August 2008

The Grinnell Regional Auxiliary, Grinnell Regional Medical Center, and Grinnell College will host the second Women’s Health Focus. This evening event will be held Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008, at the Harris Center on the Grinnell College campus.

“Treat Yourself like Royalty” and learn to reign over your kingdom with national speaker and humorist Peggy Kline as she shares her secrets to a majestic life. This women’s conference focuses on health and wellness with educational exhibits and a humorous program to encourage women as they balance life.

“Treat Yourself Like Royalty” blends content and comedy to support and encourage women. Kline gives a crown jewel of a message women truly need to hear.

“As women, we need to make a proclamation of our health and wellness needs. You can’t take care of others if you don’t take care of yourself,” Kline says.

Kline’s program will address a number of topics, with a theme centering on “Long Live the Queen” that encourages every woman to make a proclamation to take better care of herself. She’ll also focus on the importance of finding others we can learn from and lean on.

“The goal of the event is to help women explore ways to improve health for themselves and their families through educational booths and an inspirational keynote speaker,” explains Jennifer Cogley, GRMC Auxiliary president. “We’re targeting women because we make 80 percent of the healthcare decisions for ourselves and our families—including our parents. It’s important for us to be informed and know about the services and quality healthcare that is available to us right here in our own backyard.”

The evening will be filled with humor, hope, and inspiration. Beginning at 4 p.m. guests may visit about 30 educational booths that focus on health and wellness. Educational booths include women’s health, getting a good night’s sleep, cardiac care, mammography, Kintzinger Women’s Health Center, philanthropy, healthcare careers, volunteering, nutrition, fitness and wellness, chair massages, physical therapy for women, stress reduction, acupuncture, Grinnell Regional Public Health, medication safety, home care services, end of life care, safe food handling, and more.

A regal buffet will be served from 5 to 6:45 p.m., running simultaneously with the educational exhibit area. Kline will begin speaking at 7 p.m.

“We changed the format and venue to accommodate more women and allow them more time to stop by each booth,” says Cogley. “We heard lots of wonderful comments from last year’s event and suggestions to allow guests more flexibility. We want to make sure all women can attend, so like last year we will offer childcare for a minimal fee. This new format will also allow working women to come later and still have time to see booths and enjoy a meal with friends before hearing the speaker.”

The evening will conclude with a drawing for prizes fit for a queen, such as diamond jewelry, a royal massage treatment, gift certificates for shopping, dinner for four, a Fly High/GRMC Fitness Center membership, monthly flower deliveries, a house cleaner/maid service for three months, and more.

Reservations are $16 per person and include exhibits, speaker, buffet dinner, party favors, and a chance to win many door prizes. Childcare is also available. Cost is $2 per child and includes a buffet dinner. Please reserve childcare at the time of your reservation. In addition, Kline’s book “Treating Yourself Like Royalty” can be pre-ordered on the registration form for $12. It will cost $15 the night of the event.

Reservations are required by October 9. Reservations may be made by calling 641-236-2588, or going online to www.grmc.us/rsvp. Credit card purchases are accepted. Seats are limited to the first 400 respondents.

Grinnell Regional Medical Center invites area residents to attend a free program to assess and create an accurate personal list of all medications taken. The review process, called medication reconciliation or “red card”, will be Friday, Sept. 26, beginning at 8 a.m.

GRMC’s pharmacy and nursing staff will meet with individuals privately in the GRMC Tomasek Conference Center to create an accurate list of all medications a patient is taking (prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, herbal supplements), including name, dosage, and frequency.

“This list is kept with the individual so that at any time, he or she may have immediate access to their medications to present to a healthcare provider,” says Zach McMahon, PharmD, GRMC’s clinical director of pharmacy. “This service is part of GRMC’s ongoing patient safety processes to reduce risks of a mistake, such as missing a dose or having side effects that cause further problems.”

Residents may schedule an appointment to complete their medication listing and review. The program’s medication and history form contains a list of their medications and some basic personal health information, such as medical history, surgical history, immunizations, and allergies. The list is kept in a red card holder for the convenience of the individual. The GRMC staff nurse or pharmacist will go over the form in detail during the review. Patients are asked to take their “Medication List and Personal Health History” form with them to all physician appointments or admission to a hospital. This will assist their healthcare provider know what medications they are taking.

Appointments will be held throughout the day, beginning at 8 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. Each appointment will take 15 to 20 minutes. To set your appointment time, call GRMC at 641-236-2300.

