Podcasts about ssm health st

In this episode of the STL Bucket List Show, Luke welcomes Jen Garnica, Chief Nursing Officer at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital. A St. Louis native and proud leader in local healthcare, Jen shares her story — from growing up in the city to leading one of its most advanced and mission-driven hospitals.Located in the heart of downtown, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital is a Level I Trauma Center and a teaching hospital affiliated with Saint Louis University. The hospital boasts state-of-the-art facilities and plays a pivotal role in delivering life-saving care to the most critically ill patients in the region.Jen talks about the unique culture of the hospital, where learning and growth happen every day alongside residents, and why people love to work there — it's the best of the best.Interested in learning more or joining the team? Follow @SSMHealthJobs on social media, slide into their DMs on any platform, or visitjobs.ssmhealth.com to explore career opportunities.Tune in to hear how Jen's deep St. Louis roots continue to inspire care, leadership, and community impact.Support the show

KMOX Health Editor Fred Bodimer talked about the annual "Spring Forward" with sleep medicine specialist Dr. Thomas Siler, the medical director of the Sleep Lab at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in St. Charles.

St. Louis was only about halfway to breaking the record for inches of snow Sunday, but it did break a record for the amount of water that fell. The latest on how the region is dealing with continued frigid temperatures. Plus: Female athletes are getting more concussions, and St. Louis doctor wants to know why. Dr. Jamil Neme, director of the Concussion Clinic at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital, speaks with STLPR's Marissanne Lewis-Thompson.

KMOX Health Editor Fred Bodimer talked with sleep medicine specialist Dr. Thomas Siler, medical Director of the Sleep Lab at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in St. Charles to talk about what the switch from Daylight Saving to standard time can do to our bodies.

 Fred Bodimer with Thomas Siler, the medical director of Pulmonary Rehab at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in St. Charles.

On this edition of Inside the 1581, we talk with experts from the National Weather Service and SSM Health St. Anthony –Shawnee to understand their proactive measures in protecting communities during tornados and other severe weather events.  Meteorologist Nolan Meister from the National Weather Service sheds light on the organization's initiatives aimed at enhancing weather awareness among Oklahomans. Greg Fasching, senior environmental safety specialist at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital –Shawnee, provides insight into the hospital's strategies to ensure patient safety during storms. Additionally, Steven Vasquez, integrated health technology manager at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital, joins the conversation to discuss the critical role of technology in weather emergencies.  Lastly, Emily Coppock, vice president of clinical excellence at the Oklahoma Hospital Association shares her experiences at INTEGRIS Southwest Medical Center during the devastating May 20, 2013, tornado. Tune in as we explore the intersection of meteorology, healthcare, and community safety on this episode of Inside the 1581.

KMOX Health Editor Fred Bodimer talked about the effect the time change has on our body with sleep medicine specialist Dr. Thomas Siler at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in St. Charles.

Dr. James M. Smith is a licensed professional counselor in Jefferson City, MO. He currently works as the outpatient lead therapist at SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital Behavioral Health. He has been in the mental health field for 18 years and specializes in addiction, severe, persistent mental illness, and trauma. His dissertation explored the lived experiences of men disclosing childhood sexual abuse. Jamie (as most people call him) is married to his amazing wife Lesley and has three supervillain genius-level kids, Jacob, Caitlin, and Nathaniel. He is the proud servant of a Golden Retriever named Trooper. He is an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan. What business problem do you solve? In this episode, Dr. Jamie Smith, a licensed counselor, explores the practical application of psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The discussion revolves around gaining a deeper understanding of our mental well-being and enhancing leadership abilities. Small Business Answer Man Shownotes: Dr. Jamie Smith provides an insightful exploration of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, starting from the foundational levels of physiology and safety, and progressing towards higher stages of belonging and esteem.  He further discusses the importance of understanding how our brain works to take care of ourselves and others.  He emphasizes that losing a sense of safety amidst business uncertainty can impact mental well-being.     Dr. Jamie Smith talked about how “Living on purpose” and aligning actions to values prevents sacrificing what's most important  He also talks about the importance of being intentional about how time and energy are invested, enabling individuals to exert control over their genuine priorities. The conversation highlights the significance of belonging, not only within the team but also in personal relationships.   Finally, Dr. Jamie Smith talks about how a dilemma emerges as entrepreneurs sometimes prioritize business success to the detriment of family and intimate connections, prompting reflection on the balance between professional and personal spheres. Dr. Jamie Smith's Best Small Business Tip: According to him, burnout can hinder productivity and creativity, so stepping back when needed ensures long-term success. Remember, a well-balanced life contributes to sustained business growth. Connect with Jamie Smith: LinkedIn Clarity Navigator Discovery Session – Sign Up HERE Learn more about Gary's Mastermind group at goascend.biz/the-mastermind-solution

KMOX Health Editor Fred Bodimer spoke with Dr. Thomas Siler at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in St. Charles about the importance of sleep with us about to 'fall back' and what happens to the brain and body with the clock change. 

