Next Week's Calendar
of Events:

Welcome

Coming up in this week's issue of The Focus you'll find:

Congratulations to July 2024's FHN PRIDE Champions!

Tina Lingle ( 3 East) stepped in when her nominator, Megan, had a last-minute schedule change which would have conflicted with her family’s plans. She writes, I was scheduled to work as rounder on 3 East one day, which meant my shift was scheduled from 06:00-18:30. At the last minute, my schedule changed and I was sent to 3 North to take a patient assignment and work until 19:30. My family was planning to leave for a trip after my shift on this particular day, and Tina came over at 18:00 to take report on my two patients so I could still leave work at 18:30 and keep my family trip as planned.

When a non-English speaking patient newly diagnosed with diabetes was in the ICU, Tammy Kubatzke (Nursing Supervisor) was able to change staffing and bring a CNA in to assist with the patient. The patient was having trouble understanding the video translator, so Tammy brought in a Spanish-speaking CNA who was able to translate for them on two different days.

Jennifer Gruhn (Forreston) helped a patient who had recently lost his wife and had been having trouble navigating life without her. The patient was referred to a specialty office and needed to fill out new patient history forms for his consult appointment. The patient came into the Forreston office at lunchtime and Jen stayed over lunch and assisted him in filling out the paperwork so he would have it ready for the appointment. The patient became tearful and said to Jen, “Thank you for helping me with this, if my wife was still here she would know the information and how to fill these out for me.”

Others nominated this month include Madison Pickard, Kelsey Kruze, Brittney Mordini, Victoria Goetz, Abby Sadler, Jensen Fernando, Lily Curtiss, Erika Greenfield, Jacinta Shippert, Elbert Rose and Holly Funk.

Continue Delivering Excellence: Every Patient, Every Time! Take PRIDE in what you do at FHN!

Please keep your eyes open for others demonstrating our PRIDE standards and nominate them for PRIDE Champion or our Golden Globe recognition program for leaders! Be sure to include details in your nomination to ensure their excellence is portrayed as you have witnessed it. Thank you!

FHN Implements Post-Birth Alert Program

Women in the first six weeks after delivering a baby are at higher risk of dying from pregnancy and birth complications, and the FHN Women's Health Team is taking action to keep its postpartum patients safe.

"In 2022, the CDC reported that 817 women died of maternal causes in the United States," FHN Memorial Hospital Perinatal Quality Nurse Danielle Wittig, BSN, RN C-ONQS said. "33 percent of those deaths were substantially preventable, and another 36 percent were moderately preventable. We have partnered with our community EMS providers and the Emergency Department, and have also reached out to other area hospitals to help recognize and treat those complications to reduce maternal mortality."

The FHN Post-Birth Alert Program, one of the first of its kind in the nation, is focused on giving new mothers an orange bracelet to wear as an alert. Alert bands are worn for six weeks, until the mother's postpartum appointment with their provider. The patient and her support person also receive focused education, utilizing the AWHONN (Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses) Post-Birth Warning Signs guidelines, emphasizing the importance of the Post-Birth Alert band and recognizing when to seek immediate care.

"If a woman has a medical emergency and isn't able to communicate, the bracelet will inform providers and emergency personnel of her postpartum status,” said FHN OB Service Line Perinatal Educator Keri Schubert. “That fast identification can be crucial in saving that woman's life."

Women in the six-week period after giving birth are at increased risk of a number of serious complications, including:
• Hypertensive disorder in pregnancy and after - preeclampsia or eclampsia
• Venous Thromboembolism, or blood clots
• Sepsis
• Cardiomyopathy, the thickening of the heart's walls
• Perinatal depression
• Substance use disorder

The FHN Post-Birth Alert Program team has information available on postpartum risks, as well as program materials for EMS and medical professionals. Call the FHN Labor & Delivery department at (815) 599-6221 for more information.

FHN Healthcare Career Scholarships Deadline is Sept. 6

Pursuing a career in healthcare begins with passion and education. In continuing to encourage ambitious students in our community, FHN is proud to offer multiple scholarships for students in the FHN service area who are pursuing careers in healthcare.

Several scholarships will be offered this year, each with different application criteria:
• Healthcare Career Scholarship Program for up to three $1,000 scholarships
• Diversity Healthcare Career Scholarship Program for one $1,000 scholarship
• Volunteer Resource Scholarship Program for one $1,000 scholarship to an active member of the FHN Student Volunteer Program with a minimum of 40 volunteer hours

The deadline for all applicants is Friday, Sept. 6. For more information and application forms for each scholarship, visit www.fhn.org/scholarships.

