GRMC Hosts First-Ever Blue Jean Ball

Get out your favorite jeans and make plans to attend the first-ever Blue Jean Ball hosted by Grinnell Regional Medical Center.

The event will be Saturday, Sept. 24, from 8 p.m. to midnight at Grinnell Regional Airport/Billy Robinson Field. Advance tickets are $25 per person; $45 for two. Tickets go on sale Aug. 1 and can be purchased online or the following locations: The Glass Gift Box; Postels Community Health Park; in Brooklyn at Seaton’s; Lynnville Medical Clinic; New Sharon Memorial Clinic; Deer Creek Health Center; Victor Health Clinic; and Victor Market. Tickets at the door will cost $30 each.

Headlining the event’s entertainment is The Dweebs, a popular Wisconsin-based band that covers hits from the ‘70s to today.

Ben Latimer and Jeffrey Knobloch are the masters of ceremonies for the evening that will include celebrating GRMC CEO Todd Linden’s upcoming 50th birthday.

Proceeds from the event will go toward the purchase of a new anesthesia machine for the surgery department. An array of items are on offer for guests to bid on through a silent auction, live auction, and raffle. Silent auction items include handmade truffles, artwork by local artists, overnight stays at area bed and breakfasts, gift baskets, and more. Live auction items include a week’s stay at a condo in Estes Park, Colo., as well as a week-long stay in a high-rise condo overlooking Chicago’s Lake Michigan.

The raffle offers the chance to win an iPad 2 or a Flip camera at a great price. For $5, participants can buy two tickets; five tickets for $10.

“GRMC has a long-standing tradition of hosting beautiful gala events,” says Denise Lamphier, GRMC’s director of communications and development. “We wanted to keep the idea of a gala but make it more casual, so we came up with the idea of a Blue Jean Ball. There’s something for everyone. It’s really a celebration of the great relationship between GRMC and the community.”

In fact, the annual Optimist Fly-In Breakfast will be held earlier in the day, beginning at 7 a.m. at Grinnell Regional Airport.

“We want people to come out that morning and have a fun family time with the Optimists and then come back that night for some adult fun,” Lamphier says. “We are working with the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce, Grinnell College, and ASI Signage Innovations, as well as our sponsors, to make this a memorable event to celebrate quality healthcare.”

Sponsors for this event include: Designer Sponsors – Manatts and the Michael and Susan Witt Foundation; Boot Cut Sponsors – Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation and The Linden Family (Charles and Judith Linden; Erika Linden and Randy Thompson; Teresa and Mark Perrin; and Todd Linden and Angela Johnson); Stonewashed Sponsors – ASI Signage Innovations, Great Western Bank, Heishman Ag, VanderLinden Construction and the Villas at Prairie Pointe; and Dark Blue Sponsors – Axmear Farm, LLC, Bikes to You, Grinnell Family Care, Grandma’s House, KGRN, Dr. Matthew McKnight – Foot and Ankle of Iowa, The Phoenix Café and Market, and The University of Iowa Community Credit Union.   

A team of volunteers and GRMC staff have partnered with GRMC’s office of Communications and Development to plan this event. They include Rachel Bly, Tiffany Bridgewater, Jennifer Collins, Casie Cooling, Mary Emge, Kris Gilman, Julie Gosselink, Valerie Hammond, Angela Harrington, Sheena Huls, Heidi Knobloch, Sharon Lahn, Sally Lang, Ben Latimer, Leila Maring, and Emily Schmidt.

For more information about tickets call 641-236-2954 or email llof@grmc.us.

22nd Annual GRMC Golf Outing a Success

Golfers from around the area gathered at Grinnell Golf and Country Club on Friday, July 22 for the 22nd Annual Grinnell Regional Medical Center Golf Outing. Nearly $12,000 was raised for the medical center to use toward the purchase of a new anesthesia machine.

Bailey Thompson lines up a shot with help from teammates and 

fellow co-workers Joe Fenner, Mary Duke, and Becky Froias.

“The heat did not keep golfers from having a great day on the course,” says Todd Linden, president and CEO. “I think everyone had a great time raising funds for a new anesthesia machine for our surgery department.”

