Literally – to Dive Into Retirement Elnora Cameron Was on a Dive in the Caribbean the First Time She Encountered an Eagle Ray

e… im 06.19.19 T al Re n s i ew N or , f tal Por ee loy mp New AVP … ur E Ch y, Yo eck My NorthBa to Take on Op-Ex Efforts — Page 3 She’s Ready We’re Moving In – Literally – to Dive into Retirement Elnora Cameron was on a dive in the Caribbean the first time she encountered an eagle ray. Everyone else in the party was focused on sharks circling the area, but not Elnora. “I fell in love,” she said. “I remember getting out of the water and crying, it was so beautiful and graceful.” Technical Support Analyst Daniel Duran (left to right), Operations Analyst Vene Valle and intern Bryan Goliat are ready to roll out new equipment. She made a decision that day, to focus on saving endangered sea life, particularly eagle rays, Efforts Will The move into the three-story North manta rays and other types of Wing at NorthBay Medical Center has rays — at least when she’s not Ramp up in officially begun, with a steady stream of working her full-time job as moving vans coming and going on the president of NorthBay Healthcare Days Ahead Fairfield campus the week of June 10. Advantage and vice president of Activity is bustling as boxes are See DIVE IN, Page 12 See MOVE, Page 14

INSIDE Mock Survey Helps NorthBay Prepare New Hires 2 A team of three Vizient big to small and covered both Changing of the Guard 5 Meet New Managers 6-7 surveyors came up with a smat- hospitals and several of our Meet APAC 9 tering of suggestions for making licensed clinics/departments Tennis Tourney Returns 10 NorthBay Healthcare facilities across the system. Facelift for Top Floors 11 survey-ready, following a three- “Thank you to our great Magnet Prep 16 day mock survey. team for being willing to share Suggestions ranged from See SURVEY, Page 8 1 WELCOME NEW FACES Ellen Bacay Primary Care Health Coordiantor Thomas Hanson III Ambulatory Float Pool Assistant Vice President Hilborn Administration Center Project Management Office Jenina Santoni Hilborn Administration Center Patient Services Rep. NoraP BakerEOPLE IN THE NEWS Ambulatory Float Pool Inpatient Case Manager Jessica Howell Hilborn Administration Center NorthBay Medical Center Medical Assistant, Neurosurgery Gateway Medical Office Building Keiko Sargent Maureen Balmeo Director, Musculoskeletal Health Services Clinical Nurse II, Intensive Care Unit Ebony Hughes Center for Orthopedics Rehabilitation NorthBay Medical Center Video Monitor Tech/CNA Surgical Unit 1600 Sergio Soria-Gil Nazaria BuenoATES TO REMEMBER Clinical Nurse II, Intensive Care Unit DATES NorthBay Medical Center Unit Clerk/Monitor Tech VacaValley Hospital Intensive Care Unit Nicholas Hunter NorthBay Medical Center Respiratory Care Practitioner II Laura Tinoco NorthBay Medical Center Pavillion Ambassador Laurence Cecilio Admitting, NorthBay Medical Center Nurse Practitioner – Specialty Sarah Johnson Intensive Care Unit Health Information Management Tech III Ruth Tongkhoyam NorthBay MedicalETTERS Center Green Valley Administration Center Clinical Nurse II L Intensive Care Unit Brittany Dawson Carlos Montes VacaValley Hospital Unit Clerk, 2 North Acute Surgical Pharmacy Tech II, NorthBay Medical Center NorthBay Medical Center Geoffrey Viray Emma Padilla Clinical Nurse II Scott Dawson Unit Clerk/Nurse Assistant Intensive Care Unit Coordinator, Patient Safety Delivery Room VacaValley Hospital Hilborn Administration Center NorthBay Medical Center Mike Voss Donita Fuller Ryan Pasco Bio Medical Technician, Clinical Engineering Administrative Support Specialist Major Gifts Manager NorthBay Medical Center Plant Maintenance Fund Development/Foundation NorthBay Medical Center Annex Green Valley Administration Center Adam Weinberg Director, Security, NorthBay Medical Center Jamie Funiestas Zamir Ramirez Clinical Nurse II Supply Chain Technician Moses Yah 2 North Acute Surgical Materials Management Clinical Lab Scientist II, NorthBay Medical Center NorthBay Medical Center VacaValley Hospital

2019 Nurse Camp Kicks Off with Reunion, Activities

NorthBay Healthcare’s Nurse Camp celebrated too late to publish in this issue of FYI, so watch for its 15th anniversary in a big way. the July 3 issue to not only have coverage of the Organizers invited all “graduates” — more than reunion, but also photos and a story about the 2019 300 in all — and all staff, past and present, who four-day Nurse Camp. were ever involved in Nurse Camp through the Once again, plans call for the camp to run June years, to come to a celebration June 17 at North- 18 to 21, with the first two days at the NorthBay Bay’s Green Valley Administration Center. VacaValley Hospital campus and the final two days Although the event has already occurred, it was at the NorthBay Medical Center Campus.

