SUMMER 2021
MARSHALLTOWN
• ROADSIDE RESCUE
Heroics Trigger Rare Code Chill and “Miracle” Ending
unitypoint.org
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JOIN US AS WE BUILD OUR NEW HOSPITAL
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HELP US GROW: REFER A PHYSICIAN AND GET $5,000!
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MEET DOUG BAUSMAN, REGIONAL MANAGER OF CARDIAC SERVICES
WHAT’S INSIDE 1 A Note from Shari Administrator, UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown 2 Roadside Rescue Triggers Rare Code Chill and ‘Miracle’ Ending
SURVEY: FIVE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PROVIDERS IN TOP 2%!
4 Beyond the Curb Appeal: Why Does a New Hospital Matter? 6 Join Us as We Build the Future of Health Care 8 New Space for UnityPoint Clinic – Express 9 Help us Grow: Refer a Physician and Get $5,000!
McKenzie Cooper, PA-C
10 COVID-19 Q&A 11 Ambulance Service Adapts to Statewide EMS Shortages 12 Wound Healing Center Among Nation’s Best 13 Q&A with Doug Bausman, Regional Manager of Cardiac Services
Mackenzie Stueck, PA-C
Brandy Reints, ARNP
Lance VanGundy, MD
Summer 2021 LiveWell magazine is produced by UnityPoint Health®. 3 S. 4th Ave. | Marshalltown, IA 50158 (641) 754-5151 | unitypoint.org/marshalltown Copyright ® 2021 UnityPoint Health. All Rights Reserved. ® SM trademarks of UnityPoint Health.
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Blaine Westemeyer, MD
Five Marshalltown providers in our emergency department were recently ranked in the top 2% in a Press Ganey’s “Doctors Domain” survey. The distinguished list consists of McKenzie Cooper, PA-C; Mackenzie Stueck, PA-C; Brandy Reints, ARNP; Lance VanGundy, MD; and Blaine Westemeyer, MD. Each of these providers scored in the top 2% due to their ability to communicate and show genuine empathy to patient’s health concerns, in addition to providing quality clinical care. At UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown, we want everyone to know much they matter to this world. We’re grateful to these providers for putting this into practice and enhancing the patient experience.
EXTERIOR CAMPUS
A note from Shari Friends, as I write this open letter to you, one feeling is rising above the others. It’s gratitude. As we’ve discussed in this space before, it’s been a challenging four-year journey for UnityPoint Health in Marshalltown. A tornado, tough decisions and then a pandemic mixed with a derecho … it’s been a lot for our team members to manage, all the while working to improve the level of care and inject the UnityPoint Health mission into every part of our organization. And after all that, yes, I’m grateful. We’re assembling an amazing team here, and we’ll soon have a facility to match it. If you’ve been to the south side of town recently, you’ll see that our $38.4 million expansion is coming along quickly. We’re right on schedule and expect to open the doors of our new hospital next spring! Before we make the move, it’s a good time to take stock of all the great things that have happened and what’s on the horizon. First, patient satisfaction scores and other metrics are continuing to rise. In fact, some are skyrocketing. In particular, check out the story on the opposite page, which details the outstanding care and empathy our emergency department providers are displaying. Then, flip through the rest of this magazine. Really, this current edition of the LiveWell Magazine may be all the proof you need to see that UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown is trending up. Consider the roadside rescue our team performed to save a life. Then, there’s innovation and investment our ambulance service made to adapt to statewide EMS shortages. Of course, our nationally recognized wound clinic reeled in a truly exclusive award, and we’re opening a brand new UnityPoint Clinic – Express (urgent care) facility. Most important, though, is our team. The people within these walls are truly our greatest resource, and we’re getting better and better. We’re your friends, family and neighbors, and we’ve proven that we’re going to be here through thick, thin and, yes, tornados, pandemics and derechos. I’m so proud of these heroes and everything they’ve done to keep the community safe and healthy. Now, as we continue to upgrade our facilities, improve our patient experiences and expand our team, I’ve got a favor to ask of you – please keep your care local whenever possible and refer your friends and neighbors to us. We need your support, and you need ours, as well. Together, we’re building something special here! Finally, if you’d like to help with the new hospital, consider giving to our Foundation through the “Our Community. Our Health Care” fundraising campaign. Learn more on page 6 or visit unitypoint.org/marshalltown.
