News Releases - West Park Hospital, Cody, Wyoming

WPH Press Releases

HOME OXYGEN PASSES SURVEY WITH 100 PERCENT COMPLIANCE

West Park Hospital’s home oxygen department received accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care after having zero deficiencies in seven different categories during a December survey.

The one-day survey observed staff and audited the department’s records, policies and procedures. Accreditation by the commission is required for the department to participate in Medicare and Medicaid.

“The success of the survey is directly related to the hard work of our dedicated staff,” said cardiopulmonary department manager Gail Parker.

Home oxygen employees include Wendy Fleig, Rick Cover, Julia Maple and Joni Cozzens.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

At West Park Hospital, we have adopted a philosophy of care called Planetree. Planetree encompasses a type of healing environment that focuses on treating the whole patient. West Park Hospital believes that when it comes to a person's health, there are many aspects of healing. In treating the patient as a whole — not just treating the disease or illness — West Park Hospital can truly focus on healing.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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LONG TERM CARE CENTER HAS SUCCESSFUL SURVEY

CODY, Wyo. — An outstanding survey in December has West Park Hospital’s Long Term Care Center staff confident the LTCC will retain its five-star standing from Medicare.

The extensive, three-day survey by the Wyoming Department of Health, which reviews compliance with state and federal regulations, revealed only four minor deficiencies, none of which were a risk to residents. With more than 500 items reviewed, that equates to more than a 99 percent success rate.

The deficiencies are all in the process of being corrected.

During the survey, state regulators talk to staff, residents and family members, observe care and services, and review records and policies.

“It takes many departments all working together to achieve such high standards,” said LTCC Administrator Jeanne Kaiser. “We’re proud of our Long Term Care staff in addition to all of the departments that support us and help us give our residents great care.”

In 2008, the WPH Long Term Care Center scored the equivalent of 97 percent on its state survey.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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MEDICARE SCAM TARGETS COLORADO, WYOMING

CODY, Wyo. — A new scam targeting Medicare beneficiaries has popped up in Colorado and Wyoming.

The con consists of an unsolicited phone call to a beneficiary from someone claiming to be from Medicare, notifying the beneficiary that they owe a “Part D Penalty,” which needs to be paid immediately.

Then, the caller likely will request banking, credit-card or other personal information for payment. A common thread that runs through all telemarketing scams is the demand for payment upfront, according to the National Fraud Information Center.

There are a number of red flags that can alert beneficiaries to this scam, said Mike Fierberg, spokesman for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:

First, Medicare almost never calls beneficiaries. In the rare cases that the agency does call a beneficiary, the person will be notified in writing first that Medicare will be contacting them.
Second, if the caller uses the term “Part D Penalty,” it is a scam. The agency uses the terminology “late enrollment penalty.”
Third, the notification of such a penalty is always sent in writing — with information about how to appeal.
Finally, the entity that contacts a beneficiary about a “late enrollment penalty” would be the private insurance company that administers the plan, not Medicare itself.

If there still is any question whether the caller is legitimate, ask them for their name and phone number to call them back and get as much information as possible about the caller, Fierberg said. If the caller is a scammer, they usually hang up immediately or will provide false information.

Fierberg suggests beneficiaries who suspect they have been contacted by a scammer to report the incident at 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227), so the agency can track any patterns that might occur.

In general, the National Fraud Information Center suggests the public be wary of the following signs, which are common in telemarketing scams:

A promise that you can win money, make money or borrow money easily
A demand that you act immediately or else miss out on this great opportunity
A refusal to send you written information before you agree to buy or donate
An attempt to scare you into buying something
Insistence that you wire money or have a courier pick up your payment
A refusal to stop calling after you’ve asked not to be called again

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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ER WILL REMAIN OPEN DURING GENERATOR CONSTRUCTION

CODY, Wyo. — Access to the ER and ambulance bay will remain open during work on a new generator facility on the north side of West Park Hospital.

The construction area will be cordoned off beginning Wednesday and parking spots will be identified. Groathouse Saunders will complete the project in sections in order to keep the main route to the ER open to the public.

A transmission conduit is being laid for two new 600-kilowatt Caterpillar generators and an upgraded electrical connection to the city’s power grid.

WPH received a $462,500 grant from the State Lands & Investments Board to help offset the cost of the project.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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RICK COVER NAMED WPH EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Gail Parker named leader of the year WPH Employee of the Year Rick Cover

CODY, Wyo. — West Park Hospital’s Cardiopulmonary Department swept the 2009 employee awards at the annual WPH Christmas party when hospital staff voted manager Gail Parker as Leader of the Year and home oxygen provider Rick Cover as Employee of the Year.

Cover started at WPH in 1999 in the Plant Operations Department

where he spent seven years before transferring to Cardiopulmonary.

Rick Cover

In addition to Employee of the Year, Cover recently was voted WPH’s Employee of the Quarter for the fourth quarter WPH Leader of the Year Gail Parker of 2009 when, during
one of his home oxygen deliveries, he selflessly gave up his gloves to an unprepared highway flagger standing on the side of the road in the freezing cold.

Parker started at WPH in July 2004 in the Cardiopulmonary Department. In March 2007, she became the department manager.

She was nominated by her department for her fairness, willingness to

Gail Parker

listen and appreciation of her employees.

“Gail is the ‘T’ in our team,” one employee wrote.

In recognition of their contributions to WPH and demonstrations of the Planetree spirit, both Cover and Parker received personalized gift packages worth $500.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY COMING TO WEST PARK HOSPITAL

CODY, Wyo. — Digital mammography is coming to West Park Hospital early this spring.

For patients, the major benefit of digital mammography over film mammography is reduced exam times because the digital images are available immediately rather than having to be developed between takes.

Digital mammography also requires fewer retakes because the images aren’t sensitive to exposure variations.

Digital mammography can benefit clinical outcomes, as well. Radiologists can adjust digital images for brightness and contrast and can digitally magnify images. Digital images also provide improved visibility of the chest wall and are compatible with computer-aided detection software, which highlights suspect areas for radiologists, giving the images a virtual “second look.”

WPH’s Radiology Department currently uses CAD software with its film mammography system, and it also will be utilized with digital mammography.

As with film, digital mammograms must be ordered by a physician.

West Park Hospital’s Radiology Department earned its three-year American College of Radiology accreditation in mammography in 2008. In addition, WPH has five radiologic technologists who are individually certified in mammography through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

Despite controversial new guidelines issued by a federal task force in November, Beemer recommends patients follow the screening schedules promoted by the ACR and the American Cancer Society, which remain unchanged and suggest women have annual clinical breast exams and mammograms starting at age 40.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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WPH RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT EARNS ACR ACCREDITATION IN MRI

CODY, Wyo. — The West Park Hospital Radiology Department has earned a three-year accreditation in magnetic resonance imaging from the American College of Radiology, which recognizes the qualifications of its staff and the quality of its equipment.

ACR accreditation programs set quality standards for radiology practices and help them continuously improve the quality of care they give to patients. The rigorous accreditation process evaluates personnel qualifications and training, equipment performance, effectiveness of quality control measures and quality of clinical images.

“This certification says a lot about the commitment of our staff,” said Karen Beemer, director of the WPH Radiology Department. “It takes a lot of ongoing training, record-keeping and quality control to earn an ACR certification. It’s a test that not all radiology departments pass.”

WPH Radiology is one of just eight MRI-accredited facilities in the state.

In addition to the three-year ACR accreditation in MRI, the WPH Radiology Department also earned a three-year accreditation in mammography in 2008.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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TONI COOK NAMED WPH EMPLOYEE OF THE THIRD QUARTER

CODY, Wyo. — Toni Cook was named Employee of the Quarter for the third quarter of 2009 for personally escorting a patient on a flight home to California after it had been determined that the patient could not safely travel alone.

Cook started at WPH in June 2008 as an administrative assistant to the director of patient care services, after previously working as a
personal banker and customer-service representative.

For her dedication to WPH and its patients, Cook received a personalized gift basket that included a blanket, a candle set, four martini glasses, a cocktail shaker, alcohol-free martini mixes, a purse,

Toni Cook

a down and faux-fur vest, a $35 gift certificate to Maurice’s, a $15 gift certificate to Subway, a case of Pepsi and a $45 gift certificate to Reindeer Ranch.

Bruce Wenger was runner-up and received Big Horn Cinema tickets.

Also nominated for the third quarter were Kelli Martin, Donna Zubik, Wendy Barker, Sherry Lyons, Cheryl Horne, Tommie Weiser, Melodye Trusty and Russ Knudsen.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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Members of the Cody Organizing Leadership Team

COMMITTEE MAKES PROGRESS IN BRINGING FREE MEDICAL CLINIC TO CODY

CODY, Wyo. — If progress toward bringing a branch of the Heart Mountain Volunteer Medical Clinic (HMVMC) to Cody keeps pace, a weekly evening free clinic could open its doors here as early as next spring, Dr. Stephen Mainini said.

