By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the Sept. 26 meeting of the Guthrie County Hospital Board of Trustees, the agenda item generating the most discussion was the hospital’s proposed expansion project.

CEO Chris Stipe updated the trustees on the progress.

“This is a very regulated process when you’re looking at doing a project that USDA will be involved with. There are lots of i’s that need to be dotted and t’s that need to be crossed,” Stipe said.

He explained the process of trying to pick a company to be the construction manager.

“We sought RFPs from qualified construction management companies,” Stipe said. “Once we got the RPF’s back, we narrowed it down from six to three, and then we interviewed those three.”

Stipe explained that after scoring each of the three on a variety of factors, the recommendation was to select Graham Construction (Des Moines) to be the Construction Manager At Risk. Stipe explained that the “at risk” terminology refers to the contractual agreement that once a project cost is agreed upon, the hospital would not be liable for higher costs unless the hospital chose to make adjustments to the project’s scope. Therefore, if costs unexpectedly exceed the contracted amount, those costs are absorbed by the construction management firm.

The trustees approved Graham Construction as Project Construction Manager At Risk.

Chief Nursing Officer Sandy Atkinson updated the trustees on immunizations.

“We are gearing up for influenza season. I found out today the vaccines did come in, so I’ll be arranging for employees to get their vaccination,” Atkinson said.

She explained that employees who choose not be vaccinated against influenza will be required to follow masking protocol based on the number of influenza cases identified.

Foundation Director Dennis Flanery told of the upcoming employee campaign, which will kick off Dec. 2.

The next regular meeting of the trustees is set for Oct. 24 at 4 p.m. The public is welcome to join in person or via remote technology. Details can be found at www.guthriecountyhospital.org.

Special to the Times Vedette

Tori’s Angels Foundation will host its fifth annual gala on Saturday, Nov. 9. The dinner and fundraiser will take place at the Guthrie County Fairgrounds in Guthrie Center this year with a fairgrounds-inspired theme, “A Blue Ribbon Affair.”

The event will feature dinner catered by Lidderdale Country Store with special gala cupcakes provided by the Sweet Shoppe of Ames. Attendees will be entertained by local auctioneer, Dan Wilson, as he calls a host of high-end, privately donated items. New this year will be a silent auction, which will take place throughout the evening. The live and silent auction prizes include the traditional selection of homemade pies; sports and entertainment packages; golf, vacation and gourmet dinner packages; bourbon and wine baskets; autographed sports memorabilia; and an exquisite pendant necklace donated by Ames Silversmith and the Youngberg family, along with much more.

To purchase a table or individual tickets for the event, contact JoAnn Alumbaugh at 641-431-0257.

The proceeds from gala ticket sales, as well as the live and silent auctions, go toward Tori’s Angels mission of supporting families with children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions. To date, the foundation has accepted more than 160 children with life-threatening illnesses and currently supports more than 130 children across Iowa. 

Tori’s Angels Foundation has been raising funds to help the families of children with life-threatening medical conditions by paying medical expenses that are not covered by insurance. Once accepted into the program, the child is supported from the date of sponsorship until his or her 19th birthday. Covered expenses include travel to obtain medical treatment (airfare, mileage, hotel, meals), as well as prescriptions, medical devices and insurance co-pays and deductibles. The foundation depends on the generosity of a large community of “Angels” to help relieve the financial burden for these families. 

Anyone wishing to help Tori’s Angels children is invited to send monetary donations to Tori’s Angels at P.O. Box 186, Panora IA 50216. Online donation options are located on the foundation’s website, www.torisangels.org, and on their Facebook page, www.facebook/torisangels. The organization also welcomes anyone who is interested in becoming a volunteer.

For more information about Tori’s Angels, check the foundation’s website: www.toriangels.org.  To request an application for support, contact the foundation through its website or by calling 641-755-2011.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors has announced informational meetings being held to inform citizens about the proposed countywide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the related levy measure that voters will decide upon during the Nov. 5 election.

Scheduled meetings open to the public include (all listed meetings begin at 7 p.m.):

• Oct. 1: Bayard Community Building
• Oct. 3: ACGC Junior High Gym in Casey
• Oct. 7: Morrisburg Church, Jackson Township
• Oct. 8: Bowman Chapel, Bear Grove Township
• Oct. 9: West Central Valley High School Gym, Stuart
• Oct. 10: ACGC High Auditorium, Guthrie Center
• Oct. 14: Yale Community Building
• Oct. 16: Panorama High School Auditorium, Panora

Guthrie County is proposing the establishment of a coordinated, countywide EMS framework, which would be funded through a levy of $0.75 per $1,000 of taxable valuation for properties. The revenue generated from this new levy would be used to contract with existing EMS service

providers and enhance their capabilities, ensuring that emergency medical care is accessible throughout the entire county. A key part of this would be the addition of a fully staffed ambulance based in Guthrie Center, which will help improve response times to all parts of the county. This new structure will be overseen by an appointed Advisory Council, as required by law.

Emergency Medical Services are currently provided to residents of Guthrie County via three primary entities: Panora EMS, Stuart EMS and Adair Fire and Rescue. Each of these organizations deliver medical care to residents and visitors countywide. According to proponents of the levy, the existing structure presents challenges in terms of coordination, resource allocation, and comprehensive coverage. In particular, significant gaps in coverage exist when it comes to serving the western and northwestern portions of the county.

More information is available at www.guthriecountyems.org

By Kerry Jacobsen | Times Vedette

Area residents showed their passion — and their purple — at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s event this past weekend. They gathered on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Michael Mills Park to support the Alzheimer’s Association by picking a flower of a certain color to represent how they are affected by Alzheimer’s. Blue is “I’m living with the disease”; purple is “I’ve lost a loved one to the disease”; yellow is “I support or care for someone living with the disease”; and orange is “I support the cause, a world without the disease.”

Many local businesses were also represented. Dave Grove from Edward Jones presented Alzheimer’s statistics and a short stretch was led by Sue Bump from Reshape before participants began the two-mile walk.

More than 400 walks remain this year. Visit alz.org/Walk for details. 

Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Reserve Jason Hemann reported a vehicle vs. deer accident occurring on Sept. 12 at 8:09 p.m. Guthrie County Dispatch received a call from Roger Hansen, 79, of Panora, who said he struck a deer on Highway 4, north of Panora, with his 2014 GMC Terrain. Estimated damage to the GMC is $5,000.