It’s not uncommon to celebrate a cause by declaring a month or a day in its honor.
For some causes, the point is not rejoicing, but bringing attention to the issue. Domestic violence is one such cause.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Already the mayors of Iola and Chanute have issued proclamations in recognition.
Sadly, the need for awareness is increasing, said Hope Unlimited Director Dorothy Sparks.
“Ten years ago, our shelter units for the whole year were around 300. Now we’re doing that per quarter.”
A shelter unit is the equivalent of one night’s stay by a woman or child who has had to flee their home due to domestic violence. In 2009, Hope Unlimited provided 1,183 shelter units. Already this year, there is an increase in the number of patrons served, Sparks said.
“I think the economy, especially in the past couple years, has added an extra stressor to families,” she said.
The load has risen so much that an additional case worker had to be hired. “Luckily, we got a grant for that,” Sparks said.
The domestic violence advocate joined another already at the Iola office of Social and Rehabilitative Services, Sparks said.
Statewide, case loads for domestic violence advocates runs about 20 clients per worker. At the Iola SRS office, the load was 90.
“Our numbers were the highest in the state,” Sparks said.
IN KANSAS, one of every 10 women reports domestic violence victimization, according to the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. That equates to about 100,000 women.
The number is always considered to be low, Sparks acknowledged, because domestic violence often goes unreported.
Many people, Sparks said, believe that domestic violence is apparent through bruises or other observable signs of battering. “I think that is a misconception,” she said. “Not all violence is physical.”
Emotional control, verbal abuse, financial control and other means of psychological torment are all forms of abuse, Sparks said.
“If someone lives with constant belittling, their self-esteem suffers. Those wounds don’t heal,” she said.
“It seems odd, but the physical wounds are easier to recover from.”
Sometimes, domestic violence leads to death.
Across the state, from January through August of this year, “20 adults and 6 children have lost their lives as a result of domestic violence,” the Kansas Coalition reported.
Hope Unlimited is trying to raise awareness of such facts, and also to let Allen Countians know that they can do something to help.
They are kicking off a new campaign, “Do One Thing,” this month.
“Everybody can do one thing to help end domestic violence,” noted Visitation Center Coordinator Michelle Meiwes.
“That can be as simple as donating an item or donating time or reading a book to become more informed about domestic violence,” she said.
“We desperately need paper goods and household items like laundry detergent,” added victim advocate Cyndy Greenhagen. “Even $10 a month adds up.”
“Maybe you can bring one can of coffee or have two or three hours to answer phones,” Sparks said by way of example of other “one things” that can be done.
Help is also needed to winterize the shelter, she added.
IOLA’S HOPE Unlimited serves clients in Allen, Neosho, Woodson, Wilson and Anderson counties. “We also get a lot of calls out of Linn and Bourbon counties, and we will take those,” Sparks said.
The next closest service provider, she said, is in Pittsburgh, Overland Park or Emporia.
Hope provides a shelter, emergency transportation away from a domestic violence situation, and support services such as assistance with job seeking, filing legal papers, transportation to medical or legal appointments, and replacement of clothes and household items that had to be abandoned in fleeing violence, Sparks said.
As a result, the agency is always in need of donations, especially of things “people don’t normally think of,” Sparks said, such as paper products, laundry supplies, toilet paper and hygiene items, socks and “new underwear of all sizes for women and children.” Lately, she said, “A lot of our clients have been looking for scrubs.”
Office supplies are also needed, especially ink cartridges, copy paper and stamps.
“We mail everything on behalf of the women,” Sparks said. “If we have to go buy that, it’s not in our budget to do so, especially with state and federal budget cuts.”
One of the agency’s major expense is its phone line, she said.
Another is food. Donations of non-perishable food for the shelter, especially pasta, is always welcome, she said. Meat, if processed by a U.S. Department of Agriculture licensed processor (such as Moran Locker) can also be accepted.
“We’ve had people bring things form their garden, and that’s wonderful,” she added.
Since every little bit helps, Hope also holds Friday used clothing sales outside their doors at 8 N. Washington, weather permitting.
“The money raised helps us buy milk and fresh eggs for that week at the shelter,” she said.
Typically sold are out-of-season items or things that victims cannot use, Sparks noted.
While the agency accepts used clothes, she said, they must be only gently used, and “something you’d comfortably wear yourself.” Work-appropriate clothing is appreciated, she said.
“Domestic violence crosses all socioeconomic lines,” Sparks said. “It touches everybody in some way.”
A confidential Wednesday afternoon support group for any woman who has experienced domestic violence is offered at the downtown office. Call Hope at 365-7566 for more information.
That number also directs to a 24/7 hotline for emergency situations, Sparks noted.
“Someone is always here to answer it.”
10/15/10
Friday, October 22, 2010
Looking forward from 99
By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK
Register Reporter
Grace Myers has seen a lot of changes in her 99 years.
The biggest, she said, is probably the role of women in society.
“We were wrong back then about women,” she said.
In the past, women were restricted in their capacity to work outside the home. Women today, she said, work on an almost equal basis with men.
Almost equal, she said, except for pay.
A Government Accountability Office report issued in late September stated that “female managers earned 81 cents for every dollar earned by male managers.”
Myers experienced the same discrepancy when she took over her husband’s position at Kansas City Gas Company during World War II.
“They paid the men $100 a week, but they only paid the women $80,” she said. “I was discriminated against.”
Before that, she said, she’d had to quit her teaching job in Oklahoma “Because they wouldn’t let married women teach. Believe it or not, they had a rule about it.”
After Myers and her family moved to Iola in 1948, she said, “I was just housewife with some piano students.”
Even that, she noted, was not a full time career.
“I was limited because I didn’t like to teach after dinner, so I had to fit (students) in between when school let out and 6 o’clock,” she said.
In the post-war era, Myers said, “It was sort of a reflection on the husband that (if a woman worked) he wasn’t supporting the poor wife.”
No longer is that the case.
At the time, though, Myers had to make do with her new role.
“I had mixed feelings” about departing the wage-earning world, she said.
“It was kind of nice to be free, yet sometimes I felt I missed it.”
MYERS HAD picked up the work at the Kansas City Gas Company when her husband left the job to start medical school.
“When the war came along, they needed doctors,” Myers said. “They had an accelerated program — it was 30 months” long without a break in studies, rather than the typical five-year schooling required, she said.
“Even though he was 30,” — old for starting such studies in those days, she said — “they took him.”
For Eugene Myers, it was an answered dream.
At the age of five, “He stepped into a corn grinder and was in the hospital 22 days,” Myers said. The care he received from the doctors and nurses left a lasting imprint on her husband, she said. From then on, “He had wanted to be a doctor.”
