Dream Lights Tree Tradition Continues

The West Central Iowa Healthcare Foundation’s holiday tradition of lighting Main Street in Manning with Dream Lights Trees continues. The Dream Lights campaign has taken many forms over the years, but the theme has always been to remember or honor family members and friends during the holidays by making a donation to the WCIHF.

The campaign will have a “new look” this year. Foundation members, Debbie Ranniger and Donna Hacker worked with Puck Enterprises, Inc. and Plastico, T&C to create new trees and new ornaments for display on Main Street.  The trees have been custom designed out of sheet metal and will be strung with lights.  They will be decked with ornaments or stars created by Plastico.  The ornaments and stars are available for sponsorship.  The fresh look is especially fitting as the group celebrates the 25th anniversary of Dream Lights this year.

Donors will be able to sponsor a gold ornament for $75 and a red ornament for $125.  There will be 42 ornaments available.  There will be three stars available as well; sponsoring a star is $250.  This year all donors will be recognized in the newspaper.  The lighting of the trees will coincide with the Weihnachtsfest Festival held on November 25th and they will remain lit until shortly after the New Year.

Sponsorship forms may be picked up at First National Bank and State Farm Insurance, on Main Street. They are also available at the Admissions Desk at Manning Regional Healthcare Center, or by emailing amy.benton@mrhcia.com.  Completed forms can be dropped off or emailed to Amy Benton at MRHC.

The lighted trees have become a charming attraction on Main Street during the holidays.  Let’s “Deck the Trees” to support the West Central Iowa Healthcare Foundation in their mission to provide health and wellness opportunities for residents of Manning and members of the surrounding communities.

MRHC Encourages Participation in Community Blood Drive as Blood Supplies Reach Critical Lows

Blood drive

MRHC encourages locals to donate blood during the upcoming Community Blood Drive on Wednesday, November 23rd at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manning from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

Blood supplies are at a critical low for all blood types and LifeServe, a local blood center, currently only has a one-day supply of O+. When a hospital patient needs a blood transfusion, they rely on blood donors to make sure that lifesaving blood is on the shelf. There is no substitute for human blood, and it can’t be created in a lab. This is why MRHC partners with LifeServe to regularly host blood drives.

“A donation could help save your neighbor, a friend, a family member or a stranger in your community,” shared MRHC Education Coordinator, Julie Hodne, RN.

To schedule an appointment to donate blood, visit https://donor.lifeservebloodcenter.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/176763.

BJ Schreck Celebrates 26 Years in Iowa Air National Guard and Two Years at MRHC

BJ Schreck

BJ SchreckFor life-long Carroll County resident, B.J. Schreck, November 2022 marks 26 years in the Iowa Air National Guard. Schreck held several roles related to F-16 fighter aircraft maintenance early in his career, received his commission to become an officer in 2010, cross-trained in 2015, and has worked in the Communications/IT field over the past eight years. He has been deployed overseas three times, once each to Kuwait, Qatar, and Iraq.

While Schreck currently manages a range of responsibilities as the Communications (IT) Flight Commander for the 132nd Wing in Des Moines, he also serves as the Information Technology (IT) Director at Manning Regional Healthcare Center.

“My military experience has provided me with an understanding of the impact teamwork can have in achieving common goals and how each person in an organization can directly impact performance,” Schreck shard. “At MRHC, it’s easy to see how the work we do in our department and the work all our employees do, both medical and non-medical, matters. Much like every role in the military, playing a critical role in National Defense, every position in our hospital plays a part in providing a compassionate, holistic health care experience the community can trust.”

While Schreck has an important role at MRHC as the IT Director, he also has occasional military obligations to fulfill. When he recently had to commit three weeks to his Guard unit in September, MRHC was in the midst of a major project, but he received nothing but support from his team throughout his absence.

“My supervisor, co-workers, and the Senior Leadership Team make it incredibly easy to focus on military obligations while I’m away and provide the resources to get caught back up when I return. They support me and always have,” said Schreck. “And at MRHC, you get to work in an environment where you’re trusted to make important decisions. And you’re supported when the day doesn’t go your way.”

In addition to supporting his military commitments, Schreck also values the flexibility of his job, the convenience of working close to home, and the work-life balance MRHC offers, as he has even more important job titles as a father and a husband.

“MRHC puts family first and allows me to dedicate the time I need to our schedule at home. I’m lucky to work for an employer where I don’t have to miss picking up one of my daughters, miss a game, or not be able to be somewhere,” Schreck said. “I can also leave work at the end of the day and not feel as though I need to take it with me. People here care about the people, not just the position.”

Schreck received a degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) from the University of Northern Iowa and interned in the IT department with American Home Shield after college. After working for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage IT in Des Moines, Schreck returned home to work in a variety of IT positions for American Home Shield for 15 years. He came to work for MRHC as the IT Director in November 2020.

“BJ is a tremendous asset to MRHC and has fit seamlessly into our organization,” said MRHC CFO, Amy McLaughlin, CPA, CHFP. “He is always making patient and staff needs his top priority and is such a reliable and knowledgeable resource for us all.  We are very fortunate to have him leading our IT team.”

To join the MRHC team, visit www.mrhcia.com/careers or call (712) 655-2072 for more information on current job openings.