Category: News

Pender, NE (March 27, 2023) – Pender Community Hospital District and Little Sprouts Child Development Center, in partnership with Pender Public Schools, have been approved for a childcare license for Little Pendragon Summer Program, a school-age childcare center to be operated at Pender Public Schools during the summer.

Little Pendragon Summer Program will provide care for children entering Kindergarten in the fall up to age 12 from any school district. Staff from Little Sprouts Child Development Center and Pender Public Schools will lead the program and provide care for enrolled children. Little Pendragon Summer Program will be open Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The program will provide engaging summer programing, including regular visits to the swimming pool, various camps, field trips, educational outings and other activities. The program also hopes to partner with area business to encourage community engagement and philanthropy.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Pender Public Schools to offer a summer program for school-age kids,” said Laura Gamble, Pender Community Hospital District CEO. “This partnership will ensure kids have a safe place to go during the summer and provide them with wonderful social and educational opportunities.”

Pre-enrollment is now open, and applications are being accepted. As a licensed program within the state of Nebraska, the program will accept childcare subsidy. For more information on childcare subsidy visit https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Child-Care-Parents.aspx.

For a pre-enrollment packet, contact Little Sprouts Child Development Center at 402-385-6248 or via email at littlesprouts@pchne.org.

About Pender Community Hospital District

Pender Community Hospital (PCH) has been providing quality healthcare in northeast Nebraska since 1913. The 21-bed critical access hospital (CAH) was recognized by the Chartis Center for Rural Health as a Top-100 CAH for three consecutive years, from 2019-2021. PCH comprises not only the hospital but also several clinics and apothecaries, as well as Prairie Breeze Assisted Living and Little Sprouts Child Development Center. For more information, visit pchne.org.

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Pender, NE (March 20, 2023) – Pender Community Hospital today announced it has been recognized as a 2023 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX™.

“I’m very proud of our team’s continuous hard work and dedication,” Laura Gamble, CEO for Pender Community Hospital. “This recognition is something we don’t take lightly; it’s a true testament of the strong commitment of the entire team who works at Pender Community Hospital and Medical Clinics, and also a reflection of our supportive community,” she continued. “We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality care and serving as a resource our community knows they can trust. We’re very honored to have been recognized 4 times and to be among this elite group of healthcare providers.”

“Across the nation, top 100 rural providers continue to serve as a source of inspiration for hospital leadership teams and staff working diligently every day to improve the delivery of care within their local communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, the Chartis Center for Rural Health. “The list of award winners in each category is as geographically diverse as we’ve seen in some time, which is wonderful to see. We’re thrilled to be able to honor the outstanding efforts of these top performing rural hospitals.”

Now in its 13th year, the INDEX has established itself as the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging publicly available data, the INDEX is trusted by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations and state offices of rural health across the country to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

About Pender Community Hospital District

Pender Community Hospital (PCH) has been providing quality healthcare in northeast Nebraska since 1913. The 21-bed critical access hospital (CAH) was recognized by the Chartis Center for Rural Health as a Top-100 CAH for three consecutive years, from 2019-2021. PCH comprises not only the hospital but also several clinics and pharmacies, as well as Prairie Breeze Assisted Living and Little Sprouts Child Development Center. For more information, visit pchne.org.

Pender, NE (December 19, 2022) – Pender Community Hospital and Medical Clinics have announced that it will be utilizing Bryan Health Connect as its Accountable Care Organization (ACO), effective January 1, 2023. The organization had previously worked with a different organization for ACO services.

An ACO is a collection of healthcare providers who work together with Medicare to offer patients high quality, affordable care. The coordinated care approach of an ACO is beneficial to Medicare patients for a variety of reasons; these organizations help reduce the need for duplicate tests or unnecessary appointments, while also boosting preventative screenings that identify health concerns in early stages.

