Geary Community Hospital Vitality Magazine Spring/Summer 2016

A publication of Gear y Community Hospital

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gchks.org

SPRING 2016

CONNECTING PROGRESSIVE HEALTHCARE WITH HOMETOWN COMPASSION.

support

• IWLS Support Group • Diabetes Support Group • CPAP Clinic • Mom-to-Be Class • Bereavement Support Group

The doctors are in

Industry-leading orthopedic surgeons and specialists now practicing at GCH

staying local GCH education program strives to keep medical students in Geary County

community support Innovative Weight Loss Solutions (IWLS) Support Group & Seminar May 12, 2016 June 9, 2016 July 14, 2016 August 11, 2016 September 8, 2016 October 13, 2016 November 10, 2016 December 8, 2016 Time: IWLS Support Group, 5:00 p.m.

IWLS Seminar, 6:30 p.m.

Location: Geary Community Hospital

Medical Arts II Conference Room 1110 St. Mary’s Rd. Junction City, KS 66441 Information: Lori Walters, 785-762-4575

CPAP Clinic April 29, 2016 May 27, 2016 June 24, 2016 July 29, 2016 August 26, 2016 September 30, 2016 October 28, 2016 November 18, 2016 December 16, 2016

All content contained herein is ©2016 Geary Community Hospital and may not be reproduced or reprinted without our consent. If you would like to change your address, or would not like to receive a copy of vitality, call 785-210-3308.

1102 St Mary’s Rd. Junction City, KS 66441 785-238-4131 • gchks.org

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6:00-7:30 pm Location:

Geary Community Hospital

Information: Cornell Lawrence, 785-762-2983

Prenatal Education Series

Diabetes Support Group

Location: Geary Community Hospital

The material presented in vitality is not intended for diagnosing or prescribing. Please consult with your physician before undertaking any form of medical treatment, exercise regimen or dietary guidelines.

Time:

Information:

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Creative and Production B. Vaughn Design

• August 18-Sept 22

Location: Home Medical Equipment Store 1310 W. Ash, Suite C (back) Junction City, KS 66441

Cover and Go Red for Women photography by Ali Butterfield

Publisher LV Publishing, LLC

Thursdays (6-week Session)

Women’s Center Conference Room 1110 St. Mary’s Rd Junction City, KS 66441

On the Cover: Daren Badura, PA; Peter Hodges, MD; Adam Chase, MD; Justin Schlepp, PA;

Marketing and Public Relations Nikki Davies, Director Shannon Rosauer, Marketing & PR Specialist

Understanding Your Grief

Time: 9:00 a.m.-Noon and 1:00-4:00 p.m.

May 5, 2016 June 2, 2016 July 7, 2016 August 4, 2016 September 1, 2016 October 6, 2016 November 3, 2016 December 1, 2016

Chief Executive Officer Joe Stratton

Bereavement Support Group

Medical Arts II Conference Room 1110 St. Mary’s Rd. Junction City, KS 66441 Information:

Robin Fronk, 785-762-2653

Becoming a Mom Class Mondays (6-week sessions) • May 2-June 13 (no class Memorial Day) • July 18-Aug 22 • Sept 12-Oct 17 • Nov 7-Dec 12 Time: 10:00 a.m.- Noon or 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Location: Geary Community Hospital Women’s Center Conference Room 1110 St. Mary’s Rd. Junction City, KS 66441 Information: Shirley Robinson, 785-238-0300

Mommy & Me Support Group Prenatal and Postpartum Parent Support Group

Laurel Peterson, 785-210-3344

Wednesdays

Red Cross Blood Drive

Time: 6:30 pm

May 18, 2016 July 13, 2016 October 6, 2016 December 1, 2016

Location: Geary Community Hospital Women’s Center Conference Room 1110 St. Mary’s Rd. Junction City, KS 66441

Time: 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Location: Geary Community Hospital Women’s Center Conference Room 1110 St. Mary’s Rd. Junction City, KS 66441 Information: Linda Rigsby, 785-762-2653 x. 6230

Information: Shirley Robinson, 785-238-0300

message Geary Community Healthcare Foundation The Geary Community Healthcare Foundation is an integral partner in the local healthcare environment. Established in 1987, the foundation has raised and returned nearly $6.9 million to our community. Most recently funds have been used toward Geary County SANE/SART program, the Delivering Change “Becoming a Mom” classes and Hospice at Geary Community Hospital.

