Nursing Scholarship Winners

Just this past spring the Debbie Tascone Nursing Scholarship was awarded to six nursing students who are either employed by the health system or who qualify as a child or adult dependent of a North Shore-LIJ employee. This award honors those like Debbie, who will dedicate themselves to the field of nursing through their life-long devotion and excellence in service.

The winners include: 

• Kathleen Sirna, daughter of employee Joseph Sirna
• Geralyn Santos, daughter of Annemarie Santos
• Kelly Secko, daughter of Kathleen Secko
• Olumid Oyeleye, Mental Health, Zucker Hillside Hospital
• Taneshia Ellington, Unit Receptionist, Zucker Hillside Hospital
• Josann Matassa, Registered Nurse, South Oaks

As part of the process all applicants were required to answer three essay questions. These questions led the participant to share their feelings and true compassion about what it means to be a nurse.

"My father became a nurse at age 50," said Kathleen Sirna. "As a teenager, I would watch him surrounded by a bunch of books, studying, while balancing work and family. Once my father became an RN at North Shore-LIJ he became a different person. He would come home from his 12 hour shifts, smiling, and bursting to tell us what he experienced that day. Those wonderful stories are the reason I want to be a nurse," shares Kathleen.

On the topic of palliative care, scholarship winner, Taneshia Ellington states, "Enhancing the patient's quality of life during the dying process is a necessary and important goal. As a patient advocate, nurses are able to access and represent the patient's needs and quality of life preferences, vital to the development and implementation of a treatment plan."

Asked how this scholarship money will help him, Olumid Oyeleye responds, "Being gifted this scholarship I now know the process of becoming a nurse is mapped out for me. I am confident that nothing will get in my way. I am on my way to making the world a better place."

The Annual Debbie Tascone Nursing Scholarship awards $5,000 for a single academic school year, to six nursing students who exemplify North Shore-LIJ's core values. To be eligible you have to be enrolled - or have been accepted for enrollment - in an accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Associate Degree in Nursing, or currently be taking graduate, post graduate or certificate courses in palliative care.

Just another reward offered to employees at North Shore-LIJ!

More Ways to Get Your Total Rewards Information

The Internal Communications team, along with IT have been busy designing a fresh new look and navigation for the employee intranet. Set to launch on July 14, the updated employee website (currently known as HealthPort) will now house a dedicated section for Total Rewards. No more multiple clicks, hunting down information about your health benefits, employee discounts, retirement plans. The new section will be accessible under the myHR tab on the home page of the new employee intranet — check it out on July 14!

What is Total Rewards?
Your Total Rewards package refers to all the benefits and programs you have access to as a North Shore-LIJ employee. Although only a portion (about 47%) are eligible for the North Shore-LIJ health and welfare plans, there are plenty more programs that all employees can take advantage of. How about:

• Retirement planning with a Transamerica representative 
• Over 150+ local discounts with camps, gyms, eateries, shops, and so much more
• National discounts when signing up for workingadvantage.com
• Tips from payroll about how to manage your paycheck and check your time
• Confidential advice from licensed professionals at Employee Assistance Program
• Tuition reimbursement and scholarship programs
• Site and system-wide events for recognition
• Wellness programs and initiatives

New Total Rewards Blog - IN CONSTRUCTION

As our programs grow - ways to reach out to you are growing too! Be on the lookout for a brand new Total Rewards Blog, launching later this month. The new blog will have improved search capabilities - categorizing articles by subject matter and tags, a new look and feel that will include photos and live links to informative sites. The comments sections will by much more engaging with the capability to capture your name - allowing the answers to be shared with others. 

Everyday's a new day when you are an employee at North Shore-LIJ!

Financial Wellness Video is Live!

Ten minutes  - that's all it takes to gain valuable information about your retirement planning options and $260 in 2016 paycheck credits.

Pledge Option
Your ninth pledge option for 2015 is referred to as the Financial Wellness Video. Although it is a bit different from your other pledge options - it is just as important. After all, a big part of your future health and wellness is your financial security once you have stopped working. Although that may seem like decades away to some of you millennials out there - your saving opportunity is now.

