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Cherry Village celebrates recent special observances
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Phyllis Brack, standing, shares her expertise during a painting class at Cherry Village. Residents who participated, from lower left to right, are: Eleanor Dailey, Rosemary Unruh, Geneva Schumacher, Helen Curran, Richard Degenhardt and Bonnie Arnold. - photo by COURTESY PHOTO
Updated: Jun 1, 2018, 7:18 PM
Published: Jun 1, 2018, 7:20 PM

                A painting class and Mother’s Day Tea were just two highlights of a three-prong celebration during May at Cherry Village Benevolence.

            The short- and long-term-care residence, 1401 Cherry Lane, recognized Older Americans Month, National Nurses Week and National Nursing Home Week with several special events.

            Phyllis Brack, representing Dilly & Doc, was a new addition to the regular line-up of events.

            “We really appreciate Phyllis for helping our residents with this special arts activity,” said Pam Lewis, Cherry Village administrator. “Her painting class was a great addition to the May celebrations; our residents really enjoyed it.

            “Residents also had fun during one of our most popular annual events – the Mother’s Day Tea,” Lewis added. “Several other favorites, such as banana splits and other treats, were offered several times during May.”

            Lewis noted that Activities Director Shelly Estes deserves credit for organizing not only these special events, but also the daily activities. “Shelly provides great opportunities every day. But she really steps it up for the many special occasions we celebrate throughout the year.”

            The three May national observances illustrate that older Americans depend on nurses, especially those who use their skills in a long-term-care setting, Lewis said.

“We are proud that our nurse-to-resident ratio exceeds state standards. We have nearly double the requirement,” Lewis said. “This allows closer relationships between nurses and residents, and more one-on-one care.”

            In addition to registered nurses, the Cherry Village staff includes licensed practical nurses, certified nurse’s aides and certified medication aides. Depending on the time of day, at least two and as many as five nurses are on duty.

            Katie Baker, one of the RNs, said she and her colleagues enjoy the rapport they have with Cherry Village residents.

            “This setting helps us build strong relationships with one another,” Baker said. “We get to know their personal likes and dislikes. When you are independent, you sometimes don’t think about the little things. We always think about the little things.”

            For example, she said, the staff knows who wants a cup of coffee first thing in the morning; who wants ice in their water; and who likes certain treats. In addition, if staff notices a resident is having trouble reaching clothing in a certain area of a closet, they move it to a more convenient location.

            “It’s those little things again,” Baker commented. “Our nurses always look for new ways to make life a little easier for residents. We also know when something isn’t quite right physically or emotionally. We take care of the whole person.”
Pawnee Valley Community Hospital now offers proven PAD treatment
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Sayra Santacruz, respiratory therapist, and Dusty Thacker, director of Cardiopulmonary Services at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, demonstrate supervised exercise therapy for patients with peripheral artery disease.
Published: Apr 3, 2025, 1:50 PM

Anyone who has a diagnosis of peripheral artery disease (PAD) now has access to a “proven, effective treatment” at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH), said Dusty Thacker, director of Cardiopulmonary Services.

The treatment is called supervised exercise therapy (SET) and is specifically tailored to PAD, a condition in which blood vessels to the legs and feet become narrowed or blocked. This is due to a build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries that limits blood flow.

“SET is a structured workout program designed to help people improve their physical health under the guidance of a trained professional,” Thacker said. “Sessions are tailored to the person’s needs and focus on improving strength, endurance and mobility.

“The treatment also helps improve circulation, which can reduce or eliminate pain while walking.”

Exercise sessions typically involve a combination of aerobics, strength training and stretching. This includes walking on a treadmill at a moderate pace, with an incline, until the patient begins to feel mild to moderate leg pain.

The patient then rests until the pain subsides before resuming the exercise during up to 36 sessions with a registered respiratory therapist.

“SET is a key treatment approach that focuses on improving blood flow, reducing leg pain and enhancing overall mobility,” Thacker summarized.

Smoking and diabetes are the strongest risk factors for PAD, Thacker noted. Other factors include being over 75; high blood pressure and/or cholesterol; not enough physical activity; stress; diets high in saturated fats; obesity; chronic kidney disease; and family history.

“A few classic symptoms of PAD are pain, burning or cramping in your legs and feet during an activity that improve with rest,” Thacker said.

Others are leg and foot pain at night or while lying down, as well as coldness or numbness in the legs or feet. Additional possibilities are leg weakness or heaviness, slow-healing sores on feet or legs, discolored skin and leg-hair loss.

The therapist offers education about smoking cessation, a heart-healthy diet, weight management, blood pressure control and increasing physical activity.

“We are pleased that we now offer this important exercise therapy,” Thacker commented. “Many of our patients have benefited from our Cardiac Rehab and Pulmonary Rehab services by gaining control of their symptoms, improving their quality of life and reducing the risk of future hospitalizations.

“SET is a similar service. Patients with PAD now have a treatment that can help them manage symptoms and improve overall vascular health.

“We are excited to expand our cardiopulmonary services and incredibly fortunate to partner with HaysMed and the DeBakey Heart Institute. This collaboration connects our Larned community with any necessary advanced services and direct access to cardiologists. It allows us to offer specialized care close to home, significantly enhancing the quality of care and positively impacting our patients’ health and well-being.”


Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, 923 Carroll in Larned, is a 25-bed facility, offering many services not typically available in a smaller facility. Included are 24/7 emergency care; acute, skilled and specialized nursing; surgery; high-tech imaging and laboratory tests; wound care; rehabilitation; and sleep and diagnostic center. PVCH Family Medicine provides the full range of family-medicine services; physician-assisted weight loss; and women’s health services. The hospital’s number is 620-285-3161; the clinic’s number is 620-804-6007.