Blog - Memos

Thanks for the great turn out of employees to help with the July 4th parade!    We are looking for staff to man the Humboldt County Fair booth in July also.

The HCMH ambulance service recently completed its annual state inspection and received a zero deficiency report.   Our service is one of two that received such a high rating in Region 2 which included 102 ambulance services. 

Congrats to Mike Sexe and his crew for their excellent work!

The service is looking forward to a new ambulance due for delivery this spring.   The EMS crew responses to approximately 600 calls for assistance each year with 2 ambulances being staffed 24/7.

People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

         A fever or feeling feverish/chills

         Cough

         Sore Throat

         Runny or stuffy nose                                     

         Muscle or body aches

         Headaches

         Fatigue (feeling very tired)

Some people may also throw up or have diarrhea (loose stools)

People with flu-like symptoms should stay at home except to get medical care or other necessities until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever without taking any medicine that lowers fever.  Examples of these kinds of medicine include acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) and ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin)

Watch for signs of dehydration with the flu.  It is especially important for infants, toddlers and pregnant women to be sure they are getting enough fluids.

The HCMH Radiology and Laboratory Departments were ranked in the top 2% in a recent patient satisfactory survey comparing all hospitals nationally. We are very proud of the achievement by these 2 departments

New providers have joined the medical staff at the Humboldt Trimark Clinic.

   Jason Krist, ARNP                                        Dr. Theo Barley

Jason Krist, ARNP began seeing patients in May 2009.  Dr. Theo Barley joined the Medical Staff in August 2009.

The HCMH 40th Anniversary cookbook is now available.   Books are available from the auxiliary snackbar or during the noon cafeteria lunch line.   Price is $15

The staff of HCMH celebrates Hospital Week in the month of May with several special events. 

Shannon Hannagan, Amy Reimers and DeeDee Wurn were all winners in the scavanger hunts. Creative clues were provided by Dodie Thompson.

The 4th Annual Pie Election was also held.  After weeks of vigorous campaigning and bribery to win (or lose) the right to receive a pie in the face, Dr David Ruzicka - ER physician was the lucky recipient. Deb Coughlon RN was the delivery person.

On January 14 2009, the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital Laboratory was subjected to a bi-annual inspection under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment “CLIA”.  CLIA is a federal law that sets standards for all laboratories that do testing on human specimens. HCMH laboratory is categorized as a “High Complexity Lab”, the highest category of laboratory with the highest standards.  The survey was very comprehensive.  Some of the areas looked at were:  personnel qualifications, continuing education, verification of testing personnel competence, instrument maintenance, calibration of instruments, quality control, proficiency testing, quality of test results and test turnaround time.

HCMH laboratory passed the inspection with no deficiencies and no recommendations!  Laboratory Director Phil Rose stated, “I’m very lucky to have employees that are so committed to maintaining high standards.  The inspection results are truly a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the laboratory staff”

The FIGHT LIKE A GIRL campaign at HCMH has been a very busy one.  To date, they have raised over $10,000 through sales and donations towards the goal of purchasing a full field digital mammography system.

FIGHT LIKE A GIRL attire and totes are available for order from the HCMH Radiology Department.  Radiology is also selling pink boxing glove keychains for $5.

There will be a FIGHT LIKE A GIRL Christmas Tree on display at the Methodist Church Christmas Tree Walk November 28th -December 28th. 

Contact the HCMH Radiology Department at (515)332-4200 if you are interested in making a purchase or donation to their worthy project.

A monitoring visit by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals was conducted at Springvale Assisted Living in November.   An excellent report of "no regulatory insufficiencies" was received.  Dean Lerner, Director of DIA states "As part of our continuous improvement process, it is important to recognize programs where the provision of care and service meets or exceeds expectations.  We are hopeful that your program will continue to provide the same  level of care and service in years to come.  Congratulation on your recent violation-free monitoring visit".

Members of the HCMH management team recently attended the Studer Service Excellence conference in Houston, Texas.  Shown above are Michelle Feaster (Home Care Connection), Rhonda Vinsand (Surgery), Quint Studer, Shannon Hannagan (Business Office) and Ann Hemmelrick (Springvale Assisted Living)

The new surgery addition at HCMH has been put to good use since its first week of being open.  August 18th marked the opening day of this new area on the northwest corner of the hospital.

Procedures being performed include ENT, Gastroenterology, Orthopedic, Urology, Podiatry, Gynecology and Cosmetic Surgery.

We have received numerous positive comments from our patients about this new area including the improved privacy, convenient location, and parking area.  The physicians are equally pleased with the new surgical and consult areas and look forward to scheduling more procedures at HCMH.

The Inpatient Care rooms will have a new look when remodeling is done.   Two rooms have been completed and work is progressing on the rest of the project.  Improvements will be made to all the rooms along with the nurses' station.

Construction is progressing on the new surgery addition to the north side of the hospital.  The exterior of the building is taking shape and mechanical components have been positioned on the roof.

January is National Volunteer Blood Donor Month

Humboldt County Memorial Hospital and The Blood Center of Iowa would like to remind you that January is designated as National Volunteer Blood Donor Month as a way to encourage donors to give blood.  Since the shelf life of red blood cells is only 42 days, there is a constant need for blood donations.  

January tends to be a difficult month for blood collections for a number of reasons. Donations are typically down during the last two weeks in December as fewer people donate during the holiday season. January also brings poor weather which can lead to blood drive cancellations and there is often a decline in eligible donors thanks to an increase in illness during the cold and flu season.  A reduction in the number of eligible donors can put the supply of blood and blood products at a critically low level. As a way to thank donors who volunteer their time by giving blood, The Blood Center of Iowa has started a program in which donors earn points for each donation. These points can be used to purchase a variety of gifts available at their Online Store.

 One pint can make a difference. Dividing the unit into 3 components you can actually help three different people. These products are the key to success stories such as Jamie Seeman. She found out she had Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia at a routine checkup. “While on chemotherapy treatments, blood products saved my life.”  Jamie said “There were many times when my platelet count and red blood counts were dangerously low. I would have been in trouble without the blood products. Donors have saved my life and I’m very thankful for that.” Please donate blood at a blood drive near you soon!  

 The Blood Center of Iowa is committed to serving the needs of Iowans by saving lives through volunteer blood donation.  The Blood Center provides blood and blood products to 49 hospitals in 44 Iowa counties.  Never donated blood?  Give it a try.  Eligible donors must be at least 16 years of age, be in general good health and weigh at least 120 pounds.  To learn more about The Blood Center of Iowa, call (800) 287-4903 or visit www.bloodcenterofiowa