This announcement comes after many months of careful planning and discussion about how Mercy can better integrate and advance cardiac services for the community.

The providers joining Mercy’s staff include Cam Campbell, MD, FACC; Nicholas Hodgman, MD, FACC; Dave Glassman, MD; as well as allied health providers Rhonda Bridgewater, ARNP; Jennifer Lee, MSN, ARNP; and Anne Nugent, ARNP. The providers will maintain their existing privileges at both Mercy and St. Luke’s to ensure Mercy can support the care of patients wherever they go.

Since opening their doors in Cedar Rapids in 2007, Cedar Rapids Heart Center has built a strong cardiology practice based on fundamental principles and forged a successful partnership with Mercy through numerous initiatives.

“We are excited about the evolution of this cardiology practice that allows us to build on what has already been a very effective collaboration,” said Tim Charles, president and CEO at Mercy. “By working together, Mercy and Cedar Rapids Heart Center have developed award-winning, high-quality cardiology services.”
In fact, Mercy was recently rated #1 in Linn County for medical excellence in cardiac care.
“Patients will find this change offers benefits including enhanced integration and an additional level of continuity, with an expanded level of care and cardiac interventions, should patients need them,” said Dr. Cam Campbell, medical director of cardiovascular services at Mercy and cardiologist with Cedar Rapids Heart Center.

As an additional benefit to patients, the cardiologists and the hospital along with MercyCare Community Physicians will now coordinate care through Epic; a single, shared electronic health record. This will be the area’s first comprehensive, coordinated medical record providing patients with seamless care between doctors and the hospital.

Mercy Cardiology Clinic is accepting new and transferring patients. The clinic can be reached at the same phone number as before, (319) 832-2328.

###

Mercy is the only facility receiving the top honor in this category from the Iowa Recycling Association (IRA). City Carton Recycling of Cedar Rapids, Mercy’s recycling service provider, nominated Mercy for the award for the hospital’s commitment to recycling and other “impressive” green business practices.

Mercy is the first business and only hospital in the area to use a split compactor and begin an organic composting program. The state-of-the-art recycle/trash compactor (purchased in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency) allows co-mingled recycling hospital-wide. Mercy also began an organic composting program last December. As a result of those two efforts, Mercy diverted nearly 40 percent of its waste between January 2012 and March 2013.

Les Etscheidt, Director of Mercy’s Environmental Services Department, stressed the importance of the commitment hospital-wide to “going green” that helped make the program successful.
“We’re pleased to have our recycling initiatives recognized through this award,” Etscheidt said. “Mercy is committed to working for a healthy environment, economy and community, and pro-active recycling is a big part of that.”

In 2012, Mercy:
• Diverted a monthly average of 3.48 tons from the landfill through recycling
• Diverted an average of 5.45 tons per month from the landfill by composting
• Reduced the amount of hazardous waste generated by 87%

Blue recycling containers are located throughout the hospital for staff, patients and visitors to use. In addition to diverting clean plastic, newspapers, magazines, rinsed tin cans, water bottles, chipboard and non-confidential papers through the co-mingled recycling program; Mercy also recycles cardboard, batteries, pallets, plastic wrap and sterile wrap from surgical products.

The Iowa Recycling Association will present Mercy with its award at a July 18 ceremony in Des Moines.

###

John Forsyth, Wellmark chairman and CEO said, “Wellmark is pleased to enter into this joint ACO agreement with Mercy – Cedar Rapids and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, to improve patient outcomes, help healthy people maintain good health, and slow the rate of cost increases.”

In an ACO, providers assume responsibility for managing a population of patients, both who are healthy and those who are in need of care, no matter where in the system the patients receive care. Wellmark offers the providers financial rewards if they reach established quality goals and slow the rate of increase in health care spending for these patients. At the same time, providers will not earn their financial incentive if their quality declines or their costs run higher than expected.

