SE12a
Commitment to Community Involvement SE12
Provide one example, with supporting evidence, of the organization’s support of a nurse(s) who volunteer(s) in a local or regional community healthcare initiative which aligns with Healthy People 2030 or the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Example a: CHI SVHS Supports Clinical Nurses to Volunteer at the Local American Heart Association Sweethearts Population Health Outreach Initiative
Local Community Healthcare Initiative
The Hot Springs Sweethearts program was founded by Paul and Kathryn Russell in memory of their daughter, Caroline Grace, who was lost at age 2 following a suspected undetected heart condition. The Russell’s pour their hearts and souls into the program each year. The Hot Springs Sweethearts initiative involves high school sophomores and juniors who commit to improving heart health in their community by learning about cardiovascular diseases and healthy lifestyles and participating in heart-healthy activities. For the first time, National Park Medical Center and Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) St. Vincent Hot Springs (SVHS) joined forces to present the 2022-2023 American Heart Association (AHA) Hot Springs Sweetheart Program. This year’s program, the seventeenth, welcomed 41 young women from the Garland County area.
The Sweethearts were given access to a wide range of health resources, medical professionals, and life-changing experiences. From October 2022 to February 2023, the Sweethearts participated in educational programs, heart-healthy activities, and community involvement. Activities included CPR certification, fundraising for the AHA, touring the Cardiac Catheterization Lab, and volunteer opportunities. The 2022-2023 program culminated with the introduction of the Sweethearts at the AHA Heart Ball on February 11, 2023 in Hot Springs.
The young women of Garland County make a significant commitment, with their participation impacting their lives and the lives of those around them. Past participants have been inspired to find their own path to continue the fight against heart disease, whether through volunteerism and philanthropy or dedicating their future careers to healthcare by attending nursing school, radiology programs, or medical school. (Evidence SE12a-1, Healthcare Journal of Arkansas)
Douglas Ross, MD, President of CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs, states:
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“The disproportionately high rate of heart disease in Arkansas is a generational challenge and it begins with young people like our Hot Springs Sweethearts who make a commitment to not only learn about heart healthy lifestyles and activities, but to put them into practice for themselves, their families, and their communities. We’re honored to partner with our colleagues at National Park Medical Center to make this year’s program the best and most successful experience possible.”
Initiative Alignment with Healthy People 2030
The Hot Springs Sweethearts initiative aligns with several Healthy People 2030 on several key points:
- Heart Disease and Stroke-General: Improve cardiovascular health in adults (HDS-01)
- Emergency Preparedness: Increase the rate of bystander CPR for non-traumatic cardiac arrest (PREP_01)
- Emergency Preparedness: Increase the rate of bystander AED use for non-traumatic cardiac arrest in public (PREP-02)
(Evidence SE12a-2, Healthy People 2030)
The Sweethearts were offered the opportunity to participate in a variety of seminars at SVHS:
- Healthy Heart-Early Heart Attack Prevention – Nutrition/Bariatric/Exercise
- Day in Women’s Services, Pediatrics, and Labor/Delivery/Recovery/Postpartum (LDRP) with Dr. Nicquel Gordon (obstetrician/gynecology) and Dr. Loren Deputy, MD (pediatrician)
- Life in Emergency Room (ER) Doctors – Trauma/Suturing with Ross, MD, Joshua Keithley, MD, and Bethany Ruby, MD
- Heart Surgery/Stent Procedures – Sheep Heart Dissection with Jason Pelton, MD (cardiologist) and Joe Howe, MD (cardiovascular surgeon)
- Cardiac Rehabilitation/Echocardiogram Presentation/Stress Test with Pelton
During the Healthy Heart seminar, the Sweethearts learned about heart-healthy nutrition, diabetes, eating disorders, and obesity from Diabetes Educator Susan Johnson, BSN, RN; Dietician Ashlee Stewart, MS, RD, LD; and Bariatric Coordinator Christle Loudermilk, BSN, RN, CBN. Participants made healthy smoothies with a variety of nutrients, including fresh fruit, yogurt, berries, and nuts. The Sweethearts checked their blood sugar before and after drinking their smoothies. Haley Gonzalez, MS, RDN, LD provided education on exercise and heart-healthy weight. The Sweethearts then completed guided exercise on yoga mats, measuring their heart rate before and after exercising.
The Women’s Services and Pediatric/LDRP seminar included education on pediatric health and nutrition, heart defects, and newborn to older childcare by pediatrician Dr. Deputy. Dr. Gordon, Obstetrics/Gynecology, discussed obstetrician services and genetic testing for heart defects and high-risk pregnancies. Clinical Nurses Jen Edgar, RN and Kaci Mills, RN showed the Sweethearts how to swaddle, comfort, and feed babies.
Participants were also educated on choking hazards and how to provide first aid to a choking child.
In the third seminar, Life in the ER Doctors – Trauma/Suturing, Keithley, Ross, and Ruby taught the Sweethearts the art of suturing using a pig cadaver foot. The speakers discussed what the emergency department is like and why they chose their careers. The Sweethearts observed a mock trauma with a “patient” in the trauma bay, and they spoke with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel about the difference between emergent and non-emergent calls.
The fourth seminar was Heart Surgery/Stent Procedure – Sheep Heart Dissection. Pelton, and Howe worked with the Sweethearts to dissect a sheep heart and identify its chambers and valves. Participants were educated on heart health, the causes of heart disease, and the need for stents for coronary bypass surgery. The physicians reviewed pacemakers and Impella heart pumps and what they do for the heart. The Sweethearts were able to volunteer for the Cath Lab, where they observed cardiac stent placement and pacemaker placement with nurses and physicians. Sweetheart participants also had the opportunity to volunteer to observe echocardiograms.
