Tag: Bloomfield

Davis County Hospital & ClinicsBloomfield

Davis County Hospital Launches eEmergency Service

Patients who arrive at Davis County Hospital’s emergency department will now be treated by local medical providers, with assistance from an online team of board-certified emergency physicians and critical care nurses.

The new eEmergency telemedicine program, funded by a $176,091 grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Rural Health Program, went online recently at Davis County Hospital (DCH). The facility’s medical staff is now connected with Avera Health in Sioux Falls, S.D., where emergency professionals are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Using high-definition live video and sound equipment, Avera’s eEmergency virtual team can guide nurses and emergency staff until a local physician arrives. They can also consult with doctors on difficult cases.

“Davis County Hospital is committed to providing high quality, compassionate healthcare to our patients and their families,” says Sue Pankey, Chief Nursing Officer. “The addition of eEmergency technology allows us to continue this commitment and add a new benefit of Board Certified Emergency Physician oversight and support. With this grant, DCH will be able to continue improving emergency care and has the potential to reduce unnecessary transfer to distant tertiary care centers by having oversight of Board Certified Emergency Physicians readily available via telemedicine technology. We are grateful to the Helmsley Charitable Trust for their generous support in this endeavor.”

This type of hub-and-spoke health delivery, pioneered by Avera and Helmsley, is also being used to bring pharmacy services and intensive care specialty access to rural hospitals and patients across the seven-state region.

“In rural areas such as our seven-state region, a full complement of medical services is difficult to provide, especially in emergencies,” said Walter Panzirer, a Helmsley trustee and rural South Dakota resident. “The goal of the Helmsley Charitable Trust is to make quality healthcare available regardless of geography. eCare technology can help us do that.”

The eCare programs are part of the ongoing efforts of Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program to improve the lives of rural residents in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. Other efforts include training, emergency medical care, diagnostics, cardiac care, cancer care, and research into innovations that specifically address the challenges of healthcare delivery in rural America.

 

About the Helmsley Charitable Trust

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $2 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program funds innovative projects that use information technologies to connect rural patients to emergency medical care, bring the latest medical therapies to patients in remote areas, and provide state-of-the-art training for rural hospitals and EMS personnel. To date, this program has awarded more than $320 million to organizations and initiatives in the upper Midwest states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Minnesota, Iowa, and Montana. For more information, visit www.helmsleytrust.org.

The Flu Shot is Still Encouraged This Season

It’s never too late to get the flu shot. With the flu activity widespread in most of the United Sates, Davis County Public Health is encouraging individuals (six months of age and older) to still get the annual flu vaccine if they haven’t yet.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is projecting that flu season could extend out until May this year, as it hasn’t peaked yet,” stated Lynn Fellinger, Davis County Public Health Manager. “Even if someone has been sick with the flu this year, and hasn’t gotten their flu shot yet, we still highly encourage them to get the flu vaccination as it protects against many types of flu, and many strains are still circulating.”
The CDC recommends everyone 6 months of age and older be vaccinated against the flu every year. Flu vaccines are important for everyone, especially for people who are at greater risk for complications and those who live with or care for these individuals. These groups are:

• Pregnant women
• Children younger than 5 years of age
• Adults 65 years of age and older
• People whose immune system is weakened and those with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or conditions affecting the nervous system
• People who are overweight or obese
• People who work or live in nursing homes or long- term care facilities
• Health care personnel and child care workers

Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently, but millions of people get the flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands or tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others.
“Getting yourself vaccinated also protects people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions,” said Fellinger.

“While the flu shot has been proven to be less effective at totally preventing the flu this year, it still could lessen the severity of the illness,” commented Sue Pankey, Chief Nursing Officer at DCH. “According to the CDC, the flu vaccination may make your illness milder if you do get sick. For example, a 2017 study showed that flu vaccination reduced deaths, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, ICU length of stay, and overall duration of hospitalization among hospitalized flu patients.”

Davis County Public Health has flu vaccines available, and is available by appointment Monday – Friday. To schedule a time to receive your flu shot, please call 641-664-3629.

Freedom from Smoking Class

Push Yourself to be Healthy….Quit Smoking Today!

Davis County Hospital will be hosting a Freedom from Smoking Class on Tuesday nights starting January 9th.

January 9th – February 20th
Tuesday nights
5:00pm – 6:00pm
Conference Room D

Cost to participate is only $60 and this include class materials.

Call 641-664-7136 to reserve your spot today!

DCH Now Offering In-Home Sleep Studies

Davis County Hospital (DCH) is pleased to announce they’ve expanded their sleep study service line to include in-home sleep studies. In-home sleep testing is an effective, cost efficient means of diagnosing sleep-related illnesses in the comfort of your own home.

In order to diagnose Sleep Apnea or other sleep disorders, a patient must undergo a sleep study. This is typically done in a sleep lab, requiring the patient to spend the night in a lab, while equipment records his/her physiological data. This new home sleep technology, now offers patients a cost effective, easy to use, and reliable device for the home diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). A patient is usually ordered a home sleep apnea test or “sleep study” by his or her doctor who suspects that the individual has OSA.

“Research shows that an estimated 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, with 80 percent of the cases going undiagnosed,” stated Kirby Johnson, CEO at Davis County Hospital. “Many people are not being tested or treated because of various obstacles with overnight lab testing, and we are excited to be in a position where we can now reach out to these individuals to make testing easier. We know these services will go a long way in helping people improve their sleeping habits and enjoy a good night’s rest.”

