Happy Halloween!
Don't forget to send photos of Halloween fun from your location to news@chcsks.org.
If you're in Onaga, join us for our Trick-or-Treat Trail on Friday, Oct. 29 from 5 to 6 p.m. It'll be scary good!
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Dr. Kendra Reith will join our medical staff on Friday, October 29! Please be sure to welcome her when you see her.
Dr. Reith (pronounced “right”) graduated from Kansas State University and the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She finished her residency at Smoky Hill Family Medicine in Salina earlier this year. At Smoky Hill, Dr. Reith gained extensive hands-on experience in family practice along with obstetrical care, or OB, and discovered a love of caring for women and their babies during pregnancy and childbirth.
“I love the family aspect of OB care and watching the family dynamic. It’s so special and fun to watch families grow and to be a part of such a life-changing day,” Dr. Reith said.
Dr. Reith is a mother herself, and she and her husband, Brent, who works in IT, live in Onaga with their young son, Brigham.
Merica Surdez, CHCS chief of provider and clinic operations, said Dr. Reith is a welcome addition to the medical staff. She will work in Onaga, Centralia, and Corning.
“Dr. Reith is a great fit for CHCS patients. She understands the needs of patients and new moms in our rural area and is eager to join our team. She’s also excited to offer new services such Botox for cosmetics and therapeutic treatment of migraines,” Surdez said.
“We are happy to welcome Dr. Reith to our community and to our medical staff. We know our patients will appreciate her warmth and expertise,” said CHCS CEO Todd Willert.
As a native of Belleville, Kansas, Dr. Reith is happy to be practicing in a rural setting. As a child, Dr. Reith often would “hang out” in her mother’s veterinary clinic, and she thought she might like to be a vet like her mom.
“I grew up in the clinic, and I would look at things under the microscope and watch my mom do surgeries, so that sparked my interest in science and medicine,” she said. Her mom’s solo practice included large and small animals, and young Kendra would often see her mom with bites and scratches from a cat or a black eye from a cow throwing its head. She started thinking about human medicine instead.
Outside of work, Dr. Reith enjoys spending time with family, traveling, shopping, arranging flowers, and baking. Her young family also enjoys spending time with their pets, a dog and two cats.
“My husband and I are excited to be back in a small town, and we hope to make Onaga our forever home,” Dr. Reith said.
Note: We will be advertising Dr. Reith's addition to our staff to the public as soon as she is approved by insurance payors.
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COVID-19 booster FAQ
Associates who are interested in receiving boosters are welcome to schedule an appointment with any of our clinics. Pfizer and Moderna boosters are available now. CHCS is still waiting for codes and orders to be built in Cerner so we can offer J&J boosters.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.
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Which booster should I get? "Mixing and matching" booster doses is now authorized, so you do not need to get the same type of vaccine for your booster as the one you originally received. If you received Pfizer or Moderna more than 6 months ago or J&J more than 2 months ago, you should get whatever booster is readily available. If you have specific questions, consult with your healthcare provider. Read a WebMD FAQ about boosters.
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Does Employee Health give boosters? No. Reporting requirements mean that only our clinics are able to offer boosters.
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Will the booster get billed to my insurance? Yes, but you should incur no out-of-pocket expense.
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When will a vaccine mandate take effect? We are not sure if or when CMS will require the COVID-19 vaccine for healthcare workers.
PLEASE NOTE: If you receive a booster shot, Employee Health needs to record it. Please send a clear photo of your vaccine card to employeehealth@chcsks.org or send a photocopy of your card to Employee Health Nurse Christina Hasenkamp through interoffice mail.
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Please note this important product recall!
Better Homes & Gardens Aromatherapy Room Spray in Lavender & Chamomile scent has been found to carry bacteria that cause melioidosis, a dangerous infectious disease. This product has been recalled along with five other scents of the spray with the same brand name. The spray was sold at Walmart between February and October 21, 2021, and was distributed in stores and online.
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Reminder: The flu shot deadline is Friday, October 29. If you have not yet received a flu shot, call or email Christina Haenkamp or call your closest clinic for an appt. ASAP. |
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Community Health Needs Assessment:
Please fill out the survey!
