WhimLeads to

a New Car— Page 3

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

Real Tim

e…05.11.16

Nurses Week is FilledWith Honor, Festivities

Our First DAISY WinnerStunned to Earn Award

Viva #Cinco K

#NorthBayRuns/Walks

for Good Cause

#NorthBay shirts were a prominent sight at the Cinco K festivities on May 1.

Jennifer Parham, R.N., was the first NorthBay Healthcare nurse to receive the coveted DAISY Award for Extraor-dinary Nurses at a Shared Governance meeting on Wednesday, April 27, at the Green Valley Administration Center.

When presented the award by Traci

Daily CallsImproving

PatientSafety

Jennifer Parham, R.N.

A creative approach to mini-mizing patient safety concerns in our hospitals has shown remark-able results, announced Rhonda Martin, R.N., assistant vice presi-dent, Nursing Operations.

After a year of daily 15-min-ute patient safety phone meet-ings, there has been a 40 percent reduction in reportable hospital-acquired pressure ulcers. There has also been a 66 percent reduction in missed opportuni-ties to immunize patients against influenza. Even clogged plumb-ing incidences due to “flush-

Team NorthBay members put on their black-and-white #NorthBay T-shirts and turned out in full force on a sunny Sun-day morning to run, jog and walk in the second annual Cinco K Run & Taco Fiesta,

Nurses Week 2016 began last week with scores of NorthBay Healthcare nurses wearing white on May 6, and will end tomorrow with tributes to memories of nursing colleagues near and far.

In between, NorthBay Health-care celebrated its team of

See SAFETY, Page 6

See NURSES, Page 7See DAISY, Page 13

See #Cinco Page 18

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TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

Erica AnchanteCertified Nurse Assistant1-West Med-Surg VacaValley Hospital

Paul ArellanoSecurity Officer ISecurity VacaValley Hospital

Dannielle BancodCertified Nurse AssistantUnit 1800 NorthBay Medical Center

Michael CallahanFood Services WorkerCafeteria, NorthBay Medical Center

Justin DeGeliaClinical Nurse IIIntensive Care UnitNorthBay Medical Center

Adrian DomingoSecurity Officer ISecurityNorthBay Medical Center

Bianca FlemingSecurity Officer ISecurity NorthBay Medical Center

Tarun GohriEmergency Room TechnicianEmergency DepartmentVacaValley Hospital

Jade GontenasClinical Nurse II1-West Med-Surg, VacaValley Hospital

Danielle HainesSecurity Officer ISecurityNorthBay Medical Center

James HalogASC Registered NurseNorthBay Surgery Center

Beverley HammettOutpatient Case Manager IICase ManagementNorthBay Healthcare Group

Emily HarrisClinical Nurse IIIntensive Care UnitNorthBay Medical Center

Mohammed IliasEnvironmental Services AideEnvironmental ServicesNorthBay Medical Center

Sasha JacksonMedical AssistantCenter for Neuroscience

Jaspreet KaurClinical Nurse IINorthBay Wound Care

Felicia LopezReceptionist/Scheduler/BillerNorthBay Surgery Center

Angelina MartinEnvironmental Services AideEnvironmental ServicesNorthBay Medical Center

Laniesha McDanielPatient Services RepresentativeCall Center Center for Primary Care – HB

Lourdes MenendezClinical Nurse IINorthBay Wound Care

Kristian NavalClinical Nurse IIUnit 1600NorthBay Medical Center

Colleen OlaesEnvironmental Services AideEnvironmental ServicesNorthBay Medical Center

Jolly ParikhClinical Nurse II1-West Med-SurgVacaValley Hospital

Marilu RamosEEG TechnicianNorthBay Neurology

Wynoika ReevesPhysical Therapy AssistantNorthBay Medical Center

Donna RolinEnvironmental Services AideEnvironmental ServicesNorthBay Medical Center

Michael SantosEnvironmental Services AideEnvironmental ServicesVacaValley Hospital

Chris SimpsonEnvironmental Services AideEnvironmental ServicesVacaValley Hospital

Dianne SorreraClinical Nurse II1-West Med-SurgVacaValley Hospital

Clayton StroopeClinical Nurse IIUnit 1600NorthBay Medical Center

Michelle TiopiancoClinical Nurse IIUnit 1600,NorthBay Medical Center

Henry TrudelHospital Facilities ManagerPlant MaintenanceNorthBay Medical Center

3

What do you do when your check engine light comes on? Twice? If you’re Lydia Abad, executive assistant to Elnora Cameron, vice president of strategic development, you buy a Jubilee raffle ticket. That’s what she did, on a whim, and it paid off when she won a brand new car.

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to buy the ticket, Lydia explained. “I was walking past Tim Johnson’s (NorthBay Healthcare Foundation financial analyst) office, and he said I should buy one. I was considering it when he reminded me that you could buy two tickets and get the third for free. I love a good sale, so I said why not? As I was walking away, I thought, wouldn’t it be funny if I actually won the car?”

The irony is that Lydia only considered buying a raffle ticket because the check engine light had been coming on in her 2006 Pontiac G6, and mechanics were

having a tough time finding the cause. She never actually thought she would win, she said, “but told myself at least I was supporting a good cause.”

Lydia had the happy task of choosing between a 2016 Nissan Altima, Buick Encore or Hyundai Sonata, and after taking a few days to think about it, she settled on the Altima. This is the third year that Rami Yanni, owner of Vacaville Nissan, Buick/GMC, Dodge and Hyundai, has donated a brand new car to the Jubilee Raffle.

