Nebraska’s Chief Medical Officer Visits Columbus Community Hospital

Mike Hansen, president and CEO of Columbus Community Hospital, Dr. Gary Anthone, Chief Medical Officer for Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services and Dorothy Bybee, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Columbus Community Hospital.

Dr. Gary Anthone, Chief Medical Officer for Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services, visited Columbus Community Hospital on Monday, March 14, to thank hospital staff members for their work through the coronavirus pandemic.

While he was at the facility, the hospital’s leadership team briefed Anthone on the hospital’s journey through the past two years.

“This is the fun part of my job,” said Anthone. “I enjoy meeting with the people who made things happen to get us through this pandemic.”

CCH entered into incident command on Feb. 28, 2020. Incident command is often used during emergency situations. It provides a chain of command within an organization. For CCH, that meant a set team of individuals was responsible for carrying out essential duties during the pandemic. That team met regularly and led the hospital through the ever-changing situation. 

“We were the second hospital that went into incident command,” said Mike Hansen, president and CEO of the hospital. “The level of planning, organizing and developing our strategies for the pandemic was probably head and shoulders above other facilities in terms of our preparedness.”

The hospital remained in incident command for a full year as it responded to the pandemic, adapting as new challenges arose. Key events during that time included community-wide screening and testing, creating negative pressure rooms for COVID-19 patients, administering vaccinations, informing and educating staff and community members about prevention, caring for the mental and physical health of medical professionals, and ensuring staff members were equipped with the tools they needed.

“One thing I found out this morning is how on top of the COVID pandemic this hospital was,” said Anthone. “Columbus Community Hospital always stepped it up and never said no. What a comforting feeling it is to know we have a place like this when we need it.”

Even today, the hospital remains vigilant in safely caring for all its patients by enforcing screening at its entrances and requiring staff and visitors to wear masks in patient care areas.

While on-site, Anthone visited the acute care unit, intensive care unit and emergency departments. He personally thanked physicians and staff members for their continued resiliency throughout the various surges in positive cases.

“Since this was his first time visiting the hospital, I think he was impressed with the leadership team, as well as the high-quality facilities and technology we have in a small rural town,” said Hansen.

As communities across the state continue to react to the pandemic, both Anthone and Hansen said they appreciate how far Nebraska hospitals have come since the start of the pandemic. They also both shared their comfort level with the current COVID-19 numbers in the state.

“I think we are in a good place now,” Hansen said. “With each surge, we learned a little more about what we needed to do and how we could do better. I think we are in a good position now.”

“The first thing I have noticed by visiting some of the hospitals throughout Nebraska, and the same thing I found out here, is what beautiful facilities we have in the state,” Anthone said. “I like to see that, and once I see it with my own eyes, I know we are in good hands. I know everything is going to be okay.”

For more information on Columbus Community Hospital and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit columbushosp.org.