An Order To Live

כ׳ באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 21

Commentary on Eikev from Garden of the Dark Moon Jubilee - An Order To Live.

Seeing Through The Darkness, An Otherworld Journey

כ׳ באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 21

Last night, I dreamt.

I was on a snowmobile-like vehicle with others who were going on a dangerous adventure to each meet our Guardian Angel. Only the worthy would be able to safely return. The unworthy would remain stuck in the Otherworld.

To go to the Place of the Guardian Angels, we were going to slide free-fall together in our snowmobile-like vehicle down from the top of the snowy mountain we were on and crash into the Great Unknown Dark Sea at the bottom of the snowy mountain. This Great Unknown Dark Sea interfaced with and joined the snowy mountain we were on with a Great Dark Mountain on the horizon (which I couldn't see at this point).

Naturally and complainingly, I thought "I am just too old to crash down this snowy mountain into the sea. I could break a bone or something. I'd rather not do this." But, I didn't have a choice now because we were all already on the snowmobile-like vehicle and on our way. So, since it was inevitable that I had to do this now and couldn't not do it, I thought "I hope these are nice angels." The guide in the group on the snowmobile-like vehicle said to me "no, Ma'am, they are not." "Oh, that's just Great," I naturally and complainingly thought, "I'm going to meet not-nice angels in a Place from which I may or may not return. Just Great." I wasn't fearful at all, but I did have to pee. I was going to have to wait until we got back now.

Our vehicle sped down and crashed into the Great Unknown Dark Sea. After recovering from the disorientation of the crash, I reoriented myself and found myself on the Seabed under the Great Unknown Dark Sea. It was dark and shadowy for sure, but despite that, I could still see forms of the things there. I could see through the Darkness. The vehicle I arrived in was crashed around me. The only other person who remained standing in the vehicle with me was another young woman (young, like I was in this Place), except that she was made of the same Darkness as the Place we were in.

I looked up ahead at the Great Dark Mountain on the horizon opposite the snowy mountain from which we had come. It ran the entire length of the horizon like a black shadowy silhouette. Its dark ragged top reminded me of the surface of bloodroot roots (like the specimen I have included in my Snake Oil).

I looked forward and to my left, toward a Great Staircase which led from the Underworld to the World of the Living. The entrance to the Great Staircase was guarded by two forms which reminded me of Anubis, only they were whitish-like in comparison to the Darkness of the Place and even though they too were dark of form. One Anubis-like guardian angel-creature stood at each side of the Great Staircase with its arms folded across its chest - they stood like Osiride Pillars. The Great Staircase had a handrail running down and up the center of it, dividing the Great Staircase into one side for going up and one side for going down. I wondered if these staircase guardians would let us onto the Great Staircase leading back up into the Land of the Living.

I said to the dark young woman with me still inside the crashed vehicle, "if we are going to make it out of here, we are going to have to go together." We joined hands.

Holding hands, we got out of the relative safety of the crashed vehicle together and stepped into the shadowy Darkness of the Great Sea. As we were walking together toward the entrance of the Great Staircase and toward the Guardians, my spirit friend suddenly pulled me aside, toward the area left of the Great Staircase, and toward the area hidden behind the Great Staircase toward the bathrooms. We told the Guardians we were going to go to the bathroom first, before coming before them to ask permission to enter the Great Staircase. So, they didn't stop us from going behind the Great Staircase to where the bathrooms were - to go to the bathroom there (which like eating faery food in the Otherworld, would prevent us from leaving).

But, we were trying to trick them, I knew it. Even though we did truly have to urinate, we were not going to the bathroom in that Place. Instead, we were going to sneak up onto the Great Staircase from behind without asking the Guardians for permission. We circled around looking around ...

The Guardians then got an inkling of our plan and started to move toward us (now standing under the right side of the Great Staircase). "Uh-oh!" I thought. My spirit friend exclaimed, "oh! we have to go back to the bathroom and wash our hands now," trying to trick the Guardians once again, and as if her words would ward off the Guardians in their approach toward us to investigate just exactly what we little she-devils were up to. "There's pee here!" she exclaimed and pointed toward the floor for the Guardians to see, although I didn't see any there at all. "There's pee!" she exclaimed, "we have to go back to the bathroom now and wash our hands first." The Guardians weren't fooled by her exclamations that we were going to go back to the bathroom to wash our hands first. They knew we weren't really going to go to the bathroom there. We little upstarts were trying to sneak onto the Great Staircase leading back into the Land of the Living, they knew it. The Guardians kept coming toward us. My spirit friend's exclamations then became like a magic command drawing me to awaken, "Pee! Pee! Pee!"

