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Fall 2002
Cardiac rehab making a difference in people's lives
Program celebrates 10 years helping others
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| Jan Meyer, RN, (left) and Julie Engel, RN/Cardiac Rehab Coordinator, help patients three days a week on the road to a healthier life. |
Bertha Hofland has been volunteering at Perham Memorial Hospital and Home for 15 years. She attributes healthy lifestyle changes she made nearly 10 years ago to being able to volunteer 350 plus hours a year - at the age of 82.Her lifestyle changes came as the result of a heart attackback inMarch1993. Bertha didn't suffer any permanent damage to her heart, but was told by her physician that to avoid a second attack, she would need to make some changes.
Bertha was one of the first patients referred to the new cardiac rehab program at Perham Memorial Hospital. Formed only a couple months before, the program was developed to assist people in safely beginning an exercise program and in learning healthy lifestyle changes needed to help prevent recurrent heart problems. "I have no doubt in my mind that the cardiac rehab program is why I'm as healthy as I am today," Bertha stated. "Three times a week for 12 weeks, I went to rehab where I learned exercise and nutrition habits that I still use today."
The program has grown immensely since Bertha's time. Cardiac rehab coordinator, Julie Engel, RN, remembers when the department first started 10 years ago. "Our first department was actually in a hospital patient room and our equipment consisted of an old treadmill that worked fine but was somewhat loud, an exercise bike borrowed from physical therapy, and a Jane Fonda stepper," she recalled. "I found an old desk from St. James Hospital and we rented the telemetry equipment used to monitor the patient's heart rhythm." "It was small and crowded," remembers Bertha.
 It didn't take long to realize more space was needed for the growing program. In 1994, an outpatient services wing was added to the east side of the hospital. The cardiac rehab department moved to its new and larger location. A new treadmill, two Nusteps, and an exercise bike were added at that time. Most recently, ECG stress testing equipment has been added to perform treadmill stress tests.
Engel says cardiac rehab patients learn a lot from each other and gain support from one another. "Over the years, many of the 'workout partners' have made lasting friendships and continue to meet socially to exercise or just get together." "Since the program began in 1992, we've graduated more than 350 students," grins Engel. "We take a picture of each graduate with their certificate of completion and display it in a special place in the department. These people have worked very hard at making their lives healthier and we think they deserve to be honored for their accomplishments."
"The cardiac rehab program worked wonders for me," adds Bertha. "If you need to make changes to your life because you have heart problems, this is the way to do it. Look at me. I'm 82 years old and feeling great."
A Message
From The
CEO
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A NURSING HOME LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE
If you are one of those people who don't like nursing homes, find them depressing, or avoid them at all costs, watch out! The new nursing home concept being developed at PMHH is sure to change your mind. We're going through a process we are calling "deep culture change". We're putting everything on the table and redesigning, first, our model of care delivery, and then, designing our building around that model. In the end, we will have many new roles within our organization and an extensive addition and remodeling project.
PMHH has always had an outstanding record of excellent resident care. I've always said I'd put our care up against any nursing home in the state. I'm so proud of the excellent and caring staff we have who are truly dedicated to our residents. This whole culture change is not about medical care; it's all about quality of life. How can we deliver the same outstanding medical care in a setting that is very different? A setting where both residents and caregivers enjoy living and working.
The idea so far is to break our nursing home into small "households" of 16 residents. Each household will have their own dining and living areas and function together much like a family. Staff will primarily serve only one household so there is a lot of consistency and strong bonds can develop between caregiver and resident. Those working in the household will likely be universal workers; providing care, serving meals, doing the household chores of laundry and cleaning, as well as developing activities with the residents. I imagine a place where everyone gets up whenever they want and eat when they are hungry. The group gathers together and decides what they would like to do for the day and they develop their own activities based upon the interest of the group.
In many ways we're going back to the roots of long-term-care delivery where people were cared for in homes or very small group settings. Where there were very personal relationships between caregiver and resident. Where we weren't burdened by the routines and regulations of a large institution. The problem back then was that the quality of the medical care often left something to be desired. In the process of improving that quality, the industry lost focus on quality of life. This new concept will meld those two in a way we believe you will really appreciate.
If you've got an idea on changes you would like to see, please share them with us. At this point, the future is an open book just waiting for the authors to pen their creations. We are committed to making this very specific to the communities we serve. That means we need to hear from you!
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Specialists provide convenient, local care close to home
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We know how important it is to be close to home and family when you're not feeling well. A long drive to see a doctor is no fun. That's why PMHH works hard at bringing the health care you need close to home. Here's a look at the growing list of specialists you can see in Perham.
