1. Issue 761 | July 2016
Connections is the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center employee newsletter and is published monthly by the Office of Stakeholder Relations. We would like to
hear your story ideas and comments. Please contact Public Affairs Specialist Erin Curran at ext. 7089 or Public Affairs Officer Tonya Lobbestael at ext. 7699.
Tell us your myVA story!
We work together every
day—individually and as
productive members of
skilled teams—with one goal
in mind—providing the best
care anywhere to our Veteran
patients. Share your story and
let us know what you do in
service to our nation’s heroes.
Contact Public Affairs Special-
ist Erin Curran at ext. 7089 for
more information.
Charleston • Beaufort • Goose Creek • Hinesville • Myrtle Beach • Savannah
By William Dietrich
HAS Administrative Officer
CharlestonVA HistoryTidbit
On Aug 13, 1960, Charleston’s
News & Courier ran an article
announcing that the South
Carolina Congressional delega-
tion joined unanimously in
asking the Veterans Administra-
tion to establish a new 500-bed
Veterans general hospital in
South Carolina.
VA| Connections
UPCOMING EVENTS
CharlestonVAMC
EmployeeTown Hall
August 4
12 -1 p.m.
MontagueTown Hall
August 10
Myrtle BeachTown Hall
August 15
Safe Patient Handling Day
August 18, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Large Education Classroom
2nd Floor
4th Quarter DAISY Award
Presentation
August 22, 8:30 a.m.
ChemotherapyWaiting Area
4th Floor
Government Purchase CardTraining
August 24, 12 – 2:30 p.m.
Main Auditorium
Charleston RiverDogs
Strike Out Stroke
August 25, 7:05 p.m.
Joe Riley Stadium
Issue 762 | August 2016
Imagine for a moment you have just completed
your military service--whether you elected
to leave the service after your commitment
was complete, you were medically retired, or
retired after a lengthy career-- you’ll likely have
the question,“Now what? How do I take advan-
tage of the benefits I have earned?“
Health Administration Service (HAS) is one of
the largest services at The Ralph H. Johnson
VA Medical Center. HAS touches virtually all
aspects of the Veteran’s experience when
they seek healthcare at Charleston VAMC.
HAS encompasses eligibility & enrollment,
admissions, medical coding, specialty clinic
administration, beneficiary travel, medical
records, outpatient clinic support, Adminis-
trative Officer of the Day (AOD), Centralized
Scheduling Unit, and telephone operators.
Additionally, HAS directly supports all seven of
our VA Outpatient Clinic with Veteran ID cards,
eligibility, beneficiary travel and transportation
services.
As the administrative officer (AO) for HAS, my
primary function is coordinating and monitor-
ing all HAS programs. That’s a fancy way of
saying I coordinate reports, performance
improvement activities, policy development,
financial management, human resources,
procurement and contracting, as well as, statis-
tical and other administrative functions.
My journey to the position of AO has been
unconventional to say the least. I received my
Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from
Clemson University (Go Tigers!). I worked in
that career field for several years until I decided
to join the Air Force and pursue my Graduate
Degree. My wife and I joined the Air Force at
the age of 27. While serving as a civil engineer,
I pursued my Master’s degree in Healthcare
Administration at Colorado State University.
I was selected for a commission into the U.S
Air Force Officer Corps after only two years of
enlisted service. Unfortunately, I was medically
retired in 2013.
I decided to put my newly earned degree in
Healthcare Administration to work and I knew I
wanted to stay involved with military service in
some capacity. As a newly discharged Veteran
myself, I was interested in working with other
Veterans and knew I would be able to relate
to their confusion when seeking health care
benefits I was fortunate to be selected for
the Graduate Health Administration Training
Program (GHATP) at the VISN 8 Network Office
in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2014. I completed
one year of administrative rotations through
five VA medical centers, the VBA Regional
Office at Bay Pines and the National Cemetery
at Bay Pines.
In February of 2015, I accepted my current role
as AO for HAS. I love the challenges that each
day brings; no two days are ever the same. I
enjoy working with both patients and employ-
ees throughout the facility to help create a
positive and healthy environment.