I woke up. Of course, I had to go to the bathroom. And I went to the bathroom, here in the Land of the Living. My body and my personal Guardian Angel together had commanded me to return to the Land of the Living.

I returned.

Such a funny journey into the Otherworld, but nevertheless, I returned to my body with my Guardian Angel joined in tow.

Another interesting link to my herbal magic - in addition to the resemblance of the top of the Great Dark Mountain to the bloodroot in my Snake Oil (I have my own bottle too), last night before going to bed, I had ordered some certified organic earth kosher Calamus Root to try it out as an antifatigue and overall health medicine (as the Cree use it). Calamus Root is found in the recipe sourced in Exodus for the Abramelin operation which "facilitates contacting one's Guardian Angel." Wow, potent stuff - just placing the order for it worked magic!

Bloodroot and Calamus Root - I think I now have some "totem" roots!

Updating Resume With New Stats

י"ז באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 18

I'm updating my resume as I often do to include and track my professional accomplishments. My full updated resume can be found here.

This information was added to it to keep my resume current.

Added newest Turnaround Accomplishments with current employer:

1. Drove percentage of high-paying Extensive Services + Rehab Medicare-A RUG levels from 38.7% to 71.1% (an extraordinary increase of 83%) during the first full quarter of my employment (Q2 2010) as MDSC Medicare Specialist in comparison to the first full quarter (Q4 2009) prior to my employment, with proof documentation obtained and in place to validate the increase as real and ethical and to support reimbursement levels.

2. Drove total Medicare-A reimbursements for my facility up 40.2% during the first full quarter of my employment (Q2 2010) in comparison to the first full quarter prior to my employment (Q4 2009).

3. Developed an automated nursing care plan templates library for over 106 acute medical conditions.

Added membership in a professional organization:

1. American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators (AANAC).

Added professional nursing CEUs and most recent MDS 3.0/RAI training:

1. Scheduled to attend in August "Navigating the Perfect Storm: Strategies for RUGS IV" offered through AANAC on developing Medicare reimbursement strategies under RUGS IV.

2. Currently attending 9-Session Training Series "MDS 3.0 - Your Path To Successful Implementation" offered through Life Services Network (1.5 CEU each session).

3. Attended 3-day MDS 3.0 RAC-CT certification training through AANAC (22.5 CEU).

The Goddess Tree

י"ג באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 14

Commentary on Vaetchanan from Garden of the Dark Moon Jubilee - The Goddess Tree.

Rebuilding Reality

י״א באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 12

I had an awesome dream last night.

I was observing a highly secret experiment which had been conducted by two experimental physicists - the time seemed to be in the 1970's. The experiment involved discovering and "drilling down" into the very most basic structure of reality, into what "existed" before spacetime began.

There were two towers side by side which, when turned on, were like perpetual motion high-energy machines which "perpetually moved" spacetime back upon itself. One of the two physicists turned on the towers. The one on the left (as I faced them) worked as it was supposed to - standing immovable and strong as it moved spacetime perpetually. The one on the right spun seemingly out of control and started to collapse and crash spacetime. As it collapsed spacetime, I "saw" all of human history and existence start to crumble and crash - all of existence and history was combined and represented in the form of a collapsing skyscraper - I even saw people fall off the skyscraper into a spiraling nothingness - one person was a fireman, one was a policeman. I didn't fall, but watched it as a pure objective disembodied all-encompassing observer.

The information came into my mind then that the second experimental physicist (of the team of two scientists) which I had not seen earlier had died before completing his work - this is part of the reason the experiment had gone haywire. His name was Johnny. I saw Johnny - he was a young man in his late twenties or early thirties perhaps - and he had longish ponytail. He had been shot and murdered as a customer during the robbery (or terrorist attack) on a retail pharmacy store. I had the feeling this had not occurred in the USA, but abroad in Europe somewhere (Johnny seemed to be an American who was temporarily in Europe at the time of his murder). At this point, I felt I was actually channeling Johnny's spirit, who was "telling me his story" and leading me on into the next part of the dream.

Suddenly, everything disappeared and there was nothing. I was purely observing from a "place" before spacetime began - back beyond and before reality was created. All of reality had crashed into nothing. There was nothing - not even me. There was only my observance of nothing and the feeling of not being alone there (yet being simultaneously all there was) that "existed."

