Checkup ? with All the Activities

Vol. 1 No. 7 May 27, 1988

Plan To Attend Annual Picnic It will soon be picnic time for all hospital employees, their families and friends. This will be the first year TAH-LVHC will have a combined event. The picnic will be held on Saturday, June 18, rain or shine at Camp Olympic from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Activities will be varied and will include an egg toss, softball and other games for adults. Children will enjoy face painting, a fish pond, a moonwalk and much more. The pool will be open, so plan to bring your bathing suit. The picnic is the perfect opportu- nity to indulge your appetite with hot dogs, beef barbecue, fried chicken, Italian sausage sand- Chol esterol screening draws ct·owd - Page 3 wiches, barbecued ribs, baked beans, tossed green salad, pasta salad, beer, soda and brownies. Volunteers are needed to help Why Should You Read CheckUp ? with all the activities. Those inter- In recent weeks changes have been made in the distribution of CheckUp at var- ested in helping can contact Vicki ious sites. Still more changes will be imple mented at the LVHC site with the Hackett, ext. 8162 or Ann Kelby, next issue of CheckUp . These changes have been instituted in orde r to make cer- ext. 2279. tain all employees have access to the valuable material in CheckUp. Tickets are on sale at both sites It is essential that EVERY employee read CheckUp in order to be info rmed of and also with picnic committee such critical matters as employee benefits, educational opportunities and members. The cost is S3 for adults c hanges in policy. This will become even more important in coming months as and Sl for children 3 to 11 years. info rmation on changes in the benefits plan becomes ava il able. Children under 3 are admitted at In order to contain costs, much of the information that was previously distrib- no charge. uted to departments on printed flyers is now anno unced only in Ch eckUp. Due to limited parking, there will If you are having difficulty obtaining a copy of CheckUp please call the Com- be a shuttle bus making runs from munications Department at your site (TAH - ext. 2581; LVHC - ext. 8900) as LVHC to nearby Camp Olympic. soon as possible.

A The All( V Hospitc: MOORE , PAME LA Lehigh 905 FI NANC I AL SERVICES Hospita A HealthEast Hospo After The Merger ... john Salventi, Ph.D., and Ann Lyon Quality Assurance Now Common of the Office of Integration have ToTAH-LVHC begun meeting with groups ofTAH- With the merger of the medical LVHC department heads and physi- staffs due in July, a Quality Assurance cians to outline and update the consol- program common to both sites has idation process and priorities. All been developed for July impleme nta- department heads will have had a tion. The program will encompass all chance to meet with john and Ann by QA activities within the hospital, mid-June. including clinical departments and Human Resources Management hospital services. Structure In Place William Frailey, M.D., newly The management structure for a Shuttle Service To appointed vice president of medical combined TAH-LVHC Human Begin Soon! affairs, will have ultimate responsibil- Resources department has been estab- ity for QA and Utilization Review lished with Luis Martinez, senior vice who will be responsible for several activities at the hospital. Working president, at the helm. functions through their respective closely with him will be Susan Fioren- With this reorganization, the con- managers, including: tino, former QA/ UR director at The solidation of Human Resources as Keith Strawn, employee informa- Allentown Hospital, who is the new well as integration of policies and tion system manager, whose responsi- director of the department for TAH- procedures for the merged hospital bilities include consolidation of all LVHC. have begun. employee data including full integra- Shuttle Update Key management personnel for tion of payroll and personnel data Two shuttle buses have been pur- TAH-LVHC Human Resources under one data management system; chased to transport employees reporting directly to Luis include: Lynn Schaughency, employment man- between the two hospital sites. Ser- Susan Knapp, director of Educational ager, who will be in charge of all vice is slated to begin July 12. Development for TAH-LVHC, who recruitment and staffing functions Finally... will consolidate activities of the for TAH-LVHC; Rose Haas, R.N., In preparation for the upcoming department at both sites; David director of employee health, who will group meetings, john and Ann report Kozemchak, employee relations spe- be in charge of employee health plan- that their meetings with individual cialist, responsible for assisting TAH- ning and services at both sites; and department heads to assess similari- LVHC employees with their griev- Linda Leddy remains director of Vol- ties and differences between sites ances; Sue Reinke, personnel unteer Services at LVHC. have been completed. With the manager, who will be accountable for Candidates are being interviewed insight gained from these sessions, the design, interpretation and imple- to fill the manager of employee bene- john and Ann can advise Samuel Hus- mentation of Human Resources poli- fits position. The successful applicant ton, president and CEO of TAH- cies and procedures for the hospital; will oversee the activities of the two LVHC, regarding consolidation oppor- and G. john D'Aurora, vice president, benefits counselors. tunities.

