Much has changed in 50 years of health care

There have been a lot of changes in health care since Gloria Everhart began her employment at what was then known as Jefferson County Memorial Hospital in 1970. She reflected on the many changes as she celebrated a 50-year anniversary of her employment late last fall.

“Things we did back then don’t happen now,” Everhart said.

Nearly all health care facilities are tobacco free today, she said – and JCH&L has had a tobacco free campus for a number of years. But in 1970, there was a cigarette machine in the main lobby and many staff members could smoke in their departments.

In her early years, she  worked in medical records and the business office – and the business office worked 7 days a week, including holidays. Business office staff had to transmit information to Omaha at the end of each day for billing purposes, and retrieve reports promptly at 8 a.m. each morning so that bills could be generated on site. In current times, there are medical personnel in the facility 7 days a week every day of the year, but business office staff get weekends and holidays off.

Computers weren’t available on site when Everhart began her career. Patient information was kept on index cards. Medications were looked up in a black book for proper billing.

“It was not automated,” she remembers. “Back in the day you did a lot of handwork.”

She remembers typing forms and papers with carbon paper for extra copies – and what a headache it was if you made a mistake to correct all those carbon copies. She wondered if there was even still a typewriter in the building.

“You didn’t want to make a mistake typing,” she said.

She remembers a time in her early years where there was a computer system which had discs about 16 inches in diameter that had to be rotated, so the newest disc was kept in the safe. Even when computers were more prevalent, there was no dedicated Information Technology (IT) staff to assist. That department – which now has 4 staff members and is involved in every area of the facility – came later. And with no computer in her early years, there were also no passwords.

The number of employees has steadily grown over the years. Everhart couldn’t remember an exact number of employees in 1970. Records show that when the facility opened in 1963, there were 60 employees. By 2000, Everhart has records to show JCH&L had 155 employees. In 2021, there are currently 255 employees. Payroll for those employees has changed from paper checks once a month, to paper checks every two weeks, to electronic deposit every two weeks.

Back when she was first in the business office everyone dressed up for work. Business office staff wore dresses, hose and dress shoes. She even remembers one staff member getting sent home for not wearing hose. Today’s dress is much more “business casual,” she said. In her early years nurses wore white dresses, white hose, white caps and of course white shoes. At one time, different departments that wore scrubs wore specific colors. Today’s nurses and other ancillary staff typically wear scrubs in a variety of colors.

The facility itself has changed a lot in 50 years, Everhart said. There have been many renovations and additions over the years, and the addition of the Fairbury Clinic as an attached facility will be a great step, she said. The fitness center was added in 1996, along with a new therapy area and new front lobby. A new surgery area was added in 2009. Cedarwood assisted living (a joint project of JCH&L and Bryan Health) was added in 2004. And a major renovation converted the hospital to all private patient rooms and made a number of changes in ancillary services in 2015.

Even the facility’s name has changed. When Everhart started her career it was Jefferson County Memorial Hospital. In the late 1990s it became Jefferson Community Health Center. And today it is known as Jefferson Community Health & Life.

Health care itself has changed. In her early years, there were 49 hospital beds, and patients stayed much longer than they do now. She remembers some patients who came every year for a stay, maybe for a physical, maybe just to get something checked out. Insurance companies didn’t have the criteria they do today which are required to be met for a hospital stay.

Everhart started her career as a part-time business office staff member, then began also working part time in medical records when that department needed help. She even remembers attempting to do transcription – but “that wasn’t for me,” she said. She later became a full-time business office staff member and worked on payroll and on accounts payable. She served as business office manager at one time in her career. Today, she works in human resources, and still has a major part in payroll.

“I like doing what I do,” Everhart said. “It’s been a good 50 years.”

She said there have been lots of challenges with changes over the years, but she has adapted as she needed to.

“It’s always good to learn new stuff,” she said.

She’s been glad to help out with community events and activities through the years – parades, county fairs, health fairs and such.

She remembers some humorous incidents over the years. Like when a Medicare claim went out for a patient who lived in Western, Nebraska, and the Medicare office told the JCH&L business office they needed a town, not a region. She remembers when fax technology came along she wondered what she would ever use that for. And not so many months later she was asking people “do you have a fax machine? You could just fax that to me.” She remembers the years that JCH&L paid $5 a month for employees for their health insurance. It’s much more than that now – and employees pay a portion of the cost, as well.

Her 50^th year of employment was marked by a global COVID-19 pandemic. She said she had never in her 50 years seen anything like it. She said she was proud of her facility and her coworkers for all that they have done to help patients and the community.

“I have never seen anything like it,” she said.

She wonders how much different JCH&L and healthcare will look in the future. She doesn’t have a goal set for retirement just yet.

“I still enjoy what I do and enjoy my coworkers,” she said.

As the new JCH&L Fairbury Clinic project progresses, a virtual Topping Out Ceremony is planned for 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 15.

A Topping Out Ceremony will celebrate the placing of the last beam in the structure, which will have been signed by JCH&L staff and project contractors and subcontractors.

The community is invited to watch the ceremony through Facebook Live.

