Author Archives: Steph

Stanley, ND – On Wednesday, April 11^th, the Mountrail County Health Foundation, the Stanley Park District and the Stanley High School partnered together to bring to all SHS students from
7^th to 12^th Grade “Skittle Skool”.

The mission statement behind Skittle Skool was: “Giving our youth the knowledge to create a
voice for change towards their future paths.  Knowledge is Power.”

The idea for Skittle Skool started when last December  a group of local community services, ranging from the Stanley Police Department to the Mountrail County Social Services, got together to address the Opioid crisis.

The name Skittle Skool came to play when conversation about Opioids lead into how kids are having Skittle parties.  They go into their parent’s medicine cabinet, take any pills they can find and bring them to the party.  They then put all the pills into a bowl and everyone starts randomly picking one out and taking it.

April 11th was chosen as the date, for it is the Wednesday before Stanley’s Prom.  The guidance counselor thought this would be the perfect time to talk to all the Jr. High and Sr. High Students about this array of topics.

Twenty plus presenters addressed the following topics of hidden dangers coming at our local children through creative and interactive activities and conversation.

• Stacy Schaffer from 31:8 Project covering “Sexting – Importance of cell phone use responsibility”
  ✓ Kris Halvorson from the Stanley Police Department and Hillary Burchett from the Stanley Ambulance Service covering “How and When to call 9-11 for an overdose and the danger of Nar Can usage”
  ✓ Virginia Dohms from North Central Human Service covering “Healthy Dating Relationships”
  ✓ Michelle Svangstu from Upper Missouri District Health Unit covering “Long term effects of smoking and chewing and how vapping is not a safe alternative”
  ✓ Abbey Ruland and Tammie Braaflat from the Mountrail County Medical Center covering “Safe Sex, STD’s, HPV and the importance of the HPV vaccine”
  ✓ Tara Nardacci and Dr. Longmuir from the Mountrail County Medical Center and Gerald White and his team from the Three Affiliated Tribes Drug Task Force covering “Prescription drug abuse and what it can lead to”
  ✓ Shelly Kinney from Mountrail County Social Services covering “Drug exposure and its effects”
  ✓ Terry Goldade from Northland Community Health Center covering “The effects of “screens and screen time” on Mental Health”
  ✓ Brenna Thompson from Pospishil and Associates covering “Suicide, Cutting and Self Harm”
  ✓ Bob Hayes from Bob Hayes Addiction Services covering “Alcohol Abuse and Addiction”
  ✓ Stephanie Nishek from Dakota Natural Health Center covering “Importance of a healthy diet for your developing brain”
  ✓ Pastor Carter Hill from Prairie Lutheran Parish covering “Being cruel is easy: Bullying Online and Off”Stacy Schaffer from 31:8 Project covering “Sexting – Importance of cell phone use responsibility”
  ✓ Kris Halvorson from the Stanley Police Department and Hillary Burchett from the Stanley Ambulance Service covering “How and When to call 9-11 for an overdose and the danger of Nar Can usage”
  ✓ Virginia Dohms from North Central Human Service covering “Healthy Dating Relationships”
  ✓ Michelle Svangstu from Upper Missouri District Health Unit covering “Long term effects of smoking and chewing and how vapping is not a safe alternative”
  ✓ Abbey Ruland and Tammie Braaflat from the Mountrail County Medical Center covering “Safe Sex, STD’s, HPV and the importance of the HPV vaccine”
  ✓ Tara Nardacci and Dr. Longmuir from the Mountrail County Medical Center and Gerald White and his team from the Three Affiliated Tribes Drug Task Force covering “Prescription drug abuse and what it can lead to”
  ✓ Shelly Kinney from Mountrail County Social Services covering “Drug exposure and its effects”
  ✓ Terry Goldade from Northland Community Health Center covering “The effects of “screens and screen time” on Mental Health”
  ✓ Brenna Thompson from Pospishil and Associates covering “Suicide, Cutting and Self Harm”
  ✓ Bob Hayes from Bob Hayes Addiction Services covering “Alcohol Abuse and Addiction”
  ✓ Stephanie Nishek from Dakota Natural Health Center covering “Importance of a healthy diet for your developing brain”
  ✓ Pastor Carter Hill from Prairie Lutheran Parish covering “Being cruel is easy: Bullying Online and Off”Stacy Schaffer from 31:8 Project covering “Sexting – Importance of cell phone use responsibility”

✓ Kris Halvorson from the Stanley Police Department and Hillary Burchett from the Stanley Ambulance Service covering “How and When to call 9-11 for an overdose and the danger of Nar Can usage”

