At VacaValley! — Page 5 We’re Magnet-Worthy Again!of the campus. w Walk to your vehicle in pairs or small groups if possible. w If you see something, say something. However, please

What’s Cooking?Patient Meals

At VacaValley!— Page 5

1

We’re Magnet-Worthy Again!

08.28.19

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

Real Tim

e…

See MAGNET, Page 20

Confetti flies (above) as Brian Johnson, R.N., lets loose with celebration and Magnet leaders (at right) Vice Presi-dent and CNO Traci Duncan, Magnet Program Director Jennifer Tudor and

consultant Chris Stevenson are all smiles at hearing the good news.

Don’t Miss SpecialSneak Peek for Staff

As the opening date for the North Wing quickly

approaches, a deluge of drills has been taking place, making sure staff

at NorthBay Medical Cen-ter is ready for anything, from an earthquake and child abduction, to chal-lenging surgeries. Check

out FYI coverage:

Disaster Drill, Page 16 w Getting Ready for Disasters, Page 17 wDay in the Life Part II, Page 18

We Drill,Drill, Drill

Just a reminder: An exclu-sive sneak peek into the North Wing at NorthBay Medical Center has been scheduled for employees from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

“We are fast-approaching the finish line on the North Wing project, and we’re ex-cited to invite our employees

See SNEAK PEEK, Page 15

With scores of NorthBay Healthcare employees across campuses and medical offices in Vacaville and Fairfield listen-ing in, a conference call from the Commission on Magnet of the American Nurses Credentialing Center Aug. 16 revealed much-anticipated good news: NorthBay Healthcare has again earned its status as a “Magnet” organiza-tion.

Immediately, cheers went up around the organization, Face-book and Twitter heralded the news and confetti filled the air in the soon-to-open North Wing dining area at NorthBay Medical Center, where leaders gathered

2

TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

Adaya AvillaMedical AssistantAmbulatory Float PoolHilborn Administration Center

Desiree BadaClinical Nurse IIIntensive Care UnitVacaValley Hospital

Doris BecerraUnit Clerk2 North Acute SurgicalNorthBay Medical Center

Janai BoldsManager, Accreditation and RegulationPatient SafetyNorthBay Medical Center

Regina CallisonCertified Nurse Assistant2 North Acute SurgicalNorthBay Medical Center

Stacey CanadyClinic SupervisorOtolaryngology (ENT)Gateway Medical Plaza

Jessica CastroClinical Nurse IIIntensive Care UnitNorthBay Medical Center

Tiffany ColemanNutrition Associate ICafeteriaNorthBay Medical Center

Miriam Cruz FierrosMedical AssistantAmbulatory Float PoolHilborn Administration Center

Audra CustodioClinical Nurse II2 North Acute SurgicalNorthBay Medical Center

Lakhveer Kaur DhaliwalClinical Nurse II, Unit 1800 NorthBay Medical Center

Erin FinkClinical Nurse II2 North Acute SurgicalNorthBay Medical Center

Vaniza GallowayCertified Nurse AssistantUnit 1800 NorthBay Medical Center

Byron GamorasCertified Nurse Assistant2 North Acute SurgicalNorthBay Medical Center

Ashlyn GarrettCertified Nurse AssistantAmbulatory Surgery UnitNorthBay Medical Center

Michael GlennClinical Nurse II2 North Acute SurgicalNorthBay Medical Center

Amanda GonzalezClinical Nurse IEmergency DepartmentNorthBay Medical Center

Michelle HayesEmergency Room TechnicianEmergency RoomNorthBay Medical Center

Krista HellingerSupply Chain ExpeditorMaterials ManagementGreen Valley Administration Center

Amy HumphreyNutrition Associate INutrition ServicesNorthBay Medical Center

David KarashchukStationary Engineer IPlant MaintenanceNorthBay Medical Center

Arielle KubesEmergency Room TechnicianEmergency RoomNorthBay Medical Center

Agueda LaraCertified Nurse Assistant2 North Acute SurgicalNorthBay Medical Center

Rebecca LeonardMedical Oncology NurseMedical OncologyVacaValley Wellness Center

Donovan LewisSecurity Officer IISecurityNorthBay Medical Center

Mary Grace MendozaClinical Nurse IIUnit 1800 NorthBay Medical Center

Steve NakamuraSecurity Officer IISecurityNorthBay Medical Center

Elmer PinedaCertified Nurse Assistant2 North Acute SurgicalNorthBay Medical Center

Mae Karyl PogioClinical Nurse II2 North Acute SurgicalNorthBay Medical Center

Baljinder RaiCertified Nurse AssistantUnit 1600, NorthBay Medical Center

3

TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

Have Questions AboutHDHP and HSA?

Jeanne Scott, a long-time NorthBay employee, recently passed away in Fairfield.

Jeanne was hired in 1975 as a nurse at Intercommunity Memo-rial Hospital and worked in the 1800 unit at NorthBay Medical Center until she retired in 2000.

“Jeanne was a head nurse (that’s what they were called then) when I came to Intercom-munity in 1981,” recalls Gary Passama, former president and CEO. “She was a very nice and caring person, and for many years attended the annual em-ployee recognition dinner after

Neelam RamCertified Nurse AssistantUnit 1800NorthBay Medical Center

Jennifer RamosClinical Nurse IEmergency RoomNorthBay Medical Center

Natalia RangelMedical Assistant IIOtolaryngology (ENT)Gateway Medical Plaza

Godson RyderSecurity Officer ISecurityNorthBay Medical Center

Grace SenogaClinical Nurse II2 North Acute SurgicalNorthBay Medical Center

Trang TranCertified Nurse Assistant2 North Acute SurgicalNorthBay Medical Center

Tina ValarisManager, Ambulatory CodingRevenue Cycle ManagementGreen Valley Administration Center

Maria VegaPatient Services Rep.Otolaryngology (ENT)Gateway Medical Plaza

Leizi VillarosaClinical Nurse IIUnit 1800NorthBay Medical Center

Brandon VirayUnit Clerk/Monitor TechnicianUnit 1600NorthBay Medical Center

Michael WlodarskiClinical Nurse IIEmergency RoomVacaValley Hospital

she retired. She was part of a generation that helped the orga-nization put strong roots into the community.”

Jeanne also endured per-sonal tragedy in that all five of her sons predeceased her, Gary recalled. Her obituary noted that she was “sustained by her faith in God as well as the love and support of her family, friends and co-workers.”

She is survived by her sister, Barbara Patterson of Fairfield, sisters in Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and by many nieces and nephews.

Longtime NorthBay NurseRemembered for Kind Nature

Want to learn about how to save pre-tax dollars to use to-ward your healthcare expenses and grow your account over time?

It may sound like alphabet soup, but HDHP and HSA are two important acronyms you might want to learn more about, espe-cially how they relate to benefit options at NorthBay Healthcare.

HDHP standards for High-Deductible Health Plan, and it includes an HSA — Health Sav-ings Account.