In collaboration with Transamerica Retirement Solution, the health system's benefits team put together this special presentation (pledge) in hopes you will embrace the importance of understanding your saving actions. Whether you are well on your way to a prosperous retirement, or haven't even begun to think about it, this brief overview on the basics of investing will also educate you on the options the health system and Transamerica offer you as an employee.

What to Do to Complete the Pledge

1. Login to your TA account* on nslij.trsretire.com. 
2. Take a moment to review your "Overview" page and "Retirement Outlook".
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. On the lower right corner you will see a "Communications" box. Within that box is the link to the video.
4. When you click to view, an information box will appear. Here you will need to provide your name, an email address, your employee ID**, and a wellness code (which is pre-populated for you).
5. The video will begin. It takes a little under 10 minutes to complete this pledge, so be sure to schedule your time accordingly. 
6. You must watch and listen to the video in its entirety. No muting or skipping, or you will not receive the credit.
7. At the end of the video pledge (last screen) a red button will turn green. At this point you can exit the video and a certificate of completion will arrive in your email inbox.
8. Print and save the certificate. Your certificate will only appear once, even if you repeat the video.
9. Your pledge completion date will appear on your Wellness Summary in ESS in about 6 to 8 weeks.

*Don't have an account with Transamerica yet? If you are one of the many eligible employees who were automatically enrolled in either a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plan upon hire, you can then set up your account. When on the sign up page - just hit "Get started now" and follow the prompts.

**Your employee ID can be found on your paycheck. Visit ESS - Personal Information - Payroll - View Your Paycheck. The ID is in the upper left-hand corner in a box marked general.

Celebrate Your Benefits

April 2 is National Employee Benefits Day! In honor of this year's theme, which is dedicated to improving employee health and well-being, get out and do something healthy for yourself. When you do something positive to better your physical and mental state, your energy will naturally flow over to your customers, family and friends.

Schedule a Visit
Whether or not you are participating in the Wellness Pledge Program, take the time to make an appointment with one or more of your healthcare providers. Keeping on track with your preventive care routine in 2015 will make it that much more natural in the years to come. Consider your coverage in the North Shore-LIJ Benefits Plan:

• A physician wellness visit with an in-system or in-network healthcare provider is covered at 100%
• A visit with your OB/GYN, which will most likely include a Pap test for cervical cancer, is covered for the low copay of $40 (if in-system)
• A vision exam with a Davis Vision provider* is covered at 100%
• Two trips to your dentist are covered at 100% (in-network)
• A skin cancer screening by your dermatologist is covered for the low copay of $40 (if in-system)

Find In-System Providers and North Shore-LIJ Facilities HERE

Find Financial Fitness

Another great way to treat yourself well is by investing in your financial future. Take the time to celebrate your benefits by increasing your contribution to your 403(b)/401(k) plan by 1%. Maybe even consider using the Auto-Increase tool on the Transamerica website, making your saving automatic!

Get a Discount on Your Fitness

Make exercise a part your lifestyle. As a health system employee you are offered discounts to over 27 exercise facilities in the area. Big names like YMCA/Long Island/Greater NYC, Equinox, CrossFit Sanctuary, NY Health and Racquet Club, Island Fitness, as well as some locals such as Evolution Fitness in Bayville and Oyster Bay are all available to you at reduced rates. Just show your employee ID and start getting healthy - today. For a complete list visit the employee intranet>Discounts.

*As of April 1, two North Shore-LIJ Opthalmology offices are considered Davis Vision providers:

MEETH Ophthalmology, Marta Fabrykowski, OD and Christopher Lee, OD

210 E. 64th St., NYC at 212-702-7300

NSLIJ Department of Ophthalmology, Corina Busuioc, OD, Francesca Kim, OD

600 Northern Blvd., Great Neck at 516-470-2020

Sleep Well

Sleep well. Just one of the many solutions our friends from North Shore-LIJ's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offer when your schedule seems out of control. "It's true. most of us can get by with occasional sleep loss, but regular sleep loss leads to attention and memory problems, learning difficulties and increased tension," says Dr. Curtis Reisinger, Corporate Director, Employee Assistance Program and Physician's Resource Network. "In the end, lack of sleep can lead to poor performance and mistakes, that is why it is so important to get to the root of the problem with solution-oriented skills as soon as possible," adds Dr. Reisinger.

