SMCH Implements Telemedicine Technology

Lake City, Iowa – The hospital in Lake City is an important asset for healthcare within our region. While it can be challenging to provide healthcare in a rural area the leadership and staff are moving forward with their “putting people first” fundraising campaign and a $31 million dollar expansion and renovation project to enhance the overall patient experience, broaden available healthcare services, recruit and retain the best medical staff, and be a catalyst for economic development.

One such area of improvement is the new emergency room space. Thanks to Karl Jones and the Calhoun County Phoenix newspaper for permission to reprint this article about new technology in the emergency room. This particular technology is an example of how broadband is important in rural healthcare.

Doctors on ZOOM?

Stewart Memorial Community Hospital implements new Telemedicine Technology

By Karl Jones, Calhoun County Phoenix

With the opening of their new Emergency Room, Stewart Memorial Community Hospital (SMCH) is utilizing Avel eCare to provide Telemedicine services. This new technology helps the emergency room to keep patients longer while waiting for transport, or possibly get them taken care of in Lake City.

SMCH started using Avel eCare in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. With patients coming in at a higher than normal rate, and staff being out due to catching the virus themselves, Avel eCare helped SMCH keep up with the high demand for medical services.

“We had an iPad that we would bring into the room,” ER Director/Trauma Coordinator Lara Cornelius said. “They could see us on the iPad and we would tell them what was on the vents and they would guide us. It wasn’t as advanced as what we currently have in the ER.”

In the new ER, the trauma bays are equipped with specialized telemedicine equipment which allows doctors at Avel to see the readings on the equipment directly. They also have access to cameras and can see pretty much everything the providers in the room can see.

The service has proven to be effective in the ER, as situations can arise where a patient is in need of a lot of hands-on care. With the telemedicine technology, staff at Avel can get in contact with ambulances or helicopters as well as other hospitals to arrange a transfer more quickly than the staff at SMCH would be able to in those situations.

“They have gotten Life Light in the air for us,” Cornelius said. “It just saves us so much time in here because we don’t have a lot of hands or an extra person that can go figure that stuff out all the time.”

In addition, the doctors at Avel are in their own hospitals. This gives them access to specialists with whom they can consult to provide better care for patients who have conditions that SMCH does not have to deal with as often. A doctor at Avel may even be more familiar with a situation than those at SMCH and be able to direct those in the room how to deal with them much more quickly than if someone had to look something up.

The Avel eCare is also useful to SMCH’s doctors when a second opinion is needed. Sometimes the lab results can portray multiple possibilities and getting a second opinion can help narrow down the problem.

Currently SMCH has the Emergency plan with Avel, which lets them utilize the service in the ER for emergency situations. The subscription-based service is a constant fee, so regardless of how many times SMCH has to call in they will always be able to.

In addition to the Emergency plan, Avel offers behavioral health, crisis care, emergency, EMS, hospitalist, ICU, pharmacy, school health, and senior care services. SMCH is considering expanding their useage of the Avel eCare program to the regular hospital floor.

While it is not through Avel currently, SMCH also has a behavioral health telemedicine program that they utilize.

“ITP Integrated Telehealth utilizes Skype, so it’s not as fancy as Avel’s service.” Cornelius said. “But it is another way we use telemedicine because we don’t have psychiatrists here. I would say the most growing population of patients is behavioral health patients by far.”

Telemedicine programs can be used to fill holes a hospital has in their capabilities. With the current state of the medical industry, it can be difficult to find people who want to stay as a part of your service. With a program like Avel eCare, smaller hospitals can get access to more specialized doctor’s opinions on a shorter notice.

When a hospital does not see a situation very often, it can be difficult to know how to deal with it at a short notice. In the past, SMCH would need to transfer out most of their ER patients as soon as they possibly could. Thanks to telemedicine they can now afford to wait a little longer for a transfer as they have quick access to the knowledge necessary to deal with most situations.

The telemedicine program is part of a much larger update that SMCH has been conducting over the past few years. With their renovation project nearing completion, the hospital’s facilities should be able to better service the community.

Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association (WCCTA) provides Internet, landline telephone, Wifi, and television service to 20 rural communities in North Central, Iowa, including Lake City, Iowa. As a certified Gig Capable provider from NTCA, The Rural Broadband Association, WCCTA can provide up to Gigabit and symmetrical Internet speeds. www.wccta.net

Webster-Calhoun Supports Stewart Memorial Community Hospital Renovations

Lake City, Iowa – On Wednesday, November 9, 2022, Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association (WCCTA) awarded grant funds to Stewart Memorial Community Hospital (SMCH) in support of their Putting People First campaign. A $31 million expansion and renovation project, Putting People First, aims to enhance the overall patient experience, broaden available healthcare services, recruit and retain the best medical staff, and be a catalyst for economic development. WCCTA’s contribution of $5,000 was matched through Aureon’s Ripple Effect grant program for a total gift of $10,000. These funds will be used to cover engineering costs associated with the expansion.

