Nyla Tangen is Pella Regional’s Shining Star of the Year

Nyla Tangen, Cardiac Services; was recently selected by co-workers as the 2009 Shining Star of the Year at Pella Regional Health Center.

Tangen was Shining Star of the Month in January 2009. Shining Star is a reward and recognition program at Pella Regional designed to acknowledge an employee each month that demonstrates outstanding standards of behavior and inspires others to do their best.

One excerpt from her nomination form said: “Nyla always has a smile and is ready to listen to our patients. You can even see her smile on the other end of the phone! She always has kind words for everyone. She willingly does the thankless tasks such as taking out the laundry, cleaning equipment and ordering supplies−plus helping with more difficult jobs such as helping with Cardiac monitors. Nyla has a huge heart.”

Tangen receives an Employee of the Year plaque, a $250 gift and a professional photo displayed in the hospital.

020110

Bev Yahnke Named Shining Star of Pella Regional

PELLA, Iowa— Bev Yahnke, Environmental Services; was recently selected by a group of her co-workers as the January 2010 Shining Star at Pella Regional Health Center.

Yahnke was nominated based on attitude, commitment to Pella Regional, communication, etiquette and sense of ownership.

Shining Star is a reward and recognition program at Pella Regional designed to acknowledge an employee each month that demonstrates outstanding standards of behavior and inspires others to do their best.

Yahnke will receive a $100 gift, an ad in the local paper, a plaque and will automatically be included in the Shining Star of the Year award.

020110

Numerous Certifications at Pella Regional Health Center

PELLA, Iowa – The following Pella Regional Health Center employees have recently gained certifications in their professional areas of interest. These certifications validate their knowledge and express their dedication. Achieving certification status demonstrates distinct and specialized knowledge, thereby promoting quality of care for patients. They join a growing list of employees at Pella Regional who have gained a prestigious certification.

Carla McFarland, RD, LD, Dietitian in Diabetes Education at Pella Regional, achieved Certified Diabetes Educator status by successfully completing the certification examination for Diabetes Educator by the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE). Candidates must meet rigorous eligibility requirements to be able to take the exam.

Heidi Heikes, RN, BSN, CWCN and Renee Visser, RN, BSN, CWON, CCCN, Nurses in Wound Care Center at Pella Regional, have passed their wound care certifications. This certification by the National Board of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses is extremely thorough and ensures that a nurse is knowledgeable and well-qualified to provide specialized care. A BSN, Master’s level courses and the completion of 50 hours of clinical work is required.

Linda Groenendyk, RN, Nurse in Cardiac Services at Pella Regional, is certified in cardiovascular nursing through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. To obtain certification in cardiovascular nursing, a nurse must have a minimum of two years experience as a registered nurse, a minimum of 2,000 hours experience in the area of cardiovascular nursing, a minimum of 30 hours continuing education in area of cardiovascular nursing and pass a certification exam covering the topic of cardiac/vascular nursing.

Marty DenHartog, RN, Nurse in Obstetrics and Prenatal Educator at Pella Regional, is certified for maternal newborn nursing practice. The exam covers the nursing considerations associated with every stage of pregnancy and childbirth including reproductive anatomy, genetics, maternal fetal well-being, breastfeeding, maternal infections, normal newborn physiology, newborn cares and more.

012510

Cardiac Calcium Scoring Available at Pella Regional

PELLA, Iowa— The month of February is American heart month, the perfect opportunity to schedule a Cardiac Calcium Scoring exam. The Harmeling Imaging Center at Pella Regional Health Center offers cardiac calcium scoring for $99. To schedule an appointment, call 641-628-6620.

Coronary arteries supply oxygen rich blood to the heart. Calcium in the coronary arteries is a sign of coronary artery disease. Cardiac Calcium Scoring uses an X-ray test called Computed Tomography (CT) to check for the buildup of calcium on the walls of the arteries of the heart (atherosclerosis). This test is used to:
Evaluate for atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD).
Determine the likelihood for obstructive coronary disease
Evaluate the risk of a heart event

This test may be recommended for men age 45 and older and women age 55 and older who have a higher chance of heart disease. Younger adults may be tested if they have a very strong family history of heart disease.

