February 2009

Students studying healthcare may apply for scholarships offered by the Grinnell Regional Medical Center Auxiliary. One goal of the auxiliary is to provide multiple scholarships, totaling up to $10,000.

“The mission of the GRMC Auxiliary is support healthcare and we believe in providing new students as well as adult students the funds to pursuing healthcare careers,” says Linda Eichhorn, chair of the auxiliary scholarship committee. “The need for healthcare workers at all levels will only continue to increase as the baby boomers age. The goal of our scholarship program is to reduce the financial barriers to individuals who want to care for people and make a difference in the health industry.”

Individuals who are interested in pursuing healthcare careers have until Friday, March 6, to submit completed scholarship application forms to the GRMC auxiliary. Applications have been sent to all area high school guidance counselors. They are also available at the hospital admissions desk, the volunteer coordinator’s office, Stewart Library in Grinnell, and the Montezuma Public Library. The scholarship application is also available on the GRMC website at www.grmc.us.

Selection is based on applicant’s desire to follow a healthcare career, financial need, scholastic ability, and character. Two letters of recommendation that attest to the character and qualifications of the applicant must accompany the application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The auxiliary will review applications and notify recipients by early April. Recipients will be introduced at the annual GRMC Auxiliary Spring meeting on April 22, at the Buckley dining hall in the Mayflower Homes complex.  For additional information about the GRMC Auxiliary scholarships, please call the GRMC volunteer coordinators office at 641-236-2588.

The Iowa Hospital Association through the Iowa Hospital Education and Research Foundation will also offer scholarships of $3,000 per academic year, with a maximum of $6,000 for two years.

To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
• Be enrolled in an accredited healthcare education program that leads to licensure or a clinical laboratory degree.
• Be within two years of completing your professional education.
• Be willing to work for an Iowa hospital after graduation.

Applications are available at www.ihaonline.org, (click Health Careers on the IHA Website). Applications are also available in the GRMC Office of Human Resources. Application deadline is March 13, 2009.

Grinnell Regional Medical Center will offer a new session of Grief Support Group in Grinnell. This service is designed for individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one or friend. It provides a safe place for people to accept and move through the grieving process.

Gatherings will be held on Thursdays, beginning March 26 until May 7. They will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the chapel at the Grinnell United Methodist Church, 916 5th Ave.

This class is open to anyone who has lost a loved one. It coaches participants through the emotions, reactions, and experiences that follow the death of someone close.

“Each person grieves in their own way but many find it helpful to come and share with others as one learns to handle grief,” explains Randy Svendsen, GRMC social worker. “Facing our grief in a group setting can facilitate healing after the death of someone special.”

Grinnell Regional Medical Center believes the heart is just the start of your overall health. Strong research indicates that cholesterol doesn’t tell enough of the health story. Beginning this year, the annual Wellness Screening at GRMC will feature the new cardiac C-reactive protein test. The new C-reactive test is an independent marker of future cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease by indicating chronic inflammation which may lead to scarring of the blood vessels, leading to plaque buildup.

But the health of your heart is just part of the story. February’s wellness screening will offer individuals a comprehensive metabolic panel that includes the new C-reactive protein test as well as the fasting lipid profile for cholesterol levels, complete blood count (CBC), glucose, and other tests to measure liver and kidney function as well as metabolic indicators of early disease status. This comprehensive screening ensures that your physician has the most complete information about your overall body system function. And, the results may give the motivation to change your lifestyle habits to enhance health and well-being.

“This year we added the C-reactive protein test to our comprehensive blood panel,” says Sheryl Rutledge, GRMC director of Occupational Health Services. “Knowing your C-reactive protein level offers you the chance to change the behaviors in your life that may be compromising your health status, often before symptoms or full-blown disease occur.”

The comprehensive metabolic panel requires participants to fast prior to the blood draw for 12 hours. That means no food, although water is encouraged, for 12 hours prior to the screening.

Grinnell Regional Medical Center has announced the end of the 2008 annual fund drive that raised more than $313,000 from 1,148 donors. The achievement marks more than an $84,000 increase over the 2007 annual fund effort, which brought $229,452 from 828 donors to help support the medical center’s mission.

An important factor for the increase in donations was a $25,000 matching challenge initiated by an anonymous donor in the fall, says Mindy Uitermarkt, GRMC development director.

Annual fund gifts are used to buy supplies or equipment like wheelchairs, patient beds, and computers. Annual fund gifts also help offset operating expenses. Examples of how the medical center used the annual fund donations include purchasing:

• Laboratory equipment for tissue analysis thanks to a $10,000 contribution from John and Marlene Manatt.
• A CosyCot Infant Warmer and Resuscitator for the Kintzinger Women’s Health Center, which was partially funded with gifts from GRMC employees and Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company employees and its foundation.
• An electrocardiogram (EKG) used to diagnose heart disease with a grant from the Poweshiek County Alliance and a donation from John Tomasek.
• A new exam table for echocardiogram testing with a $6,500 donation from The Donaldson Foundation.

 “I am overwhelmed and gratified not just by the generosity of our supporters, but also by the sheer number of people who believe in the work we do,” says Todd C. Linden, GRMC president and CEO. “Each gift, regardless of size, is a statement from our friends and patients that GRMC is important to their healthcare needs. Each gift recognizes the healing and caring work we do at GRMC that makes a difference to those in need.”

The medical center also raised $199,497 through its annual grant writing efforts in 2008. Grantors included the Iowa Department of Public Health, US Bank, Poweshiek County Alliance, Poweshiek County Empowerment Board, Alliant Energy Foundation, Humanities Iowa, Change Happens Foundation, and the Campbell Fund. Grant dollars helped fund dozens of hospital programs, including Mother-Child Wellness programs, immunizations for children, the community care clinic, and the hospital’s charity care program.

“We appreciate so much the generous support that we have received from each and every donor and granting agency,” Uitermarkt says. “The need for charitable support from our friends who believe in our mission to provide quality, compassionate care close to home continues to be especially important because of the economy and the poor reimbursement GRMC receives from Medicare and Medicaid. To all who chose to support our mission in this way, thank you. Your support does not go unnoticed.”

Although GRMC witnessed its most success annual fund drive ever in 2008, the medical center expects to lose approximately $2.7 million for the year in large part because of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement challenges.

“The combination of extremely poor government payment, the need for a few key medical specialties, and the nation’s economic crisis made 2008 a rough financial year,” Linden says. “We are making great progress with physician recruitment and expect the cost savings measures we are taking to improve finances in 2009. We are also grateful to all of our employees who have kept the focus on our mission and provided outstanding care to so many despite the financial challenges we are facing.”

“This vote in confidence from so many donors is very humbling for those of us who work and volunteer at the medical center,” says Susan Witt, GRMC board chair. “We continue to work with our Congressional leaders to fix the medical center’s reimbursement challenges. In addition, the medical center is focusing on other strategies to cut costs and enhance revenue while offering the same great care it always has. We have enjoyed quality medical care in Grinnell for more than 100 years and we intend to keep it that way. ”