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March 23, 2015
Volume 24 – Number 13
MGH’s Alex Smith, RN,
Named Top Employee
Above & Beyond at QMC-WO
ALEX
SMITH,
RN, HAS BEEN
selected as the
Moloka‘i General
Hospital Employee of the Quarter. A staff nurse
since 2013, Alex
is always striving to improve
his knowledge in
the medical field
and doesn’t hesitate to ask questions for
clarification if he is unsure of a situation.
He has taken it upon himself, with the approval of the director of nursing, to offer
various educational tools such as videos,
handouts, and websites to the rest of the
nursing staff to benefit themselves and ultimately, offer better patient care.
Comments from his nomination form
include, “Alex is always willing to assist
the nursing department in any way…. He
will pick up any needs from working in
the ER to being on-call. He also did not
hesitate to be a preceptor when asked
to orient new nurses… Alex is a perfect
example of what a valuable employee is.
He has such a great attitude and is very
polite to his coworkers and patients.”
Alex is known for his professional and
friendly attitude, and never gets grumpy
even when it’s been a tough day. He
tackles problems and comes up with solutions which he then communicates to
others clearly and respectfully. “He’s a
great team player and fun to work with,”
enthused a coworker, adding “I believe
Alex is a definite asset to MGH. He shows
compassion and dedication, works very
hard, and is good at what he does.”
Ari Alvarez-Fuster and Susan Murray.
DEMONSTRATING C.A.R.E. behaviors,
thinking outside the box, or taking the
Queen’s mission out to the community exemplify those who go above and beyond
in different ways at The Queen’s Medical
Center – West O‘ahu. The QMC – West
O‘ahu’s Rewards and Recognition Committee is recognizing staff with three distinct,
new Recognition Awards: Lokomaika‘i, QFactor, and Community awards.
The awards are given to non-management staff as they are earned—not necessarily monthly—and awarded at QMC
– West O‘ahu Administrative Forums. At
least one year-end overall winner will be
selected by the Rewards and Recognition
Committee and announced at the close
of the fiscal year. The first recipients of
the Recognition Awards are Araceli “Ari”
Alvarez-Fuster, who won the Lokomaika‘i
Award, and Elaine Kaneshiro, APRN, and
Rozanne “Roze” Schirmer, RN, who were
both given Q-Factor Awards.
Ari Alvarez-Fuster, Housekeeping
Lokomaika‘i Award
If you’ve spent any time at all at QMC
– West O‘ahu, it’s likely your day was
brightened by Ari’s cheerful and melodious “Aloha!” and “Have a great day!”
Assigned to the first and fifth floors, Ari
Susan, Roze Schirmer, and Casey Shoda.
Alison Matsuo, Elaine Kaneshiro, and Susan.
escorts visitors
to their destinations without
hesitation. She
is always cheerful and no one is
ever a bother to
her. So infectious
is Ari’s cheer that
staff miss her
when she’s not
there, as she has become an overall part
of the QMC-WO experience.
Ari just made one year at QMC-WO on
February 18. She used to work at Aulani
full-time, but gave it up to work at Queen’s.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity
to have experience in health care, and to
help take care of patients,” she explains. “I
have no regrets—it’s an honor for me to be
(Continued on page 2.)
QMCWO Awards
(Continued from page 1.)
a part of the Queen’s legacy.”
Ari still works at Aulani part-time. Her
two jobs keep her busy seven days a week,
but that doesn’t stop her from volunteering for military bases and their various activities. Touched by her Lokomaika‘i Award,
Ari modestly says she shares the award
with her morning crew and managers.
Elaine Kaneshiro, APRN
Q-Factor Award
You’ve heard of going the extra mile, but
folks at QMC-WO say Elaine goes the extra 100 miles-plus for her patients. That
takes sacrifice of
her personal time
to both patients
and staff. Combine that with an
uncanny rapport
with staff, patients, and their
families, and you
have amazing.
Her manager Alison Matsuo, RN, and colleagues say that
the Critical Care CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist) and educator never complains, is
always willing to help, is extremely knowledgeable, and makes QMC-WO a better
place to work. In short, she is QMC-WO’s
go-to and can-do person. Elaine was totally surprised by her Q-Factor Award, saying that what she does is simply what she
always does at work.
