The seminar will be held in the second-floor Education Room, and refreshments will be served. No pre-registration is required.

Presenters will be Kevin Widiker, an Edward Jones financial advisor from Eau Claire, Wis., and Gregg Banchy, an attorney with the Banchy Law Center of Eau Claire.

Among other topics, Banchy and Widiker will explain:

• the basics of estate planning;
• issues surrounding taxation;
• how to properly choose the right way to share an estate.

Widiker and Banchy also will make time for questions and answers, said Pat Deninger, Tri-County Memorial Public Relations and Marketing Director.

Brian Theiler, Tri-County Memorial Chief Executive Officer, said this is Tri-County Memorial’s fourth estate-planning session.

“They’re popular and well-attended because our speakers always have presented information in simple-to-understand terms,” Theiler said.

He added that estate-planning seminars often are held for seniors and others further along in their lives and careers. Still, he said individuals or couples as young as their 30s or 40s can make decisions decades before retirement to benefit themselves, their families and communities.

Theiler also will be on hand to explain current gift-giving opportunities to the Tri-County Memorial Foundation.

For more information, please e-mail or call Jill Berg at 715.538.1712.

Minutes in Motion is a six-week physical activity challenge open to everyone, including Trempealeau County residents served by Tri-County Memorial Hospital in Whitehall and the health system's primary-care clinics in Whitehall, Blair and Independence, Wis.

The challenge begins Monday, March 26, and ends Sunday, May 6. Register at Gundersen Lutheran's Minutes in Motion web page. The first 2,000 people to register will be entered to win a $200 gift card.

Participating in Minutes in Motion is easy and free. You can join individually or as a team, said Pat Deninger, Tri-County Memorial Public Relations and Marketing director.

Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity each day or a total of 1,260 minutes in six weeks. If you meet the 1,260-minute goal, you’ll be eligible to win local and health-system prizes, including a $500 gift card.

Linda Larson, Gundersen Lutheran wellness education specialist and Minutes in Motion organizer, said Minutes in Motion allows participants to pick any activity that fits your lifestyle, "whether it is gardening, walking the dog, weightlifting, yoga or playing active Xbox 360 or Wii games."

Kris Benusa, Tri-County Memorial Hospital registered dietitian, added that Minutes in Motion is a perfect follow-up for individuals currently participating in Tri-County's Smartest-Loser Nutrition and Activity Challenge.

That program is in its third year, Benusa said, and "it's our goal that at the start of each new year we offer two programs that can motivate you and support you for almost the entire first half of the year."

At the end of Minutes in Motion, participants throughout western Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa celebrate their efforts at local events.

For the second year, Tri-County Memorial will host the local event in Whitehall. Deninger said dates and additional news will be shared in March.

Larson noted that in 2011, 3,326 people took part in Minutes in Motion and recorded more than 4.5 million total minutes of physical activity.

For complete information about Minutes in Motion, please go to the web site. If you have local questions, please e-mail Deninger or call 715.538.4361, ext. 1010.

The healthcare scholarship applications and complete guidelines can be downloaded here. Deadline for all is Friday, April 6, 2011.

For more information about the scholarships, please download complete information online, contact your school guidance counselor or Patrick Deninger, Tri-County Memorial public relations and marketing director, at (715) 538-4361, ext. 1010.

Ginger Everson Memorial Scholarship

The scholarship is named after Virginia “Ginger” Everson, a Whitehall High School student who died in a car accident in 1973. She had been accepted into the nursing program at Viterbo College in La Crosse, Wis.

Everson’s family established the scholarship in her honor and has awarded scholarships for nearly four decades. The Tri-County Memorial Foundation oversees the scholarship with continuing family input.

The $1,000 scholarship is open to graduating seniors and residents of the Blair-Taylor, Independence and Whitehall school districts who wish to purse any healthcare-related career.

Lisa Rostvold Memorial Scholarship

The Lisa Rostvold scholarship memorializes the Taylor, Wis., resident, who was killed in a car accident near Taylor in December 2003.

