FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

ValleY healthMontrose press

VOL. 1, ISSUE 6

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Now Accepting New Patients

Office630 East Star Ct

Montrose, CO 81401970.240.0378

MONTROSE MEMORIAL HOSPITALWELCOMES

Zachary (Zach) Barton, M.D., MBAFamily Medicine

Board Certi� ed

Medical SchoolTexas Tech School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX

Internship/ResidencyWaco Family Medicine, Waco, TX

Randal C. Shelton, D.O.Family Medicine

Board Eligible

Medical SchoolLincoln Memorial University

Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Harrogate, TN

Internship/ResidencyBlue Ridge Healthcare Family Medicine Residency, Morganton, NC

MIXED NEWS ON STROKES

STRoKE nuMBERS on ThE RISE, BuT So ARE SuRvIvAL RATES

MORE THAN BOOKSGetting prepared for school means exercise

WHAT TO PACKWhat should be in your

child’s lunchbox

BLUE LIGHT DILEMMAHow to avoid eye

damage from electronics

SKIP THE TOAST

Heading back to school? Take a look at our checklist Page 12

Try these new breakfast items your kids will lovePage 5

Valley HealtHPublisher

Francis Wick

Business ManagerRanae Weber

Managing editorJustin Joiner

advertising directorDennis Anderson

For advertising information, contact Dennis anderson at 252-7022

or via email at dennisa@montrosepress.com

Valley Health is a publication of the Montrose Press. It publishes monthly on the first Friday.

If you have a health-related news tip, contact Justin Joiner, managing editor, at editor@montrosepress.com.

a publication of the Montrose press

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www.Montrose.Hamptonlnn.com 970-252-3300 Next to the Airport

EXCELLENCE. GUARANTEED.

and compassionate, always eager to lend a helping hand.

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MONTROSE (970) 249-2486DELTA (970) 874-4941OURAY (970) 626-3777

Every 9 secondsinAmerica a woman

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You are not alone.For almost 30 years Hilltop’s Tri-County Resources hasoffered critical services for those affected by domestic

violence. We provide emergency shelter for women andchildren, legal advocacy, support groups, transitional

housing, and more. The first step in breaking the cycleof violence is asking for help.

If you, or someone you know is in an abusiverelationship, call our 24-hour crisis lines:

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In 1860, Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of nursing, wrote about the importance of a patient’s sur-roundings in their heal-ing process. She wrote that color, form, beauty and variety were criti-cal to the well-being and restorative process that moves a patient from a state of dis-ease to that of health (Nightingale, 1860). She also believed that the monotony of staying in a hospital room can lead to boredom, which she felt could increase a patient’s pain level. These beliefs hold true today and our nurses, physicians and other care providers use many different tools and techniques to help pa-tients deal with so many stressors during their hospital stay.

One new tool that MMH has available is the C.A.R.E. channel which is now offered on all of the hospital’s televisions. The Continu-ous Ambient Relaxation Environ-ment (C.A.R.E.) channel features peaceful scenes of nature com-bined with beautiful instrumental music which helps create a healing environment for patients, families, and also our staff members. The entire channel is produced specifi-cally to be watched by a patient in a bed. The scenes change over a 24-hour cycle from sunrise to daytime and then sunset and night time

scenery to help patients realize the time of day and also help them sleep. The channel can be calming

to patients who are very ill and lose the concepts of day and night while being cared for. The music is gentle and can be played as a patient is waking up from anes-thesia and recovering from a surgical proce-dure in their room. The channel provides 84 hours of nonrepetitive scenery and music.

With funding help from the San Juan Healthcare Founda-tion, MMH was able to purchase the C.A.R.E. channel for our patient

televisions. We chose this thera-peutic tool because it helps reduce anxiety, alleviates pain, assists with sleep and restfulness, and minimizes the harmful effects of noise to our patients. We also know it will help make our environ-ment more relaxing and quiet for those who are in our care. One of the secretaries our nursing unit said; “We have been playing The C.A.R.E. Channel in our waiting area for about two weeks now and we just love it! The area is much more relaxing and calm, which positively affects the staff, patients and family members. It’s great!”

Leann Tobin is the marketing and public relations coordinator for Montrose Memorial Hospital. l

Hospital Happenings

Leann TobinMontrose Memorial Hospital

Q: Sometimes my tongue gets bald, red patches, or thick yellow-ish coatings on it. I can’t figure out why this happens, or what it means. My tongue looks nasty. Suzy, I don’t know who else to ask since it’s very embarrassing. My doctor says that it’s nothing to worry about. Do you agree?

–A.P., Ocala, Florida A: I agree, don’t worry because

worrying is a useless emotion that may actually attract to you the very thing you focus your attention on. Your time is better spent on finding out why this keeps happening, and then preventing episodes.

You describe what is termed “geographic tongue” because it looks like a map. The smooth, red patches are surrounded by gray-ish white areas; it’s freaky that the patchy areas can change location from day to day. The tiny bumps on the tongue called “papillae” fall off, that’s why you see the patches, but they are able to grow back.

Acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine doctors would never dismiss your tongue. It’s the first thing they want to see because it assists them in their diagnosis. Hey, I’d rather stick out my tongue and say ahhh, than get needled for blood and biopsies, wouldn’t you? And yes, I’ve had a tongue reading myself, just for fun.

