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Caring for Our Community
This summer, Kadlec hosted its first Experience Health Care sessions — an
intense, dynamic, fun, week-long event immersing students in the health
care industry. Students from 10-plus local high schools built their leadership,
teamwork, creativity and communication skills, as well as developed
solutions to real world health concerns. The students job shadowed,
participated in health care Olympics and mock code drills, heard from guest
speakers, and much more.
“My experience at Experience Health Care was something unexpected,”
said Melissa Jaeger, RN, Kadlec intensive care unit nurse and Experience
Health Care advisor. “I went in hoping to inspire and educate a few kids
about health care. What I left with was the surprise that they in turn inspired
me. Seeing their inquisitive nature and passion for all things medical has
rejuvenated my soul. My practice and patient care will only improve due to
this experience.”
Experience Health Care
One of the critical barriers to
improving health is proper nutrition
and access to food.
Kadlec recently partnered with
Meals on Wheels for a pilot program,
funded by a grant through the Three
Rivers Community Foundation,
aimed at reducing the incidence
of readmissions for malnourished
patients once discharged. Called
Project Homecoming, Meals on Wheels
provides nutritious meals for up to
one month. Kadlec also provides diet
education and additional nutritional
supplements.
“Project Homecoming melds the
HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONALS
across the
country are emphasizing the
importance of creating healthier
communities, whether that is
preventive care in the doctor’s
office or out in the community
itself.
This emphasis is not new
to Kadlec, which has a long
tradition of understanding its
role in helping create a healthier
region.
“We understand our mission
is not limited to caring for the
people who enter our facilities,”
saidWayne Martin, Ph.D., chair
of the Kadlec Community Board.
“It is bigger than that. It is
our goal to have a healthier
community. We work and
collaborate with other partners
to address the larger health care
needs within our community.
We look for ways where we can
have a role and value those
community relationships.”
Here are just a few of the
ways Kadlec is working in
partnership to care for our
community.
best of what we do with the transition
and extension of care for patients
leaving Kadlec in order to produce
the best recovery outcome possible,”
said Grant Baynes, executive director
of Meals on Wheels. “I believe that
this is only the tip of the iceberg as
we explore a more holistic approach
that will utilize a matrix of services for
vulnerable people leaving the hospital.
“Project Homecoming demonstrates
the value of partnerships that can
improve the outcome of patients. It
should encourage us all to find more
opportunities to improve the quality of
life in our community,” he said.
Meals on Wheels