If you have experienced the death of a loved one, it is normal and natural that you may be struggling to adjust to this loss.  To learn more about the grief process and to receive the support of others, you are invited to attend the BCH Hospice “Grief Recovery” program.

This six-week video/discussion program is a time to learn about the grief you may be experiencing as well as a time to remember and share memories of your loved one.

Classes will be held from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28 and Oct. 5 and 12, in the Homestead Room of Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, 1110 N. 10th St.

The classes will be facilitated by Registered Nurse Kay Wiens.

The classes are free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested.

To pre-register, for more information, or if you have a disability and require accommodations, please call 402-223-2366.

Pressure ulcers are painful sores for wheelchair-bound or bed-ridden patients, and Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center nurses and staff are on a mission to reduce or eliminate that pain by preventing the sores from occurring in the first place.

BCHHC concluded its formal participation in the Rural Nebraska Pressure Ulcer Prevention Collaborative this summer, and now hospital nurses and staff want to take their newly acquired education and passion for patient care beyond the hospital and into the community.

The overall goal of the collaborative was to reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers that develop in patients in rural healthcare settings -- specifically within hospitals and nursing homes -- by focusing on the prevention of pressure ulcers.

As a result of the collaborative process, participating hospitals and nursing homes are experiencing improvement in pressure ulcer reduction.  The percent of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers decreased from 35 percent to 12 percent from November 2009 through March 2010. The number of pressure ulcers in participating nursing homes decreased 64 percent during the collaborative period.

While Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center started and completed the program with no hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, there is always more to learn and processes to improve upon, according to Jan Rains, a registered nurse and project coordinator for this performance improvement project at BCHHC.

“It was a neat experience to have the opportunity to learn from experts around the country and to collaborate with other hospitals that have successes and to work with them to improve our processes,” Rains said. “Sometimes it’s the little changes that can make a big difference.”

BCHHC used a multidisciplinary team of bedside nurses, dietitians, rehabilitative therapists and others to review and improve its pressure ulcer prevention program of care. Rains said among the process changes nurses made was to assess patients when they are first admitted to the hospital and to screen at-risk patients on a daily basis.

Rains said the next step is to share information with assisted living facilities and nursing homes and to build a community program that provides for continuity of care for all patients once they leave the hospital.

The Rural Nebraska Pressure Ulcer Prevention Collaborative began September 2009 with 24 hospitals participating and ended with an Outcomes Congress in June in which participants celebrated their successes and lessons learned.

“This initiative is a stepping stone for patient safety and helps lay the groundwork for communities to work together to ensure a smooth transition from one level of care to another in the area of pressure ulcer prevention,” said Greg Schieke, senior vice president of CIMRO of Nebraska. CIMRO of Nebraska is the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for the state of Nebraska.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administers the QIO program across the country. Under contract with CMS, CIMRO of Nebraska works to promote quality healthcare services, determine medical necessity of services rendered and ensure professionally recognized standards of care are met for services rendered.

BEATRICE, Neb. (June 24, 2010) -- Beatrice Community Hospital finalized financing for a new $45 million facility today, completing a transaction that capitalizes on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act changes and will bring improved health care delivery to the small Nebraska town.

Local Nebraska banks and individuals have purchased nearly 40 percent of the tax-exempt bonds issued, and the community’s affinity for the project helped to keep the interest rate on the bonds low. The rate on the debt is fixed for 25 years, and $30 million of the bonds are rated investment-grade by Fitch Ratings. Beatrice is the only critical access hospital in Nebraska to achieve an investment-grade rating.

“We were happy that we were able to get an investment-grade rating, and we felt that the rates that we got will help to control some of the cost of health care in Beatrice for the next 20 to 30 years,” Chief Executive Officer Thomas Sommers said. “If I can hold down my costs, then I don’t have to raise rates.”

The $45 million financing was structured by Lancaster Pollard & Co., an investment banking firm that specializes in health care finance. The bonds were split into two issues – one of $15 million, which closed in late 2009 and was underwritten by Lincoln-based Smith Hayes Financial Services, and the second of $30 million, which was underwritten by Lancaster Pollard and closed today. Splitting the financing reduced interest costs for Beatrice Community Hospital, since the hospital had funding to start site work in late 2009, but did not have to pay interest on the full amount of the bonds until summer construction was ready to begin.

“The capital markets always shift during a project’s development cycle, and the markets have been especially volatile for Beatrice, so pursuing multiple funding options was crucial,” said Quintin Harris, vice president of Lancaster Pollard.  “Issuing the bonds in two series saved Beatrice about $1 million in interest expense, and the hospital’s fixed-rate structure benefited from strong community support.”

Splitting the financing also let Beatrice take advantage of a lower-cost financing option, bank-qualified bonds. These specially designated bonds allow banks to deduct the interest cost of carrying the bonds, making them more profitable and thus incenting banks to accept a lower interest rate from borrowers. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allows borrowers to issue up to $30 million in bank-qualified bonds each year (up from $10 million per year, per issuer before the Act). Beatrice’s bonds were spread over two calendar years to ensure they could all be bank-qualified.

The overall interest rate for the $45 million financing is 6.25 percent. The interest rate is fixed for 25 years.

Contacts:

Quintin Harris, Vice President, Lancaster Pollard: 319-331-5910 (cell) | qharris@lancasterpollard.com

Thomas Sommers: Beatrice Community Hospital: (402) 228-3344 | tsommers@bchhc.org

Katie Genrich was selected May Employee of the Month for Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center.

Genrich is a registered nurse who works in the Home Care department as a hospice nurse. Hospice care focuses on supporting people with life limiting illness or disease.

Genrich, of Beatrice, began working in Home Care in July of 2008, but previously worked for the hospital from 1988 to 2005 as a staff RN. The

Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who demonstrate the hospital’s values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval.

The Joint Commission is a national accrediting organization for hospitals, and BCHHC earned the Gold Seal of Approval by demonstrating compliance with federal regulatory standards for health care quality and safety.

“We believe The Joint Commission accreditation process is valuable because it is a way for us to demonstrate our commitment to patient safety and quality care,” said Tom Sommers, chief executive officer of BCHHC. “Seeking this accreditation is voluntary and we do it because we want our patients to know we are following safe practices and meeting national standards of care.”

To earn the Gold Seal of Approval, The Joint Commission conducts an unannounced on-site evaluation of the hospital and reviews and inspects all aspects of the Critical Access Hospital, the clinical laboratories, and home health, personal nursing care and hospice services.

Accreditation is an ongoing process, said Linda Ament, compliance and regulations officer for BCHHC, and assists the hospital in monitoring, updating and improving its procedures and policies on an ongoing basis.

 "The value of this survey is that it lets us know what we are doing well and assists us in identifying areas of service that need improvement,” she said.

BCHHC is one of only four critical access hospitals in Nebraska to become accredited by the The Joint Commission, joining Box Butte General Hospital in Alliance, Community Hospital in McCook and Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege in earning the Gold Seal of Approval. \

For more information, go online to The Joint Commission Web site at http://www.jointcommission.org.

Cindy Melcher of Fairbury is April Employee of the Month for Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center.

The Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who demonstrate the hospital’s values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work.

Melcher is a registered nurse who splits her time working as a house supervisor or as an Emergency Department charge nurse. In her role as house supervisor, Melcher serves as an onsite administrator during time periods when administrative staff is not present.

Melcher has worked for the hospital since 1984.

If you are dealing with the loneliness or stress of losing a loved one, there is support available through the BCH Hospice “Grief Recovery” program.

This six-week video/discussion program is a time to learn about the grief you may be experiencing as well as a time to remember and share memories of your loved one.

 Classes will be held from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays, May 4, 11, 18, 25, and June 1, 8, in the Homestead Room of Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, 1110 N. 10th St. The classes will be facilitated by Registered Nurse Kay Wiens.

The classes are free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested.

To pre-register, for more information, or if you have a disability and require accommodations, please call 402-223-2366.

Beatrice Community Hospital Hospice is holding its annual Tree of Life event this weekend to give the community an opportunity to honor a special person in their life.

The Tree of Life event will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, April 2-3, at the Indian Creek Mall. Volunteers will be available to accept donations and to help community members complete an "angel card" in honor of their loved one, living or deceased, to hang on the Tree of Life.

All donations will go to support BCH Hospice, a program that focuses on supporting people with life limiting illness or disease and offers a special kind of care for patients in their final stage of life.

Volunteers will also be available to share information about hospice services as well as information on completing an advance directive.

In addition, “Hospice Quilts” that depict the hospice journey will be on display.

After this weekend’s event, the Tree of Life will be on display at the hospital.

The theme of this year’s Beatrice Health Expo is Health Yourself 2010, with the goal of helping participants help themselves to better health in the coming year.

This year’s health expo includes the popular blood chemistry test, as well as joint replacement education, well water testing for nitrates and safe disposal of small mercury thermometers.

The expo will be held Saturday from 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the Southeast Community College Truman Center.

Sponsored by the Beatrice Community Hospital Health Expo Committee, the expo is for adults age 18 and older. Admission is free, although there is a cost for the blood chemistry test, the TDaP vaccination and the pneumonia shot.

Coffee and doughnuts will be served for a freewill donation, with all proceeds going to the Beatrice School Backpack Food Program.

Pre-registration is encouraged in order to make the expo go more smoothly and quickly for those attending, according to Norma-Lou Cook, health promotion coordinator for the hospital. Pre-registration is available from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. through Thursday at Beatrice Community Hospital, Parkview Home Health Office, Beatrice Public Library and Wymore Medical Center. Walk-in registration will also be available on the day of the expo.

Following is an overview of the screenings and educational booths that will be available.

Screenings

-- Blood Chemistry Test (costs $30): Requires eight hours of fasting; medication with water allowed.

 -- Blood Pressure Check.

 -- Skin Cancer Screening.

 -- Vision/Glaucoma Screening.

 -- Hearing Screening.

-- Breast Cancer Screening/Mammogram Scheduling: Three parts: 1) Educational information to make informed decisions; 2) Ability to schedule a mammogram at BCHHC; 3) Clinical breast exams by a female nurse practitioner. All three parts are encouraged for the best breast care.

 -- TDaP (costs $40): Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccination. Must be age 64 or younger to get this important adult vaccination.

-- Pneumonia Vaccination: $35.

-- Oximetry Screening. Offered by the hospital’s Cardiac Rehab/Wellness Center, this screening will measure the oxygen level in the blood stream.

Educational Booths 

-- Diabetes Risk Test.

-- Nutritional Education: Good Fats vs. Bad Fats.

-- CPR Video & Demonstrations: Focus will be on the American Heart Association’s new Hands-Only CPR campaign, which stresses that hands-only CPR performed by a bystander has been shown to be as effective as “conventional” CPR in emergencies that occur at home, work or in public. There are only two steps to remember: 1) Call 911 and 2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest.

-- Body Mass Index Testing by Beatrice YMCA.

-- You and a Sleep Study: Learn about sleep disorders and what a sleep study is all about.

-- Home Care Services: Home Health, Personal Nursing Care, Hospice.

-- Diagnostic Imaging: Education and information on digital mammography, bone density, and radiation exposure.

-- Joint Replacement Education: Sponsored by the hospital’s Physical and Occupational Therapy Departments.

-- Nebraska Organ Recovery System Kiosk.

More for Your Health

-- Small Mercury Thermometer Disposal: Sponsored by Keep Beatrice Beautiful. This state-wide collection program allows Nebraskans to dispose of any small mercury-containing thermometers for recycling. Mercury is an element that is found naturally in the environment and is commonly used in many consumer products.   It is also a potent nerve toxin that can affect human health.

-- Water Well Testing for Nitrates: High nitrates in private well water is a common problem in this area, one which can cause serious health problems. Public Health Solutions District Health Department will provide free nitrate testing for residents who bring a sample of their well water to the Beatrice Health Expo. On the morning of the fair, run your tap water for three minutes to flush the lines of standing water. Then collect about one cup in a clean glass jar.

-- PATCH: Sign up at the Planned Approach To Community Health booth for the Beatrice Community Hospital/Gage County PATCH Community Spring Fitness Campaign. This year’s goal is to walk enough steps to reach the historical homesteading town of Nicodemus, Kansas. On Saturday, participants are encouraged to walk the SCC campus trail.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center has purchased an advanced cardiovascular Ultrasound system to ensure patients have the highest quality testing service available for diagnosing heart disease.

The GE Healthcare Vivid E9 echocardiography scanner gives clinicians a view of a patient’s heart along with the ability to take specialized measurements of the heart’s function.

With this new equipment, Beatrice Community Hospital brings increased benefits to the community by offering physicians the ability to detect and diagnose subtle heart conditions. The increased capabilities of the Vivid E9 can help physicians better diagnose and treat their cardiovascular patients, enhancing diagnostic confidence for the entire care team.

“The advanced features of the new machine, including the clear, crisp image quality, should shorten exam time of an echocardiogram and increase the diagnostic information obtained from each patient,” Amy Sue White, registered respiratory therapist and cardiac sonographer for the hospital, said.p>

The addition of the Vivid E9 allows the hospital to perform a number of enhanced clinical tests, according to White, including:

--Measuring Heart Synchronization – Measurements can be made to understand if the heart is pumping with the correct rhythm. This information is important in understanding heart function and is useful when patients are being evaluated for pacemaker surgery.

--Detecting heart wall abnormalitiesp -- Proper motion of the heart wall is an important indicator of heart function and the Vivid E9 incorporates special tools for the cardiologist to “grade” a patient’s heart wall motion, providing guidance in treatment and follow up with the patient.p>

BCHHC has seen the use of echocardiograms to diagnose heart conditions grow over the past few years.

“We are proud to say we have the latest technology available,” said Keith Luedders, director of the BCHHC Cardiopulmonary Department. “This technology benefits the physicians, our patients and their families. We are very pleased to be able to bring this technology to Beatrice and Southeast Nebraska.”

“Cancer and End-of-Life Care” is the focus of this year’s Living With Grief teleconference sponsored by the Hospice Foundation of America.

