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On May 12, 2017, Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) was notified by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) that a recall had been issued by Pinnacle Foods Inc. of some Aunt Jemima frozen breakfast foods including pancakes, waffles, and French toast slices, because they are potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This recall was initiated after Listeria monocytogenes was found in the production environment. All affected distributors, retail, and food service customers are being notified. It was determined on May 9, 2017, that PVCH had served this brand of French toast in its cafeteria. The purpose of this letter is to inform PVCH patients and visitors that if you consumed this product at the PVCH facility on May 9, 2017, and if you develop any symptoms of listeriosis within 70 days of that date, please promptly notify your physician.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. To date, no illnesses have been linked to this recall. Please visit https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm557098.htm for a complete list of recalled products and product codes. All “best buy” dates for these products have been recalled. Contact PVCH if you have any questions about the recall.

Employee of the Quarter Named Karen McDade is the PVCH Employee of the Quarter. Karen is a dedicated employee in the lab and is well-liked among patients and co-workers. She is a pleasure to be around and we are proud to have her on the PVCH team.

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Health Coach Providing Services in Pawnee County Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) is working with heart and stroke patients in Pawnee County to prevent further problems and provide personal care to manage day-to-day issues. The health coach program is a component of The University of Kansas Hospital-sponsored Heart and Stroke Collaborative (KHSC), which PVCH participates in. Melissa Hagerman, RN, BSN, is the local health coach. The patients she works with have a history of heart or stroke issues, plus one additional chronic disease. She helps patients continue to manage their prescriptions, assess healthcare needs, communicate with family to answer questions and concerns.

She also assists local providers in helping patients between routine clinic visits. Eric Lybarger, PVCH administrator, said the KHSC is an important resource at PVCH because it helps the hospital engage at-risk patients in Pawnee County on a more personal level. “Working with the KHSC has been very rewarding in the fact that I have found numerous medications being taken incorrectly at patient visits during medication reconciliation,” Hagerman said. “I have also directed patients to many local community resources which in turn have benefited them.” Hagerman graduated from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelors of Nursing Science degree. Her experience has been floor nursing, surgical nursing and public health nursing. She is married and three children. The KHSC is a project being funded by $12.5 million, 3-year federal grant focused on improving heart and stroke care.

The grant was awarded to The University of Kansas Hospital and Hays Medical Center is helping administer it. Also participating are ten Critical Access Hospitals and rural primary care providers serving Western Kansas. What kinds of things are covered at an initial face-to-face health coach visit?

• Medication reconciliation and review • Medication Education with patient and/or family members • Safety hazards/concerns • Diet review • Exercise encouragement and review • Compliance with preventative cares, specialty provider appointments, and health maintenance • Identifying and Offering Support Systems • Identifying and Obtaining Resources • Chronic Illness questions addressed and education provided • Nursing head-to-toe assessment • Coordination with health care provider

PVCH has hired Julie Bugner-Smith as the new leader of the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital Foundation. Julie has been the executive director for United Way of Central Kansas for several years. She is an experienced fundraiser with seven United Way campaigns under her belt and having raised more than $1.7 million for agencies in Barton and Pawnee counties. As the Foundation Coordinator, Julie will be in charge of developing relationships and raising money for the Foundation to fund health and wellness initiatives in Pawnee County and to provide finance support for PVCH needs and projects. We are looking to having Julie join our team in May. “We are fortunate to have Julie on our team,” said Eric Lybarger, PVCH Administrator. “She is well known in the region and has achieved a great deal of success building relationships and raising money.” Bugnor-Smith will start her new position at PVCH in late May.

Lynn lives in Garfield with her husband, Clint, and son, Alex, a 17-year old junior at Larned High School and daughter, Taylor, who is seven and a first grader in Larned. Lynn graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Elementary Education. After getting married, she moved to Larned 19 years ago. She taught 5th grade in Great Bend for several years before retiring to focus on starting her family. Lynn enjoys volunteering for several community groups including Prairie Arts Unlimited, Citizens Review Board, Youth Group Teacher, Picture Lady and the PVCH Patient, Family Advocacy Committee (PFAC).

