Category Archives: Health Care

Bourbon County, COVID-19, Government, Health Care

Bourbon County Health Department: 26 Active Cases

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SEK Multi-County Health Departments

Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, and Woodson Counties

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

September 29, 2020

Please call your local health department if you would like a further breakdown of cases.

Allen County

Current Active Cases 27
Total Hospitalizations 5-0 in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 55
Total Cases Since Testing 82
Deaths 1

Anderson County

Current Active Cases 9
Total Hospitalizations 2-0 in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 76
Total Cases Since Testing 85
Deaths 0

Bourbon County

Current Active Cases 26
Total Hospitalizations 10-0 remaining in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 168
Total Cases Since Testing 194
Deaths 3

Woodson County

Current Active Cases 3
Total Hospitalizations 2-1 remaining in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 17
Total Cases Since Testing 20
Deaths 0
Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Health Care

Health Insurance Plan Being Formulated For Small Business Owners in Bourbon County

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Many small businesses do not have the ability to offer health insurance to their employees, some have the ability but would like to look at other options.
The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce has been working on a plan to help that situation.
An association health plan through the Chamber is being formulated to help members to be able to offer Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance to their employees.
“Our hope is that this will be beneficial to particularly smaller mom and pop, locally owned businesses who are not otherwise able to obtain or offer health insurance as an employee benefit which would also help recruit and retain employees,”Chamber Executive Director  Lindsay Madison said.  “A business just needs to have one full-time employee and one part-time employee, at a minimum, to be able to participate in the plan.”
Lindsay Madison is the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
“We currently have 44 potential contracts represented by those who have completed the survey (see the survey link below),” she said.  “We need at least 50 to move forward with putting together plans and pricing.”
“If your business is at all interested in this type of health insurance offering or at least seeing what plans and rates will be offered,
please complete the survey link below as soon as possible,” Madison said.
“If the employer already has employee info on a spreadsheet, they can submit that,” Madison said.
The survey was first sent out to Chamber members in May, she said.
“We would like people to send as soon as possible, by Sept. 30. Companies can still come on board  beyond that date, but we need a cut-off date.”
Click here:
The Chamber is formulating this plan through  member and local insurance representative Don Doherty of
Northwestern Mutual Life, RPS Benefits, Inc.
“Information on the attached (below) is what the employer will need to complete on the survey, so they could have their employees complete this form, or provide this information in an Excel format to Blue Cross Blue Shield.  They would send the information directly to Donna Pashman of BCBS of KS, email [email protected],” Madison said.
 
“If businesses are already on BCBS and have interest in seeing what the Chamber plans and pricing will be, they can email Donna and simply reference the Fort Scott Chamber Plan, Business Name, and current BCBS member number,” she said.
 
The survey link is also currently on the Chamber website fortscott.com under the Events tab.
Bourbon County, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Health Care

CHC/SEK OFFERING DRIVE THROUGH FLU SHOT CLINIC in Fort Scott

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CHC/SEK OFFERING DRIVE THROUGH FLU SHOT CLINIC 

 

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Fort Scott, is offering a 3-day drive-through flu shot clinic in the parking lot at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. today-Saturday. There is no out-of-pocket cost for participants.

 

Times for the clinic are: Thursday 9/24: 2:00 PM-7:00 PM, Friday 9/25: 7:00 AM-Noon, and Saturday 9/26, 9:00 PM-3:00 PM.  Participants are asked to wear a facemask to protect CHC/SEK staff, and to help keep the vaccination line moving, please wear clothing where your shoulder is easily exposed.

 

Getting a flu vaccine this fall will be more important than ever, not only to reduce your risk from flu but also to conserve potentially scarce health care resources. This is standard-dose inactivated flu vaccine, CHC/SEK does not have high-dose available at this time.

 

The drive through flu clinic is recommended for everyone two years of age and older, with rare exceptions, because it is an effective way to decrease flu illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths.

 

By getting a flu shot now, you will protect yourself and your family and friends.

 

At CHC/SEK, there is no out-of-pocket cost for receiving a flu shot. For those with health insurance, their insurance will be billed for the service; however, no money will be collected from participants regardless of their insurance status.

