UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

Winter action items

🧸 DISPLAY

• Promote picture frames for customers’ holiday photos.
• January 15 – Display all Valentine’s Day merchandise.
• March 8 – Display Easter, spring, and garden merchandise. 🐰 🌸 🌻 🍄 🌿

⏳ BUY

• February 1 – Order bucket of long stem red roses to sell on February 14.
• Order Mothers’ Day, Administrative Professionals Day and Nurses’ Day merchandise.
  

📝 PLAN

• Put all Christmas items on sale at half-off until January 31st, 2023. Pack leftovers away or donate.
• Write a Christmas report to document successes and failures for next year.
• Take annual physical inventory. Read, It’s Inventory Day for tips and how-to guide.
• Give the shop a thorough cleaning and fix-up. 🧹
• Brighten up your shop with flowers and plants, both quality silk artificial and real.
• Develop a year-long budget for the shop. Project expected sales and estimated operating costs for each month.
• Attend a major trade show. ✈️
• Promote your Valentine’s merchandise in the hospital newsletter or an email to all hospital employees. 💘
• Begin planning Administrative Professionals Day displays.

This is a brand new year! Look for ways to improve your shop. This pays off by increasing your value to the hospital.

• Is this the year to invest in your shop?
• Are your fixtures looking outdated and old? Does the glass on your jewelry case need replacing?
• Does your carpeting need replacing? Is your lighting sufficient?
• Are you maintaining 3’ wide aisles for wheelchair access? 

January and July are the best months for a shop renovation. Inventory is low and there is less to move. Traffic is slow, so sales figures are usually low. Therefore, the least amount of money and profits will be lost while the shop is closed for renovation.
 
Working with a qualified hospital gift shop designer will help you communicate your needs to the architects and avoid costly mistakes.

Change is good; constant change is even better! Hospital gift shops need freshening up at a much faster and accelerated pace.

Hospitals’ volunteers run risk of skirting federal labor laws

Lauren Sausser / Jan 10, 2023

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — Most of the 30 volunteers who work at the 130-bed, for-profit East Cooper Medical Center spend their days assisting surgical patients — the scope of their duties extending far beyond those of candy stripers, baby cuddlers, and gift shop clerks.

At hospitals across the U.S., volunteers play an integral role. So much so that when volunteers were barred from East Cooper at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff nurses assumed the volunteers’ duties in the surgical waiting room. Like paid employees, hospital volunteers typically face mandatory vaccine requirements, background checks, and patient privacy training. And their duties often entail working in regular shifts.

Over centuries, leaning on volunteers in medicine has become so embedded in hospital culture that studies show they yield meaningful cost savings and can improve patient satisfaction — seemingly a win-win for hospital systems and the public.

Except, there’s a catch.

The U.S. health system benefits from potentially more than $5 billion in free volunteer labor annually, a KHN analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Independent Sector found. Yet some labor experts argue that using hospital volunteers, particularly at for-profit institutions, provides an opportunity for facilities to run afoul of federal rules, create exploitative arrangements, and deprive employees of paid work amid a larger fight for fair wages.

The federal government instructs that any person performing a task of “consequential economic benefit” for a for-profit entity is entitled to wages and overtime pay. That means profit-generating businesses, like banks and grocery stores, must pay for labor.

Still, volunteer labor at for-profit hospitals is commonplace and unchecked.

“The rules are pretty clear, and yet it happens all the time,” said Marcia McCormick, a lawyer who co-directs the Wefel Center for Employment Law at Saint Louis University. “It’s a confusing state of affairs.”

Meanwhile, the pandemic made the importance of hospital volunteers more apparent. In March 2020, volunteer programs nationwide were largely disbanded, and the volunteers’ roles were filled by staff members — or left unfilled — when hospitals closed their doors to everyone except employees, patients, and a few visitors. Volunteers were welcomed back once vaccines became widely available, but many didn’t return.

On South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island, Vicki Gorbett, president of the island’s hospital auxiliary, estimated 60% of the group’s volunteers who left during the pandemic haven’t returned.

“We’re building back from the absolute bottom,” said Kelly Hedges, who manages volunteers at the Medical University of South Carolina. Hedges was furloughed for the better part of six months when hospital volunteers were sent home in March 2020. She estimates there are about 600 volunteers at MUSC’s hospital campus in Charleston now, down from 700 before the pandemic.

“During a labor crisis, this is a department you want in operation,” she said.

While hospital volunteer programs reboot across the country, labor experts say using volunteers may expose some medical facilities to liability. The Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits “employees” — defined broadly as people an employer “requires or allows” to work — from volunteering their time to for-profit private employers. The same law also requires these employees to be paid no less than the federal minimum wage.

These regulations make it “very, very difficult” for a volunteer to donate time to a for-profit hospital, explained Jenna Bedsole, an employment attorney in Birmingham, Alabama.

