Author: admin_health

When deciding to become a nurse, doctor, or physical therapist, few people consider the possibility that they might have to work the frontlines of a global pandemic. And yet, that’s exactly what we see our healthcare professionals doing now: bravely putting themselves at risk to watch over the rest of us.
 
Neither the Hippocratic oath nor the Nightingale pledge say anything about working during a pandemic. Rather, doctors and nurses are guided by a strong moral compass that goes above and beyond what they pledge to do at the start of their careers. Healthcare professionals have within them a drive to help people, no matter how difficult or dangerous it becomes to do so. This isn’t something expected or required of them; it’s an innate quality that motivates doctors and nurses to help in times of crisis. Their drive is so strong that most would rather put themselves in grave danger than not practice their craft.
 
Saying thank you to our healthcare professionals is no small feat. After all, how can you adequately thank someone who’s quite literally saving the world? Even if our efforts to show gratitude fall short of their efforts to save lives, we can still try. Thanking doctors, nurses, and all physicians who are helping out during this time is the least we can do.
 
Thank you, healthcare professionals, for taking a risk every day by coming into work to help us. Thank you for doing your best to save lives, even as hospitals become overcrowded and your work gets harder to do. Thank you for watching over our seniors and folks with preexisting conditions. Thank you for helping our family members, friends, and loved ones.
 
Thank you for continuing to come to work as so many of us stay home and keep away from others to protect our health. You don’t have the same luxury, and for that reason, we all feel for you and for your families. We don’t expect you to put your health at risk for us, but you do anyway, and for that we are all deeply grateful.
 
Whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God
the Father through him.
 Colossians 3:17
 
At HealthKeeperz, our home health professionals are a part of something much larger: a mission to care for all for the glory of God. Throughout this time of uncertainty and upheaval, they continue to embody this idea in a bold and beautiful way. We’re so proud to call our doctors, nurses, PTs, and OTs part of the HealthKeeperz family. Their unwavering passion for providing care is incredible, and we can’t thank them enough for it.

A few years ago, I sat across from a friend in the food court at UNC-Chapel Hill Medical Center. I listened to a friend describe his family’s desire for “normalcy.” You see, his child, who at the time was four or five years old, had already undergone multiple major surgeries. Some were corrective in nature, while others were designed to simply improve quality of life.

Think about that. A five-year-old needs major operations simply to improve the quality of their life. Five-year-olds should experience life “enjoyment” by eating more ice cream rather than life “improvement” by the hands of the best pediatric neurologists.

Nevertheless, this had become a familiar experience for my friend’s child and his family. At the same time, my family was learning to navigate a “new normal” brought on by health problems for my wife. I shared with my friend an idea, but better yet, a truth that had helped my family. I simply asked, “Who decides what is normal?”  

If we truly believe Jeremiah 29:11, we’ll know who decides:

“11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Hearing these words, we must then embrace the reality that what we may call normal, God may call yesterday’s plan. If there is one thing I have learned in the nearly twenty-five years that I have been following Jesus, it is that I need new mercies each morning. Why? Because each day has its own challenges and its own victories. When I demand normalcy, God insists on greater things for me through change. When I ask, “why can’t it be different,” He gently replies, “It will be, but on My terms, because I will give you a future and a hope.”

Today, billions of people cry out for “normalcy.” Amid a global health pandemic, when nothing about the future is certain, it would seem that a little normalcy would do us good. But again, I ask, who defines normalcy for you?

It’s been necessary to remind myself that COVID-19 did not take God by surprise. All that happens in the world on any given day is a normal occurrence for God. And everything that happens in my day is precisely part of God’s plans for welfare in my life. In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul teaches that since God, our father, has given His son, Jesus, as a substitute to pay the death penalty for our sins, which is the best gift we could ever receive, will He not also give us all things? That is to say, if God is for us, who (or what) can be against us?