From sausage sandwiches to tacos, there was something for everyone at May Daze.

2 Cholesterol Screening Draws Thousands Over 4,600 men and women waited CountDown Le high Valley is affil- serum cholesterol and heart disease, up to two hours to have their choles- iated with the Voluntary Hospitals of to e mphasize the need for everyone terol level determined at the Lehigh Ame rica's (VHA) CountDown USA, to know his cholesterol level in the Valley Mall from May 4 through May 7 the first national blood pressure and same way that he knows his blood as a part of CountDown Lehigh Val- c holesterol screening event. Eve ry pressure, and to provide opportuni- ley. VHA hospital in VHA East, the region ties for individuals to learn their cho- During the same week, close to to which HealthEast belongs, partici- lesterol level in convenient, commu- 1,200 people took advantage ofcholes - pated in this event. Both as an individ- nity sites such as shopping malls, terol screening services offered at the ual site (Lehigh Valley Mall) and as a schools, churches and service organi- Community Health Center at Slate system, HealthEast held .the record zations. Belt Medical Center. Still more peo- among the VHA hospitals fo r screen- CountDown Lehigh Valley is avail- ple were screened at Carbon Plaza ing the most people on May 4; 1,069 at able to businesses, community Mall in Lehighton and at the May Daze the mall and 804 at SBMC. groups and organizations who wish celebration. CountDown Lehigh Valley is a year- to conduct cholesterol screenings at CountDown Lehigh Va lley, a choles- long program whic h seeks to increase their worksites, meetings or special te rol education and screening pro- awareness among Lehigh Valley resi- events. To arrange for a screening, gram, is being conducted by the Divi- dents of the relationship of high call ext. 7929. sion of Community Health, TAH-LVHC, in cooperation with Slate Belt Medical Center, Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital, CALL THE HOTLINE - Ext. 2999 HealthEast Labs, M.W. Wood, Inc., Q. At times, when we go to late lunch, we find the menu exhausted and Lehigh Valley chapter of the Ameri- the soup as broth. Can something be done about this? can Academy of Family Practice, A. It is true that at times we sell out of some items rather quickly, but that does Lehigh Valley Dietetics Association, not happen often. However, sold-out items are always replaced with a substi- and Lehigh Valley Fitness Centers tute item. In regard to the soup, if you ever experience "thin" soup, just inform with partial support from the the service personnel who will immediately re medy the situation. Dorothy Rider Pool Health Care Q. Is there any chance the cafeteria at TAH will be open more hours in Trust. the future? A. Currently, we are examining the cafeteria hours in an attempt to increase service and hours. A decision will be made in the near future. Q. Why is it the soda machine on the street is priced at 50 cents, at Phar- Nurses To Mor, 35 cents, and at the TAH site, 60 cents? A. Soda mac hines in the hospital are not owned or managed by the hospital, and Sponsor Art therefore we do not set the price. It is important to note, however, that this firm Auction donates a substantial part of the profit to the hospital Auxiliary. On Thursday,June 2, the Profes- sional Nurse Council of the Lehigh Valley Hospital Cente r will sponsor an art show and auction in the Hospital Center's auditorium. An admission charge of S5 will include champagne, fruit and cheese, and desserts which will be served throughout the evening. The preview will begin at 7 p.m. followed by the art auction at 8 p.m. Over 200 works of art including oils, watercolors, etchings, lithographs and more will be available fo r the novice as well as the experienced collector. Proceeds from the event will benefit Friends of Nursing. For tickets or further information, contact Carol Bury, ext. 8240. Face painting was a p opular activity in the children's tent at May Daze.

