Volume 1, Number 2 - Winter 2000

Donor regcognition banquet celebrates funding of FRHS programs and services

About 120 people attended the inaugural Faith Regional Health Services Foundation Donor Recognition Banquet held on October 3 at the Norfolk Country Club.

The event was designed to celebrate what has been accomplished through donations to the Faith Regional Foundation. It was an opportunity to show appreciation to those who have given $1,000 or more to the foundation since its inception in October 1996 or who have given $10,000 or more to the Our Lady of Lourdes or Lutheran Community Hospital Foundations.

Beth Boesch and Don Sock provided testimonials about the value and high quality of care provided by Faith Regional Health Services. Boesch had received treatments at Faith Regional’s Carson Regional Cancer Center while battling breast cancer. “The value of the cancer center is something that all of Northeast Nebraska can appreciate,” said Boesch.

Sock shared his experience with bilateral total knee replacements. He expressed he was back on the job within two weeks thanks to the care and rehabilitation he received. Most recently he was street dancing with his new found freedom of movement without pain.

Joel Mikuska’s story was shared by Harlan Prauner, a coworker and friend. Joel was a dialysis patient at Faith Regional Health Services for several months.

Carson Regional Cancer Center, Transitional Care Unit, and Northeast Nebraska Dialysis Center are among the many services which have benefited from foundation funds.

Amanda Lueschen and Quinn Heimes, Wayne State College students, who participated in a foundation-sponsored internship program for college students pursuing careers in health care, gave other testimonials. Lueschen said the internship fortified her desire to become a doctor. Heimes said the experience opened her eyes to the “behind-the-scenes activities” of a hospital.

Mary Maxwell of Omaha, the keynote speaker, shared her humorous adventures with life. She also addressed the humility of philanthropy and the enormous positive impact it has on society. Her speech was entitled Our Brother’s Keeper, A Light-hearted Look. “A good feeling is had by those who share their blessings,” she said.

Virg Froehlich, foundation president, presided at the recognition dinner. He shared with the audience that in the past four years more than $2.2 million has been used from foundation funds for needed projects and services at Faith Regional Health Services.

Replicas of the new Faith Regional Health Services Foundation Donor Displays were on display. Plans are to have them erected on both campuses of Faith Regional Health Services in early 2001.

Foundation Funds at Work: Asthma clinic is a success

“Breathing Easy with Fun and Fitness” was the goal of the Asthma Clinic sponsored by Faith Regional Health Services Cardiopulmonary Department on September 30 in the Nebraska Room at West Campus. Glaxco/Wellcome provided funding for the event.

Julie Meyer and Maria O’Hare, Faith Regional respiratory therapists, started the morning session with a general overview of asthma diagnosis, triggers (circumstances that cause symptoms), aids, medications and action plans.

Natasha Otjen, a teenage athlete with asthma, related her strategies for relaxation when participating in sports. Exercise physiologist Andrea Borgman addressed the necessity of warm-up and cool-down activities for exercise fitness.

Kids ventured to the lawn for soccer and kickball activities with Otjen and Borgman while parents listened to a panel discussion by Dr. A. Verma, pulmonologist, internist and intensivist; Patrick Foster, American Lung Association; Kristi Lutt, dietitian; Sandy Passyka, pediatric nurse; Laura Marks, pharmacist; and Valorie Slizoski, social services and mother of an asthmatic.

Candy Cane the Clown joined the gathering for Asthma and Lung Bingo — a game designed to reinforce asthma and lung facts for participants. Tours of the LifeNet Air Ambulance completed the day.

Scholarships for next summer’s Asthma Camp SuperKids are available. Contact the Foundation Office at (402) 644-7301 for more information.

Faces of Philanthropy: Healthcae community benefits from lifetime commitment of area resident

Elmer Unkel, a Battle Creek native, knows first hand the benefits of quality healthcare. He was hospitalized during his tour of duty in World War II after being struck with shrapnel in Guam. He returned to his troupe in the Philippines and was later hospitalized for contracting blood poisoning from polluted drinking water. The blood poisoning resulted in paralysis and he was sent to the Fritz Simmons Army Hospital in Denver to receive rehabilitation. Although his doctor told him it would be a miracle if he ever walked again, through sheer determination, Unkel found himself walking within three months.

Unkel returned home in 1947 with a desire to give something back to the healthcare community. In the years following his return, Unkel donated to the hospital foundation and in 1972 was asked to be a part of the Lutheran Community Hospital Board. During the 24 years that Unkel served on the board he witnessed several expansion projects and the merger of Our Lady of Lourdes and Lutheran Community Hospitals. Other additions included the pediatrics unit, rehabilitation services, the Carson Regional Cancer Center and the dialysis center. Unkel looks back on his years spent as a board member with pride and enjoyment as he was able to support the changes necessary to ensure quality healthcare in Northeast Nebraska.

Since 1989, Unkel has had two heart operations. Prior to his second heart operation in 1999, Unkel experienced a considerable amount of pain that kept him up at nights. During that time he discovered the soothing effects of watching videos which kept his mind off the pain. A Faith Regional cardiac rehabilitation graduate, Unkel came to be known for his collection of movies and began trading videos with staff and other patients. Over the years his video collection multiplied, so he started donating them to Faith Regional and the Battle Creek Public Library. To date, he has donated over 500 movies.

Unkel, who is endearingly referred to by FRHS staff as “Uncle Elmer,” wanted to do more for Faith Regional. He began donating movies for the waiting areas in the hospital. After visiting with Christine Heeren, guest services director, Unkel decided to purchase a television and VCR for the lobby, as well as a variety of books and movies. “If the movies can help me get through the difficult times, maybe the kids can appreciate them too,” Unkel said.

