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Seacoast Healthcare Hero, Ride to end ALZ: Seacoast health news
Kim Wolph from Oyster River High School named Seacoast Healthcare Hero
DURHAM – Little things matter so much for those receiving care. Beyond actual treatment, a smile, a helping hand or a casual conversation can be very welcoming and meaningful to those in need of care. It’s these and other elements that spawned the Healthcare Heroes community effort over three years ago to recognize dedicated individuals in healthcare who go above and beyond the call of duty when caring for patients and providing them with all the essentials needed to help them heal.
To shine a light on the work done not only in front-line but behind the scenes so that care can be delivered and maintained, regional 2023 NH Healthcare Heroes were recently selected. In the Seacoast Region, Kim Wolph, School Nurse at Oyster River High School in Durham, was named a NH Healthcare Hero at a recent pinning ceremony.
Here’s what Wolph’s nominator, Sean, said about her: “Kim provides a safe space for students, staff and community members to come to. Families trust that when they share their struggles with Kim, the utmost care will be taken to keep the information confidential eliminating the shame and guilt that can accompany accepting assistance. She puts the needs and well-being of students as well as staff as her highest priority. She has a way of engaging you that makes you feel that at the moment, you are the most important part of her day.”
For more information and to follow the stories from our heroes and runners up, follow the effort on social media at Facebook.com/HealthcareHeroesNH.
500 Cyclists to Participate in Ride to End ALZ at Hampton Beach State Park
HAMPTON– The Alzheimer’s Association will hold its annual Ride to End ALZ New England at Hampton Beach State Park on Saturday, June 3. More than 500 riders from across New England have registered for the event to raise critical funds and awareness to advance Alzheimer’s research, directly impacting the pace and momentum behind the fight to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. This year the event aims to raise a total of $850,000.
The Ride to End ALZ is a fully supported, one-day fundraising event for riders of all levels, from casual cyclist to avid enthusiast. Participants will choose to ride 100, 62, or 30 miles along the coast of New Hampshire, through Massachusetts farmland, along the Merrimack River, and through scenic nature reserves. There is also a virtual option for cyclists to ride any distance on any path, trail, or on the roads in their own neighborhood.
Sponsors for this year’s Ride to End ALZ New England include Moderna and New Balance Foundation. All routes will start and finish at Hampton Beach State Park with start times beginning at 7 a.m. To register for the event and for the latest updates, visit www.ridetoendalzheimers.org.
‘Father’s Day Without Dad’ a one day grief support workshop
EXETER — Gather together with others who are also feeling the absence of dad during this Father’s Day holiday on Friday, June 16 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Exeter Hospital campus, 4 Alumni Drive, conference rooms 1A and 1B. We will discuss the phases and cycles of grief, and share ways to memorialize, honor and celebrate your father’s memory. Each group member will receive grief support resources and information to continue with next steps for healing through this loss. Registration required. To register contact: Hillary Coughlin, Hospice Bereavement Coordinator at 603-660-4528.
2023 summer six-week Grief Support Group
EPPING —Monday afternoons June 19, 26; July 3, 17, 24 31, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Epping Regional Health Center, 212 Calef Hwy, Epping, 1st Floor Conference Room. Registration required. To register contact Hillary Coughlin, Bereavement Coordinator at 603-660-4528.
Exeter Hospital achieves Magnet Recognition again
EXETER — Exeter Hospital attained Magnet recognition again in May 2023, a testament to its continued dedication to high-quality nursing practice. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program distinguishes health care organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence.
This credential is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice and Exeter Hospital is one of only three hospitals in New Hampshire that has achieved it.
Exeter Hospital received six “exemplars”. Magnet exemplars are specific to Magnet Source of Evidence (SOE) requirements and demonstrate exemplary performance, or practice beyond what is expected. In summary, Exeter Hospital’s exemplars recognized:
· The hospital outperforms the mean when it comes to infections (CLABSI: central line and CAUTI: foley catheter) and falls in the ambulatory units.
· Patient satisfaction scores were exemplary on the questions about patient education and in the ambulatory areas for safety and careful listening.
Research demonstrates that Magnet recognition provides specific benefits to healthcare organizations and their communities, such as:
· Higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help and receipt of discharge information.
· Lower risk of 30-day mortality and lower failure to rescue rates.
· Higher job satisfaction among nurses.
· Lower nurse reports of intentions to leave their positions.
MaMagnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence and is a factor when the public judges health care organizations. U.S. News & World Report’s annual showcase of “America’s Best Hospitals” includes Magnet recognition in its ranking criteria for quality of inpatient care.
Health care organizations must reapply for Magnet recognition every four years based on adherence to Magnet concepts and demonstrated improvements in patient care and quality. An organization reapplying for Magnet recognition must provide documented evidence to demonstrate how staff members sustained and improved Magnet concepts, performance and quality over the four-year period since the organization received its most recent recognition.
Wentworth-Douglass grant provides $50K to Alliance for Community Transportation
DOVER — For the second straight year, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital has awarded a $10,000 community benefit grant to the Alliance for Community Transportation (ACT), a group that provides community transportation, largely for seniors and adults with disabilities, in Southeastern New Hampshire. Wentworth-Douglass awarded the same grant in 2022, which allows ACT to access an additional $40,000 in federal funds.
ACT’s lead agency and fiscal sponsor is the Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST), but its work is primarily funded by Federal Transit Administration funds that are passed through the NH Department of Transportation. ACT must provide non-USDOT funding to leverage the $40,000 in federal money.
TripLink operated continuously throughout the pandemic, ensuring that the region’s most vulnerable residents continued to have access to medical care, grocery shopping, and other transportation needs. One of ACT’s goals is to return ridership to pre-pandemic levels, which would equal 40,000 annual trips scheduled through TripLink. The organization has already smashed its goal of enrolling 25% of clients for more than one service by the end of the year. As of February, 59% are registered for multiple services.
Wentworth-Douglass conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment every three years to identify where the hospital should focus its programs and services to improve the overall health of the individuals and families it serves. The funds donated are approved by the hospital’s Community Benefit Funding Disbursement Committee and are not raised through any public or private donations.
