OAHS Recognized for Excellence in Patient Safety

Patient Safety Award smaller 

Ortonville Area Health Services recognized for excellence in patient safety

 

Ortonville Area Health Services has been recognized by the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) for superior performance in patient safety as part of its Hospital Engagement Network. The MHA Hospital Engagement Network is focused on improving 10 hospital acquired conditions with the goals of reducing hospital acquired conditions by 40 percent and readmissions by 20 percent.

Ortonville Area Health Services has shown positive scores on 9 of the focus areas (1 area is not applicable for OAHS), including adverse drug events; catheter-associated urinary tract infections; central-line-associated blood stream infections; injuries from falls and immobility; obstetrical adverse events; pressure ulcers; preventable readmissions; surgical site infections; and venous thromboembolism. It was among 30 hospitals recognized by MHA for demonstrating high performance on three or more hospital acquired conditions.

Ortonville Area Health Services is helping to further strengthen patient safety in Minnesota and contributing to the state’s well -deserved reputation for high quality health care,” said Lawrence Massa, MHA president and CEO.

Ortonville Area Health Services strives to provide the best possible care to each and every patient.  The medical surgical team partnered with MHA in multiple areas to learn of best practices from other facilities and have initiated multiple best practice practices in the facility.

Decreasing readmissions is a hot topic in the health care world.  OAHS has implemented several interventions to prevent readmissions:  education to providers and nursing staff, post follow up phone calls and pharmacy one on one visit to patients who have multiple medical issues, on new medications or have a new diagnosis.  Home Health has also gotten involved with providing home monitoring equipment in patients’ homes for patients with congestive heart failure.  Multidisciplinary approaches to patient care make a positive difference in the overall care of patients.

Ortonville Area Health Services’ Mission  is to “Provide personalized, high quality and compassionate care through  caring professionals in a healing environment”. Inherent in that mission is to provide safe, effective, patient-centered care to those we serve. Our partnership with the Minnesota Hospital Association provides increased support and resources for the work of our quality and safety teams.  This award is evidence of our staff’s commitment to continually improving the safety, quality and reliability of their work. On behalf of the employees, physicians, and volunteers at OAHS, we are honored to receive this recognition.

For more information about Minnesota hospitals’ patient safety initiatives, go to http://http://www.mnhospitals.org/patient-safety

 

OAHS Mammography Earns ACR Accreditation

mammography acreditationOrtonville Area Health Services Radiology Earns ACR Accreditation

 

Ortonville, MN —Ortonville Area Health Services has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Mammography is a specific type of imaging test that uses a low-dose x-ray system to examine breasts. A mammography exam, called a mammogram, is used to aid in the early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases in women.

 

The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.

 

The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 36,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

 

Congratulations to the Radiology/Mammography Department of Ortonville Area Health Services on the award!

 

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Students Interning at Ortonville Area Health Services

Ortonville Area Health Services offers opportunities for students to fulfill their internship and/or earn credits towards their degrees. Five students are currently completing an internship with the Organization including:
Courtney Dawald – Marketing Intern – Graduated from MSUM with Business Administration with Marketing Emphasis;

Student Interns May 2013

Theresa Craig, Kyrsten Karsky, Courtney Dawald, Kayla Findlay and Chelsie Parady

Kayla Findlay – enrolled in Physical Therapy program at the College of St. Scholastica;

Kyrsten Karsky – Pharmacy Student at NDSU;

Chelsie Parady, LPN at Southeast Technical Institute; and

 Theresa Craig, Medical Lab Student, Lake Area Tech

SANFORD HEALTH NETWORK SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Scholarship Sorenson3Ortonville Area Health Services and Sanford Health Network Scholarship Program announces that 2013 Ortonville High School graduate, Cassandra Sorenson, is one of the 18 recipients of the Sanford Health Network Scholarship Program.  The Sanford Health Network partners with local health care systems such as Ortonville Area Health Services to award various scholarships.  Cassandra was awarded a $2000 scholarship based on health care career choice, grade point average, application and essay.    Cassandra has been accepted into the Swenson College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth campus and will be majoring in Pre-Medicine.