NorthBay introduced this plan last year during Open Enrollment and will continue to offer the plan in 2020. NorthBay has invited Western Health Advantage repre-sentatives to be onsite to explain how HDHP works in conjunction with the HSA.

“We encourage employees to learn about this important fea-

ture prior to Open Enrollment. Our Benefit Fairs will be Oct. 16-17 and Open Enrollment will run through Nov. 19,” said Di-ane Urbano, Human Resources manager. “It will help them make informed decisions when the time comes.”

VacaValley Cafe Friday, Aug. 30, 3 to 6 p.m.

w Wednesday, Sept. 4, noon to 3 p.m. w Tuesday, Sept. 10, 8 a.m. to

11 a.m.

Annex 1-2 Thursday, Aug. 29, 1 to 3 p.m. w Friday, Sept. 6, 1 to 4 p.m. w

Wednesday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m. to noon

GVAC Monday, Aug. 26, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. w Monday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hilborn Admin. Center Thursday, Aug. 29, 8 to 10 a.m.

Informational Sessions

4

Beefing Up Security in Green Valley

Efforts are currently underway to eliminate gold cards this fall, according to Diane Urbano, Human Resources director.

Soon, staff will be able to edit and complete their own time cards, including corrections for missed punches and erroneous punches, as well as non-productive time such as Paid Time Off (PTO) and Extended Sick Leave (ESL).

“The new expectation will be for staff members to own the responsibility of completing accurate time records on a daily basis,” said Diane.

Say Goodbye to Gold Cards, a New System is ComingStaff members will need to confirm the accu-

racy of their time records at the end of every shift to ensure accurate pay. Timecard editing will be available at any time clock, or at any NorthBay computer terminal. Alternative methods of clocking will be enabled for many staff members, such as timestamp at a computer.

“It’s going to take training, of course,” said Di-ane. “We’ll be working together with IT and payroll to develop a series of training/education options.”

Watch future FYIs for more details.

In the wake of a recent spike in criminal activity on the Green Valley Administration Center campus, Security has assigned a uniformed officer to patrol the parking lots and around the buildings Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. through the end of the year, at least, ac-cording to Adam Weinberg, direc-tor of Security.

The action follows a rash of vandalism and smash-and-grab thefts to cars, and thefts in the administration building following a “tailgating” incident.

“Tailgating occurs when some-one follows an employee in through a locked door after the employee has used their badge to gain entrance,” Adam ex-plained.

In this particular incident, the employee was unaware that the perpetrator had slipped in, just as the door was about to lock again. Because it was late in the day, the perpetrator was able to roam about halls unchallenged and took advantage to swipe a couple of wallets.

“This is definintely a crime of opportunity. Every business along the I-80 corridor is vulnerable to this type of criminal activity,” ex-plained Adam. “They watch and

learn. They know our employees are busy, sometimes distracted by their phones. Sometimes our employees rush in, and don’t no-tice someone just waiting for the opportunity.”

These criminals are clever, he added, and if asked, often say they’re looking for Human Re-sources. Once an employee has pointed them in the right direc-tion, they’re off again, free to hunt for treasure.

This is a time to remind em-ployees to protect themselves from car thefts by keeping all valuables out of sight. “Lock valuables in the trunk, leave them at home or take them in to work with you,” Adam advised.

“If you see something, say something,” Adam added, “es-pecially if someone is walking around in offices without a badge and you don’t recognize them.”

The officer will be in the white Security-marked Jeep, checking for suspicious and criminal activi-ties, Adam advised.

Adam offers the following sug-gestions to reduce theft, break-ins and tailgating:w Store items of value in

locked locations. w Lock your office doors when

you are away.w Report suspicious persons or

irregular activity to security.w Do not leave any items in

your vehicle in plain sight. w Lock such out-of-sight items

in a trunk or storage area. w If you experience a vehicle

break-in, call Security.w Do not hold badge-accessed

doors open for anyone without a badge or anyone you do not know personally. Make sure no one slips in behind you.w Challenge unfamiliar people

in your workspace or building. Help us create a more secure building culture.w Keep your eyes open when

walking outside the building, walking to and from your vehicle and when walking the perimeter of the campus. w Walk to your vehicle in pairs

or small groups if possible. w If you see something, say

something. However, please do not jeopardize your personal safety by placing yourself in harm’s way. Dial 911.

“We need your help in keeping our campuses safe.” — Adam Weinberg

5

VVH Kitchen Finally Serving PatientsNorthBay VacaValley

Hospital made some his-tory last week, cooking and serving patient meals for the first time since 1996.

“Back then we had about 10 patients a day on average but now it’s close to 50 every day, three meals a day,” ex-plained Nutrition Services Director Kathleen Shafer.

For the past 23 years, all the meals for Vaca-Valley patients have been prepared at NorthBay Medical Center and then transported to VacaValley to be boost-heated before service.

That process increased the time between when the food was prepared and when it was served, and transporting on Interstate 80 dur-ing the commute didn’t help the quality of the meals one bit.

A remodel of the kitchen at VacaValley Hospital and the soon-to-open new kitchen and dining area at NorthBay Medical Center bring a much welcomed change, said Kathleen.

The remodel of the VacaValley kitchen was completed some months ago and final approval from state inspectors came this summer.

Work is also being done on a new patient menu as well, which will include new, fresh and healthy options with an emphasis on flavor and nutrition, though for now

the same menu is being used, said Kathleen.She had nothing but praise for the staff at Vaca-

Valley that cooked and served the first meals with no problems. “It went very well. The manager, supervi-sors and staff rocked it,” she said.

NorthBay Healthcare Cook Domingo Lopez (at left) is glad the waiting is finally over — he’s now able to prepare patient meals in NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, instead of cooking in Fairfield and sending them over. Nutrition associates Mae Weible (above, left to right) and Amanda Rocha and Nutri-tion Services Supervisor Wycitra Foster are all smiles in the VacaValley Hospital kitchen.

Nutrition Associate Claudia Diaz is happy to serve a hot, freshly made lunch to NorthBay VacaValley Hospital patient Juan Martinez. For 23 years, all patient meals were imported from NorthBay Medical Center.

6

NorthBay Healthcare Di-rector of Real Estate Chris Matthews was sworn in to a four-year term on the Fairfield Planning Commission during a Fairfield City Council meeting Aug. 21.

Chris was appointed by May-or Harry Price and interviewed by councilmembers Chuck Timm and Rick Vaccaro along with 10 other ap-plicants. He and Jerome Childs have accepted a four-year term that runs through June 30, 2023.

“I have had the good for-tune of living in several major cities during my career, includ-ing Denver, Dallas, Salt Lake City and Tokyo, Japan. In these metro areas, I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of poor planning and growth for growth’s sake only,” said Chris. “I am excited to be selected out of a large field of appli-cants to be part of the Fairfield Planning Commission, where I will put my perspective to work with my fellow commissioners and the City Council to help create long-term, sustainable new developments that will en-hance this great community.”

NorthBay Heart and Vascu-lar recently welcomed two new interventional cardiologists.