A family that exercises together stays healthy together. Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s Family Gym Night makes it easier for families to exercise together. The wellness program will run on Mondays beginning September 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the family gym in Postels Community Health Park.

“To help introduce the program, GRMC will offer two free sessions on September 8 and 15,” explains Cory Jackson, GRMC Wellness director. “We want parents and their children to see first hand just how easy and fun this exercise option is.”

The family gym features youth-sized equipment appropriate for elementary and middle school children. The program runs in four-week sessions so parents may sign up for sessions that fit their schedules. There is no fee for individuals with a GRMC family wellness membership.

For information on the Family Gym Night, call the GRMC Wellness department at 641-236-2999.

Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s wellness department will sponsor a program for students up to 8th grade to encourage fitness and exercise. Fun with Fitness is a six-week program where students meet weekly to work on youth-sized equipment such as a treadmill, elliptical trainer, moon walker, stationary bike, and trampoline.

“We understand that organized sports are not for everyone. This program gives youth options to workout while having fun. With input from kids, we created a fun environment where the walls are painted with bright colors. We’ll play music the students like and give a positive environment for area youth to workout on fitness equipment and learn the foundations of healthy lifestyles,” explains Jen Ness, GRMC wellness aide. Ness, who has a physical education degree and experience in childhood education, will teach the program along with other GRMC exercise specialists.  

Fun with Fitness will be structured according to the age of the participant. Classes begin right after school, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., on Wednesdays at the Postels Community Health Park, 807 Park St., Grinnell. Classes will be held on September 10, 17, 24, and October 8, 15, and 22. On the early release day (Wednesday, Oct. 1), students will have an assignment to do at home with family members. Transportation will be provided from the four Grinnell elementary and middle schools.

“We’re open to any student who may need encouragement to develop and keep lifetime habits of exercise and fitness,” Ness says.

The six weekly sessions will cost $30 per student. Class size is limited to 15. This program is included in the GRMC Family membership. Parents may register their students for Fun with Fitness by calling the GRMC Wellness Center at 641-236-2999.

Five Grinnell Organizations Remembered in Potts Estate

A beloved member of the Grinnell community named five local organizations in her will, leaving behind a legacy that will be remembered for years to come.

Before her death at the age of 96 on June 16, 2007, Lucille “Sid” Potts bequeathed $1.67 million of her estate to be shared by the Grinnell-Newburg Dollars for Scholars, Grinnell’s public library, Grinnell Regional Medical Center, Mayflower Community, and the Grinnell United Church of Christ-Congregational.

Potts was born Lucille McDowell in Grinnell on Oct. 19, 1910. She earned the nickname “Sid” from her younger brother who couldn’t say “Lucille.” He tried to say “sister,” but it came out “Sid” and the name stuck.

“Even the teachers in school called me ‘Sid.’ I know it’s a short name for a man by the name of Sidney, but I really liked it, and when they say ‘Lucille,’ I wonder who they’re talking about,” said Potts in an interview for a Stewart Library oral history project in 1992.

Potts grew up watching railroad workers eat in her mother’s restaurant, Gem Café, at Third Avenue and Park Street. She attended school in Grinnell, and after graduating went to business college in Quincy, Ill. In early 1929 when she was home for the holidays, she received a call from Carl Child at Citizens National Bank in Grinnell.

“It was snowing that day, and I was really sick with the flu,” Potts shared later. “I was real bundled up, and I went up to the bank and stuck my head in the door of his office and he said, ‘If you’re interested, you’re hired, at sixty dollars a month.’ And I said, ‘I’m too sick to start.’ He said, ‘You just take your time till you get well, but you can start at sixty dollars a month.’ And this was the Depression…and money was very scarce, so I decided it would be best. So that’s how I started at the bank.”

She started on January 15, 1929, and worked at the bank (which later became Brenton Bank) for 46 years—until 1975. She started as a bookkeeper and received a number of promotions throughout the years. When she retired she was a vice-president for the bank that is now Wells Fargo in Grinnell.

“When I started at the bank at sixty dollars a month, I thought that was a huge salary. And the first year, we got five dollars for Christmas. Now that would be in December 1929. Well, in December 1930, we didn’t get anything for Christmas. Things were that bad. And you were just thankful that you had a job, and to make ends meet. And I remember my winter dress. It was a pink wool, and it was really quite a nice looking dress. And I paid $2.98 for my dress. It was my good dress for two years,” Potts said.

