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August 2019 Vol. V, No. 6

LAUREN BROOKS

Lauren Brooks is in the Spotlight this month for her hard work and dedication to her job. Lauren is an Intake Coordinator and she has been with Keystone for almost two years. She has many responsibilities. If you have ever walked into the Intake Office, you will see Lauren standing at her desk answering the phones, entering referrals, and making dozens of phone calls. She calls patients, doctor offices, and case managers. She staffs out patients each night for homecare and hospice. She also verifies insurance coverage and contacts insurance companies with questions and concerns. She is one busy person from morning to evening!

Lauren truly enjoys her role at Keystone. Her favorite part of the job is helping patients get the care they need. She also enjoys working with her colleagues in Intake and other Keystone staff.

What others say about Lauren: Gail appreciates Lauren’s diligence, and she says, “Lauren is hardworking, sensitive to (continued on page 3)

THE SPOTLIGHT IS

ON…

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William Durphy joined our staff last month as our Culinary Chef. Bill has worked as a chef in hospitals, schools, country clubs, and hotels. He is excited about being a chef for a hospice because it feels more personal to him and gives him a chance to be involved in helping patients. Bill lives in Jenkintown in one of the first farmhouses in the area and loves pets! He has 7 dogs and 9 cats!!

Gregory Riley is our new utility assistant in the kitchen. His role is to help Chef Bill in all areas of food prep and clean up. Greg is looking forward to learning all he can because he loves to cook and would like to grow his expertise in the kitchen. Greg is a cat lover as well clocking in with three cats.

Introducing Dr. Huma Ansari Dr. Ansari joined KeystoneCare in July as the Palliative Care Medical Director. She will be working with our programs at Einstein Medical Center and Chestnut Hill Hospital. We are very excited to welcome her to Keystone. Next month, we will provide a full report on the experience and expertise she brings to Keystone.

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Meals on Wheels America for our clients and community is signing on new clients all the time. Meals on Wheels provides our clients with two nutritious meals, a visit from our delivery person, and a quick safety check. If this service is for someone you know, please let Chris know.

Meals on Wheels America for Pets is available for patients who need food, litter, and other pet supplies. Contact Robin Rozen to order.

(Lauren continued) patients’ needs, and a creative problem-solver. Cindy Scott says, “Lauren is always pleasant and very easy to work with. She is willing to help out and do whatever she can do solve a problem.” Kristle Riehl, from her vacation location, says, “She is hard working and a pleasure to work with and always dedicated to working at KeystoneCare.“ Courtney Simpkins calls, “Lauren a joy to be around. She goes out of her to help in any way she can.”

Lauren is very busy out of the office as well. She has three young children so she spends much of her time watching baseball, soccer, or whatever activity in which they may be involved. If she has some time to herself, she likes to be active or enjoying a good book.

CONGRATULATIONS, LAUREN!!

WELCOME NEW EMPLOYEES! KeystoneCare is pleased to welcome a group of new staff members. We wish them the best of luck in their new positions. Introduce yourself if you see any of these people around.

Ciyanna Leach - HHA Marnisha Jones—HHA

Jules Rocho—PT Sherita Callands—HHA

Tianna Goldsmith– LPN

Ashli Graves—HHA

Keystone Hospice needs volunteers to provide care, comfort, and support to individuals living with a terminal illness. Volunteers work with patients at Keystone House and in the surrounding community. Volunteers are needed for companionship and emotional support for patient and families, adminis-trative and office support.

KeystoneCare’s Meals on Wheels program also has an immediate need for volunteers. Volunteers will work side-by-side with our chefs as they prepare meals for patients in the house and for the community for our Meals on Wheels. If you know of anyone who would like to volunteer, please have them con-tact Chris DeVore at 215-836-2440 or via email at cdevore@keystonecare.com

FOOD BANK NEEDS FOOD Pennsylvania State Representative, Steve McCarter, put out a call for food bank donations in a recent email to Gail. He noted that food banks typically run low in the

summertime and need replenishing. His office is accepting food donations that are unopened,

nonperishable, and unexpired. If you would like to donate, you can drop donations at his office (115 E.

Glenside Ave., # 8, Glenside) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday during the month of

August, or we can collect the donations at Keystone House by bringing them to Robin’s office. We will deliver everything in one or two trips. Just

a few items from everyone will really add up to a great contribution. Thanks!

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WHAT DID YOU DO ON YOUR SUMMER VACATION? Although we have a whole month of summer to go, we wanted to find out how people who were able to get away in June and July spent their vacations.

Vicky Heary and her husband, kids, grandkids, and son’s girlfriend traveled to the Great Smoky Mountains where they rented a cabin. They spent time in Nashville, went to Dollywood, and visited the Biltmore Estate outside of Asheville. They loved the scenery and enjoyed all the places to which they travelled.

Tom Hill vacationed in Cape May. He did a lot of fishing and imbibed Miller Lite.

Judy Sturgis-Mills and her husband were also at the shore in Ocean City. Unfortunately,

the sea gulls were out in droves and disrupted their vacation in a way they will never forget. They seemed to be particularly brash this year, flying in close and snatching food from beachgoers and boardwalk strollers.

Frank Amuso, our summer staffing coordinator, spent a week in Sea Isle. He had a great time hanging out with

his cousins who he only occasionally sees.

Nina Deats was away for almost the entire month of July. The first part of the month she spent with family in Colorado. Later in the month, she headed to Iowa to ride in the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. From July 21 to 27, Nina rode with more than 10,000 other riders for 427 miles across the state. She had a fantastic time and is now in great shape. Congratulations on an enormous feat.

Many of you may still have vacation plans for August. Let Robin know what you did, and next month’s newsletter will include your experiences.

Due to technical difficulties with collecting the birthdays for August and work anniversary information, they cannot be provided this month. Next month July, August, and September anniversaries will be provided as well as birthdays. In the meantime, your commitment

to Keystone is always appreciated. Thank you for your understanding.

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August is kind of a quiet month in many ways. There are no federal holidays, many people are taking off for vacation, and families with their children are starting to think about back-to-school. There’s some thought about what to do over Labor Day weekend, but we want to hang on to the summer and not face the end of it. Yet there are many fun holidays to know about and celebrate.

Watermelon Day—Eat it sliced, cut up, or in a salad

Lazy Day—no suggestions necessary. Creamsicle Day-

If you haven’t had one in a while, this is the day to try one

Bow Tie Day—Not sure why this should be a holiday, but why not?

Pet Appreciation Day– Give your dog an extra hug or two.

For a complete list of August holidays, both important and not, go to https://nationaltoday.com/august-holidays/

Yes, there is a National Fajita Day.