Celebrating LHCR Staff Employment Anniversaries 2116 Dover Center Road Westlake, Ohio 44145-3194 Phone: 440-871-0090 Editor: Janice K. Snyder Mission Outreach Liaison, Ext. 2154 Email: [email protected]Concord Communicator May 1 Year: Tammy Davis, Ruhanika Milindi, Veronica Washington, Jamica Clifford, Jessica Hines, Jane Russell, Matt Walling, Brandon Bell, Stephanie Carlson, Eutopia Gill, Kayrona Smith, Stephanie Thompson, Kristy Jones, Danielle Ward, Decrisha Howard, Ronald Schaefer 2 Years: Sarah Knight, Angelica Blaylock, Jarrod Groesser, Ethan Straub, Patrick Wright, Bianca McGill, Amy Velez, Michael Wood 3 Years: Tonya Vincent, Cassandra Sasack, 5 Years: Nicole Remesnik, Deborah Cody 6 Years: Ivan Markovitz Scan this tag to your Smartphone to visit the LHCR website. 8 Years: Tina Lieb, Amy Lynch 9 Years: William Maul 10 Years: Marilyn Cancel 13 Years: Jacqueline Nettles 19 Years: Penny Mino 21 Years: Colette Stanley 23 Years: Anne Chapman June 1 Year: Lynisa Tyler, Bernadette Diaz, Jeanne D'arc Uwera, Joyce Bender, Carly Falzon, Christine Jessel, Robert Nichols III, Genevieve Flowers, Ilyia Maldonado, Jennifer Stevens 2 Years: Debra Ridenour, Daniel Blaha, Brooke Luke 4 Years: Christopher Hanson 5 Years: Kimberly Nogueras, Daniel Steinbrenner, Amy Wuitowicz 7 Years: Daisy Miranda, Kristy Saunders 8 Years: Gayle Castro 9 Years: Tracy Adams 22 Years: Tracy Klokey 28 Years: Mary Davis 32 Years: Lorraine Lash The Wonders of Cucumbers Did you know that cukes contain most of the vitamins you need every day? Just one cucumber contains Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc. Feeling tired in the afternoon? Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cukes are a good source of B vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours. Annoyed by your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance. The Lutheran Home at Concord Reserve Celebrating Our 80-Year Heritage of Care 1932-2012 Volume 2, Issue 3 May 2012 People in the “News”/ From the Administrator 2 CEO’s Corner/ Health Fair/Birthdays 3 Stock the Summer Pantry Food Drive 4 Notes from HR & Accounting/STARS 5 Get Beach-Ready!/ Employee Morale 6 Smile on Purpose/ Deep Breathing 7 Celebrating Staff Anniversaries 8 Concord Communicator A newsletter for Employees of Concord Reserve Smoking on our campus is prohibited in accordance with Chapter 3794 of the Ohio Revised Code. This rule is strictly enforced for the health of our residents and employees. Inside This Issue Introducing… Perfect Attendance—What Does it Mean? It means being at work when scheduled. It means punching in on time. It means NOT pushing the snooze button on the alarm clock. It means coming to work when everyone else is going to a movie, a picnic, or family event. It means personal accomplishment…..you said you would be here and you were! It means our residents can depend on you to take care of them. It means dedication. To read the names of staff members who have achieved perfect attendance for the first quarter of 2012, see page 2. Leslie Lilly Nursing Scheduler Brittany Bobkovich Nursing Secretary The names of staff members with perfect attendance were entered in a drawing for free automotive services from John Lance Ford. April Blaylock, (pictured) & Jonnette Wiemer were the winners of the first quarter raffle.
