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NewfoundFriends Rock

Cancer Center— Page 6

INSIDE

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…Check My NorthBay, Your Employee Portal, for News in

Real Tim

e…07.19.17

A Swinging Success

NorthBay Welcomes New Primary AVP

Retired NorthBay Healthcare employee Dave Mathews celebrates a shot during the Guild’s annual Golf Classic at Mare Island.

Tourney Raises Funds for NorthBay Needs

New Hires 2Letters to Patients 5Baby Steps for Parents 9TB Collaborative 14Wellness Corner 16

HR Leaderto RetireSept. 30

Concluding a 48-year career, Ken McCollum, vice president of Human Resources, has announced he will retire on Sept. 30 after 14 years with NorthBay Healthcare.

“It’s been a great privilege and pleasure to be of service to NorthBay and its employees,” Ken said. “It’s been a great ride, but it’s time to do other things.”

He relin-quished what amounts to a

three-hour commute to and from work each day, something he won’t mind leaving behind.

President and CEO Konard

Ken McCollum

See RETIRE, Page 8

See AVP, Page 8

See GOLF, Page 10

Damaris Valeras

An executive from a New Hampshire health care system has accepted the position of assistant vice president for Primary Care at NorthBay Healthcare, reports Wayne Gietz, vice president of Ambulatory Services.

Damaris Valera most recently served as chief operation officer for Lamprey Health Care in New-market, New Hampshire. She comes to NorthBay

Perfect weather and spec-tacular views combined for a successful 34th annual NorthBay Guild Golf Classic.

More than 100 golfers trav-eled to Mare Island for the July

14 tournament, gathering outside the clubhouse early to enjoy some breakfast burritos, mimosas and bloody Mary’s before heading out onto the

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TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

Alyanna ArceoClinical Nurse IIUnit 1800 Med-SurgNorthBay Medical Center

Danielle BattagliaCertified Phlebotomy Tech IClinical LaboratoryNorthBay Medical Center

Juan BricenoCertified Phlebotomist Tech IClinical LaboratoryNorthBay Medical Center

Don CarvajalClinical Nurse IIUnit 1800 Med-SurgNorthBay Medical Center

Morgan ConnellyEmergency Medical TechnicianEmergency Dept.NorthBay Medical Center

Kimberly DacoronRespiratory Care Practitioner IIRespiratory TherapyNorthBay Medical Center

Clinton DelhotalEmergency Medical TechnicianEmergency Dept.NorthBay Medical Center

Lacey GeorgeClinical Nurse IIEmergency Dept.VacaValley Hospital

Jennifer GoldsberryImaging Support SpecialistMRI, Solano Diagnostics Imaging

Robert HolstRespiratory Care Practitioner IIRespiratory TherapyNorthBay Medical Center

Bessie Arlene HuntClinical Nurse IIEmergency Dept., VacaValley Hospital

Ximena HurtadoRegistered Diet TechnicianClinical Nutrition ServicesNorthBay Medical Center

Alex KershnerEmergency Medical TechnicianEmergency Dept., VacaValley Hospital

Lisa KlemanCertified Nurse AssistantUnit 1800 Med-SurgNorthBay Medical Center

Halima LawalClinical Nurse IIIntensive Care UnitNorthBay Medical Center

Mechelle LevingstonStaffing/Scheduling SpecialistClinical Support ServicesVacaValley Hospital

Amanda LoudenburgClinical Nurse IIIntensive Care UnitVacaValley Hospital

Philomena MakindeClinical Nurse IIIntensive Care UnitNorthBay Medical Center

Timothy ManesAssistant Chief EngineerPlant MaintenanceNorthBay Medical Center

Kemberly MartinsSurgical TechnologistSurgery, NorthBay Medical Center

Janeeh Marie MirandaClinical Nurse IIUnit 1800 Med-SurgNorthBay Medical Center

Fessehaie NugusseClinical Lab Scientist IIClinical Lab, NorthBay Medical Center

Emily NunezMedical AssistantNorthBay Center for Primary Care – FF

Mathi Passantine-OropezaRadiologic Technologist IIIRadiology, VacaValley Hospital

Lindsay PiccianoAnesthesia TechnicianAnesthesiologyNorthBay Medical Center

Ashley RogersClinical Pharmacist IIPharmacy, NorthBay Medical Center

Caleb SchraderRespiratory Care Practitioner IIRespiratory TherapyNorthBay Medical Center

Thessan Margret SollanoClinical Nurse II1-West Med-Surg, VacaValley Hospital

Ashley VasquezUnit Clerk/Nurse AssistantObstetrics Unit, NorthBay Medical Center

Jose VegaFood Services WorkerNutrition ServicesNorthBay Medical Cener

Tania ZaratePatient Services RepresentativeNorthBay Orthopedics

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NorthBay Healthcare wel-comes a pair of new physicians to the team:

Michael J. Krier, M.D., a gastroenterologist, has joined NorthBay Medical Group.

He was previously the chief of gastroenterology/hepatology at David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base.

