COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. (Feb. 2010) – In this aerial photograph shot from an airplane February 4 and looking north at the junction of US 30 and SR 205 in Columbia City, the new Parkview Whitley Hospital takes shape as construction workers continue with the erection of steel, visible in the center of the photograph. Steel erection, which is divided into six sequences, moving from west to east, is scheduled to be completed this April. The address of the new hospital is 1260 E. State Road 205, Columbia City, IN 46725.

The greatly anticipated Conley, Finch, and Koontz Equine Hospital will host its grand opening open house on January 24 from 1 to 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

This new establishment will provide ambulatory care, shockwave therapy, 24-hour emergency care, advanced reproduction, advanced lameness, wound management, chiropractic care, acupuncture and all types of surgery, including colic surgery for its patients. It also will be the only private equine facility to boast a board certified surgeon in Indiana.

The opening of Conley, Finch, and Koontz Equine Hospital will benefit local residents greatly in terms of care for their horses. The hospital is located at 2249 South 500 East in Coesse.

For more on the Conley, Finch, and Koontz Equine Hospital click here, courtesy of Talk of the Town, our news partner in the Whitley News Network.

Parkview Whitley Hospital’s Post Partum Pals, a breastfeeding support group for mothers and babies, has restarted. The program was briefly suspended due to safety concerns during the recent H1N1 influenza pandemic.

 The group meets in the hospital’s Obstetrics Department classroom on the second floor from 10 a.m. to noon every Monday. There is no cost to attend.

 Mothers are encouraged to bring their babies with them to the support group, where they receive reinforcement, help with breastfeeding and mother-to-mother support. Free baby weight checks are offered exclusively during the meetings, and B.A.B.E. coupons also are available.

 For more information, call (260) 248-9426.

During the last few weeks leading up to Christmas, it’s not hard to find holiday cheer and glad tidings – just walk through the halls of Churubusco Elementary School.

Everywhere one looks, there are children doing good deeds.

Members of the CES Student Council have been busy raising money for Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. Students have sold over 1,000 candy canes, offered a Colts Sports Day where students pledged a quarter for Riley, and also collected and shipped thousands of aluminum pull tabs.

Paper plate snowmen and letters to Santa fill the hallways, and students brought in food items and paper goods to donate to local food pantries so those in need would not go hungry during the holidays.

A paper chain made by CES students  – each child had to write something nice about the person sitting next to him/her on the “link” – was painstakingly pasted together and hangs in the hallway, stretching all the way to the high school.

“This symbolizes teamwork and working together,” said CES guidance counselor, David Shearer. “It also shows appreciation for each other and the display symbolizes how the entire school works together.”

Photos, story by Viv Sade for buscovoice.com

The Parkview Whitley Hospital Foundation Board of Directors’ History Committee is accumulating timeline facts, stories of healthcare delivery and caregivers, as well as illustrative photos.

The purpose is to gather material to help tell the history of healthcare leading up to the creation of Whitley County Memorial Hospital and what has brought the hospital to where healthcare is today in Whitley County.

The committee also is putting together the story of the leaders who possessed the vision to develop healthcare in Whitley County, and who shared their resources in order to make the hospital possible. If you have any information you would like to share, please contact:

• Clark Waterfall – (260) 244-7197
• John Hatcher – (260) 691-3371
• Kay Fleck – (260) 248-8278

CHURUBUSCO, Ind. (Dec. 1, 2009) — Whitley County Emergency Medical Services, operated out of Parkview Whitley Hospital, will host a Free Family and Friends CPR class on Tuesday, Dec. 8, in Churubusco at the Mountaintop Coffeehouse, 209 S. Main Street, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required.

Since February 2007, Whitley County Emergency Medical Services has provided free CPR classes, training more than 2,000 people in the county. CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is an emergency medical procedure for a victim of cardiac arrest or, in some circumstances, respiratory arrest.

For 50 years, CPR has consisted of the combination of artificial blood circulation with artificial respiration, that is, chest compressions and lung ventilation. However, in March 2008, the American Heart Association and the European Resuscitation Council, in a reversal of policy, endorsed the effectiveness of chest compressions alone – without artificial respiration – for adult victims who suddenly collapse in cardiac arrest. Parkview Whitley Hospital teaches both procedures, but emphasizes that chest compression alone is adequate.

