SAMPLE

COMMUNICATION
MATERIALS
FROM
HEALTHCARE

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
MARK ANTHONY A. DE GUZMAN
1. MINUTES OF THE MEETING

OAK VALLEY HOSPITAL DISTRICT

FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
March 7, 2019

ROYAL OAK CONFERENCE ROOM

1425 West H Street, Oakdale, California
5:00 P.M.

AGENDA

5:00 p.m. Call Meeting to Order Ed Chock, M.D., Chairperson

PUBLIC COMMENT
In compliance with the California Brown Act the District Board of Directors
welcomes comments from the public.

This is the opportunity for members of the public to directly address the District Board
of Directors on any item of interest to the public under the jurisdiction of the District
including items on this agenda.

Persons wishing to make a presentation to the Board of Directors shall observe the
following procedure:

1. A written request to the Board on the form provided at the meeting (optional)
2. Oral presentations are limited to three (3) minutes.
3. Members of the public will be afforded the opportunity to speak at the beginning of
the public meeting during the general Public Comment section of the agenda on any
item under the jurisdiction of the District as well as during the consideration of an
individual item on the agenda for that public meeting, however the three-minute limit
described in item 2, above, will be applied to an individual’s cumulative comments
during the meeting.

The proceedings of the Board are recorded and are part of the public record.

Materials related to an item on this Agenda, submitted to the Oak Valley Hospital
District after distribution of the agenda packet, are available for public inspection in
the Secretary’s Office at 1425 West H Street, Suite 270, Oakdale, CA during normal
business hours.
 APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Action Minutes of February 7, 2019 meeting Ed Chock, M.D.

Chairperson

FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT

Action Financial Reports for January 2019 Ann Croskrey

Action Charity Care – Seeking Recommendation to the Board of John McCormick

Directors to Approve Two Patient Accounts that meets our
Charity Care Policy.

Information Fund Transfers/Investment Review & Recommendation Ann Croskrey

Information Revenue Bond Fund Access – Update on Status of Usable Chang Ahn
Monies in Bond Fund Access Account

ADJOURNMENT

Posted by: Jill Andersen, Clerk of the Board Date: March 4, 2019
2. REQUESTS

Eloisa Montemayor
438 Magsaysay Sur, Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija
09551234569

February 12, 2016

Good Samaritan Hospital
Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija

Dear Dr. Sanchez,

I am writing to request copies of my medical records. I was treated
in your facility between February 4 to 10. Please include all charts,
test results, consultation notes and referrals regarding my medical
care.

I understand I may be charged a reasonable fee for copying the

records, but that I will not be charged for time spent locating the
records.

Please mail the requested records to me at the above address. I

have enclosed a self-addressed envelope for your convenience.
I understand that I will also be charged for postage.

I have an appointment scheduled on February 19 with Dr. Valdez.

Thank you for your cooperation. Please let me know if you need any additional
information.

Sincerely,

Eloisa Montemayor
3. BUSINESS

123 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94122

Home: 415-555-0000 Cell: 415-555-0000

Horn0909@gmail.com

Dear Dr. Levy,

I am writing to apply for your Medical Doctor position at Sunny view Medical Clinic. I am a
doctor with over seven years of experience working in a clinic setting. In my current position as
a Medical Doctor with the Springfield Family Medical Associates I see numerous patients each
day assess symptoms provide diagnoses and treatment options based on my conclusions. I am an
astute observer with exemplary diagnostic skills.

My energetic but calming demeanor puts my patients at ease. I am a strong communicator and
believe in providing patients with information regarding their health as well as allowing them
time to ask questions. I have received praise from both patients and administrators on my
approachable nature and genuine concern. I enjoy collaboration and have no problem with asking
for assistance or referring patients for a second opinion when needed.

