News

CHI Mercy Health is issuing a strong reminder about the critical importance of seatbelt use, following a recent increase in trauma patients admitted to the emergency room who were not wearing seatbelts at the time of their accidents.

“We are seeing a concerning trend of preventable injuries due to the lack of seatbelt use,” says Alana McClellan, RN, CEN, Supervisor of the Emergency Room at CHI Mercy Health. “Seatbelts are proven to significantly reduce the risk of serious injury and death in vehicle crashes. Why take the chance? Just wear your seatbelt!”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seatbelts reduce serious injuries and deaths by about half. Not wearing a seatbelt dramatically increases the risk of being ejected from a vehicle, leading to severe injuries or fatalities. Furthermore, an unbuckled passenger can become a projectile, endangering other occupants in the vehicle.

Key Seatbelt Safety Tips:

Proper Positioning:

• Shoulder Belt: Should cross the center of the chest with minimal slack and should never be tucked under the arm.
• Lap Belt: Should be positioned low across the hips, never across the stomach.
• Sitting Position: Sit upright with your back against the seat and feet on the floor.

Legal Requirements: In North Dakota, all vehicle occupants are required to wear a seatbelt, regardless of seating position. Law enforcement can pull over vehicles solely for seatbelt violations, which carry a $20 fine.

Back Seat Safety: Buckling up in the back seat is crucial. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 60% of back seat passengers killed in crashes in 2023 were unbuckled.

Child Passenger Safety: Children under 8 years old must be secured in a car or booster seat. Children 8 years or older or at least 4’9″ may use a booster seat or adult seat belt.

Addressing Common Myths:

• Myth: Seatbelts are only necessary for long journeys or high speeds.
  • Fact: Accidents can happen at any time and at any speed.
• Myth: Airbags provide enough protection.
  • Fact: Airbags are designed to work in conjunction with seatbelts. Without a seatbelt, the risk of serious injury is greatly increased, especially if ejected from the vehicle.
• Myth: Seatbelts can cause injuries in certain types of accidents, or it’s better to be ejected from the vehicle.
  • Fact: Research overwhelmingly supports the effectiveness of seatbelts in preventing serious injuries and fatalities. While rare exceptions may occur, the benefits of wearing a seatbelt far outweigh the risks.

“Despite widespread awareness, less than 90% of North Dakotans consistently buckle up,” McClellan stated. “Furthermore, 47% of all fatalities related to motor vehicle crashes involved individuals who were not wearing a seatbelt. Don’t become a statistic. Make the simple choice to buckle up every time you get in a vehicle.”

CHI Mercy Hospital Valley City has been recognized by the American Heart Association with two Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for its commitment to providing exceptional care to patients suffering from heart disease and stroke. These awards demonstrate the hospital’s dedication to following the latest evidence-based guidelines, leading to improved patient outcomes, faster recovery times, and reduced hospital readmissions.

Heart disease and stroke remain leading causes of death in the United States, ranking as the No. 1 and No. 5 causes, according to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Statistical Update. Research shows that adherence to established treatment guidelines significantly improves patient recovery. The Get With The Guidelines program empowers hospitals nationwide by translating the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association into practical tools and protocols, ensuring patient care aligns with the most current research.

“At CHI Mercy Hospital, we are deeply committed to providing the highest quality care for our patients,” said Alana McClellan, Emergency Room Supervisor and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at CHI Mercy Hospital. “The Get With The Guidelines program provides us with the framework and resources to streamline our processes and ensure timely, effective treatment for heart attacks and strokes. These awards reflect our team’s dedication to helping people in Valley City and Barnes County live longer, healthier lives.”

This year, CHI Mercy Hospital received the following prestigious awards:

• Coronary Heart Disease STEMI Referring – Gold Plus Award
• Rural Stroke – Gold Award

The Gold Plus designation signifies a high level of achievement and consistent performance in applying Get With The Guidelines protocols.

“We commend CHI Mercy Hospital for its commitment to improving the health of its community,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, past volunteer president of the American Heart Association and current volunteer chair of the Association’s Quality Oversight Committee. “By implementing the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, CHI Mercy Hospital is playing a vital role in achieving our shared goal of better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions, and lower mortality rates. This is a significant win for patients, families, and the entire Valley City region.”

