September 2017

Thank you DSPs!Direct Support Professionals Week will be celebrated around the country September 10-16! And we want to take the opportunity to thank all of our hardworking DSPs for all you do to make life better for those with disabilities. On September 12, Resource & Support Assistants are making lunch for all the Frontline Leaders and DSPs who are in the credentialing process. Six DSPs will be heading to the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals annual conference in Omaha September 9-10. And all DSPs are invited to visit Beau’s Kickstand food truck at one of the following locations for meals on BHW.

Tuesday, 9/12 5-6:30 p.m. Edwards ManorWednesday, 9/13 11-12:30 p.m Learning CenterThursday, 9/14, 11-12:30 p.m. BHWIFriday, 9/15 5-6:30 p.m. Edwards Manor

Thank you DSPs, for all you do! You are the backbone of Black Hills Works.

Flutter Productions presents JourneysTickets are now on sale for Jour-neys, the latest production by Flutter Produc-tions. Heather Pickering, artistic director for Flut-ter Productions, describes the show as a story of “unlocked jour-neys rich in the real and the ab-stract.” “Suitcases from fellow trav-elers will reveal a series of vignettes in spoken word and dance where

dreams soar, hopes take flight, and revelations help to ground us,” says Pickering. An all-ability cast of 24 will unlock these pow-erful stories during two performances: Friday, Sep-tember 29, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, September 30, 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theater at the Performing Arts Center, 601 Columbus Street. Tickets are now on sale at www.flutterproductions.com and are $15 for adults and $7 for students. A talk back will follow each performance. Journeys was written by JJ (James) Janis, Christy Nielsen, Ordean Stevenson, Abbigayle Wells, and the Flutter Productions play writing class. It is directed and designed by Heather Pickering, with music by Andrew Grace, choreography by Sarah Covington, lighting by Jason Reuter, stage management by Scot Dobbs and sound design by Ka-meron Nelson who is also the assistant director.

Representative Kristi Noem toured The Brain Injury Rehabili-tation Center on August 29 and also attended the Brain Injury Alliance board meeting hosted by TBRIC. Also pictured are Dr. Justine Ashokar and Brad Saathoff.

Noem visits TBRIC

Join us for Gala 2017 when we honor Michelle Pierce, Greg Solano, Cindy Roan Eagle and Tracy Witte with Out-standing Achievement Awards. Thank you to all who took the time to write nominations of the people you support for this award. Thank you also to those who agreed to be interviewed for the videos we show at the Gala. The annual event is our chance to recognize those who have made out-standing progress in our programs as well as the businesses and individuals who support us. The Gala is also our largest fundraiser of the year and a great opportunity to educate the public about what we do. This year’s event will be heldNovember 4 at the Rushmore Plaza Civ-ic Center. Be watching for your chance to purchase tickets.

Where would we be without DSPsBy Jacki ShoenrockWe’d be down the road with no ride in sight,We’d have empty houses ~ no coverage at night.The cupboards are bare ~ no groceries in stock,The bills are not paid ~ our stuff’s all in hock.A follow-up appointment will likely be missed,Your prescription’s not filled ~ but the doctor insists!Want to go to a movie, a ballgame, a play?Without DSPs there is simply no way!

We’d be up the creek with nary a paddle,Must skip Suncatcher’s, no time in the saddle!Bowling on Thursdays is out of the question,Think that is all? I also should mention:Motel rooms would be dirty ~ no one would stay,Restaurants not busy, they don’t like it that way!There are a million and one things DSPs do,Without them we’re nothing, that much is true.

People need people, to make life complete;A DSP’s purpose is no easy feat….So, thank you for caring and doing your part,And accept our deep gratitude, straight from the heart.

One good turn leads to anotherHeather Pickering has been working on an amazing project to help several individuals tell the stories of the life at the South Dakota Developmental Center at Redfield before they came to Black Hills Works. They draw pictures of their experiences and Heather records their memories on note cards. The stories helped Lea Haisch in the retirement area understand the connection between one of the individual’s depression and weight loss. Lea discussed the issue with kitchen staff Laura Smith and Marsha Welch, and they made adjustments in their meal preparation for the person. His weight loss has now stabilized. Learning Institute supervisor Tammie Quinn says, “It is such a heartwarming story of people who genuinely care and make a difference.” Heather, Lee, Laura and Marsh all received Power of B awards.

