1. society
2. welfare
3. healthcare

capsule
N OVEMB ER-DEC EM B ER 2 0 1 4
C E L E BRAT I N G A C E N T URY ST RO N G | 1 91 4- 2 0 1 4
Tuomey staff prepares for Ebola, but our experts
in infection control say the flu is far more worrisome
INSIDE:
TUOMEY’S GOT TALENT
GOLF TOURNAMENT
CHAPLAINCY WALK
BABY FAIR
CANCER CAMPAIGN
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X CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
A NEWSLETTER FOR AND ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES OF TUOMEY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
THE TUOMEY FELLOWS CLASS XV BEGINS WITH A TOUR OF THE OPERATING ROOM
The Tuomey Fellows program is the vehicle that
enables our community leaders to see state-of-theart equipment at Tuomey, meet with physicians,
view a surgery and have direct dialogue with
the administrative team about what is taking
place in their local hospital. Our hope is that
upon graduation, they will have a much better
understanding of the ever-changing healthcare
environment. There are 15 men and women in
Class XV, which began in September. They tour
Surgical Services, Radiology, Orthopaedics and Pain
Management, Cancer Treatment Center, Hospice,
Plastic Surgery, the Wound Treatment Center, the
Emergency Room, Pharmacy and Lab, OB/GYN
services and the Women & Infants Pavilion and
Primary Care. They also get to ask questions of the
Tuomey CEO.
THE 2014 TUOMEY FOUNDATION GOLF CLASSIC RAISED $62,000 FOR CHARITABLE SERVICES!
PAGE 2 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | THE TUOMEY CAPSULE
PATRICIA E. GRAHAM is Tuomey’s
new Distribution/Assistant Materiel
Manager. Pat lives in Florence and
brings to our team over 16 years of
healthcare supply chain experience,
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management. Her education background
includes a bachelor’s degree in business
administration, Lean Six Sigma Green
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emergency management courses.
Pat’s primary responsibility will be the
distribution of the goods and supplies
needed to take care of our patients. She will directly supervise
our warehouse and inventory operations as well as our supply
techs and will also assist in the day-to-day operations of Materiel
Management, Laundry and Mailroom. Pat can be reached at ext.
9618 or patricia.graham@tuomey.com.
Meet LYNWOOD “LYN” WHITE, our
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and has a bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration from West Virginia
State University. He also completed
the Executive Graduate Program of
Healthcare Financial Management at
the University of South Carolina. He
is a Fellow of the Healthcare Financial
Management Association and is currently
the Assistant Treasurer of the HFMA,
North Carolina Chapter. Lyn has worked
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in Asheboro, N.C. Previously, he held CFO positions at Beckley
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West Virginia.
Congratulations to SPD Manager
JESSICA GEDDINGS for passing her
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Director, Betsy Cain, called it a huge
accomplishment, noting that the pass
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been in SPD for only one year! The SPD
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cleaning and sterilizing instruments to
inventory management, microbiology
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has been at Tuomey eight years. She has
her RN and is working on her BSN.
Tuomey said goodbye to long-time Chief Information
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position in Arizona. Cheryl is credited with moving
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and extensive growth in healthcare information
exchange and leaving us well-placed in medical
informatics.
Clinical Informatics Administrator MATT WITT
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Information Services Department. He’s been named
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER and a Tuomey
Administrative Director. Matt has been at Tuomey
since 1997. RYAN FOWLER, who currently serves as
the Technology Administrator, has been named CHIEF
TECHNOLOGY OFFICER. Ryan and Shannon Boykin,
the Document Imaging Administrator, will work closely
with Matt to ensure a smooth transition.
Do you have a HOLIDAY STORY
you’d like to share?
Are you working Thanksgiving
Day or Christmas Day?
Do you typically volunteer
to work those days?
If so, why?
Have you had a special moment
in the past working on one
of those holidays?
Do you do something charitable
that’s unique or interesting?
Contact Traci at Ext. 8663.