2 New AVP to Lead Op-Ex Initiatives Signaling its ongoing commit- ment to operational excellence, NorthBay Healthcare announced that Tom Hanson will take on the new role of Project Management Office assistant vice president. Tom will oversee, identify and execute process improvement initiatives, according to Aimee NorthBay Healthcare’s new Project Management Office Assistant Vice President Tom Brewer, president of NorthBay Hanson (center) will take the reins from the Kaufman Hall team, which includes (left to right) Chris Nguyen, Annie Melikian, Katie LaDue and Josh Jelesky. Healthcare Group. The Project Management Of- loitte Consulting in Washington, clinical, operational and financial fice (PMO) will take the reins D.C. improvements,” said Aimee. from the Kaufman Hall team at Operational Excellence, often Tom will orchestrate and lead the end of June. In the mean- referred to as Op-Ex, is a trans- the internal performance team time, Tom is working with the formational performance im- and all associated activities sur- team for a smooth transition. provement effort with the goal of rounding operational excellence. NorthBay engaged Kaufman systemwide improvements. Tom holds a master’s degree Hall to offer an assessment on At NorthBay, Op-Ex was in- in business administration from financial strategies in January tially combined with the organi- Boston University and has strong 2018. zation’s “Eyes on 2020” strategic leadership experience in building “At various points throughout plan, creating an “Op-Ex 2020.” healthcare project management this partnership, we have had But with 2020 fast approaching, offices. up to 12 Kaufman Hall individu- goals for new Op-Ex projects will “Tom comes to us with a als to support various aspects of soon take root. wealth of knowledge and skills in this journey,” said Annie Melikian, The new Op-Ex PMO will be project management and health- Kaufman Hall senior vice presi- responsible for identifying oppor- care operations which will be vital dent. “It has been a pleasure tunities for overall improvement in meeting our enterprise work working with the entire NorthBay to finance/revenue cycle, quality plans and objectives,” said Ai- team.” and operations, noted Aimee. mee. Prior to accepting the position “As we finish our work on the Tom’s office will be at the here, Tom worked at Geisinger initial 150 tactics, we’ll be add- Hilborn Administration Center. He in Pennsylvania as Process Im- ing more to maintain our finan- and his wife Monika, and boys provement Office director and cial health and independence. Tommy, 5, and Matt, 2, are set- also served as senior manager in It should be noted our ongo- tling into life in California. healthcare consulting with De- ing focus will continue to be on 3 A Passion for Orthopedics New Musculoskeletal Health Director Keiko Sargent has joined ence, Keiko was a years as a varsity letter NorthBay Healthcare as direc- clinical operations man- winner and team captain tor of Musculoskeletal Health for ager and demonstrated for U.C. Berkeley’s NCAA the Centers for Orthopedics and expertise in developing Women’s Gymnastics. Rehabilitation Services in Fairfield and executing strate- “Personal experience and Vacaville. gic plans resulting in has provided Keiko with She brings more than 10 concierge-level patient a unique perspective on years of orthopedic and rehabili- experiences, operational the patient experience tation leadership experience to efficiencies and robust and the opportunities her new role, which includes both volume performance for for optimization,” noted Keiko Sargent inpatient and outpatient services 22 surgeons over nine Justine Zilliken, assis- within the Centers for Orthope- practice locations. tant vice president of dics and Rehabilitation Services. Keiko also championed the Specialty and Surgical Services in A native of Northern Califor- development of continuum- a memo announcing the hire. nia, she holds a master’s degree based care models resulting in Keiko is splitting her time in Business Administration and a improved patient outcomes and between the Hilborn and Vacav- bachelor’s degree in Integrative access. ille orthopedics and rehabilitation Biology from the University of Her passion for orthopedics centers. She can be reached at California, Berkeley. and sports medicine is a personal extension 5563 or via email to: In her most recent experi- one cultivated during her four [email protected]. Emergency Coordinator Earns County Appointment NorthBay Health- operational readiness, NorthBay as a community leader. care Emergency financial sustainability, “NorthBay’s mission statement to Management Coor- evaluation, and ongoing provide compassionate care, ad- dinator Peter Stocks development of the coali- vanced medicine, close to home was recently appointed tion as well as to lead, is our promise to provide es- as the Solano County participate in, or support sential lifesaving services to the Health Care Coalition the response activities of community and provide for the (HCC) Response and the coalition according to comfort and aid of our patients, Readiness Coordinator. their plans. especially during disasters,” Peter The Health Care “It is an honor to rep- said. Peter Stocks Coalition includes North- resent NorthBay among our “I work every day to fur- Bay Medical Center and peers,” said Peter. “This role ther NorthBay’s readiness and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, leads efforts at all partnership response,” he added. “My role David Grant Medical Center, Sut- facilities to honor our commit- with the coalition allows me the ter Solano, Kaiser Vallejo and ment to our communities, which opportunity to work closely with Kaiser Vacaville. The role of the depend on us during their times our partners to ensure we have a coordinator is to facilitate the of greatest need.” coordinated, robust response and planning, training, exercising, He added that his role as are able to support each other in coordinator also recognizes any event.”

