Cafeteria Reduces Calories, Fat and Some Prices Too “The Food and Nutrition Services Department is committed to helping everyone lead healthier lives, and we are doing our

part by offering a wide variety of healthier menu options,” says Theresa Rudnick, Senior Director of Support Services. We’re putting our values in action to reach our new mission: To help people achieve Health for Life. The cafeteria has begun

offering a wider-than-ever selection of good-for-you menu options, with more to be introduced during National Nutrition Month in March.

You may already be benefitting from these healthier choices. The salad bar, for example, has been enhanced with more fresh fruit, a wider selection of lettuces, more raw veggies, a variety of beans for protein, and low-fat yogurt and granola. The cheese is now low-fat, and the salad dressings are either fat-free or contain only healthy oils. Nutrition information and calorie counts are displayed for each salad bar item, so you can see just how nutritious your selections are. Pricing is also leaner – it has been reduced from 30 cents to 20 cents per ounce.

Sorbet has replaced more caloric ice cream in the freezer, and a wider selection of whole-grain, high-fiber bread is now available.

But that’s just the beginning! The cafeteria’s healthy menu will become even more complete starting Monday, March 8, when several new offerings will be introduced, including reduced-sodium and reduced-fat hot entrees, leaner grill selections, and a wider variety of nutritious “grab and go” items from the refrigerator.

“The Meal Deals will be better for you – and better for your wallet,” adds Rudnick. Rather than French fries and a soft drink, new Meal Deals will include steamed or raw vegetables and a 16-ounce bottle of water at a new lower price.

Pam Picard, Manager; Matt Courtney, Assistant Manager of Operations; and Jill Whitney, RD, LDN, CNSD, Chief Clinical Dietitian, all of Food and Nutrition Services, are working with Rudnick to create these healthier options.

Look for important nutrition information from our clinical dietitians, who will be stationed outside the cafeteria during the first week of March to kick off National Nutrition Month.

THE PILLARTHE PILLARA monthly publication dedicated to informing and involving employees of MacNeal Hospital

MARCH 2010

“The best car safety device is a rearview mirror with a cop in it.”

Dudley Moore

We place a lot of emphasis on safety in our work. In fact, the first of our restated values is that “We put safety first, for our patients, their families and all who work here.” In the automobile business, a decades-long focus on safety began with publishing of the book “Unsafe at Any Speed” by Ralph Nader. Yet, as illustrated in the amusing Dudley Moore quote above, an attentive driver is still the best car safety device.

In health care, we work continuously to have technology, training, procedures and systems that make patient care safe. But personal attentiveness, teamwork and continuously open, honest communication are the key ingredients. A technology such as bar coding doesn’t make anyone safer if we don’t pay attention to using it properly. Procedure timeouts don’t achieve their purpose if not done mindfully and consistently.

The most important things we can do to improve safety are to pay attention to detail, communicate clearly, have a questioning attitude, practice good teamwork and hand off effectively. These are not things that can be built into a machine or a system – they are human behaviors that rely on every one of us. It is not enough for us to merely say that safety comes first; we need to make certain that it does. There is no cop in the rearview mirror of health care – only the persistent mindfulness that we must all practice, and expect of one another, to keep our patients safe.

The SpotLight with Brian Lemon, CEO

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

They Won’t Stop Stairing

The west building’s new state-of-the-art elevator was christened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for employees who have been awaiting its arrival. While the elevator was down, the building’s occupants have been taking the stairs – and getting in shape.

Victoria Williams, Account Representative; Abby Garcia, Office Manager; and Dinorah Orozco, Account Representative, Patient Accounts (pictured left to right) say they plan to continue using the stairs, as the trek to their third floor office proved to be a great way to shape up and feel healthier. “It was a challenge at the beginning, but then it got easier. And it motivated me to get on my treadmill at home,” says Garcia. Orozco and Williams also were inspired to exercise more. Says Orozco, “I am happy to be fit and trim, and I still take the stairs.”

