March 22

Today we begin our meeting with no one to lead us in the first verse of America, and a very subtle clang of the meeting bell. Our student guests were Zack Marsh from Gering High and Anna Wiebe from Scottsbluff High. They both got a chuckle as they continued the friendly rivalry as to which school had the superior scholars.  Our Program today was our own club member John Mentgen, CEO of Regional West Medical Center (RWMC). Mr. Mentgen was new to the organization nineteen months ago and has seen growth in his time here. RWMC is the largest employer in the area and is facing some challenges as the healthcare industry is changing. The goals for the organization are Quality, efficiency and growth. Patient safety and satisfaction are the buzz words at the facility.  The vision is to become the referred center in Western Region, which includes parts of Wyoming and Colorado. RWMC realizes that they do not have the resources to provide all the critical care in the area and wants to work for and with the other hospitals to meet patient needs. Mr. Mentgen concluded by asking the club for a request; if you think of things that RWMC does not do but should, please let him know.