Eddie Spees

I was born and raised north of Birmingham.  I still live on the Spees Family Century Farm.  I graduated from Birmingham High School.

I was employed for 30 years with the USDA, working with the local FSA office in Keosauqua.

I am on the Birmingham Development Board, Birmingham Homecoming committee, member of Birmingham Lions and I work as an insurance adjuster. 

My wife, Dee and I have four children and five grandchildren. 

I believe Van Buren County Hospital and Clinics is a great asset to our county.  The hospital has a very good reputation with an excellent staff who work hard to keep us up on new technology and good care. 

I am proud and honored to have been chosen to serve as a board member.

Nancy Nelson

Thanks for stopping by Van Buren County Hospital’s web page.  I’m glad you are here.

Hi – I’m Nancy Nelson, one of the Board of Trustees for the hospital, elected to the Board in 2005.

I reside south of Bonaparte, married to Ken and have four children, Nathan, Carissa, Jarric, and Kyler, who keep me quite busy with sports and school activities (I wouldn’t have it any other way).  In my spare time, of which I have very little, I enjoy quilting, being in the yard and time spent with my family.

I have been employed by Pilot Grove Savings Bank in Pilot Grove for 10 plus years as the administrative assistant.  The board and my job have helped meld the duties of both to a better understanding of what is needed and required to make both successful, each in their own way.

The administration, doctors, and staff of the hospital are top notch and are to be commended for the work they do to assist in making your visit to the hospital or any of our clinics pleasant, quick and the best care in the area.  We may not have a stop light in the county, but we have the best hospital in the Tri-state.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by our web page, and I hope we can take care of your medical needs in the future, if they should arise.  Please feel free to let us know if there is anything we can do to make your visit to the hospital or clinic easier.

George Manning, Secretary

I was born and raised in Van Buren County and have lived here most of my life. I left after high school to attend college and to try my hand at living out of state, eventually returning and graduating from Iowa Wesleyan in Mt. Pleasant. I returned to Van Buren County in 1975 and in late 1979 began working at Farmers State Bank in Keosauqua, now known as Community First Bank.

I joined the Van Buren County Hospital & Clinics board of trustees in November 2007, and am also currently a member of several other area boards including Indian Hills Community College, Van Buren Foundation and Van Buren Telephone Company.

My wife Kathy, and I have three daughters. Maggie, her husband Josh, and their son Will live in Keosauqua; Katie and her husband Richard also live in Keosauqua; and Beth lives in Denver, CO. I enjoy reading, golfing and spending time with my grandson.

What I like most about having Van Buren County Hospital and Clinics in our community is that you know the people that are providing you with your care. I grew up with many of those on the current medical staff and know that I can put my trust in them, both from a board member perspective and if I or my family should need medical attention.

Lloyd Foster, Vice-Chairperson

I was born and raised in Wisconsin.  One of twelve children in a his, hers, and theirs family.  I graduated from high school in Wisconsin Rapids and from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point.  I served in the U.S. Navy on a nuclear powered submarine and taught at the Navy’s nuclear power training unit in Idaho.

In 1984, I took a job as a computer software engineer at Rockwell-Collins.  I moved to Van Buren County in 1992 and started farming full-time in 1997.  My wife of 24 years and I live on our farm located south-east of Cantril where we raise cattle.

My guiding principle as a member of the Board of Trustees is to help provide the best medical care that the residents of the county can afford.

Jeanne Erickson

I was born in Jefferson County – simply because there was no hospital here at that time – and raised in Van Buren County.  I attended Iowa State, married, graduated from Drake University, followed by my husband’s engineering career, and landed back in Keosauqua after 16 years.  I worked three interesting jobs during that time – the Des Moines Register and Tribune, Northwestern Bell and my favorite – working for a group of actuaries in the Math Department at Equitable of Iowa.  Immediately after returning to Keosauqua, I became active in the Hospital Auxiliary and through the years my belief in the hospital and the care of their patients continued to grow.  Actually, I grew up knowing this as both my parents and grandparents were strong supporters – first of building a hospital in Keosauqua and then of the additions through the years.

It was an honor to be asked to run and to now serve on the Board.  What we have to offer our residents in a county this size is truly amazing and we are definitely a leader among small hospitals in Iowa.  I am so proud of our administration, our providers, our employees and of our citizens for their support.

My husband and I are now retired after 30 years in the seed corn, seed beans, and small seeds business.  I enjoy doing many things such as reading, gardening, cooking, counted cross stitch and I do enjoy my volunteer work in the community, especially giving what I can to VBCH.

