http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/NEWS.CFM SwedishAmerican Health System's RSS Feeds Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/News.cfm?c=&p=826 Jeff Kaney, CEO of Kaney Group, recently joined the board of directors for SwedishAmerican Health System. The Kaney Group is a collection of synergistic companies that includes commercial real estate (Kaney Aviation Properties), aerospace engineering (Kaney Aerospace), precision manufacturing (Ardekin Precision) and capital funding (Kaney Capital). Prior to forming the Kaney Group, Jeff served as a USAF pilot for 10 years, including combat in Desert Storm. In addition, he also served as a pilot for a major international airline. About SwedishAmerican Health System SwedishAmerican is a not-for-profit, locally governed healthcare system, headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The health system is comprised of two hospitals, 30 clinics, a home health care agency, and a foundation. Through an exclusive affiliation with UW Health, SwedishAmerican will soon expand world-class cancer services across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin when it opens a new cancer center in October 2013. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/NEWS.CFM http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/News.cfm?c=&p=825 SwedishAmerican Medical Group is pleased to announce the introduction of OB/GYN care at its new primary care clinic at 380 IL Rte 38 East in Rochelle's Caron Ridge Shopping Center (near Sullivan’s Foods). Appointments are now available with Drs. Timothy Durkee and Sonya Ephraim. Dr. Durkee received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and completed residency training at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. Dr. Ephraim received her medical degree from the State University of New York in Buffalo and completed residency training at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. OB/GYN services offered include family planning, gynecological exams, infertility, and prenatal/postpartum exams. Drs. Durkee and Ephraim are part of a team that delivers more babies and cares for more midlife women than any other hospital in the region. In fact, SwedishAmerican’s women’s health program is the only one to ever be ranked in the top 5 percent nationwide by HealthGrades. In addition to OB/GYN care, the clinic also offers a range of family medicine services, including initial diagnoses, annual exams, acute care, preventive care including immunizations, and the treatment of chronic diseases. In addition, patients also benefit from the availability of on-site laboratory and X-ray services. *Patients can schedule appointments now by calling (779) 696-9050. About SwedishAmerican Health System SwedishAmerican is a not-for-profit, locally governed healthcare system, headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The health system is comprised of two hospitals, 30 clinics, a home health care agency, and a foundation. Through an exclusive affiliation with UW Health, SwedishAmerican will soon expand world-class cancer services across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin when it opens a new cancer center in October 2013. Thu, 06 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/NEWS.CFM http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/News.cfm?c=&p=824 SwedishAmerican Hospital was founded on June 6, 1911. The hospital is honoring its 102nd anniversary with a week-long celebration. On Monday, June 3rd, the organization will kick off a “Giving Back to the Community Collection” for Rock House Kids and Noah’s Ark. Collections, taken through Monday, June 10, will include flip-flops and backpacks for Rock House Kids. For Noah's Ark, items collected will include paper towels, liquid laundry soap, and dog and cat food and treats. Additionally, SwedishAmerican's Holistic Health department will have the more than 50 art panels, created by different departments throughout the Health System, with “Cares for our Community” as the theme. The art show will be in the Hospital Lobby from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 4th, is Random Act of Kindness Day. SwedishAmerican employees will have an opportunity to write down “Acts of Kindness” and post them in a designated area within their department. In addition, the organization will hold the first of several Commitment to Caring Rallies for employees, which will continue on Wednesday. On Thursday, June 6, SwedishAmerican will host its annual Founder’s Day Picnic for employees and volunteers from 11 to 1:30 under the Big Top near Camelot Tower. The Caring Canines will pay a visit to the picnic. A neighborhood festival with rides, food and fun for all employees and their children, grandchildren and friends, as well as neighborhood residents, will be held from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Beattie Playground, 1251 Rural Street. SwedishAmerican will conclude Founder's Week on Friday, June 7, with Purple Day, when employees are encouraged to wear corporate colors. A Get Moving exercise competition trophy celebration will be held at noon in the Commons. In addition, Red Mango will be handing out samples from noon to 1 p.m. SwedishAmerican teams that have minutes exercised will be entered into a prize drawing. The team that has the most minutes exercised (average minutes per team member) will receive the trophy. About SwedishAmerican Health System SwedishAmerican is a not-for-profit, locally governed healthcare system, headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The health system is comprised of two hospitals, 30 clinics, a home health care agency, and a foundation. Through an exclusive affiliation with UW Health, SwedishAmerican will soon expand world-class cancer services across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin when it opens a new cancer center in October 2013. Mon, 03 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/NEWS.CFM http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/News.cfm?c=&p=823 SwedishAmerican Presents 2013 Dr. Henry C. Anderson Quality Award Yesterday, SwedishAmerican Health System presented the Dr. Henry C. Anderson Quality Award, the organization's highest expression of distinction and appreciation, to Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer Dr. Kathleen Kelly, in recognition of her contributions to the organization’s pursuit of quality excellence. Over the course of her career, Dr. Kelly has worked diligently to promote quality throughout SwedishAmerican Health System. In addition to overseeing a medical staff of more than 500 providers, Dr. Kelly stays up-to-date on evidence-based medical practice and recognizes industry changes early on. She sets high quality and safety standards for SwedishAmerican, has a passion for quality care and wants all patients to receive the same level of care that she would like for her own family. Her influence has been felt throughout the SwedishAmerican organization, including its hospitals, clinics and home health department. Prior to her current role, Dr. Kelly served as the health system's director of clinical integration and improvement, and as medical director for Benchmark Health Insurance Company. In addition, she also maintained an internal medicine practice at SwedishAmerican Medical Group/Woodside. Dr. Kelly earned her undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Albany. She received her medical degree from the Albany Medical College in New York, completed residency training at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle and is board certified in internal medicine. She has held administrative positions with several organizations including Kaiser Permanente (lead internist), John Deere Health Care (medical director) and Northern Illinois Hospice Association (volunteer medical director). SwedishAmerican congratulates Dr. Kelly for earning the Dr. Henry C. Anderson Quality Award. About the Dr. Henry C. Anderson Quality Award Throughout his long association with SwedishAmerican, Dr. Henry C. Anderson was instrumental in the organization's quality initiatives. Before serving as vice president for professional affairs and chief quality officer, Dr. Anderson practiced family medicine in Rockford for more than 40 years. The award bearing his name reflects the values he brought to our organization: a commitment to excellence; sound judgment; principled leadership; and exceptional integrity. Recipients meet these rigorous tests and set invaluable examples for others. About SwedishAmerican Health System SwedishAmerican is a not-for-profit, locally governed healthcare system, headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The health system is comprised of two hospitals, 30 clinics, a home health care agency, and a foundation. Through an exclusive affiliation with UW Health, SwedishAmerican will soon expand world-class cancer services across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin when it opens a new cancer center in October 2013. Thu, 30 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/NEWS.CFM http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/News.cfm?c=&p=822 SwedishAmerican Medical Group broke ground on its new Stateline clinic today, during a special ceremony in the village of Rockton, Illinois. In addition to SwedishAmerican President and CEO Dr. Bill Gorski, Vice President Don Daniels and other SwedishAmerican officials and physicians, Winnebago County Board Member Jim Webster (District 2); Winnebago County Chief Operating Officer David Peterson; Rockton Mayor Dale Adams; and Dave Diamond from Walter Wayne Development were present for the event. Scheduled to open in spring of 2014, SwedishAmerican Medical Group/Stateline will operate from a 20,000-square-foot facility on E. Rockton Rd., west of I-90 and east of Dorr Road. It will offer a wide range of services, including primary care; immediate care (seven days per week); specialty care; mammography; physical therapy; MRI; X-ray; ultrasound; cardio stress ECHO; non-stress testing; and laboratory. The clinic initially will be staffed by two family physicians, an obstetrician/gynecologist, a podiatrist and one mid-level primary care provider. It is being constructed with expansion in mind, and will be able to accommodate up to six primary care providers. Other specialties will be offered on a rotating basis, including cardiology, orthopedics and pulmonology. “Our new clinic represents SwedishAmerican's commitment to the Stateline region, including the communities of Rockton, Roscoe, South Beloit and Beloit,” says Daniels. “Our goal is to provide area residents with convenient access to high-quality healthcare, and that’s what this facility is all about." SwedishAmerican has served the Stateline area for approximately 20 years from its existing clinic on Hononegah Road in Roscoe. The new SAMG/Stateline facility is being constructed in response to strong patient demand. It will replace the existing Roscoe location with a larger clinic capable of accommodating a broader range of services and providers. About SwedishAmerican Health System SwedishAmerican is a not-for-profit, locally governed healthcare system, headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The health system is comprised of two hospitals, 30 clinics, a home health care agency, and a foundation. Through an exclusive affiliation with UW Health, SwedishAmerican will soon expand world-class cancer services across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin when it opens a new cancer center in October 2013. Tue, 28 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/NEWS.CFM