Shepherd tops list

Shepherd tops list

YOUNGSTOWN

Shepherd of the Valley’s home health agency, At Home With Shepherd, has been named a Top Agency of the 2014 HomeCare Elite/¢.

HomeCare Elite identifies the top 25 percent of Medicare- certified agencies and highlights the top 100 and top 500 agencies overall. Winners are ranked by an analysis of publicly available performance measures in quality outcomes, best practice (process measure) implementation, patient experience (Home Health CAHPS Æ), quality improvement and consistency, and financial performance.

To be considered, an agency must be Medicare-certified and have data for at least one outcome in Home Health Compare.

Volunteer awards luncheon at Sharon

SHARON, PA.

Sharon Regional Health System hosted its Annual Volunteer Awards Luncheon recently.

Ann Souzer received the Hospice Volunteer Service Award for 10 years of service; and Rita Vogt, a volunteer at Sharon Regional’s Cancer Care Center, received the Janet L. Patterson Award as Volunteer of the Year.

Joanne Bisson, secretary of the auxiliary management board, provided a history of the Sharon Regional Auxiliary, which was established in 1928 and has since donated more than $1.8 million to the hospital for facility improvements and to purchase advanced medical equipment.

Recognition also was given to three longtime volunteers who were lost this year. They are: Alyce Parish, who provided 51 years of service, most notably through her leadership with the Angel Fund and the Auxiliary; Alma Cullen, a volunteer for 17 years who assisted in the Women’s Center and in coordinating many fundraising sales; and Maury Keaveny, who provided 16 years of service in the surgical family waiting room and as a patient escort.

For information on volunteer opportunities at Sharon Regional, call 724-983-3806.

Nursing school deadline

SHARON, PA.

Dec. 19 is the deadline to apply to Sharon Regional Health System’s School of Nursing for its next class starting in August 2015.

Those interested must register and take the ATI-TEAS exam on one of five Fridays in November and December. The dates are Nov. 7, 14, 21 and Dec. 5 or 12. All benchmarks must be met by Dec. 19.

Through a partnership with Penn State Shenango, Sharon Regional Health System offers area residents the opportunity to seamlessly earn both a diploma in nursing from Sharon Regional and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Penn State Shenango.

For information, call the School at 724-983-3865, ext. 4787, or visit www.sharonregional./com/schoolnursing.htm for an application package and information on the ATI-TEAS exam.

Nursing class aces test

NEW CASTLE, PA.

The Jameson Memorial School of Nursing Class of 2014 achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN Licensure exam (state boards). The last class to achieve this milestone was in 2012.

The graduates are:

Amanda Benegasi, Kendall Chase, Stephanie Delio, Jeffrey Elliot, Amber Morrison, Louis “Joe” Pickel and Gabrielle Wigton, all of New Castle; Ashley Ostheimer and Melissa Scales, both of Sharon, Pa.; Ashley Bandzak Marley of Hermitage, Pa.; Karah Ballengee of Enon Valley, Pa.; Elizabeth Dunn and Brittany Yount, both of Mercer, Pa.

Donna Barker, Lauren Hobel and Ashleigh Triplett, all of Ellwood City, Pa.; Courtney Battles of Wampum, Pa.; Laura Cooper and Lindsey Ranelli, both of Sharpsville, Pa.; Jonathan Barlett of Petrolia, Pa.; Lisa Dickson of Jamestown, Pa.; Joni Fisher of Koppel, Pa,; Holly Jordan Lindey of Fredonia, Pa.; and Roni Lucas of Butler, Pa.