Suddenly (and these words are insufficient), there was a bluish grey essence consisting of two places in the wholeness interacting and coming together in a new way - and fixing itself. The thought accompanying this perception was that reality was being recreated. Reality had crashed beyond its beginning and was now fixing itself at the level of its essence. The bluish grey perception also reminded me of the "virtual innards" of a computer. It evoked a quiet profoundness and beauty "from me" as I observed - I also realized that I was participating in the thing I was observing - I was the essence I observed even as I observed it working.

I woke up.

Interestingly, yesterday evening before I had this dream, my computer had crashed after I had turned it on after coming home from work - but just after the screen turned blue and the "crash" message came on - the computer went into an automatic algorithm and fixed itself! It's fine today.

The computer systems at work crashed at work today also, and were down for at least two hours. They were still not working when I left at 6:00 PM, but IT had communicated to staff that they were working on restoring the computer systems and they should be back up and fixed by morning.

Creative Ritual For Atheists And Other Rebels

ז' באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 8

I just had to chuckle at the chutzpah of the ritual when I read this Foxnews article.

U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to 'De-Baptize'

American atheists lined up to be "de-baptized" in a ritual using a hair dryer, according to a report Friday on U.S. late-night news program "Nightline."

Leading atheist Edwin Kagin blasted his fellow non-believers with the hair dryer to symbolically dry up the holy water sprinkled on their heads in days past. The styling tool was emblazoned with a label reading "Reason and Truth."

Kagin believes parents are wrong to baptize their children before they are able to make their own choices, even slamming some religious eduction as "child abuse." He said the blast of hot air was a way for adults to undo what their parents had done.

Read full article at link above.

Spirit Of Abundance

ז' באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 8



This is my beautiful handcrafted 13 inch corn dolly. She'll grace my altar over the upcoming harvest, winter and spring sabbats, beginning with Lughnasadh. Traditionally, corn dollies are ritually enlivened during the first harvest of the season with the Spirit of Abundance. Honored on one's altar over the dark months, she safeguards new abundance for the next harvest.

I have a little witch hat for her too!

Witch Words

ו' באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 7

Commentary on Devarim from Garden of the Dark Moon Jubilee - Witch Words.

Black Amber

ד' באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 5

I'm giddy with delight - the huge (4 x 3 x 1.75 inches) specimen of genuine black jet (also known as witch's amber) I acquired from a Yachaq Shaman of Imbabura arrived today! It was waiting for me when I got home. It's gorgeous!

The Binding Power Of Blæd, Blyss And Byrg Geniht

ג' באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 4

Last night before going to bed, as per my usual procedure, I drew rune to discern and draw forth the energy of the Universe at work in my life at this particular time in the particular circumstance driving the divination. Interestingly, the rune I drew perfectly supported the entry (Linking Worlds In Conversation With The Universe) I had posted earlier that same evening.

The rune I drew was the bind-rune Wunjo, the w-rune characterized by joy, hope, harmony, pleasure and delight. Significant to my earlier entry, the cosmic function of Wunjo is to strengthen links and bonds. Edred Thorsson writes in Futhark, "Wunjo is the energy that binds different fields of force together." He further writes in Runelore, "the Wunjo describes the inner, subjective feeling one attains when in a state of inner/outer harmony - with self and environment. This is an active willed harmony toward specific evolutionary goals. The Wunjo marshalls diverse but sympathetic forces and/or beings to a common purpose."

Thorsson writes that three things determine the winning of Wunjo in Germanic tradition - the runester will have acquired:

1] blæd - prosperity (as it pertains to the inflow and outflow of soul energy)

2] blyss - to be filled with a sense of meaningfulness and joy

3] byrg geniht - a good house/enclosure for the soul

The first time I have drawn Wunjo in a divination, Wunjo now becomes the twenty-second rune (including the wyrd rune) in my personal runerow.