3 Making The Rounds

Nine Lehigh Valley Hospital Center Society of Gastrointestinal Assistants staff members successfully com- (SGA). She is a past president and cur- pleted an intense 12-weck critical rent advisor for the Pennsylvania SGA care course and are now working in and was elected to the SGA Board of one of the Hospital Ce nter's critical Directors for two te rms. care units. Tess Engelhardt, R.N. , SSU The graduates are: Robert Baum- (LVHC) has recently earned a B.S.N. gartner, R.N., ACU; Deborah from Cedar Crest College. Bosack, R.N. , ACU; Linda Drexinger- Durishin, R.N. , OHU; Kathleen Tish Isack, M.S.W., director, Erickson, R.N., Critical Care Float- Lehigh Valley Stroke Program, was Renal Modalities Nurse; Anne Marie recently elected second vice presi- Fetcho, R.N. , CNS; Renee Green, dent of the Allentown Quota Club, a R.N., STU; Catherine Lawler, R.N., service club for professional women. PCCU; Matthew Miller, R.N. , OHU; andJoyce Najarian, R. N., ACU. Terry Burger, R.N. , B.S.N., Infec- tion Control (LVHC), has completed a Linda Leddy, director of Volun- two-week training course, "Surveil- teer Services (LVHC), has been asked lance, Prevention and Control of Nos- to serve on the Screening Committee ocomial Infections," at the Center for for the Hospital Association of Penn- Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga. sylvania Achievement Awards Con- test. June Miller, EKG technician, Heart Station (LVHC) recently Joanne McLaughlin, director of received an Outstanding Academic Professional Affairs (LVHC and the Progress Award for her achievements in the nursing program at Northamp- Radiology students at The Allentown Burn Foundation), was invited by annual Children's Health Fair sponsm·ed by WTVE-TV, Channel 51 in Reading, to ton County Area Community College. tape six, three-minute segments on burn prevention for their program "In Touch." The segments aired during National Safe !Gds Week, May Credit 16-23.

Denise Drummer, R.N., Dianna Union Elects Dunkle, R.N., Carol Lacek, R.N., Stacey Fisher, R.N., Barbara Mar- Officers tino, R.N. , Mary Boger, R.N. and HealthEast Federal Credit Union Dawn Dunlap, R.N., all of the LVHC officers e lected at the May board site, recently completed an extensive meeting are: James A. Rotherham, six-month Operating Room course. Financial Services (LVHC), president; The purpose of the course was to Gary Haas, Pulmonary Function enable them to become perioperative (LVHC), vice president; Tony Mol- nurses for a variety of surgical special- chany, Business Office (LVHC), treas- ties. urer; and Janet M. Laudenslager, Com- Joyce Schwenzer, R.R.A., director, munications (HealthEast), secretary. Medical Records (LVHC), has been Vacation Clubs for 1989 are now elected president-elect of the Pennsyl- available at the Credit Union. The vania Medical Records Association. clubs will mature on April 30, 1989 Her term of office will begin May and pay an interest rate of 5 1/ 2 per 1989. cent. Checks will be issued around june 1, 1989. Berni McAloose, R.N. , head nurse Interest will be forfeited as a pen- GI Lab (LVHC), has recently been alty for early withdrawal. To open j oanne Frey-Kleinginna, child life appointed to chair the Standards of your 1989 Vacation Club, contact the operative play to explain the medical fJ Practice Committee for the national Credit Union at ext. 8404. surgery.

4 The Burn Foundation taught children what to do if their clothing catches on fire -drop to the ground, roll to extinguish the :/ site showed third graders where their bones are located as part of the sixth flame and place cool water on the burn. 'AH-LVHC. The event was attended by over 2,500studenls.

Pediatrics, TAH-L VHC, used pre Sharon Holmes, HeallhCounts instructm; demonstrated one way to keep physically ures involved when a child t·equires fit - aerobic exercise. Sharon also teaches adult aerobic class at both hospital sites.

