A t one of the fastest

growing Community

Based Outpatient Clinics

in the Captain James A. Lovell

Federal Health Care Center, it’s

standing room only most mornings

when the McHenry, Ill., office

opens for business at 7:30 a.m.

McHenry County-area Veterans of

all ages fill the dozen or so seats in

the cozy main waiting room, which

also serves as a pathway between

the two main sections of the

sprawling clinic.

Energy fills the clinic, as nurses

and doctors cross the room to go

between the “check-in” rooms on

one side and the examining rooms

on the other.

“We are growing by leaps and

bounds,” said Lovell FHCC Nurse

Ann Juska, who logs about 4,000

steps on her pedometer every day

at work. “We are really busy, and

we are getting new patients all the

time. We get anywhere from 10 to

30 applications a month for

Veterans to come out here.”

For many, the location of the

McHenry CBOC, about 25-miles

west of the Lovell FHCC West

Campus in North Chicago, Ill., is

just right.

“I’m really impressed,” said Spring

Grove, Ill. resident Dan Skidds, a

Marine Corps Veteran who served

as a communication center

operator in the Middle East during

Desert Shield and Desert Storm. “I

think the care here is superior. I’ve

been really happy.”

Skidds, who joined the fire service

after eight years in the Marines, has

been receiving medical care

through Veterans Affairs – and

now Lovell FHCC – for four years.

“The people are nicer than at

civilian clinics,” said Skidds, who

has been to the FHCC Emergency

Room in North Chicago twice,

“and the treatment is hands-down

better.”

(Continued on page 3)

Community Based Outpatient Clinic offers full spectrum of medical services for Veterans in northern Illinois

Pg. 4

Healthy

Living Expo

educates

patients

Lovell FHCC

Sailors near

deployment

halfway point

Lovell FHCC

Corpsmen

celebrate

113th

Birthday

Pg. 4 Pg. 4

July 2011 Official Newsletter of the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center Vol. 3, Iss. 7

Lovell FHCC healthcare is personal at McHenry CBOC

By Jayna Legg

Lovell FHCC Public Affairs

In This Issue...

Lovell FHCC Physician Assistant Shannon Kolodzik listens to the heartbeat of U.S. Air Force Veteran Vernon Keller during a recent visit to the McHenry, Ill., Community

Based Outpatient Clinic. The clinic is the most westward arm of the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, and serves nearly 4,000 patients each year. (Photo by

Mary Waterman)

Applications accepted for caregiver program

L ast month, I wrote about the

results of the Command

Climate Survey and

outlined the three areas we’re

addressing based upon your

feedback. You might remember

that “clearly defining the chain-of-

command and respective roles”

was second on the list.

Prior to our integration, your direct

chain-of-command may have

seemed easier to understand.

Perhaps you felt comfortable with

whom to ask questions, voice a

concern or explain a better process.

Change is never easy, and we

clearly have made a large change

as the nation’s first VA/DoD

federal health care center.

So now what? Our questions,

concerns and ideas don’t stop

because we’re unsure of our

organizational structure. It’s vital

that each of us knows how to

report up the chain-of-command

and how to best communicate with

those who report to us. Ten months

into our integration, each of us has

a personal responsibility to

understand our chain-of-command.

Communicating your ideas,

opinions and concerns is vital to

our success -- but each of us must

take an active role in that process.

If you’re unsure who your

supervisor reports to, or their scope

of authority, ask the question.

Supervisors should routinely have

open discussions about what’s

going on at the facility, what their

employees are concerned about,

and how to voice those concerns.

As we proceed, the thing to

remember is that chain-of-

command always starts with you.

Please take the initiative to update

your contact information in email,

VistA and voicemail. If you don’t

know, ask. Ask your supervisor,

their supervisor, coworkers. You

can even ask me. If we don’t know

the answer, we’ll learn it together.

We want to know how you’re

doing and if you have any

questions about the integration,

how we function or the road ahead.

Bring your questions to our Town

Hall meetings, chat with us on

Facebook, or send us an email at

fhcc.feedback@va.gov.