The Cody Organizing Leadership

Get involved

If your church or organization would like to request a presentation about Heart Mountain Volunteer Medical Clinic, call the Powell office at 754-1142 and leave a message.

If you would like to volunteer at the clinic, applications are available at Billings Clinic-Cody or the WPH Acute Care Unit on the third floor.

If you would like to donate or know of a suitable building that could host the clinic, call Dr. Stephen Mainini at 527-1915 and leave a message.

Team has been meeting weekly since a community-wide meeting in June, working to recruit volunteers, raise funds and present the idea to civic groups, clubs and churches.

The leadership team includes
Nancy Liebert, Nancy Bailey, Stephen and Rita Mainini, Adriaan Overbeeke, Carol Woodward, Christy and Alan Messnick, Bill Stangl, Bo Johnson, Nicholas
Morris, JoAnn Cozzens, Jody Vannoy, Wanda Webb and Perry
and Lynette Rockvam.

“We appreciate the response we’ve had for volunteers and the support of our local churches,” Mainini said. “People don’t need medical training to have a servant’s heart, and I have no doubt that we’ll be able to utilize the skills of everyone who wants to volunteer. Our commission to extend the love of Christ to those in need in our community goes beyond the immediate medical need and into many aspects of the lives of the people we are here to serve. This is why the support of our local churches is of such importance.”

Lay volunteers are needed for jobs such as greeting, reception, patient escorts, child care, janitorial, building maintenance and meals.

“Efforts to find a suitable long-term location to meet the anticipated demand for free medical care are ongoing, Mainini said. “In the meantime, Dr. Bo Johnson has graciously offered his office as a place to temporarily begin the clinic.”

Two community fundraisers also are planned.

Lorraine Lamb of The Golden Buffalo is donating a $5,000 pendant called “Spirit of Hope” as a “share the gift” raffle, the proceeds of which will benefit the clinic.

In addition, the Bar J Wranglers are doing a community benefit concert Jan. 7, with proceeds going to the clinic as well as Cody youth.

Dr. Mainini said he has been impressed with the generosity of the local community so far and that the organizing team is still identifying resources.

“We’d like this to be seen as a community project and have the whole community take ownership in it, especially all of our local churches,” he said. “West Park Hospital has been generous to offer free blood work and X-rays, and we’d like to see other organizations in town match that commitment.”

On Tuesday nights, the Heart Mountain Volunteer Medical Clinic in Powell provides free, professional outpatient, non-emergency, acute and chronic primary medical care, according to its Web site, www.hmvmc.org.

The clinic serves residents of the Big Horn Basin whose gross income is at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or who are uninsured and do not qualify for any other health care programs.

About 26 percent of Park County residents earn below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, while 21 percent have no health insurance at all, Mainini said.

An HMVMC branch in Cody would mirror the Powell organization but take place Thursday nights.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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EMPLOYEE ELECTED WYOMING STATE NURSES ASSOCIATION SECRETARY

CODY, Wyo. — Jennifer Jones, an Emergency Department nurse at West Park Hospital, was elected secretary of the Wyoming Nurses Association by its membership, it was announced last month at the group’s conference in Cody. Emergency Department nurse Jennifer Jones

Jones also was named the group’s District 16 Nurse of the Year at the conference, which reflects her continued involvement
in and commitment to the district.

As secretary, Jones records the association’s meeting minutes, which then are used to formulate its official position on
nursing and health care issues. Those positions are then used to advocate for nursing and health care issues in the state Legislature and on the national level.

Jennifer Jones

The secretary also communicates state-level activities to the districts.

In addition to her state-level position, Jones also acts as secretary and treasurer for District 16, which involves maintaining the district’s member records and budget as well as helping organize multiple fundraising activities.

Jones has been a nurse for 15 years, all at West Park Hospital.

The WNA is the professional association for all registered nurses in Wyoming that works to address the issues that face nursing on a daily basis as well as including issues of importance such as nurse work-force numbers, workplace safety, standards of care, scope of practice and patient safety.

WNA focuses on practice, educational, political and professional issues that impact registered nurses in Wyoming.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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WPH RECEIVES FEDERAL GRANT TO HELP COMBAT PROBLEM DRINKING

CODY, Wyo. — West Park Hospital has received a U.S. Department of Education grant that provides money to help reduce underage drinking, binge drinking and negative consequences associated from drinking at Northwest College.

“WPH received the grant not because there is an increase of binge drinking among NWC students; actually, they are below the national average,” said project coordinator Helena De Fina. “We received it due to the quality of the proposal and the strategies that will be implemented. This grant intends to prevent future illegal and harmful consequences associated with alcohol use.”

The grant provides $130,620 per year for two years, which will be used to create an alcohol prevention and education program for freshman and all other incoming students, to create a college-wide campaign to counter student, staff and faculty misperceptions about alcohol use and to improve screening and intervention practices for problem drinking.

Students often overestimate the amount and frequency that their peers drink, which can itself lead to problems.

“We know with that age group, having the misperceptions that others drink frequently or heavily can itself lead to risky behavior,” De Fina said.

Students were surveyed in spring 2009 about their behavior and perceptions of problem drinking among their peers. They will be questioned again next year and in 2011, and De Fina hopes to see positive results from the program reflected in those surveys.

As the project manager, De Fina will be working four days a week in the Student Success Center at NWC to implement the three steps of the program.

She will receive guidance from co-project director, Jay Otto of the WPH Prevention and Wellness Office and co-project director Cynthia Garhart at NWC.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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WEST PARK HOSPITAL OFFERS FREE INTRODUCTION TO YOGA CLASS

CODY, Wyo. — West Park Hospital is offering a free introduction to yoga, a popular fitness and wellness practice.

Intro to yoga

What: An introduction to the practice of yoga.

When: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21

Where: Sunlight Room at West Park Hospital

Cost: Free. To reserve a spot, call 527-7501. Space is limited to 25 participants.

More information: Contact Dawn Garrison at 578-2667 or dgarrison@wphcody.org

Yoga includes physical postures, breathing exercises and
meditation. More than 13 million American adults had practiced
yoga in the previous year, according to a 2007 National
Health Interview Survey.

In addition to general fitness and flexibility benefits, research suggests that practicing yoga can improve mood and sense of well-being; counteract stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia; lower heart rate and blood pressure; increase lung capacity; improve muscle relaxation and body composition; and positively affect levels of certain brain or blood chemicals, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Ongoing studies also are researching the health benefits of yoga for specific chronic conditions, such as low-back pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, inflammatory arthritis and knee osteoarthritis, insomnia, multiple sclerosis and smoking cessation.

The idea for a free introduction to yoga workshop came from WPH’s Healing Interventions Planetree Team, which was looking for ways to promote healthy activities in the community.

The goal of the Healing Interventions Team is to develop ways to complement clinical care with additional healing elements. A few examples of complementary therapies at WPH include inpatient and outpatient massages, Pet Therapy and Healing Touch, a type of energy therapy that studies suggest can lessen anxiety and improve well-being.

The class will be held Oct. 21 from 5:30 p.m. until about 7 p.m. in West Park Hospital’s Sunlight Room, downstairs from the Outpatient Services entrance.

Certified instructor Laura Vanderberg, owner of Cody’s Here Yoga, will lead the session. Participants should wear comfortable workout clothes. Mats will be provided.

Space is limited to the first 25 registrants. To reserve a spot, call 527-7501. For more information about the class, contact Dawn Garrison at 578-2667 or dgarrison@ wphcody.org.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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MULTI-AGENCY DISASTER DRILL WILL FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION

CODY, Wyo. — A simulated chlorine spill Wednesday, Sept. 23, will give emergency responders a chance to work out any kinks in emergency communication before an actual disaster.

The simulated accident, starting at about 1 p.m. at the intersection of Alger Avenue and 12th Street, will involve a West Park Hospital vehicle and a city tanker truck. The intersection will be closed to traffic during the drill.

“The whole purpose of drilling is to work out the kinks so you’re more prepared when something really does happen,” said WPH Plant Operations manager Tim Waldner.

In addition to the police department blocking off the surrounding area, the fire department will be providing mass decontamination, the city will be facilitating communication and calling in a Hazmat team from Worland and West Park Hospital will be transporting “victims” to the hospital for thorough decontamination and triage in the Emergency Department.

Cody High School students act as victims and will wear make-up to simulate various wounds and symptoms, Waldner said.

For West Park Hospital specifically, the drill will help familiarize the staff with a new mass casualty procedures that are aligned with the Hospital Incident Commands System (HICS).

