The Latest News
'No Child Wet Behind' Giveaway for Parents in Need
May 12, 2023 –
The diaper is one of the many overlooked costs of poverty. Babies require up to 12 diapers a day, and toddlers can require as many as 8. State and national safety-net programs do not assist with diapers for families living in poverty.
The FHN Value Support Team is proud to present its 3rd annual diaper (and other essentials) giveaway for parents in Stephenson and Jo Daviess counties. The diapers and other essentials for the event have been donated by FHN and Aramark team members.
No Child Wet Behind will be held from 10:30 a.m. “ 12:30 p.m. (or while supply lasts) Tuesday, May 16 in the Lincoln Mall parking lot, 1247 W. Galena Avenue in Freeport.
Parents are invited to receive a free bundle of size-appropriate diapers (sizes 2 and up) for each child in their household at this free, drive-through event. Each household also will receive an essentials bundle containing baby wipes, wash, and lotion. All materials distributed through this drive will be marked and will not be returnable to any location.
Parents may also receive a free car seat check at the event, and speak with representatives from WIC and Illinois Family Connects. Information about and support for breastfeeding, postpartum depression, and other health concerns will be available at the event, as well.
FHN Memorial Hospital Awarded 'A' Hospital Safety Grade from Leapfrog
May 3, 2023 –
FHN Memorial Hospital in Freeport has received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group. This national distinction is recognition and celebration of the hospital's achievements in protecting hospital patients from preventable harm and errors.
“It is a special pleasure to receive notification that we've been honored again as we celebrate FHN Week,” said FHN President and CEO Mark Gridley, MBA, FACHE. “Every member of the FHN team can be proud of the quality of care we offer our patients and the work we do together every day to make our communities a healthier place.”
“I am so proud for the FHN team to have received this accolade “ but not surprised, because I see the work that each member of our team does every day to continually enhance the quality of care,” Gridley said.
FHN Clinical Quality Director Doreen Timm, MSN, RN, APN/CNS-BC agrees: “This is an excellent grade for everyone at FHN Memorial Hospital. Our Quality team works with every expert across FHN “ the person who uses a process every day is the real ‘expert' in that process “ to continually and proactively improve those processes.”
The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization with a 10-year history of assigning letter grades to general hospitals throughout the United States, based on a hospital's ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Hospital Safety Grade results are based on more than 30 national performance measures and are updated each fall and spring.
“This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “But this hospital received an ‘A' despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible.”
To see FHN Memorial Hospital's full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
Freeport Memorial School of Nursing Alumni Scholarships Available
April 21, 2023 –
The Freeport Memorial School of Nursing Alumni organization is offering scholarships to help nurses and nursing students further their education.
“The idea was proposed at our annual banquet in 1990 by Phyllis Almberg,” said FHN Community Services Coordinator Jackie Roach, RN. “Three volunteers investigated the idea and in 1991 we voted to establish a scholarship program. We were proud to begin the program by awarding three scholarships in 1993,” Roach said. “Since then, we've awarded 83 scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000 each.”
The scholarships are available to help cover the cost of pursuing a career in nursing for those just starting out or for nurses pursuing advanced nursing education. Applications are available through area high school guidance counselors, at FHN Memorial Hospital in Freeport, at SSM Health Monroe Hospital and at the Highland Community College Foundation office.
The organization's selection committee determines scholarship recipients based on educational and vocational goals, extracurricular and community activities including organizational, civic, or volunteer work and honors, awards or recognition applicants have received. Applicants must be accepted in a nursing program or pursuing advanced nursing education. The deadline for applications is June 1. Scholarship recipients will be announced at the 2023 annual banquet June 10. Scholarship funds are sent to the recipients' school in their name.
For information on the scholarships or to request an application, contact Marilyn Thoren at 815-789-4707.
The scholarships are funded by donations, gifts, and memorials. Those interested in contributing, please contact Cheryl Schofield at 815-541-9657.
IMAGINE-a-bowl to Benefit Pediatric Therapy at FHN
March 20, 2023 –
The FHN Foundation is pleased to present an evening of bowling in support of improvements to FHN Memorial Hospital's pediatric therapy department.