Mary Treacy-Shiff, Assistant CFO (left), and Noreen Mason, Director, Chicago Business Office, cut the ceremonial ribbon to celebrate the new elevator’s arrival.

A Salute to PhysiciansMarch 30 is National Doctors’ Day,

so please take a moment to thank physicians for keeping our patients safe and providing excellent and compassionate care.

2010 U.S. Census – You Count!Beginning in March, the U.S. Census Bureau will mail or deliver a short questionnaire to your home. Please make sure

you participate in this important process by answering the questionnaire, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete. The census is a count of everyone residing in the U.S. Hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds are awarded annually to states and communities for hospitals, schools, transportation and social services based on data from the U.S. census. Federal law protects the personal information you provide; it cannot be shared with other federal, state and local agencies, including Immigration Services.

MacNeal’s “Rules of Engagement”

THE PILLARTHE PILLARA monthly publication dedicated to informing and involving employees of MacNeal Hospital

April 2010

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.”

Margaret Mead

Someone once said, “I don’t care how much you know until I know how much

you care.” In our field when we hear the word “care,” it is usually interpreted to mean

“patient care” or “health care.” In our “tagline” – Caring for Generations – the word

has a double meaning. We care for all generations young and old, and we have been

doing so for almost a century.

Caring has a lot of dimensions and meanings for us in health care. No matter how

you interpret it, caring is at the core of what we do:

• Caring for patients and their loved ones (directly or indirectly)

• Caring for each other in the day-to-day challenges of our work

• Caring about what we do and being engaged with our work

In one way or another, we are all caregivers with a direct or equally important indirect impact on patient care that contributes

to the overall patient experience. The next time you hear or read the word “caregiver,” you should know that word doesn’t

simply apply to nurses and doctors, but to every employee working at MacNeal.

In recent weeks and months we have begun to see a remarkable improvement in patient satisfaction scores at MacNeal.

I think this is one demonstration that there are so many caregivers at MacNeal who are not only good at what they do, but

are truly committed to working as a team to provide our patients with a great experience. Thank you – not only for your hard

work and commitment – but more importantly for the caring that you bring every day and in every dimension of the word.

The SpotLight with Brian Lemon, CEO

Vanguard Receives a Gallup Great Workplace Award!

As testimony to the organization’s success at creating and sustaining a culture of engagement, Vanguard Health Systems has received the Gallup Great Workplace Award, based on stringent requirements of employee engagement performance, commitment to creating a rewarding workplace, and system-wide best practices.

Vanguard joins an elite group of 25 award winners from a pool of more than 500 applicants this year, and is one of only eight health care systems ever to have received the honor. “Everyone should be very proud of the success that has been achieved,” says Dick Dodsworth, Vice President, Human Resources.

“As a Vanguard entity, MacNeal is pleased to serve as a model of excellence in creating a team environment that allows us to recruit and retain an engaged workforce,” he adds.

Physicians Win a Blue Ribbon

Chicago Health Systems (CHS) physicians practicing at MacNeal have been awarded a Blue Cross Blue Ribbon Award for receiving a total patient satisfaction score of 94.5 percent, with an overall satisfaction score of 96.7 percent. The Blue Cross patient satisfaction questionnaire rated such indicators as care, availability and communication delivered by primary care physicians and specialists who contract through CHS.

Dr. Gary Wainer, CHS’s Chief Medical Officer, says, “The overall satisfaction rating for all medical groups in Blue Cross’s HMO Illinois was 92.6 percent, so CHS far outpaced our colleagues throughout the state.”

CHS is an IPA (independent physician association) that contracts with HMOs and is represented by 450 physicians practicing at MacNeal.

“Engagement is at the heart of what we do,” says Deborah Novak, Director of

Organizational Excellence. “It takes a certain kind of person to be an engaged employee,

someone who possesses not only technical excellence, but also passion for the work

and the organization. Engaged employees bring their minds and spirits to the work they

do every day,” she adds.