Stewart Memorial Community Hospital has been serving the community since it opened its doors in 1962. The last significant construction project for the facility was 30 years ago. The board of trustees and the administration identified three areas of concern: safety, efficiency, and privacy/confidentiality. The Putting People First campaign was developed to address these issues by expanding the Emergency and Physical Therapy departments, and therefore the hospital’s capacity to serve the community. Once the project is completed, the ER and rehab services department will be three times larger than the previous space, and each will have private rooms or treatment rooms. The new ER location will be closer to the patient wing, increasing availability and efficiency for nursing staff. There will also be a new main entrance, a new emergency entrance and a dedicated helipad to increase the efficiency of emergency traffic flow.

Much of the construction for the remodel is underway, and the hospital has made significant strides towards completing the project. With plans to have construction completed in late 2023, SMCH has raised over $2,000,000 in local funds. However, there is room for additional support. If you are interested in knowing more about this project, please contact, Jesse Underwood at junderwood@stewartmemorial.org.

Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association (WCCTA) provides Internet, landline telephone, Wifi, and television service to 20 rural communities in North Central, Iowa, including Lake City. As a certified Gig Capable provider from NTCA, The Rural Broadband Association, WCCTA can provide up to Gigabit and symmetrical Internet speeds. www.wccta.net

Aureon is a premier business solutions provider, with expertise in IT services, consulting, and customer care. For details, please call 888-387-5670.

Developed through a partnership alliance between Aureon and Iowa Area Development Group (IADG), the Ripple Effect program helps Independent Telecommunication Companies, and the communities they serve, become catalysts for advancing the economic health and vitality of rural Iowa.

Vosberg Enterprises Welcomes New Owners

On Friday, September 2, 2022, Vosberg Enterprises Inc. was purchased by Trevor and Brett Larson. The brothers have been with Vosberg Enterprises for several years where they have learned the ins and outs of both the farm drainage and machining sides of the company from the previous owners, and brothers, Jeff and Gary Vosberg. Jeff and Gary will continue working with the company to help transition the leadership roles smoothly.

“It’s important to us to express that, as a company, we are and will continue to operate the same as we have in years past. We have always thought Vosberg Enterprises has delivered quality service in the surrounding areas and we will do our best to live up to the high reputation the Vosberg family has built over the past 70 years.” explains Trevor Larson.

The Larsons and the Vosbergs gave credit to several entities that helped in this transition including their customers, the Small Business Development Center, and Brian Lane of Security Savings Bank. They also noted Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association, Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association, and Calhoun County Economic Development Corporation as they were able to collaborate with local lenders by utilizing Revolving Loan Funds.

WCCTA established a Revolving Loan Fund in 2017 with funds from the USDA to help improve quality of life in rural areas by contributing to the long-term improvement of the economy including job creation and retention.

Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association provides Landline Telephone, Digital TV, Internet and Wifi service to 20 rural communities on a Fiber driven network just outside the Fort Dodge, Iowa area: Pilot Mound, Boxholm, Lanyon, Paton, Churdan, Farnhamville, Gowrie, Somers, Moorland, Knierim, Barnum, Clare, Thor, Badger, Vincent, Duncombe, and in the towns of Lohrville, Manson, Rockwell City and Lake City. www.wccta.net WCCTA is Gigabit Certified and designated a Smart Rural Community by NTCA: the Rural Broadband Association.

Convenience Is Important To Rural Bank Customers

Things have evolved in the world of banking over the past 100 years at Security Savings Bank. As their business has grown from one location to seven locations, and the technology has grown from paper and pencil to mobile banking. In today’s world having broadband is important to businesses like Security Savings Bank to offer the technology that customers want accessible at their fingertips. Quick and easy access at any time of day.

When you think of local community banks they are cornerstones of our small rural communities. A place where everyone knows everyone. Customers stop in to visit and make a transaction or call into the bank for information.

“Having broadband access is tremendous. Our customers want and really expect us to have that type of technology.” Brad Lane, President & CEO Security Savings Bank

But according to Brad Lane, Security Savings Bank President and CEO, “In today’s society our customers don’t necessarily want to come into the bank or call into the bank whenever they want to check a balance or loan payment. They want to be able to do it at their convenience. Quick and easy. They want to be able to look at it on weekends and evenings.