I am confident you’ll find I possess the skills dedication and personal characteristics to make a
positive contribution to the staff as a Medical Doctor with Sunny view Medical Clinic. Please
contact me at a time that is convenient for you to further discuss my qualifications and what I
have to offer. Thank you so much for your consideration and I look forward to speaking with
you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Sonya Horn

4. TECHNICAL

Dear Mr. Wright,

Upon review of your posting for a Medical Technologist, I felt compelled to submit my resume
for your review. As a skilled and dedicated professional with more than seven years of
experience conducting medical testing, performing quality control, and overseeing lab
operations, I am confident that I could make a significant contribution to your organization.

Preparing and testing specimens, analyzing complex blood and bodily fluid tests, and completing
scheduled assignments define my career accomplishments. My comprehensive expertise in a
wide variety of testing procedures and equipment positions me ready to vitally impact laboratory
management and performance.

Consider the following highlights of my qualifications:

-Successfully performing both basic and complex testing in urinalysis, hematology, chemistry,
microbiology, histology, immunohematology, and serology to acquire data to use in diagnosing
and treating diseases.

-Overseeing day-to-day functioning for a healthy operating lab, including staff training, supply
orders, and cross-departmental communication for superior patient care and laboratory success.

-Possessing a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Lab Technology; licensed Medical Technologist.

With my acute knowledge of medical laboratory operations and my expertise in performing

quality control procedures, I am ready to extend my record of success with your organization. I
look forward to discussing the position, and my qualifications, with you further.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Carrie J. Jones
5. INCIDENT REPORT

Letter Reporting Your Work Accident and Injuries to the Employer

 
Dear Mr. Enrike Hil,
 
Please accept this letter as written notice that on June 5 at 3 am. I was involved in an accident. I
was hurt when slip on the wet floor and got  injured. Immediately after the accident, I spoke with
Anna and reported what happened. I am in the process of having my injuries evaluated. Based on
my treatment regimen thus far, it is my understanding that I suffered the following injuries:
sprain and Leg and arm abrasions.
 
My medical provider has put me on light duty/restricted me from all work. I have received to
stay in bed and take a rest for one week from Dr. Sanchez. Please tell me if you can
accommodate my restrictions. If so, I ask for a written letter detailing my new job duties post-
accident.
 
My follow-up appointment is on June 7. I would, however, appreciate it if you would provide a
panel of physicians with whom I may treat.
 
Due to uncertainties regarding my recovery and the type of treatment I may require in the future,
it will be necessary for me to file a workers’ compensation claim. Please let me know who our
workers compensation insurance carrier is and the best way for me to file a claim with the
carrier. I would also appreciate it if you sent me a copy of any reports or forms you have already
completed because of this workplace accident.
 
Thanks for your assistance. If you need any information from me or wish to speak with me
regarding the accident, my injuries, and my restrictions, contact me at your convenience. I look
forward to working with you through this time.
 
Sincerely,
Liza Segera
6. LETTERS

Dear health care worker,

I recently experienced a parent’s worst nightmare. One evening my nine-week old baby
developed an extremely high fever. We rushed to our local community hospital and were
admitted through the emergency department to the pediatric unit. We were discharged three days
later thanks to the skilled doctors and nurses who cared for our precious little one. While
our infant’s care and health outcomes were fantastic, our experience was less than satisfactory. I
noticed some key trends that seemed to repeat themselves that shaped my experience as a patient.

During my hospital stay many staff took the opportunity to bad-mouth their colleagues to me
when we were alone. I am not sure if this occurred because I looked rather trust-worthy or they
wanted to let me know they were more competent than their colleagues. Whatever the reason, if
there was a positive purpose, it was definitely lost on me in the moment. The emergency nurses
complained about the doctor’s orders and the delay in response of the pediatric nurses. The
pediatric nurses complained about the emergency room nurses inability to get an intravenous
line. The pediatrician complained about orders made by the emergency doctor. Once admitted,
our pediatric nurse complained about the pediatricians approach to the care of my baby. Then the
pediatrician complained about the pediatric nurse’s lack of ability to obtain a urine sample. This
pattern continued for the duration of our stay.

