Dar Darlington with Granddaughter and Great Granddaughter making a gingerbread house.
Another year is coming to an end and with it the start of a whole new decade. It has been a whirlwind of a year here at BSMC; and we are so grateful you have allowed us to be a part of your healthcare team. Thank you for continuing to support our local facility. Whether through your patronage, visiting our patients and residents, donating to the Guild or Foundation or serving on the Board of Directors, we are blessed to have you.
Not only do we appreciate all of you, but we appreciate all our staff. We'd like to congratulate the following staff members for their years served at the Medical Center: Pam Gasvoda, 31 years; Donna Fetsch, 29 years; Leroy Richardson, 21 years; Donna Jenkins, 20 years; Lisa Sipler, 18 years; Debra Baumgarn, 16 years; Lynn Faber, Patti Pegar, Denise Harmon, 12 years; Dr. Carley Robertson, Karla Whetham, 11 years; Nadine Poitra, Leah Griffith, 7 years; Maricel Bachoco, Krystyl Kulbeck, PA, John Field, Carla Gilman, 6 years. Pam Gasvoda, the current MDS coordinator and longest employed staff member, was asked what has been her favorite part of nursing over the last 31 years. She replied, "Working with the residents and their families. I love the care plan meetings." Care plan meetings are held once a month for each resident with their respective families and our staff. Thank you, Pam, for your years of service! Be sure to congratulate all these employees on their longevity. We are honored to have them all here.
We also welcome Anna Bold and Ann Quinn to the Board of Directors. The Annual Board Meeting was held November 18th where these two gals were unanimously voted onto the Board. They are eager to get started; and we are grateful they are willing to serve. The returning board members are Harvey Keller, Robert Nelson, and Nicole Allderdice. Retiring from the Board this year were Gordon Moes and Dianna Webster. Gordon volunteered 24 years on the Board and Dianna 18 years. We are grateful for their time and dedication to governing BSMC for so many years. Board Meetings are open to the public and are held the third Tuesday of the month, at 5:30 pm in the Conference Room at BSMC.
We celebrated Thanksgiving in style with many visitors and wonderful food. A big Thank You to the kitchen staff who prepare such wonderful meals here in our facility, on the holidays and every day. We sure appreciate you! Christmas is around the corner; and we are preparing for all the fun that comes with the holiday. The halls are decorated, the trees are up and Christmas music is playing. If you'd like to send Christmas cards or gifts to the residents, mail can be sent to PO Box 530, Big Sandy, MT 59520. We currently have 15 residents in our facility.
The 5th grade class stopped in for a visit this month. The class and residents enjoyed playing bells and singing along to classic tunes. The bells could be heard throughout the facility, it was quite a treat! We also had some harp players entertain the residents one afternoon; it was beautiful music enjoyed by all. We were also visited by the Catholic Church Catechesis kids who performed for our residents. They sang, played piano, and served some delicious cookies. It is so great to have young faces stop into visit and show off their talents.
The staff are planning a few events for the month as well. Ugly Sweater day will be December 19th. The Resident Christmas Party will be a pajama party on December 23rd. There will be wonderful food, gift exchanges and fun for everyone. The staff Christmas Party will be hosted at the Mint on December 20th with a White Elephant Gift Exchange.
It is such a wonderful time of year to celebrate with our families and friends. We are so fortunate to have families close by that stop in to visit. However, we do ask that you stay home if you are not feeling well. Wash your hands often, stay well hydrated, and enjoy the season. Please also stay safe in this cold, often icy weather!
From all the staff at the Big Sandy Medical Center, we wish you a very Merry Christmas! As always, thank you for being the heart of BSMC.
