December 2014 Newsletter - Sheridan County Health Complex

December 1, 2014
Volume 1, Issue 1
SCHC Lifeline
Sheridan County Health Complex Celebrates “A Night on the Red Carpet”
-Rebecca Bird, Accounts Payable
Photos by: North40Photography
Sheridan County Health
Complex held their 2nd
Annual Fall Ball on
Saturday, November 22nd at
the Sheridan County 4H
Building. Guests entered on
a red carpet and could have
their photographs taken by
the talented
North40Photography
paparazzi, Josie Alexander
and Amanda Richards.
Delicious hors d’oeuvres
were available as you
mingled with party-goers or
perused the Silent Auction
items. The smoked pork
chop dinner began at 6:00
pm, followed by a delectable
cake selection for dessert.
The 176 Keys Dueling
Pianos was the highlight of
the night as they delivered
interactive entertainment for
all guests. These clever
players had everyone
clapping and singing along,
jumping on the party train,
and several dance talents
were discovered that night.
In a brief entertainment
intermission, three teddy
bears were auctioned off,
wedding shoe style, for
anyone wanting to contribute
to the McKinney children’s
college funds. These teddy
bears were each dressed
differently with a fireman’s
full outfit, a tux complete with
bow tie, and a physician
assistant in scrubs and lab
coat. A big “Thank You” to
everyone that donated to
this family as $988 was
raised and delivered to them
in time for Thanksgiving.
The full deck of cards
disappeared quickly in
anticipation of this year’s
purse game. The four lucky
winners to discover the
hidden gifts inside were Jan
Leopold, who received a
Tablet with case and
keyboard; Billi Beckman,
who received $100 cash and
beautiful earrings; Joy Bretz,
who received a Kindle Fire;
and Renee Mader, who
received a gift certificate to
the Rock Haven Spa.
This year, a raffle was added
for those needing a discount
Christmas gift for friends,
family, or themselves. The
Henry Golden Boy Rifle went
to Jeff Ostmeyer. GG
Launchbaugh won the $350
gift certificate to Heim’s TV &
Appliance. Shelly Nondorf will
enjoy the dinner, bed, and
breakfast gift certificate to the
Claremont Inn. The 42”
Smart TV will find a new
home at Keith Underhill’s.
“A Night on the Red Carpet”
provided elegance intertwined
with fun to all guests. Thank
you to everyone who attended
and made that evening so
enjoyable. To all our
sponsors, your kind donations
are greatly appreciated as
they made the evening
possible. With your help,
over $11,000 was raised for
the advancements and
remodel of our Radiology, Lab
and Clinic.
We, the employees and Board
Members of Sheridan County
Health Complex, enjoyed your
company on that entertaining
evening and appreciate your
continued support. We
especially look forward to
seeing you all again next
year.
SCHC Lifeline
Page 2 of 8
SCHC Is Ready to Respond in the Event of Ebola
-Tiffany R. Palmer, Infection Preventionist
Sheridan County Health
Complex (SCHC) has
been working with the
Kansas Department of
Health and Environment
(KDHE) and the public
health systems in Hoxie,
Kansas to quickly and
effectively respond in the
event of a case of Ebola
in Sheridan. Kansas has
not had any confirmed
cases of Ebola at this
time. Ebola virus disease
is spread only through
direct contact with bodily
fluids of a person who is
sick and showing
symptoms. Symptoms of
Ebola include: fever,
headache, joint and
muscle aches,
weakness, diarrhea,
vomiting, stomach pain
and lack of appetite.
Symptoms usually
appear in 8-10 days, but
may appear up to 21
days after exposure to
bodily fluids of a person
showing symptoms of
Ebola. Most cases
related to this Ebola
outbreak have been
contracted in the West
African countries of
Guinea, Liberia and
Sierra Leone.
SCHC is working with
community partners
regarding the need for
standardized and
effective infection control
measures required to
control and contain
Ebola virus disease. If a
patient had a suspected
or confirmed case of
Ebola, hospitals would
be required to isolate the
patient in a private room
with a bathroom. The
door to the room would
need to be closed at all
times and all visitors
would need to be
restricted and would
need to follow infection
control measures per
hospital protocols.
