The power of a smile

04/26/22

With the weather and wind these days, I am seeing fewer smiles as we dash into buildings trying to take cover from the elements. I have realized that I miss all the smiles you encounter, whether on a walk, in a parking lot, or upon entering a building after just racing for cover. I realized that I am likely sensitive to the fact that we have covered our faces for the past two years in healthcare, so we are even more smile-deprived. Maybe we all need a reminder of the power of a smile. Smiling can use up to 53 facial muscles or less, depending on the type of smile. There are also several health benefits to smiling, such as stress relief, sharing of approval or delight, burning calories, reducing blood pressure, decreasing pain, and overall helping with happiness. Please share with us your smile on Facebook this week!

Kris Jacobson,  LNHA, LALD, MBA
JMHS Interim CEO

What are we known for?

04/19/22

I have been in Dawson for four months now, and every time I think I understand what our Dawson Community is “known” for, I am surprised when someone says something different. Common answers are “The gnomes,” the school, the state park, Carrie Tollefson, the hospital, and the list goes on… Personal brands are important, and at JMHS, what we want to be known for, may not be how we are remembered. With that thought in mind, our mission is “To provide high quality, compassionate healthcare close to home.” Our values are the acronym T. E. A. M., and these are Trust, Excellence, Accountability, Mutual Respect/Integrity. If this is not what JMHS is known for, please drop us a note or email at info@jmhsmn.org. We want to be known for our care and services but, most importantly, remembered for how we made you feel.

Kris Jacobson,  LNHA, LALD, MBA
JMHS Interim CEO

 

Reminders

4/12/22

How did we ever live without “post-it” notes? Everywhere I visit, this invention from 1968 seems to decorate office desks, walls, and even car windows. Now there are also apps for those reminders, but our love of the colorful “stickie notes” seems to still stick. Our lives are busy, and we are continuously being reminded of things to do, places to be, and items to locate. At JMHS, we understand that sometimes reminders are important. Our appointment staff may call you to schedule that follow-up visit, routine test, or simply to check on you. If you would like our help in finding a provider or scheduling a visit, please don’t wait for that reminder; call us at 320-769-4323 or visit our website at www.jmhsmn.org.

Kris Jacobson,  LNHA, LALD, MBA
JMHS Interim CEO

 

Did You Hear That?

4/5/22

I was recently asked if I was a “good listener.” Hmmm, I would like to think so, but as with most people, there may be room for improvement.I attempted to go about my week looking for opportunities to really listen to what I was hearing, actively listening to conversations or speakers, and reciting what I had just heard in my mind. This awareness transcended into listening to sounds around me and whether or not I could identify the type of sound. I am sure there are still areas where I could improve, but it also helped me realize that our gift of “hearing” should not be taken for granted. We have so many opportunities to engage with others if we truly can listen. I also identified that my hearing might be damaged or not as good as in previous years as I age. Who doesn’t like to play their music a bit on the louder side? I am grateful that we have onsite audiology services available at JMHS to evaluate hearing and identify any losses early on. I cannot imagine not being able to listen or miss out on the birds signing in the morning. There are so many interesting people or things to hear. Don’t miss out on them by delaying that audiology exam.

Kris Jacobson,  LNHA, LALD, MBA
JMHS Interim CEO

 

Advocacy

03/29/22

It seems like many things are brought into a political light these days (no, this is not a political blog.) However, our freedom to choose and advocate for individual beliefs is something our country values. In healthcare, advocacy plays an important role in determining our reimbursement, regulatory changes, and quality expectations.

Upon entering our facilities, our patients, residents, and tenants receive a “Bill of Rights.”  These rights allow each person to advocate for themselves or others when receiving care at JMHS. Our government creates many laws and regulations designed to protect us. Laws concerning billing procedures, reimbursement limits, and standards of care expectations are determined every year. I have seen the power of advocacy in creating changes in long-term care reimbursement, quality expectations, and licensure requirements throughout my career. I have personally met with many legislators to assist them with understanding the issues and advocating for healthcare reform. Energy well invested. As our legislative season gets in full swing, I urge you to become an “advocate.” Advocacy inspired our new “no surprise billing” rule and the charge transparency rules, as noted on our webpage. Our healthcare workforce is experiencing ongoing challenges, and I will be joining Leading Age Minnesota on April 5th to advocate for Senior Care Reform and Workforce Priorities. What will you advocate for in 2022?