In the final seminar, Cardiac Rehab/Echo Presentation/Stress Test, the Sweethearts conducted an echocardiogram on an RN volunteer and learned how and why stress tests are done. They then went to Cardiac Rehabilitation and were placed on cardiac monitors under the observation of Clinical Nurses Jennifer Evans, BSN, RN and Jamie Estes, RN. The Cardiac Rehab nurses provided them with education and gave them strips of their pre- and post-exercise heart rate and rhythm.
The Sweethearts were certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and volunteered in the following areas at SVHS:
- Cardiac Rehab
- Cath Lab/Cath Lab Recovery
- Cardiology Clinic
- Echocardiogram
- Diabetes Education/Nutrition
- Medical Inpatient Units
- Outpatient Surgery
- Radiology
- Women’s/Pregnancy Clinic
- LDRP
- Rehabilitation (Rehab)/Outpatient Rehab
- Emergency Department
- Volunteer/Information Services
- Gift Shop
- Pharmacy
The classes, seminars, and volunteer work the Sweethearts completed align with Healthy People 2030.
Nurse Volunteers
The mission statement of CommonSpirit Health (CSH) is, “We make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.” As part of the CSH ministry, CHI SVHS is committed to improving the health of all. The organization supports all staff members to volunteer their time for community and health improvement. Many volunteers from various disciplines, including nurses, participated in the Sweetheart initiative. Dietitians, medical physicians, radiology technicians, therapists, pharmacists, and patient care technicians also volunteered their time and expertise to the Sweethearts for education and training from October 2022 to February 2023. (Evidence SE12a-3, Welcome Packet and Seminars)
Nurse Volunteers for Sweetheart Initiative
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Name/Credentials |
Discipline |
Title/Role |
Department |
Tonya Baier, BSN, RN, CNML |
Nursing |
Clinical Director of Nursing |
Nursing Administration |
Mike Long, BSN, RN, CNML |
Nursing |
Nurse Manager |
Cardiac Services (Diabetes Center/Cardiac Catheterization Lab/Cath Lab Recovery/Interventional Radiology |
Christle Loudermilk, BSN, |
Nursing |
Bariatric |
Outpatient Department |
Amy Gates, BSN, RN |
Nursing |
Nurse Manager |
LDRP |
Kaci Mills, RN |
Nursing |
Clinical Nurse |
LDRP |
Jen Edgar, RN |
Nursing |
Clinical Nurse |
LDRP |
Renee Fechuch, MSN, RN |
Nursing |
Clinical Director of Nursing |
Nursing Administration |
Kayla Bullard, BSN, RN |
Nursing |
Nurse Manager |
Emergency Department |
Lana Lambert, MSN, RN |
Nursing |
Clinical Educator |
Clinical Education |
Susan Johnson, BSN, RN |
Nursing |
Diabetes Educator |
Diabetes Center |
Jennifer Evans, BSN, RN |
Nursing |
Clinical Nurse |
Cardiac Rehab |
Jamie Estes, RN |
Nursing |
Clinical Nurse |
Cardiac Rehab |
Organizational Support for Nurse Volunteers
CHI SVHS supports the nurses who volunteer for the Sweetheart initiative in the following ways:
Clinical Ladder
The Clinical Ladder Program uses a clinical track framework to provide recognition and reward for bedside nurses who demonstrate initiative and progression toward expert clinical skills. The clinical ladder includes 17 nursing standards from the American Nurses Association (ANA) that nurses can choose to complete. Completing more standards during the biennial session results in greater financial compensation. The clinical ladder standard associated with nurses volunteering for the Hot Springs Sweethearts initiative is Imaging Professional Guideline #11 ASRT Standard 11: Collaboration and Collegiality. For the six-month biannual session, clinical nurses can earn an extra $2-6 per hour. Nurses also receive a level of nursing distinction of RN II, III, or IV.
SVHS provides organizational support by encouraging clinical nurses’ input into changes or improvements to the Clinical Ladder program. The level requirements and pay are as follows:
- RN II: Minimum experience 6 months to 2 years, 1 in-service, 8 standards – hourly differential $2.00
- RN III: Minimum experience 2 years, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or certification, taking Charge and Clinical Coach classes, 10 standards – hourly differential $4.00
- RN IV: Minimum experience 3 years, BSN and certification, taking Charge and Clinical Coach classes, 12 standards – hourly differential $6.00
For example, Clinical Nurse Kaci Mills, LDRP unit submitted her RN III application in March 2023, noting her November 2022 participation in the AHA Sweetheart Seminar. (Evidence SE12a-4, Clinical Ladder RN Application, pg. 6)
Wellness Dollars
SVHS provides organizational support for volunteers by enabling them to claim their volunteer hours in the wellness program for dollars to apply to their plan. Employees must sign in to the hospital intranet or the Virgin Pulse app to claim their flex spending account money. Volunteers can obtain up to $20 for volunteering. Employees can make up to $450 in a fiscal year by participating in organizational supplied health-related tasks. (Evidence SE12a-5, Volunteer for Wellness Points)
Paid Time Off
SVHS allows clinical nurses to use Paid Time Off (PTO) hours if the volunteer time is when they are scheduled to work.
Advertising
SVHS advertised and promoted this event through newspapers, magazines, and social media.