Favorite quote:“If you believe, you will receive”
whatever you ask in prayer. –Mark 21:22.
Helping Veterans access care...my mission...

2. Employees prepare for emergencies at
FEMA training camp
By Charleston VAMC Public Affairs Staff
Four Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center employees completed emergency
management training in June at the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston,
Alabama. The CDP is operated by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal
Emergency Management Agency and is home to the Noble Training Facility, the
nation’s only hospital dedicated to training health care professionals in disaster
preparedness and response.
Justus Brewer, material handler, and Ronald Martin, health care technician, attended
the Hospital Emergency Response Team Training for Mass Casualty Incidents course.
This course prepares health care workers to operate as hospital first responders during
a mass casualty incident involving patient contamination. Brewer and Martin got
hands-on experience with the personal protective equipment used during the decon-
tamination process and were able to provide simulated patient care to dummies and
actors in realistic make-up while exercising in a mock disaster.
“The overall training was outstanding and the instructors were highly experienced
and interacted professionally with all of the students,” said Martin. “I would highly
recommend this training to anyone that wants to be a member of the response team
at our VA.”
Meredith Hagen, lead public affairs specialist, and Charlie Tupper, facility emergency
manager, participated in the Healthcare Leadership for Mass Casualty Incidents
course, which focused on health care disaster planning and response and outlined
the use of the Hospital Incident Command System. The course offers health care
leaders the opportunity to practice critical decision-making skills in real time during
a realistic emergency situation.
“Any time you get the chance to actually immerse yourself into an emergency drill,
without the pressure of the actual emergency, you get the chance to test your skills
and find your strong and weak points,”Tupper said. “The opportunity to work with
other incident commanders in the exercise really demonstrated the value of clear and
timely communications.”
Employees interested in attending one of the week-long training courses should
contact Charlie Tupper at Charles.Tupper@va.gov or at ext. 7742. Additional infor-
mation on CDP training programs can be found at http://cdp.dhs.gov.
Director’s Message
Last month the Department of Veterans Affairs
hosted the 30th Annual NationalVeteran Golden
Age Games in Detroit, Michigan. These games
are an opportunity for Veterans age 55 and
older to participate in adaptive sports, embrace
a healthy lifestyle, and build relationships with
other Veterans from around the country. For
the second year in a row, Army Veteran Don
Pinnacle represented The Ralph H. Johnson VA
Medical Center and this year he brought home
a gold medal for his outstanding performance in
the bowling event. Read more about his story
on Page 4.
This year we also had seven Veterans from
our Medical Center participate in the National
Veterans Creative Arts Festival and one Veteran
compete in the National Veterans Winter Sports
Clinic. We are so proud of all of these Veterans
for not only the hard work they’ve committed to
compete, but also for their determination to use
sports and art to help them heal, both physically
and mentally, and to stay active and engaged
with the community.
This month’s cover article is written by Health
Administrative Service Administrative Officer
William Dietrich. Mr. Dietrich, like many of
our employees, is a Veteran himself, driven
to work for the VA through a passion to help
fellow Veterans access the benefits they have
deserved. HAS employs 176 staff and more than
25% of those employees are Veterans. Veterans
working alongside civilians throughout our
Medical Center help create a strong workforce
dedicated to bringing Veterans high quality
health care services.
Lastly, I want to encourage you all to partici-
pate in the upcoming All Employee Survey that
begins on August 8. This is your opportunity to
share what you think we’re doing well and your
ideas for improvements right here at Charleston
VAMC. With this feedback, we can continue to
work together to the bring Veterans the best
care anywhere.
Your Service Makes a Difference
“VA employees are some of the most dedicated hard-working, compassionate,
caring and unappreciated folks it has been my honor to know. I am a cancer sur-
vivor, have had a stroke and an aneurism; I am a recovering addict thanks to these
dedicated professionals. Just ask my grandchildren. They will explain how the VA
medical center fixed their granddaddy and keeps him alive. …Ralph H. Johnson VA
Medical Center employees are loved, respected and needed.”
- -Wayne A. Moore, Sr., The Post & Courier Letter to the Editor, July 2, 2016
Justus Brewer and
other HERT students
assist a mock patient
while in personal
protective equipment
during a practice
decontamination event.