Saba Lahsaei, M.D., and Mark Villalon, M.D., join a stellar team of cardiologists.

Dr. Lahsaei earned his medi-cal degree from Shiraz University Medical Sciences in Shiraz, Iran and was fellowship-trained in vascular/endovascular interven-tions, structural heart disease and interventions at Tufts Uni-versity School of Medicine, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Bos-ton. He also completed fellowship training in cardiovascular disease at California Pacific Medical Cen-ter, San Francisco. He specializes in treating cardiovascular issues through catheter-based proce-dures.

Noting that cardiology is a dynamic field that is growing and changing all the time, Dr. Lahsaei said he chose his specialty be-cause he finds every aspect of it to be interesting and exciting.

“I love that I can see patients’ lives improve by providing life-saving procedures,” he said.

Dr. Villalon specializes in the management of complex coro-nary artery disease and heart valve disease, in addition to general cardiology. He earned his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, and completed his internship, residency and car-diovascular fellowship at Boston University Medical Center, before his subspecialty training in in-terventional cardiology at UCSF Medical Center.

“I was inspired to study medi-cine and my specialty because I was fortunate enough to have several supportive and motivat-ing educators, including my par-ents, who taught me the value of being a lifelong learner,” he said. “In addition, my faith-based values inspire me to continue to be a servant to others, especially those who are most vulnerable.”

Directoris NamedPlanner

Dr. Saba Lahsaei Dr. Mark Villalon

InterventionalCardiologistsJoin Heart & Vascular

Books, Magazine Donations are WelcomeThe NorthBay Guild is look-

ing for donations of books and current magazines to share with visitors in the Welcome Pavilion, in waiting rooms and on the book carts.

Donations can be brought to the welcome desk at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital or NorthBay Medical Center. If no one is at the desk, look for the bin labeled “donations” under the desk.

Chris Matthews

7

NorthBay Healthcare Diabetes & Endocrinology recently wel-comed two diabetologists to its team of caregivers.

Sumera Ahmed, M.D. and Jay Shubrook, D.O., are both fac-ulty at Touro University and will split time at NorthBay. They join endocrinologist John McKenna, M.D., who came to NorthBay ear-lier this year.

Dr. Ahmed earned her medi-cal degree from Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai, India. She was fellowship-trained in diabetes at East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine in Greenville, N.C.

“I want my patients to know that I understand what it is to live with diabetes, I respect them, and I will listen to them as I am committed to providing

good care via the most effective tools,” she said.

Dr. Shubrook earned his doc-torate of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Col-lege of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his diabetes fellowship at OU-COM/Appalachia Regional Diabetes Institute

“I enjoy balancing lifestyle-based treatments with medical treatments. We can have a big impact in the prevention of this disease, its long-term control and the prevention of complications,” he said. “Seeing patients succeed is really enjoyable.”

New Managerfor Licensure,Accreditation

Janai Bolds has joined NorthBay Healthcare as Ac-creditation, Regulatory and Licensure manager.

“She has a very exten-sive background in this field, as well as in quality,” noted Heather Resseger, director of the Quality Division. “She comes to us from John Muir Health, where she worked in Accreditation, Regu-latory and Licensing.”

Janai has a bachelor’s degree in business adminis-tration from the University of Phoenix.

“We are very excited to have her as part of our team and to lead us in our continu-ous patient and survey readi-ness program,” Heather said.

HR Night OwlsVisit Sept. 11

1 to 5 a.m.

Human Resources’ Jim Andersen, Diane Urbano, Tina Jackson and Mercedes Ontiversos at

your service.

VacaValley HospitalNorthBay Medical Center

DiabetesExperts

Join Team

Janai Bolds

Dr. Sumera Ahmed Dr. Jay Shubrook

If you missed the recent lecture by NorthBay Healthcare urologist Herkanwal Khaira, M.D., on an amazing new way to treat enlarged prostates, don’t despair. Two more talks are scheduled this year.

Dr. Khaira will present information on UroLift during Doc Talk Live events from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 12, at the Hampton Inn & Suites, 945 Hartle Court in Napa and from 1 to 2 p.m. Dec. 12, in Vacaville. For more informa-tion, visit: www.NorthBay.org/Urolift.

Urologist Scheduled to Offer Two More Lectures on Prostates

Dr. Khaira

8

Adult Day Center Helps Caregivers“Alzheimer’s is a tough dis-

ease,” ruefully observed Mike Ross of Fairfield, who is experi-encing the difficulties first-hand, as he watches his wife, Janet, disappear into it. “It starts out gradually and then you get to the point where you just can’t leave them alone, because things hap-pen,” said the retired veteran.

Thankfully for Mike and Janet Ross, there is help, support and respite to be found at NorthBay Healthcare’s Adult Day Center, located on VacaValley Parkway in Vacaville. It is Solano County’s only full-time supervised adult day program, for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory loss disorders.

Janet started coming to the center a year ago, and Mike is grateful for the companionship and supervision she receives there because, despite all his at-tentive care, he needed help.

“At first, it was gradual. She was just getting forgetful,” Mike recalled. “Then she’d go into an-other room and get into things, and not remember why. Or tell me to turn down the TV because children were sleeping upstairs, although our daughter was grown and moved to San Francisco.”

Janet began to lose interest in many favorite activities, like puzzles or going shopping. “She didn’t want to go into the store and I couldn’t have her wait in the car or leave her at home.”

Mike had the scare of his life the day he stepped into the back yard to do some work.

“I came inside less than 30 minutes later, and the front door was slightly open. I looked up and down the street, and she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I got in the car and drove around, frantic. When I finally found her,

she was carrying three handbags and some clothes. It was hor-rible.”

Mike realized he needed help. “You can’t spend the whole

day watching them, but they need social interaction and to be around other people.”

Janet’s NorthBay Healthcare primary care physician, Ali Has-sani, M.D., recommended that Mike look into the NorthBay Adult Day Center.

The Adult Day Center’s mis-sion is to provide a full day of structured and socially inviting activities, where participants join in on art, sewing, memory-building or musical activities and exercise. The Center provides

lunch and dinner, morning and afternoon snacks, and assists with personal care. Being open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. allows most working caregivers time to work a full day. Part-time assis-tance also provides caregivers and loved ones time during the day for much-needed respite.

Janet started attending four days a week, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“That’s enough time for her to have some activities and for me to do some errands,” Mike said, “and it’s funny; she never complains about going there, and when I say it’s time to go to the center, I don’t get any resistance, we just get in the car and go.”

NorthBay Healthcare’s Adult Day Center first opened in 2003, and has always been Solano County’s only five-day-a-week, full-time adult day center. According to Home Health Care News, the number of adult day centers increased by more than 35 percent between 2002 and 2010, propelled by an aging population and by a growing movement to keep older adults safely at home longer and out of skilled nursing facilities.

NorthBay physicians, case managers or employees who know of someone who may benefit from the Adult Day Center’s sup-port are encouraged to contact Sapna Boyapati, supervisor, Adult Day Services, at (707) 624-7970.