Runerow entries:

Runes 1-3: Transmission of a Sacred Secret
Rune 4: The Wholiness Code
Rune 5: Mysteries of the Staircase
Rune 6: The Ship of Safe Passage
Rune 7: The Ætheling
Rune 8: Communication
Rune 9: The Nature Of My Work
Runes 10-11: Wyrd Shema
Rune 12: The View From My Room
Rune 13: Thurisaz On The Falling Man
Rune 14: Power To Do It
Rune 15: Wyrd Preparation
Rune 16: Mother Of Manifest Blessing
Rune 17: By Force Of Destiny
Rune 18: The Othala Force
Rune 19: Secrets Of The Name
Rune 20: Vardlokkur
Rune 21: Alchemy Of The Word

Linking Worlds In Conversation With The Universe

ב' באב תש"ע
Lughnasadh 3

Getting up from the desk chair in my bedroom to go get a banana to eat in the kitchen, as happened Sunday with The Herald, the Universe again naturally caught my attention as I ever continue to Stand My Ground with Goddess. Walking out of my bedroom door, cast from the light-beam streaming in from the window onto the right sleeve of my pure linen white shirt as it hung from the over-door hook near some of my witchee baubles, I saw two rainbow patches of light dancing on it.

A storm blew through the area last night (the change in air pressure doing a number on my sinuses and keeping me awake all night), but even so, the storm left for me rainbows in its wake. Below is a photo I took of the rainbows on my shirt.

In the Norse tradition of my Germanic ancestors, a burning rainbow bridge (called the Bifröst or Bilröst Bridge) links the Middle Earth home of humans called Midgard (an Anglicized form of Old Norse Miðgarðr) with the other nine worlds on the cosmic World Tree (Yggdrasil). The burning rainbow bridge particularly links Midgard with Ãsgard, the human and divine realms, respectively. Interestingly, Midgard is surrounded by a world of water (whose waters are inhabited by a great sea serpent who encircles the whole world by grasping its own tail).

Similarly, in the Hebrew tradition of my Jewish ancestors, a rainbow is seen by humans while sailing upon the waters of a world covered by water and symbolizes a covenant linking the human and the divine.

I saw two little rainbows, one for each rainbow tradition of my ancestors, as up from the desk chair I stood, standing with two feet firmly upon my ground. I think I am having conversations with the Universe (and my friend Jacek too who posted this - with a rainbow in it - on my Facebook yesterday)!

The Truth Inside

כ״ט בתמוז תש"ע
Lughnasadh 1

Excerpt of the lyrics from Within Temptation's Stand My Ground:

Stand My Ground.
I won't give in
No more denying, I gotta face it
Won't close my eyes and hide the truth inside
If I don't make it, someone else will
Stand My Ground.

Watch the music-video here.

The Truth About Truth

כ״ט בתמוז תש"ע
Lughnasadh 1

Stolen from DovBear -

You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you odd.
- Flannery O'Connor

The Herald

כ״ט בתמוז תש"ע
Lughnasadh 1

In the kitchen just now to get a glass of lemonade, I thought heard a rooster crowing. While I do live in a rural-ish residential area outside the city limits, I don't live in the countryside with farms. Nevertheless, I heard a rooster crow - or something, I thought. Looking outside, there it appeared - a rooster walking across the yard! I ran into my bedroom, grabbed my camera and went outside to photograph the newest totem animal to enter into my life!

Totemic Rooster joyfully and vigorously embraces life, powerfully wards against baneful energies, heralds the resurrection of the sun in the beginning of each new day, and calls into being new beginnings. With ties to the ancient past and hidden power, in Celtic and Norse mysticism, Rooster is an Underworld totem of illumination, forthtelling of new prophetic insights. Wow!

Here are photos of my Rooster ... watchful and posing just for me!

Angels

כ״ט בתמוז תש"ע
Lughnasadh 1

Awesome! (Lyrics to Angels.)

Watch the music video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK9qfVQ4Z04

Vote for Sharon den Adel...bottom left hand side. http://www.rockmetalmagazine.com/metalqueen/

Hat-tip to my friend, Savitri Shivani.

Alchemy Of The Word

כ"ח בתמוז תש"ע
Faunus 29

Thursday evening I chose a rune according to my usual procedure to discern and draw forth the primary Universal force at work at this particular time, in my particular life, in the particular circumstance driving the divination. I drew the B-rune Berkano, the rune of Goddess, the Divine Feminine force. (This is the first time I've ever drawn Berkano in a divination - and so, at this time it is appropriate to add Berkano as the twenty-first rune to my personal runerow, which includes the Wyrd rune. Through Berkano, Goddess of my Germanic ancestors confirms me as heiress to and Runemistress of the Mysteries of the Folk.)