The Center for Domestic
Preparedness External
Affairs Office contributed
to this article.

3. Becoming a highly reliable
organization
By Jennifer Shanaman, Assistant Quality Manager
The Ralph H. Johnson Medical Center is on a journey to become a
Highly Reliable Organization (HRO). A HRO is one that has succeeded
in avoiding catastrophes in an environment where normal accidents
can be expected due to risk factors and complexity. One step in this
journey was becoming a member of the South Carolina Hospital
Association (SCHA). With this membership, we have access to best
practices throughout the state, in addition to VHA.
We continue fostering a “just culture” where employees feel safe to
report concerns, close calls or adverse events to ultimately improve
patient outcomes. Creating a culture where employees are forthcom-
ing with their mistakes allows the facility to improve its current system.
As a facility, we track patient safety issues and submit this information
to a national data base. As part of SCHA, we have access to this infor-
mation in an aggregate form and may rate each safety event on its
seriousness, giving us an overall score that provides the facility with
information about the severity of its patient safety issues.
Taking care of patients also includes taking care of patients’ families
or whomever they identify as their family. Our facility is working to
ensure that when the patient is provided with information, their
family is provided the same information when deemed acceptable
by the patient. Once the patient is discharged, the family is often the
one who continues to provide care, therefore, “family visiting hours”
are something of the past as we embrace family involvement in the
patients’ care during all stages of treatment, and during all hours.
Our goal is to provide the best possible health care and not cause
undue harm to patients. SCHA has identified “ZERO Harm” awards to
recognize facilities who have zero hospital acquired infections—a goal
for employees at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center because we
know one patient harmed is one too many.
Environmental Management Services – Available 24/7
Environmental Management Service (EMS) is happy to announce they
are available 24-hours daily. It is easier than ever to reach them now
with Vocera – no more waiting! Just dial 7458 and ask for “EMS”!
Charleston RiverDogs Game - STRIKE OUT STROKE
Come out August 24th to Joe Riley Stadium for a fun night of baseball
and learn how to reduce your risk of stroke at our first annual Strike Out
Stroke event! Meet VA stroke specialists and Charleston County EMS
providers, learn about stroke, and get your blood pressure checked!
Any active or retired military with ID can get up to 4 free tickets to the
game. VA employees and volunteers get 4 free tickets with VA ID. Gates
open at 6 p.m., with our very own Director, Mr. Scott Isaacks, throwing
out the first pitch at 7:05 p.m.
2016FedsFeedFamiliesFoodDrive
You can show your great VA spirit by giving generously to the 2016
Feds Feed Families Food Drive! Charleston VAMC is partnering with
the Lowcountry Food Bank to help keep local food banks fully stocked
throughout the summer months—a time when food donations tend
to decrease significantly.We hope you will participate by donating as
much nonperishable food as you can between now and the end of
the campaign.
Donation bins will be available at the main
site and all offsite locations. If you have
further questions, contact the Feds Feed
Families Coordinator Kamille Poland at
Kamille.Poland@va.gov or ext. 6653.
2016 All Employee Survey
It’s time once again for the annual All Employee Survey. The
2016 Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center’s All Employee
Survey will be conducted for three weeks from August 8
through 29. The survey may be taken anonymously online
or a paper survey may be requested from any of the Union
offices. The link to take the survey and login code will be
provided to employees by the opening date for the AES.
“It is only because of the skills and dedication you bring to
your work that we are able to provide our Veterans with the
care they need and deserve,” said Charleston VA Medical
Center Director Scott Isaacks. “We depend on you every day
and continuing to improve employee satisfaction is something
we strive for here at Charleston VAMC. Your opinions,
comments and feedback are valued, and we are listening.”
Survey results in the past have led to the following
improvements at the medical center:
• 53 internal promotions during FY15.
• 159 new staff approved in FY15.
• Increasing funding for employee training by 100%.
• A push button handicap entrance was installed on
the exterior door of the Myrtle Beach CBOC Annex.
• Kiosk installed in the Ambulatory Care Center to
assist with Veteran check-in.
• Dividers added at the Hinesville CBOC check-in to
allow for added Veteran privacy.
