To the child around the world In my travels, over the last 46 years, I have noticed in you the same beauty. You live in the moment with not many worries of the past or the future. You laugh and you cry without abandon to show your happiness and sorrow. You dream unabashedly without the worries of the past failures, the uncertainty of success or the judgment of those around you. You dream of ideas that others consider audacious! You are courageous to try something new without the fear of failure. You persistently think of how to solve problems in your … Read More
Cusco Is… Colorfully Incredible by Kate Ryczek
There are simply no words to describe the reality of the colorful world of emotion that the villages of Cusco, Peru provide. Every day and every patient has provided us with a new emotion ranging from sad, happy, angry, encouraged, frustrated, impressed, nervous, and the list goes on. The acuity of patients has ranged from minimal with simple symptoms to treat, all the way to serious conditions involving referrals to specialists. The patients have been nothing short of grateful and beyond loving for the services they have received. Today we provided care in Oropesa, the bread capital of Peru! This … Read More
From a Nurse’s Perspective
The first day of the medical campaign was in Chinchero, Peru. We rode for about one hour to the site, traveling up in elevation. The view from the bus window revealed steep hillsides and much construction. Women in hard hats and skirts worked alongside the men pushing wheelbarrows with red stones and soil. When we reached the town plaza we were ushered into a large room that was connected to the health department. There was a quick meeting and assembling of the workstations. When we arrived there were patients already waiting. Nurses were the third station, following registration and intake. … Read More
The Many Blessings of Cusco
We woke to a beautiful Sunday morning, setting the stage to write about the many blessings of Cusco we have all encountered in such a short time. Because there is so much to do, the team decided to break into two groups and experience two different types of Cusco culture. One team went to Rainbow Mountain to hike and explore the Andes Mountains and the other team decided to stay local and see what the wonderful city of Cusco had to offer. The adventurist team woke very early to arrive at their departure sight at 4:00 am! Unfortunately, they ended … Read More
1,120 Pounds
The KSB Mission Trip to Cusco, Peru has begun! Our CEO, David Schreiner said the most important thing is to make sure you bring back all nine members. Not only did all nine members of our team arrive but we arrived carrying 1,120 pounds of luggage. We had 22 large suitcases packed to capacity. Twenty one luggages had 50 lbs and one with 70 lbs. It was a Cusco miracle that we made it through four flights with all supplies in hand. However, the first Cusco miracle happened in Dixon, IL. The generous donations from our KSB family and … Read More
KSB Medical Mission Trip – Version 2.0
Look out Cusco, Peru. KSB is coming back! Friday, April 5 is the date that the KSB Medical Mission Trip – Version 2.0 launches from our hospital as nine team members heads to Cusco, Peru. Last year hundreds of you followed along as we recounted our trip. Look for daily updates beginning early next week. Our thoughts and prayers are with our team as they take off for this life-altering experience. Safe travels!
The Power of Positive Thinking
Good Morning Gorgeous. How’s that sound for the first thing you tell yourself in the morning? Dale Smith Thomas packed the place at KSB Hospital’s Women’s Wellness Event at The Historic Dixon Theatre. Her message of positive thinking struck a chord with the over 500 people in attendance. In addition to the public event, Dale shared her story over three 90-minute meetings with members of the KSB Family. I look forward to seeing the stickiness of her message in our hallways. Life can be tough. The choices we make determine our attitude. Choose to be positive and give yourself credit … Read More
Sign Up For The Employee Meetings!
It’s getting close to Employee Meeting Week here at KSB Hospital. The meetings are a chance for me to share with the KSB Family how our organization performed last year and to present an inside look at what is coming in the year ahead. We always try to have something special for our team. This year we asked our employees to submit videos of their children or grandchildren describing what their hero does at work. You don’t want to miss this! I asked you for your questions on topics you want to hear about, and you responded with ten ideas … Read More
Email Me Your Thoughts For The Employee Meeting- And Win Some KSB Swag!
The upcoming employee meetings on February 28 and March 1 are just that, your meetings. I want to know what interests you. Drop me a note either through email or through the comments section of this blog. Tell me how you want me to use the time to answer your questions regarding your organization. If I use your suggestion I will credit you during the presentation, unless you prefer your suggestion remain anonymous. If I use your question there will be some special KSB swag coming your way. I hope to hear from you! Dave
Words Of Gratitude From Dave
I learned some things last week. I learned what a polar vortex could do. I learned that “generational weather” is not a good thing. Moreover, I learned that the KSB Family cares deeply about our patients. I knew that last one. You reinforced my learning when the weather was horrible, and all of us wanted to stay inside. You cared for over 750 patients on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, when the wind chill was -50 and the experts were telling us to stay inside. The advice was solid. Our patients needed to be served. That’s conflict. Deciding to … Read More