Special Section/Prog3

2011ALSOINSIDE

AquatherapyNew program provides relief for west end patients

PAGE 2C

Bell Lightsof LoveRaises funds while honoring loved ones

PAGE 3C

Strength fromWithin programMiddle schoolers enterBell wellness challenge

PAGE 4C

Teal Lake swimBenefits those who havediabetes

PAGE 6C

ACHIEVE conference10 area members attendgathering

PAGE 7C

Fitness trailofficially open

PAGE 8C

Expo caters toCliffs employeesCliffs and Bell partner toprovide event for workers

PAGE 9C

Speech therapyprogramBell to raise funds to continue program

PAGE 10C

Blizzard BallBell Foundation event continues

Bell gets ruralhealth award

PAGE 11C

BELL HOSPITAL — SECTION CMONDAY, MARCH 28

PROGRESSA SPECIAL SECTION OF THE MINING JOURNAL

By JOHANNA BOYLEJournal Ishpeming Bureau

ISHPEMING — With the completion ofthe new hospital building in 2008, Bell Hos-pital moved from its former location indowntown Ishpeming to the north side ofU.S. 41. Although the building was ready togo, the surrounding area wasn’t quite thereyet.

“We had this beautiful building, but it wasso barren around it,” said Dave Aro, execu-tive director of the Bell Foundation and vicepresident of operations for the hospital.

Since the winter of 2009-2010, the BellFoundation has been working to help beau-tify the area surrounding the hospital withthe addition of a fitness trail and a tree ded-ication program.

The tree dedication allows communitymembers, hospital employees, businessesand others to sponsor the planting of a treeon the hospital property.

“They’ll be here for as long as the hospi-tal is,” Aro said.

The program began with 32 trees avail-able, with 20 trees sponsored so far. An of-

ficial tree dedication ceremony took placein May 2010.

For $1,000, individuals or groups cansponsor an oak or conifer, or sponsor aflowering tree for $750.

The sponsored trees are planted through-out the Bell Hospital property. For more in-formation on sponsoring a tree, contact theBell Foundation at 906-485-2699.

Johanna Boyle can be reached at 906-486-4401. Her e-mail address [email protected].

Planting treesBell Foundation brings beauty to hospital

Helping to beautify the landscape around the newBell Hospital building, the Bell Foundation has offeredmemorial tree plantings. (Journal file photo)


ISHPEMING — Physi-cal therapy is designedto help people recuper-ate physically from aninjury or surgery, restor-ing movement and func-tional ability. But what ifa person’s conditionmakes traditional physi-cal therapy too painful?Take it to the pool.

In November, Bell Hos-pital’s Rehab Servicesbegan offering aquather-apy by working with theNegaunee PublicSchools for the use ofthe high school pool,making it easier forthose who haven’t hadresults with traditionaltherapy to gain strength.

“There’s a certain pop-ulation who don’t get aton of relief from regularland-based therapy,”said Kristin Wodzinski,manager of occupation-al and physical therapyfor Bell. “We decided itwould be beneficial, butnever thought aboutpairing with one of thelocal schools.”

Using the Negauneepool allows Bell to buildup a new program in thewest end of the countyand support the schoolwithout having to con-struct and fund a sepa-rate pool for the hospital.

Aquatherapy allowspatients to build strengthand range of motionwithout the impact tojoints and the body thatcomes from land-basedtherapy.

“It’s a nice option towork on things in a dif-ferent way,” said thera-pist Julie Hintsala. “Ifyou’re chest deep (in thewater), it’s about a 75percent reduction inyour body weight.”

Patients dealing withweight bearing problemssuch as after surgery,fractures or sprains orsevere arthritis, obesity,pregnancy-related back

pain, chronic pain, andfibromyalgia may be bet-ter able to relieve painthanks to the buoyancythe water provides.

Those with neurologi-cal disorders such asweakness, low en-durance or impaired bal-ance may also find reliefin aquatherapy.

