Finally Open!

Nate Olson, SFMC CEO, cuts the ribbon during a ceremony Aug. 6 at the $207 million full-service hospital.  Joining him for the official ribbon-cutting and blessing ceremony are (left to right) Retired Colorado Springs Bishop Richard Hanifen; Phil Shaw, Interim President and CEO of Penrose-St. Francis Health Services; Cathy Robbins, PSF Board of Trustees Chair; Dave Csintyan, Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce CEO; Gary Campbell, CEO of Centura Health; Bob Fling, VP of Construction for Centura Health; and Nancy Lewis, PSF Health Foundation Chair.  About 750 people attended the event.

Community Day

About 5,000 people attended the St. Francis Medical Center Community Day on Aug. 9, getting a first-hand look at the full-service hospital.  Participants were treated to passport tours, health screenings, service line interactive demos, cooking demos, and much more.  A Flight For Life helicopter was on hand, and both Sox the Fox and Sponge Bob Square Pants made guest appearances.  Several radio stations broadcasted live from the parking lot, promoting the opening of the 156-bed facility. 

Annual Picnic

About 4,400 associates, volunteers and their families enjoyed a full day of activities during the Penrose-St. Francis Annual Associate and Volunteer Picnic.  This year’s event was held at the new St. Francis Medical Center and included passport tours, finger-licking BBQ, games, bungee jumping, inflatables for the kids, entertainment, prizes and much more. 

A Grand Event

About 1,900 people celebrated the opening of Northern Colorado Springs’ only full-service hospital during a black-tie gala event on Aug. 8 (8-8-08).  Participants were treated to passport tours, refreshments, entertainment and words of encouragement from Centura Health and Catholic Health Initiatives officials.  A large tent was set up to accommodate several hundred people during the event, but torrential rains forced the party to be held entirely inside the $207 million facility. 

“We made the call earlier in the day to move all of the decorations, stage, dance floor, and refreshment stations from the tent to inside the hospital,” said Wendi Dammann, Regional Director of Marketing and Communications.  “It made for a much more intimate affair and the feedback has been phenomenal.  It was the perfect exclamation point to a week’s worth of grand opening events.” 

Lights Out

Camille Goodnight flipped the switch on the last light in the Penrose Community Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on Aug. 16.  PCH closed simultaneously with the opening of the new St. Francis Medical Center. Camille also turned off the last light in the old St. Francis Birth Center about 30 years ago.

SFMC's First Baby

The first baby born at the new St. Francis Medical Center arrived just 15 minutes after Northern Colorado Springs’ only full-service hospital opened on Aug. 16.  Bella Grace Fletcher – who weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces – was born at 7:15 a.m.  She is the daughter of Dawn and Russell Fletcher of Fountain, Colo.  The baby is the couple’s fourth child, and their first daughter.

First Mass

Bishop Michael Sheridan and Father Dan Ayers celebrate the First Mass in the Chapel of St. Clare on Aug. 3.  More than 50 people attended the event, including the Sisters of Charity and the Sisters of St. Francis.  Mass will be held at the St. Clare Chapel in the St. Francis Medical Center at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 11:30 a.m., Sundays.

Fighting Cancer

The Penrose Cancer Center recently announced its latest technology to help fight cancer in the Pikes Peak region, the new Trilogy system, for treating cancer and neurological lesions with image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and image-guided radiosurgery (IGRS). 

The Trilogy system is the most powerful, precise, and versatile treatment solution ever provided by one machine.  In addition to delivering conventional forms of radiation therapy, the Trilogy system can be used for stereotactic approaches for treating very small lesions quickly and with unprecedented precision.  It can also compensate for any movements a patient might make during treatment, as well as normal respiratory motion.

“This state-of-the-art system will enable us to treat patients with the most advanced radiotherapy techniques, using the most clinically efficient processes in the world,” said Dennis Bruens, Penrose Cancer Center Director.  “It provides us with tremendous versatility and precision for customizing treatments according to the specifics of each patient’s case.”
 
Beam Shaping and Patient Positioning

At the core of the Trilogy system is a high-powered medical linear accelerator, a machine that rotates around the patient to deliver radiotherapy treatments from many angles.  The system is able to concentrate radiation doses on the tumor while protecting surrounding healthy tissue.  The Trilogy linear accelerator was designed to deliver high doses of radiation very quickly, and with great precision.  That translates into faster treatments, greater patient comfort, and the potential for better outcomes.

