to visual cues, and learn to walk with crutches.

Olmsted Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Services began using the Wii Fit in 2009 to give physical therapy patients an engaging alternative to some traditional exercises.

“The Wii is a fun way for our patients to strengthen their legs and core and introduce cardiovascular fitness into their daily routines,” says Kim Mullenbach, MPT, OMC’s director of rehabilitation services. “Patients are visually and mentally engaged, which helps them manage pain and decrease boredom.”

D o your kids prefer their video games to a game of catch? Are you looking for an easy way to

improve your balance and stay fit? “Active” video games may help

with both. These games can turn your living room into a tennis court or dance hall. Instead of sitting on the couch, participants in an active game stand up and physically interact with images on the screen.

With the Nintendo® Wii,™ for example, players take part in virtual reality sports games such as boxing, golf, and tennis, swinging the remote control like they would a real racquet or golf club. An accessory to the console, the Wii Fit,™ helps players improve their fitness by participating in balance and yoga exercises, among others.

Studies are under way to evaluate the use of these active games as exercise tools—and the results are beginning to come in. One study, reported in Pediatrics, found that active video games doubled participants’ energy expenditure compared with seat-based screen time.

Research into the possible benefits of using active video games as a rehabilitation tool—dubbed “Wiihabilitation”—is also under way. Current studies are examining how the games might relieve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease or help the elderly avoid falls.

In one study recently reported in Physical Therapy, researchers used the Wii sports games with a teenage boy with cerebral palsy. They found the games helped him control his posture, react

Get Active—and Back in the Game—With ‘Wiihabilitation’

HealthNotesA Health and Wellness Publication from Olmsted Medical Center • www.olmstedmedicalcenter.org

Remodeling Begins at OMC Rochester Southeast ClinicIn early November, Olmsted Medical Center began remodeling its Rochester Southeast clinic. The project began in direct response to patient, visitor, and staff requests for a more convenient and comfortable main entrance.

The finished building will greatly improve parking, building entry, and check-in experiences. Features you can expect include:

◾ Expanded (and free) parking for patients, visitors, and staff

◾ A covered carport and new main entrance on the clinic’s west side

◾ A bigger and more comfortable main lobby with plentiful seating

◾ A nurse triage room for patients with urgent healthcare concernsThe remodeling will relocate the

clinic’s main entrance and patient parking to the building’s west side. This will improve patient, visitor, and staff safety by eliminating the need to cross 9th Street SE, a busy four-lane road.

Work on the clinic will continue through the winter, with parking lot development beginning in spring 2010.

Ask your primary healthcare provider or therapist if you could benefit from “Wiihabilitation.” Call Rehabilitation Services at 507.282.8000 to learn more.

OMC’s remodeled Rochester Southeast clinic will feature more convenient parking and a bigger, more comfortable main lobby.

OMC’s Anniversary Cookbook | Help OMC Study Shingles | Lower Your Cholesterol TodayINSIDE: WINTER 2010

2 WINTER 2010 Healthnotes

R emember Grandma’s chicken noodle soup? Or your great-uncle’s homemade ice cream?

Olmsted Medical Center’s 1,200 employees recently joined forces to publish their favorite family recipes in a cookbook celebrating OMC’s 60 years of service to southeastern Minnesota.

To compile the cookbook, OMC’s employee activities committee invited staff members to submit recipes and then organized them by category. The resulting cookbook features 799 recipes, including appetizers and beverages, breads, breakfast/brunch, main dishes,

desserts, side dishes, and sandwiches and soups. The cookbook features recipes such as chicken enchiladas, pot roast, apple pie, potato salad, and fruit salad.

“It is really nice to see the familiar names of staff and clinicians throughout the book,” says Kelly Owens, chair of the committee. “We all came together as a team.” She added that many of the recipes were handed down through generations. And many of them were submitted in memory of staff’s family members.