“Along with the resuscitation change, it is recommended that anyone who has been trained in CPR re-take the instruction every two years,” said Debra Brice, paramedic and CPR program coordinator. “It is an opportunity to get refreshed on the techniques required to perform CPR, as well as to learn of any new changes in policy and procedure.”

Classes also may be held at churches, businesses, organizations and civic groups in Whitley County. To register for any of the classes or for more information, call (260) 248-9351 or send an e-mail to learn.cpr@parkview.com. Funding for the CPR classes is provided by the Parkview Whitley Hospital Community Health Improvement Program.

COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. (Nov. 23, 2009) – Parkview Whitley Hospital will present a free program for the public titled “Healthy Holiday Leftover Recipes,” on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m., at the hospital in lower-level auditoriums A and B. The hospital is located at 353 N. Oak Street, Columbia City.

Join chef Jacob Kemery of Parkview Whitley Hospital’s Food Services Department as he shares tips for preparing tasty and healthy snacks, appetizers and sandwiches from holiday leftovers. Chef Kemery also will share his favorite recipes and offer food-preparation tips.

Food samples and recipes will be provided, as well as iced tea, coffee and bottled water.

Seating is limited and reservations are required. To make a reservation, call Rick Beemer at (260) 248-9400, or (800) 325-1338, ext. 89400.

COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. (Nov. 22, 2009) — Construction of the New Parkview Whitley Hospital, managed by Hagerman Construction Corporation of Fort Wayne, has entered the structural phase with the concrete pouring of the basement footings from west to east, as well as the forming and pouring of the basement foundation wall.

In addition to Weigand Construction, Inc., which has moved ahead quickly with concrete work in spite of several delays due to inclement weather, additional subcontractors have been selected for various aspects of construction, and include:

• Almet, Inc., a steel fabricator company located in New Haven, responsible for the structural steel scheduled to arrive in February 2010
• Otis Elevator, a worldwide elevator company with an office located in Fort Wayne
• A. Hattersley & Sons, Inc., of Fort Wayne, responsible for plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and medical gas delivery system installation
• Votaw Electric, an electrical contractor located in Fort Wayne
• Smith Erectors, Inc., a steel erection and concrete steel reinforcing contractor located in Markle

“We are thrilled to see our new hospital taking shape,” said John Meister, chief operating officer of Parkview Whitley Hospital. “All of our ideas and plans to deliver the best patient experience are becoming a reality. In two short years Whitley County residents will enjoy the benefits of a model community hospital.”

Visible now to passersby from the road is Smith Erectors’ 200-ton crane, which is used to hoist and move steel reinforcing bar for the construction of the lower-level foundation wall. The crane will be on-site until completion of the steel structural framing of the hospital.

Also, an additional 13,000 square feet have been added to the lower level of the original hospital plans to accommodate the new Medical Office Building, The expansion plans maintain the overall design integrity of the hospital complex, and the construction timeline has been synchronized with the opening date of the new hospital.

WHITLEY COUNTY, Ind. (Nov. 23, 2009) – Parkview Whitley Hospital invites the Whitley County community to share its warmth this winter with the children of the county by participating in the hospital’s first “Mittens for Munchkins” Christmas program.

Beginning Monday, Nov. 23, a Christmas Giving Tree will be located in the hospital lobby and outpatient services area, upon which visitors may hang a new pair of mittens or gloves, a hat or scarf.

“Christmas comes but once a year, and although we believe it is essential to reach out to others at all times, the holiday season is a special time in which to share our blessings,” said John Meister, Parkview Whitley Hospital chief operating officer. “It is our pleasure to invite not only the co-workers of Parkview Whitley Hospital, but the community as well to play a part in this special giving program.”

Sock hats and gloves are available for purchase in the hospital’s Gift Shop, located near the front entrance to the hospital. The gifts will be distributed to families by the Salvation Army of Whitley County following the hospital’s giving deadline of Monday, Dec. 15.