“Our goals for the drill are to implement HICS in order to train staff on the process, practice the decontamination process and drill on our interactions with police, the city, Homeland Security and other emergency responders,” Waldner said.

Several years ago, WPH purchased a decontamination trailer with a grant.

The drill won’t affect day-to-day hospital operations, Waldner said.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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WPH HOME HEALTH EXPANDS SERVICES WITH $126,000 GRANT

CODY, Wyo. — With a $126,000 grant from the State of Wyoming Department of Health Aging Division, West Park Hospital’s Home Health Services is now able to provide a complete continuity of home care, from homemaking to hospice.

Home Health, Hospice move

West Park Hospital’s Home Health Department and Spirit Mountain Hospice have moved from their previous location in the basement of the hospital to the Balison building on Eighth Street, behind the cancer center. The staff welcomes clients or visitors to stop by during normal business hours to see the new location.

“This grant provides seniors 60 and older at risk for nursing home or institutional placement in-home services such as homemaking, personal care and personal emergency response systems,” said Linda Harbron, director of WPH’s Home Health Services and Spirit Mountain Hospice. “It has saved the Medicaid program in Wyoming literally millions of dollars by keeping people out of nursing homes and out of the hospital.”

In addition to seniors 60 and older, the grant also covers people ages 18 to 59 years old with physical, emotional or cognitive disabilities.

The grant provides for three in-home services:

Certified nursing aides to assist with bathing or other personal-care needs.
A homemaker/housekeeper to assist with light housework such as dusting, laundry, shopping and cleaning bathrooms.
A personal emergency-response system for those at risk of falls.

WPH Home Health took over the program — which had been administered by another agency for the past five years — June 29. The program serves 50 people with a range of needs, from a single service to all three offerings.

In addition, a case manager and access coordinator work to provide personalized service and care plans and supervision and scheduling of staff.

The addition of community-based in-home services completes WPH’s range of home health and hospice care allows the department to use its expertise and experience to place patients in the best care for them.

“When we meet new patients, it’s obvious some people qualify for other programs, so we act as a case manager to get them the appropriate level of care for their needs,” Harbron said. “It helps us identify when people need more help. We can be that patient advocate when more resources are needed.”

The need for the program is evident by the waiting list for services, which was eight people long in July.

“The governor was very adamant that this program not be cut,” Harbron said. “What we need to do now is advocate for these programs in the coming years.” The waiting list and the cost savings are tangible proof of the importance of in-home care, she said.

Clients do pay for services, but the fee is based on a sliding scale, and no one is turned away for financial reasons. The average cost for clients is $3 an hour.

Starting a new program from scratch took a lot of determination and extra hours from the Home Health staff.

“It was three of us working pretty much around the clock,” Harbron said. “We had to literally go see every client in Park County who has this service to explain the transfer. There were a lot of concerns that people would fall through the cracks during the switch.”

For more information about community-based in-home services, contact West Park Hospital’s Home Health Department at 578-2413.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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WPH WELCOMES NEW WOMEN"S HEALTH MANAGER

CODY, Wyo. — New Women’s Health manager Sara Washburn brings a lifetime of health care experience to West Park Hospital.

Washburn started her career at age 17 as a hospital unit clerk for several different departments before becoming a nurse in 1995.

Most recently, she worked as a staff nurse at 86-bed Morris Hospital near Chicago, where she rewrote all of the obstetrics policies and procedures. She also has experience in neonatal intensive care, labor and delivery and postpartum nursing.

Washburn graduated this spring from Lewis University in Illinois

Sara Washburn

with a master’s degree in organizational leadership.

Although coming to Cody after living her whole life in Illinois has been a bit of a culture shock, she’s had some help getting acclimated.

“The people here are very, very nice and welcoming,” Washburn said. “I think the staff in OB is fantastic, and Dr. Williams, Dr. Cruz and Dr. Jamieson have been very helpful.”

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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LTCC CNA PATTI MIEARS NAMED EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER

CODY, Wyo. — Long Term Care Center nursing assistant Patti Miears has been named West Park Hospital Employee of the Quarter for the third quarter of 2009.

Patti Miears gets a hug from Melodye Trusty

Miears was nominated by two different employees for her personalized care of residents and her willingness to go above and beyond her expected duties.

“Ms. Patti” said she especially enjoys when residents call her “my Patti” and when they tell her they love her.

Although she’d worked several jobs before joining the LTCC staff, Miears said he current

Patti Miears (right) gets a hug from Melodye Trusty after the announcedment that Miears had been named Employee of the Quarter.

workplace “feels like home.”

"I am sure she has lit up many bright spots in others’ lives, as she has in mine," one LTCC resident said.

As the Employee of the Quarter, Miears received a personalized gift basket, which included bath and beauty products, kitchen utensils and several gift cards, among other things.

Jeremy Ohman in Environmental Services was the third-quarter runner-up. He received two tickets to Big Horn Cinema.

The employee of the quarter is chosen from staff members who are nominated by fellow employees for WPH’s “You Make Difference” award.

In addition Miears and Ohman, six other staff members were nominated this quarter for the “You Make a Difference” award. They were: Tim McIsaac, Donna Zubik, Ingrid Long, Trina Lowham, Jessica Freire and Gina Teini.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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WEST PARK HOSPITAL WELCOMES DR. JOHN MENELLO TO CODY

CODY, Wyo. — The chance to return to the Greater Yellowstone Region drew John Menello, MD, to Cody.

Originally from Billings, Menello started seeing patients July 16 at West Park Hospital’s Urgent Care Clinic.

In addition to returning to the Northern Rockies, Menello said being close to Yellowstone, the new Cathcart Health Center and Cody’s friendly people and laid-back atmosphere also influenced his decision.

Menello earned his medical degree from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and completed his family practice residency at St. Mark’s

Dr. John Menello

Family Medicine in Salt Lake City.

He spent the past 10 years in Salt Lake City practicing urgent care and family medicine, and he said he’s looking forward to the small-town feel of Cody.

Menello’s interests outside of medicine include skiing, mountain biking, hiking, climbing and fishing.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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MURAL CHANGES LANDSCAPE OF WPH LABORATORY

CODY, Wyo. — Few medical instruments are as feared as the needle.

The West Park Hospital laboratory has made a significant change in its “draw room,” where phlebotomists draw blood, in an attempt to calm those fears.

Local artist Sally Holberg (foreground) and her daughter Kate Holberg (background) paint the WPH lab’s draw room to make it more relaxing

As part of yearlong Level III Planetree retreats, departments were challenged to make three patient-centered improvements to their areas.

“We talked about doing something to the draw room to calm and relax anxious patients,” lab tech Jana Parker said. “Just something to give people a distraction because the walls were so bare in there.”

Parker knew local artist Sally Holberg, who volunteered to paint a nature scene on the walls in order to relax and calm patients, especially younger ones. Sally and her daughter Kate Holberg spent about a week creating the scene.

“Jana wanted something restful,” Sally said. “We wanted it to

Local artist Sally Holberg (foreground) and her daughter Kate Holberg (background) paint the WPH lab’s draw room to make it more relaxing.

represent the area.”

Studies have revealed that certain types of artwork, colors and decorations can create more healing environments. Healing Environments also is one of the 10 tenets of the Planetree philosophy of patient-centered care.

The book Planetree book “Putting Patients First” describes a variety of ways that visual and other forms of art can be used in health-care settings.

“While many studies document the psychological effects of the arts on health and healing, many hospitals choose to include a variety of arts simply for their

usefulness as “positive distractions,” offering diversions from anxiety, discomfort, and loneliness,” Roger Ulrich and Laura Gilpin wrote in the “Healing Arts” chapter of “Putting Patients First.”

A 2002 study at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston conducted by American Art Resources “showed that the artwork made both patients and staff feel better, served as a positive distraction or patients and a de-stressor for staff, helped to de-institutionalize the ‘hospital’ image and enhance the overall image of the hospital as a healing environment.”

Nature and landscape themes are especially popular.

According to a 2008 study at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston conducted by American Art Resources, patients preferred nature images over popular abstract art, especially landscapes.

“In fact, simple nature scenes were preferred to the Van Gogh and the Chagall,” the study concludes.

West Park Hospital has made significant positive changes since it adopted the Planetree philosophy of patient-centered care five years ago, including remodeling patient rooms, opening the Women’s Health Pavilion, implementing ongoing Planetree retreats to educate and train staff in patient-centered care, starting a recycling program, becoming a smoke-free campus, implementing a pet therapy program, constructing the Seedlings Center day care and partnering with the Park County Library to create Planetree Health Resource Center, among other accomplishments.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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LTCC ADMINISTRATOR JEANNE KAISER ELECTED STATE BOARD CHAIRMAN

CODY, Wyo. — West Park Hospital’s Long Term Care Center Administrator Jeanne Kaiser was recently elected chairman of the Wyoming Board of Nursing Home Administrators.

