Three running for Regional Health Services of Howard County Board of Trustees

CRESCO - The Board of Trustees for the Regional Services of Howard County Hospital will have an election this year, with candidates looking to fill two seats that expire in January 2025. Voting will take place on November 5, 2024. 

Candidates include Jan Carman, Darlene Vsetecka, and Bootie Kapler.

 

Jan Carman

Jan Carman has 42 years of work at the Cresco Medical Clinic under her belt, working with the coding and billing departments. Carman has interest in joining the Regional Health Services of Howard County Board of Trustees due to her extended time in the clinics and hospital environment. She looks to invest her time and focus on serving the community, which is demonstrated through her commitment to the Cresco City Council and the Howard-Winneshiek School Board. She believes her “experience and the knowledge would be beneficial” to the RHSHC Board of Trustees. Carman also  works as the “City Council liason for the Cresco Pubic Library and the Cresco Chamber of Commerce.” She helped establish the Cresco/Schley First Reponders Unit. 

During her employment at the Cresco Clinic, she gained years of training and experience, making her “knowledgeable of rules and regulations for both rural health clinics and critical access hospitals.” She was also able to work closely with a variety of staff and providers.

Carman explains how she has always enjoyed “being active in the community” and how she would like to help bring additional services to the hospital. 

“We are very lucky to have the quality providers, clinic, and hospital staff,” Carman said, “My years of experience working at the Cresco Medical Clinic along with my service on the Howard-Winneshiek School Board, and now City Council” will help provide additional “knowledge (on) budgets and audits” for the Board of Trustees.” 

Jan Carman is married to Roger Carman and they recently celebrated 43 years of marriage. They have two sons, two daughter-in-laws, and six grandchildren. Both sons and four of the grandchildren were born at RHSHC.

Carman looks forward to “continue making the facilities the best they can be for our patients, community, and staff,” and feels that she can provide a comfortable outlet for “staff of the clinics, hospital, and providers” to express “any ideas, suggestions, or concerns.” 

 

Darlene Vsetecka

Darlene Vsetecka has worked as a nurse for 45 years and served on the RHSHC Board of Trustees for the last two years. She explains her “very rich and diverse history in healthcare” with accomplishments like starting an infection control program for in-patients, and starting a home health program from the hospital. She was also involved in the “merging of the Howard County public health program and RHSHC’s home health care program.”  Awarded the Department of Nursing Individual Achievement Award (in recognition of significant professional contributions to the Department of Nursing), Vsetecka demonstrated commitment and hard work to care for her patients. She also worked with the “US Navy to develop a triage program to be used in a clinic setting, Web MD developing and creating content for their webbased product, and Mayo Clinic to develop and maintain a telephone triage program to be used by nurses answering questions via phone.”

After retiring in 2022, Vsetecka proceeded to look for more opportunities to be involved with the healthcare system. 

She originally moved to Cresco in 1979 after graduating from nursing school. She married Quentin Vsetecka and they have five children together, six grandchildren, and one on the way. 

She strongly believes that “our community needs excellent health care close to home” and to accomplish that goal, she hopes to inspire “strong leadership” and “continual growth of RHSHC and continuous improvements in the services” provided. With a Masters Degree in Management, she looks to bring her knowledge and life experiences to the RHSHC Board of Trustees to help support the community and all medical staff.

Darlene Vsetecka says “I believe I am an excellent candidate who is willing and able to make a difference in the future while serving on the Board of Trustees.”

 

Bootie Kapler

Bootie Kapler has spent the majority of her life in the Cresco area, leaving briefly to obtain her nursing degree in Rochester, Minnesota. She has worked in the medical field for many years, and is currently a member of the Regional Health Services of Howard County Board of Trustees. 

Kapler volunteers at the Chamber of Commerce in Cresco and at the County Store. Her goal is to “continue and serve many people” through her retirement and is running for re-election for the RHSHC Board of Trustees. She looks to be a “spokesperson for the people in the area” and to “continue the progress and improvements” the board has made so far.

She further explains that she “truly cares” and will “certainly make sure everything (she does) will help and benefit many people.” 

Kapler also expresses appreciation for the county hospital and local staff saying, “The RHSHC is such an important part of the community. If we have a strong medical facility, a good school systems of there are and means of employment we will continue to have a vibrant community. We should never stop caring.”