Eugene Myers was trained as both a surgeon and general practitioner. After the war, Myers said her husband wanted to focus on general practice.
“He had three uncles and two cousins with a clinic in Kansas City, and it was a ready made place for him,” she said.
But the pace of practice in Kansas City “was running him ragged,” she said. So, although she adored city life, the Myerses sought out a position in a small town.
And found Iola.
“He answered an ad from Dr. Nevitt to take over his practice,” Myers said of her husband. “But Dr. Nevitt changed his mind. So after six months, (Eugene) opened his own practice.”
Apparently, there was business enough for both doctors.
“The phone rang night and day,” she said. “It seemed like it was all the time.”
The noise was so constant, Myers said, that “I have a daughter who, to this day, hates the telephone because, she said, ‘That phone just drove me crazy.’”
“I remember, on Thanksgiving and Christmas, it was tense getting through dinner,” added Myers’ son, Joe, “because, invariably, the phone would ring.”
But for Joe, the phone calls often meant a trip with his dad.
“I used to go along with dad on house calls,” Joe said. “Those evenings, driving around, presented a chance” for his father to spend time with him, one on one, Joe said. And, he often joined him at Allen County Hospital as well.
Joe, turns out, was born about eight months before the hospital opened in 1952. The nurses, he said, told him his dad would bring him in, bundled in blankets, to show off.
“I explored that hospital top to bottom,” through his youth and into his teens, he said.
“It makes me feel old to think it’s decrepit,” he added, “But I guess I’m getting decrepit, too.”
Grace Myers believes Allen County does need a new hospital.
“I think we do to keep up with all the advances that have been made in medical science,” she said.
Plus, “I don’t think (young doctors) would be eager to come (to Iola) if we didn’t have an adequate hospital.”
ALTHOUGH she moved to Iola reluctantly, “with my nose out of joint,” Myers found joy in Iola.
“I think if you go to church, join a club and PTA, it’s easy to meet people here,” she said.
As for her long stay, she said, “I’m just glad I made it (this far). I’m very fortunate to be this old and be as healthy as I am. I don’t see as well or hear as well as I once did, but I do pretty well.”
So well, in fact, that when her daughter Catherine asked her what she wanted to do for her 99th birthday Wednesday, “I said, ‘Plan for the next one.’”
10/05/10
Register Reporter
Grace Myers has seen a lot of changes in her 99 years.
The biggest, she said, is probably the role of women in society.
“We were wrong back then about women,” she said.
In the past, women were restricted in their capacity to work outside the home. Women today, she said, work on an almost equal basis with men.
Almost equal, she said, except for pay.
A Government Accountability Office report issued in late September stated that “female managers earned 81 cents for every dollar earned by male managers.”
Myers experienced the same discrepancy when she took over her husband’s position at Kansas City Gas Company during World War II.
“They paid the men $100 a week, but they only paid the women $80,” she said. “I was discriminated against.”
Before that, she said, she’d had to quit her teaching job in Oklahoma “Because they wouldn’t let married women teach. Believe it or not, they had a rule about it.”
After Myers and her family moved to Iola in 1948, she said, “I was just housewife with some piano students.”
Even that, she noted, was not a full time career.
“I was limited because I didn’t like to teach after dinner, so I had to fit (students) in between when school let out and 6 o’clock,” she said.
In the post-war era, Myers said, “It was sort of a reflection on the husband that (if a woman worked) he wasn’t supporting the poor wife.”
No longer is that the case.
At the time, though, Myers had to make do with her new role.
“I had mixed feelings” about departing the wage-earning world, she said.
“It was kind of nice to be free, yet sometimes I felt I missed it.”
MYERS HAD picked up the work at the Kansas City Gas Company when her husband left the job to start medical school.
“When the war came along, they needed doctors,” Myers said. “They had an accelerated program — it was 30 months” long without a break in studies, rather than the typical five-year schooling required, she said.
“Even though he was 30,” — old for starting such studies in those days, she said — “they took him.”
For Eugene Myers, it was an answered dream.
At the age of five, “He stepped into a corn grinder and was in the hospital 22 days,” Myers said. The care he received from the doctors and nurses left a lasting imprint on her husband, she said. From then on, “He had wanted to be a doctor.”
Eugene Myers was trained as both a surgeon and general practitioner. After the war, Myers said her husband wanted to focus on general practice.
“He had three uncles and two cousins with a clinic in Kansas City, and it was a ready made place for him,” she said.
But the pace of practice in Kansas City “was running him ragged,” she said. So, although she adored city life, the Myerses sought out a position in a small town.
And found Iola.
“He answered an ad from Dr. Nevitt to take over his practice,” Myers said of her husband. “But Dr. Nevitt changed his mind. So after six months, (Eugene) opened his own practice.”
Apparently, there was business enough for both doctors.
“The phone rang night and day,” she said. “It seemed like it was all the time.”
The noise was so constant, Myers said, that “I have a daughter who, to this day, hates the telephone because, she said, ‘That phone just drove me crazy.’”
“I remember, on Thanksgiving and Christmas, it was tense getting through dinner,” added Myers’ son, Joe, “because, invariably, the phone would ring.”
But for Joe, the phone calls often meant a trip with his dad.
“I used to go along with dad on house calls,” Joe said. “Those evenings, driving around, presented a chance” for his father to spend time with him, one on one, Joe said. And, he often joined him at Allen County Hospital as well.
Joe, turns out, was born about eight months before the hospital opened in 1952. The nurses, he said, told him his dad would bring him in, bundled in blankets, to show off.
“I explored that hospital top to bottom,” through his youth and into his teens, he said.
“It makes me feel old to think it’s decrepit,” he added, “But I guess I’m getting decrepit, too.”
Grace Myers believes Allen County does need a new hospital.
“I think we do to keep up with all the advances that have been made in medical science,” she said.
Plus, “I don’t think (young doctors) would be eager to come (to Iola) if we didn’t have an adequate hospital.”
ALTHOUGH she moved to Iola reluctantly, “with my nose out of joint,” Myers found joy in Iola.
“I think if you go to church, join a club and PTA, it’s easy to meet people here,” she said.
As for her long stay, she said, “I’m just glad I made it (this far). I’m very fortunate to be this old and be as healthy as I am. I don’t see as well or hear as well as I once did, but I do pretty well.”
So well, in fact, that when her daughter Catherine asked her what she wanted to do for her 99th birthday Wednesday, “I said, ‘Plan for the next one.’”
10/05/10
Name says it all at Gett Fitt
The philosophy of Gett Fitt is fitness for life, at all life stages, owner Roger Campbell said.
