News

Burgess Foundation recently held two very successful golf tournaments! Willow Vale Golf Course in Mapleton hosted on June 9 and the Onawa Country Club in Onawa on June 16. Golfers had the choice to register for one day or sign up for both fun-filled Fridays.

The teams enjoyed camaraderie on the greens, a steak sandwich meal for lunch, a 19^th-hole putting contest, and pin prizes. Both tournaments raised over $36,000 that will be used to purchase new medical equipment which furthers Burgess Health Center’s purpose of providing excellent healthcare.

“The success of this annual golf tournament depends very much on the overwhelming support and participation from our sponsors, volunteers and staff,” Bobbi Johnson, Director of the Burgess Foundation, stated. “The dedication and commitment are truly making a difference in advancing the mission of the Burgess Foundation and helping us TEE IT UP FORE Burgess Health Center.

Mapleton Tournament:
Champion: First Security Bank -54, Team Lander – 57, Fister Farms – 59.
First Flight: Denison Drywall – 66, Lander Farms – 67, Team Copple – 67.
Second Flight: Lee’s Small Engine Repair – 75, Team Warner – 77, Maple Heights – 80.

Onawa Tournament:
Champion: Team Lander – 55, Security National Bank/Spring Valley Ag -55, The Hoffman Agency – 55.
First Flight: AgriVision Equipment – 59, Nelson & Rock Contracting – 60, Mac’s Chevrolet – 63.
Second Flight: Lee’s Small Engine Repair – 66, Graham Construction – 68, Dr. Knudson – 68.

Sponsors:
1% Lists Dream Street, 6 Mile Pursuit, AgriVision, AssuredPartners/ServiShare, Bayer Crop Science, Carl & Allison Behne, Black Hills Energy, Burgess Auxiliary, Burgess Family Clinics, Burgess Mapleton PT, Burgess Ute, CHI Health, CMBA Architects, Community Bank, Rob & Karla Copple, Dr. Peter & Jennifer Daher, Denison Drywall Contracting, Echo Electric Supply, Family Medicine Clinic, First Security Bank, Fister Farms, Friends Divided, Graham Construction, Grip it ‘n Rip it!, Great Southern Bank, IP Pathways, Dr. Rachel Knudson, Josh Lander, Lander Farms, Lee’s Small Engine Repair, Long Lines Broadband, MAC’S Chevrolet, Inc., Maple Heights, Morton Buildings, Inc., Nelson & Rock Contracting, Security National Bank, Specialized Engineering Solutions, Spring Valley Ag, Dr. John Terry, The Hoffman Agency, Timber Ridge, Uncommon Grounds, Vision Care Clinic, Grady & Stacy Warner, Kathy Westergaard, Williams & Company, WIPCO, and Xigent Solutions.

Prize Sponsors:
Bomgaar’s – Mapleton, Bomgaar’s – Onawa, Burgess Auxiliary, Casey’s, Graceful Boutique, Graceful Grind Coffeehouse, Hard Rock Main & Abbey, Hometown Variety, Mapleton Press, Onnen Company, Scheels, Jessi Tadlock – Century 21, Uncommon Grounds, United Bank of Iowa – Moorhead.

Meal Sponsors:
Mapleton: Fiesta Foods – Breakfast, Uncommon Grounds/Kathy Westergaard – Lunch
Onawa: Fiesta Foods – Breakfast, Black Hills Energy – Lunch

Beverage Sponsor:
Mapleton: 1% Lists Dream Street
Onawa: Williams & Company

Putting Contest Sponsor:
Great Southern Bank in both Mapleton and Onawa

19th Hole Sponsor:
Mapleton: Xigent Solutions
Onawa: Specialized Engineering Solutions

 

Photo #1: Shane Erlemeier, Chris Leif, Scott McCandless, and Ethan Wolf.
Photo #2: Josh Lander, J.J. Lander, Tommy Miller, and Carl Miller.

