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p.6 150,029 DOLLARS That’s how much the hospital raised in its annual United Way campaign. It’s a 23 percent increase over last year’s total of $122,087. See the story on page 6. Learn more on 1FOUR OF ONLY When Pharmacy won the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Best Practices Award in October, we became just the fourth two-time winner ever. Pharmacy previously won the award, which recognizes innovative projects that improve patient outcomes, in 2007. Learn more on 6 AWARDS MAKE US NUMBER 1 A total of six units have received the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence – more than any other hospital in the nation. The awards honor units that meet high standards for environment of care and patient outcomes. Just 315 of the approximately 6,000 critical care units in the United State have ever won Beacons. To see pictures of the latest award-winning units, turn to PhotoWorthy, page 4. Learn more on 11.2010 | Volume 6, Number 11 News for Staff and Volunteers of The University of Kansas Hospital O2 OM up and running It took 18 months, thousands of hours of work, and more than a few late nights at the office, but O2 Order Management is officially live. As the biggest go-live event since the initial O2 system launch in 2007, Order Management impacts the way nearly twothirds of hospital employees do their jobs. With O2 OM, physicians no longer write their orders by hand. Instead, they directly enter them into the computer. An Orders Task Force spent more than a year systematically reviewing paper order sets and determining which ones should be migrated to OM. More than 250 of the most common order sets were converted into electronic forms to be made available through O2 OM. The payoff for all this hard work? A safer, more streamlined environment for our patients. “This is a major milestone for us as we move toward an evidence-based health care system,” said Greg Ator, MD, chief medical information officer. “With Order Management, we’re building a key part of the infrastructure to be able to provide MICU Unit Educator Jennifer McNiel, RN, disposes of a set of paper orders the day of the O2 OM go-live. HITS staffers Becky Boshard (right) and Anne Sass discuss a ticket in the O2 OM command center. that type of care to our patients.” Obviously, some tense moments are to be expected with any launch of this size. But the morning of the go-live, nurses, physicians and O2 Go-Tos reported relatively smooth sailing. Nursing Informatics Specialist Lauren Gray, who sat on the Orders Task Force, spent some of the morning of the go-live in the O2 Command Center. “Things went very well,” she said. “I’ve been involved in golives that were much more animated than this. We got a number Physicians Matt Sharpe, MD (right), and Krishna Rangarajan, MD, enter an order set directly into the computer Nov. 1. INSIDEinsider 3 6 Christmas in October participation booms Tips on staying prepared for TJC visit of ‘How do I…’ questions, but there weren’t any big hiccups.” And up on the units, the O2 Go-Tos reported much of the same. “I got in really early the morning of the go-live, expecting things would be hectic,” said MICU Unit Educator Jennifer McNiel. “But when I got to the unit, everything was calm. It was almost like, ‘Okay, isn’t there anyone who needs help?’ It was a good feeling.” Learn more on 8 Use the purple bin for your glass and go green bob’spage Good to great As an avid baseball fan, I’m always fascinated by stories from the World Series. This year was no exception. Many people had written off the San Francisco Giants at mid-season, but the team paid no attention to the naysayers. They maintained an unwavering faith they would achieve the title of world champions. How did they do it? By having the right people in the right positions, all focused on a single goal. This is how an organization moves from good to great. I’m also a fan of a very good book on organizational excel- How do you remember to double-check patient ID at every step? I make it a habit to look at their wristband every time I enter the room. It takes two seconds, and could save a big mistake. Claudia Barbagiovanni, RN, Unit 66 I think about it in terms of providing the best care. You want to make sure a patient is getting the right treatment. Alyson Luckenbach, RN, Unit 66 When you’re busy it’s easy to confuse patients, and a lot can go wrong. So I remember to be deliberate in what I’m doing and check their ID at every step. Emily Simonich, RN, Unit 41/42 page 2 | November 2010 | i n s i d e r lence called Good to Great by Jim Collins. It outlines the key characteristics of companies which made the leap to greatness. There are a couple of concepts from the book which really hit home with me. First, a great organization identifies what it can do better than anyone else. The great organizations know what sets them apart from other organizations and leverage that difference in ways that lead to increased satisfaction and customers who become advocates for the organization. For us, we provide exceptional patient care and help our patients achieve outcomes in a way other organizations cannot match. This consistently high level of