April 1999

Perham Memorial will be ready for Y2K

PMHH is well on its way to ensuring a smooth transition into the 21st century. Our project task force has been addressing the Y2K issue since January of last year, when it identified our Year 2000 compliance statement - "Identify and prevent failures of PMHH business processes due to computer systems errors in handling century dates."

The Y2K issue stems from computer systems and equipment originally programmed to read and calculate the year as a two-digit number - such as "99" to represent 1999. The first two digits of the year are assumed "19." Decades ago, because memory and storage were very costly, this two-digit date system was designed to make products more affordable. Unfortunately, with two-digit dates, computers and microchips cannot distinguish between centuries. Thus, when we enter the new millennium, programs utilizing a two-digit date may interpret "00" as 1900. This mistake is predicted to cause a wide variety of problems, ranging from immediate total system or equipment failures, to malfunctions, to no impact at all.

Y2K

PMHH's Year 2000 compliance plan consists of five phases - of which the first three have been completed:
1. awareness - educating employees, board of trustees, and the public
2. inventory and analysis - assess internal and external systems and hardware
3. solutions - identify, prioritize, fix, replace, or eliminate non-compliant items
4. test systems to verify compliance
5. implementation of solutions - retest, work on external systems, and contingency planning

As of this printing, we are well into phase four of our plan with completion expected by the end of this month. The remaining eight months of this year will be spent developing our contingency plans, working with external vendors, and retesting where necessary.
Overall, PMHH is well prepared to handle the Y2K issue. Several of the major computer systems and software packages have recently been replaced or will be by the end of the present month. Each of these systems is Y2K compliant or requires only minor upgrades to bring them into compliance. PMHH is also in good position regarding compliance of its medical equipment, having upgraded major diagnostic equipment on a regular basis through the years. This holds true for the mechanical systems in the facility as well - upgrades have been made as remodeling and additions to the physical plant have been completed.

PMHH is systematically walking through its compliance plan to make sure "all the bases have been covered." Even so, there is always a possibility that a malfunction or failure could occur and cause disruption in normal hospital and nursing home operations. This being the case, our next critical step will be to develop department-by-department contingency plans detailing how each will respond in the event a failure or malfunction occurs. PMHH will spend the remaining months of this century developing these action plans.

As with most businesses operating today, computers have become an integral component of our normal operations. Online admissions, patient accounting systems, computer networks, monitoring and diagnostic equipment - especially in the surgery, lab, and radiology areas - are all bound to computer hardware or software to function. As a result, the Year 2000 project is a high priority at PMHH.
We feel good about the progress we have made and where we currently stand regarding Y2K compliance. There is still work to be done, but we are confident PMHH will be ready when the new millennium rolls around.

Home Care creates Advisory Board

Perham Memorial Home Care has established an advisory board to act as a liaison between the public and the home care agency. The 14-member board consists of individuals from the community who are encouraged to bring comments and ideas from their fellow community members to the home care agency. With this communication system in place, Perham Memorial Home Care believes it can better meet the needs of this area by improving current programs and fostering new program development.

"These 14 people are our eyes and ears to the community," states Dan Peterson, director of the home care agency. "We're hoping this conduit between our agency and the public will help the public in understanding what home care is all about - specifically Perham Memorial Home Care."

Participating on the advisory board and representing their respective communities are Mary Wilkowski, Betty Marweg, Jeanette Kupferschmid, Kathy Hemmelgarn, Arlene Ceynowa, Don Swenson, LuAnn Carow, and Vi Von Ruden, Perham; Jan Parta and Kathy Simpson, New York Mills; Pat Ahlfs, Ottertail; George Borgerding, Dent; Paul Pinke, Vergas; and Tom Mickelson, Frazee. The home care director stresses that residents of these communities are encouraged to contact any advisory board member with comments or questions you may have regarding the home care agency, or contact Peterson at 346-1192.

Perham Memorial Home Care has been providing home health in the area since 1984 and independently since May 1998, and is a service of Perham Memorial Hospital and Home. Its staff of four registered nurses and 12 home health aides offers a wide spectrum of services including IV therapy, wound care, dressing changes, lab work, bathing, housekeeping duties, and light meal preparation. In addition, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and medical social services are offered through the agency.

Front, left to right: Pat Ahlfs, Jeanette Kupferschmid, Dr. Frank LaBlanc, medical director, Mary Wilkowski, and LuAnn Carow. Back, left to right: Kathy Simpson, Kathy Hemmelgarn, George Borgerding, Betty Marweg, Vi Von Ruden, Tom Mickelson, and Jan Parta. Not pictured: Arlene Ceynowa, Don Swenson, and Paul Pinke.

