Tyler Memorial Offering Excellent Care in a Caring Environment
Denise S. Gieski, promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer
March 18, 2008
March
Employee of the Month
Ed McGowan Tyler
Memorial Hospital’s Employee of the Month may have been born in the
city, but he has always been a country boy at heart. Born 46 years ago in
Camden, New Jersey and raised in the nearby suburb of Marlton, Ed, a Tyler
security guard, developed an early love of fishing and camping during numerous
trips with his grandfather to Northeastern PA.
A man of many talents, Ed discovered security work while participating in
a management training program at the Philadelphia Windham Hotel and swapped
his former job as a cook for a career in security.
As New Jersey became more congested, Ed and his wife Mary Jo longed for
the open space of the country and decided to relocate to Lovelton “I
took a job as a cook and then Assistant Banquet Chef at Shadowborook,”
he explained. But four years ago, Ed found his way to Tyler and back to
the security work he loved.
“I really like working at Tyler,” he said. “I wanted to work
here because I enjoy working with people; and I wouldn’t be happy just
making rounds somewhere in an empty building.” Ed describes his work
as “really hands-on.” According to Ed, the work provides many
moments of excitement and very little boredom.
“The people here are great; they are a wonderful bunch to work with,”
he said. In between rounds, Ed can usually be found close to the Emergency
Department, where he is most often needed. “We see everything in the
ER,” he said. “And sometimes we see the ugly side of life as people
struggle with their challenges. But we try to help them all,” he emphasized.
Jokingly referred to by his co-workers as President of the Tyler Yacht Club,
a nickname he earned by organizing a river adventure for evening shift employees
a few years ago, Ed is described by Carol Berry, vice-president of nursing
and former emergency department nurse manager, as “a person with a
genuine concern for patients and staff. Ed has a calming influence on agitated
patients and has often suggested innovative ways to enhance security in
the department,” she said. Ms. Berry added that Ed is respectful of
everyone and never fails to offer a cheerful, “have a good night”
to staff and visitors leaving the hospital.
Ed’s daughter, Sabia, her husband Tim and their children live close
by providing many opportunities for Ed to fish the local ponds and rivers
with grandchildren, Michael, 10, Katie, 7, Dominic, 5 and Tristan, 4. Ed
and his family also enjoy camping, canoeing and plenty of family barbecues.
As Employee of the Month Ed receives $100 and is eligible to be selected
as Employee of the Year this April. Return
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Tyler Memorial Offering Excellent Care in a Caring Environment
This story was printed in the Rocket Courier Newspaper yesterday. Please
add to our site with a note: courtesy of the Rocket Courier and publish
date. Thanks. Also remove EOM. I'll send the March one soon. The one now
marked March is actually February. We are always a month behind. Thanks.
g
Tyler Memorial Offering Excellent Care in a Caring Environment - by D.C.
Koviack - 4/3/2008
When Denise Gieski, former Vice-President of Nursing for Tyler Memorial
Hospital, took over as CEO this February, she knew she’d have many
challenges ahead of her. But she wanted to carry on with former CEO Raoul
Walsh’s vision and bring Tyler Hospital forward to become a superior
medical service facility and hospital for the region.
“Our purpose is to serve the patient and the community,” Gieski
pledges. “And we will continue to strive for excellent care in a caring
environment.” Gieski says the vision she shared with Walsh was one
which creates a new state-of-the-art Emergency Room for the hospital, as
well as new laboratory and imaging departments and a centralization of the
outpatient department.
“I’m being very aggressive, hoping this can be done within five
years,” Gieski admits, but she says the changes are long overdue. The
hospital was built in 1965, and the facility’s aging physical plant
has meant that it’s been difficult to properly accommodate advances
in equipment and patient care. “It’s a problem which is not uncommon,
especially in rural hospitals,” Gieski says.
The Capital Campaign for the renovations will kick off this autumn. The
$15 million project just went out to bid. Besides fundraising for the campaign,
Gieski says she is focusing on recruiting and retaining top quality staff.
“We have so much potential here, and our greatest asset is our wonderful
staff,” Gieski enthuses. “We are always looking for nurses and
particularly nurses with specialty experience like ICU and OR,” she
explains. “And we constantly seek out excellent physicians.” As
a matter of fact, the ink has just dried on a contract with a new general
surgeon who will be coming to Tyler later this year.
