HR Pulse - Fall 2007 - (Page 18)

>> continued from page 14 to a multicultural student body representing 16 countries and 12 states. The school also offers a dynamic broadcasting curriculum and operates WMCI, a production facility that produces student programming. David Pease, a MSHHRA volunteer and vice president of HR and community health for Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield, was familiar with WMCI because it also provides local cable access programming and had broadcast a series on health. He was the one who approached MCI with the proposition of making the interview skills video. “We were very excited about the project and honored to be asked to participate,” says KJ Flewelling, WMCI station manager and broadcast instructor at the school. “I’m adamant with my students about covering things in the community, from town council meetings to garden shows. When this project was brought to my attention, it made perfect sense for us as a community service project, and I knew it would help them gain the skills they’d need for the job market.” Before the students could start working on the video, they had to learn about interviewing skills and improve their skills at interviewing others, MAKING A DIFFERENCE In ANAHEIM Attendees at this year’s annual conference will have a unique opportunity to give back to the local Anaheim community by contributing directly to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Radio Lollipop program. This fully equipped, in-house radio station—which is housed in CHOC’s main lobby—promotes the healing power of play through music, providing smiles and laughter to children at a time when they need it most. “We wanted to include a community outreach project as a part of the annual conference to model the HR Leader competency of community citizenship,” says Grace Moffitt, annual conference committee chair. “In doing so, we’re ‘raising our voice’ to contribute to the quality of life in the Anaheim community.” Giving Kids a Voice Radio Lollipop gives hospitalized children the chance to raise their voices, too. While they can’t say “no” to taking their medication or getting treatment, they can call in requests for their favorite songs, hear their own voices on the radio, participate in art projects and games, and win prizes. These activities are designed to give children some sense of normalcy in a situation and place that is anything but normal. The station is run entirely by volunteers—a quarter of whom are CHOC employees—and broadcasts programs every Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 via the in-patient television system. Deejays play Top 40 hits, take call-in requests, interview local celebrities, and put kids “on air” from either their bedside or the studio. When committee members visited CHOC in March, they were touched by its mission and impressed by the highly dedicated staff. “ASHHRA members have the opportunity to demonstrate our appreciation to the Anaheim community for hosting our conference in a meaningful and tangible way, and they’ll have the heartfelt satisfaction of knowing their contributions to CHOC’s Radio Lollipop will be used to promote the healing power of music,” says Moffitt. Proceeds from the outreach project will help fund needed resources such as CDs, arts and craft supplies, and giveaways for the children. Attendees can make a contribution during the Conference opening ceremony and during exhibit hall activities leading up to the community outreach evening event. Last year’s conference community outreach program raised more than $3,000 for The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation in Nashville. Moffitt says this year’s conference committee expects to surpass that mark. “Radio Lollipop is such a worthwhile program because it lets kids be kids even when they’re sick,” says Lois Augustine, director of community relations for the CHOC Foundation for Children. “There are many studies that show the benefits of music, and we’ve even seen that the children have less need for medication on the nights the programs are broadcast.” “It’s a wonderful thing for ASHHRA to come in and give back to the community where they’re holding their meeting,” according to Augustine. “It’s something special—I haven’t heard of an organization doing that.” Global Appeal Radio Lollipop first went on the air at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Surrey, England in 1979, with the goal of providing care, comfort, play, and entertainment to hospitalized children. When the program launched at CHOC in September 2006, it became the third Radio Lollipop site in operation in the United States, along with Miami Children’s Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital. Other sites are located across England, Scotland, New Zealand, and Australia, with plans in the works for sites in South Africa and Mexico. 18 HR Pulse Fall 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Pulse - Fall 2007

Contents Executive Director’s Letter President’s Message HR Leader Profile: Lisa McDaniel Spotlight on Community Citizenship Culture of Engagement How Transparent Should Healthcare Compensation Be? The Value of Assessment Testing in the Recruitment Process Technology Dramatically Changes FMLA Compliance Creating a Magnetic Culture™ Taking It to the Hill: An Advocacy Update 401(k) / 403(b) Fee Lawsuits – Are You the Next Target? Compensation Offers – A Better Process Find It Again Pulse Points Who, Why and Where Conference Highlights Schedule at a Glance Keynote Speakers Social Events Conference Sponsors Exhibitors Index to Advertisers

HR Pulse - Fall 2007

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