Business Connections for Winter 2022

Telemedicine Rises to the Occasion 3 Spotlight on Amberwell Health 4 MakeThis a Healthier New Year 6 Returning to Your Roots 7 connections www.rainbowtel.net 800-892-0163 WINTER 2022 • VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 3 BUSINESS Connecting Communities to Local Healthcare

2 Winter 2022 Business Connections is a publication of Rainbow Communications, 608 Main St., Everest, KS 66424. Editorial and Circulation Contact: Kaycee Slough, 628 Oregon St., Hiawatha, KS 66434 800-892-0163 Extra issues are available to business customer employees on a limited basis while supplies last. Contact: Kaycee Slough, 628 Oregon St., Hiawatha, KS 66434 800-892-0163 All brand names and product names used in this publication are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright® 2022 by Rainbow Communications and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. Postmaster send changes to: Kaycee Slough Rainbow Communications 628 Oregon St. Hiawatha, KS 66434 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER “The first wealth is health.” RalphWaldo Emerson penned these words recognizing that good health is essential to happiness and prosperity. In this issue of Business Connections, we explore the topic of health, particularly as it relates to technology. On page 3, you’ll learn about early uses and current applications in Telemedicine Rises to the Occasion. Today’s healthcare community was able to expand telemedicine opportunities during the pandemic partly as a result of the groundwork laid by NASA in the late 1960s. There’s a Business Spotlight on Amberwell Health on pages 4 and 5. It’s grown to include two complete care locations, Amberwell Atchison and Amberwell Hiawatha, and five clinic locations in Atchison, Highland, Horton, Leavenworth, and Troy. Amberwell Health is committed to connecting Northeast Kansas communities to local healthcare, and Rainbow Fiber is vital to their efforts. All of us at Rainbow hope you Make This a Healthier New Year. To that end, check out the technology ideas shared on page 6 that can help you achieve better health. Then on page 7, meet Margo Chartier, Director of Rehab Services at Amberwell Atchison, in Returning to Your Roots. Fast and reliable broadband Internet is essential to healthcare and virtually every other type of organization. Let us know if you need an upgraded connection from Rainbow in 2022. Sincerely, Rainbow Business Solutions Department connections BUSINESS L to R: Deanna Lanter Business Solutions Representative Mike Regenstein Business Solutions Representative Suzanne Schuster Business Solutions Representative Jerad Enneking Business Solutions Manager Angie Kreider Director of Business Development WINTER 2022

BUSINESS connections Winter 2022 3 Telemedicine Rises to the Occasion From space missions to the pandemic, it delivers healthcare You may think of telemedicine as a relatively new practice, but the concept of home-based medical care was mentioned as early as 1879 in a medical journal article about using the telephone to reduce unnecessary office visits. In 1925, doctors were diagnosing patients via radio, and the first video communication for medical purposes was between patients and clinicians at the University of Nebraska in 1959. Telemedicine technology started to become more comprehensive in the late 1960s due to the needs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Before humans were even sent into space, NASA used medical systems to monitor the biometric data of space-exploring animals and send it back to Earth. Later, similar systems were used to monitor the condition of humans on space missions and provide diagnoses during medical emergencies. Physicians can now remotely treat astronauts. For example, one machine uses ultrasound technology to help stop internal bleeding. While telemedicine continued to evolve in recent decades, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated its widespread adoption due to the need for healthcare delivery despite social distancing. Telemedicine is a safe and flexible way to expand access to many services as well as reach traditionally underserved populations such as those in rural areas. Some of today’s most common applications of telemedicine include: • Remote follow-up visits following a hospitalization • Chronic disease management • Hyper-specialty care • Team-based medicine • Virtual second opinions • Mental health services • Support for weight loss and smoking cessation According to 2021 research by global management firm McKinsey & Company, telemedicine is utilized for 13% to 17% of U.S. patient visits across all specialties. Thanks to telemedicine’s convenience, patients don’t need to take as much time off from work, and they have fewer travel expenses to-and-from doctor visits. Telemedicine also benefits healthcare providers due to fewer missed appointments and cancellations, and better patient follow-through. An essential component of telemedicine is high-speed fiber broadband for hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers. This is because the technology relies on low-latency connectivity to work optimally. Information also needs to move quickly and securely from mobile devices to be stored as data in electronic health records. Complex images—such as X-rays and CT scans—must be transmitted, stored, and easily accessed to make diagnoses. Rainbow is dedicated to ensuring that healthcare providers—as well as our customers in other fields— have access to the Rainbow Fiber-Optic Network. Call 800-892-0163 to learn more. Source: www.singlecare.com/blog/news/telehealth-statistics