OMC published its first staff cookbook 10 years ago, which meant it

Spice Up Your Diet with OMC’s 60th Anniversary Cookbook

was time for an update. Plus, “with the new identity branding and logo of OMC, we thought it would be a fun idea to make a 60th anniversary cookbook,” Owens says. “The cookbook also includes OMC’s mission, vision, and core values so readers know it’s more than good food that drives our staff.”

The cookbook is dedicated to the Olmsted Medical Center caregivers who submitted their favorite recipes, the committee members who coordinated the book’s production, and all who enjoy the fruits of their labor.

OMC’s 60th Anniversary Cookbook is available for $10 at the Rochester Southeast clinic’s business office, Hospital gift shop, and many of OMC’s branch clinics. Or, contact Kelly Owens at 507.529.6657 or kowens@olmmed.org.

More than 2 million Americans live with the eye disease glaucoma. There are several different types. All of them involve problems with the nerve connecting the eye and brain.

Healthcare providers aren’t sure how to prevent or cure glaucoma. It often sneaks up quietly, causing no symptoms until the damage is done. However, glaucoma can be treated.

Getting a full eye exam every year can spot the disease early—and save your sight. Take extra care of your eyes if you’re older than 60, African-American, or have a relative with glaucoma.

Exams Help Protect Eyesight from the ‘Vision Thief’

To lower your risk: ◾ avoid eye injuries ◾ tell your healthcare provider if you take steroids and blood

pressure drugs, which might contribute to glaucoma ◾ control other conditions, such as diabetes.Special eye drops can cut the chances of glaucoma

in some at-risk people.If you have glaucoma, take your medicines and visit your

healthcare provider regularly. To schedule an eye exam at OMC, call 507.287.2711.

The cover of OMC’s 60th Anniversary Cookbook was designed and drawn by Larry Peterson, MD, of OMC’s Psychology & Psychiatry department.

www.olmstedmedicalcenter.org 3

T he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Olmsted Medical Center’s Research

department are beginning a new study on herpes zoster, or shingles.

Shingles is a painful rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you’ve had chickenpox, the virus remains in certain nerve cells. Illness, trauma, a weakened immune system, or stress may “awaken” the virus later in life and cause it to reappear as shingles. The first signs of shingles are pain,

Help OMC Study Shingles

OMC’s Upgraded MRI CapabilitiesMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an advanced technology that allows healthcare providers to see your body’s internal structures and functions. It is used especially in neurological, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and cancer imaging.

Thanks to MRI upgrades currently under way, OMC will soon offer patients quicker MRI appointments. The upgrades also mean breast imaging and biopsies will also be available to patients in early 2010.

Additionally, OMC will offer high-resolution imaging of patients’ hands and wrists, which will complement its advanced hand surgery services available this coming spring.

itching, or tingling on one side of the body or face. Within a few days, a rash appears in the same area and may be accompanied by fever, headache, nausea, or diarrhea.

OMC’s Research department is asking OMC healthcare providers to notify it when they see new cases of shingles. Researchers will contact patients who have agreed to participate in OMC’s research and, in a series of three interviews, talk about their experience with shingles, including pain and risk factors. There is no treatment as part of the study, but participants will receive a small payment after each interview.

By participating, you can help discover more about this painful condition. Past research has led to advances including Zostavax,® the shingles vaccine. Zostavax is recommended for most people age 60 and older. Ask your healthcare provider if you should get the vaccine.

If you develop shingles, have not seen your healthcare provider for treatment, and wish to participate in this study, please call the OMC Research department at 507.287.2758.

Olmsted Medical Center Now on Facebook and Twitter

Book on OMC History Coming Soon Olmsted Medical Center Past President G. Richard Geier, MD, is the author of Shadows—A History of the Olmsted Medical Center. This book explores OMC’s history, from its founding on July 15, 1949, to the present.

In its pages, Dr. Geier chronicles OMC’s 60 years of growth from a one-provider outpatient clinic to a multi-specialty regional healthcare system and shows how OMC evolved into an organization dedicated to exceptional patient care. Shadows will be published later this year. Watch for information about how to get your copy!

