Avera Bulletin - August 2009

Quality Fêted at Eighth Avera Quality Congress

Congratulations to this year's recipients of the Avera Quality Awards. The 16 award-winning projects and individuals from across the Avera region were chosen from 99 nominations submitted by Avera colleagues.

Avera Caring With Excellence Awards:

• Avera McKennan for Laboratory Quality International Style
• Avera Heart Hospital for Executive Newspaper Delivery
• Hegg Memorial Health Center Avera for Creating Home Through Joyful Living
• Avera Cancer Institute for A Time to Heal

Avera Caring With Safety Awards:

• Avera McKennan for Interdisciplinary Fall Prevention on the Rehabilitation Unit
• Avera St. Benedict Health Center for Fall Reduction Through EMR Intervention
• St. Michael's Hospital Avera for Outpatient Infusion Therapy Program 
• Avera Sister James Care Center and Avera Yankton Care Center for Sliding-Scale Insulin Project

Avera Caring With Collaboration Awards:

• Avera Behavioral Health Center for Patient Smoking-Cessation Project
• Avera McKennan for Pre-Diabetes Education Program
• Avera Health Plans for Sioux Empire Health Partnership

Avera Caring Spirit Awards:

• David Johnson, Avera St. Luke's, Avera Spirit of Compassion Award
• Chris Lippert, RN, Avera Queen of Peace, Avera Spirit of Hospitality Award
• Chris Nelson, Avera Sacred Heart, Avera Spirit of Stewardship Award

Avera Caring With Leadership Award:

• Bob Voglewede, Avera Health

Avera Special Recognition:

• Mike Larson, Avera Sacred Heart

Space Available for 2010 Avera Haiti Visits

Space is still open for both of Avera's 2010 trips to Jeremie, Haiti. The dates are May 15-23 and Oct. 16-24. If you are interested in making a working visit, contact Sr. Joan Reichelt, senior vice president, Culture, at the Avera Central Office.

Avera embodies its mission in advocacy for the third-world poor by fundraising and working visits to the Haitian Health Foundation located in Jeremie on the western edge of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Learn more about this commitment and see comments and photographs from recent visits to Haiti at www.Avera.org.

Avera Embarks on Supply Chain Initiative

In keeping with the Avera value of stewardship, Avera is implementing a new value-analysis structure comprised of nine value-analysis teams reporting to the Avera Supply Chain Steering Committee. The structure will provide a system-focused forum for the collaboration of supply chain activities across the Avera system.

The Avera Supply Chain Steering Committee will conduct its first meeting on Sept. 3. Steering meetings from that point will be every three weeks on Thursdays.

Steering committee members include:

Avera Health Central Office Support Staff:

• Jean Reed, senior vice president, Strategy and Governance
• Jim Breckenridge, senior vice president, Finance
• Jim Veline, senior vice president, Information Systems
• Steve Statz, senior vice president, Business Development

Avera Regional Representatives:

• Judy Blauwet, Avera McKennan, senior vice president, Hospital Operations/chief nursing officer
• Julie Norton, Avera McKennan, senior vice president, Financial Services
• John Healy, Avera McKennan, vice president, Sioux Falls Primary Care  
• Pamela J. Rezac, Avera Sacred Heart, president and CEO
• Susan Feilmeier, Avera Sacred Heart, director, Pharmacy
• Chris Lippert, RN, Avera Queen of Peace, director, OR/PAR/SDS/Central Registration
• Sr. Joan Reichelt, Avera Health, senior vice president, Culture
• Ron Jacobson, Avera St. Luke's, president and CEO
• John Fritz, MD, Avera St. Luke's, vice president, Medical Affairs

Avera Ad Hoc Representatives:

• Mark Brunick, Avera McKennan, director, Purchasing
• Penny Scholl, Avera Sacred Heart, director, Purchasing
• Tad Jacobs, DO, Avera Health, chief medical information officer
• Sharon Williams, Avera Marshall, vice president, Finance and Information Services
• Sharon Weishaar, Avera St. Luke's, director, Purchasing
• Jeff Larson, Avera Queen of Peace, director, Materials Management
• Lisa Truedson, Avera Marshall, director, Materials 

As the initiative progresses, additional information will be communicated using a multitude of channels including the Avera intranet and SharePoint.

The nine value-analysis teams are currently being formed and will meet in September to kick-off their respective initiatives.

Avera McKennan Rehabilitation Unit Earns Re-Accreditation

The Avera McKennan Rehabilitation Unit has received another three-year accreditation for its Comprehensive Brain Injury and Stroke Specialty Programs for adults, children and adolescents through the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Founded in 1966, CARF is an international, independent, nonprofit accreditation provider for human service providers and networks. CARF-accredited organizations meet rigorous guidelines for service and quality.