care has earned us the loyalty of thousands of patients – patients who tell our story across the region. Secondly, great organizations are never satisfied. They can never be too good, too customer focused or too employee focused to say their work is done. They continue to raise the bar so their patients and families are not just satisfied, but amazed by the care and service they receive. I truly believe we are a great organization. What you accomplish every day is amazing. I also believe we are not done yet. Just like other great organizations, I know we want to continue to set the standards by which other hospitals are measured. As members of our exceptional team, your passion to be the best will ensure we remain a great organization and lead the nation in caring, healing, teaching and learning. Bob Page is president and chief executive officer of the hospital. Confirming patient ID a crucial step OUR PATIENTS & FAMILIES If you need a reminder why it’s so important to check a patient’s identification at every step, just ask Julie Baxter, RN, Oncology. Earlier this year, Baxter picked up what seemed like a run-of-the-mill order set for a patient. But as she walked into the patient’s room, she noticed that the order information didn’t seem to match the patient’s history. “Something wasn’t adding up,” she said. “When I asked the patient to give me a verbal ID, I found we didn’t have the right guy. The order was for a patient with the same last name who had been scheduled for treatment the same day.” Baxter’s good catch helps underline the Julie Baxter’s good importance of catch underscores the hospital’s the importance of two patient always checking two ID policy, said patient IDs. Shirley Weber, director of Laboratory Services. No matter how busy we get, or how well we might know our patients, following the two-ID policy ensures we won’t For Baxter, the incident make mistakes that could put helped reinforce how important our patients’ safety at risk. it is to hardwire checking a “We have to make sure whatpatient’s ID into your routine. ever we’re doing, we’re doing “Sometimes in the rush of it to the right patient,” Weber things, especially if you know said. “That’s especially imporyour patients well, you might tant when we’re dealing with be tempted to skip the check,” medications and blood prodBaxter said. “But I’ve made it ucts, because they are given part of my routine, so I know to so frequently, and there are do it every single time.” so many things that could go wrong.” Learn more on Increase in volunteers makes Christmas in October even merrier Bennie Cockrell takes a lot of pride in the Mill Street house she’s lived in for 30 years. “I used to be kind of known around the area for the decorations I put out,” she said. “People would always tell me how much they liked my yard.” But after suffering a back injury in 2007, she found she couldn’t keep up with weeding and gardening like she used to, let alone more exerting house maintenance. Pretty soon, parts of the house were falling into disrepair. So when a group of hospital volunteers came on Oct. 9 to help clean up and fix creaky infrastructure, Cockrell was ecstatic. The Christmas in October crew installed new railings on the front porch, replaced waterdamaged walls in the bathroom and put in new lights. They weeded. They raked and mowed. They put a new walking path in the yard. The house looked so good when they were done, Cockrell said, that neighbors hardly recognized it. “I had more than 30 people here working, and I was just astonished at what they got done,” she said. “I can’t say enough good about them, I really can’t.” A record 260 employees and students participated in Christmas in October this year, helping fix 12 homes in the Rosedale neighborhood. Last year, approximately 200 volunteers also worked on 12 houses, up from eight in 2008. HIPAA Commitment Director Bob Spaniol, PhD, RN, who coordinates Christmas in October, said the growth has been so phenomenal that next year he’ll be looking for more house captains who can oversee projects. “We’re actually getting to the point where we’ll need to find a few more people who can lead the project teams so we’ll have places to put all the volunteers to work,” he said. Part of the increased participation this year can be attributed to the new Nurse Leader Advancement Program, Nuclear Medicine’s James Traylor marks off a piece of lumber for a new handrail at Bennie Cockrell’s Rosedale home. which launched Oct. 1. NLAP was designed to reward nurses with an annual bonus based on performance expectations and participation in activities that support the vision, mission and goals of the hospital. To meet some of the program’s requirements, participants have the option to take part in hospitalsponsored community service projects, like Christmas in October. Mary Bianchi, who led the team that developed NLAP, said the decision to provide incentives to participate in community service projects came out of the nursing department’s philosophy of care. “From a nursing standpoint, we take a holistic focus,” Bianchi said. “The health of a community depends on the health of individuals. And vice versa. So when we have nurses helping out in community projects that