Are you a friend of Olmsted Medical Center? If you have a Facebook profile, search for

“Olmsted Medical Center” and become a fan to receive electronic updates on healthcare topics, breaking news alerts, and event announcements.

If you use Twitter, follow “OMCRochesterMN” for real-time messages about what’s new at OMC.

It’s fun—and it’s free!

www.olmstedmedicalcenter.org

OMC Regional Foundation210 Ninth Street SERochester, MN 55904

Postmaster: Please deliver between December 21 and 24.

739M

Roy A. Yawn, MDPresident

Tim W. WeirChief Executive Officer

HealthNotes is published four times a year by Olmsted Medical Center and OMC Regional Foundation. HealthNotes is a service to educate people about subjects pertinent to their health, not a substitute for consultation with a healthcare provider. Please call OMC Regional Foundation at 507.292.7202 or e-mail foundation@olmmed.org with any questions or comments. If you wish to be removed from the mailing list that receives HealthNotes, please write to OMC Regional Foundation, 210 Ninth Street SE, Rochester, MN 55904.

HealthNotes

Printed on Recyclable Paper

B y now you know high cholesterol is bad for your heart and your health. But what can you do

about it? Here’s a surefire strategy to take charge of your cholesterol numbers.

It all starts with a talk with your primary healthcare provider. From there:1. Get your stats. Have your cholesterol

checked at least every five years after age 20.

2. Set a goal. The ideal ranges are: ◾ Total cholesterol: 200 or less ◾ LDL or “bad” cholesterol:

less than 160 ◾ HDL or “good” cholesterol:

at least 40

Your Five-Step Plan for Cholesterol Control

nonprofit orgU.S. POSTAGE

pAiDOMC REGIONAl FOUNDATION

Recipe:

David E. Westgard, MDChief Medical Officer

Stacey M. Vanden Heuvel Vice President, Marketing & Philanthropy

A great alternative to pasta salads, this colorful side dish features corn, barley, peppers, and delicate herb flavor. Ingredients2 cups cooked medium pearl barley2 cups frozen corn, thawed½ cup chopped sweet red pepper½ cup chopped green pepper3 green onions, chopped1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro or parsley2 tbsp. lemon juice2 tbsp. canola oil½ tsp. salt½ tsp. dried thyme⅛ tsp. ground black pepper Directions1. In a large bowl, combine barley, corn, peppers, onions, and cilantro/parsley. 2. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine lemon juice, oil, salt, thyme, and ground pepper; shake well.3. Drizzle liquid mixture over combined vegetables.4. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Yield: Serves six. Each serving provides:CaloriesTotal fatSodiumTotal carbohydrateDietary fiberProtein

bARLEY CORN SALAD

1645 g199 mg28 g4 g3 g

Submitted by OMC Internal Medicine nurse Deb Twachtmann, RN, for publication in OMC’s 60th Anniversary Cookbook. See related story on page 2.

However, your provider might suggest different numbers based on your heart risk—for instance, an HDL of 60 or higher or an LDL of 100 or lower.3. Start heart-healthy habits. If you’re

on the high side, ask your healthcare team for help planning lifestyle changes. Quit smoking, exercise, limit saturated and trans fats, and drop pounds if you’re overweight.

4. Track your progress. Use a chart to write down your test results after each visit to your provider, along with your physical activity and diet goals.

5. Check in with your healthcare provider. Over time, cholesterol builds up in your arteries and blocks blood flow to the heart. This can lead to chest pain, stroke, or a heart attack. If lifestyle changes don’t lower your numbers, your provider might recommend medications.

WATCH THE NEXT ISSUE ...... of Health e-Living, our FREE e-newsletter, for more on keeping your heart healthy. To subscribe, visit www.olmstedmedicalcenter.org. Scroll to “live a healthy life,” and then click on “Health e-Living newsletter.”