 

Getting an annual flu shot, and good health habits like washing your hands can help stop germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

 

Covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing may prevent those around you from getting sick. Make it a habit to clean and disinfect commonly used surfaces in your home, school or office. Flu vaccines and good hand hygiene are still the go-to recommendations for prevention; however, public health officials say it’s just as important to contain the virus, which means staying home when you’re sick.

 

Fort Scott, Health Care, Mercy Hospital

New Podcast “No Mercy” Features Fort Scott

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‘No Mercy’: What Happens to a Rural Town When Its Only Hospital Shuts Down?

New ‘Where It Hurts’ Podcast From KFF’s Kaiser Health News and St. Louis Public Radio Documents the Economic and Emotional Fallout

Sept. 23, 2020

“No Mercy,” the first season of the new “Where It Hurts” podcast from KFF’s Kaiser Health News (KHN) and St. Louis Public Radio, immerses you in the fallout experienced by one rural town, Fort Scott, Kansas, in the year after its only hospital was shut down by a distant corporate owner.

In losing Mercy Hospital Fort Scott, the community lost not just health care but also one of its largest employers and some of its best paying jobs, sparking tensions, anger and fear for many. Fort Scott’s identity wavered as residents struggled to come to terms with losing the place where their babies were born and kids’ bones were set, and patients with cancer went to get chemo.

Mercy Hospital served as a mainstay of the town for 132 years, and was a constant presence until faltering finances forced its doors to close in December 2018. The town felt abandoned.

KHN senior correspondent Sarah Jane Tribble, who grew up in southeastern Kansas, returns to her roots to ask uncomfortable questions of town leaders and the Catholic nuns who once ran Mercy to find out why the hospital, like so many others in rural America, fell upon hard times and ultimately shut down. Tribble spent more than a year returning again and again to see how the lives of people changed. From a low-income senior who struggles to get to dialysis to the CrossFit-loving town manager and the nurse who became the hospital’s last president, their stories are full of grit and hope. Along the way, Tribble finds that the notion that every community needs a hospital deserves questioning.

The new podcast is a collaboration between KHN and St. Louis Public Radio. Season One: “No Mercy” is the first offering in a new “Where It Hurts” podcast partnership. In future seasons, other storytellers will lead the reporting to highlight overlooked parts of America and show how health system failures can ripple through the social fabric of a community.

Troubles similar to those in Fort Scott are plaguing rural areas all over America. More than 130 rural hospitals have closed over the past decade, including 18 in 2019 alone. These days, the added pressures of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic have forced even more small, rural hospitals to close their doors for good — 15 in the first eight months of 2020.

“When Sarah Jane shared her reporting on the fallout from a rural hospital closing in her home state of Kansas, I said, ‘Wow, this has to be a podcast,’” said KHN Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth Rosenthal. “I’m so thrilled that St. Louis Public Radio has jumped in wholeheartedly with us to make it happen!”

“We’re proud to partner with the team from KHN to shed light on health care disparities,” said St. Louis Public Radio General Manager Tim Eby. “The powerful stories from ‘Where It Hurts’ will help listeners, no matter where they are, understand the health care challenges facing our nation. These are stories that bring context and humanity and need to be heard by audiences.”

“Where It Hurts” is KHN’s third podcast project and the first to employ a narrative storytelling approach. It debuts Sept. 29, with episodes to be released weekly through Nov. 10, and will be available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and NPR One. Listen to the “Where It Hurts” trailer and find more information at whereithurts.show. Members of the news media can request an embargoed version of the entire first episode, “It Is What It Is,” by filling out this form.

“Where It Hurts” is St. Louis Public Radio’s seventh podcast currently in production, the most distinguished being “We Live Here” — a two-time international Kaleidoscope Award winner for outstanding coverage of diverse communities and issues.

About KFF and KHN:

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) and, along with Policy Analysis and Polling, is one of the three major operating programs of KFF. KFF is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

About St. Louis Public Radio:

St. Louis Public Radio is an award-winning news organization and NPR member station, providing in-depth news, insightful discussion and entertaining programs to a half-million people per month on air and online. With a large, St. Louis-based newsroom and reporters stationed in Jefferson City and Rolla, Missouri, and Belleville, Illinois, the station’s journalists find and tell important stories about communities across the region and help people become deeply informed about the issues that affect their lives. Broadcasting on 90.7 KWMU-FM in St. Louis, 90.3 WQUB in Quincy, Illinois, 88.5 KMST in Rolla and 96.3 K242AN in Lebanon, Missouri, and sharing news and music online at stlpublicradio.org, St. Louis Public Radio is a member-supported service of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues, KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.