NorthBay Ahead of the Day Care Trend

Janet Ross (left) enjoys the activities offered at the Adult Day Center and her husband, Mike, is grateful for the service that is available for caregiv-ers such as himself.

9

The Coolest SpotYou’ll Never SeeCentral Sterile:

If you take advantage of the employee tours during the North Wing Open House on Sept. 10, you’re going to see a lot of exciting new spaces and the latest in technology, from surgical suites and diagnostic imaging to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit, upscale patient rooms, and a shining new kitchen and dining area.

But one thing you won’t see is Central Sterile, and that’s too bad, according to Darlene Capen-hurst, manager of Central Services. She has a lot of new tools and equipment and a beautiful work space for her team that she’d like to show off.

Since the room will be sterilzed by the Open House, and unavailable for tour, she teamed up with FYI to do a short video tour, which you’ll find on My NorthBay, your employee portal.

In it, she’ll escort you through her space, showing off her new, ergonomic sinks, her case cart cleaner, which can clean up to three carts at once and show off the low-temperature and steam sterilizers.

“The current sterilizer is 12 years old, so these are going to solve all our problems,” she said.

Darlene said her new space includes every-thing she asked for and more: Windows!

“We’re the cellar dwellers,” she said. “We’re al-ways in the basement. So I’m very happy to have windows. Thank you, NorthBay!”

Darlene Capenhurst, manager of Central Services and techni-cian Christine Pender-gast (above) show off the new cart sterilizer, which can hold up to three large carts at once. Darlene (at left) shows how materi-als are stacked on carts to be sent up to surgery.

Darlene Capenhurst, manager of Central Sterile, shows the flexibility of the racks and stacks in ner new space in the North Wing at NorthBay Medical Center.

Take a VirtualTour with Darlene on My NorthBay!

10

Open Staff meetings for 2019 are underway this week, and em-ployees are hearing a lot of good news from NorthBay Healthcare President and CEO Konard Jones.

Unfortunately, Tuesday’s sessions at NorthBay Medical Center were postponed due to unexpected events, according to

Konard. Make-up dates were not available at press time, but look for an All-Mail Users announcement.

Two more days of meetings are set for Thursday and Friday (see times, right).

Konard discusses the Anthem Blue Cross settlement, progress on the North Wing and the im-portance of our Magnet designa-tion.

As always, a video synopsis will be available on the employee portal, posted several days after the last session, for those not able to attend.

Two More Days to Attend Open Staff

Thursday, Aug. 29Hilborn Administration Building

Conference Room 229AB10:30 a.m.

Friday, Aug. 30 VacaValley Hospital

Cafe Conference Room8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

NorthBay Healthcare President and CEO Konard Jones shares celebratory news during Open Staff at Green Valley Adminis-tration Center.

Docs are Talking About Foot and Heart CareNorthBay physicians — ex-

perts on ankle and foot care and vascular disease — are fanning out into the community to share their knowledge of health issues as part of NorthBay Healthcare’s Doc Talk Live program.

Brandi Upton, M.D., vascular surgeon with NorthBay Health-care, shares some of the signs and symptoms of vascular dis-ease, as well as some preven-tion tips and treatment options, during a lecture to be held to-morrow, Aug. 29, from 10 to 11 a.m. at NorthBay Administration Center, 4500 Business Center Drive, Fairfield. Guests will hear how peripheral arterial disease

(PAD) affects about one in 20 Americans, many of whom are men over the age of 60. Smoking is one of the causes and it can lead to muscle pain and cramp-ing, coldness to the touch and sores on the feet, among other symptoms. RSVP at NorthBay.org/SimpleTests.

Kevin Miller, D.P.M., NorthBay podiatrist, will discuss how slips, trips and falls can affect our feet and ankles, and what can be done to get you up and walking again, from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Sept. 18 at NorthBay VacaVal-ley Wellness Center, 1020 Nut Tree Road, in Vacaville. RSVP at NorthBay.org/Footpain.

There is no cost to attend the Doc Talk Live events, but reser-vations are requested. For more information visit www.NorthBay.org. or email [email protected].

Dr. Kevin MillerDr. Brandi Upton

Full Report inSept. 12 Issue

11

Do You Love NorthBay? Tell Us!Video Contest Sets Stage for Employee Engagement Survey

So you’re inter-ested in engaging in Human Resources department’s first-ever NorthBay Healthcare employee video contest?

First, the facts: It officially kicks off Sept. 1 and runs through Sept. 20, according to orga-nizer Donna Dabeck, manager of Talent Acquisition.

Employees will be asked to use the video to answer one or both questions:

1. Why do I love to work at NorthBay?2. What makes NorthBay Healthcare a great

place to work?Contest rules are:Videos should be no longer than 30 seconds.

Shorter videos are welcome.Videos must be submitted before midnight on

Sept. 20.Videos should be in good taste and reflect

NorthBay’s standards of professional conduct.Absolutely no patients or confidential informa-

tion should be included or seen in any background scene of the video.

If selected, NorthBay may ask to professionally re-record your video.

By submitting the video, you agree that it may be used by NorthBay Healthcare as an employee testimonial in company promotions, including but not limited to NorthBay’s website and social media sites.

Employees can film the video themselves on their mobile device, or with a video camera.

“We’re not going to hold the quality of the video against them,” assured Donna. “It will be judged on content, pure and simple. We’re looking to hear

from our employees who genuinely love working at North-Bay to tell us what makes it so special. We’ll use the videos to share with poten-tial employees and the community, be-cause we’re proud of our organization.”

To post your video, simply visit

https://www.northbay.org/videocontest/ and up-load from your smart phone or computer.

For those who are not comfortable with using a smart phone or video camera, Donna plans to do two site visits, where employees can come and record their video with her.

On Sept. 18, she will meet employees between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on 2 North at NorthBay Medical Center. Then she heads to Vacaville and will film employees between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. in the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital café conference room.

She’ll return to NorthBay Medical Center’s 2 North to film between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m.

And, Donna will round off the effort by rounding at both hospitals in the wee hours on Sept. 19 at both hospitals. Her plan will take her to VacaValley from midnight to 1 a.m., and at NorthBay Medical Center from 1:30 to 2:30 a.m.

“We’re trying to be inclusive so anyone who wants to participate will be able to,” she said.

There will be prizes, and winning entries will be shared on My NorthBay, your employee portal and on NorthBay’s Facebook page.

The contest ends shortly before NorthBay begins its Employee Engagement Survey this fall.

Watch for more details coming soon in FYI.

FYI willPublish on aSpecial Date

In September

FYI will move its publication day from Wednesday to Thursday, for one time only, the week of Sept. 9.

“It’s a one-time move, specifi-cally so our Public Relations team can cover the grand opening fes-

tivities of the North Wing on Tuesday, Sept. 10,” explained FYI editor Diane Barney, director of Public Relations. “There’s a lot happening, and we want to share stories and photos right away.”

