NEWSLETTER: JULY - OCTOBER 2007

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• 64th Annual Meeting and Conference
• Msgr. William Broussard Scholarship Winners
• MEMBER UPDATE
  • CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial Wins Award
  • Dell Children’s Medical Center Opens
  • Providence Healthcare Network Earns QRCR for 5th Consecutive Year
  • St. Joseph Health System Recognized Nationally with Workplace Award
  • St. Joseph Foundation Announces Scholarship Winners
• NEWS TO USE
• Sponsorship for Senator Van de Putte Reception

64th Annual Meeting and Conference

Catholic Health Association of Texas
64th Annual Meeting and Conference
Vision & Leadership in Catholic Health Care: Answering the Call
October 5, 2007
Austin Airport Marriott South
4415 S. IH 35
Austin, Texas  78744

To register for the conference please contact Candise Spikes at cspikes@tha.org or (512) 465-1521
Catholic Health Association of Texas
Attn:  Candise Spikes
P.O. Box 15364
Austin, TX  78761-5364

CHA OF TEXAS ANNOUNCES THE 2007 WINNERS OF THE MONSIGNOR WILLIAM BROUSSARD HEALTH CAREER SCHOLARSHIPS:

	Michael C. Knudson received a $1,000 scholarship.  He is a senior at Texas A&M University in College Station and expects to graduate in May 2008.  Upon graduation Michael plans to attend medical school to become a “model, empathetic physician who is also an active leader among health care providers.”  He says, “Unmistakably, service and dedication to others is the backbone of medical education and the profession and its most appealing aspect.”  Michael is an accomplished student and a dedicated volunteer.  He has held several leadership positions in the Corps and multiple board officer roles in several national and international honor societies at A&M but states that he is most proud of his contributions as president of the campus chapter of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP), because he helps many peers in networking for jobs to pay tuition and get permanent employment.  His professional objective is to increase the quality of care and efficiency of health delivery for the uninsured, underserved and rural populations in Texas.
	Maricela Solis received a $500 scholarship.  She is a graduate student at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi and is pursuing a masters in psychology.  Her journey in life, having been diagnosed with Dermatomayositis, a rare condition that deteriorates the body’s muscle tissue, has led her to continue her education in psychology.  Maricela recalls not understanding a lot of what was happening to her at the time, at the age of seven when diagnosed.  She would cry at nights asking God why she had to be sick.  Her views on life and herself were molded by these experiences.  Now, she would like to help disabled children.  She wants to be able to talk to them and help them see life from a new perspective.  Her goals are to begin the masters program in psychology in Fall 2007 and eventually continue through the doctoral program.  She states, “I hope to reach out to children who have the same questions I did as a child.  And what better experience than experience itself?”
	Peter Jay Smith received a $500 scholarship.  He attends Tyler Junior College and expects to graduate in May 2008.  Upon graduation he plans to apply to Pharmacy School at the University of Houston.  As a Doctor of Pharmacy, he hopes to help the community by serving people to the best of his ability and also hopes to aid in research that may lead to cures to various diseases.  He says, “With the price of tuition as high as it is, this scholarship can help me with my payments.”
	Glynda J. Tomerlin received a $500 scholarship.  She is a junior at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX and is pursing a nursing degree.  Upon graduation she plans to work in a hospital setting for at least two years for the experience, but ultimately would like to teach in a nursing school to ensure that there are instructors for younger students coming up.  Glynda says she loves helping people learn new things and skills.  “I think nursing is an excellent place to do this in today’s world where a lot of humanity has forgotten that we are to give back what we receive.”
	Terri Bukowski received a $500 scholarship.  She is a junior at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX and is pursing a bachelor of science in psychology.  Upon graduation she plans to pursue a master of science in counseling psychology from Tarleton and become a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice.  Terri is a wife and mother of four children.  She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, a community volunteer, and has worked for her parish as the Director of Religious Education for the past 9 years, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
	Ashley Burnett received a $250 scholarship.  She is a junior at Tarleton State University majoring in pre-dental.  Upon graduation she plans to attend dental school and become one of the few women orthodontist in the state.  She states, “This scholarship will help me achieve my goal of making my life successful and help me accomplish my pledge and dedication to myself, family and future.”
	Anna Patrice Rose Meier received a $250 scholarship.  Anna is attending St. Edward’s University in Austin and is a sophomore majoring in pre-medicine.  Her goal, a career practicing medicine, stems from a childhood memory of an asthma attack she had at age six.  She says, “The entire situation frightened me.  Riding in that ambulance was my first memorable experience with the health profession.  Since then, I felt spiritually called into studying and pursuing a career in medicine.”  She is looking forward to the opportunity of physically seeing changes in her patients that she helps bring about.
	Krysten Elizabeth Phelan received a $250 scholarship.  Krysten graduated from Texas A&M University this past May with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science and has been accepted to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston where she will begin medical school in the fall.  Her goal is to become a pediatrician or cardiologist.  Krysten volunteers in hospitals and in her community.  She loves volunteering in free clinics like Health For All and the Prenatal Clinic in the city neighboring her university.  She plans to continue her volunteer work throughout medical school and while practicing medicine later in life.  She states, “I believe that it is my responsibility as a citizen and a child of God to help those in need.  I have been blessed with my passion for medicine, and I believe that I am to share my gifts with others.”
	Vanessa C. Grijalva received a $250 scholarship.  She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Hardin-Simmons University.  She expects to graduate in December 2008 and will seek licensure to become a certified physical therapist.  For Vanessa, being around hospitals has always been a part of her life, as her grandfather suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis, among other disabilities.  She says, “I saw how others in the profession helped my grandfather and it became my dream to help others through touch.”
	Gabriel O. de la Garza received a $250 scholarship.  Gabriel is a graduate student at Baylor College of Medicine and is pursuing a doctorate degree.  Through his first 12 months of clinical rotations, Gabriel found that the enjoyed the surgical subspecialties, such as plastic surgery, otolaryngology, and orthopedics.  He says, “In these specialties you get to work with your hands and you feel gratification when dealing with a patient’s problem directly.”  However, he also enjoys seeing patients in a clinic setting, outside and away from the hospital.  Consequently, Gabriel’s goal is to go into the field of Otolaryngology, a unique specialty which includes operating, seeing otherwise healthy patients in clinic, and treating common children’s ailments.
	Leigh Ann Neal received a $250 scholarship. Leigh Ann is a graduate student at Hardin-Simmons University pursuing a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree.  Her educational goal is to gain the knowledge that she needs to become the best physical therapist she can be.  She is also taking courses that will allow her to get a certified functional manual therapy license.  Leigh Ann hopes to someday work in an outpatient physical therapy clinic and “provide her patients with the therapy that they need and deserve.”

