Bill Mills has always had Harrisonville’s best interests at heart. As a businessman, civic volunteer and former mayor, he has continually invested in the strength and vitality of the community. Late last year, when asked by leaders at Cass Regional Medical Center to consider a charitable investment in the future of cancer and rheumatology care at the medical Spring 2022 —Continued on page 2 Giving back to the community Mills Cancer and Rheumatology Center will enhance patient care center, he didn’t hesitate. “The community has been so good to me and my family that it seemed a perfect way to give back, when Cass Regional approached me about this project,” said Mills. Mills’ $250,000 gift to Cass Regional Medical Center Foundation will be used to underwrite construction of the Mills Cancer and Rheumatology Center. The center will be constructed on the first floor of the hospital, and the present treatment area will expand from what was previously known as the Specialists Clinic into the corridor that extends along the windows facing the Healing Garden. More space for patients Infusion therapy capacity will expand from five bays to eight bays and from two private infusion rooms to three rooms, one of which will be designated for patients requiring isolation. Two new exam rooms will be added, increasing the number of rooms to six, and an additional shared provider office will be built. Katherine A. Collins, DNP, NP-C; Jaswinder Singh, MD; Kim Blankenship, RN, BSN, OCN; Bill Mills, donor; Kevin Latinis, MD, PhD; Chris Lang, CEO; Hasan Bit-Shawish, MD; Moeid Riaz, FNP-C; Gina Accurso-Lee, MSN, APRN, FNP-C; and Sonya McLelland, Cass Regional Foundation director. Not pictured: Preethi Ramachandran, MD. wellness Here for Your Health
Cass Regional Medical Center is pleased to welcome oncologist Hasan Bit-Shawish, MD, to its medical staff. Dr. Bit-Shawish received his training at the Medical School of Zaragoza in Spain. He completed residencies in internal medicine at Al-Bashir Hospital (Amman, Jordan) and St. Louis University. He completed fellowships in hematology/oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and in geriatrics at St. Louis University. Dr. Bit-Shawish is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology. Dr. Bit-Shawish will see patients every Friday in theMills Cancer and Rheumatology Center at Cass Regional. The space will also include an office for the patient navigator, who is a resource for newly diagnosed cancer patients as they embark on their treatment journey. Becoming the best “Cass Regional has been blessed by this extremely generous gift from the Mills family,” said oncologist/ hematologist Jaswinder Singh, MD, who leads the cancer care team at Cass Regional. “Our staff will continue to provide comprehensive, caring treatment. And now, through support like this, we will be able to focus efforts on making our equipment and facilities the best they can be. Gifts like this one help us on our journey to realizing this goal for Cass Regional,” Dr. Singh explained. Giving back to the community —Continued from front page “This is a very exciting time for the rheumatology clinic at Cass Regional,” added rheumatologist Kevin Latinis, MD, PhD. “We have grown to serve the community with two providers and a full complement of excellent nurses and infusion services. Our growth has mirrored the growth in oncology, and we definitely have a need for increased clinic and infusion space. We are very thankful to Mr. Mills and proud to be a part of the Mills Cancer and Rheumatology Center.” Easing stress during cancer treatment Work on the new center is scheduled to begin in March 2022, with completion in the second half of 2023. The project will be done in phases so that patient care can continue uninterrupted. “I have always used Cass Regional for my health care needs when possible,” Mills added. “To be part of expanding services to ease the stress and manageability of cancer and related treatment is rewarding, and I hope my gift will bring great benefit to the area.” wellness matters Information inWELLNESSMATTERS comes froma wide range of medical experts. If youhave any concerns or questions about specific content thatmay affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Modelsmay be used inphotos and illustrations. 2022 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Cass Regional welcomes new oncologist ➤A cancer expert on your care team For more information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Bit-Shawish, please call 816-887-0331. 2 cassregional.org | 816-380-3474
In October 2021, we lost our dear friend and colleague John Hoffman, PT. Hoffman started as a physical therapist assistant with Cass Regional in 1976. After three years of night school, he studied physical therapy at the University of Missouri and graduated with honors in 1981. For many years, Hoffman was the only physical therapist on our staff, and he helped thousands of area residents successfully recover from injuries and surgeries. He was compassionate and deeply committed to his patients, and he was recognized by Ingram’s, Kansas City’s business magazine, as a Hero in Healthcare in 2008. Hoffman was equally committed as a volunteer for many causes he cared about. He served as an on-field consultant during football games at Harrisonville High School, and he inspired many of the student athletes he treated to pursue careers in physical and occupational therapy. Hoffman was an active member of the Harrisonville Kiwanis Club and had served as the governor of the MissouriArkansas District of Kiwanis International. He loved helping Santa out by representing him at numerous charitable and civic events through the years, and, along with his “brother” Jake, Hoffman entertained countless audiences as Elwood from The Blues Brothers. Hoffman was always up for adventure, Farewell to a friend whether that be dressing in drag at a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society or as a character from Grease at our foundation’s Celebrity Academy Dinner fundraiser. John Hoffman loved to help people, and people loved him. His passing leaves a hole in our hearts that will never be filled. Rest in peace, John—you made the “most best” of life and left an indelible mark on this world. We will miss you. Wellness Matters | Spring 2022 3
