Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

UPDATE: The victims are 33-year-old Robert Higginbotham, 33-year-old Clyde W. Nelson II and 36-year-old Delores Woodall, all of Kane. Three people are dead following a crash on Route 66 in Elk County Thursday night. The accident happened at about 9:15 p.m. in Highland Township, when a vehicle that was traveling south crossed the centerline and went into the northbound lane, where it collided with another vehicle. Police say the first vehicle rolled, ejected the 33-year-old man who was driving. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Another 33-year-old man, who was a passenger, was also pronounced dead at the scene. A woman in the car died at Kane Community Hospital. Police are withholding the names of the victims until their families are notified. The driver of the second vehicle, Larry Saline Jr. of Johnsonburg, was not hurt. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

KANE -- On Friday, May 17, all day, Zook Motors, Inc. and Ford Motors Company are sponsoring a DRIVE 4 UR COMMUNITY to benefit Kane Community Hospital. They will donate $20 for every test-drive done on Friday up to 300, with a goal of earning $6,000 for the KCH Futures Fund and the KCH Cafe Makeover Project. KCH has already entered a Ford photo contest that gives the Hospital a chance to double the Drive total. We have a potential $12,000 riding on your support. So come to the KCH Parking Lot, anytime from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and drive the Ford vehicle of your choice from Zook's impressive lineup. Test drives take about 10 minutes --You register, you drive, you complete a survey. No sales pitch or pressure. So come drive for your community and help KCH reach the goal of 300 test-drives. There is grass/field parking for your vehicles while you drive and participate in other activities. Also at the event will be a bake sale, a Chinese auction, and some tickets rema...

A Marienville woman suffered minor injuries in an accident this morning in Elk County. State police say 49-year-old Sheryl Armstrong was on Route 948 just west of Forest Road at around 9:30 this morning when her minivan went out of control on the snow-covered road, left the road, hit an embankment and ended up in a ditch. Armstrong was taken by Ridgway ambulance to Kane Community Hospital. She was cited for driving at an unsafe speed. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Amy Peterson, LPN and Infection Control professional at Kane Community Hospital has announced visitation restrictions: “Flu season is in full swing with cases on the rise and expected to climb higher. In response, KCH has enacted visitor restrictions. The hospital asks that people who are sick and those under the age of 18 not visit patients in the hospital.” Influenza or the “flu” is a contagious respiratory illness that is caused by the influenza virus When people who are suffering from the flu, cough, sneeze or talk, droplets of moisture from these actions can be inhaled and can infect people up to six feet away. The flu can come on abruptly. The symptoms of the flu include a high fever of up to 104 degrees and extreme fatigue. Other symptoms include, sore throat, nasal congestion, headache, muscle aches and a cough. Anyone exhibiting these symptoms should stay at home and stay hydrated with water and juices. The following individuals should take extra precautions during the flu...

Tina Elder, KCH Controller, and coordinator of the Third Annual Ladies Night Out (LNO) at KCH suggests, "Ladies of the area, please mark the date of Wednesday, September 12 from 5-8 p.m. on your calendars to attend KCH Ladies Night -- 2012 at Kane Community Hospital, an affiliate of UPMC Hamot. There is no cost to participate. And bring your girl friends, grandmothers, aunts, mothers, daughters and sisters! Join us on the Ground and Second Floors of Kane Community Hospital for an evening of fun and learning about women's health issues. Please enter the hospital through the Main Lobby Entrance around back," Elder noted. "October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we hope you'll schedule your October mammogram at the event. Free Incentive tickets are provided participants throughout the event for healthy choices to be used in our Chinese Auction (last year the Chinese Auction included more than 50 baskets/prizes donated by hospital departments and local busin...

