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.
Cass Health announced today it has been recognized as a 2023 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX™.
“This award is a highlight of our year. We set this as one of the goals that we strive to achieve because we truly want to be the very best hospital possible for our patients, staff, and community. We are honored to be named to this list yet again, and we hope to hear later this spring that we’ve also made it into the top 20 for the third year in a row,” said Cass Health CEO Brett Altman.
“Across the nation, top 100 rural providers continue to serve as a source of inspiration for hospital leadership teams and staff working diligently every day to improve the delivery of care within their local communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, the Chartis Center for Rural Health. “The list of award winners in each category is as geographically diverse as we’ve seen in some time, which is wonderful to see. We’re thrilled to be able to honor the outstanding efforts of these top performing rural hospitals.”
Now in its 13th year, the INDEX has established itself as the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging publicly available data, the INDEX is trusted by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations and state offices of rural health across the country to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations and finance.
The Cass Health Foundation is hosting their annual gala on Saturday, March 25th at the Atlantic Golf & Country Club. The gala is a fundraiser for the Cass Health Foundation’s 2023 campaign to purchase vital monitoring equipment that will be used in multiple departments.
“Investing in monitoring equipment accomplishes two important goals: first and foremost, it keeps tally on the patient’s oxygenation, heart rate, blood pressure, and more. Secondly, it gives our nursing team back time so that they can be at the bedside, providing care, answering questions, and being attentive to patients’ needs, rather than being tied to a computer inputting data,” said Cass Health Specialty Clinic Director Traci Brockman, RN.
Cass Health Foundation Treasurer Dave Chase spoke to the importance of the project saying, “This monitoring equipment benefits the patients most of all, because it gives the staff the ability to keep tabs on a patient’s vital signs as they move from one spot to another within the facility. Say a patient is transported from the Inpatient Services Unit to Radiology for a CT scan. From the Inpatient Services Unit, staff are able to see and monitor the patient’s real time vital signs while they are in Radiology. This puts more than one set of eyes on the patient’s vital signs, adding a layer of protection.”
The theme of this year’s gala is “Beach Bash.” Attendees are encouraged to wear beach gear like Hawaiian shirts, shorts, etc. The evening includes dinner, dessert auction, and entertainment.
Tickets to the event are limited and available through table sponsorships. For more information, please call Beth Spieker at 712-243-7545 or visit casshealth.org/donors/gala to view the details or pay online.
Updated 2/16/23 as of 11:57 am
Massena Medical Center closing at NOON
All Speciality Providers clinics have been cancelled for today.
Griswold Medical Center will be closed this afternoon
Cass Health Gift Shop is closed.
ATLANTIC, IOWA – Cass Health CEO Brett Altman was recently recognized as one of nation’s “80 Rural Hospital CEOs to Know” by Becker’s Hospital Review.
According to Becker’s, “CEOs at the helm of these important community institutions have many responsibilities to make sure their hospitals thrive. The executives featured on this list have put their heart and soul into ensuring their communities have access to the best healthcare services possible. While rural hospitals across the country have faced closure in recent years, these leaders have developed a model for not only surviving but thriving.”
Altman said he was grateful to be recognized. “This is a great honor for Cass Health,” Altman said. “While I am honored to be a part of this list, I must give full credit to the entire team at Cass Health that delivers nationally recognized, award-winning health care every day of the year. We see our staff continually rise to the occasion and go above and beyond to exceed patient expectations and our goals. The things we have achieved in the last few years were all major team initiatives. Without the amazing, hardworking team at Cass Health, as well as committed board members and dedicated volunteers, we would not be where we are today.”
ATLANTIC, IOWA – Cass Health is pleased to welcome three new providers to the team at AMC Rapid Care. Mark Habel, ARNP, Chanda Moreland, ARNP, and Linda Newsome, PA-C all recently began providing care to patients at Cass Health.
Habel is Family Nurse Practitioner who recently graduated from Chamberlain University with his Master of Science in Nursing. Previously, he worked for nearly 25 years as a Registered Nurse (RN) in a wide variety of specialties, with extensive experience in cardiac intensive care.
Moreland is also a Family Nurse Practitioner and graduate of Chamberlain University. She has worked as a nurse practitioner since 2018, and she first became an RN in 2009. She is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the Iowa Nurse Practitioner Society, Emergency Nurse Association, and the Iowa Emergency Nurse Association.
