Spencer Hospital offers Freedom from Smoking sessions
If you’ve ever considered breaking the a tobacco habit, new Iowa laws may provide that incentive and Spencer Hospital’s Freedom From Smoking course may provide the mechanism to accomplish your goals.
Spencer Hospital is offering the Freedom from Smoking course, a seven-week long tobacco cessation program which has been proven effective by the American Lung Association. Classes are led by health professionals who are American Lung Association trained facilitators. The next course begins September 18 and will be held from 6:30 – 8 p.m. on Thursday nights on Sept. 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30th with one Saturday session during the course on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Topics covered include:
- Knowing if you’re ready to quit
- Medicine that can help you quit
- Lifestyle changes which make quitting easier
- Preparing for Quit Day
- Coping strategies
- Managing stress
- Avoiding weight gain
- Developing a new self-image
- How to stay smoke-free for good
Registration for the 8-session class is $100. You can call Spencer Hospital’s class registration line to reserve your spot in the fall session at 712-264-6142. If you’d like to visit with someone to received more information regarding the class before you register, please call 712-264-6636 to have your questions answered.
“The support of others is so important for people who are working to quit their smoking addiction,” commented Holly Behrends, RN, who is one of the instructors. “The other people in the program know exactly what you’re going through and provide support when you need it the most. This course has been ranked as the most effective smoking cessation program and has a 25-year history of successful results.”
Abben Cancer Center Golf Classic scheduled
The Abben Cancer Center Golf Classic will be Sunday, Aug. 24 at Emerald Hills Golf Club in Arnolds Park. The event is a best-ball format that begins lunch and registration at 11 a.m., followed by a noon shotgun start. Lunch, dinner, 18 holes of golf with cart, prizes, a charity auction and much more are included in the $100 per golfer registration fee.
Space is limited to 144 golfers so register early! Contact Mickey Harrington (336-0505), Mike Gathman (262-3580) or Susan Zulk (264-6461) for more information.
Colorectal Cancer: Screening Saves Lives!
Colorectal cancer is highly preventable, treatable and often curable when detected early. However, it is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. So learn the facts and get tested. It could save your life.
Spencer Hospital Community Health Services has colorectal cancer screening kits available to the public for $2 per kit. The kits will be available at Spencer Hospital’s Community Health Services, the Emergency Department, and Agrisafe, and at Spencer Family Care-Avera Health.
These FOBT kits screen for hidden blood in the stool. The at-home screening kit requires a small stool sample that will need to be sent to our lab for analysis. Participants will be notified of their results by mail. There are a few minor dietary and drug guidelines to follow prior to the test to avoid a false reading. These guidelines are printed in the kit. It is important to remember that these kits screen for hidden blood only, and do not replace the necessity of a colonoscopy or other tests.
If more information is needed, contact Clay County Community Health Services Spencer Hospital at 264-6468.
Abben project receives Foundation gift
The Spencer Regional Healthcare Foundation board voted to provide a half million dollars of support toward Spencer Hospital’s expansion and equipment upgrade for Abben Cancer Center. The $500,000 gift will help offset expenses for the total project which are estimated at $4.2 million.
“On behalf of our entire Foundation board, I must say we’re very pleased to support this project,” stated Leon Rodas, President of the Spencer Regional Healthcare Foundation. “The Foundation has been able to fund several beneficial projects enhancing healthcare in our region; however, hands down our proudest moment comes from when we raised funds through tremendous community support to originally build and equip the Abben Cancer Center.”
Rodas went on to explain that a portion of the $500,000 gift was left to the Foundation in the Abben family’s estate to be used toward a construction project. “What better construction project could there be than to further enhance the center named after this benevolent couple,” he commented. The remainder of the Foundation’s contribution comes from many donors who have designated their gifts be used for Abben Cancer Center and the people served there.
The expansion to Abben Cancer Center is slated to begin as soon as spring weather permits. “We take pride in having exceptional staff at Abben as well as state-of-the-art equipment,” commented Doug Doorn, President and CEO of Spencer Hospital. “We have frequently upgraded equipment and software in the 10 years Abben Cancer Center has been open. Now, it’s time to completely replace our linear accelerator, the equipment used in providing radiation therapy, to continue to have top-of-the-line technology.”
Spencer Hospital Wins National Top Performer Award
Spencer Hospital is proud to announce that Press Ganey Associates, Inc. has named it a 2007 Summit Award Winner at its annual conference held in Florida last week. The Summit Award recognizes top performing facilities that sustain the highest level of customer satisfaction for three or more consecutive years. Spencer Hospital’s Emergency Department is one of the 12 Emergency Departments from a comparison pool of nearly 1,000 hospitals across the country to receive this prestigious honor in 2007.
“Our goal has always been to provide the same quality care we would expect to receive,” commented Deb Brodersen, Emergency Department Director. “That personal attention to detail and concern for each patient has yielded patient satisfaction scores above the 93rd percentile since the spring of 2001. During that time, we’ve achieved the 99th percentile in patient satisfaction for eight quarters, including our most recent three.”
Brodersen continued: “We know that a trip to the Emergency Department is highly stressful and we also know that we may miss the mark on providing optimal satisfaction every time; however, that remains our goal.”
Doug Doorn, Spencer Hospital President & CEO, commented: “We are very proud of our Emergency Department and Ambulance staff. Medical needs come first but our staff doesn’t stop there as they look for ways to provide reassurance and assistance at each turn.”
Doorn added: “While our Emergency Department has received this outstanding award, I’d like to recognize all Spencer Hospital employees and volunteers for their focus on patient satisfaction. The past three quarters our overall patient satisfaction scores have reached the 99th percentile which demonstrates a commitment to providing excellent, compassionate service throughout our organization.”
Dual fitness center memberships offered
Two local organizations - Spencer Family YMCA and Spencer Hospital’s Wellness Center - are teaming up to offer a joint membership program to meet the needs of their members who are interested in expanded amenities.
“Spencer Family YMCA and Spencer Hospital are two community organizations both dedicated to health and wellness,” commented Jason Trierweiler, Spencer Hospital Wellness Center Director. “We have worked together on several joint programs in the past which have been well received. Now we’d like to expand that to better meet the needs of some of our mutual members and potential members as well.”
Becky LaBarre, Spencer Family YMCA Executive Director, added: “Our YMCA offers a myriad of programs and amenities. A joint YMCA-AE member can take a fitness class, use the pool, join a game of pickup basketball, play racquetball and so much more. Then, for the joint member who wishes to have 24-access to a fitness facility as well as access to Master’s level exercise specialists, Spencer Hospital’s Athletic Enhancement and Adult Wellness offer these services.”
Trierweiler explained, “We currently have people who are both YMCA members and AE members because they appreciate the individual benefits each service offers. We want to make it easier and more financially possible for people who are interested in belonging to both wellness entities so the hospital staff and YMCA staff have teamed up to provide a 20 percent discount for individuals who wish to have dual memberships on an annual basis.”
LaBarre explained that since both entities have different membership categories, initially the joint membership will be offered to individual members in four categories: student, adult, married couple or senior citizen. “We plan to trial the joint membership with three membership categories initially based on annual memberships. In the future we hope to expand the discounted membership for other categories as well,” LaBarre explained.
For more information on the joint membership discount, please contact either Jason Trierweiler, Spencer Hospital Wellness Center Director, 712-264-6633, or Tiffany Hart, Spencer Family YMCA Membership & Marketing Director, 712-262-3782.
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