4 Changing of the Guard Adam Weinberg has been named director of security for NorthBay Healthcare, filling the position previously held by Jon Read, who retired this month after four years with the organization. Adam brings more than 20 years of experience in law en- forcement and security service to his new role and is excited to bring his leadership skills to the position. His goal is to “improve the Security Director Adam Weinberg (left) is ready to assume command from outgoing chief Jon Read, who is retiring. professionalism, safety and training levels of (NorthBay’s) already he managed contracted service organization. He also oversaw great foundation in the security accounts at specific sites, includ- the recent implementation of the department,” he said. “I believe ing UCSF Benioff Children’s Hos- visitor management system at successful healthcare security pital in Oakland. Prior to that he NorthBay Medical Center, which and safety can be accomplished served 18 years in law enforce- will be implemented at VacaVal- by seamlessly combining security ment in Miami-Dade, Florida, ley Hospital later this year, as staff vigilance and attention to including time as a police ser- well. “This visitor management customer service delivery tech- geant, accreditation manager and system has helped to create a niques, such as the utilization of detective bureau supervisor. new layer of safety and security ‘The NorthBay Way,’ in everyday As for Jon, he leaves the for the organization,” he said. staff, patient and visitor con- security team after many ac- Jon said he plans to use his tacts.” complishments, including the retirement to enjoy time with His most recent previous ex- expansion of NorthBay’s security family, including his 18-month- perience includes seven years as camera system, from 10 cameras old granddaughter, as well as a security account manager with between both campuses, to more traveling, golfing and “riding my Allied Universal Security, where than 425 throughout the entire Harley.”

NorthBay Sports Medicine to Offer Free Physicals for Teens July 13 NorthBay Sports Medicine will between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on through the student’s coach or help young athletes prepare for Saturday, July 13, in NorthBay athletic director. No insurance is the new season by offering free Healthcare’s VacaValley Wellness needed, and food and beverages sports physicals for boys and girls Center for all middle- and high- will be provided. ages 13 to 17 this summer. school student athletes. For more information, go to Physicals will be available Appointments must scheduled www.NorthBay.org/SportsExams. 5 Ready for Her Dream Job After Hiatus, Nurse New Director for Returns as Manager Care Management Adrienne Sullivan recently joined North- Joins the Team Bay Healthcare as the new Trauma Program Kim Sivers recently joined North- manager. Bay Healthcare as the new director of Adrienne Sullivan She began her nursing career at a 35-bed Care Management. trauma unit in Reno, later moving to Vacaville “Kim is an experienced Care and working in the operating room as a circulator at VacaValley Management leader with strong Hospital and then transitioning back to emergency care joining communication, team-building and the Emergency Department team at NorthBay Medical Center. leadership skills,” said Thomlyn Bin- She worked as a lead R.N. on the night shift at NorthBay and nett, interim assistant vice president, then transitioned to another organization where she worked as Care Management. a nurse manager, gaining management experience. Kim began her career as a case “Her heart was always longing to come back home to North- manager for an organization on the Bay, and she was waiting on the opportunity to do so,” said East Coast and then worked as a reg- Heather Venezio, director of Emergency Services/Trauma. “We istered nurse in a mother-baby unit. are so glad she has decided to come home and lead the Trauma After working as a nurse for several team.” years, she returned to case manage- Accepting the Trauma Program Manager position is her ment, serving in a number of leader- “dream job,” Adrienne said, adding that she is grateful for the ship roles. opportunity to come back to NorthBay in a role that blends her She and her family have moved passion for trauma/critical care nursing and her professional from North Carolina to join the North- goals of nursing leadership and management. Bay team.

NorthBay Mourns Loss of Former Lab Supervisor Long-time former laboratory supervisor She immigrated to Guam in 1968 with her Lovena “Bing” Lagdamen, passed away May family and then to Fairfield in 1980. 21, surrounded by her loving family. She was an active member of Our Lady Bing, 71, had worked as the NorthBay of Mount Carmel Church in Fairfield and also night supervisor and clinical laboratory sci- enjoyed traveling with friends and family on entist for 19 years before her retirement in cruises. She also enjoyed trying her luck at 2017. Cache Creek Casino. “She was well respected and loved by A devoted mother and grandmother, she many, a very courageous person, and brought joy loved to cook and to spoil everyone around her. to work,” said Shiela Caraballo, NorthBay Medical She was beloved for her kind and generous nature, Center laboratory supervisor. “Lovena was very dedi- as well as her sense of humor and quiet strength. cated to her career and devoted to her family. We She is survived by her children, daughter, Sha- will truly miss her.” nette; son-in-law, Aaron; sons, Brian, Marco and Lovena was born June 1, 1947, in Iloilo City, Phil- Martin; daughters-in-law, Amanda Thomas and ippines, to Carmelino and Lourdes Lagdamen. She Nina Arbabaraghi; five grandchildren, three sisters was the third among five sisters and one brother. and one brother.

