Kat Niemann, Author at Cass Health

Cass County Health System (CCHS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Rick Rinehart, ENT will begin seeing patients on August 17, 2020 at the Atlantic Medical Center Surgery Clinic. Dr. Rinehart will provide care for all ages in the clinic and also perform surgeries in Atlantic.

Dr. Rinehart is a board certified Otolaryngologist Head and Neck Surgeon (ENT) with over 20 years of experience. He was born and raised in Iowa and did his undergraduate studies at Iowa State University. He then completed both medical school and his residency at the University of Iowa. He served as a Clinical Assistant Professor in ENT for the University of Iowa and instructed ENT residents in Des Moines for over a decade. In 2013 Des Moines Magazine presented him with the “Best Doc” award in his field as voted by his ENT peers. When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with family and outdoor activities on his farm.

“Dr. Rinehart is an exceptional physician,” said Brett Altman, CEO. “We strive to develop relationships like this with the best, brightest, and kindest doctors so that our patients can get outstanding healthcare services right here at home. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Rinehart to CCHS.” To schedule an appointment with Dr. Rinehart, patients should call the AMC Surgery Clinic (formerly Southwest Iowa Surgery) at 712-243-7535.

Atlantic, IA—Cass County Public Health is deeply saddened to announce the first death associated with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for a resident of Cass County. “We extend our heartfelt sympathy to this individual’s family,” said Cass County Public Health Director Beth Olsen. “We know this is a difficult time for them, and we honor their right to privacy. The only details about the patient we are able to disclose is the age range, which is 61-80.”

“We continue to work daily with key stakeholders in the county and state to limit the spread of COVID-19, so that we can decrease its impact on our residents, families, businesses, and everyday life. Our call to action and plea to every Iowan is still the same; we need everyone’s help in practicing social distancing, mask wearing, and staying home when ill so that we can hasten the end of this pandemic.”

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit coronavirus.iowa.gov or the IDPH webpage at https://idph.iowa.gov.

ATLANTIC – Several scholarships are available to area students through Cass County Health System and its affiliate organizations.

Applications are available on the Cass County Health System website, www.casshealth.org, and can be turned in to the Public Relations Office by the respective deadlines listed above. For more information, contact Ann McCurdy, Public Relations Coordinator, 712-243-7405.

Atlantic, IA – The February session of Healthy U will be held Thursday, February 27, 2020, at Cass County Health System. The program, Health Benefits of Walking will be presented by Kathy Denning, MPT.

Kathy Denning, MPT has been practicing physical therapy for over 22 years and specializes in postural asymmetries, orthopedics, chronic pain and pediatrics. She graduated with her BS in Biology from Briar Cliff College and her Masters of Physical Therapy from St. Ambrose University.

Healthy U will be offered at noon on Thursday, February 27th. Healthy U is a free educational series at Cass County Health System held monthly in Conference Room 2. The public is invited and welcome to attend, but reservations are required as a meal is provided for all attendees.

Atlantic, IA — Cass County Health System has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Mammography is a specific type of imaging test that uses a low-dose X-ray system to examine breasts. A mammography exam, called a mammogram, is used to aid in the early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases in women.

The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report that can be used for continuous practice improvement.

The ACR, founded in 1924, is a professional medical society dedicated to serving patients and society by empowering radiology professionals to advance the practice, science and professions of radiological care. The College serves more than 37,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

BUSINESS OFFICE CLOSING AT 2 PM (Billing, Patient Accounts, Health Information Management/Medical Records)

IMMUNIZATION ROOM (ATLANTIC MEDICAL CENTER) CLOSING AT 3 PM AND WILL REMAIN CLOSED THROUGH SATURDAY, JANUARY 18TH. THE IMMUNIZATION ROOM WILL REOPEN TO PATIENTS ON JANUARY 20TH.

Atlantic, IA – The January session of Healthy U will be held Monday, January 27, 2020, at Cass County Health System. The program, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery will be presented by Keith Lodhia, MD, MS.