The $8 million project is adding a 21,300-square-foot addition to the health center to house the operations of the Fairbury Clinic, new Health Information Services and Business Office areas, and an updated main entrance. The new clinic will provide more space, better handicapped accessibility and is designed with infection prevention in mind.

The project is being funded by bonds issued by the Hospital Authority through funding partner Heartland Bank. JCH&L is working to raise $50,000 in community contributions toward the cost of the project, and Heartland Bank has pledged to match up to $50,000.

Construction began in October and is expected to be complete in late 2021.

Jefferson Community Health & Life is a private not-for-profit corporation which is governed by an 8-member board of directors elected from its membership. To be a lifetime member, a person must donate $100 or more to JCH&L. Jefferson Community Health & Life operates a 17-bed, acute-care Critical Access Hospital in Fairbury, Neb., offering inpatient and outpatient services, including surgery, therapy, screenings, and emergency services. Jefferson Community Health & Life offers additional health and life services, including Fairbury Clinic (primary and family care), Burkley Fitness Center, Gardenside (long-term care), and Home Health services. In addition, Jefferson Community Health & Life supports numerous education programs and support groups. JCH&L and Bryan Health are joint owners of Cedarwood Assisted Living, which is its own private not for profit organization located on the JCH&L campus.

Lauren Cox, OTD, OTR/L, joins staff of Sports Medicine and Rehab Services

Lauren Cox, OTD, OTR/L, a pediatric occupational therapist, has joined the staff of JCH&L Sports Medicine and Rehab Services. Cox works with children and adolescents of all ages while collaborating with other therapists to treat each patient’s specific needs and diagnosis.

“The need for pediatric therapy has grown substantially within the community over the last four years,” states Amy Martin, MPT, director of JCH&L Sports Medicine and Rehab Services. “We are working to expand our pediatric services to better serve our community and meet those needs.”

As a pediatric occupational therapist, Cox can address all areas with children and adolescents, including interactive play and engagement in functional tasks.

While she will work with and cooperate with the schools, in-school therapy typically focuses on helping children engage within the school environment.

Outpatient therapy focuses on activities within the home and community. Outpatient pediatric occupational therapy may include working with children on sensory integration, developmental delays, proper positioning, transitional movements, grasp, coordination of both arms, integrating reflexes, sensory-based feeding, and parent education. Cox collaborates with the Speech Therapist Amanda Carlson. Carlson works with children on swallowing and language development.

“Occupational therapy services are tailored to each child’s specific needs, which can vary greatly from patient to patient,” Cox said.

Cox encourages parent and/or caregiver involvement and is motivated to find answers for each individual child.

Cox says, “Working together as a healthcare team allows for an open line of communication that is beneficial when caring for each child.”

She said her schedule is flexible, and she will work with parents to find appointment times that work for their needs.

Cox and her husband are Omaha natives, who returned to Nebraska in 2020. Cox previously worked at KidsCare Home Health in Colorado. Clinical rotations were completed at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in the pediatric department and KidsCare Home Health in Texas. She’s known she wanted to be an occupational therapist since her brother planted the idea in high school. She also has experience being a nanny and caregiver for children with specific needs.

Pediatric occupational therapy is covered by Medicaid and most private insurance companies. In some cases, preauthorization may be required. Cox and the team at JCH&L Sports Medicine and Rehab Services will communicate with insurance companies as needed.

For additional information on pediatric occupational therapy, call JCH&L Sports Medicine and Rehab Services at 402-729-6841.

Each year Jefferson Community Health & Life asks the community’s help in completing a special project for patients, residents, and visitors. This year, JCH&L seeks the community’s help for a special project that will benefit the community—a new Fairbury Clinic attached to the health center. For this year’s project JCH&L seeks $50,000, because funding partner Heartland Bank has pledged a $50,000 matching grant.

“We are pleased with Heartland Bank’s generous matching grant,” said Burke Kline, DHA, JCH&L CEO. “The project will benefit healthcare in our community for generations to come, and we are grateful for our community’s support.”

The clinic addition project, for which bids have recently come in at $8 million, will provide the community a new, modern, handicapped accessible building equipped for today’s technology and allowing for additional infection prevention accommodations when needed. As an attached facility, it will provide easier access for clinic patients who need to seek hospital services, and easier access for staff who need to access both clinic and health center services.

The new location will feature wider hallways, larger exam rooms, and handicapped accessible restrooms. It will also allow for one-way traffic and treatment or testing in negative air flow areas, which are both infection prevention tools.

Donations of all amounts are welcome and will make our project successful. All contributions will be recognized in the fiscal 2021 annual report for Jefferson Community Health & Life and the Jefferson Health Care Fund. Contributions may be made in honor of someone living or in memory of someone who has passed away.  Memorial gifts are recognized each year in a newspaper ad prior to Memorial Day. All donations of $1,000 or more will be recognized with a plaque on the Wall of Honor, and contributions of any amount are counted toward cumulative recognition.

Those who would like more information should contact Lana Likens at 402-729-6855, or by emailing lana.likens@jchealthandlife.org.