“Pender Medical Clinic is excited to join the Bryan Health Connect Accountable Care Organization. This premier, Nebraska-based ACO aligns well with our Pender philosophy of providing high-quality, high-value care to our patients,” said PCH Chief Executive Officer Laura Gamble. “Bryan brings numerous resources, tools and technologies to enable our staff to further grow programs and services for patient care.”
For more information, Medicare patients should contact the Health Coach Office at (402) 385-3033 option 3.

About Pender Community Hospital District
Pender Community Hospital (PCH) has been providing quality healthcare in northeast Nebraska since 1913. The 21-bed critical access hospital (CAH) was recognized by the Chartis Center for Rural Health as a Top-100 CAH for three consecutive years, from 2019-2021. PCH comprises not only the hospital but also several clinics and apothecaries, as well as Prairie Breeze Assisted Living and Little Sprouts Child Development Center. For more information, visit pchne.org

Pender Community Hospital welcomed Kate Mueller to its staff on Monday, Aug. 22. As a new part-time physician assistant in family medicine, Mueller will see patients in PCH’s ER, as well as at both the Pender and Emerson Medical Clinics. 

Prior to joining PCH, Mueller was employed at NuWest Medical Clinic in Norfolk; before that, she worked at Memorial Health Clinic in Aurora for nearly six years. As a physician assistant, Mueller has experience helping patients of all ages manage acute and chronic illnesses, as well as providing both routine and preventative healthcare. Mueller has also worked in ER settings, as well as inpatient admittance.

Mueller earned a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from the University of Nebraska Medical Center; and earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry health science from Wayne State College.

In addition, Mueller has been certified in the following areas: Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS); Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS); Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS); Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP); Basic Life Support (BLS); and National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. She is also a member of several professional organizations, including both the American and Nebraska Academies of Physician Assistants.Family medicine providers at PCH offer a full-scope of comprehensive care for patients of all ages. For more information, visit our primary care page.

Pender Community Hospital is pleased to welcome Dr. Hemantha Koduri to our Outpatient Specialty Clinic in Pender.

Dr. Koduri completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Illinois’ St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago, and then worked as an assistant professor of medicine and teaching hospitalist in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Chicago. He completed fellowship training in vascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic; he then finished fellowship training in general cardiovascular medicine at Creighton University, Omaha, NE. Following his general cardiology training, he joined Penn State’s Hershey Medical Center, where he graduated in interventional vascular, cardiology and structural heart diseases.

Dr. Koduri is board certified in internal medicine, vascular medicine, vascular imaging, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, general cardiovascular medicine and interventional cardiovascular medicine.
Dr. Koduri has expertise in treating patients with thrombosis, hypertension, lipid disorders, heart rhythm abnormalities, heart attacks, heart valve and structural disorders, heart failure, and blockages in blood vessels of the neck, arms, legs, abdomen including aorta, kidney arteries and varicose veins. He performs high-risk coronary and peripheral arterial interventions including chronic total occlusions (CTO) for revascularization, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, venous ablation and stenting.

Dr. Koduri will see patients on the 1st Friday of every month. He looks forward to providing comprehensive and effective care to patients with all types of vascular disease. To schedule an appointment, please call 402-385-4090.

Pender Community Hospital is pleased to welcome new CFO Beth Wewel, MPA, and the new director of Little Sprouts Child Development Center, Ashley Tremayne-Ziska, to the community.

Pender Community Hospital & Medical Clinics welcomes Chelsea (Brinkman) Moore, PA-C to their list of providers. She will primarily care for patients in the PCH emergency department. As a passionate, skilled medical professional and native of Pender, she will be an invaluable asset to the healthcare system.

Chelsea recently graduated from UNMC and is excited to be able to start her career in the same place that rooted her desire to help others. Being born and raised in Pender made it an easy decision to return and give back to the community that has supported her throughout her education.

“The desire to help others and also expand my knowledge in the ever-changing field of medicine is what inspired me to become a Physician Assistant,” Chelsea shared.