Going above and beyond every day action for award winners

Two local individuals have recently been recognized for their commitment to enhancing the life for seniors. Mary Hemmelgarn and Annette Riestenberg have been awarded two of Minnesota Health & Housing Alliance's (MHHA) annual recognition honors for going "above and beyond" to enhance the quality of life for older adults; for demonstrating a steadfast commitment to Minnesota's elderly; and for providing exceptional service to a MHHA-member facility of which PMHH is, their residents and to the community.

Mary Hemmelgarn
Mary Hemmelgarn, an outstanding volunteer with PMHH, has been named MHHA's statewide "Volunteer/Auxilian of the Year" for 1999. Mary has volunteered at PMHH for well over 20 years, and is that unique volunteer who tells everyone she is part of the organization. PMHH staff call her our 80 year-old wonder.

When Mary first started volunteering, she would visit with residents and shop for them if asked, often spending many hours on her own. From this task came the idea of having a weekly shopping cart that goes through the facility, where residents can purchase items in the cart or request other items from town. She reads the newspaper to residents each week and spends time visiting with each resident she can. She often is heard to say, "I need to make sure I see each of 'my people' before I leave." She also assists the facility with many special events, helps transport residents to community outings, church and medical appointments, has attended area-wide resident council meetings, and is called "a ray of sunshine" by residents and staff alike.

If there is an event or activity in Perham, you will likely find her helping out. Mary is that special individual who has devoted her life to helping other people. "She truly enhances the quality of life of the residents and the community, and is an exceptional example of promoting our mission and goals, said Chuck Hofius, PMHH administrator. "We are very grateful that Mary is able to share herself with us."
Annette Riestenberg
Annette Riestenberg has been named MHHA's District C "Caregiver of the Year." A nurse at Perham Memorial Nursing Home for the past 12 years, Annette was selected for this honor from 42 nursing homes in District C, one of seven geographic districts in the state.

"She exemplifies the characteristics of what we would see as the 'best of the best' when it comes to long term care staff," said Marilyn Oelfke, director of nursing. Annette continuously seeks educational opportunities that will enhance her knowledge and skills in caring for the elderly. Thus, she has been certified in gerontological nursing since 1992 and was instrumental in developing the pain management program at the nursing home.
A contributing factor to Annette receiving the caregiver of the year honors for District C comes from the supporting references submitted to MHHA with her nomination. An excerpt from a letter submitted by Irvin Thompson, a resident of Perham Memorial Nursing Home, reads "I see Annette and she smiles at me. I wish I could put into words how special she is. I know that she cares about me as a person and I feel very fortunate to know her."

Support Groups

Perham Memorial Hospital and Home hosts several support groups in our efforts to assist and educate those persons with special needs. If you would like specific information regarding any of these support groups, please contact our social services department at 346-1187.
Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - meets the 4th Monday of each month at 7 p.m.
Alzheimers - meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., Kathy Schrandt group facilitator
Cardiac Rehab - meets the 1st Wednesday of each month from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Julie Engel group facilitator
Multiple Sclerosis - meets the 4th Thursday of each month at 1 p.m., Mary Chase group facilitator
Diabetes - meets the 4th Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Gen Keranen group facilitator
Grief - a six week program held throughout the year, Kay Helm group facilitator
Cancer - meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m., Judy Kunza group facilitator

And the winners are...

Winners of a Perham Memorial Hospital and Home sweatshirt at the Perham Farm and Trade Show in February are Merle Lange, Ottertail; Greg Meyer, Dent; Lori Johnson, Ottertail; Elaine Pietsch, Richville; Nancy Huntly, Perham; Mary Roggenkamp, Bluffton; and Dolly Nundahl, Perham.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth for a blood pressure check, fresh popcorn, information about our services, or just to say "hi." Volunteers Wanted
If you've been thinking about volunteering your time and talents and been wondering where to go, look no further, we want you! Join our team of nearly 100 volunteers who give of themselves to help others. PMHH needs persons to volunteer for the following:
• activities - to assist with afternoon and evening games
• clerical duties - several of our departments are seeking someone to help with filing, photocopying, etc.
• maintenance - summer help in weeding and watering the flower beds and in filling bird feeders

Please call Paula Kitzmann at
346-1187 if you're interested in joining our volunteer team.