Physicians show interest in Iola

Hospital administrators have seen an uptick in interest by physicians coming to Iola, said Ron Baker, hospital CEO, and David-Paul Cavazos, director of radiology.
The two updated hospital trustees Tuesday night of their recent participation at job fairs conducted by the University of Kansas medical programs, in both Kansas City and Wichita.
The new Allen County Regional Hospital “is very easy to show off,” Cavazos said, noting two residents, in particular, have expressed interest in coming to work there.
“I can guarantee you if they had come to the old hospital, it would have been a very short visit,” he said.
The hospital’s booth at the career fairs promoted not only the hospital but also the surrounding area.
Brochures telling of the biking trails and the Bowlus Fine Arts Center were very popular, Baker said.
“It takes the whole community to help sell the hospital,” he said.
The hospital is on the search for two family physicians, one that can do obstetrics, as well as a general surgeon and nursing staff.
Rural hospitals are especially attractive to new physicians because of the Kansas Bridging Plan, a loan forgiveness program that encourages physicians to practice in rural Kansas for 36 months in exchange for paying a majority of their medical school expenses.

EBOLA hasn’t arrived in these parts, but the hospital is getting prepared.
The hospital’s affiliation with HCA is a distinct advantage in these situations, said Patti McGuffin, nursing director.
As the largest hospital network in the United States, HCA has developed a rapid response team that would help transfer patients to one of the four hospitals, including Omaha, Neb., that are designated by the Centers for Diseases and Control to accept Ebola victims.
HCA has also provided the hospital with critical equipment and training to handle the highly toxic disease.
The local hospital has an exhaustive list of protocols in case someone with Ebola symptoms comes into their care, including how to use certain equipment, communication with local EMS agencies and how to decontaminate and handle medical waste from a suspect.
“The world is too small these days to put our heads in the sand,” Baker said.

THE HOSPITAL is working to implement a program called Work Steps that will provide local employers with pre-employment screenings as well as help them develop a healthier and safer workforce.
“Our town will be identified as a Work Step community,” Baker said.
Among its offerings, the program will help employers establish the parameters of physically demanding jobs, such as heavy lifting.  The program will also offer drug testing.
“We can be their one-stop shop for employee health,” Baker said.
The program also provides information on health issues including diabetes and carpal tunnel syndrome and how employers can accommodate injured workers.

THE POSSIBILITY of a Veterans Administration clinic locating in Iola will be a “marathon effort,” Baker said. In recent discussions with VA officials Baker said Iola is at a disadvantage because VA clinics exist in Garnett, Parsons, Chanute and Fort Scott.
“Almost 5,000 veterans live within a 30-mile radius of Iola,” Baker said.
Baker said it’s important to keep discussions alive to see if some kind of “low-level” arrangement can be made to provide services to VA patients at ACH.

THE CLINIC at the old hospital is as busy as ever. Home Health and Hospice services are due to move into the southwest portion by the end of the year. The heating and cooling system is being worked on, Baker said, and other repairs to accommodate the staff.
Where administrative offices once were will be the new gero-psych department. The hospital has contracted with a service to provide these mental health services for the area’s elderly population.
And in the basement, the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Department is leasing space to operate its Health Homes program.
Exam rooms remain in the clinic remain open for visiting specialists to see patients.
“For practical purposes, it’s all being used,” Baker said.
Baker expressed his gratitude to Allen County commissioners for selling a — ton pickup truck to the hospital that had been “retired” from the sheriff’s department. The $2,500 price tag was within the hospital’s budget, Baker said with a smile.
“I love it. It’s county and hospital working together and we saved money.”