An engaged workforce has been proven to

be more productive and more profitable, with

fewer safety incidents and lower rates of

absenteeism and turnover.

How does MacNeal create and sustain this

culture of engagement? One important way is

through recognizing and rewarding employees

for their hard work, good ideas, dedication to

customer service and contributions to patient

satisfaction.

Across the organization, employee

engagement is recognized and rewarded in a

variety of ways: the SHARE program gives cash

rewards for employees’ money-saving ideas;

departmental employee-of-the-month winners

are selected by their peers; an annual service anniversary dinner celebrates employees

with more than five years at MacNeal; and special celebrations are ongoing for

improved patient satisfaction scores.

All employees are actively involved in creating and implementing their departments’

action plans. “No matter what job you do, your opinion matters,” says Novak.

“ An engaged workplace is a culture of trust, where employees know that ‘someone has my back.’ We are all here to help each other and learn from each other.” — Deborah Novak

APRiL 26 - MAy 17

it’s Almost “Q12” Survey Time!

your opinion counts! Please make sure you participate in the annual “Q12” employee engagement survey. The survey will be available on line or via phone in English and Spanish, and in hard copy in Spanish and Polish. your participation and answers are strictly confidential.

When taking the survey please remember that “5” is the highest score, and “1” is the lowest. in the past, there has been some confusion about the statement, “i have a best friend at work.” Gallup is not asking if your best friend works at MacNeal, but whether there is someone at work you trust and rely on, much like you would a best friend.

Benefits Open Enrollment Is Just Around The CornerYour Chance to Choose the Best Benefits

MacNeal’s annual benefits open enrollment period will be held May 10 through May 21. This is your once-a-year opportunity to change your current benefits, update your insurance coverage and enroll in the options that are right for you and your family. Some new benefit programs are being introduced, and there are changes to existing plans as well, so it is important to be sure you understand your choices. Every employee is strongly encouraged to meet with a benefits counselor during open enrollment to understand all plan changes.

To learn about your benefits options… be on the lookout for materials in your mailbox and via e-mail. Also, come to the Benefits Fair on Wednesday, May 5, and Thursday, May 6, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the cafeteria. On-site representatives from each of the participating plans will be on hand to explain plan updates, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield’s new Healthy Advantage Plan with a Health Savings Account (HSA).

To participate in open enrollment… it’s easier than ever. You can enroll in three ways:

• Meet with a benefits counselor on-site between May 10 and May 21. Monday - Friday (6:00 a.m. to midnight); Saturday & Sunday (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). All sessions will be held in conference room A/A1. Please note exception… May 12 sessions will be held in the cafeteria.

• Schedule an appointment to speak to a benefits counselor over the phone. Visit www.benefitorientation.com to set up a time to be called.

• Self-enroll directly at www.benefitsconnect.net/vanguardhealth. Login instructions will appear on the welcome page.New this year… is MacNeal’s “Tobacco Surcharge.” If you are a tobacco user or do not identify yourself as a non-tobacco user

to a benefits counselor during open enrollment, you will pay $25 more on your medical premiums per paycheck. Tobacco users who enroll in the new “Quit for Life” tobacco-cessation program and complete at least three counseling sessions by June 1, 2010, will avoid the surcharge. To enroll, call 1(866) 784-8454 or visit www.quitnow.net/vanguardhealth (see story “More Reason Than Ever To Quit Smoking” for more information). Also new is Blue Cross/Blue Shield’s Healthy Advantage Plan with a Health Savings Account (HSA). Vanguard will make a contribution to the HSA for the upcoming plan year. Current medical plans are still available, but with significant changes.

