|
|
|
________________
|
Headlines: (Click on a headline to go directly to the story, or scroll down)
Annual Salad Festival Successful FAIRBURY – About $1,000 was raised during the annual salad festival of the Jefferson Community Health Center Auxiliary on May 1 in Fairbury. Nearly 250 people were served at the festival, according to Lana Likens, director of public relations, marketing and development at Jefferson Community Health Center. “It was a very successful year,” Likens said. The salad festival is the biggest fund-raiser for the auxiliary each year, and has a long tradition in Fairbury, she said. The auxiliary provides scholarships to students entering medical fields, provides decorative birth certificates and baby spoons for newborns at JCHC, and provides Christmas gifts for JCHC’s nursing home residents, in addition to providing volunteer support for JCHC in a variety of ways. The salad festival itself takes much volunteer time and effort, Likens said. More than 30 individuals volunteer their time to help during the day and more than 100 items of food are donated. “It takes a group effort to make this annual event successful,” Likens said. JCHC Partners with Area Schools to Promote Walking FAIRBURY – Third grade girls at Jefferson Intermediate School in Fairbury, Tri County at DeWitt, Meridian Schools at Daykin and Diller-Odell Schools in Diller have received a gift of health to share with their mothers: a pedometer and a chance to sign up for a statewide walking program. Kathy Helmink, wellness coordinator at Jefferson Community Health Center, said Mother’s Day packets were obtained for all Fairbury, Tri County, Meridian and Diller third grade girls through a special promotion of the Nebraska Office of Women’s Health and Department of Health and Human Services. The packets include a pedometer, a Mother’s Day card, a health journal, and more. This free eight-week program challenges women and girls to walk 10,000 steps or get 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. The Women and Girls Across the Nation program begins on Mother’s Day, May 11, and ends on July 5. Participants can register on-line at www.womenshealth.gov/whw/woman to receive motivational e-mails and health tips to help them reach their health goals. Women and girls can also choose to travel one of the six virtual courses across America. National Women’s Health Week is May 11-17. “We at JCHC were excited to partner with Jefferson County schools and the third grade girls to encourage walking among both the girls and their mothers,” said Helmink. For more information about the program go to www.womenshealth.gov/whw/woman or call 800- 994-9662. USDA ANNOUNCES RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOAN AND GRANT RECIPIENTS WASHINGTON, April 4, 2008 – USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Thomas C. Dorr today announced the award of 64 loans and grants totaling more than $30 million to assist rural communities and businesses in 19 states. “These funds help create jobs, economic opportunity and essential services in rural areas, underscoring the Bush administration’s commitment to strengthening our nation’s economy.” Dorr said. The funds are being provided through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program. Under the program, Rural Development provides loans and grants to Rural Utilities program borrowers, usually rural telephone or electrical cooperatives, which in turn provide loans to rural businesses and communities in their service areas. Rural Development will provide $23,180,200 in loans and $6,826,960 in grants to the successful applicants. Funding of individual recipients is contingent upon their meeting the conditions of the loan or grant agreement. Projects funded include a $632,000 loan to Diller Telephone Company to assist the Jefferson Community Health Center in Fairbury, Neb. with the purchase of major medical equipment for their new surgical suite. The surgical improvements will provide for multiple procedures, total hip replacement surgery, more efficient scheduling, and the ability for residents to receive types of surgical services locally that before they had to travel to larger cities for. Jefferson Community Health Center serves residents of Jefferson County and surrounding counties in Southeast Nebraska and Northeast Kansas. The Center staffs 175 full and part time employees, with a medical staff of 4 physicians, 3 physician assistants and visiting specialists from a variety of clinics. The projects funded today are expected to create or save an estimated 4,050 jobs in 19 states. The states are: Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin. A complete list of loan and grant recipients is available on the USDA Rural Development web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.