“The success of health care reform depends on transforming into more efficient and collaborative healthcare systems and assisting patients with establishing a ‘medical home’,” said Timothy Charles, President and CEO of MercyCare Service Corporation and Mercy Medical Center-Cedar Rapids. “Expanding our team approach through this ACO partnership, Mercy, UI Health Care and Wellmark will improve patient care and reduce healthcare costs by providing access to a broader, more comprehensive range of healthcare services, resulting in collaborative and coordinated care.”

“As the state’s only comprehensive academic medical center, we view this relationship as a powerful way to demonstrate the value of collaboration,” stated Jean E. Robillard, MD, Vice President for Medical Affairs for UI Health Care. “We believe that we will be in a unique position to offer comprehensive, high quality, well-integrated, and very efficient care to patients. This new relationship also offers us the opportunity to demonstrate innovation and creativity in changing the ‘value proposition’ for health care and having a major impact on population health and well-being.”

The ACO will enhance Wellmark members’ care in a variety of ways:
• Work with their providers to take an active role in their health care.
• Continued freedom to see the doctors of their choice.
• Seamless customer experience when setting up an appointment, seeing multiple doctors, and receiving follow up care.
• A reduction of redundant care and services.

About Wellmark
Wellmark, Inc. (www.Wellmark.com) does business as Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. Wellmark and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, including Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota and Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc., insure or pay health benefit claims for more than 2 million members in Iowa and South Dakota. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota, and Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids
For 113 years, Mercy Medical Center has delivered The Mercy Touch to its patients by partnering the latest technology with compassionate and high-quality health care.
A subsidiary of MercyCare Service Corporation, Mercy is a fully-accredited 445 licensed-bed regional hospital based in Cedar Rapids, IA. Founded in 1900 by the Sisters of Mercy, today it offers a wide range of patient-centered services, including world-class cancer care at the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center. Mercy has the most advanced private patient suites in the eastern Iowa Corridor as well as an established network of primary and urgent care clinics located throughout Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities.
For more information, log onto www.mercycare.org, or follow Mercy on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MercyCedarRapids; on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mercycr; on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/MercyMedicalCenterCR; and Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/mercycr.

About University of Iowa Health Care
UI Health Care is a fully integrated academic medical center, uniting the UI Roy and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and UI Physicians, the largest multi-specialty group practice in Iowa. As the state’s only comprehensive academic medical center, UI Health Care is committed to world class patient care, biomedical research and medical education. UI Health Care is changing medicine through pioneering discovery, innovative interprofessional education, delivery of superb clinical care, and an extraordinary patient experience in a multi-disciplinary, collaborative team-based environment. UI Health Care is changing lives by preventing and curing disease, improving health and well-being, and assuring access to care for people in Iowa and throughout the world.
###

As part of Mercy’s Sleep Safe initiative, all babies born at Mercy’s Birthplace, and infants cared for in Mercy’s NICU, will now sleep in HALO® Sleep Sack® wearable blankets, discontinuing the hospital’s use of infant swaddling blankets.

The sleep sacks are wearable blankets that zip up and have two “wings” on the side that wrap around the baby’s arms. And while there’s still room for infants to move their legs, the sleep sacks can’t be kicked off like a loose blanket.

“As part of Mercy’s ongoing commitment to newborn safety and to educate parents we are joining a growing number of hospitals across the nation, and following the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in making this change,” says Linda Klein, director of Mercy’s Birthplace. “We know that parents will model the behavior they see in the hospital so if we use it here, parents will be more likely to follow the trend when they bring their newborns home.”

The growing movement to replace swaddling blankets with sleep sacks is aimed at reducing the chance of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. SIDS has declined dramatically since the American Academy of Pediatrics began recommending in 1992 that babies be placed on their backs for safest sleeping, but sleep-related deaths from other causes such as suffocation, entrapment and asphyxia have increased, the academy said in its 2011 expanded guidelines for safe infant sleep and SIDS reduction.

