We have been enjoying the outdoors this summer! We frequently spend time on the patio and courtyard, tending planters, harvesting tomatoes, putting on our own golf green, and soaking up sunshine!

Since 2011, Sunrise Terrace Nursing and Rehabilitation has offered a short-term, focused rehabilitation stay for patients needing skilled care and has successfully returned 112 patients to their homes!

This article is in regards to how things are changing with government regulations and how they will affect how we do business. Managed care has not only come to the state of Iowa for Medicaid (see article in newsletter) but for skilled services, as well. For now, the qualifications remain the same but during the coming year, there may be some changes. So, here is little refresher regarding current qualifications for skilled transitional care at Sunrise Terrace.

To even begin to qualify for this type of care, a person must be admitted to the hospital with a stay of at least three midnights. Hospitals are beginning to hold patients in “observation” rather than admitting to acute. Unfortunately, an observation stay will not allow you to qualify for skilled care in any SNF. The next qualification for a skilled stay would be appropriate insurance coverage and then of course, the need for a daily skilled service to be given by a professional.

If you have any questions regarding short term, skilled, rehabilitative care, please contact Sunrise Terrace Nursing & Rehabilitation Center at 319-257-3303 or better, come visit and we will be happy to give you a tour and explain our Get Well..Go Home program or any other services that are offered.

Come late October, early November the Winfield community will be able to see a new growth at Sunrise Terrace Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. After four years in the making, we are pleased to announce that current and future residents will benefit from a brand new therapy gym, six private rooms dedicated to skilled care, thirty total private rooms, and a new laundry area.

These modifications and additions will set Sunrise up to thrive into the future as the health care arena continues to change. Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) have arrived and there will be criteria in order to be included into a managed care contract. One of those criteria is an area designated for skilled care. Having six, private skilled rooms attached to a brand new therapy gym will fulfill this requirement as it will be located off of our existing east wing, occupying what is currently Garden Terrace. This addition will create a large boost to those who qualify for our short-term, skilled transitional care program as their whole experience will change, as a result.

Overall, the building project will create a total of thirty private rooms, a large jump from the fourteen that we offer at this time. It is imperative that we are able to meet the needs of upcoming generations, and baby boomers will be the first to tell you that they will be searching for a private room. We look forward to keeping you updated on this project.

The Bronze National Quality Award is a great honor but not a single prize.  It is much more than meeting requirements or being chosen.  It is a step process to the greater goal of providing the highest level of care for the families and residents of Sunrise Terrace Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. As a Bronze winner, the staff have shown their commitment to the process of reaching excellence by gathering data, evaluating and reviewing cares and services for continuous improvement. As improvements are made, they are incorporated into care of our residents’ daily lives.  This takes whole hearted dedication from staff and leadership to accomplish this goal. “Teamwork is the key” says Peggy Beaty, Administrator. “Congratulations to the employees and management team for their continuous commitment to quality improvement!” “Sunrise Terrace Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has always been committed to providing the best care, so applying for the Bronze National Quality Award made sense.” “Healthcare as we know it is changing and working towards the next steps in the National Quality Award process will help prepare us for what lies ahead,” says Beaty.

Upcoming Event! Sunrise Terrace welcomes the Winfield community and all outside friends and family to celebrate the Bronze National Quality Award! A picnic style meal and an ice cream social will be held at Sunrise the evening of Thursday, July 16th. Mark your calendars – more details to come!

Starting August 1st, 2015 Sunrise Terrace Nursing & Rehabilitation Center will be utilizing the e-mail addresses listed below for the following employees. Please update your e-mail “contacts” as our old e-mail addresses will no longer be effective in the near future.

Administrator – Peggy.beaty@sunriseterracecc.com

Administrator in Training – Lindsay.remick@sunriseterracecc.com

Administrative Assistant – Marilyn.nichols@sunriseterracecc.com

Director of Nursing – Jason.burgus@sunriseterracecc.com

Business Office Manager – Jeanne.binkele@sunriseterracecc.com

Clinical Admissions Specialist – Colleen.milder@sunriseterracecc.com

Social Services – Angie.ebeling@sunriseterracecc.com

MDS Coordinator – Marykay.rappenecker@sunriseterracecc.com

Activities Coordinator – Rhonda.connop@sunriseterracecc.com

Dietary Manager – Abby.tuttle@sunriseterracecc.com

Maintenance – Paul.beaty@sunriseterracecc.com

Sunrise Terrace Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has had tremendous success with their Get Well…Go Home program since the program began in 2011 and we would like to share some of our recent statistics with you!

Our year-to-date average length of stay for our skilled patients is 20.7 days

90.7% of our skilled patients have returned home in the past year

100% of our patients have stated they would recommend Sunrise Terrace to others for skilled therapy

One of our latest testimonials:

I wouldn’t know where else in the country you could go to get better care than Sunrise Terrace. Staff were friendly – we never had any cross words. One heck of a place you’ve got here! – Keith Jones

Recently, we placed a sign next to our entrance to share with the community the number of Get Well…Go Home patients we have served to date. As you will notice, we have successfully returned 108 patients back to their home!

Sunrise Terrace is a lovely place; looks good, smells good, has wonderful staff and residents. But this time of year it’s especially lovely on the outside, too. There are bright annuals as well as perennials that flourish through the years to adorn the grounds. It is very pleasant to walk around the north patio enjoying the rose bushes, memory stones, bird feeders and squirrel playground.  The residents love to sit on the patio or in the east garden and enjoy the beautiful colors, red geraniums, stately tall purple salvia, bright yellow and orange marigolds and just starting a tease of luscious tomatoes in the raised beds. We give a special thank you to Teresa Baker for doing rewarding garden tending. It is very peaceful.

On Tuesday, June 16^th, a group of residents loaded up and took a ride to Morning Sun’s community park for a picnic, sponsored by Morning Sun Care Center. The residents enjoyed a hotdog or hamburger, side salads and desserts with other residents from Morning Sun and Mediapolis. While enjoying some of the delicious food they helped prepare the night before, a local musician played fun songs on his guitar for them to sing-a-long to. It was an enjoyable day for everyone, meeting new friends and hearing new stories, and no one left with an empty stomach!