GRMC Auxiliary Member Meeting

The Grinnell Regional Medical Center Auxiliary invites everyone to the annual fall luncheon scheduled for noon on Wednesday, Sept. 19, in the Buckley Dining Room on Park Street in the Mayflower Community, Grinnell.

“The GRMC Auxiliary is to support the medical center through financial as well as volunteer services. We invite all members and the public to our luncheons where we share our successes and goals for the new year,” says Sheila Latcham, GRMC Auxiliary president. “One of our biggest educational and outreach projects, the Women’s Health Focus and Baby Fair, is right around the corner.”

The agenda for the meeting includes: the election of 2013 officers and board members, updates on projects at the hospital and auxiliary, and door prizes.

Tickets are $8 and available in The Glass Gift Box – the GRMC gift shop, from any GRMC Auxiliary Board member, or call the GRMC volunteer office at 641-236-2588. 

GRMC Welcomes Back Joel Rand, PA-C

The new Grinnell Regional Orthopedics clinic will welcome a familiar healthcare provider as Joel Rand, PA-C, joins Clifford Novak, MD, in caring for patients. Rand will provide support for diagnostic services and treatment in the orthopedic clinic and surgical suite along with Novak.

From 2004 to 2006, Rand served as a physician assistant in Grinnell with Surgical Associates and the Grinnell Bariatrics program. He left to work for Iowa Health Weight Loss Specialists in Des Moines. In addition, Rand has worked with Primary Healthcare, Inc., in Des Moines, a nonprofit community health center serving uninsured and underinsured patients in the Des Moines and Marshalltown. He’s been involved with this program from 2001 to 2004, and 2006 to 2012. Prior to coming to Grinnell in 2004, Rand provided care and oversight at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Des Moines.

Rand attended the University of Iowa for both his bachelor’s degree as well as his master’s degree in the Physician Assistant Program.

“Joel has demonstrated a compassion for patients that will be great for patients in our new orthopedic clinic,” says Todd Linden, GRMC president and CEO. “The combination of Dr. Novak and Joel will be a ‘dynamic duo’ as we re-launch this service line in Grinnell. Orthopedic care has been covered at a scaled back level for several years. With this new team, we will be able to meet the needs of area patients with exception care and skills.”

Rand says this was an easy decision to come back to Grinnell and practice orthopedics with Dr. Novak.

“From past experiences with GRMC, I know it is an excellent facility – a hospital that provides the same quality of care as the ‘big city’ hospitals but with the friendly and helpful attitudes of rural Iowans. I have a lot of experience working with surgeons and so choosing to assist Dr. Novak was based on his academic accomplishments and rapport with patients. Our clinic will perform hundreds of knee replacements but our staff will focus on each person individually to provide the best care for every patient. ”

Rand will begin in Grinnell Regional Orthopedic clinic on September 24. The clinic is located on the second floor of the Ahrens Medical Arts Building. Patients may schedule through their primary care providers or call the clinic directly at 641-236-2010. 

GRMC Board Gains Two New Members

Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s Board of Directors welcomes two new members, Nicholas Kuiper, DO, and Sally Lang. The board also announces that Todd Reding has assumed the role of board treasurer.

Kuiper is a general surgeon with Surgical Associates and has been a member of GRMC medical staff since 2009. A graduate of Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kuiper earned his undergraduate degree from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa. He completed his practice residency at Mercy Medical Center, Des Moines. He and his wife, Stacy, live in Grinnell with their family.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to represent the community on the GRMC board. I bring another physician’s perspective to the discussions about the medical center. I think it will be challenging, but exciting at the same time,” says Kuiper.

Lang has recently retired as licensing manager for Deere and Company in Moline, Ill. A graduate of Iowa State University, she is chair-elect of the GRMC Foundation Board.  She will serve in an ex-officio role as a representative of the GRMC Foundation Board.  Lang is co-owner and secretary/treasurer for the Waterford Development Group. Within the Grinnell community, Lang is a lifetime member of the Grinnell Regional Auxiliary, the Grinnell Tourism Committee, and P.E.O. She and her husband, Ron, live in Grinnell.