The foundation raises funds through donations, memorials and several special events throughout the year.

Coming Events: Memorial Trellis May 13 to June 3 GCH Lobby (outside the Bistro)

Boots, Chaps and Cowboy Hats Friday June 10 Small’s Big Red Country Barn

Fall Classic Golf Tournament Friday, September 16th Rolling Meadows Golf Course Call the Geary Community Healthcare Foundation at (785) 238-3787 to make a donation or to find out more about their programs.

from the CEO The turbulent healthcare industry often presents a number of challenges which hospitals face nationwide. In this spring issue of Vitality, we address the ways that Geary Community Hospital works to combat two major challenges: keeping talented young healthcare professionals here at home and fostering community wellness.

The term “brain drain” is often used in business, but it simply describes the situation in which our best and brightest young minds leave the area to complete their education and don’t return because they perceive that there are no opportunities available at home after graduation. It’s been heavily noted that students tend to leave the Midwest’s rural areas and head for larger metropolitan cities after they graduate – and this is particularly true in Junction City/Geary County.

In this issue, we proudly feature the educational programs and creative opportunities GCH offers to students ranging in age from high school to college, and even residency – all to address “brain drain”. Our entire organization invests in “home-grown” programs which teach, mentor, and develop essential professional skills by providing our students with great exposure to the wide array of opportunities in the hospital setting. We believe that educational programs like ours increase the likelihood of retaining our own sons and daughters as healthcare professionals right here in our community.

Wellness is another relevant challenge not just within the healthcare industry, but across the American spectrum. In this issue, we wanted to shed light on the different ways GCH helps educate and promote wellness through community engagement events. Some of these events are designed to give back to community organizations such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Geary County Food Pantry, Junction City Family YMCA and the Junction City Fire Department Honor Guard, to name just a few. Organizations like these contribute to the well-being of our community as a whole. Throughout the articles, you will discover how GCH makes unique contributions to improve the lives of our patients, families, workforce and entire community.

As always, this magazine provides useful details about various clinics, support groups and community-wide events that we make available to you and your neighbors. Each of the community support groups and functions shown on the facing page are offered to you free of charge.

At Geary Community Hospital, we take pride in giving back to our community and are always seeking different ways to better serve our patients, families and youth. We hope that you will take the time to read about the positive initiatives and programs available right in your own backyard.

All the best,

Joe Stratton Chief Executive Officer

A Geary Community Hospital publication

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education

GCH strives to bring professional training opportunities to our community, for all ages

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It is often said that a teacher affects so much more than just their pupils on any given day. His or her influence is ongoing and far-reaching. Geary Community Hospital believes in the importance of ongoing and extended education, and especially “growing their own.”

Joe Stratton, GCH Chief Executive Officer, stated “Providing educational

hospital care. All of these exceptional staff mentors at GCH provide substantial learning opportunities for students.

Christine Jones, MSN, RN is the GCH Education Coordinator who arranges students’ experiences on all levels. “Our educational programs allow students to test drive their clinical careers, and it also lets the hospital staff test drive and develop the

‘Students tend to finish their education here and immediately look for bright lights in the big city. If we invest in our students and give them learning opportunities here at GCH, our chances of keeping them local go up significantly.”

– Joe Stratton, GCH Chief Executive Officer

experiences for our students is important on several levels. One of the biggest areas of importance is lessening the ‘rural brain drain’ effect. Workforce brain drain is not just an issue within Junction City and Geary County but throughout the entire state of Kansas and Midwest region.

“There’s a major disconnect we are working to correct,” said Stratton. “Students tend to finish their education here and immediately look for bright lights in the big city. If we invest in our students and give them learning opportunities here at GCH, our chances of keeping them local go up significantly.”

