New Physician at Grinnell Regional Medical Center

Grinnell Regional Medical Center welcomes Jennifer R. Paisley, MD, internal medicine and pediatric specialist. Paisley, a Grinnell native, started seeing patients on March 28, at Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine.

“Dr. Paisley’s unique skillset will undoubtedly be a valuable asset to Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine,” says Ronald Collins, Jr., MD, Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine. “Her multi-specialty prowess lends a distinctive edge that will enable her to better serve residents. We welcome Dr. Paisley to the internal medicine family and look forward to sharing her expertise with the community.”

Prior to coming to GRMC, Paisley practiced for two years at the NewCare Health Services in Newton, where she specialized in internal medicine and pediatrics. After completing medical school at the University of Iowa, Paisley completed her dual-residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in Kansas City, Mo., and its affiliated hospitals, including Children’s Mercy Hospital, Truman Medical Center, and St. Luke’s. She is board certified with the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics, and plans to become board certified in obesity medicine.

Paisley’s primary focuses include internal medicine, pediatric behavioral and developmental delays, and medical weight management. She endeavors to have her patient population evenly distributed between pediatrics and adults.

“Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine has done a good job helping patients with complex challenges,” Paisley says. “I want to continue that trend for our communities’ pediatric population, as well as serve as an intermediary medical source before seeking a specialist in Des Moines or Iowa City.”

Paisley’s interest in obesity medicine and management is complementary to services already offered at GRMC, and was also a guiding factor in her choice to practice at GRMC. Poweshiek County’s community health needs assessment ranked obesity as one of the highest priorities in need of change. Paisley is enthusiastic about developing a community-wide program to address the obesity issue.

“As a native of Grinnell, I have been aware of GRMC’s reputation for excellence in the area of bariatric medicine,” Paisley says. “I would love to help develop family-centered programs that target the root causes: poor understanding of nutrition, a loss of traditional cooking skills from prior generations, and an overall decrease in our activity. Teaching children to eat healthy from a young age is the single most important way to help combat this epidemic.”

In her free time, Paisley enjoys cooking, gardening, and spending time with her husband and two young children. She and her family moved back to Grinnell to be closer to family. She graduated from Grinnell High School in 2000.

For more information about Paisley’s services, please call Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine at 641-236-2382. Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine is located on the second floor of the Ahrens Medical Arts Building, 210 Fourth Ave. in Grinnell. Patients seeking an appointment must have a physician’s referral.

SE*ED: Olives and Nuts and Health – Oh My! An Introduction to the Mediterranean Diet

Dive into the Mediterranean diet with Elaine Hammes, MS, RDN, LD, GRMC dietitian at Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s SE*ED program on Monday, April 11.

Would you have imagined 10 years ago that you would be told to add fat to your diet and that you should enjoy eating? And how did a “poor man’s diet” that began more than 5,000 years ago during the Bronze Age become the gold standard for today’s healthy living? Discover what more than 50 years of intensive research has revealed about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends the Mediterranean diet as an eating plan that can help promote health and prevent disease. This includes reduced incidences of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

This program is free and open to the public. It will be held at 10 a.m. in the Drake Community Library, with refreshments beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Parking is available at the Drake Community Library, along Park Street, on Fifth Avenue, and in the First Presbyterian Church parking lot. Seniors needing transportation may call GRMC Communications and Development at 641-236-2593 by the Thursday before the program.

SE*ED: Feeding Families Around the World… and Around the Corner

The mission of Grinnell Kids Against Hunger is to reduce hunger around the world through local volunteers working together to package food. At Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s Senior Education program on Monday, April 18, KAH board president Heidi Ramaeker Pearson will present a program about how local volunteers help feed hungry children and families all over the world.

Since the fall of 2006, community groups and individuals have helped Grinnell KAH send food packets to several countries overseas including Nicaragua, Honduras, Tanzania, Liberia, and the Philippines. Grinnell KAH has also come to the aid of places in the United States, including eastern Iowa during the floods of 2008 and Joplin, Missouri, after a tornado in 2011. Grinnell KAH is the only local hands-on food packaging group that reaches beyond the Grinnell community. The organization’s participants are making a global impact by “giving through doing.”

