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medical services

Inpatient and Outpatient Care

NVCH has a dedicated nursing staff who offer inpatient care for acute hospital stays.  We also provide observation services and outpatient services.

Emergency Services

Nemaha Valley Community Hospital’s Emergency Department provides emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a physician on call at all times.  

The Emergency Department is equipped to handle all situations, from acute emergencies such as heart attacks, to other urgent illnesses and injuries.  We are also certified as a Level IV Trauma Center. 

In case of a true emergency, call 911 or go immediately to the Emergency Department. Notify the hospital staff if you have time.

Surgery

NVCH has a very dedicated surgery staff consisting of nurses with a combined work experience of 105 years, and the best surgery nurses around.

Harry Stewart, CRNA has been with NVCH since 1989 and is a very dedicated and knowledgeable anesthetist. He constantly strives to improve services to have the best options here for anesthesia and pain management. 

NVCH offers several inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures, including General surgery, Orthopedic, Ophthalmology, Gastrointestinal, Ear-Nose-Throat, Urology, and Podiatry.

Surgical Associates, Dr. Roderick Warren and Dr. Gary Sinning, provide 24-hour on-call coverage here at NVCH. They provide extensive surgical procedures, such as an Appendectomy, Bowel resection Hernia repair, Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal), Hysterectomy, Cesarean-Section, Colonoscopy and EGD’s.

Dr. Bartkoski and Dr. Snyder also provide endoscopic procedures. Dr. Bartkoski’s are primarily done on Tuesdays and Dr. Snyder’s are on Thursdays, but an EGD or Colonoscopy can be scheduled on other days of the week if it works better for the patient.

Other Surgical Procedures provided at NVCH by Outreach physicians:

Dr. Barnes: ENT

  • Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy
  • Nasal and sinus surgery
  • Septoplasty
  • Bilateral Myringotomy with Tubes (Tubes in ears)

Dr. Teter: Orthopedic

  • Total Knee
  • Arthroscopic Knees
  • Arthroscopic Shoulders
  • Carpal Tunnel Release
  • Rotator Cuff Repair

Dr’s  Rupp, & Devine: Urology

  • Cystoscopy
  • TURP
  • TURBT

Laboratory Testing

Nemaha Valley Community Hospital Laboratory is an integral part of the healthcare system for our community.  Laboratory medicine is a highly technical field and is crucial to aid physicians in determining diagnosis. The function of the laboratory is to provide diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of laboratory specimens and consultation to aid in the maintenance of well-being and the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of diseases. NVCH Laboratory strives to stay up-to-date with all services we provide.

Between our in-house laboratory menu and reference lab, there are hundreds of laboratory tests available to assist physicians. Testing can be performed on blood, urine, stools, and other body fluids, and can be done on any age patient, from newborn to geriatric. The laboratory staff is proficient in drawing blood from all ages. It is the goal of our staff to provide safe, professional, and compassionate care for all patients.

The laboratory is open for outpatient services Monday 7:30am – 5 pm and Tuesday through Friday 7:00-5pm. Appointments are appreciated and ensure that your visit will be quick and convenient. Walk-ins are accepted but will be taken as time is available around our scheduled patients. We offer Urine Drug-Screens and K-DOT collections to those companies that have set-up an account with our business office. These appointments are routinely scheduled between 11:00am- 3:00pm.

All laboratory results are immediately faxed to the ordering physician. It is up to your physician to relay these results to you. No results will be given by laboratory staff over the phone. We regret any delay that this may cause you, but we believe it is important for your physician to discuss any interpretation of laboratory results with you and how they impact your care plan.

Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy

Nemaha Valley Community Hospital has a well trained and dedicated Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy staff. Currently the rehab staff consists of 2 Licensed Occupational Therapists, 1 Licensed Speech Therapist, 3 Licensed Physical Therapists, 3 Certified Physical Therapist Assistants and a Certified Athletic Trainer. The current staff is locally raised, and therefore we have a low staff turnover rate resulting in continuity and familiarity for the patient. The Department is open from 7a.m. to 5:00p.m. Monday through Friday and as needed on weekends. The Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy Department is located within Nemaha Valley Community Hospital.

