Decatur Health Systems News 2-2-2010
Topic: From the Oberlin Herald

• An orthopedic specialist will be coming to Oberlin on the fourth Tuesday of each month beginning on February 23. Dr. Robert Bassett is board-certified both in orthopedics and hand surgery. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed his internship at Harvard's Beth Israel Hospital. He completed his residency at the New York Orthopaedic Hospital Columbia Medical Center. He holds a fellowship in hand surgery from St. Vincent Hospital and Health Care Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
  Dr. Bassett has served as attending physician at the University of Southern California's Los Angeles Children's Hospital, and attending hand surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He has held positions as Chief of Hand Surgery at USC's Los Angeles County Medical Center, and at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center. He and his family moved to Hays in 1995 where he joined Hays Orthopedic Institute.
  Dr. Bassett has published multiple articles on hand and general orthopedic surgery, including studies on the injured hand, joint replacement in the upper extremity, and rheumatoid arthritis. He is a member and former president of the Central Kansas Medical Society. He is also a member of the Kansas Medical Society, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, and the American Medical Association.
  His areas of specialty include Shoulder and Hand, Joint Replacements, Arthroscopy and General Orthopedics. Dr. Bassett may be contacted at the Hays Orthopedic Institute at Hays Medical Center, 2500 Canterbury, Suite 112, Hays, KS 67601. Appointments with Dr. Bassett at the Decatur Health Systems Specialty Clinic in Oberlin are scheduled by contacting his office at (785) 628-8221 or toll free 1-866-428-8221.
• The Diabetic Support Group will be meeting in the lobby of the Specialty Clinic on Thursday, February 4 at 4:00 p.m. Deb Klima will be giving a presentation on heart health. All diabetic and their caregivers are invited to attend.
  

Decatur Health Systems News 1-16-2010
Topic: From the Oberlin Herald
The Diabetic Support Group will meet in the Specialty Clinic lobby on Thursday, February 4 at 4:00 p.m. Deb Klima will present a program on heart health, a timely presentation during February, which is Heart Awareness Month. The public is invited to attend.

Employees at Decatur Health Systems have volunteered to take on the sponsorship of a foosball table for the new recreation center in downtown Oberlin. Employee donations made through the holiday season made it possible to reach the halfway mark to the goal of $600. In the next few weeks, employees will "Pay to Play" on Fridays, with those who choose to contribute a dollar will be allowed to ease off on the dress code by wearing blue jeans.

More than 150 employees and guests gathered at the American Legion on January 9 to honor several employees for their years of service to the facility. Board members Ron Jansonius and Gary Walter prepared prime rib for the occasion. Other board members and the management team prepared the side dishes and desserts. Honored for three years of service were: Kara Allen, Roberta Blake, Shelby Brown, Anna Cressler, Danyel Jeffery, Joni Marshall, Mark Nelson, Judy Scott and Amber Scott. Five-year honorees were: Melanie Anderson and Pamela Anderson. Honored ten year employees were: Amanda Fortin, Erica Fortin and Marsha Morford. Rose Riffle was honored for fifteen years of service; Helen Karnopp and Teresa Shaughnessy were honored for twenty years of service; and Karen Bailey received a thirty-year award. Linda Stanley was honored for the greatest amount of years of service at thirty-five. Linda was given the opportunity to share some of her thoughts at reaching this anniversary milestone.

Twenty-six teams have paired up to see if they can be the biggest losers in the DHS-Care For Your Heart Program. Teams are judged on the percentage of weight lost rather than on the actual number of pounds lost. If a team gains weight instead of losing, a fine must be paid. At the end of the twelve-week program, the biggest losers will be the biggest winners, because they will receive the amount paid in fines and entry fees. Participants are eating healthier, exercising more, and taking off unwanted pounds. Working with a partner raises the bar on accountability, resulting in a total of 160 pounds lost is the first week of the program. The www.sparkpeople.com website, dedicated to fitness, healthy eating and weight loss, is providing some valuable motivational tools.

Othelia Vacura

Decatur Health Systems News
Topic: From the Oberlin Herald

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

• The Diagnostic Imaging Department is excited to announce they have received their mammography accreditation. Beginning Monday January 4th, mammograms will be available Monday through Friday per technologist availability. Call today to schedule your appointment.
• The Oberlin Community Red Cross Blood Drive will be Wednesday, January 6 from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Gateway. Please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (448-3543) to schedule your appointment. Give the gift of life by becoming a blood donor today.
  

