Welcome 3rd Quarter New Hires

A warm welcome goes out to our 3rd Quarter New Hires!

We are honored to have you join our Kindred Hospitals of Arizona team. Our newest of team members are...

Candy Grams 2013

Holiday Turkeys

HOLIDAY TURKEYS!

You will be receiving your shipment of holiday turkeys at about 8:00 am on Wednesday, December 18, 2013 for your full-time, part-time and per diem employees. These turkeys will arrive on a refrigerated truck and the entire shipment will be unloaded to an interior location of your choice. Do not allow your staff members to take turkeys before they have all been unloaded and signed for. Please alert your staff that the turkeys are coming, as they will need to pick them up on the day of delivery.

The 12-14 lbs. frozen turkeys are individually packaged with gel packs in Styrofoam coolers. The packaged turkey will be safe for at least 48 hours outside of refrigeration. *Thawing instructions listed below.

Each box is stamped with NCD (for Nursing Center Division employees) HD (for Hospital Division employees) or RC (for Rehab employees).  The cards included with each turkey differ per division.

Please pass this email information on to your Rehab Manager so that he or she can alert the staff.

- - - PLEASE READ - - -

The logistics of the delivery schedule is determined by the food vendor/trucking company. (They coordinate delivering over 50,000 turkeys to 271 Kindred locations around the country.) Therefore, the delivery schedule cannot be changed. We have tried to give each facility enough notice for delivery date and time to alert your staff to pick them up when they are delivered. We're very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Thank you for all you do and...

Happy Holidays!

Gail Oerther

Creative Services Coordinator

Kindred Healthcare

680 South Fourth Street

Louisville, KY 40202

502.596.6968

502.596-4107-fax

gail.oerther@kindredhealthcare.com

*I've included thawing instructions here. Cooking instructions are printed on the turkey packaging.

How To Thaw A Frozen Turkey

Never thaw a frozen turkey at room temperature. Thawing a turkey in the microwave is not recommended. Use one of the following methods instead:

Refrigerator

This is the best way. Leave the turkey in its original bag, place it in a pan, and put it in the refrigerator. It takes about four hours per pound -- two or three days for an average size turkey.

Cold Water

If you're in a hurry, you can use this method. Leave the turkey in its original bag, put it in the sink, and cover it completely with cold water. Either leave the water running slowly or change it every half-hour. This method takes about 30 minutes per pound, or six-nine hours for an average-size turkey.

December Book Fair

Open enrollment is currently underway!

To enroll/cancel or make a change, you must call the Kindred Enrollment Call Center at
1-800-289-5710 during the following days/times:

Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time)
Saturdays, 9 a.m. – to 5 p.m., EST
Closed Thanksgiving Day
Friday, November 29th 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., EST

The last day to call and make changes is Friday, December 6th!

Remember to qualify for the discounted Healthy Reward Insurance Rates you must participate in the Wellness Program.
The first step is to complete your Well Being Assessment (WBA) on line at www.healthystepswellness.com

You  must complete this by December 12th to qualify for the discounted rates or you will be subject to the basic rates (see below).

Happy Thanksgiving

Every day, thousands of patients come to us with the hope of recovery and wellness from illness and injury – and thanks to you – many return to their families with the ability to live full, happy and active lives.

We know that illness and injury happen regardless of day or night, weekday or holiday. This Thanksgiving, we join the hundreds of thousands of patients and residents and their families who are thankful for what you do and your dedication, commitment and caring.

In appreciation of this season of reflection, we want to express our deep gratitude and respect for your service. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.

Our most humble thanks to each and every one of you.