Additionally, Gieski says pharmacists are difficult to attract to the area
because so few are out there. “The patient is our priority, the number
one person we serve,” she explains, adding that if she can make the
renovations of the Capital Campaign a reality and staff the facility with
superb care providers for Tyler’s patients, she feels she will be doing
her job.
Gieski, who has been at Tyler for 22 years, graduated from Marywood University
with a BSN. She then worked for Allied part-time, and then came to Tyler
as a Med/Surg RN. She grew, in turn, to become Quality Assurance Coordinator
and the manager of several medical administrative departments, including
Utilization Review, Social Services, Infection Control, Risk Management
and Patient Advocacy.
In 1999, she was made the Director of Nursing and became Vice-President
of Nursing in 2006, mostly an administrative change. During this time, Gieski
earned her MS in Human Resources Administration from the University of Scranton
with a concentration in Health Care Organization Management.
In August of 2007, when Walsh’s illness precluded him from continuing
as CEO, Gieski was named Acting CEO, a job which became permanent in February
of this year. “I have to admit, I was a little concerned that people
would see me as ‘just a nurse,’” Gieski says. “But that
hasn’t happened so far.” She says she believes that the public’s
conception of the nursing profession is changing to a fuller appreciation
of the administrative demands and cross discipline communication requirements
in nursing. Also, she says that her particular experience on both the medical
and the administrative side of operations gives her strong qualifications
for the position.
While every CEO’s job includes the challenge of fundraising, CEOs in
rural hospitals face the additional hurdle of unequal reimbursement. “It’s
sometimes difficult to receive reimbursement from insurances for services
rendered,” Gieski explains. Added to that is the fact that nearly all
insurances use what they call a “rural rate” to figure reimbursement
amounts for hospitals such as Tyler which are not located in an urban environment.
The reimbursement amounts can be as much as 30 percent lower than they would
be for a city hospital.
While some costs of operation are lower than in urban locales, Gieski maintains
that the cost of equipment, testing and other non-negotiable services is
just as high for Tyler Hospital as it would be for any other hospital, and
so the reimbursement structure can be disadvantageous to rural facilities.
“We’re a very lean organization and we have been for some time,”
she notes, adding that pro-rated reimbursements, slow reimbursement or reimbursements
which are denied outright can really cripple the hospital’s operating
budget.
In addition to garnering support for the capital campaign, Gieski says she
plans to focus on ways in which the hospital can work more efficiently and
harmoniously with insurance companies to ensure faster and more complete
reimbursement. “The greatest part of this hospital and what we do here
is that we serve our family and friends,” says Gieski. “You’re
with people you probably know through their worst times and also their best
times. It’s about the people who walk through the door...and we won’t
forget that.”
December 17 , 2007
Denise
S. Gieski, promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer
Mark Mitchell,
president of the Tyler Memorial Hospital Board of Directors announced that
Denise S. Gieski, 43, Tyler’s Acting Chief Operating Officer, was promoted
to President and Chief Executive Officer of the 58-bed Tunkhannock hospital
effective February 1, 2008.
Mr. Mitchell explained that Raoul Walsh, who continues his year-long battle
with cancer, will be given the honorary title of Chief Executive Officer
Emeritus. “Raoul had an exciting vision for Tyler’s future which
Denise can build upon as we all move forward,” he added. Raoul Walsh
served as Tyler CEO from July of 2006 through January of 2008
Previous to holding the position of Acting COO, Ms Gieski, who began her
career at Tyler 22 years ago, was named Vice-president of Nursing in February
of 2007. This promotion was in recognition of her outstanding achievements
as Director of Nursing since 1999. From 1988 to 1999 Ms. Gieski served as
Director of Quality.
A 1986 graduate of Marywood University, where she earned a BSN, Ms. Gieski
received a Masters in Human Resources, with an emphasis on healthcare administration,
from the University of Scranton in 1989.
Mr. Mitchell described Ms. Gieski, who is the first woman to hold this position
in the hospital’s 60-year history, as a strong leader. “Denise
is very bright and extremely capable,” Mr. Mitchell said. “She
is a proven problem - solver with a thorough grounding in today’s healthcare
environment,” he emphasized. “The Board and I look forward to
working with Denise as we tackle the healthcare needs of our community.”
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Ms. Gieski served briefly
on the Montrose Area School Board and is a member of St. Joachim Roman Catholic
Church, Meshoppen, where she taught Sunday school for several years.
Ms. Gieski and her husband Walter are the parents of two daughters, Brianna,
18 and Jillian, 9. They reside in Jessup Township.
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