The system incorporates a multileaf collimator for shaping the radiation beam to match the three-dimensional shape of the tumor, and a robotic device for fast, accurate, real-time tumor tracking and automated patient positioning. 

Dealing with Tumor and Respiratory Motion

The Trilogy system also includes technologies that help doctors deal with tumor motion during treatment.  A set of optical guidance cameras monitor and correct for any patient movement, while an infrared monitoring device turns the radiation beam on and off at a predetermined point in a patient’s breathing cycle to compensate for respiratory motion.

“These important tracking and targeting technologies will enable us to treat lesions that might not have been treatable in the past,” said Dr. Anuj Peddada, Radiation Oncologist.  “We’ll be able to protect healthy tissues to an unprecedented degree.”

Stereotactic Approaches to Treatment

The Trilogy linear accelerator is optimized for stereotactic applications that involve delivering higher doses of radiation to smaller areas over short periods of time.  This means that, in addition to cancer, doctors can use the system to treat benign and malignant brain tumors, arteriovenous malformations, trigeminal neuralgia, and other neurological conditions.

“Stereotactic approaches are generally most appropriate for small lesions and early metastases,” said Dr. Peddada.  “Better diagnostic tools are making it possible for us to see tumors much earlier, when they’re still very small, so stereotactic radiotherapies are likely to play a much larger role in the future of cancer care.

 “Radiation therapy is used today in more than half of all cancer treatments due to its unique clinical advantages,” added Dr. Peddada.  “Using the Trilogy system, we have the potential to substantially improve treatment outcomes by doing a better job of protecting healthy tissue while delivering more powerful doses to tumors and other abnormalities.”

One Scoop or Two?

Gary Campbell, CEO of Centura Health, dishes up a scoop of ice cream in the Penrose Hospital Cafeteria.  Ice cream socials were held around the clock at Penrose Hospital, St. Francis Medical Center and St. Francis Health Center in celebration of the recent Joint Commission accreditation.  More than 63 gallons of ice cream were scooped and served at the facilities.

NICU Transport Vehicle

A customized Neonatal Intensive Care Unit transport vehicle is helping Penrose-St. Francis Health Services’ tiniest patients receive the care they need at the appropriate facility. 

PSF is leasing the vehicle from American Medical Response, a national medical transportation company.

“The vehicle transports tiny babies from other facilities to new St. Francis Medical Center where we offer a 25-bed, Level III NICU that provides state-of-the-art medical care for premature and critically ill newborns,” said Dr. Meg Prado, Neonatologist and Medical Director of the NICU. 

The transport vehicle is outfitted with both oxygen and air.  The isolette has a built-in ventilator and is mounted securely onto a collapsible stretcher, which is clipped to the floor. 

A marketing “wrap” – or traveling billboard – promotes the PSF Birth Center while the vehicle is in motion.

The vehicle response team consists of a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and a respiratory therapist.  A physician may also respond as long as a trained nurse is present, Dr. Prado said.  AMR provides a driver and Emergency Medical Technician to load and unload the transport isolette.

“Many of our practitioners are trained instructors of the ‘STABLE’ Program, specifically geared toward the pre-transport stabilization and assessment of critically ill newborns,” she said.  “In fact, we just sent two of our practitioners to the STABLE course in Kansas City, Mo.”

With the recent addition of a perinatologist to the PSF medical staff, future plans for the vehicle include transporting high-risk, pregnant women to St. Francis Medical Center from other Centura Health South State facilities. 

Dr. Michael Muench specializes in maternal-fetal medicine and genetics, including advanced training in medical and surgical management of high-risk pregnancies – mothers over 35 and those with diabetes, heart conditions and pre-eclampsia. 

“It’s an exciting time as we continue to expand the mother-baby services we offer at Penrose-St. Francis,” Dr. Prado added.

-- Johnny Rea

HLC Kudos

Note:  The letter below was recently received by the Health Learning Center, and lauds the staff for providing superior service to employees of Colorado Springs Utilities.  HLC officials say it is a collaborative effort between several departments within Penrose – coordinated through the HLC – including the Birth Center, Family Education, HIIP, Lab, and CSSC Pool.  A big thanks to all of these departments for their contributions!

In 2007, Colorado Springs Utilities sought competitive priced proposals from vendors who would be able to administer quality health and wellness services to include at a minimum, health screenings, wellness classes, and flu shot services to our active employees, spouses, dependent children, retirees and COBRA participants. 

Colorado Springs Utilities was excited to select Penrose-St. Francis as our new health improvement program vendor effective January 1, 2008. 