Plan on attending Gala 2017

BH Services staff at Offutt Air Force Base announced that two of their staff won medals at recent Special Olympics events in Lincoln, Nebraska. In tennis, dining hall worker Alina Moser (above) placed first in doubles and second singles. Commissary worker Derek Podany’s softball team won 1st place. Congratu-lations to you both!

Omaha athletes shine!

Thanks Kelly Hotevec from Black Hills Works Indus-tries who compiled the following statistics about all the work that’s been done at Industries since January 1. They have been very busy!

For Regional Health: •120,000 hospital kits assembled and packaged

For Servall:•5910 dirty towel rolls unrolled and re-banded for cleaning•6050 clean towel rolls spun and banded for use•131,510 hangers straightened and hung•7000 bar mops folded and banded•7000 bath towels folded and banded•825 aprons sewn and repaired

For Perdue:•35,977 drilled and tacked dresser guides completed

For South Dakota Tourism:•91,209 tourism packets assembled, labeled and mailed

For Fenske Printing:•46,026 packets assembled, labeled and mailed

For CB Nickels:•8424 Jean-a-ma-jigs packaged and shipped for sales distribution

For Dakota Panel:•94,413 shelf pins sorted, packaged & shipped•6170 banding rolls measured and spun

For Wood Stock Tile Boxes:•39 boxes of tiles sorted, packaged and shipped

For NRC Seeds:•200,000 packages of flower and vegetable seeds sorted and bagged with 96 packets per bag for reserva-tions all over the US! All of this since 8/15/17!

Dakota Laser Tech:•530 cartridges sold•$4000 in empty cores collected•4 printer repairs

Lawn Crew:•245 lawns mowed and weed whacked!

And a few extra: •2477 loads of laundry completed internally for BH Services, Rapid City Parks and Bakeworks (that’s over 10 loads per working day! Now that’s a lot of laundry•1351 pounds of paper shredded and bagged!

The Industries team can be proud of the ac-complishments thus far! Keep up the good work!

Working hard at BHWI

Sam Garcia is one member of the BHW lawn crew that has mowed 245 lawns this summer.

Twenty-two bikes participated in the first-ever Hog’n for the Noggin Poker Run Saturday, August 19. Above Dr. Justine Ashokar, Director of Clinical Services at The Brain Injury Re-habilitation Center, poses with a few of them. All proceeds will benefit TBRIC.

Hog’n for the Noggin

Shelly Whitney found the idea for a fidget quilt on Pinterest and got together with Kristy Martin who ex-ecuted the idea. Veronica Carda says the person served who received the quilt really enjoys it. “This particular person likes toys and always wants to play with some-thing and usually wants a blanket to keep warm, so this is the perfect idea for her. ”Shelly and Kristy are working on customizing other quilts for people at Fir.”

Shelly Whitney (left) and Kristy Martin with the fidget quilt they created for a person at Fir.

Feeling fidgety

September is CanDu Month CanDu month is a time for the Black Hills Works Foundation to honor some of the many individuals and businesses who support us, either by employing

people we support, volunteering, or donating to us. Throughout the month, foundation staff will visit a select number of donors and employers to present them with small tokens of our gratitude. Many others will receive letters of thanks. CanDu Month is named for the CanDu man (above) you see in our logo.

Congratulations Tracy Hairy Shirt on her first community job. Tracy feeds towels into the folding machine at Servall Uniform & Linen Supply!

New job at Servall

David McConnell has been at Courtesy Subaru for a year now. He works detailing cars. Sandra Ollila says David is excited that his wage has increased and that he is now receiving vacation pay. “He enjoys his job and gets along well with his coworkers,” she says.

Looking good!

Pumpkin Palooza

Friday, October 610 a.m. -6 p.m. at Black Hills Works

Games, prizesProceeds will benefit GrowWorks

Advocating for change

Cindy Roan Eagle and Liz Warner (center front) joined other members of South Dakota Advocates for a meeting in Pierre on July 26. Cindy and Liz presented to the group about how to make effective presentations.

