Community HomeHealth earns national honor |
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Community HomeHealth has been named a 2021 HHCAHPS Honors recipient by HEALTHCAREfirst. The honor recognizes agencies that continuously provide a positive patient experience and high-quality care as determined by analysis of Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey satisfaction measures.
Community HomeHealth was previously recognized by HHCAHPS in 2017, 2018, and 2020. This year, the agency was one of only five in the state of Kansas to achieve the honor. In 2019, Community HomeHealth also achieved HomeCare Elite status for the twelfth year in a row, meaning it’s in the top 25 percent of home care providers in the nation based on performance measures including quality of care, quality improvement, patient experience, and more. (This program was suspended in 2020 because of the pandemic.)
A reputation for quality has translated into more patients, too: Since 2016, the unduplicated census, or the number of individual patients Community HomeHealth serves in a year, has grown by 81%.
According to JoAnn Mott, registered nurse and Community HomeHealth manager, the increase is a result of trust from healthcare providers and training that drives excellence among the nurses, aides, and therapists who care for patients.
“We have earned the respect of the providers who order home health. They are comfortable with the care our nurses and therapists provide, and we have good rapport with various case managers and discharge planners at area hospitals,” Mott said.
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CHCS leads the way for KHA |
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CHCS staff often help lead the way and help other hospitals through working with the Kansas Hospital Association. Here are two recent examples.
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At the request of KHA, Hali Brown, PharmD, is leading a virtual boot camp for Kansas Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Kansas to help them implement CDC Core Elements into their Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs, or ASPs. Similar programs are often led by large system hospitals, but Hali is working to demonstrate that ASPs are possible in CAHs. She created content for a four-part webinar series with homework assignments. The interactive series was designed to connect CAHs with resources and to improve antimicrobial stewardship in Kansas. The fourth part of the series will be December 15, and Michelle Reisinger, APRN, and Dr. Marcus Weiser will participate in a panel discussion and answer questions about the CHCS ASP. Learn more about this program and other ASP activities at CHCS.
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After hearing discussions about patients enrolling in Medicare Advantage plans or making other insurance choices that don't serve them well, Sarah Hancock, Communications Director, wrote an article about navigating Medicare and finding resources that can help patients make good choices. Other hospitals in the area expressed interest in sharing the same information broadly, so Sarah designed a print ad and social media graphics that have been shared by Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, Holton Community Hospital, and Sabetha Community Hospital. These hospitals joined with CHCS to purchase ads in area newspapers, and the CEOs notified KHA and asked for more help. KHA worked with Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt to create a public service announcement and also relayed the NE Kansas print ad to other hospitals in the state who asked to use it.
It's great to see CHCS taking a leadership role in our state and helping other hospitals improve. We know these are just two of many examples of how CHCS associates work with others to share best practices. Thank you!
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Willert earns ACHE/KAHCE award |
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CHCS CEO Todd Willert was recently recognized with the American College of Health Care Executives / Kansas Association of Health Care Executives Service Award for his volunteer work for the chapter. He was one of two awardees in 2021.
Todd was also elected to serve as KAHCE president for 2022. Congratulations, Todd!
In the photo, Richard (Wes) Hoyt, FACHE, ACHE regent for Kansas, and COO of Hutchinson Regional HealthCare System presented Todd with his award last month at a KAHCE meeting.
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The holidays are upon us, and they bring wonder, beauty, joy ... and STRESS.
If you are feeling holiday stress (and who isn't?!), take a moment to review some tips to help yourself feel better.
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Keep up healthy habits: Get enough sleep, be active, eat the right foods.
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Stay active, but not too active: Schedule carefully and give yourself the gift of peace. Rejuvenate with some "me-time" when you can.
- If you can't force yourself to feel joy because of a recent loss or for other reasons, acknowledge your feelings. It's OK to cry or express your feelings.
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Be realistic: The holidays don't have to be perfect.
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Stick to a budget when doing holiday gift or food shopping.
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Set aside grievances: Try to accept family members and friends as they really are.
