Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

October 15, 2018

MHA Newsline: Oct. 15, 2018

In this issue 

MHA members receive March of Dimes Nurse of the Year awards

Some 14 nurses from MHA member hospitals were honored Sept. 28 with March of Dimes Nurse of the Year awards. The awards honor nursing excellence and pay tribute to hundreds of nurses who are at the front lines of care and have had a tremendous impact on patients and their families. MHA congratulates: 

  • Distinguished Nurse of the Year: Tammy Sinkfield-Morey, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, St. Paul 
  • Advanced Practice: Stacy Jepsen, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis  
  • Care Management: Kristin Woody, HealthPartners Inc., Minneapolis 
  • Community Health Nursing: Kris Scott, Allina Health, Minneapolis  
  • Education and Research: Melinda Jennings, St. Cloud Hospital 
  • Innovative and Nontraditional Nursing: Teri Verner, HealthEast Care System, St. Paul  
  • Mental Health: Holly Dasinger, PrairieCare, Brooklyn Park 
  • Neonatal: Susie Denton, Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis 
  • Oncology: Shirley Kern, North Memorial Health, Robbinsdale 
  • Pediatric: Mary Amundson, St. Cloud Hospital 
  • Rising Star: Maggie McLaird, St. Cloud Hospital 
  • Staff Nurse – Critical Care: Cassandra Flo, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, St. Paul  
  • Staff Nurse – General Care: Wokie Johnson, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis 
  • Women’s Health: Diane Miller, Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis 

Learn more on the March of Dimes websitereturn to top   

FluSafe registration open through Nov. 30

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is once again offering the FluSafe program to support and publicly recognize hospitals and long-term care facilities’ commitment to high flu vaccination rates among health care personnel. Registration is open through Nov. 30.   

Each year, hospitals and long-term care facilities across the state commit to preventing the spread of flu in their facilities by encouraging vaccination of health care workers. Promoting vaccination of health care staff demonstrates hospitals’ and health systems’ commitment to patient safety. This simple step protects patients as well as employees.   

This season, facilities will select a barrier to health care personnel flu vaccination during registration to work to address throughout the season. Facilities will track health care personnel flu shots and report at the end of the season how they worked to address the selected barrier. MDH will recognize facilities that achieve vaccination rates of 90 percent and higher and report on the work done to address selected barriers.   

Learn more and register on the MDH websitereturn to top   

Minnesota receives $17.7 million for opioid epidemic

Minnesota will invest more than $17.7 million it received in federal grant funding to help combat the opioid epidemic throughout the state. The State Opioid Response grant will provide $8,870,906 a year for the next two years and will be used to quickly provide life-saving treatment, reduce deaths from opioid overdose and prevent opioid use disorder in Minnesota’s most vulnerable communities.   

A grant application process is scheduled to begin next month. To learn more, view the DHS announcementreturn to top