To find a solution, you have to determine the cause. Geographic tongue may indicate a hormonal imbalance, low thyroid, liver dis-ease, yeast overgrowth or a weak-ened immune system. Poor intes-tinal health, antibiotic use, liver disease, a bile disorder and diges-

tive disorders (like Celiac, Crohn’s, IBS) all impact the color and texture of your tongue. People with methylcobalamin (B12) deficien-cies, and other B vitamin deficien-cies have tongue issues. Let me tell you, there are hundreds of drug muggers of B vitamins. Among them are antibiotics, antifungals, antacids, certain blood pressure pills, female hormones and most anti-inflammatories.

• Scalloped tongue – It’s usually thick or swollen and has a scallop design around the outer edge. This is usually related to sluggish spleen or thyroid function.

• Pale tongue – This could be tied to pernicious anemia, or iron defi-ciency anemia.

• Vertical crack – May signify dif-ficulties in the stomach or heart. If the crack extends down the middle, but doesn’t reach the very tip, it’s most likely related to digestion.

• Black hairy tongue – Dark-col-ored bacteria/fungus build up on the papillae and instead of shed-ding, they grow longer creating the hairy appearance. The ‘hair’ color may be white, yellow, green or brown colors depending on the color of your invading organism.

• Glossopyrosis – Also called “Burning Mouth Syndrome” it may be related to Candida albicans overgrowth, B12, riboflavin or folic acid deficiency, insufficient probiot-ics and imbalanced hormones.

You may be able to prevent episodes by supplementing with high-quality immune-boosting supplements, probiotics, activated B complex, in particular methylco-balamin and 5-MTHF and digestive enzymes.. l

Dear pharmacist

The color and texture of your tongue tells a story about your health.

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(StatePoint) — The In-formation Age has moved society into a 24/7 elec-tronic environment that exposes us to harmful light pollution every day. New re-search is illuminating the dangers of “blue light,” a high-energy wavelength of light that can disrupt the sleep cycle and cause dam-age to the eyes over time.

Know the ProblemMajor university stud-

ies have shown that blue light can disrupt the ability to fall asleep, interfering with circadian rhythms by suppressing the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates waking and sleeping. Chronically shifted circadian rhythms have been linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

Unlike most wavelengths of light, blue light can penetrate deep inside the tissue layers of one’s eyes causing a greater risk for diseases like macular degeneration, the lead-ing cause of blindness for those over 55.

Children are especially vulnerable to macular dam-age and sleep disruption. Just as most ultraviolet exposure occurs before 18 years of age, the effects of blue light exposure are also more intense in children since they lack the protec-tive pigments of adults.

“Kids these days essen-tially grow up looking at a screen,” says Dr. Matt Alpert, a VSP Vision Care

optometrist. “There is a growing concern among eye doctors that we’re going to start seeing long-term damage much earlier in life than ever before.”

Know the SolutionBlue light is everywhere.

It`s emitted from the sun, fl uorescent lights, and the screens of tablets, phones, TVs and computers. The problem lies with an in-

creasing use of technology without protection.

Luckily, new advances in protective eyewear have arrived just in time to fi lter out the harmful blue light before it reaches your eyes. For example, UNITY lenses are available with blue light protection to do just that. The good thing is that these lenses don’t distort color and actually relax the

eyes. More information can be found at www.Unity-Lenses.com.

Sleep and vision are essential aspects of total health. Decreasing blue light exposure in the eve-nings can help avoid the unintended health conse-quences of our modern lifestyles. Mitigating your exposure to blue light can mean turning off the TV at

mealtime instead of before (or in) bed, and wearing protective eyewear at the offi ce or at home when us-ing your digital devices.

Limiting your screen time is best, but if your occupation requires a lot of computer use, remember to wear lenses that offer blue light protection. And for health’s sake, try to get some sleep. l

Children are especially vulnerable to macular damage and sleep disruption. Just as most ultraviolet exposure occurs before 18 years of age, the effects of blue light exposure are also more intense in children since they lack the protective pigments of adults.

‘BLUE LIGHT’DILEMMAHigh-energy light from electronic devices can hurt eyes over time

Unlike most wavelengths of light, blue light can penetrate deep inside the tissue layers of one’s eyes causing a greater risk for diseases like macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness for those over 55.

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In Motion •Therapy

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611 East Star Ct.249-1646

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In Motion Therapy is the Western Slope’spremier provider of:

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Celebrating20 years in Montrose!

(StatePoint) Physical activity may not be the first thing parents or teachers think about when they want to boost a child’s academic performance, but evidence supports the notion that a bit of exercise for the body is beneficial to the brain as well.

In fact, kindergarteners who participated in Build Our Kids’ Success (BOKS), a free before-school pro-gram involving physical activity and nutrition edu-cation, had significantly improved memory skills as rated by teachers, com-pared to their peers who did not participate. A study of the children’s perfor-mance also concluded that those who participated in the program exhibited good behavior in the classroom.

“A sedentary life and poor eating habits can lower kids’ performance in the classroom and start a cycle of health problems later in life,” says Kathleen Tullie, Founder and Executive Director of BOKS and the Director of Social Respon-sibility for Reebok. “Simply stated, a healthy body and a healthy brain go hand in hand.”

