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This week I have some bad news and some really good news. First the bad: the list of Top 100 Hospitals for 2011 was just published at the end of March, and Allen Hospital was not among those listed. Actually, that is not a big surprise since we just recently started to focus on this as our major goal. Notably however, only one hospital in Iowa did make the list, and that was Mercy Medical Center in Mason City. Mercy is in a different category from ours and therefore not one that we directly compete with for the recognition.
The good news: HealthGrades is recognizing Allen Hospital as being ranked #1 in Iowa in 2011 for Overall Cardiac Services, and #1 in Iowa for Coronary
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Interventional Procedures. This is in addition to our Cardiology Services and Coronary Interventional Procedures receiving a five-star rating (the highest you can get). HealthGrades is a company that offers clinical, safety and patient experience ratings on 5,000 hospitals nationally.
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They arrive at these ratings each year using MedPAR data, and they rank hospitals based on comparisons of quality indicators. Unlike Thomson Reuters, HealthGrades does impose a charge on hospitals that use their data and rankings for promotional purposes. Since we feel the ranking of #1 is extremely significant, we did agree to a negotiated fee, and we will be promoting this accomplishment to the community.
This ranking by a nationally-recognized company should give our community further comfort that they can have their cardiac needs, including cardiac surgery, taken care of by the best in Iowa…the outstanding physicians and staff of Allen Hospital’s Cardiology program. Congratulations to you all!
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Allen College Chorus Spring Concert
Thursday, April 28
7:00 p.m. Concert (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
McBride Auditorium/Gerard Hall, Allen College Campus, 1950 Heath Street, Waterloo
Join us for our Americana concert featuring patriotic & American composers. Special guest pianist, Mr. John Knox, CEO of Allen Health System, will play the Gershwin classic Rhapsody in Blue.
Concert is free of charge - seating is limited. Light refreshments will be served following performance.
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Annual Net Learning Has Been Assigned
It's that time of the year again! Your annual Net Learning modules have been assigned. They are due October 1, 2011.
Clinical staff: Make sure you check your Net Learning To-Do list often. It is not uncommon for additional modules to be assigned throughout the year based on identified learning needs or compliance issues.
Note: If, when completing your modules, you receive a notice stating “Requires Adobe Flashplayer 10 or higher”, please contact the IT Service Center at extension 1333. They will request the IHS tag number of the involved computer and will install the Adobe Flashplayer upgrade. In the meantime, you may try using another computer to complete your modules. We are working with IT to resolve this issue. Thanks for your patience.
Are We a Great Place to Work?
We’re asking all Allen associates to participate in the Great Place to Work® confidential survey, and share your candid feedback about our organization
The survey will be available through April 22, and will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. The responses are sent directly to the Great Places to Work Institute and will be used to identify specific strengths and opportunities for improvement.
Please make sure you mark the correct department that you are in at the end of the survey. Smaller departments may be grouped with other departments to ensure responses remain anonymous, so keep looking if your department isn’t listed by itself.
Password: AHSH1
For more information or survey problems, please contact Steve Sesterhenn in Human Resources at 235-3605 or sestersp@ihs.org
Induction Ceremony for Honor Society Members
Pi Kappa Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurses Honor Society is celebrating its annual induction ceremony for new members on Tuesday, April 19th at 6:00pm in McBride Auditorium at Allen College. All honor society members are welcome to attend a poster presentation from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm worth one (1) hour of continuing nursing education. The induction ceremony will begin at 6:50pm with a performance by the Allen College Choir followed by the introduction and induction of the new members from the student body and the community. Pre-register with Mary Kay Frost at Allen College 226-2000 for CEU.
Important Information for Second Quarter Associate Forum Schedule
Click here REVISED schedule for Q2 Open Forums June 1-16. Review the schedule and work with your supervisor to attend in June.
- Be sure to check your attendance record in Net Learning for the Q1 Forum. (Don’t wait until the end of the year to check this!) We want to make sure your attendance is verified. If you attended and do not find your attendance recorded in Net Learning, contact your supervisor and have them email Candis Smith at SmithCK@ihs.org to verify your attendance by April 8th.
- To verify your attendance, log into the Net Learning Student Interface and click on ‘Completions’. A listing of your completed classes will appear. Be sure to check beyond Page 1 in your listing if you do not see it listed on the first page.
National Volunteer Week April 10 - 16, 2011
National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011, is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities. It’s about demonstrating to the nation that by working together, we have the fortitude to meet our challenges and accomplish our goals. National Volunteer Week is about taking action and encouraging individuals and their respective communities to be at the center of social change—discovering and actively demonstrating their collective power to foster positive transformation.
