Living the Mission & Values Awards Ascension Health Leadership Convocation 2006

Living the Mission & Values Awards
Ascension Health Leadership Convocation 2006

The Ascension Health “Living the Mission & Values Awards” were established to recognize and honor people and programs recommended by associates of Ascension Health for their dedication and commitment to our Mission and Values. Awards are given every two years at the Ascension Health Leadership Convocation.

The Award Criteria

Each nominee is recognized as one who:

Demonstrates an extraordinary and recognized way to live the Mission and Values.
Inspires others to embrace the Mission and Values by support, encouragement and challenges.
Acts to enhance organizational commitment to living the Mission and Values.

We congratulate those individuals and programs that were nominated for the 2006 Mission & Values Awards.

Maryan Attar-Seyedi, MD
St. John Macomb Hospital
Warren, MI

Bridges to Care
Saint Thomas Hospital
Nashville, TN

Joyce Baldrica
St. John Home Care
Warren, MI

Behavioral Health Services
St. Mary's Hospital
Amsterdam, NY

Borgess Oncology
Borgess Health
Kalamazoo, MI

Stephanie Brady, MSN
Providence Hospital
Southfield, MI

El Centro de Salud
Columbia St. Mary’s
Milwaukee, WI

Coordinated Cardiac Care Model
Genesys Health System
Grand Blanc, MI

Jannie Cox
Carondelet Health Network
Tucson, AZ

Rose Cronin
Seton Health
Troy, NY

Dial-A-Nurse
St. Vincent's Health System
Birmingham, AL

Jason M. Dinger
Saint Thomas Health Services
Nashville, Tennessee

Emergency Department
St. Joseph Hospital
Kokomo, IN

Jonathan Ford
Providence Healthcare Network
Waco, Texas

Hope Griffin, MD
St. Agnes Hospital
St. Agnes HealthCare
Baltimore, Maryland

Healthy Futures
St. Mary's of Michigan
Saginaw, MI

Homeless Mental Health Counseling Department
Centro San Vicente
El Paso, TX

Trudie Hudson
St. Vincent’s Health System
Birmingham, Alabama

Madre Angela Dental Clinic
Columbia St. Mary’s
Milwaukee, WI

Mission Integration
Sacred Heart Health System
Pensacola, Florida

Pastoral Care
Saint Thomas Hospital
Nashville, Tennessee

Post Katrina Organizational Response
Providence Hospital
Mobile, Alabama

Prenatal Care Assistance Program
St. Mary’s Hospital
Amsterdam, New York

Print Shop
Sacred Heart Health System
Pensacola, Florida

Randolph County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)
St.Vincent Randolph Hospital
St.Vincent Health
Winchester, Indiana

Red Dress Sunday
St. Agnes Hospital
St. Agnes HealthCare
Baltimore, Maryland

Volunteers' Second Blessing Thrift Shop
Borgess Health
Kalamazoo, MI

We congratulate those individuals and programs that received the 2006 Mission & Values Awards.

Jeremiah’s Hope Skills Center
St. Vincent Health System
Birmingham, AL

Madre Angela Dental Clinic
Columbia St. Mary's
Glendale, WI

Linda Nunley
St. Vincent Health
Indianapolis, IN

Oncology Staff
Borgess Health
Kalamazoo, Michigan

The patients and families treated by the oncology staff at Borgess Health come from all walks of life, and each of them receives quality, compassionate care. The staff ensures that each patient is treated with respect and dignity and they do their best to alleviate the anxiety and depression that many of these patients experience.

The staff maintains their knowledge of current cancer care and treatments and ensures that the patient education resource room is stocked with current information to answer questions that the patients and their families may have. Each associate is aware of financial and patient satisfaction goals for the unit and does his or her part to ensure success.

Patients and fellow staff members receive personal support from the oncology staff. While caring for a young adult patient who had little family support, the staff collected money for tickets to a concert he wanted to attend and two staff members escorted him to the event. Staff also donated personal vacation hours to colleagues who required time off from work to care for their children who were undergoing chemotherapy.

The oncology staff has shown creative, generous compassion for patients and colleagues. This compassion establishes the unit apart as an example of dedication to the transformation of healthcare.

Post Katrina Organizational Response
Providence Hospital
Mobile, Alabama

Hurricane Katrina hit Alabama on August 29, 2005, but because of where it hit and the preparations taken by Providence Hospital, the hospital was spared major structural damage. Throughout the next few days and weeks, Providence began receiving patients from hard-hit Mississippi and Louisiana, each of whom had a devastating tale to tell. These individuals were treated with compassion, respect and dignity.

Physicians, volunteers, executive leaders and staff worked together to triage patients and identify their clinical and non-clinical needs. The Command Center staff contacted family members across the country to let them know their loved ones were safe. A clothes closet and personal store were set up to serve the new arrivals who often arrived with only the clothes on their backs, and evacuees were provided with $200, a phone card and two changes of clothing as they were discharged. The Social Services department referred the patients to community agencies that could provide additional assistance and a local church prepared and served meals three times a day for four weeks until more permanent shelters became available. Retailers, churches, agencies and the National Guard provided additional assistance through donations of goods, services, shopping trips, medicines and other necessities.

In addition, grants were requested and received to help individuals in rural areas meet their medical, transportation and other needs, and assistance was provided to link individuals with various federal and community assistance programs.

