There are many reasons to have your Surgery, Tests and Treatments at SCBH. JUST ASK…

  • Did you know Swift County-Benson Hospital can provide many of the inpatient, outpatient and surgical services you may need?  JUST ASK your provider if you can be treated close to home at SCBH.
  •  Did you know that hospitals the size of Swift County-Benson Hospital usually have less incidences of staph infection than larger hospitals?  JUST ASK your provider to have your surgery or procedure performed close to home in Benson.
  •  Did you know that all healthcare professional staff in the nation go to the same schools and take the same tests to be certified and registered?  Your nurse may have attended school and taken the certification test with a nurse that works at Mayo, Alina, or Appleton.  JUST ASK your nurse to tell you about that.
  •  Did you know that Swift County-Benson Hospital has an excellent staff retention and education rate.  Our staff comes from the Benson area, not a nurse’s registry.
  •  It’s a proven fact that you will heal faster and have more positive outcomes if you receive visits from friends and family.  Visits to Swift County-Benson Hospital are more relaxed for both patients and loved ones because driving to SCBH is easier and parking is a breeze, especially in the winter.
  •  Based on patient outcomes,  Swift County-Benson Hospital has been named one of the top 100 hospitals in the nation by Thompson-Reuters.
  •  Swift County-Benson Hospital has a new state-of-the-art surgery center.  Skilled doctors from many specialties come to SCBH to perform surgery.  JUST ASK your provider which specialties practice here.
  •  If you have treatments or surgery at Swift County-Benson Hospital you will begin your therapies and treatments with the same professional and continue with the same person until you have recovered.  JUST ASK if you can stay close to home.
  • If you have a problem or a question and have stayed close to home, your doctors and nurses are more accessible to you.  They know you.  You are a person to them, not a condition or a number.  JUST ASK if you can be treated close to home at Swift County-Benson Hospital.

 

 

2013 SCBH Board Changes

Hospital, Foundation and Auxiliary Board members give many hours to keep these organizations moving and maintain the vision for the future of SCBH. Thank you seems like such a small thing to say for all the work these people have done for the hospital.

This year we would like to thank our outgoing hospital board members Ed Ulmaniec and Dr. Anthony Hilleren for all the expertise and guidance they have provided to the hospital board. We would also like to welcome Mark Frank and Kory Johnson to the board. We appreciate your willingness to share your time and talents with SCBH.

Helen Claussen, Julie Holte and Julie Zniewski will be leaving the foundation board. Each of these women have been tremendously active on the board and we appreciate everything they have done. New members on the foundation board are Traci Pahl, Jon Hawley and Gary Loen. We welcome you and look forward to working with you as you share your expertise with SCBH.

Many thanks to outgoing Auxiliary Board members Margie DeMarce and Holly Rodahl. They have done an outstanding job. We welcome new Auxiliary Board members Angela Nissen and Angie Mattheisen. 

News from Frank Lawatsch, CEO Swift County- Benson Hospital

The clinic/hospital project is progressing according to schedule. The building is fully enclosed, floors have been poured and stud walls erected as you saw in a recent edition of the Swift County Monitor. The contractor will begin sheetrocking next week.
The entire project is estimated to be completed in September. We appreciate the understanding of patients, neighbors and staff members for the inconveniences that
occur during a project of this type. We know you will be pleased with the new facilities which will better accommodate the needs of our patients and staff.
As mentioned in our last newsletter, the SCBH Governing Board is evaluating the reinstatement of OB delivery privileges at SCBH with the understanding that SCBH will make a good faith effort to reinstitute the OB program at SCBH by the time Dr. Dammeyer returns from his fellowship C-section training in June. A tentative timetable for training our nursing staff has been developed in concert with Rice Hospital OB personnel and standards and protocols are being developed in concert with established professional association guidelines. Finally, the financial effect of reinstituting the program will also need to be further evaluated.
We’re pleased to announce that Dr. Stephen Asp, Otolaryngologist, will begin providing outreach ENT services at SCBH this month. Also, Dr. James Green, orthopedic surgeon from Morris, has started providing orthopedic coverage when Dr. Holte is out of town. We previously mentioned that Dr. John Dvorak, ophthalmologist, is providing outreach services at SCBH as well as Dr. Erol Uke who provides outreach urology services. 
We appreciate the outreach surgical services provided by ACMC providers Dr. Steve Kidd, general surgeon, and podiatrist, Dr. Jon Pederson and the oncology consultation provided by Dr. J. Michael Ryan as well as the outreach cardiology services provided by the cardiologists from St. Cloud Cardiology. We also want to recognize our local providers, Drs. Roger Bauer, Matt Dammeyer, Rick Horecka and Mary Felt and Rachel Wilcox for their commitment and service to our community.
We strive to provide as many services as we can locally to eliminate the need for travel out of town. You should feel free to ask your provider if you can have a service or procedure performed in Benson.
We’re pleased to welcome Mark Frank and Kory Johnson to the SCBH Governing Board and want to thank outgoing members, Dr. Tony Hilleren and Ed Ulmaniec, for their service on our board. We also want to thank outgoing members of the SCBH Auxiliary, Margie DeMarce and Holly Rodahl for their service and welcome Angela Nissen and Angie Mattheisen to membership on the auxiliary board. Finally, we want to thank Helen Claussen, Julie Holte and Julie Zniewski for their service and welcome new members Jon Hawley, Gary Loen and Traci Pahl to the SCBH Foundation Board.
Finally, we are excited about the 100th anniversary of the Benson hospital. The SCBH Foundation is planning our anniversary as the focal point for Emerald Eve
2013. Our thanks to Patty
Schreck, member of our governing and foundation boards, for assuming the responsibility of chairing the planning committee. We look forward to seeing you on April 12 at McKinney’s! 

