Nebraska Community Bloodbank Visits March 16

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The next Nebraska Community Bloodbank blood drive will be held on Monday, March 16, from 9 a.m. to 1  p.m. in the bloodmobile in the JCH&L parking lot (on the H street side of the building.) All types are needed.

Giving blood is giving a gift of life. Nebraska Community Bloodbank is Jefferson Community Health & Life’s bloodbank, and the two organizations partner for blood drives in Fairbury to save lives.

To make an appointment, call Jean Smith at JCH&L at 402-729-6851, the Nebraska Community Bloodbank at 1-877-486-9414 or visit NCBB.org and use sponsor code JCHC.

With iDonate you can save time by completing your health history on line ahead of your bloodmobile visit. To get started, visit NCBB.org/iDonate

New Patient Experience Feedback Program at Jefferson Community Health and Life Clinics

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Jefferson Community Health & Life has partnered with Real-time Feedback by NRC Health starting Feb. 3 for surveys about services at JCH&L Fairbury and Plymouth clinics.

Real-time Feedback is a patient experience program that allows JCH&L to work to improve the patient experience. A day or two after their visit, the patient will receive a telephone call between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. using Interactive Voice Response (IVR). The phone call will take about two minutes to complete. If the patient does not answer, the system will leave a voice mail message inviting the patient to call back. If they return the call, they will access the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) survey.

If the patient doesn’t answer or return the call, about a day later an email will be sent (if the patient has an email address included in their record.) The email has a link to a web-based assessment, which will take about 2 minutes to complete. If the patient does not have an email address in their record, they will receive a second phone call.

The system will make a third attempt to contact the patient another day later with a phone call, and if they don’t answer a voice mail will be left. The patient can return the call at their convenience and complete the Interactive Voice Response survey.

The surveys allow Jefferson Community Health & Life to improve the patient experience through addressing any concerns patients have. This partnership with NRC Health is an example of our continued dedication toward ensuring our patients have an excellent care experience, and transition back home safely into our community, using best practices established within the healthcare industry.

JCH&L Gardenside Earns 5 Star Rating Again

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Jefferson Community Health & Life Gardenside has once again received a 5 Star Rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Gardenside has been a 5-star facility since the program began in 2008.

Nursing Home Compare and the star rating system allow consumers to compare information about nursing homes. It contains quality of care, staffing and survey information for all 15,000 plus Medicare- and Medicaid-participating nursing homes. Facilities are assigned star ratings from a high of 5 stars to a low of 1 star based on health inspection surveys, staffing information and quality of care measures. The ratings are publicly available on the agency’s Nursing Home Compare website at  www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare.

“We are pleased to remain a 5-Star facility, even though we know it has become more difficult to receive the top rating,” said Deb Sutton RN, administrator of JCH&L Gardenside. “All of our staff members work very hard to provide the best quality of care for our residents. We are pleased to know that our care for our residents is reflected in our ratings through Nursing Home Compare.”

For this reporting period, JCH&L Gardenside is 5 Star strong, Sutton said, meaning ratings in all three areas measured were five stars, in addition to the overall rating being five star.

JCH&L Gardenside has been providing long-term care to area residents since 1963. Currently, Gardenside is licensed for 40 beds, and has one Hospice room available. Gardenside has a resident dog, Tia; an aviary; and a variety of activities in which residents can participate including organized activities in the evenings and on weekends.

Gardenside prides itself on having a homelike environment, and being a small, family-oriented care facility. Three enclosed courtyards provide outdoor space for residents and their families to enjoy. Family members are invited to take part in activities, and special celebrations are planned periodically which include family members.

“What really sets us apart and makes our facility special is our wonderful staff,” Sutton said. “Their hard work, dedication and care for our residents truly makes us a five-star facility.”

The Nursing Home Compare statistics can be accessed by going to www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare and selecting Gardenside LTC-JCHC.

Kensly Williams PA-C Joins Jefferson Community Health & Life

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Kensly Williams, PA-C, joins Jefferson Community Health & Life this month. In her new position she will see patients in the Fairbury Clinic and later in the year in the Plymouth Clinic,  and care for patients in the Emergency Room.

“I like family medicine because you see everything,” Williams said.

She said she has always known she wanted to work in health care. She decided to become a physician assistant because she liked the fact that PAs can spend more time with patients doing education.

