Category: Medical News

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce the Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation, Inc., has awarded a $40,000 grant to support Nurse’s Nook – a program that provides aid to children and families in need in all five school districts in Oconto County: Gillett, Suring, Oconto Falls, Oconto and Lena.

Nurse’s Nook provides students and their families with basic needs items including non-perishable food, personal hygiene products, clothing, medical supplies/devices and vouchers for transportation to medical appointments. Items are kept stocked within each of the school districts throughout the year and provided to students free-of-charge on an as-needed basis. Nurse’s Nook also offers an Adopt-A-Family Christmas program to provide families with winter necessities including boots, jackets, hats and gloves. It also offers a Weekend Food program which provides students a bag of nutritious food that contains enough items to allow them to make a full meal at home each week.

“We are immensely grateful to the Bond Foundation for their generous support of Nurse’s Nook and the children and families we serve here in Oconto County,” said Nuala Nowicki, founder of the Nurse’s Nook program. “These funds will allow us to maintain programming, purchase additional supplies and serve more families in Oconto County.”

This is the second Bond Foundation grant to be awarded to Nurse’s Nook. In 2018, it awarded Nurse’s Nook $30,000 which was used to help expand the program to the Oconto and Lena school districts.

Nurse’s Nook informally began in 2014 when Nuala, who is also a Prevea Health school nurse for the Gillett School District, recognized that poverty in the community was negatively impacting students’ abilities to learn and succeed in school. Today, Nurse’s Nook is an official program of HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, operated in collaboration with Nuala, Prevea Health and countless volunteers and donors who dedicate time and effort to collecting, organizing and distributing supplies.

The Nurse’s Nook program relies solely on support and donations from the community to operate. Anyone who would like to learn more information or donate to Nurse’s Nook should contact Debbie Hockers at (920) 433-8653 or email ewfriends@hshs.org.

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital and Prevea Health now offer DOT medical exams at five locations throughout Oconto County: Oconto Falls, Suring, Gillett, Mountain and Lena.

A DOT medical exam is the evaluation required in order to operate a commercial vehicle in the United States. It is referred to as “medical fitness for duty” examination which ensures that each driver is capable and healthy enough to successfully complete the duties associated with commercial driving. DOT medical exams include vision, hearing, blood and urinalysis screenings, and are conducted by licensed medical examiners listed on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) National Registry.

“This is a convenient, local service for anyone needing to maintain or obtain their commercial driver’s license (CDL),” said Jennifer Gibbons, APNP, FNP-BC, who is one of four FMCSA-licensed medical examiners now seeing patients at HSHS St. Clare/Prevea Health locations throughout Oconto County. Others include: Janet Richlen, MPAS, PA-C; Clayton Keene, APNP, FNP-BC; and Erin Bancroft, APNP, FNP-C.

Appointments for DOT medical exams are now available at the following HSHS St. Clare/Prevea Health locations:

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Prevea Gillett Health Center
340 N. Green Bay Ave., Gillett
(920) 855-2823

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Prevea Lena Health Center
200 S. Rosera St., Lena
(920) 829-6400

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Prevea Mountain Health Center
14353 Hwy 32/64, Mountain
(715) 276-1600

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Prevea Oconto Falls Health Center
835 S. Main St., Oconto Falls
(920) 846-8187

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Prevea Suring Health Center
913 E. Main St., Suring
(920) 842-1147

On Thursday, May 16, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital and Prevea Health will hold a free presentation for seniors in the community about common foot and ankle conditions and treatment options.

The presentation, led by podiatrist, Dr. Wyatt Wiedenfeld, and routine foot care specialist, Scott Maxon, RN, will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Dining Room. Dr. Wiedenfeld and Scott see patients at the Prevea Oconto Falls Health Center – Medical Services Building on the campus of HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital.

Event Details

• Thursday, May 16
• 4:30 to 6 p.m.
  • 4:30 p.m. – Complimentary Meal
  • 5 p.m. – Presentation
• HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, 855 S. Main St., Oconto Falls
  • Dining Room

A complimentary meal will be provided at this event. Pre-registration is requested and can be done by calling (920) 272-3355 or visiting: www.prevea.com

Bring Back the Night, a community event benefiting the advancement and support of patient care at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls, will be held Friday, May 17 at Romy’s Holiday Inn in Kelly Lake.