make people’s lives healthier or easier – like a wheelchair ramp – we’re executing on our philosophy.” Learn more on Outcomes and patient satisfaction intertwined by Paula Miller Many of us have heard that philosophical question, “Which came first: the chicken or the egg?” But what about, “Which came first: patient satisfaction or improved patient outcomes?” The answer, obviously, is, “Yes.” These two important aspects of care can’t and shouldn’t be separated. Think about it. Who do you trust to share your most personal secrets with? Your spouse, close family members and long time friends – certainly not someone you just met and with whom you don’t have any kind of relationship. Yet we ask our patients to do just that. In order to provide them with the best possible care, we need our patients to share their most personal information and talk about private health concerns. Taking steps to quickly build comfortable and trusting relationships with our patients can impact our ability to help them achieve the highest levels of health and wellness. So how do we get there? Our two patient satisfaction surveys, Press Ganey and HCAHPS (the publicly reported patient satisfaction data), give us some good ideas. Two of the most important sections on the nationally reported HCAHPS survey deal with communication. They look for communication centering on respect, listening and explaining things in a way that can be understood. On the Press Ganey survey, the questions most correlated with high overall ratings focus on meeting emotional needs, being sensitive to what it’s like to be in the hospital, responding to concerns and complaints, and appropriately responding to pain needs. For those of us who have been in the hospital, this makes sense. Patients will never care about how much you know until they know how much you care. Build a relationship with your patients so they feel comfortable partnering with you and telling you what you need to know to provide the best possible clinical care. Great customer service supports great patient outcomes. Helping our patients heal generates even higher levels of satisfaction. It’s just that simple. Now, back to that chicken and egg thing … All new employees participate in a customer service class. It is led by either Paula Miller, MT,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, or Jennifer Peavler,Environment of Care. i n s i d e r | November 2010 | page 3 photoworthy Health screening Presentations of Epic proportions Because of the hospital’s experience implementing electronic health record systems, staff were tapped to deliver an impressive six presentations at the annual Epic Users Group Meeting earlier this fall. Above (from left) Jen Goens, RN, clinical analyst; Lynn Davis, RN, Nursing Informatics specialist; Dawn Walters, RN, assistant director of Nursing, and Brad House, HITS team lead for Pharmacy, take a break with Spider-Man after their presentation, Implementing Care Plans Using a Third Party Vendor. Lucia Moreno, RN (left), completed her annual biometric health screen with Kathy Keehn of WellLife at Work. Completing the health screening can save employees on their health insurance premiums. Screenings will be offered through Dec. 3. To schedule your free screening, call 816-395-2121. Bringing home the Beacon Three more hospital units have garnered the prestigious Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence, bringing the total number of Beacon-winning units at the hospital to six. The Beacon Award is the highest achievement possible for intensive care units. The newest winning units are the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, the Cardiovascular Progressive Care Unit and the Medical Transplant Intensive Care Unit. Surgical Intensive Care Unit with Nurse Manager Patrick Duncan (back row in white shirt and tie). page 4 | November 2010 | i n s i d e r Cardiovascular Progressive Care Unit with Nurse Mana Learn more on Celebrating who we are Joy Doolin, RN (left), and Luz Conde, RN, set up a table with information about Filipino culture at this year’s Diversity Fair. The fair featured 16 booths with info about a range of different ethnic and cultural groups. Quick shot After receiving her flu shot at Broadmoor, HITS Analyst Saleena Sanjel Shrestha tells quality outcomes coordinator Kenny Ranum, RN, that she hardly felt a thing. The hospital will be holding free flu shot clinics through Dec. 13. Check out 24/7 for a schedule. ager Renee Walters, RN (on step under the WE CARE values sign). Medical Transplant Intensive Care Unit with Nurse Manager Adam Learn more on Olberding (right in shirt and tie). i n s i d e r | November 2010 | page 5 Hospital meets lofty United Way goal Amid these challenging economic times, hospital employees demonstrated generosity and a commitment to the community by raising $150,029.13 for United Way. That figure surpasses the hospital’s ambitious goal of $150,000. The total represents a 23 percent increase over the $122,087 raised in 2009. “What we accomplished was no small feat, and it had a huge impact,” said Lisa Ward, cochair of this year’s campaign. “Employees and the executive team recognized the need and stepped up.” Ward said one of the biggest catalysts