CHA of Texas congratulates all of the 2007 scholarship winners and the donors, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP and Witt/Kieffer, who made this scholarship possible.

MEMBER UPDATE

CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial was awarded the Texas Department of State Health Services ImmTrac Award for Excellence-Recognized Performance.

ImmTrac is an electronic process that tracks and monitors immunizations for children.  By Texas law, all parents of newborns are offered the opportunity to grant or deny consent for ImmTrac participation during the birth registration process.  Participants in the program must receive written parental consent.  Memorial is recognized for achieving a consent form compliance rate greater than 95 percent.
        
The Health Information Management staff at Memorial is commended for their participation in the ImmTrac registration and for caring for the well-being of our newest little Texans.

Source:  CHRISTUS Spohn Quarterly, Spring 2007

Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas a member of the Seton Family of Hospitals, opened on June 30.  In this new hospital, families in Central Texas will have access to a wide range of health care services delivered by a renowned pediatric staff working in a world-class facility.

“Breathtaking and innovative”… “incredible technology”… “a bold, collective vision.”  This is what people are saying about the amazing new Dell Children’s Medical Center.  The facility spans nearly one-half million square feet – three times as big as Children’s Hospital of Austin, which closed when the new facility opened.  That additional space supports increased capacity in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the Emergency Department, a comprehensive Pediatric Trauma program, a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Center and a host of other capabilities.

The recruitment of the best pediatric specialists in their respective fields, in combination with the talented physicians and nurses coming from Children’s Hospital, means the staff at Dell Children’s compares favorably with the top children’s hospitals in the nation.