Decatur Health Systems News
Topic: From the Oberlin Herald

December 23, 2009

Employees at Decatur Health Systems are holding a friendly competition amount four groups with a nonperishable food drive for the Decatur County Food Bank.  toiletries and cleaning supplies are also on the list of needs.  The collections will continue until December 31.

The 2010 calendars are available at the front desk of the hospital.  Please stop by and pick up your free copy as a thank you for your support.  Featured on the calendar are photos of employees, physicians, and a few customers.

Shared From the Heart cookbooks are on holiday dpecial price of $13 each until January 1.  These cookbooks would e a wonderful choice for a gift now or for some other special occasion.  Proceeds will go toward the purchase of cardiopulmonary resuscitation equipment and training.

                                                                                      ~Othelia Vacura

Decatur Health Systems News 11-10-09
Topic: From the Oberlin Herald
Decatur Health Systems News

The public is invited to an Informational Open House for Dr. Michael McCarty, a general orthopedic surgeon with Central Nebraska Orthopedics in Grand Island. This event will take place in the Specialty Clinic lobby on Tuesday, November 17 at 6 p.m. Dr. McCarty will discuss advances in minimally invasive hip/knee replacement, unicameral (partial) knee replacement and non-surgical treatment of hip/knee arthritis. We welcome the community to take part in this informational presentation.

Those who attended the November Diabetic Support Group meeting were treated to an interesting presentation on trends in diabetic care by Wini Schaedel ARNP/CNS, BC-ADM, CDE, a nurse practitioner and certified diabetic educator from Salina. This was the last meeting of the year. Diabetic Support Group meetings will resume in February. If you want to be placed on the notification list for upcoming meetings, please call Tammi at 475-2208, extension 275.

Some people in the community may be unaware that chemotherapy treatments are available locally at our facility. Linda Stanley, RN, with Decatur Health Systems, attended the Oncology Nurses Society Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Course and received her Provider Card in November 2007, which she renews every 2 years. Linda volunteered to attend the course and become a provider for those needing chemotherapy in our area. Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is difficult in and of itself, and being able to provide the necessary treatment locally is a service we are proud to be able to offer. Chemotherapy treatments can be scheduled here in Oberlin through an oncologist communicating the necessary information with a signed order. Specific medication is then ordered and appointment times scheduled to administer the treatment.

~Othelia Vacura

Health Focus, November 2009
Facility Erects Signs

Swanson Sign Company of McCook, Nebraska recently erected two signs for Decatur Health Systems. One is a directional sign on Highway 83 that gives a welcome to the community as well as indicating the direction to the facility. The other sign indicates the front of the Specialty Clinic and the location of the Cottonwood Home Care office.

This signage clearly marks the way to our health care facility for people who are unacquainted with the community. The directional sign in front of the emergency entrance has also been revised to reflect current locations of services Decatur Health Systems provides.

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A Specialty Clinic Calendar can be found on our website at www.decaturhealthsystems.org Listed are the dates specialist physicians will be in Oberlin. If you need to consult a specialist you may find this resource helpful.

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Preparing for Medicare Part D Open Enrollment
Joanne Wendelin, LBSW, and Ruth Miesner, SHICK volunteer, are helping Medicare beneficiaries review and compare their drug plan coverage. If you are on Medicare and your current drug plan doesn't cover some new medications or if you would like a comparison of plans to determine if you could save money, make an appointment by calling 475-2208 extension 224. Updated information on new plans, formularies, premiums and co-pays is also available on the Medicare website www.medicare.gov. Doing a cost comparison now will give you time to make a decision in preparation for the open enrollment period between November 15 and December 31.

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Calendar of Events

Open House for Orthopedic Surgeon
Tues., Nov. 17, 6:00 p.m.
Specialty Clinic Lobby
The Public is Invited.