“GRMC is critical to the growth and vibrancy of the community,” says Lang. “I’m impressed with the organization and its accomplishments. I’m honored to serve the hospital in this important capacity.”

Reding joined the GRMC board of directors in April 2011 and is now serving as board treasurer. Reding served an ex-officio role on the board in 2010 as the chair of the GRMC Foundation Board. He received a bachelor’s degree from Rockhurst University, Kansas City, Mo., and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Reding is chief marketing officer for Spindustry, Inc.

Additional officers for the GRMC Board of Directors are: chair – Ed Hatcher, Grinnell; chair-elect – Bill Menner, Grinnell; past chair – Susan Witt, Grinnell; and secretary – Stan Greenwald, MD, Grinnell.

GRMC and the residents served by the medical center have benefited from the diverse membership of the board and representation by community members as well as medical professionals. The GRMC Board of Directors includes the officers and new members listed above as well as Dan Agnew, Frank Brownell, Karla Erickson, Laura Ferguson, MD, Wendy Kadner, JoAnn Manatt, and Joanne Yuska. In addition to Lang, other ex-officio members of the board include Todd Linden and Ryan Dahlby Albright, MD, medical staff president.

The 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 members of the medical and allied health staff; approving the annual budget and providing financial oversight; monitoring overall quality of services; and appointing the chief executive. 

Grief Healing Program Set for October

Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s Hospice will offer a five-week grief support group designed for anyone in the community who has lost a loved one. The group will explore the challenges associated with loss as well as the opportunities that loss presents for healing and growth.

 “Grieving is normal and a process. Our grief support group will be a safe place for participants to share their loss and fond memories of their loved one,” says Randy Svendsen, LBSW, GRMC social worker. 

“Everyone travels down the grief journey in their unique way but we share common stages and emotions. The intent of this group is for grieving individuals to explore ways to remember, heal, and grow.”

Gatherings will be held on five Thursdays, beginning October 18 and running through November 15. The support group will be held at 6 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 1025 5^th Ave., Grinnell.

There is no fee to participate, but interested persons must pre-register by calling Grinnell Regional Hospice at 641-236-2418. 

Something for all Women at 2012 Women’s Health Focus and Baby Fair

Tickets are now on sale for the 2012 Women’s Health Focus and Baby Fair. The popular event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 3, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Grinnell High School.

The Women’s Health Focus and Baby Fair will host 40 educational booths covering topics such as heart disease, menopause, surgery, healthy living and exercise options, daycare services, library services, nutrition, occupational and physical therapies, Kintzinger Women’s Health Center, safety, emergency preparedness, GRMC’s new 3D mammography unit, and much more. GRMC’s massage therapists will be on hand providing free five-minute chair massages, essential oils, and hand paraffin dips.

New this year, Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA) will collect canned goods for the food pantry. All participants are encouraged to bring an item to help fill the food pantry shelves as fall approaches.

The Grinnell Regional Medical Center Auxiliary and the Ministerial Association have joined together to ensure all women can attend the upcoming Women’s Health Focus and Baby Fair. Through their support, free tickets will be available for women who cannot afford the $18 ticket but want to attend this annual women’s educational event. To find out if you are eligible, please contact Amanda Bergmann, at 641-236-2567.

Childcare is available for $3 per child. For women with financial needs, that cost is covered with their ticket. With the childcare area, a box lunch is provided for all children ages 2 and up. For children under 2, parents need to provide food appropriate for the child.

Tickets are $18 per person if purchased by Sept. 24. After that date, tickets are $25. For tickets, go to the GRMC website, www.grmc.us/ hoopla/home.html or go to www.grmc.us and click on the Women’s Health Focus button. Tickets are also available at The Glass Gift Box, Gosselink’s Gifts and Interiors, and Postels Community Health Park. For more information on the event call 641-236-2590.

This event is made possible through the financial support of the GRMC Auxiliary, Grinnell College, Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, Mayflower Community, Brown Medical Imaging; KGRN, The Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation Grinnell Eye Care, Grinnell Family Care, Iowa Radiology, Maytag Laundry, and Family Medicine.