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A GREAT BIG THANK YOU!!!  We partnered with the Council Grove Area Foundation in November to help your donation dollars go further with a match--and the Match Month was a great success! With the added match dollars, our community donated $30,796.94 in November towards the purchase of equipment to expand our surgical services! Although we have a bit further to go, we have continued to receive donations and are excited to meet our goal. Thank you so much to those of you who contributed to this project and our community at large for all the support you continue to give to our local hospital! New this year, Kansas hospitals are required to ask questions about non-medical factors that can affect health outcomes. Upon admission MCH will be asking questions about Housing, Utilities, Food, Transportation, and Interpersonal Safety. The data collected will help determine what needs may exist in a community to improve health outcomes for all. With all of the ice and snow still on the ground, we want to remind you to be careful as you're out and about! Don't forget the penguin waddle. Bend your knees, point your feet out, and waddle like a penguin to keep from falling on the ice. Let's start the new year with a little chair yoga! The Council Grove Senior Center meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month from 11-11:30 am and the White City Senior Center meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from 10:30-11:00 am.   THIS MONTH HAS A SCHEDULE CHANGE  --> The Council Grove Senior Center will meet on the 3rd and 5th Thursdays!  Everyone is welcome to join us for some great movement. Mark your February Calendars: Blood Drive  will be be on Monday, February 3rd from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. You can book an appointment online  here and use group code TPOU. Health   Wise Lunch Bunch meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and we will be resuming our lunches on Wednesday, February 19th . We will be talking about "Living a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle" in honor of February being heart health month. I will send out a reminder next month, and you can call 620-767-6811 ext. 148 or email szeigler@mrcohosp.com  to reserve a spot. Morris County Assisted Living celebrated the holidays with a visit from Santa and rang in the New Year celebrating with friends and games. The residence currently has three apartments available for rent. If you know someone who would benefit from living in this warm family-style environment you can call Laverne at 620-767-5600 to schedule a tour and learn more.

Continued Dedicated Service to Our Community For Pay Period Ending January 4th This pay period spanned both the end of 2024 and day one of a blizzard beyond what most of us have recently witnessed. Though I already know of some casualties, I hope this finds that most of you have weathered this event as best as possible. I feel as I write this that we have put the worst of it behind us, but please continue to be careful out there!   These types of extraordinary weather events always command extraordinary responses from those affected. I want to take a moment to thank the many MCH hands (and contracted hands) that persevered through this major storm to keep our healthcare services alive and available to those in need! We cancelled most elective services during the first couple of days, but we still needed many of you to be here for the few in definite need of us. Thank you so much for putting our patients ahead of your personal issues and for your efforts during the past week. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed!   A bright spot emerged just prior and even during the storm, as Dr. Diane Hunt (Senne) visited our facility on January 2nd and we have been in discussion ever since regarding her spending 2-3 days a month extending her surgical skills to Morris County Hospital. She will begin this service in mid to late February on Fridays. As many of you know her from her growing up in Morris County and being a CG Brave, I am sure you will be anxious to reacquaint. Through her guidance, we may well be bringing new services to our Community in 2025. More to come! And don’t forget that Dr. Tyler Stephenson will also be joining our team part time by the end of February!   I look forward to putting together some new targets and goals for 2025. Though we started the year with very little activity (note the few green metrics attained this pay period), I know we will be back on track in no time. I feel some real positive energy entering the New Year. Thanks again for all you do! Kevin Leeper, CEO

Continued Dedicated Service to Our Community For Pay Period Ending December 21st With Christmas and New Year’s falling on Wednesdays this year, we will close out our year with three 2-day mini weeks…plus a rather busy Emergency Department. This kind of schedule offers a nice break from routine for most of our staff and is hopefully not too disruptive for those needing medical care. I want to thank all of our staff who pitched in with their coverage over these frequently difficult shifts to schedule! You all kept our 24/7 operations ticking and deserve this special acknowledgement!   I echo sentiments from my last report that indicated appreciation for the continued growth in services we have been able to deliver throughout 2024. The pay period in discussion is further indicative of such. Again, I thank everyone involved in our operations for their commitment to yield good outcomes for our customers.   May all of you enjoy the upcoming New Year’s celebration and come back a bit restored from these last several days of mild winter and good times with family and friends. Kevin Leeper, CEO

