Atlantic, IA – The August session of Healthy U — Cass Health’s monthly lunch-and-learn series — will feature a presentation on “Older Adult Nutrition” by Beth Olsen, MS, RD, LD. The presentation will be on Thursday, August 17 at noon in Conference Room 2. 

Olsen graduated from Iowa State University with her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics in 2012 and Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences in 2013. She went on to complete her Dietetic Internship in 2014 and has been working as a Registered Dietitian ever since. Beth joined Cass Health in 2106 as the Director of Public Health, where she manages several community health initiatives and programs. In a unique dual role, she also serves as the Clinical Dietitian for Cass Health. 

Healthy U is a free educational series held every month at Cass Health that the public is encouraged to attend. During Healthy U, Cass Health providers and staff share health information on a different topic each month. Upcoming presenters include Dr. Matt Weresh and Lace Sindt, ARNP. 

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, IA – Cass Health proudly announces that Brenna Irlmeier, RN was honored with the DAISY Award during Nurses Week. 

Irlmeier has had her sights set on becoming a nurse since she was in kindergarten. Brenna was inspired by her dad, who was a volunteer EMT and firefighter in the Elk Horn community. She became a nurse in January of 2019, and after working in Omaha at a large hospital, she returned to the area and began working in the Cass Health Surgery Department in August 2021. 

“It is an honor to receive the DAISY award. The hard work you put in going to school, the hard work you put in each day, it’s just awesome to have someone remember what you did for them,” said Irlmeier. 

This case in particular was special. “I was shocked, because of the nature of our job most people don’t remember us. This was an on-call case, and knowing it was a pediatric case, it pulls at the heart strings more. As a mom, it’s hard to put your child in someone else’s care,” she said. 

She says being in surgery is a great fit for her, and she loves the team she works with. “It takes all of us a whole to do what we do, and it’s something new every day. I love it,” she said. 

Irlmeier’s nominator wrote: “Rising above all the amazing caregivers we encountered that day, was Brenna Irlmeier. Brenna was the surgery nurse that took my daughter down for her appendectomy. She came to the room, gathered a quick report, did the time out, the whole nine yards. She made sure to explain to my daughter what was going to happen and addressed her directly making sure she didn’t have any questions. Although my daughter is stoic and brave, it was then that the tears began to well and reality hit her. I looked into her eyes and could tell that she was scared, nervous, and crying. As her mother, I had to say goodbye and release her into Brenna’s care trusting that she would be in good hands. In that moment, I could see Brenna making it her highest priority to make my little girl feel safe. Although I couldn’t be present with her in the OR, I am confident that Brenna gave her best to my little girl. The first thing my daughter said to me when she woke up after surgery was, “that nurse was so nice mommy, she held my hand the whole time.” That is when the tears started welling in my own eyes because I knew in my heart that my baby felt safe and was well cared for. I’ve been to larger organizations with my children before and I never felt that they were cared for with the same compassion and empathy as was shown to us here at Cass Health and especially shown to my daughter by Brenna.” 

Nurses at Cass Health are honored twice annually with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.® The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate care nurses provide to patients and families every day. The DAISY Award committee at Cass Health thanks all nominators for their submissions. Each nurse who was nominated will be presented with a special pin and a copy of the nomination. 

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.)  The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. 

This is one initiative of The DAISY Foundation to express gratitude to the nursing profession.  Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, The DAISY Faculty Award to honor inspiring faculty members in schools and colleges of nursing, and The DAISY in Training Award for nursing students. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org. An online nomination form is available at https://www.casshealth.org/daisy. 

Please note that two Cass Health clinics will be temporarily closed while new flooring is installed. The Massena Medical Center, RHC will be closed from March 21-24, and the Anita Medical Center, RHC will be closed March 27-31. Appointments are available in Atlantic and Griswold; please call 712-243-2850 to schedule.

ATLANTIC, IOWA – Cass County Public Health has earned a prestigious endorsement from Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc., as a Blue Ribbon Affiliate, making it one of the top- performing home visiting affiliates within Parents as Teachers’ international network. The official designation was made in October 2022.

Being named a Blue Ribbon Affiliate affirms that Cass County Public Health is a high-quality member of the home visiting field, implementing the evidence-based Parents as Teachers model with fidelity. The program includes home visits, group connections, child screening, and connections to community resources. It equips parents with knowledge and resources to prepare their children for a stronger start in life and greater success in school.

“Parents as Teachers’ rigorous endorsement process is a test of our program’s accountability and credibility, and this award validates the work we are doing for our community, supporters, and most importantly, the children, parents, and families we serve,” said PAT Coordinator Nancy Gibson.

Cass County Parents as Teachers is a no-cost program for families who are expecting or have a child or children up to age 5, and it is funded by Boost for Families and Prevent Child Abuse Iowa. The program currently has openings for new families. For more information about PAT, please call 712-243-7475.

ATLANTIC – Cass County Public Health Parents as Teachers is offering free car seat inspections on Saturday, September 25th from 9 am to 11 am in the parking lot at the Ann W. Wickman Child Development Center at 703 Linn Street in Atlantic, enter in the north drive off 7^th St.

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.

There is no cost for the inspections, but appointments are needed. Please make an appointment online at cciaph.as.me/carseat or by calling 712-243-7475.

Atlantic, Iowa – Cass Health has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2021 honor by Iowa Top Workplaces. Cass Health received the #16 ranking of the top mid-sized employers in Iowa, their highest yet. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

“During this very challenging time, Top Workplaces has proven to be a beacon of light for organizations, as well as a sign of resiliency and strong business performance,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward. Top Workplaces draw on real-time insights into what works best for their organization, so they can make informed decisions that have a positive impact on their people and their business.”

Cass Health CEO Brett Altman said, “For the seventh consecutive year our employees have made Cass Health an elite work environment. We are blessed to have such incredible staff that throughout these extraordinary circumstances have continued to provide superior experiences to our patients, colleagues and communities.”

While both Dr. Edna Becht and Dr. Autumn Keiser are currently on maternity leave, Cass Health recruited Sydney Lee, MD to join the medical staff through November.

Dr. Lee is originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana. She graduated from LSU Health Shreveport and completed her family medicine residency at the University of New Mexico. Most recently, Dr. Lee provided care at HealthPoint in Auburn, Washington. She is a member of the American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

As a traveling physician, Dr. Lee enjoys the opportunity to see the country while doing what she loves.

“This allows me to get a feel for what type of community I want to be in. Being in a rural area feels like something a little closer to home,” said Dr. Lee.

Dr. Lee chose Family Medicine as her specialty because of the diversity. “It’s everything! I can help the most people because it’s the broadest practice.”

She will provide care by appointment in the Atlantic Medical Center. Dr. Lee also provides care for obstetrics and hospital patients.

To make an appointment with Dr. Lee, call (712) 243-2850.