Colleagues from the Environmental Services department at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center send their Thanksgiving wishes and shared the favorite things they like to do with their family on Thanksgiving in this heart warming video.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
How about a No Bake "Thanksgiving Turkey" for dessert this Thanksgiving?
Last week Maria Petkiewich and Debra Francis from the Food and Nutrition department at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center shared their Thanksgiving family recipe with us.
This week, Maureen O'Brien, prep cook, in the Food and Nutrition department was very kind to share a fun and easy No Bake "Thanksgiving Turkey" dessert that she prepares with her grandchildren every Thanksgiving.
You can find the original recipe at http://www.keebler.com/recipe-thanksgiving-turkey-cookies-21341.aspx. Instead of using butterscotch morsels, Maureen used Ferrero Rocher Chocolate and Cherry Chocolate.
Here is a picture of the "Thanksgiving Turkey" dessert that Maureen prepared.
Thank you Maureen! Hope everyone has fun making this very special dessert.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Friday, November 22, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. The Food and Nutrition team at Lahey Hospital and Medical center are busy planning for our annual Thanksgiving meal and Pie sale. According to David Cox, Executive Chef, we sold approximately 1128 pies and 300 tea breads last year! This year we will be having the pie sale on Monday, 11/25 and Tuesday, 11/26. I will post pictures of the pie sale in my blog next week. So, be on the look out for our Pie galore!
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to share 5 fun facts about Thanksgiving:
1) The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated by the Plymouth Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts
2) The first Thanksgiving lasted for three days!
3) Turkey was NOT on the menu on the first Thanksgiving feast. So what was on the menu then? It's basically whatever you could catch in the wild (Deer, rabbits, fish etc).
4) Thanksgiving is primarily celebrated in United States and Canada as a day to give thanks for the blessing of the harvest and for the proceeding year.
5) Each Thanksgiving, the President “pardons” a hand-selected turkey, sparing the bird from someone’s dinner table and ensuring the rest of its days are spent roaming on a farm, doing whatever it is turkeys love to do. Twenty-four turkeys have been pardoned to date(not including this coming Thanksgiving)
http://www.whitehousehistory.org/history/white-house-facts-trivia/facts-thanksgiving-turkey-pardoning.html
*Excerpt and info taken from wiki, the White house blog and whsv.com
I have also invited a few of our Food and Nutrition colleagues to share their favorite food, event and Thanksgiving family recipe.
Maria Petkiewich's mother in law's Famous Brocolli and Cheese Caserole
Ingredients
- 1 can cream of Broccoli
- 1/2 box of Ritz Crackers
- 1/4 stick of butter, melted
- 2 heads of Broccolli
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F
- Stir all the ingredients except cheddar cheese in a 1 quart casserole. Bake for 15 minutes
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the broccoli and bake for another 2 minutes.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving
Debra Francis's Famous Granny's Cookies
-1 cup shortening
-1 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sour milk
-1 tbsp vanilla
-3 1/2 cups flour
-1 tbsp baking powder
-1 tbsp baking soda
-1 tbsp salt
-1 tbsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Cream together shortening,sugar and brown sugar
- Add eggs, sour milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth
- Sift together the remaining dry ingredients
- Stir into the batter and chill the batter for an hour
- Heat the over to 350°F.
- Bake for 10-15 mins (Until it turns brown)
-Let stand for 5 minutes before serving
Hope you have fun trying out our colleagues's family recipe.
Wishing you and your family a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to share 5 fun facts about Thanksgiving:
1) The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated by the Plymouth Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts
2) The first Thanksgiving lasted for three days!
3) Turkey was NOT on the menu on the first Thanksgiving feast. So what was on the menu then? It's basically whatever you could catch in the wild (Deer, rabbits, fish etc).
4) Thanksgiving is primarily celebrated in United States and Canada as a day to give thanks for the blessing of the harvest and for the proceeding year.
5) Each Thanksgiving, the President “pardons” a hand-selected turkey, sparing the bird from someone’s dinner table and ensuring the rest of its days are spent roaming on a farm, doing whatever it is turkeys love to do. Twenty-four turkeys have been pardoned to date(not including this coming Thanksgiving)
http://www.whitehousehistory.org/history/white-house-facts-trivia/facts-thanksgiving-turkey-pardoning.html
*Excerpt and info taken from wiki, the White house blog and whsv.com
I have also invited a few of our Food and Nutrition colleagues to share their favorite food, event and Thanksgiving family recipe.