This week on the Friday Flyover, Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan battle for Speaker of the U.S. House | UAW President Shawn Fain announces 8,700 Ford Kentucky Truck plant workers are joining the strike | Nurses are striking around the nation | Wisconsin Supreme Court judge Janet Protasiewicz stands her ground against GOP goofballshttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/republicans-fail-to-coalesce-around-speaker-choice-leaving-house-in-limbo/ar-AA1i49oxhttps://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/11/uaw-launches-strike-against-fords-kentucky-truck-plant-signaling-major-escalation-in-labor-fight.htmlOct. 11 – Today, Ford came to the table with the same offer they submitted to us two weeks ago. It was an unacceptable move that triggered a strong and immediate response.UAW President Shawn Fain and Vice President Chuck Browning called on our 8,700 members at Ford's extremely profitable Kentucky Truck Plant to Stand Up and strike. Our Local 862 members answered the call and walked out today at 6:30 p.m.Our Stand Up strategy has won important victories at the table, but we must go further. We will keep increasing the pressure on Ford and all of the Big Three until we've won our fair share of the record profits we've made at Kentucky Truck and every Big Three plant.Tune in to Facebook Live this Friday, Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. for more announcements on the status of bargaining at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.General Motors last week agreed to include workers at its electric vehicle battery plant in the company's national contract with the union, which Fain called a “transformative win.”Fain said the union expects Chrysler parent Stellantis and Ford to follow suit, including battery plant workers in eventual contract agreements.The UAW has been gradually increasing the strikes since the work stoppages began after the sides failed to reach tentative agreements by Sept 14.The additional workers brings UAW's total to about 34,000 U.S. workers, or roughly 23% of UAW members covered by the expired contracts with the Detroit automakers, who are currently on strike.Fain will give bargaining updates and potentially announce further strikes at 10 a.m. Friday online, the union said Wednesday night.https://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/nurses-unions-push-for-mandatory-staff-to-patient-ratiosSafe Patients Limit Act would cap the number of patients per registered nurseBy PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.comSPRINGFIELD – Unions representing nurses in Illinois are pushing for legislation that would impose mandatory staff-to-patient ratios in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities.But lobby groups representing hospitals and nursing homes say they are steadfastly opposed to the legislation, arguing that a nationwide nursing shortage makes it impossible to comply with such a mandate.The proposed Safe Patient Limits Act, by Sen. Celina Villanueva and Rep. Theresa Mah, both Chicago Democrats, was introduced in February and was the subject of a joint hearing last week in Chicago by two House committees. It's an issue that has been discussed in the General Assembly since 2019 but has thus far failed to gain the necessary traction for passage. The latest hearing came just three weeks before lawmakers return to the Capitol for their fall veto session, which begins Oct. 24.“Short staffing isn't a mere inconvenience. It's a dire issue,” said Shaba Andrich, vice president of nursing homes for the SEIU Healthcare employee union. “It's predominantly a Black and brown issue. In historically marginalized communities of Chicago, these issues are magnified. These communities that already face systemic underinvestment are further deprived of adequate nursing care due to chronic short staffing.”The bill calls for setting a maximum number of patients that could be assigned to a registered nurse in specified situations. For example, in units with critical care or intensive care patients, the maximum number of patients per nurse would be just one. In units with pediatric patients, the bill would allow three patients per nurse, and in units with psychiatric patients, the bill would allow four patients per nurse.It also provides some legal protection for nurses, stating that they are to provide their services exclusively in the interest of patients, “unencumbered by the commercial or revenue-generating priorities” of a facility that employs registered professional nurses.Andrich, testifying before the committee last week, disputed the notion that there is a nursing shortage in Illinois. He said there is only “a shortage of caregivers who are refusing to be overworked and undervalued and underpaid,” and that the result of understaffing has direct consequences for patients.“Such understaffing isn't merely an operational concern. It translates into real world consequences,” he said. “Seniors enduring falls, malnutrition, missed medication, avoidable hospitalization, and, tragically, avoidable deaths.”Some of those who testified in favor of the bill accused hospitals and nursing homes of being more concerned about labor costs and profit margins than the best interests of patients.“We need this legislation because hospitals are incentivized to reduce labor costs. This means less staff,” said Jeanine Johnson, a critical care nurse at Ascension St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. “Hospital executives see budgets and labor costs. Nurses see patients and their lives.”A.J. Wilhelmi, president & CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, a hospital trade group, said it's true that health care providers face significant financial pressures, largely because Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates have not kept pace with the rising cost of health care. But he said contrary to what the unions claimed, there is a significant and growing nursing shortage in Illinois, and the proposed Safe Patient Limits Act would put even more of a financial burden on providers.During his testimony, Wilhelmi cited a state survey into the registered nurse workforce that was conducted by the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center – which is a state agency that works to promote the nursing profession. Of the respondents to that survey, 27 percent indicated an intent to retire within the next five years. The IHA interpreted that and other data in the survey to suggest the state could see a shortage of 14,400 registered nurses by 2025.“I'm deeply concerned that many hospitals in the state, particularly safety net hospitals, critical access hospitals, will be unable to absorb the huge cost that ratios would impose,” he said. “And given the enormous financial pressures that Illinois hospitals already face, if this bill becomes law, they're going to have to make some tough decisions like cutting back services, closing hundreds of beds, and eliminating jobs. And frankly, some of our hospitals might be forced to close.”Andy Allison, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the agency that administers the state's Medicaid program, suggested that the key to solving the staffing issues in hospitals and nursing homes is to raise wages to make the jobs more attractive.He noted that last year, lawmakers passed a significant overhaul of the way the state reimburses nursing homes through Medicaid, adding roughly $700 million in the form of incentives to increase wages and hire more staff.Before those reforms were adopted, he said, Illinois was home to 46 of the 100 worst-staffed nursing homes in the country. As of March 31, he said, that number had dropped to 14.“We hope that it becomes zero. We have a ways to go,” he said. “But in the last five quarters – that is, through March 31 of this year – in that five-quarter period, total nurse staffing hours statewide are up 15 percent.”Denise Stiger, an organizer for Teamsters Local 743, which represents health care workers in many Chicago-area facilities, said that money has not solved the problem, and that in some nursing homes, one CNA still could have as many as 20 patients to tend to during their shift.