On Sunday, August 19, the 17th Annual KCH Charity Golf Scramble took place at Kane Country Club. Seventeen teams enjoyed a beautiful day of golf. Five teams shared the Scramble's $2,000 plus purse. First Place -- (low gross) went to the foursome of Randy Larson, Doug Johnson, Joe Gentile and Scott Bizzak; Second Place (low net, first team) went to the team of Joe Geer, Ralph Tassone, Rich Geer, and Brian Brinkley; Third Place (low net, second team) went to the Team of Scott McCann, Mike Washington, Tom Drumm, Bob McCann; Fourth Place (low net, third team) went to the foursome of Karl Swanson, Rick Walter, Dick English, Joe Haulik; and Fifth Place -- low net, fourth team, went to Sam Lindberg, Chris Sundberg, Randy Durante and Ron Carty. Skins contest winners were: Eagle on #2 and #4 by the team of Joe Gentile, Scott Bizzak, Doug Johnson and Randy Larson; Birdie on #5 was the team of Joe Rupp, Eric Bond, Tony Cecchetti, Bill Cecchetti; Eagle on #6 by team of Scott McCann, Mike W...

Kane Community Hospital has announced the 17th Annual KCH Charity Golf Tournament, a four-person scramble, to be held Sunday, August 19, at the Kane Country Club. The KCH Golf Scramble has a $2,000 prize purse and two special contests: a "hole-in-one" contest sponsored by Zook Motors for a 2012 Ford/Mercury Vehicle with an estimated value of $25K, and new this year a "putting contest" sponsored by Ely Well Service, LLC for $10K -- a $10 shot at $10K by sinking three designated putts with combined total of 100 ft. The team registration fee ($280) includes greens fees, carts, buffet dinner, and extra game fees of mulligans, skins, and flag Insurance. The deadline for team pre-registration is August 13. The tournament has a 36-team maximum. Proceeds from this year's tournament are designated for patient room makeovers. The KCH Golf Scramble has a 1 p.m. shotgun start, cash bar 5:30-6:30 p.m. and a buffet dinner at 6:30 p.m. with announcement of winners and prizes...

A Victorian Tea hosted for the young at heart was enjoyed by about 90 guests. It is the first tea by the KCH Employee Action Team, an event the group hopes will become an annual event to raise money for projects that enhance patient care and services at Kane Community Hospital, an affiliate of UPMC Hamot. The Tea was held at First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall on Sunday afternoon. Guests from Johnsonburg, Mt. Jewett, Sheffield, Kane and all parts in between attended. For dozens of little girls, it was a first formal tea party. Many guests wore beautiful dresses, hats or other hair ornament, gloves, and at least one tiara. Guests enjoyed an array of tea sandwiches and cookies, and a few extras along with tea or punch, conversation, and formal and informal photo shots. This year's proceeds benefit a planned KCH Cafe Makeover that will provide patients and their families an updated food service delivery and gathering space. Event Coordinator Sue Singer, LPN and office...

J. Gary Rhodes, Vice President, UPMC Hamot and CEO of Kane Community Hospital, has announced that "Mohammed Nawaz Suddle, MD, physician of internal medicine, will extend his internal medicine practice to patients in Mt. Jewett at UPMC Hamot Medical Park, 18 W. Main Street. He will begin to see patients there in mid-May." "To KCH, Dr. Suddle brings a wide range of medical skills that include internal medicine, emergency medicine, noninvasive cardiology and occupational health. One of the benefits of practicing in a small community hospital is the opportunity it affords physicians to use their full complement of skills, as Dr. Suddle does so well," Rhodes said. "Dr. Suddle joined the medical staff at KCH in January of 2002 as an Emergency Room Physician. At the end of 2002, when Renato Ocampo, MD retired his general medicine practice, and several years later when Bruno Sicher, MD retired his family practice, Dr. Suddle assumed these practices while e...

A new and potentially life-saving technology is now being piloted at Kane Community Hospital’s Emergency Room. KCH’s affiliation with UPMC Hamot makes this pilot possible. “It’s called the stroke telemedicine program,” stated KCH ER Nurse Manager Cindy Salerno, RN, CEN, PHRN. “What that means is, when a patient comes to our ER with stroke-like symptoms, our ER doctor and nursing staff, and more importantly the patient, will be able to consult directly with a neurologist at UPMC Hamot in Erie." "When an acute stroke patient arrives at the KCH ER, and the ER physician determines a call to UPMC Hamot is indicated, the call is made and a neurologist is dispatched to a specialized office to begin an assessment of the patient," Mary Parana, RN, ADON, Director of Outpatient Services at KCH noted. "This is possible because of mobile monitoring equipment that allows the stroke patient to be seen and be assessed by the neurologist with video camera and monitor at...

