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PPH celebrates resident nurses
National Nurses Week begins every year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, which is Florence Nightengale's birthday. In 1953, Dorothy Sutherland of the US Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a "Nurse Day" in October of the following year. The proclamation was never made. Several other attempts were made for a national day; however, no action was taken, and Congress discontinued its practice of joint resolutions for national weeks of any kind for many years. It took until 1982 for President Reagan to sign a proclamation for a "National Recognition Day for Nurses'" to be May 6th. PPH is fortunate to have many nurses that call PPH home. Several of our resident nurses shared details about their education and career. Gateway resident Janet Stott graduated as a registered nurse (RN) from Einstein Hospital in 1952. She spent 22 years in prison nursing. Sylvia Metzler,, an Alpha resident, is a graduate of Lankenau School of Nursing, class of 1958. She went on to attain her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology in 1977. She also attended the Yale School of Nursing, attaining her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and CRNP (Certified Registered Nurse Practiioner) in 1984. Sylvia worked as an RN from 1958-1984 in general hospitals, psych., addiction and rehabilitation and as a visiting nurse. She went on to work as a family nurse practitioner from 1984-2014. Sylvia also volunteered in Nicaragua from 1989-1991.
An artist's rendering of Florence Nightengale, also known as "The Lady with the Lamp" who is best known as the founder of modern nursing.
Lawndale resident Carol B. Drummond graduated from Philadelphia General Hospital (PGH) in 1964. She went on to work at PGH as a urological nurse and intensive surgical care nurse. In 1966 she started with the Philadelphia Public Health Dept. as a community health nurse with a focus on well baby and adult health. She was then a visiting nurse with a focus on pulmonary disease of adults and newborn babies home less than 24 hours. Carol received her BSN from LaSalle University in 1998. In 1978 Carol joined the Army National Guard as a nurse corp officer and progressed to LTC upon retirement. Her focus was field exercises providing care to soldiers. >>continued on page 5
In This Issue...
l Auxiliary donates to Ukraine l Newest Guardian Angels l Phillies Opening Day
6401 Martins Mill Road, Philadelphia PA • www.PPHFamily.org • 215.697.8000 •Facebook.com/ThePhiladelphiaProtestantHome
Family Focus Staff Spotlight
Eileen Bratton – PPH Infection Preventionist Did you know that PPH has an Infection Preventionist? Eileen Bratton, a longtime PPH employee, has served many roles in her 28 years of employment at our community. Eileen grew up in nearby Olney and also lived for many years in Lawncrest. When looking for a part-time job she began working the overnight shift every other weekend as a nurse in the skilled nursing area of the community. Pathways was not yet built and the nursing building was housed in the (now) personal care building. Eileen went on to serve as the assistant director of nursing and then the director of nursing for 17 years. She decided to step down from that position to spend time with her newborn twin grandchildren and worked as a supervisor on the 3pm to 11:30pm shift. Eileen's new position as Infection Preventionist will help to ensure that Eileen Bratton PPH is prepared to meet the challenges during the ongoing Covid pandemic as well as safeguarding PPH against other communicable disesases. The ultimate goal is keeping residents and employees safe. Eileen thought she would be a teacher while in high school, especially after hearing harrowing stories about nursing from her mother and older sister who were both nurses. During her college years, Eileen spent months caring for a senior that suffered from a stroke. This experience changed her mind and she pursued a nursing degree. Eileen shared that the biggest challenge during Covid-19 was becoming "Gumby" - meaning that she is often pulled in many directions throughout her day and has to be flexible. The favorite part of her job is meeting new residents and their families. "We have learned that we are stronger then we think, our hearts are big enough that we have enough love and compassion to battle anything that comes our way."
New Residents at PPH Martha Klingbeil joined the PPH community in late March from nearby Fox Chase. She was a secretary for the Philadelphia public schools. She enjoys crocheting, embroidery, reading and travel. Martha has four children (one daughter and three sons) and eight grandchildren.
Linda Edgar moved to the PPH community in March. She grew up in North Phila. and most recently lived right down the road from PPH! Linda is Protestant and a parishioner at Calvary Chapel. She worked for 27 years doing office work and is a trade school graduate. Linda's interests include walking, bowling and playing minature golf.
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Phillies opening day! PPH residents gathered to celebrate the Philadelphia Phillies opening day. They squared off against the Oakland Athletics. The Phils won 9-5 over the Oakland As.