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 2023 recipients are as follows: Gracie Cloud (Sloan, 3.944 GPA), graduate of Westwood High School plans to attend WITCC for Nursing; Emma Collison (Onawa, 3.34 GPA), graduate of West Monona High School plans to attend Wayne State for Mental Health Counseling; Damian Orr (Turin, 3.529 GPA), graduate of West Monona High School plans to attend the University of South Dakota for Physical Therapy; Brooklyn Pekarek (Blencoe, 3.927 GPA), graduate of West Monona High School plans to attend the University of Iowa to become a medical provider; and Lariya Templeton (Oto, 3.88 GPA), graduate of MVAOCOU plans to attend Kirkwood Community College 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.

Over the past few weeks, the Burgess Health Center Board of Directors has met and decided an interim CEO was best to keep the momentum and positivity of our expansion and successful strategic planning moving forward during this transitional period of Carl Behne’s resignation.

“We are pleased to announce Teresa Butler, our current Senior VP of Clinical Services, will fill the role of interim CEO.” Said Keith Schrunk, President of the Burgess Health Center Board, “With her proven leadership with Burgess for over 17 years in both clinical and operational settings, we are confident she will provide guidance and support during this time of adjustment.”

Though Behne’s last day with Burgess will be June 2, 2023, he will remain on consultatively to support Teresa, the senior leadership team, and the Board as needed until the role is filled.

“Teresa exemplifies, like the rest of the team, the heart, compassion, desire, work ethic, and perseverance of improving Burgess to make it, as our Vision Statement indicates, ‘To be the best rural healthcare system in America.’” Added Schrunk.

The Board of Directors continues to be committed to Burgess Health Center and are grateful to have a team that works together to uphold providing excellent healthcare and exceptional patient experiences.

Photo: Teresa Butler, Senior VP of Clinical Services

Thank you to everyone that participated in our Child Abuse Prevention Awareness month activities!  In April, we recognized the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect and promoted 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.

In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Awareness month, the Burgess Public Health Learning for Life program and the Monona County Child Abuse Prevention Council sponsored many activities.  You may have seen one of our over 30 Pinwheel Flower pots around the county.  The blue pinwheel is the national symbol Prevent Child Abuse America.  Or perhaps you participated in our Family Bingo.  We distributed over 700 Family Bingo cards to children and their families.  Each bingo card was filled with fun, free family activities to promote positive bonding and togetherness.  With generous funding from the Harrison, Monona and Shelby Early Childhood Board, families who completed a “blackout” and turned their card in, were eligible for a prize drawing of one of three family memberships to the Henry Doorly Zoo or one of three family game baskets.  Congratulations to our winners from each school district: Kendyl Purcell, Jasmine Warren, Madison Golden, Wylie Eckert, Hudson Blatchford and Trigg Fox!  It is our hope that the families who did not turn in a “black out” card were able to complete some of the activities or at the very least read through the cards to see how simple it can be to spend quality time together.

The Monona County Board of Supervisors also signed a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Awareness month to show their support to the families and children in our county.  We appreciate their time and collaboration.  We also want to thank those that wore blue on Fridays during April to show their support!

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.

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Photo: (back, left to right) Paula Nagel, West Central Community Action/Head Start, Michelle James with Family Crisis Centers, Debie Lahr, Kaylee Kirkpatrick, and Adam Hadden. (front, left to right) Vince Phillips, Tom Brouillette, and Bo Fox of the Monona County Board of Supervisors.

Burgess Health Center proudly announces it has achieved accreditation through Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) for the Sleep Program.

Accreditation is a process through which healthcare organizations demonstrate compliance with national standards. Accreditation by ACHC reflects an organization’s dedication and commitment to meeting standards that facilitate a higher level of performance and patient care.

ACHC is a nonprofit organization that has stood as a symbol of quality and excellence since 1986. ACHC is ISO 9001:2015 certified and has CMS deeming authority for Home Health, Hospice and DMEPOS.

If you are interested in the Sleep Program offered at Burgess Health Center, please contact your primary care provider for a referral.

 Congratulations to Burgess Family Clinic Mapleton, Sloan, and Whiting! They have been selected as the 2023 Population Health Pioneer Award Winner for Community of the Year from Signify Health for the state of Iowa!