Other Sleep Safe reminders include:

o Baby should sleep alone in a crib, portable crib or bassinette
o Always put baby on his/her back to sleep even when the infant can roll over
o No pillows, blankets, comforters, stuffed animals or other soft things should be in the sleep area
o Keep baby’s face uncovered during sleep for easy breathing; use a sleeper instead of a blanket
o Don’t allow anyone to smoke around baby
o Don’t overheat baby; dress the baby in as much or as little clothing as you are wearing
o Use a firm mattress with a tightly fitted sheep
o Place baby in the same sleep position every time.

Wearable blankets — which come in different sizes — should be worn for sleep for at least the first year of life. By then, children are old enough to pull blankets off their face or push themselves away from danger.

The sleep sacks are available for purchase at the Mercy Gift Shop for $12.

Tune in to this live, one-hour webinar on Thurs., May 30 at noon, and learn how to get the sleep your body deserves. Submit your own questions during the webinar. Register at www.mercycare.org/live.
This webinar is brought to the community by Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids.

The Hall-Perrine Cancer Center is located on the Mercy Medical Center campus at 701 10th St. SE, Cedar Rapids.

Dr. Wiesenfeld helped to obtain the Community Clinical Oncology Program grant. He served as Principal Investigator of the Cedar Rapids Oncology Project from 1985 to 2011. In 2012, he led the move of Oncology Associates into the new Hall-Perrine Cancer Center where he currently serves as medical director.

The public is invited to attend Dr. Wiesenfeld’s retirement celebration at the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center lobby Fri., May 31, from 3 to 5 p.m.

Join Dermatologist Leslie Kramer, D.O., for an educational seminar and screening to learn about common skin cancers, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment, as well as simple guidelines to reduce the risk of sunburn and the chance of developing skin cancer.

Dr. Kramer will be offering free skin cancer screenings prior to and after the seminar; by appointment only.

The event is Tues., May 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Mercy’s Hall-Perrine Cancer Center, 701 10th St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Registration is required for both the seminar and skin screening by calling (319) 365-4673.

Going forward, join friends and family for an informal walk, run or bike event each Thursday evening from May 2 through October 31, rain or shine! Register once for the entire season, then just check in for a hand stamp between 5 and 6:30 pm at the NewBo City Market, 1100 3rd St SE, Cedar Rapids. The hand stamp will get you discounts at supporting NewBo, Czech Village and downtown businesses, plus enjoy Music at the Market from 5 to 9 pm on Thursdays. To register and learn more, visit www.newbocitymarket.com/meetme. Mercy Medical Center is proud to collaborate with other organizations to offer this healthy and fun new program to our community.

To top that off, this steady, reliable woman has logged more than 25,000 hours as a Mercy volunteer, making her the volunteer with the most hours ever donated at Mercy. And Pat has no intention of slowing down.

“I’ve loved every minute of it,” she says.

Pat has to pause and think when asked to list all the different jobs she’s tackled. She started by handing out memos in patient rooms, then became chairwoman of Mercy’s televised bingo games for patients, worked at the information desk, served on the Mercy Auxiliary board for more than 24 years, helped run blood drives, baked for bake sales, crocheted afghans for raffles at Christmas and spring luncheons and helped with filing in the volunteer office. She’s also helped patients prepare for surgery in the outpatient surgery area, worked in the flower shop and the print shop, given tours and distributed menus to inpatient rooms.

Sister Marilyn Ward, who directs Mercy’s volunteer office, has worked with Pat for 18 years. Their friendship is evident in their good-natured banter. But Sister Marilyn turns serious when it comes to describing the difference Pat has made in the volunteer office’s extensive outreach over the years.

“In our department, we couldn’t possibly do it without our top three volunteers – and that includes Pat,” Sister Marilyn explains. “We all get along well and work well together.”

At one point, Pat not only volunteered, but filled in full-time for a while as secretary for the volunteer office. It was the easiest solution at the time, Pat and Sister Marilyn explain.

“She’s so tenacious and dedicated,” Sister Marilyn says of Pat. “She has literally given her blood, sweat and tears to Mercy.”

