News

Burgess Health Center is proud to announce that Hannah Archer recently earned the credential of Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) after successfully completing a rigorous national exam. This license is critical to providing patients with the highest quality of care.

Archer worked in registration at Burgess Health Center before making the decision to continue her education to become an LPN. This fall, Archer plans to continue improving and validating her knowledge and skills by enrolling to become a Registered Nurse (RN) at Western Iowa Tech Community College.

“We are so proud of Hannah,” said Tami LeFebvre, Specialty Clinic Supervisor at Burgess. “She dedicated herself, and in the end, Burgess patients are the ones who will benefit the most.”

 

Photo: Hannah Archer, LPN

 

Burgess Health Center now offers a telemental health services in order to meet an urgent need for psychiatric and substance abuse cases in the emergency department. This service will provide more timely access to mental health evaluations in a rural hospital setting.

“We’ve been facing an increase in mental health and substance abuse cases coming through our emergency room doors,” said Karla Copple, Director of Emergency Services at Burgess. “This option will give our physicians and nurses’ real-time support, not to mention increasing quality of care and decreasing costs for our patients.”

Patients that arrive with psychiatric and substance abuse often face long wait times to be evaluated by a trained mental health provider. Some patients may also be discharged from the hospital before receiving an evaluation or roomed in a hospital bed for observation, reducing the quality of care and increasing costs with repeated visits.

Photo: Karla Copple, Director of Emergency Services

 

Burgess Home Health/Hospice certified two new volunteers, Beth Kirby and Harold Remmenga, through hospice training, bringing the total number of volunteers for this outreach program to 14. These volunteers serve patients and their families as far north as Sergeant Bluff, as far south as Modale, as far east as Dunlap, and anywhere in between.

Hospice volunteers go into patient homes, nursing homes, and the hospital to visit patients. They may run errands, help around the house, take the patient for a ride, or provide respite for the family members. Hospice volunteers are great support for the patient and the patient’s family.

“We would not be able to provide hospice service to our patients if we did not have wonderfully caring volunteers,” said Jenny Kenney of Burgess Home Health/Hospice. “We are truly blessed to have this great group of volunteers working with our patients and their families. Our volunteers are a special group of people, they are caring and compassionate.”

Photo: Beth Kirby and Harold Remmenga

Terry Framke, Vice President of the Burgess Health Center Board of Directors, retired in May after 29 years of service.  During her tenure, she has also served as a Burgess Foundation board member, which she will retire from in June.

“We thank Terry for her 29 years of dedicated service to our board of directors, including her years on the Burgess Foundation Board,” Fran Tramp, President of Burgess Health Center exclaimed. “We appreciate her leadership and commitment to our organization, and we are grateful for her many contributions to Burgess’s success. We wish her all the best.”

Framke was present through the navigation of numerous healthcare legislation changes, hospital and service line expansions, and a facility name change, just to name a few. She also fully supported the Foundation Board and their goal of donating $1 million dollars for the purchase of new equipment at Burgess Health Center over the last 5 years.

“I want to express my deep appreciation for the opportunity to work with and benefit from so many talented and dedicated colleagues,” said Framke. “My board position has also allowed me to engage with many of the most impressive community leaders and members and I thank them for allowing me to help support the goals and priorities of the organization.”

Pictured: Jim Westergaard, president of the Board of Directors; Terry Framke, retiring/outgoing Board member; Fran Tramp, president of Burgess Health Center.

The Burgess Whiting Pharmacy is pleased to announce employee Sara Utterback successfully challenged the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam in April 2019.  Sara is joining a group of health care certificate holders that is nearly 700,000 strong nationally.

PTCB certification is not a given, as evidenced by an exam pass rate of less than 60%.  Sara has been receiving on-the-job training in the Pharmacy Department for the past six months, as well as taking the time to study the various areas that are tested on her own time.  Her dedication to improving her skills is undoubtedly deserving of commendation.

“Becoming certified is a major accomplishment and we honor Sara’s commitment and hard work,” said Sandy Rose, Pharmacy Director at Whiting Pharmacy. “She has now equipped herself with additional expertise and has become an invaluable asset to our organization.”

Pictured: Sara Utterback, Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)

Onawa, IA – Cindy Vaughn, Burgess Health Center nurse, was 1 of 5 Siouxland area nurses honored with The Heart of Health Care awards event, presented by CNOS on May 9, 2019. This was the first year the event was held to honor and celebrate nurses in Siouxland who have made an impact on patients and their families and friends.