Free for employees

iRest: Restoration Nidra Meditation

The Wellness Committee Brings to You:Donna Savage, IRI Certified iRest® Teacher

Wednesday’s 4:15*Doors Will Be Closed and

no Interruptions after 4:20 PM

•Work clothing is fine; no need to change into workout clothing

•iRest can be practiced lying down or sitting in a chair

PRIZES!!!For each session you sign up for AND attend in September, your name will be put in a drawing for a prize. You could win a yoga mat, blender bottle, Scheels gift card, Fitbit or jump rope.

Register on the training calendar on Lotus Notes on the training calendar.

Questions? Contact Vallene Morris.

What is iRest?iRest Nidra has been developed over the past twenty-six years by Richard Miller, PhD, a clinical psycholo-gist, author, researcher and yogic scholar, and is uniquely suitable for a Western audience. Extensive research has shown that iRest effectively supports the healing process across a broad range of popula-tions. Currently, there are iRest programs in military hospitals across the U.S., as well as in correctional facilities, hospices, clinics, schools, and organizations supporting personal growth and well-being. In June of 2010, iRest was endorsed by the U.S. Army, Sur-geon General and Defense Centers of Excellence as a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Happy 25th anniversary RSCAn open house and cornerstone ceremony was held for Resource and Support Center twenty-five years ago on September 9. The building became necessary due to the phenomenal growth Black Hills Works had expe-rienced. In 1980, we served just 140 people In 1992, when RSC opened we had more than doubled in size to 310 people. Twenty five years later we have more than doubled again to around 630 people supported.

Hats off cleaning crewMarie Sheppard received a text from the Director of the Ellsworth Child Development Center office thank-ing the night crew that cleans her building. One of other staff lost some money out of their pocket, and the night crew found it and gave it back to her. The director said that she and her staff greatly appreci-ate working with such wonderful people! KUDOS to Deseray Baker and her crew!

Power of B winners Congratulations to the following Power of B winners: Heather Pickering. Lea Haisch, Laura Smith and Marsha Welch were nominated for an amazing team effort that led to an improvement in an individuals health. Read about it elsewhere in this issue. (One good turn leads to another.) Corey McKenna and Sandy King went above and beyond to provide great customer service both inside and outside of the agency. Craig Levin was nominated for helping two people served move out of a second floor apartment and into a third floor apartment. Neither apartment building has elevators and the temperature was 96 degrees. Laurie Todd is being recognized for using her expertise with legal issues to assist with contracts and other legal documents. Shelby Wentz is being honored for going out of her way to assist a new individual support coordinator learn her duties. Tori Hopperdietzel was nominated by an external case manager for her extraordinary support of people served. Lavada (Lovey) Goergen was nominated for being on hand to help at the commissary when it was short staffed. Stephanie VandenAkker is being recognized for working extra hours and in other ways helping out when the commissary was short staffed. Judy Condon was nominated for her support with paperwork during multiple moves taking place at several buildings. Dorothy Rosby was nominated for cleaning up a pool of water on the back stairs at RSC after a downpour. Indiana staff Tracy Glasford, Sherry Jackson, Caitlin Adams, Tyler DeYoe, Kelly Main, Brenda Shirk-Brimmer, Julie Haataja, Madeline Bloomendahl, Rachel Hopperdietzel and Lanna

Backen were honored for their outstanding support of an individual facing a medical crises. To nominate someone, find the nomination form elsewhere in this newsletter or on Lotus Notes. Click on Agency Main; click on Staff (left-hand green buttons); then click on Staff Forms which is located in the center panel on the right side. Choose Rapid City, then page down to Power of B Recognition Award, launch the document and print. Send your nominations to Alexi Kieffer at RSC. Winners receive $50 and a Power of B T-shirt. Their story appears in The Workplace. Please give specific examples of how your nominee demonstrates the POWER of B.

Al Weber celebrates the fruits and vegetables he grew in his gar-den at Industries this summer!

The fruits of labor

Congratulations JJ, (James) Janis, who was selected to read Labels, one of the poems he wrote last year for OSITY, at the Great American Book Festival Labor Day weekend. JJ is scheduled to read at 9:30 a.m. on Sat-

urday, September 2 at Main Street Square. Dorothy Rosby will read at 8:30 on Saturday evening at the Firehouse Wine Cellars. Learn more about the festival at http://www.gabfest.info/.

JJ selected to read at GAB Festival

On August 15, six people living at Antelope Ridge moved onto the second floor of the Black Hills Works’ newest apartment complex located at 2711 West Omaha. Eventually the first floor will be home to people receiving services from The Brain injury Rehabilitation Center.

