Internal Communicatons Excellence
Even if you were one of the diligent who did their HealthStream modules early on, you may have more to complete. Additional modules may have been added to your “To-Do” menu. Before Friday, go back and check that all your modules are complete.
If you haven’t yet completed your modules – remember, associates who do not finish the training on or before November 30 will be subject to consequences outlined in the Mandatory Training Policy.
The SCL Health Heart and Vascular Institute, in partnership with National Jewish Health and the American College of Cardiology present:
Advances in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Understanding the Latest in Medications, Lifestyle, and Risk Factor Reduction
Friday, October 12, 1-5 p.m.
Saint Joseph Hospital
1375 East 19th Avenue, Denver, CO 80218
Space is limited! Register for this free event today!
Featuring*:
*All programs are subject to change.
Every PVMC hospital associate is required and compensated to attend one training session. The number of seats are limited by the size of our conference rooms so register for your preferred session no later than August 31.
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Platte Valley is committed to safely delivering care and eliminating harm for patients and associates. In fact, the entire SCL Health System wants to increase patient safety – that’s why all care sites in the system are working to become High Reliability Organizations (HRO). What does that mean?
Accidents sometimes occur in hospitals because our work is risky and complex. HRO’s are organizations that have succeeded in avoiding accidents and catastrophes despite their high-risk environments. To reach our goal of becoming one of these organizations, everyone who works here will need to be involved and trained on how and why errors occur. We’ll also need to adopt safety behaviors that will improve our safety culture.
To help you learn these skills, a Healthstream assignment sent via e-mail will allow you to register for a two hour training course. HRO training courses are scheduled at various times and on multiple days in our conference center through September. Every PVMC hospital associate is required and compensated to attend one training session. The number of seats are limited by the size of our conference rooms so register for your preferred session as soon as possible and no later than August 31. Sign up to learn more about your role in making PVMC an HRO!
For questions please contact Patient Safety Manager Colleen Casaceli at 303-498-1553.
Our move to Google is only 3 days away! The transition will begin on the evening of Friday, August 3.
To help you be prepared, the transition team has made the following training available to help you learn to work smoothly with G Suite tools, including Gmail and Calendar.
Onsite Live and Livestream Sessions
Multiple opportunities to attend live G Suite training will be offered between Friday, Aug 3, and Thursday, Aug 9. Three structured courses will be offered on rotation:
It is highly recommend that you attend at least “Intro to New Gmail” and “Intro to Google Calendar” for the best overview of the tools you’ll be working with every day. If you are not at a location hosting an onsite trainer or livestream session, you can still attend as a remote WebEx participant.
Additionally, there will be several one-hour G Suite Call-In Q&A sessions to provide on-demand answers you may need. These will be hosted via WebEx only.
Live Training – What to expect
Each structured session will be broadcast to several rooms across several SCL Health locations. This information is posted on the Going Google Resource Site. To view the course schedule and plan which sessions you want to attend, use the following link to the Training page on the resource site.
If you are concerned that your schedule won’t allow you to attend any live trainings, please explore our self-paced training options.
Self-Paced Training
To get a head start on training, pre-recorded demos are available now via the Training Tab on the Going Google Resource Site, accessible from The Landing.
We strongly recommend taking time to watch the sessions listed below before the go-live in August. Each video is organized by topic into short segments to allow viewing at your convenience.
We recommend watching in the following order:
The Going Google Resource Site is a hub for learning about G Suite applications. It includes a project summary, frequently asked questions and links to class schedules and training videos. We encourage you to bookmark the resource site to refer back to when you have questions.
Ask Google
Remember, a great way to find answers to specific questions is to just “Google It” via Google Search.
Together, these learning opportunities should provide you with the confidence to begin working in G Suite.
This is an active call light -an active light will also beep to alert staff that a patient has need of assistance.
Platte Valley, as we know, is committed to a higher level of patient care. This includes a commitment to answering every patient call light as soon as possible, even when it requires collaboration between clinical and non-clinical staff to make sure no call light goes unanswered.
Clinical Staff
When the patient is admitted to the unit, the admitting or primary nurse should familiarize the patient with their room, including the use of the phone and call light. Make sure to have the patient “teach back” call light and phone use to be sure they understand. Place the call light and phone within the patient’s safe reach.
At the beginning of a shift, nursing staff must document on the patient’s white board, the name of the primary nurse and nursing assistant, and their respective phone numbers within 30 minutes of start of shift.