for this year’s success was the data highlighting the struggles of local residents. Statistics showing how many Wyandotte Countians are turned away from support serThe PICU’s pumpkin seed guessing contest helped the hospital reach its goal. Sasha Moores shows off the pumpkin, which contained 697 seeds. vices due to lack of funding underscored the importance of United Way. The figures illustrating the impact on children, in particular, motivated many employees to give. “Nobody likes to see children going without,” said Dorothy Gunderson, United Way campaign co-chair. “When employees saw what children were facing, they responded with generous gifts.” Another driver behind the hospital’s success was a boom in departmental fundraisers. Many departments hosted sales of baked goods or lunch items, and others came up with creative ideas like the “Guess how many seeds are in the pumpkin” contest put on by the PICU. “I think it demonstrated how motivated people were to make a big difference this year,” Ward said. Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Jon Jackson is chair of United Way of Wyandotte County’s board of directors. He said having the hospital exceed the high goal it set should be a source of pride for all employees. “The United Way provides much needed services to people throughout the area,” he said. “The hospital takes its commitment to be a good neighbor to the community seriously, and our incredible support of the United Way reflects that. Congratulations on a job well done.” Roundtable offers tips on preparing for TJC visit No matter how “ever ready” we may be to tell the hospital’s story to The Joint Commission, the prospect of coming face to face with a surveyor can be nerve wracking. To find out more about the experience of talking with a surveyor, we brought together a group of employees who were interviewed during the last TJC visit. Organizational Improvement’s Terry Rusconi, vice president, moderated the discussion. Rusconi: Talk about your experience being interviewed by a surveyor. Karen Bonilauri, RN, Unit 64: I was actually very nervous. I was a new grad, and I had only been out of orientation for a short time. But once I began talking to the interviewer, I was really calm. It wasn’t so much that they wanted to know, “Do you know everything?” It was more, “Do you know where to go to find an answer if you have a question?” Heidi Boehm, RN, Unit 43: It really wasn’t bad. I was actupage 6 | November 2010 | i n s i d e r ally excited to tell our story. I think we do a lot of things here at KU to take great care of our patients. We have great quality, safety and outcomes, and it’s great to share our story. Rusconi: What did you do to make sure you were prepared? Tina Crain, assistant director, Radiology: In Radiology, we have booklets and pocket guides. And in our department leadership meeting, we have tip sheets. But what is a big hit is our candy cart questionnaires. Bonilauri: We have a great manager who, when The Joint Commission got on site, she said, “Just be calm. If they want to talk to you, there’s nothing to worry about. Just do what you do every day.” Boehm: I have a positive attitude about it because I feel like we’re all doing the right thing. We all come to work to take the best care of our patients. And that’s all the surveyors want to know. They just want to make sure we’re following the stan- Organizational Development Vice President Terry Rusconi leads a roundtable discussion about preparing for The Joint Commission. Participants were, from left, Heidi Boehm, RN, Unit 43; Tina Crain, assistant director, Radiology; and Karen Bonilauri, RN, Unit 64. dards we put in place to keep our patients safe. Rusconi: Talk about how you decided to answer the surveyor’s questions. Bonilauri: Just a direct answer. Just the information she asked for. Boehm: I agree. Be really concise. Just answer the question they ask as succinctly as you can. Rusconi: If you were to give advice to someone who hasn’t been through this process, what would you tell them? Bonilauri: Be calm. Be friendly. Crain: Tell our story. If you don’t know the answer to a question, go and find someone who does. Don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat the question. Boehm: Be familiar with the standards. Understand why we do things. But nobody knows everything, so it’s okay to say you don’t know, as long as you know where to find resources. Because The Joint Commission could come at any time, it’s important that we’re all “ever ready” to share our stories of excellent care. Watch the video on milestones New hires The hospital and our affiliates welcome the following new employees: Sherri Abernathy, food service worker Gita Acharya-Pandey, PRN registered nurse Jennifer Allenbrand, office coordinator Meagan Aurandt, PRN registered nurse Jerusalem Ayalew, health care technician Brandon Barnds, medical technician Petrena Barrett, patient care assistant Twila Betts, office specialist Brenda Blake, custodial worker Christie Broaddus, clinical application support analyst Janet Brooks, physical therapist Lindsay Burns, PRN registered nurse Carmen Butcher, registered nurse Melissa Butler, pharmacy technician I Britnie Callahan, PRN scheduling