The Population Health Pioneer Awards are presented each year to honor those who have best served their communities, patients, and the healthcare industry through their leadership and innovation over the past year.

This accomplishment was made possible by the efforts, focus, and determination of the Burgess Family Clinic’s Population Health Nurses, Dana Longlee and Becca Petersen, and with the support of the nurses, medical assistants, registrars and providers.

“I am so proud of the efforts made by Dana, Becca, and the entire team to ensure the health of our communities,” said Justin Hummelgard, Clinic Director. “None of this would have been possible without their hard work and dedication.”

Justin Hummelgard, Dana Longlee and Becca Petersen will be traveling to San Antonio in May to represent Burgess Family Clinics and to receive the award.

Burgess Health Center Board Chair, Keith Schrunk announced today that CEO Carl Behne has resigned his position and will leave the hospital in mid-June. Behne joined Burgess in September 2020 and led the hospital and area communities through the Covid-19 pandemic, and most recently steered the $18.1 million expansion and renovation of the hospital.

“We at Burgess Health Center are incredibly grateful to Carl for the energy, vision, and heart that he dedicated to our organization and our patients over the past two and half years,” said Keith Schrunk, Board Chair of Burgess Health Center. “Under his leadership, our programs and service lines grew and the culture in our organization increased.”

“It was a very tough decision leaving a great organization filled with so many amazing people,” said Carl Behne, CEO of Burgess Health Center. “I am sad I will not see the final completion of the building project expansion and renovation, but am confident the remaining pieces will better serve our patients.”

The board of directors is working on a plan for interim leadership until a replacement is found. Behne plans to stay in a consultative role for that interim leader until a permanent one is secured.

“We wish him and his family the absolute best in all their future plans and endeavors.” Adds Schrunk.

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Photo: Carl Behne, FACHE

The Burgess Foundation is honored to receive its fourth Gift of Grain donation since the inception of the program in 2021.

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. With planting season being right around the corner. We want to make our agricultural community aware of the benefits not just on donating to the Burgess Foundation, but simple ways they can make a lasting difference.

Sam and Susan Johnson of Moorhead, IA recently donated the Gift of Grain to the Burgess Foundation.
“We want to encourage others to donate and see just how easy it is!” said Susan. “Burgess Health Center and the Foundation do so much for our communities and this was the perfect opportunity to give back by donating a Gift of Grain. It’s also a great way to save on your taxes!”

National Agricultural Week is celebrated every year in the month of March. This year it is celebrated this week, March 19 – 25.

“Agricultural Week is about appreciating the impact agriculture has on our daily lives,” said Bobbi Johnson, Burgess Foundation Director. “Donating grain is a simple yet valuable way to support growing the future of Burgess and the communities we serve. Through the Gift of Grain farmers are able to donate their own bushels they grow instead of a monetary donation.”

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 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.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Awareness month.  In April, we recognize the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect and to promote 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.

In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Awareness month, the Burgess Public Health Learning for Life program and the Monona County Child Abuse Prevention Council would like to promote positive childhood experiences to build healthy families and strong communities in Monona County.  We have planned a “Family Bingo” card for families to complete together.  The bingo squares will be filled with no/low cost family activities to promote positive bonding and togetherness.  With generous funding from the Harrison, Monona and Shelby Early Childhood Board, when a family completes a “blackout” and turn their card in, they will be eligible for a prize drawing of a family pass to the Henry Doorly Zoo or other family fun prizes.  Cards will be distributed to all three elementary schools in Monona County.

Other activities to highlight the month include the Monona County Board of Supervisors signing a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Awareness month to show their support to the families and children in our county.  The Burgess Public Health Learning for Life program and the Monona County Child Abuse Prevention Council would also like to “plant” pinwheel flower pots across our county to raise awareness for policies and programs that enable children, families and communities to thrive. The blue pinwheel is the national symbol for Prevent Child Abuse America.   If you would like to have a pinwheel flower pot placed in your business, please reach out to dlahr@burgesshc.org or call (712) 423-9175.

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.