12

Sports Injury Clinics are Back

for Young AthletesIt may be 90 degrees outside, but student ath-

letes around Solano County are gearing up for fall sports: Football, tennis, volleyball, soccer and more. With that in mind, NorthBay Healthcare is again opening its popular Saturday morning youth sports injury clinic, staffed by orthopedic surgeons who know sports injuries well.

Take Robert Peterson, M.D., for example. Not only does he specialize in shoulders and joint replace-ment, he’s also a sports medicine expert. And, he’s walked the sidelines of local high school football games off and on for the past 20-plus years, includ-ing the last seven years at Vacaville High School football games as the team doctor.

He’ll be joined by colleague Neil Pathare, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, who specializes in shoulders and knees. He’s passionate about sports medicine and the prevention or management of sports-related in-juries. During his fellowship training, he sub-special-ized in complex medicine cases and assisted in the care of several professional sports teams, including the New York Jets and the New York Islanders. This year he’ll be walking the sidelines during Rodriguez High School football games as the team doctor.

Kevin Miller, D.P.M., who has sideline experience himself as the team doctor for St. Patrick-St. Vincent Catholic High School’s football team in Vallejo, will be available for consultation on foot and ankle injuries.

Dr. Peterson and Dr. Pathare will alternate hosting the Youth Sports Injury Clinic every Sat-urday morning, from 9 to 11 a.m. at NorthBay Urgent Care, 1679 E. Monte Vista Ave., in the Nut Tree Plaza in Vacaville from Aug. 24 through Nov. 2.

“NorthBay Urgent Care is the ideal location for our Youth Sports Injury Clinic,” explained Keiko Sargent, director of musculoskeletal health and orthopedics. “With X-ray available onsite and plenty of exam rooms, we can provide excellent and efficient care to student athletes in our com-munity.”

The initial evaluation is free. Students under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. If further care is required, the injury clinic team will work with families to get the stu-dent to the appropriate provider.

“The Youth Sports Injury Clinic is designed to quickly assess minor injuries and get student ath-letes back on the field,” said Keiko. “For serious injuries, we still recommend that parents use the Emergency Department at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville or NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield, where our Orthopedic Trauma team and other clinicians provide expert care.”

For more information, call (707) 624-7599 or visit NorthBay.org/SportsClinic.

Dr. Neil Pathare checks out two young athletes during North-Bay Healthcare’s free sports physicals event in July.

Dr. Robert Peterson is a fixture along the Vacaville High School Bull-dog’s football games.

13

Phil Cello speaks at the 2018 Pro-Am event.

Cello Again Heads up NorthBay TourneyThe NorthBay Healthcare

Men’s Pro Championship returns in October with Phil Cello once again at the helm of the annual event.

Phil, active in the local and na-tional tennis community for more than 30 years, leads the tourna-ment alongside Solano Commu-nity College tennis coach Rafael Rovira for the fifth straight year. It brings high-caliber professional tennis to the region and attention to the Chris Cammisa Tennis and Education Foundation.

The tournament runs Oct. 7-13 at the Solano Community College courts in Fairfield. There will be 48 singles players and 16 doubles teams competing for the championship of this ATP Chal-lenger event.

The long-time local coach and instructor began the Cammisa Foundation as a way to bring tennis and a related educational program to underserved youth in Solano County. The nonprofit’s work has also played a pivotal role in the establishment of the men’s and women’s tennis pro-grams at Solano Community Col-lege, which Rafael has led since its inception in 2016.

Dr. Cammisa served as North-Bay Healthcare’s chairman in the department of family practice. He was chief medical officer at Partnership HealthPlan of Califor-nia from 1999 to 2019 before his death in June 2014. Dr. Cammisa was also a long-time sports ad-vocate in the county and a tennis enthusiast.

“We’ve been able to provide low-cost, or no-cost training to underserved kids and others in the county,” Phil said. “When I went to Dr. Cammisa’s memorial and noticed all the tennis people there, it was only appropriate to

name the foundation for him.”The Challenger tournament

began in its current form at Ran-cho Solano Country Club in 2015 before moving to the college campus. Phil saw that the courts were going unused and wanted to bring a new focus to the col-lege. Now Rafael has a bustling program and the courts are regu-larly used, not just during the tournament in October.

Phil previously led a Challeng-er tournament in 1992 and 1993 called the Safeway Classic, which was held at Rancho Solano. When the opportunity came to move a nearby Napa Challenger to Solano County, he jumped at the chance.

Phil owns and operates Cello International Tennis Academy, has participated in NorCal Player Development camps, is a past USTA NorCal president and was honored with a USTA NorCal Ser-vice to Tennis Lifetime Achieve-ment Award in 1988.

He began his professional

career as the Tennis Director at Green Valley Country Club. After 16 years, he became a founding partner at Rancho Solano until the club was sold in 1994. That’s when he began his academy.

In 2013, he was named to the Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame. At the time, Phil said, “Tennis is a wonderful, competi-tive game. I enjoy teaching be-cause I can always come up with an answer for something. I have great visualization and communi-cating skills, so I can see what a player needs to develop and help them to do it successfully.”

The NorthBay Healthcare tournament serves as the final leg of the men’s worldwide As-sociation of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour’s swing through Northern California. It remains a great opportunity for local spec-tators to watch up-and-coming tennis talent. Fifteen of the cur-rent top-100 in the ATP rankings have used the Fairfield event as a stepping stone to the ATP tour.

Tickets for the seven-day tournament go on sale in the fall. All seating is in close proxim-ity to the courts. There are also numerous opportunities to be a tournament sponsor, volunteer, and for youth, “Ball Kids” during the matches.

For information, contact Phil at (707) 853-0915 or email [email protected], or Ra-fael at (707) 246-0990 or email at [email protected].

The tournament website can be found at FairfieldProTennis.com.

14

Members of NorthBay’s Healthcare EBP Council pose for a photograph

during the sixth annual Evidence-Based Practice & Research Conference

at the Green Valley Administration Center.

The event attracted hundreds of health-

care professionals from throughout the state.

For more photos, see My NorthBay, your employee

portal.

Shamima Rehman, food services worker, shows how easy it is to use your badge to pay.

Badge-tober will return to NorthBay Medical Center and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital dining areas in Octo-ber.

A promotion for the month of October, Badge-tober, will include weekly raffle prizes for employees who use their badge to make a purchase. Use your payroll de-duction receipt as your ticket and just drop it in the raffle tub that will be set up in the cafés. Winners will receive $10 credits for the cafés or gift shops. There will be one winner at NorthBay Medical Center and one at VacaValley Hospital each week.

Using your employee ID badges to make purchases in the café helps to speed up the checkout process, said Nutrition Services Director Kathleen Shafer.

“A simple swipe is all it takes to make a payment. Two seconds. No one fumbles with a wallet. No one digs for change,” said Kathleen. “These quick payments trans-late to shorter lines, and in a fast-paced environment like healthcare, how long you spend standing in line matters.”