“I am so honored and humbled by this award,” said Vaughn. “It means so much to me that my patients recognize how much I care for them.”

Vaughn has been a nurse for 39 years and currently works at Burgess Health Center. She said the simple fact of making a difference in someone’s life is the rewarding part of her job.

“My reward comes from the relationships that are built with the patients I care for,” she said. “We don’t just meet the patient’s physical needs, there is also their emotional wellbeing.”

Sioux City Journal and CNOS partnered up to honor “outstanding nurses” in Siouxland. Nominations were submitted and then voters determined the outcome for the best nurse. Eligible candidates included nurses in area hospitals, clinics, schools or retirement communities.

The Burgess Health Center Pharmacy Department is pleased to announce employee Brooke Mills successfully challenged the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam in early April 2019.  Brooke is joining a group of health care certificate holders that is nearly 700,000 strong nationally.

PTCB certification is not a given, as evidenced by an exam pass rate of less than 60%.  Brooke has been receiving on-the-job training in the Pharmacy Department for the past nine months, as well as taking the time to study the various areas that are tested on her own time.  Her dedication to improving her skills is undoubtedly deserving of commendation.

“We are so proud of Brooke, who dedicated herself to becoming certified,” said Mark Harris, Pharmacy Director at Burgess. “In the end, our organization and patients are the ones who will benefit the most.”

We are excited to announce, “Fashion for All Ages” fashion show!  Enjoy an afternoon of fun and fashion as models ages nine months to 90 years young strut their stuff down the catwalk, Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m. at the Onawa Community Center.

Dress Diva of Onawa and Graceful Boutique of Mapleton are providing their unique styles and accessories for a fun-filled fashion extravaganza!

“We wanted to kick off a new fundraiser, and what better way than to showcase new outfits for spring in a fun setting,” LaRae McKinven, committee person and Foundation Board member exclaimed. “And it was quite easy, as we have two very successful boutiques in our communities.”

Tickets are $15 and available at Dress Diva, Graceful Boutique, Burgess Gift Shop, and at the door the day of show.  Refreshments and snacks will be available.

Attendees will have a chance at a raffle prize, a stunning pair of diamond earrings paired with a tennis bracelet from Gunderson’s Jewelry, valued at $500. Tickets available day of the show, 1 for $5 or 3 for $10. Door prizes will be available too.

Proceeds from the event will go toward the purchase of new wheelchairs at Burgess Health Center.

For more details, email Foundation@BurgessHC.org or call 712-423-9374. Follow the Foundation Facebook page for more information: Facebook.com/BurgessFoundation.

 

In early December, Burgess Foundation and Burgess People Care teamed up with the West Monona High School Family Career and Community Leaders of America class (FCCLA) to provide 30 hand-made fleece blankets for the children that are seen in the Burgess Health Center Emergency Room.

Karla Copple, Director of Emergency Services at Burgess Health Center, accepted the blankets from the students. Copple and the ER staff are now ready to provide additional comfort to children entering the ER.

“We were excited to hear of this project and what it would mean to our younger patients,” said Copple. “The children that come in with injuries or sickness are already scared. With this donation, we are able to provide them with a comfort item they will be able to take home after discharge.”

The cost of the fabric was approximately $1,000 but is priceless according to Burgess People Care member, Janie Schlitter.

“We are glad that we could help fund a service project like this,” said Schlitter. “It not only comforts the children in our ER, but it also provided the students a chance to give back to the community.”

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PHOTO front row from left to right: Abby Wessel, Emma Black, Amber Disney. Middle row: Laura Heisterkamp, Morgan Warner, Ally Darwin, Maggie Lage, Joanna Koenig, Kloie Lester, Skyla McClure. Back row: Kelsey Gray, Janie Schlitter, Lori Jensen, Averie DeBartolo, Jayleigh Anderson, Devyn Beck, Tasha Miller, and Karla Copple, Director of Emergency Services.

 

About Burgess Foundation:
Burgess Foundation is committed to seeking community partners whose time, talent and treasures ensure the future of Burgess Health Center.

About Burgess People Care:
Burgess People Care is a long-time employee committee of Burgess Health Center that raises funds to support community drives, events and fellow employees.

About Burgess Health Center:
Burgess Health Center, located in Onawa, IA, is a rural acute care hospital that is accredited by the State of Iowa, and also has family clinics that serve the communities of Dunlap, Sloan, and Mapleton, IA as well as Decatur, NE. The staff is committed to improving the quality of life for the people and communities served, by providing excellent healthcare and exceptional patient experiences.