Healthcare workers
would be required to
protect themselves from
Ebola by wearing
protective clothing and
equipment to prevent
contact with bodily fluids.
Kansas has
recommended additional
guidance for healthcare
workers who have been
exposed to Ebola above
and beyond the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention’s guidelines.
Kansas requires any
healthcare worker who
has been exposed to
Ebola to be excluded
from providing direct
patient care for a 21 day
period following the last
exposure. KDHE has
also recommended and
provided resources for
hospitals and healthcare
workers, including EMS,
to re-train on how to
properly put on and take
off protective equipment.
If someone is diagnosed
with Ebola, an
investigation would
immediately occur to
identify people who may
have come in contact
with the Ebola patient
while they were showing
symptoms. Those people
identified would be
monitored for signs of
Ebola, including fever.
Page 3 of 8
SCHC Lifeline
Aaron McKinney Memorial 5k Walk/Run
-Heather Mauck, APRN-C
In July of this year,
Sheridan County Health
Complex suffered a great
loss when Aaron
McKinney, PA was
tragically killed while
riding his bicycle south of
town. Aaron had been in
Hoxie a little over a year,
but the impact he and his
family made on the
community was
immeasurable. To honor
his memory, the Aaron
McKinney Memorial
Bowtie 5k was held the
first weekend of
November. Aaron was an
avid runner as well as a
regular bow tie wearer,
making the event
especially significant to
those that knew and
loved him. The event was
very well received with
over 275 shirts sold and
over 150 people
attending the walk/run.
Aaron’s wife, Tanya, and
their 3 children, Colin,
Ella and Jackson were
able to return to Hoxie for
the great showing of
support. Tanya’s family
as well as Aaron’s
mother, brothers and
nephew also made the
trip back for the memorial
event. Following the
event, Tanya, her family
and friends were able to
place a memorial “ghost
bike” at the accident site.
Aaron was again honored
at the annual SCHC Fall
ball. Three Build-A-Bear
stuffed animals were
donated representing
different areas of Aaron’s
life, being dressed as a
Fireman, PA and the final
bear in a black suit with a
bow tie. These bears
were auctioned off at the
Fall Ball and raised $988
to go to the McKinney
family. Additionally, these
bears were given to each
of Aaron’s children as a
special reminder of their
dad.
Aaron will be greatly
missed at SCHC and in
the Hoxie community. He
was an amazing man
who lived a life focused
on God and family. His
memory will live on in the
lives of those he
interacted with and
served during his 33
short years.
SCHC Lifeline
Page 4 of 8
SCHC employees participate in “Hunger is no game” Food Drive
-Josie Thompson, RT (R)(M)
The employees at SCHC
participated with many
other hospitals across
Kansas in the state-wide
“Hunger IS NO Game”
food drive to benefit local
food banks. Nonperishable food was
collected through the
week of November 10th
with a goal of 500 items.
Our facility surpassed
that mark by donating
938 canned vegetables,
cake mixes and other
necessities to the Hoxie
Area Ministerial Alliance
food pantry. The food
was donated in hopes of
helping our community
during the holiday season
while creating some
friendly competition
within the facility.
Employees were divided
into six “districts” and the
winning team was given
a free meal ticket to be
used in the dietary
department. We are very
proud of the large
amount of support toward
our community from the
employees at Sheridan
County Health Complex.
Facility Website www.sheridancountyhospital.com
Did you know Sheridan
County Health Complex
has a website?
The website is full of
information about our
facility and what it has to
offer. Some of the helpful
information available
includes our services,
departments, calendars,
employment, and
policies. One helpful
feature offered on our
website is bill payment
for your hospital or clinic
account. Also if you are
not sure when your
provider is available, we
have their schedule
posted. These are just a
couple of the many
helpful things you can
find on our website.
we have two Sizewise
Traveler Heavy Duty
Wheelchairs with 500
pound weight capacity.
