Inside this issue:

CHANGE IS A GOOD THING (Really!)

We all look forward to Spring and the new green

grass, the crocus coming up, and the warmer days.

Spring brings a positive change for most of us, and we

look forward to this time of year. There are many changes

happening at IVH, and I want to share my thoughts on

why changes are necessary for the long term strength of

our organization.

As President John F. Kennedy said, “Change is the

law of life. And those who look only to the past or

present are certain to miss the future.” IVH has a long

and cherished history. We don’t want to forget our history, but we must make

changes that don’t just move us into the present but actually propel us toward

the future. As we have discussed during a previous Blitz, we actually plan

positive change in our lives – why? Because we want to improve our lives or

the lives of those we care about. The same goes for IVH. We plan positive

changes to improve the lives of our residents, the lives of our staff, or the ef-

fective operation of our organization.

We plan change for some very obvious reasons: 1) we are trying to solve

an identified problem, 2) what we’ve been doing isn’t working anymore, 3) reg-

ulations have changed, 4) the budget must be adjusted, or 5) factors

outside IVH have changed – for example the nationwide nurse shortage. We

don’t plan change just to plan change. Really, we don’t.

We plan change in order to achieve compliance but also to see some addi-

tional positive benefits like: 1) greater efficiencies leading to better use of re-

sources, 2) more flexibility, 3) improved processes, 4) stronger teams, 5) per-

sonal growth opportunities, and 6) an organization that will remain

viable for many years in the future.

Sometimes when faced with change, people ask, “What’s in it for

me…..how is this going to affect me?” I would simply request you ask these

questions, too: 1) How will this change better serve our residents? 2) How will

this change help keep IVH a viable organization? 3) How will this make IVH a

better place to work so we can better recruit more members to our IVH team?

Sometimes we don’t adequately communicate the reasons for change. We

can and will do a better job at that. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions

about changes at IVH. Change will always be a part of our personal lives as

well as our work lives at IVH.

Thank you for the great care and services you provide to our residents every

day!

Jodi Change is inevitable……except from a vending machine. Robert C. Gallagher

IVH Insights

A Message From The Commandant

Insights —April 2017

Commandant

Tymeson

Providing high quality of care. Exceptional quality of life

Iowa Veterans Home 1301 Summit Street

Marshalltown, IA 50158

Toll Free 1800-645-4591

IVH Events & Memorials 2

Employee Spotlight/Taps 3

Wellness Committee 4

IVH Data & Statistics 5

Volunteer Services 6

Retirement & Longevities 7

Chaplains Corner 8

IVH Insights

Serving Iowa Veterans Since 1887

IVH Insights Page 2

Michael Hines -

Executive Assistant

To submit news or

articles, please email:

Michael.hines@ivh.state.ia.us

www.iowaveteransome.org Iowa Veterans Home Insights www.iowaveteranshome.org

Canteen Hours The canteen is available for

your needs.

Monday—Sunday

8:30 am to 3:00 pm

The Iowa Veterans Home

Insights is a quarterly

published document. The

data that goes into the

editions are contributions

from staff here at IVH. If

there are articles or topics

that you wish to contribute,

or think that our readers

may have interest in, feel

free to e-mail to me. We try

to capture everyone’s

thoughts and comments for

the Insights. We thank you

for your contribution!

The Iowa Veterans Home Memorial Day

Program will be Monday, May 29th, 2017 at

11:00 am in the Malloy LRC.

The Iowa Veterans Home gladly accepts memorial funds from individuals, organizations, businesses and families. It is through the generous contributions of organizations and individuals that we are able to provide many essentials as well as enhance the daily lives of our residents. If you are interested in making a donation in memory of a loved one please contact Mike Hines at (641) 753-4309 or e-mail at michael.hines@ivh.state.ia.us.

Spring Events at IVH !!

Jerry’s Barnyard is scheduled for Wednesday,

May 10th, 2017 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. We

are still looking for animals to participate!!

Check out the weekly

specials from our local

vendors during your

lunch hour!!!