All Staff
When patients call light goes on, any staff member (e.g. RN, CNA, Secretary, Case Manager, Housekeeping, Lab Tech, ect.) in the vicinity should enter the room and ask the patient what they need. We do not want patients to wait longer than 2 minutes for their call light to be answered.
Ancillary staff are not expected to enter isolation rooms – communication from the doorway is acceptable.
If you are a non-clinical associate and the patient needs care that is not within your skills to provide, immediately contact the primary nurse or charge nurse in person or by phone.
Next, make sure to inform the patient that their nurse/nursing assistant has been contacted and will assist them as soon as possible. Finally, make sure to cancel the call light in the patient’s room.
If the patient needs care that you can provide, cancel the call light and assist the patient with their need.
Find this panel at the head of each patient bed on the wall. Push the yellow CANC button ONLY.
Please avoid pushing the Blue CODE button unless the patient is unresponsive.
If you see a call light on, you CAN do the following for a patient:
Only Nursing Staff Can:
This script can help you ease the patient’s mind if you CANNOT assist:
“Let me find the appropriate person to help you. I will let you know how long it will take.”
Platte Valley is committed to safely delivering care and eliminating harm for patients and associates. In fact, the entire SCL Health System wants to increase patient safety – that’s why all care sites in the system are working to become High Reliability Organizations (HRO). What does that mean?
Accidents sometimes occur in hospitals because our work is risky and complex. HRO’s are organizations that have succeeded in avoiding accidents and catastrophes despite their high-risk environments. To reach our goal of becoming one of these organizations, everyone who works here will need to be involved and trained on how and why errors occur. We’ll also need to adopt safety behaviors that will improve our safety culture.
To help you learn these skills, a Healthstream assignment sent via e-mail will allow you to register for a two hour training course. Almost two dozen HRO training courses are scheduled at various times and on multiple days in our conference center over the next 5 months. Every PVMC hospital associate is required, and compensated, to attend one training session. The number of seats are limited by the size of our conference rooms so register for your preferred session as soon as possible and no later than August 31, 2018. Sign up to learn more about your role in making PVMC an HRO!
For questions please contact Patient Safety Manager Colleen Casaceli at 303-498-1553.
The Physical Medicine Department just participated in a fun team-building session that included taking the BOLT test to determine our personality types (Bull, Owl, Lamb or Tiger). It turned out the majority of our team are owls. Each personality type had 15 minutes to create their animal out of recycled materials, and all of the teams responded with innovative creations!
Team building exercises are a fun way to learn to work in harmony with each other, and get to know your coworkers a little better. If you’d like to take this exercise on your own or with your team, the BOLT test can be found here.
Platte Valley is committed to safely delivering care and eliminating harm for patients and associates. In fact, the entire SCL Health System wants to increase patient safety – that’s why all care sites in the system are working to become High Reliability Organizations (HRO). What does that mean?
Accidents sometimes occur in hospitals because our work is risky and complex. HRO’s are organizations that have succeeded in avoiding accidents and catastrophes despite their high-risk environments. To reach our goal of becoming one of these organizations, everyone who works here will need to be involved and trained on how and why errors occur. We’ll also need to adopt safety behaviors that will improve our safety culture.
To help you learn these skills, a Healthstream assignment sent via e-mail will allow you to register for a two hour training course. Almost two dozen HRO training courses are scheduled at various times and on multiple days in our conference center over the next 5 months. Every PVMC hospital associate is required, and compensated, to attend one training session. The number of seats are limited by the size of our conference rooms so register for your preferred session as soon as possible and no later than August 31, 2018. Sign up to learn more about your role in making PVMC an HRO!
For questions please contact Patient Safety Manager Colleen Casaceli at 303-498-1553.
An Emergency Operations’ Surge Drill will be held at PVMC April 17th. With the help of Colorado Christian University nursing students, we will surge the hospital with 50 patients in a simulated community active shooter incident. This will be from 8-12 noon on the 17th of April.
If anyone is interested in helping with the drill, please contact Wendy Colon – extension 1909. There will be an Everbridge component of this drill so all PVMC employees will be contacted by Everbridge with the drill notification. More information to follow.
Wendy L. Colón
Annual Respiratory Mask Testing is coming up! For your convenience, associates can attend sessions at ANY Front Range care site
Platte Valley Medical Center
All sessions run from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. in Conference Rooms B & C. *Testing will close for lunch from 11:50 – 12:45 each day.
If none of these dates work with your schedule and you would like to test at another SCL Health care site, click here to download a flyer with additional dates and times.