THE TUOMEY CAPSULE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | PAGE 3
QUALITY CONTROL
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Tuomey Medical Professionals (TMP)
has a tradition of making their staff
wear this crazy hat on their birthday
-- whether they’re over the hill or not!
Doctors aren’t allowed to escape the
tradition. Dr. Phillip Jansen of Carolina Family Medicine celebrated his
birthday recently.
Does your department have a cool
tradition you’d like to share? Call
Traci at Ext. 8663.
Quality professionals are concerned with quality, cost, access to and safety
of healthcare. We know improved healthcare outcomes result in better
quality of life. The staff in our exceptional Quality Service Department at
Tuomey makes a positive contribution daily to improve quality measures
by: providing education; monitoring processes and outcomes; analyzing
data to facilitate system improvements; helping integrate new evidencebased practices; maintaining high ethical standards; and leading continual
improvement initiatives here at the hospital. Our Quality department celebrated
its profession this fall, including the fact that it provides our hospital with
outstanding service, from core measures to special studies.
WHAT IS S.P.D.?
SUPER POWERFUL
DEPARTMENT
The Sterile Processing
Department is often seen
as a mystery. The truth is
that SPD plays a vital role
in the care of our patients.
From cleaning, disinfecting
and sterilizing surgical
instruments to stocking
crash carts and many other
duties, the men and women
in this department touch
almost every aspect of care
in our hospital. So when you
pass the SPD “green-scrub
crew” in the hallways, thank
them for all their hard work.
PAGE 4 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | THE TUOMEY CAPSULE
THE TOLL OF VIOLENCE. A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE. HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.
The Tuomey Chaplaincy
Department was one of the
sponsors of this year’s “Stop the
Violence” events in Sumter.
A local chapter of Parents of
Murdered Children hosted the
Day of Remembrance -- a vigil
for family and friends to gather
and remember loved ones who
were victims of murder. After a
brief march down Main Street
from Central Carolina Technical
College’s downtown campus to the
old Sumter County Courthouse,
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local victims of deadly violence.
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during the event, dubbed “From
Heartache to Hope.”
Sept. 25 is the national day of
observance for the thousands of
people murdered each year in the
U.S. Rev. Franklin Colclough Sr.,
a Tuomey chaplain, told the group
how he was still impacted by the
death of his oldest brother -- who
was murdered on his own doorstep
on Mother’s Day in 1972. “The pain
never leaves,” he said. “Even though
it’s been many, many years, to me it
seems like just yesterday. You never
quite get beyond it. ... In order to get
past our brokenness, our pain, our
hurt, we must recognize it for what it
is and set aside the need for a quick
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PHARMACY ROCKS!
Did you know that the Pharmacy dispensed
nearly 2 million medical doses last year?
As we celebrated National Pharmacy
Week this fall, we learned that of the 22
pharmacy technicians at Tuomey, 10 are
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and one is a student. Our Technician
Supervisor, Automation Specialist and
Inventory Control Specialist support and
maintain our resources exceptionally well
so that the entire staff can focus directly
on patient care. Our Pharmacists are
constantly strengthening their knowledge
base and clinical monitoring skills, most
notably in antimicrobial stewardship.
Several have helped to create and pilot
a successful decentralized Pharmacy
service in the ICU. Our teamwork in the
main Pharmacy has enabled us to expand
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closer to the point of care. Our Clinical
Coordinator and Clinical Specialist drill
down to the core of clinical monitoring
every day to make sure that we are
providing safe, evidence-based practices.
THE TUOMEY CAPSULE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | PAGE 5
TUOMEY’S WALL OF FAME HONORS EMPLOYEES WITH A GREAT SERVICE RECORD!
The WALL OF FAME
honors those employees in
the HeartBeat database
who have received the
most service recognitions
since we re-started
the new database in
SharePoint 4 years ago:
PAM WILLIAMS, RN – Flex/Day
Surgery (she has a jillion!)