So how can you incorpo-

rate more healthy habits into your family’s routine?

• Active weekends: In-stead of a lazy Saturday or Sunday, get outside and get moving. Take a soccer ball to the park for a pick-up game or hike a local trail. Make exercise on the weekends a regular habit for your family, and those habits will extend to the rest of the week as well.

• Fuel throughout the day: A hearty breakfast sets kids up for a great day. Follow that up with a healthful, satisfying lunch and snacks such as nuts and fruit, to help kids avoid the pitfalls of the junk food machines.

• Cook together: Take-out is great when you’re crunched for time, but be sure to cook at home at

least a few times a week. Not only are homemade meals one of the only ways you can be exactly sure of what you’re feeding your family, but the act of cook-ing together is a great op-portunity to impart some lessons about nutrition and eating right.

• Bed time: Adequate sleep is crucial for a healthy, functional mind

and body. Setting a regular bedtime and sticking to it is best to ensure kids get a full night’s rest.

• Volunteer to get your school involved: Children should have one hour or more of physical activ-ity daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unfortu-nately, physical education class may not be sufficient. Investigate what other opportunities your child’s school has for physical ac-tivity, such as before school programs like BOKS or after school sports. If your school doesn’t have such a program in place, look into starting BOKS at your school.

BOKS, for example, can be run by anyone -- parents, teachers, the school nurse or a community activist. To learn more, visit www.BOKSKids.org.

Healthy habits will not only reduce your child’s risk for such problems as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, they can help prime children for more success inside the class-room and beyond. So give your children a leg up and encourage them to get mov-ing. l

Exercising for ‘A’sRegular activity can help kids do better in school

Active weekends: Instead of a lazy Saturday or Sunday, get outside and get moving. Take a soccer ball to the park for a pick-up game or hike a local trail. Make exercise on the weekends a regular habit for your family, and those habits will extend to the rest of the week as well.

Kindergarteners who participated in Build Our Kids’ Success, a free before-school program involving physical activity and nutrition education, had significantly improved memory skills as rated by teachers,

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Product and service availability may vary by location. Call your local center to find out which

service is available in your area.

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22816 S. 1st Street, Montrose (970) 249-2533 • www.drsharlenemartinson.com

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(StatePoint) — For most parents, week-day mornings before school are like a chal-lenging math prob-lem: pack backpacks and lunches, plus get yourself ready for work – minus the luxury of unlimited time. But skipping breakfast should not be part of the equa-tion.

And, really, it can be fun. Especially when you keep a few go-to breakfast recipes up your sleeves and stay well-stocked on morn-ing favorites – such as whole grain cereal, fresh fruit, rolled oats, yogurt and fla-vorings.

In fact, layer on the love by helping your early risers make their own breakfast parfait, such as the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait with Trix Granola. Start with a see-through glass or container so every-one can admire their parfait progress.

These super-stacked beauties are also customizable so every family member can choose his or her favorite ingredients – and top them up as they see fit.

Just a few minutes set aside for that first family meal of the day will help to start things off with a dash of fun – and flavor.

Fruit and Yogurt Par-fait with Trix GranolaIngredients for Gra-nola• 2 cups rolled oats (not instant)• 3 tbsp brown sugar• 1 cup lightly crushed Trix cereal

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon• 1/4 tsp salt• 1/3 cup honey• 1/4 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)• 1 tsp vanilla• 1/2 cup flaked sweet-ened coconut• 1/2 cup sliced al-mondsIngredients for the ParfaitsSliced fruits of your choice such as kiwi, mango, blueberries, raspberries or straw-berries

Vanilla flavored yogurtDirections• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.• In a large bowl com-bine the rolled oats, brown sugar, crushed cereal, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl combine the honey, coconut oil and vanilla. If the coconut oil is hard, microwave for just a few seconds to soften it. Pour the liquid mixture into the oats mixture and use your hands to incorpo-rate, and coat evenly.• Pour onto a lightly greased, rimmed bak-ing sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, then add the flaked coconut and sliced almonds. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Granola will harden when cooled.• Layer the fruit, yogurt and granola in parfait glasses and enjoy!Crunched for time? Prepare the granola ahead of time. l

Make breakfast more fun

Allergies can strike in autumn as well

People often mistakenly associate seasonal allergies with the spring. But allergies can still appear even long after the final flower buds of spring have stopped blooming.

Ragweed is the most common cul-prit with regard to autumn aller-gies. According to Bruce Gordon, MD, a professor at Harvard Univer-sity and an ear, nose and throat al-lergy specialist, ragweed has a dis-tinct season. Its pollen is produced in abundance between late-summer and mid-fall. In warmer climates, ragweed may continue to cause al-lergy symptoms into the winter.

A single ragweed plant can produce one billion grains of pol-len per season. The weed grows prolifically through many areas of the country. Lightweight pollen on ragweed can travel on the wind

up to 400 miles, so even if ragweed isn’t abundant where you live, you still may be affected.

In addition to ragweed, pigweed, sheep sorrel, curly dock, and goldenrod also may contribute to autumn allergies.