BE READY FOR MASK FIT TESTING PER OSHA REGULATIONS:
Bring your completed annual Respirator Fit Test Questionnaire to the testing session. Click here to download the Questionnaire.
If you are not clean shaven every day at work, you cannot be fitted with the mask and must wear a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR).
For those of you who wear a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR), you still need to attend one of the mask fitting sessions to be signed off for the PAPR.
If an associate had a recent pre-employment respirator fit testing, they will need to attend a scheduled session to synchronize with the annual fit testing in order for the care site to maintain compliance with OSHA.
Do not wear apparel that interferes with the respirator skin to face sealing surface.
Do not smoke for at least one hour prior to fit testing.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT TESTING SESSION:
If the questionnaire is completed prior to testing, testing will take approximately 15 minutes.
After you have passed the test, obtain your annual fit test respirator card.
WHO IS REQUIRED TO BE FIT TESTED:
Full time, part-time, and PRN Associates who may potentially be exposed to airborne diseases. Your department Manager will advise if your department is required to participate.
****If you do not complete respiratory mask fit testing by May 21, 2018 at 2:30pm, your care site will remove you from the schedule; and you will not be allowed to work. You will not be in compliance with OSHA requirements and as a consequence, may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension and termination. Disciplinary action will lead to disqualification of your 2019 merit increase (performance reviews in March/April 2019).
WHAT IS THE REASON FOR ANNUAL RESPIRATOR MASK FIT TESTING?
OSHA requires Annual fit testing to insure that the proper mask, hood, or respirator is the proper size and fit, and that the tight fitting seal is not compromised, affording reliable protection for the user to protect from potentially harmful infectious disease. It is also for the user to understand and know how to don and doff a mask properly. A RESPIRATOR CAN’T PROTECT YOU IF IT DOESN’T FIT YOUR FACE.
When an emergency occurs, it is critical we’re informed of the situation and can take appropriate action to ensure everyone’s. That’s why all of the SCL Health cares sites, including Platte Valley Medical Center, are changing how we announce emergency codes, both overhead and in desktop and digital alerts.
Beginning April 1, Platte Valley will begin using what’s called “plain language” when communicating an emergency situation. For example, instead of using coded language such as “Code Red Room 100,” the alert will plainly state what is occurring, such as “Facility Alert: Fire Alarm, Room 100,” followed by what action to take. You can find a master list of the new codes, as well as FAQs and additional resources regarding this change on The Landing. Additionally, all associates received an e-Learning assignment through HealthStream. Please complete this five-minute course before March 31 in time for the April 1 go-live date.
The move to plain language alerts aligns Platte Valley and our fellow SCL Health care sites with industry best practices and recommendations from The Joint Commission, numerous state hospital associations, the Department of Homeland Security and others, and will aid in providing clear communication and instruction in an emergency.
You will see reminders throughout our care site this month about the change. If you have questions about the change, please refer first to our FAQ document. If you can’t find your question in the FAQ, please reach out to Wendy Colon at wendy.colon@sclhs.net or x1909.
Thank you for your partnership ensuring the safety of patients, visitors and associates.
Just as CPR teaches us how to help an individual suffering from certain medical emergencies, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructs us how to identify, understand and respond to those who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The MHFA program is an interactive training that helps individuals recognize risk factors and warning signs for a range of behavioral health problems, and teaches a five-step action plan to provide basic, yet appropriate interventions for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.
All classes are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on these dates:
Curriculum covers:
THE CLASS IS FREE, BUT REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Register online or call 303.853.3679.
Click here to download a flyer for your break room or communication board.
Andrea Moore, Emily Kruchten, Bethany Gable, and Joy Memmen recently attended a week-long class at Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence. Students attend the course and are given instructions and pearls of wisdom on teaching nursing students. At the end of the course, the students are honored with the title Clinical Scholar.
In many hospitals, Clinical Scholars assist with teaching and instructing nursing students. They serve as a bridge between the clinical environment and the academic environment. Clinical Scholars are employed in their clinical roles within hospitals and are often the clinical experts, as is the case for our four newly minted Clinical Scholars. Several of our Clinical Scholars have been serving in this role to teach nurses with experience that want to orient to a new specialty area. Andrea and Bethany are serving as Clinical Scholars for the Emergency Department, while Emily and Joy serve in Critical Care. We would like to express our heart-felt thanks to the PVMC Foundation for their generous support in funding the cost of tuition for this class. We are grateful that the Foundation is so vested in our future as to provide the funding for quality education and training for our staff.
