Carter Anderson, Author at Cass Health

Atlantic, IA – The February session of Healthy U will feature Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Ann Narmi. The presentation will take place on Thursday, February 19, at noon in Conference Room 2.

Dr. Narmi’s presentation will focus on women and heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, accounting for one in every five female deaths. Understanding the signs and symptoms of heart disease and how they can present differently in men and women can help individuals recognize when to seek medical care.

After graduating from Creighton University School of Medicine, Dr. Narmi completed her residencies and a fellowship at Creighton. She is board-certified in both Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She provides care to patients in the Cass Health Specialty Clinic.

Space is limited. A free boxed lunch will be provided for all attendees, and reservations are required. To reserve your seat, call 712-243-7479. For more information about Healthy U, visit casshealth.org/healthyu.

Atlantic, IA – Cass Health is committed to providing exceptional care throughout the holiday season.

Christmas Eve (December 24)
The Atlantic Medical Center and all satellite clinics will close at noon.
Rapid Care will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Friday, December 26
Anita Medical Center and Griswold Medical Center will be closed.

New Year’s Eve (December 31)
The Atlantic Medical Center and all satellite clinics will close at noon.

In case of emergency, call 911. The Cass Health Emergency Department is open 24/7.

Atlantic, IA – The November session of Healthy U will be presented by Christina Bettini, the RSVP Volunteer Coordinator in Cass County through Volunteer Iowa. Beth Spieker, Cass Health’s Director of Community and Guest Relations will also present about volunteering opportunities at Cass Health. This presentation will be on Thursday, November 20, at noon in Conference Room 2.

Bettini connects individuals aged 55 or better with local organizations for volunteer opportunities. Some opportunities in Cass County include driving Cass Health patients, Pen Pals with schools in the county, helping with events at the YMCA, rocking babies at the Ann Wickman Center, and many others. Christina loves connecting with folks in the area to find individualized meaningful engagement within their communities.

Spieker has been the coordinator of the Cass Health Auxiliary since 2021, which offers multiple volunteer opportunities including the Cass Health Gift Shop, transportation services, assisting with fundraisers, and more.

Space is limited! A free boxed lunch is provided for all attendees, so reservations are required. Call 712-243-7479 to reserve your seat. For more information about Healthy U, visit casshealth.org/healthyu.

Atlantic- Cass Health is excited to announce a special community event, “Car Seats and Cool Rides,” on Saturday, September 27, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM in Cass Health Employee Parking Lot (Lot D).

Parents and caregivers are invited to bring their children and car seats for a complimentary safety check. Multiple certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be on hand to inspect car seats, help parents install them correctly, give tips about car seat safety, and answer any questions.

“Car seat safety is crucial for children of all ages. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study found that while most parents believe they know how to correctly install their car seats, about half (46%) have incorrectly installed their child’s car seat. Whether it’s a quick trip to the store or a long road trip, taking the time to check and adjust car seats can make all the difference in keeping our children safe,” said Maddy Peppers, RN, OB Navigator and Child Passenger Safety Technician at Cass Health.

In addition to car seat checks, families can enjoy fun activities and refreshments. The Atlantic Police Department, Atlantic Fire & Rescue, Cass County EMS, and a LifeFlight Helicopter will all be on hand for children and families to check out together and learn more about each vehicle from the first responders who operate them.

There is no cost for the inspections, but appointments are needed. Please make an appointment by calling Cass County Public Health at 712-243-7475, or easily schedule online at outlook.office.com/book/PublicHealthCarSeatCheck@casshealth.onmicrosoft.com/.

Atlantic- Beginning today, Cass Health is upgrading its in-house MRI machine. The upgrade is expected to take approximately five weeks to complete.

A mobile MRI unit will be at Cass Health from September 1 through the 26th. Due to the differences between the in-house and mobile units, breast and prostate MRI scans will not be available until the upgrades are complete, but all other appointments will continue as scheduled.

While the mobile MRI is in Atlantic, PET/CT will not be on-site, and those services will resume in October.

Questions about the MRI upgrade can be directed to Cass Health Radiology at 712-243-7450.

Atlantic, IA – The August session of Healthy U will be presented by Cass Health Pharmacist Sara Arnold on Thursday, August 21 at noon in Conference Room 2.

Arnold will be presenting on over the counter medications and supplements. Her main points will include what to look for when buying over the counter as well as what medications and supplements work best for treating certain conditions.

Atlantic, IA – Cass Health is paying the tab for all admissions to Sunnyside Pool every Friday in July.

Free swim days will be held on July 4, 11, 18, and 25. The pool is located at 1000 Sunnyside Lane in Atlantic. Open swimming is from 11 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 6 pm on Sundays. Free sunscreen will be available during free swim days as well, while supplies last.

The sunscreen is made possible by the Iowa Cancer Consortium, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, and the Melanoma Program at the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The number of lifeguards available each day may impact the pool capacity. Make sure to follow Sunnyside Pool to stay up to date on pool hours or closures.

Atlantic, IA – The June session of Healthy U will be presented by Emergency Department Provider Tammy Bireline, ARNP on Thursday, June 19 at noon in Conference Room 2.

Bireline will present on heat related illnesses, and how to best prevent them, which is top of mind during the warm summer days here in Iowa.

Bireline is board certified in family practice by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Over the course of her career, she has had varied clinical experience in healthcare including Medical/Cardiac Intensive Care at Iowa Methodist Hospital, Emergency Department/Trauma Coordination at Lutheran Hospital-Des Moines and Cass Health, Cardiac Rehab, Wellness, Medical/Surgical, as well as Outpatient Clinics including chemotherapy and infusion services at Cass Health. She has also completed extensive training specific to emergency care, including ER fundamentals, boot camp and procedures courses.

ATLANTIC, IA – Cass County Public Health will host a new session of A Matter of Balance beginning Monday, June 16. This free class is designed to help decrease falls and help older adults manage their fears about falling.

A Matter of Balance is an award-winning program to help older adults learn to manage their concerns about falling, make changes to reduce the risk of falling, and increase their physical activity. It includes 8 weekly two-hour sessions for a small group of 8-12 participants led by trained facilitators.

Cass County Public Health has been offering this program since 2018 because falls among adults aged 65 and older are common, costly, and preventable. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury for adults ages 65 years and older, with 1 in 4 older adults reporting falling every year. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults ages 65 and older. The age-adjusted fall death rate increased by 41% from 2012 to 2021. Over 30% of older adult Iowans reported a fall in the past year, totaling over 157,000 individual older adult falls.

For more information, or to sign up, call Cass County Public Health at 712-243-7443.

Atlantic, IA – The May session of Healthy U will be presented by Kacey Peterson, MS, LMHC on Thursday, May 15, at noon in Conference Room 2.

Peterson will present “Cultivating Healthy Aging.” The program will include information about easy things older adults can do to change their perspectives, update their routines, improve their mental health, and promote healthy aging.

Peterson, who is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, joined the Cass Health Senior Life Solutions (SLS) team in 2020. She graduated from Drake University in 2005 with a BS in Psychology and in 2010 with her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is licensed by the Iowa Board of Behavioral Sciences.

Prior to becoming Program Therapist for SLS, where she provides group and individual therapy services, Kacey worked in private practice with children and families in both community and school settings. In 2015 Kacey was honored with the Professional Leadership to a State Chapter Award by the American Mental Health Counselors Association for her service as Board President and Legislative Committee Chair with the Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association. In 2019 she was recognized by Drake University’s School of Education with an award for outstanding leadership in her field, and in 2021 she was named Therapist of the Year for her commitment to the patients she serves at SLS.