There were other winners in

the Jubilee Raffle. Taking home $125 were Kevin Parkhurst, Cheryl Anderson, Peter Vessels, Alex Hazel, Mabrey Scott, Juan Garcia-Flores, Ed Lowe, Connie Martinez, Anna Stusinski, Margaret Johnson, Teresa Hodges and Craig Bryan.

Winning $500 were Stephen Lawrence, Ernie McLevis, Brian Wills, Francie Bryan, Jeanette Demma, Ann Stusinski, Leslie Derrico, Darrin Berardi, Margaret Johnson and Steve Shaw. Annette Abrao won $1,000 and Pat and Leanne Pearson won $2,500.

DrivingAway onA Whim

Eric Van Pelt, of Van Pelt Construction Services, has been named acting project manager on the NorthBay Medical Center modernization project. He assumed his new duties May 2.

Eric has more than 12 years of experience managing construction projects, including recent projects at Sonoma Valley Hospital, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and Petaluma Valley Hospital.

“His education in construction began much earlier, as he is the third generation of his family to work in the institutional construction industry,” said Joelyn Gropp, assistant vice president of real estate and facilities development. “Eric is trained in Lean construction methodologies and particu-larly enjoys the challenge of increasing the flow of production.”

New Project Manager for NorthBay Modernization

Proud to offer Lydia the keys to her new car were (left to right) Tracy Mitchell of Wise Auto Group, Bill Seiden, Jubilee committee chair, and Brett Johnson, president, NorthBay Healthcare Foundation.

4

When searching for a suitable Eagle Scout project, 13-year-old George Estes needed only to look to his sister for inspiration. “After she was born, she needed surgery and spent time in a hospital’s Intensive Care Nurs-ery. Having a sick baby is very hard on families,” he observed. So, George decided to help make things a little more comfortable for babies and families such as his, by making a collection of isolette blankets. He was encour-aged to consider donating them to NorthBay Healthcare’s NICU by family friend Leah Hornfisher, R.N., who works in the NICU.

The eighth-grade student, a cadet-sergeant in Fairfield’s Public Safety Academy, created a “GoFundMe” account, and then solicited donations to purchase fabric and specially designed

Baby SisterInspires Boy’sEagle Scout

Project

Women and Children’s Services Clinical Manager Heather Troutt poses with NICU baby Amara and George Estes.

labels. He then rallied as many as 50 friends and family members to attend a one-day blanket-making marathon, resulting in a stack of 63 colorful blankets. “This helps families like ours, and helps babies like my sister,” he noted.

Celebrating Occupational Therapy with Tools of TradeIn honor of Occupational Therapy Month, a team of NorthBay Healthcare occupational therapists, including Jackie Draper (left to right), Adrienne Angeles, Darshna Upadhyaya and Annabelle Escuela, showed off the tools of their trade during an open house at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital on April 24. The next day, the team picked up at NorthBay Medical Center, handing out gifts, sharing their mission, and playing games for prizes with visitors. Geeta Venkaiya, a certified nurse assistant, won the grand prize at NorthBay Medical Center while Maily Sithixay, HIM tech/customer service representative, won the top prize at VacaValley Hospital. Other team members not pictured include Lori Russell, Kathy Smith, Carol Daum and Katie DesRoches.

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Reaching Young Readers With Drive

You’ll see an entirely new look for NorthBay Healthcare as the 2016 Graphic Standards start to replace our older image. Our graphic standards have been designed to reflect the modern, yet compassionate style we have chosen to embrace. A unified graphic image ensures that every service is recognized as a part of the larger organization.

For our business system, the redesign includes new letterhead, business cards, and a wide selec-tion of PowerPoint templates. Ev-ery service also has a new logo. Staff can access and download these items from ShareSpace by clicking on “Departments”

and then “Public Relations.” At this site you can also review the entire graphic standards manual for an inside look at our new bro-

Wouldn’t it be great to send every child in our two adopted schools home for the summer with a book or two?

The May children’s book drive kicked off with a “Fill the Ambulance with Books” event last week. More than 300 children’s books were collected during the two-day event. And we still have the rest of the month to fill our collection bins with donations of new and gently used children’s books.

Two Solano County Library representatives sat at our purple ambulance encouraging readers to sign up for their summer reading program.

The books will be donated to Fairview Elementary School in Fairfield, Padan Elementary School in Vacaville and The Leav-en, an after-school program for at-risk children. Books are sought for readers from kindergarten through sixth-grade.

“If your children have out-

grown some of their books, don’t take them to Goodwill, our schools can make good use of them,” said Marilyn Ranson, public relations coordinator for

NorthBay Healthcare and book drive organizer.

For further information, call NorthBay Healthcare Public Relations at ext. 3302.

chures and advertising designs.

Another change is the consolidation of all en-velopes under one logo: NorthBay Healthcare, with a return address to our mail center in the Green Valley Adminis-tration Center. As de-partments use up their old envelopes, this will be the replacement.

It has been 10 years since the last graphic standards update.

That look, characterized by the “swoop” was well-copied by our competitors through the years.

New Graphic Standards Brighten Our Image

The first book collection, held at NorthBay Medical Center May 4, garnered both books and cash donations for the purchase of books. Pictured (from left) are Solano County Library Representative B. Van Norden, PR Coordinator Marilyn Ranson, Library Rep Shawn Kelley and Foundation Analyst Tim Johnson.

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For several years, scenic and nature photos taken by Robert Thrash, chief engineer, have hung in the halls of VacaValley Hospital. Now he has a larger-than-life photo hanging in the entrance of NorthBay Surgery Center on the hospital campus.

