Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center Recognized with 2019 Performance Leadership Award in Quality Broken Bow, NE, November 21, 2019 – As part of National Rural Health Day, Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center today announced it has been recognized by The Chartis Center of Rural Health and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) for overall excellence in Quality. Based on the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX from iVantage Health Analytics, the Performance Leadership Awards reflect top quartile performance among all rural hospitals in the United States in either Quality, Outcomes or Patient Perspective. “Our local physicians, providers and hospital staff work continuously to find ways to improve outcomes for our patients. As Melham Medical Center continues to seek innovative ways to partner with our patients and community to inspire healthy living through quality care, it is nice to be nationally recognized for these efforts for the second year in a row. I applaud our team for this commitment to quality”, states Veronica Schmidt, CEO of Melham Medical Center. The Hospital Strength INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging data from publicly available data sources, the INDEX aggregates data from 50 rural-relevant metrics across eight pillars of performance. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020, the INDEX serves as the data foundation for a number of industry-leading rural recognition programs and legislative initiatives. “National Rural Health Day has come to symbolize not just the vital role healthcare providers play in rural communities, but the dedication and hard work that goes into overcoming the unique healthcare challenges that exist across rural America,” said Teryl Eisinger, Chief Executive Officer, NOSORH. “We are proud of the work of the State Offices of Rural Health, their partners and rural hospitals do to improve care across the nation.” “Each year, National Rural Health Day serves as a terrific backdrop for celebrating the power of rural and recognizing rural providers who continue to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to delivering quality care within their communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “We are delighted to be recognizing these top quartile performers in partnership with NOSORH.” About NOSORH The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) was established in 1995 to assist State Offices of Rural Health in their efforts to improve access to, and the quality of, health care for America’s 57 million rural citizens. NOSORH enhances the capacity of SORHs to do this by supporting the development of state and community rural health leaders; creating and facilitating state, regional and national partnerships that foster information sharing and spur rural health-related programs/activities; and enhancing access to quality healthcare services in rural communities. About The Chartis Group The Chartis Group® (Chartis) provides comprehensive advisory services and analytics to the healthcare industry. With an unparalleled depth of expertise in strategic planning, performance excellence, informatics and technology, and health analytics, Chartis helps leading academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, children's hospitals and healthcare service organizations achieve transformative results. Chartis has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, Minneapolis and San Francisco. For more information, visit www.chartis.com . # # # For more details about The Chartis Center for Rural Health, contact Billy Balfour, at 207-245-6761 or email wbalfour@chartis.com. More information about the Hospital Strength INDEX can be found at www.ivantageindex.com .

"BROKEN BOW—The babies are back in town! Following a two-year hiatus, the staff at Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center (JMMMMC) and the Physicians of the Central Nebraska Medical Clinic (CNMC) officially cut the ribbon on Tuesday to welcome back labor and delivery services to Broken Bow beginning December 1. According to the JMMMMC website , “Doctor David Minnick, Doctor Julie Lindstrom, Doctor Katie Thompson and Melham Medical Center are happy to announce we will start delivering babies December 1, 2019.” A ribbon cutting and open house were held on Tuesday evening to welcome Dr. Katie Thompson, a family practice physician who signed with CNMC in September 2017 ."... Follow link for full article from Sandhills Express. http://sandhillsexpress.com/local-news/labor-and-delivery-back-in-broken-bow-beginning-december-1/?fbclid=IwAR1LztSGrZb05NgrMuybIC6bSiwa2_n6CE6UtLQpgqcI_zXzNttaCYLTbTQ