1 Year: Lynisa Tyler, Bernadette Diaz, Jeanne D'arc Uwera, Joyce Bender, Carly Falzon, Christine Jessel, Robert Nichols III, Genevieve Flowers, Ilyia Maldonado, Jennifer Stevens
2 Years: Debra Ridenour, Daniel Blaha, Brooke Luke
4 Years: Christopher Hanson
5 Years: Kimberly Nogueras, Daniel Steinbrenner, Amy Wuitowicz
7 Years: Daisy Miranda, Kristy Saunders
8 Years: Gayle Castro
9 Years: Tracy Adams
22 Years: Tracy Klokey
28 Years: Mary Davis
32 Years: Lorraine Lash
The Wonders of Cucumbers
Did you know that cukes contain
most of the vitamins you need
every day? Just one cucumber
contains Vitamins B1, B2, B3,
B5, B6, Folic Acid,
Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron,
Magnesium, Phosphorus,
Potassium and Zinc.
Feeling tired in the afternoon?
Put down the caffeinated soda
and pick up a cucumber. Cukes
are a good source of B vitamins
and carbohydrates that can
provide that quick pick-me-up
that can last for hours.
Annoyed by your bathroom
mirror fogging up after a
shower? Try rubbing a cucumber
slice along the mirror, it will
eliminate the fog and provide a
soothing, spa-like fragrance.
The Lutheran Home at Concord Reserve Celebrating Our 80-Year Heritage of Care
1932-2012
Volume 2, Issue 3
May 2012
People in the “News”/ From the Administrator
2
CEO’s Corner/ Health Fair/Birthdays
3
Stock the Summer Pantry Food Drive
4
Notes from HR & Accounting/STARS
5
Get Beach-Ready!/ Employee Morale
6
Smile on Purpose/ Deep Breathing
7
Celebrating Staff Anniversaries
8
Concord Communicator A newsletter for Employees of Concord Reserve
Smoking on our campus is
prohibited in accordance
with Chapter 3794 of the
Ohio Revised Code. This
rule is strictly enforced for
the health of our residents
and employees.
Inside This Issue
Introducing…
Perfect Attendance—What Does it Mean?
It means being at work when scheduled.
It means punching in on time.
It means NOT pushing the snooze button on the alarm clock.
It means coming to work when everyone else is going to a movie, a picnic, or family event.
It means personal accomplishment…..you said you would be here and you were!
It means our residents can depend on you to take care of them.
It means dedication.
To read the names of staff members who have achieved perfect attendance for the first quarter of 2012, see page 2.
Leslie Lilly Nursing Scheduler
Brittany Bobkovich Nursing Secretary
The names of staff members with perfect attendance were entered in a drawing for free
automotive services from John Lance Ford. April Blaylock, (pictured) & Jonnette Wiemer were the
winners of the first quarter raffle.
Page 2
People From Administrator Janet Harst A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived so, he packed a suitcase with a bag of chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man sitting in the park staring at the pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink of root beer when he noticed the old man looked hungry, so he offered him some potato chips. The old man gratefully accepted
and smiled at the little boy.
His smile was so pretty that the boy want-ed to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The little boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, never saying a word.
As twilight approached, the little boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; took a few steps, then turned around, ran back to the old man and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest smile ever.
When the little boy opened the door to his house, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? He’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve
ever seen!”
Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, “Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?” He re-plied, “I ate potato chips in the park with God.” However, before his son respond-ed, he added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listen-ing ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have
the potential to turn a life around.
People come into our lives for a reason, a
season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!
Have lunch with God…….bring chips.
(from the Internet)
Employee Morale/Team Building Committee
An additional suggestion box is being ordered and will be placed on campus for all staff to utilize. We are looking for the best suggestion as to
where the new box should go. Please let Stephanie know in the HR
office or put your ideas in the suggestion boxes. We look forward to receiving your suggestions each month!
(see page 6) The committee reviews and discusses issues on cam-pus each month. It is very important that all suggestions be helpful. We
have received some items in the sug-gestion boxes that have been some-
what harsh or personal. We are look-ing for constructive concerns that
help our campus grow and improve.
The following employees have had Perfect Attendance since
January. Congratulations!