Locally, Beatrice Community Hospital Hospice will host the teleconference from 12:30 p.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, at Parkview Conference Center, 1216 S. Eighth St.

Nationally, more than 125,000 people in 2,000 communities are expected to view this teleconference. The program provides an opportunity for a wide variety of professionals – including doctors, nurses, funeral directors, psychologists, educators, social workers and bereavement counselors – to share and exchange ideas and obtain continuing education credits.

The teleconference will address care options related to cancer diagnoses as well as loss and grief reactions for patients, families, and professional caregivers. The teleconference will also examine psychosocial aspects of cancer, pain management, and ethical issues related to the disease. This year’s teleconference will be moderated by Frank Sesno, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University.

Sesno will lead a panel of noted authorities that includes: Yvette Colón, director of education and support at American Pain Foundation; Malene Davis, president and CEO at Capital Hospice; Kenneth J. Doka, professor of gerontology at The College of New Rochelle; Richard Payne, director of the Institute on Care at the End of Life, Duke University; Sherry R. Schachter, director of bereavement services at Calvary Hospital/Hospice; and Brad Stuart, medical director at Sutter VNA and Hospice.

A 30-minute discussion by a panel of local professionals will follow the teleconference, from 3:30 p.m.-4 p.m.

“We are pleased to be able to host this conference and to offer this free educational event to the community,” said Paul Jensen, Beatrice Community Hospital Hospice coordinator. “Please don’t hesitate to call to find out how you can take advantage of this learning opportunity.”

The teleconference is free. Continuing Education credits are available for a fee.

For more information, contact Jensen at 402-223-2366.

When choosing fats, pick unsaturated fat over saturated or trans fat.

Butter vs. margarine, which is better for my heart?

Is olive oil the healthiest choice?

Are you confused yet?

Sorting out the good fats from the bad fats is the focus of a free educational program scheduled for Tuesday, March 23, by Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center Registered Dietitian Becky Meysenburg.

The program -- “The Skinny on Fats” -- will be held from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. in the hospital Homestead Room. Light refreshments will be served.

For years, Meysenburg said, fat in our diet has been considered the culprit in obesity and many diseases. But not all fats are bad for us, she says. In fact, some fats are essential to our health and well-being. In her program, Meysenburg will explore the different types of fats and how to incorporate the good fats into our diets while reducing the bad fats.

No pre-registration is required. For more information, call Meysenburg at 402-223-7387.

Gene Sullivan, a certified surgical technician, has been selected by his co-workers as Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center Employee of the Year for 2009.

The announcement was made Feb. 12 at a luncheon honoring the year’s employees of the month. Joining employees for the luncheon and award presentation ceremony were family members and friends as well as hospital staff, administrators and Board of Directors members.

The Employee of the Month and Year awards recognize employees who demonstrate the hospital’s values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work. Sullivan has worked for the hospital since 1975 and his co-workers described him as an employee who goes above and beyond expectations in customer service, is kind and compassionate to patients and their families and demonstrates through his everyday work that patient safety is his number one priority.

Hospital employees choose the Employee of the Year from among the monthly award winners. Sullivan received a variety of gifts and will be honored later this year on the state level during the Nebraska Hospital Association’s Caring Kind Award Luncheon, which honors employees from hospitals throughout the state.

The employees of the month for 2009 were: Robert Hautzenroder, floor maintenance, Environmental Services; Debra DeWald, registered nurse, Parkview Center; Meagan (Meyer) Rupprecht, receptionist, Home Health; Marie Cumro, aide, Housekeeping; Carol Fielder, registered nurse and house supervisor, Nursing; Gene Sullivan, certified surgical technician, Surgery; Connie Lovell, assistant practice administrator, Clinics; Laci Armstrong, medication aide, Parkview Center; Josi Zito, registered nurse, Home Health; Brandi McCormick, registered nurse, Outpatient Services.

Childbirth Preparation Classes can help new parents understand and better enjoy the journey of pregnancy as well as the birthing process.

Registration is under way for the next series of the Childbirth Preparation Class offered by Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center. Taught by trained and certified nurses, these classes cover everything from physical changes during pregnancy to breathing exercises during labor and delivery to baby care.

The seven-week class begins March 3 and ends with an optional Infant CPR Course on April 14.

In addition, a Breastfeeding Basics Class is being offered April 6. This class can be taken along with the Childbirth Preparation Class or on its own.

Classes should be taken two to three months prior to the baby’s due date. Remaining sessions of the Childbirth Preparation Class for this year begin May 5, Sept. 1 and Oct. 20.

For more information about class schedules and fees and to pre-register, call the hospital at 402-223-7298.

Approximately three babies out of every 1,000 have some degree of hearing loss and early detection is key to prevent delays in speech and language development, according to health experts.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center provides newborn hearing screenings as part of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Newborn Hearing Screening Program and recently purchased a new $19,000 testing machine with the assistance of a $2,500 Health and Human Services grant.

“Investing in this latest technology is worth every dollar,” said Ruth Claassen, director of Labor and Delivery services for the hospital. “Healthy hearing is essential for babies to learn to talk, and the early identification of hearing loss is crucial to getting children the help they need to be successful in life.”

BCHHC has conducted newborn hearing screenings since 2002.

Knee, hip, back and other musculoskeletal pain can turn life’s simple pleasures into painful ordeals.

Join Dr. Eric Thomsen of Beatrice at the next 55PLUS education program as he explores “What to do for the Pain” at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Parkview Conference Center, 1216 S. Eighth St, Beatrice. He will provide information on exercises, pain medications and other ways to make daily tasks easier.

For reservations, call Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center Center 55PLUS Coordinator Deb Whaley at 402-223-7227. This event is free and open to the public.

Parkview Center long-term care center in Beatrice said goodbye to its last resident on Jan. 14.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center announced Sept. 23, 2009, it was discontinuing long-term care services and closing Parkview Center, effective April 1, 2010.

Many residents, however, began immediately to find new homes, and the last resident left the facility Jan. 14, according to Diane Vicars, marketing director. At the time of the closing announcement in September, Parkview Center had 44 residents.

Parkview Village, an independent living facility located in the north part of the Parkview building, remains open for anyone needing income-based housing. The hospital’s home health, hospice and personal nursing care services, as well as the Children’s Immunization Clinic, will also continue to operate out of the Parkview facility.

A Seasonal Flu Shot Clinic for adults has been scheduled by Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center for 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, at Parkview Conference Center.

The seasonal flu vaccine was late to arrive this year, but it’s still not too late to benefit from a flu shot, said Norma-Lou Cook, health promotion coordinator and clinic organizer for the hospital.

“While it may seem late for the seasonal flu shot, health experts are still encouraging people to get vaccinated because it will provide valuable protection no matter what time of year,” Cook said.

No H1N1 flu shots will be available at the Jan. 18 clinic, Cook said. This clinic is for the seasonal flu shot only.

The clinic will be held:

Monday, Jan. 18: 4 p.m.-6 p.m., Parkview Conference Center, 1216 S. Eighth St.

Pneumonia shots will also be available.

These Flu and Pneumonia Shot Clinics are for adults age 19 and older.