5 HealthCounts Changes Announced... Recently all HealthEast and TAH- LVHC employees received a flyer explaining changes in the Health- Counts Program. ... Incentive Payments Update Over the past three years the If you are presently enrolled in HealthCounts incentive programs, HealthCounts Program has offered please note the following: . e mployees cash incentives to encour- Smoking Cessation: If you are currently participating in the smoking age positive changes in health behav- cessation incentive program, your program will continue through the ior, such as quitting smoking, reduc- 12-month process. ing cholesterol, losing weight and Fitness Club Memberships: Corporate fitness club membership starting regular exercise programs. vouchers will be accepted at the Allentown YMCA/YWCA and the Lehigh During the current fiscal year, Health- Valley Fitness Centers only until Wednesday, june 1. Counts modified the exercise incen- Aerobic Activity-Weight Loss-Cholester ol Reduction: To receive tive to enable e mployees to obtain dis- incentive money for these three programs, please make an appointment counts for memberships at area with a HealthCounts counselor before the following dates: health dubs. LVHC (821-2150) Tuesday, june 7; During preparation to develop the TAH (ext. 2289) Tuesday, june 14. budget for fiscal year 1989, which Incentive money requests will not be accepted after the above dates. If begins july 1, it became apparent that you have any questions, please call HealthCounts at 821-2150. funds being spe nt on employee incentives could better serve employees' interests by hiring additional staff to manage clinical activities. This would and include stretching and strength- increase the HealthCounts Program's ening exercises. The final 10 minutes ability to deliver services as well as will concentrate on toning the abdo- lighten the burden on the hardwork- men, thighs, buttocks and waist. Yoga ing staff. will be introduced for stretching and After considerable discussion and relaxation. thought, a decision was reached to The class will be held on Mondays end cash incentives paid to and Wednesdays from 4 to 4:45 p.m. employees on june 30. However, this in the School of Nursing ( Room 916). does not mean HealthCounts is aban- The cost is $20. To register, call doning its efforts to support healthy Employee Health at ext. 2289 prior to lifestyle changes in e mployees. It sim- j une 7. ply means they have to find more cost- Low Impact Aerobics Come, work out to music and have effective ways of doing it. HealthCounts will be offering fun. Over the summer the Health- three aerobic classes for employees Counts staff will be developing new, at The Allentown Hospital site from Exercise Program non-cash incentives to e ncourage june 13 to Aug. 18. Two low impact employees to make positive changes aerobic classes will continue to run At Wellness Center in h ealth habits or to continue the on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:45 to HealthCounts, TAH- LVHC ones they have already made. 4:30 p.m. in the School of Nursing employee well ness program, will con- Announcements desc ribing the new ( Room 916) and 5:15 to 6 p.m. in Phys- tinue its exercise p rogram at the program w ill be made in the fa ll. ical Therap y. The cost fo r a twice- Wellness Center located on Fish In the meantime, HealthCounts weekly 10-week class is S20. To regis- Hatchery Road. will continue to provide counselors, ter, call the Employee Health office at Three different levels of aerobic classes, seminars and other activities ext. 2289 before j une 7. classes - low impact, moderate impact on an even more exte nsive basis than and high impact - will be offered. in the past. Fourteen new 45-minute classes, Remember, at TAH -LVHC your Full-Figured Fitness offered Monday through Friday, begin "health counts." Full-Figured Fitness class will once the week of j une 6. For your conve- again be offe red by HealthCounts. nie nce, monthly, quarterly and yearly The class is designed for me n and memberships are available. women who are not accustomed to Classes are open to all HealthEast, regular exercise and are 30 pounds TAH- LVHC e mployees and to the or more overweight. community. Each class includes a brief warm-up For more information, or to regis- followed by an aerobics session. The ter, call the Wellness Center at cool down will lower the heart rate 821-2150.