6 New Job for Foundation His Gift is Generating Major Gifts Ryan Pasco joins NorthBay Healthcare “Ryan will also work with Foundation staff in the newly created position of manager to create an annual Grateful Patient program of major gifts for NorthBay Healthcare that will include an Employee Workplace Giv- Foundation. ing Program and educational opportunities Ryan previously served as grant and for all NorthBay staff to learn about the im- major gift specialist for Ohio’s Maple Knoll portance of philanthropy here at NorthBay,” Communities and annual giving manager Brett noted. for Dayton Art Institute. An Ohio native and huge sports enthusi- In this new position, Ryan’s main fo- ast, Ryan and his wife, Brittany, and children cus will be to raise money for NorthBay Ryan Pasco Ellie, Kipton and Asher are excited about Healthcare Foundation, and to secure major being in California and exploring all of the gifts and planned gifts that will support a culture of wonderful things to be found here. philanthropy at NorthBay, according to Brett John- “I look forward to meeting everyone and working son, president of the Foundation. with you in the future,” he said. New System Helps PAC Team Streamline Work Registration team members in sponse by consolidating multiple in the accuracy of data collection the Ambulatory Surgery Center, streams of eligibility data and and enhance the patient experi- primary and specialty care offic- standardizing benefit information ence. es, hospitals and hospital-based across payers. “This integration with Cerner clinics successfully launched two For example, if a patient and Experian creates efficien- new products June 3 that inte- has Partnership Healthplan, the cies in workflows, eliminates the grate revenue cycle solutions to system will run eligibility against need to go to payer websites create a more efficient, accurate Medi-Cal and Partnership, which for missing information, collects and productive work flow, by eliminates the user from having payments without logging into automating manual processes to go to the Partnership website a separate application, reduces wherever possible, according to to check eligibility. scanning, and increases data Terese Davis, director of Patient The second program is Reg- accurateness, thus maximizing Access and Communications. istration Quality Alerts or RQA. collections and payer reimburse- Solano Diagnostic Imaging will It’s a web-based, integrated work ment,” said Terese. be the next to convert, according center solution, that automati- Terese acknowledged the to Terese. cally identifies registration errors great work of PAC team mem- The first program was Pre- and displays specific resolution bers Felicita Neideffer, operations mium Eligibility, aka Prem Elig. alerts in real time, said Terese. analyst; Jennifer Mercer, senior It works within the Cerner reg- The product leverages best analyst; and Monica Belo, quality istration platform to provide practice registration alerts, assurance and training coordina- enhanced eligibility data. The provides error processing and tor as well as IT Senior Systems product sits behind Cerner’s audit trail of users, and provides Analyst Tamara Prince. Electronic Eligibility Management a work queue management for “Congratulations to the imple- application and optimizes the user alert resolution. mentation team for a job well Health Care Eligibility/Benefit Re- Implementing RQA will assist done,” said Terese.

7 Sign Up Now for EBP Conference Vizient Surveyor Alexandra Dores, NorthBay Healthcare’s 6th An- R.N., (center) goes over records with nual Evidence-Based Practice and Autumn Thacker, Nursing Research Conference is R.N., (seated), fast approaching and there is still Pharmacist Greta Upton (left) and time to take advantage of early Women and bird pricing. Children’s Services The conference is scheduled Director Katie Lydon, R.N. for Friday, Aug. 23, at NorthBay Healthcare’s Green Valley Admin- istration Center and is open to all healthcare professionals who Survey ... (From Page 1) are interested in exploring the challenge of delivering evidence- with all the surveyors and w Patient Safety and ensuring based care and attempting to helping us ensure that we are 1:1 policy and procedures are keep pace with the latest rec- always survey-ready, but most met; ommendations for excellence in importantly, patient-ready,” w Ensuring access to bath- clinical practice. said Heather Resseger, director rooms in an emergency; This year’s theme is “Attain, of Quality. w Following temperature Engrain, Sustain: The Pathway to The survey consisted of guidelines, monitoring of tem- Implementation Science.” Key- departmental tours, chart re- peratures and documenting ac- note speaker will be Dr. Sharon views, competency reviews and tions taken for fall outs; Tucker, Ph.D., R.N., who is the di- multiple breakout sessions. w Outdated supplies; rector of the Translational/Imple- “We will have action items w Bio-burden on sterilized mentation Research Core for the that will need multidisciplinary equipment; Helene Fuld Health Trust National groups to complete and will w Inappropriate storage in Institute for Evidence-Based need the help of the entire patient care areas; and Practice at Ohio State University. organization in correcting and w Outdated resources. Conference participants will sustaining these findings,” said w Following instruction for learn strategies to translate Heather. equipment use guidelines. evidence into practice and have A few of the areas of oppor- Surveyors focused on patient an opportunity to discuss a wide tunities identified were: tracers in both hospitals, and variety of clinical issues that will w Charting/documentation looked at high-risk processes be presented. accuracy and completion; that The Joint Commission will The goal, say organizers, is to w Cleanliness; be inspecting closely when come away with a better under- they visit. NorthBay’s window standing of how implementation for Joint Commission visit is practices can impact patient care between now and September and clinical outcomes. HR Night 2020, according to Heather. Early bird special pricing is Owls “We’ve come a long way from $75 (20 percent savings for Visit June 27 where we were a few years ago NorthBay employees). Student 1 to 5 a.m. when the first Vizient survey pricing is $45. VacaValley Hospital shared 250 findings,” said Visit www.NorthBay.org/con- NorthBay Medical Heather, thanking the survey- Center ference for additional information Human Resources Directors Diane ors. “You’ve helped us become Urbano and Tina Jackson or to register for the conference. at your service. more of a high-reliability organization.”

