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Nemaha County Hospital Awarded for Efforts to Improve Rural Stroke Care
The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Rural Recognition award recognizes efforts to address the unique health needs of rural communities.
AUBURN, NEBRASKA, July 22, 2025—People who live in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than their urban counterparts and have a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease and face a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality — a gap that has grown over the past two decades.[1],[2] Nemaha County Hospital is committed to changing that.
For efforts to optimize stroke care and eliminate rural health care outcome disparities, Nemaha County Hospital has received an American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Rural Recognition award.
The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, recognizes the importance of health care services provided to people living in rural areas by rural hospitals that play a vital role in initiating timely, evidence-based care. For that reason, all rural hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines- Stroke are eligible to receive award recognition based on a unique methodology focused on early acute stroke performance metrics.
“We are proud that our team at Nemaha County Hospital is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in our community who are affected by stroke, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said Marty Fattig. “As a hospital in a rural community, we deal with characteristics such as extended interfacility transportation times and limited staffing resources. We’ve made it a goal to ensure those hurdles do not affect the standard of care our stroke patients receive.”
“Rural communities deserve high-quality stroke care. I’m proud of our team for their commitment to stroke care excellence and this achievement.”
The award recognizes hospitals for their efforts toward acute stroke care excellence, demonstrated by composite score compliance with guideline-directed care for intravenous thrombolytic therapy, timely hospital inter-facility transfer, dysphagia screening, symptom timeline and deficit assessment documentation, emergency medical services communication, brain imaging, and stroke expert consultation.
“Patients and health care professionals in southeast Nebraska face unique health care challenges and opportunities,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, co-author of the American Heart Association’s presidential advisory on rural health. “Nemaha County Hospital has furthered this important work to improve care for all Americans, regardless of where they live.”
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About Nemaha County Hospital:
Nemaha County Hospital is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare to the residents of Nemaha County and surrounding areas. Offering a comprehensive range of medical services, the hospital is staffed by skilled professionals and equipped with facilities to meet the diverse needs of patients. With a focus on personalized care, Nemaha County Hospital ensures “Quality Care…Every Time.” The hospital actively promotes community wellness and preventative care, reinforcing its role as a trusted healthcare provider. For more information, visit NemahaCountyHospital.com.
About Get With The Guidelines®
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program. It provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed to save lives and hasten recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
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[1] American Heart Association. American Heart Association issues call to action for addressing inequities in rural health. February 10, 2020.; American Heart Association. Public Health AmeriCorps to address health inequity in rural communities. April 6, 2022.
[2] Harrington R, et al. Call to Action: Rural Health: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. Circulation. 2020;141:e615–e644.
Age-Friendly Care: Nemaha County Hospital
With rural populations aging faster than urban areas, ensuring seniors receive thoughtful, personalized care close to home is more important than ever.
This is the story of how Nemaha County Hospital in Auburn is leading the way in age-friendly for older adults. By focusing on what matters most for seniors — safe medications, cognitive health and mobility — Nemaha County is doubling down on their commitment to thoughtful care close to home, while serving as an example for rural care providers everywhere.
Read the full post here.
Nemaha County Hospital Receives Governor’s Wellness Award for Employee Wellness Program, Vitality
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Community Health Needs Assessment
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Attention: Patients of Nemaha County Hospital
Be on the lookout for new and improved patient statements coming to your household soon.
At your request, we were asked to provide better payment options.
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Nemaha County Hospital Welcomes Platte River Foot & Ankle Surgeons
Podiatrists will hold clinics twice a month
AUBURN, Nebr. (Feb. 16, 2023) – Nemaha County Hospital is pleased to announce the addition of podiatrists from the Platte River Foot & Ankle Surgeons. The doctors will rotate in the clinics on the 2nd Thursday and 4th Wednesday of each month beginning February 22nd.
“We are excited to have these doctors join our team,” said Marty Fattig, CEO at Nemaha County Hospital. “This practice offers the entire spectrum of foot and ankle care, from routine foot and ankle care to surgeries and we are thrilled that we can now offer these services to the community.”
