Harvey Area COMMUNITY CARES - St. Aloisius Medical Center

July 2016
Erickson chosen Social Worker of the Year
Tonia Erickson was chosen as
Social Worker of the Year by the
Long Term Care Social Workers of
ND (LTCSWND) and was awarded this honor at the Long Term
Care Convention this spring.
Tonia has been a social worker
at St. Aloisius Medical Center in
Harvey since May 1995, the spring
in which she received her social
work degree from Mary College.
She had completed her 4 month
internship there and was hired following her graduation.
Tonia is responsible for admission and discharge planning, and
all aspects of providing for the
psychosocial needs of residents on
her 45 bed unit, in addition to providing coverage in acute care,
swing bed and the liaison role for
the Rural Mental Health Consortium in the absence of that social
worker. She actively promotes her
facility in the community. During
a recent 18 month long renovation
project, she was instrumental in
determining creative temporary
relocation of residents.
She played a major role over the
years in three residents applying
for and being granted their wishes
under the NDLTCA’s Cherished
Hopes program, most recently celebrating the awarding of an IPAD
to one of her younger residents.
From taking a resident for a ride
on the Scrambler at the county fair,
to helping a resident cheer on her
Bison football player grandson, to
assisting in the transition to life in
LTC, Tonia is consistently an
involved and persistent advocate
for residents and their families.
She has been mentioned by name
multiple times by family members
in our Pinnacle Surveys. Tonia is
truly an advocate for the residents
at St. Aloisius. She is very passionate about her work and is
committed to her profession.
She exhibits leadership and is
very instrumental in educating
staff on the right thing to do
regarding resident rights, social
needs and ethical issues. She’s
even willing to don a bear suit to
achieve that end!
She is actively involved in community education and you can find
her answering questions about
h e a l t h c a r e d i r e c t i v e s a t St .
Aloisius’ annual health fair.
Tonia has been a member of
LTCSWND since her hire in May
1995. In May 2015, she was elected as her region’s representative.
She was a consultant for a social
service designee at a Devils Lake
facility for more than 10 years.
She recently mentored a social
work student from UND in a 4
month internship. Tonia is a member of her community’s area interagency group and also participates
in the area’s Child Protection
Team.
She and her husband, Kenny,
have been married nearly 25 years
and have four children -- Samantha, Nicole, McKenzie and Alex.
Congratulations Tonia and thank
you for caring so much for our residents and the communities we
serve.
Harvey Area COMMUNITY CARES
Harvey area COMMUNITY
CARES About Suicide Prevention
began in October 2013 when Harvey business leaders asked St.
Aloisius Medical Center to lead
this group. The group’s focus is to
bring education, awareness and
hope to the Harvey area regarding
suicide prevention.
How did it begin? St. Aloisius
has spent the last 13 years focusing on strengthening our community with mentoring and activating
the community. Today we continue
to lead our community and share
the information we have acquired.
Wells County Mentoring, Grief
Loss class (offered three times),
3,000 magnets have been distributed with 211-suicide hotline and
text 741-741 and a 2nd COLOR
DASH event that was held July 2,
2016, are just a few of the activities the COMMUNITY CARES
group has been involved with.
Harvey students, 7th through
12th grade, completed a youth risk
behavior survey that indicated significant mental health concerns.
Culture change and changing the
conversation within our communities is happening. It’s not a disease
we have brought on ourselves. In
comparison, mental illness is the
brain needing help, just as diabetes
is the pancreas needing help. There
is HOPE . . . just reach out and ask
health care professionals, counselors, support systems, friends, faith
communities or your family.
Anyone interested in being
involved with COMMUNITY
CARES contact Ann Adams at the
Harvey Chamber of Commerce
Office, 324-2604 or Beth Huseth at
341-0756. About 15 regular members are involved with COMMUNITY CARES About Suicide Prevention and everyone is welcome.
From the Administrator . . .
Great Times at St. Aloisius
These are great times at St.