“We have to deal with the owners because they're slum lords. That's what they are,” she said. “And I understand that they get cited, and it's public. But these owners are not looking at that. These owners are looking at these patients as money.”Health care workers at hundreds of Kaiser Permanente hospitals and medical facilities across the U.S. walked off the job on Wednesday morning, in an effort to ramp up pressure on their employer to fix a staffing shortage that has intensified since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.Over 75,000 workers — including nurses, emergency department technicians, pharmacists and hundreds of others — went on strike in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Virginia and Washington, D.C.It is the biggest health care strike in U.S. history, according to the unions.Kaiser, headquartered in Oakland, California, is one of the largest nonprofit health care providers in the United States, serving nearly 13 million patients. Most Kaiser workers who have walked off the job will be on strike for three days, until Saturday morning — except those in Virginia and Washington D.C., who will be on strike for 24 hours.Roughly 1,500 essential workers at four hospitals in Los Angeles County kicked off a five-day strike Monday morning to protest what they claim are dangerous working conditions and unfair labor practices by hospital management.Employees at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood walked off the job and picketed outside while nonunion nurses and staff were brought in to keep the hospital open, according to union organizers.Nurses and other staff at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center, and Encino Hospital Medical Center are also participating in the strike through Friday.ST. LOUIS — Nurses at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital walked off their jobs for a 24-hour strike on Monday, a measure they said was necessary after the hospital failed to address their concerns about short staffing.Registered nurses union stages 24-hour strike at SSM Health St. Louis University HospitalMaddi O'Leary, a registered nurse who works in the bone marrow transplant unit, joins other SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital nurses represented by the National Nurses United union in staging a 24-hour strike Monday Sept. 25, 2023, outside the hospital.Christine Tannous, Post-Dispatch“We don't want to be out here,” said Maddi O'Leary, a nurse in the bone marrow transplant unit, who has worked at the hospital for eight years. “We want to be inside taking care of our patients. But we have not been given the resources to do so safely.”In a statement, SSM said the health system was “deeply disappointed” in the union's decision to organize a strike. The hospital said workers from nurse staffing agencies would help fill in where needed.Dozens rallied outside the hospital along South Grand Boulevard Monday, carrying signs and chanting. Nurses described feeling frustrated when they couldn't provide patients the quality of care they wanted to give because their units are understaffed.And when patients have to wait longer for care, health care workers receive backlash from them and their family members, they said. Several emergency department nurses said that they've noticed an increase in patients after South City Hospital, about 4 miles south, closed in early August following financial troubles.O'Leary said that while nursing shifts in her unit ideally are staffed by four nurses, lately there have been shifts with only two. That means she can't take a break because she can't leave the unit staffed by only one nurse.“Enough was enough,” she said.The strike was scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Monday and end at 6:59 a.m. Tuesday. The nurses gave the hospital 10 days' notice.The union, National Nurses United, has represented nurses at the hospital since 2012. Though the nurses have held several protests to pressure SSM to increase staffing levels there, they had never before gone on strike.The nurses' labor agreement expired June 15. They have been in negotiations for a new contract since May and claim there has been little movement in bargaining. With the exception of the VA St. Louis Healthcare System, SLU Hospital is the only hospital in the region where nurses are unionized.SSM accused the California-based nurses union of holding strikes that are “intended to create tension and division within hospitals,” and said the moves are counterproductive to SSM's efforts to recruit and hire nurses.https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2023/10/11/republicans-ease-off-impeachment-threat-after-supreme-court-accepted-redistricting-case/After months of threatening that they would consider impeaching liberal Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz if she weighed in on a lawsuit over the state's legislative maps, Wisconsin Republican lawmakers have pulled back from the idea. Republicans began raising impeachment before Protasiewicz was even elected in April, with then-Rep. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) saying during his special election campaign for an open Senate seat that he would consider impeaching her. In August, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said he would consider impeaching Protasiewicz if she weighed in on the redistricting lawsuit — stating in a radio interview that he believed she had “pre-judged” the case and that could constitute a violation of her oath of office. Late last week, Protasiewicz ruled against Republican motions requesting that she recuse herself, writing in an opinion that the standard for recusal Republicans were arguing for would be “unworkable.” On the same day, Protasiewicz joined the Court's three other liberals in voting to accept one of two lawsuits filed against the maps. As Republicans floated the impeachment possibility, and state Democrats launched a campaign to raise public opinion against it, Vos said he convened a panel of three former Supreme Court justices to weigh in on the idea. One of those former justices, conservative David Prosser, wrote in an email to Vos on Friday before the court's decision was released that nothing Protasiewicz had done rose to the level of corrupt conduct in office, which along with criminal acts is the standard for impeachment in the state Constitution. “In my view, ‘corrupt conduct' is not a term that is open to a mere political grievance,” Prosser wrote. “If that were the case, legislative bodies could be trading questionable impeachments with considerable frequency.”“To sum up my views, there should be no effort to impeach Justice Protasiewicz on anything we know now,” he continued. “Impeachment is so serious, severe, and rare that it should not be considered unless the subject has committed a crime, or the subject has committed indisputable ‘corrupt conduct' while ‘in office.'”After the Court's decision was released last week, Vos said in a statement that he believes the U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately weigh in on the issue. “Justice Protasiewicz should have recused herself. We think the United States Supreme Court precedent compels her recusal, and the United States Supreme Court will have the last word here,” Vos said.Wisconsin's impeachment process requires a simple majority vote of the Assembly to impeach and a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict and remove an official. In addition to Vos' retreat from the threat, multiple Senate Republicans have stated they don't support impeachment, meaning there wouldn't be enough votes in the Senate to remove Protasiewicz. In an audio recording obtained by the Examiner, a staff member for Sen. Rachel Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) told a member of the public that “she does not support impeachment.” Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville) also told CBS58 he doesn't support impeachment. Prior to the Court's acceptance of the case, concerns had been raised that under Wisconsin's impeachment statutes, a judge is unable to hear any cases while the Senate is considering conviction — meaning that if the Assembly voted to impeach, the Senate could hold off on a vote in order to delay the case. With the lack of supermajority support for impeachment in the Senate, state Democrats have called for Vos to drop the threats. “While it's long been clear the law wasn't on the Republicans' side, they now lack the votes to pursue conviction in the Senate — underscoring how any impeachment in the Assembly would represent an unprecedented abuse of the Wisconsin Constitution,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Joe Oslund said in a statement. “Broken clocks are right twice a day, and now that David Prosser and Duey Stroebel have somehow emerged as voices of reason here, Robin Vos should have no excuse for not knowing what time it is: time to drop his unconstitutional impeachment threats.”What caught your eye:Wisconsin Examiner, Capitol News Illinois, STL Post Dispatch, LA Times, Washington Post, CNBC, NPR