Mold is another potential foe come the fall. Mold can thrive in compost piles and leaves that cover the ground during this time of year. In some climates, mold allergy season begins in mid- to late-fall, right after ragweed sea-son, potentially making mold and ragweed a one-two punch for those susceptible to these allergens.

When battling fall allergies, con-sider using antihistamines and spe-cial nasal sprays, which may help to mitigate the symptoms of these seasonal allergies. l

A fruit and yogurt parfait with Trix granola may be just the thing to make school-day breakfasts fun again.

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MIXED NEWS ABOUT STROKES

STROKES BECOMING MORE COMMON, BUT SURVIVAL RATES ARE GOING UP

bY DAVE SEGAl

Strokes are becoming more common, and are affecting more young people than ever before. However, survival rates are going up, according to Dr. Michael Hehmann, a neurologist practicing in Montrose.

“Stroke is actually the second or third lead-ing cause of death in the United States,” Hehmann said. “It’s usual-ly thought of as a problem of older people, over 65; it’s the leading cause of disability in older people.

“As people do live longer, due to medical improvements, stroke is becoming an even larger problem in older people, as well as younger people.

“There’s probably a 20 to 30 percent increase in the incidents of stroke in the population younger than 20 years of age,” he said. “It’s not understood exactly why that segment of the population is having more events.”

SEE Stroke, PAGE 8

SEE A RELATED STORY ON PAGE 8

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(970) 249-2077

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However, doctors do have some ideas about that, according to the neurologist. “It’s thought that the increased incidence of diabetes in younger people, as well as hypertension, obesity and elevated cholester-ol in younger adults, causes an increased risk of stroke, as well as heart problems.”

No matter your age, a healthy lifestyle is the key to stroke pre-vention. “I emphasize to my patients being active, and exercising, or at least walking briskly 30 to 40 min-utes, two to three days a week,” Hehmann said. And watch your cholesterol levels. “We do know that elevated cholesterol can increase the risk

of strokes. But, most of the folks that have elevated cholesterol, especially at younger ages, have a family history of it. Some-times a primary care doctor will put those folks on a cholesterol-lowering medication. And, obviously, we try to avoid medications, if possible.”

Warning signs of a stroke include weak-ness on one side of the body, double vision, difficulty walking, problems with speech and language, numb-ness, and tingling. If you experience these, you should get to an emergency room as soon as possible.

“There are certain treatments for stroke now that need to be performed early on for reduction of dis-ability,” Hehmann explained. “The main treatment we have now is called tissue plasminogen activator

(TPA). TPA is a very strong blood thinner that’s administered as an intravenous medication at the emergency depart-ment. It thins out the blood, and reduces the incidence of disability when a patient has a stroke.”

There are two types of stroke: the isch-emic, which is a blood clot in the brain, and the hemorrhagic, which involves rup-tured cerebral blood vessels. “Approximate-ly 80 to 85 percent of strokes are ischemic, although in the young-er population, there is a slightly increased risk of the hemor-rhagic stroke,” accord-ing to Dr. Hehmann.

Hemorrhagic strokes have a higher mortality rate, with about 40 percent of patients dying within the first month, ac-cording to WebMD.com. l

bY DAVE SEGAlWhen you think

about strokes, you probably think of elderly victims. But, research indicates that strokes are be-coming more common in children, according

to Montrose pediatri-cian Dr. Mary Vader.

“We haven’t seen an increase in this area, but a review of the (medical) litera-ture does show that, nationwide, incidents increased by about 30

percent between 1995 and 2008.”

Vader was asked if the medical communi-ty knows why this is happening. “We think we might. About six out of 100,000 kids will have some form

of a stroke, and most of them will be little boys. And that part, we’re not totally sure about.”

The pediatrician reports that kids even have strokes in the womb. “The most common time for a child to have a stroke is in the 28th week of pregnancy. So, it happens just before they are delivered, until about one month of age. Those are the most common strokes in little kids.”

Vader explained that doctors do have a theory about how stroke hit the unborn. “We think that ‘in utero,’ that is, inside mommy, the baby might have a congeni-tal heart defect. So, a blood clot forms in the heart, and then goes to the brain.”

Vader was asked if there is anyway to screen for that while the baby is still in utero? “Not really. The obstetricians will do ultrasounds, and

one of the measure-ments they will take is the size of the head. If the head seems to be growing on track, you usually don’t think about that. But, something may have happened that we couldn’t see, too.”

Treatment options are limited. “If it’s due to a heart defect, we probably can’t to-tally treat the stroke,” Vader said. “But, if you can fix the heart defect, that prevents the risk of a second stroke.”

Stroke is one of the top 10 causes of death in children, accord-ing to the American Stroke Association (ASA). The organiza-tion reports that 20 to 40 percent of child-hood strokes are fatal.

The ASA has found that between 50 and 80 percent of young survivors are left with permanent neurologi-cal disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and speech defects.

However, some kids make remarkable recoveries.

“The cool thing about little guys that have a stroke is that the brain is still growing, and you can teach the brain to do other work,” Vader explained. “For example, if the part of the brain that runs the right arm has been injured, other parts of the brain can be taught to help the right arm. “

There are many risk factors for strokes in kids, including heart disease, sickle cell disease, and head and neck injuries.