Dr. Krier graduated with honors from Wright State University School of Medicine. He completed an internship in internal medicine at Keesler Medical Center, U.S. Air Force, Biloxi, Mississippi, and his residency in internal medicine at Madigan Army Medical

Center, Fort Lewis, Washington. He completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at Stanford University Medical Center.

Jessica F. Powers, a

hematology/oncology physician, has joined NorthBay Cancer Center in Vacaville. She was previously medical director of hematology/oncology at David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base.

Dr. Powers earned her medical degree at Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia with honors. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

She is board-certified in internal medicine, hematology and oncology.

Gastroenterologist, Oncologist Join TeamWelcome, New Doctors!

Billy Williams, retired director of Central and Environmental Services, passed away Friday, July 7, following an illness.

He retired from NorthBay in 2013 following 25 years of service. He was remembered as an innovator and key member of the management team. He was responsible for the operational prowess of the Disaster Preparedness program and, with Dave Mathews, founded the Safety Committee.

He is survived by his wife, Donna, their daughter, Kasie and her husband Daniel; grandchildren Lillie and Branden Wowk; daughter Jordan Green of Fay-etteville, Arkansas; brother Jerry Wil-liams and family in Brinkley, Arkansas.

No services will be held and the family wishes any remembrances be made to NorthBay Hospice, 4520 Business Center Drive, Fairfield, 94534.

Retired DirectorPasses Away

Billy Williams

Longtime NurseDies After Illness

Services were held last week for Shirley Apple, 80, who passed away on Friday, June 30, after a long fight with Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

Shirley retired from NorthBay Medical Cen-ter in 2001 following 35 years as an Emergency Department nurse. Fol-lowing her retirement she was a popular guest at the Employee Awards Banquet each year as she returned to visit with co-workers and friends.

She was a resident of Fairfield for 52 years.

Michael Krier, M.D. Jessica Powers, M.D.

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NorthBay Gastroenterology Nurse Practitioner Farhat Surti (seated) and nurses (from left), Andrea Villanueva, R.N.; Emily Cortes, R.N.; and Valerie Salon, R.N., site teamwork for their perfect record with hepatitis C patients.

NP, Team PostPerfect Cure Rateon Hep C Cases

NorthBay Gastroenterology has an enviable record — a 100 percent cure rate for patients with hepatitis C. Thanks to the diligence of Nurse Practitioner Farhat Surti and her team of three nurses, nearly 300 patients have heard the welcome words “You’re cured” in the past 2 ½ years.

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation, sometimes leading to serious liver damage. Untreated, it can progress to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. Historically, it has been hard to treat, mainly because the medicine couldn’t be tolerated by patients with other health problems or by patients who experienced unacceptable side-effects.

In the past four years, several new antiviral drugs have been developed that, when taken correctly, offer a cure. Today, most hepatitis C patients can be cured by taking one pill a day for 12 weeks.

At NorthBay Gastroenterology, Farhat has developed a case management protocol that is the envy of other providers. It is based on patient education, medication selection and the diligence to follow each patient closely during their treatment regime.

“I discovered that patients were often confused about the disease and their course of

treatment. So I use their first appointment to sit down with them and ask about their health and explain the disease and what they can expect,” Farhat said. “Patients may not connect their symptoms to hepatitis C, and they often don’t understand how they acquired the virus.”

The hepatitis C virus spreads through exposure to infected blood. In the United States, the No. 1 cause of hepatitis C infection is the shared use of needles or objects to inject/snort illegal drugs. Getting a tattoo or a piercing with a needle that has infected blood on it is another way to become infected. And, anyone who received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992 is also at risk.

Once the patient has com-pleted lab tests and ultrasound, Farhat meets with them again and asks the patient if they are ready to be part of the team that will manage their care. She stresses

the importance of their commit-ment to the regime, because the drug is so expensive, insurance companies usually approve it only once (a 12-week course of medicine can cost from $70,000 to $90,000). A patient who stops treatment after a few weeks may have forfeited his one chance of a cure.

When the patient is ready to begin, he is assigned to one of three registered nurses in the practice for follow-up. This means a phone call once a week to make sure the patient is taking his

See HEP C, Page 12

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Armed with a rainbow of colored markers and construction paper, a group of local teens created cheerful cards for NorthBay Hospice patients, under the tutelage of Linda Pribble, Hospice & Bereavement volunteer coordinator.

It was part of the Teen Summer of Service project organized by librarian Elizabeth Bell at the Fairfield Civic Center Library one warm June day.

Linda brought a couple of bereavement volunteers to help her give the teens some ideas in what to say to a hospice patient.

Mike McGee, a veteran who served in the Korean War, and who participates in NorthBay’s veteran outreach program, told the teens that patients would love to hear about them — what they like to do, and what they’re studying.

“Just tell them about your-self. It doesn’t have to be long

or complicated. Just share some-thing about yourself.”

Bonnie DiMichele, a local poet who volunteers for Hospice & Be-reavement, shared a poem from her book, “In Memory of…” with the teens and encouraged them

to be creative in their letters. Her book was writ-ten to encourage those dealing with loss to record their memories to work through their grief.