Medicare Part B will cover the $20 fee for the flu shot and the $35 fee for the pneumonia shot. Medicare cards must be presented.

For more information, call Cook at 402-228-8503.

If you are dealing with the loneliness or stress of losing a loved one, there is support available through the BCH Hospice “Grief Recovery” program.

This six-week video/discussion program is a time to learn about the grief you may be experiencing as well as a time to remember and share memories of your loved one.

Classes will be held from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 2, 9, 16 and 23 and March 2 and 9, in the Homestead Room of Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, 1110 N. 10^th St. The classes will be facilitated by Registered Nurse Kay Wiens.

The classes are free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested. To pre-register, for more information, or if you have a disability and require accommodations, please call 402-223-2366.

Two Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center registered nurses have received certifications in their specialized area of nursing.

Brenda Rempe was certified in oncology by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation and Terri Black was certified in inpatient obstetrics by the National Certification Corporation.

Certification is a voluntary process, and reassures patients that a nurse has met or exceeded requirements for practice in their specialty area of nursing based on an extensive examination. Continuing education is necessary to maintain certification.

“I am very proud of these nurses,” said Ruth Claassen, clinical manager of Obstetrics and Outpatient Surgery. “These certifications are a validation and a recognition of their expertise and excellence in their chosen field.”

Black has worked in the BCHHC obstetrics department since 1988 and Rempe has worked as an oncology nurse at the hospital since 1993.

A Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center nurse was recently recognized with two statewide honors.

Brenda Rempe, a BCHHC registered nurse, was honored with the Excellence in Nursing Award from the Nebraska Chapter of the March of Dimes as well as the Caring Kind Award from the Nebraska Hospital Association.

Rempe, who has worked for the hospital since 1993, provides oncology services in the outpatient division of the nursing department at BCHHC. She delivers specialized services to patients in the community who have been diagnosed with cancer.

“Our nurses are caring, compassionate professionals and we are proud of Brenda for being selected as an outstanding representative of our nursing staff,” Beatrice Community Hospital CEO Tom Sommers said.

The Excellence in Nursing Award was presented earlier this month to 114 Nebraska nurses for their dedication to the nursing profession and quality patient outcomes. Nurses were nominated by individuals who wished to recognize a nurse for their outstanding contributions.

The Caring Kind award honors outstanding healthcare employees who have demonstrated compassion for patients, cooperation with co-workers and dedication to excellence in their job responsibilities. Hospitals across the state select one Caring Kind recipient from within their respective institutions to be recognized during the NHA Annual Convention.

This year, 72 employees were honored at the 30th anniversary of the Caring Kind Awards Luncheon held during October.

The Seasonal Flu Vaccine for adults has arrived and three clinics are being planned by Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center.

“While it may seem late for the seasonal flu shot, health experts are still encouraging people to get vaccinated because the flu season can last as late as May and the vaccine will still provide valuable protection,” said Norma-Lou Cook, health promotion coordinator and clinic organizer for the hospital.

No H1N1 flu shots will be available at these clinics, Cook said. These clinics are for seasonal flu shots only.

The clinics will be held:

Monday, Dec. 7: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Parkview Conference Center, 1216 S. Eighth St., Beatrice.

Monday, Dec. 7: 4 p.m.-7 p.m., Parkview Conference Center.

Wednesday, Dec. 9, 4 p.m.-7 p.m., conference room, The Villa at Flowing Springs, 2211 Sunset Drive (east of YMCA).

Pneumonia shots will also be available.

These Flu and Pneumonia Shot Clinics are for adults age 19 and older.

Medicare Part B will cover the $20 fee for the flu shot and the $35 fee for the pneumonia shot. Medicare cards must be presented. For more information, call Norma-Lou Cook at 402-228-8503.

Josi Zito of Wymore was selected Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center Employee of the Month for October.

Zito is a registered nurse in the Home Health Department. She has worked for BCHHC since 1999, starting as a nurse in the Pawnee City Home Health office. She now works out of the Beatrice office.

The Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who demonstrate the hospital’s values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work.

Beatrice Community Hospital Home Health is among the Top 500 home health agencies in the country.

BCH Home Health has been named to the 2009 HomeCare Elite, a compilation of the top performing home health agencies in the United States. This annual review identifies the Top 25 percent of agencies and further highlights the top 500 agencies overall.

Winners are ranked by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, quality improvement and financial performance.

“We set this as a goal to be part of the Top 500,” said Shelley Whitwer, BCH Home Health director. “The staff worked really hard. They truly care about their patients and it shows. I would like to congratulate not just our nurses, but also the home health aides, the physical, occupational and speech therapy staff, and the office personnel.”

HomeCare Elite has recognized BCH Home Health for quality performance the past three years.

HomeCare Elite is the only performance recognition of its kind in the home health industry. HomeCare Elite is a joint project of OCS Inc., a leading provider of healthcare information, and DecisionHealth, publisher of the home care independent newsletter, Home Health Line. The data used for the HomeCare Elite analysis was compiled from publicly available information.

Eleven Nebraska agencies made the national 2009 HomeCare Elite Top 25 Percent, two agencies were included in the Top 500 and two agencies were included in the Top 100.

Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions. Nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States live with diabetes, including nearly 1,500 Gage County residents.

In fact, if current trends continue one in three children born today will face a future with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

For those interested in learning more about how to live a full and active life with diabetes, two free programs are being sponsored by Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center during American Diabetes Month this November.

The first program, “A1C Champion Program,” is 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, in the Homestead Room of the hospital. A person with diabetes will talk about personal experiences trying to live a balanced, healthier lifestyle, planning and prioritizing diabetes management, overcoming fears surrounding diabetes and finding resources for support.

The second program, “10 Ways to Cut the Cost of Diabetes Care,” is 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, in the Garden Room.

Pre-registration is not required. For further information, call the hospital’s certified diabetes educator, Kathi Taylor, at 402-223-6758.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday afternoon to celebrate and announce details of its new replacement hospital construction project.

The hospital is to be built in north Beatrice, west of U.S. Highway 77 and south of Hickory Road in the Northgate Crossing Development, and will replace the current hospital in downtown Beatrice, located at 1110 N. 10th St.

The total cost of the construction project is estimated at approximately $50 million, which includes purchase of the land, construction of a 133,000-square-foot hospital building and equipment. The current hospital is 94,000 square feet.

“We are extremely excited and pleased to be able to see this project become a reality,” said John Rypma, chair of the BCHHC Board of Directors. “It has been a long process in getting to this point, but we think the new hospital will be a wonderful addition to the community, allowing us to provide state-of-the-art healthcare services for many years to come.”

 Hospital officials said dirt work is expected to begin in November, with completion of the facility planned for summer of 2011.

The not-for-profit 25-bed Critical Access Hospital employs about 365 full- and part-time employees, with an annual payroll of $21.8 million in wages, salaries and benefits.

The hospital’s beginnings date back to 1911 when the Mennonite Deaconess Home and Hospital was built. The Mennonite Hospital became Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center and in 1982 acquired the community’s Lutheran Hospital. The oldest portion of the current hospital building dates back to 1957.