Maria Petkiewich's mother in law's Famous Brocolli and Cheese Caserole
Ingredients
- 1 can cream of Broccoli
- 1/2 box of Ritz Crackers
- 1/4 stick of butter, melted
- 2 heads of Broccolli
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F
- Stir all the ingredients except cheddar cheese in a 1 quart casserole. Bake for 15 minutes
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the broccoli and bake for another 2 minutes.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving
Debra Francis's Famous Granny's Cookies
-1 cup shortening
-1 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sour milk
-1 tbsp vanilla
-3 1/2 cups flour
-1 tbsp baking powder
-1 tbsp baking soda
-1 tbsp salt
-1 tbsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Cream together shortening,sugar and brown sugar
- Add eggs, sour milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth
- Sift together the remaining dry ingredients
- Stir into the batter and chill the batter for an hour
- Heat the over to 350°F.
- Bake for 10-15 mins (Until it turns brown)
-Let stand for 5 minutes before serving
Hope you have fun trying out our colleagues's family recipe.
Wishing you and your family a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!
Darrin Cassidy, Guest blogger- Working on Thanksgiving
This week I have invited Darrin Cassidy, Patient Services Supervisor at Lahey Hospital and Medical center to blog about his experience working on Thanksgiving. One can truly feel Darrin's commitment in putting our patient at the heart of everything we do in this article.
The holidays are generally associated with family, friends, and food. The subjects of family and community are prevalent during Thanksgiving, and I suspect this can make our patients feel especially lonely. One may think going to work the least desirable destination during this festive time. I’ve found the opposite to be true.
Some days we may forget just how important this building we call work actually is. Patients come to Lahey Health to be healed. They come sick, vulnerable, and scared. This anxiety must be multiplied during the holiday season. At a time when most are breaking bread with their families and trading stories, patients have the misfortune of missing out on these cherished moments. It is on these days our compassion as an organization must be at its strongest. The kindness of a stranger is a powerful thing. Making a positive impact on even one patient is a good feeling that stays with you a long time.
I’ve been at Lahey Health since 2006. I was merely seventeen when I worked my first shift. I remember when my former supervisor informed me I would be here on Thanksgiving, my shift beginning at the same time my family was scheduled to feast. I was not happy. But when I got here we brought countless turkey dinners to our patients. Nearly every patient was eager for a visitor. They were just as happy to have somebody to talk to as they were for their meal. A person’s spirit can be uplifted in these brief moments of human connection, and there’s no better time than during the holidays, when a patient misses their family and friends.
Although it may not be ideal to work during Thanksgiving, we should try and approach this day with more optimism and more compassion. Simply take the time to ask our patients how they’re doing and wish them well. We should be thankful for our health and do our best to make those less fortunate than us as comfortable as possible while they are with us, especially on holidays, and we should take pride in our ability to do so. These minor interactions have a major impact, and that’s the very definition of thanksgiving.
Darrin Cassidy
Patient Services Supervisor
The holidays are generally associated with family, friends, and food. The subjects of family and community are prevalent during Thanksgiving, and I suspect this can make our patients feel especially lonely. One may think going to work the least desirable destination during this festive time. I’ve found the opposite to be true.
Some days we may forget just how important this building we call work actually is. Patients come to Lahey Health to be healed. They come sick, vulnerable, and scared. This anxiety must be multiplied during the holiday season. At a time when most are breaking bread with their families and trading stories, patients have the misfortune of missing out on these cherished moments. It is on these days our compassion as an organization must be at its strongest. The kindness of a stranger is a powerful thing. Making a positive impact on even one patient is a good feeling that stays with you a long time.
I’ve been at Lahey Health since 2006. I was merely seventeen when I worked my first shift. I remember when my former supervisor informed me I would be here on Thanksgiving, my shift beginning at the same time my family was scheduled to feast. I was not happy. But when I got here we brought countless turkey dinners to our patients. Nearly every patient was eager for a visitor. They were just as happy to have somebody to talk to as they were for their meal. A person’s spirit can be uplifted in these brief moments of human connection, and there’s no better time than during the holidays, when a patient misses their family and friends.