For Pat, it’s all been fun. “I really don’t think there was any job I didn’t like here,” she says. “I love being with people.”

During this, National Volunteer Week, Mercy Medical Center salutes Pat Holub, and all of its 880 dedicated volunteers who donated 126,138 hours to the hospital in 2012.

Photo Caption: Pat Holub (right) shares a light moment with Sr. Marilyn Ward in the Mercy Medical Center volunteer office.

CEDAR RAPIDS – Earth Day is April 22 – a great occasion to re-examine what steps we’ve taken in our community to treat our environment with a little more TLC through recycling and other programs.

At Mercy Medical Center we take seriously our role as a community leader year-round, working to improve the health of our community, and our environment, to ensure a higher quality of life.

We are passionate about making a difference by doing the right thing and our ongoing efforts at “going green” are taking root.

Last spring, our environmental concerns committee focused on using cutting-edge technology to enhance our recycling. Mercy purchased a new recycle/trash compactor – the first of its kind in the Corridor – allowing co-mingled recycling hospital-wide. The impact was immediate; we were able to reduce our total waste by as much as 40% in the first year.

The design of the state-of-the-art compactor enables the handling of recycling and waste using two separate compartments, so Mercy is able to divert a wider variety of recyclables from regular waste.

The compactor, made by JV Manufacturing, has two chambers, one side for recycling and the other for waste. It’s a 60/40 percent split.

Mercy purchased the compactor in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency. In addition to diverting clean plastic, newspapers, magazines, rinsed tin cans, water bottles, chipboard and non-confidential papers into the co-mingled recycling program, Mercy staff and patients also recycle cardboard, batteries, plastic wrap and sterile wrap from surgical products.

The use of the split compactor from July to December last year diverted 35,520 pounds of waste from the landfill. By averaging 2.96 tons monthly, we envision diverting close to 36 tons each year just with the split compactor.

We didn’t stop there. Last December, Mercy began organic recycling, a pilot project led by our Food and Nutrition Department. Organic waste created in the food preparation process has been diverted from Mercy’s waste stream.

Mercy’s 2010 internal waste audit showed that less than 30 percent of our total waste was being recycled. Since December 2012, Mercy is averaging up to 5 ½ tons of waste per month diverted through composting. We project that we will divert close to 60 tons annually with our organic recycling program.

Mercy is the first hospital in the Cedar Rapids area to do both recycling and composting. We anticipate that these two initiatives together could divert around 100 tons of waste annually from the landfill.

Our efforts have also contributed to Mercy’s being reclassified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from a large waste generator to a small waste generator. By separating waste materials and educating staff, Mercy was able to reduce its hazardous waste output by 87.1 percent in 2012.

Mercy will participate in several local events recognizing Earth Day. We have also offered to work with other area businesses interested in boosting their own recycling programs.

Comments may be directed to: letscheidt@mercycare.org

The memorial wall is intended to raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation and will serve as a place where family and friends of those who donate may find comfort and a place for reflection.

Local artists Lisa Lindley and Suzy McGrane-Hop designed and completed the memorial wall. They were selected from a pool of applicants as part of a design contest last fall. The memorial wall project is funded by a grant from the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Currently, there are approximately 600 individuals in Iowa on the waiting list for organ donations and more than 127,000 people registered as organ donors through the Iowa Donor Network. Together with the community, Mercy is hoping to increase the number of people registered in Linn County. Organ and tissue donor information will be available at the dedication event. For more information or to register as a donor, visit www.mercycare.org/organdonor.

April is National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Month.

Photo caption: Local artists Lisa Lindley and Suzy McGrane-Hop are creating the donor memorial wall at Mercy Medical Center.

The forum takes place Tues., April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy, in Hiawatha. The forum will assist with discovering the value of advance care planning, learning how to talk about future healthcare decisions, and understanding how to document healthcare decisions using advance directives.

