News – Pawnee Valley Campus

Jun4

Patient with COVID-19 Admitted to The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus

By Stephen Giebler - Pawnee Valley Campus Hospital News

Larned, Kansas. –A patient with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2, has been admitted to The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus for treatment. The patient is in a specially equipped area that is designed to prevent the spread of the virus to other patients, visitors, staff and physicians.

Upon arrival, caregivers wearing protective personal gear coordinated the patient’s entry into the hospital. No other patients, visitors or caregivers were exposed. Pawnee Valley Campus followed CDC and KDHE guidelines to protect caregivers, patients and visitors from exposure.

We will not share information about patients admitted for COVID-19 in order to protect their privacy as required by federal law. County and state health departments work in tandem for contact tracing and will notify people at risk per their protocols. All questions related to public safety should be directed to the appropriate governing agency.

The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus’s top priority is the safety of our patients, caregivers, and the community. Our expert clinicians regularly care for patients with severe respiratory illnesses and other infectious diseases. They are well trained and follow specific procedures using the tools and techniques in place to protect themselves, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Employees are safe to come to work and patients are safe to keep their medical appointments and planned procedures to stay healthy.

There are no more planned updates at this time.

May26

00

NEW Changes to Visitation and Mask Requirements

By Steven Miller - Pawnee Valley Campus Hospital News

Pawnee Valley Campus Initiates NEW Changes to Visitation and Mask Requirements (Effective Wednesday, May 27)

Larned, Kansas – The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus is working
closely with local, state and federal health officials to control spread and provide needed care
during the COVID-19 Pandemic. We have done so while continuing to safely meet the primary,
specialty and emergency healthcare needs of our patients and their families. Our top priority is
keeping our patients, visitors and staff safe.

To that end we have made some changes to our visitation policy and are implementing universal
mask requirements based on CDC guidelines.

Visitation Changes

Effective Wednesday, May 27 at 6:00 a.m.
One visitor per patient per day will be allowed from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm. No visitors will be allowed to enter after 8:00 pm.

Visitation Reminders

Patients and visitors must use the Front Entrance, M-F from 6:00 am – 5:00 pm for
access. Evenings until 8:00 pm and weekends from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, patients and
visitors must use the After Hour Entrance.
Only emergency room patients and visitors enter through the Emergency Department
entrance, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Unless you have a scheduled pediatrics appointment, visitors under age 14 will not be
allowed in the facilities until further notice.
Temperature screenings upon entry into our facilities will continue. When you enter the
hospital, you will be directed to a screening station where someone will take your
temperature. This process will include staff. Every person arriving at our facilities must
receive a temperature screening before entering. Visitors and staff with a temperature
will not be allowed in the facility.

New Universal Mask Requirements

Masks are now required for patients, visitors and staff. As we work together to preserve
health and safety for our health system and communities, we require all patients,
visitors and staff to wear masks. It’s a necessity of our new normal that certainly feels
Pawnee Valley Campus
different, but guidelines from the CDC indicate wearing a barrier mask provides a
measure of protection for all of us. This change aligns with both state and local
guidelines in requiring all individuals to wear a mask in public. Simple acts such as
breathing, talking, sneezing and coughing are all ways the virus may spread.
We ask that you bring your own mask, however, if you do not have one you will be
provided one when you enter our facility and are screened.
We know this may be an inconvenience, but our priority is keeping our patients, visitors
and staff safe and healthy. These are unprecedented times and we are staying abreast
of the situation and taking precautions accordingly.

General Reminders

If you are feeling ill and have the following symptoms:

Fever
Coughing
Shortness of breath
Or have:
- Been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19
- Have traveled to an area with sustained transmissions

Contact your doctor’s office or call the COVID-19 Hotline at 877-261-7140.

Call before you arrive at your doctor’s office.

Do not go to the Emergency Department unless instructed by your doctor.

Our team treats patients with several respiratory illnesses every day. We have the training, tools
and techniques in place to isolate and care for patients who are potentially at risk for COVID-19
following the guidelines identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit:

Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Or your local county or city health department

Apr3

00

Covid-19 Press Release

By Stephen Giebler - Pawnee Valley Campus Hospital News

The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus is prepared and ready.

The rise of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a global, national and local concern. We want to assure our patients and the Pawnee Valley community that The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus is working closely with local, state and federal health officials to control spread and provide needed care.

Our top priority is keeping our patients, visitors and staff safe.

We know novel coronavirus is spread person to person; we are taking specific precautions to control the spread of the virus in our facility and community, including:

· Implementing telephone and telehealth Pawnee Valley Medical Associates clinic visits

· Reducing the number of surgical procedures by suspending elective surgeries.

· Performing temperature screenings upon entry into our facilities. We reduced points of entry to direct all arriving visitors and employees to a temperature screening station.

· Suspending nonessential specialty care appointments.

· Suspending walk-in Saturday outpatient lab and clinic visits.

· Preparing for increase in Emergency Department and acute care patients.

· Reducing to no visitors in our hospital, with few exceptions. Any visitor who has a fever or other cold or flu-like symptoms may not enter our facilities.

