The Meaning of Care Magazine - Spring 2018 by Nebraska Methodist Health System

Spring 2018

Tackling Patient Care as a Community Page 8

President’s Letter Community. For Methodist Health System, it’s more than simply a place we work. Every day we care for our friends, our neighbors and our own loved ones in our hospitals, at our clinics and through our many community endeavors. This isn’t anything new for us. We have been caring for our community for 126 years – it was important to our founding fathers and it is still an important part of who we are and what we do today.

Steve Goeser

President and CEO Methodist Health System

Seeing a need to care for patients after discharge prompted our team at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs to take a closer look. They began exploring ways to partner with agencies in the community to help with transportation, meals, rent and more to help remove barriers that can make getting and staying healthy a challenge for our patients. The results are impressive, and we know the collaboration is improving quality of life for those in the community. Finding organizations that parallel our mission and culture resulted in the recent opening of our Methodist Community Health Clinic as part of Kountze Commons – an initiative that was the brainchild of dedicated physicians who are also parishioners at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church. Located at 26th and Douglas, our clinic provides access to care for those in our community who are uninsured and underinsured. Nebraska Methodist College staff and students take our care on the road – to churches, north and south Omaha health fairs, grocery store parking lots and homeless shelters – to provide health screenings and testing to adults and children through our Mobile Diabetes Unit and lead testing programs. Our passion for The Meaning of Care goes beyond our hospital and clinic walls as we strive for a healthier community – a place we call home. Sincerely,

and i Bardon

: Tam

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Lorrie R

Doing More Good Together Page 4

Tackling Patient Care as a Community Page 8

Better Health Brighter Futures Page 12

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in a health care marketplace that is highly competitive.” Accessing Methodist Virtual Care is simple: download the app, which is available for both Android and Apple devices, and enroll. You can also access from your computer. Methodist Virtual Care is a wonderful option for those afterhours illnesses that just can’t wait until morning. To learn more about Methodist Virtual Care, visit bestcare.org/virtualcare.

Methodist Debuts Virtual Care

Illnesses don’t always occur between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. A sore throat strikes at 10 p.m., your child wakes with a fever overnight or that nasty headache just won’t go away in the wee hours of the morning. With Methodist Virtual Care, we have you covered 24/7. Methodist Virtual Care, launched in 2017, allows you to quickly connect and video chat face to face with a physician who can diagnose, suggest follow-up and prescribe medication (when appropriate) for minor medical issues that occur outside of office hours, or may not warrant a trip to the clinic. No appointment is required, and for just $39 per visit, Methodist Virtual Care can be accessed from the comfort of your home or even while away on vacation – wherever you have an internet connection. All physicians are U.S. trained and boardcertified, and average 10 to 15 years of medical experience.

Mobile Mammography Hitting the Road to Enhance Screening Access This summer, Methodist Health System will launch Methodist Mobile 3D Mammography, a new 3D mobile mammography unit that is the first of its kind in the region.

In the fight against breast cancer, early detection is critical. Statistics show that Nebraska ranks 40th out of 50 states for mammogram screening. With Methodist Mobile Mammography helping to improve access to lifesaving screenings, we hope to turn those statistics around. Sections of Douglas and Saunders counties have been named priority screening access areas by Susan G. Komen Great Plains because of dramatically higher rates of late-stage breast cancer diagnosis and death due to breast cancer.

Methodist will work closely with Charles Drew Health Center and One World Community Health to provide screenings to uninsured and underinsured women. The mobile unit can accommodate 16 screenings per day. Screening opportunities for Omaha employers are also on the horizon, allowing these important screenings to occur as a wellness event for businesses in the community. “Methodist Mobile 3D Mammography is going to be a game-changer for the Omaha community,” said Sharlon Rodgers, service executive for diagnostic imaging at Methodist. “Access is a health care barrier for so many in our community. That will no longer be the case for mammograms, thanks to the support of generous donors and our community partners who have made this possible. Methodist is very proud to be making a difference in the health and well-being of our community.” The 38½-foot state-of-the-art mobile mammography unit will feature 3D breast screening at a low radiation dose to patients, while providing enhanced image quality for radiologists evaluating the images for early breast cancer detection. Methodist Mobile 3D Mammography has been made possible through a partnership with Susan G. Komen Great Plains, the Harper Family Foundation and many other generous donors in the Omaha community. To learn more about Methodist Mobile 3D Mammography, visit MethodistMobile3D.org.

“Surveys show that two-thirds of Americans are willing or want to see a doctor by video chat,” said Dr. Steven Zuber, corporate vice president and chief information officer for Methodist Health System. “Methodist Virtual Care is an essential and strategic move forward

Spring 2018

DOING MORE GOOD

Together Story by Julie Cerney

Cindy Hampton enjoys the encouragement she receives from Diane Millea, DNP, APRN, at the new Methodist Community Health Clinic.