WPH Long Term Care Center Administrator Jeanne Kaiser

Kaiser was appointed earlier this year by Gov. Dave
Freudenthal to serve a three-year term on the board. Members of the board are appointed to oversee credentialing, licensure and activities of all licensed Nursing Home Administrators in the state.

Kaiser also previously served on the state board from
1995-2003, including six years as chairman. She has been with West Park Hospital since 1986 and the LTCC administrator
since 1988.

Jeanne Kaiser

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

Return to Main News Page >

RESIDENTS SEE THE NEED FOR VOLUNTEER MEDICAL CLINIC IN CODY

CODY, Wyo. — The impact of a volunteer medical clinic in Powell has a local group looking to bring a similar service to Cody.

Free clinic meeting

Who: Anyone interested in volunteering at, learning about or providing input on a proposed volunteer medical clinic.

What: An informational meeting about starting a free medical clinic in Cody.

When: 7 p.m. June 25

Where: Sunlight Room at West Park Hospital

Cost: Free

More information: For questions or further information, call Dr. Stephen Mainini at 527-1915.

Dr. Stephen Mainini, a local pulmonologist who is spearheading the campaign to start a local branch of the Heart Mountain Volunteer Medical Clinic here,
says the need for a free clinic is
as great in Cody as it is in Powell, especially during these tough economic times.

According to Dr. Mainini, nearly
1 in 5 patients seen at the free clinic in Powell comes from Cody.

He is working with Dr. Nick Morris, the driving force behind the Tuesday-night free clinic in Powell, and a group of a half-dozen Cody residents to copy the concept. Other participants include Cody Police Chief Perry Rockvam, Madelyn Morris and Rita Mainini.

“It’s going to mirror exactly what’s going on over there on Tuesday nights,” Dr. Mainini said.

The Heart Mountain Volunteer Medical Clinic provides free professional outpatient, non-emergency, acute and chronic primary medical care, according to its Web site, www.hmvmc.org. The clinic serves residents of the Big Horn Basin whose gross income is at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, are uninsured and do not qualify for any other health care programs.

Dr. Mainini said the Cody branch of the volunteer clinic will draw residents who normally would not seek treatment until a condition becomes a medical emergency.

“These are patients who won’t show up in a doctor’s office anywhere because they’ve lost their job and are uninsured, they’re underinsured, or they’re in need — but they will go to the ER when it’s too late,” he said. “Studies have shown that these volunteer medical clinics actually save communities money. It’s going to be a win-win situation for everyone.”

An informational community meeting about the clinic is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 25 in the Sunlight Room at West Park Hospital. During the meeting, Drs. Mainini and Morris and Rockvam will give a presentation about how the clinic in Powell works and will speak about how a free clinic would be structured in Cody. The group also is recruiting volunteers for the proposed clinic.

“I think once organizations find out about this, they’re going to want to jump on board,” Dr. Mainini said.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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HOSPICE HOUSE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN CONTINUES TO BUILD MOMENTUM

CODY, Wyo. — Momentum toward constructing a free-standing hospice house in Cody continues to build on the heels of the C.E. “Bud” Webster and Lucille M. Webster gift of $500,000. Rev. Mary Caucutt and Jerry Hager of Christ Episcopal Church.

Recent pledges from the Wyoming Community Foundation, Wells Fargo and Christ Episcopal Church, among others, have brought the total commitments to Spirit Mountain Hospice’s Closer to Home capital campaign to $1.7 million.

In April, The Flying V Donor Advised Fund of the Wyoming Community Foundation gave $25,000 to the West Park Hospital Foundation to benefit the capital campaign. The $25,000 from The Flying V Donor Advised fund matches $25,000 given by the Older and Bolder Club.

Memorials in the name of Lucille Webster, who died in March, also have raised more than $10,000 above and beyond the Websters’ $500,000 lead gift.

Other recent major commitments

Rev. Mary Caucutt, left, and Jerry Hager of Christ Epsicopal Church in Cody.

include $50,000 from the Christ Episcopal Church and $50,000 from Wells Fargo Bank.

Rich Peterson, Wells Fargo Bank president

“This is another great example of how Park County residents and Cody, in particular, get behind an extremely worthy philanthropic endeavor and find a way to ‘make it happen,’” said Rich Peterson, president of Wells Fargo’s Cody and Powell branches. “We are very proud to be a small part of this remarkable project — one that will give back to the communities for many years to come."

Rich Peterson

Christ Episcopal Church typically makes one large “outreach” donation from the church’s endowment every year, Rev. Mary Caucutt said.

“This church has been really committed to hospice in Cody and Park County for many years,” she said. “Hospice has touched a lot of lives in our church.”

The church’s governing Vestry appointed a task force nearly two years ago, chaired by Jerry Hager, to look into making a gift to the capital campaign.

“What sparked my involvement was a personal phone call from my friend Deb Carroll,” Hager said. Carroll is an active member of the capital campaign committee and also is a hospice volunteer.

“Jerry really carried the torch for the hospice project,” Caucutt said.

The task force made a recommendation to the Vestry, which then suggested that the congregation approve the donation. The Christ Episcopal congregation voted unanimously to approve the gift at the church’s annual meeting in January.

“That’s a very clear message that the entire congregation, not just church leaders, supports this cause,” Hager said.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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PARTNERSHIP FOR PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE BUS TOUR COMES TO CODY

The “Help is Here Express” bus tour will be in Cody on Monday, June 15, stopping at West Park Hospital’s new Cathcart Health Center, to help uninsured and financially struggling Wyomingites access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free.

PPA bus tour

What: A resource to help Wyomingites find assitance in paying for prescription medications

When: 10-11 a.m. Monday, June 15

Where: The Cathcart Health Center, 424 Yellowstone Ave., Cody

Cost: Free

More information: www.pparx.org

The bus tour is part of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) — a nationwide effort sponsored by America’s pharmaceutical research
companies — to raise awareness
of patient-assistance programs among residents who have been facing layoffs or a loss of health care benefits in a struggling economy.

Additionally, patients who visit the bus can learn about new medicines in development to fight chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and asthma.

To date, the PPA has helped more than 5.7 million patients, including more than 11,000 Wyomingites.

Since its launch in April 2005, the PPA bus tour has visited all 50 states and more than 2,500 cities to raise awareness about patient assistance programs.

The “Help is Here Express” is staffed by trained specialists able to quickly help uninsured patients in need access information on more than 475 patient-assistance programs, including nearly 200 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies.

When the “Help is Here Express” moves on, patients can visit the PPA’s easy-to-use Web site (www.pparx.org) or call the toll-free phone number (1-888-4PPA-NOW), where trained operators field calls in 150 languages.

“At a time when national unemployment is the highest in almost two decades, the PPA has become an important lifeline for a growing number of patients,” PhRMA President and CEO Billy Tauzin said. “Millions of Americans have been added to the jobless rolls over the last several months and there could be a sharp increase in the number of our citizens losing health care benefits.’’

Tauzin adds that the PPA is currently helping “thousands of people every day,” including those who need treatments to fight such debilitating chronic diseases as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and asthma.

In Wyoming alone, there are hundreds of thousands of cases of chronic diseases, according to the Milken Institute and the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease.

Nationwide, more than 133 million Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease, which is responsible for seven out of every 10 deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“With the number of people affected by chronic disease going up every year, and economists predicting that unemployment will continue to grow well into 2009, the PPA and its message of hope are now more relevant than ever,” Tauzin said.

In addition to stopping in Cody on Monday, the “Help Is Here Express” will bring the Partnership for Prescription Assistance to several other Wyoming cities, including Powell, Sheridan, Gillette, Worland, Riverton, Casper, Rawlins, Laramie and Cheyenne.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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RADIOLOGIST TRAVIS GRAHAM RETURNS TO WPH, CODY

CODY, Wyo. — After moving to Denver for a year to work as a specialized radiologist in the field of musculoskeletal imaging, radiologist Travis Graham has returned to Cody and West Park Hospital. Radiologist Travis Graham, MD

Graham had worked at West Park Hospital as a radiologist for two years prior to leaving for Denver.

Quality of life and the local community were major factors in his family’s decision to return to Cody, Graham said. He and his wife both grew up and have family in the Big Horn Basin.

Dr. Travis Graham

“Work went very well in Denver and in Colorado, but the opportunity came up again to practice radiology in Cody. In the end, Cody and the Big Horn Basin just feel like home for us and the place we’d like to raise our kids,” he said.