“When you’re physically fit, you survive so much better.”
But physical fitness must be built, just as any structure.
“It’s just like building a house. If you don’t make that foundation strong, that house will crumble.”
With two masters degrees in advanced exercise prescription and physiology, Campbell is prepared to help individuals build that foundation of health.
“I’ve been teaching at the college level for 35 years,” he said.
At Gett Fitt, Campbell shares that knowledge with club members young and old.
“I work with a person until they say ‘I’ve got it,’” Campbell said of teaching members how to use fitness machines.
Campbell also will develop personalized exercise routines tailored to each member’s needs and ability.
“That’s part of my service,” he said. “We do exercise testing and evaluations,” Campbell said. “We test you and determine what program would work best for you.”
Campbell has “been in business since 1993,” he said.
In that time, Campbell has developed training courses for youth in athletic programs, pre-surgery, post-surgery, group exercise, yoga, circuit training and the popular boot camp programs.
At Gett Fitt, variety is key.
“We’ve never repeated a workout. We’ve never done the same thing two days is a row,” Campbell said of the daily boot camp.
The popular aerobics sessions offer a total body workout, he said.
“Through a week, you’ve gotten a good workout, and your body never has a chance to plateau” as it does with repetitive exercise routines, he said. The variety keeps the fat burning and the muscle building, he noted.
For those who prefer, three certified trainers are on hand to offer one-on-one instruction.
Post-surgery programs are gaining in popularity — and being recommended more by medical personnel, Campbell noted.
“People are ecstatic about coming back (to normalcy) faster.”
Gett Fitt is a members-only club, with keyed entry access 24/7, Campbell said.
Members love the personalized service, the low-key camaraderie and the health benefits, he said.
Anyone who is curious about joining can come work out for free to get a feel for the place, he said. Just call Gett Fitt at 365-5115 and make an appointment to visit.
And, Campbell said, watch for regularly advertised membership specials.
Campbell believes once someone visits, they’ll want to come back.
After all, it’s for your own health.
10/15/10
“When you’re physically fit, you survive so much better.”
But physical fitness must be built, just as any structure.
“It’s just like building a house. If you don’t make that foundation strong, that house will crumble.”
With two masters degrees in advanced exercise prescription and physiology, Campbell is prepared to help individuals build that foundation of health.
“I’ve been teaching at the college level for 35 years,” he said.
At Gett Fitt, Campbell shares that knowledge with club members young and old.
“I work with a person until they say ‘I’ve got it,’” Campbell said of teaching members how to use fitness machines.
Campbell also will develop personalized exercise routines tailored to each member’s needs and ability.
“That’s part of my service,” he said. “We do exercise testing and evaluations,” Campbell said. “We test you and determine what program would work best for you.”
Campbell has “been in business since 1993,” he said.
In that time, Campbell has developed training courses for youth in athletic programs, pre-surgery, post-surgery, group exercise, yoga, circuit training and the popular boot camp programs.
At Gett Fitt, variety is key.
“We’ve never repeated a workout. We’ve never done the same thing two days is a row,” Campbell said of the daily boot camp.
The popular aerobics sessions offer a total body workout, he said.
“Through a week, you’ve gotten a good workout, and your body never has a chance to plateau” as it does with repetitive exercise routines, he said. The variety keeps the fat burning and the muscle building, he noted.
For those who prefer, three certified trainers are on hand to offer one-on-one instruction.
Post-surgery programs are gaining in popularity — and being recommended more by medical personnel, Campbell noted.
“People are ecstatic about coming back (to normalcy) faster.”
Gett Fitt is a members-only club, with keyed entry access 24/7, Campbell said.
Members love the personalized service, the low-key camaraderie and the health benefits, he said.
Anyone who is curious about joining can come work out for free to get a feel for the place, he said. Just call Gett Fitt at 365-5115 and make an appointment to visit.
And, Campbell said, watch for regularly advertised membership specials.
Campbell believes once someone visits, they’ll want to come back.
After all, it’s for your own health.
10/15/10
Commissioners mull site options
By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK
Register Reporter
While no particular site has yet been selected for a new Allen County Hospital, it’s no secret that commissioners favor one on East Street between Kentucky Avenue and The Family Physicians Clinic.
The site must still undergo review by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Commission Chair Dick Works noted at Tuesday’s meeting. If environmental concerns prove “insurmountable, we have another site in mind,” — also not a secret — Works said.
The second site, undeveloped land between North Dakota Road and East Carpenter Street — has issues with utility accessibility, Works noted. Commissioners have also heard that it is in “too residential a neighborhood,” Commissioner Rob Francis said, but noted that it would provide direct highway access.
Commissioner Gary McInotsh was absent.
County Counselor Alan Weber was directed by Works and Francis to pursue a list of appraisers for a site once one is formally selected.
Weber also wrote up a summary of hospital trustee duties and expectations, he said, to be given to potential board of trustee candidates. The requirements were reviewed by ACH Chief Executive Officer Joyce Heismeyer, Weber said.
Weber noted he has reviewed personnel policies for all county departments and made appropriate changes.
“We really hadn’t done it for 10 years,” he said of updating the guidelines. He suggested reviewing the policies every two years in the future.
COUNTY emergency services personnel will be wearing pink shirts for the rest of October in honor of breast cancer awareness month, Francis said. EMS personnel purchased the shirts of their own accord, he noted.
The county ambulance service has brought in $429,000 thus far this year, said Emergency Medical Services Director Jason Nelson. That amount is $50,000 more than last year at this point, he added. Nelson said the amount taken in reflects 80 percent of what has been billed.
“Things have been busy, unfortunately,” he said of the number of calls. Nelson said at one point recently all four trucks were on calls at the same time.
“That shows the need for the improvements we’ve made” to the emergency response system, Works said.
Nelson is scheduling cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes for staff at both Moran Manor and Kids Kingdom child care center.
Other businesses can schedule such training by calling Nelson at 365-1460.
WORKS said commissioners will look into a request to purchase new tires for the Mental Health Center van, used by the county in situations when its own senior services van is out of commission.
The senior van has been having ongoing problems, said Public Works Director Bill King.
The most recent, a problem with the air conditioning system that cannot be fixed regionally, will see the van, a 2007 Ford, taken to Wichita for service.
Other issues have involved a fuel pump, back lock, emissions controls and engine light coming on repeatedly.
“It’s just been one thing after another,” noted County Clerk Sherrie Reible.
The van was purchased with grant funds and must be used until a certain mileage is reached before the county is eligible to reapply for a similar grant, Works said.
Typically, the vans are replaced after four or five years or 100,000 miles, Reibel added.
