DAISY nurse Jan. 大園敏盛 彭淑梅 Peng Shu Mei

Although Taiwan enjoys a vibrant economy, pockets of poverty still exist and families among minority groups still need help to survive. Mr. and Mrs. Lee are typical examples. Mrs. Lee had been in coma and in the vegetated stage after a stroke and being cared for by her husband at home for months. Ms. Peng Shu-Mei RN, a home care nurse and case manager for the Lee family, played an important role of being a communicator, counselor, moderator, and listener. During July 13th to December 28th 2010, nurse Peng Shu-Mei arranged physician home visits for Mrs. Lee, but also proactively led the care team to brainstorm and tried to figure out the best way to provide more appropriate and individualized care. Here are some examples of her great work:
1. The patient’s need is not the only concern for Ms. Peng. She tried to identify the problems of the whole family by interviewing the patient’s husband, mother, son and brother. She encouraged the entire family to express their concerns and difficulties and helped to obtain resources from the community.
2. After identifying family’s financial difficulty, Ms. Peng helped the patient obtain a free O2 concentrator machine, a nebulizer, and other medical devices, and educated the family members about the usage, cleaning, and maintenance of those devices.
3. During home visits, Ms. Peng also discovered the pressure and psychological burden of the primary caregiver. She provided adequate mental support and encouragement for Mr. Lee. She assisted Mr. Lee to do “life review” about Mrs. Lee. By doing so, she encouraged Mr. Lee to build a positive attitude toward life.
4. She proactively contacted social service that helped located a charity long term care center that can take ventilator patient.
5. She obtained free ambulance for the patient's transport to the center, helping to lighten the family’s financial burden even more.


Thanks to Nurse Peng’s efforts, now Mrs. Lee has settled down in a charity institution. Mr. Lee was able to get a job and can still visits Mrs. Lee very often.


Details matter. Ms. Peng distinguished herself by paying close attention to the plight and taking care of the whole family of the patient, and not only conducting routine nursing works. Nurse Peng has been an employee of Min-Sheng Health System for 12 years. She has constantly take care the patient and family in an exceptional manner and performed beyond her job responsibilities. She has consistently gone out of her to helping others. She deserves the DAISY award because she met the MS health care core values of trust, professionalism, innovation, excellence, and sharing. Her performance inspired other nurses, and reminded other nurses the reason for choosing nursing as a profession, which is to be the guardian to the patient and family.

The Third Min-Sheng Cup Baseball Tournament

The "Min-Sheng Cup Baseball Tournament," funded by Min-Sheng Health Care System and co-sponsored by the Taoyuan County Government, entered its third year at eight o’clock on November 13, 2010. The grand opening took place at the Taoyuan International Stadium and was attended by leading local government personalities such as Taoyuan County Governor Mr. Wu Zhi-Yang and Taoyuan City Mayor Mr. Su Chia-Ming, who expressed their support for the event. Min-Sheng’s Chairman Dr. Yang Min-Sheng also called on hundreds of colleagues to join the festival.

To kick-off the show, the Aviation City Baseball Team led by their head coach Mr. Li Ju-ming performed a choreography to the tune of a popular song. Although many Min-Sheng staff were not able to attend this event, they still expressed their enthusiasm and cheered by participating in the "Go~Min-Sheng Cup" Video, which was produced by the staff themselves.

Asked about the reason for launching the Min-Sheng Cup Baseball Tournament three years ago, Chairman Yang replied “Because we have the vision of developing more local baseball players like Wang Jian-Ming”. In his speech, recalling the establishment of the 2000-beds Min-Sheng Healthcare System from scratch 35 years ago, he expressed his sincere appreciation to those who ever helped him. Supporting the game of baseball, which fills the dreams of many children, is another way to show his appreciation.

According to the Taoyuan the County Sports Committee Chief Officer Mr. Liao, the funding provided by Min-Sheng greatly enhanced the morale of many baseball teams. Thanks to these subsidies, the teams can be accommodated comfortably when they join tournaments abroad, and their coaches have greater confidence to lead the team to perform at their best.

Chief Art Officer and director of this event, Ms. Yang Yi-Shan, said that over the years the competition has been expanded to include teams from little league to senior league, and big league. Although originally limited to teams from Taoyuan County, the tournament now also attracts teams from Hshin-Chu, Miaoli and Taipei counties. “Although Min-Sheng’s financial contribution is not significant, its influence and vision may last long”, said Ms. Yang. Along with the baseball games are other activities designed to attract public attention and support for the tournament. The closing ceremony is scheduled for December 5, 2010, and will be followed by a fund-raising concert December 12.

Johns Hopkins Faculty speak on Public Health at Min-Sheng General Hospital

Saturday December 23, Min-Sheng general Hospital played host to an international symposium on Public Health Policy jointly organized with the Taoyuan County Public Health Bureau. The organizing committee had invited prominent academics from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the world’s leading institution dedicated to the training of public health professionals, to share their experience on a variety of topics.


-------


Dr. James Yager, Professor in Preventive Medicine at the School, spoke about environmental determinants of cancer and possible strategies for the prevention of certain types of cancer. Rapid industrialization and the life style changes resulting from economic development are contributing to make cancer a global health problem; Dr. Yager elaborated on the opportunities and challenges for prevention that this presents.

Dr. Leiyu Shi, Professor in Health Policy and Management and co-director at The Johns Hopkins Primary Care Policy Center for the Underserved, told about the benefits of advancing primary care to improve community health. The topic is particularly relevant at a time when health care costs are spiraling out of control in many countries and governments are looking for ways to rein in expenditure.

----


Dr. Chiang Tung-Liang, Professor and Dean of the College of Public Health at National Taiwan University and one of the fathers of the National Health Insurance in Taiwan, presented the achievements and short comings of the universal coverage system, and looked at the future of public health in the ROC and at the challenges still laying in the way of health equity.