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Methodist Community Health Clinic and Kountze Commons Partnership Help Omahans in Need “Angels work here.” Doug Hamlet can be soft-spoken, almost shy, but not about his admiration for the team of caregivers at Methodist Community Health Clinic. He’s a regular at the clinic, drawn by the kind and expert care he receives. Doug has multiple chronic conditions that need attention, but no insurance or steady income. Here, those aren’t barriers to health care. “Every patient who walks through our door will be welcomed,” explained Dr. Lindsay Northam, medical director of the clinic, “the fully insured, the underinsured and the uninsured.” This warm welcome began in 1996 with the opening of Methodist’s Renaissance Health Clinic at 36th and Cuming streets. The building was home to Methodist Hospital and then to Methodist Midtown Hospital before being sold to the Salvation Army for $1 in 1990. Last year, the Salvation Army razed the aging building to make way for its campus, Heritage Place. The necessary relocation of Methodist’s community clinic — and the desire to give it a more modern, spacious, client-convenient and supportive setting — inspired creative planning and an innovative partnership to bring more charitable services together, in one location, to better serve those in need. The result is the new Methodist Community Health Clinic, part of Kountze Commons at 26th Avenue and Douglas Street in midtown Omaha. Hamlet recognized the difference immediately. “This facility is brand new and beautiful,” said Hamlet. “I can’t believe people care enough for poor people to build this place!”

Care and Caring for the Community

Methodist Community Health Clinic is a 4,500-square-foot facility featuring a comfortable reception area, a nursing station, seven large exam rooms, an on-site lab for point-of-care testing, a medicine prep room for immunizations and other non-narcotic

Diane Millea, DNP, APRN, and Lindsay Northam, MD, consult on a patient’s plan of care.

injectables, a conference/education room and online language translation services from certified medical interpreters. “Our goals center on patient education and empowerment, access to quality primary care and chronic disease prevention and management,” said Rhonda Clements, BSN, RN, the clinic’s program manager. “We do everything we can to keep people healthy and out of the hospital.” On the front lines of care are two dedicated nurse practitioners: Diane Millea, DNP, APRN, and Sandi Leaders, MSN, APRN, the newest member of the clinical team. Millea, who provided primary care at the 36th and Cuming location for 20 years, described the new clinic as “absolutely worth the wait,” and she delights in the amenities and efficiencies now available to patients and staff. The Methodist Community Health Clinic exists because anyone can lose a job or lose insurance. Anyone can face impossibly high deductibles, copays or medication costs. “Being down on your luck is hard enough. You should not have to go to a shabby or less safe location for care,” said Northam. “Ours is the area’s newest and most beautiful clinic. People enter and feel the love. We care for them like any other patient because they are like any other patient.” Everyone on the clinic team feels called to this work, these patients and the opportunity to make a real difference.

“People work here because they want to do more for the community,” said Tracy Lee, the clinic’s office assistant. “I love our patients. They’re awesome, so appreciative and such good people.”

Methodist Community Health Clinic

Support from Methodist Hospital, Methodist Hospital Foundation, government programs and grants makes low-cost primary care available, including: • Physical exams • Treatment of minor illnesses • Management of diabetes, hypertension and other chronic illnesses • Health education • Reproductive health and pregnancy testing • Flu shots and adult immunizations • Specialized follow-up care (not initial exams) for victims of sexual assault • Free, anonymous STD and HIV testing, treatment and risk counseling For information and appointments, call (402) 354-3198.

Spring 2018

Mohamed Elhelaly, left, appreciates the warm welcome from Rhonda Clements, BSN, RN, and the Methodist Community Health Clinic team.

Good People

“I don’t know what I would have done without this clinic,” said Leressa Joiner, who struggled with serious medical and family issues before attaining a healthier new normal with the help of Millea and the clinic team. “They know you and want the best for you,” said Joiner. “They really do have that personal touch and can give you the hug that might make all the difference in the world.” Cindy Hampton was uninsured when she came in for a checkup 10 years ago. What she learned was shocking and potentially lifesaving. She’d sensed something was wrong but never suspected she was suffering from advanced diabetes. “I was scared and crying, at first terrified of needles and thinking I’d die from diabetes just like my uncle had,” said Hampton. “They have helped me so much at the clinic!” With care and education, Hampton learned to check her blood sugar, give herself insulin, read food labels, change her diet and lifestyle, and reclaim her future. Mohamed Elhelaly grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, and lived much of his adult life on the East Coast.

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When he arrived in Omaha without a job or insurance, he came to the clinic for care and was impressed by the warm greetings, the short wait times and the staff’s genuine interest in making sure patients get what they need. “It feels like you’re walking into a family,” said Elhelaly. “Everybody wants to give 100 percent. Methodist did a great job in putting this clinic here. They’re investing in people.”

Investing Together

Methodist isn’t the only organization investing in people at 26th Avenue and Douglas Street. “This is not just about Methodist,” said Northam. “It’s about the community coming together in partnerships.” There came a turning point in Methodist’s initial search for a place to build a new, larger community clinic to address the city’s growing need for medical care. It was a turning point Northam described as “like a light shining down from heaven.” Methodist found like-minded partners in two community organizations with long histories of charitable work: Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church and Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska.

“

This is not just about Methodist, it’s about the community coming together

“

in partnerships.