“If you get a lemon, it’s a long four years,” said Works.
THE COUNTY is actively mowing roadways and has all three mowers out, King noted. Cool season chip seal work will be done as weather permits, he added.
A 50 gallon buried tank must be removed from Allen County Airport property. The tank’s past use is uncertain, King said, but he believes it was for a septic system. “I should know later today,” he said.
All counties in Kansas, as of July 1, must pay for indigent burials, a tab previously picked up by the state, Works said. No such burials have taken place in Allen County since the change.
Insurance claims are running $3,145 higher than expected this year, commissioners noted.
Commissioners reauthorized a resolution continuing a 75 cent tax per line on land line phones in Allen County to help fund county 911 services.
10/05/10
Register Reporter
While no particular site has yet been selected for a new Allen County Hospital, it’s no secret that commissioners favor one on East Street between Kentucky Avenue and The Family Physicians Clinic.
The site must still undergo review by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Commission Chair Dick Works noted at Tuesday’s meeting. If environmental concerns prove “insurmountable, we have another site in mind,” — also not a secret — Works said.
The second site, undeveloped land between North Dakota Road and East Carpenter Street — has issues with utility accessibility, Works noted. Commissioners have also heard that it is in “too residential a neighborhood,” Commissioner Rob Francis said, but noted that it would provide direct highway access.
Commissioner Gary McInotsh was absent.
County Counselor Alan Weber was directed by Works and Francis to pursue a list of appraisers for a site once one is formally selected.
Weber also wrote up a summary of hospital trustee duties and expectations, he said, to be given to potential board of trustee candidates. The requirements were reviewed by ACH Chief Executive Officer Joyce Heismeyer, Weber said.
Weber noted he has reviewed personnel policies for all county departments and made appropriate changes.
“We really hadn’t done it for 10 years,” he said of updating the guidelines. He suggested reviewing the policies every two years in the future.
COUNTY emergency services personnel will be wearing pink shirts for the rest of October in honor of breast cancer awareness month, Francis said. EMS personnel purchased the shirts of their own accord, he noted.
The county ambulance service has brought in $429,000 thus far this year, said Emergency Medical Services Director Jason Nelson. That amount is $50,000 more than last year at this point, he added. Nelson said the amount taken in reflects 80 percent of what has been billed.
“Things have been busy, unfortunately,” he said of the number of calls. Nelson said at one point recently all four trucks were on calls at the same time.
“That shows the need for the improvements we’ve made” to the emergency response system, Works said.
Nelson is scheduling cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes for staff at both Moran Manor and Kids Kingdom child care center.
Other businesses can schedule such training by calling Nelson at 365-1460.
WORKS said commissioners will look into a request to purchase new tires for the Mental Health Center van, used by the county in situations when its own senior services van is out of commission.
The senior van has been having ongoing problems, said Public Works Director Bill King.
The most recent, a problem with the air conditioning system that cannot be fixed regionally, will see the van, a 2007 Ford, taken to Wichita for service.
Other issues have involved a fuel pump, back lock, emissions controls and engine light coming on repeatedly.
“It’s just been one thing after another,” noted County Clerk Sherrie Reible.
The van was purchased with grant funds and must be used until a certain mileage is reached before the county is eligible to reapply for a similar grant, Works said.
Typically, the vans are replaced after four or five years or 100,000 miles, Reibel added.
“If you get a lemon, it’s a long four years,” said Works.
THE COUNTY is actively mowing roadways and has all three mowers out, King noted. Cool season chip seal work will be done as weather permits, he added.
A 50 gallon buried tank must be removed from Allen County Airport property. The tank’s past use is uncertain, King said, but he believes it was for a septic system. “I should know later today,” he said.
All counties in Kansas, as of July 1, must pay for indigent burials, a tab previously picked up by the state, Works said. No such burials have taken place in Allen County since the change.
Insurance claims are running $3,145 higher than expected this year, commissioners noted.
Commissioners reauthorized a resolution continuing a 75 cent tax per line on land line phones in Allen County to help fund county 911 services.
10/05/10
Voodoo Daddies will swing Iola
By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK
Register Reporter
one pic plus thumb nail
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, along with the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Brian Setzer Orchestra, reintroduced American listeners to the full sound of a brass-filled band.
The seven-member group formed in 1993 in Southern California, playing traditional swing music at clubs and festivals across the country.
Numerous late night TV appearances added to their fan base.
The band’s most recent release, 2009’s “How Big Can You Get” pays tribute to legendary performer Cab Calloway and Depression-era swing.
In one of many YouTube clips of the band, BBVD frontman Scotty Morris noted that bands during the depression often toured for years at a time. BBVD is in the midst of their own tour, sweeping across the Midwest. They will be in Iola Saturday at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center as the first performance in the Bowlus Cultural Attraction Series. The program is a Beth A. Ray bequest performance.
The swinging starts at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:45. Tickets, $17 floor or $15 balcony, are available at the Bowlus office, 205 E. Madison, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily or at Iola Pharmacy during Pharmacy business hours. Tickets may also be purchased at the Bowlus ticket window on show night. Full-time students get in for half the normal price.
The Bowlus show will feature songs from the Calloway tribute album as well as new numbers for an album in-progress, said their publicist, Tracey Miller.
No matter the particulars, all the songs will be rollicking swing tunes that make you want to get out of your seat and kick up your heels.
Swing music, Miller said in a press release, brings a “much-needed jolt of feel-good music to a country slogging through tough times,” similar to the release people found dancing away their cares during the Great Depression.
“People should be able to come in ad forget about everything for a while” listening to their music, BBVD trumpet player Glen Marhevka told the Register. “I don’t know if we’re trying to put a message out there, but people should walk away with a smile on their face,”
MARHEVKA said the band has been a septet for 14 years. “The band started out as a trio and added horns and piano. It’s been the same lineup since 1996.” They now have two trumpets, two trombones, a saxophone, piano, guitar and drums, along with vocals.
They are on the road 200 days out of every year year, he said, playing 150 shows in that time.
The constant working and reworking of songs through live performances has led BBVD to perfect their working relationship and their sound, Marhevka said.
“We’ve definitely made (the performances) more into a show than when we were young” he said. “The band has matured.”
While band members are all in their 30s and 40s, their suits and accessories can be much older, Marhevka said.
“We’ve been collecting vintage clothing for years. I have probably 15 suits made in the 1940s.”
Suits, ties, hats and shoes are all picked up at shops and vintage venues as they travel, he said. “Sometimes, people even bring old ties and shirts to us and say, ‘This belonged to my grandfather and I thought you might like it.’