Are you ready to quit smoking? Two Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center employees believe they have a program that can provide the support and assistance you need to be successful.

Registered Respiratory Therapists Deb Baumfalk and Michelle Sandal have been trained as facilitators of the Freedom From Smoking program, an eight-week American Lung Association class that will be offered at the hospital beginning Oct. 27.

 “I wanted to attend this training to help smokers in our community,” Baumfalk said. “As a former smoker I was very appreciative of the fact that the class focuses on the positive aspects of quitting smoking rather than the negatives of smoking.  I look forward to sharing what I have learned.”

The Freedom From Smoking program helps participants create personalized plans to overcome their tobacco addiction. Class topics include medications, lifestyle changes, managing stress, avoiding weight gain and staying smoke-free for good.

Studies show that people who use the program are six times more likely to be smoke-free one year later than those who try to quit on their own.

The class will meet on Tuesday evenings from Oct. 27 to Dec. 8. There is a $30 registration fee to cover the cost of class materials from the American Lung Association.

An information session is planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, in the Garden Room at the hospital for anyone who would like to find out more about the program prior to registering.

Preregistration is encouraged by calling the hospital’s Cardiopulmonary Department at 223-7326. Payment will be due the first night of class.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center announced today it has finalized an agreement for the donation of land to The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society to ensure the community has long-term care services for many years to come.

With the donation of the land, Good Samaritan Society has agreed to build a new long-term care facility to better meet the needs of residents in Beatrice and the surrounding area. As a result of this arrangement, the long-term care facility of Parkview Center will be closed, effective April 1, 2010.

News of the Parkview Center closing was shared with employees in a series of meetings on Wednesday. About 50 full-time and 50 part-time and on-call staff are employed at Parkview. Severance packages will be provided employees based on years of service.

Approximately 44 residents and their guardians also were notified about the closing.

“We understand the disappointment our employees and our residents feel about this announcement,” said Tom Sommers, hospital chief executive officer. “It has been a long and tough decision-making process for the hospital board of directors who had to find a way to balance fiscal responsibility with the community’s needs.”

Part of the decision-making process also was to ensure that the community continued to have long-term care services, according to John Rypma, hospital board chairman.

“We are confident that the commitment and decisions we have made to ensure that this community has quality long-term care services for many years to come will, in the end, be a positive one,” Rypma said. “There are many unknowns in the healthcare industry today and we feel strongly that we have a responsibility to ensure all the community’s healthcare needs are being met as we move forward.”

According to a Letter of Intent signed by the Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center Board of Directors, the Health Systems of Beatrice Board of Directors and the Beatrice Retirement Board of Directors, the hospital will donate 31.5 acres of land in the Flowing Springs Development to the Good Samaritan Society for construction of a new long-term care facility. The center will replace Parkview Center and the Good Samaritan Society – Beatrice campus.

Based in Sioux Falls, S.D., the Society offers long-term care, assisted living, senior housing and other services at more than 240 locations in 24 states. The Society also operates Good Samaritan Society – Samaritan Springs, an assisted living center in Beatrice.

“We are deeply appreciative of the gift of land to build a new long-term care center at Flowing Springs,” said Jacci Nickell, the Nebraska regional director for the Good Samaritan Society. “We believe this new center will provide a tremendous benefit to the entire Beatrice community and add to the continuum of care already provided by the Good Samaritan Society for seniors in the Beatrice area.”

The Society’s new skilled nursing center will feature neighborhood-style settings for residents that are designed to give residents and staff members more opportunities to share their daily lives in a way that feels like home.

The Good Samaritan Society’s existing long-term care center at Beatrice will not be closed until the new center is built, said Nickell. At that point residents and their families – along with staff – will be given the opportunity to move to the new center, she said.

Construction of a new hospital also will be moving forward. The BCHHC Board of Directors this week voted to proceed with construction of a new hospital in north Beatrice. That decision had been highly anticipated as the board announced this past spring that it was working to finalize a new hospital design and project budget. A groundbreaking ceremony is tentatively planned for late October.

If you are dealing with the loneliness or stress of losing a loved one, there is support available through the Beatrice Community Hospital Hospice “Grief Recovery” program.

This six-week video/discussion program is a time to learn about the grief you may be experiencing as well as a time to remember and share memories of your loved one.

Classes will be held from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, 27 and Nov 3, 10, in the Homestead Room at the hospital, 1110 N. 10^th St. The classes will be facilitated by Registered Nurse Kay Wiens.

The classes are free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested. To pre-register, for more information, or if you have a disability and require accommodations, please call 402-223-2366.

After four years in Alaska, Jason Buckbee and his family decided it was time to come home again.

Jason is the newest member of the physical therapy department at the Beatrice Community Hospital.

Jason was featured in the Saturday, Sept. 5, edition of the Beatrice Daily Sun. To view the full story, go to:

http://www.beatricedailysun.com/articles/2009/09/05/news/
local/doc4aa1f1231188e150965099.txt

Laci Armstrong is the Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center Employee of the Month for August.

Armstrong is a medication aide at Parkview Center, the hospital’s long-term care facility. She has worked for the hospital since March 2008.

The Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who demonstrate the hospital’s values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work.

There is no doubt that quitting smoking is hard and two registered respiratory therapists at Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center are organizing a program to be offered this fall for smokers who are ready to call it quits.

Deb Baumfalk and Michelle Sandal completed training this month to serve as facilitators of the American Lung Association Freedom From Smoking program.

Freedom From Smoking is an eight-week program that helps participants create personalized plans to overcome their tobacco addiction. Class topics include medications, lifestyle changes, managing stress, avoiding weight gain and staying smoke-free for good.

Studies show that people who use the program are six times more likely to be smoke-free one year later than those who try to quit on their own.

“I wanted to attend this training to help smokers in our community,” Baumfalk said. “As a former smoker I was very appreciative of the fact that the class focuses on the positive aspects of quitting smoking rather than the negatives of smoking.  I look forward to sharing what I have learned.”

Baumfalk and Sandal are organizing course materials and have tentatively set late October for the kickoff date of the first program

New moms seeking advice and support for breastfeeding their babies now have the assistance of seven nurses at Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center.

Seven of the hospital’s nurses completed training recently to become certified lactation counselors.

The nurses are: Jill Allen, registered nurse; Laticia Smith, RN; Bevin Jurgens, RN; Terri Zajicek, RN (home health); Kelli Simpson, licensed practical nurse-certified; Jessica Peterson, LPN-C; and Misty Higgins, LPN (clinic).

The nurses attended the two-day course, Breastfeeding Basics and Beyond, in Beatrice during June. The course was sponsored by Prepared Childbirth Educators Inc. and offered through Public Health Solutions public health department.

The nurses are available to help moms during their stay at the hospital, but are also available to answer questions once moms return home. New moms are encouraged to call 402-223-7315 to get answers to their breastfeeding questions.

Connie Lovell of Wymore is the Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center July Employee of the Month.

Lovell is the assistant practice administrator for the hospital’s clinics. She has worked for BCHHC since 1990.

The Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who demonstrate the hospital’s values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work.

An additional Gage County Immunization Clinic is being planned due to high demand prior to the start of the new school year in August.

