Deer Creek Family Care Closed for Day

Deer Creek Family Care is closed on Monday, Feb. 17 due to the weather and road conditions.

Linden Nationally Recognized As One of 50 Top Rural Hospital CEOs

Becker's Hospital Review has published its inaugural list of "50 Rural Hospital CEOs to Know." Included on this list is Todd Linden, president and CEO of Grinnell Regional Medical Center.

Rural healthcare leaders face certain challenges that are not present in more urban environments. For instance, only about 10 percent of physicians practice in rural areas, according to a 2010 report prepared by the Southwest Rural Health Research Center, which can lead to physician shortages. Additionally, rural residents tend to be poorer, leading to payer mix issues.

Linden has served as president and CEO of GRMC for 20 years, also notable because the national average tenure of a hospital CEO is five years.

This list recognizes rural hospital and health system presidents and CEOs who have shown commitment to providing high-quality, accessible care to their patient populations in the face of those and other rural health challenges.

For this list, a hospital is designated as "rural" if it is located outside of a major metropolitan area or healthcare hub.

Leaders included on the list were selected for awards they have received, membership or involvement in prominent local, state or national organizations, recent accomplishments in their community, and their organization's recent performance. Nomination from the public were also considered.

Becker's Hospital Review is a monthly publication offering up-to-date business and legal news and analysis relating to hospitals and health systems.

Victor Health Center Remains Committed

Grinnell Regional Medical Center and the Victor Health Center remain committed to area residents to assure access to quality medical care.

During the past few months, medical and clinical staff have shifted within the GRMC network of clinics and medical units to ensure that Victor-area residents continue to receive excellent care locally.

Medical providers will be at the clinic five days a week. Currently medical care at the clinic will be provided by Cori Fogle, PA-C, Roy Doorenbos, MD, and Jacob Boyer, PA-C, from other GRMC clinics. This is a bridge of coverage until a permanent provider can be recruited.

“GRMC remains committed to Victor residents and the Victor Health Center,” says Todd Linden, GRMC CEO and president. “The ability of our hospital to provide coverage every day at the clinic emphasizes our commitment to the residents and the real value of this partnership.”

“I’m hopeful that we will be securing a full-time provider for the clinic soon. Just this week we’ve interviewed a candidate that could be an excellent fit with the Victor community,” Linden says.

Orville W. Bloethe, who has been on the Victor Health Center Board since its inception, has this observation, “This attractive and well-staffed facility stands ready to provide care and support for those in need of medical attention. The community is well served by this wonderful facility and the friendly and competent staff.”

For the next three to four months Cori Fogle, PA-C, will be in the clinic three days. She has 14 years of experience in primary care clinics. She has been caring for residents at the Lynnville Medical Clinic since December 2012. Prior to joining the GRMC rural health clinic, she served seven years at the Webster City Medical Clinic in Webster City, Iowa. She also worked at a rural health clinic in Keota for four years after completing her physician assistant master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in Oklahoma City.

Jacob Boyer, PA-C, will care for patients one day a week at the Victor Health Center. He primarily cares for patients at the Grinnell Regional Family Practice. Boyer earned a Masters of Physician’s Assistant from the University of Iowa. He completed his undergraduate degree at Grinnell College. Originally from Grinnell, Boyer graduated from Grinnell Community High School in 1994. He worked nearly 10 years at Manatt’s in Brooklyn before earning his master’s degree. Boyer also worked at St. Francis Manor, Grinnell, and Greenwood Manor, Iowa City.

Roy Doorenbos, MD, will continue as the supervising medical director for the Victor Health Center. He will retain his current schedule of being in the clinic one day a week. He has served as a family care physician to area residents in Grinnell for almost 30 years. His primary office is Grinnell Regional Family Practice.

“These providers will provide care at the clinic for several months until a permanent full-time provider is hired,” says Sheryl Rutledge, GRMC’s director of rural health clinics. “We want to meet the needs of area residents while we work to find just the right person for the Victor Health Center. We value the trust and support of the community. We are committing excellent providers to sustain this clinic now and well into the future.”

“I, like other patients of Victor Health Center, certainly am concerned about staff turnover. We would all like to have a provider to whom we can relate for our entire lives,” says Loras Wilgenbusch, DVM. “Acknowledging that that is not realistic, I am impressed with the quality of providers that GRMC has made available to our community. I have been fortunate to not need a great deal of medical care, but have always felt confident and comfortable with the care I have received.”

Wendi Beck, PA-C, who has been at the clinic, shifted her practice to the new Manatt Family Urgent Care which will open February 13. Michelle Rozmus, RN, also moved to the urgent care clinic.