Throughout the entire 92-bed, 400-plus employee hospital, you will find a myriad of educators and mentors in all specialties. The wide array ranges from nursing, pharmacy, social work, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy and pre4

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student talent,” said Jones. “It’s a win-win for both the hospital and students, which makes it such a dynamic program.”

GCH has seen notably positive results since they have amped up their education programs and expanded into different types of learning opportunities. Many of the students that move through the clinical programs associated with healthcare education end up securing jobs at Geary Community Hospital. A main benefit for the students is that they get to look at all different areas of their chosen health field.

Jones says that many times the students go in with a specific interest and find something completely different that they truly enjoy, which is one of the advantages of a program that exposes students to diverse opportunities in the hospital.

“Providing a venue for clinical observation and experience in various medically-related

programs is beneficial for both the students and the supervising staff mentors,” said Jones. “Our hospital staff thoroughly enjoys mentoring the students. Working beside students allows the staff to share their vast knowledge and experience.”

Healthcare providers are challenged to keep abreast of the most current practices in order to assist in educating these future healthcare providers/coworkers. Students give the staff the opportunity to discuss current practices, trends, and the latest evidence-based practice information.

Healthcare clinical programs also offer a variety of opportunities for students to get hands-on experience working with patients. The student requests have increased so much that space is starting to become limited. Students are now participating in the evenings, night and weekend shifts due to the limited availability for students to work with patients. “This is a good problem to have,” said Jones. “The more students we can mentor, the greater the chances for them to return here and work with us at GCH.” The hospital is now having nurse practitioners and physician assistants from Wichita and Kansas City come at these times to offer other availability since their is a lack of student opportunities with patients in many areas.

GCH doesn’t stop at providing professional training opportunities just for higher levels of education. “It’s vital to provide learning opportunities to college students in healthcare but it’s equally important to get into the schools and get the kids’ attention at a younger age,” said Stratton. “We need to teach our youth that there is a wide variety of careers within the healthcare industry in addition to nurses and doctors.”

Hospital leaders recently launched a Medical Explorer program for high school students. The bi-weekly evening program is designed to give area high school students the opportunity to learn more about careers in the medical field. The five-month class has a curriculum that exposes them to various aspects within the healthcare industry in hopes of sparking interest in something of which they were not aware.

Geary Community Hospital also offers a high school internship program where students observe for six weeks in areas including emergency room, operating room, intensive care unit, surgery, radiology, laboratory, and pharmacy. This gives the students a chance to see what they might be interested within healthcare so they can pinpoint what they would like to pursue in the future.

“If we can provide the positive educational influence our students need, then we’ve done our part in the attempt to reverse the Midwest brain drain effect,” said Stratton.

“However, GCH is just one piece of the puzzle in solving the brain drain conundrum.

It takes all of us including our school districts, area colleges, and organizations such as the local chamber of commerce to get on board and work together.”

(At right): Dr. Tom Craig gives instructions on how to properly tie surgical knots with Medical Explorer students Alec Hornyak and Cassie Chesterman.

(Far right): Medical Explorer students Nick Dombrowski, Kaiser Kim and Anne Kim work together tying surgical knots.

Dr. Marc Felts teaches Medical Explorer students Ebony Sublet and Quesia Huggins his favorite way to begin the suture process.

A Geary Community Hospital publication

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First student in Dr. Ronald Mace Rural Medical Education Program gains unique perspective on healthcare in rural community In the winter vitality edition, we featured an article regarding the formalization and launch of the Dr. Ronald Mace Rural Medical Education Program.

The program allows residents from the University of Kansas Medical Center to shadow physicians at GCH for up to six weeks at a time. The respective student resides in a furnished room at Geary Community Hospital throughout their stay.

Since the launch, GCH was excited to host their first medical student within the program, Maureen Weber, who spent four weeks at the hospital as a part of her educational experience. Throughout her stay, Weber was able to experience various aspects of rural healthcare that truly make hospitals like GCH unique.

