Latest News from May 2010

Ord, NE - The Valley County Health System Board of Trustees has received the resignation of Larry Schrage.  Schrage's resignation was for personal reasons and is effective immediately.

At this time the Board will work with a consultant to take the necessary steps to pursue interim administrative services from someone external to Valley County Health System.

Hospital operations will continue as usual.  The new building project is still on schedule for a public open house on September 26 and grand opening on October 4.

Schrage began working at VCHS in 2005 as the CFO and was appointed CEO in May 2006.

ORD - Grief is a necessary and natural process after a significant loss.  Unfortunately there isn't a detour around the pain.  Like a shattered bone, a shattered heart needs two things before healing can happen: proper attention and sufficient time. 

In learning to resolve grief it often helps just to talk with someone who can listen patiently and in an understanding manner.  Grief support groups can be instrumental in helping people feel less isolated as they move at their own pace in their own way in working through their grief.  A support group is a safe place; a place where you can tell your story, a community which can share struggles and pain.  A support group is not a therapy group but it is therapeutic.  A support group is loving and caring, generous and concerned, healing and growth-enhancing.  A support group, very often, is fun.

Valley County Health System Hospice is sponsoring a Grief Support class for adults who have lost a loved one.  These classes are free of charge and will meet six consecutive Tuesdays beginning June 22nd and ending July 27th.  The classes will be held at the Valley County Home Health office at 400 S. 23^rd Street in the lower level.  Classes will be held from 7:00 - 8:30 pm.  If you are interested in learning more about these classes, please contact Marilyn Winkelbauer at (308) 728-4315.

Rob Bowen, a first year medical student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, has chosen Ord Family Health Center for a rotation.  Bowen is from Omaha and will be in Ord for three weeks as part of the western Nebraska rotation requirement after students complete their first year.

Erika Hadenfeldt, a physical therapy student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, has chosen Valley County Health System as one of her required rotations.  Hadenfeldt is from Cairo, NE.  She graduated from Centura High School in 2004.    She will complete an eight week rotation in our Rehabilitation Services department and is interested in a career in a rural community.

During the weeks of May 10 and 17, noticeable progress was made on the new hospital.  Glass windows were installed in the front lobby and ceiling tile was placed in the acute care department. The therapy pool for the Rehabilitation Department was delivered and installation began.

In the next few weeks vinyl wall covering will be started in the Surgery and Emergency departments.  Carpet will be installed in the hallways of the acute care department.  The helicopter pad and other miscellaneous paving will be poured. Kitchen equipment will be installed the first week of June.  Imaging equipment will be arriving for installation throughout the month of June.

The opening date for the new hospital will be Monday, October 4, 2010.  A public open house will be held on Sunday, September 26th from 1-4 pm.  For more information contact the Public Relations office at 728-4347.

Ord - Valley County Health System will be offering one fitness class for the public beginning June 8 and continuing through August 5. Johnathan Tomjack, Personal Trainer at VCHS will instruct a boot camp.  The class will include mild walk/jog intervals, overall conditioning and strengthening, deep glut and quad toning and mat work for total core workout. This class will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 6:45 am at the Ord Track. Anyone participating should bring a mat and water bottle.

Registration is $35.00.  To register, call Johnathan Tomjack at 728-4257 or stop by the VCHS Rehabilitation Department.

(ORD) - A hospital is more than a place where people go to heal, it is a part of the community that fosters health and represents hope. Hospitals are central to a healthy and optimistic community. That's the message organizers are touting with the 2010 National Hospital Week theme "Health, Hope & Healing."

The event theme, announced this week, is the centerpiece of a promotional campaign aimed at uniting health care facilities across the country during the May 9-15 celebration.

"National Hospital Week, first and foremost, is a celebration of people," Larry Schrage, CEO of Valley County Health System said. "We're extremely proud of each member of our staff and we recognize the important role they play in extending a sense of trust to our patients and our communities."

The nation's largest health care event, National Hospital Week dates back to 1921 when it was suggested by a magazine editor who hoped a community wide celebration would alleviate public fears about hospitals. The celebration, launched in Chicago, succeeded in promoting trust and goodwill among members of the public and eventually spread to facilities across the country.

A full slate of activities is planned at Valley County Health System, including and employee BBQ on Monday and Ice Cream social on Friday. For more information, call 308.728.3211.

Ord - Valley County Health System will be hosting two Lunch & Learn sessions on Tuesday, May 25.  The sessions, titled "Spend Smart, Eat Smart" will be instructed by Amy Vore RD, LMNT.  She will cover how to eat healthy on a budget; how, when and where to find the best food buys; how to read nutrition facts labels; and how to choose the freshest fruits and vegetables.

A session will be held from 11:15 am - Noon and a repeat session will be held from 12:15 pm to 1 pm.  Both sessions will take place at the VCHS Education Building, 1617 M Street in Ord.

The Lunch & Learn sessions are held monthly and are one component of the VCHS Wellness Matters Initiative.

The sessions are open to the public.  A brown bag lunch can be purchased from the VCHS Dietary Department for $3.00.  For more information or to register, contact Sheri Schrage at 728-4213 no later than Friday, May 21st at 5 pm.

Judy Mahony, Coder at Valley County Health System, recently earned the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) credential. 

Certified Coding Specialists are mastery-level professionals skilled in classifying medical data from patient records, generally in the hospital setting. These coding practitioners review patients' records and assign numeric codes for each diagnosis and procedure. To perform this task, they must possess expertise in the ICD-9-CM and CPT coding systems. In addition, the CCS is knowledgeable in medical terminology, disease processes, and pharmacology.

Mahony has worked in the Health Information department at Valley County Health System since December, 2006.

During the weeks of April 26 and May 3, continued progress was made on the interior of the new hospital.  Vinyl floor covering was installed in the acute care patient rooms.  Glass windows were installed at the west end of the acute care department, dining room and in some portions of the main entry.  The floor and wall tile in the kitchen was glued and grouted. 

In the next few weeks the therapy pool will be installed in the Rehabilitation department and vinyl wall covering will be started in the Surgery and Emergency departments.  The helicopter pad and other miscellaneous paving will be completed.  Cabinetry will continue to be installed throughout the building as well as ceiling tile.  Kitchen equipment will be installed the first week of June.

The opening date for the new hospital will be Monday, October 4, 2010.  A public open house will be held on Sunday, September 26th from 1-4 pm.  For more information contact the Public Relations office at 728-4347.

Becky Ries, Administrator of the Valley County Health System Foundation, attended the Association of Fundraising Professionals Mid-America Conference in Omaha on May 3 and 4.

The Mid-America conference brought together fundraising professionals from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota to learn and discover new and current trends for nonprofit organizations.  The conference consisted of educational sessions on the latest trends in fundraising and donor relations, led by nationally-recognized presenters.