Don’t forget: there are two HealthStream modules that must be completed.
The highest priority one is the PEARL training module, as this one is due by January 31. The other module is for our new Plain-Language Emergency Notification policy, and is due by March 31.
On January 1, Platte Valley will transition to SCL Health’s PEARL system for occurrence/event reporting. We wanted to make this change fun and interesting for everyone, so we’re giving you a chance to win some great prizes!
David Brand and Bonnie Turk from SCL Health will be in the Bistro for assistance and support. They’re PEARL experts so stop by and ask any questions that you might have! If you ask a question or get help from David and Bonnie during one of these dates, you’ll have a chance to register for daily giveaways of $5.00 Bistro Bucks certificates!
There are now additional sessions available this week:
Tuesday, January 9
Thursday, January 11
We need to know what you know! Occurrence reporting is important to Platte Valley, because they help us evaluate events that have occurred and prevent them from happening again, which keeps our patients, visitors, staff and medical staff safe. Occurrence reporting also helps us provide better, safer care, manage the hospital’s risk, and helps support the important work that you do! Some examples of events that should be reported include: Falls, Medication Errors, Delays in Care, Good Catches, Communication Issues, Injuries, etc.
During the month of January, every person with a verifiable occurrence entered into the PEARL system will be entered to win a gift card. We will be giving away 2 – $50 Visa gift cards and 4 – $25 AMC gift cards! All Platte Valley hospital associates are eligible to win.
Also, please remember to complete your HealthStream assignment to learn more about reporting events in PEARL. Your assignment is due on January 31st!
When you ask a question or get help during one of these sessions, you’ll have a chance to register for daily giveaways of $5 Bistro Bucks certificates!
January’s Safety Behavior of the Month is a process many of us are already using, it’s SBAR! That’s great! However, it’s always a good idea to refresh our knowledge, especially when it’s information about how to keep our patients safe. So here’s a little reminder of what SBAR means and why we practice it:
Handoffs of information are risky for patients and associates and require complete and accurate communication to avoid errors. A handoff is intended to share situational awareness, a mental model of what is going on with a patient or a situation.
SBAR is an acronym that helps us remember specific types of information that should be communicated. Each letter stands for a type of information that is important to communicate in a handoff. The best information to emphasize is what is different or unusual about that patient or situation. If one does not emphasize what is different or unusual, the receiver will assume what is typical and usual. This assumption often results in judgments made based on incorrect information.
Situation – What is the problem, patient, or project? Who or what you’re calling about, the immediate problem, your concerns.
Background – What is the relevant information? Review of pertinent information, procedure, patient condition.
Assessment – What is your current read of the problem or patient? Your view of the situation now: “I think the problem is…” or “I’m not sure what the problem is.”
Recommendation – What is your request or recommendation? Urgency of action: “I feel that someone needs to come to the bedside to see the patient.”
If you would like to download and print a flyer about SBAR for your breakroom or communication board, click here.
Out with the old and in with the new in 2018! On January 1st Platte Valley will transition to SCL Health’s PEARL system for occurrence/event reporting. In preparation for this change all associates are now assigned a learning activity within HealthStream to help better acquaint us with PEARL. Please look for this new assignment beginning today, December 18th. If you have any question about PEARL, please reach out to Shari Engelhardt (ext. 1557) or Cynthia Reeves (ext. 1552).
If you have not yet completed your compliance training on Healthstream, you have until Thursday to complete all your modules. Time is rapidly running out, so make sure you finish all training courses as soon as possible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Platte Valley Medial Center, and a league of national and international partners, is observing the ninth annual Get Smart About Antibiotics Week which runs from November 13-19.
All week, we will raise awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and emphasize the importance of appropriate antibiotic use across all health care settings. Platte Valley will share tips on safe antibiotic use on our blog, Facebook and Twitter. Click on the owl graphic to visit the CDC Get Smart webpage for more resources.
It’s no longer unusual to start a meeting at Platte Valley with a few deep breaths and a stretch, to sit and chart with a sandbag on your lap, or stand back to back with a co-worker when you’re feeling stressed. These simple techniques are part of our Mind Body Connection program, which focuses on increasing self-awareness and taking a moment to care for you, which will ultimately improve the quality of your interactions with patients and co-workers – truly a win-win situation.
Many of these concepts stem from the teachings of Matthew Sanford, a yoga teacher, writer and owner of Mind Body Solutions, a non-profit in Minneapolis. Matthew is paralyzed as a result of a car accident when he was 13, so his experiences as a patient serve to enlighten us as providers. He has visited Platte Valley twice, and the approach he introduced has been carried on with our Mind Body team.