“The incidence of strokes really in-crease about the age of thirteen,” Vader said. “Then, they are going to have more traditional causes, like blood pressure, being overweight, diabetes, cholesterol, tobacco use, drugs, al-cohol — a lot of those are similar to stroke causes in adults.” l

Strokefrom page 1

Strokes in the very youngStrokes in children have been on the rise. There have been cases of children having a stroke inside the womb.

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Top bookS for heaLThy Living

Age-Proof Your Mind: by Dr. Zaldy S. TanThis brain-health

book includes an overview of how the mind ages, a test to learn which areas of the brain need improvement, tips about the connection between diet and memory and a comprehensive method to test your memory. Evaluate your mental fitness, learn new tips on healthy aging and try new brain exercises.

Max Your Memory

By Pascale MichelonYou are what you

remember, short-term memory, imprinting it on your mind, how visualization helps, remembering names, faces and numbers—these are some of the

many practical, useful and take-away ideas in this easy-to-read book.

Vivid illustrations, innovative memory games and pleasant reading combine to help increase the important tool of a good memory.

The Wisdom Paradox by Elkhonon

Goldberg, Ph.D.The author, a

neuropsychologist focuses on evidence that although the brain diminishes in some ways as it ages, it gains in others. Most notably, the brain increases in wisdom as it draws upon life’s experiences and knowledge to make quick and effective decisions. Goldberg discusses two distinct types of the mind’s machinery: singular and generic.

Successful Aging

By John W. Rowe, M.D. and Robert L. KahnBased on results

of the MacArthur Foundation Study of Aging in America at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, the book turns the focus from aging in terms of anticipated decline to preserving mental and physical vitality in later years. More than genes, lifestyle choices in diet, exercise and social connections determine how well a person ages.

30 Lessons for Living

By Karl Pillemer, PhD.A chance meeting

with an impressive 90-year-old woman led distinguished gerontologist Karl Pillmer to speak with 1,000 Americans over age 65 to take on this study and find out what older people know that younger people don’t. The results of half information and half inspiration include a mix of timeless wisdom and the unexpected.

Doctors have long been urging pa-tients to be aware of changes to their skin, which could be indicative of illness, including skin cancer. When performing self-inspections, some people may discover skin growths that look unsightly or give them pause. Often-times these growths are skin tags.

A skin tag, also known as a fibro-epithelial polyp or acrochordon, is a small, benign tumor that forms primar-ily in areas where the skin creases, like the groin, neck and armpit. Skin tags are usually no bigger than a grain of rice.

However, skin tags can be larger. Ac-cording to Medscape Reference, roughly 46 percent of the popula-tion will experience an acrochordon at some point in their lives. A person may have anywhere from one to more than 100 skin tags, and certain people are more likely to develop skin tags than others.

In many cases skin tags are just harmless blemishes on the skin. However, some may need to be removed depending on their location or if any irritation is present. Skin tags often scab over and fall off on their own over time, but they also can be

removed quite easily.When removing

skin tags, the risk for infection is rare. Even though it is a relative-ly simple procedure, and one that many people take into their own hands, skin tag removal is best left to a doctor, who will numb the area before removing the skin tag.

Ligation is a tech-nique where a piece of suturing thread is tied at the base of the tag to staunch circulation and allow the tag to dry up and fall off on its own. Cryotherapy freezes the skin tag. Electri-cal cauterization or surgical removal with a scalpel also can take

place.If a skin tag seems

out of the ordinary, grows large or chang-es shape or appear-ance, this may be a sign of something

more dangerous. Consult with a fam-ily practitioner or a dermatologist to rule out cancerous skin lesions.

Skin tags are often

harmless. But those who want

their skin tags re-moved should only have such procedures performed by medical professionals. l

Skin tags — benign tumors — are often harmless

In MAnY cASES SKIn TAGS ARE JuST hARMLESS BLEMIShES on ThE SKIn. hoWEvER, SoME MAY nEED To BE REMovED DEPEnDInG on ThEIR LocATIon oR If AnY IRRITATIon IS PRESEnT. SKIn TAGS ofTEn ScAB ovER AnD fALL off on ThEIR oWn ovER TIME, BuT ThEY ALSo cAn BE REMovED quITE EASILY.

bY PATTi A. KAlAHArDelta County MeMorial HoSpital

Certified registered nurse anesthetists are educated, trained and licensed to administer anesthesia.

They administer anesthe-sia to patients in nearly ev-ery clinical setting where there is a procedure being done. The vast majority of rural hospitals in the U.S. depend on the professional skills of CRNAs in surgical suites, obstetrical delivery rooms, physician and den-tist offices, public health departments and the mili-tary: both at the front line treating wounded soldiers and at Veteran Affairs hos-pitals. CRNAs administer approximately 32 million anesthetics to patients in the U.S. each year.

Once anesthesia was dis-covered, pain-free surgery became a reality. The roots of the CRNA profession go back to when nurses administered anesthesia to wounded soldiers on the battlefields of the Civil War. The CRNA credential came into existence in 1956 and is now overseen by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists. Currently. There are 44,000 nurse anesthetists in the United States, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

Today, CRNAs are mas-ters or doctoral prepared advance practice nurses who enjoy a high degree of autonomy and profes-sional respect. They are required to have a bach-elor’s degree in nursing, registered nurse licensure, and a minimum of one year acute care experience (such as ER or ICU), and the successful comple-tion of both an accredited nurse anesthesia education program and the national certification examination. They are licensed, indepen-dent practitioners.

