Celebrate American Heart Month! |
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February is American Heart Month, and LiveWell Committee wants to help you do something good for your heart!
On February 15, associates at all locations can have an oatmeal breakfast or snack! Boxes with individual oatmeal packets, toppings, and accessories will be on the way via courier on February 14.
Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber and can help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol. Eating oats can also help promote gut health, maintain a healthy weight, and lower blood sugar. Find more tips on our handout.
ENJOY!
Please send photos of associates at your location enjoying their oatmeal creations to info@chcsks.org
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Back in the saddle after Cardiac Rehab |
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Betty Fairchild is back in the saddle at age 97, and CHCS's Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program helped her get there.
After an aortic valve replacement, fatigue and shortness of breath kept Fairchild, who lives four miles outside of Frankfort, from the active lifestyle she had always enjoyed. She was referred to CHCS Cardiopulmonary Rehab by her cardiac surgeon, Dr. Muehlebach, from the University of Kansas Health System. Fairchild visited with her local provider, Physician Assistant Jeremy Brandt, at the Frankfort Clinic, and he also recommended the CHCS Cardiac Rehab Program. She started on her birthday last August, and after 18 sessions, she left with new energy.
Fairchild jokes that she “graduated” and has a signed certificate to prove it, but she’s serious when she describes the program’s benefits.
“It helped me immensely, and I can move better and breathe better. [The nurses] gave me pamphlets and had me do stretches with rubber bands. I had never done anything like that before. Now I continue to do that at home, and it just helps me feel better all over!” Fairchild said.
Meranda Schmitz, RN and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation nurse, said Fairchild was a “star patient” in the program, which includes exercise counseling and training as well as education to help participants meet their goals, have better quality of life, and reduce the potential for future heart problems. Cardiac rehab helps people who have had a heart attack, heart disease, or a heart procedure such as angioplasty, heart valve surgery, or coronary artery bypass grafting. Pulmonary rehab is also available for those who have chronic lung conditions or who are recovering from COVID-19 or other infections.
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CEO Todd Willert shared the following letter on the CHCS blog and with the Onaga Herald to thank the community for donating blood.
For more than 10 years, our hospital has hosted blood donation drives in partnership with Community Blood Center (CBC). Five times a year, a mobile blood collection team comes to Onaga and sets up in the Walsh Conference Room in our basement, and we invite CHCS associates as well as community members to donate blood.
Our last two drives have been so successful that Guy Niederhauser, the account manager for our region, has emailed our blood drive coordinator, Marlene Wolfe, to express his thanks. CBC collected 19 units of blood on December 10 and another 19 units on February 4. At the February 4 blood drive, four donors gave blood for the first time. “For such a small community, Onaga is continuing to prove to be a vital resource for all the surrounding area’s patients and those in need,” Niederhauser wrote.
Blood has been in very short supply. Last month, the American Red Cross declared a national blood emergency for the first time in its history. The shortage has been caused by a decrease in donations during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as staffing issues at donation centers. Blood transfusions are a common, life-saving treatment for trauma patients or patients undergoing surgery. A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood. Simply put, low blood supplies put lives at risk, and not just in urban areas. The blood shortage applies to us here in northeast Kansas, too, and has been mentioned as a problem by area hospital CEOs.
Thank you to everyone who has donated blood recently. We are proud to know that our community is helping meet the need for blood and that so many individuals are willing to take time to help others. Our next blood drive will be May 20, so please look for more details as that date approaches. If you’d like to donate blood before then, visit www.savealifenow.org and click “Donate Blood” to find available donation sites.
Thanks again for your support!
--Todd Willert
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The CHCS Birth Center welcomed five beautiful new babies in January!
Thank you to our nurses for taking some precious first photos. Find more information on our Nursery page.
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CHCS and our participation in the OSHA SHARP program was featured in a Kansas Department of Labor news release and on WIBW. A portion of the story is below; click the green button to view the full version. Thanks to all who contribute to our culture of safety!
OSHA said an effective way to combat workplace injury and illness is to create and utilize a proactive safety and health program to address issues and endorse training and preventive measures to keep employees safe.
To understand how effective a program of this kind can be, OSHA asked Kansans to consider how ... Community HealthCare System Inc.’s nonprofit healthcare system improved the safety and health of its workers.