At every opportunity the parent in me wanted to scream at the top of my lungs “Can everyone
stop complaining about each other and look after my sick baby?” From my vantage point it
seemed that everyone was so focused on their own needs and skills that they appeared
completely oblivious that there was a sick baby that needed their help. At no point was it
beneficial for me to know that the emergency and pediatric physicians had different opinions on
what lab tests should be done on my baby. Nor was it beneficial for nurses from each ward to
openly criticize the others in my presence. In fact it was downright disappointing. This did
nothing other than state to me that egos were taking priority over my daughter’s care.
I cannot tell you how many times nurses told me, “I am so busy today.” I am not sure if they
were telling me to excuse the fact that my daughter’s medications or vitals were not on time or
maybe they were simply looking for support. Every time I heard this statement my head played
my own version that sounded more like “your daughter is not a priority.” Everyone is busy. Be
thankful you are busy; this means you are in-demand and in today’s tough economy, not at risk
of losing your job.

Do not use patients or their families as your personal confidante. I was in that hospital room to
care for my infant and see her condition improve, not to hear that staff were not equipped to see
this goal through. Patients and their families need to know they are your priority and your job is
to care for them in an effort to restore health. Please take time to tell them this, share in positive
news with them as if you are happy too, because I know you are.

Use the chart, read it, write in it and refer to it. After all, this is where everything that happens
should be documented. At every interaction with a physician and their students I was asked the
same questions “was she premature” and “was your delivery normal.” I answered these questions
the same each time, surely someone wrote this down in our chart. Answering the same questions
over and over again made me feel like they were questioning my response. I started to wonder if
they thought I was lying.

The majority of health care workers that approached my daughter referred to her as male. I
would politely correct them with her or she. My daughter spent her time in hospital wearing only
a diaper. Despite no obvious gender indicator, surely somewhere in my paperwork it indicated
that she was female. I began questioning if there was a mistake on her chart due to the frequency
at which staff referred to her as male. As sleep deprivation and stress took their toll I wondered
what other mistakes may lurk on my baby’s paperwork. While this small slip of the tongue
seems minor, it became a major cause for concern as more and more staff made the same error.
Please be careful of what you say to patients and how you say it. When you are caught on such a
slip up, be genuine in your apology and make a sincere effort to refrain from repeating the same
mistake next time. Patients and their families need to know that you are listening and that you
care about what it is they are saying. The gender error is one that left me with a sense of
sloppiness and lack of focus on behalf of all who made this innocent mistake.
I am a health care worker just like you (though I never let those who cared for us know this).
People trust us to take care of their most precious loved ones in their most vulnerable states. This
is our job and we do it with pride, but how we treat each other (especially in front of the patients)
is dreadful. Patients know that healthcare is not a glamorous career choice. They know that most
of us do it because we want to help sick people get well. Do your best to confirm this belief
when people are in your care. Try to ask yourself, if I were a patient what I would like to hear.
You are a knowledgeable person who has a lot more to talk about than incompetency of
colleagues. I am not innocent of uttering some of these statements above. However, I can assure
you that I will be more conscious of what I say to patients and their families after my daughter’s
hospital stay.

Fellow health care workers, choose to interact with your patients in a way that instills confidence
in yourself and your fellow team members. You alone have the power to positively shape the
patient’s experience.

Yours truly,

An appreciative mother

7. MEMORANDUM

MEMORANDUM

T Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Long Term Acute Care Hospital

o: Executive Officer, Long Term Care Facility Executive Officer, Long
Term Care Director of Nursing or Designate, Hospital-affiliated
Clinical Laboratory Director, Independent or Free-standing
Laboratory Director
4. Facility Medical Director, Facility Infection Preventionist, Facility
Laboratory Director, Facility Microbiologist, Facility Quality
Director, Medical Director of the Illinois Department of Public
Health (IDPH), Regional Offices of IDPH, IDPH Office of Health
Care Regulation, Local Health Departments, Telligen, Illinois
Hospital Association, Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network,
Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council, Illinois APIC chapters,
Life Services Network, Illinois Council on Long Term Care, Illinois
Health Care Association.