Continued Dedicated Service to Our Community For Pay Period Ending December 7th As we rapidly approach mid-December, I am mindful of this stressful but glorious season when giving is on everyone’s mind, but not always within his or her means. May we focus primarily on the SPIRIT of giving, whether it is in being more pleasant with one another, visiting someone sick, or actually saving for the gifts of precious children or grandchildren…what matters is that we do whatever with a grateful heart…because of the real meaning of Christmas – our Savior’s birth. I remain grateful for the work we are doing at MCH, as we closed out our eleventh month, despite a long holiday weekend, with another record month compared to prior years. I am grateful that patients continue to use us for their healthcare needs and that we respond by delivering mostly favorable outcomes. We will never meet everyone’s expectations, because healthcare is not an exact or precise science. Nevertheless, we can always strive to be better when things do not play out as preferred, as learning from experience is a necessity of all of us. With 2024 closing out in a successful manner, I ask that we all take away the things we did right this year, and that we grow from the lessons learned. As a rural hospital, potential drops in patient traffic always threaten our ability to cover our costs of being here, so we must do everything we can to satisfy each of our customers. I expect bigger things for 2025, so that we do not remain content with 2024. If MCH is not growing, we are most likely just fueling one or more of our neighboring hospitals. Thanks for joining me in working to keep all our residents coming here. Have a great couple weeks ahead of Christmas! Kevin Leeper, CEO

Continued Dedicated Service to Our Community For Pay Period Ending November 9th Cannot help but open with a comment on the election week just passed, and I will try to be as neutral as possible. All Americans know that our nation has been on a divisive slide of grievous polar opposition for some time now. I think it is more recognizable now than ever that our mainstream media and talk show hosts have been the biggest culprits of promoting this divide. To me, last week’s election results seemed to suggest that our nation’s voters are seeing through the constant complaining of the other side, with the media/hosts masquerading their rhetoric as the truth, and that such posturing is not what is important to most people. What is important is: 1.) protecting the principles of our nation, 2.) the safety of our citizens, and 3.) the return to hope for an economically viable lifestyle for all. The Democrats used to lobby for the financial support of those suffering from their borne circumstances and/or hard times. However, they have not messaged that principle as much in the past decade. The resulting gap was weaved into a Republican message that apparently touched many of those households, giving many a stronger sense of hope for better times ahead. With this decisive Republican victory, those elected sure better follow through with the message of improving things for all, in as fair a way as possible. No party has had an attainable chance to bring closer together our divided nation for some time…the responsibility, opportunity is now immense, and I truly hope that the newly elected leadership will focus on those related mandates above all else. There is so much to gain, and equally as much to lose if not embraced and executed. Hope we can all root for their success, as everyone would come out a winner (except maybe the talk show hosts☺)!   So apparently, our last week’s metrics indicate that people truly were focused on voting and on the election, so we will not belabor the softer numbers experienced at MCH, our overall softest month-startup of the year. However, our Clinic’s collective traffic did hold their own, which made for a busy Lab as well! A new part time APRN worked her first weekend ER shift for us, so I want to introduce Kisha Patterson in that role. She was not eased into her first act of duty, as 19 patients visited her this last weekend. So, welcome aboard Kisha!   As we are in the midst of Medicare’s open enrollment period, I just want all of you new (or even experienced) to the Medicare Insurance Benefit world, to be a bit skeptical towards the tempting commercials we are all now hounded with by the Medicare Advantage Companies. I also want you to know that these insurance companies are paid by CMS (Center for Medicare at the Federal level) to deliver health care services to Medicare age recipients, but are equally motivated to make a profit, unlike our traditionally run Medicare program. Therefore, if they spend millions in advertising and give away millions more in “wellness perks” for their committed customers, I assure you that they will not be paying as much in claims as the traditional Medicare Plan will pay on your behalf. If you need healthcare services moving forward, there will likely be a higher cost for you to pay at your point of service than what you are initially saving from possibly lower monthly premiums. Please give it considerable thought, and try to talk with some who have regrettably tried and suffered through an MC Advantage Plan before – these plans are truly NOT MEDICARE, but a Medicare replacement.   Hope everyone is enjoying fall, football, and occasional folly. Thanks for choosing MCH when needed! Kevin Leeper, CEO