Beloved, we must not forget that God is unchanging, and He is faithful to shower us with His lovingkindness and endless mercy. No trial will ever be wasted or rendered pointless. And even a coronavirus must yield and bow its knee to the one true God, creator of heaven and earth. The effects of such viruses indeed only exist because of Adam’s original sin. But this virus does run maverick around the world. Just as God draws a line in the sand for the waves of the sea, so does He say, “…this far virus, and no further.”

You see, then, every day is a “normal” day because God is in control, and things will only become abnormal when He loses control. So praise God that every day is filled with new circumstances measured out by a kind and gracious God who says I will be your strength (Psalm 46) needed to navigate another normal day.

May we embrace the faith-strengthening work of God day by day.​

Yours in Christ,
Chaplain James Chavis

Five short years ago, the president of HealthKeeperz, Tim Brooks, introduced a new organizational initiative known as “The Barnabas Culture.” Intended to foster a spirit of encouragement and caring for all for the glory of God, this culture was modeled after the disciple Barnabas – a role model of faith and compassion. With this new culture came a new recognition program: the quarterly Barnabas Award. Since 2015, employees have been encouraged to nominate a coworker each quarter who embodies HealthKeeperz’ core values of:

• Be Compassionate
• Purse Excellence
• Take Ownership
• Put Family First

In this series, Portraits of Barnabas, we highlight the winners of this prestigious honor. Today, we’ll introduce you to Shaneese Smith, Outreach Coordinator for the Fayetteville area and winner of our fourth quarterly Barnabas Award for 2019.

In her year and a half at HealthKeeperz, Shaneese has already made a tremendous impact on the organization and larger Fayetteville community. As Outreach Coordinator, she markets home health, hospice, and medical equipment services to hospitals and HealthKeeperz offices throughout Cumberland County. Having previously worked in hospitals for eight years, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in working with people during their most stressful and difficult times.

Like many previous Barnabas Award winners, Shaneese was taken by complete surprise when she found out she won.

“They told us we had an emergency meeting, so I was like, ‘Uh-oh, I’m in trouble,’” she recalled. “But then Tim said he was about to announce the Barnabas Award winner, and I’m thinking, ‘What?!’ He announced that it was me and I was just so shocked. I’m a crybaby, so of course I cried. I was just shocked and honored.”

Again keeping in fashion with past winners, Shaneese thought for sure it would go to one of her hardworking colleagues. “There’s a social worker that was nominated as well, and another marketer, and I feel like they very much live that Barnabas culture,” she said. “So I just knew it would be one of them.”

Evidently, Shaneese was wrong – happily so. “It was so exciting,” she said. “It was a very special moment, just to know that my coworkers would think to nominate me. I still feel like I’m pretty new here, so for them to vote for me and believe that I’m an example of the culture, it was an honor.”

In her work doing outreach and marketing, Shaneese applies HealthKeeperz values on a daily basis. Talk to her about her work for just a few minutes, and you’ll quickly see why she was named a Barnabas Award winner.

“I try to be patient with everyone and to always have a smile on my face,” Shaneese said. “That’s number one. Even if I’m not having the best day, I always try to have a smile on my face, because you don’t know what someone’s going through in their day-to-day. So I always try to be nice and thoughtful of others – whether it’s my customers, my fellow coworkers, or our patients.”

Shaneese wants to share this honor with the home health and hospice team, who “always welcomes me in as one of their own,” and the marketing team, which she describes as “very family-oriented.”

“Some days when I feel down or don’t feel very Barnabas, they bring me up,” she said. “We always give each other that boost. Recently I had the flu, and everyone checked in on me and sent me cards. They don’t have to do that stuff, but they do.”

She also said that having the Barnabas Culture behind her helps her be a better marketer. “Our number one priority is to make sure all our patients and customers are taken care of,” Shaneese said, “and that’s easier to do when you have this culture standing behind you, acting as a role model for you to follow.”

Shaneese’s favorite thing about working at HealthKeeperz? The family environment. “I feel like we’re all family,” she said. “They’re my sisters and brothers. I could talk to them about anything, and I love when they talk to me about stuff going on in their lives. The family vibe is everything.”