6 HEALTH TIP: Eating Disorders Anorexia nervosa (self-imposed • preoccupation with food, weight, 778-3800. Free informational bro- starvation) and bulimia (excessive calories, body image, exercise chures are available. food intake) are two eating disorders • disruption of eating patterns - skip- which primarily affect teenage and ping meals, eating alone, unusual Learn more about eating dis- young adult women. Both of these food choices orders by attending "Going for conditions have physical as well as • de nial and defensive behavior the Gold," a lecture sponsored by · psychological effects, and can lead to when confronted with changes in WomanCareoJTheAllentownHos death if not given proper medical eating patterns, weight, appear- pital. This free program is the atte ntion. ance true story of former Olympian • withdrawal from fam ily and friends Cathy Rigby's struggle with ano- According to jeffrey Knauss, Ed. D. , rexia nervosa and bulimia. The director of child and adolescent ser- • ongoing, unexplained vomiting lecture will be held Monday, June vices at TAH-LVHC, some common • continuous episodes of overeating 6 at 8 p.m., The Allentown Hilton. warning signs of an eating disorder not accompanied by weight gain Reservations are necessary and are: • For more information, call Wom can be made by calling • rapid weight gain or loss anCare of The Allentown Hospital, WomanCare at 778-3800.

Congratulations Best wishes and special thanks are extended to the following volunteers at the LVHC site who will be graduat- ing from high school within the nex t few weeks: Kristen Kirchner, Anne Koehler and Kris Tallick: Emmaus High School Nadia Kowalchuk: Northern Lehigh High School Lora Levitt: Parkland High School Susan Stott: Northampton High School Thomas Walpole: Central Catho- Hi Mom! May Daze is sure fun. lic High School. On April 6 Sheldon H. Linn, M.D., Recreation Committee Lists 'Bargains,' Events resident of the OB/ GYN Department, and his w ife, Paula, became proud par- Furniture Unlimited is offering e mployees a 5 percent discount on all pur- ents of the ir first c hild. Brandon chases at their three re tail outlets. This discount is above any sale price offered joshua weighed 8 lbs. and was 21 to the general public. There are no limitations to this offer. Hospital identifica- inches long. tion must be presented at the time of purchase to rece ive the discount. A granddaughter, Samantha, was Argeson Florist at 38 N. Sixth St., Allentown, is offering a 10 percent discount born to Fran Schankowitz, Medical on all flower orders and a 15 percent discount on all wedding flowers with the Records Department (TAH), on May 4. presentation of 1988 LESRA membership cards. LESRA cards are available in Human Resources (TAH) and Personnel (LVHC). Lorrie Heyer, Ad ministration The Quality Color Photo Special for June at the Hospital Cente r is 24 expo- (TAH), and her husband, Chris- sure color print film, two prints for the price of one, for S4.39. topher, became the proud parents of There are only a few seats remaining for the trip to see the Philadelphia Phil- a baby girl on May 4. jenna Marie lies vs. Cincinnati Reds on Friday, July 1. Sponsored by the Recreation Commit- weighed in at 7 lbs., 1 3/4 oz. and was tee at TAH, the bus w ill depart from the Gordon Street parking lot at 5:30p.m. 20 inches long. The cost is only S15 per person, which includes bus fare, admission and also Cynthia Glick, 6S (TAH), a hoagie and soda. To register, call Ann Kelby, TAH Personnel Department, at announced her e ngagement to Steven ext. 2279. Kocsis on May 7. The Recreation Committee at TAH is also sponsoring a roller skating party at Skateaway Roller Rink, Lehigh and MacArthur Roads, Whitehall, on June 15 On May 14, a bounc ing baby girl, from 7 to 10 p.m. Mary Catherine, was born to Kim Jo in your friends and co-workers for an evening of fun. The cost is only S2 per Lavin, SCU (LVHC), and her hus- person. Tickets can be purchased from any Recreation Committee member or band, Ken. by calling Marge Scarcia at ext. 2628.