Randolph County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)
St.Vincent Randolph Hospital
St.Vincent Health
Winchester, Indiana

The Randolph County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) is an exceptional program that has provided services to victims of sexual assault since 2001. The team was developed in response to statistics that showed that 60 percent of girls who become pregnant as a teen have a history of being sexually molested as a child, with the majority of them being molested before the age of five. The mission of the SART is to provide compassionate care to victims of sexual assault by coordinating community services to address their physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and legal needs.

The first Randolph County SART Task Force met in January 2001 and included representatives from local law enforcement, the prosecutor’s office, mental health services, child protection services and the medical community. Approximately 20 to 30 sexual assault examinations are completed each year, and all victims are cared for with compassion and without judgment. Eight SART members have completed a course in the forensic interviewing technique, “Finding Words,” for the investigation of sexually abused children. It provides an age-appropriate, team approach to interviewing children.

In addition to caring for the victims of sexual assault, the program works to prevent sexual violence through community education and awareness programs.

Trudie Hudson
St. Vincent’s Health System
Birmingham, Alabama

The Palliative Care Program at St. Vincent’s Hospital focuses on providing high quality, holistic care to patients and families facing life-threatening illness. Its Mission is to help them live comfortably for as along as possible and to die gracefully when it is time. Trudie Hudson has served as the palliative care nurse at St. Vincent’s for more than 10 years. She ministers to patients dealing with end-of-life issues, helping them die in peace and with dignity.

Palliative Care is still a relatively new concept in healthcare and Trudie pioneered the initiative at St. Vincent’s. Through her educational efforts with patients, families, physicians and fellow associates she teaches without being confrontational and she brings together all patient care representatives for the betterment of the people they serve.

St. Vincent’s philosophy of care is centered around the patient. Trudie’s commitment to superior patient care inspires others and creates a positive image of the hospital in the community.

Print Shop
Sacred Heart Health System
Pensacola, Florida

The six individuals who make up the Print Shop team have more than 84 combined years of service. Four members of the staff have received Sacred Heart’s Outstanding Associate Award and one has received the Servant Leader Award. Their team mascot is the duck because as the team says, “ducks swim on top of the water with calm assuredness, but under the water their little legs paddle very hard.”

They work as a team to provide uninterrupted service to their customers and have expanded their customer base to include printing for off-campus physician offices and medical groups. This outreach generates extra revenue to help offset the budget.

Individuals who have been assigned community service hours sometimes serve those hours working in the print shop. Most of them are embarrassed or uncomfortable about the situation and most have no print shop experience. The staff does not judge these individuals, but welcomes them and tries to make them feel at home while teaching them a new skill. Associates who are assigned temporary limited or light duty often work in the print shop and praise the staff for their welcoming and helpful attitudes.

The staff takes pride in the work they produce. The Print Shop philosophy is that each of them is accountable for the final product, so anyone in the shop can question the accuracy and quality of work being performed. They feel it is far better to stop a job before it goes out the door because once it is gone, the impression they give goes with it.

Red Dress Sunday
St. Agnes Hospital
St. Agnes HealthCare
Baltimore, Maryland

St. Agnes Hospital developed Red Dress Sunday as a way to reach women in the community to educate them about the causes, symptoms and treatment of heart disease. More women die from heart disease than strokes, lung cancer and breast cancer combined, and a disproportionate number of those affected are African-Americans in poor and vulnerable communities.

Red Dress Sunday adapts two programs of the American Heart Association – Wear Red for Women and National Heart Month (February) – to create a unique program. Area churches are invited to participate on Red Dress Sunday held on the Sunday closest to Valentine’s Day. The churches encourage the ladies of their congregations to wear a red dress, and special sermons related to heart health are part of the regular worship services. In addition, there are guest speakers from St. Agnes Hospital and the community, educational booths and free health screenings available at the churches.

This unique program engages some of the most respected members of the African-American community – church ministers – and reaches a population that is most at risk, using Christian values to convey the message that hearts must be healed along with the spirits. It has also inspired local politicians to get involved in this important health issue by participating in Red Dress Sunday. The mayor of Baltimore issued official proclamations and accolades to St. Agnes Hospital for their commitment to this health issue. Red Dress Sunday and the community education it offers demonstrate a dedication by St. Agnes Hospital to spiritually centered, holistic healthcare that is compassionately delivered to those most that are most vulnerable.

Jason M. Dinger
Saint Thomas Health Services
Nashville, Tennessee

Jason M. Dinger is a humble, gentle man who goes about God’s work focusing on others and deeply caring for all patients he encounters. He is a devoted husband and father and lives out the Mission, Vision and Values of Ascension Health. Jason has a quiet presence and is never too busy to assist others. Self-sacrifice is his normal way of life, and his spiritual devotion and dedication are an inspiration to everyone he meets.

Jason was one of 20 individuals from the across the United States to receive a medal from the President for his outstanding contributions to the community through his with those who are homeless in Nashville. He has been a volunteer Board member for eight years and currently serves as Board President of the Oasis Center, an organization that serves youth in crisis, and also has served as a member of the Board for Nashville Public Radio. He devoted a year of his life to serve as an administrator of a poor rural hospital in Zimbabwe, Africa. He is a member of the Global Health Council, a worldwide organization working to relieve the health crises occurring through the developing world. He created “Chrysalis,” a student organization designed to form meaningful relationships between communities typically separated by socioeconomic boundaries. He also founded “Student and Native American Partnerships,” an organization that takes Internet technology to Native American schools throughout the country. The work of this organization was presented on CNN and showcased by Microsoft. Jason also has served as the head of the first-aid division for a search and rescue team in New Mexico.