Looking for more help? Join a K-State Research and Extension Living Well Wednesday webinar, "Stress Less: Connect and Communicate Through the Holidays" on December 8 from 12:15 to 1:00 p.m. Register here. Read more about the webinar.
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Join a virtual mental health roundtable |
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The Health Innovations Network of Kansas (HINK) will be hosting a virtual roundtable session to review research data and discuss findings to address local community mental health needs and suicide prevention. This event will be held via Zoom on December 9 from 12:30 to 2:00.
All are invited to join the conversation about mental health resources and suicide prevention in our rural/agricultural communities in NE Kansas. Please RSVP by clicking the green button below. After you RSVP, you'll receive the Zoom link.
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Yes, the shortage of blood continues.
There has been a chronic deficit in blood donations throughout the pandemic, but making the situation worse is the uptick in blood usage by our area hospitals above pre-pandemic levels as patients seek care that they put off during the pandemic. Please help by donating at our upcoming blood drive!
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Please decorate safely!
Thank you!
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Prepped and Ready
Earlier this year, CHCS worked with Dr. Shayla Sullivant from Children's Mercy to offer her "Prepped and Ready" session for parents at multiple schools in our area. The event was successful and helped many people learn how to address difficult topics related to parenting adolescents and teens.
Dr. Sullivant's excellent course is now online! This amazing resource, which is a series of videos, is free. Participants can also choose to participate in Dr. Sullivant's research. Those who participate can receive a free safety kit.
Take a look at the website, and be sure to share with others!
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Welcome to CHCS!
We are happy to have the following associates joining us. Welcome!
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Mariella LeSage, CNA, St. Marys Manor
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Melissa Tisdale, LPN, Redbud
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Lauren Yancy, Pharmacist, Onaga
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Megan Fordham, CNA, St. Marys Manor
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Sandra Rose, EVS Tech, St. Marys Manor
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Jeans for a cause
The Greater Giving Friday Jeans fundraiser continues through the end of the year. If you'd like to wear jeans on Fridays in December, your $10 payment is due TOMORROW (Friday, December 3).
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, above right, 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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Community Events
'Tis the season to be jolly! Below are a few events that will help you get into the Christmas spirit.
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Centralia PRIDE Night at the North Pole: Dec. 4, 4-7 p.m., Fellowship Hall (west church). Soup, relishes, and desserts; Santa arrives at 5:15 p.m. Learn more.
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Holton Small Town Christmas: Dec. 4. Christmas Homes Tour, shopping, Santa visits, Parade of Lights, and more! Learn more.
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Bells of St. Marys: Dec. 4, 5-9 p.m., downtown. Gift market, food vendors, Santa's parade, and more. Learn more.
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Onaga Christmas Frenzy: Dec. 5, 3-6 p.m., downtown on Leonard Street. Vendors, carriage rides, Santa, hot chocolate bar (provided by CHCS!), kids' games, and more. Learn more.
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Christmas in Westmoreland: Dec. 11, 3-7 p.m., Westmoreland Elementary School gym. Vendors, family bingo, Santa, soup supper, wreath "wraffle," and more.
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THANK YOU to all who participated in the "Fill the Cornucopia" event sponsored by the CHCS Spirit Squad and the Mental Health Committee. Thanks to your generosity, we helped stock the shelves of area food pantries! (A small portion of the donations are pictured at left.)
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December 6-10
Peppermint mocha
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16 oz., $4
- Hot, cold, or frappe
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Want an additional discount? Bring your own cup and we'll bump your employee discount from 10% up to 15%.
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Thanks to all who made our Holiday Open House a success. If you missed it, don't worry! You can visit the shop from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. M-F (December 1-23) and find great gifts and goodies for everyone on your list.
AND you call roll the dice to get a discount or a delicious treat from the Coffee Shop! Stop by and roll once a week until Christmas.
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Can't visit the Gift Shop? Take a look at our online store!
- Note: it's a work in progress.
- Another note: We can't ship orders to your home, but we can send them via CHCS courier or have them ready for you to pick up!
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Do you have special requests for late hours or a Popup Gift Shop in your location? Let us know! Call the Gift Shop at ext. 5059. |
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CHCS menu: Onaga and Eastridge |
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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