NHA honors Nebraska hospital employees at 40th Caring Kind Luncheon LA VISTA, NEB. — The Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) recognized 76 Nebraska member hospital employees on October 18, 2019, by bestowing them with the organization’s prestigious The Caring Kind award. For 40 years, The Caring Kind award has been given to Nebraska's most caring and compassionate hospital employees. The award honors outstanding health care employees who have demonstrated compassion for patients, cooperation with co-workers and dedication to excellence in their job responsibilities. “ The Caring Kind Award has truly become a rich tradition for the NHA and our members. The recipients demonstrate a level of kindness, caring, dedication and commitment to their patients that goes above and beyond,” said NHA President Laura J. Redoutey, FACHE. “I look forward to this event every year – it celebrates all that is good in serving others.” Hospitals across the state each select one award recipient from within their respective institutions to be recognized during the NHA Annual Convention. More than 2,500 skilled and dedicated health care professionals have received this award since its inception in 1979. This year, 76 employees were honored before more than 500 people in attendance at The Caring Kind Awards Luncheon held at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in La Vista. The event showcases the exemplary work and care hospital employees provide every day throughout the year. Every Nebraska hospital employee plays a critical role in providing high-quality, cost-effective treatment and ensuring the safety of themselves, their co-workers and patients each and every day. These honorees are star performers through their dedication to patients and teamwork, ensuring that care is safe, quality-driven and cost-effective for consumers, as well as for the organizations they represent. The NHA congratulates The Caring Kind award recipients for 2019: Lori Adams-Kunz, PharmD | Avera St. Anthony's Hospital | O' Neill Jamileth Alvarado | St. Francis Memorial Hospital/Dinklage Medical Clinic | West Point Rita Aschoff | Osmond General Hospital | Osmond Gina Baker, MHD, LMHP | Boone County Health Center | Albion Wendell Barbee, MSN, RN, CCRN | CHI Health Immanuel | Omaha Erin Barnes, RN, BSN | CHI Health St. Mary's | Nebraska City Laurie Batenhorst | CHI Health Lakeside | Omaha Katie Bates, LPN | Morrill County Community Hospital | Bridgeport Nikea Brady, CSW | Methodist Fremont Health Dunklau Gardens | Fremont Ann Brothers | Syracuse Area Health | Syracuse Tammi Cawthra, APRN | Dundy County Hospital | Benkelman Erica Cervantes, RN | Kearney County Health Services | Minden Nikki Cook | West Holt Medical Services | Atkinson Melinda Curry | Nebraska Medicine | Omaha Lyle Davis | Cozad Community Health System | Cozad Theresa Davis, RN | Providence Medical Center | Wayne Jill Denker | Lexington Regional Health Center | Lexington Seron Dillard | Box Butte General Hospital | Alliance Jayda Edgar, RN | Thayer County Health Services | Hebron Cathy Engel, RN, BSN | Brodstone Memorial Hospital | Superior Melissa Feldhacker, BSN, RN | Methodist Women's Hospital | Omaha Mary Jo Fozzard | Butler County Health Care Center | David City Megan French, RN | Memorial Community Hospital & Health System | Blair Evan Geilenkirchen, CRNA | Community Hospital | McCook Glenn Hain | Memorial Health Care Systems | Seward Miriam Halstead, RN | Memorial Community Health | Aurora Jackie Hamm-Sipley, RN | Regional West Garden County | Oshkosh Nicole Havel, PA | Chase County Community Hospital | Imperial Jan Heithoff | Antelope Memorial Hospital | Neligh Alicia Hollander, RN | Tri Valley Health System | Cambridge Alexis Hooker | Merrick Medical Center | Central City Kelli Hromek | Friend Community Healthcare System | Friend Elizabeth Jacobs-Fitzgerald, BSN, RNC-OB | CHI Health St. Elizabeth | Lincoln Debra Jelken, RN | Franklin County Memorial Hospital | Franklin Barb Jenkins, PBT | Nemaha County Hospital | Auburn Kim Johansen, PTA | Community Medical Center, Inc. | Falls City Jeff Kautz, PT, ATC, COMT, CSCS | Great Plains Health | North Platte Rose Kleineweber | Crete Area Medical Center | Crete Dorothy Kohler, LPN | CHI Health Schuyler | Schuyler Rose Kothe, RN | Mary Lanning Healthcare | Hastings Brint Lemke | CHI Health CUMC - Bergan Mercy | Omaha Joan Lilly, OT | Avera Creighton Hospital | Creighton Adriana Lopez | CHI Health St. Francis | Grand Island Joan Manning, RN | York General | York Dave McAtee | Boys Town National Research Hospital | Omaha Kathy McDonald | Columbus Community Hospital | Columbus