STEVE BOYKIN, RN – ONC (the
recipient of by far the most cards,
letters, emails and phone calls – in
addition to the HB cards!)
ROBERT FORD, EVS
MATT NOWAK, PT – ARU
QUINCEY ROUSE, EVS
AJ HALL, RN – TELE
JUDY BUTLER, RN – ARU
ANTOINETTE MURRAY, CT
– TELE
JUSTIN SMITH, RN – TELE
JUSTIN ARNOLD, RN – SIP
MARILYN DAVIS, CT – CCTR
These employees hit
milestones of 20, 50 or
more HeartBeats.
20 TOTAL HB
ARU: Gary West and Tammy Burdick;
IMW: Betsy Conner; CCTR: Denise
Richardson, Hillary Bordeaux, Jennifer Barber, Jordan Stack, Linda
Schroeder and Lisa Farmer. Day
Surg: Dianne Simon. ED: Gloria
Pendergrass. ENDO: Mildred Peet.
EVS: Alfreda McLeod, Eric Dupont,
Jamie Clemmons and Sammie
Spann. FLEX: Adrian Sims, Kimberly
Samperi and Candi McLeod. FNS:
James Richardson. Care Mgt: Nancy
Geddings. 3South: Brandie White,
Ginger Neville, Pat Chestnut and
William Whitehouse. MED5: Judy
McElroy, Kassandra Shannon, Rosemary Richardson. ONC: Alfrita Brown,
Carolyn Jackson, Elizabeth Samuel,
Emma McBride, Jennifer Ramsey,
Kathy Blanchard, Kristen Feagin
and Rosalind Boone. OSC: Loretta
Prescott and Samantha Coulter. RAD
ONC: Lorraine Zwicker. SIP: Amanda
Richbourg, Jessica Dunlap, Justin
Arnold, Lisa Shelley, Pat Holloway,
Shirley Peeples and Siew Ng.
TELE: Courtney Ives, Lakeisha
Hampton, Rose Yeadon, Vonisha
Howard and Angela Mahoney. ICU:
Janet Moore. WCTR: Brittany Haithcock, Elizabeth Durant, Margaret
Jones and Tammy Hendricks.
50 TOTAL HB
ARU: Judy Butler. EVS: QuinceyRouse and Robert Ford.
TELE: Allen Hall, Antoinette Murray
and Justin Smith.
350+ TOTAL HB
Day Surg: Pamela Williams.
PAGE 6 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | THE TUOMEY CAPSULE
FROM PAPER CLIPS TO CT SCANS:
A WEEK IN MATERIEL MANAGEMENT
It’s the week Formerly Known As
Materiel Management Week -- and
though its name has changed, the hard
work these employees do has not.
Tuomey celebrated National Healthcare
Supply Chain Week in October. It was
an opportunity to recognize the integral
role supply chain professionals play
in delivering high-quality patient care
throughout the healthcare industry.
We salute our Materiel Management
Department and the warehouse
manager, supply techs, mailman and
buyers. Thanks for keeping us supplied
with all the things we need to run a
healthcare system!
CHICK-FIL-A’S PINK RIBBON SPIRIT DAY
RAISES MONEY AND AWARENESS
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Pink Ribbon Spirit
Day in October
in recognition of
Breast Cancer
Awareness Month.
They decided to
donate 20% of all
the sales made to
people who said
“pink ribbon” when
they came in -- and
the Tuomey Wig Boutique was the recipient! The event raised about $500+, but the
most valuable aspect was the awareness it raised about the importance of breast
self-exams and mammograms. The CFA cow came to visit us and present a stuffed
cow to Susan Parnell, Tuomey’s Breast Care Coordinator and an advocate of the
Cancer Support Group.
THE TUOMEY CAPSULE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | PAGE 7
MAKE THE MOST OF
HEALTHY FALL FOODS
BY HEATHER BLAZIER,
Clinical Dietitian
Halloween to
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with holiday and
H E A LT H G U I D E S
seasonal treats.
