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Back to Home pageNEWSLETTER Kiwanis Club of Cedar Rapids Wednesday, February 18, 2009 The meeting was called to order by President Bob Hatala, Esq. 22 Members in attendance. Guests: Colleen Davis, Coralville (Steve Walrath) Birthdays: None Anniversaries: None Announcements: Just another reminder of the Farmer’s Breakfast, March 14. Happy Bucks: Bittersweet remembrance from Dan Brieitbach on the occasion of the passing away of his sister. The club’s thoughts and prayers are with the family; Don Grimm’s mother is out of the hospital, evoking a joyous dollar from Don; Keith Sutherland is happily skipping town for 5-6 weeks to go west, and maybe do some cruising; Doug Dix sheeplishly threw in a buck for the trouble he and the alarm company caused the Hiawatha police, happy that the alarm was false; . Upcoming Programs: Dan Garrick , construction coordinator, Linn Area Long Term Recovery Coalition, will speak on March 4. Next week, a speaker from the PTA will speak on flood relief. Speaker: Dr. Ryan Sunderman, Director of Emergency Medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital reported on the complete redo of the emergency facility and the top down restructuring of the department’s operations, with a primary focus on customer service. This represents a change in philosophy from when the focus was on the convenience of the medical staff. The goal is to reduce the time from when a patient enters the facility until seen by a doctor, and the time from that point until a disposition occurs – either release or admission to the hospital. Their new facility has two entrances – one for ambulances and the other for patients arriving by car. The ER fills about 34,000 square feet, and deals with 600 ambulances and 30 helicopter a month. Considerable industrial/system engineering went into the layout: it is in racetrack shape, with services coordinated from the “infield. There are 34 identical private rooms around the periphery; all the rooms are identically laid out and equipped, and all the supplies are in the same place. The benefits to staff and patients are obvious. Family members waiting can check out a pager, laptop (wireless internet provided) to keep in touch, and still be available if needed for a decision or doctor visit. Word for the day: Submitted: Chuck Wehage |