The Hospital Foundation of Decatur County held its Seventh Annual Fundraising Gala last Friday to benefit the projects and programs of Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH).

Nearly 350 attendees were transported to 1940s Polynesia, with the theme “South Pacific Sunset.” Hula dancers welcomed guests, while an Andrews Sisters tribute group harmonized to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” There was also a pacific barbecue display taken straight from a luau.

This was director Bryan Robbins’ first time overseeing the event, which was started in 2008 under previous director David Fry.

Robbins characterized the evening as “quite an endeavor,” one that takes months of planning: “Everyone said it took a large effort, and they were right. It truly highlights the importance of a great support group, and luckily the committee I had this year went above and beyond to make it happen. None of this happens without them.”

Robbins also pointed out the involvement of the various DCMH departments in the silent auction, where each sector was asked to fill a small wooden crate with items they would want if stranded on a deserted island. “There was a lot of creativity in those crates, and it was neat to see what each department delivered. I think the attendees enjoyed investigating every little object they included.”

Another big promotion was the “Cash for Cards” game sponsored by Morning Breeze Retirement Community & Healthcare Center. Participants purchased replica vintage World War II postcards to win prizes ranging from $25 to well over $100. “Last year it was picking grapes; this year it was selecting postcards,” Robbins said. “It’s always a popular promotion and a fun way to show support for the Hospital Foundation. It was especially great that Morning Breeze was able to be the sponsor again this year. The folks there are wonderful, giving both time and funding to make this a reality.”

Written by HCE Exchange - When Decatur County Memorial Hospital, a critical-care facility in Greensburg, Ind., was planning its mission goals for 2014, the hospital leadership decided to focus on culture, quality, service, and finance from both an internal and an external perspective. They also wanted to better define the plans for the hospital and work on branding it in a fresh, new way.

But above all, Decatur County Memorial Hospital was concerned with one vital component of its operations: how it related to the community.

“We are an organization that is in the county,” Lynzee McDowell, marketing and communications manager of Decatur County Memorial Hospital, said. “We are a small hospital. Really everything we do is for our community. We don’t want to just guess their needs and the services they want.”

To effectively communicate with the community, Decatur County Memorial Hospital set up four focus groups. The leadership wanted answers to such questions as, “How can we satisfy our patients?” and “How can we provide safety for visitors and their families?”

As a result of the feedback received from these focus groups, the hospital was prompted to build a new medical surgical unit, and its vendors were prompted to enhance the security of the facility to ensure that all parties would be accounted for when on the hospital campus.

“Really there has been an overall cleaning up of the structure within,” she said. “We’re focused on making it a comfortable place for our community to come and making it the hospital they choose for their healthcare needs.”

Written by the Greensburg Daily News — In March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics invited the country to “Enjoy the Taste of Easting Right,” through the academy’s annual observance of National Nutrition Month.
Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) dietician Holly Pray and Marketing & Communications manager Lynzee McDowell were all too happy to accept that invitation and extend it to both hospital employees and to the community at large.
In a recent interview, McDowell told the Daily News, “DCMH offers several programs throughout the year that focus on all types of wellness: physical, financial, environmental and more. As we (DCMH) celebrate National Nutrition Month, we see March as an opportunity to highlight the many nutrition-related programs and services we offer our community.”
Among the initiatives Pray and McDowell worked and promoted in March is DCMH’s just-concluded “LiveWELL” program. LiveWELL, Pray explained was created in 2012 as a way to promote a healthy lifestyle at DCMH and in Decatur County at large.
DCMH Family Practice physician Jennifer Fletcher, MD, has participated in LiveWell and achieved impressive results.
The 2014 edition, Pray explained, started in January and ran continuously through March 31.
LiveWELL focuses on four elements of Living Well, including nutrition, fitness, physiological well-being and technology.

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