“Surprisingly,” Marhevka said, “really old suits are easy to care for. They’re all wool,” which wears better than modern fabrics, he said.
THE VINTAGE look goes along with the vintage sound the band has become known for.
“We’ve always played it, before there was any attention on it,” Marhevka said. Then, “In the ’90s it became big and we got a fan base.” Though the big band resurgence hullabaloo died down, the band kept going. “We didn’t stop being on the road. We’ve gotten known as such a great live act that it’s one of the keys to our success,” Marhevka said.
BBVD now plays before crowds that range from a few hundred at art centers to 15,000 at music festivals, he said. Regardless of crowd size, “The show is definitely high energy.”
The nice thing about swing music, Marhevka noted, is its timelessness. And, it appeals across all age groups. Lovers of traditional jazz, big band music and even rock can enjoy the sound, he said. “Our fan base ranges from kids to people’s grandparents,” Marhevka said.
Marhevka “started playing trumpet in fifth grade,” he said.
“I was always attracted to anything with horns. I just loved it.”
The attraction was congenital.
“My dad was a sax player,” Marhevka said.
“He had a day job but he played every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from the day I was born until I was in junior high.”
He also found the young trumpeter “a great teacher when I was young,” Marhevka said.
The quality of that training cemented Marhevka’s commitment to playing, he said.
Over the years, the band has become a family to Marhevka. “They’re my best friends,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll be playing together the rest of our careers.”
And he said, “We’re looking forward to coming.” He even promised “some songs we’ve never played before.”
10/21/10
Register Reporter
one pic plus thumb nail
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, along with the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Brian Setzer Orchestra, reintroduced American listeners to the full sound of a brass-filled band.
The seven-member group formed in 1993 in Southern California, playing traditional swing music at clubs and festivals across the country.
Numerous late night TV appearances added to their fan base.
The band’s most recent release, 2009’s “How Big Can You Get” pays tribute to legendary performer Cab Calloway and Depression-era swing.
In one of many YouTube clips of the band, BBVD frontman Scotty Morris noted that bands during the depression often toured for years at a time. BBVD is in the midst of their own tour, sweeping across the Midwest. They will be in Iola Saturday at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center as the first performance in the Bowlus Cultural Attraction Series. The program is a Beth A. Ray bequest performance.
The swinging starts at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:45. Tickets, $17 floor or $15 balcony, are available at the Bowlus office, 205 E. Madison, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily or at Iola Pharmacy during Pharmacy business hours. Tickets may also be purchased at the Bowlus ticket window on show night. Full-time students get in for half the normal price.
The Bowlus show will feature songs from the Calloway tribute album as well as new numbers for an album in-progress, said their publicist, Tracey Miller.
No matter the particulars, all the songs will be rollicking swing tunes that make you want to get out of your seat and kick up your heels.
Swing music, Miller said in a press release, brings a “much-needed jolt of feel-good music to a country slogging through tough times,” similar to the release people found dancing away their cares during the Great Depression.
“People should be able to come in ad forget about everything for a while” listening to their music, BBVD trumpet player Glen Marhevka told the Register. “I don’t know if we’re trying to put a message out there, but people should walk away with a smile on their face,”
MARHEVKA said the band has been a septet for 14 years. “The band started out as a trio and added horns and piano. It’s been the same lineup since 1996.” They now have two trumpets, two trombones, a saxophone, piano, guitar and drums, along with vocals.
They are on the road 200 days out of every year year, he said, playing 150 shows in that time.
The constant working and reworking of songs through live performances has led BBVD to perfect their working relationship and their sound, Marhevka said.
“We’ve definitely made (the performances) more into a show than when we were young” he said. “The band has matured.”
While band members are all in their 30s and 40s, their suits and accessories can be much older, Marhevka said.
“We’ve been collecting vintage clothing for years. I have probably 15 suits made in the 1940s.”
Suits, ties, hats and shoes are all picked up at shops and vintage venues as they travel, he said. “Sometimes, people even bring old ties and shirts to us and say, ‘This belonged to my grandfather and I thought you might like it.’
“Surprisingly,” Marhevka said, “really old suits are easy to care for. They’re all wool,” which wears better than modern fabrics, he said.
THE VINTAGE look goes along with the vintage sound the band has become known for.
“We’ve always played it, before there was any attention on it,” Marhevka said. Then, “In the ’90s it became big and we got a fan base.” Though the big band resurgence hullabaloo died down, the band kept going. “We didn’t stop being on the road. We’ve gotten known as such a great live act that it’s one of the keys to our success,” Marhevka said.
BBVD now plays before crowds that range from a few hundred at art centers to 15,000 at music festivals, he said. Regardless of crowd size, “The show is definitely high energy.”
The nice thing about swing music, Marhevka noted, is its timelessness. And, it appeals across all age groups. Lovers of traditional jazz, big band music and even rock can enjoy the sound, he said. “Our fan base ranges from kids to people’s grandparents,” Marhevka said.
Marhevka “started playing trumpet in fifth grade,” he said.
“I was always attracted to anything with horns. I just loved it.”
The attraction was congenital.
“My dad was a sax player,” Marhevka said.
“He had a day job but he played every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from the day I was born until I was in junior high.”
He also found the young trumpeter “a great teacher when I was young,” Marhevka said.
The quality of that training cemented Marhevka’s commitment to playing, he said.
Over the years, the band has become a family to Marhevka. “They’re my best friends,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll be playing together the rest of our careers.”
And he said, “We’re looking forward to coming.” He even promised “some songs we’ve never played before.”
10/21/10
New events mark Farm-City Days
By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK
Register Reporter
There are a lot of new, exciting changes to Farm-City Days this year, said Farm-City Days committee member Jana Taylor.
A Family Fun Night, chili cook-off and ventriloquist with giant puppet sidekick all await attendees to the 39th annual celebration Oct. 13-16.
Colorado ventriloquist Wayne Francis and his sidekick, Wingnut, are “something completely different that we’ve never done before,” Taylor said.
“Wayne and Wingnut” will perform a free show from 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 15, and will entertain folks in area nursing homes in the afternoon beforehand, she said. A freewill dinner of burgers and chips will be offered at the same time near the performance tent at the southwest corner of the Iola square, Taylor said, providing a complete evening out for the whole family.
Oct. 14 also features family entertainment. From 4 to 6 p.m., “3” Rusty Nails will perform on the Iola square bandstand. A freewill dinner of burgers, chips and baked beans will be offered nearby, with beverages for sale. The meal is courtesy of Lewellen carnival.
Carnival rides will be up for thrill seekers, with wristbands on sale now for $20 at all area banks and the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce, 208 W. Madison. Prices rise to $25 starting the 14th.