The health improvement program through the Penrose Health Learning Center has been well received and extremely successful with our organization. Participation in wellness classes have increased significantly compared to previous years participation with our prior vendor. Penrose provides quality class offerings that are diverse in nature and meets the needs of our employee and dependent population. 

Participation in on-site health screenings has also increased.  We contribute this not only to Penrose’s flexibility and availability but also to a new process that was introduced to us. This process included adapting an appointment based schedule, utilizing CholesTec machines instead of blood draws, and providing on-site counseling for participants. We have received wonderful feedback from our employees expressing how much of an improvement this process has been compared to our previous vendor’s process.  The on-site counseling has been extremely beneficial to participants. Instead of just receiving their results, they now know what steps to take next. This serves as a vital piece in understanding their screening results and managing their health.

The importance and purpose of the health improvement program is to enable our work force and their families to take a proactive approach in achieving healthier lifestyles and increasing productivity throughout our organization. By integrating Penrose’s health improvement program with our Healthy Living Wellness Program we have been able to reduce health risk factors in our organization. We could not have achieved these goals without Penrose’s partnership. 

Penrose has proven to be flexible and dedicated to serving our workforce with quality and cost-effective programs that are essential in improving the health of our organization. Colorado Springs Utilities has been extremely pleased with not only the services that Penrose provides, but as well as the customer service we receive from our account manager, Mary Harrington, and the rest of the staff at the Penrose Health Learning Center. 

We look forward to continuing our relationship with Penrose and are excited about what the future holds for our health improvement program.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Thank you,

Brenda Light
Human Resources Senior Benefits Specialist
Colorado Springs Utilities

HealthGrades Heroes

By Gina Artioli
Vladimir Jones

Note:  HealthGrades, the nation’s leading health care ratings organization, has recognized Penrose-St. Francis Health Services as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals, the only hospital in Colorado to receive this distinction. With this honor, our physicians, nurses, technicians and administrators join an elite top 1 percent of hospitals.  Join us as we spotlight “HealthGrades Heroes” monthly in this feature.

Earlier this year, HealthGrades acknowledged Penrose-St. Francis Health Services as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals.  It also recognized multiple product lines with Five-Star Ratings.  In this issue, PSF highlights physician heroes in Pulmonary Services on a Five-Star Rating for Overall Pulmonary Services: 2005-2008, Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): 2007, and Treatment of Pneumonia: 2004-2008.

Keathe Hanley, RN, and Larry Benner, Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), credit the success of Pulmonary Services to the experience, professionalism and dedication of the pulmonary team. 

“Our team of respiratory therapists, pulmonologists and nurses are an outstanding group of individuals whose concern is to provide the best patient care to everyone they work with,” Keathe said.

With over 36 years of experience as an RRT, Larry adds that Pulmonary Services really is a team effort in which licensed therapists work in conjunction with the physicians to provide treatment and recommendations for patients with a variety of needs. Pulmonary Services assists in the treatment of patients with COPD (which includes asthma, emphysema, bronchitis), trauma and surgical patients and ventilator management.  They also conduct diagnostic pulmonary function tests and bronchoscopies,

“Everyone has a role. From the moment a patient enters surgery or the emergency room, we are there to lend our expertise and act as a resource for the physicians. From there, we carry out the physician’s treatment orders and follow the care of each patient,” he said.

Of the 34 licensed therapists at PSF, over 10 have 10 or more years of experience. “With our combined base of experience, the team is able to mentor and train our younger professionals to continue to offer the best recommendations,” Larry added.

Keathe also praises the work of the team to develop a program to prevent ventilator acquired pneumonia, or VAP. VAP occurs in about 25 percent of patients on ventilators and can be dangerous to the healing and well-being of the patient. At PSF, VAP protocol strives to lessen the time a patient spends on a respirator, thereby reducing the risk of infection and pneumonia.

“They are simple steps, but when followed through and done correctly, can save lives,” Keathe said.  With the new protocol in place, PSF went over a year without a single incident of VAP due to the collaboration of the nursing team and the Respiratory Care therapists.

Both Keathe and Larry agree that it is the teamwork and holistic approach to patient care that sets PSF and Pulmonary Services apart. “We look at the full scope of the patient and their treatment as a team to provide ongoing care.”

For Your Spirit

By Larry Seidl
Vice President, Mission Effectiveness

In the past several weeks, Penrose-St. Francis has received some exceptional coverage in the print media.  Special pull-out sections appeared in several places.  While most of the coverage was directly related to the opening of the new St. Francis Medical Center, in many ways the interviews and the coverage allowed us to "tell our story", both from the past to the current moment.