✓ Virginia Dohms from North Central Human Service covering “Healthy Dating Relationships”

✓ Michelle Svangstu from Upper Missouri District Health Unit covering “Long term effects of smoking and chewing and how vapping is not a safe alternative”

✓ Abbey Ruland and Tammie Braaflat from the Mountrail County Medical Center covering “Safe Sex, STD’s, HPV and the importance of the HPV vaccine”

✓ Tara Nardacci and Dr. Longmuir from the Mountrail County Medical Center and Gerald White and his team from the Three Affiliated Tribes Drug Task Force covering “Prescription drug abuse and what it can lead to”

✓ Shelly Kinney from Mountrail County Social Services covering “Drug exposure and its effects”

✓ Terry Goldade from Northland Community Health Center covering “The effects of “screens and screen time” on Mental Health”

✓ Brenna Thompson from Pospishil and Associates covering “Suicide, Cutting and Self Harm”

✓ Bob Hayes from Bob Hayes Addiction Services covering “Alcohol Abuse and Addiction”

✓ Stephanie Nishek from Dakota Natural Health Center covering “Importance of a healthy diet for your developing brain”

✓ Pastor Carter Hill from Prairie Lutheran Parish covering “Being cruel is easy: Bullying Online and Off”

During the last twenty minutes of school, the students were asked to address this question by writing down ideas:  “What are YOU going to do with all of the knowledge you learned today?  Let’s take this knowledge and create a powerful movement”.

“Skittle Skool is just the start of what we want to do here in Mountrail County for our youth and our communities overall,” says Stephanie Everett, Mountrail County Health Foundation’s Director.  “We look forward in working with all the presenters and planning future events to see what sort of movement we can start locally.”

Farm Credit Services of North Dakota is proud to announce that is has awarded Mountrail County Health Center $5,000 as a recipient of the Rural Community Grant Fund (RCGF). The grant funds will help purchase a Secure Care Roam Alert System for the Mountrail Bethel Home facility.

Representatives from Mountrail County Health Center were on hand on Wednesday, Feb. 7 to accept the grant funds, which will be utilized towards the facility’s security system.

“Farm Credit is proud to provide grant funds to help update the security at Mountrail County Health Center,” says Claude Sem, CEO of Farm Credit Services of North Dakota. Mountrail County Health Center provides critical medical and senior care services to the community. Farm Credit Services believes it’s important to give back to the community. “Mountrail County Health Center has seen a significant increase in providing quality secure senior care at the Bethel Home facility. The new roam alert system will help keep track of residents and notify staff if they are out of a designated area. This system will be a tremendous upgrade from their current system as it ages. We are proud to be able to help them provide better security for the residents as well as peace of mind for their families,” Sem adds.

Farm Credit Services of North Dakota Farm Credit Services of Mandan and AgriBank, established the Rural Community Grant Fund to assist in the implementation and development of projects and programs in communities and rural areas in western North Dakota which have been impacted by mineral exploration.

The Rural Community Grant Fund is currently accepting applications for future funding requests. Interested parties can apply at www.farmcreditnd.com.

Farm Credit Services presented the check to MCHC representatives last week. Pictured, left to right, are Mike Larson of FCS; Rocky Zastoupil, MCHC Administrator; Wally Kowitz, MCHC CFO; Steph Everett, Mountrail County Health Foundation Director; Dr. Mark Longmuir; and Claude Sem of FCS.

MDU Resources Foundation presented Mountrail Bethel Home with a check for $2500 last week. The grant funds will be helping to cover costs for Rest-Q pressure distribution mattresses and bed frames to accommodate these mattresses.

Grant funds were also received from Farm Credit and St. Joe’s Community Foundation to cover costs for these updates. The remainder was paid with money from the Olga Sather Estate donation received by the Foundation. The Foundation Board felt Olga would be so happy to know all of her friends were now sleeping comfortably on new Rest-Q pressure redistribution mattresses.

The Foundation has been supporting qualified organizations since it was incorporated in 1983. Grant applicants must provide a copy of an IRS determination letter indicating their tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or evidence of their eligibility under Section 170(c)(1) of the IRC. The application will include the purpose of the grant and any other information that will be helpful in understanding the request. Applications can be made by qualifying organizations as well as political subdivisions including counties, cities, schools and park districts as contributions are allowable if they are used exclusively for public purposes.

Applications should be submitted no later than October 1 of the year prior to which the funding is being sought as the foundation operates on a calendar-year budget. Completed applications and the supporting materials should be submitted to the organization’s local MDU Resources office. In the case of MBH, they had applied for the funds prior to the October 1, 2016 deadline and received their funding this year.