“It does help people,”Hintsala said. “You canwork on resistance exer-cises because of the vis-cosity of the water, butit’s not as difficult forpeople.”

“It’s like losing 200pounds,” Wodzinskisaid. “They’re able to

start strengthening andget some range of mo-tion.”

Hintsala and Wodzins-

ki have so far seen 10patients through the pro-gram since it started and

work to tailor the therapyto the individual needsof the patient, just as inland-based physical

therapy.Even for those pa-

tients who aren’t as

comfortable in the wa-ter, aquatherapy can beeffective even in shallowdepths.

“Not everybody needsto go into the deep wa-ter,” Hintsala said.

Simply being in thewater can help reduceswelling, she added.

As the program is rela-tively new to the westend, Hintsala andWodzinski are workingto bring informationabout the program tophysicians and patients.Patients can requestaquatherapy as part oftheir treatment, can bereferred by their physi-

cian or can be evaluat-ed by the Bell Rehabstaff.

Sessions are one-on-one and typically beginat a half hour one or twodays a week.

“It’s been positive.People have had goodrelief of pain,” Hintsalasaid. “It’s a wonderfulboost to them to be ableto do things they would-n’t be able to do other-wise.”

Johanna Boyle canbe reached at 906-486-4401. Her e-mailaddress is jboyle@miningjournal. net.

2C -— The Mining Journal Monday, March 28 PROGRESS2011

New aquatherapy program helps patients with recovery

Therapists Kristin Wodzinski, left, and Julie Hintsala work in the Negaunee HighSchool pool to develop Bell Hospital’s new aquatherapy program. Helpful for thosewho can’t tolerate land-based treatment, aquatherapy can help increase strengthwhile relieving pressure on joints thanks to the buoyancy of the water. (Journal pho-to by Johanna Boyle)

Although working in the water creates resistance on its own, the aquatherapy pro-gram does make use of foam equipment to help patients improve. (Journal photo byJohanna Boyle)

There’s a certain popula-tion who don’t get a ton ofrelief from regular land-based therapy.

“- KRISTIN WODZINSKI

Occupational and physical therapy manager

”


ISHPEMING — The holi-days are a time not only tocelebrate family, but also toremember those who havepassed away.

To help community mem-bers and hospital employ-ees recognize and remem-ber their loved ones, theBell Hospital Auxiliaryhosts a Christmas treelighting. Held in Decembereach year, the Lights ofLove tree lighting ceremo-ny was attended by 125people in 2010.

“It’s a fundraiser, but it’s areally awesome thing to dofor someone,” said LynSattler, the auxiliary’s vol-unteer services supervisor.

Any money the auxiliarymakes through the Lightsof Love or any otherfundraiser goes back to thehospital, such as the am-bulance the auxiliary wasable to fund in recentyears.

The tradition of the Lightsof Love began in 1996.Those wishing to honor orremember a loved one canpurchase a single light for$5, multiple lights for $10, a

pewter engraved ornamentfor $25 or a crystal en-graved ornament for $50.

Those who purchase theornaments receive a brass

ornament engraved withtheir loved one’s name thatis placed on the tree andremains there throughoutthe years.

During the yearly cere-mony, the names of theloved ones are read outloud.

“It’s a really nice way tohonor someone,” Sattlersaid.

Johanna Boyle can bereached at 906-486-4401.Her e-mail address [email protected].

Raises funds while honoring loved ones

The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 — 3CPROGRESS2011

It’s a fundraiser, but it’sa really awesome thingto do for someone.

“- LYN SATTLER

Auxiliarys volunteer services supervisor

”

Bell Lights of Love

Above, since the 1990s, Bell Hospital has allowed community members to honor and remember family members through the Lights of Love tree lighting ceremony. Afundraiser for the Bell Hopital Auxiliary, the ceremony allows people to purchase lights or ornaments honoring their loved ones. (Photos by Johanna Boyle)

4C — The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 PROGRESS2011


ISHPEMING — Sixtystudents from the AspenRidge Middle School, theC.L. Phelps MiddleSchool and the Ne-gaunee Middle Schoolbegan this year at schoolby taking on a big chal-lenge.