National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16. It’s a time to emphasize the importance of making future healthcare decisions and wishes known to one’s family, friends and healthcare providers. For more information, call 319-398-6496 or visit https://www.mercycare.org/services/hospice/

The Truven Top 100 Hospital designation is a prestigious industry gold standard award, which cannot be purchased. It evaluates the performance of nearly 3,000 hospitals in10 different performance areas using public data sources. The performance areas include: mortality, medical complications, patient safety, average patient stay, expenses, profitability, patient satisfaction, adherence to clinical standards of care, post-discharge mortality, and readmission rates for heart attacks, heart failure, and pneumonia.

“Mercy strives every day to achieve a hospital-wide culture of excellence that cuts across all services, from patient care and clinical areas to room service,” said Tim Charles, Mercy’s president and CEO. “I’m pleased that this designation recognizes our outstanding staff for their constant efforts to improve upon the patient experience as well as adopting and implementing the newest technologies and techniques.”

Mercy was among the award-winning hospitals announced in a February edition of Modern Healthcare magazine.

The Truven Health 100 Top Hospitals® study is celebrating its 20th year, and has been conducted annually since 1993. For more information on Mercy’s designation, visit www.mercycare.org.

Join Cardiologist Dr. Henry Riter from Cedar Rapids Heart Center, P.C., along with a certified tobacco treatment specialist from Mercy, to learn how smoking affects your heart, the financial benefits of quitting, tools for a positive quit process and more on Mercy’s smoking cessation program and support groups.

This free seminar is Thurs., March 28 from 6 to 7 p.m. at Mercy’s Hall-Perrine Cancer Center. To register, visit mercycare.org/events or call Mercy’s Lung Center at (319) 389-5165.

Join Sharon Bertroche, MD, MercyCare family physician, at a special educational seminar to learn more about HPV, recommendations for vaccination and preventative measures. This seminar takes place on Mon., March 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.at the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center Community Room.

This discussion is especially important for parents of children ages 11 to 18. To learn more, call (319) 398-6452. Registration is not required.

Mercy purchased more than 300 of the mobile WOWs as part of a major technology upgrade which includes implementation of the Epic electronic patient management system. The WoWs for The Birthplace and Pediatrics are the only ones with customized paint jobs. The WoWs will be rolled out to departments throughout the hospital during the month of March.

Join Beverly Freeman, RN, Clinical Health Coach at Mercy Medical Center, on Tues., March 5, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to view “Challenges,” a film featuring the external and internal factors that work as forces against being a healthy nation. Following the film, Freeman will lead a discussion covering topics related to obesity, and answer questions. The event will be held at Mercy‘s Hallagan Education Center.

The Workplace Learning Connection works with schools within the Grant Wood Area Education Agency and local business communities in an attempt to develop our future workforce. By providing these opportunities to the students of today, we are working to build Iowa’s workforce of tomorrow.

For more information on the Workplace Learning Connection, contact Sue Neil, Health Science Business Liaison, at 319-398-4828 (office) or 319-270-3403 (cell).

Following completion of medical school, Dr. Wallace continued her internship and residency at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan. She then completed a Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at the University of Connecticut, Hartford Hospital and continued on for a second Acute Care Surgery Fellowship at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Most recently, Dr. Wallace has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and, since 2012, has also participated in delivering care at Mercy as a trauma surgeon.

Dr. Wallace is an Associate Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and an active participant in the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

Recruitment will continue to add two more full-time general surgeons to this group that will exclusively serve Mercy Medical Center. To reach the clinic, call (319) 398-6747.

Dr. Barnett received her medical degree from Des Moines University and completed a Family Medicine residency at Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, IA, in affiliation with the University of Iowa College of Medicine. She is also board certified in Family Medicine and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Medicine. Dr. Barnett has authored two books on health, one for women, Women: It’s Your Turn, and one for men, Bullet Proof, The Man’s Midlife Guide to Staying Strong, Healthy, and Happy.

