In this issue
Benedictine
Health System names new president/CEO
Rocklon B. “Rocky”
Chapin, FACHE, has been named as the new president and CEO of Benedictine
Health System, effective Jan. 1, 2014. Chapin joined the Benedictine Health
System in January 2013 and currently serves as senior vice president of
business development and strategic planning. He has been a leader in the
management and health care industry for more than 35 years with experience in
operations improvement, board and physician relations, managed care negotiations,
strategic planning and business development. During his time at BHS, he has led
system growth and partnership efforts with a specific emphasis on post-acute
care initiatives and relationships with major hospitals and health systems.
Chapin has extensive governance experience having served on many health care
and not-for-profit organization boards and is active in the American College of
Healthcare Executives both nationally and in Minnesota. return to top
Upcoming
Rural Palliative Care Networking Group to focus on anxiety, delirium and
depression
One of the key pillars of palliative care is the ability to
manage pain and other symptoms. The Rural Palliative Care Networking Group is
presenting a three-part educational series focused on the non-pain symptoms
that people experience at end of life. Part II of this series will be presented
Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to noon at Lakewood Health System in Staples. The session
will feature Laura Scherer, RN, director, Unity Family Home Care and Hospice in
Little Falls. Session objectives include:
- Define anxiety,
delirium/agitation and depression present at the end of life.
- Identify possible etiologies of
anxiety, delirium/agitation and depression at end of life.
- Assess for physical and
psychological aspects of anxiety, delirium/agitation and depression that
can be included in the plan of care at end of life.
- Describe the patient and family
instructions needed at the end of life.
Participation is available in person or via conference call. To
register for in-person attendance or conference call, contact Matt Ellis
at Stratis Health by Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, 952-853-8539. Part III of the
series will take place in May 2014 and will cover the symptoms of dyspnea,
noisy respiration, fatigue and pressure ulcers. return to top
Provide
opportunities for flu vaccination during National Influenza Vaccination Week,
Dec. 8-14
National Influenza Vaccination Week runs Dec. 8-14 and is the
ideal time to get your staff and community vaccinated against the flu.
Influenza is just getting underway in Minnesota, so it’s not too late to get
vaccinated. The Minnesota Department of Health is participating in this national
campaign by partnering with local public health agencies and other health care
providers to provide Minnesotans with opportunities to get their annual
influenza vaccination. Your facility may wish to plan flu vaccination clinics
during the week. Last year, more than 3,000 people in Minnesota were
hospitalized with influenza. Since those with weakened immune systems are
especially susceptible, it is important that health care workers get
vaccinated. To learn more about influenza vaccination in Minnesota, visit the MDH flu website or MHA’s preventing flu webpage. return to top
Program
focuses on building collaborations for local community health
MHA is partnering with the Local Public Health
Association of Minnesota (LPHA) to provide a dynamic and interactive program on
building collaborations to improve community health. Hospitals, health systems
and public health agencies are increasingly faced with similar challenges and
new opportunities as communities look to population health improvement as an
increasingly important element in community development, health care and
economic policy. Through collaboration, public health and health care providers
can avoid duplication or dilution of efforts and resources and more
importantly, increase the impact of their efforts to advance community health
in their shared service areas.
The program is designed for LPHA members, local health department staff,
hospital community health needs assessment staff and community benefits and
outreach staff. It will include a discussion of successful collaborations
between local public health agencies and hospitals in Minnesota, and
opportunities to explore community health needs assessments and strategies for
leveraging local resources to improve population health.
“Building Collaborations for Local Community Health” will take place Feb. 20,
2014 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Dakota Lodge in West St. Paul. Further details
and registration information will be available soon. For questions, contact Kristin Loncorich, MHA director of government relations, 651-603-3526. return to top