“This is an image of the Sonoma Coast, taken about two miles north of Jenner and a few miles south of Fort Ross along Hwy. 1,” Robert said.

What made this image special was more than just the rocky cliffs and crashing waves. The fog in the background lends a calming feel to the shot. But the colorful flowers in the foreground are what nailed it, he explained. They added that splash of color against a rather monochromatic scene. They also add interest to the foreground and help to make the viewer feel as though they are standing at that location taking in the view.

“On photo outings, I often spend hours search-ing for scenes to come together,” Robert added. “I look for good compositions, interesting subject matter and good lighting. However, many good images can be found right alongside highways and roads.”

The image was shot with a Canon DSLR and Canon zoom lens at a fairly wide angle setting. Color and contrast were enhanced in Photoshop Lightroom.

Engineer SharesHis Photo Talent

Robert Thrash poses in front of his latest work of art, which now hangs on the wall at the NorthBay Surgery Center.

Safety ...(From Page 1)

able wipes” have dropped by 37 percent.

“The meetings are mandatory for hospital-based managers and leads of inpatient and emergency departments,” Rhonda said. “I encourage attendance from other hospital-based disciplines involved in safety issues (quality, nutritionist, pharmacy, engineering, etc.).”

Karen Harris, clinical manager of Wound Care, primarily leads the call, with nursing managers backing her up as needed.

The daily calls have between 10 and 40 participants. They will continue this year to highlight current patient safety concerns and to ensure all disciplines are on-board with shared respon-sibilities and standardized ap-proaches to risk elimination/reduction. In 2016 there is a con-tinued focus on skin breakdown prevention and, as the influenza season winds down, the focus will shift to a new safety item — health care acquired C-Diff. elimination/reduction.

The idea for the phone meet-ings came from a monthly “think tank session” among inpatient nursing directors Katie Lydon,

Shelley Johnson and Rhonda. She learned of this best practice at the American Organization of Nurse Executives conference in 2014 and brought it back to the team for discussion. The team modified the concept to fit North-Bay, but the basic tenants are the same.

“Congratulations to all for your outstanding emphasis on safety first and successfully reducing risk to our patients and to the organization,” Rhonda said. “Your efforts are paying off.”

Questions about the practice? Rhonda can be reached at ext. 7004 or via email to rmartin@NorthBay.org.

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800-plus nurses during National Nurses Week with treats, small gifts, chair massages and words of praise.

“Nurses Week is a time to rejoice and celebrate the service and caring our nurses bring to their patients, community and NorthBay,” said Traci Duncan, vice president and chief nursing officer. “On behalf of NorthBay nursing leadership, we send a heartfelt thank you to our nurses and nurses all over the world.”

Tomorrow, May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday, a spe-cial day of remembrance will be held in the Annex, Rooms 1-2 at NorthBay Medical Center at 9:30 a.m. and is open to all who would like to attend.

“It’s a time for our nurses to remember those who have gone on before us. We pay tribute to the nurses who were our teachers, our mentors and our friends,” says Donna Dabeck, manager of nurse recruitment and retention.

National Nurses Day is cele-brated annually on May 6 to raise awareness of the important role nurses play in society. The theme of this year’s week is “A Culture of Safety, It Starts With You.”

Focusedon the FootDr. Kevin Miller discusses the anatomy of the foot before an audience at Doc Talk Live at Green Valley Administration Center in April. He teamed up with Carol Gilpin, owner of Fleet Feet, who talked about the value of supportive shoes.

Share ConnectionsWhat memorable connection

were you able to make with a patient, another employee or a member of the community?

Please share! You can write it up and add it the ShareSpace site under “Patient Experience/Connection Stories,” or call Jen-nifer Shoemaker at ext. 5757. Or e-mail connections@NorthBay.org. Or call Sally Wyatt at ext. 3305 and describe your experience.

Nurses ...(From Page 1)

Susan Riley, R.N., who has worked all 31 years of her nursing career at NorthBay, has celebrated National Nurses Week for the last 20 years by ordering special buttons to share with her colleagues. By 9 a.m. on Friday, she’d already handed 150 of them out.

Unit 1800 nurses in white Friday morning were (left to right) Joy Demanawa, Nancy Cerna, Connie Vinas, Josie Dinoso and Tess Javines.

Nurses Edelyn-Ann Araga (left) and Donna Dabeck pose at 1-West in their whites.

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Tomorrow — Thursday, May 12 — is Bike to Work Day, and each year North-Bay Healthcare encourages employee participation in this Solano County-endorsed event.

NorthBay will set up two energizer stations (one in Fairfield on Dana Drive, just a block from NorthBay Medical Center and one in Vacaville, on Allison Drive) for the morning bike commute, according to Patrick Garner, R.N.

There is secure and protected bicycle parking

for employees at VacaValley Hospital. Just contact Security to gain access to the “Bike Cage,” Patrick said. As for the NorthBay Medical Center campus, bicycle

lockers have been ordered and are expected to be installed outside the Unit 1800 entrance in time for Bike to Work day.

NorthBay Medical Center also has employee showers on the second floor, in the men’s and women’s locker rooms.

NorthBay Encourages Employees to Bike Thursday

Want some cool #NorthBay swag? Come march in the 2016 Fiesta Days Parade on May 28 as part of NorthBay’s entry and you could walk away with a blue foam thumbs up, blue and gold pompoms or cool, “Let’s Get Social” sunglasses.