CLC Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner,
Sun., Nov. 22, 12:30 p.m.
Reservations Required.
(Contact Teresa or Charlotte at 475-2276)

CLC Family Christmas Party, CLC Dining Room, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2:30 pm

Diabetic Support Group
No meeting Dec. or Jan.
Resume on
Thurs., , Feb. 4, March 4
7:00 p.m.
(Meeting Time may change)
Specialty Clinic Lobby

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Wise Words for Living
Don't waste time looking backward. You'll just trip. ~Bradley Trevor Grieve

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Keep Those Hands Washed!

Remember to stay at home or keep your children home if you or they are experiencing influenza symptoms: Coughing, sneezing, fever, headache, body aches, and in some cases, diarrhea. Cough into your sleeve to prevent the spread of flu through droplet distribution. Wash hands thoroughly and often. Stay away from public areas if you are not feeling well to prevent the spread of influenza. Please do NOT visit hospital patients or Cedar Living Center residents if you have the sniffles or are coughing.
If you need to get medical help for yourself, please keep your mouth and nose covered in waiting rooms and consult rooms. Face masks are available at the hospital and clinic for this purpose-just ask! We thank you and our community thanks you for observing these "Keeping Well" courtesies during influenza season.

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DHS Offers Nursing Leadership Education Series

Nurses at Decatur Health Systems were provided the opportunity to attend Leadership training through four webinar presentations by Donna Wright, RN, MS with Creative Healthcare Management. The sessions were presented monthly from July through October on Transitioning into the Charge Nurse role; Communication and Delegation; Building a Strong Daily Team; and Creating Accountability.
The courses were offered through the Kansas Hospital Association and KONL, Kansas Organization of Nurse Leaders. All professional nurses work in a leadership role and the courses provided an opportunity to receive education here in Oberlin at our facility.
The courses were paid for by DHS and offered free of charge to facility nurses. Nurses from Oberlin Medical Arts and Good Samaritan Center in Oberlin were invited to attend for a $10 charge. Each session provided 1.5 hours of continuing education.

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Chemotherapy Treatments
Available at Decatur Health Systems

Linda Stanley, RN, with Decatur Health Systems, attended the Oncology Nurses Society Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Course and received her Provider Card in November, 2007. She renews her card every 2 years. Linda volunteered to attend the course and become a provider for those needing chemotherapy in our area. Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is difficult in and of itself, and being able to provide the necessary treatment locally is a service we are proud to be able to offer.
Chemotherapy treatments can be scheduled here in Oberlin through an oncologist communicating the necessary information with a signed order. Specific medication is then ordered and appointment times scheduled to administer the treatment.
                                                                             ~Suzanne Ahlberg, CNO

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Marangu Hospice Open House

Pastor Alphaeus and Eliamani Shayo, representatives from the Marangu, Tanzania Hospice recently visited Oberlin to share information about their country located in sub-Saharan Africa and also to learn about hospice services that are available in this area. The Marangu hospice is partnered with the Phillipsburg, KS hospice through Foundations for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa (FHSSA). The Shayos shared compelling information that is truly alarming. The countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have 2% of the world's population and 70% of the world's AIDS cases, affecting literally every family in the country. At the rate of death that is occurring, the African population in that part of the world will be decimated and become extinct in a matter of a decade or two if the world does not heed their call for help. Pastor Shayo likened the African AIDS crises to when the countries of the world looked on as the Holocaust was happening, yet did nothing. Currently the method for treating pain in terminal patients at the Marangu hospice is to count out Tylenol or Ibuprofen, at a rate of one a day. More advanced medications may be available in larger hospitals, but the majority of the population is so poor they are unable to afford such end of life care. Information on how you or your organization can help is available from Julia Schemper, Hospice Services, Inc. PO Box 116, Phillipsburg, KS 67661, Phone 1-800-315-5122.

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EMPLOYERS, Are you puzzled about a Christmas gift to give your valued employees? A gift membership in our fitness center will help your employees become fit and more productive! Call our office for pricing, 785-475-2208.

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Shared From the Heart cookbooks are still available for only $15 each. Proceeds go toward CPR training and equipment. Choosing this as a holiday gift will give to your community at the same time as you are treating yourself or remembering someone special during this holiday season! Cookbooks are available at the admissions desk at the hospital.