CHI Mercy Hospital in Valley City is pleased to announce a significant investment from CommonSpirit Health, which will greatly enhance the hospital’s cardiac care capabilities. With the generous support of CommonSpirit Health, we have acquired state-of-the-art telemetry software and monitoring units for $348,500. This upgrade will empower our nurses and clinical staff to provide even more precise and responsive care to patients in our community.

The new telemetry system provides continuous, real-time monitoring of patients’ heart rates and vital signs. This advanced technology enables earlier detection of potential issues, allowing for prompt intervention and improved patient outcomes.

“We are incredibly grateful to CommonSpirit Health for their commitment to our mission and to the health of the Valley City community,” said Ryan Fowler, Hospital President. “This generous investment will allow us to provide an even higher level of cardiac care to our patients, ensuring they receive the best possible treatment close to home.”

The upgraded telemetry system is a crucial component of CHI Mercy Hospital’s designation as the first Acute Cardiac Ready facility in the state of North Dakota. This designation recognizes the hospital’s ability to provide rapid and effective treatment for patients experiencing cardiac events.

“Our nurses and clinical staff are dedicated to providing compassionate and expert care,” said Colleen Jones, VP of Patient Care. “This new technology will be an invaluable tool, allowing us to monitor our patients more effectively and respond quickly to any changes in their condition. We thank CommonSpirit Health for their support in helping us achieve our goals.”

This investment reflects CommonSpirit Health’s ongoing dedication to innovation and excellence in healthcare, ensuring that communities like Valley City have access to the advanced medical technology they deserve.

Dear Valued Donors, CHI Employees, and Foundation Board Members,

We’re excited to share an update on the continued impact of your incredible generosity!

Casino Night Gala- Supporting the Debbie Gabel Infusion Center: This year’s Casino Night Gala will directly benefit the Debbie Gabel Infusion Center! Funds raised will be used to construct updates to our current infusion center, invest in staff education, and purchase state-of-the-art equipment to provide the best possible treatment for our patients.

We invite you to join us for an evening of fun and philanthropy on September 6th from 5:00-9:00pm at the Eagles Club! If you are interested in sponsoring the event or purchasing your tickets in advance, please visit: https://www.mercyhospitalvalleycity.org/gala/

Investing in Future Healthcare: Scholarship Recipients Announced!: Thanks to your generous support this winter, we were able to award $3,000 in scholarships to three outstanding students from North Dakota who are pursuing careers in healthcare. We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the CHI Mercy Hospital Foundation scholarships for the 2025-2026 school year:

• Ada Gilbertson: Ada will be studying Neuroscience at Baylor University, with the goal of becoming a pediatric neurologist.
• Megan Larson: Megan is continuing her nursing education at the University of Jamestown, aspiring to work in rural healthcare.
• Mara Bjornson: Mara is pursuing her passion to be a pediatric oncology nurse at the University of Jamestown.

We are incredibly proud to support these bright and dedicated individuals as they embark on their healthcare journeys.

Employee Giving Campaign- Coming This Summer!: This summer, we will be launching an Employee Giving Campaign! This program will allow CHI employees to donate specific amounts or percentages of their paychecks to directly support Foundation funds. More information about this exciting opportunity will be shared soon.

Your unwavering support of the CHI Mercy Foundation is making a profound difference in the lives of our patients and the Valley City community. Thank you for being a vital part of our mission.

Sincerely,
Kayla Beilke
Foundation Coordinator

CHI Mercy Hospital is proud to announce the recipients of the Foundation’s scholarships for the 2025-2026 school year. The selection process was highly competitive due to the exceptional qualifications of all applicants.

The CHI Foundation awarded scholarships to three outstanding North Dakota students:

These scholarships, valued at $1,000 each, are funded through initiatives hosted by hospital staff and a generous donation in memory of LaVonne Reidman, a dedicated nurse who graduated from the Mercy School of Nursing and served at the hospital for 21 years.

We extend our best wishes to all applicants and congratulate the scholarship recipients on their achievements. We are confident in their success in their educational pursuits and future careers in healthcare!

CHI Mercy Hospital is proud to announce the recipients of the Auxiliary’s scholarships for the 2025-2026 school year. The selection process was challenging due to the high quality of all applicants.