The sixth through

eighth-graders have en-rolled in the Strengthfrom Within Youth Well-ness and Fitness Chal-lenge through Bell Hos-pital, which will earn onestudent a year of tuitionat Northern MichiganUniversity, and will hope-fully encourage all 60participants to learnhealthier lifestyles.

“A lot of this is skillbuilding to help the youthmake healthy choices,”said Jamie Thayer, floormanager at Bell Hospi-tal’s Corporate WellnessCenter.

The program requireskids to take on the re-sponsibility of daily foodand exercise logs, makeand meet health and

lifestyle goals they setfor themselves, meetregularly with lifestylecoaches from the BellWellness staff and com-plete 18 hours of volun-teer service during theschool year.

Once they have metthose requirements, theymust complete a writtenessay about “How Ifound my strength fromwithin” and complete aninterview process.

One student will bechosen to receive a yearof tuition at NMU, fundedby Bell, with four runnersup receiving prizes aswell.

“I did it to get more fit,”said program participantTaylor Bordeaux, 13, aseventh grader at the Ne-gaunee Middle School.

Since beginning theprogram, Bordeaux saidhe has noticed exercisingmakes him feel better.

“I’ve walked home fromschool. I’ve gone on bikerides. I run,” he said.

For his fitness goals,Bordeaux said he wantedto make sure he got atleast 30 minutes of exer-cise two days a week out-side of his school gymclasses. He said he alsowanted to eat more fruitsand vegetables, drinkmore water and improvehis flexibility.

Besides those goals,

another for many of theparticipants is limitingscreen time to less thantwo hours a day, Thayersaid. Screen time isrecreational time spent infront of the computer,television, even phones,and does not include timeneeded for homework.

Bordeaux and the otherparticipants began theprogram by completing aHealth Risk Appraisal tohelp identify health is-sues, if any, which allowsBell pediatricians to helpaddress those issues.

In addition to meetingwith their life coaches ev-ery week, the studentsare also required to meetas a group once a monthfor a workshop on varioustopics.

In the fall, the kids andtheir parents met with adietitian to discuss por-tion sizes and how toread food labels for oneof the workshops. Thekids got hands-on experi-ence comparing howmany teaspoons of sugarare in products such assoft drinks, breakfastfoods and dairy productslike yogurt. They also gottips on how to judge por-tion sizes.

Helping to evaluate thestudents’ progressthroughout the programis the President’s Chal-lenge Youth Physical Fit-

ness program, whichhelps youth measuretheir muscular strengthand endurance, car-diorespiratory en-durance, speed, agilityand flexibility.

“The middle school ageis when we start to shapewho we are,” Thayersaid. "It’s the perfect ageto give them the tools tobe able to choose ahealthy lifestyle.”

The program isn’t allwork, either. This year,the participants also gotthe chance to meetOlympic speed skatersKimberly Derrick and An-thony Lobello at NorthernMichigan University,spending time skatingwith them and talking withthe athletes about the im-portance of fitness.

Thayer said the pro-gram was a way for Bellto give back to the com-munity, which has beenvery supportive of thenew facility that openedin 2008. She said thehospital hoped to providethe scholarship and pro-gram again in futureyears.

For more information,visit www.bellhospital.orgor call 906-486-2677.

Johanna Boyle can bereached at 906-486-4401.Her e-mail address [email protected]

A healthy competition

Besides keeping daily food and activity logs, students in the Strength from Withinchallenge met with lifestyle coaches and attended monthly educational sessions. Atthis session, the group met with Monica Nelson, a dietician with Marquette GeneralHospital. (Journal photo by Johanna Boyle)

Middle schoolers enter Bell wellness challenge

Olympic speed skater Anthony Lobello helps amiddle schooler in the Bell Hospital’s Strength fromWithin program. (Journal photo by Johanna Boyle)

The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 — 5CPROGRESS2011


By CURT KEMP Journal Sports Writer

NEGAUNEE — Perkinsresident Melissa Nelsonwas a 33-year-old healthyand active mother of twowhen she was diagnosedwith Type 1 diabetes.

