(This is a correction to our earlier post which stated the woman was arrested. The report clarifies she was Cited and issued a summons. KJAN News apologizes for the confusion)…..A traffic stop at around 12:05-a.m, Thursday, resulted in a woman being cited and issued a summons with regard to a traffic stop and related drug offenses. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says 32-year old Meagan Marie Travis, of Council Bluffs, was cited for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (A marijuana grinder, digital scale and pipe filters).  The woman was cited after being pulled over by a Pott. County Deputy in the area of Antique City Drive, for a registration violation. A small amount of marijuana in a pink container along with drug paraphernalia was found in the vehicle.

And a Nebraska man was arrested at around 8-p.m., Wednesday, for OWI/1st offense, after he was located in the 23,000 block of Idlewood Road in Pott. County, following a citizens report of a possibly intoxicated driver whose pickup was “all over the road,” and had nearly entered a ditch numerous times. 58-year old Jeff A. Kangas, of Omaha, was interviewed by a Deputy and taken into custody.

Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS) report Brett Altman, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Business Administration, and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), will begin as the new Chief Executive Officer of Cass County Health System on Tuesday, January 3^rd. A public reception to welcome Mr Altman will be held on Thursday, January 5^th from 10 am to noon in the CCHS atrium, including a visit from the  Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors from 10 – 10:30 am.

Ned Brown, Chairman of the CCMH Board of Trustees, says “Mr. Altman has the vision, leadership skills and industry expertise to continue to move our organization forward. We are excited to have him on board.”

Brett Altman

Altman has served as President and CEO at Skiff Medical Center in Newton, for the past 2 ½ years.  He began his career at Skiff as the Director of Physical Therapy in 1994. Over the past 22 years he has moved up through the organization, serving as Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Interim CEO, Clinical Operations Officer and Chief Operating Officer before becoming CEO in 2014.

In a Press Release, Altman said “I’ve loved my career at Skiff, but this opportunity was too good to pass up. Cass County has a fantastic health system that is vital to the community. My family and I are very excited about becoming part of the Cass County community.”

Altman also noted the strength of the CCHS staff, saying  “I was tremendously impressed with everyone I met, and I can’t wait to get started. I am honored to have the opportunity to help lead CCHS into the future, and I look forward to working together with a very engaged team.”

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports a Shelby County woman was arrested Tuesday. Deputies arrested 26-year old Kaleigh Marie Turner, of Harlan, on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Turner was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released upon sentencing.

State officials are now overseeing the operation of a northwest Iowa nursing home and it will be shut down by February 1st. The Abbey in Le Mars has operated for 45 years, but federal officials will not longer make Medicare and Medicaid payments to the nursing home because of a “history of serious quality issues.” Dawn Fisk of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals says records indicate “The Abbey” has been on a federal watch list for some time.

“The Abbey has been a ‘special focus facility’ since August of 2014 and typically the process for a ‘special focus facility’ is over the course of two years as having been identified in that program, the facility will be able to improve the quality of care and be able to graduate from that program,” Fisk says. Fisk says The Abbey, however, failed to make the necessary improvements during that probationary period.

“They’ve had a history of substandard care that’s been identified over the course of those two years,” Fisk says. The nursing home has 52 beds, but currently has only 23 residents. Fisk says staff in two state agencies as well as the private insurance companies that now manage Iowa’s Medicaid program are working to find new homes for them.

“The Department of Inspections and Appeals will continue to have a presence in the facility until all residents have been moved to other suitable residential settings,” Fisk says. “After February 1st or after the facility actually closes — after all residents have been moved, we won’t have an on-site presence anymore.” Staff from the state’s long-term care ombudsman will meet with patients and their families next week at The Abbey to answer questions.

Fisk says it’s been seven years since government officials have ordered that an Iowa nursing home be closed. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website, The Abbey rated “much below average” on health inspections and had been fined at least 10 times for substandard care.

(Radio Iowa)