Berkano carries the mystery of the moment, implies Unity throughout all patterns in the Multiverse, and is the "unit of evolution" through which all that is becoming comes into full being. Berkano rules over transformation, holds power together, and brings to fruition the creative process.

Berkano rules over the creation and implementation of new ideas and enterprises. It calms every troubled mind, protectively wards all within its domain, forth-tells of abundance, manifests security, and nurtures and heals the Land. Without fail, Berkano always leads to blossoming and ripening in some way.

Particularly relevant to my divination, Berkano conceals and evokes the Great Mystery and alchemy of the Word. Importantly, Goddess is Mistress of this powerful magic.

Related entry - The Fearful Lord



Runerow entries:

Runes 1-3: Transmission of a Sacred Secret
Rune 4: The Wholiness Code
Rune 5: Mysteries of the Staircase
Rune 6: The Ship of Safe Passage
Rune 7: The Ætheling
Rune 8: Communication
Rune 9: The Nature Of My Work
Runes 10-11: Wyrd Shema
Rune 12: The View From My Room
Rune 13: Thurisaz On The Falling Man
Rune 14: Power To Do It
Rune 15: Wyrd Preparation
Rune 16: Mother Of Manifest Blessing
Rune 17: By Force Of Destiny
Rune 18: The Othala Force
Rune 19: Secrets Of The Name
Rune 20: Vardlokkur

The Fearful Lord

כ"ח בתמוז תש"ע
Faunus 29

Commentary on Matot-Masei from Garden of the Dark Moon Jubilee - The Fearful Lord.

A Journey Of Consciousness Before Birth

כ״ג בתמוז תש"ע
Faunus 24

Bray of Fundy comments and asks on DovBear in response to the post on spirituality, "how can one explain a soul ?"

I can't explain a soul, but I certainly have consciously experienced it before it became anything linked to my own physicality. Whether or not anyone believes it, I actually have "memories" of what may, in fact, be the time my "consciousness" entered into a link with physicality at the time of fertilization of one of my mother's eggs - the one which would become "me." I also have a "memory" of the place where "I" existed before that point.

Believe it or not.

My experience is what it is - it is a continuous journey of consciousness that preexisted a direct link to the body that I currently inhabit in this life.

Serach - A Woman Of The Craft

כ״א בתמוז תש"ע
Faunus 22

Commentary on Pinchas from Garden of the Dark Moon Jubilee - Serach, A Woman of the Craft.

Top Performing RN MDS Expert (RAC-CT) / MDS Director / RAI Director / Nurse Executive

Lori A. Lappin, R.N., B.S., RAC-CT
Nationally Recognized Trained Expert in MDS 3.0

Top-Performing RN Assessment Coordinator (RAC-CT) professionally credentialed through AANAC (American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators)

Keywords - MDS 3.0 / PPS Director / MDS Director / RAI Director / Clinical Reimbursement Specialist / Nurse Executive

liorahlleucu@gmail.com (email), cell phone number provided following email contact by legitimate employment recruiter

Seeking a professional business-oriented opportunity as MDS/RAI Director, in clinical reimbursement data management, or in other executive nursing management position with an organization offering excellent benefits and compensation. Employer willing and able to support RAC-CT and C-NE professional certifications over course of employment preferred.

----- PROFESSIONAL RN MDS EXPERIENCE / RECENT EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

MDS Coordinator / RAI Medicare Specialist, Champaign County Nursing Home
Champaign-Urbana, IL [217-384-3784]
February 2010 - present

Turnaround Accomplishments

• Drove percentage of high-paying Extensive Services + Rehab Medicare-A RUG levels from 38.7% to 71.1% (an extraordinary increase of 83%) during the first full quarter of my employment (Q2 2010) as MDSC Medicare Specialist in comparison to the first full quarter (Q4 2009) prior to my employment, with proof documentation obtained and in place to validate the increase as real and ethical and to support reimbursement levels.
• Drove total Medicare-A reimbursements for my facility up 40.2% during the first full quarter of my employment (Q2 2010) in comparison to the first full quarter prior to my employment (Q4 2009).
• Globally increased Medicare reimbursements, increased number of and reimbursements for Medicare-A residents skilled for nursing beyond the last skilled therapy day, increased number of and reimbursements for residents picked back up in the 30-day Medicare-A window.
• No delinquent transmissions to CMS of Medicare-A MDS assessments (no Medicare-A default reimbursement rates).
• Developed excel data spreadsheet for comprehensive weekly reporting of Medicare-A and Medicare-HMO reimbursement data - including RUG levels, ADL scores, reimbursement rates, assessment dates, physician certification dates, diagnosis codes, acuity levels, etc.
• Developed new excel spreadsheet MDS assessment scheduling and tracking tool.
• Instituted and chair daily Medicare meeting of interdisciplinary team. Chair weekly Medicare meeting of interdisciplinary team.
  