BHW’s newest apartment complex Foundation FocusA rising tide lifts all boatsThank you to all who participated in voting for the State Farm Neighborhood Assist Grant. We won’t know how we did for at least a month, but we do know we had participation from many staff people and family members of those we serve, and we appreciate that so much. While we applied for the grant to support the Assistive Technology Team, BakeWorks, EchoWorks, GrowWorks and the Suzie Cappa Art Center, we also know that when one entity of Black Hills Works ben-efits, we all do. Funds raised to benefit one area of the agency mean those funds won’t need to come out of the budget of another area. And positive community awareness for one entity reflects well on other areas of the agency, leading to all sorts of benefits: increased acceptance and even increased employment opportu-nities for the people we support, increased financial support from community members for all of our pro-grams, and purchase of the various goods and services that employ people we support. Sometimes in our day-to-day routine, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. But we are all part of something much bigger than ourselves and each of us contributes to our mission in our own way. We appre-ciate all of you for the part you play.

Welcome new employeesCheyenne Ness BHWMary Lee FirChristena Cristini HamptonMontana Pulis St. CloudAshly Hendrickson MinnesotaSamantha Keller John’sCarmen Pincock MinnesotaCole O’Grady CommissaryEmmanuel Geliga CommissarySamorra Allen ChoicesRebecca Wiebelhaus Edwards ADesmond Barnes HamptonRhiannon Martin Fir

Aaron Flack’s makes “angelconnection” at the Bay LeafArtists from the Suzie Cappa Art Center have had art on display at the Bay Leaf Cafe in Spearfish for several months. Recently Brad Winter got a call from the Bay Leaf with a story about the purchase of a piece done by Aaron Flack. Apparently a couple had been traveling through South Dakota with their beloved dog, Blue, when became necessary to have the dog put down and cremated. They were in Buffalo, far from a veterinarian, so they were sent to Spearfish. They’d had Blue for many years, so it was a sad event. Later, one of the veterinarian’s employees recom-mended the Bay Leaf to the couple. It was, as the

woman called it, an “angel con-nection.” From their table they had a perfect view of Aaron’s painting of a blue dog. The woman started to cry and naturally they purchased the art. Aaron and other Suzie Cappa art-ists touch lives

with their work!

PRESENTING SPONSORS:

Down Syndrome Family Support Group

$15 for a Single -- $50 Family of 4

and DON’T MISS A BEAT - ROCK THE SOUNDS with UPS OF DOWNS!

2017 Ups of Downs

Buddy Walk

Family Carnival & Dance!

Saturday, September 9th 10am - 2pm

Rushmore Plaza Civic Center -- Barnett Arena

What’s your why? This monthly feature gives employees an opportunity to explain what they find fulfilling in their jobs. This month, we hear from Sara Giles, from Intensive Treat-ment Services. If you would like to share your “Why” email it to drosby@bhws.com.

I need to start by saying how ab-solutely proud I am to have been part of this program (ITS) from the start. I have seen many ups and downs in the program. I have seen it grow and stall, and yet I have never wanted to give up on it. We face challenges every day. We have to deal with many different

situations, while still balancing community safety, in-dividual risks, and the human rights of the people that we support. That keeps me going. I love to see it all work at the end. I love knowing and feeling that I took part in something bigger. I also take what we do in the program seriously. I feel the risk every day. I feel the huge responsibility that it is to be supportive of staff and the person, to my leadership team, and to the organization. That is proof enough that I am invested in ITS. My passion and purpose is to dig deeper into what drives each coworker. I want the staff to be invested in this program, but more I want people to be able to feel safe, confident and free to be able to speak to each other and us without feeling worried that someone is going to be unprofessional. If we can build a team that is professional to each other then we can see a difference on how they teach and treat the guys in this program. We have a large team, and I know that my expectation is high but I strongly feel if everyone is at least vested enough in agreeing to disagree sometimes, and then just letting things go we can move mountains for the people that we support. We can’t expect the guys in this program to be treated with respect if we are not all respectful to each other. We need trust and sometimes just blind faith that what we are going to do will work. If it doesn’t work we need understanding and willingness to go above and beyond to try again. I leave you with this saying that I found: The truth is none of us are easy to deal with, or please all the time. We have our vices, attitudes and ways of doing things that make us who we are. You won’t like everything about someone, it is impos-

sible. This is life and it isn’t about finding the perfect person, it isn’t about living some fairy tale. It is about finding something that you’re willing to work for, with somebody who’s willing to work with you. That simple. Find someone that has a heart for you and never stop fighting for them.