The application form can be found on the MDU Resources Foundation website at www.mdu.com/integrity/foundation.

The North Dakota Community Foundation has awarded $150,283 in grants from its Statewide Greatest Needs (Unrestricted) Fund to 36 organizations across the state working to improve the quality of life for state residents.

Kevin J. Dvorak, President and CEO of the North Dakota Community Foundation will be delivering the grant checks in the next few weeks. NDCF Development Directors Amy Warnke-Stromsodt of Grand Forks, Kara Geiger of Bismarck, and John Heinen of Dickinson will also participate in the presentation, as well as various NDCF board members from across the state.

The NDCF Board of Directors reviewed and discussed 171 grant applications at their meeting in September to make the determination of awards.

On Wednesday, Oct. 18, they were delivering grant awards in North Central North Dakota. That included a $5,000 grant to Mountrail Bethel Home for the roam alert system.

The Mountrail Bethel Home is updating its Secure Care Roam Alert system with the help of grant money, such as from NDCF, and money given from the Mountrail County Health Foundation. The roam alert system helps us keep track of our residents and will notify the nursing staff if one has roamed outside of a designated area. The Secure Care Roam Alert System provides essential protection to each resident in the home and provides the safest environment possible for the elderly who can no longer care for themselves. This system allows the family assurance that a loved one is being taken care of and watched over very carefully and their protection is ensured.

Grants were awarded in Killdeer, Williston, Grenora, Flasher, Raleigh, Elgin, New England, Beach, Golden Valley, Hebron, Garrison, Minot, Bowbells, Tolley, Hurdsfield, Harvey, Glenfield, Geulph, Gackle, and Napoleon last week. This week, grants will be delivered in Forman, Lisbon, Enderlin, Finley, Pekin, Drayton, Pembina, Cavalier, Gardar and Larimore.

Established in 1976, the NDCF is a public, non-profit tax-exempt corporation which receives and distributes charitable funds to support a wide range of programs that benefit North Dakotans. It currently manages over $70 million in assets in over 600 component funds, including local community foundations, agency endowment funds, donor-advised funds, and scholarships. It has made over $65 million in grants since its inception with the mission of improving the lives of North Dakota citizens and their communities through charitable giving and promoting philanthropy.

Stanley, ND- The University of North Dakota (UND) Rural Collaborative Opportunities for Occupational Learning in Health (R-COOL-Health) Scrubs Academy is a four day/three night camp held on the University of North Dakota campus. The Academy allows Jr. High students to learn what health care professionals do in FUN and INTERACTICE ways. Six Stanley students; Noah Rolfe, Jordan Larson, Caiti Hennessy, Jocelyn Vachal, Carissa Bieri and Luke Curren attended this year’s Academy last week compliments of the Mountrail County Health Foundation. They joined 56 other Jr. High students from across North Dakota.
“Scrubs Camp had great classes and we learned a lot about different medical related occupations,” says Carissa Bieri, “I definitely want to go back next year!”

The Scrubs Academy encourages middle school students from across North Dakota to pursue a career in healthcare. They participated in hands-on activities and received information related to a variety of healthcare professions. In addition to the experiences with healthcare professionals, the students were certified in Friends and Family CPR and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The Scrubs Academy serves as a mini-preparation program to strengthen academic skill sets associated with health disciplines, introduce adolescents to a higher education experience, and foster a relationship between the students and the University.

The Stanley Community Hospital board recently approved the purchase of a 16 slice CT scanner.  A donation from the Gary Nelson family will also be used to help purchase the unit.

Farm Credit Services of North Dakota representatives were in Stanley on Wednesday, Feb. 10 to present Mountrail County Medical Center with a $25,000 check. The funds come from the Rural Community Grant Fund and have been used to help fund upgrades to the nurses call station.

Stanley, ND- Mountrail County Medical Center is pleased to announce Tammie Braaflat, FNP-BC will be joining the facility starting on November 30th, 2015 and will start seeing patients in early December in the clinic. A North Dakota native, Tammie and her husband farm by Plaza and have three daughters.

Rocky has made healthcare his calling for the past 30 years, working in both acute and/or long term care the entire time. He began his career in finance and accounting, eventually moving from a CFO to the CEO position due to enjoying people, especially those who were entrusted to his care. He has degrees in Business Administration, Accounting and Computer Science from Dickinson State College. His past experiences include a Critical Access Hospital, both large and small skilled nursing facilities, assisted living complexes and congregate housing. Most recently Rocky was the President/CEO of St. Aloisius Medical Center in Harvey, North Dakota.