Garden Box

Planting is

scheduled for

Tuesday, May 9.

Spring Carnival

is scheduled for

Saturday, April

22.

Monday, May 15, 2017 Chris Cakes (Pancake break-

fast for residents and staff).

Tuesday, May 16, 2017 will be Oscar’s Tractor Show.

Saturday, May 20, 2017 will be the annual Elks Fish

Fry.

Monday, May 22, will be the annual NVAR “Ride To

The Wall” event.

Page 3 IVH Insights

Thanks To All Service Organizations For Their Continued Support!!

In loving Memory of our Veterans and Spouses...Jan-March 2017

The Iowa Veterans

Home extends its

deepest condolences to

the loved ones of the

following residents

who recently passed

away. We are grateful

for the time that they

spent with the IVH

family. Their presence

will be greatly missed.

Veterans

Beierschmitt, James F.—U.S. Army

Bray, Leland H.—U.S. Air Force

Dutton, Johnny- U.S. Marines

Eggers, Glen—U.S. Army

Garland, John C.– U.S. Navy

Graham, Lyle– U.S. Air Force

Guffey, William Jr.– U.S. Navy

Hammond, Bill D.- U.S. Army

Hanniford, Ashton C.—U.S. Navy

Kunch, George-U.S. Navy

Larson, David A.—U.S. Army

Larson, Roy A.-U.S. Army

Leaven, Larry-U.S. Navy

Maxon, Vernon W.-U.S. Army

Meyer, Bruce E.-U.S. Army

Mittlestadt, Clayton S.-U.S. Army

Moore, Francis R.-U.S. Navy

Navarra, Raymond J.-U.S. Air Force

Richter, Lloyd D.-U.S. Air Force

Rude, John R.-U.S. Army

Staker, Lemoine L.-U.S. Army

Stancel, George-U.S. Army

Tinkle, Verlan R.-U.S. Army

Vick, Ferdinand K.-U.S. Army

Whalen, Patrick L.-U.S. Air Force

Veterans –Con’t Whalen, Patrick L.-U.S. Air

Force

Wirick, James F.-U.S. Air Force

Spouses

Carr, Charlotte-U.S. Army

Frahm, Cora A.-U.S. Army

Kemble, Ormaline-U. S. Navy

Kriz, Ruth A.-U.S. Army

Orr, Donna J.-U.S. Army

Quint, Alice I.-U.S. Army

IVH Cottages Available For Use

The Iowa Veterans Home cottages have been around since approximately 1890!!

Yes…1890 and with a few renovations and upgrades over the years the ten cottages located along

Memorial Drive have continued to pay dividends. They have served many purposes over the years

for families of residents, staff, and students. Take for example; it is a great family support struc-

ture for family members who may have traveled a long distance to visit a loved one. For $20 a

night, payable by cash or check (no credit cards accepted), resident’s family members are able to

stay within the campus and be near their family member. Pets are allowed in the cottages, only

on a case by case basis when specific criteria are met. Spaces are first come, first serve basis. All

but one of the cottages has occupancy of 4 while one cottage has occupancy of six. To reserve a

cottage you may contact your members unit Social Worker or call the IVH switchboard operator

for accommodations! Special thanks to all of the maintenance workers, housekeeping crew and

staff past and present who helped make these cottages available for family members, staff, stu-

dents, visitors, and residents. IVH Policy# 24 (Cottage Occupancy) covers the occupancy of the

buildings.

IVH Insights Page 4

Providing high quality of care. Exceptional quality of life

Rules for IVH Adaptable Bicycles by Regina West

The Wellness Committee has an opportunity for you:

Spring is quickly approaching and it is an excellent time to get outside and get

some exercise, fresh air and make a few residents feel young again. As you may

already know we now have 2 new All Ability Bikes and are hoping for a 3rd bike soon. Have you

seen them in the tunnels this winter? Warmer weather is just around the corner and it’s about

time to get these bikes some road miles outside. IVH staff has a new and exciting way to provide

some fun for the residents.