Having a clear understanding about

our leadership structure and role

means that each of us can continue

to focus on patient-centered care

and ensure that we’re always

Readying Warriors and Caring for

Heroes.

Leadership Commentary

Ask questions, provide feedback, seek clarity. Chat with us on Facebook or send email: fhcc.feedback@va.gov

Your Lovell FHCC chain-of-command begins with you

By Patrick L. Sullivan

Lovell FHCC Director

Enhanced Lovell FHCC services offer caregivers wide range of respite support

The Apollo

The Apollo is the official newsletter of the

Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health

Care Center. It is published monthly for staff

members, Veterans, military family

members and volunteers.

The newsletter is designed and published at

the Lovell FHCC in the Communications

Department.

3001 Green Bay Rd.

North Chicago, Illinois 60064

224-610-3714

www.lovell.fhcc.va.gov

www.facebook.com/lovellfhcc

www.youtube.com/lovellfhcc

issuu.com/lovellfhcc

Director,

Capt. Lovell Federal Health Care Center

Patrick L. Sullivan, FACHE

Deputy Director,

Capt. Lovell Federal Health Care Center

Capt. David Beardsley, MC, USN

Lovell FHCC Communications

Department Head

Mary Schindler

Public Affairs Officer

Jonathan E. Friedman

Public Affairs Specialist

Jayna M. Legg

Submissions to the publication can be

emailed to lovellfhcc.media@va.gov

Factual Accuracy and Disclaimer:

Accuracy is very important to us and we want

to correct mistakes promptly. If you believe a

factual error has been published, please bring

it to our attention by sending an email to

lovellfhcc.media@va.gov. Use of any social

media product does not imply endorsement on

the part of the Department of Defense or the

Department of Veterans Affairs, and may not be

available from all government servers. Content

on these sites are not edited for accuracy and

may not necessarily reflect the views of the

federal government.

2

T he Department of

Veterans Affairs recently

published the interim final

rule for implementing the

Caregivers and Veterans

Omnibus Health Services Act

2010. This new rule provides

additional support to eligible post-

9/11 Veterans who elect to

receive their care in a home

setting from a primary Family

Caregiver.

The new program builds on the

foundation of Caregiver support

and reflects what families and

clinicians have long known:

Family Caregivers in a home

environment can enhance the

health and wellbeing of patients.

“This enhanced service is a giant

leap forward in the total care of

our nation’s heroes,” said Patrick

Sullivan, Captain James A. Lovell

Federal Health Care Center

Director. “This holistic approach

reinforces one of Secretary

Shinseki’s objectives of

transforming into a forward-

looking VA by supporting those

who have sacrificed to care for

our Veterans.”

Additional services for primary

Family Caregivers of eligible

post-9/11 Veterans and

Servicemembers include a

stipend, mental health services,

and access to health care

insurance, if they are not already

entitled to care or services under a

health care plan. Comprehensive

Caregiver training and medical

support are other key components

of this program.

Veterans and their Family

Caregivers began applying for the

enhanced services May 9 at

www.caregiver.va.gov.

Pam Rosentreter, Captain James

A. Lovell Federal Health Care

Center Caregiver Support

Coordinator, is also available to

assist with the application process

and direct Veterans and their

Family Caregivers to more than

two dozen other programs VA

offers Family Caregivers for

support.

“With our integrated Veterans

Affairs and Department of

Defense facility, we’re in a

unique position, as we often care

for seriously-injured Veterans and

active duty members in the

process of discharge,” said

Rosentreter. “These enhanced

services are focused on

supporting the caregiver -- in turn,

further supporting the Veteran.”

Assistance and information on

additional resources are also

available to Family Caregivers

through VA’s National Caregiver

Support Line, 877-222-VETS

(8387). Veterans and Caregivers

with questions about the new

program can contact Rosentreter

at 224-610-3472 or

pamela.rosentreter@va.gov.

By Jonathan Friedman

Lovell FHCC Public Affairs

Pam Rosentreter, Lovell FHCC Caregiver Support Coordinator, speaks with Healthy

Living Expo visitors recently. Rosentreter is accepting applications for the Caregiver

Support Program at the Lovell FHCC. (Photo by Jonathan Friedman)

McHenry CBOC (cont.)