The Physical Therapy Staff treats patients with various diagnoses including:

  • Post surgical patients
  • Total Joints
  • Generalized Weakness
  • Acute and Chronic Pain
  • Sports Injuries
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents
  • Vestibular Training
  • Wound Care
  • Post CVA patients
  • Work Comp patients

Therapy is performed in a variety of settings including In-Patient, Out-Patient and Home Health. Physical therapy results are accomplished through a variety of exercises, modalities, stretches, and evaluation tools. The Athletic Trainer travels to 2 surrounding schools to treat sports injuries on a weekly basis. Another service that is offered is onsite work station evaluations to ensure safe and ergonomic work sites, therefore decreasing the opportunity for injury or re-injury. Home Health is offered through Nemaha County Home Health and Hospice of Sabetha.

The Occupational Therapy Staff offers services in the same setting as Physical Therapy as well as in the schools. The department treats patients with a variety of diagnosis including:

  • Upper extremity injuries
  • Fine motor difficulties
  • Post CVA patients
  • Post-surgical patients
  • Difficulties with activities of daily living
  • Generalized weakness
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents
  • Work Comp Patients
  • Developmental Delays

The Occupational Therapy staff utilizes exercise and stretches, modalities, assistive devices and evaluation tools to assist patients with their recovery. The Occupational Therapy Department also has contacts with the local school districts to provide Occupational Therapy services to students whom have developmental delays or physical/cognitive limitations. Therapy is provided to the students while at school and addresses fine motor manipulation, handwriting, visual-perceptual skills, visual-motor integration, handwriting and other classroom related difficulties.

The Speech Therapist treats patients with various diagnoses including: 

  • Apraxia  
  • Articulation & Phonology Disorders
  • Auditory Processing
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Cerebral Palsy 
  • Cognitive-Linguistic Deficits
  • Dementia
  • Down Syndrome
  • Dysarthria
  • Dysphagia or Swallowing Issues
  • Expressive & Receptive Language Delays
  • Feeding Problems & Picky Eaters
  • Fluency or Stuttering Disorders
  • Memory Problems
  • Oral Motor Deficits
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Stroke & Other Neurological Disorders
  • Traumatic Brain Injuries
  • Voice Problems

Speech therapy is performed in multiple settings including In-Patient, Out-Patient, and Home Health. Speech therapy consists of diagnosing and treating speech, language, cognitive, communication or swallowing disorders.  Speech therapy is focused on restoring or compensating with communication, cognitive, or swallowing changes through direct intervention and patient/family education.

Cardiac Rehab

Cardiopulmonary Rehab (Cardiac Rehab) offers a phase 2 Medicare covered comprehensive long- term program including prescribed exercise, risk factor modification and education. Phase 2 is an outpatient medically supervised program that meets 3 times weekly after discharge from the acute setting and provides heart monitoring during exercise. Physician referral is required to join phase 2 Cardiac Rehab.

Cardiologist Dr. Bernd, Dr. Amr and Tonya Stallbaumer, APRN, from the Cotton O’Neal Heart Center, come up each month in outpatient clinic. From The University of Kansas St. Francis Topeka-Heart and Vascular Center are Cardiologists, Dr. Graham and Rita Kennedy.

A phase 3 referral self-payment program is also available for those who wish to continue after completion of phase 2 rehab. They exercise supervised with only occasional monitoring. Other diagnosis will fall into this category as well, such as hypertension, diabetes, COPD etc.

Another service offered through our department is mobile nuclear stress testing. This is offered as an outreach service from the Cotton O’Neal Heart Center. A doctor’s order is required for this test.

Cardiac Rehab also offers Supervised Exercise Therapy (SET) for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). PAD is a disorder caused by atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries) that limits blood flow to the extremities. Symptoms of PAD are leg pain and weakness when walking. Patients with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease have greater functional impairment, faster functional decline, increased rates of mobility loss, and a limited quality of life than those without PAD.

Supervised Exercise Therapy (SET) has been shown to improve the ability and distance in which these patients can walk and to decrease the need of lower extremity angioplasty and stenting. This program requires a physician referral.

