Inside Centura 2020 - Video

Click on the image below to watch a short video that supports our 2020 initiative of moving upstream.

Did you say video? Yes, this is the first time that we have included video in the Penrose Pulse. I hope you enjoy it. It only takes a few seconds to load.

Ali Vincent, winner of season five of NBC's The Biggest Loser, recently visited Penrose-St. Francis. She partnered with Penrose-St. Francis CEO Margaret Sabin to host a one-hour bootcamp class for the community on a Saturday morning. Ali also took time to visit with the nurses to share her message of living a healthy and active life.

Click on the image to watch the video.
Note: At the end of the video, click the back arrow on your browser (top left corner) to return to the newsletter.

Meet your Leaders

This is a weekly column where you can meet your Penrose-St. Francis leaders.

I had the unique opportunity of sitting down with a man who calls himself the biggest “drug pusher” in Colorado Springs. No worries, the drugs are all legal. Mike Force is our Director of Pharmacy Services for Penrose St. Francis Health Services. After getting to know Mike, I can see why he has been here for 32 years.

Mike is a graduate of the University of Colorado Pharmacy School. He completed a fellowship in Pharmacy Management from Wharton School of Business that PSF supported. He started his career with PSF at Penrose Community Hospital when it first opened and was actually there helping move the day it closed. Now, Mike’s responsibilities extend over four pharmacy departments on three campuses which include approximately 65 associates. 

So what keeps Mike going after all these years? He says each day brings new challenges, new issues, problems and rewards. Mike tells me that he has a very dedicated, knowledgeable and caring staff that motivates him daily. He and his associates are always thinking about our patients and the best thing we can do for them.

Mike is able to get free time now and then. You can find his head buried in a great book. This bookworm likes reading biographies and non-fiction books. He just finished a book about Abraham Lincoln’s life and is now reading “Crazy for the Storm,” a book about one man’s survival after a plane crash in the mountains. Mike says he loves books about survival.
 
When Mike’s not reading, you can find him outdoors. He enjoys golf, fishing, and camping, boating, skiing and just “puttin’” around his 50 acre “estate” east of town.

Mike and his wife Maria, who is a nurse in Outpatient Surgery here at Penrose Hospital, have two children and four grandchildren. They all live in Colorado Springs making it easy for Mike to spend as much time as possible with his family.

2010 Associate Picnic

Click on the flyer for a printable version.

You're An Important Piece of the Puzzle

Ever wonder how Penrose, SFMC, St. Francis Health Center and all the clinics get their laundry done?  Well - it is quite a process, and we wanted you to know!

Penrose-St Francis is an owner/ member of Hospital Cooperative Laundry (HCL) which has two processing facilities and serves 32 hospitals along the Front Range from as far north as Cheyenne and south to Pueblo. They are a non-profit organization, and hospitals pay by the clean pound for their laundry service. In order to keep costs low, the hospitals standardize products and use the same linens, so a bed sheet that was at Penrose today could be at Saint Mary Corwin next week. 

The People
Seven employees accomplish all the laundry service for Penrose, SFMC, SFHC and the outlying clinics. This includes all of the deliveries of clean linen and pick up of soiled linen throughout  Penrose-St. Francis. Wow! 

The Process
Linen includes bed linens, gowns, towels and wash cloths, hospital-owned scrubs and surgical linen as well as cubical curtains and mops. Soiled linen goes down the chute and is collected in the basement. Some of the soiled linen must be collected by employees on each unit, because they don’t have access to a laundry chute. Blue carts are loaded up with the soiled laundry and loaded onto a semi which takes the soiled laundry to HCL’s facility in Pueblo, where the laundry is processed and sanitized.  The carts also get sanitized before they are loaded with clean linen again. The truck arrives at Penrose at 6 a.m., and the employees begin delivering clean linens. The process takes until 11 a.m. at which time, the carts are then loaded up with the dirty laundry and the process starts over again. 

Occasionally, hospital employees or patients lose items that are found in the laundry. HCL has a website to look for lost items.  It is: www.hospitalcooperative.com  After logging on to HCL’s website, click on the Pueblo location to search for a lost item.

Fun Fact: Penrose-St. Francis uses almost three million pounds of clean linen per year!

The laundry service is an integral part of our hospitals and clinic functions, so we wanted you to know exactly how this gets accomplished. Thank you Hospital Cooperative Laundry Services!

PSF Sky Sox Night

Did you make it out to the Penrose-St. Francis night at the ball park last Tuesday?