Sincerely,
Shari King Administrator, UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown
ROADSIDE RESCUE Members of the Allen Hospital ICU team, including Dr. Vishal Goyal (third from left), Dr. Karl Terwilliger (fourth from right) and Dr. Sharad Bajaj (far right).
Roadside Rescue Triggers Rare Code Chill and ‘Miracle’ Ending At UnityPoint Health, we want to be there for patients every step of the way. On one particular Friday night in January, that was never more true.
for air – he was unconscious but gasping. We were all banging on the windows for two minutes as more cars stopped, and someone took his boot off and was trying to break the window.
Valerie Jones, the supervisor of the supply chain department at the hospital in Marshalltown, and her husband, Kirk, saw a car ahead of them veer off the road.
“Out of nowhere, this wonderful man (identified later as Isaac Wildman) came by with a sledgehammer and just smacked it and broke it. My husband then climbed in from the passenger side, and I went to the other side and threw open the van door. He had all this equipment. I just threw the equipment and his seat back. He had no pulse.”
It marked the start to a remarkable story of UnityPoint Health patient care, collaboration that ended at Allen Hospital in Waterloo, a trauma intervention called “code chill” and an unbelievably happy ending. But the path from Marshalltown to Waterloo is anything but a straight line, and it all began in Marshalltown, with Valerie and her husband. “We were about 50 feet behind another car when we saw it gently slide into a snowbank,” said Valerie. “We got next to his car 10 seconds later, and I could see him slumped over. We couldn’t get in. It was locked, and I could see he was gasping 2 | unitypoint.org
Valerie, who has worked at the hospital in Marshalltown for 36 years, was a scrub tech 18 of them and began administering CPR, while another person at the accident, Angie Eastman, helped Kirk do chest compressions. “Honestly, I thought he died,” said Valerie. “I just put my mouth on him and gave him breaths. I didn’t care if I was going to get sick. It was like, ‘I have to give this man air, he’s gasping.’”
Within minutes, Jimmy Hicklin, Tanner Wolken, Crystal Cremeans, Nathan Overmann, Bobby Colin and Nick Heintz with UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown EMS arrived and pulled the man from the car and continued emergency treatment. “The longer someone is unresponsive without oxygenated blood, the more unlikely we will have a positive outcome,” said Heintz, manager of the Marshalltown EMS. “CPR provides a temporary solution to ensure vital organs still get blood. By Val administering CPR immediately, it helped ensure these organs continued to get blood until paramedics were able to provide interventions such as an advanced airway, fluid resuscitation, medications and defibrillation.” The EMS crew soon delivered the patient to the emergency department at UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown, where Dr. Blaine Westemeier believed the man would be ideal for a hypothermia protocol (also called “code chill”). After a quick phone call, the decision was made to transfer the patient to UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital in Waterloo. A hypothermia protocol is a special process performed on a cardiac arrest victim. A sedated patient’s body is cooled to 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) to reduce swelling, which is what happens to the brain when it doesn’t receive oxygen. The patient is then kept cool for 24 hours. After that, the body is warmed for 17 hours with hopes the patient will wake up. However, a hypothermia protocol can only be performed in certain situations, such as when someone has coded and was resuscitated within 30 minutes. And even if those criteria are met, the chilling process must start within a four- to six-hour window – and the sooner the better. In Waterloo an hour later, Dr. Karl Terwilliger and Dr. Sharad Bajaj received the patient, but the 59-year-old’s condition was complicated by the fact he had multiple blockages that had to be resolved. “And that was going to take some time, and I’m thinking that we don’t have much time because we’re already at the fourhour mark,” said Dr. Terwilliger. No matter. The cath lab team chose to start the cooling process while the patient was still having stents put in place. Then he was rushed to the ICU, where the cooling catheter started the 24-hour chilling process. “I’ve been doing this a long time, over 20 years, but we get