Potts married Dick Potts on Sept. 15, 1937, at her mother’s home. Her new husband worked at the glove factory in Grinnell and later became the treasurer for Poweshiek County. For fun, the couple would see shows at the Colonial Theater on the corner of Fifth and Main, enjoy picnics and 25-cent motorboat rides at Arbor Lake, listen to the radio, and go dancing.

Potts recalled that during World War II rationing started for products like gasoline, hosiery, sugar, and butter. In a planned giving publication published by the medical center in 2004, Potts said, “I’ve seen rough times, but I’ve never been hungry.”

Church was always a part of Potts’ life. “I have been a member of the—used to be Congregational now the United Church of Christ—since I was about five-years-old. I’ve always attended. In fact, I was a Sunday School teacher for a number of years, and the church has always been a part of my family,” Potts said in 1992.

Potts also recalled Grinnell’s hospitals. “People didn’t go to the hospital in those days (1930s). A lot of them had their babies at home. You didn’t go to a doctor or a hospital until practically you were ready to die in those days.”

Potts witnessed a transformation in healthcare during her lifetime.

“I have seen the hospital grow from the old hospital on Elm Street to what it is today. When other small towns are losing their hospitals, Grinnell is growing,” she said in 2004. Potts, her mother, and her husband all received care at the medical center in the past. “Through all my years, I’ve used the hospital a lot. The care I received there was wonderful. They can’t do enough for you at GRMC.”

As the medical center examined how to best honor Potts for her generosity, Todd C. Linden, GRMC president and CEO, consulted Potts’ good friend Jewel Kintzinger Day. The two agreed that the best way to recognize Potts was by naming a patient care wing of the medical center in Potts’ honor.

Potts loved Grinnell and its services. She supported a scholarship for the Grinnell-Newburg Dollars for Scholars to help educate area youth. She was a regular at Stewart Library. She moved to the Mayflower Community in June 2002, where she was involved in many social activities and acted as hostess for a number of luncheons and bridge groups. She remarked to her friend, Betty Porter, also a Mayflower resident, “I love Mayflower and have never regretted for one day that I moved here.”

Throughout her lifetime Potts was known for giving gifts. Her fudge is renowned in Grinnell. People were always willing to pay a high price for a batch of her fudge, so she raised a large amount of money at fund-raisers in the community with the chocolate delicacy. In addition, during her career Potts was known for giving pennies to children when they came into the bank.

“I just loved to do it, because we always got new pennies,” she said.

Now she will be remembered for her last gifts to the community, which will help fund a new library for the community, go toward renovations at the medical center, enlarge the endowment for future scholarships, and more.

“This is a wonderful boost for our endowment for scholarships,” says Clem Bodensteiner, president of Dollars for Scholars. “Sid was so generous. This tremendous gift will help high school graduates get started with their post-secondary education for many years.”

“We are obviously very grateful for this gift. It is a lasting legacy from Sid,” says Bob Williams, chair of the UCC board of trustees.

New GRMC Physicians Arriving in August

Grinnell Regional Medical Center announces the addition of Kenneth J. Whipple, DO, anesthesiologist, and Bojan Pavlovic, MD, pain management specialist, to the GRMC medical staff. Whipple started August 11 and Pavlovic will begin in late September. Also joining the medical staff this year are three physician assistants. They include Sarah Feddersen, PA-C, Kristin Leonard, PA-C, and Jarrod Phelps, PA-C. Additional healthcare providers will be announced in upcoming months.

Whipple is providing surgical anesthesiology services to the GRMC surgical center. He earned his medical degree from Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center. His residency was completed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He and his wife, Bryn, have three children. He enjoys music; photography; outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, camping, swimming, cycling; cooking; and being a dad.

Pavlovic will begin seeing patients in the GRMC Pain Clinic on the second floor of the Ahrens Medical Arts Building in late September. He earned his medical degree from Chicago Medical School. He completed an internal medicine residency at Case Western Reserve University, and has completed an anesthesia residency from The University of Minnesota. He also completed two fellowships, a cardio-thoracic anesthesia fellowship at University of Chicago, and a pain fellowship from Henry Ford Hospital.

“GRMC has refined its recruitment process to focus on identifying physicians who bring the right specialties to meet our needs and who also have the right standards of quality and right personality to practice in our community,” explains Todd Linden, president and CEO of GRMC. “This sometimes takes time, so we’re extremely pleased with the addition of five new healthcare providers this summer.