Newsome has worked as a Physician Assistant since 2004. She is a member of the Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants, American Association of Physician Assistants, Iowa Physician Assistant Society, and the Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants.
AMC Rapid Care is a walk-in clinic for minor injuries and illness. The clinic is open seven days a week and is located next to the Cass Health Emergency Department.
ATLANTIC, IOWA – Cass Health is pleased to welcome Kristin Babb, PA-C to the team of emergency providers. Babb will provide care in the Emergency Department and AMC Rapid Care. Babb has worked as a PA since 2006, with an extensive background in cardiology.
“I chose Cass Health because the leadership and organization provide a fantastic environment for advanced practice providers to continuously grow clinically,” said Babb.
Cass Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elaine Berry said, “Kristin’s background in cardiology and in management make her a wonderful addition to our team. She is a great fit to the culture at Cass Health, and we’ve already received excellent patient feedback about her.”
Babb graduated with her Master’s of Science from A.T. Still University/Arizona School of Health Sciences, and she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Pre-Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Originally from Carroll, Babb recently moved back to western Iowa after living in Arizona.
“I moved back to Iowa after 18 years in Arizona to be closer to family and to raise my daughter in a small community. After all, home is where your mom is,” said Babb.
She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, American College of Cardiology, and the Heart Rhythm Society.
In January, the American Heart Association launched HeartCorps, a new initiative in conjunction with AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cass Health was selected as a host site for HeartCorps and is pleased to welcome Killy Buliche to this new role.
Buliche is employed by the American Heart Association as a HeartCorps Service Member and works alongside Cass County Public Health to support our local Pacific Islander community in preventing and managing chronic diseases through education and interventions. Over the next year, she will work to strengthen and supplement efforts to drive health equity, including controlling blood pressure, improving nutrition security, reducing tobacco use, and promoting health and wellbeing in our local Pacific Islander community.
“I really like to help other people in our community and to make them healthy. I like to help – that’s how I am,” said Buliche. She is originally from the Micronesian island of Lekinoch and has lived in Atlantic for almost 20 years.
According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of all Americans have high blood pressure. People living in rural areas and under-resourced communities face the highest death rates due to hypertension. Heart disease is the number one killer worldwide, with strokes ranking second. The goal of HeartCorps is to help meet public health needs of local communities by providing support to communities who are underserved, as well as providing pathways to good quality public health-related careers.
Photo at left: The Atlantic Public Library invited Cass County Public Health to display information for American Heart Month. HeartCorps Service Member Killy Buliche shows off the heart health information that is presented in English, Spanish, and Chuukese.
AMC Rapid Care has officially moved back into their remodeled clinic at Cass Health. For the last several months, AMC Rapid Care has been working temporarily out of space within Atlantic Medical Center while their location was under construction to expand the number of patient exam rooms.
“AMC Rapid Care has surpassed everyone’s expectations. It’s been overwhelmingly popular with our patients and community. Now that we are through the initial growing pains, we’re excited to be back at home in our clinic and welcome several new providers,” said AMC Rapid Care Director Tabetha Smith, RN.
AMC Rapid Care is staffed by a team of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. While initially only staffed with a single provider each day, demand for care has increased dramatically over the last two years.
“Our goal going forward is to always have two providers working every day to keep up with our patient volumes. In the very beginning, we started with just two providers, and we’ve steadily recruited all along. Now we have a team of seven providers who regularly work in Rapid Care. We’re also lucky that our Family Medicine team can usually step in to assist as well,” said Smith.
AMC Rapid Care is located next to the Emergency Department by Parking Lot C. AMC Rapid Care is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 1 pm, and 2 pm to 8 pm. They are open Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm, and 2 pm to 6 pm.
Cass Health is pleased to welcome Whitney Schafer, MSN, APRN, FNP-C to the team of providers at AMC Rapid Care. Schafer is board-certified by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners to care for patients of all ages.
“I am passionate about delivering care with an emphasis on patient education. I have 12 years of experience as an RN in various areas, and I look forward to providing patient-centered care to my rural community,” said Schafer.
AMC Rapid Care Director Tabetha Smith, RN added, “We’re extremely happy to have Whitney on our team! Her personality and demeanor are a perfect fit for the community that we serve. She is a true vision of a neighbor caring for neighbors.”
Schafer recently graduated from Clarkson College with her master’s degree. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2014 from the University of Iowa and has been a registered nurse since 2010. Her previous nursing experience includes inpatient care, specialty care, surgery, and five years of urgent care experience.
