January - VA Roseburg Healthcare System, Roseburg, Oregon

From The Director2As we say goodbye to 2011, best wishes to all of you who make ourprogress and service to our Veterans possible. As is customary, a newyear is the advent of new beginnings, new ideas and brings with it a spirit offreshness and optimism. I am excited about what 2012 has in store for VARoseburg Healthcare System (VARHS). With that in mind, here are just afew of our improvement projects slated for this coming year:1. Dental Clinic- A new building will be constructed near Parking Lot “A”just outside the existing Outpatient Clinic. The project is in the designphase and construction is anticipated to commence in the summer of2012.2. Operating Room and Sterile Processing Services addition - Aconstruction contract for an expansion to our operating rooms andsterilizers will be awarded.3. Telemetry Unit and 5 th Floor remodel in Bldg. 1 - Construction will beginon a remodel for improvements to our Telemetry Unit and medical/surgical bed unit.Carol Bogedain, DirectorVA Roseburg Healthcare System4. Mental Health – Construction of a new acute Mental Health building and a new Protective Care Unitbuilding is planned for award before the end of this fiscal year. The design of a new Mental Healthsubstance abuse building is also underway. The acute Mental Health building will be located acrossfrom the existing Mental Health building on the Roseburg campus.In addition, I have expanded our communication with our customers in an assortment of ways. First, to betterserve our Veterans, we recently initiated the VA Roseburg Ambassadors Program. Within this newsletter youwill find details about the program in a feature story, Red Vest Alert. Although the program is relatively new,the positive responses we have heard tell us the program is welcomed.Another new communication method is the initiation of the Veteran Organization Leaders meeting, offeredquarterly on the Roseburg campus. This meeting works as a path for real-time conversation to shareinformation and listen to our Veteran Leaders from our entire catchment area. This meeting includes anagenda but also allows for an open format time when Veterans can ask questions, voice concerns or makesuggestions.Also, the newsletter you are reading now, The VA Relay, is new. VARHS has provided a newsletter to ourstaff and volunteers for several years, but I have expanded it to include our Veteran population. We havea new name, a new logo and you will find it in hard copy at all of our facilities and posted on our web site atwww.roseburg.va.gov. Watch for it each month.Finally, with our dedication and attention to our mission, to honor America’s heroes, together in this comingyear we will provide exceptional care that improves the health and well being of America’s Veterans. Bycontinually striving to ensure great care and grow as opportunity provides, we position ourselves to meet thishonorable commitment.Happy New Year!Carol S. Bogedain, FACHEThe way we were...in the 1930’s and 40’sDirector

