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.

Clinic Administrator Ashley Norden LPN is now a Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional. To attain certification, Norden successfully completed the Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional Course and passed an exam. The course is designed to help clinic administrators learn to operate a successful Rural Health Clinic.

Norden, who has been clinic administrator for  six months, has been with JCH&L for 11 years.