ENDO ALL STARS

Meet the Endo All-Stars of Skowhegan, Maine

Endoscopy and Special Procedures Department, Redington-Fairview General Hospital
“We are a small rural hospital in central Maine,” says Rachel McCollor, RN. “We visit local groups, such as Senior Spectrum or Wisdom, when asked. We love to answer their questions and let them know what we do. We put together programs for the hospital health fair and present it to the public. There is a lot of teaching to do.”

The team at Redington-Fairview is dedicated to making the patient’s stay pleasant, comfortable and rewarding, McCollor says. “We teach them as much as we can in the short time they are with us. We are constantly looking at ways to improve our techniques, cut costs and provide a good service.”

Team members include manager Louann Magoon, RN, Rachel McCollor, RN, Margie York, RN, Shirley Madore, RN, Edwin Hilotin, endo tech, and Dr. Sanjay Agrawal, gastrologist.

Before becoming endo nurses, Louann Magoon had several years of medical/surgical experience; Shirley Madore had been in the PACU; and Rachel McCollor and Margie York had a combined 43 years as ER nurses between them.

“As a team, we work extremely well together. We are very fortunate to have a hospital that values our patients and provides us with a pleasant working environment,” adds McCollor. “It is very important to keep our clients comfortable, and take away the fear of having these types of procedures done. We find knowledge and humor go well together. People raise their eyebrows at my pin that says, ‘Colonoscopy can be fun,’ but when they are leaving the department, most of them agree they had a really good time. The smiles and the ‘thank-you’s make it worthwhile.”

Hooray for Panorama City Kaiser GI Lab!

Gastroenterology Department, Panorama City, California
The gastroenterology department at this hospital is populated with more-than-qualified staff — some of the staff RNs have their bachelor’s degrees, and the department administrator and her assistant both have master’s degrees. The administrator, Virginia O’Neill, RN, MS, is published in two books on nursing care plans.

“The entire department assists with contributions to Hillside Kids, a program which takes care of abused children,” says O’Neill. In addition, both she and her assistant are instructors for an LVN program supported by Kaiser.

The goal of the staff is to care for the patients to the best of their abilities, says O’Neill. “They not only feel that they are able to meet the daily needs of each and every patient, but the patients regularly complement the staff and physicians on the quality of their care and the compassion they exude.”

Asked why this GI department is one of the best, O’Neill responds, “This department is a true All-Star because they constantly stretch themselves to meet the ongoing needs of our membership. If a procedure needs to be done, it doesn’t matter that it is time to go home. The patient is always the primary concern. The physicians regularly add on cases for patients who call in needing assistance. They are not turned away. This improves our member satisfaction and the care we are able to deliver to our patients. If a staff member calls off sick, the others rally around to cover that need if the department administrator is unable to get a replacement. This is especially so for the staff who work extended hours. Their commitment to excellence is notable in this medical center and is often referred to as a model for other departments.”

Share this article: Email, Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Yahoo!MyWeb, Windows Live Favorites, Furl
Add this article feed to: RSS, My Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines

Read Comments [0]