this (to work) once or twice a year,” said Dr. Terwilliger. “This was pretty dramatic. I really didn’t expect a good result.” Then, the waiting game began. By Sunday, there was real hope. “The monitor we had on his brain was giving really high numbers and usually we only see those high numbers when someone’s waking up,” said Dr. Terwilliger. “So, I had a good feeling on Sunday and, sure enough, when we turned all the sedation off, he woke up. “It was a long weekend. I probably worked 60 out of 72 hours, but when he woke up, it made the whole thing worthwhile.” The patient’s prognosis is amazingly good. Other than some short-term memory loss and lingering discomfort from the chest compressions, he’s looking at a full recovery after some cardiology appointments. For Valerie, Kirk, Isaac and Angie, it was the happy ending she needed. For three days, they wondered if the man survived and, because of patient privacy laws, was unable to inquire about his status. “It means everything to me and, wow, thank you Jesus for placing me there,” Valerie said. “And you know what I told somebody? Maybe that was my whole purpose of being born, was to save this one man. You just never know what you’re on this earth for, what you’re here to accomplish.” “For me, it was a miracle,” said the patient, who asked to not have his name published. “If I was a minute or two later getting out of work, then they would have never seen me go off the road. It was miracle that the right people were in the right place when this happened.” And the result underscored strong collaboration between two UnityPoint Health facilities. “It took an amazing team effort on the part of two hospitals to coordinate this kind of care,” Dr. Terwilliger said. “I think it was a really good story how the Marshalltown team and Allen team got together and collaborated and did a really good job of saving this guy’s life. And he’s such a nice guy. That’s the thing, he’s such a nice guy.” “There were all very good people, and I appreciate every one of them,” said the patient. “I’m very thankful for everybody who worked to save me.”
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SOUTH CAMPUS EXPANSION
Beyond the Curb Appeal OUR LEADERS TALK ABOUT WHAT A NEW HOSPITAL MEANS FOR MARSHALLTOWN Jen Arneson started her medical career at the hospital in Marshalltown. Professionally, she’s grown up inside its walls and has many fond memories of the campus situated by the downtown district. However, there’s little room for sentimental value when it comes to the future of health care. Twenty-five years into her career, Arneson can’t wait until for the next chapter across town. That’s because UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown is expanding and transforming its modern medical park into a fully functioning hospital. The new facility is expected to be ready for patients by spring 2022. “Health care has changed and continues to change, so it’s time to have the right space for the right time,” said Arneson, who became the Director of Nursing for the hospital in 2020. “The current building was appropriate for health care that was delivered a generation ago. Marshalltown deserves to have a state-of-the-art facility to meet the needs of today.” The new hospital is a testament to the commitment UnityPoint Health is making to Marshalltown. It’s a $38.4 million project that will be a stately landmark at the intersections of highways 30 and 14. But this project goes far beyond curb appeal. One hundred years after the first hospital was built, there’s an opportunity to make a quantum leap of progress that will dramatically impact the patient experience. “This building project gives us the opportunity to provide patient-centered care to our community well into the future,”
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said Shari King, Hospital Administrator. “We need a new facility that will carry us into the future, with enhanced patient and family experience, smooth and efficient workflows all in a safe and inviting physical facility – while adapting to the everchanging healthcare landscape.”
INPATIENT CARE Obviously, the new hospital is a game-changer for inpatients and their families. It will offer a state-of-the-art experience with rooms double the size of the current ones. These larger rooms will easily accommodate visitors and caregivers, while including walk-in showers for every patient. Furthermore, the medical/surgical area will be a very short elevator ride from the emergency department, and all ancillary services will be nearby.