In Colorado, 99.9 percent of counties with surgi-cal services use CRNA’s to administer anesthesia in various health care settings, with 71 percent of Colorado rural hospi-tals using CRNAs as the sole anesthesia provider. CRNAs have a long history of safe patient outcomes.

Delta County Memorial Hospital is fortunate to have a team of five CRNAs who have worked for the hospital from three years up to three decades.

DCMH CRNAs include: Kathy Akers, CRNA, MS – 10 years; Christine Hamilton, CRNA, MS – 8 years; Holly Hart, CRNA, DNP – three years; Chris

Marshall, CRNA – 30 years, and; Jerry Young, CRNA – 30 years.

“The really great thing about CRNAs who have lived in this community for awhile is that wherever we go, the grocery store, bank, restaurant or Wal-Mart we see patients we know who also recognize us as pro-fessional CRNAs,” Kathy Akers said. “Some patients and families we have known and worked with for a couple of generations in one family.

“These personal relation-ships with patients are a bonus to everyone – we know their family and medical history and they know and trust us as pro-

fessional CRNAs,” she said.At DCMH, all patients are

seen by one of the anesthe-sia providers prior to sur-gery. Some are seen days or weeks in advance and some are seen just prior to their procedure. This pre-anesthetic visit is used to assess patient health history which includes past surgeries, any past anesthetic complications, a review of current illnesses and disease processes as well as all medications and treatments currently in use and drug or food aller-gies which may interfere with the anesthesia drugs. The type of anesthesia to be used is also discussed. Sometimes lab work, EKGs,

and/or chest X-rays may be ordered. The more compli-cated patients may require collaborative work involv-ing the CRNAs, internal medicine, and cardiology as well as the surgeon.

Once the anesthetic is under way, the CRNA is at the bedside during the entire surgical procedure until the patient is safely in the recovery room. A patient having any type of anesthetic is monitored continuously for changes, even subtle ones, in vital signs. Any changes may indicate the need for more, or different medications while keeping in mind the patient and their individu-al issues.

Some surgeries are more complicated than others. Some patients are more complicated than oth-ers. At times, problems arise during surgery. The CRNAs work together on problem solving those dif-ficult cases.

“This hospital admin-istration, as well as the physicians and surgeons, are very supportive of the CRNAs at DCMH, encour-aging us to practice in the absolute best way to benefit each patient and to ensure the utmost in patient safety and positive outcomes,” Akers said.

So the next time you or a family members is sched-uled for a surgery, either in-patient or same day surgical procedure, know there is an experienced professional, local CRNA who will make sure that any anaesthetic medica-tions that are needed for your care will be admin-istered in a professional manner – their job is to keep you safe and comfort-able for any type of surgi-cal procedure. And, who knows? They may turn out to be a neighbor of yours too. l

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CRNAs Kathy Akers, left, and Christine Hamilton.

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Pediatric Associates Integrated CareWe have teamed up with the Midwestern Center for Mental Health to provide your child with

services that are fully integrated in treating the whole child. Call us for more details.

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Back to School

Many hospitals depend on certified registered nurse anesthetists

Is your diet making you sick?(StatePoint) Feeling under the

weather? Many common ailments, as well as serious life-threatening conditions, are caused by what you are and aren’t putting into your body, say experts.

“Even if you stick to a well-balanced diet, you may not be getting sufficient nutrients,” says Dr. Michael A. Smith M.D., author of the new book and educational tool, “The Supplement Pyramid” and host of Healthy Talk on www.RadioMD.com.

In fact, nearly all Americans have an inadequate intake of Vitamin E and nearly a third does not get enough Vitamin C according to government statistics.

While organic produce may re-duce your exposure to pesticides, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be more nutrient-rich. So in addition to a healthy diet, what can you do to ensure you’re getting sufficient nutrition? Smith offers a few tips:

• Take an ideally dosed multi-vitamin/mineral. From Vitamin A to zinc, your body is dependent on these nutrients for optimal health.

• Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that your body can’t live with-out, supporting mental and cogni-tive health, decreasing cardiovas-cular disease risk, and lowering systemic inflammation. But be-cause your body can’t make them, you either have to get omega-3 fatty acids through your diet or supple-mentation.

• All of your cells need energy to function, particularly your heart and brain cells. You may have never heard of coenzyme Q10, but it plays a critical role in cellular energy production.

For free tools to build your per-sonal supplement regimen and for more information about Smith’s new book, visit www.MySupple-mentPyramid.com or call 1-855-870-0687.

11

What should, and shouldn’t, be in your child’s lunch boxbY DAVE SEGAl

The secret to making a successful lunch for your kids to take to school is to include foods that will make them both healthy and happy. That’s not always an easy balance to strike, so we have some advice for you from Reg-istered Dietician Nadia Steinbrecher, of Montrose Memorial Hospital.

First of all, she suggests that you familiarize your-self with a guideline from the U.S. Dept. of Agricul-ture. “The easiest guideline to use is My Plate (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/), which emphasizes whole grains, meat and sources of protein, lots of vegetables, fruit, and at least one serv-ing of a high calcium food, like yogurt or milk. Trying to get at least one of each of those food groups in your child’s lunch is always a good rule of thumb.”