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CHCS is required to complete a Community Health Needs Assessment for Pottawatomie County every three years. We are currently collecting survey responses from people who live or work in the county.
Please help! If you live in Pottawatomie County or work primarily in the county, you can fill out the survey. We hope you'll take a few minutes to deliver some feedback on the health needs of our communities. The deadline to participate is November 22. View the survey.
Input from the Community Health Needs Assessment survey helps CHCS understand what communities need and set priorities for programs and services. Our commitment to offering Mental Health First Aid and developing more robust partnerships with schools grew out of needs identified on our last Community Health Needs Assessment. Read more about the importance of this project.
You can also help by sharing the survey with friends and family and encouraging them to respond. Thanks for helping us spread the word!
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Onaga Acute has a new telemetry system! Chief Nursing Officer Mindy Olberding took time to answer a few questions about it.
What is great about the new telemetry system? How does it help you provide better patient care? Our previous system was about 10 years old, and the technology has really changed. We can now do more. One of the nice features with the new system is that the patient is connected to a small monitor at their bedside, where the nurse can immediately see any irregularity. This is helpful to the nurses and providers because sometimes a patient says they are feeling short of breath or dizzy or have chest pain, and now we can look at the rhythm in the room without having to leave the patient. We also have new bedside monitors in our trauma bays (see photo, above). These can do an EKG and monitor for heart rhythm changes with more detail than other devices.
What kind of training did nurses need to complete to use the new system? The nurses attended training sessions with the telemetry company. We also were able to train about 4-5 super-users for the devices in addition to the nursing staff.
Why is it so important for CHCS to invest in new technology when it’s available? Keeping up with the latest technology ensures our providers and nurses have the tools they need to provide excellent patient care. This also helps us to be able to continue to provide for the telemetry services without having our system go down related to not having the parts and equipment available.
Why are tools like the telemetry system especially significant or important in a critical access hospital/rural area? With challenges due to COVID-19 and staffing at larger hospitals, we are often keeping patients who otherwise would have been transferred in the past. This system means we can monitor patients more appropriately and provide care and respond to changes in their condition.
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St. Marys Manor welcomes new DON |
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Kayle McNally-Knoblauch, RN, is the new Director of Nursing at St. Marys Manor.
McNally-Knoblauch, who goes by “Jake,” a nickname she earned when she was two and half years old and couldn’t sit still after a surgery to sew her thumb back on after an accident, grew up in Westmoreland and is a Rock Creek graduate. She earned Certified Nurse Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse, and Registered Nurse qualifications through Manhattan Area Technical College and currently resides in Wamego.
McNally-Knoblauch previously worked at The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus as a program manager for Sound Physicians, where she served as a liaison between the hospital and the physician group and engaged in data quality management. She is happy to be returning to a long-term care environment.
“Long-term care is where I got my start as a nurse. I’ve realized this is where my heart is,” McNally-Knoblauch said.
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Celebrate gratitude and fill the cornucopia! |
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November is almost here, and with it comes the season of gratitude. Spirit Squad and the Mental Health Committee invite associates at all locations to do some good for others AND themselves with our "Fill the Cornucopia" activity.
The activity has two easy steps.
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Donate food: Bring nonperishable food items for local food banks to help others fill their cornucopias for the holidays. All locations will have a donation station and a manager who will coordinate taking donations to a food bank in your community.
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Pause to express your gratitude: At each location, you'll find a designated spot to post something you're grateful for. Do it when you drop off your donation, or do it every day. Do it during your break, or do it when you arrive at work for the day. Just do it! Then feel the benefits of gratitude.
The activity begins November 8 and concludes November 19. Questions? Email news@chcsks.org
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Stress relief walk rescheduled
Much-needed rain postponed the Mental Health Committee's Fall Stress Relief Walk. Mark your calendar for November 4, when associates will be encouraged to "tag someone" to go for a short 5- to 10-minute stress relief walk during their workday.
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Preparedness Summit
The inaugural Kansas Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Summit was held September 28-30.
As Chair of the Kansas HCC Steering Committee, Michael Bomberger assisted with the development of this first-ever Summit and was pleased to introduce keynote speaker Jake Wood, Founder of Team Rubicon. Michael had met Jake at a national conference, where Jake shared a message titled Building Teams in the Midst of Chaos.