“The scheduling and people are

fantastic ... They listen well when

you explain what your feelings

are about what’s going on in your

body,” said Skidds.

More than 4,000 Veterans receive

care at the McHenry CBOC each

year, estimated nurse Terri

Hnilicka.

The environment at the McHenry

CBOC is personal, said Air Force

Veteran Vernon Keller of Crystal

Lake, Ill. “They are excellent.

They do a great job of listening to

me and letting me talk,” said

Keller, who had an appointment

with Physician Assistant Shannon

Kolodzik on a recent Thursday

afternoon.

Kolodzik, who kidded with

Keller as she checked his ears,

said working at the McHenry

CBOC is satisfying.

“I love the small clinic

atmosphere,” she said. “The

patients really depend on you to

know their needs, to know them

personally, and to know if it’s

prudent for them to get additional

care.”

U.S Marine Corps Veteran Jason

Kmiecik, of Wauconda, Ill.,

recently visited the McHenry

CBOC for a second time. He used

to drive twice as far to go to the

North Chicago campus, where he

had successful surgery a few

years ago.

“You get what you come here

for,” said Kmiecik, who served as

a flight equipment technician in

Iraq, the Philippines, Japan and

Florida.

Veterans come to the McHenry

CBOC for many services other

than checkups, labs and

prescriptions.

In a bright conference room on

one end of the clinic, Veterans

can see Vet Center personnel

twice a week to receive benefits

information and help with job

searches. They can attend a

variety of support group meetings

– including one for patients with

post-traumatic stress disorder –

and even participate in

teleconferences. The

teleconferences – one of the

CBOC’s newer services – saves

time and lessen some of the

hassles normally associated with

setting up procedures such as

colonoscopies.

Lovell FHCC Nurse Juska

explained how the “G.I. Group”

works. She noted that patients

who are scheduled for

colonoscopies come in and watch

a taped presentation by the

doctor, explaining the procedure.

Then, during the same visit, they

can get the necessary

prescriptions and make their

appointment at the Lovell FHCC

West Campus for the procedure.

Additionally, if they have any

other questions the nurses can’t

answer, the doctor is available to

talk to patients via teleconference.

“Many of our patients would

have had to go to the Lovell

FHCC West Campus for their

consultation, then go back for the

procedure another day,” Juska

said. “They like this new process.

It’s convenient for them. They get

their medication mailed to them.

They are in-and-out for the

consult, and the doctor is

available for questions via

teleconference.”

Teleconference offerings provide

“live” weight-management

counseling and therapy sessions

with Lovell FHCC West Campus

providers, and will soon provide

diabetic education for patients.

Juska remembers when she

started in McHenry 10 years ago.

She noted that the clinic was half

as large and only had two doctors

and a part-time mental health

provider. Today, mental health

services for Veterans – many of

them young Veterans of

Operation Enduring Freedom,

Operation Iraqi Freedom and

Operation New Dawn – have

grown exponentially. Three

doctors provide mental health

care.

With robust mental health

services, as well as more group

and “tele-health” services, the

clinic will be expanding soon.

Lovell FHCC CBOC Business

Manager John Becker confirmed

he is looking at a new space,

approximately 10,000 square feet

larger than the 4,000 square feet

the clinic now occupies.

“Within the next fiscal year, it

will expand,” Becker said.

While he hopes the move will

come sooner rather than later,

Becker said many variables have

to come together, including

funding. Once the clinic expands,

Becker hopes to have room for a

new doctor and his or her new

patients.

(Continued from page 1)

(Continued on page 4)

Marine Corps Veteran Dan Skidds of Spring Grove, Ill., has his vital signs checked by

Lovell FHCC Nurse Terri Hnilicka at the McHenry Community Based Outpatient

Clinic. (Photo by Mary Waterman)

Lovell FHCC Patient Services Assistant Gloria Donahue checks patients in at the

McHenry Community Based Outpatient Clinic. (Photo by Mary Waterman)

3

Lovell FHCC Nurse Angela Mibilangan works with a laboratory sample at the

McHenry CBOC. (Photo by Mary Waterman)

“We don’t have the space for a new provider

right now,” Becker said. “We’ve held off hiring

someone until now.”

