Reach For Good Health!

Transcription

1 Reach For Good Health! - Summer Caring for the Community! In This Issue Better Breathers 2 Summer Nutrition Programs 3 MMK Summer Bus Schedule 4 Quality Improvement 5 Relay for Life 6 Trek Across Maine 6 MMK Day 7 Somerset Sports & Fitness 7 Rehab Pool 7 Support Groups 7 A newsletter from Redington-Fairview General Hospital Know Ticks; No Lyme* Summertime is here and the outdoors is waiting to be explored. Don t let a fear of ticks and Lyme disease keep you from enjoying nature. By taking a few precautions, you and your family can experience Maine s summer to the fullest. According to RFGH Medical Director and family physician, Michael Lambke, MD, when it comes to protecting your family from ticks (and exposure to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases), prevention is everything. It s important to know where ticks are, to take the precautions necessary to reduce exposure to ticks, and to remove ticks promptly and properly when they do attach to the body, said Dr. Lambke. Ticks tend to be more numerous in wooded areas and in tall grass. When exploring the woods, make sure to cover up with long sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks to avoid picking up ticks. Make sure your yard and other play areas are mowed regularly to keep ticks from congregating in the tall grass. Keep infants protected with clothing and bug nets that can fit over a stroller or playpen. Use a bug repellent that is effective against ticks. Make sure to read the instructions on the package to find out how long a particular bug repellent is effective; then re-apply as needed. Make sure to treat household pets with a veterinarian-approved tick and flea repellant product. Do not use sprays intended for humans. Pets coming into the house from the outdoors may bring ticks along with them. All Bug Sprays Are Not Created Equally While all sprays will repel mosquitoes, not all are effective in protection from ticks. Use an EPA-registered repellent with an active ingredient proven to repel ticks. These include: DEET Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus Picaridin Citronella IR3535 p-menthane-3,8-diol 2-undecanone Catnip Oil * Know Ticks; No Lyme is a public health campaign sponsored by the Maine CDC. -continued on Page 2.

2 Know Ticks; No Lyme (continued from Page 1.) Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, do a daily Tick Check. Checking yourself and your children s bodies for ticks should be a part of every person s daily routine, recommends Dr. Lambke. Just like showering and brushing your teeth, make it a daily habit to examine yourself, family members, and pets for ticks. Don t panic if you do find a tick. Ticks must be attached for at least 24-hours for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease to be transmitted, said Dr. Lambke, So as long as you are scanning your body daily and removing the tick appropriately, there is no need to be overly concerned. Use a tweezer to remove ticks by grasping the tick as closely to your skin as possible and gently pull the tick out. Make sure you get all of the tick and don t squeeze the tick s body, which could force the blood inside the tick to re-enter your body. For more information, visit the following websites: EPA-registered repellants: Maine CDC: Better Breathers Support Group COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a serious disease which is most generally caused by cigarette smoking. It is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Over time COPD can cause increased shortness in breath which results in decreased mobility and muscle wasting. However COPD can be controlled with medications and exercise. The RFGH Better Breathers Support Group is a free, informal group for those with breathing issues such as COPD, emphysema or asthma. It is also a support group for any person interested in or touched by someone with breathing issues. At each group meeting we discuss an educational topic, often featuring a guest speaker. There is always plenty of time for visiting, sharing and encouraging one another. The group meets on the third Thursday of every month, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. in RFGH Conference Room #4. COPD can control your life, and is a serious threat to your quality of life. We want you to know you are not alone and there is help here for you. Please feel free to join us, we would love to see you. 2 Quotes from our Support Group Members: I would have difficulty without the support of this group and its directors. It brings my spirits up. -Darla Pickett, Journalist This support group has improved the quality of my life. -Dolly Sevinson Support here has doubled my walking ability since coming here. -Bruce Foss