http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/News.cfm?c=&p=821 Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 19, for the 28th annual Ryan Jury Memorial Golf Outing. Golfing will be at the Aldeen Golf Club, and the dinner will be held at Giovanni’s Restaurant and Convention Center. Family, friends, SwedishAmerican employees and the general public are invited to participate in the outing, which will help to raise funds for the Ryan Jury Child Development Learning Center. Over the past 27 years, $873,000 has been raised through the event. Cost of the outing is $125, which includes golf, continental breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner only is $50. The golf format is a four-person scramble. There will be three divisions—four men, four women or two men/two women. Golfing will begin with 7:00 AM and 12:30 PM shotgun starts. The evening dinner, which begins at 6:00 PM, includes a sit-down dinner, entertainment by Carl Cole and a silent auction. State’s Attorney Paul Logli will be the emcee. At the end of the evening, the Jury family will present SwedishAmerican President and COO Rich Walsh with a check. In addition to the golf outing, there will be two separate raffles—a 50/50 raffle and a raffle for a 50-inch flat screen TV, personal tablet, and $100 gas card—all to benefit the Ryan Jury Child Development Learning Center. Proceeds from previous outings have helped purchase smart tables for the classrooms. Tickets for the raffles are available in SwedishAmerican’s Volunteer office, located in the concourse on the third floor of SwedishAmerican Hospital. Tickets may be purchased for only $1 each. The winner will receive half of what is sold of the 50/50 raffle. For more information about the golf outing or dinner, please contact Director of Community Relations Jan Hagenlocher at (815) 966-2066. About SwedishAmerican Health System SwedishAmerican is a not-for-profit, locally governed healthcare system, headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The health system is comprised of two hospitals, 30 clinics, a home health care agency, and a foundation. Through an exclusive affiliation with UW Health, SwedishAmerican will soon expand world-class cancer services across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin when it opens a new cancer center in October 2013. Thu, 23 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/NEWS.CFM http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/News.cfm?c=&p=820 SwedishAmerican’s Construction Management Department will hold an awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 14, at 6 p.m. in the concourse area just inside the State Street entrance to the hospital, in the outpatient waiting area. Scholarship awards will be given to East High School art students who entered SwedishAmerican’s Art Scholarship Competition. Students participating are currently enrolled in art classes at East High School. The artwork theme for the competition is “Healing through Art.” “At SwedishAmerican, we believe that there are many paths to healing and that health is truly a balance of mind, body and spirit," says Glenn Evans, director of facility planning, design and construction. “Enhancing the hospital environment with light, soothing colors and sound, and a sense of touch, complements the healing process." Tom Heflin, local and renowned artist, will be one of the guest speakers at the awards ceremony and was a competition juror. A scholarship award of $500 will be given to the first place entry. Other prizes and merit awards, as deemed appropriate, were decided by the competition jury at the time of judging. The student’s winning artwork will be displayed in the hospital lobby area throughout the next year. Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/NEWS.CFM http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/News.cfm?c=&p=819 The SwedishAmerican Foundation is proud to announce that it has been named as the 2013 winner of the Chester W. Anderson Civic Hero Award, presented by ZION Development. The Foundation was chosen as an organizational winner for: •Its efforts to serve the Mid Town District, especially children. •Bringing many outstanding and helpful programs to serve Mid Town District residents. •Expanding its mission dramatically, to embrace the new CICS-Patriots' charter school, which opened this year and now serves 258 students in grades K-4. •Working to coordinate its mission with those of Zion Lutheran Church and ZION Development to serve Mid Town in a more historical way. In a congratulatory letter to the Foundation, Nancy Johnson and Natalie Willis (daughters of the late Chester Anderson), said: "These are just a few of the high points of your selfless service to your neighborhood and to the community. We know you have done much, much more even than this. Thank you, SwedishAmerican Foundation, for being such a help and a hero in Mid Town and in our community." About Chester Anderson Chester "Chet" Anderson was a high-energy man who loved Rockford and the neighborhood around Zion Lutheran Church. He was also a man of action and he always had a project—so he put his love of community and the "parish" around Zion Lutheran to work all the time. He simply wanted to see the neighborhood and the community stronger and the people better off. He was a long-time leader in the church, and he was proud to be a founding member of the board of ZION development, a Christian neighborhood development organization that sprang from Zion Lutheran in 1982. When Chet Anderson passed away in August of 2008, gifts given in his memory were used to honor those people and organizations that continue to do heroic things in service to others in the neighborhood or community. About the SwedishAmerican Foundation Established in 1981, the SwedishAmerican Foundation raises, invests