Warmest regards,

Paul and Ben

Paul J. Diaz

Chief Executive Officer

Benjamin A. Breier

President & Chief Operating Officer

2013 PTO Cash Out

We are very excited to announce that this year's PTO Cash-Out is at 75%! (Please see attached form for more details)
Employees will be able to make their cash-out elections through December 4th.   You can either print out the attached form or see your Facility Administrative Assistant or Nurse Supervisor for the form. Payment will be added to a regularly scheduled paycheck no later than December 24th, depending on when your form is returned.
A couple of things to keep in mind when making your elections:
- Must leave a minimum available PTO balance of 40 hours
- After cash out election is made, the hours are "locked" for cash out and unavailable for use
- May not cash out any PTO that was donated but unused from a prior emergency
Should you have any additional questions, please contact me or Human Resources.

Shelley Frassetto, Payroll Benefit Coordinator/Finance
Kindred Hospital Arizona - Phoenix/Northwest
602-280-7246 Direct
602-280-7336 Fax

Tobacco Free Reminder

Dear Staff,

Thank you for all of your assistance in making Kindred Hospitals Phoenix and Northwest Phoenix a Tobacco – Free Workplace.  It was a major change for some of our staff, visitors and even some of our patients.  Kindred is committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for our employees and others who enter our company premises and recognize that tobacco and tobacco smoke pose a significant health threat to anyone exposed to them.

Unfortunately it has been noted that some employees are not following the policy.

Reminder:

• There is no designated smoking area on company premises for employees, patients or visitors.
• Non-exempt employees may not leave hospital premises while they are clocked into the time-clock system (on duty) such as when they are taking a 10-15 minute rest break.
• All non-exempt employees wishing to use tobacco may only do so by clocking out of the time-clock system (off duty) such as when they are taking meal breaks.
• All employees (exempt or non-exempt) must leave the facility premises to use tobacco products.
• Employees who continue to violate this policy will be subject to the progressive discipline policy as stated in the Employee Handbook.

Please feel free to call me for any questions regarding this policy.

Heidi Miller, Market CEO

Vendor Fair: Northwest

TURKEY BOWL 2013

NORTHWEST

PHOENIX

Kindred Angel 2013

KINDRED ANGEL

As another year comes to an end and the Holiday

Season is upon us, We all know that some of our

co-workers need our help.  This year we will

continue on with the tradition of The Kindred Angel Program. 

Those that may be facing financial challenges this Holiday season can complete the Recipient form and place in the drop box located in Administration. Forms must be completed by Mon. Dec. 9th.

Ways to Contribute:

Jeans Day Fridays will continue.  Please see Kristy Beres, AA to make a donation of $5 to wear Jeans on Friday.

Candy Gram sales will start the first week in

December and all funds will go towards the Kindred Angel.

Those that wish to donate any dollar amount to the Kindred Angel Program please see Kristy Beres, AA or the Nursing Supervisor. Donations must be

received by Mon. Dec. 9th.

The recipients of the Kindred Angel Program will be notified on Fri. Dec. 13th.  

Good Luck Celebration for Michael Arellano

Completed Education Needs Assessment Evals Raffle

I am pleased to announce the winner of the pair of movie tickets for Kindred Phoenix for completing and turning in the Education Needs Assessment Evaluations on time (before October 31, 2013). 

The winners are: (drum roll please…)

Phoenix: Vicenta Jimenez!!  Congratulations Vicenta and thank you!

Northwest: Sylvia Ellis!!  Congratulations Sylvia and thank you!

You can pick up your tickets from your A.A.

Thank you to all the staff for completing this invaluable assessment tool for the education planning of 2014! If you have not yet completed the mandatory education assessment evaluations and turned them in, please do so at your earliest convenience – all employee feedback is key to successfully planning our Education Calendar for 2014.  

Patricia Burrill, RN, BSN, MSN (in progress)

Education Manager - Phoenix Market

Philippines Typhoon Relief

In the aftermath of the devastating and historic typhoon that hit the Philippines late last week, many of us are asking what we can do to help. Not only are the events there a terrible tragedy, but also we have many employees who have been personally affected.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to our teammates who have family or friends in the Philippines. And as every member of our Kindred family has dedicated themselves to the health and well being of others, a tragedy of this magnitude impacts all of us.

