News

Burgess Health Center is proud to display the drawings of Onawa native, Kim Johnston, on the art gallery wall near inpatient services. Eight pieces of Johnston’s collection will be on display for the next few months.

Johnston, who was raised in Onawa, Iowa, graduated from Central High School in 1962.  He recalls falling in love with drawing as early as the first grade. Even having his first published piece of art in the High School Album.

In 1976, while in the Air Force, Johnston was selected among hundreds of other military artists to create a piece of work about important events in military history.

Now, retired and living in Ardmore, Texas, with wife Becky, he finds his most creative times to be in the middle of the night until dawn. He uses Prismacolor pencils, graphite, electric and kneaded erasers, and has been known to use up to 15 different colors in one drawing. An average piece takes about 21 hours to complete, dependent on his golf schedule.

“It is an absolute privilege to exhibit these stunning works of art,” exclaimed Carl Behne, CEO of Burgess Health Center. “Not only do they dress up our hallway, but they offer our patients and staff a moment to pause, reflect and appreciate each piece.”

For more information about the works on display, please call 712.423.2311. As a result of the hospital safety precautions because of COVID, the art gallery is only available for viewing for staff, patients, and their designated visitors at this time.

Pictured: Kim Johnston in front of “Black Hills Bison”.

The Diabetes Department at Burgess Health Center offers a new telehealth support program for patients with type 2 diabetes and limited access to specialty care and self-management programs. The Dunlap library and the Burgess Family Clinic in Dunlap are providing access and support to telehealth visits on site.

“Our hope with this new 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.”

Telehealth programs offer an opportunity for providers to improve access to care for underserved populations, boosting care management plans that will enhance outcomes and reduce costs. They can also be a critical piece of Diabetes Prevention Programs, which help those at risk of developing type 2 diabetes through counseling and health and wellness education.

For more information, please call 712.423.9268 and speak to one of our Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialists.

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 Foundation held two successful golf tournaments on June 11 and 12, and it was all thanks to our supporters and volunteers. We hope you had a great time and enjoyed golfing, the steak sandwich meal, putting contest, pin prizes, and camaraderie. We exceeded our goal by raising nearly $33,000. Burgess Rehabilitation Services in Onawa, Mapleton, and Dunlap will be receiving new physical therapy equipment with the money raised.

Congratulations to our golf tournament winners!

Mapleton Tournament

Champion Flight
1st: Team Lander – 54
2nd: Hoffman Agency – 55
3rd: US Bank – 56

First Flight
1st: Graham Construction – 61
2nd: Ramm Farms – 62

Second Flight
1st: Security National Bank/Shrunk –  66
2nd: 6 Mile Pursuit – 69

Putting Contest Winner: Tom Thompson

Onawa Tournament

Champion Flight
1st: Team Miller – 51
2nd: Spring Valley Ag – 51
3rd: Frannie’s Café – 54

First Flight
1st: WinnaVegas Casino & Resort – 59
2nd: WinnaVegas Casino & Resort – 61

Second Flight
1st: CMBA Architects – 69
2nd: Dr. Peter & Jennifer Daher – 69

Putting Contest Winner: Josh Lander

Tournament Sponsors
Burgess Auxiliary, CMBA Architects, Dr. Peter & Jennifer Daher, Family Medicine Clinic, Graham Construction Company, Monty & LaRae McKinven, Shawn Gosch Memorial, Great Southern Bank, WinnaVegas Casino & Resort

Team Sponsors
6 Mile Pursuit, AgriVision, Bayer Crop Science, Broadway Dental, Continental Fire, Denison Drywall, Echo Group Inc., Edward Jones: Brandon Madison, Fister Farms, Frannie’s Café, Friends Divided, In the Stands Apparel, Interstate Mechanical Corp., Lander Farms, MAC’s Chevrolet, Inc., Maple Heights, Morton Buildings, Ramm Farms, RBC Wealth Management, Security National Bank, Specialized Engineering Solutions, Spring Valley Ag, Stangel Pharmacy, Team Lander, Team Miller, The Hoffman Agency, US Bank, Vision Care Clinic, PC, Grady & Stacy Warner, Westendorf MFG Co Inc., and WinnaVegas Casino & Resort

Meal Sponsors
Fran & Mary Tramp – Breakfast, Williams & Company – Lunch

19th Hole Sponsor
Shawn Gosch Memorial

Thanks to the generous donation from the Burgess Auxiliary, the Burgess Family Clinics in Dunlap, Mapleton, Sloan, Whiting, and the Specialty Clinic at Burgess Health Center, each received one new exam bed per location. The new Ritter 224 exam bed design offers low and high positioning heights to provide the best care to all patients, whether treating the elderly, expectant mothers, or patients with disabilities.