Aloisius Medical Center and I’d
like to take a couple of minutes to
recap all we’ve been up to. We’ve
upgraded our hospital. We’ve
received incredible support from
the community. We’ve nearly
completed our Community Health
Needs Assessment. Our employee
and resident satisfaction scores
are high and we’ve been involved
in some healthy competition with
our friends at the schools.
We’ve installed a new nurse call
system in our acute hospital. This
system gives the patient much
more control over their environment and improves the response
time for our nursing staff. We are
also installing a new nursing station. This new area will give our
nurses the space they need to
work and improve their work
environment. We’ve installed new
televisions in the rooms and continue to update the look.
Over on the long term care side,
we’ve upgraded all beds and mat-
ForeWord is primarily
published for the
friends and family of
St. Aloisius Medical Center.
Editor
Pam Stewart
Contributing Writers
Beth Huseth
Donna Corneliusen
Board of Directors
Dan Stutlien, Chairperson
Susan Shearer, Vice Chairperson
Jason Schneider, Harvey
Chad Ziegler, Harvey
Sr. Marlyss Dionne, Valley City
Sr. Elizabeth Rose Muscha, Mandan
Sr. Margaret Rose Pfeifer, Fargo
Greg LaFrancois, CEO, Harvey
St. Aloisius Medical Center
325 Brewster St. E
Harvey, N.D. 58341
St. Aloisius Medical Center is an equal
opportunity provider. Complaints of discrimination
may be sent to: USDA, Director, Office of Civil
Rights, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
Greg
LaFrancois
tresses. We’ve installed a state-ofthe-art audio system in the common areas, updating our dining
and dayfurniture, and built a deck
in our garden area. Speaking of
the garden area, you really need
to see this beautiful area. Isolde
Graumann created an incredible
space full of the most beautiful
flowers. It is such a relaxing spot
for residents and staff.
Long Term Care received a significant gift from the George and
Ruth Litke Estate. Much of the
improvements mentioned above
were made possible from this
incredibly kind gift. Additionally,
we ran a golf tournament and raffle to raise funds to purchase a
piece of equipment for the fitness
area. The turnout for the event
was great and we are grateful for
the support.
We had two events at the Eagles
Club in preparation for our Community Health Needs Assessment.
We also used a survey tool to
gather input. I really enjoyed this
process because it gave me a
chance to meet many community
members. We also went out to
Drake, Anamoose and Fessenden.
I am pulling the final report
together this week and will set up
meetings to review our action plan.
We offered a community first aid
class during the spring. The goal
was to give community members
the skills they need to be that
immediate support. We think it
was very successful and hope to
do more in the future. We also had
the chance to work with the Harvey Ambulance Service as they
worked to develop options for
staffing the service. I was so
impressed by the passion and
commitment of our Ambulance
Service. These are truly special
folks. In the end, the community
demonstrated their support for
the service by approving a Mill
Levy. I am personally grateful to
the community for this because I
would not want to live in a town
where you are not sure if an
ambulance will show up when
needed.
We have been working very
hard, this year, to improve staff
health. From January to April we
challenged ourselves with diet
and exercise programs. Based on
this success, we were bold
enough to challenge the schools
in a step and weight loss challenge. I was sure we would
CRUSH the competition. It was a
great challenge and when the
dust settled, the school won both
the step and weight loss challenges. You will see their trophies at the school. They earned
the win this year. Next year we
hope to broaden the challenge to
include other community organizations.
All the best,
Greg
2016 Health Fair:
“Creating a Healthier Future”
“Creating a Healthier Future”
was the theme of this year’s 33rd
h e a l t h f a i r s p o n s o re d b y St .
Aloisius Medical Center. Our goal
for each health fair is to pull
together community and healthcare
services in one place in order to
provide services and information
to our local communities, schools
and medical center service area.
In 2016 there were approximately 438 attendees and 49 different
booths. Previous years we have
had as many as 802 attendees and
70 booths. Some of the free services provided were vision testing,
blood pressure test, colorectal
screen and child finger printing.
Other services provide information
and advice for low cost women’s
exams, mental health counseling,
elderly or disabled assistive devices, healthcare directives, sleep
study clinics and county district
health services, just to name a few.
