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Tri Valley Health System News
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Tri Valley Health System reopens Wellness Center and Auxiliary Thrift Shop, resumes massage therapy
Tri Valley Health System will reopen the Tri Valley Health System Wellness Center, Auxiliary Thrift Store and resume massage therapy with Rhonda Banzhaf starting June 1. However, there will be restrictions that must be followed and Tri Valley Health System requests your cooperation in order to keep these services open. The Wellness Center will open on June 1 at 8:00 a.m. and be accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week by utilizing the Wellness Center doors. Members will need to screen themselves at the Wellness Center Entrance. Tri Valley Health System is requesting members’ cooperation with the following requirements: a maximum of 25 people will be allowed in the Wellness Center at one time; a maximum of two people will be allowed in the weights area; maintain a six-foot distance between others at all times; and clean machines before and after use. The Center for Disease Control recommends wearing a face covering. Yoga and bootcamp classes are still suspended until further notice, due to the number of participants and lack of space for social distancing. There will be a 25 person limit in the Thrift store and no one under 15 will be allowed. Shoppers will be required to wear a mask while shopping, retain a six-foot distance from others, and practice hand hygiene while at the store. Massage Therapy clients will be required to wear a mask during the entire session. Clients will also have to self-screen at the Wellness Center entrance. Please contact Massage Therapy Student Rhonda Banzhaf for any questions or to schedule an appointment at 308-367-6876. Tri Valley Health System CEO Jessica Fisher said, “We believe that with these measures in place and at this time it is safe to reopen these services.” 
Tri Valley Health System revitalizes fountains at Heritage Plaza Tri Valley Health System turned on the fountains at The Heritage Plaza on Friday, May 22, 2020. The fountain was completely refurbished by the Tri Valley Health System plant operations team. A new pump, new LED lights and brackets were installed, and the base primed and painted. We invite you to come by and enjoy it! 
Tri Valley Health System invests in smart infusion pumps Tri Valley Health System is now utilizing smart infusion pumps to help eliminate medication dosing errors and ensure that correct medication is consistently given to patients. The Spectrum IQ Infusion System provides a drug library to nurses and providers to save them time by providing a knowledge base of suggested dose limits, concentrations, and durations. The smart pumps will automatically default to system presets to deliver medication within safe limits for patients and help eliminate any human programming errors. Tri Valley Health System CEO Jessica Fisher said, “Tri Valley Health System is always focused on providing high standards of care for our patients’ safety. The investment of these smart pumps will help our medical team deliver safe and consistent levels of medication with the help of this technology.” 
Virtual Appointments Available at Tri Valley Health System Convenient access to medical care via smartphone, tablet or computer Tri Valley Health System is now offering virtual clinic appointments. The virtual clinic enables patients to conduct visits with Tri Valley Health System Providers virtually anywhere via video on a computer or smart phone Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tri Valley Health System Providers will provide virtual care for a variety of common conditions such as cold and flu, pink eye, sinus infections, allergies, rashes, back pain, and urinary tract infections. Patients do not need to be an existing patient of Tri Valley Health System to use the virtual care clinic, but new patients will need to contact Tri Valley Health System to receive log-in information to access the service on the Patient Portal. Patients can simply request an appointment by logging onto the Patient Portal at www.trivalleyhealth.com or call 1-308-697-3329 to get started. A virtual visit takes place via video or phone using a smartphone, tablet or computer, and typically lasts about 20 minutes. If needed, prescriptions are electronically routed to the patient’s preferred pharmacy. “We are extremely excited to be able to offer this new service for our patients. Virtual care strengthens our commitment to provide patients with high-quality care in a convenient and cost-effective way. Tri Valley Health System understands that time and access can be two barriers to an individual receiving care and we want to be able to remove these barriers and be available to our patients,” said Jessica Fisher, Tri Valley Health System Chief Executive Officer. For more information on Tri Valley Health System’s virtual clinic appointments, visit www.trivalleyhealth.com or call 1-308-697-3329. 
APRN Cherl Mues to join Tri Valley Health System staff in June
Tri Valley Health System in Cambridge is pleased to announce the addition of Family Nurse Practitioner Cherl Mues, to their team of dedicated professionals. Cherl grew up and graduated from Cambridge High School. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and completed her Master of Science, Family Nurse Practitioner from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2011. Cherl brings 17 years of medical experience to Tri Valley Health System. She began her career as a registered nurse at Fremont Area Medical Center and has continued to serve the Fremont area practicing as a nurse practitioner at the Methodist Fremont Health and Fremont Area Medical Center since July 2011. Cherl is married to Brandon Mues of Arapahoe who has been teaching and coaching wrestling in Fremont. They have three children, Taylor, Lauren, and Talon. “We are excited to be able to come back home and be closer to our parents and family. We knew it was time,” Cherl said. Cherl’s tentative start date at Tri Valley Health System is June 30, 2020. 
