honored to be there and see the other wonderful work presented by other community theatres from across the country.  It was an unexpected surprise to have our work recognized. I’m very proud of the work that PVP is committed to presenting – which has not only been consistently a high level of talent and excellent production quality, but also thought-provoking and soulful.  We want to move people and we are doing it!”

(The Nina Variations by Steven Dietz featured Josh Rigo and Carolyn Lohr both of whom have been seen on stage several times with Platte Valley Players and are busy actors in the Denver theatre community). 

Carolyn Lohr as Nina and Josh Rigo as Treplev

Carolyn Lohr as Nina and Josh Rigo as Treplev

Director Kelly Van Oosbree and actors, Josh Rigo and Carolyn Lohr

Director Kelly Van Oosbree and actors, Josh Rigo and Carolyn Lohr

Flower Symbol Now In Place Notifying Staff of High Trauma Situations

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Flower Symbol

For a number of years now, whenever there is a very difficult situation such as a fetal demise in the Women’s Center (OB), staff place a small laminated card picturing a leaf and tear on the door of the patient who has experienced loss, notifying all employees who may come by that this particular patient and family are facing a very difficult time.

Unfortunately we have not had anything we could place on patient doors in other parts of the hospital (ER, ICU, Med/Surg) notifying staff of similar situations such as a death or an extremely ill patient … however we do now. If you see this flower symbol near or on a patient door anywhere in the hospital, when near their room please be aware that this patient and/or their family are facing a very difficult time. Your respect for their privacy by being as reserved and quiet as possible will be greatly appreciated.

Margie Ibarra Retires

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After 17 years in Patient Financial Services, Margie has decided to slow down and retire.   She is continuing her work at Platte Valley for a short time as a PRN, so for a month or two you may see her around, but Margie is looking forward to moving to Las Vegas with her daughter and grandchildren in the coming year. She is thankful for the group of people she has been able to work with over the years.  They have been a great support, shared their knowledge and have been like family.  Platte Valley is a great place to work.  The most recent Patient’s Voice hit home for her as she is PVMC Proud!

 

MR1 Marge Retires 72015MR3 Marge Retires 72015

A Tribute to Susan Wagner

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I knew Susan a long time. She was a good friend, and a dedicated fellow volunteer.

Susan had a heart of gold. I first met her when she asked for a quote on windows for her house about 17 years ago. She was hanging laundry and had a yard full of dogs, so we connected immediately. She had a chocolate lab, just like mine. Susan was a hardworking woman and dedicated wife. I remember that she and her husband, Donald, farmed wheat together. There was nothing Susan wouldn’t do for a person; she was generous and loving. Susan was a cheerful woman who could make anyone laugh, and you never knew when she was pulling your leg. She and Dr. Kakkar loved to tease each other.

She became a hospital volunteer after Donald passed away, and I was so excited to see her here. She knew everyone in the community so when they came to the visitor’s desk she was able to greet them by name like each was an old and treasured friend. Even as she got sicker, she came to do her volunteering every day, and she would have stayed until the very end if she could have. Susan loved being a volunteer.

Susan and I talked often, and as her disease progressed, my husband and I would often help her with housework and chores. Susan never allowed her diagnosis to bring her down; her attitude was always positive and cheerful. She was a treasured friend, and someone to admire. I will miss her, and remember her as she would have liked to be remembered; as a good person with a big smile and a bigger laugh.

Susan Wiant

Brighton Community Hospital Association Meeting

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The annual Brighton Community Hospital Association meeting was held Thursday, September 10th in the Bistro with a number of people from the community in attendance. Updates regarding the progress the hospital has made during the year in service line advancements, through the Foundation, and in other areas, as well as information shared regarding our newly formed partnership with SCL, were all part of the evening’s activities.  And, of course, the food provided by Chef Mike and his staff was the best ever and greatly enjoyed by all.

AA10 Annual Hospital Assn Meeting 92015

AA2 Annual Hospital Assn Meeting 92015

Barry Brown Recognized for 40 Years of Volunteer Service

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BB9 Barry Brown tree dedication 82015

Barry Brown was once again recognized and honored by friends and staff for his 40 years of service as a volunteer at Platte Valley. The ceremony consisted of a tribute from John Hicks, the hospital CEO and President, a special certificate from the hospital’s Volunteer Department presented by Kathie Young and a tree (English Oak) planted in the Healing Garden in his honor.

BB2 Barry tree dedication 82015

A Moment In Time

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What Time Is It?

By Daryl L. Meyers

What would it be like if there were no clocks … no mirrors … no way of measuring time?  If life just flowed on … and on … and there were no sunsets, no beginnings … no endings, just one continuous moment of now? How would that affect the way we live?

In a timeless, mirrorless world, a world with no means of measurement, nothing would be the same. Old and young, attractive and unattractive, past and future would be seen in an entirely new light, that is, if they could be seen at all.

Could it be that what we think is constant is not; that time is relative, that it changes according to the experiences we go through … that sometimes forever is but a few moments (time stands still) and a few moments forever? When life comes in ways unexpected causing pain or loss, the days drag by and there seems no end in sight. At other times ,,, time flies. The years go by faster than the speed of light.

Is it possible time is more an illusion than a reality … something we’ve made up?  The truth is the only time we have is now. Ask a tree, or a flower what time it is and they will wonder what you’re talking about. Ask a squirrel, or a robin the time of day and they would have no idea how to respond. To them time does not exist. Their only consciousness is the present. In a sense timelessness defines all of creation.  Everything is evolving … changing … all of it happening in the present … in each moment of now.

Although our minds take us on journeys into the past or project us into the future, we cannot live, work or play in any other dimension than the present. The fragrance of a flower, the beauty of a sunset, the aroma of freshly baked bread coming from the kitchen can only be experienced in the present. Although we try, it’s impossible to live other than in the moment.  In a sense, the past and future do not exist except in our minds. “And time shall be no more,” words of ancient wisdom, might have more meaning than we realize.

The only dimension that is real is the present. It’s in the eternal moment of now that we are born, live and die. Here is where opportunities are provided that give direction to our lives in line with our choices.

We are like children given the present in which to play, and what a gift it is. Whether we choose hide and seek, tag, or make-believe makes no difference as long as we don’t hurt one another.

Of course we can’t play our games forever. Eventually a quiet voice speaks to our hearts … “Alright children. No more games. This moment is almost over. It’s time for you to come home; it’s your children’s turn now to go out and play.”

And so, much more quickly than we realize, this adventure we call life comes to an end. To enjoy the journey and all the games we’ve made up, can be a great experience if we learn to live totally and completely in the present, for the truth is, there is …

No Other Way.

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