Steinbrecher also re-minds parents there are certain kinds of food that you want to keep out of the lunchbox. “The obvious ones are going to be the real high sugar, high fat junk foods. Try to choose whole grain breads for sandwiches — whole wheat pita bread, or whole grain wraps for kids, over the plain white flour kind. Kids need a lot of energy, and whole grains are a good source.

“Choosing leaner sources of protein, such as turkey or chicken, over things like baloney, is always a good option.” Also, make sure to include some healthy fats, like peanut butter, for example.

Then, there is the chal-lenge of picking the right side dishes. Steinbrecher suggested that you “stay away from potato chips and Cheetos, and pick a whole grain cracker. Fruit is al-ways an excellent side dish. So are carrots, or some other chopped vegetables with a dip that kids might like.”

As for drinks? “Sugary sodas, box drinks, and things like that, aren’t as good a choice as water or 100 percent fruit juice.”

Steinbrecher also sug-gests that you plan lunches in advance, and let your kids have a voice in your choices; if you don’t in-clude things that they like, they could just trade

their carrots for cookies at school.

Don’t forget to put safety first. “When you’re pack-ing your kid’s lunch, please remember to use a cold pack for foods that need to be kept cold,” Steinbrecher said. Also, remind your kids to wash their hands before eating.

As for kids who are leav-ing home to go to college, “Ooh, man,” she laughed. “When you head off for college for the first time, especially if you’re living in a dorm, it can kind of turn into a free for all, as food goes. Gently remind kids that good nutrition is part of being healthy while

in college.“Also, encourage them to

learn how to cook on their own. A lot of dorms have little kitchenettes.”

It’s also vital for college students to get enough sleep, according to Stein-brecher. “People who don’t get enough sleep have a tendency to over eat.” l

A patient and consumer health portal that saves patients time and offers the convenience of accessing their health information from Delta County Memo-rial Hospital 24-7 is now available.

The new patient por-tal went live on July 1 for hospital patients and their family members and may be found through the hospital website at www.deltahospital.org. Patients will need to have a valid email address on file at the hospital in order to access the patient portal.

Patients will be able to:• View, download or trans-mit a Health Summary• See some lab results and radiology reports• View allergies and condi-tions • Review active home medi-cations • Reference visit history, including discharge in-structions• Access billing informa-tion

Health summaryPatients and authorized

family members may ac-cess a health summary from the portal, or trans-mit the health summary which serves as a Conti-

nuity of Care document. Patients may safely trans-mit an encrypted summary to a specific physician by entering a provider direct address. Similarly, secure download is supported by requiring a patient-gener-ated password to access the downloaded file.

Access/update important health information

The portal simplifies access to timely health information by making it accessible to patients and their families from one central location. The portal protects access to this sen-sitive information through a number of security measures, including URL rewriting, encryption and customer-defined timeouts.

The Patient and Con-sumer Health Portal allow patients and their families to see data from both acute and ambulatory visits to the hospital. Patients can review visit details and update information. Users also benefit from access to preventative care informa-tion and immunizations.

From the portal’s billing tab, patients and family members can see details for both current and past accounts, which include

date of service, total bal-ance and patient responsi-bility for each account.

reap the benefits of integration

Seamless and system-wide exchange of infor-mation ensures patients have timely access to their health information. Health care staff also benefit from improved communica-tion and engagement with patients and their families. Integrated features in-clude:• Updates to demographic

or contact information made in the Profile area of the Portal’s Health Infor-mation Management.• Integration with the Rev-enue Cycle allows patients to see billing information, decreasing the need for paper copies of billing documentation.• Patients have access to visit histories, discharge instructions, and a Patient Health Summary, ensuring them access to important health information and fol-low up materials after leav-ing the healthcare facility.

Safety of email addresses/patient information

Email accounts gathered by Delta County Memorial Hospital are only for use of the Patient Portal. DCMH does not sell or distribute email addresses and will not use email addresses for any other purpose.

Patient information is protected through the use of a personal user ID and password system as well as other layers of security to ensure privacy and data integrity. l

Healthy fuel for back to school

Make a mini-wichSandwiches are a classic, portable meal, but when your kids just need a snack, try a “mini-wich.”Making one is as simple as quartering a pB&J or grilled cheese sandwich into a bite-sized, pop-able snack. add in a few baby carrots or a handful of raisins on the side and you’re all set.it’s a tiny, attractive combo that will come in very handy when your son or daugh-ter needs an extra boost after getting off the bus or energy for an early start on homework.

On-the-go snacksthere are lots of options for healthy snacks on-the-go — from all-in-one bars, to trail mix, to fruit squeez-ers. Sometimes, all it takes is a squeeze and a slurp to enjoy a snack that’s nutri-tious and delicious. For a no-spoon, no-mess solu-tion, give squeezable fruit pouches a try. they are 100 percent natural and come in a variety of flavors, includ-ing apple cinnamon, apple strawberry and apple peach.

leftoversone man’s dinner is some kid’s snack. While that’s not exactly how the saying goes, “waste not, want not” should ring a bell. try dicing up last night’s chicken and broccoli and mixing them in a small tupperware con-tainer. throw in a side of ranch dressing and a color-ful safety fork and voila: your kids have an instant, bite-sized snack ready for spearing. When school starts back up, it’s hard to carve out time for healthy food preparation, but when the going gets hectic, imagi-native parent can fall back on these snacks.