2021 Community For nearly 60 years, Cass Regional Medical Center has proudly been “Here for Your Health,” serving the residents of Cass County and the surrounding areas. Our values of Family, Stewardship, Kindness, Respectfulness, Dedication and Excellence drive us to continually improve so that our patients have access to the best care possible. We are pleased to share our 2021 Community Benefit Report, which highlights some of the advancements we made last year associated with our five operational Pillars of Success: People, Quality, Customer Service, Growth and Financial Strength. Benefit Rep People •We now employ more than 460 individuals, the majority of whom live in Cass County. These jobs result in approximately $34 million in annual salaries and benefits that are re-invested locally through the residents who live and shop in our area communities. •Throughout the pandemic, Cass Regional did not lay off or furlough any employees. We made additional investments to support our staff during the pandemic, including securing child care coverage, providing laundered scrubs, offering additional paid sick and family leave for employees who were quarantined or who had to care for a family member who was quarantined due to COVID-19, providing support with a home meal service, and offering incentives for picking up additional shifts. •Even in the face of a pandemic and two surges that significantly affected the organization, our overall employee engagement score improved by three points over the prior year and placed Cass Regional in the top 15% of all facilities that participated in the survey. •We led efforts in the county to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to the community and administered more than 30,000 vaccines to area residents. •Cass Regional Medical Center Foundation awarded $22,825 in scholarships to 15 students who are pursuing careers and/or continuing education in health care. •Our Patient Assistance Fund, which is made possible by donations to Cass Regional Medical Center Foundation, provided nearly $20,000 in assistance to 121 patients. 460+ employees In the top 25% of facilities surveyed for being a great place to practice medicine 30,000 COVID-19 vaccines Four out of five stars for patient satisfaction 4 cassregional.org | 816-380-3474
2021 ort Quality •We continued to show strong performance in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ star quality rating system, which evaluates a hospital’s overall performance on inpatient satisfaction, patient safety, outcomes of care, readmissions and efficiency measures. Cass Regional received four out of five stars for satisfaction and three out of five stars for quality. •Through efforts across the organization, we achieved our goal to reduce our Harm Index score by 27% over the prior year, with a goal of getting to zero over time. • We added equipment and infrastructure to address safety during the pandemic, including doubling our isolation room capacity and purchasing equipment to provide rapid COVID-19 testing in our family medicine clinics. • We tested 12,372 individuals for COVID-19 in 2021, with 1,476 (11.9%) coming back positive. • During the third and fourth quarters of the year, Cass Regional saw a significant increase in the number of individuals who were admitted for COVID-19 or COVID-19 complications. This patient population made up nearly half of our total bed census during the month of December. Customer Service •As measured by overall rating of care, our patient satisfaction scores and percentile rankings against national benchmarks improved in two of five surveys over the prior year. Areas surveyed include the inpatient units, emergency department, outpatient surgery, outpatient services (test and treatment) and medical practices (including our family medicine and specialist clinics). •We continued to have strong physician engagement scores, placing Cass Regional among the top 25% of facilities that participated in the survey on the question of “being a great place to practice medicine.” Provided nearly $20,000 in assistance to 121 patients through the Patient Assistance Fund Wellness Matters | Spring 2022 5
Cass Regional Medical Center: K By the numbers CHARITY CARE $783,623* COUNTY MAINTENANCE TAX APPROPRIATION RECEIVED $2,610,939* BAD DEBT EXPENSE $15,472,680* TOTAL 2021 CHARITY CARE AND BAD DEBT EXPENSE $16,256,303* *Unaudited figures Balance Sheet (consolidated with Cass Regional Medical Center Foundation and Cass Medical Center Improvement Corporation) 2021 FUND BALANCE Assets $148,091,991 2019: $134,898,010 2020: $141,257,712 Liabilities $50,063,782 2019: $41,169,229 2020: $42,609,981 Fund balance $98,028,209 2019: $93,728,781 2020: $98,647,731 PAYER MIX Medicare and MCR HMO: 49.26% Medicaid and MCD HMO: 9.49% HMO/PPO: 31.65% Self-pay: 6.84% Other: 2.76% ADMISSIONS 2019 2,440 2020 2,067 2021* 2,254 EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS 2019 12,747 2020 10,819 2021* 11,850 FAMILY MEDICINE CLINIC/GENERAL SURGERY CLINIC VISITS 2019 54,848 2020 46,132 2021* 46,838 OUTPATIENT VISITS 2019 22,352 2020 21,562 2021* 25,702 6 cassregional.org | 816-380-3474
