Month: May 2023

Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) is now accepting applications for the New Graduate RN Residency Program, to be hosted in winter 2023-2024, at its four hospitals in Eastern Wisconsin: HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay; HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan and HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls.

The New Graduate RN Residency Program is designed to ease the transition of newly graduated nurses from the classroom setting to hospital and clinic environments. It combines classroom lectures, hands-on activities, and simulations of hospital/clinical scenarios with the support of highly skilled nurses, educators and leaders. Participants also receive professional and emotional support to help them be successful in their new careers.

“The New Graduate RN Residency Program truly prepares new graduate nurses for quality practice, as well as gives them the support and tools to compassionately serve our patients through our Franciscan ministry,” said Theresa Horne, MBS, MSN, NEA-BC, senior vice president and chief nursing executive at HSHS. “Our nurses develop excellent clinical skills along with a mission-driven passion to serve with empathy and care.”

The New Graduate RN Residency Program is ideal for nurses with less than one year of hospital experience and graduating from nursing school anytime between October 2023 and February 2024. It is also ideal for nurses returning to the bedside after more than five years in another role. Those accepted into the program are fully paid and can receive a sign-on bonus and comprehensive benefit package including student loan repayment options. To apply:

1. Visit careers.hshs.org
2. Search “Residency”
3. Click “Apply Now” on preferred HSHS hospital location

For those still in nursing school, HSHS also offers a paid, student nurse extern program allowing students the opportunity to gain hands-on working experience. For more information, please visit: careers.hshs.org

The Oconto Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is pleased to announce they have appointed Elizabeth Jolly to the newly formed position of Director of the Chamber of Commerce. Jolly hails from Abrams, Wisconsin, and is very excited to advocate for the Chamber and champion local businesses in the growing community of Oconto Falls. Duties of this new position will include marketing/communications, being a contact for members and growing membership, being the liaison and face for the Board of Directors to various community groups, and general administrative duties.

Previously Jolly has worked for Heritage Hill State Historical Park in several positions including the Visitor Services Manager and most recently as the Senior Marketing Specialist. She is the daughter of two retired small business owners and also works part-time for her mother’s company Syncor Ltd, a wholesale medical goods distributor based out of Abrams, WI. Jolly’s educational background is in theatre. She is equally passionate about and involved in her community theater – Abrams Spotlight Productions, Inc. as a director and actor. Her favorite role in the community theater is youth production director.

Jolly says of her new position, “Oconto Falls and the surrounding area has always been my home. A home I am passionate about making the best it can be, and I believe that starts (and ends) with our small businesses. I am excited about getting to know the many businesses in our area, finding out how the chamber can best serve them and our community, and supporting the extremely passionate and talented board of directors.”

The Oconto Falls Area Chamber of Commerce (OFACC) is a long-standing community organization comprised of businesses and individuals from communities throughout Oconto County and Northeast Wisconsin.  Its official mission is to be a valid and dynamic link between local businesses and the community. Through this mission, the objectives of the OFACC are to advocate for business interests and to promote business development, city beautification, and tourism. While the growth of the community through business development is key, the OFACC recognizes that activities, events, and recreation are what attract people to the place they choose to live and work.  The chamber maintains annual events such as concerts at the waterfront, a summer golf outing, a fall event connected to the trails and our healthy living community, and more. Oconto Falls has so much to offer! Visit ocontofallschamber.com to learn more.

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce Nurse’s Nook, a program that provides aid to children and families in need across Oconto County, is expanding and as a result transitioning to its own independent, nonprofit organization.

Nurse’s Nook was established in 2014 by school nurse, Nuala Nowicki, RN, to assist students and their families in the Gillett School District in need of food, clothing, basic hygiene supplies, medical supplies and more. As the need for additional assistance across the region was discovered, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital joined Nuala in her efforts and in 2017 made the Nurse’s Nook an official program of the hospital supported by the hospital’s philanthropic, charitable arm – the HSHS St. Clare Foundation. This allowed the program to expand to additional school districts within Oconto Co. including Suring, Oconto Falls, Lena and beyond.

Today, approximately 400 students per day benefit from the Nurse’s Nook program; over 50,000 items are distributed to children and families annually; and the Weekend Food Program provides more than 200 households with weekly access to nutritious, delicious food for the whole family. In addition to food programs, Nurse’s Nook continues to provide over-the-counter medications, hygiene products, clothing, medical equipment and education, mental health services and tools, and transportation support.

“We are extremely proud of the work Nurse’s Nook staff, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, HSHS St. Clare Foundation, and our communities have contributed to make the program the success it is today,” said Chris Brabant, President and CEO, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital. “As the program continues to expand in new and innovative ways, the hospital, Foundation and Nurse’s Nook staff have come to the mutual decision to let Nurse’s Nook spread its wings and transition to its own, independent nonprofit organization. While Nurse’s Nook is no longer a program of HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, we remain cheerleaders of this tremendous program and encourage all in our community to continue to support them in their next chapter.”

To donate and/or to learn more information about Nurse’s Nook, contact:
The Nurse’s Nook LLC
P.O. Box 26
Oconto Falls, WI 54124
thenursesnook@gmail.com

“At HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, we are not only committed to providing high quality health care that is close to home in Oconto County, but we are also committed to serving our communities. In tandem with the HSHS St. Clare Foundation, we will continue to look for additional ways to support and enhance the health and wellbeing of our patients and communities beyond the walls of our health care facilities,” said Brabant.