Thursday, 8:45 a.m.
At last night’s House of Delegates meeting, Gary Riedmann, CEO at St. Anthony’s Regional Hospital in Carroll, was sworn in as the new IHA Board Chair.  Riedmann replaces last year’s Board Chair, Joe Smith, and will serve a one-year term as head of the board. Riedmann is slated to provide the opening remarks for today’s first session, the recognition of this year’s Iowa Hospital Heroes at 8:30 a.m. Following the awards, Riedmann will also introduce the final keynote speaker of this year’s Annual Meeting, Paul Auerbach.

Want to see more pictures from this year’s annual meeting? Click here to view the whole album on Flickr.

Thursday, 10:00 a.m.

Keynote speaker, Paul Auerbach, left the crowd stunned with the stories of his experience providing medical relief in the wake of the Haiti earthquake. His words and photos had a profound impact on attendees as they embarked on the final day of the 82nd Annual Meeting.

Thursday, 12:30 p.m.
Laurie Everhardt, Volunteer Services Manager at Waverly Health Center, provides her reaction to Cy Wakeman’s session, “Succeeding in Spite of the Facts,” and talks about challenging conventional wisdom in volunteerism.

Thursday, 3:00 p.m.

That’s all she wrote! The 82nd IHA Annual Meeting has officially adjourned. Thank you to all who attended, IHA hopes you had a great week. Safe travels – we’ll see you again next year!

Wednesday, 8:45 a.m.

The halls of the Des Moines Downtown Marriott are a’buzz this morning with hundreds of health care workers as well as over 50 trade show exhibitors. Attendees have filed into the ballroom once again to prepare for the morning’s opening session. Starting out day two of the Annual Meeting is an award ceremony, recognizing those who have completed the IHA Health Care Leadership Series.  Following the ceremony will be health care futurist, Jeff Goldsmith who will be delivering the Cordes/Ramsey keynote speech.

Pictures of the keynote and award ceremony will be posted soon.

Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.

Some pictures from this morning’s opening session:

Cordes/Ramsey keynote speaker, health care futurist, Jeff Goldsmith.

IHA Board Chair and CEO of Boone County Hospital, Joe Smith, handing out awards recognizing those who completed the IHA Health Care Leadership Series.

Wednesday, 12:45 p.m.

The afternoon sessions have begun. Today’s tracks include the following:

• Clinical Leadership: Finding Balance
• Reform: From Impact to Innovation
• Strategic Leadership
• Foundations: Giving for Good

After the final sessions of the day are finished, there are still a couple events happening at the conference. At 4:30 p.m. is the House of Delegates (for IHA Voting Delegates Only) in the Cedar Rapids/Council Bluffs rooms on the 3rd floor. Following this is the Chair’s Celebration at 5:30 p.m. in the Iowa Ballroom. All attendees are encouraged to attend this reception and enjoy an opportunity to relax and socialize amongst their peers at the conference.

Wednesday, 2:00 p.m.

Sherri Doggett, VP of Patient Care Services at Mercy Medical Center-Centerville talks about why its important for nurses to attend Annual Meeting and why it’s still a worthwhile conference to attend year after year.

Because it’s not possible to see and do everything during the three days of Annual Meeting (October 5-7), IHA will feature a number of social media offerings, giving everyone a chance to catch more of the conference online both during and after the event.

Each day of the conference will have its own ‘Live Blog’ post dedicated to publishing new updates as they happen.  Expect to see information relative to the various tracks being offered as well as photos and videos from Annual Meeting activities.

Simply visit blog.iowahospital.org throughout the day and click on the Live Blog post for that day at the top of the page. Refreshing the blog post throughout the day (or returning to the site) will display any new content that has been published since the last viewing.

Of course, the only way for it to be fully successful is if everyone joins the conversation, makes comments and provides feedback. For conference attendees, all of this is possible at the Social Media Station located on the third floor of the Des Moines Marriot Downtown, across from the Annual Meeting registration desk.

Individuals are also encouraged to keep the conversation going on Twitter by using the official conference hashtag, #iha2010am.

Lee Woodruff took some time to talk with IHA about her family’s incredible experience and to provide some insight ahead of her keynote presentation taking place on the final day of the 2010 IHA Annual Meeting.