Rami Abukhater, Richard Andera, Amanda Avalos, Patricia Ballou, Carmen Barber, Debra Barrett, Angelica Blaylock,
April Blaylock, Jean Marie Boyle, Nevenka Brkovic, Alexandra Burkes,
Oscar Christman, Susan Cobb, Steven Cooper, Kathleen Costa, Shelly Crouse,
Wilmarie Cruz, Bernadette Diaz, Marilena Docy, Kerri Drellishak, James
Lorraine Lash, Ann Lembach, Tina Lieb, Shelly Livingston, Ivan Markovitz, Nancy
Marks, Melinda Martinez, Shavonne Masola, William Maul, Candice Miele,
Dawn Milam, Ruhanika Milindi, Mallory Miller, Bob Miller, Penny Mino, Daisy
Miranda, Cathy Moore, Sarah Moorman, Sherry Moran, Corky Morrison, Sharon
Moyer, Damaris Mrosko, John Mgongo, Bayan Mustafa, Jacki Nettles, Ruth
Nkulu, Glenda Ocdise, Amy Olienechak, Maileen Ortiz, Sr. Mary Ann Phillip,
Donna Pratt, Dorothy Price, Stephanie Redman, Margaret Remner, Priscilla
Rodriguez, Angel Rolon, Susan Rusnov,
Jeffrey Polcar will be on campus May 9 to meet with staff and help them with their questions related to investments, retirement and 401(k). Jeffrey is an Associate VP of Investments in the Polcar, Brahler, Heil, Belden Wealth Management Group, of Wells Fargo Advisors located in Pepper Pike. Wells Fargo is now handling our employee 401(k). Jeffrey concentrates on developing long-term relationships
with companies needing assistance with their corporate cash management programs and the educations of their retirement plan participants. He also focuses on helping individuals develop investment goals, select money managers, implement financial strategies, and monitor their retirement funds.
"If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, It would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly." —Dr. Andrew Weil Deep breathing is something worth practicing. You are breathing right now. Every day, you have close to 20,000 opportunities to transform how you breathe and enhance your health and well-being.
What am I doing wrong?
Shallow breathing, or quick, chest breathing using the upper portion of the lungs is very common. It is not very effective. "Breathing incorrectly can produce tension, exhaustion and vocal strain, interfere with athletic activity and encourage aches and illnesses," says Nancy Zi, a Glendale, Calif.-based breathing expert and author of the book and video set, "The Art of Breathing." Breathe correctly, however, and you can "melt away tension and stress, improve energy or simply relax and unwind."
How do I breathe correctly?
Deeply and slowly, expanding the rib cage and allowing the lungs to fill the abdomen. Breathing oxygenates every cell of your body, from your brain to your vital organs. Without sufficient oxygen, your body becomes more susceptible to health problems. In a study published in The Lancet, cardiac patients who took 12 to 14 shallow breaths per minute were more likely to have low levels of blood
oxygen, which "may impair skeletal muscle and metabolic function, and lead to muscle atrophy and exercise intolerance." Six
breaths per minute is considered optimal.
Deep breathing helps to keep us relaxed and centered, keep the lung muscles healthy and prevent infections. There are so many important reasons to practice deep breath-ing, and practice may begin immediately, right where you sit.
For a free resource, eHow Health has a simple description to assist you with a
deep breathing exercise, focusing on controlling the number of deep breaths
per minute. Visit: www.ehow.com/how_4547728_blood-pressure-easy-breathing-exercise.html
Smiling is one of the most primal of human interactions. A baby's smile is one of their first voluntary forms of communication - and can you even imagine not smiling back at a smiling baby?
Smiling initiates a complex shift of muscles, breath, and body chemistry (you release endorphins!) that creates a more positive mood. Plus, what you put out, others mirror back to you, feeding an increasingly positive emotional space. When you smile on purpose, it will affect all your interactions, whether in a meeting, speaking with a customer, or just walking down the hallway. So today, Smile on Purpose. Happiness is not a spectator sport.
In the Workplace
A smile is the universal sign that one is experiencing a good feeling. So smiling in the workplace can tell us much about mood and morale. The leader who makes eye contact and carries a genuine smile as they move through the work-space is perceived as more trustworthy and approachable. People who work in such an environment feel more engaged. It's more complex than JUST that, of course, yet it's also that simple. Remember: Leadership is not about a title - anyone can be a leader when they focus on helping others succeed by providing a positive influence! Happiness is a decision, not an event.