On Oct. 16, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Allen and Neosho Counties will provide a fundraiser breakfast on Jefferson Street at the east side of the square from 7 to 9:30 a.m.
A Pickleball tournament ensues at Meadowbrook Park at 9 a.m., while a horseshoe pitch begins in Riverside Park at the same time.
Also starting at 9 are a vintage car and motorcycle show on West Street near the post office and an antique tractor show on Washington Street.
From 9 to 4, the Allen County Farm Bureau will offer “Ag Central” in the tent at the southwest corner of the square. This also is a new event, Taylor said.
“Traditionally, the Farm Bureau has sponsored a dinner,” She said. “This year, they’ve decided to do something new.”
Ag Central will feature a hay bale maze, agricultural displays and activites geared toward education, she noted.
Also from 9 to 4, commercial and craft vendors open their booths to the public.
At 9:30 a.m., the Big Brothers Big Sister 3 K walk and 5 K fun run begin at the intersection of Jefferson and East streets. Pre-register for this event at the chamber office.
A 16-inch softball tournament takes place at 9:30 at Riverside Park. “It’s played more up north,” said Iola Recreation Department Director Luke Bycroft. “We thought we’d try it out.” Teams, which play nine in the field, need to register by Wednesday at the Rec Department, 365-4990, or Chamber office, 365-5252. There is a $110 fee per team. Men’s or coed teams can register. “We’ll provide the balls,” Bycroft added.
AT 10 A.M., the Iola High School Jazz Band takes the entertainment stage near the south entrance to the Allen County Courthouse, while demonstrations of loom weaving, flint knapping, basket weaving and blacksmithy are offered from 10 to 4 around the square.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the public can taste all the entrants in the Sidelines Sports Bar Chili Bowl Challenge. A $3 fee gets you samplings of each chili entered in the contest, plus the opportunity to vote for your favorite dishes. The top vote getter receives a special “People’s Choice” award. A judges panel will select first through third prize winners. Those winners, plus the people’s choice, will split a $250 pot.
Entry forms for the Chili Bowl Challenge can be printed off of farmcitydays.com or picked up at the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce office. Forms should be returned by 5 p.m. Wednesday, with crockpots due at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 16. There is a $10 fee per entry.
At 11 a.m., the Iola High School Show Choir takes the entertainment stage. At 11:30, the Pregnancy Resource Center sponsors a baby contest there.
One o’clock marks the grand parade, which runs the traditional route from South Washington to Madison, Madison east to Jefferson, north on Jefferson to Monroe Street, west on Monroe to Washington, then south on Washington back to Madison, Taylor said.
Parade city marshals this year are Dave and MaryKay Heard, while farm marshals are Rick and Becky Robb.
There is still time ot enter a float or procession in the parade, Taylor said. Just fill out an entry form at the Chamber, or print one off form farmcitydays.com. Forms can also be e-mailed to chamber@iolachamber.com. There is no fee to enter a display in the parade.
At 2:30, Chili Bowl Challenge prizes are awarded on the square.
At 3 p.m., the Fraternal Order of Police host their popular “Kiss a Pig” competition.
Come 7 p.m., it’s the second Farm-City Days Battle of the Bands at the American Legion Post, 715 W. Patterson.
Advance cover charge is $7 with tickets costing $10 the night of the show. At press time, four bands were scheduled to rock. Krushead, Latent Content, Safe for Consumption and Led Astray have signed on to be named top band.
On Sunday, “We have something new, too,” Taylor continued.
“We’re going to have go cart and lawnmower races at the Riverside Park rodeo grounds,” she said.
“We’re not taking any entries to the race,” she noted. Instead, a company will come, build a track and provide both racers and carts of all ilk for the event.
Gates open at 11 a.m., Taylor said, with hot laps at 1 p.m. and races starting at 2. There are eight cart classes.
Updated information about Farm-City Days can be found on Facebook (search Farm-City Days) or at farmcitydays.com.
VOLUNTEER opportunities will abound throughout the event, Taylor said. Call her at 365-5252 to sign up now, or stop at the information booth near the clock on the square on Oct. 16. Farm-City Days T-shirts and Battle of the Bands tickets will also be available there.
In addition, those with ideas about expanding or improving Farm-City Days should contact Taylor and pass them on.
Planning begins in February each year, Taylor said, and “we would love to have additional volunteers. The more we have the easier it becomes because you can take on just one small piece” of the planning. “It can be anything from organizing the parade to finding crafters and providing ideas — ideas are the big thing.”
10/07/10
Register Reporter
There are a lot of new, exciting changes to Farm-City Days this year, said Farm-City Days committee member Jana Taylor.
A Family Fun Night, chili cook-off and ventriloquist with giant puppet sidekick all await attendees to the 39th annual celebration Oct. 13-16.
Colorado ventriloquist Wayne Francis and his sidekick, Wingnut, are “something completely different that we’ve never done before,” Taylor said.
“Wayne and Wingnut” will perform a free show from 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 15, and will entertain folks in area nursing homes in the afternoon beforehand, she said. A freewill dinner of burgers and chips will be offered at the same time near the performance tent at the southwest corner of the Iola square, Taylor said, providing a complete evening out for the whole family.
Oct. 14 also features family entertainment. From 4 to 6 p.m., “3” Rusty Nails will perform on the Iola square bandstand. A freewill dinner of burgers, chips and baked beans will be offered nearby, with beverages for sale. The meal is courtesy of Lewellen carnival.
Carnival rides will be up for thrill seekers, with wristbands on sale now for $20 at all area banks and the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce, 208 W. Madison. Prices rise to $25 starting the 14th.
On Oct. 16, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Allen and Neosho Counties will provide a fundraiser breakfast on Jefferson Street at the east side of the square from 7 to 9:30 a.m.
A Pickleball tournament ensues at Meadowbrook Park at 9 a.m., while a horseshoe pitch begins in Riverside Park at the same time.
Also starting at 9 are a vintage car and motorcycle show on West Street near the post office and an antique tractor show on Washington Street.
From 9 to 4, the Allen County Farm Bureau will offer “Ag Central” in the tent at the southwest corner of the square. This also is a new event, Taylor said.
“Traditionally, the Farm Bureau has sponsored a dinner,” She said. “This year, they’ve decided to do something new.”
Ag Central will feature a hay bale maze, agricultural displays and activites geared toward education, she noted.
Also from 9 to 4, commercial and craft vendors open their booths to the public.
At 9:30 a.m., the Big Brothers Big Sister 3 K walk and 5 K fun run begin at the intersection of Jefferson and East streets. Pre-register for this event at the chamber office.
