I saw this photo at the Pottawatomie County Fair a few weeks ago, and I marveled at how different things are now. I also wondered if we would be able to eradicate polio today.
In the 1940s and 50s, polio killed nearly half a million people a year worldwide and left many more paralyzed. Public health officials called it the “most feared disease in the US.” The disease often struck during the summer, and no one wanted their child on an iron lung.
Mitigation was similar to what we’ve seen with COVID: Quarantines for exposed individuals and families, swimming pools and theaters closed, travel restrictions, and closed businesses. The only difference between last year and 1954 was the presence of a vaccine.
Why are things so different today? One reason may be that polio targeted children. Diseases that affect our children are seen differently, especially those that are silent and strike without warning. The 50s was also an age when people looked at science with awe and wonder. We were only a few years removed from the atomic bomb. Televisions were being introduced into homes, the first satellite was launched into space in 1957, and the first computers for business use were introduced in the mid-50s.
I remember my parents taking me to the gym in the early 60s. All of us were given a sugar cube with a red dot. There were no questions asked; it was what we did to defeat polio.
We knew the science wasn’t perfect. In 1954, there was a huge scandal involving improperly prepared vaccine. Nevertheless, millions of school children lined up to get the vaccine in the spring of 1954. Our messaging was also dramatically different. We listed to our trusted “newsmen” on the TV or the radio or the daily newspaper. You had your favorite, whether it was Brinkley or Cronkite, but you didn’t question their agenda.
The number of polio cases in the U.S. dropped from more than 20,000 per year to approximately 161 cases per year in the 1960s -- a period of only 10 years. The last documented case of polio in the U.S. was in 1979.
I hope we tell a similar story someday about eradicating COVID-19. All of us have a role to play. In healthcare, we have worked hard to care for the sick, maintain safety, serve as role models, and deliver the vaccine. But maybe the most important thing each one of us can do is the simplest: Get the shot.
--Todd Willert, CEO
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Associate Zoom TODAY!
Reminder: A Zoom meeting for associates will be held TODAY at 12:15 p.m.
During the meeting, CHCS's own Dr. Nick Cahoj, Dr. Tom Walsh, and Dr. Nancy Zidek will answer YOUR questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. No question is too small or silly! The meeting will be recorded for those who can't attend, and we'll distribute the recording via email and on public folders.
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If you have a question you'd like to ask, please email it to info@chcsks.org.
Information on how to join the meeting was sent by email, or you can click the button below.
- Please do not join the meeting before 12:00 noon.
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Meeting ID: 869 5842 8734
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Passcode: 585866
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Are your children or teens showing signs of stress in coping with COVID-19? Not all will respond to stress in the same way, but CDC has excellent tips for behavior changes to look for and how to support your children.
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Thank you, Cheryl, for sharing your thoughts!
Please click on the graphic to enlarge and/or to download or print.
Would you like to share your reason for getting the vaccine? Email Sarah Hancock or call extension 5133.
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Reminder: DAISY Award tomorrow!
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The summer 2021 DAISY Awardee will be announced tomorrow at 11:30 in the Onaga Hospital lobby! Attend in person or Tune in to Facebook Live to see the announcement.
Congratulations to all of the excellent nominees:
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Katie Kufahl, RN and Birth Center Manager
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Jane McClain, LPN, Redbud Plaza Assisted Living
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Jamie McMullen, RN and Director of Nursing at St. Marys Manor
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Alicia Rendon, APRN, St. Marys Manor
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Brenda Rosine, RN, Community HomeHealth (St. Marys)
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Marlaina Wahl, RN, Community HomeHealth
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Apply for a nursing scholarship by Sept. 1
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The scholarship awards $1,000 and is open to any Kansas resident currently enrolled full-time in nursing courses at a nationally accredited Kansas college or university. Applicants must agree to work two years with older adults as a Registered Nurse after graduation and passing state boards. An application form and brief essay are required.
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From heart attack to mountain hike: Bob Garcia attributes comeback to CHCS Cardiac Rehab
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No matter what kind of person you picture when you think “heart attack,” Bob Garcia probably doesn’t fit the mold. He's a runner and a referee, and he's in great shape.
But after a cardiac event and a heart procedure, he found himself with little energy and a lot of fear. He came to Cardiac Rehab, and he is now back to running, lifting weights, and even hiking in the Rockies.