In the letters, teens shared their dreams (becom-ing a Boradway actress), their concerns (attend-ing high school for the first time) and their hobbies (reading about Harry Potter.)

“We were happy to partner with NorthBay Hospice & Be-reavement for the program,” said Elizabeth. “I think the teens learned a lot about people in hos-pice and we’re pleased they could share some encouraging words.”

Local Teens Write to Hospice Patients

Linda Pribble chats with Trinity Sweatmon, a California Public Safety Academy student.

A couple of teenagers dropped by the Solano County

Library in Fairfield to participate in the Teen

Summer of Service project and found

themselves writing letters to NorthBay Hospice patients. A team from Hospice

& Bereavement was there to help the teens

learn what to say to someone in hospice.

6

rocks

Krista Bonds found the first rock in the stairwell at the North-Bay Cancer Center, on her way to work. It had a bright daisy painted on the front, and on the back it read: “Let’s Rock America on Facebook.”

After a quick online visit, Krista, a medical assistant and an admittedly crafty person, had a new hobby — painting rocks. She became so industrious, she decided to take some to work, to share with her Cancer Center patients.

After weeks of painting and posting, another rock enthusiast messaged her, asking for details about supplies and techniques. The two became Facebook friends, and it was only later that Krista realized that Kerry

Dynamic Duo Rocks Cancer PatientsWilmerding was also a NorthBay Healthcare employee, a patient services representative at the Green Valley Center for Primary Care.

It turned out that Kerry’s mother, Glenda Barton, had been a patient of the Cancer Center in 2015.

When Kerry learned that Kris-ta was making rocks for Cancer Center patients, Kerry decided she, too, would donate rocks for patients in honor of her mum, who died on May 26, 2015, at 80 after a short illness.

Kerry had spent some time at the Cancer Center — when it was still in Fairfield — while her mother received infusion treat-ments.

“It was a bit of a blur,” said

Kerry, “but I remember every-body there was very kind. It was an overwhelming time in her life, but my sister Samantha and I appreciate the support Mum received from the Cancer Center. It really helped her through the process.”

Kerry loves being creative, and has experimented with many modes of art, including sculpture and murals. Rock painting has turned out to be very healing for her.

“It’s helped me through the grieving process,” said Kerry. “It’s a way for me to show support for people going through something similar to what me and my family went through.”

Now a basket filled with

Kerry Wilmerding (left) and newfound friend Krista Bonds show off rocks they painted and placed in a basket to share with patients at the NorthBay Cancer Center. Now other employees and Facebook friends have joined in creating rocks to share with patients.

See ROCKS, Page 7

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Rocks ...(From Page 6)

colorfully-painted rocks sits on the corner of the counter in the infusion center, with a sign inviting cancer patients to take one for inspiration.

Indeed, the rocks carry mes-sages, such as “Hope,” “Believe,” and “Love.” Others have color-ful images of hearts, butterflies, flowers and spectacular designs.

Thanks to some unsolicited promotion from Dr. Brian Vikstrom, some patients ask Krista directly to design rocks for them, sometimes requesting a word or an image.

“I’m happy to do it,” said Krista, who spends anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours per rock.

Another coincidence? Cancer Center Social Worker Magi Philpot found the Facebook page on rock painting and decided to give it a try, not realizing she had NorthBay colleagues already involved. Now she’s also creating rocks for the basket, as are other members of the Facebook page who read about Krista’s idea and decided to join in.

That’s just the kind of thing Kerri Schillinger of Vacaville was hoping to inspire when she created the Facebook page in March.

It was meant to be a page for people in towns that don’t have a local rock club. It has quickly grown to more than 2,000 members and stretches across the country.

On the page she encourages folks to leave painted rocks for someone else to find, with a message inviting them to post on the Let’s Rock America Facebook page.

She includes a few rules, such as, “Don’t leave rocks in national

parks or cemeteries,” because it could result in a citation. And, she stipulates, “This page and this movement is intended to unite our great country. With that in mind, please keep the rocks and this page politics-free and drama-free.”

So far, it’s worked.Kerri, who never picked up a

paintbrush until she started this project, has not only found her inner artist, she now has about 80 rocks in circulation, includ-ing one that she tracked from downtown Vacaville all the way to the East Coast. She occasion-

ally receives “thank you” posts on the page and is always happy to hear how one of her rocks has made someone’s day.

She’s been invited to do workshops in lo-cal classrooms, and even has suggestions for those who consider themselves not artsy: Use stickers, stencils or simply paint a message.

Bottom line? The mis-sion is “Sharing Joy — One Rock at a Time.”

Little did she know her page would also inspire new friendships

among local artists.Kerry and Krista had never

met until they came together for a photo for FYI. In the Cancer Center, they shared memories of Kerry’s mother, hugs and photos of their rocks, and posed with the basket they helped fill.

“We had no idea when we first started chatting online that we had so much in common,” said Krista. “Now we’re partnering in this project to help our patients know that they’re not alone, that someone cares.”

“It’s therapeutic,” said Kerry, “for them and for us.”

