Small Street Journal: March 25, 2016

Gordy's Market announced the addition of Joel Jacobson as vice president of sales. Jacobson brings more than 23 years of experience working with Gordy’s Market, holding roles as frozen and dairy clerk, store supervisor, store manager, beverage category manager, Valley Spirit’s category manager, bread category manager and senior director of non-perishables.

Six area residents are being honored for their work on behalf of children at the 2016 Children’s Legacy Luncheon on Thursday, April 21, 2016. The Honorees are being recognized for making important and lasting contributions to the well-being of children in the Chippewa Valley through their work, volunteerism, and/or philanthropy. The Children’s Legacy Luncheon also increases awareness of issues important to the health and welfare of children in the Chippewa Valley and raises money for the Children’s Legacy Fund at the Eau Claire Community Foundation, which supports grants to organizations that benefit children.  Each Honoree is invited to select a local nonprofit organization to receive a $500 grant from the Children’s Legacy Fund. The 2016 Honorees are: Julie Betchkal, Carol Craig, Sally Ellison, Mike Laska, Pa Thao and Sue Tietz of McDonough Manufacturing.

Nurse practitioner Lindsey Wayne recently joined the Cardiology Department at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire. Wayne earned her master’s degree in nursing from Graceland University in Independence, Missouri. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from UW-Eau Claire. Previously, she served as a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in the Cardiovascular Surgery Intensive Care and Perianesthesia Care units. She began her nursing career in the Critical Care Unit and Medical/Surgical Department at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire.

SEEK Careers/Staffing, Inc., in a collaboration with Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), recently launched a new GED training benefit for its temporary employees and new applicants who do not currently have a high school diploma!  SEEK pays for classes, books and testing fees for qualified employees. The employees have the option of attending one of the MATC campuses or getting their GED online.

The Local Lounge has hired Joey Meicher as its executive chef. Meicher comes with a wide variety of experience both locally and internationally and will develop a menu that is a refined and modern twist on the classic Wisconsin Supper Club.

HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital has earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory care services available in hospitals. Approximately 15 percent of hospitals in the United States receive this award. This year marks the 14th consecutive year the hospital has earned this national recognition. The QRCR program was started by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) in 2003 to help consumers identify those facilities using qualified respiratory therapists to provide respiratory care. Hospitals earning the QRCR designation ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services.
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HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine recently received the ‘2015 Midwest Center of the Year’ award from Healogics, Inc. The hospital was one of only seven wound care centers in the U.S. to receive the 2015 award. To qualify for the award, healing rates of at least 91 percent in less than 30 median days must be met, among other quality standards. In addition, patient satisfaction rates must be higher than 92 percent and outstanding teamwork must be displayed. The center with the highest of these benchmarks is chosen for this recognition. Healogics is a national provider of advanced wound care services. St. Joseph’s wound care center is a member of the Healogics network of more than 800 centers, with access to bench-marking data and experience of treating more than two million chronic wounds.