The in-home sleep study that Davis County Hospital is now offering, has minimal equipment and measures the following biologic parameters:

  • Nasal and Oral Airflow – by a thin wire that is taped by the nose and mouth – some sensors look like an oxygen cannula.
  • Respiratory Effort – by elastic belt bands that are placed across the chest and abdomen.
  • Oximeter Finger Probe – a small clip-like device that attaches to the fingertip and emits a red light that assists in the evaluation of oxygen levels in the blood while sleeping.

“If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke,” said Tammy Smoot, Cardio-Pulmonary Manager at DCH. “This is an economical, convenient way for patients to complete their sleep study in the comfort of their own home. By increasing access for diagnosing sleep-related illnesses, conditions can be diagnosed sooner, allowing patients to receive treatment which could ultimately improve their quality of life.”

Ask your doctor today about having your in-home sleep study completed with Davis County Hospital.

DCH Now Offering 3-D Mammography Exams

Beginning December 14, Davis County Hospital is excited to offer a new 3-D Mammography exam option that could improve early detection of breast cancer. Designed from the ground up with the input from women, the GE Senographe Pristina 3-D Technology, is the first mammography system to provide women with the “three Cs”: comfort, confidence, and clarity. Utilizing advanced breast tomosynthesis technology (also known as 3-D Mammography), these exams are clinically proven to significantly increase the detection of breast cancers, while also decreasing the number of women asked to return for additional testing (compared to 2-D mammography).

“Davis County Hospital is committed to the fight against breast cancer. Bringing this new technology to our patients will help us diagnose breast cancer even earlier, increasing the chances of good outcomes” states Kirby Johnson, CEO of Davis County Hospital.  “Our investment in this 3-D Mammography technology, allows us to provide the most cutting edge technology for our community, keeping people close to home for their medical needs.”

3-D Mammography exams create multiple images or “slices” that step through the breast tissue. This allows the radiologist to see more clearly and helps reduce the impact of overlapping breast tissue. The process is performed at the same time as a traditional 2D mammogram, on the same machine with no noticeable difference in the experience or time expended for the patient.

“All women may benefit from a 3-D Mammography exam; however, there is an increased benefit to women with dense breast tissue because dense breast tissue may look similar to cancer tissue. 2-D mammography can’t always differentiate between cancer and dense breast tissue” says Susan Haskell, Manager of Medical Imaging Services at DCH. “For example, if a 2-D mammogram detects an area of concern, the radiologists may want to further investigate with a diagnostic mammogram, ultrasound or biopsy. Looking at the same breast tissue in 3-D, the radiologist may now see that the tissue is in fact normal breast tissue. In this scenario, the patient likely avoided a callback for an additional mammogram, giving patients a greater peace of mind.”

Not only does this system offer patients a greater peace of mind, it delivers the superior diagnostic accuracy at the same low dose as a 2-D mammography exam, the lowest patient dose of all FDA-approved 3-D mammography systems.

“We are excited to offer our patients this procedure, and we believe it’s important to broaden our geographic reach so that women across Southeast Iowa, have the option of choosing the lowest dosage exposure as possible, while receiving accurate results,” said Haskell.

If you’re interested in a 3-D Mammography exam at Davis County Hospital, please contact your primary care provider as well as your insurance to verify coverage of 3-D exam services. 3-D Mammography exams are offered at Davis County Hospital, located at 509 N Madison in Bloomfield, five days a week. Patients are able to be seen for Mammography appointments within two days of scheduling at Davis County Hospital.

 

DCH Welcomes Certified Diabetes Educator

Davis County Hospital is pleased to welcome Kathy Ayers, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), to the Davis County Hospital Medical Associates clinic provider group.

Kathy is a Certified Diabetes Educator who will practice at Davis County Hospital on two Wednesdays each month. She is available to see patients for Diabetes Management, and will work with them to:

  • Teach basic information about diabetes and its management
  • Understand diabetes devices, such as blood glucose meters, insulin pens, insulin pumps
  • Adopt healthy eating habits through nutrition education
  • Monitor blood glucose and learn how to interpret and respond to results
  • Understand their medications

“If you have diabetes, you know how challenging it can be to manage your disease,” stated Kathy Ayers, ARNP. “Between healthy eating, physical activity, taking medication, and monitoring your condition, it becomes overwhelming very easily. I am here to work side by side with you to help you manage your diabetes for a healthy lifestyle.”

“We are excited to have Kathy join our team at Davis County Medical Associates,” said Carleena Brown, Clinic Director. “Her unique skill set in diabetes management, is an essential support piece that we can now offer our patients. Managing diabetes can be difficult, and we’re thrilled to be able to now offer this additional resource to our patients.”

To schedule an appointment with Kathy at Davis County Medical Associates clinic, please call 641-664-3832. A doctor referral is not required.

Davis County Hospital Named One of Iowa’s Top Workplaces in 2017

The Des Moines Register named Davis County Hospital (DCH) as one of Iowa’s Top Places to Work in 2017 during a ceremony held in Des Moines on Thursday, September 14th.

The Des Moines Register’s Top Workplaces recognizes the most progressive companies based on employee opinions about company leadership, career opportunities, workplace flexibility, compensation and benefits. The selection process was based on employees’ responses to a survey.

“Being recognized as a top workplace in Iowa is a true testament to the remarkable culture that Davis County Hospital’s employees and leaders have built,” said Kirby Johnson, CEO at DCH. “At Davis County Hospital, we take pride in our people. It’s those people that build a strong culture that drives our mission of delivering high quality, patient centered care with integrity and trust.”