A photograph of Kerry Wilmerding’s Mum, Glenda Barton, rests in the rock basket (top) at the NorthBay Cancer Center. Rocks created by Kerri Schillinger (above) were left in the Cancer Center parking lot.

8

Jones, added, “His positive at-titude and abundant energy have helped make our health system a great place to work. So Ken’s retirement is our loss, but a well-deserved respite for he and his family. He tells me he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, Justine, and less time on the road traveling to and from work in that long commute.”

During the decade and a half of Ken’s leadership, NorthBay grew from a 1,000-employee organization to what it is to-day — a 2,800-strong workforce propelling a sophisticated health care system that is the leader in Solano County. And these are just some of the program imple-

mentations he championed:s NorthBay Way recognition

system;s Employee Special Activities;s Core Wellness;s Back-up Care; and s Our on-site concierge.These have helped employ-

ees be healthier, connect with one another, and find a better work-life balance. Out of sight of most of the workforce, Ken trans-formed NorthBay’s HR operation from a largely hard-copy, paper-based organization to one with an array of automated systems.

“I am most proud of our ef-forts to make NorthBay into a truly great place to work,” he said. “I am convinced that or-ganizations that develop and sustain a great work culture substantially outperform, by almost any measure of success,

those that do not,” he observed. “NorthBay has made remarkable progress over the past several years toward its goal of being recognized as a great place to work.”

His unrelenting focus on customer service and a strategic partnership approach raised the level of trust and better communication between Human Resources, employees and managers.

“It’s time to do other things I like to do while I’m still young and healthy enough to enjoy them,” noted the avid cyclist and a patron of R2D2, a bike ride to support diabetes education and NorthBay’s Center of Endocri-nology. “I’m looking forward to sleeping late and going for a long bike ride in the middle of the week,” he noted.

Retire ... (From Page 1)

Healthcare with 10 years of pro-gressive practice management and strong leadership experi-ence, says Wayne.

In her new position, she will oversee operations at the Center for Primary Care facilities in Vacaville, Green Valley and Fairfield, and the Center for Women’s Health, also in Fairfield. Care ‘til 8 operations, as well as the Call Center will also come under her direction.

“We’re very excited to wel-come Damaris to the NorthBay team,” said Wayne. “Damaris’ ex-perience in ambulatory delivery systems is perfectly aligned with our efforts toward building a fully integrated system, focused on population health. This, coupled with her extensive experience building access and develop-ing programs, has all of us very excited about the future of pri-mary care under her leadership.”

Damaris has a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Southern New Hampshire Univer-sity, where she graduated with high honors. She also earned a Human Resources Graduate Certificate and has a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

“Relocating from one extreme of the country to another can be nerve-wracking, but everyone at NorthBay has made me feel so welcome,” she said. “It’s amaz-ing.”

Damaris says she is eager to

get to know the organization, its key players and top priorities.

“That’s the key to success,” she said. “Understand the top priorities, know what you’re passionate about, do meaningful work and everything will fall into place.”

Her passion, she says, is providing the highest patient experience possible. Given NorthBay’s focus on providing the best patient experience, every encounter, every time, it should be a good fit, said Wayne.

AVP ... (From Page 1)

Getting Blog Alerts Back on TrackDue to security changes on our website, readers who subscribed

to the Hard Hat Report, FYI, NorthBay Healthcare Foundation’s Com-mitment 2 Care (C2C) blog, Living with Diabetes 101, Lifecycles, the concierge Connection and/or CORE Wellness stopped receiving email notifications in March.

“We’re resetting the blogs now, so when new posts are made, our subscribers should get an email alert,” said Diane Barney, director of Public Relations. “It’s an easy way to stay on top of all the news.”

To subscribe, visit My NorthBay, Click on the All Blogs banner on top of the center column, pick the blog you want to follow, click the subscribe box on the right-hand side and follow directions.

9

NorthBay Healthcare is join-ing forces with a Boston-based health technology company to create “Baby Steps by NorthBay,” for new and expectant families.

Using UbiCare’s SmarteXp solution, NorthBay will deliver health education and support from pregnancy through a child’s third birthday on patients’ smart phones and computers through mobile-optimized texts and emails. Families can sign up to receive this service by visiting NorthBay.org/Cherish.

Each message is customized to coincide with milestones in a child’s development. That means parents with newborns receive information about caring for a newborn while parents with tod-dlers will receive relevant infor-mation on their age and stage.

Recognizing that patients in all demographics are increas-ingly using smartphones as their

primary means of online access, NorthBay leaders expect Baby Steps will better engage patients in their health care.

“Patients will have the choice of connecting with NorthBay by email or text, with both options optimized for mobile viewing,” said Sarah Jewel, director of Business Development.

NorthBay Medical Center was designated as Baby Friendly in 2014 and Baby Steps will be used to educate patients on exclusive breastfeeding and to provide staff with on-demand access to train-ing that aligns with the World Health Organization’s 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

“As the region’s only locally based, locally managed nonprofit health care organization, we strive to ensure that local

NorthBay Delivering Tips for Parentsresidents remain near home for most of the health care they’ll need in their lifetimes,” said Sarah. “Staying connected to our patients after they deliver here and in their everyday lives extends our quality care outside the hospital.”