(Information from Statepoint Media)

Safety should be a priority when packing a lunch. Foods that need to be cold should have an ice-pack stored with them.

Delta County Memorial Hospital launches patient portalSteps to enroll1. Go to www.deltahospital.org2. Click on the patient portal link on the home page3. Fill out the patient profile4. access your e-mail for your one-time user name, password and link to the patient profile portal5. then click on the link to access the patient portal6. enter your one-time user name, password and security question and then click log on7. enter your new user name, and password.8. now you are free to explore the patient portal!the patient portal representative at Delta County Memorial Hospital is: lynda Vincent, patient ad-vocate, who can be reached at ljvincent@deltahospital.org or 970-874-6436.

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There are a number of things that those of you who are parents of school kids can do in advance to get them ready.

Dr. Mary Vader, of the Pediatric Associates, in Montrose, sug-gests that you establish a sleeping and waking routine for them two weeks before school starts.

“Because they let kids sleep in all summer. They don’t have a lot of obligations in the summer, so they have to get back in the rou-tine of waking up, getting out of bed, doing homework, extracur-ricular activities, things like that.

“All kids thrive on routine. So it’s good for the parents to plan for the next day. Set out their clothes. Set out their backpacks, so they don’t get to school and realize that they’ve forgotten something.”

That routine should include good eating habits, too. “One of the most important things we tell families is that kids need break-fast,” Vader said. She also advises parents to make those breakfasts high in protein. “Something with peanut butter on it. An egg. Some-thing with protein.”

“Make sure that they are up to date on their Well Child visits,” Vader suggested. The American Academy of Pediatrics recom-mends periodic Well Child visits so parents and pediatricians can discuss various aspects of the child’s development, such as growth, eating habits, attention level, learning problems, etc.

“Make sure their vaccines are up to date,” said Dr. Vader. “Make sure they get fl u shots, although these are often unavailable when school starts. We were lucky last year in that we got most of ours in by September, but most of the kids had had their physicals by then. But you’ll see clinics and pharma-cies put out signs when the fl u vaccines are in.”

Medical histories should also be kept up to date. “The family should collect a medical history on the kiddos — a list of their allergies, and any of their medicines. And that should be given to the school.”

Vader explained that this infor-mation will be made available to the school’s health technicians, and will come in handy if the child has a medical problem at school.

Many dental problems can be headed off if discovered early, so a back-to-school dental exam is a good idea, too, according to Va-der. “Part of the Well Child check

is whether they’ve had a recent dental visit. We have clinics that take Medicaid, so anybody can get dental care now. “

The doctor also reminds working parents that this is the time to con-

sider how to handle the time gap between the end of the school day and mom’s or dad’s arrival home. “It’s important that before school starts, the parents have arranged after-school care, whether its the

Boys and Girls Club, or something else.

“They also need to have some kind of a plan in case the child gets sick and can’t go to school. They need to plan that ahead.”

Vader was asked if she sees a lot of kids, and parents, suffering from a bit of anxiety as the fi rst day of school approaches. “Yeah, I do,” she replied.

Fortunately, there are effective ways of dealing with that. “For little kids, practice walking to the bus stop with mom or dad, or walking them to the school they’ll go to.

Familiarity and preparation are good preventatives for anxiety. “Probably one of the best things that families can do to allay anxi-ety is to attend the school orienta-tion program. Meet the teachers together. Figure out where your classrooms with be, and who else will be in your class. And that can all be done ahead of time.”

Of course, sometimes a child’s anxiety comes from a fear of being bullied at school.

Vader’s advice to parents in that situation is to communicate with your kid and the school about the problem. “Believe the kid, and talk to the school.” She pointed out that the child who is a bully at school might be a victim, too. “I always worry that the bully at school might be getting bullied at home. And that kid deserves protection at home, too.”

Since nothing is better for kids than family togetherness, the doc-tor prescribes dinner. “I always think one of the most important things a family can do is to have dinner together. Then, as a family, discuss how it went during the day. If the kids are having trouble, then troubleshoot and help them think of what they’ll do the next day, when they go back.”

Vader also encourages parents to demonstrate enthusiasm for education. “Kids get excited for school, and the more positive the parents are, the more positive the kids will be.” l

Back-to-schoolchecklist Back-to-schoolchecklist

Aug. 18 will be D-Day for Montrose County School District Re-1J. The schools

will be invaded by kids in kindergarten through high school, as summer vacation ends.

School preparation just as much about healthbY DAVE SEGAl

“ALL KIDS ThRIvE on RouTInE. So IT’S GooD foR ThE PAREnTS To PLAn foR ThE nEXT DAY. SET ouT ThEIR cLoThES. SET ouT ThEIR BAcKPAcKS, So ThEY Don’T GET To SchooL AnD REALIZE ThAT ThEY’vE foRGoTTEn SoMEThInG,”

DR. MARY vADER

Preparing to return to classes means more than just buying notebooks and pencils. Get vaccines, and getting back into a routine is important as well.