Collection of the Month The April display featured Lawrence H. Geller's beautiful metal work. We hope you enjoyed it! The May collection will feature a collection of bowls from Pastor Ken Smith.
Mother's Day by Lawrence A. Geller
Anna Jarvis held the first Mother's Day service in Andrews Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia in 1907. Her campaign to make Mother's Day a recognized holiday actually began in 1905, the year after her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Jarvis, the mother, had been a peace activist caring for wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. She and another suffragette, Julia Ward Howe, had been urging the creation of a Mother's Day for peace, where mothers would ask that their husbands and sons to no longer be killed in wars. In 1870, forty years before it was an official holiday, Julia Ward Howe, made her Mother's Day proclamation calling upon mothers of all nationalities to band together to promote the amicable settlement of international questions. In 1908 Congress rejected a proposal to make Mother's Day an official holiday, joking that they would also have to proclaim a "Mother-in-laws Day". By 1911, owing to the efforts of Jarvis, all states observed the holiday. Three years later, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother's Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday. Thank you, Anna Jarvis.
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PPH Auxiliary donates to Philadelphia Second Alarmers and Ukranian relief The PPH Auxiliary had special guests at the April meeting. Representatives from the Philadelphia Second Alarmers - Chief Gregory Masi and Lt Pete Specos - presented at the meeting and brought their specially-outfitted vehicle for residents to tour. Knowing that PPH is home to many wonderful residents, it is no surprise that each of these officers has a current PPH connection. Chief Masi's sister, Gale Clark, is a new resident in Alpha and the winner of the Auxiliary's winter raffle basket. Long-time Gateway resident Pat Lawson is Lt Specos' beloved mother-in-law. left to right: PPH Auxiliary President Patricia Coyne, PPH Outreach Specialist Valerie Williams, Sgt Gregory Masi, Lt Pete Specos, PPH President & CEO John Dubyk Below: Chief Masi shows residents one of their support vehicles.
The Philadelphia Second Alarmers were founded in 1921 when a huge fire on the waterfront kept police and fire officers working long hours on a bitter cold night. A group of residents jumped in their cars and brought them hot beverages. This all-volunteer group that began as a “canteen” service – providing "creature comforts" to firefighters and police officers at emergency sites - has become an integral support system for first responders and is an integral support system for the Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments. Auxiliary members learned, through an enjoyable and informative presentation, that over the past 100 years the all-volunteer Second Alarmers have expanded services to include providing generators, flood lighting, radio battery exchanges, heating and cooling supplies and equipment, and replacement clothing, as well as EMS and mass-casualty response capabilities. In addition, they provide nourishment and beverages; especially their own mixture of a highelectrolyte beverage, which members sampled. The Auxiliary, joined by PPH President John Dubyk and PPH Community Outreach Specialist Valerie Williams, presented the Second Alarmers with a check for $571 to purchase a skid of water. After the presentation, members and residents visited the vehicle that is stocked with supplies for their missions of mercy. Chief Masi volunteers with this group between 20 to 30 hours per week. He shared that "this is my greatest hobby and it's a chance to give back to first responders." If you are interested in helping the Philadelphia Second Alarmers, you can visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/2ndAlarmers or call their headquarters at 215-223-1936.
left to right: Valerie Williams, Margie Brooker, John Dubyk, Olga Mykhaylyuk Bill Conaway, Mary Bargerhuff and Patricia Coyne
In addition to the Second Alarmers donation, the PPH Auxiliary, and PPH residents, donated $3,700 to the Ukranian Educational & Cultural Center. The check was presented to Olga Mykhaylyuk, president of the Ukranian National Women's League of America. Olga was most appreciative of the donation. "We're very thankful for the community support." >>continued on page 8
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Nurses >>From Page 1 Alpha resident Jean Holland graduated with a BSN in 1962. She went on to attain her MSN in 1990. She worked as a public health nurse from 1962 until 1982. In 1982 she moved to Philadelphia and worked at Fox Chase Cancer Center until she retired in 2018. Lawndale resident Shirley A. Morgan has been an RN for 54 years and currently maintains an active license. She received her RN license in 1968 from Wilkes-Barre General Hospital School of Nursing, a BSN in 1979 from The University of Pennsylvania, and a MSN in 1982 from The University of Pennsylvania. Shirley practiced different aspects of nursing from direct patient care, to nursing administration (supervisory and management) and nursing education (preparing student nurses for their nursing careers). Shirley also shared that she chose PPH as home after researching the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) rating as well as taking comfort in the community’s ability to provide oversight, support and care through a residents’ future health care needs. Lawndale resident Barbara J. Capezio is a graduate of Philadelphia General Hospital (PGH). She worked as a charge nurse on surgical wards and then on the police and fireman ward until the hospital closed in 1977. As staff at PGH, Barbara and her colleagues were offered positions in the Philadelphia Health Dept. Barbara went on to practice in women's health in all of the health centers around the city until her retirement in 2010. PPH will feature a more in-depth series of posts on the community's website blog page (www.pphfamily.org/ blog/) and Facebook page for both our staff and resident nurses. If you are not already a "fan" of our Facebook page, please "like" our page at https://www.facebook.com/ThePhiladelphiaProtestantHome.