NorthBay is particularly fo-cused on improving access to care as part of its ABC Prenatal Program, which provides per-sonalized pre- and postnatal resources in both English and Spanish for pregnant women with limited or no health insurance.

“With the ability to easily translate care messages into Spanish and other common languages, Baby Steps will be an invaluable addition to our network of services,” said Sarah.

NorthBay also plans to use SmarteXp to help increase vaccination rates among children, from newborns to age 3.

Signing Up is Easy,Service is Free for All

Baby Steps by NorthBay is one of the focal points of the latest marketing campaign called, “Cherish It All,” which showcases NorthBay Medical Center as a great place to have a baby. “Baby Steps by NorthBay” delivers health education and support to parents through smart phones and computers through mobile-optimized texts and e-mails.

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Golf Tourney Raises Funds ... (From Page 1)

challenging course.Many took their turns at a putting

contest before the noon shotgun start. A cool breeze drifted in from the strait and sunny skies provided spectacular views at nearly every hole.

This year, NorthBay Guild members voted to have funds raised at the tourna-ment support programs throughout the NorthBay Healthcare system such as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Departments and Cancer Center. Ac-cordingly some of the holes had special themes featuring services NorthBay provides. Trauma team members, for example, hosted a chipping contest with a twist: The golfers had to try their luck chipping while wearing “drunk goggles.”

At other holes, volunteers offered up “closest to the pin,” “Hole in one,” “50/50 card games,” and more.

After the rounds were complete, golfers headed to Vino Godfather Mansion for a buffet dinner by Outback Steakhouse, awards presen-tation, music and raffle with dancing under the stars to the music of Rhythm Method 4.

“Everyone seemed to really enjoy the day, includ-ing the beautiful views from Mare Island, and appreci-

ated the dinner and dancing afterward,” said Jane Hilliard, director of Volunteer Services. “We could not have pulled it all off without the tireless work of our many volunteers, and the help of our generous donors, particularly top spon-sor Medic Ambulance.”

Appreciation for Medic’s support was shown during the awards event after the tourna-

NorthBay Healthcare board member Bill Fell takes a dramatic swing.

A putting contest (above) and pleasant faces at every hole (right) greeted golfers.

The ICU team of Jen Tudor (left to right), Natalie Correll-Yoder and Ellen Tortorete greated golfers at Hole 12. See GOLF, Page 11

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ment when NorthBay Healthcare Foundation Board member Bill Fell presented Medic Ambulance President Rudy Manfredi with a crystal sculpture embedded with a 1979 silver dollar to commem-orate the company’s 38th anniver-sary of serving Solano County.

Following the presentation, the contest winners were announced. They included:

First Place (Men): William Calvin, Vince and Mike Dass and Gordon Mathews.

First Place (Mixed): Chris and Jocylyn Sweeney and Lee and Angelica Fuller.

Second Place (Men): Ed Unwin, Konard Jones, Ben Mack and Justin Gomes.

Second Place (Mixed): Dr. Pete and Kim Zopfi, Francie Bryan and nephew.

Third Place (Men): Joe Della Zoppa, Mark Pizante, Joe Minder and Max Diaz.

Third Place (Mixed): Ty, Taylor and Zak Quilling and Jeff Crow.

Longest Drive (Men): Bill Stockman, first; Bert Miranda, second; Ted Pakenham, third;

and Mike Downs, fourth.Longest Drive (Women):

Martha Murray, first; Stepha-nie Jones-Lee, second; Francie Bryan, third; and Taylor Quilling, fourth.

Closest to the Pin Tee Shot on Hole 8: Bob Starks first place; Debbie Egidio, second place.

Closest to the Pin Tee Shot on Hole 12: Taylor Quilling, first; Rob Harris, second; Tim Waller, third; and Kim Zopfi, fourth.

Putting Contest: Grant Lon-don, first; Joe Chu, second; Bill Seiden, third; and Young Ko, fourth.

Golf ... (From Page 10)

The team of presenting sponsor Medic Ambulance, including president Rudy Manfredi (far right) pose for a photo at the awards banquet at Vino Godfather’s, following Friday’s Golf Classic event.

Dave Bast returs his winnings in the 50-50 drawing to Mrs. Solano County Heidi Campini and Jane Hilliard.

Sharen Podzimek, Nanci Petullo and Terri Denton team up to help with registration.

12

Occ Health Connects With Key Employers

Hep C Case Cure Rate is Perfect ... (From Page 4)medication and to address any side effects or problems he may be having. If there is a problem, the patient is sent right back to Farhat for resolution.

She has made the program flexible enough to even ensure homeless patients have access to

About a dozen representa-tives from major businesses across Solano County con-verged at the Hilborn Admin-istration Center June 28 for breakfast, updates on Oc-cupational Safety and Health Administration claims and to hear about NorthBay Health-care’s latest occupational health tracking tool.

