Iowa Hospital Association recognizes Decorah native Keri Sersland as a

(Left to right): Dallas County Hospital CEO Matt Wille, Dallas County Hospital PT Assistant Keri Sersland and Iowa Hospital Association Board Chair Scott Curtis

The Iowa Hospital Association has presented its Hospital Hero Award to Decorah native Keri Sersland for saving the life of a Dallas County woman.

Sersland is a Physical Therapy Assistant at Dallas County Hospital, which serves Dallas, Green, Guthrie and Boone counties in central Iowa.

She was working at the hospital when one of her patients called to cancel her scheduled appointment.  Sersland could tell, however, that the patient was not doing well, so hospital staff members began calling family members of the patient to have them check on the woman.  But when none of the relatives could be contacted, Keri insisted on driving to the patient's home.

When the woman wouldn't unlock the door, Sersland contacted the apartment manager and persuaded him to open the door.  They found the woman inside and immediately called for an ambulance.

The patient eventually recovered, but she says she would not be alive today if it hadn't been for Sersland's actions.

There are more than 71,000 hospital employees in Iowa.  The Hospital Hero Award was given to just ten of them this year.