Edition 31
Extended Care Survey:
Right after my last newsletter discussing the Hospital Survey we has the survey team for the Extended Care show up. This survey went amazing, and there were only two minor deficiencies that the clinical team found. The Fire Marshal had a slightly longer list, but we’ve already made good progress in getting those items corrected. Great job everyone!
Cyber Security Alert:
In recent weeks, federal authorities including the FBI and CISA have issued urgent warnings regarding an escalation in cyberattacks targeting U.S. healthcare infrastructure. Unlike typical hackers seeking a quick payout, these state actors are groups linked to foreign governments. They are increasingly targeting hospitals to disrupt services and steal sensitive data.
Earlier in the month Carlos emailed specific risks related to Iran, and last week one of our vendors (Stryker) experienced a breach believed to be related to Iran. This breach did not impact us, but we are in a time of heightened risk.
How you can help:
Be Skeptical: If you receive a call asking for login credentials, even if they claim to be from IT, hang up and call the department back directly.
Protect Credentials: Use strong, unique passwords and never share your multi-factor authentication codes with anyone.
Report Activity: If you notice unusual system behavior or receive a suspicious email, please report it to our IT department immediately.
Rural Nursing Education Program:
We are excited to share that we have officially applied to be a training site for the Rural Nursing Education Program (RNEP). This initiative is a major step in our commitment to professional growth within our own walls. By becoming a site for this program, we hope to facilitate remote nursing education by allow future nurses to stay in our community while they do both the clinicals and the didactic portion of the program. This is different than our current work with Wenatchee Valley College clinical rotations because the core program is done mostly remotely and would allow more flexibility for the students.
We will keep you updated as we move through the final stages of the application process.
Care Coordination:
I want to highlight a new resource available to our patients through Action Health Partners. The North Central Community Care Hub is now active, providing a streamlined way to connect individuals with local services and programs.
Whether a patient is facing health barriers or social challenges, the Community Connect program offers dedicated care coordinators who help navigate local resources. Referrals can be made online through their HIPAA-compliant portal or by phone. This tool is a great asset for our team when we identify patients who need extra support beyond their clinical care to stay healthy and supported at home.
This is a new service and I’m curious how well it works. If you have a patient that is struggling with getting their needs met, and they consent to us making a referral we can enroll them here https://cc-ahp.communityos.org/care-connect-request/
Let me know if you make a referral because I want to track the outcome and make sure this is worthwhile.
Pottery in Motion