As she begins her work as a PA, she is also excited to use her skills in speaking Spanish. It will be a benefit to JCH&L and area residents who speak Spanish that she can care for them in their own language.

She is a graduate of Waverly High School; Morningside College, Sioux City, with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in Spanish; and the University of Nebraska Medical Center Physician Assistant program. She is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

She said a rotation in Fairbury in 2019 as a part of her PA program education was a factor in deciding JCH&L was a good location to work. She said she could experience that everyone was friendly and helpful to her as a student, and felt the community and staff would be welcoming to a new health care provider. She was one of the presenters for the Women’s Health Fair in September. She and her husband Keegan decided Fairbury was a great location for them, with family in the Lincoln area and a family cabin at Lovewell. Keegan is now a nurse at JCH&L.

Williams begins seeing patients at the Fairbury Clinic Feb. 10. She will accept new and established patients. To make an appointment, call 402-729-3361.

JCH&L’s Next Women’s Health Day is Feb. 11

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Wellness Experience Offers Women a Convenient Way to Take Control of Their Health

Three hours – that’s all it takes for women from Jefferson County and beyond to complete their annual health checks and receive a well-deserved indulgence at the same time. Women’s Health Day is a complete wellness experience designed to make women’s health easy. Jefferson Community Health & Life is now scheduling women for the experience on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

The program is available at the Jefferson Community Health & Life Health Center and Fairbury Clinic on select days every month, and includes:

* Personalized guidance from an on-site Women’s Health Day navigator

* Important health screenings, including fasting lab tests, a screening mammogram and a routine annual exam to assess overall and gynecological health (lab test and mammogram results will be available before participants leave for the day, while Pap test results will be provided later by mail)

* Complimentary breakfast and a relaxing indulgence—such as an express manicure or express pedicure, for example. Offerings may vary.

* Reserved parking

“It’s so important for women to make time for their own health, but we know life sometimes gets in the way,” said Erin Starr, Chief Quality Officer. “That’s why we created Women’s Health Day—to provide a convenient way for women to get their essential health screenings all at once, while also taking time to unwind.”

All major insurance plans are accepted for screening and exams (coverage is subject to individual policy terms). JCH&L Fairbury Clinic accepts new patients.

Appointments for the Women’s Health Day experience start as early as 6:30 a.m. To schedule, call 402.729.6841.

Parkinson’s Support Group to Meet Feb. 10

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The Parkinson’s Support Group will meet on Monday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m. in Jefferson Community Health & Life’s Small Conference Room.

The program will be a video “The Parkinson’s You Don’t See: Cognitive and Motor Symptoms,” by Joanne Hamilton, PhD, ABPP-CN, Advanced Neurobehavior Health of Southern California, Poway, CA.

For easiest access, park in the H Street parking and entering through the JCH&L Main Entrance. Follow the lobby signage to “Hospital.” The meeting rooms will be to the left. The Small Conference Room is the second door.

The Parkinson’s Support Group generally meets on the second Monday of each month.

The group is designed to provide an opportunity for area residents to share their experiences with Parkinson’s disease. There is no cost. For more information, contact Lana Likens at Jefferson Community Health & Life at (402)-729-6855.

JCH&L Holds Annual Meeting

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2019 was a busy and successful year

The Jefferson Community Health & Life board of directors held the organization’s annual membership meeting for fiscal 2019 on Monday, Jan. 13.

Two board members were elected to serve on the board: Ross Boeckner and Dr. Jeff Johnson. Boeckner is a Fairbury native who farms and is a credit analyst at Heartland Bank. Johnson is an optometrist who has owned and operated Johnson Family Vision Care in Fairbury since 1997, and worked with Dr. Bruce Ackerman for a year prior to his retirement. Boeckner and Johnson take the seats of Loren Duerkson, who served one four-year term, and Mary Glenn, who served two four-year terms. Board members are elected from among members of the corporation and may serve up to two consecutive four-year terms.

Brian Scheele, board chairman, thanked the administration, medical staff, board members and staff for their efforts and excellent care. He thanked Dr. Richard Blatny Sr., who has served our community for more than 46 years, for his service. He said that the board is working with Bryan Health for a search for a new full-time CEO. Victor Lee is serving as interim CEO, after former CEO Chad Jurgens left for a position elsewhere.

“We are in a good position financially and operationally for new leadership, and look forward to continuing to grow, add services and be a trusted partner in health,’” Scheele said.