A natural disaster of this nature will require not only government agencies stepping in to provide assistance, but private donations will be essential to aid in the recovery in the Philippines.

Seeing this as an opportunity for Kindred to help, we have pledged to make a $25,000 donation to the American Red Cross specifically designated for relief efforts. In addition, Kindred will match all Red Cross donations made by Kindred employees dollar for dollar up to an additional $50,000, for a total contribution by Kindred of $75,000. The Kindred matching form, which outlines what donations will qualify for the match, is attached.

We also understand that some of our teammates have family and friends directly affected by this tragedy, and we want to take this opportunity to remind you that immediate family members needing assistance are eligible for HOPE funds. As a reminder, The HOPE Fund was established to provide monetary assistance to Kindred employees experiencing financial hardship due to a catastrophic life event.

Please feel free to contact Karen Lozado at (502) 596-6876 (Red Cross) or Wendy Swisher at (502) 596-7871 (HOPE) for additional information on the Red Cross matching funds or access to HOPE funds.

The Philippines are still in the very early stages of what will be a long and difficult recovery process. Please keep those who have been affected by the earthquake in your thoughts and prayers.

Best Regards,

Stephen R. Cunanan
Chief People Officer
Kindred Healthcare, Inc.
680 S. Fourth St.
Louisville, Ky. 40202
502-596-6525


HOW TO DONATE:
Please make your check payable to the American Red Cross and mark it with Philippines Typhoon in the memo of your check.  Mail to the following address: American Red Cross, 510 East Chestnut Street, Louisville, KY 40202.

Complete the matching funds request form and supply a copy of your donation check to Karen Lozado (KH-6) 680 S. 4th Street, Louisville, KY 40202.

We suggest that you pool all employee donations at each location and send one envelope with all the contribution checks and one matching gift form for the total amount that employees at that location contribute.

Employee Forums: November

Thursday November 21^st     

 7am & 2pm

Northwest Phoenix Dining Room

Phoenix Cafeteria

Have Discussions…

Ask Questions…

Voice Your Concerns…

Make Suggestions…

 

All Employees Are Welcome

And Encouraged to Attend

2014-2015 Medical Staff Elections

New Computer Workstation Education Room Reveal

 New Computer Workstations in Phoenix Education Room

Under the careful eye and determination of Wilma Kettner, CFO, four new computer stations are now set up in the Education Room for staff!  Shelves will be installed in short order to hold all those invaluable reference books related to clinical care -  Drug reference, nursing textbooks, etc.

Now you can get off the floor to complete your LMS Modules, take a look at all the great things available on Knect.com, look up clinical information on Lippincott, etc. and so much more!  So come on in, the door is open and you are more than welcome here!

Patricia Burrill, RN, BSN, MSN (in progress)

Education Manager – Phoenix Market

602-280-7231

2014 ACLS Schedule

Stair Climb Event: Update

Dear Kindred Phoenix and Northwest,

The stair climb event is about three weeks away and I am excited to introduce our Kindred Climbers team for 2013:

•  Jordan Basco – Chief Clinical Officer & Team Captain
• Ethan Basco – Captain’s assistant
• Sandeep Randhawa – District Director of Human Resources (returning climber from 2012)
• Heather Zane – Northwest ICU RN and Relief Supervisor (returning climber from 2012)
• Carmelita Washabaugh – Northwest Night Supervisor (new climber)
• Davina Doster – Patient Account Rep (new climber)

Thank you for joining our team and thank you to staff that generously donated to this great cause on behalf of our Kindred team. It is never too late to sign up to join the KindredClimbers team or to make a donation. Our team is committed to this event because….

Your Dollars Are Needed

The steps we take to raise money translate directly into educational programs, research and advocacy efforts that further our mission to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. Here’s how your support helps.

Seven million children have asthma and it is the leading disease of children.

We provide programs to help kids and their caregivers manage their asthma.