Here is what the Gazette had to say about the game:

By scoring five runs in the first two innings — all with two outs — Colorado Springs gave itself just enough of a cushion in a 5-4 victory over Portland on Tuesday that salvaged a split of the four-game series.

The crowd at Security Service Field was announced at 8,275, making it the largest June crowd for a Sky Sox game since the grand opening of the current stadium — then known as Sky Sox Stadium — on June 18, 1988.

“They got to see a great ballgame,” Sky Sox manager Stu Cole said. “It was good to see so many people come out and support us. I’m glad we got a win for them.”

In case you missed it, here are a couple of photos...

COO Jamie Smith was warmed up and ready to throw out the first pitch.

Jamie now holds the PSF record for fastest pitch with a throw of 56 mph. Even though his pitch was a bit high and inside, he beat Nate Olson's record. Nate's pitch was only 55 mph.

Throughout the season, kids of all ages get the chance to enjoy the SFMC Fun Zone at Sky Sox stadium.

Did you know?

It's Our Ad!

Just last week, workers installed our refurbished climber outside of Penrose Hospital. She got new clothes and a new pink helmet. They also hung a large banner promoting our spine program.

Notice anything different about our elevators? A few of the elevators have been "wrapped" with our low-dose CT ads. Kind of cool, huh?

PSF Art Show

At a recent lunch with Margaret, associates expressed interest in learning more about the wonderful artwork that decorates our hospitals. This is a weekly series featuring the artwork and historical pieces seen in our hospitals.

This week, we are featuring two sculptures by artist Ruth Burink.



The first piece is called "Compassion" and was dedicated to the staff of Penrose in honor of  the 2002-2005 Campaign of Critical Importance. You can find this piece in the lobby of Penrose Hospital.


This piece, called “Encircling Dove,”  is located on the second floor of SFMC, just outside administraion. 
“The shape of Encircling Dove was first dictated by the shape of the stone from which it was carved,” said Ruth Burink. “Then it moved through concepts like the nature of birds, and spirit and movement. Finally, it represents the spirit within us which touches others and the world around us which shapes and touches us.”

Laughter is the best medicine

This is a weekly series of fun stories and jokes to help brighten your day and put a smile on your face.

R.I.P.
When I was a young minister, a funeral director asked me to hold a grave side service for a homeless man with no family or friends. The funeral was to be at a cemetery way out in the country. This was a new cemetery and this man was the first to be laid to rest there.

I was not familiar with the area and became lost. Being a typical man, of course, I did not ask for directions. I finally found the cemetery about an hour late. The back hoe was there and the crew was eating their lunch. The hearse was nowhere to be seen.

I apologized to the workers for being late. As I looked into the open grave, I saw the vault lid already in place. I told the workers I would not keep them long, but that this was the proper thing to do. The workers, still eating their lunch, gathered around the opening.

I was young and enthusiastic and poured out my heart and soul as I preached. The workers joined in with, "Praise the Lord," "Amen," and "Glory!" I got so into the service that I preached and preached and preached, from Genesis to The Revelation.

When the service was over, I said a prayer and walked to my car. As I opened the door, I heard one of the workers say, "I never saw anything like that before and I've been putting in septic systems for twenty years."

From the World's Best Bad Jokes:
Our local Catholic church has plans to bring its partishioners to service by bus. They plan to call it mass transit.

Cycle for Change

SFMC will be hosting an aid station for the riders on July 8 during the Cycle for Change. Please be aware of bicycles coming and going from the campus that morning. Drive safely and share the road.

Click on the flyer for a printable version.

News Briefs

Congratulations!
Congratulations go out to Ginny Vravick in palliative care. She recently earned her Advanced Certified Hospice and Paliative Care Nursing certification. There are only nine people in the state of Colorado with this level of training. Three of those nine work for Centura. Thanks to Ginny, we can now provide this level of care for our patients and their families here at Penrose-St. Francis.

Did you notice?
Did you notice that the nursing awards at Penrose have moved? They used to be crowded in a small case outside of administration. They are now prominently displayed near the West Elevators on the 1st floor. Stop and take a look next time you are on your way to the Cafeteria.

Urgent Care Hours
The hours at Penrose Community Urgent Care changed: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., effective July 1st.
The hours at Langstaff Brown will not change at this time - 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

PSF Associate Art Show
It’s back! The Rewards & Recognition Committee is excited to announce the return of the PSF Associate Art Show. We have lots of creative people in our PSF community and this is an opportunity for us to recognize and celebrate your talents! The event will be held September 29th through October 2nd at Penrose Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center. All associates are encouraged to submit their original works of art*: photography, paintings, sculptures, jewelry, etc. More details and submission forms will be available soon.