• Signage added to off-site C&P clinic to help Veterans
locate the site.
“The All Employee Survey is the our way of ensuring we foster
employees who are engaged, not just satisfied, and implement
systematicapproachestoimprovingemployeeengagement,”said
2016 Local AES Coordinator Stephanie Myers. “Your input directly
impacts this facility and your work environment, so let’s hear it!”

4. Safe patient handling key to keeping patients healthy
By Lanelle W. Strawder, Public Affairs Specialist
Safe patient handling equipment is set up around the Education room during
last year’s Safe Patient Handling Day.
Don Pinnacle played exhibition basketball at the 2016 National Veterans Golden
Age Games.
At any hospital, the health and recovery of patients takes first priority.
For many nurses and other frontline medical staff, care often involves
physically moving patients or helping them get from one place
another. These providers do their best to avoid injury while safely
and efficiently meet the physical demands required of patient care.
And that’s where safe patient handling comes into play.
Nurses, nursing assistants and other health care workers sustain more
work-related injuries than employees in all other industries combined.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
health care workers are more than seven times more likely to sustain
musculoskeletal disorders (a type of injury) while working than
construction workers, freight workers, and stock and material movers.
These injuries are typically sustained from heavy manual lifting that
occurs when transferring, moving and repositioning patients.
The Safe Patient Handling program was established in 2008 at
Charleston VAMC to help prevent employee injuries. In addition to
training and educating health care workers, safe patient handing relies
heavily on patient transfer and lifting equipment to make moving
patients safer for workers. Equipment throughout our medical center
includes ceiling lifts, mobile lifts, car extractors and lateral transfer
devices. These devices are being used more are more throughout the
medical center and continue to be effective in reducing the number
of injuries. Notably, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center is the first
hospital in the area to have ceiling lifts installed in 100 percent of
inpatient care rooms.
On August 18, Florrie White, safe patient handling coordinator,
welcomes all staff to attend Safe Patient Handling Day from 6
a.m. to 6 p.m. in the large Education room (CC215). Staff will be
demonstrationing how to use equipment and teach the importance
of safe patient handling. For information about the event, or training
with safe handling equipment, contact White at florrie.white@va.gov.
Pinnacle brings home gold to
South Carolina
By Erin Curran, Public Affairs Specialist
ArmyVeteran Don Pinnacle lights up when he talks about the National
Veterans Golden Age Games. This year’s games were held July 10 – 14
in Detroit, Michigan and it’s Pinnacle’s second year attending as the
sole representative from South Carolina.
“I’m like the pioneer”said Pinnacle. “Carrying the South Carolina state
flag [during the Parade of Athletes] was an awesome experience. I
carried it proudly and I want to represent the state of South Carolina
with a gold medal.”
And that’s exactly what he did! Bowling a 195 and a 160 in his two
rounds of competition, Pinnacle placed first in his age group.
“I’m excited to bring home this gold medal! This is something I
can take back to South Carolina and share with other people that
suffer from PTSD and their various physical ailments to improve their
well-being and their health,”said Pinnacle.
Last year he attended not really knowing what to expect and was
surprised by the competitive spirit it ignited in him—pushing him to
return for a second year.
“My physical fitness was declining and since I went to the games it
made me see other people my age and they are not letting their
physical fitness decline. I’m in better shape than I was last year, but I
still have a lot of room for improvement,”said Pinnacle.
Pinnacle enlisted in 1974 and spent 24 years in the Army as a
parachute jumper with the 82nd Airborne and later with the Army
Golden Knights. He’s proud of his service, but it left him with wounds
both physical and mental.
He spent almost seven years in a deep depression after his wife left
him and things in her personal life seemed to crumble.
In 2013, Pinnacle visited The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center
and was introduced to the Golden Age Games through the Veterans
Enrichment Center. This year Pinnacle competed in bowling,
horseshoes, swimming, table tennis and exhibition basketball.
EDUCATION CALENDAR ::: Simulation/Resuscitation Education Initiative (REdI) Resources
There have been some changes to the Simulation Center course offerings. To access the current schedule for ACLS/BLS trainings :: CLICK THIS BAR