“We’re pleased that Mercy is the first to launch this advanced technology in the U.S.,” said Desmond Waters, Pharmacy Director at Mercy. “The oncology robot is yet another example of Mercy leading the way with world-class cancer care. We provide 11,000 i.v. chemotherapy preparations each year so the benefits of having this precise, state-of-the-art equipment for our patients will be far-reaching.”

The i.vSTATION ONCO robot is highly recommended in many European countries because of its benefits to patients and staff. Following Mercy’s lead, several other world-renown U.S. medical institutions, such as Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, will be installing the pharmaceutical robot as well.

This technology removes the element of human error in mixing chemo drugs and allows for precise mixtures, which increases patient safety. Care providers at the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center will be able to remotely and automatically observe, manage, audit, approve and dispense injectable medications without unnecessary exposure to the drugs. If needed, pharmacy staff can supervise and dispense i.v. medications from locations outside the pharmacy via secure intranet access.

According to Health Robotics, the manufacturer of the i.vSTATION ONCO, the technology has no recorded medical errors within the organizations that use it. Multiple automated checks throughout the process guarantee that the right drug in the right dose is compounded at the right time – with the right label for the right patient. In addition, accuracy of doses and concentration is ensured by volumetric and gravimetric controls, thus ruling out the risks of large drug-quantity errors.

The robot also helps eliminate the need to rely on costly outsourced medications or pre-mixed solutions and reduces the waste of expired and returned medications.

In addition to the new oncology robot at the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center, Mercy has the only inpatient pharmacy i.v.STATION robot in Iowa. It was installed in March 2009, making the Mercy Pharmacy one of few nationally to be fully integrated with a robotic high-volume automated storage and dispensing system, automated medication storage carousel, a high-speed, bar-code packager and special software/hardware for redundancy and automation decision support. The automated pharmacy positioned Mercy for Bedside Medication Verification (BMV), a patient safety initiative, which began in June 2009.

About Mercy’s Hall-Perrine Cancer Center
The Hall-Perrine Cancer Center marks the beginning of a new chapter in Mercy Medical Center’s legacy of providing high quality cancer care for the community. The Center provides fully integrated cancer services under one roof, giving patients access to leading-edge technologies; integrated services to care for body, mind and spirit; and specialized treatment and research for the best outcomes. The Center houses the only radiation center in Cedar Rapids, Hall Radiation Center, as well as a lab and pharmacy – in one location. Conveniently connected to Mercy Medical Center, other elements required for world-class cancer care, including private inpatient suites and imaging services, are just steps away. For more information on Mercy’s Hall-Perrine Cancer Center, visit www.hallperrinecancercenter.org

Mercy was one of only 100 hospitals in the nation, three in the state and the only one in the Corridor to receive the March of Dimes “39+ Weeks Quality Improvement Service Package,” valued at $10,000. The package is part of the March of Dimes “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait®” campaign, which raises awareness of the importance of a full-term pregnancy.

According to the March of Dimes, more than 15 million babies worldwide are born too soon each year, and more than one million of those infants die as a result of their early births. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization, illness and lifelong health challenges than full-term infants.

At a special award presentation on Jan. 22 at Mercy, Michelle Gogerty (pictured left), State Director of Programs for the Iowa Chapter of the March of Dimes, presented a plaque to Amy Wright, Clinical Improvement and Accreditation Nurse for Mercy’s Birthplace.

Also included in the award package is a special presentation by Ronald Gibbs, MD, OB/GYN professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The April presentation, at Mercy, will be open to hospital staff as well as the general public.

The artists chosen to complete the memorial wall are Lisa Lindley and Suzy McGrane-Hop. Lindley is a designer with Lisa Lindley Interior Architecture and McGrane-Hop is a certified fine art appraiser with Gilded Pear Gallery, both in Cedar Rapids.

The memorial wall is intended to raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation and will serve as a place where family and friends of those who donate may find comfort and a place for reflection.