The clinic will be held from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13, at Parkview Center  Conference Center, 1216 S. Eighth St.in Beatrice.

Measles, mumps and many more immunizations are required before children can begin attending school, and Immunization Clinic officials in Beatrice/Gage County want to remind parents to check the start date of their children’s schools to make sure they get their children’s immunizations in time.

Additional immunizations may be required before starting seventh grade and college.

Because of state laws, a child may be prohibited from attending classes on the first day of school without the required immunizations, according to Norma-Lou Cook, Immunization Clinic organizer. School starts Aug 13 at Freeman in Adams and at Tri County in DeWitt, Aug. 18 in Beatrice and Diller-Odell and Aug. 19 at Southern in Wymore.

The regularly scheduled Immunization Clinics for August will be Aug. 17, 18 and 20. The August clinic times and dates are:

--9 a.m.-noon, Monday, Aug. 17

--4 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18

--4 p.m.-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20

Monthly Immunization Clinic dates are also posted on the hospital’s Web site at  www.beatricecommunityhospital.com .

The clinic process normally takes 30-45 minutes.  Appointments are encouraged and may be made by calling 402-228-8513 or 402-228-8503.

Donations are welcome but not required. The child’s immunization record must be brought to each clinic.

Cook, a registered nurse and health promotion coordinator for Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, organizes the monthly Gage County Immunization Clinic with help from hospital employees, Gage County Extension Club members, trained lay volunteers and professional nurse volunteers.

Carol Fielder, a 27-year employee of Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, has been selected the hospital's May employee of the month.

Fielder, of rural Pickrell, works for the hospital as a registered nurse, a certified emergency nurse and a house supervisor.

The Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who demonstrate the hospital's values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work.

In her role as house supervisor, Fielder serves as an onsite administrator during time periods when administrative staff is not present.

Fielder also is a certified instructor of Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support and cariopulmonary resusciation, which allows the hospital to provide onsite trianing to staff. She also teaches community CPR and automated external defibrillator classes.

Gene Sullivan was selected Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center June Employee of the Month.

Sullivan is a certified surgical technologist. The Beatrice resident has worked for the hospital since 1975.

The Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who demonstrate the hospital's values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center now provides the latest in mammography screening technology.

The hospital has added digital mammography to its diagnostic imaging services. Digital mammography incorporates revolutionary imaging technology that provides sharp breast images for quicker, more accurate viewing. The images appear on the technologist’s monitor in a matter of seconds. There is no waiting for film to develop, which means less time in the breast imaging suite for patients.

With the addition of the Hologic Selenia Full-Field Digital system, Beatrice Community Hospital is now a certified Pink Ribbon Facility, a distinction awarded only to an elite group of healthcare facilities. By offering women digital mammograms, the facility hopes to increase the number of area women who follow recommendations for regular screenings.

Digital mammography offers a number of other practical advantages and patient conveniences. A shorter exam means less radiation exposure. Because there is no waiting for film to be developed, the need for repeat exams due to under- or over-exposure is significantly reduced.

In addition, computer-aided detection technology uses computer software to analyze the mammograms, highlighting areas of interest and drawing the radiologist’s attention to areas that require additional review.

In addition, digital images are easily stored and transferred electronically, eliminating the dependency on one set of original films, which can be misfiled or lost in transit.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women, exceeded only by lung cancer.  Statistics provided by the American Cancer Society indicate that one in eight women will develop breast cancer sometime in her life. The stage at which breast cancer is detected influences a woman’s chance of survival. If detected early, the five-year survival rate is 97 percent.

Beatrice Community Hospital is committed to the fight against breast cancer. In offering digital mammography, the hospital provides the latest in imaging quality. To schedule a digital mammogram, contact your doctor today.

Christy (Doeschot) Nielsen of rural Firth, performance improvement manager for Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, recently earned the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality designation.

The granting of CPHQ status recognizes professional and academic achievement by individuals in the field of healthcare quality management, including quality management, quality improvement, case/care/disease/utilization management, and risk management at all employment levels and in all healthcare settings.

CPHQ status is considered the worldwide gold standard for the healthcare quality professional.

Nielsen received her master’s degree in nursing science from the University of Nebraska in 2008 and is a member of the Nebraska Association for Healthcare Quality, Risk and Safety and the National Association for Healthcare Quality.

For the second consecutive year, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska has recognized Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center for its commitment to delivering the best health care possible to its patients.

The hospital was presented a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska Recognition for Quality Award for its active participation in the 5 Million Lives Campaign.

As part of this campaign initiated by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the hospital is implementing a variety of nationally-recommended best practices to improve patient care such as reducing infections, preventing pressure ulcers and decreasing the number of adverse drug events. The hospital has also put in place a rapid response team. This team of caregivers responds when care providers identify a change in patient condition which requires immediate evaluation and treatment.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska Recognition for Quality Award recognizes and rewards network providers for their participation and achievements in an established range of health care quality improvement initiatives. These initiatives use standards set by the federal government and health insurers as well as national health care and medical professional organizations. These standards are used to measure, report, improve and monitor the care given to patients.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center staff presented at the 2009 Nebraska Healthcare Quality Forum on May 4 in Lincoln.

Presenters were Performance Improvement Manager Christy (Doeschot) Nielsen and Case Facilitator Sally Johnson, both registered nurses. The title of the presentation was “Developing a Resource Repository for Evidence Based Practice in a Critical Access Hospital.”

More than 300 healthcare providers statewide participated in the forum in an effort to build partnerships to improve the quality of care for Nebraskans. The Nebraska Healthcare Quality Forum focused on successes in improving the quality of healthcare for a rapidly growing Medicare population, including initiatives that succeed in improving quality of care in nursing homes, homecare agencies, hospitals and physician offices.

In addition to Beatrice Community Hospital staff, 23 Nebraska organizations presented quality improvement initiatives, methods and data and activities demonstrating their efforts to improve healthcare practices. Presentation topics included organizational culture change, clinical care, patient safety, health information technology, patient-centered care processes and transitions of care.

The 2009 Nebraska Healthcare Quality Forum was sponsored by CIMRO of Nebraska, Nebraska’s Medicare Quality Improvement Organization.  CIMRO of Nebraska is an independent QIO under contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to work with Nebraska providers to improve the quality of care for Nebraska Medicare beneficiaries.

Marie Cumro of Beatrice is April Employee of the Month for Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center.

Cumro is a housekeeping aide at the hospital and has worked for BCHHC since January of 2008.

The Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who demonstrate the hospital’s values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center is hosting the annual Hospice Foundation of America annual teleconference “Diversity and End-Of-Life Care” on Wednesday, April 29.

The teleconference will be held from 12:30 p.m.-3 p.m. at Parkview Center Conference Center, 1216 S. Eighth St., Beatrice. The teleconference is free and open to the public.

Following the teleconference, there will be a 30-minute panel discussion (3 p.m.-3:30 p.m.) with local professionals that is also free and open to the public. Anyone seeking Continuing Education Contact Hours available through HFA must attend the panel discussion.