The doctors, nurses and support staff at the

McHenry CBOC will drive-on with their

mission. “I think a lot of us feel we’re meeting

the needs of the community of Veterans here

who have limited access to the main FHCC

campus,” said Kolodzik , who noted that being

“very busy” is a good problem for the clinic to

have.

(Continued from page 3)

Lovell FHCC Nurse Ann Juska works with a laboratory

sample at the McHenry CBOC. An onsite laboratory

makes lab processing quick and easy. (Photo by Mary

Waterman)

Sailors from the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center gather at the Ambulatory Care Center June

17 to celebrate the 113th birthday of U.S. Navy Corspmen during a cake-cutting ceremony. (Photo by Jonathan

Friedman)

Lovell FHCC

hosts Healthy

Living Expo Expo featured expert advice, care

V eterans and employees alike received

free health screenings and learned

about dozens of programs and a variety

of services at the Captain James A. Lovell

Federal Health Care Center’s recent Healthy

Living Expo.

On June 8, people strolled hallways on two

floors in the Ambulatory Care Center and

participated in activities, such as having their

balance-and-grip checked to seeing the amount

of fat in certain foods. Attendees crowded

around the table with the fake food and beakers

of unattractive plastic fat to hear dieticians’

advice about how to eat healthy.

Retired Navy Cook Frank Nordin, carrying his

infant daughter, Destiny, visited the fair in the

late morning after Destiny’s 9-month checkup.

“It’s definitely something that’s needed,” said

Nordin, who was accompanied by his wife,

Victorina. “It’s making us more aware of what’s

available.”

Victorina Nordin was happy to get her Body

Mass Index checked and learn that it is within

normal limits. The Nordins previously received

medical care at Navy Health Clinic Great Lakes,

and started coming to Lovell FHCC after it

opened. The couple said they are pleased with

the new facilities.

“The fair provided an opportunity for Veterans,

military families, key stakeholders and Lovell

FHCC employees to see the unique programs

available at the facility,” said Alfreda Rhodes-

King, Lovell FHCC Nurse Educator.

“Many of our customers are surprised to learn of

the diverse health care services available to

provide excellence in healthcare at the Lovell

FHCC,” added Rhodes-King, who is also the

Veterans Health Education Coordinator and

Minority Veterans Coordinator. “The Patient

Education Advisory Committee, clinical staff,

and Corpsmen who served as volunteers for

the Healthy Living Expo exemplified great

stewardship for the Lovell FHCC,” Rhodes-

King said. “Without them, this event would not

have been as successful.”

By Jayna Legg

Lovell FHCC Public Affairs

(From left) U.S. Navy Veteran Bob Benge speaks with

Greg Rimoldi, Lovell FHCC Suicide Prevention

Coordinator, at the Lovell FHCC Healthy Fair Expo

June 8. (Photo by Jonathan Friedman)

Deployed Lovell FHCC Sailors aboard USNS Comfort T-AH20, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean between Columbia

and Nicaragua. Back Row (from left): HM2 Quan Hancock, HN Bryan Matthews, LS3 Joe Sauls, HN Dillon Hinsley,

HM1 Benjamin Stewart, LT Josh Fair, U.S. Navy Capt. Thomas Hudson, LT Brandon Wolf, HN Brett Dowdy, LCDR

Francine Worthington, SH2 Derrick Butler. Front Row (from left): HM2 Lester Dixon, HN Ewan Richards, HN Clint

Woods, CDR Karen Elgin, HN Alexa Moore, CDR Timothy Ackerman, HM2 Courtney Arthur, HM2 Joyce-Ann

Serrano, LT Patricia Salazar, HM1 Nicolas Piccard. (Courtesy photo)

Humanitarian deployment aboard USNS Comfort nears midway point

4

McHenry CBOC (cont.)

FHCC Corpsmen celebrate 113 years Lovell FHCC Corpsmen gathered June 17 for a birthday celebration

FHCC Sailors send deployment greeting