And Nelson, now 34, isstill the same activemother of two she wasbefore being diagnosedwith the disease inNovember 2009. Sheproved it in the summer of2010 when she swam the2.25-mile Teal Lake Swimfor Diabetes benefit inNegaunee.

"People need to knowthat exercise is a hugepart of battling diabetes,and being diagnosed isnot a death sentence,"Nelson said.

"I tell people that youcan use it as a crutch, oryou can use it to makeyou stronger, and Ichoose to use it to makeme stronger.

"A lot of people, whenthey're diagnosed, theythink their life is over,"she added. "And that'snot the case. It shouldjust make you all themore determined to leada healthy lifestyle."

After learning she wasone of the 23.6 millionchildren and adults in theUnited States with thedisease (according to theAmerican Diabetes Asso-ciation).

Nelson said it took hersome time to get herhead around the situa-tion, but once she did, notmuch about her lifestylechanged. She continuedto exercise, to eat rightand to lead a healthy

lifestyle.It's a trait she's passed

on to her children, Maia,4, and Grady, 2.

"I always ask her (Ma-ia), 'Why do we exer-cise?'' Nelson said. "Andshe says, 'To make us

healthy.'"Now, the only difference

in Nelson's lifestyle is sheneeds insulin shots tocontrol her glucose lev-els.

"People say, 'oh mygosh, how many shots doyou have to take a day?'and they say it with a lookof horror on their face, butit gets to be so ordinary,you don't even thinkabout it," she said. "Thefinger poke to check mysugar hurts more than theinsulin shots, really."

Dr. Michael Grossman,the Swim Teal Lake Ben-efit for Diabetes eventfounder, is also a friend ofNelson's and said the ac-tive mother of two is agood example of some-one who is living with thedisease, and livinghealthy.

"She's somebody thattook her condition veryseriously, and she's doingeverything that she's sup-posed to do to maintaingood glucose control:take her insulin shots,watch her diet, and exer-cise regularly."

For Grossman, whoseson Ben was diagnosedat age 2, diabetes is adisease that truly hitshome, and trying to helpothers with the disease isa passion that both Nel-son and Grossman nowshare.

"It's kind of a calling,"

Grossman said. "We'vegot this affliction, butwe've got to try to helpothers that have it. It's ahuman reaction.

"And I think she wantsto help other people whohave this, and that's whyshe's swimming and rais-ing money for diabetes."

The proceeds of the sev-enth annual Swim TealLake Benefit for Diabetesgoing to help fund pro-grams such as Camp UP-eninsulin, a program forUpper Peninsula youthwith diabetes.

The event raised nearly$20,000, according toGrossman. In the sevenyears the swim has takenplace, the event has cu-mulatively raised nearly$100,000 for diabetes ed-ucation and help.

Curt Kemp can bereached at 906-228-2500.His e-mail address [email protected]

Teal Lake swim benefitsthose who have diabetes

People need to knowthat exercise is a hugepart of battling dia-betes, and being diag-nosed is not a deathsentence.

“

- MELISSA NELSONMother diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes

”

Participants in the Swim Teal Lake Benefit for Diabetes rush into the waters of Teal Lake last summer. The event helps raise money for the Upper Peninsula Diabetes Out-reach Network. (Journal file photo)


MARQUETTE — Bikepaths along thelakeshore in Marquette,a network of cross coun-try skiing and walkingtrails at Al Quaal in Ish-peming, the Iron OreHeritage Trail, farmersmarkets in five areasaround the county andseemingly endless op-portunities for getting ac-tive — it seems like Mar-quette County should bea fairly healthy place.

A statewide annual sur-vey, however, paints adifferent picture.

"Most people don't eatenough fruits and veg-etables. Most people arenot physically active tothe level that is neces-sary," said George Sed-lacek of the MarquetteCounty Health Depart-ment.

