Compliance Is The Right Thing To Do

November 27, 2009 Volume 17 Number 22 Care Basket...2 Blood Drive...2 Holiday Activities Schedule...3 Nurse Mentorship Academy...4 Seat Belts...4 Stars...5 Silver Award...5 inside A CHECKUP PUBLICATION FOR NORTH MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER EMPLOYEES Compliance Is The Right Thing To Do By Jim Stanzell Chief Compliance Officer Recently, we distributed surveys to many NMHS employees to help measure our compliance program s effectiveness. One lesson learned was the need to communicate information regarding the NMHS Corporate Compliance Plan. We also learned the importance of making sure employees are aware of the various methods through which they can voice compliance questions and concerns. A brief description of the NMHS compliance program might be helpful. At the top is the NMHS Audit and Compliance Committee. This committee is comprised of several NMHS board members who meet quarterly to receive auditing and compliance reports. Also in attendance are members of senior management such as John Heer, Joe Reppert, Steve Altmiller, Gerald Wages and Bruce Toppin. As Chief Compliance Officer, I attend, along with Internal Audit Manager Janie Lee. Additionally, NMHS has an Internal Compliance Committee that meets every other week, comprised of: Jim Stanzell, NMHS Chief Compliance Officer Janie Lee, NMHS Internal Audit Manager Sarah Helen Beckham, Director of Health Information Services Judy Harrison, Director of Laboratory Services Lynn Holland, Vice President of Finance Charles Emens, Director of Business Services Bruce Toppin, NMHS Vice President and General Counsel Others serving on this committee are our NMHS Compliance Liaisons: Laura McClung, NMMC-Iuka Cathy Waldrop, NMMC-Pontotoc Sherrie Johnson, NMMC-Eupora Wendy Tucker, NMMC-West Point Mary Ann Hardin, NMMC- Hamilton Wanda Wallace, North Mississippi Medical Clinics For our compliance plan to be effective, employees need to know how to gain access. If you have a compliance question and/or concern, you are strongly encouraged to contact us, anonymously if you prefer, by using any of the methods listed: Continued on page 2

Support Care Basket Program North Mississippi Medical Center Hospice program is currently accepting donations of items and funds to prepare care baskets for hospice patients and bereaved families throughout 14 counties in north Mississippi. Hospice patients are those with a life-limiting illness whose life expectancy is measured in weeks or months, not years. Each December, the Hospice staff and volunteers compile and deliver 100-125 care baskets. Items requested include: Snack food items such as raisins, nuts, cookies, snack crackers and microwave popcorn Bottled water, hot chocolate and tea mix Regular and sugar-free candy Personal care items such as shampoo, lotion, toothbrushes, toothpaste and individual packs of tissue Inspirational books, bookmarks, devotion books, music CDs Notepads, pens and pencils Handmade items (especially from children) Christmas ornaments or decorations Pill dispenser boxes Coffee mugs The Hospice staff can also use monetary donations to purchase the containers, ribbon, tissue paper and other items for the care baskets. Items may be delivered through Friday, Dec. 11, to the NMMC Hospice office located in President Plaza at 422A President St., Tupelo. For more information, call Chris Maynard or Jerry Grammer at (662) 377-3612 or 1-800-THE DESK (1-800-843-3375). Employee Blood Drive Scheduled Dec. 15 NMMC employees can donate blood at an Employee Blood Drive on Dec. 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Main Lobby. Donating blood is safe, it s simple and it saves lives. Every minute of every day, someone needs blood. Volunteers donate virtually all of this country s supply of blood for transfusion. Who is eligible to donate blood? People in good health who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate a pint of blood as often as every 56 days. The volume lost by donating blood is replenished within a few hours and the hemoglobin in a few weeks. If you are otherwise healthy, donating blood is entirely safe. Prospective donors will be asked about their medical history and current health. Temperature, blood pressure, pulse and blood hemoglobin levels are checked. After donating, rest and enjoy a light refreshment, then resume your normal routine. All donors will receive a free T-shirt and be entered in a drawing for a $500 shopping spree. To sign up or for more information, contact Donna Franks in Employee Health at 377-4170. Compliance Continued from page 1 NMHS Compliance Hotline, 1-888-246-2808 Jim Stanzell, NMHS Chief Compliance Officer, 377-4148 or jim.stanzell@nmhs.net Bruce Toppin, NMHS Vice President and General Counsel/Privacy Officer, 377-4229 or btoppin@nmhs.net Your supervisor, department manager, administrator or service line administrator Your local Compliance Liaison Employment Services, (662) 377-3056 In addition, I receive each contact for review and investigation. Feel free to contact me to check on the status of your question or concern. Your input and participation is valued and necessary in helping NMHS fulfill its mission in a compliant manner. Compliance is not an option; it s the right thing to do. November 27, 2009 Page 2