At the time, Rostvold was a certified nursing assistant at Tri-County Memorial Nursing Home in Whitehall. She was attending Chippewa Valley Technical College to become a licensed practical nurse.

The annual scholarship awards $1,200 for two- or four-year nursing training. The scholarship is open to students from the Blair-Taylor, Eleva-Strum, Independence and Whitehall school districts.

Community Investment Healthcare scholarships

In autumn 2010, The Tri-County Memorial Foundation announced the creation of three Community Investment Health Scholarships.

The $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to one recipient in the Blair-Taylor, Independence and Whitehall school districts. Like the Ginger Everson scholarship, applicants can be pursuing any healthcare-related field.

The new year is a good time to make positive changes in your life, according to Kris Benusa, Tri-County Memorial registered dietitian.

"Make yourself and your health a priority this year," Benusa said, noting that 28 percent of Trempealeau County citizens are overweight. "You can improve your weight and protect your health with a few simple efforts."

• Get 30 minutes of exercise daily.The 30 minutes does not have to be all at one time. It can be 15 minutes at lunch and 5 minutes at other times. Take stairs. Park at the back of the parking lot to increase the number of steps you take.

"Exercise burns calories, strengthens your muscles and improves your energy," she said.

• Eat five servings of fruits or vegetables every day.

"Use lunch and breaks to reach this goal," Benusa said. "If you eat one serving of fruit or vegetable at each meal, plus eat one serving -- a piece of fruit or bag of carrots -- at two breaks, you have your five servings."

She stressed the importance of bringing vegetables from home if they're not available at workplace. "Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and provide much-needed nutrients."

The Trempealeau County Healthy Weight Coalition’s mission is to support the creation of worksite environments that promote healthy food choices and increase physical activity to achieve a healthy weight.

If you'd like more information, please contact Barb Barczak at the Trempealeau County Health Department at 715.538.2311, ext. 231 or Benusa at 715.538.4361, ext. 1037.

Zumba begins Jan. 9, 11 in Whitehall and Ettrick; Minutes in Motion launches in April

At the start of 2012, Tri-County Memorial’s Smartest Loser 3X program launches what can be an effort to be more active all the way to summer, said Pat Deninger, Public Relations and Marketing Director.

Zumba begins in January in Whitehall and Ettrick to get local dancers and exercisers in motion. Zumba describes itself as a fun, easy to follow, Latin-inspired dance fitness program for all ages and abilities.

Certified instructor Carla Doelle will lead the classes:

• Whitehall - Mondays and Thursdays, 4:45 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 36158 Abrams St.
• Ettrick - Wednesdays, 5:45 p.m. at the Community Center, 15570 School St.

Cost is $5 per class, but participants who purchase the $20, five-class punch card get their fifth class free. The punch card can be used at either class location.

For more information, please call Tri-County Memorial Rehabilitation Services at 715.538.1713.

To keep up the activity as Smartest Loser 3X winds down, Deninger said, the Gundersen Lutheran Health System’s Minutes in Motion program starts up.

That program in April and May emphasizes activity and concludes in spring with a local participant celebration at Tri-County Memorial, Deninger said.

Gundersen Lutheran currently is finishing plans for the 2012 Minutes in Motion program, he said. More information will be shared in February.

The blood drive is held in conjunction with BloodCenter of Wisconsin, which provides Tri-County Memorial and Gundersen Lutheran its entire blood supply, according to Pat Deninger, Tri-County Memorial public relations and marketing director.

Community members who wish to donate should contact blood-drive coordinator Janet Waldera at 715.538.4361, ext. 2045.

The seminar is designed for area coaches and school officials; parents of children participating in athletics; and those who work with people at risk of concussion or other brain injuries.

Gundersen Lutheran certified athletic trainers Sheldon Wagner and Dennis Greer will lead the presentation, along with Gundersen Lutheran Sports Medicine physician Scott Escher.