Graham earned his MD from Creighton University and completed his residency at the University of Colorado, as well as and a fellowship in musculoskeletal and sports medicine imaging. He is certified by the American Board of Radiology.

His professional interests not only include orthopedics and sports-medicine imaging, but he has experience and training in a wide range of modalities and diagnostics.

“I feel lucky to be able to practice radiology at West Park Hospital,” Graham said. “The equipment and staff we have in the radiology department is excellent, and we’re able to provide high quality services to the people of Cody and the Big Horn Basin.”

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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WPH NURSE WINS NATIONAL AWARD FROM DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

CODY, Wyo. — When the Department of Justice called and left a message for West Park Hospital nurse Julie Mosbacher in April, she had no idea the chain of events it would set in motion. Julie Mosbacher receives her award at the Justice Department

It had been more than a year since a man had walked into the WPH emergency department late one cold March night claiming he couldn’t remember his name, that he was a former child prodigy and asking where the nearest U.S. Embassy was located.

The man also mentioned that he had his “son” in the car.

“He didn’t look any different than any other 21-year-old in Cody, Wyoming,” said Mosbacher, a house supervisor at WPH who works the night shift. “He was not crazy looking. He was very non-threatening.”

But something about the man gave Mosbacher chills.

“I was afraid, not of him, but that something horrible, horrible was going wrong,” she said. “Everything was screaming that something was not right.”

Julie Mosbacher, center, receives her award.

Mosbacher trusted her instincts and called Cody Police Sgt. John Beck, whom she had collaborated with on the job for many years.

“He said he’d never seen my cage rattled like that,” Mosbacher said. “I’ve been through lots of emergencies and trauma situations, and that doesn’t bother me. My cage was rattled, and my cage is never rattled.”

Only after Sgt. Beck arrived and located the man — who had by then returned back outside — did Mosbacher and the rest of the Emergency Department learn that Charles Stephen White was the suspect in a double murder eight hours earlier in Red Lodge, Mont., and had has his young nephew in the car outside.

Sgt. Beck arrested White and found the toddler in the car, unharmed.

For her action in helping recover the missing child, Mosbacher received a call from the Department of Justice notifying her that she was awarded the Missing Children’s Citizen Award, which is awarded to a private citizen for unselfish acts in safely recovering a missing or abducted child.

The award included a whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C, for a May 21 luncheon and ceremony, meeting with Wyoming’s congressional delegation and media events.

The fanfare is a little overwhelming for Mosbacher, a self-described Wyoming country girl who’s not used to being in the limelight.

“I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it,” she said.

“I would say Julie was in shock,” said Vicki Quirk, director of patient care services at WPH. “She couldn’t quite grasp what was going on.”

“As far as I was concerned, I was just doing my job,” Mosbacher said. “I was doing my job, but I don’t feel like I was doing anything heroic.”

Shane Shaw, an agent with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation who nominated Mosbacher for the award, says she and WPH nurse Cheryl Motsch — who also was in the ER that night — deserve the recognition “because their actions rescued an abducted child.”

Beyond rescuing the child, the phone call also critically impacted the rest of the investigation, he said.

“Not only did their instincts result in the recovery of the child, it resulted in the arrest of the suspect,” Shaw said. “Their instincts caused Mosbacher to make a phone call that was a turning point in this case. It allowed us to focus on a homicide investigation instead of a manhunt and a missing child.”

Shaw was in the process of issuing an Amber Alert when he received a phone call letting him know the child was safe and the suspect had been caught.

“It was a huge relief for me,” he said. “That phone call very likely saved that child at least more trauma that night and possibly saved his life.”

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

Return to Main News Page >

WPH CAREGIVERS HONORED DURING NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

CODY, Wyo. — Nursing often is described as part art and part science, as nurses attempt balance appropriate medical care with patients’ spiritual, emotional and mental well-being.

West Park Hospital recognized seven caregivers May 7 during National Nurses Week for their exceptional ability to balance the many aspects of patient-centered care. National Nurses Week begins May 6 each year and ends May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday.

Marlene Sanders Nurse of the Year: Kim Asay. Asay, an RN with the Acute Care Unit, was nominated for her excellent patient care and compassion in addition to her commitment to continuing education, her mentorship of students and new employees and the respect she has earned from staff and physicians. According to Asay’s nomination, “Wonderful patient care is her specialty. She is an excellent mentor and resource, as well. She is always patient and helpful to all.” The award is named after a former WPH Emergency Department nurse manager who was a compassionate and skilled nurse, mentor and teacher.
Nursing Lifetime Achievement Award: Val Lehman. Lehman is an RN at Cedar Mountain Center with a background in psychiatric, chemical dependency and detoxification nursing. Since her involvement at CMC, she has made significant positive impacts, such as reducing medication errors, cross-training nurses in acute care and chemical dependency, developing an orientation program for new nurses and increasing awareness and interest in her field by starting a preceptor program with Northwest College. The lifetime achievement award recognizes those with 30 years or more of nursing experience.
Long Term Care Center Nurse of the Year: Mary Ann Desson. Desson is an LPN who has worked at the WPH Long Term Care Center for the past 17 years. According to her nomination, “Mary Ann is a top-notch nurse. She always puts the residents first. She always helps the CNAs when they need her.” Desson also was praised as being dependable, reliable, professional and an advocate for residents. The Long Term Care Center Nurse of the Year award is voted on by staff and residents.

While National Nurses Week officially only recognizes nurses, the committee that oversees the awards has chosen to include all direct patient caregivers, such as nursing assistants, surgical techs, unit clerks and environmental services staff who work in patient areas, with a specific category open these nursing “partners.”

“We didn’t feel this should just be focused on nurses,” WPH Director of Patient Care Services Vicki Quirk said. “We want it to be a recognition and celebration to the dedication and loyalty to everyone that directly impacts patient care.”

The Cathy Jansma Partner in Nursing Excellence: Rhonda Cordes. Cordes, a unit clerk with the Acute Care Unit, was nominated because “She is an asset to this facility and ACU.” In addition, she posses qualities that uplift patients and coworkers, such as being efficient, prompt, friendly, upbeat, encouraging, positive and going the extra mile, according to her nomination. The award is named in honor and memory of a former WPH nursing assistant.

Nominees for the above awards had to meet specific criteria developed for each award by the WPH Nurses Week Committee. Three other nurses were recognized with awards that didn’t require specific criteria to be nominated.

Nurse Leader of the Year: Sue Foor. Foor, an RN, is the nurse manager of the Acute Care and Critical Care units at WPH.
LPN of the Year: Meredith Cartwright. Cartwright is an LPN with Cedar Mountain Center.
Rookie Nurse of the Year Award: Suzi Hoiness. Hoiness, a longtime CNA, became an RN with the Acute Care Unit in August.

“Of course, giving thanks, recognition and acknowledgement is only part of the reason we celebrate National Nurses Week every year,” American Nurses Association President Rebecca M. Patton said in a statement. “Another equally important reason is to remind the public of nursing’s contributions to the health and well-being of the nation.”

Nurses Week unofficially began in 1953 when Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a "Nurse Day" in October of the following year. The proclamation was never made.

In 1974, President Nixon proclaimed a “National Nurse Week.”

In February 1982, the AMA formally acknowledged May 6, 1982, as "National Nurses Day." The action affirmed a joint resolution of Congress designating May 6 as "National Recognition Day for Nurses." President Reagan signed a similar proclamation in March of that year.

The ANA in 1990 expanded the recognition of nurses to a weeklong celebration, declaring May 6-12, 1991, as National Nurses Week.

In 1993, the ANA designated May 6-12 as permanent dates to observe National Nurses Week in 1994 and in all subsequent years.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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NEW SURGEON BRINGS ADVANCED CHEST, VEIN PROCEDURES TO THE BASIN

CODY, Wyo. – Residents of the Big Horn Basin will have to make fewer trips to Billings and have a wider range of minimally invasive surgical offerings with the arrival of Dr. Bill Evans to West Park Hospital. General/Vascular Surgeon Bill Evans, MD

Dr. Evans comes to Cody from the Wisconsin Heart and Vascular Institute in Madison, Wis., and has 19 years of surgical experience.

In addition to being board-certified in general surgery,
Dr. Evans specializes in minimally invasive vascular surgery and non-cardiac chest procedures.

“Dr. Evans will be able to provide additional vascular services at WPH that currently cannot be provided in
the Big Horn Basin,” West Park Hospital CEO Doug McMillan said. “We are looking forward to being able to keep patients in Cody that otherwise have had to go to

Dr. Bill Evans

Billings or other larger health care facilities.”