Public Transportation expands fleet, now serving other states
Tri Valley Public Transportation is expanding its fleet of vehicles and its service area. Tri Valley Health System received two new lowered floor mini-vans in March from the State of Nebraska. One of the mini-vans will replace an older current mini-van and the second mini-van will be an additional vehicle. The volume over the past two years has increased tremendously and to meet the needs of the population in our area, Tri Valley Health System needed to add an additional vehicle. Tri Valley Health System Public Transportation also recently became certified with the DOT, which will now allow Tri Valley Health System to transport riders from other states. We currently have four drivers who are happy to assist you. All of our vehicles have a ramp or lift accessibility for wheelchairs and walkers. Public transportation is a vital need in our communities and we are happy to assist anyone with a ride to the grocery store, banking, shopping, out to eat and medical appointments. We transport mainly in our service area of Red Willow and Furnas County, but are able to transport riders anywhere, including other states now. We transport any age of individuals from school children to elderly. In 2019, Tri Valley Public Transportation assisted 4,905 riders and traveled 79,291 miles. We are a demand response system which offers door-to-door service i.e. a mode of service in which passengers call the agency to schedule being picked up and dropped off at their desired destination. We can place the trip on our schedule if we have availability. We are available Monday – Friday from 7am – 5pm. We can run after 5pm for occasional circumstances. To schedule a ride, please call 308-697-1164. Rates and fees can be viewed at www.trivalleyhealth.com. To learn more about public transportation log onto nebraskatransit.com and navigate to “transit directory of map.” |
Foundation purchases equipment totalling nearly $300,000 The Tri Valley Medical Foundation recently purchased nearly $300,000 worth of needed equipment for Tri Valley Health System. New servers were purchased for a total of $56,580. These servers host Tri Valley Health System’s virtual environment and all major applications which ran nearly every service or application for the entirety of Tri Valley Health System. The current servers were over five years old, were out of warranty, and had run out of resources and room for growth. The new servers saw application response times that were on average up to 20 times faster than the old servers and also went from greater than 90% resource usage to roughly 30% resource, which will allow for large amounts of growth to support systems to improve patient care. Tri Valley Health System will now be capable of hosting new programs, including the new Responder 5 Nurse Call Light System. The Foundation also purchased a Rauland Responder 5 Nurse Call Light System for $154,031. This new system will provide more efficient workflows for the nursing staff and improve communication between the entire care team. The intelligent call routing allows staff to provide quicker responses to patients by routing patient requests for help to the appropriate staff members. This new call light system will also increase patient satisfaction and improve safety and prevent patient falls. An operating room printer and surgery equipment were also purchased by the Foundation in the amount of $87,828. The operating room printer allows pictures to be printed from all types of urology scopes and can be added directly into the patient’s charts. An instrument called a “Thunderbeat” was purchased which provides state of the art vessel sealing and cutting. This unit is used in the operating room for all specialties, including urology along with the cystoscopes that were purchased. These with the “Thunderbeat” allow us to perform transurethral procedures which can be used to treat many common urological conditions such as frequent urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, enlarged prostate, and bladder cancer. These purchases were made possible from funds raised at the 2018 Pro Am Golf Tournament combined with generous donors from the communities we serve. If you are interested in making a donation to the Tri Valley Medical Foundation please contact Jamie Vontz at 308-697-1176. Auxiliary donates $40,000 towards purchase of Mindray telemetry monitoring system
Tri Valley Health System received a donation of $40,000 from the Tri Valley Auxiliary to help purchase a new Mindray telemetry monitoring system which includes portable patient transmitters, portable monitors for the trauma bays, and monitors in the two emergency rooms and observation rooms. The portable transmitters allow Tri Valley Health System caregivers to analyze the heart rhythm of a patient ambulating throughout the facility. Traditional telemetry could only be monitored at the nurses station. This system allows nurses to identify critical rhythm changes immediately and in real time and alarm notifications aid in the early detection of clinical deterioration regardless of patient location. The telemetry transmitter provides the critical monitoring technology in an efficient, compact design while also being durable and reliable. The telepacks are waterproof and certified for 1.5 meter drops. They are also made from chemically-resistant plastic that are compatible with the broadest range of commercially available cleaning and disinfecting solutions. The monitors for the trauma bays offer many advanced parameters to support the most critically-ill patients. These monitors enable a complete patient record and easily transfer with the patient. The monitors in the two emergency rooms and observation rooms use familiar touch gestures to conveniently access applications, reports, or other patient data quickly. The monitors will perform 90% of common monitor functions in just two steps and will reduce time spent searching for data and functionality which allows providers to maximize their time spent caring for patients. These monitors perform the critical measurement and analysis to provide a clear picture of the patient’s condition. The monitor can perform 20 reports allowing the clinician to remain at the patient’s side and save valuable time in the process. This new system will also communicate all the patient information into their electronic medical record for permanent storage. The American Heart Association announces Mission: Lifeline stroke grant funds to be distributed to Tri Valley Health System
