Several CHI Mercy Health Employees Recognized for Dedicated Service
Valley City, ND It is remarkable and gratifying to have employees who have served CHI Mercy Health for so many years, like the employees recognized on December 16th, 2021.
The following individuals were recognized for their years of service:
- 15 Years of Service: Martha King, Annette Nielson
- 20 Years of Service: Jody Haugen
- 25 Years of Service: Janie Larson, Amy Noeske, Donna Smith, Judy Smith
- 35 Years of Service: Lisa Urbatsch
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Purchase of a Technogym for CHI Mercy Health Physical Therapy Department
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2021
Contact: Lisa Urbatsch, Executive Assistant
Phone: 701-845-6486
E-Mail: lisaurbatsch@catholichealth.net
Valley City, ND CHI Mercy Health Foundation is pleased to announce the purchase of a Technogym for CHI Mercy Health Physical Therapy Department.
Donna Smith, Rehab Manager, states this piece of equipment is very versatile with a wide range of weights along with a pulley system. The Technogym will enable the Physical Therapists at CHI Mercy Health to expand their treatment options, to address strengthening of both upper and lower extremities, balance training, rehab with patient’s who have had a surgery and with patient’s who have had a stroke. Please feel free to call the Physical Therapy Department at 701-845-6575 with any questions regarding services available. The Physical Therapy Department would like to express their sincere thank you to the Foundation Board for purchasing this equipment.
CHI Mercy Health Foundation is a nonprofit organization to serve the needs of CHI Mercy Health. The Foundation is dedicated to providing support for Mercy Hospital with supplemental funding for capital and program needs essential to the hospital’s growth and development. Through this service, the residents of Valley City and the surrounding communities have access to local, modern, quality healthcare that allows our family, friends and neighbors to stay close to home for their health care needs.
Cardiac rehab is available at CHI Mercy Health
Cardiac rehab is available at CHI Mercy Health. Our cardiac rehab program recently purchased a new heart monitoring system which has been a great asset to the department. It is a state of the art heart monitoring system and we typically monitor your heart throughout an exercise session.
So what is cardiac rehab? According to the American Heart Association, it is a medically supervised program designed to improve your cardiovascular health if you have experienced heart attack, heart failure, or heart surgery. It is proven to improve your heart health. It can reduce mortality after a heart event by over 50%. Cardiac rehab helps by reducing the risk of a future cardiac event by improving heart disease. It involves essentially 3 parts: Exercise counseling and training, education for heart-healthy living and counseling to reduce stress. Cardiac rehab can help you lower your risk of a future cardiac event, eat better, lose weight, return to work, and engage more in daily activities. We also have a wide variety of exercise equipment, including exercise bikes, treadmills, and more.
So who is eligible for cardiac rehab? If you have had a heart attack or heart disease, such as coronary artery disease, angina (chest pain) or heart failure, or have had a heart procedure or surgery, including coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, including angioplasty and stent placement), valve replacement, a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), you would be eligible.
We offer 2 levels of care – phase 2 and phase 3. Phase 2 is ordered by your provider or cardiologist. The exercise program is tailored to your needs and usually lasts around an hour. You are monitored throughout your session closely and it is usually following a hospital stay or cardiac event. This is covered by insurance. Phase 3 is a supervised maintenance program to continue your therapy following your initial phase. You do not need a provider’s order to join our phase 3 program. We monitor your heart once a month and vital signs every visit. A nurse is always there to monitor your session.
To learn more and to learn more about phase 3, please call Jodi Archer, RN, CHI Mercy Health at 701-845-6561. Our hours are 7:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Thursday. You can also ask your provider if you qualify for cardiac rehab.
CHI MERCY HEALTH FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIPS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2021
Contact: Steve Spickenreuther, CHI Mercy Foundation Director
Phone: 701-845-6557
E-Mail: stevespickenreuther@catholichealth.net
Valley City, ND CHI Mercy Health Foundation is excited to announce it is accepting applications for four scholarships it is offering! Each year, two Nursing scholarships are given out to recipients that are enrolled in an accredited nursing program. One of the scholarships is $250.00 provided by funds contributed by CHI Mercy Health’s Nursing Department which is matched by the CHI Mercy Health Foundation for a total of $500.00.