A 16-inch softball tournament takes place at 9:30 at Riverside Park. “It’s played more up north,” said Iola Recreation Department Director Luke Bycroft. “We thought we’d try it out.” Teams, which play nine in the field, need to register by Wednesday at the Rec Department, 365-4990, or Chamber office, 365-5252. There is a $110 fee per team. Men’s or coed teams can register. “We’ll provide the balls,” Bycroft added.
AT 10 A.M., the Iola High School Jazz Band takes the entertainment stage near the south entrance to the Allen County Courthouse, while demonstrations of loom weaving, flint knapping, basket weaving and blacksmithy are offered from 10 to 4 around the square.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the public can taste all the entrants in the Sidelines Sports Bar Chili Bowl Challenge. A $3 fee gets you samplings of each chili entered in the contest, plus the opportunity to vote for your favorite dishes. The top vote getter receives a special “People’s Choice” award. A judges panel will select first through third prize winners. Those winners, plus the people’s choice, will split a $250 pot.
Entry forms for the Chili Bowl Challenge can be printed off of farmcitydays.com or picked up at the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce office. Forms should be returned by 5 p.m. Wednesday, with crockpots due at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 16. There is a $10 fee per entry.
At 11 a.m., the Iola High School Show Choir takes the entertainment stage. At 11:30, the Pregnancy Resource Center sponsors a baby contest there.
One o’clock marks the grand parade, which runs the traditional route from South Washington to Madison, Madison east to Jefferson, north on Jefferson to Monroe Street, west on Monroe to Washington, then south on Washington back to Madison, Taylor said.
Parade city marshals this year are Dave and MaryKay Heard, while farm marshals are Rick and Becky Robb.
There is still time ot enter a float or procession in the parade, Taylor said. Just fill out an entry form at the Chamber, or print one off form farmcitydays.com. Forms can also be e-mailed to chamber@iolachamber.com. There is no fee to enter a display in the parade.
At 2:30, Chili Bowl Challenge prizes are awarded on the square.
At 3 p.m., the Fraternal Order of Police host their popular “Kiss a Pig” competition.
Come 7 p.m., it’s the second Farm-City Days Battle of the Bands at the American Legion Post, 715 W. Patterson.
Advance cover charge is $7 with tickets costing $10 the night of the show. At press time, four bands were scheduled to rock. Krushead, Latent Content, Safe for Consumption and Led Astray have signed on to be named top band.
On Sunday, “We have something new, too,” Taylor continued.
“We’re going to have go cart and lawnmower races at the Riverside Park rodeo grounds,” she said.
“We’re not taking any entries to the race,” she noted. Instead, a company will come, build a track and provide both racers and carts of all ilk for the event.
Gates open at 11 a.m., Taylor said, with hot laps at 1 p.m. and races starting at 2. There are eight cart classes.
Updated information about Farm-City Days can be found on Facebook (search Farm-City Days) or at farmcitydays.com.
VOLUNTEER opportunities will abound throughout the event, Taylor said. Call her at 365-5252 to sign up now, or stop at the information booth near the clock on the square on Oct. 16. Farm-City Days T-shirts and Battle of the Bands tickets will also be available there.
In addition, those with ideas about expanding or improving Farm-City Days should contact Taylor and pass them on.
Planning begins in February each year, Taylor said, and “we would love to have additional volunteers. The more we have the easier it becomes because you can take on just one small piece” of the planning. “It can be anything from organizing the parade to finding crafters and providing ideas — ideas are the big thing.”
10/07/10
Monday, October 4, 2010
Nursing shortage may rest on wage discrepancies
with 1/2 col. photo
By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK Register Reporter
In her 17 years at Neosho County Community College, Director of Nursing Pam Covault has seen many changes.
More and more students — and potential faculty — are lured away by the possibility of higher salaries in urban centers.
“The reality is, the urban areas pay more,” Covault said.
Larger schools can pay faculty more, just as urban areas offer a higher salary to nurses on the floor, Covault said. In fact, the elephant in the room driving the nursing shortage may be the lack of qualified teaching staff.
Statewide, nursing programs are having a hard time recruiting teachers, a Kansas Helath Institute report said.
It all comes down to money.
“You have to love to teach, because the reality is, you are going to take a cut in pay to teach,” Covault said.
According to the Kansas Department of Labor, licensed practical nurses in rural Kansas (including Southeast Kansas) earn about $15.75 an hour. In metro areas, that wage jumps another $2 per hour. RNs earn a lot more. In rural areas, they can expect $22.45 an hour. In urban areas, that’s bumped up to $25. In Kansas City, they average $27.98 per hour.
Though she couldn’t give exact salary figures, teachers make much less, Covault said, making it hard to fill those roles.
“The reality is, the nurse that is working on the floor is making more than educators,” Covault said.
Luckily for students, and the state in general, both Covault and Assistant Nursing Director Beverly Rousch both love to teach. Covault has been with the program since 1991, Rousch since 1988. Neither plans to leave.
At NCCC, Covault said, “We are sitting better than we have been the last couple years, but ideally we need masters-prepared nurses” as teachers. Current provisions by state and national accrediting bodies allow nurses with a bachelor’s degree to teach, but the situation is not optimal, Covault said.
The advanced degree entails more experience, equalling more knowledge, Covault said.
“To teach the associates of nursing program, nurses must have a master’s of science in nursing,” Covault said.
Because MSNs can earn so much more on the floor, though, few are interested in teaching. Plus, Covault said, many masters-prepared nurses are now opting to become nurse practioners.
“They work under a doctor’s prescriptive authority,” she said, but can be the primary provider for some patients.
“The advance practice laws have changed across the nation in the past few years,” explained Deb Grazda, Chief Nursing Officer at Allen County Hospital.
“They have expanded the roles and those nurses with a higher education are allowed to do more.” Such nurses earn even more than RNs.
The lack of new nursing instructors puts a strain on those nurses already in academia, Covalut said.
“Most of us are covering full loads. Full time nursing faculty are full time in the classroom and clinical. The average instructor wil lecture and be in the hospital with students and have office time.”
It amounts to about two full days at each task, Covault said. “We’re stretched.”
NCCC has 17 FTE faculty plus additional clinical adjuncts, Covault said.
“Those clinical adjuncts are generally working nurses. They work on the floor three days and teach two days,” she said.
“Regulations say we can’t have more than 10 students per clinical instructor,” Covault said. A recent instructor illness at the Chanute campus left the college shifting staff to cover classes, Covault said. Still, NCCC’s program is successful.
Both the Chanute and Ottawa programs take 48 students each year as LPN candidates, plus 48 LPNs looking to get their RN liscensure. An additional 20 RN students sign up for online studies, Rousch said.