The SCHC Hospital
Auxillary purchased a
new Welch Allyn Spot
Vital Signs machine for
the Long Term Care this
fall. We wish to extend
our thanks to all of our
supporters for our new
equipment!
Upcoming Long Term
Care Resident Birthdays
New Equipment at Long Term Care
-Misty Stewart, LTC CNO
Long Term Care has
been fortunate from
memorials, gift donations
& SCHC Auxillary funds
to purchase needed
equipment to continue
our resident care. In
August we purchased a
new whirlpool hygiene
chair with weight scale.
The ArjoHuntleigh Alenti
hygiene chair has the
weight scale within the
chair instead of separate
like whirlpool bath chairs
have been in the past. It
also has the convenience
of a handheld control that
powers height
adjustability and handset
controls of brakes. We
have purchased a
Bariatric Sizewise
Advantage bed with an
850pound weight
capacity. Along with that
January
Doris Adams
March
Florence Mills
Elmer Berens
Page 5 of 8
SCHC Lifeline
Rhonda Miller Retires
-Carlene Gillespie
Sheridan County Health
Complex wishes to
extend a heartfelt thank
you to Rhonda Miller for
her 37 years of
dedication as an
employee at SCHC.
Rhonda’s career began
in 1978 as a CNA.
Through the years she
also worked in
respiratory therapy and
as a lab assistant.
In 1988 she began
classes working towards
her degree as a
Laboratory Technologist.
She attained that goal in
1999. From the year
2000 until 2007 she
served as Laboratory
Department Manager.
She stepped down from
manager in 2007 and
continued to work in the
lab department and once
again became
Department Manager in
2011 until her retirement
October 2014.
In these times of high
turnover rates,
compromised economy
and the many changes in
healthcare, Rhonda
maintained a
commitment to the
Sheridan County
community and Sheridan
County Health Complex.
In her retirement she
looks forward to
spending more time with
her family, especially
with her grandson Aiden.
She also hopes to spend
some time traveling.
Once again, thank you
for your years of service
and best of luck as you
enjoy your time with
family and friends.
Holiday Facility Hours
The Hoxie Medical Clinic and Sheridan County Health Complex Business
Office will close at noon on Wednesday, December 24th and all day on
Thursday, December 25th for Christmas. We will also be closed Thursday,
January 1 for New Years. Routine Labs and X-Rays will NOT be performed
at those times. As always, the Emergency Room will be open. If you have
any questions, please contact the Hoxie Medical Clinic or the Sheridan
County Health Complex. May you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year!
Regular Hours Monday-Friday
Business Office 7:30am – 5:00pm
Clinic 7:00am – 5:00pm
Walk-In Clinic 7:00am – 9:00am
Laboratory 7:30am – 5:00pm
Radiology 7:30am – 5:00pm
Cold or Flu? What to do?
-Source: Consumer Health News
For chest congestion:
Drink plenty of fluids (8
to 10 cups a day) such
as water, sports drinks,
herbal teas, fruit drinks,
or ginger ale. Fluids help
break up congestion,
prevent dehydration and
keep your throat moist.
Inhaled steam can ease
congestion too. Create
steam with a humidifier,
or steam up the
bathroom by running a
hot shower.
For nasal congestion:
Relieve clogged nasal
and sinus passages
caused by excessive
mucus with either
decongestant pills or with
a nasal spray. These are
best taken following a
hot shower and lots of
nose blowing to clear out
the mucus as much as
possible.
For fever and pain, body
aches and tiredness:
Rest in bed. Over-the-
counter medication such
as acetaminophen
(Tylenol) or ibuprofen
(Advil or Motrin) can help
decrease fever and ease
sore throat pain and
body aches.
For cough:
For a dry hacking cough,
you may choose an overthe-counter medication
that contains a cough
suppressant. For a
cough that produces
excessive mucus, or
phlegm, you may want to
use an expectorant that
loosens phlegm.
For sore throat:
A warm salt-water gargle
can relive a scratchy
throat. Lozenges,
mouthwashes, and
sprays that contain a
numbing ingredient can
ease the pain.
