April 4, 2008
A PUBLICATION FOR NORTH MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER EMPLOYEES
CHECKUP
Volume 16
Number 7
EOM ......................3
Conference ............3
70,000
Steps ....................4
Killer Legs ............4
Work/Life Benefits
orth Mississippi Health Services
has developed a Work/Life strategy to help employees balance the
demands of work and home. The purpose
of these benefits is to communicate a commitment to attracting and retaining top talent by providing convenient benefits at
work and discount benefits in the community.
“We know how hectic life can be, and
these benefits can help our employees bal-
N
ance everything,” said Rodger Brown, vice
president of Human Resources. “We want
to encourage employees to take advantage
of this and also to let us know of any ideas
they might have for convenience or discount benefits.”
For more information on these Work/
Life benefits, visit the Employment Services
Web site at iwww.nmhs.net/eservices and
click on “Work/Life Benefits” on the left
side of the page.
Service
Convenience
Site
Dining
Food Court
• Payroll deduction
Tupelo
inside
• 20 percent discount
Family
Child Care Center
• Payroll deduction
Tupelo, Eupora
• Cafeteria plan
• Discounts
Information and Referral
• 211 Help Line
Systemwide
• ATMs
Tupelo, West Point
Business Services
• Notary service
Systemwide
Car Pool
• On-line service
Systemwide
College Scholarship Fund
• Education and promotion
of 529 plans
Systemwide
Credit Union
• Payroll deduction
Systemwide
Financial
Banking
• Savings and loan
• Direct deposit to bank
• Emergency loans
• On-line balance & statements
Good Neighbor Fund
• Emergency fund
Systemwide
Continued on page 2
Work/Life Benefits
Continued from page 1
NMMC Hospital Services (TSF)
• Payroll deduction for balance at no interest
Systemwide
Paycheck
• Direct deposit
Systemwide
Postal Services
• Drop box
Tupelo
Retirement planning
• Lincoln Financial
Systemwide
• NMHS Retirement calculator
• Seminars
Tuition reimbursement
• Career development
Systemwide
• Guidelines
• Applications
Wills
Health
Employee Assistance Program
• On-line wills (no cost service from Cigna)
To be announced
• Employee counseling
Systemwide
• Family counseling
Employee Health
• Immunization update
Systemwide
Employee Pharmacy
• Payroll deduction
Systemwide
• Mail order
• Online orders
• NMHS Prescription Drugs Benefit Plan
Nurse Link
• 18-hour nurse line
Systemwide
Smoking Cessation
• $10 products
Systemwide
Weight Watchers
• Payroll deduction – 50 percent discount
Systemwide
Wellness Centers
• Payroll deduction
• Employee/family discount
Tupelo, Iuka, Baldwyn,
Pontotoc, West Point,
Hamilton, Eupora
• On-line
Systemwide
• Postage stamps
• Gifts, flowers, cards, etc.
Tupelo
• Free
Systemwide
Discount
• Cooper Tire – 10 percent discount
• Avis – B292900
• Enterprise – 09A4905; PIN-VHA
• Santa Fe – 20 percent discount
• AT&T – 24 percent discount on cell service
• Sprint – 23 percent on cell service
• Payless Shoe Source – 10 percent discount
• Sally’s Beauty Supply – Free beauty card w/ badge
• Scrubs & Co. – 10 percent discount
• Snickets – 20 percent discount
Site
Tupelo
Shopping
Classified Ads
Gift Shop
Work
Parking
Discount Benefits
Service
Auto Service
Car Rental
Dining
Phone services
Shopping
Uniforms
April 4, 2008
Systemwide
Tupelo
Systemwide
Tupelo (S. Gloster)
Tupelo (N. Gloster)
Tupelo
Pontotoc
Page 2
All Missions Are Different
im Spruiell, RN, staff flight nurse/paramedic, has
Spruiell enjoys being a part of the aeromedical team
been named North Mississippi Medical Center’s
and the opportunities it presents for patient care.
Employee of the Month for January.
“The best part of my job is interacting with patients and
Spruiell has been with NMMC since 1992. He was a
varied health care professionals in different environstaff paramedic at Baldwyn before becoming site superments,” he said. “One mission may be a car crash with a
visor for the advanced life support ambulance service in patient trapped in twisted wreckage, the next may be a
Itawamba County the following year. Spruiell joined
critically ill patient in an advanced and sophisticated
aeromedical services as a paramedic in 1994 and
Intensive Care Unit.”
achieved flight nurse status in 2001.
