Day: September 1, 2023

Supporting a Loved One’s Road to Recovery from Addiction

For concerned friends and family of those struggling with addiction, getting the help their loved one needs can be a three-fold challenge: knowing where their role starts and stops in an addict’s recovery journey, supporting them with a mindset that leads to lasting recovery, and helping them find treatment that is a good fit.

“The fundamental thing to understand is they have to come to their own decision about sobriety. You can’t make it for them,” advises Recovery Center Director, Taya Vonnahme, MSN, RN, ARNP, CADC. “If you want to influence them to seek help, talk to them clearly and calmly about your concerns. Make repeat offers to help find information about rehabilitation programs. Don’t nag and try to force them; gentle encouragement can go a long way.”

Vonnahme also points out that those supporting someone struggling with addiction need to take care of their own mental and physical health. Setting personal boundaries and knowing when it’s time to take a step back is necessary in getting them the help they need to fight this disease. If your health or safety are suffering because of their actions, cutting ties completely may be the rock bottom a loved one needs to get help.

Support for Lasting Recovery

Individuals who have watched loved ones suffer from addiction share that one of the most important things to do as a support system is help the addict know they are not alone or being judged. We know addiction is a disease and not a choice.

Showing empathy towards the addict as well as what got them to this point is also crucial. Past abuse or trauma, loss of identity due to retirement or a job loss, stress from family circumstances, and feelings of letting people down are all common examples of things that can push someone over the edge into the downward spiral of addiction.

“It’s important for people to get their stories out there and have them be heard,” notes Angela*, who has lost loved ones to addiction. “That’s the whole point of this process. They need to speak their truth, and they need to get their trauma and experiences out there and feel safe doing so. There’s just a lot of fear for addicts that there’s going to be judgement.”

The Right Fit

Finding support in community is one side of the coin for lasting recovery; finding proper treatment is the other. And that’s where options like MRHC’s Recovery Center come in.

“Many clients who come into the Recovery Center at MRHC start out thinking that they’re in this alone,” says an MRHC Recovery Center counselor. “They might not have the best family support or the best friends, some may have even led them down this path in the first place. At the Recovery Center, we like to reinforce that we’re all in this together and that every single person here has experienced an addiction in one way or another. All our counselors have had experience with addiction, whether it was our own personal addiction or an immediate family member’s. Clients find themselves able to truly open up and feel safe talking about it because we’ve all been there. We know how to get them through it.”

Uniquely located inside a hospital, MRHC’s recovery center bases their treatment, care, and support around the principle that there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to recovery. Licensed counselors build relationships with each client to better understand who they are and where they are coming from to determine what strategies will best help them reach their drug or alcohol-free goals.

If you or a loved one needs help, contact the Recovery Center at (712) 655-2300.

*This individual’s name has been changed for privacy.

Free Medicare Information Seminar at MRHC on September 26

Where can I go to find answers about Medicare prescription drug plans? What is a Medicare Advantage plan? My medications have gotten so expensive I just can’t afford to take them all, is there any help?

Answers to these and other Medicare questions can be found by attending the free “Welcome to Medicare” seminar on September 26th from 7-9pm at MRHC. Interested individuals must call (712) 655-2072 by September 22nd to register. Attendees should enter through the Emergency entrance and follow the posted signs.

This free seminar, offered by MRHC and the State of Iowa’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP), a free and confidential service, will cover Medicare Parts A & B benefits, Prescription Drug Benefits (Part D), Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare supplement insurance, as well as share tips to help individuals identify Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse.

Even if you do not yet qualify for Medicare, MRHC’s volunteer SHIIP Counselor, Nancy Danner, recommends that “the best time to start getting information is before you actually need it, so I advise thinking about it at least 6-12 months before someone turns 65 years old.”

If you are unable to attend on September 26th, another Medicare seminar will be held at MRHC on November 28th. Danner is also available every Wednesday at MRHC to meet with individuals by appointment. She can provide information to aid in Medicare decision-making and answer questions related to Medicare itself, benefits, plan options, claims, and how to guard against becoming a victim of Medicare fraud. She will not provide recommendations for plans or agents but can answer questions and provide impartial information to help individuals make educated decisions and assist people who have a limited income.

Anyone interested in making an appointment with Danner can email shiip.counselor@mrhcia.com or call MRHC at 712-655-2072. If a client is only wishing to talk on the phone, they may leave their phone number and Danner will return their call.

Medicare medicare advantage medicare assistance medicare seminar Nancy Danner SHIIP

Grassley Visits MRHC on #99 County Tour

Jackie Blackwell, Chief Quality Officer; Michelle Andersen, Chief Nursing Officer, Shelli Lorenzen, Chief HR Officer, and Linn Block, CEO, pose with Senator Grassley outside of MRHC.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) toured Manning Regional Healthcare Center and met with hospital administration and board leadership on Monday, August 28, as part of his annual 99 county tour. Also present on behalf of MercyOne were Bob Ritz, CEO; Mary Cownie, Chief of Staff; and Mike Trachta, Vice President of Network Affiliates.

