M A Y 2 0 1 4

S P E C T R U M H E A L T H C O M P A N I E S

Proudly serving the communities of Babbitt, Brainerd, Burnsville, Cook, Duluth, Ely, Eveleth, Grand Rapids, Metro/Faribault, Orr, Rochester, St. Cloud, Silver Bay and Willmar.

Eveleth/Virginia Office 2000 Siegel Blvd

Eveleth, MN 55734

218-741-3013

FAX: 218-741-1448

Twin Cities Office 6205 Crossman Lane

Inver Grove Heights, MN

55076

651-451-0569

FAX: 651-455-1179

www.spectrumhealthcos.com

is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neuro-logical disease that attacks the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling vol-untary muscles (muscle action we are able to control, such as those in the arms, legs, and face). The disease belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which are characterized by the gradual degeneration and death of motor neurons. Eventually, all muscles under voluntary control are affected, and individ-uals lose their strength and the ability to move their arms, legs, and body. When muscles in the diaphragm and chest wall fail, people lose the ability to breathe without ventilatory support. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. However, about 10 per-cent of those with ALS survive for 10 or more years.

Seeing as all of us work for a healthcare company, I’m sure at one time or another you have heard of or met someone with ALS, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease. In honor of ALS Awareness Month, I want to share my ALS story with you. My dad, Steve Venaas, was officially diagnosed with ALS in the beginning of 2012, though his symptoms started to appear in late 2010.

The first indication that something was wrong with my dad was he began to stumble over words, forcing him to speak shorter, simpler sentences. The doctors initially suggested these symptoms were due to anxiety and stress caused by the recent death of his father (my grandpa). Within the next year or so, he completely lost his ability to speak, chewing and swallowing became difficult and his muscles started to weaken. Luckily we were still able to communicate daily; he caught on quickly to texting and also used an assistive speech device to talk for him. After visiting several doctors and specialists, he finally received a diagnosis, Motor Neuron Disease, which was more specifically diagnosed as ALS with-in a few months. Due to the rapid onset of this disorder, he was forced to retire in the summer of 2012 after working as a butcher for 30+ years. This was devastating for him because his work was his livelihood; he got to spend every day with his best friends and customers he had known for decades. His ALS continued to progressed very quickly;

Continued on page 3

Michelle Kosnitch, LPN at Ely CFL since 2008, recently came across another Carefree-

Carefree, AZ!

In each monthly article for our

newsletter, I try to focus on issues

and events that deal with our Mis-

sion, Values and organizational

goals. I have shared with you

issues and events both within and

outside our company that impact

our operations and shape our

future. Some of it is good and

refreshing like the new projects we

have been able to do, and some may not be very good

such as the state and federal budget problems, impacting

our rate cuts over the years.

Taking an excerpt from our Mission statement,

“Through the use of dedicated and professional

staff…”, next week the nation celebrates National Nurs-

es Week. While Spectrum employs nearly 500 individu-

als, with varying backgrounds and skill levels, nurses

make up a small percentage of this total. Much of our

success can be attributed to the quality (nursing) opera-

tions provided throughout our service areas, which

includes regulatory compliance, but above all the

compassion and dedication to those served. Thank you

to our RN and LPN personnel!

The majority of the Spectrum team serve in roles direct-

ly and indirectly caring for those we serve - - whether

you’re in Home Care, Assisted Living or our corporate

offices. Regardless your role, you all make a difference

to the clients, families, vendors, co-workers you come

in contact with.

In order to be the best, we need to hire the best!

Spectrum is always looking for hardworking, dedicated

people to join our team. Assisted Living and Home Care

referral bonuses are available for referring an employee,

client or resident. Ask your supervisor for additional

details.

Now that summer is officially on the horizon, we con-

tinue to have the small “guest cabin” on Lake Shagawa

in Ely that is available for free for any Spectrum Em-

ployee. Go up there, enjoy the beautiful scenery and

recreational opportunities. Your only expense is your

gas and groceries. If interested contact your supervisor

for scheduling. If you go, the staff at Lakeside and

Carefree Living will welcome you and give you a per-

sonal tour of their wonderful facilities.

Enjoy the warmer weather and be safe. Thank each and

every one of you for your good work each day.

Merle

Merle Sampson

H o r i z o n s — P a g e 2

MESSAGE FROM THE OWNER / CEO

Cook CFL Ruth Rathman

Babbitt CFL Melissa Davey

Brainerd CFL Lorna Heidmann Angela Herold Tiffany Reed Debbie Hegli

Michelle Wagoner

Burnsville CFL Chrystal Bruestle Jennifer Lanigan

Silver Bay CFL Constance Haldorson

Orr CFL Emily Koch

Kendra Wallin Karla Knapper Tessa Mankus Heather Fealy

Eveleth HC Katherine Disterhaft

Lyndsey Wright

Willmar HC Rebecca Johnson

Mikayla Holm

“Quality in a

service or product

is not what you

put into it. It is

what the client

or customer gets

out of it.”

Peter Drucker

H o r i z o n s — P a g e 3

Actors & Actresses, Royal Families, Presidents, Disney Characters and Barbie All Reside at Carefree Living in Silver Bay

On Tuesday, April 8, Joanne Anderson, an 82-year-old resident of Carefree Living in Silver Bay, displayed an extensive, decades-old paper doll collection to resi-dents, staff, and guests. She displayed boards filled with paper dolls dating back to 1898 and more than 150 untouched paper doll books and albums. Actors and actresses from the 1940s to today, presidents, royal families, ballerinas, Disney characters, TV characters, Barbie, and others are represented in Anderson’s books.