Dave Sherod, Treasurer

I grew up in Van Buren County, attended rural grade school and graduated from Van Buren High School.  I received Bachelor of Science, Masters, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Iowa in bio-chemistry.  In 1971, I joined the faculty of the University of Georgia, Department of Biochemistry.  In 1977, I returned to the family farm in Van Buren County which I have farmed since that time. 

I am married to Serena and have three sons, Alec, Ben, and Spencer and two step-children Greyson and Abilene.  I enjoy hunting, fishing, golf and farming. 

I have been a member of the Van Buren County Hospital Board of Trustees since 1982.

Mike Thomas, Chairperson

I have been a Van Buren County Hospital board member for the last 19 years and have 5 years remaining on this term.  I am married to Cindy Thomas and have three daughters Makayla, 18; Stefanie, 15; and Leona, 11.  My wife is an LPN and my daughter, Makayla, is currently attending college to become a paramedic/RN.  I work at Harmony Community School District as a custodian.  I am currently the Fire Chief for the Farmington department, certified at the Fire Fighter two level and EMT-B level.

As a hospital board member, I have worked hard to bring the best possible health care to Van Buren County and to those people outside our county who use our hospital.  We have made many changes to our hospital in terms of personnel, current medical equipment, and building improvement.  We also strive to keep our health care cost low, all the better to serve the public.

Van Buren County Hospital has a long tradition of offering personalized care with exceptional technology and a highly-trained staff. Our affiliation with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics brings an additional level of expertise to the care you receive.

I know you will experience, first-hand, our caring staff who share a passion for excellence, our outstanding physicians, and our proven quality care. I am grateful that you have chosen our team to care for you. We look forward to exceeding your expectations!

Lisa Schnedler

Administrator

Lisa Schnedler is the chief executive officer and administrator of Van Buren County Hosptial and Medical Clinics. She has served in this role for 20 years and is responsible for the overall operations of the hospital and the six rural health clinics.

Lisa received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Missouri - Columbia and her Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota.

Before coming to Van Buren County Hospital, she worked for Jewish and Barnes Hospitals in St. Lousi, Missouri.

Lisa is married to Rev. Harold Schnedler: they have three children.

"We have the greatest staff and offer the highest quality care; it is why I have served on this team for 20 years."

Doug DeHart, Assistant Administrator

 Maureen Sedlacek, Director of Nursing

Maureen Sedlacek joined the VBCH team in September of 2003 as Director of Nursing. Maureen was born and raised in Van Buren County. She received her B.S. in Nursing from Northeast Missouri State University in 1977 and received her M.S. in Community Health Administration and Wellness Promotion in 2002.

Maureen lives with her husband Mark, the golf course manager at the Riverview Country Club, in rural Keosauqua. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren. Maureen enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, walking, biking, reading and cooking.

Her philosophy for the nursing department is that even though it is a stressful job as there are serious events happening everyday, and staff work hard to meet the needs of our patients, we strive to make Van Buren County Hospital a fun place to work; a place where staff feel encouraged and supported as vital team members.

 Kara McEntee, Chief Financial Officer

Kara McEntee joined Van Buren County Hospital in December 2005 as the accountant and in April 2007 was promoted to Chief Financial Officer.

Kara graduated from Van Buren Community High School and went on to receive her BBA in Finance from the University of Iowa. After graduation Kara worked in Chicago for several years before returning to Van Buren County.

Kara has attended the Medicare Boot Camp, HFMA training in Healthcare Financial Management and has extensive training in Excel and Access.

Kara loves spending time with her family, husband Chris and their two boys, Lukas and Aidan. She also enjoys reading and shopping.

 Gary Debner, Director of Physical Therapy

Gary and his wife JD live on an acreage 3 miles north of Keosauqua. They have two grown children. Their son, Brad is married to Shantell and they have a 3 year old son, Joseph. Brad manages The Village Super Center and Shantell teaches in the Van Buren school system. Their daughter Trina, lives in Columbia, South Carolina, and works as an OB nurse.

Gary grew up in Greene, Ia. He attended Buena Vista College where he met JD and graduated with his Bachelor's of Science degree. He attended the Mayo Clinic School of Physical Therapy in Rochester, Minn.

Gary has been practicing physical therapy at Van Buren County Hospital since 1997. He has been the past president of the Iowa Physical Therapy Association and has received the Olive Farr award, which is the highest award given by the Iowa Physical Therapy Association.