In the past year, we have brought these techniques to several departments, incorporated them into meetings, presented at the SCL SHINE conference and held sessions for Hospital Week and community gatherings. We’ve been energized by the positive responses we’ve received and the success stories we’ve heard. Now we’d like your help to continue spreading the word!
We’re looking for associates to assist in teaching their co-workers some of these techniques. If you went to Matthew’s workshop, you have a head start, but our team can help train you as well. If you have an interest in this work, please contact Karen Vizyak, Physical Medicine Director at X1844 or Christine Salvi, Patient Experience Director at X3635 for more information.
Commit to Clear and Complete Communication: 3-Way Repeat-Back
Communication is not just the exchange of information. It is the exchange of information with understanding. Using the 3-way repeat-back allows us an opportunity to confirm that what was said is what was heard. When exchanging information:
Common uses of the 3-way repeat-back include handling of sharps, critical lab values, verbal and telephone orders.
Teach-Back
Healthcare literacy is an issue we face every day. When giving instructions or teaching someone something new, it is critical to validate their understanding. Using the teach back method allows us to evaluate their understanding and make corrections when something is misunderstood or misinterpreted. In validating understanding, it is important to avoid questions like, “Do you have any questions?” Instead use statements that start with, “Tell me…” or “Show me…” Here are some examples:
Common uses of the teach-back method are when precepting someone, providing education to patients and families, or anytime you are giving instructions. If you would like to download the flyer for this month’s safety behavior, you can click here.
Save the date for the 9th Annual SHINE Conference, you won’t want to miss it this year. The Front Range care sites; Good Samaritan Medical Center, Lutheran Medical Center, Platte Valley Medical Center, and Saint Joseph Hospital have come together to present this year’s SHINE event. Our theme for this year is, SHINE the light on YOU! We will focus on helping you build your professional practice through Evidence Based Practice, as well as giving you tools and resources for your own self care.
SHINE the Light on YOU!
Monday, October 30, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saint Joseph Hospital, Russell Pavilion
1375 East 19th Ave, Denver, CO
You can register in HealthStream using keyword: SHINE9. If you have questions please e-mail Jeremy Smith at Jeremy.Smith3@sclhs.net
Save the date for the 9th Annual SHINE Conference, you won’t want to miss it this year. The Front Range care sites; Good Samaritan Medical Center, Lutheran Medical Center, Platte Valley Medical Center, and Saint Joseph Hospital have come together to present this year’s SHINE event. Our theme for this year is, SHINE the light on YOU! We will focus on helping you build your professional practice through Evidence Based Practice, as well as giving you tools and resources for your own self care.
SHINE the Light on YOU!
Monday, October 30, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saint Joseph Hospital, Russell Pavilion
1375 East 19th Ave, Denver, CO
You can register in HealthStream using keyword: SHINE9. If you have questions please e-mail Jeremy Smith at Jeremy.Smith3@sclhs.net
SCL Health is launching a systemwide initiative to help in supporting the ongoing need for mental health awareness, prevention and treatment through increased availability of Mental Health First Aid training for associates and the general public. We’re collaborating with community partners to sponsor these training classes. Training is a FREE, eight-hour session, and certification is awarded at course completion.
If you’re interested in attending a training, sign up at this link or call Peggy Jarrett for more information: 303-272-0880, peggy.jarrett@sclhs.net.
Annual fire extinguisher training is available to all employees on Wednesday, September 20, from 10:30 a.m. – noon. Training is facilitated by the Brighton Fire Department, and is located on the North Section of the CUP Building, adjacent to the Helipad.
Platte Valley Medical Center is committed to providing positive patient experiences and this includes taking care of our patients’ belongings. Two policies describe our processes (Patient Belongings and Valuables and Lost and Found) please find them in the PVMC policy system on the PVMC Landing page.
Here are some important points to remember:
Patient Belongings
Lost and Found
Plant Service creates a log (saved to the G drive) which can be referenced by the Plant Services Assistant (extension1451), House Supervisors (1589) and Patient Relations Advocate (1560) to learn if items are in the Lost and Found area.
To Direct Care Registered Nurses,
We want to recognize, encourage and reward you — our nurses — who grow in expertise and leadership and make a difference at the bedside. Our new Clinical Ladder for the Nursing Professional program includes five levels, and the higher the level, the higher the requirements and the higher the differential.