A lot of attendees agree that this
can be a one-stop-shopping experience for health information and
School children happy to share the Health Fair fun!
free services provided in one place.
This is an event that the community really looks forward to each
year. We try to make it fun with a
lot of colorful decorations, balloons, ice cream and there is
always a clown or two. But, along
with the fun, we provide the education aspect for every age group
with learning games (especially
popular for the school children),
specialty services provided and
available to our local communities
and many free items available at
each booth. By pooling the
resources in one place attendees
can be better informed regarding
their health and safety needs.
“Creating a Healthier Future” to
benefit the whole community is
our top priority at St. Aloisius
Medical Center.
ROCK STAR highlights from CEO publication “The Way I See It”
• A resident’s family member
recognized two LTC employees
because they truly appreciated the
professional care they so willingly
provided.
• One of our parent employees
praised our Daycare for all they do
for our kids. We are so lucky to
have our daycare and it makes
coming to work so much easier
knowing our kids are so close and
will be well taken care of. Things
such as taking the kids to school
and picking them up every day are
such big benefits that most facilities do not have. We are so blessed
to have a wonderful group of
ladies taking care of our children.
• Another staff shared . . . I am
so blessed to work in a place
where all the staff rallies around
each other -- whether to support
each other in such things as a fitness program and promoting
healthy life choices or getting
through a health crisis. Everyone
really stepped up to cover shifts
and pray for a speedy recovery
when a co-worker had a health
issue. There is such amazing support here!
• We recently had a group prayer
for one of our co-workers, which
we do often, and our CEO made
this observation. “I have to take a
m i n u t e t o t e l l yo u w h a t yo u
already know because I do not
think you know how rare it is. A
huge group of employees came to
the Unit A common area to pray.
That is impressive. What’s more
impressive is that some of those
employees came in, on their day
off, to be part of the prayer ceremony. Someone, near me, looked
around the group and commented,
to the person beside them, “why
would you want to work anywhere
else?” I have to agree. The sense
of caring here is awesome. This is
not something I can create or take
credit for. It is the result of incredible people being themselves.”
• One patient’s family shared
that “The staff are so wonderful
here . . . you guys do excellent
work.”
• We are so proud of two of our
employees who quickly went into
action, on the streets of their
hometown, and performed CPR to
someone in need. Many bystanders witnessed the power of competency and professionalism as they
took charge when others did not.
Another LTC employee assisted a
gentleman who had fallen on the
street until help arrived for him. It
is great to work in a place where
everyone cares so deeply for one
another.
• One family stated that this is a
very nice facility and it is nice to
see that it is so clean. We are so
fortunate to have a housekeeping
staff that takes pride in their work.
• Lately, we have been visited by
fam i l y m em b ers o f d i fferen t
patients on our acute floor. Every
single one complimented the
incredible caring touch of our staff.
Without exception, they spoke
with amazement at how you could
care this much. No machine, renovation, or supply item will ever be
as significant as a caring touch.
Our community is so fortunate to
have you delivering that touch.
• Another family said thank you
so very much to everyone who
cared during a family member’s
recent visit to the hospital! It is a
Graston Technique offered
in Physical Therapy Dept.
We are proud to announce we now offer the Graston Technique at St.
Aloisius Medical Center in our Physical Therapy Department. Graston
uses specially designed instruments to help the clinician identify and
treat areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflammation.
As the instruments are moved over the affected area and come in contact with the adhesions, they help break up scar tissue and fascial
restrictions. The goal is to reduce or eliminate the adhered fibers, restoring range of motion and eliminating the associated pain.
Graston Technique is clinically proven to achieve faster and better
patient outcomes in treating the following, among others: achilles
tendinosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, tennis elbow, back pain,
knee pain, plantar fascitis, and rotator cuff tendinosis.