Bring Back the Night is an evening for adults to relive a favorite pastime: prom! Attendees are encouraged to dress in prom attire from any decade of their choosing. There will be dinner, a cash bar, music and dancing. Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Romy’s Holiday Inn is located at 9600 E County Road G in Kelly Lake.

Tickets are $30, which includes dinner, and can be purchased at the HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Prevea Health Centers in Oconto Falls, Lena, Gillett, Suring and Mountain. Tickets must be purchased by Friday, May 10. Dinner will include chicken, beef tips, fish, a vegetarian option and a variety of side dishes. Those who do not wish to have dinner, but still would like to attend, can purchase tickets at the door for $15 beginning at 7 p.m. the night of the event.

As part of a Catholic-based, nonprofit health care system, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital provides care to all who need it, regardless of their ability to pay. Those who wish to make a gift to this cause may consider one of the following donation levels:

• Freshman – $250, includes two tickets to Bring Back the Night
• Sophomore – $500, includes four tickets to Bring Back the Night
• Junior – $1,000, includes six tickets to Bring Back the Night
• Senior – $2,000, includes eight tickets to Bring Back the Night

To make a donation or learn more, please contact Katie Pecha at (920) 848-6329 or katie.pecha@hshs.org.

HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay, HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan and HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls, will each host a Medication Take-Back drive from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 27.

The Medication Take-Back drives provide community members the opportunity safely dispose of unneeded medications:

• Prescription and over-the-counter medications accepted
• Cross out identifying information on the containers
• Liquid medications should be kept in the original bottle, then placed in plastic bags
• Items that contain mercury, syringes, needles, non-medical inhalers and medications from organizations and businesses will not be accepted

The drop-off area at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, 1726 Shawano Ave., Green Bay, will be located outdoors, near the emergency department entrance; at HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital, 3100 Superior Ave., Sheboygan, outdoors, near the emergency department; and at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, 855 S. Main St. in Oconto Falls, indoors, near the pharmacy.

The Green Bay Police Department will be assisting with the drive at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center; the Sheboygan Police Department at HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital; and the Oconto County Sheriff’s Department at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital.

In honor of National Volunteer Week, April 7 – 13, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital recognizes the hard work, dedication and compassion of its volunteers.

In 2018, 33 volunteers put in a total of 4,295 volunteer hours for HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital. They also coordinated fundraising projects and events to raise $8,800 to enhance programs and projects offered at the hospital.

“We are incredibly blessed to have dedicated volunteers that partner with us to bring health, healing and hope to our patients at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital,” said Mary Ann Brunette, volunteer services manager for HSHS-Eastern Wisconsin Division. “Volunteers bring joy to our patients and to all of us daily!”

Those interested in becoming a volunteer at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital should contact Amber Just, Volunteer Services Facilitator, at (920) 838-6348 or amber.just@hshs.org.

On Monday, April 22, local health and public safety experts will lead a community presentation at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital about human trafficking. Human trafficking is a widespread and evolving crime in the United States and abroad that affects both urban and rural communities.

“It is important for rural communities to get informed because we often assume our children and families are isolated from major crimes,” said Dr. Amy Romandine Kratz, a family medicine physician at the HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Prevea Oconto Falls Health Center. “Traffickers don’t discriminate geographically and some specifically target rural areas because they can often go undetected.”

Dr. Romandine Kratz along with Jamie Kuhn, Detective at the Oconto Falls Police Department and Oconto Falls School Resource Officer, and Shelby Mitchell, a Sex Trafficking Victim Advocate at Family Services Sexual Assault Center NE Wisconsin, will provide an educational presentation for the community to learn:

• Human trafficking definitions and trends
• Facts and statistics about human trafficking
• How the human trafficking pandemic is impacting us locally
• Human trafficking warning signs and risk factors
• Importance of screening during doctor visits
• Common misconceptions about human trafficking

Event Details

6 p.m. on Monday, April 22

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, 855 S. Main St., Oconto Falls

Assisi Conference Rooms

The free event is open to adults, and teenagers and pre-teens age 12 and up with a parent or guardian present. Food and beverages will be provided. Registration is required online by April 15 at www.stclarememorial.org under “Classes, Groups & Events.” For more information, call (920) 848-6329.

Recent pharmacy closure announcements in Eastern Wisconsin may have some community members in search of a new way to access prescription medications. HSHS Pharmacy and Prescription Services locations provide high-quality, friendly service, and are locally-owned and operated by HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls.