Pender Community Hospital was the first critical access hospital in the state to offer robotic-assisted surgery, making expert care and state-of-the-art technology accessible where it’s closer for patients and their families. Relationships with outreach surgeons like Dr. Volz, combined with advanced technology, PCH provides patients with the expert services they need, and the local, personalized care they’ve always trusted.

She will be stepping into a new role at PCH that will further support their mission to provide the highest quality care for patients. Her main care focus will be within the ER, where she will provide daytime coverage four days a week and night coverage twice a month. This will allow other providers to focus on patients at the medical clinic. Chelsea will also provide clinic coverage as needed.

The addition of another full-time provider at PCH is a great benefit to patients, staff and the community.

In her downtime, Chelsea enjoys spending time with her husband Spencer, their corgi Archie, and friends and family. She also enjoys cooking, watching movies, reading books, and being outdoors as much as possible through camping and hiking.

Pender Community Hospital received the 2021 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital honor, making this the third year in a row that the healthcare system has been recognized with the distinction. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this 11^thannual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX®.

Dr. Cole Reha, medical director for Pender Community Hospital, shared his thoughts on the recognition. “I’m so proud of our team’s hard work and dedication,” he said. “This distinction is something we never take lightly; it’s a true reflection of the strong commitment of everyone who works at Pender Community Hospital and Clinics, and also a reflection of our supportive community,” he continued. “We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality care and serving as a resource our community knows they can trust. We’re very honored to be among this elite group of healthcare providers.”   

“The Top 100 program continues to illuminate strategies and innovation for delivering higher quality care and better outcomes within rural communities,” said Michael Topchik, national leader of The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “We are delighted to be able to spotlight the efforts of these facilities through the INDEX framework.”

Over the course of the last 11 years, the INDEX has grown to become the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Based entirely on public data and utilizing 36 independent indicators, the INDEX assesses rural hospitals across eight pillars of performance, including market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and financial efficiency. The INDEX framework is widely used across the nation by independent rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints and state offices of rural health, which provide access to INDEX analytics through grant-funded initiatives.

Pender Community Hospital welcomes Dr. Lawrence T. Volz, MD, FACS, of Midlands Clinic, who will provide general surgery services at the healthcare system. Dr. Volz’s vast medical experience and surgical expertise will give community members access to state-of-the-art surgical services, utilizing innovative technology that is usually found in much larger hospitals

An accomplished surgeon with 23 years of experience, Dr. Volz is proficient in robotic-assisted surgery and has utilized the technology in over 300 procedures. “Minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgery has many advantages,” said Dr. Volz. “It allows surgeons to use great precision so incisions are smaller, healing is faster and scarring is minimal. Patients also experience less pain, so they don’t need strong medications, like opioids. And they can leave the hospital sooner to return to their normal lives.”

Dr. Volz graduated from Creighton University School of Medicine in Nebraska and completed a general surgery residency at Baystate Medical Center in Massachusetts. In addition to robotic-assisted surgery, he performs other minimally invasive procedures, general surgery, laparoscopic procedures, hernia repair, gallbladder surgery, breast and abdominal surgeries and vascular access procedures. Dr. Volz holds medical licenses in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota and begins seeing patients at Pender Community Hospital this month. 

Pender Community Hospital was the first critical access hospital in the state to offer robotic-assisted surgery, making expert care and state-of-the-art technology accessible where it’s closer for patients and their families. Relationships with outreach surgeons like Dr. Volz, combined with advanced technology, PCH provides patients with the expert services they need, and the local, personalized care they’ve always trusted.

Pender Community Hospital Welcomes OB/GYN Physician and Three Behavioral Health Providers.

Pender Community Hospital in Pender, NE, welcomes four new providers to supplement care offerings for patients in the communities the PCH healthcare system serves.