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A Moment With the CEO:

Facility Action Plan versus Strategic Action Plan

Each year, Decatur Health Systems makes a Facility Action plan to map out the future of our facility for the next 12 quarters. At that time we look at the big picture of where we want to be in the next three years. This plan is implemented and reviewed periodically throughout each year to monitor the progress of each outcome and strategy addressed.
Every two years, we do Strategic Planning with employees, Board members, Medical Staff and individuals from the community. This group provides feedback on what would be beneficial for our facility and healthcare in general for our community. After this meeting, we develop a plan on how to achieve those goals.
While reviewing the Facility Action Plan for 2010-2013, we implemented those areas that were brought to our attention through Strategic Planning; thereby condensing the two action plans into one. The Board of Trustees and Department Managers reviewed these plans, outcomes were combined and strategies set to help us to reach these goals. The following outcomes were developed, each with a list of 3-8 strategies to reach accomplishment:
· Provide a viable health care campus
· Growth: increasing market share/develop services that are mission critical and profitable
· Assure long and short term financial stability
· Strategic Planning
· Quality of Care
· Employee Development and Retention
· Compliance and Accreditation
· Rural Health Stimulus Package
This is the map our facility uses to make sure that we are following the mission of Decatur Health Systems, to provide high quality health care for rural America by caring and sharing from the heart.
~Lynn Doeden, CEO

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Cedar Living Center News

Mark Your Calendar:
Cedar Living Center will hold their annual Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 12:30. The center will provide the meat, potatoes, dressing, gravy, and bread. Guests should bring a vegetable, salad, or dessert to share. Anyone may attend, but reservations are required. For additional information or to turn in a reservation please contact Teresa or Charlotte at 475-2276.
The Family Christmas Party will be held in the Cedar Living Center dining room at 2:30 on Sunday, Dec. 20. The party will include entertainment, refreshments, and a visit from Santa. We welcome any groups or individuals wanting to assist with holiday programs.
Information on all of the events planned for each week at Cedar Living Center is available at the Decatur Health Systems web site by clicking on Cedar Living Center and then on "Read Our ‘What's Happening' Blog". ~Teresa Shaughnessy

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Wellness Depends On You

We encourage the public to continue to regularly wash their hands during this flu season, and to cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Use hand sanitizers when using public equipment that is communally used, such as grocery carts or merchandise baskets. Do not visit hospital patients or CLC residents if you display any respiratory symptoms such as having sniffles, coughing or sneezing.

If you need to seek help for respiratory distress please use common sense restraint by keeping your mouth and nose covered in waiting rooms and consult rooms. Masks are available for such use at the hospital and the clinic. Being vigilant can help keep influenza under control in our community.

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Decatur Health Systems Website

Decatur Health Systems recently constructed their own website, which is available at www.decaturhealthsystems.org, .com, or .net. A Cedar Living Center photo album and blog are available, as well as a hospital health information blog. If you observe a broken link or something that you feel is incorrect, please contact us at ovacura@decaturhealthsystems.org, or 785-475-2208, extension 230. Your input is valuable to us.

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Pandemic Flu Tabletop Exercise

Several employees including nursing and medical staff participated in a Pandemic Flu tabletop exercise on Friday, October 16. This training was developed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and gave health professionals an opportunity to brainstorm how to deal with a surge of influenza patients in addition to a regular amount of inpatients, while also dealing with short staffing due to employee illnesses. This prospective scenario is being addressed by health facilities across the entire United States in order to be prepared should the number of influenza cases keep rising.

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Open House For Orthopedic Surgeon

The public is invited to an Informational Open House for Dr. Michael McCarty, a general orthopedic surgeon with Central Nebraska Orthopedics in Grand Island. This event will take place in the Specialty Clinic lobby on Tuesday, November 17 at 6 pm.

Dr. McCarty will discuss the following topics:
1) Advances in minimally invasive hip/knee replacement
2) Unicameral (partial) knee replacement
3) Non-surgical treatment of hip/knee arthritis
We welcome the community to take part in this informational presentation.
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Women's Health Issue Workshop Presented

A Women's Health Issue Workshop took place October 9th at the Gateway. Samantha Butler, Direct Services Coordinator, NW KS Domestic & Sexual Violence, from Hays, KS spoke on Surviving Sexual Assault. Kayla Dorland and Rita Stueder, Nurse Practitioners with Heartland Dermatology in Great Bend gave a program on Aging of Women's Skin. Luann Horchem, a Nurse Practitioner with the Herington Area Health Center in Herington presented information on selected women's health issues, including ovarian and endometrial cancer and herpes. This workshop was sponsored by University of Kansas Medical Center, and Area Health Education Center, Northwest.

