Last week an agreement was reached with Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois, to become the 8th affiliate of the Iowa Health System.  Prior to this, the only member of Iowa Health System with facilities in Illinois was Trinity Health System-Quad Cities.  Our enhanced presence in Illinois has caused the Iowa Health System to re-think our branding.  A firm has been engaged to look at options related to the current Iowa Health System name and branding.   Methodist Medical Center includes a 329-bed hospital with Level 2 trauma coverage and a Level 2 neonatal nursery.  The organization has $350 million in annual revenue. By way of comparison, Allen Health System/Hospital is licensed for 204 beds and annual revenue of approximately $220 million.  Methodist   Medical Center has a reputation for providing top-notch quality care and has been a financially sound organization.  They have won a host of quality awards.  Of particular significance to me is their success in winning the Press Ganey Summit Award, having moved their patient satisfaction scores from the 17th to the 95th percentile.  That’s a remarkable achievement.

One of the advantages of being part of a multi-hospital system is we can learn from one another.  Methodist Medical Center’s success in a variety of areas will be an opportunity for us to learn what best practices they used to become a leader in their service area.  This is an exciting time for all of us in Iowa Health System. 

Allen Associate Picnic Thursday, July 21 Starting at 11:30 am. More details to come!

ALLEN HOSPICE VOLUNTEER TRAINING
BEGINS JUNE 20

Allen Hospice will offer a three-part orientation and training course on June 20, 22 and 27, 2011 for individuals interested in volunteering with hospice patients and their families. Allen Hospice provides physical, emotional and spiritual care for end-of-life patients in their place of residence, including their homes, assisted living facilities, nursing homes or in a hospital.

According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), approximately 468,000 hospice volunteers provided 22 million hours of service in the United States during 2009. Allen Hospice volunteers who choose to work in direct care may spend time reading to and visiting with patients or providing respite care to allow family caregivers a break. Support work may include helping with mailings and other special projects.

Allen Hospice volunteer orientation and training includes three sessions and attendance at each is required to complete the course. The sessions will be held Monday, June 20, from 1 to 5 p.m.; Wednesday, June 22, from 1:30 to 5 p.m.; and Monday, June 27, from 1 to 5 p.m. All sessions will meet at the Allen Home Care and Hospice offices, located on the fourth floor of Allen Hospital, 1825 Logan Ave. in Waterloo.

Allen Hospice volunteer orientation and training provides in-depth education about the end-of-life process. Participants will learn about the goals of hospice, care and comfort measures, the psychosocial and spiritual dynamics of death and dying, grief and bereavement support, and much more.

For more information about becoming an Allen Hospice volunteer, please call Shannon Roder at 319-235-5027.

Movie Saturday Saturday, July 30 Crossroads Theater Doors open at 7:45 am and movie starts at 8:30 am. Limit six tickets per associate.  $2.50 per ticket. You must show your associate badge to purchase tickets. Ticket sales at Crossroads Theater only!  No sales at Allen Hospital.

Sleep Tips for Women 

The following tips are provided by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to help women get the most out of their sleep:

• Make your bedroom a comfortable and safe place. Reduce noises and extreme temperatures that might disturb you.
• Use light and comfortable bed linens and garments.
• Go to bed only when you are sleepy.
• Begin rituals to help you relax at bedtime, such as taking a soothing bath or enjoying a light snack.
• Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends and holidays.
• If you need to take a nap, keep it to less than one hour and take it before 3 p.m.
• Only drink caffeine in the morning, and avoid alcohol and cigarettes late in the day.
• Stay away from fatty, spicy foods that are likely to upset your stomach or cause heartburn.
• Set aside time during the day to get all of your worries out of your system.
• Increase vitamin E in your diet, or take a vitamin E supplement.
• Hormone replacement therapy may help you sleep better by relieving severe hot flashes related to menopause. Ask your doctor for advice about this kind of treatment.
• Only use sleeping pills when supervised by a doctor.
• Talk to your doctor or a sleep specialist if you have an ongoing problem related to your sleep.

Green Team Wildflower Garden Near Completion!

Last Saturday, Patty Knebel (Allen Lab - kneeling)  and Caroline Tharp (standing) helped Ray and me finish planting wildflowers and grasses for the moon crescent wildflower garden.  Patty, a master gardener, helped us balance the colors and heights of the flowers and Caroline has helped the last three Saturdays, bringing her spade, zebra grass and fun attitude.   Some of the Iowa wildflowers planted are:  monarda "prairie gypsy", kobold blue latris (blazing star or gay feather),  butterfly flower (asclepias tuberosa), yellow evening primrose,  purple fall aster,  rudbeckia (brown eye susan) and gaillardia.  Also, there are non-wildflowers:  shasta daisy, stella de or daylilies, and sedum.

Some of the native prairie grasses are Karl Foerster's feather reed grass, porcupine grass, avalanche feather reed grass.  The fourth grass is zebra grass or variegated greater pond sedge or ribbon grass. 

We did not plant Iowa native grasses, but some of these include switch grass, big bluestem and little bluestem.   We planted the zebra grass in a bottomless pot so it would not spread throughout the lawn and the flower plot.

Linda at Meyers nursery has studied wildflowers and native grass for forty years, she told me.  She was a great help in selecting these flowers and grasses.

Now we just need the arbor weather-proofed and the mulch (done by the Green Team Lawn crew), but someone suggested possible ironwork behind the lattice, such as an iron butterfly.

Anyone interested with this idea, let me know via my e-mail: pederspe@ihs.org.   We already have found a blacksmith who would be able to create something appropriate and unique.  This would be a cost beyond our budget by the Auxiliary grant given to us.

A very special thank you to everyone who has helped with this. -Trish Pedersen, Green Team Member

Allen Gift Shop News  June 20 Gold Coast Jewelry Sale 7:00am – 4:00pm Meeting Room 5 June 28 Masquerade $5.00 Jewelry Sale Click here for more details.

Steps To Financial Fitness
JP Morgan Financial Education Program

Schedule and more information on June sessions.

Hope Blooms for Breast Cancer Order your tulips and daffodils by August 19 for fall planting.  Tulip sales support breast cancer services in the Cedar Valley. Click here for more information.  Click here for order form. Sponsored by the Beyond Pink Team.

TODAY

 

Free Tea Testing - Local Tea
Sunday, June 19
Field of Yoga, click here for more details

Core Strength Transformer Workshop
Saturday, July 16
Field of Yoga
Speaker:  Sadie Nardini, International Yoga Rock Star and Cedar Falls native.
At this signature workshop for all levels, find out what the Core really is and how to use it properly on the mat to see more results in life: improved strength, flexibilty, weight loss, balance, focus and more.  $40.  Click here for more information.