You can also help your department compete in the spirit challenge contest. A large (16 employees and up) and a small department (15 and fewer) prize will be given to the department that has the best percentage of participation. Winning participants will receive a #NorthBay bistro mug with a $5 Starbucks card and a pizza party for their department. A drawing will break a tie.

The day starts with decorating our purple trauma ambulance at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 28. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and makes its way along Merchant Street in downtown Vacaville.

To join the committee or learn more about the parade festivi-ties, call organizer Robert Armijo at 646-3316.

Get #NorthBay Parade Swag

Nursing’sReport for ’15on the PortalIt was a year of achievement

and organizational change for nursing at NorthBay Healthcare in 2015, says Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Traci Duncan in the 2015 Nursing An-nual Report. It is now available for employees to review on the NorthBay employee portal.

The year was highlighted with a celebration of NorthBay’s Mag-net designation, notes Duncan in the report.

“The hard work of nurses and our colleagues to deliver quality care, participate in shared deci-sion-making and improve the pa-tient experience was recognized by the American Nurses Creden-tialing Center with the award of Magnet designation.”

The year was also bittersweet as NorthBay saw the retirement of President Deborah Sugiyama and VP, CNO Kathy Richerson.

Nonetheless, Traci says the annual report showcases some of the outstanding contributions that NorthBay nurses made in the past year and concludes that we “are poised to make 2016 just as remarkable.”

Members of the NorthBay Parade Committee show off some of the swag.

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May Dates Announced for Employee Appreciation MealsMark your calendars: Appre-

ciation meals are coming in May.This year’s theme should be

familiar: It’s the same theme that was featured in the Cinco K fun run, and in NorthBay Health-care’s entry in the upcoming Fiesta Days Parade: “#NorthBay — Let’s Get Social!”

At most of the meals, you can receive the black #NorthBay event shirt for a $5 donation to NorthBay Healthcare Foundation.

The week starts on Tuesday, May 17, with meals from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Green Valley Administration Center, in confer-ence rooms 155 and 156.

Meals at NorthBay Medi-cal Center will take place in the parking lot at the rear of the kitchen, under the tent.

The lunch meal will be served between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

on Wednesday, May 18, and dinner service will be from 5 to 6 p.m. A late meal will be offered between 2 and 3 a.m. on Thursday, May 19 for the night shift.

Meals move to North-Bay VacaValley Hospital on Thursday, with lunch service from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and dinner service be-tween 5 and 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 19. A late night meal will be offered between 1 and 2 a.m. on Friday, May 20.

In keeping with NorthBay tra-dition, managers from across the continuum are being asked to prep and serve the meals.

Today is the deadline to turn in your entry in the department decorating contest. The theme is “Let’s Get Social: #NorthBay.”

Posters should be turned in to Jessica Johnson, Office 260, at GVAC, to administration at both hospitals and in Emily Brown’s office at Hilborn. Your poster should show what your depart-ment’s social media page would like look — on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In — your choice.

Questions? Contact contest coordinator Kortney Hannah at ext. 5001.

What was a grassy field on the northeast corner of the North-Bay VacaValley Hospital campus along Ulatis Drive is now a park-ing lot with 89 spaces available for those coming to the NorthBay Surgery Center, or the hospital.

When all construction on the NorthBay VacaValley campus is complete later this year, and the construction trailers and workers have left, there will be 566 park-ing spaces for patients, visitors, employees and HealthSpring Fit-ness Center members to use.

But, between now and then, expect the parking situation to still be somewhat fluid, noted Ray Green, project manager.

What’s changing? Nothing in the parking lot at the front of the hospital, Ray said, but in the hos-pital’s employee lot, bordered by Nut Tree Road and Ulatis Drive, a few changes are planned. There will be slightly fewer parking slots and a change in configura-tion when the foundation for the future MRI building is laid along the Nut Tree Road side of the lot.

The MRI building is currently be-ing assembled at a facility in Ten-nessee, Ray explained, and will be delivered in two parts to the NorthBay VacaValley campus on or around June 20. Workers will assemble the modular building and construct a covered walkway in July. The MRI should be open for business in August.

More ParkingOptions Openin Vacaville

More parking spaces will open soon on the VacaValley Hospital campus to the west of the hospital.

See PARKING, Page 10

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All year long, NorthBay Guild members are busy moving merchandise through and ringing up sales at Secondhand Rose - NorthBay Thriftique, selling goods in the hospital gift shops, and volunteering at fund-raisers such as the Golf & Tennis Classic. Their hard work results in cash that they turn around and return to NorthBay departments, as part of the Guild Wish List endeavor.

“This year, our Guild had nearly $200,000 in requests, but not quite so much money to spend,” noted Jane Hilliard, director of Volunteer Services. In all, they voted to fund nearly $100,000 in requests, and those funds were augmented at the last minute by a $25,300 grant from Solano Community Foundation.

“Some of the items we were not able to fully fund through the Guild Wish List requests can now be purchased, thanks to the Solano Community Foundation grant,” Jane said. “And, we will be able to increase the value of scholarships we can offer.”

This year, granted wishes included such things as portable vital sign monitors for the

NorthBay Guild Grants Multiple Wishes

Emergency Departments, Accuvein devices for the NorthBay Cancer Center and Cardiac Cath Lab, a wheelchair scale for use in the Green Valley Center for Primary Care, and lifts and slings for the Lift Team,

among other items.Guild members also donated

$25,000 from the Golf & Tennis Classic as part of their commitment to NorthBay’s trauma program, according to Jane.