More specifically, Weber noticed the Medical student strong relationships between the doctors Maureen Weber had and patients stood out to her and said it the opportunity to is something she will take into her future learn from physicians practice. “It was neat to watch patients such as Dr. Jenkins in the hospital when Dr. Jenkins (GCH during her time Hospitalist) would walk in,” said Weber. at the Dr. Ronald Mace Rural Medical “They know and trust him. Even though they are in the hospital, they light up with a Education Program. smile on their face when he visits.” This type of patient investment served as an inspiration to Weber and made it an ideal learning environment for her.

Weber was also offered chances to help out, become more involved and observe in her areas of interest. She was able to see what it’s like for doctors to work in a variety of settings, including hospice and skilled nursing, which are areas of interest for her future career.

“It’s vital for us in Kansas to have solid medical professionals and physicians,” said Dr. Joe Stratton GCH Chief Executive Officer.

“The Dr. Ronald Mace Rural Medical Education Program is 6

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another effective tool we use to help expose the rural healthcare environment. These types of educational opportunities are incredibly important to GCH, the students and the college.”

One of Weber’s biggest takeaways was experiencing how involved the physicians were in health education outside of the hospital. “It was so refreshing to see,” said Weber. “There were opportunities to see a lot of different sides of medicine and the different hats that you can wear when you’re a doctor in a smaller town. For me it was nice to get a look into what it would be like if I decide to practice in a rural community in the future.”

farmers’ market

GCH helps sow roots for local citizens and farmers In 2014 Geary Community Hospital conducted a community health needs assessment examining local health needs as well as assets and difficulties affecting area residents. The assessment found there was a serious lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables within the community.

“After the assessment we took a step back and thought about how we as a hospital can be a solution to the problem,” said Joe Stratton, Chief Executive Officer. “We also discussed the fact there was not a sustainable or consistent farmers’ market in the Junction City / Geary County area where farmers could sell their produce.

At that point we decided maybe GCH could provide the venue and host a farmers’ market in the front parking lot of our hospital.”

One of the many start-up challenges was figuring out the right day and time that fit best for the community while not competing with other markets in towns nearby. The GCH marketing team did some research, visited with local farmers and vendors, and determined Thursday afternoons 4-7 p.m. were perfect for everyone involved.

The market was designed to be as convenient as possible. Parents picking up their kids from school could drop by and grab fresh produce before heading home. The late afternoon time frame was also a prime opportunity for anyone getting off of work to drop by for a few minutes and shop. Additionally, surrounding community farmers’ markets were scheduled on earlier days of the week; with Thursdays closer to the end of the week, the community could stock up for the weekend.

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The GCH Farmers’ Market began in June, 2014 with five vendors the first week, and ended the season with over 25 vendors and around 400 customers shopping weekly. The second season in 2015 was even stronger. “On Thursday afternoons, our parking lot was jam-packed,” said Stratton. “Not only did we have a wide variety of vendors but customers were coming early, parking along side streets when the front area was full and walking over just to attend. It was a great problem to have and we’ve grown so much we are looking at different options for this upcoming season to strategically place vendors in the front parking lot and ease traffic flow.”

Another positive challenge was the fact that with such a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, many customers did not know how to prepare and cook them. GCH then took an inventory of what was being sold at the time of the produce season and printed recipes that vendors could give out to customers. “The recipe cards were a small gesture that really went a long way,” said Stratton. “Customers would pick up a recipe card, try it out at home, and give us their feedback the following week. We began to create and build strong relationships not only with our customers but our vendors as well.”

A Geary Community Hospital publication

The 2016 market season begins Thursday, June 2, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the front parking lot of Geary Community Hospital.

The market will remain open into the fall season, depending on crop availability and production, the season will close toward the end of October. Items ranging from fresh fruits, vegetables, jams, jellies, salsa, spices, beef, baked goods and honey will be offered at the market.

Studies show that when people get to know their local farmers and visit with them on a personal level they are more likely to cook and eat the fresh, locally grown produce.