Dr. Lodhia offers neurological care at the CCHS Specialty Clinic and is affiliated with MD West ONE. He practices general neurosurgery encompassing the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves with an emphasis in spinal surgery, having particular expertise in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. Dr. Lodhia is board certified by The American Board of Neurological Surgery, and his areas of research include spinal surgery, tumors of the spine, and brain hemorrhages.

Healthy U will be offered at noon on Monday, January 27th. Healthy U is a free educational series at Cass County Health System held monthly in Conference Room 2. The public is invited and welcome to attend, but reservations are required as a meal is provided for all attendees.
Call 712-243-7479 to reserve your seat.

Healthy U: Women’s Pelvic Health
Atlantic, IA – The November session of Healthy U will be held on Thursday, November 21st, at Cass County Health System. The program, Women’s Pelvic Health, will be presented by Alyssa Rogers, MOT, OTR/L. She will be discussing several areas of pelvic health including anatomy, bladder health, helpful hints to improve incontinence, and how pelvic floor therapy works. Alyssa has worked at CCHS in occupational therapy for three years, and she has recently become a pelvic floor therapist.
Healthy U will be offered at noon on Thursday, November 21st. Healthy U is a free educational series at Cass County Health System held monthly in Conference Room 2. The public is invited and welcome to attend, but reservations are required as a meal is provided for all attendees. Call 712-243-7479 to reserve your seat.

Atlantic, IA – The Parents as Teachers (PAT) program through Cass County Public Health is celebrating Parents as Teachers Day in Cass County on November 8^th.

PAT is a free program for families with children ages 0-5, which provides home visits to help young children grow up healthy, safe, and ready to learn. The PAT educators help connect community partners with parents to prepare children for kindergarten and beyond.

“Parents as Teachers has been providing services to Cass County residents since 1998, and we are a credentialed, evidence-based program,” said Nancy Gibson, PAT Coordinator. “It is an honor and privilege to serve our youngest residents and be a part of their education system.”

PAT currently has two different educators who provide monthly home visits to families with young children. During these visits, they work on getting a complete health history, doing developmental screenings to catch any delays as early as possible, check on immunizations, and much more. Children in the program also have access to free vision, hearing, and dental checks. The PAT program is partially funded by a grant from Boost 4 Families.

PAT currently has limited openings, parents who are interested in the program can contact Nancy at 712-243-7475. Referrals are also welcome—anyone who knows of a family that could benefit from participating is encouraged to call.

ATLANTIC – On Saturday, October 19^th, Atlantic Medical Center along with the McCarthy family will host “Ayzlee’s Family Flu Clinic” from 8 to 11 am. Families and individuals are encouraged to come in to get their annual flu shot during this time. Members of the McCarthy family will be on hand with additional information about the flu, and a few children’s activities will be available.

This special flu vaccine clinic is held in memory of Ayzlee McCarthy. After Christmas in 2014, Ayzlee was diagnosed with Influenza A & B. A day later, her mother knew something wasn’t right and brought her to the CCHS Emergency Department. Ayzlee was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Blank Children’s Hospital, where she died on December 29, 2014.

“We are honoring Ayzlee with family flu clinics in our area and encourage all ages to come in and get their annual flu shot,” said Amber McCarthy, mother of Ayzlee. “The flu can strike healthy children and we hope to not have more families go through the heartache of losing a child to the flu.”

In addition to this special clinic, a full list of all CCHS walk-in clinics can be found at casshealth.org.

The two best ways to protect yourself, and those around you, from influenza are to get vaccinated and to practice good hand washing. Getting vaccinated not only protects you, but also those around you who may be too young (under 6 months) or have a medical condition that prevents them from being vaccinated.

The seasonal flu (influenza) is a serious disease caused by the influenza virus. Some common symptoms of the flu are fever, cough, chills, body aches, and extreme weakness.