SCHC Lifeline
Page 6 of 8
SCHC recognized for patient safety project
-Submitted by: Tiffany R. Palmer, RN
Sheridan County Health
Complex (SCHC) has been
recognized by the Kansas
Healthcare Collaborative
for its successful
completion of a statewide
patient safety initiative.
SCHC was among a group
of 23 Kansas hospitals that
collectively achieved an
84.1 percent reduction in
catheter-associated urinary
tract infections (CAUTI)
over a period of 18
months. The goal for the
project was to reduce
CAUTIs by 25 percent or
more between January 1,
2013 and May 30, 2014.
“We appreciate the
doctors, nurses and other
key staff who participated
in this successful project,”
said Tiffany R. Palmer RN.
“Our health care team is
committed to high quality
care delivery and patient
safety. While CAUTI is a
common occurrence at our
facility, collaborating in the
project with national
experts and our colleagues
across the state has
allowed us to review and
fine-tune our approach and
processes to minimize risk
and by ensuring indwelling
urinary catheters are used
only when medically
necessary.”
CAUTIs are the most
common type of hospitalacquired infection and
account for more than onethird of all such infections
nationally. Complications
associated with CAUTI
result in increased length
of stay, patient discomfort,
excess health care costs,
and sometimes lead to
mortality. On average,
between 12 and 15 percent
of hospital patients may
have an indwelling urinary
catheter sometime during
their hospital stay.
Working with state project
leaders at the Kansas
Healthcare Collaborative,
SCHC was a part of Cohort
5 of the national On the
CUSP: Stop CAUTI program,
which is an initiative
funded by the Department
of Health and Human
Services’ Agency for
Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ) and
administered through the
Health Research and
Educational Trust (HRET).
Since June 2011, nearly 70
Kansas hospitals have
participated with KHC in
the national project, which
uses the model
Comprehensive Unit-based
Safety Program (CUSP) to
achieve its results. CUSP is
a customizable program
that helps hospital units
address the foundation of
how clinical teams care for
patients. It combines
clinical best practices with
Kelly Rezac, PA-C Resigns
-Pam Popp, Hoxie Medical Clinic Manager
Kelly M. Rezac, PA-C began
her career here at the
Sheridan County Health
Complex on November 1,
2011. She came to this
facility from an Urgent
Care setting in Norfolk, NE.
She resigned her position
with SCHC and her last day
was October 31, 2014.
Kelly shared that she made
her decision on being
newly married and the
desire to spend more time
with her family. She has so
enjoyed her time working
here and has gained some
very valuable experience
that will assist her in her
future endeavors. She
wants to encourage all of
her patients to continue
their medical care at SCHC
and the Hoxie Medical
Clinic. She is confident in
her colleagues and their
ability to care for her
patients’ medical concerns.
SCHC is conducting
interviews with some new
practitioners to see if they
are the right fit for this
community. At the time of
this article no one has yet
been selected.
Please join us in thanking
Kelly for her three years of
service here and wish her
well in her new marriage
and in her future plans.
an understanding of the
science of safety, improved
safety culture, and an
increased focus on
teamwork. “Kansas
hospitals are committed to
curtailing CAUTIs and
enhancing safety across
the board,” said Kendra
Tinsley, executive director
of the Kansas Healthcare
Collaborative. “Patients in
Kansas are safer today
because front-line nurses,
physicians and hospital
leadership are working
together to deliver highquality, patient-centered
care.”
For SCHC the CAUTI project
also is part of its broader
patient safety initiative, the
Hospital Engagement
Network, focusing on nine
preventable hospitalacquired conditions and
unnecessary readmissions.
Page 7 of 8
SCHC Lifeline
Frostbite Mythbuster
-Amber Vaughn, Clinic Receptionist
Frostbite is hard to get.
