Winona Health administrators including Rachelle Schultz, president/CEO; Michael Allen, CFO; and Brett Whyte, MD, Emergency/Urgent Care medical chief, provided insight into changes at Winona Health and the visionary steps the organization has taken to remain independent, improve efficiencies and create a seamless continuum of care to increase the value of healthcare for its patients.

Click here to view the full Leadership Special Report featuring Winona Health in Section 1: Retooling for Value.

Originally established by the late community philanthropist, Benjamin A. Miller, in the name of his wife, Adith, the Ben & Adith Miller Community Service Tribute recognizes an individual, group or organization for exceptional service to the greater Winona community.

Candidates are considered based upon four criteria:

1. How the candidate has enhanced the quality of life in our community

2. What the candidate has done for the economic betterment of our community

3. What leadership roles the candidate has taken in various capacities

4. How the candidate has given direct service to the community

Jenny Kahl, a Winona Health Auxiliary volunteer for 59 years and an active member and leader of the Portia Club, received the 2010 Ben & Adith Miller Community Service Tribute.

In addition to a special recognition dinner at Cedar Valley Restaurant in April, the family of Ben & Adith Miller and RTP Company honors the recipient with a $25,000 contribution to the Ben & Adith Miller Patient Care Fund to assist area individuals and families.

Written nominations are being accepted now through Monday, March 5. Nomination forms are available online at winonahealth.org/tribute or by contacting Kris Walters at 507.474.3328 or krwalters@winonahealth.org.

The Triathlon “Y Not Tri-It?” will be Sunday, March 4. The $40 registration includes a long-sleeved performance shirt. The non-competitive triathlon includes a 10-minute swim, a 30-minute bike ride and a 20-minute run. Register by Wednesday, February 15 to guarantee receiving a shirt.

The event also includes fitness activities, such as zumba and other types of active dance, family yoga, meditation, Pilates, indoor cycling, and more. A complete schedule of events is available at the Winona Family YMCA, 207 Winona Street or online at http://www.winonaymca.org/.

The event also includes a free Colors of Cancer Resource Fair, Saturday, March 3 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Winona Y at 207 Winona Street. Winona Health staff will be on hand with information about cancer resources, services and prevention. Areas represented include:

• Physical Therapy

• Massage Therapy

• Chemotherapy and Infusion

• Colon Screening

• Counseling Services

• Hospice/Palliative Care

• Distress Testing

• Imaging (schedule a mammogram)

• Cancer Care

• Smoking Cessation

• Nutrition

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Winona Health Chemotherapy and Infusion Department.

For a list the Colors of Cancer Fitness Festival activities and registration information, pick up a schedule of events at the Winona Family Y, 207 Winona Street or see the schedule online at http://www.winonaymca.org/. Or, call the Y at 507.454.1520.

Certified diabetes educators, Jill O’Donnell, RN, CDE, and Sue Haug, RD, LD, CDE, will be the program facilitators. The program is intended for people at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Risk factors for diabetes include:

• Abnormal glucose laboratory results

• Diabetes in pregnancy or giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds

• Family history of diabetes

• Excess body weight (especially around the waist)

• Low HDL cholesterol and/or high triglycerides

• High blood pressure

• Low activity level

• Poor diet

Registration is required by Friday, March 2. The cost is $50 per person. For more information or to register, call 507.457.7670.

• Visitor Information. A new section dedicated to patients and visitors with resources such as online bill pay, tips for hospital or clinic visits, information about building amenities, parking and more.

• Find a Doctor. Find the right doctor for your needs, whether by specialty or location.

• Wait times: Check on the current wait times before you head to Urgent Care.

• Quality and Safety: The new site also provides information about the hospital’s commitment to high quality care, information about performance in established care standards, and comparisons with other healthcare organizations.

Community members interested in exploring the site can take part in an online scavenger hunt with an opportunity to win a massage gift certificate or Winona Health collapsible cooler. Visit winonahealth.org/hunt and participate before Friday, February 10. There will be six winners.

Other information available on the website includes healthcare provider photos and bios; services available and contact information; career opportunities; online nursery; upcoming events; Winona Health Foundation and Volunteer information; and access to Winona Health Online (secure access to individual health records).

“So many people prefer to get their information online, and we want to make sure our web visitors find what they are looking for,” Betsy Midthun, Winona Health chief communication officer. “We combined interactive content with a new, uncluttered layout resulting in simplified navigation to the site’s features and information.”

Midthun also noted the enhanced physician/provider recruitment site. “A lot of thought went into redoing the healthcare professional career options site. It is often difficult to find the right professional for our ongoing community health needs. We designed the section to promote the Winona region’s quality of life as well as Winona Health.”

Midthun said the site will continue to be improved and developed. “It is a continual work in progress.” Each week, there are approximately 4500 visits to the Winona Health website.

Winona Health’s last major website redesign was in spring 2008 when the organization also launched Facebook and Twitter sites. Winona Health’s Facebook and Twitter followers are among the first in the community to know of upcoming events and new healthcare providers. They also receive health tips and healthy recipes.

The new site can be found at www.winonahealth.org. To participate in the scavenger hunt, go to www.winonahealth.org/hunt. Winona Health welcomes comments about the newly designed website. If you’d like to comment, please send a note to info@winonahealth.org.

Winona Health employees are not eligible for these prizes.