In minimally invasive procedures, such as

New surgeon

Dr. Evans will start seeing patients June 1 in Suite 250 of the Cathcart Health Center at 424 Yellowstone Ave., Cody. To make an appointment before May 18, call (307) 578-2575. For an appointment after May 18, call (307) 578-2947.

For more information on Dr. Evans' background, training and specialities, see his bio here.

laparoendoscopic surgery and gastrointestinal
endoscopy, doctors use cameras to navigate during surgery or to view organs during diagnosis. The
advantages of such minimally invasive procedures for patients can include faster recovery, less discomfort and decreased risk of infection.

In addition, Dr. Evans has significant training in endovascular procedures, minimally invasive techniques
to treat problems with blood vessels. Benefits of endovascular surgery over more invasive procedures also include faster recovery and less discomfort. Endovascular procedures also allow physicians to operate on more patients, especially those with other serious medical conditions, because endovascular surgery puts less stress on other body systems in comparison to open vascular surgery.

“West Park Hospital has prepared the way for increased patient complexity and acuity by the addition of other necessary services, including pulmonary and critical care, a full-time hospitalist/intensivist corps, second-to-none emergency medicine services and advanced imaging capabilities, just to name a few,” Dr. Evans said.

Dr. Evans graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas and completed a general surgery residency and cardiovascular research fellowship at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison.

As well as being certified by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Evans is Fellow of American College of Surgeons, a charter member of International Society for Vascular Surgery, a member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons and holds numerous other medical society memberships.

“Dr. Evans will be a great addition to the West Park Hospital Medical Staff and medical community,” McMillan said. “WPH will have two outstanding general surgeons on active staff with Dr. Charlie Welch currently on staff. Dr. Evans, Dr. Welch and Dr. Smith from Powell will share call to provide surgical coverage for Cody and Powell."

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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VOLUNTEER EMS EDUCATION FUND AWARDS FOUR $1,000 SCHOLARSHIPS

CODY, Wyo. – The Cody Volunteer EMS Education Fund has awarded four $1,000 scholarships to children of current and former volunteer EMTs.

The recipients are:

Malory Hart, daughter of Alden Hart, EMT Intermediate, and Tara Hart, EMT Basic. Malory is finishing up an associate’s degree in equine studies, and her future plans are to enroll in the nursing program at Tarlaton State in Stephenville, Texas.
Will Weiser, son of Tommie Weiser, EMT Intermediate. Will is attending Black Hills State University and is working on eventually obtaining a master’s degree in biology. He would like to pursue a position in the natural-resource field or in a biological-testing field where he can test new antibiotics, antibacterial and antifungal medications.
Randy Binder, son of Julie Binder, EMT Basic. Randy currently is a high school student. After graduation, he plans to use the scholarship to further his education in a job where he can work outside, help people experience the outdoors or help people in need. He is also considering a career as a firefighter.
Marshall Roach, son of Denise Roach, a former EMT Intermediate. Marshall is attending Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo., finishing a college degree in creative writing. He hopes to move on to film school and would like to become a screenplay writer.

Eligible for a scholarship were children of active EMS members, grandchildren of active EMS members being raised in the home of an active member, children of deceased active members, stepchildren of legally married active members and active members.

Funds are for tuition and purchasing books and equipment pertaining to an applicant’s desired field of study. The money can be used for any field of study except by active EMS members, who must use it for advancement in the medical field.

The money will be awarded on or by July 1.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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WPH FIGHTING IDENTITY THEFT WITH FTC's RED FLAG RULES

The next time you visit West Park Hospital to register for a service, obtain copies of your medical record or discuss your bill, you should bring a photo ID.

“This small step will go a long way toward keeping our customers’ personal and financial information as secure as their medical information,” WPH community relations coordinator Joel Hunt said.

West Park Hospital already takes significant steps to secure patients’ protected health information, and now WPH is creating a program to defend against identity theft.

Due to rising incidences of identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission has mandated that a wide array of businesses and organizations, including West Park Hospital District, develop a program to help prevent identity theft.

Nationally, identity thieves in the past have targeted medical information in order to illegally obtain prescription drugs and fraudulently obtain medical services, among other malicious motives. The effects of medical identity theft can range from financial to criminal to clinical.

The FTC requires that organizations such as West Park Hospital identify, detect and respond to suspicious patterns, practices or specific activities, known as “red flags.” FTC regulations identify 26 possible red flags. These are not a checklist but rather examples that the facility can use to detect identify theft.

The red flags fall into five categories: alerts, notifications or warnings from a consumer reporting agency; suspicious documents; suspicious personally identifying information such as address; unusual use of – or suspicious activity relating to – a covered account; and/or notices for customers, victims of identity theft, law enforcement authorities or other businesses about possible identity theft in connection with covered accounts.

The main WPH departments that are affected by the “Red Flag Rules” are patient registration, Patient Financial Services, Medical Records and IT.

One change that will directly affect West Park Hospital customers is that they may be asked to confirm their identity (likely by photo ID) when registering for a service, obtaining copies of their medical record or asking to discuss bills from West Park Hospital, the Urgent Care Clinic and/or Emergency Services.

In addition to showing ID, West Park Hospital is educating staff members about the red flags in an effort to help them recognize possible instances of identity theft.

For further information or questions, contact Redflags@ftc.gov.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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WPH WELCOMES NEW EMS MANAGER KEVIN SCHLOSSER

CODY, Wyo. – West Park Hospital would like to welcome new EMS manager Kevin Schlosser to Cody.

Schlosser brings 30 years of emergency services experience to WPH. He started out as an EMT Basic in 1978 and became a paramedic in 1982. Schlosser was the EMS manager for Oneida County Ambulance at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rhinelander, Wis., for 11 years before joining West Park Hospital.

He grew up in Rapid City, S.D., near the Black Hills before moving to

Kevin Schlosser

the Midwest.

“My wife and I had been wanting to get back out West for a long time,” Schlosser said, and the position at WPH was a great opportunity to do that.

Schlosser likes to hunt, fish, follow NASCAR and ride ATVs. He also has two daughters who are graduating in May, one from high school in Wisconsin and the other from college in Minnesota.

“In the four weeks that I’ve been here, I’m so impressed with the hospital and the friendliness of the community,” he said.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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MELODYE TRUSTY NAMED WPH EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER

CODY, Wyo. — Long Term Care Center social worker Melodye Trusty was named West Park Hospital’s Employee of the Quarter for the first quarter of 2009. WPH Employee of the Quarter Melodye Trusty

The Employee of the Quarter is chosen from a group of staff members who are recognized by their peers or supervisors with a nomination
and write-up for going above and beyond expectations.

Trusty was chosen from among 16 employees who received nominations during the first quarter of 2009.

Melodye Trusty

Runner-up Suzi Hoiness, a nurse in the Acute Care Unit, was
nominated by two separate employees this quarter.

WPH Employee of the Quarter runner-up Suzi Hoiness

According to Trusty’s nomination, “Recently, one of our residents was close to departing this life, and she had only one close family member who was trying to keep a 24-hour vigil. The family member was getting very worn out, but did not want her loved one to be alone. After working all day, Melodye offered to spend all night with the residentso the family member could go home and get some rest. This is truly above and beyond the call of duty, and it's not the first time that Melody has

Suzi Hoiness

done this.”

Trusty has been the WPH Long Term Care Center social worker for almost five years, having previously worked at the Eastern Montana Veterans Home in Glendive, Mont.

As a social worker, Trusty handles many of the nonclinical day-to-day needs of the residents, including spiritual needs, financial solutions, acting as an advocate for residents’ rights, coordinating dental and vision care and performing mental health assessments for residents, among a long list of other duties, both defined and spur-of-the-moment.

Hoiness was nominated for her exceptional patient-centered care and her compassion and positive attitude, even in demanding situations and circumstances.

In addition to Trusty and Hoiness, Vera Evert, Becky Hanson, Anne Wilson, Linda Hopkin, Betty Stebleton, Gil Lowrey, Delta Brooks, Sherry Lyons, Beth Vaughn, Jana Parker, Keri Varkony, Dave Walsh, Donna Turechek and Lynn Lowrey all were nominated for Employee of the Quarter by co-workers.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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WYCF GIVES $5,000 GRANT TO PLANETREE HEALTH RESOURCE CENTER

CODY, Wyo. – The Wyoming Community Foundation, through the McMurry Library Donor Advised Endowment Fund, has awarded West Park Hospital a $5,000 grant to purchase additional materials for the Planetree Health Resource Center.

The $5,000 from the Wyoming Community Foundation will be used to purchase additional materials specifically targeted toward women, children and youth, said Vicki Quirk, WPH Director of Patient Care Services and chair of the hospital committee that oversaw the opening of the Health Resource Center and directs its expansion and continued operations.