If you don’t participate in Open Enrollment… you will retain the options you elected last year. However, there are some exceptions:

• You must re-enroll in your Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) in order to continue to participate.• Employees with a current medical election will be assessed with the tobacco surcharge if they do not certify as a non-

tobacco user.

THE PILLARTHE PILLARA monthly publication dedicated to informing and involving employees of MacNeal Hospital

MAY 2010

“I must do something” always solves more problems than “Something must be done.”

Author Unknown

“Everybody at every moment” has been, and continues to be, our theme and “rallying cry” as we work to move MacNeal into the highest quartile of customer satisfaction with the experience we provide for our patients and their loved ones. I am happy to tell you that we are making real progress! Most of you realize that we have been working on this for several years, and we have learned a lot along the way. The most important thing we have learned is now obvious – that personal responsibility and the commitment of “everybody at every moment” is the key to success.

What we do is complex, challenging and important. In addition, we set our goals high – we aim to be in the top 25 percent of hospitals for patient experience, and we have even higher goals for quality and safety. Achieving these goals requires us to be highly engaged with our work, which is why we conduct the annual Q12 survey. It’s why we need to be in the top 25 percent – at least – of places to work based on our Q12 engagement results, and why every department or work group has chosen one or more aspects of Q12 to focus on over the past year.

There is a common truth that runs through all of our goals: each of us must take personal responsibility for our work, and we must hold those around us accountable for doing the same. When we achieve a “critical mass” where most of us have taken hold of these responsibilities, achieving and sustaining great results becomes something that spreads like a beneficent virus through our great organization. Mounting evidence – both measured results and less formal feedback from those we serve – suggests that this is taking hold at MacNeal. Thank you for the difference you are making in the lives of our patients and the health of the communities we serve!

The SpotLight with Brian Lemon, CEOMore Reason than Ever To Quit Smoking

To help employees and their

families enjoy Health for Life, MacNeal

is now offering a free smoking-

cessation program for employees,

their spouses and covered dependents

over 18.

“As an organization devoted to

the health of our communities, we

need to lead by example,” says Dick

Dodsworth, Vice President, Human

Resources. “The way

to really lower the

cost of health care is

to get healthier, and one

very effective way to do

that is to stop smoking.

We also understand how

difficult it is to quit and

this approach helps

provide the

necessary support.”

The program, “Quit

for Life,” was created by the American

Cancer Society and Free & Clear, a

health coaching company. It has

helped millions of people stop

smoking and using other forms of

tobacco. The program includes

over-the-phone support from specially

trained Quit Coaches and access to

web-based learning. It also offers free

nicotine-replacement therapy and

advice on which type is best for you.

MacNeal is implementing another

incentive to quit: beginning July 1, 2010,

smokers and other tobacco users not

enrolled in the program will have a

$25 surcharge added to their biweekly

deductions for health insurance.

“The impact of smoking on a

person’s health and the cost of their

health care is significant. This surcharge

only partially offsets the added costs,”

says Dodsworth.

To join the Quit for Life program

or to learn more, visit the web site at

www.quitnow.net/vanguardhealth, or

call 1 (866) 784-8454. If you have

questions about this benefit, or any

other, call Maria Conde, Benefits

Analyst at ext. 3676.

The MacNeal vision to help communities achieve Health

for Life is reaching out globally, including the untold

thousands of Haitians in need of medical care after the

devastating earthquake. A group of medical professionals

from MacNeal’s Emergency Department and CEP America

recently returned from a trip to Port au Prince. In only six and

a half days, they estimate having

attended to about 3,000 patients,

who started lining up at 4:00 in

the morning to be treated. On

the mission were trip team

leader Janet Young, MD,

Emergency Department Medical

Director; Judy Jean-Baptiste,

MD; Veronica Colby, RN; Gina

Rogers, RN; Tie Martin, PA;

and Alex Jenson, ER Technician.

“Overwhelming,” “humbling,”

“life-changing” and

“frustrating” were how they

described the experience.

