SE*ED: Marathon Running Across the United States

“Running Marathons Across the United States: 26.2 Miles at a Time” will be the program on Monday, Nov. 9, at the Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s Senior Education Program. Join Vicki Bentley-Condit, marathon runner, as she shares her passion and process.

Bently-Condit says that it is rather unlikely that anyone will ever tell you running a marathon – all 26.2 miles of it – is easy.  It isn’t.  However, it is more doable than many think; and many people do so these days.  Marathoners come in all ages and sizes – from people in their 20s to people in their 80s and beyond and from the “skinny-minis” that you might expect to those who are classified (officially) as “Athenas” and “Clydesdales”. 

The health benefits of running marathons depend on which studies you find more convincing – they may increase your heart health or they may bring on a heart attack.  They may lengthen or shorten your lifespan.  They may make you stronger or ruin your knees.  For some runners like Bentley-Condit, marathons and other endurance running experiences have become an obsession.  She will share some of her experiences in pursuing her obsession and the ups and downs of attempting to run a marathon in every state.

 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.

If you are a person with a disability who requires special assistance, please call 641-236-2593. For more information about upcoming speakers, please check GRMC’s website at www.grmc.us.

Blue Jean Ball Gives Big Boost to Emergency Campaign

When the music stopped at the end of Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s Blue Jean Ball, more than $35,000 had been raised to support renovations to the emergency department. Denim, dancing, food, and fun were enjoyed by about 250 guests during the third GRMC Blue Jean Ball, held this year at Grinnell College’s Harris Center on Saturday, Oct. 17.

One of the many highlights of the evening was the recognition of four individuals chosen to serve as honorary chairs of the GRMC Moving at the Speed of Life campaign. Campaign co-chairs Nicholas Kuiper, MD, Dan Agnew, and Debby Pohlson, recognized Jewel Kintzinger Day, Leila Maring, Waldo Walker, and the late Marion Jones for their years of service and dedication to GRMC.

The GRMC Auxiliary hosted a Wine Pull with 101 bottles of wine at the event, which raised $2,020 toward the auxiliary’s pledge to GRMC’s chemotherapy and infusion suite. To participate, supporters paid a $20 fee to pull a wrapped bottle from a selection of expensive, medium range, and less expensive wines. The bottles were wrapped to hide the bottle and the value.

“We shared a wonderful evening with friends of GRMC,” says Todd C. Linden, GRMC president and CEO. “Everyone had a great time as we bid on excellent auction items to raises funds for the emergency department. We are closing in on all the funds needed to complete the campaign and this was an energy-filled boost to our efforts.”

The evening’s entertainment was provided by The Dweebs, a regional band from Somerset, Wis.

Sponsors for the night were:

Couture – Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company.

Headline Sponsors – Grinnell College and Oakland Acres Golf Club.

Boot Cut Sponsors – Bernie Lowe & Associates, Inc., Claude W. Ahrens Charitable Trust, Grandma's House Pet Resort - Wendy Kadner, Dr. Nicholas and Stacy Kuiper, and The Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation.

Stonewashed Sponsors – ASI Signage Innovations, Casey's General Store, Great Western Bank, Grinnell Chamber of Commerce, and Vander Linden Construction, Inc.

Dark Blue Sponsors – Bikes To You, Denise Lamphier and Charlie Clements, Drs. Michelle and Samuel Rebelsky, Family Medicine, First State Bank, Foot and Ankle of Iowa - Dr. Matthew and Leslie McKnight, Grinnell Family Care, Lincoln Savings Bank, Rev. Dr. Kevin and Mary Emge, Ron and Sally Lang, University of Iowa Community Credit Union, and Wes Finch Auto Plaza.

Gift In-Kind Sponsors – The Grinnell-Herald Register, Julin Printing Co., and RE/MAX Partners Realty.

 “The event made two points very clear. GRMC supporters like to have fun and they want an excellent emergency facility to match our excellent staff,” Linden says.

Individuals interested in supporting efforts toward a new emergency department may contact Denise Lamphier, director of communications and development, at 641-236-2589 or dlamphier@grmc.us.

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Photo cutlines:

Photo labeled BJB Group:
Residents filled the Harris Center as they bid on seven auction items for trips to Las Vegas, Scottsdale, Colorado, and Arkansas as well as a hunting package, sailing package, and gourmet dinner. These items raised more than $8,000.

Photo labeled BJB Sally and Dweebs:

Sally Lang, GRMC foundation chair, hams it up with The Dweebs during the Blue Jean Ball.

Photo labeled BJB Stage with Dweebs

Audience participation is a signature characteristic of The Dweebs, who performed for the GRMC Blue Jean Ball. Shown on stage with the Dweebs are Jessica Kite, Terri Nath, and Holly Pettlon.

GRMC Invests in Culture Training

Healthcare is in a perpetual state of change.

With these changes in mind, the Grinnell Regional Medical Center board of directors and leadership team agree that it is more important than ever that high quality healthcare is consistently delivered to every patient in need of health services.

To help achieve this objective, this year the board voted to focus on creating a productive and creative work environment where GRMC employees celebrate each other and the hospital’s mission, says Todd C. Linden, GRMC president and CEO.

Over the course of the past six months, everyone who works at GRMC has been involved in a number of values-related activities to foster a positive healthcare culture.

For starters, all staff members were asked to read The Florence Prescription: From Accountability to Ownership, by Joe Tye. The author, who lives near Iowa City, then came to Grinnell to help launch the effort to help GRMC become an even better organization. During a 90-minute session for all staff, Tye shared a message about opportunities for problem solving and building a culture of support. In addition, Tye trained 12 GRMC employees as “certified values coach trainers.”