The presentation will focus on the risks, symptoms and treatment for brain injuries. They’ll explain why concussions and other brain injuries have been more in the news for the past few years, and what experts are doing to minimize the occurrence.

A question-and-answer session will follow. Food and beverages will be served.

Dodge Street Grill is located at 18475 Dodge St., one block east of the main thoroughfare through downtown Whitehall.

Pat Deninger, Tri-County Memorial Public Relations and Marketing Director, said the evening public presentation is part of a day of concussion education in Whitehall.

Deninger said the Sports Medicine team will train Tri-County Memorial Emergency Department staff – including physicians, physician assistants, nurses and EMTs – on athletic-equipment removal. Later in the day they will led a more in-depth discussion with the medical staff from Tri-County Memorial and the Gundersen Lutheran Blair, Independence and Whitehall clinics.

For more information about the concussion seminar, please contact Deninger at 715.538.4361, ext. 1010 or e-mail.

That is:

• Physicians from small towns eager to return to those small towns.
• Physicians who practice medicine with all the knowledge gained from years of school and training, instead of racing to a sub-specialty.
• And, physicians who look forward to taking care of the same group of people for many years.

Kitowski embodies that ideal combination of rooted, knowledgeable and dedicated. This month he joins a Tri-County Memorial team of new and experienced nurses and technicians all ready to re-launch the general-surgery program.

Kitowski’s arrival means Trempealeau County residents now have the choice of a broad range of general surgeries in Whitehall.

Most will be outpatient procedures, so going home and recovering is quicker, according to Lana Pientok, Patient Care Services executive director. Returning for follow-up care also will be done locally.

If the surgery requires a hospital stay, Tri-County Memorial’s smaller size and staff attention can be more comfortable, Pientok said. At the same time, no compromises are made locally because Tri-County Memorial and Gundersen Lutheran share electronic medical records, laboratory, pharmacy and radiology services.

Tri-County Memorial’s surgical suite also is getting an extensive update, she said, with extensive new laparoscopic, anesthesia and other patient-care equipment and technology that brings the surgical area up to par with the hospital’s other improvements of the past several years.

Interest from a young age

Kitowski is the son of Black River Falls family medicine physician Dr. Jerome Kitowski. The father didn’t push the son into medicine, Nick Kitowski said, and  he didn’t have to.

“He wanted it to be my own decision. He was very supportive,” Kitowski said, noting that the support included giving him the opportunity to observe various procedures. “It definitely made me interested.”

As Kitowski attended medical school, he found that his training strengthened, rather than diminished, his desire to practice in smaller communities.

“I always knew I wanted to be in a small community. I really wasn’t interested in sub-specializing. I didn’t want to lose the breadth of knowledge that I’ve gained.

“I want to be a well-rounded, knowledgeable surgeon. I want to be able to take care of multiple problems with patients, and be able to take care of them through the years, and not just see them once for that single, sub-specialty problem,” he said.

Kitowski can do an extensive array of surgical procedures, including colonoscopies, endoscopies and numerous laparoscopic procedures. He operates on thyroid nodules and masses. He can repair hernias. Kitowski does hysterectomies. He will work with outreach oncology providers on breast diseases and breast cancer, as well as skin lesions and soft-tissue masses.

People rarely look forward to surgery but when surgery is necessary, Kitowski said, having it done locally by a qualified, experienced team that also has that extra measure of local empathy is best.

“As a doctor, I give recommendations and alternatives. I help my patients make informed decisions. If they choose to go ahead with an operation, then it’s my and the surgical team’s duty to give the best care possible.”

Coordinated care

Pientok said the Tri-County Memorial team includes new registered nurse anesthetists and surgical technicians who bring valuable additional skills and experience to Whitehall. Veteran Tri-County Memorial nurses are receiving training in care both during and after surgery. Patient-care teams also are being organized to keep nurses close by the patients throughout their surgical visits.