“Just because the Planetree Health Resource Center is open doesn’t mean the committee’s work is through,” Quirk said. “We’re continuing to expand the selection of books, models, DVDs and other materials and tie community and hospital events to the resources in the Planetree collection at the Park County Library.”

The Health Resource Center is a separate section of the library that has current, reliable sources of information about health and wellness, including books, pamphlets, journals, DVDs and trusted Internet sources.

West Park Hospital and the Park County Library System formed a unique partnership in 2005 to create a Planetree Health Resource Center, which opened inside the new Cody Library in October.

The partnership between the hospital and the county library system is unique because the Health Resource Center is part of the Cody Library. Numerous other Planetree libraries exist, but they are either standalone centers or are housed inside of hospitals.

The Wyoming Community Foundation is a charitable organization that builds and preserves funds established by individuals, families, corporations, agencies and private foundations. The Community Foundation uses the earnings from these funds to benefit community needs across the state. For information, call 307-721-8300 or visit www.wycf.org.

In addition to the Wyoming Community Foundation and the Park County Library system, the Cody Medical Foundation, Christ Episcopal Church Mission Committee, Planetree International, West Park Hospital Foundation, the WPH Auxiliary, WPH employees, local physicians and Billings Clinic and the Cody Diabetes Team all have made significant contributions to make the Planetree Health Resource Center possible.

Planetree is an international nonprofit that promotes and facilitates patient-centered health care. Since becoming a Planetree affiliated hospital in 2004, WPH has implements more than 50 new programs to enhance patient care – including pet therapy, massage therapy, patient room remodels, the Women’s Health Pavilion remodel, the Planetree Health Resource Center and many other hospital-wide and department-specific touches.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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SEN. MIKE ENZI TO SPEAK AT CATHCART HEALTH CENTER GRAND OPENING

CODY, Wyo. - Sen. Mike Enzi has announced that he will speak at the Cathcart Health Center grand opening April 14.

“Health care impacts every individual no matter where they live,” Sen. Enzi said. “But in

Wyoming, because of our distances and rural areas, it is even more difficult to access quality health care.

Grand opening events

3 p.m.

Remarks and a ribbon-cutting outside

Speakers: Sen. Mike Enzi, West Park Hospital District Board Chairman Carol Lea Roberts, Chief of Medical Staff Dr. Kyle Tilden, CEO Doug McMillan and David Cathcart. Ribbon-cutting afterward by Cody Chamber Ambassadors.

3:30ish-7 p.m. (after ribbon-cutting)

Public opening house

Entertainment including: appetizers from The Terrace, Shuffle Buggy on third floor, WPH pet therapy dogs/handlers on first two floors, WPH massage therapists giving chair massages, Spirit Mountain Hospice capital campaign video and representatives, WPH Foundation director and Web site, Andy the Ambulance, WPH Healing Touch practitioners, coffee bar.

2-4 p.m.

Live radio broadcast on KTAG

CHC tenants

Northern Wyoming Ophthalmology (Dr. Barry Welch)

Absaroka Orthopaedics (Dr. Jay Winzenried)

Big Horn Foot Clinic (Dr. Hugh Fraser)

Northern Rockies Neuro-Spine (Dr. John Schneider)

WPH Behavioral Health/Psychiatrists (Dr. Matt Hopkins and Dr. Victoria Anderson)

WPH Outpatient Physical Therapy

Coe Pharmacy

WPH Urgent Care Clinic (Dr. Kyle Tilden; Kelly Simone, PA; and an additional physician)

Dr. Bill Evans, General Surgeon

Internal Medicine/Primary Care Suite (WPH is currently recruiting three to four physicians)

“This center will bring expanded services and quality health care to an entire region of people,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the new facility in person and meeting everyone who worked so hard to make it happen.”

West Park Hospital District Board Chair Carol Lea Roberts, WPH Chief of Medical Staff Dr. Kyle Tilden and David Cathcart will offer brief remarks, followed by CEO Doug McMillan, who will introduce Sen. Enzi. The speeches will begin at 3 p.m. outside of the Cathcart Health Center main entrance.

“We are very pleased that Sen. Enzi will be attending the Cathcart Health Center open house,” McMillan said. “Sen. Enzi is currently a member of the Senate Finance Committee and has assumed a strong leadership role in health care reform in Washington, D.C., and has been a strong supporter and advocate for rural health care issues.”

After the speeches, the Cody Country Chamber Ambassadors will hold a ribbon-cutting, and then the public will get its first look at the new state-of-the-art medical office building on Cody’s West Strip.

Hors d’oeuvres from The Terrace and live music from local band Shuffle Buggy will be on the third floor. On the first two floors, Cathcart Health Center physicians and tenants will be showing off their brand-new spaces.

The open house, which runs until 7 p.m., also will feature WPH pet therapy dogs and their handlers, an appearance by “Andy the Ambulance,” chair massages from WPH’s massage therapists, a coffee bar and WPH Healing Touch practitioners.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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PATIENT DISRUPTIONS DURING MOVE SHOULD BE MINIMAL

CODY, Wyo. – With the Cathcart Health Center nearing completion, several West Park Hospital departments are working to make the transition as smooth as possible for patients, but there will be some minor service disruptions during the move.

The WPH psychiatry office will be closed from April 1-8 and will reopen April 9 in the Cathcart Health Center. Phone messages will be checked periodically during the transition.
WPH Outpatient Behavioral Health will be closed April 6-12 and will reopen in the Cathcart Health Center on April 13. During that time, Behavioral Health will be holding its normally scheduled groups at the main Cedar Mountain Center building.
The Urgent Care Clinic will be closing April 9 at noon and will reopen April 13 at 8 a.m. just inside the main entrance of the Cathcart Health Center. The West Park Hospital Emergency Department and the Billings Clinic walk-in clinic are preparing to handle additional patients, if needed, due to the UCC closure.
HealthCheck blood draws will close March 30 and will reopen April 20 in the Cathcart Health Center. After the move, all HealthCheck services will be at the Cathcart Health Center from 7-9:30 a.m., five days a week. HealthCheck blood draws no longer will be offered at the Cody Quad Center or the Cody Medical Arts Complex after March 29.
WPH Rehab Services’ Cody Quad Center office will be closing at the end of the day March 25. During the transition, from March 26 through April 10, therapists will be seeing patients at the West Park Hospital Rehab Services Department instead of the Cody Quad Center. Therapists will begin seeing patients at the new Cathcart Health Center office April 13.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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ANDY THE AMBULANCE BRINGS SAFETY TO A YOUNGER AUDIENCE

CODY, Wyo. – When Cody kids see an ambulance at their school in the future, it doesn’t necessarily mean bad news. Andy the Ambulance visit WPH's Seedlings Center

West Park Hospital has purchased Andy the Ambulance, a cartoonish, interactive, remote-controlled character in order to reach out to young children about safety.

The operator is able to drive Andy, activate his lights and siren and control his eyes with a remote control and speak through Andy

via a headset.

Andy the Ambulance with teacher Jane Brodigan and students Riggin Nordberg, Stockton Buck and Kaiden Kondelis during a recent visit to WPH’s Seedlings Center.

“When you take Andy out to the kids, they look at it as something real,” WPH emergency medicine physician Kirk Bollinger said.

Invite Andy for an appearance

Bollinger and Barsness envision taking Andy to preschools, kindergartens and driving him in local parades.

“We’re open to invitations,” Barsness said.

To invite Andy to your group or gathering, contact Barsness at 578-2241 or Community Relations Coordinator Joel Hunt at 578-2512.

“They kind of forget that you’re even there.”

Bollinger said EMT Chandra Ryba had previously worked at a hospital that had an Andy the Ambulance and brought it to his attention.

“I had no idea what Andy the Ambulance was,” he said.

In addition to injury-prevention
and safety education, Bollinger hopes Andy will help familiarize children with ambulances and emergency responders to make it less frightening should they ever need emergency assistance.

He even put custom West Park Hospital decals on Andy and painted the exterior.

WPH is designated as an “Area Trauma Hospital” by the Wyoming Department of Health, and along with the many clinical requirements, “as part of that we have to participate in a public education and outreach program,” said Lynette Barsness, nurse manager of the WPH Emergency Department.

While the Emergency Department staff and physicians have been providing education to teens through Cody High School’s driver’s ed program for some time, Andy gives them a tool to expand their outreach to a younger age demographic, Barsness said.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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WEBSTER FAMILY GIVES $500,000 TO SPIRIT MOUNTAIN HOSPICE CAMPAIGN

CODY, Wyo. -– The campaign to build a freestanding hospice house in Cody is $500,000
closer to its goal of $4 million. C.E. "Bud" and Lucille M. Webster

Spirit Mountain Hospice is proud to announce the C.E. “Bud” Webster and Lucille M. Webster gift of $500,000 to the Closer to Home capital campaign.