Golf Tournament to Benefit Jefferson Health Care Foundation FAIRBURY -- A charity golf tournament to benefit the Jefferson Health Care Foundation has been set for Friday, Aug. 8, at the Fairbury Country Club. The three-person scramble will begin with a shotgun start at 8:45 a.m. The 18-hole tournament will feature cash prizes along with pin prizes. The entry fee is $210 per team. The field is limited to a maximum of 32 teams. The entry fee includes rolls and coffee beginning at 8 a.m., and lunch. Hole sponsors are also available. Sponsorship is $450 and entitles the sponsor to recognition at the hole sponsored and on the tournament program, and one free team entry. The Jefferson Health Care Foundation provides long-term support for Jefferson Community Health Center, a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital and 39-bed long-term care unit in Fairbury. Anyone interested in more information should contact Lana Likens at Jefferson Community Health Center, (402) 729-3351. Seeking Interest in MS Support Group FAIRBURY – Do you or a family member suffer from MS? Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. Anyone interested in an MS support group in Fairbury is invited to call Lana Likens or Debbie Hellbusch at Jefferson Community Health Center at 729-3351. JCHC is determining whether there is enough interest and need in the area to start a local support group. Free Screenings to be offered at JCHC FAIRBURY – Find out if you are at risk for diabetes or high blood pressure by attending one of the free screenings planned at Jefferson Community Health Center in May. Screenings will be held in the front lobby of JCHC: · Wednesday, May 7 — 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. · Wednesday, May 14 — 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. · Wednesday, May 28 — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Why be screened? Both diabetes and high blood pressure bring serious health risks. Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar levels are above normal. Nearly 21 million Americans have diabetes – and one-third of them don’t know it. One in three Americans is at risk for diabetes. You can prevent or delay the development of diabetes by taking action now. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is also a condition for which many Americans are at risk. A third of those who have high blood pressure don’t know it. High blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart failure, heart attack, kidney failure and vision problems. “We feel it is very important to offer our community free screenings, so area residents can find out if they are at risk – and take measures to live a healthier life,” said Kathy Helmink, wellness coordinator at Jefferson Community Health Center. Pre-registration is NOT required. For more information, call Kathy Helmink at (402) 729-3351. Basic Nursing Assistant class to be offered in Fairbury FAIRBURY – A Basic Nursing Assistant class will be offered by Southeast Community College at Jefferson Community Health Center in Fairbury in May and June. The class, which is approved by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Regulation and Licensure, teaches basic nursing skills and allows students to be placed on the Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry. Nursing Assistants may work in long-term care facilities, hospitals, home health care, hospice or mental health facilities. The Fairbury class will be held from May 19 through June 5 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The cost of the class is $349. For more information or to register, call 1-800-828-0072, or go to www.southeast.edu. Registration forms are also available from Deb Sutton RN, Director of Nursing at Gardenside long-term care. The Spring Salad Festival of the Jefferson Community Health Center Auxiliary will be held on Thursday, May 1, at the Fairbury Elks Club. The salad festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets will be $4.50 in advance, and $5 at the door. Advance tickets are available at Jefferson Community Health Center, Fairbury Chamber of Commerce, First National Bank, American National Bank, Union Bank and Trust, TierOne Bank, and the Jefferson County Extension office. The Spring Salad Festival is the main fund-raising event of the auxiliary. The auxiliary provides scholarships to students entering medical fields, provides Christmas gifts for residents of the Gardenside long-term care at Jefferson Community Health Center, and provides volunteer help at JCHC in a variety of projects. Anyone interested in more information about the auxiliary or the salad festival should contact Lana Likens at (402) 729-3351.
JCHC Asks for Continued Patience with Parking; Construction Progressing FAIRBURY – Jefferson Community Health Centers asks for continued patience with parking as construction on the new surgical and outpatient addition continues. Construction is on schedule, and the new addition is expected to be open by January 2009. Outpatient services and the emergency entrance share the same door on the east side of JCHC, accessed from 22nd Street. Limited parking is available in the area, and JCHC strives to maintain the available parking for emergency and outpatient use. Parking is also available on the west side, accessed from H Street. Outpatients who have difficultly with mobility and have a ride to the facility could be dropped off at the outpatient door even if parking is not available in that area, and the driver could park in the west (H Street) parking. The public is asked not to park in the parking area designated for dietary parking, since this area must be cleared if a helicopter needs to land at JCHC. Work that affect parking at JCHC began in November 2007. The front (H Street) parking will continue to be available for all services throughout the project. “We would like to once again thank out patients, visitors and the public for your patience with parking as we progress through the construction project. We truly believe it will be worth it when the new addition is complete,” said Lana Likens, director of public relations, marketing and development at JCHC. If you have questions or concerns, please call JCHC at 729-3351.