 

Cassandra is the daughter of Patrick & Liz Sorenson of rural Louisburg.  During high school, Cassandra has been active in basketball, Key Club, Student council, concert band, jazz band, pep band, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, drama, church choir and church youth group and honor roll member. She was also the Key Club treasurer, winter carnival senior attendant and Youth Group President.

 

OAHS and Sanford Health Network Scholarship Program congratulate Cassandra.

2013 New Year’s Baby

The first baby born in 2013 at Ortonville Area Health Services was Mia KayLee Kindelberger. She entered this world on Wednesday, January 2 at 12:54 p.m. weighing 8 lbs., 4 oz and measuring 20 1/2 inches in length. Parents of the new baby are Dustin and Jaimie Kindelberger of Ortonville. Mia’s grandparents are Keith and Margaret Kindelberger of Ortonville and Mike and Jan Neumann of Wheaton. Great grandparents are Sandy Keaveny of Wheaton, Betty Kindelberger of Canby and Ann Polfiet of Canby. Mia was welcomed by her brother, Nash. Dr. Stacy Longnecker delivered the baby. Members of the OAHS Auxiliary hand made the New Year’s stocking for the baby.

Christmas 2012 Baby

The Christmas 2012 baby born at Ortonville Area Health Services is Ashton John Ketterling. Ashton is the son of Elisia Drewelow and Andrew Ketterling of Wheaton. He was born on December 28, 2012 at 3:58 a.m. and was 21 inches long and weighed 7 lbs., 14 oz. Welcoming Ashton were brother Parker and sister Madison. Grandparents are Connie Drewelow and Gene Carrington of Barry, John Drewelow and Kathy Sprock of Graceville and Brian and Mary Ketterling of Wheaton. Great grandparents are John and Floradeen Drewelow of Graceville, JIm and Shirley Montonye of Wheaton and Willy Ketterling of Wheaton. Dr. Bryan Delage delivered the baby. Ashton is shown in the Christmas Stocking, a gift from the OAHS Auxiliary.

Welcome Lacey Kessler, Third Year Medical Student in Family Medicine Clerkship

We have been fortunate to have Lacey Kessler at OAHS doing a Family Medicine Clerkship. The University of North Dakota School of Medicine offers a clerkship for third and fourth year medical students. Students experience the breadth of practice that family physicians encounter daily.

 Lacey’s parents are Wayne and Lanette Washenberger of Aberdeen, SD. Her dad is a physician assistant and her mom is a nurse. She has an older brother David and a younger brother Derek. Lacey’s husband Kyle works at LM Windpower in Grand Forks, ND as a production technician.

Education:
Graduated from Aberdeen Central High School, Aberdeen SD in 2004
Graduated from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks 2009 with a B.S. in Psychology

She is currently a 3rd year medical student at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

Hospital Replacement

OAHS Receives Grant & Funding for PortaCount

OAHS received state grant funding as well as a generous contribution from the OAHS Ladies Auxiliary for the purchase of a PortaCount machine for Fit Testing our N95 masks. The N95 mask looks similar to a regular surgical mask but is made of a heavier filter material and has two straps. In the event of an emergency where there is the risk of possible exposure to an airborne organism, the N95 mask would be utilized to prevent the employee from breathing in the organism. The PortaCount machine allows us to test the employee for maximum fit to ensure their safety in an airborne event. It is a requirement by OSHA to have ALL employees tested yearly. The purchase of this equipment will make it much easier to accomplish this goal. We will be starting employee Fit Testing as soon as possible for both Northridge and Hospital employees.

A big thank you to the Auxiliary for their help with purchasing this equipment and for their continued support of OAHS!

 

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