Need Help?
EAP is a part of your Total Rewards package at North Shore-LIJ. A team of licensed NYS behavioral health providers are available business days and on-call 24/7/365 (for urgent matters) to assist you with problems you may be experiencing at home or at work. All services are 100% confidential and in alignment with the health system's mission. Some typical requests include marital/couple problems, financial stress, issues dealing with a manager or fellow employee, and stress in general.

In addition to one-on-one counseling, EAP offers educational programs for managers and employees at the Center for Learning and Innovation. Customized programs are also available on-site upon request.

Help is Here for You
Don't brush off your lack of sleep - address it head on with the help of EAP.

• Call 1-877-EAP-4YOU (1-877-327-4968) 
• All services are free of charge 
• EAP is located at 333 East Shore Road, Manhasset, with additional offices at 410 Lakeville Road, Lake Success and 300 Community Drive, Great Neck
• EAP is also willing to meet you at an off-site location for purposes of confidentiality
• Employees may be referred to mental health in-system providers if the problem is not solutions-oriented - if so, a copay of $20 is due upon each visit

Education: A Big Part of Your Total Rewards

The health system is hard at work improving and broadening your chance to grow professionally, with access to an expanding platform of educational opportunities. Below are just two of the many programs the health system offers you.

Debbie Tascone Nursing Scholarship
Entering its second year, this annual program awards academic scholarships of $5,000 to six nursing students who are either employed by the health system or a qualified dependent of an employee. To be eligible, you must be enrolled - or have been accepted for enrollment - in an accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, or currently be taking graduate, post-graduate or certificate courses in palliative care.

These scholarships will be awarded every year, in recognition of Debbie Tascone, the first registered nurse and first woman to be appointed as a hospital executive in the health system's history when she was named head of Syosset Hospital in 1997.

To apply - click here. Note: you must be on a North Shore-LIJ in-network computer, running on Microsoft Internet Explorer) to complete the application.

Capella University Offers 10% Discount to Employees
Capella University is an accredited online university where working professionals gain skill and knowledge to make a bigger difference in their lives, work and communities. It serves over 37,000 students from 59 countries, offering more that 148 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 22 certificate programs. The university offers online degrees in:

• Business and Technology
• Education
• Healthcare and Nursing
• Counseling and Psychology 
• Public and Human Services

These categories encompass all areas of business management, supply chain management, human resources, accounting, project management and more.

To learn more about North Shore-LIJ's New Alliance Partnership Scholarship, the 10% tuition discount, waived application fee, and free professional development webinars, visit capella.edu/nshs.

Schedule Time for a Brighter Future

With the official kick off to summer happening on June 21 what better way to celebrate the season than to think smart about all those sunny skies ahead.

Here to Help

In conjunction with North Shore-LIJ, the retirement experts at Transamerica Retirement Solutions is now offering one-on-one half hour retirement planning sessions with one of its' four on-site retirement consultants. These qualified experts will help you to analyze your current financial situation and help you to get on track for a bright and secure financial future. There are no fees or sales associated with these meetings, they are offered to you as part of your Total Rewards Package at North Shore-LIJ. Sign up today and:

• Learn more about saving and investing
• Enroll in the plan, if you have not done so yet
• Determine how much you should be contributing
• Understand the investment options offered to you through North Shore-LIJ
• Get familiar with the interactive investment tools on nslij.trsretire.com

Contact Information
For your convenience you can choose a time and place that best works for your by scheduling directly on the Transamerica website: nslij.trsretire.com.

To contact the reps directly:
For Franklin, Southside, Plainview, Syosset and Huntington hospitals, contact Paul Joseph at paul.joseph@transamerica.com or 914-268-8787

For Lenox Hill and Staten Island University hospitals and MEETH, contact Diane Aurelio at diane.aurelio@transamerica.com or 347-918-7693

For North Shore University, Forest Hills, Glen Cove and Zucker Hillside hospitals, and LIJ and Cohen's medical centers, and Corporate offices, contact Paul Darata at paul.darata@transamerica.com or 201-249-3380 or Steve Israel at steve.israel@transamerica.com or 516-459-3150.