The results of one such interview appeared in the Gazette under the headline “Outward Symbols Show its Roots in Catholic Tradition”.  The writer of the article did us the courtesy of advancing the questions she intended to ask.  The two primary questions were, “What does it mean to be a faith-based organization in the 21st century, and specifically, what benefit does being Catholic bring to patient care?”

Good thought-provoking questions, the kind we should be asking ourselves every day.
 
I began the interview by telling her that PSF was a part of a bigger picture in that 19 percent of all non-government hospital beds are Catholic in nature and that 29 percent of all non-government hospital beds are faith-based (generally Adventists, Baptist, Jewish, Methodists, Presbyterian and others).  Collectively, this group of hospitals reaches its mission by serving and ministering to all within the community who seek healthcare.  But the difference, and difference doesn't mean that we are better, is in 1) the way we view human nature and existence, 2) in the way we think about the organization and its decisions, and 3) in the how we serve others.  Thrown in the mix are our ethical principles and our theological stories.  

Our particular story is the Christ story.  In that context, "we know where we are going because we know who we are following."  Christ is whom we model our care and our healing presence/intentions.
 
As the interview went along, it became so clear to me that the writer had a genuine interest in who we are and how we ministry, especially to the broader secular community.  She seemed at times both fascinated and inspired.  The writer even suggested that we explore other articles about our identity in future publications. 
 
But as I looked back on the interview, I thought how is it that others in Colorado Springs know of our ministry and our identity?  Articles and interviews help.  But the real way others know of our difference is in the way YOU CARE FOR THEM, either as patients, families, guests, vendors, or infinite other interactions.  You are the Christ to and for them.   And they will discover that Christ, in your smile, in your voice, in your gentle touch, and in the deep respect you have for them that takes you beyond the ordinary. 

For in each of the above, hope is found.  In each of the above, hope becomes unmasked because of the way we view life and in the way we do things.  Loving people, being Christ to another is contagious.  Lets hope a lot of people catch the real you.
 
For all you are, and for all you offer the patient, and the stranger, we are so fortunate that you are here at PSF.  We are not just lucky to have you here, we are blessed!

HIIP News

SEPTEMBER 2008 LUNCH ‘N’ LEARN
“SFMC Wellness Center Grand Opening”
Please join us for fun, food, and games! All are welcome to come and view this new wellness center, and you might even shake hands with an Olympian!

FY09 HIIP EDUCATION CLASSES
Pick up a schedule at HIIP wall pockets at all sites:
Think Before You Eat: Wednesday, Sept. 3 from 7:30-8:15a.m. at SF/5th Floor Summit Room
Can Someone Please Push the Pause Button:  Thursday, Sept. 25 from 5-5:45 p.m. at SFMC/Conf Room 4 (1st Floor)

WELLNESS CENTER ORIENTATIONS
Please register for the orientations below via HealthCalc on My Virtual Workplace or call 776-5839, ext 2.
PH Wellness Center – Thursday, Sept. 11 at 8 a.m.
SF Wellness Center – Friday, Sept. 12 at noon
PH Wellness Center – Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m.
Anyone over 40 years old must have a physician’s form signed giving permission to use Wellness Centers.

SELF CARE CLASS
Tuesday, Sept. 16 from noon to 12:45 p.m. in ASC/1st Floor Skyline Room

PSF EXTENDED FITNESS CLASSES
Pick up a schedule at HIIP Wall pockets at all sites for registration form:
Pilates: Session 3: Starts, Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 5-6 p.m. in the PH/E-Tower Aerobics Room for 5-week session
Body Toning: Session 2a/b: Starts, Monday, Sept. 22 from 12:30-1:35 p.m. in the PH/E-Tower Aerobics Room for 6-week session

WALKING CLUBS
PH Walking Club: Every Wednesday at 7:15-7:50 a.m. outside of valet. Contact Michelle, x5034
SF Walking Club:  Every Monday at 12:30 p.m. outside of the Foundation building. Contact Tracy, x7085
PCH Walking Club:  Every Tuesday at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., meet outside SFMC/1st Floor Main Entrance.  Contact Rox, x11064

COMMUNITY WALKS
Alzheimer's Memory Walk: Saturday, 9 a.m., Sept. 6 at America the Beautiful Park
(5k/3.1mi) Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $225 million to help those battling Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Association, the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer research, care and support, is dedicated to finding prevention methods, treatments and an eventual cure for Alzheimer's and providing support for all those affected by the disease.

