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On March 15, 2022 the Monona County Board of Supervisors signed a proclamation proclaiming April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month in Monona County and urge all citizens to recognize this month by dedicating ourselves to the tasks of improving the quality of life for all children and families.

Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect and promotes the social and emotional well-being of children and families. April is a time to help people understand that safe, stable and nurturing relationships and environments are necessary to ensure that children grow up happy and healthy. We all play a role in supporting the well-being of others during this time.

Throughout CAP month, Prevent Child Abuse America and Monona County Child Abuse Prevention Council are using a community garden metaphor to reinforce the message that “Every day, we help families and children thrive.”  Children and families are our greatest natural resource.  We all have a stake in preparing children to grow up to be healthy and thriving members of our community.  The best time to plant seeds of support for all children is now.  Every season presents a new opportunity to promote a young person’s physical, emotional, and social development.  Adversity is not destiny.

You can show support for promoting positive childhood experiences and preventing adversity by wearing blue on APRIL 1st.  We ask that you post a picture on social media with the hashtag #WearBlueDay2022.  The council will also be distributing pinwheel flower pots to Monona County businesses.  They will serve as a visual reminder of the world we want-for all children to grow up happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed.  Please email dlahr@burgesshc.org or call 712-423-9175 if you would like a pinwheel flower pot in your business.

The Monona County Child Abuse Prevention Council meets regularly to ensure that EVERY CHILD has a safe childhood free of violence. The Council is actively seeking members. For information on how to be involved or if you or a friend would like to learn how to participate in educational early childhood home visits that will help your child’s growth and development, please contact Burgess Public Health at 712-423-9175.  Our Learning for Life Program is a free home visiting program for families with children prenatal through kindergarten entry. The Learning for Life Program is funded by grants from the Harrison, Monona and Shelby Early Childhood Iowa Board, Iowa Child Abuse Prevention Program grant funding and the Monona County Board of Supervisors.

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.

The West Monona Middle School Student Council put together a giving tree where employees and students were able to donate items to provide to families that are involved in the Learning for Life Program. This was a great way to give a little extra to the families who wished to participate. A special Thank You to Stephanie Fredrickson for thinking of our program and getting this organized!

The Learning for Life program also offered a safe and virtual way to talk with Santa on December 16, 2021. The children were able to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas and Santa read a book with them. There were five families in attendance with 10 children.

Learning for Life is a free home visiting program for families with children prenatal through age 5, or kindergarten entry. Through educational activities and helpful information, this program focuses on your child’s growth and development to create an eager learner that’s ready for school. If you’re interested in joining our program, please contact Burgess Health Center’s Public Health, Learning for Life Program, at 712-423-9253. Sara Keenan or Kaylee Kirkpatrick would be happy to talk to you about this exciting and beneficial program available in Monona County!

The Learning for Life Program is funded by grants from the Harrison, Monona and Shelby Early Childhood Iowa Board and the Harrison, Monona and Shelby Decategorization Board and ICAPP grant funding.

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Pictured from left to right: Georgia Jones, Chloe Broer, Brooklynn Hupke, Stephanie Fredrickson, Riley Needd, Drew Bryan, Parker LaBrie, and Breckin Anderson.

The recent Poinsettia Online Ball was a huge success – raising over $103,000 to go toward the purchase of a new ambulance for the Burgess Emergency Department. The ambulance service responds to 911 calls, transfers patients to other facilities, and assists with stand-by’s for fire calls – covering a total of 700 square miles! This new model will replace the older ambulance, which has nearly 190,000 miles.

Hosted by the Burgess Foundation and held virtually, December 6-11, 2021, the Poinsettia Online Ball attracted 142 registered bidders who enjoyed friendly competition, outbidding one another until the last minute on unique packages and items donated by local businesses, community members, and Burgess staff/departments.

“I am truly honored to have the opportunity to be a part of this organization. The Burgess Foundation has really developed its vision and is building momentum for the future,” said Bobbi Johnson, Foundation Director. “I look forward to being a part of the effort to bring the Foundation to the next level, making a positive difference for even more people in the communities we serve.”

The Burgess Foundation Board of Directors would like to extend a sincere thank you to each and every one of the donors, local business owners, corporate donors as well as everyone who has supported this year’s Poinsettia Online Ball.

Photo: Bobbi Johnson, Director of Burgess Foundation

In late October, Bomgaars held a night of festive fun and shopping for ladies to raise awareness of women’s health issues and pass along a 20% discount on purchased items. A donation of the evening’s total sales was pledged back to the radiology department at Burgess Health Center.

“We are grateful to have the support from our local Bomgaars store and the ladies that came out to enjoy the discounts,” Jenny Coble, Director of Radiology Department, stated. “Our communities rally when it’s for a good cause, and in this case, cancer screening and women’s health.”

The donation of $711.58 is earmarked to support mammography services at Burgess Health Center. Breast cancer cannot be prevented; however, Burgess Health Center continues to provide and invest in the latest technologies, education, and support services for early detection.