EMERGENCY CARE Moving the emergency department into a custom-built addition of the new hospital is a difference-maker, as well. The new ER will feature generously sized rooms that won’t be shared with other patients. As a result, patients will enjoy a comfortable and private space that provides adequate space for family members and increased privacy. There will also be room for specialty equipment, which will allow certain procedures and tests to be done conveniently inside each room. Furthermore, having all UnityPoint Health services under the same roof will allow the ER to easily coordinate with other departments for things like CT scanning and MRIs. “Knowing that we’re going to be able to simply raise the
standard of care we’re providing, and that other people think that’s important, that’s why this hospital is meaningful to me,” said Dr. Lance VanGundy, Medical Director of the emergency department.
FACILITIES The new building will create a more efficient and reliable hospital, too. Facilities Manager Mark Brown welcome a new HVAC system, pumps, chillers and cooling towers, as well as two generators that will cool the building even if there’s a loss of power. In addition, there will be a state-of-the-art nurse call system and building controls that closely monitor all critical equipment, air temperatures and humidity through the building. “It’s going to be night and day difference,” said Brown, “and anything we can do to make the patient’s experience better, we’re here to make it happen.”
SECURITY Security will offer a safer and more secure environment for patients, visitors and team members. The consolidation of the two campuses, along with an integrated security system, will allow for better response times, trackable ID badges and security cameras with upgraded technology like artificial intelligence and license plate recognition. “I’m excited to be a part of this project,” said Matt Clawson, Security Supervisor. “Marshalltown, historically, has seen a lot of changes in its health care. However, UnityPoint Health has come in and made a large investment.”
EMS
CARDIAC REHAB & RESPIRATORY THERAPY The new space for cardiopulmonary care will be a customdesigned gym, as opposed to the current space, which is a portion of the third floor of the hospital that was converted into a gym with low ceilings and dark lighting. There will be a new, centrally located computer system to monitor patients and TV monitors on the walls for patients to watch while they work out. Respiratory care will also have a specially designed area that will be under the same roof as all other services, making them available to help with patient care, such as nebulizer treatments in the operating room. Currently, the two locations are on opposite ends of town. “The new facility brings a new chapter to Marshalltown and for me,” said Doug Bausman, Cardiopulmonary Supervisor. “I was born in this hospital, all four of my children were born in this hospital, and my wife and I were both employed here for numerous years. This is our town.”
RECRUITING The benefits of the new hospital go beyond the brick and mortar. The nation is facing a shortage of healthcare providers and nursing, and it’s more challenging than ever for smaller communities to attract providers. UnityPoint Health hopes a modern facility will help bring in new caregivers, while retaining the talent that’s already here. “The opportunities here in Marshalltown to make a real difference in people’s lives is incredible,” said Arneson. “We have a very diverse community with unique challenges. That said, we want to attract people who don’t just want a job but desire a career and a purpose. This campus will certainly help with that.”
The EMS service will have its own separate garage on campus, which will have enough space to house its fleet of trucks. Currently, three of its trucks don’t fit. In addition, the location (near the intersection of highways 30 and 14) will give the team better access to the large rural region it serves. In addition, the number of sleep rooms will be doubled because Marshalltown’s EMS staff has nearly doubled in size in recent years. Plus, the sleep rooms will be situated next to the garage, allowing for quicker response times (currently, EMS team members are stationed on the third floor of the hospital).