Dr. Gregory Heidrick is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and specializes in operative gynecology. He is highly skilled in minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery. With over 30 years of expertise, his unique approach customizes procedures to fit the person, rather than using a one-size-fits-all standard, so every patient receives her most effective treatment. Providing this personalized care has enhanced Dr. Heidrick’s surgical repertoire and made him a pioneer, and leader, in OB/GYN procedures in the region. To date, Dr. Heidrick has performed more than 3,000 robotic-assisted procedures and looks forward to helping PCH patients. He will begin seeing patients at the PCH Outpatient Specialty Clinic every other Tuesday starting September 1.

Jenna Johnson, APRN-NP, will support the PCH behavioral health team, treating children, teens and young adults. Jenna will provide psychiatric evaluations and medication monitoring for patients ages 5 to 23 and believes in providing patient-centered care to help young people get the support they need to live their healthiest lives. She is currently seeing patients at the PCH Outpatient Specialty Clinic on the first Tuesday of each month.

Brooklee Tynes, PhD and clinical psychologist, will treat patients ages 5 to 19. Dr. Tynes conducts social/emotional, developmental and cognitive assessments for this younger patient group and also provides therapy services. She delivers evidence-based interventions to children, adolescents and their families to educate both the patients and their support systems, to better facilitate mental healing and meaningful behavior changes. Brooklee will see patients at the PCH Outpatient Specialty Clinic on the first Tuesday of each month.

Nikki Houlden, APRN-NP, will provide behavioral health care and support for adult and geriatric patients at PCH’s outpatient clinic. A strong advocate who believes that overall health is directly impacted by proper mental health care, Nikki will provide psychiatric evaluations and medication monitoring for patients over age 24. Nikki is currently seeing patients at the PCH Outpatient Specialty Clinic on the third Tuesday of each month.

“We are proud to enhance our already strong team at PCH with the addition of these experienced providers,” said Melissa Kelly, CEO of Pender Hospital Community. “They provide an incredible blend of education and knowledge and share PCH’s mission to provide exceptional healthcare services and compassionate patient care.”

For an appointment with our new OBGYN, Dr. Gregory Heidrick, call the PCH Outpatient Specialty Clinic at 402-385-4090. If you’re looking to set up an appointment with one of the new behavioral health providers, call the PCHBehavioral Health team at 402-385- 1898. Check with your insurance first to see if a referral is needed; if required, contact your primary care physician or any Pender Medical Clinic and ask about setting up the appropriate referrals.

About Pender Community Hospital District
Pender’s hospital dates back to 1913. Over the years, the Pender Community Medical System has become a model of an effective Rural Health System. Through the loyalty and generous support of everyone making up the hospital district, plus the dedication of the medical staff, board of directors, and hospital staff, we continue to deliver top quality health care.

Pender Community Hospital & Medical Clinics urge the community to be proactive when dealing with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The most important thing people can do right now is to stay home, wash your hands frequently and practice social distancing. Social distancing is a proven tool to stop or slow down the spread of contagious illnesses, such as COVID-19. To practice social distancing, avoid shaking hands, cancel large events, avoid large crowds, and keep a 6-foot distance between you and others.

“It’s critical that we take action now in order to protect our vulnerable population,” said Melissa Kelly, CEO. “Our community has a large, high-risk population that includes older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease. Because of this, it’s imperative to take social distancing and self-isolation very seriously.”

For individuals who feel sick or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (symptoms include fever greater than 100.4, cough, shortness of breath, and sore throat) it’s essential that your entire family self-quarantine. If possible, the individual with symptoms should isolate separately within the home, staying in a separated bedroom and bathroom area. When your entire family is under self-quarantine, no one should leave the home unless medical care in needed. This is absolutely essential to avoid spreading this highly contagious virus. Plan to have other people drop off needed supplies outside to prevent the disease from spreading to others.