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SEGAL
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Dr. Michael Segal specializes in urology. As an urologist, Dr. Segal specializes in treating conditions of the kidneys and urinary systems of men, women, and children. This includes kidney stones, tumors of the kidney, tumors of the bladder, incontinence, tumors of the prostate, male infertility and impotence. Dr. Segal's special interests are kidney stones and urologic cancer. |
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LEICHTER
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Dr. Jeff Leichter is a doctorate-level trained clinical psychologist who specializes in the diagnosis and non-medical treatment of mental health concerns. Through a variety of techniques, including psychotherapy (individual, couple, family, or group), psychological assessments, and consultations, he helps persons who are experiencing emotional, behavioral, and relationship problems improve their functionality. Conditions Dr. Leichter often treats include depression, anxiety, adjustment, and pain disorders. |
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ARNESS
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| Dr. Richard Arness is a doctor of podiatric medicine. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment – both surgical and medical – of a wide range of foot disorders and abnormalities. Conditions often treated include bunions, hammer toes, and foot ulcers. His special interests include reconstructive foot surgery, diabetic foot care, and sports medicine. |
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DERANEY
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Dr. Jaimie Deraney specializes in women's health. His specialty includes gynecology, which is the medical and surgical treatment of diseases of the reproductive organs; and obstetrics, which is the care of pregnant women and the delivery of babies. Beyond prenatal care, conditions often treated include vaginal infections, pelvic pain, endometriosis, infertility, and cancer of the reproductive organs. |
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STRINDEN
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| Dr. Tom Strinden is an ophthalmologist providing comprehensive eye care. His practice emphasis is cataract and refractive surgery. He also provides pediatric eye care, diabetic eye care, eye muscle surgery, eyelid surgery, tearing disorders and glaucoma surgery. |
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THORP
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Dr. Adam Thorp specializes in orthopaedic surgery. He cares for conditions, injuries, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Areas of interest include arthroscopic surgery, athletic/sports injuries, total joint replacements, and fracture care. |
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RODENBIKER
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Dr. Harold Rodenbiker is an eye surgical specialist. His expertise is in cataract and lens implant surgery, corneal transplants, glaucoma surgery, and other anterior segment eye surgeries. |
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To make an appointment with Drs. Deraney, Arness, Thorp, or Segal, call MeritCare Clinic Perham at 346-4040. Referrals to Dr. Strinden and Dr. Rodenbiker are arranged through your optometrist.
How to indentify ear infections in your children
 Ear infections are the No. 1 reason parents take their kids to health care providers. Middle ear infections are most common in children under age three. Young children have short, soft, more horizontal eustachian tubes that are more easily blocked than those of older children and adults. If left untreated, these infections can lead to permanent hearing loss or meningitis. Hearing loss is of greatest concern for young children because normal hearing is critical in developing basic speech and language skills.
Because it's likely your children will get ear infections at some point, it's important for you to be able to recognize the symptoms and seek prompt medical treatment. Ear infections most commonly occur when cold symptoms, such as a runny or stuffy nose and cough, have been present for a few days. Other common symptoms of ear infections include ear pain, difficulty hearing, fever, dizziness, and fluid pus or blood in the ear canal. If you notice these symptoms in your child, take him or her to your primary physician right away.
A typical treatment plan
Most ear infections (up to 80%) resolve without taking antibiotics. However, most doctors choose to treat all ear infections in children age two and younger to prevent complications such as hearing loss.
Most children who have ear infections are prescribed antibiotics to kill the infection. Be sure to give your child his or her antibiotic for the entire period prescribed (usually about 10 days) even if he or she feels better before then. To reduce pain and fever, your child's physician may also recommend chewing gum, an extra pillow at night, warm towels against the ear or an over-the-counter medication.
| CAUTION: Do not give your children aspirin. It has been linked to Reye's Syndrome, a sometimes-fatal disease that occurs in children and teenagers. |
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Hospital District board of trustees has same look following elections
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| Back row: Cal Dockter, Kathy Hemmelgarn, Rosie Borgerding, Perry Coleman, LuAnn Carow, Gil Ebner, Bernice Genoch, and Armin Rubbert. Front row: Gail Quittschreiber, Bill Cavanagh, Jack Werner, Jerry Kunza, Betty Cordes, and Jane Aschnewitz. |
The Perham Hospital District board of trustees will look the same the next couple years as a result of last week's elections. Voters re-elected five board members who re-filed for the position and wrote-in two other members whose names were not on the ballot but had previously served.
Gilbert Ebner, Richville; Jerry Kunza, Perham; LuAnn Carow, Gorman Township; Jane Aschnewitz, Dora Township; and Bill Cavanagh, Perham Township; filed with their respective city or township and gained re-election. Betty Cordes represented Otter Tail Township and had indicated she would not re-file. However, Betty was re-elected as the result of write-ins on the ballot by the voters in that township. Perry Coleman has represented the city of Dent on the board for the past four years but could not re-file for the position since he was on the ballot for Mayor of Dent. Law prohibits an individual from running for more than one elected position at a time. He's back on the board, though, winning the position as the result of write-in votes which is acceptable by law.
Other members on the board of trustees include Cal Dockter, member-at-large; Kathy Hemmelgarn, Pine Lake Township; Rosie Borgerding, Edna Township; Bernice Genoch, Dead Lake Township; Armin Rubbert, Star Lake Township; Gail Quittschreiber, Corliss Township; and Jack Werner, Rush Lake Township.
As trustees, chosen officials are elected to four-year terms overseeing the operations of the hospital, nursing home, Briarwood, home health, East Ottertail Pharmacy, and the ambulance management contract. The board of trustees meets the last Wednesday of each month at PMHH.
Step into a great career at Perham Memorial Hospital!
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| Let your potential bloom with a new job at Perham Memorial Hospital, where we take pride in our exceptional employee satisfaction scores. With competitive wages and a great benefit package, Perham Memorial Hospital will help you flourish. |
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We have positions available in the following areas:
- Social Services
- Laboratory
- Nursing
- Food Service
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Click here for a list of current job openings and specific position information. |
Celeste Hansen,
Physical Therapist at Perham Memorial Hospital |
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Human Resources • Kathy Johnson
665 3rd Street S.W., Perham, MN 56573
(218) 346-4500 • kjohnson@pmhh.com
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| 'Say Cheese' to Baby Book at Perham Memorial Hospital |
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| Proud grandparents and relatives around the globe can see your baby's first photo with the click of a mouse.
Pictures are accessible by clicking here. Parents provide consent to place their baby's picture on the Internet along with some fun facts – date of birth, baby name, weight, height, and time of birth. Photos will stay on the site for at least one year and then are archived.
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Perham Memorial Hospital and Home 665 3rd Street S.W. Perham, MN 56573 (218) 346-4500
The employees and board of trustees Perham Memorial Hospital and Home
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