It’s just the start of an ongoing outreach planned by NorthBay Occupational Health to stay connected with employers and keep them informed, says Wanda Ellithorpe-Fletcher, clinical manager for Occupational and Employee Health.

Every other month, NorthBay’s team will invite 15 to 20 current clients to bring a representative or two to the breakfast meeting. June’s meeting included the City of Fairfield, Ball Metal, Jelly Belly, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, Nelson Staffing and Biagi Brothers Trucking.

“It will help us stay connected and keep the lines of communication open,” said Wanda.

In the inaugural meeting, Justine Zilliken, assistant vice president for specialty care, welcomed the group. Yolanta Petrofsky, M.D., shared a new amendment to the Workers’ Compensation reporting plan with the employers that now requires all claims — even small medical or “first aid” claims — to be reported.

“The idea is that the insurance commissioner wants data to be more thorough,” explained Wan-da. “In the past, an employer would sometimes elect to pay the cost for such ‘first aid’ cases di-rectly, instead of filing with insurance. As a result, reports about on-the-job injuries aren’t as accurate as they could be. Now all claims need to be report-

ed, regardless of size.”NorthBay HealthSpring

Fitness specialist Chris Freese was on hand to discuss work site programs such as core strengthening and stretching as well as the Movement is Medicine program and answer ques-tions about how classes and programs could improve employee health.

Wanda used the opportunity to introduce

guests to iSYSTOC, an employer portal that can be used to view test results and work restrictions for employees.

In the past, employers didn’t always get the full report about an employee’s health. “They’d call us to see what work restrictions might exist, or how an employee did on a drug screen,” said Wanda.

By using iSYSTOC, they can log on any time, day or night, and see test results. They can also see how their own cases are trending, for example, how many times their employees have suffered back injuries.

Occupational Health launched a pilot program three months ago to NorthBay School Insurance Authority and it took off “like gangbusters,” said Wanda. “Now we’re rolling it out slowly. I don’t want all the employers to go live at once, because we want to be able to answer their questions and coach them through it.”

NorthBay Occupational Health serves nearly 1,000 companies in the Solano County area, having added nearly 400 since January.

“We’re growing by leaps and bounds and cus-tomer service is very important to us,” said Wanda. “These meetings will help us stay connected.”

the life-changing drugs.The hepatitis C medicine comes

from a special pharmacy, she explained. She has arranged for homeless patients’ prescriptions to be delivered directly to NorthBay Gastroenterology for pickup by the patient.

A patient is considered cured

if a blood test three months after completing treatment tests negative for the hepatitis C virus.

“It’s so rewarding to be able to tell a patient that they are cured,” Farhat adds. “And their renewed energy often spurs them to make other healthy lifestyle changes.”

WandaEllithorpe-Fletcher

Dr. Yolanta Petfrosky

13

Ride Focused on Defeating Diabetes Prevention is the best medi-

cine, especially when it comes to diabetes. One of the best ways to prevent this condition is to eat right and stay active, especially if you are at risk for diabetes, according to Collette DaCruz, certified diabetes educator for the NorthBay Center for Diabetes & Endocrinology.

NorthBay Healthcare’s dia-betes educators are getting the word out, thanks to the Ride to Defeat Diabetes (R2D2), a fund-raising bike ride that helps raise awareness of the diabetes crisis in Solano County and funds dia-betes education workshops and other outreach opportunities for its residents.

NorthBay Healthcare’s 6th Annual Ride to Defeat Diabe-tes (R2D2) is set for Sunday, Sept.10, and this year cyclists can learn all about it by going to a newly designed website at NorthBay.org/R2D2.

Riders can also support the cause by purchasing a snazzy bike shirt with the R2D2 logo on it. The shirts are $75 each, come in several sizes and are made of a cool, wicking fabric.

The Ride to Defeat Diabetes is a healthy activity that should offer something for everyone: a family-friendly 10-mile ride, a more challenging 25-mile ad-venture and a “Metric Century” 60-mile ride for the cycling en-thusiast.

Most importantly, it’s an op-portunity to raise awareness of the fact that Solano County ranks 12th in the state for residents who have been diagnosed with the disease.

R2D2’s easy 10-mile route sends riders to the unincorpo-rated area of Elmira, and 25-mile and 60-mile “Metric Century”

ride, for more serious cyclists, uses routes that follow country roads outside Vacaville and Win-ters. All will start from NorthBay VacaValley Hospital, 1000 Nut Tree Road in Vacaville.

The 60-mile ride departs at 7:30 a.m., the 25-mile ride at 9 a.m., and the 10-mile ride will depart at 10 a.m.

The 10-mile ride is $15 for those ages 13 and up; it is free for children age 12 and under. There is a $45 registration fee for the 25-mile ride, and the 60-mile ride registration fee is $70. On race day, registration is $20 for the 10-mile ride, $55 for the

25-mile ride and $80 for the 60-mile ride. Team Metric ride prices are $60 per person on a team of from four to six. T-shirts, a raffle ticket, lunch and refreshments will be provided for registered riders.

To purchase the special R2D2 cycling shirt, contact Theresa Travers at (707) 301-8190. Anyone wishing to participate or volunteer on the day of the event is encouraged to sign up at NorthBay.org/r2d2.