Many of these are
sugar- and fat-laden and not going to do
any favors for your waistline. However,
several seasonal foods are both nutritious
and delicious. Winter squashes such
as butternut squash, acorn squash and
pumpkin are nutrient powerhouses. Packed
with Vitamin A and a good source of Vitamin
C, these can help ward off cold season.
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acorn squash with a mixture of wild rice,
cranberries and walnuts. This makes for a
pretty and impressive side dish or vegetarian
meal. Puree cooked butternut squash with
vegetable stock and coconut milk for a
creamy, comforting soup. Pumpkin puree
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to replace butter or oil. This creates a moist
product with an added nutrient boost.
So don’t forget to add these healthy
additions to your diet in between the turkey
and pecan pie.
The March of Dimes MARCH FOR BABIES is a great way to raise money
to prevent premature births and other fetal health issues. The money
raised for March of Dimes goes toward research in preventing problems
that cause premature births and to provide education and support to
the families. The March for Babies was held this year at Sunset Country
Club. About 15 walkers represented Tuomey, and Team Tuomey raised
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Overall, Sumter raised $37,350 for stronger, healthier babies.
HEALTHY MINUTE is brought to you by
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Medicine.
Tuomey employees who suffer from
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cholesterol or blood pressure may
participate in Health Guides. You can save
money on your medications and get a free
regular health checkup with one of the HG
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PAGE 8 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | THE TUOMEY CAPSULE
LET TUOMEY BABY YOU! ANNUAL BABY FAIR A GREAT SUCCESS
Lots of expecting moms
and their families turned
up at the Tuomey Baby Fair
this fall to see what’s available in Sumter. They got
information on services,
choices for prenatal and
infant care, advocacy and
community support.
Amanda Tindal, an RN and
one of Tuomey’s internaWLRQDOO\ERDUGFHUWL¿HG
lactation consultants,
says the fair is important
because prenatal care
and breastfeeding are so
helpful for babies and their
mothers, and it’s good for families to know they have
choices. “Without prenatal care, you may not know that
you have underlying health issues, and that can affect
you and your baby,” Tindal said. “And we know how
important breastfeeding is.” Sometimes mothers need
encouragement, support and education. The fair offered
tours of the Tuomey Women and Infants Pavilion, the Labor & Delivery facilities and the birthing rooms. Sumter
OB/GYN held a mock “Centering” program to show what
the sessions are like for moms-to-be. Carolina Women’s
Health held talks on contraception, exercise and nutrition; and there were free neck and shoulder massages.
THE TUOMEY CAPSULE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | PAGE 9
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The way you take off safety equipment is just as important as how
you put it on. Various clinical staff underwent training in October
to learn the best safety practices for protective gear they don’t
typically wear.
PAGE 10 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | THE TUOMEY CAPSULE
Members of the HazMat Team and a Plant Services crew put together the PICS (Portable Isolation Containment System)
tent that would be used in the event we had to quarantine patients or staff. Tuomey also has an ECU2 Corridor Flange to
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the event of exposure to Ebola, contagion experts at Tuomey say we have far greater need to protect ourselves from the
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THE TUOMEY CAPSULE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | PAGE 11
HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE PATIENT TRANSITION SAFE AND COMFORTABLE?
Clinicians and administrators from
more than a dozen healthcare providers
have been meeting to discuss patient care
coordination. The goal of the group is to
prevent avoidable hospital readmissions
for patients and to work as a more
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and safely transition patients from one
care setting to another. Participants
represented the hospital, home health
and hospice groups, medical equipment
suppliers, care managers, the local family
health center, nursing homes, assisted
living facilities, pharmacies, geriatric care
specialists and physician practices. They
selected a name -- SPAR, the Sumter
Partnership for Avoidable Readmissions
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THE DOGS ARE IN THE HOUSE!
We have a few new
Pet Therapy dogs!
Dior (Corgie), Doe
(mixed), Sassy
(poodle mix) and
Brody (a cocker
spaniel who comes
with BRIAN HUSKEY
of Radiology). At a
recent class, all the
current handlers
got to meet the new
handlers. Woof!
