Physical therapy plans for upgrade with new addition

It’s impossible to look ahead to the future of Kossuth Regional Health Center without first reflecting on the past.  This certainly applies to the hospital’s physical therapy department, which will be upgraded and relocated as part of KRHC’s three-story addition project. 

Physical therapist Jake Jacobusse came to KRHC nearly 40 years ago.  Since then he has been an active participant in developing new programs for patients, helping with physician recruitment and supporting improvements for the hospital as a whole.  Today as the physical therapy department prepares for its upcoming move and expansion, Jacobusse looks back the many changes that occurred in the department over the years and the benefits the new space will provide.

In 1971 Jacobusse began seeing a few patients a day in a tiny basement room of the original St. Ann’s Hospital.  As a contract employee, he worked at many of the hospitals in the north central Iowa area until 1987 when his patient load was large enough for him to work full time in Algona, which by then was a county-owned facility called Kossuth County Hospital.  Today the patient load in physical therapy has grown to 600 patients per month, which in part motivated Jacobusse to recruit a second physical therapist.  In the spring of 2006 Shane Meschke joined the staff, coming to KRHC from the Twin Cities.

The physical therapy department provides a wide range of services including cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, sports medicine and work conditioning services as well as evaluation and treatment of a variety of musculoskeletal, neurological and cardiopulmonary diagnoses. 

“I enjoy the variety of things I do here and have added new departments over the years to respond to the needs of the hospital and the patients,” said Jacobusse.  “I also like having the opportunity to work on multi-generations of one family.”

The new physical therapy wing will provide additional treatment bays, increasing the number from three to six.  The bays will be built in a u-shaped design for optimum supervision of patients.

“We’ll be able to see more patients, more efficiently, with improved comfort and privacy,” said Jacobusse.

Physical therapy serves both inpatients and outpatients.  Both types of patients will have an easier time getting to the department, which is currently located in the basement of the hospital. 

“The addition will include a separate elevator in the back of our department for easier access to physical therapy.  Right now when we have an inpatient from the third floor come down for therapy they have to go down the main elevator, get wheeled past the main registration area and then down a second elevator to reach our treatment area.  The addition will be a welcome change for our inpatients, and provide improved access for our walk in appointments, too,” Meschke said.

Space is at a premium in the current department, with some programs meeting in the therapist’s office due to the lack of room.  The new location will provide increased privacy for stress testing and a bigger exercise area, as well as just more square footage for all treatment and programs in general.

“This will allow us to add new equipment and programs as well as expand the programs we already have, which will eventually lead to the addition of a new physical therapist coming on board,” Jacobusse said.

Donations for the campaign, “Transforming Healthcare, Building for the Future” are still being sought, as the campaign is nearing its goal of $1.5 million.

“Every dollar counts and we’re encouraging people to consider either one-time gifts or pledges that can be paid over three to five years time,” said KRHC Foundation Director Nancy Grandgenett-Besch.  “Donations can be made in honor or in memory of a loved one, and we’re seeing lots of people honoring family members or other special people.”

To make a gift contact the Foundation office at 515-295-4582 or go to the KRHC website at www.krhc.com for more information.