Masquerade, a nationally known $5 jewelry company, will be showcasing more than 25,000 pieces of new jewelry. There will be a wide variety of quality jewelry and accessories for men, women and children including rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, jewelry sets, wallets and watches—and everything is $5. Cash, check and credit cards will be accepted. The sale will provide a great opportunity to purchase some extra Valentine gifts for your friends and family.

All proceeds will go toward future Auxiliary projects and healthcare educational scholarships. For more information, please call the Winona Health Volunteer Services Office at 507.474.3328.

Troy Shelton, MD

Troy Shelton, MD, Winona Health’s Women’s Health Center, will give a free presentation covering frequently asked questions about HPV—Human Papillomavirus on Thursday, February 9, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Women’s Health Center on the third floor of Winona Clinic, 859 Mankato Avenue in Winona.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States. Learn more about HPV including how it is transmitted, the long-term health effects and how you can prevent it—including information about the vaccines available for both females and males as early as age 11. Learn more and bring your questions.

The event begins with light refreshments. Attendees also will meet Emily Zimmerman, Winona Health dietitian, as she shares some nutritional information on the refreshments.

There is no charge for this program, but RSVP is appreciated for refreshment planning and because of space limitations. RSVP by Tuesday, February 7, by calling 507.457.4161 or online at winonahealth.org/women. Walk-ins welcome as space permits.

Newly elected officers. Sitting (left to right) Pat Nolan, Outgoing President; Nancy Enochs, 2012 President; Sheryl Miller, President-Elect; Julie Kosidowski, Vice-President. Standing (left to right) Kim Schwab, WH Board Representative; Carol Partington, Treasurer; Irene Mulyck, Assistant Treasurer; Sheila Lind, Secretary.

The annual meeting of the Winona Health Auxiliary was held on Thursday, January 19, at Westfield Golf Club. Officers were elected, service chairs and co-chairs were appointed and 118 service awards were presented to individuals who had achieved recognition levels of service hours.

Volunteers were recognized for providing 35,320 hours of service to Winona Health this past year. Using the current U.S. average hourly value for volunteer time, that amounts to a gift equivalent to $754,435.20 in service time to Winona Health.

Pat Nolan, Auxiliary president, presented Rachelle Schultz, President/CEO of Winona Health, with a check totaling $30,000. This gift will be used toward the purchase of a new gastroscope and colonoscope for the Winona Health Surgery Department. An additional $23,500 was previously awarded for healthcare scholarships and $3,000 was given to benefit Winona Health’s assisted living residences: Watkins Manor, Adith Miller and Roger Metz Manors, and long-term care residence, Lake Winona Manor. In addition, $32,650 was already presented from the proceeds of the Follies to be used for new vital sign monitors. Thus, the grand total for Auxiliary gifts in 2011 was $89,150.

Auxiliary officers elected for 2012 are:

President, Nancy Enochs

President-Elect, Sheryl Miller

Vice President, Julie Kosidowski

Secretary, Sheila Lind

Treasurer, Carol Partington

Assistant Treasurer, Irene Mulyck

Past President, Pat Nolan

Winona Health Board Representative, Kim Schwab

Chad Pedersen, MD

Chad Pedersen, MD, Internal Medicine physician, joined the Winona Health medical staff and will serve as a hospitalist.

Hospitalists specialize in caring for patients while they are hospitalized. While on duty as a hospitalist, physicians provide hospital specific care and work closely with the patient’s primary care provider and the care coordination team including nurses, pharmacists, dietitians and other specialty care staff.

Dr. Pedersen received his medical degree at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, and completed his residency at Gundersen Lutheran Medical System in La Crosse, Wis., where he serves as chief resident. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and graduated Cum Laude from Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

For information about services provided at Winona Health, visit winonhealth.org/services or call 507.454.3650.

The ratings system, launched by iVantage Health Analytics, a newly formed healthcare business intelligence and technology company, is the first of its kind to include all U.S. acute care hospitals and traditionally unrated rural and critical access hospitals.

Called the Hospital Strength IndexTM, the ratings system incorporates 56 different measures of performance to help identify those hospitals that are best prepared for success under the new healthcare.

“Our number one goal is to meet the healthcare needs of our community, and we must remain financially stable to do that. Implementing the mandates of the 2010 Affordable Care Act and healthcare reform in general—no matter what form it takes, means changes for hospitals,” said Rachelle Schultz, Winona Health CEO. “It’s interesting to look at this new ratings system to see how we’re doing compared with our peers in the state and across the nation.”

The Hospital Strength Index reflects the multiple challenges of running a hospital by incorporating the measures on which the industry has worked to gain consensus and standardization. It includes a unique set of measures rating Market Strength, Value-based Strength and Financial Strength as key pillars for benchmarking and setting new goals under health reform.

The Market Strength includes competitive strength, intensity, size and growth factors essential to ACO (Accountable Care Organization) development.

The Value-based Strength includes quality, outcomes, patient perspectives, and cost and charge indicators that are essential for earning rewards under CMS’ (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) Value-based Purchasing reimbursement incentives.

The Financial Strength includes income statement and balance sheet ratios most predictive of long-term sustainability that are essential under an environment of reduced payments.

“We are pleased to see such a comprehensive ratings initiative launched in response to the Affordable Care Act. The Hospital Strength Index, which includes rural and Critical Access Hospitals that are so essential to Americans, is a real plus for our industry. Rural healthcare represents over one-third of all U.S. hospitals and serves over 62 million Americans who have few healthcare choices,” said Alan Morgan, Chief Executive Officer of the National Rural Health Association.