• Developed new data tool for tracking completion of quarterly clinical nursing assessments for nursing department in facility with 243 certified beds.
  
• Developed an automated nursing care plan templates library for over 106 acute medical conditions.
• Developed new pre-admission communication checklist to improve communication of clinical needs from Admissions to Nursing prior to new resident admission (oxygen, CPM machine, IV pump, trapeze, specialty bed, etc.).

Additional perks received: private office in quiet private area, self-scheduling, comp time, no dining room duty.

RN MDS Care Plan Coordinator, The Hawthorne Inn of Danville
Danville, IL [217-431-1600]
July 2008 –January, 2010

Turnaround Accomplishments:

• Average Daily Medicare Rate for the second quarter 2009 increased 23% over the Average Daily Medicare Rate for 2008, and increased 8% over the first quarter 2009. (Average Length of Stay for Medicare admissions also increased in parallel.)
• During my tenure as MDS / Care Plan Coordinator, my facility won the multi-state multi-facility Corporate organizational award for the Best Overall Medicare Program.
• Average Daily Medicaid Rate for the second quarter 2009 increased both over the rate for 2008 and exceeds the Average Daily Medicaid Rate for our state region.
• During my tenure, no delinquent assessments, no regulatory survey tags related to the professional standards of the clinical care plans I wrote as Care Plan Coordinator.

Said by most recent supervisor and corporate officers about my professional work and ability:

• Corporate Administrative Asst. of Operational Finance – “she’s on top of things” as it pertains to my ability to critically analyze and report changes in our Medicare and Medicaid rates.
• Corporate Director of Rehabilitation Services upon reading one of the clinical care plans I had written – “this is a masterpiece.”
• Facility Director of Nursing – (my) “work is excellent.”
• Received 4.4% wage increase at first year performance review.

Additional perks received: private office, no nursing call, Jewish Sabbath & Holiday observances off, no weekends, no dining room, staff nursing or other department head duties.

RN MDS Care Plan Coordinator, The Waters of Covington
Covington, IN [765-793-4818]
May 2007 – July 28, 2008

Turnaround Accomplishments:

• Increased facility CMI 16.2% since May 2007, reversing a 2-year downward trend prior to my employment.
• 100% records supported on EDS (electronic data systems) audit for the period July 2007 – July 2008.
• CMI 17.3% above Indiana state average CMI for the second quarter 2008.
• CMI 13.1% above facility CMI goal for the second quarter 2008.
• CMI 12.1% above company-wide average CMI for the second quarter 2008.

Additional MDS Accomplishments:

• Created company MDS orientation and training manual for new MDS Coordinators.
• Created training material for guideline instruction of MDS Coordinators and Directors of Nursing regarding skilling nursing home residents for Medicare.

Said by supervisor and CEO about my professional work and ability:

• Supervisor/CEO’s written remarks on performance evaluation: “Lori is very organized and timely in her work practice. She monitors closely resident activity and changes in an effort to maximize CMI. Lori has learned her job well as reflected by the facility CMI. Lori’s ability to capture CMI scores has placed our facility above the company average and even greater for the state of Indiana."
• Received 10% salary increase at yearly performance appraisal.

Additional perks received: no nursing call, Jewish Sabbath & Holiday observances off, no staff nursing duties.

Recent Professional Development, MDS/RAI Training and CEUs:

• Scheduled to attend "Navigating the Perfect Storm: Strategies for RUG IV" offered through AANAC on developing Medicare reimbursement strategies under RUGS IV.
  
• Currently attending 9-Part Training Series "MDS 3.0 - Your Path To Successful Implementation" offered through Life Services Network (1.5 CEU each session).
  
• Attended 3-day MDS 3.0 RAC-CT certification training sponsored through AANAC (22.5 CEU).
  
• Attended 2008-2009 quarterly corporate sponsored 2-day training meetings for Administrators, DONs and MDS Coordinators covering a variety of subjects including MDS 3.0, regulatory changes, creating a Medicare environment, political issues, clinical issues, corporate policy issues, more.
• Attended 2009 MDS Workshop sponsored by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
• Attended 2-day 2008 Case Mix Workshop sponsored by Myers & Stauffer.
• Attended 2008 MDS Workshop sponsored by the Indiana State Department of Health.