Financial Strength •We continued to see positive financial performance for the year, even with the challenges of COVID-19. For 2021, our organization incurred more than $5 million in unplanned expenses due to COVID-19, some of which ($1.6 million) was covered under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. •We made an additional principal payment this year on the debt that was incurred to build the new hospital. This took another year off the time period needed to retire this debt. If payments continue, we will retire the debt in 2028 versus the current schedule of 2035. •We ended the year with 444 days of cash on hand. This makes Cass Regional Medical Center one of the most financially strong critical access hospitals in the state and nation. •We invested nearly $3 million in facilities and in new and replacement equipment. •We donated more than $25,000 to worthy causes throughout the communities we serve. •We provided more than $780,000 in charity care and helped qualified patients enroll in the expanded Medicaid program. •We returned $1.2 million that we received under the CARES Act to the government. Key operating statistics for 2021 Growth •We added a third day of oncology coverage and a fourth day of rheumatology coverage per week. •We signed agreements to expand gastroenterology and pain management coverage in 2022. •We signed an agreement to begin nephrology coverage via telemedicine in 2022. •Jessica Testa, DO, joined Pleasant Hill Medical Clinic in July 2021, expanding the number of providers in that location from three to four. •Tyson Travis, DO, joined Cass Regional Orthopedics in October 2021. He provides general orthopedic care as well as fellowship-trained spine care. •We requested bids for two construction projects in late 2021— an expansion of the oncology, rheumatology and infusion clinics at the medical center and an expansion at Pleasant Hill Medical Clinic to accommodate additional imaging capabilities. Work on both projects is scheduled to begin in March 2022, with completion in 2023. •We expanded our 340B drug program, generating nearly $1 million, which will be used to fund community benefit projects identified in 2022 and beyond. These projects could include support for chronic disease management, an insulin support program, telepsychiatry coverage for our family medicine clinics, funding for Real World Learning programs within area school districts and additional oncology support programs. Nearly $3 million in facilities and equipment Added more days to oncology and rheumatology coverage $783,623 in charity care Wellness Matters | Spring 2022 7
Cass Regional Medical Center is furthering its investment in Pleasant Hill and the surrounding area this year with a new center that will offer ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) exams. “Our vision has always been to expand health care services to meet the needs of our communities,” said Chris Lang, Cass Regional CEO. “We believe that the new center will be a valuable resource for patients by providing convenient access to additional diagnostic imaging services.” The imaging center will be attached to Pleasant Hill Medical Clinic, but it will be operated separately, with its own entrance and waiting area. The center will be staffed with radiologic technologists who are certified in administering ultrasound and CT exams, and it will be overseen by the director of medical imaging at Cass Regional Medical Center. Construction on the center is slated to begin this spring. New imaging center coming to Pleasant Hill 8 cassregional.org | 816-380-3474
Expansion planned for Pleasant Hill Medical Clinic Pleasant Hill Medical Clinic will be enlarged this year in order to create three new exam rooms, bringing the total number to 12, as well as offices for the providers and a larger break room for the staff. Pleasant Hill Medical Clinic has been owned and operated by Cass Regional Medical Center since 1998 and moved to its present location in 2004, when Cass Regional built a new facility to house it. Family medicine providers at the clinic are Pamela Davis, DO, and Jessica Testa, DO, and nurse practitioners are Stephanie Duarte and Breann Sargent. Two specialists—orthopedic surgeon Ken Petersen, DO, and general surgeon Clint Seifert, MD, FACS—also see patients at the clinic. “We are pleased to offer expanded access to primary and specialist care for the Pleasant Hill area,” said Chris Lang, Cass Regional CEO. “We have enjoyed a long relationship with the community and look forward to many more years of being a trusted medical provider for area families.” Breann Sargent, FNP Sargent received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences and her master’s degree in nursing from Rockhurst University. She practices in collaboration with Pamela Davis, DO. New nurse practitioner at Pleasant Hill Medical Clinic Cass Regional Medical Center is pleased to announce the appointment of family nurse practitioner Breann Sargent, FNP, to the staff of Pleasant Hill Medical Clinic, located at 1601 N. Highway 7, Pleasant Hill, Missouri. ➤ Care for the whole family To schedule an appointment with Sargent at Pleasant Hill Medical Clinic, please call 816-540-2111. Wellness Matters | Spring 2022 9