Mystery Solved..continued from covertheir families and the public inmyriad styles.To say that internet developmentexploded during the 1990’s wouldbe a blatant understatement. In theearly 1990’s, there were about 3000hosting sites. Today the estimate ismore than 182 million. So, of those182 or so million choices, how dowe decide where to go and how dowe get there?During the 1990’s VA haddeveloped web sites for eachof its 153 hospitals. The siteswere managed at a nationalor VISN level. By 2002 theWeb became ubiquitous. VAwas spot-on in recognizing thebenefits of web communication.As the Web exploded and newcommunication tools becameavailable, VA progressed along withit. Recognizing that each VA facilityprovided options for Veteransunique to itself, such as dates for aclass, a training schedule, or evena construction project, the decisionwas made to individualize facilityweb sites one step further. By2010, each VA facility had an onstationweb content manager. AtVA Roseburg Healthcare System,the web works are completedthrough the Public Affairs Office.On the Web, when you type inwww.roseburg.va.gov , you will finda plethora of important information:an events calendar, drivingdirections; a link to our doctors;feature stories; myHealthevet linksand you can even access Facebookfrom our VA Roseburg web site.Whoa! Wait a minute…. VARoseburg has a Facebook page?Yes, we have that too. It falls underthe Social Media category.Social media, yet another set ofWeb based technologies that turnscommunication into an interactivedialogue, has become as theysay, common language. Again,on a national level, VA recognizedthe benefits of communicationthrough social media such asFacebook, and by early 2009, theVeterans Health Administrationlaunched their first Facebookpage on a national level. By late2009, individual facilities wereencouraged to develop their ownFacebook account and administerit. To date, nearly all VA’s maintaintheir own Facebook page and VARoseburg is no exception.To access VA Roseburg’sFacebook, you do have to havean account of your own. Onceyou do, or if you already haveone, simply type in the searchbox: VA Roseburg, or go to:www.facebook.com/VARoseburgWe’d appreciate it if you would clickon the tab marked “LIKE” our page!Our Facebook, also managed bythe Public Affairs Office, providesyou informational posts aboutclasses, history tidbits, news aboutevents and yes, more links! Youcan also submit comments orquestions about our posts just byclicking on the “comment” buttonunder each one.It’s interesting to note, accordingto trend data and demographics ofinternet users conducted by PewInternet and American Life Project’sin May 2011, the fastest growingage group using the internet is70-75. Additional statistics tell usof the 2,277 adults age 65 and oversurveyed, 42 percent are internetusers. Of the adults between ages50-64, 74 percent use the internet.Within the younger generation,the percentage of internet usersskyrockets to between 87 and 95percent! Given these statistics,it’s obvious that Veterans of mosteras are using the internet in somecapacity. Our valued customerswho “click” and utilize the tools oftechnology continues to grow at anunprecedented rate.One of our top priorities here 3at VA Roseburg HealthcareSystem is to provide timely andappropriate information to serveour Veteran population and theirfamilies in the best possibleway. We Include social media,Facebook, and the VA RoseburgHealthcare System web site aspart of that priority. Suggestionsare always welcome, and wehope you enjoy and benefit fromour communication options.Just “click” on us. We’ll be therefor you!Carrie Boothe can be reachedat 541-440-1000, extension44101 or by email at:carrielee.boothe@va.govLook for these quick links at:www.roseburg.va.gov

PEOPLEShining Star To Jessica Anderson ,NursingAssistant, CLC)Jessica maintained close contact to a patientwith a high temperature of 102. Orders forantipyretic needed addressing so while theRN was busy clarifying orders, Jessica rotatedcold cloths to the patient to assist.Way to go Jessica! Veterans First!Recognized by: Pauline Donthett, RNKudosVA Roseburg Healthcare System’sCatch a Star Program encouragesstaff and patients to fill out a Catch aStar form about staff when they feelthey have made a difference.The program is genuinely popular,and over the years we have postedthe notes near our Coffee Cart inBuilding One for all to see.We thought you’d like to see themso we are including them in ournewsletter!If you’d like to fill one out to recognizestaff, forms are located throughout thehospital, or find them at our friendlyInformation Desk in Building One nextto the EmergencyDepartment.“Individual commitment to a GROUP EFFORT-THAT IS what makes a team work, aCOMPANY WORK, a SOCIETY WORK,A civilization work.” Vince Lombardi6Shining Star To Dr. Garwood, VA Psychiatrist“ His kind and professional counseling and wisdomin dealing with my specific needs. He is also kindand calming in the way he approaches each counselingsession. I’m grateful forhis care.”Recognized by: Patient Shining Star To Sean Burris, Financial AcctsTechOutstanding customer service to theVeterans! Sean goes above and beyond hisduties to ensure the Veteran is gettingtheir questions answered and concernsresolved.Recognized by Melissa Watts, ProgramSupport Assistant

