Health in the Heartland

Norton County Hospital's Rehabilitation Department has a goal to reducing knee and all lower extremity injuries in student athletes. This involves four phases:
Phase 1: Implement improved warm-up programs aimed at injury prevention.
Phase 2: Screen athletes once per year with DARI Motion Analysis.
Phase 3: Implement an individualized program for the most vulnerable of the athletes discovered in screening.
Phase 4: Continually educate coaches and athletes on jumping, landing and lifting techniques.

Norton County Hospital is updating its electronic health record with Cerner. The launch will be January 2023. Klare Bliss, CIO of the hospital, explains what this means for staff and patients.

Norton County Hospital, located in northwest Kansas, is pleased to offer a pain management clinic with Midwest Anesthesia Alliance.

Many patients may not be aware of some of the specialized nursing care that is available in rural northwest Kansas. The outpatient nursing team at Norton County Hospital can provide many services that include, for example:
1. Placing PICC lines for various age groups, from pre-term babies to geriatric patients (ultrasound is the tool of choice for these insertions, as well as for difficult IV starts and lab draws)
2. Administering numerous specialty drugs, such as IVIG, Remicade, Humira, Tysabri, Methotrexate, Iron infusions, Xolair, Nucala, Herceptin, Reclast, Rabies vaccinations, Antibiotics and Blood products
3. Performing wound care, including wound vacs
4. Caring for and maintaining central lines such as Infusaports, Hickmans, TLIJ and TLSC
5. Therapeutic phlebotomies

Norton County Hospital's Rehabilitation department is making a move to a new location and is also offering virtual appointments. The department manager explains what these changes mean for patients.

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a new outpatient program at Norton County Hospital. It is recommended for patients with lung disease who experience shortness of breath frequently and are not able to perform daily activities despite daily use of medication. Many patients in rehabilitation programs have chronic lung diseases that limit breathing and activity. The program's manager explains more.

Establishing care is an important first step in a patient's health journey. A primary care provider helps patients find consistency in their medical needs. A primary care provider can ensure patients are up-to-date on vaccines and pertinent preventive care screenings, which can keep the patient well. On this episode, a family practice physician talks about the advantages and what it means to establish care with a new provider.

In October 2021, Brian Kirk was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer for Norton County Hospital. In this podcast episode, listeners can get to know more about Brian and his plans for Norton County Hospital moving forward.

Sleep Awareness Week will take place March 13-19, 2022, and it intends to help people recognize the importance of sleep for their overall health. Sleep Awareness Week kicks off on March 13 at the start of Daylight Saving Time, when most Americans change their clocks and lose an hour of sleep. For those who have sleep challenges, a sleep study may be ordered by a medical provider, and that study would take place under the direction of a respiratory therapist. Kayla Broeckelman, a Registered Respiratory Therapist at Norton County Hospital, talks more about sleep studies and how they can benefit patients.

Norton County Hospital is a rural critical access hospital located in northwest Kansas. It is proud to offer several services for expecting mothers, including physical therapy before and after baby arrives.