Newsworthy

Dear Team,

Here are today’s updates:

• Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Recognizes Business Leaders
• Stormont Vail Hospitals in Fifth Annual Newborn Screening Facility Recognition
• Patti Allen is Retiring!
• Building Blocks 2025 Summer Camp Still Has Openings
• Congratulations to Our Certified Nurses

Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Recognizes Business Leaders

I am humbled to be among four individuals who were honored last Thursday at the Junior Achievement’s Topeka Business Hall of Fame 2025 Tribute Dinner. Additional laureates were Karen Lynn, BT&Co., Chuck Lower, Lower Plumbing, Heating and Air, and Doug Wolff, Security Benefit.

It is meaningful to come into a group of your peers across the business and community and be able to celebrate the great team at Stormont Vail Health so I’m really pleased about that.

Stormont Vail Hospitals in Fifth Annual Newborn Screening Facility Recognition

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) in partnership with the Kansas Hospital Association and the Kansas Midwives Alliance presented the fifth annual recognition program for those that provide newborn screening services.

Stormont Vail Health’s Topeka hospital and Flint Hills hospital in Junction City both were recognized for meeting criteria for “Collection Age,” which is critical to achieving timely and accurate results. To achieve in this category, the average age of time of collection for initial screens should be between 24 and 30 hours of age. The Topeka hospital was in the large facilities category and the Flint Hills Campus was in the very small facilities category. The fifth annual awards were released by KDHE’s Kansas Newborn Screening Program, honoring birthing facilities, midwives and screening facilities for their dedication to higher newborn screening standards in 2023.

Patti Allen is Retiring!

After 38 years of service, Patti Allen is retiring! She started working at Stormont Vail September 1986 as a Patient Care Technician in the Emergency Department and continued as a Registered Nurse after graduation. She worked in Cath Lab/Special Procedures. In 2005, she moved to the ambulatory side and was a Clinic Nurse Manager for 11 years. Since 2016, Patti has been a Clinical Informaticist Trainer in Information Systems. Patti will be honored at a retirement reception from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, April 4, in the Stormont Vail Administrative Center Cafeteria.

Building Blocks 2025 Summer Camp Still Has Openings

There are still openings available in the Building Blocks Summer Camp, which is for children of Stormont Vail team members who meet the following criteria:

• Ages 6 – 9 (those turning 9 before Aug. 16 may enroll)
• Completed kindergarten

Here is additional information about this year’s camp:

• Dates: May 27 – Aug. 15, 2025
• Available Spots: handful still available
• Weekly Rates:
  • Tier 1: $139.75 + $35 activity fee
  • Tier 2: $172 + $35 activity fee
  • Tier 3: $193.50 + $35 activity fee
  • Full Stormont Vail Health Rate: $215 + $35 activity fee
• Payment for the entire duration of summer camp is required. Weekly payments are not accepted.

Congratulations to Our Certified Nurses

Stormont Vail Health has more than 430 certified LPNs, RNs and APRNs systemwide. Please take the time to  say “congratulations” to these individuals on Wednesday, March 19, which is Certified Nurses’ Day. All of our certified nurses are receiving a recognition gift of a special Stormont Vail certified nurse T-shirt.  Having a nursing certification demonstrates a high level of skill and knowledge in a specialty area of nursing. This helps our nurses provide excellent care and helps keep our patients safer!

We together,
Dr. Kenagy