— Lindsay Northam, MD All parties agreed they could do greater good for Omaha’s most vulnerable people by providing services at a single strategic location. In October 2017, their shared vision culminated with the dedication of Kountze Commons, a $10 million center for integrated care. For accessibility, especially for those with limited transportation, Kountze Commons is centrally located along the Dodge Street and I-480 corridors. A green space and well-lit parking lots surround the building, and the City of Omaha Transit Authority added a stop for Kountze Commons to its metro bus route. The two-story, 14,000-square-foot building stands where KETV studios once stood, on ground purchased by and adjacent to Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church, the oldest continuously operating Lutheran church west of the Missouri River.

Feed the Hungry, Heal the Sick

“We’re called to feed the hungry and heal the sick, regardless of race, creed or religion,” said Rev. Olaf Roynesdal, senior pastor of Kountze Memorial’s 2,000-member faith community. “Now, with multiple services under the Kountze Commons roof, we can take people by the hand and walk with them to the other resources they need.” For 160 years, Kountze Memorial has served the community with the help of volunteers within and beyond its congregation. Programs that had humble beginnings in a closet or corner of the church now provide food and medical care to thousands in the Omaha area. “Every Monday, the Kountze Food Pantry offers food and toiletries to hundreds of men, women and children in need,” said Joyce Palmer, urban ministry coordinator and pantry director for Kountze Memorial. “Ours is a guestchoice, grocery store–style pantry with shelfsustainable foods, and now we’re able to serve more people at our new facilities within Kountze Commons.” The Kountze Healing Gift Free Clinic is another successful program that blossomed from an uncertain start. Fourteen years ago, Dr. Jerry Fischer was helping to serve Thanksgiving dinner at the Open Door Mission when a patron had a medical emergency. Fischer cared for the patron until an ambulance could arrive, and then he began cobbling together a small space, donations of medical supplies and a network of medical professionals willing to help him provide free care to the homeless one afternoon a week. In 2010, the Healing Gift Clinic moved to Kountze Memorial. The clinic quickly grew from one room in the church to two and then to four, eventually using seven Sunday school rooms as makeshift exam rooms. “This is what we’re supposed to do: care for people, help people,” said Fischer. “Here at Kountze Commons, the care is all intertwined.” Through the Kountze Commons partnership, the new Healing Gift Clinic uses the fully equipped Methodist Community Health Clinic space to see 40 to 50 patients by appointment every Thursday evening. An all-volunteer team of health care professionals, assisted by local medical, nursing and pharmacy students, provides free care and non-narcotic medications. The Healing Gift Clinic operates a licensed pharmacy, as well as a separate storeroom of medication samples on-site.

Leressa Joiner says the clinic team’s care and support have helped to transform her health and life.

Well-Being for All People Like the other Kountze Commons Partners, Lutheran Family Services gives back to the community with quality human care services. The organization’s vision is “safety, hope and well-being for all people,” with a major focus and special expertise in behavioral health services. Lutheran Family Services has stationed eight licensed behavioral health therapists in a lower-level suite of offices at Kountze Commons to provide individual and family therapy, trauma care, 24/7 crisis response and post-crisis services. “For us, it was an easy decision to partner with Methodist and Kountze Memorial,” said Todd Reckling, vice president of program for Lutheran Family Services. “We all do great work individually, but because of the synergy that exists between the partners through collaboration and shared mission, we are able to achieve a greater human care impact together than any one of our organizations could achieve alone.” Reckling noted that studies show a diagnosis of severe and persistent mental illness can shorten the average lifespan by 25 years. A key reason for the disparity: how difficult it is for those with mental illness to take care of their physical health needs too. “At Kountze, we’ve created a dignified, respectful environment for clients,” said Reckling. “Warm handoffs occur between the medical clinics, the food pantry and the therapists, so it’s easier to address all the needs of the client in a holistic manner.”

Looking ahead, the Kountze Commons partners see even greater collaboration and more opportunities to serve. Planning is underway to offer dental and diabetic retinopathy (eye) screenings, embed a behavioral health counselor in the community clinic, bring Methodist’s new mobile 3D mammography unit on-site, add Legal Aid services and more. “We’re all chasing the same outcomes: healthier, happier clients getting their needs met,” said Reckling. “The future is bright, as this partnership allows us to serve the mind, body and soul.”

Kountze Commons Partnership Healing Gift Free Clinic

Cares for 40–50 patients every Thursday evening.

Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church Food Pantry

Food and household supplies for about 450 people every Monday.

Lutheran Family Services Behavioral Health

Individual and family counseling and mental health crisis services.

Methodist Community Health Clinic Cares for about 2,500 patients annually.

Doing More Good Together bestcare.org/stories

Spring 2018

TACKLING PATIENT CARE AS A

Community Story by Katina Granger

Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital case manager Tami Bardon shares a warm smile with a patient.

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“Community health goes beyond a four-day stay in the hospital. It’s about keeping people safe and healthy at home, and many times that means so much more than just medicine.” When Lorrie Reddish stepped into her role as director of case management at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital, she had a distinct goal: to cut hospital readmission rates. Her journey led her to discover more about the lives of her patients, and what it takes to heal a community.