Pender Community Hospital & Medical Clinics also want community members to know that if you have mild symptoms that appear like a cold, such as sneezing, running nose, cough, sore throat, you don’t need to be seen by a provider immediately. Patients experiencing symptoms are first asked to self-quarantine their entire family at home. If symptoms continue for 3 days, are getting worse, you are having difficulties breathing and/or shortness of breath,contact Pender Medical Clinic to visit with a provider. From there, providers will screen over the phone to assess your risk level and determine next steps.

It’s hard to understand when looking at worldwide statistics what this means to our own community. To put it into perspective, Pender Community Hospital and Medical Clinics see roughly 12,000 unique patients over a 3-year period. Using this number as a baseline population, the data starts to paint a concerning picture. Based on information we have available it’s estimated that 30 to 70% of our population will be infected with COVID-19. Of those, 10% would require hospitalization. In addition, 3% would need an ICU bed. These generic percentages don’t account for the increased at-risk population within our community compared to others.

Pender Community Hospital is a 21-bed facility and doesn’t have the same amount of resources as larger facilities. Even though PCH does provide services that rival those of larger facilities, when faced with a global pandemic, there simply aren’t enough resources to serve a large influx of patients at once, which could happen if people do not take social distancing, self-quarantining, and other measures to slow the spread seriously

In addition, the staff at PCH is smaller, so if predictions are correct, the hospital doesn’t have the bandwidth to support the estimated patients who could need care, at one time, if the community is not proactive. Pender Community Hospital and Clinics want to make sure that those who need medical attention will have healthy staff available to properly care for them.

PCH stresses that the intent of this information isn’t to scare anyone, but rather to reinforce the magnitude of the situation we are currently facing. People have a very real and important impact on helping our healthcare system, our healthcare providers, our community, and helping to avoid a potential crisis. Please, stay in. Practice social distancing. Finally, if you are sick, self-quarantine is not only important, but vital to protecting yourself and others in this wonderful community that we all share.

About Pender Community Hospital District
Pender’s hospital dates back to 1913. Over the years, the Pender Community Medical System has become a model of an effective Rural Health System. Through the loyalty and generous support of everyone making up the hospital district, plus the dedication of the medical staff, Board of Directors, and hospital staff, we continue to deliver top quality health care.

Pender Community Hospital in Pender, NE today announced it has been named a 2020 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. This annual award honoring rural hospital performance is determined by the results of iVantage Health Analytics’ Hospital Strength INDEX^®, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2020.

“We are honored to be recognized as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital,” said Melissa Kelly, CEO. “I whole-heartedly believe that this great achievement is the byproduct of the hard working, dedicated physicians and staff at Pender Community Hospital. We have high expectations as an organization, and together, we can achieve great things.”

Based entirely on publicly available data, the INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Utilizing 50 independent indicators, the INDEX assesses performance across eight pillars of performance that span market-, value- and finance-based categories. Hospitals recognized as a Top 100 facility had one of the 100 highest overall scores among all Critical Access Hospitals nationally.

“The Top 100 Critical Access Hospital award program reminds us that rural providers haven’t lost touch with their mission and are committed to delivering better quality, better outcomes and better patient satisfaction. It’s a pleasure to be able to not only recognize this year’s recipients, but our larger group of top 100 alumni as we celebrate 10 years of The Hospital Strength INDEX,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health.

Top 100 Hospital Resources:

The list of this year’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals as well as the INDEX methodology can be found at www.ivantageindex.com/top-performing-hospitals.

To learn more about The Chartis Center for Rural Health or to speak with someone regarding the INDEX and the Top 100, please email Billy Balfour at wbalfour@chartis.com.

About Pender Community Hospital District
Pender’s hospital dates back to 1913. Over the years, the Pender Community Medical System has become a model of an effective Rural Health System. Through the loyalty and generous support of everyone making up the hospital district, plus the dedication of the medical staff, Board of Directors, and hospital staff, we continue to deliver top quality health care.

