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.

Grinnell Regional Medical Center Designated Blue Distinction® Center+ for Maternity Care

In an effort to help prospective parents find hospitals that deliver quality, affordable maternity care, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced that Grinnell Regional Medical Center has been designated as one of the first hospitals to receive the Blue Distinction® Center+ for Maternity Care designation, a new designation under the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.

Nearly four million babies are born in the United States annually, making childbirth the most common cause of hospitalization. This new Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care program evaluates hospitals on several quality measures, including the percentage of newborns that fall into the category of early elective delivery, an ongoing concern in the medical community. Compared with babies born 39 weeks or later, early term infants face higher risks of infant death and respiratory ailments such as respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and respiratory failure, among other conditions. These babies also have a higher rate of admission to Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

In addition, hospitals that receive a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care designation agreed to meet requirements that align with principles that support evidence-based practices of care, as well as having initiated programs to promote successful breastfeeding, as described in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative by Baby-Friendly USA or the Mother-Friendly Hospital program by the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) through its “Ten Steps of Mother-Friendly Care.” The program also evaluates hospitals on overall patient satisfaction, including a willingness to recommend the hospital to others. 

Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care, an expansion of the national Blue Distinction Specialty Care program, are hospitals recognized for delivering quality, affordable specialty care safely and effectively, based on objective measures developed with input from the medical community. To receive a Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care designation, a hospital must also meet requirements for cost efficiency.

“Receiving this award is a reflection of our patient satisfaction scores. Being recognized as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care is further proof and encouragement to our patients that they will receive quality healthcare both in the OB and at GRMC,” says Sheryl Baarda, RN, OB nurse manager in the Kintzinger Women’s Health Center. “We have been actively pursuing new opportunities to excel in obstetrics services. Our exceptional obstetrical providers and staff have made this recognition possible.”

Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies across the nation have recognized more than 650 hospitals as Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care. Hospitals recognized for these designations were assessed using a combination of publicly available quality information and cost measures derived from BCBS companies’ medical claims.

Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality providers for their specialty care needs in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacements, spine surgery, and transplants. Research shows that, compared to other facilities, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients. On average, Blue Distinction Centers+ are also 20 percent more cost-efficient than non-Blue Distinction Center+ designated health care facilities.

For more information about GRMC’s Kintzinger Women’s Health Center and obstetrics services, call 641-236-2324. For information about the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program and for a complete listing of the designated facilities, please visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.

Town Hall on Health Set for March 16th

The public is invited to attend a Town Hall meeting to discuss experiences and share updates on healthcare delivery within Poweshiek County. The town hall meeting will be Wednesday, March 16^th at 11:30 a.m., beginning with a free light lunch at the Elks Lodge, 720 3rd Ave., Grinnell.

The goal of the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is to update and report progress in addressing community health needs cited in the 2013 CHNA report and to collect up-to-date community health perceptions in 2016.

 Grinnell Regional Medical Center and Grinnell Regional Public Health have collected survey results from more than 200 residents. The deadline is March 1, 2016 for the survey. To complete the survey, go to http://bit.ly/2016CHNASurvey.

“We hope that the community and health and human services professionals will take advantage of this opportunity to provide input into the future of healthcare delivery in our county,” says Todd Linden, GRMC President and CEO.

VVV Consultants LLC has been retained to conduct this county-wide research. Vince Vandehaar, MBA, Principal Consultant, will compile the survey results and facilitate the Town Hall meeting. The purpose is to look at healthcare services, delivery and opportunities for improvement. If you have any questions about CHNA activities, please call 913-924-2327.

Please call Grinnell Regional Public Health for a reservation to the Town Hall meeting at 641-236-2385.   

Babies Room Expands

Grinnell Regional Public Health will begin offering the Grinnell Regional Babies Room parenting classes in Montezuma and Brooklyn. The parent education classes will be held once per month in Brooklyn and Montezuma following the evidence-based curriculum of The Incredible Years Babies and Toddlers series by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, PhD. A free package of diapers will be given to all participants.

“Transportation and access has limited the ability of parents in these communities to participate in positive parenting classes. We are bringing this class to Brooklyn and Montezuma in hopes of improving child-rearing education,” says Diane Dolmage, Grinnell Regional Babies Room educator.

“For parents who meet qualifications, they may earn free child merchandise/items for good parenting and care of their infants and toddlers. This component of the Babies Room is a point system where points earned may be used to receive free merchandise such as diapers, high chairs, toys, and blankets/bedding,” Dolmage says.

The classes offer parents effective tools to promote positive behavior in children, which in turn is proven to reduce risk of abusive behavior. This curriculum helps parents build skills to be positive, caring, protective parents/caregivers. It also helps maintain social connection, receive information on accessing health, medical, and community resources, and create a nurturing bond between and within families.  The Incredible Years Babies has greatly benefited parents when the children are infants; therefore, the program has been expanded to include parents with toddlers. Fathers, mothers, and family support members are encouraged to attend the classes.

The Grinnell Regional Babies Room in Brooklyn will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month at the Brooklyn Library. Dates will be February 25, March 24, April 28, May 26, and June 23.

In Montezuma, the Babies Room will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month at the Community Hope Church. Dates will be February 22, March 28, April 25, May 23, and June 27.

“Funds to support the classes come from a Department of Human Services (DHS) Child Welfare Decategorization grant. This will provide classes and incentives to parents for six months,” says Patty Hinrichs, Grinnell Regional Public Health interim director.

For more information Grinnell Regional Public Health at 641-236-2385.