Kris Jacobson,  LNHA, LALD, MBA
JMHS Interim CEO

Going the Distance

03/22/22

March Madness

03/15/22

I always thought March Madness had to do with all of the annoying March snow/ice storms but later learned it is a busy time where many winter sports are ending their season and the rise/fall of our favorite college sports teams.  For those non winter sports fans, we are likely cleaning up the remnants of winter from our homes in hopes of an early Spring and this can lead to our own person March Madness.  However, it can also be a season where our mental health may suffer.  We may become frustrated by Spring not arriving soon enough as we struggle with the ice and remainder of cold/snow after a long winter or simply because illnesses or death has struck our family and we are having a hard time coping.  Whatever the personal reason is that may escalate your own “March Madness” please know that our mental health professionals at JMHS are here to help.  Our emotions are complicated and sometimes talking to a professional is the solution.  If you are experiencing any mental health challenge, please call us at 1-320-769-4323 or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. 

Kris Jacobson,  LNHA, LALD, MBA
JMHS Interim CEO

 

Making Time for Wellness

03/08/22

I heard about an article from a friend that had a statement highlighted within that said something like, “make time for your wellness, or you will be making time for your visit to a healthcare facility.” Wow, that was a powerful statement. I know that those preventative appointments often get rescheduled or simply missed in my life. I have now made it a goal NOT to do that this year. We have so many more convenient options to make that appointment and schedule that visit in the convenience of our own homes. If you haven’t tried a telehealth visit, this type of visit may fit into your busy schedule. I had my first telehealth visit, and from start to finish, it was 15 minutes. There is no rushing out of the office and driving 10 minutes to wait in a waiting room and then see the provider. It was simply a click of a link and a chat with a provider. I also appreciated that when it came time for that mammogram, I could schedule and get right in without having to make a doctor’s appointment first. At JMHS, we are removing barriers that may limit your ability to be well. Schedule that preventative visit today, or you may be scheduling that necessary visit tomorrow. Click here to see a list of recommended preventative services.

Kris Jacobson,  LNHA, LALD, MBA
JMHS Interim CEO

Colon Cancer Doesn’t Care Who You Are

3/01/22

Robin Gibb, Ronald Regan, Elizabeth Montgomery, Audrey Hepburn, Vince Lombardi, Jay Monahan are all famous people affected by colorectal cancer and have since passed away.

If you think your life is too busy to be inconvenienced by the prep or scheduling for a colonoscopy, you may want to reconsider. According to the American Cancer Society, 52,980 people passed away in 2021 from colorectal cancer. In 2021, 4,000 more males than females passed away from the disease. Personally, I will not forget as a teenager my mom’s friend sharing her colon cancer diagnosis with us. She was only 42 years old at the time. She did not win her battle and left behind two teenage daughters.

When I turned 50 years old, it was one of the first things I scheduled that year. Yes, I too, have heard the negative stories about the prep and procedure, but it was not bad for me. I was later relieved that the colonoscopy procedure was painless and quick. If you think you can’t get colorectal cancer because you are generally healthy, an athlete, or a driven professional, you may want to reconsider after reviewing the names at the beginning of this message.

Please encourage your friends and family to talk about the screening and to take action by scheduling their colonoscopy. JMHS will be wearing Blue this Friday to bring awareness to this deadly disease and prevention methods. We would invite you to do the same. There are no butt’s about it; colonoscopies save lives.