“Our students have to take their LPNs boards at the end of their first year,” she said. Unlike some prgrams that the KHI said are fighting to retain the state-required 75 percent LPN pass rate, “We have had a 100 percent pass rate on the LPN level for the last 18 years,” Rousch said, and “We had a 93 percent pass level at the RN level last year.”
She credits the stability of the program and the maturity of the students.
“We now require that students have their CNA before they apply into the nursing program.”
At Allen County Hospital, Grazda is concerned about the decline in other parts of the state. While the KHI said that students struggle most with writing and math, Grazda pointed out that “Communication has been identified as a huge patient issue. There have been a number of studies that show that ICU survival was impacted by doctor/nurse communication.” If students lack such skills, quality of care can be impacted, she said.
ACH is a critical access hospital, Grazda said. It is connected to a larger web of hospitals through its management under the Hospital Corporation of America. “It gives us a lot of access to large metropolitan facilities both in Wichita and Kansas City,” Grazda said. “We have access to hospitals that can do any kind of care, and that’s a big asset to nurses.”
“HCA constantly provides us with up to date data, information and training,” she said.
“It’s extremely important to retain nurses once they’ve gained knowledge of our processes,” Grazda said. “It’s our number one priority.”
That sentiment is universal, Covault said.
“Many of our students are already employed in health care” when they begin at NCCC, she said. “They may be a CNA at a hospital already, and the hospital tries to hold on to them.” Most of those students remain job-attached, Covault said, and return to their hospitals as RNs after their schooling. It’s a win-win situation.
“NCCC has had to do far less career placement, and the hospitals get a trained RN.”
Neosho County Community College’s nursing program can be reached through its web site at www.neosho.edu. The nursing link is on the left.
01/28/09
By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK Register Reporter
In her 17 years at Neosho County Community College, Director of Nursing Pam Covault has seen many changes.
More and more students — and potential faculty — are lured away by the possibility of higher salaries in urban centers.
“The reality is, the urban areas pay more,” Covault said.
Larger schools can pay faculty more, just as urban areas offer a higher salary to nurses on the floor, Covault said. In fact, the elephant in the room driving the nursing shortage may be the lack of qualified teaching staff.
Statewide, nursing programs are having a hard time recruiting teachers, a Kansas Helath Institute report said.
It all comes down to money.
“You have to love to teach, because the reality is, you are going to take a cut in pay to teach,” Covault said.
According to the Kansas Department of Labor, licensed practical nurses in rural Kansas (including Southeast Kansas) earn about $15.75 an hour. In metro areas, that wage jumps another $2 per hour. RNs earn a lot more. In rural areas, they can expect $22.45 an hour. In urban areas, that’s bumped up to $25. In Kansas City, they average $27.98 per hour.
Though she couldn’t give exact salary figures, teachers make much less, Covault said, making it hard to fill those roles.
“The reality is, the nurse that is working on the floor is making more than educators,” Covault said.
Luckily for students, and the state in general, both Covault and Assistant Nursing Director Beverly Rousch both love to teach. Covault has been with the program since 1991, Rousch since 1988. Neither plans to leave.
At NCCC, Covault said, “We are sitting better than we have been the last couple years, but ideally we need masters-prepared nurses” as teachers. Current provisions by state and national accrediting bodies allow nurses with a bachelor’s degree to teach, but the situation is not optimal, Covault said.
The advanced degree entails more experience, equalling more knowledge, Covault said.
“To teach the associates of nursing program, nurses must have a master’s of science in nursing,” Covault said.
Because MSNs can earn so much more on the floor, though, few are interested in teaching. Plus, Covault said, many masters-prepared nurses are now opting to become nurse practioners.
“They work under a doctor’s prescriptive authority,” she said, but can be the primary provider for some patients.
“The advance practice laws have changed across the nation in the past few years,” explained Deb Grazda, Chief Nursing Officer at Allen County Hospital.
“They have expanded the roles and those nurses with a higher education are allowed to do more.” Such nurses earn even more than RNs.
The lack of new nursing instructors puts a strain on those nurses already in academia, Covalut said.
“Most of us are covering full loads. Full time nursing faculty are full time in the classroom and clinical. The average instructor wil lecture and be in the hospital with students and have office time.”
It amounts to about two full days at each task, Covault said. “We’re stretched.”
NCCC has 17 FTE faculty plus additional clinical adjuncts, Covault said.
“Those clinical adjuncts are generally working nurses. They work on the floor three days and teach two days,” she said.
“Regulations say we can’t have more than 10 students per clinical instructor,” Covault said. A recent instructor illness at the Chanute campus left the college shifting staff to cover classes, Covault said. Still, NCCC’s program is successful.
Both the Chanute and Ottawa programs take 48 students each year as LPN candidates, plus 48 LPNs looking to get their RN liscensure. An additional 20 RN students sign up for online studies, Rousch said.
“Our students have to take their LPNs boards at the end of their first year,” she said. Unlike some prgrams that the KHI said are fighting to retain the state-required 75 percent LPN pass rate, “We have had a 100 percent pass rate on the LPN level for the last 18 years,” Rousch said, and “We had a 93 percent pass level at the RN level last year.”
She credits the stability of the program and the maturity of the students.
“We now require that students have their CNA before they apply into the nursing program.”
At Allen County Hospital, Grazda is concerned about the decline in other parts of the state. While the KHI said that students struggle most with writing and math, Grazda pointed out that “Communication has been identified as a huge patient issue. There have been a number of studies that show that ICU survival was impacted by doctor/nurse communication.” If students lack such skills, quality of care can be impacted, she said.
ACH is a critical access hospital, Grazda said. It is connected to a larger web of hospitals through its management under the Hospital Corporation of America. “It gives us a lot of access to large metropolitan facilities both in Wichita and Kansas City,” Grazda said. “We have access to hospitals that can do any kind of care, and that’s a big asset to nurses.”
“HCA constantly provides us with up to date data, information and training,” she said.
“It’s extremely important to retain nurses once they’ve gained knowledge of our processes,” Grazda said. “It’s our number one priority.”
That sentiment is universal, Covault said.
“Many of our students are already employed in health care” when they begin at NCCC, she said. “They may be a CNA at a hospital already, and the hospital tries to hold on to them.” Most of those students remain job-attached, Covault said, and return to their hospitals as RNs after their schooling. It’s a win-win situation.
“NCCC has had to do far less career placement, and the hospitals get a trained RN.”
Neosho County Community College’s nursing program can be reached through its web site at www.neosho.edu. The nursing link is on the left.
01/28/09
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