For Min-Sheng General Hospital the symposium was another opportunity to reaffirm its commitment towards improving the health of the population of Taoyuan County, while raising its profile and profess its international ambitions.

The Dialysis Center at Min-Sheng General Hospital serves local patients and foreign visitors alike.

When Prince Court Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, looked for a dialysis center to treat one of its patients planning a trip to Taiwan, it contacted Min-Sheng General hospital to make the arrangements. This episode underlines the plight of thousands of people with renal problems who require dialysis several times a week, whether they are at home or traveling abroad. People with such conditions should not be deterred from traveling; they just need more planning and attention.

The Dialysis Center at Min-Sheng Hospital is the perfect place for this type of travelers. The 56-bed center is equipped with the latest Fresenius machines and is staffed with four nephrologists, forty-two nurses and two technicians. The center which offers Conventional Hemodialysis, High efficiency Hemodialysis, High flux hemodialysis, and Peritoneal Dialysis is open six days a week (from Monday to Saturday) from 7:30 in the morning until 10:30 at night for the greatest convenience of the patients.
With a focus on quality care and safety, the center implements strict infection control procedures; hollow fibers membranes are single-use only, all the equipment goes through stringent daily monitoring and is maintained by a team of in-house experienced technicians. In 2009, Min-Sheng General Hospital’s Dialysis Center was surveyed by Joint Commission International (JCI), the international arm of Joint Commission the body that reviews all hospitals in the USA, and became the first hospital in the world to be awarded CCP (Clinical Care Program) Certification for its chronic kidney disease program.

Foreign visitors in need of dialysis treatment while staying in Taiwan are welcome to the center. Advance booking is required and treatment can be tailored to meet personal requirements. People interested in using the services of the Dialysis Center should contact the International Healthcare Department of Min-Sheng General Hospital that will make the necessary arrangements.

Min-Sheng General Hospital receives Gold Award for English Service

Min-Sheng general Hospital was presented with the Gold Award for English Services by the Executive Yuan, the of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The award is given to Taiwanese institutions and businesses that offer English-friendly environment and service to their patrons, following a thorough investigation by the China Productivity Center that includes on-site visits by English speaking foreigners.
Min-Sheng General Hospital embarked several years ago in a program aimed at turning the hospital into an international center of excellence. An International Health care Center was established to lead and assist in the changes, and become the service platform between Min-Sheng and its international patients and partners. Foreign patients at Min-Sheng General Hospital will find English signage throughout the hospital, most documents (e.g. doctors and fees schedules, medicine instruction sheets, admission and consent forms, etc.) in English, and staff proficient in several languages ready to assist with translation if necessary. The hospital also set up an English website and two blogs to inform foreigners living in Taiwan and abroad about its services and activities.

Patients who travel to Min-Sheng General Hospital from overseas for surgical packages organized by the hospital’s International Health care Center are assigned an English speaking case manager who assists them at every step of their stay, ensuring seamless service and a comfortable experience.

The Unheralded Hero. Lab Technician Mr. Chang has been donating blood for years

During Min-Sheng General Hospital’s 35th anniversary celebrations a 33 years old lab technician, Mr. Chang Song-Haw, was commended for his long term contribution to hundreds of patients who need blood transfusions. During the past 10 years, he has donated his blood about 280 times, providing nearly 70,000 c.c. of blood platelets. Giving blood every other week, it has become a habit of Mr. Chang’s daily life, and as a lab technician it has become a second career.

His determination began when Mr. Chang served in the military in Kin-Men where medical resources were very limited. After witnessing servicemen lose their life due to a lack of available transfusion blood, Mr. Chang became committed to save other’s lives by donating his own blood. After completing his military service, he became a frequent guest at blood donation stations.

What Mr. Chang donated was not regular whole blood but blood platelets. This usually makes for a more painful experience and a longer recovery time. The needles used to draw blood have left marks and scars on his arms, but Mr. Chang says with a smile of accomplishment: “Although it hurts, I will still keep doing it. A little piece contributed by everyone will make a big difference to make the world better”.

His persistence truly makes him an unheralded hero who deserves recognition.

Min-Sheng celebrates its 35th anniversary with the community

Min-Sheng Healthcare System celebrated its 35th anniversary July 20, 2010, marking more than a third of a century of service to the people of Taoyuan. At exactly ten o’clock in the morning the celebration started with a stairwell race and a reunion of twins born at Min-Sheng Hospital over the past few years.

Min-Sheng’s President and founder, Dr. Yang Min-Sheng, accompanied by Min-Sheng General Hospital’s superintendent, Dr. Chang Yang-Chyan, presided over the ceremony. Among the various representatives of the local government and the community that also attended were Mr. Lee, Deputy Magistrate of Taoyuan County and Mr. Su Jia-Ming, Mayor of Taoyuan City.

President Yang expressed his gratitude for the long-time support and encouragements from the community. Over the past 35 years, the scope of health care services offered by Min-Sheng Health care System has mirrored the growth and development of the Taoyuan community. Dr. Yang pointed out that “The Min-Sheng Health care system could not have been successful without the trust and compassion of the people from the Taoyuan community”.

Twins and babies born prematurely at Min-Sheng Hospital in recent years helped cut the birthday cake before treading the cat walk for a fashion show, while their mothers were exchanging advice and experience on raising twins.
Participants to the stairwell race walked 1200 steps up and down the hospital’s 23 floors. This activity was part of the “Green Life” campaign that encourages people to climb stairs rather than use elevators in order to save electricity. Officers from the Taoyuan Police Bureau and Fire department also joined in the race.

Wishing you’d attended this year’s events? Don’t worry; you’ll get another opportunity next year.