Talk to your doctor about a referral, or if you have BCBS as your
insurance carrier, a referral is not required. Make an appointment with
Brenda at 324-5119.
great comfort to see familiar faces
when you are hurt and also worried and anxious. Staff went out of
their way to make me and our kids
feel better also. I am proud to
work in a facility that takes such
excellent care of people, not just
the physical needs but the whole
person and families as well. Thank
you from the bottom of our hearts!
• When our Pastoral Care visited
with a former patient they shared
that the care and love received
from everyone at St. Aloisius was
so great. They also said the love in
this place is so great, that it is all
over and in everyone, no matter
who they are. They said the good
care and love received while here,
helped them to get better faster.
• Every week there are many of
our staff at St. Aloisius who get to
see their names in bold print in
“The Way I See It” weekly publication from our CEO. This information is submitted by co-workers,
supervisors, patients or patient
families which highlight something that our employee did that
was noticed and noted by others. It
is humbling to see your name in
bold print and realize that something you did to help someone
without question or hesitation is
so important and appreciated. We
truly love our patients and residents and hope it shows!
Employees of the Month
Our Employee of the Month program has evolved over the past
several years from Nemo of the
Month to Angel of the Month, then
Angel of the Quarter and now we
choose several Employees of the
Month. It’s always fun to celebrate
and see the surprise on the faces of
those who are chosen. Currently
we choose several employees who
have done something that was
noticed and noted by others as
extra special, caring and/or compassionate. It is an honor to be
nominated. Since January 2016,
the following employees have
been chosen as Employees of the
Month:
J a n u a r y: L a r r y R e g a l a d o ,
Michele Frank, Sara Balfour
February: Melanie Long, Christy
Arends, Karen Bienek
March: Brianna Weinmann,
Melissa Vollmer, Nancy Meland
April: Kelsey Watson, Dianne
Lageson, Heather Lematta, Brenda
Finley
M a y: A n n E n g h , D o n n a
C o r n e l i u s e n , Lyn n C r e v i e r,
Brittney Schmaltz
We currently celebrate the
Employee of the Month with
snacks and punch in the front
lobby during the day shift and
again sometime during evening
shift.
Thank you all for your service at
St. Aloisius and for making a difference for our residents and families at St. Aloisius. And, thank you
to all of the employees at St.
Aloisius for taking special care of
our patients and residents. We
appreciate you all!
Thank you for thinking of us!
We gratefully acknowledge the gifts and memorials we receive. Your supp o r t h el p s m ak e i t p o s s i b l e f o r u s t o co n t i n u e o u r m i s s i o n o f “H eal i n g
Hospitality” and quality care to the communities we serve. Thank you
again for your generous donations:
Memorials and Contributions
Donation of flowers/supplies for Serenity Garden from Schmaltz’s Greenhouse,
Anamoose
Donation for the Serenity Garden imo Don Keller from Don Keller Family
Donation for a new lefsa griddle imo Lorraine Brye from Ivy Brye
Donation in memory of Ruth Skiftun from Mark and Marilyn Demory
Donation for LTC dental or oral care products from ND Dental Hygienists’ Association
Donation of Bingo prizes for several sessions from Videll Lloyd Family
Donation to Community Needs Events expense from Harvey Eagles Club
I f w e h a ve f a i l ed t o m en t i o n yo u r d o n a t i o n , p l ea s e a ccep t o u r a p o l o g i es a n d
contact us so we can correct our records. Thank you for caring!
7th Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Wednesday, June 22, dawned a bit cloudy but still promising for a
great day of golf. Eleven teams arrived with anticipation, ready to begin
playing a fun day of golf. Each team played two rounds for a total of 18
holes. Later in the day, when the heavy mist started falling, the weather
turned colder and a little miserable but they continued and golfed to the
end.
First International Bank and Trust sponsored hole #5 with two full sets
of golf clubs, one for men and one for women who shot closest to the
hole which were won by Brad Kline and Lanae Strand. Our prize winning teams are: 1st place: Steve Kourajian, Shaun Kourajian, Steve Fike
and Brian Fike; 2nd place: Steve Kittelson, Curt Krahler, Kelly Krahler
and Clay Houchin; 3rd place: Joe Volk, Steve Felchle, Steve Aljets,
Rocky Zastoupil and Greg LaFrancois.