“It was a bit like putting a

band-aid on a huge gaping

wound, but we did what we

could,” says Colby.

How Much Do You Know About Stroke?

Every year, more than 700,000 Americans have a stroke. Yet in a recent survey, more than 40 percent of people could not identify a single symptom. A stroke is caused by the sudden interruption of blood flow to an area of the brain. Deprived of oxygen-rich blood, brain cells quickly die. The results can be disastrous to quality of life, including impairment of the senses, motor skills, memory, thinking, strength, behavior and ability to communicate – or death.

“A stroke is a medical emergency,” explains Stroke Coordinator, Cheryl Jastrzebski, RN, CMSRN. Call 911 immediately if you think you or someone else might be having a stroke. Getting to the Emergency Department immediately is essential to saving lives and preventing disability.

Symptoms to watch for include:• Sudden weakness or numbness

of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding

• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

“Stroke is largely preventable by reducing and controlling your risk factors,” Jastrzebski emphasizes. Those include: smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and alcohol use.

At MacNeal, stroke survivors benefit from a multidisciplinary team approach and comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment, including brain imaging scans and clot-busting medications like tPA.

MacNeal is certified by the Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center, and has been awarded the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association “Get with the Guidelines” stroke bronze performance award for high standards in stroke care. For more information on stroke visit www.stroke.org.

Every day, more than 500 nurses who work at MacNeal make a difference in the lives of their patients, providing compassionate, competent, quality care during life’s most vulnerable moments. During National Nurses Week, May 6-12, the nursing staff will be celebrating with both educational and celebratory events planned by the nurse members of the Recruitment, Retention and Recognition Council. The week culminates with the annual Nursing Excellence Ceremony and Awards on May 12.

MacNeal’s nurses are also committed to the future of the nursing profession, and are showing their commitment to a “healthier tomorrow” in a number of ways.

The Nurse Community Fellows created a five-week after-school program, “Become a Nurse,”

at Heritage Middle School in Berwyn. Once a week, MacNeal nurses talk to students about their nursing careers, job duties, and what led them to nursing. “Our hope is to improve the image of nursing, act as role models and help students set goals while in high school that will increase their ability to get into nursing school,” says JoAnn Landstrom, RN, Staff Nurse, 41 South. The program is specifically aimed at Hispanic students to help increase the very low rate of Hispanic nurses nationwide, which is only about 2 percent.

2010 Mandatory TB Testing

Annual TB testing for all MacNeal employees and volunteers will be performed during May and June. This is an annual requirement. Employees with a history of a positive TB skin test are required to complete a health assessment (available on The Pulse). For additional information, please see Employee Health Services on or call ext. 3427.

Top Five Reasons To Take the Q12 Employee Engagement Survey5. It only takes a few minutes to complete the survey, either online or via phone, and it is available in English and Spanish.

4. By participating, you demonstrate your commitment to organizational excellence.

3. You can help make MacNeal a happier, safer, more collegial and more productive place to work.

2. Your participation supports MacNeal as one of the “best places to work” and attract top talent.

And the number-one reason to take the survey (available from April 26 through May 10)

1. Your opinion counts!

Changes that were Implemented in Response to Feedback from Last Year’s SurveyThese include training programs on improving communication skills and team-building; an emphasis on internal customer

service (taking care of one another); recognition of most-engaged departments; cross-departmental “Best Practices” lists; and

creation of the engagement coach/mentor program, which gives managers and teams that are struggling the opportunity to be

coached by colleagues so they can improve engagement in their areas.

MacNeal Nurses: Caring Today for a Healthier Tomorrow

Whose Compassion Inspires You?Nominations are being sought for the Vanguard Compassionate Caregiver Award, which recognizes

nurses, physicians and other direct-caregivers who go “above and beyond.” Nomination forms can be submitted by e-mail to smorby@macneal.com, placed in interoff ice mail to Mailbox #1 in the Nursing Office, or hand-delivered to Administration. The deadline is May 5.