This bit of information also rings true with kids. The more children are involved in picking out their fruits and vegetables at a farmers’ market, the likelihood of them eating the produce goes up tremendously. The 2015 season saw a large increase in the number of kids accompanying their parents and caregivers to the farmers’ market, excitedly helping to choose the family’s produce for the week. At the end of the 2015 market season, GCH capitalized on this discovery and hosted a “Customer Appreciation Day” featuring a pumpkin patch station where kids could decorate or paint their own pumpkins and take home. “The ‘Customer Appreciation Day’ was another small token to say ‘thank you’ to our community for supporting our farmers’ market and shopping local,” said Stratton.

“The Geary Community Hospital Farmers’ Market is a win/win for everyone,” said Stratton. “Area farmers benefit by having a venue to sell their produce and the Junction City/ Geary County community has weekly access to fresh, local fruits and vegetables. Also, population health management is a major component of GCH’s strategic plan and our farmers’ market is a creative asset we’ve made available to help our community live better. The healthcare industry, GCH included, is moving toward a proactive rather than reactive type of service model. We are encouraging our employees, patients, families and community to be healthy and live well.”

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outreach

“Chase for a Cause” to be held April 30

Bountiful Baskets We all know that eating fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the keys to good health, and buying fresh produce at the grocery store is often expensive. Bountiful Baskets is an option if your weekday schedule simply doesn’t allow time to visit the GCH Farmers’ Market, or if it’s just not farmers’ market season.

Bountiful Baskets isn’t a grocery store - it’s a national, year-round, non-profit food co-op operated completely by volunteers. Bountiful Baskets offers participants fresh, highquality produce at warehouse prices. Produce baskets are offered every week and are filled with equal parts fresh fruit and vegetables. Baskets are distributed each Saturday here at GCH. Contributors may choose a standard produce basket for $15 or upgrade to a 100% certified organic produce basket for $25. Each week offers additional options like fresh bread, granola, or seasonal fruit or vegetables by the case.

To learn more about this program, visit www.BountifulBaskets.org.

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Geary Community Hospital hosts its second annual “Chase for a Cause” 5k run/walk Saturday, April 30. The event is a healthy living initiative and fundraiser for local non-profit organizations and causes located where we live, work and play in Junction City and Geary County. Participants get to choose which approved local cause their funds go toward.

This provides an opportunity for other organizations to benefit and receive funds that may not have the resources to host such an event.

Your money stays in Geary County, helping great organizations that service our community.This is not just a race but also a community-wide event.

Last year there were approximately 200 participants and over $3,200 was raised to benefit all local charity organizations. This year GCH race directors are expecting at least 300 walkers/runners this year and to easily break the $5,000 mark.

A new feature added will be a kids’ fun run after the 5k race. Afterward there will be complimentary food, drinks and a designated kids play area while awaiting the awards ceremony and raffle prizes.

To register online, visit: www.gchks.org/wellness/chase/

2016 “Chase For A Cause” Organizations: • Big Brothers / Big Sisters • Boys and Girls Club • CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates of the 8th Judicial District) • Delivering Change: Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies • Friends of Animals – Junction City Animal Shelter • Food Pantry of Geary County • Fort Riley Spouses Club • Geary Community Healthcare Foundation • Geary Community Schools Foundation • Hospice at Geary Community Hospital • I.C.A.R.E. (Intergenerational Clearinghouse and Resource Educational Center) • Junction City Family YMCA • Junction City Fire Department Honor Guard • Junction City Fire Department Luke David Nelson Memorial Scholarship • Junction City Junior Baseball Association • Open Door Mission • United Way of Junction City / Geary County • Wheels of Hope (Mobile Food Pantry)

advancing

Updated clinic provides quality orthopedic care, close to home

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Orthopedic care is one of the many types of essential healthcare services provided by Geary Community Hospital. In mid-January 2016, GCH solidified their partnership with Dr. Adam Chase, Dr. Peter Hodges and physician assistants, Daren Badura and Justin Schlepp to provide orthopedic services at the GCH Flint Hills Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Clinic.

“There was a need for orthopedic services in Junction City, so they contacted myself and Dr. Adam Chase, and we had a mutually-beneficial deal made and are now covering the orthopedic clinics,” said Dr. Peter Hodges.