The presentation will also include a tasting of the food packets Grinnell KAH puts together for hungry families. Each packet provides 21 vitamins and minerals and contains six servings of the dehydrated food, which when boiled will serve six children and provide all the vitamins and minerals they need for a day.

This program is free and open to the public. It will be held at 10 a.m. in the Drake Community Library, with refreshments beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Parking is available at the Drake Community Library, along Park Street, on Fifth Avenue, and in the First Presbyterian Church parking lot. Seniors needing transportation may call GRMC Communications and Development at 641-236-2593 by the Thursday before the program.

Surgical Associates Takes Grinnell Mutual Challenge with $25,000 Donation

Surgical Associates, LLP, has made a donation of $25,000 to help renovate the emergency department at Grinnell Regional Medical Center.

This gift makes Surgical Associates among the first to donate to the Moving at the Speed of Life campaign in response to a $250,000 gift this month from Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company. With its most recent gift, Grinnell Mutual asked the community to work together to raise another $250,000 toward the effort. When successful, this final push will help GRMC secure the funding needed for the $2 million emergency department renovation and expansion.

“Grinnell Mutual set a high standard with its second generous donation to the campaign,” says Nicholas Kuiper, DO, a Surgical Associates partner and co-chair of the Moving at the Speed of Life campaign. “Like Grinnell Mutual, Surgical Associates is committed to promoting a dynamic and thriving community. The emergency department is at the heart of healthcare in our community. GRMC has a wonderful ER team in place. We are pleased to show our support for the emergency department project and its incredible team of physicians and clinical staff.”

“I am humbled and honored that donors such as Surgical Associates continue to support our efforts to provide the best possible care for our patients by investing in this project,” says Todd Linden, GRMC president and CEO. “GRMC works closely with Surgical Associates, and having their support is crucial. This leadership gift demonstrates the commitment of our surgeons to not only the medical center, but also the entire community. We are blessed by both their surgical talents and their generous philanthropic support.”

“We are grateful to Surgical Associates for helping us unlock the challenge from Grinnell Mutual,” says Dan Agnew, volunteer co-chair of the Moving at the Speed of Life campaign. “We are well underway to reaching our goal thanks to the generosity of our local surgeons.”

“Please consider joining Grinnell Mutual and Surgical Associates in supporting the ER campaign generously,” Agnew adds. “Your gift can make all the difference and will improve safety, security, and the entire patient experience in the emergency department at GRMC.”

The ER project will refresh and update the entire emergency department by increasing the number of private treatment rooms, adding new triage and registration areas, and expanding support space for physicians, nurses, and other providers.

To date, GRMC has raised more than $1.7 million in gifts restricted to the emergency department renovation. Once fundraising efforts are completed, the project is scheduled to begin, ideally this summer. The project will take approximately six months to complete. There will be no interruption in emergency department services during construction.

“This is the kind of project that takes the support of the entire community to do,” Agnew says. “It is wonderful to see so many individuals and businesses taking part. It really shows that the people in Grinnell and the surrounding communities want to ensure that high quality medical care continues to be available right here where they live.”

For additional information about GRMC’s Moving at the Speed of Life comprehensive campaign or to discuss making a gift, contact Denise Lamphier at 641-236-2589 or dlamphier@grmc.us. Gifts can also be made online by going to http://www.grmc.us/donate. 

Couch to 5K in Nine Weeks

Grinnell Regional Medical Center will offer a free training program to help area residents build the stamina to complete a 5K walk or run. The Couch to 5K program kicks off on Monday, April 4, and will run for nine weeks. The program will successfully prepare participants to complete the 5K at the Grinnell Games on June 11.

The Couch to 5K training group will be held Mondays and Wednesdays, beginning at 5:15 p.m. at the PWA Fitness Center, 824 Commercial. Initially, classes will run for 30 minutes but will increase in length as the individuals build stamina and strength. The program is open to anyone in the community and free. Individuals progress at their own pace and build strength to reach their own goals.

Grab a friend and come have fun while building the strength to complete a 5K. The culmination of the class coincides with the week of the Grinnell Games, June 11-12.

Please register for this free class by calling the GRMC Wellness Center at 641-236-2999. 

SE*ED: Choosing Wisely Initiative

Join general internist Lauren Graham, MD, on Monday, April 4 at the Senior Education Program to discuss the “Choosing Wisely Initiative.” Grinnell Regional Medical Center begins its weekly programming with this thought-provoking issue about healthcare resources.