As a four-year-old child, Anderson was reading a magazine when she came upon an advertisement for a paper doll collection representing the Queen of England. At the time (1935), money was tight, and she thought she shouldn’t ask for any-

thing. Yet she mustered the courage to approach her aunt, who at the time was the only one in the family who had a job. She asked her aunt for the money to make the purchase; her aunt looked at her and said, “Absolutely!” This was the start of Ander-son’s collection. The cost: 10 cents. Submitted by Gretchen Jacobson, Administrative Coordinator, Silver Bay CFL

extensive muscle deterioration and weight loss, inability to chew or swallow, constant fatigue and breathing problems. My dad was a strong, healthy man and to watch him go through that and have no way to help was devastating. I can’t imagine how he felt knowing his body was failing him but his mind was still sharp as a tack. In April of 2013 he had a feeding tube inserted to help combat his drastic weight loss caused by the inability to swallow. This helped for a little while, enough to fulfill his dream of buying an RV and spending the summer traveling and camping. Again his disease took a turn for the worse in September 2013, when he suffered his first bought of pneumonia. After a few days in a Du-luth hospital, at his request he was allowed to go home. The next few months were very hard for him physically. He was in and out of the clinic and hospital for various different reasons. He was constantly on a bi-pap machine to help him breath. On December 2nd he was again admitted to the hospital, this time to the ICU for respiratory failure. They told him he would not be able to breathe on his own ever again. Per his request he did not want to be put on life support. He passed away December 5th, 2013 at the age of 54. Unfortunately, my dad he was not one of the lucky 10% who sur-vive for more than 10 years.

Someone once told me my dad was a “perfect gentleman” which he absolutely was. My dad was kind, patient, devoted, positive, honest and a genuinely good person. He loved being with his family, my mom (his wife) of 32 years, 3 children and 3 grandchildren, and we were blessed to have him in our lives. My dad once told me “Worry won't add a single mo-ment to our lives. I truly do live 1 day at a time”. Life isn’t always fair, but I am happy knowing my dad is no longer suf-fering.

Fortunately, my dad qualified for Medicare allowing him get nursing and therapy services through Spectrum. Although he was a very private and stubborn man, he really liked his nurse, Natalie Jensen, and didn’t mind her visits. Thank you, Natalie! My dad is a great example of someone who, with help from Spectrum, was able to stay in his home even though he was very ill.

In honor of my dad, I plan to participate in the 2015 Black Woods Blizzard Tour (a 3 day, 400 mile snowmobile ride) to raise funds for the ALS Association. They helped my dad get the equipment he needed when he was sick without hesita-tion; it is such a wonderful organization. The ALS Association also holds several “Walk to Defeat ALS” fundraisers throughout the year in many different cities. Please visit their website (alsa.org) for more information.

Submitted by: Brittany Venaas (Wolf) Pictured: Steve Venaas, Summer of 2013.

ALS from page 1

H o r i z o n s — P a g e 4

SPECTRUM

(S)MILES UPDATE Congratulations to: Chris Annen, Monika Brown, Lyndsey

Brown, Dawn Carlson, Jan Carter, Kathy Celley, Jes-

sica Gifford, Deb Kahn, Jen Karr, Deb Lenzen,

Yvonne Morrison, Cory Nynas, Bobbi O’Brein, and

Alicia Sobyra who received recognition from their supervisors or

co-workers for going above and beyond their day-to-day duties. These individuals will receive points that can be applied towards Spectrum merchandise shown in the Spectrum (S)Miles catalog. To recognize someone for their outstanding contributions, request a Spectrum (S)Miles recognition form from your branch office or ob-tain one from a designated location. Hundreds of (S) Miles have been given to deserving Spectrum employees since the program began in 2010.

Would you like to receive our newsletter via email? Sign up by emailing: humanresources@spectrumchealth.com

Period Ending April 30, 2014

Lost Time Accidents…………………………………..0 Injury-Related Days Lost this Month……………......0 Injury-Related Days Lost 2014……………...…........0 Minor injuries Reported 2014………………..……...12

Please work safely! Lost-time injuries drive up our cost of providing quality care.

humanresources@spectrumchealth.com

Competing financial priorities getting in the way of saving for retirement?

Planning for retirement is an important financial goal. But competing financial priorities can often get in the way. How do you make it all work? The Personal Financial Dashboard, a free online planning tool available on the plan website, can help. It’s an easy way to organize your finances, see where you stand, and make smart money decisions that help you get where you need to go.

An overview gives you the basics and links to a demo of the tool. http://www.ingdelivers.com/PFD/overview.pdf

For more information contact:

Scott Lichter, Retirement Plan Consultant 952-653-1077 slichter@christensengroup.com Scott is a free, confidential resource for employees to discuss retirement solu-tions and individual investment opportunities.

UPDATE YOUR

OFFICE 365 PROFILE Update your profile to introduce yourself to co-workers.

HOW DO I EDIT MY PROFILE? 1. Click your name > About me in the top right corner of any of your Outlook or SharePoint web pages. 2. Click edit your profile.

3. Review or edit your Basic Information page or go to another page by clicking Contact Information or Details.

4. To add or update your About me text, click in the About me box and type a personal description. Use the formatting tools in the ribbon to add special text effects such as bold type, and bullets. 5. Click Save all and close.

Brittany’s

B ENEFITS—Spectrum is constantly evaluat-ing valuable and cost-effective and bene-

fits for it's employees. Currently, based on in-dividual employment status, the follow-ing benefits are available:

Additional details are available from administrative personnel. Annual open enrollment will be conducted Fall 2014.

Insurance Reimbursement Dental Insurance Life Insurance Paid Time Off 401k Retirement

Tuition discount with Rasmussen College

Scholarship Program Employee Assistance

Program And more!