Continued Dedicated Service to Our Community For Pay Period Ending October 26th As we wrap up October and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is nice to see going into the last week of the month we have already exceeded our monthly budgeted mammogram studies. Our Providers and our residents have really done a good job in embracing and encouraging the benefits of preventative care. As we roll into November, there are several other health related awareness months being recognized: Diabetes, Lung Cancer Awareness, Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy, and COPD. These are all illnesses that our Family Practice Team actively identifies and treats on a frequent basis, so we thank them now for their daily work!   I am pleased to announce the joint signing of a new Physician, though part time initially; we hope the practice to grow to a full time function inside of a couple of years. Dr. Tyler Stephenson (Family Practice) from Syracuse, KS will be relocating to this area in January and starting a two-day Clinic week here in February. He will also be covering one weekend ER shift per month for us. A search for another FP-OB continues through two different recruiting agencies.   As Flu Season is upon us, with positive cases identified in our area, I encourage all at risk folks (most of us are) to get their vaccinations. These are available at our Clinics and at the Public Health Department.  An addition, I remind those perhaps looking for an end of year tax deduction, that November Match Day starts this Friday at Territory Ballroom (and extends through the whole month), so a donation in November has the opportunity to grow in value. Our request this year is to support our Orthopedic Program by purchasing a special hip repair/replacement table, which will minimize travel for you through the surgery and recovery timeframe. To take advantage of the match, checks should be made out to the Council Grove Area Foundation, with MCHF written on the memo line.   Patient traffic remains high through the ten months ending in October, and as caregivers at MCH, we thank all of you who are entrusting your care to us! Thanks also for voting next week and do enjoy our Chief’s winning streak – hoping it will continue. Kevin Leeper, CEO

As we approach the end of the year, we reflect on the incredible support our community has shown for the Morris County Hospital Foundation. Your generosity has made a profound impact on our ability to provide high-quality healthcare to those in need. After last year’s incredible Match Month, we were able to purchase a 3D Tomosynthesis Mammography Machine bringing a significant impact on women’s health in our community through breast cancer detection. This year, we are embarking on an ambitious project to enhance our surgical capabilities by purchasing a new, state-of-the-art surgical hip replacement table and accompanying tools. These upgrades will not only allow patients to stay local for a total hip replacement surgery but they will improve the efficiency and safety of our procedures while also ensuring that our medical team can provide the best possible care for our patients. Through the month of November, we have a unique opportunity to increase the impact of your contribution with the help of Match Day/Match Month.  For every donation made on November 1st (and thru the entire month of November) the Council Grove Area Foundation will help match those funds through a generous donation from the Patterson Family Grant. This means your generosity can go even further in helping us reach our goal! Will you join us? To make a donation, you can: •Stop by the Match Day event on November 1st from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm at the Territory Ballroom. •Send a check written to Council Grove Area Foundation with MCHF in the memo (by November 30th) To: MCH Foundation, 600 N. Washington St., Council Grove, KS 66846  •Donate online by clicking here     Donors like you will make it possible for us to enhance the health of our community and ensure the viability of our local hospital. We can’t do it without you. Will you please make a tax-deductible gift today? Thank you for your support! Everyone can have an impact on #MatchDay!  Learn more at www.mrcohosp.com