We’re thrilled to congratulate Shaneese on this big win, and want to thank all those on the marketing and home health/hospice teams who provided support along the way. Stay tuned for further announcements on Barnabas Award quarterly winners!

At HealthKeeperz, our approach to wellness is holistic. That means we focus on caring for the whole person — not only meeting your needs for physical care, but also for spiritual, emotional, and social support.
 
You can’t care for every aspect of a person without the properly trained personnel. That’s why we hire people of many different specialties, from registered nurses and occupational therapists to case managers and medical social workers.
 
“Medical social worker” — there’s a term you may not have heard before. Most people outside the healthcare field probably haven’t, yet medical social workers play an important role in caring for patients. Today, we’ll take a closer look into what they do and how they may be able to help you or a loved one.
 
Medical Social Work: An Important and Holistic Discipline

Medical social work is a sub-discipline within the larger field of social work. It deals with patients and families who are in need of “psychosocial” help, or help relating to a combination of social factors and individual behavior.
 
Some of the social factors that are addressed in medical social work are:
 
●      Income level
●      Family size and structure
●      Religion
●      Education
●      Housing
 
The individual thoughts and behaviors that are often managed by medical social workers include:
 
●      Psychotherapy
●      Grief counseling
●      Supportive counseling
●      Substance abuse
●      Family intervention
 
Healthcare is often inextricably tied to these factors; for example, a patient’s financial status may restrict their access to quality healthcare, or a patient may have existing psychological issues that make it hard for them to cope with illness. It is the medical social worker’s job to help the patient and his or her family navigate these problems and find a way to recovery.
 
Medical social workers help patients find balance in their personal, family, and social lives. Without this balance, it is often difficult — or even impossible — for a patient to recover from a medical ailment and reintegrate into society. Alternately, if a full recovery is not possible, medical social workers make it easier to manage chronic conditions and access helpful resources.
 
Qualifications for Becoming a Medical Social Worker
 
Aspiring medical social workers undergo extensive training and practice. First, they must complete a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) or a related field like psychology or sociology. Most medical social worker positions also require applicants to complete a master’s degree in social work (MSW).
 
During their graduate studies, aspiring medical social workers must complete many hours of fieldwork to graduate — often as many as 1,000. Finally, they must obtain licensure through both the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) and their state’s board of social work. Medical social workers are always learning, and must complete a variety of continuing education courses to maintain their licensure.
 
How Can Medical Social Work Help Me or My Loved Ones?
 
A medical social worker can help you and your family answer some of life’s most difficult and important questions, including:
 
●      When should I intervene in my loved one’s healthcare?
●      What community resources are available to help me or my loved one?
●      What is the best course of action to help me or a loved one heal physically, emotionally, and socially?
 
If you’ve been struggling with any of the above questions, we hope you’ll reach out to us for help from one of our skilled medical social workers. Give us a call at 800-309-3784 to begin the conversation.

A Brief History of the Beloved Holiday

There are many stories about the legendary Saint Valentine and who he really was, but the popular belief is that Valentine’s Day derives its name from a Roman priest active in the third century AD. This particular Saint Valentine served under Emperor Claudius II, who, according to legend, banned marriages among his soldiers because he believed married men made bad fighters.

Saint Valentine, understanding the absolute power of love, felt that this was unjust. He decided to break the rules and marry soldiers to their beloved ones in secret. Legend has it, he wore a purple amethyst ring with the figure of Cupid engraved upon it as a symbol of his clandestine mission. Roman soldiers would recognize this special ring and know that it was safe to ask him to perform marriage for them.

But Claudius found out about this covert marriage operation, threw Saint Valentine in jail, and sentenced him to death. While waiting in jail, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, Julia. Some legends say that he even healed her lifelong blindness, persuading the jailer, Asterius, and his entire family to believe in Jesus and become baptized.

Nonetheless, Saint Valentine was still sentenced to be killed, and on the evening before his execution, he wrote the world’s first Valentine card. It was addressed to his true love, Julia, and signed as, “Your Valentine.” This expression has been adopted for use on modern Valentine’s Day cards around the world.