This week on the Friday Flyover, Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan battle for Speaker of the U.S. House | UAW President Shawn Fain announces 8,700 Ford Kentucky Truck plant workers are joining the strike | Nurses are striking around the nation | Wisconsin Supreme Court judge Janet Protasiewicz stands her ground against GOP goofballshttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/republicans-fail-to-coalesce-around-speaker-choice-leaving-house-in-limbo/ar-AA1i49oxhttps://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/11/uaw-launches-strike-against-fords-kentucky-truck-plant-signaling-major-escalation-in-labor-fight.htmlOct. 11 – Today, Ford came to the table with the same offer they submitted to us two weeks ago. It was an unacceptable move that triggered a strong and immediate response.UAW President Shawn Fain and Vice President Chuck Browning called on our 8,700 members at Ford's extremely profitable Kentucky Truck Plant to Stand Up and strike. Our Local 862 members answered the call and walked out today at 6:30 p.m.Our Stand Up strategy has won important victories at the table, but we must go further. We will keep increasing the pressure on Ford and all of the Big Three until we've won our fair share of the record profits we've made at Kentucky Truck and every Big Three plant.Tune in to Facebook Live this Friday, Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. for more announcements on the status of bargaining at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.General Motors last week agreed to include workers at its electric vehicle battery plant in the company's national contract with the union, which Fain called a “transformative win.”Fain said the union expects Chrysler parent Stellantis and Ford to follow suit, including battery plant workers in eventual contract agreements.The UAW has been gradually increasing the strikes since the work stoppages began after the sides failed to reach tentative agreements by Sept 14.The additional workers brings UAW's total to about 34,000 U.S. workers, or roughly 23% of UAW members covered by the expired contracts with the Detroit automakers, who are currently on strike.Fain will give bargaining updates and potentially announce further strikes at 10 a.m. Friday online, the union said Wednesday night.https://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/nurses-unions-push-for-mandatory-staff-to-patient-ratiosSafe Patients Limit Act would cap the number of patients per registered nurseBy PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.comSPRINGFIELD – Unions representing nurses in Illinois are pushing for legislation that would impose mandatory staff-to-patient ratios in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities.But lobby groups representing hospitals and nursing homes say they are steadfastly opposed to the legislation, arguing that a nationwide nursing shortage makes it impossible to comply with such a mandate.The proposed Safe Patient Limits Act, by Sen. Celina Villanueva and Rep. Theresa Mah, both Chicago Democrats, was introduced in February and was the subject of a joint hearing last week in Chicago by two House committees. It's an issue that has been discussed in the General Assembly since 2019 but has thus far failed to gain the necessary traction for passage. The latest hearing came just three weeks before lawmakers return to the Capitol for their fall veto session, which begins Oct. 24.“Short staffing isn't a mere inconvenience. It's a dire issue,” said Shaba Andrich, vice president of nursing homes for the SEIU Healthcare employee union. “It's predominantly a Black and brown issue. In historically marginalized communities of Chicago, these issues are magnified. These communities that already face systemic underinvestment are further deprived of adequate nursing care due to chronic short staffing.”The bill calls for setting a maximum number of patients that could be assigned to a registered nurse in specified situations. For example, in units with critical care or intensive care patients, the maximum number of patients per nurse would be just one. In units with pediatric patients, the bill would allow three patients per nurse, and in units with psychiatric patients, the bill would allow four patients per nurse.It also provides some legal protection for nurses, stating that they are to provide their services exclusively in the interest of patients, “unencumbered by the commercial or revenue-generating priorities” of a facility that employs registered professional nurses.Andrich, testifying before the committee last week, disputed the notion that there is a nursing shortage in Illinois. He said there is only “a shortage of caregivers who are refusing to be overworked and undervalued and underpaid,” and that the result of understaffing has direct consequences for patients.“Such understaffing isn't merely an operational concern. It translates into real world consequences,” he said. “Seniors enduring falls, malnutrition, missed medication, avoidable hospitalization, and, tragically, avoidable deaths.”Some of those who testified in favor of the bill accused hospitals and nursing homes of being more concerned about labor costs and profit margins than the best interests of patients.