2009 Holiday Activities Schedule Dec. 16 Baldwyn Nursing Facility day shift party: Noon-2 p.m. Night shift parties: Baldwyn Nursing Facility: Meal tray delivered at 11 p.m. Tupelo Main Unit: 10-11:30 p.m. (Heavy hors d -oeuvres). Women s Hospital: 8:30-10 p.m. (Heavy hors d oeuvres in Café Express) Behavioral Health Center: 6:30-8 p.m. (Hot food) Dec. 17 Women s Hospital: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Classroom A/B. Includes employees of the Child Care Center.) Behavioral Health Center: 11 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (Includes Service Center and Logistics Center employees) Dec. 18 Tupelo Main Unit: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Heavy hors d oeuvres). Off-Site Facilities This year a new approach is being explored for the various off-site locations. Each facility without a kitchen was given the option of attending one of the facilities where hot food is served, receiving a party tray prepared by Food & Nutrition, or outsourcing a meal scheduled by each facility s leadership team. Those locations are: All North Mississippi Medical Clinics All Home Health Branches Ambulance/Aeromedical Services Breast Care Center Business Services-Cliff Gookin Center for Business Health Center for Digestive Health Employee Pharmacy Family Medicine Residency Center Imaging Centers Longtown Imaging Longtown Medical Park Outpatient Infusion Center North Mississippi Pain Management North Mississippi Physical Medicine and Rehab Surgery Center Wellness Centers-Tupelo, Baldwyn, Pontotoc Page 3 November 27, 2009

Nurse Mentorship Academy Scheduled North Mississippi Medical Center is seeking high school seniors from Lee and Itawamba counties for its Nurse Mentorship Academy, Jan. 26-March 11. Phase I of NMMC s Nurse Mentorship Academy will meet from 3-5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for seven weeks. Tuesdays will be nursing education and mentoring. Thursdays will feature guest speakers, life skills and job shadowing. Participants will be provided a uniform (scrubs and lab jacket) and T-shirt. Interested students should apply before Dec. 4 and must be 18 before June 1, 2010. Applications are available in high school guidance offices and the NMMC Employment Services Department, or by visiting www.neonms.com and clicking Academy. Ten students will be selected to participate in the program based upon interest in the health care field, two letters of recommendation, grade point average, ACT score, a 250-word essay, personal interview and a panel interview. Participants who successfully complete Phase I of NMMC s Nurse Mentorship Academy advance to Phase II, which is the 80-hour Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training program at Itawamba Community College. Upon completion of the course, students are eligible to take the Certified Nursing Assistant examination. The program ends with a pinning ceremony and celebration at NMMC. Students who become certified are then employable in the field of nursing and are at a great advantage to succeed in an LPN or RN program of their choice. The NMMC Nurse Mentorship Academy is made possible by grants from the Health Care Foundation of North Mississippi and NEON (Navigating Education Opportunities in Nursing). For more information, call (662) 377-3245, (662) 377-4179. 112 Earn Life Saver Awards, 38 Get Dum Dum Honors North Mississippi Medical Center s Trauma Department conducted a seat belt checkpoint in October in the North Employee Parking Garage. The checkpoint found 112 employees who used their seat belts and received Life Savers candy and 38 unbuckled employees, who received Dum Dum suckers. Pictured are Rose Boone, Diane Furtick and Lisa Wilson of the Trauma Department, who dressed as Crash Test Dummies and the No Brainer 9000 robot and manned the checkpoint. November 27, 2009 Page 4

Several employees have recently been recognized by Stars On-Line for their outstanding efforts. Rosa Gonzalez, an admissions counselor with the NMMC-West Point Emergency Department, was cited for helping a pregnant patient who only speaks Spanish. Gonzalez filled out a Medicaid application for the patient and her baby, and drove the patient to the Medicaid office on her personal time to complete the application process. Because Gonzalez speaks Spanish and English, she was able to translate for the patient. Facilitating the Medicaid process helps both the patient and the hospital financially. Bridget Parker, a nursing assistant on NMMC- Tupelo s 5 West, assisted in an emergency situation where a patient was bleeding uncontrollably. The air conditioning was not working properly, and the patient became extremely hot and was experiencing hypovolemic shock. Parker fanned the patient with a clipboard for about an hour while others attended his medical emergency. David Hill, M.D., a pediatrician with the Children s Clinic, stepped up to help in the nursery Stars On-Line at NMMC-West Point during a very busy day. Dr. Hill had just attended a C-section birth, and the baby needed special attention. The staff was busy assisting with other newborns when they were called to attend another birth. Dr. Hill volunteered to go assist with the delivery so the staff could stay and take care of their patients. Christy Pee of The Women s Group in West Point helped a patient whose car had quit at the clinic. Pee drove the patient to the pharmacy and waited with her for at least an hour to get the prescription. Then she drove the patient home to Mathiston, which was 45 minutes away. Sherry Dragoo, Facility Operations secretary for NMMC-West Point, learned about the mother of a patient in the Intensive Care Unit who needed clean clothes. The mother is from out-of-state and had a limited supply of clothes with her. Dragoo washed, dried and returned the woman s clothes so she would have clean clothes to wear. If you see an employee exhibiting this kind of dedication, nominate him or her for Stars On-Line. Acute Stroke Unit Earns Silver Performance Award Earl C. Coleman Jr. (center), quality improvement initiatives director with the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association, presented the Silver Performance Award to North Mississippi Medical Center s Acute Stroke Unit. Accepting the award for the unit are, from left, Leigh Anne Puckett, stroke outcomes manager; Kelly Harrell, RN; Reed Adams, charge RN; Ashli Jones, RN; Angela Patterson, unit coordinator; and Eileen Wooldridge, nursing assistant. The Silver Award is given to hospitals in which 85 percent of eligible stroke patients are treated according to nationally recognized stroke care guidelines for 12 consecutive months established and promoted by the associations through the Get with the Guidelines program. November 27, 2009 Page 5