The Choosing Wisely Initiative is a campaign to encourage value-base healthcare and changing the practice of over testing and over treating at both the provider and patient level. Started by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the goal to avoid risks associated with unnecessary treatment, reduce waste in the healthcare system, and improve care for all patients. Over 70 medical specialist societies have contributed recommendations on overused test and treatments. Graham’s presentation will include recommendations and what providers, hospital systems, and patients across the country and at GRMC are doing to help wisely use our healthcare resources. 

Graham is a general internist practicing at GRMC. She completed her medical degree and masters of public health at Johns Hopkins, where she also did her residency training in internal medicine with a focus on primary care. Currently, she sees adult patients on a referral basis for chronic disease management.

This program is free and open to the public. It will be held at 10 a.m. in the Drake Community Library, with refreshments beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Parking is available at the Drake Community Library, along Park Street, on Fifth Avenue, and in the First Presbyterian Church parking lot. Seniors needing transportation may call GRMC Communications and Development at 641-236-2593 by the Thursday before the program.

GRMC Board Welcomes Two New Members

Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s governing board has elected two new members for 2016 appointments.

Ronald Collins, MD, of Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine, joined the GRMC board of directors as a voting member after serving as an ex officio member for two years as the GRMC medical staff representative. Kevin Emge, DO, GRMC anesthesiologist, joins the board as an ex officio member. He replaces Collins as the GRMC medical staff representative. 

The 2016 officers remain the same as 2015, as they serve two-year terms. Leading the board is Todd Reding of Grinnell. He is the President and CEO at Charrette Venture Group. GRMC board chair-elect is Wendy Kadner, owner of WSK Solutions, LLC, and Grandma’s House, Grinnell.

Bill Menner, also of Grinnell and the Iowa state director for rural development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, serves in the past-chair position. Dan Agnew, Grinnell, retired president of Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, will continue as the treasurer. Al Maly, Grinnell, retired manager AT&T/Bell Laboratories, is the board secretary.

Collins has started serving a three-year term on the board after serving for two years as the GRMC medical staff president. He began practicing internal medicine in Grinnell in 2011, after working at Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Ill. He completed his residency at the same hospital, with the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria program. While there, he also served as an associate professor of medicine. He earned his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine, Portsmouth, Dominica.

Emge will serve a two-year term on the board as the GRMC medical staff president. He joined GRMC in 2008 as an anesthesiologist. He earned his medical degree from Des Moines University and completed residencies at Des Moines General Hospital; Chicago Osteopathic Medical Center, Chicago; and University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha.

“Our board greatly values the provider perspective as we consider all of the opportunities facing our medical center,” says Todd Reding, GRMC board chair. “We are thrilled to have Dr. Emge and Dr. Collins engaged in the leadership of GRMC.”

The GRMC Board of Trustees includes the officers as well as Jodi Cahalan, PhD, West Des Moines; and these Grinnell residents: Laura Ferguson, MD; Ed Hatcher; Nicholas Kuiper, DO; Sarah Smith; and Dave Stoakes. Ex officio members of the board include Emge; Todd Linden, GRMC president and CEO; Rusty Jones, Grinnell State Bank; and Sally Lang, GRMC foundation board chair.

The GRMC board is responsible for overall governance of GRMC, a nonprofit, private medical center. Its primary roles include maintaining the mission and vision; strategic planning; appointing the medical and advanced practice providers; approving the annual budget and providing financial oversight; monitoring overall quality of services; and appointing the chief executive. 

Nominate an Exceptional Nurse for The DAISY Award

Grinnell Regional Medical Center invites members of the public to nominate an outstanding nurse for The DAISY Award. GRMC will honor all nursing staff during National Hospital Week with The DAISY Award. Nominations are due Monday, April 11.

The award was established by The DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of an auto-immune disease. DAISY stands for “diseases attacking the immune system.” The DAISY Award recognizes outstanding nurses for their compassion and care.

“At GRMC and our affiliated clinics, we have many DAISY nurses,” says Doris Rindels, GRMC vice-president. “They are the kind of nurse that other nurses want taking care of their mom. They are the nurses that go above-and-beyond for their patients. Their coworkers feel that working with them is a real gift because they care about all aspects of their job and teammates.”