In August, Ed and Tim Kopp joined their family on a European vacation. Above they are pictured at Stone Henge. Their mom Julie says, “In order for this trip to happen, it took a lot of help from the great staff at the Works!

Tim and Ed’s Excellent Adventure

Congratulations Amie Bach, Leah Drummond and Alexi Kief-fer who have all been selected for the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Rapid City Class of 2017. Leader-ship Rapid City (LRC) is a 12-week program that promotes a better understanding of our community, builds leadership skills, and develops a network of community leaders.

Three chosen for Leadership Rapid City

World’s Largest Truck Convoyfor Special Olympics

September 29-30 Black Hills Harley Davidson

2820 Harley Drive

We’d like as many athletes and others there as possible. There will be strider bikes, food and live music by the country band Aces & Eights. Contact Joe Burmeister, 718-8631, for information.

Employment anniversaries Bill Anderson 29 yearsDawn Fairbanks 29 yearsJolene Delker 26 yearsKathrine McNeary 17 yearsDarrell Slone 23 yearsSara Pekny 12 yearsCec Richart 34 yearsDavid Jennings 12 yearsKyle Ross 10 yearsAmber Abernathy 2 yearsNancy Haugen 10 yearsJennifer Peterson 1 yearChuck Conlee 10 yearsJoel Anderson 9 yearsDaniel Hern 9 yearsDarra Woodward 8 yearsJolene Nichols 8 yearsShawn Snellgrove 8 yearsRyan Steele 7 yearsMargaret Jones 6 yearsTamera Wiswell 5 yearsVicki Weisz 5 yearsHarmony Oliveira 5 yearsDavid Wright 5 yearsDallas Caylor 5 yearsCarmel Elyea 5 yearsNicole Weisz 4 yearsKelly Main 2 yearsDanielle Sabrowski 3 yearsJessica Colprit 3 yearsKayla Nightwine 3 yearsDestiny Christensen 3 yearsMelissa Curttright 2 yearsHeather Pickering 2 yearsKimberly Bodnar 2 yearsAllison Boudreau 2 yearsPamila Junek 2 yearsNatalie Olson 2 yearsJayme Hipple 2 yearsVeronica Bearden 2 yearsMartha Riebe 2 yearsToni Ramsey 1 yearAshley Strand 1 yearCassidy Trupe 1 yearBarbara Church 1 year

Congratulations Asay Spotted Eagle on the new job in the re-cycling area at the Rapid City Landfill. He sorts water and pop bottles so they can be recycled. It is his first time at a job in the community.

New job for Asay!

How to send a memo to all staff To send a memo to all Black Hills Works employees in Rapid City, use “Staff Notifications.”

If you want to include OPC (Omaha)use the group called “OPC All.”

So you would add both groups to send to everyone in agency.

It is no longer necessary to put “OPC Disregard” in the subject line of a staff notification email.

Special Olympics scheduleThe Fall Classic Softball and Bocce tournaments will be held September 15-17 in Mitchell.

Bowling begins Thursday, September 21 and runs for 18 weeks with practices at 10:15 a.m. at Meadowbrook and at 10:15 and 4:15 at Robbinsdale. IMPORTANT: Bowlers must be signed up with Joe Burmeister in order to participate. Bowlers who show up without first signing up will not be allowed to bowl.

For information on these and other Special Olympic activities, contact Amy Jobgen at 718-6280 or Joe Burmeister at 718-8341 or 593-2481.

Congratulations Natalie Olson and Destiny Christensen on successful completion of the Women’s Career Leadership Initiative! Fifteen women participated in the program. Gradu-ation was held August 8 at the Suzie Cappa Art Center and was sponsored by the Black Hills Works Foundation.

Congratulations WCLI graduates!

Heather Pickering one of 50 artists to watch

Congratulations Heather Pickering, who has been asked to participate in a project the South Dakota Arts Council is working on for their 50th anniversa-ry commemoration. Heather has been nominated to be featured in their “50

Artists to Watch” blog series based on her work with Flutter Productions.

