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Getting qualified employees to work in the care center or hospital has been a tough proposition and there are multiple worker shortages in staffing. One way to combat those staffing shortages has been to start an On Track Nursing Assistant Program.
“The On Track Nursing Assistant Program allows students to receive their education in Grand Marais and we have been approved as one of the pilot sites that can administer the certification exam at North Shore Health rather than requiring students to travel to Duluth or beyond,” said North Shore Health Administrator/ CEO Wraalstad, adding that Goosie Silence is working with an immigration attorney to explore options to recruit from other countries.
Other measures are underway to hopefully help fill staffing positions, Wraalstad said to the hospital board at their August board meeting.
“Jon Moe is putting together an EMT education course using on-line and skill training for North Shore Health employees and Todd Ford, Public Communications Coordinator, is creating ads and using FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE to recruit employees.
“If these efforts are not successful,” said Kimber, “We may not be able to continue to provide services such as the ambulance and care center as we are very dependent on people to allow us to provide these needed services.”
COVID-19 update
Wraalstad reports that as of August 11 there have been 1,237 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cook County. These results include self-reported positive antigen tests and Lab PCR reported tests.
“The CDC COVID-19 DATA Tracker transmission rate continues in the high (red) transmission category,” Wraalstad stated in her report to the hospital board at the board’s August 18 meeting.
“With the continued high transmission rate, required routine testing continues on a twice a week basis for those employees/ Essential Caregivers who are not vaccinated or “up-to-date” with their COVID-19 tests and N-95 masks at the North Shore Health screening table.”
As far as the Care Center, to date, there have been no residents who have tested positive for COVID- 19, said Wraalstad.
New coordinator
Jason Yuhas is the new NSH Infection Control/ Quality Improvement/ Corporate Integrity Coordinator. He officially joined NSH on Monday, July 25. Yuhas worked at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester as an Education Specialist in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Genomics Laboratory, and as Program Director and Faculty for the Mayo Clinic School of Health Science, Cytogenetic Technology Internship. Jason is also a Mayo Quality Fellow Certified at the Bronze and Silver level. For the time being Jason will work remotely from Rochester while spending block time onsite at NSH.
Care Center Resident Care Manager resigns
Resident Care Center Manager Angie Works, RN, announced her resignation. Angie will soon start working at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic. She has worked at NSH for ten years, first as a Certified Nursing Assistant and then Resident Assessment Coordinator before becoming manager. “We wish Angie the best as she transitions to Sawtooth Mountain Clinic,” Wraalstad said.
Care Center surveys
Fourteen federal tags were received following an unannounced early June Federal survey and complaint survey from the Minnesota Department of Health for the care center. Deficiencies include COVID-19 report, infection prevention and control, pharmacy, frequency of meals/snacks at bedtime, notice of bed hold policy before/upon transfer etc. A Statement of Deficiencies was received August 4 and a Plan of Corrections was submitted on Saturday, August 13. There were also seven Life Safety code tags issued. These include Fire alarm testing and maintenance; Fire alarm service-out of service; sprinkler service out of service; fire drills, egress doors, electrical systems-receptacles, fundamentals- building system categories.
Wraalstad said a team of department leaders developed the Plan of Correction document and made some changes to policies, processes and resident care plans with complementary education to employees.
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