Open House planned for Women's Health Center
& new Diagnostic Services area
Spencer Hospital is hosting an Open House for it's newly renovated Women's Health Center and Diagnostic Imaging Services area on Monday, May 12 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
"We encourage everyone to come out and tour these beautiful facilities," invited Susan Zulk, Public Relations Director. "We have relocated our Women's Resource Center within the hospital and positioned it adjacent to several diagnostic imaging disciplines related to women's health including ultrasound, digital mammography and bone density. This new area also houses the latest in Nuclear Medicine technology. The new area is quite inviting and offers wonderful privacy for our patients."
The open house is being held during the same time period the hospital and Avera Spencer Family Care are co-hosting screening activities for National Women's Health Check-up Day. Those who stop by for the open house are also welcome to visit the lower level conference center of Spencer Hospital to participate in the complimentary screenings.
Colorectal Cancer: Screening Saves Lives!
Colorectal cancer is highly preventable, treatable and often curable when detected early. However, it is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. So learn the facts and get tested. It could save your life.
Spencer Hospital Community Health Services has colorectal cancer screening kits available to the public for $2 per kit. The kits will be available at Spencer Hospital’s Community Health Services, the Emergency Department, and Agrisafe, and at Spencer Family Care-Avera Health.
These FOBT kits screen for hidden blood in the stool. The at-home screening kit requires a small stool sample that will need to be sent to our lab for analysis. Participants will be notified of their results by mail. There are a few minor dietary and drug guidelines to follow prior to the test to avoid a false reading. These guidelines are printed in the kit. It is important to remember that these kits screen for hidden blood only, and do not replace the necessity of a colonoscopy or other tests.
If more information is needed, contact Clay County Community Health Services Spencer Hospital at 264-6468.
Abben project receives Foundation gift
The Spencer Regional Healthcare Foundation board voted to provide a half million dollars of support toward Spencer Hospital’s expansion and equipment upgrade for Abben Cancer Center. The $500,000 gift will help offset expenses for the total project which are estimated at $4.2 million.
“On behalf of our entire Foundation board, I must say we’re very pleased to support this project,” stated Leon Rodas, President of the Spencer Regional Healthcare Foundation. “The Foundation has been able to fund several beneficial projects enhancing healthcare in our region; however, hands down our proudest moment comes from when we raised funds through tremendous community support to originally build and equip the Abben Cancer Center.”
Rodas went on to explain that a portion of the $500,000 gift was left to the Foundation in the Abben family’s estate to be used toward a construction project. “What better construction project could there be than to further enhance the center named after this benevolent couple,” he commented. The remainder of the Foundation’s contribution comes from many donors who have designated their gifts be used for Abben Cancer Center and the people served there.
The expansion to Abben Cancer Center is slated to begin as soon as spring weather permits. “We take pride in having exceptional staff at Abben as well as state-of-the-art equipment,” commented Doug Doorn, President and CEO of Spencer Hospital. “We have frequently upgraded equipment and software in the 10 years Abben Cancer Center has been open. Now, it’s time to completely replace our linear accelerator, the equipment used in providing radiation therapy, to continue to have top-of-the-line technology.”
Spencer Hospital Wins National Top Performer Award
Spencer Hospital is proud to announce that Press Ganey Associates, Inc. has named it a 2007 Summit Award Winner at its annual conference held in Florida last week. The Summit Award recognizes top performing facilities that sustain the highest level of customer satisfaction for three or more consecutive years. Spencer Hospital’s Emergency Department is one of the 12 Emergency Departments from a comparison pool of nearly 1,000 hospitals across the country to receive this prestigious honor in 2007.
“Our goal has always been to provide the same quality care we would expect to receive,” commented Deb Brodersen, Emergency Department Director. “That personal attention to detail and concern for each patient has yielded patient satisfaction scores above the 93rd percentile since the spring of 2001. During that time, we’ve achieved the 99th percentile in patient satisfaction for eight quarters, including our most recent three.”
Brodersen continued: “We know that a trip to the Emergency Department is highly stressful and we also know that we may miss the mark on providing optimal satisfaction every time; however, that remains our goal.”
Doug Doorn, Spencer Hospital President & CEO, commented: “We are very proud of our Emergency Department and Ambulance staff. Medical needs come first but our staff doesn’t stop there as they look for ways to provide reassurance and assistance at each turn.”
Doorn added: “While our Emergency Department has received this outstanding award, I’d like to recognize all Spencer Hospital employees and volunteers for their focus on patient satisfaction. The past three quarters our overall patient satisfaction scores have reached the 99th percentile which demonstrates a commitment to providing excellent, compassionate service throughout our organization.”
Dual fitness center memberships offered
Two local organizations - Spencer Family YMCA and Spencer Hospital’s Wellness Center - are teaming up to offer a joint membership program to meet the needs of their members who are interested in expanded amenities.
“Spencer Family YMCA and Spencer Hospital are two community organizations both dedicated to health and wellness,” commented Jason Trierweiler, Spencer Hospital Wellness Center Director. “We have worked together on several joint programs in the past which have been well received. Now we’d like to expand that to better meet the needs of some of our mutual members and potential members as well.”
Becky LaBarre, Spencer Family YMCA Executive Director, added: “Our YMCA offers a myriad of programs and amenities. A joint YMCA-AE member can take a fitness class, use the pool, join a game of pickup basketball, play racquetball and so much more. Then, for the joint member who wishes to have 24-access to a fitness facility as well as access to Master’s level exercise specialists, Spencer Hospital’s Athletic Enhancement and Adult Wellness offer these services.”
Trierweiler explained, “We currently have people who are both YMCA members and AE members because they appreciate the individual benefits each service offers. We want to make it easier and more financially possible for people who are interested in belonging to both wellness entities so the hospital staff and YMCA staff have teamed up to provide a 20 percent discount for individuals who wish to have dual memberships on an annual basis.”
LaBarre explained that since both entities have different membership categories, initially the joint membership will be offered to individual members in four categories: student, adult, married couple or senior citizen. “We plan to trial the joint membership with three membership categories initially based on annual memberships. In the future we hope to expand the discounted membership for other categories as well,” LaBarre explained.
For more information on the joint membership discount, please contact either Jason Trierweiler, Spencer Hospital Wellness Center Director, 712-264-6633, or Tiffany Hart, Spencer Family YMCA Membership & Marketing Director, 712-262-3782.
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