He is keenly aware of his responsibility to be a steward of resources as he works with other administrators at Saint Thomas Health Services to guide the organization into the future.

Jason is completing a dotoral program in Health Care and Social Cohesion to focus on international health systems, to assure that adequate healthcare is provided to the world’s poorest individuals. He was named one of the “top 40 under 40” Tennesseans by Business Tennessee magazine and in the “top 30 under 30” by the Nashville Business Journal.

Jonathan Ford
Providence Healthcare Network
Waco, Texas

Jonathan Ford is the Vice President, Marketing and Public Policy at Providence Health Network. He also is an ordained Baptist minister. Jonathan is an outstanding role model who inspires many through his life example and in his contact with associates and the Waco community.

Jonathan welcomes new associates to Providence in the orientation sessions where he speaks about how to live out the Mission and Values of Providence and Ascension Health. He also speaks at the “Mission Possible” sessions about spirituality in the workplace, and helps associates realize how living the values will also nurture themselves. He is a graduate of the Ascension Health Leadership Formation program, and serves as Chair of the Spirituality Committee at Providence. He is actively involved in the Catholic Health Association of Texas.

Jonathan spearheaded the Centennial Celebration for Providence. As part of the effort, he developed a commemorative history book and video, as well as an online scrapbook. He is responsible for adopting the FISH philosophy, a customer service program that is an expression of Providence’s core values, which has become part of the culture of Providence.

Jonathan has made a tremendous impact on the culture of Providence. He has helped develop the image of Providence as the place where people want to come for healing, associates want to work and physicians want to practice.

Mission Integration
Sacred Heart Health System
Pensacola, Florida

Formulated specifically as a Mission program for leaders (up to and including the manager level), Mission Integration is the sum of the processes, programs and relationships that serve to enhance the understanding of and commitment to the tradition and values from which the Catholic healing ministry originated and continues. It is more than programs and celebrations; it is the work of the soul. It translates into day-to-day language and struggles with complex issues and brings light to significant decisions.

The modules of the program are based on the famous oak tree, that stands close to St. Vincent DePaul’s birthplace in Pouy, France, and signifies the vigilance of the founders of the Mission, which is rooted in the loving ministry of Jesus as healer. The leaders who participate explore: 1) their own uniqueness and avenues for personal growth; 2) how to discover and develop their personal growth; 3) the philosophy and ethics of the Catholic ministry; 4) the Vincentian heritage and Sponsor expectations; 5) direct experience to serve those who are poor; 6) Mission integration planning; and 7) their commitment to the care of those who are poor and vulnerable.

Participants visit the Pastoral section of the Health Ministry and the Daughters of Charity Provincial House in Emmitsburg, Md., to help them make the connection among the hospital, the Church, and the Provincial House, and the role each plays in the fulfillment of the Mission. The Mission Integration program has had an impact within Sacred Heart Health System and the community it serves.

Pastoral Care
Saint Thomas Hospital
Nashville, Tennessee

The men and women of the Pastoral Care department at Saint Thomas Hospital are outstanding chaplains who convey a deep respect for one another and build on that respect in their collaborative efforts to provide excellent holistic and compassionate patient care. They ensure that Pastoral Care services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to address the spiritual and emotional needs of patients and associates. Pastoral Care is a vital component of the healthcare team, establishing a referral process to identify patient needs. The staff is very involved with the patients and actively makes rounds to assess patient spiritual and emotional needs.

The chaplains have brought strong leadership to the hospital’s end-of-life care, and they provide ongoing ministry through various support groups for patients and their families. These groups offer a healing presence and help to identify opportunities for encouragement and hope.

The Pastoral Care department also tends to the spiritual needs of the associates at Saint Thomas. Because it is sometimes hard for staff members to leave their units to attend worship events in the hospital chapel, the chaplains have started to offer worship opportunities in specific nursing areas. For example, a chaplain meets with the Emergency Department staff weekly at shift change to lead a morning prayer. Another member of Pastoral Care meets with staff members in the Cancer Center three times a week to connect with the staff and to begin the day in prayer. There are 10-minute Bible study opportunities offered weekly on two nursing units. In addition, the chaplains alternate writing a spiritual reflection for the weekly staff newsletter. These efforts have helped improve associate morale and better prepare associates to handle the daily stress of their job and better attune them to the spiritual needs of the patients they serve.

Prenatal Care Assistance Program
St. Mary’s Hospital
Amsterdam, New York

The St. Mary’s Prenatal Care Assistance Program (PCAP) is a comprehensive prenatal care program that offers pregnancy care and other health services to women and teens who live in New York State and meet income guidelines up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The services are focused on providing quality prenatal and after-care services to women who are uninsured or underinsured.

The program provides pregnancy check-ups, hospital care during pregnancy and delivery, full healthcare for the women until at least two months following delivery and full healthcare coverage for babies up to one year of age. The staff also provides emotional well-being and support, which is important for positive outcomes.

The program assists patients with no prenatal care to receive Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Services through the county’s Community Action Program, reaches out to anxious new parents in the community through the hospital’s newborn hotline, provides lactation counselors and offers childbirth education classes, infant CPR, breast-feeding support and “Mommy and Me” parenting classes. PCAP uses the services of local obstetricians, midwives and nurse practitioners who share a similar mission to provide services to underserved women.