Contacts:

Chris Lee | (202) 654-1403 | [email protected]
Madalyn Painter | [email protected]
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Government, Health Care, Kansas

Air Quality Alert

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KDHE shares steps to protect health amid potential

air quality impacts from wildfires

 

       

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) wants to alert Kansans to potential air quality impacts from Western wildfire smoke. Ongoing wildfires across the Western U.S. continues to produce dense smoke that is being transported into Kansas by the atmospheric winds. While a majority of this smoke is remaining high in the atmosphere there are times when this smoke is being observed at the surface and impacting air quality. These air quality impacts may continue to be seen as long as the Western U.S. wildfires continue to burn.

Smoke can cause health problems, even in healthy individuals.  Common health problems include burning eyes, runny nose, coughing and illnesses such as bronchitis.  Individuals with respiratory issues, pre-existing heart or lung diseases, children and elderly may experience worse symptoms.

Steps to protect your health on days when particulate matter is present in your community include:

  • Healthy people should limit or avoid strenuous outdoor exercise.
  • People with respiratory or heart-related illness should remain indoors.
  • People who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms in particular respiratory or heart-related symptoms, who are currently infected or recently recovered, should remain indoors.
  • Help keep indoor air clean by closing doors and windows and running the air conditioners with air filters.
  • Keep hydrated by drinking lots of water.
  • Contact your doctor if you have symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath or severe fatigue.

Current air quality across the U.S. can be viewed online at https://fire.airnow.gov/.

Area News, Health Care

Timken Awards Grant to NRMC Foundation

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Jennifer Wilson-Loving, HR Manager at The Timken Company in Fort Scott, KS hands a check off to Dana White, CFO, and Crystal Beshore, Outpatient Services Manager of Nevada Regional Medical Center.

 

The Timken Foundation of Canton recently approved a grant proposal from Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) Foundation to fund the purchase of a new endoscope sterilization system which will allow NRMC to double the number of scopes that may be performed on any given day.

The Timken grant amount of $45,000 will fund the majority of the project, which totals nearly $74,000. The project is being co-funded by the NRMC Auxiliary in the amount of $25,000.

In June of 2019, the hospital purchased a new high-tech endoscope system. The new sterilizer will not only increase the efficiency and speed of the sterilization process, but it will extend the life of the new equipment by reducing wear and tear as they are disinfected.

“We are very grateful for this investment into our endoscopy program,” said Dana White, CFO at NRMC. “This will help us to take the best care possible of our patients and improve workflow for our employees.”

Bourbon County, COVID-19, Government, Health Care

Bourbon County Has 30 Active COVID-19 Cases

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SEK Multi-County Health Departments

Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, and Woodson Counties

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

September 14, 2020

Allen County

Current Active Cases 10
Presumptive Cases 7
Positive Out of State-Staying in Allen County 4
Total Hospitalizations 3-1 in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 46 (recovered positives + recovered presumptives )
Total Positives Since Testing 49 (Allen County + out of state)
Deaths 0

Anderson County

Current Active Cases 7
Total Hospitalizations 1-0 in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 47
Total Positives Since Testing 54
Deaths 0

Bourbon County

Current Active Cases 30
Presumptive Cases 15
Positive Out of State/County-staying in Bourbon 17
Total Hospitalizations 9-0 remaining in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 114 (recovered positives + recovered presumptives)
Total Positives Since Testing 131 (Bourbon County + out of state/county)
Deaths 2

Woodson County

Current Active Cases 4
Presumptive Cases 2
Total Hospitalizations 1-0 remaining in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 12
Total Positives Since Testing 114
Deaths 0

“Woodson is at 14 total positives, not 114,” noted Rebecca Johnson, SEK Multi-County Health Departments Administrator

Bourbon County, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, COVID-19, Health Care

Mental Health Help Offered Along With Practices to Self-Help

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The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas Clinic, 401 Woodland Hills, just off Hwy. 69 south of Fort Scott.