The second Nursing scholarship comes from a fund set up to honor LaVonne Reidman. The family of LaVonne Reidman established this scholarship in 2005 in memory of Lavonne and her dedication to the nursing profession. LaVonne was a wonderful, caring nurse for many years at Mercy Hospital in Valley City. CHI Mercy Health Foundation is managing this scholarship for the Reidman Family.
The third scholarships offered is open to anyone pursuing a General Medical career, including technician programs. One of these scholarships is provided by nursing staff fundraisers for a total of $500.00. So please share this with your co-workers, friends, family and anyone you can think of that may be able to benefit from these funds. Please contact Steve Spickenreuther in the CHI Mercy Health Foundation office (direct #845-6557 or stevespickenreuther@catholichealth.net) to get an application or go online to: www.mercyhospitalvalleycity.org under the Scholarships tab. The deadline to apply is April 9, 2021.
CHI Mercy Health Foundation is a nonprofit organization to serve the needs of CHI Mercy Health. The Foundation is dedicated to providing support for Mercy Hospital with supplemental funding for capital and program needs essential to the hospital’s growth and development. Through this service, the residents of Valley City and the surrounding communities have access to local, modern, quality healthcare that allows our family, friends and neighbors to stay close to home for their health care needs.
Telephone Service Disruption
On Thursday March 4, 2021 at 5pm CommonSpirit Health network engineers will be applying required updates to our telephone, network and internet system which will affect incoming calls to CHI Mercy Health Valley City.
This disruption will be for approximately 15 to 20 minutes between the hours of 5 to 6pm.
We would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
CHI Mercy Health Employees Celebrated Go Red for Women® on Friday, February 5, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2021
Contact: Lisa Urbatsch, Executive Assistant
Phone: 701-845-6486
E-Mail: lisaurbatsch@catholichealth.net
Go Red for Women® is the American Heart Association’s global initiative to end heart disease and stroke in women. Launched in 2004 to close the gap in awareness, Go Red quickly expanded into a worldwide movement dedicated to removing the barriers women face to achieving good health and wellbeing.
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, killing more women than all forms of cancer combined. Learn what it means to Go Red For Women to help women like you fight back:
G: GET YOUR NUMBERS
Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure and cholesterol.
O: OWN YOUR LIFESTYLE
Stop smoking, lose weight, exercise, and eat healthy.
It’s up to you. No one can do it for you.
R: REALIZE YOUR RISK
We think it won’t happen to us, but heart disease kills one of three women.
E: EDUCATE YOUR FAMILY
Make healthy food choices for you and your family.
Teach your kids the importance of staying active.
D: DON’T BE SILENT
Tell every woman you know that heart disease is our No. 1 killer.
Essentia Health and CommonSpirit Health sign Letter of Intent
Negotiations move forward regarding opportunity for CHI facilities in North Dakota and Minnesota to join Essentia Health
Essentia Health and CommonSpirit Health have signed a Letter of Intent for CommonSpirit-owned facilities operating under the CHI brand in North Dakota and Minnesota to join Essentia Health. This includes CHI St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck, a full-service tertiary hospital and 13 critical access hospitals, along with associated clinics and living communities currently operated by CommonSpirit and CHI Health at Home home health and hospice agencies.
Leaders from Essentia and CommonSpirit look forward to continuing their strategic discussions, building on their mutually held commitment to the health and vitality of this region.
“This is an exciting opportunity to extend our passion for excellence in rural health care to additional communities,” says Essentia CEO David C. Herman, MD. “We’re grateful that our shared Benedictine heritage and values form a strong foundation for our ongoing discussions. It would be an honor to carry on the rich tradition of high-quality Catholic health care evident today in these CHI facilities.”
“CommonSpirit wants patients in this region to have access to a strong network of rural and tertiary hospitals, primary and specialty care, and telehealth services,” said Cliff Robertson, MD, senior vice president for CommonSpirit’s Midwest division. “Essentia Health is well-positioned to integrate these facilities into a continuum of care, while carrying on the Catholic heritage and mission of these facilities. We look forward to continuing our conversations.”