The CHI Auxiliary awarded five outstanding students $500 each to support their academic pursuits in healthcare-related fields. These scholarships are made possible through the Auxiliary’s dedicated fundraising efforts, including bake sales and gift shop sales.

Meet the 2025-2026 Scholarship Recipients:

The CHI Auxiliary relies on community support to fund these vital scholarships. Please join us for our Calendar of Cakes event on May 15th, starting at 1:00 PM! Every purchase directly contributes to providing educational opportunities for aspiring healthcare professionals.

We extend our best wishes to all applicants and congratulate the scholarship recipients on their achievements. We are confident in their success in their educational pursuits and future careers in healthcare!

The CHI Mercy Health Auxiliary (CHI-MHA) is a volunteer organization devoted to supporting the hospital and the community it serves. If you would like to become a CHI Mercy Health Auxiliary member, please contact Kayla Beilke at 701-845-6557 or email kayla.beilke@commonspirit.org

The newly established Excellence in an Expanded Role award recognizes a ND pharmacy technician who exemplifies a professional work ethic and demonstrates the core elements of a pharmacy technician by working in an expanded role, thus elevating the profession of pharmacy and pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy technicians who work in expanded roles have utilized educational opportunities from ACPE-accredited continuing education programs, have received employer-based training, or have taken advantage of other platforms to increase and improve their abilities to function in the healthcare setting.

Mandy Chase of CHI Mercy Hospital has expanded her role as a pharmacy technician by being active at the state level on NAPT (the ND state technician board), by coordinating the NAPT TCT (tech-check-tech) pilot program in ND, and has twice represented NAPT and ND at the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy annual meetings.

Mandy’s role at CHI Mercy is expanded to include being integral to hazardous pharmacy waste management, medication reconciliation, sterile compounding, 340b, and billing/reimbursement, in addition to the typical technical duties such as inventory management. This is not an all-inclusive list of how Mandy impacts the pharmacy operations at our hospital, but is a glimpse of how she is innovative and progressive as she uses her talents to elevate healthcare delivery closer to home.

CHI Mercy Health, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Valley City, North Dakota, has been named one of the Top 100 CAHs in the country for 2025. This designation comes from The Chartis Center for Rural Health. North Dakota has seven CAHs named in this year’s Top 100.

Top 100 hospitals are top performers, excelling in financial efficiency, achieving higher quality, better outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, and operating at a lower cost than their peers.

“The recognition as one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation furthers our commitment at CHI Mercy Health to providing excellent patient care for Valley City and the surrounding areas.” comments Ryan Fowler, President of CHI Mercy Hospital.

“The Top 100 CAH award program elevates the very best performers and helps create a roadmap for those seeking to improve financial and operational performance while continuing to care for the communities they serve,” said Michael Topchik, executive director at The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “This is our 15th year recognizing the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate this milestone with this year’s winners.”

The Chartis Group offers healthcare advisory and analytics, specializing in strategy, performance, informatics, and analytics. They help leading healthcare organizations achieve transformative results. CHI Mercy Health Valley City looks forward to your continued support as we maintain a focus on improving quality, patient safety and the overall patient experience.

CHI Mercy Hospital, alongside their parent company CommonSpirit Health, has created a grant program to fund projects that address significant needs in our community. We are proud to announce that in 2025 $6,000 in grant funds will be going towards the Dare to Create Foundation for the Arts.

The Dare to Create Foundation for the Arts’ mission is to provide participants the opportunity to engage in dance and wellness programs, regardless of financial status or ability to pay. The Dare to Create Foundation believes that through creative and healthy programs, all participants will have: greater collaborative skills, self-confidence, self-discipline and the appreciation of creativity in all aspects of one’s life.

This award will be used to provide scholarships for students wishing to participate in dance or wellness programs at Micaiah’s Studio of Ballet. Micaiah incorporates mental health awareness into dance instruction, striving to equip dancers with tools and emotional management strategies for life. This scholarship will provide opportunities to individuals from different financial backgrounds, all age groups, even those with special needs.

CHI Mercy Hospital strives to be active in health-related causes that affect Valley City and the Barnes County community. We hope to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve. For future grant applications please reach out to our Director of Mission Josh Gow at 701-845-6571 for more information.