Hope Griffin, MD
St. Agnes Hospital
St. Agnes HealthCare
Baltimore, Maryland

Dr. Hope Griffin is a respected gynecologist in the Baltimore area. She personally experienced a decade of misdiagnosed medical symptoms that resulted in an emergency double bypass procedure for a damaged heart. Because of her experience and the statistics that show more women have died from heart disease than strokes, lung cancer and breast cancer combined, Dr. Griffin has become committed to educating women about heart disease and encouraging them to take charge of their heart health.

Often times, a gynecologist is the only physician women visit regularly, Dr. Griffin began to incorporate heart health education into her treatment of patients. She is dedicated to serving as an advocate for heart disease treatment and donates many volunteer hours to the American Heart Association.

Dr. Griffin’s experience and dedication to heart health has also inspired St. Agnes Hospital to take the lead as an institution in raising awareness of heart disease in the community. She has also inspired doctors and nurses in the organization to provide holistic, spiritually centered healthcare to all patients.

Jeremiah's Hope Skills Center
St. Vincent's Health System
Birmingham, AL

In just three short years of operation, more than 450 students have found hope in a spiritually centered training program that empowers individuals with skills to work in the healthcare field – caring for others. At Jeremiah’s Hope Skills Center, persons most in need are the centerpiece, a true expression of the Values of Ascension Health in continuing the healing ministry of Jesus.

Developed to help meet the growing need for skilled healthcare workers, Jeremiah’s Hope trains the underprivileged by teaching the skills necessary to obtain a job as well as exploring the factors that may prevent participants from retaining a job. Classes incorporate prayer and conclude with a worship celebration at graduation. Anyone who talks with a student or observes a class will experience the hope and joy of Ascension Health translated into caring, respect and empowerment through the Jeremiah’s Hope experience.

Integral to the success of this program that serves individuals in the greater Birmingham area are the associates and other staff members at Jeremiah’s Hope. These staff members help students overcome low self-esteem and poor communication skills and model respect and compassion. Jeremiah’s Hope instructors are trained to also respect and understand persons in poverty. Program staffers strive to inspire trust in their students. Their leadership is recognized by others in numerous “stars” on their nametags given in recognition of their demonstrated Ascension Health Values.

Not only has Jeremiah’s Hope inspired individuals, the program has gained interest from other Health Ministries. Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Fla., now operates a successful training program established in collaboration with Jeremiah’s Hope. A similar program at Saint Thomas Health Services in Nashville, Tenn., turned to Jeremiah’s Hope for assistance to enhance its training.

Yet where the success of Jeremiah’s Hope is most evident is within the halls of St. Vincent’s Hospital. One hospital nurse shared that Jeremiah’s Hope graduates, now St. Vincent’s associates, work on her unit and provide a level of care that is truly outstanding. “You do not know what an inspiration and blessing that program has been to me and other RNs in this hospital,” she said. This 20-year nursing veteran commented that Jeremiah’s Hope has made all the difference in allowing her to effectively treat each patient with the care and comfort that they require and deserve.

Madre Angela Dental Clinic
Columbia St. Mary's
Glendale, WI

In appreciation for the dental care he received, a former patient provided the musical entertainment at the five-year anniversary celebration of the Madre Angela Dental Clinic. The musician was grateful to the clinic that enabled him to play the trumpet professionally once again.

The Madre Angela Dental Clinic is a true example of Ascension Health’s Mission and Values at work in a vulnerable community. The clinic serves as the urgent care dental clinic for impoverished people in Milwaukee, Wisc., delivering more than $1.2 million each year in services to those who otherwise would be unable to access dental care. It was created to provide urgent and restorative dental care as a result of the closing in 2000 of Milwaukee County Hospital, a facility that provided dental care to the underserved.

The clinic serves the poorest of the poor. It accepts those with no insurance and those who fall under 115 percent of poverty income; others with more resources are referred elsewhere for treatment.

The most visible commitment to the value of service of the poor is the urgent care clinic offered each day of the week. The most difficult patient in any dental practice is the patient with an urgent need. Many of the urgent care services involve extraction of severely diseased teeth, which brings emotional and physical stress to the patient and provider. In the past year alone at Madre Angela Dental Clinic, 3,350 individuals accessed urgent care services they otherwise would not have been able to receive.

Just as the staff shows true compassion for those in pain, clinic associates also provide this treatment with a deep sense of respect for all. Those who have no income or assets often are particularly sensitive to their need for charity.

Because its mission attracts other collaborators, Madre Angela Dental Clinic has inspired other organizations. The clinic is co-sponsored by the Greater Milwaukee Dental Association, which works closely with the clinic in offering dental volunteers. Other collaborators include the Wisconsin Hospital Association, the Milwaukee Public Schools, community technical colleges and training programs and other hospitals. Delta Dental of Wisconsin, an insurance provider for oral health, was so impressed with the clinic’s mission that it recently contributed $100,000 per year for five years to support Madre Angela’s urgent care mission in the community. Each organization becomes a partner in Mission and Values through its work with the Madre Angela Dental Clinic, extending the reach of the clinic and enriching the lives of all.

Linda Nunley
St. Vincent Health
Indianapolis, IN

"When I saw how much she believed in me,
I couldn't help but believe in myself."