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Rural Trauma Team Development Workshop Postponed

The Rural Trauma Team Development Course scheduled for October 22 at the Gateway was postponed due to weather. Physicians and trauma nurses from Via-Christi in Wichita had planned to present the program. A later date will be planned.

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Hospital Pharmacy Moved

Shelving units were recently installed in Treatment Room #2, completing its conversion into a spacious hospital pharmacy. In the future the former pharmacy, which is in close proximity to the hospital nurses station, will be utilized for such outpatient treatments such as receiving blood.

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Breast Health Awareness

On October 21 the Diagnostic Imaging Department hosted a celebration to highlight Breast Health Awareness week and also to bring attention to the fact that their department recently passed the ACR inspection and in the near future will be able to schedule mammograms at our facility.
Informational brochures on the procedure were available.

Mammograms are an important method of diagnosing breast cancer, and may save your life if such diagnosis is made early. Consult your family physician about whether it is time for you to schedule a mammogram.

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Interesting Fact: Humans are about 1 cm taller in the morning than in the evening. Layers of cartilage in the joints gets compressed during the day.

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Have you checked out our website at www.decaturhealthsystems.org ?
Information available there includes links to:
¨ Medical Dictionary
¨ Health Encyclopedia
¨ Specific Health Information Websites
¨ Websites Providing Local Weather

 

Decatur Health Systems News
Now Playing: Submitted to the Oberlin Herald for 10-21-09
Joanne Wendelin, Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker, and Ruth Miesner, Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas volunteer, are helping Medicare beneficiaries review and compare their drug plan coverage. If you are on Medicare and your current drug plan doesn't cover some new medications or if you would like a comparison of plans to determine if you could save money, make an appointment by calling 475-2208 extension 224. Updated information on new plans, formularies, premiums and co-pays is also available on the Medicare website www.medicare.gov. Doing a cost comparison now will give you time to make a decision in preparation for the open enrollment period between November 15 and December 31.

Several employees including nursing and medical staff participated in a Pandemic Flu tabletop exercise on Friday. This training was developed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and gave an opportunity to brainstorm how to deal with a surge of patients.

We encourage the public to continue to regularly wash their hands during this flu season, and to cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Use hand sanitizers when using public equipment that is communally used, such as grocery carts or merchandise baskets. Do not visit hospital patients or CLC residents if you display any respiratory symptoms such as having sniffles, coughing or sneezing. If you need to seek help for respiratory distress please use common sense restraint by keeping your mouth and nose covered in waiting rooms and consult rooms. Masks are available for such use at the hospital and the clinic. Being vigilant can help keep influenza under control in our community.

-Othelia Vacura

Medicare Part D Drug Plan Enrollment Changes
Medicare beneficiaries have the opportunity to change drug plans every year during the open enrollment period between November 15 and December 31. If you are on Medicare and your current drug plan doesn't cover some new medications or if you would just like to compare to see if you could save a little more money, NOW is the time to check things out!

While actual enrollments/changes cannot be made until after Nov 15, a Medicare Part D cost-comparison can be done as early as Oct 15 that can help you make a decision on a drug plan.

A list of prescription drug plans for 2010 was printed in the Medicare & You book that every Medicare beneficiary receives in October. If you like to use the Internet, the Medicare website www.medicare.gov is updated with the new plans and their formularies, premiums, and co-pays after October 15. Doing a cost-comparison now will give you time to make a decision on a drug plan by the November 15 enrollment date. If you need help, Ruth Miesner, SHICK Volunteer, or Joanne Wendelin LBSW can be contacted at 475-2208 extension 224. Appointments are required.

Decatur Health Systems News October 13, 2009
Now Playing: From the Oberlin Herald

Decatur Health Systems is hosting a Rural Trauma Team Development Course on October 22 at the Gateway. The program will be presented by physicians and trauma nurses who are flying into our community from Via-Christi in Wichita. This was made possible with a grant to Decatur Health Systems, Inc. from the Kansas Hospital Association, Northwest Regional Trauma Council, and Kansas Rural Health Options Project. Physicians, ARNPs, PAs, RNs, LPNs, EMTs and RTs from Northwest Kansas have been invited to participate for a nominal charge. Coordinators for this program are Kris Hill of Via-Christi and Tammi Ritter of our local facility. If you are interested in participating or have questions about this class, contact Tammi at 785-475-2208 Ext. 275.