8 Call Center Transforms into APAC NorthBay Healthcare’s “Call Center” has undergone a transfor- mation. For starters, call it APAC – Am- bulatory Patient Access Center. And yes, the changes are signifi- cant, said Rachelle Hunter, Prima- ry Care practice manager. Not only has the center up- graded its technology, but it has Ryan Pasco gone through a thorough training, focused on delivering the best possible service to patients on the phone. Now, APAC can efficiently handle calls, schedule appointments, connect patients with a The highly trained Ambulatory New Patient Navigator or medical Patient Access Center team professionals, such as an advice (above) has been empowered to more efficiently handle nurse. patient calls. According to “The old system just wasn’t Primary Care Practice Man- effective,” said Rachelle. “We had ager Rachelle Hunter, they’ve become a family through the a call tree, but no way to measure experience. She offered high specific volume, or know how long praise to Systems Engineer Ed- individuals were waiting. Without die Cebreros and Voice System Engineer Gino Angelone for metrics, it was hard to make im- their help. Shana Patton (left) provements.” handles calls from her desk. One of the findings was that Care, or head straight to the patients who want to re-establish marks based on industry stan- Emergency Department. with a new doctor were taking up dards.” “It’s our job to educate our most of the “new patient” slots. A new call flow has also been patients on what they need to “Re-establish patients are adopted. “We give new patients do,” said Rachelle. “But first we not new patients, yet we were the first chance to connect with had to educate our team.” scheduling them in new patient New Patient Navigators. It’s more And if a patient must be put appointment slots, and it made it of a concierge experience,” said on hold, they’ll hear educational more difficult for actual new pa- Rachelle. They can bypass the messages about how the system tients to get seen,” she said. main queue and have all their works. Rachelle’s team works along- questions answered quickly. “It’s a journey we are all en- side the CPC’s front desk teams, Navigators answer complex ques- joying,” she said. “We’ve learned allowing them to back up each tions about insurance, or what to so much. We did have a strat- other. If there are three or more expect with labs and X-rays. egy in place before Kaufman calls in the queue, the front desk “We are linking patients to the Hall came along, but they really teams jump in to help. website to download new patient helped us focus on making this One of the team’s early suc- forms there that they can bring a patient access improvement cesses has been to lower the to their appointment,” she said. project. Our agents love it. They “abandonment rate.” That’s the Advice nurses are also avail- feel more engaged, empowered number of people who hang up able if a patient needs some and are included in the decision- before they can be helped. healthcare counseling. They can making and can take more of a “We’ve also reduced wait help a patient figure out if they team approach. We get 18,000 times. We’re very clear on our should head to the Center for calls per month. Now we know key performance indicators,” said Primary Care, schedule a Care ‘til how to best manage them.” Rachelle. “We’re setting bench- 8 appointment, consider Urgent 9 NorthBay Will Host Pro Tennis Again!