If you have any questions about Cardiac Rehab or the services that are offered, please contact your primary care physician or Kylee Feldkamp in our Cardiac Rehab department at 785-336-0445 today.

Respiratory Therapy

Most people take breathing for granted. Its second nature and an involuntary reflex. But, for those who suffer from breathing problems, each breath is a major effort. The range of people who suffer from breathing problems range from newborns to senior citizens. They suffer from chronic lung disorders such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. People with breathing problems might also include heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, and accident victims, premature infants, and people with cystic fibrosis, lung cancer or AIDS.

Under the direction of a physician, respiratory therapy practitioners are the health care specialists who evaluate, treat, educate and care for patients with breathing disorders.

At NVCH a specially trained and licensed Respiratory Therapist is available in-house from 7:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Monday through Friday with on-call personnel available for after hours, weekends, and holidays. We provide a range of respiratory therapy modalities and work with all age groups on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. Some of the modalities and diagnostic procedures provided are:

Therapeutic Modalities including:

  • Nebulizer treatments
  • MDI and MDI instruction
  • Aerosol therapy
  • Postural Drainage and Percussion
  • Suctioning,
  • High Humidity Therapy
  • O2 Therapy
  • Vapotherm to treat RSV
  • Incentive Spirometry
  • Flutter Therapy
  • Sputum Collection
  • Trach Care
  • Airway Care
  • CPAP/BiPAP Therapy
  • Ventilator Care prior to transport

Diagnostic Testing including :

  • ACHC Accredited Sleep Apnea Studies– A sleep study provides information about how a person breathes during sleep. The data that is collected will enable your physician to determine the type and severity of sleep apnea (if present), and determine treatment options. All of our Sleep Studies are done at Nemaha Valley Community Hospital with on of our licensed Respiratory Therapist.
  • Pulmonary Function Testing– They are ordered to evaluate the condition of the lungs and diagnosis of lung disease.
  • Arterial Blood Gases (ABG’s)- They measure acid/base balance, carbon dioxide and oxygen content in the blood
  • Pulse Oximetry– Including overnight pulse oximetry, exercise pulse oximetry, and continuous pulse oximetry.

Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Services– We provide prompt in-home delivery, patient/caregiver education, and equipment inspections and repairs. Our services include but are not limited to:

  • oxygen concentrators
  • cylinder oxygen for portability
  • oxygen supplies
  • nebulizer therapy and supplies
  • CPAP and BiPAP supplies for obstructive sleep apnea.

To contact our Respiratory Therapist call 785-336-0489.

Pharmacy

The Nemaha Valley Community Hospital Pharmacy provides all of the pharmaceutical services for the hospital. All patients’ medications are screened for drug interactions, appropriate dosing, and appropriate indication. The pharmacy consults with the doctors and practitioners to determine the best medication therapy for each patient’s medical conditions.

The pharmacy provides medication education to the doctors, nurses, and patients. We are also responsible for stocking an appropriate inventory of medications and ordering any specialty medications to be administered to our patients.

The Nemaha Valley Community Hospital Pharmacy Department consists of:

Travis Stallbaumer, Doctor of Pharmacy

Kelli Olberding, RN (Pharmacy Nurse)

Chelsie Ronnebaum, RN

Diagnostic Imaging & Radiology

With state-of-the-art equipment and a wide variety of modalities offered here at NVCH, the imaging department plays a vital role in the diagnosing process. The radiology department is staffed with technologists certified by the ARRT and licensed by the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. The mammography department is ACR accredited.

The radiology department is staffed Mon.-Fri from 7am to 6pm and on Saturday mornings with a technologist on call at all hours. For more information, questions, or to schedule an appointment call at 785-336-2189, ext. 155.

The following modalities are offered here at NVCH:

  • Computerized Tomography (CT scans)
  • X-rays
  • Fluoroscopy
  • Mammography
  • Ultrasound (General, Vascular and Cardiac)
  • Vascular Studies
  • Echocardiogram
  • Osteoporosis Services
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)—mobile service
  • Nuclear Medicine—mobile service
  • Holtor Monitor & EKG

Mental Health Therapy

TBD