MONDAY JANUARY 23RD...MITCHELL COUNTY HOSPITAL HEALTH SYSTEMS ANNUAL BANQUET

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Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems

Annual Board Dinner

January 26, 2015

By Terry Bailey

A crowd of about sixty people gathered at the Beloit County Club Monday evening to review the state of affairs of the Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems. This annual summit provides a look at how our local hospital is doing. It was highly apparent that many activities other than patient care are a part of the successful functioning of the hospital. The business of health care is wide ranging.

Curt Frazier, master of ceremonies for the evening, introduced the Board of Directors. Frazier is the Chairperson, Dr. Kris Kimple is trustee, Pat Gray is the Vice-Chairperson, Mike Heller is the Treasurer, Carla McPeak and Brigit Gasper are Trustees and Bob Lampert is the Secretary. Lampert, who has served on the Board of Directors since two thousand four, is retiring from the Board.

Frazier then introduced the Directors of various Departments and Ancillary groups. The hospital has experienced continued success year after year after year. The reason for the success was obvious – It is the people who make our local hospital one the outstanding health care facilities in North Central Kansas and beyond.

The people associated with the hospital from the Board of Directors to the maintenance staff do the things necessary to build and sustain a successful facility. The doctors do it. The nurses and the aides do it. The dietary staff does it. The clerical staff does it. Everybody does their job and a little more.

As each Director spoke, they quickly began speaking about people. Stephanie Simmons, Director of the Medical Foundation, highlighted the work done to realize the dream of turning the Perdue House into a guest house for those who have loved ones in the hospital. She said, “This has been a labor of love for many, many people over the last few years.”

Ilene Bunger, filling in for Vicki Mears, gave an accounting of the activities in the Economy Shop. People make the Economy Shop go. Bunger said they have twenty-five regular volunteers at the Economy Shop. In addition to those helpers, in the year two thousand fourteen, six thousand one hundred thirty four customers made purchases from the Economy Shop giving it a total income of thirty thousand, eight hundred thirty-two dollars. Lots of people.

Looking at recognition of years of service of employees at the hospital it was evident that, once again, people are the backbone of the institution.

People who were recognized for fifteen years of employment were: Peggy Smith, Sylvia Budke, Erin Stewart, Patti Bonham, Loretta Nelson, Stefani Waggle and Leanne Eilert.

Ron Botka and Sheila Wagner were twenty-five year employees. Rolenda Corpstein was recognized for thirty years of service.

Four employees have worked at the hospital for thirty-five years: Joan Schwerrman, Delvina Letourneau, Pat Bergman and Doris Shroyer. Jo Rehmert has logged forty years of service. Donna Morrell earns the title for most years of service. Morrell has been a part of Mitchell County Hospital for an unbelievable forty-five years. There is an unsubstantiated rumor that she began working at the hospital when she was in the first grade but that cannot be verified. The total years of service for this group of loyal employees adds up to three hundred eighty-five years.

Frazier introduced Jeremy Armstrong, the new CEO of the hospital, to the group. Armstrong is obviously a very brave and courageous man as he proclaimed his strong allegiance to a major state university whose mascot is not a cat nor a shock of wheat.

Armstrong’s major point of emphasis was Sustaining Exceptional Health Care Through Transition. He noted that much building has been done to make the Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems a leader in Rural Kansas health care. Having created a superior health care facility, the goal is to sustain it. The future of health all across the United States has many uncertainties. We will need all our people to continue being successful.

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Beloit, KS 67420, USA