*Art pieces must be in accordance with PSF policies

HIIP News

HIIP News for July 5-11

JULY 2010 LUNCH ‘N’ LEARN
“Celebrate FY10 and Learn About Changes for the Calendar Year 2011”
Come celebrate the end of Club HIIP Fiscal Year 2010 and be the first to find out about the NEW revision to Club HIIP! It’s a potluck party! If you are willing to bring something, please pick up a sign-up form and ENJOY LUNCH with us!
Tues, July 20, 12:05-12:45 p.m., SFMC/Conference Rooms 1-2
Wed, July 21, 12:05-12:45 p.m., PH/Cancer Center Rooms A-C

PSF EXTENDED FITNESS CLASSES
Pick up a schedule at HIIP Walk pockets at all site for registration form
Penrose Main
Pilates: Session 10: Starts, Wednesday, July 21 from 5-6 p.m. in the PH/E-Tower Aerobics Room for 5 weeks.
Bootcamp: Session 5: Starts, Monday, July 26 from 5-6 p.m. in the PH/E-Tower Aerobics Room for 6 weeks.
Power Up!: Session 3: Starts, Saturday, July 31 from 9-10:30 a.m. in the PH/E-Tower Aerobics Room for 6 weeks.

WELLNESS CENTER ORIENTATIONS
Please register for orientations via HealthCalc on My Virtual Workplace or call 776-5839, ext.
PH Wellness Center- July 8th at 8 a.m.
SFMC Wellness Center- July 15th at 5 p.m.
SFMC Wellness Center- July 20th at 1:30 p.m.
SFHC Wellness Center- July 23rd at 12 p.m.
PH Wellness Center- July 27th at 4 p.m.
See Orientation flyer in HIIP flyer boards for more information
Anyone over 40 years old must have a physician’s form signed giving permission to use the Wellness Centers.

WALKING CLUBS
PH Walking Club: Every Thursday at 7:15-7:50 a.m. outside of valet.
Contact Michelle Somers x5034
SFMC Walking Club: Every Tuesday at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. meet outside 1st floor/valet entrance. If temperature is below 30 degrees- cancelled. Contact Rox at x11064

HLC Third Quarter Classes

SCHEDULE OF HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM CLASSES
Wellness Classes: July 1 through September 30, 2010

Please call the following number for additional information or to register for any of the classes listed below. All classes require pre-registration / cancellation a minimum of 24 hours prior.
Penrose Health Learning Center
(719) 776-3600
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

All Wellness classes held at Penrose Health Learning Center, 1644 Medical Center Point (Union and Templeton Gap) unless otherwise noted.

Exercising with the Physioball Level I – This four-week class will focus on core stability and strength, toning abdominals, lower back strengthening and stretching, upper and lower body musculature. A physioball will be given to each participant to encourage completion of weekly homework assignments.  Class meets for 45-minutes once per week for four-weeks.

Date/Time: Mondays, September 6 through 27, 5:15 – 6 pm
Cost:       $40.00 per month

T’ai Chi – A form of ancient Chinese martial arts that works to improve body awareness, strength and coordination.

Date/Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning the first Tuesday of the month
July 6 through 29
August 3 through 26
September 7 through 30

9 – 10 am
Cost:       $40.00 per month

NEW! Cardio Kickboxing – This class will teach the basic techniques of kickboxing including punching, kicking, and other moves.  Class is held in a cardio-exercise format with focus on developing and maintaining cardiovascular endurance, balance and coordination.

Date/Time: Tuesdays
July 20 through August 10

5 – 6 pm
Cost:       $30.00 per month
            
NEW! Emotional Eating Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Attempts? – Come to this two-part series to gain some understanding and insight with your eating issues and get on a healthy path to a thinner, happier you!

Date/Time: Tuesdays
September 21 and 28

5:30 – 7 pm
Cost:       $40.00 / series
            

NEW!! Weekend Warrior Conditioning – Are you in need of achieving a new level of fitness to engage in your weekend warrior activities?  Join us for a boot camp, circuit style that will surely whip you into shape.