Pikes Peak Challenge: Saturday, Sept. 6
Please contact Eileen Cannon at 776-2050 to be on Team PSF! Hike begins at 5 a.m. Registration fee of $40. Each hiker must register individually, but if part of a team, indicate team name on registration form. To be qualified to hike, all collected donations, a minimum of $150 must be turned in by Saturday, Sept. 6. The Pikes Peak Challenge is a unique fundraising event held annually in September that encourages registered participants to experience the excitement and success of hiking to the summit of Pikes Peak. For more information visit www.pikespeakchallenge.com

The 2008 Komen Colorado Springs Race for the Cure: Sunday, Sept. 7 at Garden of the Gods; 5K, walk time: 8:05 a.m. Please contact Maureen McKasy-Donlin for more information to be on Team Penrose at 776-6035. Location: Garden of the Gods Park at 30th Street and Gateway Rd. 5K run, 5K walk, and family walk.  Visit http://www.komencs.org/ to register online! Join Team Penrose!

2008 Walk to Cure Diabetes: Saturday, Sept. 13 at America the Beautiful Park
Check in Time: 9 a.m., walk start time: 10 a.m., walk length: 5k; Contact Liz, Club HIIP for more information at 776-7393. Go to www.walk.jdrf.org and join “Team Penrose”
As many as 3 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, a disease most often diagnosed in childhood that strikes suddenly, lasts a lifetime, and carries the constant threat of deadly complications, including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and amputation. JDRF's mission is constant: to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Thanks to dramatic research progress, a cure is now within our reach.

Light the Night Walk: Sept. 18 at the Downtown Pioneers Museum
Registration and festivities, including refreshments, entertainment and family activities, open at 5 p.m.; walks will begin at 7 pm. Go to www.lightthenight.org/rm and join “Team Penrose”.
Light The Night is an annual Society event to raise funds for cures. It’s the nation’s night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of patients and their families.  Funds raised through Light The Night Walk support the work of hundreds of the world’s best and brightest researchers in their search for better therapies and cures for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Contact Liz, Club HIIP, for more information at 776-7393

All PSF associates are encouraged to participate in these upcoming events.  Find a cause that is close to your heart and put your “Mission in Motion.”  Also, please wear your Team Penrose Mission in Motion T-Shirt!

SFMC Wellness Center

The new St. Francis Medical Center’s Wellness Center opens Sept. 9 with an Olympic theme. 

The opening ceremony is set for 9 a.m. and will include a ribbon-cutting, special blessing, inspirational speeches by U.S. Olympians, and the passing of the Olympic Torch (official torch from the 2002 Salt Lake City games).  The “games” run from 9:30 a.m. to noon and include Tai Chi demonstrations, Olympic games and competition, neck and back massages, meet and greet U.S. Olympians, learn about Chinese culture, and food and prizes.

Features of the new SFMC Wellness Center include:

• Ellipticals      
• Treadmills      
• Upright and Recumbent Bike    
• New Stairmaster Step Mill
• New Elliptical with incline & rotating arms
• Stretch Trainer
• Free Weight Dumbbells
• Fitness Balls
• New Paramount and Precor strength training equipment
• Men’s and women’s lockers with bathroom facilities, showers, vanity, towels, hair dryers and more.
• Massage room for PSF employees and volunteers
• Club HIIP Office

Sept. 10 will be the official first day of business for the new facility.  The center is free to PSF employees and PSF volunteers.  There will be a nominal fee for all non-PSF associates who work at the SFMC site. Everyone who would like access to the new facility must attend an orientation, which will take about 40 minutes. 

Orientations are set for Sept. 10-12, Sept. 15-18, and Sept. 22-24.  Employees may pre-register for an orientation by calling 776-7393.  Volunteers, physicians, and non-PSF employees may register by calling 776-5839, press 2.  This center is NOT available to family and community members.

Tiers for Orientations to the SFMC Wellness Center

Group 1 – Anyone who works at SFMC and had previous access at PCH.

Group 2 – Other PSF employees and PSF Volunteers who currently have access at PH, PCH or SF Wellness Center.

Group 3 – PSF Employees and Volunteers who work at SFMC and need a Wellness Center Orientation (never had one before)  If you are over 40 years of age, we do require your physician to sign a medical release due to liability purposes (please call 776-5034 to request a form).
 
Group 4 - Physicians and Non-PSF Employees who physically work at St. Francis Medical Center who     currently have access to the PH, or PCH wellness centers and wish to enroll in the new membership        program (nominal cost).

