HJAR Jul/Aug 2019

64 JUL / AUG 2019  I  Healthcare Journal of ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds market. We congratulate the Best Places to Work in Healthcare for going above and beyond to cre- ate fulfilling environments for the nation’s profes- sional caregivers.” Mercy Hospital Fort Smith Helps Patients to Thank Blood Donors Patients who receive blood transfusions at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith now can show their appreciation to the blood donor.  Mercy and the Arkansas Blood Institute have teamed up to pioneer a first-of-its-kind technology that enables blood recipients to send an anony- mous message to their blood donors. Thank-The- DonorTM is a free and simple service. “This will improve blood supplies by allowing donors to know the personal impacts they make on the lives of others,” said Terry Ridenour, vice president of Center Operation-Eastern Division for the Arkansas Blood Institute.  To use the system, recipients can visit thankthe- donor.org . Step-by-step instructions are given to send the message, which is completely private. The patient also can send a note of thanks to the hospital. “Few patients who receive donated blood ever know or have the opportunity to offer their gratitude to their blood donors,” said Dr. John Armitage, president and CEO of Arkansas Blood Institute. “Thank-The-DonorTM conveniently facil- itates uplifting connectedness between a blood donor and a recipient.” The message will inspire the blood donor to continue giving, according to Kim Plake, direc- tor of laboratory services at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith. “Blood cannot be recreated or manufactured in a lab,” Plake said. “It only can be donated by peo- ple who want to make a difference in the lives of patients they probably will never meet.” Already, many Mercy Hospital Fort Smith patients have sent thank you messages to their blood donor, including this maternity patient: “Thank you so much for donating. Without your donation, I would have not gotten the blood I needed to regain my strength from all the blood I lost during the delivery of my daughter.” Donor recipients can share a personal message or choose from several message templates. n honored to be named as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work,” said Michael Givens, administra- tor of St. Bernards. “We want each employee who works here to feel valued and empowered to offer patients Christ-like healing every day.” Companies from across the country entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Places to Work. The first part consisted of eval- uating workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. This part of the pro- cess was worth approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of a survey in which Best Companies group selected 400 employees at random to measure employee experience. The survey was worth approximately 75 percent of the total evaluation. The combined scores deter- mined the top companies and the final rankings. Best Companies Group managed the overall reg- istration and survey process, analyzed data, and determined the final rankings. “Despite the political headwinds that the indus- try faces, healthcare organizations continue to be dominant economic engines in their com- munities,” said Aurora Aguilar, editor of Mod- ern Healthcare. “As evidenced every month by the Bureau of Labor Statistics employment num- bers, the industry shows little sign of slowing down when it comes to creating jobs. And that puts pressure on employers to create not only robust compensation and benefit packages, but to create a sense of loyalty in competitive labor the four-man scramble held at the Chenal Coun- try Club. “We’re thankful to all our players and sponsors who made this year’s Golf Classic a success,” said Laura Cook, senior vice president of the CHI St. Vincent Foundation. “Their support of our heal- ing ministry will lead to advancements in patient care right here in central Arkansas.” Proceeds from this year’s tournament will sup- port CHI St. Vincent, a leader in Heart, Neuro- sciences, and Orthopedic care in Arkansas. The Arkansas Neuroscience Institute Research and Education Center which has a grand opening celebration scheduled for June 14. It will improve outcomes for neurosurgery patients here and globally by developing innovative best practices and providing training for neurosurgeons from around the world. St. Bernards Medical Center Named One of Modern Healthcare’s Best Places toWork St. Bernards Medical Center has been selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the 2019 Best Places to Work in Healthcare. This award program identifies and recognizes outstanding employers in the healthcare indus- try nationwide. Modern Healthcare partners with the Best Companies Group on the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey. “All of us at St. Bernards Medical Center are CHI St. Vincent Golf Classic