Elaine had been a crisis nurse for 21
years at QMC in Honolulu before transferring to QMC-WO in April 2014. Although she misses the Honolulu staff, she
QMC – West O‘ahu
Recognition Awards
The Lokomaika‘i Award: Recognizes QMC-WO employees
who conduct themselves in a manner that exemplifies West
C.A.R.E. behaviors, follow the 10/5 Rule; perform A.I.D.E.T.
(Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, Thank you);
observe the 5 Moments of Hand Hygiene; and escort visitors.
The Q-Factor Award: Recognizes QMC-WO employees who
“think outside the box” with results benefitting the organization, specifically their fellow employees, their units, or the
goodwill of the organization.
The Community Award: Given to QMC-WO employees
who have taken the QMC-WO spirit and QHS mission out
into the community as volunteers.
is enjoying the community-oriented, low
key atmosphere at QMC-WO—not that
it makes her less busy. The services are
growing, and Elaine steps into anything
and everything wherever she’s needed.
At the time of this writing, she was acting as wound care nurse in addition to
educating staff on telemetry, med-surg,
emergency, and intensive care.
Roze Schirmer, RN, OCN,
QMC-WO Physicians’ Center
Q-Factor Award
Sometimes you don’t know what a person is really made of until something happens, or a crisis is at hand. Last December, another staff member called Roze to
the women’s restroom to help a person
who needed both
clinical help, as
well as cleaning
up to regain her
dignity. Although
not a Queen’s patient, Roze helped
the woman during her personal
time, supporting
a person in need.
Another time, a person who was walking around in the hallway looking dazed
was brought into the Physicians’ Center to
ERP
Name
Game
C O N T E S T
rest. Roze immediately jumped into action
to help by assessing the woman and calling in the doctor who she was supposed
to visit. Roze is described as a generous
person who not only performs the duties
of her job, but embodies nursing.
The charge nurse for the Physicians’
Center, Roze started in April 2014 when
the carpet was just being put in. “I was
blessed to be chosen to start this clinic,”
she says. Roze helped design the exam
rooms, supply areas, and other features
of the space. Previous to coming QMCWO, she worked in outpatient chemotherapy at Kuakini Medical Center. Since
she lives in West O‘ahu, the short commute allows Roze to spend more time
with her two-year-old son.
A warm mahalo goes to the awardees.
They represent the spirit of what is endearing QMC – West O‘ahu in the heart
of a community.
If you know of a QMC-WO employee
who deserves one of the three Recognition Awards, complete the appropriate nomination form and submit it
to QMC-WO Human Resources in the
CSC Building, suite 185. Nominations will
be reviewed and awardees selected by
the QMC-WO Rewards and Recognition
Committee. Awardees will be announced
at the next monthly Administrative Forum.
The Queen’s Health Systems has
launched a project to build a finance and supply chain superhighway that will transform finance and
supply chain processes. Right now,
the project is simply called “the ERP
Project,” you are invited to invent a
catchy title —something simple, inspiring, and descriptive. The winning
entry will be used to brand all ERP
project materials, including communications, activities, and training materials. The winner will receive a $100
gift certificate and be invited to the
official project kick-off later in April.
Deadline: Friday, April 3, 2015, by 5:00 pm. Please submit your contest
entry to: Cori Chang at corchang@queens.org, OR via interoffice mail to
Cori Chang, Manamana 310, Honolulu campus. For employees only.
ERP Project Name:
Your Name:
Department:
Email:
Phone:
Social Workers Celebrate 60 Years
QMC-WO social workers Carlton Shiroma,
Barbie Fa’agau, Jaymie
Kimura-Kunimura, LeeAnn Shimabuku Megan
Rivera, Tiffany Mukai.
SOCIAL WORK PAVES the way for change.
That is the theme the National Association of Social Workers have chosen for this
year’s Social Work Month. The theme was
selected to convey what the profession has
done over the past six decades to bring
about positive changes in society and for
individuals since its founding in 1955.
Mary Nakasuji-Yoshino
Named Clinician of Year
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING when she
discovered her profession in Japan to
her current work at the Queen’s Cancer
Center, social
work
has
been an incredible journey for Mary
Nakasuji-Yoshino, MSW.