The Clinical Ladder for the Nursing Professional includes five levels:
For more information about the Clinical Ladder and how to apply, please attend one of the following information sessions:
All sessions will be held in Conference Room A.
If you have questions about the Clinical Ladder program, please reach out to Michele Siem at 303-498-3005 or via her Spectralink at 303-498-6278.
Don’t forget that stroke surveyors from The Joint Commission will be in the building on Friday, August 25, evaluating Platte Valley and all of the employees on our level of knowledge and skill in handling stroke-related emergencies. They may ask you a variety of questions about stroke care, but the most important detail to remember is the mnemonic FAST.
FAST stands for:
Good Samaritan Medical Center has published a wonderful Hand Hygiene Music Video on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter! And, perhaps coming soon to a theater near you?
To help promote hand hygiene, GSMC filmed a music video starring associates across all departments of the hospital and the vocal talent of three GSMC associates: Tim Smolens, RN, ED; Kate Spencer, RN, OR; and Steve Soller, Customer Care Center Manager. Championed by Kelley Knapek, Infection Prevention, the video features a cover of The Jackson 5’s “ABC” using hand hygiene-themed lyrics.
Stay tuned for the Behind-The-Scenes video, to be released very soon.
A high reliability organization (HRO) is an organization where the unexpected is common, small events make a difference, failure is a strong possibility and lives are on the line. Expertise, rather than authority, takes precedence in a HRO. When conditions are high-risk and circumstances change rapidly, subject matter experts are essential for urgent situational assessment and response. Leaders at high reliability organizations listen to people who have the most developed knowledge of the task at hand.
Don’t forget to report Good Catches!
A Good Catch (or near miss) is an error that is “caught” before it reaches the person. Good catch information can help us address issues before they cause harm. PVMC’s good catch reports have trailed off since the contest in March and it is still everyone’s responsibility to report good catches (and occurrences) in the Risk Plus system. Remember we all need to be a lifesaver for patients, so if you see something, please say something (or report it).
There are now just 4 days left to complete HealthStream learning courses! They are available from now through June 18. To access the new HealthStream:
Payroll & Kronos:
June 18 marks our first payroll to cycle from the system; with our first paycheck coming on July 7. It’s best for associates to review their time cards each day, and approve them at the end of each regularly scheduled shift. If you have additional hours after you have approved, your manager can enter these. You will not be able to enter in your on-call hours – your manager will take care of these. The approval process is meant to ensure accurate and timely payment for you. Here is a link to a handout about approving your time: http://bit.ly/2smB105.
**A member of the Kronos team will be onsite for clock support from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Sunday, June 18 – Friday, June 23. Look for their table in the Bistro.**
One definition of resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. The signature of a High Reliability Organization is not that it is error free, but that errors do not disable it. HROs know they have to adapt continually to changing circumstances in order to maintain function during high demands or crisis. They also expect trouble so they are mindful of it and on the lookout for it.
Resilience consists of three core capabilities:
The signature of a High Reliability Organization is not that it is error free, but that errors do not disable it.
To download the Commitment to Resilience flyer for your break room or communication board, click here.
In a continued effort to move exclusively to the new SCL Health HealthStream for all associate learning activities, effective immediately, registration for Platte Valley certification classes May 1 and beyond will occur in the new HealthStream.
These classes include but are not limited to:
If you have previously registered for a Platte Valley class, scheduled May 1st or later, your registration has been carried forward to the new SCL HealthStream system.
If for some reason you need to change or modify your registration, those changes should be made by accessing the New Systems Training HealthStream link on PVMC’s The Landing page.
If you having difficulty locating PVMC classes, or have any other questions or issues, please contact Shari Englehardt for assistance at x1557 or shari.englehardt@sclhs.net.
Epic Training for the week of April 26 – May 3:
**All trainings take place in MOB2 Conf Rm, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Wednesday, April 26
Thursday, April 27
Friday, April 28
Saturday, Apr 29
Monday, May 1
Tuesday, May 2
Wednesday, May 3
Business Systems Training for the week of April 26 – May 3:
Wednesday, April 26
Friday, April 28
Tuesday, May 2
Your Weekly Sherpa is the guide to help you navigate important eSummit with Epic & Business Systems updates. If you have any eSummit with Epic or Business Systems questions, look first in The ICE as it’s available 24/7, then ask your supervisor.