JCHC Provides Benefits to Community Jefferson Community Health Center is proud to continue offering excellent health care to area residents as it nears its 45th anniversary. In fiscal 2007, JCHC provided many benefits to area residents including: · Charity care, $55,345. · Unpaid costs of public programs (Medicare/Medicaid shortfall for Home Health): $40,000 · Wellness center support, (JCHC pays expenses that exceed revenues to allow memberships prices to remain reasonable for the community), estimated at $100,000. · Support groups, at an estimated cost of $2,150 · Educational programs and speakers bureau, at an estimated cost of $8,057. · Medical educational opportunities, such as Job shadowing, LPN training site, preceptorship site, scholarships, $3,020. · Medical training, including LPN training site, medical student preceptorship site, and scholarships provided, $2,060. · Video conferencing for community educational programs, cost $1,200. · Community donations, event sponsorships, and community building activities such as economic development and Safety Day for Kids, blood pressure clinics, etc., $3,988. · Donation of meeting room space for health-related programs, estimated value, $4,140. Additionally, $323,000 in bad debt was incurred by Jefferson Community Health Center for fiscal 2007 -- a substantial contribution to the public. JCHC and other hospitals shoulder the burden of bad debt when patients are unable or unwilling to pay their bills and decline to apply for charity care. In accordance with its mission, Jefferson Community Health Center provides services regardless of an individual’s ability or willingness to pay. In addition to these direct programs and services, the employees of Jefferson Community Health Center serve their community in many ways including serving in their churches, as Girl and Boy Scout leaders, 4-H leaders, as leaders in civic organizations, as youth group leaders, as city government members, on community development boards, for emergency response organizations, and others. JCHC staff members are a resource as community role models. “JCHC is proud of its contributions to the citizens of Jefferson County and the surrounding area,” said Lana Likens, director of public relations, marketing and development. “We thank the citizens of this area for continuing to look to JCHC as a trusted resource in health care.” Jefferson Community Health Center is also one of the largest employers in Jefferson County, with a current employment of 175 full- and part-time staff members, and a total annual payroll of $5.3 million. Jefferson Community Health Center Inc. is a private not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and is tax-exempt. JCHC is a charitable organization, and has as its main goal providing health care to residents of Jefferson County and the surrounding area -- including providing health and wellness education, hospital and nursing home services, and other basic health care needs.
JCHC Sells Medical Equipment Business to Frontier Medical FAIRBURY – After more than 16 years of supplying Durable Medical Equipment to residents of Jefferson County and the surrounding area, JCHC sold it’s medical equipment business to Frontier Medical, a Nebraska-based medical equipment company. Through the Durable Medical Equipment business, JCHC has supplied home oxygen, wheelchairs, walkers, nebulizers, bath aids and CPAP units and supplies. The decision to discontinue the medical equipment business was made because of changes in federal Medicare regulations and reimbursement which were part of the Deficit Reduction Act passed by Congress in 2005, said Tammy Torrey, Respiratory Therapist and manager of the Durable Medical Equipment division of JCHC. The changes made it very difficult for small medical equipment businesses to provide service. “Because of these changes in regulation, we did not feel we could continue to provide this type of equipment for our area residents,” Torrey said. “Our staff has worked diligently to provide high-quality products and excellent customer service to all of our patients and their families.” Frontier Medical, a Nebraska-owned home medical equipment company with offices throughout the state, was selected to purchase JCHC’s medical equipment assets. “Customers have a right to choose any home medical equipment company they would like, and are not required to use Frontier Medical,” Torrey said. “Our dealings with Frontier Medical’s owner and representatives have been positive and very encouraging. They offer an extensive selection of home medical equipment and supplies and are supported by a caring, professional and courteous staff,” Torrey said. The staff members are looking forward to expanding JCHC’s Respiratory Care department in various areas, including community education. Sleep studies will continue to be offered. In addition, some small items, such as aerosol nebulizers, walkers, and breast pumps, will be available through JCHC for immediate use in an agreement with Frontier Medical. Tammy Torrey and Stacy Shumard are available to help answer questions for home medical customers who have questions about the changes. All current customers have received letters explaining the change.
|
|
Send mail to
andy.rhine@jchc.us with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