 

 

Join your friends at a very special Emerald Eve this year…

Please Join Us in
Celebrating 100 Years of Healthcare at our Annual

Emerald Eve 

on Friday, April 12 at McKinney’s in Benson.  

The evening will be a celebration of thanks to the people in our area for supporting healthcare services in the Benson area for over 100 years.
 Tickets for the event will go on sale in mid- March at Breens, Bugs and Flowers, Clark’s, the hospital, and from SCBH Foundation members. 
 

 

CEO’s Report – December 2012

SCBH CEO’s Report – December, 2012

Board Education Program – Keith Thompson, CRNA, presented information on his pain management program to the SCBH Governing Board at its November 26 meeting.  He reviewed his plans with the medical staff in October and the medical staff recommended implementation of the program at SCBH which the governing board approved at its October meeting.  Keith is son-in-law to the late Dr. Richard and Florence Griffin.  The board also approved purchase of a C-arm injection table necessary for the provision of this service. Keith started treating patients in November.

Project Update – The contractor is completing the installation of the exterior plywood on both the clinic and the PT department. Also, they are working on installing the Tyvek sheathing on the PT area and the clinic as they complete the plywood installation. The roofer has most of the clinic roof completed and has started placing the gyp board on the acoustical decking on the PT area. The mason is on site and is building the mock up panels and is starting to install his 1” insulation on the outside of the building over the Tyvek. The electrician is running his conduit in the exterior walls so that the exterior boxes are roughed in for the mason and the contractor can start to heat the building and install the interior walls with insulation. The contractor estimates the building will be enclosed and ready for heating by the end of next week.

2013 Operating Budget – The 2013 Operating Budget Assumptions were approved by the governing board at its October meeting. The 2013 Operating Budget will be brought to the finance committee for review and to the governing board for approval at the December board meeting.

Equipment Update – The installation of the wireless system has, for the most part, been completed which will be much appreciated by both patients and visitors. The 800 mhz radios have been installed and programmed and are ready for staff training. The injection table for the pain clinic has been delivered.

Strategic Planning Update – The strategic planning committee reviewed a progress report on the strategic initiatives approved for 2012. The initial draft of the marketing plan for the balance of this year and 2013 was reviewed with the department managers and with the strategic planning committee and an overview of the plan was presented at the October governing board meeting.

We have reviewed the initial list of proposed activities developed by our marketing consultant, Mary Downs, for our 100th Anniversary and we will be scheduling a meeting in early December to have Mary visit with the foundation and auxiliary boards to discuss this information in greater detail. Emerald Eve/2013 will focus on SCBH’s 100th Anniversary.

Operating Room Supervisor Change – Helen Claussen, Operating Room Supervisor, will be retiring December 15.  We conducted a comprehensive search process and are pleased to announce that Cindy Kanten, Surgical Services RN, will be our new OR Supervisor.  We thank Helen for the service she has provided to SCBH and look forward to working with Cindy in her new role.

Retirement Recognition – In addition to Helen’s impending retirement, Kathy Walsh, longtime nursing department LPN will be retiring December 7, after 46 years at SCBH.  There will be a retirement recognition open house for Helen and Kathy on Thursday, December 13 at Noon in Conference Room A/B.

Christmas Decorating – The members of the SCBH Auxiliary will be putting up Christmas decorations this week.  We always appreciate the commitment of the auxiliary and SCBH Foundation to SCBH.

OB Update – Holly Rodahl and Sarah Helmberger are working on developing the protocols and standards for the nursing department. Holly has also developed a tentative schedule for program implementation which includes staff training at Rice and other details. We will be meeting with Beth Jackson and her anesthesia team to establish anesthesia protocols as well.  Dr. Dammeyer will join the board via conference phone at the December meeting to provide an update on his activities and his experiences thus far in his fellowship.

