November 04, 2009

Mercy Hospital Grayling's Rhonda Haske Named Michigan's Diabetes Educator of the Year and celebrates 30 Years of Service to the Community
Award presented last week at statewide meeting; recognizes innovative education methods and active involvement in the diabetes education community.

It was no surprise to those who know her that Mercy Grayling Program Coordinator/Educator Rhonda Haske was named Michigan's Diabetes Educator of the Year.

The award, given by the Michigan Organization of Diabetes Educators (MODE), recognizes an educator who not only uses innovative methods to educate patients with diabetes, but also is a role model in the diabetes education community.

In her many years working at Mercy Grayling, Haske has organized numerous community activities including the annual diabetes fair, foot screenings, and support groups. She participates regularly in local community health fairs and educates local school personnel on diabetes care of school age children.

"Rhonda is a hard worker who is proactively involved in improving our professional diabetes education practice," said Kathy Zelinsky, RN, MA and Director of Professional Practice for Mercy Grayling. "I was thrilled to hear that she received this recognition for all of her work through the years."

The one-day conference was held at Boyne Mountain Resort; more than 140 MODE members attended.

The nomination process required two letters of recommendation from colleagues or others intimate with Haske's work.

Karen Neigh, RD and Clinical Dietician for Mercy Grayling said that writing a letter of recommendation for her colleague was something she was "thrilled to do."

"Rhonda volunteers her time at our free clinic for uninsured patients and has even developed a system to ensure that all patients with diabetes receive the best care possible," said Neigh. "She has consistently proven to be innovative in implementing the most current standards of diabetes care for our community."

Haske said that winning the award was a surprise, especially since it is a peer nomination process.

"Knowing that it was my peers both locally and statewide who nominated me was really special," said Haske, who recently celebrated 30 years of service at the hospital. "Working with such great people both statewide and in Grayling keeps me wanting to know - and do - even more."

About Mercy Hospital Grayling and Trinity Health
Mercy Hospital Grayling is a 49 bed acute-care hospital serving north central Michigan that also includes a separate 40-bed skilled nursing facility, an extensive ambulatory (outpatient) facility and a medical staff of nearly 100 providers. Mercy Hospital Grayling's annual benefit to the surrounding community is more than $5.5 million. Donations towards the renovation can be made by contacting Teresa Money, Development Director for Mercy Hospital Grayling at (989) 348-0433.

Mercy is owned by Trinity Health, the fourth-largest Catholic health care system in the country. Based in Novi, Mich., Trinity Health operates 45 acute-care hospitals, 379 outpatient facilities, 26 long-term care facilities, and numerous home health offices and hospice programs in seven states. Employing 46,000 full-time staff, Trinity Health reported $6.4 billion in unrestricted revenue and $376 million in community benefits in fiscal year 2008. For more information about Trinity Health, visit www.trinity-health.org.

Contact:  Contact Carrie Gray
Director of Marketing and Communications
(989) 348-0594
cgray4@trinity-health.org