HSHS Pharmacies, located in Oconto Falls and Gillett, provide prescription and over-the-counter medications; friendly, knowledgeable pharmacists and staff; a 24-hour, automated phone line to fill and refill prescriptions; and free mail delivery and email notifications to alert patients when prescriptions are ready. They also provide flu and other vaccinations.

HSHS Pharmacy – Oconto Falls

• Inside HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, 855 S. Main St.
• Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• (920) 846-8059

HSHS Pharmacy – Gillett

• Inside Pat’s Market, 117 N. McKenzie St.
• Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday: Closed
• (920) 848-6323

HSHS Prescription Services, located in Lena, Pulaski, Mountain and Oostburg, provide most of the same amenities as a pharmacy with the exception of an on-staff, in-person pharmacist. At HSHS Prescription Services locations, a pharmacist based at an HSHS Pharmacy location in Oconto Falls or Gillett will consult with patients via real-time, video technology. Pharmacy technicians are on staff in-person to assist patients, coordinate video consultation with the pharmacist and provide medications.

HSHS Prescription Services – Lena

• Inside Prevea Lena Health Center, 200 S. Rosera St.
• Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday: Closed
• (920) 829-6400

HSHS Prescription Services – Pulaski

• Inside Prevea Pulaski Health Center, 940 S. St. Augustine St.
• Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday: Closed
• (920) 272-3330

HSHS Prescription Services – Mountain

• Inside Prevea Mountain Health Center, 14353 Hwy 32-64
• Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday: Closed
• (715) 276-1600

HSHS Prescription Services – Oostburg

• Inside Prevea Oostburg Health Center, 11 S. 10th St.
• Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday: Closed
• (920) 564-5177

Most insurance plans are accepted at HSHS Pharmacy and HSHS Prescription Services locations. For more
information, visit: www.stclarememorial.org/pharmacy

On Friday, Dec. 21, members of the Triple C Riders motorcycle group dropped off seven boxes of new toys to be distributed to young patients and visitors at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls.

Featured in the photo, from left to right:
David Kuam of Triple C Riders
David Lally, Director of Business Development at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital
Walter Woodward of Triple C Riders
Don Derouin of Triple C Riders
Bettie Woodward of Triple C Riders

This is the 10th anniversary of the Triple C Riders’ Christmas toy drive in which they donate new toys to area hospitals.  The Triple C Riders are made up of members from Menominee, Marinette and Oconto Counties, all of whom help to generously collect these toys throughout the year.

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital is very grateful to the Triple C Riders for their generosity and thoughtfulness.  We will distribute these toys to young patients and visitors, as needed, throughout the year and for as long as the supply of toys lasts.   We know they will bring much joy and comfort to those who receive them!

The Partners of HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital invite the community to participate in their annual Holiday Raffle and Bake Sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18 at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls.

The Holiday Raffle and Bake Sale will feature a variety of baked goods and raffle items, perfect for the holiday shopping season. This special event is open to the community, with proceeds benefitting various health care improvements at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital which is part of a not-for-profit, Catholic-based health care system.

Holiday Raffle and Bake Sale
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 18
HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, 855 S. Main St., Oconto Falls
Assisi Rooms

If anyone would like to donate bakery or raffle items to this event, please contact Vicki Dobratz at (920) 846-3536. Donations can be dropped off at the HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Assisi Rooms on Monday, Dec. 17 after 4:30 p.m. or by 7:30 a.m. the day of the sale.

The Partners also invite the community to participate in Love Lights, an annual Christmas fundraiser.

Love Lights offers people the opportunity to purchase a light in memory of a loved one. It is then placed on a Christmas tree located in the main lobby area of HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital. The names the lights shine for are also displayed next to the tree throughout the holiday season.

Blessing of the Love Lights and Tree
1 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 18
HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, 855 S. Main St. in Oconto Falls
Social to follow

Proceeds from Love Lights will benefit various health care improvements at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital. Lights can be purchased on behalf of an individual ($5); families up to six people ($25); or, sponsored by a business or organization ($50).

Order forms can be found in the HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Welcome Center. Forms must be completed and returned by Thursday, Dec. 20. They can be returned in-person, or mailed to HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Amber Just, Volunteer Services, 855 S. Main St., Oconto Falls, WI 54154