Congratulations Tom Brought Plenty on twenty years of em-ployment with Mckie Ford. Tom was honored at a luncheon at Arrowhead Country Club on August 18, which coincidentally is the date he started with the company twenty years ago. He received the watch for his many years of service.

Congratulations Tom!

FREE SHIPPING at the Suzie Cappa Art Center through September 30. Free shipping is valid for purchases made at the gallery downtown, not valid online or anywhere else.

Eclipse doesn’t stop Community Service Project AmeriCorps NCCC and 13 volunteers from Black Hills Works didn’t let a little thing like a solar eclipse keep them from community service. On Monday, August 21, both organizations removed trash along Rapid Creek between Storybook Island and Baken Park. The team of six AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) served with Black Hills Works through August 30, supporting people in the Learning Institute, Special Olympics, Out & About, and the Suzie Cappa Art Center. You can see some of the other activities they participated in below. AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a full-time, residential, national service program for men and women ages 18-24. They commit to 10 months of service addressing a variety of needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, and urban and rural development. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.

Leah Drummond, Alexi Kieffer and several members of Ameri-Corps clean along Rapid Creek.

Bob Mason and AmeriCorps volunteer Malena share a moment.

AmeriCorps NCCC, Out & About, and BHW staff team up at Partnering With Native Americans.

AmeriCorps NCCC, Out & About, the Learning Institute, and BHW staff paint bowls for the “Soup for a Cause” which will be held in November for Volunteers of America.

If you shop on Amazon, sign up for Amazon Smile

https://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-0341382Your shopping can benefit BHW!

Happy birthday Julia Davis 1James Geibel 1Kevin Dawson 3Dallas Thompson 4Justine Ashokar 5Harmony Oliveira 5Alyssa Phillips 5Abigail Phillips 5Mike Brennan 6Melanie Strauss 6Brittany Falk 6Shelley Wilson 7Jane Bird 7Danielle Muellenberg 7Lindsay Dartt-Houghton 8Angela Miller 8Emilee Ericks 8Ashton Jones 9Jacki Schoenrock 10Elizabeth Durbin 10Russel England 10Brad Saathoff 12Kimberly Tollman 13 Matthew Brady 14Codie Magbuhat 14Renee Small 15Barb Larsen 16Brenda Shirk-Brimmer 17Megen Lien 17Daniel Egger 17Suzann Caulfield 18Ok Hilburn 18Sheena Keogh 18Diane Bartlett 19Richard Hern 19Margaret Jones 21Nicole Roberts 22Angel Wilcox 22Lonny Toman 22Bill Pashby 23Toni Ramsey 23Tyler Aukes 24Michele Benda 25Kendra Savery 25Dallas Caylor 28Nicole Thompson 28Paul Davis 28Cheryl Svarstad 29Lisa Noetzelmann 29

Michael Huxford 30Jean McMahon 30Pamila Junek 30

Look who attended Art Night The Suzie Cappa Art Center hosted representatives of the Humane Society of the Black Hills at a special ani-mal Art Night on August 11. All these pets--both the painted ones and the real ones--were up for adoption! Art night is held the second Friday of each month from 5-8. Come enjoy music, refreshments and of course, the art!

6 TIPS FOR SAVING TIME & MONEY

Get the most value from your health plan

TIP 1Choose a personal doctor. Whether your plan requires it or not, choosing a personal doctor will help coordinate your care and ensure your health is the best it can be. Personal doctors are categorized as primary care providers, which are generally less expensive than specialists or a trip to the emergency room. Your doctor knows you and your medical history. This helps him or her diagnose and treat you in a more knowledgeable way.

Save time with fewer and shorter office visits, and save on out-of-pocket costs when you visit your personal doctor.

Not sure which doctor to choose? Use the Find a Doctor or Hospital tool on Wellmark.com to research and choose the right health care providers for you and your family.

TIP 2Use the mail order pharmacy for medications you take regularly. Who doesn’t want a little more convenience in their life? Wellmark offers a mail order pharmacy service that delivers your medications right to your door. Avoid trips and waiting in line at the pharmacy every time you fill your 90-day prescriptions through the mail!