New gastroenterology specialist at Cass Regional ➤To schedule an appointment with Dr. Grewal, please call 816-887-0312. Kansas City Gastroenterology & Hepatology Physicians Group will begin providing services at Cass Regional in April. The physician who will practice at Cass Regional is Rishi Grewal, MD. Dr. Grewal will perform procedures at Cass Regional on Thursday mornings and will see patients in the Rock Haven Specialty Clinic on Thursday afternoons. Rishi Grewal, MD Dr. Grewal received his medical degree from Dayanand Medical College in Lundhiana, India. He completed his residency and fellowship at the University of Missouri. Dr. Grewal is boardcertified in internal medicine and gastroenterology. 10 cassregional.org | 816-380-3474
If you’re having problems with your digestive system, your primary care doctor may refer you to a gastroenterologist. A gastroenterologist is a doctor who specializes in preventing, diagnosing and treating disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. That includes the esophagus, stomach, intestines, pancreas and liver. All of these organs have roles in aiding digestion. When you eat, food is broken down and nutrients are absorbed. It’s how your body gets the fuel it needs to function. Problems with any one of your digestive organs can interfere with this process. Depending on the organ affected, you may have symptoms such as heartburn, trouble swallowing, bloating, pain, nausea or diarrhea. What is a gastroenterologist? Skilled specialists Specific conditions gastroenterologists address include: •Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). •Hepatitis. •Stomach ulcers. •Celiac disease. •Diverticulitis. •Nutrition problems. •Inflammatory bowel disease. •Cirrhosis. •Pancreatitis. •Cancer. Some of these conditions may also require surgery, which gastroenterologists don’t perform. But they do work with surgeons to make sure patients receive the best possible care. Gastroenterologists, however, may perform procedures that allow patients to avoid surgery. For example, there are nonsurgical techniques to remove stones from the bile ducts in the liver and to treat certain tumors. Other procedures that gastroenterologists commonly perform include: Colonoscopy. This type of endoscopy involves a long, flexible tube with a light and camera. It allows doctors to directly visualize the large intestine—the colon— for signs of cancer and growths (polyps) that can be removed before they become cancerous. Endoscopy. This procedure involves instruments similar to those used for colonoscopy. But they’re used to examine and treat the esophagus, stomach and other organs. Rigorous training Gastroenterologists are highly educated. Like other doctors, they complete four years of medical school. They then receive three years of training in internal medicine, which is followed by a two- to three-year fellowship in gastroenterology. They may also become board-certified. Sources: American Board of Medical Specialties; American College of Gastroenterology Wellness Matters | Spring 2022 11
2800 E. Rock Haven Road Harrisonville, MO 64701 816-380-3474 DATE: 9/30/2014 Standard CLIENT: Cass Regional Medical Center U.S. Postage PAID CCI JOB NO.: CMM30770 Cass Regional Medical Center COPY IN: 9/25/2014 INDICIA Please check our website, cassregional.org, or our Facebook page for up-to-date information on events. Directions •Preheat grill or oven broiler (with the rack 3 inches from heat source) on high temperature. •Prepare taco filling by combining all ingredients. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes to blend the flavors. •To prepare the marinade, combine the oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, coriander and salt in a bowl. •Place salmon fillets in a flat dish with sides. Pour marinade evenly over fillets. •Place salmon fillets on grill or broiler. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until fish flakes easily with a fork in the thickest part (minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees). Remove from the heat and set aside for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut into strips. •To make each taco, fill one tortilla with ¾ cup filling and one salmon fillet. Makes 4 servings. Baja-style salmon tacos Ingredients 12 ounces salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions (3 ounces each) 4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas For taco filling: 1 cup green cabbage (about ¼ head), rinsed and shredded 1 teaspoon lime juice 1 teaspoon honey ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced (or substitute white onion) 1 medium jalapeño chile pepper, rinsed and split lengthwise—remove seeds and white membrane, and mince (about 2 tablespoons); for less spice, use green bell pepper 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, minced (or substitute ½ teaspoon ground coriander) For marinade: ½ tablespoon corn oil or other vegetable oil 1 tablespoon lime juice 2 teaspoons chili powder ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground coriander ¼ teaspoon salt Nutrition information Serving size: 1 taco. Amount per serving: 325 calories, 11g total fat (1g saturated fat), 54mg cholesterol, 29g carbohydrates, 24g protein, 4g fiber, 395mg sodium. Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Try this tasty and heart-healthy recipe!
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