Photo: (back L to R) Mary Tramp and Brenda Howland, (middle L to R) Elaine Eisele, Stacie Mumphrey, Lou Hewitt, Rhonda Willey, (front L to R) Cheryl Warner, Beth Kirby, and Michele Waples. Not pictured: Teresa Butler, Jessica Hupke, Aimee Kepner, Mona Pithan, and Patty Sandmann.

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 2021 recipients are Cameron Brenner of Mapleton, IA, Claire Gross of Earling, IA, Sarah Lantz of Moorhead, IA, Halle Murray of Onawa, IA, and Shelby Skinner of Sloan, IA.

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.

Burgess Health Center has hired John Wilker, MBA, FHFMA, FACHE, as Vice President of Finance. In joining the Burgess leadership team, John brings nearly 40 years of CFO experience including, for-profit, not-for-profit, and government-owned hospitals and health systems in Utah, Arizona, California, Idaho, and in his current position in Nebraska. He has been Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk, NE, since 2012.

“We are delighted to welcome John to the Burgess team,” said Carl Behne, Chief Executive Officer at Burgess Health Center. “With his years of executive experience, as well as his expertise leading strategic initiatives in many dynamic environments, John will be a strong partner to me and the rest of our team. I’d like to thank Fran Tramp for his exceptional contributions and leadership as our interim CFO. Fran will partner with John in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition and create value in our organization.”

During his years as VP of Finance and CFO, Wilker led revenue cycle improvements, completed refinancing of long-term debt with a savings of $13.5 million, completed a new Medical Office Building for $44 million, and successful implementation of healthcare business operations software, to name a few.

Wilker and his wife Elaine have four children and six grandchildren and currently reside in Norfolk, NE. He enjoys camping, music, woodworking, reading, bicycling, motorcycles, reading Italian, and learning Spanish. He and Elaine look forward to finding a home in the near future in or around Onawa. Wilker 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.

Mr. Wilker will start his new role on June 1.

 

The Diabetes Department at Burgess Health Center received $3,850 from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) to deliver a Diabetes Self-Management Education/Support Program to healthcare providers.  This program delivers education and telehealth tools to update providers on current diabetes standards, continuous glucose monitoring, and resources for patient education.

“With this grant, we can purchase equipment that will make telehealth visits easier to access for our patients and provide support for those without computers or smart devices,” said Sue McLaughlin, Diabetes Care, and Education Specialist at Burgess.

The Burgess Family Clinics and Family Medicine Clinic providers and staff will receive education. Also, the Diabetes Department will partner with the Dunlap library and the Burgess Family Clinic in Dunlap to provide access and support to telehealth visits on site.

The Iowa Department of Management and Public Health is pleased to announce that the Learning for Life program of Monona County has earned the Iowa Family Support Credential.  The Iowa Family Support Credential is awarded to family support and parent education programs that are validated through an external evaluation to be in substantial adherence to the Iowa Family Support Standards.

The Iowa Family Support Standards are based on the most up-to-date, evidence-based practice in the family support field.  Adherence to the standards indicates that the program is providing high-quality services that will result in positive outcomes for young children and their families.  The Learning for Life program diligently worked toward meeting all of the required standards over the course of more than two years with the assistance of a program specialist.  A peer review was conducted by trained peers from central Iowa to validate the program’s adherence to the standards.  The Iowa Family Support Credential is valid for five years.

For additional information concerning the Learning for Life, Burgess Public Health at Burgess Health Center, Monona County contact:

Adam Hadden
Learning for Life
Burgess Public Health at Burgess Health Center
1600 Diamond Street
Onawa, IA 51040
712-423-9153
ahadden@burgesshc.org

 

For additional information concerning the Iowa Family Support Credential contact:

Janet Horras, State Home Visitation Program Director
Iowa Department of Public Health
Janet.Horras@idph.iowa.gov
515-954-0647