“It’s important to have the same nurse all day,” Pientok said. “When they arrive, and if they’re a little nervous, that nurse can help them relax and prepare. They can answer patient questions. If the patient is younger or older or has special needs, that nurse is aware of that. The goal is for the nurse to make a connection that will last all day and beyond,” he said.

That approach makes the nursing care in line with Kitowski’s philosophy of a long-term view of treating patients.

“I’m really confident the general-surgery program will be a success here,” he said. “We plan to build rapport with our patients and referring physicians. We want to meet people in the community and explain to them and to patients what we can provide for them. We believe the practice will grow as word spreads and as more people receive our care.”

Pat Deninger, Tri-County Memorial Public Relations and Marketing Director, said a Taste of Autumn will be a beer- and wine-tasting event for all adults ages 21 and over.

Cost is $20 per person. No pre-registration is required to sample beer, wine and snacks.

“We are pleased to welcome Family Farms Market of Eleva, Wis., and Elmaro Vineyard of Trempealeau, Wis., as our experts and hosts,” Deninger said.

Representatives from the market and vineyard will be on hand to showcase local and Wisconsin wines and Midwest microbrews. All will be available for purchase.

Barbershop quartet Upstream will perform from 5-5:30 p.m.

Participants will have the chance to win special door prizes and gift certificates throughout the afternoon. They also can purchase $5 raffle tickets for a chance to win a $600 Wisconsin Badgers football weekend package in Madison, Wis., Deninger said.

The package includes:

indoor game seating at a November home game;

hot-tub suite hotel accommodations at Madison’s Sleep Inn & Suites;

a Wisconsin Badgers fleece blanket, cups and more.

Event experts

Family Farms Market is a wholesale distribution company that serves grocery stories, meat markets, butcher shops and catering companies across the Midwest. Its Eleva corporate headquarters features a unique retail outlet featuring a gourmet food market; wine store; restaurant; banquet facilities; and art market.

Elmaro Vineyard is located on the sand prairies of southern Trempealeau County near the Trempealeau National Wildlife refuge and Perrot State Park. The vineyard, which began growing its first vines in 2006, grows its own variety of grapes and produces a number of award-winning red and white wines include its Elmaro Rosa and West Prairie White; a chambourcin; a vidal blanc; and more.

Foundation: Community healthcare leadership

The Tri-County Memorial Foundation was established several years ago, Deninger said, and has funded numerous local scholarships for graduating seniors and community members planning to study and pursue healthcare careers.

The Foundation also has funded community education efforts, including an upcoming presentation in October at Whitehall and Independence High Schools.

At Tri-County Memorial, the Foundation has funded exercise and other patient-care equipment for several departments and areas. It also has pledged money to enhance Tri-County Memorial’s exterior as it develops long-term architectural plans for the facility.

For more information about A Taste of Autumn, please contact Pat Deninger at 715.538.4361, ext. 1010 or e-mail jpdening@gundluth.org.

"Our goal is to have an easy to use, information-rich website that meets the needs of everyone who visits," said Pat Deninger, Public Relations and Marketing director. "We also are a growing rural healthcare organization, so we've designed it to grow with us."

The revamped website includes a Healthy Communities blog on the home page. This page will include quick, topical healthcare information about trends, activities, nutrition and more.

Tri-County Memorial's healthcare providers, including nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, therapists and others will contribute regularly to the blog.

The website will be the clearinghouse for employment opportunities and resources, Deninger said. "Our Human Resources department is designing an online resource center where information is readily available."

The new website permits Tri-County to include audio and video clips of our healthcare providers sharing healthcare information, which will be part of the growth in the coming weeks and months, Deninger said.

Like earlier versions, Tri-County Memorial's website will continue to provide information about Tri-County Memorial's various services and healthcare providers. It also will provide links to community information and the Gundersen Lutheran Health System.

Tri-County Memorial is a partner hospital and nursing home in the health system, which is based in La Crosse, Wis.

For more information, please e-mail or call Deninger at 715.538.4361, ext. 1010.