7 Educational Happenings Wednesday, June 1 TAH - Organ-Tissue Donation Pro- cess: Delaware Valley Transplant Pro- gram - 2 to 2:45 a.m. and 3 to 3:45 a.m., OR Conference Room TAH - Stroke Team Meeting - 9 to 10 a. m., Cafeteria Conference Room Thursday, june 2 TAH - Organ-Tissue Donation Pro- cess: Delaware Valley Transplant Pro- gram - 9 to 9:45a.m. and 10 to 10:45 Members of Brownie Troop 365 from Breinigsville visit a patient in the Acute a.m., Auditorium; 1 to 1:45 p.m. and 2 Coronary Care Unit (LVHC). The Brownies made spring decorations for the to 2:45 p.m., OR Conference Room patients and recently delivered them to the Hospital Center. Looking on are the Monday, June 6 troop leaders and joan Skumanick, R.N., head nurse, Sally Ann Scott, R.N., staff TAH - General Hospital Orientation nurse, and juliet Geiger, R.N., B.S.N., nursing float pool. Part I - 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Audito- rium LVHC -New Employee Orientation - SuperSitter Course Offered 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Classroom 3 Back by popular demand is the hospital's SuperSitter baby-sitting course. This TAH Community Adult CPR/ special program is offered to students 11 years of age and older who are inter- Obstructed Airway- 7 to 10 p.m., Audi- ested in becoming knowledgeable baby-sitters. torium (Call ext. 2430 to register) ·To be held· on Saturday, June 18, this three-hour free session w ill be offered Tuesday,June 7 from 9 a.m. to noon in The Allentown Hospital auditorium. A number of speake rs from the hospital and Allentow n police and fire depart- TAH - Ho~pita l Tour - 10:30 a.m. to noon, meet in lobby ments will cover such topics as: how to report a fire, safety tips, poison preven- TAH - General Hospital Orientation tion, diapering and bathing infants, how to handle crank calls, and ways to deter- Part II - 12:30 to 3 p.m., Auditorium mine how much to charge for baby-sitting. A certificate of attendance is LVHC -Community CPR - 2 to 5 p .m., awarded to each participant, in addition to a variety of printed educational material. Classroom 4 To register your child for this informative class, call 778-CARE. Wednesday, June 8 TAH - Organ-Tissue Donation Pro- cess: Delaware Valley Transplant Pro- CPR Classes Scheduled gram - 6 to 6:45 a.m. and 7 to 7:45 Due to the tremendous number of requests for CPR training, the Hospital Cen- a.m., Auditorium; 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. ter's Educational Development has scheduled the following classes for non- and 10:30 to 11:1 5 a.m., OR Confer- nursing personnel: ence Room June 7 - 2 to 5 p.m., Classroom 4, Community CPR TAH- Stroke Team Meeting - 9 to 10 June 8 - 9 a.m. to noon, Classroom 4, Recertification a.m., Cafe teria Conference Room June 13 - 9 a.m. to noon, Classroom 4, Certification (Part I) LVHC - CPR Recertification (non- June 14 - 9 to 10:30 a.m., Classroom 4, Certification (Part II) nursing) - 9 a.m. to noon, Classroom June 21 - 1 to 4 p.m., Auditorium Alcove, Recertification 4 June 23 - 7 to 10 p.m., Classroom 4, Community CPR June 29 - 1 to 4 p.m., Classroom 4, Certification (Part I) Thursd~y, June 9 June 30 - 1 to 2:30p.m., Classroom 4, Certification (Part II) TAH - Organ-Tissue Donation Pro- cess: Delaware Valley Transplant Pro- gram - 9 to 9:45 p.m., 10 to 10:45 p.m. WomanCare Sponsors Program and 11 to 11:45 p.m., OR Conference WomanCare of The Allentown Hospital w ill sponsor a program entitled, Room. "Medicines: Use and Abuse" on Tuesday, June 7 at noon in Room 1911 of the School of Nursing and Wednesday,June 8 at 7 p.m. in the School of Nursing auditorium. The guest speakers w ill be Fred Pane, registered pharmacist, assistant director of the Pharmacy Department (TAH) and Stephanie Santos, registered pharmacist (TAH). They w ill discuss how to use medications safely and the prob- lems that occur when they are misused. To register, call WomanCare at 778-3800.