Continued Dedicated Service to Our Community For Pay Period Ending October 12th This week brought the first brief freeze of the fall, in an otherwise outstanding few weeks of pleasant weather…at least for our part of the country. We do feel for those in the southeastern States and we thank our locals that traveled down there to assist with their recovery! In addition, we will hope that the critical medical manufacturing plants, which suffered flood damage, will be able to ramp back up in an expedited fashion, but at any rate, our industry for the near future will have to modify its IV usage somewhat.   So back on 600 N. Washington Street, we continue to be busy and to look for replacements of open positions that come and go, just as life’s disruptions and opportunities come and go. It is apparent that workforce development and recruitment pressures have not subsided, but the good news is that needing more help is a product of higher patient demand.   Never has there been a time when working smarter is of critical importance. While the emergence of AI in healthcare is an obvious sector getting lots of attention…it is almost like the more we use software, the more we need new software to manage the software with which we started. However, such an approach is only good if it lessons our tedious workload, so that more focused time is available for our patients.    We are ramping up our marketing efforts for the November Match Fund drive, along with another eighteen Morris County not for profits – hosted by the Council Grove Area Foundation. Our project this year is to raise funds for a new surgical hip replacement table, which is certain to drive more business our way in 2025. Brings me back to our recruitment topic being key, again.   Thanks to everyone who put our patients first, each time, every time! You rock for doing so! Kevin Leeper, CEO

Continued Dedicated Service to Our Community For Pay Period Ending September 28th As the first three quarters of 2024 have just slid by us, we find ourselves at the busiest time of the year, tackling  flu season, addressing the holidays, the New Year planning processes, and assuring the accomplishment of the goals set for this current year. Some of these traditional fourth quarter experiences feel a bit at risk for a lot of us this year. Note the following: 1.) nearly everyone in our sharply divided country is quaking over the unknown outcome of a very significant election in a few weeks. 2.) The extremely volatile situations in the Mideast, in Eastern Europe, and at the Southeast Asian coastlines are already devastating millions of lives. Finally, 3.) with the domestic burdens of flood ravaged properties in a few States, and a disruptive longshoreman’s strike reaching coast to coast, truly all Americans are lamenting the probable doubling down effect of prolonged inflationary times. This feels like a different fourth quarter than others behind us. May we ask for God’s Blessings!   For the true work of delivering healthcare does not cease. Moreover, the pressures for us as caregivers to always be strong does not cease. And because of those pressures, we must be sensitive to the inevitable stresses that will affect our behaviors, whether we intend for such to or not. It is very important that we support all of our MCH staff when uncontrollable things disrupt our days (i.e. no shows, insurance denials and delayed authorizations, fearful and /or enraged patients, equipment failures, or supply and medication outages). These things can cause exaggerated reactions when coupled with all the aforementioned global factors “on our plates”. I bring all this up, number one, because I think it is important to be reminded of the realities of stress, but also to remind all employees that we do have an Employee Assistance Program available. It is conducted by ComPsych Guidance Resources and can be confidentially accessed by calling 800-460-4375. There is also an App: GuidanceNow, or you can go to their website at guidanceresources.com , and use the Web ID of EAPEssential. Please feel free to utilize this no cost service.   I got off on a different note today, largely because I know many of us are dissatisfied with today’s reality. I am going to end this report without leaving this important topic. I value each of you for what you bring to our system, whenever you are present. I also know there are days that this is the last place you would rather be – but you come because you care...and I THANK YOU THAT YOU DO!! Do keep God in your prayers and our patients as a focus! Kevin Leeper, CEO

Thank you to those that participated in the 2024 Community Health Assessment for Chase and Morris Counties. Please see the attached Chase Morris CHA Final Report to review the outcome of the survey.

