BY ANDY TAYLOR
Montgomery County Chronicle

Changes in staff and policies have been undertaken at the Caney Nursing Center following a state survey that showed deficiences in various operations and resident care.

Becca Hess has been named corporate administrator consultant and will serve as the administrator at the present time. Hess told the Montgomery County Chronicle that among the changes that have been undertaken is the hiring of a new director of nursing, maintenance director, certified dietary manager, and an environmental services director, which includes housekeeping and laundry services. A new activities director has been promoted from within the existing staff.

Hess said she has been and will be interviewing more candidates for various positions at the nursing center.

Hess and the new directors have been revisiting admission policies and procedures so that a more selective admission process can be adopted.

Various other changes to policies as well as physical and system changes are being undertaken, Hess said. Staff members have also been educated on a myraid of details and functions — ranging from meal preparation to paperwork documentation to proper handling of sanitation and laundry.

The changes were prompted by a state survey on March 27 that found 43 health deficiencies at the center. To compare those numbers of local deficiencies with others found across the state and nation, the average number of health deficiencies in Kansas is 11 per survey. The average number of health deficiencies in the United States is nine per survey, according to the Kansas Department of Aging, which inspects and regulates nursing centers in Kansas.

A follow-up survey on July 27 found continued deficiencies, which thereby prompted a corrective action plan. State inspectors were at the center this week to evaluate the performance of the center’s staff in correcting and rectifying the violations found in the surveys.

“We are looking forward to this final revisit by state surveyors to clear all deficiencies,” said Hess. “Once the nursing home officially clears these deficiencies, we will be allowed to continue forward providing care for the residents.”

Hess said she planned to attend the Caney City Council meeting next Monday night at 7 p.m., Monday, Sept. 15 to update the council and local patrons about the corrective actions that have been taken at the nursing center.

The nursing center, which has 58 beds, is located at 615 S. High and is owned by James and Michelle Laidler of Pittsburg, Kan. The center is not affiliated in any way with the Guest Home Estates, which is an assisted living center located at 400 S. McGee.

Persons who wish to view the surveys from the Caney Nursing Center (or any other nursing facility in the United States) can do so by going to www.medicare.gov and click on the “Compare Nursing Homes in Your Area” link found at the bottom of the webpage.

CHERRYVALE — Area television buffs will be entertained on Saturday when two people connected with the “I Love Lucy” TV series of the 1950s come to Cherryvale to honor Vivian Vance, best known for her role as Ethel Mertz on that early-TV era sitcom.

Lou Ann Graham of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the youngest sister of Vance and will be making her pilgrimage to Vance’s birthplace along with Wanda Clark of Tulsa, Okla. Clark was the personal secretary to actress Lucille Ball prior to Ball’s death in 1989.

The two women will appear in a presentation sponsored by the Cherryvale Chamber of Commerce at 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 13, in the Cherryvale Middle-High School Commons Area. Admission is $2.00 for children (age 5-18) and $3.00 for adults (children under the age of 5 are free) and will include a chicken noodle dinner. The public is invited to attend.

Following the dinner and presentations by Graham and Clark, guests will view various episodes of the “I Love Lucy” series that featured Vance.

“It should be a great evening for people who enjoyed watching the Lucy shows on television or who have an interest in local history,” said Tina Cunningham, president of the Cherryvale Chamber of Commerce.

Vance, who died in 1979, was born in Cherryvale in 1909, the second child to Robert and Euphemia Mae (Ragan) Jones. The Jones family lived in various locations in Cherryvale while Robert owned and operated the Bob Jones Cafe located at 218 E. Fourth in downtown Cherryvale. The Joneses resided in various locations in Cherryvale until the family moved to Independence in 1915, where Vance attended school and cut her teeth into the acting profession as a student at Independence High School.

There were six children born to Robert and Euphemia Mae Jones, however Vivian was the only one of the six who was born in Cherryvale. An older sister, Venus, lived in Cherryvale during her youth years. Other siblings included Dorothy, or “Dot” as she is known in the family; Maxine, Robert Max Jones, Jr., and Lou Ann.

While they lived in Independence, Robert Jones and brother Ralph owned and operated the Jones Brothers Grocery located at 16th and Myrtle streets, two blocks west of Mercy Hospital. Vivian left home in 1927 to start her acting and entertainment career. The Jones family moved to New Mexico one year later so that Euphemia Mae Jones, who was diagnosed with an asthmatic condition, could live in a drier climate.

Lou Ann Graham was only an infant when the Jones family moved from Montgomery County to New Mexico. Except for a return trip to southeast Kansas to visit family when she was 3 years of age, Lou Ann has not been back to the Cherryvale-Independence area in almost 70 years, Cunningham said.

Memorabilia about the “I Love Lucy” television series will be on display at Saturday night’s dinner and presentation with most of the items coming from a private collection belonging to Cunningham, who is an avid collector of Lucy and Vance mementoes.

Prior to the Saturday evening dinner and presentation with Graham and Clark, Lou Ann Graham will visit privately with distant cousins who still live in the Cherryvale area. Among them are three people from Cherryvale, including Imogene Littell, Jack Ragan and Carilyn Clark. Another distant cousin is Marilyn Goodwin of Bartlesville, Okla. Those four area residents are second cousins to Lou Ann Graham.

The family-only event will be held at noon at the Big Hill Lodge.

BY ANDY TAYLOR

CANEY — Caney Valley High School junior Trevor Buster swallowed a strong dose of medicine during the summer — and he liked the results.

Buster was named to the National Youth Leadership Forum — a nationwide symposium for high school students who want to enter the fields of medicine, criminal science, or national security. Buster chose the area of medicine, and he spent nine days in Houston, Texas, with dozens of other peers who were taking a closer look at medicine as a career choice.

While in Houston, Buster visited the Texas Heart Institute where he viewed an open heart surgery from an observation booth, and he also witnessed a knee replacement surgery.

Buster also went to the Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, where professors and doctors told the students about the expectations of learning the medical practice.

“They cautioned us that it’s a long process — from undergraduate work, medical school, internships, and residency,” he said.

While Buster said it was exciting to view the surgical procedures from an observation area, he has his heart set on learning more about the area of stem cell research.

“The bio-medical field is really growing right now,” he said. “I think I would like to look into stem cell research and medicine as a career area.”

• “This Is My Montgomery County” is a new series of stories written by Montgomery County Chronicle editor Andy Taylor, a lifelong native of Montgomery County.  His journeys across Montgomery County will be featured on a regular basis in the Montgomery County Chronicle.