Dr. David Waters founded Platte River Foot & Ankle Surgeons to provide comprehensive state-of-the-art solutions to patients with foot and ankle pain. After receiving a doctorate in podiatric medicine from Kent State University in Independence, Ohio, Waters went on to St. John Hospital and Medical Center, in Detroit, for three years of residency and served as the chief podiatric surgical resident. Others in the practice include Evan Lenertz, DPM, a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon with a Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery from Des Moines, University and a residency at St. Mary Mercy and St. Joseph Hospitals outside of Detroit, Michigan and Ashley Anderson, a board-certified physician’s assistant.
About Nemaha County Hospital
Located in Auburn, Nebr., Nemaha County Hospital is a county-owned critical access hospital serving the Southeast Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri regional area. Nemaha County Hospital was named a 2021 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital.
Heart Valve Disease
As many as 11.6 million Americans are estimated to have heart valve disease, and each year around 25,000 people die from the disease. Fortunately, valve disease can usually be successfully treated in patients of all ages.
But successful treatment depends on understanding risk factors, recognizing symptoms, and getting timely treatment. Unfortunately, three out of four Americans report knowing little to nothing about the disease.
The heart is a powerful organ that is responsible for continuously circulating blood throughout the body. The heart’s four chambers squeeze and relax in a coordinated manner to pump blood to the lungs, and through the circulatory system to deliver oxygen and nutrients.
Between each of the heart’s chambers is a valve—a thin leaflet of tissue that keeps blood moving in only one direction and with the right amount of force. The valves keep blood from leaking backwards by only opening one way and sealing tightly as soon as blood passes through.
Heart valve disease (valve disease) is a type of heart disease that involves damage to one or more of the heart’s four valves that causes them to not open or close properly and disrupts blood flow. If a valve doesn’t close completely and allows blood to leak backwards, it’s called regurgitation or insufficiency, and may be referred to as a leaky valve. If a valve doesn’t open fully to allow enough blood to flow through, it’s called stenosis and may also be referred to as a sticky, narrowed, or stiff valve. A valve may also fail to open fully due to an obstruction.
Depending on the type of valve disease, the damage can cause the heart to work harder than it should and can restrict blood flow to the rest of the body. Without treatment, this can lead to serious complications including arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, stroke, other heart disease, and even death.
Who is at risk? 1. Older Age: Wear and tear to the valves is the most common cause of valve disease. 2. Congenital Abnormalities: People can be born with narrow, deformed, or even missing valves. 3. Infection: Bacterial endocarditis is an infection of the inner layer of the heart or heart valves that is most commonly caused by staphylococci (staph) and streptococci (strep) bacteria. 4. Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions: Problems with the heart or vascular system can also result in valve problems. For example, heart attacks can cause scarring of the heart muscle and distort the valves, an enlarged heart can stretch open a valve, long-term raised blood pressure can cause heart damage, and aortic dissections or tears can extend to the valve. 5. Family History: 6. Other Health Conditions: Chronic kidney disease, lupus, and Marfan syndrome can all increase risk.
What are the Symptoms of Valve Disease? 1. Lightheadedness 2. Irregular heartbeat, heart flutter, or chest pains 3. Shortness of breath after light activity or while laying down 4. Tiredness 5. Edema (swelling of the ankles and feet).
How is Valve Disease Diagnosed? Early detection and timely treatment of valve disease is critical to successful outcomes. Everyone should have their heart listened to by a healthcare provider regularly because valve disease can often be detected with a simple stethoscope check. If a murmur is detected, your health care provider may order additional tests that can include: electrocardiogram (EKG), echocardiogram (ECG), chest x-ray, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), stress tests and/or a cardiac catheterization.
How is Valve Disease treated? Treatment of valve disease depends on your symptoms, the severity of your disease, and whether or not it is getting worse.1. Monitoring: Some types of valve disease don’t need treatment, or don’t need treatment right away. But all types should be monitored regularly 2. Medications: There are no medications that keep valve disease from getting worse, that undo damage already done, or that cure valve disease. However, there are some medications that can help relieve or lesson the symptoms of valve disease by reducing the heart’s workload, regulating heart rhythms, preventing blood clots, and preventing infections.3. Valve Repair or Replacement: Fortunately, these procedures and surgeries are usually very successful in patients of all ages. Repairing the Valve is modifying the structure of the valve. This can involve adding tissue to patch holes or tears, removing or reshaping tissue, separating fused valve leaflets, and more. This may require surgery or may be done through a minimally invasive procedure. Replacement – the new valve can be a tissue (bioprosthetic) valve or a mechanical valve. Tissue valves are made from cow or pig tissue or taken from human cadavers. Mechanical valves are made from carbon.A valve may need to be replaced with open heart surgery. In some cases, the valve can be replaced through a less invasive procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR or TAVI). In TAVR, a new valve is placed with a thin tube (catheter) inserted through an artery in the chest or leg.