False. Skin may freeze
within minutes when
exposed to temperatures
that fall below freezing or if
temperatures are above
freezing, the skin is likely to
freeze if it is wet or
exposed to extreme wind
chills. Frostbite is also
caused when your skin
directly contacts very cold
surfaces. Most cases of
frostbite have symptoms
such as: skin feels
prickly/numbness, skin is
discolored, pain around the
exposed area. Frostbite is
severe with
these symptoms: blisters,
skin turns black; joints and
muscles are stiff or not
functioning. Seek medical
care if you have frostbite
and any of the following:
fever, dizziness, swelling,
redness, or discharge in
the frostbitten area.
PREVENTION
Being aware of weather
forecasts and dressing
appropriately for conditions
can prevent frostbite. Do
not plan to spend an
extended amount of time
outside when the weather
is below freezing. Avoid
going outside when
temperatures fall below
0ºF. If you plan to be
outside in cold weather,
wear multiple layers of
clothing. Be sure that none
of your skin is exposed.
Your clothing should be
loose fitting and
waterproof. Some cases of
frostbite can’t be
anticipated. Always keep an
emergency kit handy with
blankets, gloves, hats, and
nonperishable snacks. In
this way you’ll stay
protected if necessary.
SCHC Participates in the Kansas Stroke Collaborative
A grant funded program of the University of Kansas Hospital
-Submitted by Hannah Schoendaler, CNO
Transforming Healthcare
Together
The Kansas Heart and
Stroke Collaborative is a
program of The University
of Kansas Hospital
suported by a $12.5 million
federal Heathcare
Innovation Award and in
partnership with Hays
Medical Center. The
Collaborative, which also
includes ten critical access
hospitals, a federally
qualified health center,
primary care providers and
specialists serving
Northwest Kansas, will
bring systemic change to
treatment for heart disease
and stroke in rural
populations. This new care
delivery model will
improve clinical outcomes
and reduce healthcare
costs.
Our Call to Action
One in four Kansans die
from heart disease or
stroke, with rural
communities having the
highest mortality rates.
Also, healthcare costs in
these communities are
higher than national
averages. Individual
hospitals and physicians do
their best to provide
needed care in their
communities, but systemlevel strategies are needed
to move the needle on
these statistics. Working
together, Collaborative
partners will develop and
implement new strategies
to deliver the right care, at
the right place, at the right
time.
Delivering Access
No one should have to
choose between living in
rural Kansas and having
access to high-quality
healthcare. Advancements
in technology make it
possible to deliver highly
specialized care at nearly
any bedside, and
collaboration among
providers will make it a
reality.
Coordinating Care
The Collaborative will focus
on coordinating care for
heart disease and stroke
patients. Specific tactics
will include developing and
implementing shared
clinical guidelines,
delivering telehealth
services through a
telehealth robot awarded
through the grant, and
utilizing electronic health
information exchange.
Together, Collaborative
partners will establish
standards and procedures
to increase efficiency and
enhance patient outcomes,
across all levels of care.
Engaging Patients and
Their Families
technology.
Sustaining Rural Providers
Rural hospital closings and
healthcare provider
shortages have brought
attention to the
sustainability of rural
healthcare. Utilizing
powerful data analysis, the
Collaborative, working with
federal officials, will design
and deploy payment
models to support
providers in a changing
healthcare environment.
Achieving Goals
The Collaborative will
continuously evaluate
performance to measure
progress in achieving its
goals of reducing deaths
from stroke and heart
attack in rural communities
by 20 percent while
reducing healthcare costs.
Collaborative partners
embrace accountability for
improving the health of
communities they serve.
Our Mission
“To create and maintain the kind of environment where the quality of care we provide our
residents and patients is driven by the value of compassion and caring. To permeate
everything we do with these values, and by so doing, strengthen our ties to each other, our
residents, our patients and our community.”
Contact us:
Sheridan County Health Complex
(785) 675-3281
Hoxie Medical Clinic
(785) 675-3018
Selden Community Clinic
(785) 386-4380
www.sheridancountyhospital.com
SHERIDAN COUNTY
HEALTH COMPLEX
PO Box 415
Hoxie, KS 67740
PRESORT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
HOXIE, KS
PERMIT NO. 3
RESIDENT