News

Burgess Health Center today announced that its board of directors hired Carl Behne, FACHE, as chief executive officer. Behne will be responsible for the 25-bed critical access hospital in Onawa, five Burgess Family Clinics serving the communities of Dunlap, Sloan, Whiting, and Mapleton in Iowa as well as Decatur, Neb., and two retail family pharmacies in Dunlap and Whiting.

Burgess Health Center board chairman, Keith Schrunk, said Mr. Behne will start his new role September 21, succeeding current CEO Fran Tramp. Tramp will fill in as Chief Financial Officer until a new hire is appointed. Tramp is currently filling both the CEO and CFO positions at Burgess.

“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Carl’s caliber and experience step up to lead Burgess,” said Schrunk. “We are at a critical moment in healthcare, and with renewed leadership, we look forward to successfully continuing to improve the quality of life for the people and communities we serve by providing excellent healthcare and exceptional patient experiences.”

During his eight-year tenure as CEO at Green County Medical Center in Jefferson, Iowa, Behne was named 2013 Iowa Hospital Association Young Executive of the Year, steered culture improvement which led to being named one of Iowa’s Best 150 Places to Work in 2015,’16 and ’17, oversaw the construction of a $22.5 million expansion and renovation that improved access to emergency care, developed and led the philanthropic achievement of a $4 million capital campaign goal, to name a few.

“I am excited to lead a strong, independent, and forward-thinking organization such as Burgess,” said Behne. “Now more than ever healthcare organizations need to be willing to adapt and change rapidly to the needs of our consumers and the external environment. Burgess is uniquely positioned to do both and I am ready to be the next leader to support driving the change.”

“I can think of no one better to push Burgess to another level in healthcare,” adds Schrunk. “Carl is an engaging leader with proven qualifications in strategic planning, physician recruitment, master planning, community relations, and patient experience. We look forward to welcoming him to the Burgess team.”

Behne and his wife Allison have been married for over 21 years and currently live in Jefferson, IA.

Their daughter Samantha, 19, is studying early childhood education at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Their son Nathan is a freshman in high school and keeps them moving with all his weekend AAU activities.

Behne enjoys spending time with family, golfing, bow hunting, and anything outdoors. He is hoping to relocate early this fall. He and Allison look forward to building a home in the future in or around Onawa. Behne is extremely excited to meet the team at Burgess and hear about the great things we have going on and our shared vision for the future.

Buress Public Health today announced the first death associated with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the county. The individual was a male, age 41-60.

“We wish to extend our sympathy to this individual’s family,” said Burgess Public Health Director, Erin Brekke. “Burgess Public Health and all of our key partners throughout the county and state continue to work to limit the spread and impact of this virus in our communities.”

All residents should:

• Wear a mask and social distance when out in the community
• Stay home as much as possible. Leave only for essential errands like groceries or getting medication. When you run errands, send only one person from the household, if possible.
• Stay home when even mildly ill (the kind of illness that normally wouldn’t prevent you from your everyday activities)
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow/upper arm.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/ website.

Burgess Health Center is proud to announce the nominations of eight Home Health and Hospice team members for the Burgess Foundation Guardian Angel Award.

Frank Archer, of Moorhead, IA, wanted to recognize and thank the exceptional caregivers by nominating and donating in honor of his late wife, Carolyn. These caregivers went above and beyond to care for Carolyn and her family.

Guardian Angels:

Jenny Kenney
Brenda Hinrickson
Corrina Schild
Melissa Gaukel
Tina Bernholtz
Missy Koenigs
Stacy McMinamen
Sandy Beechy

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, rather Angels in this unique case, 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.

Visit www.BurgessHC.org/about/foundation/guardian-angel/ or call 712-423-9374 to make your nomination(s).

Photo: (left to right) Corrina Schild, Bart McDowell, Foundation Director, Frank Archer, Jenny Kenney, Sandy Beechy, and Sherri Johnston-McDowell, Director of Home Health and Hospice. (Not pictured: Brenda Hinrickson, Melissa Gaukel, Tina Bernholtz, Missy Koenigs, and Stacy McMinamen)

Burgess Health Center would like to remind patients and visitors that restrictions for visitors continue. We understand that limiting visitors may be difficult for our patients and families. Our top priority is to protect the health and safety of our patients.

• No visitors under the age of 18 will be allowed to enter.
• Obstetric patients may have two (2) visitors.
• Two (2) visitors may be allowed for an in-patient.
• Only one visitor for a pediatric patient will be allowed in the emergency department.
• Pediatric surgical patients in recovery may have one visitor.
• Patients with disabilities may have a designated support person accompany.
• For an unfortunate end-of-life situation, two (2) visitors will be allowed.
• Visitors are not allowed to accompany patients in congregate care settings such as infusion.

Burgess Health Center is asking patients and visitors to bring and wear a mask to be worn at all times when entering Burgess facilities including the hospital, family clinics, and pharmacies.

We encourage family and friends of our patients to consider using phone calls or video chats on personal phones or mobile devices to communicate. Burgess Health Center does provide complimentary Wi-Fi.

Thank you for your consideration and for helping us keep our communities safe.

Thanks to generous gifts from 8 area families and Monona County Community Partners Foundation, an affiliate of the Siouxland Community Foundation, the Burgess Foundation was able to purchase a LUCAS Device for the Burgess Health Center Emergency Department.

A LUCAS Device is a chest compression system that helps patients that are in cardiac arrest. The device provides CPR delivery to a patient with more consistent quality depth and rate with fewer interruptions. It also can provide greater blood flow to the brain and heart with a higher chance of the return of spontaneous circulation.