Continued Dedicated Service to Our Community For Pay Period Ending September 14th It is clear…Fall is in the air and early dead leaves are already on the ground. That and three local favorite football teams are still undefeated…we are sorry for the Jayhawkers (just a little bit). MCH is staying on the busy side in many ways, with an added major effort in “survey preparedness”, and the ongoing contentious efforts of battling with insurance companies for proper claims payment…our new norm, unfortunately. We are midway through the tedious process of rewiring our entire facility for a new and improved patient call system and a security system. Thanks to everyone who has worked around this somewhat disruptive process. Hopeful completion will be by early to mid-November. Other new capital going to the Board next week is the replacement units for our end of life cautery unit for Surgery and a new Bipap-ventilation machine, used primarily in the ER setting. Replacement tiles for our hallways have been ordered to coordinate with our installer’s availability – so another somewhat disruptive process is soon to begin – most of work to be done after 5:00. We are planning for and excited about our first Health Fair back at our high school since the pandemic started – coming on October 5th, from 9:00 to noon. Moreover, we are very excited to be hosting an interview/visit with a prospective new physician, Tyler Stephenson and his wife Staci, this evening and spilling into tomorrow. He could be available as soon as the beginning of 2025. We all know that healthcare is a challenging business, especially in meeting all the expectations of our constituents and patients, and at the same time remaining viable in a lower volume area. I am grateful for our committed staff and residents that work and trust to deliver and utilize our services here at home. Kevin Leeper, CEO

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.   Did you know 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer? With age being one of the biggest risk factors for developing this cancer that usually has no warning signs, it becomes very important to detect any trace of the disease early. At age 45 men need to begin speaking with their physician about screenings. The PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test is the standard of care for screening prostate cancer. Your healthcare provider will draw blood and then possibly perform a DRE (Digital Rectal Exam).  More than 80% of all prostate cancers are detected when the cancer is confined to the prostate or region around it, so treatment success rates are high compared to most other types of cancer. The 5-year relative survival rate in the United States for men diagnosed with local or regional prostate cancer is over 99%. In other words, the chances of the cancer spreading or men dying from prostate cancer are generally low if the disease is caught early. Early detection is key! September is also National Suicide Awareness Month and there is a mental health crisis in rural America. Stress factors unique to the agriculture community include financial pressures due to economic fluctuation in crop prices, commodity markets, unpredictable weather, and long-strenuous work hours. Now is the time to check-in on our farm families and know that there are resources for those feeling stress and anxiety while trying to meet life's challenges. Speaking with your doctor is a great place to start. They can help and can also find the additional resources needed. You can also call 988 which is the new number for suicide & crisis lifeline. September is a great time to start a new routine with your exercise, and chair yoga is a great place to start! The Council Grove Senior Center meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month from 11-11:30am and the White City Senior Center meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from 10:30-11:00am. Everyone is welcome to join us for some great movement. Health Wise Lunch Bunch meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and on September 18th , Mallory Villalobos, RN, BSN will be talking about the differences in Medicare versus Medicare Advantage. As we get closer to open enrollment, this is a great time to learn about the differences in coverage and especially the differences in provider coverage. You will find this information to be a great resource in navigating the choices in coverage.  Lunch is $6 and you do need to reserve your spot. You can call 620-767-6811 ext. 148 or email szeigler@mrcohosp.com to reserve a spot. Join us for the Morris County Community Health Fair. We will have lots of vendor booth with resources for the whole family. Wellness screenings, flu shots, Bone Density checks, raffle prizes and much more!  Saturday, October 5th from 9:00 am to Noon at the Council Grove High School. Starting September 1st, you will be able to pay your policy's copay at your time of service. The fee can be collected at the registration windows in the hospital, clinic, rehab, and also at the  convenient care and emergency room registration. Thank you to all of these great sponsors for the 27th Annual MCH Golf Benefit Tournament. We had a great turnout with a full course of 66 golfers. It was certainly a fun day for a good cause! We celebrated National Assisted Living Week from September 8th through the 14th. We had all sorts of fun and you are always welcome to join us! You can also follow us on Facebook. Do you know someone who would benefit from joining this active group? We have a single and a double apartment open and ready to move in! Contact Laverne for a tour and more information. 620-767-5600.