She was also on the committee involved in passing the school bond for the new elementary building and renovations at the high school. Some of her interests include running, reading and cooking. “We are very fortunate to have Lynn as a member of our Board,” said Eric Lybarger, PVCH Administrator. “She will bring an interesting perspective to discussions and decisions in our meetings. Lynn is already a member the hospital’s PFAC and her input as a healthcare consumer on that committee is valuable. I think her experience in the healthcare arena will allow her to contribute in a very positive way to our Board.”

Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) in conjunction with First State Bank will be co-hosting a Community Health Fair on Friday, March 31 from 6:30 – 9:00 a.m. The health fair will be held on the second floor of the First State Bank building, 6th & Main in Larned, and participants are asked to enter through the south door. Included in this year’s health fair will be lab testing at reduced rates and the Pawnee County Health Department will have a mental health Kiosk for participants to “get a check up from the neck up”. The kiosk will allow a user to take an anonymous screening for eight different behavioral health categories. The health department will also have information available on Zika Virus. Also available to participants will be blood pressure checks, health screenings and health education.

The lab testing being offered includes a Total Profile, Hemogram, CMP, Lipid Panel, TSH, Free T4, PSA and a Diabetic Screening Test. The PVCH lab prides itself with quick turnaround times and results will be mailed to individuals as soon as possible. These results can then be reviewed with a person’s healthcare provider to avoid the cost of higher lab fees. By tracking your own health screening numbers you can be proactive with your own healthcare. According to the American Heart Association, numbers that an individual should pay attention to include blood pressure, fasting glucose, cholesterol – HDL and LDL, triglycerides, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, minutes of physical activity, diet and nutrition (i.e. number of servings of fruits and vegetables per day), tobacco use and alcohol consumption. Fasting is recommended prior to testing but participants are encouraged to drink water the evening and morning before the lab testing. For additional information contact PVCH at 620-285-8840.

HaysMed CEO Announces Plans to Retire, Read More…

Pawnee Valley Community Hospital is fortunate to have input from our Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC). What is the purpose of a PFAC? A PFAC partners patients and families with members of the healthcare team to provide guidance on how to improve the patient and family experience. As part of this PFAC process, patients and families are invited to serve on hospital committees to ensure that the consumer’s point of view, perspective, and experience are not only heard, but also integrated into the service and quality improvements that are engineered to ensure high-quality, customer-centered care. Through their unique perspectives, they give input on issues that impact care, ensuring that the next patient or family member’s journey is easier. A recent project to come out of the PFAC was new/additional internal directional signage. Most of the signs have been installed and have improved wayfinding in our facility. PFAC member experiences in our facility and in other facilities resulted in improvements in our hospital. The PFAC is currently considering other projects.

HaysMed / University of Kansas Hospital Finalize Partnership

Eric Lybarger has been named administrator of Pawnee Valley Community Hospital. He will begin his duties on September 12, 2016.

Lybarger currently serves as the Director of Marketing & Physician Recruitment at AllianceHealth Ponca City in Oklahoma, a position he has held for the past 10 years. Overall, he has eighteen years of experience in the healthcare industry serving as Communication Specialist at Via Christi Oklahoma Regional Medical Center prior to his current position.

He earned a B.A. in Mass Communications and Master of Education from Southwestern College, Winfield, KS, and a Masters in Health Care Administration from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

“I am looking forward to joining the PVCH team and working to continue the momentum the hospital has experienced over the past few years,” Lybarger said. “I’ve been impressed by the positive feedback I’ve received from community members, hospital employees and physicians about PVCH. Everyone I’ve talked to is very positive about the direction the hospital is headed. My family and I are looking forward to relocating to Larned and getting involved with school and community activities.”

Lybarger has been very active in the Ponca City community. His involvement has included being president of the YMCA board, president of the Ponca City Main Street board, Poncan Theatre board member and chamber of commerce member. He will be relocating to Larned with his wife Sarah and daughters Victoria, 19, Emily, 16, and Olivia, 9.

“I’m excited about Eric becoming the new Administrator at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital”, stated Shae Veach, Vice President of Regional Operations, Hays Medical Center. “We look forward to him coming to our community and we feel that he will be a good fit for our hospital.”