Shelly McQuillan, MSW | Ogallala Community Hospital | Ogallala Cindy Melcher, RN | Beatrice Community Hospital & Health Center | Beatrice Sara Milke | Johnson County Hospital | Tecumseh Fred Miller | Children's Hospital & Medical Center | Omaha Floyd Mohr | Annie Jeffrey Memorial County Health Center | Osceola Cynthia Montanez | Regional West Health Services | Scottsbluff Darlene Mowrey, PT, DPT | CHI Health Midlands | Papillion Shane O'Brien | Faith Regional Health Services | Norfolk Darla Pinkelman | OrthoNebraska | Omaha Shanda Pouk, RT ( R ) (CT) | Phelps Memorial Health Center | Holdrege Elaine Price, RN | Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center | Broken Bow Mike Raasch | Pender Community Hospital | Pender Deb Radenslaben, ASCP | Saunders Medical Center | Wahoo JoAnn Rose | Jefferson Community Health & Life | Fairbury Tami Rudder | Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals | Lincoln Heather Sayaloune, LPN, CRT | Chadron Community Hospital & Health Services | Chadron Judy Schroeder | CHI Health Good Samaritan | Kearney Michelle Simon, PT | Nebraska Methodist Hospital | Omaha Teresa Spier | Pawnee County Memorial Hospital | Pawnee City Kevin Sponsel, RPh | Bryan Health | Lincoln Vicki Stegeman, RN | Sidney Regional Medical Center | Sidney Ann Steinkraus, CNA | CHI Health Plainview | Plainview Abby Stewart | Fillmore County Hospital | Geneva Cheryl Swett, RN | Valley County Health System | Ord Kat Sybrant, LPN | Rock County Hospital | Bassett Patricia Ward | Howard County Medical Center | Saint Paul Jeannie Welke, CNA | Brown County Hospital | Ainsworth Christel Wilson | Harlan County Health System | Alma Bill Wood, RDCS, RDCS-P, RVT | Kearney Regional Medical Center | Kearney Rick Zarek, RP | Gothenburg Health | Gothenburg About the NHA The Nebraska Hospital Association is the unified voice for Nebraska’s hospitals and health systems. The Association offers collaborative leadership, assisting its members to provide comprehensive care to their communities, improving the health status of those communities. For more information, visit the NHA website at www.NebraskaHospitals.org . ###

Broken Bow High School students learn about the skills needed to become nursing assistants. The course is being offered at the Mid-Plains Community College Broken Bow Campus. Pictured back row, left to right are students: Victoria Coleman, Julie Kreitman, Daphney Nichols, Emily Fox and Lindsay Schauda. Pictured front row, left to right are instructors: Valerie Blakeman and Shelly Clay. A partnership among the Mid-Plains Community College Broken Bow Campus, Melham Medical Center and Broken Bow High School is helping to train a new generation of nursing assistants in Central Nebraska. The three organizations have banded together to offer a nursing assistant course for Broken Bow High School students. "This is an exciting community partnership designed to give high school students an opportunity to experience health care professions while earning their nurse aid certification," said Shelly Amsberry, director of acute care nursing services at Melham Medical Center. "The nurse aide program is very beneficial for these students and our community." Students have to be at least 16 to participate. Those currently enrolled all plan to pursue a career of some kind in health care, according to Kaci Johnson, MPCC Broken Bow Campus administrator. The class will prepare them to take a nursing assistant registry exam, and upon successful completion, they will be able to enter the workforce. The five seniors taking the course go to the college campus Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings for classroom and lab instruction before returning to their normal high school classes in the afternoons. Their Tuesday and Thursday mornings are filled with activities applicable to health careers. "Shelly, Jenny Fox, the director of CAPABLE, and I put together a training calendar for Tuesdays and Thursdays," Johnson said. "When something comes up that we think could be a beneficial experience for the students, we put it on their calendars." Johnson said the hospital has given the students tours of all of its departments. The students have also gone through CPR and Stop the Bleed training, learned about HIPAA and listened to a presentation about the role of an emergency medical technician. Later this month, the students will go through Question, Persuade, Refer training to help them understand how to talk about suicide, identify the signs of suicidal thoughts and feel more comfortable engaging with someone who may be thinking about suicide. They will also tour the Broken Bow Fire Department. The actual