----- OTHER SELECTED COMPETENCIES AND AREAS OF PROFESIONAL EXPERIENCE

Risk Management

• Investigated medical records, organized & analyzed data, identified areas of potential risk.
• Analyzed clinical care to determine appropriateness, timeliness, and efficiency.
• Identified clinical quality problems, investigated issues, implemented improvements and performed follow up evaluations.
• Reviewed incidents, complaints and risk exposures, authored reports and case summaries.
• Participated in developing strategies for controlling loss and minimizing risk exposure.
• Recommended appropriate corrective action to minimize risk and to control loss.
• Conducted legal research, anticipated and identified legal issues in order to develop proactive strategies and solutions.
• Served on hospital nursing practice council, regulatory compliance committee, interdisciplinary patient care committee, documentation committee, nursing leadership.

Quality Improvement, Nursing Management

• Developed QI studies, QA and medical management programs, health risk appraisal tool.
• Developed compliance monitoring, audit and data collection tools.
• Developed and statistically analyzed quality outcomes measures, and compiled reports.
• Created data displays – graphical analysis, tables, flow charts.
• Authored policies and procedures, SOP’s and protocols.
• Authored target and action plans, project summaries, funding reports, technical reports.
• Developed report specifications for Access databases; proficient with Word, Excel, Internet, more.

Research Experience

• Pharmaceutical drug discovery, basic & applied research of the inflammatory response, adhesion molecule and cell signaling interactions.
• Clinical trials data coordination, analysis, validation & reporting, query resolution.

Clinical Nursing

• Intensive critical care (5 yrs), telemetry, medical-surgical, developmental disabilities & behavioral health.
• IV therapy, ventilators, swan ganz catheters, arterial lines, cardioversion/defibrillation, 12-lead ECG, chest tubes, G-tubes, J-tubes, central lines, current ACLS (advanced cardiac life support), AED’s, more.

----- ADDITIONAL AREAS OF WORK EXPERIENCE / EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Clinical Trials Data Coordinator, Biologist-Biochemist, QI Analyst, QM Coordinator, Clinical Development Coordinator, Research Specialist, Nurse-Trainer Consultant, R.N. staff nurse (ICU/CCU)

----- ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Awarded monetary recognition for a novel critical assay I developed as a pharmaceutical research biochemist.
• Conducted 2 years undergraduate thesis research for Department of Biology at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, IL.
• Completed 3-year professional nursing diploma program in 2 years.
  

**License current and in good standing as a Registered Professional Nurse in Illinois and Indiana.**


----- PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators (AANAC).


----- COLLEGE EDUCATION

Lakeview School of Nursing, Danville, IL, R.N. Diploma (1986 - 1988)

Danville Area Community College, Danville, IL, additional general education classes (1986-1988, 1990)

University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (1990 – 1993)

Continuing Education Classes: Managed Care, Pharmaceutical Statistics


Additional Information:

• Willing to relocate with relocation assistance and/or sign-on bonus.
• Require schedule able to accommodate religious observance of the Jewish Sabbath and Holy Days.
• Seeking good employment environment over a particular type of position.

REFERENCES UPON REQUEST

RightPATH 4 and 6 Personality Profile Results

Linked-In Public Profile

Updated 7/3/10, 7/28/10.

Nationally Recognized Trained Expert in MDS 3.0

כ״א בתמוז תש"ע
Faunus 22

My RAC-CT (RN Assessment Coordinator) professional certificate and pin for MDS 3.0 arrived in the mail today from AANAC (American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators), proving that I am a nationally recognized trained expert in MDS 3.0. Replacing MDS 2.0, MDS 3.0 is the new federally mandated assessment process and standardized data system which rolls out for implementation October 1, 2010. This new process system will be used by Medicare and Medicaid to 1] calculate reimbursement rates for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries receiving skilled nursing care in skilled nursing facilities, 2] calculate quality statistics with which to compare the quality of skilled nursing care among the nation's skilled nursing facilities and 3] provide a data tool for improving quality of skilled nursing care individually within each Medicare and Medicaid certified skilled nursing facility.

Yay! I'm official.

Updated resume - Top Performing RN MDS Expert (RAC-CT) / MDS Director / RAI Director / Nurse Executive