Sedlacek, along withLisa Coombs-Gerou ofthe Marquette YMCA, leda team of 10 from Mar-quette County to theACHIEVE health confer-ence sponsored by theCenters for Disease Con-trol and Prevention inSan Diego in May 2010designed to help commu-nities learn to becomemore healthy.

Each year the CDC col-lects and publisheshealth statistics on all 50states, the District ofColumbia, Puerto Rico,the U.S. Virgin Islandsand Guam using the Be-havioral Risk FactorSurveillance System.

The team has contin-ued its work since return-ing from the conference,organizing to help en-courage improved healthin the workplace and in-creased local food use inschools and restaurants.

Michigan’s BehavioralRisk Factor Survey re-port shows that for theyears 2007-2009, Mar-quette was the mostoverweight county in thestate of Michigan.

According to the BRFS,45.4 percent of Mar-quette County residentsare overweight — have abody mass index (BMI)between 25.0 and 29.9.

Combined with an obe-sity rate of 31.3 percent,only 23.2 percent of the

county’s residents arenot overweight or obese.The only county with alower percentage isLenawee County down-state, with an obesityrate of 36.3 percent andan overweight rate of43.1 percent.

Contributing to thecounty’s unhealthyweight status is the smallamount of physical activ-ity adults are getting on aregular basis.

Half of Michigan’s resi-dents don’t get moderate

physical activity for 30minutes five times aweek, which is the CDC’srecommendation. Inade-quate physical activity in-creases as people age,with a quarter of adultsalso reporting they didnot participate in physicalactivity as part of theirleisure time, either.

In Marquette County,44.6 percent of residentsdo not get adequatephysical activity, andwhile not the highest per-centage in Michigan, stillnearly half of Marquetteresidents aren’t gettingactive.

“Our kids no longerwalk or bike to school.Everything is geared to-wards cars,” Sedlaceksaid. “If mom and dadride a bike, the child ismore likely to ride abike.”

In addition to not beingphysically active, Michi-gan residents are alsonot getting enough freshfood. Although five serv-ings of fruits and vegeta-bles per day are recom-mended by the CDC,78.2 percent of state res-idents aren’t eating thatmany, with 80.8 percentin Marquette County not

hitting the goal.In fact, the best per-

centage found in Michi-gan for fruit and veggieconsumption is the com-bined area of Luce-

Mackinac-Alger-School-craft counties, where on-ly 69 percent of residentsdon’t get enough freshproduce.

One of the goals of the

ACHIEVE team is to im-prove statistics like these.

“Some of our health pa-rameters are some of theworst in the state of Michi-gan. Something has to be

done,” Sedlacek said.


PROGRESS2011 The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 — 7C

Speaker Mark Fenton, in blue, leads a walk audit of downtown San Diego as part of the ACHIEVE conference with a 10-member team from Marquette County. Here Fentonpoints out aspects of the downtown that either attract pedestrian traffic or deter it. (Journal photo by Johanna Boyle)

Our kids no longerwalk or bike to school.Everything is geared to-wards cars. If mom anddad ride a bike, the childis more likely to ride abike.

“

- George SedlacekMarquette County Health

Department

”

Marquette County team at ACHIEVE conference


ISHPEMING — Hun-dreds of people flockedto Bell Hospital duringthe summer of 2010, butit wasn’t because theywere sick or injured.

August marked thegrand opening of the 1.1-mile fitness trail that nowencircles the hospital’sproperty.

Paved with wood chips,the trail provides a placefor hospital patients andemployees and the gen-eral public to get out andexercise, and includesseven exercise stations

positioned around thepath.

“We’ve been workingon it now for two years,”said Dave Aro, vice pres-ident of operations anddirector of the Bell Foun-dation, which financedthe trail. “People havebeen using it regularly.”

The opening eventdrew 100 people withinthe first half hour and Arosaid he expected to seebetween 300 and 400people walking the trailthroughout the evening.