Date/Time: Wednesdays
July 7 through 28
5  – 6 pm
Cost:  $30.00 per month
           
Join The Health Learning Center Gym – Did you know that a one month membership at the HLC gym is equal to one class option through Colorado Springs Utilities?  Join us for one or more months and get your workouts kick started under the guidance of our fitness experts.  Call the registration number for an exercise intake appointment.

Date/Time: By appointment only
Contact 776-4761 to schedule your intake to initiate your membership
Cost:  $46.00 per month
            
Individual Fitness Assessment – Measure your fitness levels against the national averages and note areas in which you excel and potential areas of need. A sub-max VO2 treadmill test as well as evaluations for flexibility, strength and strength endurance will be performed.  Results will be reviewed and discussed with a fitness expert to help direct you in your future fitness goals.

Date/Time: By appointment only
Contact 776-4761 to schedule your appointment
Cost:  $50.00
  _______________________________________________________________________________

NEW! Grilling, Marinades and Summer Sauces – Get some great recipes, sample various marinades and sauces and get hints for meat specific grilling.  We’ll be in our teaching kitchen at the HLC with are expert dietitians.  Join us for a fun and flavorful event. 
 
Date/Time: Thursday, July 22
 
5:30 – 6:30 pm
Cost:  $25.00 value
            
New!  Functional Fitness – Join us for an age-appropriate fitness program designed to keep you happy and healthy well into your golden years.  This class will focus on balance, agility, core stability, and full body strengthening to enhance your abilities to do your activities of daily living.

Date/Time: Fridays
August 6 through 27

7 – 7:45 am 
Cost:  $30.00 per month
  _______________________________________________________________________________

Aquatics Classes – The Penrose Health Learning Center in cooperation with Colorado Sports and Spine. A structured lass 2-3 times per week concentrating on range of motion, overall strengthening and general cardiovascular conditioning. All Aquatics classes are located at 1625 Medical Center Point (Union and Templeton Gap).

  Date/Time:     
M/W/F 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.  or 11:30 – 12:30
M/F 12:30-1:30 pm
M/W 5 -6 p.m.
T/Th 8:30-9:30 a.m. 11:30-12:30  12:30-1:30 p.m.             
            
Cost: $46.00 / month for 2x / week
    $66.00 / month for 3x / week

Cafeteria Menu

PENROSE HOSPITAL Breakfast & Lunch Menu (for more choices including Dinner, call # 776-5408) For SFMC menu, please call menu line at # 571-1001

MONDAY
Breakfast
Western Breakfast Skillet, Eggs Florentine, Sausage & Biscuits
Lunch
Chicken & Dumplings, Sloppy Joe's, Penne Pasta & Choice Sauce,
New Mexico Panini, Beer Battered Cod, Apple Raspberry Cobbler.

TUESDAY
Breakfast
French Toast & Syrup, Sausage, Egg, Cheese McMuffin, Chipped Beef
Lunch
Beef Taco Bowl, Turkey Cheddar Pepper Panini, Chili Rellanos,
Portobello Mushroom Panini, Roast Turkey, Chocolate Brownies.

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast
Fruit Topped Pancakes, Breakfast Burritos, Green Chili, Red Potato Fries
Lunch
Tempura Orange Chicken, Beef Stir Fry over Jasmine or Refried Rice
Grilled Reuben, Calamari & Marinara, Apricot Bread Pudding.

THURSDAY
Breakfast
Denver Omelet, Waffles, Sausage Gravy & Biscuit, Shredded Hash Browns
Lunch
Grilled Turkey Bacon Swiss, Fresh Veggie Stir Fry, Pork Chop Apricot Sauce,
White Wine Salmon, Mile High Panini, Baked Potato Bar, Pistachio Cake.

FRIDAY
Breakfast
Bagel Breakfast Sandwich, Green Chili Omelet, Tater Tots
Lunch
Gorgonzola Mahi Mahi, Ratatouille, European Cold Cut Panini
Corned Beef & Cabbage, Chik Filet Burger, Red Chili, Cherry Cobbler

SATURDAY
Breakfast
Minnesota Baked Casserole, Chipped Beef & Biscuit, Hash Browns
Lunch
Pulled BBQ Pork, Grilled Chicken Breast, Meat Lasagna & Garlic Bread
Green Peas & Pearl Onions, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Blackberry Cobbler.

SUNDAY
Breakfast
Pancakes & Syrup, Red Potato Fries, Grits, Eggs & Sausage & Ham
Lunch
Fried Chicken, Baked Honey Glazed Ham, Sweet Potato & Marshmallow,
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Biscuits, Collard Greens, Apple Dumplings