Healthy Communities Magazine

Healthy Communities Magazine is Allina Hospitals & Clinics South Region community health magazine, representing Owatonna Hospital, Owatonna Pharmacy Care, and Home & Community Services (Home Medical & Durable Equipment and Home Care & Hospice). This new and improved 16-page, 4-color publication reaches more than 20,000 homes in Steele County and nearby communities three times per year. In every issue, readers will learn how Allina’s hospitals, clinics and other care services are working to serve the health care needs of people throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin — and in our own communities here. We hope you find helpful tips to empower you to live your healthiest life.

For copies of Healthy Communities Magazine articles or issues, contact us online or call 507-977-2330.

Latest issue

Winter 2011 issue

Read more about topics discussed in the current issue of Healthy Communities Magazine.

• Home and Hospice Care
• Heart Safe Communities
• Allina's Family Health Manager

Archive

Mailing list

Heart Safe Communities Project

Heart Safe Communities is an initiative to increase survival from sudden cardiac arrest. Owatonna Hospital and Allina Hospitals & Clinics are teaming up to place automatic external defibrillators (AED) in public facilities like schools, senior centers, libraries, and government buildings, as well as to provide training to help community members respond to sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States, striking more than 450,000 people a year. The most effective treatment for sudden cardiac arrest is an electric shock to the heart, called defibrillation. This "shock" is administered by an AED.

How you can help

As part of the program, Owatonna Hospital is raising funds to place AEDs in Steele County. To date, 34 AEDs have been placed with one more pending.

Through this initiative, nonprofit organizations and public government buildings are given an opportunity to purchase an AED at half-price ($1,100). More than 20 Owatonna locations have been identified by the Heart Safe Committee and will receive top priority. AEDs will be placed as funds have been raised. Nonprofits that are not listed but request an AED at half-price will be on a first-come, first-serve basis as the necessary funds can be raised.

With a gift of at least $1,100, the organization will be recognized with a plaque next to the AED storage cabinet. The purchase of each AED package includes training in use of the device, as well as a wall mount cabinet, a site assessment, medical prescription and oversight of the program.

To make a donation to support defibrillators in your community, specify which community and/or location you are supporting and mail your donation to: Owatonna Hospital Foundation, 2250 NW 26th Street, Owatonna, MN 55060 or call 507-977-2562.

Current donors and donations

• Allina Hospitals & Clinics employees
• Robert & Joyce Blazek
• Doug & CJ Brase
• Brooktree Golf Course
• Cash Wise Foods/Coborn's, Inc.
• Federated Insurance Companies, for Owatonna Police Department First Responders
• Robert & Pat Fischer
• Elizabeth Gilthvedt
• Hedstrom Insurance
• Chad Lange, Festal Farms Co., for Lincoln Elementary School
• Little Theatre of Owatonna, for Merrill Building
• Marlene Camilli and Thrivent Financial, for First Responders
• Northridge Church, for Four Seasons Building and Northridge Church
• Our Saviors Lutheran Church, for Our Saviors Lutheran Church
• Owatonna Bus Company for St. Mary's School
• Owatonna Hospital Auxiliary, for Owatonna Public Library, Owatonna Senior High School, Roosevelt Community Center, Owatonna Fire Department
• Owatonna hospital employees, for First Responders
• R&K Electric
• Ray & Helen Stawarz
• TPS Insurance
• Woman's Club of Owatonna, for First Responder

Forums and surveys

Community health improvement

Community health assessments

What does health look like in our community? Take a look at what area residents said about what is -- and is not -- working, and how we can promote community health.

Planning our new hospital campus

Residents of Steele County were intimately involved in the planning and design aspects of Owatonna's new hospital campus. Feedback from more than 100 community residents was collected during five community forums offered in September 2006.

These community forums kicked off a campaign by Owatonna Hospital and Owatonna Clinic to engage the community in the design process. Through this campaign, the hospital and clinic heard from residents throughout the Steele County area about how to create pleasant, comfortable and informative environments to relieve stress and promote satisfaction among patients and their families.

The input shared at the community forums and the online survey helped to guide Owatonna Hospital's design decisions.

To view the results, select the links below.

• Quantitative online survey results
• Qualitative results from five community forums held in September and October 2006
• Overall feedback results from survey, community forums and hospital employee discussion board

Community Giving Campaign

The staff at Owatonna Hospital do more than provide care for their patients. They are also committed to ensuring the health of this community through supporting Allina Hospital's & Clinics annual Community Giving Campaign, which helps raise money for the United Way of Steele County and the Owatonna Hospital Foundation.

Allina's Community Giving Campaign participation compares favorably to other local health care organizations by offering giving options to meet everyone's needs. Employees can give to critical Allina programs through Allina Foundations, or to the United Way or any 501 organizations.

Owatonna Hospital's Community Giving Campaign is a powerful testament to the ways in which hospital employees care for our patients, our communities and each other. As an organization, our employees are caring people who invest back into the community and are dedicated to the mission of Allina Hospitals & Clinics.

In 2009, Owatonna Hospital and employees pledged nearly $15,000 collectively to support the Community Giving Campaign. Contributions to the Owatonna Hospital Foundation support the Employee Emergency Assistance Fund which helps employees who are experiencing a crisis event.  Pledges made to the United Way of Steele County support United Way participating organizations that provide important community services to Steele County.