Wellmark offers two convenient ways to sign up! Visit the mail order pharmacy service page on Wellmark.com. Look for it on the Drug Information page under the Health and Wellness tab.

TIP 3Take your medicine.Taking your prescriptions in the right dose and at the right time is critical to your health. Doing so keeps your health conditions manageable and may help eliminate more costly care.

To help you remember when to take your medications, set an alarm on your watch, mobile phone or in your email calendar.

FOR MORE TIPS

September 2011

OFFICES IN SOUTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA Mailing Address: PO Box 89310-9310, Sioux Falls, SD 57109-9310

P. 800.732.1486 F. 877.884.6573 www.rascompanies.com

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION AND YOU

First Aid for Muscle and Tendon Soreness

Find the sore muscle or tendon.

Press down with your fingers until you feel mild tenderness, then rub at that level of pressure for up to a minute or until the tenderness goes away. Try these different styles of rubbing to find one that works for you:

Across the fibers of the muscles In a circular motion over the sore area Along the entire length of the muscle

Then press a little deeper until you again feel mild tenderness. Again, rub at that level of pressure until the tenderness goes away.

Repeat No. 3.

Relax the area you are rubbing; do not tense up!

Do this 2-3 times a day until the tenderness disappears completely. If the tenderness does not disappear while rubbing, you may be applying too much pressure. Stop and try again later. If tenderness does not dissipate with several more trials, stop using this procedure. Your problem may not be a sore muscle or tendon.

CROSS FRICTION MASSAGE

1

2

3

4

5

6

September 2011

OFFICES IN SOUTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA Mailing Address: PO Box 89310-9310, Sioux Falls, SD 57109-9310

P. 800.732.1486 F. 877.884.6573 www.rascompanies.com

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION AND YOU

First Aid for Muscle and Tendon Soreness

1. Do not apply ice if you’ve been diagnosed with Raynaud’s disease, which involves involuntary constriction of blood vessels in the extremities.

2. Do not apply ice if you have cold hypersensitivity. This is characterized by raised areas of skin where the ice was applied with red borders and blanched centers.

3. Do not apply ice over healing wounds. 4. Do not apply ice if you are diabetic.

ICE INSTRUCTION

Precautions

Cold Burning Deep Aching Numbness Analgesia

(pain relief)

Methods and Application

1. Ice pack – ice is placed over the sore area with a dish towel or several layers of paper towels placed between your skin and the ice pack Add/subtract towels between your skin and the ice to increase or decrease the intensity.

2. Commercial Cold Pack – same as above 3. With either of the above methods, apply the cold for 10-15 minutes. 4. Ice massage – Styrofoam cups are filled ¾ full and frozen. The bottom of the cup is peeled back exposing the

ice. The ice is rubbed over the sore area in constantly moving circular motions. Application should continue until numbness occurs – about 3-5 minutes.

5. Good times to ice are at break, after work, and before bed, especially if pain is keeping you up at night. Icing once a day is not nearly as effective as icing 2-3 times per day.

Additional Comments

1. Securing the cold or ice pack with an Ace wrap can help keep the pack secured. It can also help provide compression which helps eliminate swelling sometimes seen with cold application. You can also lay an ankle weight on top of the cold pack to add compression.

2. If you use ice massage, towels will be needed to collect the melting ice and to wipe down the body part being iced when finished.

3. While icing you will experience these normal sensations listed in the box at right: 4. Most people experience less discomfort with use of ice after the first or second

time. 5. You should expect to be stiff and have less strength for ½ hour after icing. 6. You should perform stretching or cross friction massage before icing although some

people do better with cross friction massage immediately after icing. 7. Normally, after two to three days, you can switch to the use of heat, but employees

that irritate a body part every day may want to use heat before activity and cold after activity.

“B” Recognition Award

Name of the staff person you’d like to recognize: Title of the person you are recognizing: Department of area they work in: What you’d like to recognize them for: Check the “B” that applies with the example of the “B” they demonstrated. Please be specific.

For Being Respectful of Others

For Being Accountable

For Being Your Best (Their Best)

For Being Supportive

Reason for the nomination: Your name and title: Your department or area: Please send this form to Alexi Kieffer at RSC. Your nominee could be selected to receive the $50 prize and be featured in The Workplace. Feel free to make copies of this form for additional people you’d like to recognize.

9-25-08 Rev 9-6-16