Lee sent a report to all members of the corporation highlighting major achievements of 2019. Highlights included JCH&L being named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital for the fifth time in six years; being recognized for a Performance Leadership award; having Sports Medicine and Rehab Services named a Site of Clinical Excellence by Creighton University; earning a Spirit Award for safety accomplishments; and having Gardenside recognized as a 5-Star facility. New services included the addition of 3D Mammography, a wound clinic, and Sports Medicine and Rehab staff becoming certified in women’s health.

Chance Klasek, CFO, reported that both revenues and expenses were up in fiscal 2019, with the year ending on an operating margin of 3.9 percent. It was one of JCH&L’s best years financially.

Anyone who has donated $100 or more to Jefferson Community Health & Life is a member of the private not-for-profit corporation.

At the regular monthly board meeting which followed the annual meeting, officers were elected for 2020. Officers are: Linda Bauer, chairman; Brian Blobaum, vice chairman; and Sheri Schultis, secretary-treasurer. Past-chairman Brian Scheele will also serve on the executive committee.

JCH&L’s Next Women’s Health Day is Jan. 21

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Wellness Experience Offers Women a Convenient Way to Take Control of Their Health

Three hours – that’s all it takes for women from Jefferson County and beyond to complete their annual health checks and receive a well-deserved indulgence at the same time. Women’s Health Day is a complete wellness experience designed to make women’s health easy. Jefferson Community Health & Life is now scheduling women for the experience on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

The program is available at the Jefferson Community Health & Life Health Center and Fairbury Clinic on select days every month, and includes:

* Personalized guidance from an on-site Women’s Health Day navigator

* Important health screenings, including fasting lab tests, a screening mammogram and a routine annual exam to assess overall and gynecological health (lab test and mammogram results will be available before participants leave for the day, while Pap test results will be provided later by mail)

* Complimentary breakfast and a relaxing indulgence—such as an express manicure or express pedicure, for example. Offerings may vary.

* Reserved parking

“It’s so important for women to make time for their own health, but we know life sometimes gets in the way,” said Erin Starr, Chief Quality Officer. “That’s why we created Women’s Health Day—to provide a convenient way for women to get their essential health screenings all at once, while also taking time to unwind.”

All major insurance plans are accepted for screening and exams (coverage is subject to individual policy terms). JCH&L Fairbury Clinic accepts new patients.

Appointments for the Women’s Health Day experience start as early as 6:30 a.m. To schedule, call 402.729.6841.

Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group to Meet Jan. 27

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The Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group will meet on Monday, Jan. 27, at 6:30 p.m. in Jefferson Community Health & Life’s Small Conference Room.

The program will be videos exploring “Feelings of People who Live with the Disease” and “Coping with the Disease,” from VideoCaregiving.

Easiest access will be by parking in the H Street parking and entering through the JCH&L Main Entrance. Follow the lobby signage to “Hospital.” The meeting rooms will be to the left. The Small Conference Room is the second door.

The Alzheimer’s Caregiver’s Support Group is a program of the Alzheimer’s Association which typically meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Jefferson Community Health & Life. It is designed for those who are caregivers and family members of those who have Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias.

The group is designed to provide an opportunity anyone interested to share their experiences with Alzheimer’s Disease. There is no cost, and no pre-registration.

For more information, contact Lana Likens at Jefferson Community Health & Life at 402-729-6855.

Parkinson’s Support Group to Meet Jan. 13

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The Parkinson’s Support Group will meet on Monday, Jan. 13, at 10 a.m. in Jefferson Community Health & Life’s Small Conference Room.

The program will be a video “The Parkinson’s You Don’t See: Cognitive and Motor Symptoms,” by Joanne Hamilton, PhD, ABPP-CN, Advanced Neurobehavior Health of Southern California, Poway, CA.

For easiest access, park in the H Street parking and entering through the JCH&L Main Entrance. Follow the lobby signage to “Hospital.” The meeting rooms will be to the left. The Small Conference Room is the second door.

The Parkinson’s Support Group generally meets on the second Monday of each month.

The group is designed to provide an opportunity for area residents to share their experiences with Parkinson’s disease. There is no cost. For more information, contact Lana Likens at Jefferson Community Health & Life at (402)-729-6855.

2200 H St., PO Box 277, Fairbury, NE