IMAGINE-a-bowl will be held Thursday, April 27 at 4 Seasons Bowling Center, 1100 W. Galena Avenue in Freeport. Check-in begins at 5 p.m. with the first ball thrown at 6 p.m.
Teams of 6 bowlers are encouraged to bring out their inner child and dress up for the evening; individuals may raise or donate the $50 entry fee. Those who raise at least $100 will receive a Striking Success for Children t-shirt, and individuals who raise $250 or more will receive a Striking Success for Children t-shirt and sweatshirt. Please submit your donations to the Foundation by April 10 to receive your shirt(s) the night of the event.
All proceeds raised will go toward room renovations, a new storage area, and equipment for the pediatric therapy area at FHN Memorial Hospital.
For more information or to register, visit www.fhn.org/strikingsuccess or contact the FHN Foundation at 815-599-6900 or cseal@fhn.org. Those who cannot attend may donate to the pediatric therapy department renovations at the link above.
League of Women Voters and Local NAACP Host FHN Presentation on Regional Healthcare Needs, Including Emphasis on Minority Care
March 17, 2023 –
The League of Women Voters of Freeport and the Freeport branch of the NAACP are hosting a presentation from FHN outlining local healthcare needs as identified in the FHN Community Health Needs Assessment in December 2022. The event will take place from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28 at FHN Family Healthcare Center - Burchard Hills, 1010 W. Fairway Drive in Freeport.
FHN Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Nursing Officer Kathryn J. Martinez, DHA, MSN, RN, FACHE will review the results of the FHN Community Health Needs Assessment, a Federally required data collection and survey project that must be undertaken every three years, and FHN's planned activities to address those needs. There will be plenty of time for questions, which will be answered by Martinez as well as FHN Family Nurse Practitioner Tamisha Bonvillain, FNP-BC, IBCLC. The public is invited and encouraged to attend this important session.
Input for FHN's Assessment was collected from area leaders as well as the community at large across a broad range of demographics and interests. Topics addressed included perspectives on a range of issues that affect the area's health and well-being, such as community resources, barriers to care, and reasons for various types of disease and mortality. Areas for focus that were identified were prioritized into three primary categories by FHN's Care Transitions Steering Committee: community identified needs, health and well-being, and chronic disease management. Specific tactics for the next three years have been slated for implementation to address these focus areas.
Recognizing that the national healthcare system should provide a basic level of quality care at an affordable cost for all residents, ensuring quality healthcare for all Americans is one of nine priorities identified by the National League of Women Voters. Basic care includes disease prevention, primary care (including prenatal and reproductive health), acute long-term care, and mental health care, as well as health promotion and education. For more information on this priority and how to help, as well as the other eight outlined by the League - including topics such as voting rights, immigration, climate challenges, and gun violence - visit the national website at https://www.lwv.org/blog/lwvus-priorities-new-biden-administration.
Center For Wound Healing at FHN Receives Patient Satisfaction Award
March 16, 2023 –
FHN is pleased to announce that The Center For Wound Healing at FHN Memorial Hospital has received a Patient Satisfaction award from RestorixHealth. Recipients of this biannual award have met or achieved a patient satisfaction score of 96 percent or higher.
“We are very proud of this achievement, as it reaffirms our commitment to the patient experience,” said Wound Center Director Nurse Practitioner Carrie Wright, FNP-BC, WCC.* “We are proud to be recognized for the quality of care we offer our patients every day.”
The Center for Wound Healing, located in the FHN Specialty Care - Stephenson Street clinic at 1036 W. Stephenson Street in Freeport, offers state-of-the-art wound care treatments from advanced products and dressings to hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOt) to help patients dealing with chronic wounds. The Wound Center's team of multidisciplinary specialists includes surgeons and podiatrists and achieves some of the best healing rates and fastest healing times in the nation.
For more information on The Center for Wound Healing at FHN Memorial Hospital, visit www.fhn.org or call 815-599-7410.