Burgess Health Center will be closing the Dunlap market at the end of February 2022, including the Burgess Family Clinic and Burgess Family Pharmacy, and Burgess Rehab Services. The closure comes with a very heavy heart and was a very difficult decision made by the Burgess Health Center board.

Over the past few years, the Burgess Health Center leadership has been monitoring the financial performance, patient volumes and decreasing insurance reimbursement from the Dunlap services. These factors, in addition to the need for building improvements, contributed to the decision to discontinue services.

“This decision is no reflection upon the quality of care delivered to our patients by our providers, nurses, and team,” stated Carl Behne, CEO of Burgess Health Center. “We are making decisions that will strengthen our organization, enable us to better serve patients in the future, and allow us to continue to provide quality care for our communities.”

Patients will receive a notice regarding these closures and explain how we can assist patients with transitioning their care to other Burgess locations or other local providers.

“We will continue to look to support care delivery in the Burgess Health Center and clinic network,” adds Behne. “We will also assist patients who choose to transition their care to other local providers. Ultimately, this is a patient preference and choice, and we hope they will want to continue to use the services provided by Burgess.”

 

Join us for a Diabetes Meet and Greet Tuesday, November 23 at the Dunlap Public Library from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. as we celebrate National Diabetes Month.  Our Burgess Diabetes Care and Education Specialist will be on site to take your diabetes care questions.

Learn more about the Burgess Diabetes Center Telehealth program for patients with diabetes. Telehealth visits can be done at the Dunlap Library or Burgess Physical Therapy office in Dunlap.

The event is open to the community. Come participate and receive a free blood sugar screening, giveaways, and learn more about our new Telehealth services offered through Burgess.

“Our hope with the telehealth option is to make it easier for persons with diabetes to talk with a diabetes educator without the added expense and hassle of travel,” said Sue McLaughlin, Diabetes Care and Education Specialist at Burgess. “This will help give the support and information to care for your diabetes.”

For more information, please contact the Dunlap Public Library at 712-643-5311.

The Burgess Foundation is honored to announce that another Gift of Grain donation has been made.  This is a great investment towards Burgess’ future in helping to provide exceptional patient care.

Burgess Health Center is a proud supporter of our community and our agricultural producers who we rely on to help keep our small towns thriving. We want to make our agricultural leaders aware of the benefits not just on donating to the Burgess Foundation, but simple ways they can make a lasting difference.

Doug and Jeanne Nelsen of Soldier, IA have donated the very generous Gift of Grain. After Doug suffered a heart attack in 2014, emergency services have been a vital part of their lives. When the Nelsen family heard that funds being raised for the Poinsettia Ball would be going towards an updated ambulance, they jumped on the opportunity to donate.

“We saw this as the perfect way we could donate and show our appreciation.  An updated ambulance can make the difference in a life or death situation,” said Jeanne Nelsen. “Especially when you need that ambulance ride to save your life!”

Donating grain is an easy way to save on your taxes while investing in the future of Burgess at the same time.  This can be done by providing a part of what you have grown into the Burgess Foundation.  A Foundation that gives back to your own community by investing in updated medical technology, equipment, and resources that help to keep Burgess providing the best patient care possible.

The Benefits on Donating Grain

If the farmer chooses to donate grain, the farmer can then exclude the grain sale from income. Which can result in saving on your taxes. Here are some examples on how much you can save.

• State income tax savings (up to 8.98% in Iowa)
• Self-employment tax savings (15.3%)
• Federal Tax income savings (up to 37%)

How can you donate?

The best way to start is contacting Bobbi Johnson, Burgess Foundation Director, at (712) 423-9374.

Keep a copy for your records. (This should be unsold crop with no prior sale commitment.)

Transfer the grain as a gift to the Burgess Foundation.  Your elevator can send a warehouse storage receipt to the Foundation. The grain should be put in the name of the Burgess Foundation.

The Burgess Foundation will then sell the grain and receive the proceeds.

Please consider consulting with a tax professional before donating to make sure this is the right choice for you. Remember, no gift is too small.

The Learning for Life Program, offered by Burgess Public Health, held a group meeting on October 21, 2021. There were five families who attended virtually and several other families that sent in pictures of their painted pumpkins. Bomgaars of Onawa, IA provided pumpkins at a discounted rate and the Learning for Life staff delivered the pumpkins to each family with materials to decorate them. Parents had the opportunity to paint with their children and the children were able to show off their Halloween costumes!

If you or a friend would like to know how to enjoy group meetings, such as this, and to learn how to participate in educational home visits that will help your child’s growth and development, please contact Burgess Health Center Public Health’s Learning for Life Program, at 712-420-0054. Sara Keenan or Kaylee Kirkpatrick would be happy to talk to you about this exciting and beneficial program available in Monona County! Learning for Life is a free home visiting program for families with children under five years of age and expectant mothers. The Learning for Life program is funded by grants and support from the Harrison, Monona, and Shelby Early Childhood Iowa Board, Monona County Board of Supervisors and the Iowa Child Abuse Prevention Program.

To learn more about Public Health visit www.burgesshc.org/services/public-health/ or 712.423.9175.