Garcia said Cardiac Rehab nurses Meranda Schmitz and Nancy Willert helped him understand what was going on with his heart, refocus on what he could do instead of what he couldn’t do, and learn how to monitor his heart as he worked his way back to full functionality.
“I can’t give Meranda and Nancy enough kudos. They answered my questions, they encouraged me, they monitored my entire progress. They were just great in researching and giving me information and facts and what I needed to do,” Garcia said.
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Thank you for supporting breastfeeding!
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Kansas is now ranked 9th in the nation for promoting breastfeeding at birth! CHCS nurses are part of this success by focusing on breastfeeding and helping to support our new mothers with breastfeeding while in the hospital.
We are a High 5 for Mom & Baby hospital, which means we offer skin-to-skin contact right after birth, feed only breastmilk unless medically necessary, allow mothers and babies to stay together 24 hours a day, offer no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants, and offer extensive breastfeeding resources and support. Read a blog post about why breastfeeding is so important for moms and babies and how CHCS supports it.
Thanks to our nurses for their great work! Want more info on breastfeeding in Kansas? View a flyer from the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition.
--Mindy Olberding, Chief Nursing Officer
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Here's to our associates with September birthdays. Join us in wishing them all the best as they celebrate!
Danielle Baxter, Helen Eaton, Jennifer Traxler, Audrey Hansen, Monica Hansen, Cierra Lambrecht, Lana Sauvage, Sarah Vanstory, Debra Nolte, Jill Nolte, Natalie Riccomini, Patrick Hansen, Suzanne Booth, Karen Elliott, Misty Lowe, Angelina De Los Reyes, Jessica Hipp, Michele Koch, Teresa Koch, Amy Lee, Brooke Gerstner, Jacklyn Keller, Shannon Shults, Naomi Zwonitzer, Christina Hasenkamp, Hannah Kolterman, Heidi Prockish, Cole Alderfer, Shayla Hammes, Jolene Wessel, Jade Olivera, Marissa O'Roke, Nancy Willert, Cassie Mitchell, Alexis Pineda, Deb Rezac, Cheryl Bailey, Hannah Burenheide, Emma Howes, Jane Brown, Andrea Charles, Jeanne Devader, Laura Ranieri, Myrna Shum, Bailey Tucker, Jody Becker, Lofia Daniels, Lindsay Koch, Calley Bergmann, Jenna Fordham, Brianna Childers, Maria Trujillo, Carol Wells.
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Welcome to CHCS!
We are happy to have the following associates joining us. Welcome!
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Angela Reith, RN, Holton Clinic
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Cynthia Heptig, CNA, Onaga Acute
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Marsha Moore, Community HomeHealth, Onaga
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Jeans for a cause: $ due Sept. 1!
The Greater Giving Friday Jeans fundraiser continues through the end of the year. If you'd like to wear jeans on Fridays in September, your $10 payment is due September 1.
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.)
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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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CHCS is offering two virtual Mental Health First Aid courses in September. Youth Mental Health First Aid will be offered September 22. Adult Mental Health First Aid will be offered September 30. Find details at https://bit.ly/CHCS-MHFA.
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Any CHCS associate who wishes to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or who has questions about the vaccine is welcome to contact Employee Health Nurse Christina Hasenkamp. Questions and conversations will be kept confidential. Contact Christina by phone at extension 5109 or email christinahasenkamp@chcsks.org. View a flyer.
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Employee Assistance Program: All CHCS associates are eligible for three confidential counseling sessions per fiscal year (April 1-March 31). To schedule, contact Regina Gronewoller, LSCSW, at reginagronewoller@chcsks.org (preferred) or call 785-437-3734. Download and share a flyer.
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Coffee Shop special
(and Gift Shop goodies)
August 30-September 3
Salted caramel coconut latte
- 16 oz., $4
- Hot, cold, or frappe
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FRIDAY Special: The Coffee Shop Meal Deal is available on Fridays! Cherry limeades are also available on Fridays.
Need some CHCS T-shirts or a new jacket? We will have our CHCS apparel store open soon. Stay tuned!
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Craving a big breakfast?
View a recipe for
Make it this weekend!
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CHCS menu: Onaga and Eastridge
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St. Marys menus are available each morning through the Activities chronicle.
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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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