Pollution and secondhand smoke lead to lung disease. 

We fight for laws that improve air quality, both indoors and out.

Research is about hope. Lung disease is not decreasing as quickly as other major diseases.

We support research to find cures.

  

Jordan Basco, RN
Chief Clinical Officer

Kindred Phoenix Market

(602)280-7394

Event Information

Fight for Air Climbs are the American Lung Association’s most unique fundraisers. Climbs take place in prominent skyscrapers, stadiums or arenas and involve walking, running or racing up hundreds of steps. Sometimes called a "vertical road race", teams and individual participants can use the event as a fitness target, as a race, or as a great way to be active and meet new friends.  

We know a lot about lung disease, but there is so much we don't know. Your participation will raise the funds necessary to provide lifesaving education, research and advocacy so we can beat lung disease and soon find a cure.

Event Physical Address

Renaissance Square, Downtown Phoenix

2 North Central Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85004

View Map

PRACTICE CLIMB DATE(S) & TIME(S)

The 2013 Fight For Air Climb takes place on Sunday, November 17, 2013. 

Check in begins at 8 a.m.

EVENT DAY SCHEDULE

8 AM - CHECK IN
9 AM - CLIMB BEGINS
1 PM - CLIMB ENDS

2013-2014 BLS Schedule

Safety Clock Celebration: NW

Congratulations Kindred-Northwest Phoenix Staff for reaching a milestone

30 + days of employee injury-free workdays! Please join us for a Pie and Cider. Pies and Cider will be served from at 2pm in dining room Tue Nov. 5^th. For night shift, Pie and Cider will be available at 12am.

Please help us reach another 30 days (or more) injury-free by keeping a safe and happy work environment!

Thank You!

SAFETY NEVER HURTS!

Open Enrollment 2014: Meeting Schedule

PHOENIX

NORTHWEST

Happy Halloween

Wishing everyone a fun and safe Halloween!

Don't forget today is the due date of the carved Pumpkins. They need to be turned in by 10am today.

Stair Climb Event Update

Dear Kindred Phoenix and Northwest,

The American Lung Association set up a promotional code for our hospital which will give our team free registration when you register online at ClimbPhoenix.com.  The promotional code is Kindred.

If it is easier for you, the second option is for you the email me the following information (which is required of all event participants). I will then send the list of all team members to the event organizer with this information:

1. First and Last Name

2. Email Address

3. Emergency Contact Name and Phone Number

4. Date of Birth (w/ year), this is used for the age brackets

5. T Shirt Size

Go Kindred-Climbers!

Jordan

2013 Kindred Hospitals of Arizona Holiday Party

Open Enrollment 2014

Traveler Update Reminder

Kindred Travelers,

Just a friendly reminder that the Kindred Travel Department will close Friday, October 25, 3:00pm ET in preparation for the travel transition events previously communicated.  Concur Travel will also be unavailable at this time.  Travel services and Concur will be available Monday, October 28, 8:30am ET.  Concur Expense users will still have access to the system during the transition period to submit expense reports.

In the event that you require emergency assistance with your travel during the transition period, please contact the ALTOUR support line for assistance.

ALTOUR SUPPORT LINE: 1-866-451-9369

To expedite services during your call, please be sure to have your travel itinerary available.

I would also like to encourage any traveler who could not attend one of our learning events last week to visit the Travel Department Knect website on November 4, 2013 to view a recorded session.

As always, the Travel Department appreciates your assistance during this transition.  Please feel free to contact me with any further questions.

Thank you,

Sally Meilun

Sally A. Meilun, CTC

Director of Travel and Relocation

Kindred Healthcare

Sally.Meilun@KindredHealthcare.com

502-596-7427

Paperless Pay Stubs

Ghoul Food: Halloween Food Ideas

Hosting a Halloween Party? Want to take a dish that will spook their socks off? Check out these easy ways to rearrange food that you are probably already planning on having.