This year’s eagle sponsors were Associated Computer Systems, Bernie Lowe and Associates, Grinnell State Bank, and JELD-WEN.

The GRMC golf outing is a best shot, four-person team format planned by a committee of community members and hospital employees. They are Becky Froias, Dr. Scott Collings, Mary Duke, Scott Gilbert, Dr. Jeff Knobloch, Darcy Swick, Jeanette Budding, Denise Lamphier, and Jan Veach.

In the morning teams played nine holes. Finishing in first place was GRMC  (Becky Froias, Mary Duke, Bailey Thompson, and Joe Fenner) with a score of 30. The second place team, with a score of  32, was Priority Plastics (Morgan Pryor, Steve Crothers,  Phil Gross, and Randy Masterson). Third place went to Lincoln Savings Bank (Rich Gogg, Mike Pearson, Gary McKay, and Al Frischmeyer).

During the afternoon session, teams played 18 holes and were divided into two flights. First place, first flight went to Grinnell State Bank's team of Mike Larson, Eric Smith, Greg Muckler, and Jeremy Muckler with a score of 55. In second place was Baldwin-White (Kevin White, John Stenberg, and Paul Kroger) with a score of 57. Wes Finch Auto Plaza (Wes Finch, Jeff Finch, Hugh German, and John German) took third place with a score of 57.

In the second afternoon flight, first place went to Cirks Financial (Tom Cirks, Jacob Crawford, Mike Winblade, and Scott Gilbert) with a score of 59. The second team in the flight, ACS (Tony Foth, Jamie Ridgeway, Heidi Thompson, and Tom Szary), posted a score of 60. Iowa Orthopaedics (Dan VandeLune, Scott Peery, Doug Bryant, and Jeff VanPelt) also came in with a 60.

The GRMC golf outing includes contests at each hole. At holes 1 and 10, golfers tried to see who could land closest to the pin in one shot. The winner was Russ Bandstra who picked up a $50 HyVee gift card, courtesy of HyVee Food Store.

Holes 2 and 11 were sponsored by Grinnell Golf and Country Club and Bernie Lowe and Associates. On hole 2, golfers competed to have a better tee-off than Grinnell Golf and Country Club pro Mitch Burr. Bernie Lowe and Associates put up $500 to the first golfer to get a hole-in-one. No one was able to earn the $500 prize.

Sheri Schulz and Jeff VanPelt each won $50 gift certificates to the Grinnell Golf and Country Club, courtesy of KJWW Engineering, for the longest drives on holes 3 and 12.

On holes 4 and 13, Mike Creary won $50 in Grinnell Chamber Bucks, sponsored by BSC Construction Services for sinking the longest putt.

At holes 5 and 14, Bailey Thompson and Ben Latimer claimed the contest landing their ball closest to the bedpan and each won $50 in Pagliai’s Pizza gift certificates.

Shannon Renze and Jack Matthews each won a $50 gift certificate to Michael’s for getting their shot closest to the line on holes 6 and 15. The prize was donated courtesy of Michael’s.

Sheri Schulz and Joe Fenner won the prize for the longest drives on holes 7 and 16. Winners received $50 Grinnell Chamber Bucks, sponsored by The Straub Corporation.

Sheri Schulz and Dan VandeLune each earned $50 in Grinnell Chamber Bucks for getting closest to the tiger on holes 8 and 17. Prizes were sponsored by ASI Signage Innovations.

On the 9th hole, golfers paid $5 to bet that they could land on the green with one shot. All golfers who landed on the green in one and paid to play were entered in a drawing for a Cleveland Driver 9 460 CC with the winner drawn from these golfers. This year’s winner was Dave Smith.