Here’s how it works.

The bikes are now located in the Kopper Kettle for easy access outside. On Monday, April 3 there

will be training opportunities at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm in the Kopper Kettle. Staff who are

willing, can come on break time, learn how the bikes work and sign the training sheet. If you are

unable to come to the training there will also be a video of the training in the Volunteer Services

Office in Dack. If you wish to schedule some biking time with a resident, contact a Recreation

Therapist who will connect you with a resident and help you get started. It is that easy.

All Ability Bikes Guidelines:

All potential drivers must be properly trained before being able to use the bikes.

Hours of Biker operation in the tunnels, are during non-peak times for dietary carts. Hours

9:30 am-11:00 am and 1:30 pm-4:00 pm.

Hours of bike operation outside will be daylight hours only when Recreation Staff are

available.

Manufacturer recommends that biker and rider should not exceed weight limit of 400 lbs on

wheelchair bicycle

Helmets will be worn by both passenger and driver. Helmets will be stored with bicycle. For

sanitary reasons riders must wear bouffant caps under helmets.

Each unit Recreation Therapist will develop a list of appropriate residents to engage in bike

rides with volunteers and list type of bicycle to be utilized

Driver will obey all traffic guidelines including when in tunnels. This includes stopping at

stop signs, riding on the right side of the street or tunnel as well as using bell when approaching

an intersection, and announce oneself with bell when approaching a pedestrian.

Bikes will be signed out in 30 minute increments on clip board with bike storage. Biker may sign

out for two 30 minute increments at a time.

For more information contact any Recreation Therapist or Emily Hall at 6458.

I remember the first real encounter I had with data that impacted my personal goals very well. I was a young

student here in town at Miller Middle School, and I had been working pretty hard in my driveway at home to

make the basketball team. I was sure I possessed the talents necessary, and was pretty bummed when after

trying out for a few days Coach Hanson called me into his office with some bad news. He said, “Dex, you’re a

nice kid, a hard worker, and I want you to stick around and help us this season, but unfortunately I can’t

offer you a spot on the team.” Thinking he had arrived at his decision based solely on personal opinion, I

pressed him for the specifics- and being the good coach he was, he had no problem helping me identify the

measures (another word for data) he had used to form his decision. Looking back now it’s a bit hard to

remember, but I’m guessing the stats he shared with me that day looked something similar to this:

While I couldn’t argue with such obvious facts, seeing the data helped me to understand three critical

components related to my goal of improving as a basketball player:

1) It helped me to visualize my current state (the skill level I possessed at that particular time).

2) It helped me identify the areas I could be working on to improve my overall talent as a player.

3) It allowed me to compare my performance against other athletes in the field in order to help set realistic

goals for my improvement.

“So, Dex, what happened next!?”

Well, I practiced really hard but still to this day can’t make a left-handed layup to save my life, so I instead

developed into one of the most talented score-keeping statisticians middle school basketball had ever seen!

Our work lives present us with similar challenges, and as an organization we are routinely using data to

inform us of our current state, and to help us continually identify areas for improvement, innovation, and

growth.

In future editions of the Insights I would like to utilize this space to highlight some of the data that is being

collected around IVH, the ways in which this information is impacting the services we provide to the

residents that live here, and how we are using this gained perspective to improve upon our overall

performance as an organization.

Do you happen to have a data related question? Is there an aspect of the work you do that could be improved

by better monitoring or information tracking? Want to see certain types of information routinely gathered

and shared at IVH in the Insights or elsewhere? Send me and email at dex.walker@ivh.state.ia.us and let’s

talk about how I can be of help to you and your team.

I look forward to the future editions as we explore some of the ways we are working to continually improve

upon our services!