To use a badge for payment, employees must par-ticipate in payroll deduction which requires filling out a simple form. The forms are available for download from the ShareSpace home page. Just click forms and under finance, click on the Point of Service payroll deduction authorization form.

Badge-tober Returns to Our CafésSwipe for Meals, Chance to Win

The EvidenceAll Points to

a Big Success!

15

Sneak Peek ... (From Page 1)

for a special preview,” said Aimee Brewer, presi-dent of NorthBay Healthcare Group.

Plans call for having employee “experts” stationed around the North Wing to answer any and all questions as employees take self-guided tours through the three floors. Refreshments will be provided in our roomy new dining room on the first floor.

“We hope employees from across the organi-zation will have time to walk all three floors, visit our sparkling surgical suites and the new Post Anesthesia Care Unit on the third floor, inviting patient rooms on 2 North, and see state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment on the first floor,” said Aimee.

One spot that employees will not be able to tour is Central Sterile. To keep them in the NorthBay know, Central Sterile Manager Darlene Capenhurst has filmed a video that can be found on My NorthBay, your employee portal. Check out the story on Page 9.

Solano Midnight Sun Foundation dedicated their “Under the Valley Moon” fundraising event on Aug. 17 to their president, Pat Mendez (inset), who was also a former NorthBay Health-care employee and NorthBay Cancer Center patient. Pat lost her 18-year battle with breast cancer in July, and her physi-cian, Jason Marengo, M.D., (above) told the guests how Pat and the foundation had helped so many in financial crisis during the course of their breast cancer treatment, according to Magi Philpot, licensed clinical social worker for the Cancer Center. “He also spoke about Pat, who was his patient, about her dedication to the foundation and how she was an emotion-al support to patients. Pat was such a sweet lady.”

In Memory of Pat Mendez

Orthopedic Surgeon Andrew Brooks, M.D., answers questions on patient options when it comes to hip and partial knee replacements during a Doc Talk Live lecture at the Green Valley Administration Center Aug. 21.

It’s AllAbout

Options

16

Disaster Drills Offer Real Stress Tests A man, wielding an assault weap-

on, suddenly appeared near a nurses’ station on 2 North at NorthBay Medi-cal Center and staff reacted quickly, announcing, “Shooter! Shooter!” before dashing in all directions to find safety in patient rooms.

Although it was only a drill, Mau-reen Allain, R.N., ran to hide in a bathroom, neglecting to the lock the door. The gunman — portrayed by security officer David Fullen — walked slowly down the hall, jiggling door handles until he came to the room where she was hiding. She let out a startled scream.

Seconds later, a NorthBay Health-care Security officer arrived. Gun drawn, he shouted, “Drop your weapon!” and then announced he had “neutralized” the threat.

Walkie-talkies squawked. The threat was over, but with a casualty to staff. Everyone took a moment to grasp what had just happened.

“That was just too scary, a bit too real,” Maureen said, as she walked out of the patient room, hand on her heart.

It was a Code Silver Exercise, aka a situation involving a weapon, an ac-tive shooter or a hostage, and it was just one of many drills staff under-went on “Disaster Day,” Aug. 13.

Earlier, North Wing staff sat in on training sessions, in which Tyler Jobson, manager of Security, and Adam Weinberg, director of Security, described what to do during a Code Silver: Run away in a zigzag pattern and barricade yourself behind locked doors and behind dense, bullet-re-sistant barriers.

Participants were told to stay low and quiet and wait for law enforce-ment to come to the rescue. Other key points:

Call 1111 at NorthBay or 2222 at VacaValley Hospital or 9-911 if you are off campus.

Provide a location and description of the gun- or knife-wield-

Tammy Evans, manager of Patient Access & Communica-tions, (above) sets out warning notices of the drill for visitors.

Adam Weinberg (left) and Tyler Jobson offer 2 North staff tips on how to pro-tect themselves during a Code Silver event.

See DISASTER, Page 17

17

ing suspect.If someone bangs on the door

and begs to be let in, don’t open the door. It could be the shooter.

Peter Stocks, emergency management coordinator, orga-nized the Disaster Day exercises and packed it with one stress test after another, starting with re-sponse to a 7.2 earthquake. That automatically called for establish-ment of an Incident Command Center, drawing pre-designated team members from Security, EVS, Clinical staff, Public Affairs, Procurement and Communica-tions, among many others.

While NorthBay Healthcare Disaster Coordinator Pete Stocks was busy preparing for a full day of disasters at the North Wing, Brigette Gheno, R.N., was busy taking a crash course on disaster preparedness from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Alabama Aug. 5-9.

As part of the Solano County Public Health and Safety Pre-paredness and Response (PHAS-PAR) Coalition,

Brigette traveled with a team to Anniston, Alabama, to partici-pate in the Center for Domestic Preparedness Healthcare Coali-tion Response Leadership Course.

Subjects included, “Emerging Threat to Responders;” “Health-care Coalition Framework;” “Healthcare Coalition Prepared-ness;” “Healthcare Coalition Response and Recovery;” and “Continuity of Operations for

Health Care Coalitions.“They kept us busy from 6:45

every morning to at least 4:30 in the afternoon,” said Brigette. “We had many table-top exercises and got to tour the facility. There

were many heated debates in our coalition, which I later found out that we were not unusual. Fortunately, we left quite bonded with many good ideas on how we want to strengthen our coalition.”

Attending on behalf of the Solano coalition were (back row, left to right) Ted Selby, Solano County health services administrator; Sara Naramore, Solano County epidemi-ologist; Chris Fox, safety manager, Paradise Valley Estates Vacaville; Brian Meader, regional director operations, Medic Ambulance; Brigette Gheno, R.N., administrative coordinator, Performance Improvement-Patient Safety, NorthBay Emergency Depart-ment, NorthBay Medical Center; and Jimmy Pierson, president/COO, Medic Ambulance. In the front row, (left to right) are Cynthia Watson, Solano County nursing services director; Jack Hermmann, acting director, Health Care Preparedness Programs; Renee Raffetto, Solano County health education specialist; Dr. Kevin Yeskey, principal deputy assistant secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Monica Manbe, director of Emergency Services, Kaiser Vacaville; Tony Russell, superintendent, Center for Domestic Prepared-ness, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

NorthBay RepTakes LessonsFrom FEMA

What was Engineering’s re-port for damage to the facility, and status on water and power? Would patients need to be evacu-ated? What facilities can accept them? The team coordinated response and communication

efforts to these questions as they cropped up, and more.

Then, over the next couple of hours, announce-ments over the PA system warned of a fire on 2 North (Code Red), a miss-ing/abducted child (Code Purple), a

bomb threat (Code Yel-low), as well as the active shoot-er (Code Silver) drill.

Out on the floors, observers were noting how staff responded to each of the codes.

Disaster ...(From Page 16)

See DISASTER, Page 19

Sean Zortman points out evacuation routes.

18

What did NorthBay Healthcare learn after two Day-in-the-Life drills?