Mental health is a factor in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

 

With increased stress due to the virus, the economy, social injustice issues, and the upcoming United States general election, mental health issues are a concern.

 

Eric Thomason, PMHNP, the  Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas Behavioral Health and Addiction Treatment Services Clinic Director, answered the following questions in an email interview with fortscott.biz.

 

Thomason said he is seeing a spike in people needing mental health services.

Eric Thomason. Submitted photo.

 

Thomason gives a recap of the pandemic, starting with how it began.

” It was this invisible thing, which we didn’t know much about, and it was killing people. This is an anxiety-provoking idea. We started to see the spread through urban areas of the United States. A lot of us collectively held our breath and thought, “How long until it is here?” Instead of carrying a belief that tomorrow can be better today, we removed the hope that tomorrow can provide.

Hope: A Weapon Against Depression

Hope is the single most important weapon in the battle of depression. One of my primary jobs is to restore hope. To restore a very simple idea, that if I get up, get dressed, and keep fighting, today can be better than yesterday.”

Economic Stress

“The economic fallout has been tremendous. I treat a lot of blue-collar hard-working folks from Fort Scott and the surrounding areas. Our community members are some of the hardest hit in the nation due to involvement in livestock operations. I have had patients who lost jobs in the foodservice industry or as a part of other health care clinics. The removal of employment does two terrible things. It reduces our income and it reduces the perception of our value and purpose. Employment gives us a sense of accomplishment. If we did nothing else today, we finished our days’ work. COVID-19 took that away from a lot of the hardworking individuals I serve”

 

Social Support Systems Needed

“Lastly, social support systems are profoundly important to our wellbeing. Social isolation is often a symptom and predictive factor of depression. COVID-19 increased our isolation, thus increasing our risk of depression.”

 

 

 

Have there been more substance abuse issues during this time?

“Unfortunately, the rate of substance abuse, accidental overdoses, and death related to drug overdose throughout the nation has increased. Some national tracking services such as the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program estimate that drug-related overdose has increased over 40% across the country. This is in part to the removal or lack of coping strategies as well as treatment dropout rates due to social isolation and fear of COVID-19. One of the ways we worked to combat treatment dropout is to offer telephone, telemedicine, and in-person appointments despite COVID-19 spread throughout our communities. This is a testament to our incredible staff who chose to continue to serve and provide support to our communities when we were needed the most.”

 

What are some practices that people can do to help themselves with their mental health?

  • “Be honest with yourself or listen to your loved ones. If you aren’t doing well or someone you trust says you aren’t doing well, please get help.
  • Social distancing does not mean social isolation. Get on Skype, Zoom, Facetime, etc to have social interaction. The telephone is not enough.
  • Eat a balanced diet and get plenty of exercise. You can socially distance and exercise outside. CHC/SEK offers Wellness Services that includes a Chiropractor, Physical Therapist, Nutritionist, and Fitness Coordinator.
  • Avoid illicit drugs and alcohol.
  • Stay away from social media and political radicalism. We should be supporting one another during this difficult time, not tearing each other apart.
  • Be there for someone. Make a difference in someone’s life and you will feel better for it.”

Is a  physician referral needed for mental health services?

“It is very easy to access any of our services. No physician referral is required. You can contact our Fort Scott Clinic at 620-223-8040 and ask about any program or service offered through CHC/SEK. Our goal is to answer your questions as efficiently as possible.”

Does insurance cover mental health services?

“Mental health services are covered under most insurance plans. For any specific questions, please contact our clinic and we can help determine your plan’s coverage. We work with our patients to determine if they would qualify grant-supported treatment and/or sliding scale fees. Always remember at CHC/SEK we treat all individuals regardless of their ability to pay for service.”

Closing Thoughts

“You are worth believing that tomorrow can be better than today. You are worth being a better father, mother, husband, wife, brother, sister, employee and/or boss. You are worth treatment. In a world where everything is outside of your control, you can control whether you pick up the phone and ask for help. CHC/SEK is committed to being that help.”