The right to be paid isn’t waivable, McCormick said, meaning that even those volunteers who don’t consider themselves employed may be entitled to compensation. However, the U.S. Department of Labor is “stretched pretty thin” and doesn’t enforce the rules that apply to for-profit companies, except in extreme circumstances, she said.

Companies are more likely to be targeted for the inappropriate use of unpaid interns, she said.

But this isn’t to say that, in some cases, individuals can’t donate their time in a for-profit setting. In a for-profit nursing home, the federal government has said, people may volunteer without pay if they’re attending “to the comfort of nursing home residents in a manner not otherwise provided by the facility.” That might include reading to a resident, for example.

Beyond that, for-profit “hospitals potentially expose themselves to risk of civil liability,” Bedsole said, which could add up in terms of back pay due to employees, fines, and legal fees. If hospital volunteers provide essential services, there is a danger they could be held liable, she said.

Nonprofit hospitals must follow federal labor laws, too.

At the small, nonprofit Baptist Memorial Hospital-Leake in Carthage, Mississippi, the coordinator of volunteers, Michelle McCann, can’t use a volunteer in any role that matches an employee’s job description. She said she’s also prohibited from asking a hospital employee who is off the clock to volunteer their time for a job similar to their own.

“We’d have to pay them for the hours,” said McCann, national president of the Society of Healthcare Volunteer Leaders.

Nonprofit hospitals are required to provide a benefit to their communities, such as offering charity care, in exchange for their special tax status. But when it comes to making money, the differences between for-profit and nonprofit hospitals are often negligible to the casual observer, said Femida Handy, a professor of social policy at the University of Pennsylvania.

“When you go to the hospital, do you ask for the tax status?” she asked.

Jay Johnson, support services manager at Trident Medical Center in North Charleston, South Carolina, coordinates roughly 50 volunteers who contribute an estimated 133,000 hours annually to the for-profit hospital, which is owned by HCA Healthcare.

Trident’s volunteers are widely beloved by the staff, he said. “We actually had a ceremony for them when they came back” when restrictions loosened, Johnson said. Beyond that, volunteers benefit from premium parking spaces and free lunches “to really make sure they’re appreciated,” he said.

Breast cancer survivor Pat LoPresti for example, volunteers in Trident’s Breast Care Center. Volunteering provides a sense of purpose and an opportunity to socialize, said LoPresti, a retiree who met her husband, another volunteer, while volunteering at the hospital.

“I started volunteering there because they could use me,” LoPresti said. “It’s such a privilege to help people in a time when they need it.”

SOURCE: Business Insider

EMPOROS POS?

Q. I run The Orchard Gift Shop at Indiana University Health. They want to change our POS system to change to Emporo. We currently have Keystroke. Does anyone currently use Emporos POS? If so, what are your thoughts on it. I would appreciate any feedback. Thank you. – Jodi Tyrie, Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital, Lafayette, IN. 191 beds. 10/15/22

I would not recommend using a system like this. If you are going to the expense of bringing in a new system, I would definitely use a system that is better suited for retail with a good inventory management system. We are currently in the process of getting a new POS system with NCR/i3Verticals. Good luck! –Deb Kerr, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City. 385 beds. 11/17/22

FROM CINDY

We are not familiar with Emporos. It has not been mentioned in our ongoing POS survey as a system in use. At first glance, it appears to be designed for pharmacies. I would question its ability to meet the unique needs of a gift shop. Keystroke is designed specifically for retail operations. Emporos does have two nice features: native payroll deduction and a mobile bedside delivery option. But, because it is optimized for pharmacies, the user interface might be confusing in a gift shop environment unless they adapt it.

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

POS SYSTEMS

Q. I am taking over our hospital gift shop and have never run a retail shop before. I need to purchase a POS. Our shop is about 800 sq ft and only has one location. Any suggestions on POS systems? I want something that can track inventory and provide data on sales. The majority of staff for the gift shop will be volunteers (older women) so the payment terminal needs to be easy and user friendly. – Erica Ballard, Ascension Providence, Waco, TX. 225 beds. 8/31/22

We use Quickcharge (MM Hayes) – Kristi King, Ozark Health, Clinton, AR. 114 beds. 9/22/22

We utilize Quickcharge (MM Hayes). It integrates with Kronos for payroll deductions, making that process (if your organization allows payroll deductions) much simpler. – Cherie Towers, Redlands Community Hospital, Redlands, CA. 229 beds. 9/21/22

We use RITE. – Nancy Williams, Director Volunteer Services, Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta, GA.  9/20/22

We recently upgraded to Counterpoint by NCR and it has been amazing so far. It has tons of capability than we could ever possibly need . It is also very user friendly! – Juli Chrisman, WPR Cancer Institute Gift Shop, UAMS, Little Rock, AR. 9/19/22

