UNITY MEDICAL CENTER
ANNUAL
REPORT
2023
BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
Jo Petersen
Paul Mohagen
TREASURER/SECRETARY Amy Geiger
BOARD MEMBERS Tom Campbell Russell Carignan
Roger Gorder Todd Morgan
Dr. Heidi Paulson Dr. Matthew Viscito
Pictured from left: Tom Campbell, Alan O'Neil, Dr. Matthew Viscito, Todd Morgan, Amy Geiger, Jo Petersen, Russell Carignan, Roger Gorder, Dr. Heidi Paulson
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LETTER FROM THE CEO Dear Friends, Unity Medical Center is doing our best to establish a tradition of excellence. Our team is incredibly focused on providing the best quality care we are capable of. We have seen considerable growth over the past few years and it is a testament to our commitment to you and your confidence in us. As a result of patient volume growth we have been able to add additional resources, including growing nearly all of our departments by adding or expanding service lines, additional dedicated team members, new equipment, and continuing our independence and commitment to providing the best care possible and working with other organizations when necessary to provide a continuum of care by utilizing a team approach to care delivery. Our quest to provide more services locally is a continual process. Just recently we added another service line, Pulmonary Rehab, which prior to, patients had to travel a considerable distance to receive this service. Also, we have expanded our Rehab Services department to include Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy. Some very recent news is the return of General Surgery as an offered service. Our new General Surgeon, Dr. Michael Bittles started November 1. Orthopedic outreach has been an incredible success, thanks to the great support of Dr. Leetun and Dr. Schall. Our organization continues to receive accolades from national sources such as Modern Healthcare and the National Rural Rating System. There are updates on these accomplishments later in this report. An additional source of pride and “pay-it-forward” is UMC’s commitment to being a host to the wide array of students who are focusing on a career in health care. Our focus on training the next generation of medical professionals is a common theme up and down the hallways of UMC. With our investment in our Rural Medical Education Center on the 3rd floor to the medical students that follow our practitioners and other students in Rehab, Radiology, Nursing, Dietary and even to include our award winning “Scrubs Camp” where we host ninth grade students who are learning about health care as a career option. We are very proud of our continued growth and expansion. You will learn more about our latest project on page 12. A big thank you to our Governing Board for their guidance and support. Also, thank you for your support of the UMC Foundation – your generous gifts are instrumental in our ability to grow, whether it be equipment for facility additions, service line growth or staff development – it is all so appreciated! From all perspectives, FY-2024 looks to be an exciting year. Please know how much we appreciate your confidence in our team and we will do our absolute best to care for you and your family. Sincerely, Alan O’Neil, MBA Chief Executive Officer
Senator Hoeven shows his pride for UMC’s Best Places to Work 2023 award! L-R: Tim Blasl, NDHA President, Senator John Hoeven, Alan O’Neil, Erik Rasmussen, AHA Representative
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AWARDS BEST PLACES TO WORK 2022 & 2023
Unity Medical Center was named one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare Magazine in both 2022 and 2023. Modern Healthcare (MH) is a leading publication in the healthcare industry and each year they recognize 150 organizations across the United States as a Best Place to Work. Of the 150 organizations recognized, 75 of them are a combination of healthcare providers and insurance companies while the other 75 are vendors. In 2022, Unity was awarded this recognition for the first time and ranked #35 within the Providers/Insurers category and #7 for Critical Access Hospitals. There are approximately 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals in the U.S. The 2022 awards ceremony was held in Nashville.
2022 Nashville Awards Ceremony
In 2023 Unity moved up the ranks and landed at #18 within the Providers/Insurers category and #2 overall among the Critical Access Hospitals. Unity was also awarded the #1 Healthiest Award, which was a new category added this year and is reflective of the flexible wellness perks available to employees along with the work being done by the Health & Wellness Committee. The awards ceremony was held in Chicago To become a recipient of this award, MH reviews information about the applying organization such as: core values, achievements, safety, and how they believe they make it a great place to work. A large part of the application process is based on a confidential employee survey including how well employees feel they are treated by the organization, if they feel they are recognized appropriately, and if they feel engaged with helping to identify opportunities/strategies to improve the workplace culture and productivity. This award honors employers that empower workers to provide patients and customers with the best possible care, products and services. Being named one of the Best Places to Work enhances our recruiting efforts and increases our employee retention. We gain brand awareness and a good reputation in the industry. 3
Alan & Fawn Lopez, former MH Publisher
2023 Chicago Awards Ceremony
AWARDS DAISY AWARD / PATIENT EXPERIENCE / QUALITY & PATIENT PERSPECTIVE The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day. The DAISY Foundation was established by the family of J. Patrick Barnes after he died from complications of the auto-immune disease ITP in 1999. When he died, they felt compelled to say “thank you” to nurses in a very public way and encourage others to say thank you by sharing their story of how a nurse made a difference they will never forget!
DAISY Award Honoree Lisangela Garza, RN
Each DAISY Award Honoree is recognized at a public ceremony and receives a beautiful certificate, a DAISY Award pin, and a hand-carved stone sculpture entitled A Healer’s Touch. Additionally, everyone on the team celebrates with cinnamon rolls. This year’s DAISY Award Honoree is Lisangela Garza, RN. She received her certificate, pin and sculpture at the Employee Awards Banquet in April. A special DAISY Award Recognition Program for Lisangela was held in May where the cinnamon rolls were served. Unity Medical Center earned a 4-star rating in a new ratings program for rural and critical access hospitals, called the 5-Star National Rural Rating System. The program celebrates the extraordinary patient experiences provided by rural and critical access hospitals across the United States. “Winning this award is not only a great honor for us, but it also highlights the important role that we play in the health and wellbeing of the people in our community,” said Alan O’Neil, CEO. “We are dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality care to those who need it most, and we are grateful for this recognition of our efforts.” Unity Medical Center has also been recognized by The Chartis Center of Rural Health and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) with a 2023 Performance Leadership Award for Quality and Patient Perspective. The Performance Leadership Award is based on the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX, which is a comprehensive and objective methodology developed by the Chartis Group for assessing how rural hospitals are performing. Award winners are those facilities that ranked in the top quartile (75th percentile or above) in either quality, outcomes or patient perspective. 4
COMMUNITY OUTREACH KIDS' ALLEY FIESTA
Unity Medical Center partnered with Kids' Alley indoor playground and learning center to host a Fiesta fundraiser on May 17, 2023. The event raised more than $27,000 that will go towards completing renovations and purchasing equipment for the play space. The four-hour event featured local health services booths from Unity, Lifetime Dental, Life Skills and Transition Center, Walsh County Public Health/WIC and Skin Rehab. Funds were raised through a silent auction, Men of Walsh County Calendar nominations, and JR's taco plates. More than 40 Unity staff participated in the event including planning, set up, hosting booths, donating silent auction items, raising and counting calendar money, selling tickets, delivering drinks, running the silent auction, making tacos, and tear down/clean up. The indoor play space will provide a year-round safe environment that encourages family and community togetherness, physical activity, imaginative play and learning for the families of Grafton and surrounding communities. This is based on the premise that by creating a space for positive social interaction we can help to strengthen a sense of belonging and respect in the youth and families this location will serve. This is a positive space created by the community for the community.
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH GRAFTON PARKS & REC 5K FOR $5K
Unity Medical Center partnered with Grafton Parks and Recreation and Walsh County Health District (WCHD) to host the first annual 5K for $5K on September 16. The goal was to raise $5,000 to go towards the Leistikow Park outdoor pool, as the pool has changed little since it was constructed in 1954. Approximately 60 runners and walkers of all ages participated in the race that raised almost $2,500 for the new pool. The 5K was followed by a Kids Fun Run where more than 25 kids raced down the bike path for a chance to win a ticket to the Corn Maze. As active members in the community, UMC and WCHD support active, fun-filled events for all ages to promote healthy lifestyle habits. Events like the 5K also support the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment in the focus area of reducing adult obesity with the goal of supporting healthy behaviors that improve health outcomes and reduce adult Body Mass Index (BMI) scores.
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CAREER EXPLORATION SCRUBS CAMP & R-COOL HEALTH SCRUBS CAMP OF THE YEAR Scrubs camps are one-day events held in rural North Dakota communities to introduce students to a variety of careers in healthcare. They utilize interactive, hands-on activities led by local healthcare professionals and students learn about specific careers and opportunities available in their communities. Presenters also share their own experiences and what it is like to work in a rural North Dakota community. Unity Medical Center was proud to receive the "R-COOL-Health Scrubs Camp of the Year" award for 2023. This award is presented to the grantee that hosted the Scrubs Camp deemed as the top camp of the year based on the overall combination of a number of factors including professions students are exposed to, innovative and interactive activities, collaboration of community partners and local health care professionals, and organization of the camp and grant process. The award was accepted by Kari Novak, Clinic Manager and Jenny Holand, Chief Nursing Operator at the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health on June 15. This year, UMC hosted more than 130 ninth grade students from Drayton, Grafton, Midway, Minto and Park River on March 22 and March 29. This is the third year hosting the camp in partnership with North Valley Career and Technology Center, the Walsh County JDA and the Center for Rural Health. Students spent the day rotating through ten classes where they learned about a variety of in demand healthcare careers and participated in hands-on activities. Some activities that were new for 2023 included sampling blood to learn blood type, percussing each other’s lungs, receiving an EKG, and getting positioned in an orthopedic surgery chair for shoulder surgery. UMC received $2,500 grants from both the Center for Rural Health and North Valley to help cover the cost of food and supplies. Scrubs Camp 2024 is scheduled for March 20 and 27.
Kari Novak & Jenny Holand 7
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CAREER EXPLORATION NORTH VALLEY CAREER & TECHNOLOGY CENTER
Unity Medical Center continues to grow the partnership with North Valley Career & Technology Center in Grafton. In addition to hosting Scrubs Camp at the hospital, and presenting at the Marketplace for Kids and Explore NVCTC events, Unity participates in the North Valley Job Shadow Program and North Valley Summer Intern Program. All students who are enrolled at North Valley are required to complete a half-day (four-hour) job shadow. Unity hosted 13 students during the 2022-2023 school year and have approximately 18 students scheduled for the 2023-2024 school year across the following departments: physical therapy, marketing, surgery, clinic, radiology, lab and dietetics. This is a great way to expose students to the variety of careers available in their hometown. North Valley students also have the opportunity to earn a half of full high school credit by completing a summer internship. These positions are paid and the credit earned is based on the total hours worked. The employers also receive a stipend for each student that completes their internship. Unity employed six summer interns in 2022 and seven in 2023 across the maintenance, social work, dietary and physical therapy departments.
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PARTNERSHIPS RADIOLOGY + NORTHLAND
Unity Medical Center’s (Unity) Radiology Department has been recognized as a cohort rotation site for the Radiologic Technology program at Northland Community and Technical College in East Grand Forks, MN. Unity will begin to receive students in the fall of 2023. The first group to rotate will be first-year students and the following fall, the second-year students will rotate. Radiology will have a total of two students per rotation with each rotation lasting five weeks. These students will be supervised by a registered radiologic technologist during their rotation. They will receive hands-on real-world experience from Unity’s experienced radiologic technologists. These students will have the opportunity to use top-of-the-line radiologic equipment to perform x-rays. Sara Riskey BSBA, R.T. (R), ARDMS(AB) Director of Radiology for Unity Medical Center will be the clinical preceptor. She shared, “I’m excited and honored for the opportunity to teach and work with the next generation of Radiologic Technologists. Northland Community Technical College is a fantastic college. I graduated from there in 2007 with my Radiologic Technology degree. It was the hands-on experience of the cohorts that helped me to grow and learn. We as a cohort site will get the privilege of continuing this experience for the Radiology Students.” Unity currently has four registered radiologic technologists. Natalie Anderson and Jessica Tanke are also registered as mammogram technologists, Cindy Flaten is also registered as a CT technologist, and Sara Riskey is registered as a radiologic technologist and ultrasound technologist. Pam Nelson, ultrasound technologist, recently joined the UMC radiology team. Due to the volume of patients, and advanced equipment, Unity is able to keep up to date with radiology best practices and ALARA, giving the students who will be training with their team of technologists an advantage in the healthcare market once they graduate.
Pam Nelson, ultrasound technologist
L-R: Natalie, Sara, Cindy, Jess 10
NEW INITIATIVES COLORECTAL & BREAST CANCER COALITIONS
Unity Medical Center (UMC) has partnered with Quality Health Associates of North Dakota (QHA) and is now part of their Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Coalition with the goal of increasing breast and cervical cancer screening rates in primary care clinics. Through this partnership, QHA staff help UMC to stay on track, set goals and provide tools to help meet those goals. There are five different milestones to meet and UMC has already completed the first milestone - copper. One of the things UMC is doing to encourage cancer screenings is supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is every October. This year the team designed t-shirts using the statewide campaign theme, “Stronger Together” which more than 80 staff purchased. A strong marketing push encouraged area women to schedule their mammogram during the month of October and those that did received a breast cancer awareness compact mirror and were entered into a weekly drawing for a cozy fleece blanket. A special drawing was also held for UMC staff who received their mammogram in October where three women won pink-themed prize packages. UMC also has a colorectal cancer screening partnership with QHA and has already met the third milestone – silver. March was Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, so staff had a lot of fun with the colonoscopy theme and wore blue “Check Ur Colon” shirts all month long, while the surgery team gave colonoscopy goodie bags to every patient that scheduled or completed their colonoscopy that month. UMC hosted a “Battle of the Buns” contest open to the community and awarded UMC Ladies Auxiliary handcrafted goods to the winners with the best tasting, best looking and best texture buns. Weekly treats and trivia for the staff included Check Ur Colon gear, “poop” cupcakes and rainbow poop pool floaties.
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GROWTH CLINIC EXPANSION
Cafeteria Expansion
Clinic Expansion
Unity Medical Center is moving forward with a 6,000 square foot, two-story clinic expansion that will take place on the west end of Grafton Family Clinic. Seven more treatment rooms will be added to the first floor for the UMC providers. The second floor will be dedicated to the outreach providers as there are several providers who come to Grafton on a regular basis in the areas of oncology, OB-GYN, orthopedic surgery, and others. Many see upwards of 40 patients a day, so having their own dedicated space with treatment rooms, nurses station, and waiting room will make it more efficient for everyone and allow for continued growth. Another area of much needed expansion is the dietary department run by registered dietician Rondee Feltman. Patient volumes have grown, especially in the hospital, making space in the dining center limited. This expansion will make more room for families of patients who are travelling to Grafton for special procedures, offering them the convenience of not having to leave the hospital for meals. T L Stroh Architects & Interiors (the architecture firm that designed the hospital addition) were on site to review the floor plans for the first and second floors of the new addition. The same wall and door systems that were used in the clinic renovation and hospital addition will be used in the new clinic addition. The dining area that faces south will have high ceilings and large windows with a patio on the east side. Hospital administration and facilities director Terry Demester are working closely with the general contractor, TF Powers. Expected completion of the project is estimated to be eight to nine months with a mid to late summer 2024 opening.
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GROWTH CARDIOPULMONARY REHAB
Unity Medical Center has expanded the Cardiac Rehab program and added Pulmonary Rehab to the roster of services. Pulmonary Rehab helps patients with asthma, COPD, difficulty breathing, emphysema, post-COVID lung damage, respiratory issues, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis and heart conditions that cause breathing problems. It is designed to improve lung function, reduce symptoms, and improve quality of life. Led by Respiratory Therapy Manager, Kelly LaBonte, and respiratory therapist, Erika Miller, the Pulmonary Rehab program is a comprehensive education and exercise program customized to each patient’s needs and abilities. It includes exercise and strength training, diet and nutrition counseling, health education training, breathing techniques, and emotional support. Funds raised during Giving Hearts Day 2023 helped fund the project, which included repurposing the main floor conference room of the hospital to house these two programs. This space can also serve as additional gym space for physical therapy when the rehab programs are not in session. Cardiac Rehab started using the new space on May 1 and Pulmonary Rehab on May 15. Pulmonary Rehab recently graduated their first student, Paul Aaser. He completed 36 sessions across 18 weeks. Congratulations Paul!
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Paul Aaser - First Graduate
GROWTH HUMAN RESOURCES JANUARY-NOVEMBER 2023
PRIMARY CARE TEAM
Dr. Matthew Viscito, CMO
Whitney Thompson, PA-C
Dr. Jennifer Shaw
Rebecca Beyer, PA-C
Dr. Jared Marquardt
Kristin Stabo, FNP-C
Dr. Kristi Midgarden
Lyndsey Leehan, FNP-C
Emily Balsdon, FNP-C
Dr. Karin Lokensgard
Sam Mburu, FNP-C
185 TOTAL EMPLOYEES 36 NEW HIRES 13.5% ANNUAL GROWTH RATE
EMERGENCY CARE TEAM
$ 150,000.00
Matthew Massmann, PA-C
Jodi Sherve, FNP-C
Michele Schoenborn, APRN, CNP
Jessica Wichmann, PA-C
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GROWTH GENERAL SURGERY
Dr. Michael Bittles and his wife Pattie recently relocated to rural North Dakota from Indiana. He began his healthcare career as a paramedic and maintained this path while continuing his education. He started medical school in Indianapolis at age 30. His initial eight years of practice were with a large group in northern Indiana. He then moved to rural Nebraska, where he worked in small critical access hospitals similar to those where he will be practicing in rural northeast North Dakota. He moved back to Indiana in 2019, where he was working at a larger hospital prior to the move to North Dakota. Dr. Bittles shared, “I am looking forward to returning to a more rural type of practice and meeting new patients and friends in North Dakota. I am excited to rekindle my interest in fishing and owning that snowmobile I have always wanted!” He sees patients and performs surgical procedures at Unity Medical Center as well as First Care Health Center, Park River, and Pembina County Memorial Hospital, Cavalier. To further enhance Dr. Bittles’ surgical practice, Unity has acquired an Intuitive Surgical da Vinci surgery robot. This robot will allow Dr. Bittles to perform complex procedures with greater precision using a robotic arm. The da Vinci system consists of a console where the surgeon sits and controls a robotic arm carrying the surgical instruments. The robotic arm has a greater range of motion than a human hand. The surgery team will start using the robot in December. UMC is the first critical access hospital in North Dakota to acquire a da Vinci surgical robot. If you would like to make an appointment with Dr. Bittles, please call Grafton Family Clinic at 701-352-2000.
Dr. Michael Bittles 15
Da Vinci Surgical Robot
GROWTH OCCUPATIONAL & SPEECH THERAPY
Amy Groves, MOTR/L
Kelsey Sherry, MOTR/L
Hannah Laxdal, MS, CCC-SLP
Unity Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Services department has expanded with the addition of in-house occupational and speech therapy available to patients of all ages. Both therapy services offer co-treatment options as needed. Amy Groves, MOTR/L, CLT and Kelsey Sherry, MOTR/L offer skilled occupational therapy (OT) services from pediatric to geriatric with various diagnoses that include, but are not limited to sensory processing disorder, emotional dysregulation, developmental delay, orthopedic, lymphedema, upper extremity impairments, and cognitive impairments. OT can also complete wheelchair fittings and home safety assessments. Hannah Laxdal, MS, CCC-SLP provides speech and language therapy from pediatric to geriatric with various diagnoses including but not limited to language delays and disorders, articulation and phonological disorders, fluency disorders, pragmatic language disorders, strokes, traumatic brain injuries, voice disorders, dysphagia, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Down Syndrome, and autism spectrum disorders. Unity has a large, private pediatric therapy gym that provides an engaging and motivating atmosphere for children to build their skills. If you would like to make an appointment with Amy, Kelsey, or Hannah, please call the Rehab Services Department at 701-352-9398.
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U.S. SENATORS VISIT UNITY MEDICAL CENTER
Senator John Hoeven attended the groundbreaking of the new building in August 2019 and visited Unity in August 2022 for a tour of the completed project. He shared his pride and enthusiasm for all of the great things happening at Unity and in our rural ND community!
Unity Medical Center recently hosted Senator Kevin Cramer and staff for a tour of the new addition and luncheon. The senator has been very supportive of all things healthcare – especially in the rural areas. We truly appreciate him taking the time to visit Unity so he could see firsthand how proud we are and how beautiful the new hospital turned out.
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2023 STATISTICS JULY 2022-JUNE 2023
38,106 LABS
13,303
11,002
GRAFTON FAMILY CLINIC VISITS
PT ENCOUNTERS
9,969 RESPIRATORY TREATMENTS
2,183
2,602 3,202 PARK RIVER CLINIC VISITS
X-RAYS
996 EKGs
ER VISITS
434 745 MAMMOGRAMS
SURGERIES
271 MRIs
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164 West 13th Street, Grafton | 701-352-1620 unitymedcenter.com