“The fact that we have all these products and services is really so our bank can be open to these customers 24 hours a day. It’s a big change from what it used to be.”

At Security Savings Bank staff and customers alike use access to the Internet to keep lines of communication open. From communicating between branch locations, efficient online training for staff, and offering account information or services to customers, broadband from WCCTA links all those pieces together.

“It is paramount that we have exceptional and dependable service. Without the type of service we get from WCCTA it would be very difficult for our customer to have that kind of online or mobile experience. They would have to come into the bank and it’s not as convenient,” adds Lane.

https://youtu.be/L7TsGRgoFB0

Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association provides Landline Telephone, Digital TV and Internet service to 16 rural communities on a Fiber driven network just outside the Fort Dodge, Iowa area: Pilot Mound, Boxholm, Lanyon, Paton, Churdan, Farnhamville, Gowrie, Somers, Moorland, Knierim, Barnum, Clare, Thor, Badger, Vincent, and Duncombe with new investments in 2020 into Lohrville, Manson, Rockwell City and Lake City. www.wccta.net

WCCTA is Gigabit Certified and designated a Smart Rural Community by NTCA: the Rural Broadband Association.

Managed Wi-Fi Is Solution During Pandemic

The Burger family was like many families going into the pandemic. Stacey Burger began working from her rural Gowrie home and depended on her Internet service from Webster-Calhoun. “I was having issues remoting into my work computer and spent countless hours on the phone with tech support. My computer continued to randomly drop the work connection.”

This became increasingly frustrating throughout her time home and into summer. “I really didn’t think the problem was on our end (at home) because everything else was working fine.” Other devices throughout their home would still connect to Wi-Fi without issues. As part of their troubleshooting process they finally decided to purchase a new router; however, the choices were so overwhelming when trying to research and find a router to fit their needs.

As the new school year loomed ahead with uncertainty of going back to school or online learning the family wanted to be prepared and decided to contact Webster-Calhoun about the Managed Wi-Fi service.

“WCCTA’s Managed Wi-Fi service has optimized our home Wi-Fi experience and my ability to work from home during the pandemic.” Stacey Burger

Stacey learned the Managed Wi-Fi service from WCCTA provides a wireless router device installed by WCCTA technicians in the customer’s home in an optimum location for the family’s use as well as continual maintenance and upgrades for a low monthly fee. It takes all the hassles away for the customer.

Stacey was relieved not to have to worry about remoting into her work anymore. “Since the new router was installed by WCCTA I have not once lost my connection to work which has been a huge time saver! I also find peace of mind knowing that we can call WCCTA if we ever experience issues instead of trying to troubleshoot the issue ourselves.”

WCCTA is happy to provide a quality and reliable solution for the Burger family. More information about WCCTA’s Managed Wi-Fi program can be found on the company’s website at www.wccta.net.

Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association provides Landline Telephone, Digital TV and Internet service to 16 rural communities on a Fiber driven network just outside the Fort Dodge, Iowa area: Pilot Mound, Boxholm, Lanyon, Paton, Churdan, Farnhamville, Gowrie, Somers, Moorland, Knierim, Barnum, Clare, Thor, Badger, Vincent, and Duncombe. www.wccta.net WCCTA is Gigabit Certified and designated a Smart Rural Community by NTCA: the Rural Broadband Association.

Newspaper Excels in Digital World

Most people would think that traditional print newspapers delivered through a traditional postal service are becoming a thing of the past but not necessarily so in the community of Gowrie in southwest Webster County, Iowa. They are combining paper and digital online products to reach a broader audience and relying on broadband to create, process and distribute their content.

“We depend on WCCTA for reliable broadband and trust them with our business.” – Rick Vinsand, Owner, The Gowrie News

“The Gowrie News has coverage beyond just the local community of Gowrie,” states Rick Vinsand, Owner and Editor of The Gowrie News. Rick and his wife, Julie, purchased the newspaper in 2017 and have increased coverage of local and school district events throughout the county. Much to the delight of subscribers, area readers can find photos, results and articles of various school and community events.

Purchasing the local newspaper added to their existing publications such as FarmWorx and RoadWorx magazines and other print projects. With so many publications going out they have multiple daily deadlines to keep on schedule. “Our broadband signal is crucial in order for us to meet our deadlines. We’re so fortunate to have Webster-Calhoun as our broadband partner. They provide us with excellent and reliable service and we trust them with our business.” adds Vinsand.