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjf-V360ZQQ

What did you think of Lee’s perspective? Keep the conversation going by commenting on this post or on Twitter by adding the hashtag: #iha2010am.

Edra Fouts
Stoddard Care Coordinator
Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Des Moines

At the John Stoddard Cancer Center at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Registered nurse Edra Fouts makes a difference in the lives of her patients and their families on a daily basis. From the first day she arrived at Stoddard, Edra did everything possible to make sure her breast cancer patients received the best care possible.  She cares for each and every one of them with her whole heart.

Recently, Edra spent several hours at the end of her day with a dying patient to help write cards to the patient’s three children and mother for special events (birthdays, Mother’s Day, graduations). Edra didn’t think twice about spending countless hours with the patient to make sure the cards were finished.

Somehow, Edra still finds time to dedicate herself to a number of other projects, including Pink Saturdays, a free mammogram screening partnership; serving on the Polk Metro Breast Cancer Committee; traveling to Washington, D.C. to lobby for breast cancer implants for her patients; serving as a Komen for the Cure board member for one year; facilitating a multidisciplinary breast cancer conference; and mentoring new Stoddard Care Coordinators. Edra has also made herself available for countless presentation requests on breast cancer, traveling to area businesses, churches and leadership groups to share her knowledge.

Edra is a Hospital Hero because of her endless dedication to her patients and in the fight against breast cancer. Watching patients who have become friends pass away from the disease is not an easy thing to do. But Edra strives to do everything possible to make sure her patients are receiving the best care and support they need to fight cancer. She never thinks twice about giving of herself and is truly an amazing nurse, friend and hero.

State Representative Lisa Heddens (R-Ames) and Brian Dieter, CEO at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames.

As part of the first annual IHA PAC reception at the 80^th IHA Annual Meeting last week, two Iowa legislators were honored and presented with 2009 IHA Legislator of the Year awards for their tireless advocacy of Iowa hospitals over the past Iowa legislative session.

Two legislators, one House member and one Senate member, were given awards to honor their leadership and experience at the Capitol and the well-earned respect of their peers.

In the House, Representative Lisa Heddens (R-Ames) was honored for her work for hospitals and health care in Iowa.  Heddens has served in the Iowa House since 2002 and sits on the Joint Health and Human Services Committee.

Brian Dieter, CEO at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, presented the award and stated, “Rep. Heddens was a critical player in maintaining Medicaid payments to hospitals even in these challenging economic times.  When Medicaid cuts were proposed in the House, she was a leader in reversing those cuts.  Now in her fourth term in House, this legislator is a leader who truly cares about health care.”

In the Senate, Senator Dennis Black (D-Newton) was recognized for his work for hospitals as an outspoken hospital

State Senator Dennis Black (D-Newton) and Gary Kahn, trustee at Skiff Medical Center in Newton.

and health care advocate.  Gary Kahn, IHA Board member and trustee at Skiff Medical Center in Newton, presented the award to Senator Black saying, “Senator Black knows a well supported health care system is also critical to that quality of life.  And he has provided that support consistently during his many terms both in the House and in the Senate.  This past session, his leadership was unparalleled in support of the IHA supported public hospital bill and fighting for adequate Medicaid payments for hospitals.”  Black is serving his fourth term in the Iowa Senate.

IHA plans to continue both the IHA PAC reception, hosted for contributors whose donations were at the $350 level or above, as well as the Legislator of the Year awards at the Annual Meeting as a means to heighten the profile of hospital advocacy efforts and recognize legislators who consistently show leadership and support for Iowa hospitals.

As the founder of “Comic Vision,” Gard promotes humor as a both a personal and business strategy that raises morale, lessens stress and improves unity.

“Having a Comic Vision means to laugh when you can, be serious about the things you must and actively use humor to balance stress,” Gard recently explained.  “It’s choosing to see the amusing side of situations that would normally irritate others, create stress, and ultimately reduce productivity.”

Gard is the opening-day speaker at the IHA Annual Meeting, which will be held October 6-8 at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown.  Online registration for the meeting is closed, but walk-in registration will be available on the days of the conference.

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