For more information on the Victor Heath Center or to schedule an appointment, call 319-647-7511. 

Grinnell College Gift to Support Campaign

Grinnell College Gift to Support Campaign

Grinnell Regional Medical Center has received a gift of $200,000 from Grinnell College for the medical center’s Moving at the Speed of Life comprehensive campaign, in support of the planned improvements to the ER, urgent care, and mental health center.

“Having a strong medical center in our community has always been important to Grinnell College,” says Raynard Kington, Grinnell College president. “It enhances the quality of life for our faculty and staff and their families, as well as our retirees. It also provides great peace of mind to parents who know that if their student needs healthcare during their time at Grinnell, they will be well taken care of.”

Monica Chavez-Silva, Grinnell College’s director of community enhancement and engagement adds, “We’re fortunate that these resources are available locally, and we’re pleased to be in the position to contribute in this way.”

GRMC’s latest comprehensive campaign, called Moving at the Speed of Life is set to raise $7.5 million by the year 2017, when the medical center will celebrate its 50^th anniversary of service.

“Grinnell College is such an integral part of our community,” says Dan Agnew, one of the co-chairs of the Moving at the Speed of Life campaign. “We are very grateful for their commitment to this campaign and all that they do to make a difference in our area.”

The campaign focuses on enhancing services, facilities, and technology at GRMC to meet the healthcare needs of the community today and in the future while also supporting annual needs of the medical center.

“Early major gifts, such as this gift from Grinnell College, have allowed GRMC to begin work on renovations and improvements,” says Denise Lamphier, director of communications and development for GRMC. “We talk about the theme of the campaign, ‘Moving at the Speed of Life’ and we have kept on moving forward as gifts and pledges come in so that we can get started on these needed improvements. Donors are seeing their dollars put to work right away. We’ve had great feedback from donors about how satisfying that is and it is already making a difference to our patients.”

The GRMC Auxiliary Chemotherapy and Infusion Suite, Manatt Family Urgent Care, and Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company’s commitment to the daVinci Robotic Surgical System are just a few of the examples of campaign projects already underway or completed.

“There’s no question that philanthropy is hugely important to GRMC,” says Todd Linden, GRMC president and CEO. “We are truly fortunate to have so many businesses and organizations, like Grinnell College, that support us in this way.”

One of the areas supported by the gift from Grinnell College is urgent care. Because of major lead gifts from Grinnell College and the Manatt family, Manatt Family Urgent Care will open Thursday, February 13 at 7 a.m.

Overall, the campaign continues to raise funds for these and other projects, including efforts to:

§  Modernize the emergency department and create an urgent care clinic.

§  Enhance chemotherapy and infusion services.

§  Purchase state-of-the-art robotic surgery equipment and a new CT scanner.

§  Renovate Postels Community Health Park to accommodate GRMC’s growing wellness program.

§  Establish an endowment for Grinnell Regional Mental Health Center.

For more information about Moving at the Speed of Life: A Comprehensive Campaign for GRMC, please contact Lamphier at 641-236-2589 or dlamphier@grmc.us.

Support Group Cancelled for Feb. 1

Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s Bariatric Support Group will cancel its regular meeting on Saturday, Feb. 1, due to the impending weather. Regular attendees should plan to attend the March 1 meeting.  

Manatt Family Urgent Care Open House – Feb. 6

Grinnell Regional Medical Center invites the public to an open house to show case the new Manatt Family Urgent Care on Thursday, Feb. 6. Guests are welcome from 5 to 7 p.m. The clinic staff will provide tours, information on defining urgent versus emergency conditions, and activities for kids. The Manatt Family Urgent Care is located immediately inside the front door of the Ahrens Medical Arts Building, 210 4^th Ave., Grinnell.

Urgent care is new to Poweshiek County residents so the open house allows residents to see the location, and talk with staff about appropriate conditions to come to the urgent care center, what to expect when you arrive, and payment process.

“We also invite parents to bring children to the open house so when the time comes to visit, this clinic isn’t new and different,” says Wendi Beck, PA-C. “The extended hours allow parents to bring their children before or after school or work and on weekends, when the primary care offices are not open. We’ll work with primary care providers to make the continuum of care as seamless as possible, yet meet the immediate medical needs of the individual.”

This new walk-in style clinic will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Providers in the clinic include Beck, and Heidi Powers, who will be an ARNP. Michelle Rebelsky, MD, and Roy Doorenbos, MD, will serve as supervising medical directors.

No appointment is necessary. Healthcare providers will take patients on a first come, first seen basis. For specific questions, call the Manatt Family Urgent Care office at 641-236-2378.