Mary recently enjoyed a
crowning moment in her
career when she was named Social Work
Practitioner of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers – Hawai‘i Chapter.
When Mary graduated from the University of Hawaii with a BA in Japanese language,
she didn’t even know there was such a profession as social work. After UH, Mary went
to Waseda University in Tokyo to study linguistics because her career goal was to become a translator for NATO. While she was
at Waseda, she received a full scholarship to
attend Kyushu University. While there, she
met Akiyo Suizu Hirota, a neighbor who was
a social worker at a private rehab hospital
Noreen Mokuau, DSW
Social workers have worked to improve
the rights of the disadvantaged. They
have made a difference in the day-to-day
lives of millions of Americans by helping
to build, support, and empower positive
family and community relationships. For
example, they work in schools helping
students overcome obstacles to their education; they work in hospitals helping patients navigate their paths to recovery; and
they work in agencies and organizations
helping to protect vulnerable children and
adults from abuse and neglect.
At The Queen’s Health Systems, social
workers celebrated the month by inviting Noreen Mokuau, DSW, Professor and
Dean, Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work (and former chair of the Queen’s
Board of Trustees), to speak at Queen’s in
Honolulu. QMC – West O‘ahu social workers celebrated with breakfast, lunches, pau
hana pupu party, and a dessert event (see
photos). Queen’s social workers have even
more to celebrate this year, as Mary Nakasuji-Yoshino, MSW, (see story below) of
in Fukuoka. Mary wanted to give back to
the community, so she started volunteering
at Akiyo’s hospital, seeing first hand social
work in action. She was intrigued.
When Mary returned home, she discovered the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work at the University of Hawai‘i. After
earning her master’s degree, Mary worked
at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific
before coming to Queen’s. This month, she
marks 24 years of service.
Mary says she likes the flexibility of her
profession. Social workers can work in the legal system, community, health clinic, agency,
in the Department of Education, in behavioral
health, and of course, in hospitals. Mary says
that being a social worker makes you think
outside the box, and you can be as creative
as you can be. Inpatient social workers deal
with a multitude of issues at discharge, in-
cluding the diagnosis, finances, family issues,
community resources, homelessness, and
find the best options for patients.
In her current role at the Queen’s Cancer Center, Mary counsels newly diagnosed patients to those who have had to
change their goals from cure to comfort
and to find meaning in life—and everyone
in between. “I have been enriched by their
cancer journey,” she says.
“Social work has also been good for
me in personal life,” says Mary. “It provided me tools in nurturing my two children and growing with them, and also
provided me assessment skills, which led
to finding a wonderful, loving husband,
Dennis Yoshino (see photo).” Social work
is all about a team effort: Mary thanked
all of her Queen’s colleagues. “I would not
be here without you,” she said.
(Continued on page 4.)
60 Years of Social Work
(Continued from page 3.)
Vision
Em
plo
PATIENT CENSUS has been running high
at QMC in Honolulu and staff have really stepped up to deal with the demand.
As a token of appreciation for working
hard, an ice cream mahalo coupon was
distributed with last Friday’s paychecks.
All three shifts will be accommodated,
but check your coupon for the details on
locations and times. Coupons must be
presented for pick up and are not valid at
the dining room or Café Aloha.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“WHAT IS A HOSPITALIST?” Join Jennifer
Real, MD, hospitalist at North Hawai‘i
Community Hospital, to learn about this
growing form of medical practice. Dr.
Real will host a free, informal presentation
on her specialty at Tutu’s House on Tuesday, March 24, at 5:30 pm. Tutu’s House,
a health and wellness resource center,
supports community education at NHCH
and is located at 64-1032 Mamalahoa
Highway, Kameula, Hawai‘i Island.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
KE KAUKA PO‘OKELA awardees for 2015
are Erlaine Bello, MD, Outstanding Community-Based Physician, and Kuo-Chiang Lian, MD, Outstanding HospitalBased Physician. All staff are invited to
their awards ceremony at 12:00 pm on
Friday, April 10 in the Harkness Courtyard at QMC in Honolulu.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
the Queen’s Cancer Center was honored
as Social Work Practitioner of the Year by
the National Association of Social Workers
– Hawai‘i Chapter. This is the second time
for Queen’s social workers, as Candy Miller
was given the award in a previous year.