The facility’s commitment to patient dignity, confidentiality and ease of access as essential priorities led to the design of a total “healing environment.”  Each floor has a patient zone, a work zone and a family zone.  Additionally, the technology can only be described as “leap-ahead.”  Dell Children’s will be an all-digital, wireless facility, allowing physicians to view digital pictures from the Picture Archiving Communications System, not only at work stations, but anywhere in the medical center.  There is more advanced equipment with elaborate nomenclature: Cardio Cath Lab 3-D reconstruction, 64-slice computed tomography, the six-ton Magnatom Avanto…Dell Children’s will have the kind of technology that was once the stuff of science fiction.

Source:  Austin American-Statesman Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Providence Healthcare Network has earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) for the fifth year in a row.  About 500 hospitals or approximately 10 percent of hospitals in the U.S. have applied for and received this award.

The QRCR program was started by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) in 2003 to help consumers identify those facilities using qualified respiratory therapist to provide respiratory care.  Hospitals earning the QRCR designation ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services.

“We are extremely pleased to have received this recognition again,” said Charles Goodwin, director of pulmonary services.  “It is a tribute to our great staff and to the pride they take in making patient care and services their top priority around the clock.”
        
To qualify for the recognition, Providence provided documentation showing it meets the following conditions:

• All respiratory therapists employed by the hospital to deliver bedside respiratory care services are either legally recognized by the state as competent to provide respiratory care services or hold the CRT or RRT credential.
• Respiratory therapists are available 24 hours.
• Other personnel qualified to perform specific respiratory procedures and the amount of supervision required for personnel to carry out specific procedures must be designated in writing.
• A doctor of medicine or osteopathy is designated as medical director of respiratory care services.

Source:  The Spirit of Providence, April / May 2007

St. Joseph Health System Recognized Nationally with Workplace Award

Employees of St. Joseph Health System (SJHS), including Covenant Health System, are among an elite group of workers worldwide.  In early June, the Gallup Organization recognized the employees of St. Joseph Health System with the 2007 Gallup “Great Workplace Award,” given to only 12 organizations across multiple industries. This year SJHS is the only faith-based organization to receive the honor.

The 12 organizations winning the 2007 Gallup “Great Workplace Awards” stand apart from all others for their ability to create an environment where employees are involved and enthusiastic about their work.

The Gallup “Great Workplace Awards” recognizes the best performing workforces in the world.  Applicants’ results are compared across the workplace research database of millions of work teams in more than 100 countries.  A panel of workplace experts assesses the applicants’ results to select winners.

Source:  Covenant Connection, June 29, 2007, Volume Two, Issue 13

St. Joseph Foundation Announces Scholarship Winners

The Scholarship Committee of St. Joseph Foundation, as well as the Board of Directors of St. Joseph Foundation is pleased to announce its scholarship recipients for the 2006-2007 academic school year. After reviewing applications received from throughout the Brazos Valley, including Grimes, Franklin, Burleson, Iola, Caldwell, Madisonville, Calvert and Hearne, the scholarship committee presented a record total of $27,850 in scholarships, awarded to 26 recipients, 20 of whom were Brazos Valley area high school students and six of whom were St. Joseph Health System employees seeking to further their medical education. Proceeds were derived from grants designated for Healthcare Scholarships and made possible by the Lola M. Cone Healthcare Scholarship, the Marshal Verne Ross Foundation, the Peter J. Palasota, III, M.D. Medical Scholarship, and the Sister M. Gregory Healthcare Education Fund.

In 2006 the Sister Gretchen Kunz Healthcare Scholarship Fund was established to honor the life work of the former president and CEO of St. Joseph Health System. Sister Gretchen has been a cornerstone for the Brazos Valley in terms of leadership and volunteerism over the past 24 years. She has generated support for countless groups through her unselfish donation of time, talents, and willingness to “step in and step up” to worthwhile causes. Her motto -- “There is no end to getting better” -- has impacted the lives of literally hundreds of thousands of God’s people and through this scholarship will help to impact future caregivers in the Brazos Valley.

The Scholarship recipients for the 2006-2007 school year are:

NEWS TO USE

Sponsorship for Senator Van de Putte Reception

Catholic Health Association of Texas is joining with several other organizations to sponsor a reception honoring Senator Leticia Van de Putte as President of the National Conference of State Legislatures.  Approximately 83 legislators and staff members are expected to attend with a total of 250 participants expected.  The reception will be in Boston, Massachusetts on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at The Westin Copley Place located at 10 Huntington Ave.