News

Box Butte General Hospital (BBGH) Board of Trustees met on Monday, January 26, 2026, in the Alliance Room. During the board meeting, leadership celebrated Clinical Nurse Manager, Brianna Sherlock as the hospital’s January Employee of the Month. They also welcomed new team members including Nursing Assistants, Nevaeh Trimble and Rhegan Fritzler. Kate Baillie was also reintroduced as a Nurse Practitioner who is providing services in the new Greater Nebraska Medical and Surgical Services Walk-In Clinic.

Quality and Safety Report

Quality Management Specialist Summer Gonzalez presented the results from the hospital’s first accreditation survey conducted by DNV, an independent healthcare accreditation organization. During the multi-day visit, surveyors completed evaluations across departments including clinical, general operations, and facility maintenance. “The survey process was highly collaborative and educational,” said Gonzalez, “it gave our teams valuable insight into best practices and highlighted opportunities for further improvements.” BBGH has already begun implementing improvement plans in response to the survey findings and will continue working with DNV through annual reviews designed to promote continuous quality improvement.

The quality and safety report also included data which showed progress in workplace safety initiatives, noting reduced lost-time injuries and improvements in areas such as slip prevention and exposure mitigation through training and equipment updates.

Executive Staff Updates

Chief of Staff Dr. Timothy Narjes reported to the Board that he continues to see increasing cases of Influenza A in the community.

Chief Nursing Officer Erica Lauder shared with the Board that Senior Leadership has begun working on strategic planning for the future, specifically on nursing and quality initiatives. She also informed the Board that the nursing department will attend the Hemingford Career Fair on February 26, 2026.

Chief Operations Officer Gabriel Behling updated the Board about ongoing facility improvements in patient care areas and support spaces. He also gave an update about plans for new technology enhancements to building systems and cybersecurity preparedness. Another major advancement was the move from Regional West Medical Center to Casper Medical Imaging for our diagnostic imaging department. This change will offer new services for patients and specialized training for staff. “We are excited for this change and the new opportunities this will bring to the community,” said Behling. He also reported that the Meditech optimization is 97% completed and is projected to be at 100% in March.

Chief Medical Officer and Interim Chief Executive Officer Dr. Brian Shelmadine informed the Board that Dr. Lonnie Loutzenhiser, a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, will begin seeing patients in GNMSS starting in March. Recruitment efforts are ongoing to strengthen staffing in nursing, lab, surgery, and primary care. Additional travel staff have been brought on to support expanding services and reinforce our current care teams.

10 Educational Scholarships for $2000 Approved

The Board approved 10 educational scholarships for $2000 each. These scholarships are offered to high school and college students who are interested in or currently enrolled in areas of clinical, business, and finance. The Box Butte Health Foundation Board also approved 5 educational scholarships for $2000 each. The scholarship application will open on February 1- March 15 and is available on the hospital’s website: www.bbgh.org. These educational scholarships are part of the hospital’s goal to help invest in the next generation of professionals.

The meeting moved into executive session at 1:00 PM. The next board meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 23, 2026, at noon in the Alliance Room. The public is welcome to attend. Box Butte General Hospital is an equal opportunity provider and employer.