Andrew Falk Visit – Chuck and I had the opportunity to visit with State Representative Andrew Falk and his wife, Marnie, earlier this month.  Andrew had requested the opportunity to meet and it provided an opportunity to discuss our concerns about the legislation regarding proposed mandatory staffing ratios and other issues involving the state legislature.  We invited Andrew to attend an upcoming board meeting to discuss issues of interest to him and he indicated he is always interested in visiting with the various hospital governing boards.

Grounds Work – The drought and runoff from snow melting chemicals have resulted in irreparable damage to some grass areas around the front entrance.  Jim Moeding had those areas replaced with rock and mulch which definitely improved the appearance of the front entrance.

SCBH Auxiliary Learn For Life – The SCBH Auxiliary’s annual Learn for Life event took place on Thursday, November 1, at the First Evangelical Free Church in Benson. The speaker, Gail Svor, SCBH Home Health Director and Certified Diabetes Educator, presented the program on diabetes prevention which was well received by those in attendance.  Thank you to our SCBH Auxiliary for providing this excellent educational opportunity for our community.

December SCBH Governing Board Meeting – The SCBH Governing Board scheduled its December meeting for Thursday, December 20.  The regular meeting date would have been Monday, December 31, and the date of the meeting was moved up to avoid the holidays.

Appleton Prison Resolution – Rob Wolfington made the governing board aware of a potential opportunity to house federal prisoners in the Appleton prison. The governing board approved sending a resolution in support of this opportunity for Appleton to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

 

SCBH Breaks Ground on New Clinic and Rehab Facilities

Read the rest of this entry »

SCBH Celebrates 100 Years of Healthcare Services

Swift County-Benson Hospital is 100 Years Old this year.  We’re planning a century year of celebration, starting with Emerald Eve in March 2013.  Watch the web, newsletter or the newspaper for lots more information.

Big Stone Therapies Joins SCBH to Provide Inpatient and OutPatient Rehabilitation Services


Big Stone Therapies, Inc. is pleased to partner with Swift County-Benson Hospital to provide inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services. Big Stone’s services include physical, occupational, and speech therapy services.

The Big Stone Therapies rehabilitation department at SCBH is led by Clinic Manager, Neil Feist, PT. Neil’s responsibilities include managing daily operational functions, overseeing staff, and providing physical therapy services to patients. Its physical, occupational, and speech therapy staff will work to meet the demands of the Swift County-Benson area.

The physical therapists provide a full-spectrum of care to help patients regain strength, mobility, and functionality. They offer treatment for outpatients and inpatients including, but not limited to: orthopedics, post-surgical rehabilitation; hip, shoulder, knee, and ankle rehabilitation; walking or balance disorders; back and neck disorders; joint and muscle pain; arthritis management; stroke rehabilitation; Parkinson’s issues; other neurological issues; and work-related injury rehabilitation.

The occupational therapy team helps outpatients and inpatients function to the best of their ability in activities of daily living. Services include, but are not limited to hand therapy (elbow, wrist and hand); home safety assessment; upper extremity functional exercise (coordination, strengthening, range of motion, and sensory training); activities of daily living retraining (for home or work); and adaptive equipment recommendations; wheelchair evaluations; and cognition and memory assessments.

The speech-language pathologist works with the full range of communication and its associated disorders. The speech therapist evaluates and treats speech, language, and swallowing disorders in outpatients and inpatients of all ages, from infants to the elderly. Therapies for swallowing disorders, stroke impairments, voice disorders, cognition and memory deficits are offered.

Individuals who are considering if they might benefit from outpatient rehabilitation services can talk to their doctor about a referral to Big Stone Therapies or call Neil Feist, PT, Rehabilitation Manager at 320-843-1340.  Anyone on the rehabilitation staff will be happy to explain the process of obtaining a referral.

Big Stone Therapies, Inc. operates 20 clinics in Minnesota and South Dakota. The clinics are either contracted through hospitals and long-term care facilities or are stand-alone, private clinics. Big Stone locations include Appleton, Baxter, Benson, Browns Valley, Farmington, Graceville, Hendricks, Ivanhoe, Madison, Marshall, Minneota, Morris, Olivia, Ortonville, Thief River Falls, Wheaton, and Zumbrota in Minnesota and Milbank, Sisseton, and Watertown in SD. The company was formed 22 years ago by physical therapists Wade VanDover and Paul Treinen. VanDover, CEO, and Treinen, COO, continue ownership in the company today along with Roman Taffe, CAO, and Angela Meyer, Vice-President of Long-Term Care.

To learn more about Big Stone Therapies, please visit their website at www.rocksolidrehab.com.

Next Page »