[News Boquete] October Newsletter - Boquete Health and Hospice

Contents – October Newsletter, 2022 Our Mission Statement Calendar of Events Letter from the President A Note from Disaster Dave BHH Medical Director, Dra. Shannon Tuer Be a Hero – Join the Blood Drive! Blood Program – We're There for You! November 19 Blood Drive Save the Date – Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon A Warm Welcome to Bill Haldeman Training Tracks The Magic of Music Chris's Corner Volunteer Spotlight – Ambassador Team Education Videos Medical Equipment The Tree of Life Donor Recognition Make a Donation Council Business Contact Us Our Mission Statement   Our mission is to inform and promote community health. To support people with health and wellness needs by providing information, equipment and volunteer services. To provide palliative (hospice) care for the terminally ill in order that they may experience death with dignity and limited pain. Calendar of Events November 2 – Council Meeting, 10am (via Zoom only) November 9 – General Meeting, 10am (via Zoom only) November 19 – Blood Drive, 7am-noon (Animales Event Center, Alto Boquete) November 28 – Notice of Upcoming Elections and Nomination Process December 7 – Council Meeting, 10am (via Zoom only) December 14 – Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, 1-3pm January 4 – Notice of Annual Meeting January 4 – Council Meeting (via Zoom only) January 11 – Annual Meeting (in-person at the Animales Event Center, Alto Boquete, and via Zoom)

Letter from the President   Dear Friends,  If you have been reading the newsletter in the last few months, you will have noticed that there have been lots of personnel changes at BHH. Our organizational chart has been filling in and growing. I am impressed with the new level of commitment and talent that we now have running the organization. You can view most of these changes in the last newsletter.   One person who deserves special mention is Natalie Kelly, our Newsletter Editor. Natalie has organized this area into a smooth-flowing operation. She has a good global view of BHH and, as such, even suggests pertinent ideas for article writers lest they be at a loss for words!   We are still working on our suicide prevention efforts. Unfortunately, we have been unable to find any professional help for suicide ideation here in Chiriquí. If you have any experience in this area, we would love to talk with you. Please email Dave Nichols, our Volunteer Coordinator, at Dave@disasterdave.com and let him know.   The blood drive is coming November 19 and in this issue you'll find a wealth of information about how you can donate blood and join the matching fund. At our October meeting Carmen Restrepo reported that BHH is responsible for collecting 347 pints of blood since 2019. If our donor averages hold, we will pass the 400 pint-mark in November. Since each pint provides blood for three uses, over 1,200 people will have benefited from the BHH blood drives. In addition, Carmen discussed how to donate blood and what the requirements are. Anyone in Boquete who needs blood should contact our Patient Care Coordinators at +507-6781-9250 or call the blood line at +507-6950-2000. Additionally, I encourage all members to attend our November 9 general meeting to ask questions and vote on the proposed changes to our by-laws. More information about the proposed changes follows in this newsletter. The vote will be followed by a must-see educational program, "First Aid for Major Emergencies—What You Need to Know to Save a Life!"   Our appreciation luncheon for working volunteers on December 14 is coming up soon. We look forward to honoring our volunteers for their tremendous contributions to BHH! As BHH continues its mission to support community health and care in the Boquete area, we have much to be proud of! Be well, John Earle IMPORTANT NOTICE TO THE  MEMBERSHIP OF BOQUETE HEALTH AND HOSPICE At the October 24 Council meeting the motion was made and approved unanimously to make one change to the organization and to add a new position. These changes will be presented to the expanded Council on Wednesday, November 2 and to general membership at the General Meeting on November 9 for discussion and a vote. The proposed changes are provided for your review under Council Business at the end of this newsletter. Please plan on attending the general meeting on November 9 to ask questions and vote. This notice constitutes membership notification of a by-laws change vote. A Note from Disaster Dave   Hi from Dave's desk (really, it's just my laptop),   One of the things I have learned as a volunteer manager for 12 years across two volunteer organizations, is to listen to our volunteers! Seems like a "duh" moment, right?   But often as a volunteer manager, you are focused on recruiting, training, deploying, reports, and stupid requests from people in the organization who don't understand the value of volunteers (a future newsletter topic).   