Although it may not be ideal to work during Thanksgiving, we should try and approach this day with more optimism and more compassion. Simply take the time to ask our patients how they’re doing and wish them well. We should be thankful for our health and do our best to make those less fortunate than us as comfortable as possible while they are with us, especially on holidays, and we should take pride in our ability to do so. These minor interactions have a major impact, and that’s the very definition of thanksgiving.
Darrin Cassidy
Patient Services Supervisor
Friday, November 15, 2013
5 useful tips to consider for an easier benefits enrollment
It's that time of the year again- time for benefits enrollment. This can also be an anxious time for some as the cost for medical insurance will go up again next year and also there is a lot of information to read and study along with numerous forms to complete! Who wants to make a mistake that will affect them for an entire year, right? Hence, the dreaded task begins.......
This year I was fortunate to have the opportunity to assist a number of my colleagues in their benefits enrollment. As I assisted others, I also learned along the way. Here are five of the most useful tips I found while helping others with their benefit enrollment:
1) Budget the frequency of your doctor visits- Being able to estimate how often you plan to see a doctor in the upcoming year is going to make a big difference in your medical insurance selection, as you could budget your annual out-of-pocket expenses in advance. Some plans cost less upfront, however the amount of annual out-of-pocket will be more, so in the end, you would end up paying more if you visit the doctor very frequently.
2) Select your medical provider- Do you prefer the flexibility to see any doctor of your choice without getting a referral? If so, you would have to go with a PPO plan. One of the downsides of a PPO plan is that they can be quite costly. But, if you already know who your medical provider is and they are listed as a preferred doctor with your insurance, and you don't mind needing a referral, then selecting an HMO plan would probably be a better choice as it would save you a lot of money.
3) Enroll in Flexible Spending Account (FSA)- A Flexible Spending Account are comprised of your pretax dollars that you may use to pay for qualified medical expenses that are not covered by your health insurance plan (such as your co-pay, prescription medication, and even dental costs). Previously, you could not carry over the balance from your Flexible Spending Account- any unused amount leftover from the previous year would be forfeited. On October 31, 2013, the U.S. Department of Treasury announced changes to this "Use or Lose" rule. You may now carry over $500 from your unused FSA to the next year. http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl2202.aspx
4)Sign up for your biometric screening- Many insurance providers are offering biometric screening as an incentive to reduce insurance costs. Some people are reluctant to participate in biometric screening as they cannot find time to do it or they believe they would fail the screening due to a pre-existing condition. The screening does not actually take much time -usually around 10-15 minutes and involves screening for nicotine usage, Body Mass Index (BMI), cholesterol level, glucose level, and blood pressure. It is usually followed by another 10-15 minute questionnaire (which you could complete at a later time before the dateline). Also, even if you initially fail the screening, you could still appeal the results (I have heard some colleagues have successfully done so). It's definitely worth a try.
5)Opt for the mail-order pharmacy- Most of the insurance plans offer a choice of using a traditional pharmacy or a mail-order pharmacy for filling prescriptions. Remember to use the mail-order pharmacy- it could save you a lot of money along with the convenience of having your prescriptions delivered right to your home.
I hope the above tips will help you with your benefits enrollment.
Be Healthy!
This year I was fortunate to have the opportunity to assist a number of my colleagues in their benefits enrollment. As I assisted others, I also learned along the way. Here are five of the most useful tips I found while helping others with their benefit enrollment:
1) Budget the frequency of your doctor visits- Being able to estimate how often you plan to see a doctor in the upcoming year is going to make a big difference in your medical insurance selection, as you could budget your annual out-of-pocket expenses in advance. Some plans cost less upfront, however the amount of annual out-of-pocket will be more, so in the end, you would end up paying more if you visit the doctor very frequently.
2) Select your medical provider- Do you prefer the flexibility to see any doctor of your choice without getting a referral? If so, you would have to go with a PPO plan. One of the downsides of a PPO plan is that they can be quite costly. But, if you already know who your medical provider is and they are listed as a preferred doctor with your insurance, and you don't mind needing a referral, then selecting an HMO plan would probably be a better choice as it would save you a lot of money.