Plans call for the small parking area between the surgery center and the Wellness Center — where construction trailers and highly underutilized handicapped park-ing are currently — to be recon-

figured to add about 16 spaces once the trailers are gone.

On the opposite side of the campus, 37 spaces have been added near Nut Tree Road, be-tween the HealthSpring Fitness Center and VacaValley Health Plaza.

And, on land farthest from Ulatis Drive and Nut Tree Road,

and nearest the residential homes, a brand-new parking lot, designed to serve the Wellness Center, will have 334 spaces.

Ray advised all drivers and pedestrians to continue to be alert while negotiating their way around our campus.

For updates, see the Hard Hat Report on NorthBay.org.

Parking ...(From Page 9)

ABC Clinic Baby carriers and K’Tans $5,000

Cancer Center Cancer organizers and tote bags, Accuvein device $10,375

Cardiac Cath Lab Glidescope and Accuvein devices $20,500

Cardiac Rehab Pulse Ox monitors $7,400

Center for Primary Care Wheelchair scale $1,900

Emergency Dept. Portable Vital Sign monitors $14,700

Joint Replacement Patient amenities $5,000

Physical Therapy Wheelchairs $900

Respiratory Care Software upgrade $10,075

Department Item Value

Safe Patient Handling Golvo Lifts and Slings $14,040

Scholarships Funds for employees pursuing nursing education $10,000

Speech Therapy Nasoscope, cognitive exercise kit, speech articulation test, memory and language cards $1,900

Making an Investment at NorthBay Healthcare

11

Questions ranging from how to spot signs of a stroke to the effectiveness of cholesterol-low-ering drugs were the focus during the latest #OurDocTalk live chat on NorthBay Healthcare’s Face-book page.

The May 4 chat featured two NorthBay experts answering questions: neurologist Dr. Ameer Almullahassani and Beth Gladney, R.N., Stroke Program manager.

May is Stroke Awareness Month and both Dr. Almullahas-

sani and Beth spent the half hour chat edu-cating on what has become the fifth leading cause of death in the United

States and a major cause of adult disability in the country.

Visitors who posted questions in advance of the chat immediately turned to the issue of drug treatments, including one who queried on an “alternative” type of “treatment.”

“Speaking long-term, for a heart attack survivor who ingests cannabis multiple times a day, what can the expected effects in preventing a stroke?” the Face-book follower asked.

Shining the Light on Stroke Symptoms

So What Is Functional Medicine?

Dr. Ameer Almullahassani (left) on the laptop and Beth Gladney, R.N., (right) field questions about stroke and related medications during the #OurDocTalk event on May 4.

NorthBay’s two stroke experts agreed.

“Cannabis for stroke prevention is a controversial topic. We do not recommend it as of now, but this could be a conversation with your primary care provider,” Beth replied, adding that patients should be aware that there are differences between medical cannabis and “street” cannabis.

Other Facebook followers wanted to know about more “traditional” drugs, in particular the use of statins (cholesterol-lowering medications).

“The anti-inflammatory effect of statins help with the recovery from an acute stroke, decrease the edema,” noted Dr. Almullahassani, explaining that

lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) is important.

“In addition to medications for lowering cholesterol, dietary changes can also be made that will help decrease LDL,” added Beth. “Fish oil has also been proven to lower LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol and increase HDL which is the ‘good’ cholesterol.”

Asked about recovery times for stroke, Dr. Almullahassani said much of it depends on the patient’s age and where the stroke is located, but that “most of the recovery happens between three to six months” after a stroke.

Beth explained that stroke impacts everyone differently.

“Each person has a different recovery time after a stroke depending on how severe the stroke was, what area of the brain was affected and if there were any complications as a result of the stroke,” she noted. “Some stroke survivors recover very quickly, but most can take months to years to recover and require some form of short- or long-term rehabilitation.”

The full text of the chat can be found on NorthBay Healthcare’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/NorthBayHealthcare) and an edited transcript will be posted at NorthBay.org.

NorthBay Healthcare will host its next scheduled Facebook chat, #OurDocTalk, with Eric Hassid, M.D., from 12:30 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18.

Dr. Hassid specializes in functional medicine and neurological rehabilitation and his chat will focus on natural strategies to optimize brain health.

#OurDocTalk chats are held every other Wednes-day afternoon on the NorthBay Healthcare Facebook page. Questions can be posted in advance on the NorthBay Healthcare Facebook page or submitted in advance via e-mail to Robin.Miller@NorthBay.org.

Each chat features a different doctor answering questions on a health issue.

Dr. Eric Hassid will field questions on natural strategies to boost brain health during #OurDocTalk on May 18.

12

National Stroke Awareness Month was launched in 1989 by presidential proclamation. Its aim is straightforward — to increase public awareness about the warn-ing signs of stroke, symptoms of a stroke, stroke prevention, and the impact of stroke on survivors, families and caregivers.

NorthBay Healthcare will once again be actively promoting awareness and Beth Gladney, R.N., Stroke Program manager, has plenty of activities planned to get employees involved in sharing the message with our community.

First up for employees is a bit of friendly competition.

Beth said she got the idea for a contest back in February when she sent out Stroke Certification Readiness questions.

“The Hillborn CPC took it up a notch and used the information to make an education board on F.A.S.T. in the clinic,” said Beth. “We thought this was an amazing idea and it inspired us to have a contest for Stroke Awareness Month.”

Through the contest, em-ployees are encouraged to show how they are promoting Stroke Awareness in their departments.

“Be fun and creative — but

maintain patient privacy and HIPAA,” said Beth.