The summer months brought with it a season of training for all staff members. By September, the certified values coach trainers coached 313 of their GRMC co-workers on how to use 12 different core action values to meet the increasingly tough demands of healthcare.

“These sessions were about giving employees information that will help unlock more of their undiscovered potential,” says Chris Larson, RN, care coordinator. She was one of the 12 trainers who led the values training sessions. “The goal is to get all employees to create a culture of ownership here at the hospital.”  

The two-day training sessions shared guidance on leading a values-based life and the leadership skills needed to achieve personal, professional, financial, and family goals.

Reactions from the training sessions have been positive. Employees appreciated the opportunity to get to know colleagues from outside their own departments and listen to everyone’s feedback about GRMC’s culture of ownership.

“It is a great experience to me as an employee to work for an employer like GRMC that values their employees so much they take the time to help them grow and better themselves as individuals and employees,” says Heidi Ramaeker Pearson, who began working in GRMC’s communications and development office this summer. “I find myself falling back on the teachings from the values trainings to help me see the positive in difficult situations.”

Hospital administrators and the GRMC board are pleased with the results of this collaborative effort so far.

“I am convinced that by taking this effort to heart, we will create a truly fantastic place to work, and, in turn, create the best possible place for those who look to us for health and healing,” Linden says.

 “We have so much to be proud of already at GRMC,” Linden adds. “That said, we still face many challenges in the future. We believe this focus on creating a culture that values ownership, self-empowerment, and positive attitudes will allow us to face the future with energy and determination. It is our belief that if we all pull together, we can create an environment that fosters the joy of caring in our everyday lives. I sincerely believe that all of our employees—as well as our patients, customers, and families—are also the beneficiaries of this effort.”

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GRMC Expands Services at Deer Creek

Deer Creek Health Center welcomes Lauren E. Graham, MD, MPH, Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine physician. Graham hosts regular outpatient clinics for patients every other Friday at the clinic, located at 401 First Ave., Toledo.

Graham joined the GRMC internal medicine team in 2013. Prior to that, she was at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Internal Medicine residency program, Baltimore, Md., where she also earned her medical degree. She also completed a master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health while working on her medical degree. Her undergraduate degree is from Earlham College, in Richmond, Ind. Graham grew up in a small Ohio town and is familiar with Midwestern values and communities.

“We are expanding services at Deer Creek Health Center to care for our friends and neighbors in the area,” says Shannon Zoffka, Grinnell Regional Clinics manager who oversees Deer Creek Health Center. “Our shift away from being rural health status allows GRMC to bring additional services to the clinic. This administrative change only affected reimbursement and rules but it didn’t affect our patients’ coverage. We have greater opportunity to bring in specialists. Dr. Graham and the internal medicine services is an excellent example. ”

Internal medicine care focuses on the prevention and treatment of adult diseases. According to the American College of Physicians, internal medicine specialists are specially trained to solve complex diagnostic problems and can handle severe chronic illnesses and situations where several different illnesses may strike at the same time. They also bring to patients an understanding of wellness (disease prevention and the promotion of health), women's health, substance abuse, mental health, as well as effective treatment of common problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system and reproductive organs. They are an advanced level of specialty care after the primary care providers.

Patients may schedule an appointment with Graham in Toledo by calling Grinnell Regional Internal Medicine services, call 641-236-2382.

SE*ED: Reducing Germs with Copper

A major concern in hospital settings is the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospital-acquired infections occur to approximately one in every twenty-five patients in U.S. hospitals.

At the Monday, Nov. 2, Senior Education Program guests will learn about the research conducted at Grinnell Regional Medical Center by Grinnell College Biology Professor Shannon Hinsa-Leasure on copper as a natural antimicrobial surface to reduce the number of germs on surfaces in the medical center. Join Todd Linden, GRMC president and CEO, and Terri Kelling, GRMC infection prevention coordinator, along with Hinsa-Leasure as they share the preliminary findings from this study.

Hinsa-Leasure led this study that expands on previous work to determine the effectiveness of copper alloy surfaces in medical and surgery suite patient rooms and bathrooms, as well as on three other high-touch surfaces found in a rural hospital setting (GRMC).

 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.

If you are a person with a disability who requires special assistance, please call 641-236-2593. For more information about upcoming speakers, please check GRMC’s website at www.grmc.us.

SE*ED: Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll

On Monday, Oct. 26, the Grinnell Regional Medical Center Senior Education Program will welcome Ryan Dahlby Albright, MD, for a potpourri of topics relevant to seniors.

As the title “Sex, drugs, and Rock & Roll” implies, the program will address normal sexual function and disorders that are common with aging. Dahlby Albright will also discuss medications that should be used with caution in people over 65. And what better way to focus on hearing loss, than a little music.

Dahlby Albright is a primary care physician with Family Medicine. He has been a provider in Grinnell since 2005.

 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.

If you are a person with a disability who requires special assistance, please call 641-236-2593. For more information about upcoming speakers, please check GRMC’s website at www.grmc.us.

Ammonia Leak in ER

 “We initiated medical surge protocols that brought multiple staff and physicians to the emergency department. We had a full force of staff ready when the first individuals arrived,” says Clayton Francis, MD, GRMC emergency department physician. “We were also at shift change so we had another physician in addition to the responding physicians and myself, plus the emergency staff and hospital staff who responded to this code.”

Francis explains that when multiple injury trauma codes are called, the EMS team on the scene will triage the victims and transport based on severity.