HFA presents a nationally recognized distance learning program annually to educate health care professionals and families on issues affecting end-of-life care. The program provides an opportunity for a wide variety of professionals – including doctors, nurses, funeral directors, psychologists, educators, social workers and bereavement counselors – to share and exchange ideas and obtain continuing education credits.

This year HFA’s 16th annual National Bereavement Teleconference focuses on “Diversity and End-of-Life Care.” The teleconference will examine how diversity influences end-of-life decision making and the impact that culture has at the time of death and during bereavement. One of the goals of the teleconference is to increase sensitivity by helping professionals acknowledge how their own cultural values and assumptions influence the delivery of care. The program will also discuss the challenges that may occur when culture considerations may cause ethical concerns or moral distress.

Frank Sesno, professor of media and public affairs at The George Washington University and special correspondent with CNN, will lead the panel of noted authorities that includes: Samira K. Beckwith, president and CEO of Hope HealthCare Services; Sandy Chen Stokes, executive director, Chinese American Coalition for Compassionate Care; Kenneth J. Doka, professor of gerontology, Graduate School of the College of New Rochelle; Wanda H. Jenkins, manager of bereavement services at VITAS Innovative Hospice Care; Richard Payne, director, Institute on Care at the End of Life, Duke University; Paul Rosenblatt, professor, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota; and Carlos Sandoval-Cros, Rev., St. Simon's Episcopal Church, and psychiatrist, private practice.

Each year this award-winning, televised broadcast is seen in more than 2,000 communities across North America, reaching an estimated live audience of 150,000 people. Hospice Foundation of America is a not-for-profit organization, which acts as an advocate for the hospice concept of care.

To register or for more information, call 402-223-2366 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.).

Each year, more than 140,000 people are diagnosed with a blood cancer, such as leukemia or lymphoma.

Less than 30 percent of patients can find a match in their own family; the other 70 percent must search for an unrelated donor.

Only three out of 10 patients will receive the transplant that could save their lives.

On Thursday, April 23, the Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center Laboratory Department is teaming up with DKMS, the largest bone marrow donor center in the world, to hold a bone marrow donor drive in Beatrice.

The drive is planned for 7 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Prairie Room of the hospital.

According to BCHHC Medical Technologist Gina Kapels, the bone marrow donor registration process is quick and easy. All a donor needs to do is complete a registration form and swab the inside of their cheeks. Donors must be between the ages of 18 and 55, and the donor registration process is free.

“I wanted to do a Bone Marrow Donor Drive because this is something we can do without being invasive or expensive,” Kapels said. “It’s just a little of your time and you can save someone’s life. What a great feeling that would be. So for National Laboratory Week, I decided that it would be awesome to help those who need help. Plus we see many leukemia and lymphoma patients and knowing that we might help one of them would be a feeling that no words can describe.”

As a non-profit organization, DKMS relies on the generosity of individuals to help finance the $65 cost DKMS pays to tissue type each bone marrow donor who registers. Donations are voluntary.

DKMS is the world’s largest marrow donor center with more than 1.8 million registered marrow donors. Since its founding, DKMS has facilitated more than 16,000 transplants. A transplant replaces a patient’s unhealthy blood cells with healthy blood cells from their donor.

The mission of DKMS is to give every blood cancer patient a second chance at life by recruiting marrow donors from every race and ethnicity. For more information about DKMS, visit www.dkmsamericas.org or call 1-866-340-3567.

For more information about the hospital’s donor drive, call Kapels at 402-223-7331. The week of April 19 is Medical Laboratory Professionals Week.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center  Employee of the Month for March was Meagan Meyer, a receptionist in the Home Health Department.

The Employee of the Month awad recognizes employees who demonostrate the hospital's values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center has earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory care services available in hospitals.

About 700 hospitals or approximately 15 percent of hospitals in the United States have applied for and received this award.

The QRCR program was started by the American Association for Respiratory Care in 2003 to help consumers identify those facilities using qualified respiratory therapists to provide respiratory care. Hospitals earning the QRCR designation ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services.

To qualify for the recognition Beatrice Community Hospital provided documentation showing it meets the following conditions:

n All respiratory therapists employed by the hospital to deliver bedside respiratory care services are legally recognized by the state as competent to provide respiratory care services or hold the certified or registered respiratory therapist credential.

n Respiratory therapists are available 24 hours.

n Other personnel qualified to perform specific respiratory procedures and the amount of supervision required for personnel to carry out specific procedures is designated in writing.

n A doctor of medicine or osteopathy is designated as medical director of respiratory care services.

Respiratory therapists are specially trained health care professionals who work under physician’s orders to provide a wide range of breathing treatments and other services to people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, AIDS and other lung or lung-related conditions. They also care for premature infants and are key members of lifesaving response teams charged with handling medical emergencies.

The AARC is a membership organization representing more than 46,000 health professionals involved in respiratory care nationwide.

The February Employee of the Month for Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center is Debra DeWald, a registered nurse who works as a charge nurse at Parkview Center, the hospital’s long-term care facility.

The Employee of the Month award recognizes employees who demonstrate the hospital’s values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work. DeWald, of Fairbury, has worked for BCHHC since April 2005. As a charge nurse, she manages and directs patient care. The charge nurse also provides supervisory oversight to assigned staff.

Robert Hautzenroder of Beatrice was honored as the January 2009 employee of the month at Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center.

Hautzenroder works in the Environmental Services department in a floor maintenance position. He has worked for BCHHC since 2003.

Brenda Rempe, a registered nurse who provides oncology services in the Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center Outpatient Department, has been selected by her co-workers as Employee of the Year for 2008.

The announcement was made Feb. 20 at a luncheon where all 12 employees of the month were honored. Employees’ family members and friends were invited to join department managers, administrators and the Board of Directors for the celebration.

The Employee of the Month and Year awards recognize employees who demonstrate the hospital’s values of excellence, compassion and ethics in their daily work. Rempe has worked for BCHHC since 1993. She provides specialized services to patients in the community who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Hospital employees vote on the Employee of the Year from among the 12 employees who were selected as Employees of the Month throughout the year. Rempe received a variety of gifts and will be honored later this year on the state level during the Nebraska Hospital Association’s Caring Kind Award Luncheon, which honors employees from hospitals throughout the state.

The employees of the month for 2008 were:

January, Cindy Wilson, home health aide, Personal Nursing Care.

February, Kay McKinzie, educator, Human Resources.

March, Jackie Hippen, secretary, Rehab Services.

April, Diane Weishahn, housekeeping aide, Parkview Center.

May, Patty Hortman, clinical information analyst, Information Systems.

June, Tom Mick, floor maintenance supervisor, Environmental Services.

July, Brenda Rempe, registered nurse, Outpatient Department.

August, Marge Laflin, transcriptionist, Health Information Management.

September, Dave Clapper, maintenance engineer, Parkview Center.

October, Samantha Penner, insurance/billing clerk, Business Office.

November, Michelle Junker, staff accountant, Accounting/Payroll.

December, Bernice Vitosh, nutritional services tech, Nutritional Services.

The American Heart Association has renewed its Training Center agreement with Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center for another two years.