Bourbon County, COVID-19, Health Care

COVID 19 Update for Southeast Kansas

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SEK Multi-County Health Departments

Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, and Woodson Counties

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

September 9, 2020

Allen County

Current Active Cases 13
Presumptive Cases 7
Positive Out of State-Staying in Allen County 4
Total Hospitalizations 3-1 in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 37 (recovered positives + recovered presumptives )
Total Positives Since Testing 43 (Allen County + out of state)
Deaths 0

Anderson County

Current Active Cases 12
Total Hospitalizations 1
Current Recovered Cases 37
Total Positives Since Testing 49
Deaths 0

Bourbon County

Current Active Cases 17
Presumptive Cases 14
Positive Out of State/County-staying in Bourbon 14
Total Hospitalizations 9-0 remaining in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 103 (recovered positives + recovered presumptives)
Total Positives Since Testing 108 (Bourbon County + out of state/county)
Deaths 2

Woodson County

Current Active Cases 0
Total Hospitalizations 1-0 remaining in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 12
Total Positives Since Testing 12
Deaths 0
Bourbon County, Health Care

CHC Mental Health In-Person Services Available October 2020

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Eric Thomason. Submitted photo.

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) has been serving the citizens of Fort Scott and surrounding towns since early 2019.

 

Hoping to improve the overall health of Bourbon County,  the organization met with treatment providers, community leaders, and the citizens of Bourbon County, according to Eric Thomason, who is the director of CHC/SEK Behavioral Health and Addiction Treatment Services.

 

“The message was clear, there was an increased need for behavioral health and addiction treatment services,” said  Thomason.

 

“We are proud to announce that in October of 2020 we will begin offering in-person addiction treatment services,” Thomason said.  “As a part of our current addiction treatment services we offer Medication Assisted Therapy for the treatment of substance use disorders. CHC/SEK has a designated addiction treatment nurse, Mitzi Clarkson RN, who is available for patient and provider consultation.”

Mitzi Clarkson. Submitted photo.

 

In October of 2019 CHC/SEK launched psychiatry services to the Fort Scott clinic, primarily utilizing telehealth services.

 

“In March of 2020, we increased our psychiatry availability to include face to face services,” Thomason said. ” Psychiatry is offered by Tien Nguyen, PMHNP. Tien is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He offers treatment for depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders primarily utilizing medication.”

Tien Nguyen. Submitted photo.

As part of the CHC COVID-19 response, they increased access to behavioral health and addiction treatment therapy staff via telehealth and e-visit appointments.

“Due to the overwhelming utilization these alternative service platforms will remain in place,” Thomason said.

CHC/SEK works to meet the needs of the community regardless of a person’s ability to pay for service, he said.

“We will continue to strive to make ‘healthcare the way it should be,'” Thomason said.

Any person interested in enrolling in mental health or addiction care, contact 620.223.8040, or talk with your CHC health care provider about a referral.

 

Bourbon County, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Health Care

CHC Fort Scott Reno Plans

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Residents who use the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas for health care in Fort Scott, will see a reconfiguration of the spaces in the future.

CHC/SEK  is located at 405 Woodland Hills, in the former Mercy Hospital building.

“We will be adding retail pharmacy space where the gift shop was (near the east entrance of the facility),” CHC/SEK President and CEO Krista Postai, said. “X-ray will be to the right as you walk in the clinic. We’ll also be adding new x-ray equipment into the main clinic…(There will also be) a break room and small meeting room created for staff. We will be creating a ‘women’s center’ within the clinic and moving the mammography equipment into the clinic to save women the long walk down the former Diagnostic Imaging Hallway.  ”

Krista Postai. Submitted photo.

The move is designed to be more convenient for patients, she said.

“We’re still involved in several other construction projects right now, but are working on final designs and talking with plumbers, electricians, etc. about the renovation,” Postai said.

“This is the new layout for our clinic only,” she said. “I have not seen a floor plan for the entire medical mall.”

The timeline for the reno will be made in the next few weeks, Postai said.

Also currently at the former Mercy building is the Ascension Via Christi Emergency Department, located on the south side.

This fall, Fort Scott Community College leased 30 rooms at the west end of the building for student housing, as part of their plan during the COVID-19 Pandemic. They have made rooms for students at the main campus at 2108 S. Horton, should students need to be quarantined.

On the north side of the building is I Am Rehab LLC a physical therapy clinic.