That is what a former student had to share about Linda Nunley, a true servant leader and director of St. Vincent Health’s STAR (Special Talents to Achieve and Rise) workforce development program. Linda has been a guiding light for hundreds of individuals facing formidable barriers to employment, including exoffenders, recovering addicts, those without high school diplomas, those living in generational poverty, and others who are broken in body, mind or spirit. Linda pioneered the 12-week classroom and on-the-job mentorship training program, which provides participants with proven workforce and life skills training through a curriculum that enables students to attain and maintain employment.

Sustained by her faith in God, Linda’s extraordinary care, commitment, leadership and advocacy on behalf of her students have made a life-transforming difference for those she touches. Linda helps the homeless, the hopeless, and the economically and spiritually impoverished build a better life.

Linda has come to mean much to her students, caring as would a mother, friend, cheerleader, teacher and spiritual mentor for those who may have never before experienced that level of support. With hard work ahead, she sets high standards for her students, knowing that potential employers will do the same. Linda is available 24/7 to counsel, encourage and listen, and the results of the STAR program have been transforming – for STARs, their families, St. Vincent and the surrounding community. A waiting list for enrollment despite several program expansions attests to the great need for, and the reputation of, STAR.

Linda’s work also reaches beyond the STARs. Each class experiences a formal graduation celebration, complete with cap and gown and family members with cameras – the only graduation many of these individuals ever experience. The ceremony is held during the lunch hour and is open to all St. Vincent associates. Those who attend report being deeply affected by the experience.

The STARs who have become associates have added immeasurably to the rich tapestry of talent at St. Vincent. Linda’s faithfulness and patience for advocating for the STAR program and Ascension Health’s Mission and Values have brought about new openness in departments and facilities that had not previously embraced cultural diversity. Many have been touched by Linda’s life and program and challenged to make positive changes in their own lives.

Maryan Attar-Seyedi, MD
St. John Macomb Hospital
Warren, MI

Dr. Seyedi is an outstanding example of a physician who lives our value of Service of the Poor, both within the confines of her work with St. John Health and in countries as far away as Iran and Mexico. She founded The Angel Network in Nov. 2004, an organization with goals to feed the poor, clothe the naked and treat the sick that cannot afford to go to a hospital due to poverty, disaster or war. The group also works getting used medical equipment, supplies and medicine from U.S. hospitals and pharmaceutical companies as donations and takes them to the poor communities in underdeveloped countries. She also is a distributor for “Feed the Children,” and has helped to distribute donated goods at the Islamic House of Wisdom Mosque in Dearborn, Mich.

In her own practice, Dr. Seyedi sees many patients who have no insurance and no prescription coverage, often helping them with her own funds for items such as rent, utilities and prescription medications. She also collects walkers and canes and gives them to needy people who have difficulty walking because of hip and knee pain.

Dr. Seyedi reaches a diverse population in southeastern Michigan, treating a wide variety of ages, cultural groups, and socio-economic groups. The people that she reaches know her as an incredibly kind woman and generous of spirit.

Behavioral Health Services
St. Mary's Hospital
Amsterdam, NY

St. Mary’s Behavioral Health Services is inspired by a reverence for life and respect for the dignity of each individual. Mental health and alcoholism evaluations and treatment are provided 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. The hospital and community-based services are designed to meet the needs of individuals and families, and to provide the community with resources to enhance the quality of life for its members.

Over the years, the need for comprehensive, community-based alcohol and addiction services has grown faster than the community could adapt to the needs. St. Mary’s Behavioral Health Services has managed to develop needed services while researching and fighting for limited funding. The services provided by St. Mary’s also have been used as a model for the development of other mental health and alcohol abuse programs.

Dial-A-Nurse
St. Vincent's Health System
Birmingham, AL

Dial-A-Nurse is a free service offered by St. Vincent’s Health System to the Birmingham community. This service provides physician referrals, answers to general health questions and basic medical information. The staff at Dial-A-Nurse is dedicated to providing service to each caller in a timely and professional manner. There are four registered nurses, as well as a health referral specialist who assists callers with non-medical tasks such as signing up for support groups, classes or other non-medical services offered by the hospital. If a requested service is not available at St. Vincent’s, the Dial-A-Nurse staff can also recommend many support organizations throughout the city of Birmingham. The staff also helps patients find new physicians and occasionally helps in scheduling a patient to see their physician.

Dial-A-Nurse also follows up with patients following their surgery and after they visit the Diabetes Education Center at St. Vincent’s. During these calls, the nurses can assess opportunities where St. Vincent’s can improve its quality of care and they provide feedback to the proper department. Discussing these improvement opportunities with patients frequently has led to changes in policies or procedures that have helped to increase overall patient satisfaction.

The impact from Dial-A-Nurse far exceeds the number of calls, physician referrals or registrations it makes each year. Many callers choose to make St. Vincent’s Health System their healthcare home because of the prompt and professional manner in which the staff answers their questions and addresses their needs.

Bridges to Care
Saint Thomas Hospital
Nashville, TN

The Bridges to Care (BTC) and Bridges to Care Plus programs, sponsored by Ascension Health and Saint Thomas Hospital, link uninsured residents of Nashville to a network of 35 safety net primary care, dental, mental health and substance abuse clinics that serve patients based on their ability to pay. BTC also provides assistance with prescription medications and transportation. BTC has enrolled more than 32,000 people since it began in February 2002 with HCAP funding and matching funding from Ascension Health.