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 4 Winter 2022 It’s committed to connecting Northeast Kansas communities to local healthcare The history of Amberwell Health is one of impressive growth—in the number and size of its facilities, in its ability to serve rural communities in Northeast Kansas, and in the use of technology to enhance patient care. Quality from the Start Amberwell Health grew fromNortheast Kansas roots, when the Atchison Hospital rebranded in 2020. The single hospital has now grown into seven locations in six Kansas communities, with the majority of the expansion occurring even in the midst of a global pandemic. Amberwell is clearly committed to strengthening local healthcare for Northeast Kansas communities. Over the past two years, Amberwell opened a new clinic in Leavenworth, opened a fully remodeled clinic in Horton, and purchased and remodeled a primary care clinic in Atchison. In March 2021, Hiawatha Community Hospital affiliated with Amberwell Health. The affiliation of the two Critical Access Hospitals helps maximize each organization’s ability to invest in providing more care and services as well as invest in people, equipment, and facilities, through economies of scale and sharing of resources. Locations and Services to Meet Local Needs Amberwell Health now includes two complete care locations, Amberwell Atchison and Amberwell Hiawatha, and five clinic locations in Atchison, Highland, Horton, Leavenworth, and Troy. (See sidebar for details.) There are currently more than 600 healthcare employees with Amberwell Health. Amberwell Health

Winter 2022 5 BUSINESS connections Amberwell Health Locations Rural healthcare system, Amberwell Health, now provides patient care at seven locations in six communities in Northeast Kansas. The most recent addition took place in March 2021, when Hiawatha Community Hospital affiliated with Amberwell Health, rebranding the Hiawatha campus as Amberwell Hiawatha and the associated clinic in Highland as Amberwell Highland Clinic. Below is a list of all locations. Complete care locations: Amberwell Atchison 800 Raven Hill Drive, Atchison, KS Amberwell Hiawatha 300 Utah Street, Hiawatha, KS Clinic locations: Amberwell Eighth Street Clinic 801 Atchison Street, Atchison, KS Amberwell Horton Clinic 1903 Euclid Ave., Horton, KS Amberwell Troy Clinic 311 W. Locust Street, Troy, KS Amberwell Highland Clinic 415 West Main Street, Highland, KS Amberwell Leavenworth Clinic 380 Limit Street, Leavenworth, KS To learn more, visit amberwellhealth.org. Technology Drives Healthcare Amberwell Health is committed to providing quality, local access to healthcare for all the communities they serve and being able to connect their locations with excellent broadband Internet is vital to their efforts. Technology drives healthcare in today’s environment. Without reliable connectivity, many of Amberwell’s cutting-edge systems would not be useful. Rainbow Fiber services were activated to Amberwell Atchison in early 2021, and that location has since linked its network backbone connections via TLS (Transport Layer Security) to Horton, Troy, and other office locations in Atchison. The redundant fiber to Amberwell Atchison had been needed for some time, and the better connectivity to other Amberwell Health locations helps support its system for sharing patient electronic medical records, phone systems, and other applications. For Amberwell and most healthcare organizations, healthcare runs on quality technology. Without it, Amberwell Health could not provide the level of care they want for their communities. Technology partners like Rainbow ensure that Amberwell Health can continue to grow access to local healthcare in Northeast Kansas and surrounding areas. Amberwell IT staff members reported that Amberwell Atchison has experienced a significant performance boost by installing dedicated circuits between the hospital and clinics. They stated that Rainbow responds promptly to service requests, and its team has been very knowledgeable when helping the Amberwell IT team with any questions they have. Amberwell Health provides complete patient care, including: • Primary Care • Orthopedic Care • Surgical Care • Maternal Care (OB) • Inpatient Care • Home Health Services • Hospice Services • Cardiology Services • Cardiopulmonary Services • Emergency Services • Infusion Services • Radiology Services • Laboratory Services • Occupational Health Services • Rehabilitation Services