3) Enroll in Flexible Spending Account (FSA)- A Flexible Spending Account are comprised of your pretax dollars that you may use to pay for qualified medical expenses that are not covered by your health insurance plan (such as your co-pay, prescription medication, and even dental costs). Previously, you could not carry over the balance from your Flexible Spending Account- any unused amount leftover from the previous year would be forfeited. On October 31, 2013, the U.S. Department of Treasury announced changes to this "Use or Lose" rule. You may now carry over $500 from your unused FSA to the next year. http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl2202.aspx
4)Sign up for your biometric screening- Many insurance providers are offering biometric screening as an incentive to reduce insurance costs. Some people are reluctant to participate in biometric screening as they cannot find time to do it or they believe they would fail the screening due to a pre-existing condition. The screening does not actually take much time -usually around 10-15 minutes and involves screening for nicotine usage, Body Mass Index (BMI), cholesterol level, glucose level, and blood pressure. It is usually followed by another 10-15 minute questionnaire (which you could complete at a later time before the dateline). Also, even if you initially fail the screening, you could still appeal the results (I have heard some colleagues have successfully done so). It's definitely worth a try.
5)Opt for the mail-order pharmacy- Most of the insurance plans offer a choice of using a traditional pharmacy or a mail-order pharmacy for filling prescriptions. Remember to use the mail-order pharmacy- it could save you a lot of money along with the convenience of having your prescriptions delivered right to your home.
I hope the above tips will help you with your benefits enrollment.
Be Healthy!
Friday, November 8, 2013
Veterans Day- November 11
Happy Veterans Day!
A special thank you and gratitude to all Veterans!
*Excerpt taken from US department of Veterans affair http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/
A special thank you and gratitude to all Veterans!
We would also like to salute and recognize Herbert Rukin "Herb" a member of the Sodexo at Lahey Food and Nutrtion team who has served in the Navy for 7 years.
Herb- Thank you for all that you have done for our country! We salute you!
 |
| Herb Rukin, Food Service Worker with Emi Rizik,Retail Operations Manager |
Origins of Veterans Day
Raymond Weeks of Birmingham, Alabama, organized a Veterans Day parade for that city on November 11, 1947, to honor all of America's Veterans for their loyal service. Later, U.S. Representative Edward H. Rees of Kansas proposed legislation changing the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all who have served in America’s Armed Forces. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day and called upon Americans everywhere to rededicate themselves to the cause of peace. He issued a Presidential Order directing the head of the Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs, to form a Veterans Day National Committee to organize and oversee the national observance of Veterans Day. The Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery. At 11 a.m., a color guard, made up of members from each of the military services, renders honors to America's war dead during a tradition-rich ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The President or his representative places a wreath at the Tomb and a bugler sounds “Taps.” The balance of the ceremony, including a "Parade of Flags" by numerous Veterans service organizations, takes place inside the Memorial Amphitheater, adjacent to the Tomb.
*Excerpt taken from US department of Veterans affair http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/
Are you starting your holiday shopping? How about giving the gift of volunteerism?
Have you started your holiday shopping? It's a little over a month before the holiday and by looking at the traffic to the mall, the holiday shopping has already began for some.
If you are like me, you will be browsing the web to look for the best holiday gift idea. Looking at what is new for the techies on our list, what is suitable for kids and teanagers, and so forth. The other day when buying a birthday gift for a six years old girl, I learned the "new" thing for them is Lalalopsy(www.lalalopsy.com). I had Barbie and all the Disney princess characters in mind when I walked into the shop!
So,I guess we can say that finding the perfect gift is never easy. But magically I think I found the answer to the perfect gift this holiday season. It occurred to me yesterday as I was walking into Jazzman's Cafe & Bakery at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington. Joseph Magaletta, a Lahey volunteer, was cleaning the condiment station and he was doing it with a smile. I approached Joseph and told him that he is doing a great job. He thanked me and told me he is glad to be able to help. He had a big grin on his face! Joseph volunteers twice a week at Lahey as he is still in school. According to Joe, he enjoys volunteering in the Food and Nutrition department as everyone is nice to him and he can makes a lot of friends while helping others.