As a training center, BCHHC is responsible for training and coordinating 40-plus instructors throughout Southeast Nebraska in AHA-approved CPR and first aid techniques.

The hospital program provides quality assurance that instructors are being trained correctly, class participants are getting accurate information and there is consistency in everyone’s training.

BCHHC has been a designated training center for at least 12 years and the new agreement is good for another two years, through 2010.

“It’s a valuable resource for the residents of the communities we serve,” Carol Fielder, BCHHC Training Center coordinator, said about the hospital’s commitment to being an AHA-approved Training Center.

Through the training center, the hospital offers classes for infant, child and adult CPR training, pediatric or adult first aid training and automatic external defibrillator training. In 2008, 1,148 people took a course offered through the hospital training center.

Fielder and Bonnie Riekenberg, both registered nurses at BCHHC, recently completed training as Adult and Pediatric Advanced Cardiac Life Support instructors.

Don't let the economy get in the way of your health care.

The 2009 Beatrice Health Fair has been scheduled for 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 28, at the Truman Center at Southeast Community College. Admission is free.

Sponsored by Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, the health fair provides a variety of screenings and health care information to help you manage your health.

One of the most popular services of ths annual event is the reduced-price blood chemistry test that provides 18 screenings including those for cholesterol, thyroid and glucose levels. All screenings and services offered are for adults age 18 and older.

Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center housekeeping aide Rosaura Gaytan was honored this year with the Nebraska Hospital Association Caring Kind Award.

Gaytan was the hospital’s employee of the year for 2007.

Gaytan has worked at the hospital since February 2006. She was described by her nominators as dependable and someone who can be relied upon to perform her duties each day, thoroughly and accurately. She is always pleasant and kind, and has a smile and greeting for everyone she meets. In addition to her usual duties, Gaytan is also always willing to provide extra help to the hospital’s Spanish speaking customers.

For 29 years, the NHA has paid tribute to Nebraska's most caring hospital workers with the Caring Kind award. This prestigious award honors outstanding health care employees who have demonstrated compassion for patients, cooperation with co-workers and dedication to excellence in their job responsibilities. Hospitals across the state select one Caring Kind recipient from within their respective institutions to be recognized during the NHA Annual Convention.

This year, 68 employees were honored at the Caring Kind awards luncheon held on Oct. 31 at the Cornhusker Marriott hotel in Lincoln.

The campuses of Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center and its long-term care facility, Parkview Center, are going tobacco-free.

One year from now, on the day of the Great American Smokeout, Nov. 20, 2008, no tobacco use of any kind will be permitted – inside or outside – on hospital-owned property, including parking lots.

In 1994, the hospital implemented a policy that prohibited smoking in all buildings. Now, to further advance the health and safety of its employees, patients/residents and visitors, the Board of Directors is giving its support to extending this restriction to include all grounds and parking lots owned by the hospital.

“As a health care organization, we believe that we have a responsibility to take a leadership role on this major health issue by promoting and supporting a culture of healthy living,” CEO Thomas Sommers said.

This initiative will include the elimination of designated smoking areas outside the hospital and Parkview Center where employees, patients/residents and visitors currently use tobacco products.

During the coming year, information will be shared and signs will be posted announcing details of the new policy. In addition, free smoking cessation classes will be offered to employees and the public.

According to an April 2007 survey of Nebraska Hospital Association’s 85 member hospitals, approximately 30 percent of survey respondents had established tobacco-free hospital campus policies. Fifty percent of those without tobacco-free campuses had plans to implement such a policy within the next two years.

“This kind of project is consistent with the foundation’s philosophy to do things that enhance the health of the community,” said Rich Hovendick, president of the BCH Foundation Board of Directors. “We are pleased to be able to do things like this.”

Unlike manual defibrillators used in hospitals and by paramedics, AEDs are easy to operate, according to Keith Luedders, director of cardiopulmonary services at Beatrice Community Hospital.

The new generation of AEDs analyzes the victim’s condition and, if warranted, delivers an electric shock to the heart to reverse sudden cardiac arrest. No training course is required to use these AEDs, Luedders said. Step-by-step instructions are provided on the AEDs.

Luedders said the AEDs have voice prompts that guide the rescuer through the steps involved in saving someone; for example, “apply pads to patient's bare chest” (the pads themselves have pictures of where they should be placed) and “press red shock button.” In addition, safeguards have been built in to the unit so that non-medical responders can’t use the AED to shock someone who doesn't need a shock.

Luedders, a registered respiratory therapist, requested the grant for the purchase of the AEDs.

“Hopefully these AEDs would not have to be used, but in the event a patient went into cardiac arrest in one of these locations an AED could increase the person’s chance of survival,” Luedders said. “If one person could be helped with one of these AEDs it would be well worth the investment.”

The Family Caregiver’s Support Group will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 12, in the Chautauqua Room at Parkview Center, 1201 S. Ninth St., Beatrice.

This support group is for anyone who cares for a family member in long-term care or is the primary caregiver for a loved one who is disabled or suffering from a chronic illness.
Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center Chaplain Eric Alm facilitates the meetings which are scheduled on the second Saturday of each month.

There is no charge to attend. Neither preregistration nor attendance at previous sessions is necessary.  The program is non-religious.  For more information, call Alm at 402-228-8530.

Nebraska Organ Recovery recognized Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center recently for being a leader in tissue conversion rates.

BCHHC had three tissue donors between July 31, 2006, and June 30, 2007, and a conversion rate of 50 percent, which was one of the highest in the state, according to Nebraska Organ Recovery statistics.

Tissue Conversion Rate is the total number of tissue donors, divided by the total number of eligible tissue donors. Because the quality of tissue recovered for donation must be very good, there is a medical screening that must be completed prior to offering the opportunity for tissue donation to a family.

Any person who meets the medical eligibility for donation is considered an eligible tissue donor. When a person dies at the hospital, medical staff calls Nebraska Organ Recovery and the Lions Eye Bank of Nebraska. Representatives from those agencies then call the families asking them to consider tissue and organ donation. There is no cost to the family of the donor in the case of tissue or organ donation.

According to Nebraska Organ Recovery, there were only 120 tissue donors in the state of Nebraska last year out of approximately 6,000 hospital deaths and nearly 16,000 deaths statewide.

Each tissue donor has the ability to enhance the lives of more than 50 people, according to Nebraska Organ Recovery. The tissues recovered include the long bones of the arms and legs, the tendons in the elbows, shoulders and knees, the Achilles tendon, the fascia late (the sheath-like covering of the muscles of the upper leg), and heart valves.

Nebraska Organ Recovery said donated tissue is used in a variety of ways, such as:

 * Long bones may be used to replace those invaded by cancer. Without such a transplant, the limb may have to be amputated.

 * Smaller sections of bone are used to strengthen areas of a deformed spine and to fill areas where bone has been lost due to conditions that have damaged existing bone. Damaged tendons and ligaments may be reconstructed as well, thus strengthening the joint and assisting the patient in walking or running.

 * Sixty percent of all heart valves are transplanted into children. Donated heart valves will grow as a child grows and decrease the number of hospital visits. Also with a donated heart valve there is no need for long-term blood thinners.