In addition, attendees, including Jeremy Brandt, PA-C, Co-Clinical Advisor, Northeast Kansas Healthcare Coalition, heard timely presentations from Sarah Fischer, MSN, RN, Ascension Via Christi Burn Center, Initial Management And Transfer of Burn Patients, and Andrew "AJ" Jarrett, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, The Importance of Facility Cyber Security Policies And What Facilities Should Do. Sessions were recorded.
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Calling all veterans!
Veterans Day is November 11, and CHCS wants to provide special recognition in the E-Connection for associates who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
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If you served, please let Jill Greene know via email or call her at extension 5030. Thank you!
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Welcome to CHCS!
We are happy to have the following associates joining us. Welcome!
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Cindy Hill, Onaga EVS
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Kayle (Jake) McNally-Knoblauch, Director of Nursing, St. Marys Manor
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Chelsea Dillon, MDS/IC Nurse, St. Marys Manor
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Madyson Buescher, Cook/Aiid, Onaga Dietary
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Here's to our associates with November birthdays. Join us in wishing them all the best as they celebrate!
Michael Bomberger, Alycea Lakin, Hali Brown, Vicky Frost, Amber McDaris, Nadja Miller, Taylor Talley, Amanda Glotzbach, Troy Myers, Janet Haug, Joanie Hosfelt, Shelly Suther, Connie Ellis, Karen Johnson, Emily Ronnebaum, Amanda Norris, Barbara Bussart, Annie Crumbaker, Marcus Weiser, Sophia Dowd, Ashlyne Little-Thunderhawk, Chelsey Glatczak, Cindi Area, Holly Haufler, Michele Reisinger, Halie Jeanneret, Paula Bryan, Brenda Quigley
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Jeans in November!
Please make the program easier to administer by ensuring that you fill out a form with your first and last name and that you turn in the form with your payment. (Click the form at left to expand.)
Donations and forms go to the following individuals at each location:
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Holton: Kim Lovvorn
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Onaga: Alisa Skruch or Marlene Wolfe (Administration office)
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Westmoreland: Registration staff
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Frankfort: Stacy Vermetten
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St. Marys Clinic: Registration staff
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St. Marys Manor: Shannon Heim
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Centralia Clinic: Jes Hipp
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Eastridge: Jes Hipp at Centralia Clinic
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Important reminders
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Onaga will host a Trick-or-Treat Trail TOMORROW (Friday, October 29) from 5 to 6 p.m. Please donate candy by bringing it to the Admin office, and bring your little ghosts and goblins to enjoy the fun!
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The Health Innovations Network of Kansas, or HINK, is holding Community Roundtables to review research and discuss findings to address local community mental health needs and suicide prevention. The first roundtable will be in Holton on Thursday, November 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at The Courtyard. Click here to RSVP. Reminder: Please support HINK by filling out a survey about mental health issues affecting residents in northeast and north-central Kansas by Oct. 31.
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November 1-5
Caramel apple cider
- Caramel, cinnamon, and apple cider
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16 oz., $4
- Hot, cold, or frappe
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NEW: Want an additional discount? Bring your own cup and we'll bump your employee discount from 10% up to 15%. Effective immediately.
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From soup to socks, the Gift Shop can help keep you warm!
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We have NEW soup mixes and dips (savory, sweet, and baked) from Carmie's Kitchen.
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Check out our lined leggings and World's Softest Socks. Snuggle up!
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CHCS menu: Onaga and Eastridge |
St. Marys menus are available each morning through the Activities chronicle.
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On Friday, October 22, Cole and Bill cut down a tree as residents looked on. We also cooked some hot dogs and roasted mashmallows. Thank you to Cole and Bill for all they did to make it happen!
On Saturday, October 23, the Centralia 4-H Club came and carved lots of pumpkins outside the windows. They did a great job, and residents are enjoying all the pumpkins they left.
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Did you miss your Connection?
Important information is relayed every week in the E-Connection. If you miss it in your email, an archive is available on our website. Visit the For Associates page, then click E-Connection Archive.
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Send items for the E-Connection or for sharing with our broader social media audience to sarahhancock@chcsks.org. Please send items by close of business on Tuesdays when possible. Ideas are welcome!
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