NorthBay Healthcare will once again be the title sponsor when

professional tennis returns to Brian Fratangelo returns a shot during the 2018 tournament. Solano County in October. The $100,000 NorthBay Healthcare land Garros for the French Men’s Pro Championship, now in Open. its fifth year, will be held on the The 2018 NorthBay courts at Solano Community Col- title went to Pittsburgh lege in Fairfield. native Bjorn Fratangelo, The ATP Challenger and USTA who beat Bolt in straight Pro Circuit event will be held Oct. sets. Former UCLA star 7-13, showcasing many of the Top-200. Mackenzie McDonald won best players in the world. “We had a tremendous tourna- in 2017. Santiago Giraldo of The tournament benefits the ment in 2018 and we expect this Columbia took the 2016 title and Dr. Chris Cammisa Tennis and year’s event to be even bigger American Taylor Fritz was the Educational Foundation, an orga- and better,” tournament director champion in 2015. nization that supports the wom- Phil Cello said. The Fairfield tournament is en’s and men’s teams at Solano American Frances Tiafoe the final leg of the men’s world- College and introduces tennis played in the 2016 Fairfield Chal- wide ATP Challenger Tour’s swing and related education programs lenger. He had an amazing run through Northern California. It to underserved youth in Solano into the quarterfinals of the Aus- continues to be a great oppor- County. tralian Open in January before tunity for tennis fans to watch It’s the third year that North- falling to the great Rafael Nadal. high-powered professional Bay Healthcare has served as the Denis Shapovalov, Taylor Fritz matches up close. title sponsor of the tournament, and Alex Bolt have all played in There will be 48 players this honoring the legacy of Dr. Cam- Fairfield. All three reached the year in the singles draw and 16 misa, who served as its chairman third round in Melbourne. Bolt teams in doubles. The field of in the department of family prac- was one of 11 players from the professionals will be finalized in tice. Dr. Cammisa was also chief 2018 NorthBay field that made September. The tournament of- medical officer at Partnership the main draw of the Australian ten makes for an interesting mix Health Plan from 1999 to 2010 Open and one of the 21 Fairfield of young-and-upcoming players before his passing in June 2014. event alumni that participated. going shot-for-shot with veterans Time will tell who will become Shapovalov played in the 2016 trying to either rehabilitate inju- the next future stars, but the Fairfield Challenger and is now ries or reboot their careers. Many event has a strong list of par- ranked 20th in the world. Pow- are ranked in the top-200. ticipants in its short four-year ered by his strong run in Aus- Tickets for the seven-day history now thriving on the ATP tralia, Tiafoe is 37th and young tournament go on sale in the fall. Tour. Of the 94 different singles Canadian sensation Felix Auger- All seating is in close proxim- players who have participated in Aliassime (2017 Fairfield Chal- ity to the courts. There are also the Fairfield Challenger, four are lenger) has risen to 30th. numerous opportunities to be currently ranked in the Top-50, Seven former Fairfield players tournament sponsors, volunteers, 16 in the Top-100 and 45 in the opened play just this week at Ro- See TENNIS, Page 11 10 Facelift for Second and Third Floors First Phase is Complete

Work is underway to update and put finishing touches on the second and third floor public corridors and family lounges at NorthBay Medical Center — all part of an effort to modernize existing spaces and better tie the areas to the new wing, which will open later this year. The first phase was completed Friday, June 14, and two more phases are expected to be completed by the end of the month, according to Annemarie Golz, Fa- One of two elevator stations cilities Project and Development (above) on the second floor at manager. NorthBay Medical Center is nearly Work being completed in- ready to blend in with the new wing, when it opens in October. cludes painting, as well as taking Other improvements include new out carpeting in the corridors and paint, flooring and carpeting. It replacing it with hard laminate required a partial shutdown (at left) of the hallway for work to flooring to match the new wing. commence. The new flooring provides better ergonomics, said Annemarie, as pushing carts and patients on carpeting is more difficult than on hard flooring.

Tennis ... A Winning (From page 10) and for youth, “Ball Kids,” on the Post courts during matches. Vacaville resident For sponsorship opportunities Debbie Harriman and all other information, contact shows off the $50 Amazon gift card tournament director Phil Cello by she won in the May phone (707) 853-0915 or email #HealthTipTues- [email protected], or co- day drawing. She won by posting director Rafael Rovira by phone a comment on a (707) 246-0990 or email at Ra- #HealthTipTues- [email protected]. day post on the NorthBay Facebook The tournament website can page. Employees be found at FairfieldProTennis. are eligible for the com. Follow the Chris Cammisa drawing and new tips are posted Tennis and Education Foundation every week. on Facebook for regular updates as well. 11 Dive In ... (From Page 1)

NorthBay Healthcare strategic planning. She joined the Marine Mega- fauna Foundation and has vol- unteered for the Mozambique organization during vacations to participate in research trips to study the graceful manta rays in different areas of the world. “They’re being killed for Chi-