Attendees ranging fromfamilies with young kidsto couples to grandpar-ents to individuals could

be seen walking the trail,stopping at each of theseven fitness stations tolearn how to properly

use the equipment fromBell Wellness staff andsee demonstrations bylocal high school stu-

dents.The stations include a

warm-up station, a lowerbody station, a hill run-

ning endurance chal-lenge, a functional train-ing station, an upperbody station, an anaero-

bic challenge station anda total body conditioningstation.

Already the trail is be-ing used by local highschool sports teams togear up for the fall sea-sons.

“It’s part of our healthpromotion,” Aro said.“Having this trail is justanother tool.”

In addition to the trail,the Foundation is alsoplanning to erect a pavil-ion near the end of thetrail that will also beavailable for public use.

The hospital has alsobeen using the trail andthe outdoor gym that

serves as one of the sta-tions for use with its well-ness and training pro-gram.

Helping to finance thetrail, which was con-structed using a lot ofvolunteer labor, was arecent golf outing, whichraised $70,000, Aro said.

The trail can be usedyear-round, with snow-shoeing or cross countryskiing available in thewinter months.

Johanna Boyle can bereached at 906-486-4401. Her e-mail ad-dress is [email protected].


Bell fitness trail keepscommunity moving

Above, an aerial map of the Bell fitness trail. Below,Raquel Randall, 15, of Negaunee High School demon-strating the box jump. (Journal photo by Johanna Boyle)

We’ve been working on itnow for two years. Peoplehave been using it regularly.

“- Dave Aro

Vice president of operations and director of the Bell Foundation

”

Families, friends, kids and grandparents and the rest of the larger community were invited to the grand opening of Bell Hospital’s fitness trail. The 1.1-mile loop surroundsthe hospital and offers seven fitness stations for both hospital employees and the general public who want to exercise. (Journal photo by Johanna Boyle)


ISHPEMING — Inpast years, Bell Hospitalhas hosted a Women’sHealth Expo, focusingon helping area womenlearn more about theirhealth and how to im-prove it. In October2010, the hospital helda second expo, this onedesigned for employeesof Cliffs Natural Re-sources.

Bell has a long historyof working closely withthe mining company, asevidenced by the CliffsHealth Center in thehospital and supportfrom the Cliffs Founda-tion in the building ofthe new hospital build-ing. Partnering up toprovide an eventgeared specifically toCliffs employees andtheir families just madesense.

“I think it’s a very pos-itive event,” said KimAlanko, community re-lations manager forBell.

The 2010 expo wasthe second held at Bell,with an estimated 500people attending.

“It’s similar to theWomen’s Health Expo,”Alanko said of theevent. The Women’sHealth Expo is typicallyheld in March eachyear.

The Cliffs expo fea-tured demonstrationsand booths set up byCliffs health providers,as well as other areavendors.

Blood pressure, BMIand bone densityscreenings were avail-able to attendees, as

well as tours of the BellHospital Fitness Trail,an ask the doctor ses-sion and skits andgames for kids who at-tended with their fami-lies.

Massages and healthycooking demonstrationswere also popular at-tractions. Other demon-strations, such as“packing a healthy

lunch,” catered to is-sues specific to theCliffs employees.

Planning for thisyear’s health expo willbegin in the summermonths.

Johanna Boyle can bereached at 906-486-4401. Her e-mail ad-dress is [email protected].

PROGRESS2011 The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 — 9C

Bell expo caters toCliffs employees

Above a Cliffs Health Expo participant receives one of the free health screeningsoffered at October’s annual event. The expo is dedicated to Cliffs Natural Resourcesemployees and their families learning more about health and how Bell Hospital canhelp. Below, participants in the Cliffs Health Expo at Bell Hospital in October enjoy afoot massage. (Journal photo by Johanna Boyle)

Participants in the Cliffs Health Expo at Bell Hospital in October enjoy a massage.(Journal photo by Johanna Boyle)

Cliffs and Bell partner to provide event for workers


ISHPEMING — Whilesummer months forschool-aged childrenmight be a chance tohave fun and relax, par-ents and teachers mightbe more worried abouttheir students regressingduring a summer off. Forstudents involved inspeech therapy pro-grams, the possibility of

students regressing isjust as strong.

