| Local
hospitals featured in national magazine
A feature article about St. Mary’s and Clearwater Valley Hospitals and Clinics is the subject of the cover story of the August issue of HealthLeaders Magazine. The magazine is designed for health care professionals. It has a circulation of 40,000 subscribers nationwide. 
The management team of the two hospitals was selected as the Top Management Team in the nation for small hospitals by HealthLeaders. The award was presented in a ceremony last May in Kamiah City Park. In a companion article, the editor says, “In healthcare, true leadership comes from an unwavering attachment to the mission, and teamwork is its natural by-product. So once a year, we at HealthLeaders magazine celebrate and recognize those in the industry who exemplify the values of teamwork and the best traditions of the healthcare industry. We have found exceptional, innovative healthcare executive teams that are quietly building and positioning their organizations to work toward success and handle setbacks. These teams are making tremendous progress in solving financial, management and technology challenges at their organizations…” In the future the hospitals will also be profiled on the magazine’s website, www.healthleaders.com. The online magazine has over 70,000 subscribers. “The teamwork at our hospitals and our clinics occurs at every level. All our providers, our board members, our Foundations and the staff in each department work as a team to provide the best possible care for the people in this region,” said Casey Meza, CEO. “We’re fortunate to have the support of the communities we serve. Our patients deserve the best and all our team members work hard to make that happen.” The hospitals are also featured in an article in the quarterly newsletter of the Benedictine Health System. SMHC is a member and CVHC is an associate member of BHS, based in Duluth, Minnesota. Hospitals partner with schools Clearwater Valley and St. Mary’s Hospital and Clinics is partnering with the six school districts in their service area to inform parents about the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Many of the schools’ Free and Reduced Lunch Program Coordinators have agreed to use the application form that contains a check off box for parents to indicate that they would be interested in receiving information about the free or low cost insurance for children. According to Jeanette Gorman, CVHC/SMHC Community Relations Coordinator, if a child qualifies for the free lunch program he or she will qualify for the CHIP A program and if a child qualifies for the reduced price lunch program he or she will qualify for the CHIP B program. Both programs cover doctor visits, hospital stays, prescription medication, vision exams and eye glasses. In addition, CHIP A also covers dental care. Both program require a simple application form to determine if the family meets the income eligibility guidelines. “We are happy the schools are partnering with us to raise awareness about the CHIP programs. Hopefully, eligible families will look into this program so their children will be medically insured,” said Gorman. “There are an estimated 30,000 children in this state that would qualify for the program. We just need to spread the word and make sure parents avail themselves of the program. CHIP A is no cost and CHIP B requires a $15 per month premium per child.” The toll free Idaho Careline, 211 or 866.326.2485 or 877.543.7669, or www.idahohealth.org (click CHIP) can provide additional information and further guidelines. |
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