The Sulligent, Ala., resident attended the University
In his nomination, coworkers commended Spruiell
of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where he received his parafor his knowledge about his job and the compassion he
medic certificate. He earned an associate’s degree in
shows patients.
nursing from Itawamba Community College in 2000.
“Jim is very kind and reassuring to his patients which Spruiell and his wife Lisa have four children: sons
decreases their anxiety and makes their NMMC experiNathan, 26, and Jacob, 13, and daughters Danielle, 22,
ence better,” one coworker noted. “He is very knowland Madison, 8. The family attends Sulligent Church of
edgable in his job as a medic and as a nurse. I know if I Christ.
ever have a question about the
care I have provided or an illness that I am not familiar with,
I can look to Jim for guidance.”
“Jim is a great paramedic and
RN who loves his job and
shows how much he loves his
job by the way he is always
improving and helping others
interested in improving their
skills and job,” another coworker noted.
Spruiell is a certified emergency nurse as well as a critical
care emergency medical technician paramedic. He also holds
Jim Spruiell (second from left), NMMC’s Employee of the Month for
numerous instructor certificaJanuary, is pictured with (from left) NMMC president Chuck Stokes,
tions in pre-hospital and emer- Emergency Services administrator Wanda Della Calce, and vice
president Rodger Brown.
gency nursing.
J
Women’s Health Conference Set
orth Mississippi Medical Center will host a
Women’s Health, Newborn and Children’s
Conference on April 21-22.
Sessions will meet from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. both
days in NMMC’s North Education Center, 830 S.
Gloster St. The conference is targeted toward physicians, nurses, dietitians, social workers, therapists
and pharmacists involved in women’s basic health
care, obstetrical/gynecological, newborn and/or chil-
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dren’s health. A wide variety of timely topics and
concurrent sessions are planned.
The conference is free to NMMC employees but
pre-registration is required. For other participants,
the registration fee is $60 for one day or $100 for
both days. Nursing students and faculty may attend
for $30 for one day or $50 for both days. To preregister or for a conference brochure, call (662)
377-5297 or 1-800-THE DESK (1-800-843-3375).
April 4, 2008
Try 70,000 Steps In Seven Days
mployees throughout the
North Mississippi Medical
Center organization will hit
the pavement during April as part of
the national Steppin’ Out for a
Lifetime National Walking Challenge.
Around-the-clock sessions will be held from 7 a.m.7 p.m. April 7-8 at the NMMC North Education
Center, as well as all affiliate hospitals and clinics
throughout the organization that week.
The National Walking Challenge encourages everyone to get up and move by striving for 70,000 steps in
seven days. The department team that achieves the
highest average of steps per employee will be recognized by North Mississippi Medical Center. The community that achieves the most steps and the highest
average of steps per participant will be recognized
E
nationally by the Medical Fitness
Association.
To participate, employees will
choose any seven continuous days
during April to wear a pedometer
from the time they wake up until going to bed. Each
employee will record his or her daily steps on a
Walking Log and turn in the weekly total to the
department’s team captain by May 2. The team captain
must fax the Team Walking Log to (662) 377-2184 by
May 5.
While everyone is encouraged to strive for at least
70,000 steps to meet the CDC recommendation for
physical activity, walking logs should be turned in
regardless of the number of steps so that all efforts get
counted. For more information, ask your supervisor or
call your local NMMC Wellness Center.
Beware, Killer Legs Can Really Kill
eep vein thrombosis (DVT)
occurs when a blood clot
forms in a deep vein, usually
in the lower legs. Complications
related to DVT kill more people every
year than AIDS, breast cancer and
highway fatalities combined.
Unfortunately, DVT is largely
under-recognized and widespread,
with approximately 2 million cases
occurring annually. Its primary complication, pulmonary embolism,
claims approximately 300,000 lives
each year. In many cases, DVT is
clinically silent and hard to diagnose.
We at NMMC are not taking DVT
lying down. Each hospital inpatient is
screened for DVT risk factors upon
admission to identify at-risk patients
and provide effective treatment. Staff
members are encouraged to stay alert
for at-risk patients to help prevent
“killer legs.”
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April 4, 2008
Risk factors for DVT include:
Congestive heart failure or respiratory failure
restricted mobility • cancer • major infection
obesity • over 40 years of age • surgery • varicose veins
prior history of DVT or PE • chronic lung disease
inflammatory bowel disease • smoking
Who do these “killer legs” belong to? That was the question
posed in a DVT educational exhibit recently outside the
NMMC Food Court. Lisa Green, RN, of the Skilled Nursing
Facility, won a $100 gift certificate to Harvey’s for matching
the physician’s legs to the right faces.
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