SERVICESMental Health7In Recognitionof National MentalIllness AwarenessWeek,Mental HealthService hosteda Veteran Artshow. Of the morethan 30 Veteranparticipants,pictured rightis the “ViewersChoice” awardwinning entry thatwas created byRoger Shaputis.This awe inspiring wood-carved piece not onlywon, it now proudly hangs for all to see andadmire. Roger has graciously donated it to ourPTSD Unit! Thank you!New Models of CareWritten by Tracy Weistreich, PhD, RNVARHS Associate Director Patient Care Services (Nurse Executive)We’re Talking TelehealthAs a Veteran living in a ruralcommunity, I appreciate theimportance and challenge of havingspecialists available locally to meetour needs. Both VA RoseburgHealthcare System (VARHS) and thelocal community hospital strugglewith attracting and keeping specialtyproviders. Now, if I want to see aspecialist, I have to travel to Portlandor Seattle or San Francisco to getservices because no one locallyoffers them. The VA, though, hascome up with a creative solutionto these concerns. That solution isTelehealth and it has been around avery long time but only recently wasused to offer new services to meetthe needs of the Veterans.In the past, telehealth was used toallow registered nurses to monitorsome high risk patients in their home.This use continues but the technologyhas advanced so much that vitalhealth information is available forthe primary care provider and othersto look at health status and trendchanges over time. VARHS monitorsapproximately 350 patients eachmonth using home telehealth. Anotherprogram that benefited from the oldtechnology was tele-mental healthwhere mental health providers couldsee patients in consultation withouthaving to be in the same room or city.The other telehealth program that hasbeen around awhile was monitoring ofpacemakers and internal defibrillatorsfor heart patients. Both telementalhealth and telecardiac careare forms of clinical videoteleconferencing.The last couple yearssaw a huge change in thetechnology that allowedpictures to be taken of theinner eye (teleretinal imaging)and of the skin (teledermimaging) and send them toproviders to read the imagesremotely and then diagnosea problem without the patienthaving to travel. The abilitySee Talking Telehealth next page

COMING SOON!InFebruaryVARHSCelebratesTheNationalSalute toVeteranPatients!FindAll theDetails inthe FebruaryEdition of:We’re Talking Telehealth....to store these pictures andforward them allowed for quickspecialty exams and morequick diagnosis of health statuschanges. More than 2000Veterans were screened thisway last year.The VA Roseburg HealthcareSystem continues with hometelehealth, clinical videoteleconferencing, and storeand forward for eye and skinimages. It has grown to includebereavement counseling,spiritual assessment, andspiritual counseling by“telechaplaincy.” This programoffers ethical consults andguidance within the systemand for other VA facilities.Recently, diabetes consults,treatment, and education by“teleendocrinology” have beenadded. Amputation patients are“seen” by a doctor in Portlandby “teleamputee clinic.” Thetelemental health program grewby leaps and bounds and sawmore than 500 patients lastyear, allowing the Veteran tostay in his or her communityand see a provider locatedsomewhere else.As a VA employee, I am veryexcited about the future of telehealthcare and the ability to usetechnology to keep Veterans intheir community while providingspecialty services that are notavailable locally. The nation isgearing up to use telehealth inmany creative ways to resolvethe needs of the Veterans andovercome supply concernswith provider availability. Theregion that includes OregonVA facilities is adding moreservices this next year includinghome based telementalhealth, pre and post operativesurgery consults, wound care,education, pain management,SERVICESliver transplant evaluation,cardiology, kidney care(nephrology), rheumatology, andprimary care. The patient wouldstay in his or her community,visit a local Community BasedOutreach Clinic or the mainRoseburg campus, and theprovider could be in anylocation throughout the regionor United States. The visitsare confidential and scheduledthe same way face to faceappointments are now. Theyare convenient and reduce thetime Veterans spend travelingto and from appointments,which makes for the best time oflimited specialty provider time,and increases access to carethat is not currently availablewithout travel.Telehealth will never replaceface to face visits. It is notmeant to, nor will it replacethe relationship that Veteransdevelop with their providers. Itis meant to increase access tospecialty care while reducingtravel and time spent away fromthe home community. It is meantto allow for some exams to bedone in preparation for face toface appointments later. It is anoption for those who prefer tostay with family and friends, intheir community, while gettingneeded care.Tracy Weistreich is the VARHSAssociate Director Patient CareServices (Nurse Executive) andcan be reached at Extension44202For the direct (external) line toour Nursing Service, please call:541-677-3056We’re here toServe You!8