We are so grateful for our hole sponsors and those who donated amazing prizes. Hole sponsors: First International Bank and Trust, Arthur
Companies, Warehouse Foods, Harvey Eagles Club, First State Bank of
Harvey, JW’s, Hinrichs Super Valu, Ripplinger Motors, ProSeed,
KHND 3-Way Broadcasting, Dakota Heritage Bank, Tom’s Home Furnishings, Buechler Oil (Nicholson), Villa Maria-SMP, Dr. Clinton Miller DDS, Central Dakota Family Physicians, Dr. Delvin Hansen DDS
and For Goodness Sake (Health & Wellness Store).
Prizes were donated by: State Farm Insurance, Lemer’s True Value,
Mid-Dakota Lumber and Supply, NDTC, Lautt’s Feed and Supply, Harvey Motor Service, Mack’s Farm & RV Center, Credit Collections
Bureau, Double E Designs, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation,
Rosa’s Pizza (Fessenden), CHI Care at Home and Pizza Ranch (Harvey).
Donations were also received from Hertz Funeral Home and we
received a $1,000 grant from Verendrye Electric’s Operation Roundup.
Along with the tournament this year, in order to involve more people,
we held a raffle with three prizes: Golf themed quilt (sewn and donated
by Christy Arends), $50.00 Cash and 2 Medora Musical tickets. The
drawing was held at 3 p.m. on June 30, 2016. Winners: Trisha AustinQuilt, Lorie Sieg-$50.00 cash and Joan Martin-2 Medora Musical tickets. Congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone who purchased tickets. We plan to have a raffle again next year!
Since the summer of 2010, St. Aloisius has hosted an annual charity
golf tournament, raising funds for different special projects each year.
Some of the projects have included a new gurney for ER, Hoyer lift, 2nd
floor nurses station project, Adopt a room on the 2nd floor and this
year’s project was the purchase of a Skifit Pro2 Recumbent bike for our
Wellness Center. With the generosity of our local residents and businesses, we have met our project goal each year. Thank you to everyone
who volunteered, donated and participated in our 2016 tournament.
Verendrye Electric presented St. Aloisius with a check for
$1,000 from their Operation Roundup Grant program.
First place team, from the left: Steve Kourajian, Shaun
Kourajian, Brian Fike and Steve Fike.
Raffle winners, from the left: Joan Martin, Lorie Sieg and
Trisha Austin.
Professional Services Available
We are pleased to have a variety of professional services offered in this
region, making your medical choices more convenient and economical.
Rural Mental Health Consortium, Zane Zuleger, MSN, MSA,
RN, Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist on Tuesday and Wednesday
every other week at St. Aloisius. Call Donna Corneliusen for
appointment at 324-4651.
Professional Hearing Services Dr. Andrea Larson on second
Thursday of the month from 10 a.m. - 12 noon at St. Aloisius. Call 1800-735-5866 for appt.
Wells County Public Health Immunizations Only. Call 547-3756
for appt.
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Dean Dienslake. Call
1-800-639-6292 for appointment.
General Counselor, Tim Hart, LICSW, Tim Hart Counseling Services. Call for appointment at 1-800-260-1310.
Minor in Possession and DUI Counseling, Eleanor Dossenko,
BAAS, call her at 701-324-4362 for appointment.
Surgery Services - Dr. Ronald Skipper - Outpatient Services Center the first Thursday of the month. Call (701) 324-5117 for appointment. NOTE: Surgery day is the third Monday of each month.
Cataract Care/Surgery - Dr. Monte Leidenix sees patients at Dr.
Kourajian’s Office in downtown Harvey. Call 701-324-2154 for
appointment.
Sleep Studies - provided by Winmar Sleep Center and available at
St. Aloisius. Call 701-235-7424 for an appointment.
Endoscopies offered with anesthesia - Available at St. Aloisius
with Dr. Nyhus, 701-324-4856 or Dr. Skipper, 701-324-5117.