1. Veggie Pumpkin from Baby Center

2. Rice Krispie Pumpkin from Food Family & Finds

3. Nutter Butter Ghosts from When the Dinner Bell Rings

4. Devil Spider Eggs from Style Blueprint (original source unknown)

5. RIP dessert from Hello Giggles

6. Candy Corn Cupcakes from The Curvy Carrot

7. Veggie Skeleton from Feeding Frenzy

8. Crazy Doughnut Eyeballs from Delish[dot]com

Pumpking Carving & Costumes

Karen's Retirement Farewell

Service Excellence Teamwork Activity: Bowling

Pumpkin Carving & Costumes

Join us for a day of spook-tacular fun on October 31st

Be sure to dress up (as allowed by policy –ask your supervisor)

Come by to Trick or Treat from 10-4 in the Cafeteria at Phoenix or at different departments at Northwest  (costume not required).

Pick up a pumpkin after 12 p.m. on Monday the 21^st,

Drop off your carved pumpkin in the cafeteria/dining room by 10 a.m. on Thursday the 31^st and you could win a pizza party for your department.

The winner will be selected by ballots cast over lunch and announced at 2:00p.

Teamwork Quotables

“There are three types of workers: those who get things done. Those who watch things get done, and those who wonder how so much got done. “  – unknown

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” – Helen Keller

“ Great teams do not hold back with one another. They are unafraid to air their dirty laundry. They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their concerns without fear of reprisal.” – Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A leadership

Welcome 2nd Quarter New Hires

Extending a big Welcome to our 2nd Quarter New Hires

July

Tia Volkman, Northwest

Susan Ross, Northwest

Nancy Branm, Phoenix

Inez, Magana-Bartz, Phoenix

August

Melissa Ross, Northwest

Craig Schneiderwind, Northwest

Fausto Medina, Phoenix

Jessica Landon, Phoenix

John Fuentes, Phoenix

Michelle Jackson, Phoenix

September

Ailen Halaghay, Northwest

Lynne Lymbrick, Northwest

Michael Steinhauer, Northwest

Carmen, Pivaral, Northwest

Alma Hernandez, Northwest

Jorge Kinds, Northwest

Sarah Magnuson, Phoenix

Christine Cross, Phoenix

Patricia Burrill, Phoenix

Scott, Stovall, Phoenix

ALA: Stair Climbing Event

Dear Kindred Phoenix and Northwest,

Kindred Hospital is participating in the American Lung Association's Fight for Air Climb because breathing shouldn’t be an uphill climb. I am asking for your support because…

• Lung disease is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and is responsible for one in seven deaths.
• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.
• Asthma is the number one chronic disease of children.
• COPD currently affects 10.2 million Americans.
• Air Pollution poisons the lungs of over 60% of Americans each day.

These are the facts. The crisis is real. The American Lung Association needs your help.

As the team captain, I invite you to join me and participate in the Fight for Air Climb on 11/17/2013 at Renaissance Square. Just log go to the website www.climbphoenix.com for event details and register under the Kindred-Climbers team. Last year, our team finished among the top ten teams. This year, our team will be one of hundreds competing to make it to the top of the Renaissance Square in this vertical marathon. It won’t be easy, but if you are up to the challenge, breathe in, step up and get ready to experience the climb of your life. If you can’t climb with me, please make a tax-deductible donation to my Fight for Air Climb team by visiting my Personal Page

For more than 100 years, the American Lung Association has been the guardian of healthy lungs and clean air. Every dollar I raise enables the American Lung Association to continue its mission to save lives by promoting lung health and preventing lung disease. Every dollar makes a difference.

Thank you for your generosity and support!

Sincerely,
Jordan Basco
Chief Clinical Officer
Kindred Hospital-Phoenix Market

(602)280-7394

Hospital Leadership Update

ALA: Stair Climbing Event

Kindred Phoenix & Northwest is bringing back our stair climbing team, “Kindred Climbers”. Please save the date and support the cause by joining the team, coming to the event to cheer, or by donating. More details to come…

White Out: Phoenix

How Did The Nursing Cap Originate?