3 Summer Nutrition Programs FREE Summer Meals For All Kids! (Adults Older Than 18 Accompanying Children May Eat For $4.00 Per Meal) No registration. Just show up at the location closest to you. If you need free transportation to get there, check out the bus schedule on the back! USDA Summer Food Programs.. Anson - Garret Schenck School Contact # ext. 5 Dates Week Days Breakfast Lunch July 9-19 Monday Thursday 9:00am 12:00noon July Monday-Wednesday July 30-August 10 Mon-Friday 9:00am 12:00noon N. Anson - Carrabec Community School/High School Contact # ext. 5 Dates Week Days Breakfast Lunch June Monday Friday 8:30am 11:30am - CHS July 9-13 Monday Friday 8:30am 11:30am - CHS July 9-19 Monday Thursday 9:00am 11:30am - CCS July Monday Wed 9:00am 11:30am - CCS July 30-August 10 Monday Friday 9:00am 11:30am - CCS Skowhegan - Community Center Contact # Dates Week Days Breakfast Lunch June 18 - August 24* Monday Friday 8:00-9:00am 11:30am-12:30pm Solon Elementary School Contact # ext. 5 Dates Week Days Breakfast Lunch July 2-6 (no July 4) Monday Friday 8:30am 11:00am July 9-10, July Mon-Tue, Mon-Thur 8:30am 11:00am Watch For Positive Tickets For Youth Somerset Underage Drinking Task Force Officers Will Be Giving Out Positive Tickets To Youth For Making Safe And Healthy Choices In Your Community ~ Get Caught Doing Something GOOD! ~ 3 * Excludes Holidays

4 4

5 Quality Improvement Collaborative Improves Patient Care at RFGH Since the spring of 2009 the RFGH Medical/Surgical Department staff has been participating in a national collaborative that engages nurses and frontline staff to improve the quality and safety of patient care. RFGH was selected as one of sixteen hospitals across the U.S. (and one of four in Maine) to the Aligning Forces for Quality: Transforming Care at the Bedside Collaborative (TCAB Collaborative), an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The TCAB Collaborative is not a traditional quality improvement program; one primary characteristic that sets it apart is its focus on engaging frontline staff and unit managers. Ideas for transforming the way care is delivered on medical/surgical units come from the nurses and other care team members who spend the most time with patients and their families. These teams identify where change is needed, suggest and test potential solutions, and decide whether those innovations should be implemented. Under the guidance of department manager, Norma Munn, RN-BC, and a TCAB team, med/surg nurses and other staff directly responsible for patient care learned to make quality, value-added changes that improve team vitality and focus to how care is provided at the bedside. Participating in the TCAB Collaborative brought about a fundamental change in the culture in our department, commented RFGH med/surg nurse Susannah Warner, RN-BC. As someone working directly with the patients in our unit, I definitely feel more empowered to direct my own practice and know that my ideas about improving patient care are listened to and valued. Innovations developed by the frontline staff at RFGH had led to improvements in patient care and safety, benefiting both patients and their family members. A TCAB subcommittee worked on changes to our fall protocol, resulting in an improvement to our ability to assess a patient s risk for falls, stated department manager, Norma Munn, RN. The department has since noticed a decline in patient falls and resultant injuries. Other improvements implemented include bedside reporting at the end of the shift to provide the patient an easier transition to the staff working the next shift; the development of a post-operative menu that provides lighter fare for patients recovering from anesthesia; and improvements to how different departments within the hospital work together for a more seamless continuum of care. Since becoming involved in TCAB in 2009, Munn said, we have seen an improvement in our patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, and staff job satisfaction. 5

6 RFGH Friends & Staff Walk in Relay for Life Two teams captained by RFGH employees participated in this year s Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society. The Lifesavers team was led by team captain Kim Baiko, RN from the med/ surg unit. Her team raised approximately $3,578. The All-Nighters, led by team captain Heidi Lyman, BSN of Cardiac Rehab raised $2,500. Lyman also served on the committee for the relay event. The event raised, in total, $111,000 to date. RFGH Trek Across Maine Team Rides Again! This was RFGH s biggest team ever! Twenty-two cyclists raised over $15,200 this year for the American Lung Association. Funds were raised through a dinner/ auction, calendar prize raffle, bottle drives, etc. The weather cooperated this year with sunny skies and cool breezes as we cycled a total of 180 miles over 3 days, from Bethel to Belfast, commented Trek rider and RFGH employee, Paula Schoenthaler. This is the second year our team qualified for a tent in Team Tent City. Team Tent City is reserved for the first thirty teams to have 15 registered members. Tent City was on the second day of the Trek at Colby College, it was a place where the team gathered to have a BBQ, joined by coworkers, friends and family members who helped celebrate the team s accomplishment. 6