“We need this legislation because hospitals are incentivized to reduce labor costs. This means less staff,” said Jeanine Johnson, a critical care nurse at Ascension St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. “Hospital executives see budgets and labor costs. Nurses see patients and their lives.”A.J. Wilhelmi, president & CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, a hospital trade group, said it's true that health care providers face significant financial pressures, largely because Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates have not kept pace with the rising cost of health care. But he said contrary to what the unions claimed, there is a significant and growing nursing shortage in Illinois, and the proposed Safe Patient Limits Act would put even more of a financial burden on providers.During his testimony, Wilhelmi cited a state survey into the registered nurse workforce that was conducted by the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center – which is a state agency that works to promote the nursing profession. Of the respondents to that survey, 27 percent indicated an intent to retire within the next five years. The IHA interpreted that and other data in the survey to suggest the state could see a shortage of 14,400 registered nurses by 2025.“I'm deeply concerned that many hospitals in the state, particularly safety net hospitals, critical access hospitals, will be unable to absorb the huge cost that ratios would impose,” he said. “And given the enormous financial pressures that Illinois hospitals already face, if this bill becomes law, they're going to have to make some tough decisions like cutting back services, closing hundreds of beds, and eliminating jobs. And frankly, some of our hospitals might be forced to close.”Andy Allison, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the agency that administers the state's Medicaid program, suggested that the key to solving the staffing issues in hospitals and nursing homes is to raise wages to make the jobs more attractive.He noted that last year, lawmakers passed a significant overhaul of the way the state reimburses nursing homes through Medicaid, adding roughly $700 million in the form of incentives to increase wages and hire more staff.Before those reforms were adopted, he said, Illinois was home to 46 of the 100 worst-staffed nursing homes in the country. As of March 31, he said, that number had dropped to 14.“We hope that it becomes zero. We have a ways to go,” he said. “But in the last five quarters – that is, through March 31 of this year – in that five-quarter period, total nurse staffing hours statewide are up 15 percent.”Denise Stiger, an organizer for Teamsters Local 743, which represents health care workers in many Chicago-area facilities, said that money has not solved the problem, and that in some nursing homes, one CNA still could have as many as 20 patients to tend to during their shift.“We have to deal with the owners because they're slum lords. That's what they are,” she said. “And I understand that they get cited, and it's public. But these owners are not looking at that. These owners are looking at these patients as money.”Health care workers at hundreds of Kaiser Permanente hospitals and medical facilities across the U.S. walked off the job on Wednesday morning, in an effort to ramp up pressure on their employer to fix a staffing shortage that has intensified since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.Over 75,000 workers — including nurses, emergency department technicians, pharmacists and hundreds of others — went on strike in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Virginia and Washington, D.C.It is the biggest health care strike in U.S. history, according to the unions.Kaiser, headquartered in Oakland, California, is one of the largest nonprofit health care providers in the United States, serving nearly 13 million patients. Most Kaiser workers who have walked off the job will be on strike for three days, until Saturday morning — except those in Virginia and Washington D.C., who will be on strike for 24 hours.Roughly 1,500 essential workers at four hospitals in Los Angeles County kicked off a five-day strike Monday morning to protest what they claim are dangerous working conditions and unfair labor practices by hospital management.Employees at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood walked off the job and picketed outside while nonunion nurses and staff were brought in to keep the hospital open, according to union organizers.Nurses and other staff at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center, and Encino Hospital Medical Center are also participating in the strike through Friday.ST. LOUIS — Nurses at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital walked off their jobs for a 24-hour strike on Monday, a measure they said was necessary after the hospital failed to address their concerns about short staffing.Registered nurses union stages 24-hour strike at SSM Health St. Louis University HospitalMaddi O'Leary, a registered nurse who works in the bone marrow transplant unit, joins other SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital nurses represented by the National Nurses United union in staging a 24-hour strike Monday Sept. 25, 2023, outside the hospital.Christine Tannous, Post-Dispatch“We don't want to be out here,” said Maddi O'Leary, a nurse in the bone marrow transplant unit, who has worked at the hospital for eight years. “We want to be inside taking care of our patients. But we have not been given the resources to do so safely.”In a statement, SSM said the health system was “deeply disappointed” in the union's decision to organize a strike. The hospital said workers from nurse staffing agencies would help fill in where needed.Dozens rallied outside the hospital along South Grand Boulevard Monday, carrying signs and chanting. Nurses described feeling frustrated when they couldn't provide patients the quality of care they wanted to give because their units are understaffed.And when patients have to wait longer for care, health care workers receive backlash from them and their family members, they said. Several emergency department nurses said that they've noticed an increase in patients after South City Hospital, about 4 miles south, closed in early August following financial troubles.O'Leary said that while nursing shifts in her unit ideally are staffed by four nurses, lately there have been shifts with only two. That means she can't take a break because she can't leave the unit staffed by only one nurse.