Above: Team MacNeal provided

care for nearly 3,000 people.

Front row (L-R) Janet Young,

Veronica Colby, Judy Jean-Baptiste.

Back row (L-R) Gina Rogers,

Alexander Jenson, Janet Rossi

(of CEP/California), Tie Martin.

Left: Dr. Young’s children wanted

kids in Haiti to have toys…

so they went shopping! “The little

girl jumped up from her chair and

kissed me on the face. She was so

happy,” said Dr. Young.

MacNeal Reaches Out to Haiti Again

“There are not enough words to describe or to thank the hospital’s volunteers,” says Xiomara Roebuck, Supervisor of Volunteer Services and the Gift Shop. Nevertheless, here are some words Roebuck uses to describe her team of nearly 200 volunteers: indispensible, helpful, dedicated, hard-working, friendly and loyal.

And loyal they are! Lucille Mraz, for instance, has been volunteering at MacNeal since 1958 and has enjoyed every minute. Today, at 88, she works several days a week in the gift shop. She lives in one of the Grove Avenue condos across from the hospital, which she purchased before it was even built so she could be close to her “home away from home.” “As long as I can walk over to the hospital, I’ll be there,” she says.

MacNeal’s volunteers range in age from 14 to 90. What motivates them to donate their time? Roebuck says that some volunteers enjoy the health care setting, some like the social aspects, others want to give back as a way of thanking the hospital for the excellent care received, and some are students collecting service hours. The one thing they all have in common is the desire to help others and be of service… and they get a lot in return, too.

“I started volunteering to help the hospital and the community, and now it’s helping me,” says Mraz. “I enjoy the people,” says Carol Bergant, who has

been volunteering here since she was a teenager and now volunteers in the gift shop. “It gets me out of the house and I meet a lot of nice people,” says Frank McKinley, one of the self-described “paper boys” who delivers newspapers to patients. “I feel that I am doing a service for my community,” says Howard Anton, 23, a patient visitor.

Roebuck estimates that the team puts in approxi-mately 20,000 hours a year, visiting and escorting patients, packing meals, providing office help, delivering supplies and more. “They fill a number of essential roles that help the hospital run smoothly,” she says. “They make life easier for everyone.”

New Benefits Web Site Launched

All the information you need to

maximize and fully understand your

employee benefits is now available –

at your fingertips – through MacNeal’s

new benefits web site. On the web site,

you will find:

• Benefit summaries

• Claim forms

• Customer service numbers

• Provider directories

• Benefits calculators

• Links to your carriers

• Health and wellness information

• More

Go to: www.mybensite.com/macneal

User name: macneal

Password: benefits

Dietitians Dish Out Nutrition information

MacNeal’s dietitians introduced the

cafeteria’s healthier menu options by

providing nutrition information outside

the cafeteria. They passed out samples

of the cafeteria’s new whole-grain

flaxseed bread with olive oil for

dipping, a nutritious (and delicious)

salmon recipe, and a quiz about the

difference between healthy fats and

bad fats. Raffle winner, Anuj Shah,

MD, received samples of healthy,

plant-based fats: a bottle of olive oil,

a bag of organic almonds and

guacamole mix. Other topics covered

throughout the week included the

benefits of fiber, following a low-

sodium diet and increasing the intake

of phytochemicals.

200 Volunteers Giving 20,000 Priceless HoursNATiONAL VOLuNTEER WEEk, APRiL 18-24

Bob Austell, RN, Emergency Department Nurse, spent a

week in Haiti working with nurses and doctors from around the globe at what was left of Sacred Heart Hospital in Port au Prince.

“Painful” is Austell’s answer when asked, “How was Haiti?” He describes what he and his fellow medical professionals practiced as “jungle medicine,” with no standard of care or procedures and protocols, making do with very limited supplies and an overwhelming number of patients. He estimates that the team treated more than 500 people a day, suffering from wounds, fractures, burns, infections, malnutrition and dehydration.