A Sudden Illness

Lorrie Reddish is helping to change

the face of the community. In May, Delbert Henrikus suddenly felt very ill. His leg was in pain, he had a fever of 103, and he couldn’t get warm. In the course of just 24 hours, things went from bad to worse. His wife, Linda, in the hospital, had a high-risk condition and was 65 or who had suffered a stroke about a year earlier, noticed a older, someone from Connections would contact them. glaring problem: His right leg was purple and swollen. They would visit the patient at home and go through their discharge instructions, make sure the patient knew “It didn’t look like that the night before,” said Linda. about their upcoming appointments and could act as a “It looked bad. I couldn’t believe it.” health care advocate if necessary. They could also see Delbert was admitted to the hospital with an infection in what other services the patient might need to help them his leg. Deep vein thrombosis caused the small vessels stay safe and supported at home.” in his legs to stop working properly, and blood was The program’s earliest focus was on access to care pooling into his foot, causing swelling, pain and and on chronic, high-risk, complex cases. It had an open, gaping wounds. immediate impact. “Boy, was it painful,” said Delbert. “Before the program, our focus was on treating the Even at the time of his discharge days later, Delbert acute illness, not addressing the patients’ many layers still found it painful to walk or drive. And since he was of issues that provided them a better quality of life,” the only driver in the household, Delbert’s injury left said Reddish. “After we launched, we saw a decrease him and his wife homebound – unable to get to places in the numbers of patients who had to be readmitted like the grocery store, library or Delbert’s follow-up to the hospital for care – so we knew we were on appointments. They were suddenly caught in a whirlwind the right track.” of health care needs they didn’t know how to navigate. “The hospital arranged for help to come to our home, and we were so grateful,” said Linda. “We had never been homebound before, so that concept was new to us. We were grateful for the guidance.”

Forming Alliances When Reddish began to look at patients most likely to become sick again after being discharged from Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital, she found several commonalities. Many of the patients were elderly and had chronic illnesses that needed medical management outside of the hospital walls. That’s when Reddish reached out for help in connecting these seniors with existing community services. “We partnered with Connections Area Agency on Aging, knowing they had programs in place that could help,” said Reddish. “We set up a system that if somebody was

“

It’s changed people’s lives here in our community, and that means everything.

“

— Steve Baumert, president and CEO of Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital

Spring 2018

Barriers to Better Health With a referral from Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital, care transition coaches or social workers complete a home visit within 48 hours. They look for problems which may land that patient back in the hospital, such as: • Stress from multiple bills being unpaid • Nonworking durable medical equipment • Lack of proper food • Medication errors

Healthcare providers discuss how best to care for patients during and after their hospital stay.

The Expanding Need Every day, Tami Bardon, a case manager in the Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital emergency department, sees dozens of patients from very diverse backgrounds. “I try to see every single patient to help assess their needs,” said Bardon as she went from room to room during a recent day in the emergency department. “Of the 12 patients I’ve already seen today, four needed additional referrals for assistance.” Assistance needs can range from meal or taxi vouchers to help from Legal Aid or a health care advocate to help patients navigate their ongoing care. Many of the hospital’s patients are on Medicaid, underinsured or uninsured. Bardon’s job is to connect them with the help they need. “A lot of my patients have legal issues, can't afford their meds or are getting kicked out of their homes,” said Bardon. “Every day we see people who are homeless or struggle with behavioral health issues. The emergency room is their only access to health care.”

Community Care Coordination As the greater health care needs of the community were identified in the emergency department and throughout the hospital, the care coordination program grew. Alliances were created between Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital and more than 15 area community

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partners, including Connections, Legal Aid, Heartland Family Service, local transportation services, home health agencies, skilled nursing care facilities and pharmacies. Together, the groups formed Caring for Our Communities of Southwest Iowa, a coalition designed to assist patients in navigating the health care system and help them connect with resources for food, utilities, medical supplies, life skills, counseling or other needs. “We focused on access to care,” said Reddish. “If they didn't have a primary care physician, or if they began showing up frequently in our emergency department, they became someone we would consider putting into our program. We also considered if they were insured or underinsured, if they have a chronic condition, or were a complex high-risk person. We also focused on behavioral health." “With our community partners, we’re working to break the cycle of patients coming to the emergency room for their primary care,” said Borden. “Instead, we’re working to connect these patients to the health care or assistance they need so they don’t have to keep coming back.”

• Needing help completing Medicaid paperwork or Elderly Waiver applications • Poor decision-making • Homelessness or an inability to find proper housing In 2016, the Caring for Our Communities program provided assistance to 1,151 individuals. Among those patients, care providers identified nearly 3,000 high-risk conditions and behaviors ranging from diabetes or bipolar disorder to obesity or alcohol abuse. They also identified more than 5,000 barriers to patients receiving proper care. “We saw a lot of financial concerns where patients didn’t have insurance or the resources to pay for medications,” Bull continued. “Transportation is often an enormous barrier, as is having durable medical equipment. We would go into the home and the patient wouldn't be bathing simply because they didn't have the tools they needed to safely bathe.” “We found there were a lot of legal needs with patients that created barriers to their health,” said Erin Planalp, a senior staff attorney with Iowa Legal Aid. “We step in and assist with any legal issue that a patient may have that's creating a barrier for them to make healthy choices in terms of their health care or their home life.”

