News & Events

Skiff Medical Center and Health Enterprises co-hosted a ribbon-cutting on Monday, May 7 to celebrate the debut of the new ePharmacy project that went live at 5 p.m. that day at the hospital. Nationally, only 20 percent of facilities have pharmacist coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week,...

According to testing performed by the State Hygienic Laboratory, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) says more than 150 people with pertussis (whooping cough) have been reported so far in 2012. This is a 121 percent increase from the number of cases reported at this time in 2011. The...

Skiff Medical Center’s Public Relations and Marketing department is the proud recipient of several awards from two national health-care advertising competitions.  The three-person PR team received two nods from the Twenty-Ninth Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards: a silver award for the Skiff ambigram shirt and a bronze award for Vital Signs,...

Dr. Bryan Folkers, of Bergman-Folkers Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, is pleased to announce that he is seeing patients at the Skiff Surgery Clinic, 300 N. 4th Ave. E., Newton. Patients receive consultations in the clinic on the second Thursday afternoon of each month, with surgical procedures taking place in...

Close to 40,000 Iowans will turn 65 in 2012 and most will be encountering Medicare for the first time. “For those approaching age 65, there are four key Medicare questions,” said Kris Gross from the state of Iowa's Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP). First, should you enroll in Medicare...

Each year, thousands of children become ill from diseases that could have been prevented by basic childhood immunizations. Countless more miss time from day care and school because they are under-immunized or inappropriately immunized. During the week of April 21-28, the Jasper County Public Health Nursing Service at Skiff Medical...

I recently had the privilege of giving a presentation to a local service group. They asked me to speak on changes in health care and the resulting impact on Skiff. After much thought, I provided a presentation on the 90-year history of our hospital, because it represents 90 years of...

Skiff Medical Center is announcing a renewed strategic plan for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, which will be accompanied by a number of new opportunities.  “We established our original strategic plan in mid-2010,” Skiff CEO Steve Long said. “As times and circumstances change, we must flex our strategy to adapt. So with input...

  Skiff Medical Center will be asking patients, visitors, doctors and employees to “pardon our progress” during the next few weeks as work is underway to update the Skiff Emergency Department. At the conclusion of the renovation, the department will have new flooring, paint, curtains, countertops and some new cabinetry. The funding...

The Skiff Cancer Clinic was recently presented with a check for $1,234 from the family of the late Dave Krumm. Krumm was diagnosed with lung cancer in late summer 2011 and passed away on Feb. 1 of this year.  Prior to his death, Krumm received treatments in the Skiff Cancer...

Kathy Donlin, President of Café Promotions LLC, working in association with Newton Manufacturing, recently presented a check for $511 to Sandi Dean, Skiff Home Care. The proceeds came from advertising sales for the Jasper County Empowerment Baby Calendar. Others pictured include, from left, Dan Livengood, Senior Manager of Business Expansion...

Skiff Auxiliary’s Chair-ries Jubilee event will be held on Saturday, April 21 at the Moose Lodge in Newton. This year the Auxiliary is bringing back the tradition of auctioning custom-decorated chairs. The chairs have been one of the most popular items at previous Chair-ries Jubilees and will be featured in the silent...

Skiff Medical Center generates 353 jobs that add more than $28 million to Jasper County’s economy, according to the latest study by the Iowa Hospital Association.  In addition, Skiff employees by themselves spend almost $8 million on retail sales and contribute about $465,000 in state sales tax revenue.  “Skiff Medical...

Sandy Van Zee, registered nurse at Skiff Medical Center, was recognized for her compassion and hunger for knowledge during the organization’s first 2012 DAISY award ceremony on Feb. 15.  The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses was presented to Van Zee following a nomination by colleague Lisa Dobbie.   “Sandy is...

The application deadline for the college scholarships offered annually by the Skiff Medical Center Auxiliary is noon, Friday, March 30. Applications are available at the hospital administration office, DMACC and at high school counselors’ offices throughout Jasper County. The auxiliary will award scholarships to students within Jasper County who are interested...

Skiff Medical Center’s first-ever Pink Nose/Blue Toes 5K turned out to be a red-letter day, with 101 people tackling the chilly event on Saturday and raising more than $1,800 for the Skiff Cancer Clinic. Ankeny man Jon Dyck, who recently held an internship in Skiff’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department,...

Skiff Medical Center is pleased to announce Larry Peterson as the new hospital chaplain. Peterson, who had previously served as the parish pastor of the Lutheran Church in Kellogg, has long been interested in the culture of Skiff. “During any interactions I’ve had at the hospital, I’ve always been treated...

Family practice physician Andrew Cope, D.O., has accepted an offer to join Newton Clinic, where 13 doctors, one physician assistant and two nurse practitioners offer services in the areas of family medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, internal medicine and podiatry. Dr. Cope is currently in his final year at the Genesis Quad-Cities...

Skiff Medical Center is proud to announce that Christine Hinshaw, a registered nurse in the Skiff OB department, has been named an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).  This honor places her within a very select number of breastfeeding experts.  Iowa has fewer than 100 IBCLCs. “This is the world-wide...

Newton Clinic will be adding to its roster of health-care providers when physician assistant Shari Lagodzinski begins seeing patients on Nov. 6. A Des Moines native, Lagodzinski received her bachelors of science in exericse and sports medicine from Iowa State University.  She went on to receive her paramedic license and...

Skiff Hospice is announcing "Picking Up the Pieces," a new grief support group for widows ages 60 and younger. The new group was conceived by Jennifer Barnett, Bereavement Coordinator. "I have noticed there are several younger women in the Newton community who have had a spouse die recently," she said....