· Encouraging staff members to work from home if their roles and responsibilities allow it.

· Closing our cafeteria to the public and offering only grab-and-go options for our staff.

· Suspending the use of our conference rooms to external organizations or groups.

Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV or WN-CoV) originating in Wuhan, China

By Stephen Giebler - Pawnee Valley Campus Hospital News

Pawnee Valley is committed to ensuring the health and safety of our patients, staff and the community. We are monitoring to keep abreast of developments and recommendations from the United States Center for Disease Control on the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV or WN-CoV) originating in Wuhan, China.

We will continue to monitor the situation as well. Below you will find links to resources we consider to be reliable sources for additional information on the Novel Coronavirus.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment Website: http://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus/index.htm

CDC Website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

WHO Website: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Apr9

00

National Volunteer Week

By Pawnee Valley Campus Marketing - Pawnee Valley Campus Hospital News

We are so fortunate at Pawnee Valley Campus to have a team of volunteers who are outstanding in their services. The Pawnee Valley Community Auxiliary Ladies bring our healthcare to a higher level each and every day.

This week we invite you to help us recognize their efforts and service for the hospital. Share a cheerful smile, a warm thank you or write a quick note of how the Auxiliary ladies have made a difference for you. We have a display board featured in the main lobby of the hospital to show all of our notes. Pawnee Valley Campus wants to celebrate all they do! We could not function without each and every one of them.

Mar20

00

Dr. Moser informs PVC on Telebehavioral health services

By Pawnee Valley Campus Marketing - Pawnee Valley Campus Hospital News

Last week Dr. Robert Moser from The University of Kansas Health System Care Collaborative team, informed the community on Telebehavioral health services now available at PVC. Pawnee Valley Campus is one of the 10 members that will be a provider the network.

Patients with chronic medical conditions can hurdle a variety of challenges that make it difficult for treatment. Expense, travel, and schedules are just some of the top reasons patients do not seek treatment for mental health. According to a report from the Kansas Health Institute, more than 53% of Kansas’ adults choose not to receive treatment. Kansas ranks 32nd in the nation for access to behavioral health services across the lifespan.

Moser not only recognizes this need, but has advocated for ways to provide convenient, confidential and continued care for rural patients. A video conferencing solution can treat patients with a range of general behavioral concerns. The device allows patients to consult with specialists using a high quality cameras, video and audio to transfer information between the patient and the specialist. At this time services for emergent, crisis situations, high-acuity, severe and persistent mental illness are not available.

The Kansas University of Telemedicine and Telehealth also uses peripherals to further advance video conferencing. Digital stethoscopes transmit heart and lung sounds, an otoscope camera transmits clear images of the ear, nose and throat, a dermoscope camera transmits close details of the skin and an intra-oral scope transmits teeth, tonsils, throat and oral structures for viewing.

Pawnee Valley Campus is excited to bring you advancements in technology. For more information, please contact The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus @620-285-3161.

Mar18

00

New technology benefits patients of The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus

By Pawnee Valley Campus Marketing - Pawnee Valley Campus Hospital News

Special nursing services lead, Jeannie Kolb, RN, received valuable training to perform PICC insertions for patients at The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus. PICC lines are thin tubes, or catheters, used for long-term IV treatments such as antibiotics, nutrition and blood draws. Professionals from The University of Kansas Health System locations in Hays and Kansas City, Kansas provided the training.

Kolb welcomes the opportunity to provide this service to her patients. For those who need to have a PICC line placed in their upper extremity, Kolb uses an advanced ultrasound guidance technology that precisely confirms the tip of the catheter is safely in place. The traditional technique used a chest X-ray for insertion of the PICC line.

This service provides an even higher level of safe, comfortable and timely patient care. PICC lines placed with this technology also result in fewer complications.

As has always been the case, the care team that oversees PICC lines closely monitors patients for follow-up care to greatly reduce the risk of infection.

Safe, high-quality care is always the goal at Pawnee Valley Campus. And Kolb has the skills and training to meet that goal. “You need good critical thinking and, perhaps most important, the focus and commitment to avoid mistakes and protect our patients,” she said.

This technology was made possible in part by the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital Auxiliary, the PVCH Foundation and memorial gifts to the PVCH Foundation on behalf of Marty Turner and Keith Patterson. It’s another healthcare advancement that helps keep patients of Pawnee County close to home.

Aug26

0

HaysMed Wound Care Clinic Added to PVCH Services

By PVCH - Pawnee Valley Campus Hospital News

In an effort to meet the needs of the community, Pawnee Valley Community Hospital will be adding the HaysMed Wound Care Clinic to the line of services offered at the PVCH. The HaysMed Wound Care Clinic will be providing expanded wound treatment for difficult, complicated or atypical wounds.

“In conjunction with HaysMed, we are excited to bring this new service to the communities that we serve,” commented John Hughes, PVCH Administrator. “Chronic wounds can be detrimental to the quality of someone’s life and has the potential to lead to amputation. We want to ensure that our patients receive the best care possible when dealing with these severe injuries.”