I use QuickBooks. Very user friendly  – Carol Colpitts, Milford Regional Medical Center,  Milford, MA. 9/19/22

We use Square for Retail. Our senior volunteers thought it was much easier to use than our previous register. A simpler system, but tracks inventory and provides sales data is multiple ways at a reasonable cost. – Karla Glanzman, Seattle Children’s Hospital. 350 beds. 9/16/22

Hi Karla, I would love to visit with you further about utilizing Square for Retail. I’m definitely curious about the inventory management and reports. If you have some time to chat sometime, please reach out via email. Thanks! -Vicki Holcombe, Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, TX. 9/19/22

Erica, We have the same size gift shop and same size hospital. We have Quickcharge by MM Hayes. I also have volunteers running the gift shop. I oversee inventory and reports. Reports are easy and inventory management is as well. Feel free to contact me if you would like more information. – Catherine Taschler, Volunteer Coordinator, Marshfield Medical Center-Weston, Weston, WI. 9/16/22

We will be using NCR (Counterpoint) starting in the new calendar year. I would highly recommend this system. We vetted many and found this to be far outstanding from the others. – Deb Kerr, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City. 385 beds. 9/16/22

We use the Clover devices and absolutely love the system. – Jessie Davis, Hannibal Regional Hospital, Hannibal, MO. 99 beds. 9/16/22

Did you miss this question? Click to comment. 

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡

SHOPPING BAG VENDORS 🛍

Q. Looking for options for custom shopping bags for the gift shop. You know, those pretty bags you give to customers after they make a purchase in your store! We have a current vendor, but am interested in hearing what others do and vendors they use. Thank you in advance! – Shellee Laubersheimer, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA. 600 beds. 8/23/22

We use PaperMart here in California. – Cherie Towers, Redlands Community Hospital, Redlands, CA. 229 beds. 11/30/22

Nashville Wraps is who we use. We make sure to qualify for free freight each time or it will eat up your profits, quickly! – Ali McCrary, Good Samaritan Gift Shop, Vincennes, IN. 9/15/22

We use Nashville Wraps also. We carry 4 size white kraft bags that we sell to customers with colorful tissue paper. – Stephanie Hubbard, General Manager and Senior Buyer, Memorial Healthcare System, FL.  9/15/22

We have used Nashville Wraps for bags and tissue for years. – Vicki Holcombe. 9/15/22

We use Nashville Wraps. Love the Christmas ones. – Nancy Williams, Director Volunteer Services, Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta, GA. 9/15/22

Nashville Wraps. They also do stickers if you want to use them. We are the Pink Geranium Gift Shop, so I get pink bags. Everyone knows where you were :) – Tricia Rochman, Carbondale Memorial Hospital, Carbondale, IL. 154 beds. 9/15/22

Kelli’s Gift Shop Suppliers. Used to use Benton Kirby but they are no longer in business. We use paper bags. – Peter Waugh. 9/15/22

We also use Nashville Wraps. We have bought the pretty designs but have had to go to the brown and white to help cut costs. We are planning on ordering Christmas designs for the season and we will be selling those to our customers/employees who ask for a handled bag. We just can’t give them out like we use to. :( – Lanie Ray, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH. 8/24/22

We use Store Supply Warehouse. They also have decorative/holiday gift bags that we sell all year round. We also insert tissue paper in to the gift bag, which the customers always appreciate! – Suzanne Storelli, The Guthrie Clinic / Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, PA. 254 beds. 8/15/22

We use Nashville Wraps for our bags. Then we put a “Friends Gift Shop” sticker on the bag for promotions. Right now we have sunflowers. – Nancy Collins, New London Hospital, New London. 25 beds. 8/15/22

PRIOR COMMENTS
Hi there!! We use Nashville Wraps for our bags and boxes and it has worked out well. They are also a member of PPP.  – Christine Parker, Kent Hospital, Warwick. 2/15/21

I have wonderful luck with Bags and Bows. Great prices, great customer service. – Grace Hutchinson, Piedmont Medical Center, Rock Hill, SC. 180 beds. 2/15/21

Nashville Wraps and S. Walter Packaging  – Gale Cialeo 2/18/21

We use Bags and Bows and purchase bright colored plastic T-shirt bags along with small brown paper bags and handled brown paper bags. We also let the volunteers know how much each bag costs so they can decipher which bag is the best choice for each particular sale. – B. Putman, Coldwater, MI  3/15/21

We have been using Nashville Wraps and very satisfied. If you order $300 or more you get free freight. Yay!!! We get tissue, ribbons, hi-density bags, and lovely gift bags in a variety of sizes and designs. Love this vendor. Highly recommend. – Debbie Swan, Baxter Regional Medical Center, Mountain Home, AR. 126 beds. 3/15/21

Click here to share your favorite bag idea or vendor.

Connect. Share. Grow. ♡