“Enough was enough,” she said.The strike was scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Monday and end at 6:59 a.m. Tuesday. The nurses gave the hospital 10 days' notice.The union, National Nurses United, has represented nurses at the hospital since 2012. Though the nurses have held several protests to pressure SSM to increase staffing levels there, they had never before gone on strike.The nurses' labor agreement expired June 15. They have been in negotiations for a new contract since May and claim there has been little movement in bargaining. With the exception of the VA St. Louis Healthcare System, SLU Hospital is the only hospital in the region where nurses are unionized.SSM accused the California-based nurses union of holding strikes that are “intended to create tension and division within hospitals,” and said the moves are counterproductive to SSM's efforts to recruit and hire nurses.https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2023/10/11/republicans-ease-off-impeachment-threat-after-supreme-court-accepted-redistricting-case/After months of threatening that they would consider impeaching liberal Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz if she weighed in on a lawsuit over the state's legislative maps, Wisconsin Republican lawmakers have pulled back from the idea. Republicans began raising impeachment before Protasiewicz was even elected in April, with then-Rep. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) saying during his special election campaign for an open Senate seat that he would consider impeaching her. In August, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said he would consider impeaching Protasiewicz if she weighed in on the redistricting lawsuit — stating in a radio interview that he believed she had “pre-judged” the case and that could constitute a violation of her oath of office. Late last week, Protasiewicz ruled against Republican motions requesting that she recuse herself, writing in an opinion that the standard for recusal Republicans were arguing for would be “unworkable.” On the same day, Protasiewicz joined the Court's three other liberals in voting to accept one of two lawsuits filed against the maps. As Republicans floated the impeachment possibility, and state Democrats launched a campaign to raise public opinion against it, Vos said he convened a panel of three former Supreme Court justices to weigh in on the idea. One of those former justices, conservative David Prosser, wrote in an email to Vos on Friday before the court's decision was released that nothing Protasiewicz had done rose to the level of corrupt conduct in office, which along with criminal acts is the standard for impeachment in the state Constitution. “In my view, ‘corrupt conduct' is not a term that is open to a mere political grievance,” Prosser wrote. “If that were the case, legislative bodies could be trading questionable impeachments with considerable frequency.”“To sum up my views, there should be no effort to impeach Justice Protasiewicz on anything we know now,” he continued. “Impeachment is so serious, severe, and rare that it should not be considered unless the subject has committed a crime, or the subject has committed indisputable ‘corrupt conduct' while ‘in office.'”After the Court's decision was released last week, Vos said in a statement that he believes the U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately weigh in on the issue. “Justice Protasiewicz should have recused herself. We think the United States Supreme Court precedent compels her recusal, and the United States Supreme Court will have the last word here,” Vos said.Wisconsin's impeachment process requires a simple majority vote of the Assembly to impeach and a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict and remove an official. In addition to Vos' retreat from the threat, multiple Senate Republicans have stated they don't support impeachment, meaning there wouldn't be enough votes in the Senate to remove Protasiewicz. In an audio recording obtained by the Examiner, a staff member for Sen. Rachel Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) told a member of the public that “she does not support impeachment.” Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville) also told CBS58 he doesn't support impeachment. Prior to the Court's acceptance of the case, concerns had been raised that under Wisconsin's impeachment statutes, a judge is unable to hear any cases while the Senate is considering conviction — meaning that if the Assembly voted to impeach, the Senate could hold off on a vote in order to delay the case. With the lack of supermajority support for impeachment in the Senate, state Democrats have called for Vos to drop the threats. “While it's long been clear the law wasn't on the Republicans' side, they now lack the votes to pursue conviction in the Senate — underscoring how any impeachment in the Assembly would represent an unprecedented abuse of the Wisconsin Constitution,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Joe Oslund said in a statement. “Broken clocks are right twice a day, and now that David Prosser and Duey Stroebel have somehow emerged as voices of reason here, Robin Vos should have no excuse for not knowing what time it is: time to drop his unconstitutional impeachment threats.”What caught your eye:Wisconsin Examiner, Capitol News Illinois, STL Post Dispatch, LA Times, Washington Post, CNBC, NPR

