Newsletter August 2019

TheScrub August 2019

Start Each Day With a Positive Thought Table of contents: Page 3: ....................................Birthdays, Work Anniversaries & Reminders Page 4: ...................................Infection Control Fun Fact - Food Borne Illne s s Page 5: ...................................Chemical Disasters Page 6: ....................................Birth Announcements Page 7: ....................................Employee Spotlight Page 8: ....................................Keeping up with USC Page 9: .....................................New Staff Members Page 10: ..................................Welcome Committee 1

Unity surgical center Newsletter Announcements August BIRTHDAYS: Heather Blankenship - August 5th Ashley O’Shields - August 14th Paula Everett - August 14th Julie Winfhorst - August 17th Angela Dilts-Peterson - August 23rd Ashley Houser - August 25th Dayna Bell - August 26th Be sure to wish these co-workers a Happy Birthday! Work Anniversaries: Dawn McKenzie - August 28th - 16 Years Renee Cason - August 13th - 12 Years Danielle Alexander - August 4th - 11 Years Julie Windhorst - August 17th- 10 Years Kim Everly - August 5th - 6 Years Denise Blank - August 5th - 5 Years Heather Blankenship - August 17th - 4 Years Traci Stangley - August 18th - 4 Years Mackenzie Nannenga - August 27th - 1 Year Reminder!: Unity Meeting: August 15, 2019 3

usc A quick brush up on some important information. Illnesses & Outbreaks •A food borne illness occurs by eating contaminated food. •Outbreaks contribute only a small proportion (less than 5 percent) of lab-confirmed forborne illnesses •A food borne outbreak occurs when two or more people get the same illness after eating the same food. •Many outbreaks result from food being contaminated when it is prepared or served by a food worker with improperly washed hands. Impact on People •Millions of food borne illness occurs each year in the United States, resulting in thousands of hospitalizations and deaths •Reducing food borne illness by 10% would keep 5 million Americans from getting sick each year. •Preventing a single fatal case of E. coli O157 infection would save an estimated $7 million. Pathogens •More than 250 pathogens and toxins are known to cause food borne illness. Nearly all of them can cause an out break. •Many types of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and chemicals and toxins cause food borne illnesses. •Norovirus and Salmonella are the top two pathogens responsible for food borne illness and outbreaks. Food •Many types of foods can become contaminated. Some foods that have been linked to outbreaks are eggs, fish and shell fish, meat, nuts, poultry, raw (unpasteurized) milk, and raw fruits and vegetables. Prevention: WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE/AFTER EATING/DRINKING & FOOD PREPARATION! 8

Chemical Disasters You may be exposed to a chemical in three ways: •Breathing the chemical •Swallowing contaminated food, water, or medication •Touching the chemical, or coming into contact with clothing or things that have touched the chemical Remember, you may be exposed to chemicals even though you may not be able to see or smell anything unusual. Precautions •Avoid mixing chemicals, even common household products. Some combinations, such as ammonia and bleach, can create toxic gases. •Always read and follow the directions and wear personal protective equipment see safety data sheets for each product at USC •Store chemical products properly. •Beware of fire. Although you may not be able to see or smell them, vapor particles in the air could catch fire or explode. •Clean up any spills immediately, being careful to protect your eyes and skin using USC spill kits. If Exposed Decontaminate immediately. Remove clothing, put in plastic bag and seal. Flush eyes with water. Decontaminate other body areas. Proceed to hospital if needed. If you are told to “shelter in place”, stay inside, close all windows and doors and turn off all ventilation. Take patients and staff to an internal room, seal windows and doors, and listen to emergency broadcast stations for instructions. If you find someone who appears to have been injured from chemical exposure, make sure you are not in danger before administering First Aid. 4

Congratulations Lorelai Madeline Morris 6 lbs 14 oz 19.5 inches Born at 7 am exactly in a complete whirlwind shortly after arriving at the hospital and 1.5 hours after my water broke! She has a strong pair of lungs and deep dimples! Kobie Redmon 8lbs 1oz 21 inches All are doing well! Braelynn Kyler Speakman Born 7/8/19 Weighing in at 9lbs 3oz 22 in long All are happy and healthy! 5

Keeping up with usc! See what some of our teammates have been up to! Congratulations Jessie! Jessie starts nursing school in August! Congratulations Angela! Angela recently completed an online course for endoscopy precessing! She has been a great help in the endo room! 6

Keeping up with usc! See what some of our teammates have been up to! Candace and her crew enjoying family time at Hilton Head! 7

New Staff members! Welcome our Newest Members: Swing by and Say Hi! Tiffany Bilyeu Chasity Tyler Patient Care Representative Surgery Scheduler Makynzie Wagner Patient Care Representative 9

USC WElcome Committee Paula Everett and Daniel Salazar BE AN ENCOURAGER. THE WORLD HAS PLENTY OF CRITICS ALREADY. - Dave Willis 10