First and foremost: None of the more than 230 “findings” uncovered during the first day — held on Aug. 6 — were so serious that they would delay the open-ing of the North Wing at North-Bay Medical Center, according to Jim Bollig, senior director of Perioperative Services.

And, secondly?“Although the Aug. 6 drill

made for a hectic day, we achieved our goal, which was to look at processes as they relate to the new North Wing,” noted Maureen Allain, R.N., “and we know we will be able to resolve those issues before we open for patient care.”

“The majority of those 230-plus findings focused on way-

finding and supply issues, and communication between depart-ments, among other issues,” Jim explained. All were sorted the day after Day 1, and assigned to either a department manager or director, or to the construction project management team.

Plans were set in place to iron out the wrinkles during Day-in-the-Life No. 2, held on Aug. 20.

Day in the Life No. 2 a Real Success

During the Mas-sive Transfusion Protocol drill, Chris Johnson, R.N., (left) talks surgi-cal staff through steps required to prepare a patient for emergency sur-gical intervention, while other team members watch and make notes for a later debrief.

A critical delivery of blood arrives (left) and staff assume roles as anesthesiologist, surgeon and circulating nurse.

See DRILL, Page 19

19

“This second day focused on path of travel for emergen-cies happening in the Operating Room, such as a Massive Trans-fusion Protocol and for Malignant Hyperthermia,” Jim said.

Staff from Women and Chil-dren’s Services regularly perform specialized skills training and they participated in the Day-in-the-Life Massive Transfusion Protocol as part of their quarterly training exercise. Others used the time to work on process flow within their own units.

“Afterward, we met with own-ers of the issues found on Day 1 and Day 2 to see if anything needed escalating,” Jim said.

The level of collaboration and teamwork needed to pull off both Day-in-the-Life drills was im-pressive, Jim agreed, but “this is pretty typical of the response we have at NorthBay; when we need

Drill ...(From Page 18)

to do something, we get it done.”

“It was such a pleasure to work alongside staff who were com-mitted to working on processes for a smooth opening and transition,” Maureen added. “Each person looks at things

with different eyes and shared those thoughts with the group. We learned a great deal and very much appreciate the units and staff that participated.”

After the drills were over, In-cident Command Center partici-pants went through a “hotwash,” or immediate debrief of strengths and weaknesses. The missing child drill was resolved in sec-onds; the bomb threat took much longer. One bomb — a backpack with wires extruding from it, was quickly spotted, but another — addressed to Dr. Jerk and placed in a coffee creamer box, was not.

“That was the lesson: Look for anything that seems out of place,” Peter noted, “especially if they appear wet, humming or ticking. Devices could also be

small like a travel mug. Even if we locate one device we do not stop searching until we are of-ficially cleared, and if you do find something don’t touch it, call Security and contain the area.”

Observers reported that public address warnings could not be heard in outlying buildings, such as the Annex or the Gateway Medical Building and that some staff members seemed confused about what the codes meant. Although codes are listed on a plastic card attached to all em-ployee badges, not every em-ployee may have the card, he noted.

“If you don’t have an Emer-gency Codes card or it is out of

date or unreadable, contact HR for a new one.”

Training is also extremely important, Peter said, noting that he is available to provide train-ing for any size group, because everyone should know and be comfortable with their roles in a disaster.

“This has been a great op-portunity to identify areas of strength and areas for improve-ment,” Peter added. “Expect more training opportunities and exercises, and treat every exer-cise or drill as if it were real so that when something happens you know what to do. When you train like it’s real you will save lives, including your own.”

Disaster ...(From Page 17)

Staff share con-structive observa-tions in a post-event debrief (far left) while Labor & Delivery staff run through their Massive Transfu-sion Protocol steps (left) with a female mannequin in Labor & Delivery. Dr. Tiffany Schegg, Brian Johnson, R.N. and Sarah Ca-pretto, R.N., make notes to share with the team.

20

Magnet ... (From Page 1)

Staff (at left) come together to celebrate with congratulatory cups of sparkling cider in NorthBay VacaValley Hospi-tal’s cafe confer-ence room.

The confetti is flying, but key Magnet Program champions take a moment to pose for a photo with a hand-made frame out of Magnet license plates crafted by Jennifer Veler (bottom right.) Posing with Jennifer are (front row, left to right: Jennifer Tudor and Traci Duncan and (back row, left to right) Amy Ciarulo, Maureen Allain, Chris Stevenson and Laurel Nielson.

to take the call from Sharon Pappas, R.N., Magnet Recognition Program Commission Executive Committee Member.

“It is my honor and privilege to officially notify you that the Commission on Magnet has voted unanimously to credential NorthBay Healthcare Group as a Magnet Organization,” she said.

It is the second time since 2014 that the organization has earned the highest level of recognition that a healthcare system can receive for quality nursing care.

During the call, Commissioner Pappas cited two exemplars of excellence: Impressive and extensive support for clinical nurse involvement in community outreach, and a robust, multi-pronged approach to clinical nurse recognition.

“The depth and breadth of engagement and support is ex-emplary,” she told the audience on the conference call. “This organization is unique. It goes above and beyond in its message to celebrate the value of nursing. You are a national role model for nursing excellence.”

Former Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Kathy Richerson (left) sits with current Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Traci Duncan.

See MAGNET, Page 21

High fives fly in Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation.

21

Magnet ... (From Page 20)

Nursing leaders Traci Duncan, (from right to left) Rhonda Mar-tin and Jennifer Tudor pose with the team from the NorthBay Cancer Center.

Heather Troutt, clinical manager for Women and Chil-dren’s Services, takes a group photo after the big an-nouncement in the soon-to-open dining area in the North Wing at NorthBay Medical Center. Included are (left to right) Lisa Torgerson, Laura Oiler, Elizabeth Scott Paul-son, Aimee Brewer and Brian Johnson.

Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Traci Duncan thanked the Commission on Magnet for “continuing to push us to provide the best care possible to our patients and families.”

She also had high praise for her nursing team. “I’m so proud of their ongoing commitment to nursing

excellence, as well as the entire organization for participa-tion and commitment in achieving this wonderful honor,” said Traci. “Our nursing staff and nurse leaders helped cre-ate our Magnet environment using relationship-based care and our professional practice model. I’m honored to be a part of this team and this organization.”

Every seat in the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital confer-ence room was taken, and nervous smiles were on the faces of all who gathered, just before the announcement. When findings were announced, there were tears and cheers.

“This is a testament to the hard work we do every day,” See MAGNET, Page 22

The team (at right) on Unit

1700 at NorthBay Medical Center takes a photo in the corridor

following the an-nouncement.

Nurses Julie Bick-ham (far right)

and Erica Taylor of the VacaVal-ley Emergency

Department give a thumbs up.

22

Magnet ... (From Page 21)

The Case Management team (at left) pose for a group shot; a small team from Unit 1700 (above) give the thumbs up.

The team at Unit 1600 (above), a group from the cardiac cath-eterization lab (at left) and a group from the ICU (below) also took time to get a group photo.

said Rhonda Martin, R.N., as-sistant vice president of Nursing Operations. “I appreciate my colleagues, not just in nursing but throughout the organization. They all deserve this recogni-tion, we are all part of the same team.”