Patients with chronic GI health conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often have complex treatment plans that require multiple medications. They may also have other health conditions like heart, kidney or liver disease that require several medications in addition to the medications prescribed by their gastroenterologist. In this episode Gastroenterologist Dr. Tauseef Ali and Clinical Pharmacists Carrie Breeden and Sarah Elkoubysi from SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma, explain the vital role clinical pharmacists play as members of the GI healthcare team. They provide eye-opening insight on how clinical pharmacists work with gastroenterologists and help patients fully understand their treatment options; the benefits and potential side effects of the medications they are being prescribed; and how these medications may interact with other lifestyle considerations, like diet, smoking and alcohol use.   

Mike Elam, in for Mark Reardon, welcomes Jake Brooks, President of SSM Health St. Joseph Hospitals in St. Charles and Wentzville & Dr. Kristy Haggett, VP of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for St. Joseph Hospitals in St. Charles and Wentzville, to share how the world of medicine has changed, especially post-Covid. 

Hour 3: Mike Elam, in for Mark Reardon, welcomes Jake Brooks, President of SSM Health St. Joseph Hospitals in St. Charles and Wentzville & Dr. Kristy Haggett, VP of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for St. Joseph Hospitals in St. Charles and Wentzville, to share how the world of medicine has changed, especially post-Covid.Then, Steve Ehlmann, St. Charles County Executive, calls in to share some good St. Charles news and what to look forward to! Later, Mike brings you the Audio Cut of the Day!

