NORTON, Kan. – Norton County Hospital’s mission is to meet the region’s evolving health care needs and provide an exceptional staff and patient experience to empower health and wellness at any stage of life. Norton County Hospital is pleased to announce it has contracted with Midwest Anesthesia Alliance to further this mission.
MAA has hired a new certified registered nurse anesthetist, who will live and work in Norton, as part of this contract. Jimmy Sauter, CRNA, and his family are making the move to Norton, and he plans to begin working at Norton County Hospital in early 2021.
Sauter is originally from Jackson, Michigan, but he has spent most of his life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received his education (Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Nurse Anesthesia) from La Roche University, a small university north of Pittsburgh. He trained in anesthesia at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Sauter and his wife, Carol, said they are excited to be moving to Norton with their three children: Leo, 5; Audrey, 3; and Jackson, 6 months. Sauter’s No. 1 hobby is spending time with his family.
“I believe a strong family unit is the most important part of our society,” he said. “Building and maintaining a strong marriage and raising competent, God-loving children is my priority.”
He also enjoys cooking and all things food related, building and fixing things, exercise and yoga, being outdoors, gardening, reading about historical events and figures, shooting guns (he said he has not done much hunting but wants to learn), playing drums, and most recently, playing the guitar.
Both Jimmy and Carol Sauter have interests in the health care field; Carol is an RN but has stayed home with their children since 2017. Sauter said moving to Norton and working at Norton County Hospital would allow him to know his patients as his fellow community members and have a more personal connection with them.
“For my patients to have the best surgical experience possible, knowing who is taking care of them is important,” Sauter said. “I want to be not only the person who gives anesthesia but be a part of the community. Patients will be treated like family because they are. My favorite quote has always been, ‘To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.’”
Norton County Hospital’s relationship with MAA began Nov. 1, 2020. It has expanded the availability of high-quality, safe and efficient anesthesia services at Norton County Hospital 24/7, 365 days a year. MAA has and will continue to provide temporary CRNA coverage until Sauter begins his employment.
Founded by Kansans in 2008, MAA is dedicated to providing high-quality clinical care to rural Kansans. MAA will work collaboratively with hospital administration, physicians, and medical staff to improve communication, optimize efficiency, and improve overall perioperative performance and patient throughput.
Norton County Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital and Level IV trauma center. Along with the Norton Medical Clinic, it provides medical services for residents in Norton County and surrounding northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska communities. The hospital has 130 dedicated and skilled employees to assist the medical providers in all levels of inpatient care, a full range of outpatient ancillary services and several visiting physician specialty clinics.