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March 8, 2024
The Importance of Screenings
March is here and the promise of spring is just around the corner. It’s also Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a time where we emphasize the importance of getting screened for colorectal cancer if you’re age 45 or older, have a family history of colorectal cancer, or are experiencing symptoms.
At Regional West, we are proactive about keeping our community healthy. We don’t want to just see patients when they’re sick; it’s our duty to encourage screenings so they can take charge of their health before problems arise. From colorectal cancer to bone health, Regional West offers a range of screening options for our patients.
As we approach our 100th anniversary next month, let’s reflect on our mission and think of ways to advance the health and wellness of the communities we’re honored to serve.
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For nearly four decades, Armando Magana, MD, has cared for the region’s gastrointestinal patients in Regional West Physicians Clinic-Gastroenterology.
The Gastroenterology clinic is the only established clinic of its kind in the panhandle, offering gastroscopes, colonoscopies, camera endoscopy, and other specialized services to help treat the digestive system and its conditions. Since he started in 1986, Dr. Magana has seen the field change dramatically, with advancements in technology leading the transformation.
Click here to go to the intranet and scroll down to the department features to read the whole article!
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Happy March, everyone! Leadership is currently reading a book titled Good to Great by Jim Collins. Chapter one is inspiring because it provides evidence that companies who transform from good to great don’t change because of a monumental event; in fact, the transition is usually not flashy or newsworthy. Becoming great is the accumulation of daily decisions that are driven by humility, will, and discipline. Being great, professionally or personally, is a matter of choice. If you choose to be great today, you can make the same decision tomorrow. Before you know it, greatness will be a habit.
Here are the Patient Experience Fabulous Four for Jan. 2024:
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Skin Clinic – 96th percentile
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Rehabilitation Medicine – 95th percentile
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Diabetes Care Center – 94th percentile
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Internal Medicine – 86th percentile
I would also like to share a patient compliment that we received recently: “Urgent Care has stepped up their game!” Thank you for creating a great experience for our patients. When patients are comfortable, they experience better outcomes.
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By 1953, the third, fourth, and sixth floors of West Nebraska General Hospital were opened, bringing the bed capacity to 82. In January 1958, several hospital records were established, including the most adult and pediatric patients on any day (89); most inpatients on any day (101); and most adult and pediatric admissions for any month (402). When rooms were full, patients would overflow into the hallways. It was time to consider a bigger hospital. | |
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I’d like to thank everyone who attended or helped with the
New Nurse Grad Event! We had a great turnout with 27 attendees. Our nursing units had booths with information about their units and an escape room for the students. We look forward to seeing these new graduates finish their schooling and apply for positions at Regional West! Here are a few pictures from the event.
Each patient’s experience is important to us. Remember to use AIDET (Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, and Thank You) every time you enter the patient’s room. It’s a simple way to ease the patient’s fears about being in the hospital, and it keeps them informed. Every interaction counts. Make them all positive!
Thank you for all you do!
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Thanks to everyone’s dedication, we continue to move in a positive financial direction. Our net patient revenues were slightly down, but our operating expenses were, too. In January, the health system saw a $2.7 million profit.
Continue to keep up the great work!
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Join us in recognizing our employees who celebrated milestone work anniversaries in February. Thank you for your dedication to our patients. YOU make a difference! | |
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10 YEARS
Adam Ferguson – Information Systems
15 YEARS
Shereen English – Recovery Room
Julie True – NS Med Surg 2 West
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20 YEARS
Kimberly Garza –
Critical Care
25 YEARS
Jamie Martin-Connell –
Operating Room
Amy Mikesell –
Rehab Center
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This month, we’d like to put a spotlight on RCI’s Flex department. RCI currently administers flexible spending account (FSA) benefits for 72 clients, and 17 of these are local businesses! Here are a few tidbits about RCI’s FSA benefits.
- We have online claim submission for members.
- We have online access to information for employers.
- You can have your reimbursement deposited directly into your account.
- We also offer a mobile app!
If you’d like to know more, contact us at [email protected]. FSA claims can be submitted via email, but we also accept paper claims. Thanks for reading!
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Scholarship Applications are Open!
Each year, Regional West Foundation grants
health education scholarships to students from Regional West’s service area. Following graduation, many of the students pursue employment in the communities Regional West serves. From nursing to laboratory medicine, we offer a variety of scholarships for health professions.
If you’d like to know more about our scholarships, click here. We are proud to help support future healthcare professionals with their education!
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Volunteers at The Village Create Seat Cushions for Patients | |
The ride home from the hospital is more comfortable thanks to volunteers at The Village at Regional West. Volunteers carefully craft seat cushions to help protect patients’ necks, chests, and shoulders. What started as a project for our breast cancer patients is now expanding to our stent and surgical patients, too. We are so grateful for these ladies’ time and efforts!
If you’d like to make a difference in our patients’ lives, consider becoming a volunteer. Click here to fill out an application today.
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Regional West Partners with
Project Pink'd
When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, the road ahead can be daunting. However, Regional West’s breast cancer patients can experience a touch of comfort thanks to Project Pink’d, a volunteer-powered organization that provides free support to breast cancer patients in Nebraska and western Iowa. The program provides Healing Hearts Survivor Kits – bags that are filled with essentials such as travel pillows, cooling pads, insulated tumblers, and more for each treatment modality.
Because of Project Pink’d, our breast cancer patients who are facing surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation can have a smoother healing journey. We are incredibly grateful! If you’d like to learn more about Project Pink’d, visit click here. For more information on Regional West’s Cancer Services, click here.
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It's time for the March edition of The Bariatric Beat at Regional West! Click here to learn more about our Q&A survey and check out the latest tasty recipe! | |
We are excited to welcome these new physicians and providers to Regional West. Check out the start dates below to see when they will join us. | |
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Surgery, Vascular Diagnostics
Shane Banks, DO - Feb. 1, 2024
Plastic Surgery
John LoMonaco, MD - May 1, 2024
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Emergency Medicine
Daryl McLean, MD - May 24, 2024
Orthopaedics
Brian Aston, PA-C - June 1, 2024
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We want to hear from you!
Please let us know what topics you'd like to see in future issues of the newsletter. We want to hear your thoughts to help make Regional West exceptional. Click here to let us know what you think!
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