and distributes funds for the benefit of SwedishAmerican Health System and its mission to take care of the Rockford community. This includes SwedishAmerican Hospital, its clinics and the neighborhood surrounding the hospital. About SwedishAmerican Health System SwedishAmerican is a not-for-profit, locally governed healthcare system, headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The health system is comprised of two hospitals, 30 clinics, a home health care agency, and a foundation. Through an exclusive affiliation with UW Health, SwedishAmerican will soon expand world-class cancer services across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin when it opens a new cancer center in October 2013. Thu, 09 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/NEWS.CFM http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/News.cfm?c=&p=818 SwedishAmerican Hospital was honored with its second consecutive “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. Hospital Safety Scores (A, B, C, D or F) are assigned semiannually to U.S. hospitals based on preventable medical errors, injuries, accidents and infections. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety (April 2013), Hospital Safety Score is designed to give the public information they can use to protect themselves and their families. “At SwedishAmerican, we put forth great effort to maintain our position as the ‘quality leader’ among health systems in northern Illinois,” says Dr. Kathleen Kelly, SwedishAmerican's Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer. “Providing a safe environment for our patients continues to be our number one priority, and our performance in this area is reflected in this national distinction.” “Earning an ‘A’ on the Hospital Safety Score demonstrates that this hospital has exhibited excellence in our national database of patient safety measures,” says Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “I’d like to congratulate SwedishAmerican for your achievements and encourage you to continue to put a priority on the safety of your patients.” To see SwedishAmerican’s scores as they compare nationally and locally, visit the Hospital Safety Score Web site at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org, which provides information on how the public can protect themselves and loved ones during a hospital stay. Local hospitals’ scores are also available on the free mobile app, available at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org. Calculated under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group’s eight-member Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 26 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single score representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from infections, injuries and medical and medication errors. The panel includes: John Birkmeyer (University of Michigan), Ashish Jha (Harvard University), Arnold Millstein (Stanford University), Peter Pronovost (Johns Hopkins University), Patrick Romano (University of California, Davis), Sara Singer (Harvard University), Tim Vogus (Vanderbilt University) and Robert Wachter (University of California, San Francisco). About SwedishAmerican Health System SwedishAmerican is a not-for-profit, locally governed healthcare system, headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The health system is comprised of two hospitals, 30 clinics, a home health care agency, and a foundation. Through an exclusive affiliation with UW Health, SwedishAmerican will soon expand world-class cancer services across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin when it opens a new cancer center in October 2013. About The Leapfrog Group The Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org) is a national nonprofit organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality and affordability of health care for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals. The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 with support from the Business Roundtable and national funders, and is now independently operated with support from its purchaser and other members. Wed, 08 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/NEWS.CFM http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/News.cfm?c=&p=817 To celebrate the grand opening of its new primary care clinic at 380 IL Rte 38 East in Rochelle's Caron Ridge Shopping Center, SwedishAmerican Medical Group is hosting a special celebration this Saturday, May 4, from 9 AM to noon. Attendees will enjoy free food, win door prizes and giveaways, and can register to win a Kindle. Children will have fun meeting SwedishAmerican's mascot, SAM the dog. In addition, family physician Dr. Luc Tchapnda will be on-hand to welcome guests. The new clinic offers a range of family medicine services, including initial diagnoses, annual exams, acute care, preventive care including immunizations, and the treatment of chronic diseases. In addition, patients also benefit from the availability of on-site laboratory and X-ray services. SwedishAmerican will offer a number of specialty services at the clinic on a rotating basis, beginning with OB/GYN. To learn more, or make an appointment, call 779-696-9050. About SwedishAmerican Health System SwedishAmerican is a not-for-profit, locally governed healthcare system, headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The health system is comprised of two hospitals, 30 clinics, a home health care agency, and a foundation. Through an exclusive affiliation with UW Health, SwedishAmerican will soon expand world-class cancer services across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin when it opens a new cancer center in October 2013. Fri, 03 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.swedishamerican.org/calendar_news/news/NEWS.CFM