Group 5 - Physicians and Non-PSF Employees who work at St. Francis Medical Center and wish to enroll in the new membership (nominal cost).

Orientations

Sept. 10:  Group 1, 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Sept. 11:  Groups 1-2, 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Sept. 12:  Groups 1-2, 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon
Sept. 15:  Groups 1-3, 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m.
Sept. 16:  Groups 1-3, 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon
Sept. 17 & 18:  Groups 4-5, 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., noon and 5 p.m.
Sept. 22-24:  All Groups, times TBD

Sleep Well!

This month the Rewards and Recognition Team would like to focus the spotlight on an extremely important department, the Sleep Center, but let’s keep the lights low. People are trying to sleep around here!

The National Sleep Foundation states two-thirds of Americans report frequent sleep problems, which means the majority of Americans may be suffering from the deleterious health effects of sleep problems.

Did you know that you are not supposed to snore? The past decades have produced an entirely new picture, in which sleep-disordered breathing, ranging from snoring and upper airway resistance to apnea with hypoxemia, actually related to profound health problems. A few diagnoses that are related to sleep apnea are hypertension, stroke, obesity, depression, heart failure, ADHD, arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and enlarged tonsils. Sleep apnea is defined as not breathing in your sleep.

Someone with untreated sleep apnea is up to four times more likely to have a stroke, and three times more likely to be a candidate for a heart disease.

Loud snoring, morning headaches, frequent napping, daytime sleepiness, poor memory, reduced libido choking/gasping/snorts during sleep and non-refreshing sleep and the inability to wake up, are just a few sleep apnea symptoms that could lead to deadly diseases.

The Penrose-St. Francis Sleep Disorders Center is located at 825 E Pikes Peak Ave. on the second floor of the St. Francis Health Center. The Sleep Center offers six rooms with queen size beds, beautifully decorated to resemble a nice hotel room with private bathrooms and showers.

Centura's only accredited Sleep Disorders Center in Colorado, and one of the first sleep centers in the western mountain region, the Penrose-St. Francis Sleep Disorders Center has been accredited over 10 years by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. It is professionally staffed with Diplomates of the American Board of Sleep Medicine physicians, respiratory therapist, nurse, and registered polysomnographers. The sleep center uses state-of-the-art equipment designed to evaluate and diagnose adults and children with serious and ongoing sleep problems.

The sleep lab exists to serve patients.  From the first encounter and throughout the treatment process, one-on-one coaching is provided to make the patient feel comfortable, successful, confident with the physician recommendation, and personal short- and long-term follow-up with every patient.

As you can see, the Sleep Lab is a vital department within the Penrose-St Francis system. We commend them for their outstanding service to our patients, making each individual feel comfortable and confident with the care they receive.

-- Courtesy, Rewards & Recognition Team

Race For The Cure

This year's Race For The Cure will be held in the Garden of the Gods Park on Sept 7. You can sign up on the web site www.komencs.org to join Team Penrose. Any Penrose-St. Francis associate who supports Team Penrose by registering for the Race For The Cure will be entered into a drawing to win a beautiful bracelet, with a retail value of $200.  This year, you can Run for the Cure, Sleep for the Cure and Walk for the Cure.

You can also mail pledges to:
Komen Colorado Springs Affiliate
P.O. Box 9670
Colorado Springs, CO 80932-0670

If you have any questions, please contact Gail Decker, 776-6621. Let’s make this year our best ever!

Ask-A-Nurse

Centura Health announced last week that it has decided to continue operating Ask-A-Nurse, its free-to-the-public, call-in nurse service. On July 9, the organization had announced its intention to close the service within the next 90 days due to financial pressures. Hours of operation were reduced at that time.

Arlen Reynolds, Centura Health chief operating officer, said, “Since the decision was made to close Ask-A-Nurse, many calls and e-mails from the community have been received voicing disappointment about the closing. Leaders from around the Centura system met to reconsider the issue, after which it was decided to keep the service open. Although the service will be modified further to deal with the rising cost of running a health care system, we will keep it running. Our commitment to nurture the health of our communities is unwavering.”

The Ask-A-Nurse service will continue in its present form while it is being reevaluated by a committee of organizational leaders, community board members and physicians. An announcement regarding the format of its future operations will be made when a decision is reached. The The Ask-A-Nurse phone number is 303-777-NURSE (6877).

Last fiscal year, Centura Health invested more than $200 million into charity care and community programs, including Ask-A-Nurse.