Against the odds of another winter storm, Haxtun Health carried on with their free to the community Annual Girls' Night Out Event on Saturday, Jan. 28. The evening, known for its lighthearted focus on women's health, dinner, chocolate and a little wine, was a success despite the weather conditions.  

Highlighting the evening was Haxtun Health's celebration of women's health by honoring the 2023 class of Wellness for Women award nominees: Megan Wolff, Dottie Oman and Stephanie Starkebaum. The wellness for women award honors individuals who have positively impacted the mental or physical health of other women in our community. Stephanie Starkebaum was announced as this year's award winner.

Starkebaum's nomination recognized her caring spirit for every person in Haxtun and the impact she has made on many people of all stages of life. This last year, Starkebaum designed and hosted an eight-week 5k training program in which some women went from rarely ever running to running multiple miles every week. She has hosted babysitting classes, stepped up with the pool committee to bring more resources to our community, hosted workshops for diabetics, aging individuals, caretakers and attended countless trainings to make herself better equipped to serve others. Starkebaum has also overcome numerous health issues of her own, but instead of allowing them to stop her, she has used her experiences to help others with their struggles. Her nomination recognized her as a bright light to all women in this community, youth and elderly alike.

Julia Biesemeier, the evening's emcee, introduced Rachael Fryrear, Haxtun Health's new Behavioral Health Counselor. 

Fryrear discussed using stress management solutions, including Acudetox, a non-verbal way to help manage stress. Fryrear is now seeing patients at all Haxtun Health locations for counseling. This new service line is part of Haxtun Health's strategy to break down barriers to behavioral healthcare.

"Haxtun Health and our community members are recipients of a grant that allows us to provide these services free of charge," said Julia Biesemeier, Chief Community Relations Officer at Haxtun Health. 

More information about the program can be found at HaxtunHealth.org.

Pain Management Solutions were the next topic of discussion at the event. Lauren Gerk, CRNA, providing pain management services at Haxtun Health, discussed how pain affects women and solutions on how to manage that pain. Chelsey Kruapie, Physical Therapist, then took the stage to provide practical information about pelvic floor health.

A women's health panel concluded the wellness portion of the evening with all speakers, along with Reba Bean, PA, at Haxtun Health.