How It Is Done
A CT scan takes images of the heart in thin sections. A computer analyzes the images and measures calcium deposits in the walls of the coronary arteries. The radiologist interprets the images and reports the findings. A report is then sent to the patient’s primary care provider. A printed copy of the score with four to six images is mailed to the patient.

There is no preparation needed for the test, however, to maintain a steady and reduced heart rate, staff recommends no caffeine or smoking 4 hours prior to the examination.

“This test is quick and painless. It takes less than 15 minutes,” says Chalyne Kephart, RT (R) (CT), CT technologist in the Harmeling Imaging Center at Pella Regional Health Center. “Plus, Pella Regional’s price is comparable to larger hospitals in the area that also provide this test.”

Scoring
If a patient has a high Cardiac Calcium Score, further testing may be needed to evaluate if there is coronary artery stenosis (narrowing) and check for possible heart damage due to decreased blood flow to the heart muscle, especially if there are other risk factors for CAD.

012510

Marie Lombard, OTR/L joins the Rehab Services team

PELLA, Iowa – Marie Lombard, OTR/L, has joined the Rehabilitation Services team at Pella Regional Health Center. She will be located at the main hospital in the Rehabilitation department Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm, working with Pella Regional’s hospital inpatients, outpatients in the Rehabilitation Center and home care patients.
Lombard received her B.S. in Occupational Therapy in 1992 from Loma Linda University in California. Before coming to Pella Regional, she has worked in home care, hospital and long term care settings.
Lombard has special occupational therapy training in custom splinting, dysphagia/oral motor facilitation, Alzheimer’s/Gentle Care System and Eden Effect, wheelchair technical systems and custom carpentry and sewing.
“Occupational therapy is so important in getting people back to the lifestyle they had before an injury or illness. I am excited to be here at Pella Regional as part of the Rehab team working with people who have a Christian attitude. I love meeting new people and I welcome new challenges,” said Lombard.

011110

Iowa Ranks #2 in Overall Performance in Health System Scorecard

PELLA, Iowa—Iowa is one of 13 states to again rise to the top quartile of the overall performance rankings, outperforming other states on multiple indicators according to the 2009 edition of The Commonwealth Fund's State Scorecard on Health System Performance.
In 2009, Iowa tied with Hawaii for second place. The following states rank in the top five for the 2009 scorecard:
1. Vermont
2. Hawaii/Iowa
4. Minnesota
5. Maine/New Hampshire

Every two years, The Commonwealth Fund provides their State Scorecard, ranking all states using four major categories:
Access to care (by both children and adults)
Prevention and treatment (including screening and preventive care, surgical infections, and provider interactions)
Avoidable hospital use and costs (including pediatric admissions and short-stay nursing home residents with hospital readmissions within 30 days)
Healthy lives (including mortality rates, adults who smoke, and children who are obese)

“Unfortunately, where you live does matter in terms of your ability to access the health care system and the quality of care you receive," said Yvonne O’Brien, Chief Nursing Officer at Pella Regional Health Center. “Fortunately, by living in Iowa we are at the top when it comes to the wide variation seen with access and quality. At Pella Regional, we work very hard on having very high quality standards, and this report shows that hard work paying off for our communities.”

Report Highlights for Iowa
Iowa was one of six of the 13 top-ranked states to score in the top quartile on the equity dimension for low-income, uninsured and minority groups.

Iowa was also one of 13 states to again rise to the top quartile of the overall performance rankings. Though specific rankings shifted, these are the same states that were identified as top performers in the first State Scorecard two years ago.

“While we’re proud the results of this State Scorecard, it does show that there is still a lot of work to do across the health care system,” said Bob Kroese, Chief Executive Officer at Pella Regional Health Center. “We can do better in some areas and learn from other hospitals about their successes. There is always room for improvement. We have a great team here at Pella Regional, and with our recent construction we are set up very well to get even greater value and greater gains in positive outcomes for our patients. We’re very excited about what the future holds.”

121409

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Town Crier Ltd. or towncriernews.com.
Readers' responses are always welcomed.