“The hospital does a really good job identifying needs while they are here, but you don't truly see their needs until you're in the patient’s home,” said Jeanna Bull, a care transition coach with Connections Area Agency on Aging. “A huge benefit to the program is to be able to go into their homes and work with the families and see truly what the patient’s home life is like.”

Jeanna Bull, Connections care transition coach

Delbert Henrikus and his wife, Linda, received assistance during Delbert's illness through the Caring for Our Communities program. In many cases, patients had no home to return to, or struggled with substance abuse or behavioral health issues. “I meet with the patient in the hospital and try to identify what the greatest need is and what is causing the readmissions and their lower quality of life,” said Scott Zimmerman, a behavioral health care coordinator and ACT Rehabilitation specialist with Heartland Family Service. “In general, people with severe and persistent mental illness will live up to 25 years less than the average population. So it's a significant issue to get them involved in their own health care.”

Tracking Progress And as patients need or receive resources within the Caring for Our Communities program, each step is tracked. One of the most successful features of the health care partnership is an avenue by which the many separate agencies involved in the program can communicate and track patients’ progress. “Prior to this program, we really didn’t have any way to connect patients to care after they left the hospital, and we certainly didn’t have any way to track that care after they left,” said Reddish. “So besides welcoming these agencies into the hospital and having them with us at the bedside, we also purchased a program called TAV Connect. TAV allows us to track the contact each agency has with

the patients, so as they receive services, we are able to streamline our communication so we don’t duplicate care and waste valuable resources.”

Help at Home As Linda and Delbert settled in at home following his hospital stay, their Connections care transition coach helped assess what services would help Delbert heal safely at home. Recommendations included a shower grab bar in the couple’s bathroom, transportation to medical appointments and light housekeeping help – all services free of charge thanks to the Caring for Our Communities program. “They provided a taxi for when he had to go and get his leg worked on, which was sometimes two or three times a week,” said Linda. “One of the things that makes the program so successful, in addition to care coordination, is that each agency has a specialty and a pool of resources to draw from,” said Tara Slevin, vice president of Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital Foundation. “A lot of those agencies don't have the funding to do it all on their own, so as case managers identify patients with a need – whether it’s clothing, food, gas cards or medication - we can work with our partners to spread out the resources.”

Health Care Success And while the challenges are great, the success of the Caring for Our Communities program is growing. In the five years the program has been in place, the hospital has seen a sharp drop in the number of recurring visits to the Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital emergency department, as well as hospitalizations for patients within the program. It’s become a model program, gaining traction and notice among other health agencies across the state. “We started this program to help a specific group of people stay safe at home and not have to come back to the hospital,” said Steve Baumert, president and CEO of Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital. “What we ultimately found was a way to change the health of our community by helping people find and connect with the resources available to help them be successful at home. It’s changed people’s lives here in our community, and that means everything.” Especially for patients like Delbert and Linda Henrikus. “I didn’t know Methodist Jennie Edmundson had a program like this,” said Linda, “but I’m so glad they do.”

Tackling Patient Care as a Community at bestcare.org/stories

Spring 2018

BETTER HEALTH,

Brighter Futures Story by Julie Cerney

Matthew Kisicki, BSN, RN, always has a warm smile, gentle touch and kid-friendly stickers when screening schoolchildren for potential lead poisoning.

One Drop at a Time

Instead, Nebraska Methodist College takes screenings and education to where the needs are greatest, working with other community organizations to protect and improve health.

Inside are 5 million red blood cells and answers to questions like these: Is my child at risk for lead poisoning? Do I have diabetes? Could my family’s health and future be in danger?

Lead Screenings for Schoolchildren

A drop of blood is small yet mighty.

In Omaha and beyond, students and staff of Nebraska Methodist College are helping to answer these questions.

Pediatric nurse Matthew Kisicki, a recent graduate of Nebraska Methodist College, is passionate about protecting children from lead poisoning.

They do this with compassion, skill and one quick finger prick at a time — and without expecting the public to find the time and transportation to come to them.

“Without lead testing, we’re setting kids up for failure,” said Kisicki. “Lead is a neurotoxin that lingers in a child’s brain and body, and we don’t see symptoms until it’s too late.”