BTC Plus is administered by the Nashville Academy of Medicine and links BTC participants to physician specialists upon referral by their primary care provider. Patients pay $10 per visit and also receive help with medications the specialist may prescribe. The patient receives any inpatient or outpatient services deemed necessary by the specialist at no charge. To participate in the BTC Plus program an individual must be enrolled in BTC, must be referred to the program by a BTC primary care health clinic and must have a family income level below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. More than 400 area specialists have volunteered to see patients enrolled in the BTC Plus program and every hospital in Nashville has agreed to provide inpatient and outpatient services as required.

This program supports the Mission of Ascension Health by providing quality, affordable, holistic healthcare that sustains and improves the lives of individuals and communities, with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. It demonstrates generosity of spirit, respect and compassion, especially for people who are most in need.

Joyce Baldrica
St. John's Home Care
Warren, MI

Joyce Baldrica serves as the President of St. John Home Care. She is a values-driven leader who is passionate about providing the best quality care that focuses on the customer.

Joyce supports access to home health services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, and she developed a charity care policy for home care that was used as a model for a system charity care policy for St. John Health. Under her guidance, the home care services, including durable medical equipment, home care and infusion services for St. John Health have been consolidated under one company. This gives patients using these services one point of access and better coordination of care. Joyce and St. John Home Care believe that it is essential to educate people regarding the types of behavior that improve their chances of living a healthier life, so St. John Home Care participates in free community events that provide education on health care issues and has invested significantly in unique, top quality health education materials to accomplish this goal.

Joyce is a role model for living the values. As a kidney donor, she speaks to potential donors about the importance of organ donation. Joyce works as a hospice volunteer on Saturdays, and also spends time visiting with an Alzheimer’s patient. Joyce holds strategic visioning sessions for all associates at each Home Care branch to ensure everyone has a chance to provide input on the vision and direction of St. John Home Care. She has built a relationship with the Jewish hospice and chaplaincy to promote the importance of hospice in the community and to respect the culture of the Jewish community. She continually seeks partnerships within the community and St. John Health that recognize community-based care as the focus for the future and can work together to provide it to the citizens.

Joyce sends a weekly voice mail message to all St. John Home Care associates that provides inspiration, gives direction and supports the agency’s Mission and values. She contributes to leadership development at St. John Health and was selected as a participant in the Formation for Catholic Healthcare Ministry Leadership program. She inspires others by how she handles both successes and difficult decisions and her spiritually based leadership is evident in all that she does.

Volunteers' Second Blessing Thrift Shop
Borgess Health
Kalamazoo, MI

The Second Blessings Thrift Shop is a second-hand store staffed by Borgess volunteers. It is located down a long hallway in a remote area of the medical center. All the fixtures and racks have been donated by various gift shops and businesses that were upgrading to newer and better displays. While the items sitting on the shelves and the clothing hanging on the hangers may be useless to someone who once purchased them new – these items are usually a blessing to someone who is in need, hence the name “Second Blessings.”

Everyone who visits Second Blessings is treated with respect and dignity. If an indigent patient needs warm winter clothing, the volunteers will do everything possible to provide every article of clothing the patient will need. They also take the time to package the items in a donated tote bag, backpack or specialty shopping bag to make each customer feel special.

The Borgess volunteers have limited retail and storage space in their Thrift shop; therefore, if the volunteers are fortunate to receive too many donated items, they donate the surplus to other important charities in the Kalamazoo community.

Stephanie Brady, MSN
Providence Hospital
Southfield, MI

Stephanie Brady tirelessly advocates for chronically mentally ill patients – often a severely neglected patient population. She demonstrates exceptional dedication in bringing to fruition creative and clinically sound treatment and outreach programs for these individuals, despite numerous obstacles. Stephanie helped to bring a mental health component to Providence’s Thea Bowman project. Many of the patients served by Thea Bowman are working poor who cannot afford treatment because of high co-pays or lack of insurance or government aid.

When the results of a Joint Commission behavioral medicine survey prompted hospital administration to consider closing the behavioral medicine program, Stephanie’s leadership skills saved this program for its underserved mentally ill patients. She developed a full continuum of care by expanding the psychiatric assessment services in the Emergency Department, and her efforts helped to decrease a previously high Blue Cross Blue Shield non-acute days rate to zero. The hospital has since completed several successful Joint Commission surveys.

Stephanie’s leadership and stewardship led to an expansion of her responsibilities to include not only behavioral medicine, but also radiology and pastoral care. Because of her demonstration of values and reverence, Stephanie paved the way in the Archdiocese of Detroit for a person of a faith other than Catholic to lead a pastoral care department at a Catholic hospital in Michigan.

El Centro de Salud
Columbia St. Mary’s
Milwaukee, WI

El Centro de Salud (El Centro) is a health program coordinated by the Columbia College of Nursing in collaboration with the United Community Center, a lead organization of services to Hispanic people in Milwaukee. El Centro combines the services of a nurse practitioner and student nurses who are learning the value of health promotion and education within a community.

The primary clients of El Centro are children who attend school at the United Community Center. The children are primarily of Hispanic background and come from impoverished homes in this community near Milwaukee. At El Centro they receive dental care, health screenings, developmental screenings, immunizations, group support and individual counseling. This level of care assumes that parents are concerned about their children’s health, but may lack the linguistic skills or resource awareness to access healthcare without additional support.