Lindley and McGrane-Hop submitted a design concept that incorporates a swarm of butterflies lifting into flight. The butterflies will be handmade of ceramic material with organ donor names imprinted on the body of the butterflies. The artists will begin working on the wall immediately, with completion and unveiling scheduled for April, which is National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Month.

“We knew we had a wealth of artistic expertise here in our community and we are excited about working with two local artists on this important project,” said Vicki Cirkl, director of patient relations and chair of Mercy’s organ donation committee. “The design created by Lisa and Suzy will live for years to come to remember and celebrate those who provide the greatest gift: the gift of life or sight to someone else.”

Lindley and McGrane-Hop receive a $500 cash prize for their winning design entry. The memorial wall project is funded by a grant from the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Currently, there are approximately 600 individuals in Iowa on the waiting list for organ donations and more than 127,000 people registered as organ donors through the Iowa Donor Network. Together with the community, Mercy is hoping to increase the number of people registered in Linn County.

###

Photo caption: Local artists Lisa Lindley and Suzy McGrane-Hop were chosen to create a donor memorial wall at Mercy Medical Center.

Mercy was one of only 100 hospitals in the nation, three in Iowa, and the only one in the Corridor, to receive the March of Dimes “39+ Weeks Quality Improvement Service Package,” valued at $10,000. The package is part of the March of Dimes “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait®” campaign, which raises awareness of the importance of a full-term pregnancy.

“We want to do everything we can to give our babies the healthiest start possible,” said Laura Reed, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Mercy Medical Center. “Sometimes, babies less than 39 weeks gestation aren’t ready to be delivered. Their lungs, brains and other organs may not be fully developed. This partnership will give our staff access to information and processes that will improve the health of newborns in the Corridor.”

According to the March of Dimes, more than 15 million babies worldwide are born too soon each year, and more than one million of those infants die as a result of their early births. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization, illness and lifelong health challenges than full-term infants.

“Every week of pregnancy is critical to a baby’s health,” said Scott Berns, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President and Deputy Medical Director for the March of Dimes. “I commend Mercy Medical Center for being a champion for babies. Through this partnership, we will reduce the number of early elective deliveries and give more babies a healthy start in life.”

Also included in the award package is a special presentation by Ronald Gibbs, MD, OB/GYN professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The April presentation, at Mercy, will be open to hospital staff as well as the general public.

Mercy’s Birthplace will launch its program with an open house from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 in Hallagan Education Center at Mercy. The public is invited to attend to learn more about the award, visit with staff from the Mercy’s Birthplace and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and register for door prizes. The state director from the March of Dimes will officially present the award to Mercy at 12:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Event Details
What: Open house to celebrate Mercy’s March of Dimes partnership award
When: Tues., Jan. 22, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Award presentation at 12:30 p.m.
Where: Mercy Medical Center, 701 10th St. SE – Hallagan Education Center
Who: Public is invited to attend along with Mercy staff members

“We are very pleased to have Dan on board to help us innovate how we deliver care to our patients,” said Dave Vellinga, President and CEO of Mercy Health Network. “We believe a full-time leader with Dan’s depth of experience is a critical step in moving the alliance forward. He will play a meaningful role in helping the alliance meet its shared goals of improving quality and the patient experience, lowering costs, and enhancing the health of the communities we serve.” Vellinga said Kueter understands how to help the alliance develop the broad range of skills and the size, or scale, needed to deliver better value to patients and purchasers of care.

Doug Cropper, president and CEO, Genesis Health System, added, “While Genesis will continue to maintain its legacy and independence, Dan will help us create a platform for sharing our expertise within and outside the alliance. We are focused on using the latest medical evidence to deliver the best possible care for our patients.”

Across America the health care environment is rapidly changing. New “accountable care” systems and payment programs are emerging. The alliance was announced in June 2012 to address the anticipated changes to the delivery of health care and payment models. According to Jean E. Robillard, MD, vice president for medical affairs, UI Health Care, “The innovation imperative in health care delivery has never been as strong as it is today. We are well-positioned to coordinate our collective talents and skills in patient care, education and research in a whole new way to benefit the communities we serve, while ensuring high quality care.”