FHN Career Corner

There are many career opportunities within FHN. If you or someone you know is interested in new challenges go to our Career page, displaying the latest open positions.

Help Spread the News: We’re Here, For You!

We have a lot to be proud of at FHN, from our talented, dedicated staff to the many advanced capabilities we offer our patients. We’re working hard every day to be sure we provide excellent care to our patients.

Each week, look to the Focus for good news to share about FHN in the form of downloadable flyers you can print and post or hand out to patients who may be interested. Also look for links to our most recent radio interviews and past interviews to listen to and recommend to others. Don’t forget to Like us on Facebook! Please encourage patients, friends, and family to also take advantage of these FHN information resources. Thanks for your help in promoting FHN!

Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion and Worldwide Health

August is …
Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
Gastroparesis Awareness Month
National Breastfeeding Month
National Immunization Awareness Month
Psoriasis Action Month

Days to Note:
August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day

September is:
Blood Cancer Awareness Month
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Food Safety Education Month
Healthy Aging® Month
National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
National Cholesterol Education Month
National ITP (Platelet Disorder) Awareness Month
National Pediculosis Prevention Month/Head Lice Prevention Month
National Recovery Month
National Sickle Cell Month
Newborn Screening Awareness Month
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Pain Awareness Month
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Month
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Sepsis Awareness Month
Sexual Health Awareness Month
Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month
World Alzheimer’s Month

Days to Note:
September 4 is World Sexual Health Day

The July–August Sun Dance Ritual takes place at this time. For many tribes of the Plains Indians, the Sun Dance was a major communal religious ceremony. Generally held in early summer, the four-day dance ceremony involves sacrifice and supplication to ensure harmony between all living beings.

This is also the time of the July–August Green Corn Ceremony, performed by some Oklahoma tribes as a time of renewal. The ceremony involves participation in sweat lodge ceremonies, dances, offerings, and fasting.

Members of the Northern Cree, Ojibwa, and Algonkians tribes celebrate the last full moon in August with the August Native Wild Rice Harvest.

The August Hopi Snake Dance requires two weeks of ritual preparation and snakes are gathered and kept watch over by children. The dancers then take an emetic and dance with the snakes in their mouths, with an Antelope priest in attendance. After the dance, the snakes are released to carry their prayers.

The United States celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month in September. Initiated in 1968 as “National Hispanic Heritage Week” but established in 1988 by the U.S. Congress, Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 because this day marks the anniversary of independence for five Hispanic countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico achieved independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18. Latinos from all across the nation take a moment to reflect on their history, customs, and culture, as well as the contributions their people have made to the United States.

Several Indigenous tribes celebrate the September Sunrise Dance in September. This is an ancient rite of passage for 14-year-old girls and lasts four days. After a girl’s first menstruation, the girl is massaged and prayed for by an elder female relative. Then, the girl’s family decides which ceremony will be sponsored, which medicine man to choose, and whom to ask to be her godparents and co-sponsors of the ceremony.

The people of Turkey celebrate Victory Day on August 30. The day honors the warriors who died in the 1922 Battle of Dumlupinar, the final battle in the war of independence. The Mehtar band, the world’s oldest military band, plays, and celebrations include military parades and fireworks.

St. Rosa of Lima is celebrated August 30 in Peru. The holiday honors a Peruvian saint who lived in Lima. Her home is now a pilgrimage site, where every year, people come to pray and throw coins, messages, and icons into a water well near her home.

August 31 is Merdeka (Freedom) Day in Malaysia. The day marks the independence of Malaya from British rule in 1957. The Federation of Malaysia was subsequently inaugurated in 1963, containing Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore. Singapore later withdrew.

People of the Jain faith celebrate Paryushana-Parva from August 31 through September 8. It is the holiest time of the year and is marked by fasting and worship of the 24 realized teachers of the Jain faith known as Tirthankaras or Jinas.

Our Sympathy

We extend our sympathy to ...
Kami Harmon (Hospitalist) on the death of her husband.

Classified Ads

Garage sale: 846 Homer, Freeport: 8/29-9/1 8 a.m.-6 p.m. - Many vintage items: books, fruit baskets and boxes, nail barrel, McDonalds and Burger King toys, various canning jars with lids, cast iron bed frame, cast iron skillet/pans, Life magazines, vinyl records. Small women's clothing (some maternity). Infant activity items, new handmade gift items, large supply infant clothing (50 cents each), Window pane frames, other random things.

The deadline to submit ads for each Focus is 10 a.m. the Thursday before publication. Please submit your classified ad information to Tammy Edler, and send your donation to the Foundation.

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