Learn if you are at risk for diabetes by visiting diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/diabetes-risk-test/.

With the VacaValley Wellness Center in the background, bik-ers take off from the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital campus in the early morning hours on Sept. 11, 2016. A team of supporters cheering on participants at the start and finish (at left) included Justine Zilliken, assistant vice presi-dent for specialty services, Dr. Deborah Murray and Tammy Stogner, patient education coordinator for endocrinology services.

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You’ll find the latest issue of Wellspring in your mailbox this week. The summer magazine is titled “High-tech Tools, Close to Home” and features neurosurgeon Edie Zusman, M.D., on the cover. Inside you’ll find an array of stories detailing some of the newest equipment and surgical techniques that have helped patients recover from challenging diagnoses. You’ll meet a woman recovering from brain surgery, a patient back on her feet following a freak boating accident, and a young horse trainer recovering from a kick in the face. It has been one year since NorthBay Healthcare joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network. This issue includes an article featuring a physician’s perspective on using eConsults for second opinions on tough cases. The staff of Wellspring was honored when the marketing department at Mayo Clinic asked for permission to use this article as a “best practice” example for other care network hospitals. All of these stories show how NorthBay Healthcare is redefining the concept of “community hospital.”

Hot Off the Presses!

Tickets go on sale Monday, July 24, for NorthBay Healthcare’s Day at the Ball Park set for Saturday, Aug. 12, at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. It’s the Oakland A’s vs. Baltimore Orioles with a fireworks show following the game. The game begins at 6:05 p.m.

The Special Activities

Committee is offering discounted tickets at $25 each with a limit of five tickets per employee. Children under age 2 are not required to have a ticket. Ticket vouchers are sold through Eventbrite only and are available through August 4 or until all are sold. Once you have a voucher you will need to exchange it

for your actual game ticket between Monday, July 31 and Friday, August 11. Vouchers will not be accepted at the Oakland Coliseum.

To purchase tickets, visit https://northbayasday2017.eventbrite.com.

For more information, call Lorie Jarvis at ext. 3311.

NorthBay Day at the A’s Tickets to Go on Sale Monday

TB Testing CollaborationBenefits Entire CountyThanks to collaboration between NorthBay Em-

ployee Health and the Solano County Health Depart-ment, NorthBay Healthcare has made a successful transition from TB skin testing to Quantiferon Gold blood testing. And as a result, every business in Solano County is eligible to use the county lab for TB blood testing at an affordable rate.

The story began last year, when Wanda Ellithorpe-Fletcher, clinical manager of NorthBay Occupational Health, began looking for a way to switch employees from the TB skin test to a TB blood test. The two-part process of a skin test followed 48 to 72 hours later by a recheck was time-consuming for everyone involved. With 2,800 employees and growing, it was becoming a challenge to test everyone in the month of April.

The gold standard for TB testing is now a simple, one-time blood draw. Eager to see if NorthBay could afford to make the change, Wanda contacted Katya Ledin, director of the Napa-Solano-Yolo-Marin County Public Health Laboratory in Fairfield.

But the cost, $85 per blood test, was way too much for Wanda’s budget. After much negotiation, Katya offered to lower the price to $35 a test if Wan-da could guarantee delivering 1,000 blood samples a year. Wanda has gone far beyond that goal, testing not only NorthBay employees, but clients of North-Bay Occupational Health as well and sending 500 samples a month to the county lab.

The TB skin test cost $20 each — plus the loss of work hours, which Wanda estimated at $100 per em-ployee. Employees had to adjust their schedules to attend two TB appointments to stay in compliance. If they forgot the recheck, it meant starting the pro-cess over from the beginning.

The switch to the TB blood test has been See TB TESTING, Page 15

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Facebook ChatWill Put the

Focus on FeetRegistration is now open for

NorthBay Healthcare’s 4th Annual Evidence-Based Practice & Nursing Research Symposium.

The symposium is open to all health care professionals who are interested in exploring the chal-lenge of delivering evidence-based care and attempting to keep pace with the latest recommendations for excellence in clinical practice.

Elisa Jang, RN, clinical nurse spe-cialist, Translational Research with NorthBay, said the event, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 25, at the Green Valley Administration Center, 4500 Business Center Drive in Fairfield, will feature an “exciting agenda filled with EBP pearls!” including in-teractive skill building workshops.

“We also have some great ab-stracts that were submitted, so (participants) will have the oppor-tunity to hear about EBP initiatives, Quality Improvement/New Innova-tion projects, and research studies that are being done at other organi-zations,” Elisa said. And the sympo-sium will also feature a special panel presentation on how to sustain EBP in one’s organization.

The theme for the symposium is “Building an Evidence-Based Practice Culture on the Frontline” and the keynote speaker is Cynthia Bautista, an association professor at the Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn.

For more information and to register for the symposium, visit NorthBay.org/symposium. There is a discount registration rate available for those who register by July 28.

Early BirdRegistration

Ends July 28 for EBP SymposiumThe arrival of summer means more

activity for athletes and weekend warriors alike but all that fun can come to a quick halt when a foot or ankle problem develops.