As the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Grassley has worked closely with critical Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and retirement policies and has potential to influence significant funding reimbursements for rural hospitals and was very familiar with the challenges faced by rural hospitals.

“Representative government is a two-way street, and it requires continued dialogue between elected officials and the people we represent,” Grassley said. “I appreciate the opportunity to hold town meetings, answer questions and take comments from Iowans. My annual 99 county meetings help me regularly keep in touch with Iowans to better represent them in Washington.”

MRHC CEO, Linn Block, MHA, BSN, RN, expressed that, “Funding continues to be a challenge for rural hospitals every year, especially as we see costs skyrocket and reimbursement rates remain the same. However, MRHC did end up breaking even this year, which is great, but it leaves us little room to invest in future priorities that will take our facility to the next level.”

Additional questions to the Senator addressed the workforce shortage and challenges with filling critical patient-care roles. Shelli Lorenzen, Chief Human Resources Officer, shared, “MRHC has had a few positions open since before the pandemic that we are still struggling to get filled.”

She shared that MRHC is being innovative to fill some nursing positions and is working with four Indonesian students to secure nursing degrees through the hospital’s reimbursement program. She requested to the Senator that more be done to improve immigration processes and workforce preparedness to help address the workforce shortage.

Due to rural residents’ high dependency on Medicare, rural hospitals are typically more financially vulnerable since Medicare only pays a fraction of hospital’s actual costs. “MRHC receives a much lower reimbursement than the national average making the financial viability of our small, rural hospital difficult to ensure that we can continue providing quality patient access to care,” shared Block.

Participants encouraged the Senator to look at additional ways to improve Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to rural hospitals. Recovery Center Director, Taya Vonnahme, MSN, RN, ARNP, CADC, was on hand to share how MRHC is uniquely positioned to provide support for patients facing substance abuse and addiction as well as other ailments thanks to the relationship with MRHC and a variety of services being provided under one roof. However, Medicare and Medicaid funding continues to be a challenge to compensate at a rate that covers the cost of services.

All were grateful to the Senator for visiting and board member Larry Hagedorn expressed his appreciation for the USDA loans that were pivotal in building the new hospital ten years ago.

“We are grateful for Senator Grassley’s visit and his ongoing support of rural healthcare. We also appreciate the support and relationship with the MercyOne administration, as it takes the whole system working together effectively to address the current and long-term challenges in healthcare,” shared Block.

This is Grassley’s 43rd straight year holding meetings in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties. Grassley has held at least one meeting in every county, every year since he was first elected to serve in the U.S. Senate. He answers questions on any subject. Iowans set the agenda.

Charles Grassley Chuck Grassley Iowa Senator Manning Regional Manning Regional Healthcare Center MRHC rural healthcare Senator Grassley

Blackwell Focused on Quality Improvement & Patient Experience

Jackie Blackwell recently completed her MBA, creating an opportunity both for herself and Manning Regional Healthcare Center. As MRHC’s new Chief of Quality and Patient Advocacy, Blackwell’s role will help the organization focus even more fully on quality and quality improvements.

“Quality is one of our five key results and at the forefront of all our decisions. We want to provide the best quality care for each patient encounter,” shared Linn Block, CEO of MRHC and Blackwell’s mentor throughout her MBA process. “Jackie’s prior experience as a nurse combined with what she’s learned through her MBA program has provided her with the tools we need for this key role.”

Blackwell’s new responsibilities include laboratory, quality, utilization, and risk functions, along with clinical analytics, patient experience and advocacy, HIPAA, and privacy. She will also coordinate objectives to achieve compliance with regulatory and accrediting agencies.

She completed several quality projects during her master’s degree, one of which is already helping improve MRHC. Blackwell’s capstone project evaluated fall prevention and how staff play a vital role in preventing patient falls.

She hopes the impact of her degree will help staff develop improvement opportunities at all levels of the organization, and establish processes to prioritize projects based on MRHC’s organizational goals.

Blackwell’s desire to further her education and career comes from her devotion to serve others. “I have always had a passion for helping others, whether that be patients, co-workers, friends, or family. Pursuing my MBA helped me to learn more management techniques and how to lead staff. The MBA program has also provided me ways to offer a compassionate approach to administration as we face the future challenges in healthcare.”

Jackie’s career path up to this point began at the Manilla Manor as an Environmental Aide in 2007. She earned her CNA in 2008 and worked at the Plaza while obtaining her RN degree in 2012. She then went on to achieve her BSN in 2018 and MBA in 2023.

“Linn Block encouraged me to pursue my career goals and was my mentor throughout the MBA program. My career has always meant a lot to me, and we were raised to be hardworking children,” shared Blackwell. “I told Linn my goals and she was supportive of them and helped get me to where I am today. All of the senior team members played a part in this process, and I learned a lot from each of their management styles.”

After her recent educational experience, Jackie offers this encouragement to someone considering furthering their degree and career: “If you have a goal, go get it!”

Manning Regional Healthcare Center offers tuition reimbursement for employees wishing to advance their careers. Visit www.mrhcia.com/careers or call (712) 655-2072 for more information.