Employee of the Month Johnny Arroyo Johnny started with our Security Department in April 2020. He provides excellent customer service and professionalism while driving for the PPH Transportation Team and Security. Johnny provides quality service to our residents and goes that extra mile! We are happy to have him as part of the PPH family! Congratulations Johnny! Thank you for doing “whatever it takes”
Volunteer of the Month Natalie Hardiman Congratulations to Natalie Hardiman who is the volunteer of the month for May 2022. Natalie has been a dedicated PPH volunteer for the past five years. Natalie is a PPH resident and was also a longtime employee in our Human Resource department. Presently, Natalie volunteers in our beauty shop and also as a pastoral minister in Pathways. Natalie, thank you for all that you do and the pleasant way you do it!
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NEWS BRIEFS ★ COVID-19 protocols for visitors: Guests are not permitted to eat in the Fountain Room. PPH residents having guests: please order takeout and pick it up for your guests. Visitors are not permitted in public areas. PPH encourages visitors and guests to get vaccinated, to continue to practice infection control precautions such as maintaining a healthy social distance, properly wearing a mask while visiting, to performing hand hygiene frequently while on our campus, and refrain from visiting if you feel sick or have been exposed to COVID-19. ★ Food Collection: The PPH Food Drive — a 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service project — will continue indefinitely as long as PPH's neighbors are in need of food. Food will be collected the last week of the month and then delivered the first day of the following month. There will be two collection sites: the vending machines area located near the Wellness Center and in front of the Security desk. For more information, call Tom Sexton at 8368. ★ Trips: Fees for trips are now added to each resident's monthly bill (NO CASH), If you'd like to cancel, you must call the Business Office (8010) to have the trip fee removed. ★ Memorial Day flag raising ceremony: Monday, May 21st at 10:30am at the Lawndale flagpole. ★ Shredding event: Saturday, May 21st from 9am-12pm in the front parking lot of the Pathways building (rain or shine).
★ PPH Auxiliary: The Auxiliary's next meeting will be held in the Social Hall and broadcast on PPH TV channel 57 on Tuesday, May 10th at 11:30am.
★ Nurses Month: May has been designated as Nurses Month and May 6th starts Nurses Week. Nurses play an important role in providing care to their patients. PPH wants to honor those residents who chose to invest in this profession.
★ Talent Show! PPH is happy to announce our second announce our second annual talend show. If you are interested in performing, plese call Kathy Nucero at 8505. Last year there were many different acts including singing, poetry, jokes and dancing. Please come and share your talents with us! ★ Independent Living Residents Association: The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 16th at 2 p.m. (If subject to COVID-19 restrictions, this will broadcast on channel 57) ★ TED Talks: See the May calendar.
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Membership in the PPH Auxiliary is open to PPH residents, staff, and community supporters (only $5 per year). Dating back to its origins as the PPH Ladies Aid Society in 1889, the Auxiliary continues its initiatives to support the heart of PPH's fundraising mission, Benevolent Care, as well as supporting staff/ resident gratitude activities. Contact Auxiliary President Patricia Coyne at cameo1200@gmail. com or 8403 to become a member or for more information. ★ Veterans' Meeting: The May Veterans’ meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 3rd at 10 am in the Social Hall. If you have not provided your photos for the Veterans video, please bring it with you to the meeting. Please contact Bill Conaway (8194) or Valerie Williams (8006) with any questions. ★ Calling all Veterans: It is important to PPH that we identify all veterans living in our community. We want to make sure you are receiving the meeting notices, ceremonial invitations, and other veteran specific information. If you are new to the community and/or you have not completed the May 2021 veteran survey, please contact Bill Conaway (8194), Valerie Williams (8006) or Kathy Wersinger (8017) so we can add you to our list to ensure you receive all information and meeting notices. Voting 2022: The primary election is May 17th.