representative Kate Canova, surgical pathology technician Arlando Chandler, food service worker Bradley Cummings, clinical nurse II Ebony Cunningham, patient registration representative Ryan Diehl, health care technician Dana Dixon, patient service representative Karen Dunn, call center representative Laura Ellis, PRN registered nurse Andrew Fisher, patient registration representative Laura Friederich, clinical nurse entry Kourtnee Fries, clinical nurse II Andrea Gallamore, Transporter Nicole Girtman, custodial worker Susan Graham, PRN scheduling representative Jennifer Haithcoat, surgical pathology technician Jennifer Hamaker, rehab technician Jacqueline Hawkins, PRN registered nurse Kerri Helm, clinical nurse II Don Jackson, emergency dept technician II Tara Kincaid, clinical nurse entry Julia Larson, medical technologist blood bank Lonzo Lasley, custodial worker Leonard Lausten, dentist Letha Lyda, health care technician Amanda MacKinlay, transporter Allison Majerle, occupational therapist I Lathe Mayfield, food service worker Satina McCanse, clinical nurse II Delice McCraney, patient service representative Erin McGonigle, patient care assistant Melissa Meger, clinical nurse II Christopher Minor, patient care assistant Frances Moon, custodial worker Cynthia Mosciaro, clinical nurse entry Suzanne Norton, patient care assistant Frances Nzioki, PRN float registered nurse Jacqueline Olson, health care technician Nancy Page, quality outcomes coordinator Julie Parent, polysomnographic technologist Jason Parker, health care technician Manishaben Patel, rehab technician April Platt, surgical technician William Pulse, emergency dept technician II Kajsa Pyers, PRN float registered nurse Katherine Quinn, PRN registered nurse Margaret Reavis, clinical nurse II Michael Ritchey, supply technician I Blanca Salinas, patient service representative Kelli Siefkes, PRN oncology nurse Jennifer Smith, PRN registered nurse Rebekah Smith, patient care assistant Reginald Smith, custodial specialist Verrien Smith, food service worker Terrence Spencer, custodial specialist Angela Stanton, surgical technician Max Stevanov, cardiac cath ep lab technician Nicholas Stinson, clinical nurse II Pamela Taylor, surgical technician Shannon Thomson, obstetrics technician Andro Tolentino, custodial worker Sara Tolle, clinical nurse II Elizabeth Ukaoma, clinical nurse II Andrea Vance, PRN registered nurse Michell Wagner, clinical nurse II Elizabeth Weisbach, emergent communications specialist John Whipple, PRN float registered nurse Tahra Williams, call center representative Andrea Wolf, physician assistant Karen Woodruff, cook II Clayton York, health care technician Chad Young, emergent communications specialist Janae Zachary, respiratory new grad Service Milestones Congratulations and thanks to the following employees who are celebrating service milestones: 5 years Katherine Craig, Unit 43 Orthopedic Family Medicine Leslie Holtz, Cardiology Christy Kinsey, Data Based Marketing Melinda Loy, Cardiac Intensive Care Jared Lysaught, Unit 63 Medical Transplant ICU Gloria Menchaca, Cardio Progressive Care Betty Mermis, Internal Medicine Catherine Ramos, Unit 53 ENT and Urology Luke Thepthepha, Nursing Quality and Research Jean Thompson, Cardiology Lauren Vogl, Respiratory Therapy 10 years Linda Callahan, Rehab Services Tracey Campbell, Business Strategic Development Christin Dillon, IV Therapy Deborah Gulledge, Neuro Diagnostics Erik Jacobson, Healthcare Information Techniciannology Services Alice Sage, Breast Center Donald Schafer, Nuclear Medicine Bobbie Wainscott, Poison Control 15 years Mikyong Park, Cardio Treatment Recovery 20 years Darlene Green, Child Psychiatry Tahereh Safari, Blood and Marrow Transplant 25 years Jane Pyle, Respiratory Therapy Jeannie Slinkerd, Same Day Surgery Holding 30 years Cathi Johnson, Rehab Medicine Henry Lumas, Health Information Management Susy Mathew, Core Laboratory Cora Redwine, Unit 62 Neuroscience Telemetry insider Insider is published monthly for staff and volunteers of The University of Kansas Hospital. Bob Page President and Chief Executive Officer Jon Jackson Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Produced by: Communications Services The University of Kansas Hospital Director: Mary King Communications Manager: Kimm Fromm Foster Editor: Jay Senter Managing Editor: Jennifer Wertheim Designer: Brianna Niemann Staff: Mike Glynn, Carol Keen, Sarah Mote, Marli Murphy and Terry Rusconi This is YOUR newsletter! We welcome your story ideas, suggestions and requests for additional copies. Please contact: Kimm Fromm-Foster Communications Services Westwood Campus, Suite 100 Telephone: 913-945-5196 E-mail: [email protected] 40 years Joseph Bugni, Healthcare Information Technology Services Judy Greathouse, Kidney Transplant Acquisition Vision, Mission and Values Retirees Our Vision To lead the nation in caring, healing, teaching and learning. Christine Adams, Dietetics, 32 years Marcella Tindle, Nursing, 20 years Our Mission The University of Kansas Hospital will: • Deliver world-class patient care to the people we serve • Ensure the excellence of future patient care through exceptional learning, teaching and research Congratulations and thank you to the following