What can I expect after surgery? Most people who have valve repair or replacement can expect to return to a normal life after recovery. Recovery times typically range from two to eight weeks with a hospital stay of three to five days. After a patient returns home and gets back to mild activities, they may start doing cardiac rehabilitation to help with exercise training and other support as they recover. This article comes from the website: https://valvediseaseday.org/ to educate our community. See website to learn more.
Sandy Bradley RN, BSN
Mindful Choices
Jaclyn Kreifels RD, LMNT
February gives us time to reflect on all the relationships in our life; in those, do you consider your relationship with food? Mindful eating is a concept to help us become fully aware of our eating patterns, relationship with food, and triggers for why we eat. The primary focus of mindful eating helps us to choose nutritious and enjoyable food, select foods with nourishment and recognize our personal hunger and satiety cues. This approach can assist individuals in achieving a favorable intake for the purpose of vital health and regulating body weight. It can also create a sense of empowerment to make the best selections for personal interest.
When utilizing mindful eating to create our food selections, we can achieve our ideal health and create a routine that supports our goals. Instead of thinking about different diet strategies (good food/bad food, restrictive diets or limiting diets), mindful eating tunes into our internal cues and provides a response to our personal body needs. To initiate mindful eating, limit distractions while eating so you truly enjoy your food and flavors. This can likewise increase the satiety level from our food. Paying attention to what we eat, in the present moment, can enhance our relationship with food and provide many benefits. Actually, research indicates that practicing the mindfulness concept, can decrease stress levels and depression, support weight loss, omit chronic pain and increase quality of life.
Mindful eating can encourage us to change old habits, and not only create, but adhere to healthy eating decisions. Some thoughts to keep in mind when incorporating healthy eating include “Why do I eat?”, “How much do I eat?” and “Where does the energy go?” Which can in turn, help us to select healthy, balanced eating choices. How does your food make you feel? And how do you want to feel? Exploring the triggers that control our nutritional habits can help us understand our process of eating, and be eye-opening. A food journal can be beneficial to answer some of these same triggers, and of course, it’s easier to write down “apple” instead of “donut”.
Many times, our consumption habits that are guilty for our overeating, are actually unconscious behaviors that have been in place for years; and we don’t even realize it. The mindfulness process can create awareness of what we’re doing, and what we desire to change. Once you’re aware of your habits, change can become an action. Being mindful of our daily routine can help us break out of the ineffective, habitual patterns, and provide an opportunity for new, healthy behaviors.
Nemaha County Hospital Welcomes Dr. Gary Koenig
Pulmonologist begins clinics on February 8th
AUBURN, Nebr. (Feb. 2, 2023) – Nemaha County Hospital is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Gary Koenig to the medical team. Dr. Koenig is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease and allergy and immunology.
“We are excited to announce the addition of Dr. Koenig to our team,” said Marty Fattig, CEO at Nemaha County Hospital. “He is a highly rated pulmonologist and will make a great addition to the already excellent team of physicians we are fortunate to have in our community.”
Dr. Koenig attended medical school at Creighton University and then completed his residency at Creighton University Medical Center. Specializing in Pulmonology, Allergy and Immunology and Sleep Medicine, Dr. Koenig has been practicing for over 20 years and is based out of Omaha, Nebraska.
“I am excited to be practicing in Auburn,” said Dr. Koenig. “Nemaha County Hospital is a wonderful facility with a great team that is recognized for the highest level of care, and I am proud to be joining them to help patients with their pulmonology needs.”
Dr. Koenig will be holding clinic on the 2nd Wednesday of every month.
About Nemaha County Hospital
Located in Auburn, Nebr., Nemaha County Hospital is a county-owned critical access hospital serving the Southeast Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri regional area. Nemaha County Hospital was named a 2021 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital.
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