Looking back at the past year it’s clear that 2004 was a period of growth and exciting change at Roseau Area Hospital and Homes.

RAHH began the year 2004 with a new Chief Financial Officer. Cathy Huss, CPA, now oversees all financial reporting for RAHH, and is one of six members of the hospital’s executive council.
	April marked the addition of Dave Brett, D.O. to the hospital’s medical staff. Dr. Brett provides family practice service at the clinic, along with hospital duties at RAHH.
	In May, David Hagen retired after 22 years as President/CEO of RAHH. His service included overseeing several hospital expansion projects, and most notably heading RAHH’s evacuation and recovery plans during the flood of 2002.
	RAHH welcomed Jim Pernau as the new President/CEO in May. With over 25 years of experience in healthcare, Jim and his wife moved to Roseau from Colorado, and already has hada positive impact on healthcare in Roseau County.
	Marie Comstock was instrumental in establishing a vision of the future for healthcare in Roseau County. A charter member of the hospital’s Board of Directors, she retired in September after more than 50 years of service.
	Jessica Kuznia, PT, became the new Director of Lake Therapies in August. A member of the Lake Therapies staff since 1999, she now sees patients at the Lake Therapies offices in Greenbush, Roseau, and the new Warroad location that opened on Lake Street earlier that year.
	Roseau Area Hospital and Homes welcomed Daniel Sullivan, M.D. to the hospital’s medical staff in October. With nearly a decade of medical experience, Dr. Sullivan sees patients in his office at Altru Clinic–Warroad, as well as at the hospital and emergency room.
	Members of the Oak Crest Senior Housing Board of Directors met with representatives of the United States Department of Agriculture in October, and received a $4 million check to fund construction of a new assisted living facility in Roseau. Shannon Carlson, the project coordinator, continues to oversee planning and construction of the complex.

As 2005 unfolds, Roseau Area Hospital and Homes looks forward to another successful year of bringing quality healthcare services for the residents of our service area. We wish you all a very Happy New Year!

-RAHHA Service Awards-
Celebrating Milestones in
Caring for Our Neighbors

Roseau Area Hospital is pleased to announce a three-year Mammography Accreditation recertification. Pictured (left to right) are the hospital’s five mammographers: Sandie Pfeiffer, Kristi Dahl, Brooke Boris, Dianne Erickson, and Phyllis Hammerback.

     Roseau Area Hospital and Homes has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in Mammography as the result of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology.
     The ACR, headquartered in Reston, Va., awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer-review evaluation of its practice. Evaluations are conducted by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field.
     They assess the qualifications of the personnel and the adequacy of facility equipment. The surveyors report their finding to the ACR’s Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report.
     The ACR is a national organization serving more than 32,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists with programs for focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

• Improve the accuracy of patient identification
• Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers
• Improve the safety of using medications
• Improve the use of infusion pumps that deliver medication and fluid
• Reduce the risk of health care-associated infections
• Accurately and completely reconcile medications from one service area to another
• Reduce the risk of surgical fires
• Reduce patient harm from falling

“Teams of staff have been meeting throughout the year to address the specific intentions of each goal, and data will be collected and analyzed to determine whether the goals are being met,” Klamar says. “We hope to learn from the experiences of other healthcare providers, and use that information as part of our ongoing effort to provide the highest possible level of safety for our patients, residents, and clients.”