Employees can use poster boards, huddle boards, community education, make up a F.A.S.T song — anything to show how you are promoting stroke awareness and prevention. Then take a photograph or video of your team promoting stroke awareness and submit it to Beth at egladney@NorthBay.org by midnight Sunday, May 15.

Judging will take place on Monday May 16, by members of the Stroke Steering Committee and winners will be announced on that day.

Prizes for first-, second- and third-place winners will be awarded on May 18 and their photos taken for the May 25 FYI.

Beth noted that Neuroscience Nursing Week (May 15-21) also falls during the month and she

is working on plans for acknowledging that week, as well.

In addition, Beth and neurologist Ameer Almullahassani, M.D. joined forces to

field questions from NorthBay’s Facebook followers during the May 4 #OurDocTalk live chat. (See related story, Page 11.)

For Beth, the reason for such a push to educate about stroke is obvious.

“There are some risk factors you have no control over, like genetics. But you can control lifestyles, such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, alcohol and drug use,” she noted. “And knowing what to do when you think someone is having a stroke is very important. The reason we make a push to educate and be a part of Stroke Awareness Month is that the faster you get to a hospital and the faster you give treatment, the more you improve outcomes after a stroke. Time is brain and brain matters.”

Quizzes, Activities Focus on Stroke Awareness

New Look,New Purpose

for East Entrance OfficeThe area at NorthBay Medical Center that

served for many years as the medical staff office and medical library now houses a team of Financial Counseling and Health

Information Management employees. Medical staff and the Medical Library moved down

the hallway to be nearer the physician lounge and hospital administration office. Soon out-patients entering the east end of the hospital for lab work can check in right across the hall

from the lab.

13

Duncan, vice president and chief nursing officer, Jennifer was moved to tears.

“I’m speechless,” said Jennifer, who works on Unit 1800 at NorthBay Medical Center. “I was just doing what I do every day. It’s amazing to get an award for what you do naturally.”

Six other nurses were honored with nominations and received pins at the award presentation. They are: Mylene Crus, Peter Dhaliwal, Graci Acosta, Kami Hansra, Jamil Ilagan and Lucia Valdez.

The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recog-nize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from compli-cations of Idiopathic Thrombo-cytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Pat-rick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

Four times a year, a nurse will be selected by NorthBay’s DAISY Selection Committee to receive the award, according to Sandy Piedra, R.N., director of Emergency Services and Joan Forbush, R.N., director of Clinical Support Services and Acute Care, NorthBay’s DAISY program co-coordinators.

“We all think that we are just doing our jobs, but we’re not,” Sandy told the audience during the presentation. “We’re making a difference in the lives of our

patients.”Jennifer’s nomination came

from a patient who was having a rough time.

“I want you to know that just sitting and being able to talk to you has put my mind at rest and helped me smile during this diffi-cult time,” he wrote. “The won-derful, professional yet playful attitude helped me remain calm while we were dealing with an IV situation. There aren’t enough words in the world to express my forever gratitude to you and our new-found friendship.”

Jennifer received a certificate commending her for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” She also received a sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.

A special video message from DAISY Foundation co-founder Bonnie Barnes was shown, ex-plaining the program and wel-coming NorthBay into the group.

“When my son Patrick was critically ill, our family experi-enced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide pa-tients every day and night,” said Bonnie. “Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the

super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at North-Bay are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”

Bonnie explained that one day while Pat was in the hospital, he asked his family to bring him a Cinnabon® cinnamon roll, plus enough for all the nurses in his unit.

“With the help of Cinnabon’s parent company, FOCUS Brands, the DAISY Foundation carries on this tradition by serving Cin-nabons to all the nurses in the Award recipient’s unit in thanks for everything they do for their patients and families,” she said.

At the April presentation, all nurses attending the Shared Governance meeting were treated to Cinnabons.

The award is not new to Traci, who has worked at two other hospitals where DAISY Awards were part of the fabric of the institution.

“It’s exciting to bring this excellent program to NorthBay,” she said. “Our nurses are heroes every day. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued and the DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.”

More information is available at http:/DAISYfoundation.org. Forms to nominate a NorthBay nurse can be found online at NorthBay.org/DAISY.

DAISY...(From Page 1)

Sandy Piedra and Joan Forbush (left) and Traci Duncan (right) congratulate DAISY winner Jennifer Parham (center) and others nominated for the DAISY, including (left to right) Gracie Acosta, Kami Hansra, Peter Dhaliwal, Lucy Valdez and Jamil Ilagan. Not pictured but also nominated is Mylene Cruz.

14

Finishing Touches for Wellness CenterDon’t blink. You might miss yet another construc-

tion milestone being met at the Wellness and Health-Spring Fitness centers.

Over the course of just two weeks’ time, for ex-ample, landscaping plants will be installed around the building. “It’s going to look very different once the landscaping is in,” noted Ray Green, project manager.

On the interior of the Wellness Center, “finish work” — carpets, ceilings and wood trim — is nearly done on the second and third floors. The Wellness Center should be certified for occupation sometime between Memorial Day and June 3, Ray noted.

On the HealthSpring Fitness Center side of the building, flooring installation is nearly complete on the second and third floors, and tile work in the locker rooms is under way.

In the natatorium, plaster will be applied to the

More Photos onNorthBay.org

Landscaping is set to go in around the VacaValley Well-ness Center in the coming days. This photograph is taken from the medical office portion of the building. The glass area that juts out covers a swimming pool in the North-Bay HealthSpring Fitness section.

This view (above) is looking down from the third floor to the future lobby of HealthSpring Fitness Center. The lobby (at left) will have a reception desk and a large wood design feature, which is under construction now.