People frequently handle complex tasks by simplifying how they interpret a situation. This is usually a good thing, but simple explanations for why things work or fail are risky because they limit the kinds of precautions people take. As a High Reliability Organization, we should avoid oversimplifying processes. Instead, we should try to seek diverse viewpoints that question accepted information, uncover blind spots, and foresee changing demands. Click here to read more about HROs and Reluctance to Simplify.
Training for eSummit with Epic modules will begin on April 10. A hard-copy schedule will be placed in mailboxes next week, but in the meantime you should have received Outlook calendar appointments for each training assigned to you. Each associate’s job role has been matched with training on the modules they’ll need. Please accept any Outlook appointment for training, so that your calendar will remain up to date. If you have questions, please speak with your supervisor.
As you know, we will be going live with all acute Epic and SCL Health electronic business systems on June 1. This immense project will require all hands on deck to ensure a successful installation and integration.
Therefore, from May 1st through June 16, associates will only be able to take a maximum of two consecutive days of PTO and only with their immediate supervisor or director approval. For indirectly connected departments, your immediate supervisor or director will know the impact to your department and will administrate this PTO freeze accordingly.
Whether you are directly or indirectly connected to these projects, we are asking everyone to be mindful and honor this freeze as there will be training for everyone during this time frame.
Platte Valley Medical Center is on a journey to become a High Reliability Organization.
High Reliability Organizations (HRO) believe the unexpected is common, small events make a difference, failure is a strong possibility and lives are on the line. HROs succeed in avoiding catastrophes despite operating in these high stress, high risk environments through mindfulness and adopting a constant state of vigilance. HROs use five core organizing principles: preoccupation with failure, sensitivity to operations, reluctance to simplify, commitment to resilience, and deference to expertise. The first three emphasize anticipating problems while the last two emphasize containing a problem after it has happened.
Preoccupation With Failure
Preoccupation with failure, better said preoccupation with learning, captures the need for continuous attention to even seemingly inconsequential failures that could be symptoms of larger problems in a system. If something minor goes wrong, HROs don’t just shrug it off. They look for failure, embrace it and learn from it. HROs also look for how the system could fail and fix it before it causes harm.
Preoccupation With Failure at SCL Health
We promote preoccupation with failure through safety event reporting (including good
catches), daily huddles, cause analysis, and shared learnings to name a few.
If you need the Technical Assistance Center (TAC), it’s really important to understand how to prioritize your issue. Every call that comes into the TAC will receive a ticket number and priority number. Knowing how to prioritize will make the process go much easier. Here’s a quick guide to help you decide whether an IT issue is the most important priority (P1) or something else:
When To Call In a P1
So, why is it so important to correctly prioritize IT issues? Well, when a P1 issue is reported, an analyst is paged (24/7). They must drop whatever else they are working on to address the new P1 issue. If every issue gets reported as a P1, then it downplays the importance of true P1 problems, and takes longer to get all IT tickets done.
Additionally, if the issue is a P1 to IT, then it is a top priority to the person who reported it too! To ensure a timely resolution, if you report a P1, please remain available or designate another point of contact so that the IT professional can resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
What if your issue is not a P1? There are several other priority levels to consider. Please see the chart below to understand how to decide which priority your problem is.
The Technical Assistance Center can be reached by calling x4357 on any landline in the hospital, or by emailing your issue to TAC.Mailbox@sclhs.net.
I conduct myself professionally and am accountable for my actions:
This behavior standard may seem easy to follow at first. You might think to yourself “all I have to do is act professionally and behave myself and I’m following the standard.” This is true, but to be truly living this standard – not just following it, is a little more involved.
Behaving in a professional manner can be as simple as showing up for your shift on time each day, and dressing within the hospital dress code. But it can also be achieved in subtle ways, like making eye contact while listening to a coworker or patient, asking follow up questions when you don’t understand something, or using social media responsibly.
By holding ourselves accountable and conducting ourselves professionally, we not only create a climate where our patients, families, and visitors feel welcome and cared for but our fellow associates do as well.
Submitted by:
Christine Salvi, MHA, BSN, RN
Director of Patient Experience
On February 14, Platte Valley associates gathered to view a sneak peek of the workflow changes they could expect when we transition to eSummit with Epic, our new electronic patient medical record and clinical information tool. Associates were given a brief walk-thru of the Epic interface, then broke out into smaller groups for more intricate instruction. In preparation for our June 1 go live date, teams are meeting next week to do a 90-day eSummit readiness assessment.
Next week marks 90 days until eSummit go live! Stay tuned to The ICE for important updates on eSummit, training, and the big day.