Julia went on to plant a pink-blossomed almond tree next to Saint Valentine’s grave, and to this day, the almond tree–as well as the amethyst worn on Saint Valentine’s finger–remain symbols of his enduring love and friendship.

The legitimacy of this tale and other have come into question by many a historian through the years, but regardless, it’s still fun to believe in such a sweeping and romantic story. Whether true or not, Saint Valentine has gone down in history as the most romantic martyr in the Christian faith. Perhaps you can impress your valentine this year by sharing this story.

We’d like to wish you and your loved ones a very happy Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re celebrating with your spouse, best friend, or family, Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to express our love for one another and to simply appreciate being together here on Earth. We’re certainly grateful for your presence in our HealthKeeperz family.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

With love,

HealthKeeperz

In the year 2020, most people know what it means to “give a shout-out” to someone. But, and at the risk of stating the obvious, let’s consider some of the meanings that a simple Google search will turn up:

• Oxford Dictionary: “a message of congratulation, support, or appreciation.”
• Merriam-Webster: “a public expression of greeting, praise, or acknowledgment directed toward a person or group often as part of a performance, recording, or broadcast.”
• urbandictionary.com: “a public expression of thanks or gratitude.”

So with these meanings in mind, let’s define “giving a shout-out” as “publicly expressing appreciation for someone because of some good they have done.”

In 2015 the president of HealthKeeperz, Tim Brooks, made a visit to each Healthkeeperz office to introduce a new organizational culture initiative that he called “The Barnabas Culture.” The Barnabas Culture was the name given to what was described as a culture of encouragement that Tim desired to see fostered within HealthKeeperz. At that time, The Barnabas Culture goal was articulated as HealthKeeperz wanting “to be an organization filled with people who are caring, selfless, humble and encouraging.”

Those four characteristics were taken from what we know about a man named Joseph, whose nickname was Barnabas, in the New Testament book of Acts. Luke, the writer of Acts also known for his Gospel, refers to Joseph by his given name only once at his introduction. After that, he refers to him by his nickname, Barnabas, each time he appears in the narrative. And that was 23 times after his introduction!

This significance here lies in the meaning of the name, Barnabas. Luke records the following in Acts 4:46:

“Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement)…”

You see, Joseph was so well-known for his character, as opposed to his given name, that his character became his identity! From other scriptures, it appears that Joseph’s conversion and faith in Jesus had a profound effect on his life, such that who he once was became overshadowed by who he became through his faith in Christ. Thus, it constituted a complete name change—not just any name, but one that is fitting of the characteristic, which is now the impulse of every action and sweetness of every word. What a great name to behold, and become through Christ a son of encouragement.

If I am recalling correctly, it was the desire of HealthKeeperz’s leadership that the company would no longer be as it had been. Something of eternal value and importance had gripped their hearts, and they believed that it changed everything. Indeed, God was orchestrating a culture shift, where the primary goal would be to have a workplace culture of encouragement that cares for all people for the glory of God.
Now, what does a history of the Barnabas Culture at HealthKeeperz and the concept of “shout-outs” have to do with each other?

For five years, starting back in February of 2015, each quarter, all HealthKeeperz employees have been encouraged to nominate a coworker for the quarterly Barnabas Award. The nominations are based on our company’s core values, which are:

• Be Compassionate
• Purse Excellence
• Take Ownership
• Put Family First

The idea is that when you see a coworker living out our core values, we should nominate them for being a Barnabas. In the spring of each year, HealthKeeperz hosts the Barnabas Award Banquet. At the banquet, we celebrate our culture of encouragement through being together and sharing in a meal, to see one of the four quarterly award-winners chosen as what we endearingly call the “Super Barnabas.” This event has been our way of giving a shout-out to our coworkers for a job well done and a life example worth following.

So to my coworkers at HealthKeeperz, here’s a shout-out to all of you. With God’s help, may we continue to make HealthKeeperz a place of encouragement for those who work here and a source of compassionate care for the many lives touched by us all!
Happy fifth anniversary to the Barnabas Culture!

Yours in Christ,
Chaplain James Chavis