Pender Community Hospital is now certified as a Level 4 Trauma Center by the Nebraska Statewide Trauma System. “We have always done our best to provide great care for our trauma patients,” said Pender Community Hospital Trauma Coordinator, Kristin Salmon, MSN, RN. Now that the hospital is a certified Level 4 Trauma Center, its heightened status elevates the care that the ER team can provide. “A lot of work goes into obtaining this certification, but the requirements are things that make us better as a team and better prepared to care for any trauma patient that comes through our door,” Salmon continues.

The Nebraska Statewide Trauma System standardizes trauma care throughout the state, and a Level 4 distinction means that Pender Community Hospital can now provide basic trauma care, from treating minor traumas to stabilizing major traumas prior to transfer to a higher level of care. In order to receive the certification, PCH had to meet rigid criteria, particularly in performance improvement, nurse and provider education, and community outreach education.

Pender Community Hospital Trauma Director Dr. Matthew Felber emphasized that providing the best in patient care is the real impetus for pursuing the elevated certification. “The ER staff is constantly striving for any way that we can improve upon the already great care given here,” he stated. Dr. Felber also credits the hard work and tremendous collaboration of the ER staff and the entire PCH team who ensured that everything was expertly executed.

The intense certification process included the consultation by Nebraska representatives who review facility policy, clinical capabilities, qualifications, facility and resource capabilities, radiology and laboratory services, performance improvement and prevention strategies.

“Being recognized as a basic trauma center gives us more educational opportunities for our staff,” added Salmon, “and helps us keep up with the latest in trauma care best practices. It also provides us with guidelines for performance improvement which is necessary to provide the best care possible for our patients.”

Pender Community Hospital Emergency Room is located at 100 Hospital Drive in Pender, NE and is open at all times to assist patients.

About Pender Community Hospital District
Pender’s hospital dates back to 1913. Over the years, the Pender Community Medical System has become a model of an effective Rural Health System. Through the loyalty and generous support of everyone making up the hospital district, plus the dedication of the medical staff, Board of Directors, and hospital staff, we continue to deliver top quality health care.

Pender Community Hospital a 2020 Women’s Choice Award Recipient as one of America’s Best Hospital for Obstetrics

Pender Community Hospital announced it has received a 2020 Women’s Choice Award as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics. Only 10% of hospitals meet the robust qualifications to achieve this certification which identifies a health care organization as a stand-out for providing superior obstetric care.

Pender Community Hospital prides itself on providing patients with a complete maternity and birthing experience and has delivered over 100 babies in 2019 alone. From included prenatal classes for everyone who delivers at PCH to beautiful private birthing suites with warm, yet modern décor and plenty of room for guests, Pender has facilities that rival much larger health care centers. Pender Community Hospital credits its talented and devoted staff, with four physicians available to deliver babies, as their greatest asset, but their commitment to ensuring that patients receive the best care doesn’t stop there. Full-service maternity care at Pender also includes a Level I nursery and close coordination with regional Neonatal Intensive Care Units to ensure baby’s safety. 

Pender’s commitment to quality care continues after baby is born as well. Experienced nurses are always on staff to answer questions, provide breastfeeding help and assist mother and baby. The on-staff Certified Lactation Counselor gives advanced breastfeeding guidance to those who want or need extra advice or assistance. Also, patients go home with a sense of security knowing that the care provided by the compassionate staff doesn’t end after check-out. Parents can call Pender’s nursing staff with questions, day or night, so help is just a phone call away at any time. 

Pender Community Hospital is at 100 Hospital Drive Pender, NE. For an appointment or more information about what makes PCH obstetrics one of the 2020 Women’s Best Award recipients, call 402-385-3083 or visit our OB/Maternity page.

About Pender Community Hospital District
Pender’s hospital dates back to 1913. Over the years, the Pender Community Medical System has become a model of an effective Rural Health System. Through the loyalty and generous support of everyone making up the hospital district, plus the dedication of the medical staff, board of directors, and hospital staff, we continue to deliver top quality health care.