But early on I learned from others to take time to ask for feedback and to read the responses. I took time in September (end of fiscal year) to survey and listen to over 1,000 volunteers. Not bragging—just telling you how important it is to me.   So having said that, I sent out my first survey to BHH members as the Volunteer Grand Poohbah (the name was Craig Gatrel's idea).  So if you haven't seen it, please check your spam or junk files. If you still don't find it, send an email to Dave@disasterdave.com. I'll hit return and send a hyperlink right back.   I really do want to know how you feel about BHH and what your ideas are.   Dave Volunteer Coordinator (more dignified 😊) Editor's note: We like Grand Poobah better, Dave! Suits you! BHH Medical Director, Dra. Shannon Tuer BHH is extremely fortunate to have Dra. Shannon Tuer as our volunteer Medical Director. As Medical Director, Dra. Shannon works directly with the BHH Council and the Patient Care Coordinators (PCCs) on a regular basis. Council Support: Dra. Shannon is responsible for advising the Council on the latest health and medically-related information and decisions. She ensures that as a health organization, BHH meets and/or exceeds all MINSA and Panamanian health and medical requirements. Dra. Shannon attends each monthly Council meeting to answer our questions and provide timely updates and guidance. Although the medical director position is a non-voting position, it is a critical position that assists the Council in setting policies and procedures.   Patient Care Coordinator Support: In working with patients, caregivers, and the Boquete community, the PCCs regularly rely on Dra. Shannon for information and guidance. Knowing and navigating the local medical and social services such as MINSA, CSS, medical specialists, clinics, and hospitals can be challenging. The PCCs frequently consult with Dra. Shannon as to the services and resources available for specific patient needs.    Besides assisting the Council and PCCs as our medical director, Dra. Shannon supports BHH by periodically featuring a BHH volunteer on her Saturday morning radio show to discuss topics such as the BHH Being Prepared Program, the BHH Blood Program, What to Do in an Emergency Situation, Introduction to BHH, and volunteer recruitment.   Dra. Shannon does all of this for BHH as a volunteer, in addition to being busy with her own medical practice and patients. Realizing that Dra. Shannon is quite busy and to respect her time, we ask that you direct any BHH medically-related questions for her to the PCCs at BoqueteHospice@gmail.com or +507 6781 9250. The PCCs will follow up with both Dra. Shannon and you.   On behalf of everyone at BHH, we would like to express our gratitude to Dra. Shannon for all she does. We are so happy to have her on our team! Be a Hero ~ Join the Blood Drive! A tip of the hat to John Quintana and Deb Hornstra for passing out flyers for the November Blood Drive at the Tuesday Market. Their enthusiasm is sure to help make this blood drive one of our most successful ever! Blood Program ~ We're There for You! We have run this testimonial about our blood program before, but it's so powerful it bears repeating: "It is amazing. You can be aware of things, but until they touch your life it is an academic exercise. I have been aware of the Boquete Health and Hospice Blood Program and have even donated, but until last year had never had a need to use it. Our neighbor called me early on Sunday saying her husband was having chest pains. We got him down to the MINSA clinic. Just 20 minutes later he was on his way to a hospital in David. I am so impressed with the care that the MINSA doctor gave him—she even went in the ambulance with him to David. We got to the hospital and after lots of tests and many hours, it was determined that he needed surgery and that blood was required. The wife called me asking what to do. I WhatsApped our Blood team (6590- 2000) and explained the situation. The BHH blood coordinator called the wife  for the details, then she called the blood coordinator at Hospital Regional. All this happened at 8:00pm on a Sunday evening. Within 30 minutes the hospital regional coordinator was speaking with the surgeon and all was arranged. Without the blood program, our wonderful Blood team, and the generous people who donate blood or money via our matching blood program, this would have been a much different story. Friends and family would have been begged to drive to David, fill out paperwork, get tested, donate, fill out more paperwork, and drive home. Sometimes this takes eight hours to accomplish. The surgery would have been delayed, and the outcome for the patient may not have been as positive. No one ever expects emergencies to happen to them, but they do." Our next blood drive is November 19. Please consider donating or helping with a matching gift. You, your family, neighbors, or friends may be the next person to call for blood. We want to be there for you.