Player Height / Team Average

Top Speed / Team Average

% of Shots Made / Team Average

Dex Walker 4’10” / 5’4” 11mph / 15mph 25% / 40%

(-6 inches) (-4mpg) (-15%)

IVH Insights Page 5

Providing high quality of care. Exceptional quality of life

Data- Informing us of where we are now and where we are working to be By Dex Walker, Management Analyst 3

IVH Insights Page 6

Iowa Veterans Home Insights

Vol. Service

Page 7

Iowa Veterans Home Insights

IVH Insights

Kelly Harding Dana Larson Cara Loewen Stephen Messer Mikki Potter

Taddi Ryan Greg Smith Jo Dysart Laurie Bodie Kristi Coltrain Linda DeWees Kyle Koester Tammy Mohon Connie Warren Jeanette Zeigler Stashia Hutzel Elizabeth Mirguet Kimberly O’Neill Sherri Ellis Randy Goodwin Emily Hall Ryan Ellis Jason Marken

20 Years

5 Years 10 Years

Iowa Veterans Home Longevity Awards (Jan-Mar 2017)

Iowa Veterans Home Retirements

We wish everyone an enjoyable future ahead after your retirement! May all your coming days be filled with many more

rewards of joy and fulfillment. Thank you everyone for your service to the State of Iowa and the Iowa Veterans Home!!

Name Position

Marvin Wallace LPN Sue Smith AA2 Ronald Bessman Maintenance Repairer Pamela Nablo Activities Assistant Calma McDowell NUC John Griffith Storekeeper 2 Donna Wallace RN Marie Robertson Nurse Clinician Kristi Hassler RTW Melissa Dewitt RA Denise Isaacson RTW Eloise Dillavou LPN Julie Kelsey RTW Debra Aneweer RTW

Michelle Gallentine Trisha Weber Silvia Aragon Kristi Hassler David Cox Mindy Price Andrew Troutner

15 Years

Terry Bickel Denise Smoldt

30 Years

Marlys Moore

Loftus & Malloy Heinz Hall 1st Building Erected

I Choose Joy

Yale Divinity School has been, for the past few years, been exploring the theology of joy. Joy is an emotion that always has an object (something to be joyful about). It has to do with our perception and can co-exist with other emotions, even such as finding joy in the midst of suffering. Although joy is a such strong, positive emotion…it is rarely studied or thought of as significant for many of us. Miroslav

Volf who is heading up the study on joy at Yale writes, “After telling the disciples that they should keep his commandments and remain in his love, Jesus explains, ‘I have said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete.’ Joy is the crown of the good life, integrating all positive emotions as well as including and expressing in its own way the responsibility to lead our lives well and to construe both the world and the good rightly.” I am interested in this study because joy is a choice, one that can make a profound difference in our quality of life…one that changes the way we see our world. Joy is a powerful emotion beyond happiness and gratitude, one that can surpass even the most difficult circumstances. The crux of the study is not just for more research but to challenge communities of faith to practice choosing joy moving joy from an intellectual exercise to a viable option for living our days, and possibly changing our world. When times are difficult for you, or for someone you are caring for what would it take for you to find something to be joyful about? How could you choose joy in all things?

IVH Insights Page 8

Follow Us On Facebook

Chaplains Corner by Rev. Angela Doty, M. Div., Chaplain

The Month of April is designated as the Month of Military Child. Below is a quote from Military

Officer magazine defining the meaning of a Military Child.

“If anyone deserves recognition and appreciation for their selfless service, it is

military children. Born in military hospitals around the globe, they will learn far too

young (that) goodbyes will be frequent and difficult. At some point in their toddler

years, they will inevitably hug a camouflaged leg of someone other than their uni-

formed parent by mistake. They will move repeatedly, usually at the precise point in

time when they feel most settled.” – Military Officer magazine

The color purple was chosen to represent the military child. So why purple? Purple is the

color that symbolizes all branches of the military, as it is the combination of Army green, Coast

Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine red and Navy blue. Even though it is a small percentage,

our military children make up a part this nation’s population. These young and brave sons and

daughters deal everyday with issues of moving and deployments in support of their military

parents. Care of military children sustains our fighting force, and strengthens the health,

security, and safety of our nation's families and communities. To honor their unique

contributions and sacrifices on behalf of our country, each April is designated the Month of the

Military Child.