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Show SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS Community WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2001 6 Visiting hours established for Kane County Hospital By Laurali Noteman On January 4, Dr. Marilyn Vermeesch relayed to Kane County Hospital Board that the Medical Staff felt it was time to initiate and maintain estab- lished visiting hours at KCH. Our primary concerns and responsibilities are to our patients. They need their rest, Dr. Vermeesch advised. KCH Board members discussed the Medical Staff recommendations. Taking the patients needs, the staffs schedules for patient care and visiting family members needs into consideration, a decision was made. Their decision was to establish visitation guidelines which placed the patients needs first. Visitation will be limited to two individuals per visit and visiting hours were set from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Hospital Administrator Mike Sinclair later explained, these hours do not apply to the residents in long term care. This is their home. Dr. Vermeesch also reported the two swing bed locations in long term care will be converted into skilled care beds. This will allow two more residents in the long term care unit, bringing the total available resident beds emergency care, a broad range of acute primary care, selected to 26. Director of Nursing Rosalie secondary services, long term Esplin recapped the year 2000 care, home health care, and preas it pertained to KCH nursing ventive medicine. These services staff. The Auxiliary Thrift Store are delivered in a compassionpurchased an upgrade to the ate, respectful and cost effective Central Station Cardiac Moni- manner. The Board would like tor System, Cardiac Monitor, to restate the mission statement Central Station Fetal Monitor- to include KCHs staff. They ing System, Fetal Monitor, an invite suggestions from staff upgrade of present Fetal Moni- members and the public at large. Sinclair explained KCH is an tor and an Infant Isollette. All nursing staff has been trained acceptable choice by Medicaid as on the new and upgraded equip- an HMO for Medicaid recipients. ment. Esplin went on to state, Staff education was a priority in 2000. The Acute Care Nursing Staff earned their certifications in Neonatal Resuscitation, Pe: diatric Advanced Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. There were 16 additional (in house training) in the areas of ER, LaborDeliv-ery- , in-servi- Newborn, Respiratory, Medical Surgical and Safety. The Mission Statement for KCH is: At Kane County Hospital, our commitment is to provide excellent health care to all residents and visitors in Kane County and Northern Arizona. Our scope of services includes DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE WMWM DAYS on Tuesdays! And now... Every Day is DOUBLE PUNCH DAY for your I Card! a birthday bash for Deedles Mitchell also around By Carolyn The senior resident at Horse The hospitals within Kane, Iron, Haven proved that on your birthWashington, and Beaver coun- day you can have your cake and ties are participatingin the Ameri- almost eat the candle! too! Dee, an ornery Appaloosa with can Family Care Contract, the HMO program for southern Utah. coltish pluck, dug into his cake The Board recognized Laurali of molded horse food before the Noteman for attaining her certi- party hostess had time to light fication and designation in Pro- the candle. The honoree came close to scarffessional Human Resources. The course required two years of ing down the unlit candle as his training, an online course human well wishers sang Happy through Weber State University Birthdaytotheformerpackhorse and passing a four hour exam at and marveled that hed reached the ripe, old equine age of 40. the University of Utah. When Dee arrived at Best The Board went on to congratuhe was about the skinDr. for Vermeesch Friends, late Marilyn horse anyone had ever seen. being voted as the Southern Utah niest Area Health Education Centers After years of inadequate care (AHEC)Preceptor of the Year. from an ailing owner, he was 400 AHEC staff member Jessica pounds underweight and almost Stevens wrote, Dr. Vermeesch all of his molars were missing. The Horses staff, including exemplifies what a rural doctor does to meet the needs of the birthday bash arranger. Jen Reid, set about compensating patient. for the neglect. They protected Board Member Kim Lawson commented on the rotation his bony frame with a bright which his daughter, Michele, purple coat, showered him with spent with Dr. Vermeesch and attention, and served him t, KCH staff. Michele Lawson soaked hay cubes and other nutritious foods. shadowed Vermeesch for four Dee repaid their labors by reweeks and found her to be, thorough and knowledgeable. And bounding like a youngster. He possibly the best rotation she ate with gusto, often showering has served. Kim Lawson went his feeder with grain and wet on to thank Dr. Kerry Blackham hay from his first huge mouthful for taking part in the rotation as the feeder finished dumping while Dr. Vermeesch was out of Dees bucket of breakfast into his the area, and the staffand AHEC bin. The also grew famous for their professionalism and for playing shuffleboard with his participation in the program. bin, blithely rolling it down the hill in his corral, so that his caretakers must trudge back up the hill with the heavy container each morning. About a year ago, Dee seemed to be going downhill himself. He crashed quickly, turning lethargic and losing his prodigious appetite. Blood tests revealed Dee was diabetic. His subsequent sugarless diet meant farewell tohis favorite treat applesauce (which he slathered on his nose and feeder in slurping it from the bowl) but again Dee made a strong comeback. Indeed, hes lived longer than most horses, cause for the Horse soft-die- And... DOUBLE COUPON DAY is now on Thursday at GLAZIERS OIOIO . A tutor for the wild things and 0 old-tim- er DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE Kanab Floral 226 South 100 East 644-29- 91 your order by Feb. 10th &geta VAlENTINt BALLOON! (With FREE QP each purchase of $25 or more - we'll choose the design) J Haven celebration, complete with balloons, party hats and the media. ATV crew from Tulsa taped Dees birthday festivities as part of its coverage of Best created a stir the sanctuary. Hope and Tango are wild Mus- tangs, rescued by Ray Hammer, a Best Friends member who spotted the young horses at a BLM auction in Boise and wondered why they werent for sale. He found that the BLM considered the untamed and ailing pair unadoptable and planned to put them down. Ray asked the BLM to hold the Mustangs until he could contact Best Friends. Horses manager Paul Tharp agreed to take the filly and the colt, bringing the number of rescued horses at Best Friends to 26. The BLM was very cooperative, holding the pair until Paul could make the trip to Boise and waiving fees for the Mus- tangs. Hope, a blue Roan filly, arrived with a pinched nerve, while Tango, a sorrel colt, has a bowed left, front leg. Both Mustangs have settled in here at Horse Haven, Paul says. Theyre growing less skittish around people every day, and theyre getting therapy for their injuries. Last year, 20 of the residents at Horse Haven found permanent homes, and Paul is confi- dent that the Mustang Two will trot away with doting adopters some day. The Wild Things are already receiving instruction in their skills. It seems that Rose, a mare, has appointed herself their tutor in proper equine etiquette. To date Rose has taught the Mustangs that it is most unmannerly to eat out of her bin. And she has issued stem warnings against pranks, such as sneaking up behind her. Thats a defi- horse-to-hor- se 22-year-- nite neigh-neig- h! Friends. Birthday horse Deedles celebrates Meanwhile, the arrival of the with Jen Reid and pasture pal oungestHOTse Hnyenresidents. f i ik! w fv |