nese medicine, which is tragic. “That’s really me,” They don’t provide the libido says Elnora Cam- boost that some cultures think eron, pointing out the small figure at they do,” she said. the top-hand side She teams up with other div- of the photo on her ers to document all sorts of infor- phone. The image mation — how many there are, (on opposite page) shows how small what they eat, how they mate, Elnora is compared to where they travel. the whale sharks her “We’ll in turn share this with party found during the dive. countries that are willing to set aside reserves to protect these best contracts in the state, which That strategy has paid off and creatures,” she said. helped NorthBay Healthcare WHA has grown from serving Saving marine life is just one maintain its independence. Sacramento and Solano counties, of her many retirement goals. By 1995, she was ready to to also include Colusa, Yolo, El Also on the bucket list, to pursue take on another bold experience: Dorado, Placer, Marin, Napa and after her June 28 retirement: Creation of a health plan for local Sonoma counties. s To get involved and work on business owners and individuals Elnora has served on the a political campaign; interested in affordable, respon- board of directors for 21 years s To travel the world; and sive health coverage. and has stepped into the role of s To continue to provide sup- “We had the opportunity to chair several times. port for an annual historic trail see other insurance programs In addition to being vice presi- ride that stretches 1,300 miles launch and disappoint. We were dent of Strategic Development, from Oregon to Montana. ready to tackle it in a unique Elnora is also president of North- These goals might seem quite way,” she recalled. Bay Health Advantage and today challenging for some retirees, but NorthBay teamed up with UC oversees a team of 60-plus. She not to Elnora. She’s known her Davis Health System and Mercy/ still relishes the opportunity to share of challenges in 32 years of Dignity Health in 1996 to cre- make big changes on a small working at NorthBay. ate Western Health Advantage canvass. She arrived in 1987 just after (WHA). “Becoming a member of the VacaValley Hospital and NorthBay “We focused on being local Mayo Clinic Care Network helped Cancer Center opened. Her focus and friendly to provider systems. NorthBay garner the stature it was strategy and business de- And we were determined to be deserves. We really are the most velopment — with a staff of just responsive to brokers in the sophisticated health care sys- three people. A few years later, area — to pick up a phone when tem in Solano County,” she said, her duties expanded to managed someone called and get them an- pointing to examples of cutting- care, which involves negotiating swers quickly. With WHA, no one edge medicine in the NorthBay contracts with insurance compa- had to wait weeks to get a quote. Cancer Center, the Center for nies, and creating some of the Maybe an hour or two.” See DIVE IN, Page 13 12 It may appear to be a Dive In ... variation on the movie poster for “Jaws,” but the small image on the (From Page 12) top, right-hand side of the photo is actually Heart & Vascular and the Center Elnora Cameron during for Neuroscience, to name a few. a dive. Her party found “Some people think North- a number of whale sharks, which she said Bay is small because our two were not as intimidating hospitals have 180 beds be- as it may look. During tween them. Well, I relish that that trip, she fell in love with manta rays and underdog role. We have always eagle rays. thought big. It’s a truly great place to work, a laboratory where gratitude of those who worked her special touch.” you can have a vision and watch with her, and those who will work There’s never an easy time to it play out.” after her and benefit from her leave, agreed Elnora. While she’s During her formative years, vision, leadership and unending pleased with the results of the she never pictured herself in zeal for doing what is best for Blue Shield lawsuit, which yielded health care. She grew up on patients who put their lives in our a $22 million-plus settlement for a dairy farm in Pennsylvania, hands,” said Konard. NorthBay, she wishes she could and earned a degree in urban Sarah Jewel, director of Busi- see the conclusion of other pend- planning from the University of ness Development, has worked ing lawsuits, but they don’t even Wisconsin. After that, she spent for Elnora for the entire 32-year have calendar dates yet. “It could a decade as a consultant, mostly span, and says that while Elno- be another year...” to cities and counties. She was ra’s accomplishments are many, And that’s time she’s not will- “borrowed” to a team with a two really stand out: her genius ing to give away, when she has health care project and discov- for strategic planning and her important goals, such as sup- ered she loved the challenge. personal touch in dealing with porting a historic trail ride from “Turns out I was pretty effec- her work family. Wallowa Lake in Oregon to Mon- tive at not only seeing the big “As NorthBay’s chief strategist, tana, 30 miles from the Canadian picture, but also working with de- Elnora brought high expectations border. tails. But after 10 years, I wanted and bold ideas to NorthBay’s The ride involves only Ap- to see how I could change an strategic plan, whether it was top paloosa horses, and no, Elnora organization — from the inside.” quality and patient satisfaction doesn’t plan on riding one. She’s And that she did, said Gary scores or searching out health on the support team, moving Passama, retired president and system partners and starting a camp from location to location so CEO of NorthBay Healthcare. health plan that worked better the riders have food and tents. “She made every NorthBay for patients and providers,” noted The trip actually takes place strategic planning process dis- Sarah. one week a year — over 13 tinctive, employing innovative “But on a more personal level, years. Every year the group adds and novel devices to encourage our team is really going to miss another 100 miles to the jour- outside-the-box thinking.” her personal touch,” she added. ney. This year, when she joins old He admits that sometimes “She has gone to great lengths friends on the trail — somewhere her attention to detail drove him to make sure that each of us in in Idaho — she’ll be working on “nuts,” but in a good way. Her her division feels valued for our the 13th link in the trip. grasp of details and bold negoti- contributions to the company, “I figure I have 20 very good ating style resulted in fair con- and that as individuals we are physical years left… I have things tracts with sometimes obstinate important to her. From her daily I really want to do before I lose health plans. morning greetings, to monthly the capacity to do it,” she said, “Her devotion to this health- birthday celebrations with elabo- “and this is just one of them.” care system is undeniable,” said rate homemade cakes designed Although Elnora didn’t want a Gary. especially for the birthday cele- big celebration, there is a get- NorthBay Healthcare President brants and the flowers fresh from together being planned at 2 p.m. and CEO Konard Jones agreed. the farmers market she brings in on Tuesday, June 25 at the Green “She deserves the undying Monday mornings, we will miss Valley Conference Center. Re- freshments will be provided. 13 Boxes with everything from computers to chairs arrived.

Moving vans were a familiar sight last week at NorthBay Medical Center’s back entrance.