“Grinnell is a very charming progressive city. My wife and I wanted to raise our three young children in an area that values family and community – similar to our upbringing,” says Whipple, when asked why he chose Grinnell. “Iowa has become ‘home’ for us. Hospitals large and small offer the same basic health services; however, I believe a smaller hospital has the ability to do so on a more personal scale.”

Pavlovic concurs with Whipple and adds, “I was interested in going to a place where I could start up a pain program. This allows me to infuse the program with those things that are unique to me. I also like the degree of autonomy and the proximity with other physicians in the smaller hospital setting. Being in close contact helps ensure good communication and, ultimately, better patient care.”

“GRMC has benefited this time from the mobility of young physicians with a specialty and an understanding of the uniqueness of rural healthcare,” Linden adds. “Dr. Whipple signed a contract to join GRMC 10 months ago, while he was still in residency. This illustrates that sometimes we experience a significant lag from the time we find the right person to the time he or she may begin working.”

“I signed the contract prior to completing my residency, which allowed me to focus more intently on my training at hand. It gave me a sense of security that I knew I had a job after residency,” Whipple explains.

Pavlovic agreed to join the medical team in Grinnell in early July. Due to a flood-related backlog for Iowa licenses at the Iowa Board of Medicine, he has had to wait nearly two months before he can begin practicing.

Pavlovic explains that, “I signed the contract at the end of my fellowship with a place that I liked. I’m looking forward to establishing my own clinic.”

GRMC currently has a contract also signed by Kevin Emge, DO, another anesthesiologist who is completing his residency. He will start later this fall. Recruitment continues in the areas of orthopedics, obstetrics, and internal medicine, to supplement the GRMC medical staff of nearly 70.

“In Grinnell we are very lucky and should be celebrating the addition of these specialists who will complement the rock-solid foundation of family practice providers that this community has already,” says Laura Van Cleve, MD, GRMC Medical Staff president-elect.

GRMC to Offer Advance Directive Seminar

Grinnell Regional Medical Center will offer an evening program on the value and need for advance directives in healthcare. The seminar, “Put it in Writing,” will explain various types of advance directives available in Iowa. The program is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 2, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the GRMC Tomasek Conference Center. All adults are invited to learn about end-of-life wishes and how to put them in writing so that loved ones know what type of care you want in the event of life-threatening conditions.

Class participants will examine their wants and desires not only at end-of-life but when a major health crisis occurs. The time to discuss these concerns is long before the crisis that calls families together outside of emergency departments or ICUs, a time when emotions are high and logical decisions seems to be difficult to determine.

In general, families can rarely weigh potential outcomes and make decisions from the same perspective in the time of crisis and stress. We all judge quite differently what quality of life means. The time to discuss wishes for healthcare is when it can be discussed from a broader view. This will be easier when you are planning toward a future event, not when that event is thrust upon you and consensus may prove difficult.

In Iowa two documents are available to express wishes and plans for changes in health. These are the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions or the Medical Power of Attorney and the Declaration Relating to Life Sustaining Procedures or the Living Will. The Medical Power of Attorney assigns the responsibility to another person to make healthcare choices for someone when he/she can not. The Living Will states a person’s wishes specifically for healthcare.

Susan Leathem Sanning, GRMC chaplain, will lead the seminar. James R. Paulson, MD, family practice physician and hospice medical director, will be available to answer questions. Sanning and Paulson will provide guidelines and present questions you can answer for yourself and with your family about defining what entails quality of life for you and what end-of-life care options you may desire.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Iowa Bar Association, and the American Hospital Association feel that the completion of these documents is so important that they have made the forms available on the web at no cost and have also included other useful information on their websites as well. The documents do not require the services of an attorney to complete, however both documents must be either witnessed by two people or notarized to become effective. Of the two witnesses, only one can be a relative and neither can be a healthcare provider currently providing services or an employee of that healthcare provider.

Forms are also available by contacting Grinnell Regional Hospice at 641-236-2418. To link to the websites, go to the Grinnell Regional Medical Center website at www.grmc.us then click on the Put it in Writing button.

This seminar begins at 6:30 p.m. with light refreshments. Please make a reservation by Tuesday, August 26, by calling 641-236-2593.

GRMC Hosts 19th Annual Golf Outing