Hospice Services, Inc. of Phillipsburg cordially invites the public to meet Eliamani Shayo, Hospice Coordinator and her husband, Lutheran Pastor Shayo, who work with Hospice in the Kilimanjaro Region in Tanzania. The open house is Friday, October 16 at Decatur County Health Systems, 810 W Columbia, Oberlin, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

In March 2007 Hospice Services created a partnership with the Hospice and Palliative Care Program of Marangu Lutheran Hospital in Kilimanjaro Region in Tanzania. The partnership developed through the Foundations for Hospice in Sub-Saharan Africa or FHSSA. Hospice Services, Inc. is the only Kansas hospice that has established such a partnership at this time.
Founded in 1999, FHSSA works to support organizations in their development and provision of hospice and palliative care in sub-Saharan Africa. In many countries in Africa there is little or no access to adequate pain medication and to hospice and palliative care services, and desperate situations of suffering, stigma, poverty, and isolation. The goal of the FHSSA Partnership Initiative is to foster intercultural learning between the hospices and resource mobilization for the African programs.
Hospice Services's FHSSA partner, Palliative Care Program of Marangu Lutheran Hospital, is sending the Shayos as representatives whose visit is to concentrate on listening, getting to know, conveying acceptance and trust, and genuinely learning.

We are now publishing our own website, so you may notice some minor changes. Links are available to access information about special diets, diseases, other health information and regional hospitals. Included in our new updated website are a Cedar Living Center blog and photo album, as well as a Health News blog from the facility. Plans are to include information from our quarterly newsletter in the online blog. Please be sure to check out the available information. We now own three domains, www.decaturhealthsystems.org, .net, and .com.

~Othelia Vacura

Decatur Health Systems News submitted to the Oberlin Herald for Oct.7, 2009, not printed
Decatur Health Systems is hosting a Rural Trauma Team Development Course on October 22 at the Gateway. The program will be presented by physicians and trauma nurses who are flying into our community from Via-Christi in Wichita. This was made possible with a grant to Decatur Health Systems, Inc. from the Kansas Hospital Association, Northwest Regional Trauma Council, and Kansas Rural Health Options Project. Physicians, ARNPs, PAs, RNs, LPNs, EMTs and RTs from Northwest Kansas have been invited to participate for a nominal charge. Coordinators for this program are Kris Hill of Via-Christi and Tammi Ritter of our local facility. If you are interested in participating or have questions about this class, contact Tammi at 785-475-2208 Ext. 275.

The Diabetic Support Group will meet in the Specialty Clinic area at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 8. Lisa Votapka will be sharing information she learned at "The Emerging Landscape of Diabetes Care: Optimizing Patient Outcomes" workshop she attended in Hill City, Kansas, with featured speaker Wini Schaedel ARNP/CNS, BC-ADM, CDE. Wini will be coming to speak to the Diabetic Support Group in November, the last scheduled meeting for this year.

Women's Health Issue Workshop is scheduled for October 9 at the Gateway, 9 to 2. Scheduled speakers are Samantha Butler, Direct Services Coordinator, NW KS Domestic & Sexual Violence, Hays, KS will speak on Surviving Sexual Assault. Kayla Dorland and Rita Stueder, Nurse Practitioners with Heartland Dermatology in Great Bend will present a program on Aging of Women's Skin. Luann Horchem, a Nurse Practitioner with the Herington Area Health Center in Herington will present information on selected women's health issues, including ovarian and endometrial cancer and herpes. Openings are still available to participate. The cost is $70. This workshop is sponsored by University of Kansas Medical Center, and Area Health Education Center, Northwest.

We are now publishing our own website, so you may notice some minor changes. Links are available to access information about special diets, diseases, other health information and regional hospitals. Included in our new updated website are a Cedar Living Center blog and photo album, as well as a Health News blog from the facility. Plans are to include information from our quarterly newsletter in the online blog. Please be sure to check out the available information. We now own three domains, www.decaturhealthsystems.org, .net, and .com.

~Othelia Vacura