The deadline to complete HealthStream assignments is close! Please be aware that your assignments are now available and are due on February 28th, 2017.
Assignments are made according to your job function and regulatory requirements, and the information contained in these modules is important for you to know as an employee at Platte Valley.
If you have difficulty logging into HealthStream, please contact Shari Engelhardt at ext.1557 shari.engelhardt@sclhs.net.
It’s time for our annual mandatory education in HealthStream!
Please be aware that your assignments are now available and are due on February 28th, 2017.
Assignments are made according to your job function and regulatory requirements, and the information contained in these modules is important for you to know as an employee at Platte Valley.
If you have difficulty logging into HealthStream, please contact Shari Engelhardt at ext.1557 shari.engelhardt@sclhs.net.
Starting in tomorrow, February 1, phishing (pronounced ‘fishing’) drill e-mails will be sent to random associates. Phishing is a way that someone fraudulently tries to obtain information and/or access to computer systems, usually information like log-ins, passwords, credentials, etc. If an associate clicks on the phishing drill email, that associate will be required to take the eLearning course in HealthStream on phishing. Of course, any associates interested in learning more about phishing scams are welcome to take the course. You can also review these tips for spotting phishing scams.
Phishing scams pose significant risk to SCL Health information. These drills are a way to train and create awareness to better arm and protect the organization. We must all do our part to be aware and alert for these risks.
You can also view the phishing alert tips by clicking on this photo:
It’s time for our annual mandatory education in HealthStream!
Please be aware that your assignments are now available and are due on February 28th, 2017.
Assignments are made according to your job function and regulatory requirements, and the information contained in these modules is important for you to know as an employee at Platte Valley.
If you have difficulty logging into HealthStream, please contact Shari Engelhardt at ext.1557 shari.engelhardt@sclhs.net.
Handoffs of information are risky for patients and associates and require complete and accurate communication to avoid errors. A handoff is intended to share situational awareness, a mental model of what is going on with a patient or a situation.
SBAR, a communication protocol developed by Kaiser Healthcare, is a good example of content formatting – a structure to aid in remembering specific types of information that should be communicated. Each letter stands for information that is important to communicate in a handoff. The best information to emphasize is what is different or unusual about that patient or situation. If one does not emphasize what is different or unusual, the receiver will assume what is typical and usual. This assumption often results in judgments made based on incorrect information.
Situation – What is the problem, patient, or project? Who or what you’re calling about, the immediate problem, your concerns.
Background – What is the relevant information? Review of pertinent information, procedure, patient condition.
Assessment – What is your current read of the problem or patient? Your view of the situation now: “I think the problem is…” or “I’m not sure what the problem is.”
Recommendation – What is your request or recommendation? Urgency of action: “I feel that someone needs to come to the bedside to see the patient.”
Fire safety training teaches important skills we all should possess. That’s why the Brighton Fire Department leads an annual In-Service Training in proper use of a fire extinguisher. The next training session is coming soon, and all employees are encouraged to participate in this lesson:
Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Location: North Section of the CUP Building, adjacent to the Helipad
In late June, we will begin to encourage more patients to register for Platte Valley Medical Center’s MyHealth Patient Portal. Inside the Portal, patients can access many lab and radiology test results and view their visit history.**All training sessions will be held in the basement Training Center.**
For new provisioners, please have your department directors contact the IT department at X4357 or at helpdesk@pvmc.org so IS can provide the security clearance for provisioning prior to training. Kindly RSVP for the training by calling Lidia Puga at x1905 or e-mail at lpuga@pvmc.org.
In late June, we will begin to encourage more patients to register for Platte Valley Medical Center’s MyHealth Patient Portal. Inside the Portal, patients can access many lab and radiology test results and view their visit history.**All training sessions will be held in the basement Training Center.**
For new provisioners, please have your department directors contact the IT department at X4357 or at helpdesk@pvmc.org so IS can provide the security clearance for provisioning prior to training. Kindly RSVP for the training by calling Lidia Puga at x1905 or e-mail at lpuga@pvmc.org.
In late June, we will begin to encourage more patients to register for Platte Valley Medical Center’s MyHealth Patient Portal. Inside the Portal, patients can access many lab and radiology test results and view their visit history.
This training is required for all clinical staff, but is also available for those who would like to refresh their skills. The following training dates are available:
Training sessions will be held in the basement Training Center.
For new employees, please contact the IT department prior to training at X4357 so they can provide the security clearance for provisioning. Please RSVP for the training by calling Lidia Puga at x1905 or e-mail at lpuga@pvmc.org.