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SOUTH CAMPUS EXPANSION
Build with Us
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KEEP CARE LOCAL BY GIVING TO OUR $38.4 MILLION HOSPITAL EXPANSION It’s a fact that a thriving local hospital is at the heart of a healthy community. Acknowledging that, UnityPoint Health has spent the past four years transforming the model of care in Marshalltown to be more sustainable, while ensuring that primary care will thrive and emergency care will remain close to home. UnityPoint Health’s commitment to the community included the decision to build a new hospital with a $38.4 million expansion of the existing medical park. In addition, local leadership was established with Shari King as Administrator and Jen Arneson as Director of Nursing. Also, UnityPoint Express, the walk-in urgent care clinic, is building a new facility that will be more centrally located. Now, the non-profit organization needs the community’s support in more ways than one. First, we’re asking people to keep their care local whenever possible. Second, we’re asking individuals in the community to contribute to our Foundation at UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown to help pay for this oncein-a-century revitalization project. “We want the best in healthcare services, we want it to be local, and I think a new hospital starts that for us,” says community leader Terry Buzbee. “That will help change the perception of care, which will allow us to recruit new doctors, new staff and meet a whole new quality of care. This is an absolute critical first step.” The expanded hospital consists of three additions to the medical park at the intersection of highways 14 and 30: •
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Hospital Addition – this addition will create a 65,000 square foot hospital space over two floors. It will feature a 16-bed med-surg unit, a 12-bed emergency department and a four-bed observation unit. Clinic Addition – this addition will be 23,000 square feet and house two clinics, Marshalltown family medicine and multi-specialty (offering services like cardiology, orthopedics, urology, women’s health and more). EMS Building – this free-standing garage will be 5,000 square feet and house a fleet of five ambulances and support staff.
“We’re going to start worrying about the health of the community, not just the individual,” says Lance Horbach, past board chair of UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown. “I’m so excited because this is the first hospital in Iowa that’s actually going to be designed and built to conform to that new strategy.” “I think the community is going to be ecstatic when they see the new inpatient rooms,” says Jen Arneson, Director of Nursing. “They’re going to be thrilled with the aesthetics of the place. It’s going to be beautiful – exactly the type of space that the families and patients and people of Marshalltown deserve.” “We did our work and got this project approved to build this new, expanded facility in Marshalltown,” said Jenni Friedly, President of UPH – Marshalltown. “But we need the community to use local health care so we can continue to grow for the future of Marshalltown and our surrounding communities. The more people use local health care, the more services we can provide in the future.” Todd Carl, plant manager at JBS – Marshalltown, says the community’s businesses and individuals need to rally behind UnityPoint Health to ensure these new endeavors grow and remain sustainable. “As the largest employer, we have a responsibility to facilitate whatever we can do to grow Marshalltown and provide services like this project is going to,” Carl said. “We’d like to invite everyone to come help us sustain this project and financially support the long-term growth of Marshalltown.” “Think about that day when we can step back and say, ‘Marshalltown, Iowa, has a brand-new hospital,’” Buzbee said. “How many towns the size of Marshalltown are going to be able to say that? But it’s going to take all of us. It always does. “I think I’d just ask everyone to consider how important health care is. How important are local medical services to us? We need people to engage with this, participate and, obviously, financially support as you are able.” To help this project, continue seeing us for your care, and please refer your friends and neighbors. In addition, to contribute to the new hospital project, give to our Foundation for the “Our Community. Our Health Care” fundraising campaign. Learn more at unitypoint.org/marshalltown.
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UNITYPOINT CLINIC – EXPRESS
New UnityPoint Clinic – Express Opening This Year The hospital expansion on the south edge of town isn’t the only construction under way for UnityPoint Health. UnityPoint Clinic – Express, the walk-in urgent care clinic located in the medical park, is getting a new home. The new Express location will be on South Center Street just south of Jimmy John’s near the Olive Street intersection and figures to be open in late 2021. The move is necessary, as regulations stipulate a walk-in clinic cannot operate in the same space as an emergency department, and the new hospital will contain an ER on the south end of the facility. It’s a move that will also make walk-in care more convenient. “As the new hospital nears completion next year, we’re pleased about how this move helps us become even more convenient for the community,” said Carolyn Barko, regional vice president of clinic operations. “By moving our UnityPoint Clinic – Express to a more centralized location, we’ll make walk-in care more accessible for the people in Marshalltown.”