nursing assistant classes are being taught by nurses from the hospital's Specialty Clinic. The college is providing the facility and materials. "This class is something we've been working toward for about a year," said Johnson. "There are a lot of regulations we have to abide by, so the instructors had to be trained and approved through the state to be MPCC instructors. Brett Niemeth [MPCC's area nursing support coordinator] was huge in getting everything organized." The course consists of 76 hours. It began in mid-September and will wrap up at the end of January. "Sometimes asking a school to release its students for two hours a day isn't the easiest thing to do, but the Broken Bow High School has made it work," Johnson said. "They've also been great about making sure there are classes the students can seamlessly move into once they are all done with the nursing assistant course in the spring." Rusty Kluender, principal at Broken Bow High School, said the partnership is a great opportunity for the students. "It's an amazing program that could enable them to get their NA registry before they even graduate from high school," said Kluender. "We've got local nursing homes wanting them to work this summer, so they will already have employment options after graduation. Not to mention, they are getting the chance to see if nursing or another career in the medical field is something they want to continue to pursue." Emily Fox, one of the students in the class, is going through the program for that very reason. She's using it as a rung up the medical ladder. "I thought it would be good to get some experience before going on to be a nurse," said Fox. "The nursing assistant class has opened my eyes to all the work that goes into the profession. It's more complicated than I expected, but our instructors have been great, and it has been really fun learning all the skills." At this point, the class is only being offered once a year at the MPCC Broken Bow Campus and only Broken Bow High School students are participating. Mid-Plains offers a similar course in North Platte to North Platte High School students. It also provides nursing assistant classes at a variety of times outside of typical business hours to better meet the needs of the communities it serves. by Public Information & Marketing Department at 10:50 AM in Broken Bow , Health Occupations , MPCC , Nursing Original Post: http://www.mpcc.edu/mpcc-news/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=1084&fbclid=IwAR1d3VR5oWOx3fqQ8LFysIYwJBiJ6V98fwMFujTvDDH2GhiKKG8tQIQXOZQ

The year in review: JMMMC had another year to be proud of in serving our communities. Through an organizational assessment and development process, a new mission, vision, values and strategic plan were created with input from staff, the Board of Directors, and medical providers focused in the areas of our five (5) pillars--People, Community, Quality, Service, and Finance to assure a balanced approach in maintaining the incredible community asset that is JMMMC. Below are the highlights of the past year and year to come outlined in these pillars. People: JMMMC strives to be the healthcare employer of choice for our region understanding that our greatest asset is our dedicated team. This past year investments were made and will continue to be made in the areas of recruitment, retention, and recognition of top talent to continue to deliver high quality care to our patients. Community: · HOSA—Future Health Professionals chapter was started in partnership with Broken Bow High School. Currently, there are 45 active student members participating in state and local events designed to enhance and engage their interest in a career in healthcare. · JMMMC provided several classes of Stop the Bleed in the local area, sponsored a Health Fair with our community partners providing health education and prevention information to our community. · Jim & Mary Atkisson Nursing Scholarship was awarded to Delani Haines in the Spring of 2018. Quality: · JMMMC was nationally recognized for top quartile performance nationally in the area of Quality for 2018. This recognition is a testament to our staff’s dedication to excellence in patient care. · Tobacco-Free Campus was established in Sept. 2018 providing a safe, healthy work and patient-care environment for our staff and patients. Service: · Our new website was launched for enhanced patient engagement and communication of our comprehensive, accessible services. Please check it out at Melham.org. · The Clinic Renovation project was completed with Central Nebraska Medical Clinic providers and staff moving in April 2018 providing a modern, spacious, and private