SERVICES9More New Models of CareWhat isElizabeth Ruegg RN, BSN VARHS HealthPromotions Disease Prevention Program ManagerPatient Aligned Care Team (PACT)is a healthcare delivery model thatis a patient driven and a team basedapproach to health and wellness.The Veteran, family/caregiver andhealthcare team will establish apartnership to develop an evolvingplan for care that will lead to lifelonghealth and wellness. The plan willaddress the whole person rather?than the condition or disease.The Veteran’s wants, need andpreferences will be respected andat the center of decision making.PACT will focus on partneringwith the Veteran to develop ahealth care plan and to providesupport and knowledge requiredto make decisions and fullyparticipate in their care. Increaseaccess to care through a varietyof methods; personal visits withprimary care provider and alignedhealth professionals, group andtelephone visits and securedmessaging. Coordinate andmanage all aspects of your healthcare within your team and carereceived outside your primarycare team. The Veteran will beat the center of the PACT teamPEOPLEworking alongside the primarycare provider, registered nurse,license practical nurse or healthtechnicians and clerical supportassistant.The VA’s goal with this newapproach to your healthcare isthat it will lead to a healthier andmore satisfied Veteran, decreasehospital visits and readmissionsand provide a emphasis onprevention and health promotion.For more information on VA’sPACT with Veterans, go to:http://www.va.gov/PACT/ or seenext month’s newsletter!GenerosityA very special Thank youto Teresa Vogelpohl, RNin the VARHS Short StayUnit.Teresa volunteered todecorate our tree on herown time in the old lobbyevenher family pitched in!L to R- Debbie Wheeler, Kristin Meyer and Dr. “T”Thornsberry, pack the van in preparation for deliveryVARHS 2011Children’s Holiday Gift DriveThanks to all of you who participated in this year’sChildren’s Holiday Gift Drive! We partnered with DouglasCounty’s Child Welfare Program, and were able to providegifts for 85 children currently in foster care. Our thanks toDebbie Wheeler, Secretary to the Chief of Staff, and KathyRocco, Secretary to the Nurse Executive, who organizedthis event – and to all their helpers!!!She also decorated thetree in the Short Stay Unit.Both trees were decoratedwith impressive artistictouches. Beautiful!Thank you Teresa for yourdedication in servingVeterans and making ourcampus delightfully festivefor the holiday season.We appreciate you!

PEOPLE10New EmployeesWelcomeMisty Lewis, LPN, North Bend ClinicCheryl Berman, Supervisory Clinical Dietitian, Food & Nutrition ServiceJennifer Allred, NP, North Bend ClinicSummer Percell, Intermittent RN, Nursing & Patient Care Service, Float PoolElizabeth Agan: LPN, Community Clinics, Eugene.Bryan T. Adams, Supply Clerk, (Vending) Canteen ServiceStacey Longworth, LPN, Community Clinics, EugeneSilda Silva, LPN, Community Clinics, EugeneToTheVA !EVENTS CALENDARJanuary 2012S U N M O N T U E W E D T H U F R I S A T1 2New YearFederalHoliday3 4 5 6 7VA RoseburgHealthcareSystem8 9VAVS1/4 QtrlylyMeetingBy invite22 23 24EugeneAllEmployeeMeet11:00 am10 11 12NorthBend AllEmployeeMeeting11:00 am25NationalIV NurseDay13BrookingsAllEmployeeMeeting8:15 amHEALTHY WEIGHT WEEK JANUARY 15-2115 16 17 18 19 20 21MartinVARHSLutherQuarterlyKing Jr.MemorialFederalServiceNoon26 27VietnamPeaceAgreement(1973)National Certified Nurse Anesthetists Week (Jan 22-28)29 30 31National:-Glaucoma Awareness Month-Cervical Cancer Awareness Month-Volunteer Blood Donor Month-Thyroid Awareness Month1428www.facebook.com/VARoseburgYou’ll find us there!For all the news and informationabout VARoseburg– find us onthe web at Web at:www.roseburg.va.gov

