Intercom

Volume2/1980_January21INTERCOM Jan. 21, 1980 Hospital Starts Day-Care Program For Children of Shift Employees In a move designed to encourage trained nurses with families to return to the work force, University Medical Center has begun the only hospital-subsidized child care program in the Intermountain area. University Hospital will pick up 12 percent of the cost of providing care for the children of any employee working rotating shifts, according to Dale Gunnell, associate administrator. "As we studied the nursing shortage, the issue of child care was often raised," says Mr. Gunnell. " Many parents with small children have found ft difficult to work because good and reasonably- priced child care often is not available late evenings and on weekends." University Hospital contracts with Children's House of Salt Lake City for the service. The Hospital picks up staffing and overhead costs of extending the preschool's operating hours to 11 p.m. seven days a week and pays $15 per child per month for the children of full- time shift employees. University Hospital will invest several thousand dollars in the first six months of the program, after which it will be reviewed. "This is a very attractive opportunity for nurses," says Sandy Swenson, R.N., pediatrics unit head nurse and member of the Child Care Committee that worked with Mr. Gunnell to set up the program. "Close and reasonably-priced child care is now available for mothers who work for professional or economic reasons." The head nurse estimates that it costs her less than 75 cents an hour to keep her four-year old daughter in the program. And Ms. Swenson is pleased with the " excellent" educational programs, activities, food and ( Concluded on reverse side) 2 East Head Nurse Sandy Swenson shares a moment with daughter Heather in the Children's House play yard. Amalia Godina Saludos, Senorita Godina . . . Amalia Godina, outpatient admitting clerk and a volunteer interpreter who has solved many a problem for Spanish- speaking patients and the hospital staff caring for them, is Employee of the Month for January, 1980. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Ms. Godina speaks fluent Spanish and sometimes receives as many as three requests a day for her translating skills in clinics, patient units, business offices and the emergency room. She helps take patient histories, interpret physicians' instructions and patients' symptoms, and solve billing and collection problems. "An interpreter is often a valuable asset to a health care team," stated one physician in nominating Ms. Godina for the Employee of the Month Award. "It would be impossible to offer any medical service to some patients without this kind of assistance."According to one of her supervisors, "Amalia goes way beyond the call of duty and her dedication to the hospital patients and staff is commendable." Ms. Godina is a graduate of West High School and has worked in out-patient admitting for a year and a half. She enjoys gymnastics, hockey, painting, dancing - and going back to Mexico to visit her grandparents and cousins. Ms. Godina was awarded a $50 savings bond by Medical Center Administration. DAY CARE . . . continued staff at the day care center, a fully-licensed facility which has been operating for 25 years. "We're concerned not only with working parents, but with the type of care their children receive," adds Mr. Gunnell. "In terms of both quality of care and the subsidy, our program is very competitive with anything in the Salt Lake area." The hospital child care program, which began January 14, is expected to involve 40 to 60 employee children. A survey of the nursing staff indicated strong support for this type of effort. The program is among a number of steps taken by University Medical Center to help alleviate the nursing shortage, according to Mr. Gunnell. The hospital also has significantly increased shift differential pay, improved longevity pay and expanded its nurse recruitment program. Take 10 Minutes to Learn Cancer Exam More than 600 women have learned the cancer detection technique of breast self- examination (BSE) as a result of a patient education project run by Volunteer and Nursing services. Volunteers began offering the free instruction in December, 1978 to patients, employees, students and visitors at the Medical Center. BSE Volunteer Gladys Clawson reports the program a success: " Everyone I talk to knows at least one person who has had breast cancer and is very eager and grateful to learn BSE." One out of every 13 women develops breast cancer, the leading cause of cancer death among women. BSE instruction is offered every Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. in the outpatient lobby. It is not a screening program; it is an effort to introduce a self- care diagnostic tool that pro-motes early detection of changes in breast tissue. Mrs. Clawson, who is trained in BSE instruction by the nursing staff, explains the risk of breast cancer and the importance of performing BSE monthly. Using a breast model, she describes the anatomy of the breast and characteristics of normal and abnormal tissue. Instruction takes 10-15 minutes. New Staff New nursing staff: Margaret Wehrle, RN, 5 E (UT); Carolyn Lee, secretary, bum unit (UT); Henry White, NA, 3 E (CA); Adelia Rocha, NA, 5 W (CO); Heken Nwadibia, LPN, 4 W (UT); Tinalee Nussbaum, LPN, 3 W (UT); Loretta Schrader, NA, 4 E (UT); Mark Martin, NA, Rehab (UT); Elizabeth Jones, RN, NBICU (UT); Kathleen Wolters, UC, 5 W (UT); Janet Rowley, UC, 2 W (UT); Tanya Marble, RN, 5 E (TN); Mary Haberle, RN, 2 E (Washington, D. C.); Susan Jeffries, LPN, 2 E ICU (CA); Kathy Van Dame, RN, 3 W (UT); Jill Hall, NA, resource (UT); John Hill, NA, 3 W (Switzerland); Diane O'Mara, NA, 3 E (UT); Charlotte Millea, RN, 3 E (MA); Laurie Leavitt, NA, Rehab (UT); Michael Kobs, RN, 5 W (MA); Jaye Nussbaum, NA, Resource ( A). Jay Schimke has joined the hospital personnel department as a personnel representative conducting applicant interviews. Mr. Schimke replaces Wayne Miller, and shares the interviewing work with Carolin White. A graduate of the University of Montana, Mr. Schimke holds a master's degree in guidance and counseling. He has worked in Montana as a researcher for the U. S. Bureau of Land Management and as a psychologist and counselor for the public school system. Pat Heroff has left the credit collection office to become a personnel technician specializing in benefits. Debbie Van Wagoner, who started working as personnel office receptionist last fall, previously worked at Uinta County Hospital in Vernal. L to R: Pat Heroff, Jay Schimke and Debbie Van Wagoner Goings on A 15-week medical terminology course will be offered by the personnel department beginning Thursday, Feb. 7. The course, taught by Mary- Anne Murray, RRA, will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursdays and requires approximately four hours of outside reading per week. Cost is $30 plus textbook. Departments may sponsor employees who use and need medical terminology to perform their jobs. Staff members may register at the personnel office, AA20. Registration is limited. Intercom University of Utah Medical Center Intercom is published weekly by the Department of Development and Community Relations, University of Utah Medical Center, AC111, for the purpose of interdepartmental communi-ations. Photographs by Medical Illustrations. Article ideas, letters to the editor, and questions for investigation are welcome at any time. Editor: Laurie Morrisse