More than 30 health and wellness providers will offer screenings and demonstrations at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s annual Health and Wellness Fair next week. The event, sponsored by Pitt-Bradford’s Office of Health Services, is free and open to the public. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 5 in the Mukaiyama University Room in the Frame-Westerberg Commons. Free tests include a bone density screening by the Bradford Regional Medical Center School of Radiography, glaucoma testing by Eye Care Professional Associates, body fat analysis by the Pitt-Bradford sports medicine program and blood pressure check by Kane Community Hospital, an affiliate of UPMC Hamot. Massage therapy demonstrations will be presented by Lisa’s Hairport, which will also offer paraffin hand dips with reflexology. Pitt-Bradford’s Counseling Services will provide alcohol abuse and depression screenings. Community Resources for Independence Inc. wi...

In the Summer J. Gary Rhodes, Vice President of UPMC Hamot and CEO of Kane Community Hospital, an affiliate of UPMC Hamot, announced that UPMC Hamot would begin construction of a new physician center in Mt. Jewett to improve access to quality healthcare and to better serve residents of the area. Site preparation has begun at the 20-22 W. Main Street location in Mt. Jewett. Foundation will be laid and the structure closed in by mid-November. At a recent groundbreaking, Jim Fiorenzo, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, UPMC Hamot told Mt. Jewett officials that “we consider this Medical Center in Mt. Jewett an investment in community healthcare for the region. It’s important that our regional investment starts in the communities where our patients live. And, that our investments enhance access to primary care and specialty clinics in an area served by KCH, our first fully UPMC Hamot affiliated community hospital. Should a patient ever need to leave the community ...

J. Gary Rhodes, Vice President of UPMC Hamot and CEO of Kane Community Hospital (KCH) presented the annual state of the hospital at the weekly meeting of Kane Rotary last week. At the conclusion of the 2011 fiscal year, that ended June 30, 2011, the bottom line was a net income of $1,353,181, a turn-around of $1.56 million from the previous fiscal year that ended with a loss of $209K. “This is the best year our hospital has ever had since I’ve been here,” stated Rhodes, who came to KCH in 1987 and become its CEO in 1996. In November of 2009 KCH became the first controlled affiliate of the Hamot Health Foundation. In February of this year, KCH became affiliated with UPMC by virtue of Hamot’s integration with the UPMC Health System. UPMC, with home base in Pittsburgh, is the largest employer in Western Pennsylvania. Hamot is the largest medical facility to link with UPMC. Regarding KCH Rhodes stated, “We’re a UPMC hospital like any other UPMC hospital. The only difference is that we ke...

There is a “1 in 8” lifetime risk for women to develop breast cancer. And National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NBCAM, is a great month to schedule an annual mammogram. With all the national media attention each October, it helps remind woman of this critical screen for breast cancer. Early detection remains the best protection. KCH has an aggressive program in the detection of breast cancer at its earliest and takes care to follow-up, often at the time of the original mammogram, when the results of the mammogram alone are inconclusive to a skilled eye. KCH’s Chief of Radiology – Jamil Sarfraz, M.D. – has a special interest in breast health and is American Board Certified not only in Diagnostic Radiology, but also in Nuclear Medicine and Internal Medicine. His expertise in the early diagnosis of breast cancer is well known and sought after in the region. At KCH the immediate follow-up of dense breast tissue is with ultrasound. This aids in the accuracy of the diagnosis. It’s ...

Kane Community Hospital (KCH) marked a major electronic health record (EHR) adoption milestone recently when the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Analytics recognized the 31-bed facility with Stage 6 Certification. HIMSS Analytics created its Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model using an eight-step scale that charts the path to a fully paperless health records environment. KCH is the 183rd hospital in the country—placing it among just 3.5% of U.S. hospitals—to achieve Stage 6 Certification. The requirements for HIMSS Analytics certification set a high bar for hospitals. KCH had to demonstrate that all application capabilities for Stage 6 Certification were operational, and that all lower certification levels had been achieved. This means KCH has met the HIMSS Analytics certification requirements in 20 areas, including radiology, transcription, pharmacy, patient care instructions, clinical decision support, clinical documentation, order communication (C...

