News

Karen Elliott is an infection control nurse. She knows how to prevent disease. She was an advocate for hand hygiene before COVID-19 was in the news. She helps others learn how to take precautions. So she’ll never catch COVID-19, right?

Wrong.

Elliott still doesn’t know how she contracted the virus, but she started have symptoms on October 1. After experiencing gradually worsening symptoms at home (cough, headache, body aches, fever, diarrhea, nausea, loss of taste,...

Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act, also known as the 340B Drug Pricing Program, has provided financial help to hospitals that serve the most vulnerable for more than 25 years. The program requires pharmaceutical manufacturers that participate in Medicaid to sell prescription medications at discounted prices to healthcare organizations like Community HealthCare System, or CHCS, that care for many uninsured and low-income patients. The program helps CHCS decrease prices of prescriptions...

Community HealthCare System now offers pediatric occupational and speech therapy services at all therapy locations: Centralia, Frankfort, Holton, Onaga, and St. Marys.

These services are designed to help patients from birth to age 21 with a variety of diagnoses, including autism, speech and motor delays, sensory processing disorders, apraxia (an inability to perform learned movements on command), phonological disorders (the inability to correctly form the sounds of words),...

CHCS recently acquired a new pulmonary function test, or PFT, machine. The Ultima Pulmonary Function System by MGC Diagnostics helps us provide the most up-to-date testing of how well a patient’s lungs are working.

According to Registered Respiratory Therapist, or RRT, Michelle Budreau, a PFT measures lung volume, or the maximum amount of air a patient can get into his or her lungs. The test also measures muscle strength, which plays a role in our breathing; diffusion, which is...

Earlier this year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced closure of many businesses, including fitness centers. Community HealthCare System closed its Fitness Centers, including the pool at our Onaga Fitness Center, which is attached to Onaga Community Hospital. Although the rest of the Fitness Center reopened in early June (with restricted hours, enhanced cleaning, and social distancing rules), the pool has not reopened because of maintenance problems. Several members of our community have requested an...

Community HealthCare System is pleased to announce that Andrea Lutz, doctor of physical therapy, will transition into a new role as Director of Ancillary Services in the next month.

Lutz will oversee a number of departments in her new position: Dietary, Radiology, Laboratory, Rehabilitation and Fitness, Community HomeHealth, Community Home Care Equipment, Respiratory Care, and Pharmacy. Lutz previously served as manager of Rehabilitation and Fitness.

Todd Willert,...

Counties in northeast Kansas are seeing increasing COVID-19 activity, and Community HealthCare System is no exception. CHCS clinics are finding increased positivity rates among patients who are tested for the virus.

Widespread community transmission in the area means that our associates are increasingly likely to be affected. Ongoing testing at Eastridge Skilled Nursing Facility in Centralia and St. Marys Manor in St. Marys has identified one positive associate in each...