To help speech studentsstay on top of their gameby providing therapy ses-sions throughout thesummer, Superior Thera-py Services, a therapyprovider within the BellHospital system, and theBell Foundation are work-ing to fund and provide asummer-long speechtherapy program.

Beginning in the 1990s,

Easter Seals provided aprogram to kids in thecentral U.P. to keep themactive in therapy through-out the summer. In 2009,however, funding for theprogram was cut, with theprogram ending in 2010.

For the 2010 summerseason, Bell Hospitalstepped in to provide theprogram to kids in Mar-quette, Ishpeming, Es-canaba, Crystal Falls andAlger County, but a high-

er registration fee andlimited locations droppedthe number of partici-pants to 50 children. Evenwith the registration feesand the reduced numberof children, the programstill cost $15,000.

This year, Bell will againbe working to fund theprogram, which includessix to eight weeks of twicea week therapy sessions,said Dave Aro, executivedirector of the Bell Foun-

dation. “For them to get ses-

sions a couple days aweek, they really im-prove,” Aro said of the im-portance of the program.

To help raise funds forthe program this year,Bell will be hosting a spinbike race in April. Teamsof six will take to the sta-tionary spin bikes in an at-tempt to rack up as muchdistance as possible inthree hours.

Raising $20,000 wouldallow the hospital to con-tinue the speech therapyprogram, as well as asummer conditioningcamp for high school andmiddle school athletesthat began in 2010.

“These are both impor-tant programs,” Aro said.


PROGRESS2011

Bell to raise funds forspeech therapy program

10C — The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28

Bell Hospital's Corporate Wellness Center Manager Josh Drew stands beside a piece of fitness equipment in thefacility. The center wil host a stationary bike race in April to help fund speech therapy programs. (Journal photoby Andy Nelson-Zaleski)

The Bell Bike Race is acompetitive relay spinning bike race for teams of up

to six people. Each relay spot will have a rider spinningfor 25 minutes and allow for a five minute change-overfor riders. Whether the relay spots are filled with one,three or six people is up to the participants. Each teamis encouraged to raise funds for their team registration;the minimum amount per team is $500 (only $80/per-son if you have a full team). Prizes are awarded for theteams and individuals that raise the most funds.

Date: April 9Time: Registration – 8 a.m, first relay – 9 a.m.Location: Cliffs Natural Resources Medical Office

Building adjacent to Bell HospitalMore info: Call 485-2699 or e-mail

[email protected].

By RENEE PRUSIJournal Staff Writer

ISHPEMING — MarineCorps Lance Cpl. Taylor Bi-etila could have been doinga lot of things Christmasmorning while he washome on a short leave.

He chose to continueserving, however, volun-teering as part of the fourthannual Community Christ-mas Dinner sponsored bythe Bell Foundation andIshpeming Elks Lodge 447.

Bietila and his bride,Stephanie, only had beenmarried since August, butshe, too, was part of the

crew helping serve upmore than 200 dinners tothose who might otherwisehave been alone for theholiday.

“I wanted to help people,”said Taylor Bietila, who’sstationed at Camp Pendle-ton, Calif., and was homein Ishpeming only briefly.“I’m happy to do it.”

“I think it’s awesome,”said Stephanie Bietila, anative of Iron River. “I likehelping people and this isfun.”

The two were part of thecrew of young people dish-ing the prepared ham,

turkey, stuffing, cranberrysauce, mashed potatoesand vegetables onto platesfor those attending the din-ner at the Ishpeming ElksLodge or into to-go contain-ers for the dinners beingdelivered throughout thewestern part of MarquetteCounty, to folks waiting athomes as far away as inPalmer and Michigamme.

Dave Aro, Bell Founda-tion executive director, saidvolunteers are easy tocome by for the event,even though it’s on Christ-mas Day.