“We are incredibly grateful to the generous donors and the Monona County Community Partners Foundation for their efforts in getting us this equipment,” said Karla Copple, Director of the Emergency Department at Burgess Health Center. “Being able to have an additional LUCAS device will provide a great benefit to our surrounding communities and enable us to provide better care for our patients in cardiac arrest.”

The Emergency Department currently has one LUCAS device. Having this additional device on hand in emergent situations is vital to the health of patients at Burgess Health Center and also in the ambulance.

“When the Foundation heard of the need for a second device, there was no question that we would raise the funds,” said Bart McDowell, Foundation Director. “We want our patients and our staff to have the best possible outcomes with the best tools available.”

Photo: Kelsey Gray, Emergency Department nurse, showcasing the LUCAS device.

Burgess Health Center is proud to announce the Hospice Department has been named a SHPBest 2019 Hospice Caregiver Satisfaction Premier Award Winner.  Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) is the leading performance improvement software that uses automated, real-time data analytics and benchmarking reports to provide actionable performance metrics that drive daily decisions.

In its fourth year, the annual SHPBest™ award program (#SHPBest) was created to recognize home health and hospice providers that consistently provide outstanding performance in patient and caregiver satisfaction. With well over 6,500 combined HHCAHPS and CAHPS Hospice locations on service, SHP is in a unique position to identify and acknowledge organizations that have prioritized high-quality service and have been rewarded for their efforts with exemplary survey scores.

According to Fran Tramp, Burgess President, the award represents an important recognition for measuring, understanding, and improving the patient experience.

“Burgess employees from all departments go above and beyond when it comes to patient care,” said Tramp. “We are especially proud of our teams in Home Health and Hospice for earning this distinction and level of commitment.”

Photo: (left to right) Sherri Johnston-McDowell, Rose Cummins, Samantha Burgess, Corrina Schild, Erin Erickson, Missy Koenigs, Kathy North, and Cindy Kuhlmann. Not pictured was Jenny Kenney and Brenda Hinrickson.

Sara Gibler, Staff Development Coordinator at Burgess Health Center, recently earned her certification as an Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR). The certification, awarded by the HR Certification Institute, signifies that Gibler possesses the foundational knowledge of human resources.

“Certification as a human resource professional clearly demonstrates a commitment to learn and grow in the human resource profession,” said Erin Brekke, Director of Human Resources at Burgess Health Center.

To become certified, an applicant must pass a comprehensive examination and demonstrate a strong knowledge for foundational human resources. The aPHR certification is valid for three years, and the individual must earn 45 recertification credits over three years to maintain the credential.

The HR Institute is a respected credentialing body for human resource professionals.

Burgess Health Center announced today that President and CEO Fran Tramp is retiring after 27 years. He will remain in his leadership role until the end of the year as the Burgess Health Center Board seeks a successor.

“The Board is thankful for Fran’s many years of service and leadership,” said board president Jim Westergaard. “We understand and support his decision to step down and are grateful for his many accomplishments. We wish him and his family the very best.”

“It has been a privilege to work with such caring and dedicated teams of professionals at Burgess Health Center,” said Tramp. “This region deserves the best possible health and wellness services, and Burgess is committed to making that happen.”

“With our engaged colleagues and industry-leading technology and services, we are well-positioned to meet the growing needs of our patients and communities,” said Westergaard. “We remain focused on driving growth with a continued emphasis on patient experience.”

“Fran is leaving Burgess with an extensive list of accomplishments,” said Terry Framke, a long-time former board member. “During his tenure, he has led significant changes to improve operations, such as an $8 million building renovation to drive future growth. He has been a tremendous asset to Burgess Health Center, and we are grateful for his many contributions. We wish him the very best.”

Tramp joined Burgess Health Center as the Chief Financial and Operating Officer in 1993, before his promotion to President and CEO in 1998.  Under his leadership, Burgess introduced primary care clinics in our outlying communities of Dunlap, Mapleton, Sloan, Whiting in Iowa, and Decatur, Nebraska.

Tramp understood the need for access to specialty services provided by orthopedics, endocrinology, general surgery, and dozens of visiting specialty providers, and led the expansion of Burgess’s role in mental health services.

“Burgess is in a superior position, thanks to Fran and his team. Moving forward, I have every confidence in our senior team, providers, and staff to continue our journey to be the best rural healthcare system in America,” said Framke.

Fran and wife Mary plan to remain in the community.

Burgess Health Center kicked off this year’s National Hospital Week theme of “A Week of Thanks” with snacks, surprises, and prizes for all employees on Monday morning, May 11. Now more than ever, we need to thank all of the dedicated individuals — physicians, nurses, therapists, plant operations, food service workers, volunteers, managers, and so many more — for their contributions during this fight against COVID-19.

A hospital is more than a place where people go to heal; it is a part of the community that fosters health and represents hope. From providing treatment and comfort to the sick, to welcoming a new life into the world, hospitals are central to a healthy and optimistic community.

“National Hospital Week, first and foremost, is a celebration of people,” Fran Tramp, president of Burgess Health Center said. “We’re extremely proud of each member of our staff, and we recognize the important role they play in extending a sense of trust to our patients and our communities in this time of uncertainty.”

The nation’s largest health care event, National Hospital Week, dates back to 1921 when a magazine editor who hoped a community-wide celebration would alleviate public fears about hospitals suggested it. The celebration, launched in Chicago, succeeded in promoting trust and goodwill among members of the public and eventually spread to facilities across the country.