PAGE 12 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | THE TUOMEY CAPSULE
goals and actions to uncover barriers to
success and improve communication.
The meetings aren’t mandatory, but
as one participant said, every healthcare
entity is looking for ways to improve
quality and coordinate care, so working
together is the smartest choice. If you
have ideas to share with the group,
FRQWDFW0LFKHOOH'RQQDOGDW([W
LOIS McCRACKEN’S
Blew won “Best in
Show” at the American
Water Spaniel Specialty
in Wisconsin. He also
won “Best of Breed” at
Eukanuba last December.
His mother before him,
“Bunny,” was “Best of
Breed” at Westminster
and Eukanuba, and his
grandmother “Gurley”
won “Best of Breed” at
Eukanuba as well. All three
are or were Pet Therapy
dogs here at Tuomey!
RESPIRATORY THERAPY BAKE SALE: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LEAD WITH OUR HEARTS!
The loving staff of
Respiratory Care holds a
bake sale every year with
proceeds donated to a
charitable cause that they
choose. This year, they
decided to help the family of
one of our own who’s going
through a tough time: Amy
McDill’s grandson Nathan
has ALL-acute lymphoblastic
leukemia. Amy is a longtime Tuomey employee
and a respiratory therapist.
Nathan’s treatments will be
extensive, from chemo and
bone marrow
aspiration to
blood transfusions
and lumbar
punctures. The
department put
out the word to
other departments
to ask for help
baking goods, and
Manager Sonya
McDaniel said she
was “absolutely
overwhelmed”
by the response.
So thanks, Team
Tuomey, for being
there when we
need you!
THE TUOMEY CAPSULE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | PAGE 13
KIPPER ACKERMAN: TUOMEY VOLUNTEER, HARPIST AND ... TAMMY WYNETTE IMPERSONATOR!
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Service reps and harpist Kipper Ackerman were there to help her celebrate and sing “Happy Birthday.”
(RIGHT) After Kipper found out that patient Reedy Herring liked Tammy Wynette, she came in dressed and ready to sing
“Stand By Your Man.” (Yes ... on the harp. Tammy would’ve been proud.)
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED WITH ALL OUR “THINK PINK” EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES!
PAGE 14 | MAY-JUNE 2014 | THE TUOMEY CAPSULE
DESSERT WARS:
CHOCOLATE THUNDER
The pharmacists won
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Dessert Wars competition
this year! Automation
specialist Brenda Mobley
organized the event to
build morale and have a
little fun -- and show their
great sense of teamwork.
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place with his chocolate,
kahlua and Bailey’s Irish
Creme cupcakes, and LIZ
HADZICK came in second
with her keylime bars.
(Yep. That’s Liz at top left
trying to eavesdrop on the
judges during the tasting
SRUWLRQRIWKHHYHQW
(Psst: Yo, Pharmacy.
If y’all do this dessert
deployment again and you
need any more judges, the
Capsule editors would love
to apply for the job ...)
WE REMEMBER
SAFE SCHOOLS
Safe Kids got to talk about bike safety with the
students at Oakland Primary School. Afterward, the whole student body walked around
the school to promote health and safety.
Tuomey observed
the Day of Service
and Remembrance
on 9-11 with a quiet
ceremony on the
Hill. When this day
was so-named, the
emphasis was on
service -- in tribute
to the many people
who were moved to
acts of generosity
in the days following the terrorist
attacks. If you’re
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ideas about how to
serve, check out
www.service.gov.
You can also use
this site to organize
a service project
in your area, with
toolkits and other
resources.
THE TUOMEY CAPSULE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | PAGE 15
EVS: “CONSISTENTLY GREAT. OCCASIONALLY GOOD. ALWAYS RELIABLE!”
EVS
IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
Sometimes we take for granted
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wastepaper basket is empty and the bathroom
is sanitized when we come to work each
morning. This wouldn’t be possible without
the dedicated staff of Environmental Services.