clinic space for patients to receive primary care services. · 3D Mammography added October 2017. This state-of-the art technology improves accuracy and timeliness of early diagnosis, improving patient outcomes. JMMMMC performed a record number of mammography exams this past year. · Diabetes Education via telehealth in partnership with Bryan Health. This service provides patients who have been newly diagnosed with Diabetes education and resources. · Infectious Disease Consults available through Bryan Health Antibiotic Stewardship Program providing local providers with real-time specialist consultations. · Fluoro-guided injections for pain relief as an alternative to back surgery provided by neurosurgeon, Dr. Daniel Tomes right here at JMMMC, allowing patients who experience back pain to avoid long car rides for the service. · JMMMC will continue to grow our Total Knee Program having completed over 50 cases performed by Dr. Gregory Sextro, Orthopedic Surgeon since the service began allowing our patients to receive this care right here at home. Medical Provider changes: · Dr. Corey Blackburn, podiatrist from Grand Island resumed his practice at JMMMC Specialty Clinic. · Dr. Daniel Tomes, neurosurgeon from Lincoln started providing services in Specialty Clinic. · Dr. Richard Markiewicz, cardiovascular physician from North Platte started providing services in Specialty Clinic. · Dr. Linda Blakeley, Ophthalmologist from Kearney discontinued specialty clinic due to relocation. Comparative statistics (FY15-FY18) JMMMC Statistics FY18 FY17 FY16 FY15 Patient Days: Acute Care 963   1,235 1397 1,746 Nursery 16 66    149 168 Skilled Swing Bed 147 263 344 547 Nursing Home 0 1,176 14,191 12,346 Total Days of Care 1126 2,740 16,081 14,807 ADC - Swing Bed .40 .70 0.93 1.4 ADC - Inpatient 2.7 3.4 3.8 4.7. Full Time Equivalents 85.01 87.08 134.5 136.2 ALOS - Medicare 3.3 3.6 3.6 3.4 Births 8 37 78 95 Total Surgeries 710 755 810 895 Admissions 315 409 530 576 Observation Patients 430 453 567 633 Patient Rev. & Payor Mix Medicare Inpatient Mix 83% 81% 73% 79% Medicare Outpatient Mix 56% 53% 51% 52% Outpatient Rev. to Total Rev. 85% 75% 63% 63% Finance: JMMMC remains financially strong and continues to seek new services to meet community needs while being good stewards of the healthcare dollar. Through the Financial Assistance Program, JMMMC provided $84,650 of free and discounted care to patients and in line with nationwide industry trends, expects to see this amount increase in the coming years. Looking forward: People: In keeping with our plan to be the healthcare employer of choice, the recruitment, retention, and recognition work continues for our current and future team members. Investment in employee growth & development, competitive wage and benefits, and developing our next level leaders is already underway. Community: Continued partnerships with local schools and area post-secondary programs will help create the next generation of physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, and ancillary service professionals through programs such as HOSA-Future Health professionals, KHOP/RHOP, and clinical rotations. A Patient & Family Advisory Council will be established to assist in gaining the patient and family’s insights into the care JMMMC delivers and to enhance our patient-centered approach to the work we do. Quality: JMMMC was honored to be nationally recognized in Quality this past year and is committed to building on this success to assure continued high quality outcomes and experiences for our patients. An investment in technology to enhance our electronic health record will take place to optimize its use throughout the organization and with our patients. Service: JMMMC is very excited that Dr. Katie Thompson will begin her practice at Central Nebraska Medical Clinic in the Fall of 2019. With the addition of her to CNMC and the JMMMC medical staff, JMMMC will re-establish the Labor & Delivery program to provide the much-needed service of delivering babies for our communities. JMMMC continues to partner with Central Nebraska Medical Clinic in the recruitment of physicians to provide OB services with coverage for C-sections to enhance the Labor & Delivery program. JMMMC will continue to evaluate the use of telehealth to complement current local and visiting specialty services to maintain convenient access for our patients. Low dose CT lung cancer screenings are now provided at JMMMC for earlier detection of lung cancer for individuals ages 55-77 who currently smoke or have a history of smoking. JMMMC team looks forward to another great year of partnering with you to inspire healthy living through quality care!