The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley promotes volunteerism year round, but particularly during the week of April 10 – 16, 2011. We’ve taken the liberty of putting together a list of volunteer opportunities that can easily be accomplished with your business associates, family members or individually.
This is the perfect opportunity for your organization and volunteers to seize the moment and share the national spotlight that National Volunteer Week deservedly receives. Simultaneously, you can leverage this brief window of national opportunity to advance your individual cause and promote volunteer commitment in your community.
For a tip sheet, how you can "dip your toe" into volunterism, click here for some ideas.
If you require assistance or have questions, please contact Lauren Finke, VCCV Executive Director at 272-2087 or lauren_finke@vccv.org. For additional volunteer opportunities submitted by the 58 member agencies of the VCCV access www.vccv.org or 1-800-Volunteer.org.
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
7:00 am Leave Allen Parking Lot P7a
9:15 Arrive in Pella (stretch, bathroom break)
10:00-11:30 Village Tour - A few attractions on this walking tour include
the historic village museum and an authentic 1850’s windmill.
11:30- 1:00 Buffet Lunch - Monarch’s Restaurant in Royal Amsterdam Hotel
1:00-2:00 Covered Wagon Tour - Sit back and enjoy all the sites as the Tour Guide describes Pella’s history
2:00-3:00 Free Time - Browse through the many shops in Pella’s historic downtown
3:30pm Head for Home
Cost - $60.00 per person. Space is limited!
Call Linda to reserve your spot today at 235-3692.
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You Can Show Your Skills and Help the American Heart Association
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The challenge is on!
Show us your cooking, canning, woodwork, sewing, jewelry, etc. skills in "edible" or "non-edible" categories. Edible will be judged on uniqueness.
We'll judge those items best of show and then you can donate them to the silent auction for the Heart Walk.
Click here to see all details of this very fun event!
We know you are out there - show us your skills!
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Ticket Drawing
Beauty and the Beast tickets winners are Rod Schut in Radiology and Mary Jane Jackson in NICU.
We have two pairs of tickets available for the following event:
Boston Brass
Sunday, April 17
3:00 p.m.
Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center
To qualify for the drawing(s), click here. Simply click on the name of the event(s) that you wish to register for and fill in your name, email and associate ID number in the comments box. All registrations MUST be online – associates are free to use the computers in the café to register. E-mail and phoned registrations will not be eligible. Please be sure you will use any tickets you may win, and do not enter if you have won other GBPAC tickets in 2011. We will draw two winners at noon on Wednesday, April 13.
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Allen Information Spot
New FREE Prenatal Care Program available to anyone enrolled in the Iowa Health System insurance plans. Benefits include a $100 Target Gift Card. Click the spot on the right or go to AllenNet for more information.
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Your Invitation for a Retirement Open House
Click here to see who is retiring after 41 one years of service.
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Save the Date
The Beat Goes On - April 15, 2011
Click here for registration information and form.
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Allen Gift Shop News
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April 25 and 26
Books Are Fun
May 26 and 27
Scrubs and Beyond
June 8
Egyptian Sheets Sale
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Justin Jasper Benefit
Son of Kris Jasper,
UMP Ambulatory Surgery Center |
Justin Jasper is an 11 year old student at St. Edward’s Catholic School in Waterloo. He was diagnosed with Scleroderma and Interstitial Lung Disease, a progressive autoimmune disorder, in 2008. Justin has been accruing extensive medical expenses, while undergoing chemotherapy treatments at the University Children’s Hospital in Iowa City.
Bake Sale to Benefit the Jasper'sUMP
Wednesday, April 20 from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm at Winter Garden
Allen Hospital on Wednesday, May 11 at the South Dining Room
(If you would like to donate baked goods, bring them to the South Dining Room around 8:00 am)
Note: Cash Only
Were You A Girl Scout Growing Up?
There are many Girl Scout stories to tell. These stories inspire not only our girls as they learn through our Leadership Experience, they also inspire the thousands of volunteers who help us every day of the year.
What’s your story? Were you or someone in your family a Girl Scout? Did Girl Scouts make a difference in your life today? Did you see Girl Scouts make a difference in the life of a girl?
What do you remember about camp? What did you get out of the annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale that helps you excel today? What did you enjoy best about your Girl Scout experience, either as a girl or as a volunteer?
Everyone has a story to share, and we’d love to hear yours. Your story just might be perfect for our 100th Anniversary book that will help celebrate the heritage of 100 years of Girl Scouting for our region in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.
Click here to add your story to the book or call us at 800-798-0833 for assistance. Your story might inspire others and help leave a legacy as Girl Scouting enters its second century. We know this book will be around for years and we’d love for you to be a part of this everlasting memory.