Likely candidates for treatment are those suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, and infection and wounds that haven’t healed within 30 days. Other wounds that can be addressed though the Wound Care Clinic are bone infections (osteomyelitis), skin tears or lacerations, burns and slow or non-healing surgical wounds.

In collaboration with Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, specialists from HaysMed’s Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Center will be providing the wound care services in Larned. This unique team of specialists is dedicated to healing chronic wounds and the combined knowledge of the team creates a multidisciplinary approach to wound management.

Treating wounds is a complex task with each case being unique and healing at varying rates. As part of the healing process, the staff at the Wound Care Clinic will teach patients to care for their wound at home between treatments and protect is from further injuries. They will also be available to answer the patient’s questions and give the patient the support they need.

In the United States, chronic wounds affect 6.5 million patients. Diabetes, increased age, obesity and other factors all contribute to the rising number of chronic wound cases and over 2 million Americans will suffer from venous ulcers in their lifetime.

Unfortunately, diabetes affects 8 percent of the total U.S. population – an estimated 26 million people – and 26 percent of those Americans are over the age of 65. The incidence of chronic wounds, especially foot ulcers, increases among those diagnosed with diabetes. Patients with diabetes are also 10 times more likely to require an amputation at some point in their lives. Each year approximately 700,000 diabetics will undergo amputation. The number of chronic wound cases illustrates the tremendous need for wound care in Pawnee Valley Community Hospital’s service area. The Wound Care Clinic provides hope for these patients.

Patients can either be referred by their physician for treatment or if they have had a wound that hasn’t healed within 30 days they can do self-referral. To schedule an appointment they can call 620-285-3161 or 785-623-5602.

Jul2

0

CinemaVision – Now a Reality with PVCH’s MRI

By PVCH - Pawnee Valley Campus Hospital News

Imagine being able to watch your favorite movie during an MRI. This is now a reality for patients at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital with the new CinemaVision technology. These innovative “goggles,” accompanied with MRI safe headphones, immerse patients in a movie of their choice and ultimately help them remain calm during the noisy MRI scan. This also allows technicians to obtain better imaging results without the use of sedation or anesthesia.

“Our hope is that this technology will decrease the anxiety of our patients that getting an MRI can cause.” said Shelly Stanton, Imaging Director at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital. “If you have ever had a pleasure of having an MRI, you have experienced the strain of having to lie perfectly still for about 40 minutes while you hear the constant ping of the MRI during your testing. An MRI is a very important diagnostic tool for many medical conditions, but people do have trouble taking the test, especially if they are a least bit claustrophobic. The loud noise and long period of lying absolutely still can also lead to serious anxiety.”

The MRI goggles produce a video image similar to what a person would experience from a five foot display set while standing ten feet away. So the image will appear as if it is being projected from a distance to prevent any feelings of claustrophobia. Patients have the option of viewing a pre-selected video or bring a favorite DVD from home to watch, or can listen to their favorite CD.

The CinemaVision System was funded through the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital Foundation as a way to improve a patient’s MRI experience. “As an MRI patient myself, I know first-hand the noise you experience during MRI testing. I am so glad to be able to help improve our PVCH’s patients’ experience and reduce their anxiety while they receive MRI testing,” shared Lewis Young, PVCH Foundation Trustee and donor.

Jul2

0

PVCH Vial of Life Program Launched

By PVCH - Pawnee Valley Campus Hospital News

July 1, Pawnee Valley Community Hospital is launching the new Vial of Life program to the citizens of Pawnee County. Essentially the program is designed as a way to capture an individual’s health information in a location that is easily identifiable and assessable for first responders to the scene.

The Vials look like a normal prescription bottle with VIAL OF LIFE on the label with a magnet attached to the bottle. Inside the bottle is a Health Information Sheet along with instructions on how to properly implement the program. The instructions are as follows: 1) Fill out the Health Information Sheet in PENCIL so that in-formation can be updated as needed. Place the Health Information Sheet into the Vial along with a copy of your durable power of attorney or do-not-resuscitate order, if you have them. 2) Place the Vial in a visible spot in the upper right hand corner of your refrigerator where local emergency response teams have been trained to look for it. Then put the magnet on your refrigerator. 3) Take the information sheet with you when you visit your doctor, pharmacist or emergency room. Record any new information, medications or changes to reflect your current status. Replace your Vial in your refrigerator and leave it there unless updates are necessary.

Prior to production the Health Information Sheets were reviewed by both the Larned EMS Director, Josh Huff, and PVCH Nursing Director, Kendra Barker, to make sure that all the information they might need in responding to a medical emergency is included on the form.

“The first responders I have visited with are very excited about this program. They have witnessed first-hand how a patient’s emergency care can be hin-dered when vital health information is not assessable,” shared Linda Henderson, PVCH Marketing Director.

PVCH is training all first responders in Pawnee County on the Vial of Life program. This includes Larned EMS, Larned Police Department, Larned Fire Department, Pawnee County Sheriff, Garfield Fire Department, Burdett Fire Department & EMS and Rozel Fire Department.

The Vials will be available at the PVCH Information desk, ER, Acute, PVMA and other healthcare clinics in the area and the Pawnee County Health Department. The Vials are free to the public.