6 Winter 2022 Make This a Healthier NewYear Technology can help you keep your resolutions Here are some ideas to consider: Food and Nutrition Resources Eating right can be hard when you’re busy, and even harder if health issues require you or family members to stick to a restricted diet. But there are new apps and gadgets that allow you to get nutritional and calorie information on food, no matter where you are, based on a snapped photo or a touch sensor. You can also get apps that plan your meals for you based on preferences you provide. Social Media Support Whether you’re dealing with a recent diagnosis or you’re trying to better manage a chronic health condition, you don’t have to go it alone. There are ways to get health support through social media sites. For example, you can follow the social media pages of reputable health care organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Mayo Clinic, or organizations related to your specific health concerns. This will keep you updated on the latest health news. There are also groups on Facebook which function as support groups for people with certain health issues. They can be great for getting needed encouragement and sharing your own experiences. Apps for Exercise Try one or more of these apps to find an exercise regimen you love, then get started and keep moving. • Aaptiv Unlimited access to audio-based fitness classes led by professional trainers • 7 Minute Workout by Simple Design Instructions for a quick workout anywhere • Daily Burn Live daily workouts designed for fitness beginners • Daily Yoga Guided yoga videos for beginning to advanced practitioners • Couch to 5K Offers an effective program for helping new runners train for a race • Freeletics Bodyweight Instructions for 5- to 30-minute workouts based only on bodyweight (no equipment needed) Whatever your health goals are for 2022, take advantage of technology to help you work toward achieving them. Everyone wants to be healthy, but sometimes the actions required are easier said than done. Even simple things like eating well can be a chore without the right guidance and motivation. As it has in so many other areas of life, technology has evolved to produce tools to help us achieve better health.

BUSINESS connections Winter 2022 7 Returning toYour Roots In this magazine, we periodically highlight people in our community whose career path brought them back to their roots in Northeast Kansas. For this issue, we feature Margo Chartier, Director of Rehab Services at Amberwell Health. Margo Chartier grew up on the family farm outside of Willis, near Horton, Kansas. She said, “I think my favorite part of growing up where I did was that I got to be a member of many little towns. I had grandparents in Everest and Powhattan. I went to school in Horton and Everest. And Willis had the local elevator co-op.” Chartier left the area to continue her education. She went to Fort Hays State University for a bachelor’s degree in athletic training, then to the University of Kansas Medical Center to earn both a master’s degree and doctorate in physical therapy. “After I got married, my husband Steve and I settled in Leavenworth. He grew up in rural Atchison County, and it didn’t take long for us to realize that city life wasn’t for us. We were fortunate enough to return to Brown County and live near the farm where I was raised,” Chartier said. She continued, “I began working at Amberwell Health in 2003—Atchison Hospital at the time—as a part-time athletic trainer for local high school football and basketball games. I was able to do this job while I attended physical therapy school. After graduating with my physical therapy degree, I became a staff therapist for the hospital. I was promoted to Director of Rehab Services for Amberwell Health in 2019.” What is Chartier most proud of about her work? She replied, “As a physical therapist and an athletic trainer, I’m most proud of the accomplishments my patients and athletes achieve. I’m honored to work with them and encourage them to meet their goals. As the Director of Rehab Services, I’m also extremely proud of the accomplishments of my team. It’s exciting to watch them grow as healthcare professionals in many different fields, including cardiac rehab and occupational therapy as well as physical therapy, and see them build connections with their patients and help them make progress. It’s hugely fulfilling to provide a service to the community that reaches so many different types of patients.” This is what Chartier would tell a friend considering a move from a city to a small town to return to their roots: “To choose to come home is filled with many rewarding opportunities to be involved on many levels—through family, work, and community. For example, to be involved in the local schools is a huge blessing. You can feel like you’re making an impact every day.”

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