“It was a daily challenge to make friends with the fact that there was only so much I could do,” he says. “I told myself repeatedly, ‘I am only one person. I can’t fix everything, but I can do something. I can do what God has called me here to do.’ ”

Veteran volunteers Lu Mraz and Frank McKinley are two friendly faces on MacNeal’s dedicated team of volunteers.

In Port au Prince, Bob Austell, RN, wears his MacNeal shirt with pride.

SHARE Celebrates One year of Employee Recognition and Cost SavingsThe SHARE program – See How Accountability Rewards Employees – was introduced a year ago as a way to recognize

employees for ideas that generate cost savings for MacNeal. So far 19 ideas proposed by individuals or groups of employees have saved the organization more than $625,000, reports Betty Klikas, Manager, Medical Staff Services, who is a member of the committee that evaluates employee proposals for feasibility.

Klikas says that while some other organizations award monetary incentives for cost savings, MacNeal’s SHARE program is unique in that employees receive 5 percent of the estimated savings upfront, when the idea is accepted and before it is implemented. If the project is successful, they receive another 5 percent at the end of one year.

Got a great idea? See your director for SHARE guidelines and submission forms, or find them on The Pulse.

Recent SHARE winners, pictured left to right: Amy Encina, MT, Genesis Clinical Laboratory, for adjusting reagent stability and storage; Dan Slovak, Dispatch Supervisor, Genesis Clinical Laboratory, for locating a general lab requisition vendor; Vasilika Zafer, Program Coordinator, Transitional Year Residency Program, Medical Education, for the MacNeal Exchange; and Jann Petkus, CST, Operating Room, for reducing usage of T5 filter hoods.

Rosetta Swain, PCT, chats with Danielle Wang, RD, LDN (left), and Veronika Ishchuk, RD, LDN (right) about the healthier options.

Mark your Calendar Our annual employee recognition

dinner will be held on Wednesday,

April 14, at the Oak Brook Hills

Marriott Resort to honor employees

who celebrated five or more years

of service at MacNeal during 2009.

ED Nurse Has Haiti’s Back

They’re EngagedEmployees of Chicago Health Systems (CHS)

know their opinion counts, and CHS knows that valuing opinions can be both productive and fun. Debbie Ryan, CEO, says, “We have made a strong commitment to involving all team members in our plans.” Emphasizing team collaboration has added a heightened energy and excitement to working at CHS.

MacNeal Welcomes…

Otto Lee, M.D.Family Practice

708-599-8200

Bridgeview

Graceann Tang, RN, OR Staff Nurse, has been working in MacNeal’s Surgery Department since the day she started her nursing career in 1963. Since then, nursing, medicine and surgery have changed a lot… but Tang’s dedication to her patients has remained the same.

Tang fell in love with caring for patients as a nurse’s aide. She attended nursing school on a scholar-ship from MacNeal, and in return she agreed to work here for two years. Forty-seven years later, she says she never saw a reason to leave.

Over the years, Tang has held a

number of positions in the OR, and has witnessed great advances in surgical materials and infection control protocols that are now standard operating procedure. She says she has always liked the hands-on, technical aspects of her specialty.

She has also enjoyed the friendships she has cultivated. “The friendship among nurses is a very

special thing,” she says. “The bond is very tight. You always know there are people who will help you, no matter what.”

When asked for her beauty secret, Graceann Tang, RN, replied “I never left MacNeal.”

Two Years Turned Into 47

Lifestyle Changes Yield Big ResultsCafeteria prices are not the only things being trimmed at MacNeal. All through the organization, pounds are dropping, as 107

employees have joined the hospital’s Weight Watchers program.When this issue of “The Pillar” went to press, program participants had lost a grand total of 469.8 pounds – that’s an average

of 4.4 pounds per person, in only four weeks since the program began. A few departments are doing the program as a group, lending one another important support and encouragement. Congratulations to all participants for making a commitment to healthier living.