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites lead poisoning as a cause of kidney failure, seizures, coma or death. Even low lead levels can permanently reduce a child’s IQ, growth and ability to succeed in school and life. Why are Omaha’s children in danger of lead poisoning? Because for 125 years, lead processing plants in downtown Omaha released tons of toxic emissions that settled into yards and homes. The Environmental Protection Agency investigated, and in 1999, created the nation’s largest residential Superfund site: the 27-square-mile Omaha Lead Superfund Site. Kisicki grew up in the Superfund site, in a home with lead paint. As a child, he picked paint chips from the windows. As an adult, he has volunteered countless hours with the Nebraska Methodist College Lead Testing Initiative. In fall 2017, this collaborative initiative, piloted and coordinated by Echo Perlman, DNP, RN, assistant professor of nursing, provided lead screenings to 1,000 children in elementary schools and Head Start programs in the Omaha Lead Superfund Site. “Identifying a child at risk for lead poisoning used to require a doctor’s appointment,” said Perlman. “Now, with parental and school permission, our nursing students collect a drop of a child’s blood with a finger prick. Three minutes later, the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) has the results by fax.” Khari Muhammad is program coordinator for the DCHD’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Through this program and as part of an EPA-funded grant, Muhammad explained, every elevated lead level identified by Nebraska Methodist College triggers follow-up blood testing plus any education, treatment, environmental assessment and cleanup needed to prevent future lead exposure.

“

Without lead testing, we’re setting kids

“

up for failure.

— Matthew Kisicki, BSN, RN

Nebraska Methodist College Mobile Diabetes Center Coordinator Echo Perlman, DNP, RN, provides diabetes screening and education. “The uniqueness of the program,” said Muhammad, “is the collaboration that begins with lead screening by Nebraska Methodist College and continues with the multiple steps and multiple community partners involved in keeping Omaha’s children safe from lead poisoning.”

Mobile Diabetes Center Celeste Ehrenberg, a DCHD community health planner, wants the public to know the growing diabetes epidemic is very real and very dangerous.

“One in three American adults has prediabetes, a serious but often reversible disease characterized by above-normal blood sugar levels,” said Ehrenberg. “Most don’t know they have prediabetes or that it is increasing their risk for heart disease and stroke as well as type 2 diabetes, the nation’s seventh-leading cause of death.” Ehrenberg noted that partnerships are essential in the battle to prevent diabetes and other chronic diseases. She called the partnership with Nebraska Methodist College’s Mobile Diabetes Center (MDC) “a win-win,” as illustrated by the success of the free diabetes screenings offered on-site with cooking demonstrations and food-tasting events in the DCHD’s Healthy Neighborhood Store Program. The MDC is a custom-built, 38-foot-long RV with amenities that include a wheelchair lift and three rooms for diabetes screening, foot care and full examinations. Here, Nebraska Methodist College students and staff provide non-diagnostic screenings, education and referrals as part of the service learning interwoven into their community-based

curriculum. They travel to wherever care is needed, including churches, north and south Omaha health fairs, grocery store parking lots and homeless shelters. “Pooling resources with organizations like Nebraska Methodist College and the Mobile Diabetes Center makes a huge difference for the homeless clients we serve,” said Michael Murphy, marketing director for the Stephen Center. “They found a client with blood sugar so high he had to be rushed to the hospital. What if they’d not been here to check him? Partnerships like this take care of the what-ifs.” Each year, the MDC provides about 1,600 individual screenings throughout the region. This is possible through a strong partnership with the Cornbelt Diabetes Connection, which provides the mobile unit and driver. “Bringing knowledge about diabetes and related health services to people who don’t have access to either is a beautiful thing to behold,” said Terry Sanford, president of the Cornbelt Diabetes Connection. To learn about community programs and educational opportunities provided by Nebraska Methodist College, an affiliate of Methodist Health System, visit methodistcollege.edu.

The Mobile Diabetes Center

Spring 2018

PARTNERING

to Help MORE KIDS

Jerry Vobejda, Community Counselor

Expansion Planned for Methodist Hospital Community Counseling Program

The middle schooler depressed about bad grades, the overwhelmed high schooler experiencing suicidal thoughts, the teenager saddened by his parents’ divorce — Jerry Vobejda has reached them all. “Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to help people,” Vobejda said. For four years now, he has been living out that calling as a counselor with Methodist Hospital Community Counseling Program (MHCCP), a collaborative community asset supported by Methodist Hospital Foundation. “Our goal is to help kids flourish academically and socially,” he said. The only program of its kind in greater Omaha, MHCCP is dedicated to removing the barriers that all too often prevent community members — young and older — from receiving desperately needed mental health counseling. A complete roster of evidence-based services, including crisis intervention; individual, group and family counseling; and community education, is available to everyone in the Omaha area. No client is turned away due to an inability to pay. “We serve a large number of kids who aren’t going to get professional counseling services anywhere else,” Vobejda said. Collaboration is key to MHCCP’s effectiveness. In partnership with Omaha Public Schools, MHCCP serves its core population — children in grades 6–12 — by placing a licensed, master’s-level counselor in every Omaha public high school and middle school. MHCCP also operates in three of OPS’s eight alternative programs, including Blackburn High School. That is one of the locations where you’ll find Vobejda. Beveridge Middle School is the other. “Our partnership with OPS gives us an opportunity to work closely with school staff and really take that team approach to helping the

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students,” he said. “And our partnership with 10 neighborhood churches allows us to meet with students and families outside of school hours.”

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Our goal is to help kids flourish academically and socially.

