News

Burgess Health Center is proud to announce the nomination of Abbie Nielsen, RN in the Inpatient Services Department, for the Burgess Foundation Guardian Angel Award.

The family of Carolyn Westergaard want to recognize and thank Abbie for her attention, confident care, and professional concern for Carolyn during her last loving hours.

Abbie was knowledgeable and alert to health details, such as calling Dr. Garred and making Carolyn comfortable during her brief stay at Burgess Health Center. Carolyn and her family trusted her health to the medical professionals at Burgess.

Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program provides patients, family members, and friends a chance to show their gratitude to a physician, nurse, or another caregiver who has played an exceptional role in their lives. The Guardian Angel received an acknowledgment letter announcing that a donation has been made in their honor and given a custom-crafted lapel pin to wear proudly.

Did a caregiver at Burgess make a memorable difference for you or your family? If so, you can honor that special person in a highly visible way through Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program. It is more than a pin. When you take advantage of our Guardian Angel program, you also help ensure the future of outstanding health care in the region.

Photo: Dr. John Garred, Bobbi Johnson, Foundation Director, Kathy Westergaard (Carolyn’s daughter-in-law), Abbie Nielsen, and Chris Cleaver, Director of Inpatient Services.

Burgess Health Center is proud to announce the nomination of Brooke Barnett, RN and Critical Care Paramedic in the Emergency Department, for the Burgess Foundation Guardian Angel Award.

Shari Pithan recognizes and thanks Brooke for going above and beyond in providing exceptional care. Pithan was involved in a car accident, and Brooke was one of the first paramedics on the scene.

“It was a very scary situation, and Brooke calmly answered and explained all my questions,” said Pithan. “She is very kind and helpful and rode all the way to Omaha with me. Burgess is lucky to have her”.

Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program provides patients, family members, and friends a chance to show their gratitude to a physician, nurse, or another caregiver who has played an exceptional role in their lives. The Guardian Angel received an acknowledgment letter announcing that a donation has been made in their honor and given a custom-crafted lapel pin to wear proudly.

Did a caregiver at Burgess make a memorable difference for you or your family? If so, you can honor that special person in a highly visible way through Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program. It is more than a pin. When you take advantage of our Guardian Angel program, you also help ensure the future of outstanding health care in the region.

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Photo: Bobbi Johnson, Foundation Director, Karla Copple, Director of Emergency Services, Brooke Barnett, and Mona Pithan, Shari’s daughter-in-law.

Five scholarships of $500 each are awarded each spring to area high school seniors and first-year college students that wish to pursue a career in a health-related field.

The 2022 recipients are as follows: Emma Gross, graduate of Whiting Community School plans to attend the University of South Dakota for Radiological Technician; Cole Halverson, graduate of West Monona High School plans to attend Morningside College for Pharmacy Biochemistry; Calliyah Mareau, graduate of MVAOCOU High School plans to attend WITCC for Nursing; Caden Nielsen, graduate of Boyer Valley High School plans to attend the University of Iowa for Nursing (Nurse Anesthetist); and Sydney Seward, graduate of Westwood High School plans to attend WITCC for Nursing.

Applications are available January through March online at www.BurgessHC.org/auxiliary or at the Burgess Health Center front desk and accepted until April 1.

Every day at Burgess Health Center, our emergency crew responds to numerous 911 calls, whether a patient transfer or stand-by at a house fire. They show up ready and willing for what they are about to face. And they did just that, and more recently when a call came that a family was injured in a motor vehicle accident on I-29. Not only did the emergency crew respond, but upon return to the hospital, several departments offered assistance to keep everyone involved in the accident cared for and safe.

“In healthcare, you always hear it is a team sport. Here at Burgess, we talk a lot about our team and how great our team is. Then something like this happens where 16 individuals selflessly focus on a patient, their family, and everything impacting them,” Carl Behne, CEO at Burgess Health Center.

A recognition event was held at Burgess Health Center on Thursday, July 7, honoring those who exemplified incredible teamwork and commitment to three patients involved in the motor vehicle accident.