GRMC is participating in this award program with Mercy Health Network of Central Iowa to honor outstanding nurses. All nurses (LPN, RN, and Advance Practice Nurses) who provide direct patient care in any GRMC department or clinic are eligible to be nominated for a DAISY Award.

Nomination forms are available at GRMC nurse’s stations, the nursing administration office, human resources, The Light Center for Public Health, and GRMC clinics in Lynnville, Victor, and Deer Creek Health Center in Toledo.

The Mercy Health Network of Central Iowa will also recognize a DAISY Award registered nurse in June. Those selected from Mercy Health Network of Central Iowa affiliate hospitals, such as GRMC, will be considered to be the DAISY Award recipient at the network level. They will attend a special presentation ceremony in Des Moines and one registered nurse will be chosen to be the DAISY Award recipient for the entire Mercy Health Network of Central Iowa.

We’re “This” Close!

Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s Moving at the Speed of Life campaign has made great progress in the last few years. With almost $3.7 million raised toward the campaign, several of the campaign’s many important projects have been completed, including the creation of the urgent care clinic, the chemotherapy suite, and the new fitness center at Postels Community Health Park. Campaign funds have also been used to invest in a CT scanner, ultrasound equipment, and a da Vinci^® surgical system.

A recent donation to the emergency department renovation by Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company has raised a challenge to the community. Grinnell Mutual has donated another $250,000 through the Moving at the Speed of Life comprehensive campaign for the emergency department renovation to help GRMC reach its $2 million goal. They are asking the medical center to garner enough support to match their donation and raise another $250,000 for the ER.

“We believe the emergency department at GRMC is a vital community resource,” says Larry Jansen, CPCU, Grinnell Mutual’s president and CEO. “We are committed to the health of our local community with this donation. We are challenging other community members to invest in the healthcare services offered right here at home.”

With more than 10,000 patient visits per year, our emergency department is the front line for the community in times of crisis – disasters, traumas, and everyday accidents. The project will modernize and renovate existing space that will provide up-to-date, private treatment rooms, new triage and registration areas, and expanded support space for physicians, nurses, and other providers. To date, GRMC has raised almost $1.7 million in gifts restricted to the emergency department renovation.

“We are thrilled to receive this continued support from Grinnell Mutual,” says Todd Linden, GRMC president and CEO. “Grinnell Mutual’s commitment to our community hospital and healthcare services truly makes exceptional care possible for our patients.”

Renovations could begin as early as this summer once an additional $335,000 is raised to complete the project. Community support is needed for GRMC to complete the journey. The medical center really is “this” close to having enough money raised to begin the project.

\“I’m confident this donation from Grinnell Mutual will be the catalyst to bring us across the finish line,” Linden says. “Twenty years ago, we started planning capital projects to expand the scope and complexity of the healthcare services we offer. The completion of the emergency department renovation will signify the completion of our twenty year plan.”  

As the medical center nears completion of the fundraising stage, the focus has shifted to the final design phase for the new emergency department. A team from GRMC’s facilities staff and Graham Construction created a life-size mockup of the new ER. This allowed physicians and staff to provide feedback on the flow and efficiency of the design, prior to construction.

“This process improved the design and has saved us money by making changes prior to construction,” Linden says. “Our team had excellent ideas and suggestions to improve the patient’s experience and to improve work flow in the new ER.”

Please consider supporting the ER campaign generously. For additional information about GRMC’s Moving at the Speed of Life comprehensive campaign or other development programs, contact Denise Lamphier at 641-236-2589 or dlamphier@grmc.us.

Members of the GRMC Patient and Family Care Council and medical center staff experienced firsthand the proposed emergency department in this mockup, as Todd C. Linden, president and CEO, discussed the design. Since GRMC needs to raise just $335,000 before the ER construction can begin, a full size model of the new ER was built to allow staff and community members to give feedback. Linden says this process has generated excellent changes to the proposed ER. >>>

GRMC employees evaluated and reworked plans to ensure patient privacy and efficient flow of information in the planned ER. From left, Jon Osborn, information technology help desk specialist;  Heidi Thompson, director of information technology;  and Clayton Francis, MD, emergency room physician.