Join the Hero's Blood Drive ~ Help Your Community and Neighbors! Date/time: Saturday, November 19, 7am-12 pm Location: Animales Event Center (Ruby McKenzie Clinic) across from Super Centro Ivan's Requirements: Must be under 65 years old with no Covid since October 15 and no travel out of Panama since August 15, 2022 Please consider being a blood donor and if you can't donate blood, join our Hero's Matching Fund Drive. For every blood pint collected, you match donations with a dollar amount. You set the amount, with an upper limit if desired. Support this vital program by donating your time, talent, or funds! For more information go to boquetehealth.org/what-we-do or call/text: WhatsApp +507-6590-2000 or call 507-6781-9250, 8am-5pm, Monday through Friday, 9am-1pm, Saturday and Sunday.  Donate blood and save a life today! Sign up to give blood at the link below. CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO Sign Up Now to Donate Blood! Join the Matching Fund! MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Volunteer Appreciation Lunch Wednesday, December 14, 1-3pm Our volunteers are the heart of BHH and we thank you! A Warm Welcome to New Repairperson Bill Haldeman! Bill Haldeman, our new repair person, recently met with Kat McKay, who gave him a tour of our lockers. They did an inventory of the equipment that needed repairs and Bill repaired a few things that we'd been saving for him. Bill will attend the next training for new volunteers and is interested in becoming a member of BHH. Bill is a great addition to the Equipment team and Kay is thrilled to have someone with his skills. Training Tracks   As the Faber College motto so perceptively stated, "Knowledge is good." While this may seem an understatement from a fictional college, we at Boquete Health and Hospice believe that knowledge is not only good, but essential.    The comprehensive New Volunteer Training class provides students with the tools and information that they need to better provide health and hospice assistance to the Boquete community. While healthcare access and support are serious business, we strive to make the learning experience enjoyable and fun. It has been a challenge that our teams have successfully accomplished. In the BHH training class students engage in exercises aimed at reinforcing the skills and information acquired from speakers and trainers. There are demonstrations, presentations, and hands-on exercises. After learning about numerous topics, students can then concentrate on their specific area(s) of interest. The energy of the class is contagious. Questions, opinions, and suggestions about the training and opportunities in BHH are always welcome. This training is a requirement for anyone who might be considering a volunteer position with BHH. We welcome anyone who would like to learn more about the organization. The next New Volunteer Training class will be held in the January to February timeframe. Translators are available for non-English speakers. BHH provides services to all members of the Boquete community. The Magic of Music Patients who are dealing with medical issues who contact Boquete Health and Hospice for assistance may well be dealing with a certain amount of stress and anxiety related to their health situation. The Magic of Music team has small personal music players and a vast music-lending library that can help patients relax and reduce their level of stress and anxiety. Please contact us at WhatsApp +507-6781-9250 to borrow a music player and a speaker. Los pacientes que están lidiando con problemas médicos que se ponen en contacto con Boquete Health & Hospice para obtener ayuda, bien pueden estar lidiando con una cierta cantidad de estrés y ansiedad relacionados con su situación de salud. El equipo Magic of Music tiene pequeños reproductores de música personales y una amplia biblioteca de préstamos de música que puede ayudar a los pacientes a relajarse y reducir su nivel de estrés y ansiedad. Por favor, ponte en contacto con nosotros en WhatsApp +507-6781-9250. You can find out more on the BHH website, or join the conversation with the Magic of Music Community Group on Facebook.  Hearing: Do I Need Hearing Aids?    Signs that you may be experiencing hearing loss may be if you often think others are mumbling, or have trouble understanding conversations in a group. Hearing aids can help amplify and separate out sounds.   The FDA recently made hearing aids an over-the-counter item not requiring a prescription and there is hope that competition will reduce the price of hearing aids to make them affordable for more people. Many people have hearing loss and do not know it. (Cleveland Clinic article, click below)   After years of delays, hearing aids are now available over the counter—and with them, the opportunity to more broadly and easily address one of the most undertreated health problems among American adults. Wirecutter senior staff writer Lauren Dragan, who spent two-plus years (in collaboration with the Hearing Loss Association of America) researching and testing for the OTC hearing aids guide published in August, is confident that the devices we recommend in that guide could offer substantial hearing help to millions of people who might significantly benefit from the technology. The trickier part may be getting all those people to realize that hearing loss is happening to them. We can help. (Wirecutter article, click below) Cleveland Clinic Article Wirecutter Article BHH Ambassadors Perform Special Role   The BHH Ambassador team is a huge part of our community outreach and we are very fortunate to have each volunteer member on the team. Our ambassadors meet and greet people at our tables during events, host the BHH Tuesday Market table, create friendship baskets, and send thank you notes and condolences.   