“Our staff members are all amazing clinicians, but they are also some of the most caring and compassionate staff I have ever worked with,” said Karla Copple, ER Director at Burgess Health Center. “They go above and beyond for all the patients they care for.”

Those honored this morning for their teamwork, collaboration, and unwavering commitment were Patrick Prorok, Sarah Solberg, Kelsey Gray, Steve Gordon, Jon Pinkelman, Elsa Roslansky, Jenny Coble, Brad Prescott, Jessica Renz, Dawn Bonham, Dr. Waseem Alounk, Melissa Allen, Morgan Ridder, Rachel Pinkelman, Duane Renz and Sara Keenan.

“You begin to really understand why the word team is used the way it is. Individually each of them did great things. Collectively they were amazing,” added Behne. “We are very proud of them.”

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Photo: Back left to right: Carl Behne and Rachel Pinkelman

Front left to right: Morgan Ridder (holding Logyn and Lincoln Ridder), Karla Copple, Kelsey Gray, Steve Gordon, Sarah Solberg, Jon Pinkelman, Dr. Waseem Alounk, and Sheriff Jeff Pratt

Not pictured: Patrick Prorok, Elsa Roslansky, Jenny Coble, Brad Prescott, Jessica Renz, Dawn Bonham, Melissa Allen, Duane Renz, and Sara Keenan.

Burgess Health Center is proud to announce the nominations of five Burgess employees for the Burgess Foundation Guardian Angel Award.

Erin Brekke, her father, John Coil, and her sisters Allison Johnson and Tami Coil, want to recognize and thank Corrina Schild, Cindy Vaughn, Steve Gordon and Lynette Dunham by nominating and donating in honor of their beloved mother, Trudy Coil.  These remarkable and caring individuals went above and beyond to care for Trudy, including difficult transitions of care, making sure her daily needs were met, and of course refilling her stash of Diet Coke.

“Trudy looked forward to each and every one of these invested caregivers,” said Brekke. “They were all true angels providing reassurance and comfort for mom. There are so many special people here that have impacted mom or our family in such a positive way over all of these years”.

Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program provides patients, family members, and friends a chance to show their gratitude to a physician, nurse, or another caregiver who has played an exceptional role in their lives. The Guardian Angel received an acknowledgment letter announcing that a donation has been made in their honor and given a custom-crafted lapel pin to wear proudly.

Did a caregiver at Burgess make a memorable difference for you or your family? If so, you can honor that special person in a highly visible way through Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program. It is more than a pin. When you take advantage of our Guardian Angel program, you also help ensure the future of outstanding health care in the region.

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Photo rear, left to right: John Coil, Erin Brekke, Corrina Schild, Cindy Vaughn, Steve Gordon, Carl Behne, CEO, Lynette Dunham, Dr. John Garred, Bobbi Johnson, Foundation Director; front, left to right: Tami Coil and Allison Johnson.

Burgess Health Center is proud to announce the nomination of Jenny Kenney, social worker in the Home Health/Hospice Department, for the Burgess Foundation Guardian Angel Award.

Donna Jacobs, and her husband Ray, want to recognize and thank Jenny by nominating and donating in honor of her beloved mother, Evon Blakely. Jenny went above and beyond to care for Evon, including arranging weekly FaceTime visits so Jacobs could communicate with her mother from her home in Arizona.

“We so looked forward to her weekly visits,” said Jacobs. “Mother would perk up when Jenny arrived, even when mother was not feeling the best. Compassion is essential in this role and Jenny exuded this quality”.

Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program provides patients, family members, and friends a chance to show their gratitude to a physician, nurse, or another caregiver who has played an exceptional role in their lives. The Guardian Angel received an acknowledgment letter announcing that a donation has been made in their honor and given a custom-crafted lapel pin to wear proudly.

Did a caregiver at Burgess make a memorable difference for you or your family? If so, you can honor that special person in a highly visible way through Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program. It is more than a pin. When you take advantage of our Guardian Angel program, you also help ensure the future of outstanding health care in the region.

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Photo: Sherri Johnston-McDowell, Director of Home Health/Hospice, Jenny Kenney, Linda Handke Nepper, Evon’s daughter-in-law, Bobbi Johnson, Foundation Director, and Carl Behne, CEO.