“This space gives us a greater ability to see more patients and provide the orthopedic care they need.”

“This partnership has already proven to be a very beneficial way of providing a continuity of care for our orthopedic patients and keeping services local,” said Joe Stratton, GCH Chief Executive Officer. “We’ve already received great feedback from several patients and families thankful we are able to provide these services locally.

We believe this collaborative effort and long-term commitment between each group will better serve the residents of Geary County by minimizing patients having to seek care elsewhere.”

– Peter Hodges, MD

Both doctors provide general inpatient and outpatient orthopedic care at Geary Community Hospital four days per week as well as orthopedic surgery services. A few of the provided services include injections, joint replacement, strains and sprains, sports injuries, and broken bones. The clinic is still in the same spot, but another room was added and the space was organized for more efficient use. “We now have places for our physician assistants to dictate and we have pretty much the same lobby, office, and they also gave us a dictation pod,” said Dr. Hodges. “This space gives us a greater ability to see more patients and provide the orthopedic care they need.”

(From left) Daren Badura, PA; Peter Hodges, MD; Adam Chase, MD, and Justin Schlepp, PA, have partnered with GCH to provide orthopedic services at the GCH Flint Hills Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Clinic.

A Geary Community Hospital publication

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community GCH Hosts Go Red for Women – Ladies’ Night Out Event

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Geary Community Hospital hosted their inaugural Go Red for Women – Ladies’ Night Out event Tuesday, February 23 at the Courtyard by Marriott Convention Center.

Keynote speaker, GCH Dr. Jimmy Jenkins, focused on healthy lifestyles and how to understand your heart numbers. The event also featured various business vendors selling healthy lifestyle products, jewelry and clothing as well as healthy food prep demo’s and samples with Chef Alli, host of “Fresh Farm Kitchen” on WIBW 13 News.

“Heart health affects everyone whether it is a family member, friend or even you,” said Joe Stratton, GCH Chief Executive Officer. “Tonight is a great way to bring the ladies and even their spouses together for an evening of fun and education. We are excited the event was such a success, was very well received and look forward to hosting next year’s festivities.”

The goal of the event was to raise heart health awareness in the community since February is Heart Health Month and heavily focused around the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign. “Go Red for Women” is a national campaign to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke in women.

Since the American Heart Association first launched Go Red For Women® in 2004, nearly 285 fewer women die from heart disease and stroke each day. And death in women has decreased by more than 30 percent over the past 10 years. While those statistics are great, unfortunately one in three women still die of heart disease and stroke, even though 80 percent of cardiac events may be prevented with education and lifestyle changes.

When you Go Red For Women® you build awareness about this deadly disease, inspire women to make lifesaving changes, and help save lives.

GCH employees and C.R.E.W. (Community Resources Empowering Wellness) committee members Christine Jones, Dr. Erick Carter and Jennifer Kirkpatrick share heart-healthy tips and snack samples for guests.

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“We are excited the event was such a success, was very well received and look forward to hosting next year’s festivities.”

– Joe Stratton, GCH Chief Executive Officer

(Above and at right) Attendees gather for quick pictures at the inaugural Go Red for Women – Ladies Night Out event hosted by GCH.

The event featured various business vendors selling healthy lifestyle products, jewelry and clothing as well as healthy food prep demo’s and samples with Chef Alli (above), host of “Fresh Farm Kitchen” on WIBW 13 News.

A Geary Community Hospital publication

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1102 St Mary’s Rd. Junction City, KS 66441 785-238-4131 • gchks.org

AlphaCare is here.

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You now have an option for treating your family’s minor illnesses and injuries.

AlphaCare is great for the treatment of everything from sore throats, ear aches and muscle strains to sunburns, small cuts, insect bites and rashes.No appointment is necessary.

AlphaCare. It’s the same quality medical care that you’ve come to expect from Geary Community Hospital clinics.

We are available at times that are convenient to you and your entire family.

Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m.-7p.m.

Sat.-Sun.: 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

Located inside Geary Community Hospital Medical Arts Building I, Suite 105 Junction City, KS 66441

(785) 238-0828