Barbara Lapid is probably one of our best-known ambassadors. Barbara is the face of BHH to much of the community. Each week Barbara hosts our table at the Tuesday Market. She introduces people to BHH and explains our services. Many people new to Boquete first learn about BHH through Barbara on Tuesdays. Barbara explains the importance of our Being Prepared training, sells materials, and accepts donations. Many of the referrals the Patient Care Coordinators receive come from people who have just met Barbara!   Experiencing a hardship or death in the family can be difficult, and letting someone know that BHH cares in a time of need is appreciated. Recognizing and thanking people for all of their hard work and dedication is very important. Through our friendship basket program, Erin and Dave Ross reach out to say we care and thank you. Erin and Dave create one-of-a-kind friendship baskets that are customized to the individual. They are truly spectacular. Equally important as the basket is the delivery of the basket. Erin and Dave spend time with the individuals receiving baskets and personally make sure they know BHH supports and cares for them. Erin and Dave are the heart of BHH.   One of the very important roles our ambassadors Kay Wade and Judy Sacco perform is sending thank you notes to donors and condolence messages to families and caregivers. Each month they send numerous thank you notes for financial donations, equipment donations, and blood donations. Equally importantly, Kay and Judy send personalized condolence messages, either in Spanish or English, to families and caregivers following a BHH patient's death. Their messages are heartfelt and families often let us know how much the condolences mean during a very difficult time. Kay and Judy are responsible for letting the community, family, and caregivers know that BHH appreciates, supports, and cares for them. Thank you, Kay and Judy!   Right: To introduce our new volunteers to our friendship basket program, Erin and Dave Ross created a basket for our August 2022 New Volunteer class. John Quintana was the lucky winner! Education Videos BHH is happy to offer education videos on our website. They provide excellent info for caregivers and the general public in Spanish and English. Topics cover using equipment including crutches, wheelchairs, and walkers, as well as moving patients safely for patient and caregiver and general patient care. There are also informative videos on Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. To learn more, visit our website using the button below and go to Patient Caregiver Videos, Español Paciente Videos, or Dementia and Alzheimers in the dropdown menu under the Education tab. Videos Need Medical Equipment?   If you or someone you know has a need to borrow or return equipment, please contact our patient care coordinators (PCCs) at 6781-9250. All requests related to equipment must go through the PCCs. The PCCs will work with you or the caregiver to determine the appropriate equipment, availability, and loan period. Once the equipment need is identified, the PCCs coordinate with the equipment team to ensure the correct equipment is sanitized and ready to be checked out (picked up) at our locker located at Alto Dorado. A member of the equipment team will contact you or the caregiver directly to make arrangements to meet at our locker. Please note that our equipment team members only go to the locker for scheduled equipment checkouts and returns. No equipment team member is staffed at the locker and the locker is only open during specific times. Therefore, it is important to contact the PCCs first. When you are ready to return equipment, the process is the same. Simply call the PCCs at 6781-9250. If you are using a piece of equipment for the first time, be sure to visit our website using the button below and go to Patient Caregiver Videos or Español Paciente Videos in the dropdown menu under the Education tab to learn more about using equipment and caring for patients in the home. Videos Tree of Life    Boquete Health and Hospice gratefully recognizes the names of our extremely dedicated and very generous donors on our website. Their kindness keeps our Tree of Life growing and strong. A huge thank you to all of our contributors! IMPORTANT MESSAGE    For the time being, PayPal is unavailable for donations, including donations for the Being Prepared manual. BHH is currently working to get a new PayPal account set up. Until then, follow the directions below to make a donation and check our website for updates on PayPal. Donate Council Business   Proposed Changes to the Organizational Structure of Boquete Health and Hospice:   At the October 24 Council Meeting the motion was made and approved unanimously to make one change to the organization and to add a new position. The proposed change is to create two Vice Presidents instead of one: a Vice President–Operations that is in charge of Education and Training, Volunteer Coordinator, and Technology, and a Vice President–Community Outreach that is in charge of Community Outreach, Events and Fundraising, Communications, Ambassadors, and Translation. Kat McKay has agreed to become the Vice President–Operations and Lesley Hughes has agreed to become Vice President–Community Outreach.   