Their operation requires a quality and reliable broadband connection because everything is completed online. Starting at the point of sale, all of their accounting is shared directly with their bookkeepers electronically. Composition and paste up is done digitally and emailed back and forth between the editors, writers and graphic designers. They can provide proofs to clients, upload images to social media and correspond with customers.

“Actually the digital publication is viewed before our newspaper is printed. The concept of digital publications is more common today than it’s ever been and all of our publications are digital,” adds Vinsand. “Even subscribers rely on Internet to quickly load the content. They can pick up their cell phone, ipad or notebook at any time and read our newspaper. If our customer is reading the online newspaper and can’t ‘turn the page’ that creates frustration.”

“We’re so fortunate to have WCCTA as our broadband partner. They provide us with excellent service.”

https://youtu.be/KDD52Be3lK0

Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association provides Landline Telephone, Digital TV and Internet service to 16 rural communities on a Fiber driven network just outside the Fort Dodge, Iowa area: Pilot Mound, Boxholm, Lanyon, Paton, Churdan, Farnhamville, Gowrie, Somers, Moorland, Knierim, Barnum, Clare, Thor, Badger, Vincent, and Duncombe. www.wccta.net WCCTA is Gigabit Certified and designated a Smart Rural Community by NTCA: the Rural Broadband Association.

Online Company Pioneers Virtual Party

For Megan Alliger of rural Gowrie, Iowa, an investment of $99 and an Internet connection in 2014 started out as a fun side business she could do while at home with her children. A farm wife and now mother of three she soon turned that opportunity into so much more. “I just wanted to kind of try the products. Younique is very mission based to uplift, empower and validate women and that really spoke to me.”

Megan Alliger, Black Status Presenter for Younique, is a stay at home mom and farm wife. She attained the top level “Black Status” by selling Younique brand cosmetics then recruiting and training over 1500 presenters through social media and an Internet connection from Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association.

Founded in 2012 Younique cosmetics is the first direct sales company to market and sell online almost exclusively through the use of social media. The Younique virtual party business model pioneered the transition from a traditional home party to the huge world of social media. To build her business Alliger communicates with her teammates, receives support and tools from corporate and corresponds with customers through social media and video tutorials while utilizing the Younique ecommerce site.

“This business is completely digital,” adds Alliger, “I can work from my phone, my laptop, my tablet. I’m always connected. The reason I am where I am is because I have a very good, reliable broadband connection.”

With the flexibility of being online Alliger can work from home while with her children or helping her husband, a grain and livestock farmer. “Working from home is what it sounds like. I am able to be home with my kids and make them breakfast and play games with them and while they’re taking a nap I can grab my phone and do whatever I need to do online. I’m doing live videos for my team, make-up tutorials for my customers and I can do that all between loads of laundry.”

By July of 2018 Alliger had turned this opportunity into quite a business as a black status presenter with over 1,500 team members looking to her for support. “I plan to expand my business and continue to grow. I have a lot of things I worry about but my Internet connection is not one of them. I have WCCTA.”

Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association provides Landline Telephone, Digital TV and Internet service to 16 rural communities on a Fiber driven network just outside the Fort Dodge, Iowa area: Pilot Mound, Boxholm, Lanyon, Paton, Churdan, Farnhamville, Gowrie, Somers, Moorland, Knierim, Barnum, Clare, Thor, Badger, Vincent, and Duncombe. www.wccta.net WCCTA is Gigabit Certified and designated a Smart Rural Community by NTCA: the Rural Broadband Association.

Big Taste in an Unforgettable Place

Several years ago Vaughn and Lori Bauer wanted to open a restaurant in Paton, Iowa. They wanted something unique that would bring in travelers from all over the state. Six years later the dream has become a reality and has made quite a difference in the small community with a population around 230.

“Broadband allows us to be a modern restaurant and to be able to do the quality and quantity of things we need to do in a small town. We wouldn’t be able to run our business without it.” – Jason Rogers, General Manager, 209 Main

The restaurant, named 209 Main, is the actual street address where it is located in Paton. It includes a unique mix of contemporary and rustic details in an upscale and relaxing setting whether you are in the bar, the dining area or the spacious banquet hall. The hall holds up to 160 people and is a common area for parties, sporting event watch parties, wedding receptions, business meetings, family and holiday parties.

One of the aspects important to their success is access to rural broadband.

“Without broadband and the reliability of WCCTA it would basically shut down our business,” states Jason Rogers, General Manager, 209 Main. “For example, ordering supplies is important. I can’t simply run to the store and get some of the things I need to keep my business up and running. It’s a lot of windshield time if I run out of cauliflower or french fries. If I have to make a special trip that cuts into the efficiencies of the business. Broadband enables us to be a modern restaurant in a small town.”