retiring employees for their service to the hospital: Our WE CARE Values • Wellness • Excellence in patient care • Competence and leadership • Achievement through partnership and innovation • Responsibility and stewardship • Engagement with the community i n s i d e r | November 2010 | page 7 Bring in your glass for Ripple recycling Environmental Health Safety Manager Duane Daugherty is serious about recycling. So serious, in fact, that he recently bought a dozen plastic bins on Craigslist, loaded them up in a trailer behind his SUV, and drove door-to-door down the block asking his neighbors to throw in their empty glass bottles. That was hard work. What was easy, however, was dropping the glass off in the Ripple Glass recycling container now conveniently located on the campus. The hospital’s Green Team and Ripple Glass are encouraging employees to follow Daugherty’s lead and bring in glass to recycle in the Ripple bin behind Dykes Library. “The bin is here for everyone to use,” said Health and Safety Coordinator Hollie Sedler. “And the more we use it, the more glass we keep out of area land- fills. Bringing in your glass from home to recycle here is a great way to help the environment.” The glass collected in the bin is delivered to Owens Corning, which turns it into fiberglass home insulation. Though the Ripple bin has seen steadily increasing use since being placed on campus three months ago, the Environment of Care team would like to see its six-ton capacity filled at least once a month. It took two months to fill the bin the first time, but use picked up significantly in month three, thanks in part to a flier the hospital sent to neighborhood businesses encouraging them to drop off their glass. Sedler said the response she’s gotten from area businesses has been encouraging. “We have a lot of innovative environmental initiatives at the hospital, but not everyone in the area is going to know about Duane Daugherty unloads one of the plastic bins he bought to collect his neighbors’ glass for recycling. them,” Sedler said. “So the Ripple bin is a nice way to show our neighbors that we’re committed to environmental issues.” But Sedler hopes even more local businesses and campus employees will take advantage of having the bin on campus, because heavy use of the current Ripple bin could make us an attractive candidate for a new program Ripple is looking to roll out. The new program will provide smaller bins that businesses can keep in their loading dock areas. With a bin reserved exclusively for hospital use, we could keep tabs on precisely how much glass we were keeping out of the waste dumpsters, allowing us to better gauge cost savings. Learn more on O2 trainer went from costumes to the classroom If you’d told Jackie Siemann a few years ago that she would be helping employees at the hospital prepare for an O2 go-live, she’d probably have given you a funny look. After all, in 2005 she was pursuing a theatre degree at Missouri State University and working in the theatre program’s costume department. But when she started teaching a costume construction class – Sewing 101, she calls it – the experience made her realize that the classroom, not the theatre, might be her calling. “I liked the teaching part better than the costume part,” she said. “And I started to think, ‘Hmm. Maybe I could find a way to do more teaching and less sewing.’ ” So when she saw an opening for an electronic health records trainer posted at Sisters of Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Mo., she put in an application. She got the job, found the position rewarding and decided to pursue Jackie Siemann leads an O2 OM training session in medical training preparation for go-live. as a career. Earlier page 8 | November 2010 | i n s i d e r this year, she was happy to find a position with The University of Kansas Hospital, allowing her to move back to her hometown. Her previous experience working with health care employees on Epic’s ambulatory application made her a top-tier training candidate for the UKP Ambulatory Project, said Training Manager Cece Pivonka-Culver. “Jackie is highly organized, and she demonstrates an indepth system knowledge in the classroom,” Pivonka-Culver said. “It’s that knowledge, combined with her professionalism, that creates such an optimal training experience for her students.” Helping relieve some of the anxieties people feel about a new system and showing them how it will improve their workflow is part of what Siemann likes so much about her job. “Anytime a sweeping change like this comes in, it’s a challenge. I know for some people this is a scary thing to face,” Siemann said. “But my favorite part of the job is showing people how this switch is going to make their lives easier.” Siemann said she saw a wide range of reactions from people as they went through O2 OM training, but she’s excited about how people have embraced the go-live. “There’s a spectrum,” she said. “Some people were used to using paper, and were a little hesitant. Others jumped right in and said, ‘Okay, show me something new.’ The good news is, no matter where you were in the spectrum, we’re there to offer at-the-elbow support and make sure you’re comfortable with the system.”