Newsworthy

Dear Community Partners,

Here are today’s updates:

• Stormont Vail Mobile Clinic and Partners Show Community Benefit
• Stormont Vail Team Member Testifies on House Bill
• Specialty Team, Nurses Handle IV Needs
• Current Status at Stormont Vail Health

Stormont Vail Mobile Clinic and Partners Show Community Benefit

The Stormont Vail Mobile Health Clinic, along with its partners in the Mobile Access Partnership (MAP), had an opportunity to share their story about how they joined together to provide services to individuals who are unsheltered through a mobile fleet of services.

They shared that story with Kansas State University President Richard Linton who was making rounds in Topeka to learn about community programs. The MAP group was gathered at Grace Point Church in Topeka to meet with President Linton and other K-State officials and students during a statewide tour.

Karla Hedquist, Director, Community Engagement, gave President Linton a tour through Stormont Vail’s primary care clinic on wheels, explaining its features and capabilities. Karla also participated on a panel of the partners who discussed homelessness in the region and explained how MAP is an effort to provide services and supplies to people who might not otherwise have that opportunity.

The total served through the partnership is 6,030, with 1,121 unique individuals. Services include transport, showers, clothes, meals, laundry, dental, mental health, physical medical needs and more. The MAP visit was the topic of media coverage on WIBW-TV and KSNT-TV.

Stormont Vail Team Member Testifies on House Bill

Chris Buesing, Director of Workers Compensation and Workforce Safety, testified Monday before the House Judiciary Committee about House Bill 2023 to increase penalties for violence against health care workers and to create misdemeanor and felony crimes for interfering with a hospital as it carries out its duties.

Chris shared his personal story of when he was attacked in Stormont Vail’s Kanza building. He suffered a broken jaw and required extensive care to heal properly. Chris shared the physical and emotional challenges he experienced during his recovery. He also provided legislators with information about four reported workplace violence incidents that occur each month, and an additional average of 10 calls a week to security to assist with incidents.

We are proud of Chris and his efforts to educate legislators about the need to protect our team members and other healthcare workers across the state. Thank you, Chris, for sharing your story.

Specialty Team, Nurses Handle IV Needs

Working at Stormont Vail, you’ve probably seen, or placed, hundreds of IVs. However, did you know that we have an entire team at our Topeka hospital dedicated to IV Therapy? Learn the ins and outs of IV Therapy and read about which specialty area also handles IV lines here in this week’s blog on stormontvail.org.

Be sure to wish our IV Therapy team Happy IV Nurses Day on Wednesday! Stormont Vail is grateful to have specialized team members who can help relieve stress or anxiety our patients might have about needles and IVs.

Current Status at Stormont Vail Health

The weekly COVID-19 scorecard is posted on the Stormont Vail website. Here are highlights are from the scorecard:

• 8 inpatients are COVID-19 positive. That is down from 13 last week.
• 95% of recent COVID-19 admissions are unvaccinated or had last dose/booster more than 6 months ago.
• COVID-19 inpatient discharges (previous week): 15. Deaths: 2.
• 4 COVID-19 positive patients in the outpatient Enhanced Primary Care program.
• 8.0% of people tested for COVID-19 at Stormont Vail facilities the past seven days were positive. That compared to 9.6% last week.
• 19 team members and 2 providers on contact leave for COVID-19.
• 111,360 vaccinations (included boosters) administered.
• To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment:
  • Use online scheduling assistant at stormontvail.org/covid19/vaccine
  • Call (785) 270-4786.

We together,
Dr. Kenagy