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Health Observances:
2004 Health Observances Calendar Highlights.
November:
Diabetes Awareness Month
Great American Smokeout - Nov 18
December:
National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
Vericom clients have full access to our Health Observances Calendar.
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Access the Health Observances Calendar.
Please call 800-800-1090 if you need a password or have forgotten yours.
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Choosing and submitting SoundCare messages is now easier than ever!
Visit the client section of the Vericom web site for our NEW and IMPROVED SoundIdeas submission process. |
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| Access More Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) |
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| HealthLink Newsletter Archive |
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| Keys To Solving The Nursing Recruitment Puzzle
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One of the hottest issues facing hospital marketing and human resources professionals continues to be the nursing shortage. While enrollment in nursing schools is beginning to increase, competition to fill the many current openings across the country remains fierce. Our topic this month focuses on what nurses really want from their employer. We hope it will help you in your nurse recruitment and retention efforts.
Robert J. Loeb, President & CEO
Vericom Corporation |
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| What Nurses Want from a Hospital
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Numerous hospital recruiters from the Mobile area and throughout Alabama request time every year to address the senior nursing class at Spring Hill College regarding employment in their hospitals. Rather than having students only look forward to the tasty free lunch the recruiters were bringing, I recently incorporated an assignment where students would compare the benefits and qualities of each agency and briefly summarize the attributes of the hospital of their choice.
The students were surprised to discover that most of the recruiters thought that they were only interested in salary, when in reality, their primary issues were:
Camaraderie among workers
Status of the hospital
Benefits
The ability to continue their education
Respect of co-workers
Adequate staffing
It is crucial that hospital recruiters know what new graduates want in their employment settings and implement strategies to attract and retain qualified candidates. In a 2003 article in Nursing Economics, Connie Curran found that "for all of the money spent on nurse recruitment, job fairs, advertisements, open houses, and recruiters, if your institution is like 75 percent of the hospitals we studied, your recruitment materials will be slow to arrive, lack personalization and distinction, place hurdles and obstacles in front of the applicant, and have no follow-up."
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| Case Study - High Point Regional Hospital uses SoundCare to Promote a Culture of Excellence that Attracts Nurses
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High Point Regional Hospital is the largest component of High Point Regional Health System. A 384-bed medical facility providing care in six primary service areas, High Point Regional Hospital distinguishes itself by its dedication to caring for patients one at a time, and using patient care as their guide in decision making and action planning.
High Point Regional knows what nurses want from a hospital. As a Magnet award recipient, they provide the most elite level of nursing care and an outstanding work environment. Nurses at High Point Regional play a vital role in developing nursing and patient partnerships, and receive staunch management support. A client since 1996, High Point Regional uses Vericom's SoundCare on hold communications solutions to promote their culture of nursing excellence. They also use SoundCare to ensure that their community understands the difference in the level of patient care they provide as a Magnet facility.
High Point Regional is very proud of their Magnet recognition. "We use SoundCare to promote Magnet because we want our patients, staff, potential employees, and others to know what makes us different. SoundCare is the perfect vehicle to support our efforts, " says Diane Reaves, Media Relations Coordinator for High Point Regional.
Through Vericom's SoundView interviews, Debra Cornellison, RN, is able to personally express what being a nurse at High Point is all about. She tells callers, "At a Magnet hospital you provide nursing care at a higher standard consistently. It's the norm here to provide above average and very high quality care. My feeling is quality nurses are going to always meet the standard."
High Point Regional maintains a very low (3%) nurse vacancy rate and has lower staff turnover than other hospitals. "We are never satisfied with the status quo. We know as healthcare providers that we need to make major changes in the way we educate nurses, or face even more serious shortages as the baby boomers age," adds Carole Ricker, Employment Manager at High Point Regional.
Nurses are attracted to High Point's culture of customer service excellence, commitment to exceptional quality, and consistency in meeting a higher care standard. "One of the ways we get this message out is by using SoundCare. It tells the community that we are a place where nurses and others want to work and where patients want to stay," adds Diane Reaves. "Everyone benefits from SoundCare."
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| Read the complete High Point Regional Hospital Case Study |
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| Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) |
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Is it possible to record messages in other languages for your SoundCare program?
With nearly 47 million U.S. residents speaking a language other than English at home, healthcare facilities must reach out to these populations. One of the easiest, most cost effective ways to speak to these groups is through your SoundCare program. While Spanish is most often requested, we also offer a variety of other languages recorded by professional voice talents.
How does it work?
We can translate just a few or all of your messages. And, depending on your phone system, you can add a separate foreign language line with a translation of your regular program or a different program targeted specifically to that demographic.
If you need Spanish translation service, just let your Vericom representative know before the 15th of the month. Translations in languages other than Spanish require more lead-time. Once we have the text, we can then provide an estimate for the translation costs.
For more information about SoundCare in other languages, please contact your Customer Relations Representative at 800-800-1090.
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