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the Regional President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. James Thorp, one of the leading dissenting voices on the COVID-19 shot's adverse effects on pregnant women, was fired at the end of June in 2023 by SSM Health in St. Louis. For the first time, Dr. Thorp reveals on Faithful Freedom with Teryn Gregson, presented by We The Patriots USA, the $135 million SSM Health St. Louis and the $306.9 million the entire SSM Health system took in COVID-19 Relief Funds.Connecting the dots between the strings-attached COVID-19 Community Corps funding Health and Human Services awarded the American College of OBGYNs, that required they follow specific vaccine information verbage or would be required to pay the millions of dollars back.The opinions expressed by our show guests are their own, and are not necessarily shared by We The Patriots USA. However, we value free speech and will always fight to protect it!CDC's HHS Provider Relief Fund Database: https://data.cdc.gov/Administrative/HHS-Provider-Relief-Fund/kh8y-3es6/dataDr. Thorp's Covenant with Death Investigative Substack Series: https://freedomintruth.substack.com/Vaccine Exemption Forms by State and Immunization Tracking System Opt-Out Links & Resources on https://teryngregson.com/exemptions-by-stateFREE HPV Vaccine Resource Guide! Subscribe to Teryn's bi-weekly resource newsletter, with data, stats our latest episodes and more and receive your FREE MMR and HPV Vaccine Resource Guides. (Devotionals and recipes coming soon!) https://teryngregson.com/newsletterWatch us on Red Voice Media, now available on Roku, Amazon FireStick & Apple TV: https://www.redvoicemedia.com/shows/faithful-freedom-with-teryn-gregson/For Case Updates from We The Patriots USA, Sign up for Breaking News emails: https://wethepatriotsusa.org/subscribe-to-our-email-list/Subscribe to listen to the podcast:iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/faithful-freedom-with-teryn-gregson/id1598602749Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6dKsn0JqtNJfarUUVYuv5v?si=a810d53643fb4017Rumble: https://rumble.com/WeThePatriotsUSA

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the Regional President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the Regional President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the Regional President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the Regional President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the Regional President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Registered nurses Marchelle Vernell and Hadas Becker are sounding the alarm on what they say is a lack of safe staffing levels at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital. They say patients are waiting too long for care — and that patient frustration can pose a security risk to staff and other patients.

The feeling of having something stuck in your throat is often a terrifying experience. And if you or a loved one are constantly struggling or are adapting the way you eat to swallow food, your esophagus is likely not functioning properly. We welcome back Dr. Pooja Singhal, a Gastroenterologist at SSM Health St. Anthony's Hospital in Oklahoma City, OK, to explain what's going on with the esophagus and the way it is functioning when someone is struggling to swallow. She provides an overview of the various digestive disorders that can affect one's ability to swallow food, how it's possible for swallowing liquid to be a problem, and highlights the adaptive eating behaviors you may not realize you're doing, which are warning signs you should see your doctor.   

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KMOX Health Editor Fred Bodimer talked with Dr. Thomas Siler, a sleep medicine specialist at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in St. Charles about how daylight savings can affect your circadian rhythm.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital and he joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Kevin Lewis is the President of SSM Health/St. Anthony Hospital. He joins us each Thursday morning to discuss medical news and answer questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.