See CENTER, Page 15

15

pools and tile work completed, and then the pool’s walkway sur-face will be finished. The canopy roof on the building’s entrance was tilted up the last week of April, and all parking lot curbs have been poured and shaped.

This week, workers will begin constructing a large wood design feature for HealthSpring’s lobby. This project is expected to take two weeks, Ray noted.

June 6 is a big day for Health-Spring Fitness Center. That’s the day five large trucks arrive on campus, packed with all the center’s fitness equipment. Plans call for having all the equipment off-loaded and installed, plugged in and working by June 10, Ray noted.

Center...(From Page 14)

NorthBay Healthcare employ-ees are reminded that they must sign up between now and May 31 to receive the lowest possible charter member rate for North-Bay HealthSpring Fitness. Visit HealthSpringfitness.org or call (707) 301-4076.

Rates Will Rise in June

The elevated walking track (at left) traverses the junior Olympic-sized lap pool. Workers will soon complete plaster and tile work on all the pools. Ray Green (below) stands in an area of the fitness center that will feature several pieces of cardio equipment.

This area shows the “backstage” portion of the Cancer Center, where physicians and staff will work together.

16

NorthBay Life Coaches Empower GirlsAbout 16 girls and several

adults sat on plastic mats in a circle on the playground at Fairview Elementary School one warm Spring afternoon, listen-ing intently to what “Joking Julie” had to say.

“Do you ever think that some-times a friend is not listening to what you say?” asked Julie. “How does it make you feel?”

Hands shot up among those in the circle.

“Angry,” said one girl. “Sad,” offered another.

“We’re going to see what that looks like,” said Julie, who with a team of coaches divided the girls, ages 8 to 11, into pairs and lined them up.

“Show me what it looks like when you ignore someone,” she instructed. “And partners, show me how it makes you feel.”

It was all part of a lesson called, “It Takes Courage,” which “Joking Julie” Lyons volunteered to share with the team of third- through fifth-grade girls at Fairview Elementary who have signed up to be part of Girls On The Run, an after-school program that teaches girls to celebrate their unique, healthy selves.

It’s a 10-week empowerment program that culminates in the girls experiencing the power of giving by doing a community impact project and the joy of achievement, with running in a 5K event with other girls from Napa and Solano counties. But it’s really more of a journey to help the girls build their self-con-fidence, self-esteem and to learn how to make healthier choices.

When “Joking Julie” is not teaching lessons in courage, she’s a pharmacy technician at NorthBay Healthcare. She

teamed up with “Noble Niki” Petersen, NorthBay’s director of Respiratory Services, to adopt the Fairview team, along with a trio of teachers at the school: “Lively Laura” Gay, “Laughing Lilly” Thompson, and “Dedi-cated Danielle” Nevins. Every one of the coaches — and the girls — picked an adjective that starts with the first letter in their name on their first day together and have continued to use them throughout the program.

“Fairview seemed like an ex-

Girls run during a drill (above) on the play-ground at Fairview Elementary. Niki Petersen (left) and Julie Lyons (center) ask the girls to

sign their initials to a poster.

Girls and adults listen as “Joking Julie” Lyons leads a lesson in courage.

See GIRLS, Page 17

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Girls ...(From Page 16)

cellent choice, because NorthBay already adopts the school every December, as part of our “Adopt-a-School Program,” explained Julie. “We have a bond.”

Actually, when the call went out for volunteer life coaches, a dozen NorthBay employees raised their hand and expressed interest. After schedules were checked and a full day of train-ing was completed, five of those interested volunteers were partnered at schools in Solano and Napa counties. In addition to Julie and Niki, Mae Diaz, Laura Oiler and Sarah Peffer were con-nected to schools.

“We were thrilled by the response,” said Janet Todd, executive director for Girls On The Run, Napa & Solano. “We are grateful for NorthBay’s support and partnership to empower more healthy girls, particularly those underserved.”

“It’s such a great program,” said Julie. “I coached with my sister in Napa a few years ago, and I helped Girls On The Run get in touch with NorthBay for a

donation a couple of years ago. I’m thrilled to see the connection is still growing.”

“Adventurous April” Massett, program manager for the Solano schools, stopped by to watch the Fairview team in action and be-came a high-five magnet, as girls circled round her on a relay.

“I wish there was a program like this when I was younger,” said April. “I think it would have saved me from a bit of heartache and uncertainty.”

April was finishing a run when she saw posters about Girls On The Run and a light went off.

“I wanted my daughter to have that experience: To do a run and to feel strong and con-fident.” She learned how the program’s creator, Molly Barker, came up with the idea — after a run herself. At that moment, she felt strong and in control. She came up with the idea and pitched it to a friend who said, “You’ve got something here.”

That inaugural group of 13 girls met in North Carolina 20 years ago. Today, Girls On The Run International has served more than 1 million girls. In fact, a middle school component,

titled, “Heart and Soul” has also been developed to help girls as they continue their journeys.

Girls On The Run Napa & Solano is a small local nonprofit that is celebrating its 10th an-niversary, with more than 3,700 girls empowered. This spring 14 schools participated from Solano County, and in the fall, 27 have signed up, said April.

“It’s fun, but not competi-tive,” she explained. “It’s not just about movement, it’s building a life skill tool kit, from nutrition to taking care of their bodies, social skills, to feeling good about the way they treat people and are treated. It even teaches them how to reach out and contribute to their communities.”

And that’s a perfect match with NorthBay, says Joking Julie.