“Participating in OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program helps companies anticipate hazards and take initiative,” Hodge added. “As COVID-19 spread, Community HealthCare System implemented a plan to protect employees and clients. Other healthcare systems can follow their model by encouraging a mindset that anticipates and addresses hazards before they cause harm.”
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Classroom to Career
The latest installment in our Classroom to Career presentations to Onaga fourth graders was provided by Jason McKinsey, Radiology Manager. Jason helped students examine X-ray films and talked about careers in medical imaging, how medical images help patients, and more. He also gave students a quiz and awarded prizes to the students with the top 5 scores! Thank you, Jason!
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Care for patients with Comfort Closet
Don't forget that Comfort Closet is available to make a positive, personal difference for patients with unmet needs.
If you know of someone who could benefit, simply fill out the Comfort Closet application that is available on Power DMS and send it to comfortcloset@chcsks.org. Past purchases have included a swimsuit for a patient who needed it for therapy, a pair of diabetic shoes for a patient who lacked resources to purchase them, and much more. Maximum gift value is suggested at $100.
Comfort Closet is funded through contributions to CHCS Greater Giving. Learn more.
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Welcome to CHCS!
We are happy to have the following associates join us. Welcome, all!
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Laura Cottrell, RN, Holton Clinic
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Jo Lyn Gray, Accounts Payable Clerk, Onaga
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Lani Bresler, Purchasing Agent, Central Supply, Onaga
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Community events: Mark your calendar!
Soup with My Sweethearts: Come to Onaga Senior Center on February 13 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for a soup, hot dog, and dessert lunch for a free will donation. Call Hall ice cream will be served, and raffles and silent auction items will be available. Funds benefit the Onaga Historical Society's new exhibit hall.
Onaga Historical Society invites the public to its annual meeting and celebration February 17 at 6:30 at the museum. Come at 6:00 if you'd like to view displays. A program will be presented on the Civil War and its effects on Kansas. Refreshments, door prizes, and a silent auction will be available.
Damon's Purpose Mental Wellness Day will be held Sunday, February 20, at 1:00 p.m. in the Corning Community Center. Learn about mental health challenges and coping mechanisms from several speakers including CHCS Licensed Social Worker Angie Sauvage! The event will also be streamed for those who can't attend in person; details will be shared soon. Learn more.
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Congrats to Alexis Whorton from Community HomeHealth for winning the Gift Shop "Go Red" prize pack, including a red CHCS T-shirt and other goodies. |
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Way to Go Red!
Thanks to associates who sent photos of their red outfits on National Wear Red Day last Friday. Everyone in the photos below was entered in a prize drawing.
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Important reminders
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Jeans are allowed on Fridays through the end of February--no payment necessary.
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Any individual who is currently enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited Kansas school for health care is invited to apply for a Kansas Hospital Association Healthworks Scholarship. Preference is given to current hospital employees, particularly those working in a hospital that is licensed for 25 or fewer acute beds. Our own Alexis Whorton was a 2021 scholarship recipient! Find more information. Applications are due March 4.
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A benefit (pulled pork dinner and silent auction) for Jeanne and Steve DeVader will be held Sunday, March 6 at 11:00 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Church Centennial Building in St. Marys. Steve is fighting cancer; Jeanne has worked in registration at St. Marys for more than 20 years. Volunteers and silent auction donations are needed. Please contact Julia Ingwerson for details. An account has also been established at Bank of the Flint Hills to help the family with medical bills.
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Coffee Shop Special
February 14-18
French vanilla latte
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16 oz., $4
- Hot, cold, or frappe
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Having a Super Bowl or Winter Olympics watch party? Take home some tasty dips, BBQ sauce, salsa, or beer bread mix from the Gift Shop! |
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V-Day flowers: Don't miss your chance!
Don't go home empty-handed on Valentine's Day! Orders placed by noon TODAY (Feb. 10) will be ready for pickup on Friday, Feb. 11; orders placed by noon Feb. 11 will be available for pickup on Monday, Feb. 14. Click the flyer at right to expand.
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Flowers not your thing? We have handmade cards, helium balloons, and MANY other options. Stop by, email Leah Chamley or Sarah Hancock, or call 785-889-5059 and let us help you find the perfect gift!
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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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