Kris Jacobson,  LNHA, LALD, MBA
JMHS Interim CEO

Community

02/22/22

There is nothing like a game of “Dodge Ball” to see our community come together. Yes, I am still having a hard time accepting our JMHS’s teams’ quick loss, but I am still inspired by how a simple “Dodge Ball” game brought so many organizations and individuals together. It reminds me of how our health care community often comes together in times of need. We are fortunate to belong to Medi-Sota and the River Valley Health Network, where we can share resources and collaborate on needs for our respective communities to bring you the best care and services possible close to home. A favorite saying of mine is, “if you want to go FAST, go alone but if you want to go FAR, go together.” At JMHS, we are a collective community of healthcare professionals willing to go the distance to bring you the healthcare needed close to home when perhaps you are injured during a competitive/friendly game of dodge ball. Until next year dodge ball fans, our JMHS team will be practicing and ready for a rematch.

Kris Jacobson,  LNHA, LALD, MBA
JMHS Interim CEO

 

 

When Everyone is Watching…

02/16/22

I recently attended a local high school dance competition. I admired how the dancers truly performed their best routines despite the volume of eyes in the audience focused upon them. They reacted with grace under pressure and performed to a level of excellence that only practice and self-confidence can ensure. Although there were several “eyes” upon them, they were really dancing to perform their best for the six judges that would determine the winners of the competition. These judges would also determine the level of additional practice and efforts they would need to apply in the future. I am sure the dancers appreciated the instant feedback from the rest of the audience through applause, cheers, and ovations, but at the end of the competition, the results mattered. The parallels to how we aspire to perform in Healthcare are similar. Many people, such as healthcare consumers and regulatory agencies, are watching/judging us as we perform our services. We take that very seriously at JMHS. We know that hundreds or thousands of people can view any publicly reported data. However, we also value knowing that our patients, residents, tenants, friends, and family are the true judges of our services. We aspire to perform our best and are proud to offer a full spectrum of services at JMHS. We appreciate it when our audience shares their experiences with us so that we can continue to perform our best. You can help by filling out your surveys when you receive them after a visit or by contacting us online. We use your feedback to help continue to meet our mission of providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare close to home. 

Kris Jacobson,  LNHA, LALD, MBA
JMHS Interim CEO

Be quick, be nimble…

02/08/22

While reading old storybooks to my 8-month-old grandson last weekend, I encountered the story rhyme “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick.” This caused me to pause and think about how quickly we are asked to react to changes in healthcare. Our Emergency First Responders are asked to respond timely to a call for assistance. Our Surgery Department has to be able to perform that emergency surgery as time in both of these examples is critical to the outcome. I had the opportunity to visit with our EMS staff a few weeks ago. Many are volunteers who drop what they are doing on a moment’s notice at any time of the day to answer a call. We are grateful for their ability to be “Nimble and Quick!” However, I learned that our EMS team could use more volunteers. If you are interested in answering the call for service by being a part of our emergency response team, please contact Ann Jensen at ajensen@jmhsmn.org to obtain information on the next new responder class. By supporting our EMS Team, we can be ready for anyone that may “get burned by that candlestick” and respond in a timely fashion.

Kris Jacobson, LNHA, LALD, MBA
JMHS Interim CEO

 

Having a Heart for Healthcare

02/03/22

You may have noticed these past couple of years all of the household or store windows decorated with hearts of all shapes and sizes. Even upon arriving to JMHS in the fall of 2021 there were hearts located on the office windows. These hearts had messages on them “Let’s do this” and Just Breathe.”  The symbol of a heart is a significant reminder of the value of having a heart in the moments of uncertainty. We rely on our heart to provide us the endurance to go the distance and to help us emotionally connect with the people around us. The heart is also one of the most important organs in the human body, continuously pumping blood around our body through blood vessels. Unfortunately, a startling fact from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that a person has a heart attack every 40 seconds in the United States. Prolonged stress may also lead to high blood pressure, artery damage, irregular heart rhythms and a weakened immune system. Since February is heart health month, we continue to focus on all things that keep our hearts healthy. Sharing love, kindness, patience, and empathy are all gifts from the heart. Exercise and healthy eating habits also help us strengthen our hearts. Let’s all remain heart healthy and celebrate heart health month by joining JMHS and wearing RED on Friday. It doesn’t matter if you wear your heart on your sleeve or simply love to live healthily; just protect your heart. Let’s Do This!

Kris Jacobson, LNHA, LALD, MBA
Interim CEO