Proposed Changes to the By-Laws:   With the addition in the organizational structure of a second Vice President, a change is necessary to the By-Laws. The Council met, discussed, and voted (unanimously) on the changes. These changes will be presented to the expanded Council on Wednesday, November 2 and to the general membership at the General Meeting on November 9 for discussion and a vote. Please plan on attending to ask questions and to vote. This notice constitutes membership notification of a by-laws change vote.   Proposed Changes   Change "BYLAWS BOQUETE HEALTH & HOSPICE FOUNDATION" to "BYLAWS BOQUETE HOSPICE & HEALTH FOUNDATION."   ARTICLE I – SECTION 2: [Change made to match the mission statement on the website]. Change "The mission of the Foundation is to provide essential services to the dying or those suffering temporary disability or illness and to support their families" to "Our mission is to inform and promote community health. To support people with health and wellness needs by providing information, equipment and volunteer services. To provide palliative (Hospice) care for the terminally ill in order that they may experience death with dignity and limited pain." ARTICLE III – SECTION 1: [3 changes: Change 1 adds the position of the second Vice President, Change 2 corrects punctuation, and Change 3 changes the name from Public Relations to Community Outreach.] Change 1: Change "The membership of the Foundation Council shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, immediate Past President and the three (3) most senior Patient Care Coordinators." to "The membership of the Foundation Council shall consist of the President, Vice President - Operations, Vice President – Community Outreach, Secretary, Treasurer, immediate Past President and the three (3) most senior Patient Care Coordinators." Change 2: Change "The current Patient Care Coordinator's input will be taken under consideration when appointing a new Patient Care Coordinator." to "The current Patient Care Coordinators' input will be taken under consideration when appointing a new Patient Care Coordinator." Change 3: Change "The Council shall also have two permanent standing committees, one for Public Relations and the other for Training, whose chairs, appointed by the Council, attend all meetings as contributing but non-voting members." to "The Council shall also have two permanent standing committees, one for Community Outreach and the other for Training, whose chairs, appointed by the Council, attend all meetings as contributing but non-voting members." ARTICLE III – SECTION 3: [removal of duplicate sentence]. Change "In case of one or more vacancies on the Foundation Council by reason of death, resignation or removal (see section 5), the remaining members of the Foundation Council will, within 30 days and by a majority vote, elect a successor or successors from the members for the unexpired term or terms of the vacated position(s). In case of one or more vacancies on the Foundation Council by reason of death, resignation or removal (see section 5), the remaining members of the Foundation council will, within 30 days and by a majority vote, elect a successor or successors from the members for the unexpired term or terms of the vacated position(s)." to "In case of one or more vacancies on the Foundation Council by reason of death, resignation or removal (see section 5), the remaining members of the Foundation Council will, within 30 days and by a majority vote, elect a successor or successors from the members for the unexpired term or terms of the vacated position(s)." Slate of Proposed Officers for 2023 Council (as of October 24, 2022) Elections will be held at the January General Meeting   President: OPEN Vice President–Operations: Kat McKay Vice President–Community Outreach: Lesley Hughes Treasurer: Bill Hinrichsen Secretary: OPEN To bring topics to the attention of the Council for discussion, please send an email to John Ferguson, who will  add it to the next monthly agenda. PLEASE do not send a general email, which tends to create confusion. The Council will consider, discuss, and vote (if needed) on the topic and inform the membership as appropriate. Voting members of the Council are: President–John Earle, Vice President–Kat McKay, Secretary–John Ferguson, Treasurer–Bill Hinrichsen, PCC–Bev Tyler, PCC–Craig Gatrel, PCC–Denise Daniels, Past President–Lesley Hughes. Council minutes are now on the BHH website at BHH minutes. All future minutes will also be posted there.  The policies of the organization are posted on our website and are updated as needed at BHH policies. We Respect Patient Confidentiality    All patient information shared with any Boquete Health and Hospice volunteer is kept in the strictest confidence. When names are used in testimonials or other marketing materials, we have obtained permission from those mentioned.  Contact Us Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm  Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 1pm Hospice/Health: 507-6781-9250          Blood Donor Program: WhatsApp +507-6590-2000 or call 507-6781-9250 Email: info@boquetehealth.org Website: boquetehealth.org Check us out and like us at: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube!  Newsletter team: Natalie Kelly–Editor, Deb Hornstra–Features/Writer, Chris McCall–Graphics, and Fran Hogan Creative–Image Editor. Thanks to everyone who submitted articles and photos for this issue! Send submissions to BHH newsletter.

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