Unkel knows God saved his life for a bigger and better purpose. Through his generosity, hundreds of patients and visitors at Faith Regional will be touched by his dedication and service to health care.

Stories of Courage: Joel's Story

“It’s great to be alive!” reflects Joel Mikuska. This simple statement acknowledges his appreciation of life today, three years after a major health issue abruptly changed his life.

In November, 1977, flu-like symptoms of fatigue, aching and loss of appetite had plagued Joel for a few days. His changing skin color to greenish-yellow triggered his coworker Harlan Prauner to convince Joel to seek medical attention. Within three hours of this decision, Joel was enroute to Omaha via ambulance.

Nephrologists confirmed his kidneys were not functioning and dialysis was initiated. With his kidneys in renal failure, Joel’s survival was in question. A biopsy of his kidneys revealed a rare ailment affecting less than 5% of the people with kidney failure. Antibodies had destroyed the ability of his kidneys to function.

Two weeks later Joel returned home to Norfolk. How his life had changed! Three mornings a week he arrived at Northeast Nebraska Dialysis Center at 6:00 a.m. for a three to four hour dialysis treatment. Following his treatment, he would go home for a brief nap then return to work at Affiliated Foods Midwest. With the availability of dialysis in Norfolk, Joel was able to receive treatment and continue his career.

Joel acknowledges how fortunate he is to not have other health issues besides his lack of kidney function and the high blood pressure that had evolved from it. Most patients with renal failure have other significant health problems.

Joel is single. His only brother lives in Mitchell, South Dakota and is challenged by severe arthritis. Joel’s brother helped him as much as his own health allowed. Major support was derived from his coworkers and the Faith Regional Health Services’ dialysis and home health care employees.

Six months after returning to Norfolk Joel’s antibody levels decreased and he was placed on a transplant list. On the evening of February 28,1999, Joel received the news that a kidney match had been found. He arrived at Clarkson Hospital in Omaha at 6:00 a.m. the following morning. He was told that the kidney was from a young female in Louisiana. Joel was informed of the risks of the transplanted kidney not working because of the time which had elapsed from when the kidney was retrieved. Joel opted to proceed with the surgery. “I had nothing to lose if it didn’t work,” he related.

Joel’s kidneys remained in place and the new kidney was surgically transplanted into his abdomen. Immediately it started producing urine. Lab results confirmed the transplant was a success; waste products were being removed from his blood by the new kidney. “I felt so good, I couldn’t believe what a difference it made,” he recalls.

Faith Regional Health Services’ home health care assisted with Joel’s recovery process when he returned home following his surgery. Within six weeks Joel was back at work with newly found energy and changed priorities in his life. He states, “I value spending more time with my brother and his wife now.”

Today, Joel is working full time and spending time with his brother and sister-in-law. If it’s Saturday you might find him visiting his nurse friends at Northeast Nebraska Dialysis Center. “The nurses are a special part of my life,” Joel admits with a shy smile.

Joel counts his blessings that he’s a survivor. “I figured dialysis was my fate for life, but God had other plans for me with the transplant.” Faith Regional Health Services was there for Joel with the health care he needed, making it possible for him to continue in his career and his life.

Profile of a Board Member . . . J. Paul McIntosh

J. Paul McIntosh is an amateur scientist, historian, educator turned entrepreneur and agribusinessman. He has served on the Faith Regional Health Services Foundation Board of Directors since its inception in 1996, serving as board president for two years and now as secretary/treasurer.

Paul recollects his first personal experience in the hospital. He was a third grader when a runaway venture in his horse drawn two-wheel cart left him with a badly broken leg. His parents drove him from their farm south of Pilger to the former Lutheran Hospital for surgical treatment. Paul recalls the long cast on his leg and the need to remain flat on his back in bed for two weeks. Another hospitalization found him with spinal meningitis. He was unresponsive for a week. His prognosis was grim but his parents remained by his side 24 hours a day until his recovery. These experiences have driven Paul’s energies to give back to the healthcare system for the loving care and support he received as a young child.

Paul relates, “As more and more people share in the slice of the good life, the pieces don’t get smaller, the pie gets bigger.” Paul and Eleanor, his wife of 55 years, have five children. His goal in life is to help people understand that they can reach out and help others — gifts change people’s lives.

How to Contribute

All gifts to Faith Regional Health Services Foundation are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Our staff will be happy to work with you and your financial advisor to assure that any gift you make meets your personal objectives. Ways to contribute include:

• Gifts of Cash
• Gifts of Personal Property
• Gifts of Securities
• Estate and Planned Gifts
• Gifts of Real Estate
• Wills
• Gifts of Life Insurance
• Gift Annuities
• Memorial Gifts
• Gifts in Trust

Most gifts to Faith Regional Health Services are in the form of cash — usually by check. An unrestricted gift for general support of Faith Regional Health Services is of particular benefit because of its flexibility to be used where it is most needed. However, gifts may be designated for specific purposes. Gifts of cash may be treated as a charitable tax deduction. While gifts can be given at any time, annual support is targeted during this holiday season. Some people choose to pledge a donation over a period of time. Pledge arrangements can be made with the Foundation office.

A cumulative summary of 2000 Foundation Donors will be included in the Annual Report. The Foundation Focus is a publication of the Faith Regional Health Services Foundation. For questions regarding this issue or for more information about the FRHS Foundation, call Betty Froehlich, Foundation and Development Director, at (402) 644-7301.