Newsworthy

Dear Community Partners,

Here are today’s updates:

• Stormont Vail Social Workers Honored at Special Coffee Event
• Thaina Dos Santos Jensen Awarded Rising Nurse Award
• The Health of the BIPOC Community: A Discussion on Gun Violence
• Stormont Vail Team Members: Under the Dome in Topeka and Washington, D.C.
• Courses Focus on Behavioral Health Strategies for Workplace Success

Social Workers Honored at Special Coffee Event

Social workers are a special blend of individuals who provide an invaluable service to our patients and Stormont Vail team, so what better way to honor them but at an appreciation coffee event. The recent event was held during the month of March to celebrate Social Work Month.

Bobbi Kohls with Learning and Talent Development led the planning for the special event, turning the Centennial Rooms in Pozez Education Center into a “coffee shop.” All social workers were invited to stop by and enjoy coffee and snacks. Thank you, Bobbi, for planning the event and letting our social workers know they are appreciated and valued for their skills, knowledge and care they provide each and every day across our system.

During the month, special Social Work T-shirts are also available in the Stormont Vail Gift Shop. They are available for $15.99 in the gift shop or online here. Use password “SV_2021” for an online order.

Thaina Dos Santos Jensen Awarded Rising Nurse Award

Congratulations to Thaina Dos Santos Jensen, PACU RN. Thaina attended the MOKAN PANA (Missouri-Kansas PeriAnesthesia Nurses’ Association) spring seminar in Kansas City recently and was awarded the Missouri-Kansas PeriAnesthesia Rising Nurse Award at the conference.

Thaina serves as a committee/board member for the Missouri-Kansas PeriAnesthesia Nurses Association.  She is also a member of the Emerging Leaders Strategic Work Team for the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN). 

Thaina’s active involvement in both state and national associations demonstrates her commitment and passion for PeriAnesthesia Nursing. Her contributions toward research and excellent care in PeriAnesthesia nursing make her a very deserving recipient of this award and recognition.

Thank you to both Thaina and JenJo Johnson for representing Stormont Vail Health and PACU at the MOKAN PANA Spring Seminar. Additionally, members from Stormont Vail Health’s IDEA committee attended and spoke about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the PeriAnesthesia setting.

The Health of the BIPOC Community: A Discussion on Gun Violence

• Thursday, March 21, 2024
• 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Stormont Vail Health Pozez Education Center Auditorium-Topeka Hospital and Zoom Webinar
• Details and Registration

Stormont Vail Health is proud to partner with the 70th Brown Anniversary Coalition to present “The Health of the BIPOC Community: A Discussion on Gun Violence,” a free community forum featuring Dr. Brian Williams, a nationally recognized leader on the intersection of public policy and structural racism, gun violence, and health equity. He is also a trauma surgeon, author of The Bodies Keep Coming: Dispatches from a Black Trauma Surgeon on Racism, Violence, and How We Heal, and an Air Force Academy alumnus and former congressional health policy advisor.

In addition to Dr. Williams’s remarks, regional speakers will provide valuable insights into gun violence’s effects from the perspectives of a care provider, victim, family member, mental health professional, and community activist. Community informational booths will be available in the corridor outside the Pozez Education Center Auditorium.

Stormont Vail Team Members: Under the Dome in Topeka and Washington, D.C.

Stormont Vail Health team members were recently meeting with elected officials at the state and federal levels to seek support for programs providing greater access to healthcare.

Emersen Frazier, Director of Health Equity and Policy, spoke at the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas rally March 6 at the Kansas Statehouse to urge legislators to pass Medicaid expansion. The rally featured Gov. Laura Kelly, who outlined her 2024 Medicaid expansion bill and cited support of Medicaid expansion across the state by individuals and small businesses.

Others who addressed the group were Dena Hubbard, M.D., policy chair of the Kansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Charles McKinzie, pastor at Winfield Grace United Methodist Church. Emerson is on the left with other speakers at the rally.

Sarah Evans-Simpson, Stormont Vail’s Forensic Nurse Manager, recently represented the Kansas Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses during a visit to Capitol Hill to advocate with Kansas members of Congress for policies to improve patient access, support forensic nursing and funding of the Violence Against Women Act.

The forensic nurses met with Congressman Jake LaTurner’s staff and also with U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids from Kansas. Rep. Davids agreed to join the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence after meeting with the group. In the photo, Sarah is on the right.

We together,
Dr. Kenagy