Pulse

Volume5/1998_April20April 20, 1998 PULSE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER Week to Heighten Donor Awareness A variety of activities is planned this week as part of UH's observance of National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week ( NOTDAW). Beginning today, organ and tissue donation awareness buttons will be passed out to hospital staff and available in the lobby. If you are wearing a button when seen by a secret spotter and can identify what NOTDAW stands for, your name will be added to a drawing for prizes that include a 25" television set. On Wednesday, a cafeteria display will provide information about organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. The third annual Lunchtime Stroll Through Red Butte Garden & Arboretum will be Friday from 12- 1 p. m. The walk will begin and end at the northeast corner of the garden and is designed to honor those who have given the gift of life through donation. There is a small registration fee for the walk which includes a t- shirt, entrance to the garden and refreshments. There are more than 54,000 patients in the U. S. on the waiting list for an organ. Utah's waiting list reflects the need for: 138 kidneys, 42 hearts, 42 livers, nine lungs and four pancreas. Even more are in need of eye, skin and blood donations. For information about any of the week's events, contact Jane Collins, xl- 2650. Take Time to Thank a Volunteer This Week Lynn Chandler is at the information desk answering questions and directing visitors most mornings by 7 a. m., yet has never received a pay-check. He is one of 140 active volunteers the hospital is honoring this week during National Volunteer Week. Chandler, who has been retired for three years, says he volunteers at UH simply because he likes helping people. " I do it for the joy I get from providing a meaningful service," said Chandler. " University Hospital is such a busy place that it's nice to be able to offer a smile and help to a patient or visitor." According to Sandi Martin, R. N., manager, Community Outreach and Volunteer Services, volunteers provided the hospital with 37,322 hours of service last year. " Our volunteers range in age from junior high students to retirees. They provide a variety of services including staffing the front desk and waiting rooms and delivering flowers and newspapers; some even provide hair cuts and sing to patients," said Martin. She says the department also is looking at new opportunities for volunteers to provide additional types of services. The hospital's volunteers will be honored at a luncheon next week. For more information on services they provide, or if you know of ' someone interested in becoming a volunteer, contact the Volunteer Office, xl- 2278. Pulse and the Health Sciences Center Weekly Calendar are now available online at the Public Affairs website, www. med. utah. edu/ pubaffairs. Pulse is available every Monday morning and the calendar is available the Friday preceding the week's events. Hospital Sponsoring Baby Fair on Saturday UH is sponsoring Baby Fair ' 98 this Saturday. The event, at Burlington Coat Factory ( 5976 South State Street), will run from 10 a. m.- 5 p. m. LJH nurses Barbara Ward, R. N., Burn Unit; Paula McGibbon. R. N., Audrey Stevenson, R. N., and Janette Lewis, R. N., Perinatal Patient Education Program; will present on a variety of topics including burn prevention and safety, infant and child CPR, poison prevention and first aid, and helping siblings adjust to a new baby. The free event also will include prizes and a diaper derby. Medical Terminology Class Begins May 6 Hospital Human Resources is offering a course in medical terminology May 6- July 10. The course uses various techniques to help students understand more than 350 medical language ele-ments that allow them to decipher thousands of specific medical terms. The class will be taught on Wednesdays from 4- 6 p. m. in the Browning auditorium. There is a $ 50 registration fee for non-hospital employees. For more information or to register, contact Melissa Harris, xl- 2110. InfoFair April 30 The 1998 InfoFair, " Evidence- Based Health Care," is coming to the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sci-ences Library, Thursday, April 30, from 9: 30 a. m.- 5: 30 p. m. For more information visit the InfoFair website located at www-medlib . med. utah. edu/ infofair March of Dimes WalkAmerica University Hospital's Name That Baby Contest Check out these baby pictures of five hospital employees. The first five Pulse readers to correctly identify the employees will receive a mug and gift certificate for Zuka Juice. Return your entry forms to the Office of Public Affairs, room A045. The employees pictured include: Mike Openshaw, UH associate administrator; Sandi Martin, R. N., manager, Community Outreach and Volunteer Services; Mike Sbouten, Facilities and Engineering; Julianne Wheeler, administrative assistant, Hospital Administration; Pierre Pincetl. M. D., UH chief information officer. There is still time to register to walk at WalkAmerica and make a donation to the March of Dimes. The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 25 at 9 a. m. The six- mile walk will begin at Sugarhouse Park and the University Hospital team will meet for a group picture at 7: 45 a. m. Members of the hospital's WalkAmerica planning committee will be in the cafeteria every day this week from 11 a. m.- l p. m. selling t- shirts for $ 10. They also will be selling March of Dimes sneakers for $ 1 and stickers for " Blue Jeans for Babies." The $ 5 stickers allow you to wear blue jeans to work this Thursday and Friday. T- shirts also are available in Health Information ( AA241 SOM), Public Affairs ( room A045, UHOSP), and Hospital Human Resources, Research Park. With your donation you automatically are eligible for a drawing for the following items: a basketball autographed by a Utah Jazz player, a basketball autographed by the Runnin' Utes men's basketball team, an overnight stay at the University Park Hotel, a family pass for Hogle Zoo, a golf putter, two $ 50 gift certificates to REI, as well as, gift certificates to Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Blockbuster Video, and TGI Friday's. For more information, call Al Tokunaga, xl- 2180. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPE