Sanford Health Foundation Mayville Fall enCourage

Sanford Health Foundation Mayville Fall 2016

Alice’s Story

Forever grateful for the team in Mayville.

Sanford Mayville

HONORED

Celebrate your Guardian Angel

Deck the halls...

trim the tree!

“I would never be alive today if it hadn’t been for the Mayville hospital.”

Alice Strand

Since Alice Strand retired in 2009, she’s devoted her life to her family and some volunteering, but mostly the upkeep of her acreage home outside of Portland, N.D. “I’d rather be outside than in the house any day,” she said.

During most of the year, you’ll find Strand tending her vast vegetable and flower gardens and cleaning up the woods surrounding her property.

While working hard outside, Strand said she’s conscious of her health because she’s managed high blood pressure for 10 years.

So during the first week in July, while tending the garden, Strand paid attention when she felt waves of dizziness. At first, she blamed the summer heat, but then had her blood pressure checked during an eye appointment as a precaution.

The optometrist insisted Strand go straight to the Sanford Mayville Clinic, where it took the physician’s assistant only a minute to call for more help.

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“The PA stuck her head out the door and yelled for them to take me to the emergency room and get a hold of the helicopter,” Strand said. “It didn’t make any sense to me because I felt fine.”

On the contrary, once Strand was on the bed in the ER, her heart stopped.

Through swift action, the ER team was able to revive Strand and arrange for her immediate transport via Sanford AirMed to the Sanford Medical Center Fargo. There, she went into surgery to receive a permanent pacemaker.

Through the whirlwind episode, Strand said she always felt safe and comfortable. The staff at Mayville also helped take care of her 11-year-old grandson, who happened to be with her, and reassure her husband, Eric, once he arrived.

“They all know me in Mayville, because in small towns you get to know everybody. They still talked to me the whole time and said, ‘You’re going

to be OK, Alice. Eric is on his way, don’t worry, and we’ve got your grandson covered.’”

Strand was most impressed with the communication between all of the Sanford teams involved.

“I had to go from the hospital to the ambulance, and the ambulance to the helicopter, from the helicopter to Fargo, and everybody was informed,” she recalled. “They didn’t say, ‘What do we have here?’

They said, ‘Hi, Alice.’ The communication was unreal.”

Mostly, she is forever grateful for the team in Mayville.

“I would never be alive today if it hadn’t been for the Mayville hospital,” said Strand, who is feeling better than ever.

Thank you for helping ensure that the experienced specialists in Mayville are ready to provide lifesaving care, for patients like Strand, within a moment’s notice.

To continue to support local health care through the Sanford Health Foundation Mayville, please use the enclosed envelope.

Sanford Mayville honored as top critical access hospital

Doris Vigen, chief nursing officer and Roger Baier, senior director at the NRHA event in Kansas City, MO.

For the second year in a row, Sanford Mayville has been ranked among the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA).

“It’s a very nice honor,” said Roger Baier, senior director of Sanford Mayville, who accepted the award in September at the

2016 Critical Access Hospital Conference in Kansas City, MO. “This award is a testament to the high-quality care available at our hospital and to the dedication of our team.”

The NRHA uses data about quality, patient perspectives and financial stability to rank rural hospitals across the country.

Of the 43 hospitals in North Dakota, 36 are designated as critical access facilities. These facilities are located in rural areas, have 25 or fewer in-patient beds and provide 24/7 emergency care. Essentially, Baier says, they must be equipped to meet community needs—everything from treating a common cold to stabilizing a trauma victim.

“We are honored to serve our community,” said Baier. “Our friends, family and neighbors here in Mayville trust us with their health—we take that responsibility very seriously.”

Thank you to all the generous donors of the Sanford Health Foundation, Mayville. Your support ensures Sanford Mayville has the resources to continue going above and beyond to care for our community.

Celebrate your Guardian Angel Looking for a meaningful way to thank a Sanford doctor, nurse, volunteer or staff member who touched your life in a special way?

Our Guardian Angel program gives patients and families the opportunity to celebrate exceptional care by making a gift in honor of a caregiver.

Your Guardian Angel will receive well-deserved recognition, and your gift will enhance services for future patients at Sanford Mayville.

To honor your Guardian Angel, please contact the Sanford Health Foundation at (701) 788-3800 or use the enclosed envelope.

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Sanford Sanford Sanford Health Health Foundation Mayville PO Box 609 42 6th Ave.ND SE 58045 Hillsboro, Mayville, ND 58257-58601

Deck the halls & trim the tree The holiday season is close at hand! Take part in our tradition of decorating the Christmas tree in the lobby of the Sanford Mayville Medical Center. Make a donation to Sanford Mayville and have a festive ornament hung in honor of a loved one.

$100 or more: a silver ornament | $25 to $99: a blue ornament It’s not too early to start spreading holiday cheer! Gifts for holiday ornaments are welcome now through December 16. Every dollar will support continued excellence in patient care here at Sanford Mayville.

To make a gift, please use the enclosed envelope.

Happy holidays!

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