Burgess Health Center is proud to announce the nomination of Grady Warner, Director of Information Technology (IT), for the Burgess Foundation Guardian Angel Award.

Di Lenz, previous staff member in the IT department, wanted to recognize Warner for offering her the best opportunities to grow her career at Burgess.

According to Lenz, Warner, as a manager and coworker, always has his door open. She says Warner puts his team’s needs as top priority and lives our Burgess Mission, Vision, and Values in everything.

“16 years ago, Grady made a difference in my life by taking me, who had very little computer experience at the time, under his wing,” said Lenz. “He took the time to train and educate me in the world of Information Technologies, supported my dream to learn more, and helped me with all the necessary steps to further my career at Burgess.”

Lenz is the new Executive Assistant in the Quality Department at Burgess Health Center.

Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program provides patients, family members, and friends a chance to show their gratitude to a physician, nurse, or another caregiver who has played an exceptional role in their lives. The Guardian Angel received an acknowledgment letter announcing that a donation has been made in their honor and given a custom-crafted lapel pin to wear proudly.

Did a caregiver at Burgess make a memorable difference for you or your family? If so, you can honor that special person in a highly visible way through Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program. It is more than a pin. When you take advantage of our Guardian Angel program, you also help ensure the future of outstanding health care in the region.

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Photo: Di Lenz, Grady Warner, and Bobbi Johnson, Foundation Director.

Burgess Health Center is proud to announce the nomination of Nikki Blume, a nurse in the Home Health/Hospice Department, for the Burgess Foundation Guardian Angel Award.

The children of Nora Parr and their spouses want to recognize Blume for making their mothers’ life easier, knowing she could always depend on her. From the first day until the last of being ‘Mommas’ nurse, from every phone call and text from the family, to every trip to the house, Nikki was there 110%.  She left her home and family at any and all hours, in any kind of weather, to care for her.

Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program provides patients, family members, and friends a chance to show their gratitude to a physician, nurse, or another caregiver who has played an exceptional role in their lives. The Guardian Angel received an acknowledgment letter announcing that a donation has been made in their honor and given a custom-crafted lapel pin to wear proudly.

Did a caregiver at Burgess make a memorable difference for you or your family? If so, you can honor that special person in a highly visible way through Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program. It is more than a pin. When you take advantage of our Guardian Angel program, you also help ensure the future of outstanding health care in the region.

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Photo: (back L to R) Bobbi Johnson, Foundation Director, Sherri Johnston-McDowell, Home Health/Hospice Director, Kevin Parr, and Carl Behne, CEO of Burgess Health Center.
(front L to R) Bonnie Carlson, Nikki Blume, Pam Parr, Kim Bartlett, and Keith Parr.

Burgess Health Center is proud to announce the nomination of Kristen Burd, Director of the Laboratory Department, for the Burgess Foundation Guardian Angel Award.

Elizabeth Cvrk, along with fellow team members, wants to recognize Burd for her hard work over the past year in developing a safe and efficient work environment. They said she anticipates the needs of her department and puts forth great effort in obtaining the best resources the lab needs to be able to perform effectively and accurately. Kristen has worked to establish a standard of accountability, which results in a healthy, consistent workplace.

“Kristen is hard-working, perceptive, strives to be fair, loves to laugh, compassionate, intellectual, and a protector,” said Cvrk. “We are thankful for her.”

Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program provides patients, family members, and friends a chance to show their gratitude to a physician, nurse, or another caregiver who has played an exceptional role in their lives. The Guardian Angel received an acknowledgment letter announcing that a donation has been made in their honor and given a custom-crafted lapel pin to wear proudly.

Did a caregiver at Burgess make a memorable difference for you or your family? If so, you can honor that special person in a highly visible way through Burgess Foundation’s Guardian Angel program. It is more than a pin. When you take advantage of our Guardian Angel program, you also help ensure the future of outstanding health care in the region.

Photo: (back L to R), Judy Meadows, Teresa Butler, Carl Behne, and Bobbi Johnson. (front L to R) Amy Everhart, Elizabeth Cvrk, Kristen Burd, and Kara Archer.