“

— Jerry Vobejda, community counselor

MHCCP, which is supported by grants and the generosity of businesses and community partners, served more than 11,500 clients (students and other residents) in 2017. The goal now, again with donor support, is to hire three additional counselors, which will allow MHCCP to expand the program into the remaining five OPS alternative schools. Vobejda is thrilled by the possibility of MHCCP reaching more students. He sees, firsthand, example after example of the program’s impact. Like the student who was struggling with depression and drug use, but is now on a path to success. “He was able to look at his future and say, 'These are the things I never imagined I would be able to do, and here am I doing them.' That’s the whole reason for working in this field. You see someone who is without hope, and little by little, you bridge that gap and help change a life for the better” — something Vobejda has felt called to do since he was a child. You can support MHCCP and the expansion by donating to Methodist Hospital Foundation. To learn more, please visit MethodistHospitalFoundation.org

methodisthospitalfoundation.org

The 1891 Society Named for the year in which Methodist Hospital was established, the 1891 Society recognizes the current giving of loyal donors who support the programs and projects of Methodist Hospital Foundation. We thank the following friends who made a gift between August 1 and December 31, 2017.

Founders:

Gifts & pledges $100,000 and greater Dennis & Cathy Blackman David H. Davis The Lozier Foundation Tom & Cindy McGowan Methodist Volunteers In Partnership Larry & Linda Pearson Radiologic Center Lisa A. Bladt, MD Kevin M. Cawley, MD Paul S. Christy, MD Ryan A. Dvorak, MD David J. Hilger, MD Richard A. Kutilek, MD Ben A. Maertins, MD Kevin L. Nelson, MD Nick L. Nelson, MD Temple S. Rucker, MD Linda A. Sing, MD Max Stevens, MD Kristofer A. Vander Zwaag, MD The Sherwood Foundation Bill & Sydney Winstrom

Leaders:

Gifts & pledges $50,000 to $99,999 Dr. C.C. & Mabel L. Criss Memorial Foundation Twink DeRoin The Harper Family Foundation Leap-for-a-Cure Mutual of Omaha Foundation Pepsi Cola Bottling Company Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation

Guardians:

Gifts & pledges $10,000 to $49,999 Vayden & Joy Anderson Anesthesia West, PC Chad Bauerly, MD Monte Christo, MD Mark Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Agostino, MD Tad Freeburg, MD Michael Grubb, MD Carl Heine, MD Gregg Hirz, MD Stephen Hosman, MD Wes Hubka, MD Kent Hultquist, MD Kent Hutton, MD Paul Jacobsen, MD John Lindsey, III, MD Robert Moore, MD Thomas Ohrt, MD John Peterson, MD Kelli Peterson, MD Hap Pocras, MD

Douglas Rennels, MD Chris Robertson, MD Josh Smith, MD Thomas Soma, MD J. Kenneth Tiojanco, MD Mark Wilson, MD Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth P. Barjenbruch Dr. & Mrs. John J. Edney John W. & Nancy Estabrook John & Debbie Fraser Rich & Fran Juro Harry & Gail Koch Jack & Stephanie Koraleski Dr. & Mrs. Todd Lovgren Methodist Physicians Clinic Women's Center Craig Bassett, MD Paige Berryman, MD Julia Bishop, MD Jessica Bracken, MD Amanda Buskevicius, MD Mark Carlson, MD Sarah Gernhart, MD Lanette Guthmann, MD Rebecca Jacobi, MD Carolee Jones, MD Brian Karre, MD Brianne Kling, MD Abby Lankhorst, MD Thomas Martin, MD Nancy Mathews, MD Mia Nagy, MD Darrick Peters, DO Allison Phillips, MD Antara Pothuloori, MD Megan Prickett, MD Aimee Probasco, DO Judith Scott, DO Tifany Somer-Shely, MD Rachel Swim, MD William Weidner, MD Susan Westcott, MD Methodist Shared Service Systems Drs. John & Kathleen Mitchell Annabelle Nierste Perinatal Associates, PC Robert Bonebrake, MD Brendan D. Connealy, MD Joshua D. Dahlke, MD Neil Hamill, MD Michael Levine, MD Todd Lovgren, MD Emily Patel, MD Andrew Robertson, MD Hemant Satpathy, MD Michael & Dr. Irina Popa Newcomb Louis Jr. & Kathi Rotella Mr. & Mrs. William C. Truhlsen Union Pacific Corporation

Protectors:

Gifts & pledges $5,000 to $9,999 Dr. Tyron Alli & Dr. Patricia Seivert Fred & Marcia Backer Estate Baird Holm Dr. & Mrs. Douglas E. Brouillette Sue & Tom Eiserman Thomas Elser & Stephen Hug Kathleen A. Fahey Michele & Doug Grewcock HDR Head for the Cure Foundation Dr. Kristen Hoffman & Gary Hoffman Adam & Kathryn Koslosky Beverly Kruger

8701 WEST DODGE ROAD, SUITE 450 OMAHA, NE 68114 402-354-4825

Dr. & Mrs. Douglas J. Long Gary & Kathy McConnell Sean McMahon & Tracy Madden-McMahon Methodist Physicians Clinic Administration Cyndy Peacock Pinnacle Bancorp Connie Ryan Anne Thorne Weaver

