The holidays are over and we're finally getting back into our "normal" routines around here. Boy, did we celebrate in style though! The halls were decked and each room had a special touch. We want to offer a thank you to Amy Terry and her sons, Hunter and Wylee, for stopping in to decorate some of the residents' rooms. It is so heartwarming to see our community come together to support our residents. On December 13, the kiddos from the Catholic Church performed their Christmas Concert and delivered some yummy cookies! December 18th the 5th graders came over for a Christmas party with the residents. The Jr. High and High School choirs came to carol on the 19th during "Ugly Sweater Day." Everyone enjoyed seeing the most hideous of sweaters on our good-looking staff and residents! The 20th the Boy and Girl Scouts came caroling with us too. We had a couple of days to ourselves and spent that time preparing for the Resident Christmas Party on December 23rd. Families gathered with their loved ones to enjoy the day together. As has been the tradition for the last few years, the party attire was our best pajamas. Entertainment was provided by Audrey Sipler's Dance girls, Erin Taylor on the violin, Kathryn Bold on the piano, a duet with Audrey Sipler playing the flute and Jozlyn Baumann on the clarinet. Lovely performances by all of these ladies, we thoroughly enjoyed each one. Santa (Parker Proulx) also made an appearance and kicked off the gift exchange. Refreshments were served and everyone enjoyed themselves. The residents and families would like to thank those that offered gifts, entertainment, and fellowship. Our residents love the company and goodies! One family member stated, "I can't believe all of the gifts! That's so nice!" after attending the Resident Christmas Party. Gifts were purchased by the Medical Guild, the Church of God, and the Lutheran Church.

None of these activities and celebrations would be possible if it wasn't for our Activities Director Lisa Sipler, CNA. She works hard to plan an activity or two for the residents every day. They do everything from planting flowers in the Spring, to playing Bingo and Gotcha, to making crafts, coloring, exercising, and ice cream or pie socials. You can guess which one of those activities are the favorite! Lisa helps plan resident birthday parties and holiday dinners with their families too. Even if there are no birthdays or holidays, she makes sure we have celebrations all month long. In January, we celebrated National Hat Day, National Popcorn Day, National Pie Day, National Kazoo Day, and National Hot Chocolate Day, as well as Elvis Presley's Birthday and Chinese New Year! Activity Professional's Week was January 19-25 this year and she does not get the recognition she deserves. Lisa is humble and doesn't plan her own celebrations so be sure to thank her for all her hard work the next time you see her. We sure do appreciate her! If you'd ever like to join the residents during an activity or come to show off your talents, we'd love to have you!

We also extend a big Congratulations to Carla Gilman. She has been tirelessly working towards obtaining her Medical Laboratory Technician education and passed her Boards in January. Her hard-earned license is now proudly hanging on the wall. We are so proud of all her hard work and grateful she is on our BSMC team.

We have welcomed Michele Manhart as our Clinic Receptionist this month as well. She just started the week of January 27. We are also pleased to announce that Morgan Simpson, CNA, and Robin Colyer, CNA, will be helping out in the clinic as well. We wholeheartedly welcome these three to the Clinic team! We are currently looking for more CNA's to join our BSMC family. If you'd like an application please visit our website or stop into the facility. If you are interested in becoming a CNA, there will be a class starting March 23rd. You can register by calling Ashley at 378-2188. Spots are limited and there will be a mandatory meeting for those taking the class in February (date TBA).

Krystyl Kulbeck, PA-C, will be out of the office starting February 5th, if not sooner. We ask that the community please respect her time off and direct their questions or concerns to the Clinic staff on duty. Zane Bendig, NP-C, will continue to see patients in the Clinic five days a week. Amber Groves, PA, will be also be covering for about a week in March. If you need to make an appointment in the Clinic please call 378-2189.

We are also pleased to finally announce the installation of handicap door openers to the main facility and Clinic entrances! These doors were installed in the middle of January by Anderson Glass. During business hours, the doors will open automatically with the push of a button; a long-awaited upgrade to our facility. Please be aware that when the doors are locked afterhours and on weekends, they will not open automatically.

The Medical Guild had a meeting recently in which they voted to purchase new items for the facility. We continue to be grateful for the contributions from the Guild and the community members who donate their time, energy, and money! Some of the items on the list this year included: 2 new lift chairs; hair and nail care tools; new gadgets in the kitchen, including a new hand mixer; a hair dryer for the beauty shop; and a Lifepak trainer for Nurse/EMT Education classes. They will also be providing the funding for the rest of the Clinic flooring to be replaced. That project is anticipated to begin in mid-February. Memorial money was also used to purchase four new SAD lamps for the facility.

In other, less exciting news, the Influenza season is upon us. According to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, as of January 18, 2020, there have been 18 confirmed cases of Influenza in Hill county, 13 in Cascade county, and one here in Chouteau county. Flu vaccines are still available at the medical center; however, the vaccine does take 2 weeks to become effective so please be proactive. The best defense each person has is simple. WASH YOUR HANDS. Frequently. Even if you think you don't need to, wash them anyway. If you have a cough, fever, or chills, please stay home and/or keep your kids home. We wish everyone a happy and healthy start to February!

We appreciate your continued support and understanding as we have made this transition to a Critical Access Hospital, new computer system, and the new renovations. If you have questions about your most recent billing statement, please call 378-2188, option 4. As always, thank you for being the heart of BSMC.