As its contribution to the partnership, the United Community Center donates space, utilities and other facility support. The Columbia College of Nursing provides the faculty necessary for clinical experience and a nurse practitioner who supervises the students and provides care when nursing students are not available. The staff collaborates with the city health department to provide immunizations that ensure the health of the students and the community, and provides health education through classroom learning sessions.

The El Centro de Salud program is a significant expression of the Mission of Columbia St. Mary’s and has great impact on the health of the community it serves.

Emergency Department
St. Joseph Hospital
Kokomo, IN

The Emergency Department staff at St. Joseph Hospital worked together to design a new Emergency Department with a home-like, comforting atmosphere where the patient’s care begins the very moment he or she arrives at the hospital’s door. The staff now is better able to serve the patient population in a holistic manner, caring for body, mind and spirit.

The Emergency Department staff always has shown a strong commitment to meeting the needs of patients and their families. Even before the Emergency Department was redesigned to offer a better patient experience, its success was illustrated in high patient satisfaction scores.

Care begins with registration of the patient at the bedside and the immediate triage of his or her condition. Each patient room is numbered with a stone plaque that includes the room number, a spiritual quote and a dedication.

The St. Joseph Emergency Department has developed a specialized process of care for victims of sexual assault. A certified forensic nurse is on staff that also holds certification as a sexual assault nurse. She serves as a liaison to the county child protection services and coordinates and ensures prompt, efficient medical examinations of the victims of alleged sexual abuse. She also serves on the county sex abuse task force which was instrumental in developing Tomorrow’s Hope, which is a child-focused, facility-based program that provides a coordinated team approach to the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child abuse and neglect cases.

The surrounding community recognizes the quality, commitment and value the Emergency Department provides. Individuals and families in the area, as well as physicians, have given personal and financial support to the Emergency Department through donations and sponsorship of treatment rooms and equipment.

Providing honor and dignity with love and kindness to the patients they serve is expected at the St. Joseph Hospital Emergency Department. This is why it demonstrates the Mission and Values of Ascension Health in the care it delivers.

Homeless Mental Health Counseling Department
Centro San Vicente
El Paso, TX

Centro San Vicente has a team of associates who provide counseling for residents of a shelter for those who are homeless called the Opportunity Center. The counseling program also has an outreach component that connects individuals living on the streets to available services.

Many of the individuals who are living on the streets have had unpleasant experiences at shelters or they are unable to access the services they need. The outreach team members know that the success of the outreach program is directly linked to taking a nonjudgmental approach to assisting those in need.

The Centro San Vicente counseling department has been successful in adding flexibility that enables the shelter to better meet the needs of those it serves. They have built relationships with the police, the Veterans’ Administration and local hospitals that have increased their ability to provide quality service and extend the Mission and Values of Ascension Health.

The team has worked to bring back into the mainstream those individuals who have been disenfranchised. Most of those who enter the shelter will not stay, but they are empowered and know they are not forgotten. Individuals who do not feel comfortable entering the shelter system are treated with compassion and given the support and assistance they need. It is known in the communities of those who are homeless that the outreach team at Centro San Vicente can provide short-term assistance or help to transition from the street into permanent housing.

Coordinated Cardiac Care Model
Genesys Health System
Grand Blanc, MI

The Genesys Coordinated Cardiac Care Model (GCCCM) has improved the health and well-being of the greater Flint community. It represents a dramatic shift from a limited scope inpatient cardiac care model to a rich complement of coordinated community outreach, research, education, and streamlined hospital and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) delivery. The program demonstrates that with focus and wise stewardship it is possible to better direct the delivery of healthcare services to reduce the economic, physical and social burden of cardiac disease.

The core premise of the GCCCM was to build on a solid inpatient cardiac program with further development of a community-based program based on scientific, holistic approach to the delivery of cardiac care. Then the program was taken beyond the inpatient focus, involving cardiology, the cardiac catheterization laboratory staff, emergency medicine, EMS systems in multiple counties, parish nursing, the Genesys Foundation, home health, finance and planning to develop treatment protocols to reduce the time from arrival at the emergency department to treatment in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.

The GCCCM protocols have improved cardiac survival rates, coordinated paramedic responders in six counties and directly impacted all three hospitals in the community. The hospitals can provide rapid assessment, diagnosis and treatment of potential heart attack victims even before they arrive at the Emergency Department. All patients experiencing acute coronary syndrome in a three-county area receive this enhanced capability, regardless of the hospital to which they are transported.

This comprehensive program has significantly improved cardiac health and collaborative engagement with providers across the system and community.

Jannie Cox
Carondelet Health Network
Tucson, AZ

As a long-term associate of Carondelet Health Network, Jannie Cox has demonstrated her dedication to the Mission of Carondelet Health Network and Ascension Health, and to meeting the healthcare needs of the community. Her commitment and leadership play a large role in the success of Carondelet Health Network’s community health efforts.

Jannie has spearheaded campaigns to raise funds for St. Mary’s new Emergency Center that serves the poorest and most vulnerable population of the city. She also facilitated a process that focused the annual Campaign for Quality at Carondelet Health Network on diabetes, a disease prevalent among Hispanics and Native Americans in the community. Jannie has engaged hundreds of people to invest their time, treasure and talent to promote the healthcare ministry of Carondelet Health Network by including Carondelet in a charitable trust and by donating to special projects. She works with the state and federal legislature to advocate for change in the nation’s healthcare system, and ensures that energy and resources are dedicated to efforts that will have the greatest impact on Carondelet and the community.