Spring has sprung and that means swimsuit season will be here before you know it. Make sure you’re in top shape with our Beach Body Community
Challenge! Bob Harper, fitness expert of The Biggest Loser, will coach you through our free diet and fitness plan to help you get that bangin’ beach body
you’ve always wanted in just four weeks.
Sign up now and starting May 14, you’ll get daily emails filled with workouts to tone up, diet tips and motivation from Coach Bob. Get beach ready now!
Bob’s latest book, The Skinny Rules is set to be published this month.
Employee Morale/Team Building Committee Suggestion Box Responses: Q: “Can we please check with upper management to ask if we can get a credit/debit
machine for the café, or check if they will allow us to have money taken out of our paycheck like they do in the kitchen? It will bring in more money from visitors and families and staff. “ A: The accounting office is currently looking into cost effective solutions. Unfortunately our system does not support payroll deductions from the café. We know that this would be a great benefit to our staff and will do our best to find the right solution.
Q: “Will Friday dress down days ever come back?”
A: This is being discussed. We understand from your feedback that this could improve employee morale. Our commitment is to improve morale while still providing a professional and respected work environment. Q: “When there is a job opening, shouldn’t it be posted somewhere on campus so that present staff have the opportunity to apply, instead of hiring from the outside? There have been a couple of instances over the past year where someone has been hired from outside the Lutheran Home and the current staff isn’t even aware of the opening. This offends and upsets existing personnel that would like an opportunity with the new position. “ A: The facility does post positions internally when the position is appropriate for internal applicants to apply. At times, a position is not appropriate for internal candidates to apply. We work really hard to promote from within and give op-portunities to our staff for growth and advancement. Our efforts are never meant to offend or upset anyone, but en-sure we are placing the appropriate person in the role. Q: “Can someone from Administration send out an email to All Staff regarding e-mail etiquette? When a staff member sends “Reply All” to thank or congratulate someone, it is unnecessary and annoying to send it to everyone. It is very disruptive and seems to be getting out of control. We all get numerous emails throughout the day and when one person starts with “Reply All”, it seems to be contagious. They should send one email to the person it is meant for and not disrupt 300 others. This is a common complaint among many staff personnel. Any attention you can give to this matter would be appreciated.”
A: We all understand how full our mailboxes can get with unnecessary emails. Attempts to send congratulations as a
group are not intended to be disruptive. We can all do our part to keep unnecessary emails to a minimum while still
celebrating good news.
CEO’s Corner
Page 3 Volume 2, Issue 3
Misty Thomas
Doris Lopez Noah Lasky
Tracy Brown Samantha Gregory
Taylor Garten Dawn Milam
Ann Hermann Joanna Feliciano
Joseph Terry Blair Mahoney
Raymond Leszkowicz Bonnie Simonelli Christie Serafini
Debbie Ward Colette Stanley
Daniel Steinbrenner Arielle Gray
Megan Helderman Erin McCormick
Stefanie Wells Khalia Johnson Anneka Crook Nancy Dunfee
Christopher Hanson Anne Chapman
Stephanie Assanakis Angela Williams
Ramona Sookraj Jinnie Taylor
Joyce Bender Tiffany Lunn
Jamie Woods
June Kristy Jones Janet Harst Mark Gould
Constance Ramunni Rebecca Wright Elizabeth Witalis Christina Tucker Danielle Ward
Victoria Chrosniak Annette Carter Elna Bayless Kenneth Storc Susan Rusnov
Eugene Wiencek Amy Lynch Gary Malick
Amy Wuitowicz Mary Barnhart
Shawna Kilbane Kerri Drellishak
Jeanne McCallie Vicki Rahrig
Cassandra Sasack Susan Cox
Staff Birthdays—Wishing you a happy day! Employee
Health Fair
May 23
1:30-4:30 pm
in Village Square
Information & freebies!!
