Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/838170
Excellence Reverence Integrity Compassion CHI St. Joseph's Health Board of Directors Clay Peterson Chair Park Rapids Kathy Henry Vice Chair Park Rapids John Lageson, MD Chief of Staff Kevin Brauer Park Rapids Jeffrey Drop Catholic Health Initiatives Deane Johnson, MD Park Rapids Ben Koppelman CHI St. Joseph's Health President Sr. Doretta Meier Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls Michele Thieman, MD Family Medicine Physician John Warren Walker Janine Weideman Park Rapids President's Perspective Community Care on Multiple Levels BEN KOPPELMAN President Ben Koppelman CHI St. Joseph's Health CHI St. Joseph's Health staff has to be ready to treat and stabilize the condition of any patient who needs our care. That often involves emergency care, but we also offer the kinds of services you might expect to find only at larger facilities, including an intensive care unit, hospitalist services, as well as bariatric, orthopedic and spine surgery, just to name a few. Recently, patient Brad Akre required several of these services. Brad arrived at the hospital emergency room in excruciating pain because several discs in his back had degenerated. After two decades of living with this worsening condition, an imaging test revealed that Brad would require spine surgery to address the problem. Dr. Brennen Smith, CHI St. Joseph's Health Orthopedics & Spine Surgery Center surgeon, was able to fuse Brad's spine, stabilizing it and resolving his debilitating pain. Read Brad's story in this issue of HealthLine. We're very pleased to be able to offer this level of spine and orthopedic surgical care, as well as postsurgical physical rehabilitation services, to you and your loved ones right here, close to home. Services like these are improving the lives of people in the communities we serve, and so is the work being done by CHI St. Joseph's Health outreach programs. One such program is powered by the work of 17 parish nurses at churches where they worship. CHI St. Joseph's Health Nursing Ministry strives to safeguard public health by engaging a largely volunteer workforce to provide basic medical screenings, medical appointment transportation, health information, counseling, support groups coordination, and more to church congregants. As a faith-based health system, it is our honor to advance this cause. Another cause we firmly believe in is educating tomorrow's healthcare providers. We are proud to announce we recently awarded over $20,000 in scholarships to 22 students pursuing healthcare studies from the communities of Park Rapids, Nevis, Menahga, Sebeka, Laporte and Walker/Akeley/Hackensack. In closing, I want to thank you for entrusting us with your family's medical care. I encourage you to contact me with questions, concerns, and suggestions regarding CHI St. Joseph's Health. You may call me directly at 218.616.3500 or email me at BenKoppelman@CatholicHealth.net. CHI St. Joseph's Health | www.CHISJH.org 2