“NorthBay strives to ensure that local residents receive com-passionate care close to home by having access to resources that promote health and fitness. Girls On The Run is one of those re-sources where not only the girls benefit from the program but they are excited to teach their parents and friends what they’ve learned,” said Julie. “The commu-nity grows together.”

Niki agrees.“I feel a sense of giving back

to the community that helps sup-port NorthBay. I feel connected to these girls in a very positive way, and that I’ll leave a good legacy for my community.”

18

Viva #Cinco K, #NorthBay ... (From Page 1)a fund-raiser for the Fairfield Po-lice Activities League.

NorthBay Healthcare was the presenting sponsor for the event, which drew nearly 700 par-

ticipants, a 30 percent increase from the inaugural year, accord-ing to race organizers.

Team NorthBay was 150-plus strong, and fielded the second-

fastest runners in two events: Chris Dalton, an IT systems engineer, who just ran the Bos-ton Marathon a couple of weeks

A Team #NorthBay participant (above) gives one of the chili peppers a high five at the race’s start. An exuberant #North-Bay participant Matt Boettcher (right) crosses the finish line with a flourish.

Some of the members of Team #NorthBay gathered for a photo before the beginning of the 1 mile, 5K and 10K events.

See #Cinco Page 19

19

#Cinco ... (From Page 18)earlier, finished the 5K in 18:26. Ed Ballerini, chief clinical infomatics officer, and also a veteran of the Boston Marathon, finished the 10K with a time of 45:46.

A number of spectators attended to cheer on the participants, as well as performers and volunteers.

The event started and ended at the Anheuser-Busch Visitors Center, and participants were treated to a beer garden experience complete with tacos.

When all was said and done, the Fairfield Police Activities League reported receiving $20,000 for its programs.

Next year’s Cinco K Run is tentatively scheduled for May 7, 2017. To see the results from the 5K and 10 K events, visit: http://www.luckyrabbitevents.com/ckr/race-results-timing/.

First- and second-place finishers in the 5K race were Tyler Sickler, 21, (left) and Christopher Dalton, 30, (right) an IT systems engineer at NorthBay Healthcare, posing here with a Fairfield Police officer working the event. Victoria (top right) and Ellen Tortorette fly to the finish line.

Check out a photo slideshow on My NorthBay, Your Employee Portal

20

TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

05.14.16 NorthBay at Scandia Day05.28.16 Fiesta Days Parade, downtown Vacaville06.01.16 Retirement Plan Meetings — VVHP Suite 29006.02.16 Retirement Plan Meetings — Penn Tab Lobby06.05.16 Cancer Survivors Day, Rancho Solano, Fairfield06.07.16 Retirement Plan Meetings — GVAC Rm 16006.11.16 Annual River Rafting Trip — Sacramento06.21-24.16 NorthBay Nurse Camp06.26.16 Legacy Garden Memorial Service — GVAC07.09.16 NorthBay at SF Giants Baseball08.06.16 NICU Reunion — GVAC08.13.16 NorthBay at Oakland As Baseball (Fireworks show)

Our CEO is Now a Social Media Star

By Robin MillerNorthBay Healthcare Presi-

dent and CEO Gary Passama’s twice-weekly blog, “Healthcare Insider,” has always been popular on NorthBay’s website, but his audience has grown even more in recent months.

Interest in what Gary has to say about the company and health care in general is spreading, thanks to social media. A recent mention by best-selling author Mark Graban proves my point.

Graban is author of the award-winning book “Lean Hospitals,” and is a consultant and sought-after speaker in the “Lean health care” methodology.

In his most recent blog, Graban focused on what he called “humility and customer focus in health care” and shared excerpts from one of Gary’s recent blog posts, “Failing the NorthBay Way,” in which Gary wrote about handling a situation in which a patient was referred to the Emergency Department instead of being treated at an outpatient site.

“The patient did receive the treatment she needed, but at a significant expense. The emergency room was not the appropriate place for this patient,” Gary wrote. “The result was a bill which was much greater than it would have been had the patient been seen at the outpatient location. The patient’s father eventually brought the bill to my attention. After confirming the details, the balance owed was waived. It was the right thing to do because we did the wrong thing.”

Graban was impressed.“I appreciate the humility

involved in admitting a mistake

to a patient and to admit it on their blog. By giving this refund, I assume it will spur NorthBay, as part of their Lean journey, to understand WHY this occurred… looking at system and process problems rather than just blaming an indi-vidual. Understanding the cause of this inappropriate E.D. referral is a key step in preventing future failures of this type.”

Graban also said he plans to include some quotes and thoughts from Gary in the upcoming third, revised edition of his book “Lean Hospitals,” in particular comments Gary made on NorthBay’s launch into the Lean journey.

Graban’s full blog can be read at: http://bit.ly/1UmowZG

That Gary’s comments are be-ing picked up and used elsewhere is proof of the power of social media. In addition to regular posting of Gary’s blog on North-

Bay’s improved and redesigned website, the blog is also now regularly posted on the NorthBay Healthcare Face-book page and Twitter account. It’s a very popular post, getting hundreds of “likes,” “comments”

and “shares” each time.Much of the new audience for

Gary’s blog can also be attributed to the fact that he is now also regularly posting what he writes on his LinkedIn account, which has garnered comments and shares elsewhere in the online world.

I can’t say Gary’s gone viral — yet — but he has definitely gone social. The author is the social me-dia/online specialist for NorthBay Healthcare and writes a monthly blog, which can be found on my North-Bay. Have a question? e-mail Robin.Miller@northbay.org.