Sponsors and donors who made this event possible included: Ahrens Park Foundation; ASI Signage Innovations; Bernie Lowe and Associates; BSC Construction Services, LLC; Bourbon Street; Brown Shoe Fit; Casa Margarita; Cirks Financial Services; Cory Hall Photography; Dayton Meats; Electronic Engineering,The Glass Gift Box; Grinnell Chamber of Commerce; Grinnell Golf and Country Club; Grinnell Health Care Center; Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company; Grinnell Regional Medical Center; Grinnell Sporting Goods – Rees; Hy-Vee Food Store, Iowa Hospital Association; Jensen Optometrists; Julin Printing; KJWW Engineering Consultants; Lincoln Savings Bank; Todd Linden; Linder Tire Service Inc.; Lonnski’s Pub & Deli; Mercy Health Network; Michael’s; Montezuma Country Club; Montgomery Sandwich Shop; Pagliai’s Pizza; Pigott; Pizza Hut; Poweshiek Publications; Prairie Knolls Country Club; Priority Plastics; Russ’ All Sports Consignment; Steel Erectors of Iowa; The Straub Corporation; Total Choice Shipping & Printing; University of Iowa Community Credit Union.

Internal Medicine Outpatient Clinic to Open

Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine now accepts referrals for advance adult care.  The internal medicine outpatient clinic is fully staffed, following the addition of Todd Janicki, MD, MBA, on July 1.

The internal medicine specialists at the clinic specialize in care for adults with uncontrolled chronic conditions, symptoms that don’t have a cause or treatment, or severe acute conditions. The clinic is located on the second floor of the Ahrens Medical Arts Building, 210 4th Ave., Grinnell. Clinic hours will be Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to noon.

“GRMC provides a full spectrum of care options and our clinic greatly expands the specialty care that area residents can receive close to home,” explains Christine Lindgren, MD, PhD. “We are specialists for the complicated and unsolved medical concerns of patients. We’re really looking forward to working with patients and their family care providers as a team to restore health.”

Providing outpatient care will be Christine Lindgren, MD, PhD; Ronald Collins, MD; and Todd Janicki, MD, MBA. The three internists will rotate their clinic hours as well as provide inpatient coverage as hospitalists.

The clinic operates on a referral and consult service basis only. Patients must be referred initially from their primary care provider and surgeons. Patients may also be referred to the clinic following hospitalization.

“GRMC’s internal medicine specialists primarily focus on inpatient care,” explains Lindgren. “We’re a hybrid practice with our priority on hospitalist activity and supporting inpatients with follow-up care after hospitalization. Outpatient care addresses specialized care for those areas that GRMC doesn’t have a full time specialist.”

GRMC recruited internal medicine specialists with strong clinical background for the hospitalist positions.

“These physicians have years of experience in diagnosing and treating challenging cases. They’re not straight out of residency,” explains Todd Linden, GRMC president and CEO. “Their backgrounds are extremely helpful for our service area and the individuals we care for at GRMC.”

For more information on Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine, call 641-236-2382.

Donor Gives $25,000 to GRMC: Donation will Fund Continuing Education

An anonymous donor has given $25,000 to Grinnell Regional Medical Center to support continuing education for staff.

“To say that we are immensely grateful for this kindness would entirely understate the matter,” says Todd C. Linden, GRMC president and CEO. “Continuing education is absolutely critical to the mission of the medical center. Until now, we have never been able to meet all the continuing education needs of our staff right here in our own facility. In the past, our staff members have needed to drive and pay expensive course fees to meet the rigorous criteria necessary to maintain their certifications and licensure.”

GRMC will use the donation to subscribe to classes via Mercy Health Network’s Midwest Rural Telemedicine Consortium over the Iowa Communication Network. GRMC’s affiliation with Mercy gives the medical center the option to make this connection for an annual fee. The donation will give GRMC staff access to the many classes annually offered by Mercy’s MRTC for a 10-year period.
This type of distance learning allows for live audio/visual interaction between instructor and students throughout Mercy’s telemedicine consortium. Multiple members of GRMC staff can attend the courses through the ICN at one time, and staff will save time and travel costs when needing continuing education.

“This gift has the potential to benefit all GRMC employees and physicians,” says Alex Thompson, RN, GRMC clinical educator. “The staff at GRMC touches hundreds of lives a month. Because of this donor’s support, imagine how many patients will benefit from the knowledge our staff gains from this program over the next decade.”

Linden adds that the indirect benefits from this gift are also immense.

“In addition to helping us provide first-rate education to staff, we also believe the opportunity to receive continuing education credits right here at home will help us with recruitment and retention efforts,” he says.

For information about the new clinical education program or about making a donation to GRMC, contact Denise Lamphier, director of communications and development, at 641-236-2589 or dlamphier@grmc.us