Fabiola Zavala, Community Health Coordinator and a dedicated member of the program, is coordinating the meetings. She says that participating employees love the new healthy choices and corresponding reduced prices in the cafeteria. “Knowing that the hospital is behind them and is making concrete changes that support the program is very motivating,” she says.

As mom to an almost 5-year-old, Tricia McVicker, Risk Manager, says she joined Weight Watchers to learn a healthier lifestyle so she can be more active with her daughter and also teach her how to be healthy. “This is an entire lifestyle transformation, not just a weight-loss plan,” she says. “Losing weight is nice, but it’s more important to me that I am a good role model for my daughter and a more active participant in her life.” After only three weeks on the program, she says she felt more energetic.

Interested in joining? Four Weight Watchers meetings are held each week at MacNeal, with one additional meeting at the Chicago Health Systems office in Westmont. New members are welcome. For information on times and locations, contact Zavala at ext. 3003.

One Department’s Trash Is Another’s Treasure

The next time you need to order office supplies, furniture or equipment, check first to see if what you need is available for everyone’s favorite price (free!) on the MacNeal Exchange, a new feature on The Pulse, MacNeal’s employee intranet.

The MacNeal Exchange is the brainchild of Vaso Zafer, Program Coordinator for the Transitional Year Residency Program in Medical Education. She was inspired by all the freebies available through Craig’s List to create a way for MacNeal employees to offer no-longer-needed office supplies and equipment, for free, to fellow employees. “It’s a perfect way to cut costs and reduce waste,” she says.

The MacNeal Exchange has been operational since December, and to date the system has saved the hospital almost $5,000. Unwanted binders, printer toner, power strips and more have found new homes through the exchange.

You can access the MacNeal Exchange on The Pulse’s home page by scrolling down to the MacNeal Exchange heading and clicking on the blue text labeled “Click here to look at or add to the list.” There, you can “shop” or list items that your department is seeking or no longer needs. You will also find instructions for adding available or wanted items. If you need help navigating the system, contact Zafer at ext. 3404.

We’re Scoring... in Patient SatisfactionThree cheers for everyone at MacNeal for increasing our customer service scores and ensuring our patients have a “Very

Good” experience. Patient satisfaction scores exceeded our goal for the month of January 2010, thanks to the consistent attention to customer service being practiced by “Everybody at Every Moment.”

Press Ganey Associates, which tracks patient satisfaction data for hospitals across the country, reports that MacNeal beat the interim goal of being above the 50th percentile in the areas of inpatient, outpatient and the Emergency Department.

Outpatient Services really shined, achieving scores that put that area in the 77th percentile – only 23 percent of hospitals scored better.

“Our goal is for every patient to receive world-class service, at every visit, from every employee. In an organization of 2,400 employees, that is a challenge that requires a real culture change. I know from the Press Ganey scores, from the comments on patient questionnaires and from letters and emails I receive, that it is happening,” says Scott Steiner, Chief Operating Officer.

“Everyone has really stepped it up,” agrees Joe Ottolino, Executive Director of Radiology, who oversees several outpatient departments. “In every department, I see people taking ownership of what they do and being engaged in the process.”

Anna Sulik, RN, Manager of Diagnostic Cardiology and Mammography, says that it is often the little things that make a big difference to the patient. “In health care, good customer service translates into letting each patient know, ‘I will be with you, and I will take care of you,’” she says.

“We need to keep working to consistently exceed the customer’s expectations, but everyone should be very proud of all they are doing to make our patients the center of what we do,” says Steiner.

Save the DateOur annual employee recognition dinner will be held on Wednesday, April 14, at the Oak Brook Hills Marriot Resort to honor employees who celebrated five or more years of service at MacNeal during 2009.