This “lead gift” to the hospice house campaign is
one more example of the decades of contributions that Bud and Lucille Webster have made to Cody, the Big Horn Basin and Wyoming.

“My mother and father are extremely fortunate
and blessed to be able to make this gift. The gift
is a direct result of their hard work and generosity
and is a reflection of their commitment to the Cody medical community,” Ed Webster said.

C.E. “Bud” Webster and Lucille M. Webster

Bud Webster and his brother, Owen, founded

Cody’s Webster Motors in 1937, where Bud
remained dealer-owner until the age of 92. The Webster family still owns and operates Webster Motors.

A few of his many professional accomplishments included serving as president of the Wyoming Auto Dealers Association and representing Wyoming in the National Automobile Dealers Association for six years. He also was named Wyoming Time Life Dealer of the Year.

Beyond his professional successes, Bud served on the W.R. Coe Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees for 20 years (12 years as chairman), the Cody Medical Foundation board, the Cody Stampede board, the board of trustees of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and was a community leader in numerous other civic organizations.

Lucille tirelessly served the community, too. She received 50-year service awards for her involvement with the Girls Scouts and West Park Hospital, where she served as a gray lady. In addition to volunteering at the hospital, Lucille arranged visits and organized card games for residents of the Long Term Care Center.

Lucille served on the Cody school board for nine years and spent several years on Gov. J.J. Hickey’s Youth Council, as well.

The Websters also have been extensively involved with the University of Wyoming, from which Bud and Lucille both graduated in 1935. Bud received many honors from UW, including Distinguished Alumnus from the College of Business in 1971, the Distinguished Service in Business award in 1987 and the Distinguished Alumni award in 2002 from the UW Alumni Association.

The Webster family also was recognized by the university as the 2001 University of Wyoming Family of the Year.

“The confidence and significant gift the Websters have bestowed upon us will inspire others to contribute to the success of building a hospice house in Cody,” said Spirit Mountain Hospice director Linda Harbron.

“This contribution shows that even in these economic times, the community strongly supports hospice and will make the vision of a freestanding hospice house in Cody a reality,” said West Park Hospital Foundation director Brenda Williams.

The $500,000 gift from Bud and Lucille Webster brings the total amount pledged to the Closer to Home campaign to $1.7 million.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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VOLUNTEER EMTs PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

CODY, Wyo. – Volunteer emergency responders are an important part of any rural community, and the corps of West Park Hospital’s volunteer EMTs plays an integral role in making sure emergency help is there when community members need it.

Volunteer EMTs Jacque Harvey and Alden Hart

Few volunteer positions are as demanding – or as rewarding – as being a volunteer emergency responder.

And while West Park Hospital’s volunteer EMTs are paid for being on-call and going on calls, it’s not primary job, and they don’t do it for the money.

“It’s nice to know that maybe you helped somebody in life,” said volunteer EMT Alden Hart, who works full-time as an electrician. “An EMT has a sense of duty,” he added.

“It’s a very rewarding yet pull-on-your-heartstrings kind of job,” said volunteer Jacque Harvey, whose primary job is working as a unit clerk on WPH’s Acute Care Unit.

Volunteer EMTs Jacque Harvey, left, and Alden Hart both have full-time jobs in addition to working shifts with WPH ambulance crews.

The volunteers typically take on one or two scheduled shifts
outside of their primary job’s
work schedule and are on-call for

Scholarships available

West Park Hospital’s EMS Department is offering scholarships of as much as $1,000 to children of active EMS members, grandchildren of active EMS members being raised in the home of an active member, children of deceased active members, stepchildren of legally married active members and active members for advancement in the medical field.

Applications are due April 1 to Jackie Strain, and include a short essay, references, personal information and short answers to questions.

For more information or an application, contact Strain at 578-2513 or jstrain@wphcody.org.

“second outs,” when a second ambulance and crew is sent into the community, and transfers to places such as Billings or Casper.

“Most employers around town are very good about letting these guys leave their job to respond to a
call, usually for second-out responses,” said Jackie Strain,
West Park Hospital’s life support education coordinator.

In addition to working extra hours and being available on short notice, volunteer EMTs also must commit to ongoing training and education.

“In order to keep up their certification level they need to put in additional time training constantly,” Strain said. “It is a huge commitment, one they do because they like to do it.”

“It’s a full-time part-time job,” Hart said.

EMTs, volunteer or otherwise, have some very similar traits in common.

“People who are high-strung don’t tend to last that long,” Harvey said.

Being able to work as a team with rest of the ambulance crew and with the other departments – both within and outside of the hospital – is paramount.

EMTs regularly work with the WPH Emergency Department, local fire departments, the sheriff’s office, police and search and rescue crews.

“There’s a pretty good bond between all the departments,” Hart said.

“If you don’t have teamwork, you don’t have a good crew,” Harvey said.

People considering working on an ambulance crew also need to be prepared for a job that can be gruesome and emotionally taxing, especially in a small town such as Cody.

“I’ve worked on my own family at times,” Hart said.

EMTs have to be able to control your emotions around the patients, but you also have to be able to deal with them personally, Harvey said.

Emergency responders also need to have the stomach “for any kind of bodily fluid, no matter what orifice it’s coming from,” Harvey said.

“There are good moments and sad moments, but the good moments make up for the sad moments,” she said.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

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Laura Farnworth receives her Planetree Spirit of Caring award

Laura Farnworth receives her Planetree Spirit of Caring award.

PLANETREE AWARDS RECOGNIZE PATIENT-CENTERED CARE

CODY, Wyo. – The Planetree philosophy of healing has 10 different components, but one of the most important parts of patient-centered care at West Park Hospital is the caregivers.

WPH nurse Laura Farnworth and Dr. Lisa Williams have been recognized by Planetree, an international organization, for their focus on providing patient-centered care.

Farnworth was awarded the 2008 Planetree Spirit of Caring award, and Dr. Williams was named 2008’s Planetree Physician Champion. Dr. Lisa Williams

Farnworth and Dr. Williams have demonstrated their willingness to consistently put their patients’ needs first.

“To be nominated for this award is special because you are chosen by your peers as the finest representative of what it means to be Planetree,” said Dawn Garrison, Planetree coordinator.

Farnworth was nominated for her can-do attitude and her significant

Dr. Lisa Williams

involvement on several Planetree committees, which help drive
patient-centered ideas and improvements at WPH.

In one specific example, Farnworth recognized a patient who she had treated several years before and come to know. When the patient returned, Farnworth picked up where they had left off.

“Her calm, friendly demeanor made the patient and her family feel like they were cared for by a special friend rather than their nurse,” according to Farnworth’s Spirit of Caring nomination.

As part of the recognition, Farnworth attended the national Planetree conference in Chicago in October to receive her award. Both Farnworth and Williams received crystal statues from Planetree International as recognition.

Dr. Williams was recognized not only for her focus on patients’ needs, but also for her role as an advocate of Planetree — both during its adoption at WPH in 2004 and on an ongoing basis — and a mediator among the community, patients, WPH and the medical staff.

According to her nomination, “Her caring isn’t reserved for patients only; it also extends to staff members at the hospital and fellow physicians.”

Dr. Williams also has been a strong advocate for a healing environment at WPH.

During the planning process for the Women’s Health Pavilion, she reviewed the plans and became an active participant in the remodeling process. She researched color schemes, room designs and furniture, going as far as to order samples of rockers to try).

In addition, she promoted education for the medical staff on the benefits of massage and holistic medicine and advocates for the presence of family members in labor and delivery.

Planetree is an international nonprofit organization that aims to demystify, personalize and humanize health care, which was founded by Angela Thieriot in 1978 after Thieriot’s and her family’s health care experiences.

West Park Hospital has made significant positive changes since it adopted the Planetree philosophy of patient-centered care, including remodeling patient rooms, opening the Women’s Health Pavilion, implementing ongoing Planetree retreats to educate and train staff in patient-centered care, starting a recycling program, becoming a smoke-free campus, implementing a pet therapy program, constructing the Seedlings Center day care and partnering with the Park County Library to create Planetree Health Resource Center, among other accomplishments.

About West Park Hospital

West Park Hospital focuses on putting the patient first. Located in Cody, Wyo., the hospital serves as a primary, full-service medical center to communities throughout the Big Horn Basin.

West Park Hospital's 25-bed, acute care facility is state-of the-art. The hospital also has an adjacent 128-bed long term care center and a 20-bed chemical dependency center, Cedar Mountain Center.

For more information, please contact Joel Hunt, Community Relations/Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 307-578-2512 or visit our Web site at www.westparkhospital.org.

Return to Main News Page >