Jannie embraces the Mission and Values of Carondelet Health Network and Ascension Health, and works to make the Mission a visible reality in the communities we serve.

Healthy Futures
St. Mary's of Michigan
Saginaw, MI

Healthy Futures is a network of six street clinics that provide free care to those who are homeless and uninsured in Saginaw County, Mich. It is governed by a community coalition with a mission to find and identify these individuals, qualify them for health insurance when possible, find them a medical home and a primary care provider, and work to reduce inappropriate use of the Emergency Department at St. Mary’s of Michigan.

This population is most in need economically and spiritually because they do not have the ability to access traditional safety programs due to cultural barriers. The network clinics are located in places where those who are homeless and uninsured are found: soup kitchens, domestic violence shelters, rural clinics, mental health facilities and churches. More than 100 volunteer health providers rotate schedules to hold clinics throughout the city and in the rural areas of Saginaw County. In the past four years, Healthy Futures has served almost 7,000 individual patients, provided almost 58,000 patient assistance contacts, found more than 4,200 patients a permanent primary care home, enrolled more than 1,300 patients in qualified health plans, and prevented more than 340 inappropriate Emergency Department visits.

Healthy Futures staff delivers compassionate and respectful care to all patients. They use the Asset Based Community Development approach, which focuses on the strengths and capacities of patients, not their deficits and weaknesses, so that they can partner in their own health plan. Healthy Future Guides contact patients and help them navigate through the various institutional mazes to obtain access to care and community resources.

Healthy Futures partners with health professions education programs and local physician groups to provide care for its patients. These community partners bring enthusiasm, creativity and energy to the mission of Healthy Futures. The College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Saginaw Valley State University has incorporated the Healthy Futures clinic network as clinical rotation sites for its family nurse practitioner graduate program. Nurse practitioner students in training, accompanied by university faculty, provide the staffing for many of the clinics and include learning to serve those who are homeless and uninsured as part of the required curriculum. Registered nurse and bachelor’s degree nursing students also participate in the clinics by conducting office nurse functions and providing patient education in the areas of diabetes and hypertension. Volunteer specialty physicians see patients in the clinics or take uninsured patients in their practice at no cost for care. The Healthy Futures Clinical Coordinator has arranged for free testing, labs, imaging and procedures for patients on a case-by-case basis.

The dedication of staff, volunteers and partners allows the Healthy Futures program to fulfill our Mission to serve individuals in need.

Madre Angela Dental Clinic
Columbia St. Mary’s
Milwaukee, WI

The Madre Angela Dental Clinic (MADC) serves as the urgent care dental clinic for those who are poor in Milwaukee. It delivers more than $1.2 million per year in services to people who otherwise would be unable to access dental care.

MADC was created to provide urgent and restorative care to those in need when Milwaukee County closed its hospital in 2000. The clinic serves the poorest of those who are poor, treating only individuals who have no insurance and are under 115 percent of poverty income. Individuals with more resources are referred elsewhere for assistance.

The staff of MADC expresses the Mission and Values of Ascension through their work. Treatment is offered with compassion, respect and dignity for all they serve. A large number of patients are Hispanic and many do not speak English, therefore, most of the staff is bilingual, allowing these patients to be addressed in their native language.

MADC is inspirational to others in the community, resulting in collaborations with other organizations and agencies, such as the Wisconsin Hospital Association, the Greater Milwaukee Dental Association, Milwaukee Public Schools, community technical colleges and training programs, and other hospitals. Delta Dental, an insurance provider for oral health committed $100,000 per year for five years to support the urgent care work of MADC.

MADC has a significant impact on the community and the patients it serves. At its recent five-year anniversary celebration, musical entertainment was provided by a patient, who because of the dental work he received at the clinic, is once again able to play the trumpet professionally.

Rose Cronin
Seton Health
Troy, NY

Rose Cronin began volunteering at Seton Health in 1978 at the age of 66 following the death of her husband. Since that time she has logged more than 77,278 volunteer hours and at age 94, still spends most days and holidays at St. Mary’s Hospital.

Rose managed the gift shop at St. Mary’s Hospital for many years. Her creativity and hard work transformed it from a small concession to a major retail shop, raising nearly $60,000 a year. After “retiring” from the gift gallery three years ago, she began her “raffle ministry.” Rose can be found in the hospital lobby daily, selling raffle tickets for items donated by hospital friends and associates. She has set a daily quota of $100 to $150 in ticket sales, and stays until that daily goal has been met. Through her dedication and creativity, more than $20,000 has been raised for the hospital auxiliary each year.

Rose is passionate about our Mission to serve those in need, and says that she is inspired by the Daughters of Charity who founded St. Mary’s Hospital. She is respected by everyone with whom she comes in contact and her enthusiasm is contagious. Rose takes time to listen to others and her kindness and engaging spirit allow her to provide wisdom and solace to many individuals.

In her own way, Rose has educated the public to the issues and needs of the hospital and has advocated for the health needs of the community. She serves as a reminder to everyone at St. Mary’s Hospital that what they do makes a difference in many lives and just how much one person’s dedication can accomplish.

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