7 Rehab & Fitness Services a department of Redington-Fairview General Hospital 57 Fairview Avenue, Skowhegan (across from RFGH) Pool & Fitness Center Hours Monday & Wednesday, 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Tuesday & Thursday, 7:00 am - 7:00 pm Friday, 7:00 am - 4:00 pm Membership Plans: includes access to pools, weight room, and all fitness classes Full Monthly Membership: $60.00 Senior Membership (Age 60+): $30.00 Student Rate: $30.00 Monthly Memberships, Daily & Special Event Rates Available! On-going Aquatics Exercise Classes, Swim Lessons, Family Swim Specials, Lifeguard Training and other special community events are offered throughout the year. For more information please call the community pool at , ext. 23 Move More Kids! Community Day Wednesday, August 1, 3:00 7:00 pm Skowhegan Farmer s Market at the new Somerset Grist Mill (behind Hight Chevrolet) Join the Move More Kids Team as we celebrate the success of the program. 1K & 5K Fun Run/Walk (Coburn Park, 7:00 pm) Tours of Somerset Gristmill Tours of Debe Trail GPS Scavenger Hunt Move More Kids Program Highlights Community Zumba Climbing Wall Mountain Bike Pump Track Demos Salsa Making And More! Please call Somerset Heart Health: , x207 for more information and to register for road race. Somerset Sports & Fitness an affiliate of Redington-Fairview General Hospital Hours: Monday - Friday, 4:30am - 8:00pm Saturday & Sunday, 7:00am - noon New to working out? We have Certified Trainers that will develop a fitness program uniquely designed for you free with your paid membership! SSF offers 40+ classes a week! All classes are included with your paid membership. A complete class schedule that includes Yoga, ZUMBA, Spinning, Strength Cardio, Fit for Life and more is available at: For more information, call SSF: Commerce Drive, Route 201, Skowhegan FREE Support Groups at RFGH Tobacco Cessation 1st & 3rd Thursday each month, 5:30-6:30 pm RFGH Conference Room #2 Low-Carb Connection RFGH Diabetes Support Group 1st Tuesday of the month, 6:30-7:30 pm (except July & August) RFGH Conference Room #1 Cancer Last Tuesday of each month, 5:00-6:30 pm RFGH Conference Room #4 Healthy Heart 1st Monday of the month, 5:00-6:00 pm RFGH Conference Room #1 Better Breathers 3rd Thursday of the month, 12:00-1:30 pm RFGH Conference Room #4 7

8 Redington Fairview General Hospital 46 Fairview Avenue, Skowhegan, ME (207) / Know Your Knee Prevention of Sport-Related Knee Inuries Wednesday, August 8, 5:30-7:00 pm RFGH Conference Room #1 Topics: ACL Injuries Who is at risk? Prevention Presented by RFGH Rehab & Fitness Services staff: Wendy Willett, PT & Scot Padelford, LATC Reach for Good Health! Call for more information or to register. For more information about this newsletter, please contact Carol Steward at , ext Redington-Fairview General Hospital publishes the opinions of expert authorities in many fields; but the use of these opinions is no substitute for medical and other professional services to suit your specific personal needs. Always consult a competent professional for answers to your specific questions. Redington-Fairview General Hospital is an independent, critical access community hospital, located in Skowhegan, Maine. RFGH has provided quality, comprehensive health services to the residents of Somerset County since A member of the Maine Hospital Association, RFGH offers community-based primary care, pediatric care, surgical and specialty services, and 24-hour emergency medical services. The RFGH family includes: Redington Medical Primary Care, Redington Family Practice, Redington Pediatrics, Redington Neurology, Redington Orthopedic Surgery, Redington OB/GYN, Skowhegan Family Medicine, Redington General Surgery, Rehabilitation & Fitness Services, and Somerset Sports & Fitness. For a physician referral, please call or visit