The Accolades Keep Piling Up
The outstanding work of our associates continues to be recognized nationally. Below are a few more amazing achievements.
NURSES LEADING THE WAY
Congratulations to Amanda Ganczak, Jill Newcomer and Helen Norris (at left) of Elkhart General Hospital for recently passing the Certified Heart Failure Nurse (CHFN) exam. The CHFN exam validates a nurse’s knowledge, experience and clinical judgment in diagnosing, treating and managing patients with heart failure. Amanda, Jill and Helen become the first Elkhart General nurses to be certified in heart failure.
(L-R) Amanda Ganczak, Jill Newcomer, and Helen Norris
ATTENTION: BABIES WELCOME!
Memorial Hospital has always been a Baby-Friendly hospital; it now has the hardware to prove it. Memorial received the prestigious international recognition as a Baby-Friendly Designated birth facility. This means Memorial provides the highest level of care and support for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.
Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this designation recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.
There are 246 active Baby- Friendly hospitals and birth centers in the United States. The “Baby-Friendly” designation is given after a rigorous on-site survey is completed and the award is maintained by continuing to practice the Ten Steps as demonstrated by quality processes.
The Childbirth and Mother Baby Units conducted a webinar presentation with the Indiana Perinatal Network and the CDC about Memorial’s journey to becoming Baby-Friendly.
Below is a comment from Indiana’s breastfeeding coordinator, Tina Cardarelli: “Wow! You did it! You guys are on a roll. I have so much to tell you about the waves that your conference call started around the state. A few hospitals had task forces listening on to the call and I have gotten great feedback. Also, one large hospital stopped discharge bags today as a result of your call!”
“You guys are the best. When I moved from South Bend for this job, I said someday I hope that Memorial Hospital will be Baby-Friendly. Wow, that ‘someday’ is here. I am a little misty-eyed. What a tremendous accomplishment.”
Staff members of the Women’s and Children’s Service Division at Memorial Hospital
BMG LAB TESTS POSITIVE FOR EXCELLENCE
The Beacon Medical Group Laboratory achieved accreditation by the Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA), a national health care accreditation organization.
Debbie Mahlka, MLT (ASCP), Lab Manager, says the two-year accreditation means the lab’s 15 associates are performing high-quality work that meets both COLA and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) standards.
Accreditation is given only to laboratories that:
- Apply rigid standards of quality in day-to-day operations.
- Demonstrate continued accuracy in the performance of proficiency testing.
- Pass a rigorous on-site laboratory survey.