When I walked further down the hallway, I saw Mrs. Aenea Holland, a long time volunteer. Aenea worked at Lahey for more than 22 years before retiring in 2006. According to Mrs.Aenea, she was looking for ways to fill her time and also to give back. Her volunteering journey began when she volunteered to sell Angel ribbons at the 2009 Lahey Cancer Walk. Seeing how successful her Angel was at the event, she decided to continue her "Angel" journey. Nowadays, she volunteers twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays from 830am-1pm and all the proceeds go to the Sophia Gordon Cancer Center at Lahey. When I asked Mrs. Aenea apart from being able to contribute to the cancer center,what are some other reasons that make her continue her volunteerism journey. She told me, the biggest gift she found from her "Angel" is the ability to provide moral support to others. A lot of patients stop by to tell her stories of how much her "Angel" touches them and has helped them and their love ones through striving time. I told Mrs. Aenea I have experiened it firsthand as I too always stopped by and bought some of her "Angels" as a gift for colleagues and patients that may need a little "angel miracle" from Aenea.
After the above reflections, I realized the best gift you can give to anyone is the spirit of volunteerism. So, this year before you start accumulating your credit card bills or pulling your hair thinking about the best present, consider the gift of volunteerism.
You can volunteer at any non-profit organization that is near you and send a card with a picture of yourself volunteering. You could include a nice note such as "I am volunteering on your behalf, as I want to give you the best present one could ever give. Happy Holidays!"
I bet it will bring a smile and a warm thought to anyone who receives it.
Let's hear from Joseph and Aenea in the following video:
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Celebrating Service Awards at Lahey Hospital and Medical center
On October 5, 2013, colleagues at Lahey Hospital and Medical center celebrated the Lahey Service award to recognize Lahey colleagues for their years of service. Colleagues who has worked at the hospital for 5,10,15 and 20 years are invited to attend the service award reception at the cafeteria. Colleagues who worked for more than 25 years celebrated the award over the weekend at the Marriott Burlington.
The Sodexo Food and Nutrition team prepared an amazing array of delicacies such as our in-house Jazzman's cafe & bakery cup cakes, cream puffs, cannolis, fruit variety,cheeses and vegetables dip along with a chocolate fountain.
The event was a success. Congratulations to all Lahey Service award recipient and thank you to all colleagues that made this event a success!
The Sodexo Food and Nutrition team prepared an amazing array of delicacies such as our in-house Jazzman's cafe & bakery cup cakes, cream puffs, cannolis, fruit variety,cheeses and vegetables dip along with a chocolate fountain.
The event was a success. Congratulations to all Lahey Service award recipient and thank you to all colleagues that made this event a success!
 |
Linda Clay, Director of Food and Nutrtion with Mary Pittsley, Administrative Assistant |
 |
| Debbie DaSilva, Medical secretary,Maureen Dugan, RN, General internal Medicine and Karen Hartford, Administrative Director, Clinical Services |
 |
| Cup Cake display preapred by Shaina Volovick, Jazzman Baker |
 |
| Shaina Volovick with the cream puff that she prepared for the event |
 |
| Fruits and vegetables displayed station |
Friday, November 1, 2013
Happy Diwali
Wishing all our colleagues and their family who are celebrating the festivity a Happy Diwali!
What is Diwali?
Diwali, the festival of light, is one of the most significant holidays for the Hindu community. This year it falls on November 3- 7.
To learn more about the Diwali celebration, please visit the blog post dated October 10 or go to the following link: http://sodexoatlahey.blogspot.com/2013/10/diwali.html
What is Diwali?
Diwali, the festival of light, is one of the most significant holidays for the Hindu community. This year it falls on November 3- 7.
 |
| Usha Patel is wearing a traditional Indian dress- Kurta Salwar Rangooli was displayed on the desk - A design made from colored rice and powder(usually displayed on the floor) are used to decorate the household and shopping malls. Rangoli is used as a joyful way to welcome the Goddness of Wealth and Prosperity. |
 |
| Usha Patel is wearing a traditional Indian dress"Lehnga", |
To learn more about the Diwali celebration, please visit the blog post dated October 10 or go to the following link: http://sodexoatlahey.blogspot.com/2013/10/diwali.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)