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PPH's newest guardian angels March and April brought several new PPH Guardian Angels. The number of Guardian Angels who made a profound impact in the life of a PPH resident or the live of a loved is a testament to the excellence and compassion our employees are driven by each day they come to work. Alpha Manor resident Maryann Volk recognized Dining Services employee Jenice Morrison. “Jenice’s professionalism combined with her profound and authentic care for others sets her apart. She carries out all her duties with precision and never shows signs of stress when needing to multitask. Maryann Volk (left) with She greets each person by name and attends to any concerns or difficulJenice Morrision ties with such respect and kindness. To me, Jenice truly represents the PPH family values.” Said Maryann. Alpha Manor resident Emil Scharer recognized several Pathways Nursing employees as Guardian Angels for the quality care and excellent service they provide his wife and Pathways resident, Patricia. The following employees received a Guardian Angel recognition: Ginny Macciocha, Director of Recreation Therapy; Kyle Ozimkiewicz, Director of Health Care Nursing; Dawn Gordon, Health Care Nurse. Emil also recognized Bill Conaway, Director of Community Relations, as a PPH Guardian Angel for his dedication and commitment to PPH’s Veterans and its veterans’ group and programs. left to right: Ginny Maciocha, Emil Scharer, Carol Kennedy recognized Wellness Center Director Kyle Ozimikiewicz, Dawn Gordon Maureen Solomon and Fitness Associate Kayla Jurimas for the kindness and care they showed to her late husband, Jim. “A heartfelt thank you for the wonderful care, programs, and encouragement you gave Jim for the past three years. He loved you both.” Carol said. For more information on PPH's Guardian Angel program please visit our web page at pphfamily.org/giving/guardian-angel-giving/ or contact the Fund Development Office at 215-697-8586 or Development@PPHFamily.org. Recent Guardian Angel recipients also are displayed in the PPH Esplanade.
left to right: Eileen Bratton, Kyle Ozimikiewicz, Lynn Grudowski, Jen Honeyford, Vivanne Cange, Jean Gibson
left to right: Patty Jo Bailey, Sheleana Perez, Promilla Archer, Maryann Parisse, Phoebe Sohail
left to right: Emil Scharer and Bill Conaway
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left to right: Kayla Jurimas, Carol Kennedy and Maureen Solomon
Reflections
Pastor Jack Price – PPH Director of Pastoral Ministries
The Journey of Faith The journey of faith is sometimes described as having a personal relationship with God. That's how many people of faith understand the purpose of the religious life. Of course, this language is a shorthand way of describing how we choose to orient our lives in the belief that there is a spiritual reality at the heart of all of life, including our lives, and that it is has the essential nature of what we call love. The way I understand a personal relationship with God is to be in the process of becoming more open to the presence of spirit, growing to know ourselves more honestly, and also being in community with others more intimately. It involves our relationship with the larger community of humanity and the natural order as well. This is the piece of the faith journey that engages our passion for social justice and that engages all communities of faith in terms of their policies and posture, and attitudes of hospitality and of welcoming. What good does it do any of us to be on an individual journey of faith that ignores the broken state of the world and of the environment? I suspect you know my answer. It does precious little good! The purpose of the race in which we are all competing is not to finish first, but for everyone to finish. As a result, our faith journey compels us forward in life is to change the world by changing the church, the synagogue, the temple or mosque, the community of faith with which you and I are most closely connected. This is what calls all disciples to do on our life journeys. This is the invitation I hope we're all hearing today.
Auxiliary >>From Page 4 Joining Patricia Coyne in the check presenation was John Dubyk, PPH President & CEO, who is UkranianAmerican, Mary Bargerhuff, PPH Personal Care Move-In Coordinator who is Ukranian, and Valerie Williams, PPH Outreach Specialist, PPH Director of Community Relations, Bill Conaway and resident Margie Brooker. If you would like to support this organization, please visit their website: www.UNWLA.org. If you are interested in learning more about the PPH Auxiliary (which is open to residents, staff, and community and has been around for well over 100 years) contact Patricia Coyne at 215-697-8403 or cameo1200@gmail.com.
THE PPH MISSION Guided by Christian values, the mission of The Philadelphia Protestant Home is to provide a caring senior living community that affords its residents the opportunity to achieve their highest possible quality of life. 8