From: Mary Driscoll, RN, MPH

Chief, Division of Patient Safety and Quality

Erica Abu-Ghallous, MSN, MPH, RN

HAI Prevention Coordinator, Division of Patient Safety and Quality

Date: September 4, 2013

Subject: XDRO registry

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are considered extensively

drug resistant organisms (XDROs) that have few antibiotic treatment options
and high mortality rates. CRE are increasingly detected among patients in
Illinois, including acute and long term care healthcare facilities.

In response to the CRE public health threat, the Illinois Department of

Public Health (IDPH) has amended the Control of Communicable
Diseases Code (77 Ill. Adm. Code 690) Rules (see addendum) to require
reporting of CREs to IDPH.

All hospitals, hospital-affiliated clinical laboratories, independent or free-

standing laboratories, longer-term care facilities, and long-term acute care
hospitals in Illinois will be required to report CRE isolates that meet
surveillance criteria to IDPH through a tool called the XDRO registry,
effective November 1, 2013. Note: This implementation date supersedes the
date specified in Section 690.1520 (e).

The purpose of the XDRO registry is two-fold:

1. Improve CRE surveillance: The first CRE-positive culture per

patient/resident encounter that meets the surveillance criteria must
be reported to the XDRO registry.

2. Improve inter-facility communication: Healthcare facilities can query

the XDRO registry to see whether a patient has been previously
reported as CRE-positive, facilitating prompt implementation of
appropriate infection control measures.
To access the XDRO registry, users will log into the IDPH Web Portal.
Current I-NEDSS (Illinois National Electronic Disease Surveillance System)
users will be granted automatic access to the XDRO registry. If you do not
currently use I-NEDSS, you must register for access to the XDRO registry
through the IDPH Web Portal at http://portalhome.dph.illinois.gov/. IDPH
Web Portal registration can take up to two weeks, so please initiate this
process as soon as possible.

IDPH will host webinars on October 15, 2013 (10-11 AM) and October
17, 2013 (1-2 PM) to provide further information on how to sign up and
access the XDRO registry and what information will need to be reported.
Details on how to register for one of these two webinars is forthcoming and
will be posted to the IDPH Division of Patient Safety and Quality website:
http://www.idph.state.il.us/patientsafety/

If you have questions regarding any of the above information that require
attention before the webinars in October, please call the Division of
Patient Safety and Quality at (312) 814-2915.
Addendum

Please review the following adopted amendments for details about

the surveillance definition for CRE isolates that are required to be
reported through the XDRO registry:

(Source: Amended at 37 Ill. Reg. 12063, effective July 15, 2013). Available
at:
http://www.idph.state.il.us/rulesregs/2013_Rules/Adopted/77_IAC_690_6-
19.pdf

Illinois Department of Public Health

Title 77: Public Health
Chapter I: Department Of Public Health
Subchapter K: Communicable Disease Control and Immunizations
Part 690
Control of Communicable Diseases Code

SUBPART D: DEFINITIONS
Section
690.900 Definition of Terms

SUBPART I: REGISTRIES
Section
690.1500 Extensively Drug-Resistant Organism Registry
690.1510 Entities Required to Submit Information
690.1520 Information Required to be Reported
690.1530 Methods of Reporting XDRO Registry Information
690.1540 Availability of Information

Synopsis of surveillance definition for CREs required to be reported to

the XDRO registry (This is not a complete listing of reporting
requirements):

The first CRE isolate obtained from any source during each unique
patient/resident encounter, including those obtained for active surveillance or
clinical decision making that meets the surveillance criteria must be reported
to the XDRO registry within seven calendar days after the test result is
finalized.
Reporting facilities shall report carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae
(e.g., E. coli, Klebsiella species, Enterobacter species, Proteus species,
Citrobacter species, Serratia species, Morganella species, or Providentia
species) based on laboratory test results:
1) Molecular test (e.g., polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific for
carbapenemase;
2) Phenotypic test (e.g., Modified Hodge) specific for carbapenemase
production; or
3) For E. coli and Klebsiella species only: nonsusceptible to one of the
following carbapenems: doripenem, meropenem, or imipenem and
resistant to all of the following third generation cephalosporin that were
tested: ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, and ceftazidime.