The EVS Department is on the front lines
of infection control throughout the entire
healthcare system.
Our Tuomey EVS manpower strength totals
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Patient care starts and ends with EVS;
they do their job before any patient is
seen, then again after the patient departs.
Some staff members may receive more
recognition than others, but their boss says
HYHU\RQHFRQWULEXWHVVLJQL¿FDQWO\WRPLVVLRQ
accomplishment during each shift.
6HSWZDV1DWLRQDO+HDOWKFDUH
Environmental Services Week. When you see
an EVS employee, thank them for their hard
work on the front lines!
PAGE 16 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | THE TUOMEY CAPSULE
WE ALL HAVE TO BE SKILLED IN PATIENT SAFETY -- CLINICAL OR NOT
Tuomey
requires its
entire staff to
go through
Competency
Training
once a year.
This training,
coordinated
by LINDA
BRICE of
Education
with the help
of all the
department
managers,
focuses
primarily on patient safety areas. From those of us in Public Relations
and Accounting to OR techs and RNs -- we all have to demonstrate that
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Clinical employees -- those who take direct care of a patient -- are tested
on a dozen+ skills that include things like the use of various pieces of
equipment, accessing a central line safely, how (and when) to restrain
a patient and proper ways to move patients. Linda said they saw more
than 1,800 people over a span of three days. The training isn’t federally
required. “We do it to go above and beyond,” Linda said. “We’re always
learning, and every year something new comes up in clinical care. We don’t ever want anyone to feel awkward about a
particular skill area. We want everyone to know that it’s OK to ask questions.”
THE TUOMEY CAPSULE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | PAGE 17
The winner of our 2014 TUOMEY’S GOT
TALENT show was EDDIE LEMON (ENDO),
who sang a crowd-rousing version of Prince’s
“Purple Rain” (above). Eddie tied with
LYNDSAY BAILEY (above right) of CAROLINA
FAMILY MEDICINE, who sang a beautiful
version of “How Great Thou Art” and also got
a perfect score of 40 (four 10’s)! We had to
invoke the Applause-O-Meter TWICE to break
the tie! If you missed the show, check out the
link to the video on the Tuomey Intranet.
Above, Michelle
Breaux-Smith
(Chaplaincy) hugs
performer
Waukeisha New
(EVS). At left are Lee
Pitt (Guest Services)
and Allen Boykin
(FNS).
This year’s judges
were Brenda Chase,
Danielle Pleasant,
Chris Moore,
Kenneth Smith and
Brian Huskey.
PAGE 18 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | THE TUOMEY CAPSULE
Tuomey’s Got Talent!
Other performers were Amy Graves
(Print Shop) at top, and (above) Letitia
Pringle-Miller (Admin), Ashley Cox
(HR) and Kimberly Geddings (Sumter
Surgical).
Left, Kenneth Shaw (Security) also
acted as emcee and sang a little to get
the crowd warmed up.
You do not have to be able to sing to participate in the talent show! If you have other performing arts
skills, consider sharing them with your co-workers next year! The show is held during Customer
Service Week in October. Come play the piano, the guitar or the bongos. Dance. Recite a dramatic
PRQRORJXHRUDFWRXWDVFHQHIURPDSOD\*HW\RXURI¿FHPDWHVWRGRDPXVLFYLGHRVSRRI
THE TUOMEY CAPSULE | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 | PAGE 19
capsule
.
NO
6
VOLUME 54 |
Capsule is published six times
a year by the Public Relations
Department for the medical
staff, employees, volunteers
and friends of Tuomey
Healthcare System.
Public Relations @
Tuomey Healthcare System
129 N. Washington St.,
Sumter, SC 29150
803.774.8663
www.tuomey.com
Michael Schwartz
Interim CEO, Tuomey
Healthcare System
Brenda P. Chase
P.R. Manager
Traci Quinn
Capsule Editor
Writer | Designer
Chris Moore
Photographer
Amy Graves
Proofer