SERVICES 11CHAPLAIN’SNOTESMIKE GILLESPIETAMMIE ELFADILITELE-CHAPLAINCY: A NEW TELE-HEALTH PROGRAMThe VA Roseburg Healthcare System is the trailblazer in a neweffort to make spiritual care available to Veterans at satellite locations.Tele-chaplaincy, a new Tele-health program, is in its first months andis already proving to be effective. With the use of video, Veterans arereceiving counsel and are assessed spiritually from remote locations.Like the other Tele-health programs, Tele-chaplaincy is a conveniencefor Veterans who do not have access to transportation, and Veterans who are disabled or live too far tocommute. From clinics, community centers, and possibly residences, Veterans can communicate with aChaplain regarding spiritual matters.The Veterans Health Administration makes spiritual and pastoral care be available as part of aholistic approach to caring for Veterans. Tele-chaplaincy affords Veterans the opportunity to receive avariety of counseling and other services they would not otherwise receive at a location where spiritualcaregivers are not available. With voluntary consent from Veterans, Chaplains attend to Veterans’spiritual pain, such as guilt, depression, suicidal thoughts, and spiritual emptiness. As Veterans seekways to improve their spiritual health, the Chaplain is available to provide spiritual guidance andassist Veterans in the decision making process. Veterans who request bereavement care can receivecomprehensive counseling through the Tele-chaplaincy program. A video consultation helps theChaplain to assess how the grieving Veteran is coping with loss, in hopes of offering comfort and accessto support groups. Some Veterans may desire to discuss marital issues using Tele-chaplaincy. With orwithout their spouse present, Veterans can consult a Chaplain.During a video consult, if a Veteran conveys that he or she prefers to meet with a spiritual/religiousleader of his or her faith background, the Chaplain will contact such a Chaplain in the Veteran’scommunity. While the VA Chaplain cannot guarantee that the community leader will be able to meetwith the Veteran or perform a video consultation with the Veteran, the VA Chaplain will attempt to linkthe Veteran to the leader on some level. The spiritual needs and concerns of Veterans are importantand a priority.During Tele-chaplaincy consultations, Veterans can feel comfortable. Conversations with the Chaplainare protected. Chaplains performing Tele-chaplaincy from the workplace do so in an enclosed space.Chaplains engaging in Tele-chaplaincy from home, work in an approved space where confidentiality isuncompromised. The safety of Veterans is always top priority.Submitted by Tammie Elfadili, staff Chaplain, VA Roseburg Healthcare System Tammie can be reachedat 541-440-1000 Extension 40723 and Mike Gillespie at Extension 44721

VARHS SERVICES12Recreation Therapy Community Programs:The scope of practice of Recreation Therapy at VA Roseburg includes therapeutic interventions anddiversional programming. A Recreation Therapist is assigned to each inpatient setting; Mental Health(PTSD and Substance Abuse Rehabilitation) and Community Living Centers (Transitional Care Unit-TCUand Protected Care Unit-PCU). In the Mental Health program, the goals are to strengthen skills to enhancethe process of recovery and prevent relapse. The Community Integration program goals include: prevent/decrease social isolation, develop/maintain social skills, developself-advocacy skills, build skills to minimize disability stigma,master skills for managing environmental barriers, increaseknowledge base and the ability to access community resources,and to increase overall activity level. In the TCU and PCU theprogram goals are to improve/maintain/minimize biological,psychological, and environmental deficits to enhance function,change behaviors, and offer quality of life elements.Recreation Therapy programs whether on/off campus are largelysupported by volunteer help and donations. Veterans ServiceOrganizations commonly invite VA Roseburg inpatient Veteran’sto lunch monthly to honor the Veteran with the gift of their timeand resources. Recently Roseburg inpatients participatedin the American Legion Santiam Post 51, Lebanon, OregonLuncheon. This is a great opportunity for Veterans to engagein social camaraderie, build social skills, increase awareness ofenvironmental barriers and community resources and appreciatethe pleasure of a country drive to view the south western portion of beautiful Oregon. Other Veteran ServiceOrganization Luncheon destinations include Florence, Grants Pass, Albany, Lebanon, Sweet Home, Roseburg,Oakland, and Myrtle Creek. As portrayed in the photos, these organizations provide and honor Veterans witha meal, gifts, socialization, dancing, games and an incredible amount of love, compassion, understanding,and reverence for the service that theVeteran has provided. The tradition of eachorganization is to salute the Veteran for theirservice. Recreation Therapy staff salute theorganizations and individuals who financiallysupport and provide in-kind donations for ourprograms.Written by:Karl Tanner-Recreation Therapy AssistantBill Bailey, CTRS-Mental HealthMarilyn Warren, MA, CTRS-Community LivingCenterPhotography by Karl TannerRecreation TherapyDancing With the Stars