Move... (From Page 1) unpacked and everything from chairs, tables, computers and countertops are being put into place. Much of the large equipment — diagnostic Annemarie Golz shows how the hydraulic lifts can move to different imaging and surgery suite equipment — is in locations in the patient rooms. place, but not all. “There’s still many tasks left to accomplish,” said Annemarie Golz, Facilities Project and De- velopment manager. Although the construction team is still await- ing the final paperwork to receive the formal “Certificate of Occupancy,” the California Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development (OSHPD) approved the move-in. The certificate is expected any day, and will mark a huge milestone on the road toward opening the new wing for patient care, said Annemarie. It signals the end of construction for the building. The last remaining hurdle will be obtaining the California Department of Public Health permit to allow NorthBay to practice medicine in the building. That final review is set The nurses station on 2 North is starting to take shape. See MOVE, Page 15 14 All of the lighting and monitors are in place in one of the hybrid surgical suites on the third floor of the building, although supplies and other equipment are still set to arrive. There are eight new surgical suites and a Post- anesthesia Acute Care Unit on the third floor of the North Wing.

Move ... (From Page 14) for the third week in September. A Transition Work Group of more than 80 employees from across NorthBay’s many disciplines and departments has been meeting regularly and checking off assignments on a huge Excel spreadsheet that includes more than 1,200 tasks, and literally thousands of supportive assignments. The tasks have ranged from creating communication plans to installing equipment, taking inventory, assessments and testing. For example: w Nutrition Services submitted licenses to prepare and serve food in the kitchens; w Radiology conducted shielding integrity of the unit’s walls and scheduled training for staff; w Human Resources assessed staffing plans and determined when new hires will be on-boarded and trained; w Compliance and Safety developed plans for walkthroughs, findings corrections and mock surveys. The list goes on and on. Work has just begun on creating three Day-in-the- Life scenarios, which will involve interaction between all departments moving in to the North Wing. “The idea is to put our processes to the test, to see where we need to make improvements so that we can really be ready for go-live in October,” explained Son- nell De Guia, R.N., Day-in-the-Life Committee chair. Watch for more details to come soon in FYI about The Siemens Pheno’s control panel, seen close up, is an integral the Day-in-the-Life exercises, move-in plans and part of this equipment’s cutting-edge robotic imaging and surgi- more. cal technology. 15 Hospice Team Goes Social

NorthBay Hospice & Bereave- ment is taking part in a social media campaign designed to reinforce the value of hospice care and encourages others to join the effort. The campaign invites people to post photos and comments on what hospice means to them, using the hashtag #MyHospice. What My Hospice means is different to each individual and family, campaign organizers say. #MyHospice allows people to share their unique story. For more information, visit MyHos- pice.org

Time for Reminders AboutW OurELCOME MagnetNEW FACES Visit Magnet appraisers from the American Nurses that are Magnet-recognized. NorthBay first earned Credentialing Center are scheduled to arrive on the honor in 2014, although the official award was NorthBay Healthcare campuses June 24 for a three- presented in October, 2015. day recertification visit. “Being Magnet recognized means being recog- Anyone who wants to come and share stories nized PinternationallyEOPLE forIN nursing THE NEWS excellence,” said and provide comments about the care provided at Jennifer. “The site visit is an affirmation of what we NorthBay Medical Center, NorthBay VacaValley Hos- do and who we are at NorthBay Healthcare,” said pital and outpatient clinics under the hospital license Jennifer. are welcome, according to Jennifer Tudor, R.N., NorthBay’s Magnet Program director. Those outpatient clinics include NorthBay Wound Care & Hyper- DATES TO REMEMBER baric Medicine; NorthBay Home, Health & Hospice; D and The Surgery Center at NorthBay VacaValley. There will be an open forum in Annex Rooms 1 06.19.19 Nurse Camp and 2 between 12:15 and 1:15 p.m. on Wednes- Week continues through Friday day, June 26. In addition, Annex rooms 3 and 4 will 06.24.19 Magnet site visits begin be set up at the same time for those who want to 06.27.19 Urologist Herkanwal Khaira, speak privately with an appraiser. ETTERS M.D., speaks, 10-11 a.m. Both sessions are open to everyone, from em- 06.25.19L Masquerade $5 Sale, NBMC, Annex ployees to patients, families and community mem- 1&2 bers. 07.02.19 Retirement Plan Meeting, GVAC Room Meetings are also being set up to help the ap- 160 07.03.19 Retirement Plan Meeting, VacaValley praisers verify, clarify and amplify the report that Health Plaza, Suite 290 NorthBay submitted in its quest for recertification. 07.13.19 Sports Physicals, NorthBay VacaValley “If invited, employees are encouraged to come Wellness Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. share stories about the nursing excellence and 07.19.19 NorthBay Guild Golf Classic, interdisciplinary collaboration we practice to take Eagle Vines excellent care of patients in our community,” said 07.27.19 NorthBay Healthcare’s Day at the Ball Jennifer. Park, Raley Field, Sacramento, There are fewer than 500 hospitals in the world 7:05 p.m. 16