“We are focused on using – as well as developing – the latest advances in medicine, creating innovations that will keep people healthy, and providing a highly effective continuum of care,” said Tim Charles, president and CEO of Mercy-Cedar Rapids. “Our goal in this collaborative effort is to deliver the best possible care for our patients.”

“I’m excited to be working with these forward-thinking organizations on topics that have long interested me, such as helping patients more efficiently get the care they need,” Kueter said. His first order of business will be to reach out to other members of the health care industry: “It’s critical that the alliance establish good relationships and collaboration early with physicians, insurance providers and employers to help us define solutions that best meet the needs of our patients. I am looking forward to gathering a broad viewpoint so I can help the alliance members continue to improve the health of our communities.”

Vellinga also said Kueter’s industry experience and contacts will help the alliance respond to the rapidly changing environment. “It is our goal to make this alliance a national model for the delivery of better health care. Dan will help us to ensure the strategy and structure is in place to share services that ultimately help primary care and other physicians better coordinate care for their patients.”
Kueter has a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy, West Point, and a MBA from Harvard Business School. His 20 years of leadership experience includes service as a captain in the U.S. Army, a sales career with Johnson & Johnson, and more than 10 years with UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer. He is a member of the University of Iowa College of Public Health Board of Advisors, the national Board of Directors for Community Health Charities of America and several other community boards. A native of Cedar Falls, Kueter, and his wife Diana live in Bettendorf with their three young children.

The University of Iowa Health Alliance (UIHA) is comprised of four of Iowa’s premier health care organizations including 50 hospitals and more than 160 clinics. Mercy Health Network based in Des Moines, Genesis Health System based in Davenport and Mercy-Cedar Rapids joined with University of Iowa Health Care of Iowa City to form the alliance in June 2012. Its Mission is stated as: “The University of Iowa Health Alliance will enhance the quality of health and life for Iowans through innovations in care coordination, clinical integration and prevention that reduce cost and improve efficiency.” Alliance members share a vision of creating an organization that can be a national leader in transforming health care through innovations in clinical care, research and education; development of new, integrated models of care delivery and financing; and optimizing population health. In doing this, the alliance strives to address the changing health care environment, ensuring patients throughout Iowa and its contiguous states receive the best possible care. For more information: 515-643-4000.

MercyCare Urgent Care North Liberty will serve walk-in patients weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. To reach MercyCare Urgent Care North Liberty, patients may call (319) 665-3073.

The medical director for MercyCare Urgent Care North Liberty will be Thomas Serbousek, MD. Dr. Serbousek received his medical degree from the University Of Iowa College Of Medicine and completed his residency with the Cedar Rapids Medical Education Foundation. Dr. Serbousek also serves as medical director for MercyCare Urgent Care Marion and is board certified in family medicine and board eligible in emergency medicine.

MercyCare Urgent Care North Liberty will also welcome two new mid-level providers: Anneka Heise, ARNP, and Shellie O’Brien-Perry, ARNP.

Anneka Heise received her Master of Science in Nursing from Allen College. Most recently she worked at Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo, IA. Anneka is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and is a member of the Pi Kappa chapter of Sigma Theta Tau. Her medical interests include urgent care, pediatrics and cardiology.

Shellie O’Brien-Perry received her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Iowa. Most recently, she worked for Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, IA. Shellie is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Her medical interests include pediatrics, adolescent and women’s health.

MercyCare North Liberty Urgent Care is part of MercyCare Community Physicians (MCCP). MCCP is composed of 13 family practice clinics in the Cedar Rapids metro area, as well as Center Point, Monticello, Mount Vernon, North Liberty and Tama. Four urgent care facilities and three specialty clinics are also part of the MCCP system. Established in 1995, MCCP is affiliated with Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids.

The gifts were delivered to the social service agencies on Dec. 12.