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As an Express clinic, the community benefits from an emphasis on convenience and a more personal experience that has resulted in patient satisfaction scores ranking in the nation’s 99th percentile. The clinic averages door-to-door times of less than 30 minutes, prescription medication for common illnesses is available on site, and individuals may reserve their spots online at unitypoint.org/marshalltown to shorten their time spent at the clinic. “People are busy – work, school, kids’ activities and everything else that fills our day – and that makes it challenging to find time for health care,” Barko said. “We want to offer another option to meet our patients’ needs and help them get the care they need to feel better and get back to their lives.” UnityPoint Clinic – Express treats non-emergency conditions such as cold, flu, sore throat and minor sports injuries, as well as additional services such as school/sports physicals, flu shots and after-hours occupational health services. The clinic is open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. every day of the year, including holidays.
PHYSICIAN REFERRAL BONUS
We’re hiring difference makers. Help us grow our team of physicians and get a
$5,000 REFERRAL BONUS! Help Us Recruit a Physician! Earn $5,000 by Referring a Family Medicine Physician to UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown We’d like you to be a part of our success. That’s why we’re offering a $5,000 referral bonus to any member of the community (and our team members) who refer a qualified family medicine physician who is then hired to practice at UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown.* We realize word of mouth is the best form of advertising, and we know our community has family members, friends and other connections to talented physicians who would love to come work in Marshalltown at our new facility. This referral bonus is just one of the many efforts already underway to bring you and your family the best care possible. In all, we’re looking to hire two physicians to work in our new clinic facility, which will be in ready by the middle of 2022. The referral will be paid out in two installments as these requirements are met: •
Completion of 30 days of employment: $2,500
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Completion of 6 months of employment: $2,500
HOW TO MAKE A REFERRAL Referring a physician is easy. Simply complete the Physician Referral Form at unitypoint.org/Marshalltown/refer-a-physician or contact recruiter Tina Dalton at (515) 782-0175 or tina.dalton@unitypoint.org. *The Recruitment Department determines eligibility of the potential physician and will notify the referring individual. If the referral is approved and the physician candidate is hired, the department forwards the documents to UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown Human Resources to process payment. Board members and executives of UnityPoint Health entities are excluded. If multiple community members submit the same name of a hired physician, the referral bonus will be divided equally among the referrers. Community members who receive a referral bonus will expect a 1099 form for their income taxes.
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COVID-19 Q&A
WHERE DO WE STAND? WHAT DO WE KNOW AT THIS POINT? BY DR. LANCE VANGUNDY, PHYSICIAN & ER MEDICAL DIRECTOR Q A
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I’m still debating whether to get vaccinated. You were vaccinated six months ago – any reason why I should be reluctant? I did receive the Moderna vaccine in December 2020, and I’m recommending that everyone do the same unless you have extenuating circumstances such as dangerous allergies, early pregnancy or unique autoimmune disease. Talk to your primary care provider if you have doubts. Otherwise, six months later, I’m still confident that the vaccine is safe and remains your best bet for staying healthy.
experience some sort of heart issue in the future. We don’t yet know the full extent for people who haven’t been hospitalized.
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I know some people with allergies should be careful about getting vaccinated. What do we know about that now? I would strongly encourage most people with allergies to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Specifically, it’s recommended and safe for those with seasonal allergies or minor food allergies, including egg allergies. Some people avoid the flu vaccine for fear of egg allergies. There’s no component of chickens or eggs that are utilized in the development of the vaccine. That said, if you have an allergy to a specific ingredient, or have severe allergies (like anaphylaxis) to prior vaccines — or even a disease that’s rare called Guillain-Barre — you’ll want to talk to your doctor about your options.