Friends:

Gifts & pledges $1,000 to $4,999

Scott & Lauren Adrian Aetna Michael & Julie Ahrens American Laboratories Anderson Partners Judith & Robert Bachman The Baer Foundation Banyan Medical Systems Dr. & Mrs. George Bedrnicek Sandra & Charles Beermann Glenn & Darcie Biehl Blackman & Associates Dr. & Mrs. Daniel G. Bohi Kathryn J. Brand Ron & Connie Brasel Bridges Investment Counsel Sophie R. Broslovik Dr. & Mrs. John Cannella Centris Federal Credit Union Cerner Corporation Alvin & Paula Chamberlain Connect Gallery Dr. & Mrs. Andrew M. Coughlin Cruisin' for a Cure Car Show Scott & Traci Damrow Susan J. Dennis Roy & Gloria Dinsdale George Dittrick, MD Dr. & Mrs. Gregory L. Eakins Marlene M. Eckert Marjorie & Jim Ehlers Dave & RyAnne Elsesser Dr. & Mrs. George Emodi Jeff & Keri Francis Ruth L. Freed, PhD Dianne L. Fuhs Kim Gallner Steve & Brenda Goeser Kay Lynn & John Goldner Viola Gottschalk Richard & Pat Hahn Stacy Hall Leone Harlan Dr. & Mrs. Herbert A. Hartman, Jr. Hillcrest Health Services Home Instead Georgina A. Hopkin, RN, PhD & Kurt V. Hopkin Immanuel Vision Foundation Dr. & Mrs. Paul L. Jacobsen JE Dunn Johnson Controls K & K Incorporated Dr. & Mrs. Darren R. Keiser Dr. & Mrs. Brady A. Kerr Kiewit Building Group Ed & Diane Klima Nancy E. Koehler Jean & Jeff Koerten Sue & Kelly Korth Dr. & Mrs. Steven C. Koukol Steve & Carrie Kucirek Dr. & Mrs. Richard A. Kutilek Drs. Patrick & Kirsten Leu Kathy Lewis

Stephen & Sue Long Bob & Linda Lovgren Dr. & Mrs. William Lydiatt Marco Mary Maslowsky Finley Barbara E. McCraw Dr. & Mrs. Harry E. McFadden Terry & Laura McGill Jeanne M. McGinnis MCL Construction Steve & Susan McWhorter Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital Metro Omaha Medical Society Foundation Oleg N. Militsakh, MD MMC Mechanical Contractors Annie Murphy Betsy & Chris Murphy Nebraska Furniture Mart Nebraska Health Network William J. Neff Neonatal Care, PC Khalid Awad, MD Brady Kerr, MD David Minderman, MD Chinyere Oarhe, MD Lynn O'Hanlon, MD Thomas Seidel, MD Diana L. Nevins, MD Dr. & Mrs. Stephen M. Nielsen Dr. Meghan Oakes & Thomas Oakes Dr. & Mrs. Charles E. Olson Doris Elaine Olson Omaha Central High School Aru Panwar, MD Dr. John Park & Dr. Anna Trauernicht Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey A. Passer John W. Pemberton, MD Harold & Linda Pharoah Jeff & Katie Prochazka Dr. & Mrs. Neal Ratzlaff Drs. James & Rebecca Reilly Julie A. Richards Suzan & Brad Rohrig Charlotte P. Schenken Frances Schroeter Dr. & Mrs. Thomas W. Seidel Dr. & Mrs. William A. Shiffermiller Sirius Computer Solutions Drs. Ann & David Sjulin Dr. Pamela J. Smith Dr. & Mrs. Russell B. Smith Spiker's Volleyball Lois Stebbins Betsy J. Stephenson, MD Raymond & Jane Stier Stryker Sustainability Solutions Dale & Pat Te Kolste Estate Texas Roadhouse L.B. "Red" & Jann Thomas Melodee & Tommie Thompson Alan G. Torell, MD Dr. & Mrs. John S. Treves Dr. & Mrs. Stanley M. Truhlsen Lawrence & Carol Uebner US Foods Dr. & Mrs. Eugene A. Waltke Bryan & Penny Warren Dr. & Mrs. Ronald L. Wax William & Barb Fitzgerald Family Foundation Adam & Sarah Yale Our friends who wish to remain anonymous.

Spring 2018

Nonprofit U.S. Postage PAID Omaha, NE Permit No. 563

An Affiliate of Methodist Health System

8303 Dodge Street Omaha, NE 68114 Spring 2018 Volume 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 1

The Meaning of Care magazine is published by Methodist Health System Marketing & Public Relations. Free subscriptions are available by emailing your request to bestcare@nmhs.org.

Senior Director of Marketing Director of Public Relations Writer/Associate Editor Writer/Associate Editor Photographer/Videographer Art Director/Photographer

Jenni Stoll Claudia Bohn Julie Cerney Katina Granger Daniel Johnson Chris Thompson