Awards
At Vernon Memorial, we believe “A Great Staff is Our Greatest Strength.” Listed below are awards and recognitions received by members of our staff and our organization. We are proud to receive recognition that reflects our dedication to safety, clinical excellence and quality patient care.
Rural Health Ambassador Award
The Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC) bestowed their 2011 Rural Health Ambassador Award to Bonnie Anderson, Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics and Rehab Manager at Vernon Memorial Healthcare.
The award recognizes health care employees at RWHC hospitals who have gone above the call of duty in promoting their respective organizations, while making significant contributions to rural health. Each recipient demonstrates a history of fostering positive communication and relations within the hospital's respective service area by: serving on community boards/service organizations; taking advantage of volunteer or public speaking opportunities; and supporting community health activities beyond the scope of the hospital.
Anderson has held roles at VMH including chair of the safety committee, member of the quality improvement committee and a cast member in "You Gotta Have Heart." She was instrumental in starting The VMH Organ Transplant Support Group.
Active in her church and Westby community, Anderson serves on the Westby Coon Prairie Lutheran Church Council. She is a youth chaperone for church mission trips, a confirmation mentor, member of the senior choir and a former Sunday school teacher.
Anderson has been extensively involved with the Wisconsin Society for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Health and Rehabilitation (WISCPHR) since 1989. She received the WISCPHR Award of Excellence in 2005.
Max Fox Preceptor Award
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and The Wisconsin Medical Alumni Association has awarded a Viroqua physician its prestigious Max Fox Preceptor Award. Hirsch Clinic-VMH pediatrician Dr. Jeffrey Menn received the award for his dedicated service as a medical student preceptor, helping fourth year medical students understand what practicing rural community medicine is like.
Menn has been a preceptor for 31 years, 
overseeing 68 medical students during their rural clinical experience in Viroqua. Menn is a 1974 UW-Madison Medical School graduate. He joined Hirsch Clinic in 1977.
In accepting the award, Menn said he has been blessed by a family and friends who assist him in helping take care of the community. Menn said, "I don't teach the students, patients do. It's the patients that give students the opportunity to be doctors."
Menn joins the late P.T. Bland, M.D. of Westby on the list of Max Fox Preceptorship award recipients.
Employee Pride Award
Carol Kraabel, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), says she meets many interesting people at VMH. Her job involves caring for patients who have received new hips or knees or assisting in the delivery rooms when a new baby is born. "I really enjoy seeing the good care that we provide our patients," she said. "I'm proud to say that I have a small part in that."
Kraabel is the recipient of the 2011 Employee Pride Award. An excerpt from an essay she wrote about her job states, "One woman that I cared 
for said, "I knew I could trust you since I witnessed the good care you provided my friends and family for so many years. A co-worker once told me, "You took such good care of me after I had my baby, it's because of you that I became a CNA and wanted to work here."
Kraabel has been a CNA for 30 years.
