From paper to digital: LRHC celebrates 50 years of innovation

From a grilled lunch in the parking lot to indoor games, informational booths, a 50% off sale at the gift shop and tours of the facility, community members came together to celebrate LRHC’s staff and the innovations that have transformed local health care over the past half-century.

Peggy Block, a nursing administrative assistant who has worked for LRHC for all 50 years, said she has watched the organization transition from handwritten paperwork to digital recordkeeping.

“I was previously at the hospital before,” Block recalled. “At that point, I worked in the dietary department, and I was down in the basement. It was kind of creepy down there, but it was good. For what we had, it was a great hospital. And I remember we’d have to take the food cart up the elevator to help serve trays.”

“IT was probably the biggest change I’ve experienced,” she said. “It’s much better. Everything used to be handwritten. You had to write hospital numbers and medical record numbers on every piece of paper.”

Guests saw many of LRHC’s technological advancements firsthand during tours led by Chief Experience Officer Mike Dowling and licensed practical nurse Kristine Wendland.

The first stop on the tours were the hospital rooms patients would stay in. Hospital rooms were converted to private, single-patient rooms in 2015 and equipped with beds that tilt from side to side, making it easier for staff to reposition patients.

Nurses also wear alert buttons they can press if they are in danger or need assistance. The system sends an alert identifying the nurse and the nurse’s location. It can track staff members as they move through the building and record how long they remain in each area.

Dowling said the obstetrics rooms are among the areas that have experienced the most significant technological changes. The rooms have been renovated to provide more space and privacy. Although the project is awaiting new doors, many of the improvements are already in place.

Remote-controlled lights allow mothers and medical staff to adjust the lighting to their needs, “so the right things get lit up,” Dowling said. Each room also includes a private mini refrigerator and a couch with a pullout bed for spouses or guests.

The patient beds can be converted from birthing beds to recovery beds, and every room has an infant warmer, allowing parents to spend more time with their newborns. Security has also been upgraded. Mothers and babies wear matching wristbands that trigger an alarm if either leave the secured obstetrics area.

“Everything happens in this room unless surgery is required,” Dowling said.

Tour participants also received a behind-the-scenes look at the laboratory, which previously served as the hospital’s surgery center. The lab keeps multiple units of blood on hand to ensure the hospital is prepared for emergencies, including incidents along the interstate.

Laboratory equipment is computerized, and staff members receive an immediate alert if the temperature inside a refrigerator moves outside the proper range.

LRHC’s emergency department was updated within the past five years and now provides direct access to the radiology department from the ambulance bay.

The trauma bay is located near the ambulance entrance and remains at 80 degrees year-round to prevent patients from experiencing additional trauma caused by temperature changes. Large doors and a spacious layout allow everyone caring for a patient to work comfortably.

Emergency Department Director and Trauma Nurse Coordinator Luke Ballmer said trauma staff are trained to update patients every 30 minutes about what is happening, helping reduce fear and uncertainty.

“We are blessed as a community to have this,” Ballmer said.

The radiology department is undergoing construction but has already received a new CT scanner that offers increased storage capacity, improved patient-monitoring equipment and closer proximity to the emergency department.

The machine has reduced the time required for a full-body scan from approximately 20 minutes to about 90 seconds. Head scans that previously took 20 seconds can now be completed in five.

An automated X-ray machine is another recent addition to the department. Staff position the patient and program the machine for the part of the body that needs to be examined, and the machine moves into place.

Dowling said a new MRI machine is scheduled to arrive in December, when the radiology department renovation is expected to be completed.

Tour participants also visited the cafeteria, which is open to the public for breakfast and lunch, as well as specialty examination rooms, a scope room and the rehabilitation center. They were also able to look into the highly sanitized preoperative and postoperative areas from outside.

Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Manager Austin Eldredge said the rehabilitation center’s goal is to “bridge the gap between hospital and home.”

Exercise is an important part of recovery, he said, and the rehabilitation staff provides patients with weight training, mobility exercises, education about heart and lung health, and nutritional information.

“We’re a safe place where you can exercise healthily and get to know your disease,” Eldredge said.

Throughout the anniversary celebration, hospital employees mingled with community members, shared a meal with them and answered questions at informational and activity booths.

“Reaching 50 years is an extraordinary milestone for Lexington Regional Health Center,” Chief Communications Officer Brenna Bartruff said. “For five decades, our organization has had the privilege of caring for generations of families throughout central Nebraska. This anniversary is not only a celebration of our history, but also a reflection of the trust our community has placed in us, the dedication of our employees and providers, and the vision of those who helped build this organization.

“As we look back with gratitude on the past 50 years, we are equally excited about the future and our continued commitment to delivering exceptional, compassionate health care close to home for generations to come.”

From handwritten medical records and food carts wheeled out of the basement to computerized laboratories and scans completed in seconds, much has changed at LRHC during its 50 years of service. The anniversary celebration highlighted that progress while also honoring what has remained constant: the hospital’s connection to the community it serves.