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Will COVID-19 affect me long-term? We’re still gauging how the virus will affect people over the long haul, but reports describe a “long COVID” syndrome of fatigue, sleep difficulties and depression or anxiety, which commonly follows severe COVID-19 infections for months. We also know COVID-19 can inflame the heart – even for those who were asymptomatic. For instance, experts believe 20-24% of the people who were hospitalized with COVID-19 will
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I’m still concerned about how these vaccines were rushed to market. Can you ease my concerns? I can try. This is fascinating stuff, really. You need to realize the Pfizer and Moderna varieties are mRNA vaccines. They are the result of new technology approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration. They don’t use a weakened virus, like many other vaccines. Instead, they teach your body to create a protein that protects you from dangerous illness. This new technology was actually the result of our fight against the SARS virus in 2003 and the MERS virus in 2012. Those were earlier COVID or coronavirus variants and our experience with those helped bring our vaccine development to where it is today. And, to repeat, the vaccine does not include a live virus or virus particles, and it won’t alter your DNA. I’m hoping to get pregnant, so I’ve been holding off on getting vaccinated. Where do you stand on this now? I appreciate this question, and this is a familiar concern we’ve heard for months now. However, we believe the COVID-19 vaccine does not impact fertility. There just hasn’t been evidence or reason to believe, even in theory, this would happen. And, as always, if you have doubts or need to hear more, you should discuss it with your women’s health provider, or at the very least, your primary care physician. Can children get a COVID-19 vaccine? And is it available locally? Yes, we do encourage children ages 12 and older to get vaccinated. The vaccine has been judged to be safe for kids, and we’re offering those at UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown Family Medicine.
UnityPoint Health Equips Ambulances to Adapt to Statewide Shortage It was a Friday in February and the UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown ambulance service, along with first-responders from Albion and Liscomb, were dispatched to a scene with a young adult down and unresponsive. The individual was passed out while working in a closed building heated by a portable generator. It was a dangerous situation – and yet fortunate at the same time. After all, thanks to post-derecho purchases, the UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown ambulance service finds itself as well-equipped as any unit in the state for these types of scenarios. Inside the building, the Marshalltown team of paramedic Jimmy Hicklin and EMTs Troy Robasse and Tom Hard immediately started giving care. However, less than a minute later, a carbon-monoxide monitor started sounding an alarm. Crews opened the garage doors and continued to work on the unresponsive patient. Once resuscitated, he was placed on a paraPAC ventilator, which eliminated the need to manually ventilate the patient and reduced the risk of fatigue and human error. Fortunately, the patient recovered, and it was due in part to a series of proactive purchases. In the wake of the derecho, UnityPoint Health bought six carbon-monoxide monitors,
two cardiac monitors and three LUCAS mechanical CPR devices for its ambulances, while six paraPAC ventilators were purchased between funds from the UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown Foundation and a state grant. “With the current statewide shortage of first responders, we need to adapt by turning to special tools to aid us,” said Nick Heintz, the regional manager of emergency ground services. “For instance, the paraPAC ventilator does the work of at least one person, not factoring fatigue.” According to a report by Iowa Public Radio last year, Iowa has seen a 4-percent decrease in the number of registered EMTs over the past five years. Furthermore, 14 of Iowa’s 99 counties have coverage by just one ambulance service. Another one, Worth County in north-central Iowa, doesn’t have any service for its 400 square miles. “To help support our pursuit of providing the best patient care possible, the hospital and foundation wanted to ensure every ambulance had its own ventilator, cardiac monitor and LUCAS device,” Heintz said. “These purchases increase our ability to perform advanced-level patient care despite having fewer available human resources. And, frankly, it’s put us in the top tier of equipped ambulance services in the state.”
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AWARD-WINNING WOUND CLINIC
Left to right, wound center provider Kelli Buresh, ARNP/DNP; Dr. J. Michael McCune, the clinic’s medical director; and Tia Bacon, the clinical program director.
Wound Healing Center Among Nation’s Best For patients seeking premium wound care, there are only three centers in the western half of the country who are President’s Circle award winners.
What’s more impressive is this – it’s the third time in the last four years the Marshalltown clinic has received this exclusive President’s Circle honor.
Two of those clinics are in California and Oregon.
“We are grateful for the support from UnityPoint Health and Healogics, which allows our center to provide advanced wound healing measures to Marshalltown and the surrounding communities,” said Tia Bacon, clinical program director. “I would like to thank our wound healing team for providing outstanding, compassionate and dedicated care to our patients and their families.”