Only 6.6 percent of hospitals in the United States have earned Magnet recognition after exhib-iting exemplary patient care, positive clinical outcomes and innovation in professional nursing practices. NorthBay Healthcare is one of only 37 Magnet organizations in California.

To earn the distinction, NorthBay spent four years gathering documentation on ev-erything from patient and nursing satisfac-tion to NorthBay’s Evidence-Based Practice and Research Council, Chief Nursing Officer Staff Advisory Council, Nursing Education and Clinical Practice Development Department, and shared governance activities.

In 2014, a 16-volume paper document was submitted. Last October, the submission was all electronic, but no less work to create, according to Jennifer Tudor, R.N., Magnet Pro-gram director.

It contained more than 100 narratives with more than 400 sources of evidence to meet the 69 Magnet standards required.

“I don’t think anything could have pre-pared me for just how much work it was, but it’s so worth it,” said Jennifer, who teamed up with partners Katie Lydon, R.N., Kim Wil-liamson, R.N., and retired NorthBay Magnet director Chris Stevenson, who came back as a consultant, to write and fine-tune the final documents.

“We are also grate-ful to the nine North-Bay nursing escorts who toured with Mag-net surveyors during a three-day visit in June,” added Jennifer. “Their pride in show-ing off our organization

See MAGNET, Page 23

23

was obvious. Not only that but the appraisers said they saw that pride and positive spirit in everyone they met.”

During the survey, NorthBay employees — not just nurses — and the public had a chance to share their experiences and comment on the quality of care.

After it was over, the survey-ors’ response was encouraging, said Jennifer.

“The surveyors commented on how our team is a family, and not just in nursing, but throughout our organization,” said Jennifer. NorthBay Health-care Group President Aimee Brewer said that the achieve-ment reflects positively on ev-eryone in the organization.

“Renewal of Magnet designa-tion is extraordinary for North-Bay, because it symbolizes both literally and figuratively the excellence of our nursing care, along with our commitment to the highest quality of patient-centered care,” said Aimee. “I am honored to be associated with such highly recognized healthcare professionals and such a devoted team.”

Aimee encouraged nurses to take a moment to pause and appreciate the significance of the Magnet designation.

“Your days are so busy, filled with taking care of our patients. Please let this moment sink in,” she said. “It’s because of you

Magnet ... (From Page 22)

A team (above) from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a team (at left) from the catheteriza-ton lab, pose for group shots.

that we have this incredible honor. The connection you make with patients and families every day made it possible.”

Jennifer noted that the sec-ond time around, the process was more difficult, because standards have been raised.

“Some larger organizations have not managed to be re-newed the second time around, because it’s much more diffi-cult,” agreed Traci.

Retired Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Kathy Richerson came to NorthBay for the announcement and said she was very proud of the organiza-tion’s accomplishments.

Traci offered praise for Kathy, noting, “Without your vision and starting this whole process, we wouldn’t be here today. You really set the path for us.”

Traci thanked NorthBay’s full team of support, from board members and senior leaders to nursing leaders and ancillary staff, and then paused.

“And then there’s all of you,” she said with emotion. “A mil-lion thank yous because each and every day, this is the work that you do. As one who has personally been able to experi-ence recently the care delivered by NorthBay, I couldn’t be more proud, thankful and grateful to all of you. I hope you take it forward. It’s not that easy and

you know it, and I know it. I just hope you keep it with you every minute. It’s so important, so criti-cal. We are NorthBay.”

Traci, Jennifer and the team visited multiple departments at both NorthBay Medical Center and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital to spread the good news, taking pho-tos all along the way.

A contingent from NorthBay will head to Orlando, Florida, in Octo-ber, when the distinction is official-ly presented by the ANCC.

A large group from Women and Children’s Services (above, left) and the Post Anesthe-sia Care Unit (above, right) celebrate the honor.

24

08.29.19 Open Staff Meeting, Hilborn Administration Center, Room 229AB, 10:30 a.m.08.29.19 Doc Talk with Brandi Upton, M.D., GVAC, 10 to 11 a.m.08.30.19 Open Staff Meeting, VacaValley Hospital Café Conference Room, 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m.09.01.19 Employee Engagement Video contest begins09.03.19 Retirement Plan Meetings, Green Valley Administration Center, Room 16009.04.19 Retirement Plan Meetings, VacaValley Health Plaza, Suite 29009.05.19 Retirement Plan Meetings, NorthBay Health Plaza, Suite 20409.09.19 Foundation Open House, North Wing09.10.19 North Wing Open House for Employees, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 09.18.19 Doc Talk with Kevin Miller, D.P.M., NorthBay VacaValley Wellness Center, 11 a.m. to noon09.20.19 Employee Engagement Video contest ends10.07.19 Men’s Pro Tennis Tournament begins, Solano Community College

TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

Did You Get Wellspring?The Summer issue of Wellspring offers readers a deep dive into all things NorthBay, a fact-packed read as Open Enrollment season opens up. Issues hit mailboxes in mid-August and if you missed a copy, contact Melissa Manry at [email protected], or go to https://wellspring.north-bay.org/issue/summer-2019-issue.

In response to community needs, two be-reavement support services are being revived through NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement.

An Adult Support Group returns and will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of the month, beginning Sept. 5. The group meets at 4520 Business Center Drive in Fairfield. Participants are asked to R.S.V.P. as dates can change due to holidays or other circumstances, noted Jennifer Flam, NorthBay Healthcare Hospice chaplain and bereavement volunteer coordinator.

The three-session workshop, “Writing Our Grief: Exploring Grief Through Writing,” also returns, and will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, 15 and 22. This series is for adults who have already received some grief counsel-ing and are looking to process their emotions through the written word. It will be facili-tated by Audrey Reyes, licensed clinical social worker for NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement. For more information about these and other support groups, call (707) 646-3517.

Blue Cross Seals the DealA contract signed in August between NorthBay Health-

care and Anthem Blue Cross includes a three-year agree-ment that brings both NorthBay Medical Center and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital back into the network and retains NorthBay physicians and specialists.

“Leading up to the agreement, we had to overcome dif-ficult negotiations over contract language and some sticky details,” said Konard Jones, president and CEO. “Clearly we did not get everything we wanted, but in the end we have retained the Anthem Blue Cross patients that we have served, and we have a contract that will help us remain the health care leader in Solano County.”

The immediate impact was that the health plan members who had been seeing NorthBay physicians and special-ists could again be served in NorthBay hospitals. In recent times, patients were being diverted from NorthBay to other hospitals or surgery facilities.

The new contract covers those with PPO, EPO POS and PPO/EPO plans. Those with an Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Supplement plan options A-N were not impacted by any of the negotiations.

If patients have any questions about their insurance coverage, they may contact our health plan specialist, Kelly Rhoads-Poston, (707) 646-3280, or email [email protected].

Two Grief Groups Back in Action