NorthBay Healthcare Podiatrist Kevin Miller, DPM, will talk about the importance of caring for your feet, how to avoid injury and the latest treatment options, including reconstructive surgery, during the next #OurDocTalk Facebook chat. The half-hour chat will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26, on the NorthBay Facebook page (Facebook.com/NorthBayHealthcare).

#OurDocTalk is designed to connect NorthBay doctors with the community to answer their questions on a variety of health issues. Interested followers who visit the NorthBay Facebook page will be able to post their questions and comments or send them via Facebook Messenger and the doctor will reply. Questions can also be e-mailed in advance to Robin.Miller@NorthBay.org.

Kevin Miller, DPM

welcomed by NorthBay employees, Wanda says. An added benefit is that now employees get their blood test during their birth month. Blood draws at the CPCs, both hospital labs and Employee Health means employees can find a convenient location for a one-stop TB test.

The unsung heroes of this new TB testing process are NorthBay’s certified phlebotomy technicians, according to Shiela Caraballo, NorthBay Medical Center laboratory supervisor, who oversees the collection and submission of the test samples to the county.

“I would like to thank them for continuously stepping up to provide excellent service to our patients and our employees, because without them, this would not be possible,” she said.

The TB test starts with the phlebotomists and ends at the county lab.

“The county has been excellent to work with,” she said. “This is a good collaboration for us, and the county sends the test results directly to Employee Health.”

With the conversion to Quantiferon Gold TB testing in its fourth month at NorthBay, all reports are positive.

“We have rave reviews from employees,” Wanda said. “And the county lab now offers the test to all businesses in Solano County for the same price.”

TB Testing ... (From Page 14)

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TO REMEMBERDATES

IN THE NEWSPEOPLE

LETTERS

DATES

PEOPLE

NEW FACESWELCOMEWELCOME

LETTERS

07.22.17 Paint Nite 4-6 p.m., GVAC Cafe07.26.17 #OurDocTalk Facebook Chat with Dr. Miller07.28.17 Early-bird discount for EBP Symposium ends08.08.17 Retirement Plan Meetings — GVAC Room 15408.09.17 Retirement Plan Meetings — VVHP Suite 29008.10.17 Retirement Plan Meetings — Penn Tab lobby08.12.17 Baseball Game: Oakland As08.25.17 EBP Nursing Research Symposium, GVAC09.10.17 Ride to Defeat Diabetes, VacaValley Hospital campus

Farmers Markets Offer Healthy Choices

Dietitians Featuredon Facebook LiveA pair of NorthBay Healthcare

dietitians are joining VacaValley Hospital Nutrition Services Manager Kerry Harris in a Facebook Live chat announcing the latest recipe contest winner on Aug. 1.

Dietitians Laura Hitt and Melinda Scholten will discuss the recipe contest’s September theme: Diabetes-friendly cooking. Visit facebook.com/northbayhealthcare at 1 p.m. to watch it live, or replay it later.

By Kathleen Shafer, M.A., R.D.

We are lucky to be surrounded by wonderful farmers markets and produce stands here in Sola-no County. They are convenient, usually fairly affordably priced, and the produce they sell is from local vendors.

Farmers markets can be a budget-friendly option but they can also be a waste of money if you don’t have a plan.

Menu planning is always a good idea and it can help you when you are planning your list for the farmer’s market.

Be flexible with your menu and be willing to change depending on what produce is avail-able, what the best price is, and what looks the freshest. For instance, instead of romaine lettuce specifically, explore all the let-tuce options while you are there and pick the best one. Know how much you want of different things so you don’t overbuy and then have food go to waste.

Broaden your horizons while you are there and find new things to try. Do not be afraid to ask the vendors what unfamiliar look-ing fruits and veggies are, what they taste like, and how they are used. You might even get to try a sample. The healthiest diets are based on variety and you’ll get different vitamins and minerals in each piece of produce.

The bonus is that you will ab-sorb those nutrients better than you would if they were in a pill.

Since the produce is local, it is packed with nutrients and flavor as it will have been picked re-

cently instead of sitting in storage for months.

There are many apps to show you what food is in season before you shop. One of my favorites is called “Seasonal and

Simple” and it is available for free from the Apple and the Android app store. It shows what produce is in season each month and also has recipe ideas to feature each one. You can also look online to browse for seasonal produce and recipes.

Enjoy your summer, shop local, eat fresh, try new things and don’t forget to take cash and reusable bags with you to carry home your nutrient-packed treasures.

The author is a member of the NorthBay Healthcare Well-ness Committee and writes a monthly column for FYI. She has been a dietitian for more than 20 years. E-mail your ideas to KShafer@NorthBay.org.

The Special Activities Committee is sponsoring Paint Nite, 4 to 6 p.m., Saturday, July 22, in the downstairs café at the Green Valley Administration Center.

Tickets are $25 each and include wine and snacks. This activity is for those age 21 and older.

For tickets, call ext. 3311.

Employees Invitedto Attend Paint Nite