“We always have enough

volunteers,” he said. “Infact, I want to be careful notto get too many because Iwant for there to be some-thing for everyone to do.”

Besides those working atthe meal, others who helpout with the dinner includethe children at Aspen RidgeElementary School of the

NICE Community SchoolDistrict. Those kids makethe centerpieces andplacemats for the tables atthe dinner.

PROGRESS2011

Blizzard Ball

Bell sponsors Christmas Day dinner

The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 — 11C

Bell Foundation event is hit

Bell Hospital gets 2010 Michigan rural health quality award

The Bell Foundation, the fundraising arm of Bell Hos-pital, has done a lot since becoming active in 2005, in-cluding raising funds for the new hospital building,new ambulance equipment, a digital mammographyunit and a community fitness trail. Above and below,attendees at the 2010 Blizzard Ball, sponsored by theBell Foundation, danced the night away at Bell Hospi-tal.

This year, with help from money raised by the BellFoundation Blizzard Ball, the organization is hoping topurchase new computer equipment for use in the BellEMS ambulances to streamline the transfer of patientinformation and reduce transition time between ambu-lance and emergency room.

The Blizzard Ball was held Jan. 22 at Bell. The blacktie optional event included cocktails, hors d'oeuvresand entertainment.

Money raised at the event will go toward purchasingPanasonic Toughbook Computers with satellite con-nectivity, EMS Bridge Software and cardiacmonitor/defibrilator software and technical support.

The new equipment will allow Bell EMS to transmitdata on incoming patients to the emergency room sohospital staff can prepare to provide immediate care.The computers are also expected to streamline theflow of patient information and give ambulance opera-tors access to electronic patient health records. (Jour-nal photos by Johanna Boyle)

ISHPEMING — Bell Hospital was honored by TheMichigan Center for Rural Health at an awards cere-mony last fall.

During the 11th annual Michigan Critical AccessHospital Conference Oc. 28, in Boyne Falls, Michi-gan, the center gave Bell an award recognizing ex-cellence in outpatient clinical performance, inpatientclinical performance and customer service. TheMichigan Center for Rural Health is a non-profit orga-nization formed in 1991 as part of a nationwide fed-eral and state initiative to recognize the importanceof rural health care and to create a mechanism for re-sources to flow to ruralareas.

Bell Hospital receivedthe award for qualityimprovement achieve-ment in four areas.Theaward acknowledgesimprovement efforts ininpatient clinical perfor-mance in the care andtreatment of heart fail-ure and pneumonia,outpatient clinical per-formance in the careand treatment of chestpain and acute myocar-dial infarction, and cus-tomer service in theemergency department and inpatient care.

This is the second year the center has offered thisaward. Bell Hospital applied evidence-basedmedicine to improve care processes in the aforemen-tioned treatment areas.

“Award recipients are committed to providing theirpatients with high quality health care,” said John Bar-nas, executive director of the Michigan Center for Ru-ral Health. “The Michigan Center for Rural Health ispleased to sponsor this award, which recognizes thededication of hospital staff to provide the right care tothe right patient each and every time.”

Bell CEO Rick Ament said, “Together our staff isdemonstrating we are providing the very best in med-ical care. Bell Hospital is committed to the tenets ofquality improvement that embrace evidence-basedmedicine to improve health outcomes.”

Bell's multidisciplinary team embraced evidence-based medicine in order to review its current process-es and create interventions that improved in the treat-ment of acute myocardial infarction, chest pain, heartfailure and pneumonia or overall customer service.Clinical indicators were based on the AppropriateCare Measure, a composite score that captureswhether or not a patient received all the care that heor she was eligible to receive. The 2010 Michigan Ru-ral Health Quality Improvement Award – Quality Im-provement Achievement Award was based on anACM score of 78 to 94 percent.

Together ourstaff is demon-strating we areproviding thevery best in medical care.

“

- Rick AmentBell CEO

”

PROGRESS201112C — The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28

Special Section/Prog3

Documents

Transcript of Special Section/Prog3