The American Heart Association has awarded Tri Valley Health System with a $17,000 grant, that will allow for enhanced outreach to stroke survivors throughout rural Nebraska. Mission: Lifeline Stroke is the American Heart Association’s community-based initiative to develop systems of care to improve outcomes for stroke patients. Mission: Lifeline Stroke was launched in Nebraska with the support of a $5.3 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The goal of Mission: Lifeline Stroke is to bring together hospitals, emergency medical services and first responders, communications and regulatory agencies, state and local government, and payors to provide a seamless plan of action to treat patients from the time of symptom onset through their rehabilitation and recovery process. Tri Valley Health System will utilize the grant funding to help prevent, educate and bring awareness to the signs and symptoms of a stroke. Tri Valley Health System will also be purchasing training aides to help in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients. Tri Valley Health Chief Nursing Officer Clay Jordan said, “These stroke grant funds will allow Tri Valley Health System and in conjuction with the State to improve our care and response time to stroke patients when time is of the essence for these patients. We are continually working to provide the best outcomes for all of our patients.” Cardiovascular disease, including heart and stroke conditions, is the leading cause of death in the United States. The acute nature of strokes is particularly deadly and requires time-sensitive treatment to save lives and reduce lasting disability. Stroke is the fourth most prevalent cause of death in Nebraska, with more than 3,400 strokes annually accounting for nearly 800 deaths. Approximately 37,000 Nebraskans (3 percent) are living with stroke-related disabilities. Mission: Lifeline Stroke specifically focuses on connecting all the components of acute stroke care into a smoothly integrated system that reinforces the use of evidence-based guidelines to timely and effectively treat stroke patients. Every minute saved in stroke treatment can directly improve survival and recovery rates. Streamlining care requires a system-wide quality improvement approach to address many similar triaging, transfer, and treatment challenges in time-sensitive stroke care. The Helmsley Charitable Trust and the American Heart Association launched Mission: Lifeline in South Dakota in July 2010 with a commitment of $5.3 million from Helmsley. From 2010 through 2016, Helmsley has committed nearly $37 million in funding for Mission: Lifeline STEMI projects in North Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Montana, and South Dakota. In 2017, the first Mission: Lifeline Stroke project was awarded in North Dakota. With the recent award for the Mission: Lifeline Stroke project in Nebraska, the total Helmsley commitment to Mission: Lifeline projects through their Rural Healthcare Program is more than $46 million. 
Tri Valley Health System resumes elective surgeries May 18 Tri Valley Health System will be resuming elective surgeries beginning Monday, May 18, 2020 after Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts announced that the State of Nebraska relaxed existing Directed Health Measure requirements in order to allow elective surgical procedures to resume. Elective surgeries were initially suspended by the federal government to prioritize the use of personal protective equipment, ventilators, and other equipment for COVID-19. According to the Directed Health Measures, elective procedures will be allowed to resume in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers that meet the following criteria: 30 percent of bed capacity available, 30 percent of intensive care bed capacity available, 30 percent of ventilators available, and to maintain a two-week supply of necessary PPE to sustain hospital operations at 100% capacity. Tri Valley Health System has been working on ensuring that they have the required amount of personal protective equipment and other supplies. Tri Valley Health System CEO Jessica Fisher said “We will continually monitor our levels of supplies once surgical procedures resume to keep patients and employees safe. Safety of our employees and patients always has been and always will be our number one priority.” Tri Valley Health System is currently prioritizing scheduling of patients and is committed to rescheduling all procedures. New measures have been implemented for each surgery patient to ensure the safety of all employees and patients. Each patient will be receiving a call from the Tri Valley Health System surgery team to discuss and prepare a plan for each specific surgery. If you have any questions about being scheduled for a surgical procedure, please call Tri Valley Health System at 308-697-3329. Tri Valley Health System Restricting Visitors, Screening Patients and Employees
Tri Valley Health System has discontinued visitors at the entire facility until further notice. This includes the clinic, rehab, Assisted Living Facility, and hospital. Outpatients for lab, radiology, therapies, and clinic, etc. are requested to come unaccompanied if possible. Patients are requested to enter the Tri Valley Health System main doors. Tri Valley Health System is available to assist patients to their appointments and back to their vehicles; call 308-697-1467 to notify us of your expected arrival time and we will have an employee meet you at the main entrance. We encourage all patients who enter the main entrance to practice hand hygiene and use the hand sanitizer at the entrance. Everyone coming into the facility will be screened for a fever, cough, and travel history. Tri Valley Health System will provide ipads and other means to help loved ones communicate with patients. We appreciate your understanding during this trying time and want to ensure the health and safety of our patients, employees, and the entire community. If you have questions about COVID-19 contact Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department at 308-345-4223, call the Tri Valley Health System hotline at 308-697-1000 or visit the Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov. |
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