Broadband offers critical conveniences for customers ranging from credit card payments and social media interaction to an online jukebox and streaming events. Even basic functions such as monitoring and adjusting the heating and cooling system is accessible online.

“We know we have the highest standards of technology at our disposal. I can’t imagine running the business without broadband from WCCTA,” adds Rogers.

https://youtu.be/D9r5BlpscJI

Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association provides Landline Telephone, Digital TV and Internet service to 16 rural communities on a Fiber driven network just outside the Fort Dodge, Iowa area: Pilot Mound, Boxholm, Lanyon, Paton, Churdan, Farnhamville, Gowrie, Somers, Moorland, Knierim, Barnum, Clare, Thor, Badger, Vincent, and Duncombe. www.wccta.net WCCTA is Gigabit Certified and designated a Smart Rural Community by NTCA: the Rural Broadband Association.

Solid Gigabit Capable Network

In September 2017 NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association recognized Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association as one of 13 rural broadband providers with the Smart Rural Community Showcase award. They were recognized for their efforts to deliver technologies that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business.

“WCCTA is prime example of the power of a broadband connection and a steadfast commitment to growth and prosperity,” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield.

“Not only are the people of WCCTA charting their own path to a more prosperous future, they are also creating a road map for many more communities across the country to follow suit. I commend the people of WCCTA for these extraordinary efforts.”

“It’s a solid, Gigabit capable network and has very little downtime. It is something we’re very proud of” states WCCTA General Manager, Daryl Carlson.

As a member owned cooperative and independent telecommunications provider WCCTA provides service to 16 rural communities throughout five counties covering 715 square miles. According to WCCTA General Manager, Daryl Carlson, “We’ve plowed a tremendous amount of Fiber out into those rural areas and built a solid backbone from a network perspective to give all our members broadband capabilities.” That process completed in 2011 included more than a decade of construction and an investment of more than $20 Million dollars.

Wireless needs wires, too. WCCTA already connects Fiber to a number of cellular towers in the service area. This will be critical with the industry push towards 5G technology.

Receiving the Gigabit Certification through NTCA in 2015, WCCTA continues to upgrade technology and equipment powering the Fiber network. Technicians locate and maintain over 1,000 miles of buried Fiber Optic cable as part of WCCTA’s Fiber to the Home network. Maintenance is ongoing to make sure the network for members continues to provide quality and reliable service.

Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association provides Landline Telephone, Digital TV and Internet service to 16 rural communities on a Fiber driven network just outside the Fort Dodge, Iowa area: Pilot Mound, Boxholm, Lanyon, Paton, Churdan, Farnhamville, Gowrie, Somers, Moorland, Knierim, Barnum, Clare, Thor, Badger, Vincent, and Duncombe. www.wccta.net WCCTA is Gigabit Certified and designated a Smart Rural Community by NTCA: the Rural Broadband Association.

Working Smarter Not Harder

Farming is a lot of hard physical labor but broadband access allows the Carlson Family of Gowrie, Iowa to work smarter as part of their grain and livestock operation

These are so many ways broadband makes access to and transferring information easier for this family’s farming operation. Josh Carlson appreciates keeping connected to different people such as agronomists, buyers and sellers for livestock. His mother, Jennifer Carlson, monitors markets and appreciates the access to reporting capabilities at the local grain cooperative

Weather stations can provide rain totals for each field location, combines collect real time harvest data in the field, and access to scale tickets at the local cooperative may be available online before the truck driver sees it. “We don’t have to drive around to every farm to see if it’s ready to harvest or if it’s ready to plant we have a weather station that we can look on the Internet and see how much rain each field has gotten.” says Jennifer

She adds, “You check the markets, hog prices, cattle prices, all of that stuff is important and if you don’t have the broadband you might be missing out on opportunities when to sell.”

“We are so intertwined with broadband here on our operation. Without reliable broadband we wouldn’t be able to function as efficiently with what we do.” says Jim Carlson.

https://youtu.be/Kb1t7LJsPAo?si=UTz6SM-mv8YALc32

Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association provides Landline Telephone, Digital TV and Internet service to 16 rural communities on a Fiber driven network just outside the Fort Dodge, Iowa area: Pilot Mound, Boxholm, Lanyon, Paton, Churdan, Farnhamville, Gowrie, Somers, Moorland, Knierim, Barnum, Clare, Thor, Badger, Vincent, and Duncombe. www.wccta.net WCCTA is Gigabit Certified and designated a Smart Rural Community by NTCA: the Rural Broadband Association.