Both organizations recognize the important role that health care plays in keeping rural communities vibrant. This shared understanding will help ensure the long-term success of these facilities should an agreement move forward. Essentia has a proven track record of providing access to comprehensive, integrated care in rural communities across North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. CommonSpirit, which was formed when Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) combined with Dignity Health in 2019, also operates facilities in Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
Signing a Letter of Intent is the first step in the process of reaching a formal agreement to transfer ownership of these facilities. It is the hope of both organizations that the due diligence process moves forward smoothly, and the CHI facilities could join Essentia by summer 2021.
The following facilities will be included in the discussions with Essentia Health
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About Essentia Health
Essentia Health is an integrated health system serving patients in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. Headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota, Essentia Health combines the strengths and talents of 13,800 employees, including more than 2,100 physicians and advanced practitioners, who serve our patients and communities through the mission of being called to make a healthy difference in people’s lives.
Essentia Health, which includes many Catholic facilities, is guided by the values of Quality, Hospitality, Respect, Joy, Justice, Stewardship and Teamwork. The organization lives out its mission by having a patient-centered focus at 14 hospitals, 71 clinics, six long-term care facilities, three assisted living facilities, three independent living facilities, five ambulance services and one research institute. Essentia Health is accredited as an Accountable Care Organization by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
About CommonSpirit Health
CommonSpirit Health is a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. It was created in February 2019 by Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. With its national office in Chicago and a team of approximately 150,000 employees and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, CommonSpirit operates 139 hospitals and more than 1000 care sites across 21 states. In FY 2020, CommonSpirit had combined revenues of nearly $29.6 billion and provided $4.6 billion in charity care, community benefit, and unreimbursed government programs. Learn more at www.commonspirit.org.
Several CHI Mercy Health Employees Recognized for Dedicated Service
Valley City, ND It is remarkable and gratifying to have employees who have served CHI Mercy Health for so many years, like the employees recognized on December 17th, 2020.
The following individuals were recognized for their years of service:
- 20 Years of Service: Mary Kay Johnson
- 15 Years of Service: Videlle Hamilton, Susan Skarloken
- 10 Years of Service: Carla Bata, Ellen Coghlan, Sally Didier, Kyle Gregerson, Randall Kremer
- 5 Years of Service: Izabela Bodziachowska, Katie Hedstrom, Paul Kamrowski, Susan Nelson
CHI Mercy Health Visitor Guidance
Valley City, ND We understand how much it means to patients to have their loved ones with them during their hospitalization and outpatient visits. We at CHI Mercy Health want to keep the community informed of what our current visitation policies are.
All patients, visitors and support persons presenting to CHI Mercy Health will enter at Main Entrance Door #1 and will be screened at the front desk prior to entering facility. Patients, visitors and support persons will be required to wear a mask or face covering while in to the hospital. All visitors will check in and check out at the front desk and must go directly to hospital department and be in a patient’s room. Visitors may stay as long as they like but if they choose to leave the building they will not be allowed back in. This is designed to keep the numbers of people actually entering the hospital to a minimum.
Social distancing, masking, and hand sanitizing requirements will be maintained in all hospital departments. Any visitor who cannot adhere to the guidelines will be asked to leave the facility and if accompanying a patient, be asked to wait in his/her vehicle. CHI Mercy Health respects the rights of all community members; because of the services we provide, our first duty is to the safety and care of patients and staff. We will actively defend this duty and are confident that everyone visiting our facility will understand and do the same. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!
CHI Mercy Health’s visitation restrictions effective October 21, 2020 are as follows:
- Visitors are asked to stay home if they are experiencing any symptoms of illness.
- All visitors are required to wear a face covering and will be screened at the front desk prior to entry.
- No visitors under the age of 18 (exceptions may be made at the discretion of the care team).
- All visitors will use the Main Entrance (Door #1) and will check in and check out at the front desk.
- PCU patients may have one visitor per day. This includes Acute, Observation, and Swingbed patients.
- Patient and visitor must remain masked during visitation and remain in patient’s room.
- An additional visitor will be allowed at the time of discharge.
- Emergency Department, Surgery, Pain, and Ambulatory Care patients may be accompanied by one healthy adult (must remain in patient’s room).
- Compassionate care visitation – limited to two visitors at a time in the facility.
- Pediatric patients or adult patients requiring a care giver may have one support person with them at all times.
Please log onto CHI Mercy Health Website for COVID-19 updates