Dr. Mokuau’s uplifting message to
social workers focused on acknowledging their roots, which often serves as the
foundation for our identity. Roots can include family, place of birth or a place we
associate with, the school where we received our professional training, and the
place where we work. “For many social
workers at Queen’s,” she noted, “the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work,
with its broad mission of social justice,
serves as your educational roots.” Named
after Pinky Thompson, a humanitarian
leader with global reach, the School emphasizes cultural solutions for the culturally diverse peoples of Hawai‘i and the
global enterprise. Dr. Mokuau pointed to
the School’s many achievements, including being the only school in the Pacific
Basin to offer bachelors, masters, and
doctorate programs in social work, ranking in the top third of accredited MSW
THE 2015 NURSING EXCELLENCE AWARD
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f Choi
ce
Mission
2015 OCA SURVEY
Coming April 13-27
The Queen’s Print Connection is published by Creative Services. If you have
news or wish to opine, call 691-7532 or
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QHS/QMC Pres. . . . . . . .Art Ushijima
Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Keala Peters
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D TO E
R0ALLENC
. . EX. CE. . . . . .fe.ty . . . . . . . . . .
ENGAGE AS YOU AGE: Keeping Fit in Your
Fifties & Beyond, a free Speaking of Health
lecture with Rachel Coel, MD, PhD, of the
Queen’s Center for Sports Medicine, will
be held Wednesday, March 25, from 6:00
– 7:00 pm at the Queen’s Conference Center. Register at www.queensmedicalcenter.
org/health-lectures, or call The Queen’s
Referral Line at 691-7117.
Pa
nominations for QMC in Honolulu are
now open. Award categories are Clinical,
Education, Leadership, Performance Improvement, Research or Evidence-Based
Practice, and the Queen Emma Nursing
Leadership Award. Nomination deadline
is Friday, April 17. Forms were sent out
through Exchange Admin email and are
available on the Queen’s Intranet. Instructions for submission are on the forms. Call
Char at 691-7919 with any questions. The
awards will be presented at the culmination of Nurses’ Week on Friday, May 8.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A BLOOD DRIVE will be held at Queen’s –
West O‘ahu on Monday, March 30, from
7:00 am -12:00 pm in the Emergency Department parking lot. To make an appointment call 848-4770 or go online to BBH.
org. Walk in donors are also welcome. All
donors must bring a current photo ID that
programs, and quality research.
For social workers at any of Queen’s
facilities, Dr. Mokuau pointed out that they
“share the employment roots of an institution grounded in the legacy of Queen
Emma and King Kamehameha IV with
a mission in quality health care.” The
strength of your namesake, she continued,
is reflected in the life events of the Queen,
who despite the deaths of her only child
and husband,
she continued her work
in health care. “The priorities for Queen’s
for as long as I can remember are about
patient care and “patients first,” said Dr.
Mokuau. “No wonder QMC is top ranked
among Hawai‘i’s hospitals.”
Social workers will be called upon to
address the biggest challenges in health.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014)
says that the employment of social workers is projected to grow 19% from 2012
to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Said Dr. Mokuau, “To help you
prepare for all that is to come, go back to
your roots and remember that who you
are is linked to a rich history of the Queen,
the King, and global humanitarianism.”
For regular full-time and part-time employees of QMC, QMC-WO, QDC, QHS, QEL, MGH and NHCH.
Assist. Ed./Writer . . . . . Glee Stormont
NHCH Contributor . . .Krista Anderson
The Queen’s Health Systems consists of The
Queen’s Medical Center, The Queen’s Medical
Center – West O’ahu, The Queen’s Health Care
Centers, Queen Emma Land Company, Queen’s
Development Corporation, Queen’s Insurance
Exchange, Inc., Moloka‘i General Hospital and
North Hawai‘i Community Hospital, and has
ownership interests in CareResource Hawai‘i,
Hamamatsu/Queen’s PET Imaging Center, and
Diagnostic Laboratory Services, Inc.
www.queens.org
The Queen’s Health Systems is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit corporation