Kane Community Hospital is gaining recognition as an IT leader among hospitals. In July KCH was named one of the American Hospital Association's "Most Wired Hospitals for 2011" by Hospitals and Health Networks magazine. Kane Community Hospital is among only 154 organizations (both large and small) to make this year's Most Wired list. For the 13th year, Hospitals & Health Networks has named the "Most Wired" hospitals and health systems, based on the "Most Wired" Survey. The 2011 survey results continue to build on the new analytic structure that was implemented in 2010 after two years of redesign. This year, many additional requirements corresponded to meaningful use criteria, although they were not as stringent as federal meaningful use requirements. Hospitals and health systems are assessed based on progress in adoption, implementation and use of information technology in four critical areas: infrastructure, business and administrative manag...

On Sunday, August 21, the 16th Annual KCH Charity Golf Scramble took place at Kane Country Club. Despite clouds and intermittent showers, a great day was enjoyed by 92 players of 23 teams taking part in this year’s tournament. Proceeds from the 2011 tournament will support KCH’s new Sleep Center that opens in September. Five teams enjoyed the $2,000 plus purse: First Place -- low gross, 55, went to the Northwest Savings Bank foursome of Randy Durante, Chris Sundberg, Joe Colosimo and Ron Dellen; Second Place -- low net, first team 55, went to the team of Scott McCann, Bob McCann, Mike Washington, and Tim Washington; Third Place -- low net, second team, 58 (blind draw #12) went to the Daugherty Contracting Team of Buzz Daugherty, Scott Bines, Tim Baker and George Horetsky; Fourth Place – low net, third team, 58 (blind draw #12) went to the threesome of Travis Menteer, George Saleh, and Robin Copley, who was not available for the photo. Fifth Plac...

Back-to-School Driving Tips from "The Safety Mom" On Monday, August 15, Kellie Ely, Physical Therapist and manager of KCH Rehabilitation Services, shared tips on backpack safety with parents and kids at the Kane Area Community Center. Monday was a day for Kane Area kids and parents to pick up a pair of new sneakers, socks and backpacks in preparation for school. The items and money were donated through a community drive conducted by the Kane Area Community Center. More that a hundred pairs of new sneakers and socks and 60 new backpacks were gathered in this year's very successful drive. August 15 proved to be a great day to be a kid in the Kane Area. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) sponsors an annual National School Backpack Awareness Day in September. AOTA tells us that “aching backs and shoulders, tingling arms, weakened muscles, and stooped posture are some of the symptoms to look for when kids wear a school backpack that is too heavy. Ca...

J. Gary Rhodes, Vice President of UPMC Hamot and CEO of KCH announced today that "UPMC Hamot is expected to begin construction of a new Medical Park in Mt. Jewett this summer to improve access to quality healthcare and better serve residents of the area." Completion of the facility is expected before winter. The Family Medicine practices of Linda Rettger, M.D. and Eric Asp, PA-C will relocate to the new "UPMC Hamot Medical Park - Mt. Jewett" on Main Street in the commercial area of Mt. Jewett. Physicians of Internal Medicine and Women’s Health (OB/GYN) as well as extended hours of operation are also anticipated. The 2,600 square foot center will allow two physicians to see patients at the same time with six exam rooms, a minor procedure room, plus support and wait areas. The center will be connected to KCH and UPMC Hamot via high-speed fiber optics allowing use of the electronic medical record system of KCH and the expansion of telemedicine services provided by ...

Erie, PA- In just two months, significant progress has been made in providing greater access to advanced medical care to four regional hospitals thanks to a federal grant awarded to Hamot Medical Center in late summer. Then Representative Kathy Dahlkemper presented Hamot with the $99,000 Health and Human Services grant in mid-September, a grant for which Hamot applied with Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport, Elk Regional Health Center in St. Marys, Kane Community Hospital in Kane and Bradford Regional Medical Center in Bradford. The grant was requested specifically to help facilitate transportation of critically ill patients. The cache of equipment was ordered and was delivered Friday, January 21st to each of the rural hospital, where it will be permanently located. The equipment includes an Alaris IV pump and tubing, CPAP and ventilators for EMS which feature bipap. Each of the hospitals received this cache of equipment so EMS units can borrow them from the regional ...