Visit with vendors from
Medical Mutual, EMH, the
YMCA, Cleveland Clinic,
EAP, Banks and more.
Come join in
the fun!
Prizes
Drawings
FREE Blood Pressure Test
FREE Health Risk Assessment
Snacks and Beverages
praise your compassionate hearts and diligent work.
I will do my best to provide you the best work environment, compensation, benefits and leadership. Together we will continue to serve. Blessings, Charlie
Team members:
A continued thank you for your hard work during these most challenging times.
Because of your efforts we remain within the “safe zone” of financial requirements imposed by our lending authorities during the first quarter of 2012. Our residents remain well cared for and families continue to
Employees & Volunteers are invited to donate non-perishable food items to sup-port the Westlake Assistance Program. During the summer months the Food Cup-
board is depleted when low-income students don’t have access to their school’s meal program.
Please help Stock the Summer Pantry as an expression of our faith & Mission Outreach to support the needs of our community & partner with local agencies.
Drive begins Sunday, April 29th at the Annual Meeting and concludes on Wednesday, May 16th
THANK YOU!
Supporting the
Westlake Assistance Program
Food Cupboard
Kindly place donations in the
Blue Bins
near time clocks
and entrances
Questions? Call Pr. Jim Kulma ext. 2145
1. Prepare: Set a quit date. Dispose of all cigarettes & ash trays. 2. Get support: Tell you friends & family you are quitting. Ask them not to
smoke around you. 3. Learn new behaviors: Change your daily routine. Exercise. Drink more
water. Brush your teeth more frequently. 4. Get medicine & use it correctly: Talk to your doctor about medications to
help you quit. 5. Be prepared for setbacks: Find new ways to deal with stress. Learn
weight-loss methods. Limit alcohol intake to increase your chance of success.
Call the SuperWell Quitline toll-free at 866-845-7702
“A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows.” --Doug Larson
IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT MEMORIAL DAY
HOLIDAY:
With Memorial Day just around the corner, May 28th
, we are reminding all staff that there is no longer Holiday Pay. If you would like to receive pay for that day and have PTO time available, you MUST submit a PTO form: 1). If you are not scheduled to work that day and wish to be paid you must
submit a PTO form.
2). If you are scheduled to work that day you can either just get paid your normal working hours, or you can submit a PTO form and receive PTO pay in addition to your normal hours. In either case, you must have the PTO time available. Please contact Gayle
Castro at ext. 2171 if you have any additional questions.
Notes from HR Upcoming Events:
May 5
Valley Lutheran Volunteer Day Building Hope in the City May 9 Jeffrey Polcar will be here to meet with staff regarding 401(k). May 23
Employee Fair in Village Square
Save The Date:
June 5 & 7 Town Hall Meetings
June 13
Crushers Game. Staff & Volunteers Needed! Sign-up sheets will be posted by the time clocks. June 20
Employee Summer Celebration
Cook Out July 19 80
th Anniversary Campus
Celebration 6-8 p.m.
COSE Y-Days Free
Admission
This wonderful benefit is available to all staff and their families in 2012.
Ask HR for a COSE Y-Days Schedule
and Access Card for free admission to
a local YMCA branch near you.
COSE Y-Days are free to our employees and their
immediate families. There are two free days every week per location. There is no limit to how many total days you
use or number of locations you visit.
All participants must provide their
COSE Member Number (944278) and sign-in upon
arrival for admittance.
If you would like to become a Y member, there is
50-percent off joiner fees for COSE members June 15-22, July 15-22, and
December 15-22.
Reminders from Accounting
Page 5 Volume 2, Issue 3
MASSAGE THERAPY
is available on campus EVERY Tuesday as a service to our EMPLOYEES To schedule your
appointment with Cathy Lanese, LMT
see Brittany in the Wellness Center/Nursing Office or call ext. 2191
RATES
15 MINUTES-$12
30 MINUTES-$28
45 MINUTES-$40
1 HOUR-$50
LeadingAge STARS: Genevieve Flowers, Sharon Moyer, Sue