And for those of us in Marshalltown, the other is in our back yard. The wound healing center at UnityPoint Health – Marshalltown was recognized earlier this year with the prestigious President’s Circle status by Healogics, the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. The award was the result of outstanding clinical excellence in patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. As of spring, the Marshalltown center had achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for 12 consecutive months, which consisted of a 97% healing rate, 95% patient satisfaction rate and 17 median days to heal.
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As a member of the Healogics network of approximately 600 centers, the wound healing center in Marshalltown offers highly specialized wound care to patients suffering from slow healing wounds, diabetic foot wounds, pressure sores, leg wounds from poor circulation and other chronic wounds.
Q&A with Doug Bausman REGIONAL MANAGER OF CARDIAC SERVICES
From left to right, Darcy Stevens, Kayla Schakel, Doug Bausman, Trini Knutson and Kassy Nelson.
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on so many levels, such as listening to your patients and understanding their needs, talking with your peers and coming up with solutions for care plans and scheduled treatments, and collaborating with providers to come up with the best course of treatment for your patients.
Where are you from originally? I was actually born in this hospital. I grew up in Wellsburg, and I’ve spent most of my life living there. Why did you get into health care? I joined the Wellsburg Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance in 1998, where they pushed me to become an EMT. After doing my clinical and ride time in Marshalltown, I was hired on the ambulance here in 2000. I then went on to get my paramedic. I was truly astonished that anyone would pay me to actually do this job that I loved so much. We used to joke around, and I always said, “Don’t tell the CEO, but I would do this job for free.” What qualities best describe the care you provide to patients? Passion for the job and effective communication. You truly need to have a passion and love for health care. We are not just coming in to punch the time clock, we need to have a commitment for helping others. This career is greatly rewarding and will give your life a true sense of meaning if you have the passion to help others and make a positive difference in their lives. Effective communication is key
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What will the new hospital mean to you and the care your team provides? We are very excited for the new building. We will now be able to provide more effective and efficient health care in an environment that was truly built for our specific areas and needs. Are there any fun facts about you? I have worked part time for the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office for the past seven years, and I am an active member on the shooting team. I was also a volunteer firefighter and paramedic for the Wellsburg Volunteer Fire Department for more than 20 years. What do you like to do in your free time? I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, participating in competition shooting and getting lost in nature – usually as far away from civilization as possible.
THE DOUG BAUSMAN FILE Resides in: Wellsburg Schooling: University of Iowa Paramedic, Hawkeye Community College Respiratory Therapy and currently working toward my bachelor’s degree.
Other education/certifications: ACLS, PALS, NRP, PHTLS Previous roles/positions: EMT-B, EMT-A, paramedic, respiratory therapist, cardiopulmonary manager Favorite quote: “Blowing out someone else’s candle won’t make yours shine any brighter.” LiveWell Summer 2021 | 13
3 S. 4th Ave. | Marshalltown, IA 50158
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Welcome, Abbie and Sherri! We welcome our newest providers to the family medicine clinic in Marshalltown.
Abbie Sharp, ARNP
Sherri Stebniski, PA-C
Family Medicine
Marshalltown Multi-Specialty Clinic
Marshalltown (641) 753-2752 | 405 E. Main St., 1st floor Jaime Hooley, PA | Abbie Sharp, ARNP | Sherri Stebniski, PA-C
(641) 844-6259 | 407 E. Main St. • Cardiology
Conrad (641) 366-2123 | 105 N. Church St. Steve Scurr, DO | Tim Cooper, PA-C
• Orthopedics
State Center (641) 844-2970 | 503 3rd Ave. SW Amanda Konz, ARNP Tama-Toledo (641) 484-5445 | 1307 S. Broadway St. Polly Hineman, DO | Sherry Parks, PA-C | Mark Atcher, ARNP
unitypoint.org
• Urology • Pain Management • Nephrology • Women’s Health