Florence Nightingale was the first nurse to wear a nursing cap in the 1800s. She based her cap on the head covering used in a nun’s habit, in an attempt to maintain tidiness.. Two types of nursing caps are seen throughout nursing history. The first is a long cap that covers most of the nurse’s hair. The second is a short cap that sits neatly on top of the nurse’s hair. The second type of cap denotes a nurse’s professionalism while doing nothing to hide her hair. This short version of the nursing cap is prevalent in the United Kingdom and its former colonies. The nursing cap was a regulatory aspect of only the female nurse’s uniform, and covering the hair neatly was its only purpose.

PHOENIX STAFF: JOIN US FOR THE WHITE OUT DAY

OCTOBER 9^TH & 10^TH

Help us celebrate the Nursing Cap as a Universal Symbol of Nursing!

Wear your all WHITE UNIFORM AND CAP!!!!

October Celebrations

3rd Quarter Service Awards

Kindred Travelers Announcement

Kindred Travelers,

In an effort to continue to provide quality services to our employees who travel, the Kindred Travel Department will transition to a new fulfillment service provider. 

Beginning Monday, October 28, 2013, Altour will handle the fulfillment of travel requests processed by the Kindred Travel Department and Concur Travel.  All current policies and processes, including the use of Concur Travel and the TAR form, will remain in place with this transition.

The project team and members of the Travel Department are working hard to ensure that the transition is smooth for our travelers and travel arrangers.  Any existing reservations that were made with our current provider, BCD Travel, will remain active.  Should you need to make revisions or cancel these reservations, please send a revised TAR to travel@kindred.com. 

The information below provides more details about the transition, contact information to reference during the transition period, and dates for upcoming training events.

What Changes Will You See?Kindred travelers will notice very few changes to existing systems and processes after the transition. 

·         Concur: Travelers can expect to see minor message revisions within the Concur system related to air/hotel/car availability. 

·         Invoices/Itineraries: E-mailed invoices and itineraries will now arrive from Altour.

·         Support: Contact information for afterhours support will change.  Please reference the attached document for more information.  New support options should not be used until the transition is complete.

·         Unused Tickets: A discounted value for all unused tickets will be refunded to Kindred to use for future travel.  Any unused tickets prior to the transition will not be available to the traveler in Concur.

When Will The Transition Occur?The transition will begin at 5:00pm EST on Friday, October 25, 2013.  During the transition period, travelers requiring emergency assistance can contact support using the information outlined in the attached document. Concur Travel will be unavailable.  Employees needing to make travel arrangements should wait until Monday, October 28, 2013 at 9:00am when Concur Travel is available

Learn More About Concur TravelAs part of this transition, the Travel Department will offer travelers and administrative assistant the opportunity to learn more about Concur Travel.  If you would like to learn more about making travel arrangements or have specific questions related to Concur Travel, please be sure to attend the events listed below.  Support Center employees are encouraged to attend these sessions onsite in the conference center. Field employees can attend remotely using WebEx (registration below).

·         

     Administrative Assistants – Wednesday, October 16, 10:00-11:00am

Learn more about upcoming availability changes in Concur, guest booking, refining/narrowing search options, and more.Click to register for this WebEx event.

·         Kindred Travelers – Wednesday, October 16, 11:30-1:30pmLearn more about upcoming availability changes in Concur, refining/narrowing search options, using the Concur Mobile app, and more.Click to register for this WebEx event.

For more information related to travel, Concur Travel, and travel policies, you may visit the Travel Department website on KNECT (KNECT > Global > Travel). 

Thank you and let me know if you have any questions.

Sally A. Meilun, CTC

Director of Travel and Relocation

Kindred Healthcare

Sally.Meilun@KindredHealthcare.com

502-596-7427